mnglassett@gmail.com Goal Setting, Inspiration, Morning Messages, Personal Growth, Quotes

I Don’t Need More Time. What I Need Is a Deadline (Parkinson’s Law)

So I’m currently unemployed.

Yes, it’s amazing in many ways, especially because I’ve worked over 50 hours every week since I was 19 years old (save for vacations of course) and worked over 60 hours per week since I was 25 years old.

I’m now 34.

I’m decompressing and trying to discover who I actually am without Journeys to define me.

And I’m learning something very interesting about myself…

What I have learned about myself over the last 3 weeks of having no job is…

I’m damn close to the person that I thought I was!

I was told that I’d have identity crisis. Or that I’d have to find my self or my personality…

NOT TRUE.

Of course, some things in my head and in my actions are slightly different; I’m happier. Much more relaxed! 1000% more present in the moment without work to “worry” me or a work phone with never ending notifications nagging for my attention.

But all in all, I’m the same dude.

Still not super outgoing, but highly engaging once I’m in conversation.
Still not THAT funny, but kinda funny.
Still my same super power of sitting down at a table one-on-one with someone and having them ask me advice (an interview essentially).
Still a thinker.
Still a doer to the same level as before.

Maybe I’m more self-aware than I thought?

Maybe I’m more secure in who I am?

Shit, maybe I haven’t totally found myself yet and I will be someone different than I always thought? Who knows…

But what I will tell you is this…

Work Will Expand to Fill the Time Available for it’s Completion

It’s called Parkinson’s Law.

Basically, if you have 8 hours to do something, it’s going to take 8 hours.

If you have 8 hours to accomplish 2 things, it’s going to take 8 hours.

I have a quote that I got from somewhere a long time ago that has always been one of my favorites…

I Don’t Need More Time. What I Need Is a Deadline.

You know how that works! Your teacher in high school gives you 2 months to do a project, and what do you do? Wait until 3 days before it’s due to start.

As you struggle to finish, you say “I need more time!” and then your teacher (annoyingly) reminds you that the project was assigned 2 months ago.

That has become my life!

Now, I am for sure accomplishing more now than when I worked 60 hours per week, and the house is cleaner and I take the time to walk my son Boston to the bus stop every morning at 7:50am…

But I can’t finish as many things as I thought I could with all this free time! It’s been crazy!

Solving for Parkinson’s Law

I’m looking for the “life hack” to either overcome Parkinson’s Law, or how to add more things into the “time available for completion“.

I’m trying To Do Lists. They are getting more organized and robust, and that is going well.

I’m working on getting a LOOSE routine in place (mainly because routine drives me nuts).

I’m setting my alarm for 5:30am tomorrow and when that phone goes off, I’m GETTING UP.

This morning I set the stage so when I woke up, I had no pajamas to put on, only work out clothes. And Thursday is usually my rest day because I play indoor soccer on Wednesdays…But I put those clothes on, and then worked out once the fam was gone. I learned that trick from Jocko Willink.

It’s just odd not having any deadlines now!

Be interesting to see how this evolves :-)

Thanks,

NG

mnglassett@gmail.com Inspiration, Leaders & Managers, Personal Growth, Work

Everything We Do Is Perfect (A Lesson in Working Too Much)

I work a lot. Like A LOT.

And, when I look back at my 20s, I actually wish I would have worked more.

Yep, more….

I ambitiously sacrificed a large amount of the fun that most kids in their early 20’s in exchange for a chance to build a meaningful career.

I actually love to borrow a term from sportscaster Colin Cowherd to describe this so-called sacrifice…

“Surrender the Bro Years”

Ok… so, even though I skipped college parties, and lots of boating trips, camp outs, and other potential world travel to chose to work like crazy, I know I could’ve done more.

Yes. MORE. But how?

I definitely don’t think I should have worked more days.

I KNOW I shouldn’t have worked more hours.

No, no…

What I’ve realized now is that I could’ve worked much more FOCUSED.

In those younger years I thought working hard meant working non-stop. Always on, and always focused on winning in business.

But, all that time I spent CONSTANTLY working wore me down to where I wasn’t very sharp very often.

My mind couldn’t think as creatively with no time to unwind.

My body couldn’t get into great shape being constantly worn out.

And it was difficult to make friends because I thought I always needed to be looking at my phone (which was a BlackBerry back then).

So I say all that to say this…

The Way I Did It Was Perfect.

What I did was perfect.

I know, that sounds crazy…but hear me out.

I can say that because those actions and decisions brought me here so I could write this blog post for you to read.

It caused me to meet my beautiful wife Michelle and caused us to have two amazing children, Boston and Brodie. And it caused me to meet all the amazing friends I have.

Everything we all do is perfect. It has to be. Because there’s no what-if machine or time machine, to check on what other decisions would’ve caused.

