Author: CLFurlong

What would you do, if I said that there was $100,000 on the rooftop of a building right now and you have 15 minutes to get to it – Would you get it? Of course you would. Would you know exactly how were going to get it? No you wouldn’t. You would rush off with the goal in sight and work out the how and the what, while you are doing it. 

Seem’s legit right? 

“To be successful, you have to be out there. You have to hit the ground running and if you have a good team around you, and more than a fair share of luck, you might make something happen. But you certainly can’t guarantee it just by following someone else’s formula.” – Richard Branson

Let me ask you another question: (you may want to write this down)

What do you have as your goal in life. Where are you trying to go? What are you trying to do? Take away everything. Stop what you are doing and think for a single moment. Define your very endgame. 

Is it a business? A life full of passion? Financial Freedom? What is it? You don’t have to define all the specifics or the details, just jot down quickly what it is.

OK – now that you have it lets move on.

What if I told you that right now, there is a door to your success, a door to your dreams and goals, just in hands reach and it is only up to you to open it. No catch. All you have to do is open the door and hit the ground running. You will have the goal in sight. You don’t need to know how you are going to get there, but you can work it out on the way. 

See my point?

• Like that $100,000 you too can have the future you want, as long as you go get it. You can take a leap now, a head start and figure out the details on the way. 

“If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!” – Richard Branson

But with this aside, like anything great, it takes a series of smaller steps and time to get there.

So what can you do, what steps can you apply each day and every day to ensure that you’re being intentional with your time and spending it on your priorities. Incorporate these tips into your daily routine and watch your success soar!

But first you should always know:

Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.

So here is what you can do:

1. Define your priorities – daily
2. Set your schedule for the day in advance
3. Eat the frog – do whatever is the biggest challenge of the day first
4. Be honest with the person in the mirror
5. Set your own deadlines before the real ones
6. Minimize distractions
7. Pause – take a break regularly
8. Plan backwards

   EXAMPLE:For example, say you want to lose 12 kgs. After you set an initial long-term goal of losing 12 kgs by one year from now, start planning backward and breaking the goal down into doable chunks. If you want to lose 12 kgs in one year, you’ll need to lose 0.25 kgs (1750 calories) each week. This is 250 calories per day. Many people have 3 meals and 2 snacks per day, which means you can decrease your intake by 50 calories every time you eat. That’s a totally doable goal! You’ve now taken a large, overwhelming aspiration and you broke it into very small, achievable daily goals.

    

9. Write it down (goals, thoughts, worries, anything relevant to you and your day)
10. Find a buddy – an accountability buddy
11. Compare yourself to those you aspire to be like – fuel your determination
12. Find a mentor! Be mentored!
13. Learn to delegate and upwards too…
    

    “If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate.” – John C. Maxwell
    

14. Choose who you hang with – be wise about it
15. Read, read more and read some more again

What do you do, when things start to go horribly wrong? What actions do you take?

It is up to you to control how and what happens after something goes wrong. Sometimes, we can become so tied up in the worry and doubt, we forget that all we need to do is, step back think and react appropriately. How do you react?

• Do you become so negative you infect anybody who comes into contact with you? Only to regret it or apologize later?
• Do you over think the situation, say horrible things to yourself, beat yourself up and over exaggerate everything?
• Do you fall into self-pity, self hate, turn off your phone and shut everybody out?

When you wake up every day, you have two choices. You can either be positive or negative; an optimist or a pessimist. I choose to be an optimist. It’s all a matter of perspective. – Harvey Mackay

There are better ways to handle horrible days and the below eight actions will give you an idea of what they are. I wont elaborate on these, but I suggest you take some paper, jot these down and flesh out what these mean to you. You will most likely surprise yourself:

First, change your perspective.

Secondly, get out of the thinking zone.

Thirdly, look at what has gone well.

Fourthly, slap on some groovy tunes.

Fifth, avoid the negative people.

Sixth, be and get productive.

Seventh, do what always makes you happy.

Eighth, get out of the past!

That isn’t success, that is your perception of what you think success is, Let me tell you something, which I hope doesn’t surprise you too much; Success happens everyday. Everyday you are a success. When you get out of bed, when you do what you do and achieve it to the desire you had planned it to be or greater. That is success.

