Who Loves You?

I want to be the kind 

of person my dogs 

think I am...

I heard that song by the Bellamy Brothers and thought it expressed perfectly what we all should aspire to be!  These are my dogs and they wait patiently everyday for me to give them a little attention, take them for a walk and of course, feed them!  In return, I get unlimited and unconditional love.  Although they aren't in charge of their own lives, I am responsible for giving them good health and a safe home so they can run and play freely.  We can do the same for ourselves.  

PUTTING GOALS INTO ACTION

Aristotle said, "We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence then, is not an act but a HABIT".  It's time to look at our goals, one-by-one, and write down everything we can do to help us attain that goal.  It doesn't matter how small it is - just write down everything you can think of that will lead you in the direction of that goal.  Everyday, you must do something to work towards it.  It's those little steps we take, added together, that begin to build the reality we seek.  Those small actions begin to create new habits and those habits begin to create the reality of the goal you have set. Every day, visualize what you want and visualize yourself in that picture.  

Taking action to attain your goals means you are changing something, so don't expect it to be easy.  The more you work at it, the easier it becomes, and you will begin to see the change you seek.  Remember, "the tragedy of life does not lie in not reaching your goals but that you have no goals to reach.  It isn't a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream."  It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideals, but it is a disaster to have not ideals to capture.  It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach." -Dr. Benjamin Mays

Remember that practice is the difference between being an expert at something or being an amateur.  Whoever your hero is, whoever you admire for something they know or do, if you look closely at their lives, I bet you will find that they have done some things repeatedly...thousands of times...to become good at it.  

What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?  One of the best ways to get started is to find people who can help you achieve your dreams and goals.  Hang out with others who ask, "why not?" rather than "why?"  "That attitude is contagious," said Oprah Winfrey.  

Everyday matters.  Recently, I was given a formula to determine how many days I probably have left in my life, based on the average life expectancy.  Try it:  Multiply your age times 365 days.  Subract that number from 27,375 days (that's the AVERAGE life expectancy).  The answer tells you how many days you "may" have left.  It puts things in perspective!  Live life NOW, not later.  How do you want to be remembered?  Begin today by living how you want to be remembered.

MORE ON GOALS

Are you ready to develop your goals?  Did you brainstorm from yesterday's post?  Did you write down things you want to change?  Take a look at your list and pick your top four.  Now it's time to put them in a format that will inspire, compel and energize you.  You must write them in a way that they make you desire to do something different.  If they don't, you won't.

For example, let's say I want to lose weight.  If I wrote, "to lose 20 pounds by June 1st"....I'm not sure that would really inspire me to go on a diet.  After all, I've been on many diets.  What makes this goal any different from the attempts I've made in the past to lose weight?  However, what if I wrote it like this:  "By June of this year, I, Janice Willett, am going to weigh a slim, trim, vital, healthy, energetic 135 rock-hard pounds."  Would you agree that the second goal gives a more vivid picture and a more inspiring one?  It makes you want to be there, doesn't it?  

The second piece of advice is to put yourself or your name IN your goal!  Make it personal.  Let's say you want to increase your financial wealth.  You can find a way to inspire yourself through words other than just saying, "I want to make more money".  How about something like, "I, Janice Willett, am on a journey to build my financial earning power and wealth so that I can live without regrets, serve without hesitation, and give without explanation."  Ok, so maybe that doesn't inspire you, but it's not supposed to inspire you - it inspires me! lol  You need to write a goal that inspires YOU.

Try it.  Put it in rich, descriptive language that you can see, feel, and desire.  Write them out, put them in your own handwriting and keep them close at hand where you can read them every single day.  You must review them every day because it's the fuel that keeps you on track.  

Now get going and I'll meet you back here in a few days to start developing your plan.

GOALS ANYONE?

Wow, sorry it's been a while since I've posted!  I need to get a better routine going with these posts.  Thank you for your patience and hanging in there with me.  Well, if you have developed your values, written a vision and mission statement; then it's now time to start developing goals.  For some reason, this is the hardest part for people.  They usually don't have trouble envisioning things in their minds, but putting them on paper are a little more difficult.  Weaved throughout the development of a personal or business strategic life plan, is the inspiration needed to keep you going in the right direction.  Goals are no different.  If they are "clinical", sterile, dry or boring - they will not give you the energy to accomplish them!!  That's the purpose of this, isn't it?  Something to energize us in the right direction and help us to attain what we've always wanted?

Then let's get started!  The best day of your life is when you decide to take charge of it.  You are the only one with the power to make it the best, whatever your idea of a best life is for you.  Take charge of it today!  Let's say your mission statement says something about living a successful life.  Well, your goals are going to help you define what "successful" means to you.  To some, it could mean drinking a fruity frozen concoction under a palm tree on a beach somewhere.  To others, it might mean serving orphaned children in another country.  And some may just want to get out of debt and have good health.  You get to define it!  Think big!  The important thing here is to make sure your goals are a direct reflection of your values, vision and mission.  If they aren't in harmony with one another, then you need to go back and change them until they are.  That's leading a harmonious, congruent life!

Did you know that only 16% of the population has goals?  And, more astonishing is that of that 16%, only about 3% actually write down their goals?  There's more.  Only ONE PERCENT of those people actually REVIEW their goals regularly.  If you decided to take charge and do all three of those things,  YOU have just increased the probability of realizing your dreams many times over!!  And the best thing is, it won't cost you a dime (at least of out-of-pocket expenses).

What it will cost you is a little time to get organized, clear-headed, and focused.  What a small price to pay for accomplishing a DREAM.  Isn't that exciting?

The first step I want you to take, is to dream for a few minutes.  If you could do anything you wanted to do or be and had no limitations placed upon you, what would it be?  Take the next 5 minutes to think about that and take a pen and paper and start writing.  Do not lift your pen off of the paper for a full five minutes.  Write as fast as you can - everything you can possibly think of (plus anything that pops in your mind, whether you ever thought of it before or not).  Write, write, write.  It doesn't matter whether is makes sense or not.  (Harvard University says this one exercise is the best tool to develop a life of success than anything else - if you do it everyday).  Have you finished?  Good.  You are now a BIG step ahead of the majority of the world.  Take a short break and....

Stay tuned...