I love the Christmas Season. While I love the Season, it’s also the most hectic time of year for our family – especially this year.

The business venture we took over back in August has compounded our busy schedule but has also paid off in spades. We just finished up on a six week mission to reach out to and service every single location we have in time for Christmas. While we worked double time the last six weeks, the kids had several events going on with school and extracurricular activities that added to our busy schedule.

At times – we didn’t know which end was up.

The hectic schedule finally wound to a close on Friday, and by the time you read this, we’ll be off on a two week vacation with family. Long breaks like this is one of the many perks of the business, and it’s why we committed to working so hard that last six weeks.

While we’ll be vacationing the next two weeks, both Ronda and I are way behind on our goal setting that we do each and every year. It’s a habit that we’ve always done, but really didn’t take seriously until we got involved with YTB. It was one of the many tools we bought into in order to achieve success.

Overall both of us agree that 2011 far exceeded our wildest expectations and dreams. So much so – the future’s so bright…

We gotta wear shades.

(Oh COME ON! You had to of known it was coming.)

With the current year coming to a rapid close, we’ll be setting aside time the next two weeks to take a look at 2012 and beyond to dream and strategize about what we’d like to accomplish and what our world should look like.

Both Ronda and I are dreamers. On top of dreaming big – we also believe that somehow – some way the resources and avenues will find its way to us to make it happen. The most difficult part of the whole process is having the patience and persistence to follow through and take the appropriate action to make it all happen.

We’ve heard it time and time again, and I’m sure you have too at one time or another:

“Never – Ever – Give Up.”

I have to admit – there were times that a comment like that felt like lip service. I mean, I heard it, but the words didn’t have the impact that was intended, because I was still in the thralls of reaching for my goals but not quite achieving them.

If you’re feeling like that at this time of year, I want to ask you – actually I really need to beg you – “Never give up.”

Now – I don’t want to come across as hype or some pie in the sky dreamer. I can assure you, that I’ve been there – done that – and even have a T-shirt that says so. I know how the mind can play it’s tricks and that voice can be so loud that it can cancel things out.

But I want you to do this before the new year – because it’s probably one of the most important steps you can do to create a world that’s so bright – you’ll be wearing those shades.

I have a close friend who really helped me with this and most of you may remember Andy Cauthen. If you didn’t know Andy – you should have. Andy was President & COO of YTB Marketing, Inc. and a very dear and close friend. One of Andy’s legacies, was a popular series or course that he produced a number of years ago and caught fire on the subject of “Goal Setting“. It’s one of the finest and most thorough pieces we’ve ever read on the subject.

Andy not only goes into how to set goals, but the type of goals you should be thinking about. It’s a time to dream – and dream big.

Why is this step of goal setting so important? Try this exercise the next time you work on a jigsaw puzzle. Turn all the pieces over, and attempt to complete it upside down. Fact is – the pictures on the other side make a huge difference in completing the puzzle. And that’s what goal setting does – completes a picture. Think about it. You don’t take a trek across the country without a road map do you? You don’t build a house without a set of blueprints, right?

Far too many people actually plan to fail because the fail to plan.

If you want your future to be bright and full of promise – both Ronda and I want to invite you to take some time before the new year to set some goals and work out a plan. Neither one of us can truly express how much it’s meant to both of us. Not only in our professional lives – but our personal life including our family and our marriage.

If you’ve never done something like this – it’s time to start. But only if you really want to enjoy your life and be all you can be.

You only get one shot at this journey we call life – so why not take some time to plan it out so you can really – truly enjoy it?

Who knows you might be wearing the same shades and singing the same tune we are this time next year!

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A couple years ago, I stared swimming laps for exercise. I’ve attempted to exercise off and on over the years, but swimming has been the only form I’ve been able to really enjoy and stick with over time. Our entire family really enjoys the water and swimming’s low impact – full body workout has been perfect in giving me the endurance and stamina I need for work and family life.

In all, I’ve been swimming a mile and a quarter five days a week for the last two years. During the winter I have enjoyed the indoor pools that Gwinnett County offers at a very reasonable rate between Labor Day and Memorial Day. About the only issue I’ve had with this indoor option are the supper high levels of chlorine and the limited hours I’ve been able to get my workout in.

This season, with the new business and increased demands on my schedule, I needed to find another option. I just wasn’t making it to the pool for days at a time, and I felt horrible. I’m not just talking about feeling guilty about missing my exercise, I’m talking about just feeling physically drained and worn out at the end of the day. A body in motion tends to stay in motion, and while I was extremely busy and moving all day long, by the end of the day, I was simply worn out without much left in my tank for family and personal time.

