Today Matters

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Today Matters

• Dr. John C. Maxwell

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Today Often Falls to Pieces

• What is the Missing Piece?

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Todays Impact on Tomorrow

• We believe success is impossible so we
  criticize it
• We believe success is mystical so we search for
  it
• We believe success comes from luck so we hope
  for it

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Todays Impact on Tomorrow

• We believe success is productivity so we work
  for it
• We believe success comes from an opportunity so
  we wait for it
• We believe success comes from leverage so we
  power up for it

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Todays Impact on Tomorrow

• We believe success comes from connections so we
  network for it
• We believe success comes from recognition so we
  strive for it
• We believe success is an event so we schedule it

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Today Matters

• We over-exaggerate yesterday
• We overestimate tomorrow
• We underestimate today

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Successful people make right decisions early and
manage those decisions daily.
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Today Can Become a Masterpiece
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The Advantage of Today

• You are preparing for something
• Preparation today gives confidence tomorrow
• Preparation today gives success tomorrow

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Making a Masterpiece

• Good DECISIONS today will give you a better
  tomorrow
• The DISCIPLINES you practice today will give you
  a better tomorrow

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The First Step Toward Success

• Start with yourself
• Start early
• Start small
• Start now

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Make Your Decisions a Reality

• Review your decisions and ask yourself, which
  good decisions have I already made?
• Identify the decisions you still must make
• Choose one of those decisions and determine to
  make it this week

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Make Your Decisions a Reality

• Learn the disciplines that go with each decision
• Repeat the process until youve mastered the
  daily dozen

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Todays ATTITUDE Gives Me Possibilities
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Attitude Makes a Difference

• Your attitude at the beginning of a task affects
  its outcome more than anything else
• Your attitude toward others often determines
  their attitude toward you
• Your attitude can give you a winners perspective

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Attitude Makes a Difference

• Your attitude not your achievements gives you
  happiness
• Your attitude is contagious

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Changing Your Attitude

• Take responsibility for your attitude
• Decide to change your bad attitude areas
• Think, act, talk, and conduct yourself like the
  person you want to become
• Place a high value on people
• Develop a high appreciation for life

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Managing Your Attitude

• Recognize that your attitude need daily
  adjustment
• Find something positive in everything
• Find someone positive in every situation

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Managing Your Attitude

• Say something positive in every conversation
• Remove negative words from your vocabulary
• Express gratitude to others daily

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Todays PRIORITIES Give Me Focus
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Why Priorities Matter

• Time is our most precious commodity
• We cannot change time, only our priorities
• We cannot do everything
• We choose our life by how we spend time
• Priorities help us to choose wisely

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Principles of Priority

• What is required of me?
• What gives me the a return?
• What gives me the greatest reward?

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Identify Your Strengths

• Trial and error
• The counsel of others
• Personality tests
• Personal experience

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Manage the Discipline of Priorities

• Evaluate priorities daily
• Plan your time carefully
• Follow your plan
• Delegate whenever possible
• Invest in the right people daily

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Todays HEALTH Gives Me Strength
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Reasons Why Health Matters

• Your health impacts you emotionally,
  intellectually, and spiritually
• Health often determines quality as well as
  quantity of life
• Its easier to maintain good health than to
  regain it

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Healthy Guidelines

• Have a purpose worth living for
• Do work you enjoy
• Find your pace
• Accept your personal worth
• Laugh

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The Battle to Stay Healthy

• Eat right
• Exercise
• Handle stress effectively

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Todays FAMILY Gives Me Stability
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Reasons Why Family Matters

• A safe haven in a storm
• A photo album of memories
• A crucible of character
• A mirror revealing the truth
• A treasure chest of relationships

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Communication Caring for Your Family

• Determine your priorities
• Decide on your philosophy
• Develop your problem-solving strategy

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Managing the Disciplines of Family