And while the past may be just right, it doesn’t mean that we can’t use history to teach us how we can change our intentions for future actions.

What my past ambitions have taught me is that it actually takes LESS work than I think to be successful.

Less days in a row. Less hours per week. Less constant thinking.

What it takes is more meaningful days, and more meaningful hours. It’s thinking about work less often, but when you are thinking about it, you become consumed with it.

Profound change to experience. And one that can’t be communicated unless you’ve had it too!

BTW, I know I’m not some genius for talking about this concept. I know it has existed for years and been called 100 different things communicated 1000 different ways. But here’s the thing, it has to hit you at the right time from the right person with the right delivery for it to be profound. 8000 people read these blog posts per month. If it strikes one person just right, then it’s a success to me!

So why all the hours and why all the days and why all the constant attention on work?

Survival Mode Turned Into Ego Driven

It started out as a survival thing.

I dropped out of school and perused a career against the advice of most everyone, especially my parents that were paying my tuition at the University of Utah.

So I had to win, or face the “I told ya so’s” and quite possibly experience the real world for the cold thing that most tell you it is.

In order to win, I did what I knew…I hustled my face off. At first, the insane work ethic worked great!

But then something changed…

While it started as a survival thing, it eventually turned into an ego thing.

I needed the bragging rights from all those hours. I wanted the reactions from people when I told them worked 81 hours last week.

I’m not joking when I say that I used to hang my time card on my own refrigerator!

But it wasn’t just ego though…

It was also insecurity.

I was over stating the importance of my efforts in order to appease the opinions of other people.

The funny thing though about that…And this is going to get super meta here…

The “opinions of other people” that we so often concerned about, are actually our own opinion of what we think their opinion is going to be.

That means that I did all this out of a need to either impress someone or to not look bad to someone, and there’s a very good chance that they either didn’t give a shit, or they actually thought the opposite, thinking that I was a lunatic or an egomaniac (as always, truth is probably somewhere in the middle).

But we never pick our head up to think that the opinions of others are actually OUR opinions of what they’re opinions might be,  because we’re too busy being consumed by what we think other people think.

The old saying applies perfectly, perception becomes reality.

“Everyone is watching so I better work 56 hours this week!”

No One Counts the Hours on Your Timecard Except You and Your Significant Other.

No one counts the hours on your timecard except you and your significant other.

Usually at least one of those two hates it!

So what’s the lesson?

The lesson is, work hard AF while you’re clocked in. Maybe strategize a little when your clocked out, but for hell sakes, clock out in body, mind, and soul. Get away, do something else you love, and enjoy life.

In between accomplishments there’s this thing called life that’s pretty fun to enjoy.

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-NG
mnglassett@gmail.com Glassett Cooking Hour, Opitiva, TGiF Edition

Cheddar Parmesan Zucchini Meatloaf | Facebook LIVE | Friday 5/31/19 7:00pm | Glassett Cooking Hour

Glassett Cooking Hour: TGIF Edition

We have been traveling a ton these days, and it’s been AWESOME, even if a couple of the trips were to visit family in a time of loss.

We are finally back in the regular swing of things, and really looking to making a weekly habit out of FB Live.

We’re hoping to make Thursday the FB Live Day, with some TGiF editions sprinkled in there, so cheers to that!

So, what are we cooking Friday??

Dude, This is THE Meatloaf

In a rare fashion, we’re actually cooking something for the third time on LIVE! We almost always make something new, but this time I’ve actually cooked this before.

It’s a low carb and Keto take on meatloaf where there is actually no ketchup glaze (and honestly, it doesn’t need it).

The first time I made this, I posted a few pics on Instagram, and I got BOMBARDED for the recipe.

Happy to share it now that we’re cooking it live!

After the dish is done (and eaten) I’ll post pictures of the finished product.

Cheddar Parmesan Zucchini Meatloaf

Ingredients

2lbs Lean Ground Beef
2 Cups Grated Zucchini (squeezed dry)
1 Cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan
1 1/2 oz Chopped Sun Dried Tomatoes
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 Large Eggs, Beaten
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp Fish Sauce (or Oyster Sauce)
2 tsp Dried Onion Flakes
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
1/2 tsp Celery Seed

Directions

Preheat oven to 375
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and knead until well combined
Transfer to loaf pan and pack in lightly
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Drain any excess liquid caused by the zucchini
Tent loosely with foil, and continue to bake another 30 minutes
Remove from oven and drain excess liquid again
Tip with parmesan cheese and return to oven, uncovered, for 15 more minutes
Remove from loaf pan and cool before slicing and serving

ENJOY!

mnglassett@gmail.com Inspiration, Leaders & Managers, Leadership, Personal Growth

1 + 1 = X (Leaders Touch Lives)

Solve for X

1 +1 = X

As leaders we do LOTS of things.

We also have A LOT of responsibilities.

