Showing posts with label 2015. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2015. Show all posts

Tuesday, 30 June 2015

One Thing You Need to Do to Get Things Done


What is it about human nature that we tend to put things off? Is it laziness that we can't get ourselves to start doing the things we need to do? Or is it because we don't have the time? We seem to be busy doing 101 little daily things that we don't have any time left over for the big important tasks. Or are we such perfectionists that we're waiting for the perfect time when everything is in place and ready?

Stuck in the Daily Grind

No wonder then that most of us can't get anything done! If this sounds like you then you'll be stuck in a life of the mundane. You can't get out of it because you're doing the same thing over and over. You tell yourself that you don't have the time. So on and on you go, doing the little things that get you nowhere. And on and on you go, waiting for the perfect time that never comes around.

How to Get Off the Daily Grind

It's time to stop spinning your wheels and do something differently to get results. You need to start somewhere and the best place to start is to have a goal. If you don't have at least one goal then you won't know where you're going. You need something to lead you out of the mundane. Without a goal you won't have a purpose so you'll be aimlessly going from one thing to another.

The One Thing You Need to Do First

Setting your goals is the start of getting things done. It is like the star that guides you in the darkness of the night. If you can see it then you'll know which routes to take to get there.

Sometimes, though, you can have too many goals that you don't know which ones to aim for. It can get confusing so you'd have to focus only on the most important and urgent ones. You'd need to get rid of the small trivial things and pass on the ones that others can do for you.

When you've narrowed your list of goals down to the few significant ones, you will get a clearer picture of where you're going. You can then concentrate your energies on finding ways to reach them and finally have them checked off your list.

Go ahead and write all your goals down - everything that you need and want to do. Then go back and choose a couple of important ones.

Challenge to Get Started on Your Goals

What better way to get your goals done then to challenge yourself? Challenge yourself to get your goals down for the coming year by the end of this month. If you give yourself a time limit then it will feel more urgent and you will more likely push yourself to do it.

Wednesday, 24 June 2015

5 Steps To Making Your Goals A Reality


Learning to set, keep, and fulfil your goals is essential to running your business. I am convinced that sales, planning, and marketing will go nowhere without a solid plan and goals to see you through. Goals will provide direction and a clear vision. People without goals will face difficulties in seeing the big picture of their success and will not be able to stay focused. I don't want this to be you. What I do want is for you to be able to build a bridge that can help you from where you are in your business now and where you want to be in future.

Five Steps to Setting Goals

Here are four steps that I return to often when looking for ways to improve my business and move forward.

Step 1: Begin with a Dream

The first step of setting goals is about dreaming about everything that you need to accomplish in your business. Your dreams will not need to be realistic at this point, so you should avoid limiting your thinking process to what you dream may actually become possible. Now, is the perfect time for you to consider every possibility because there are no boundaries to your aspirations. Start by writing your thoughts of where you want to see your business after five years on a piece of paper. You should not worry about how you will get there, just write down your every thought and possibility big or small.

Step 2: Consider Every Possibility

After writing down the possibilities, now it is the time to mull over every one of them. Repeat them to yourself inside your head. Write them down. Share them with a friend. You will find that during this exercise you will discover even more possibilities and opportunities for growth. After you've discovered which goals you would like to work on, try to focus on a significant idea and make an outline of what you think can be a part of the success of that goal. Use elements like word maps, thinking (or "bubble") maps, graphic organizers, or anything that will help you to conceptualize your plans.

Step 3: Sort your Options

In this step you will need to start sorting all your ideas and possibilities of your business which you have written down. It is very important for you to sort your ideas in some categories of importance. Place the most practical and useful ideas at the top of your list, and everything else goes below. Then, do what's always best to do on paper - RIP IT! Rip off anything that didn't make your top ten. Your top ten is what you're going to be focused on from now on. These are the goals you will live, breathe, eat, and sleep with until you've reached and exceeded them.

Step 4: Create a Plan to Focus on

By now you will have a list of specific, attainable, time based, and relevant goals. Begin with the first goal you've written down and elaborate on your process to fulfill it. Once you've done this for all your goals, DON'T WAIT! Start working on them right away. Don't feel like you have to rush through your list: move on to the second goal once the first one has been reached. Finish all of the items outlined in your goal before moving on. You'll find that being able to focus on what item (rather than several all at once) will help you a great deal. And finally...

Step 5: Celebrate

After you've completed your first goal - tell the world about it! Don't be shy, you've just done a great thing. Share it on your website, social media, and in-person to anyone who's interested. You'll not only get the word out about your business, but people LOVE it when others are in a good mood - because it's contagious! You'll most likely gain a new follower intrigued by what you're going to do next. So, what are you waiting for? Start dreaming!



