Take It Slow

Work towards your goal one piece at a time. It’s important to take it slow and not take on too much at once. The main reason that some people fail when it comes to their New Year’s goals is because they fail to plan out a realistic path.

Follow Through With a Plan

It’s easy to say: “I want to lose 50 pounds” or “I want to learn a musical instrument.” Keep in mind that big goals like these will take some time and effort. Diets are hard to start because you may feel unmotivated or hungry. Musical instruments require time to master, and you may start with weeks of just learning notes before getting to any fun melodies.

Remember that the beginning is tough. Muster up the courage and enthusiasm to continue with your efforts. Remember that most people give up, but you’re not most people, are you?

You’re different because, unlike most people, you’re going to create a clear and realistic plan to take you right to success. If you’re going to lose 50 pounds, define how you’re going to lose those pounds. Are you starting an exercise routine? Are you going to join Weight Watchers or count calories?

You know that you won’t lose the weight quickly; it’s a steady loss that brings success. Even if you’re short a couple of pounds on one of your short-term goals, you can revise your plan and kick up the pace, or just continue on your path because you’ll reach your 50 pound goal before the year is out. That’s what you’ll be able to accomplish with a solid plan in place.

Be Real

You have to stay realistic when it comes to your New Year’s goals. The holidays are a joyful time, and often times you’ll feel motivated to achieve something big. Know that you can achieve big things, but there are also only 24 hours in a day.

Avoid making goals that would take more than a year to complete. If you want to make a long-term goal like this, break it up into parts and give yourself a realistic plan for your first year goal.

Visualize the Outcome

When you run into snags in the road, as you’re bound to in life from time to time, it will help to visualize yourself reaching your end goal. Visualizing it makes it feel real and motivates you to continue to work hard to make it happen.

The Right Attitude

If you’re practicing the right attitude, you can go far. It’s true that all you need to do is believe in yourself. You’ve probably realized that if you don’t believe that you can accomplish something, you simply won’t. How can you expect to achieve great things if you don’t believe in yourself?

An optimistic attitude is critical to your success. Think about how you felt when you first set your New Year’s goal. Chances are that you had an excellent attitude, so try to maintain that mindset throughout your journey to success with your goal.

Once you’ve determined a realistic goal and divided it up into short, achievable tasks, you’re bound for success as long as you take action to complete each step. Go ahead and make that New Year’s resolution, knowing that this year is going to be your most successful yet!

The Big Picture

It truly doesn’t matter what your goal is, you can achieve it by combining the will to succeed with action. There are many possible excuses and many people that will try to bring you down, it’s just the way life. While these things may not change, your attitude can.

The first thing you need to do is create a personal definition of success. What are you trying to do? What is your ultimate goal?

Remember, the answer can be anything your heart desires. Maybe you want to start a video game development business, or maybe you want to be an Olympic swimmer. Everyone is different, but it’s important to have a well-defined goal. Don’t be afraid to be specific and to list a goal even if you’re lacking the confidence to achieve it.

The Process

After you have your definition of success, it’s time to break it down and make it happen. Success will happen just by completing one small task at a time from your plan.

Let’s say your ultimate goal is to own a video game development business. You currently work at a dead end job and you have little revenue to use towards your goal, so you assume it’ll never happen and you just go about your day. But what if you took just 20 minutes each day and worked toward your goal?

Here are some of the things you might accomplish:

1. You can research how much money it would take to start up your business.
2. You can learn the ins and outs of the industry by reviewing different courses and training programs.
3. You can make appointment to meet with banks or companies as potential investors.
4. You can contact independent game developers that may be willing to take on extra work at a reasonable cost.
5. You can research and formulate marketing tactics.
6. You can create a 5-year plan.

While the business entails a great deal more than these 6 steps, you get the idea of what it means to break down a huge task into smaller parts. If you don’t break it down, it’ll seem too overwhelming and you won’t even know where to start – so you won’t get started at all!

