Tag Archive for: Goals

Are You Really Satisfied?

Are you truly satisfied with the progress you are achieving? If so, that’s good. However, I would suggest that it is okay to be satisfied and still want to accomplish more. The reason for this is simply that so many variables are changing constantly, leaving you behind if you don’t push forward to new levels.

The answer? Set new goals on an ongoing basis. Speaker Skip Ross suggested, “You have exactly what you want in life right now.” When I first heard his statement, I thought, “That’s just not true.” Yet, after thinking about it for a while, I realized he was right, because I wasn’t setting new goals and determining how I could get there at that time.

He offered a “Magic Formula” for achieving more:

Dynamic Living = (GGE + PS) X PSI

Very interesting. He added that Dynamic Living where you achieve higher objectives would only happen if you applied your God Given Equipment and what he called the Principles of Success, combined with a Positive Self Image…

Many of us don’t pursue new challenges (myself included) simply because of what others might think. So, what he is saying is to use all your talents, your thinking ability & your personal drive to initiate action.

Then, he suggested we use the Principles of Success, which he listed as follows:

  • The Law of Giving – “Whatever you give, that’s what you will get.” There are no free lunches. You always have to give something (e.g. effort & planning) to pay the price for success.
  • The Principle of Vacuum – “Get rid of what you don’t want, to make room for what you do want.” Get rid of the negative influences in your life and make room for greater achievements.
  • The Principle of Creation – I know you’ve heard me state this one numerous times in my blogs & articles. “Decide what you want, define it clearly, and write it down.”
  • The Principle of Visualization – “Look at what you want and picture it in your mind.” I would add: All the Time!
  • The Principle of Command – “Whatever you speak will be what happens to you!” Thus, always ask yourself, “Is that what you really want? If not, then don’t say it.” Don’t verbalize your fears to others, and, yes, we all have some of them… Ross adds that we spend 70% of our time talking to ourselves. Why not be positive?
  • The Principle of Action – “Do it now!”
  • The Principle of Discipline – “Do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, whether you like it or not.”
  • The Principle of Persistence – “I will until…” Ross added that one of the shortest, yet perhaps the most effective Commencement Addresses ever delivered came from Winston Churchill, who walked onto the stage and stated, “Never give up!” He waited in silence for 30 seconds and said, “Never give up!” 90 seconds later, Churchill stated, “Never give up,” and then walked off the stage. As I suggested, while it was likely one of the shortest addresses ever, it was also one of the most effective ones.

Combine these steps with a Positive Self Image, and you will become unstoppable. Your self-image is a combination of your experiences and what you believe about yourself. Don’t sell yourself short. You can achieve anything you set your mind to. With that thought planted in your mind: What’s Next for You?

Please let me know if I can help you. You can reach me at john@success-strategies.com, and consider the following advice:

“Never give up!.”

Winston Churchill

Let’s take your business to the Next Level!

Are You Willing?

As you move through this year, it is important that we consider the following question. Are you willing to pay the price for greater levels of success? I assure you that this is a question worth answering, because it will provide the very foundation upon which your entire year can be built.

What exactly do I mean when I ask, “Are you willing to pay the price?” Let me begin by explaining that none of us reaches 100% of our goals, but as the legendary hockey player Wayne Gretzky stated, “You will always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

So, with this in mind, let’s operate on the assumption that you do want to succeed at an even higher level. What will this require? My first step is always to lay out a plan. What is it you are trying to achieve, who is involved and when do you want to hit your goal?

Futurist Jim Taylor was even more blunt about this process when he stated, “Plan for the future, or you will have no future.” When I work with Clients on their goal achievement, I follow a process called SAVE™. This is an acronym for Simplify, Analyze, Visualize and Execute.

Just as when we run into any problem or new challenge, we need to Simplify it by breaking it down and answering what was behind it, how do we overcome it, what is our ultimate objective and finally who can help us win with this hurdle.

Then, we Analyze all the variables involved with it. Are there problems to overcome, and what is the cost & return of doing this? Then, begin to Visualize the outcome that you desire. Finally, we need to Execute, and this is a step that people often have difficulty completing. Why? This is simply because other people (parents, siblings, friends, or neighbors) dissuade them from moving forward.

