When I first started being intentional about charging forward to create better results in my life, I always had a sense that I wouldn't be entrusted with bigger responsibilities and bigger rewards unless I appreciated and took care of the little tasks and tiny opportunities that were right in front of me.

And I've realized that this is how opportunities work.

In your life right now you have a handful of opportunities.  We overlook these opportunities because we don't want to be bothered by the task of dusting them off.  We want opportunity to pick us up, but it only works the other way around.

As soon as you open your eyes to the opportunities that are already in your life and take advantage of them no matter how insignificant or "not-worth-the-trouble" they may seem, then life will send you more.  And they will get bigger and bigger as you go along.

This is what I would tell myself to stay on track:

I can't expect life to send me bigger stuff if I'm not willing to show that I can take care of the little stuff. 

You gotta just start.

I've learned alot from this little book that really only does its best to drill one principle into the reader.  And that is...Poke. The. Box.

Poking the box means releasing your need to see things in terms of failing or succeeding and instead see things in terms of: "Well if I do this, what will happen?  If I do that, what will happen?"

It's with this different way of thinking that I was able to try new things, push my limits, and even start this blog.

If you have an accountability partner, a good thing to add for discussion is, "How did I poke the box today?"

Poking the box can feel a lot like "going for the no" (Go for No is another key paradigm-shifting book you need to read).  It can feel like you're putting yourself in a position to fail, like you're making a mistake, like you don't know what you're doing.  But this is the kind of world that the really amazing entrepreneurs live in.  And they make this world their friend.  They make poking the box the very key to their radical success in creating businesses and lives built on their values and their terms.

So go.  Poke the box today and keep doing it.  See where it takes you.

I've been sharing with fellow OWL peeps -something called the "What Makes Life Work Binder" - a tool I've first put together for myself over the course of this year to keep the stuff of my life organized and help me pay attention to what things make my life work in different areas like health, biz, blogging, etc.  Anyways, I will break down the binder format later so that you can start putting together your own.  Right now, I'm going to skip ahead and give you this resource for your currently non-existant What Makes Life Work Binder! ;)

Society and the school system has us buying into the belief that attaining a college degree is equivalent to having a secure life.  I say go for it if what you want to do with your life actually requires specialized education, like being a doctor, lawyer, or engineer.  However, take time to think.  If you want to do something entrepreneurial, creative, or innovative (and this is what is needed in the new economy), then you need to ask yourself if you really need that college education, or if you can just believe in yourself enough to realize that you are more than capable of teaching yourself what you need to know with the limitless information that is available on the internet and through real world practice and experience. 




College can be a great experience, I know.  But remember, it's an experience you'll be paying for many years after it's over.  There are limitless experiences you can have and create for yourself in this world without such a huge financial burden.  And you have access to all the information you could possibly desire with the click of a mouse.  Please realize that our education system is stuck in that it is operating as if information is a rare commodity.  This was true in the industrial age.  It is not true today.  The price students are paying for a college education and the value that they actually receive from it has stopped matching up a long time ago.


Take my words or leave them, it's your choice - but that's just it - let whatever you do be your choice and take 100% responsibility for it.  If you're going to go to college, know how much debt you'll be carrying after you graduate, be mindful of what the market is like for whatever it is you're majoring in, get some real life experience of the field to know if it's something you want to spend the majority of your time and energy doing, look at people who have been doing what you're planning on doing for 10, 20 years and ask yourself if you want to be like them.  Will you be able to afford a home?  A family?  Will you be able to spend the time that you want with your family?

And if you're thinking of not going to college, then you really got to get serious and figure out what skills you need to be building and books you need to be reading.  You got to learn how to make money and how stay successful long term.  You might even need to unlearn alot of stuff you've been conditioned to believe.  You got to get comfortable with failing and being outside of your comfort zone and seeing that as a good thing.  You got to stop acting like you're always waiting for permission and start giving yourself permission.  You got to start studying the success principles and realize that everything is up to you.

