Build Your Success Network With Positive People

One of the best ways to achieve your goals is to surround yourself with positive people. The energy these people have never seems to let them down, and they are achieving the great goals in life that they desire and dream about.

Positive people can help you stay on track and energize you toward your own goals. Many times these successful people share the same goals you have and are happy to pass on their wisdom and their techniques.

So how do you find these positive, like-minded people?

Here are 5 tips to help you find them, network with them, and glean valuable information and advice:

1. Smile. Although it may sound silly, smiling puts forth an image that instantly draws people towards you, especially other positive people. Having and showcasing a good perspective of life’s ups and downs makes other people want to be around you.??Positivism is often a difficult frame of mind to sustain all the time, and therefore, people are always looking for a way to be more optimistic.

* Staying positive is the building block of achieving your successes, as its opposite is futile. Smile and you’ll attract other positive people!

2. Communicate Positively. Although we all have rough days when nothing seems to be going right, the last thing you want do is complain and whine. No one likes a complainer, right?

For example, if someone were to ask you in a friendly manner, “how are you today?” don’t shoot back that “life stinks” or that you’re just “alive” or something to that effect. Instead, take a moment – and a breath – and then reply with optimism, even if you’re having a tough day. After all, positive people don’t waste their time or energy on complainers or negative people.

* Even if you’re not feeling all that positive, by remaining optimistic in your outlook you’ll still attract positive people to you.

3. Think Positively. Keeping a level head on your trek toward success is one key to obtaining your objectives. Thinking positively – even through disappointment – will enable you to find the good in every situation and attract the positive people who share this vision.

* Even if you don’t really subscribe to these positive thoughts at first, or you find positive thinking difficult, sooner or later making yourself think positively will create a pattern of positive thoughts in your brain.

We’ve all got energy within us and we have the choice to use it constructively or destructively. If you want to attract positive people to network, then you’ll notice they try to be upbeat and optimistic, even during difficult times.

4. Act Positively. It isn’t enough to smile, communicate, and think positively when pursuing your goal. You must also put forth actions to substantiate this positivism.

For example, perhaps you thought you could get a promotion in the past, but then sat idly by while someone else snatched it up. This time, transform those positive thoughts into action!

* Showing your boss and employees that you are proactive and positive will set you up for more successes.

5. Reach Out. Lastly, reach out to people at your work, in your circle of friends, or even to people on the street who seem to exemplify positivism. Ask them what it is that makes them continue to be positive and reach their objectives.

* Seeking out positive people will not only give you valuable information to help you reach your goals, but you will also become a successful person with your own network of positive friends and role models.

Being positive and exemplifying positivism attracts others. After all, like attracts like.

People enjoy being around others with similar attitudes and, by maintaining a positive mindset, you’ll surely lead yourself to those successful people you seek.

The 3 Step Dream Plan

It is not uncommon to have a dream in today’s world. As a matter of fact, everyone has a dream; and often times it is more than one – it can be many dreams actually, but the sad reality is that few people believe that they can actually achieve those dreams.

Nevertheless, some people achieve their dreams while others live lives of regret; Some are inspired and follow through, while others delay or give up entirely on their dreams in exchange for whatever excuses they comfort themselves with.

So, what are the key factors that make that difference between the person who achieves his dream, and the one who live a life of regret because he/she never even attempted reaching their dream?

Here are three simple keys that separate those who reach success and walk into their dreams from those who do not taste the same sweet nectar of victory in their lives.

1. Motivation.
Everyone has their own motivations for their dreams. Consider what motivates you towards your goal. It could be financial freedom, more free time, or a second home in the Caribbean. Whatever it is, remind yourself of it on a daily basis.

For example, having pictures of your dream Caribbean home hung on the fridge or in your work space will remind you of your dream and refresh your mind with motivation.

