Remembrance Day - Lest We Forget

Image by ViaMoi via FlickrThis morning I watched "We Were Soldiers" with Mel Gibson and a whole host of great actors. Watching this movie deeply reminds me of the sacrifices made by all of the men and women of the armed forces on my behalf during the many wars waged.

Even the act of tapping on these computer keys has been made significant. I can choose what I do with my life and it is because of people who have risen to the occasion and went to war to defend our way of life.

I am deeply moved each year on this day and any other day that I watch such great movies as this.

Thank you to the men and women of the armed forces who have given sometimes the ultimate sacrifice for protection of the very freedoms we enjoy each day. Thank you.

I will always remember. I will always remember. I treasure this freedom that has been paid for so dearly by so many.

Al

Goal Setting Persistence Will Pay Off Big Time

Just before we get to the article, I wanted to let you know that there is another free report available from Stephen Pierce. It's called Stephen's Goal Get'Em Report. It's a short 13 pages of goal setting strategy, but it packs a punch. Go ahead and read it.

Now to today's article on Persistence . . .

We are used to living in a fast-paced world. You can have just about anything you want and have it just about when you want it. Food can be delivered to your door in 20 minutes or less. Information about anything is just a mouse click away via the Internet.

Everything has become about speed. In such a fast-paced society, persistence has been forgotten. Commercials scream that they have found the latest quick fix.

People set goals and then days later become discouraged when nothing happens. How many New Year’s resolutions are broken before the party is even over?

Stop for a minute and think – what is it that you really want? How much time have you really invested in it?

An Olympic athlete does not become an instant success overnight – he or she has spent hours of practice and training to hone their abilities. A concert pianist cannot pound out a difficult song with just minutes of practice – without hours of exercises she would sound like a two-year-old beating on the keys. Rome was not built in a day.

Why should any goals that you have be any different?

Calvin Coolidge once said, "Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."

Do you have the persistence it takes to press on? Dennis Waitley says, “Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning.”

Those who have persistence are the ones that meet their goals. They are the ones that are successful in what they do. They are the ones that the world looks up to and admires.

What is persistence? According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, it is “continuing, especially in the face of opposition.”

It is that ability to get out of bed and say that you are going to do something for one more day – and to do that every morning.

It is being like the tortoise in the immortal story of the tortoise and the hare that realizes that "slow and steady wins the race.”

It is holding onto that dream you have with such bulldog tenacity that you will let nothing and no one rip it from you.

Everyone has known persistence once. How many times have you watched a young child struggle to crawl or walk? They reach and they stretch and they fall down and they get back up.

If you did not have persistence you would never have gotten this far in life – you would still be helpless infants in your mother’s arms.

According to Napoleon Hill, “Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel.” You just have to learn how to find that persistence again.

Life in the world is very competitive, and we have to learn not to fear obstacles but to embrace them. Otherwise we will be trampled by those who can.

What do you have to lose? If you do not change what you are doing, you will continue on at the status quo.

According to Ted W. Engstrom, "The rewards for those who persevere far exceed the pain that must precede the victory.” Everything comes with a cost. The price is persistence.

With persistence you can achieve anything. It might not be instantaneous, but a little bit every day over a long time can add up. With each brick a house is built higher. With each shovel full a hole is dug deeper. With each note a musician improves. Over time the tiny steps can build into magnificent results.

The main thing behind persistence is to focus on the positives. "Enter every activity without giving mental recognition to the possibility of defeat. Concentrate on your strengths, instead of your weaknesses . . . on your powers, instead of your problems, says Paul J. Meyer.

No one can move a mountain with one push, but everyone can move a single stone. Over time, stone by stone, that mountain will be moved. Start small and build!

Al

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Success Character Traits Of Successful People

Image via WikipediaDo successful people have the genius of supreme achievement by an accident of birth, a favorable environment or from their own individual effort?

Whatever the reasons, superstars really are a different breed. They must succeed and they will succeed. They have an amazing capacity to dream big, strive even bigger and come through against all the odds. They seem to will themselves to do whatever it takes.

Can we learn to become better achievers by looking inside the minds of the big-time peak performers? Successful people do not wait for something to happen; they take action to achieve their goals.

Successful people seem to have a "make it happen" way of thinking. They take it for granted that they will succeed. They act as if it's a done deal that they will win. They are infectious in their enthusiasm for a project and enlist others easily to make it become a reality. They are bursting with positive expectancy that everything will be a smashing success.

A successful person’s motto is, “I will get it done.”

Successful people take action. They start acting on an idea or plan quickly and make room in their schedule for tangible, concrete objectives that take them closer to their goals. They spend time reflectively, but take action when action is required. They don't waste time over-planning. They get right down to it.

Successful people are often not one hundred percent happy with their performances. They are not negative about them, but they are realistic and demanding of themselves and often of those around them.

They continually seek improvement in even the tiniest areas of their performance and regularly raise the bar as each new ability level is surmounted. They hold their best all-time performances as the ideal and seek to rise to that level always.

Successful people typically have superb organizational skills. Successful individuals know how to break projects down into manageable sizes. They know that many details placed together in proper order lead to something big. They spend time planning and keeping records to show progress and to stay on time projections. They are in a hurry to succeed, but never seem to rush.

