The Realgoalgetter Blog

How To Restart Momentum After Failure

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:22:00 +0000

How do you get started on your goals again after suffering a massive debilitating failure that has completely immobilized you? (Pretty descriptive don't you think? It is really never this bad. We just think it is, and our minds are powerful.) By the way we have all been there at some time.

You have to grieve the loss of your time, efforts and possibly finances as some of these would be lost to you at the present moment. (Bear with me here.) Whatever you have been told, as humans we need to feel our way through these emotions, we need to process the failure or the loss.

Avoid wallowing in it though, or having a pity party.

Just process it, think it through, analyze what happened as soon as you get your emotions under control again. You should finish processing this as soon as you can. Don't get caught up in something you cannot change, and we cannot change what's past.

When you are past the grieving stage, start to get your mind wrapped around your dream and your future life again. Revisit your goals.

Get back up and dust yourself off. Shake off the past by re-focusing on one small action you can take right away. Start the planned action right away, as soon as you make the decision. Draw deep on your supreme will power if you have to, but complete the task immediately.

If you have to, set new smaller goals that take you in the same direction. Set them for that day alone. Or, if this is even too much, set them for that hour only. Set yourself up for success by building small momentum first. This helps get you back on track.

With previous massive failure, your subconscious could be programmed to fail now, and you might have difficulty pursuing long term goals particularly so soon after. If this is the case, you need to succeed at small tasks and goals, then celebrate each new success with all the spirit you can muster. You need to re-anchor strong positive thought and emotions to your new smaller successes.

This will soon reinforce in your subconscious mind that you CAN meet your goals, and set you back on the positive path again. When you're able to consistently meet your hourly/daily goals, then start setting them for two days or a week, and then work yourself slowly up to your long term goals.

With your confidence rapidly building again, you will soon be creating massive momentum towards what you want. At any given time we might get stopped temporarily by a great disappointment, it is truly our own fault if we allow it to stop us completely.

Sometimes we have to start small to win big!

See you next time. As always, Go For It!

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

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:23:00 +0000

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.

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/.
--------------------

Goal Setting Problems? 6 Goal Setting Mistakes Not To Make

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 10:04:00 +0000

Goal setting can go wrong for lots of reasons. When it happens, it can be awfully devastating to our self esteem and some even swear off setting any new goals. So, try to avoid these goal setting mistakes.

1. Outcome goals are set instead of performance goals. This forces you to focus on the end result immediately instead of taking your time to go through the steps of goals setting. When you set goals properly you are doing it in a step by step manner.

Where you are using outcome goals, and you fail to achieve the goal for reasons outside your control, this can be very disappointing and sometimes leads to loss of enthusiasm and feelings of failure. Always set performance goals instead as this will give you a higher chance of succeeding.

2. Goals are set unrealistically high. When a goal is perceived to be unreachable, no effort will be made to achieve it. Set realistic goals so that you can best decide how to go about achieving them. Only you can decide what “realistic” is.

3. Goals are set so low that you feel no challenge or benefit in achieving the goal. You begin to feel that setting goals has been a waste of time. Always set goals that are challenging enough to be worth the effort, but not out of reach. Again, this is a personal decision.

4. Goals are so vague that they are useless. It is difficult to know when vague goals have been achieved. How can you know if you aren’t clear about what is to be reached? Your achievement must be able to be measured. In setting vague or unmeasurable goals you will not benefit from goal setting. Set precise and quantitative goals.

5. Goal Setting is unsystematic, sporadic and disorganized. In this case certain goals will be forgotten, and the achievement of goals will not be measured and feedback is non existent. The major benefits of goal setting have been lost. Be organized and be regular in your goal setting.

6. Too many low priority and misaligned goals are set, leading to a feeling of overload and overwhelm. Make the goals you pursue worth pursuing! Pick one BIG life changing goal or mission and then align your intermediate and short term goals within it. One laser focus to success!

Avoid these problems, and set your goals properly. Commit and persist in your actions, and you will achieve them. Spend the proper amount of time in your goal setting and you will maintain strong forward momentum until you have what you want.

Money: Scarcity or Abundance Attitudes?

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:31:00 +0000

Well, we have been talking a little bit about Money lately and so I wanted to share a brilliant post by Steve Pavlina the other day . . .

I don't know how I missed this post, I follow his blog regularly in my RSS reader, but I did come across it today and I had a huge 'AHA!' moment . . .

Many of us simply do not regard our money as "the value of services we provided" and do not visualize money goals properly. We do tend to let our current environment tell us how much money we deserve, and therein lies the problem.

Our "belief systems" have been allowed to grow from what others tell us, and not what we have consciously decided or reset in our minds, about how much is 'a little' and how much is 'a lot'.

