Realgoalgetter.com » positive attitude

Integrity, Are You Authentic?

I come back to today’s article from time to time so that I can stay on top of my game and keep doing the right things instead of just doing things right. I ask myself these questions regularly.

Give it a shot . . . Today, ask yourself these questions from this article.

How can I do better?
How can I do more of the things I should be doing, and less of the things I should not be doing?
What do I do that I could or should stop doing?
What do I not do that I could or should be doing?
What could or should I do less of?
What could or should I do more of?

Write down your thoughts. Then again ask yourself, “How can I do better?” Whatever the answer is, make the effort to increase the good and reduce the bad, one step at a time.

Go For It! Here is the article from Thea Westra

Integrity

“Wisdom is knowing what path to take next. Integrity is taking it.” (Robyn Elpruhzlein)

“If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.” (Alan Simpson)

“The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into our mind, but how to get the old ones out. Every mind is a building filled with archaic furniture. Clean out a corner of your mind and creativity will instantly fill it.” (Dee Hock)

You know that wonderful feeling? Sitting down at the end of a day when you have accomplished a mountain of tasks. Those one’s you’ve been meaning to attend do for months, sometimes even years! It gives a real sense of freedom and lightness. This feeling is a source of power.

The foundation of creativity and designing your own life and success, is integrity. Integrity, not defined simply as basic honesty and truthfulness. Integrity is also an intrinsic knowledge that all is right with your world.

Is your environment in complete alignment with your values and intent? (Include in your environment, the people in your life!).

What do you do that you could/should stop doing?
What do you not do that you could/should be doing?
What could/should you do more of?
What could/should you do less of?

Make a list of all areas in your life that require regular attention e.g. personal grooming, nutrition, exercise, finance, home environment, car, partners, family, friends etc.

Under each then list specific items/tasks which want regular attention e.g. balance cheque book, pay bills, wash car, vacuum house, unclutter wardrobes, cut hair, visit dentist, plan menu & shopping etc.

If you are using the services of a life coach, they may have access to the Clean Sweep program. This list is an excellent resource, so why not ask me or visit my website? Having access to a computer and Excel means your personally created list can be regularly and easily updated.

Whenever you feeling a loss of power and energy in your life, rate yourself against your list. Is your score greater or less than the last time you checked yourself against these measures? It may be time to get your environment in order and energise yourself for those things you’d really like to do.

2005 © Thea Westra is an international life coach who resides in Perth, Australia. She is editor and publisher of a free, monthly newsletter which you can receive by going to her website http://www.forwardsteps.com.au She also publishes a blog called Triggers http://forwardsteps.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Do You Always Feel Like Doing It?

By Al Smith | 1 Comment

Sometimes I run up against this challenge of not following through on my tasks because I have changed my mind set since I wrote up my goals. (poor decision making probably at fault here)

Goals are tremendously exciting and stimulating at the time of writing them up, but sometimes my feelings change somewhere in between setting them and actually taking action on them. Could this be a fairly common challenge in people who are living their dream?

What Do You Do When You Don’t Feel Like Doing It? (following your plan, taking action, etc.) You know, at those times when your negative self talk is overwhelming the positive feelings you had previously.

When you now keep saying you really should, all the while dreading and knowing in your heart that it will probably never happen for you, even though it needs to happen in order for you to realize your goal.

That haunting feeling that creeps in knowing you will not want to complete your plan as scheduled because you probably won’t want to actually do what is required. Because you had been here before, and you didn’t follow through on it that time either. That reluctance you began to feel even as you wrote it on your to do list.

Common examples might be: consistently exercising for fitness, following eating plans for weight loss, or salespeople making prospecting calls, etc. (I remember the last one being particularly challenging in the past).

Have you ever felt those feelings? I sure have, and I’m guessing that just about anyone challenging themselves with tough goals has them from time to time too.

What do you do when you can’t seem to bring yourself to that action threshold which separates doing it from not doing it? What holds you back? What spurs you on?

Is it real or imagined? Can you control it? Is it fear (insert your specific fear here), lack of knowledge, low motivation or I hate to say this but laziness? (I don’t think there are any lazy people, just those lacking motivation.)

