Burn the Boats

“Without commitment, nothing happens.” – T.D. Jakes

Welcome to The Vibe!

The blog that is already standing in line for the vaccine.

Each week we share ONE IDEA that can help you live a better life.

This week’s topic is COMMITMENT.

And why sometimes we have to go ALL IN.

The Vibe: Burn the Boats

In 1519, the explorer Herman Cortes sailed from Cuba to Mexico.

Cortes was looking to get himself and his native Spain rich by looting the “new world”.

But Cortes had one little problem.

His crew was nowhere near COMMITTED to this mission as he was.

They were far from home.

The conditions were bad.

The natives were unfriendly.

The crew couldn’t even get into any of the good nightclubs in downtown Veracruz.

No sooner did they land in Mexico there was talk of a mutiny.

Some of the crew spoke openly of stealing the boats and sailing back to Cuba without Cortes.

Trouble was brewing.

Cortes faced an incredible test of his COMMITMENT to this mission.

How could he accomplish the most important mission of his life under these circumstances?

Did Cortes give a speech?

Did he round up the conspirators?

Or maybe take everyone to Cancun for a team building weekend?

Nada.

Cortes did one of the most legendary actions in history.

He BURNED THE BOATS.

All gone.

Bye Bye.

Now there would be no way home but through.

BURNING THE BOATS changed the game.

It left Cortes and his crew no other option.

Succeed or die trying.

Cortes showed everyone he was not just INTERESTED in this mission.

He was dangerously COMMITTED.

We may not be 16^th century Spanish explorers.

And most of us are at least a vaccine away before we start EXPLORING foreign lands again.

But each of us has a MISSION in our lives that needs our full COMMITMENT.

Maybe you are trying to save your business.

Or you need to repair a broken relationship.

It could be that you are facing a health problem that has no easy answer.

Whatever challenging MISSION you are up against, it’s going to take everything you got.

We won’t succeed if we are just interested.

We have to prove that we are full on COMMITTED.

Our commitments test us to see what we are really made of.

Our commitments show the world who we really are.

What’s the ONE THING you need to dangerously commit to?

Seth Godin asks, “What would you still try even if you knew you would fail?”

That’s your MISSION.

Time to go ALL IN.

An amazing journey will follow.

#BurnTheBoats

Joe Ciccarone

www.SalesVibe.Blog

50 Lessons on the Path to 50

“If a man looks at the world at fifty the same way he looked at it when he was twenty and hasn’t changed, he wasted thirty years of his life.” – Muhammad Ali

Welcome to The Vibe!

The blog that believes age is a MINDSET.

Each week we discuss an IDEA that helps you live a better life.

This week’s topic is 50 Lessons on the Path to 50.

But let’s keep this “turning 50” thing between us.

Deal?

The Vibe: 50 Lessons on the Path to 50

Here are 50 Lessons on the Path to 50.

Some of these are lessons that have stuck with me since childhood.

Others were realized only after MISTAKES and FAILURES.

These IDEAS can help you live a better life no matter what age they are put into use.

