The Best Ways to Beat Procrastination

The Best Ways to Beat Procrastination These two powerful principles foster productivity and perseverance, instead of passivity and procrastination. Perseverance is about as important to achievement as gasoline is to driving a car. Sure, there will be times when you feel like you're spinning your wheels, but you'll always get out of the rut with genuine perseverance. Without it, you won't even be able to start your engine. The opposite of perseverance is procrastination. Perseverance means you never quit. Procrastination usually means you never get started, although the inability to finish something is also a form of procrastination. Ask people why they procrastinate and you'll often hear something like this: "I'm a perfectionist. Everything has to be just right before I can get down to work. No distractions; not too much noise; and of course I have to be feeling well physically, too. I can't work when I have a headache." The other end of procrastination—being unable to finish—also has a perfectionist explanation: "I'm just never satisfied; I'm my own harshest critic; if all the i's aren't dotted and all the t's aren't crossed, I just can't consider that I'm done. That's just the way I am, and I'll probably never change." Do you see what's going on here? A fault is being turned into a virtue. The perfectionist is saying their standards are just too high for this world. This fault-into-virtue syndrome is a common defense when people are called upon to discuss their weaknesses, but in the end it's just a very pious kind of excuse-making. It certainly doesn't have anything to do with what's really behind procrastination. Remember, the basis of procrastination could be fear of failure. That's what perfectionism really is, once you take a hard look at it. What's the difference between being afraid of being less-than-perfect or afraid of anything else? You're still paralyzed by fear. What's the difference between never starting or never finishing? You're still stuck. You're still going nowhere. You're still overwhelmed by whatever task is before you. You’re still allowing yourself to be dominated by a negative vision of the future in which you see yourself being criticized, laughed at or punished. This negative vision of the future is really a mechanism that allows you to do nothing. It's a very convenient mental tool. I'm going to tell you how to beat procrastination. I'm going to show you how to turn procrastination into perseverance, and if you do what I suggest, the process will be virtually painless. It involves using two very powerful principles that foster productivity and perseverance instead of passivity and procrastination. 1. Break it down. No matter what you're trying to accomplish, whether it's writing a book, climbing a mountain or painting a house, the key to achievement is your ability to break down the task into manageable pieces and knock them off one at one time. Focus on accomplishing what's right in front of you at this moment. Ignore what's off in the distance someplace. Substitute real-time positive thinking for negative future visualization. Suppose I ask you if you could write a 400-page novel. Sounds impossible, right? But suppose I ask you a different question. Suppose I ask if you can write a page and a quarter a day for one year. Do you think you could do it? Now the task is starting to seem more manageable. We're breaking down the 400-page book into bite-size pieces. Even so, I suspect many people would still find the prospect intimidating. Do you know why? Writing a page and a quarter may not seem so bad, but you're being asked to look ahead one whole year. When people start to look that far ahead, many of them automatically go into a negative mode. So let me formulate the idea of writing a book in yet another way. Let me break it down even more. Suppose I ask you if you can fill up a page and a quarter with words—not for a year, not for a month, not even for a week, but just today? Don't look any further ahead than that. I believe most people would confidently declare that they could accomplish that. These are the same people who feel totally incapable of writing a whole book. If I said the same thing to those people tomorrow—if I told them, I don't want you to look back, and I don't want you to look ahead, I just want you to fill up a page and a quarter this very day—do you think they could do it? One day at a time. We've all heard that phrase. That's what we're doing here. We're breaking down the time required for a major task into one-day segments, and we're breaking down the work involved in writing a 400-page book into page-and-a-quarter increments. Keep this up for one year, and you'll write the book. Discipline yourself to look neither forward nor backward and you can accomplish things you never thought you could possibly do. And it all begins with those three words: Break it down. 2. Write it down. We know how important writing is to goal setting. The writing you'll do for beating procrastination is very similar. Instead of focusing on the future, you're going to be writing about the present just as you experience it every day. Instead of describing the things you want to do or the places you want to go, you're going to describe what you actually do with your time, and you're going to keep a written record of the places you actually go. In other words, you're going to keep a diary of your activities. And you're going to be amazed by the distractions, detours and downright wastes of time you engage in during the course of a day. All of these get in the way of achieving your goals. For many people, it's almost like they planned it that way, and maybe at some unconscious level they did. The great thing about keeping a time diary is that it brings all this out in the open. It forces you to see what you're actually doing—and what you're not doing. Your time diary doesn't have to be anything elaborate. Just buy a little spiral notebook that you can easily carry in your pocket. When you go to lunch, when you drive across town, when you go to the dry cleaners, when you spend some time shooting the breeze at the copying machine, make a quick note of the time you began the activity and the time it ends. Try to make this notation as soon as possible; if it's inconvenient to do it immediately, you can do it later. But you should make an entry in your time diary at least once every 30 minutes, and you should keep this up for at least a week. Break it down. Write it down. These two techniques are very straightforward. But don't let that fool you: These are powerful and effective productivity techniques. This is how you beat procrastination. This is how you get yourself started. - Jim Rohn

