How To Defeat Procrastination part 3

 Effective Ways to Defeat Procrastination

This is the final post in this series on procrastination. I plan on addressing this subject more later in the year and possibly get a little bit more specific on more ways to eliminate procrastination from your life, but until then, here are some ideas to work on.

1. Recognize the problem, identify the cause and take appropriate action to defeat it

One of the most important things that you should do to defeat procrastination and be more productive in work and life is to recognize the problem and understand what causes it.

More often than not, we face the problem with procrastination when we are not using our time wisely and spend time working on unimportant tasks instead finishing high priority tasks. Putting off high priority tasks that should take center stage, is an easy distraction that shuts down our productivity. Even jumping of social media can keep you from doing things that need to be done.

Here are some things that will help you identify if you are procrastinating.

· You are procrastinating when you are working with low priority tasks instead of high priority tasks that need to be done.

· You are procrastinating when you are skipping around on your to-do list to do all of the low priority tasks as opposed to following a logical order.

· You are procrastinating when you spend hours on social media and it isn't marketing related..

· You are procrastinating when you are starting to work on a high priority task and then suddenly switch gears by taking multiple breaks.

· You are procrastinating when you leave a task unfinished in your to do list for a long period of time, even though you are fully aware that it is very important that you finish it on time.

· You are procrastinating when you are waiting for the "right time" or the right mood to deal with an important task that you are working on.

· You are procrastinating when you are making an excuse not to do what you are supposed to do.

Once you notice that you’re procrastinating, take an appropriate approach to overcome it. One of the best ways to do this is by prioritizing the tasks according to their importance.

Make a schedule of what needs to be done. Create a checklist or to-do list of all your tasks during the day and arrange them according to how important they are. Try to set priorities in all of your daily tasks. You need to prioritize all of your tasks by putting the most important tasks on top and the less important tasks at the bottom so you will be in the right direction and can cross them off as you go down the list.

Set tasks by category such as high priority tasks for important ones and low priority tasks for unimportant ones. Complete those tasks that are in your top priorities first and when done then you can move on to those tasks that are in your low priority. Do one task at a time. There is no such thing as multitasking.  If you get the chance, go back and read some of my past blog posts on time management.

Act now and just do it

When you already have a to do list or a checklist for your daily tasks, start working on the task by focusing on starting it instead of finishing it. Although you may get depressed because of the difficulty of the task and get pressured because of the deadline, do not allow that feeling to control you. If you do so, this will only create fear as well as resistance towards your task that will affect your performance and in turn this will have a negative impact on how you will do your work.

Rather than stressing yourself out or depressing yourself over the difficulty of the task, just focus your attention and effort in starting the task. No matter how hard it is, just do it. Having a to-do list and starting one task at a time are the best ways to defeat procrastination.

Divide the project into smaller tasks

The size of a task is more than enough to frustrate and depress people, which in turn can lead them to have a lack of interest or desire to work on it to completion. However, instead of dwelling on how big the task is, make an effort to break the project into smaller manageable tasks. In this way, you will be able to easily build an action plan to deal with the task more effectively.

More often than not, people procrastinate on big tasks because they do not know what to do next when they start working on it. This keeps them from continuing the work and finishing it. So, to prevent this, take some time to evaluate the task. Break it down into smaller tasks.

Once you have a plan, start working on smaller tasks that are easier and faster to finish. Doing so will greatly help you to have a sense of achievement and motivation each time you accomplish a specific task. And this leads you to work further on the task.

I also use this technique with goal setting and it works well.

Beat your fear and love what you do

Having a lack of desire for something will greatly prevent you from working at your best. This will lead you to procrastinate. In order for you to work effectively and productively, you should love what you do. See the tasks not as a problem you need to solve, but rather as achievement you need to work on.

Don’t be afraid that you will make mistakes in completing the task at hand. Accept the fact that you will make mistakes once in a while and eliminate any fear that you feel. This will help you to be more productive. 

To overcome procrastination, the first and most important thing that you should do now is to decide whether you want a better life for yourself or let it be this way – allowing procrastination to take over your life and affecting everything you do. If you want to get rid of procrastination in your life and experience a better life from this day forward, act now. Procrastination can't thrive if we act now and on the things that matter.

This will surely help you to overcome procrastination.

For even more help Click Here!

Love Your Accountant

 

Even if you are great with numbers, you should still have an accountant or CPA go over your numbers just to double check. Remember, these people are trained to find things that you may overlook.

The accountant is the person that generally gets overlooked in a business until tax time comes, but a good relationship with a great accountant all year round can and will be an asset to your business.

It doesn’t matter if your business is just you and a computer working from the library, (My business model for almost a year) or if you run a corporation with multiple employees, your accountant will help keep the numbers straight and the IRS off of your back.

What Is Accounting Anyway?

Anyone who's worked in an office at some point or another has had to go to accounting. They're the people who pay and send out the bills that keep the business running.

They do a lot more than that, though. Sometimes referred to as "bean counters" they also keep their eye on profits, costs and losses. Unless you're running your own business and acting as your own accountant, you'd have no way of knowing just how profitable - or not - your business is without some form of accounting system in place.

No matter what business you're in, even if all you do is balance a checkbook, that's still accounting. It's part of even a kid's life. Saving an allowance, spending it all at once - these are accounting principles.

Every business and every individual needs to have some kind of accounting system in place. Otherwise, the finances can get away from you; we wouldn’t know what we've spent, or whether we can expect a profit or a loss from the business.

Staying on top of accounting, whether it's for a multi-billion dollar business or for a personal checking account is a necessary activity on a daily basis if you're smart. Not doing so can mean anything from a bounced check or posting a loss to a company's shareholders. Both scenarios can be equally devastating.

Accounting is basically information, and this information is published periodically in business as a profit and loss statement, or an income statement.

I, myself, have always had issues with numbers; long story going back to 7^th grade and a teacher that didn’t like me much…but I digress. Anyway, in business, it is important to know the numbers but it is also one of those jobs in your business that you can turn over to a professional and concentrate on whatever it is that you do that makes your business money.

