Have you wanted to set a large goal for yourself but are afraid to even give it the time and energy to create the plan to achieve it?

Every achievement starts as an idea, the idea then becomes a theory. That theory when proven then becomes a fact yielding an achievement.  This process is the result of the highest form of positive thinking.

There is a creative form of energy that manifests itself as our imagination.  When activated, it is able to build clear and vivid images.  When we dream, our minds are filled with illogical thoughts like levitating or being outside in a bathing suit while it is snowing and not feeling cold…quite absurd. The same should be the case when building an idea, we need not concern ourselves with the “How”.  First we must build/paint the image and then the “How” will reveal itself to us.  We need to keep our mind free of clutter so we can build/paint this picture in color – we need to be able to use our senses to bring it to reality. When that is done and we have a visual representation of the image, our commitment to being able and willing to create this is a MUST.

This is where we need to step out of our comfort zone and move beyond the limits of our belief system.  This is where doubts try to infiltrate our minds creating fear and then ultimately we give up on our dreams.  Listen, questioning “how”, is pointless as you couldn’t possibly know “how” because you have never done this before so let go of the need to know go and continue to focus on the image.

Once the commitment is set and you are willing and able to move forward, the idea moves into the next phase of the process and turns into a goal.  From here the image is transported to the subconscious mind in the form of emotions and an attachment to the idea turning it into physical form develops. The idea and you begin to merge and your energy levels change, causing behaviors to change. These changes start an attraction force that builds your awareness of the opportunities that always were there but are now visible and in line with your goal.  Through faith and a belief in this idea, you would have moved what was once a dream

Have you ever wondered there may be a better way to doing what you do?  Can you accept that idea?  Are you open minded enough to ask of others and receive differing opinions?  If you are able and willing to look at things through different eyes, you actually are ready to take the first step towards change in your results.

Many times we have completed our daily routine without even thinking twice about things like which shoe or socks went on first, (now that I mentioned it, the thought crossed your mind…smiles) or how you wear your shirt (which arm goes in first, right or left?) whether you brushed your teeth, or even washed your hair? Well…those require a conscious effort so…maybe those aren’t such a great example for this lesson. But anyways …..you get my point

Every time I asked these questions of my audience it always stopped them in their tracks for a second as they think about it. And I would assume the answers probably came to you within seconds as well. But you see when you are actually involved with those activities it’s just one free flow of unconscious actions. No thinking involved

It is therefore very unlikely that you have ever given conscious thought to these things. Why should you? It makes no difference right?…Well wrong! You see we are creatures of habit.  We do things in a certain way because, it works for us and that’s how we have always done it. Why? Well, I don’t know! Maybe because some person of influence in our lives did it that way…you just don’t know…right?.

What has this got to do with anything you may ask? Well, the way we do one thing is the way we do any and everything. The only guarantee of a successful tomorrow is what you do today. John Maxwell says the secret of our success lies in our daily agenda. So maybe it’s time to re-examine how you do what you do and why you do it and see if there is a better more efficient way of doing it? Maybe if you stop for a moment and say ok, I am going to consciously take notice of my life, my actions, my choices, you may immediately see that it’s time for a change.

Awareness is key to moving from a dependent state of doing to an independent state of being.  If you begin to examine your actions you will soon see how your results are connected to the actions that created them. You then notice that you are in fact, the one creating the undesired results that you have. So rather focusing on results, if you focused on the cause of the effect, then the results you get will be the results you desire.

Examine your actions and take responsibility for the outcomes.  Now that you are aware of your outcomes and how you got there, examine these outcomes and decide if these need changed as well.  By focusing on the end result, you can make the necessary changes early on to better direct your time and energy. 

What is that place between perseverance and defeat?  It is what makes someone stay motivated and persistent while others give up and quit. I believe it is Enthusiasm!

How does one get it and how does one keep it? 

Look through your own life experiences to times when you lost your desire to work at something whether it was a career, your team goals, business deal, relationship or something less dramatic as painting a room.  So you didn’t finish the room or you were too tired to touch up the trim.  Maybe you don’t call it quitting because it is insignificant on the giant spectrum of life but with something like a marriage or career, the results could be disastrous.

Imagine you wanted something so wonderful – so out of reach – anything – a car, a career, a house, a spouse, a smaller waistline, whatever it is – imagine it.  Do you feel energy inside you – don’t worry about how you will get it – just imagine it.  The how isn’t important – release that from your mind.  OK, you have that image now.  Now think about that every day.  That image.  Keep that image alive.  Every time you think about it you can add more detail to it.  If it were a house, you can start to add furniture and accessorize the house.  The color of the walls, the carpet or tile or wood flooring.  The light fixtures.  Every time you think about it feel the energy.  That energy is enthusiasm.