Keeping Sales People Energized

With commission-based employees, it’s not always about the money. Promising boatloads of cash for results doesn’t necessarily motivate, just as chastising someone for failing to make quota often has no effect. That’s because with salespeople, “the desire to be successful in their profession and among peers is extremely important,” says Dawn Brolin, an accountant who offers QuickBooks training and support to small businesses. As a result, recognizing top earners through sales contests (find out who’s top dog), incentive prizes (for reaching various milestones during a campaign) and peer recognition (a shout-out from the boss in a newsletter or meeting, your photo on the wall for best sales in a specific month) works well because the seller stands out from the rest of the team. For a fairness approach, set up different compensation plans for your salespeople based on their productivity. Don’t have your A-team compete against the C-team, or the C-team’s performers won’t bother trying. It’s like weight classes for wrestlers. Brolin suggests giving each salesperson a written list of objectives. Beside each goal indicate your expectations for completion, perhaps with a numeric system­—an 8 or 9 for those with a strong possibility of completion and a 10 for a certainly accomplishable goal. The tougher ones might be assigned a 3 or 4; doable goals that aren’t slam-dunks might be rated 5 to 7. “You’ll find your salesperson will not only achieve those goals but have the passion and desire to continue that success with the next set of goals,” she says. Above all, don’t view individuals who sell for you solely as moneymakers, Brolin says. “Find out what they love to do outside of the job and reward accomplishments with a set of tickets to see their favorite sports team play or a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant, whatever you can do to show appreciation in the short term will provide success for everyone in the long run.” Old sales models are broken in many ways, thanks to an uncertain economy that makes retailers wary of taking on new products. Wendy Krepak, founder of Card Cubby, a small organizer that stores loyalty and credit cards, says salespeople face additional challenges from retail websites and social media, which help businesses sell directly to customers. So just having sales reps in far-flung locations is no guarantee of success. “You need to stay in contact with [remote salespeople] and manage them, so they’re not discouraged by rejection,” Krepak says. Coach them, check in often, solicit their opinions and feedback, let them know what’s working in other regions, and share good news often. She adds that “you absolutely cannot rely on commissioned reps as your sole source for exposure in the retail market.” To move products in today’s marketplace, Krepak says you must market through multiple channels—social media, traditional print and broadcast marketing, networking and building word-of-mouth through speaking engagements, and by attending product fairs and selling them yourself.

3 Keys to Greatness

Three Keys to Greatness by Jim Rohn Years ago, Jim Rohn recorded a 56-minute video for teenagers called Three Keys to Greatness. Although his focus was on teenagers then, the principles he shared certainly apply to adults, too. Here, he lists the three things he believes can lead a person to greatness: 1. Setting Goals: I call it the view of the future. Most people, including kids, will pay the price if they can see the promise of the future. We need to help ourselves and our kids see a well-defined future so we will be motivated to pay the price today to attain the rewards of tomorrow. Goals help us do this. 2. Personal Development: Simply making consistent investments in our self-education and knowledge banks pays major dividends throughout our lives. I suggest having a minimum amount of time set aside for reading books, listening to audio, attending seminars, keeping a journal and spending time with other successful people. Charlie Tremendous Jones says in five years you will be the sum total of the books you read and the people you are around. 3. Financial Planning: I call it the 70/30 plan. After receiving your paycheck or paying yourself, simply set aside 10 percent for saving, 10 percent for investing and 10 percent for giving, and over time this will guarantee financial independence. If a young person, or for that matter an adult, focused on doing these three simple things over a long period of time, I believe they will be assured success!