Remember that anytime you are doing something in your business that takes you away from what it is that brings in the money, you are losing money.

That being said, the next few posts are going to be about accounting, because even if you have the best accountant in the world, you still want to have an idea of where every dollar goes.

You Can Market Your Online Business Yourself

 

Online business is indeed a lucrative means by which you can make a comfortable living. In fact, thousands have been able to live quite nicely off of internet marketing. Those who have decoded the nitty-gritty of the trade (social media, PPC, SEO, etc.) have either attained financial freedom or are on their way to reaching that threshold. It gives at the very least the opportunity to design your life the way you wish with hardly anyone looking over your shoulder to order you around.

 

One of the peculiar joys of Internet marketing is that it puts you in charge literally of your destiny. You get what you input into your business; the internet has virtually democratized the business environment to a significant extent allowing, what one of my clients deemed, “allowing little fish to swim with the big fish and not get eaten”. So while you may engage a professional marketing outfit to handle your marketing chores such as Imagery Magic Solutions (shameless plug, I know J), you have an option of doing your own thing yourself. And this may give you a better sense of personal fulfillment. Honestly, that is how I got started in this, by doing it myself and moving into helping other people.

 

Should you decide to personally market your online business, you would have to consider a number of factors. Would you have the knowledge, skill, time and commitment to see through your marketing campaigns? The key is to make it personal. Give your own stamp of approval (a touch of self) in order to resonate to your audience that you are not a bot or a big faceless chain is in charge of your marketing. Barb Wade said it best:

 

“Always be yourself and there is no competition.”

 

The trick is to start simple. There are a number of cost effective methods and practices through which you can go about marketing your business to steady success, like reading my blogs (another shameless plug; when will it end?). One simple way is to include email signature lines in all messages you send out to friends and associates. Email Signatures simply contain your website address which others may see, visit and become interested in. It would be more effective if you have a separate email address for your official business name, but a good gmail account works just as well. When used in personal correspondences, it works wonders and you can hardly be accused of spamming since it is only a signature line and not an overt advertisement.

 

That leads me into email marketing. This has been a veritable tool for effective marketing of products with very wonderful and rewarding results. I have already written a few posts on email marketing, if you haven’t already check them out. This simple method allows you to alert customers to the availability of new products, lucrative offers and changes to established businesses. In fact, I know a number of very successful Internet Marketers who use this method almost exclusively and they have several successful sites to show for it. However, knowing the SPAM laws is important.

 

Another method you can use to enhance the visibility of your site is the submission of your website to Search Engines and Directories.

 

Whatever methods you finally choose to personally promote your online business will depend on your personal preferences as well as on the results that you are able to get from any or some of them. However, there is this joy and personal fulfillment that you get from running your own business yourself from wherever you choose and at the times that you decide. I love being able to take off whenever my daughter’s school needs help or doing short-term missions with my church.

 

I’m dating myself here, but as the old commercial said, “Try it, you’ll like it.”

 

 

Lead by the Right Example

 

We’ve all heard that leaders should lead by example; that people pay more attention to our deeds than our words.  This is completely true.  What is implied by this truth, but not always articulated, is that people will follow whatever example we set.

 

To be a remarkable leader then, we must make conscious choices to set the right examples – to lead in directions we want people to follow.

 

The Caterpillars

 

Processionary caterpillars are an unusual species. They travel one after the other, head to tail in their search for food. It is because of this behavior that Jean Henri Fabre, the French entomologist, conducted an experiment.

 

He placed processionary caterpillars around the rim of a teacup one after the other in a circle. In the tea cup he placed their favorite foods, inches from their current location.

 

Through instinct and the strength of habit, the ring of caterpillars circled the teacup for seven days, until they died from exhaustion and starvation. They died with the food they were searching for just inches away.  Because of their nature and this arrangement they all assumed someone else was leading.

 

While we as humans are more insightful, complex and intelligent, our behavior, sadly, often mimics that of the processionary caterpillar.

 

We follow our leaders and habits blindly, without questioning if our direction will get us where we want to go. If we are leading we often rely too much on instinct and habit.  Perhaps worse, if we aren’t the assigned leader don’t think at all, assuming those who are leading are doing it well.  Perhaps they are.  Or perhaps you are collectively lining your own teacup.

 

Following blindly is dangerous enough for us as individuals, but can be even more devastating for us as leaders.  As leaders we are asked to lead people to a desired future.  It is rightly expected of us to do that with good information and a reasoned approach.

 

The Quick Trip

 

I was told a story a while back that fits so well with what I am saying here, so I will retell the story for you.

 

Many years ago I worked in a business with very difficult economics.  There was an opportunity to make a significant sale to a new Customer who happened to be located in Hawaii.  As a part of the negotiation for this long-term supply of product, they wanted to meet with our General Manager. 

 

Our General Manager flew from San Francisco early one morning, and with the advantage of the time zones, was able to meet with the Customer all day.  He then went back to the airport and flew home on the red eye.

 

He saved some money, no hotel stay, etc. – an important consideration in our tough business climate.  But the more important reason for the quickness of his trip was that he wanted to lead by example.  He told me later, “It was important for people to know that I went for the business, and not a mini vacation.”

 

The example he set made a difference for those he led.  Through his simple act, people re-focused on ways to improve the business and save money.  This was a manager who clearly led by example.

 

I could give you many other examples – some big and historic and others seldom mentioned – to illustrate the power of a leader’s correct example.

 

Your task though is to take what you already know, that people follow the actions of leaders and not their words, and use it to your advantage.

 

Stop today to review the direction you are heading as a leader.  Review the choices before you and make the best one, based not on comfort or habit, like the caterpillars, but based on the future result you desire. 

 

Make your choice and step boldly forward in that direction.  The combination of bold decision and action aligned with your words will be powerful, and will allow you to move people, and therefore your organization, in the right direction.

 

You Are NOT Alone!