When you suffer inevitable setbacks or frustration, a visible reminder of
your dream will help motivate you to do what is necessary to get back on
track toward your goal. It is also important to give yourself rewards along the way. Rewarding yourself after making a breakthrough, such as acquiring a new client, learning a new computer program, or sharing a smile with your teenager, is absolutely necessary to effectively following through
on your path to success.

Treat yourself to a nice dinner, take the day off for a game of golf, or reward yourself with something else you like. Your reward will give you a refreshing break from the trials and tribulations on your path to success and bring you new energy to continue working toward your goal.
Giving yourself a reward here and there along the way will reinvigorate
your motivation with its positive result.

2. Planning.
Although developing a systematic plan may seem obvious if you want to
achieve your goals, many people overlook or downplay this process and then wonder why they aren’t moving forward toward their goal. Be sure to take the time to plan your path for greater success!

Once you have a broad plan to reaching your goal, you must fine-tune all
the details. Put it down on paper, even if it’s an emotional or psychological life goal, and determine the steps necessary to make that goal a reality.

Put a time frame on it. Put all excuses aside with a finite deadline for each step. Be realistic of your own competencies. Creating a realistic step-by-step plan with a deadline will bring your dream to life. Setting
definable little goals to achieve on the way to your desired large goal will enable you to follow your plan through to success.

3. Action.
Lastly, no dream or goal can be achieved without action. If you’ve developed your plan as recommended, you will see that there are a number of little steps you must take on a daily or intermittent basis that will further you on your path to your ultimate goal.

Your little steps give you the map to your treasure. Take action to follow your map. Each step you complete brings you closer to your goal.
Evaluate your actions and revise your map as necessary. If a plan falls
through, then be adaptable to change it until you find yourself back on the path to success.

Motivation, Planning and Action will enable you to create and live the life you’ve always wanted. It may take some time, but following these steps will guide you to success.

Five Reasons Your Goals Should Have Deadlines

We set goals all the time. Sometimes those goals result in less than satisfactory outcomes. Have you ever wondered why that is? One explanation is because the goals have been left open-ended. Not giving our objective a target to completion leads to unfulfilled aspirations and ambitions.
Read more

Balancing Work And Reward For Better Goal Achievement

There are a few things that are important to know concerning goal setting and goal achievement that you should keep in the back of your mind as you progress towards you desire results. Firstly, a goal is not about constant sacrifice alone. At some point in the process, you can (and should) take a breather and reward the progress you have already made.

Let’s talk about learning how to reward your self throughout the goal setting process.

There is nothing wrong with rewards. They are a pleasant gift for a job well done. The job is not the achievement of the goal, but making it through the milestone steps along the way that make the goal possible. If people waited until the end of the line to reward themselves, most probably would never make it.

Think of a marathon runner. During the race, he gets thirsty. There are stations set up along the course that allow him to fill up with water in order to replenish his strength and finish the marathon. Waiting until the end of the race to get something to drink is not practical and can be dangerous. It’s the same with your goals.

Going without the encouragement that rewards can bring during the goal seeking process is also not practical. Rewards can be anything that will incline you to strive to reach it. All rewards can be chosen ahead of time or as you go along. There’s no set way to compensate yourself.

Ask for help when coming up with rewards. Open the floor up to friends and family members for suggestions. Rewards can be things like spending money, taking a trip, having a celebration, or a few well deserved breaks in the goal process. Those close to you may come up with some good ones that you yourself never thought of before.

Write down a variety of rewards on small pieces of paper. Fold each piece in half and place them in a jar or a box. Everything on the slips of paper needs to be something that will motivate you to reach that reward point. When a milestone is reached, pull a slip of paper out of the jar. That is your reward.

A reward system keeps your focus on the goal. When you begin feeling the temptations that make you want to throw in the towel, look at that reward jar and believe that some good thing is on the way with each small step you reach.