Tuesday, 2 June 2015

5 Reasons Why Goal-Setting Will Make Your Life More Amazing


Goals. We've heard about them most of our lives. But why should we set them? How will setting life goals increase the quality of our lives?

1) We become the empowered directors of our lives

"If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time." - Zig Ziglar

When we set goals, we're making it clear to ourselves, our families, our communities, and the entire Universe that THIS is what we want.

Clarity is power and by becoming clear on what it is that we want in our lives, it gives us greater focus and direction to enjoyably improve our lives... and as we grow, we have more to give which makes us feel more fulfilled.

2) Goal-setting allows us to transform our vision and dreams into reality

"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible." - Tony Robbins

When we talk about our dreams, the truth is it's still a dream unless we've scheduled and planned it into our lives... that's when it becomes real.

Having a clear result, knowing our purpose for wanting to attain it, and have a chunked down action plan gives us the power to actively and measurably progress in any area of our lives.

3) We grow and become greater versions of ourselves

"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals." - Henry David Thoreau

I believe the purpose of setting and achieving our goals is for us to grow as a person. During our quests and journeys of accomplishing goals, we may be redirected towards a greater goal... a greater focus... however, throughout the process we grow and become better versions of ourselves. All the people, knowledge, experiences, mistakes, wins, challenges, and serendipitous encounters impact an expansion of our consciousness and growth as a greater, more whole human being.

4) We activate the RAS (reticular activating system) in our brain

The what???

Yes, the reticular activating system is what allows our subconscious mind to be able to find things in our environment that relate to what we want.

Your RAS is like a filter between the subconscious and the conscious mind as it brings your attention to whatever is relevant to you in the given moment.

The RAS can also be deliberately conditioned to bring relevant attention to whatever relates to your goals, desires and wants in life. This can be done by bringing focus and awareness to what your goals are by checking your goal-setting plan consistently, and also through utilizing visualization techniques.

5) They help us better self-actualize and upgrade our lifestyles

"Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance." - Brian Tracy

When we set life goals, take massive action towards attaining them, we end up learning and internalizing life lessons that expand our consciousness and bring out the new, greater, more whole version of ourselves. In this way, goal-setting allows us to improve in self-actualization: the realization or fulfillment of one's talents and potentialities, especially considered as a drive or need present in everyone.

As we achieve greater goals, we have the opportunity to upgrade our lifestyles... which can include living a healthier, more active and adventurous lifestyle that includes training and competing in Spartan Races, or enjoying a deeper, more loving and fulfilling relationship with our beautiful partner, or having more income and lifestyle freedom to work while we travel.

So... how can you utilize and amplify the power that goal-setting will give you in your life right now?

There are several ways...

- Creating a 1,3,5 and 10 year vision for each area of your life

- Chunking down that 10 year vision into 3 month progress benchmarks for the current year

- Creating vision boards and having them around your house in areas where you consistently will see them

- Having awesome accountability partners

- Creating a weekly and daily results-focused plan

Create your goals, align them with purpose for motivation and drive, and take massive and effective action towards creating 2015 the best year of your life... and those to follow even better!

Wednesday, 27 May 2015

How to Set Powerful Goals You Can Achieve


Match Your Core Values

The more any goal fits into one of the four main areas of life - Family, Financial, Physical or Personal - the more likely you are to be able to set a realistic goal that you can achieve. If a goal for some reason doesn't fit into one of your core values, it's not likely you'll experience much success.

Be 100 Percent in Control

While goals that rely on others aren't wrong, they are harder to achieve. Any goal that you control 100 percent is a goal that you can reach. Do ensure that you're not letting fear get in your way or blaming fate for your failures, though. Self-limiting beliefs can get in your way on this one. Be realistic about whether you do have control or not and give yourself more credit. For example if you think you do not have control over your financial future because "that's just how it is," you are mistaken and need to eliminate this line of thinking.

Be Able to Envision the Goal

If you can't see the end result, it will be very difficult to move forward toward achieving the goal. If you need to draw a picture, make a vision board, or take a day out to fantasize about your big dreams and see how they all fit together in the big picture of your life, do so. You need to see the end to be able to truly achieve it.

Be Spelled Out Specifically

Every goal you make needs to be very specific in nature. If you really want to be sure to reach the goal, you have to know when you reached it. Instead of saying "I want to start a business," state exactly what type of business you want to start, who you want to be your clients, and other information that makes the goal more concrete.