“The be-all and end-all of life should not be to get rich, but to enrich the world”

                                                                                           ~ B.C. Forbes

 

While every generation of workers has a different set of work expectations, the desire for work/life balance has become one of the foremost goals of every generation in the workforce today.

A recent study done by the Families and Work Institute illustrates that young workers just starting out in the workforce are choosing to turn down promotional opportunities to achieve greater work/life balance. In other words, the generation known as the Millennial Generation is looking for more than a gold watch at their retirement.

Why do you suppose these apple-cheeked, enthusiastic job entrants might take this approach? In a study done with young employees by Families and Workplace, work/life balance was among the top for both genders.

Most of these young adults were raised in families where both parents worked and they experienced the sacrifice and demands placed upon their parents, firsthand.

Not surprisingly, of all the generations in the workforce today, these young adults are the most likely to consider job flexibility and schedules when they look for a job, and it is key to employee retention for companies that employ these young workforce.

The point of all of this background information is to let you know that you are not alone in your desire to find balance.

All generations in all types of jobs are today, looking for balance, less stress, and more time with family and friends. Like you, these people are willing to give it their all when they are at work and they expect to work hard, but in exchange, they want a life.

 

In essence, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

 

If you think that work and family life balance is a small problem, you may be interested to know that, in addition to the few companies that have recognized the issue and taken the lead in establishing life balance programs, there are numerous organizations,

Organizations as diverse as religious groups, government agencies, human resource companies and behavioral scientists now study these issues and, not just because it is the right thing to do.

There are real economic advantages to companies that recognize the need for life balance and create a working environment to help their employees live their lives more fully.

Companies spend a lot of money training and keeping employees and happy employees will stay longer, live longer and contribute to the company longer.

But, we are just scratching the surface in understanding the true human toll that an unbalanced life takes. Many have studied the evolving societal issues and their roots in overwork and lost community connections.

If you WANT more balance in your life but you wonder whether it is all that important, let’s talk about the reasons you NEED this balance.

 

Health – Living an unbalanced life where work dominates can significantly affect your health. Long or stressful work hours can cause problems with your heart, your blood pressure, and your sleep cycles.

Studies show a significant increase in heart attack and stroke since the advent of seventy-hour workweeks. Long hours at work and lots of work related travel also encourages poor diet and leaves little time for exercise.

As we become more out of shape, sleep less and experience health problems, we are no longer the powerful asset to our employers, nor can we participate fully in a family and social life.

 

Emotional Wellness – Your ability to give back to your family, friends and community, and your own emotional stability depends on a balanced life.

As overly dramatic as it sounds, you are likely to experience emotional problems, need counseling and suffer from anxiety attacks or other problems if you have no time to decompress and relax.

 

And these benefits are both physical and emotional.

 

You can’t be ready to take on the issues in your family, support your spouse, parents, siblings and children and your friends if you have no emotional stamina.

If you’ve spent all of your focus and attention on work and you find yourself so tired at the end of the day that you don’t even want to talk to your family, you have a problem. And your family may not wait around for you to resolve it!

The societal impact of ‘all work and no play’ has damaged and destroyed many a family and the divorce rate continues to climb. Children grow up barely knowing their parents because they are away at work all the time.

Family vacations are a thing of the past in many families. Vacations get postponed and many employees find themselves losing their accrued vacation time because they have ‘rolled it over’ for so many years and just NOT taken the vacation they deserved.

Your emotional reserves are depleted. You have no patience with yourself or others. You are short on sleep and even on time to think about what you want for dinner.

 

Is it any wonder that psychologists and psychiatrists are busier than ever?

 

Stress – In my previous series I discussed some of  the health implications related to ‘all work and no play’ but stress is its own health factor.

Even if you like your job, if you have no time for anything else, stress will get you eventually.

We’ll talk more about stress later and you’ll get some tips on how to eliminate or mitigate stress so that your body and mind will be better able to handle whatever comes your way.

For now, what you need to understand is that stress can affect your physical and emotional health and that, over time, it can make you very sick. If you are not in a position to change jobs or otherwise make a major change to relieve stress, learn how to handle it better.

We’re not talking about taking five years of classes here. We are talking about simple techniques you can use to help balance your life.

Remember that work/life balance is not just a question of the hours you spend in one place or another. It is also a question of how balanced you feel and how you react to things.

No matter how much time you have with your family and friends, you will enjoy it more if you are able to balance YOURSELF.

If you can become less of a victim of stress and overwork and take control of your own reaction to stress, you will live longer and be happier at work and at home.

Family and Community – Government and university studies support the idea that the ‘all work and no play’ lifestyle contributes to divorce, dysfunction in the family, and lack of involvement and investment in the community and neighborhood.

As the community grows apart and neighbors become strangers, emotional and family support for things like childcare, help with aging parents and support following trauma and tragedy become real issues.

The community turns to the government to supply services to fill this gap, taxes rise and people remain strangers.

Families struggle with alternating schedules, and children fail to thrive emotionally and physically.

Divorce is rampant and single parents are under even more stress with even less time to pay attention to children. So, things deteriorate even more!

Role models for marriage, relationships and juggling time and family are important to a child’s adult relationships. If we do not provide those positive role models, we perpetuate the problem.

It is interesting to note that the generation of children now in the work force has started to rebel against jobs and employers that require ridiculous hours and dedication beyond the call of duty.

They understand the toll this type of career takes on a life. They grew up in families that suffered this impact.

Perhaps our greatest hope for change lies in this generation of seasoned veterans of dysfunctional families.

Productivity – If your employer believes that your eighty-hour workweek is giving him more benefit, he should look at the statistics and information gathered by human resource companies and companies that focus on efficiency and productivity.

It is a fact that the human brain needs downtime and rest and recreation to recycle. Think about your own life and the times when you had to work long hours to get something finished.

Perhaps you found that you could barely focus after a certain number of hours. There is a reason that coaches that teach good study habits tell students not to cram for

eighteen hours before an exam, but rather to spread out the studying and mix in recreation.

