The Realgoalgetter Blog

Mission Statement Revisited - Do You Have One For Your Life?

2008-08-10T18:58:00.002-07:00

How to Write a Mission Statement - Transform Your Core Values Into a Personal Mission Statement By Beth C. Hood and James J. Hood

You may expect your business to have a mission statement, but do you have a mission for your life? Is there something you want to accomplish, or something you care about deeply? Have you ever put it into words, into a personal mission statement?

Being able to state your own personal mission will help you clarify what your values are and what your real purpose is. Most people who have achieved greatness have been guided by a personal mission, even if they never wrote it down.

Your mission is like a T-shirt that you wear around. It tells everyone what you are about. Most important, it is a reminder of why you are here on Planet Earth.

You can keep your mission inside, but writing it out gives you better clarity and focus. A mission statement should be simple, distilled down to one sentence or, better yet, just a few words.

Your mission statement doesn't have to say anything about how you will accomplish this mission; you'll do that later, in your vision statement. Your mission may change depending on whom you are with and what you are doing, or just naturally over time as your interests evolve.

You'll likely have a different mission for each of the areas of your life that are most important to you. So that's where we'll begin, by looking at your personal core values:

1. Prioritize your personal core values Are your friends more important to you than family? Does fame seem more interesting than education? How does having fun compare with working hard? How about inspiration versus financial security? Your personal values are the things in life that mean the most to you.

Some people value inner peace, love, or family above all else, while others would put money, career, or education at the top of their list. There is no "right" list; they're like fingerprints; everyone's will be different. It's really helpful to discover what your core values are, since they will act as a compass, guiding you to what you really want in life.

You can better focus your time and energy toward achieving your goals when you begin to base your decisions and actions on your values.

Here is a shortened list of some top core values to get you started. Put the values in order, starting with the most important. Love, Health, Wealth, Comfort, Fun, Happiness, Success, Learning, Peace, Family, Adventure, Security, Friendship, Inspiration, Freedom, Service.

You can make notes next to any that may need a little more clarification. And you may want to check out more comprehensive values lists on the internet. One of our favorites is compiled by Steve Pavlina.

As an example, here is James' list of values: 1. Inspiration 2. Consciousness 3. Passion for what I do 4. Optimism 5. Love (of life and for others) 6. Marriage 7. Health 8. Family 9. Friendship 10. Empowerment (of others) 11. Sincerity 12. Generosity 13. Financial Security 14. Balance

2. Give each of your personal core values a mission Next to each life value, write out a quick mission statement. We like to begin mission statements with the phrase "to be".

Here are a few of James' mini mission statements: Inspiration -- To be inspired by life and to inspire others. Optimism -- To keep a positive outlook on life. Marriage -- To have a happy, committed, loving marriage

3. Write your primary personal mission statement Now it's time to come up with your primary mission. This is the one main mission that keeps you really jazzed about life. Here are a few different ways you can write your primary mission:

a. Pick the most important mission from those you already created.
b. Combine a few of your individual missions into one cohesive mission.
c. Come up with something completely different from your other missions that better describes your primary purpose.

As an example, here is James' primary mission: To inspire people to create the lives of their dreams.

How did he come up with it? After seeing how many areas of his life his value of inspiration affected, James decided to use that as his primary mission and build on it. He took a look at his other values and saw that empowering others and having a positive outlook on life were in the top ten as well.

Ultimately he chose a primary mission based on his passion-- a feeling that resonated in his heart-- which is what we want to encourage you to do too. We have found many approaches on how to write a mission statement, but through our experience, this method of turning your life values into your personal mission statement has proven to be the most effective and easy way.

You are never too old or too young to have a personal mission statement, and we'd like to encourage everyone to write one. It is ensured to give you clarity on your sense of purpose, and greater success in achieving your future goals and dreams.

Want to find out how to put your mission statement into action by turning it into a personal vision statement? Download a free e-chapter with fill-able pdf forms which walks you through the process step by step.

Beth C. and James J. Hood are the authors of Where's the Map? Create Your OWN Guide to Life after Graduation, the first of a series of interactive guidebooks designed to help you and your kids find, focus on, and achieve your goals. Subscribe to our blog for helpful advice for students, graduates, and parents about life after graduation.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Beth_C._Hood

Are You Making These Three Mistakes?

2008-08-08T21:22:00.003-07:00

3 Mistakes That People Make in Life and How to Avoid Them

Introduction

If you are reading this article then the chances are that there are things in your life that are not as you would like them to be; the circumstances of your life aren't all that you would have hoped for; or you find that you are unhappy with the way things are.

The good news is you're not alone and you are about to learn about 3 mistakes that people frequently make and how to avoid them. These things prevent you from having the life of your dreams.

Remember: Change does not happen over night! The principles and tips you will learn need to be practiced and applied in your life by You. No-one else can do any of these things for you!

1. Not Setting Goals and Not Dreaming

Top of the list of mistakes is the lack of Goals and Dreams. For many people, simply setting goals and defining their dreams for themselves is 90% of the problem. "Yes, yes, I've heard all this before..." Mmm... so how come you are reading this article?

Most people have heard somewhere that they are "supposed" to set Goals and have Dreams, but 95% of us don't bother. Is it any wonder then that only 5% of people ever achieve their goals? Well if they are the only people setting them, then isn't it pretty obvious???

So, is it as simple as setting goals? Well, yes and no. Only a fool would think that they simply had to write down a long list of things that they want and they would magically appear! Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that goals need lots of hard work attached to them, we'll get to that in a little while!

There are good goals and ones that aren't any good. The following principles will help you to define a goal that you are likely to get attached to and, as such, are likely to achieve.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

* S - Simple Is it simple to convey your goal in a few words?
* M - Measurable How will you measure your progress?
* A - Achievable Can you achieve the goal?
* R - Realistic Are you being realistic about time and details?
* T - Timely Have you put a date on it?

There are other important aspects too:

* Positive goal - never use words like "not" and "don't" etc. e.g. I am not poor, instead, say "I am wealthy".
* Present tense - write the goal as if you have achieved it now, or say something like: "It is the 25th of January 2011 and I have..."
* Focus - don't dwell on the goal all the time, but leave reminders such as photos, or 'post-it notes' around that you will see every now and again to keep your focus steady but relaxed.

