Goals Tools - A Vision, A Purpose Makes It All Work Together

Image via Wikipedia

The article in today's issue is written by a member of the first Jamaican Bob Sled Team ever to enter the Olympics, and almost no one took them seriously. If you have seen the movie "Cool Runnings" with John Candy you will better appreciate how much vision they really had. By the way, if you have never seen the movie, check it out. Very Inspirational. Now to our feature article On Vision, and remember this man walked his talk.

Vision Points the Way
By Devon D. Harris

Shortly after I had completed my second season of bobsledding, I found myself back in Jamaica sitting in the officer’s tent as usual talking about bobsledding. On this occasion I was talking about the progress our team had made in the short time we were involved in the sport.

One senior officer, expecting to get a good laugh at my expense, asked me to speak in more detail about the progress we had made. He wanted to hear about start times and race results and how they compared to the more established teams. I simply told him that we had made the transition from being media darlings to true competitors.

Undoubtedly, you’re thinking that that was a strange response to the question. You may remember, that back then the Jamaica Bobsled Team was not taken seriously and was seen as a media stunt and an amusing sideshow to the serious business of Olympic bobsledding. Thankfully, none of us on the team ever saw ourselves in that light.

How do you see yourself?

The vision we had of ourselves and the one that mattered most was decidedly different from what others had of us.

We saw ourselves as equals---athletes with the talent and the ability to become world-class bobsledders. We had a vision of ourselves marching in that opening ceremony and having an opportunity to give of our best against the best.

Today the Jamaican Bobsled Team is almost a household name all over the world and generally recognized within the sport as a veritable threat. That reality exists today primarily because of the vision we held in our minds all those years ago.

Our team, like all the other athletes you see competing in the Olympics and every single person who have succeeded in life in areas outside of sports, didn’t allow anyone or anything to determine the limits of our success. The way you see yourself today will significantly impact your life tomorrow.

What is the vision you have for your life? In five, ten or even twenty years from now, what are some of the things you would like to have accomplished? What milestones would you like to reach? These are key questions for you to answer because you can never get to your destination unless you know what it is.

If you are someone who is unsure of what you want to do with your life it may be helpful to complete the following sentence: “All my life I’ve always wanted to…” It will not necessarily clearly define your vision but it will help to point you in the right direction.

Vision is a preferred future state and truthfully answering this question will help you to start creating a mental template for what that future will look like. Lets say your response is “All my life I’ve always wanted to work with children” You then have to determine the capacity you see yourself working with children?

It could be as a teacher, a pediatrician, or a day care provider among other things. Whatever it is, the means of turning that vision into reality will not always be readily obvious but through persistence, it is ultimately achievable.

Since I became aware of the Olympics in High School I have had a vision of being an Olympian but it required years of “searching” before I ended up as an Olympic bobsledder.

Practice the art of listening

It is through your vision that you determine your dreams and ultimately set your goals. How do you know what your dreams are? You know through the art of listening. Not listening to others but rather listening to yourself.

Listening to others will result in you embracing the goals and dreams that they would impose on you. You will be accepting the limitation that they have imposed on you. Don’t confuse this with accepting advice from others. I am talking about two entirely different things.

If you embrace the vision of others as your own you could never be fulfilled and you’ll end up like a dog that’s always chasing its tail. The tail is always in sight but out of reach.

Take ownership of your vision

We will always have people in our lives, family and friends who think they know what we can or cannot do and see it as their duty to tell us. In most cases I believe it is done with the best of intentions but in the end it hurts us because that is not something that we truly desire.

The question of vision for your life is one that you and you alone must answer.

In the example above, lets assume that your heart is really calling you to be a teacher but a friend or family member convinces you to become a pediatrician. You may end up being a good pediatrician but although you are working with children you probably would never be as good a pediatrician as you would have been a teacher because you simply wouldn’t be as fulfilled

Action steps

1. Complete the question “All my life, I’ve always wanted to...”

2. Do some soul searching to determine the specific path you want to take to fulfill that vision. I.e. becoming a teacher vs. becoming a pediatrician

3. Start identifying specific steps that will take you along that path.

Examples

i. Short term: Identify the college you want to attend. Apply for financial aid, etc

ii. Medium term: Complete a 4 year degree and start working in the field

iii. Complete a Master’s program; open your own school etc

4. Identifying the people who can help you through critical phases of each step

5. Start now.

Copyright (C) 2005 Devon Harris
All rights reserved worldwide
http://www.devonharrislive.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Devon_D._Harris

---

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 Ezines
at http://www.realgoalgetter.com/rgg-ezines/.
--------------------

Related articles by Zemanta

• Must-have movie: Cool Runnings (1993)
• Martin Corry: Defeat was never an option

Pursue Success With Passion and Purpose

Guest Author Dennis Kelley - A while back I had lunch with a friend and we were discussing how unhappy he was at his job.

He doesn't like his boss and believes the company is mismanaged and the work does not stir his passions any more. He has been in the same industry for many years and worked his way up to a good mid-level management position.

He makes good money and they live a comfortable life. He has done a good job saving money for his family's future as well. When he started in this industry it was a good job and provided well for him and his family as they started out.

But, now he feels unfulfilled and realizes this is not what he really wants to do with the rest of his career.

Does any of this sound familiar?

I asked him what he really wanted to do ... what his passion is and if he had no restraints he would pursue with a smile on his face and a kick in his step.

He immediately knew what that was. As soon as he started talking about it his face lit up, his voice became clear and he became animated describing it.

So, I asked him what was holding him back from pursuing that path.

He started talking about all the reasons he could not do it: he wouldn't make as much money to start as he does now, he would have to relocate; it would require him to take some college courses to get ready and that would take time and the list went on.

While he was talking he started to realize what he was doing. How he was letting his fears hold him back. What he was doing was making excuses to himself and, letting himself off the hook from following his dream.

He knew exactly what he wanted and he knew that his wife and family would support him all the way. Yet, he still was not taking action to move him closer to what he wanted.

We talked about what it would take to get started. You see, it's not necessary that he achieve the entire goal immediately. What is important is that he knows what he wants, sets out specific goals to get him there and a timeline to make it a reality.

Then it is about taking the first step. Just knowing that he was working toward the goal would have made such a big difference to his mental state and allowed him to have focus and hope.

Deciding what you truly want from life and then not pursing it because of your fears, is a sure way to become frustrated and to keep you from getting all you want from your life.

My friend has been going through the motions in his career for the past several years because he feels he needs to - not because he wants to.

That is changing now. He has made a commitment to start taking the classes he needs and developing the rest of his plan for his definition of success.

It is time for you to do the same thing. If the definition of success you wrote out really does stir your passions and speak to your heart, then you need to ask yourself, "What is holding me back and why?"

Realizing what is holding you back is a major step you need to take in your journey. You can't begin a journey to get what you really want if you let your fears get in the way.

Take the time right now to analyze your success definition and decide what is getting in your way. Talk to someone you trust about your dream and work out what it will take for you to get it.

This will allow you to begin to identify your goals and build the plan to finally get what your heart desires. Don't let anything get in the way!

by Dennis A. Kelley,

Author The D. Kelley Group - http://www.AchievingUnlimitedSuccess.com

dennis@AchievingUnlimitedSuccess.com

Are You Being Authentic? How Do You Know?

Top Ten Ways to Live Authentically
By Ann Ronan

1. Know your purpose
Are you wandering through life with little direction – hoping that you’ll find happiness, health and prosperity? Identify your life purpose or mission statement and you will have your own unique compass that will lead you to your truth north every time.