Successful people are decisive. This is a critical characteristic of all successful people. They gather information and quickly decide to act on it and later make changes based on new information. They take advantage of the windows of opportunities that arise and go for it.

They have confidence that they made the right decision and the confidence that if they do not they can successfully change gear and recover for a positive outcome. They have disciplined themselves to take action from their proactive first creation.

They do not deviate from their chosen course of action. They have highly developed goals, and they have in front of them always, their detailed written plans for the creation of their Goals and Dreams, and they enjoy scoring themselves at the end of the day. It's all good.

Successful people know how to sacrifice to make something happen. They know they often can't have it all and that they must have singular focus to succeed. They are good at getting into a zone where they can block out all distractions and rapidly advance past their objectives.

They will deny themselves those things that do not contribute to making them successful. Again, they know how to be self-disciplined and stay on track.

Successful people love the battle. They love the process. They love the climb up the ladder. This is what it is all about for many of them. They are excited to pursue their goals and they take extreme pleasure in the big challenge, to see what impossible obstacles they can leap on their way to success. They want stories to tell, bragging rights as part of the success trophy.

Achieving is a passion for the successful individual. Meeting objectives and reaching goals is energizing to top achievers. They can't wait to get to work and see the results of their efforts.

They boost their self-esteem and self-confidence as they finish a project or task that is highly satisfying. They pour their entire passion into what they love to do and complete it with all their energies and enthusiasm.

Some people look at successful people and think that they could never do what they do. They get discouraged at the gap between what is and what could be.

Other people look to the superstars and are inspired. They use the superstars as a template or benchmark and use them as models for what they would like to achieve. They view them as the best practices and measure themselves against the successful.

Rather than feel discouraged when you see a successful person let it inspire you to be the same!

Don’t Wait for Something to Happen. Take Action and Achieve your Goals starting right now! If you don't feel successful today, then act like successful people would, and practice one of the above traits every day. Pretty soon your successes will mount up and you will be living the life of your dreams.

And . . . you will be tremendously successful in your own right.

See you next time.

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Goal Setting Tools - Commitment, Communication And Creation

Doing a quick surf for information this morning before work and really enjoyed this article by Guest Author Sharmen Lane.

Goal Setting can be as simple as 1-2-3 and this article demonstrates that with three easy steps (well, some might not find them so easy), your goals are well within your grasp.

I have always maintained that Commitment is huge when it comes to getting your goals. Because you are commited, when you come across challenges, even big ones, you just overcome them and move on.

You don't give the challenges or problems a second thought because you have already visualized your goals and they are a 'done deal', they are in the bank, you are just paying the price and you will have them. You solve the problem, accept that it happens, and maintain your plan.

Here is the article, I hope you find it useful:

How to Get What You Want by Following Three C's

Ever wonder why some people seem to get what they want easily and effortlessly? There are some tried and true techniques to getting what you want. This process is what I call the 3 C's to Success.

#1 Commit. Are you committed to the outcome? What is the desired result that you are looking for?

If you aren't clear about what you are looking to achieve you certainly aren't committed to it. Think of a commitment like a legal binding agreement. If you sign on the dotted line and are legally bound, are you likely to back out or not fulfill your end of the agreement?

Probably not. If you take that approach to any goal you are setting you are 90% there. If you are committed to losing weight and sign a contract saying you will weigh ten pounds less than you do now at the end of 60 days, or there will be a $10,000 fine, do you think you will find a way to be ten pounds less?

My guess is yes. Why does there need to be a $10K fine? Simply view your goal as a contract, even if it's only with yourself. Once you get committed the rest is downhill.

#2 Communicate. People who are committed to reaching their goal, share that goal with others. The tell anyone who will listen. They would shout it from the rooftops and take out a full page ad in the New York Times. Why is that? Because the more people you tell, the more real it becomes.

If you tell one person about your goal and the person next to you tells 100 people, who's got more at stake? Obviously, the person who told more people has more to lose. So the more ways you communicate (write, read, talk, listen, etc) and the more you communicate it to, the closer you will be to your goal.

#3 Create. Once you have decided that you are truly committed to your goal, and you have written it down and read it out loud, and shared it with others all you have to do now is take action . This is the easiest of the three steps.

It's easy to do when you are committed and have told everyone you know about what you are working towards. The most important thing is to "do". Do something that is actively working towards your goal every day. Before you know it, you will have what you want and will have created your dream to make it a reality.

Follow the 3 C's to Success. It's a simple tried and true process that will help you reach your desired goal faster and easier than you ever thought possible.

by Sharmen Lane

Through keynote speeches, workshops, training, seminars and self-help products, motivational business speaker and self help guru Sharmen Lane has trained, managed, and coached thousands of individuals and corporations on what it takes to get what they want for their business and personal lives. To learn more, visit http://www.sharspeaks.com

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Commitment - The Key to successfully setting and achieving your goals. It always has been and always will be a critical part of anyone's plan of action. See you next time.

Al

Work On My Passion Or Take A Day Off?

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

Productivity Laws - Consistency and Smart Purposeful Action

I noticed a couple of great posts on Life Hacker this morning and just had to share them with you.

One reveals how Jerry Seinfeld has used The Law Of Consistency in his long outstanding career and the other shows you how to use The Laws Of Productivity to increase your goal results exponentially.

By the way Life Hacker is one of my favorites, subscribe to their feed for regular updates. Check them out, they are awesome posts!