The first move is always to separate what’s in your control from what’s not.
Control what you can. Adapt or be indifferent to everything else.
Be humble or the world will humble you.
You are responsible for the energy you bring into the room.
Don’t compare yourself to anyone. Just be better than you were yesterday.
The fastest way to change your life is to change your environment.
No need to look back. You’re not heading that way.
When you mess up, own it. Then make it right.
If you want things to get better, you have to get better.
Life is less about brilliant strategy and all about who wants it more.
No struggle, no progress.
Stand up when someone walks over to speak with you. It shows respect.
Clutter steals your physical space and inner peace. No need to save something for a day that may never come.
Take one more piece of trash off the beach than you brought.
Sometimes the best move is to move on.
Find one thing you’re good at. Go all in. An amazing journey will follow.
The ultimate life hack is an awesome spouse.
Have the courage to say “No”. It’s the key to a great life.
If it’s not a “Hell yeah!”, it’s a definite “No”.
What you don’t do is more important than what you do.
How to sell anything in 1 sentence: Show the other person how they win when they work with you.
Good health is real wealth.
If you haven’t failed at something in a while, you’re just coasting.
It’s better to walk away than lose your temper.
How you spend your time and money tells us what you really value.
Wake up early. There’s magic in the early morning.
Reading with your kids at bedtime is one of the greatest uses of time ever invented.
There’s always a next move, even if it’s just acceptance.
Having the ability to think on your feet is no excuse for showing up unprepared.
3 Lessons from My 3 Favorite Books: 1) Obstacles will either crush you or make you stronger. 2) The fastest way to success is by helping others succeed. 3) Never invade Russia.
No trust, no nothing.
How people respond under pressure reveals their true character.
Show me your friends, I will show you who you are.
When you meet someone of influence, ask them for a book recommendation.
Keep pushing, eventually it will break.
An 8-hour delay in the Phoenix airport can either be the longest day of the year or the most productive. Your call.
We don’t control what happens, only how we respond.
You always have more than two options.
In the long run, it’s cheaper and easier to fix the problem than not fix the problem.
Do less and do it better.
Once you figure out what you stand for, the rest gets a lot easier.
It’s better to be kind than clever.
Cut people some slack. Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about.
Worrying is wasted energy. Anxiety makes nothing better.
Self-awareness is a superpower.
I used to think being a parent was about teaching and leading. I now realize it’s about listening and learning.
This too shall pass…
All we ever have is the present moment. Be there.
Keep showing up.
What would I tell my 18-year-old self? Hang around people better than you. Put in the work. Be kind. (PS – Lose the mullet). My 18-year-old self would probably just tell me to “F*ck off”.
Each day is a gift.

Your results may vary.

#50For50

Joe Ciccarone

www.SalesVibe.Blog

Groundhog Day

“What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same?” – Bill Murray (Groundhog Day)

Welcome to The Vibe!

The most sanitized blog you will touch all day.

Each week we discuss ONE IDEA that will help you live a better life.

This week’s topic is GROUNDHOG DAY.

And how we can turn a crisis into an OPPORTUNITY.

Good vibes only…

The Vibe: Groundhog Day

What day is it?

This week I had to ask.

It was Saturday.

True story.

Week #3 in progress.

These are surreal times.

Seth Godin wrote, “In the course of just a few weeks the life of every single person on Earth has changed.”

Wow.

Some of our jobs are on the line.

All of us are trying to figure this thing out as we go.

It’s like we’re all Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day.

Have you seen the movie?

Just awesome.

Bill Murray plays Phil Connors.

Phil is a weatherman.

He wakes up on Groundhog Day in Punxsutwaney, PA.

Phil has just three problems.

He hates Punxsutwaney.

He hates groundhogs.

And no matter what he does, he can’t make it out of February 3rd.

Every time Phil wakes up, the same day keeps repeating itself.

Sound familiar?

There are some lessons we can learn from Bill Murray as we go through our own version of GROUNDHOG DAY over the coming weeks.

Adapt

After realizing he was repeating the same day over and over, Bill Murray’s character started to adapt.

He decided to use the CRISIS he was in to his advantage.

There was a girl he wanted to impress.

There was a piano he wanted to play.

There was that annoying insurance guy that needed to be punched.

Phil decided to stop fighting the fact that he was stuck in GROUNDHOG DAY.

He started FOCUSING on what he could control.

He learned 17th century French poetry to impress the girl.

He taught himself how to be an ice sculpter.

He even tried to teach the groundhog to drive.

Great success on the first two ideas.

Not so much on the third.

Never Waste a Crisis

Winston Churchill said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”

Hidden in between all of our conference calls, home schooling sessions, and hand washing we have an opportunity.

This CRISIS gives us the chance to hit the RESET BUTTON.

It gives us the time and space to figure out what’s really important to us.

Author Mark Manson wrote, “… if you’ve ever wished you had time or opportunity to pursue some endeavor—a better body, start yoga, declutter your home, learn another language – this is the time to do it.”