How do you get yourself to follow through when you overcome this reluctance in other things? What is the difference for you when you do it and when you don’t?

I’m sure there have been times that you would rather have been anywhere else, but you took action anyway. You did overcome the reluctance and everything went according to plan because you made a decision that this was important to blast through and get it done. And so you did.

So, what did you do to change your mind from not wanting to do it, to actually getting it done? (I’m thinking that an English major could pick this apart because of all the bad grammar, but so what?)

Some strategies I use to shift my mental state or attitude for taking action are:

Affirming my Power. Affirmations.
Asking myself better or different Questions.
Changing my Physiology. (Posture)
Use Momentum. Just start.
Increasing it’s Importance (making it non negotiable)
Renew my Commitment. Make it public.
Making it Fun or Exciting.
Break it into smaller, more manageable tasks.
Changing or resetting my goal deadline.
Calling a Mentor.

Are you using any other strategies that are working well for you? I’d really like to hear how others are consistently solving this all too common challenge. Anyone up for a discussion on how they have gone about overcoming this particular problem? Or how others could model what you are doing?

Al Smith
——————————————————————
We have a FREE Ebook version of “The Power Of Setting Goals” available among many other free reports on our Free Ebooks And Reports section of the RGG Ezines page. Just scroll down and download it FREE.

Related Reading — Some of our more popular posts are here:

Get Inspired – Stimulate Your Brain, Capture Your Thoughts

By Al Smith | 1 Comment

Get Inspired For Success By Stimulating Your Brain

To be creative and inspired, you need to keep your brain stimulated. In fact, doing things to stimulate your brain, also helps with your memory. There are many different things you can do to keep your brain active and alert.

Doing things as simple and fun as crossword puzzles, word searches and games like Sudoku are great for keeping your brain stimulated. They make you think, and that exercises your brain.

Read something you are passionate about for 20 minutes a day. Or, read something you know absolutely nothing about, but would like to learn. When you get an idea for something, just jotting it down and working through the steps can get your brain stimulated and inspired.

An artist may look at the work of others or walk through an art gallery for inspiration. A writer may find inspiration by spending time in the library, wandering among the books and looking at titles. An architect or designer can be inspired by looking at buildings and homes.

I personally keep an inspiration journal. In it, I collect my thoughts, my daily challenges, pictures of things I like, and ideas that come to me during each day that seem interesting and fun to try.

Whatever it is that you need inspiration for, it is out there. You will find that by keeping your mind busy and stimulated, that will help you to feel more motivated and inspired to achieve.

And . . . make sure that you document the ideas as they come because some of them are quite fleeting.

The worst feeling in the world can be when you have a great idea and nothing to record it with. Then . . . after a while, you can’t for the life of you get back to that thought.

I carry a little voice recorder with me most of the time because I don’t like to lose my train of thought with the many distractions one can come across.

So, keep your mind working, stimulated, and record your ideas and you will never lack for great ideas to work on. Come on, believe in yourself. Go for it!

P.S. – I have felt this from past personal experience myself. Here’s another article I wrote some time ago on this subject. Ever Lost A Thought? Capture Your Mind’s Work

Resolve To Make Small Changes Consistently

By Al Smith | 2 Comments

For those who find it hard to make massive changes all at once, there is another way that adds up to the same thing, consistent small changes regularly to create a successful life journey.

Steve Gillman writes about Kaisen, that was first taught by W. Edwards Deming in the first half of last century.

Tony Robbins calls it CANI (Constant And Neverending Improvement) and teaches how small changes each day add up to a whole lot of exponential change, by building upon each day’s successful improvements.

So, if you aren’t ready to make huge changes at first, make small changes instead and build on them daily. Here is Steve’s article.

Kaizen For Self Improvement

What does Kaizen, a Japanese method of production excellence and industrial efficiency have to do with self improvement? Can it be adapted to self-work? What is it, anyhow?