Take a walk; talk with friends to regain your clarity and focus.

If you and your employer truly want to take the best advantage of your time, you need to take time for yourself.

You will spend less time reworking things you’ve done wrong, mistakes you’ve made and details you’ve missed. And your employer will get better quality and output regardless of your job.

Pilots are subject to time constraints and can only spend so many hours in the air because airlines learned a long time ago that a tired and overworked pilot could make critical errors.

In lengthy neurosurgery or heart surgery, surgeons take breaks and leave the operating room to clear their heads and rest.

Again, these habits and techniques were learned the hard way and only when critical mistakes were made did these work policies change. You wouldn’t want a tired doctor working on your open heart, would you?

Life Goals – Everyone has goals. And you are probably no exceptions. You may have work and career-related goals like promotions, expanded responsibilities, and recognition as an expert in your industry.

These are all fine, but be sure you don’t just focus on your job. Many people come to identify their success in life by their position in their job and the recognition they get there.

If they become disabled or sick, or if they retire, they suddenly find that they don’t know themselves anymore.

They have no identity at work so they don’t know who they are. They may have lost family and friends or have become strangers to these people, unaware of the important events that happened at home while they were at work.

So, they have to get to know themselves and their loved ones all over again. For some, this is an impossible task.

Be sure you set personal goals, family goals and general goals in your life for growth and happiness.

If you can become less of a victim of stress and overwork and take control of your own reaction to stress, you will live longer and be happier at work and at home.

Family and Community – Government and university studies support the idea that the ‘all work and no play’ lifestyle contributes to divorce, dysfunction in the family, and lack of involvement and investment in the community and neighborhood.

As the community grows apart and neighbors become strangers, emotional and family support for things like childcare, help with aging parents and support following trauma and tragedy become real issues.

The community turns to the government to supply services to fill this gap, taxes rise and people remain strangers.

Families struggle with alternating schedules, and children fail to thrive emotionally and physically.

Divorce is rampant and single parents are under even more stress with even less time to pay attention to children. So, things deteriorate even more!

Role models for marriage, relationships and juggling time and family are important to a child’s adult relationships. If we do not provide those positive role models, we perpetuate the problem.

It is interesting to note that the generation of children now in the work force has started to rebel against jobs and employers that require ridiculous hours and dedication beyond the call of duty.

They understand the toll this type of career takes on a life. They grew up in families that suffered this impact.

Perhaps our greatest hope for change lies in this generation of seasoned veterans of dysfunctional families.

Productivity – If your employer believes that your eighty-hour workweek is giving him more benefit, he should look at the statistics and information gathered by human resource companies and companies that focus on efficiency and productivity.

It is a fact that the human brain needs downtime and rest and recreation to recycle. Think about your own life and the times when you had to work long hours to get something finished.

Perhaps you found that you could barely focus after a certain number of hours. There is a reason that coaches that teach good study habits tell students not to cram for eighteen hours before an exam, but rather to spread out the studying and mix in recreation.

Take a walk; talk with friends to regain your clarity and focus.

If you and your employer truly want to take the best advantage of your time, you need to take time for yourself.

You will spend less time reworking things you’ve done wrong, mistakes you’ve made and details you’ve missed. And your employer will get better quality and output regardless of your job.

Pilots are subject to time constraints and can only spend so many hours in the air because airlines learned a long time ago that a tired and overworked pilot could make critical errors.

In lengthy neurosurgery or heart surgery, surgeons take breaks and leave the operating room to clear their heads and rest.

Again, these habits and techniques were learned the hard way and only when critical mistakes were made did these work policies change. You wouldn’t want a tired doctor working on your open heart, would you?

Life Goals – Everyone has goals. And you are probably no exceptions. You may have work and career-related goals like promotions, expanded responsibilities, and recognition as an expert in your industry.

These are all fine, but be sure you don’t just focus on your job. Many people come to identify their success in life by their position in their job and the recognition they get there.

If they become disabled or sick, or if they retire, they suddenly find that they don’t know themselves anymore.

They have no identity at work so they don’t know who they are. They may have lost family and friends or have become strangers to these people, unaware of the important events that happened at home while they were at work.

So, they have to get to know themselves and their loved ones all over again. For some, this is an impossible task.

Be sure you set personal goals, family goals and general goals in your life for growth and happiness.

Your Brain's Response To Acute Stress!

 

Stress is a feeling that's created when we react to particular events. It's the body's way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness.

 

The precursors that lead to stress are referred to as stressors, and they can cover a wide range of situations; everything from outright physical danger to making a class presentation to having a bad dream.

 

Particularly in a normal working life, much of our stress is subtle and occurs without any obvious threat to our survival. Most comes from things such as work overload, conflicting priorities, inconsistent values, deadlines, conflict with others, unpleasant environments and so on. Not only do these reduce our performance as we divert mental effort into handling them, they can also cause a great deal of unhappiness. These mild levels of stress are classified as ‘acute stress’ and we all experience it in one way or another.

 

The best way to envision the effect of acute stress is to imagine yourself in a very base-level, primitive type situation, such as being chased by something in the woods.

 

In response to being chased, a part of the brain called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system is activated.

From here there is a release of Steroidal Hormones. The HPA systems trigger the production and release of two specific hormones Glucocorticoids, which includes the primary stress hormone Cortisol. This particular hormone is very important in regulating and maintaining systems throughout the body that including the heart, lungs, circulation, metabolism, immune systems, and skin in order to quickly with stressful situations.

 

Next, we have the release of Catecholamines. The HPA system also releases certain neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) particularly known as dopamine, nor epinephrine, and epinephrine (also called adrenaline).

 

Today's world is changing at the most accelerated rates ever, and our bodies, minds, emotions and spirits are all being affected by these larger changes.  Many people are feeling a heightened sense of emotional intensity, so we are seeing more stress.

 

Not all stress is bad. It is important that we understand this. Stress, in the right amounts can keep us healthy, safe and more mentally aware. In my next entry I will talk more about this, so until then, God bless.   

