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Category Archives: Motivation Monday

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Unbreakable

01 Monday Mar 2021

Posted by Dave Gardner in Motivation Monday

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Dedication, Discipline, Drive, Games, Gaming Your Work, Motivation Monday, Techniques, Tenacity, Tools, Tricks

Today’s the day you stand up and tell the world, “Nothing you throw at me will break me.” I included this inspiring sound track from YouTube, titled “Unbreakable”, and hope you find it as inspiring as I did. It’s long (about 48 minutes), but worth it. Music has always been a great source of motivation and inspiration to me. I listen to different types of music to work on different things. When I am reading, I listen to quiet music. When I’m in the gym or working out, I listen to Rock. When I am just sitting in my chair with my eyes closed, I listen to classical or jazz.

If you’ve never used music to exercise, think, or knock out your daily tasks, give it a whirl. It really makes a huge difference.

My workout routine will involve full body with exercise bands this week. I’ll do this Monday-Friday. For cardio it’ll either be a walk around the block, my supine bicycle, or doing some stairs in my home.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Failure is alright.

22 Monday Feb 2021

Posted by Dave Gardner in Motivation Monday

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Tags

Adapt, change, Creative, Errors, failing, Learning, Losing, Mistakes, Winning

I’ve written about failure many times before on this blog. I am addressing it again today because it is so important to achieving anything. I’m a huge video game fan. My current game is Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War. What a title right? It is a great game and tons of fun, particularly when my brother and nephew join in. Whenever I begin playing a new game, I alway screw up huge in the beginning. You are learning the game mechanics, the tips and tricks, the maps, the different modes of play, and so much more. If I quit playing because I fail to win a match here or there, I lose huge.

Playing the game is about winning and losing. If you win, it feels great. If you lose, it doesn’t feel so good, but that feeling motivates me to get out there and play another match. You see? We need failure so we can learn from past mistakes. We also need failure to remind us how good it feels to win. If you fail a bunch, and finally get a win, regardless of how small, it always feels awesome.

So get out there, folks! Get out there and put your best effort in. If you win–AWESOME. If you lose, figure out where you went wrong, and get back at it. The win is waiting for you.

I hope all of you have a terrific week!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Mindset

15 Monday Feb 2021

Posted by Dave Gardner in Motivation Monday

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Consistency, duplication, habits, Knowledge, Learning, Mindset, motivation, realistic, Sources

How do you get up on Monday, attack your goals and priorities, and feel great consistently? You do other things consistently. If you smoke, drink, and stay up until 3 am binge-watching a series on Netflix, you probably will not be your best at 6 am. Makes sense, right? The same follows with working out. If you are not eating right and getting enough rest, your performance in the gym is probably going to suck pretty bad too.

When I worked, I did my best to be in bed at a reasonable time every day. I went to the gym at the same time every day. It was my consistency that allowed me the same performance at work, in the gym, etc. Self-discipline is the key to anything we want in life. If you want to write a book, you have to discipline yourself to write on a schedule with deadlines and all the rest. If you want to get in shape, you have to go to the gym or exercise in some way consistently, coupled with eating right, drinking water, and getting enough sleep to recover. I’m not preaching some new thing today. This is the way things work–period.

So, if your goals are going off the rails, those New Year’s resolutions are not progressing, re-evaluate. Do you really want those things that you wrote down, or were they a pipe dream? This is one of the biggest problems with goal setting and achievement. We write things down, but fail to plan how to achieve them. Many times I have begun planning in the past and realize that the commitment to achieve something I think I want to achieve is just too much. I’d like to write some books someday. I gave this a chance a year ago, and it didn’t go anywhere. Why? Because other things came up that took a priority, and I couldn’t do what most authors do–work on their books consistently. I had too many other things on my plate that were a higher priority for me. Make sense?

So, here’s what you do if you are having trouble with consistency. First, reevaluate what your goals are. Second, examine what it will take to achieve your goals by the date you set. Third, be honest with yourself about your motivation levels around certain goals. Are they really something you want to pursue, or is there something else that is higher on your list? Fourth, put those goals on hold that you struggle to commit to. You can always pursue them next year or at some other time.

Motivation is about mindset. It is about pursuing the things you really want vs. pursuing things you think others want you to have. It’s your life. Pursue what you want. Also be realistic. If your schedule does not allow you to go to the gym every day, then start working out at home. If that doesn’t work consistently, then reduce the number of times you exercise and stick with that. At a minimum, if all else fails—walk. Walking is healthy. It is something most of us will be able to do for most of our lives. Any exercise is better than no exercise.

This same process can be used for any goal you have. Are you doing the things necessary to achieve it? Do you know what those things are? If the answer is no to both or either of these questions, there’s a quick fix. Simply do some research to see what other people do? Writing? You can find tons of information about writing books, articles, blogging, etc. all over the place. You can find out what other people are doing and try that. The first place I turn when I’m looking at doing something new is the Internet. Then I tag the things other people are doing and begin experimenting. Someone will have done what I need to do, and they will tell you. These can be found on YouTube, on some online schools/universities, or you may luck out and know someone that does something you are trying to do. All these resources are available. You just have to get out there and look. Once you begin to learn what it takes, then you have to decide: Can I duplicate what they are doing? Do I really want to do this? Can I fit in these steps or processes into my day? If yes, then you are all set and ready to go. If not, you may have to decide to put it all on hold.

