People living today are extremely lucky. 50 years ago the internet never even existed, and cable TV was something you read about in sci-fi magazines. Now, thanks to the internet, you can find information on virtually anything you want, instantly. Something which was only a dream just 10 years ago.
Yet with all this information available to us, people still fail to become successful in life. Why is this? After all, there is so much self help information available telling us how to be successful, but most people still fail to achieve success. And why do people still suffer from depression, when there are so many books telling them how to live a great life?
The fact is, information is not the problem. And no matter how much technology advances, people will always have the same problems.
What Are The Reasons People Fail To Achieve Success?
If you ask someone why they never succeeded in what they were trying to do, they will most likely tell you it was someone else’s fault, or something happened that was beyond their control. However if you compare that persons life against someone else’s life, you could probably find many examples of people who suffered under far worse conditions yet still became a success.
This shows us that the real reason people fail is not because of something outside of them, rather the reason lies within.
Internal Reasons For Failure
When you continue to do the same thing over and over again it is called a habit. You are probably familiar with bad habits such as smoking, but are you familiar with the habits of failure or the habits of success?
Creating Habits Of Success
Since success or failure is ultimately achieved through the actions you take, habits therefore play a tremendous role in determining whether you will achieve success or failure in life. For example. If you read everyday, that is a habit. This habit is likely to expand your knowledge of a subject, and vastly improve the chances you will master and be successful at it.
However, let’s say that instead of reading everyday, you prefer to sit down and watch TV for a few hours. Do you think this will help you master any subject? Or become an expert in your field? In all likelihood, the answer will be no.
So if you look at achieving success or failure in terms of the actions you repeat on a daily basis, then it is quite simple to understand why some people succeed, and others complain of failure. People who are successful continually do things on a daily basis that will increase their chances of success. Whilst unsuccessful people do not.
This does not mean successful people never fail, they do. But what they don’t do is give up, because they have developed habits of success.
Change Your Habits!
The message you should take away from this article is that in order to experience change in your life you must first identify your habits. Think about what do you do on a daily basis, and ask yourself if those things help you achieve what you want in life?
If the answer is no, you must then change those habits, because by doing the same thing over and over again you will only get the same results over and over again.
Fortune magazine once published an article entitled "The Best Advice I Ever Got." It was a great article that offered wit and wisdom about achieving business success. I liked it so much, that it motivated me to produce my newest book, Leadership:Best Advice I Ever Got, which describes the best leadership advice 136 successful CEOs, coaches, consultants, professors, managers, executives, presidents, politicians, and religious leaders received that most helped them become effective and successful leaders.
Here are 7 secrets to leadership success:
1. Leadership is about making things happen
If you want to make something happen with your life, in school, in your profession or in your community, do it. Perceived obstacles crumble against persistent desire. John Baldoni, Author, Leadership Communication Consultant and Founder of Baldoni Consulting LLC, shared this advice that had come from his father, a physician. He taught him the value of persistence. At the same time, his mother taught him compassion for others. Therefore, persistence for your cause should not be gained at the expense of others. Another bit of leadership wisdom!
2. Listen and understand the issue, then lead
Time and time again we have all been told, "God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason"...or as Stephen Covey said..."Seek to understand, rather than be understood." As a leader, listening first to the issue, then trying to coach, has been the most valuable advice that Cordia Harrington, President and CEO of Tennessee Bun Company has been given.
3. Answer the three questions everyone within your organization wants answers to
What the people of an organization want from their leader are answers to the following: Where are we going? How are we going to get there? What is my role? Kevin Nolan, President & Chief Executive Officer of Affinity Health Systems, Inc. believes the more clarity that can be added to each of the three questions, the better the result.
4. Master the goals that will allow you to work anywhere in today’s dynamic business world
Debbe Kennedy, President, CEO and Founder of Global Dialogue Center and Leadership Solutions Companies, and author of Action Dialogues and Breakthrough once shared this piece of advice that was instrumental in shaping her direction, future and achievements.
She was a young manager at IBM just promoted to her first staff assignment in a regional marketing office. For reasons she can’t explain, one of her colleagues named Bookie called her into his office while she was visiting his location. He then began to offer unsolicited advice, but advice that now stays fresh in her mind. He mentioned that jobs, missions, titles and organizations would come and go as business is dynamic-- meaning it is always changing. He advised her not to focus your goals toward any of these, but instead learn to master the skills that will allow you to work anywhere.
He was talking about four skills:
The ability to develop an idea
Effectively plan for its implementation
Execute second-to-none
Achieve superior results time after time
With this in mind, Kennedy advises readers to seek jobs and opportunities with this in mind. Forget what others do. Work to be known for delivering excellence. It speaks for itself and it opens doors.
5. Be curious
Curiosity is a prerequisite to continuous improvement and even excellence. The person who gave Mary Jean Thornton, Former Executive Vice President & CIO, The Travelers this advice urged her to study people, processes, and structures. He inspired her to be intellectually curious. He often reminded Thornton that making progress, in part, was based upon thinking. She has learned to apply this notion of intellectual curiosity by thinking about her organization’s future, understanding the present, and knowing and challenging herself to creatively move the people and the organization closer to its vision.