If we have never had much money and do not earn large incomes, there are certain amounts that scare us, typically amounts of money that are above our "pay grade". Steve outlines a solution for increasing proper money awareness.

Check this post out here: Money And The law Of Attraction

Here is a little teaser from StevePavlina.com but you really have to read the whole article in order to grasp the concept.

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

Is $500 a large or small amount? It depends on your perspective.

If you’re in a scarcity mindset, it might seem like a huge sum. If you have a wealthy mindset, it may be a tiny amount. That may be hard to believe, but it’s true.

I used to think $500 was a lot of money. It certainly seemed so when I would end a month with less than $100 total. If I gained or lost an extra $500, it could make a difference in my finances for months to come. An extra $500 was a significant amount of money.

But after shifting my mindset about money to invite more abundance into my life, $500 began to seem like a tiny amount. $500 represents the cash I might carry in my wallet. If I gain or lose $500, it makes no real difference in my finances. $500 is a fairly insignificant amount.

Once I got my mindset to this point (which I did mostly by imagining what it would feel like to be there in reality), it wasn’t long before my reality began to reflect it. I became a “vibrational match” for earning larger sums.

At one point having more than $100,000 in the bank would have seemed rich or wealthy. But now it just feels normal… like duh, I’m supposed to have that much cash all the time.

Some examples of financial relativity

Here are some examples to help shed more light on the concept of financial relativity.

A realtor thinks having $50,000 cash is normal

Shortly after Erin and I first moved to Las Vegas in 2004, we were chatting with a local realtor who said she liked to keep at least $50,000 cash on hand at all times (not for investment, just for her personal money).

Erin and I gave each other a quizzical look. We thought she must be very snooty or elitist to feel that way. Why would anyone need that much cash?

Eventually we realized that our reaction to her statement was precisely why we could never save up $50,000 in cash. We were pushing it away from us by assuming it was too much money to hold onto. Having $5,000 cash was . . . Read the rest of Steve's article: Money And The law Of Attraction

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

Goal Setting Tools - Commitment, Communication And Creation

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:31:00 +0000

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

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

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

Positive Attitude - 9 More Tips To Help You Stay Positive

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:05:00 +0000

9 Positive Attitude Tips

Guest Author Fern Kuhn - It is rather simple to separate the positive from the negative. However, it can be quite difficult to stop yourself from running to the negative.

This is simple human nature. It is something we are programmed to do. Do not feel bad about this natural inclination. Instead, choose to do something about it.

Here are some tips for adding some positive influence to your life:

1. Find a happy place. Create a place in your mind that is your ideal paradise. When you feel stressed or down just go to your happy place, relax there and enjoy it.

2. Get a hobby. Doing something you enjoy and that will raise your spirits and allow you to maintain a positive attitude.

3. Exercise. While many people look at exercise in a negative way, it really can bring positive influences to your life. The body's reaction to exercise is a good one. You will feel better and therefore act better if you adopt an exercise routine.

4. Find affirmations. Affirmations are sayings, verses or other short pieces that have a positive influence. Affirmations can be a quote, a verse from the Bible or even a line from a greeting card.

They are simply something that make you think positive or even just bring a smile to your face. Using an affirmation daily can perk up your attitude in an instant.

5. Exploring new things. Instead of walking away from the unknown, walk towards it.

6. Do not walk away from a challenge. Let yourself accept challenges and try creative ways to deal with them.

7. Make a mess. Make messes to learn. Do not get caught up in caring about the mess. Happiness can be messy and unrestricted.

8. Ignore the rules. You can end up having a fun time simply because you are doing something you were specifically told not to do. Defying authority can be an adrenaline rush. Break a few rules now and then.

9. Pretend. The imagination is a wonderful thing. Allow yourself to go to some make believe place. Get away for your normal life and pretend you are someone else. Have fun and you are sure to smile. You can take these tips and build upon them.

You can surely come up with things that have a way of making you happy. You know what makes you smile, so take that and run with it. Allow whatever it is that makes you happy to guide you to your new positive attitude.

by Fern Kuhn

Discover Mind Power Secrets To Attract And Create The Reality You Desire. Get your free ebook at http://www.thesecretwisdom.com/blog

Pursue Success With Passion and Purpose

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:05:00 +0000

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

How To Get Rich By Setting Career Goals Effectively

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 22:45:00 +0000

How to Set Career Goals Effectively

Guest Author Edmund Tai - In this article I am going to specifically guide you on setting goal to earn extra income by establishing your own career whether it's home based, freelance, online or offline.