So, to sum up, in order to achieve something, you have to set goals...

Otherwise, what on earth are you aiming for???

2. Making a Living, Not Making a Life

The belief that you have to work hard to get anywhere in life is an extremely common one. The bottom line is that if something feels like hard work, how likely are you to be happy about it? If you are working hard at something that you really loathe to do, find boring, or doesn't satisfy you, then no amount of amazing outcome will ever make the journey worthwhile.

In order to move forward in life, you need to redefine your ideas about working hard. Think of something you really love to do, maybe golf, shopping or spending time with the kids (if you don't love doing any of those, then pick something else). Now, answer this question: "How much hard work is it to do this thing?"

It's not at all hard is it? Yet, you are spending time and energy (probably as much as you can spare) on these activities. The same applies to work, business or whatever you do to eat, clothe and shelter yourself.

If you really love doing what you are doing, then it's not hard work at all. There may be small parts of it that you don't enjoy so much, but generally you'll just skip through these and get on to the good stuff.

In my work (which I adore), I meet so many people who are slogging their guts out at work, striving to achieve more and earn more money. Really, they are slowly wasting away their time on things they really don't enjoy doing, in order to have enough money to buy something that might make them feel happy for a while.

Why not do what you enjoy, anyway?

Is this not your challenge, to find the thing you love to do and then do as much of it as you can? Ok, so it might not be easy to find, but I assure you that if you look and you are open to it, you will find it.

Think about the people who seem to skip happily through life, they appear to get all the breaks and the good stuff...

They are simply happy with what they are doing!

3. Wondering, "Why Does it Always Happen to Me?"

This is what I call 'self-entrapment'. Thinking thoughts like this keeps you trapped in a loop that you cannot easily escape from. Imagine a world where everything that is going to happen is governed by what has happened before!

In fact the only certainty we know is death - and with advances in medical science, it wouldn't surprise me if we find a way to eradicate that little problem one day!

So why do so many of us live our lives based on this unwavering belief that things always happen this way, or bad things always happen to us?

Well, your brain believes that you need to make sense of your world and so it remembers everything that ever happens to you. Then, when it perceives that you need more information, it will present you with all the evidence to suggest what might be about to happen. The problem is that it is often passed through a filter - normally a negative one.

Now this filter is trying to do something positive for you, it is trying to keep you safe, or sane. However all that it achieves is to create fear, discomfort and indecision in you. This keeps you stuck in the past - usually with the belief that if it's happened before, then it'll happen again.

In order to create lasting change in your life, you are going to need to do something different to the way you have done it previously. In order to do this, you have to believe that things can be different.

"Why does it always happen to me?" is going to need to be replaced by something like, "I have the opportunity to be different and to attract new, more positive circumstances into my life."

So, you can believe that: because the last 3 major life decisions you have made haven't worked out, that there is no point making a new one now. Alternatively, you can think:

"I have learned so much from my past choices and I can build on this learning with my next choice."

One final thought, from one of the great business philosophers: "For things to change you have to change." (Jim Rohn)

by Dan O'Neil

Dan O'Neil is a Life Coach working in the UK. He specialises in helping people create a work-life balance, improve their confidence and self-esteem, and achieve their goals in life. Dan also writes a popular personal development blog

More information on Dan's Life Coaching services. This article forms part of a free ebook download available on Dan's website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_O'Neil

Work On My Passion Or Take A Day Off?

2008-07-26T17:31:00.002-07:00

Usually I am working pest control six days a week in the summer because this is peak season for me. All the little critters seem to come out of the wood work and people need to call in a professional.

I said that this is usually the case, but I didn't book any service for today, even though there was plenty of contract business to schedule in.

But it wasn't like I had a day off instead . . . my passion is to build a large internet based information distribution business. Since I am just growing some of my sites there is always something to be done. In fact, I stayed up half the night last night working out a traffic strategy for my business.

Today I was so engrossed in my sites that the day just flew by, and I haven't even thought of what paperwork I needed to do today for my other company MPC. I will schedule what needs to be done tomorrow before the end of today.

Pretty much anyone who knows me, knows that I work a lot. But I have things to do, people to see, you know the drill. My goals drive me and my wife is tremendously supportive of what I am doing for the family. I am so lucky to have her in my life. This year is our 28th year together this October.

I am getting done what I planned to get done this day and that makes me feel great! I would hope that everyone had as much satisfaction out of their days as I do.

So, no day off from my goals . . . and I wouldn't have it any other way. By the way, I do schedule "personal time" with my family, just not today.

See you next time.

Al

Are Negative Emotions Really Negative?

2008-07-26T13:01:00.004-07:00

Or Are They Just Hiding Positive Intent . . .

I was starting out kinda slow and needed a quick pick me up from one of my favorite books. In my reading this morning, I chose Giant Steps by Tony Robbins. Short passages that impact you immediately. (Available from Amazon.com)

I usually just open it up anywhere and start reading whatever is on the page in front of me, and today, low and behold out came the negative feelings and emotions page.

I was in the midst of wondering if I was really getting to where I wanted to go in life. (Yes, I have these thoughts too, I just don't dwell on them. I've learned to turn them around quickly.)

I sure needed the passage this morning though as I spent half the night working on my sites and am going short on sleep and energy, a sure time when negative can seep in.

Anyway . . . What I read that made the difference for me today was this:

"Understand that all emotions serve you. Those you once thought of as negative emotions are merely calls to action."

"ie. If you are feeling frustrated, it really means that you believe things could be better and they're not. This is a call to action telling you that you must do something to make it better right now."

The negative emotion is really a gift if you use it effectively. (That is if you don't choose to wallow in it instead.)

"So, from now on when you think of what you used to call a negative emotion, think of it as a call to action, an 'action signal'." According to Tony Robbins, there is always something you can do to master your present state.

It is quite amazing how your energy can be turned right around by just a short but impactful bit of positive information. What does it for you? How do you turn yourself around when you need it?

Staying Motivated, Do You Employ Game Time Strategy?