6. Listen to both sides of the argument
The most valuable advice Brian P. Lees, Massachusetts State Senator and Senate Minority Leader ever received came from his mentor, United States Senator Edward W. Brooke III. He told him to listen to all different kinds of people and ideas. Listening only to those who share your background and opinions can be imprudent. It is important to respect your neighbors’ rights to their own views. Listening to and talking with a variety of people, from professors to police officers, from senior citizens to schoolchildren, is essential not only to be a good leader in business, but to also be a valuable member within your community.
7. Prepare, prepare, prepare
If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail. If one has truly prepared and something goes wrong the strength of the rest of what you've prepared for usually makes this something easier to handle without crisis and panic. One of the best pieces of advice Dave Hixson, Men’s Varsity Basketball Coach at Amherst College has ever received and continues to use and pass on is this anonymous quote, "Preparation is the science of winning."
Along with this are two expressions from Rick Pitino's book Success is a Choice, which speaks to preparation. Hixson asks his teams every year: "Do you deserve to win?" and "Have you done the work?" This speaks to the importance of preparation toward achieving your final goal. If you haven't done the work (preparation) the answer to the second question is an easy "no!"
Great advice comes from many sources: parents, other relatives, consultants, bosses, co-workers, mentors, teachers, coaches, and friends. The important point to remember is to stay open, listen to everyone, but also develop your own leadership style.
As the title states, "Become an Information Filter and a Knowledge Sponge." On your daily journey to achieve your WHY, you will travel through many different avenues and sometimes you will ask yourself, "Why do I need to meet this person or experience this situation?" The key is to truly understand that you must become an information filter and use your personal God-given filters -- your eyes and your ears. I always say that you were born with 4 inputs (2 eyes, 2 ears) and 1 output (mouth).
When you decide to become a filter and filter through all the information that is taken in through your inputs, you will begin to find answers to the reasons for certain experiences in your life. What you learn from each situation that you experience will be the foundation for future decisions. My personal view is that "every failure is a stepping stone to success, which in turn will become a very long and lovely stone walkway into the castle of your dreams." Very simply, this quote means out of every failure you will filter information that will empower you to make wiser decisions based on information you learned from your personal failures!
As you begin to realize you must become a filter - listen and observe more than you talk, you will be amazed at the insight you gain. When you combine becoming a knowledge sponge, along with being a filter, you will empower yourself to achieve your WHY! Becoming a knowledge sponge is very simple. You must immerse yourself in the knowledge of the #1 people in your field of endeavor. When I first became a distributor in a direct sales organization, I simply did some research and found out what the #1 earners in direct sales/network marketing were doing. As I result, I broke all records and built enormous sales organizations. I was nothing special, but the methods I used were special because they were proven to work. Remember, the smartest people are those that realize they are not the brightest or the best.
Each day that you embark upon your journey toward your Why, you need to be constantly absorbing as much information as possible. Success leaves clues, and usually it is a long list of failures accompanied with one major success. I can tell you that if you have failed in the past and right now are questioning your actions, just become an information filter and knowledge sponge. Start to utilize your four inputs and before you know it, you will hit the mark and succeed! I highly suggest listening to positive personal development tapes and reading some positive material EACH AND EVERY DAY in order to saturate your sponge with the proper knowledge!
A workaholic is someone who has no identity beyond their work. Life is about so much more than what you do. It is about the relationships you develop and nurture. It is about social impact in your community. It is about the growth and learning you experience. It is about living passionately.
We are creative by our very nature, it's in our genes. Applied intelligence equals creativity. Intelligence takes on many forms. So this creates a new question:
Where is your definition of a workaholic more likely? One living in passion or one living in isolation and fear?
The True Entrepreneur is one that I witness their values, passion, and whole way of being aligned with what they do. In this way, the entrepreneur is just being. The business, the vocation, the passion, the purpose, the values, interests, etc. are all a part of who the individual is.
Externally, I don't think anyone could casually observe a difference between a workaholic and this entrepreneur. However, the individual knows. Deep down inside, the answer is known and typically the individual will turn away from acknowledging that truth and rationalize sticking to their tried and true behavior. The tried and true is comfortable. To admit the truth requires change and change is uncomfortable.
Many people welcome change in their external environment and consider themselves capable and open to change. Unfortunately, for most the relationship to the inner self is one of fear; there's a whole can of worms that gets opened when we start doing the inner work. Knowing this, on a gut level, our subconscious quickly reverts to the tried and true. It's hard work to change.
The good news though, is that many entrepreneurs have the ability to see what is happening around them. This ability is what makes entrepreneurs visionary go-getters. However, this does not exempt entrepreneurs from getting caught-up in their business to the detriment of a well-balanced life.
A well-balanced life is more powerful than the hard work that you put into a business. A well-balanced life feeds the brain, the spirit, the emotions, and the body. In creating the space for relationship, recreation, and rest, the benefits experienced will offer stronger focus, greater creativity (beneficial for problem-solving and decision-making), greater self-esteem, and mental/emotional/physical health. Knowing this, choices are made.
