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Develop Your Potential to Reach Your Dream

Develop Your Potential to Reach Your Dream

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Woman with outstretched arms and sun

Success means different things to different people. But success can also mean different outcomes depending on the person’s dream. A business person measures their dream of success by income and number of customers. When a beginner marathon runner finally stumbles across the finish line, whether he’s first or last, that’s a win to him. To the person afraid to speak in public, victory is being able to effectively lead a meeting. To others, it’s wealth and acclaim.

In every case, the person had the potential to succeed at their dream. But they had to cultivate and develop the qualities that would lead them to the result they wanted. It didn’t happen by chance. They had to become a person who could reach their vision. That meant they had to let go of some characteristics, habits and ideas, and acquire others.

So where in your life do you need to change? Who do you need to become to be successful and accomplish your dream? Here are five areas to address.

1. What characteristics do you need to develop within yourself?

The characteristics you need to develop are going to be individualized for you and customized for your dream. You won’t want ones that help you climb the Matterhorn if marketing your business is your goal. So consider your dream. Then take stock and assess what qualities you need to develop.

Once you decide which traits are essential for you to have, establish a way to learn and practice them. Choose one from your list to cultivate and start small, with baby steps. But be consistent. Exercise the attribute as much as you can. In doing so, you make it a habit. Then you can start working on the next one.

2. What do you need to identify with?

Your identity affects what you believe and how you act. If you identify with being a business person, you’re going to act differently than someone who feels they’re a teacher. It molds the way you perceive yourself and what you believe about yourself. In some ways, it forms your self-image.

Your identity isn’t concrete. It’s shifting all the time, depending on your roles and responsibilities. And you can influence it by what you choose to believe about yourself. Someone who wants to learn to draw will begin to connect with the idea of being an artist. They then start acting in a way that supports their new sense of identity by associating with artists, going to art shows and being more creative.

3. What do you need to believe to achieve your dream?

If you believe life is out to get you and that you’re a loser, you’re not going to be able to make your dream a reality. Your attitude of failure will sabotage your efforts and become a self-fulfilling prophecy. What you believe inspires and affects your actions, and a belief is simply an opinion. So you can choose to change your belief.

Discover what ideas will support your dream. Imagine that you’ve already reached it. As you explore how it feels to live your dream, what beliefs did you have to have to get there? You’ll identify beliefs about life, yourself and your capabilities that you can begin to change. One way to shift them is through positive self-talk.

4. What skills, knowledge or habits do you need to acquire?

When I wanted to use a computer and get onto the World Wide Web, I had to learn how to navigate the machine’s commands and surf the internet. They were new skills, but essential for me to reach my goal.

Once you recognize the necessary extra information or behaviors you need, figure out how to acquire them. You may need to read specific books, take courses, change your choices or your routine. As you take these steps, others may become apparent to you. Follow them through. Just don’t get stuck in the preparation stage. At some point, you need to actually take the leap into action.

5. What are you willing to do to achieve your dream?

This is probably the most important question. How strongly do you want your dream? Just day dreaming about it won’t bring it into reality. Only by committing to it will you be able to make it yours. For instance, if you want a higher paying job, are you willing to move to a new location, work a different shift or take on more responsibility? If there’s any part of you holding back, it will undermine you.

As you determine what your dream requires of you, do an internal inventory to make sure you’re ready. To accept something new in your life, you’ll have to sacrifice something old. Your life will be different. Are you prepared for it? You’ll also have to put physical, emotional and mental energy forth to bring your dream into reality. If your dream isn’t important enough to you to put in the needed effort, it’s better to know now. Take stock and decide what you’re willing to do.

As Henry Ford said, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” If what you’re doing now isn’t bringing you the result you want, you need to change.  Only by doing something different will you get results that are closer to what you want. And you can’t just change your actions. You also need to be someone different. Inner change is necessary for you to become the person who can achieve and live your dream.

Affirmation:

If I can conceive of my dream, then I can achieve it. I have all the support of the Universe in my endeavor. I am willing to do whatever I need to so that I create a new life. It’s safe for me to reach for my dream, and to make the changes necessary to accomplish it. As I put forth the inner and outer effort, I am Divinely guided in my quest.

