Success Starts With YOU!

Your Success will always start with YOU. It will not happen automatically. Remember, Success doesn't have to be some grandiose accomplishment. It can be as simple as completed a task that must be done that particular day. But completing that required task will give you that sense of accomplishment that success brings..

Sure, everybody desires to be "successful", but what does it really take to succeed. Actually, not that much when you look at it. You can be successful with three simple steps when you boil it down. First, you must have a goal or task to do. Secondly, set timetable in beginning and completion. Lastly, DO IT!

Let's take a quick look at each of these.

Goal-Setting: You will never know when you have arrived at success, it you do not know where you are going. If you do not do this, you will be like a pinball, bouncing from one task to another without the commitment and energy to complete the task at hand. Focus on what needs to be done.

Timetable: Focus on timing and completion deadline. If no deadline, rarely will you finish. When you set a finish line in front of you, you will work much harder and smarter to finish the course. Nothing is more frustrating than beginning, and never finishing. Be a FINISHER!!

Action: If you never take the needed action, the reaction of success will never be realized. Many a person does only the firs two steps, but never seem to get around to just beginning and doing anything. Action is the fuel that ignites the soul towards success.

Success is always looking for those bold souls who will reap the reaction of satisfaction it desires to give. May you be the fortunate one to experience and taste the sweetness that it offers. Even a taste is better than dreaming. Be a Taster!'

"Success is knocking, now open the Door."

View the original article here

Success: Corporate or Non-Corporate

Success has been defined throughout time. Every worker has something valuable to say. Life is learning from each other.

Power, some say, is that individual quality that sets individuals above from his/her peers.

Let's see what some people say:

A wise man once said: Success is simple. Do the right thing, the right way at the right time. Another life observer was quoted saying, "Device for finding furniture in the dark," like bumping into furniture in the dark. It's hard to see the light, but eventually you will find your way.

A corporate worker says that she has learned to accept that sometimes the world is not a fair place. "Still, I can't help but think that we might find a way to value brains over asymmetrical facial features. Maybe, the imperfect fruit usually has the most flavor."

Successful women value themselves as professionals. "They have the ability and desire to be their own lead and are not afraid to ask for help and support in order to get what they need."

From a mother: "If I had to credit one thing for my career success and in balancing work and family, it would be my writing skills. Strong writing offers the option of a flexible work arrangement."

Hot tips:

When faced with a big day's work such as a meeting or presentation, dress in something you love, something you know you look good in, something that gives you a personal boost, like a power suit.

Fashion experts say "An image can play a large role in the achievement of success." We are judged tremendously on own image and personality style." Your image is a visual expression of who you are and what you want to accomplish.

From a businessman: Time management is a key to success. "I keep my schedule on track by always doing the least favorite task on the day first. I am always happily surprised by the satisfaction of scratching that first tough item off the list. With that done, the day only gets better."

Communicate effectively. And that is with force, but kindly. The word "we" is better than the word "I," in harnessing success for group, communities, or even individuals.

Know that everyone is imperfect, but anyone can try real hard and hit a goal. Be happy and make others happy while working for goals in life. Success is getting people get the best for all!

View the original article here

Successful People Overcome the Fear of Criticism

Few things limit and even paralyze people more than fear of criticism. Successful people understand this and they understand how to overcome this fear. Here are some tips on how you can overcome this fear as well and take risks that many are too afraid to take.

Breaking Out of the Ego-Centric Trap

First it is important to remind yourself that other people think more about themselves and their problems then they think about anything else, especially you. We all have the tendency to exaggerate the degree to which others worry themselves about us. Really understanding this and applying it to your own attitudes and feelings about how and where you stand with others is a major step toward placing yourself in proper perspective.

We are inherently ego-centric in nature. Our world revolves around us. We think in terms of how everything and everyone relates to us. We evaluate other people's behaviors based on the assumption that those behaviors are always in some fashion motivated by intent to affect us. It is only when we come to truly understand that this is not true, that we are not the center of other people's universes and the primary motivating factor in their thinking and behavior that we can put our role in other people's minds in a more proper perspective.

Once you have broken free of this ego-centric trap and recognize that other people care far less about you and what you think and do than you think they do you have taken the first big step toward attaining your own independence from the fear of criticism.

Developing an Integrity-Based Self Evaluation Model

The second step toward eliminating this fear is to establish the correct model inside your own thinking to measure yourself against. When people do take an interest in your actions or words and voice a criticism of you rather than taking that criticism at face value you must develop the discipline to analyze that criticism in terms of two things: the likely motivation from the person criticizing you and the degree to which the criticism is aligned with your own values.

You may well find that the person criticizing you is motivated by their own insecurity or an effort to manipulate you or others through the criticism. Be aware that in most cases if this is apparent to you it is likewise apparent to most of the other people around you and therefore the criticism will have little or no negative social effect for you. If others will think no less of you because of this ill-motivated criticism than why should you worry about it?

Second you should seriously evaluate the criticism to see if there is any truth in it. If there is you may well profit from this. It will enable you to re-evaluate your own direction and action and bring it more into alignment with your own concept of what you should be doing, that is your integrity.

If however you find that the criticism is now well founded and that your conduct is aligned with your values and integrity then you have nothing to fear from the criticism and nothing to gain from it.

You must ask yourself if there is any merit to the criticism from others as measured against your own values and expectations of yourself. If there is not, then the criticism is of no value to you and should be dismissed.

Being Your Own Worst Critic

For most of us we are our own worst critic. We spend a lot of time each day being self-critical. While it is worthwhile to look critically at your performance to insure that you are measuring up to the standards you have set for yourself it is not productive to be overly critical of yourself. Bear this in mind as you engage in negative or critical self talk. What you tell yourself about yourself can have more of an impact on your self confidence and esteem than what others say.