It began with the “continuous improvement” theories of efficiency expert W. Edwards Deming in the 30s and 40s. After the war the ideas were picked up by the Japanese and developed into “Kaizen,” a method for creating quality products efficiently through many small and continuous changes. This is perfect for self-improvement, as Robert Maurer explains in his book “One Small Step Change Your Life:”

“Your brain is programmed to resist change, but by taking small steps, you effectively rewire your nervous system so that is does the following:

* Unsticks you from a creative block.
* Bypasses the fight or flight response.
* Creates new connections between neurons so thet the brain enthusiastically takes over the process of change and you progress rapidly towards your goal.”

Kaizen is an alternative for those who have a hard time facing major changes, like quitting smoking all at once. For something like that, the kaizen way might be to stop smoking in your car, as the first small step. Then you could switch to a brand with less nicotine, stop smoking in the house, and so on.

An important technique used in kaizen is asking “small questions.” In factories this meant no more questions like “What are you going to do to improve the company profits this year?” That just elicits more fear than creative ideas. A better question might be, “What small change could we make in your department to reduce expenses (or improve quality)?” This approach was found to be far more productive.

For purposes of self improvement, this means asking small suggestive questions of yourself, like, “What could I do to free up five minutes for my meditation practice?” or “What small change could I make if I wanted to improve my relationships today?” Small questions tend to dispell the fear and intimidation that come with frontally facing the whole issue.

Small questions, along with small, comfortable changes is the first important principle of kaizen. The second is to make the process a continual one. Just imagine where you’d be if you had consciously made one small change in your life each week for the last few years. Even better, imagine where you’ll be a few years from now, if you start the process today.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” – Lao Tzu

By Steve Gillman

Steve Gillman writes on many topics including brainpower, weight loss, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. Learn more and get FREE e-courses at www.SelfImprovementNow.com

It’s Time! No More Excuses Allowed

By Al Smith | 2 Comments

I was doing some light reading tonight and I happened across an old article written by Betty Mahalik some time ago. Since it is nearly New Years and this is a great time for people to affect change their lives, I thought I might share it with you.

I can’t help but feel that somewhere out there, there is someone who can use this article to start fresh this New Year. At the bottom I have included a few extra links on posts about Positive Attitude.

Here we go:

No More Excuses By Betty Mahalik

What if you woke up this morning to find that someone had removed from your mind all of your excuses? What if there were no “if onlys” or “when this happens, then I cans” floating around in your head?

What if, instead of the story about why you can’t do whatever, followed by all of the reasons and explanations for your previous lack of success, you heard a half a dozen reasons why you could be successful, followed by the lessons you’ve learned from previous attempts that would help you succeed this time around?

There is no reason we can’t change the paradigm from excuses and explanations to affirmations and visions of success. The choice is ours. I recently finished presenting a three-session presentation skills training for a local business that brought this truth into clear focus.

One of the participants was a walking, talking excuse-making machine, who spent more time telling me why she was going to fail, how she always forgets what she’s going to talk about, etc. than she did actually doing her presentations. At one point, I stopped and asked her a question that seemed to shut off the spigot of negative self-talk.

I asked her: “So how’s that working for you?”

When she started back into the same excuse-riddled monologe, I stopped her again and asked the question over. She finally realized in that moment how debilitating her self-talk was. The next week she returned and only once did I hear her revert to the old yada, yada, yada.

The rest of the time she was speaking about something she really cared about, and the results were night and day different from her previous presentation. What I hope she also realized is how that on-going negative chatter affected the rest of her life: her productivity and effectiveness at work as well as her parenting abilities and certainly the model she was exhibiting for her child and co-workers.

I’ve said it before but it bears repeating: we can either have what we want or we can have all of our reasons and justifications for why not. Start monitoring your self-talk as well as the external messages you send out. Notice how often your internal and external conversations are filled with self-negating images of failure.

And next time you catch yourself in the downward spiral, ask a question to break the pattern: “How’s that working for me?”

Another alternative is to quietly but firmly repeat the words, “end session” to yourself.

These methods work by creating a “pattern interrupt” that derails your inner critic and gives your wise mind, the one not filled with excuses, explanations and justifications, an opportunity to reroute the conversation or at least quiet the mental din.

Imagine your life without excuses. Imagine just one day without the negative internal chatter driving you insane. You really do have a choice. Start exercising it. End session.