Let the value you give to the world be your resume.

Make your choice.

Goal Brain Dump Worksheet pdf free ebook download from www.myfinancialindependencecoach.com

GIRL TIP

For some reason, girls have a hard time keeping two things clean and organized: their purse and their car.  Our rooms may be tidy, our clothes nice and neat, but we struggle with these two things and we don't realize the negative effect it has on us until we actually clean out our purse or car and feel the difference.  I heard somewhere how these things are an extension of ourselves...wow.

I'd like to share how I've been able to improve my messy purse situation...my car though is still another story.

Purse tips:

• You gotta break down and admit that no matter how cute a purse may be, if it doesn't have the compartments and dividers you need, it will not be useful to you.  You may like walking around with that fancy, cute bag and get lots of compliments on it, but if someone asks you for your business card and you have to commence the dreaded "black hole ritual," then you have to choose between being Miss Fashion or Miss Professional.

• Good News!  There is a source for purses that look awesome and keep you organized.  I've owned a LUG bag for years and no matter how many other purses I try out, I keep coming back to my LUG.  It still looks brand new and it serves so many purposes.  I use my LUG for:

- keeping my business catalogs and samples dent-free and easy to pull out in the middle of a conversation.
- rosary
- sunglasses
- wallet
- earphone
- toiletries, hair comb
- iPad
- business cards
- pens, highlighters
- there's even a compartment for a pair of shoes! (Yes, it's useful - I do sometimes change my shoes multiple times in a day)

All these items have their own spot in my purse.  Yes, there are that many compartments.  Gotta love LUG.  You can browse the LUG selection at www.luglife.com.  It's one of the best investments I've made. :)

• Every night, I empty my purse so I can see what needs replenishing and what needs putting away.  For example:

- any business cards I get from other people needs to be put in my business card holder book and the information on the card needs to be entered into my contact system on my iPad.  I use a program called "base" that allows me to record memorable information about the person and schedule an action step I can take to turn that business card into someone I can network more with.  You can check it out at www.futuresimple.com  If you don't take immediate, constructive action with the business cards that people give you, they can become worthless fast.

- I replenish my own business cards.  It's not a nice feeling when you're in the middle of networking with someone and you realize that all your cards are at home!

- I replenish my business tools and materials.  My business goes where I go and not having any material with me is like saying, "I am closed for business."

- I take out any receipts and input the information onto the financial app on my iPad (I currently use "Money for iPad"). 

So, now you know my secret. ;)  However, the only way that you are going to maintain this habit is if you learn to see your purse as a tool that is supposed to help you build a life that works.  This is my mindset.  My purse helps me build my business, expand my network and feel supported in my intention to focus on what's important.  Is your purse dragging you down or lifting you up?

I'd like to share an app that has made my life easier.  It's called Opus Domini.  If you've ever used the Franklin Covey Planner system, this app is as close as you can get to it!  And for me, it's better than the paper planner because those things can get heavy and when something is too cumbersome to carry with you all the time, you'll end up not using it.  This was the case with me when I invested in a Franklin Planner a couple years ago.  After that, I switched to a mini moleskine planner, but even though that was more portable, it didn't help when my schedule would get complicated.  This app has the best of both worlds - the weight is your iPad or iPhone and it has every single feature of the Franklin Planner system. 

Right now, I am using the free LITE version.  Eventually I'll pay for the full package which is 8 or 9 bucks, but I want to get in the habit of utilizing the basics before adding on the all the bells and whistles. 