2008-07-15T21:20:00.001-07:00

Here's How Tiger, Oprah, And Spielberg Stay Motivated
by Mike Litman

I want to share with you a powerful principle that I've used to change my life and that you can use to unleash your greatness.

Tiger Woods knows this.

Bruce Springsteen knows this.

Oprah Winfrey knows this.

Name someone great and you can bet dollars to donuts they know this as well.

Before I share this insight with you, I want you to know you don't always have to be on your 'game' and great.

"Mike, did you just say I don't always need to be 'great'?" Yes I did and let me explain.

I want to share with you the principle of what I call GAME TIME.

Let's look at the world class golfer Tiger Woods.

If you ever watched Tiger Woods play golf in a tournament, you saw an intense, fierce, focused athlete who is concentrating very intently on winning.

For those 3 or 4 hours of the tournament that day, Tiger Woods is 'someone else' and here's what I mean.

If you saw Tiger Woods 5 hours after the match with this wife at the movies, do you think he'd be so intense, so focused, so determined?

The answer is no way, he'd be relaxed, laughing, having fun.

Why this change in Tiger Woods from focused to laughing?

Because he understands the POWER OF GAME TIME. He understands that he only has to be GREAT and 'on' during the moments the game is on. Here's an example.

Let's say you're in sales and you prospect 4 hours a day or even 30 minutes a day. That's your ‘game time.’

You need to be focused, organized, have a plan and prepare. Have you ever seen a rock star on stage and they’re so energetic, running around and the crowd is going wild?

Check them out 4 hours after the concert - are they acting like that? No chance, they're acting their normal self.

Here's what you need to do.

You need to ISOLATE the times during the day that you need to be at your best. Maybe time with your clients, with prospects, working on a project at work.

For Tiger Woods, his game time is his gold match.

For Bruce Springsteen, it's when he's on stage at a concert.

For a great chef, it's when he's preparing a meal.

Isolate that time and then ask yourself this question:

If I was going to be powerful, focused and ready to win during game time, what actions would I take today, how focused would I be, and what would my next 2 action steps be?

It's funny, you don't need to be 'on' 24 hrs a day; find the 20% of your day that's GAME TIME.

When Steven Spielberg is directing a film, he changes into this focused, intense director. When is your GAME TIME today? Isolate it. Turn up your ENERGY and enthusiasm. And then give it your all.

Discovering your game time moments and maximizing them will bring you immense and quick rewards.

You can be as great as Tiger, Oprah, Spielberg, Michael Dell and the rest.

Talk to you soon.

Mike Litman is the co-author of the #1 Best-selling book Conversations with Millionaires. Over the last 3 years, Mike has unleashed the greatness of tens of thousands of people worldwide. Networking Times Magazine called Mike Litman ‘a modern day Napoleon Hill’ and at the age of 30 he’s already shared the stage with well-known speakers such as Mark Victor Hansen and Bob Proctor.
www.mikelitman.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Self Esteem And Confidence, Do You Have Full Portions?

2008-06-21T02:33:00.004-07:00

See that ceiling? It’s all glass. “Don’t think you are, KNOW you are”. That’s what Morpheus said to Neo in the famous movie Matrix.

Indeed, how many times have we backed out from pursuing our goals just because we thought we are not capable enough to do it? Be it the professional arena, or personal lives- the number of lost chances are just numerous for almost all of us.

However, if we just relax back and ponder over those lost chances we will realize that the fine line that differentiated between a blockbuster success and an utter failure is not resources, but is it sheer willpower, or lack of that.

Ask any anthropologist, and she will say that there are a whole lot of factors that differentiates human beings from about 100 million other species that populate our Mother Earth. However, the only one single factor that makes us truly different from other species is our ability to dream.

Dream Big, so said the achievers. In short, the world is becoming flat, and we are limited only by the greatness of our dreams. Now, how do we get that power that lets us dream big? It is not a secret formula. It is not rocket science either.

Try the following 3 rules of thumb and perhaps you will start enjoying the habit of dreaming and pursuing your dreams to fruition.

· Have a positive attitude: It’s easier said that done, but having a positive attitude to life is perhaps the most important key that can lead you to success. You know you are good, and you know you can do it. So what exactly is stopping you from taking that plunge?

Love the person in the mirror; admire that person. Someone may call you a narcissist, but you will love the feeling of loving yourself. Start believing in yourself and take the 1st baby steps. Rest assured, with your abilities and diligence, your dreams will see fruition.

· Stay happy: Have you ever wondered how infectious is a bright and warm smile? Physicists are wrong when they say that it is only heat that radiates. Its human warmth that radiates too. Smile, be happy and enjoy the small pleasures of life.

You will see how this positively energizes the small world around you. And once you have your own world full of positive energy, taking on the harsh world will become an oh-so-easy activity.

· Take the 1st step, and take it firmly. It required more than a hundred years for an army of workers to complete The Great Wall of China that spanned over four thousand miles. But there was a shovel work that marked the starting of the grand dream.

Do not get bogged down by the apparent enormity of any dream. Take the first step, and take it firmly. The foot-space for other steps will automatically follow. Project Apollo took mankind to the moon, but it all started from the first stroke of the pencil in a blank drawing board.

As Brian Tracy says, Don't get bogged down in whether you can do a thing, ask how it can be done! Over and over if you have to but keep asking until you get the right answer.

So go for it, you can do it!

Al

Have The Courage To Say Yes!

2008-06-12T19:16:00.000-07:00

In a culture full of reasons to say "no", it takes a lot of courage to find ways to say "yes".

We're taught to say "no" from a very young age, after all. For most of us, our first word was "no'', and it quickly became our favorite word. As toddlers and teenagers, we used "no'' to differentiate ourselves from our parents, peers, and surroundings.

It's how we began to control what was happening around us, or at least, how we tried to control that. It helped us over those early developmental hurdles, and gave us our earliest sense of our personal boundaries -- and that's a lot of significance bound up in such a tiny word!

The problem isn't that "no" in and of itself is somehow bad; indeed, giving yourself permission to say "no" as an adult can keep you out of an awful lot of trouble.

The problem is that "No" begins to take on a life of its own. Too often, that life is yours.

Life is change, and "no" becomes a way of slowing down that change, or trying to stop it altogether. It is a shield we use to protect ourselves from having to experience anything new or different.