The Chinese symbol for CRISIS is the same symbol used for OPPORTUNITY.

We have an OPPORTUNITY.

We can emerge from this CRISIS as better versions of ourselves.

The fact that we are stuck at home is out of our control.

But how we spend our time?

That’s 100% on us.

The writer Haruki Muarakami wrote, “When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in.”

Our job is to make sure the version of us that walks out of this mess is better than the one that entered.

How?

Maybe it’s keeping that family dinner going.

Maybe it’s time to get serious about our health.

Maybe it’s a chance to get rid of that HABIT that no longer serves us.

A crisis can be an amazing teacher.

We just have to be open to the lesson.

#Groundhog Day

Stay healthy,

Joe Ciccarone

http://www.SalesVibe.Net

Home Work

“Sorry I couldn’t answer the phone when you called. I was working from home.” – Anonymous

Welcome to The Vibe!

The only weekly blog that shows up early at the supermarket but doesn’t hoard all the paper towels.

Each week we discuss ONE IDEA that will help you live a better life.

This week’s topic is WORKING FROM HOME.

If you think this post is helpful, please forward to a friend.

Just remember to stay six feet away at all times.

Let’s do this…

The Vibe: Home Work

Week #2 of lockdown in progress.

One of our many new challenges is our new office.

We are all suddenly WORKING FROM HOME.

Just one problem…

Our entire family is home as well.

24/7.

We are taking conference calls in the mud room.

The sounds of Fortnight in the background.

Being asked to make waffles just when you unmute your line to speak up.

Interesting times.

At first glance, working from home sounds amazing.

There are defiantly some advantages.

The commute, dress code and free coffee come to mind.

But home base is filled with DISTRACTIONS.

It can be one of the most challenging environments to get real work done.

The Harvard Business Review has a video on the best practices from working from home that made the rounds on social media this week.

I think the advice is average at best.

With all due respect to Harvard, I’d like to share some ideas to fill in the gaps.

These HOME WORK ideas are from the busiest and most accomplished people I ever came across.

How To Do Your Home Work:

1) Get Up Early

This is by far the most effective idea on being productive at home.

No one wants to talk to you at 5am.

The early morning is gold.

It’s distraction free.

You have time to think.

Your mind is fully charged.

You can feel the STILLNESS.

Added bonus: You get to see the sunrise.

Waking up early is THE most time tested way through out history to have a productive day.

Two thousand years ago Aristotle said, “It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom.”

There is no substitute for getting up early.

2) Know Your ONE THING

If you only could get ONE THING done today what would it be?

That’s your #1 priority.

Author Gary Keller calls this your ONE THING.

Everything else is just a distraction or back ground noise.

We don’t have time to get everything done.

But we always have time for our #1 priority.

Focus is everything.

What’s your ONE THING?

Get focused.

Get going.

3) Set A Schedule

Put your schedule on the fridge.

Have your partner do the same.

Communication is key.

Start the day knowing who and when everyone is on kid duty.

This reduces a ton friction.

4) Take Lots of Breaks.

Go for walk with your kids.

Have coffee with your wife.

Working from home is about being PRODUCTIVE, not punching a clock.

Fresh minds do great work.

4.5) Cut Some Slack

Give yourself (and everyone else) some slack.

This is a new environment for everybody.

Your kids will remember this crazy time.

Our job as parents is to make it a great memory.

All we can do is ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES.

And let’s cut everyone some slack along the way.

Be well…

#HomeWork

Until next week,

Joe Ciccarone

http://www.SalesVibe.Net

Perspective

“Be kind, for everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” – Ian Maclaren

Everyone is in a BATTLE.

Their health.

Their finances.

Their sales numbers.

Their CONFIDENCE.

No one gets a pass.

It’s the cover charge of being human.

On any given day, your BATTLE pales in comparison to what others are going through.

So when you think you have it really tough, it helps to keep that in mind.

#Perspective

-Joe Ciccarone

http://www.SalesVibe.Net

The Best Investment

“The most important investment you can make is in yourself.”― Warren Buffett

INVESTING means different things to different people.