2. Know your values
What do you value most? Make a list of your top 5 values. Some examples are security, freedom, family, spiritual development, learning. As you set your goals - – check your goals against your values. If the goal doesn’t align with any of your top five values – you may want to reconsider it or revise it.

3. Know your needs
Unmet needs can keep you from living authentically. Take care of yourself. Do you have a need to be acknowledged, to be right, to be in control, to be loved? List your top four needs and get them met!

4. Know your passions
Honor those things that make your heart sing. Whatever it is, do more of it!

5. Live from the inside out
Increase your awareness of your inner wisdom by regularly reflecting in silence. Commune with nature. Breathe deeply to quiet your distracted mind.

6. Honor your strengths
What are your positive traits? What special talents do you have? List three – if you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help identify these. Are you imaginative, witty, good with your hands? Find ways to express your authentic self through your strengths.

7. Take time to play
Give yourself time to recharge doing things you love to do or by just doing nothing.

8. Be aware of your self-talk
Are you blocking your potential? Check out your first thoughts when you wake up. Are they supportive, encouraging or positive? Choose the kind of chatter that’s goes on in your mind. Become aware of the negative messages you give yourself. Gently catch them and turn them into positive affirmations.

9. Surround yourself with inspiration
Keep a success journal. Write down your four or five greatest strengths and post them where you can see them. On the last Friday of each month, write down all your accomplishments both big and small.

10. Serve others
When you live authentically, you may find that you develop an interconnected sense of being. When you are true to who you are, living your purpose and giving of your talents to the world around you, you give back in service what you came to share with others -your spirit – your essence.

Copyright 2005 Ann Ronan

Ann Ronan, Ph.D., RScP is a Religious Science Practitioner. Join her in an ongoing Science of Mind Study Group by telephone http://www.authenticlifeinstitute.com for more info.

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/

Do I Like Who I Am . . .

Before we get to today's message, I just wanted to announce that The Current Realgoalgetter Ezine is now posted online. It's got some pretty good stuff in there, but then again I am a little biased . . . LOL! Now over to today's topic.

Do I Like Who I am When I'm There?
By John Carvana

It’s about being authentic. It’s about being true to oneself about oneself regardless of where you are, who you’re with or what’s going on around you. It’s about setting a standard for yourself that being who you really and truly are is a non-negotiable, inflexible, unwavering condition in your life. Authenticity! As the younger generation would say, “It’s about keeping it real”. In this case you are it!

But why is being authentic so important one might ask. As a baby-boomer, my father and my grandfather clearly did not indulge in such reflection. They were too busy defining themselves through their work and doing what men do. Why has the idea of being authentic become so important now?

Well, being authentic has always been essential even prior to my grandfather’s time. However, due to continually improving technology, mounting economic shifts, and their impact on redefining male - female roles and relationships in the workplace and in the community, being authentic for most people is a practice frequently left undone.

What may have seemed like time wasted activity has become essential to defining one’s sense of behavior, ethics and identity.

Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else. ~ Judy Garland

The first step in this process is the hardest part. It involves taking an honest assessment of who you are at this very moment. Right now! There’s no need to delve once again in the past. The past has passed and there is very little you can do about it other than to either ignore it, repeat it or learn from it. HINT: choose the latter! What’s done is done and it cannot be changed. But you can, if necessary, redirect your present and redefine your future.

Begin by asking yourself these basic questions:
-“What do I want?”
-“What do I value?”
-“Am I getting what I want? If not, what’s stopping me?”
-“Am I ready, willing and able to change to get what I want?”

The trick here is you have to be absolutely honest with yourself about yourself. If you are unable at this time to be completely honest then chances are you are experiencing a sense of separateness and isolation within you that will manifest itself as stress, confusion, anger and, essentially, fear.

Why? Because you are not being who you really are. You have surrendered / submerged / sacrificed your essence (your “Who”) and that is what is preventing you from being authentic. You are, in reality, living life by default and not by your own design or in accordance with the intentions that your Creator has for you.

"I am only one, but I am still one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do." - Helen Keller

Are you living your purpose? Do you know what your purpose is? Or are you too busy going through life to take time out to be who you really are and to define what you truly want and deserve? You can make a choice to live by design…your design…or by default. Contact me if you want support achieving more.

John P. Carvana has almost thirty years experience in the field as a career service practitioner and is the founder of Level Playing Field (LPF) Consulting. He is certified as a Career and life Purpose Coach with an added background in organizational training and development. His niche includes motivated individuals over thirty years of age who are in either a career or life transition. John’s specialty is to lessen the gap between where the client is and where they want to be. He has helped hundreds of clients achieve their goals.

A dynamic speaker, John addresses local, regional and national audiences on topics intended to improve their personal and professional development. To learn more about his coaching services, or to schedule John for a speaking engagement, call 209.479.2165 or click http://www.discoveredpurpose.com

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

---

The Motivated Mind
Discover the Secrets to Getting and Staying Motivated
to Change Your Life and Achieve Your Dreams.
The Motivated Mind is a new, step-by-step guide
that will teach you how to get everything you want in life.
The secrets can now be yours.
The Motivated Mind

---

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/.
From The Realgoalgetter Group of Companies;
dedicated to helping you live a long, passionate, joyful life.
--------------------

Where Is Your Vision Hiding?

This article by Catherine Franz really describes how a vision for your life may be knocking on the door of your mind and how important it is to listen when it does.

It hit me just right when I read it the second time, I love to hear about someone's personal life journey. This is real stuff and it is nice to know that we are all in the same boat! We all look calm on the outside but many of us have furious currents at work under the surface.

What potential message are you receiving that you dismiss before really investigating what the message is telling you. Our visions do not always come to us ready made and crystal clear.

Sometimes we have to interpret our mind's work, I mean really think about what our sixth sense may be saying to us. Sometimes it takes weeks if not months to clarify what is the right road for us.

Take some time this weekend to listen to your mind's work. Stop and record possible significant directions or hints of a more joyful, passionate future. Here's the article.

Embrace Your Overall Vision: It May Be Hiding in the Strangest Places By Catherine Franz

Thinking back on it, my lifestyle change journey really began about eight years ago. But I didn't become aware of it until about three years ago when I consciously decided I needed to lead a "lighter" life and started by cleaning out the medicine cabinet.

It seems so simple now, but it took three months before I could let go of the contents of that 14 x 16 inch space. Every time I went in that cabinet, a more honest assessment yielded more trash. Soon it became easier to be honest about the clutter of my life, at least the old stuff.

Memory stuff was not so easy -- things my parents gave me, my ex- husband, old boyfriends, friends -- I'm sure you get the picture. Of course, the kids' stuff was the hardest. But practice does make perfect, and in time I was able to make hard choices about what was really important to me.

Slowly but steadily over the next three years I conquered the rest of my house -- purging and cleaning every corner, cabinet and room.

Happy with what I'd accomplished, by fall of 2005 I was ready to focus on other life shifting goals. It was as if cleaning out the medicine cabinet and the rest of the house was the catalyst for other, bigger changes.

And the messages to make changes were all around me. Early in November 2005, I started hearing them. "It's time to really shift." I heard Dr. Phil, television's well-known therapist, say whenever I clicked on his show.

I didn't watch him very often but when my intuition said tape it or turn on the tube, I did, and there was the same message, "If it isn't working for you, change it." The timing was always impeccable. Of course, he expressed the message in different words.

But even with these coincidences, I heard the bold words but didn't take any action. Then the messages started bombarding me. Small, soft, large and loud. They kept coming. In early December, while in a meditative state, I heard it.

This time very clearly, very direct AND very, very loud, and firm. "Its time to really commit and get bold. Its time to reinvent yourself, Catherine."

