Grow Through Change

It's December and you are likely taking stock of what lies ahead from the coming year. You are reflecting on things you want and things about yourself you want to change. To effectively achieve results you will need to embrace change. Growing through change has many positive effects on our lives. It is often the challenge many face as success is just outside our comfort zones. You may ask how does this relate to setting goals and making resolutions for the coming year?
We all know that we can't achieve success by doing things the same way we have for years. We also know that changing our habits and tendencies are extremely difficult yet we all dream of changing ourselves for the better. New Years resolutions are often related to stopping our habits we don't like in our lives. Things like weight, less drinking and smoking come to mind. There in lies the challenge. Stop is a negative. It's my belief we find success in seeking the positive. Focus on the benefit is my motto. Start to live like you are already there.
I ask why do you want to lose weight? You should believe you will be more attractive and healthier. Does it not make sense to seek being more attractive and healthier adverse to losing weight? Exactly. I have always liked the quote. "Success lies just outside your comfort zone". From what I have researched many lay claim or use this quote as their own. Irregardless of the quote, lets look at is this way.
Emotions and realities that reside in your comfort zone include.

• Where most of humanity resides.
• Depression.
• Mediocre.
• Same old same old.
• Just getting by.
• Poor health.
• Little control over your life.

What is just outside your comfort zone includes.

• Self confidence.
• Resilience.
• Good Health.
• Financial Success.
• Being sought after.
• Living Your Dream.
• Happiness.

Entrepreneurs and investors understand the term "risk reward" better than most. They know if I stretch and do this I will receive this. I am a huge believer in we are better to have tried and failed than not tried at all. We do after all learn so more from our failures than our successes. There in lies the difference between smart and wisdom.
The key is connecting the emotion with the desire and clearly knowing how the impending success will improve your life. The time you spend obtaining clarity is time well spent. You need to know what your dream is before you can start to live it. Embracing change takes the stress out of leaving your comfort zone. A dream is just a dream until you act on it.

The Power Of Delayed Gratification

We are living in a microwave society. It has become an instant world. Thanks to the power of advertising, we have been told time and time again. We can have it now. When we look at this from a success standpoint, the skies start to get cloudy. The real question becomes how long do you have to wait until you get the reward for your efforts and desires. The money managers of the world will tell you that your better to be earning interest than paying interest. You know that they are right. But why can't you wait?
I just love the Mark Twain quotation "People are spending money they have not earned yet to impress people they don't like". Upon reflection you will discover there is not allot depth to instant gratification. Don't think for one minute that I am a master of this theory. I struggle with this like many of you. At my age the need to impress others has diminished. Yes, we all have an ego to fuel however I suggest to you there are many ways to quench that thirst.
Studies have shown that people who are able to delay gratification have higher intelligence. This makes sense as people with higher intelligence are often better educated. These people understand the importance of the passage of time. Yes, this is a tough theory to digest for the living life in the moment crowd. Can we consider a university education as a form of delayed gratification? I guess we could say that as they are delaying earning money now so they can later earn more money in a career that they want. One glaring example of instant gratification is the high turnover of jobs. Intelligent people are switching companies to earn more money at the drop of the hat. This activity often results with less than the expected out come.
As a person who has struggled with delayed gratification for much of my life I have learned the following tips to better practice this important principle of success.

• Set a target or goal you must first obtain before you purchase a vacation or new vehicle.
• Study the landscape of opportunity in your current company of employment before you jump ship. There is a reward for patience especially if you are a consistent performer.
• Create a Vision Board that not only has material things you want on it, but also copies of credit card statements that show a zero balance.
• Delay making decisions until you have thoroughly thought them through.
• Be cognitive of the consequences from making snap decisions that have lasting effects.

I believe that the longer you can delay the gratification the bigger the reward. This does not mean that you have to live life with a seat belt on. The best outcomes most always follow careful consideration. Success is often dependent on your tolerance for delayed gratification.