(This picture looks like the Lite version I have now, except my tabs [on the right edge] only feature the first two: Daily Tasks and Master Tasks)

What I like about the Opus Domini Lite:

• I can write down all the things I need to do under Tasks, and then I can transfer the tasks to the schedule.  Writing a To Do list means nothing if you don't designate a time to get the stuff done. 
• There's this red "needle" that combs through the schedule in congruence with the time of day.  This helps because I can look at my schedule and know instantly where I stand.  There is no "Ok, what time is it now?  What's next?  Did I miss something?"  When the needle is aligned with an event/action (marked by those colored boxes), it's like a signal to my brain: "Do this now before the needle makes it out of the box."  Weirdly helpful.   
• The mini month at a glance at the top of the page is helpful.  No flipping around to get to it.
• The quotes are always a breath of fresh air and the main reason why I bought a Franklin Planner in the past.
• The empty space for Daily Notes is great for getting stuff out of your brain, even if it's not task oriented.

The paid version of the app looks super cool and extra helpful, but I recommend starting out with the Lite version so that you get the knack of using this tool as a part of your life.  In the end the simple features are really the most important features.

Visit this link for more information about this app: http://www.piso13.com/Piso13/Opus_Domini_mobile.html

Hi, here are my notes from an interview of Seth Godin that I listened to on the Smart People Podcast.

www.smartpeoplepodcast.com

People need to transfer their passion to their jobs rather than search for a job that's their passion.  This is more achievable and creates opportunities.  (Meanwhile, be working on your own business)

Fail relentlessly then fail some more.

We need to stop complying with the system and draw our own map.

The system has failed forever.

The new system rewards people who are willing to do something different.

Everyone is capable of producing "art", of being creative.

What matters is how you deal with your fear.

Failure and struggle should be your normal and the easy, "fine" times are the exception.

Use your fear as a compass of what you should do, not what you shouldn't do.

Dig deep and do the hard work longe before it's due.

Real artists don't wait for perfection.  They ship.  They GO FOR IT.

You no longer need to go to a specific school to learn things now that we have the internet.

Examples of things rarely taught in school:

• public speaking
• how to look things up
• life-long learning
• reading a book a week

We're stuck in the mindset of teachings facts rather than teaching life-long learning.

We don't teach kids that they have the power to create.

Stumbled across an interesting website the other day - www.darlingmagazine.org.  It features articles based on self-improvement, better living, etc, but what makes it unique is that the content seems to be organized according to personality type.  So, you can read according to how you operate in the world.  You simply click on the persona (signified by a really charming illustraion) that fits you - the intellectual, the dreamer, the explorer, etc.  This is great because information that may be helpful to "the achiever" could be a little jarring on the mindset of "the dreamer."  While we do embody the traits of many personality types - you can be an achiever with a bit of dreamer mixed in (making you a very creative achiever) - it's just neat to have the personalization.  Check it out. :)

Photo Credit: http://darlingmagazine.org/

Issue 5 of This girl Means Business magazine is live and in it is a book review by moi! Check it out at www.thisgirlmeansbusiness.com. :)

Some people let their fear destroy their dreams.  Others learn how to use it as the very tool needed to craft the life of their dreams.

Fear.

It's amazing.  If you can rise above it and look at it objectively, you can see that beneath the instinct to "run and hide," there lies an arrow pointing directly in the direction that you need to go.

We cannot draw out with absolute precision the map between where we are and where we need to be in order to arrive at this goal or that.  But we can consult our compass - our fear.  Because the very step that you're afraid to take is precisely the step that you must take next.

Start changing your relationship with fear.  Improve it.  Mature it.  Grow up.  Because as long as you're committed to learning and growing, you'll always have fear.  So you might as well stop running from it and learn to run with it, through it, and past it.  Have fun with it and eventually it won't feel like fear anymore.

I just received word from Carrie that my book review will be in next month's magazine!  Yay!  Thank you, Carrie.  You're the best. :)

Danielle LaPorte and Chris Guillebeau get together to give value in this video interview!



I like how the host says she's on a mission to bring you behind the curtain stories and lessons from entrepreneurs that you won't find in an MBA program:

Watch video at this link: http://vimeo.com/45584598

Notes:

Go design a life where you can be free.

Practical advice.

You need to be able to dance between the vision and getting down to hustling.

Hustling: relationships, creating, connecting, the art of self-promotion.

Why would you want to do something you're not passionate about?