But when you decide to spend a little time on a small project, like researching marketing tactics and saving some web links, that’s definitely something you can accomplish in an afternoon. And it brings you one step closer to your goal.

Something Is Always Better Than Nothing

You now know that some action is always better than no action towards your goal. It may sound trite, but you’ll never get there if you don’t try. Just think of how far along you might be if you spend 20 minutes a day on your goal for a whole year. That’s a great deal of small, manageable projects!

You owe it to yourself to make your dreams come true, so go get started!

Determination is what makes me an invincible force throughout the journey. Regardless of what I see around me, above me, or even below me, I am determined to finish what I have started because it is my promise to myself.

I put on the gloves of persistence in order to firmly grip the side of the mountain so I can stay the course. One step at a time, I press on in my walk no matter what tries to get in my way. Even when inclement weather slows my pace, I continue to press on. Life is not about how fast I travel, but about enjoying the journey to my destiny.

I am strong and courageous enough to confront challenges head on. My passion drives me forward in spite of challenges. I am confident that my abilities are greater than whatever trials I my face. I know that I can overcome challenges with grace and poise when I walk with self-assurance.

Today, I choose not to simply face challenges, but to embrace them as opportunities to soar.  I am climbing higher than ever before, certain that I will reach the top where I will give a shout of victory.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. What is the force that drives me?
2. How can challenges make me stronger?
3. Why must I push myself to persevere?

 
According to Dictionary.com success is the achievement of something desired, planned or attempted.  Maybe you have friends or family members who have achieved immense success in their lives and you find yourself wishing you could have that the same?  Does thinking about them fill you with envy toward the people who you perceive to  “everything” they want? 

Most of us experience these feelings from time to time, but instead of letting  envy and resentment  make you feel miserable and negative, remember,  you’re in control, create your own success.  After all, you are the only person who has power over how you define “success.” So instead of spending your time feeling jealous, you can spend time creating and acknowledging your own success.

Creating Success for Yourself

Many people spend their lives wondering when success is going to magically appear at their door but, of course, it never happens this way.  If, instead, you spend less time dreaming and more time building, you’d be much happier and success will be well within our grasp.

Rather than waiting passively for success to whisk you away, it’s time to create your own version of success. When you are proactively taking steps every day, you have a better chance of realizing your goals. After all, it’s far more productive than watching other people achieve success.

A great way to create the successful life you have always hoped for is to set clear, actionable goals. How do you want your life to be defined? What do you want to be doing a year from now, five years from now, or even ten years from now? What sort of goals can you set for yourself that will help motivate you and keep you going in the right direction so you can reach out and grab what you want?

You will want to make sure the goals you set are attainable. The best way to do this is to start with short-term goals that help you work towards your long-term goals. This will help you move forward and build momentum without becoming discouraged. Besides, it’ll help to keep your eye on the prize.  If you set goals that are too ambitious, you will be more inclined to give up before you even get started.

Building a “Success!” Attitude

Your attitude and thoughts determine your success, so make sure they are congruent.  If you have some negative or self-defeating inner dialogues, it will be much more difficult for you to achieve your goals and build the life of success you have always wanted.  That’s why it’s a good idea to use the power of positive affirmations to propel you forward.

Affirmations can help people from all walks of life reach great success, even if they started out in the lowest of low places. So remember that success isn’t limited to the rich and famous!

Having a list of affirmations on hand can help you overcome those moments of self-doubt, envy, or even anger that you may feel toward others.  Affirmations are simple thoughts like, “Each simple, completed task propels me towards success,” or, “I am worthy of great success.” These affirmations help to remind you of what your goals are and, in turn, remind you that you are worthy of all you desire, and more!

 
 Tapping Into the Full Power of Your Brain

 
 Do you ever complete a project and then do it over again when you realized you made many silly little mistakes? Most of the time we laugh at ourselves and wonder what we were thinking, but it sure would be nice to get things done in one try without having to re-do tasks over and over again. 