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Sparks of Insight

Sparks of Insight

Sparks of Insight

What does success mean to your subconscious mind? It may not be what it means to your conscious mind. Sometimes, if you have an old concept of feeling ineffective, the subconscious will consider it a success if you reinforce that old idea. Your subconscious seeks to reinforce your old self-image, making it “right.” So what is your self-image concerning success? Do you need to update it?

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Focus, the Power Behind Success

Focus, the Power Behind Success

by Linda-Ann Stewart

"Your ability to focus is the most important success skill you can ever develop." Brian Tracy

“Your ability to focus is the most important success skill you can ever develop.” Brian Tracy

In today’s world, it’s hard to stay focused. It seems that every minute, there’s something to divert your attention. You probably check your email several times a day. Every time there’s a notification from your phone, you have to see what it is. That’s in addition to interruptions from co-workers, family and friends. After a distraction, studies show it takes at least fifteen to twenty minutes to get focused again.

Also, your mind can focus on only one thing at a time. Each time you shift your attention from one thing to another, you’re “task switching” and it burns up extra mental energy. When the entire day is filled with these intrusions, you end the day feeling drained and exhausted, with very little to show for it.

Benefits of Focus

However, when you’re more focused, you feel more in charge of your world, get in the flow and get more done. You also have less stress and overwhelm, because your mind has one thing to do at a time. In addition, you have more clarity, so you make better decisions, as well as being more efficient, effective, and productive.  

Therefore, to achieve your goals and dreams, your ability to focus is vital. Fortunately, it’s a skill that you can cultivate and develop. The more you focus, the more you’re able to focus. It’s just like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes.

How to Create the Habit of Focus

You can’t be focused all the time, because the unexpected does happen on occasion. But you can set aside time each day to pay attention to your most important tasks. Schedule time into your day to focus on important projects. Here are some ways you can get started and cultivate your ability to focus.

Motivate yourself to focus. Decide how having increased focus benefits you, and remind yourself of that incentive when you set aside time for it. As you build your motivation, and act on it, focusing becomes a habit. Jim Rohn said, “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” Once you establish the habit of focusing, your mind will automatically know what to do when you want to do it.

Use visualization. Choose one task that will move you towards your vision or goal. What is it you want to focus on and achieve in this period? Before you get to work on it, take a couple of minutes to visualize yourself performing your task and accomplishing what you want. This increases your motivation, and primes your subconscious to start solving any issues you might encounter. You’re rehearsing your actions, which then makes them easier to execute.

Eliminate distractions. Find a way to minimize the effects of whatever can intrude on your focus time. For instance, research shows that if your phone is in the same room as you’re in, your mind is always tuned to it. Even turning your phone off doesn’t work. Therefore, put your phone in another room, where you can’t see it or hear it. Turn off your email. Close your door.

Minimize multi-tasking. Constant multi-tasking trains your mind to hinder your focus. However, you don’t have to completely avoid multi-tasking. When you’re performing automatic behaviors, such as doing dishes, watching television doesn’t drain you. Or you can pay bills and listen to a podcast. But when you do activities that need you to think, multi-tasking uses up mental bandwidth and exhausts your energy. Your mind is always seeking something new, and when you multi-task, you jump from one attention getting novelty to another. Multi-tasking triggers the reward centers of the brain, therefore gives you an incentive to repeat the process, which makes multi-tasking addictive.

Strengthen your focus muscle. Set aside time to focus on one task without distractions. Start off with as much time as you can before you need a break. You may need to begin with only ten or fifteen minutes. Each week, increase the time. Aim to have a sixty to ninety-minute stretch of focusing on one topic or chore before you take a break. When you take your break, do something that rests your mind for several minutes, such as going for a walk, getting a drink, or something to eat. This gives your mind time to replenish its energy and get ready for your next work period.

Being able to focus is an inherent talent that we all have. But it’s not an skill that is exercised much, so most people have gotten out of practice with it. With the above tactics, you can cultivate your natural ability, strengthen it, and develop it into a habit that will support your success.

Affirmation:
I have a natural ability to focus and pay attention to what’s important to me. It’s a skill that I can develop and grow through practice. The Universe flows Its energy through my focus, supporting my endeavors and smoothing my path to maximize success.

Watch the accompanying video, Guided Meditation to Focus and Accomplish More.

