Inspiration and Implementation by Jim Stovall

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These columns have appeared for over two decades in newspapers, magazines, and online publications around the world. In more than a thousand columns, I have written on a myriad of topics and subjects, but every column—including the one you’re reading now—ends with the phrase, “Today’s the day.” It really doesn’t matter what you think about, dream about, or plan to do. The only thing that matters is what you do.   

Inspiration is important. It may be among the most valuable elements of our human experience, but without implementation, it is useless. I have a friend who I have known for almost 40 years. He has had hundreds of great ideas and lofty plans. Unfortunately, he has never carried any of them out. I’ve another friend who I have known even longer. He has had only one plan for his life that he has been committed to since we were teenagers. He has stayed committed to his single plan and has vigorously implemented it over these many years. It will not surprise you to know that he is far more successful than the friend with overflowing inspiration. 

If you have a thought, an idea, a calling, or a plan in your life, it means that you should do something today to make it a reality. Maybe you just read a book, research the topic, or reach out to make a new connection or contact, but you should not let the day get away from you without implementing your inspiration. Every day that goes by is critical to your goal. When you put your head on the pillow tonight, you will be either one day closer to or one day farther from your goal.  

Art critics worldwide, and anyone who has visited the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican and has viewed Michelangelo’s masterpiece painted on the ceiling, would agree that Michelangelo was filled with inspiration. Centuries later, that inspiration impacts everyone who experiences one of the most outstanding artistic achievements in history. 

There is a story about Michelangelo that has endured for hundreds of years. During the period he was working on his magnificent sculpture of David, he worked in a studio with other artists. As Michelangelo arrived one morning, he noticed all of the other artists were just sitting around doing nothing. When he inquired about it, the other artists told him they were waiting on inspiration. Michelangelo’s response speaks to us all, “Inspiration will find me already at work.” 

As you go through your day today, embrace your inspiration and take action. 

Today’s the day! 

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor). His new book, Words That Shaped Our World: Legendary Voices of History: Quotes That Changed How We Think, What We Do, and Who We Are, coauthored with Kathy Johnson, is available for from Sound Wisdom on December 20, 2022.

Quiet Quitting by Jim Stovall

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Recently, there’s been a phenomenon arising throughout social media that has come to be known as quiet quitting. As in most things, there are two sides to the story.  There are people who simply do the minimum required by their job and will not consider achieving anything above and beyond the role they were hired to do. Then, there are those people who reject the notion of being required to do extra work without extra pay, recognition, or overtime compensation. 

First and foremost, I would say all employers should treat employees the way they, themselves, would like to be treated. We succeed in business by providing quality goods and services to our customers, and that cannot happen without fully engaged and committed employees. 

For workers, the concept of quiet quitting can be counterproductive and even harmful. Beyond the fact that you are hurting the organization you work for, you are hurting yourself. I’ve long believed that the way we do anything is the way we do everything. You can’t expect to have a mediocre, lackluster, or minimal performance in your career and then expect to have a great personal life or family life. 

I’m a huge fan of the transformational writer Napoleon Hill. One of his most impactful success principles involves going the extra mile. Dr. Hill did not advise his followers to exceed expectations merely so they would do work for which they were not specifically paid. On the contrary, he believed that going the extra mile represented the key to professional and personal success and happiness. The quickest way to get a better job is to do a better job. 

Whether you’re an employee or an entrepreneur, financial success often comes down to doing work you don’t get paid for so that someday you get paid for work you didn’t do. Regardless of their motives, those individuals who associate with the quiet quitters and are publicly posting online need to remember that we become like the people we hang around with and that current employers, future employers, and associates follow social media, too. 

It’s very important that we all thoughtfully consider how we identify ourselves and how we present ourselves to the world. The concept of doing the least possible to just get by will not serve you or those around you well. 

As you go through your day today, go the extra mile and reap the rewards. 

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor). His new book, Words That Shaped Our World: Legendary Voices of History: Quotes That Changed How We Think, What We Do, and Who We Are, coauthored with Kathy Johnson, is now available for preorder from Sound Wisdom. 

Time Thieves by Jim Stovall

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Throughout my 40-year business career, there has been a proliferation of books, videos, and training courses on the subject of time management. Any number of experts will take your attention, effort, and money to fulfill the mission of helping you to manage your time. Managing time is as absurd a concept as managing the weather. You can’t control the weather. At best, you can prepare by equipping yourself with an umbrella, a warm coat, or rain gear. Whether you prepare or not, the weather will do what it’s going to do, and whether or not you and I are organized or productive, there will always be 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, and seven days each week. 