I am not suggesting that you totally ignore them. However, unless they have been in the exact same position that you are and all other factors are precisely the same for you as they were for them, I suggest you consider their advice and then move forward if you have followed the four steps above and believe you can succeed.

Let me provide you with an example. I recall a case where our Client’s dairy herd was producing 72 lb of milk/cow per day. He wanted to get in the 80-85 lb range consistently. What did it take? Following a change of Nutritionists, it necessitated grooming the free stall beds daily, adding more water troughs for the herd, adjusting the breeding program to move his herd’s Days in Milk to a more consistent level of 160-170 days year around and then culling his herd more heavily, which was a blessing with the recent higher beef prices… And he got there in a relatively brief period of time!

What is the Next Goal or Challenge you want to achieve? Please let me know if I can help you. You can reach me at john@success-strategies.com, and consider the following advice:

“The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious.”

John Sculley, Former Apple & Pepsi CEO

Let’s take your business to the Next Level!

Will You Thrive?

Currently, most of agriculture is in a challenging situation, with interest rates just starting to be reduced, costs that are out of sight due to inflation since 2021, and regulations on labor & other business items that are, at best, onerous.

However, given those variables, are you positioning yourself to do more than just survive our current downturn? Are you positioning yourself to thrive? At the risk of sounding like the eternal optimist, let’s discuss what this will require.

Here are a few steps to implement:

  • Skip the “worrying.” It will do absolutely nothing, except cloud your thinking. As Mark Twain so accurately stated, “Worrying is like paying interest on a debt you never owed.”
  • Why not focus only on achieving greater levels of success. What do you need to do to make things better? Spend some time thinking about this.
  • Fine tune your Revenues & Expenses. Are there particular items that you have been wanting to address but have been putting off?
  • I just completed my first two Client Budgets for 2026. Their specific focus was on the areas of Labor Efficiency & its resulting costs, Feed Costs, Insurance (which they have now bid out…), and the length of Loan Amortization of term loans.
  • Is it time to “pull the trigger” on Capital Expenditures with a definite payback? One of my Clients just initiated the installation of an $80,000 Sort Gate in their milk barn. With 2,600 milk cows, they figured the 1.5 lb/cow increase in production at $15/cwt would pay for it in 135 days. However, the bonus was on reducing their labor force by two men, a savings of $110-120,000/year!
  • Another example was a Client who bought a slightly used 17’ disk that will reduce the number of trips across their field by 1/3, saving on fuel costs…
  • As I suggested on bullet point #3 above, are there new Revenue sources you can add? One Client of mine is in the process of adding solar panels that will provide them with $95,000 savings/year on electricity. This is huge.

The biggest point here is that we all can do more than just survive, even in the toughest economic environments. Why just survive? That’s simply “Amateur Hour Stuff!” Let’s find ways to thrive, for as Winston Churchill so accurately stated:

“There ought to be ways of reforming a business, other than by merely putting more money into it.”

Let’s take your business to the next level!

Where Are They Now?

During the past 27 years, I have been blessed with the opportunity to work with hundreds of agri-businesses, specifically on their financial progress and, in some cases, their complete turnaround, in terms of how they operate.

Initially, we go through some basic questions about what is currently happening in their business and what they would like to see in 3-5 years. Ninety-five percent of them state that they would like to be more profitable.

I always explain that this will require three steps. We need to know:

1.)   Where are they now? In other words, we examine their profitability and cost structure. This is especially important now, given the recent rate of inflation. Do they have the optimal debt structure in place, one that best serves them well and maximizes overall Cash Flow?

2.)   What items can we change? Are there improvements that are possible regarding costs? If you are shipping milk or other food products, are you achieving “quality bonuses?” Is your work force being optimized? Their performance can certainly influence quality levels.

3.)   What must we change? Earlier this year, I worked with a Client who truly was the definition of insanity. You know, being unwilling to change anything and then expecting different results! Their costs were high, their producing units were lower and, as expected, their feed program was awful. Results? Equally terrible!

