Do You Have The Right Mindset?

I think we can all probably agree that your actions lead to your results. If you want different results, you need to change your actions. If actions lead to your results, what leads to your actions?

Your Big Why

Your big why is, or will be, the most important reason for your success. If you plan to have success, the question that you need to answer for yourself is why do you need the success? What is the reason you get up and get at it each day? What motivates you to accomplish your goals? You need to be very clear on this and focus on it.

My big why has changed a little over the years, but the one that got me going was to help my dad. I lost my mom to cancer when I was really young and my dad raised me and my brother and sister by himself. I have zero complaints about my childhood because he was such a great parent. I owe a lot to him. Being a single parent and one income family, it was difficult for him to even think about his retirement. He was unable to successfully plan for his retirement and is still working today. I want to help him enjoy the latter years of his life and help him, if he would ever allow it, with his retirement.

Fear

I am reading the series Harry Potter right now and I think that is where I heard this quote. "Courage isn't not having fear but is acting in spite of fear." Everyone has fear of the unknown, and taking chances certainly has some unknown results. Fear is the number one career killer, and what separates successful people from average people is acting ANYWAY. This comes back to your big why. Is your big why strong enough to force you to act in spite of your fears? If not, get a new big why, so that fear does not murder your potential.

The Law of Attraction

I am a big, big believer in this. It started with the movie The Secret and has exploded from there. I have studied this and truly believe in its power. If you have no idea what I am talking about, you should start by reading or watching The Secret.

The idea here is that if you can make your mind truly believe something, it will happen. Good ways to use this resource is by affirmations. There are entire books written about how to use affirmations, but you want to put a goal in your mind, like it is already yours, by repeating it to yourself over and over and over... Vision boards are another great way to use the law of attraction. I have vision boards in my house that I look at frequently. These boards are loaded with things that I want. Your goals need to be realistic to you or you will not have much luck convincing yourself that it is yours; so start small and work your way up.

Investment or Expense?

Many people think subconsciously that money they invest in their business (like marketing) or money they spend on themselves (like education) is an expense. What I want you to believe is that these are actually investments. The reason for the distinction is that, investments pay you back with interest and expenses are gone forever. So many small companies end up failing because when things get tight, they cut their marketing budget. If things get tight, they might want to increase their marketing or become more efficient, because that is what brings in the business. Never cut the marking budget, unless you need to slow growth. Cutting that budget can be fatal. As far as investing in yourself, I believe you should continue to educate yourself constantly, but especially when you are not consistently reaching your goals. You should probably consider investing at least 10% of your personal income back into your own education until you are consistently reaching your desired results. With that being said, I am very proud to say that my company offers lots of solid educational opportunities free of charge. Now there really are no excuses.

Fake it Until You Make it

When you are trying to start something new or expand on what you are doing, there is a time in the beginning where you really don't know what you are doing. It is during this time that you are vulnerable, which of course brings fear and can potentially stop your actions. If you fake it and pretend you know exactly what you are doing, you will quickly learn what to do and how to act. That, and your confidence, will attract the people that you need to help you accomplish what you are seeking. I am not saying to lie to anyone, but you can easily lean on others experiences and act with confidence to get the job done. By not faking it, you will have a lot of hesitance and will attract more objections and more things that will hold you back.

Plus-You Can Now Join Our FREE Mastering Success Facebook Community at www.masteringsuccess.group

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You’re Never Too Old To Be Phenomenal – Here’s Why

A friend said to me the other day, “Tim we’re too old for this.” I said, “too old for what?” He replied, “too old for these people, for this dancing, and for these fun activities.”

This way of thinking is a fictitious story that we tell ourselves, and it’s not true. As a contrast, I feel younger than I’ve ever felt and have more energy than I did when I was 16. I’ve removed labels, societies rules, and anything that doesn’t serve a positive mindset. I encourage you to do the same.