 

Law Of Success: Part III

Welcome to the conclusion of this special three part series commemorating the 21st Century Edition of Napoleon Hill's landmark work on success, "Law of Success," which reveals the 17 Principles of Success that can help take your life to the next level. These are proven principles based on  25 years of research and personal studies into the lives of over 500 of the world’s greatest achievers.

 

Law of Success Part I and Part II covered the first 11 of these principles. (To read Part I and Part II, visit the blog archives). Law of Success Part III will now conclude with the remaining 6 of these valuable, time-tested principles, which can help you, succeed in all areas of your life.

 

Principle # 12: Concentration

 

“Concentration is the act of focusing the mind on a given desire until ways and means for its realization have been worked out and successfully put into operation.” – Napoleon Hill

 

In this age of mass communications, we are beginning to face a global epidemic of mass distraction that is becoming dangerous – and in some cases lethal. (The rising pedestrian and motor vehicle driver deaths due to the host of electronic distractions are just one sad example).

 

PSA: Don’t text while driving. A text isn’t worth your life, or worse, the life of someone who had nothing to do with your conversation.

 

The Weapons of Mass Distraction available to us are just overwhelming: email, cell phones, pagers, text messaging, video games, GPS navigational systems, video games, DVD players, TV, web cams, blackberries, faxes, ipods, and the explosion of social networking sites, just to name a few. (When used intelligently these tools can be powerful, but when used ineffectively, they become what I call, “Weapons of Mass Distraction!”

 

For concentration to be effective, Hill states that it is vitally important to keep your mind focused on ONE subject until you’ve mastered it; to focus on ONE given problem until you’ve solved that problem.

 

What I find helps is starting a task with a burst of energy and enthusiasm which will provide the momentum to complete the task successfully, in this age of sensory overload, some sensory deprivation might be in order.

 

Hill recommends that you set some time everyday where you can enter a quiet place, close your eyes, and put your fingers in your ears, blocking all light and sound, and just repeat your chief goal and see yourself in full possession of the goal that you are trying to reach.

 

I would go as far as to say that you need to take at least one day, or even a weekend per month to distress.

 

Principle # 13: Cooperation

 

“Cooperation is the foundation of all successful leadership.” – Napoleon Hill

 

According to Napoleon Hill, there are two forms of cooperation: 1). The cooperation between a group alliance, such as a mastermind group (which was covered in my Law of Success Part I overview) to achieve a desired end, and 2). The cooperation between the conscious and subconscious minds to draw upon creative intelligence (a theme that continues throughout this overview as well as his book).

 

Power is developed through organized effort and, as they say, two heads are better than one. So for any organized effort to be successful, the harmonious cooperation of people focused on a singular purpose or goal is required.

 

Harmony is the key. And it would serve you well to study the main personality types of people before forming a team so you can bring together people who compliment each other rather than compete with each other. (“What Type Am I” by Renee Baron is a good first book to understanding personality types. I also previously mentioned Social Triggers).

 

One thing in the “Law of Success” that really struck me as powerful was an important observation Napoleon Hill had made: “A great leader is one who understands how to create a “motivating objective” that will be accepted with enthusiasm by every member of [the] group...Most people will work harder for the attainment of an ideal than they will for money.”

 

What is your company or team’s “motivating objective” or ideal? In today’s terminology (thanks to Jerry McGuire), this would be your mission statement.

 

Principle # 14: Profiting by Failure

 

"If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate." -Thomas Watson, Sr. Founder of IBM

 

Profiting from failure is a topic that has been beat to death by personal development gurus so I won’t spend too much time on this principle. It’s overdone for the very same reason that there’s truth in the idea of people reaching higher levels of success by persevering and learning from failure instead of quitting.

 

It’s no accident that John D. Rockefeller felt that perseverance is the single most important quality to achieving success.

 

I’ve personally seen through the years, that success comes to leaders in almost direct proportion to the amount of adversity and failures they’ve overcome and learned from in life.

 

That old cliché, ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again’ applies here. Of course, I’m not saying you necessarily keep on doing the same thing expecting the same results (another definition for insanity), but what I am saying is that the only true failure out there that will hurt you is the failure to get back up and try again.

 

I don’t know how many times that I have personally thought about throwing in the towel. In fact, when we were at our lowest, I had actually worked it out in detail how to commit suicide so that it looked like an accident in order for my wife to collect the insurance…the only problem with that was we didn’t pay our policy, so it wouldn’t have paid out anyway.

 

Don’t ever give up. Failure is a learning experience similar to on-the-job training vs. schooling; on-the-job training may take longer, but you gain knowledge and real-world experience, so think of failure as on-the-life training.

 

Seek counselors and mentors that you can trust to help evaluate the effectiveness of your plans. Explore what is limiting your success by asking them how they see you limiting yourself.

 

If your first plan to achieving your goal in life does not succeed, then change the plan. Keep on changing it until you’ve reached your target, just as an ocean liner makes thousands of adjustments and coarse corrections before reaching its destination, you too should constantly re-evaluate your plan to make sure that you are still on the coarse that you want to be on.

 

Principle # 15: Tolerance

 

“Minds are like parachutes; they work best when open.” – Lord Thomas Dewar

 

If we adopt a closed mind we stop acquiring knowledge. And natural law states that we are either growing or dying.

 

I don’t like the word ‘tolerance.’ I much rather prefer the term “embrace new ideas” and have an insatiable curiosity for learning other people’s customs, belief systems, and unique perspectives. I look at it as an adventure in someone else’s life.

 

In today’s society, the word tolerance has been distorted to pass off someone’s bigotry and intolerance as a justified action. For example, a white comedian lets the “N” word slip in his act, he is a racist, but the leader of the new black panthers makes the comment about killing all white cracker babies and that is freedom of speech. Tolerance is a two way street and cannot be used to justify the actions of some while condemning the actions of others.

 

Finding ways to harness cultural differences within team dynamics and organizations will be the new currency in an increasingly globalized economy.