When we run into challenges like this, my most difficult challenge is convincing people to make changes, and, as I stated in #1 above, the first task is to measure results. If you measure them you can understand them. If you understand them, you can control them, and if you can control them, you can improve them!

We never want to be an example of “insanity,” as I said above, doing things the same way and expecting different results. As I review the results of our Clients these past 10 years, I observe the following. Their Revenue has increased by 32%, & their Costs have risen by 17%. That represents the answer to the question in the title above: Where Are They Now? More significantly, it clearly shows that measuring their results every month has achieved two tasks. 1.) They boosted their existing income results and sought out new revenue sources. 2.) While they were faced with cost increases, they maintained their jump in expenses at a level that was less than their revenue improvements. How did they do that? Simply, by measuring and fine tuning their monthly cash flow!

My question for you is – “Where are you now?” If I can assist you with this, please contact me. This is challenging and is not a time for excess pride. It is a time for action.

“There ought to be ways of reforming a business, other than by merely putting more money into it.”                Winston Churchill

Let’s take your business to the Next Level!

What Could Be Worse?

I recently heard Robert Kennedy speaking about a conversation that he had held with Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk, prior to his sad and unwarranted assassination. Kennedy suggested that there were worse things than dying. One such example would be to live in a communist or socialist state where you had no choices, effectively in a position where you could not make your own decisions, one where you had no Constitutional rights.

Now, I do not want to turn this blog into a political diatribe, but I do wish to use it as a launch pad for you to reach a higher level of your future. If money were not an object, would you pursue some role that is different than your current one? Do you absolutely love what you are doing in your life? Do you have higher aspirations? Are you being your best self?

If so, I applaud you. My point is that we have so many options available to us. Let’s not overlook them, particularly out of fear. Fear is nothing more than an acronym for – False Expectations Appearing Real…

Have you been thinking about something new and challenging, career wise or for your Family or something even bigger? Set the goal, recognize the obstacles, and then figure out how you can mitigate each of them, as you set out on your new mission.

Motivational speaker Les Brown tells the story outlined by Dr. Howard Thurman, who said that the ultimate positive would be to be on your deathbed and be completely surrounded by your Friends and Family, providing you with your final moments of love & comfort, celebrating your accomplishments in whatever you had pursued.

Contrast that with the pain associated with being in the same situation, except that you are surrounded by your unfulfilled dreams, and these dreams say to you, “We came to you, and only you could have fulfilled us. But now we must die with you.”

What a sad situation that would be… What goal or decision have you been putting off?

Please don’t let another moment go by without addressing this. Move forward with your dream. Prove the naysayers wrong!

I will see you at the finish line and if I can assist you on this process, please let me know.

“Wherever you are in life, you made an appointment to be there.”

Les Brown, Motivational Speaker

Let’s take your business to the Next Level!

If You Think for One Moment…?

If you think for one moment that you can do something, you are correct. In a recent article by Joshua Becker entitled “Focus on the Reasons You Can,” he does a great job of explaining the benefits of changing our thinking. As the saying goes, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are correct.”

So often in life and in business, we remind ourselves to be “realistic.” As a result, we temper our expectations. We accept less than what we could have or achieve. Sometimes even well-meaning friends or relatives tell us not to take the risk… If you do a survey of people, you will find a very small percentage of people who can tell you what they want in life. However, 95% of them can tell you what they don’t want in life!

Joshua Becker suggests that “Almost everything worth accomplishing in life is difficult.” He goes on to tell the story about a conference that he attended years ago where the prolific writer, Anne Lamott, was asked the following:

“‘How do I find time to become the writer I want to be? I am a new mother, tired and ragged, and I just can’t find the energy to write during this phase of my life. Should I wait until it passes?’

Anne’s response was swift, pointed, and memorable.

She replied, ‘Listen, there is always going to be an available excuse as to why you can’t do your writing. You are newly-married, or you have a young child. Next, you will have more than one child, or you will be parenting teenagers, or beginning a new career, or traveling too often, or involved in this or that. There will always be a reason why you think you can’t do what you need to do. The pursuit is to overcome these obstacles in order to realize what you are called to accomplish.’

I’ve never forgotten Anne’s words of wisdom that day. In fact, it’s been ten years, and I still remember where I was sitting in the room.”