Criticism, whether it comes from others or yourself, is not to be feared. If there is merit to the criticism than use that criticism to sharpen your performance. If the criticism lacks merit, as measured against your own valued based standards, then reject it as useless. Do not permit meritless criticism to defeat you by sapping your confidence and motivation. Remember that criticism can be of value only to the extent you can use it to make yourself better. Beyond that it serves no useful purpose and only has the negative power over you that you permit it to have.

Daniel R. Murphy writes on success and how you can build wealth. Would you like to learn how others have been successful in business and in life? For a free success ebook and much information which can help make you successful and financially independent visit http://www.bookstowealth.com/. Begin your self-education today learning how others have become successful and rich! Do it today!

View the original article here

The Glass Ceiling

The glass ceiling - you've heard the term before. It refers to the invisible limit placed on women in the corporate world. Given the political structure and the nature of power struggles, territoriality, and primal instincts that bleed into the corporate world, a woman's rise to a level commensurate with her worth has often been a long fought battle that may never be won.

But you're not in the corporate world. Hallelujah, there's no glass ceiling!

Or is there?

If you run your own business, no one from your company has ever told you, "sorry, but that's your limit. You're not allowed to make any more than that."

Never. Not once.

Or have they.....?

The message you should be receiving from "headquarters" is, "go ahead, make all the money you want" because you don't have a glass ceiling. The only one that exists is in your head.

Time and again I meet women who have given themselves their own glass ceiling. They limit their earning potential by assuming that they couldn't possibly deserve to be wealthy.

They falsely assume that to be wealthy you must be highly educated, or have trained for years in a profession, or risen slowly through the ranks, or paid their dues, or know someone powerful, or be born into it, or marry into it, or invented a cure for some disease, or have an MBA, or somehow have done something amazing in order to deserve the right to be wealthy.

In fact, if you don't learn another thing about your business, know that you can become enormously wealthy just by sharing your product, service, or knowledge and asking, "how can I serve you better?"

It's that simple.

Really.

Don't make it harder than it is. It doesn't have to hurt and you don't have to pay years and years of dues. You have the right to be wealthy so stop behaving like your life is a dress rehearsal.

If you justify an earning limit for yourself or rationalize why you can't exceed it, you have given yourself an invisible glass ceiling. The simple fact is that you are not limited to any number.

There is no limit, no ceiling, no point at which someone is going to tap you on the shoulder and say, "just who do you think you are? You don't deserve to have an unlimited income, now give it all back. "

You've reached adulthood and now - unlike most of the women in the world - have an incredible opportunity to change your life and the lives of your family. Don't squander it.

If you continue to behave as if there is a limit, invisible or not, you will not reach your potential and you will doom yourself to accepting something lower than you deserve.

Choose today to stop waiting for someone else to promote you, give you the keys to the corner office, give you a transfer to a more prestigious position, or give you permission to out-earn the CEO - you have the power to do all that, you just have to say, "yes."

Now quit mucking around and go be a millionaire!

Copyright 2010 Ann Vertel. All rights reserved.

Ann Vertel, the excellence coach, shares wit, wisdom, and resources on how to take charge of your life and everything in it. She champions women entrepreneurs of integrity, optimism, and abundance, helping them to build businesses founded on the principles of excellence. She especially loves helping women and girls build self confidence, and is known for her honest, upbeat, and grounded approach to life and business. Visit http://annvertel.com/ and register for a free copy of "How to Find Power Partners" right now!

View the original article here

The Mode of Thinking of Successes

All of us want to become a successful person. We hope we can realize our dreams and achieve our goals in our life. We envy those who can make a big fortune, since they can do what they want to do. A majority of people feel confused about a question: Why can few people become the few winners in the world?Thought!Correct and creative thinking can change one's life. Let me tell you a story of a successful person and you'll know what to do then.

Li Kaifu is the vice president of the International Microsoft corporation. His story is just like an autobiography of a genius. He is a fairly smart man. He finished senior high school and prepared for university when other boys were in the junior school. He had access to one of the most famous universities in America named Carnegie Mellon University to studied for a doctorate in computer major. He tried to make a research about speech recognition by means of statistics. The rate of recognition added to 96% through this sort of method. Besides, this kind of research is still the foundation of statistics field.

Once upon a time, a correspondent had an interview to him. The journalist asked him about Ma Jiajue, who killed a lot of people as a university student. The journalist thought that he would make some comments about this event, nevertheless, Li Kaifu didn't know anything about Ma Jiajue, and when the journalist told him everything about Ma Jiajue, he just said that it is fairly common since that kind of events happens every day both in America and in China.

The correspondent thought that this event has finished. However, when he logged in the Chinese website of Li Kaifu, he was so surprised to found that Li Kaifu wrote a letter to Chinese students. In this letter, Li Kaifu wrote down his perspectives and opinions about the event of Ma Jiajue, and he encouraged young people to become happy and unique man. He considered that fame and status in society is not as important as one's happiness and health. You see, he didn't know anything about Ma Jiajue a month ago, however, he wrote a long letter to expressed his own ideas about the event of Ma Jiajue a month later. You can see his staidness and serious in every small matters.

Li Kaifu's succeed is not a coincidence. It is the result of staidness. Staidness has already become the thinking manner and habit of him. It is his serious thinking and consistent endeavour that make him succeed. You will become a successful man if you will do things seriously and patiently.

Trust yourself. Each person has the potentiality of becoming a genius. If you have ever observed those successes, you'll find out some qualities they possess.

First of all, they are rich in knowledge and very learned and well-informed. They keep reading various kinds of materials in daily life and make themselves keep up with the development of society.

Besides, they are smart and quick-witted. They are able to cope with difficulties well and have the ability to turn the table. They always taking everything into consideration when they must deal with some problems.

In addition, they have the quality of philanthropy. They help a lot of people, they try to handle people's pains and troubles to make them happy and pleasant.

Think about yourself. Do you have those kinds of qualities?I am sure all of you own those qualities, you just don't know how to explore them.

