Month: March 2016

As you know, I want to see each and every single one of you aspire further in your life.

We tend to throw around statements such as below:

• “I have a joined a gym and will be going 3 times a week”
• “This year I will lose weight”
• “By the end of the year I will be earning $80,000”
• “I am starting my own business, doing ABC”
• “This year I will do a marathon”

And these are not even half of the other statements you throw around.

All these are great in theory, but are you really coming through with what you are saying?

If it is just all talk, you are only setting yourself up for failure – unless of course you are taking action.

If you want to make a change, if you want to make a difference, then you need to be in it for the long haul.

The time for action is now. It’s never too late to do something. – Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Announcing your plans to others satisfies your self-identity just enough that you’re less motivated to do the hard work needed.

Especially before even starting the plan. If you really want to share your goal, don’t be so explicit about it.

Or you can share more on it, once you have started and progressed and are continuing to progress.

Therefore, the more you keep telling people you are going to be or do something, the less likely you will actually be it or do it as your mind has already released the endorphin’s, in which it would have received when actually achieving our goals.

So if you want it… then you need to get out there and take action, don’t make noise about it but just take action and see it all come together.

The path to success is to take massive, determined action. – Tony Robbins

Are there any goals you have said you will do but haven’t started?

So it is time to accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what could be.

Forget all the reasons why it won’t work and believe the one reason why it will. – Unknown

When we apply a new attitude, we should apply it with new perspective and learn to change your thoughts.

Every time you doubt yourself, counter those thoughts with ways you can overcome the doubt. Remember most of your problems are in your head. That’s not to say they don’t exist – merely you’re allowing them to affect you. Stand up to and for yourself, and you’ll learn ways to stand up to and for everyone else.

Likewise, you should always SMILE. Happiness is what we make it.

I personally find the fun in the smallest things, the hardest things and the everyday things. Happiness will put a glow in your day, especially when you share the brightness you are.

Ultimately through failure we may be scared to bounce back. Take Michael Jordan on his successes as an example:

People quote him as the greatest basketball player of all time and use his wins, championships and statistics to back it up.  Jordan himself, though, reached that level by focusing on his failures. What drove Michael Jordan wasn’t the high from making a game-winning shot, it was the low of missing one.

Therefore facing fears requires to:

“Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won, and all the fears you have overcome.” – Ritu Ghatourey

Now solider on!

Each day we have a chance to move forward toward our goals. We have chance to work on something for a bigger picture.

I know a big one for many is exercise and actually putting the time into the gym.

Ever since I started running or even exercising for that matter – I was continuously reminded that things wont always go as planned. But that’s OK.

You see it is better to progress than to not at all. You will never be perfect, but you can work towards it.

Even if you progress a little, this is a closer step to getting to your goal.

I have realized things happen that are out of my control, and they will muck up my idea of the perfect run or the perfect workout…

Especially when it comes to running; Thunderstorms mid run, phone (music) dying or my GPS tracker stopping, headphones dying meaning no music and many other little things too.

The point is – Get out there and do something for what you’re working towards whether it be to take a baby step or a leap.

Each day is progress. Don’t stop!

If you are making excuses to exercise, or for any case, making excuses to work on your goals and dreams. You only have yourself to blame.

If there is no struggle, there is no progress. – Frederick Douglass

The sad part is – your body won’t go where the mind, soul and heart wont push it.

So if you are just going to keep putting it off, and keep procrastinating, you will get nothing. That’s what you deserve… if you put nothing in, you cannot get anything back.

So once again, I challenge you and encourage you to re-evaluate how much you want these dreams, these passions, these goals.

These are the days set aside to create something new and better!

But Today is more than that. Today sets the theme, attitude and the perception for the next day too,

In order to set the best theme, attitude and perception, I think this all comes back to the people. How we share, care and interact with everyone.

Regardless, the point is to make today a good day or any day for the matter. 

Here are 7 of the best ways for you to share happiness with others:

Seeing this, inspires me to continue to motivate, encourage and help those who wish to aspire further, or even those already seeing the results they are chasing.

Regardless, I want to bring it back the very essence in which our ideas and passions are rooted by.

Creativity.

All these ideas, these skills and talents we have and even the passions we follow, they are all derived from creativity.

Creativity is based on our personal perspectives, influence, inspiration and basically through what and how we have interrupted the skills we have.

We all have these skills – even if we don’t like them or hate to admit it.

Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love says that:

“Fear and creativity are conjoined twins. What holds people back from being creative is that in order to murder the fear, they end up killing off the creativity as well.”