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Actions Favor a Prepared Mind

Actions Favor a Prepared Mind

By Linda-Ann Stewart

Trish was an amazing and talented interior designer. When she finished a job, her clients loved the results. Unfortunately, her talent couldn’t overcome the other deficits in her business. She wasn’t consistent when she worked with clients. She’d set appointments, but wouldn’t show up. As a result, she rarely completed a job on time. She undermined herself, not only because she didn’t have business skills, but also because she didn’t have a professional mindset to support her business.

Needing the right mindset isn’t just necessary for business. It’s true for any short or long term goal. If you want to lose weight, get healthier, get a promotion or finish a painting, then you have to have a clear direction and your beliefs have to support it. Without those, your actions will be scattered or lose momentum, which leads to disappointing results for everyone involved.

Planting the Garden of Your Life

Your actions have to be focused and nurtured by your mindset to help them thrive. It would be like being a gardener who didn’t take the time to prepare a plot for their seeds. Imagine that your actions are seeds and your mindset is the soil.

If you scatter your seeds (actions) in all directions, because you don’t have a clear vision of where they should go, most of them will be lost. The wind will take some, and others will land on rocky ground, where they don’t have the nourishment to sprout. A few will be more fortunate and fall on a more fertile area and will germinate.

The few actions that fall on rich soil will produce moderate success, if you’re able to support them with follow up and follow through. Trish didn’t. Even though she was a talented designer, she lost her reputation and referrals because she wasn’t consistent. The same is true for any goal you have.

How Your Actions Affect Your Life

Suppose you want to market your business, and you go to networking events, but don’t follow up with your contacts. You advertise every once in a while, but not enough for people to recognize your business. Every so often, you post on social media, but because you’re not consistent, you don’t gather many followers. You’re taking the scattergun approach, hoping that you’ll hit something, but you usually don’t.

Maybe you want to begin an exercise program. You choose a gym and pay for membership, but only go once in a while. Because you haven’t changed what’s important in your life, to make it a priority, you eventually give up.

Preparation Is Key

If you want to be successful, in any area of life, you have to make sure all is ready for your actions to flourish. You have to prepare the soil (your mindset) by tilling it to loosen it so a seed can take root and germinate. Any weeds, or conflicting beliefs, need to be eliminated so they don’t crowd out your new plant. You need to apply the fertilizer of positive and supportive attitudes to enrich the soil.

Unless you know where to sow your seeds, and have prepared the ground, you’re going to waste a lot of energy. Only a very small percentage of your actions will germinate and very few of those will bloom. Actions need to be targeted, supporting the vision, nourished by your mindset. People can have a bunch of goals, thinking those goals are taking them in the direction they want to go. But they’re just in motion, without any definite purpose.

Trish treated her business more as a hobby. Instead of respecting her agreements, she figured that since she was the boss, she could complete the job whenever it was convenient for her. She didn’t understand that her clients were her employers and that she needed to keep her promises. Trish lacked business skills, but more than that, she didn’t have a businessperson’s mindset.

Louis Pasteur said, “Fortune favors a prepared mind.” When you’ve prepared your plot, knowing what you want to plant and where (your vision) and having fertile soil (your mindset), the seeds you sow in the area will sprout. Not all of them will, but if they’re watered and cared for, most of them will. Take care of your vision and mindset, and your actions will be successful, bringing you the results you desire.

Affirmation:

The Universe supports all of my endeavors. It wants me to be successful. Any idea that might sabotage my vision and goals are now erased from my consciousness. They don’t serve me. I now open my mind to creating a grand and glorious future. As I take care of my mindset, focusing on what I want, my actions lead to success.

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5 Secrets to Improve Your Chances of Success

5 Secrets to Improve Your Chances of Success

by Linda-Ann Stewart

When you want to achieve a goal, you focus on that desire. You can create a focus or vision board about it, formulate a list of the steps, and take action to put it into motion. But if the overall tendency of your thoughts isn’t optimistic, even if you’re generally positive about your goal, then you’ll have a hard time bringing it into reality.

When working with the Law of Attraction, practitioners state what they want. They visualize and affirm its fulfillment. But they neglect to address their supporting consciousness. For a seed to sprout, it needs to be planted in fertile soil. If it drops onto parched dirt, there’s no way it can  germinate. 

For instance, suppose you want to start a new business. You get all the paperwork in order, market your product or service, and have some limited success. The quality of your success depends not only on your belief that you’ll achieve it, but on whether you have a pessimistic or optimistic outlook. If your thoughts are predominantly negative, you’ll have an uphill battle.