For some, it means the stock market.

For others, its real estate.

There is one INVESTMENT that gets overlooked.

This investment generates the highest RETURNS and has the least amount of RISK:

YOU

When I started in SALES I knew I had to level up or I wasn’t going to last long.

So I started attending SALES seminars.

The first one I attended was a game changer.

The conference had amazing speakers:

It was awesome.

But an author named Brian Tracy was the one who changed my MINDSET.

Tracy told the group that the THE BEST INVESTMENT a person could make is in THEMSELVES.

He challenged the audience to invest a portion of their annual income on their continuing education & personal development.

Tracy said INVESTING IN YOURSELF would return exponentially more than any stock or real estate holding ever could.

The 20 something version of me was SOLD.

It’s a PHILOSOPHY I live by to this day.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR BEST INVESTMENT:

INVEST IN YOUR CAREER

Jim Rohn said, “Income seldom exceeds personal development.”

In every field there are THOUGHT LEADERS.

There were REMARKABLE people that came before us.

They established best practices.

Our goal is to make original mistakes, not the same ones they did:

Read their BOOKS.
Attend their SEMINARS.
Take their ONLINE COURSES.

This INVESTMENT alone will separate you from the masses.

INVEST IN YOUR HEALTH

Thomas Sowell wrote, “There are no decisions, only trade offs.”

One thing we don’t want to trade for anything is our HEALTH.

No amount of money or recognition is worth it.

We have to INVEST a portion of each day to:

Exercise.
Healthy Eating.
Good Sleep.

We all have the same amount of time.

We just have to decide that being HEALTHY is a PRIORITY.

INVEST IN A HOBBY

Nothing centers us and clears our mind like a fulfilling hobby.

For me, its Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

BJJ delivers an unbelievable workout.

It keeps me humble and focused.

Jiu Jitsu has introduced me to an amazing group of people.

It even gave me a new ACL.

Like Robert Arnott said, “Investing in what is comfortable is rarely profitable.”

Find a hobby you love.

It will pay lifetime DIVIDENDS.

INVEST IN RELATIONSHIPS

With the exception of just one person, the entire world is about everyone else.

Make it a priority to invest the TIME and ENERGY into the special people in your life.

BE BULLISH

There are times when we need to HEDGE our bets.

Investing in yourself is NOT one of them.

Time to go all in…

#InvestInYou

-Joe Ciccarone

http://www.SalesVibe.net

The Main Event

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” – Steven Covey

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a microcosm of life.

When you:

Don’t execute the BASICS, bad things happen.
Lose FOCUS, trouble follows.
Get DISTRACTED, you get hurt.

It doesn’t matter if you are training Jiu Jitsu or negotiating in a customer’s office, you have to PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST or pay the price.

This week our series continues on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Habit #3: Put First Things First

Let’s roll…

There is an amazing disconnect between what we say is IMPORTANT and our actions.

At times we act like a General Manager of an awful sports team.

We trade high value assets for low value items:

We give our ATTENTION to Instagram when our family is right in front of us.
We give away our HEALTH when we pass the gym to get “caught up” on email.
We let people steal our TIME because we are afraid to say “No”.

Take back control by putting first things first.

It all starts by eliminating distraction.

A few weeks ago I found myself losing focus.

My phone pinged all day.

I was reacting, not initiating.

The iphone was stealing my attention away from what was right in front of me.

This was happening more often than I would like to admit.

It was time to put first things first.

I made 3 changes:

Removed all social media apps from my iphone.
Turned off all notifications for everything.
Limited email to 2 times per day.

The result?

More focus.

Less stress.

A game changer.

There is more white space during my day.

But the biggest benefit has been PRESENCE.

I’m more AWARE of what’s going on in front of me.

200 years before Covey wrote the 7 Habits, Goethe said:

“Things Which Matter Most Must Never Be at the Mercy of Those That Matter Least.”

Maybe it’s time we start acting that way.

#PutFirstThingsFirst

-Joe Ciccarone

http://www.SalesVibe.net