Author: CLFurlong

The hardest climb may take a while, it may push you to your limits, or even require sacrifice.

However the best view comes after the hardest climb.

When you finally get to your goal, the time taken will feel well worth it.

You will have new limits, a new threshold for sacrifice and a result equaling reward.

The point is – even if it is tough now, don’t stop, as the end of the hardest climb might be the just around the corner!

Unfortunately, we are our own worse enemies, our hardest competition and our biggest rivals.

The stereotypical view society expects from us is that we need to prove to society that we are good enough.

Well I believe this is wrong and so should you.

The only person you need to prove or convince is YOU.

Once you believe in yourself, understand your skills, your talents and passions in life, you will conquer.

As the world only portray’s that you need to be at a certain level to make it. But if you are your greatest and you know it, you will change the world.

Because, if you believe that what you have to say or do is worth sharing and good enough for others, then it will be good enough for them to help them grow, change and learn. Which means it is also good enough for the rest of the world. Good enough for the world to help grow, change and learn.

Richard Branson, hasn’t only inspired generations on how we do business and make money, but he has inspired many to go after it; with full gusto.

As you will be aware, Branson is known for his Virgin Airlines empire. But do you know how he began this empire?

I was recently refreshed of his amazing journey and have been reminded, that we need to knock down the walls which are preventing us from our potential.

Branson, knew what he wanted and took it. This should be no different for going after what we truly want too.

The story goes kicks off when Branson and his future wife, Joan, were travelling to Puerto Rico and their flight was cancelled.

It left them and hundreds of other passengers stranded at a small island airport.

Branson, ever the opportunist, picked up the phone and tracked down a chartered plane.

With ease he divided the cost of the plane by the number of seats, and charged the stranded passengers $39 to rebook their seats.

Instantly Virgin Airlines was born.

But what is the point here? The point is to go after what you really want. 

Before I continue, if you haven’t read Branson’s Screw It, Let’s Do It: Lessons In Life – this is a must READ!

For too long we have been stuck in a world of excuses. For too long, we convince ourselves that the time isn’t right.

STOP! Listening to the these type of excuses. Stop suggesting you will start…

• After XYZ has occurred
• When XY is finished and complete
• When (insert whatever excuse it may be)

The right time to purse your dream(s) is now. It is today.

I love seeing those around me step out of their comfort zones and begin making their dreams happen.

I love seeing the smile, the excitement and the passion they enthuse to show.

You too can be like this – following your dreams and your heart.

To do so – I want to challenge you today. I want to challenge you to take the first step.

Grab a pen (I prefer a permanent marker) and some paper and this is what you are going to do.

1. Identify 5 (or at least 1) Goals, these can be anything.
2. Take these 5 Goals and take 4 sheets of paper. Write out 1 to 20.
3. Now for each Goal, write and list out 20 things you must do in order to complete this goal. Force yourself to write it.
4. Once you have done this for the 5 Goals. Identify 5 items for each goal that you can action immediately.
5. Take these 5 items and act on them now. Literally kick off the motions for these goals.
6. (Optional) If you are not sure how to, write and list out 20 things you need to do to kick-start this item or any item which is the easiest to start.

Start before you’re even ready to begin. The perfect time will never be ready. It’s when you take action, the magic will happen.

Every person has a story, a journey in which they have traveled to this very moment.

Too many times have I let worry and doubt overcome and overwhelm my life throughout this journey.

I can look back now and see just how silly I have been in doing so. However, I haven’t always been as confident as I am – and I’m still learning to grow in this area.

But when you doubt your ability, your skill and your existence to make a difference, you are diminishing yourself.

Learn to love yourself honorably and humbly and this love will spread. Love yourself enough to teach yourself to stand tall. Teach yourself to stand by who you are and what you believe. When it comes to decision-making time. Be firm in your decision and know what your action is. If you are stuck on worry or in doubt, you are only delimiting your chances or breaking this chain.

It is time to make a stand. Time to take a challenge and choose to defeat this worry and conquer this doubt.

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. – Leo Tolstoy

By changing nothing, nothing changes. – Tony Robbins

Take a chance to rise up and defeat worry and doubt will soon enough bring reward.