If incorporating a well-balanced life would allow you to achieve the same amount of output in 60 hours versus the 80 hours of perseverance, which would you choose?
The other thing entrepreneurs have difficulty with is learning when to say, "No." and when to say, "That's enough." Always after a new conquest, a new experience, a new peak, and new challenges, an entrepreneur can get all that energy too caught up in the business arena. This will lead to the very thing you fear. Instead, split this energy to have a well-balanced life. Achievement will be far richer in the relationship arena and the personal growth arena.
The experience of Life can be incredibly rich, just don't get so caught up in riches that you neglect your Whole Life.
It is well documented that many people fail to achieve their goals in life due to the phenomenon known as "fear of failure" but are you aware that a major factor that is often overlooked, is a state known as "fear of success"?
Fear of failure will lead many people into inertia - the inability to make decision or take action in case they receive rejection or negative outcomes. This mental state is fairky easy to identify and there are many tools in the personal development industry to help combat this plague and reprogram the mind for success. However, the fear of success is much more subtle, harder to spot and also harder to eradicate.
Perhaps you have this tendency in your life. Here are some indications of a fear of success mentality.
Studying and trying to implement self-improvement techniques and/or personal development tools but your life does not improve or may even get worse.
You settle for less than you feel you deserve or are capable of achieving.
You start new projects full of enthusiasm and optimism but wane in your efforts or stop short before you have completed them.
You expect things to go wrong no matter how well the situation appears to be at the moment.
Can you identify your own patterns in the any of the above statements?
The fear of success can also make you behave in ways that hold you back. Look at the list below. These are ethe symptoms of the fear of success.
Procrastination - putting off what needs to be done or not doing what you know will bring you closer to your desired result. Everyone suffers from this inner 'demon' at some point in their lives (although some of us suffer from it more than others!).
Procrastination is a 'success killer'! How can ou expect to reach your destinationm if you do not take steps towards it? Strive to do little things each day that will bring you small steps closer to your goal. This is why having a personal development plan is an essential ingredient in the fight against procrastination. Take action! Any action! Refine your steps as you go along but do not sit and do nothing. Taking action is one of the key aspects in personal development.
Can't see the forest for the trees! - this is almost the opposite of procrastination but has the same effect on your personal development. The aforementioned saying is well known but have you ever given it real consideration?
Don't get caught up in your plan believing that it is more important than the materialised goal! For many years I got caught in this trap. I started to think and act as though my plan was more important than my end result and thus missed many opportunities to alter my path and reach my goals more quickly! Let go of your ego and allow the Universe to show you a quicker route to your goal. Remain flexible.
Thinking that the time is not right - have you ever waited until the timing was perfect before starting a venture? Have you ever waited until you had more information on a better plan?
Again ACTION is the key to the door to success. Taking small steps forward are better than taking none or waiting to see if your foot is landing on the right spot! Even if your actions take you away from your goal you have at least gained insight and knowledge about what does not work!
Being a perfectionist - this is similar to the point above and has the same effect, namely, that you never really move forward. No matter how good a job is when its finished it can always be improved! I have heard many great musicians tell how they hate listening to their own songs because they can find a million things that need improved. Yet, we still enjoy them. I think a classic example of this is "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Paul Simon. This song is hauntingly beautiful yet Mr. Simon does not think its good enough!
Seeing only problems - how do you use your focus? Do you constantly see only and alll the problems involved? If you are this way inclined it is pointless trying to change overnight! However, you can use this mindset to your advantage while you strive in your personal development to acquire an opportunistic frame of mind instead.
"How can you use seeing only problems to my advantage?" you say. "Easily", is my reply! Look at the problems and prepare a plan to deal with them. Everytime you overcome one congratulate yourself. Use them as a gauge for your achievements. If you keep seeing more problems remind yourself of how well you dealt with the others. Look at how far you have come! If you see a problem ask yourself, "how best can I overcome this challenge?" or "how quickly can I rectify this situation?". The quality of your questions are important as I have outlined in a previous article. Use the problems as fact finders. Is there a real problem now? If so then deal with it. Is it a potential problem? If so then create a contingency plan in case it does occur but don't get caught up in it just be prepared.
Enjoy the journey, follow the above guidelines and you will achieve success. Eventually your fear of success will dissipate and you will have moved a long way forward in your personal development.
The other day I was reading a very interesting article concerning a shark attack that occurred way back in 1916. It played off along the North East coast of the U.S. and concerned a great white shark, that had been had been terrorizing the New Jersey beaches.
Now everybody knows and accepts that a shark is a creature of the sea and needs salty water to survive. Therefore nobody thought that a shark may attack them in freshwater, but that is exactly what happened later that year.
This particular shark remained close to the shore and eventually swam up a river stream around Raritan Bay, attacking a couple of bathers upstream.