Developing Discipline

Developing Discipline by Brian Tracy H.P. Liddon said, “What we do on some great occasions will probably depend upon what we already are, and what we are will be the result of previous years of self-discipline.” I believe that with all of my heart. Discipline is doing what you really do not want to do, so you can do what you really want to do. What makes it hard is that in our own human nature, we do not want to do certain things, and so therefore, what happens is we have a tendency to be undisciplined in the areas that we do not care to do. Three areas to develop discipline: 1. Disciplined Thinking. George Bernard Shaw said, “Few people think more than two or three times a year. I have made an international reputation for myself by thinking once or twice a week.” One of the major differences in this discipline of thinking is that people that think their way to the top have the ability to do what I call “sustained thinking.” They have the ability to think on an issue for a long period of time, until that issue becomes clear on the decision that should be made. People who do not think their way to the top have the unwillingness of discipline to master sustained thinking. They will think about something for a while, and then they will get off it and go on to something else. They have never learned how to discipline their thoughts by writing them down. I always keep a pad with me of things that I am thinking. I write thoughts down so that I can stay concentrated and disciplined in that area. 2. Disciplined Emotions. We have choices when it comes to our emotions –We can master them, or –They can master us. I was playing golf the other day at East Lake Country Club, a great golf course here in Atlanta. It is known for being the links where Bobby Jones played. As you may or may not know, he is a legendary golfer who won a major tournament at twenty-one. By age twenty-eight, he had already won the grand slam and retired. Jones had an uncle who said that by the time he was fourteen, Bobby was probably already the best golfer in the world. He certainly was popular. However, Jones was also known for his temper because he would throw his clubs when he got irritated. Jones's uncle sat down with him and said, “Bobby, your problem is you've mastered the game of golf, but you haven't mastered your emotions; and until you master your emotions, you'll never be a champion in golf.” 3. Disciplined Actions. I call the two actions of initiating and closing the “bookends of success” because I really think they are. I know some that can initiate but they can never close; I know some people that can close but they can never get it cranked up. You have to kick start them every time. When you can do both, initiate and close, you have the bookends to success. Allow me to leave you with this closing thought about developing discipline: you cannot give what you do not have, and self-improvement precedes team improvement. The only way that I can keep leading is to keep growing. The day I stop growing, somebody else takes the leadership baton. That is the way it always is.

Good Health - Good Business

Good Health = Good Business A company is only as healthy as its employees. Yet with healthcare costs at an all-time high, the impact of poor health on employee productivity and company profits is leaving many business owners struggling to find a solution. While many businesses have implemented internal wellness initiatives and begun educating their teams about the rising costs of healthcare, these small changes are not impacting the overall health of their workforce, says David Atkinson of Cooper Consulting Partners, a division of Dallas-based Cooper Aerobics. “To influence a true culture of wellness in a business, leadership must educate employees on rising healthcare costs and how an active lifestyle can contribute to the success of the company,” he says. Cooper, which has developed several employee wellness programs, offers these tips for encouraging healthy practices at work. Lead by example. Employees are more likely to participate in wellness programs if their executives and, more important, direct managers are already doing it. Encourage quick health sessions. This can be as simple as a 15-minute stretch break or daily meditation. Combine exercise and relationship building. Try a “Walk the Boss” program, where employees can connect with their bosses during short walks around the building or even stair climbing. Encourage use of the stairs. Give public recognition to employees who complete a certain level of flights each month. Even something as small as painting the walls a bright color can make the climb more enjoyable. Improve selections in the vending machines. Keep the foods and drinks that are better for increased energy and better for you. To manage vendor costs, price unhealthy options higher than the healthy ones.

I love reading inspirational quotes. I hope these pump you up as well. Even on the springboard of success, you have to bounce a little. Zig Ziglar

Thriving Through the Holidays by Jim Rohn

The holidays are upon us; a time of celebration and joy. I love the last days of November through the beginning of the New Year. The pure magic of the holidays is something that I anticipate and enjoy each and every year. For some though, the holidays have lost the joy and excitement they at other times have had. The pace of life has grown so fast—much faster than those first holidays I remember in my life—that some people don’t enjoy the times they get to spend with their family and friends during what is supposed to be days filled with joy and peace. Why is that? Probably a lot can be laid at the feet of how fast-paced our times are, but that isn’t all. I believe our holiday times should be wonderful and filled with lasting and enjoyable moments and memories. So how can we ensure that we come out of the holidays in January with great memories of the past month? Here are six thoughts that will help you experience the holidays the way they were intended to be experienced: Be Temperate Holidays can be days of excess for many—too much food, too many cookies and treats. Too much chocolate, schedules that are too busy. One thing that will help you enjoy the holidays is to be temperate. Enjoy the food. Enjoy the treats. Enjoy the busy schedule of activities and parties. But also be disciplined enough to know when to hold back, when to say, “No.” When we go overboard we regret it and lose the opportunity to fully experience that moment. But when we enjoy a little and refrain from going too far, then we can enjoy all that little piece of time has to offer. Lower Your Expectations Much of the frustration people experience from the holidays is from setting their expectations too high. They expect too much from friends or family, and when they don’t get what they want, they get frustrated. They expect presents to be perfect and when they aren’t, they get frustrated or disappointed. Instead of having huge expectations this holiday season, just take it as it comes and enjoy what you can. And this brings me to my next point. Enjoy What You Can and Ignore the Rest This holiday season, go with an attitude of knowing that things will be what they will be. You can’t control other people or their actions. If a family member pushes the limits of your patience, ignore that and instead focus on how much you can enjoy the time you have with other family members. If things don’t go perfectly—which they won’t—then enjoy what you can and let the rest slide. You will feel a lot better about life if you can take all things a little easier. Stay Out of Debt Debt is a killer. It will steal your enjoyment of life. Be sure to stay within your financial boundaries this holiday season. The last thing you want is to start the New Year with a deeper burden financially. Know where you are financially and stay within those limits. You don’t have to impress anyone, just buy gifts that you can afford and express your feelings in the giving of the gift. Take Time for Yourself Be sure that, no matter how busy you get, you take time for yourself. Take time to read. Take a long bath if that relaxes you. Take a walk. Spend some time of quiet in front of a fire. Don’t rush through the holidays and sap all of your energy. Your mind and body need to be reenergized, so be sure to take time to do so. Focus on Your Spiritual Life Ultimately, no matter what tradition you come from, the holidays are historically days in which we focus on the spiritual. Men and women are created with a natural draw toward spiritual life. However, our culture today tends to stay away from a focus on the spiritual, and that has even crept into our holidays. Be sure to place an emphasis on building your spiritual life and growing in that area. This will help keep you grounded and able to deal with anything that may come your way. Friends, this time of year is another chance to remember the important truths of life and to enjoy time with dear friends and family.