 
 This is all the more reason we need to constantly improve our mind so we can accomplish things faster with the least amount of effort. 

 
 Turn off the Distracting Mental Chatter

 
 The first thing you need to do when you want to tap into your full brainpower is turn off the noise. The reference to noise isn’t necessarily the music playing in the room or the television you have on in the background – it’s the noise in your mind! All of the negative thoughts and concerns that distract you and take you away from your concentration are all mental noises. Turn off the noise when you need to harness all your energy to complete a difficult task. Any time a thought misdirects you, immediately write it down, and get back on task.

 
 Make a Prioritized List

 
 The next strategy is to prioritize the items you really need to do right away. Being able to create a plan of attack will help you use all of your mental abilities when you need them the most. You will be able to focus on the task at hand when you know that everything has its place on paper. This will enable you to devote your brainpower to what you are doing so you can enjoy your work without worrying about what’s up ahead. You’ll also be more efficient and effective when it comes to completing the tasks in front of you since everything will have its own time and place.

 
 Using the Power of Positive Thinking

 
 Positive thinking techniques are another great way to tap into your brainpower. For example, if you use affirmations, you will be able to turn off the negative inner dialogue that you have running through your head and replace it with positive thoughts to keep you moving forward. 

 
 Many of us don’t realize how ineffective negative thoughts make us. These thoughts can distract us and keep us from doing the things we want or need to do. An affirmation such as, “My lasting success is my focus” can help you tap into your confidence so you can get things done. Over time, using positive thinking techniques will turn off any negative thoughts so you can tap into the power of your mind to accomplish more and reach greater levels of success.

For many of us, nothing seems simpler than calling someone up to chat.  While we may intend for the call to be short and professional, there is a good chance that you’ll spend a lot longer on the phone than you thought you  would, and before you know it, the day has sped by and your efficiency has gone out the window. The work you intended (your intentions are always good in the beginning aren’t they?) to get done is put off until later.  Have you ever experienced this?  Most of us don’t think about the phone as a source of stress.  But if it’s effecting your business and the bottom line then the phone use may be out of control and a cause of stress.

How much time are you spending on the phone?   When you’re on the phone, you’re breaking your concentration. Once you finish the call and head back to the task at hand, it takes about a half an hour to refocus on what you were doing prior to the call.  If you put together all the time you devote to calls during the course of the day, from getting the number, to talking on the phone, to getting back to work how long does it take?  The time that you actually spend “on the phone” just might surprise you.

If you have to be on the phone to do business i.e. call prospects frequently just the opposite is true.  You can evaluate your productivity by how much time is spent avoiding the phone. Even if you live with your phone in what seems like attached to your ear. In order to combat the time wasting telephone and start making your phone calls and make your other tasks more productive for your business, try putting this practice into place:

• Determine how often do you take calls
• Are the number of call detracting you from your work or contributing to your bottom line
• Does the phone ringing distract you and you feel the need to find out who’s calling

Here are some tips control phone use:

• Turn the ringer off if the phone ringing is distracting
• Set up the times when you will make your calls
• Set up a rough call time limit based on your average call time
• Make sure you know  what topics need to be discussed before you call

The phone is a tool to make your business more productive.  If that’s not happening, it’s time to develop a better use of this invaluable tool.   Remember, your time is precious and your business is important, so don’t let the telephone distract you anymore than it has to.

Are you letting fear control your life?   Self-talk will help you to do anything you want when your use positive thinking, on the other hand, negative thinking can prevent you from doing anything you want.  The choice is yours.  Overcome fear systematically with  self-talk.  Once you realize what is causing your fear, you can move to self-talk  techniques to change the situation..