Age is one of those subjects that can bring us down and make us feel inadequate. As I kept speaking to my friend, he suggested to me that once you hit a certain stage of life, our path is set.

If you’ve been an accountant for the last ten years, then that’s what you’re going to be moving forward. If you’ve demonstrated the traits of a leader, then you can become one. Otherwise, it’s probably too late.

The only reason I believe these ideas are untrue is because I’ve spent the last four years reading the autobiographies of the greatest humans on Earth and it turns out that anything is possible, at any stage in life, against any kind of odds. Age has no bearing on your success, and it’s a way of thinking that will bring you down.

Yes, you will die one day, but in the meantime, you still have time to be phenomenal and to show the world what you’re made of. Inspire people and forget about the clock ticking. You should make the most of every moment, just don’t spend all your time counting the seconds of your life away otherwise you’ll be distracted from your real purpose.
Here are 8 things that you can learn at any age:

1. How to come back from a huge mistake

We all do silly things in our lives and make big mistakes. The mistake part is inevitable; it’s what you do after that matters the most. You’re never too old to learn the age old lesson that your mistakes in life are your biggest advantages.

Making a gigantic mistake gives us the opportunity to come back from defeat. It gives us the chance to hit rock bottom and then know that we can’t go any lower. When we reach our lowest point, we can only go upwards again and soar like an eagle.

It’s that climb back from a huge mistake that can reshape our goals and dreams and make us phenomenal. This lesson can be learned at any age so stop fearing the number next to your birthday.


“Fear perfection and a life that has no growth”


2. Love

I should be the poster boy for this one. The reason is that I’m only learning this one now. Without sounding all corny, love is what drives all of us. We all crave it, and we all want to give it. I’m not just talking about love with a romantic partner; I’m talking about with every single human being.

I’m talking about loving the person that sneezed all over you on the bus. I’m talking about loving the person that cut you off in peak hour traffic. I’m talking about loving the person that stole from you or broke your heart. Love is all around us if we let it in.

It’s never too late to learn to love, and when you do, life starts to change. You stop seeing people as objects that you can extract value from, and you realise that they’re your family. All these humans on two legs with all of their problems are outrageously awesome, and we should admire and love them.


“Hate is what will make you feel ten times older. Love is what will make you feel like Peter Pan”


3. Dancing

It’s never too late to dance. That’s right. Whenever you are at an event that has music, be you and dance in a way that feels natural. Feeling phenomenal at any age is about not caring whether you will be judged

Dancing creates all sorts of positive feelings in our mind and it brings us together rather than tearing us apart like the wars that our ancestors fought.


4. Extreme sports

Who says you can’t snowboard or bungee jump? Learning an outrageously extreme sport will add years to your life not take them away. Anything can be learned. As you get older and more mature, you will be able to deal with adversity better.

Use this secret power for good. Let go of all your baggage and rules, and take up an extreme sport that you’ve always wanted to try. Slap the two digits of your age on the face and show them who’s boss.


5. Startups

Whether you’re five years old or ninety-five years old, building a startup can happen at any time. Even if you have no business experience, you can always surround yourself with people who do. If you’re stressed about how old you are, you can even hire younger people.

Just because you may have been in a corporate job all your life, doesn’t mean you can’t find a way to add value and build your own business. Everything required has already been learned in your 9-5 or prior business ventures.

The hidden cryptogram is not so hidden after all. Find a way to create value and then exploit it with every bone in your body. Squeeze every ounce of juice from your passion and unleash your creativity. It’s never too late to do this. Customers want amazing products, not youthful founders.


6. Not being nervous

Nerves are normal. An oversized meal of them is delivered to the front door of your mind when you focus on you. It’s not about you remember?

Lose the thoughts of you, and your nerves will be manageable. You can never eliminate them, but you can learn to use them to overflow your energy and demonstrate passion that is off the dials.


7. Inspiring strangers

I’ll admit, I cheated on this whole list. Many of these points have come from my recent experiences, and inspiring strangers is at the top of what I preach.