Rather than riding the wave of change into a life full of exhilarating possibilities, we use "no" as a tether to keep us safely confined to the kiddie pool.

Using "no" to protect ourselves from change is like a kitten poking its head under covers assuming it's completely hidden.

Change is going to happen, whether you say "no" to it or not. And, just like that kitten, assuming that "no" protects you from change is one sure way to have it pounce on you and bite your tail.

Let's be honest here: We usually say "no'' out of fear, and some fears are entirely reasonable. It's sensible to say "no'' to jumping off a bridge or "no'' to cake if you are diabetic. These "no's'' aren't the ones that keep us from living lives of incredible satisfaction and happiness.

It's those silly, neurotic fears like fearing rejection, or of looking stupid, or being wrong. It's the fear of commitment, the fear of speaking out, and the fear of facing our truest, deepest desires.

The list is nauseatingly long, and we've all bought into some of these at least once. These fears have shaped our lives, often to our detriment and sometimes to the detriment of those around us.

So the next time you're faced with something new and exciting and all those little neurotic fears start rioting inside you, what does it take to fight down a "no" and say "yes" instead?

In a word: Courage.

Like the Cowardly Lion (an archetype for the fear-ridden) we need to find our courage. Unlike him, we know that we have to face our fears, and find our courage within.

Inside each of us beats a brave, fiercely courageous heart, willing to take on a challenge if it means that life afterward will be more authentic, happier, and free.

What better challenges to tackle than the fears that keep us chained to our tiny, boring, closeted little lives?

Do yourself a favor: Right now, identify and tackle at least one of those inner fears. Find a reason to say "yes" today, and every day. You've only your inner coward to lose!

by Rev. Dr. Alesia Matson

Rev. Dr. Alesia Matson is co-founder of Reasons to Say Yes! a community of like-minded souls who are determined not to allow internal fears to limit or inhibit the broad range of joyous experiences available to them in this life. She teaches and writes articles on meditation and self-improvement, and is the author of 7 Mysteries: Contemplative Arts for the Modern Mystic. Contact her at alesia@reasons2sayyes.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Procrastination Buster - Set Your Goals Small And Daily

2008-06-08T15:49:00.002-07:00

Overcoming Procrastination - You Should Be Setting Daily Goals

If you feel like you're losing the battle against procrastination, one of the most effective strategies for taking charge of your life is to get in the habit of setting and accomplishing smaller daily goals.

The surest way to really know that you can do something is to have done it before. When you set daily goals for yourself, you develop the habit of getting things done.

So when the procrastination demon appears, you already know how to force yourself to push ahead because you've done it before, even as recent as yesterday.

Set a goal every day, and achieve it.

It's easy to get discouraged when your projects don't seem to be going anywhere. We all need a long-term vision to guide our day-to-day efforts, but many people with high goals develop a negative attitude when they think they're not making progress.

That's why it's important to set achievable goals every day that align within your bigger vision. Also the more goals you achieve, the more positive your attitude will be. Small goals or not, start to achieve them and see how good you feel.

Set weekly and monthly goals. Your short-term goals are milestones that keep you moving toward long-term goals. They help you know if you're going in the right direction.

When a long-term goal seems far away, it's easy to feel discouraged. Breaking down a large project into smaller segments makes it easier to stay focused. Congratulate yourself when you achieve daily and weekly goals, and give yourself a special reward when you achieve a monthly goal.

It's important to experience the satisfaction and rewards of successfully completing jobs. When you force yourself to keep moving until you finish a project, it's easier to get started on the next one.

Don't be surprised if you feel yourself grappling with the drift toward procrastination now and then - it may never go away completely. We all feel this way at times. All successful people learn how to identify the procrastination monster, and they know what to do about it when it threatens:

1. Successful people learn to use their time well. When an urgent task threatens to pull them away from what they're doing, they don't rush into it just because it seems urgent. They always ask: Which of these two things is higher on my list of priorities?

2. They turn off the phone from time to time. Can you get more done by leaving a voice message and turning the phone off during certain periods of the day? The telephone is one of the most insidious thieves of our time. It's urgent but rarely important. It shoves out the less urgent but more important things.

3. From time to time they keep a log of how they use their time. If they miss a deadline, they plan how to finish the remainder of their work and estimate as accurately as possible when it will be done.

4. They develop a habitual routine to get things done. They set an objective to accomplish every morning and every afternoon.

5. They leave time in their daily schedule for contingencies.

6. This last one is key. They always think twice before postponing a task. Successful people know that pushing themselves to accomplish daily goals makes them more likely to achieve their long-term goals. They love the feeling they get when they get things done effectively and on time.

Try following some these suggestions. You will soon find that you love getting things done too.

See you later.

Al

Positude Attitude Is Everything, You Better Believe It!

2008-06-07T09:31:00.004-07:00

I received this little story in my mail box this morning and I'll bet it has been around the internet for a few times.

I wanted to share it here for those who may not have seen it.

I wish I knew who originally wrote this. Whoever wrote this had it right on . . .

-----------------------------------

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any better, I would be twins!'

He was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, 'I don't get it!

You can't be a positive person all of the time How do you do it?'

He replied, 'Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood

I choose to be in a good mood.'

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.

Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

'Yeah, right, it's not that easy,' I protested.

'Yes, it is,' he said. 'Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood.'

'You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life.'

I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

I saw him about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, 'If I were any better, I'd be twins..Wanna see my scars?'

I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

'The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter,' he replied. 'Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live.'

'Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?' I asked

He continued, '..the paramedics were great.

They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action.'

'What did you do?' I asked.

'Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,' said John. 'She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled--Gravity!'

Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'

He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.' Matthew 6:34.

After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

You have two choices now:

01. Delete this

02. Forward it to the people you care about.

-----------------------------------

You know the choice I made.

Al Smith

Just How Are You Going To Reach Those Tough Goals?

2008-06-01T11:02:00.005-07:00

Two quotes I ran across this morning made me wonder if I was doing all I could to reach my goals and enhance my future . . . and I decided that I could do more.

Are you following all the success steps you can to get what you want? I mean really?

