Focus On Success
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GoalsGuy
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-
A Call for Boldness
-
A Business
Prerequisite - Keep Learning
-
The
Accountability Factor
-
A "Dear
John" Letter from
Your Hopes and Dreams
-
Create
a Sense of Urgency
-
The
Discipline of Self-Discipline
A
Call for Boldness!
by Gary Ryan Blair /www.GoalsGuy.com
Those who act boldly are recognizing both a
fundamental right as well as a pragmatic reality!
Have you ever noticed who gets the most respect and the most rewards?
Look closely and notice that it's not the wallflowers, it's not the
people that sit back and wait for others to do things for them.
Those who have accomplished much, have been men and women with a spirit
of boldness and adventure. They are those who are willing to challenge
and constantly question even the existence of the comfort zone, they try
new ideas, and are willing to attempt the seemingly impossible.
The men and women that reach the upper echelon of success are the ones
that act boldly. They thrive under pressure and take the risks and
actions that lesser people are just too afraid to attempt.
What do I mean by boldness? Boldness is the act of responding to a
situation in a manner that may be viewed as daring to some, but is
essential to effectively address the issue at hand.
By boldness, I do not mean being rude, reckless,
insensitive, arrogant, or a bully. None of these attributes are
acceptable to any of us ... ever!
Why is it that some people tend to be bold while
others seem to hesitate? How can you become bold in your actions?
Keep reading and I'll tell you how to dramatically
increase your performance by developing this skill, habit, attitude and
imperative characteristic.
Bold Actions Speak Bold Volumes
by Gary Ryan Blair /www.GoalsGuy.com
"There is no more liberating, no more exhilarating experience
than to determine one's position, state it bravely, and then to act
BOLDLY."
- Eleanor Roosevelt
Boldness is a spirited word that eloquently describes bravery. It takes
a great deal of boldness to confront and tackle the issues in today's
society with a straightforward approach.
Boldness isn't inherited. It's a characteristic that
will blossom with the determination you have to live an uncommon life of
bravery.
Boldness comes when you begin to make valued decisions and move forward
for what you believe in. By challenging individual growth and creating
goals you are bringing clarity to your dreams and energy that will
revitalize your mind, body, and spirit.
Both boldness and timidity are acquired habits. They are learned
behavior, and because they are learned behavior you can choose to
replace timidity with boldness by doing two things:
-
Make a decision to act with boldness and
confidence.
-
Learn how.
The truth of the matter is that high achievers
learn to be bold in their actions, just as they can learn how to
be timid. The trick is to cultivate boldness from within.
When you are facing a decision to act,
consider it as an opportunity to prove your worth. The first
thing you must do is decide whether you want to take action or
not. This is where the spirit of boldness comes into play.
Any action you take is an opportunity to improve yourself, to advance
your lot in life and achieve greater success. Because people lack
confidence, they also lack the aggressive boldness which is needed in
order to have an impact on the world around us.
Don't let an opportunity pass in your life, and don't
you dare allow fear to be your scapegoat.
You can do it!
The person who consistently displays bold behavior will far out-perform
the person who does not. A behavior of boldness helps propel a person
beyond what he or she might otherwise achieve.
In fact, boldness has such a profound impact on the
effectiveness of one's performance that I find it curious that this
trait is not more talked about as a fundamental ingredient of success.
You don't have to be a big shot to be bold. Often the most normal people
suddenly achieve great heights because they learn the power that lies in
acting boldly. When David faced Goliath he was more than just the
underdog: he was road kill.
But you know how that turned out. David acted boldly, even though
everyone else thought he had a screw loose and slew the mighty Goliath.
The story is now legend; an example to the world that
shows that it's the bold that makes history. The timid? Well, they can
read about it in the papers and live their life in agonizing mediocrity.
No Guts - No Glory!
Call it what you want, but cultivating boldness, audacity or even
chutzpah is no accident, nor is it an easy task. It takes guts. In fact,
training yourself to act boldly usually takes a lot of blood, sweat and
tears over many years.