Below I have collated four of the most common fears associated with creativity, I have also provided a point or two on how you can tackle them:

Fear that you are not Creative

If you think you’re not a creative person, I think you need to widen your definition of creativity.

Anyone that can fix a computer glitch, that can use a substitute when you don’t have an ingredient for a recipe.
If you can work an excel sheet or build one from the ground up. Maybe you’re a musician?

These are all examples of being creative – creativity doesn’t just apply to a visual artist.

Fear of Failure

It’s no wonder we fear failure, we are told over and over again, that the best way to learn is by doing and then when we get it wrong, people criticize us.

But the best thing you can do is:

“Fail, fail again, fail better.” said Samuel Beckett.

The best way to do this is find new ways of trying things, without having to reap the consequences of failure that are overwhelming.

Fear of the Unknown

It can be hard to be creative when we can’t even see the end design in you mind.

But you also need to realize, usually the most amazing and successful creations are those which differ from the original idea in the first place.

To defeat this is to take a day, a moment or some spare time and use it as unplanned time.
This time should be all about doing things that you haven’t planned for.

Like exploring the city, trying a new recipe, or simply doing something you wouldn’t normally do.

Fear of being Judged

It hurts being judged.

Being embarrassed can cut us deep at the core.

Even if the judgement isn’t intended to hurt us, it will.

But because we do feel hurt, we avoid taking the risk of being creative, as this will only bring us embarrassment.

“Your biggest critic is the voice inside your head”  – Chris Furlong

The best way to overcome this is to set yourself a challenge.

For 30 days force yourself to create (whatever it is you do) and do it for 30 days, keeping each created material for the whole time.

If you want to challenge yourself that little more, do this publicly.

Set the framework/context behind it, detailing that you are doing this to stretch yourself.

At the end of it just see how AMAZING you are and the progress you have made, being both creative and confident.

So are you going to make some changes to how you view your creativity? Will you decide to take a challenge?

Remember you only need to beat yourself, not others.

Each day should be full of wonderful opportunity and it should be presenting it’s self consistently.

We may not be able to control all the dynamics of any one single day; But we can control how we act, react, make a difference and encourage those around us.

The question I want to raise today is:

What if you have one month to live. How would you spend it?

As soon as we add in this restriction to life, our priorities, our ideas and our thinking changes.

It changes based on the fear of missing out, that we wont be or do so much.

Most people will spend their remaining time with loved ones, they would spend it through experiences, learning and creating.

Any of these choices, or all of them would be great way to spend your final month.

The real elephant in the room is…

Why must you have a restriction or deadline on life, to realize that life is limited and precious.

If you go through life expecting you can do or be something/someone ‘one day’ but you’re not willing to start working for it now – then you will probably never see it.

You need to make a choice to make time for your dreams and goals as your time won’t be increasing, but only depleting.

 “Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – Barack Obama

Below is a list comprised from Megan Auman’s manifesto.

Her manifesto is relevant on how we should embrace life in its fullness:

• Attitude is everything.
• Own the room.
• Don’t wait for permission.
• Worry less, do more.
• Don’t settle for boring.
• Follow your passion.
• Ask for what you want.
• Never let fear stop you.
• Try it and see.
• Believe in yourself.
• Be unapologetically you.
• Make a statement. Every day.

The above points are perfect ways to embrace life, but an additional point is to embrace your faith.

For me this is living and trusting in God.

Regardless – don’t wait around for a restriction to put on your life, before you can realize the importance of your time.

Start today and work towards your plan.

As I have progressed I have become more and more open to learning new ways and more effective ways of how I do this.

With this said a key element I needed to apply across my life was the adoption of learning to stay on course.

To do this it meant taking action regardless of how big or small. As long as I was consistent and honest, it worked.

All you need is an attitude of willingness, determination and confidence.

Starting out your new life change is going to require some effort.

But as soon as you realize you have no one but yourself to prove yourself to… then you are half way there.
I have said this many of times, that you are your greatest competition.

Maybe you want to finally take the plunge and start a change in your life?

• A change could be the breaking of a bad habit
• A change could be stepping up and out of your comfort zones
• A change could be setting up a new business
• A change could be kicking off your passion
• A change could be eating healthy and tracking your fitness progress

Before you can take the plunge you need to be rid of these excuses:

• Fear of change
• Not wanting to be uncomfortable
• Fear of uncertainty
• Being tired
• Fear of failure
• Fear of not being good enough
• Not having time
• Being busy with all kinds of things
• Waiting for something to happen
• Perfectionism
• Being overwhelmed with all that you have to do
• Not knowing how

We all have these fears and reasons for not taking action.

However, as soon as we ignore the above and just START.
The sooner you will begin making progress,

Below are some quick ways you can adopt, to aid your “just start” approach:

 You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win. – Zig Ziglar

Mistakes are made to occur, and they are the small reminders that we are human and that we will never be perfect.

Today I would like to remind you that when we do make mistakes we have one of two options.

Embrace it or believe it.

Unfortunately, we can become so stuck on believing that our mistakes & troubles are who we are and what we will always be. That we end up losing any sense of who we really are and sometimes even give up.

Living a life of what could have been, or dwelling over the what ifs is only going to diminish and lower your dreams, expectations and any will to push on.

Failing and knowing you can come back is always going to give you an advantage.

Embracing the failure, understanding the key messages and really analyzing what went wrong, can help you pick up and try again. But this time better than ever!

Regardless – failure is a crucial key to success. Why? How?

Below are 8 valid reasons of why failure is the key to success.

1. It will define your character
2. Failure, will force you to forge your own path
3. Opportunity to develop talent and/or skills deeper and greater
4. It will help you discover what you really want
5. It will boost your creativity
6. It will teach you who your real friends are
7. Will reveal to you the true meaning all success

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well have not lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.” – JK Rowling.

The trick is not to avoid failure because you are afraid of what people will say, but instead to allow failure to help you to navigate towards your goals and dreams.

So get out there and prepare yourself that failure might come. But when it does, you can be ready to take it on.  

Also remember – You need to put your past behind you. If you have failed before, it is time to move on.

Take the same idea here and apply. Identify what has gone wrong, and now prepare yourself for a reboot.

This time you will do even better – you know it and I know it. 

A bad attitude is like a flat tire. If you don’t change it, you’ll never go anywhere. – Unknown

As said by John N. Mitchell, “Our attitude toward life determines life’s attitude towards us.”  

Attitude has the power to determine just how much we succeed in life. But more so each day.

Each day we have the ability to formulate, control and regulate just what temperature we can set out mood.

Regardless of the day before, if you want to smile you can. But you can also be stubborn enough to yourself and hide this smile.

If you struggle with setting your mood right, or your attitude for the day, then the below techniques may just be right for you:

1. Start the morning listing the things you are grateful for.
2. Love life, not the stuff.
3. Be patient.
4. Believe and have faith in yourself.
5. Work smarter, not harder.
6. There is no such thing as failure – unless you choose to give up.

You can adjust your attitude at any point in time. Now this isn’t easy but it will pay off.

Your attitude will impact your perspective, what you notice, and what you fail to notice.

Change your attitude – shift your reality.

The quality of your life itself is what will bring you the most happiness, not the quantity or quality of your stuff. – Unknown

I challenge you today to take an attitude check. Identify what your view is of the day. If you are worried, stressed or unmotivated…

Try and identify the root of this. Is it work, is it relationships, is it something more or something less?

Find this – so you can work on the problem, rather than fighting it with a jumpy attitude.

Every task becomes a burden, you’re tired and all you want to do is binge watch the latest episodes of your favorite TV Show.

I have these days all the time, however this doesn’t mean I give into them.

These are the days in which I embrace the challenge, I fight my mind and work to become better than myself.

If we allow our moods to dictate our actions – soon enough we will be procrastinating, distracted, lacking any sense of exercise, struggling to eat healthy and who knows what other bad habits.

Today is your day to take ownership.

When it comes to the time that we need to take action – how about when you get the feeling of “I don’t feel like it”, try saying one of these instead:

1. I made a plan and set a goal, I gotta do it.
2. Past Me said I should do it, and Future Me will thank me, so let’s do it!
3. Once I start, I’ll be glad I did. All I have to do is take the first small step to start.
4. I don’t need to decide on this, or think about it. It’s already decided.
5. I am doing this for others, to set an example for others, to make the world better. Aspire to Inspire.
6. It’s time, let’s get to work like a pro.

“We aim above the mark to hit the mark.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you are struggling to start something… a new routine, exercise, working on your passion, or whatever it may be. Just do something.

Just get started and begin actually doing it.

Don’t worry about whether you’ll do it for 10 minutes or an hour. Don’t worry about how good you’ll be at it, or what people will think of it, or whether you’ll succeed or not. Those are not relevant to the task. Just do it. Put your mind completely in the activity.

You can only get better as you keep at it.

I challenge you to do this for a week straight. Do something, for X amount of time regardless if you are good at it or not. Track the results and just see how you go.