Nine Things More Important Than Capital - By Jim Rohn

When starting any enterprise or business, whether it is full-time or part-time, we all know the value of having plenty of capital (money). But I bet we both know or at least have heard of people who started with no capital who went on to make fortunes. How? You may ask. Well, I believe there are actually some things that are more valuable than capital that can lead to your entrepreneurial success. Let me give you the list. 1. Time Time is more valuable than capital. The time you set aside not to be wasted, not to be given away. Time you set aside to be invested in an enterprise that brings value to the marketplace with the hope of making a profit. Now we have capital time. How valuable is time? Time properly invested is worth a fortune. Time wasted can be devastation. Time invested can perform miracles, so you invest your time. 2. Desperation I have a friend, Lydia, whose first major investment in her new enterprise was desperation. She said, "My kids are hungry, I’ve gotta make this work. If this doesn't work, what will I do?" So she invested $1 in her enterprise selling a product she believed in. The $1 was to buy a few flyers so she could make a sale at retail, collect the money and then buy the product wholesale to deliver back to the customer. My friend Bill Bailey went to Chicago as a teenager after he got out of high school. And the first job he got was as a night janitor. Someone said, "Bill, why would you settle for night janitor?" He said, "Malnutrition." You work at whatever you can possibly get when you get hungry. You go to work somewhere—night janitor, it doesn't matter where it is. Years later now, Bill is a recipient of the Horatio Alger award, rich and powerful and one of the great examples of lifestyle that I know. But, his first job—night janitor. Desperation can be a powerful incentive. When you say, “I must.” 3. Determination Determination says I will. First Lydia said, "I must find a customer." Desperation. Second, she said, "I will find someone before this first day is over." Sure enough, she found someone. She said, "If it works once, it will work again." But then the next person said, "No." Now what must you invest? 4. Courage Courage is more valuable than capital. If you've only got $1 and a lot of courage, I'm telling you, you've got a good future ahead of you. Courage in spite of the circumstances. Humans can do the most incredible things no matter what happens. Haven't we heard the stories? There are some recent ones from Kosovo that are some of the most classic, unbelievable stories of being in the depths of hell and finally making it out. It's humans. You can't sell humans short. Courage in spite of, not because of, but in spite of. Now once Lydia has made 3 or 4 sales and gotten going, here's what now takes over. 5. Ambition "Wow! If I can sell 3, I can sell 33. If I can sell 33, I can sell 103." Wow. Lydia is now dazzled by her own dreams of the future. 6. Faith Now she begins to believe she's got a good product. This is probably a good company. And she then starts to believe in herself. Lydia, single mother, 2 kids, no job. "My gosh, I'm going to pull it off!" Her self-esteem starts to soar. These are investments that are unmatched. Money can't touch it. What if you had a million dollars and no faith? You'd be poor. You wouldn't be rich. Now here is the next one, the reason why she's a millionaire today. 7. Ingenuity Putting your brains to work. Probably up until now, you've put about 1/10 of your brainpower to work. What if you employed the other 9/10? You can't believe what can happen. Humans can come up with the most intriguing things to do. Ingenuity. What's ingenuity worth? A fortune. It is more valuable than money. All you need is a $1 and plenty of ingenuity. Figuring out a way to make it work, make it work, make it work. 8. Heart and Soul What is a substitute for heart and soul? It's not money. Money can't buy heart and soul. Heart and soul is more valuable than a million dollars. A million dollars without heart and soul, you have no life. You are ineffective. But, heart and soul is like the unseen magic that moves people, moves people to buy, moves people to make decisions, moves people to act, moves people to respond. 9. Personality You've just got to spruce up and sharpen up your own personality. You've got plenty of personality. Just get it developed to where it is effective every day, effective no matter who you talk to, whether it is a child or whether it is a business person, whether it is a rich person or a poor person. A unique personality that is at home anywhere. One of my mentors, Bill Bailey, taught me, "You've got to learn to be just as comfortable, Mr. Rohn, whether it is in a little shack in Kentucky having a beer and watching the fights with Winfred, my old friend or in a Georgian mansion in Washington, DC as the Senator's guest." Move with ease whether it is with the rich or whether it is with the poor. And it makes no difference to you who is rich or who is poor. A chance to have a unique relationship with whomever. The kind of personality that 's comfortable. The kind of personality that's not bent out of shape. And lastly, let's not forget charisma and sophistication. Charisma with a touch of humility. This entire list is more valuable than money. With one dollar and the list I just gave you, the world is yours. It belongs to you, whatever piece of it you desire whatever development you wish for your life. I've given you the secret. Capital. The kind of capital that is more valuable than money and that can secure your future and fortune. Remember that you lack not the resources.

