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Ideas Without Actions Aren’t Any Good

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To Build the Business of Your Dreams You Must Take Action

“I AM A PERSON OF ACTION.” “My future is immediate. I will grasp it with both hands and carry it with running feet. When I am faced with the choice of doing nothing or doing something, I will always choose to act!” – Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

From the book “The Travelers Gift” by Andy Andrews

For years people have asked me where I came up with the business system and procedures that I use. As I thought about it, I realized that early on my business and life had developed without much intentionality.

I was a dreamer at an early age. I had big ideas and plans for my life. Then there was a portion of my life where I became disillusioned and accepted that my dreams were just that…dreams.

I decided I was just kidding myself the whole time.

Then in 2012 I had “A Life Changing Wakeup Call” and realized that I had gotten sucked into a world of doubt. I had given up and quit dreaming. It can be hard for those of us that are dreamers to turn ideas into action.

After my accident, I began to think about what my life was and what I had expected it to be. I became reenergized about dreaming and about life. It’s great to be excited about life again!

Dreams are just dreams if no action is taken.

Not that my life was terrible before the accident, it just wasn’t what I had envisioned. I had been living without a clear plan, and there was so much more for me to accomplish.

At that point I decided to become more intentional.

I’ve always been a planner but it’s sad that it took a hit in the head for me to realize the importance of intentional action.

When we’re young the tendency is to think that we’ll have all the time we need. There’s no need to think about the future…we’ll get around to that someday. Then one day we wake up and realize life is flying by and we haven’t done those things we wanted to.

You don’t have to wait until you’re smacked in the head to become intentional.

Think of your business as a construction project. It all begins with a dream. You can see the vision of the completed project in your mind. The tricky part is getting that dream out of your head and making it a reality.

Having a plan will let you see if it looks like your dream or not. It’s easier to make changes and corrections during the planning stage, rather than the construction.

After I realized that that my dreams weren’t going to happen without actions, I began to develop business tools and systems needed for building my dream business. It would have been easier if I had some help.

It’s always a good idea to have the help of a professional when drawing out plans and building your dream business. Their experience, knowledge, and skill can save you time and money.

This is why at Solution Building we’re making these tools and systems available to others in the construction industry.

To build your dream business you can’t stop at the planning…there’s more action needed.

Don’t wait to be smacked in the head to get intentional about taking action for building your dream business.

If you would like some help with planning or building the business of your dreams you can schedule a free construction company consultation.

Welcome in the New Year

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It Doesn’t Have to be Scary

Here we are at the start of another new year. It’s hard to believe that it’s 2024 already. It’s amazing how quickly a year goes by. It seems like it was just yesterday that we welcomed 2023.

The unknown of a new year can be scary. Wouldn’t it be great if we could look forward and know exactly what the future holds? It would be nice if it were that easy. The problem is that there would be no need for faith or to trust God if it were all mapped out.

The best way to prepare for a new year is to be intentional in what you want to accomplish.

So, how do you prepare for the unknown?

I think the best way to prepare is to look back at the past, at what you’ve learned up to this point. Reflecting on the things that went well and the things that didn’t. With this information you can make wiser, more informed decisions going forward into the new year.

As you look back through the past year, I’ll bet you’ll be surprised at how many of the things you wanted to accomplish…you actually did!

The next step is to look forward. What do you want to accomplish in 2024? This is where faith comes in. You can set some pretty big goals for the year, but they need to be realistic. I could set a goal of owning a NASCAR team in 2024, but that’s not very realistic.

However, this doesn’t mean that I can’t begin taking steps in that direction this year. We’re told in Mark 11:23-24 that we shouldn’t be afraid to dream big. Luke 1:37 says nothing is impossible for God. So we need to have faith.

The other part of this is…

Our dreams and goals need to be in alignment with God’s plans.

There have been a lot of new things happening at Tisdale Church throughout this past year. We disaffiliated from the UMC. We got an amazing new Pastor. We’ve seen an increase in attendance.

Looking forward, we have some pretty big dreams and have set some big goals for 2024!

We can’t see the future, but if we align our plans with God’s, have faith, and do the work…He’ll take care of the rest.

This brings us to the remaining piece of the puzzle.

Learning from the past is good. Looking to the future is good. The thing we need to be careful with is not getting stuck in one or the other.

We need to remember to live in the present.

This can be hard if we dwell on the mistakes of the past or are only looking forward. This leaves us missing out on the important things around us every day.

This past Sunday, Pastor Lisa had everyone randomly draw an individual word for the year. These words, specific to each of us, should help us to bring all three areas together. This word is something that we can use to help us learn from the past, look to the future, and live in the present.