The mindset we have is critical to achieve our goals. We have to know what we have to do consistently to achieve the things we want. We have to learn about what others are doing to achieve their results. We have to be willing to apply what we learn consistently in order to achieve what we want to achieve consistently. Make sense?

Ok, folks. Have a great week!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Snow, Snow, and more Snow

01 Monday Feb 2021

Posted by Dave Gardner in Motivation Monday

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consistent, determined, Disciplined, Drive, Excited, motivation, persistent, pumped up

If you are in the Northeast, you are getting pounded right now with snow. If you go to your local gym, be careful. These big snows always produce horrific driving conditions and I don’t want any of you getting in a fender bender trying to get into the gym. Maybe do some home exercise routines instead? If you’re headed to work, you’re going to be out anyway, but please be careful. Watch out for the other drivers, who may not know how to drive in the snow.

Alright folks! It’s Monday, and it’s time to get at it. Dig in and grind.

Do a little each day toward your goals, whether it’s reading, writing, exercise, or learning. A little each day will take you far–promise. It’s so easy to do, it is like your goals fulfill themselves.

This week, I’ll be busy with all the things I have planned. My exercise routine, particularly due to the snow we are getting, will be full body exercise band workouts. I’ll also hit our cycle in the den downstairs to get some cardio or I’ll do some stairs.

Have a great week, folks! Month 2 of 2021 is upon us! ATTACK!!!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Why 2% Succeed and the Rest don’t!

25 Monday Jan 2021

Posted by Dave Gardner in Motivation Monday

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attainable, Get it, Goals, Happy Monday!!, measurable, motivation, move forward, Push, realistic, specific, time limit, YouTube

I hope this inspires you as much as it did me. Have a great week, folks!

Workout Routine:

Full body workouts (exercise bands) Mon – Friday

Get at it, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Announcements

18 Monday Jan 2021

Posted by Dave Gardner in Motivation Monday

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ambitious, Determination, Discipline, Drive, habit, motivation, Ritual, Routine, Routines, workout

Hi all! First, it’s Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday today! We in the U.S. declared it a national holiday a while back. This means I get an extra day off this week. That being said, here’s a few announcements:

  1. I’ll continue working through the spiritual laws on Saturday’s posting, but giving myself Saturday or Sunday to put it up.
  2. My workout this week will be the same as the last few weeks as I get this body back into condition after taking the bulk of December off. This week, I’ll be doing a full-body exercise band workout with 3 instead of 2 sets.
  3. I’ll be combining my workout routine and some other things I have scheduled for the week into one posting instead of two. So Motivation Monday will have a great quote, cool video, or something else I find that wakes me up in the morning and continue to pass those off, adding my workout routine and anything else I feel is appropriate for the beginning of the week.

For those of you in the U.S. enjoy the end of your long weekend.

Here’s a Wikipedia article on MLK for your reference, if you are interested in reading about him. Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King_Jr.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Here we go!

11 Monday Jan 2021

Posted by Dave Gardner in Motivation Monday

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Achievement, Categories, Consistency, Goals, Plans, processes, rituals

Hopefully, you’ve put together your goals for the year and have plans, processes, and rituals in place to guarantee your success. What if you haven’t done that yet? No worries. Start simple, if this is all new to you.

I like to pick goals within categories like physical, mental, spiritual, and social.

Physical – lose 10 pounds by year’s end

Mental – read 12 books by year’s end

Spiritual – meditate once a day for 10 minutes

Social – post uplifting quotes and materials to social media 1 x weekly

These are just examples, but easy to do. One thing I’ve learned about consistent small actions every day is that they build into big things. When I started this process for myself a few years ago, I could have never predicted I would read 60 books in a year. This is what happens when you read a little each day. Now 60 books is no issue. This works for anything you aspire to. Pick some goal, and chop away at it a little bit each day. You’ll be there in no time.

Now get at it! The year’s young. Get your goals in place, put together the daily things you need to do to hit your milestones, and get at it. It’s not too late to set yourself up for success in 2021.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – It’s a New Year

04 Monday Jan 2021

Posted by Dave Gardner in Motivation Monday

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Achievement, Determination, Goals, Innovation, Learning, lockdowns, motivation, New Year, persistance

I’m back after a nice vacation toward the end of December. I hope all of you had a pleasant time during the holiday season. We had a little get together with my sister and her boyfriend. The meals were terrific.