 

Principle # 16: The Golden Rule

 

Napoleon Hill recognized that the frivolous use of power from the knowledge that is being shared with you would only backfire and be destructive to self and others. Selfish pursuit of your goal without regard for others will eventually come back to bite you.

 

We reap what we sow. What goes around comes around. Therefore, the Golden Rule is: “do unto others as you’d have done unto you”. Before doing anything, ask yourself if it will benefit or hurt the person or persons involved.

 

It’s easy to be self-centered. To transcend self, think more of what the other person wants and feels before acting, that is what Zig Ziglar is talking about when he saying “You’ll get everything out of life that you want if you help enough people get what they want.”

 

See the good in others. Catch people doing things right instead of always looking for the wrong. Kindness and justice toward others goes a long way in establishing successful business and personal relationships. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great.” To help with this, I suggest a short read called The One Minute Manager.

 

Hill takes us deeper with the Golden Rule philosophy when he said, “think of others as you’d wish them to think of you.” Live this philosophy and your life will be enriched in many unforeseen ways.

 

Principle # 17: The Universal Law of Cosmic Habit-force

 

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” - Aristotle

 

This is one of my favorite quotes on habit. The Universal Law of Cosmic Habit-force is that intangible, unseen force which is made tangible and visible in nature. Just observe nature and you will experience Cosmic Habit-force in action.

 

When you fix in your mind a purpose consciousness focused on your chief aim in life through repetition of thoughts and deeds, Cosmic Habit-force will take over and carry it to its logical conclusion, just as an apple seed will always produce an apple tree through proper care and nurturing.

 

It takes constant vigilance, determination, and willpower to maintain that purpose consciousness, but eventually Cosmic Habit-force will always bear fruit and your life will be richly rewarded.

 

In closing this series, I’d like to point out that at the beginning of every chapter in Napoleon Hill’s “Law of Success” are the words: “You can do it if you believe you can!”

 

It’s that simple. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it really is that simple. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn’t have it in the beginning.” Jim Rohn said, make a goal to become a millionaire. Not for the sake of becoming a millionaire, but for what you must become to be a millionaire.” Replace bad habits with good disciplines and watch things start to change in your life.

 

Believe in yourself! Believe you can do it and move forward this day with faith and confidence.

 

I hope that you’ve benefited from this series and I’d like to encourage you to share these important principles with your friends, family, and associates. I’d also like to highly recommend getting a copy of Napoleon Hill’s “Law of Success: 21st Century Edition” to add to your personal library.

 

It’s a life-changing book, and I mean that as no exaggeration. To get your copy, visit here. 

 

 

2 Steps To Stay On Track

 

Are your goals set? Have you established some ways to support your goals? What will ensure that you actually stay on your desired path? This is July and 2015 is half over with. If you are finding yourself struggling to keep the resolutions that you made in January, if you are confused about the next step, if you are having trouble with focus, don’t worry. You are not alone. It’s called the mid year blues and we all have struggled with them at one time or another.

 

It is easy to get off path. It is easy to get all wrapped in the stuff of everyday life. You know what I mean? I know, I have been off track with my goals. When you do set goals and establish ways to get where you want to go, how do you stay on track?

 

When you have clear goals that you want to achieve, it is easier to set the steps to achieve them. It sounds easy. The fact is you will only take control of your goal when you "stop doing things” that you are doing. Look at your life right now? What does it look like? Did you get the steps done today to reach your goal? What you did today will show up later? How then do you stay on track? Here are 2 steps to stay on track towards your goals:

 

1. Hire a coach or mentor. This is one effective way to stay on track towards what you desire in life. The coach can guide you in the right path. They can tweak your game. There are all types of coaches for any goal from weight loses to relationships to business. Find the right one for you. If you can’t afford one report to someone that you trust. Have a significant other person serve as a coach. This will help ensure that you do what you are supposed to be doing to reach that goal. Most successful people have coaches. They have a coach that tweaks their game. I heard at one time that Oprah Winfrey had 7 coaches. Look how successful she is in her life. I don’t know all I know is that every millionaire I have meet had a coach.

 

2. Join people that have a goal similar towards yours. There are many organizations out in your own community. If you can’t find one in your area. Check online, there are all types. By surrounding your self with like-minded people can accelerate your steps towards your desire goal. This helps surround yourself with reinforcement on your goal. It holds you accountable.

 

Most people get off track on their goals at some point. When you find yourself off the track, ask yourself what I am doing right now? Is it towards or away from my desired goal? Once you start to take action on your top priorities, you will gain more confidence. You will have more time power. You will feel like you are walking on water.

Become Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

 

I continually learn something new and though learning is a passion of mine and I love it, actually getting down to the ‘doing’ part has produced some apprehension and a slight fear of the unknown as study turns to action.

 

Writing my first book, or rebuilding a set of new routines to advance my weight loss and improve my health, and anything else that was and is a ‘first time event’ for me, is very real and very uncomfortable. If you have never felt this discomfort then you haven’t done anything that challenges you.

 

The upside of this is once the new is mastered the physical pain miraculously disappeared. 

 

For me (and most of us) it’s all about the comfort zone.

 

I really know I’m alive when I’m outside my comfort zone, but the challenge is getting up the nerve to step out.

 

The comfort zone is an amazing place of security, comfort, safety, and protection.  Stepping out in this zone can be scary and, so often times, lonely, involving stretching, shedding, building and growing; this is the bit where physical pain comes into it. 

 

I remember, growing up, waking up with flashes of pain in my joints and my grandmother telling me that it was from growing pains, Expanding the comfort zone is pretty much the same.

 

With the growing pains comes growth, making you a bigger person, much like anything in life.  When mastering anything in life has finally been reached and with it increased inner strength and confidence, this is when the discomfort is worth it.

 

To truly be successful in life, you must be aware that this doesn’t just apply to the ‘big stuff’.  This applies across the board no matter how big or small; finances, health, relationships, it all requires the anxiety of the first step into the unknown in order to head in the right direction.

