We all have goals or we all should have.
In order to achieve our goals, we need to be consistent in our efforts.
Yeap! consistency, perseverance and determination get me through every time!

Consistency creates powerful habits; lack of consistency and exceptions mean that you have to start building the habits all over again.

Consistency means repeating the same behaviors regularly and without exceptions. Consistent behavior is the opposite of erratic behavior. Skipping workouts is an example of erratic behavior. Performing all or most of your workouts is an example of consistency.

Consistency seems to be a boring idea at first sight. It lacks glamour and excitement. But, when you look more closely, consistency is anything but boring. It contains the secret of achievement and success. It is the key to an almost magical power than can transform lives.

Consistency allows the seeds to grow and the fruit to arrive. Regular, patient, consistent action is necessary to achieve good results. Even winning the lottery requires buying a ticket consistently and entering the numbers.

A woman who won the US $162 million lottery is quoted as saying, that she played the same numbers consistently for two years. She didn’t play it once or twice and give up as so may people do.

Recently, I read an outstanding article by T.J. Walker, the public speaking and communication expert. He commented on how often communication breaks down on the internet because of a lack of consistency.

Most marketing gurus insist that sales only come after about seven email messages have been sent to a list of potential customers.
Ezines, blogs and podcasts often only last for one or two issues and then they disappear. Either their creators ran out of material or foolishly expected success after one or two efforts and gave up when the results of their efforts were disappointing.

Many would be internet gurus or entrepreneurs lack the patience and consistency to send out even seven messages to their lists. They are unlikely to succeed in winning the trust of their customers.

Nearly any goal worth achieving demands regular and consistent efforts. If you want to achieve a black belt in a martial art, you need to show up to one training session after another whether you feel like it or not.

I know, from many years of experience, that students who show up regularly for training almost always achieve their goal of becoming a black belt.

However, I have had some very talented students who lacked patience and only showed up sporadically. When their progress up the ladder of success seemed too slow to them, they gave up and disappeared.

When I examine martial arts students at grading sessions, I often congratulate them for just being there. I tell them that they are already half way through the grading because they have shown up and in the famous words of Woody Allen: “80% of success in life is just showing up.”

Greatness only comes when efforts are consistent. Champion teams win championships not because they win every match but because they consistently play well and with determination and, as a result, win most of their matches.

Daily efforts create habits and habits make it easier to make those daily efforts but it still takes hard work and the determination to follow through every single day no matter what.

Occasionally you may have to make an exception and miss out on the desired behavior. One way to avoid exceptions is to perform the behavior you have planned as early as possible in the day before the rest of the family and the cat start demanding your attention!

Repeat the desired or planned behavior daily and with as few exceptions as possible and you will make gradual but certain progress and eventually achieve even your biggest goals and dreams.

Even if you don’t achieve all your goals and dreams, you will have at least become a great character and a person of value because you did what you planned to do on a daily basis. That, at least, is a goal worth achieving.

I say what I mean and I mean what I say – and I do that consistently also! People who know me and my beliefs also know that I am a firm believer in reaching for the stars and always finding a way to reach the success I desire.

This is my way to reach my goals – through consistency, perseverance and determination!

Tags: achievement, consistency, goals

Are you a leader or do you have a leader?
If you are in a lead role, do you take your responsibilities seriously?

Does your boss? do you consider him/her a good boss?
Often our take on people in power is all about how well we perceive them to be doing their jobs and providing leadership skills as a role model.

Learn to be the Ultimate Leader here! – Click Me
Who remembers the movie Spiderman? In it, Spideys Granpa said – “with great power comes great responsibility”.

In all the episodes Sydey appeared in, he never let us down. With the power he possesses, he makes sure to be responsible in using it for the good of the people around him.

The power to lead your people towards aiming at your vision comes with responsibilities like making sure they are on the right track, being aware of each and everyone’s tasks and mistakes, and putting them back on the right track when they get lost.

Leadership is not at all different from being superheroes. You may not have super powers like Superman and Spiderman, but you have the authority to lead other people towards success. This is so much greater and stronger since it is a power that can be used by real people in this real world.

Be your own Superhero – Learn how here!
A leader should take full responsibility for a task – not just before he accepts it, but also after it has been accomplished. As much as he is responsible for his team’s success, he should also be responsible for any failure. He represents the whole team so whatever happens to it, he is the one responsible.

Therefor, being a leader requires great sense of responsibility, the second quality a successful leader should attain.