Jerry Seinfeld's Productivity Secret

6 Rules To Work Less And Get More Accomplished

A Simple Goal Setting Strategy - Keep Your Fingers On The Pulse Of Your Life

Well, September is here already and the first eight months of 2007 are now history.

How is your history reading? How are your goals coming for this year? Are you where you wanted to be by this time? At the end of September, nine months into this year, three quarters of 2007 in the past, how will you be doing?

It is time again to analyze what you've done and what you haven't, to see where you need to adjust your strategies to win your prize. There is still plenty of time to pack in some concentrated effort to get you where you want to be by the end of this year.

Some of my goals are right on track and some are not. After taking a hard look at what I want, I will not pursue the ones which no longer make sense to me. At the same time, I will recommit and intensify my efforts to those that are. And I have added some to my list.

It is the same every year. Once you start on the path, and you are actually in the fight, there are some things that stand out as incongruent with your higher purpose. I do not beat myself up over it. I just adjust and move onward to more of the right things.

This is simple goal setting strategy at work. Plan, organize, execute, followup and adjust as necessary to happily achieve what's important and fulfilling to you. Always moving inexorably towards your major focus. Follow your life's purpose at all times and you will joyfully travel your challenge strewn path through life.

Embrace the challenges. They will make up some of your best memories and give you some of the best stories to tell after you successfully negotiate them. This I know to be absolutely true.

I hope that you are getting the results that you want. You never know how close you are to the prize until you look up and see it right in front of you.

Recommit to those goals that are still important to you, and redouble your efforts. Discard those goals that don't make sense anymore and focus on where you want to be at the end of this year. We don't want to get emotional over what we need to get rid of in order to clear and concentrate our energies.

As always, Go For It!

Al

Purpose, Mission Statement, Your Dream, Your Ultimate Life Direction Unfolded If You Do This . . .

The article below is really too long for most people to read the whole thing, but I am going to publish it anyway because it has a lot of GREAT points.

It very much reminds me of what I needed to know some thirty years ago. It reminds me of what I continue practicing in my life as we speak. If I would have taken the time, this may have been what I would have written.

But I didn't take the time to write this. Darbright did.

There are some very good points on how to find direction in our lives, and maintain that direction when times get tough, and pretty much everyone who has lived some life knows that life can take a few whacks at you. Be ready for them when they arrive.

Well, the article is long enough without me being long winded so here it is.

Create A Powerful Life Plan by Darbright Ng

Do you know where you're going in life? Is there even some place you want to go? No idea how to create a road map for your life?

One of the best ways to create focus and direction in your life is by creating your life plan. A life plan is simply a blue-print for what you want in your life, taking the big picture of your complete life and breaking it down into simpler, easy to accomplish goals.

While it can be as big and complex as you want it to be, I personally find the simpler your life plan is, the easier and faster it is to realize it. So a big tip is while you are creating the blueprint for your life, keep it as simple and defined as possible.

Two elements of your life plan will be:

1. Your Vision for your life
2. Your Goals for fulfilling your vision

Sometimes, it's difficult to understand the fundamental difference that separates a vision and a goal. But here's a way of defining visions and goals that make the most sense and flows with the creative process of life.

The Importance of Having A Vision and Goals

Before we embark on the journey to create our life vision and goals, it helps to understand why we should even have them in the first place.

Why are Visions and Goals so important in the creative process?

Having a Life Vision is important because:

• It provides the template, the mold of what we are going to create and manifest into physical, tangible reality.
• It is in line with the creative process that all things are first created in the invisible before they are manifested into the visible.
• It creates the experience of having the life you want even before you have it.

Having goals are important because:

• They give us stepping stones, milestones in our journey towards the creation of our life vision.
• They give us specific targets to aim for and keep us on track.
• Each goal accomplished is another brick in the creation of your mental image of your life, and when all the bricks are in place, you have effectively created your Life Vision and manifested it into reality.
• Goals give us something to organize our work activities around, a focus for our attention, energy and skills. They serve as a center for our creative energies and power to be expressed.

Diffused light gives us the ability to see objects and people around us. But when light is concentrated into a focused laser beam, it can cut through steel like a hot knife through butter.

Having clear, specific goals aligned with your life vision create that same energy and focus to cut through the obstacles in your life. It accelerates your speed at which you manifest what you want into physical reality.

Defining Your Vision and Goals

Understanding the difference between your Vision and your goals will help simplify the process of creating your life plan. In short, your Vision is the big picture of what you imagine your ultimate life to be and goals are specific targets along the way to the creation of your life Vision.

I'll explain them in further detail.

What is a Vision?

A vision is the mental creation of your life in your mind where you engage all your senses even before it becomes a physical, tangible reality around you. The mental creation is similar to a 3 dimensional movie that is filled with:

• Movement
• Emotions
• People
• Places and
• Color

where it involves our senses of Sight, Sound, Taste, Touch and Smell. The more senses you can engage in your vision, the more real it becomes to you, the faster the speed at which you realize it.

You can use physical objects and things to trigger off those senses, like pictures of the house or car you want. You can use music to trigger off emotions you want to experience, like joy, excitement or peace.

A vision is something that you have every intention, purpose and desire to make real in your life. If you don't, then it's not a vision. It's a day dream. ;-)

What is a Goal?