But it can be done, and if you want to be successful, if you want to be
the one enjoying the fruits of your labor, then you must train yourself.
And the best way to train yourself is the same way you get to Carnegie
Hall, you must practice, practice, practice!
Audacity or boldness has always been a feature of successful
outcomes. More goals and dreams have been defeated because of lack of
boldness than for any other reason.
The surest way to get comfortable with high performance is by telling
yourself: this needs to be done, I'm the one to get it done, and I'm
going to get it done at all costs.
Tell yourself this every time you are faced with the possibility to act
and advance yourself. Make it happen, do what you've got to do, and
you'll gain the reputation of being a doer.
Boldness is the ability to dare to do those difficult things. it means
standing out from the crowd. Sometimes a bold act may never be popular,
but that does not diminish the fact it maybe the right thing to do.
Again, this takes courage to proceed. Popularity may only come when the
prudence of an act is recognized.
Relying on the bold acts of others, or criticizing them, will not bring
satisfaction into our lives. Only the actions we take will change, or
better, ourselves.
Moving to do what we know is right and good can often be a feat of
daunting proportion. But when we step up to the challenge with boldness,
the proportions diminish and we can face obstacles with assurance of
success.
Watch Your Mouth!
Talk is cheap. Any fool can shoot their mouth off at anytime without
ever backing their words with actions as most fools do. Such people
quickly gain bad reputations and in the majority of the cases never make
much progress.
Actions always speak louder than words. You will be judged on what you
do, not by what you say. This way you can and will build a strong and
deserved reputation for action that will propel you to the top. And the
top is where you definitely want to be.
Boldness is a strategic tactical approach to a given situation. It
requires good situational awareness, strong nerves and craftiness.
Boldness involves taking risks and when you decide upon a course of
action, boldness demands that you execute it aggressively.
We must always be bold to succeed and aggressive in each act, seizing
every initiative... to move forward and to improve. In your boldness,
you must always compete fairly, never denigrating your character,
competitors, or colleagues.
Can you exhibit boldness? I know you can. The real question is
"Will you exhibit boldness?"
Everything Counts!
Gary Ryan Blair
Gary@GoalsGuy.com
PS.
Create a solid plan for 2006, click here now!
A
Business Prerequisite - Keep Learning!
by Gary Ryan Blair/www.GoalsGuy.com
Of all the rules and principles of performance
improvement advocated by myself or any other author, none is of more
fundamental importance than a thorough commitment to learning, both
individually and organizationally. In a very real sense, it is a
precondition to all the others. Look at it as an insurance policy on
success.
In today's competitive and sometimes ruthless economy, the case for
learning with knowledge creation as its PRIMARY goal, will be
overwhelming. Propelled by the competitive imperatives of speed, global
responsiveness and the need to innovate constantly or perish, learning
will be the essential hedge against extinction.
Learning must be the dominant responsibility of everyone, regardless of
position. The leader who figures out how to harness the collective
genius of the people in his or her organization is going to blow the
competition away.
In today's economy where the only certainty is uncertainty, the only
sure source of lasting competitive advantage is knowledge. When markets
shift, technologies proliferate, competitors multiply and products
become obsolete virtually overnight, successful companies will be those
that consistently create new knowledge, disseminate it widely throughout
the organization and quickly embody it in new technologies and products.
In short, success will come from learning!
Successful organizations and individuals in today's economy will also
require superior infrastructure for building, gathering, and
disseminating knowledge. These organizations must be capable of
delivering strategically relevant information to the right people in
real time.
Perhaps most difficult of all, learning means surfacing and re-examining
all those assumptions that operate today.
Learning is about more than simply acquiring new knowledge and insights;
it is also crucial to UNLEARN old knowledge that has outlived its
relevance. Thus, forgetting is probably at least as important as
learning.