First let me share what self-talk is not.  It’s not some mumble jumble.  We do it all the time but we just don’t know it.  Unfortunately, most of our natural self-talk is negative.  Most of us believe in positive thinking, and that’s good.  But deciding to only think positively for the rest of your life won’t work.  After all we’re all humans and bound to slip up every now and again.   But positive thinking can work if your negative thoughts are immediately replaced with positive one.  Wanting to be a positive thinker isn’t enough, having a positive attitude isn’t enough. You need the positive words to go along with it.  What I’ve learned about self-talk is it’s not hypnosis or subliminal but a repletion of the positive ideas concepts and affirmations that you say, or listen to over a period of time.

Let me give you a couple of examples. Instead of getting out of bed in the morning and saying “I wish I didn’t have to get up,” with your new self-talk say “it’s a great day to be alive”.  Or for those of us that have  to make cold calls instead of saying “I’d really don’t feel like making calls today,”  with your new self-talk try saying  “I excited to make these calls because I know I will make a great new connection today”.  Remember your rephrasing your old self-talk with new ones.  One more example so I know you get the picture.  Instead of saying “I’m so tired today I feel like going to bed”,  with your new self-talk say “I have a lot of energy today”.

Now the changes won’t happen immediately or overnight.  This will take some practice and skill to change your thinking and mindset.  When your with another person you might want to use self-speak silently, when alone you can feel free say it out loud or even have a conversation with yourself.  But remember when you find yourself getting off track by negative thoughts creeping in regroup and get right back on path.

Use positive thinking and self-talk to reprogram your mind to think positive. Don’t let your conscious and subconscious mind tell you that something can’t be done. If you use self-talk, you’ll soon learn that you can do anything you want and succeed by being positive.   Use positive thinking and self-talk to stay in control. Tell yourself that when you master confidence and self-esteem you can master anything.

If this was helpful let me know.  Add a comment in the comment area below this  sentence.  Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to know about self-talk.

The perfect stress storm –

Overstuff to-do list – can be a harrowing for many who feel like they’ve failed in some way if they weren’t able to accomplished everything they set out to do
Over-achiever – Some people who suffer extreme symptoms of stress wind up that way because they can’t seem to achieve all of their tasks.
Type A personality – Have you ever been called (or called yourself) a Type A personality. We laugh it off but their kind of perfectionism you strive for can cause you endless amounts of stress if you fail to meet your own  demands.

Ask yourself how you normally react if you can’t continually be working on something.  Is it virtually impossible for you to sit still and relax?  What if your cell phone is turned off or you don’t have access to a computer for email – does it send you into a panic?

People like this rely heavily on being able to take action, and when they aren’t constantly achieving more, they become more stressed.  The stress builds as your schedule grows even larger. 

Soon, you have to schedule things months in advance – with no room for rest and relaxation, which your body needs to unwind and relieve the stress of helping you achieve all of your goals.

Take that rigid schedule and start scheduling some stress-busting activities just as you would an important business meeting.  Since you are dedicated to a to-do list, ensure that a portion of those tasks are meant to help you calm down and block out the rest of the tasks on your list.

Pick something you would enjoy, but only do if you had the time.  Now, you will have the time – and it will be implemented into your schedule as a “must-do,” rather than a possibility, which never materializes.

You might want to start small and let your stress-reducing activities grow.  Schedule a 15-minute walk outdoors or a 20-minute bubble bath.  Once you learn to embrace the down time, it will be easier for you to expand it into a longer event that’s meant to improve your mental health by ridding your mind and body of the stress of your day.

You need to take the same level of commitment and dedicate some time to caring for your body and mind. Create your own perfect storm with the 3 R’s of stress relief.
Reveal – Identify stressors that affect our daily lives;
Release  – Eliminate the stressors of which we can free ourselves;
Rejuvenate – Learn to deal with stressful situations in a healthy way

Hopefully you found this information helpful.  If you did, how are you going to use this information.  I would love to know.  Please take a minute to comment in the space below this sentence. Let me know if there is anything else you’d like to know about stress relief.