A goal is a stepping stone to the fulfillment of your vision. It can be a specific end result that forms part of your big picture, or it can be a milestone on the way to the specific end result. Your goals are the how you are going to realize your vision.

For example, your vision to live a financially free life could be broken down into the following specifics:

1. You have an income of $10,000 a month
2. You maintain your expenses below $5,000 a month
3. You are investing 20% of your income on a regular basis
4. Your targeted retirement fund is $4.5 million dollars in 25 years time
5. You have set up an automatic repayment plan to fully pay off each and every debt that you owe within the next 5-10 years
6. You fully own your own home
7. You drive a reliable, dependable and quality car
8. You take 2 holidays a year
9. You have 5 streams of multiple income that generate $5,000 and more a month on a continuous and growing basis
10. And any other goals you want.

Putting Your Life Plan Together

One way to make sure you've covered the major areas in your life is by defining the categories in which you can create specific goals. Having a full and complete life involves these basic 6 areas:

1. Financial
2. Relational
3. Intellectual
4. Spiritual
5. Physical
6. Work / Purpose

I've included generic, positive-oriented examples of how a life vision might look like.

A life of financial freedom could mean that you own all your assets, have more than enough money coming in each month with surplus cash left over. You have a roof over your head, a car to drive, money for food on the table and for your children's education. You can buy anything that is required for a healthy, balanced lifestyle for your loved ones and you.

A life of relational joy could mean that you have emotionally rich relationships with your family and friends. You enjoy good relationships with the important people in your life.

A life of intellectual satisfaction and growth could mean that you continue to expand your knowledge bank of ideas, concepts and practical steps to improving yourself and developing your skill sets. You continue to learn and grow on a continual and regular basis to become better each day.

A life of spirituality could mean that you feel a sense of connection to the divine energy and life that is in everything and everyone. You enjoy a sense of inner peace, radiant joy and a contentment with who you are and where you are right now in your life. At the same time, you know and understand that you will continue to evolve and grow as a soul and as a person through your journey in life.

A life of physical completeness would mean that you are strong, healthy and fit. You have a strong body that allows you to engage in sports and activities that you want. At the same time, you are healthy which goes beyond having just a strong body, but one that will serve you well for your lifetime.

A life of purpose would mean the expression of your talents in and abilities in the area of your passion. You use the knowledge, skills and processes that you've learnt and developed to create a better life for your loved ones and you.

All these 6 elements combine with each other to create the vision of your life. The clearer and more vivid you are able to see the vision of your life in your mind, the more powerful it is.

It can be so real until it feels like you are already living it! Which, of course, is the whole idea.

Creating your Life Plan is a process of defining the specific elements that go together to build the vision you have in your mind. As you complete each goal, you build another brick into the foundation of the life that you have created in your mind.

Exercises for Creating Your Life Plan

Your life plan will consist of the two elements of your vision and your goals. To help you develop your life plan, you can use the following exercises.

Exercise to Create your Vision:

Imagine what your Perfect life is like in each of the specific areas:

1. Financial
2. Relational
3. Physical
4. Intellectual
5. Spiritual
6. Work / Purpose

Write it down on paper, in point form, using words that you can relate to and understand. More important than the process of writing is the:

• Clarity of your mental 3D "movie" and
• Emotions that you feel when you create your vision.

Create something that you really want to have, with the full intention and purpose of actually having it. Otherwise, you're just a day-dreamer who will only ever enjoy your life vision in your mind. So whatever you create, it must come with the intention and purpose to actually have it.

If you feel that you can't have what you really want: There are two reasons why you feel you can't have what you really want:

1. You don't really want it
2. You don't think it's possible for you

If it's something that you don't really want, then don't waste energy "wanting" it just because people tell you that you should "want" it.

Find out what you really want through your process of journaling and self-understanding. Then when you know what you really want, the energy, desire and motivation will automatically flow for you.

If it's something that you really want, but you feel that it's not possible for you. This is very likely due to internal beliefs and conclusions about past experiences in your life. The unconscious beliefs that you have are the invisible barriers in your mind that hinder your action, cause you doubt and make you unsure of yourself.

It simply means that you have some work to do on your internal environment to align it with the true reality of life, nature and abundance. This is where it might help you to keep a journal to understand what's blocking you, and how you can re-create that belief into something constructive and allows the possibility of what you want to happen in your life.

But for now, you can start the process by asking yourself:

"If I could have anything, be anything, or do anything, I would...(fill in the blanks)..."

Exercise to Create Your Goals:

Once you have your life vision, determine which is the most important aspect of your life vision that you want to work on first. For illustration, the generic example I used was:

"A life of financial freedom could mean that you own all your assets, have more than enough money coming in each month with surplus cash left over. You have a roof over your head, a car to drive, money for food on the table and for your children's education. You can buy anything that is required for a healthy, balanced lifestyle for your loved ones and you."

Break it down into specifics like:

1. Exactly how much income a month
2. What kind of house
3. Car
4. Holidays
5. Bank Accounts
6. Investment Accounts
7. Investment Properties, businesses, etc

These specifics become your goals. When you've accomplished them, you know that you've accomplished them. There aren't any ambiguities or "maybe's" associated to goals. They are clear, definite and specific. If it helps, you can set dates by which you want these goals to be accomplished.