But I get it, you want to be ‘all that’. Unfortunately, by nature we always want to be on the other side of the fence where the grass is greener. Well what if I told you that you can be. What if I told you that you too can do amazing things and see, feel and experience all that you think success is.

Aside from me already telling you that you are a SUCCESS…I think what you are looking for is your own stash of diamonds, or whatever your equivalent may be.

Recently I have been inspired by a simple yet almost genius mentality, known as the 10-second rule. The idea is that you can withstand 10 seconds of anything — just count to 10, and then restart again. It’s like a calming deep breath. To put it into perspective, running is a perfect example where this can be used, or at gym. When you are wanting to push to that extra 1 km, start counting to 10, having now accomplished that, do another 10 seconds.

But this can be applied to anything, but also if we take a step back and use this same mentality with everything in life, (maybe not using 10 seconds), but giving everything we are doing an extra shot of juice. Pushing through and challenging ourselves to go a little further. As one day, you may only need that extra 10 seconds to find that stash of diamonds, or finally achieve the result you have been working on for so long.

 “Champions keep playing until they get it right.” — Billie Jean King

“If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.” ― Albert Einstein

Does this mean the key to success is as simple as keeping it simple? Well I can tell you that without simplicity, things will be harder than they need to be. Here are 7 points that you can apply to your life, in the search to making living that much simpler, while at the same time it will reflect a bigger impact to your life.

1. Wake Up Earlier

Here is a challenge for you. It isn’t that hard really that hard… but basically instead of waking up and rushing to work scattered and stressed, make the time to take your time… However long you’ll need. I personally get up and enjoy a massive and healthy breakfast, I read/review my blog and then make my way comfortably without rush and prepare for my day. Seems pretty simple to me…

2. Smaller Goals, More Manageable Tasks

Sometimes we have the right intentions with the biggest dreams or plans, but having these so big, we lose focus on the required. What I recommend is to narrow down your life into important factors and focus on these. As you grow you can expand the focus pool and as a bi-product so will your success.

3. It’s Okay To Say No

It is great to be able to say yes to new life opportunities, new experiences, falling in love, new challenges and so on. But this doesn’t mean you should. It is more than okay and also very smart to learn to say no when necessary. Say no to mediocre relationships, opportunities that will sway you from your current one, say no to pleasing when all it is doing is draining you, say no to giving into temptations of bad habits or old ways. You get the point. Sometimes no will be the very simple thing you have been missing.

4. Just Breathe

We are in a world surrounded by chaos and surrounded by 7 billion people who all have their own storms and fires to manage. It is easy to start crashing into one another and things tend to come out-of-order. Therefore, it is very important to just breathe and focus. Literally take 3 seconds to breathe in via your nose, then 3 seconds to release this via your mouth. It is easy to spend your time jumping from A to B, but before you start the chase again, take a moment, breathe, sit alone and think it through.

5. There Is A Bigger Picture – You’re Actually Quite Small

This is very simple. In any decision you’re making, ask yourself if it will matter in 5 years from now. There is no point stressing and finding yourself lost over something which will have changed or not even be relevant sooner than you know.

6. Communicate With Brevity

Communication even in the smallest of instances can change everything. Maybe you left things unsaid, or you’re too scared to speak up, but really these are simple things which are usually hindered or suppressed by our own complex emotions, issues and pride. Less is more in this fast paced world. Make what you are trying to say small and packaged, so those on the receiving end will catch it before they miss the point or value altogether.

7. Find Beauty In A World That Ain’t All That Pretty

Christopher Aiff said:

I was recently reading an article relevant to the idea of; if only our own human brands existed and that there was nothing more than that to the business world. I mean look at it this way…

What if you could build a brand by living your purpose, setting goals, working hard and proving it. Then measure its success. Based on this, it would generate your income, your legacy, your social status and I guess who and what you are.

The article originally posted by John Buysee, goes on to explain his story and why and how he even came up with this whole idea. He further explains that to him, this is what a personal brand should look and feel like:

1. Rooted in purpose
2. Fueled by goals
3. Supported through (habitual) action
4. Proven with evidence

I wont go into the details, (read here for full article) but the whole point I am trying to get across is; you are you and you should always be you. 

