First off, just a couple of quick housekeeping things here at Today is that Day, and then I've got a link for you that you'll want to check out.

Newsletter 

The last time that I talked about the Today is that Day newsletter, I had decided temporarily to manage it myself. However, I'm happy to say that so many of you have been signing up for the newsletter that I'm having trouble keeping up with the administrative side of managing the list! :)

To keep the newsletter a fun and useful concept that doesn't keep me from taking care of other important tasks, such as creating content for this blog, tending to PDP, and building the Wealth Creation for Superior Living podcast, I have decided to embrace technology and use a service that helps me to handle the administrative side of running a good newsletter.

I'll still be writing the content, of course, but the day to day tasks of adding people to the distribution list, dealing with bounced emails, etc., are now going to be handled by 1ShoppingCart, a service that I highly recommend, by the way. I have used them in the past, and there "techno toys" are truly awesome if you have a newsletter and/or have products or services that you offer on the Internet.

So, for anyone who is already a subscriber to the Today is that Day newsletter, or who wishes to be (free stuff and discounts - YAY!), you can make sure that your subscription is processed accurately by simply putting your first name only and your email address into the new form found on the newsletter page. Privacy guaranteed, of course.

p.s. - This also means that I will be setting up an affiliate program for the Today is that Day products, so keep an eye open for that.

About this Blog

Apparently I need to read my own writing a bit more often, because it was recently pointed out to me that the "About this Blog" page had a few things on it that were woefully out of date!

The general concepts behind the Today is that Day blog are the same as they have always been, but I'm one of those "rolling with the punches" kind of guys, and my life's circumstances tend to change rather drastically from time to time.

For anyone who has never read the About this Blog page, please feel free to do so at this time, as it is a brief read that does a great job of explaining just what goes on here.

p.s. - To that one heckler from the 3rd row? Yes, I AM aware that central Florida is NOT on the east coast. Sheesh…

Quotable Quotes

And finally, if you are sick of hearing all of the same tired old self improvement dogma repeated over and over and over again, now is your chance to put your money where you mouth is!

Rich Ezzo over at MysteryMoney has started a very cool project where people get to submit what THEY think are great quotes. All of the submitted quotes will ultimately be compared, talked about, slapped around, beat up, beat down, and then put in a washing machine on spin cycle. Any quotes that survive all of that will make the Top 10 list and become:

The Best “New” Quotes of all Time!

VERY cool stuff, Rich! Click on over there to check it out, everyone. Also, while you're there, be sure to add that post to Digg, Stumbleupon, Mixx, or your favorite social networking website. This is a project worth getting the word out about!

p.s. - Rich is also looking for a few good judges to grease the wheels and share the news. If you are an author or a blogger with a positive outlook on life and a large reach in the community, contact Rich through his site about possibly taking part in this awesome project!

Who knows? If the whole thing ends up on Oprah, you could be one of the judges who helped set the stage for the NEW self improvement vocabulary!

The following is a non-sponsored review of the book 'A Touch of Greatness', by Frank Tibolt. If you enjoy the review and are interested in the book, please click the book graphics or text links contained in this review in order to get more information.

One of the "master motivators" before it became the "in" thing to be was a man by the name of Frank Tibolt, and he spent over 50 years teaching people to be successful by getting in touch with their own "inner greatness".

Any regular readers here at Today is that Day will know that I am a BIG believer in the power that each and every one of us has to create our lives to be anything and everything that we want them to be, so reading a book written by someone who spent decades teaching people that very thing was right up my alley.

Once I started reading A Touch of Greatness, I didn't get any further than the initial lessons before I started implementing some of Frank's teachings into my own life. Overall, I was impressed with both the lifestyle concepts that were discussed, as well as the actual action steps that Frank suggested in order to get - and stay - on the path to greatness. In fact, the chapter about writing down tasks (actually WRITING them down, not typing them) has powered my daily productivity ever since I first picked up the book.