Once we understand that we can’t control time, we face the ongoing challenge of controlling ourselves. Controlling how we utilize time is difficult because we are forever confronted with time thieves. These are the people, activities, and distractions that gobble up our minutes, hours, and days. 

It’s important to realize that you cannot judge what is an appropriate utilization of your time unless you have a specific objective and a definite goal. A goal is a dream with a time limit and an action plan. Without a deadline and a plan to reach your objective, you don’t have a goal; you simply have a wish. Once you’ve established a firm goal, you can then begin to control yourself and your efforts within the context of your daily schedule. Even after you’ve established a firm goal and an action plan of how to achieve it, the time thieves will not leave you alone. In fact, they may increase their efforts to distract you.  

“A goal is a dream with a time limit and an action plan.” —Jim Stovall 

As you go through your day today, set your goals, control your activities, and time will reward you. 

Today’s the day! 

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor). His latest book, coauthored with Greg S. Reid, is Passport to Success: Experience Next Level Living, now available wherever books are sold.

Taking Stock by Jim Stovall

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I have written more than 50 books and well over a thousand of these syndicated columns that appear in newspapers, magazines, and online publications around the world. Every book and each column, including the one you’re reading now, has my contact information. You can imagine how many calls and email inquiries I receive. People often have questions about business, careers, relationships, education, and success, but the most frequent topic my readers want to focus on seems to be personal finance and investments. 

Inevitably, any discussion involving long-term investing touches upon the stock market. Most investors know, and financial experts agree, that long-term, the stock market is an investment worthy of consideration. While I have always believed in and profited from the stock market, please remember that it may not be wise to invest money in equities or common stock if you need those funds within the next five years. The vast majority of five-year periods throughout the stock market’s history have been favorable. However, if you’re investing for a year, a month, or a day, it can be very volatile and risky. Overall, I know that the weather will be generally hot in August, but if I’m betting on one specific day, it’s impossible to predict. 

United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld once said, “There are unknown unknowns, there are known unknowns, and there are known knowns.” This philosophy is not only true in geopolitical matters but can help explain the stock market. 

When we think of unknown unknowns, we refer to things like pandemics, civil unrest, earthquakes, and other unpredictable external factors. While these events certainly impact the stock market since they are not predictable, we can only address them by staying invested for the long term and allowing the market to recover. 

When we think of known unknowns, they involve recessions, political campaigns, and seasonal marketplace events. We know that there is generally a year-end rally in the stock market, and the retail sector does well during the holiday season. If we invest for a five- or ten-year period, these factors become a non-event. 

When we think of known knowns, we generally refer to things we control, such as the approximate date we want to retire, when our kids will be going to college, how much we invest, and other predictable life events. If we think of the stock market as a small child climbing a set of stairs while playing with a yo-yo, we will have a powerful visual reminder. If we focus on the yo-yo, we will likely be nervous and stressed. But if we remain focused on the child as they slowly climb up the stairs, we will feel positive about our financial future. 

As you go through your day today, focus on what you know and stop worrying about the unknowable. 

Today’s the day! 

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor). His latest book, coauthored with Greg S. Reid, is Passport to Success: Experience Next Level Living, now available wherever books are sold.

The Golden Age by Jim Stovall

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We human beings are too often plagued with what I would call “Greener Grass Syndrome.” This syndrome involves looking back in time and declaring a point in history as “the good old days” or projecting into the future and declaring “someday things will get better.” In reality, the only point in recorded history that matters to you and me is the current immediate moment we are living right now. 

Yesterday is a canceled check, and tomorrow is a promissory note. Today is cash, so we need to recognize its value and spend it wisely. Virgil, the Latin poet, has been quoted as saying, “Today is the great golden age.” Virgil proved to be prophetic as the period surrounding his creative life is considered a golden age of thought and literature. But in Virgil’s life and the history of the world, that period emerged as a golden age because he believed it was. 

Yesterday is a canceled check, and tomorrow is a promissory note 

If, on the other hand, Virgil had believed that conditions during his time were not conducive to new thoughts and ideas, or if he was stuck in the mindset that things aren’t as good as they used to be in the past or would be in the future, we would likely have never heard of Virgil or been aware of the wisdom he brought to the world. 

There are always a million reasons why we can’t succeed here and now, but here and now is all we have, and it is as fertile and filled with promise as we believe it to be. There are always obstacles and challenges. Somehow we convince ourselves that people living today face obstacles that no previous generation ever had to experience. There have always been wars, pandemics, and financial downturns. My late, great friend and mentor Paul Harvey said, “It’s times like these that remind us there have always been times like these.” 