“The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.” ~~George Bernard Shaw

Betty Mahalik has been coaching small business owners, independent professionals and leaders who want to achieve more but stress less, since 1996. Her background includes several years in the broadcasting and public relations fields prior to starting her own firm in 1987.

She is an accomplished public speaker and corporate trainer specializing in communications, goal-setting and leveraging your strengths. Since 2001, she has written a weekly motivational message, free to subscribers, titled Monday Morning Coach. Visit www.dynamic-coaching.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com
—————————————————
More Posts on Attitude . . .

Prepare To Do The Seemingly Impossible For 2010 And Beyond

By Al Smith | 4 Comments

Just before we get to today’s post on Impossible To Possible To Probable, I found a great post on Gary Ryan Blair’s site that is perfect timing for 2010 goal setting. Check it out and answer as many questions as you can before New Years. – 20 Important Questions.

And . . . I also found on Dumb Little Man – 20 Powerful Beliefs That Will Push You Toward Success

Those are two powerful posts that are important to implement into your 2010 goals planning. Now on to today’s article.
—————————————————————————-
Well, How Do You Achieve The Seemingly Impossible? How do you prepare your mind to enable you to achieve what you presently or previously believed to be impossible?

Impossible is just a word for what we have never done before, and don’t yet believe in. Many of us hesitate to commit to New Year’s Resolutions or goals because we think we will fail, or we have already failed, and the task we want done, or habit we want to break is impossible for us to achieve.

Negative Self Talk kills our goals. We assume because we have never done it before that we wll not be able to this time. “I can’t do that, it’s too difficult for me. I’ll never be able to pull it off. I just can’t.”

I have a favorite quote over my desk in my office: “The Universe is full of magical things, just waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” — by Eden Philpotts

And just when I am ready to dismiss something as impossible, I remind myself that what was once impossible has in fact been proven possible by many people, many times in our human history.

The power of the human mind has no bounds, no limits, except the limits we accept or believe to be true. Practice the four “B’s” and you will become unstoppable. Believe. Become. Beware. Be You.

Believe
When anyone tells you that something is impossible what is your response? Not only your outward reaction, what are your inner thoughts?

Do you accept it and go on thinking to yourself, “Yeah! It’s probably too hard” or “They’re right. I could never make that work.”

Or do you just passively go on with your existence never to give it another thought?

Well, listen. S T O P thinking that way!

Before you achieve anything that you think may be even a little difficult, you must, I repeat, “YOU MUST” own the belief that it is not only possible, but that it is probable.

Then, owning that belief, you ask yourself some very focused questions.

- What do I want?

- What is the first ‘possible’ step I should take to be one step closer to achieve what I am after?

- Who can clear up any lack of knowledge that I need to achieve this? What do I need to research?

- What is my plan to get from Point A to Point Z? (and those points in between?) Evaluate each Point and write down what smaller steps you need to make in the journey.

Now it may become not just possible, but absolutely probable.

The most important objective to achieve anything on this planet (or out of this world) is to believe. Without belief there is nothing.

Do what you need to do to believe that you can make it happen with a little time, effort, and good plans.

When the U.S. decided to go to the moon in the sixties, they said they would have a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Not very many people believed it could be done, that it was impossible.

Well it turned out to be possible after all, because they did what they said they were going to do and they did it within the time they had set.

Become
Become what you focus on. Whether you want to or not, you will become what you concentrate your efforts on. If you concentrate on achieving wealth, you will become aware of opportunities to achieve that wealth.

If you allow yourself to become consumed with bad things that happen to you, you will become a person that bad things happen to.

You need to become just like the person you want to be like. This requires reading and diving into the lives of those who have already achieved what you are striving for.

You must become a filter for what you allow in and what you push out. Do this by reading what you want to learn. Listen to audio books that support your goals. Talk with people who build up your ideas.

Just remember you will become what you want, what you think about most of the time, even if others say it’s impossible.

Beware
Beware of the idiots. I have a friend who has a brilliant outlook on life. He is an entrepreneur and has many great ideas. Not only are they great ideas, some of them are actually making him quite wealthy.