I’m excited to find ways to incorporate my word of the year.

Here’s to a great 2024!

What is “Shiny Object” Syndrome, and How Can We Avoid Being Tricked by it?

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By Having Clarity of Purpose and Being Intentional in Our Actions

In today’s world, where we’re flooded with information, it’s common for people to get “shiny object” syndrome. Shiny object syndrome is a disease of distraction. It is especially prevalent in highly motivated people who crave new technology and cutting-edge developments.

It’s like a dog being distracted by a squirrel.

A good example of this is Dug the dog in the movie Up. In this movie, eight-year-old Russell and Carl, a man in his seventies, end up going on an unexpected adventure that involves a makeshift airship of helium balloons and a house. When they end up landing in South Africa they encounter Dug, a talking dog.

We experience this squirrel distraction in their first meeting when Dug gets sidetracked. So that we aren’t pulled off course like Dug…

We need clarity of purpose and laser like focus.

In Matthew 4:1-11, Satan is attempting to distract Jesus with “shiny objects”.  After Jesus has gone for 40 days without anything to eat, Satan tempts Him to turn some stones into bread. Jesus tells the devil, “The Scriptures say ‘No one can live on food alone. People need the spoken word of God.’ “

Next, the devil took Jesus to the highest part of the temple in the holy city. Here the devil pulls out the angel card and says, “If you are God’s Son, jump off. The Scriptures say: ‘God will give his angels orders about you. They will catch you in their arms, and you won’t hurt your feet on the stones.’” Jesus answers with “Don’t test the Lord your God.”

Finally, Satan takes Jesus up on a high mountain and offers Jesus the world if He will bow down and worship him. This time He says, “Go away from me Satan! The Scriptures say to worship only the Lord your God.”

We need this kind of clarity and focus.

Jesus knew His purpose, and He didn’t let a squirrel (Satan) distract Him. He stayed focused on His purpose and was intentional in His actions.

Like Jesus, we are surrounded by distractions daily. There are shiny objects everywhere vying for our attention.

These shiny objects can come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. It’s up to us to be clear on our God given purpose and be prepared so that the squirrels don’t distract us.

Satan is good at showing us the world and all it has to offer as a way of getting us to chase squirrels.

If he can get us to chase shiny objects, we forget that…

It’s Jesus we’re supposed to be chasing.

How Will You Live This New Year? It’s a Choice You Will Make

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Don’t Live Your Life in a “Leftover World”

There was a comic strip cartoon of a man and his wife in a new car show room. There was a year-end sale taking place. The husband was sitting in a chair looking a little tired and grumpy. Above him on the wall hangs a sign that says, “Leftover model”.

Do you feel like a leftover model as we end 2022 and begin 2023?

As we look back on this past year, we can focus on all the negative. This can make us feel like a leftover model. Or we can choose to look forward to the opportunities and possibilities of this new year.

It’s normal to have things left undone at the end of the year. The thing to remember is that we are the ones who choose what we wanted to get done. We get to choose what we will put on the “to do list” in this coming year as well.

We often read mystery books in our book club. Like all stories, they have a beginning and an end. What makes some better than others is what happens in the middle.

Life is like this. It has a beginning and an end. It’s the story we write in the middle that makes the difference.

Here is The Dash, a poem written by Linda Ellis, that speaks to this point.

I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
from the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of birth
and spoke the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own —
the cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and real,
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
and show appreciation more,
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
and more often wear a smile,
remembering this special dash
might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read
with your life’s actions to rehash,
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent YOUR dash?

As the new year begins, a lot of people will be taking down their Christmas decorations and moving on to the next thing. We shouldn’t be in such a rush to leave Christmas behind. Christmas is the celebration of God coming to us as a human.

Jesus is called Emmanuel. Translated, this means God with us. He is not only with us for a few weeks at Christmas time. He is with us all year long.

Don’t live your life like it’s a leftover but be intentional and choose to live it to the fullest.

Remember to write your story well and include Jesus in it every day.

Write a great story in 2023!

How To Manage Your Time and Prevent It from Becoming a Horror Story

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Self-employment is Scary Enough Without the Time Monster Chasing You

With this being Halloween season there are a lot of scary things out there. Managing your time as an entrepreneur doesn’t have to be one of them.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve discussed time management and how to keep it from being as complicated as rocket science. The first thing was being intentional and taking control of it.

The problem isn’t a lack of time…it’s a lack of self-control.

The second thing we discussed was getting your priorities in order and not letting the hot fires have control. It is easy to get distracted by all the things there are to do. Sometimes we need to fight hot fires, but it’s up to us to be clear on which fires are the priority.