All I could do was give a throat chuckle. The message scared the heebie jeebies out of me. Over the space of the week my feelings transitioned into, "Okay, I'm open, what do you mean by that?" I asked even though I had a good idea what it meant. The vision of selling everything and changing my environment to be much lighter, more Zen-like.

I've needed to lose a lot of weight (that was always a goal). But this time it was different, it wasn't the weight at all. It was, "Get healthy. There's a lot in store for you, and you need to be healthy in order to get there."

The picture got clearer as each week progressed. Key items appeared, I got nervous, questioned it, mulled over it, ran and tried to hide for a few hours from it, shared my doubts with my best friend, Brenda. The doubts faded but my lack of trust in myself didn't totally go away. I kept wanting all the answers. I want to know exactly what I was to do and how to do it.

The New Year is here now and I know what I need to do, although I still have no clue of what it all means. The thoughts of measuring up to the vision is still a little nerve wracking. Doubts come and go but only when I really don't want to eat healthy or exercise.

One step, now, is all I can focus on. Eat healthy now. Exercise now. Sell one piece of furniture now. Its replacement will come. I know all will come at the right time. And I think that is the only thing that keeps me in the "now" of working towards wherever this "reinventing Catherine" message is leading me.

I hold on to the vision that has been there for the last few months as I really like its picture. Yesterday, I spent some time working on my 2006 Attraction Board. It had been in the works since early November but the pictures weren't clear. Yesterday, while in the craft store things began to mesh.

This week I plan on test-driving new cars, deciding on which one I like, and placing its picture on my Attraction Board so that the universal laws will bring it to me.

When messages come of steps that you want to take, allow yourself to go through the emotions, but don't get stuck in the feelings. Keep the door open because the message you receive may only be a partial picture.

If you block it because it seems too big or impossible or unimportant, then the next message, the one that explains it or gives it additional clarity, won't get through to you. Even profound decisions often mask themselves as many simple choices -- like cleaning out a medicine cabinet -- and only take a few moments to make.

So be ready. Keep the doors open to the possibilities and listen -- messages can come from the strangest places -- a television program, a child, a piece of music, a memory or your own behavior. It really isn't difficult. It is a decision though. It is a choice.

(c) Copyright 2006, Catherine Franz. All rights reserved.

Catherine Franz, is a syndicated columnist, author, radio host, International speaker, and master business coach. http://www.abundancecenter.com

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

Are You Living A Life Of Significance? If Not, Why Not?

Why Can't You Be Extraordinary?

During a recent interview, millionaire Farrah Gray was asked what inspired him to become rich at age 14?

Farrah Gray replied, "Why not me."

I admire Farrah Gray for his vision and more importantly his commitment and quest for wanting to be rich. To become rich or wealthy you have to do something extraordinary.

Extraordinary does not require you to do anything unusual except planning your work and working your plan. A better way to state this is for you to decide on an area of focus like real estate and then learn all you can about it and follow through, which is the action step.

You may not want to be a millionaire like Farrah Gray but you do want to achieve better results in your life. Your goal may consist of being a more effective leader or a better accountant.

Whatever you decide to do to become the best at what you do will consist of developing a plan, then working your plan to see it through to fruition.

There is nothing difficult or revolutionary when it comes to being extraordinary. Part of being extraordinary could very well involve you being in the right place at the right time for your opportunity. It is stated, showing up is 80% of success.

In other words when you decide to fully exploit an opportunity it simply means you want it bad enough to go the extra mile to achieve your goal. Determination and will overcome lack every single time.

You were born a extraordinary human being, develop your plan and work your plan and you will be considered an extraordinary human being.

by Paul Lawrence

Paul Lawrence Vann is known as 'Mr. Peak Performance" because he leads people to maximize their human potential. He is the author of Living on Higher Ground: How to live with passion, motivation, and joy. Contact Paul at: (00) 476-8976, http://www.paullawrencevann.com, or paul@paullawrencevann.com.

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

Are The Results You Are Getting The Results You Really Wanted?

I seen this article and just loved it. This really speaks to my heart because I have found myself in this very conundrum (is this really a word?) from time to time when I put my head down and just go go go . . . Then I look up and find out that I veered off course from my true meaningful path. I hope it will strike a chord with someone else also.

At the very least it is timely information. During the next few weeks many of will be doing more than a little evaluation of our present lifestyles.

I'm Very Busy Doing Not Much And Going Nowhere In Particular

Is it just my imagination or are we all busier than ever? And seemingly, less fulfilled, more stressed, more confused and more... lost?

And having less fun. Definitely less fun.

"I'll have fun later. Right now, I'm busy being important and successful, get out of my way."

Lately, it seems that everyone I talk to is 'flat out'.

All in a big rush..... to nowhere in particular. We're extremely busy... doing... not a lot. Well, nothing of significance or real consequence. Nothing that makes us (consistently) happy or fulfilled anyway.

Sometimes we feel like we're just another speck of humanity on the big green ball.

Our lives are time-tabled to the nano-second... but we don't really know why.

We say we want a life of meaning and purpose...but we're too busy to sort out exactly what that purpose might be...

"Perhaps I'll do it this Sunday, because I have the afternoon off." "Yep, that's it; I'll do the what's-my-life-purpose-thing this Sunday....unless of course I get busy."

Lives have never been more chaotic, complex or frenetic... yet we've never felt emptier or less fulfilled. We're 30, 40, 50 or older and we're still not sure what we want from life. We don't have clarity and purpose, we have confusion, uncertainty and fear.

I spoke to a bloke this week who has been in a mundane, thankless, un-fulfilling career (which he hates) for thirty-five years... because it didn't dawn on him that work could be anything other than a means of paying bills. When I suggested that perhaps he could find new meaning, purpose, fulfillment, direction and excitement (yes, even in his fifties) he thought I was trying to sell him something.

I was; A LIFE.

When I suggested that he at least explore the possibility of either 1) making his current career more rewarding or 2) changing careers and creating a new reality, he thought I was nuts.
I didn't say it would be easy or smooth or comfortable... but, is it possible to change careers, lives and realities at fifty and beyond? Yep.

Don't mis-represent 'fear' with 'possibilities'... If we say "it's impossible", then we don't have to overcome our fears... and we can stay in our un-fulfilling (but safe) little world that we've built ourselves.

Every day I ask people what their life-purpose is, and the majority don't really know.
And not only don't they know, they never even really take the time to explore it. Sometimes they'll mumble and bumble their way through some trite, predictable, I-wanna-save-the-planet-type answer... because that's what they think is appropriate... and sometimes they will get cranky at me and tell me that I don't understand their situation and I'm being unreasonable.

Okay.

Some of us get up every day and do what we did yesterday... because that's what we do.
It's not part of a plan or anything... it's just a habit we are living. We don't have a desire to keep doing what we doing, but at the same time, we haven't clarified what we do want to do... and we haven't really done anything to remove ourselves from the less-than-desirable position we are in right now.

With me?

We want 'different' but we trap ourselves in 'same' because of fear, laziness, apathy and ignorance.

Primarily fear.

Fear of failure. Fear of the unknown. Fear of losing what we've got ("I'd rather have mediocre... than nothing"). Fear of embarrassment. Fear of discomfort (emotional, psychological, physical, spiritual).

We need to take time out to get clarity. Real clarity.

Clarity and Certainty about what we want for our life.

Clarity about our reason for being here... some of my critics tell me there is no 'reason'; we're just here. I choose to be here for a reason. What's yours?

Clarity about what we want for our future. When I ask most people if they planned to be in their current situation, they say no. "I just kind of ended up her." Crap life-strategy. By not making a decision, you are making a decision.