The crazy thing about leading, though is that YOU HAVE FOLLOWERS.

So, what do you do with that AUDIENCE?

How do you deploy that amazing workforce?

Do you add value to them?

Or

Do you take value them?

Do you help them find a sense of who they are, or do you tell them who they need to be?

In the world of MATH, 1 + 1 = 2

In the world of leadership, 1 + 1 = 11

Take the time to invest in the lives you touch.

See your followers with no ego.

Give, give, give, give, give, give, give, give, give, give, give, give, give, give, give, give…

Feel your way through human experiences.

Be the light that guides.

Put people on.

Build!

Love, NG

mnglassett@gmail.com Jocko Willink

The Jocko Willink Bio 2019 | Navy SEAL to Podcaster

If you know who Jocko Willink is, then you know how intense and inspirational he is!

If you don’t know who he is, then let’s get you aquatinted!

In this article I’m going to give you the complete Jocko Willink Bio, highlighting his early life, military career, transition to author and consultant, and his explosion into the public eye.

So just exactly who is Jocko Willink?

Jocko Willink is a former United States Navy SEAL commander, author of six books, podcaster, gym owner, business consultant, surfer, and bit of a marketing phenom!

Let’s dive in and examine his life a bit!

Jocko Willink Bio Leif Babin The Dichotomy of leadership
Authors Leif Babin and Jocko Willink

Jocko Willink the Author

Willink has written seven books, five of which are on the New York Times Bestseller List! Jocko is an amazing communicator, and this is punctuated even more by the fact that he has a bachelor degree in English.

Jocko Willink Bibliography

  1. Extreme Ownership – How Navy SEALS Lead and Win
  2. Discipline Equals Freedom – Field Manual
  3. Way of the Warrior Kid
  4. Way of the Warrior Kid – Marc’s Mission
  5. The Dichotomy of Leadership
  6. Mikey and the Dragons
  7. Way of the Warrior Kid 3

In his writings, Jocko focuses on teaching the leadership principles that he learned as a the Commander in the Navy SEALs, out notably the head of Task Unit Bruiser, where he was stationed in Iraq fighting in the Battle of Ramadi.

My favorite book of Jocko’s is without a doubt Discipline Equals Freedom – Field manual. It’s written almost in poems and is mega inspirational!

Here are 31 Phenomenal Jocko Willink Quotes from Discipline Equals Freedom

Jocko Willink Bio Hair
A young Jocko Willink pictured, quite rarely, with a full head of hair!

Jocko Willink the Navy SEAL

Jocko Willink ended his 20 year Navy SEAL career in October 2010 as the officer in charge of training for all West Coast SEAL Teams. Here he trained the next generation of SEAL leaders using his battle knowledge that he had gained while fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom at the Battle of Ramadi.

He originally enlisted as a Navy SEAL after Navy Recruit Training and “Radioman” training. Jocko is quoted as saying that he signed up to be a radioman because it was the job no one wanted!

Jocko completed BUD/s (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) training in Coronado California and then served 8 years of active duty on SEAL Team ONE and SEAL Team Two. He earned his commission via Officer Candidate School and was promoted to platoon commander. Jocko completed multiple deployments to Asia, Middle East and Europe.

In 2006, during Operation Iraqi Freedom Jocko was deployed to the Iraqi town of Ramadi with SEAL Team THREE as commander of Task Unit Bruiser. This is when Willink fought alongside Chris Kyle, the SEAL portrayed in the movie, American Sniper.

Task Unit Bruiser went on to become the most decorated special operations unit of the Iraq war. During his career, Jocko was awarded the Silver Star, and the Bronze Star, to go along with numerous other personal and unit awards.

Jocko Willink Tim Ferris
Jocko Willink and Tim Ferriss

Jocko Talks to Us for the First Time (Jocko Podcast Begins)

On September 25th, 2015, Jocko Willink was a guest on the the podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, episode #107. This marked the first time that Jocko had made any kind of public appearance.

That episode of the Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most downloaded episodes of all time!

The reason that Jocko was a guest on the Tim Ferriss Show was because he was promoting the release of his first book, Extreme Ownership – How Navy Seals Lead and Win.

Upon completing the recording of the episode, Jocko recalls Tim Ferriss imploring him to start his own podcast…

“When we got done with that podcast, when Tim pressed stop on the recorder, he said, ‘You should really have your own podcast!’ and I kind of, you know I listed to him, but I had a bunch of stuff going on, the book was coming out and what not, and then Joe Rogan heard that podcast, and asked me to come on his podcast, and in the middle of that podcast, Joe Rogan said. ‘You should have your own podcast!’ So, I guess when Tim Ferriss and Joe Rogan tell you that you should have your own podcast, then you should listen. And I did. So I started my own podcast which is called Jocko podcast…”

So, on December 22, 2015, Jocko released his first episode of the Jocko Podcast, where he and his co-host, Echo Charles cover a ton of topics from Leadership to Brazilian Ju-Juitsu. A majority of the Jocko Podcast episodes feature Jocko reading passages from books that he loves and adopting them to current situations.