My purpose of enlightening you on how to set your career goals effectively here is to make it as simple as possible. There are 12 easy to do steps:

1. Determining how much extra money you wish to make.(a specific financial goal)

2. Setting a time frame or deadline to achieve that financial goal you have set above.

3. Identify a clear purpose of WHY you wish to achieve that financial goal. This is crucial as it will give you a constant motivation and direction to keep you focusing on your financial goal throughout the process.

4. Set aside a specific time daily dedicated for this project. Block it on your calendar and do not allow other matters to interfere you for the time you have set apart.

5. Start by identifying an area where you have passion, strong interest, or area that you have skills, technical knowledge or experience. This is important as it will ensure the end result of your project much more effective and efficient.

6. Tape into a pool of resources where you can take your time to search for your desired information and required business tools. You can join and search for the relevant resources on the internet.

7. Ensure that your selected idea fulfills the following criteria:

• Low start up capital and low operating costs (as low as possible)

• Able to use channel that reaches out to widest possible target market or global market. (example: Internet)

• Inflation resistant- select needs/products/services that are not very much affected by inflation.

• Able to run it with time flexibility.

• No employee needed.

• Low competition products/services, try to modify it so that it's different from others

8. Once you have found your idea, do a thorough research about it. Gather relevant information through the available resources on the web. Remember a successful person takes up 70-80% of the time planning and 20-30% of the time executing the project. Work Smarter not just harder.

9. Once you have gathered sufficient information, take some time studying it. Do not copy other people ideas blindly. Make sure you modify it with your own creativity and plan your own promotional strategy. This will ensure your business stands out in the crowd. For more ideas on promotional strategy, search in my website, www.elibrarybank.com under software/tools category.

10. Before you start to set up your business, get some advice or opinion from people that you know about your ideas. If possible, try also to get some technical advice or professional assistant from your social contact who have expertise in those fields.

11. Calculate how much start up cost you need and make sure that's within your budget. In my website collections, we have hundred of ideas that require very minimal start up cost.

12. After going through all the steps above, you are now ready to start and running your own part-time business. Make sure you join the right resource directory and stay connected with them for updates on money making ideas, tools and resources that will help you to achieve your success. It will save you lots of time in step 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11. You can visit my website or contact me if you want to learn more about how to set career goals effectively.

by Edmund Tai - Free resources download

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

Can We Be Happy, Healthy, And Rich?

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 06:09:00 +0000

Do you really need to read another emotional article about being sick and tired of not being rich? Yes, you do want to get rich. The inside of your head is waiting to explode, you want it so bad!

You want to get rich though NOW, right? . . . RIGHT?

You might even have read a million articles and advice columns all over the internet. “Live below your means” is something you read all the time. It’s absolutely true but that sucks, doesn’t it?

You don’t want people to ask you to create a budget and stick to it or start early or invest now and not touch it until retirement and more along these lines.

Get started NOW. Don’t just spend your lifetime in thinking and dreaming. Do something solid now. It may not be the super right thing to do, but do it nevertheless. Just get started.

Edison did not invent the bulb overnight. He just started. He perhaps found some 10,000 odd ways that will not result in a bulb as the end! But alas, he made his creation. He tells the story about how he had found all the ways it wouldn’t work, so that the next thing had to work!

Start off now. Mistakes are part of the process. You will learn how not to do it the next time. Take action, analyze the results and be flexible. Adjust when necessary.

Remember, it is OKAY to fail. Mistakes are bound to occur. You can’t afford to be too hard on yourself. Most times, success lies behind the last mistake you make, which might even be a 100th mistake you are making. Just don’t stop digging three feet short of the gold!

You want to be rich. You’re just on your way. Pump yourself up and move on. Get closer to your dream.

You have loads of energy in you. You’re sick of earning a pittance. You want to see real money come your way now. So here’s what you need to rightfully do:

First, decide what “rich” is. Are you referring to Bill Gates rich where you can afford just about anything? Maybe you don’t really want to work that hard. You want to work lesser but still be “rich”. So, the first rule of thumb is - be specific. Do you want to be rich in the billion dollar area, 100 million area or maybe just 10 million dollars would be rich enough.

Here’s a quick idea, don’t work! . . . At least, don't work for someone else. Be your own boss. Well, you can have a job, and also work for yourself can't you?.

Are you going to work to please your boss or yourself? Please yourself first; you will realize that everybody around you will be happier with you if you are first happy yourself.

So, make yourself absolutely happy first and then you can go about doing that for others. Primary importance is you and you only. Do not forget this. You must take care of yourself before you can take care of anyone else.

Do what you love doing. Commercialize on what you love doing. It might initially seem like you can’t make any money out of it. But concentrate, meditate and THINK of all possible ways to make something work out for you. What you love doing should fetch you money somehow.