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"Do more than is required. What is the distance between someone who achieves their goals consistently and those who spend their lives and careers merely following? The extra mile. "
-- Gary Ryan Blair, Author and Motivational Speaker

"The size of the future you actually experience will largely be determined by one factor: the people you choose to connect with. When you invite people who are truly committed to growth into every aspect of your life, your own potential for growth becomes truly unlimited."
-- Dan Sullivan: Speaker and coach to entrepreneurs

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Are you doing more than your job, business or relationship requires? Are you going the extra mile?

Are you associating with the people who are following the same path as you and may be a few steps ahead of you?

If you answered these questions in the negative then . . . are you really commited to doing whatever it takes?

Just think about it . . .

Al

Getting Negative? Try This!

2008-05-24T11:54:00.005-07:00

I want to share this article by Anna Watkins with you today. Talk about turning the negative into the positive.

Substitute the solution "I Could If . . .", whenever you feel like "I Can't Because . . ." whenever you feel a negative self talk coming on.

Here is Anna:

I Could If . . .

Action expresses priorities. (Mohandas Gandhi)

Many of us could have graduate degrees in excuse making. We have developed it to such a fine art that we really should get an honorary doctorate.

Now you may be thinking that it would be terrific to have people calling you, "Doctor." However, all that excuse making skill will not cut it in the real world if we want to achieve our dreams and have an enjoyable life.

Let's try another approach.

Take your personal example and put it through this exercise.

Your current story begins, "I can't because blah blah blah."

Here are some examples:

I can't get a new job or promotion because my computer skills are not strong enough.

I need more clients but I don't have the time or money to work on my marketing.

I want to spend more time with my family (friends or hobby), but my work is too demanding.

Is that really true? Do you have so little control over your life that these things are beyond your reach? Ha! If you really really really want to make this happen, you can!

Your NEW story begins, "I could if."

Now start writing and list as many actions as you can think of - no matter how crazy some of them may appear. No judgment - just writing!

I could if I:

Spend 20 minutes a day using the Help function of the computer application I am using

Read the user manual

Take a class

Ask someone with more skills to help me

I could if I:

Attend one more network gathering each month

Follow up with current or former clients to see how they are doing and how I may be of assistance

Give prospective customers something of value - an article, free newsletter, etc.

Listen to my customers to learn how I can add more value for them

I could if I:

Schedule and keep an appointment for time with my spouse, my kids, my golf clubs, bird watching, painting

Look for events we can enjoy and mark them on the calendar or post them on a bulletin board

Buy tickets and commit to attending an activity together

Volunteer, making a commitment to support a cause that we can enjoy together

OK. Your turn!

What ever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now! (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

by Anna Watkins

Anna Watkins is a Career Coach with a special interest in group coaching and Master Mind Groups, networks of like minded people who support and help each other stay on track with their life goals.You can learn more about the resources she offers through her website: http://www.one-e-anna.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anna_Watkins

Is Winning Everything? Depends On Your Definition Of Winning!

2008-05-14T06:55:00.005-07:00

Picked up the following video from a tip from tkulser of Aweber on Twitter - Just had to pass this on, had me in tears.

WOW! How do I follow that? What an example of true winners . . .

Do You Always Feel Like Taking Action?

2008-05-11T00:01:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I run up against this challenge of not following through on my tasks because I have changed my mind set since I wrote up my goals. (poor decision making probably at fault here)

Goals are tremendously exciting and stimulating at the time of writing them up, but sometimes my feelings change somewhere in between setting them and actually taking action on them. Could this be a fairly common challenge in people who are living their dream?

What Do You Do When You Don't Feel Like Doing It? (following your plan, taking action, etc.) You know, at those times when your negative self talk is overwhelming the positive feelings you had previously.

When you now keep saying you really should, all the while dreading and knowing in your heart that it will probably never happen for you, even though it needs to happen in order for you to realize your goal.

That haunting feeling that creeps in knowing you will not want to complete your plan as scheduled because you probably won't want to actually do what is required. Because you had been here before, and you didn't follow through on it that time either. That reluctance you began to feel even as you wrote it on your to do list.

Common examples might be: consistently exercising for fitness, following eating plans for weight loss, or salespeople making prospecting calls, etc. (I remember the last one being particularly challenging in the past).

Have you ever felt those feelings? I sure have, and I’m guessing that just about anyone challenging themselves with tough goals has them from time to time too.

What do you do when you can't seem to bring yourself to that action threshold which separates doing it from not doing it? What holds you back? What spurs you on?

Is it real or imagined? Can you control it? Is it fear (insert your specific fear here), lack of knowledge, low motivation or I hate to say this but laziness? (I don’t think there are any lazy people, just those lacking motivation.)

How do you get yourself to follow through when you overcome this reluctance in other things? What is the difference for you when you do it and when you don’t?

I’m sure there have been times that you would rather have been anywhere else, but you took action anyway. You did overcome the reluctance and everything went according to plan because you made a decision that this was important to blast through and get it done. And so you did.

So, what did you do to change your mind from not wanting to do it, to actually getting it done? (I’m thinking that an English major could pick this apart because of all the bad grammar, but so what?)

Some strategies I use to shift my mental state or attitude for taking action are:

Affirming my Power. Affirmations.
Asking myself better or different Questions.
Changing my Physiology. (Posture)
Use Momentum. Just start.
Increasing it’s Importance (making it non negotiable)
Renew my Commitment. Make it public.
Making it Fun or Exciting.
Break it into smaller, more manageable tasks.
Changing or resetting my goal deadline.
Calling a Mentor.

Are you using any other strategies that are working well for you? I’d really like to hear how others are consistently solving this all too common challenge. Anyone up for a discussion on how they have gone about overcoming this particular problem? Or how others could model what you are doing?

Al Smith

Brainstorming, Cultivating Belief In Your Goals

2008-05-08T13:27:00.009-07:00

Following up on the last post, I have been asked how to create belief in your goal, if at first you are not sure you can do it. Yes, how do you create certainty for yourself? Or is it a leap of faith?

I think Belief is a critical requirement to getting what you want. I believe you must believe your goal is attainable or you will not make the efforts necessary to achieve it.

Here is how I generally start out.