His Co-host, Echo Charles adds a light-hearted nature to the Jocko Podcast to offset Jocko’s intensity and seriousness. The pairing of two is awesome to listen to!

Official Website of the Jocko Podcast

My personal favorite episodes of the Jocko Podcast are the Q&A episodes where Jocko answers questions submitted by listeners and Echo Charles provides color commentary.

Jocko Willink Bio Instagram
A quick snippet of Jocko on Instagram

Social Media Awesomeness

Jocko is a fantastic follow on Instagram! He posts in almost exclusively black and white, features almost daily pictures of his watch at 4:30am (or around there), and not only has words of wisdom and inspiration, but an occasional joke too!

Jocko on Instagram: @JOCKOWILLINK

Hey!! While you’re here, I have an Instagram too (shameless plug).

Me on Instagram: @Nick_O_Glass

Nick Glassett
A snippet of my Instagram @Nick_O_Glass

Jocko Willink Personal Life

Jocko was born in the small New England town of Torrington Connecticut. Growing up he was into punk and heavy metal listening to and touring with Black Flag and Henry Rollins as a tag-along rodie.

Jocko lives in Southern California where enjoys surfing and fighting Brazilian Jui-Jitzu at his MMA Gym, Victory MMA.

He’s married to Helen Willink and the two have four children together.

Jocko Willink Bio Echelon Front
Jocko giving a keynote with Echelon Front

Jocko Willink Takes the Navy SEALs to the Civilian World

Upon retiring from the Navy SEALs , or the “Seal Teams” as Jocko calls it, he and Extreme Ownership co-author Leif Babin started Echelon Front, where they teach civilian companies the tactics that they used in the Navy SEALS to help create high performance success in professional teams.

Echelon Front, offers tons of services including hands on leadership development, keynote speakers, a very cool Field Training Excersise (FTX), online courses, and a recruiting service called Overwatch.

Official Website of Echelon Front

The firm has grown considerably since its creation in 2014!

Jocko Willingk Bio Muster
The daily pre-dawn PT session at the Muster

The Muster: Get a Taste of the Jocko Lifestyle

What is the Muster?

This is quoted directly from Echelon Front…

A GATHERING FOR ALL WHO WANT TO DOMINATE THEIR BATTLEFIELD, FOR LEADERS AT EVERY LEVEL AND THOSE WHO ASPIRE TO BE LEADERS.

This event is a two-day, intensive leadership training course, designed to equip attendees with the tools needed to build high performance, winning teams. Jocko Willink, Leif Babin, and the Echelon Front Team teach combat leadership techniques and how to apply these principles in business and life. Even more profound are the opportunities to engage with other highly motivated individuals and leaders in EVERY capacity.

In short, you get the opportunity to workout and train with Jocko Willink and Leif Babin every morning, and then you learn leadership principles that you can apply to life and business throughout the day!

The Muster began in 2017 and is now held in 3 to 4 locations every year. I have yet to attend but would absolutely LOVE to go.

The cost of the Muster is pretty substantial coming in at roughly $2500 for the two day event. But I will say this; That’s actually par for the course when it comes to self improvement seminars.

The Muster cost does NOT include hotel, travel, or food.

If you are interested in personal development but don’t have $2500 (closer to $3500+ after all expenses) to invest in yourself, then I would suggest the Landmark Forum, which comes in at the $600 price tag for 3.5 days of learning and is held in more than 125 cities worldwide.

If you’re curious at all about the landmark forum, I have multiple reviews that I’ve written that can be found here:

The Landmark Forum changed the course of not just my life, but the lives of many of my family members as well. It has countless pros, and of course there are also some cons, so if you’re interested, or have any questions, please let me know!

There is also a “contact Nick” form at the bottom of this article if you have any questions or comments.

Jocko Willink Bio supplements Victory MMA and Fitness
Jocko holding one of his personal supplements.

Jocko Willink, The Business Man

Jocko Willink has a very large and very dedicated following! Because of this, people want to buy the things that he uses. He’s a very smart business man, but possibly the best display of this is the fact that he has his own store, called Jocko Store.

At Jocko Store you can buy Jocko Willink related items from patches and t-shirts to supplements and yes, even his own brand of tea, Jocko White Tea.

I personally drink Jocko White Tea and I love it. I buy it on Amazon in the big 100 pack! Link here.

I also have a black and white Discipline Equals Freedom Velcro Patch on my backpack.

Not only because Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual is one of my favorite books, but I also believe whole-heartedly in the concept that discipline does in fact secure you freedom to do the things you want.

Willink also owns his own MMA gym in San Diego CA called Victory MMA and Fitness.