Now this doesn’t mean you can play golf all day and earn money. Not unless you’re Tiger Woods! Find some creative ways to make money with something you like doing. You just have to do this.

You can get rich. Just go out there now and do what you love doing. You have a wonderful brain. You just have to tap it and getting that lazy lost thing to start working. Think. Come up with a plan and plunge headlong into it.

Money is just a measure of the value you provide to others. And service to others should always be compensated. All you have to do is find those people who can afford to pay for your services and provide value and benefits they want or need.

Follow your passion and strategize on how to monetize your efforts. Money will follow. Money will follow in great amounts as long as you keep persisting. It will.

I apologize if this sounded more like a sermon than a post. I needed a kick in the butt, and this helped me work things out in my own mind . . .

See you next time.

Al

Do You Have Goal Setting Worksheets For Your Goal Setting Program?

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 01:54:00 +0000

How Can Goal Setting Worksheets Help You?

Goal setting can be done in many ways. For example, you could simply think about it, make big plans or even use goal setting worksheets. Success is determined by a system that can streamline the process. Join me as you discover how goal setting worksheets can help you.

In any goal, there is always a way for its achievement. We can look at the success as a spectrum. On the one end, failure, and on the other, success. To achieve success then needs to do things different. After all, we see many people who have a goal, even if they haven't consciously thought about it. For example, those who want a Yacht, and want to retire to a sunny beech, but in most cases never do.

I truly believe that every goal you desire for the fulfillment of, you can achieve. However, tools are needed. You can't put on a new tire on a car, without effective tools, not can you succeed without the effective tools.

In goal setting, this is the goal setting worksheets. You see, from that spectrum of success, we can see less we do, less we get, and the more we do, the more we get. This applies in most cases but not all cases.

You could plan to make a cup of coffee, and make it into a 100 page business plan of how you will make the coffee. What we need is a simple way to do things. A goal setting system with goal setting worksheets that make this possible.

There are many places that offer goal setting worksheets, and some even offer comprehensive goal setting systems. These can be a great way to keep things simple, without having to fall short on the necessities of goal setting.

You can think about a cup of coffee and make it without plans; however, you can't just leave your life goals to such chances. They must at the very least be written down on paper. Even if you don't have a goal setting system, simply writing it down, will improve the likelihood that you will achieve that goal.

If we look at that success spectrum again, we will find that there are things we can do to either make it more likely to manifest in our lives, and decrease the time to achievement. Achieving both of these is a science and an art in goal setting.

It needs smart goal setting. And smart is all about finding solutions that makes life easier, cut down the time to achievement, and increase likelihood of success. This takes time, and even with a full on system, you may find that you can tweak the goal setting systems to meet your needs.

Goal setting worksheets are great for many reasons. Once you use them over time, you will find them become second nature. And then your goal setting will take on a new meaning. With you setting goals and achieving them on almost a daily basis.

By Koz Huseyin

Find out more about smart goal setting and the goal setting worksheets I use, and get your free eBook worth $7, where I give you the 10 best goal setting ideas. Get your copy by visiting: http://www.howtogoalset.info

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

Practice Positive Self Talk - Believe In Yourself!

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 04:21:00 +0000

Self Improvement - What Are You Telling Yourself?

Guest Author Krystal Kuehn - Did you ever listen in on your self-talk? Most self-talk messages are an evaluation of some kind. We evaluate our work, feelings, experiences and our lives. We determine what is good or bad; and what is acceptable or to be rejected.

Many people evaluate themselves negatively. They might call themselves "stupid," "lazy" or some other unbecoming label. Maybe that is how you talk to yourself as well. You might not think anything of it at the time or even realize that it is actually damaging to your self-esteem.

From the time we are born we are evaluated, judged and labeled. We receive both positive and negative feedback about our performance, traits, and habits. We are told what we did right and what we did wrong.

We constantly receive messages of approval and disapproval. All of this shapes our identity and determines what we believe about ourselves. Eventually, we repeat to ourselves the messages that we've heard and now believe.

Both positive and negative messages have a tremendous influence on a person's self-esteem as well as their attitude. Think of a time when you were encouraged and strengthened to believe in yourself as a result of someone's positive feedback and faith in you.

Conversely, imagine a time when you lost your confidence and felt like giving up because you believed a negative message of criticism and defeat.

No one likes to be negatively evaluated, judged or put down. Yet, it is all too common to focus on what is wrong with ourselves and others instead of what is right; and, to overlook strengths and worth.

As a result, many end up feeling that they fall short. And, they spend their lives trying to live up to certain standards in order to feel good about who they are and what they are capable of.