It's more important to focus on goals that have the most impact on the creation of your vision. Initially, you might want to write down as many goals as you can think of, but once you have cleared your mind on paper, you have to be brutally ruthless to trash goals which aren't what you really want.

Go for the cake first, not the icing. Once you have the cake, you have something to put the icing on.

If the goal is something you want, but it's not an important or crucial goal, then have a specific place where you can stash that goal away for a time when you can look at it. It'll help clear your mind when you know you have written it down in a place where you can find it.

Once you've completed your exercise of mental creation and writing it down on paper, the next step would be to prioritize your goals in terms of importance and urgency so you can take action to make them real.

Darbright runs Personal Development Made Simple @ http://www.darbright.com , a website devoted to making a life of freedom and abundance possible through Personal Growth. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darbright_Ng

A Tough Morning . . .

A Tough Morning This Morning

. . . and It probably won't be the last . . .

WOW! I had a hard time powering up this morning. Usually I can spring right up and get going, you know, attack the day sort of thing. Well . . . this particular morning was a little different. I felt tired and didn't want to start the day. I thought . . . just let me sleep another hour. Yeah, right!

I have been burning the candle at both ends, maybe I just needed that extra hour. Maybe that was all that it was. I think it more likely that with all the decisions I have been making lately, I have started to move deeper into uncharted territory.

I have commited to literally changing the whole direction of my life. A life that has been pretty safe and secure for quite a few years I might add.

Am I having some second thoughts about whether I can succeed at it or not? After all, I have never attempted this before. What makes me think that I can succeed, where many people fail? It got me wondering. And it was affecting my state. Shaking my confidence. Definitely not good, not good.

Me, MR. Positive. LOL! Has that ever happened to you? I can almost guarantee that if you have ever made a decision to step out of the old comfort zone, that you have felt this way a few times. Only natural.

However this morning, habit took hold of me, and got me to the sink where I splashed ice cold water all over my face and that was the end of my indecision. I was mobile. I started to say to myself "I feel happy, I feel healthy, I feel TERRIFIC! . . . again, and again.

The insecurity was replaced with energy and enthusiasm, and I went on with my day. Three things got me through this rough wake up. Habit, Physiology, and Belief.

What gets you through your tough mornings?

I will complete my plans for a new life, and succeed in any undertaking I commit to. How do I know this?

I believe it deep down in my core that I am worthy and that I will do whatever it takes to make it happen.

Have you installed that belief pattern in yourself yet?

If not, do it now! You absolutely can not know the feeling I am talking about until you have.

Al Smith

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Are you missing out? Want shortcuts to your goals?
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What Do They Have That You Haven't Got? -- Attitude!

Never Give Up On Your Goals!

What thoughts or emotions came over you as you read that? Never give up! Billionaire Philanthropist and Presidential Candidate H. Ross Perot said, “Most people stop digging three feet from the goldmine.” This is the wrong approach. There has to be certain aspects in place, such as goals, plans, visions, etc.

However, for the most part, when these components are intact, success will come to you sooner or later.

Many people don't like the whole later possibility aspect, yet it can't be ignored. The important thing is that your dreams and goals will come to pass if you do not give up along the way. If you stop pursuit, you lose.

Yet, if you adopt the attitude that I will not be denied, you really won’t be denied. I'm not an expert on this, but I believe obstacles show up to help us become more resilient.

Where you greatly desire to go, you can't be a wimp. You must be able to chew nails and breathe fire (figuratively speaking). Les Brown says it best. "You must trade in who you've been for who you must become."

Wow! What a profound statement. Think about it. Look into the future and be brutally honest with yourself. What type of person must you be in the future in order to truly BE who you greatly desire to be?

What qualities and characteristics does that person possess that you do not currently possess? What do you particularly like about that person? Are they friendlier, healthier, more confident, a better leader?

Thoroughly diagnose the ultimate you and the current you. When placed side by side, what changes must you make to become the ultimate you? Completing this exercise is very eye-opening.

One important thing that you will discover is the confident, resilient attitude that you really won’t be denied. You are that warrior that chews nails and breathes fire, and love’s every minute of it. Success requires a different mindset.

A big part of that mindset is developing a never give up mentality. It is possible for you to complete each task you begin with that mentality. Giving up robs you of the joy that’s sure to come as you check off tasks that you’ve completed on route to your goal.

Remember the words of Jack Canfield: “You deserve to have your life exactly the way you want it.” I believe that quote with everything within me.

The challenge is to believe the quote and realize that it may take a year, or two, or three for your life to be exactly as planned. The question is do you give up along the way? I have confidence in you that you will make it through to the end.

By Demond Jackson

Demond is the owner of Self Empowerment Network where visitors can get an accurate Personal Mission Statement. After the mission statement, please visit our Self Empowerment Goals section to develop your dream life.

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

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Audio Motivation

Listen to exclusive interviews with the greatest names in personal development. Walk, jog or exercise to Audios with Success Teachers. They are great to download onto your MP3 players so you can take your motivation with you.

Tap into the same power that today's movers and shakers use, and keep yourself at the top of your Game with dynamic, exciting audio motivation messages. Find out more today at AudioMotivation.com.

Read testimonials from people already using them. I joined so I can listen to them too. It is an extraordinary value and a great investment in your future. Do you want the edge? Get motivated with AudioMotivation.com.