Shortly before the attacks occurred, a retired Sea captain, by the name of Thomas Cottrell saw this shark swimming upstream while crossing a bridge. He couldn't believe his eyes, but nevertheless got into his boat and raised the alarm. Not surprisingly nobody believed him. "A shark in a river? C'mon, get real, It's not possible."
But you know what? As incredible as it seemed there was a shark in the river and all those who didn't heed the warnings were in danger of being attacked.
Eventually this shark killed two people. The first victim was a teenager who may or may not have heard Cottrell's warning. Shortly after this attack another man jumped in the water to look for the victim, even though he was told there is a shark in the water. He too was attacked and died from a severe loss of blood.
While reading this I couldn't help thinking about September 11 and see the parallels between these two stories.
When asked by the U.S. Congress and the media, why "clues" which should have been picked up were disregarded, the heads of the FBI and CIA as well as members of the Bush administration replied, "We didn't think they would use airplanes as missiles."
Had the FBI and CIA believed that something like what happened on 9/11 was possible they might have put measures into place which would likely have prevented this from happening. But they didn't, even though the hijackers left dozens of "clues."
Similarly if the swimmers at the US East Coast had believed Captain Cottrell when he told them there was a shark in the river, chances are that nobody would have been killed by this shark on that day.
But because they believed it is "impossible" for a shark to be found in freshwater they disregarded the warning altogether, just as the US law enforcement agencies did, resulting in many paying with their lives.
On the other hand there are human beings who overcame extraordinary odds and accomplished great feats. Everyday we hear stories of people who were told by the so-called "experts" they didn't have what it took, yet made it regardless.
The lesson here is that anything is possible, both the good and the bad. By believing or not believing in something doesn't mean you will not be affected by whatever happens. But it means that based on what you believe, you may take some action which may save you from something terrible or may get you out of a terrible situation.
There are many of us who are in terrible situations, including poverty, unhappiness, debt, etc. Those of us who have changed their situation, did it because they believed they could make it.
Those who don't obviously don't believe that they can change their situation otherwise they would have done something about it, right?
How many opportunities have you missed just because you thought it wouldn't work or wasn't possible. Just think what you could do if you believed that you could do anything, even realise your dreams?
What great talent do you have which you have done nothing about, because you probably believed you can't do it.
I hope to have shown you through this short article that anything is possible. And that by just believing, "I Can," your battle is already half-won.
Did you know that by applying a simple strategy you can become successful beyond your imagination?!
Success is not dedicated for a certain category of lucky talented people and hence anyone can become similar to those success gurus.
Success doesn’t depend on your environment, circumstances, level of education, financial situation,...etc.
All successful people faced a lot of negative circumstances and failures before they achieve what they want. They were poor, with little or no education, and were brought up under tough circumstances.
But they all followed the same strategy, to change their circumstances and reach their dreams.
You must follow this simple strategy, if you want to achieve your goals and become successful.
Here is the ultimate success strategy:
"Apply the Principles of Success"
Simple, right?!!!
But always remember: “The true power lies under the real simplicity".
This powerful strategy guarantees your success because principles are the same and always work.
Success principles are the same no matter where you live or when you live.
Success principles always work because they are proven facts used by all successful people to achieve their goals.
Success leaves clues. And these clues are timeless success principles.
Principles will work for you as well but this depends on a single condition.
This condition is: "Principles always work if you work the principles"
You must apply these principles and put them in action.
Action makes all the difference.
Successful people believe in principles and so they persist until they see the results.
Apply success principles and they will always work. Since they worked with all who applied them, they will work with you too.
But remember you must work the principles yourself. Don't wait for somebody else to apply the principles for you.
You must apply the principles by yourself. Don't wait for somebody to give you permission to become successful.
Analyze your situation and see how this principle can work for you. Do it yourself.
You must lead your life.
And never surrender.
Keep practicing the principle until it works.
It takes time to master success principles. Like when you start driving your car, it took time to be a good driver.
It needs practice until you get positive results.
And here comes the benefit of having a mentor in your life. He can guide you through your journey and support you in every step. And, he can teach you these principles and how to master them.
Read success books and you will gain life time experience from the expert authors.
Attend success and personal development seminars and courses to get close to success mentors and learn from their experience.
Success Principles always work if you work them. Keep practicing the principles until you master them.
You too can become successful with the same principles used by all successful people in the world.
I am going to tell you the steps to “Activate Your Personal Success.” So, as you think of this outcome-whatever goal that you want to accomplish. Imagine if by accomplishing this goal or this outcome;
Would it take anything away from who you are?
Is there any excuse you can make right now that will stop your from accomplishing that goal?
One key in accomplishing any goal and activating your blueprint is to keep your goal in mind, keep it in your minds eye. Listen to your hypnosis processes daily and find that upon awakening act as if you are guaranteed the result that you’re seeking.
And when you act out of character, in other words, when you demonstrating behaviors or attitude that are counter to accomplishing your goals. You will change that the next time you listen to your hypnosis process, you will make the necessary changes. So that moving forward you will think act and respond with the goal in mind.
Each time that you practice using your hypnosis process you are going to find that your inner ability to see, hear, and experience in your mind’s eye improving.