Everyone needs to feel intrinsic value and worth. Everyone has strengths, assets, potential, intrinsic beauty and worth. If we look for these things and all that is good in ourselves and others we will find them.

We can make a conscious choice to set aside our negative evaluations, judgments and criticism. We can compliment instead of criticize, defend instead of blame, build up instead of tear down, and accept and love instead of judge or reject.

Much of whether or not we will do these things depends on the kinds of messages we listen to and believe.

We don't have to replay those old messages that leave us with negative labels and discouraging self-talk. The only way to stop listening to them is to begin listening to messages of encouragement and hope.

We want to hear the truth in love. Messages of simple acceptance of who you are, messages that help you see yourself as valuable, special, and worthy, and messages that build you up to believe in yourself can become louder and louder as we begin to speak them to ourselves and others.

by Krystal Kuehn

Krystal Kuehn, MA, LPC, LLP, NCC is a licensed professional counselor, author, teacher, and musician. She specializes in helping people live their best life now, reach their full potential, overcome barriers, heal from their past, and develop a lifestyle of health, happiness, and love.

Krystal is the cofounder of New Day Counseling, a marriage and family counseling center and BeHappy4Life.com, an award-winning self-improvement and personal growth site where you can find hundreds of free resources, online workshops, video presentations, insights, and inspiration.

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

Goals And Goal Setting - Fast And Thorough Planning

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 04:41:00 +0000

I loved this article tonight. There is only so many ways to write articles about Goals And Goal Setting, but here is another viewpoint.

The Fastest Way to Set Motivating Goals

Guest Author Myrko Thum - The following is the fastest way I know, to develop real goals that are personally meaningful. The whole process may take 10 minutes to get out at least 3 compelling goals.

A goal is a future achievement with a timely deadline you can work towards to. A compelling goal is something that has a deeper meaning to you. It is the kind of goal that excites you, that lets you grow and the achievement is fulfilling and rewarding.

I've proven this method to myself as working and I use it that way regularly, at least every quarter when setting my 3-month goals and reviewing my long-term goals. So even if you are pretty good in goal-setting, I think to start the process fresh is always beneficial and can produce fresh results.

1. Get in state

First you want to get into the right state to set compelling goals for yourself. You must allow yourself to dream. There are no barriers. Also forget to be reasonable, just for a moment here, flow high to the field of all possibilities :)

Think of it like a child would do. Children don't have problems to come up with something that is challenging to achieve from a perspective of most adults.

It is also great to turn on some music in the background that fits the mood. I have a special soundtrack that I love to hear when setting goals and that is Vangelis' 1492: Conquest of Paradise . It must be something that is not distracting, something more subliminal and best without lyrics (so put your Eminem Album back into the shelf ;))

2. Brainstorm

Now begin thinking about what would really excite you. You know, the thing that gets a real big smile on your face ;) If you knew you could not fail, what would you start to dream about?

When brainstorming you get ideas into your head, and you write them down as fast as you can. It is totally irrelevant if what comes to your mind is possible or not. Forget the "How?"

Now we are all into the "What?", all else does not matter. Especially avoid thinking about what it means or how difficult it would be to get there. We will do this later.

So don't limit yourself here, get it all out onto the paper or screen.

I found that it works best if you choose important areas of your life to set goals in, i.e. your body, mind, finances and things, relationships or spirit. Then write everything down that excites you and that you would like to achieve, to have, do or be.

Also and important: select a time-frame. Choose from short-term (3-12 month), mid-term (1 to 2 years) or long-term (3 years to lifetime). You can repeat this for every time-frame. My advice would be to start with 1 year-goals.

Just get it out, no worries, even if it's total beyond what you currently can do. These can be skills, learnings, things ans all kinds of achievements. Just some examples as an inspiration:

* learn a new skill (like a new language, to play the piano ...)

* start your own company

* find a mate

* become a vegetarian

* buy a new car or house

* make a trip around the world or visit a certain place

* earn a certain amount of money

* start to meditate

* lose weight to a certain number

* start the exercise habit

Ok enough examples, you surely have your own ideas :) Brainstorm for about 5 minutes on the area you have chosen.

3. Prioritize

After brainstorming for at least 5 minutes you now get your results in order. From all that you have written down in the area and time-frame, select the goals that are most compelling to you. Give them numbers from 1-10 where 10 is the most motivating, that means if you reach it you really made progress towards what you really want in life.

4. Choose

From this list select now the 3 highest rated goals and highlight them. And also determine your number 1 goal. This number 1 goal is the most compelling thing you want to achieve.