Another thing that I liked about Frank's teachings is that he often discusses 3 critical factors that I also believe are crucial to long-term success:

1. The power of repetition
2. The power of the subconscious mind
3. The power of having big dreams

Frank discusses each of those concepts - and many more - in much detail, explaining why they are so important, and what actions can be taken in order to harness the power of those and similarly powerful concepts.

Another thing that impressed me was that the book often discusses not just what to do, but HOW to do it. The success concepts that are covered are put into the context of a lifestyle of successful habits, rather than just some "routine" that is put down once a certain goal has been attained.

Frank also often talks about how helping others via our words and actions will ultimately create our own success, and I thought that was a powerful lesson to keep in mind. As we all run about in our very busy lives, chasing our own desires, it is often forgotten that one of the oldest truths of existence is that the easiest way to get what we want is to help enough other people to get what they want.

Throughout the book, Frank was very insistent on the fact that we need to write things down, which I have personally seen to be an amazingly powerful lifestyle change. Paraphrasing what was said in the book, the basic idea is that our minds can only process so many thoughts, ideas, or concepts at any one time. By writing things down - both small as well as larger-scale tasks and ideas - we "free up" our mental capital so that it can then be used for other things.

One example is the daily writing down of goals. Based on Frank's teachings, I have a prioritized task list for any given day, yet I still write down my long-term goal at the top of my task list - every single day. Doing so has opened up the floodgates for my creativity, and I now have far more ideas for success than I actually have time to implement each day.

One final thing that I was really impressed with was the "find your path" section at the back of the book. There is an incredibly in-depth system that Frank teaches which allows people to dig deep - really deep - in order to decide just what it is that they want to do with their lives. His system addresses all of the "career choice" things that one would normally associate with that type of exercise, but it also goes much deeper than that, and includes a step-by-step method for sorting it all out.

Conclusion

Overall, reading A Touch of Greatness was more than time well-spent for me personally. Despite the fact that I already live a life centered around growth and improvement, there were ideas in the book that I probably never would have thought of on my own. There were also timely reminders for me of things that I already knew, but that I wasn't implementing consistently.

I don't really have anything negative to say about the book, other than the fact that Frank's writing style didn't really resonate with me. The information that he shared was priceless, but his delivery just didn't appeal to me personally. That is just me, though, and I was raised reading Stephen King, Dean R. Koontz, and wondering who that hyper Tony Robbins guy was.

So, other than a bit of a dry delivery (in my opinion), I did like A Touch of Greatness, and the folks over at MindStudio are offering it in softcover, audio, or eBook format, so you can pick whichever medium works best for you.

p.s. - If you've read A 'Touch of Greatness', or if you end up reading it as a result of this review, please drop your thoughts into the comment section below and let us know what you thought of it! 

Discuss this post at Personal Development Partners 

There are only 2 primary reasons why people are broke, and by determining which is YOUR reason, you can then take the steps needed to not be broke anymore.

Inspired by a message from my blogging buddy Stephen Martile over at Personal Development Made Simple, and my own recent announcement about the Wealth Creation for Superior Living podcast, this post is meant to help you open your eyes about the fact that you don't have any money because you either:

1) Don't manage your money effectively, or

2) You simply don't make enough of it to begin with

For most people, it is probably a combination of both of those reasons, yet every single instance of wanting money - but not having it - will fall under one of those categories.

If you don't know how to manage your money, then Stephen has shared a very cool system for doing so, and he even has a possibly award-winning video about it. On the other hand, if you don't make enough money to begin with, then realizing that more money will be needed to power your dream lifestyle should be the kick in the butt that you need to start finding a way to make that happen.

Effective Money Management

Photo Credit JuliafThis category is for people who want to save money, but they simply can't figure out how to do it. No matter how many times they try to budget their money, they still end up broke, and they still never manage to save any significant amount of money, or they never manage to pay for that car, house, or dream vacation that they've been saving for.