• Put your family on your calendar first
• Create and maintain family traditions
• Find ways to spend time together
• Keep your marriage healthy first
• Express appreciation for each other
• Resolve conflict as quickly as possible

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Todays THINKING Gives Me an Advantage
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Why Thinking Matters Today

• Good thinking precedes good results
• Good thinking increases your value
• Poor thinkers are slaves to their surroundings

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Practice Develop Good Thinking

• Understand that great thinking comes from good
  thinking
• Recognize there are many kinds of thinking
• Maximize your strengths and staff your weaknesses

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The Discipline of Thinking

• Find a place to think
• Set aside think time every day
• Find a process that works for you
• Capture your thoughts
• Put your thoughts into action quickly
• Try to improve your thinking every day

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Todays COMMITMENT Gives Me Tenacity
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Why Commitment Matters

• Commitment can change your life
• Commitment helps you overcome many of lifes
  obstacles
• Your commitment will be tested every day

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The Discipline of Commitment

• Expect commitment to be a struggle
• Dont rely on talent alone
• Focus on choices, not conditions
• Be single-minded
• Do whats right even when you dont feel like it

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Todays FINANCES Give Me Options
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Why Finances Matter

• Money wont make you happy
• Debt will make you unhappy
• Having a financial margin gives you options

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The Discipline of Finances

• Become a good earner
• Be grateful every day
• Dont compare yourself to others
• Give as much as you can

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Todays FAITH Gives Me Peace
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Why Faith Matters Today

• Faith gives me a divine perspective today
• Faith gives me health today
• Faith gives me strength for today
• Faith gives me resilience today

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Daily Decisions Regarding Faith

• We already have faiththe important choice is
  where we place it
• Understand that faith is often birthed out of
  difficulties
• A faith that hasnt been tested cant be trusted

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Managing the Discipline of Faith

• Embrace the value of faith
• Put God in the picture
• Associate with people of faith
• Explore and deepen your faith

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Todays RELATIONSHIPS Give Me Fulfillment
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Why Relationships Matter Today

• Lifes greatest experiences involve other people
• Youll enjoy life more if you like people
• Youll get farther in life if people like you
• People are any organizations most appreciable
  asset

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Initiate Invest in Relationships Daily

• Place a high value on people
• Learn to understand people
• Give respect freely but expect to earn it from
  others
• Commit yourself to adding value to others

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Building Relationships

• Put others first
• Dont carry emotional baggage
• Give time to your most valuable relationships
• Serve others gladly
• Express love and appreciation often

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Todays GENEROSITY Gives Me Significance
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Why Generosity Matters Today

• Giving turns your focus outward
• Giving adds value to others
• Giving helps the giver

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Plan for Model Generosity Daily

• Give others your money
• Give others yourself
• Greatness is not defined by what a person
  receives, but by what that person gives.

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Managing the Discipline of Generosity

• Dont wait for prosperity to become generous
• Find a reason to give every day
• Find people to receive every day

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Todays VALUES Give Me Direction
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Deciding to Embrace Practice Values

• Create a list of good values
• Embrace those good values
• Make a decision to live those values daily

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Managing the Discipline of Values

• Articulate embrace your values daily
• Compare your values to your practices daily
• Live out your values regardless of your feelings
• Evaluate each day in light of your values

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Todays GROWTH Gives Me Potential
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Misconceptions About Growth

• Growth is automatic
• Growth comes from information
• Growth comes from experience

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Why Growth Matters Today

• Gifting without growth leads to ineffectiveness
• Growth prevents personal professional
  stagnation
• Your personal growth impacts your organizations
  growth
• Only through continuous improvement can you reach
  your potential

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Decide to Experience Growth Daily

• Answer the question What is my potential?
• Make a commitment to change
• Set growth goals
• Learn to enjoy the journey
• Put yourself in a growth environment

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Managing the Discipline of Growth

• Make it your goal to grow in some way every day
• Have a time and plan to grow
• File what you learn
• Apply what you learn