Clarity about our relationships. Too many people don't know exactly what they want, need or like in a relationship. They don't create good relationships, they just exist and survive in the ones they have. I choose not to have friendships with negative, destructive, life-is-so-hard, energy vampires. I choose to hang out (socially) with people who challenge me, teach me and stretch me. I choose to hang out with people I respect. I choose to hang out with people who make me laugh... and cry.

Clarity about our career. We're always hearing those stats on how we all spend 108.7% of our time working and that 264% of us are miserable in our career ....okay, I made the numbers up but you get my point.

Spend time exploring, researching, asking questions, talking to people. Perhaps you need to study or re-train. Don't panic.. you'll survive ya big scaredy cat. I went back to University at thirty-six after an eighteen-year absence from (formal) education.

And I spent three years, five days a week, hanging out with a bunch of eighteen to twenty year-olds who taught me way more than I taught them. I had zero computer skills, I had a full-time career, I had fifty-plus staff, I had people telling me I shouldn't do it, I had massive time-management issues .....and I had the best time ever!

Clarity about our beliefs, values and principles. Aaah, now we're getting into the juicy stuff. Ask yourself two questions:

1) What are my beliefs, values and principles? If we are absolutely honest, most of us are a little hazy and foggy when it comes to articulating this - I'm talking about speaking with emotion and depth of feeling from the heart, not some rehearsed politically correct waffle from our head.

If you really haven't clarified what are your 'core' beliefs, values and principles (what represents you, what is important to you) then maybe now's the time.

I know it's not convenient now but do it anyway. Who knows.. you may grow to like spontaneity!

2) Am I living a life which is consistent with my beliefs, values and principles? Answer this honestly and you may discover many of your big-picture answers. Many people are miserable because they are actually living a life which is at odds with 'who they really are.'

To gain genuine clarity requires space.And silenceAnd no distractions.And focus.And time.And discipline.

And guts and honesty.

Some of us are trapped in an emotional, cerebral and creative fog. We need to stick our head up through the clouds and take a look at the big wide world of possibilities.

I love Planet Possibility; it's where I live.

I know I have many short-comings; but I choose to succeed anyway. I know I'm not super-talented... but I've decided to squeeze every ounce out of what I've got. I know that a life lived with purpose is not always easy... I'm prepared to be uncomfortable regularly.

I know some people will be critical of my philosophies, ideas and choices; I'm okay with that. I know I will be wrong and make mistakes sometimes; I'll choose to learn. I know that if I don't believe in me, it doesn't matter what anyone else says. I know not to confuse 'what I feel with what is real'... because my feelings are not a great indicator of what's possible.

I know I want to live, laugh, love and learn. Every day.

What do you really want? And what are you prepared to do for it?

by Craig Harper

Craig Harper is a motivational speaker, qualified exercise scientist, author, radio presenter, television personality and owner of one of the largest personal training centres in the world.
He can be heard weekly on SEN 1116 and GOLD FM radio stations and appears on Monday's on Network Ten's 9AM.

Motivational Speaker- Craig Harper

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

Arnold Schwarzenegger's Positive Thinking Road Map To Guaranteed Success!

Arnold Schwarzenegger's Positive Thinking Road Map To Guaranteed Success!

Arnold Schwarzenegger started life in a tiny village of Graz in Austria. It was his father who first encouraged him to participate in some kind of sport.

However it wasn't until the age of 15 that he first began lifting weights. But even at that early age he was decisive and positive declaring:

"I want to be the best built man in the world. Then I want to go to America and be in movies. I want to be an actor."

And with this sort of drive and intention he became unstoppable, for after just five years of training he was declared Mr Universe - The Greatest Bodybuilder on the planet. 'Arnie' subsequently went on to raise the bar further constantly pushing himself to 13 more major titles.

It was clear that his laser beam focus and concentration played a great part in his success and that his inner power was the key to much of his success as to his outer lifting abilities.

"I knew I was going to be a bodybuilder. It wasn't simply that either. I would be the best bodybuilder in the world, the greatest, the best-built man."

Through meticulous gathering of knowledge of his subject and immense passion and devotion, success was always going to be his but only because he made it for himself, no-one did it for him....he wasn't lucky! Far from it, he created his own reality.

"I wanted more, I demanded more of myself." It is clear now that Arnold had tremendous belief in himself and refused to give in or waver from his goals. He knew what he wanted then went and got it, no matter what. He regularly used creative visualization produce astonishing results.

In his bodybuilding life his mind was utterly dominated by Reg Park. His image was my ideal. It was fixed indelibly in my mind."

Reg Park was another top bodybuilder whom he wished to defeat.

"The more I focused in on this image and worked and grew, the more I saw it was real and possible for me to be like him."

Arnold had clearly discovered the power of mind over the body. He also realized emotional distractions and worry weakened him. These negative influences took strength away from his workouts which he hated.

It came to his notice that the people surrounding him also made a difference. Negative people tended to try to stifle him, not believing in his goals and focused lifestyle. He found negative people were not at ease around him until they had either pulled him down or he had won them around to his way of positive thinking.

"I remember certain people trying to put negative thoughts into my mind, trying to persuade me to slow down. But I had found the thing to which I wanted to devote my total energies and there was no stopping me."

He was determined not to let anyone distract him no matter what. He was persistent in his efforts and held his dreams in his mind always. Arnold clearly understood the principle that: success breeds success, declaring:

"Positive Thinking can be contagious. Being surrounded by winners helps you develop into a winner."

Arnold's tremendous progress as a teenager continued. He continuously challenged himself through his self imposed goals and bust through many road blocks inwardly and outwardly but in short...his dream was coming true!

"I wanted that body and I didn't care what I had to go through to get it."

At just 18 Arnie was called up for his military national service joining the tank corp. However this put him in a difficult position as it meant he wouldn't be allowed to compete in the junior 'Mr Europe' being held in Germany that year. However his determination to compete and succeed forced him to risk all and go AWOL.

Naturally he took the top prize and a big trophy but also picked up a week in solitary confinement for his troubles. It seemed there was no sacrifice to great for Arnold to achieve his goals.

Next he went on to win Mr Universe in London and following this his dreams led him to the US where he immediately came across much tougher competition and initially came up short. However it didn't take him long to assess his weaknesses and devise ways to cut them out, in short he refocused.

"I was always honest about my weak points, this helped me grow. I think it's the key to success in everything: be honest; know where you are weak: admit it."

So his reality check allowed him to stay in control of his goals and to adjust his plans accordingly. Doing this stopped him from becoming to inward looking ad wandering off track.

"When I see that I have certain backward attitudes, I reason them out and work to make my outlook more realistic."

Arnold also learned a lot through observing what other successful people do and what unsuccessful people do. This down to earth approach has often given him the edge on his rivals.

"Most of the people I observed couldn't make astonishing advances because they never had faith in themselves. They had a hazy picture of what they wanted to look like someday, but they doubted they could realize it. Ultimately they didn't put out the kind of effort I did because they didn't feel they had a chance to make it. And of course, starting with that premise, they didn't."

Over the years Arnold had developed a winning mindset and mentality. He soon realized that this could be a applied to any area of life that he wished. In short he had developed a simple mind set for success.

In bodybuilding, there are big goals like winning Mr Olympia; there are medium-term goals such as attaining your ideal weight of 245 lbs with just 5% body fat; and there are lots of short term goals like: getting to the gym, eating enough protein, doing an extra rep for each exercise and so on.

Basically what Arnold did was to take this successful approach and apply it in exactly the same way as he did in bodybuilding to other areas of his life.

"In two or three years, I had actually been able to change my body entirely. That told me something. If I had been able to change my body that much, I could also, through the same discipline and determination, change anything else I wanted. I could change my habits, my whole outlook on life."