Be Measurable

At which point have you achieved the goal? If you can't give a number or something that is measurable, then you won't have a real goal. If you want to use the business example, you might include that you want to earn x amount of dollars each week by a certain date and then how and why you are going to do it.

Be Actionable

To achieve any goal there has to be steps that you can take to get there. Like using a map to reach a destination that you want to go to on vacation, you need to draw a map to your vision of success with the steps and paths you'll take along the way. Put not only what but when, and how you'll accomplish the step.

Be Realistic

You don't want to write a goal that is too hard to achieve or worse, impossible. Be sure that it's scientifically possible to do it by researching everything realistically. For example, you're not likely going to start a business today and earn six figures by tomorrow or even the first year in business. Look at the research and determine what is doable and how you'll do it.

Be Timely

Every goal has to have a time limit otherwise you may never achieve it. Start with the end and work your way back to today, creating the list of things to do each day to finally reach the end result. But, do set a time limit. You can adjust as you get into the project if it works to be more realistic, but resist the urge to change the time because you're not sticking to your task lists.

If you use this method to create powerful goals that you can achieve, you will not experience a lot of failure because you can always adjust your time line and your goals as you learn more. The important thing is to give each goal a lot of thought, consideration and study before setting it.

Cheers to your future and your greatness within it!

Wednesday, 13 May 2015

5 Ways to Focus and Achieve Your Goals


Goals are very important so today I wanted to focus on 5 ways to hold your focus and achieve your goals.

Life, accomplishments, success, and advancement all depend on having goals and doing what it takes to achieve those goals.

The secret is to have one focus set on success.

This helps to keep your thoughts concentrated, and your energy does not get dissipated by going in a lot of different directions.

It's easy to get distracted by finding ways to focus on other things, but the key is to build momentum in all things relevant to the goal instead of distraction.

It is all about focus and with focus you can achieve your goals.

We will discuss more about ways to hold your focus in a bit...

But let's get into the power of goal setting and what it can do for you in your life.

The first and most important step is to put your goals in writing. Some place where they are easily visible and allotted time that you can focus on them daily.

Take time out of the day to allow yourself a chance to visualize, focus, and execute them as needed. Look at them often and ask yourself questions on how you can achieve your goals.

Most people who set goals and create a plan to set those goals end up finding themselves headed in the right direction when given a purpose.

It's like a Captain and his ship. To get to where you are going you need coordinates and an effective plan to reach your destination. Goal setting is no different.

Those that do not set goals usually get left in the dust wondering and questioning why success seems to elude them.

While I realize there are people who naturally enjoy success without setting goals, most of us have to if we have any chance of getting from point A to point B.

In my experience with goal setting, past and present, I find that in addition to writing them out, pictures of my goals and associated items, help me to visualize actually having them.

I do this with the use of a vision board or a dry erase board where I right down ideas, plans, timelines, etc.

It gives me the confidence to think that it is just a matter of time until everything will be completed, as well as a road map to help me do the necessary things needed to feel like I'm going in the right direction.

This really helps to subdue any negative vibes that may arise during the journey.

If that plan fails, it's back to the drawing board with a new plan until my goal is completed.

One thing I can tell you is without consistency you will never achieve anything. The power of consistency is vital in achieving many things.

It's about making a decision and going full throttle.

In the past I've struggled with consistency. Struggled with believing that the work I was doing was for nothing. And have struggled with friends and family not supporting or believing in what I was doing.

Get to a point where you make up your mind. Whether anyone is there with you or not you have to do it for YOU. YOU and YOU only even if you have nothing else to stand on find something that will motivate you.

Having a background in sprinting, weightlifting, and fitness I still have issues with working out consistently, but it's a passion for me and I can never leave it alone.

But I've realized that it never gets old and it's part of me. The journey of staying consistent is what makes is so exciting.

I have also been in the internet marketing space for some years now and have yet to have any huge successes because of my lack of consistency. Always finding excuses or ways to cut back and eventually give up.

There should be no excuses no matter what the circumstance. If there's something you want bad enough you do what you need to get to get it. Period!

I can remember a few years back...

I was broke, jobless, going through legal troubles, and had no direction in my life. Everything seemed to not be going my way, but I realized it was all created by my thoughts and my lack of having any real, DESIRABLE goals.

It's about developing a mindset, becoming success driven, goal-oriented, and focused. Pushing the negative self talk aside every chance you get. And coming up with ideas you immediately act on.

Break them down into smaller actions, and then into smaller actions until you come up with something simple, something that does not seem so big it discourages you from finishing.