And just as you learned when you read through Awaken the Genius you found that perhaps you’re more visual learner, maybe you’re more auditory, or you’re more kinesthetic. What we are going to ask you do, is to become more of a full sensory learner. Someone who can use all there senses, magnetize in the world around you want you want as your goal. And then go after it an achieve it.
The next step is to think about what needs to take place, or what needs to change in your life so that you can have this goal you set for yourself today? Now matter what it is.
In other words, what are you going to have to give up that your holding onto dearly now?
Because if you weren’t holding onto something dearly that stopping you from accomplishing this goal, you wouldn’t even be listening to my voice right how, you’d be out there accomplishing your goal.
For instance, let’s use an example of bowling; If somebody is told a different way to release the ball or perhaps a different mark out in the bowling lane, which is what a professional bowling might do. They would roll that ball over that arrow and it would hook into the pocket and give them a potential for a strike, but if they are so locked into their old way of rolling the ball, or throwing the ball down the alley that are not able to change they can’t get out of their own way, in other words, they can’t accomplish their goal.
What changes need to take place for you accomplish this goal, so you can “Activate Your Personal Success?”
Next, I need you to find out what resources you have internally to accomplish your goal. During your hypnosis process take a mental inventory. This will help you discover what Skills, what Abilities, what Resources do you have?
I’m going to ask you to release any preconceived ideas about how you might accomplish your goal and open your mind to the possibility that there is an even greater possibility out there for you.
First, imagine that it is real. See every detail so clearly that you can reach out and touch it. You can feel the emotions of being there. For example, if you want a certain car, then what kind is it? What color is it? Imagine you are sitting in it like you will when it is brand new. How does it feel? How does it smell? Go for a drive in your car. If it's a convertible, drive with the top down! Experience the wind blowing in your face and through your hair. Hear the sounds around you. If you can take a real test drive in one, do that!
Get a picture and post it where you will see it each day. Do this visualization several times a day until it becomes part of you. This action is important because your subconscious will help enable you to reach your goals to achieve your dream.
Next, break the big dream down into specific, measurable goals to get you there. If you are dreaming of something that costs a certain amount of money, like the car, you will set a date on when you want to have this money.
Once you have your date, then break your timeline down into segments. Perhaps you set the date one year from today. So the next step is to break that down into a goal for each month, then a goal for each week, then a goal for each day. It may be easier to start with the days, and then multiply out to the weeks and months.
Now that you know what your specific timeline is, you need to determine the specific actions you can take to reach each specific goal. If it is a money goal, like in the example above, you know how much money you need to put away each day. So now you need to figure out what actions you need to take each day in order to be able to do that.
If your goal is accomplishing a project, your timeline will be broken down into different steps you need to finish in order to get the whole project done. For example, if you are writing a book, you may need to do some research before you can write it. So the first major accomplishment on your way to that goal is to complete the research. Then you need to set a time to complete your basic outline. Then a time to complete each chapter. Then a time for editing. You can break each major step down into little steps that must be done each day in order to complete the entire book by your target date.
Now that you see what you will need to do each day in order to achieve your big goal, ask yourself if each day's task is reasonable. Be truthful. If you know you can do what is required each day, then you have your plan. If it will be very difficult to meet each day's requirement, then extend your timeline until you have something you know you can do every day. This way, you are setting yourself up for sure success!
It's just like the ancient philosopher said: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." No matter how big your dream is, if you break it down into baby steps that you can do each day, you will find your journey to success filled with the joy of achieving many goals.
Reaching your smaller goals will, indeed, assure you that you are on your way to reaching your dream! You will gain the confidence you need to continue and receive the desire you need to do whatever actions are required each day!
Celebrate achieving even the little goals, and enjoy your journey to your certain success!
First: Our smile shows others people that we are friendly.
If a stranger approached you and gained eye contact with you and then treated you to a broad smile you will have a fairly good idea that they are being friendly and certainly mean you no harm.
By contrast we would find it far more difficult to offer trust to the stranger that wears a scowl or unfriendly face features.
Second: A smile can make people happy.
When someone treats you to a smile, even a stranger, you usually smile back. For that moment you enjoy a flash of positive communication without saying a word. As you walk through a crowed area such as a main street you can do this hundreds times in a very short period of time.
When you smile at someone who is not already smiling and they smile back you have brought a moment of happiness into their lives which, who knows, could last all day.
Third: Smiling is infectious.
When you spend a lot in the company of someone who smiles a lot you will soon discover that their smile starts to wear off on you. It is hard not to return a smile; most of us do it at a subliminal level without thinking.
Fourth: Smiling can make you popular.
Which type of people do you prefer? A person that has a tired and listless face. An expression that may reflect their inner thoughts of boredom and worry? Or, would you prefer someone who is always smiling and shows that they have an enthusiastic passion for life.
I think for the majority of us the choice would be obvious!
Fifth: Smiling can help you to make new friends
In the same way few of us would choice a miserable person for a friend. Lets face it we all want someone who is going to be bubbly and a happy and positive.