Make an effort to wake up your potentials in your brains and try to think about matters in a different way. Wealth and success is not so far away from you. Believe yourself and just have a try. If somebody can succeed, you can as well.

View the original article here

The Most Successful Entity Ever

Upon reading the headline of this article, most people begin to think of company evaluations similar to those performed by Jim Collins in his book "Good to Great". (Incidentally, two of the companies highlighted in "Good to Great" were Fannie Mae and Circuit City, both of which have subsequently become epic failures) The purpose of this analysis is much more broad than corporations. Begin by considering that the notion of a corporation is only a few hundred years old. However, there is another entity with a much longer track record, and much more spectacular results. This entity is the family.

Every year, the US census bureau collects a large amount of data regarding demographic and economic trends. This data is then reflected in terms of 'households' for the purpose of reporting. Each time that this data is collected, the results show some of the same trends. The most pronounced of these trends is a trend for lower income households to have fewer people and fewer income earners. Another trend is for higher income households to have a higher concentration of 'families' with two parents and children. This is one reason why it is fallacious to cite 'household income' figures as evidence of economic depravity... the average 'household' size at the lower quintiles is much smaller than at the upper end of the scale. With less people in a household producing earnings, it stands to reason that there will be a lower level of affluence.

The logic behind this trend is quite clear. When a household is populated by people who make coordinated efforts and shared sacrifices, it produces more advantageous economic outcomes. Consider what behaviors create economic prosperity? Some of the primary factors are engagement in productive work, innovation, and sacrificing current consumption for future gain. All three of these building blocks are regularly practiced by family units as the primary breadwinner engages in economically productive activity. In order to accommodate schedules and stay within the family budget, great amounts of innovation are frequently required. And finally, families regularly sacrifice short-term consumption and enjoyment for the purpose of investing in the future. This takes the form of both financial investments and the development of human capital in their children.

However, there are some tricky characteristics of families that make them difficult for politicians to reconcile. Most prominent is that the government cannot 'create' families. The true benefits of productivity and sacrifice only come from voluntary formation of families. Attempting to "fine-tune" this process with government policy leads to unintended consequences in the best case (such as fueling a housing bubble) and wholesale disaster in the worst (such as the explosion in single parent households that resulted from government entitlement programs) Thus, it stands to reason that while government cannot 'create' families, it can most assuredly destroy them.

In a strange sort of irony, many in the political class attempt to replicate the family model with society, and cast government as the head of household... but with disastrous results. In the context of a family who loves one another, the notion of making sacrifices is gladly accepted by everybody involved. However, when the government attempts to force sacrifices onto people, there is no familial bond. The 'sacrifices' only serve to benefit the political class. Government programs designed to benefit the next generation of citizens frequently foster a culture of dependence that simply perpetuates the mother-government nanny state.

Conversely, it is equally silly to impose a market economy into a family setting. When my family is eating dinner, I don't attempt to auction off a cookie and garner the highest price. We share in the effort and rewards of our life. The familial bonds of love compel us to forsake a complete pursuit of immediate personal gratification. Put another way, the phenomenon of family expands the scope of 'self interest' beyond simple personal gratification out to the care and development of our whole family. This simple paradigm shift is the primary driver of the tremendous benefits that families offer to society.

The purpose of this analysis is not to denigrate single people or households that have encountered difficulty. Rather, it is to highlight the importance of self-sacrifice and delayed gratification and how families have a built-in incentive to practice both of these principles. There are many people who engage in these behaviors independently, and those people should be applauded. However, the way that these principles have proliferated broadly across society has been through families. By making sacrifices for the benefit of posterity, it simultaneously creates a brighter future for society as a whole through the opportunity that emerge from fundamental economic growth.

In the end, the prosperity of humanity is not created by corporations, but by individuals. Individuals who produce great things and make personal sacrifices that benefit future generations. The family serves as the 'front line' of this phenomenon when individual people make individual decisions to produce and sacrifice for the benefit of their children. However, the larger society benefits from the economic output, investments, and development of future productive citizens that are regularly conducted by families.

View the original article here

The Secret to Success Is That There Is No Secret to Success

Most of us grow up believing that the rich and successful must have some secret formula which gives them an edge. There must be some secret "they" know that we do not. Authors and information sellers make small fortunes every year selling these "secrets" of success. Here is the truth: there is no secret to success.

Why do people say there is a secret to success?

Marketers like to refer to information about success as a secret because it catches people's attention. Everyone wants to know the secret, whatever it might be. And people sure want to know the secret to success.

A good example of that was the video and book published a few years back called The Secret. Of course nothing in that book or video was truly a secret. It was all content that had been published in books in general circulation in the past. However by marketing this information as a secret they drew great attention to themselves and increased sales of the materials.

There is another reason people want to believe in a secret to success. We all want to believe we are reasonably capable and intelligent people. As such we certainly ought to be successful unless of course there is a secret that they are not telling us. That seems to be the only way they can be successful and we are not.

The Study of Success

Many have wondered, as have I, what makes some people successful and others not. Some of these people have engaged in a serious study over a long period and compiled lists of the common characteristics of successful people. The American father of this kind of literature was Benjamin Franklin who published such characteristics in his Poor Richard's Almanac. In the 19th Century a number of authors including Horatio Alger, Wallace D. Wattles, Orison Swett Marden and Napoleon Hill wrote on this subject. Hill probably was best known for this lifetime study of the subject and his many books on it.

In the 20th century a number of new authors tackled the subject including Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohn, and Dr. Stephen Covey. Covey wrote his doctorate on the subject and studied a large body of literature on it. He later published these findings in his best seller, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

Clues, not Secrets

What all these researchers and writers found was that success leaves clues. If you study what successful people do, and equally importantly, what they do not do, you will learn what make success.

There are two excellent ways to learn what makes people successful. First, do what all the success writers have done, study successful people directly. Observe them and learn from them. Many successful people are happy to share their success "secrets" with others and even mentor you.

