Hi everyone, it’s Pat Mussieux here. So, happy Tuesday. This is to share some content with you about a really interesting article that I was reading on the weekend. I’m doing a lot of reading right now and there’s just some great relevant, timely stuff out there that I want to make sure that I pass on and share with you.

I wanted to talk about the article from Ink magazine and their reference to airplanes. We can all relate to that now, especially with what I call the mini disaster at the Atlanta Airport just a few days ago, which is really disrupting air service right now, and life, and the whole topic of how life gets out of whack, or for many right now, it’s out of kilter.

This is the time of year that just fascinates me, and I’m sure it does you too. I am one who watches and studies human behavior a lot, and what I see and hear at this time of year, and I’m sure you do too, is that everyone is saying how busy they are. That just drives me up the wall, how busy they are, and I think to myself and I say to myself wow, where has the joy gone? You know, joy to the world? Where has that gone? Where have we lost that? Where is that out of whack and why is everyone going around constantly saying how busy they are? When you say, “Hey, how are you?” “I’m busy.” We’re all busy, so what kind of an answer is that? So I think about again, this time of the year, where has the joy gone, and joy to the world attitude, in total?

We’re all busy. You don’t need to belabor it. I’ve made a few notes because this article that I read was really fascinating and it really hit the nail on the head. I do ask people how they’re doing because I care, and yes, I do want to hear. I don’t want to hear a whole long story, but I do want to hear what’s going on in your life and in your world, eye-to-eye contact, and yes, I do care, and of course, I know you’re busy. You don’t have to tell me that.

I’m believing that, for the most part, for many of you, if not all of you, that your life is out of kilter this week. When I read the article, it was talking about and it referenced the fact that airplanes, and I know everyone can relate to this because everyone has been on a plane and, if not, then you know what planes are about, but the article said airplanes are off course 90% of the time – 90%, and yet, however, most flights arrive in the correct destination at the intended time. This is really important. It’s really interesting. Most flights, that is. I’ve been on flights who don’t always end up on time, but the reason is this. During the flight time, the pilots are always getting feedback around how to take corrective action, because they’re off course 90% at the time. So they’re getting the feedback on how to course-correct so that, in fact, they do get to the destination at the intended time.

Here’s the thing. When the pilots get the feedback and they immediately correct, these course corrections are not hard to manage at all because it is constant feedback, so it takes listening and it takes paying attention. When course corrections don’t happen, there can be a catastrophe. What does that have to do with our life? Well, as I stop and look around these days, it has a lot to do with the way we’re living life, and that’s what I see happening with many of you right now.

December happens every year. It’s no surprise. And Christmas comes every year. It’s no surprise, again, and yet I see people struggling and continuing to struggle with the same issues every year. Why is that? Many of you know one of my favorite expressions is that when you keep doing what you’re doing, you’re always going to get what you’re getting. Think about that. The expression typically says if. I don’t use the word if, but if you keep doing what you’re doing, you’re always going to be getting what you’re getting, so there’s no course correction happening in your life, and what’s that about?

My question to you is how are you piloting your life right now, in relation to the whole airplane world? How are you piloting your life and are you out of kilter, and/or are you course correcting? What feedback are you receiving? The feedback is coming, I’m sure. Usually from your loved ones right around you or your coworkers. The feedback is coming, but are you listening and are you paying attention, and are you course correcting? Or will you only take in the feedback and pay attention when there’s a catastrophe? It’s really up to you because the feedback is coming, no doubt.

I posted something earlier this week on my wall that said, “How much fun are you to live with anyway, these days?” That’s one of the reasons I give thanks for living alone sometimes when I see how cranky people are. I was in a few lineups today at the bank and at the post office, and there were some really cranky people there. Thank goodness I always keep a stash of chocolate in my pocket. I hand it out with a smile. There’s no reason to be cranky right now. There’s no reason, and so the question to you is are you taking in the feedback or are you waiting for a catastrophe?

I wanted to share a bit of a memory, down memory lane, about a time when I was working with a colleague who has since passed, unfortunately, sadly. His name was Lee Buzzard. He and I were both working with the Pacific Institute in Seattle. Lee was Canadian as well, and he had cerebral palsy. He often told the story about going through customs, because we both did work in the United States fairly often, and he talked about going through customs and the three questions that were often asked by the customs officer.

1. Who are you?
2. Where are you going?
3. What do you have to declare?

Lee and I talked about this frequently, actually, and I believe that when you make the time to stop and think about these questions, then you can avoid turbulence in your life. You can, in fact, course-correct in your life, and you can do it starting today. Today is the day. It’s all we have.