If your personal persona/brand is to live a lifestyle of no work and all play, well than, good for you that you are able to do that and support your living. Or if you are someone who is solving problems day by day and running a small batch of subsidiaries hustles through the night, via your MacBook Pro, then this also is great.

There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living. – Nelson Mandela

Being you, and selling who you are and what you a do, will always be better than trying to be something you’re not and trying to sell something you cannot even do. There will always be a need for your hobby/passion as someone else will have the very same interest, but they won’t have spent their 10,000 professional hours focused on that very thing. Hence why you will be successful, following your passion.

Need a helping hand? Check out some of my previous posts:

If you enjoy hitting the snooze button for more shuteye, you might want to reconsider and learn the 11 reasons why the early bird catches the worm in the business world.

1. Limited Distractions

In the early hours of the morning, it’s a whole new world. Fewer people around, cooler environments and even faster travel times. Most of all there are fewer distractions. You can own the morning by planning it your way which will lead to some of your most productive work. Works for me.

2. Strategic Planning

With limited distractions, you have the perfect time to catch up on all your daily do’s, your tasks and plan your day ahead. The quietness during the early morning will give you time to even plan for the long-term future. Monday can be used to set the week, even setting aside a few extra 30 minutes a morning, can enable you to work on things for the future. A new business, some self-education, personal admin tasks and so on…

3. Offensive over Defensive

Waking early and starting early will naturally enable you for the day for the better. Having an early start to the day will make you feel less overwhelmed to start the day. You’ll feel fantastic about the work you got out-of-the-way by 9 am, which will lead to a more productive day. You will enter in to the day owning it, like you have just conquered the first battle of the day!

4. Creativity

Use the morning time and a productive mindset to enable you to focus and work on those creative projects you have. Whether this is a side gig you are running or maybe you like to do some early painting of the sunrise. Whatever it is, dedicating 30 minutes of time each morning to imaginative ideas can lead to some of your best project suggestions. The morning is where your imagination will prosper.

5. A Competitive Edge

Getting to the office before your peers will show the dedication and commitment you have to your line of work. As you know the early bird gets the worm. You may have never enjoyed the early mornings, but you will soon start to enjoy the vibe it brings. Own the passion!

6. Don’t Miss Out

With an early start, you should be able to head home earlier too, leaving more time for the things you enjoy. You will even have more time with friends and family. You won’t feel like you are missing a beat by getting to the office before sunrise, not leaving before sunset.

7. Avoid Traffic

Commuting to work will be quicker and sometimes even cheaper. Giving you more time and more dollars… Brings a whole new meaning to time is money.

8. Better Response

By getting your message out and having it on the top of the inbox pile in the morning instead of the bottom in the afternoon will lead to more people getting back to you.

9. Work It Out

Hitting up the gym before work will make you feel more upbeat during business hours and lead to a healthier overall lifestyle. This all depends on your work as well as your costs. But working out will get the blood pumping for the day ahead. You may not even need to do this to have you jumping out of bed, but it won’t do you no harm.

10. Quiet Time

You’ll come to appreciate the one to two hours in your office when it is peaceful and quiet before the rest of the workforce arrives. Oh the productivity!

11. Set Schedule

Waking up early requires discipline, especially when it comes to the time you go to bed the night before. By getting at least eight hours of sleep per night and going to sleep earlier, you’ll feel more refreshed in the morning while maintaining a consistent sleep routine.

I don’t know about you, but when I was younger I had this idea that as you grew up things would just seem to fall into place, like everything would figure itself out…

Well I was wrong.

There is no point in life where we can just hit fast track and zip forward to when we would like it to be, let alone how we would like it to be.

To build a successful future for now and beyond, forget about comparing your life to others, and start putting your energy into mastering theses 15 habits.

Great people, no matter their field, have similar habits. Learn them and use them in your own quest for greatness. – Paula Andress

1. Self-Validation

Finding validation from within means that you are freeing yourself to trust in your life’s purpose, when no one else does. Once you begin to trust yourself, more people will want to hear what it is you have to say.