Arnold was actually a millionaire way before he started his career in Hollywood and in learning about business, Arnold applied the bodybuilding-template to his studies. In exactly the same way he built up his acting career slowly but surely always with the end focus in mind.

Looking back at the achievements he has made during his life it is no surprise his philosophy on life is: "The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer,"

I strongly suggest you take a note of the tremendous success of Arnold's life and realize that it was down to himself and the way he has used positive thinking throughout his life to achieve his goals. He wasn't born lucky, or with anymore chance to succeed than you or I. Follow his template for success and you can also live a very fulfilling life.

by Stephen Ryan

Discover more click: Power Of Positive Thinking now and receive over $60 worth of FREE positive thinking training. You'll also discover how to use the law of attraction and creative visualisation to help you lead a more fulfilling life!

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

Finding Your True Calling

Finding Your True Calling

In my courses on time management, I point out that the very worst use of time in life is to stay at a job for months and years for which you are completely unsuited. There are a great number of people who spend their whole lives doing something during the week so that they can somehow find something enjoyable to do on the weekends.

In every case, these are men and women with very little future before them. They look upon their jobs as a form of drudgery, a penance they have to pay in order to enjoy the rest of their lives. And because of this attitude, they will seldom advance or be promoted. They will stay pretty much at the level they are, moving from job to job, and always wondering why other people seem to be living the good life while they feel like they are living lives of quiet desperation.

People who are not successful and happy in their work are those who have not taken the time to sit down and deal honestly and openly with themselves. They have not looked deep within themselves to find the inner treasures of talent and ability that they have demonstrated throughout their lives. They are content to do work that other people design and to achieve goals that other people have set.

Over time, people who are not following their true callings begin to feel helpless. They feel that there is nothing they can do to change things. Their income only rises enough to meet their expenditures, and they worry about money all the time. The future looks to them to be very much the same as the past. But this is not for you.

Your aim in life is to become everything you are capable of becoming, to enjoy full self- expression of your talents and abilities. Your job is to develop yourself to the point where every day is a source of joy and satisfaction, and you have so many interesting things to do that you do not have enough time to do them. Your job is to continually hold up a mirror to yourself and refuse to work at anything that is not an expression of everything that is good and capable within you.

Success comes from being excellent at what you do. The market only pays excellent rewards for excellent performance. It pays average rewards for average performance and below-average rewards and insecurity for below-average performance.

But excellence is a journey, not a destination. You never really get there. You can never relax. The market is always changing and what constitutes excellence today will be different tomorrow and very different next year and the year after.

All really successful and happy people know in their hearts that they are very good at what they do. If you are doing what you really love and enjoy, if you are following your true calling, you will know because of your attitude toward excellence.

When you have found your true calling, nothing but the best will do for you, and you will go any distance, pay any price, overcome any obstacle to develop yourself to the point where you are really good at your occupation.

When you find your true calling, you will have a continuous desire to learn more about it. People who are not driven to learn more about their fields are people who are in the wrong jobs. And if a person is in the wrong job and not constantly learning and growing in their field, their value and their employability is diminishing with each passing day.

When you find your true calling, you will be determined to join the top 10 percent of people in your field. You will be willing to pay any price that is necessary to rise to the top. You will be willing to start a little earlier, work a little harder, and stay a little later. You will take additional courses on the evenings and weekends. You will see technology as an opportunity to do your job better. You will be interested in the various learning programs that you can install on your computer that can help you learn better and faster. You will be hungry for new knowledge in your quest to move upward in your chosen field.

A simple test as to whether or not you are in your true calling is this: If you are doing the job that is meant for you, that uses your unique talents and abilities, you will automatically admire those who are at the top of your field. You will look up to them and want to be like them. They will be your role models and you will pattern your work and activities after them. You will want to meet them, talk to them, read their books, and listen to their talks. The very best people in your chosen field will become the examples that give you guidance, both spoken and unspoken, on your upward journey.

Throughout the years, I have been continually asked by people what they can do to be more successful. In almost every case, they are working in jobs that they don’t like, for bosses they don’t particularly respect, producing or selling products or services to customers they don’t care about. And many of them think that if they just hang in there long enough, the clouds will part and everything will get better.

But the fact is that you are where you are and who you are because you have chosen to be there. Nobody can help you or change your situation for you. The economic goal of your company is to hire people at the very lowest cost so that they can serve customers at the very lowest cost in a competitive market. For this reason, no one has any obligation to pay you any more than you are getting. If possible, they would like to pay you less.

The one thing I tell people over and over again is that they must become very good at doing what they are doing if they want to move up. And if they don’t have the inner desire to be very good at their jobs, it means they are probably in the wrong jobs.

The great tragedy is the number of people who do their job in an average or mediocre fashion with the idea that, when the right job comes along, they will really put their heads down and do a good job. But for some reason, the right job never comes along. They are always passed over for promotion and advancement. They are always the last ones hired and the first ones laid off.

If you’re still not sure about your true calling, ask the people the closest to you. Ask them, “What do you think I would be the very best at doing with my life?” It is absolutely amazing how people around you, including your spouse, your best friends, and your parents can see clearly what you should be doing when often you cannot see it yourself.

Remember, you are put on this earth to do something wonderful with your life. You have within you talents and abilities so vast that you could never use them all if you lived to be a thousand. You have the natural skills and talents that can enable you to overcome any obstacle and achieve any goal you could ever set for yourself.

There are no limits on what you can be, have, or do if you can find your true calling, and then throw your whole heart into doing what you are made to do in an excellent fashion.

by Brian Tracy

Brian Tracy is a leading authority on personal and business success. As Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, he is the best-selling author of 17 books and over 300 audio and video learning programs. Join Brian's Free Email Newsletters.Copyright © 2001 Brian Tracy International. All Rights Reserved.

A Great Master Ambition - Do You Have One?

The Power of Purpose

What does it take to be a success? We've all heard that it takes lots of hard work, but now there's actually research to back that up. Recently, researchers have shown you don't have to have talent to succeed. Just the ability to apply "deliberate practice". This type of practice still requires the long hours, but they are focused hours designed to improve performance and provide feedback on results.

Wow - that's a mouthful! It's what separates the "greats" from the "not-so-greats". Actually, it generally takes around ten years of this "deliberate practice" before "greatness" or "success" is accomplished.

Even though we now know that we don't necessarily have to have an innate ability to succeed, how can we develop the persistence and focus it requires to go through years of "deliberate practice"

That's where purpose and passion come in. Every potent life must have a great master ambition which takes precedence over all other motives. The person with a vigorous ambition is a positive, constructive, creative force.

No one can be resourceful, inventive, original or creative without potent concentration; and the complete focusing of the mind is only possible along the line of ambition, the life purpose. We cannot focus the mind upon a thing we are not interested in and enthusiastic about.

There is an infinite distance between the wishers and the doers. Most of us go to work every day and we may like our jobs favorably enough but we know in our hearts it is not our life's calling or passion. We are only loosely connected to our work and usually can't wait to go home. That's hardly a passion, is it?

There is great power in a resolution that has no reservation in it — a strong, persistent, tenacious purpose which burns all bridges behind it, clears all obstacles from its path, and arrives at its goal, no matter how long it may take, no matter what the sacrifice or the cost.

The inspiration of a great, positive ambition transforms the life. When the awakening power of a new ambition is born in a man, he is a new creature. He sees everything in a novel light. The doubts, the fears, the apathy, the vicious temptations which dogged his steps only yesterday, the stagnation which had blighted his past life, all vanish as if by magic. They are dispelled by the breath of a novel purpose.