For one reason or another, I’ve always felt gym memberships were overpriced and a waist of both time and money. It’s one of those limiting beliefs I’ve had that was embedded somewhere along the line, and I’m not exactly sure how or why it was planted there.

My beliefs about money has changed drastically over the last seven years now that I know I’m not limited to what somebody else tells me what my time is worth. Today, I create my own net worth and I’m paid in direct proportion to the amount of time and effort I put in.

Because money has long been eliminated as an obstacle, I came to the conclusion that I need to change my limiting belief about wasting my time at a gym. A good start was the fact that our local LA Fitness has an indoor pool designed specifically for swimming my laps to get back into the shape and recapturing the endurance I was looking for. A dry sauna also added value to the membership, as I’ve always enjoyed the benefits of opening up my pores, sweating out toxins and increasing my metabolism.

Much like everything else I get involved in, I not only wanted to do this gym thing right, I wanted to take full advantage of my membership. You can’t help but notice all the other equipment as you walk in that are designed to help you get into shape. Problem is; it’s been decades since I’ve used any of this equipment, and much of it has changed since the last time I’ve even seen equipment like this.

I noticed a segment of the members there that appeared to be wondering from machine to machine with very little in the way of results. We all attain this attitude at the age of 2 or 3 that “I can do it myself” – and some just never grow out of that mentality. We think we should know it all by the time we’re adults.

It’s an ego thing.

When I first got involved with YTB and wanted to learn about travel. I sought out the expert knowledge of Carnival, Marc Mancini, CLIA, and Travel Agent University. When I wanted to change my financial outlook, I gathered the expertise of millionaires like Coach Tomer, T. Harv Ecker, Robert Kiyosaki, and Donald Trump. I did the same with this blog. Experts like Yaro Starak, Darren Rowse, and Brian Clark taught me the ropes and enabled me to attain a permanent place on the internet that gets its fair share of traffic.

Of course, we can’t forget MLM, and Network Marketing. Coach and Scott Tomer, Tim Sales, Mike Dillard, Doug Firebaugh, and Len Clements provided great information and resources on building an MLM business the right way.

The point here is that in every instance I acquired the expertise and knowledge of an expert in their respective field. If I’m going to do something, I wanted to make the most of it – I didn’t want to be just average. Nor did I see the need to be so arrogant to think that I could figure it all out on my own. Not when there’s a wealth of information and people who sincerely want to help.

So it shouldn’t be a big surprise that both Ronda and I have retained the services of a personal trainer at LA Fitness to help educate us on the proper way to use the vast assortment of equipment and exercises in an effort to take our personal fitness to the next level. We simply applied the same thought process and willingness to ask for help from true experts like we always have.

There’s a term in personal fitness and training that I’m sure you’ve heard of.

“No pain – no gain.”

I can tell you that right now, that I have muscles I didn’t even know I had. Every inch on my body is feeling a high level of pain right now. While I give certain muscle groups an opportunity to recover and heal, another group kicks in during the circuit training that brings a whole new meaning to the word pain.

It really doesn’t matter if it’s personal training for fitness – or if the pain comes in the form of personal finance, business ownership, or improving your mindset and thinking. It often involves pain or at least discomfort to some extent because it includes change. A change in attitude – a change in habit, or a change from just thinking about it and actually doing it. It’s uncomfortable and rather awkward when you first get started.

If it weren’t, you’d already be doing it by now.

As adults, we often settle for the status quo or just average. Somewhere – deep inside, always wanting to advance and grow to better ourselves. Some never really take the time or energy to achieve that next level. We all talk a real good game, but fewer and fewer it seems actually walk the walk. Limiting beliefs and excuses always seem to get in the way.

It’s just too hard.

That’s why I thought it was wise to find someone outside of friends and family to hold me accountable – to help with this next level. Like I’ve learned in years past, I found an expert in this field who can show me how to do this the right way for the best desired results.

Results.

What a word.

If the result I wanted was pain – I certainly acquired it.

Don’t misconstrue or take this out of context – but I’m loving it. I’m looking past the discomfort and awkwardness right now and focused on the end result. Results  I haven’t seen in years when it comes to being physically fit and in shape. As I’ve learned so many times before in the area of finance, business, marketing, and personal development, this discomfort and awkwardness is a small price to pay on this journey we call life in an attempt to achieve our desired outcome.

Now if you’ll excuse me – I need more ibuprofen.

Until next time.

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Or as my kids would say about this summer – happened so fast.