You'll wither without passion.

Just give.

Give it away and see.

Underpromise, overdeliver.

How can I be of value?  How can I be of value?

My marketing plan is strategic giving.

"For years I wanted to be a writer and I never did anything about it."

"Even if nobody cares about it, I'm going to do it."

Make what you love to do, helpful and useful for other people."

If this is going to work, it's up to me.

People will show up and respond.

The more transparent you are, the better.

"I'm thrilled to do what I do."

A little over a month ago, I stumbled across this absolutely amazing digital magazine called "This Girl Means Business."

I downloaded the issue on my IPad and was really blown away by the concept, simplicity, clarity, and beauty of it.  I felt like it really resonated with everthing I strive to communicate to people through OWL about personal development. 


I knew immediately that I wanted to use this magazine for the OWL mastermind members and workshops.  I've been searching for a way for members to be able to study something in common so that when get together for our workshops, we can have the advantage of communicating "on the same page."

About a week ago, I contacted Carrie Green (the wonderful woman behind this magazine) asking if I could "join the team" by contributing articles and after checking out the OWL blog, she gave me the green light!  Thank you, Carrie!!!

Don't wait another minute before diving into this awesomeness!!!  Go and check it out here: http://www.thisgirlmeansbusiness.com/

Anthony Tornito asked:

Hey Michelle! Thanks for all the cafe memories. I wish the best for the next phase of your adventure! Question: Will you be creating a blog post for those who are interested in making a blog? Like how to create an effective one?

Well, I love being a facilitator - connecting people with resources from other great people.  And to answer this question, here is a podcast by a hugely successful blogger named Michael Hyatt titled "7 Keys to Writing a Killer Blog Post:

http://michaelhyatt.com/017-7-keys-to-writing-a-killer-blog-post-podcast.html


If you have any questions, I'm happy to help by leading the way to the resources that can help you.
- Michelle Rohr aka Personal Development Facilitator ;)

Saw an update on Facebook from Jack Canfield just now saying:

"As we near the final quarter of 2012, what do you still want to achieve in the remaining months of the year?"

What would have to happen for this year to be your best year yet?  Get a headstart on your 2013 New Years Resolutions by developing the right habits and self-discipline now.  What would have to happen this year for you to achieve your goals for next year.  Have you even set your goals for next year?  We have to either take responsibility for our lives by setting goals or default to living life on repeat.  Every year sets the stage for the next.  If you want 2013 to be great, then make the most of what you have left of 2012.

Take two sheets of paper and write "Hello" on one and "Goodbye" on the other.  On the "Hello" sheet, make a list of all the things you want to come into your life right now and on the "Goodbye" sheet, write down all the things you want to leave your life right now.  Give it a deadline.  30 days?  90 days?

We all know there is power in focusing on what we want, but there is also power in identifying what we need to let go of.  This is not to say that everything listed under "Goodbye" is unhealthy or bad.  Maybe it's just stuff you're not using anymore, stuff that should be sold or given away. 


When we let go of something, we make room for something else, something better.  With every goodbye, there's a new hello.  :)

Every day, for the next 30 days, I am going to let go of one thing I own. This will be extra challenging for me because I've habitually been getting rid of personal stuff for years so that literally everything I own can fit into a single cardboard box! At first, I found myself wanting to do this challenge just yesterday without really knowing how or why, but as I am writing this I realize that the real reason is most likely stemming from the fact that I have decided to close down my cafe, and so I'm about to have plenty of possessions from my cafe that cannot be sitting around. So first, this stash of marketing posters. Bye bye!
Take this challenge with me! Let's de-clutter together. :)

1. Out of what needs to be done in your life -- work, household, creativity -- what do you do best?
2. What space do you have access to -- in your home, work, city -- that makes you feel the most peaceful and/or inspired?
3. What are you doing that you resent, and how can you phase out of that?

Answer these questions on www.DanielleLaPorte.com

p.s.  The pig's cute.

What makes life work?