Selecting the goals is the primary step to take. Next is now to start bringing them into reality step by step:

5. Set Deadlines

For your 3 top goals including the number 1 goal set deadlines to when you will achieve them. That means a specific date. This is important because it creates the tension that is necessary to give ourselves the message, that we are serious about our happiness ;)

Now ... this was the most important part. If you really did this, then congratulations! You really are among the 3% of the population who have actually written goals . If you work from there and review them regularly you would even step into the 1% of the population who do this. The Goal-Setting is done.

Nevertheless, having goals means acting on them. Now comes the "How"-Part of Goal-Setting:

6. Create an Action-Plan

Create an Action-Plan for your number 1 goal. An Action-Plan is a specific list of actions that will lead to your goal. One of the most effective ways is to think from the end: you visualize your outcome as completed and think backward to where you are now.

What steps have you taken to get there? Write them down and bring them into a logical order.

If you have long-term goals, that process will include parts that are not completely clear and this is ok. Work on your Action-Plan and you'll make progress and get feedback. But put thinking and energy into it to the best possibly way. I found a pretty good tool in using flow-charts for action-plans. In her book "Wishcraft" , Barbara Sher talks a lot about using flow charts for that matter.

7. Start now

By all means identify the very first step to take. Now start with this first step from your Action-Plan. It is very important to do at least one step right now and start building momentum on your goal.

by Myrko Thum

Myrko Thum is in the field of Personal Development for over 8 years now. He is running the Personal and Spiritual Development Site http://www.awakeblogger.com

How Do You Organize Your Day Around Your Goals?

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:13:00 +0000

Goal Setting, to Do Lists and Day Planners Considered

Guest Author - Lance Winslow - Ask any organized person if they have a system to help keep them on the track to success and they will probably laugh at you, but then explain how they keep their schedule going using a day planner, PDA or perhaps a To Do List.

Some folks do all this and more, and they are the most successful people amongst us. Why, because they know how to set goals and what they must do to achieve those goals.

They have an advantage over other folks because they write it all down and keep track of it all. The bigger picture, their life's goals and all the little micro-goals that are necessary along the way.

They treat all goals as if they are the main goal and fight to stay up with their assigned tasks that will lead them to these goals. Perhaps, when you see someone with a PDA, To Do List or a day planner in tow, you will realize that you are looking at a successful person.

No, not all of them are totally successful, but they are all on their way, because keeping tabs on the mini-goals of each day is how you keep up the pace to achieve the bigger goals, the ones, which really matter and ultimately decide your success in life, career or sports.

You can either set yourself up for failure by doing nothing or taking it easy without incrementally moving forward each day, or you can strategically plan your successful journey using all the tools at your disposal. Please think on this.

"Lance Winslow" - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

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

Are Your Year's Goals Achieved? It's Getting Late In The Season

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 05:15:00 +0000

Have you ever noticed that with the beginning of each season there seems to be a push for people to make improvements in their lives? Just before the end of the year and then when the New Year arrives most people talk about making new years resolutions.

When spring comes people talk about wanting to shed a few pounds to fit into summer apparel. In the fall people discuss that they are going to plan for holiday time better and at the holiday’s people make promises to make more of an effort to stay in touch with family members and friends.

Usually within a few weeks of making a statement about changing our ways we are back to our old routine.

Here are a few tips that you can take to help achieve your goals this year:

Write down the goal that you want to work on. By writing the goal down you are making more of a commitment to work on this area of your life. Write down your goals every morning until they become part of your day.

If you seriously want to achieve your goals, then discuss them with the important people in your life. By sharing what you want to accomplish with others they can help keep you accountable by asking you what you are doing to achieve your goals. Give your friends and family permission to remind you what you have said you want to accomplish.

When you are working towards something it is often times easy to forget or overlook small steps that are made to achieve your goals. By keeping a journal of the steps that are taken to achieve your goals you can look back and see that you have been working on things, or you can look back and realize that you have not been making effort and that you need to put more time into what you want to accomplish.

The goals we set for ourselves are meant to better our lives and to increase our happiness. The journey towards goal achievement does not have to be paved with self denial and pain.

Make an effort to enjoy the steps made along the way. Bask in the glory of making small improvements. Things are not going to change over night. If a goal is worth writing down and talking about it is most likely going to take a while to achieve it.

So often people let their goals fall by the wayside because they feel defeated if they do not accomplish them immediately. When you are writing down the goals that you are working on also write down a reasonable time frame in which to complete them.

Do not make the time so long that you will procrastinate and do not make it so short that you are setting yourself up for failure. Be realistic and take time to enjoy the journey to achieve your goals.

Remember it's more important to happily achieve your goals then to achieve your goals to be happy . . .