Jocko Willink Bio
Jocko

Jocko Willink KINDA Does it All…

Jocko Willink is a very busy man, and his exploits range from leading Navy SEALs in Operation Iraqi Freedom to writing children’s books.

So, here’s a quick rundown of all the things that Jocko get’s into:

  • Former Navy SEAL Commander
  • Author of 6 books, 5 of which are on the New York Times Best Seller List.
  • Gym owner in Southern California
  • Black Belt in Brazilian Jui-Jitsu
  • Co-Owner of Echelon Front Consulting Firm with Lief Babin
  • Host of Jocko Podcast, one of the most downloaded podcasts on iTunes
  • Has his own line of products including; tea, Ju-Jitsu Gis, t-shirts etc.

It doesn’t take a genius to see that all these ventures are not only well executed, but done in a way that causes inspiration and admiration.

Jocko Willink is quite a guy, and I hope you enjoyed reading, The Jocko Willink Bio!

See Also…

The Jocko Willink “Good” Transcript

The Jocko Willink Diet – 99/1 (Not 80/20)

mnglassett@gmail.com Glassett Cooking Hour, Keto, Recipe, Uncategorized

Broccoli Taco Bowl | Facebook LIVE | Thursday 4/11/19| Glassett Cooking Hour

Glassett Cooking Hour: Thursday 4/11/19

My beautiful wife Michelle cooked Broccoli Taco Bowls on Facebook Live on Thursday 4/11/19 as part of what we now jokingly refer to as “The Glassett Cooking Hour”.

You can find Michelle’s Facebook here: Michelle Glassett

Keto Recipe Paleo Jocko Willink Diet
Here’s my beautiful wife Michelle making Keto Empanadas!

I will be the camera man, and for the first time ever, I’ll also be Michelle’s coach because I have actually made this recipe once before!!

That’s a first on The Glassett Cooking Hour!

you can find Michelle’s Facebook here: Michelle Glassett

You can find my facebook page here Nick Glassett
Note: the FB Live will be broadcast from Michelle’s FB account

This blog post will serve as the recipe page so we can share it with you, and then after we cooked the dish (and ate it) I updated the post with any tweaks we think the recipe needs, as well as add photos and any further instructions that we feel are missing.

What Website am I on?

If your curious as to what site your on, this is actually my (Nick’s) blog, and it actually has very little to do with food! It’s a business, and management/leadership blog where I write a lot of inspirational content and it generally follows my thoughts about business, running teams of any kind, and self awareness and personal growth. If you happen to poke around a bit, AWESOME! I love any feedback and of course your eye balls on my writing is amazing.

I’m trying to get Michelle to start her own blog, but we’re pretty busy people so I have yet to succeed in that…until then, these recipes will have to live on my blog!

Disclaimer, I have no freaking idea how to write recipes, so I just keep it simple :-)

We love any and all feedback, so please let us know what you thought by dropping us a line! I put a contact form at the bottom of the post!

Thanks for tuning in!!!!!

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LEAN AND GREEN RECIPES: BROCCOLI TACO BOWL

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 330

INGREDIENTS
• 1 oz lean ground beef
• 4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• 5 cups broccoli cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt (divided)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Steam the broccoli
2. In a large skillet brown ground beef and drain
3. Add tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and red pepper flakes. Stir well.
4. Add broccoli
5. Serve in a bowl and top with cheddar cheese.

RECIPE NOTES
I count this as 1 lean meat, 3 servings of vegetables and 2 condiments.

Nutrition Facts

Lean and Green Broccoli Taco Bowl
Calories 330    Calories from Fat 135

                                         % Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g                            23%
Saturated Fat 8g                       40%
Cholesterol 100mg                 33%
Sodium 959mg                         40%
Potassium 929mg                    27%
Total Carbohydrates 13g       4%
Dietary Fiber 4g                        16%
Sugars 4g
Protein 36g                               72%
Vitamin A                                   23%
Vitamin C                                   130%
Calcium                                       29%
Iron                                              25%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

We’d love any and all feedback from you. Let us know what you thought, what we could do better or different, or anything else that might be on your mind at all! Thank you!

[ninja_form id=1]

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mnglassett@gmail.com Inspiration

Quit Complaining (Cold F***ing Turkey)

I wrote this to share my POV on how much more effective positivity is vs negativity, and how much my life has recently changed as I have made the conscience effort to lean positive instead of negative! Hope you enjoy it!
And please, any and all feedback is GREATLY appreciated. Reply to the email, or hit me on the socials @nick_o_glass! Thanks for reading!!!

I’ve had a fantastic life. 

It starts with me being born. That was awesome. 

On top of that, HUMAN. Damn, it’s like the lottery!

Gary Vaynerchuk actually says that those 2 things happening are 400,000,000,000 to 1. 

