“Perfectionism is focused on ‘doing the thing right’, how things APPEAR, and if OTHERS think it’s done right.  Excellence is about ‘doing the right thing’. It is focused on the REASON for a task, and the RESULTS for it to be a success.”

                                                                                                          - Marc Winn

Question:  "What's our goal?"

Answer:  "Black Belt Excellence, sir!"

For the past two decades, I have ended every martial arts class I have taught; whether it was with a group of White Belt kids or a class of seasoned adult Black Belt instructors with the question and subsequent response...

"Gritty people train at the edge of their comfort zone. They zero in on one narrow aspect of their performance and set a stretch goal to improve it." 

                                                                                      - Angela Duckworth

Comfort Zones.  How many times have you heard you need to get out of your comfort zone(s) to achieve the results you desire? 

Authors, coaches and teachers have told us for decades that in order to really realize our dreams, we need to go beyond our comfort zones.

I totally agree. 

In fact, when I think of my own life and when I experienced my greatest results and feelings of satisfaction, it was always preceded with moving out of one of my comfort...

No matter how busy a man is, he is never too busy to stop and talk about how busy he is.”

                                                                                         - SearchQuotes.com

Busy-ness. 

When you think about it, it has really become an obsession for us in our culture - a badge of honor, so to speak. 

The next time you are in a conversation with a friend or business associate, be aware of how many times the conversation begins or includes your expression of how busy you are.  

Busy-ness can become a driving force in our lives, particularly when we identify with it strongly or allow it to dictate how we show up in our professional and personal relationships.

Interestingly enough,...

“No one can do it for you, but you can’t do it alone.”

                                                    - Anonymous

There are a lot of men hurting out there.

The issues impacting men are numerous.  These include, but are not limited to relational, emotional, financial and career pressures all while struggling to understand what it truly means to be a man in today’s world. 

The root cause of these challenges often begins early in life during boyhood and get buried rather than expressed.  Most young men are discouraged from asking for help and encouraged to push through and take care if it themselves as “real men don’t ask for help.” 

The negative impact of this norm is that as men develop, their problems and issues continue to go unnoticed or untreated and...

“(A) process orientation (versus outcome orientation) . . . asks ‘How do I do it?’ instead of ‘Can I do it?’ and this directs attention toward defining the steps that are necessary on the way. This orientation can be characterized in terms of the guiding principle that there are no failures, only ineffective solutions.”

                                                                                       - Ellen Langer, Mindfulness

Think of the last time you faced a major challenge in your life.  You may be at that place right now as you read this. 

How many times are we caught up in the mind game of whether we can successfully tackle a challenging situation?  Our minds can go in all types of...

“You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.”

                                                                            - Carl Gustav Jung

Welcome to the final installment of our three-part series entitled, “The 3 C’s of Creating Breakthroughs.”

In our first segment, I discussed “C number one” which is to Clarify Your Vision. 

Last week I discussed the “Second C” of Creating Your Plan, which comprised of the following four elements. 

• Begin with the end in mind – then break it down
• Identifying who can hold you capable in breaking through
• What obstacles to you need to plan for? And…
• What celebration will you take part in when you achieve...

A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

                                                          - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Welcome to part two of our three-part series entitled, “The 3 C’s of Creating Breakthroughs.”

In our first installment, I discussed “C number one” which is to Clarify Your Vision.  This was comprised of asking yourself and answering the following three questions…

• What do you REALLY want?
• What is your BIG WHY? And…..
• Who do you need to BE to create your breakthrough?

If you would like to take a deeper dive into these and other principles to achieving breakthroughs, download my free report…

The Top Ten Big Ideas to Creating Breakthroughs.

In part two of this series, we will...

“Breaking through your self-imposed barriers (and they are self-imposed) is the greatest challenge you will ever face.  Face them you must.”

                                                                                      - Mary-Frances Winters

In my over four decades as a martial arts instructor, and now in my work as a speaker, life-coach and workshop facilitator, I have been honored to guide a multitude of students, clients and audience members through the journey of breaking through obstacles in their life.

These areas of breakthrough can appear in many forms, such as; the desire to release body weight, improving one’s physical health, healing relationships, overcoming financial difficulties or creating the...

"The more disciplined I become, the freer I am to have the life I want.  If I conduct myself in a disciplined and organized way, I have much more free time."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             ...

"Move the body and the mind and spirit will follow.  Most of us have it the other way around.  I know I did for years.  I thought I always had to have it right in my mind and spirit before I DO anything adventurous .... like go for a long run, or create a successful career ... But the body can go first.  Like Emerson says, 'do the thing and you shall have the power'."                                

                                                                                                         - Steve Chandler

“I just don't feel like it.” 

...