There are plenty of people who would look at him and his ideas and tear down any effort he would make at trying to achieve.

Here’s the part you need to adopt and adapt to your way of life.

To the people who tear down or do not support his ideas, they are automatically dismissed as idiots. Those who support him and his ideas are always geniuses.

This is a great way to win! Develop your genius tribe.

Totally ignore and dismiss the idiot pool. Your associations and support team are tremendously important to the success of your undertakings.

Now you don’t have to be so raw about it calling people idiots (although it may help). You can still apply the same principle. Beware of the nay-sayers. Embrace the encouragers.

Surround yourself with geniuses. Few things will kill a million-dollar idea faster than idiots telling you it can’t work.

As Tony Robbins likes to say, “Stand guard at the door of your mind!”

Be You
Another thing that will kill a million-dollar idea faster than anything is not being yourself.

Being yourself is the most unique thing you can offer anyone. Why would you want to rob yourself of the most valuable asset you can offer?

Trying to be someone else is a nasty habit that is so transparent it turns off everyone who sees it. Don’t do it. No one likes a phony. But everyone loves those who love being themselves.

People are attracted to those who are glad to be themselves and are confident in who they are. These people understand that they are valuable being the only person they can be. Be yourself and don’t be ashamed of you.

Once you have accepted that you are valuable and are sure in who you are, you will begin to notice in a very short time that people will begin to be attracted to you. They will want to be around you and unconsciously want what you have got.

Use your ‘YOU’ power. Be yourself and you will be on your way to successful living.

Successful living isn’t easy. It’s simple but it isn’t necessarily easy. Stay tuned throughout next year for more valuable ideas and tools that will help you accomplish what others would call “The Impossible”.

Al Smith

P.S. If you need to boost your “belief” factor, check out these posts:
Brainstorming, Cultivating Belief In Your Goals Program
Solution Oriented Problem Solving Strategies

P.S. – More Self-Motivation Articles:

It’s Your Life, and . . . It’s Always Your Choice!

By Al Smith | No Comments

Everything we want to be, do or have in life all boils down to our choices. It’s our decision, and we are responsible for making the correct choices in our life. Scary, right? Join the crowd.

So if you really want to do something or be someone — how do you do it, how do you start? How do you make sure that your choice is correct?

You make that decision and there’s no turning back. You make the decision, and commit to it’s completion. All greatness started with a decision and a commitment to make the decision right.

How do you make sure that you do not have to switch paths later on and have to start over from square one?

There is no hard and fast rule on that, it’s a personal thing. Besides, following your own path sometimes creates challenges and switchbacks. That is all a part of life’s journey.

You got to get your mind into it. Condition your thoughts for what you want to happen. Some people say the best way to get what you want is to visualize yourself doing and having what you want already.

Not just a fuzzy daydream, but a full pledged, honest-to-goodness, day-by-day kind of visualizing. It sometimes takes practice.

Say you want to be a successful manager of a large corpaoration. Envision yourself dressing up in power suits, going to your corner office with a view, getting pats on the back for excellent work, speaking at conferences, etc. Feel exactly how that would be for you.

Find a role model to imitate, somebody already successful. By doing this, you have someone to look up to, consult with, and model. It also helps you focus on your goal and how great it is to be alive.

Remember, your mind is your most powerful ally. If you aim on getting that corner office or academy award or gold medal, and you think about it all the time, your mind will show you how to get it.

Whether the solution is for you to study more or practice better, your mind will direct you to the perfect strategy for you to take.

Many people use affirmations, mantras, physical reminders, diaries and whatever works that can remind them about their goal. Getting another person or a support group to remind you will also be great!

The important thing is to keep focusing on what you want, not on what you don’t want. Your mind can only hold one thought at a time, make it the thought that empowers you.

If you keep on telling yourself ‘no, I couldn’t do it’ then you really won’t be able to. There will be tons of excuses that you can imagine and fall back on. While you are thinking negative, the positive solutions will elude you.

How easy and convenient it is to just come up with excuses instead of aiming for something better. Excuses are easy, that’s the trap. Living with yourself after using the excuses, that’s hard.