Sixth: A smile is usually returned
When someone smiles back at you it make you feel good inside. You have just made a short but very positive communication and possibly the first step in the process of getting to know or making friends with someone new.
Seventh: Smiling makes you positive and happy inside.
When you smile it is hard to feel unhappy, negative or sad in anyway. Smiling gives you enthusiasm and drive, it is also habit forming.
Eight: A smile makes you look far more attractive.
You don’t see many celebrities or media personalities that are not smiling because if you did it is fairly certain that their popularity would quickly start to drop!
Ninth: Smiling also helps make you memorable to others!
Have you noticed that smiling people are usually far more memorable than those that are not? It is fact that you are 3 time more likely to remember the person that is smiling over the one that is wearing a negative or neutral features.
Tenth: Most importantly, smiling is good for your health!!!
When you are smiling you find whatever you are doing far easier. It releases stress, worry and tension that you may have built up throughout the day. Long term, developing the smiling habit will be one of the smartest things that you can do to improve most aspects of your life.
Eleventh: The effects of smiling can last for hours
Whatever problems and challenges you have in your life, smiling temporary puts them and hold. For a while you forget the problems and become positive, and while you are in a positive state you have far more potential and power to advance and improve your life.
Lastly: Smiling is FREE!
You are never going to run short of smiles and will always have enough to go around. When you weigh up the positive points of smiling it is a no brainer decision to do far more smiling and share them with as many people as possible.
Have you ever had difficulty keeping a simple commitment to yourself? Sure. Nearly everyone I know has, sometime or another, found him or herself "trapped" — wanting to do something yet not acting on their intentions.
So why don't we do some of the things we want to or know we should—like improving our health and building a better body?
Let's say you keep putting off that new fitness program. You can even imagine what it might mean to you: having a firm, strong, healthy body; feeling an abundance of energy; newfound confidence and sex appeal... Still, you don't do it. So why do you keep putting it off? What's preventing you from taking those first steps?
Consider this...
My observation is that our minds tend to see the obstacles first—those barriers that lie between where we are now and where we want to be or who we want to become. Just as fast as you conceive of achieving your new body, your mind begins to spout out every excuse it can come up with why you can't attain your goal. So even before we can initiate any action, we literally paralyze ourselves.
And once your head begins to fill with all the obstacles that could potentially keep you from achieving your newfound goal, suddenly your desire to even try is crushed.
But what if all the obstacles were removed?
Think about it for a moment: if whatever deterred you from attempting to build your very best body suddenly vanished, you'd have no fear to stop you, right?
What if I showed you how to take those obstacles and instantly transform them into strategies for achieving success... Would you consider starting, or sticking to, your new (or current) fitness plan then?
"... we can choose to transform those circumstances that oppose us into specific decisions and actions that can lead us to our goals."The truth is, we can choose to transform those circumstances that oppose us into specific decisions and actions that can lead us to our goals. True empowerment you can use to your advantage!
Let me explain...
The Breakthrough Technique
So how can we break through our fears, smash those barriers, and transform those obstacles into strategies for achieving our fitness goals? It's really quite simple—allow me to introduce you to the Breakthrough Technique. Here I've taken the eight most feared obstacles that potentially stand in the way of your success, followed by a very specific success strategy to blast through them and help you reach your fitness and physique development goals.
Are you ready? Great... let's get started!
Obstacle #1: I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME.
Believe or not, individuals who achieve extraordinary levels of success have days just as hectic as ours. They've got obligations: commitments to work, friends, and family. And let's face it, we're all confined to an equal amount of time—the same 24 hours. Yet some people find the time to continually make exercise a part of their daily routine.
So how do they do it? Simple—they create it. You can instantly create time if you begin to plan, plan, and plan some more. That means planning your days ahead, at least a day in advance, sometimes even a week in advance. One of the best time-creating techniques is to make a list of your daily "to-dos" and schedule when you're going to exercise. (This is a common challenge—we forget how important it is to schedule an appointment with ourselves to exercise.)
Then divide your "to-dos" into things you must do and things you would like to do, so you're less likely to confuse urgency with importance. You see, getting to the gym is important, whereas getting your haircut may seem urgent when you're running late but can certainly be rescheduled. And before you do anything, always ask yourself what you could be doing that would be more productive.
Success Strategy #1:PLAN AHEAD. Creating the time you need to exercise is easy! Plan your days in advance by creating action lists of the most important things to accomplish each day.
Obstacle #2: I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
Don't know what exercises to do to help you get the most out of your workouts? Not sure what to eat, when, to help you put on muscle and shed that unwanted bodyfat? And supplements, well, these can be downright confusing!
That's all understandable: there are just so many techniques, recommended by so many "fitness experts." So, whose advice can you trust? It can become paralyzing. So instead of trying to sort through all the (mis)information, stop right now: keep yourself from chasing every exercise theory or latest diet craze. But this doesn't sound like it will do us any good, does it?
So how do you find the answers? It's simple—model the success of others. For example, try our free programs like Maximum Growth, the Lean System Success Plan, or the 21-Day Energy Plan.
