More Than Dreams and Goals, It’s About Lifestyle
Here’s an interesting little story. As you read it, see if you can relate…
I’ve always been fortunate to work for companies that had good health plan choices. When I was in the Air Force, we were all young and did not have many health care needs besides regular checkups such as physicals and dental exams. When we needed something, we just made an appointment and went in. If we required emergency services, those were available too. After leaving the Air Force, I learned that many companies offer what is called a cafeteria healthcare plan. A cafeteria plan is typically one in which an employer offers several choices of healthcare plan options. Typically, the employer contributes a set amount of money that will cover a basic plan and anything above and beyond that basic coverage is paid for by the employee. Like going to a cafeteria, you can order any food you wish and pay for whatever you choose. I speak often of my high regard for the United States military regarding the opportunities they offer those willing to work hard, but another important benefit is that they do a good job taking care of you as a military member, but also your family. OK, I already know there are some out there with bad experiences, but I’ve spent my entire adult life around military members, both active and former, and overwhelmingly they would agree with me. If you are a military retiree your medical benefits are worth a lot of money. I mean A LOT OF MONEY. Things like medical care, both while you are working and as a retiree are very important considerations as you think about your dreams and goals. Just like taxes, either you actively consider them, or you may find out unexpectedly that you are not prepared. Alas, I digress.
What choice will you make?
Anyway, after completing my Air Force obligation and when I started working for American Airlines, one of the new things I had to spend my time on was selecting my benefits on an annual basis. Oh, yes, you know exactly what I mean, don’t you? For most of my career, especially early, finances were a juggling act to make all the numbers match up at the end of the week, month, and year. I know you can relate to this as well! So, one of the choices I faced annually was what medical plan to select for my family. I even had some choices that I could select such a spartan plan that I would refund some of the company match! Because I am very conservative and risk-averse, I always asked myself, “What if something bad happens and we need more than routine medical care? What will I do, will I be able to choose the best care available or be stuck with what my plan allows?” This is one of those nagging questions we all have. I’m sorry to tell you that I have had friends, some close friends, who suffered from serious diseases and, in my uneducated opinion, received less than the best care. Some of them did not make it. Now, for the record, I didn’t know their situation, but people have a tendency to talk about things like this in good times. For example, in October, someone might say “Hey Bill, what medical plan did you choose for next year? Wow, that one plan sure is getting expensive! It’s more than I can afford anymore!”
I always opted for the most expensive plan, the one that would provide the most choices. And I always have been big on preventative medicine. Regular checkups, routine dental and eye exams, and the like. One year, it must have been when I was about 50, and during an annual physical, my doctor informed me about all of the tests I would have to take due to reaching that age 50 milestone. To go off on a little tangent for a second, I sincerely hope you participate in routine medical and dental care. Because, just like I had to watch some friends have (again, in my opinion) less than the best medical care, I have had friends and work associates who did not believe in regular medical care. Some of them, sadly, died due to diseases that if caught early could have been treated. Talk about being sad to watch.
OK, so back to my age 50 physical and the story I’m telling. One of the things my doctor discussed with me is my increasing weight. Because I had been going to him for many years, he had a long history of my health, and that included watching my weight increase. We discussed options and what he did not say was that I should go on a diet. What he did recommend is a lifestyle change. Why is that? Because most diets do not work over the long term. What does work is lifestyle changes. In case you are wondering, he recommended that I consider the Mediterranean diet plan. This plan has proven to be effective for many people over many years. Now, just for the record, 15 years later, my doctor just says “You’re pretty healthy for an old fat guy.” Ugh…I’m not really fat, but working on a family-style cookbook like I have been, let’s just say, is not the best for watching one’s weight.
So, here’s where I’m going with all of this and I hope I have made several important points along the way that will cause you to act should you need to. If you participate in Afterburner Success Partners courses, and if you hope to be successful, you will have to live intentionally, and you will have to adopt a lifestyle that corresponds with the results you expect to receive. No different than if you want to be healthy or have good medical benefits. If you want to watch your weight, you will have to take certain steps such as exercise and eating healthy. If you want to detect deadly diseases early so you can be treated, you must have routine medical care. If you want to achieve certain financial, professional, and personal results, you must act in a manner that will increase your likelihood of success.