Vocabulary Words To Live By for Healthy Relationships

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 03:38:00 +0000

Read a great piece today about Words To Live By. Somewhere in my past I found it, wrote it out, and then promptly misplaced it. It isn't mine, but anonymous. Anyway, here it is. I thought it has merit and maybe you will enjoy it too.

Words To Live By

It’s not always easy being in a relationship. Friends and lovers aren’t always going to agree with everything you say or think, but that’s a good thing. Hearing someone else’s point of view is the best way to educate your self and to remind yourself that you aren’t always right.

Besides, loneliness is much worse than compromise. For long, healthy relationships, these are 10 words to live by:

1. Trust:

If you can’t trust someone, do you really want them to be in your life? Make sure you earn their trust by being open, honest and a good listener and friend.

2. Honesty:

If you are always honest, then you prove you can be trusted. Honesty might be tough sometimes, and though the truth can hurt, knowing it can only make you better and stronger as a person, and a friend.

3. Time:

As in, take the time to listen to your friends. Spend time with those you love, and take time out of your busy day to remind them just how much they mean to you.

4. Forgiveness:

Forgiveness has a double benefit: You feel stronger for being the better person, and those who have wronged you feel better knowing that you have been able to forgive their sins. It’s a time tested trait that everyone needs to learn.

5. Compromise:

No one always gets their own way. The ones that do probably don’t actually have any true friends, just hangers-on. A trait of true friendship is understanding that you aren’t always going to get your way, though sometimes you will. Give a little, get a lot.

6. Agree:

As in, agree to disagree. Why keep fighting over something that will never be resolved? Get over it, forgive and move in with the knowledge that even through troubled times, you can still make your friendship work.

7. Communication:

Communication is essential for understanding what is going on inside someone’s mind. No one knows what you are thinking until you let tell them. Keep the lines of communication open at all times, and you’ll be stronger for it.

8. Listen:

Being a good listener is being able to listen without judging. If a friend needs to get something off their chest, just be there for them, and let them do the talking. When you need the same, they’ll be there for you.

9. Love:

Learn to love without prejudice and without guilt. True love sees no borders and knows no boundaries. By the way, Love is a verb, you do it so you can feel it.

10. Learn:

Learn from your mistakes in your past. Learn how to love. Learn what makes your friends happy, and learn what it means to truly be a good friend.

There is no greater feeling than being loved and respected by those who surround you. And being a true friend is the gift that keeps on giving.

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

Thanks for listening . . .

Al

Positive Attitude And The Law Of The Garbage Truck

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 17:22:00 +0000

I received a neat little note in the mail today and thought I would share it with you. Like all internet jokes and notes, it has probably gone around quite a few times. If you have seen this one before then just click away.

I thought it was pretty neat and would probably help others like me today. The author is unknown, so I don't know how to give credit where credit is due. Here it is:

The Garbage Truck Rule

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport.

We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches!

The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy.

And I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, 'Why did you just do that?

This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!'

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks.

They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment.

As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you.

Don't take it personally.

Just smile , wave, wish them well, and move on.

Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home , or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.

Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so... 'Love the people who treat you right, and Pray for the ones who don't.'

Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

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

Have a great day. See you next time.

Al

Goal Setting Benefits - Add Clarity And Confidence To You Life

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:39:00 +0000

Did you know that . . .

By setting goals you can:

• Improve your self-confidence
• Achieve much more over your lifetime
• Improve your overall performances in life
• Increase your motivation to live a life of significance
• Plan and take action to eliminate attitudes that cause unhappiness
• Increase your pride and satisfaction you get from your achievements

People who use goal-setting effectively:

• concentrate and focus better
• show more self-confidence
• suffer less from stress and anxiety
• perform better in all areas of life
• Are generally happier and more satisfied with life

Goal Setting Builds Self-Confidence

- By setting goals, and measuring their achievement, you are able to see what you have done and what you are capable of.

The process of achieving goals and seeing their achievement gives you the confidence and a belief in yourself that you need to be able to achieve higher and more difficult goals.

Just something to think about if you are wondering why you need to set goals . . .

See you next time.

Goals! How To Hold Your Focus When Life Challenges Arise

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 03:53:00 +0000

Goals! What Do You Do When Life Gets in the Way?
- Dale Stuemke

Is life fighting against your goals as hard as you're working to achieve them? Sometimes it seems like it. You have an important goal and a good action plan, but you find yourself distracted, you can't focus. What's going on?

Situation One: Life Throws You a Curve Ball

This really isn't unusual, but it can certainly stop our progress. It can also cause doubts about whether we can really complete the plan and reach our goal. Let's look at this, I have a suggestion or two for you to use to defeat the distractions of life.

Have you ever had life really can get in the way of your goal achievement? I've experienced it many times. In fact, life seems to really go after me after I've set goals!