When you’ve had way too many people email you with suicidal thoughts and made them think differently, you’ll see why this point is so compelling. Inspiring strangers can be done at any age. All it takes is a gentle soul like you to listen and gives some positive advice.

This advice will take the focus off the pain, and help the person to rebuild their inner world.


8. Finding your why

The question everyone came to planet Earth for. The answer can come at any age, and it will come if you spend time on it. Don’t worry about when you find it. Only ensure that you never stop searching until you veer round the corner of an explored aspect of your life, and see the light shining in the middle of the darkness.

Learning what it’s like to discover your why will help you forget about your age. It will instead give your mind something else to think about it. When you find it, you’re not going to have the time to worry about a stupid number. Instead, you’re going to be on the road to being phenomenal. Isn’t that much cooler than a pathetic number that we celebrate every year?

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Accept Who You Are

What is self-acceptance? How do you accept yourself? When you discover, yourself do you just stay like that? Well, these are the questions that an individual asks him or herself. Many people don't accept for who they are. And most of these people end up being failures.

Let us first describe what self-acceptance is. Self-acceptance involves accepting your weakness and negative habits. But the question is, do you accept and do nothing about your weaknesses or attitude? Do you give in to your laziness and look for excuses for leaving everything as it is? Well when you accept yourself and not doing any improvement to improve your habits, then that is not technically self-acceptance.

Self-acceptance. 

Many people don't usually understand the term self-acceptance. The term self-acceptance itself is not well explained either. In self-acceptance, accepting yourself is only the first step of the long journey of self-improvement. Just acceptance does not contribute to any self-progress and self-improvement in any way. A point to be duly noted is that you do not accept your fate or life as it is.

Weaknesses habits 

You must first become aware of your weaknesses habits and your personality. You must look at yourself as you currently are. After you have accepted who you are, then you begin to put yourself in a better or improved position, unlike the current one you are in.

Knowing yourself

knowing yourself opens the doors of possibilities of your capabilities. Through that, then you can devise ways to improve yourself. Self-improvement requires the understanding and deeply knowing your character; habits quit the comparisons you make of yourself with other people and knowing your capabilities or the lack of them. Doing this will comfort you by getting rid of guilt, bring about happiness and lightness

I accept myself as I am 

"This is who I am. I accept myself as I am. I take my failure, my fate, my achievements and this is how it will always be". This is just an excuse that many people make to feel better because of maybe constant failings or regular unpleasant occurrences. The first thing that should be noted is that these deficiencies happen because of not genuinely engaging yourself or self-assessment.

No one is a failure or a disappointment. All it takes is for a person to know his or her personality, habit, character and failures then, start building from there. Then initiate the improvement process. Sooner or later, you will be amazed at what you can do.

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Bam! It's Time to Be Enthusiastic and Here's Why!

Enthusiasm is a hugely powerful tool! It can incite passion in others and it has the ability to help you hurdle any obstacles you encounter. It isn't a secret that the most successful people in the world tout enthusiasm as one of the greatest contributions to their success.

Everyone has the ability to be enthusiastic. However, not everyone chooses to emote their enthusiasm. Why don't they?

Is Enthusiasm really the 'cure all' pill of wealth, success, and happiness? Of course not! However, If you are not driven and passionate about what you aspire to, then you will never reach it!

Zig Ziglar says "If you aim at nothing you will hit is every time!"

It's quite profound if you take a moment and think about it. If we don't specifically know where we are going, then there is no way for us to find our path. We need to make conscious decisions to sprint towards our goals. We must sprint! If we walk it will take much too long to achieve our aspirations.

If you know what your goal is, there is no reason to be lazy or complacent about it! Take the reigns of your life and start heading towards where you want to be!

You want to be happier? You want to be more engaged with your family? You want to be more successful or wealthier? You want to be healthier? You want to lose weight, complete a marathon, or ask out the person of your dreams?