Now that you know what that feels like – let’s build on that feeling and keep it alive.  You have a job to do, some task, and you aren’t feeling too motivated or enthusiastic about it.  You can use self-talk to give you energy.  You know that if you do it now you will be grateful later.  You know that this task is the right thing to do and the benefits will outweigh the energy spent on the task now.  Focus on the end result to build your motivation.

Sustain enthusiasm by understanding what the outcome is to your actions.  Enthusiasm is an emotion that you show and feel and sometimes when you aren’t feeling so enthusiastic about something, you can pretend to be and the more you pretend, you trick your mind into believing that you actually are enthusiastic.  It is a phenomenon that will help you sustain your enthusiasm when you aren’t feeling very motivated or full of energy.

Being enthusiastic about a task at hand will spill into other areas of your life and you will see that your positive enthusiastic attitude will lighten up a room.  You will become that person others are drawn to.

A commitment should be treated as a binding contract with yourself. However many of us break our commitments.  We commit to people, teams, work, ourselves etc. A commitment is something that you have no doubts about. Something you give 100% of your whole self to.

Patrick Lencioni, in his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team identified lack of commitment as the third dysfunction in his model for non-cohesive teams. He says, “in the context of a team, commitment is a function of two things: clarity and buy-in. Great teams make clear and timely decisions and move forward with complete buy-in from every member of the team…they leave meetings confident that no one on the team is quietly harboring doubts about whether to support the actions agreed on.”

Commitment is a fulfilling endeavor that when followed through gives an immense sense of accomplishment.  Think about something you have committed to, followed through with to the end, and how you felt at the end knowing you didn’t break it along the way. Pursuing your dream life, weight loss, getting a formal education, going for the big contract and landing it…

Sometimes commitment can be confused with staying with something long after you should.  Like a dead end job or a fruitless endeavor.  If you have any of this in your life, let’s look at it for a moment.  Ask yourself why you are still in something that you have doubts about or don’t believe in or worse yet, that you give less than all of you to.  People pick up on this subtle behavior.  To stay committed to something, you have to put effort in and periodically change up what you are doing to keep it alive and fresh.

Commitments are what grounds you and keeps you active and engaged in life.  Being free and having few commitments sounds so refreshing to many who have spouses, children, pets, jobs, mortgages… but for only a fleeting moment when life feels heavy and burdensome.  We are social creatures who desire connections and relationships with others; a sense of accomplishment and pride in our contributions to making life better for everyone in our lives including ourselves.

Sometimes we need help with our commitments and we seek out this help through our friends, co-workers, spouses, coaches, mentors… By asking for help, we are strengthening our commitment to ourselves and others; we are fulfilling our obligations contractually with ourselves to follow through to the end, no matter what it takes.

As someone is a leadership position commitment is an absolutely necessary quality to possess as you can only influence the people you lead by demonstrating your own commitment to the vison. My mentor and leadership guru Dr. John C. Maxwell’s law of the picture says “people do what people see” so unless your team can see commitment in you, you might just be a taking a solo walk.

So many people wish life was easier, with less challenges and obstacles but without challenges, life becomes stagnant and we stop growing.  Challenges help us uncover who we are and it allows us to become better people.

Let’s examine a very simple 4-step method to overcoming challenges.

1.  State the problem clearly.  When we are faced with challenges, we tend to avoid the issue and run the other way burying our heads in the sand hoping it goes away.  Or we may say – ok, there is an obstacle, instead of heading right to it and plowing through, I am going to look for another path and even though that is not the way I want to go – it looks easier… less headache… but rarely does that work out.  When we avoid or go out of our way, we cause more headache in the end.  It takes more of our time, it takes more of our energy and we don’t get the end result we are looking for.  So take this time to understand what the challenge is.  Ask yourself what is the question, what is asked of me, what is the main goal? Write this down on paper.
2. Identify what you have at your disposal – what resources are available to you to work through this challenge? List all of these resources out. These should include things such as tangible assets – money, computer, books, etc.  And then what skills you have, what are your strengths to work through this?  Don’t forget others – what access do you have to others that can help?

Third, design the strategy to overcome this challenge.  Utilize all your assets to create a plan of action.  You may find this plan will need to be tweaked as you execute and that is ok.  Keep at it.

Lastly, execute the strategy with effort and determination.  Do your very best with all you have to overcome your challenge.

If you find that you still cannot overcome a challenge, then re-evaluate.  If your strategy just won’t work because it isn’t viable or effective then change it. If your strategy doesn’t work because you didn’t execute it well enough, be persistent and tweak your efforts, giving it more.

Practice this method on small challenges and see how easy it is to overcome.

Then try it on the big rocks!

Today I want to share with you on one of the most critical elements that forms the basis of every human disposition.

Certain things define your personality, professional growth and fulfilment, one of which is your attitude. Your attitude defines your general approach to life and the way you do things, it influences your communication, your potential and consequently your success. As a result you can say the right things with the wrong attitude and therefore nullify and destroy the right thing you intended to communicate.