Remember, I do believe that you have to have the Belief that you can do it and more importantly, that you will do it! Belief And Commitment combined . . . are unstoppable. This is why people with a cause are so persistent.

So first, give yourself a cause.

Choose one goal and commit to it's achievement. It seems that this is always the starting point isn't it? It must be something that you feel you can not live without, or you must develop that feeling for it to work. Remember, reasons first, then action.

Did you choose one?

Are you commited to making it a reality in your life? Did you decide that you must have it and absolutely will have it? Is it do or die? Are your reasons for having it, strong enough to propel you forward right now and compel you to action when you may not 'feel' like it?

If not, then choose another one, this is no time to waste your energy on something you are not serious about.

OK. Aggressively research and brainstorm all the ways you can get this goal.

Write them down quickly as you think of them. Use shortforms and abbreviations if you have to, but keep the flow of thought going for as long as it takes. This is a tremendously important part of the process.

Set out some quiet time for this, no interruptions allowed. Let others know that you are doing something of the utmost importance and you are not available for this time period. (Could be 1-2 hours)

Also, do not consider any negative thoughts while you are in the flow. Keep the positive momentum flowing and stay in the zone. There is plenty of time for exploring the negative after you finish with all of your positive ideas.

Finished? OK now, remember those negatives that kept coming up throughout the above?

What challenges or problems will come up when you start taking action? What do you see happening or preventing you from getting what you want? Are there any limiting factors or bottlenecks that may delay or stop your progress?

Write these down also. You have to know what may stand in your way, so that you can address it within your planning. It is not good or bad, just what is.

Be honest with yourself, if you think it, write it down. There is no such thing as unimportant thought. It is all important, vitally important!

Next, come up with solutions that will take care of these problems.

Write down multiple answers to each problem. Stay positive and focused on your target. Write down everything that comes to mind.

All those things that could keep you from succeeding, come up with tons of ways to deal with them. This will give you unstoppable confidence and belief in your ability to have what you want.

Break down your solutions into action steps, into small workable tasks that you can complete quickly. Break each step down into 5 smaller actions. Then break those down into 5 smaller ones. Keep breaking down tasks until you have absolute belief in yourself that you can and will do it, right now, today!

In fact, Break them down until they are ridiculously simple!

Small, simple actions are easy to accomplish, and when these particular actions are put together, they equal the goal result that you want. Again, together they equal the goal result you want!

Belief becomes automatic because you "know" that there is nothing standing between you and the next simple little step, and so on to your goal.

All that is left is to work your plan. You created it, you are commited to it, you must do it, so just do it, and go get your goal. Start with the first step and complete it right now, today. So what are you waiting for? Go For It!

Are you still here? Go get that goal! LOL!

No plan is perfect so there will inevitably be obstacles and distractions, little things which will stand in your way for temporary periods of time. When this happens, just break these down.

And start again . . . and again. Stay flexible and adjust your approach when these occur. Believe, and have faith in the long term.

Adjust your plans and actions as necessary until you have what you want. The result is in the bag, it is a sure thing, all that will change are the strategies, and the timing. You will prevail. This is true.

If this is a major complex goal, you will want to work it backwards through smaller goals, and then break them down into action steps.

Focus on the solution instead of the fear or doubt. This strategy will work for any goal you pick.

Focus on what you want continuously, with passion, and with absolute faith, knowing that you have absolutely done everything necessary and are entitled. Act with that level of belief, and certainty that causes miracles to happen!

Believe it! Now . . . go make your own miracle!

I hope that helps. See you next time.

How Do You Achieve The Impossible?

2008-05-05T13:21:00.007-07:00

Well, How Do You Achieve The Seemingly Impossible?

Impossible is just a word for what we have never done before, and don't yet believe in.

I have a favorite quote over my desk in my office: "The Universe is full of magical things, just waiting for our wits to grow sharper." -- by Eden Philpotts

And just when I am ready to dismiss something as impossible, I remind myself that what was once impossible has in fact been proven possible by many people, many times in our human history.

The power of the human mind has no bounds, no limits, except the limits we accept or believe to be true. So, the first requirement is:

Believe

When anyone tells you that something is impossible what is your response? Not only your outward reaction, what are your inner thoughts?

Do you accept it and go on thinking to yourself, "Yeah! It's probably too hard" or "They're right. That could never work."

Or do you just passively go on with your existence never to give it another thought?

Well, listen. S T O P thinking that way!

Before you achieve anything that you think may be even a little difficult, you must, I repeat, “YOU MUST” own the belief that it is not only possible, it is probable.

Then, owning that belief, ask yourself some very focused questions.

- What do I want?

- What is the first 'possible' step I should take to be one step closer to achieve what I am after?

- Who can clear up any lack of knowledge that I need to achieve this? What do I need to research?

- What is my plan to get from Point A to Point Z? (and those points in between?) Evaluate each Point and write down what smaller steps you need to make in the journey.

Now it may become not just possible, but absolutely probable.

The most important objective to achieve anything on this planet (or out of this world) is to believe. Without belief there is nothing. Do what you need to do to believe that you can make it happen with a little time, effort, and good plans.

When the U.S. decided to go to the moon in the sixties, they said they would have a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Not very many people believed it could be done, that it was impossible.

Well it turned out to be possible after all, because they did what they said they were going to do and they did it within the time they had set.

Become

Become what you focus on. Whether you want to or not you will become what you concentrate your efforts on. If you concentrate on achieving wealth, you will become aware of opportunities to achieve that wealth.

If you allow yourself to become consumed with bad things that happen to you, you will become a person that bad things happen to.

You need to become just like the person you want to be like. This requires reading and diving into the lives of those who have already achieved what you are striving for.

You must become a filter for what you allow in and what you push out. Do this by reading what you want to learn. Listen to audio books that support your goals. Talk with people who build up your ideas.

Just remember you will become what you want to even if others say it's impossible.

Beware

Beware of the idiots. I have a friend who has a brilliant outlook on life. He is an entrepreneur and has many great ideas. Not only are they great ideas, some of them are actually making him quite wealthy.

There are plenty of people who would look at him and his ideas and tear down any effort he would make at trying to achieve.

Here's the part you need to adopt and adapt to your way of life.