Rewards work best when they are realistic. A trip to Paris is a great reward but if you can’t afford to do so, it won’t motivate you to continue working towards the goal. Choose goals within your realm of possibility, both physically and financially.

A reward system can work with goals in every area of your life. Just be sure the rewards are in line with the goals. You wouldn’t suggest an ice cream sundae as a reward for losing weight or give yourself a shopping spree for saving money over the past three consecutive months.

Rewards are meant to motivate you so you will continue to follow the course of your goals. Without them, you don’t have small triumphs to look forward to along the way and the probability of reaching your goals is lessened.

When You Know Who You Are, You Stay Motivated

Have you ever heard the saying, “We can fool some of the people some of the time?“  The interesting this is that when it comes to ourselves, we can’t even seem to get away with a suspicious look. Why? Because deep down inside, we already who we should be at our core – and acting outside of this character image, upsets our internal life balance, which makes us feel bad for living or doing what we know we ought not. For goal setting, it is important to truly know yourself

Motivation is the process we use to continue doing something. It can come in the form of rewards, support, self-affirmations, or visual aids. With any goals that we set, there has to be a motivating force behind it to spur us on to success. We have to have a reason for continuing on until we reach our goal.

What motivates us? That is the $64,000 question. To begin, learn a bit about yourself. I know that people say that they don’t know who they are, but we each have a basic idea that we can build upon. Here are a few things to help get the juices flowing and aid in figuring out who you really are. From there, you’ll be able to find your motivation and complete your goals successfully.

What do you like? That’s an easy one. Likes and dislikes come from experiences in life. You may not like snakes or public speaking or high places. So, a goal of climbing Mt. Everest would not be good for you or using a climbing trip as a motivating factor to run five miles a day.
Motivation is a mind game. To be more exact, it is a tool of the subconscious mind. Negative thinking brings about negative results. All the motivation in the world can’t overcome the power of negative self-talk on the subconscious mind.

Are you a negative person? The first step to achieving your goals would be combating the negative thoughts. Simply ignoring them and trying to go on with your goals is self-defeating, because beneath the front we put on for others lay our own subconscious thoughts that will win in the end if we let them. You have to kick the negativity not just mask it.

Achieving goals is a process that involves finding our motivation. A lack of motivation results in broken promises. The goal can be stopped at any time we become bored, upset, or ridiculed by another. In order to find the source of our motivation, create a list of your attributes.

On this list, include:
•    Likes
•    Dislikes
•    Character traits
•    How you would describe yourself
•    Goals you have achieved in the past

All of this information can be combined to determine how motivated you are right now. If you have had goals in the past but never achieved them, look to the character traits and words to describe yourself for insight. Someone with low self esteem will have a tough time getting and staying motivated to do something without a support system.

Look at your list of goals. Are there any goals that require you to do something that you don’t like in order to reach them? One example of this would be someone who wants to start a motivational speaking business, but who doesn’t like crowds or getting up in front of others.
Once you’ve found the things that are keeping you from reaching your goals you can start the process of overcoming them.

Begin implementing things which can help you get past those drawbacks. For instance, if you need a support system, enlist the help of a friend or mentor to hold you accountable. If you need pep talks to get you through rough times, ask your spouse or close friend to be there for you during those times and lift you up again.

Learning a few things about yourself is the key to finding the motivation to achieve your goals. Without taking a good look in the mirror, goals will be sabotaged from within more than they ever will from other people or circumstances.

Are You Planning To Succeed Or Planning To Fail?

If you have attended any goal setting function or even motivational seminars, there is often a common phrase that you hear ringing through the sessions. It is usually said that when we fail to plan, we plan to fail. Even though the phrase seems to be  simple small package, it’s carries much truth hidden inside. The first step in achieving your goal is to make certain you have a plan before you begin. Read more

5 Fantasies and Realities about Setting Goals

If you talk to any number of people about the pattern of setting goals through writing them down, the normal response you’ll get is, “only nerdy people write things down that they’d like to achieve.” But if truth be told, some of the most successful people on this planet achieve their goals through written committment. Goal setting is a powerful and effective tool to get what you want out of life no matter what type of person you are.