A second way is to read about successful people. The more you read about the many ways that successful people have attained success the more you will learn about these clues to success.

Of course it is not enough to simply learn what makes success happen. You must apply what you learn in a disciplined and continuous manner. While this seems relatively simple it is not easy. It involves continuous self discipline, something that most people are not fond of doing. Success comes from careful planning, disciplined application of what you know, and adjusting your plans in light of what you learn through experience, a willingness to take calculated risks, a willingness to work very hard and to be very persistent. These are the chief characteristics of successful people. You will learn additional ones by studying the successful, but you will not find any secrets - because there are no secrets.

Daniel R. Murphy writes on success and how you can build wealth. Would you like to learn how others have been successful in business and in life? For a free success ebook and much information which can help make you successful and financially independent visit http://www.bookstowealth.com/. Begin your self-education today learning how others have become successful and rich! Do it today!

View the original article here

The Success Principles by Jack Canfield

If you're involved with internet marketing, the chances are you'll be hungry for any information that can help you become successful enough to earn a load of money online. In fact, you've more than likely already purchased one or two self-development style eBooks, or eBooks aimed at helping internet marketers? While I certainly don't want to criticize your efforts, there's a strong possibility you wasted your money on those books, although I could of course be wrong. In my opinion however, and I'm saying this based on my own experience, there is only one book your need to get you hands on if you want to see your bank balance starting to grow - The Success Principles, written by Jack Canfield.

When you learn certain techniques from a book, and you then try to put those techniques into action, it helps you to stay focused on the techniques you're learning, which in turn mean your mind won't be preoccupied with getting to the final page of the book. Now, the self same principle applies to doing business. If you stay focused on the present, and also on your plan, you have that much more chance of achieving your goal. In other words, don't spend all your time thinking about where you're headed for, but rather on how you intend getting there.

In early 2006 when I first read Jack Canfield's 'The Success Principles', I soon realized I was doing so many things wrong. Yes, by that stage I was already earning a good living, but in his book, Jack Canfield made it clear that I could be making substantially more than I was. In fact, I lost count of the number of time that light bulb in my head came on while I was reading The Success Principles. For me, the most frustrating thing of all was that so many of his principles seemed obvious once I read them, so I couldn't understand why they had never occurred to me.

Something else which Jack Canfield places a lot of emphasis on is the fact that the same training applies irrespective of whether your business is online, or whether you run an everyday brick and mortar type of business. Before you can begin coaching others, you first need to know exactly what their goals are. Only then are you able to start helping them construct a bridge over the void that stands between them and the success they want so badly.

If you read The Success Principles by Jack Canfield, you'll soon see why some businessmen become fantastically successful, while others just never seem to make any progress at all. As Jack points out, your own personal mindset plays a significant role. It's not only how you see yourself that's important, but instead, a lot depends on how you see others, and how you view the world in general.

Perhaps the most important thing of all to remember is that you alone have the power to decide whether you become successful or not. There's no middle ground here. You either want to, or you don't. If you do want reach dizzy heights, you need to start making decisions in your life, but the secret is, what decisions are the most important one to make, and what should those decisions be based on?

Whether you're an experienced internet marketer as I was, or whether you're just starting out, you really do stand to gain so much by reading The Success Principles by Jack Canfield. Just like so many others, I also thought I knew it all, but that notion was soon wiped away when I read The Success Principles, and today I am so glad I did.

View the original article here

The Ultimate Trifecta For Success: Your Team, Patience, And Faith

I'm Dawn Redd and I?m a coach. I believe in the power of sport to teach winning and losing with grace, to inspire its participants ...

John Wooden is a coaching rock star and legend. So I thought, what better gift to give my readers during this holiday season than a series on Wooden's Pyramid of Success? Join me for a series of posts that will delve into both the foundation and apex of his Pyramid and examine Wooden's thoughts on Industriousness, Enthusiasm, Friendship, Loyalty, Cooperation, Competitive Greatness, and finally, Faith & Patience.

Faith & Patience

Wooden calls faith and patience the mortar that keeps the blocks of the Pyramid of Success together and I couldn't agree more. I'll bet you're wondering why...well I have some answers for you!

Why Patience?

Because it takes time to create excellence. Do you remember your first year coaching? Just how awful were you? I don't know about you, but I was pretty bad. And not to toot my own horn (toot, toot!), but I'm not doing too badly right now and I bet you aren't either. The same process we go through as coaches, our athletes will have to muddle through as well.Because your team needs time to gel. They're not going to walk into the gym or onto the field and be battle tested in the first week. So after you've fired them up for the season and they've come up with goals for the season...be patient and trust the process.Because you've got to figure out how to be the best coach for your team. You've got to find out the different personality types that make up your team and how they're motivated. And just as important, they've got to figure you out and all of your idiosyncrasies...what ticks you off and what gets you all fired up and excited.

Why Faith?

Because there's no reason to play if you don't have faith that you could win it all in the end. You may not, but if you don't think that you will...why play?Because that's what gives meaning to your goals. We all set goals months before we'll ever know if they will come to fruition. Without faith that you can accomplish your goals...what are you playing for?Because it's built into the fabric of sports and we, as coaches, have to teach faith and belief just like we teach the more tangible skills of our sport.

We should all be able to stand in front of our teams and say, like Wooden: "The values, ideals, and principles of the Pyramid of Success are the qualities that will allow you to stand tall. You have success within. It's up to you to bring it out." Isn't that what we want for our players at the end of the season and at the end of their careers? To be able to stand tall and be proud of what they did? I believe the Pyramid is a huge step in the right direction.

Dawn Redd is the Head Volleyball Coach at Beloit College. Come visit Coach Dawn's community of coaching nerds and team leaders over at her blog, http://www.coachdawnwrites.com/, where she teaches how to become an excellent coach, motivate individuals, and build successful teams.

Twitter: @CoachDawnWrites

View the original article here

The Wisdom of Will Smith

I watched a video today in which the actor, musician, director and producer Will Smith summed up the keys to success with simple two words. I want to tell you what those two words are and give you my reflections on them.