Old cultural and psychological habits die extremely hard. Rooting out
and challenging obsolete assumptions can expose critical discrepancies
between external reality and internal mental models. It is these gaps
that provide much of the creative tension and dynamic energy that drives
learning.
The Hallmarks And Prerequisites Of Learning
This list is ambitious; ideally, it is not even fully attainable.
Learning is a journey with no end in sight. But the conscious pursuit of
learning and growth is what really counts.
-
Intellectual Curiosity: A passion to understand the changing
forces swirling around you, an eagerness to learn them faster, and a
recognition that learning is an unending journey.
-
Humility: A pervasive acknowledgement that no one can have all
the answers. You must have a willingness to learn from others.
-
Self-Criticism: A logical extension of humility. A constant
questioning of conventional wisdom and a keen awareness that success
invariably sows the seeds of failure.
-
Tolerance for Ambiguity, Complexity, and Change: An acceptance
of the fact that change is an inherent reality. Thrive on change; don't
allow yourself to be intimidated by its rough and unpolished exterior.
-
Experimentation: A willingness to try out new approaches, to
monitor the results, and to incorporate the feedback into new
initiatives.
-
Hunger for Feedback: A genuine eagerness to reach out and get
performance feedback from a variety of sources, and a willingness to
listen to it and make changes.
-
Failure: A view of experiments as desirable, mistakes as
inevitable, and failures as offering the raw material of success.
Learning is more a product of failure than of success.
-
Creative Self-Destruction: No advantage lasts forever. Render
yourself obsolete before others do it for you. It's the price
world-class innovators gladly pay for staying ahead of the pack.
Learning is the most strategically compelling task to which everyone
should dedicate himself or herself. Ask yourself, this important
question:
What have I learned today to make me and my business more competitive in
the marketplace?
Keep learning and growing, or you'll find yourself road kill real fast.
Everything Counts!
Gary Ryan Blair
Gary@GoalsGuy.com
PS.
Create a solid plan for 2006, click here now!
The
Accountability Factor
by Gary Ryan Blair/www.GoalsGuy.com
Accountability: The
quality or state of being accountable; especially: an obligation
or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's
actions.
Nickname: The Enforcer
Value / Purpose: Serves and protects your character,
credibility and commitments. Ensures that what you want to
accomplish gets accomplished.
All unfinished goals, projects and relationships are the result of
broken promises and agreements. The list includes marriages,
college educations, weight loss, sales production and any other
commitment that one may enter into.
Think about the last time you entered into an agreement with
someone thinking you understood the terms, and then suddenly the
tables were turned unexpectedly? How did you feel? I bet angry,
furious, disappointed, or perhaps even shocked at the other
person's audacity not to hold up their end of the bargain.
I'm going to summarize "The Accountability Factor" by
having you ask and answer this one question:
What’s the point of setting a goal, or making a commitment if
you have no intention of ever achieving or honoring it?
Personal accountability is the glue that holds a goal or
commitment in place. It serves as an insurance policy on your
journey to success. If you've got a great goal or opportunity but
no personal accountability, you really don’t have much!
Unaccountable people make excuses, blame others, put things off,
act confused and play helpless. They pretend to be ignorant, and
often hide behind their computers, paperwork, and jargon. It's a
contagious disease, one that can sink a business, a family and a
life if not cured.
Your biggest concern in any goal setting initiative is not with
your skill, ability, or intelligence—it’s your commitment.
Unless you are committed, and hold yourself personally accountable
for the results you promised there would be a sense of negligence
to everything you do, not to mention a permanent stain on your
character.
The “Promised Land” is for those who exercise personal
accountability. Personal accountability means maintaining a
commitment to your commitment. It’s about setting a goal and
keeping your promise to achieve it…end of story!
Harry Truman had a sign on his desk stating "The buck stops
here." Through this statement, he indicated his acceptance of
personal accountability for the results of his actions. Thus, the
most important questions anyone serious about making progress in
life must ask when things go wrong are: "What did I do
wrong?" "What should I do to rectify this
situation?" "What can I learn from this?"