 

Here are 5 easy things to help with becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable.  Starting with the most important:

 

1. Start by taking an honest look around you and take an objective note of what you notice.  Each time you do something different notice what your reaction to it is and where this reaction manifests within your body.   

2.  Keep a journal or diary of feelings and reactions as you continue to grow through stepping out of your comfort zone.  Yes, a little woo-woo I know, but this also serves to give you a physical reference later to see where you were compared to where you are now.

  3. Ask yourself the following questions in regards to growing and stretching:

 

“What needs to happen now to make it less painful for me?”

 

“What are the benefits for me in mastering this new thing (relationship, job, task etc)?”

 

“What am I learning from this experience?”

 

“What am I not learning from this experience?”

 

4. Turn negative self-talk into positive speak.  The more often positive self-talk is practiced the more comfortable it will become, until it’s fully integrated and natural. You will be surprised how many times in one day that you will self-deprecate and insult yourself.

 

5. Know that it takes time to become comfortable with something new and different.   Unfortunately there is no instant fix or cure all. The quicker the mastery level raises, the quicker the return to a comfort zone.

 

The outcome of this effort will be living how you want to live, and knowing that you’ve achieved this through your own efforts.   

 

Always remember to “Become comfortable with the uncomfortable”.  It’s during my uncomfortable moments, I remember that phrase and I tell myself that once mastered, I’ll find myself, not only comfortable again, but at a higher level than I was…well until the next time I decide to take on something new.

 

 

Just Say NO

Answer this question honestly; is it difficult for you to say “no”?

If your answer is yes, don’t feel bad because you’re not alone.

There are many people who find themselves saying "yes" to things they don't really want to agree to but are afraid that they will appear selfish, mean or rude if they don’t say yes, or in an effort to avoid conflict or hurting another person’s feelings, they will say yes in order to defer conflict.

Saying “no” isn’t always easy, but it IS vital in business and personal life to be able to say no when the time comes.

Healthy people have healthy boundaries, and part of having healthy boundaries is to be able to say no to requests, situations or people that you can’t or don’t want to accommodate. Think of “no” as the hinge on the gate that controls who you allow in your boundary lines.

I was raised in an abusive environment where I spent many months at my grandmother’s house where I slept on a couch in the living room and my “dresser” was an old banana box next to my grandmother’s bed. If I ever had money, my grandmother, my uncle, my mother would all take it if they felt they needed it and never even asked, so I grew up with a low sense of self and had no concept of personal space or boundaries.

Though it has taken me many years to learn the art of saying no in order to stay sane, I still have issues with it at times, so don’t beat yourself up if you continue to have issues with it, just keep working on it and know that you will be a better person for it. Others will have more respect for you, you will have more respect for yourself and you won’t find yourself in as many negative situations.

Here are a few techniques/phrases that I have found work for me and hopefully they work for you as well.

#1: Unfortunately, I have a full plate right now…

If you find yourself way too busy to accommodate the person’s request, let them know you’re slammed and that you simply have no time to fit what they’re asking you to do into your schedule.

Many people have issue with this because they have a tendency to justify their time. Just because you have the time doesn’t mean that you have the time to dedicate your full attention. It is better to decline and give more attention to the items already on your plate rather than take on another workload and not be able to give any of them the attention required.

#2: I’ll have to think-about-it

If you’re not sure if you can fit the person’s request in, or if you’re dealing with someone who is super pushy, consider buying yourself a little time to think about what they’re asking of you and to get back to them at a later date on your own terms and not get bullied into something.

 #3: The ol’ boomerang no

Are you in the middle of something else? You can always ask the person to come back later when you have more time to consider their request.

 #4: Give a counter offer

If you can’t or don’t want to agree to the person’s request for whatever reason, but you’d still really like to help them out, consider making a counter offer for a lesser commitment that will work better for you.

One of my soft spots where the homeless that would beg for money. Though there are some out there that are honestly in need of assistance, there are others looking for tax-free cash to supplement their income or fund their addictions.

For those who give a line about needing money for food, I let them know that I don’t have any cash, but would not mind swinging by McDonalds and picking up something for them. If they are truly in need of food, they generally take me up on the offer, but if they immediately shoot me down, it is pretty obvious, the money isn’t going for food.

 #5: Just say No

Sometimes you must be direct and let the person know that what they’re asking of you just doesn’t work for you, and you’ll be surprised how often people will respect a firm, honest and direct no.

And remember that they are coming to you and imposing their wants on you. If you are not wanting to help them out, it is courtesy to give them a reason, but not mandatory. They do not own your time, so a simple no is fine if you do not want to give them a reason.

As you practice declining requests that don’t align with your schedule, values or needs, you’ll find that saying no becomes easier and you’ll have more time for yourself, the commitments you already have and the things that are most important to you.

Leadership Is Action... Not Position

 

People respond to good leadership! Period! It is in all aspects of our lives, not just business. A true leader is highly ethical, honest and respected, not only in his/her field of expertise, but as an individual.

 

In our society we have leaders and followers. Are we born to one or the other? No. Do some have more of a natural affinity toward leadership roles, yes. Can you hone your leadership skills and become a great leader even if you don’t have a born knack for it? Absolutely!

 

There are certain attributes of a great leader that stand out. The leaders that I admire for example seem to have all of these in particular attributes that I strive to emulate:

 

a) They think BIG. They have a glass ceiling in place and continuously strive to break it. No limits are set as to how big or how much better something or someone can be.

 

b) Their goals are firmly set in place and they constantly re-evaluate to make sure they are on the right path.

 

c) They effectively present their goals and desires to those around them, causing those around them to become raving fans.

 

d) They concentrate on respect not fear and have a fully developed understanding that they are not the same.

 

e) When goals are met they set new goals or raise the bar. With goals that aren’t met, they re-evaluate, re-implement and strive for a better outcome and do not waste time wallowing in unmet expectations.