Most people don’t discover what they want in life sometime until it’s almost too late.  Some never discover their life’s mission and joy. – and that’s a shame.

If your anything like me you’ve probably spent years watching television or doing things that didn’t move your toward any goal if you even had a goal. Benjamin Franklin was quoted as saying “Many people die at twenty five and aren’t buried until they are seventy five.” A sad truism.

Is your life all that you want it to be

If you’re struggling to answer this question be assured that’s not unusual.  But to your advantage unlike most people you’re actually looking for an answer.  This places you light years ahead.  When asked about goals most people have spent more time planning a party then they have their life goals.  Mostly because they think that life just happens and never realize their power to control what happens.  People without definite goals are letting time pass them by. Are you one of these people?

If you are undecided about what you want out of life, don’t worry.  There are ways of discovering your purpose in life.

Often times, people are ruled by logic.  People live by what they think they should be or even worse by what others think of them or would like them to be.  To discover what you want in life, try looking deep into your heart.  If you sit quietly and listen to your heart desires you can hear the whispers of your authentic self,  the real you.

You will totally enjoy doing things that are passionate about.  Setbacks, difficulties, and obstacles will make it more challenging, but will not deter you from pursuing your goals.  Remember this: the universe supports people who are pursuing their passion and those who are pursuing their destiny.

There’s only one  thing to remember: Every person, to live truly and greatly, must define how she wants to live and what her brightest life will look like.  Listen to your instincts and follow your heart’s desire.

As I’ve grown older the  only regrets I have are those when I  have done what others or society thinks I should have done and not followed my hearts desires.

If  you’ve found this article helpful. Let me know by leaving a comment.  See the comment link underneath this sentence.

We look at a young business entrepreneur and say “Wooh… what else could he ask for?” He stares at himself at the mirror and murmur to himself, “I hate my big eyes… I wonder why my friends won’t talk to me… I hope mom and dad would still work things out.”

Isn’t it funny? We look at other people, envy them for looking so outrageously perfect and wish we could trade places with them, while they look at us and thinks of the same thing. We are insecure of other people who themselves are insecure of us. We suffer from low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence and lose hope in self improvement because we are enveloped in quiet desperation.

Sometimes, you notice that you have an irritating habit like biting off your finger nails, having a foul mouth, and you – of all people, is the last to know.

One key to self improvement is to LISTEN and TALK to a trusted friend. Find someone who you find comfort in opening up with even the most gentle topics you want to discuss. Ask questions like “do you think I am ill-mannered?”,  “Do I always sound so argumentative?”,  “Do I talk too loud?”,  “Does my breath smell?”,  “Do I ever bore you when were together?”.  In this way, the other person will obviously know that you are interested in the process of self improvement. Lend her your ears for comments and criticisms and don’t give her answers like “Don’t exaggerate! That’s just the way I am!”  Open up your mind and heart as well. And in return, you may want to help your friend with constructive criticism that will also help her improve her self.

One of Whitney Houston’s songs says “Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.” True enough. In order to love others, you must love yourself too. Remember, you cannot give what you do not have.

Self improvement makes us better people, we then inspire other people, and then the rest of the world will follow.  Stop thinking of yourselves as second-rate beings. Forget the repetitive thought of “If only I was richer… if only I was thinner” and so on.  Accepting your true self is the first step to self improvement. We need to stop comparing ourselves to others only to find out at the end that we’ve got  10 more reasons to envy them.

We all have our insecurities. Nobody is perfect. We always wish we had better things, better features, better body parts, etc. But life need not to be perfect for people to be happy about themselves.  Self improvement and loving yourself is not a matter of shouting to the whole world that you’re perfect and you’re the best. It’s the virtue of acceptance and contentment. When we begin to improve ourselves, we then begin to feel contented and happy.

So What are you going to do to improve yourself?