Accountability means that the task will be accomplished - on time,
on budget, as promised. Pulling your own weight is your
responsibility. Always do what you say you are going to do!
Personal accountability is what achievement is all about. The
moments you feel like quitting are the times you must take a
flashlight to your soul and inspect yourself for will, courage,
and spirit. Don’t tarnish your goal by doing something so bush
as quitting just because things got difficult.
Lack of accountability ensures false promises and broken dreams;
it negatively reinforces a sense of incompetence. Failure to honor
your commitments to yourself is the biggest mistake you can make;
it reflects an absolute disregard for the sanctity of your own
goal. Accountability means you are answerable for your actions and
inactions.
Saturate your goal with a heavy dose of personal accountability.
Without it, your goal becomes more whim than vision, more a scheme
than a dream. Lack of personal accountability is like a slow leak
in a tire… eventually everything goes flat. If success is your
destination, you will arrive there on a carriage called Planning
pulled by a horse named Accountability.
Commitments are easier to make than to meet. But the joke is on
you if you think you can achieve a goal—any goal—without
commitment. You are called on to fulfill your promises.
What’s at stake at this stage is profoundly more important than
the goal itself. Hanging in the balance is the essence of your
life… your character and overall success. You simply can’t
afford the habit of breaking agreements to yourself or to others!
Personal accountability builds intellectual and psychological
muscle. Yet, many people have the psychological strength of a
“98-pound weakling.” You make yourself vulnerable to failure
every time you exercise cream puff ethics. You deprive yourself
the company of success and the fruits of your efforts by quitting.
Personal accountability is the countdown clock of your goal. It
starts ticking the second you begin and stops when you achieve the
goal or quit.
Without personal accountability, you can say, “Farewell dream.
Adios potential. Tood-a-loo success. Hello Mediocrity!” Your goal
will find a more deserving soul… someone with courage,
character, and conviction. Someone who keeps promises!
As a performance coach, I have worked with very few clients who
did not initially resist accountability being added to the
equation that ultimately caused their success. Applying
accountability to yourself and others is really a very simple
process, and no surprise here, the process centers on commitment
and communication.
What is the key to successfully holding people accountable?
Ask their permission to do so!
Holding someone accountable for something they have not agreed and
committed to be responsible for is like asking a room full of
young children, "Who left the ice tray empty?" and
receiving nothing but blank stares in return.
Without guidance from you regarding expectations and without their
permission and an acknowledgment of responsibility on an issue,
you are likely to receive nothing but blank stares, hand tossing,
and finger pointing when it comes to dishing out lumps.
It's only when people clearly understand and accept that they
are accountable for their actions around those issues that you
have together planned out, can you see the possibilities for a
better future.
Owning accountability causes us to consider the potential
consequences of our actions before we take them; it allows us to
spend less time backtracking and making excuses for what we did or
did not do, and it leaves little room for being stopped around a
certain issue or assigned task.
If it is applied equally and consistently, at all times,
accountability is the enforcement tool that will help keep you on
track and forever moving north in the direction of your dreams. It
is a tool that, when universally applied, will change the way you
think and act and, ultimately, the results you produce. It will
help transform you into a dynamic, unstoppable results oriented
machine!
Accountability is the heartbeat of your goal. In order to keep
your goal and commitments breathing, rely on the oxygen that can
only be found in "The Accountability Factor".
Everything Counts!
Gary Ryan Blair
Gary@GoalsGuy.com
PS.
Create a solid plan for 2006, click here now!
The genesis of a "Dear John
Letter" can be traced to World War II. They usually begin with 'Dear
John, I have found someone else whom I think the world of. I think the
only way out is for us to get a divorce". These letters told of the
broken hearts and dreams of our servicemen and women... The letters were
called, "Dear Johns".