 

People will follow your lead willingly if you are honest, ethical, if you are consistent and treat them with respect. Rewarding someone when a job is well done is always appreciated. A good leader will also off-load someone quickly who consistently hinders the group who is just not a team player rather than allowing them to continue to affect and infect the team dynamic.

 

You can improve your own self- respect and become an inspiration to others by becoming the leader that it inside of your. Remember that successful leadership isn’t a destination but a journey. Stay on the path and keep moving.

 

 

Are You a Leader or a Slacker?

 

Do you claim to be a Leader in your business or your field of expertise?  I have noticed that many people claim to be Leaders, but I consider them Slackers instead.  A Slacker is someone that basically likes to give orders and passing off as much work on to others as they can while taking as much credit as they can.

 

Now take an honest look in the mirror. It may be difficult to answer truthfully, but does this describe you, your up-line or someone else on your team?  Here are some clues that might help you out.

 

Leader:  Praises his/her team and offers encouragement.

Slacker:  Quick to find fault and slow to give praise.

 

Leader:  Holds himself/herself to a higher standard than his/her team.

Slacker:  Has a high level of expectation for his/her team but doesn’t hold himself/herself to that same standards.

 

Leader:  Leads by example and is a role model for his/her team.

Slacker:  Blends in with crowd and never steps up to take a leadership role or passes off leadership responsibilities to subordinates while still taking responsibility for all positives that take place.

 

Leader:  Has deep-rooted belief in his/her business and leads new teammates through the growth process (learning the business and facing obstacles with the team as opposed to stepping back and letting others take care of everything.

Slacker:  Convinces a person to join his/her team then pawns them off on someone else or simply pushes them to the side (Referred to as “sign and drop”) to either sink or swim and all the while making veiled and not so veiled statements such as “if you can’t do your job, I’ll find someone who can.”

 

Which of these characteristics, best describes you and your teammates?  Be honest with yourself.

 

Just remember, that a leader must lead and nourish others through the growth process.  If he/she loses integrity and fails to take action, then this same failure mindset will ripple down to his/her teammates and reflect throughout the company.  Employees will always be a reflection of their management.

 

So let me ask you one last time…Are you a Leader or a Slacker?

 

 

 

Power Question?

I am still taking a running poll;should I keep adding them in at the end of posts, or would you prefer a Power Quote? Or nothing at all? Let me know your feedback. 

Let Go of the Guilt

 

I know, you are probably looking at the title and wondering how this has anything to do with success, but trust me, we all grow up with levels of guilt when it comes to having more or being better than someone else. In today’s society, there seems to be a rule of thought that everyone should be equal and no one should be better off than someone else. That is, of course, “stinin’ thinking” as Zig Ziglar used to put it. It also plays into the scarcity mindset which so many of us grow up with that keeps us bound in the golden handcuffs of a paycheck to paycheck mentality.

 

Now you are probably saying to yourself, “Huh? What is he talking about?” I know, trust me, all too well. I didn’t think I had any guilt about success until I looked back and saw so many times that there were areas that I sabotaged my success subconsciously.

 

Guilt is among the biggest wastes of our emotional energy. It causes us to get trapped in the present by over-concentrating on the past. Guilt, at times, can be very draining. By introducing logic to help counter-balance the guilt, you are able to avoid undermining your efforts toward a successful life and stay on course.

 

Feelings of guilt may not be gotten rid of over night, but they don't have to command your life. By following the steps provided, you can work towards freeing yourself from the guilt in your life that may be holding you back.

 

Pinpoint precisely what you feel guilty about. Your guilt might be telling you that there's something you need to alter in your life. For example, if you are trying to lose weight and know that if you go to a buffet you won’t control yourself and then a friend invites you to a buffet. You may feel guilty about saying no to the invitation, and then you end up going, overeating and then feeling bad about ‘ruining’ your diet. You may find that silly, but that actually happened to me. Or maybe your child wants that latest toy/videogame/whatever, but you have set yourself up on a specific budget in order to pay down debt; the child ‘guilts’ you into foregoing the budget for their newest whatever only to not play with it once they have it. Again (with hand held high) that was something that I dealt with.

 

Guilt comes in many subtle and not-so-subtle packages. The point is to see them, and do what it takes to overcome these guilts. As in the two examples above, most of those types of situations can be handled with a few boundaries that we will get into on a later blog, but for now, lets work on some steps to help you identify and work toward eliminating guilt in your life.

 

Look intimately at your priorities. Make a list of what is all-important for the health and happiness of you, your loved ones and your business. For example, what is significant to your loved ones might not matter to other families and the other way around. It holds true in every aspect of your life. Be strong with your priorities.

 

Construct more time for your priorities. First thing is to know and acknowledge that you can't do everything, so if it is not on your success list then get in the habit of saying "No." The word No can, and will, be your biggest ally. At first you will feel guilty about saying it, but in moderation a little guilt now can save a lot of guilt later.

 

Live in the here and now; any errors in judgment made in the past because of guilt are over and done with. Sometimes, the guilt we feel now that keeps up from moving forward is guilt of the past. Forgive yourself for your errors, learn from them and leave them in the past tense.

 

Determine limits. As a parent you're responsible for the well-being of your children and you set boundaries for them, but you need to do the same for every aspect of your life if you are to be successful.

 

One final thought that is important is to adopt time for yourself. Even though it might seem inconceivable to find the time, if you're debilitated emotionally or physically then you have nothing to give to those around you. Don’t feel guilty for taking some time out for yourself because in the long run, when you have time to recharge, you have that energy to invest in those around you.

 

Guilt is usually subtle, so you have to really look for it sometimes, but when you recognize it and deal with it, you find that success is usually just on the other side of that guilt.

 

An action step for you to take is to do some internal dialog with yourself and see if there are any issues that you feel guilt over. Then analyze why you feel guilty about it. Sometimes the guilt is rational, but the initial reasons for the guilt aren’t.

 

From guilt to success, Click Here!

Power Question:

On a scale from 1 to 10, how excited are you about change?