The only way to do this is through Enthusiasm!

Once you apply enthusiasm to your efforts, it acts as a multiplier. It amplifies any action and every result! When we are enthusiastic, it comes out in our attitudes and our actions. We have to look past obstacles and focus on what we desire. To make progress, we must run as fast as we can towards our goals.

You posses the ability to make great things happen. Don't let things happen to you, happen to the things around you. You may not always have an influence on what happens, but you are always responsible for your reactions and how you respond to events!

Here's something interesting: There was a psychological study done that showed that the 2 most common feelings that people tend to bring out in others are enthusiasm and boredom! What do you want to be viewed as?

Enthusiasm is never a bad thing! It has the power to propel you into the life that you want. The key is to be passionate and excited!

Get out there and be Enthusiastic!

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How to Adopt A Productive Mindset

Everybody knows we live in an age of distraction. We have so many different things vying for our attention that it’s hard to focus on any one thing, let alone make progress on the multitude of tasks we have on our plates.

A lot of productivity advice would tell you that you need to cut out the distractions. If email or social media are distracting you, simply get away from them or use a program to block them for the amount of time you need to complete a task.

Here’s the problem: Being distraction-free doesn’t equal productivity. I’m a writer, and as a writer, I’m always working on building my platform and trying to connect with potential readers on social media. But there are times when I need to disconnect and just write.

How to Adopt A Productive Mindset

But just because you get away from the distractions doesn’t mean you’ll be productive with the time you have. As a writer, for example, it’s easy to justify doing anything other than writing as research or creative thinking.

We start to think that if we’re doing something, then we’re being productive. But you can work really hard at the wrong things, fooling yourself into thinking that you’re moving forward when you’re really just spinning your wheels.

The key to productivity is adopting a productive mindset and learning how to focus your creative energy on the things that matter.


1. Know Your Why

Leadership expert Simon Sinek says in his book Start with Why that “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” Sinek’s book is all about discovering the why that drives productivity and effectiveness.

There’s a why behind everything that we do, but it’s not always a conscious why. We eat breakfast in the morning probably because we’re hungry, but we don’t really spend a lot of time thinking about the purpose behind our desire to eat breakfast.

Having a productive mindset starts with identifying why you do the things you do.
Why are you writing that blog post?
Why are you contacting that client?
Why are you creating that product?

Questions like these force you to do some serious evaluation of your priorities because you’ll discover that the reason why you do some things isn’t a good enough reason to continue doing those things.

Knowing your why involves looking at your productivity strategy and identifying exactly what you hope to accomplish with all that you do and what motivates you to do it.


Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to move into the next step, which requires you to eliminate some of the things you do that aren’t aiding in your productivity.

2. Identify the Tasks that Make You the Most Productive

Any productivity system inevitably includes making a list at some point of all the tasks you have to do. This is good practice because it allows you to see on paper what you’re spending your creative energies on. It also forces you to see obvious disconnects between the more important things you do and the less important.

What are the tasks that make you the most productive?

Working hard isn’t enough to be successful at doing what you love because you can work hard at things that are only drying up your creative energy instead of creating results.

You have to identify the things that are most worth your time because they’re the most rewarding in terms of productivity.

If you’re a teacher and you want to learn how to better engage students in your class, researching engagement methods can be good, but there can also be a point when researching is only a practice in inactivity.

You have to identify what is going to be most productive for your context, which will likely include identifying the needs and interests of your students rather than reading about the strategies other teachers have used on their students.

Whatever it is you do for a living, identify the tasks that will make you the most productive in your professional arena.


3. Focus Your Creative Energy by Challenging Yourself

Once you have a list of the tasks that will make you the most productive, you need a strategy for actually completing those tasks. This is where going above and beyond the simple elimination of distractions is vital.

If you really want to get tasks completed, you have to challenge yourself. Tap into your naturally competitive nature and use it to your advantage.