It’s a matter of clarity before the fires even start.

My core values are a large part of my clarity of which fires are the most important and when. One of those core values is spending time wisely because there’s a limited amount. This is the third thing needed to be successful with managing time.

Depending on our abilities, desires and needs, we can make more money, make more friends, find more work, design new things, discover new ideas. Not that those things are easy, but they can be done.

With TIME…. you’ve got what you’ve got and there ain’t no more.

Here are 5 reasons why so many struggle with this –

  1. Trying to do too many things
  2. Lack of focus
  3. Not saying NO!
  4. Trying to do it all by myself
  5. Procrastination

(You can get more details about these reasons here)

God has given each of us this TIME to spend and He has given us the right amount for everything, Ecclesiastes 3. It’s up to us to spend it wisely!

With time being such a valuable commodity, it’s critically important to spend it wisely.

What is Worth Your Time? Not, “what your time is worth”. This changes the perspective of how we spend our time. What things are most important for me to spend time doing. Is it a call from one of my kids, serving a customer by solving a problem, spending some time with a dying friend or doing some work for the church?

Once time is gone you can never get it back. Don’t waste the little that you have.

This isn’t to say that time doesn’t have a monetary value…because it does. It scared me a little when determined what my time was worth.

Based on my target revenue goal the year I determined that…

my time is worth…$2.23 per minute.

Remembering this gives me a heightened sense of focus.

What spending your time wisely looks like can only be determined by you.

Like most things, we make time management scarier than it really is. Don’t be afraid of the time monster. Just face it down and show it whose boss.

You’ve got this!

You Can Choose to Manage Your Time Better or Not…it’s Up to You

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Be Intentional About the Actions You Take to Fight Against the Time Monster

Last week I wrote about how we tend to make time management more complicated than it needs to be. Making things more difficult than needed is just human nature. Those of us that are self-employed seem to take this to a whole different level. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Like everything in life, we have choices. Time management is no different.

The three things that I said need to be used to successfully manage time were…

  • Intentionality
  • Prioritization
  • Spending time wisely

Today’s focus is INTENTIONALITY

Being intentional is a conscious design or purpose about your choices and actions. It is deciding what you’re going to do and doing it.

Why is it that we will be on time to meetings with other people, but not with ourselves?

If I have a day full of meetings and appointments, I will be on time to all of them. But if I fill my day with tasks and projects that don’t involve anyone but me, I’ll be running late shortly after getting started?

Think about it like this…Why is it that we can make it to the airport in plenty of time for our flight or not dare be late to our child’s wedding, but won’t set down and get to work on that project that needs to be worked on?

How we choose to spend our time is going to vary for each of us. What we spend it on is not the issue. Being intentional about it is.

The problem is not a lack of time, it’s a lack of control

This does not mean that it’s easy. There is a time monster that will eat up all your time if you let it. He will gobble it up as soon as it’s available and not leave anything but crumbs.

We have to intentionally confront this monster. Closing your eyes and putting your hands over your ears doesn’t make him any less real. He’s out there and he likes the taste of time.

The intentional, continuous, focus of small actions over time will bring the monster down. The process, known as the “snowball effect”, is the accumulation of small things added to small things until they become a big thing, like a snowball rolling down a hill.

An intentional snowball is the best weapon when dealing with a big hairy time monster.

It feels like there’s not enough time to do everything. I would argue that we’ve been given enough time to do everything we should. The problem is that we’re trying to do too much.

We’ve been given enough time to do everything we are supposed to. God built the world and everything in it in six days. We’ve been given those same six days to build our lives. Granted, building the world is a lot…we just need to remember that we’re not God.

God was intentional about what He was making. We need to treat our mission the same way.

You can do anything you want. You just can’t do everything you want.

Being aware of time and watching the clock also requires intentionality. Time is the most valuable commodity we have. You’ve heard the saying “time is money”. I would argue that time is MORE than money.

Money is a form of exchange for a service or product. We have some control over how fast our money goes…not so with time.

There is a limited amount of time.

Time is continually moving. There is no stopping or slowing it to get more done. If we spend a dollar, we can go make more. Once time is spent…there’s no getting any more.

Managing time requires intentionality. You can’t just wish it to happen. You have to decide to fight the monster and pick up the snowball.

Why My Blood Pressure Goes Up When I Receive Texts

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Okay…Maybe It Doesn’t Really…But It Sure Feels Like It

My sense of dread when my phone vibrates with a text makes me apprehensive. This is at a lower level when getting phone calls, but still happens. Why? What about someone contacting me makes me feel anxious?

