Proud to be featured on dailyfuel.com today!  Click through to watch the video.

I’m excited to share with you another #DailyFuel video, this one on culture building and why my team and I have put considerable effort into establishing a strong culture at HealthRise. When the going gets tough (and inevitably it will), you want your team to stay strong and stand together. This video also includes one of my favorite interview questions, and why I believe what you do in the worst moments of your life can be the best reflection of who you are.

Hunters, the country is getting me down. I’m exhausted and stressed out by all the negative energy surrounding our great United States. I’ve been struggling with how to express this to all of you, without politics or motivation, other than bringing us together, united on a common Desired Outcome of calm.

Years ago, each night when I pulled into my driveway, I would sit in my car for a minute and think about how all I wanted was a hot shower and a few minutes to decompress from my day. I knew when I walked in the door, my beloved wife, mother of three boys, was ready to thrust those kids at me so she could have a moment of peace. For a while, it was harder and harder to open that car door because going into the house was never quite what I wanted it to be. So, I sat and thought about what I wanted, what was my DO, and what could I do to achieve it (thumbs in!). Being caught up in my own needs was taking me farther and farther away from my DO: a great evening at home with my family.

Once I got my desired outcome clear, things started changing. When I put the target of success on having a great evening, guess what? I started having great nights. There were smiles and hugs when I got home. Dinner was a pleasure. I eventually got my shower. Things worked out just the way I wanted once I got out of my own way.

I know that is a simplistic example. But why can’t we try putting our desired outcome of a great America in front of our individual desire to be right, no matter which side we are on? What if we all agreed, as hunters and Americans, that our desired outcome, our target is way more important than being right? (And that goes for the media, Congress and even you, President Trump.)

When we put our desired outcomes on the table, we often find our targets are more closely aligned than we imagined. Here’s the thing: we need to stop pretending we know what others want and start asking the questions so that we can deal with facts and ideas rather than guesses and emotions. Together, we can hit our targets and stop the divide. United we rise, divided we fall. Let’s rise!

In the last month, I’ve picked up a few words of wisdom I’m carrying around in my brain like a talisman.  Words that are game changers.  Words that I almost felt like I should have known, but needed to be put in front of me.  It’s like a lightbulb went off inside of me and now I’m applying these words and ideas to every situation, every hunt.
First, from my friend Mat Ishbia, the President and CEO of United Shore on accountability:

“Be a thumb pointer, not a finger pointer.”  At United Shore, if there’s a problem, there is no accusation, only self-reflection. If you are in a conflict or facing a problem, ask yourself, what can I do or what did I do to contribute to the issue.  And what can I do to fix it?

And the other, from world-class speaker Dr. Eric Thomas on appreciating all opportunities:

“You don’t got to, you get to.” (And he apologized for the bad grammar). When you start looking at life like it’s something you GET to do, it changes everything.

And if that is not inspiration enough, here is a link to my Daily Fuel video on accountability as a key to success.

Now get out there and hunt down your targets! I want to know how you are doing, shoot me a note anytime.

As a bow hunter, when I hunt a big piece of property in pursuit of a trophy buck, the name of the game is options.  The scouting and prep that goes into bow hunting whitetails is all about finding each and every place to put a tree stand, creating scenarios that present you with as many “good” options as possible.

As hunters, we do this because there are so many factors (wind direction, visibility, food sources) in play every time we nock an arrow.  It takes hard work to set the scene for success.  We know if we want to take one target, we need to have the greatest possible number of targets available.  The way to do that is to push yourself, prepare for the next level and don’t leave room for mistakes.

In business, if you want to close five deals, the sales pipeline needs to be packed with 50 good options.  In parenting, you want to give your children exposure to good options so they can have the experience to make the right choices for themselves.  Creating the pipeline, doing the hard work up front, removing the negative variables, makes success a matter of choosing between targets, not finding yourself stuck in inactivity.

The next time you are sitting in a stand, my hunters, know that you have set yourself up to take down the targets you are after through hard work, discipline, and preparation.  And when that “sad daddy” crosses your path, know you are there to get it done.

We all want more time in our day. And the key to finding more time is finding your Peak Activity Window and maximizing those three hours. Your PAW is the key to getting 10x more done and having more time for the hunts that mean the most to you. Thanks to Daily Fuel and @FuelLeadership for cutting and crafting this video!

You can find more inspiration and Daily Fuel at www.dailyfuel.com.  You can read more about your Peak Activity Window here.

Are you a rooster like me? Early morning is your PAW!