Multiple Skills

Multiple Skills - Jim Rohn

I believe that in the 21st century it is so important to have multiple skills. But what I also find is that if you have an entrepreneurial business (or plan to in the future), you can gain the needed skills for the future while you create your income now.
Here's my short list for on-the-job training, so that you can learn while you earn.
Sales
I began my journey with sales, which, of course, dynamically changed my life at age 25. The first year I multiplied my income by five. Being raised in farm country, I knew how to milk cows, but it didn't pay well. Sales altered the course of my life, where I learned to present a valid product in the marketplace, talk about its virtues and get somebody to say "Yes." Then give them good service.
Recruiting
Then came recruiting, how to expand my business and build an organization. We have all heard the question, is it better to have one person selling a $1,000 or have 100 people selling $10? If you ask me, I'll take the 100 at $10. Once mastered, recruiting, the ability to multiply your efforts, is one of life's and leadership's greatest time-management resources.
Organizing
Then I learned organizing. Keeping your own schedule can be difficult at times, but now you have to balance multiple tasks and people to get maximum results. You will find that the payoff is massive once you have tapped into the synergy and momentum of group dynamics and teamwork.
Promotion
Next is promotion. First it's the spring campaign and then the fall campaign, and then it's this month's objective's campaign. You never know when it's going to click for someone to want or need to buy from you or be a part of what you are doing, so having the offer or the special or the contest going when they're ready can make all the difference.
Recognition
Then it's the recognition. Some people work harder for recognition than they do for money. It's the chance to belong. It's getting people to do something that, ordinarily on their own, they wouldn't think of doing. They could, but they don't think of it. You come along with a little promotion for this month or this quarter and everything changes for them, and I found that paid big money.
Communication
Then I learned communication. How to do the training, how to do the teaching, and probably the greatest gift of all is learning how to inspire with words. Inspire people to see themselves better than they are with all of those gifts, all of those skills. Be the voice that tells them they have made a wise decision and here's why.
Now, I believe with just this little short list I've given you, you'll be equipped. We've all watched what has happened the last 15 years. The guy had one skill; the company downsizes. His division is eliminated and since he only had one skill, now he is vulnerable. He's wandering around saying, "Oh my, the last few years I should have taken some classes that would have taught me a couple of more things and I wouldn't be here in this vulnerable position."
So my admonition: Learn some multiple skills, or should we say, backup skills for the 21st century, and no better place to learn them than in what you're already doing now.

Wally the cab driver

Wally… the cab driver

Harvey Mackay tells the story of Wally…
Harvey was in line for a cab at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey. He handed Harvey a laminated card and said:
“I’m Wally, your driver. While I’m loading your bags in the trunk, I’d like you to read my mission statement.” Harvey was taken back. The card said:
Wally’s Mission Statement:
To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.
This blew Harvey away. Then he noticed the inside of the cab was as clean as the outside. Spotless!

Wally slid behind the wheel and said, “Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.” Harvey jokingly said, “No, I’d prefer a soft drink.” “No problem” said Wally, I have a cooler with Coke, diet Coke, water, and orange juice. Stuttering Harvey said, “I’d… I’d like a diet Coke.”

Handing him the diet Coke, Wally said, “If you’d like something to read, I have the Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.”

Pulling out from the curb, Wally handed Harvey another laminated card. It read: “These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you’d like to listen to the radio.”

As if that were not enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air-conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then Wally advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. “I will be happy to chat” Wally said, “or if you prefer I will leave you to your own thoughts.”

Then Harvey asked, “Wally, have you always served customers like this?” “Not always,” Wally said as he smiled. “in fact, it’s only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called You’ll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you’ll rarely disappoint yourself. Then Dyer said, “Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don’t be a duck. BE an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.”

“That hit me right between the eyes,” Wally said. “Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.”

Harvey asked, “Has this paid off for you?”

“It sure has” Wally said. “My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I’ll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don’t sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can’t pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.”

Wally was phenomenal. He became an eagle!

GOALS

Happy New Year!