The purpose of this lesson is to provide you with a different type of
"Dear John" letter. It's a private note from your hopes and
dreams, and which speaks loudly through your subconscious. Ask yourself
this question; If your hopes and dreams could talk what would they say?
It is my intention to provide an
outlet, a voice for all of those hopes, dreams, desires and goals that
have been neglected!
......................................................
Dear John,
You probably already know what this
letter is about. You’ve seen it coming, I know you have. It’s about
us, John (fill in your name here). It’s over. I’m leaving you!
I’ve hung on as long as I could, you’ve got to give me credit for
that. I mean, the way you swept me off my feet and talked lovingly about
the future we would have together. I have waited so long for your embrace,
your attention, and your love.
Why have you neglected me? Why have
you made so many excuses? Your inaction, and addiction to procrastination
is tearing me apart. I simply must move on!
For years, I would get so excited every time you talked about the business
we were going to start, the places we were going to visit, and the home on
the water where we could watch the sun set every night. My heart would
pitter patter every time you talked about me to other people, only to be
let down once again because you were afraid.
John, what are you afraid of? It's
only me! I am your hopes, dreams and goals. I wanted you as much as you
wanted me, but you leave me no choice. I simply must move on!
Please do not attempt to talk your way out of this. The years of
indecision, and lack of discipline tell me everything I need to know. If
you really, and I mean if you REALLY wanted me, you would have found a way
for us to be together.
I am tired of having my hopes get so
high just to have the rug pulled out from underneath me. I simply must
move on!
Time is marching by without us, and my greatest fear is suddenly becoming
visible on the horizon. I am so afraid that we could come to the end of
our lifetime and never have the chance to really know one another. It
breaks my heart to even entertain this thought, but I simply must move on!
Like the Genie that grants three wishes, I wanted to
give you what your heart desires. All I wanted, needed and called out for
was your attention, your devotion and your willingness to work hard for
me. If that was too much to ask for than I'm sorry. I simply must move on!
All things of value must be earned, and I've grown tired of your excuses
and lack of patience. On numerous occasions, I was within your grasp, but
you quit too soon. Why did you leave me when you were so close?
I only know you from a distance, I've watched you look at other people who
have achieved their goals, and wondered if your ticket would ever get
punched.
I'll let you in on a little secret;
everyday, I would call out to you; "I am your goal, here I am, come
and get me!". I'm curious, did you ever hear me? I would repeat this
day after day, month after month and year after year. But now, I've grown
tired of hearing that the timing is not right, that you're tired, or that
someday you'll get around to it.
Well, I think it's time that I get around to it myself and find someone
who is committed, focused and proactive. I simply must move on!
John (fill in your name here), on behalf of all of your hopes, dreams,
goals and desires; there is something you should know about us. We will
never fail you, nor will we ever let you down. The main reason why we have
not embraced one another is that you have failed us by not taking action!
Why?
...........................................................
I trust you have found this lesson
to be insightful, disruptive and motivating. Listen to your heart, follow
your dreams and remember...
Everything Counts!
Gary Ryan Blair
Gary@GoalsGuy.com
PS.
Create a solid plan for 2006, click here now!
An atmosphere of urgency will create
an atmosphere of achievement.
Have you noticed that the people who
make things happen in this world value and share the same sense of
urgency?
High Achievers work best under a
self-determined or externally fixed deadline for achieving objectives.
Those who consciously choose not to "sleep at the wheel" realize
that regardless of the goal being pursued, they must continually maintain
a sense of urgency in order to compete and win.
True greatness is only achieved
once we develop a sense of urgency and importance of what we are doing. I
mean a sense of urgency to the extent that we feel getting results and
achieving our goals is a matter of life and death.
It's tragically un-hip to
procrastinate. A deadline and strong sense of urgency generates energy
toward getting results. In short, they drive people to perform.
Purposely put yourself in a
position where you have to perform!
One of the biggest mistakes people
make when trying to achieve a goal is to plunge ahead without establishing
a high enough sense of urgency in themselves and others. Communicating
urgency is one of the hallmarks of personal and professional leadership.
