If I had to name the one emotion that makes my life better on a daily basis, I would say love. Not just the remarkable, romantic love I share with my wife, but also the love I have for my boys, my family, my work, my friends, nature: the list is endless. Love is an overwhelming force in my life, and it should be in yours! If it’s not, set that target in your sights and make it a Desired Outcome.

Love doesn’t always have to be about human interaction. Passion fuels many a hunt, but love is what keeps you going, taking down targets, moving mountains and ultimately achieving your goals. I truly believe that when you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.

I rarely have to go hunting for people with passion to join my organizations or efforts. They come to me, drawn by their desire to be challenged and inspired in an environment where they can help make a real difference in their business and the world. That is one of the many gifts love brings to the table; it draws positivity and passion from the people around you.

In all my businesses, I am a visionary: the one who is the keeper of culture, the creator of the big picture and the nurturer of the love. Visionaries treat a company as a family, pushing some employees to grow and spotting the spark of greatness in the least likely sources, encouraging strengths, viewing weaknesses as opportunities. Growing a business is my favorite part of being an entrepreneur, and the love I put into it comes back to me tenfold.

Here are my tips for nurturing love when you are in the Hunt:

Be kind to everyone. Everyone. Smile at your neighbor. Thank that cashier. Over tip your server. Think of the difference you can make with the smallest of gestures and DO IT.

Be open to experience. It’s easy to say no. Excuses are plentiful: I’m too tired, I’m too busy. But when you open yourself to saying yes, you are giving yourself the opportunity to grow, to learn about yourself, to finding something new to love.

Look for opportunities to express positivity. Lead with the good, and you will create greatness.

If you feel it, share it! I love what I do. And I say it every day, even if it is just to the universe. The more you verbalize your own positive, internal “I am” statements, the more you can manifest those feelings into achieving your goals.

Super Bowl weekend is a great time to talk about Real Time Execution. This game is a prime example of individuals coming together, strong, flexible and tightly focused, taking down their targets in a world that is changing rapidly and unforgiving of failure. Each player will be focused on the same Desired Outcome: to win the game, to do whatever it takes to move the ball down the field and score points.  They are ever present, diligent and ready to pivot instantaneously.

You are the quarterback of your own life. It’s your job to see the whole field and all the players at once and see where you fit into that ever-moving picture. Where are the gaps that you can fit through? Can you see the advantages and take them or are you missing out on the most important game of your life?

Knowing when to pivot is a skill you develop over time. Every pivot in any game involves three elements:

• Making the call.
• Choosing the path.
• Executing the change.

Tom Brady and Russell Wilson know these elements through and through. But their biggest weapon and yours is the ability to be there. If you can stay alert to the action, you’ll be two steps ahead of the sleepwalking world and ready to pivot onto a path to success.

I’m not placing any bets on who will win this game. I know that when you are going into a deal where there can only be one victor, the best bet is always the one you place on yourself.   As a great Detroit poet once asked, “If you only had one shot, or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted, would you capture it or just let it slip?” The Super Bowl is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but we all have a shot we can take every day to get the trophies we are after. So get in the game, make the call, chose your path and win!

No one likes to be told “no.”  It can feel like a slap in the face, like a fallen tree blocking your path to success.  I have to admit it is not one of my favorite words, but it is one that fires me up and challenges me in my work and my relationships.  I constantly see innovative ways to turn that “no” into a “yes.” “No” is the buck that keeps getting away.  The challenge is not in missing the buck in the first place, it is in finding a new path, an alternative, to hitting your target.

I was working with the CEO of a successful company on fine-tuning his sights and we ran into a roadblock.  We were delving into one of his pain points and discovered he has a visceral reaction to the word “no.”  He literally shuts down and cannot think of the next move. Through our consulting, we were able to find a way for him to turn that perceived rejection or problem into a challenge. 

Here’s how we did it:

Remove yourself from the situation.  Get above and clear and don’t take the rejection personally.  Are they saying they don’t like the idea, the cost, the timing?  At this point, the “no” becomes a negotiation. 

Leverage your strengths and knowledge to pivot the “no” toward a “yes.”  Do a quick playback and notice the things you did not in the heat of the moment.  Make note of body language, level of interest and find what you missed the first time.  Go deep into this until things become clear.

Remember and reiterate to yourself and others what the Desired Outcome is!  By keeping your focus on your target you will achieve your goals, you will get to a “yes” in your hunt.

I never use the world “problem.”  Everything is a challenge or an opportunity.  This positive outlook keeps me focused on getting to a place of yes, even when things look dark.  Put yourself in a place of challenge and opportunity and leverage the power of “NO.”  Use it to fire up your core and get in the hunt.  Take it as a challenge to succeed because as I like to say, success is always in season.