Firstly I would like to say a big Happy New Year! How fast did 2010 go? It was just the other day we were saying it is 2000 and mine (2009) and now we are in 2011! There have been significant changes for us all over the past year and it is so easy to get caught up in all of the doom and gloom that surrounds us every day. We have had a change in government, many people have been made redundant, university fees have increased and loads of people have had to tighten their belts and be creative in how they spend. You would think that with all of these external circumstances going on everyone would be walking around with a grey cloud over their heads.
However there are a growing amount of people who are seeing these times as one of the greatest opportunities ever! Whilst everyone is clutching their bank cards and moaning about how bad everything is there are some people who are actively planning and building foundations. Working out how they can improve their lives for the future, making connections with influential people, creating their own networks and enhancing their skills to succeed. One of the greatest things that you are doing right now is reading this blog post as this will provide you with some tools and tips that can help you to join those few and FLY in 2011!
1. Get Focused!
This is a major step that you can take to help you kick start your year. I hear the callings of “where to start?” There may be 2 million things on your to do list, that is if you have a to do list. You may have no idea which one to start with first! A great place to start is with a mind map, on a fresh piece of paper list out all of the things that are going on in your mind that you have to do. Whether it is book a holiday, register on a course or clean up your room. All of these things are floating around in your mind distracting you from your daily duties. Imagine how you will feel when you have your completed list with ticks next to all of the things you have done! That’s right a big smile and sigh of relief. Once you have compiled your mind map pick the top 3 things that you need to do and put a date and time next to them of when they will be completed. You are now committing yourself to carry out the action to do these activities. How will you feel if you do not complete these tasks? What do you need to do to get them finished? What are the next action steps you will take? When you have completed the first one move on to the next one and don’t forget to tick or cross off what you have achieved.
2. Get Motivated!
When you think of motivation you may have images of someone running around a stage jumping up and down telling you how to achieve your goals. Motivation can mean different things for different people. However it is very important to understand why you are doing something as it can be the difference between achieving a goal and not achieving a goal. When you look at your mind map/to do list find one or two benefits of completing the tasks and list them next to the action step. When you feel you cannot start or finish the task focus on the benefits and use that as motivation for you to achieve your goal. Find what motivates you and focus on the benefits.
3. Read books that inspire you
There is a quote that says “Readers are Leaders”. Do you regularly read? You are reading right now so you may regularly read blogs and articles. However do you read books? More importantly do you read books that help you to grow as a person? These are the books that leave you thinking and developing ways to enhance and grow in your own life. When you read these books you feel empowered and motivated to go out there and do something with your life. It is now even easier to get a hold of books with them even being delivered to your front door! So think about how you can introduce reading books that leave you inspired into your life.
You may be the total opposite and have so many books in your life that you cannot remember the title or the author. You may have books that have become handy things like placemats and something to lean on when you’re writing. It is great to have so many books but it can be challenging sometimes to sit down and read the whole book. It is easy to start the book with great intentions, be all excited about how great the book is and half way through convince yourself that you get the drift and move on to the next one. Sound familiar? It is important for a balance to be met and some knowledge to be gained from reading something that helps you to grow as a person.
4. Ask How
I love this word “HOW?” it is a simple three letter word but this can be life changing when action is applied. For example when you are learning something new or of interest you can ask yourself “How can I apply this to my life” instead of “things like that never happen for me”. When you ask how you are opening up new doors in your mind that enable you to think differently. They open doors rather than close them and you may find that you start to come up with different answers than usual. How can I get a new job? How can I start saving more money? How can I start a new business? With all of these questions we are so lucky to be able to have access to resources like Google. If we are asking a question then millions of other people may have asked it as well so we can search for ourselves and have the answers within seconds. So next time you have a question instead of assuming you do not know ask yourself “How?” and get moving to find out, remember you can always ask somebody if you cannot find what you want.
5. Take ACTION!
Once you have got focused, got motivated and asked how the next thing you need to do is to take ACTION. Nothing will happen by itself if you want something you have to go for it. “Do not wait; the time will never be "just right'. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along” Napoleon Hill. Even if you take one baby step at a time it will take you closer than if you took no baby steps at all. Good Luck and begin with the end in mind. Have a great 2011 and get ready to FLY.
We have some fantastic workshops that can enable you and your team/group to set goals, be inspired and increase your motivation. If you would be interested in having a “Let’s get FOCUSED!” Motivational Workshop at your organisation feel free to contact us at info@bornwithagift.com or http://www.bornwithagift.com/
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