Never Give Up

His first word to success was "running." This must be something that taught Will Smith the lesson of sticking to something no matter how hard it is. When you begin a project, be it running, swimming, education, starting a business, there are two parts of yourself wrestling with each other at the same time.

One part of you says, "Yes, go for it." You begin with excitement and energy. You really want to complete what you began. The problem is that the initial energy and excitement begins to run low. When that happens the other part of yourself starts to whisper, and ends up yelling in your ear. "It's not worth it." "You can't do this." Similar messages from the lazy or fearful part of yourself begins to take over.

Any long-term project takes stamina and determination. There will always be small, and sometimes large, obstacles that suddenly appear. Often the obstacle is that you just don't want to keep on keeping on. You get lazy, perhaps even board.

When the project is complex you will most likely find parts of it you don't know how to do or you're not as good at as others. You have your strengths and your weaknesses. Use your strengths to overcome your weaknesses.

Take something you enjoy doing. Perhaps it is a sport such as running. There are times you run into problems with this sport. Because you enjoy it you find a way to push through the problems and keep going. This is a powerful lesson for every area of your life.

Educate Yourself

Will Smith said the second secret was "Read." There are tremendous numbers of books, videos, coaching and mentoring programs available to assist you in overcoming the obstacles you run into. All you need to do is look for them.

Don't be deterred by price if that is a problem for you. Begin your own mastermind group. Gather together a group of friends and acquaintances who have varied skills you need. You will have skills and knowledge they need. Share your expertise. Be a support to each other.

If you don't know anyone in your personal realm of acquaintances, find some forums on-line that relate to what you want to accomplish, be it personal growth, weight loss, business or other activity. Ask questions on the forums. There are many people who want to help.

Anyone who has the determination to succeed can find a way to do so. Are you as determined as Will Smith?

View the original article here

Three Weeks to Change Habits - Does It Work? How to Keep Going to Make Sure It Does

By Scott Marcus Scott Marcus
Level: Platinum

Scott "Q" Marcus refers to himself as a ?THINspirational Speaker? and columnnist because he started speaking professionally after losing 70 pounds in 1994. He now ...

They say, "Eat less and exercise more; the weight will practically fall off." They also say, "getting started is the hardest part." Of course, garrulous as They are, They make sure to point out you shouldn't have waited so long before taking care of yourself. Whoever "They" are, They sure have a lot to say about how to run your life, don't They?

They also tell you that if you keep a new habit in place for only three weeks, it will be adapted into your life. I'm not sure I agree. I've been dieting since before they invited sugar-free cola and non-fat yogurt - considerably more than three weeks - and I still find healthy eating a challenge, especially when stressed with organizing my taxes, calling the plumber to fix a plugged toilet, and trying to find a few seconds for my family. In those moments, a double-bacon, cheesy, chiliburger and gargantuan order of fries still shout pretty loud.

Yet, if you have ever tried to adjust habits, you have faced the dreaded (insert ominous music here...) "Three Week Barrier."

In Week One, all is new and exciting. You are inspired (or at least willing) to do what it takes; after all, you've stopped putting it off, might as well get on with the task at hand. Once the decision has finally been made, activity begins; changes occur; motivation results. By Week Two - if you look for it - you see a few fledgling results. Even though the path ahead appears long, these early outcomes keep you plodding onward.

At Week Three, most people start facing as many setbacks as successes. As Life is wont to do, it throws some curves, and dealing with these stresses generates the urge for comfort, in effect the desire to revert to old habits. Confronted with instantaneous chocolate gratification or what appears a tortuous, arduous, uphill life-long slog, most opt to "try again later, when things finally settle down." (Not wishing to be morbid, but I must point out the only time things "finally settle down," your weight won't matter to anyone but the six friends carrying you to your final resting place.)

If it is accurate that every person faces frustrations, why do some persevere while others fall victim to the lure of the old ways?

I'm glad you asked. While some focus on external results, craving to "get there quickly" so we can "stop thinking about this all the time," others direct their attention to their feelings when confronted with these inevitable setbacks. They remind themselves of the successes so far, meager as they might seem. Although frustrated, they slow down long enough to learn from the feedback, and work on adjusting their attitude - even if only for an instant. Without ongoing fine-tuning, we are condemned to repeat old patterns.

That's what They say. And - in this instance - They are correct.

Scott "Q" Marcus is a THINspirational speaker, Recovering Perfectionist, Syndicated Columnist, and the founder of ThisTimeIMeanIt.com, a site for people who are tired of making promises to themselves but are willing to do what it takes to actually makes changes. In addition, he conducts speeches, workshops, and presentations throughout the country on how to achieve goals, improve attitude, and enjoy the process. You can contact him for speaking, coaching or consulting, or you can sign up for his free ezine, "This Time I Mean It" at http://www.scottqmarcus.com or at his blog at http://www.ThisTimeIMeanIt.com

View the original article here

Universal Laws, What Are They?

There are principals the govern every aspect of our lives. These universal laws cover everything from business, sales, success, wealth, health and happiness. These rules for life, when mastered, help us to avoid failure and pain. Applying them, means achieving goals faster and quicker. Understanding and working with them means that we get into that flow of life where it feels good and enjoyable to be doing what we are doing.

What are these laws of success? What principle always work when applied? Where do you begin searching for them? Success leaves clues. And when scrutinized, these successful people are doing the same things in their own unique ways.

It's important to take some time to breakdown and look at these laws. Like any physical "law", universal laws cannot be broken, no matter how hard you try. Successful people don't go against these laws, rather they work with them. Take for example Anthony Robbins. He puts to use many of these universal laws in his teachings and seminars. He's understood them and now applies them daily to be the success that he is.

That is how to achieve great success. The harder you push against these natural laws, more they push back against you. Discovering these principles is like learning that the door you are trying to get through, the one you have been pushing against to get inside the building, actually opens inward. You open it by pulling it gently towards you, not pushing desperately on it.