What am I not taking complete responsibility for?

Am I holding onto disbelief?

Activity is king.  Results are for later...like 18 months later.

Develop the skills.  Forget about the results for now. 

What's the big deal.  It takes time.  And time will pass no matter what you do.  What do you want life to look like in 5 years?  That future you is still you.  Take care of that person.

Pain does not need to be a part of progress.  There's always a way to make it enjoyable.  Stress is something we create by how we respond, behave, perceive, do or not do.  Feel rushed?  Start the day earlier.  Solutions like that.  Simple.

It sounds wrong - the goal isn't really the goal - but it goes back to what Jim Rohn talks about concerning the true nature of achieving goals.  It's impossible to really "work on a goal."  You have to work on YOURSELF and then your goals will develop and manifest in proportion to your own personal development.  And then when we reach that goal, be it a vacation, a new occupation, a better friendship...we realize it isn't the achieving of the goal that is so great, it is who we've become in the process.  As Jim Rohn said, "Become a millionaire for what it will make of you to become a millionaire.  And then give the money away." 

This takes the pressure off because we human beings are extremely poor at realizing how close we are to achieving the milestones we set for ourselves, and we can stress ourselves out over "lack of progress."  As soon as we realize that the goal isn't the goal - it's who we are becoming - then we can celebrate every day just knowing that we're even only 1% better than we were yesterday.  As Kyle Maynard (a man born without arms or legs who crawled up Mount Kilamanjaro) said, sometimes you need to look back down the mountain and give yourself credit for how far you've come. 

What advice would you give to an 18 year old?

If you live everyday like its your last... it probably will be. You can live your life to the fullest AND do it in a way that won't hurt you or the people you care about. Find that way and you will not regret a thing.

What would you say constitutes "the good life"?

 "The good life" is when you expand your experiences and comfort zones - it is finding the beauty in other people and cultures - it is valuing human life and love above all - it is being the person you want to be and not making excuses - it is setting goals that mean something to you and reaching goals - the good life can be found in many places and has a lot more to do with inner peace and love than beautiful places and things...but natural beauty and cool techno gizmos are fun to find on the journey.

 I work in the tourist industry because of the mobility that it allows me. Working as a bartender/server/deckhand/ snorkel instructor and any other job I can find has allowed me to live a comfortable life style and work while living in the places I've always wanted to travel to. Gaum and the Carribean have been wonderful tropical places to live, but I have also been very happy living at the north rim of the Grand Canyon and Death Valley.

The world is full of different types of beauty and they all call to me, so settling down will be a hard decision. Side trips to many exotic locations like Niceragua help me to settle my wanderlust.

Robin Sharma calls it the significant 5.

What 5 things need to happen for this month to be REALLY significant?

What 5 things need to happen for this week to be REALLY significant?

What 5 things need to happen for this day to be REALLY significant?

The reason I think this way of operating works better than a To Do List is because it forces you to think about what is MOST important.  Because even if you check off most of your To Do List, it wouldn't really add up to much because chances are ... you subconsciously avoided completing the tasks that were MOST important - which is what we tend to do.  Sometimes I forget to operate around the significant 5 and I can tell you, life gets busy about nothing fast.  Shove out the clutter, focus on what's KEY, and the rest will take care of itself.

Hola, Michelle here.  A long-time family friend, Zack Skerritt, is gracing our blog community with answers to some questions coming from our OWL peeps.  You may have noticed the link to Zach's website on the right hand side.  It's a pretty cool documentation of his adventures.  Check it out (www.zackskerritt.com) and enjoy this interview.  :)

What made you want to get on a bike and do what you're doing with your life right now?
The trip I am on at the moment was actually a last minute idea, and perhaps it´s spontaneity says more about the personal motivations behind it than anything else does.