For these people, a course in money management is far more important than figuring out a way to actually bring in more money. If you have $50 per week left out of your paycheck after you pay your bills, and you can't manage even that relatively small sum of money, what makes you think that you will be able to manage a larger sum of money?  

If managing the money that you already have (however much or however little) is a problem for you, then you don't need more money (yet); you first need to manage the money that you already have by changing your relationship with money.

Here are 2 paid and 3 free resources for doing so:

Paid Resources:

Brian Tracy's Profit Maximization 

James Arthur Ray's Million Dollar Mindset Series

Free Resources:

T. Harv Eker's Secrets of The Millionaire Mind Teleseminar

Money Management Tutorials

Online Money Management Software (interest request)

Need to Make More Money

Photo Credit Jay LopezIf you can budget, save, invest, and diversify with the best of 'em, but you simply don't have enough actual income to ever do much more than pay your bills, then it's time to change those circumstances.

The first thing for you to realize is that your J.O.B. (Just Over Broke) is potentially one of the worst possible ways for you to make money. Without even giving it much thought, here are several great reasons to NOT depend on your job for financial success:

• You will always be trading time for dollars. "X" amount of time equals "X" amount of dollars - always.
• You have no job security. It doesn't matter who you work for these days, your job could go away in an instant.
• You do not control your income level; your boss or management team does.
• You will always be limited by what you are "allowed" to do in order to bring in additional money.
• You will always have to deal with the schedule of your employer and/or your customers, even if that schedule is not conducive to creating additional wealth.

So, if a J.O.B. is not the way to make money, then how you are supposed to get your hands on the cash? Simple: Realize that a J.O.B. is only one model of creating wealth, and then find a model that works better for you:

• Internet Marketing
• Networking Marketing
• Investments
• Consulting
• Contract Work
• Virtual Work
• Coaching

Think that you don't have the skills or the expertise to get involved in one or more of those business models? Consider the following:

• Internet Marketing and Network Marketing are both HUGE and growing industries, both of them have a free or very low-cost threshold for entry, and both of them have individual "niche" markets that are exploding with new business. For Internet Marketing at its finest, I recommend Armand Morin and/or Shawn Casey as gurus worth listening to. For Networking Marketing, I have worked with and used the products from both Tahitian Noni International, as well as Pharmanex.
• Investing is not just a game for the rich. Even a small investment can yield a result that can then be reinvested in something else, and then that return can be reinvested, and so on down the line. Quality information about investing is free all over the Internet. 
• Consulting and Contract work has never been easier to get into than it is right now. As people learn that getting quality help is more important than hiring the most prestigious service providers, becoming a consultant or a contract worker isn't much more difficult than showing that you can be dependable, and that you do quality work. Check out FreelanceFolder.com as an awesome resource for learning about contracting or consulting work done on a freelance basis.
• Virtual work can literally be done from anywhere with an Internet connection, and there are people right now paying other people to do everything from surf the Internet for them, to tend to their social bookmarking needs, to participating in forums and message boards. Not rocket-science stuff, and anyone with an Internet connection is eligible to check it out. Read this awesome article for more information about that field of work.
• Coaching is one of the hottest trends in wealth creation right now, and with good reason. As people are starting to become more empowered and starting to believe that they can truly create wonderful lives for themselves, their first question is , "OK, how do I do that?". The people with those answers are in demand! Check out SolutionBox for more on coaching careers.

The Bottom Line

Regardless of whether your financial issues are related to poor money management skills or a lack of (presently) available capital, you do have the ability to turn it around! Embrace that ability and start living your life, instead of worrying about your money.

Discuss the post at Personal Development Partners 

One of my fellow Positive Blog Network members, Leo Babauta, who runs the absolutely wonderful Zen Habits blog, has just launched another site that is already packed with a ton of great information.

Leo's new site is called Write to Done, and it is geared primarily towards the art of writing, and the many different arenas that people practice that art in. Included in the list of content-specific categories are all of the following:

• Writing Habits
• Writing Craft
• Blog writing
• Productivity
• Freelancing
• Business of Writing
• Fiction
• Journalism

If you are any type of writer - or just want to be - I guarantee you that Leo's new place on the 'net will be worth your time. Click on over and enjoy Write to Done!

