Its Your Choice

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.

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It's Not Over Till You Win

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.

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Be Motivated

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

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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

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Your Best Life Awaits You When You Are Determined to Succeed

Many of us have heard these words before, my mind is made up and there is no stopping me. Those words represent a made up mind, the kind of which when set in motion results in achievement.

It is a good thing Thomas Edison did not give up on finding a way to improve incandescent lighting which is part of what we know as the the light bulb for home use. History tells us Edison tried and failed 10,000 times and ultimately his determined mind is what households around the world enjoy to this day.

The lesson for each of us to take from Thomas Edison is to be determined and do not throw in the towel when success eludes us. Determination must be part of your arsenal when it comes to achieving any level of success, remember this and you will succeed more times than not.

Our best life is possible when we tap into our infinite talent, gifts and determination. This trifecta is the ultimate success formula for transforming from impossible to the possible in life. Show me a successful person without determination and I will show you a person who will not achieve the success they so richly deserve.

Another key point to keep in mind is to know your purpose. So many people ask what their purpose is in life and I encourage them to dig deep for the fire burning on the inside of them. In other words, what do you love to do? Do you love something so much you would perform the work and or activity without pay?

Taking the burning desire to passion would be a great transition because that is exactly what is involved in the process. We must be passionate about what we want in life and perform at the level that crosses into the spectrum called your essence.

Your essence represents the very fiber of your being. To put it another way, once you tap into your essence you flow like the wind we cannot see but it exist none the less. Success is for the taking when we combine determination with a willingness to not quit on ourself, blend our gifts and talents and know what our purpose and passion is.

We can take all that we know and share it with everyone we know and create a purposeful greater good for humanity as a whole. You can live your best life possible when you are determined to succeed, start the process today.

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What Is Talent?

An unusual or exceptional ability to do something well defines talent. It can be measured in many ways. We all marvel at the well to do, highly respected, well liked person. Most of us will resign that person reached the pinnacle of their life because of talent. But what does that mean? Was that person gifted with special powers or favour? Was the road to success paved just for them? Without proper development, talent will never reach its full capacity. Hard work and drive nurtures your talent. Without proper development talent is just a knack for doing something well. History has recorded many with talent that was wasted or not taken advantage of. One of god's gifts to us is talent how we develop and use it is the measure of what we are made of. The world offers a multiplicity of unique skills but what separates recognized talent, is the commitment, drive and intensity that is applied when honing those unique skills. Regardless of the endeavour, recognized talent will be the measuring stick. The most talented will consistently work harder, smarter and with more intensity. It is not a matter of talent but more so as to how you develop.

Talent does not guarantee success. Hard work, drive and a passion for success are traits that will keep you moving forward. Life shows no concern for your talents. It will continuously move forward with or without us. When our efforts and intellect mirror life, we move forward as life does. Talent is preparing your self with the gifts given while consistently moving forward. There will always be hurdles and pitfalls. We can choose a destination but how we get there will depend on quite a few things other than talent. The measurement of who we are is a result of the effort, character, value and intellect that we adhere to. Talent is a gift only if you recognize what the gift is and build on the positive aspects of that gift. Talent is also nurtured by gaining knowledge and sharpening your skills. Perfecting your talents requires intellect. The price of talent is hard work. The more you put in the more it becomes habit. Positive effort brings about positive results. Perfection of your talent is the process of consistently refining yourself and seeking to do it better than you did it the last time. Its one thing to believe and know you can achieve, but is another to do it and get better while going through it. It is crucial that talent is allowed to prosper.

Perfection is achieved by consistently doing the right thing over and over. Talent will become routine and the drive to get better will fuel that talent. When your purpose is by design your talent will play a major part. Talent needs to be developed. Nothing sharpens steel like steel. Sharpening your talents will give you the same results of sharpened steel. The more you hone your talents the more natural your talents become. A crucial component of talent is recognizing what your talents consist of and the approach used to develop that talent. When your efforts are sincere and intense, you will get the best results. We all have unique gifts and talents, some we know of and others we haven't yet touched on. Our timeline has limitations, so how we use the time allotted to us is crucial. Talent is taking the gift and developing that gift to its fullest. Talent is having the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they already know what you truly want to become. We were given these talents to purposely fulfill. To live life to its fullest is to fully take advantage of your talents. Talent is one many gifts given in our pursuit of a meaningful life. Let's take advantage of our talents

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How to Live Your Purpose

It's a fundamental belief of mine that each one of us is brought upon this world with a major definite purpose in life. Everyone has a unique destiny for contributing to this world using their unique blend of talents and passions. I have no doubt that most people today work hard and stay busy with daily activities. The problem I've noticed is that many people live their lives without any sense of meaningful purpose that gives their lives passion and significance. They get caught up in the daily mechanical routines of life and they become creatures of habit rather than purpose-driven beings. Finding and shaping your major definite purpose is perhaps the most important thing that you will ever do in your life because your purpose is the driving force that spawns all the achievements that you will ever accomplish and it provides that unlimited source of motivation that drives you to achieve all the goals that you set for yourself and enables you to live life to the fullest.

What is a Major Definite Purpose?

Your major definite purpose is like a path that you follow during your long journey through life. Your purpose is by it's very nature something that you are very passionate about. In fact, it gets your juices flowing at the mere thought of pursuing it. It drives your actions and motivates you to do the things that you do, despite the adversity and even the pain that you might have to endure in order to reach it. Think back in time to all the monumental figures throughout history. What was their decided purpose in life? You will find that the great ones throughout history believed in their purpose so passionately that some even died in the pursuit of it. That is how strong your purpose must be for you. You must be willing to gladly trade the rest of the days of your life in the pursuit of that major definite purpose of yours.