Although focusing on the specific outcome you want is necessary to achieve the desired result, that’s not the complete picture. The subconscious acts on the average of your thoughts. If your negative thoughts outweigh your positive ones, then achieving success is going to be like dragging an anvil uphill over a rocky path.

Focusing only on your goal and its plan is like exercising to improve one single area of your body. If you only work on strengthening your stomach muscles, you’ll get mediocre abs and the rest of your body will be in poor shape. But if you exercise the rest of your body too, you’ll find that it increases the response of your abdomen to its workout. This is because the condition of your whole body is now balanced and can support the other muscles that help the abs. Whole body training is much more effective than spot training.

When you improve your overall attitude towards life, to become more optimistic, you’ll find that success comes to you much easier and more quickly. Your subconscious is instructed by your belief that change is possible and good things can happen in an instant. By addressing your supporting consciousness, more energy can be channeled into fulfilling your goal. As a result, you may bump into a contact who can open doors for you, or have opportunities drop into your lap.

Here are 5 ways to improve your overall consciousness of good and increase your chance for success:

State what you’re grateful for. Every night, write down 3 things you’re grateful for. In doing so, you’re directing your subconscious to find more to appreciate. Studies show that doing this can improve your positive attitude for months and increase your productive energy.

Put yourself on a criticism diet. When you criticize anything in your life, you’re focusing on the negative. And that instructs the subconscious to bring more to criticize into your life. Criticism contracts and destroys. Praise expands and builds. That’s why gratitude is so important.

Look for the good in everything. Whenever you seek to find the gold in a seemingly unhappy situation, you’re instructing your creative mind to find a benefit from it. If this exercise is a stretch for you, then focus on the small joys of life. Pay attention to whatever good happens during the day, no matter how tiny or insignificant it might be. Dwell on the delight.

Remember your successes. Bring to mind how you’ve met and overcome challenges, even if they’re small. Linger over them, impressing their positive images and emotions on your mind. Remind yourself that if you could do it once, you can build on it and do it again in a bigger way.

Take time to meditate.  Not only does meditation reduce stress, it builds resources for you to draw on in challenging times. To begin with, you can simply observe your breath going in and out for 2 minutes. This trains your mind to quiet down. As you get comfortable with that length, you can extend the session a minute at a time.

Build a well of optimism for yourself, and when you set a goal, you’ll have all of that positive energy that can be used to focus on it. Only by increasing and improving the overall quality of your thoughts will you be able to achieve the success you desire and deserve.

Affirmation:

I know the Universe wants the best for me. When I become aware that I’m being critical, I stop and find something to praise in the situation. Gratitude instructs my creative mind to find more to appreciate, therefore the good in my life expands. I delight in the small and large joys of life. As I do, I open the channel for  more Universal good to flow into my life.

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Succeed from the Inside Out

Succeed from the Inside Out

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Reach Goal

Everyone has two ways of being motivated to achieve a goal. You’re either internally or externally motivated. Internal motivation includes desiring to be of service, a leader, or improving yourself, while external motives could be making more money, receiving approval or developing prestige. Most people focus on external rewards to drive them toward a goal, thinking that’s the key. But oddly enough, paying attention to your internal motivation is more likely to bring you success.

You might think that having both a strong internal and external motive would increase your chances of succeeding. But that’s not the case. Instead, the two motives compete and cancel each other out. As a result, a person is less likely to meet their goals than when they have one type of motivation. And the best way to succeed is to work with your internal motives. Success flows from the inside out.

When you elevate your internal motivation, you’re connecting with your Higher Self and allowing it to express in your life. This allows you to be in the flow of the Universe, and expand your influence and awareness.

The Elements of Internal Motivation

Your internal motive is your why, or the purpose, you’re seeking with your goal. Without a strong reason, you’ll run out of gas on your way to your objective and sputter to a stop. When you have your “why” figured out, it empowers and encourages you to continue when the going gets tough. Your “why” also energizes the Law of Attraction to draw what you want to you. Do you want to be healthier or feel better? Does your goal support or allow you to express your values? Figure out your “why” and keep it in mind as you move forward.