Set a timer for a specific amount of time and challenge yourself to complete as much of a task as you can within that time frame. Of course, you want to complete the task well, so avoid using the timer as an excuse to do mediocre work.

Challenging yourself to complete a task in a certain amount of time assumes that you’ll be free of distractions.

Distractions would get in the way of reaching your goal.

A timed runner doesn’t stop to play a game or send a text message in the middle of a race because she realizes those distractions would only hinder her ability to reach her goal.

For a specific timing strategy, you might want to check out the Pomodoro Technique, which involves alternating between timed working on a task followed by a short break before the next dive back into the task.


“CHALLENGE YOURSELF EVERYDAY TO DO BETTER AND BE BETTER. REMEMBER, GROWTH STARTS WITH A DECISION TO MOVE BEYOND YOUR PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES.” – ROBERT TEW


4. Be Passionate About Results

A productive mindset requires a high degree of commitment to getting the job done. When the process makes you weary, it’s the results and your why that will drive you to keep going.

As a writer, it can be really easy to give up in the middle of a story because the process is starting to feel slow and unrewarding. But the story isn’t finished, and the only way I can see the result of a finished story is to keep going.

If you’re lucky, you’ll love what you do, but don’t focus too much on loving what you do because on some days, you won’t.

On those days, you still need to be productive, so when you’re not passionate about the process, at least be passionate about the results so that you’ll keep going to see the results in the end.

If you want to be more productive, you have to start with adopting a productive mindset. You’ll only make things happen when you begin to focus your creative energy on the things that matter.


How did you adopt a productive mindset?

And if you still haven’t done so, which of the points above do you think was most important?

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Pessimist To Optimist - How To Change Your Point of View

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

• Winston S. Churchill

An optimist has a tendency to make lemonade out of lemons, and to then see the glass as half-full rather than half-empty. It's an admirable quality, one that can positively affect mental and physical health

Studies show that optimists live longer, achieve more, and enjoy greater happiness and health.

Psychologists believe that about 50% of your optimism quotient is determined at birth. That leaves the remaining 50% that you can work on. Train yourself to become more hopeful. You can complete most of these steps instantly, and a few require a little more time.

Tips for Becoming More Optimistic

Wear a smile

I remember a line from a movie - be optimistic... don't u be a grumpy... when the road gets bumpy, just smile, smile, SMILE, and be happy!

hence go ahead and put on a bright cheerful smile - as your facial muscles communicate with your brain it will shift the energy enough to create new perspectives and new possibilities. Not only will the world look a better place, a smile will also improve your face value

Create a distraction

When you find yourself dwelling on the size of your thighs or how slowly traffic is moving, switch your attention to something more entertaining. Sing show tunes or remember romantic moments with your spouse.

Friends

Hang Out With Optimistic People. Use The positive attitude of the people around you can be a powerful force for good.

socialize with cheery friends and bounce ideas off your more positive colleagues. Your optimistic friends and coworkers are your best sounding board and will certainly change your ½ glass empty perspective.

Count your blessings

Gratitude reinforces optimism. Wake up each morning thinking about what you're thankful for. Write a gratitude list and post it near your desk where you can see it all day. As you focus more on what you are grateful for in your life (even the really small blessings!), you will worry less about anything that may be lacking. As a result, you will experience a more pervasive sense of happiness!

Banish negative thoughts

Being aware of pessimistic, negative thoughts is the first step towards banishing them for good. Next time your inner voice starts telling you something is too good to be true, or that you'll fail, stop whatever you're doing and go do something you enjoy, even if it's just for a few minutes. Being self-aware when pessimism strikes can help you to think yourself happy

Build on your strengths

Studies also show that using your core strengths will cause you to view your future more favorably. The best way to start your day and jump out of bed with an enthusiastic mood is to find your passion.

Finding your passion or what thrills you in life can turn you on each day, light your fire and boost your mood.