Why Do Some People Get a Mid-Life Crisis?

Even if we don't clearly define our purpose in life early in our adult life, eventually it hits most of us at some point somewhere between the ages of thirty-five and fifty--the infamous mid-life crisis. This "crisis" almost always comes from an inner voice telling us that something is missing from our lives. That feeling is the need to find and pursue our major definite purpose in life. It's our subconscious mind saying, "Hey, you're at the halfway point already. Why don't you stop wasting time and start doing what you are supposed to be doing!" Why wait for your subconscious alarm clock to go off like that? Start working on it right now.

Your Major Definite Purpose is NOT Your Goals

There is an important distinction that we must make between goals and your major definite purpose in life. Your purpose in life is not your goals, but rather it defines all the goals that you create for yourself throughout your life. So they go hand-in-hand.

Your major definite purpose should be a lifelong journey or commitment without any discernable stopping point. The reason for this is that if you set your definite purpose with an achievable end point, such as saying Thomas Edison's major definite purpose was inventing the light bulb, then what do you do with your life after your purpose is completed? Anthony Robbins in his audio book, Live With Passion, states that many adult males die within a few years of retiring, not of old age or of poor health, but simply because they no longer have anything purposeful to live for. Your purpose does not follow the same criteria as goal-setting. Your purpose has no tangible end point. The metrics involved in weighing how successful you are with your purpose is decided by how you will be remembered by others at the end of your life. How many lives will you have saved, touched and inspired during your lifetime? How will history judge you? What things or people will you leave behind when you are gone? The legacy that you leave behind is the measure of successfulness in achieving your major definite purpose in life.

How to Identify and Clarify Your Purpose in Life in Six Steps

There are two parts in realizing your purpose in life. The first part is your general purpose, which is simply how you want to be remembered at the end of your life. The second part of discovering your purpose is figuring out how you intend to carry out your general purpose through your specific talents, skills and abilities.

Step 1--Take a Personal Retreat From Your Daily Routine. Finding your life purpose is perhaps the single most important answer you will have to find for yourself and it stands to reason that in order to find your purpose, you will need to dedicate 100% of your mental and spiritual energy towards that effort. With all the chaos surrounding our daily lives, it's not practical to even attempt to find your life's purpose while managing the other responsibilities of your life. Take a couple of days and get out on a personal retreat just by yourself. Go some place quiet and peaceful where you can really contemplate what your major definite purpose is.

Step 2--Identify Your Core Competencies. Make a list of eight things that you are really good at doing. These can include specific talents, skills and abilities that you have. Don't worry about your purpose at this point. Just list your best skills. My core competencies include writing, coaching, and teaching.

Step 3--Identify Your Passions. Make a list of four things that you are passionate about and love doing. These are things that you would gladly do without pay because they are a constant source of joy and happiness for you. Your list of passions will most likely be a duplicate of your list of core competencies because you usually do well what you are also passionate about. Match up your core competencies with your passions. Now you have a list of four things that you do well and also the things that you love to do.

Step 4--Identify Your Legacy. Your legacy is how you would like to be remembered after you are gone from this world. If you had your own chapter in a history book, what would be written about your life? What contributions would you have made to society? Brainstorm on a legacy by writing eight ideas and then use a tournament-style draw system to prioritize your list down to the most important legacy. This can be done by simply pairing up each of the eight ideas and then deciding which one out of the two is more important and then repeating this "tournament" until you have a winner. The winner becomes your general purpose in life.

Step 5--Link your passions with your purpose. Remember that having a general purpose is not enough to make it meaningful. You must also decide on the method that you will use to achieve that purpose. Our purpose might be to help other people, but our methods for achieving that purpose might be very different. Simple analyze your list of passions and core competencies and figure out how you can use those talents and passions to achieve your purpose in life.

Step 6-- Create a Purpose Statement. Your personal statement of purpose is a concise declaration of why you are here on this world. It's made up of two parts: a general purpose and a method. Keep your purpose statement as concise as possible and limited to only two sentences. Your first sentence is what you intend to do with your life--the legacy you came up with in step 3. The second sentence is how you intend to reach that purpose--your method. My personal statement of purpose has always been to help as many people as I can make their personal dreams come true. I achieve this purpose by writing, coaching and teaching others how to achieve their fullest potential.

Commit Everyday Towards Living Your Purpose

Once you identify and clarify what your purpose is, you must make a commitment to yourself to stay true to that path. This can be easily achieved by making yourself do something each day that moves you forward in the direction of your purpose. Even if those actions are small, if you do at least one thing each day that moves you closer to your purpose, then that's 365 small steps forward by the end of the year. By the end of 30 years, you will have taken 10,950 steps towards your major definite purpose. No matter how small those steps are, they will add up to be something very significant as time progresses--so start today! At the end of each day, before you go to sleep, ask yourself if you gave yourself everything that you had to give that day.

Develop a Never Give Up Attitude

The journey towards your purpose is never an easy one. Your will inevitably face challenges that come about, some small, others quite big. Regardless of the obstacles placed before you, it's important that you develop the iron-clad determination to do whatever it takes to reach your major definite purpose in life. Adversity will test your resolve and it is up to you to pick up that sword and battle any challenge that gets in your way.

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