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Are you missing out? Want shortcuts to your goals?
Great Attitudes Create Great Results!
Al Smith is also the Editor and Publisher of
FREE Motivational and Goal Achievement Ezines.
Blast through Procrastination, Inaction, and Distraction
with Consistent Focused Action!
For success tools at your fingertips,
Subscribe Now to The Realgoalgetter Ezine
at http://www.realgoalgetter.com/ezines/.

Make Good Choices, Commit To Your Decisions

Before we get to today's article, I'd like to announce that the Current Realgoalgetter Ezine is now online. Enjoy!

Why And How To Make Making Choices That Are In Your Best Interest A Daily Occurrence

The dictionary defines choice as “the act of choosing; selection; the power, right, or liberty to choose; option; an alternative”. We sometimes hear ourselves or others say, “I have no choice,” when really what we mean is “I feel obligated.” There is always a choice.

Sometimes one must choose between two unattractive alternatives and often times making the choice that is best for you carries with it repercussions from friends or coworkers, but that isn’t the same as actually having no choice at all. I encourage and challenge you not to confuse hard choices with no choices.

Of course, before making your best choice, it’s necessary to know what is important to you so you can make choices that honor your values. Think of your values as the essence of who you are. They are the principles that you hold dear.

You already have your values, now you need to identify them so that you can orient you life, by making choices that are appropriate for you, around them. To that end, the following exercise will help you identify your top four values.

IDENTIFYING YOUR TOP 4 VALUES

Take some time and find yourself a quiet corner where you can concentrate. Read through the list below. Choose twenty words that resonate with you, that either thrill you or make you cringe. Feel free to add your own words to the list before making your choices.

Look over your list of twenty and narrow it to ten words. If you have difficulty choosing between two, look for one word that encompasses the meaning of those two. Then narrow the ten words to the four words that you feel fully represent your top four life values.

Print these four on index or note cards and put them in conspicuous places around your home and/or office as a reminder of what is most important to you. Refer to the list when you are making decisions so that you can be sure to make decisions that honor your values.

Abundance, Achievement, Adventure, Ambition, Authenticity, Beauty, Challenge, Charity, Creativity, Dignity, Enjoyment, Equality, Excellence, Expertness, Faith, Family, Freedom, Friendship, Fun, Health, Honesty, Honor, Hope, Humility, Humor, Independence, Inner harmony, Integrity, Joy, Justice, Kindness, Leadership, Learning, Legacy, Love, Loyalty, Nurture, Organization, Power, Recognition, Relationships, Religion, Respect, Respite, Risk, Safety, Security, Service, Sharing, Simplicity, Spirituality, Success, Tradition, Tranquility, Trust, Truth, Wealth.

If you don’t get that “aha” feeling that you’ve chosen exactly the right top four values, revisit this exercise in a day or two and then a week later to be sure of your choices. Knowing what you value most in life is the first step toward choosing what you want to add to or eliminate from your life in order to create your perfect life.

Three Tips for Making Good Decisions:

1. Make a list of the pros and cons of each choice and choose based on the quantity and quality of those elements.

2. Ask yourself just before you fall asleep what is the best choice to make and see what you are thinking in the morning.

3. Listen to your body. When you think of which choice you want to make in your head, how does your body react: are you excited, feeling woozy or sick, fearful? Your body often knows the right choice long before your mind does.

By Ruth Hegarty

Ruth Hegarty is a confidence coach who helps people increase their personal and professional confidence for greater self-esteem, happiness, and success.

http://www.ruthhegarty.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

--------------------
Are you missing out? Want shortcuts to your goals?
Great Attitudes Create Great Results!
Al Smith is also the Editor and Publisher of
FREE Motivational and Goal Achievement Ezines.
Blast through Procrastination, Inaction, and Distraction
with Consistent Focused Action!
For success tools at your fingertips,
Subscribe Now to The Realgoalgetter Ezine
at http://www.realgoalgetter.com/ezines/.

Don't Quit! Recommit . . .

Re-Commit

Any time we start something new it is exciting and we are very motivated and committed. As time goes by, however, the burst of enthusiasm can wane as the reality of how much work is going to be involved kicks in.

When you find yourself slacking a little and not being as enthused about the new change or goal you are working towards, that isn't a sign to quit. It is a sign that it is time to re-commit.

I am in the fourth month of my "New Program" of eating right and exercise. The first three months I was excited, enthused and rearing to go. However, I have found that the last month has been a tad more challenging and I have begun to slip a bit in my new exercise and eating habits. As I waned so did my results, which made me think it wasn't working.

Closer examination revealed that it wasn't the system that wasn't working; any system will work if you work it. But, it isn't magic. It takes effort and, most of all, commitment.

When I realized that my commitment had slipped I recommitted and got back on track. This is all part of the process and I don't see my temporary slide in commitment as a failure. I see it as an opportunity to strengthen my resolve and continue on the journey.

The more you renew your commitment the stronger it will be. Commitment isn't a magic pill, take it once and you've got it. Commitment is something that needs to be tended to, adjusted and strengthened.

I have begun to renew my commitment every day, which helps to remind me how much I really want to make this change work and stick.

You might not have to renew your commitment as often, but it does pay to check in and see where you are on the commitment scale.