Successful people seek self-validation by:
– Embracing their own self-worth, even when someone is trying to tear them down.
– Remember their life purpose and they always believe in their abilities.
– Don’t take negative comments too seriously

2. Body Empowerment

As you get older, your body can start to slow down. One thing that you should always stay true to, is looking after your body, as if it is a temple.
– Don’t let physical limitations determine the rest of your life

3. Living In The Now

You want to live in the present because you can’t change the past and the future is yet to come. Anything can change instantly, which means you will need to adapt and be prepared to take multiple paths to success.
– Don’t believe there is only ONE way to success

4. Organisation

Routine, structure and a good schedule will enable you to have things in order, things simplified and set on a productive track. Starting each day with goals and objectives to complete, can really give you something to work towards.
– Do make time for hobbies, reading, traveling, and relaxing (this is important for your creativity and well-being)

5. Time Management

As you age, time gets shorter. Meaning time is becoming more valuable each day. To use your time wisely ask yourself, “Am I doing anything right now that is amounting to my life goals?” If not, ask yourself, “What can I be doing right now to help myself succeed?”

6. Separation From Technology

It may be a convenience, but it does not bring success being held captive by a small device.  The trick is to find balance and to not forget the reason why you began your path to success in the first place. This one is a hard one!

7. Selecting The Right Relationships

It’s not about cutting everyone out of your life who has ever done you wrong; it’s about surrounding yourself with like-minded people who will put in as much energy as you.
– Don’t think that you owe anyone your time if they stump your growth or drain your enthusiasm.

8. Open-Mindedness

Being open-minded allows to you take criticism and apply it in positive light. Successful people are accepting to new ideas and by keeping an open mind they put more energy into their self, rather than the business of other people.

9. Supporting Others

Inspire, encourage, motivate… these are what the successful focus on, when trying to build unity and working as a team to become successful together.
– Don’t lead someone for solely your own benefit, be respectable

10. Getting Uncomfortable

Step out of your comfort zone. In order to take risks you need to stop worrying about what might happen if it doesn’t work out. The key is to: don’t stay stagnant if you are not growing.

11. Letting Go Of Perfection

The main ingredient to success is failure, so it’s no surprise that most successful people have the capacity to let go of perfection to take their first steps. They know that success is ongoing and learning never stops. Success consists of going from failure to failure without the loss of persistence and passion.

12. Addressing Problems

Before anything gets out of hand, successful people like to source the root of their problem as soon as possible. This helps them bypass hours, days, or even weeks of troubleshooting a situation. There is no point hiding these things under a rug… soon enough they will make a bump and you will end up tripping over these…

13. Being A Leader

Look at it this way: Most successful people are successful because they lead and encourage, rather than bully others around with their “superior” status.

14. Working Hard

Work hard. play harder. But work smart. Successful people don’t always know what they are going to be successful at, but with healthy lifestyle habits anyone can find success in new or old passions. Keep on keeping on!

15. Perseverance

The goal is to not let any hiccup or roadblock discourage your passion to dream big. Turn that dream into reality and never give up on yourself. The only limit is you and what you say there is. Get out there and make your failures launching pads into something better and greater than before.

Here are 4 great reasons you really should believe in yourself:

You were created to be successful.

As Shakespeare said: “What a piece of work is man…”

Your mind, body, and soul are the finest examples of a true work of art with capabilities you have yet to even imagine. The more you grow and learn, the more you will understand just how AMAZING you are. Don’t be afraid to trust yourself.

You’re better/stronger than you think.

We all have a tendency to remember our defeats and lowest moments much more clearly that we recall our triumphs. But if you dig deep enough into your mind vault you will find all the heroic acts of kindness, bravery, nobility, creativity, loyalty, and more that you have generated. Taking a look back now, you ain’t that shabby aye!

You’ve been lied to about yourself.

In your head, 24/7, there is a voice narrating the action of your life. It can be positive and supportive… but most of the time it s a critic and the problem is – that voice says things that just aren’t true about you Like any voice in your life, you need to choose who influences you and who does not. Are you going to let this insecure voice continue to control your decisions and thoughts? Fight back and prove this voice wrong. 

You are in charge of your experience.

You want to be successful? Decide that you are. Success is not measured by material possessions, nor is happiness. Are you in charge of how you feel? It’s your life… it’s your choice. It is your choice to believe in you or not to. What better measure is there of beauty,  value, health, and other important elements of life than how you feel?

That is the question.