If your beliefs aren’t aligned with your goals, then you may come close to or even achieve your goal, only to backslide. You’ll find a way to sabotage yourself to stay in agreement with your belief. If your beliefs don’t sustain your goal, that gives the Law of Attraction conflicting directions, and will deliver only a partial result. Do you have trouble believing that your goal is possible? Or do you feel unworthy of achieving your goal? Uncover the unproductive beliefs you have about your goal and find a way to turn them around so they support your aspiration.

Having clarity about your vision is vital to accomplish your goal. Your vision establishes where you want to end up with your goal. Unless you have a vision, you may accomplish a goal, but it won’t take you anywhere. You’ll spin your wheels or run in circles, without fulfilling the purpose for the goal. A vision gives the Law of Attraction a definite pattern of what you want. The Law can then fill that pattern more easily. Once you have a vision, create a plan of how to get to your destination. Then determine the goals, or steps, you need to bring your plan into reality.

Succeed from the Inside Out

Probably 90% of the time, your internal motivation will bring you to success. All of your strategies and tactics should rest on the foundation of your inner motives. Whether you have a goal to change a habit or build a business, pay more attention to your internal motivation. This is what will drive your external strategies, steps and actions so that you stay focused on your vision. You’ll experience more meaning, purpose and fulfillment when you plan to succeed from the inside out.

Affirmation:

The Universe supports my goals, vision and aspirations. It wants the best for me. I determine what my inner motivation is to propel me towards my desire. That motivation inspires and sets my intention to take the actions necessary to fulfill my vision. My motivation is one that is good for me and for everyone concerned.

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NSA-Arizona Member of the Year

NSA-Arizona Member of the Year

Linda-Ann Stewart- National Speakers Association-Arizona Chapter 2021 Member of the Year
Linda-Ann Stewart- National Speakers Association-Arizona Chapter 2021 Member of the Year

I was stunned and thrilled to be honored with the 2021 Member of the Year award by National Speakers Association-Arizona Chapter! It recognized my six years of work as the newsletter editor for the chapter. Being editor was challenging and rewarding, and I’ve learned a lot from it.

I’ve been a member of the Arizona Chapter since 2004, and was a newsletter proof reader for five years before I took over as editor. I was also a member of the board for two years, and won the 2013 Member of the Year award for my work as Membership Chairperson.

Unfortunately, due to personal issues, I’ve had to resign my position as editor. I didn’t think I’d be able to fulfill my responsibilities through this period. My award was a wonderful tribute to my contribution, and I am so very grateful!

National Speakers Association-Arizona Chapter provides speakers with valuable insights and proven strategies to build a successful speaking business.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Consistency: The Key To Your Success

Consistency: The Key To Your Success

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Steps to Success

Over the past couple of years, Robin gained 30 pounds. Looking back to see what had created the extra weight, she realized she’d begun a new job two years ago that had included donuts in the break room. Every day, she’d grab one or two of them. Because of the unconscious habit she’d developed, eating more calories than normal, she’d gained an unwelcome amount of weight.

Have you ever noticed that when you do something over and over, it not only becomes a habit, but it has a certain outcome? This may be a goal you want for yourself, such as a healthier lifestyle. Or you may receive a result that you didn’t want, like gaining weight, as Robin did. But when you consistently take the same actions, you’re going to reap the rewards or the consequences of what you’re doing.

For instance, Carol got into credit card debt by not paying off her balance at the end of each month. Instead, she’d regularly let $50-$100 dollars pile up each cycle because she didn’t have the extra money to apply to it. Carol didn’t realize that each month she was spending more than she made.  

The same idea happens to smokers. Earl didn’t start out smoking 2 packs a day. His smoking increased slowly as he associated more and more situations and activities with a cigarette. When any of these circumstances surfaced during the day, he’d reach for another hit of tobacco. Eventually, he built up to his 2 pack a day habit.

Each of these examples didn’t get to an overwhelming level overnight. It took a constant series of the same actions over a period of time that changed a little problem into a big one. There are many other challenges that are like these: personal, professional, lifestyle, financial, and health. Big problems don’t form in an instant. They build up slowly over time as you perform one action on top of another to create a habit that results in your challenge.

What You Need to Be Able to Change

If you want to change the problem, you’ll need consistency and discipline to do so. Just as the problem built up one decision and action at a time, you’ll need to take one step at a time to undo it. You’ve had the issue for a long time. It won’t be undone in a few days.