This new feeling is comparable to the feeling you had when you first fell in love. Remember how all of a sudden the world was brighter, kinder and more beautiful? That's the feeling you want to strive for. When an inspiration comes to you, do something about it. Write a note or do some small act to remind you about the thought.

Otherwise, you may think about it for a while and then it will gradually fade away. The habit of postponing kills even the strongest inspiration. These thoughts don't always come at the most opportune time, but take action when you get them.

Remember at the beginning of this article, I pointed out that almost all of the successful people in the world got there from 'deliberate" practice over years of time? Here's some examples:

Tiger Woods - many say his "natural ability" for golf makes it look effortless. But he started playing at 18 months and had 15 years of practice before he won his first major tournament.

Michael Jordan - if his "talent" for basketball was so innate, why did he get cut from his high school basketball team?

Jerry Rice - one of the all-time foremost football receivers, was passed up by 15 teams because he was considered too slow.

Now that you feel inspired and you know that you can accomplish anything without a "God-given" ability, where do you go from here? It's not enough to merely desire something or "wish" you could do it. You must say, "I am going to prepare myself for the great life work. I have faith in my future. I have made a vow to succeed and I am going to do so with a plan of action."

There are various tools and resources to help you with your plan. Keep reading and learning! One amazing tool I have found that helps you create, focus and attain your goals doesn't cost a dime! Read below for more information.

by GiGi Konwin

Get the plan for your success started today. To discover the free tool to help you plan your life's dreams go to: Planning for Success

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

How to Use Empowering Mission Statements Everyday

How to Use Empowering Mission Statements Everyday

There are costs and risks to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction. - John F. Kennedy

For many people, the only real introduction to the idea of mission statements has been through the movie Jerry McGuire. Mission statements aren’t stuffy or dry corporate documents, but well-articulated visions that are meant to energize us. Most companies use a mission statement to help remain focused on their core values or purpose.

While people spend hours and hours laboring over a mission statement for a company or their resume, rarely do people spend the same time articulating their life mission. Today we are going to break down this concept of “mission statements,” and see how it applies to everything that we do.

The easiest way to grasp the concept of a mission statement is to begin by swapping out the word “mission” with “purpose.” These statements become a way to articulate our purpose. Often, when our attitude is suffering, it is because we have not connected purpose with our actions.

Many people make the mistake of believing only great feats have purpose—world peace, feeding the hungry, organizing a protest or petition, holding a fundraiser, donating to a blood drive. While this list does have positive action items, we can also bring purpose to everything in our lives—including tasks like doing the laundry or grocery shopping.

Let’s use grocery shopping for our example. After reading the two scenarios, ask yourself which example would be more beneficial to your attitude and outlook. Example A is “auto-pilot.” It is probably how many people shop today. Example B uses awareness and purpose.

Example A: I sigh because my family members are complaining that there isn’t any food in the house, even though it seems like I just went shopping two days ago. Why doesn’t anyone else ever go shopping anyway? And why don’t they put what they want on the list so I don’t have to go shopping all the time?

I do a quick inventory (without the help of anyone else), make my list and drive to the store, even though I was hoping to make some progress on a different project this afternoon. I try to shop quickly and am surprised during checkout by how fast my bill added up! I am tired as I lug the groceries to the car, only to drive home, and lug them into the house, where the first question I hear is “Mom, what’s for dinner?”

Example B: Today is the day I always do my grocery shopping. Grocery shopping is a way for me to encourage my family’s health by selecting nutritious foods.

You will notice Example B is much shorter. Any idea why? It is the magic behind a mission statement or statement of purpose. When we have the clear direction or purpose-filled-statement, we are not distracted with all the “little stuff.” When we don’t have a clear vision, we see everything, including the little stuff. It is the little stuff that derails our attitude. With a focused statement in place, the little stuff doesn’t matter, because what we are doing is bigger than that—what we are doing is purpose-filled. A mission statement should be something easy enough to commit to memory and strong enough to give you a purpose.

Here is another way to think of it. If you were to come and work with me today and the only instructions I gave you were: “just do some work.” What would you do? You would likely look around the office, observe what people are doing, try to think about what would contribute or what to work on. How would that change if I said, “Would you please read through these speaker handouts and write down any feedback or ideas you have on how I could improve?”

By giving clearer instructions and purpose to the task at hand, you wouldn’t have to wonder what to do, and you would be less susceptible to external distractions or getting caught in your own thoughts, because you had a mission in front of you.

Most people are used to mission statements that are made once, and then occasionally glanced at whether it is in work or in life. I strongly encourage you to make a million mission statements. You can create a mission statement for every errand, every task, or for a goal, for a day, for a week, for a month, or for a life. The more purposeful statements you make, the more focused and energized you will become.

The reason is simple: Mission statements clear away all the “mind clutter.” When your mind is presented with a mission, it will act like a computer and work to complete it. Successful businesspeople are masters at using mission statements to stay on course while avoiding diversions and distractions. We can use this business-template to achieve success in our personal lives.

Adapting regular mission statement use to our daily lives will help us stay on course while avoiding diversions, distractions and destructive thinking.

Your Turn

Today, create a positive mission statement for the majority of the activities you do. Writing down the statement will increase its effectiveness. As you learn this practice, you will get to the point where you will be able to easily think of these statements. When you reach that point, you can stop writing down every mission statement, and just write down your larger mission statements that are geared for a day, a week, a month or a specific goal.

by Brook Noel

Brook Noel is the creator of the best-selling 70 Day Life Makeover Program for Women .. The Change Your Life Challenge. This program has helped thousands of women take control of their home, finances, relationships, clutter, time-managmenet and more.

She is the author of 19 books and maintains three free newsletters. The Daily Rush is devoted to quick and easy recipes; Good Morning! is a daily newsletter to get your day off to a great start and The Challenge Weekly offers a personal challenge for self-improvement each week. To sign up for these free newsletters please visit http://www.changeyourlifechallenge.com/news.htm

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

--------------------
Great Attitudes Create Great Results!
Al Smith is also the Editor and Publisher of a
FREE Motivational and Goal Achievement Ezine.
For success tools at your fingertips,
Subscribe Now to The Realgoalgetter Ezine
at http://www.realgoalgetter.com/ezines/
--------------------

Having Fun Yet, Or Is It Same Stuff Different Day?

Having Fun Yet, Or Is It Same Stuff Different Day?

Are you working harder and enjoying it less?

Has much of the fun that you used to have in your career, job or relationship been replaced with stress, frustration, disappointment and anxiety?

You are not alone.

Thousands maybe even millions of people are asking themselves today, where has all the fun gone?

There is a subtle, yet powerful principle at work here that must be recognized. In essence, the principle is as follows; that fun, joy, peace, excitement, challenge, or whatever, is not a characteristic of the job, career or relationship, but a reflection of you in the thing (job career, relationship etc).

The fun hasn't left the job, relationship or career, it has left you.

If you will carefully examine your previous situation, when the fun was there, I am confident you will find that the problems, circumstances, opportunities and so on that are present today were most likely present before. What has changed is you.

The real question is not how do we put the fun back into the job or career, but how do we put the fun back in you?

Let's talk about two issues that might have changed and what could have been some contributors to your changed attitudes. After we dissect these, lets look at a twelve step process to put the missing ingredients back in your life.

You must first accept the premise that your outcomes are your responsibility or the balance of this article will be of little value to you. You can plug any example you choose into the following discussion. For example, you can use your job, career, a current relationship, a hobby or an activity. You can also select one or more of the following to use as your guide; fun, passion, excitement, enthusiasm, challenger, interest, satisfaction, peace, balance, joy and so on.

On to the heart of the matter. First, what has changed?