The greatest thing about success is that it leaves clues, and if we pay close attention, we can pick up those clues and model the actions and behaviors to produce similar results. Find people, whether in person or in a magazine, who have achieved the type of extraordinary success you wish to achieve, and find out what they did. It's really as easy as that.
"If you follow a proven approach to exercise, nutrition, and supplementation, you will achieve similar success."
Success Strategy #2: STUDY A SUCCESSFUL FORMULA—AND FOLLOW IT. Seek someone who has achieved the "extraordinary" results you desire and learn from his or her "winning" actions. If you follow a proven approach to exercise, nutrition, and supplementation, you will achieve similar success.
Obstacle #3: I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ENERGY.
Do you wake up every morning feeling energized, powerful, and ready to take on the day? Or do you rise feeling as tired as the night before, resenting that a new day has presented itself so soon? Do you fear your current energy levels would never allow you to participate in a fitness program?
This is a great example of the perceived problem—your lack of energy to exercise—being the ultimate solution. We might believe we're too exhausted to exercise, but in reality, we lack energy simply because we don't exercise!
It's been scientifically proven that incorporating exercise into our lives actually gives us more energy. Moderate levels of exercise can even help us sleep better at night, so we wake up renewed.
How else can you bolster energy levels?
As long as we feed ourselves with properly balanced protein- and carbohydrate-rich meals, we feel an immediate impact on our energy levels. The more closely we keep to our preferred eating strategy, the better we feel, period. Feeding our bodies every two to three hours throughout the day provides us with a stable, constant supply of nutrients required to be more energetic.
Success Strategy #3: GIVE YOUR ENERGY A BOOST. Exercise and proper nutrition play a vital role in our energy levels and allow us to perform at peak levels daily.
Obstacle #4: I HATE SETTING GOALS.
Goals come from having a clear vision of what you want. Knowing you want to build your very best body is great start, but you need something more than that—a statement so compelling it literally pulls you, like a magnet, in the direction of its achievement.
So, maybe you're not certain how to set effective goals? If that's you, then don't worry, everyone starts off this way... To really set effective fitness goals and ensure you'll reach them, you're going to have to learn what I call the S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting technique. Not only will this technique enable you to set the most effective goals, it will help focus your efforts on exactly what you want to achieve.
S.M.A.R.T. stands for:
Specific—you must be specific about what you want to achieve, creating your goal in the present tense. That means using "I am in the process of..." to start your goal statement. Measurable—how do you measure "better shape" or "slimmer waist"? You can't. So scale your goal to a specific number (e.g., 10% bodyfat, a 33-inch waist, or a size six). Action-oriented—you must be able to create an action list of things you must do to achieve success. Realistic—make certain your goal is realistic yet stretches you, given your expectations and timeframe. Time-conscience—a date forces us to give it priority and puts positive pressure on you to achieve it.
Success Strategy #4: TRANSFORM YOUR FITNESS GOALS. Using the S.M.A.R.T. technique will ensure you've set an effective and commanding goal and will not only clarify your path to success but will compel you to achieve it.
Obstacle #5: THERE'S TOO MUCH RISK.
The physical transformation that takes place on your outside (your body) is really a metaphor for the mental (inner) transformation that takes place on the inside. You see, not only should your chosen program change the way you look, it is just as important that it change the way you feel about yourself.
"...not only should your chosen program change the way you look, it is just as important that it change the way you feel about yourself."Every time we purchase the latest miracle pill, workout gadget, or eight-minute solution, we're just avoiding the process of a true transformation and trying to find a quick fix. This is nothing more than treating the symptoms and not the causes. It does nothing to improve our self-esteem, confidence, or personal power.
Let me share a little secret with you and save you time, money, and frustration: this approach never works. And you'll never feel a true sense of fulfillment when you try this type of "magic bullet" approach. Unless you start from the inside, you're sure to find yourself right back where you started, only more disappointed.
We must challenge ourselves to find a solution that involves total balance—a complete solution that integrates some very essential elements, such as proper nutrition and supplementation, cardiovascular and weight-training exercise, and most importantly, strengthening our inner self, our minds.
Your chosen program should help you set commanding goals, transform your old, self-defeating beliefs into new, empowering beliefs, and transform your patterns so you're continually producing results that take you closer to your goals.
Remember, you can't transform a lifetime of poor habits in matter of days. It takes time—a couple of months at best. Rest assured, following a solution that allows you to first transform your inside and then your outside is sure plan for long-term success.
Success Strategy #5: FOLLOW AN INSIDE-OUT APPROACH. To successfully transform your physique and achieve your fitness goals, follow an approach that focuses first on increasing your self-esteem and building confidence, before you concentrate on your physique, and you'll more likely be able to create extraordinary results that will last a lifetime.
Obstacle #6: I CAN'T STAY COMMITTED.
There's a huge difference between intentions and action. And the difference is commitment.
Our commitment to our goals leads us to achievement, even during the toughest times. There is a direct relationship between motivation and commitment. And if you're really committed to making a change now, the only way to make it happen is to create a sense of immediate importance.