Here are some of the more common myths and their truths when it comes to the issue of goal setting.

Fantasy #1: Goals do not have to be written down to be effective.

Reality: Goals can be as fleeting as our breath on a cold morning if we don’t make them permanent. Writing them down gives them weight in our life. It is something that we want to do and will do with the right planning. Starting a business is a worthy goal, but no successful business would work if all of their plans were left to the ether and not to the paper.

Myth #2: Long term goals are too hard to achieve.

Reality: Long term goals require a series of steps to achieve. The things that make a long term goal manageable are the small goals we meet along the way. A person who wants to totally wipe out their $50,000 worth of debt will not do it in one fell swoop. It takes time and that time can be broken down into steps. For instance, creating a five-year plan with each year wiping out $10,000 in debt, versus waiting until the entire amount has been saved.

Myth #3: Goals are achieved faster when we work alone.

Reality: A support system is not only encouraged, but necessary for achieving goals. Take weight loss for instance. People trying to lose weight are more successful when they have a friend or family member to hold them accountable with them than someone who goes it alone. Without support, setbacks can be permanent and obstacles can seem insurmountable.

Myth #4: Goals are not meant to be altered in any shape or form.

Reality: It is wise to review your goals every few months. Maybe something in your life has changed and the goal needs to be amended in order to continue. Life happens and rigid goals can lead to failure. The path we map out for a goal can require an alternate route at times but all roads are leading to the same destination; to our ultimate goal.

Myth #5: Goals can only be started at the beginning of the year.

Reality: We have all fallen into that New Year’s resolution trap. If we don’t get going on the first day of the year, all hope is lost. If that were the case, there have been a lot of broken dreams and unhappy people. Goals can begin today. All it takes is an idea and the willingness to create a plan for achievement.

No matter what misconceptions you might have heard in the past, toss all preconceived notions out the window right now. Begin goal setting with a clean slate and see how much more you can accomplish.

Getting The Right Perspective On Failure and Success

Here are 2 quick question – What is your idea of success? What is your idea of failure?

If you take the common approach to answering these 2 questions, you would probably tell me that success in a nutshell is to have everything that you plan, go according to plan and that failure is to have the opposite effect happen.

Now you would be partly right, and partly wrong…

A healthy view of success and failure plays an important role in the achievement of our goals. One man’s failure is another man’s stepping stone. Let’s explore just how crucial those views really are to reaching your goals, shall we? Read more

Creating A Better You In 7 Days

I seem to lost count on how many times I’ve read and heard of celebrity marriages failing almost left and right. Not that I care (and personally I don’t), it seems strange that we often see movie and TV stars as flawless people, living the fairytale life of riches and glamor. I suppose we all have to stop sticking our heads in the clouds and face reality.

There are many ways to lose your sense of self-esteem despite of how trivial it could get. But whatever happens, we should all try not to lose our own sense of self.

So what does it take to be a cut above the rest? Here are some of the things you can think and improve on that should be enough for a week.

1. Know your purpose Read more

Engineering Your Vision For Success Through Life Mapping

“Where there is no vision, the people perish” Pro 28:8 KJV

If we are really honest with ourselves, we would admit that success is much, much, more than monetary gains, grand titles, and educational degrees. And because success means different things for different people, it is important to plan for success by mapping out all the aspects of your life that you wish to be impacted in powerful ways.

If you were planning a hiking trip into the mountains, you would definitely plan where you wanted to go on your trek, and what tools were necessary for a successful expedition right? Well, the same principle applies as you work to engineer you success. For you to map out what you consider to be success in your own life, you need to clearly define a few details in the process. These details are: origin, destination, vehicle, backpack, landmarks, and route.

Let’s begin with… Read more