What are your dreams and goals? This isn't what you already have or what you have done, but what you want. Have you ever really sat down and thought through your life values and decided what you really want? Have you ever taken the time to truly reflect, to listen quietly to your heart, to see what dreams live within you? Your dreams are there. Everyone has them. They may live right on the surface, or they may be buried deep from years of others telling you they were foolish, but they are there.
So how do we know what our dreams are? This is an interesting process and it relates primarily to the art of listening. This is not listening to others; it is listening to yourself. If we listen to others, we hear their plans and dreams (and many will try to put their plans and dreams on us). If we listen to others, we can never be fulfilled. We will only chase elusive dreams that are not rooted deep within us. No, we must listen to our own hearts.

Let's take a look at some practical steps/thoughts on hearing from our hearts what our dreams are:

Take time to be quiet. This is something that we don't do enough in this busy world of ours. We rush, rush, rush, and we are constantly listening to noise all around us. The human heart was meant for times of quiet, to peer deep within. It is when we do this that our hearts are set free to soar and take flight on the wings of our own dreams! Schedule some quiet "dream time" this week. No other people. No cell phone. No computer. Just you, a pad, a pen, and your thoughts.

Think about what really thrills you. When you are quiet, think about those things that really get your blood moving. What would you LOVE to do, either for fun or for a living? What would you love to accomplish? What would you try if you were guaranteed to succeed? What big thoughts move your heart into a state of excitement and joy? When you answer these questions you will feel great and you will be in the "dream zone." It is only when we get to this point that we experience what our dreams are!

Write down all of your dreams as you have them. Don't think of any as too outlandish or foolish—remember, you're dreaming! Let the thoughts fly and take careful record.

Now, prioritize those dreams. Which are most important? Which are most feasible? Which would you love to do the most? Put them in the order in which you will actually try to attain them. Remember, we are always moving toward action, not just dreaming.

Here is the big picture: Life is too short to not pursue your dreams. Someday your life will near its end and all you will be able to do is look backward. You can reflect with joy or regret. Those who dream, who set goals and act on them to live out their dreams, are those who live lives of joy and have a sense of peace when they near the end of their lives. They have finished well, for themselves and for their families.

Remember: These are the dreams and goals that are born out of your heart and mind. These are the goals that are unique to you and come from who you were created to be and gifted to become. Your specific goals are what you want to attain because they are what will make your life joyful and bring your family's life into congruence with what you want it to be.

Emotions

Emotions are the most powerful forces inside us. Under the power of emotions, human beings can perform the most heroic (as well as barbaric) acts. To a great degree, civilization itself can be defined as the intelligent channeling of human emotion. Emotions are fuel and the mind is the pilot, which together propel the ship of civilized progress.
Which emotions cause people to act? There are four basic ones; each, or a combination of several, can trigger the most incredible activity. The day that you allow these emotions to fuel your desire is the day you'll turn your life around.
1) DISGUST
One does not usually equate the word "disgust" with positive action. And yet, properly channeled, disgust can change a person's life. The person who feels disgusted has reached a point of no return. He or she is ready to throw down the gauntlet at life and say, "I've had it!" That's what I said after many humiliating experiences at age 25. I said, "I don't want to live like this anymore. I've had it with being broke. I've had it with being embarrassed, and I've had it with lying."
Yes, productive feelings of disgust come when a person says, "Enough is enough."
The "guy" has finally had it with mediocrity. He's had it with those awful sick feelings of fear, pain and humiliation. He then decides he is “not going to live like this anymore." Look out! This could be the day that turns a life around. Call it what you will, the "I've had it" day, the "never again" day, the "enough's enough" day. Whatever you call it, it's powerful! There is nothing so life-changing as gut-wrenching disgust!
2) DECISION
Most of us need to be pushed to the wall to make decisions. And once we reach this point, we have to deal with the conflicting emotions that come with making them. We have reached a fork in the road. Now this fork can be a two-pronged, three-pronged, or even a four-pronged fork. No wonder decision-making can create knots in stomachs, keep us awake in the middle of the night, or make us break out in a cold sweat.
Making life-changing decisions can be likened to internal civil war. Conflicting armies of emotions, each with its own arsenal of reasons, battle each other for supremacy of our minds. And our resulting decisions, whether bold or timid, well-thought-out or impulsive, can either set the course of action or blind it. I don't have much advice to give you about decision-making except this:
Whatever you do, don't camp at the fork in the road. Decide. It's far better to make a wrong decision than to not make one at all. Each of us must confront our emotional turmoil and sort out our feelings.
3) DESIRE
How does one gain desire? I don't think I can answer this directly because there are many ways. But I do know two things about desire:
a. It comes from the inside, not the outside.
b. It can be triggered by outside forces.
Almost anything can trigger desire. It's a matter of timing as much as preparation. It might be a song that tugs at the heart. It might be a memorable sermon. It might be a movie, a conversation with a friend, a confrontation with the enemy, or a bitter experience. Even a book or an article such as this one can trigger the inner mechanism that will make some people say, "I want it now!"
Therefore, while searching for your "hot button" of pure, raw desire, welcome into your life each positive experience. Don't erect a wall to protect you from experiencing life. The same wall that keeps out your disappointment also keeps out the sunlight of enriching experiences. So let life touch you. The next touch could be the one that turns your life around.
4) RESOLVE
Resolve says, "I will." These two words are among the most potent in the English language. I WILL. Benjamin Disraeli, the great British statesman, once said, "Nothing can resist a human will that will stake even its existence on the extent of its purpose." In other words, when someone resolves to "do or die," nothing can stop him.
The mountain climber says, "I will climb the mountain. They've told me it's too high, it's too far, it's too steep, it's too rocky, it's too difficult. But it's my mountain. I will climb it. You'll soon see me waving from the top or you'll never see me, because unless I reach the peak, I'm not coming back." Who can argue with such resolve?
When confronted with such iron-willed determination, I can see Time, Fate and Circumstance calling a hasty conference and deciding, "We might as well let him have his dream. He's said he's going to get there or die trying."
The best definition for "resolve" I've ever heard came from a schoolgirl in Foster City, California. As is my custom, I was lecturing about success to a group of bright kids at a junior high school. I asked, "Who can tell me what ‘resolve’ means?" Several hands went up, and I did get some pretty good definitions. But the last was the best. A shy girl from the back of the room got up and said with quiet intensity, "I think resolve means promising yourself you will never give up." That's it! That's the best definition I've ever heard: PROMISE YOURSELF YOU'LL NEVER GIVE UP.
Think about it! How long should a baby try to learn how to walk? How long would you give the average baby before you say, "That's it, you've had your chance"? You say that's crazy? Of course it is. Any mother would say, "My baby is going to keep trying until he learns how to walk!" No wonder everyone walks.
There is a vital lesson in this. Ask yourself, "How long am I going to work to make my dreams come true?" I suggest you answer, "As long as it takes." That's what these four emotions are all about.

