Twenty eleven was in interesting year for me. I had to relearn some very valuable business lessons and overcome challenges that I haven’t seen in over a decade. I was reminded what it’s like to falsely believe we are in control of everything and that complacency can be an extremely deadly virus. But 2011 also brought about some very wonderful situations and insights as well. I’d like to quickly share some of what I learned in the hope it might benefit you.

Your career is NOT the most important aspect of your life (or it shouldn’t be). I’ve watched many wonderful people end their marriages and damage relationships with their children this year, all for their careers and desires. The work you do is no where near as important as the promises you made to your spouse or family. One can try and justify it however it sounds sweet to their soul, but let me shoot straight – there is no way to make crap smell good.

Your situation may not be as bad as you think it is.  I was the opposite of Charlie Sheen’s “winning” mantra for the first six months of 2011. It seemed everything that I did was a failure and I could not achieve success no matter how bad I wanted it or how hard I worked for it. This was a really dark time for me and I whined the entire time. Fortunately, I was able to get the proper motivation and see that my situation was way better than many others in the world. Let me say this … there is ALWAYS hope and you must keep faith in it. Life will get better.

Sometimes you have to realize you are not in control and just have to accept it. It stinks when your daughter’s high school graduation gets ruined because of another person’s actions or you have to start a new business mid-life in an economy that is all shot to hell. There are times in life where we need to move beyond the negative and look to see the positive. It really helps!

Anger and bitterness does not serve you well in any aspect of life. I will be honest in that this is one area where I have struggled the most. It can become very consuming to focus on the people or situations that have cut you deep. And when you do, you become a hostage to them and you are never truly free to live until you let go. Don’t let anger or bitterness rob you of the joy you can experience every day.

Do what you love and don’t follow the money. I’ve written about this before but it’s worth mentioning it again. Your life will never be satisfied if you chase money or fame. They might buy you temporary happiness, but once that wears off, your soul will still feel empty if you don’t pursue the passions of your heart.

Your health is valuable and important, so don’t neglect it or dismiss it. My grandmother used to say that our health is the most important thing in life. As a teenager I thought she was senile, but now I know that it’s absolutely true. I am thankful for every single day I remain healthy and we should do all we can to stay that way.

God is always here and He always provides. I realize some of my readers may not believe in God or be a Christian, but I can honestly say that I have seen God’s Hand on my entire life (even when I wasn’t a Christian) and that it is ONLY by His blessings and grace that I’ve been as fortunate as I am. I’ve lost sight of this so many times, yet I always see it when I really look for it.

Much more could be written and shared about 2011, but it’s time to stop looking back and to start looking forward. Since I’ve turned 40, I’ve spent way too much time in the past … and I’ve forgotten what it’s like to truly live right here and now!

As I close out this last post for the year, I want to wish you a very Happy New Year and pray that 2012 will be amazing for you in so many ways.

YOU ARE IN BUSINESS TO MAKE MONEY.

Yep, I know. It’s an amazing concept that for some reason only a small percentage of people understand. I mean, it’s not that I don’t enjoy working for free and eating Ramen Noodles every day for every meal. And lights, running water, and the Internet … well they really ARE overrated. Finally who does’t get a warm and fuzzy feeling when they play the guessing game of where they’ll be lucky enough to live tomorrow? Start a business and don’t make any money and you too can relish in this lavish lifestyle.

OK, all sarcasm and facetiousness aside. The reality is that some people truly don’t get that it should be your goal to earn money and make a profit with your business.

I was recently taken aback when a person negatively commented on how I was raising my prices for a service that is very time consuming, yet extremely valuable in content and application. My fees relate to my proven ability to teach others how to make a great living and I believe that every person deserves to earn a nice living from their abilities or talents. My goal as a business owner is not to work for free and it’s not in the best interest of my family to make them live in a cardboard box. The irony in all this is that the entrepreneur complaining has also commented about how broke he is.

If you are launching a business, there is absolutely nothing wrong with earning a decent living from your hard work. There is nothing unethical about raising your prices in an effort to make a profit from your investment. And there is no business that has ever survived by offering your service or products for free.

My word of wisdom and encouragement today is this – - start charging what your service or product is worth and don’t feel an ounce of guilt for doing so!

However, being copied is also extremely frustrating, especially when the other business following stealing from you is bigger and well funded. They have the opportunity to take YOUR message and ideas and make them happen more quickly and on a larger scale. And they usually get the credit for something they did not develop or create themselves. I personally think businesses that do this are lazy, bottom feeders in a cesspool of poor business ethics. It’s one thing to borrow ideas and then build them into your own, but it’s another to just plagiarize or copy an idea directly from your competition.

I like that a business appreciates my work or my words enough to want to use it, and I do at times encourage people to take my stuff and not reinvent the wheel, but please just don’t flat out take it and call it your own if you did nothing to it.

How would you feel, or what would you do, if this happened to you?

It’s a word that I abhor even though I know at times it can the best action to take. But I am a man of action, and when I discover something I am passionate about doing or want to make happen, I hate sitting idle while the world passes me by. Especially when you know your idea can help other people or benefit those involved.

Hurry Up and Wait.

It’s just one of the military sayings and attitudes I experienced in the Army. You rush to get ready for action or primed to take your objective and then … nothing! Your battalion or company gets caught up in a Charlie Foxtrot of red tape or messy logistics that prevent you from moving forward. And you sit and wait. It’s hard to win battles when you lose momentum and morale suffers.

Ironically, I also see this happen with business ideas or business decisions quite frequently. People come together to plan and share a desire to “take that hill.” They get the adrenaline rush, prepare to take action, and then … nothing. It’s very maddening.

Shoot. Move. Communicate.

This is another term that an infantryman learns in training. You are taught to shoot your enemy, move so you don’t become a target, and make damn sure you tell your buddies when you are moving — so you don’t get shot in the back or so they can cover you from enemy fire. The goal is to continually move forward until you take your objective.

I believe many of us need this attitude and discipline with our business strategies or world changing ideas. We need to push forward to take that hill. Sometimes we need to do it at all costs and sometimes we will have to go alone. Heroes never emerge from hiding in a foxhole or being in the rear with the gear; heroes are born by taking action and not waiting when something needs to be done.

Fix Bayonets and Charge…

I’ve spent many hours over the last twelve months talking business ideas and world changing strategies with people who say they want to do something. They talk about charging into battle with a fiery passion in their voice, but without action they will never know what it’s like to be a hero. Maybe the goal isn’t really to be hero, but I hope you get the point. You cannot achieve anything great or worthy without action.

I’m not waiting on others anymore to do what needs to be done. There is too much at stake. I want people I can count on and have my back, and if I can’t find them, I’ll take out the hill alone.

Follow Me!

Are you ready to do something worthwhile? Have you been wanting to pursue that new business or start a non-profit? Are you tired of waiting? Then lets roll into battle together. I’ve got your six (that’s got your backside covered) and am here to push you on. Lets do this!