The solution is the same as what created your problem. Success comes from taking a specific action over and over again. Take small consistent steps that chip away at the issue. It’s like turning a car around in a narrow road. You have to back up and pull forward a number of times before you can go in the opposite direction.

The same is true of making these changes. It may take a few months, a year, or even several years to get to your goal. But if you don’t make the changes, your problem will continue to grow.  

Whatever goal you desire, choose sustainable actions you can take that will move you in that direction. When you do, think of the outcome that you’re aiming for. This will help to keep you motivated, even when the results are slow in coming.

Why Consistency Is Important

Your choices and behaviors communicate to your subconscious that you are willing to do what’s necessary to achieve your goal. Consistency means there aren’t any mixed messages impressing your subconscious. As long as you’re true to moving in the new direction, the Law of Attraction will begin to draw whatever you need to fulfill your mission.

For instance, the way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories than you expend each day and include regular exercise. If you want to pay off debt, reduce expenditures each month and apply that money to pay down your credit cards or other debts. To increase your business, create a plan to consistently reach more people through networking and marketing. If building your savings is your goal, commit to putting a minimum amount of money in that account each month.

For greater peace of mind, meditate every day. Using affirmations each day will impress your subconscious to make an improvement in your life. To move towards your goal, you have to focus on where you want go and decide to move in that direction.

Consistent actions created the life you have now, and consistent actions will create the new life you want. When you’re persistent in making decisions that result in different behaviors, then you’ll receive the new outcomes that you want. Choose your goal, create the steps to get there, and then take them one at a time. The journey to your future begins with the steps you take each day. Consistency is the key to your success.  

Affirmation:

When I’m consistent in my thoughts, decisions and actions, I communicate what I want clearly to my subconscious and the Universe. Every action I take leads to greater success and fulfillment. The Universe completely supports my endeavors. I am Divinely Guided in my choices and direction.

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Don’t Slow Before the Finish Line

Don’t Slow Before the Finish Line

by Linda-Ann Stewart

I don’t watch much sports, but my husband and I do enjoy the summer and winter Olympics. Over the years, I’ve noticed something interesting about many athletes who are in speed contests. Whether they’re runners, ice skaters or cyclists, when they’re in a race, they often ease up as they approach the finish line. Sometimes the front runner, who has slowed down, is passed by another athlete who has kept up their pace until after they’ve crossed the finish line.

This isn’t just true about athletes. It’s also true in any kind of goal achievement. The same problem affects changing a habit or achieving a sales target. Do you have the finish line in sight and slow down or stop your efforts? Often, when someone is about to accomplish a goal, whether personal or professional, they sabotage their attempt. They’ll stop putting energy towards the goal, try to coast across the line, stop just short of it, or abandon it completely just before they’ve reached their objective. If you do this, you restrict the amount of abundance from the Universe.

Some Reasons You Hold Yourself Back (and what to do about them)

There are a variety of reasons for this kind of self-sabotage. Here are a three of them, and suggestions to maintain your progress until you’ve accomplished your goal.

Fear of success. You hold yourself back because you’re afraid of what success would bring, such as extra responsibility, criticism or envy of others. As long as you fall short of your aim, you avoid the potential consequences. For instance, you work on a project, but as you approach completion, you get distracted. Or you procrastinate finishing, because it’s not perfect. If you turn in a less than stellar result, you can use it as an excuse for not getting that promotion.

If you’re concerned about extra responsibility, take some extra training so you can deal with the additional authority. And you aren’t responsible for how someone else reacts to your success. Don’t take it personally. You are simply their latest scapegoat for their own insecurities. Just focus on doing your work to the best of your ability and take pride in that. The Universe supports you and will provide whatever help you need to deal with your concerns.

You overreach. You set a goal that is more than what you actually want. For instance, you state you want to lose twenty pounds, when your actual intention is to lose fifteen. The issue is that your subconscious knows your actual goal. You can’t fool it. Your subconscious will support you to your true target, but not any farther. That means that as you approach your desired weight, you start eating foods that aren’t on your diet. You indulge in some snack chips, then a cupcake, and your weight reduction grinds to a halt near your internal desire.