Plus I got two parents that loved me and took damn good care of me AND I got great health, and this all took place in America mind you. 

On top of ALL THAT, I hit adulthood in the best era of mankind. Medicine, opportunities, technology, etc. 

Let’s fast forward to high school now. Never faced any real adversity, never any hardships or issues or anything hold me back. 

So what the hell did I have to complain about????

Fucking everything. But why?

I have no idea. Because it’s easy? Because it’s in my nature? No real clue…

People call me negative and I scoff at them. 

Now, let’s fast forward to my late 20s. I’m successful, I’m a leader in a large corporation with about 250 employees under me, and I start getting called negative again. 

I can’t figure it out this time! I’m not negative. I’m happy and positive and engaging…

Fast forward a few more years to age 32. 

Through a series of events, courses, and seminars, I discover that I bitch about everything. Like, everything I possibly can. It’s practically the only way I know how to start a conversation. 

I do it because I keeps me in my comfort zone. I don’t ever have to change when I just complain about how new stuff sucks. I don’t have to follow the rules when the rules are stupid. I don’t have to be on time when traffic was the worst thing on earth today. I don’t have to account for my short comings when it’s my boss’ fault. 

You see where I’m going? 

My complaining masked everything inside of me so I didn’t have to do anything “hard”. 

And complaining was my go to move. I was a master. A complaint ninja setting traps for others to walk into so I could bitch and whine. A complaint pirate hijacking your bad fortune to complain some more. 

Once I saw this about myself, it scared the shit out of me. 

No wonder some people didn’t like to be around me. No wonder I had like 5 real friends. 

So then recently, I decided to stop complaining. It was hard. It was scary to venture out into the world without my shield. 

And in order to overcome it, I started to ACT grateful because I was having a hard time THINKING grateful. 

The conundrum: think you way into new actions, or act your way into new thoughts?

I chose the latter. 

And all the sudden, one day, I realized I was getting better at it. It was crazy, but it was like a light switch was flipped on and others were now drawn to me instead of “on guard” around me. 

And I was just flat out happy. On the regular. For no reason. 

And then, like it’s compounding interest, it just kept growing and growing!!!

One day I looked back and said, “damn dude, I used to be so negative!” 

Hahahah. They were right all along!

This huge journey of self realization and positivity is one that I want to share with people, but I’m not completely sure how to do it. I know that just by being positive, and ending my complaining, it’s having an impact on the people that I’m around, because I can see and feel the difference in my relationships. 

But I want to communicate this EVEN MORE. 

I suppose that my message is to position yourself on the side of positivity, and let that guide you where you need to go. Positivity will ALWAYS win, it just usually takes longer :-)

Thank you so much for reading!!

mnglassett@gmail.com Hiring, Inspiration, Inspirational Quotes, Leaders & Managers, Leadership, Quotes

17 Inspirational Quotes for Employee Appreciation

These inspirational quotes are going to be a bit different than what you would think.

It’s not going to be a bunch of RA-RA cheerleader stuff…hell no.

These quotes focus on building relationships that will raise performance and SHOW employees that you appreciate them. Not just some words that say it.

Let’s get right to it…

Top 3 Inspirational Quotes for Employee Appreciation

  1. The key to performance isn’t about trying push new conversations about strategy in, but rather clearing out the clutter.-Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan
  2. If you aren’t in over your head, then how do you know how tall you are? -T. S. Eliot
  3. Notice the difference between asking ‘Can I do this?’ And, ‘How am I going to do this?’Keep reading for the full list of all 17 Inspirational Quotes for Employee Appreciation…

How To Use These Quotes

These quotes are INSPIRATIONAL in that the goal is to inspire the employees to think for themselves, solve problems, and exploit opportunities!

They are not about cheering people on…

I call that kind of feedback MOTIVATIONAL because you’re trying to motivate people to try harder.

To use these inspirational quotes, you need a few things to be set up already:

  • Strong business relationships
  • Team of motivated individuals
  • Respect from the team

Let’s take a quick look at each of these…

Why Do You Care In the First Place?

Why do you want inspired employees and why do you want to show them appreciation?

If the answer is…

  • Morale is low
  • They don’t seem motivated, or
  • There’s a rumor that you don’t appreciate your employees

…then we’ve got bigger issues to tackle my friend!

So, listen closely…

The Toughest Work a Leader Can Do

There is no number of inspirational quotes to fix a dysfunctional relationship with an employee.

And fixing a strained relationship is the toughest work that a leader will ever have to do!

Before venturing any further I suggest you read this post. It’s about how impactful a leader’s words can be, for the better and for the worse!

When your relationships with your employees are all healthy, they begin to resemble more of a partnership.

If that describes your connection with your team, then we’re on the right track!

Before we talk about the inspiration quotes for employee appreciation, some food for thought…

Leaders Don’t Motivate, They Inspire

If your employees aren’t motivated, you’re going to need more than some badass quotes.