So, use the power of your brain – negative or positive thoughts will influence who and what you are. Negative thoughts can jump in there, but you have the power over how long they influence you. Switch over to positive when you feel yourself drifting off target.

Look around and observe people – some walk around with an upbeat attitude and some people look like prophets of doom. Which ones are the more successful?

Generally speaking, don’t you notice that the upbeat ones are the ones who are successful and happy? The positive thinkers are usually more active, joyful, and passionate.

So, what do you want to do. Do you want to act on stage, write horror books, or climb Everest? Do you want to make a difference?

Whatever you want, it is your choice to do it or not to do it. There are no excuses for quitting on yourself. Make the decision that you will be the best darn ……… you can be.

Think hard. Then take your next step and go for it!

Turn Impossible Goals To Possible Goals Today

By Al Smith | 2 Comments

How do you turn impossible goals to possible goals? How do you turn the invisible into the visible?

Here are 4 self limiters to any dream or mission, and these must be addressed in order to turn the impossible to the probable and then to the possible.

I read this quote from a few years back and I no longer have the author’s name, but it pretty much says it all about self limiting beliefs and how they can affect us. If anyone knows who originally stated this, let me know so that I can credit them. For now, I’ll credit Anonymous.

Define your dream precisely. The only limit or ceiling to what you can achieve is:

1. the extent of your ability to define with precision that which you desire
2. the extent of your ability to create and intensify that desire
3. the extent of your ability to believe you can do it, and
4. the extent of your ability to define and take the action steps necessary for your dream’s attainment.

The only thing that limits your ability to define your dreams with precision is the consistent questions you ask yourself, your self talk!

The only thing which limits your questions is your belief about what is possible for you to do. — Anonymous

Simple, huh? Those 4 self limiters are all within our power to change and grow. Cultivate the core belief that will positively shape your destiny, that when you continually ask any question over and over, you will most certainly receive an answer. This is how the subconcious mind operates.

Just as in a Jeopardy! game, every answer is already there, all you have to do is come up with the right question. Never stop asking questions and your mind will answer over time.

Sometimes the answers are pretty far out there, but if you let them flow without judgement or criticism, soon the right quality answer will arrive.

So decide what you really want and determine what’s preventing you from having it now. Find out what the real price is in time, effort, or investment, and pay it!

Remember that we get more of whatever we focus on. Clearly articulate what you do want. The more specific you are, the more power you will have to rapidly achieve your goal.

Once you’ve decided what you want, identify any obstacles you might face, such as the anticipated pain that might occur as a result of changing.

What do you desire? What is preventing you from having it now?

Focus on the positive. Focus on how it can work!
Things will move – when we move them!
Things will change – when we change!
Ignor the negative. Focus on what you desire!
Your mind holds one thought at a time. Focus on what will bring you the greatest and most desirable results!

Remember always to tell yourself – - “I am not competing with anyone else. I am the only one on this track! I can. I can. I can. – This is my Life!”

Here is one of my favorite quotes from Brian Tracy —
“Don’t wonder about whether something is possible – don’t get bogged down in WHETHER. Ask HOW. Over and over if you have to, but ask how can you do it, not whether you can.” — Brian Tracy

Think And Act Positive After A Goals Failure

By Al Smith | No Comments

On our goals journey, we will definitely run into problems and challenges along the way, this is all part of trying to achieve something great.

Some of these might be rather large obstacles and you have to know how to deal with them when they arise. Failure is one such obstacle or challenge that can stop us temporarily.

Failing to achieve our goals could wrap us up in such a bundle of negative thoughts that some of us will quit trying.

So, how do you get started on your big 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.

First thing, you will have to grieve the loss of your time, efforts and possibly finances as some of these might 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.

Sometimes all work on our goals will stop temporarily when we are presented with a mountain of negative emotions. We become confused and start over thinking the situation.

It is just a failure. Don’t make it any more than that. Avoid wallowing in it though, or having a pity party. We cannot change what is past, we can only adjust for the present and future.

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, but do take the processing time you personally need.

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, your mission, your dream.

Feel what it would be like to have all of that in your life. Your mind can only hold one thought at a time so hold on to these positive thoughts.