Anything within reason can be achieved when broken down into something smaller and more manageable. Focus on each process and allow the event to happen, instead of focusing on the event and finding ways to shortcut the process.

The process is the most important part. The event is the reward you reap for completing each process and becoming a problem solver. That's what goals are about.

With that being said let's take a look at what you came here for...

5 Ways to Focus and Achieve Your Goals:

1) Write down your goal/goals and review them frequently. Immerse your mind, thoughts, emotions, feelings, and actions in the process.

2) Create a vision board or a plan that will allow your mind to give attention to your goals daily. It should become a point where even when you aren't consciously thinking about your goals your subconscious is still working on a solution.

3) Talk about your goals every chance you get, review them every chance you get, and find people that will hold you accountable. Commit yourself to doing this daily.

4) Break down your goals to steps that become simple, be specific with the small things needed to complete the ultimate goal.

5) Set your mind to 'WIN', there is no other option to consider. Create the illusion that your back is against the wall and the only way out is to succeed.

Developing focus is a principle to success. Build momentum in all things instead of distraction. Make it work for you.

Don't be allowed to question yourself and ask others for help. Even if you think the question may be stupid.

Make a checklist of the 5 strategies listed above and place them where they can be seen. Review them as often as your goals.

These are the building blocks that will help you become the person you need to be to ultimately win in the end.

You Can Do It!



Tuesday, 28 April 2015

How to Develop a Good Habit


Q: Why don't nuns have to worry about deciding what to wear?

A: Because they have a habit.

A habit is a shortcut that makes your life easier because you don't have to spend energy choosing to do it. It's mentally exhausting thinking about every action and every behaviour. If you're spending several minutes two or three times a week looking for your keys that adds up to a lot of frustration and wasted time. And that may point to an area in your life in need of a habit. Similarly, if you've been meaning to incorporate, say, journalling into your morning practice, but it just hasn't happened, then it's pretty clear you haven't developed that habit. Or if your car stays super cluttered and that bothers you, then there may be another habit you need to develop.

Your schedule consists of three basic elements-appointments, to-do items, and habits. An appointment is a commitment with yourself or with another person. Your to-do list is essentially a wish list-it's like that drawer in your kitchen where you dump all that stuff that doesn't have a home yet. And habits are the third element. Brushing your teeth, for example, is not a to-do item, nor is it something we typically put on the calendar as an appointment. It's a habit-something we do on autopilot.

I'd like to invite you to consider a habit that you would like to develop, then spend 30 seconds identifying a strategy, and then make that strategy a rule. Strategy turns to rule and then, with any luck, that rule becomes a new habit.

Let's take the example of someone who spends several minutes each week looking for her misplaced keys. In her 30-second problem-solving period she might come up with a reasonable strategy like, "When I walk in my house, then I'll put my keys in the candy dish by the door." Next, she'll make that strategy a rule. She'll add an evening reminder to her calendar and if she has not followed her rule, she will stop what she's doing and over-correct: She'll pop downstairs and put the keys into the candy dish five times. She is over-practicing, or over-rehearsing, in an effort to lay down this new habit.

Step two is to make that strategy a rule in the form of when/then: When I walk in the door, then I put the keys in the dish. And step three is to make an appointment with yourself at the end of the day to determine whether in fact you have followed through. If you've picked a good strategy, this process should yield a new habit easily enough. On the other hand, if you don't find that your new habit is easy to establish, you might need to go back to the drawing board and spend another 30 seconds identifying a new strategy.

Let's try it

OK, let's go: Spend 30 seconds right now identifying a strategy in the form of when/then. For example, "When I leave the office, then I will head straight to the gym." Or, "When I order a salad, then I'll request dressing on the side." Or, "When my supervisor speaks sharply with me and I want to say something rude, then I'll place my tongue at the roof of my mouth right behind my front teeth and count to five."

Go ahead, identify the strategy; if you feel stuck, reach out to some creative friends. Just make sure that you've come up with a good strategy before you move onto the next step-making that strategy a rule. Agree with yourself in writing: Put it on your calendar. And schedule an evening check-in.

Develop a strategy, make it a rule, and develop a new habit. Wash, rinse and repeat...

Good luck with this process, tell me bout your successes or frustrations developing a new habit. Especially tell me about any tweaks to the process that made it more effective for you!


Wednesday, 15 April 2015

How to Prioritize Your Goals


As to which goals are most important at any given time, you'll need to ask yourself some questions to determine where to place your focus.