A lot of people are not necessarily saying or doing what is wrong, they just have the wrong attitude and approach. A lot of times we hear wrongly not because what was said was wrong but because we have the wrong attitude in listening.

Did you know that one of the reasons people find that they take one step forward and 2 steps backward is because of their wrong attitude. Majority of people with the wrong attitude hardly ever discover that they have a wrong attitude so they blame everyone around them about their loss, failure or disappointments. They think someone else is responsible for their misfortune and often no one is…

Your attitude can make or mar your career of business, it can define your personality or fulfilment…do you know they are people who are not fulfilled at home, always looking like they are in the wrong house. Same thing at work. You continuously find them constantly moving from one organisation to the other…they have got the wrong attitude but don’t know it. So they think those in the previous job is the problem. They always see their wasted years and blame it on the fact that it was somebody who failed to discover their greatness. They are the only ones who know how valuable they are but wonder why it is so difficult for others to see.

Attitude is the one thing all human beings have complete control of and yet many unknowingly choose a negative attitude, as a result, they veer off on a downward spiral destroying everything they have spent their career building. If we understood the power of our attitude in our lives, most of us would change it immediately.  How many times have you been told to change your attitude?  That is a common order from most parents and teachers!

Attitude are by-products created by your thoughts, feelings and actions.  They are controlled by your mind which decides whether these feelings will be positive or negative through your thoughts.  Your body then follows these thoughts through with actions and behaviors.  It sounds simple and straightforward doesn’t it? Yes it does, and it does simply because it is.

Through our thoughts, we create our attitude.  This attitude is expressed based on how we internalize ideas in our mind and body and therefore moves into a new vibration of conscious awareness known as feelings.  These feelings are then displayed through actions and behaviors that produce the results in our lives.

Attitude [Thoughts + Feelings + Actions] = Results

Imagine feeding our minds with positive thoughts and consequently following through the process with positive actions. We will end with positive results!  Now imagine feeding our minds with negative thoughts and consequently following through the process with the associated negative actions.  Makes sense, doesn’t it?

By changing our thoughts, we can change our attitude, which will ultimately change our results.  Attitude is the creative cycle that allows us to feel a certain way and then take the necessary action to a specific result.

Start with the end in mind and make the decision that today is the day to change your attitude!

The 80/20 rule sounds like a mathematical formula and in some ways it is. Now, I wasn’t a great fan of mathematics and it was probably the same for a lot of you. So I can imagine what you are probably thinking but, do not fret, this isn’t a lesson on statistics. This rule came from Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist, who postulated that 80% of the Italian income was earned by 20% of the Italian population.

Instead of focusing on income, let’s focus on some other element such as our actions, efforts and results, or our overall well-being or happiness factor. Applying Pareto’s 80/20 rule, this would seem to suggest that a staggering 80% of our results come from only 20% of our actions.  Now, that…is an astounding revelation. To put this another way, relating it to happiness this time, it would mean that 20% of our activities equate to 80% of our happiness. So what are we doing the other 80% of the time? I mean what constitutes the other 80% of our activities?

To prove this theory, look at the distribution of wealth, with the shrinking of the middle class lately, it becomes even more apparent that a small portion of the population controls the majority of the economy. Take business for example, the top earners are a small percentage of companies that earn the largest portion of income.  If you look at your own habits, you probably spend most of your time with a few people each day and most likely spend most of your income on few things like your mortgage, car payment, and food.

So how can we leverage the 80/20 rule to maximize our efforts for greater results?  Let’s look at some people who have gotten extremely good at only a few things John Maxwell, Tony Robbins and Brendon Burchard just to name a few.  These are people who have created their own space by identifying their strengths.  They therefore, do not waste their time with things they cannot do or have absolutely no interest in. By focusing on what you are good at – those few things; and not wasting your time on things you are not good at, you maximize your efficient self and therefore are able to improve upon and increase your skillset on what you are good at and what you love to do.

Malcolm Gladwell speaks of how to become an expert; by spending 10,000 hours perfecting one’s craft.  If you spread yourself across the board, becoming a Jack of all trades, master of none, then your efficiency rate decreases and no longer will the 80/20 rule work in your favor.

Take a moment and consider what you love and what you are really good at and then list out those things that are seemingly time wasters in your life. Those things that tend to decrease your efficient self.  If you are single, you may want to share those tasks on your list with your roommate. As a couple, you may want to do this with your spouse or significant other or even delegate some to your kids if you have children. A team lead would typically do this with coworkers and team members. If you are able to hire or engage someone to do those tasks that fall on that list, if you are able, to trade your time and skillset for theirs.  You will find that focusing on the 20% tasks, will make the 80% yield worthwhile.