You can do this by attaching reasons that are so compelling and so intense you must follow through. So right now, ask yourself the following questions and come up with at least three intensely compelling reasons you must commit to your transformation goals.
What will this cost me if I don't change right now?
What has this cost me so far, concerning my health, physical condition, self-confidence, and energy levels?
If I do change now, how will I feel about myself?
How will this impact my life?
What will I gain as a result?"
Your answers to these questions will help you gain an immediate understanding of what you're committed to and why!
Success Strategy #6: IDENTIFY YOUR REASONS. Clearly state your reasons for wanting to change and make them so compelling you become truly committed to achieving your fitness goals.
Obstacle #7: I LACK THE CONFIDENCE TO SUCCEED.
Sometimes the accomplishment of our goals might seem so overwhelming, the immediate temptation is to give up before we even start—which diminishes our self-confidence even further. It's true. We can't gain confidence until we take action. Yet, we don't want to take action until our confidence levels are raised sufficiently. See the "catch"?
Take, for example, the intimidating obstacle of your entire fitness goal needing to be achieved in a giant, single step. Now that's paralyzing, isn't it?
"... to gain confidence, you must break your fitness goal down into measurable steps."That's why, to gain confidence, you must break your fitness goal down into measurable steps. For example, if you wanted to lose 12% bodyfat within 12 weeks, then you could realistically set your increments for one percent of bodyfat reduction per week. This way, you don't have to focus on the whole goal at any given time, nor do you notice all that you have not yet accomplished; instead you can focus entirely on the smaller, manageable steps ahead. This gives you a tremendous sense of control and achievement. Building your confidence, each step of the way.
By the time you are nearing the end of your first couple of weeks of your fitness program, despite the ups and downs in progress, you will begin to feel more confident. You will be determined to advance one more step and make the effort to complete your fitness program and build your very best body.
Suddenly, as the fear dissipates, you will discover newfound confidence. And best of all, you will have achieved what you once thought was impossible—one increment at a time.
Success Strategy #7: MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS. Success is accomplished only through measuring your progress, always from where you're coming from (backwards). This way, you will never lack a sense of accomplishment, and you'll build your confidence with each and every step.
Obstacle #8: I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MOTIVATION.
So you need a source of motivation in your life—something to get you out of bed in the morning and carry you through the day?
One way is to continually "see" what you want to become by finding a picture of someone's physique you would most like to emulate (probably in your favorite fitness magazine), cut it out, and hang it someplace you're likely to see it over and over again throughout the day. You might even write down your reasons for wanting to achieve this goal with the photo.
By seeing the body you want to achieve in front of you all the time, you'll be pointing your subconscious toward the realization of these results. This constant source of inspiration is a reminder of where you are going. It's called bringing focus to the center of your awareness.
Success Strategy #8: FIND AN INSPIRATION. Discover your inspiration, someone who has turned his or her body and life from ordinary to extraordinary, and use that as your source of daily fuel. Look for inspiration in our Success Stories, such as David Silbaugh, Marina Popelka, and Mark Harden, who have each reached their goals and are now helping others do the same.
Final thoughts
Remember, building a better body does not follow an absolute straight line. Life doesn't work that way. But now that you've found the principle of turning literally any obstacle into a stepping stone for your success, you can create the fitness and physique results you so desire.
By committing to turning these once fearful obstacles into powerful success strategies, you will begin to create extraordinary results in your physique and ultimately achieve your fitness goals.
Treating people with respect wins trust and develops lasting relationships. Here’s what to do.
1) Be on time. In fact, arrive early for appointments and meetings. Plan time milestones in your daily schedule that tell you when to begin transferring to an appointment. That is, note when you will stop working on a task, begin collecting resource materials, and start traveling. Allow time for delays in travel, especially if driving. Consider: The fastest way to destroy people’s trust in you is to waste their time.
2) Communicate with others. Answer your phone and return phone calls. Listen carefully and completely when people talk to you. Show an interest in others before telling about yourself. When making phone calls devote all of your attention to what the other person is saying (instead of time sharing with other tasks, such as checking e-mail or playing computer games). Phone others only when you can devote full attention to what the other person is saying. Consider: ignoring people is rude and unprofessional.
3) Plan projects. For example, always prepare an agenda for meetings. Contact key participants before the meeting to hear their views, solicit suggestions for agenda items, and coach them on how to prepare for the meeting. Send agendas far enough before the meeting so that people have time to prepare. Consider: Bad meetings demonstrate an inability to provide leadership.
4) Be courteous. Find the good in everyone. Compliment others. Avoid starting or listening to gossip. Never ridicule, insult, or make fun of other people. Use positive words, always speaking about what you want and how you want things to be. Avoid suggesting motives or assigning judgments for other people’s actions and views. Consider: Discourtesy damages all relationships.
5) Help others. Be a mentor for newcomers. Share ideas. Teach people skills that will help them excel. Work with a spirit of abundance. Seek win/win results. Let others speak first, even on issues where you are an expert. Give first without attaching a receipt for return favors. Consider: Selfish people end up working harder.