I have a few tips for you. Three, because I always talk in terms of three.

The first one is to get that feedback and ensure you get to your destination in the intended time, and whether that’s on a daily basis, weekly, monthly, it doesn’t matter, but the first tip is to get organized. Get your stuff together. What I see happening with a lot of people is that, rather than having a list of helpful tips for getting organized, there is a list, written or mental, of things that you’re tolerating, and so my suggestion to you is take a look at some of the things around you that you’re tolerating right now, and deal with them. Pick only one or two.

It might be a messy desk, it might be a messy hallway, it might be a bank account in overdraft. Take a look at what you’re tolerating right now, because that’s weighing heavy on your mind. Look at it, deal with it, fix it up, course-correct, get organized, and move onward with that.

The second one is to take charge of your health. Take a look at what you are doing on a daily basis. This can be the time of year, for many people, where they put their health resolutions to the side. Again, I’m hearing people saying, “I’m not sleeping, I feel sluggish, I have sugar headaches, I’m dehydrated.” Listen, hydration is key. If you do nothing else from this Facebook Live, be sure to hydrate and focus on hydration. Take charge of your health or you will crash. It won’t just be turbulent, but you’re going to crash, and that’s no fun for anybody.

I want you to pick one thing over the next few weeks that you’re going to focus on to take charge of your health. It might be sleep, ensuring you get a minimum amount of sleep, and that would be six to seven hours a night. It may be the hydration. It may be your nutritional planning. For me, at a minimum, I start out with a protein shake every morning and make sure I have solid nutrition in my system, and I hydrate, and then of course I’m going to make some holiday choices during the day, but I will offset that because I do not want to crash and burn after Christmas or after New Year’s, or to start my new year, so be thinking about that.

Number one, get organized, number two, take charge of your health, and number three, here’s a big one for many of you, and that is to ask for help. Yes, it’s a hectic time of year, and I know many of you, I know some single moms, they’re juggling so much right now. Learn to ask for help, and whether that is help getting the groceries, help getting the laundry done, it doesn’t matter. Help at work, ask your team. Learn to ask for help. You have to get over yourself. Get past your ego and your control freak nature that you’re the only one who can do certain things in a certain way, in a timely way, so learn to ask for help because, seriously, that’s the number one tip that is going to turn that question around when I say to you, and you need to ask yourself, “How much fun am I to live with these days?”

This needs to be a ho ho ho time of year, joy to the world, and if it’s to be it’s up to me. The joy starts with me, and so ask yourself the question. My tip to you is to be thinking about that question a lot each and every day as we go forward right now, at this time of year.

I also know that many of you are following some Facebook posts or getting emails, and a lot of them are about getting your “business” in order for 2018. It’s about getting your goals set, writing your goals, creating your plan for 2018, and hey, if you know me at all, and I see some of you here on the line, you do know me and I’m all about planning. However, it’s a yes and.

The business planning is critical. Most entrepreneurs fail because they don’t have a plan, but my suggestion to you today, at this point in time, is to get your house in order first. You see, all meaningful and lasting change starts with you, and it starts with the way you think, and so I say to you, get your own house in order. Get organized, take charge of your health, ask for help, get yourself together first, and then focus on your business because the bottom line is this, this is my tip. This is the way it works. Business gets better when you get better. That’s the title of my new book. Business gets better when you get better. Your husband gets better when you get better. You kids get better when you get better. It starts with you, so get your own house in order first. The business planning can come later.

My clients know I talked about setting goals, and it starts with personal goals first, then professional, then organizational and operational. If you want to learn how I do it and how I get everything together and intact, and look at joy to the world at this time of year, just message me. I’ll be happy to set up a phone conversation with you, walk you through my processes, and stay tuned because we too will be hosting an event in January, but right now, I want to focus on you. So when you think about the airplanes that are out of whack and out of kilter 90% of the time, remember they get the feedback and they course-correct so that they get to the right destination in the intended time.

What’s your destination today? What is it this week? What’s your intention for Christmas? Think about you first. Take care of you. In the meantime, all I want to say to you is breathe, meditate if necessary, but breathe, be in the moment, be conscious of the moments, create some great memories, and remember, if it’s to be it’s up to me.

Merry Christmas to all of you and, like I said, if you want some more tips from me and you want to set up a call in the New Year, because I’m heading out shortly for the holidays, then message me. We’ll be happy to have a conversation and set up a call with you.

All right, that’s all I have today. I know that, for many of you, life is out of whack. Take these tips to heart. Pick one. It’s about progress, not perfection.

Bye everyone. Merry Christmas. I’ll see you in the New Year.