In the past month or so, I received two emails and one letter from readers who wanted to learn more about me. Not “me the success coach”, or “me the personal development expert”, but me the person.

Each letter approached this topic differently. One reader (and a coaching client of mine) recalled that I had once taken my son Andy to the Super Bowl, and had a question related to an article I had written about that experience. The second letter, from a newsletter subscriber, asked about the work that I had done with Brian Tracy and Tony Robbins.

If there’s one goal people have in common, it’s to be happy. In our society, we think people can buy happiness. That’s why millions of dollars per year are spent on fad diets, trendy clothes, and expensive cars. That’s why we work long hours at the expense of hobbies and relationships—to earn enough money to buy our happiness.

We design our lives around making money, and then wonder why we aren’t happy when we have it. It’s because we are working too hard and not feeding our passions and interests. We design our lives around making sure the items on our to-do list get checked off, whether they contribute to our overall goals or not.

Memos. Junk mail, Post-it notes. Catalogs. Bills. Permission slips. Newspapers. Look around you. Do these things seem to be everywhere? Many of us are surrounded by overwhelming piles of clutter. You’re probably so used to it you don’t realize its negative impact.

Clutter is one of the biggest reasons you aren’t more productive. You may not realize it, but clutter takes up valuable time and energy.

I once had a client named Stephanie who was so adamant that clutter had no affect on her whatsoever, that she actually renamed it “controlled chaos.”

It was a beautiful fall day. The sun was shining, and the air was crisp. It was a perfect day for a hike in the woods. A woman – someone I would call a high achiever – was walking along on this gorgeous day when she suddenly heard a rustling behind her. She turned around and realized there was a family of tigers behind her. She knew they wanted to have her for lunch.

She started to run very fast. Good thing she was in top physical condition like most high achievers. After two years of working out with her personal trainer, she could outrace even the most physically fit tiger.  

I recently got a call from a guy named Gary who wanted to hire a coach. Now, by most people’s standards, Gary was already very successful. He owned a home in a very affluent neighborhood, and drove a luxury car. Gary could basically afford anything he wanted. So what was his problem? Something was missing. He didn’t have enough time to do the things he wanted to do, or hang out with the people he enjoyed. He wanted a solution. Fast.

So I asked Gary what he wanted in life. Silence. When I asked again, I got a reluctant, “Isn’t that what I’m paying you to find out?”

Last weekend, my daughter Carly and I enjoyed a “magic moment” together.

“What’s a magic moment?” you ask? For me, it’s a special experience with someone close to me that I will remember for the rest of my life.

A magic moment can be big, like our family vacation last summer in Europe. We visited Germany, Austria, and France. It was a truly special time for our family.

The Challenge

Life is extraordinary…and there are so many ways to design, live and help others to create significant results in their personal and business life.

The Opportunity

People love to grow, to help others to grow, and to be involved in creative, stimulating projects.

The Solution

The Work Less, Make More R&D Team addresses the challenge by tapping into the opportunity. The Team develops and evolves what is at first mediocre, or maybe even great, and produces something that is extraordinary…something that is, well, WOW!

As you may already know, I coach successful small business owners, self-employed professionals, and executives. At JWC Group, we help people just like you figure out a way to have an amazing career and an amazing life, all at the same time. We call this program Work Less, Make More.

There are two things I know about entrepreneurs and professionals, and the obstacles that are preventing them from living the lives they are meant to live:

I had an idea about a year ago, and I’m finally getting around to writing about it.

As I was planning my two-week family vacation in Europe last summer, I thought it would be really cool to make a “Work Less, Make More” T-shirt, and take pictures of me “working less” in Europe. It was a blast doing it, and here’s one of the pictures:

I started thinking about this idea again a couple weeks ago. (Yes, on vacation. Are you starting to see a pattern here?) I wanted to come up with a way for you to share your experiences “working less”—maybe wearing a Work Less, Make More T-shirt while doing so.

My family and I had the privilege of visiting Disney World recently. We have been to both Disney World and Disneyland before, but this time we were there for eight days! We stayed at the beautiful Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, and had an amazing time.

I’ve always loved Disney. For me, it is as much a “business case study” as it a family vacation. I love it every time I go, and could easily visit much more often than we do. I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for Walt Disney, who is one of the greatest visionaries ever.