Of course, the kids have been back in school for almost a month by now. I don’t know what happened to the traditional summer break when I was a kid. Summer was always between Memorial Day and Labor Day growing up. To this day, that’s still “summer”.

With kids, you’ve got to plan your family vacations around the kids schedule and school. We just finished up a short trip to the lake to visit Ronda’s parents over this past extended weekend. The highlight of this trip was a ride in our brand new Chrysler Town and Country. The timing was perfect, since the new 2012 models have just started to show up, and we got a phenomenal deal and great rate on a fully loaded 2011 Touring L. The kids love it because they can now watch separate shows on two different screens. (Brittany also loves the hard drive with all her favorite iPod songs.) Ronda loves it because it’s luxurious and has that new car smell. I love it because it has all the bells, whistles, and latest technology while driving. It’s our second Town and Country for the family.

About the only bone I have to pick right now concerning our new van is the lack of E-85 service stations. Of course, problems like this could also open the door with a great solution. I just might have to open me one because the market appears to be wide open at this point. Like the Travel Professionals who appear to be stuck in the mud about changing and adapting to the technology and the times, there are those who continue to argue about corn based ethanol as a solution. Somebody needs to stop arguing – and just start doing one or two of the many options and solutions that doesn’t involve corn to produce ethanol – and do it on a massive scale.

While I agree flex fuel isn’t the perfect solution – those of us who are able to look around and see how the car industry is producing these flex fuel vehicles now and how many people are buying them in an effort to contribute to a more sustainable future for our kids – it’s still a better alternative than the fossil fuels we are currently depleting.

Speaking of flex fuel…

One of the big advantages of running your own business is the flexibility. The weekend trip to the lake was one of many trips this summer we took together as a family. I have the flexibility to do all this providing it works with the kid’s schedule. There was no worry about Ronda and I being able to take time off – we just did it. While this summer’s breaks were spread out over several weeks for trips to the beach and extended family time we’re planning a small but significant change for next summer.

The entire month of July.

One of the lessons I learned early on about being a business owner is that when you work hard, you should also plan to play hard. We’ll be setting aside the entire month next summer for family time and trips to various locations. Part of it will include extended family, and part will be reserved for just the four of us. The individual weeks were nice this summer, but far too short and spread apart. In addition, we’ll still be working part of the time while away. I’ll most likely keep up with the newsletter – at least on a limited basis. (I’ve only missed one week in 3 and a half years of writing it.) The cruise we’re planning will also be a group cruise for our new client base and new business. Part of the amenities we’ll use for the group will be a cocktail hour for our guests to thank them for this current years business, and we’ll also host a preview of what’s on tap for the upcoming year for our clients and guests. (I’ve always loved “working” on cruise ships and resorts – because it never seems much like work.)

Taking an entire month off like this for next summer will require a bit more planning over the next several months. I do however have the means necessary to pull it all off and businesses that will enable me to take the extended time off. (Both in time and money.)

None of this happened over night – nor was it always easy to accomplish. But after all these years of learning and growing as a business owner, it’s really nice to realize some of the rewards that were always promised to me when I first signed up with YTB. It’s changed my entire perspective and thinking.

And because of it – I’m having a blast even if this summer season is officially over.

Thank you summer of 2011.

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It’s been almost two months since the kids got out of school for the summer. Riding bikes, swimming at the pool, the water park, and hanging out with friends playing Xbox has turned into a very dull routine by this point of the summer. Our last week away as a family is upon us.

Then the kids will spend a week at the Grandparents (and a week for just Ronda and I) and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

By the time we all get together again as a family unit it will be the beginning of August. The start of a new school year will be only one week away. I’ve been living here in the Atlanta area for almost 20 years and I’m still not use to these schools starting so early. Call me old fashioned, but school runs from Labor Day to Memorial Day – that’s how it was growing up, and overall, I turned out okay.

I really don’t have any plans to post anything leading up to the Convention this summer, now just 9 days away. Afterward, there will certainly be plenty to write about – and from what I’m hearing of what we can expect to see and hear in St. Louis – I’m looking forward to a bunch of articles in a very familiar format.

You can be assured that the newsletters will be in your inbox each of the next two Sundays for pre and post-convention updates and announcements. But this blog for at least the next week and a half will be fairly quiet.

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Off on a weeks’ vacation with extended family this week. We have a nephew who is graduating High School and it was a perfect excuse to get everyone together at one of our favorite vacation spots – in Williamsburg, Virginia. He’s the youngest of my sister’s kids and as you can see below, we won’t have another High School graduation in the family for at least another decade.