The point is that you can, indeed, reach that goal you have in mind. Get beyond the paralysis of pessimism. Instead of asking if you can do something, start to ask how you can achieve this objective. Write it down and give your mind an opportunity to start working toward its achievement. Your subconscious mind will push you forward in a positive direction, and as Joshua Becker points out: “… those who focus on the reasons they can, find hope and energy and perseverance.”

What goal or decision have you been putting off? If I can assist you with this, please let me know.

Let’s take your business to the Next Level!

What Should I Do Next?

Recently, I had a Client ask me if they should go ahead and order the steel roofing they need for a barn reroofing project. The conversation turned to tariffs and what their impact might be on prices. Since he has the necessary Cash & Credit available, I suggested that he proceed. I’ll explain why in a moment.

However, I first want to address the issue of tariffs since they seem so prevalent in discussion today. First, tariffs are nothing new. Countries have been placing them on the U.S. for years. Prior to the Federal Income Tax being put in place in the early 1900’s, it was the primary source of financing for the U.S. government. While they can impact prices somewhat, the impact of tariffs is often absorbed by the Importer or Exporter whereby they take a smaller margin, at least for a while. Why were they put in place to begin with?

For the past 20+ years, the U.S. has run trade deficits with our trading partners, and these deficits were being financed by taking on additional government debt. Given the large trade and budget deficits of the U.S., we could not allow this to continue. The tariffs were also designed to move manufacturing back to America. Given the multiple trillion-dollar investments being pledged by corporations, it seems to be working.

Yet, let’s get back to the decision about reroofing the barn. Since the Client had the funds and his herd will clearly benefit, why wait? The tariffs and all kinds of regulations will occur. However, they should not impact a sound business decision. Besides, are they the “real” reason prices have risen or is it the impact of the past five years’ inflation?

When we are facing a decision, let’s consider the following steps:

·       Decide at the outset what goal you want to achieve.

·       Consider the pluses and minuses of the various options.

·       What are the next steps?

·       Who will complete these steps and by when?

If you focus on these key steps, you will undoubtedly make better decisions and achieve solid progress. Besides, if we always waited for prices to drop, wouldn’t we all be driving rusty cars from 1962? Think about it.

“It is always your next move.”

Napoleon Hill, Author of Think & Grow Rich

Let’s take your business to the Next Level!

What’s Your Next Action Step?

Do you have a Goal? Brian Tracy, in his book The 32 Unbreakable Laws of Money and Success, outlines a 7 Step process that we all should follow to achieve the goals that we desire.

Here is a synopsis of those seven steps:

·       “Decide exactly what you want.” This is just like archery. You are very unlikely to hit a goal you cannot see. In the case of archery, if you are blindfolded, you probably won’t hit the target. The same holds for goals not set.

·       “Write it down.” There is some “magic” to writing down your objectives. Your subconscious mind works toward them, even as you go about other tasks. Don’t overlook this “hidden” advantage.

·       “Set Deadlines.” Otherwise, nothing happens, so create a “Sense of Urgency!”

·       “Make a Checklist.” What needs to happen? By when? By whom?

·       “Organize Your List by Sequence and Priority.” In what order do the steps above need to be completed?

·       “Take Action.” This is imperative.

·       “Keep Going.” In the infamous words of Winston Churchill, “Never give up!”

It is important that we then manage our time and, frankly, make every moment count, and just in case you are nervous about making a big decision, please allow me to offer you a story from my Business Coach Dan Sullivan of The Strategic Coach:

“When I started as a copywriter at a large ad agency in Toronto, my creative director taught me something that changed how I approach decision making.

He was a tough street kid who didn’t go to college until his thirties, and when people would stress about making the “right decision,” he’d look at them and say, “Nobody makes right decisions. You make a decision—and work like hell to make it right.”

That mindset has stuck with me for decades. And in today’s world, it’s more relevant than ever.

In times of uncertainty, most people wait. They stall. They default to bureaucracy. They overthink and delay progress because they’re afraid of making the wrong move.

But entrepreneurs have a distinct advantage: You don’t have to wait. You can make a decision right now and start moving forward—while everyone else is still standing still.