Some examples –

            Got a text just last night from my wife – Pictures of the chicken pen missing a side and of a chicken on the loose. (Yes, this is the same chicken pen I wrote about last week) This was not good. After some follow up, I found out that the dog had tore it up. One chicken was missing, one was out. I needed to go home and fix this so that the remaining ones had a place to roost. Had to stop what I was doing and deal with it.

            Got a text from a tenant late one evening – Water heater was spraying everywhere; carpet and clothes were soaked. Needed to get the water shut off and stop the leak. It was a 30-minute drive to the property. It was too late to get it fixed then. It was late and I had just got home from a long day. Had to figure out a plan.

            Got a text from a customer wanting to make changes – This was to work that had already been done as per agreement. This is going to upset the subcontractor because they were going to have to redo their work. This was going to cost them, me or both of us, time and money.

What’s causing this apprehension? …communication is a good thing…right.

I’ve been aware of this feeling for a while and thinking about it a lot recently, trying to figure out why. I’ve come to some conclusions that connect with who I am and my personality.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about going through the Enneagram in Business Made Simple. I haven’t finished it yet, but have determined my Enneagram type and my wings (the personality type on either side of my dominant type).

This has helped better understand why my blood pressure goes up when texts come in.

In the previous post I referred to the personality type that I thought I was…it’s conclusive…in the Enneagram, I’m a Perfectionist. For those of you that know me, this is a big surprise, right. 😊 Wings of the Perfectionist are the Peacemaker and Helper.

Traits of a Perfectionist –

  • Fair
  • Reliable
  • Feels obligated to fix errors
  • High integrity
  • Feels counted on
  • Feels responsible
  • High self-expectations
  • Wants everything to be orderly
  • Has a plan and needs to stick to it

Traits of a Peacemaker –

  • Want to avoid conflict
  • Put other’s priorities above their own
  • Like routines
  • Say yes too much

Traits of a Helper –

  • Caring
  • Supportive
  • Need to be needed
  • Focused on meeting other’s needs
  • Want to do it myself

Looking through the characteristics of these three personality types I’m beginning to see why I don’t like getting texts.

It’s going to mess up my plans.

More often than not, texts and calls are cries for help. Most people sending them know that I will do everything I can to help. This is my job after all. What they don’t usually know, is that I will provide this help even if it destroys my schedule.

So, now that I’m aware of this, it’s up to me to deal with it.

This means…

Changing my perspective from a negative, being bothered, messing up my plans attitude to a this is who I am and what I do. I find solutions! These texts and calls are opportunities.

Learn to say no. This is a combination of no’s before getting overwhelmed balanced with giving myself more value compared to others wanting their way.

This newfound awareness will allow me to intentionally change my perspective to see these texts in a positive light.

And who knows…it might lower my blood pressure.

(Stay tuned for the chicken pen update)

There Are a Limited Number of Ideas

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So, What Makes One Better Than Another?

It’s less than two weeks until this year will be over. The end of one year and the start of another is often a time used for reflecting on the past and looking to the future. In last week’s post I referred to my working on goal setting and planning.

I made the process of reviewing and setting goals a part of my annual routine.

It’s on the calendar and done intentionally.

Another thing that coincides with this time of the year is inboxes being flooded with new and better ideas for goal setting and life planning. I currently know of 6-8 of these that have been bombarding my emails regularly and repeatedly. Most of them I have used or are familiar with.

One such plan is a course in Donald Miller’s Business Made Simple University called Hero on a Mission. This is a course that I went through years ago, before BMSU even existed. I still use parts of it in my current life planning system.

My friend and accountability partner Shep and I are going through the Hero on a Mission course together. Over the past several months we have gone through a variety of different types of courses and workshops. One discussion that continually comes up, regardless of the topic, is how they all seem to be the same thing.

So, what makes one better than another?

Why are there so many options if they are all so similar. And how can so many similar options be needed?

I think there are two basic reasons for all the different, yet similar options.

First, I compare it to reading the Bible. If you’ve ever read the Bible more than once, or even if you’ve just read select scriptures more than once, you probably experienced those same exact words having different meanings at different times.

I think this is just a matter of where we are in our lives when we read it. Different circumstances, problems, celebrations or experiences all contribute to seeing things from different perspectives.

This is one of the greatest things about the Bible and what makes it so timeless. It is always relevant yesterday, today and tomorrow.

I think goal setting and life planning is similar. It’s the same content over and over yet for whatever reason today it makes perfect sense. It has to do with where we are in our life journey.