Focus on solutions

Put your energy into overcoming challenges rather than catastrophizing about how much can go wrong. Replace problem-focused thinking with solution-focused thinking and you'll immediately gain a sense of forward movement, possibility, and hope-the foundations of optimism.

Exercise daily

Physical activity is good for your mind as well as your body. A happy body helps you generate happy thoughts and emotions. Optimism is easier when you feel good

Practice mindfulness

In order to be optimistic, we need to stop our habitual way of mindlessly moving from one task to the next without appreciating what's going on around us. The practice of becoming more present at the moment is so powerful that it actually makes physical changes in the brain structure.

Marry an optimist

Hope is contagious. An idealistic spouse sets a good example and encourages harmony. If neither of you is optimistic, you and your partner can work on becoming more optimistic together and find friends who will be good role models.

Adjust your explanatory style

When optimists receive disappointing news, they usually view it as temporary and attribute it to external causes. Lighten up if you're taking the weather personally and remember the rain will end. It's good to hold yourself accountable for a behavior you can change, but avoid beating yourself up.

Plan ahead

Feeling in control also helps to boost optimism. Clarify your goals and strategies to makes it easier to anticipate obstacles and persevere. As your successes add up, the process will become more automatic.

Wear rose-colored glasses and walk on the sunny side of the street

"You'll never find a rainbow if you're looking down." Charlie Chaplin

Anyone can become more upbeat and optimistic. When people use these techniques, they invariably feel a heavy burden lift off their shoulders. They feel positive, upbeat, and confident. You only need a few minutes to put these tips into action. They can be your key to enhanced life including your health, wealth, and career success.

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How to Keep Going When You Feel Like Giving Up

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going,” – Beverly Sills

Have you ever been in so much pain that you just felt like giving up?

I have. A few months ago, while competing in a trail run, I ended up completely lost. A group of us had missed a trail marker and gone down the wrong path for a whole extra mile.

The race was only four miles.

Before taking the wrong turn, I had been in first place. It was demoralizing to have worked so hard only to find out that I was going in the wrong direction. I was scared that I would lose the race I had trained so hard for.

Despite the fear, I knew I had to accept my mistake and turn around. I started running as fast as I could in the opposite direction. The rest of my group kept going, hoping that they would find the trail again soon.

Even though I was tired, I knew why I was there. A friend of mine was recovering from a traumatic brain injury. I was racing to win money for his rehabilitation.

One by one, I passed people, praying that I had enough time left to gain ground.

Ultimately, I ended up making up for my lost time and winning the race. If I hadn’t been able to stay in the moment and ignore the sunk cost of my mistake, it would have been impossible to come back from behind.

Sometimes life is uncomfortable. But even worse than feeling uncomfortable is feeling nothing. Flatlining.

Coincidentally, the things that make us most uncomfortable in life are also usually the most worth it.

From this experience I’ve learned a few things about how to keep going when you feel like giving up.



Why Persevere?
The majority of entrepreneurs fail not because they don’t have enough talent, skill, or good ideas. They fail because they stop too early.

Most bloggers burn out before they ever see the dramatic spike in traffic that they would need to build an audience.

It’s hard to go against the grain. To take your own path. And it’s even harder to continue down that path until it leads somewhere you want to go.

But there is a power in being deliberate. In making a decision to do something and committing to it completely. In seeing that path through no matter what.

Here are three ways to make it out of the woods:

1. Admit You Are Human

We often feel like quitting because we are afraid to fail. We want to go out on our own terms, so we compound our doubt with disappointment in ourselves.

This is a stupid strategy, and it only makes things worse.

The first step when you feel fear is acceptance. Accept that you have human emotions. It’s okay to feel things.

Instead of trying to push aside the pain, re-frame it. If you are feeling this way, it means that others are feeling it too. Some of them will quit. If you can keep going, you will be that much closer to doing what no one has done before.

Make a list of times that you felt discomfort and kept going. Use the list as a reminder that you have been here before. If it were easy, everyone would do it.