This mentality—prioritizing action over perfection—is what separates entrepreneurs who thrive from those who get stuck. Because when you’re indecisive, you’re not just pausing … you’re slipping backward. You’re building pressure, second-guessing yourself, and cutting yourself off from learning.

But the moment you make a decision—any decision—and take action, everything changes.

You start learning.
You gain insight.
You build momentum.
You get feedback and make improvements.
You make progress.”

I’ll conclude with Dan’s final thoughts on this:


“Uncertain times don’t have to slow you down. In fact, they can be the best time to invest in yourself—because while the rest of the world waits, you can move forward.

The entrepreneurs who win aren’t the ones who play it safe. They’re the ones who act, learn, and adapt.

Because indecision isn’t safe—it’s the riskiest position of all.”

If I can be of assistance to you, please let me know.

Let’s take your business to the Next Level!

What’s Your QTR?

Last week, I heard a new term, or at least it was new to me… QTR or Quality Time Remaining.

Of course, I have heard of Quantity Time Remaining. If you are 50 years old and plan to live until you are 80, your Quantity of Time Remaining would be about 30 years.

So, what is this term Quality Time Remaining? It is not only how much time you have left, but it is also what can you offer? How much time do I have left to contribute positive output that can impact others for the better?

I was talking with a prospect last week, and he said that, for the first time, he was being asked to provide his bank with an Annual Budget. I did not consider this an unreasonable request, but after 50 years with the same lender, the prospect was slightly offended. The loan officer’s quantity of time was 30-40 years (before he retired), but his Quality of Time was currently low on this measurement. He was new to this role and did not know how to create a budget with the customer. I’m not sure how he will interpret it when he receives a new one… Nonetheless, never having generated one before, the borrower did not know how to complete the process either.

Ultimately, it created an opportunity for me to build a budget for them. While the borrower “reacted” to the situation, I wanted to take a different approach. Have you noticed that “reactive” and “creative” contain the same letters? If I view this as an opportunity to be creative, the entire process will go much more smoothly.

My suggestion for you? Boost the amount of times when you can be creative and minimize the times when you are reactive. Life will be far better, and you will boost your QTR as well! Stay focused, and you will be prepared for whatever arrives, instead of wondering what just happened.

“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, MAKE THEM.”

                                                George Barnard Shaw

Let’s take your business to the Next Level!

Were They Planning to Fail?

Recently, I visited a business prospect who suggested that, frankly, he did not know how they arrived in the challenging situation they were currently facing. After looking at their situation, I made two quick suggestions that may yield an additional $100,000 of profit.

Their situation reminded me of the cartoon with the two cowboys leaning on a fence and a starving cow standing next to them. They said, “Gee, just don’t know what happened, but she just suddenly took a turn for the worse…” The reality is the cow had been starving for weeks. They just hadn’t been paying attention…

This is all too common in business today, and the resulting downturn for some is coming faster than ever. While we cannot control the impact of variables like COVID, inflation, higher interest rates or tariffs, we can structure our business operations to build some “cushion” for these types of impactful events.

We know these various challenges will arise at times, sometimes when we least expect them. With this in mind, let’s develop a plan to overcome them. Remember, tough times don’t last; tough people do!

What can you do? First, develop a plan for what you want to achieve, or as Stephen Covey often stated, “Begin with the end in mind.” What are the obstacles you will potentially face, and how can you mitigate these? Set dates for the steps you will need to take and determine who will be implementing these tasks. Otherwise, you could end up like the four people: Everybody, Anybody, Somebody, and Nobody.

Everybody agreed that a task was essential. Anybody could have implemented the next step. Somebody should have taken charge, but, in the end, Nobody did. The result? They were “painted into a corner” with no way out…

Don’t get caught in this trap. Develop a plan, monitor its implementation closely and adjust it when necessary. Stay the course, and you will be “Ready for the Big Dance” when good times arrive, instead of sitting on the sidelines, wishing you had made some changes.

“A good plan is like a roadmap: it shows the final destination and usually marks the best way to get there…”

                                                            H. Stanley Judd

Let’s take your business to the Next Level!