Has your outlook changed?
Have your goals changed?
Have your perceptions changed?
Has your environment changed?
Have your values changed?
Have your expectations changed?
Have your interests changed?
Have your opinions changed?
Has your life philosophy changed?
Have the demands on you changed?
Have your interpretations changed?
Have your hopes, dreams or desires changed?
Have your communication patterns changed?
Has your lifestyle changed?

Second, what were the prevailing causes or contributors to these changes?

Have you had a recent life changing event? Has the simple fact of growing older had an impact on your thought patterns or attitudes? Have other's expectations for you been altered in any way? Has the continuous rapid changes taking place in the world affected you in some emotional way? Have you felt an ever increasing amount of frustration, guilt, anxiety, resentment, doubt, discouragement or fear?

Both lists could be expanded even further but I am sure I have given you enough examples to trigger your thinking process to examine the effects and causes of the loss of fun, joy or passion that you once knew or experienced in your career or relationships.

Let me share a twelve step process with you that can help put the fun back in the life area where you have lost it.

You must really want to get the fun back. If you have lost the desire to make it work, don't bother with the following exercises. It will be a total waste of your time and energy. Better to spend your time in the search for a new career, job or relationship. Trying through effort or sheer will to make it work when your real intent is elsewhere is a useless exercise.

These twelve steps won't work unless you work them. If you find you are losing interest in executing any of the steps, it might be a subtle signal that you are really ready to move on and trying to begin again where you are might not be the best thing for you. They are not a magic formula but a systematic way of looking at your life's goals, mission or purpose.

Step one. Define or describe in writing what you feel is missing in your life, career, job or relationship. Be specific. Spend a great deal of time on this step. Resist the tendency to go on to step two too quickly. This step is the foundation for your success in later steps. Shortchange yourself here and you will shortchange the entire process.

Examine every possible career, relationship etc. symptom, cause, problem, feeling, issue, frustration, reason or stimulus. This step could take hours even days but the time is necessary and you will learn a great deal about the root of your current problem if you will persist. You must be critically honest and objective. You must write until you have penetrated beyond the shell protected by your ego.

Step two. Describe what the (job, career or relationship) looked like in the past when you were more excited, passionate, joyous, fulfilled, enthusiastic etc. What were its challenges, problems and opportunities?

Step three. Spend time( as ,much as you need) comparing your thoughts, feelings and attitudes, expectations, outcomes and emotions of the two situations.

Step four. Summarize each (step one and step two) into a single paragraph that represents an accurate assessment of the two stages of your (career, job or relationship)

Step five. Ask yourself, do you still want to put the effort, time and resources into regaining the earlier environment or after all of this work, have you decided to let it go and move on. This is the mid-course reality check, before the real work begins. If your answer is yes, move on to step six if not, bag the process.

Step six. Break down the answer to step one into the following categories and put each category on a separate page: symptoms, causes, feelings, other.

Step seven. Prioritize the items on each page according to their importance.

Step eight . Repeat steps six and seven with the answers from step two.

Step nine. Develop a list of action steps you can take to bring the earlier emotions or feelings back into the present.

Step ten. Determine the roadblocks or problems in implementing these action steps.

Step eleven. Identify the rewards or benefits you will get if you overcome the problems and achieve success.

Step twelve. Put your plan into action. Begin working on the first action step you established in step nine.

Keep in mind this entire process could take several weeks. Don't try to rush through the steps on the way to the finish line. The value is in the process of self-discovery and not your arrival at some pre-planned destination.

by Tim Connor

Tim Connor, CSP is an internationally renowned sales, relationship, management and leadership speaker, trainer and best selling author. Since 1981 he has given over 3500 presentations in 21 countries on a variety of sales, management and relationship topics. He is the best selling author of over 60 books including; He can be reached at tim@timconnor.com, 704-895-1230 or visit his website at http://www.timconnor.com.

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

Where Will You Be In Ten Years? Set Ten Year Goals And You'd Know!

10 Year Goals?!

Have you ever noticed that you, your close family members, and friends seem to accomplish certain goals in all of our lives, whether we realize it or not? For example in grade school, we had a goal to graduate 8th grade in order to get to high school. Or how about getting our drivers licenses, to getting college degrees, to landing that first job? Maybe it was to achieve a certain level of success in our other activities and hobbies, or buying that first car or house. Whatever the case may be, we always have had accomplishments in our lives.

However, it came to my attention that the majority of us have only short-term goals. That is, a goal that we are working to accomplish within the next 6 months to a few years from now. It seems to be a rarity to see a person with a clear set of long-term goals, such as 10 years.

"Wait......... did you say 10 YEARS?? From NOW?!?!"

That's exactly what I said! Now, I KNOW what you're thinking. It's probably along the lines of:

"So what's the point of having 10 year goals anyways? That's WAY too far off!!"

Believe me, I know how you feel. As a matter of fact, that's EXACTLY what I felt when I was first presented with this concept! However, what I found was that sometimes as we progress through life, we tend to focus on what's right in front of us. I know I've been guilty of that sin!

When a person takes their age and adds 10 years to it, what do you think happens? Well naturally, that person might picture themselves looking quite a bit older (or wiser?)-which is great for what we may LOOK like 10 years from now. But have we ever wondered what we would be DOING 10 years from now?

Or even better, have we even considered the type of person we would BE 10 years from now?? Wife, Mother, Husband, Father, CEO, Wealthy, Retired, Soccer Coach, Manager, Athlete, Independent, etc. The possibilities are endless, this simple concept is mind blowing!

In addition to this mind blowing concept, I was taught to try and predict the type of person I would BE 10 years from now in the year 2015 by actually writing down some 10 year goals. Absolutely crazy, isn't it??

When a person looks back on their life, they usually remember some of the great accomplishments that they have achieved. But along with all the success might come some regret as well. How many times have you thought about the person you were in the past compared to the person you are today, and you couldn't help but think,

"Hmmmm.... If only I had: *saved more money *had more fun *strived harder in school/job *started that dream business/career, etc.....Things would be much better for me and my family now....oh well, it's too late now...*sigh*."

Some people tend to live in the past like this, and as a result they NEVER seem to get what they want out of life. Doesn't that stink? Sure it does! So what's a possible solution?

Well, how about this? Instead of looking at the past, and wishing that things were different-why not try and imagine your life 10 years IN THE FUTURE assuming you continued your current path, and simply attempt to predict what your regrets would be in the year 2015? AND THEN, simply digging deep into yourself to correct these 'future regrets' by taking action towards the solution right now,THIS year!

Let's look at an example: even though their current careers pay the bills, some people might not be too content with their careers. So naturally they think, "I wish I got into my dream career when I was younger...oh well, it's too late now *sigh*." Well, this is certainly ONE unfortunate way to live life.

However, why not try this technique instead? Simply imagine yourself in the exact same unhappy career path 10 years from now in the year 2015. Then imagine yourself (in 2015 of course) thinking, "Hmmmm...if only I had taken those extra educational courses when I had the chance, back in 2005. Things would have been much better for me and my family now.....oh well..*sigh*." And NOW, when you snap yourself out of your thoughts, you realize that it's the year 2005 TODAY!!!

With this little strategy as the catalyst and motivator towards some positive action, you can decide to start taking steps toward your dream career path, i.e. taking some extra courses, networking with others, etc TODAY.

What is SO powerful about this technique is the simple fact that you might not have even considered taking action today without this little strategy. Can you imagine how this one little strategy alone could possibly save you and your family 10 years of career challenges in your lives?!

Ok....enough 'talking' already....let's actually DO something!