Take the Law of gravity as an example of a universal law. We all understand gravity. We live with it. It's hard to fight gravity and win. So you don't. You try to work with it for better results instead.

There is a saying about these laws that I'll paraphrase here: you don't learn how to float by studying the law of sinking, meaning that you might think you are working on studying the right law to achieve the success you're looking for in life. And while it is certainly related, it's not the correct law to achieve the success you desire. That is why it's so important to learn and study as many of these universal principles as possible so that you can quickly identify when you're working (and with lots of effort and no real results) with the wrong law.

Here are 10 of the most common universal laws, some of which have made a lot of noise in the media over the past few years.

1. The Law of Attraction - like attracts like
2. The Law of Cause and Effect - every consequence is the result of a specific action
3. The Law of Intention and Desire - for something to come into existence, energy and information must pass through the field of intention (the mind) and desire (the heart) to be created
4. The Law of Expectations - what you really expect to happen, will happen
5. The Law of Belief - your deepest beliefs will shape your reality
6. The Law of Least Effort /Resistance - everything in nature, in life, flows easily and effortlessly from one action to its next logical step, one thing automatically leads to another on the path of least resistance
7. The Law of Correspondence - your outer world always corresponds to your inner world, your thoughts
8. The Law of Give and Take - all energy works from the flow of give and take, of exchange or transfer of energy
9. The Law of Potentiality - anything is possible; everything started from nothing and came to be through thought, desire and belief
10. The Law of Detachment - in order to get what you want, you must detach yourself from the result, not the desire but the outcome; you must let go of any negative thoughts or resistance

Begin observing how these laws are in effect in your life. Take note of how your thoughts lead to more thoughts to actions to attention to certain aspects of life and not others. See how you can apply any of these laws to yourself with some positive success.

"Anne Dessens is the editor/founder of the Anne Dessens.com website about success through personal development. Learn how to speed up your own success with the law of Attraction and other universal laws: http://www.annedessens.com/universal-laws.html

- Sign up for Anne's RSS feed and get the inside view of what a fulfilling day-to-day journey to successfully using LoA looks like on her blog: http://blog.annedessens.com/

- Copyright: you may freely republish this article, provided the text, author credit, the active links and this copyright notice remain intact."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_Dessens

View the original article here

Want Success? Pay Attention To Your Feelings!

One of the most interesting things about wanting things, achieving your own success and just generally having feelings of being more fulfilled, is that it has a lot to do with the way that you feel. That is to say, how you are feeling about yourself, whether you feel good about you or whether you feel bad most of the time.

My research over the last 10 years kept pointing me in the direction of "my feelings". Mostly I did not understand or accept this concept of "feelings are that important" or "let your feelings be your guide" because I came from a place where my beliefs required physical evidence before I could believe something new. That could be one of the reasons it took 10 years (perhaps most of my life) to discover the importance of how our feelings can affect our paying attention to what we want!

So, what does all this mean? How can an understanding of how you feel about yourself, help you to achieve your own success? I have learned it is one of the keys that will help you unlock the door to your own success. What I mean is, you can achieve success not knowing too much about your feelings about yourself, but you can, and will speed up the success process very much, if you are sensitive to the way that you feel about you.

To help you get started to understand more about you, it is helpful to ask yourself open ended questions. These type of questions begin with words like, "What, When, How, Why, Who and Where" to give you an idea.

Here is an example situation, and question. "I am not really liking my job anymore". From this place, you could ask yourself these types of questions Why do I feel that way? How long have I felt this way? When will I stop feeling bad about my job? Is there something else that I would like to do? What is it? When would I like to start to do it? Here is a very important question. What is holding me back from starting to what you like most, right now? Why is it holding me back? What are seven things that I could do today that will place me closer to doing what I like? Am I going to do the seven things? How important is it to me, right now?

Note to self: Do myself a favour. Make a list now of the 7 things I could do today.

View the original article here

Watching What You Say - Lessons From Siberia on How to Change Results by Changing Words

It never fails to astonish me what difference a few words can make. By the language we use, we can inspire others to feats of heroic sacrifice, create joyful laughter, or change the direction of our own lives. Words matter.

With that as backdrop, Alexander Kuzmin, the mayor of Megion, a Siberian oil town with a population of 54,000, not too long ago ordered his bureaucrats to stop using expressions such as "I don't know" and "I can't." If they refuse, they will be hearing a different phrase: "Find another job." In a world of customer service representatives who would rather point fingers than solve problems, you've just got to love this guy!

Kuzmin banned these and 25 other expressions as a way to make his administration more efficient.Some of the other prohibited phrases are "It's not my job," "It's impossible," "I'm having lunch," and "There is no money." To reinforce the prohibition, a framed list of the banned expressions hangs on the wall next to his office.

"Before," says one staff member, "It was so easy to say 'I don't know.' Now before reporting to the mayor we prepare several proposals on how the problem can be solved."

Isn't that something? By being forced to avoid certain words, people accomplish more - or at least come up with alternatives.

When you analyze it, it makes great sense. After all, we think in words. Sure, we're creative sorts; but the process by which we translate those flashes of intuitive brilliance into action is via the internal conversation ever present in our minds. The repetition of that exchange, over years, shapes our view of ourselves, how we react to outside events, and therefore the actions that become our lives. If one wants to permanently change the construction of his life, he must start with the building blocks: those internal words, thoughts.

Take for example the common belief, "I can't lose weight." If you, like, are forever fighting gaining weight, try this: Instead of saying "I can't lose weight," say out loud with conviction, "I can lose weight. I just don't want to go through all the work it will take." You will notice - virtually immediately - an uncomfortable feeling welling up inside you. Why? Words, thoughts, feelings, and beliefs are bound together tighter than a psychological Gordian knot. Disconnecting them is impossible.