If you notice that you are not where you want to be with your goals it might just be that it is time to renew your commitment.

By Rachelle Disbennett-Lee

Coach Rachelle Disbennett-Lee, PhD, is a Certified Master Coach specializing in working with business owners and professionals in being more profitable and productive while staying sane and balanced. Coach Lee is the publisher of the award winning e-zine, 365 Days of Coaching. Her first book, 365 Days of Coaching – Because Life Happens Every Day (Universal Publisher, 2004) was named a finalist for Best Book 2004 by Publish.com and has a five star rating on Amazon.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rachelle_Disbennett-Lee

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Audio Motivation

Listen to exclusive interviews with the greatest names in personal development. Walk, jog or exercise to Audios with Success Teachers. They are great to download onto your MP3 players so you can take your motivation with you.

Tap into the same power that today's movers and shakers use, and keep yourself at the top of your Game with dynamic, exciting audio motivation messages. Find out more today at AudioMotivation.com.

Read testimonials from people already using them. I joined so I can listen to them too. It is an extraordinary value and a great investment in your future. Do you want the edge? Get motivated with AudioMotivation.com.

---

Are you missing out? Want shortcuts to your goals?
Great Attitudes Create Great Results!
Al Smith is also the Editor and Publisher of
FREE Motivational and Goal Achievement Ezines.
Blast through Procrastination, Inaction, and Distraction
with Consistent Focused Action!
For success tools at your fingertips,
Subscribe Now to The Realgoalgetter Ezine
at http://www.realgoalgetter.com/ezines/.

Once You Decide On A Goal And A Course Of Action, Do You give 100%?

In general, how commited are you to the results you want? When you decide what your goal is, and how you are going to get it, how commited are you to it's completion?

Here is a good article explaining why you must be 100% on board with your own plans. Commit to your goals 100%, and don't allow any conflicting emotions to surface. One Focus To Success!

100%

There is a certain way in which you can eliminate all of your internal self debate. I don’t care what you want, by using this method you’ll eliminate your internal debate every time. There will be no more thinking it over, compromise, doubt, coulda, shoulda or if I’d only’s.

When you put this into practice the decision is made, and you no longer have to waste energy making up your mind.

What can you do in order for this to happen?

Give 100%

I’m not talking about working hard, or giving everything you have for something. I’m talking about making up your mind 100%. If you only decide 99% you’ve left room for debate, by writing the decision as made with 100% certainty you’ve eliminated your need to debate.

Take marriage for example. If you decide 100% that you will not stray from your spouse you do not need to think about it. No matter what situation you find yourself in, no matter what ‘opportunities’ you are presented with, you will remain faithful every time. The decision was made and it’s no longer up for debate.

However, if you’ve only decided 99% then you have problems. With each new temptation comes a new debate. With every chance you’re given to make a poor decision, you must decide that time whether or not to ask.

That 1% difference is huge.

Imagine if 99% of flights were safe. Imagine if 99% of the time surgeons do a good job. Imagine if 99% of the time you took your kids to the park they weren’t kidnapped.

The results of those scenarios are disastrous. If you want to protect your life, and your children’s lives you’d want to make sure that each of those above scenarios are perfect 100% of the time.

Missing 1% may seem small, but if it was you that had a botched surgery, a crashed flight, or your kids were taken from you–that 1 % ruined your life.

If you’re losing weight, make it a 100% commitment. Turning down cake after dinner is easy if you’ve already made your mind up.

Want to make more money? Turning off the tv and working toward your goal is easy, no matter what’s on if you’ve determined that no matter what you’re going to do it.

Improving yourself? Check.

Being a better parent? Check.

Being a better spouse? Check.

Being a better person? Check.


Decide today what you want, and make your mind up 100% that you’re going to have that.

By eliminating that self debate you’ve had in the past, you’ve freed up a ton of energy to focus in on what you actually want!

by Josh Bickford

Josh Bickford has found his purpose, and it's YOU! He has written a book just for you--and it's FREE! Be sure to claim your copy at: http://magnificenceblog.com/free-stuff/setting-your-goals-so-you-reach-for-magnificence

Never settle, always reach for magnificence!

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

Discipline Your Mind For Success, Improve Your Focus

I was reading my usual blogs today and found a particularly interesting post by Steve Pavlina on his Personal Development Blog. I thought that you might like to head on over there if you aren't already following along. It is a huge post so take a little time and settle in for a good read and take some notes.

The whole post can be read at: Disciplining Your Mind to Become Better at Manifesting. Here are a couple of thoughts he touches on but he goes into great detail on the "How To's" in his original post.

"When our mind is cluttered and we attempt to introduce new intentions, it’s like throwing pebbles into a stormy sea. The ripples will still occur, but they’ll just be absorbed. The calmer we can make our background thoughts, the cleaner will be our intentions’ ripples, and the more readily they’ll manifest."

"How can you hold a thought of financial abundance without succumbing to worries about paying the bills? How can you focus on attracting a new relationship when you still harbor thoughts of being alone? How can you manifest health when you keep thinking about your ailments?" . . .

"I think a good solution to these problems is to build your mental discipline, your ability to stay focused on whatever it is you consciously decide to think about.

"We spend a lot of time thinking, but how much effort do we put into consciously managing our thoughts? How skilled are you at choosing your thoughts?"