Leadership - Taking the Heat

There's a lot of fighting in the business world.

Especially in the home based business industry.

It's a lot like in the old days when you had sects warring against each other over the land and peoples not already established under a kingdom -- with lots of infighting, trickery and fraud.

In our industry it starts with badmouthing online.

Such as in forums or on blogs.

Someone will be in business A and want to take down business B, and will go forth and spew lies, accusations and other falsehoods that simply aren't true.

We see it ALL the time online.

Kind of pathetic of them, actually.

This is why I advise entrepreneurs to ignore the hate echo chambers.

Be the bigger person and just ignore it. People who have time to surf around from forum to forum spewing lies obviously are just not that successful at whatever they're doing, and they want you to roll around in the mud with them.
Don't.
Resist the urge.
And realize the more successful you get, the MORE this happens.
The more some people will hate you (for no reason).
And the more "heat" you'll take just for existing.

Being a success is extremely fun and exciting, can give you freedom and money, and it will change your life. But if you let others drag you down, it's all for nothing. This is one reason not everyone should be an entrepreneur. If you can't take a little heat you'll just end up sabotaging yourself until you're "comfortable" again.

Success can come very FAST, and it's not for the timid.

Gratitude is Contagious!

Thanksgiving

According to legend, a young man, while roaming the desert, came across a spring of delicious crystal-clear water. The water was so sweet he filled his leather canteen so he could bring some back to a tribal elder who had been his teacher. After a four-day journey, he presented the water to the old man who took a deep drink, smiled warmly, and thanked his student lavishly for the sweet water. The young man returned to his village with a happy heart.

Later, the teacher let another student taste the water. He spat it out, saying it was awful. It apparently had become stale because of the old leather container. The student challenged his teacher: “Master, the water was foul. Why did you pretend to like it?”

The teacher replied, “You only tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was simply the container for an act of loving-kindness and nothing could be sweeter. Heartfelt gifts deserve the return gift of gratitude.

You teach gratitude to others by living it – every moment, every hour, every day.

8 Musts for Leaders

The 8 Items on a Leader's To-Do List

John C. Maxwell says leadership is just as much about developing your team's talents as it is about nurturing your own leadership skills. The best-selling author of Talent Is Never Enough reminds us that growth is modeled after and expected from leaders. As a successful leader, you must do eight things.

1. Find your own personal strength zone.
A successful leader is a person who knows what they do well and does it, but they also know what their people know well and help them practice it.

2. Help others find their strength zone.
What is their special ability? You can't make others good at something you are bad at. You can only increase a person's giftedness by helping them answer important questions of themselves. What is their temperament? What is their passion? What choices are they making in their life? Help them with these things and there's no limit to how much someone can improve in these areas.

3. Help them define success.
Success is hugely subjective. Knowing your purpose in life, growing to your maximum potential or sowing seeds that benefit others are all great definitions of success.

4. Help them understand how to be successful.
The secret of our success is determined by our daily agenda. Decision-making is important and the management of the decision-making is even more important. Do the right thing today to be in a good place for tomorrow.