Which brings me to my next point…

2. Remember Your “Why”

We sometimes consider giving up because we’re not seeing external results quickly enough. We are impatient for instant gratification. The truth is, things that matter take time.

When you start to question your path, remember why you started down it in the first place.

Most people don’t have very compelling reasons. They are doing it for money, fame, or respect. These rewards are all extrinsic. In other words, they are all external reasons for doing something and they can actually decrease motivation.

There are three main problems with focusing on extrinsic rewards:

They are out of your control
They are fleeting
They create stress
When you begin focusing on intrinsic reasons (e.g. love of your craft, the ability to help people, personal growth and challenge), it is much easier to keep going. You don’t have to wait to get these rewards.

If you need help finding your “why”, download my True North Toolkit. It will help ground you in your strengths, passions, and the problems that you can solve for the world.

3. Stay Present

The third most common reason that we quit is overwhelm.

We look at how far ahead successful people are. We look back at all the time and effort we’ve invested and worry that it could all be for nothing. We look at our massive to-do list and wonder how we will ever get it all done.

Stop.

Be where you are now. Be grateful for everything exactly the way that it is. Later, you will look back on the hard times and smile, knowing this was the good stuff.

Now, go back to the basics and take small, actionable steps.

Ask yourself: What could I do right now that would excite me and build forward momentum?

Then go.

The best path is usually not the path of least resistance. Take it anyway.

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Being Positive Means More Than Just WISHING!

Nearly everyone realizes how important it is, to maintain a quality, consistently positive attitude! The reality is you can't become the best you can be, until and unless, you seek the best way to perform, and focus on how you can, rather than why you can't! In my over three decades of involvement in leadership training, and personal development/ self - help, I have trained thousands to not only think positively, but to also arm themselves with the tools, to be ready, willing and able, to achieve, when others fail! Maintaining a genuine, positive attitude, means not only hoping and WISHING, but proceeding in a positive way, in everything you do, and focus on!

1. Wisdom, 5 W's: Just using rhetoric which sounds positive, is far different from truly maintaining that type of attitude! When it is accompanied with a commitment to achieving and performing, and one seeks knowledge and relevant wisdom, he propels himself to maximum greatness! Great leaders understand this, yet most of us, in our everyday lives, seem to permit our fears and insecurities overwhelm our positivity and forward - thinking! To do so, we must get into the habit of asking the right questions, including: who, what, why, where and when! Who will we trust and rely on, what are our real goals, why do we do what we do, where to start, and when will be proactively proceed?

2. Ideas - oriented; interesting: What are you really interested in, and why? Would others find you, and your ideas, interesting and worthwhile? How do you come up with your central ideas, and are you propelled and focused on concepts and ideas, or do you proceed by using, merely empty rhetoric, silliness, and popularity (or lack of stress, etc)?

3. Strategic; sustainable system: Just as in leadership, each of us must strategically plan, our personal goals and priorities. Are you goals - oriented, and do you look at the larger, more sustainable, future, or do you merely proceed day - to - day, constantly applying band - aids, rather than seeking solutions. Do you look to how to become your personal best, and believe you can, or do you just do whatever is easiest, least challenging, and settle for being mediocre?

4. Head/ heart; hear; heal: Being genuinely positive, does not mean being pie - in - the - sky, unrealistic, or a dreamer! Balance your logical and emotional components, listen effectively, and proactively heal wounds, both your own, as well as others, so you can become stronger and more effective!

5. Ideology; integrity: Do you believe the ideology you articulate? Can you maintain your absolute integrity, regardless of controversy, or ease/ comfort level, when others abandon (or never attempt) theirs?

6. Needs - centric: Have you identified what makes you happiest, and what your core needs, concerns and priorities, are?

7. Generate goodwill; get results; greatness: Do you inspire others by the level of your existence? Can you get desirable results, and do you consistently focus on greatness and quality?