To the people who tear down or do not support his ideas, they are automatically dismissed as idiots. Those who support him and his ideas are always geniuses.

This is a great way to win! Develop your genius tribe.

Totally ignore and dismiss the idiot pool. Your associations and support team are tremendously important to the success of your undertakings.

Now you don't have to be so raw about it calling people idiots (although it may help). You can still apply the same principle. Beware of the nay-sayers. Embrace the encouragers.

Surround yourself with geniuses.

Few things will kill a million-dollar idea faster than idiots telling you it can't work.

Be You

Another thing that will kill a million-dollar idea faster than anything is not being yourself.

Being yourself is the most unique thing you can offer anyone. Why would you want to rob yourself of the most valuable asset you can offer?

Trying to be someone else is a nasty habit that is so transparent it turns off everyone who sees it. Don't do it. No one likes a phony. But everyone loves those who love being themselves.

People are attracted to those who are glad to be themselves and are confident in who they are. These people understand that they are valuable being the only person they can be. Be yourself and don't be ashamed of you.

Once you have accepted that you are valuable and are sure in who you are, you will begin to notice in a very short time that people will begin to be attracted to you. They will want to be around you and unconsciously want what you have got.

Use your 'YOU' power. Be yourself and you will be on your way to successful living.

Successful living isn't easy. It's simple but it isn't necessarily easy. Stay tuned throughout the year for more valuable ideas and tools that will help you accomplish what others would call "The Impossible".

Al Smith

P.S. If you need to boost your "belief" factor, check out these posts:

Brainstorming, Cultivating Belief In Your Goals Program

Solution Oriented Problem Solving Strategies

Life's Treadmill - Easy To Get On, But Can We Ever Get Off?

2008-05-04T09:51:00.002-07:00

Are You Bored With the Treadmill of Life?
By Gary Simpson

Every week for years and years you get up in the morning, go to work, come home, pay the bills, get up again, go to work, come home, pay the bills. Sound familiar? You're on what I call "the treadmill of life."

Unless you are happy with this existence you had better start doing something to change it. Because, if you don't, in ten years time, and with a few more wrinkles and some more gray hair, you will still be getting up, going to work, coming home and paying the bills.

You see, most of us get into this routine. Pretty much we fall into it, obliviously. Everybody else is doing it. It's just the done thing. Or is it?

Well, who wrote the script?

If this is "normal" for you then I can almost guarantee that after years and years of doing it you will one day wake up and wonder why you keep doing it.

Maybe it will be next year, maybe in a few years, maybe it will take another ten or twenty or thirty years. Hey, maybe you are wondering about it right now! Are you?

What are you going to do about it? What is the defining event that will allow you to jump off the treadmill? To answer that, you need to know why you are on the treadmill in the first place.

I can categorically state that 100% of people who are on the treadmill do it to pay those darn bills that seem to appear almost magically every day in our letter boxes.

Let me put you to the test. If you had no bills to pay and could exist comfortably without money would you still you get up every morning and tootle off to work? Well, would you?

Do you have something else that you would rather do with your time? Do you enjoy battling the highways and the subways with hundreds of thousands of other commuters?

What are you going to do about it? To replace your income will open up your life to a whole new spectrum of options. Think about it.

But how can you achieve such a thing? How can you replace your income? How can you get off the treadmill that will command your life until you retire?

Just think - when you "retire" with that nice little super-annuation and retirement benefit - then you can REALLY enjoy yourself. Heck, maybe you can even take that ski trip that you have spent all your youth waiting for.

Have I got you thinking? I hope so! Don't wait until all your youth and health has been spent in the system before you realize that there could have been so much more to life.

To learn how you can get off the treadmill click here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Attitude, That Is What We Have To Work With - Quote

2008-05-02T16:33:00.002-07:00

Charles Swindoll said,

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.

It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home.

The remarkable thing is that we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.

We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…

I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you…we are in charge of our attitudes.”

-- Charles Swindol

Do You Have What It Takes To Persevere? Develop Persistence.

2008-04-28T20:32:00.002-07:00

Perseverance - How To Quit Quitting

** The Definition Of Perseverance

From a dictionary: "Persisting in or remaining constant to a purpose, idea or task in spite of obstacles." Notice it doesn't start, "Wisely persisting..." Perseverance can clearly be a both a good thing and a bad thing. Remember that when you find yourself wanting to quit something. Quitting might be the wisest choice.

Of course, the problem with the idea that you should quit when something isn't worth the effort, is that it's often used as a rationalization. It comes to mind when the effort is difficult, but really is worthwhile. It's confusing at times, so how do you wisely persevere? There are three important aspects to consider.

Keys To Wise Perseverance

1. Self awareness: Notice when you look for excuses, rather than truth. Are you letting fear or laziness cause you to quit or procrastinate? If honestly watching yourself is difficult, explain your reasoning to a friend. Close friends may be more likely than you to know when you're rationalizing. (Think about it from the other direction and you'll see this can be true.)

2. Costs and benefits: To wisely persevere, you need to see the costs and benefits of what you are doing. If moving to Hollywood to become a star is going to cost you your business or family life, you have to see that clearly before you decide. An honest and good decision requires honest and good information.

3. Motivation: Once you've made a decision, and you're sure you made it for the right reasons, you have to motivate yourself. In fact, perseverance requires that you regularly re-motivate yourself. Write goals down, do daily affirmations, and whatever else you have to do.

Habit is the most powerful secret of success. Practice watching yourself to make self-awareness a habit. Practice analyzing costs and benefits objectively, and practice motivating yourself. By the way, there are many good motivation techniques, so if what you're doing doesn't work - go read up on them and try something else. That's perseverance.

By Steven Gillman

Steve Gillman writes on many topics including brainpower, weight loss, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. Learn more and get free e-courses at http://www.SelfImprovementNow.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

The Importance Of Money - To Have Or Not To Have . . .

2008-04-27T17:02:00.002-07:00

"Money is one of the most important subjects of your entire life.

Some of life's greatest enjoyments and most of life's greatest disappointments stem from your decisions about money.

Whether you experience great peace of mind or constant anxiety will depend on getting your finances under control."

— Robert G. Allen: Financial adviser, author

Procrastination Buster - Make It Social!