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, in our quest for a better life, we might get stopped temporarily by a great disappointment, it is truly our own fault if we allow it to stop us completely. Quitting on ourselves is the only permanent failure.

Sometimes we have to start small to win big!

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

How Do You Start Your Day?

By Al Smith | 3 Comments

I read the article below a few years ago, and just came across it again today. It reminded me of how we should be try to be present in every moment and live life consciously, instead of spending our days rushing mindlessly through our very tightly packed schedules.

It was nice to see that this information was as much an ‘AHA’ moment today as it was those years ago. Even I run off track some of the time.

As much as I enjoy most everything I do, there are times when I get to the end of the day and wonder, “Did I extract all of the life and joy from this day or did I just move through it?”

How did you start your day today and perhaps more importantly, how will you start it tomorrow? Here’s Mark’s article:

Start Your Day On Your Terms by Mark Susnow

Most of us start the day like we’re trying to catch a train. We wake up, grab a cup of coffee, look at the paper and listen to the news. We rush out of the house to make an appointment or deadline or to put the finishing touches on a project.

From deadline to appointment it goes. When we leave work we have other responsibilities and obligations, and it doesn’t end until we go to sleep, and for some it still doesn’t end. We never do catch the train.

We forgot one essential thing. We are the conductor and the train can’t go anywhere without us.

What if you knew deep inside that the train was not going anywhere? What would it take to develop the wisdom that there was a better way? What changes could you implement that would make a difference?

I was a busy trial lawyer for thirty years, always running to catch the train. I still remember racing to the court room full of coffee and stress until I realized I was the conductor of my life.

That realization allowed me to make life altering changes that continue to make my life more enjoyable, more successful and more fulfilling.

It all starts with creating your perfect morning. This is your morning, no one else’s. Consider waking up to music you love, rather than to the music or news on your alarm clock. Then before doing anything else take 10-15 minutes and sit silently thinking about all you’re grateful for.

Then start to wonder what the highlight of your day could be. From this new vantage point you might even skip that cup of coffee or that cigarette.

As you leave your house and begin the flow of your day you look at each experience and wonder if this is going to be the highpoint of your day knowing there is more to come.

The concept of looking at the highlight of the day can be used in any situation even one that seems unpleasant.

Looking for the highlight in this experience or this person can totally change your attitude. As the day unfolds, if you sense that things inside are heating up, consider taking a little break.

You might even stretch for five minutes or walk around the block. As your day progresses the biggest difference is the knowledge that you can be busy and be relaxed.

I have found that starting the day this way increases my energy and efficiency throughout the day. When I leave my house centered and focused there is a much greater likelihood that I can maintain this balance throughout the day.

There has been plenty of research by psychologists demonstrating the value of taking the time for morning meditation or creative silence.

I have been doing this for over thirty years and very rarely feel overwhelmed. I laugh more and generally enjoy my day.

Of course I have my challenges and lose my focus periodically, but not for long. And before I go to sleep I again think about what was most special about this day.

The one thing I do know for certain is that there’s a direct correlation between how I start my day and the quality of my life. Try a little experiment. For the next thirty days start your day on your own terms and discover the dramatic changes that are possible.

Mark Susnow has a unique background. Formerly a successful trial attorney for 30 years, as well as musician, he integrates what it takes to be truly prosperous in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation practice.

As a personal coach, leadership consultant and inspirational speaker, Mark provides inspiration and motivation to many business leaders and professionals. He knows what it means to have a big vision and has demonstrated the courage and energy it takes to accomplish it.

Consider contacting Mark and be sure to visit his website: Inspire Possibility

Pages

Menu

Recent Articles

Integrity, Are You Authentic?

Do You Always Feel Like Doing It?

Get Inspired – Stimulate Your Brain, Capture Your Thoughts

Resolve To Make Small Changes Consistently

It’s Time! No More Excuses Allowed

Prepare To Do The Seemingly Impossible For 2010 And Beyond

It’s Your Life, and . . . It’s Always Your Choice!

Turn Impossible Goals To Possible Goals Today

Think And Act Positive After A Goals Failure

How Do You Start Your Day?

Menu

Pages

Recent Articles