If the goal is to avoid eternal damnation, and going to church every Sunday is the tool for doing that, then those are 2 entirely different things, aren't they?

If the Big Messiah comes strolling into town and convinces the Mayor that all citizens can avoid the pits of eternal suffering by attending a 2-hour church session every Sunday, and the Mayor makes it a law that everyone has to do so, there are two very distinct things going on. One of them is the mission itself - avoiding eternal suffering - while the other is the tool with which that avoidance is realized - going to church every Sunday.

When it comes to self improvement, whether that be on a personal level, a business level, or a relationship level - this same separation of church and state clearly needs to exist. However, most people blur the lines between the mission they are on and the tools that they use, and the end result is often a state of anarchy where neither the accomplishment of the mission nor the effective use of the tools ever seems to happen.

Business

If you are in the business of selling fishing poles, is it your mission to make the best fishing pole ever so that you become wildly successful? Most people would say, "Yes, that is a good idea".

Survey Says: NO

Your mission is for your customers to have the best fishing experience possible by using your products and services.

By always keeping in mind that your goal is for your customers to have the best fishing experience ever, you will constantly be thinking of or discovering ways to make that happen, and your customers will keep coming back to you over and over again. Your loyalty to what your customers want - the best fishing experience ever - will cause them to have that same loyalty to you whenever they are looking for that experience.

On the other hand, if you just try to make the best fishing pole ever, you will be instantly unseated as the reigning leader in your industry by the simple act of someone else coming up with a better fishing pole. Yikes.

Relationships

If your goal is to find your "soul mate," then having as many resources available for doing so would seem to be in order. Online dating sites, singles bars or clubs, your gym, even your work place are all tools that you could use to find your Mr. or Mrs. Right. Nothing wrong with using all or some of those tools, to be sure, but is access to those tools going to ensure your success?

Survey Says: NO

Your mission is not to have the option of using dating or social situations in order to find that soul mate. Dating and social situations are tools. Your job is to become the kind of person who is worthy of the soul mate that you seek, and you will very likely find that soul mate without even using any of the tools listed earlier.

By allowing yourself to consistently exhibit the personality traits that will attract that man or woman of your dreams, then you will reserve the right to act surprised when that person simply lands in your lap. Remember the golden rule (look up!) - Success is Something you Attract by the Person you Become.

Health

Oh, we are all familiar with the tools of the trade when it comes to health and fitness, aren't we? Let's find out if gym memberships, diets, workout DVD's, yoga classes, and extreme nutritional lifestyles are going to guarantee success:

Survey Says: NO

Why? Because all of those things are tools. If you are not honestly interested in living a healthy lifestyle, and if you are not honestly healthy in your head, then your shiny new gym membership card, your vegetable juicer, and your library of "The Last Diet Book You'll Ever Need" books are nothing more than false advertising.

Focus on your goal, not the tools that may or may not take you to that goal. Remember, your mission is to lead a healthy lifestyle that you actually ENJOY, not to feel like a slave to health whose eating and exercise habits are so extreme that you're in great shape, but you have forgotten how to have fun in the process.

As always, the examples that I have given are just that - examples. You can look at your own life right now and decide if you have blurred the lines between church and state by simply looking at your results.

Whether it is your own success that you are after, or the happiness and success of your friends, family, or customers, if you are not getting the job done, maybe it's time to refocus on the end result, and stop worrying so much about the tricks of the trade.

By the way, I follow these guidelines myself, and it is very apparent when I am asked, "What do you do for a living?":

I am in the business of teaching people to lead happier and more fulfilling lives.

That is the mission, and things such as this blog, Personal Development Partners, and the Wealth Creation for Superior Living podcast are the tools that I use for accomplishing that mission.

See the difference? 

This post inspired by a discussion of the book Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin: