From time to time, I like to share a few of the tips from the calendar and how you can apply said tips to your family life, professional life, or a combination of both. While flipping through the calendar today, I found the following nugget of wisdom and wanted to share it with you.

When you encounter a detour, take it eagerly; surprises await.

Think about that for a minute.

When you encounter a detour sign, what is your initial reaction?

Often times, you likely sigh, moan, or grunt and immediately curse the decision to take this route; wondering how much this detour is going to delay your trip. But have you ever been on that detoured route and discovered a hidden gem – maybe a great restaurant, beautiful landscape, or an alternate route for when traffic is bad.

The detours don’t have to be on the road either.

We often have our careers, even our daily interactions with people, mapped out in our head. When things don’t go according to plan, do you get stressed out or do you go with the flow and see what happens?

Personally, I tend to be more the type to go with the flow and not let the detours from the plan disrupt me from having a great time. As a result, I have been fortunate to have met some truly amazing people and have had experiences that I will remember for a lifetime – all because I had to take a detour.

The next time your map, whether that be on the road, at work, or at home, gets thrown out the window due to a detour, keep an open mind and embrace the opportunity to discover something new.

You never know, the surprises that you encounter may just be exactly what you have been looking for but didn’t know where to find it.

Money.

Okay…money isn’t really a dirty word but think about what that words means in your life. For many people it means stress; stress about their job; stress about their marriage; stress about their children. The current state of the economy only serves to exacerbate these stress points for many people.

With money, or the lack thereof, playing such an important role in our lives as husbands, fathers, and men of the community, I thought it would be a great time to focus this edition of Life’s Little Instructions, as found in the calendar from H. Jackson Brown, Jr. on financial tips that can help you reduce your fears associated with money.

Borrowing money to make money usually ends in disaster.

Maybe it was my proximity to the situation but this tip immediately reminds me of the Dot Com Bubble; a time when people were taking out cash advances, loans, and second mortgages to invest in the latest “can’t miss” stock tip they heard from a friend of a friend.

Only in rare cases, such as the business that beats the odds and succeeds, does borrowing money for the purpose of making money have a happy ending. While there is a lot of truth to the saying that it takes money to make money, that doesn’t mean that you need to borrow it.

Never buy anything frivolous on credit.

Ask anyone that has struggled with credit card debt about the purchases that they are still paying for years later. I’d be surprised if more than a handful can give you details about any of the items that they are still working diligently to pay off.

While I am certainly an advocate of using credit wisely, you need to be honest with yourself regarding your money habits and avoid frivolous purchases on credit. Some people have a serious issue with avoiding the frivolous purchases, which is fine as long as they are not made on credit. Save enough cash to purchase all of the frivolous items your heart desires, although by the time you have saved enough you will most likely realize that the item you wanted doesn’t seem nearly as important anymore.

When paying cash, do some bargaining. First ask, “Is that your very best price?” Then add, “What if I pay cash?”

This is something that I’ve been doing for quite some time, much to the embarrassment of my wife (although she has learned to accept it now that she has seen it work). People often assume that the listed price is the best price; however often times you can sweeten the deal just by asking.

While it won’t always be possible to receive a lower price on goods or services, you may find businesses willing to throw in a few extras at no cost. Don’t think this is just for big ticket items either, as you can learn to negotiate on common expenses and start saving money today.

Be the generous friend everyone longs to have.

The more the give, the more you get. Surely you have said or heard that phrase before. The funny thing is that this is one of those sayings that really rings true more times than not.

When you give to those that are close to you, often times you will find that it comes back to you many times over. The tendency of many people is to guard their commodity, whether it be time, money, or something else, very closely. Too closely. Unfortunately, people like this aren’t very fun to be around. If you find yourself being a little tight with whatever commodity you have at your disposal, evaluate your situation and see if you cannot be a little more generous.

This edition of Life’s Little Instructions, as found in the calendar from H. Jackson Brown, Jr. will focus on reaching your goals and getting ahead.

For more on reaching your goals, be sure to check out the recent guest post from Damien Riley discussing how Charles Schultz provided a real-life model on achieving your goals.

Get to the point. Don’t let a great idea get lost in a thicket of words.

It is very easy to lose sight of your ultimate goal if you allow yourself to get consumed by all of the potential distractions. You need to ensure that you are always making progress towards your goal and not simply spinning your wheels with the impression that you are making progress because you are busy.

With all of the recent political debates, have you ever noticed how long someone can talk without ever really making a point? Don’t let that mentality be the driving force behind your goals – get to the point and achieve your goals.

Your dreams are like campfires; unless attended to regularly, they go out.

One thing that really holds true with your goals (and dreams) is that the simple act of recording them on paper, or maybe the Interweb if you prefer, increases your odds of achieving success. To take that a step further, set aside time on a regular basis to review your goals in order to monitor your progress.

Without a routine review of your goals, how will you know if you are still on the right track? You may even find that what you once thought were your goals no longer seem quite as important to you. By taking the time to attend to your goals, you will ensure that you are maximizing your effort and getting closer to achieving your goals.

All major advances are the result of someone taking a risk.

Take a moment to think back to a few key advances or achievements in your life and consider the amount of risk that was involved prior to the end result. Chances are that there was some degree of risk involved.

When my wife and I were first married and had a newborn baby, I took a risk by leaving my secure job to work for a Dot Com startup. While that company eventually fizzled out, my career took a major advance due to the contacts that I had made at that job. For another example of someone taking a risk, look no further than our own Wendy Piersall and the risk that she took to expand eMoms At Home from a single blog into The Internet Home Business Magazine for Moms & Dads.

There are very few milestones, or turning points, in our lives that do not involve some level of risk.

Knowledge is powerless unless it prepares you to do the right thing at the right time.

You can be the smartest person in the world but if you do not know how to apply that knowledge, you may find it very difficult to achieve your goals.

It may sound a little daunting to try and always do the right thing at the right time. However, keep in mind that there will be times that doing the wrong thing truly was the right thing to do as our mistakes are often one of our best teachers.

Be the one who works hard even when the boss is gone. Someone is always watching.

Hard work. Determination. Dedication. Those are all characteristics that you need to reach your goals. If you tend to take it easy at work when the boss is not around, you need to think about how that may be impacting your ability to reach your goals.

In the end you are only cheating yourself by taking shortcuts when you think that nobody will notice. Commit to yourself and your goals and you will find that success is well within your reach.

This week the focus will be on the intangibles that help guide us towards success in all our endeavors.

Life’s a stove; cook on all four burners.

This is a tip that I may look at a little bit different than some, as I like to consider the size and power of the burners as well the need to use all four burners. In the recipe of life, we have the ability to juggle many things and for some the four burners may represent your physical health, mental health, spirituality, and relationships with others.

At times one aspect of your life may require more attention, which is when you move that “pot” to the largest burner with max power. As that “pot” begins to cook, you can move that to a different burner and focus on another area that needs attention. If you only pay attention to one burner, you will find that the other components of your life suffer.

Measure your wealth by the things that no one could buy at any price.

There are countless things that can provide you with great wealth yet you will never be able to purchase – family, confidence, integrity, and honesty are just a few.

It is very easy to get caught up in the belief that your wealth is measured by material possessions or the size of your bank account. However, true wealth is often found in the hidden treasures that many of us take for granted on a regular basis. Embrace these treasures and enjoy the wealth in your life.

Hope and ideas are two things that always matter.

Examine any successful entrepreneur and you are likely to find a strong sense of hope and an abundant source of ideas as key components of their success.

Challenge yourself to constantly let your mind explore new ideas and possibilities, as you never know when you will discover the next great idea. As you come up with ideas, maintain the belief that you will achieve a positive result and do not let anything stand in your way.

Good character is not hereditary or permanent. It needs to be created every day.

Think of someone that you consider to be a role model. Chances are that person is one with good character – but that doesn’t mean it is effortless. While it may not always be apparent to the outside observer, being a person with good character does require hard work and the conscious decision to make the right choices.

Remember, hard work causes most everything to grow.

There will certainly be times in your life where the seeds that you plant will not grow no matter how hard you work. However, more times than not your hard work will be rewarded with personal and professional growth.

Success does not come easy. It requires commitment, determination, and hard work – don’t let the fear of failure prevent you from working hard to reach your goals and plant the seeds of success.

We all enjoy spending time with friends and family – most of the time anyways – and the following tips will help you create a stronger bond between you and your loved ones.

When you believe in someone, tell them.

This tip is of particular importance for all of the parents, as telling your child that you believe in them can be one of the most rewarding things that you can provide to your child. So many of the things that our children do are intended to gain our approval – or test the existence of that approval – and hear the words of encouragement from one of their role models.

Take every opportunity to express to your children that you believe in them. It will go a long way towards creating a confidence in them that nobody will be able to take away.

Today, compliment someone you’re not particularly fond of.

There is a good chance that you interact with someone on a regular basis that you don’t mesh with all that well. Sometimes that tension between two people is simply the perception that neither party is particularly fond of the other. By stepping out and extending a compliment to such a person, you may open the line of communication and discover a new relationship worth building. Of course, it is possible that the compliment will not change anything between you but that doesn’t mean you should not try.

When you particularly enjoy a book, buy an extra copy to send to a friend.

More and more it seems like reading is a lost art. People have less free time to sit down and enjoy a book, or maybe they just have yet to find a book worth reading. When you share an enjoyable book with a friend, not only will you be encouraging people to read more but you will be sharing a little insight into your personality and interests.

Some of the best books that I have read have come as a recommendation from a friend or family member, where I likely would not have read the book otherwise.

Remember that who you’re with is always more important than where you are.

Being a motorcycle rider, this reminds me of the quote that it is not the destination but the journey that is important – as it is the time spent with people that are close to you that helps create the unforgettable memories. A good situation to remember this tip is on your next vacation, rather than be disappointed if everything is not perfect you should take the time to embrace the opportunity to be with the people you care about.

No matter where you are or what is happening, being with people that you love is priceless.

Now that I have made it through a week of the little messages, I have to say that I am very happy with my calendar selection.

This calendar has some great little tips and instructions that are certainly applicable to dads and the best part is that I have already seen a few that can apply at home and/or work. Since I am enjoying this calendar so much, I thought it would be fun to highlight a few of the tips and share my thoughts as well.

Do all that you possibly can for yourself before asking for help.

This tip is one that I think is great for the office as there is nothing more frustrating than working with someone that does not attempt to find the answer on their own and immediately relies on others to help them. There is a fine line however because it is possible to be too stubborn about asking for help and spend too much time spinning your wheels. A good sign that you might be asking for help too soon is if you find yourself asking the same questions more than once or twice.

Take seriously any kid who says, “I need to use the bathroom.”

As any dad who has heard this question in the middle of the interstate, 35 miles from the next rest stop can tell you – it is no joke! When you hear these words uttered you might be lucky and have 2-5 minutes before it will be too late, but I would not recommend pushing the envelope unless you have a change of clothes on hand. As your kids get older you might be able to get an extra minute or two but do not delay.

Watch your attitude; others are.

Whether you are at home or at the office, I believe this is something that you always need to remember. Even though you may not be aware that others are watching your attitude and how you respond to various situations, they are watching.

One area that this has really hit home for me is when I am driving with my wife and kids. I’ve been known to let a few $@#! words fly while driving which the kids never seem to miss and make it a point to tell everyone what they heard dad say in the car. I have also noticed that when I am agitated while driving that it is more likely to see the kids fighting in the back seat, likely picking up on my attitude.

Never tell a woman you liked her hair better “the way it was.”

I really don’t think there is anything more that I can say about this one!