There are always critics, negative thinkers, and naysayers. They confront us daily just as they did during Virgil’s time. If Virgil were alive here in the 21st century, I’m quite certain he would declare the current moment in which you and I are living as a golden age. If you believe there are no opportunities available in the world today, your thoughts will make it so. And if you believe this is a golden age, your mind will manifest magic and miracles. 

As you go through your day today, look for the positive elements that make this a golden age. 

Today’s the day! 

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor). His latest book, coauthored with Greg S. Reid, is Passport to Success: Experience Next Level Living, now available wherever books are sold.

Two Out of Three by Jim Stovall

One of the most questionable advertising, marketing, or promotional phrases is, “You can have it all.” You can have all of some things and more of other things, but you can’t have all of everything. 

Time, energy, and money are all finite resources. Wealth brings you choices, but the ability to choose “all of the above” doesn’t exist. I believe if you’re producing any product or service, your results can be fast, good, or cheap. You can pick two out of three, but you can’t have them all. If you want something fast and good, it will be expensive. If you want something fast and cheap, it will not be good.  

When you’re investing your money, you can invest for safety, liquidity, or return. There’s no right answer, and any of these goals will be appropriate for certain investors at various times of their lives; however, once again, you can’t have it all. If you want total safety, you will have to give up some liquidity and some return. If, on the other hand, you want the highest possible return, you will forego liquidity and safety; important decisions in your personal life, therefore, are not yes or no. They are top five or top ten type of decisions.  

We often overlook issues of health, family, spirituality, and well-being when we establish our priorities. All things being equal, more money is better than less money, but if you’re sacrificing your health or quality time with your loved ones for money, it is likely a poor bargain; we must, therefore, budget the things that are finite such as our time and money while prioritizing the elements of life that are infinite such as spirituality, well-being, and significance.  

A veteran airline pilot once told me that on a four-hour, coast-to-coast flight, we would be off-course at least three-and-one-half hours of the entire trip. Our lives are much the same way in that success involves a constant adjustment and precise management of all elements. We live in a high-definition movie environment, not a single-frame snapshot photo. The right priorities and percentages for me would likely be improper for you, and even if you have perfect balance today, it probably won’t fit for you next week, next month, or next year.  

Wisdom comes not only from making good decisions but in deciding how to decide. 

As you go through your day today, realize you can’t have it all, so get what matters most to you. 

Today’s the day! 

This and other motivational pieces by bestselling author Jim Stovall can be found in Wisdom for Winners Volume Three, an official publication of the Napoleon Hill Foundation

Holiday Happiness by Jim Stovall

Everyone wants to have happiness for themselves and their loved ones around the holidays. We wish people “Merry Christmas,” “Happy Holidays,” and “Happy New Year,” but rarely do we consider what really makes us happy during the holiday season and throughout the year. If you think back on past holiday seasons when you were particularly happy, you will likely discover it had more to do with gifts you gave, people you were with, and activities you enjoyed rather than something you received.  

While it is the season for giving, if we want to make people really happy, we need to look beyond just the standard stuff we buy at the mall, wrap up, and hand to someone. We need to explore the concept of sharing an experience, giving of ourselves, or engaging in a giving activity with our loved ones.  

I often ask people to share with me their favorite holiday memories. Among my favorites are people who recount the experience of going as a family to serve homeless people holiday meals, giving toys or bicycles to less fortunate children, or simply spending quality time with special friends or loved ones. I actually have a friend who received a luxury automobile with a giant bow wrapped around it, parked in the driveway, as a Christmas gift, but when I asked her to share her favorite holiday memory, it involved going through a family photo album with her great aunt.  

We’ve often heard it said but seldom do we act upon the fact that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” In my novel The Ultimate Gift and the movie based on that book, a prominent theme is the gift of giving. This concept is foreign to many people because, with the rush and commercialism during the holiday season, giving can seem like more of a chore or an obligation than a gift.  

We are never too busy to give a kindness, share a memory, or engage in service to others. This time of year, people seem to be worried about spending too much money and overcharging their credit cards, but giving of yourself and sharing memories remain no-cost but priceless elements in the gift of giving.  

As you go through your day today, give the gifts that matter. Share your time and your love. 

Today’s the day! 

This and other motivational pieces by bestselling author Jim Stovall can be found in his latest collection of columns, Wisdom for Winners Volume Four, an official publication of the Napoleon Hill Foundation.