Reach Your God-given Potential

The ‘Best Of’ from the Year that Was

2020. I’ll admit it, the initial reaction is negative. However, when I look back on the year, there were positive lessons to be learned and some personal highlights (hello, can you say beach living?!). So, what has become an annual tradition, I present to you the ‘Best of Doug Grady Blogs.’ When I looked back over the posts, I was stuck at how the key takeaway in each was similar in theme: we…

Do you feel like a Jenga game about to topple? Here's how to rebuild structure when it breaks down.

Do you feel like a Jenga game about to topple? Here’s how to rebuild structure when it breaks down.

Try this simple experiment at home. Clear out a shelf, a space, or corner of the room that was otherwise occupied. Don’t tell your family what you’ve done. Give it about three weeks. Inevitably you may find that space eventually becomes filled with something.

Nature abhors a vacuum.

Aristotle

Four Simple, Significant Shifts to Move the Needle in Business and in Life

For years when my father was asked how he was doing he would always respond with the same words, “I’m living an exciting life!”

We are indeed living in exciting times right now. Whether you are surviving, thriving, or transitioning here are four simple yet significant shifts you can take on right now.

Reclaim your FOCUS.

Seven Classic Personal Development Books

Recently one of my coaching clients asked me for a list of my top five personal development books. Have read hundreds through the years, here are some of the classics in my estimation.

1. Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill 

This was required reading for us as young insurance agents working with AEGONCorporation. The author interviewed the wealthiest individuals of his generation to learn…

Consistency – the CHOICE is Yours

Consistency is simply the act of repeatedly doing something at a level of performance that does not vary greatly in quality over time.Ideally the repeated task is a positive one that leads to positive change. When we repeatedly do something negative, we typically see negative results. Which makes us stop in our tracks. Or we resolve to focus on positive choices but are inconsistent and stumble.…

A Lesson From the Birds

Allison and I have been leading somewhat of a vagabond life for the past few months. She was laid off from work, our lease was up, and we chose to come down and live on the west side of Florida.

We lived in North Naples Florida for four weeks. It rained and stormed for most of our first week here.

On the 5th day we noticed a tiny hatchling bird on the ground underneath a tree. Looking up we…

The Positive of Redirection. Making the most of change.

We have all faced significant challenges the past few months. For Allison and me, we had to make some major decisions. Allison was laid off work due to Covid-19 furloughs, our lease in the Atlanta area was ending and renewal wasn’t a good option, and public speaking opportunities dried up due to social distancing requirements. Quite frankly, it was depressing.

But there is good news!After…

This video was initially produced for our core personal growth program, 40 Days of FOCUS. Much has changed since that day in our world. But the message is perhaps even more relevant.

Our personal growth is important. This mandatory pause button can bring out the best, the worst and everything in between.

Your choices…

In any uncertain time, our choices matter. What we focus on, how we utilize our time and resources, what we post about. Choose powerfully. #newnormal #adversity

Choosing powerfully isn’t always easy. Especially in the face of a storm.

Less than a month after KAMIKAZE SEAGULL was published on this same site, a global bomb dropped seemingly out of nowhere. It will undoubtedly leave a mark.

Speaking of birds, this morning Allison and I woke up to several of them chirping outside our window. And they didn’t seem too worried. But I digress.

Our…

The Three Myths of Success and What it Really Takes

The Myths of Success have been fed to many of us for years. Like all myths they hold a kernel of truth but fall far from being absolutes.

Have you ever attended a “Success” event of any kind? I’ve been involved in hundreds of seminars, conferences and training programs through the years. Often there tends to be a consistent theme, “secret” or even law. TO BE SUCCESSFUL YOU MUST:

Change…

Kamikaze Seagull: Here's what to do when you get hit by an unexpected bomb.

How to Deal with an Unexpected Bomb

Have you ever been hit by the Kamikaze Seagull?

When I began speaking in seminars and conferences over 20 years ago there was an unspoken formula that many professional speakers ascribed to. They would open their talk with a story about something funny or interesting that happened to them on the way to their speaking engagement. The problem is nothing…

Top 10 Personal Development Blogs of 2019, Plus One More

Well it may be 11… Happy New Year and thank you for the support!

https://douggrady.com/imperfect-progress/ https://douggrady.com/structure-discipline-good-bad-ugly/ https://douggrady.com/bite-off-more-than-you-can-chew/ https://douggrady.com/body-and-business-transformation-arent-that-different/ https://douggrady.com/lead-generation-seven-strategies-to-elevate-the-grind/

Body and Business Transformation Aren't That Different. This past year I decided I could still be in the best shape of my life at age 50 and beyond. You can apply these steps and lessons to body, business or both.

Body and business transformation aren’t all that different. This past year I decided I could still be in the best shape of my life at age 50 and beyond as defined by overall physique. Mission accomplished.  

I applied a simple, specific three step formula. And learned some lessons along the way. You can apply them to your body, your business or both.

Three Steps to Transformation 

Whether your establishing your business or taking it to the next level, chances are it will involve lead generation. Here are seven strategies to elevate the grind.

Lead generation. Unless you are one of the maniacal few this activity can be viewed as tedious, repetitive, mundane, and draining. And this is on a good day. Multiple reaches are made just to get a conversation, which may not even happen. And even if it does happen it may or may not lead to a sale. Emails, texts, LinkedIn messages, voicemails, tweets. And sometimes all you hear back is the…

How do you start your morning? Adopt these three morning disciplines to powerfully and positively impact the quality of your life.

How do you start your morning? The way you start the day can have a lot to do with the way the day goes. I’d like to share with you three morning disciplines to powerfully and positively impact the quality of your life.

Morning Pages. These are described in Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way. You simply write in your journal for three consecutive pages. It can be anything that comes to…

Why You Must Fail: The Three Essential Assets Gained Exclusively from Failure

Most of us perceive failure as undesirable. Something to be avoided at all costs. But what if failure is not only helpful, but actually necessary?

Failure is success in progress. -Albert Einstein

If you’ve spent much time in the gym you’ve undoubtedly heard the term training to failure. The body reaches the point where it no longer has the capacity to complete a given exercise with proper…

What if you are here for a purpose; a higher purpose, one far beyond your personal goals, aspirations, and ambitions? What if you absolutely knew this is to be true? What would happen if you tuned into this purpose fully?

What if you are here for a purpose; a higher purpose, one far beyond your personal goals, aspirations, and ambitions? What if you absolutely knew this is to be true? What would happen if you tuned into this purpose fully? 

Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement.

W. Clement Stone

For many people, this is a big, often overwhelming concept. For others, it can seem…