* Which goals nag at you most often? What keeps you up at night that worries you? Are your finances suffering because you cannot earn enough money at your current job and you want to figure out how to get off the debt treadmill? This is a goal that fits in with all four of the areas above because financial stress can cause a lot of problems with your health and personal development as well as cause problems within the family.

* Which goals can be accomplished most easily? Some goals are very short term but give maximum impact without too much work. For instance, maybe you have a goal of walking 15 minutes per day. This goal may only fit in with the personal and physical areas above, but walking 15 minutes per day will not take much away from the other areas and can give you huge results and a feeling of accomplishment.

* Which goals would give you the most pride in yourself? Will you feel better if you lose 20 pounds or will you feel better if you spend 20 minutes extra with your son? Keep in mind there is no wrong answer, although being healthy might ultimately give you more time in terms of years with your son.

* Which goals have the most permanent results? When choosing whether to spend that extra money on your degree, determine how permanent the results are, and realize that no one can take that degree from you; it will always be an accomplishment. What is it worth?

* Which goals will still impact me in 5 years, or 10 years? If you start a business today, and work daily toward meeting the goals of that business, what will be different in five or ten years? How will that impact you now and in the future?

* Which goals align with your core values in life? Any goal that fits into all four areas of your life is worth pursuing if it also fits into your schedule at the time.

* Which goals are completely up to you, that you control 100 percent? Remember that you cannot control what anyone else does, so if any goal relies on the participation of someone else, and you don't have their participation, you might want to switch gears and focus on something only you control.

* Which goals are just for you? Some goals are completely personal in nature and have nothing to do with anyone else. For instance, you might want to read a particular author that has nothing to do with anything but your own pleasure. This is perfectly fine.

* Which goals are just for others? There are "shoulds" that often get in the way of proper goal setting and these are goals that are only for other people. Your spouse wants you to lose weight, your mom wants you to go to college, your best friend wants you to start a business. None of these are a good reason to do something, although as long as you know going in why, it's okay to make it a goal.

* Which goals cause you the most fear? Why? Sometimes the very thing you fear most is what's best for you to do. Look clearly at your goal and figure out why it frightens you. Sometimes it's the unknown, and like ripping off a Band-Aid, just doing it might be the best cure.

* Which goals make you excited? Some goals immediately send tingles down your body and into your mind, pushing you forward to doing it. These are goals that are easy to do and probably impact your life a lot. However, do pay attention because if it's a goal of becoming the high scorer on a video game you might want to question your "why".

* Which goals are most realistic? The best goals to put first are the goals that best fit into your life today, cover all four areas of life, and still fit into your schedule and where you control 100 percent of the effort.

When you answer all these questions, you'll be able to see how the goals practically organize themselves. Try making a chart and adding each goal to the four areas, then choosing the ones that cross the most areas to add to your schedule first.

Cheers to your future and your greatness within it!

Wednesday, 1 April 2015

Say Goodbye to the Old Year!


Ever wonder why we make such a big deal about resolutions when so many people either don't make them (less than 40%) or if they do, only about 8% actually happen? Wishful thinking maybe? Or possibly, "Where did I hide that magic wand anyway?"

So if they don't work, how about for starters we just throw out the whole idea of resolutions. Let go of the practice entirely. Decide that this year you just won't be joining that crowd.

"But what is the alternative?", you may ask. Do we just give up, hang our heads, and never get what we want or need? That seems as unworkable as a resolution.

My answer is to, instead, just set a straight up reasonable goal or intention with no pressure, no fanfare, no guarantees. Don't make any unreasonable promises either. And definitely don't run out and buy the first gadget, expensive software, or gym membership to incent you to actually do it.

Unless you are the type who needs your feet put to the fire or someone chasing you with a hot poker to ensure you get them done, then by all means hire someone to do that for (or with) you. Barring that, there is no better way to get what you want or need than to just take one small step towards it.

No big deal made of it. No huge announcement.

Still not feeling the love? Then how about this approach, one that I developed which combines a few tools I've used in the past along with a new, fun one I picked up this year.

Here goes... the simple, easy plan...

First, get a piece of paper or two (a journal if you prefer) and write down as many WINS and successes from last year you can possibly remember. Pull out last year's calendar to help remind you. Ask someone who knows you well to help fill it in even more. This is your time to pat yourself on the back and remind yourself of your successes. This is not the time to berate yourself for so little accomplished or to rag on yourself for not getting more done. Pats on the back only please!

Second, next to each win, ask yourself, "What did I learn or glean from this win or success?" Write that down next to the win. No belittling allowed here. There was a reason you accomplished it, no matter how small you deem it. What was the outcome? How did it make you feel?

