Self-Leadership That Lasts (S4) S48:E1

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Inspirations for Your Life Show—your daily boost of power, possibility, and performance! I’m John C. Morley, Serial Entrepreneur, Engineer, Marketing Specialist, Video Producer, Podcast Host, Coach, Graduate Student, and of course, a passionate lifelong learner. If you’re ready to redefine growth and embrace unstoppable self-leadership, you’re in the right place. Get ready to unlock expert strategies you can use immediately to elevate your life and leadership game. This is “Unstoppable You: The Blueprint for Modern Growth and Resilience.”

[1️⃣] Own your morning before someone else does. The first moments of every day set the tone for everything that follows. Take command of your mornings by crafting habits that energize, motivate, and prepare you before you react to anyone else’s agenda. Remember—how you start is how you soar.

[2️⃣] Speak your goals aloud every day. Vocalizing your intentions turns thoughts into actions. Declare your aims out loud each morning to reinforce them in your mind, attracting focus, clarity, and the kind of motivation that moves mountains.

[3️⃣] Write down three wins daily. Success is built on what you measure. Capture three wins—big or small—every day. You’ll train your brain to spot progress, boost confidence, and build momentum even on demanding days.

[4️⃣] Schedule “think time” in your calendar. Your greatest insights rarely arrive in chaos. Block out time to pause, reflect, and think deeply. This intentional quiet is where innovation, creative clarity, and brilliant problem-solving thrive.

[5️⃣] Celebrate a mistake you learned from. Mistakes are stepping stones to mastery. Each time you stumble, don’t just move on—review, celebrate the lesson inside, and use it as rocket fuel for smarter, stronger future actions.

[6️⃣] Make your bed for instant progress. Greatness is hidden in small wins. Start your day with a quick victory—make your bed! This simple act creates order out of chaos, sparks a productive mindset, and proves progress is within your control.

[7️⃣] Reflect before you react. Pause—your most powerful responses are mindful, not automatic. By reflecting before you react, you gain control over your emotions, communicate with clarity, and stand out as a leader in any situation.

[8️⃣] Tackle your hardest task first. Eat your frog! By conquering the toughest task early, you build confidence, reduce stress, and create a ripple of accomplishment that propels you productively through the rest of your day.

[9️⃣] Update your vision board monthly. Goals evolve. Set aside time each month to refresh your vision board with new dreams, images, and inspirations, keeping your ambitions in sharp focus and your motivation alive.

[🔟] Stand tall—posture drives energy. Posture isn’t just physical—it’s mental, too. Stand with confidence to boost your energy and send a signal to your brain (and everyone else) that you’re ready for anything today brings.

[1️⃣1️⃣] Replace complaints with creative solutions. Problems are everywhere, but the world craves solvers. The moment you feel like complaining, flip your mindset and pursue solutions. This habit sets you apart as both a builder and a visionary.

[1️⃣2️⃣] Mentor someone newer than you. Growth multiplies when shared. Reach back and lift someone just starting their journey. You’ll reinforce your own knowledge and expand your impact in ways that last.

[1️⃣3️⃣] Give yourself permission to say no. Boundaries are the secret to progress. Free yourself from people-pleasing. Every “no” to distraction is a loud “yes” to your highest vision.

[1️⃣4️⃣] Reframe setbacks as setups. Every challenge can be the prologue to a comeback. Reframe obstacles as setups for greater things—this keeps your fire burning and your forward motion relentless.

[1️⃣5️⃣] Set a tiny habit and master it. Big change starts small. Choose one micro-habit and make it effortless. Mastery over the little things unlocks the big wins you crave.

[1️⃣6️⃣] Set aside news-free hours. Constant input is mental noise. Grant yourself time away from the media cycle to think, create, and rest. In that space, your best ideas rise.

[1️⃣7️⃣] Conquer a small fear weekly. Progress is on the other side of fear. Pick one thing each week that makes you uncomfortable and face it—building courage step by step, win by win.

[1️⃣8️⃣] Batch similar tasks to save time. Multitasking is a myth; batching is a miracle. Group similar tasks together to save mental energy, stay focused, and get more done in less time.

[1️⃣9️⃣] Protect your solitude. Solitude is where clarity grows. Defend your alone time fiercely—it’s not an escape, it’s your runway for growth and creative thinking.

[2️⃣0️⃣] Turn off notifications to regain focus. Your attention is your greatest resource. Reclaim it by silencing distractions, mastering your focus, and

Episode Transcript

(00:24):
Well, hello there everyone.
It is John C.
Morley here, Serial Entrepreneur.
It's great to be with you.
It is actually Sunday, but this is actually
the Saturday show, November 22nd.
Today has been a whirlwind with a lot
of stuff happening, a lot of activities, and
just got off a plane just about 15

(00:47):
-20 minutes ago.
And you guys know my promise to you.
I always promise to get these out before
my head.
Hello.
So welcome everyone to Inspirations for Your Life.
It's great to be with you.
Because this would be a Saturday show, it
means we're starting a brand new master topic.
And so, you know, when we think about

(01:07):
master topics, as these master topics are, they're
pretty amazing, if you ask me.
And this is a, this is another good
master topic, and then we'll get into what
the granular topic is in just a moment.
But before I do share those details, I'd
like to say to you guys, welcome and
thank you for deciding to be here on

(01:28):
the Inspirations for Your Life show.
I greatly appreciate you, and if this is
your first time, welcome and thank you.
If you're coming back and you've been here
before, well, welcome back.
Thank you so much for being here.
Really do appreciate you for coming out and
trying out the show.

(01:48):
Hopefully you guys really do enjoy the show.
We have a lot of great insights that
I think will really empower you to become
a better version of yourself.
If you didn't know, you can visit BelieveMeAchieved
.com.
That's right after the show.
You don't want to miss what's going on

(02:08):
right now.
And definitely check out all my short-form
content, my long-form content.
I think you will find that to be
very enlightening, and you'll be able to catch
reviews of, you know, what's going on.
Because I know a lot of times, you
know, we hear things, but then we miss,

(02:30):
like, all the main details.
So I think that's a very, very important
thing to understand.
So this week we have, like I said,
a very, very good topic, and that is
the blueprint for modern success.
And we'll talk more about that.
And tonight's granular topic, it's a really good

(02:54):
granular topic.
The granular topic is all about self-leadership.
Yeah, self-leadership.
So that's a very powerful topic, you know,
in itself.
We talk about self-leadership because self-leadership,

(03:16):
you know, has the ability to propel us
forward.
And I think that's something a lot of
people don't realize is, you know, how we
can be moved forward.
I think that's a very, you know, important
thing to understand and to know that, you
know, our choices allow us to get to

(03:38):
different places in our lives.
I think that's a very important thing to
realize.
And so tonight we are talking about, by
the way, it's series four, it's show number
48, episode number one.
Yes, episode number one.

(04:00):
So tonight's granular topic, like I said, is
all about self-leadership.
Self-leadership and how this can really affect
our lives.
I think that's a very important thing to
realize is that it's our own choices that

(04:22):
get us to be where we want to
be, okay?
You know, I've said to you, success requires
us to be practicing being uncomfortable, right?
So self-leadership is something that I feel
is very important.
So self-leadership that can empower our lives.

(04:43):
But we'll get more deep into that in
a minute.
If you guys are thirsty, feel free to
go grab yourself a water, snacks, any kind
of beverage, fruit, etc.
But let's go ahead and get this show
kicked off.
I know it is late for those of
you that are joining me live.
Let's get right in there.
So again, I just want to give a
big shout out out there to everyone.

(05:04):
And of course, you know what I want
to do.
I want to say hello.
And welcome to another fantastic episode of the
Inspirations for Your Life show, your daily boost
of power, possibility and performance.
Who am I?
Oh, I'm John C.
Morley, serial entrepreneur, an engineer, marketing specialist, video

(05:25):
producer, podcast host, coach, graduate student, and above
all, of course, a passionate lifelong learner.
If you're ready to redefine growth and embrace
unstoppable self-leadership, you're in the right place
guys.
Get ready to unlock expert strategies you can

(05:46):
use immediately to elevate your life and your
leadership game.
This is unstoppable you.
That's what this is about.
The blueprint for modern growth and resilience.
So number one, we're going to get right
into our very first point and that is
number one is own your morning before someone

(06:08):
else does.
The first moments of every day set the
tone for everything that follows.
Take command of your mornings by crafting habits
that energize, motivate and prepare you before you
react to anyone else's agenda.
I think that's an important thing to realize

(06:30):
because I know sometimes people get very frustrated
and discombobulated about things, but it's really important
to understand that these are the things guys
that make the difference in life by choosing
to own your morning.
I think that's something that is, I'm going

(06:52):
to say, very, very important because when we
own our morning, it's like we have developed
a type of hope, a type of hope.
And this type of hope is one that

(07:14):
I feel a lot of people don't necessarily
understand.
Okay.
Hope is what propels us to the next
level.
Okay.
And so that's a very important thing again

(07:34):
to understand.
Remember folks, how you start is how you
soar.
Number two, speak your goals aloud every day.
Vocalizing your intentions turns thoughts into actions.
Remember thoughts become things.
Declare your aims out loud each morning to

(07:57):
reinforce them in your mind.
Attracting focus, clarity, and the kind of motivation
that moves mountains.
You know, the kind that seems impossible.
Well, it's not impossible folks.
Number three, write down three wins daily.
Success is built upon what you measure.
Capture three wins big or small every day.

(08:19):
You'll train your brain to spot progress, boost
confidence, and build momentum even on demanding days.
Number four, schedule quote unquote what I call
think time in your calendar.
Your greatest insights rarely arrive in chaos.

(08:41):
Block out time to pause, reflect, and think
deeply.
This intentional quiet is where innovation, creative clarity,
and brilliant problem solving actually thrive.
But many people don't give it a chance.
Number five, celebrate a mistake you learn from.
Mistakes are stepping stones to mastery.

(09:04):
Each time you stumble, don't just move on.
Review, celebrate the lesson inside, and use it
as rocket fuel for smarter, stronger future actions.
Number six, make your bed for instant progress.
Greatness is hidden in small wins.

(09:26):
Start your day with a quick victory.
Make your bed.
The simple act creates order out of chaos.
I do this every day.
I get up, I do my exercises, and
after I have breakfast, I come right back
or soon after and I make my bed.
And it sparks this productive mindset and proves

(09:46):
progress is within your control.
Even when things are like, I don't know,
all over the world, right?
Like even when I was leaving for my
trip today, I had like a million things
to do, not a million, but I had
like 25, but they were all on my
piece of paper.
And I accomplished every single one of them.
This was the last one I had to
accomplish, which was the 25th one, which was
to do the show tonight.

(10:07):
Number seven, reflect before you react.
Pause your most powerful responses and, you know,
make them mindful, not automatic.
By reflecting before you react, you gain control
over your emotions, your communications, and your clarity,

(10:27):
and you'll stand out as a leader in
any situation in life.
I know this can sound daunting, but it's
not.
Number eight, tackle your hardest task first.
Eat your frog is what a lot of
people will say.
By conquering the toughest task early, I don't
really mean eating a frog, I'm just saying
do the hardest thing first.

(10:48):
You build confidence and you reduce stress and
you create a ripple of accomplishment that propels
you productively through the rest of your day.
Number nine, update your vision board monthly.
Goals evolve, set aside time each month to
refresh your vision board with new dreams, images,

(11:11):
and inspirations, keeping your ambitions in sharp focus
and your motivation alive.
Number 10, guys, stand tall.
Posture drives energy.
Posture isn't just physical, it's mental.
Stand with confidence to boost your energy and

(11:32):
send a signal to your brain and everyone
else that you're ready for anything today brings.
So a quick way to explain that is
if you've ever been in a bad mood,
and your body's in a very positive, you

(11:53):
can't.
Now, think of a very positive thing, stand
the way you'd stand being very positive.
Now try to feel negative, you can't.
Get my point?
Your physiology actually affects your mood.
Number 11, replace complaints with creative solutions.

(12:15):
Problems are everywhere, but the world craves solvers.
The moment you feel like complaining, flip the
script in your mind and pursue solutions.
You'll develop a lot more friends that way.
This habit sets you apart as both a
builder and a visionary person.

(12:35):
Number 12, mentor someone newer than you.
Growth multiplies when shared.
Reach back and lift someone just starting their
journey.
You'll reinforce your own knowledge and expand your
impact in ways that truly last.

(12:57):
Number 13, give yourself permission to say no.
I've said this before, boundaries are the secret
to progress.
Free yourself from people pleasing.
Every no to distraction is a loud yes
to your highest vision.
Number 14, reframe setbacks as setups.

(13:20):
Every challenge can be the prologue to a
comeback.
Reframe obstacles as setups for greater things, and
this keeps your fire burning and your forward
motion relentless.
Number 15, guys, set a tiny habit and
master it daily.

(13:41):
Big change starts small.
Choose one micro habit and make it effortless.
Mastery over the little things unlocks the big
wins that you know you crave.
Number 16, set aside news-free hours.
Constant input is mental noise.
Grant yourself time away from the media and

(14:04):
cycle out to think, create, and be in
rest, and the space will be the greatest
thing for your needs, okay?
Number 17, conquer a small fear weekly.
Progress is on the other side of fear.
Pick one thing each week that makes you

(14:25):
uncomfortable and face it head-on.
Building courage step by step, win by win.
Number 18, batch similar tasks to save time.
Multitasking is a myth.
Batching is a miracle.
Group similar tasks together to save mental energy.

(14:48):
It really works, guys.
Stay focused and get more done in less
time.
Number 19, protect your solitude.
Solitude is where clarity grows.
Defend your alone time fiercely.
It's not an escape, guys.
It's your runaway for growth is what's happening,

(15:08):
and creative thinking, so be careful of it.
Number 20, turn off notifications to regain focus.
Whether it's on your phone, whether it's your
computer, be present in the moment.
Your attention is your greatest resource.
Reclaim it now by silencing distractions and eliminating

(15:30):
them.
Mastering your focus and pouring energy into what
matters most.
Number 21, show appreciation even when nobody sees
it.
True leaders lead with gratitude in secret.

(15:51):
Practice silent thanks for others and yourself.
It raises the invisible energy of every space
you enter.
Number 22, learn one new shortcut.
Level up by finding one new way to
save time.
A keyboard shortcut, an app trick, or a

(16:11):
workflow hack.
Small efficiencies add up very quickly, and you'll
very soon see the payoff from it.
Number 23, network with someone outside your field.
Growth happens at the edges.
Connect with voices from different industries.
You'll unlock fresh ideas, creative solutions, and new

(16:34):
partnerships you didn't even know were possible.
Number 24, guys, revisit your top three priorities
each month.
Priorities drift without checking in.
Make it a monthly ritual to realign your
actions with your truest goals.
Number 25, invest in your sleep routine.

(16:58):
Sleep is not a luxury.
It's a necessity for peak leadership, that is,
and performance, and for success.
Craft evening habits that set you up for
true rest and next level results.
Number 26, set boundaries for your digital life.
Technology is a tool, not a master.

(17:22):
Protect your peace with clear limits.
No screens at dinner time.
Focused work blocks and designated time unplug the
devices and focus on each other.
Number 27, ask for feedback, not validation.

(17:43):
That's a key.
See, a lot of people think when they
ask for feedback, like, they get confused with
validation, and when they don't get validation, they
don't think they're getting feedback, but they're messing
the two up.
So, feedback is constructive insights that can help
you become better.
Validation is something that strokes your ego.

(18:04):
You don't need validation.
Validation flatters, but feedback truly transforms your life.
Seek ideas for improvement often.
They're gold for your future success, so start
embracing them.
Number 28, track your progress visually.
Don't just hope you're improving.

(18:25):
See it.
Use streaks, journals, or charts to witness your
growth in real time.
Progress you can see is progress you can
repeat, and the only way you get progress
is by changing things, and you can't change
something unless you're able to measure it.

(18:45):
Number 29, thank yourself for how far you've
come.
Pause right now to celebrate the you.
Every lesson learned, every brave step, every quiet
win.
Own it.
You're your greatest investment.
Start acting like it.
Number 30, be the leader you'd look up

(19:08):
to.
Live your standards.
Model the mindset, integrity, and drive you wish.
You saw it in others, now make it
a reality.
Not only will you rise to the occasion,
you'll help lift the world with you, and
I think sometimes we get very, how can

(19:31):
I say, we get very, I'm gonna say
that we get very confused because we're not
getting that validation, and that validation, guys, I
think is a very, I think that's a
very important thing to realize, that if we

(19:52):
don't have that, then how are we ever
gonna go anywhere, right?
I mean, I think that's a very, very
important thing.
How is it that we're ever gonna go
anywhere?
And we're never gonna go anywhere.
If we don't embrace the trueness of ourselves,
we are never going to go anywhere.

(20:14):
We're gonna keep going in circles and circles
and circles, but how is it that you
take leadership, and how do you give constructive
feedback?
Well, again, it's not validation.
It's not feedback to make you feel good.
It's feedback to help you continue what you're

(20:36):
doing, or feedback to change.
Now, remember something, folks.
Regardless of whether it's personal or it's business,
when you give feedback, it is not personal.
That's very important.
It's not personal.
You want somebody to change because the attitude
or the task needs to be changed.
The behavior needs to be changed.
You're not trying to change the person.

(20:58):
You're only trying to change the behavior, and
I think if we approach it like that,
we take out the stigma of, you know,
you're nitpicking at me.
I think you're doing a great job, and
I have some ideas about how we could
do it better.
Are you open, if I was to share
some of those?

(21:19):
You do always tell somebody what they're doing
well, and then say, gee, in this area,
maybe when this is getting done, it might
be a good idea to do this too,
or do this instead, and I think most
people, most people want to get better at
something.
Now, when you do something wrong, whether it's

(21:42):
personal or it's in a business setting, nobody
wants to be called on the carpet in
front of other people.
Nobody wants to be embarrassed, right?
Nobody wants to be belittled, but yet executive
people do this.
Why?
Because they're power hungry, and when the power
goes to your head, you don't become a

(22:05):
leader.
You know what you become?
A dictator.
I don't know about you, but nobody wants
to be with a dictator.
They want somebody who can support them.
They want somebody who can do the right
things.
I'm going to give you an example.
There was a gentleman who I was introduced

(22:28):
to several months ago.
I'm not going to give you the name,
and it wasn't a client, but it was
just somebody that they wanted.
Somebody wanted me to talk to them, and
I got one perception of the person, okay?
They want to help, all these great things.
It was a charity thing I was working
on, and then when I met the person
or I talked to the day, I got
a completely different view of the fact that

(22:50):
they saw me as being annoying, and so
I asked that question, you know, why, and
it was like one of these Facebook groups,
and I had said, can you post it?
He said, well, can you not post so
much, and it's interesting because people will say
one thing, but then they really don't mean

(23:12):
that, so when you find somebody that is
not on board with you, be observant of
that, so I was actually at this place
where this person works, and I was going
to see the owner, and I had told
this person I'm coming to visit, and he
was not very supportive.
In fact, when I was at this establishment,

(23:36):
he saw me walk in.
He did not even say hello to me.
Hello, like what kind of act is it,
so I don't judge, but what I do
do is if I see that, I just
remove myself from that part of the equation.

(23:56):
I don't deal with that person.
Sometimes people are not great communicators.
Surprise, and when they don't know how to
communicate, they blame it on you because they
can't understand it.

(24:17):
When you try to give them some advice,
they shut you out, right?
There was a gentleman about a week ago
that they had asked for my card, so
I was going to give my card to
them, and he says to me, he says,
oh, I already have your card.
Well, I know I didn't give him my

(24:38):
card, and so my thing was to be
like, hey, if you don't want my card,
just say so.
Please don't appease me to make me feel
better to say you have my card.
I really don't care.
If you don't want to talk with me,
that's fine, but don't appease me.
I think that's the biggest problem in our
world is that we're so worried about people,

(25:03):
and we're stepping on eggshells if we say
the wrong thing, okay?
I told this person the other night and
last week, this other person, that I come
out, and I say what I mean, and
I do what I say I'm going to
do.
I don't play games.
I cut straight to the point, and people

(25:25):
that, let's say, dance around the bush like
they don't really get anything done, those are
the people that when I meet them head
on, they're very flaky, and what I mean
by flaky is you can tell by their
personality that they're not a go-getter.

(25:46):
You can tell if you ask them to
do something, they're like, yeah, I can do
that, right, or I'll do that, but you
can tell in the tone of their voice
that they're really not going to do that.
They're just trying to avoid confrontation, so I
think that's something important to realize.
A leader has power, but when the power

(26:08):
becomes abused, he or she becomes a dictator.
Once you're a dictator, you start to lose
respect for the people that you are leading.
When you lead, and you suggest, and people
believe in you as a leader, they lead,

(26:28):
they follow you because they believe in what
you're doing.
When you dictate, people follow you because they
fear you, but they wouldn't want to help
you or give you feedback because they'd be
afraid you'd take their head off.
Does that make sense?
I'm being figuratively speaking here.

(26:49):
Leadership is a very touchy area for some
people because you'll say one thing, and whenever
I get somebody in person and I talk
with them, I know immediately whether I'm on
page with them, immediately.
On social media, it's very hard.

(27:10):
People don't answer texts or back and forth.
They're very soft-spoken.
They just kind of placate things, so when
somebody says they're going to help you, I
give them the chance to do that, but
when somebody doesn't show up or they fail

(27:30):
to do what they promised, I'm not nasty.
I just don't expect from them anymore.
I just don't ask them anymore, and I
think that's hard for a lot of people
because maybe they want to be a leader,
but they can't because they just don't have

(27:51):
the skills.
They never learn them.
They don't have that kind of personality.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am John C.
Morley, serial entrepreneur.
It's always a privilege and pleasure to be
with you guys on these amazing shows here.
Do check out BelieveMeAchieve.com, and I'll catch
you guys real soon.
Have a great one, everyone.