Does Your Positive Attitude Run On Automatic

Recently while attending a Rotary District Leadership weekend, I found myself in a room full of people with high energy and positive attitudes. People who want to effect change and make the world a better place both at home and in countries in need. It's one of the many reasons I belong to Rotary. My article this week is not about Rotary but it's the people of Rotary who planted the seed for this weeks positive attitude article.
I find personally that I focus on the positive result and not the act of being positive. Spend the energy on the result. The only way to obtain the positive result is with a positive attitude. This means that you are already in the positive attitude mindset. Say good-bye to that voice in the back of your mind saying, " I have to be positive, I have to be Positive". Do you see what I mean by this? One of the keys to getting to this space is to be cognitive of your thoughts. If your thoughts are positive outcome based, it's about the outcome.
I often refer to myself as the opportunity salesman. Do you suppose you can be the best you can be with a limp attitude? I don't think so. Do you want to go through life without becoming better than you are today? I would hope not. The human race is evolving. Do you suppose that evolution is taking place because of the doubters and negative minded types. I don't think so. The can do positive minded individuals are leading the charge. To use an analogy. Many of us in North America are disgruntled with politics and politicians. So what happens. We vote leaders and governments out. All the energy is spent combating the other political party. I ask you. What do suppose would happen if all were pulling in the same direction? I expect the social and business agendas would be met. That's why I don't watch the news. It's counter productive. I get my news from the Internet. My reading includes business news and good new stories. There is no room for negativity in my mind. Yes I would agree that we can not go through life with blinders on however I prefer to spend time in the space that I have some control over.
Here are some simple tips that will certainly get your head in a positive state of mind.

1. Start a gratitude journal and write in it every morning. You will discover you have much to be thankful for.
2. Review your goals. To do lists are good however they are activity based and not big picture. I caution you not get your to do list and goals mixed up. You may find that if your trying to change a habit that is related to a goal you will need to put this on your to do list until it becomes automatic.
3. Look for a couple of inspirational web sites and save them on your favorites list. Read a few of these each morning.
4. At the end of each business day write down what you will do first thing in the morning. Open your email second as that creates reacting to external forces. Yes you will have to deal with these emails but you should deal with them on your terms.
5. Look for positive minded new friends whether they are social or business.

It is my belief the can do people are those who have their positive attitude in automatic. All their energy is focused on the end result. The bonus is, that it's one heck of allot more fun to do than grinding through things you deem a pain in the butt. How are you going to start your day tomorrow? I know how I am going to start mine.

Achieve Greatness Through The Power Of Thought

This past week I read the "Science of Being Great' by Wallace Wattles. It has been an interesting read as it follows the line of his book "The Science Of Getting Rich". Once again the emphasis is on the power of thought. Wattles believes that we must work and focus on greatness but we are not to rush. For if we are shallow and unprepared people will not seek our advise. If we are boastful others will not seek your advise and in fact likely avoid you. Wattles believes and I agree we can become great by reading, understanding life's experiences, thinking and through your actions. Wisdom is in fact earned and gained through experience. No one is born with wisdom. The key is that we are truly judged by our actions. Words are just that. Words unless supported by actions.

The book "The Secret" is perhaps the most widely read book of the past decade. "The Secret" is in fact about the power of attraction. Each chapter in the book is written by experts in the fields of the law of attraction and the power of thought. The books purpose was really to bringing about what you dream about and think about. This all makes perfect sense. For example it is unlikely we do not end up as a doctors if we dreamed or envisioned being a fireman. This I believe is all gained through a thought that became planted in our minds. How good we become at it, is how well we thought it through. That what we visualized in our mind does in fact become reality. Lets call this thought, the seed. From there it grows. However we must fertilize the seed with thoughts of completion. I believe the teachings in "The Secret" to be actual fact. The thoughts that we truly believe will become truths. This can all take place no matter if your rich or poor. The first step toward greatness starts with a clear vision.