The Importance Of Deadlines!
In an ideal world, behavior shouldn't depend on deadlines. Behavior should
depend on our values, and one of the values of all high performing people
is a sense of urgency.
· Deadlines Represent COMMITMENT
· Deadlines Enforce ACCOUNTABILITY
· Deadlines Create a SENSE OF URGENCY
A clearly understood deadline, that is shared, agreed upon and committed
to is the silver bullet of proactive behavior. There is nothing like a
good old fashioned, it's got to be done by this deadline that gets people
off the pot and into the game.
Why You Need a Sense of Urgency
None of us can afford to delay our goals, dreams nor responsibilities any
longer. Deadlines create a sense of urgency that help us get things done.
Open your eyes, look around you and see all of the wonderful things
that get accomplished all due to a deadline and corresponding sense of
urgency that is either self imposed or other imposed.
· Newspapers
and magazines all depend upon deadlines to get printed.
· Federal Express
- an entire industry was created to satisfy those with a need for
urgent communication.
· Credit card,
mortgage, telephone, and power companies use deadlines and
penalties to get people to act on time.
· The two-minute
warning in football challenges coaches and players to make
every play and opportunity one of importance.
· The
thirty-second shot clock in basketball guarantees that you either
shoot or lose possession of the ball.
· Marketers
intentionally limit quantity, style, color and size while using
words like Hurry; Act now, and Tomorrow is too late… to
convey an urgency to buy.
· All of your appointments to include Doctors, Dentists,
Lawyers, and Hairdressers depend upon deadlines and
timeframes, all of which causes you to take action.
· Planes, trains,
and buses all use deadlines to create a sense of action from
their customers.
· Eggs, milk,
butter and cheese come with short shelf lives that demand you
use them within a given time frame or lose them forever.
· Church services,
banking hours, and hotel checkout times all use deadlines to
create a sense of urgency.
· The government
depends on deadlines in order to receive tax monies.
The lesson:
Everything in your world involves the use of deadlines to create
commitment, accountability, and most importantly a sense of urgency. It's
time for you to enforce the same principle into your life!
Embrace a Do It Now Philosophy!
No matter how intelligent or capable you may be, if you don't have a sense
of urgency, NOW is the time to start developing it.
Creating a sense of urgency helps you to replace question marks with
exclamation marks!
· The
unwritten letter? Write it today!
· The old friend
you've been meaning to reconnect with? Get connected today!
· The apology
that is long overdue? Apologize today!
· The book
you've talked about writing? Start writing today!
· The visit
you've been intending to make? Make it today!
· The business
you were always going to start someday? Get started today?
· The race you
were going to run? Start running today?
· The daily
exercise your were going to do? Start exercising today!
· The language
you were going to learn? Start learning today!
· The musical
instrument you've always wanted to play? Start playing
today!
· The resolution
to give back to the community? Begin giving back today!
· The person
with whom you've been meaning to share your faith? Share it
today!
· The time
you've promised to spend with your children? Spend it with
them today!
· The broken
relationship you've been wanting to restore? Work at it
today!
· The
decision to confront your fears? Do it today?
· The commitment
to be the best you can be? Make it today!
How Do You Create
a Sense of Urgency?
Wouldn't it be great if you could somehow infuse a sense of urgency and
ignite passion into your activities as well as those around you?
The following are seven ways to create a sense of urgency:
· Recognize
the importance of establishing a sense of urgency.
· Select
the causes of complacency.
· Identify the
strategies for raising urgency levels.
· Discuss with
all parties concerned and create buy-in.
· Take action
and stay focused on the prize.
· Monitor
progress and adjust where and when necessary.
· Repeat,
reinforce, and remind yourself and others of the deadline.
If you believe that business in
general is becoming more competitive, then you must also believe that you
need more out of yourself. The best way to do that is to create a sense of
urgency into all of your goals and plans.