Sometimes we set work plans that turn out to be a bit too ambitious. Other times we will experience something that is just totally unexpected. Often something happens that disrupts more than just our goal plan. There can be health issues that pop up and require our total attention. There also can be other emergencies that throw themselves into our lives at the most inopportune time.

My wife and I had one of those inopportune events. We came home after being gone for a long weekend to find that a water pipe had broken and had run water into our home for three days! All of a sudden we were living in a hotel and dealing with the insurance company, contractors, and all sorts of problems we hadn't planned on. Life really did get in the way!

When something like that happens, you really need to accept the fact that your priorities have temporarily changed. Once you understand what the new priority requirements are you can make some adjustments to your work plan. This is really no different than when you find something in your work plan that doesn't produce the results you expected. You adjust the plan to fit the situation.

But remember, you are not throwing your goal out! The reason you are adjusting your plan is to keep the goal in place, even if its achievement is somewhat delayed.

Situation Two: No Curve Ball, Just Life

It's pretty easy to understand how you need to adjust to dramatic events in your life. But, what about life just taking its normal course and still distracting you from your goal? What about the more "normal" distractions? How do we deal with them? That's a little different topic and can require different tactics!

We need to learn to use specific techniques to hold our focus and overcome "daily life" distractions.

There are at least two different types of distractions. The first is where you've established your work plan, but, after diligently trying to follow it, you just can't fit it and the rest of your life into the 24 hours you get each day. You find yourself letting things that should be lower priority take time from your work plan. The second case occurs when your work plan is just too aggressive.

You need to carefully examine the situation to see which of these is the case. If lower-priority activities are the problem, you'll need to push those into their proper place. If your work plan is truly too aggressive, you'll need to carefully rework your plan so it fits into your life properly.

That sounds like an over simplification, but it really is that simple. We can try to find all kinds of reasons why our problems are different, but they probably fit into those two categories...unless...

What about the times when you are just struggling with maintaining your focus. You know what that's like as well as I do. Maybe you find yourself procrastinating instead of taking the actions you know are needed. Maybe you're starting to doubt whether you can really do it. You might be thinking "Yeah, those others did it, but can I?"

I'm going to suggest that you learn how to talk to yourself. Really!

Start by writing your goal statement onto an index card. Make sure this is a positive wording of your goal. Next, be sure you have that card with you at all times. Read your goal statement aloud, with excitement and energy.

Do this at least three times a day. Early in the morning, in the middle of the day when you're in your routine, and the end of the day are the best times. (If you really want to add power, read it seven times at each of those three times!) When you do this, you will be helping your brain keep its focus.

You will literally reprogram your brain to believe that you can achieve that goal. Your subconscious mind will be listening. It will hear your goal, and it will hear your excitement. Do this every day, and your subconscious mind will gradually keep you focused.

Does that sound preposterous? Try it for 21 days. Then look at the results, you'll be pleasantly surprised!

by Dale Stuemke

I'm a husband, father, and grandfather. Through work in product development and marketing I've learned that goals are achieved with a good plan, focused effort, and commitment. Humans are designed to be achievers. Visualizing the future and achieving goals to make it a reality is uniquely human! I'm still dreaming my future into existence and setting goals to make it happen. Get my free report today and Launch Your Goals!

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

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

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 01:58:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Are You Making These Three Mistakes?

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 04:22:00 +0000

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

Introduction

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

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

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

1. Not Setting Goals and Not Dreaming

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

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

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

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

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

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

There are other important aspects too:

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

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

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

2. Making a Living, Not Making a Life

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

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

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

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

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

Why not do what you enjoy, anyway?

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

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

They are simply happy with what they are doing!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Dan O'Neil

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

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

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

Work On My Passion Or Take A Day Off?

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:31:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See you next time.

Al

Are Negative Emotions Really Negative?

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:01:00 +0000

Or Are They Just Hiding Positive Intent . . .

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Staying Motivated, Do You Employ Game Time Strategy?

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:20:00 +0000

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

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

Tiger Woods knows this.

Bruce Springsteen knows this.

Oprah Winfrey knows this.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why this change in Tiger Woods from focused to laughing?

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

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

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

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

Here's what you need to do.

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

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

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

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

Isolate that time and then ask yourself this question:

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

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

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

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

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

Talk to you soon.

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

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Self Esteem And Confidence, Do You Have Full Portions?

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 09:33:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So go for it, you can do it!

Al

Have The Courage To Say Yes!

noreply@blogger.com (Al Smith) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 02:16:00 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In a word: Courage.

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

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

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

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

by Rev. Dr. Alesia Matson

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

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com