A dream is just a dream if you do not act upon it. I believe this to be the most important part that many of the authors left out of "the Secret". It is critical to your success that you remove all doubt that it can be achieved. For if you doubt your thoughts, you are not committed to achieve it. You must fill your mind with positive thought. Thoughts that will carry your dreams and aspirations to reality. Greatness does not fall out of the sky. The eureka moment will appear because you brought that action toward you. The eureka moment is really a crystallization of what you believed would happen. The eureka moment becomes the proof that you can bring about, what you think about. This is also the title of a great book written by Eddie Lemoine. " Bring About What You Think About"

This thought process can be hard to grasp when your stuck in the dreaming stage. You must narrow down your thoughts to small details. Dreams are really what we wish for. A wish is just that. A wish. The last time I looked, The Silver Bullet was a beer commercial. There is now fast and easy way to achieve greatness just like there is no Silver Bullet. Success in becoming great comes after you take the thought from your mind into acting it out in real life. From the Morning and Evening Thoughts of James Allen's book "As a Man thinketh". "Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. A person becomes calm in the measure that they understand ones self as a though evolved being."

To become great you must believe you are in fact, great. This is accomplished from starting with a positive attitude. However, it is from deep thought and a true belief that you will achieve greatness that you will in fact, achieve greatness.

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Trust and Credibility Are Key to Your Success

In a world of people purchasing on line or doing business face to face potential customers make decisions on trust that what they are buying is credible. The buyers decisions for the purchase are varied but at some point the decision to buy was based on buyers confidence the seller will deliver on the promise. But it is not only in business that trust plays a huge part in our decision making process. Relationships are for the most part based on trust as well. Trust and Credibility speak to our character and the type of person we are. Trust and Credibility can also be lost if you do not deliver on what you said or if the product you sold is inferior.

One of my favorite lines is "if you always tell the truth you don't have to remember what you said" Wow. How true is that? So why are Trust and Credibility so important to our lives. In my opinion people do not become friends instantly. There is a period that you get to know each other. You share your opinions, your desires and what makes you happy. If you are consistent and true to your values and you share some of those values the relationship grows. Trust is crucial to a strong marriage so would it not be crucial to a good friendship or business transaction.

In the business world the toughest part of growing the business is attracting new customers. They came to your business at some point because of trust. That trust could have been transferred from another customers referral. The key to remember is that you still have to earn that transferred trust. Trust and credibility can just as easily be lost if you do not deliver on what you say or do. Good luck in getting it back if you have lost it. The most important part of your business is customers. Without them you do not exist. Without trust you will not survive in business. Your marriage or friendships will not survive without trust either.

Are you credible? Are you who you say you are? I suggest you do not get too caught up in the "Fluff" because at some point you will be asked or taken to task on the fluff. You better be able to back up what you say and who you say you are. The commonly used term "Brand" is not just a recognition to what you are but it should speak to who you are.

Trust and credibility should be the cornerstone of your personality and your business. Your company's Mission Statement or your own Personal Purpose Statement should reflect an element of trust and credibility. People want to deal with people and companies they trust. The greatest products in the world will die on the shelf if they are sold under false pretenses or misleading information. As in baseball customers do not like curve balls and change ups. It would be my suggestion you take a look at how you present yourself and how it ties to who you are. Keeping and existing customer happy is much easier and more cost effective than trying to get a new one. Attract the new customers on the values you use to keep your existing customers happy. Remember that Trust and Credibility are earned and can be transferred to others who will help you grow both personally and in the business world.

How Your Habits Will Determine Your Success

Humans are born with the ability to self diagnose. The earliest forms of this become evident in our conscience. What is right from wrong. Things our parents began to tell us at an early age get molded into our fiber. But at some point as we grow older we are tested as views from a world outside our home start to creep into our lives. So what does all this have to do with habits and self diagnosis you ask. Without the proper direction from our parents it becomes very easy to become conditioned to take the path of least resistance. A constant amount of don't touch. Don't say that. Stay away from there, sets our conditions that later create habits we wish we could change.

Changing habits creates fear in the unknown. Change is usually not immediate and can take some time. What impact will change have on my relationship with my spouse. Change is hard work. We also know that hard work is usually rewarding. So why do we continue to slide along the same old way and not make those changes to our habits we know are holding us back. Good habits will lead you to success in your personal life as well in your working life. But it's so hard to do. How many of your New Years resolutions have gone by the way side?