When I left Australia, the only plan I had was to ¨travel around South America¨but first I was going to go to the US to visit and spend time with my sister in Southern California. Whilst visiting her, she and I went on a bit of a road trip and we were able to meet up with an old friend of mine (from my time living in China) who now lives near San Francisco. Over a couple of beers we caught up with each others´ lives and I informed him that I was going to be heading down to South America in the next month or so, that I had no plan yet as to where I would start, and that there was a good possibility that I would end up living somewhere down there at the end of my travels. ¨Great!¨he told me, ¨If you do end up living down there let me know where you are at. I´m actually thinking about riding a bicycle down there next year.¨

*Click* That sentence stuck in my head. It struck me as a very good idea. I mulled over it for the next few weeks, and then - once the decision was made - it took me less than two weeks to find a bike, fit it out for a long-distance tour, and hit the road.

That’s the way the trip actually came to be, but the motivation for hopping on a bicycle was actually far more deeply set in the desire to have a genuine adventure. I had travelled extensively (45+ countries on 5 continents) before this trip, and when you travel a lot you become obsessed with getting off the beaten path and finding more unique, more meaningful, experiences. These days it’s a crowded world filled with lots of adventurous people, so to break away from the pack you need to do something a bit more extreme. For years I had been trying to arrange a more adventurous trip - from a scooter trip from Hong Kong to Tibet to a sailing trip from Thailand to Turkey - but life tends to often get in the way of big plans so when an opportunity presents itself you need to be ready and willing to grab at it. After all, we only live once.

Can you tell us what was your transition like going into being able to bike "around the world" so to speak?
For me the transition was one that developed from years of travel experience, and years of scheming up big adventures. Travel is not just about exploring the far-flung corners of world, it is just as much about exploring the far-flung corners within yourself. It is about breaking out of your comfort zone and breaking past personal fears and self-construed personal boundaries. Hopping on a bicycle to travel through what are generally perceived to be “dangerous” countries like Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, and Colombia is in many ways a matter of faith. Faith in yourself, and faith in humanity.

If you could go back to yourself 5 years ago and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don’t worry about life getting ahead of you or about “falling behind”. Many of us come out of high-school or university feeling obliged to participate in this race toward societal success. In reality, there is no race and there is no finish line. Run on your own and enjoy the moment, because your life, your real life, is happening right now.

Hi, Michelle here.  Well, first I just want to say that I'll be submitting a story to SUCCESS Magazine about how the OWL project has been using the Success for Teens book.  We've given away nearly 50 copies of this great book and it has become one of the cornerstones of the Secret OWL Society along with SUCCESS Magazine itself.  Who knows?  They might publish our story!  I'll let you know when that happens.

Speaking of SUCCESS Magazine, I feel that we've reached a point in this project where I want to encourage everybody to subscribe to this great magazine or at least check out a copy at Bestseller Bookstore here on Guam (they just started carrying them).  It's only $35 for a year's subscription and every monthly magazine comes with a free (but priceless) CD that practically drips with golden, useful information from people who practice what they preach from health to finances to business to going against the grain.  It's great to share with your family as well.

Why do I encourage you to subscribe?  Because our OWL workshops are going to be centered around the monthly magazine.  We meet once a month and we've gone through evolutions of how we take in the information.  With everyone reading and listening to the same information coming out of SUCCESS magazine month after month, not only will we have something common to talk about and thereby be able to create more conversation and personal breakthroughs, each person will be able to keep that personal growth/self-motivation ball rolling for the other 29 days of the month when we're not actually together doing a workshop.  And that's where it counts.  The workshops are just the icing on the cake - being able to share and support, but having the information flowing into your brain when you're out in the trenches working on your dreams is the real need.  And a subscription to SUCCESS magazine definitely fulfills that need.

I'm on my second year with SUCCESS magazine.  I don't think this OWL project would still be here if it weren't for the inspiration and information I've received month after month this past year, not to mention a lot of other things I've achieved along the way.  Even if you never come to a workshop, please subscribe.  It will change you.  And as Jim Rohn says, "For things to change, you have to change.  For things to get better, you have to get better."  Go here: www.success.com