The second thing is that we all connect differently. We could have heard something ten times before and then like magic it makes sense. We will not understand it when one person says it and then when heard from someone else…poof…it’s clear as can be. It comes down to who is presenting it.

There is a limited number of ideas.

When it comes to goal setting and life planning the most important part is to do something.

The Hero on a Mission would be a great place to start, but if this isn’t the right one for you, try something different. Or mix and match, using different parts from different plans, like I have.

Don’t just drift through life letting it happen to you. Knowing where you’re headed and what you want to accomplish. Take intentional action and have a great 2021

We Need to Be Intentional About This –

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Who We Are and What We Do

We may never know what affect we have on those we encounter…good or bad. This is why it is so important to be aware and intentional about our actions.

There’s been a lot of love going around our church over the past couple of weeks. With October being Pastor Appreciation Month, there’s been many messages of thanks going in Pastor Lee’s direction. Simultaneously Pastor Lee has been sharing his appreciation of the congregation and the impact we have on each other.

This past Sunday he shared a letter written by one of the members of the church, sharing her story and the affect others in the church had on her life. More times than not, we have no idea of the impact we have on others.

We need to remember that every action has consequences…good or bad.

In Ephesians 2:8-10 we are told, “In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.” This sounds pretty clear to me. God intends for us to do good, but we get to decide if we will do it or not.

We have control over our actions. We can choose what we will do and how we will do it. This starts with figuring out who God meant us to be. Then being intentional about living in that direction.

I think more time is wasted through drifting than anything else.

Intentional action and awareness of those actions are topics that have been prevalent in my thoughts lately as well as historically. As is evident with these previous posts: (links)

Everything we do affects not only ourselves but those around us. Choices can have huge consequences. Think about how your actions affect others.

We can’t control everything, but we can control ourselves.

Live your life intentionally in the way God intended.

How I Use Outlook to Be Better Organized

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It’s All About Being Intentional

Getting organized and staying that way can be a real challenge. There are so many important things we need to do. Not to mention all the amazing things we want to do. It’s easy for the list to get so long we don’t even want to look at it.

A long list makes it hard to even know where to start.

But if we don’t write things down they’re less real and more easily forgotten. I use OneNote for keeping track of the things I need or want to do. A list is a great way to track and prioritize things.

The problem with a list is that it doesn’t block out allotted time.

This is where a calendar comes in. Whether digital or written a calendar allows you to block out a period of time for the things you’re going to do. This provides a visual restraint to an otherwise uncontrolled list.

The advantage to digital calendars is the reminders…written ones don’t do this very well. With most everyone having a smart phone in today’s world it’s much harder to forget things that need done. Digital calendars sync across a variety of devices which makes it much more difficult to forget something that’s scheduled.

This is where organization starts to get fun.

Let’s say you have a short list of 50 things to do. It’s up to you to prioritize them in the order that is relative to you and your situation. You know which ones you need or want to do first.

What if the most important thing on the list doesn’t need to be finished until the end of the day. But some of the less important things are connected to someone else’s list and they need them done first thing this morning. Or what if you are a member of a mastermind group that meets at the same time every week and that happens to be today at 11:00 AM.

How do you know what you’re going to do when?

 This is why I find my calendar to be such an important tool. I use my various lists in OneNote to prioritize. Then I look at my calendar. What things are already on there, scheduled appointments, recurring meetings, etc. With the open time left I plug in the most important things from my list. I fill the remainder of my day from beginning to end with things that I need or want to do.

This can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Fun and free time can be scheduled as easily as work.

Benefits of calendaring are:

  • It’s harder to make excuses to not do it, once it’s written on the calendar.
  • I take it more seriously; it becomes more real when it’s written on the calendar.
  • Big things become more manageable when they’re broken down into small sections of time and put on the calendar.
  • Seeing things that have been done when looking at the calendar provides a sense of accomplishment.
  • When there is a reminder that something else is starting in 30 minutes I stay more focused.

I never like to start something without being able to finish it. This makes it hard for me to stop when I’m in the middle of something. Having things scheduled tight on the calendar helps remind me that sometimes I just have to stop what I’m doing and come back to it later. It depends on it’s level of importance.

I’m more productive with a full calendar.

I push harder and focus better if I know there’s something else to do in 15 minutes. If there’s open time I take my foot off the accelerator. It’s how I get control of my life.

One of the greatest things about a digital calendar is the ability to easily move things around. Your calendar like your life is up to you. You can choose what you will do and when you’ll do it.

Just be flexibly rigid.

My go to calendar is Outlook because I love the way it connects with OneNote and syncs with my Motorola phone. Next week we’ll discuss how the Task List portion of Outlook completes this organizational system.