A Closing Thought
Opportunity is all around you. What
you complete by the end of 2006 is totally dependent upon the sense of
urgency you create beginning right now. There is simply no alternative!
May each of us be compelled with a
sense of urgency about TODAY!
Everything Counts!
Gary Ryan Blair
Gary@GoalsGuy.com
PS.
Create a solid plan for 2006, click here now!
First you establish your goals, and then you enforce a
strict set of disciplines necessary to cross the finish line of
achievement.
Every act of self-discipline moves you toward your goals, and every
exception takes you off course.
You may be tempted to pooh-pooh away this statement as something so
obvious, however before you do, ask yourself this important question:
"Based on my goals set, am I ahead, on,
or below target?
The answer to that question is directly tied to your willingness and
ability to remain focused on the key actions necessary for success.
The FACTS are simply this; you are either buying or selling. If you are
on, or better yet ahead of target, then you are a seller.
You have sold
yourself on the importance of discipline and have stayed focused in
spite of the world of options and temptations that circle you all
of the time.
If you are below target than you are a buyer. You have bought the same
excuses that have led so many others down the pathway of mediocrity. The
things you buy are procrastination; lack of discipline, and whatever
else is your poison of choice.
Remember this absolute rule of discipline; "If you don't
discipline yourself, you are sure to be disciplined by others".
Don't believe me, huh?
Chew on this for just a moment, run up your credit cards real high, be
late on a few payments, and see how quickly those companies are to teach
you a thing or two about
discipline.
I repeat, "If you don't discipline yourself, you are sure to be
disciplined by others".
TO CREATE HISTORY you must become a seller. Sell yourself on the
power of your goal; your vision for what is possible.
TO REPEAT HISTORY all you have to do is continue to be a buyer.
Buyers consume not only products from the store, but also excuses from
their minds.
Success and failure both begin within the parameters
of your own mind and within the disciplines of your own behavior.
We are all walking, talking power struggles: head vs. heart…intellect
vs. emotion. Many leave the steering to their emotions and merely bring
their intellects along for the ride. Your goals or your excuses, which
is running the show in your life?
Contrary to popular belief, freedom does not arise from "letting it
all hang out;" freedom is the result of a personal triumph over
excuses and bad habits. Excuses such as procrastination are like toxic
waste to your potential.
To experience true freedom, you must prove to yourself that you are the
master of your own destiny. Never are you less free than when you are
held hostage by your excuses and lack of discipline.
When lack of discipline and excuses rule, enslavement
and mediocrity, not freedom, follows!
Bad habits are the gravitational pull of your emotional life, and
overcoming them is not easy. Change is challenging. Surrender is
tempting, and it gets tastier with practice.
The good news is that it takes less energy to remain disciplined than to
regain it.
The only bad news about self-discipline is that it is so easy to give
up. Every compromise in behavior (nice word for excuse) greases the
wheels for another compromise.
Make a personal "no exceptions policy," and stick to it.
Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. Self-discipline requires you
to connect today's actions to tomorrow's results.
There's a season for sowing, and a season for reaping. Self-discipline
helps you know which is which.
Self-discipline is a habit. It is not situational, but it is applied
situation by situation. Anyone can be self-disciplined on occasion, but
to get consistently positive results requires consistency.
It is the day-in day-out practice of self-discipline that determines
where you'll end up. After all, a lifetime is an accumulation of
moments, days, weeks, months, and years.
What you do during each moment counts and influences the degree to which
you judge your life to be a success.
If you aspire to achieve your goals, you must be
prepared to play every play as though the two-minute warning clock is
running. Every move is significant. Every move counts!
Everyone struggles with self-discipline. The question is not
"Do I…" but "Where do I need to exercise greater
self-discipline?"
The discipline you establish today determines the successes you'll enjoy
tomorrow.
Everything
Counts!
Gary Ryan Blair
Gary@GoalsGuy.com
PS.
Create a solid plan for 2006, click here now!
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