You can try to, but you can't really fake being positive! Begin by realizing it takes far more than mere, WISHFUL thinking!

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7 Important Things Nobody Tells You About Motivation

Do you have 50 great ideas a day? New business plans? New blogs to start? New books to write? New courses to create? New speeches to give? New inventions to launch?

You may even start on some of these projects but lose motivation very quickly. It seems like ideas come up and fly away without you taking action on them. You’re wondering why some people can start on projects and keep pushing forward while you tend to lose interest after you start something.

Well, here’s the thing. Motivation isn’t something you’re born with. It’s not that some people are naturally motivated and others aren’t motivated at all. The big secret is that motivation can be cultivated which means that you too can do something to improve the level of motivation in your life. When you feel like scrapping the idea because you’ve lost interest, have a look at your motivation tank.

Here are 7 unspoken rules of motivation that will help you move forward to achieving your dreams:

1. Starting small helps you get motivated

If you love to bite off more than you can chew, take note of this principle. If you go after big tasks and giant goals, without breaking them down, you won’t feel very motivated. Instead of going for the kill every day, take small steps to achieving your life goals. Small steps means taking the smallest of steps. What is the very smallest action step you can break down? Take that step today. Buy the domain name. Write your first hundred words. Get the running shoes out of the closet.

2. Having a reason “why” helps you stay motivated

This is the biggest reason you don’t have the mojo to keep going. You start something but then suddenly feel like you have no reason to pursue it. If you’re going to go after something, get super clear on why this is important to your life. Come up with a list of reasons on why the dream is important or why the goal matters.  Keep this list at the top of your mind and look at it every day. Make sure you have emotional, psychological and purpose-filled reasons to go after whatever it is you want.

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” – Colin Powell

3. Your vision of what’s possible helps you keep going

So often, we start and stop because we can’t see the end product. We can’t see what the promise land looks like. If you want to stay motivated, you have to keep the vision of what’s possible in front of you. Spend a couple minutes envisioning achieving your goal or dream. What does that feel like? How do you view yourself after you’ve achieved it? Taste the sweetness of having done what you’re setting out to do.

4. Habits are the fuel for motivation

Yes, you should take small steps but not occasionally and not when you feel like it. The way to make sure you remain motivated, especially in the beginning, is to turn your dreams into actionable steps that you do consistently. Write for five minutes a day. Run for five minutes a day. Work on your business plan for five minutes a day. It’s not how long you do something as  much as how consistently you do something. Use habits to keep you moving forward.  

5. Acknowledging your progress is critical

You may move ahead but feel more behind. When you don’t feel like you’re progressing forward, you begin to feel like you’ve lost. The way to help you stay motivated is to regularly remind yourself of how far you’ve come along. To do that, acknowledge your progress. Track your progress and celebrate milestones. Look back and show yourself how much farther along you are.

6. Your inner circle impacts your motivation

If you don’t think your friends, mentor and inner circle matters, you’re wrong. You’re going to do what your circle of influence does. If your inner circle is lazing around and slacking , you’re going to do the same. If you hang around go-getters who are going after their dreams, you’re going to do so likewise. The people around you can be the sun that helps you flourish or the weeds that will cripple your progress. Add more sun in your life and cut the weeds out. Be conscious and aware of who you’re surrounding yourself with because they have a direct effect on your motivation.

“Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers and thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see the greatness within you, even when you don’t see it yourself.” – Edmund Lee

7. Failure can unleash your motivation

You might feel it’s over when you fail but that’s hardly the case. All success stories, world-changers and come-back stories share one thing in common, failure. All the greats have failed. You have to use the lessons of failure as an opportunity to spring forward. Use your failure to learn what didn’t work, then start over. Go stronger and bolder than you’ve gone before. Failure is a great motivator to get it right and to surpass previous attempts.

Source

Rise and Grind - Greatest Motivational Video ᴴᴰ ft. Eric Thomas 2014

What is your big 'WHY' and what goals are you working towards?