2008-04-27T07:01:00.003-07:00

How To Get Yourself To Take Action, OR . . .

How To Get Yourself To Do The Things You Need To Do - When You Need To Do Them, In Order To Get What You Want To Get - When You Want To Get It! Notice that there is no 'if' anywhere in this title.
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Make it Social. - This really works for me. When I even think of putting off something important, I start thinking of who I can bring in to help me. Generate the momentum of getting things done, not the inertia of putting stuff off.

If you are having trouble getting yourself to do something, then try it with someone else who is interested in the same things. We are social beings and many of us prefer doing things when we have company.

Pick one thing that you need to do but up until now just haven't made any progress on.

Think about the task you are putting off. Is it fear that prevents you from taking action? Is it because you don't like to do whatever it is? Have you habitually let yourself get away without taking action on it?

Just the idea of doing this turns on your negative self talk? But . . . you know that you need to do it or it will hold you back. It has turned into the bottleneck that slows down all other goals progress.

Is this something that you can do with someone else? Usually there is always a way we can bring a friend in on it. Pick up the phone and call someone who supports you on your goals journey. Talk it over with them.

If it is health, or exercise related, start teaming up with others with the same interests. Get your schedules together. If it is work or business related, set up a mastermind group and practice it with them.

There is huge momentum in social outings that moves you forward when you are having trouble. Power is created by the several minds that are moving in tandem, and it keeps you motivated to continue when you may stall by yourself.

This is not weakness to need others, it is quite the other way around. This is when we have the most power; we are capable of so much more when we allow others to share our journey.

Make it social. You will immediately feel the extra power generated by having other people at your side. Start doing some things with kindred spirits today.

See you later.

All Blame Is A Waste Of Time - Quote

2008-04-25T14:57:00.002-07:00

"All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you.

The only thing blame does is to keep the focus off you when you are looking for external reasons to explain your unhappiness or frustration.

You may succeed in making another feel guilty about something by blaming him, but you won't succeed in changing whatever it is about you that is making you unhappy."

-- Wayne Dyer, Teacher

5 Simple Success Lessons From The Tortoise

2008-04-23T20:11:00.005-07:00

I was reading in my journal today (yes I have once again started to make entries), and I ran across a favorite entry of mine from long ago. Remember the old fable or story about the hare and the Tortoise?

The story where they raced each other and everyone expected the Hare to win because he was faster than the Tortoise. The moral of the story was slow and steady wins the race.

I tried to find out where I first found it so I could give proper credit but I was not successful. So, here is the piece I wrote down anyway because it touched me at that particular time in my life.

If anyone knows who wrote it, let me know so I can link to the credits. Thanks.

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Success Lessons From The Tortoise And The Hare

Here are 5 Simple Lessons of Success:

1. In Life, we may have our own limitations like not being able to run as fast as others, but even though we have our own limitations, we do have all we need to finish the game of life, that is to finish the race.

2.In Life, we may also be the underdog against the opposition, but there is always a potential in us to win and to succeed against the opposition.

3.In Life, when we start our race, our goals, our ambitions . . . as long as we don't stop, give up or quit and we just keep going, we just keep plodding along, we will get to the finish line and we will succeed. Consistency is the key, stay the course no matter what.

4.In Life, you don't have to be someone "gifted", you just have to be yourself to succeed.

5.In Life, the moment we think we are better than others or have a superior advantage, we become arrogant and it will hinder our success.

* END OF EXCERPT*
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Just a reminder that all we need in life to win is already within us. We are perfect just as we are and have unlimited potential. So . . . Go For Your Dreams! Yes. Go For It Now!

See you next time.

Time Log Benefits Revisited

2008-04-16T21:28:00.006-07:00

One thing I have found to be of great benefit is a time log. I will monitor how I am spending my time regularly. It becomes a real time saver.

The time I take compiling it is more than made up by the time I save, the effectiveness, and the increased productivity I create by analyzing it.

When you use a time log periodically, you stay on top of your game, you are more apt to stay on track and mimize distractions. You can measure and manage one of your key resources to squeeze maximum results in.

How can you map out a strategy to do more if you don't know where you are? If you don't know the as is situation, how can you measure improvement gains?

Once you know what you want, that is to say once you have commited to your goal, to your course of action, the time log opens your eyes to opportunities to do more, to be more effective, to get more mileage out of the time you do have.

If you have never used a time log, then I encourage you to try it. Measure how effective you are and then adjust yourself accordingly. A tool is only as useful as the person is practiced in using it.

It will open your eyes to any time leakage in your days. Measurement is always key to management, and that applies across the board to all your goals.

Are you really investing yourself appropriately in order to achieve your most important goals on time? For more goal setting info, try our Power Of Setting Goals.

More info on the success habit of Time Management can be found posted here.

See you next time.

Quick Tip On Positive Motivation

2008-04-15T21:42:00.001-07:00

How To Create Positive Motivation by Jason Gracia
(from The Motivated Mind)

Desire (Motivation), consists of two elements viewed from four different angles. Positive Motivation is created when the two elements, Pleasure of Action and the Pain of Inaction outweigh the elements of Pleasure of Inaction and the Pain of Action.

Here is the simple equation:

IF
pleasure of action + pain of inaction > pleasure of inaction + pain of action
THEN
Positive Motivation results

Success depends on how well and how consistently you are able to alter each factor of your desire. And this is totally within your control.

(from The Motivated Mind)

---------------------------------------------

When we focus on the pleasure we will get from our goals attainment and the pain of regret from not achieving it, we will crank up our desire and create positive motivation towards what we want.

This equation applied backwards also works in reverse to create negative motivation, procrastination and stagnation.

So concentrate on the positive aspects. Your mind can only hold one thought at a time so make it productive thought.

No Doubts Allowed. Just Do It, Get Off Your Buts!

2008-04-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been reading the book "Do It! Let's Get Off Our Buts" by Peter McWilliams and ran across this quote below today.

It reminded me that sometimes we just have to be courageous and have faith in our abilities to persevere and win through even if we are uncertain of the outcome.

Sometimes we just have to Do It!

"When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the heck, leap!"
-- Cynthia Heimel

So, until next time, Go For It!