I practically grew up around this area as a kid. My Grandparents lived in the surrounding area during my childhood and we loved to spend weeks at a time with them just south of here, in Newport News and Norfolk, Virginia. I have many very fond memories of Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown which we looked forward to every year. When we got older, Busch Gardens opened up at just the right time. (We were just too cool for Williamsburg and Jamestown at the time.)

Our own kids have only been to the area a handful of times since they were born. While we do spend at least one week with both sides of the family for vacation, we spend the time at different locations for the week. I have to admit however; Williamsburg is one of the more comfortable and relaxing vacation spots because I know the area so well. There’s plenty to do, and it’s fun seeing the area again through a child’s eyes. (Although some of the better attractions are still ahead of us later in the week.)

Some of the best family memories have also been here. One of the reasons is due to a video I filmed and edited more than 10 years ago. (Summer of 2000) While the week long events were edited down to just 15 minutes, the entire video was still too long to post on the internet. The clip below however, is an all-time favorite, especially for my sister’s boys who enjoyed playing golf with the adults at the time. Ten years later, they’re adults in their own right.

We’ll be back to our regular posting here on Just Picture It Now next week. This week is reserved for family time, although the computer, as always is with me during vacation time. (Wherever I go, the computer goes.)

Hope your week will be as fulfilling and enjoyable as ours.

Until next time, enjoy the video.

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Hope you had an enjoyable extended weekend. I love this time of year. Summer is officially in full swing with school out, the pool in, and plenty of grilling.

While we aren’t really going anywhere this week, I’m going to spend some time with the family during this short week here at home. We’re also getting the outside of the house painted and while I won’t be doing the painting, (I don’t do ladders) I do need to purchase and install several projects for the outside of the house.

I’ll need to get back to it next week being there’s a Sandals sale coming up next week with YTB Travel Network. (More on that next week.)

In the meantime, the kids and I have plans to do a little swimming, and try to sneak in some time for crafts for Ronda’s birthday next week in the midst of everything else that’s going on.

Have a great week!

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If a company wants to remain relevant in this day in age – it’s got to change with the times. Some companies do a really good job of adapting to new and innovative concepts such as ZamZuu. The companies last quarterly report told us that it now has over 130,000 “free agents” in its program adding more than 35,000 in the first quarter of 2011 alone. In addition, with the bogus law suits now behind the company, the stock is heading in the right direction again.

Others may look like they change and adapt on the surface, like McDonald’s – but when you look below all the hype and look at what’s actually being served – there’s not much difference. (Only McDonald’s can turn something like oatmeal into junk food.)

Then we have a very unique class of Traditional Travel Agents – who make no attempts whatsoever to change or adapt. Apparently, it’s everyone else who needs to resist the changing times and technology to suit their wishes and desires. (Which begs the question – “How’s that workin’ for ya?”)

Another company that’s been making a move of late is Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart is a strange bird if you ask me. There really isn’t any middle road for most consumers when it comes to this company. You either love it – or you loath the name Wal-Mart. I really like the story of Wal-Mart because it did what most “experts” claimed couldn’t be done. Call it a flaw if you’d like – but I happen to like companies that prove the so called “experts” wrong. (Thus, why I’m still with YTB Travel Network.) Just because it’s never been done before is no excuse to lay claims that it can’t be done. Where there’s a strong will – there’s always a way.

However, because Wal-Mart dissed the “experts” and decided to do the unthinkable anyway, it does have its share of people who can’t stand the sight or thought of Wal-Mart. (A rather personal and selfish attitude if you want to know the truth.)

Recently, I caught wind of a new book “Force of Nature: The Unlikely Story of Wal-Mart’s Green Revolution” that I’m most likely going to order. One, because I love reading about business, and two, I’m into the green revolution myself. Not to mention another article just yesterday that mentioned the book for the umpteenth time that prompted this post.

The article referenced leads me to believe that doubters are at it again – questioning if Wal-Mart is making the right move here. It is after all – about the bottom line which most people equate to actual customers walking through the checkout line with products in hand.

Fact is – being green these days is not only cool, but it’s the responsible and right thing to do. In addition, the savings recognized goes right to Wal-Marts bottom line. Some of the examples given in the articles I’ve read have been quite remarkable and worthy of praise when we’re talking a sustainable business.

The jury may still be out if this green initiative for Wal-Mart is going to add more customers. It’s certainly a viable option for this family, especially when it comes to a convenient location for organic products and produce. For us, the word “organic” overrides any misgivings or disdain for what Wal-Mart has or hasn’t done in the past. It supplies a much needed resource for a healthier more sustainable lifestyle.

For us – that’s definitely “cool”.

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