I create my beliefs; I do so to make my life run smoother. If I repeat, "I can't" enough times, I am absolved of the responsibility of trying, leaving time for other "more realistic" pursuits. If I change "I can't" to, "I won't," I am forced - at least in my internal dialogue - to justify my motives, which can sometimes feel rather "messy." It's much easier to sidestep the responsibility; after all I'm already very busy.

When I say something different, I feel something different. Different emotions elicit different thoughts. New actions come from such untried thoughts. Life is the result of actions.

Say something different. Repeat often. Watch for new results.

Scott "Q" Marcus is a THINspirational speaker, Recovering Perfectionist, Syndicated Columnist, and the founder of ThisTimeIMeanIt.com, a site for people who are tired of making promises to themselves but are willing to do what it takes to actually makes changes. In addition, he conducts speeches, workshops, and presentations throughout the country on how to achieve goals, improve attitude, and enjoy the process. You can contact him for speaking, coaching or consulting, or you can sign up for his free ezine, "This Time I Mean It" at http://www.scottqmarcus.com/ or at his blog at http://www.thistimeimeanit.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Marcus

View the original article here

What Are The Core Skills Of Learning And Creative Thinking Is There A Blueprint For Success In Life?

The speed at which this world of ours is constantly changing and it's increased complexity will demand faster learning, the ability to logically analyse and solve problems in a creative manner.

There is without doubt a need for people who are highly educated.

Mechanical and repetitive tasks in the workplace will soon be replaced by computers or will be moved away to overpopulated countries where the people are not opposed towards working for lower wages. The inadequately educated will therefore find it difficult in such circumstances to find a well paid job.

Responsibility for a good education and in turn a successful career and better lifestyle is with you the individual, for education allows people to find and choose that success for themselves. So then you must focus on learning what is necessary to ensure your success, you will need a strategy that helps you to learn and remember more.

Concentrating and studying hard alone cannot and will not guarantee you better grades and that eventual route to success. It is not about focusing only on what to learn and what to think, you need a strategy that leads you towards how to learn and how to think for yourself.

It makes sense therefore doesn't it to get a blueprint for the best ways to study so that you can get the education that you'll need to achieve your goals in life?

Most people studying hard for their future will most probably never successfully learn how to study correctly for the best grades. It is most probably only the wealthy and already successful that have been able to achieve their goals by successfully using those strategies that are known to work, strategies that enable them to become super learners and then in turn super earners too. So then wouldn't it be worthwhile learning the strategies that those who have already achieved success have used rather than trying to discover your own, why not tread the paths that others have already used to make a success of their lives.

View the original article here

Why People Fail to Achieve Success Online

Achieving success online is something that seems to elude many internet entrepreneurs and in most cases it has little to do with financial resources. Working online offers people realistic expectations of becoming successful entrepreneurs because financial barriers are generally not an issue due to very low start up costs. Strangely however most still fail to succeed because the biggest barrier blocking their path is often times themselves!

Here are 5 common 'non-financial' reasons many aspiring internet entrepreneurs fail to reach their goals when working online.

Instant Gratification

Today's society gravitates towards instant gratification and if the desired outcome does not occur quick enough people tend to walk away. In addition many are under the illusion that working online in many cases will result in overnight riches therefore if things do not happen right away they quit.

Information Overload

The internet is wrought with plenty of opportunities but with that comes many distractions as well. It is very common for aspiring internet entrepreneurs to be continually distracted by many 'new' business opportunities being presented to them. This results in them never following through on their efforts to build any business they may be working on. In addition new strategies and techniques seem to be introduced daily and this also tends to 'paralyze' their progress since they are hopping from one to the next.

There will always be something new and improved but that does not mean older strategies no longer work! Remember nothing gets done if you are constantly changing your direction since you will never finish what you started!

Loss of Focus

As already noted working online offers many distractions but if you are building a business you absolutely must maintain your focus! Whether it is checking email, the news, viral videos or some other time consuming/wasting task you need to learn to prioritize your time and focus! Allowing yourself to fall victim to all these distractions results in nothing getting done and you therefore quitting your pursuits!

Unwillingness to Invest Effort

One thing all successful entrepreneurs have in common are strong work ethics. If you are not willing to invest the time and energy you can forget about earning a good or even any income online!

Poor Planning

Things do not just happen you have to plan accordingly and this is even more true when you are trying to build a business. Marketing, managing and resources of all sorts are things you must consider and plan for before you even start your business. Many have little or no business experience when starting out on the internet therefore planning is often overlooked and results in futility and failure. Planning is not a talent but something anybody can learn and is an important necessity when working online.

Achieving success online for many aspiring internet entrepreneurs tends to be difficult and in most cases the barriers are not financial in nature. Successful entrepreneurs realize that focus and determination are required for any goals of significance to be met. This is the 'heart' of the problem for many working online as discussed in the 5 common reason for internet business failure above. The encouraging message here is that this is something 'not' outside our own control and with the proper discipline can be overcome. The only question left is do you really want to succeed?

View the original article here

Why Successful People Think in the Long Term

Successful people think differently than unsuccessful people. Wealthy people think differently than poor people. The more you can understand these differences in thinking the more you can move your thinking in the direction of success and wealth.

One area where successful people consistently think differently is the length of time into the future that they think about and plan for. I will call that the planning horizon. The more successful a person is the further out their planning horizon will be.

Long Term vs. Short Term Thinking

The most unsuccessful people in life have a very short planning horizon. Drug addicts have a planning horizon measured in hours and at most a day or two. They plan for their next drug acquisition and use. They have no idea what they will be doing a week from now let alone a month or year or decade away. Consequently they do not save money, they do not have investments, they do not maintain jobs or skill levels, they do not adequately provide for their families.

Moderately successful people usually think and plan with a planning horizon of months. They will plan what they are going to do in the weeks and months ahead with some consistency. They usually do not plan for the long term - more than one year away. This limits their horizon and their ability to plan for the long term future.