Third, scan your list of what you learned from each win or success. What do they have in common? Do you see a trend or commonality? If so, write that down.

Fourth, use that commonality in setting your new goal or intention. One goal or intention. Not a huge list (unless you love lists and they motivate you), just one, simple, straight forward intention.

And finally, say goodbye to the old year. Now that you've gleaned from it what you need, let it go, send it on its way with a loving "bye, bye!" Make a celebration or ritual of it, a goodbye party if you wish, or light a candle and say a prayer but do say goodbye in an intentional, clear way.

No hanging onto the past. Now it's time to take your first baby step.

No guilt please. Say goodbye to that too. And remember, that failure is part of the process. Every successful endeavour has a few missteps or goof ups. Use those for your course correction and step once again onto your path to your accomplishment.

No step is too small. No accomplishment is unimportant.



Tuesday, 24 March 2015

Make This Your Best Year Ever!

It is almost habitual for most of us to set New Year's resolutions in January only for the momentum to fall away by the end of the month. That's why some are cynical about the whole process of setting resolutions, which I can understand. However, if you set goals in the right way and develop the right mindset then you may find that you will be able to achieve amazing things in life! Here are some key steps to setting goals and achieving your ideal life.

1. Be True to Yourself. Think about the person that you are - the people, places, habits and things that are important to you. These are your foundations and your life, habits, decisions should be built around that - the person that you are.

2. Reflect and take stock of all areas of your life. Identify where you are not in alignment with the person that you are? Consider what you would need to do to resolve this.

3. Set your vision for the future. What does that look like for you? Go into as much detail as you can here. For example, if you want to move house where do you want to go? What will your house look like? What kind of area will you be in? How many rooms will the house have? etc. Do this for all areas of your life and get absolutely clear on what you want.

4. Ask yourself why your vision is important to you? If you ask yourself 'why is this important?' 5 times your answers will indicate how strong a sense of purpose you have. The stronger that 'why', the more likely it will be that you will take action and work to stay on track when things get more challenging.

5. Don't lose sight of the present. This might sound strange given I've just asked you to set your vision for the future, but don't obsess to the point of worry about the past or the future. Enjoy each present moment as it comes. Find gratitude every day for the positive things in your life as it is. This moment is really all that matters, when it comes down to it. All the while you can be working towards progressing your life.

6. Create your own success map. You don't create the life you truly want by sitting back waiting for it to happen. it is, therefore, important that you believe you can achieve it and want to take action. Start with your end goals in mind and map out the big milestones to get there, then break those milestones down into very basic actions. Focus on the first action, schedule time to complete it and get going. Momentum builds belief and confidence and reduces overwhelm.

7. Forgive yourself and others. Sometimes feelings of guilt or resentment can really hold us back. This can be either towards yourself or others. A common example being you telling yourself that you've failed before so will fail again. This is simply a limiting belief that you tell yourself, in fact, convince yourself of. The reality is that in many instances, failure is a great way to learn and grow. Forgive yourself, support yourself the way you would support others, learn from previous experiences and set out steps that will get you to where you want to be. None of us will live our lives without making any mistakes.

8. Create positive habits. This takes time, some say it ranges between 30-66 days to create and embed a new habit. What positive habits could you create that will help you to get closer to your goal? Do it every day, stay with it, keep scheduling and completing the habit and after 30 days it'll start to get easier and will eventually become a habit. You can then consider other positive habits that would help you to make progress.

9. Start to create momentum... now! Make sure your big goal, your milestones and small steps are all visible. It is important that you have sight of them every day in order to keep your mind focused. Do what you can every day to move you closer and closer to that life that you want.

10. Celebrate success! Acknowledge and reward the progress you make from the first small step you take, to achieving each milestone and then ultimately achieving the big goal or dream you've been working towards.

Take the time to work through each of these steps and with commitment and self-discipline, you will develop the mindset required to set goals, stay on track and achieve great things. If you feel like you would benefit from the support of a coach I'd be delighted to hear from you.

You CAN do it!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Make-This-Your-Best-Year-Ever!&id=8890175

Wednesday, 18 March 2015

How To Motivate Yourself To Reach Your Goals

Having to do something you don't want to do isn't hard to imagine. We run into it almost every day.

It usually involves change, time, attitude and choice, but not necessarily in that order. There are some things we are faced with that bring out the two-year-old in us as we tantrum and say "no" both verbally and behaviourally. The doctor says we can't eat sweets, so we buy a big bag of Snickers. The workplace says we can't smoke, so we hatch all sorts of devious plans to do it anyway. We need to lose weight, so we skip anything that looks healthy or involves movement. It's all a big fat NO!

