Sunday, January 23, 2011

Quote for the week

"Definition of happiness: The full use of your powers along lines of excellence." - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Monday, January 17, 2011

The Reality of Change

Let’s talk about the reality of making changes.

1)For most people change only occurs when the pain of change is less than the pain of staying the same.

2)Most people perceive the pain of change to be much greater than it will actually be.

These two factors have a tremendous hold on people; keeping them from making the changes they may need or want to make. It’s that old fear of the unknown. The funny thing, at least for me, is that when I do push through any fear and make a change I find the pain was not near what I thought and I always end up asking myself what took me so long.

Another fact about change is that there is an easy, quick part and a harder, longer part. Making a decision to change is easy and quick. BAM – I tell myself I am going to change. I may even spend a little time and put together a plan of action. It’s always easy to write down a plan. The slower and harder part becomes implementing the plan and getting results.

Let’s use “improving my physical condition” as an example. I can easily make the decision to get up 30 minutes early to exercise on a daily basis. That’s the easy and quick part of the change process. The harder and longer part of the process are the weeks of getting up, working out, and waiting to see and feel noticeable results. Sticking with your original commitment and developing a routine is the real pain of change. The results are well worth it but sometimes it’s hard to convince yourself of that when you are lying in a warm bed and just want to sleep a little longer. The real payoff comes a few months down the road when your daily energy levels are higher, your muscle tone is better and your overall physical health has improved.

Change is “scary” only if you tell yourself it is. Think about it as an exciting adventure. Start small and see how many little changes you can accomplish. Build up to larger and larger changes until you have designed and are living the life that you want.

Quote for the Week

"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at begin to change." - Wayne Dyer

Sunday, January 9, 2011

True Success requires change

According to Einstein the definition of insanity is “doing the same things over and over but expecting different results”. He could not be any more accurate.

Now that we have started a new year it’s time to step back, reflect on the past year, and make plans for the coming year. What kind of year do you want, what are the results you are looking for and where do you want to be at the end of 2011? These are serious questions that you need to answer for each of the five Success Elements (Head, Heart, Health, Wealth and World).

How can you possibly expect your results to change if your thoughts and your behavior do not? Understanding where you want to end up is one of two keys to making this your most successful year yet. The second, and most important key, is making changes. And we all need to make changes- some small and some large. To paraphrase Einstein’s definition – your life will not change if you do not first change.

What might you need to change? That is a question that only you can answer but let me see if I can help stimulate your thinking by mentioning a few broad categories.

Time is a valuable resource for everyone. How are you spending your? Could you cut back on the TV watching/video game playing? Could you invest some more one on one time with your spouse or children? What about a class or seminar to help educate yourself on investing and money management?

Are your friends supporting your goals and dreams or standing in the way? Do your friends have the same interests and goals as you have? These are tough questions and you may not like the answers. Only you can decide but supportive friends that want to help you on your success journey are invaluable.

Are your actions in harmony with your goals? Almost everyone will tell you that their families are one of the most important factors in their lives. But are you giving them your focus and attention on a regular (I.E – daily) basis. Show your family how important they are in actions, not just in words.

Make this your best year yet. Decide now where you want to be at the end of the year. Determine this month what changes will make the most impact on the quality of your live and those most dear to you. And finally, take a deep breath and make the changes. Change is only scary before you make it; after wards you end up asking yourself what took you so long.

I wish you all a fabulous 2011!

Quote for the Week

“If you want to make a substantial change to the quality of your life, you must first make a substantial change in the quality of your attitude”