It's Andy Fish!

They say it used to be that school got us ready for life– I’m not sure that was ever really true. In High School I learned a lot– I learned basic cooking, I learned how to use a typewriter (probably the most valuable class I ever took) and I learned how to create a family budget and write a check, I also learned proper business etiquette when it came to writing a formal letter and addressing an envelope.
I’m not sure they teach that anymore.

It’s frightening working with College kids whose only notion of budget is an ATM Card with a PIN that their parents keep filled for them. That they can’t compose an email, that they wouldn’t know how to write a check if their lives depended on it.

Well, here’s some real world advice from an actual Dad. And be warned, in these Dad Columns I talk to you the way I talk to my own sons– and it’s not open to debate- this works, try it or don’t try it but if you want to stop failing at certain things you need to organize yourself;

JOURNALS are the KEY to LIFE.

Get yourself a journal and write down your goals. Now use this to your advantage.

If you want to lose weight- you need to eat less, cut out snacking and exercise more. No surgery or weight loss drugs, the problem starts in your head and that needs to get fixed if you want the problem fixed permanently. I have two good friends who became so overweight they got the surgery where they had their stomachs stapled, overnight they lost the weight and boy were they happy about it. But they didn’t learn a thing about WHY they got to the overweight stage in the first place, so in a matter of two years both of them put all the weight back on, and one even became larger.

The hard truth is if you’re overweight, or you’re poor, or you’re struggling with relationships it’s hard to faith the truth.

YOU ARE IN THIS SITUATION BECAUSE OF THE CHOICES YOU MAKE.

I know there are entire industries that will insist it’s not your fault, that things or elements or people are working against you.

Not true.

We all have exactly the same skills, whether or not we choose to utilize them is what leads to success or failure. Those who succeed do not waste time blaming others, they take responsibilty for their actions and they make changes.

Need to lose weight- keep a food diary. Something you can fit in your pocket. If you pop a single potato chip into your mouth it goes into the diary. At the end of the day review how you ate and what you ate and pretty soon you’ll see a pattern that gives you the answers.

If you are poor, you need to look at what you’re spending your money on. I know several people who are struggling financially but they still have phones with $100/month calling plans and satellite TV that runs $250/month. You need to look at your skill set. If you aren’t getting a good job you need to learn a skill. There are ample opportunities for free classes to get you on your way.

The bottom line is seize the day- stop blaming others and make the proper changes in your life to lead your own destiny.

If you stick with it, you’ll see some real success.