Here’s why…

Motivation = The Desire to Try
Inspiration = Feeling or Seeing the Leader’s Vision

Maybe you do the hiring, maybe you don’t…but this BONUS QUOTE cuts to the bone:

“If you want motivated people you have to find them, not motivate them.”

Let’s break that down a tad…

So, Why Can’t I Motivate?

Face it, you just can’t motivate someone.

I know, that’s not a very popular take, but it’s true, and here’s why…

It’s the employee’s responsibility to bring the motivation to you. This would mean they are SELF-MOTIVATED.

From there you can inspire, by helping them pinpoint their dreams and goals, and then pushing them to achieve those goals by teaching, training, holding them accountable, and following up on progress.

I actually have another BONUS QUOTE that I like to use to make this point…

“I’d rather inspire my varsity team to championships than motivate my JV team to try”

If they don’t want to try, you’re going to waste your time!

That’s why I say that leaders don’t motivate, they inspire.

OK one last thing…

Before we get to the list of inspirational quotes for employee appreciation, I’ve got one last thing that I want to touch on, and that is R E S P E C T.
(high five if you spelled that out like the song)…

People Work for People

How Much Do Your Employees Respect You?

People work for people.

That means when someone quits, they didn’t quit the company, THEY QUIT YOU. This is true 80% of the time.

Tough to hear? Find yourself getting defensive?

Sure, there are employees that quit that weren’t a good fit and are better off leaving, but a majority of them quit the leader, not the organization

More food for thought: That’s STILL the leader’s fault for hiring the wrong person!

Check out THIS oldie but goodie (which is actually the 1st thing I ever published to the internet!) about garnering more respect from your team.

OK, OK…And now, without further adieu…

17 Inspirational Quotes for Employee Appreciation

The key to performance isn’t about trying push new conversations about strategy in, but rather clearing out the clutter. -Book: 3 Laws of Performance by Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan
This is one of my favorite quotes because in business, we almost always look to ADD when we want to affect performance, yet most often we need to REMOVE so we can focus on what’s important.

 

There are no bad teams, only bad leaders. -Jocko Willink
This one is in here because it’s all about ownership. If you have employees that feel under appreciated, or uninspired, you need to own up to your mistakes before you can move on. This is in direct correlation with the 1st quote, as that “clutter” COULD be gossip about you!

 

Notice the difference between asking ‘Can I do this?’ And, ‘How am I going to do this?’ -Book: Will it Make the Boat Go Faster? By Ben Hunt-Davis and Harriet Beveridge.
In both questions there is an unsure nature of how to start, but one comes with confidence and the other communicates doubt and fear.

 

Many people are more comfortable with old problems than with new solutions. -Charles H. Brower
This quote is perfect for a time when a teammate is complaining about a process and not adding any value to the situation.

 

Tough times don’t last forever. Tough people do. – Robert H. Schuller
Great quote for showing appreciation when an employee as working super hard, or the work gets super hard. (Busy season, corporate visit, high pressure deadline, etc.)

 

If it’s worth doing, then it’s worth doing wrong. What holds us back is fear of failure. Just try…go…fail, and then adjust!! -Joe Calloway 
Joe wrote the book Be the Best at What Matters Most and it’s a book that I suggest. This quote means that if you’re going to screw up, do it with 100% conviction. I’d rather see an employee comitted to their dream and do it wrong, than do nothing at all.

 

Most people have a desire to look for the exception instead of a desire to be exceptional. -John Maxwell, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
One of the most important leadership books ever written, and a quote that speaks volumes. Most people would rather find the excuse or reason they failed instead of working to be a success.

 

No matter how bad things are, you can always make them worse.
This is a funny one because it’s a positive statement said in a negative way. It’s a great reminder that things really aren’t that bad, even when they seem desperate. Stop worrying and go fix it!

 

If you aren’t in over your head, then how do you know how tall you are? –T. S. Eliot
The reason I LOVE this quote so much is because I’m a hustler. I like a lot on my plate and when I’m not working like a maniac, then I ask for more. You can’t grow unless you’re pushed!

 

Your abilities say win. What does your attitude say? -Nick Glassett (me!)
Smart, driven, and talented means nothing when the person is negative and toxic!

 

The essence of competitive advantage is doing different things, and doing things differently. -Book: 3 Laws of Performance by Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan
This is a great reminder that when “they” zig, you’ve got to zag! And the second quote from this book (it’s that good of a read, I suggest it to all leaders!)

 

Short term easy means long term difficult and short term difficult means long term easy. -Book: Take The Stairs by Rory Vaden
This is a discipline quote. Do what’s easy now, and you’re going to have to kill yourself later to catch back up. Do what’s hard now, and you’ll be ahead of schedule.