So how do we go about insuring we make changes to our day to day habits? We know if we make the changes they will bring success into our lives. The most common habits we think about changing are to quit smoking, to eat less,spend less money and exercise more. The fast recipe are the following. Step One, My suggestion to you is write down why you want to make the change and how you will feel after having made the change. Step two is to write down what you will do day by day to effect the change. Step Three is to have a date that the new habit will have taken full root and you no longer have to think about your new habit as it is now part of your every day life. Step Four is to share your goal for your habit change with someone who will help you keep on track. Stand fast to these steps and you will be on the road to success.

For those of you driven to really make a big change there is a book by Stephen R Covey called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. 15 million copies in print will convince you that there are millions of people out there who want to effect change in their lives. I must tell you in my opinion this book can be as dry as cotton batten. I tried numerous times to push through it and had to put it down. What I did not realize back then is that I was pushing back change.

Covey's Seven Habits are as follows:

1. Be Proactive Move from dependence to independence.
2. Begin with the End in Mind Self discover your character values and life goals
3. Put First Things First (I personally like this one. You can't build a house without a set of plans.)
4. Think Win Win If all sides of an arrangement are mutually beneficial every one wins
5. Seek First to Understand, Then be understood
6. Synergize Creativity comes from cooperation
7. Sharpen the Saw Covey Calls this, Principals of Balanced Self-Renewal

Very Powerful Habits. Very Powerful Personal Intentions. Intentions that change the whole way we think and approach everything we do. Follow these 7 fundamental character changing habits and success will surely be in your grasp.

I can share with you that when you are committed to such changes your mind becomes all consumed and for a period of time will effect your sleep. This is natural and as uncomfortable as it sounds is a good sign that you are pushing through the old habits. Your embracing change and acceptance to be a best the best you can be will be worth a few nights of restless sleep. Like your old habits those sleepless nights will soon forgotten.

Picking a Life Coach

Coaching comes in all forms. Personal Coach, Business Coach, Mentor, Friend and oh yes sports coach. The Internet and television are full of marketers parading as coaches claiming they can change your life in 30 days and for only $ 149.95. In some cases their claims are true but success comes to the truly committed to change themselves. Watching the TV late at night because you can't sleep and there before your very eyes is the solution. You purchase the package. A decision most later regret. The one thing you need to remember that the people who are selling you their programs are huge marketing machines. Yes they want you to succeed but they also know that over 95 percent of the programs they sell will be collecting dust in a matter of weeks. It’s all about the money.

There are two main reasons we don’t achieve our goals. Fear of failure and procrastination are usually the culprits. Coaches help us to keep on track. So the question remains. Can I accomplish this on my own through books, or by purchasing a transform your life program from TV or the Internet? The answer to this is yes. My experience tells me that you need to determine the sense of urgency to achieve the goal. Will I stick with it?

Well in my opinion hiring a coach will increase the probability for your success. Yes it’s the most expensive way to achieve your goals. Like the old saying "you get what you pay for". A good coach will ask why you have chosen this goal or objective and then your coach becomes an important part of helping you achieve them. Much of the reason for success is accountability. Once you have made the commitment on paper or verbally to your coach you are more likely to succeed. We hate to tell the person we made the commitment to that we did not do it. Excuses are really part of an underlying problem that leads to procrastination. A good coach should be able to determine that issue or problem and help you move forward.

I have hired a few coaches over the years. In all instances I have been very happy with the results. A good coach can get you where you want or need to be faster than a self help book or Internet program. Your level of success is greatly increased by hiring a coach. Before you hire a coach it is strongly recommended you do your homework. Get referrals. Pick the coach that fits the need. A talented Coach whose specialty is corporate strategies may not be the coach to help you deal with the fear of rejection or low self esteem.

In today's world there seems to be a life or business coach on every corner. This makes the task of finding the right coach difficult. Remember, a strong referral, credibility, length of time in the business and the area of expertise tied closest to your goal are the most important factors in choosing a coach.