"I’ve come up with a number of practices that have been very helpful in keeping my thoughts focused on what I want and away from what I don’t want . . . Read his entire posting

Passion, Determination, Resilience, Confidence = Winner Mindset

The Definition of WIN!

When you look into the eyes of a winner, what do you see? Perhaps you notice a fire of passion, determination, resilience, and a sense of self confidence that screams, “I can do it! Nothing can stop me from winning!”

We’ve all seen winners in our personal and professional lives. They are the determined ones with a strong resolve and unwavering sense of purpose in everything they do. Always able to face challenge and adapt to change, they see adversity and defeat as minor and temporary setbacks, recovering with an even stronger, more steadfast desire to win.

They never wallow on the path of self pity and consistently manage to stay focused on their ultimate objective. Winners are leaders with a mission, and they epitomize success in everything they do.

As I've worked with winners in the military and in business, I've noted an important similarity: whether the winners realize it or not, their success comes from their innate ability to "Work It Now!"

That’s right! That is how winners define Win. They have a ‘work it now’ attitude about life, and approach every challenge with a resolute commitment to excellence. Winners undoubtedly recognize that it takes work to win, and they don’t put it off until tomorrow. They do what is necessary to win today!

The foundation of a winner’s state of mind is the realization that nothing in life worth fighting for comes easy. Sacrifice, effort, and sweat are synonymous with success.

If you look around your organization, see what the winners are doing, and observe how ‘easy’ they make it seem! It only appears easy because of all the time and energy they took developing their skills and sharpening the sword of success.

Winners are the ones who consistently:

1. Arrive early and stay late until the job gets done.

2. Volunteer for the tough projects when no-one else will.

3. Take pride in their work and enjoy the daily journey towards success.

4. Take advantage of training seminars, ask questions, and read books to expand their knowledge base and expertise.

The same holds true for the top salespersons that repeatedly practice their presentations, the best pro golfers who perfect their swing, and the experienced surgeons who study the latest surgical equipment, drugs, and procedures.

In addition, winners not only work hard in their personal development, but also on developing trusting and productive relationships with their co-workers, friends, and families. These relationships are based on a solid foundation of integrity and accountability.

They appreciate that to truly be successful you often need the assistance of those trusted and reliable partners in your life to accomplish your objectives.

Fighter pilots call these trusted and reliable partners wingmen, as they fly on each other’s wing in formation. Wingmen are used to back each other up, monitor safety, and successfully accomplish very dangerous and complicated missions.

The wingmen mentality of mutual support also applies to business and life, as we all need each other to help us overcome our daily challenges.

While winners may not necessarily possess the inherent ability to ‘do it all,’ their success often stems from the fact that they know who to go to for help in getting the job done. Moreover, they are easy to get along with and have an innate ability to connect with people. They possess what Daniel Goleman coined in the early 90’s - Emotional Intelligence.

As a former Air Force fighter pilot, my fellow wingmen and I lived by the credo – “The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war!” In order to defeat the enemy and stay ahead of the threat, we needed to spend countless hours studying tactics, technology, and war fighting doctrine.

We trained together relentlessly in various environments in order to maximize our ability to survive in hazardous and volatile conditions. There was no room for error. If we failed, our lives and the lives of our wingmen were at stake.

Finally, we planned, briefed, and debriefed our missions as a unified, cohesive team, understanding that we could never fly a successful mission solo. We always had to fly with wingmen to achieve our objectives…and win!

In addition to a ‘work mindset,’ winners operate on a ‘now timeline.’ In essence, they never put off until tomorrow what should be done today! There is no room for procrastination in a winner’s daily regimen. Furthermore, they don’t make excuses.

In the stress and challenges of everyday life, it’s so easy to become overwhelmed by the countless responsibilities we face. Quite often, we become strangled by these pressures and challenges. Rather than take the necessary action to face them head on, we may find ourselves immobilized and fearful.

How ‘easy’ it is to give in to the pressure and wait until tomorrow to face today’s challenges! Unfortunately, many tomorrows pass us by and the issues never get resolved. We remain uninspired and stagnant, and fail to grow in our personal and professional lives.

Winners, on the other hand, take action now! They possess a ‘make it happen’ approach to life, and “sweat now” in order to prevent “bleeding tomorrow.” They tackle the toughest challenges first while maintaining their integrity, and while their sacrifice may, at times, be burdensome, their ultimate reward is personal growth and the inherent satisfaction of a job well done.

The path to victory doesn’t come easy. It is often strewn with defeat and frustration. Winning is a bi-product of relentless self discipline, consistent training, passionate leadership, and a positive attitude. This takes time, patience and perseverance to develop.

In life, you often have to stumble or take a step back in order to make a great leap forward. For hidden in every failure is a victory waiting to emerge.

Never give up in your quest to be the best. Work it Now…and WIN!

By Waldo Waldman

Waldo Waldman builds team unity within organizations as a high energy inspirational speaker and leadership consultant. A former combat-decorated fighter pilot with corporate sales experience, he brings an exciting and valuable message to companies by using fighter pilot strategies as building blocks for peak performance, teamwork, leadership, and trust.

His clients include New York Life, Honeywell, and Panasonic. To book Waldo for your next meeting or to register for his newsletter,” The Wingman," visit http://www.yourwingman.com or call him at 1-866-WALDO-16 (925-3616).

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