5. Teach and practice the four pillars of success.
• Relationships
• Attitude/Tenacity
• Leadership/Influencing people
• Equipping and developing other people

6. Teach your team the 20/80 principle, or the Pareto principle.
Within this, prioritize life. What is required of me? What gives the greatest return? What give me the greatest reward? When these three line up, then life becomes wonderful.

7. Provide resources for them.
There are only three times when people change. When they've heard enough that they have to change; they learn enough that they want to change; or receive enough that they are able to change. Put those resources of change in their hand.

8. Require them to reproduce themselves.
They have to teach someone else what they learn. Don't spend valuable time with people who want to consume but not share. Share the knowledge. Share the wealth.

Entrepreneurs Needed

I read this article by Guilda Joseph’s

The world NEEDS entrepreneurs now more than ever.

But... not everyone should be an entrepreneur.

In fact, there are some people who'd be miserable as entrepreneurs,
would probably not make much (if any) money, and would instead make
themselves (and everyone around them) miserable.

I've identified 10 such people below.

If you're one of these 10 people, PLEASE don't go into business.

It's nothing personal.

And I'm not saying you're a "bad person" or anything.


Anyway, here's the list:

1. Naysayers
2. Whiners
3. Complainers
4. Needy people
5. Berserkers (those who get really angry about nothing)
6. Nit-pickers
7. Freebie-seekers (there is no "free lunch", sorry)
8. Blamers
9. Tire-kickers
10. Spectators (i.e. people who go into business but never DO anything)

Okay, so that's the short list.

There are actually more we could add to it. And if you're someone
who's in one of those 10 categories, this is NOT personal -- but
please don't go into business.

# 2 Instrument of Death

Darren Hardy
What do you think causes more deaths in the United States each year? Car crashes, drug overdoses, alcoholism or firearm accidents? All of those combined don't total a third of this insidious instrument of death: food. We are literally eating our way into the grave. Obesity (caused by bad diet and lack of exercise) kills some 400,000 people in this country every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Only smoking-related diseases account for more deaths, with a total of 435,000 annually, the CDC reports. A staggering 129.6 million Americans are overweight or obese—that's two out of every three people in this country. Think about it. While our ancestors battled disease, famine and other deprivations, we are killing ourselves—with excess.
On top of that, we no longer have to chase down and kill our own food. Instead, we chase the world while sitting in front of a computer screen all day, every day, often neglecting to schedule in some form of physical activity. A recent article in The New York Times cited several studies showing that sitting for extended periods—at a desk, in front of the TV, etc.—leads to weight gain and increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, a variety of cancers and early death. Author Olivia Judson, an evolutionary biologist, detailed how the body shuts down following prolonged periods of sitting, causing a metabolic disaster of such proportions that even getting a full hour of exercise each day can't offset the impact. We do have a healthcare problem, and most of it is self-inflicted. We aren't taking proper care of our own health. We need a new healthcare policy, and I don't mean one enacted by Washington—but one enacted by you. You are the only one responsible for what you put into your mouth and how often you move your body.

Labor Day

Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Founder of Labor Day
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.
Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."
But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.

The First Labor Day
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

I hope you have a blessed and safe Labor Day!

Top 5 Questions Asked to Brian Tracy

Question # 2
You Asked…I answered
Brian Tracy -

“What is the single biggest question that you want to ask Brian Tracy?”… here are the first 5 top questions asked…

Question # 2: How do you beat procrastination and execute your own potential to perform at your best?

Answer: In my book Eat That Frog! I explain how to overcome procrastination and get more things done faster.
In its simplest terms, the way to overcome procrastination is for you to make a list of everything that you have to do in the coming day and then set priorities on that list.
Identify the one activity or task that is more valuable and important than any other. You then discipline yourself to start on that task first thing, and concentrate on that task until it is 100% complete.
When you develop the habit of starting on your most important task and completing it at the beginning of each day, you will double, triple and increase your productivity as much as four or five times. You will get more things done faster and move ahead more rapidly in your life than with any other single technique.

Top 5 Questions Asked to Brian Tracy

Question # 3
You Asked…I answered
Brian Tracy -

“What is the single biggest question that you want to ask Brian Tracy?”… here are the first 5 top questions asked…

Question # 3: How important is my “mindset” on the path to success?

Answer: Earl Nightingale once wrote that “Attitude” is the most important word in the language. Your attitude is the way you approach any situation or problem, either positive or negative.
The most profound truth in human history is that “You will become what you think about – most of the time.”
What is it that you think about most of the time? If you think of something positive, constructive, uplifting or happy, you will be a positive and focused person.
Top people think about what they want, and how to get it, most of the time. If one thing doesn’t work, they try something else.
More than anything else, the busier you are working in the pursuit of your goals, the more energy and imagination you will have, you will be more positive and focused. You will feel in complete control of yourself and your life as you get so busy every day working on achieving your most important goals.