When I designed Afterburner Success Partners, I already knew that those who would be the most successful would be those who either already lived in a certain manner or those willing to change to live in a certain manner. I knew then, and I know now, that this is a small minority of the general population. My target audience is those who live or want to live a life of accomplishment by achieving their dreams and living their best life. It’s perfectly fine for anyone to live in any way they want. Heck, this is America and others have fought and died for those people to have a choice.
The Afterburner Success Partners success lifestyle
The title of this post is that ASP is about more than just achieving dreams but about lifestyle. Let me tell you what I mean by that:
About being positive in everything you do.
About developing a mindset of abundance rather than scarcity. An example of this is thinking there is more than enough for everyone, not that money and opportunities are limited and you are in competition with others for the limited supply.
About learning, changing, and growing. As you go through life, you will change, like it or not. Whether you learn and grow, well, that’s up to you. But I can tell you, unless you are learning and growing, you are probably dying. Yes, I know that’s a very profound statement! Maybe I should have said, “You are going backward”. Backward means not keeping up with inflation, which over time, will cause a decrease in lifestyle. You probably get the point.
About being a good steward of your time, money, and other resources. That means using the gifts and blessings you have been given for good.
About being intentional. I know words like intentional, methodical, and purposeful are not words some people like to hear. But I want them to be part of your vocabulary.
About making a positive impact on others, especially the next generation.
One of Afterburner Success Partners’ guiding principles is that we take you where you are. If you are just starting out in adult life, I want to help you. If you are later in your career, I want to help you. If you need to work your way out of the loser’s bracket (see Note 1), I want to help you. Because I already know that if you have the right attitude, you will be successful. I know it because I’ve lived it. What that means, however, is you may need to think and act differently than you have up to now. You will have to live a lifestyle of achievement. Because how you think is everything!
That’s all for this week!
What’s in it for Me
Achieving your dreams and living your best will require that you do things in a certain way. That certain way is, like the formula to lose weight, no mystery. It’s widely known, but as I like to say, it may be simple, it’s just not easy. Choosing to be successful and choosing to live a lifestyle associated with achievement and success greatly increases your odds of getting what you want. And I know you want to get what you want, and that’s what’s in it for you!
Call to Action
Consider the people you will meet in the next week. Maybe even write each of their names in a notebook and ask yourself a few questions such as the following:
Is this person happy?
Do they have what I want?
What is different about the way they live than the way I live?
Am I taking the necessary actions to obtain what I want out of life?
What changes do I need to make?
What will my lifestyle need to look like for me to obtain the results I want?
If these people don’t have what I want, what are the activities they engage in, or what is their lifestyle like that would, should I live that way, prevent me from achieving what I want?
When you are finished compare and contrast all of these folks and maybe even place them in a category that you determine. Do you see common traits or actions that cause these people to be in a particular category? Is it possible that one or more of these people could be a mentor for you? Are there some that you would like to be around more? What do you need to do to be around them more? Conversely, are there some of these people that you really should not be associating with? If that is the case, what are you going to do about it?
Ask yourself, what other resources you can obtain and use to reinforce the lifestyle or path you choose to be on? How can you continuously fill your mind with positive thoughts that support your lifetime dreams? Conversely, what activities and material do you engage in today that take away from your primary goal of achieving your dream? Might I suggest your device may be a big part of the problem? Now what are you going to do about these two decisions? What lifestyle will you live? Whatever you decide, take action today. As Jim Stovall (https://www.jimstovall.com ) says, “Today’s the day!”
Recommended Resources
Purchase a subscription to Success magazine (Note 2). This magazine is full of people who live successful lives of achievement and share their stories with you. Some of these folks overcame long odds to get to that point. Reading about successful people provides positive motivation to keep you going when you most need it.
Up Next
What can you learn from Afterburner Success Partners?
Notes
I trust you know what I mean when I say loser’s bracket. In an earlier post, I mentioned how a sports team, when playing in a tournament can lose a game and be assigned to the loser’s, as opposed to the winner’s, bracket. The team can still win the championship, it’s just that much harder. This is not to imply that any of my valued readers are losers, just that they are at a point in time where they need to course correct to change their current direction in life, and probably know it. Like a basketball team that is on a run, adding a lot of points in a short amount of time, a small win, or a positive outcome in a task or event or two is often enough to change a person’s direction. More importantly, a small win or two provides a psychological boost and when one gets on a winning streak, the tendency is to stay on a winning streak. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Be aware that the same occurs when on a losing streak, and that’s what we want to overcome if you find yourself in that situation currently.