 

Successful people do what others don’t want to do and they in turn get extraordinary results. -Book: Take The Stairs by Rory Vaden
Another one from Rory! I call this, The Winning Formula: Do the things that cause winning. Simple, but not easy. It’s the studying, the practice, the rehearsal, and the work that causes great things to happen.

 

Get good at being a trouble maker and saying sorry when you really screw up. –Book: 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss
This may seem like an odd quote to tell your employees…after all, you don’t want trouble makers do you? I don’t just say yes, I say HELL YES. It’s an empowerment and a trust thing. Nothing communicates “I trust you” like this Tim Ferriss Quote.

 

Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is taking action in the presence of fear. – David Cunningham, Landmark Forum Leader
I heard this when I did the incredibly powerful Landmark Forum, and I use it often. Anytime there is a situation that has one of my teammates nervous, this quotes causes action to take place (especially public sharing at a meeting).

 

Find the sense of who you are, then it will translate into an ease and confidence in how you come off to others. -Unsure of where I got this from
I firmly believe that when you help people be themselves, and not some “improved” or different version is when you truly get inspired action!

 

Change what you do so you can change how you feel. -Nick Glassett (me)
When people are failing, you would thing they would change what they are doing, but they don’t. Instead they double down and try harder instead of trying something else.

Put in the Time With the People

So there you have it, 17 of my favorite inspirational quotes for employee appreciation.

Many of them are different than your ordinary, optimistic, cheerleader stuff.

I hope you enjoyed it, and would love if you dropped a comment with your opinion and if you used any of these :-)

Thanks,

-NG

 

mnglassett@gmail.com Diet, Keto

My Wife’s Killer Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Overall, I don’t have too much of a sweet tooth, but I do have a thing for chocolate chip cookies! The truth is though, I’ll easily skip them if they aren’t good, and softness is the key! This is my wife Michelle’s Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, and they are out-of-bounds good!

So, I’m really new to posting and sharing recipes, but this keto diet that I’ve been on for the last 2 years or so has really improved my life!

I’ve always just ate super simple, and in the meantime I was trying to get Michelle to jump on board with me! It took me over a year, but I finally got my wife on it!

Now that Michelle eats keto, our food has gotten much nicer than my chicken-in-a-can dinners!

She’s all about looking up fancy recipes. The funny thing about that is I’m a skeptic by nature, so when she tries to make a Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, or pizza dough out of cream cheese, I’m supportive of her, but “know” they’re going to be mediocre.

Then, they’re amazing.

Then I want to share it! Good thing I have blog :-)

Don’t go another breakfast without this Keto Waffle Recipe. So good it’s like a cheat meal!
Keto Waffle Recipe Ketogenic Pancake Recipe

Now obviously I usually write about leadership and management and business, but hey, if I have a great recipe, I’m gonna put it up here.

And my perspective is that a leader needs to take care of themselves, because if they don’t, then how can they take care of their followers!

And let’s face it…

Eating Chocolate Chip Cookies is a MASSIVELY important part of taking care of yourself!

Enjoy.

Killer Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Course: Desert
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Low Carb / Keto, Vegitarian

Servings: 24 Cookires
Prep Time: 10 Mins
Cook Time: 10 Mins
Passive Time: 30 Mins

Calories: 168kcal
Fat: 17g
Protein: 4g
Net Carbs: 2g

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Almond Flour
  • 1 cup Salted Butter
  • 1  1/2 cup Stevia Brown Sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
  • 1  cup Sugar Free Chocolate Chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 355 F
  • Soften butter (but don’t get too hot)
  • Place butter and Stevia Brown Sugar into a mixing bowl and beat
  • Add vanilla, eggs, and mix on low for 15 seconds
  • Add almond flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well combined
  • Knead chocolate chips into the dough
  • Make into balls and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
  • Bake for 10-12 mins

Special Notes

  • Be careful what sugar free chocolate chips you use. Some brands are loaded with carbs!

Enjoy these Killer Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe!

-NG

mnglassett@gmail.com Keto, Recipe

Keto Belgian Waffle Recipe

Dude, this is, hands down, the best Keto Belgian Waffles recipe there is!

How good are they??

So good that I eat them for breakfast 5 days a week!

I will spare you all the BLAH BLAH BLAH that you usually see on cooking sites and get right to the best Keto Belgian waffle recipe out there.

Keto Belgian Waffles

8oz cream cheese (softened)
8 eggs
2 T butter (softened)
2 tsp vanilla
2 T truvia sugar
1/2 cup coconut flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp cinnamon

I like to make this in the food processor. Super easy that way
Mix first 3 ingredients together
Add next 6 ingredients and mix until smooth
Spoon about 1/3rd cup batter into warm waffle iron
Cook
Enjoy!
Makes 6 waffles

I put natural peanut butter and sugar free syrup on them.
You can also make a bunch as food prep and have breakfast for 4 days!

BTW these things are super filling!

Thanks,
-NG