None of this changes the fact we need to do something different, new, better, life-saving and helpful for ourselves.

So, as an exercise, choose something you need to do. Now, let's ease into how to do it. There's no need to go whole hog and overwhelm yourself with dramatic and over-ambitious ideas right off the bat. It works best to look at other times you've made a successful change. Recall how you did it and remember the reward that came with your effort. Once you remember something you've done, you know that you truly can make wise decisions and you can continue to make them. Chances are, if something has come to mind, you did something to make it happen. The good news is that you can do it again, even better, quicker, easier.

I recommend writing your answers to these few questions:

Did you plan for success or did it "just happen?"
What inspires you to make change? Or Who?
How can you keep your focus on achieving or doing something to bring about change?
What's a reasonable time for this to happen? For example, don't plan to write a book in a weekend, no matter what those programs advertise.
If you had to defer one part of your plan this week, how would you make sure you pick back up and stay on course next week?
Do you prefer working days at a time? An hour at a time? What time of day is better for you to devote to achieving your goal?
If you were to evaluate yourself, can you see any patterns you choose that either determine your success or determine your failure?
Your goals are unique to you and the way you choose to succeed at succeeding or succeed at failing are unique to you. These questions will help you look deeply into your patterns of behavior and pick the parts that are more likely to work for your success. You can determine what different choices you can apply this time, based on what you know about yourself, to enjoy the process and achieve a good outcome.

Tips:

Create a plan for yourself. Write a daily plan that includes action steps. At the end of the week, you can see all the positive steps you've taken. If they are small steps, they are still positive. Don't discount them. Look at your week. Were there days you reverted or wanted to revert back to "the way I've always done it?"
If there were times you felt yourself slipping back into old habits or resisting change, make a list of things you can do if this happens again.


http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Motivate-Yourself-To-Reach-Your-Goals&id=8937032

Friday, 6 March 2015

The Beginner's Guide to Goal Setting


The practice of goal setting is essential to long-term success. The main reason is that it is a prior condition for happiness and success. As psychologists say, those who try to define clearly their goals will live happier as they will make consistent progress to reach them. Acknowledge that writing goals enhances power and performance. This help you concentrate your resources efficiently and keep you motivated when you feel like giving up. If you've never written goals, it is time to work on them.

1. Make a rough draft of your goals. Start asking yourself questions about what you want for your life. Your answers can be general statements, but could help focus on the things that really matter to you. It is necessary to identify the things you value so as to make decision and keep you concentrated on your end goals.

2. Itemize your goals. Make them more specific. Think about things you want to achieve in each area of your life, whether it is your career, finances, family, social relationship or personal development goals. Consider what you want to develop or change with time. Ask yourself questions about the way you'd like to achieve goals and to approach them within 1, 5, 10 year timeframe.

3. Create goals using the S.M.A.R.T method. This acronym is a system used by educators to identify, set and achieve goals. This means your goals must meet five criteria: they must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. Then think to get them solidified by affirming your commitment to completing the goals with positive statements. These statements will be seen as the roadmap for setting goals for today, tomorrow, next week, next month and next year.

4. Once you set your goals, achieve them, starting with the small ones. Get into the habit of setting goals and achieving goals. And each time you reach a goal, allow yourself to celebrate your achievement accordingly. You will pill up successes! By the way, take time to assess each goal process to be more successful.

5. Keep track of the progress made towards your personal and professional goals. This is the key to keep you motivated and to make sure you hit your target dates. Get into the habit of encouraging yourself so that you reach your personal development goal easily.

6. Last but not least, review your written goals as frequently as possible: daily, weekly, monthly... Knowing each step you have to make to move towards your goals is the only way to turn them into reality.