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. – Robert F. Kennedy 

Challenge yourself daily with small goals, small moments in creating a better you. 

Identify some aspects and elements you can immediately work on and take action!

Well I think they should be.

Each day is all about opportunity. Everyday you have a chance to set a new tone and set the speed and the attitude of how you will get from that start to the end.

Monday is usually the day with a bad label, however people carry on and on regardless of the day… people begin to generalize a reputation that each day or another week is rough, tough and the only good day is Friday or the weekend.

I don’t see any problem with the days. I think the problem is because you have to get up for work… and if you’re feeling this way about your work, this isn’t a Monday issue or an any day issue but a work issue.

Monday is no different to Tuesday and Tuesday is no different to Wednesday and so on, except for the mindset you have formulated it to be.

To me, each day is a chance to reset the mind, reset the chance of something new.

My day’s are broken up into the below 4 points:

1. Opportunity: A chance for something new, a chance to be better than the last day.
2. Attitude: Set it today – Set it for the day’s ahead.

Positive attitude brings optimism and motivates toward success.  With a positive attitude, your life becomes happier and more successful. – Remez Sasson

3. Setting Expectations: Set expectations, set goals and set the plan for each day. Just like a positive attitude.
4. Just Another Day: It’s like any other day  – it is up to you to define it.

My challenge to you is to make Today and each day the best day possible.

Even when the odds are against you, battle it out like you own the moment.

If you believe you have a mission to beat it, make it or be it. Then this is your moment.

Your time to shine is now.

You have already bet the odds, if your willing to go for it. Making the decision to act gets you halfway there.

I have been reiterating over and over to push yourself and to drive and conquer yours goals and dreams.

This still stands. Keep dong it!

But to do this it will require a journey.

This journey will have many chapters of failing and not getting what you thought you wanted.

But that’s OK. As you will also have chapters full of success and if you stay on target you will succeed.

It’s the days when we least expect our achievements to occur that they actually occur and surprise us.

Let me give you an example:

If you’re a runner like me, you will understand the mental importance of finishing a run. Even if it is at a slower time, this is better than stopping and giving up halfway. Finishing creates the success. If you beat the PB or not you have still succeeded. If you end up beating the PB, this only proves my point that there will be many chapters of success. However if you stay on target and fight you odds and push for the finish line. You will come out surprising yourself and proving just how great you are.

Get out there. Beat the odds.

The only impossible journey is the one you never begin. – Anthony Robins

If you haven’t seen it already, we just released its book list that every dreamer on a journey to greatness should be reading. Click below to see more details!

If you decide that you can’t do something before you even attempt, than your mind naturally begins to adjust to this idea.

Telling yourself you can’t achieve something because of this, or because of that… only creates a belief system. One which is setting you up to fail. If you repeat this process it evolves like a bad habit, becoming something expected, of routine and hard to break. If you don’t believe it’s possible to achieve what you want, you will never succeed.

Sometimes, all the distance that seems to be separating you from your goals is in your mind. If you removed those mental barriers, you would see that you could just reach out and grab what you’ve been pursuing for so long.

As long as you don’t believe that it’s possible, you are going to continue to create excuses and distractions. That’s simply because it feels uncomfortable or scary to have something you don’t think you are ready to have, or become someone you don’t believe you can be.

If you removed the negative beliefs about what YOU can have and could become, your reality would change instantly.

“Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.” -Napoleon Hill

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Don’t forget we released our list of books which is a must for anyone with a dream to be, do and achieve greatness. In no particular order, the below books will change your mindsets, challenge you and push you further on your journey to actualize your dreams.  Keep an eye out to see this list grow! Click below:

You have made it this far so why stop now?

Now that you have passed the 50 day mark, take some time to reflect on how you are travelling. 

Yesterday I challenged you to make 2016 a better year. Now in order to do this, you need to be growing.

In order to keep growing, you need to be pushing yourself. You also need to reflect and evaluate your ongoing progress.

Whatever your goals may be, you should write them down and track them consistently.

If you have been tracking them, reflect and review your progress. Challenge yourself.

If you haven’t been tracking your goals, then you can still start! Challenge yourself. 

Some of the areas you should be pushing to grow yourself in are noted below. I have also included some examples:

• Health: Track your weight, track your calories, track your measurements, track food types.
• Fitness: Track your running km’s, track your steps, track your workouts, track your reps, track your sets, track your times, track your heart rate.
• Relationships: Review your contacts, do you know each one? Are you networking with them?
• Work: Set some performance objectives, both work and personal related. Aim for a promotion, a raise. Track your efforts.
• Spiritual Walk: How much time are spending on this? 10%, 15%, 20% of your time? More or Less?
• Finances: Daily saving goals, budgets, long terms goals, % allocation (pleasure vs work).
• Aspirations/Goals: Overall can you tick any of these off? Have you started any? Challenge yourself.
• Skills: What new skills are you teaching yourself or developing? At work and outside work.
• Mindsets: Attitude checks – morning and night.  Write down your thoughts, if you struggle.
• Talents: What talents have you got hidden, that your are not utilizing. Share them.
• Habits: Are you breaking bad ones, creating new and healthy ones? Track your progress.

• 50 days
• 1,200 hours
• 72,000 minutes
• 4,320,000 seconds

This year is already flying by and hopefully so is your progress. Today I want to ask you and challenge you on your progress.

Firstly… Are you even working on DOING, BEING, BECOMING and ACHIEVING your goals or dreams for the year?

Have you got a routine, have you got a plan? Have you got your mind in the game, in the zone?

2016 will be the year you make it. I personally will make it a year better than last. But what type of year are you going to make it?

Some say I’m mad, some say I’ve got it all together. I say I am driving myself to be more and more each day.

Put it this way…

With 50 days done, 1,200 hours completed and 72,000 minutes dusted off, what do you have to show for it?

What have you conquered?

• Opportunities
• New Skills
• Training
• Experience
• Growth
• Networking

I am a bit of a workaholic… but you / we shouldn’t just be pushing ourselves in the workplace, but in all areas of your life.

One of my priorities outside of work is my Fitness. Last year in 2015 by this time I had run 81.4 km, where as this year I am already at 126.5 km. 2 years ago I had not even hit 20 km. See the growth?

However if I compare this to my working hours (you should do the same) this is nowhere near my working hours, but I haven’t even broken down the amount of hours into the different elements as noted above. Let alone the other elements outside of work.

And remember it shouldn’t be seen as work, work, work. If you are growing in multiple areas at work, is it really just work?

Other areas you should be pushing to grow yourself are:

• Health
• Relationships
• Work
• Spiritual Walk
• Finances
• Aspirations/Goals
• Skills
• Mindsets
• Talents
• Habits

The list could go on and on. But the point is you should be challenging yourself in all aspects of your life.

Yes focus on your strengths the most, but don’t keep your weaknesses, as weaknesses. Build them – Grow them.

Don’t think. Just do.

Today is the best day to start working towards your goals and dreams. Start now.

Remember what Michael Jordan said/did:

You control and regulate your happiness.

You are special, you are great and most of all you are you.

Be you and be full of the joy and embrace the greatness you are.

No matter however you sparkle, however you shine, or however you glow – MAKE IT RADIATE.

Smile to the world, keep your chin up and your eye on the prize.

Take your buzz, take your sparkle and own your day. See your goal in sight and hit the ground running.

Remember the sky is the limit.

Be determined. Be persistent. Be disciplined.

Take your sparkle and share it with the world.

• Express gratitude
• Cultivate optimism
• Practice acts of kindness
• Nurture relationships
• Learn to forgive
• Care for your body
• Share
• Laugh
• Listen
• Have fun
• Compliment those around you
• Smile

Most of all – Be You!

So get out there, smile and let the whole world know!

Once you have your SPARKLE in tact – make sure you encourage others sparkles….

• When people make you smile – these are the people to bounce off!
• But make sure you let them know just how big of a smile they are giving you.
• I believe smiling is a key element in creating everyday filled with happiness, joy and excitement.
• When you smile it should make you happy. But when someone else makes you smile this is so much more.
• So appreciate these people more, as they surely appreciate you enough to make you smile!

“Leave a little sparkle wherever you go.” – Unknown