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.