It’s that time again to list out my goals for the year. Here we go:

Physical

Exercise daily

Learning

Finish Masters in Sociology

Learn Excel

Learn Marketing

Learn Statistics and various diagrams

Learn Digital Advertising

Learn Python

Learn Graphic Design

Financial

Add 1200.00 to my savings by year’s end

Pay off dental bill by year’s end

Spiritual

Finish 12 ECK discourses

Run 9 Book Discussions

Run 1 Sound of Soul event

Develop 1 Digital Report to be used by me for Vahana reports each month

Learn about Facebook advertising and test it in the Thumb area by year’s end

Spiritual Exercise 2x 365 days

Gratitude Journal 365 days

Read Bible 365 days

Reading

Read 60 books in 2021

Writing

Build followers to 1100 by year’s end

Finish and Post 250 Blog Posts

Follow 200 new Blogs this year

Begin a new non-fiction book (fiction writing is on hold for the time being)

Social

Write 52 letters to my wife

Post poetry and Quotes  365 times this year

Interact and make friends playing Call of Duty

Hobbies (Call of Duty Gaming)

Diamond out Submachine guns

Diamond out shotguns

Diamond out launchers

Diamond out knife

Diamond out Sniper Rifles

Diamond out Pistols

Learn Combined Arms Maps

This is my list of goals for the year. Note: I have planned no face-to-face or location goals at all, since it is highly likely intermittent lockdowns will continue, particularly as the COVID virus mutates. There is already a new strain in the US.

Get at it, folks! It’s a new year. You’ll see some new content types this year on my blog. I like changing up this blog from time to time because it makes it interesting for me and I would like to find more ways to entertain and serve you in 2021. We’ll see how it goes.

Have a great year all!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Final Stretch of 2020

14 Monday Dec 2020

Posted by Dave Gardner in Motivation Monday

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

2021, Covid, family, Friends, Goals, Holidays, Planning, Recharging, Relax

As we approach the end of the year, I take some time to myself and review the current year and begin thinking about all the things I want to accomplish in 2021. Some of my friends think things will return to normal next year. I’m a little more pessimistic. I think many companies, organizations, and people have realized that with nasty bugs like COVID hanging around out there, we will not be able to conduct our lives the same way again. Change is inevitable. We all have to adapt, whether we like it or not. So as you make your 2021 plans, set your goals, and get your calendars set up, keep in mind that you may face many more interruptions and lockdowns, should this virus take another weird turn.

This will be the last week of posts for the year, as I move into holiday mode and take some time off from blogging to get myself aligned with my new set of goals in 2021. So, this Thursday will be my last post of 2020.

This week, if you haven’t already, take a look at what you’ve done this year. What goals did you hit? What goals did you miss? Did you miss your goals because you set the bar too high, weren’t motivated enough to push through to the finish line, or did COVID get in the way? If you’re not motivated enough to hit a goal, rethink why you set the goal in the first place. Did you really want to achieve it, or did you set the goal because you thought it was what you should do?

When I set goals, I think about what it will take to accomplish them. Do I really have the time? Do I really enjoy doing what that goal requires. If either answer is no, don’t set the goal. Do something else. Use contingency planning when setting your goals for the year. What happens if we get locked down again? What happens if I get sick? What happens if the resources I need to accomplish this goal become unavailable?

I’m assuming we will see a few more lockdowns in the upcoming months, depending on how quickly the vaccine is distributed to the public. With that in mind, my goals are going to concentrate on the things I am in 100% control of, regardless of lockdowns or no lockdowns.

Folks, it’s that time of year to enjoy family, friends, and relax a bit. If you’re like me, you’ve been working your tail off this year, pursuing your dreams and desires. For me, it’s a well-deserved break.

With that, I bid you adieu.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Lockdowns, again??

07 Monday Dec 2020

Posted by Dave Gardner in Motivation Monday

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2021, Adapt, adjust, Covid, Goals, Improvise, Innovate, lockdowns, Overcome, Persist

If you’re in the U.S., you know we’re experiencing lockdowns again across the country. Michigan is on a 3-week lockdown as we speak. I hope all of you are safe and sound. Like anything in life, however, we have to adapt, improvise, and overcome. This is the month I begin setting my new goals in 2021. No one could have predicted the lockdowns we experienced in 2020, but now that we’ve dealt with them, assume they will be on and off again as the virus keeps reappearing, and the vaccine begins to get to the populations over time.

Lockdowns are great times for reading, writing, learning, exercising in the home, and yes, even socializing. ZOOM, Google Chat, Facebook Messenger’s video chat, are all technologies you can use and they are absolutely free. You even have Facetime on the Apple phone and an equivalent on Android devices. Everything can be accomplished if you put your mind to it, and work through any difficulties.

To compensate for not having a gym, I bought some great exercise bands with handles and door mounts that work really well. The weights range from 3lbs to 400lbs, so there’s no chance that I’ll excel beyond them. I also adjusted my schedule of going to the library and coffee shop each week to work in a different environment to just staying home. The key is to plan accordingly. We were all surprised by the lockdowns, and each of us dealt with this virus in our own way. Now that we know the lay of the land, going forward, we can adjust our goals to align with our new reality.

Like I did last year, I’ll publicly post my goals for 2021 in this forum, as a way of keeping myself accountable. I welcome all of you to do the same as a comment on that post when I get it up. It really does make a big difference when you write down your goals. It brings a whole new level of accountability and responsibility of achieving what you set out to do. If you’ve never had any success with this type of stuff, take it slow. Set three goals that you believe you can achieve with a little above-average effort, and you’ll be on your way.

Have a great Monday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

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