Is it easy to be the boss or a leader? The short answer is nope!…It comes with tons of responsibilities. True leaders are willing to accept them all.

There are instances where sometimes it makes us feel better to blame somebody or something else when something goes wrong in a task. However, this should not be practiced, especially by a good boss!

You may not have full control over other people and are not expected to have full control over their actions, but you have full control of your own reactions. Knowing what to do over unexpected and unpredictable situations will make you responsible, hence giving you the feeling of power.

Making excuses and blaming something or someone else for failed jobs is not a quality of an established front person. What he should do, instead, is to accept the fact that something went wrong with the organization, even if it is not his fault. It is normal to make mistakes. In fact, mistakes are opportunities to learn something better. As a boss, he must ensure that the team members learn from these mistakes and that these errors will not be repeated next time.

You will find over 150 of the World’s Top Leaders Here!
The best way to be a good leader is to continually update your leadership skills and keep on growing as a person.
If you can do that – you will always be a good leader and be in demand

Tags: leader, leadership, leadership skills

I just read an awesome article about self confidence by Brian Tracey.
You know Brian….I promote mim heavily on my site.
If you dont know who Brian Tracey is you can read all about him on my Brian Tracey Information page, which you will find in my menu above.

Because I thought this article was so succinct, I decided to give the benefit of reading it right here.

Check out Brian’s article on how to build unshakable self confidence below – I hope you like it as much as I did!

Build Rock Solid Self-Confidence and Achieve All of Your Goals. Brian Tracy’s life changing program – The Science of Self-Confidence.
Building Unshakable Self-Confidence
By: Brian Tracy

The Greatest Obstacle to Success
The fear of failure is the single greatest obstacle to success in adult life. Taken to its extreme, we become totally pre-occupied with not making a mistake, with seeking for security above all other considerations. The experience of the fear of failure is in the words of “I can’t”, “I can’t.” We feel it in the front of the body, starting at the solar plexus and moving up to the rapid beating of the heart, rapid breathing and a tight throat. We also experience this fear in the bladder and in the irresistible need to run to the bathroom.

The Fear of Rejection Holds You Back
The second major fear that interferes with performance and inhibits expression, is the fear of rejection. We learn this when our parents make their love conditional upon our behavior. If we do what pleases them, they give us love and approval. If we do something they don’t like, they withdraw their love and approval — which we interpret as rejection.

The Roots of Type A Behavior
As adults, people raised with conditional love become preoccupied with the opinions of others. Many men develop Type A behavior which is characterized by hostility, suspicion and an obsession with performance to some undetermined high standard. This is expressed in the attitude of “I have to,” I have to,” and is associated with the feeling that “I have to work harder and accomplish more in order to please the boss” who has become a surrogate parent.

The Most Common Trap
More than 99 percent of adults experience both these fears of failure and rejection. They are caught in the trap of feeling, “I can’t,” but “I have to,” “I have to,” but “I can’t.”

The Key to Peak Performance
The antidote to these fears is the development of courage, character and self-esteem. The opposite of fear is actually love, self-love and self-respect. Acting with courage in a fearful situation is simply a technique that boosts our regard for ourselves to such a degree that our fears subside and lose their ability to effect our behavior and our decisions.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do to increase your self-esteem and self confidence and overcome your fears.

First, realize and accept that you can do anything you put your mind to. Repeat the words, “I can do it! I can do it!” whenever you feel afraid for any reason.

Second, continually think of yourself as a valuable and important person and remember that temporary failure is the way you learn how to succeed.

Build Rock Solid Self-Confidence and Achieve All of Your Goals. Brian Tracy’s life changing program – The Science of Self-Confidence.
So, what did you think?
Does anything there relate with you?
Self confidence is one of the most sought after attributes in life required by all of us. You too can have unshakable self confidence.

My take on Brian Tracey‘s advice is to own yourself! Answer to yourself, hold yourself in high regard and have high standards – live up to those standards and believe in yourself.

If you can hold your head high with everything you do – you have self confidence – I have it do you?
What’s your take on this article? I’d love to know!

I think if we can get past, the past and love ourselves, self confidence will quickly arrive at our doors! – go get some now and Thank you Brian Tracey – I love your work!

Tags: brian tracey, self confidence

Stress Management – Is a Change Really as Good as a Holiday?
Do you think a change is as good as a holiday?
Well, it is and it isn’t – here’s why…………

My Nanna used to say “a change is as good as a holiday”.
I never paid attention as I didn’t really get it!