More successful people are constantly thinking about and planning for the long term future. They not only have plans for the immediate future (days and weeks ahead) but they also plan for the next year, five years, ten years and more.

The upper classes in Britain for example register their children at Oxford University when the child is born! They wish to assure that their child gets in and they begin setting aside the money as well for tuition. Highly successful American families begin a college fund for their children at their birth. They are working with an 18 year planning horizon.

How to Think and Plan for the Long Term

Whether you are planning a career, a business or anything else that requires a long term commitment you must look as far into the future as possible. As with other things there is a right and wrong way to do this.

Most people plan for the short term future first. They think about what they will eat for their next meal first, then what they will do this evening, this weekend, and then start to plan for next month and next year. The better way to plan is to start with the long term plan first and work your way back. The reason is simply that you should be acting now in ways that further you on your path to accomplishing your long term goals. You should be avoiding now any distractions and detours that take you away from pursuing your long term goals.

Start with the Longest Future View

You want to start by looking as far into the future as you can. To some extent this is defined by your age and stage in life. If you are 90 you may not be thinking seriously about a 20 year plan, though maybe you should. If you are 16 you may feel you have no idea really what you want to do in life and no idea how to think 20 years ahead. For these age extremes, although long term thinking has some real advantages, it may not be as practical as at other times in life.

I would however urge young people to plan as far into the future as they can, not because they necessarily will follow their initial plan, but for the benefits that accrue when you learn to think into the future.

For most people the longest future view is about 20 years. It is very difficult to really plan beyond 20 years. It is not impossible but the relative utility of planning beyond that point begins to rapidly diminish. Our lives tend to pass through generational planning horizons which are about 20 years long. We build families, careers and businesses between the ages of 20 and 40. We build serious wealth and often reach the apex of our productive lives during the 40-60 year period. Most people begin to scale down their productivity and relax a bit more during the 60-80 year period through some form of partial or complete retirement. Each of these segments of one's life deserves its own long term plan.

The 20 year plan can be as vague as you need it to be. You can think in terms of general career or business goals, personal achievement goals, etc. Examples of a 20 year plan may be to become CEO of your company, learn three languages proficiently, climb the highest mountain peaks in the world, design an entire line of clothing, become an accomplished actor, musician, surgeon, or whatever else you wish to achieve mastery in.

You do not achieve your 20 year goal in one step. It takes many steps which can each be broken down into many more steps.

Short and Medium Term Planning

This is where your short and medium term planning comes in. You plan how you are going to accomplish your 20 year goals by breaking them down into shorter term steps. You look at what you need to accomplish over the next ten years to get to your 20 year goal, and then the next five years, the next year, the next 6 months, the next month and the next week.

Daily Planning with a 20 Year Horizon

Every day you plan that day. You may choose to do so the night before or in the morning. You look at those 20, 10, 5, and 1 year goals and plans and determine what you need to accomplish today that will move you toward them. In effect when you plan your day you are planning it with a 20 year planning horizon. One key decision or action you make today can alter your direction on your 20 year path.

Plans can always change. Life has a habit of throwing all kinds of things in our path as we pursue our plans. Yet the process of looking far ahead and planning for what you wish to accomplish in the most important areas of your life has inestimable value. There is a reason why the richest and most successful people plan for the long term. Think like them and you can more likely act like them, act like them and you will more likely become like them - that is - successful.

Daniel R. Murphy writes on success and how you can build wealth. Would you like to learn how others have been successful in business and in life? For a free success ebook and much information which can help make you successful and financially independent visit http://www.bookstowealth.com/. Begin your self-education today learning how others have become successful and rich! Do it today!

View the original article here

Why You Must Put First Things First

One of the primary differences between people who are successful and those who are not is that those who succeed understand the need to most effectively use their time. They understand that their time is their most precious resource. They understand that it is absolutely limited and that we all have the exact same amount. It is therefore critical to use that time most effectively by doing those things that need to be done first to insure they get done or, putting first things first.

Events and people around you will attempt to distract you from this constantly. Others need your attention and time to attend to this and that and usually to do so right now. Often other people need your attention or time because they failed to prepare or failed to put first things first.

Despite your best efforts to plan your day you will find events outside your control will interfere with those plans and steal some of your precious time away. This cannot be helped. Even the President of the United States cannot control his every minute. Things happen to us all.

Despite these obstacles however you still should resolve to put first things first and make every effort to plan each day with the intent to accomplish the most important things you need to do. Notice I said "important" and not urgent, for many urgent things are of little importance.

How to Put First Things First

The best way to make sure that you are putting first things first is to plan for it. This means you should have well thought out goals which you have written down and which you review regularly. When you plan your activities for the year, month, week and day you should be keeping those goals in mind. Whatever else you plan to accomplish you must ask yourself continually whether you are planning actions that will further accomplishment of your goals.

The most critical part of this however comes in daily planning. This is what you have the most control over. Each day you should create some form of "to do" list which should include the important things, not just the urgent things, that need to be done to achieve your most important goals.

As important as planning is execution is essential to make the plans useful. It is important to refer to your list throughout your day and modify it when circumstances require. By referring to your list you can remind yourself to attend to those first things that need to be done first and get them done. Then, when they are completed, you can check them off, which always gives a sense of satisfaction.

Follow this simple 5 step process:

1. Identify your most important goals;

2. Identify those things you must do to achieve your most important goals;

3. Put those things that must be done on your to do list;

4. Refer to your list throughout your day to bring your attention back to working on your first things;

5. Check them off when they are completed.

If you do this every day with consistent discipline you will make far more progress toward accomplishing what you seek to accomplish. Put first things first and success will come within your reach.

Daniel R. Murphy writes on success and how you can build wealth. Would you like to learn how others have been successful in business and in life? For a free success ebook and much information which can help make you successful and financially independent visit http://www.bookstowealth.com/. Begin your self-education today learning how others have become successful and rich! Do it today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Murphy

View the original article here