Getting started: One of the most POWERFUL ways to start the process is to simply write some goals on paper, and to simply have them in clear view daily. Authoring your goals on paper seems to have a very powerful reinforcing effect on your subconscious mind.

The easiest way to get some 10-year goals on paper is to simply break them up into little categories. You might have health goals, financial goals, career goals, family goals, etc.... Also, try your best to emphasize the person that you will BECOME rather than what you will just do. Of course, that's up to you.

Step 1) Get a sheet of paper and pen OR open up your favorite word processing application on your computer.

Step 2) Pick out the most important categories that are important to you: Health, Career, Family, Finances, etc....

Step 3) Brainstorm for a few minutes and write down or type the first few goals that come out of your mind for each category. Remember these are goals that you will shoot for by the year 2015.

Step 4) Be creative, let your imagination run wild! Consult with a loved one as well!

Step 5) Place your name and date on your goal sheet. This way, you can hold yourself accountable.

Step 6) Post your goal sheet in a highly visible place where you can view it on a daily basis-for example: on your bed stand, on your computer desktop, at work, in your wallet, on the refrigerator, etc....

Step 7) Read your goals every morning right when you get out of bed, and again at night right before you sleep.

Step 8) Take positive action towards each of your goals. Achieve your goals. Succeed, and HAVE FUN!!!

"When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing -- then we truly live life." -Greg Anderson

"You control your future, your destiny. What you think about comes about. By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be." - Mark Victor Hansen

by Cedric Licuanan

Cedric Licuanan is a thriving Chicago-Based Internet Marketer. He has focused on helping people achieve what they want out of life and currently maintains several success-driven websites.

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

Sailing To Success, or Are You Three Sheets To The Wind?

Three Sheets to the Wind or Sailing to Success

We have two options in life. We can be three sheets to the wind or sailing to success. Let’s look at the first option. The saying three sheets to the wind has its origins in eighteenth century British naval terminology. Sheets are ropes that control sails. The amount of sail, the angle of the sails to the wind, and the position of the rudder controlled three-masted sailing vessels of the day.

When a sheet is in the wind, the sailors have lost control of that sail. It lashes around in the wind, and the sailors lose control of their ship. Three sheets to the wind came to mean that a person has lost control of their faculties, presumably because they are inebriated.

Today most people are three sheets to the wind and don’t even know it. This is not to say that they are drunkards, but that they do not have a clearly defined vision of where they are going. They are caught up in the day-to-day at the expense of their big dreams and then wonder why they are not going where they want to. They have no ultimate goal or destination, so they are pulled and pushed by the vicissitudes of the life and tides of public opinion.

Option two is sailing to success. There are three key steps to sailing to success:

1. Choose a destination.

2. Chart a course.

3. Weigh anchor and set sail.

The first step is to choose a destination. Literally choose a destiny. Everyone is here for a purpose and finding your purpose, if you haven’t already done so, should be your highest priority. Think of a sailing trip: sailors have a destination before they set out. They might be going to Hawaii or Madagascar or points in between, but they know where they are going and have charted a course. You must have a destination.

When choosing your life destination, you might as well dream big dreams; in two to three years you can accomplish an itty-bitty goal or a huge dream. Have a goal or a vision you can be passionate about, something that will get you up in the morning. Each of us has a powerful wellspring within us just waiting to be tapped. You do not want to die with this life source still bottled inside you.

Jimmy Pattison, a Vancouver-based billionaire and entrepreneur who started out washing cars, said, “Those who dream big dreams also have the capability to achieve those dreams.”

You can call it a mission, a dream, a goal, a vision or anything else you want as long as you have one. Write down your vision and the date you want to accomplish it by. Leave your written mission statement somewhere that you will see it everyday—on your bathroom mirror, computer screen, or dashboard, for example.

The second step is to chart a course. This means making a high-level plan and strategy designed to take you where you want to go. You do this by breaking your big dream into smaller steps that are manageable and achievable. Decide who the people and organizations are that have the knowledge you need for success, and set a plan in place to meet those people and join those organizations, with a goal to acquiring that understanding. Just as a sailor charts a course around obstacles, so should you anticipate obvious encumbrances and create strategies to overcome them.

The third step is to weigh anchor and take action. Many people wait to be motivated before they take action—but it’s the other way around. Take action and motivation will follow. Every day, take one specific action that will bring you closer to your dreams. Look for the ways that day-to-day life, everything you do and think, can help realize your goals. Keep the vision of your dream emblazoned on the canvas of your mind, weigh anchor and set sail to your destiny of greatness.

Excerpt from Voyage to Destiny: Sailing to Success

by Kieran Harrop

Kieran is the author of Voyage to Destiny: Sailing to Success and also the president of Target Success Enterprises, an inspirational speaker and success coach who lives on the west coast of Canada with his wife and children. Kieran’s vocation and passion is to help others realize their dreams.

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

Vision: Why Are You Here, Is Your Vision Clear?

Vision: Yours

Today, yes this very day, a dear family friend, only 48, did not wake up. Yesterday he was fine. Today the funeral is being planned.

We do not know how long we have. Not you. Not me. Not anyone. The grim reaper shows up when he will.

Have you a vision of your potential legacy? Is there a plan in position, your plan, to leave this world a better place. Surely you know that’s why the creator of us all gave us breath and life.

Each day we speak or train, we have the opportunity to allow some part of our vision to be actualized.

I love to share the Johnny Appleseed story from the platform. Picture this frail old man, sack over his back, walking by the side of the road aided by his cane. He pauses every 30 feet, or so, and pokes his cane into the earth.

He reaches into his sack. He takes out one apple core and gently pushes it into the hole made by his cane. He tamps it down with his shoe. Then he walks on. 10 or 12 paces ahead he repeats the performance, a little smile on his lips.

A small boy watches, pulls on the old man’s sleeve and says, “I know what you’re doing. And you won’t be here to see those trees get big, produce apples and give shade.”

The old man wipes his brow with his big red neckerchief. “In that case,” he replies, “I think I’ll plant a few extras today.” His vision is obvious.

What is your vision. What is your vision of the possible you, of the reality that is to be because you stand and speak?

We don’t have to change the macrocosm, the whole world. What matters is that we add value, all we can add, for those in the microcosm, our personal worlds, yours and mine: All the people we know, all the places we go, all the circumstances and conditions of our lives. And that we do it while we can . . .

Are we walking our talks? Are we justifying the space we take up and the resources we consume on this earth? Are we being a model of the possible human? Have we a vision, our personal vision, of our respective legacies? This is what we must face. This is what we must consider in the still watches of the night.

After all, there are only so many tomorrows. . .

by Burt Dubin

© Burt Dubin. Burt Dubin is author of "The Speaking Success System," an unusually effective mentoring program to help speakers reach their career goals faster. Get your complimentary 7 part e-course on how to succeed faster as a paid speaker plus Burt’s Speaking Biz Strategies Letter at: http://www.burtdubin.com/bonus.html Contact Burt at: (928) 753-7546 or 1-800-321-1225 Fax:(928) 753-7554

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

Finding Your Life Purpose

Finding Out Your Life Purpose (By Jane Johnson)

What is a Life Purpose or Calling?

Life purpose is a calling, overall theme for our life or intent that transcends our daily activities. It is the quality we are here on earth to develop, the type of service we are here to render, the way we can enhance or improve some segment of the planet. It is much broader than one job or career; it pervades our entire life.

Marcia Bench states " People will tend to experience success and fulfilment in their life to the extent that they are clear about their life purpose". Are you clear? We will now examine some of the reasons to find your life purpose.

Benefits of Finding your Life Purpose

It will be compass to direct you in the right path. Life purpose allows you to decide which opportunities to take up and which to decline. Continued On The RGG Site