I remember the first time I heard “A change is as good as a rest.” They weren’t wise words from my Nanna, or part of an expensive motivational seminar – I heard it on a cartoon that my children were watching. It has stayed with me ever since, and I have put it to work in my life when I have felt tired, stressed or just plain bored.

How many times do you hear yourself say “I need a holiday!”? Your life is busy with routines – work, school, laundry, bringing the kids to all of their activities, so it’s no wonder that you feel hassled, stressed or on a running wheel that you can’t seem to get off of.

For some people, just the word “change” can be really stressful. They associate it with major events, like having to get a new job, a household move or an event that requires a major effort on their part.

But there are many changes that we can make that can refresh us on a daily basis, some serious and others fun. Many of the options for change are not things that we even normally consider a “change,” but they are things we can do to refresh our daily lives and maintain the balance we need.

Maybe your job seems boring, or your daily schedule seems endlessly tiring. You tell yourself you need a vacation, or convince yourself that you just need to get away from it all. But guess what? It’s all there when you come back, and all of that blissful feeling of well being ends in the first meeting at work, or even in the first hectic morning back in the routine.

We all need to find the basic qualities that make our lives fulfilling and meaningful. These become the elements of our lives – the fundamental components that make us whole. Recognizing these elements is not enough – the key is to find the balance that reflects the importance and priorities of our lives.

To achieve lasting stress management, we need to change the way we think about things. Once you know what’s important to you and focus on it, you will achieve more and be happier.

Once you are happier, things won’t stress you out like they used too!
Of course a holiday is great! It’s time to get away from the norm and have a bucket load of fun! Let your hair down and relax – now there’s a bit of short term stress management for you!

If you want that stress free feeling to continue when you return home to your life and your job, you need to focus on what’s really important to YOU and You Only!

Tags: change, life balance, stress, Stress Management

Innovation – is it all in the mind?
Of course is the answer – and here’s why……..
How Innovative are you?
I think innovation is just another state of mind.

Lots of people have heard others say that they had an moment where the light bulb turned on – this is not innovation! Its merely the gaining of wisdom or insight.

I’m sure you’ve heard the myth of innovation as a sudden flash of insight that comes from nowhere. People often have “aha” moments, or that light bulb turning on in the mind and this is sort of true to an extent.

It has been widely reported that Einstein really did get flashes of insight while shaving in the morning. However, he was of course working on the particular problems he had insight into, and he didn’t suddenly have ideas for new power tools or modes of transport!

His innovations, no matter how “sudden” the original ideas were, came from past and present mental work. It is like a singer who works at his craft for ten years and then becomes an “overnight success.” Innovative people only have “sudden” new ideas because they have habitually worked and thought in certain ways for quite some time. If you want to become an innovative thinker, then, why not start cultivating those mental habits?

Get Mentally Aware!

Running into problems is a great opportunity. The word “Problem” often has a negative feel, such as being a hassle or stressful, but any problem can lead to an innovation that improves our lives. Horrible diseases lead to sanitary sewer systems. Not knowing the time lead to clocks small enough to put on our wrists.

Start looking for opportunity in every problem. Even a mundane problem like not having enough storage space could lead to a new innovation. You may build a chipboard floor in the attic, but you may also invent a new type of outdoor storage unit.

Innovation begins with understanding the key elements. Metal, wood or glass are not key elements of a door to an innovator. A way to get in, a way to keep others out – these are key elements. Begin with those, and soon you’re imagining new ways to make a door. You could design a door that is opened by your voice (nice when your hands are full), or one that shuts and locks itself when anyone else approaches. Think of the key elements in things.

A good old laugh and a bit of playfulness helps innovation. A playful mind is a creative mind, and while high IQ doesn’t correlate with creativity, put it together with playfulness, and you have an Einstein. Remember, he imagined himself riding on a beam of light in order to arrive at his theory of relativity. Why not start playing with ideas, in your mind and in your surroundings.

A positive attitude helps innovation. Can it be done? Yes it can – you need to think that way!

The creative problem-solving technique of concept-combination involves combining two ideas to see what new idea or product results. The crucial point is that you assume there will be a useful new idea. Starting with that assumption, your mind will work overtime to produce something. A shoe and a CD have nothing to do with each other, but it took just a minute to imagine a CD player with headphones that only plays the music correctly if a jogger maintains his ideal pace. When you assume there is something there you’re far more likely to ‘find’ what you seek.

Now I’m not saying we can all run out tomorrow and invent say…..a time machine, but with a little thought and creativity – Innovation will come if you let it!

Tags: innovation, innovative