Tuesday, 17 February 2015

Top 7 Personal Development Tips to Help You Be Your Best


Most people are the victims of their own circumstances. What they don't understand is that often their circumstances are a result of the decisions they make. Sometimes bad things do happen to us, and these are things we have no control over. More often what happens to us is the result of the decisions we have made based on what we believe.
So how do you change all that? How do you get rid of limiting beliefs and feelings that no longer serve you? How do you attract positive things into your life? You do this by changing how you think. The problem is, how do you change what you think?
Just as Rome wasn't built in a day, changing what you believe to attract what you want starts one day at a time. The only time you have is now. When tomorrow comes, it will be today. Yesterday is gone, and since we can do nothing to change it, the best thing to do is learn from it, let it go and move on.
Here are seven things you can do to help you do just that:
1. Write in your journal daily.
If you don't have a journal, I highly recommend that you begin keeping one. The key here is not to write about what has happened to you. Write about the unresolved feelings you have over the issues in your life. When you do this, then you can let those feelings go. Letting negative feelings go will help you feel better.
I learned that by focusing on the unresolved feelings I had, instead of the people, places and things in my life, I could feel any way I wanted to. It was OK to feel the way I did. By acknowledging my feelings and then feeling them, they couldn't cause me to self sabotage anymore.
2. Meditate daily.
Meditation is one of the most effective ways to resolve anything. By meditating just 20 minutes per day, you can totally revolutionize your life. The reason is that meditation is calming. It helps you to relax, and it also helps you to stay in the moment.
Much of our stress comes from thinking about things in the past or worrying about future events, things we have no control over or can't change. When we let go of these things and focus on the moment we are in, then we can enjoy the moment and respond to those things we need to take care of now, not worry about things that may never happen.
3. Believe that you will win.
Henry Ford once said, "If you believe you can, or you believe you can't, you are right." What you believe is absolutely crucial to your success because it will influence the decisions you make.
You will make choices based on how you feel, not based on what is really happening or what is truly reality. You are not your circumstances. If your circumstances are based on your choices, then you can change your circumstances by changing your choices. Believe that you will win and you will.
4. Write goals and plans of action.
To have what you want you must know what you want. This is your starting point. Once you know what you want, then you need to set a goal and then create a plan of action to achieve that goal. Just make sure that your beliefs are in line with what you want. Otherwise you won't be happy with what you get when you get it.
5. Become well rounded.
What I mean by this is that want to get an education. Study all types of things like history, philosophy and other disciplines. Read the classics. Pay particular attention to works like "The Science of Getting Rich," by Wallace Wattles and "The Master Key System," by Charles Haanel. These works can help you develop self mastery in your life. They can also help you achieve the things you want to achieve. Being well rounded helps you understand the world better. More importantly, it helps you to understand who you are and find your purpose.
6. Use positive affirmations.
Wrong or negative thinking can be one of the worst things you can engage in. When we're negative and pessimistic, we tend to attract more negative and pessimistic into our lives. Like attracts like.
Affirmations help you develop the right mindset so that you bring these things into your life. The key here is to use repetition. The more you repeat these positive phrases, the more likely they are to sink deep into your subconscious where they take root and become an automatic part of your thinking.
7. Share personal growth with others.

Everything in the universe is made of energy and so everything is an energy exchange. What you send out into the universe will come back to you, so you want to send out positive. As Zig Ziglar says, "You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want." By helping others, you will get what you want because what you send out into the universe comes back to you

http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-7-Personal-Development-Tips-to-Help-You-Be-Your-Best&id=8892185

Tuesday, 10 February 2015

Unleashing the Female Goal-Getter Within


As women sometimes we give so much to others that we forget to do things for ourselves. We cater to the needs of others day after day, month after month, and year after year, and before we know it our dreams have been put on the back burner. If that is your story you can change it right now.
You deserve to achieve every dream that is in your heart, and you must begin to think that you deserve to be a goal-getter. Becoming a female goal-getter just means that you are a woman who is motivated, to achieve her goals and dreams. And it doesn't matter how long you have had your dream in your heart, you still have time to get it in your hands. Becoming a female goal-getter doesn't mean that you are selfish, and it doesn't mean that you are neglecting people or things around you, but what it does mean is that you are making a decision to go for what you want, in a very purposeful and powerful way.
Becoming a goal-getter also means that you are creating space in your life for you. More than likely if I ask you if you have any goals, you will say "yes." Because most of us do have goals, maybe we haven't shared them with anyone, or maybe we have, but most of us have something within, that we want to achieve. And it is not beneficial if we continue to move forward without mastering our goals.
What goal are you trying to achieve? What dream is in your heart, that you would love to get in your hands? What is something that you have wanted to do, but you haven't found the motivation to do it? Do you feel like it is too late? If you feel like it is too late, then I have good news for you. It is not too late, you can still take steps to become a goal-getter. This can get you on the path to happiness and feeling fulfilled.
You can even start becoming a goal-getter today, by putting your priorities in order. Set up a plan and make your goals happen. Do what you need to do to realistically reach your dreams. Set small goals that you can easily achieve, and then work on conquering bigger goals. Don't think about how much time has passed by, but think about the fact that you have this moment, to be all that you were born to be