To remedy this, remember that your goal is an artificial ideal. Instead of focusing on the number on the scale, shift your attention to the process that’s getting you there. In this case, your attention would be on eating healthier foods, in smaller amounts, and getting more exercise. Small servings of desserts would only be for special occasions. Your reduced weight is then the outcome of your lifestyle shift.

This can be true of sales goals, as well. Spend more time concentrating on your daily task of creating and contacting leads instead of your eventual sales. Your process will result in with more sales than aiming at a target, though the target is helpful to keep you going in the right direction. Your goal tells the Universe what you want. Your job is to follow through with your process and the Universe will provide the result.

Stay in your comfort zone. You’ve set a goal that you’re comfortable achieving. You have confidence that you can reach your aspiration without much difficulty. It doesn’t stretch you and you just go through the motions to accomplish it. Once you do, you feel so good that you repeat the process so you can feel uplifted again. But you stay in the same place and don’t improve.

Stop limiting yourself. Open your mind to the abundance of the Universe. It is safe to accept more good. If you’re not expanding out of your comfort zone, that zone will shrink and it will be harder to maintain your current level of performance. Motivational gurus and coaches encourage people to choose a goal that scares them. This allows you to grow, learn and gain more confidence as you progress. What objective would make you feel a little intimidated and uncomfortable? Start taking steps, baby ones if need be, and accept the fear.

Focus on Your Steps

If you undermine your progress when approaching your goal, stop thinking about the end result. Instead, focus on the steps of your plan and your procedure for moving forward. When you accomplish one step, tackle the next one. That way, you won’t be as intimidated or concerned about where you are in relation to the finish line. And who knows, you might exceed your goal and reach the stars.  

Affirmation:

The Universe wants the best for you and supports you in all your endeavors. Whatever you need to achieve your goal is provided. You’re Divinely Guided in your direction and activities. As you take the steps necessary, the Universe takes care of the result.

Watch the accompanying video, Overcome the Obstacles to Your Goal.

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Use Journaling for Mindfulness and Success

Use Journaling for Mindfulness and Success

In today’s world, we rush ahead to the next thing, without assessing what’s worked and what hasn’t. We don’t take a step back to recognize problems and seek solutions to them. But you can use a technique that many successful entrepreneurs and business people employ. Journaling is a proven method to help you find clarity, find solutions, improve your health and your life. Learn how to start small with this practice and begin to enjoy its benefits.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. In today’s hectic pace, it’s hard to take time to be intentional, mindful and evaluate our lives, isn’t it? But there is an easy way to find clarity, engage your creative mind, discover possibilities, solve problems, encourage and motivate yourself, as well as improve your mental and physical health. It’s something that many successful entrepreneurs and business people practice. What is this tactic? It’s journaling.

I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a vision strategist coach, and I’d like to share with you a way to use this technique to improve your personal and professional life. Most people are overwhelmed with the idea of journaling. They’re afraid it takes too much time. I was too, when I first started journaling several decades ago. But I decided to start small, just to form the habit.

To begin, I got a page a month desk calendar. I committed to just write one word each day, to describe the day, or what I was feeling, or something I’d done. By the end of the year, each square on that calendar was filled with sentences. The next year, I got calendar with a page a week. The year after that, I’d graduated to a page a day. Now, I use a book, put in my own dates, and write as much or as little as I want.

Journaling has helped me work out issues that were plaguing me, note my accomplishments, and learn from my experiences. It’s a time for me to reflect about the day, write any insights and what my plans might be and how they’re working.  

My tip for you is to start small, like I did. Get a journaling book and date each entry. Write one sentence per day. Just one. It could be how your day went, something awesome that happened to you, something you learned, something you want to improve, or whatever comes to mind. Then write something you’re proud of or have accomplished that day. That’s just two items.

When you get thoughts out of your head and onto paper (or into the computer, if you’re so inclined), it helps to see things more clearly and objectively. Your brain reprocesses the information in a different way.

Reflection and assessing helps you to better fulfill your potential and then move forward in a more positive and powerful way. You’ll be more intentional, mindful, and feel happier.

If you’d to achieve a 90-day goal more easily, download my free comprehensive Strategic Vision Guide at www.SetYourCourseGuide.com. You’ll receive the guide, as well as a training video that walks you through each step with tips and directions to support you in accomplishing your goal.

Thank you for watching. How can you start journaling your way to greater mindfulness and success?

Read the accompanying article, How to Become More Positive When Things Go Wrong.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart