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Charlotte decides to do good.
Charlotte is a highly motivated worker. Something has been bothering her lately, something about the structure of the work flow that’s causing redundancy, misallocation of resources, costly errors, and diminished productivity. On her own she does a careful study of the situation and convinced that she is on to something, she spends her evenings writing a detailed report that includes her observations, the apparent costs to the system, evidence of mismanagement (she is a bit caustic here), her vision of how the work flow should be structured, along with the steps she feels would turn things around and assure success. In the end, this is a detailed report, meticulously done, twenty-five single-spaced pages, with charts and graphs. Charlotte is proud of her work, the fact that she did this at her own initiative and on her own time, and she is truly excited about making a positive contribution to the organization. Charlotte finishes her report and sends it to the company president. And then she waits. And she waits. Certainly there will be a phone call, a meeting, some acknowledgment of her contribution, a bonus maybe, even a promotion wouldn’t be out of the question. Something. But nothing comes. A week goes by. Two weeks. Still nothing. Hope wanes, and a bitterness begins to settle in. Those executives, she thinks, they go off to these programs on partnership or leadership or empowerment; they learn all the right words, but in the end it doesn’t mean anything. It’s more of the same old arrogance of top management. They really don’t care. And this marks the end of Charlotte as a highly motivated worker. She is angry; she has her evaluations (all negative) of the president; she is feeling very righteous — I did the right thing and what did it get me? — and she has lost interest in pursuing her productivity project. What’s the point? she asks. That’s the last time I’ll go out of my way for this company,

Falling Into The Side Show

What’s happening here? Is this just a case of a good-hearted worker being done in once again by callous, insensitive management? Maybe. And maybe there is something else going on, a Side Show stemming from systemic blindness. And here is how the Side Show happens.

“Stuff Happens” In organization life we are constantly getting “stuff” from other people. “Stuff” comes in many forms, but generally “stuff” is something other than what we expected. “Stuff” might be an angry response that comes at us from out of the blue, or it might be a wishy-washy response when we were expecting something firm and straightforward, or it might be resistance when we were expecting agreement or, as in Charlotte’s case, “stuff” might be nothing, no response when we needed or expected something. (Physicists might refer to this as minus “stuff”.) Some “stuff” is positive — the proposal was accepted, the budget was approved; but much of the “stuff” that comes our way is noxious (we just don’t like it ) or it’s a mystery (Why are they doing what they’re doing?) and some “stuff” is both noxious and a mystery. And there is an all too human response we make to “stuff” that is noxious and/or a mystery. Not all of us, not every time, but with great regularity.

* We make up a story that explains the “stuff.” Our big brain doesn’t tolerate mystery, so we create stories that explain the mystery. And generally we don’t see these as stories, we see them as the truth.

* In the stories we create, we evaluate the others; we see them as malicious, insensitive, or incompetent.

* And in these stories we see ourselves as the righteous heroes, martyrs or victims. (Who would want to give up such stories?)

* We react to the others; we get mad, we get even, or we withdraw.

* We lose focus on what our good intentions were (That’s the last time I’ll go out of my way for this company, says Charlotte.)

* And all of this seems very personal, i.e., these are actions, or inactions, aimed at me.

This is a Side Show of organization life — emotional, dramatic, good guys and bad guys, tragic endings. The Side Show, with all of its drama, takes us away from the Center Ring where the important organization action needs to be. When we are in the Side Show, these feelings and actions all seem real and solid. But in fact they are not. They stem from our blindness to system life. We see “stuff” and we react to “stuff.” What we do not see is the context out of which “stuff” emerges. And so long as we remain blind to context, we are destined to continue falling into Side Show after Side Show after Side Show. And our and others’ energy gets drained and we’re into a we/them scenario. Much that seems personal is not personal, it is systemic; and only when we see and take into account the systemic nature of “stuff”, can we avoid the Side Show and function from the Center Ring.

Seeing The “Worlds” Of Tops, Middles, Bottoms, and Customers

We all may live in a single organizational “world,” yet within that one “world” there are many different “worlds” each with its unique characteristics.

* Tops live in a world of complexity and responsibility — lots of issues to deal with, internal issues, external issues, difficult issues, complex issues, issues you thought were taken care of but now come back, things that don’t exist (policies for example) that need to be created. And Tops are accountable for the whole system. So when we are interacting with Tops, we are not just dealing person to person; we are dealing with someone struggling to survive in a world of complexity and responsibility. [Charlotte, take note: How might your well-intentioned, meticulous, detailed report, be experienced by someone struggling to survive in a world of complexity and responsibility?]

* Bottoms live in a world of vulnerability — higher-ups are always doing things to them: changing health care plans, reorganizing, shutting down operations, coming up with new initiative. They are always doing “stuff” to us. So when we are interacting with Bottoms we need to ask ourselves: How is this new initiative that seems so right to us going to be experienced by people living in this world of vulnerability? A great idea? Or Them doing it to us again?

* Middles live in a tearing world, torn between above and below, between customers, vendors, peers. Often in the Middle world Middles don’t have what others want from them. Tops want production, but Middles don’t do production; Bottoms want the big picture, but Middles don’t have the big picture; Customers want quality, but Middles don’t do quality. So we may have what we think is a simple request of Middle, but to the Middle, not having what we ask for, it may not seem simple at all. When we are blind to the Middle world, we tend to see them as weak. In response to our “simple” requests, why can’t they give us straightforward answers instead of I’ll see what I can do.

* Customers live in a world of neglect — products and services not coming to them as fast or at the quality or at the price they want. Anything other than Customer’s product, no matter how well intentioned, is likely to be experienced by Customer as More Neglect!

Let me complicate the above just a bit. I have been treating these “worlds” as fixed positions, as if there are Tops, Middles, Bottoms, and Customers, and you are one or the other. In reality, most of us in organizational life are in all of those positions at varying times, at times struggling to survive in the world of complexity and responsibility, at other times vulnerability, at other times tearing, and in still other times neglect.

Guidelines for Staying in the Center Ring

* Have empathy for others; chances are they, like you, are struggling to survive in their “worlds.”

* Instead of making up stories, get curious about other people’s worlds; try to understand the context of the “stuff” coming your way.

* Stay focused on your good intention; don’t be pulled off by the “stuff.” (Easy to say, difficult to do.)

* Be strategic; take the others’ worlds into account. [How might Charlotte have used her understanding of the complexity of the Top world to get a better hearing for her report?]

* The transformative notion is this: When we are caught up in the Side Show, what we want is for other people to ease our condition; when what need to do is ease the condition of others in order to make it possible, easier, for them to do what we need them to do. A key element of our strategy needs to focus on reducing the complexity of Tops, reducing the vulnerability of Bottoms, reducing the tearing on Middles, and reducing the neglect of Customers.

Conclusion

The Side Show is costly; it destroys potentially productive partnerships, it focuses energy in non-productive directions. The Side Show is predictable, but it is not inevitable.
Staying in the Center Ring allows us to create and sustain satisfying and productive partnerships and it focus energy in productive directions. The Center Ring is not predictable, but it is a human possibility. It involves a choice that is uniquely human and that separates us from all other creatures.

Barry Oshry
Chief Theoretical Officer
Power + Systems
http://www.powerandsystems.com

There is nothing more practical than solid human systems theory.

What is true Leadership.

Is leadership something we are born with or is it learned.

My belief is that there are some natural leaders but many
leadership skills are learned by hands on experience.

Many great leaders show leadership skills while at school
or at a young age but few of these children will go straight
into a leadership role on leaving school.

Lets define traits and skills associated with great leaders.
( not necessarily in this order)

supportive

innovative

sensitive

decisive

tireless

honest

mentor

available

persistent

experience

considerate

ready to listen

lead by example

apologize for mistakes

good at delegating tasks

good time management skills.

keep level head under pressure.

look at and weigh up all options equally.

peace maker, looking at both sides of arguments.

God has blessed you with many of these traits,
continue to use them and to learn form your experiences and
here is the biggie, learn from others around you and read books
relating to leadership, mentoring, management, and other
relevant material.

Every day you and I play a leadership role as a parent, teacher,
boss, at the office, team leader, Sunday school teacher, sports captain,
or running your own small business. Every one of us play a leadership
role at some time.

As you build up your skill level and your planning ability other
people around you will notice. You will be a member in some
group or other either in your children’s sports team or business
and others will notice if you take control, sometimes just by offering
to bake for a fundraiser and collecting cakes from the other mothers
is showing leadership.

You may love being a helper and because of your happy but
organized attitude others will look to for guidance. This is
displaying leadership, you may not want to be the chairperson
of the fundraising committee but you may be the leader by
default in that others look to you for guidance and accept
your suggestions.

On numerous occasions I have seen chairpersons on committees
and sports groups for one reason only. They want to be seen to
be the leader and want the publicity and lime light.

True leadership doesn’t always get noticed or receive the recognition
or the appreciation it deserves.

Many a leader has appeared from the most unexpected quarters
and in times of the greatest need, the greatest leaders are born.

Many of the Great leaders of the past have become leaders in
times of the greatest need or times of upheaval. Leaders like
Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King,

These and many other leaders would probably not have the
same Hero status if it wasn’t for the time of trial they lead
their companies, countries or people through.

But do not compare Abraham Lincoln with Elvis Presley.
Elvis was a leading figure in music even the King of Rock
n Roll but I would not class him as a great leader.

There is a difference between having a following and being
a leader. Abraham Lincoln said ‘You can please some of the
people some of the time, but you will never please all the people
all the time.’ That is the great difference between a Leader
and a Dictator.

In the Gettysburg Address Lincoln said,
Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth
on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and
dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

In theory what Lincoln said is correct but in practice some
people are more equal than others, we may all have the same
rights, but we may be disadvantaged by being born in the
wrong neighborhood or the wrong color.

Many disadvantaged people make a choice or decision that
they will succeed and usually they go on to leadership roles.

There are people a lot worse off than you or me but if they
apply their will to change and totally focus on bettering themselves
they may get that promotion before you or may even take over
your company and I’ll bet they have many of the traits and skills
in the list above and they would most likely have to have learned
many of those skills.

If there is a will there is a way!

May you become a Successful Leader.

PETER GREEN.

Editor of ~ The INDEX ~ ezine.

Editor@Internet-income-index.com

http://www.Internet-Income-Index.com

Your Free Weekly Internet Marketing
News, Ideas, Resources and Sources Ezine.

A great leader is able to inspire his/her workers to work harder. Instead of firing workers, great leaders know how to fire his/her worker up to do their best.

Your leadership skill will determine the size of your business, company and even your position at your work place. I read the book of 1st Samuel and 2nd Samuel from the Holy Bible, from those books; If you have the chance to read them, please read them, they are not that long to read, and what you learn from the books will change the way you relate to other people.

These are qualities of a great leader. Read them, remember them, apply them, teach them and you will remember them.

A great leader is open toward learning. He/she usually loves to read. When you ask a great leader about how he/she is doing in their in life today, usually they will tell you that “They are just getting started.” A great leader will constantly aim toward improving his/her self daily. They will seek wisdom and knowledge from every challenges and trials that they are going through.

A great leader knows how to inspire other people around him/her to do their best.

A great leader has no fear to do what’s right and knows to use the right words at the right time. He/she is masterful with his/her words, because he/she knows that what comes out of his/her mouth matters.

A great leader knows how to appreciate differences. Instead of fighting over people’s differences, a great leader knows how to utilize different people’s strength and talent to strengthen his/her organization.

A great leader is willing to take the first step into battle or challenges and others then will follow. He/she doesn’t wait for other people to throw the trash for him/her, he/she usually takes the trash out by him/her self without any body else telling him or her what to do.

A great leader knows how to motivate him/her self. One of the main reasons why so many people are not successful in what they do, it’s because they are unable to motivate themselves. Life is full of challenges and trials, but our ability to deal with our disappointments and to motivate ourselves when we have been knocked down will determine the level of success.

A great leader treats other people as they important. Every body wants to be treated with respect and they want to be appreciated. People want to know that their self-worth is important and a great leader knows how to show a genuine appreciation & complement toward other people.

A great leader will do his/her best at his present position and situation in spite of the challenges, trials and difficulties he/she is facing at the present time. He/she will do his/her best without complaining about their difficult situation. Joseph is a great example of a great leader. You can read it in the book of Genesis.

A great leader knows that there is a beginning in everything. There will be time of preparation, and there will be time for performing. Those who have great preparation usually will do better than those who don’t have preparation. He/she is patient, and he/she is willing to wait during the time of preparation. A baby must learn how to crawl, stand up, walk and then run.

A great leader knows how to teach his/her knowledge to other people. He/she doesn’t mind to teach what they know to other people who are willing to learn what he/she knows. Usually a great leader becomes a great mentor to his/her students.

A great leader is not self-centered. He/she cares about the interest of others. He/she is usually a great servant. Even though he/she is in a high position, he/she doesn’t mind to serve other people.

A great leader writes down his/her goals, so he/she knows where to hit them. You can not hit a goal that doesn’t exist. When you see your goal written out, you will be able to see it and to reach for it. Can you imagine a game of basket ball without the baskets to aim the ball? Even a great shooter needs a target so he/she can hit it. People know that they are great shooters, because they know how to hit the target accurately. Without the target, how can they tell whether they have hit their target accurately? You must have a clear, definite and written out goals of your life if you want to become a great leader!

A great leader is not lazy, he/she is willing to do what ever it takes to grow his/her self to become a better leader.

I believe with all my heart my friends that you also can be a great leader. No body is born a leader, but a great leader is made! You also can choose to grow to become a great leader. Start today in your daily life. Apply these principals in your life and you will see a big difference and change in your life. Take small step each and every that will take you where you want to go, it’s better than standing still and doing nothing.

© Copyright 2005, Pebden.com, Author: Entjik Jeffrie, All Rights Reserved.

LISTEN, WRITE, AND ARTICULATE EFFECTIVELY: Leadership positions require effective communication skills. Basic confidence in the art of information sharing is absolutely necessary for effective leadership. Although mastering all of these skills is ideal, it is not always necessary. Creative leaders can develop teams to support them in areas of weakness. One of the strengths of a leader is the capacity to recognize those communication areas in which he or she is weakest and then to supplement them. If for example, the area is listening, a leader might request a written summary for follow-up. If the area is writing, they could delegate the writing up of their ideas. No effective leader, however, can delegate the ability to articulate. Verbal communication must be an effective part of a leader’s repertoire.

DEVELOP YOUR OWN STYLE: No personal style is better than another. You can only be as effective as you are comfortable doing what you are doing. One of the most difficult situations to overcome is inconsistency between thoughts and emotions. People need to respect their leaders and believe that they are in control of the situation. Attempting to “act managerial” if your style is more folksy and low-key will only lead to a misperception of your ability to handle a job.

WORK WITH NOT OVER: Use positive reinforcement-no matter what the initial quality may be — to create feelings of involvement. According to Ken Blanchard, author of The One Minute Manager, there are three types of feedback for performance. “Seagull mangers” are managers who fly in quickly, make a lot of noise, and dump on everyone. As a result, productivity goes down. “Let alone zap managers” are managers who are seldom seen except when an employee does something wrong and then ZAP! they get it. Since the Zap manager never reinforces performance, productivity also goes down. Finally, “positive regard managers” provide positive feedback as often as they can, spending time looking for work that has been done well. This does not rule out criticism, as long as the manager recognizes that criticism may be presented in many ways. Constructive, supportive criticism achieves the maximum desired effect.

Copyright AE Schwartz & Associates All rights reserved. For additional presentation materials and resources: ReadySetPresent and for a Free listing as a Trainer, Consultant, Speaker, Vendor/Organization: TrainingConsortium

CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates, Boston, MA., a comprehensive organization which offers over 40 skills based management training programs. Mr. Schwartz conducts over 150 programs annually for clients in industry, research, technology, government, Fortune 100/500 companies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is often found at conferences as a key note presenter and/or facilitator. His style is fast-paced, participatory, practical, and humorous. He has authored over 65 books and products, and taught/lectured at over a dozen colleges and universities throughout the United States.

Last night, Australia held its breath as John Steffensen lined up for the 400 metre final at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

Before the race, I was captivated as I watched a feature story about John and his preparation for this race.

During this story John had proclaimed that he would not only run under the 45-second mark, but he would also win the final. Becoming the first Australian sprinter to win this even since Darren Clark won at Auckland in 1990.

John then stepped the viewer through his strategy as we watched one of his earlier heats. He explained what he would be thinking and what he would be doing during the final.

This story proved to be sensational journalism, but it also got me thinking about this brilliant Australian and how he prepared for this event.

So, let’s take this great athlete, take his preparation and break it down into clearly defined steps that we could use to achieve our own goals.

1. He set a clear goal

John set a very clear goal. He did not say, “Well, I’ll do my best” or “I might win this race”. Instead he said that he would win this race and his time would be under 45 seconds.

He had a very specific goal in mind and he clearly visualized the outcome he would achieve.

This allowed him to not only prepare his body, but also his mind for the challenge ahead.

2. He trained with the best

The next thing John Steffensen did was to seek out the best possible trainers and athletes he could find and train with them.

He realised very early on that he would need to train with the best. John got his opportunity after the Athens Olympics when he teamed up with the American Coach, John Smith.

John Smith is a former 400m world class athlete, but he is also a formidable coach and has trained Olympic 400m champions Marie-Jose Perec and Steve Lewis.

This training allowed him to improve his personal best time by 0.9 of a second, which gave him the confidence that he could achieve his goal.

3. They focussed on a game plan

John Steffensen and John Smith developed a very clear game plan. Their plan was that he would go out strong, stay relaxed and keep his stride. When he hit the 150-metre mark he would put on a burst of speed through the final corner and this extra speed would carry him to victory. They also knew that the key to his victory would be his ability to keep his stride and stay relaxed.

4. He would not be denied

John didn’t want this victory, he needed this victory and every atom of his being craved it.

He knew he could win and he dismissed any criticism. He made sure that there was no turning back, and leading up to the Commonwealth games he went public and proclaimed he would not only win the event, but he would run under 45 seconds.

Most people looked on this as a very cocky young man full of hot air, but he knew he was going to win and he would not be denied.

Leading up to the finals, John Steffensen avoided the press, which allowed him to focus clearly on his goal without the distraction of being in the limelight. This action also ensured that nobody had an opportunity to plant any seeds of doubt in his mind.

5. He took massive action

John knew that he had to take massive action and just before the event he told a reporter that he had talked a lot about this moment and it was now up to him to take action and achieve his goal.

The stadium was buzzing with excitement as the athletes lined up and then the stadium went very quiet as the audience waited in anticipation.

The gun sounded and John shot out of the blocks. He got a great start and led the field through the first corner.

However, the rest of the field closely followed him. But, John looked in control and relaxed.

When he got to the 150 metre mark, John put on a sudden burst of speed through the final corner which carried him down the straight to an impressive win and a lap time of 44.73 second. Making him only the sixth Australian to run under 45 seconds.

6. He celebrated his achievement

Straight after the race John celebrated his achievements in true “Jerry Maguire” style. He did not hold back any emotion; he screamed, he prayed to god, dodged journalists, jumped on fences and had a lot of fun.

After a Journalist finally caught up with him, John said that he worked hard for his goal, he had visualised this victory and he wanted to enjoy every moment of it.

He also added that this was a team effort, and that this would not have been possible without the help of his coach, John Smith.

He then mentioned that most people thought he was over-confident, but his self-confidence was only a reflection of his faith in his preparation.

The Journalist then asked if he could beat the Americans at next year’s world championships in Osaka. Steffensen replied “Me and my coach will go back to the drawing board and set our goals for next year. But when I know I’ll definitely tell you about it.”

So What Did I learn?

This event gave me a glimpse of how extraordinary people succeed in life. I’m going to take the steps outlined in this article and apply them to my goal setting. I hope you will do the same.

Read other great goal setting articles at http://www.articlerich.com.

You Star Wars fans remember that chant from one of the Star Wars films. I have to apologize here. I HAVE seen and enjoyed all the Star Wars movies, but am not enough of a fan to remember tasty tidbits like who said it and in which episode. However, I DO remember that the speaker was exhorting a comrade to “Stay on target” and to ignore all those pesky little attacking fighters trying to blow him to smithereens!

Fortunately for most of us, the attackers we have to dodge on a day to day basis are a little less lethal. Unfortunately, they can be distracting enough to divert us away from a path to success, whether in life, relationships, or in business.

There has been an awful lot written about goals over the years, and most would agree that having a goal is paramount importance in achieving success. Even so, you might be surprised at how few people have really thought about what their true goals are, much less about how to stay on target to achieve these goals.

The other day, I was reminded of this as I walked across a large parking lot with a companion. We were both headed towards the door of a building about 100 yards away. As we walked, I noticed that my companion seemed to almost be walking into me as he veered away from the path to the door. It didn’t take much to figure out what was happening. His head was down, and he was concentrating on the ground immediately in front of his feet, and never once looked at the door to see where it was in relation to his path. I, on the other hand, kept glancing at the door in the distance, and made that my object of interest as I scanned the surrounding area for possible pitfalls. I was walking towards the door, and my friend was walking, thinking he was headed for the door he had seen several steps ago, but actually veering off course again and again.

I had been taught this sort of thing years ago by my father, but the army had really strengthened it in me. Not only had I been involved in moving through areas where it was necessary to keep a fix on some distant target, but it had also been necessary to be constantly aware of my surroundings as well, gauging and evaluating as I went, and sometimes actually having to take an intentional detour around some obstacle in order to arrive at my destination. Failure to keep my eye on my target would result in my failing to arrive at it, particularly with the distractions of terrain and events to divert me from a direct path.

Once a goal, consider it a target, has been formed, whether to make a certain number of dollars in a given time, or to lose a certain number of pounds, or to clear away the clutter in the garage, we tend to get distracted by other things, events, people in our lives and lose sight of the goal that seemed so plain and easily achieved. If we let these distractions take hold, achieving that goal, when we remember it, not only seems much more difficult than when we originally envisaged it, but may actually seem to be completely unachievable, causing us to give up and experience a feeling of failure.

True enough, we may fail anyway. After all, a goal is simply a target towards which we strive, and in the real world, we may actually find that our original goal IS realistically unattainable. However, being able to experience effective progress towards that goal, not only gives us a boost of confidence, but, nearing the goal, allows us to more accurately assess our ability to reach it. We might even find that we need to set a more realistic goal, or even a more challenging one. But if we are not approaching the goal, we may simply quit.

One of the simplest solutions to this problem is to “glance at the door” once in a while. In other words, we very often have to pay attention to a lot of other distractions in our daily lives, so to stay on target, we need to periodically and intentionally review what our goal is. It is easier to set our course towards a specific and recognizable goal that doesn’t waver, also, and for this reason it is often recommended that goals be written down and stated with some specific language and expectations. This written goal should be taken out and reexamined thoroughly at least once a day, and perhaps even more often. Maybe you could have it written on a card in your wallet and tape a copy to your bathroom mirror or the door of your refrigerator.

Every time you repeat your goal to yourself, reexamine it to make sure that it hasn’t moved. Although you want to avoid wavering back and forth in uncertainty, you DO want to be able to realistically modify your goal to reflect reality and progress.

The author is retired from the Army after 21 years of service. He has worked as an accountant, purchasing agent, optical lab manager, restaurant manager, instructor and long-haul, over-the-road truck driver. He has been a member of Mensa for several years, and has written and published poetry, essays, and articles on various subjects for the last 40 years. He has been an active internet marketer since 2000, and now makes his living online. He has blogs on the subjects of Internet Business and Marketing, Health and Weight Loss, and Real Estate Investing.

Setting goals is the first step in achieving them. Without a mark to
hit, you never really know what you’re aiming at. In fact, most of us set goals without even realizing it. Maybe it’s our goal to wake up tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m. for work. Or perhaps we have a goal to watch the latest episode of our favorite show on TV this week. The truth is, we set goals every day. Goals and dreams are close relatives. Your goals in life will constantly change. Your previous goals could have consisted of going for that “A” in biology…or maybe just getting up in time to make the biology class! Now your goals can take you to a rewarding and prosperous future with the help of a few of the guidelines.

Your Dream/Goal List

Let’s do a dream list of everything you’ve ever wanted. Ask yourself,
what would you do with your life if you had unlimited time, talent and money? What do you want to do, be, see, have or experience–to learn, change, create, improve or eliminate? This is a starting point — a place to begin pulling out the important ones — the ones that may become goals. You also should have a current handle on where you are in the various areas of your life. Now it’s time to do some sorting and filtering of the items on your Dream List. Now we begin to focus in on those things that really inspire you to your highest and best.

I’m a firm believer you can accomplish anything you want in life.

Notice I did not say EVERYTHING you wish to accomplish; I said ANYTHING. If someone else has already done it, you can do it, too. If NO ONE has done it, you can be the first. Nothing is impossible. I didn’t say, however, that it would be easy. Only you can decide whether or not your goal is worth going for. Your determination will make it work. But it has to be something big enough and important enough to be worthy of your best. Out of the dozens of items on your Dream List, you will want to select twelve. Write these goals down in your journal or on a 3×5 card. From this list of 12, you’ll further narrow it down to three. These are your top three key goals. The goals you’ll be devoting most of your efforts to achieving. This process is not something you do in 15 to 20 minutes. This requires some concentrated and focused attention. Try carving out three hours over the course of the next week. An hour at a time would be great.

Don’t Think it — INK it.

I could spend a lot of time selling you on the power of writing your goals down. Instead, in the interest of time, I’ll ask you to trust me. Verbal agreements are legal and binding. The problem is, they’re open to too much interpretation. There is too much chance for ‘he said — she said,’ issues. As a result, for any important agreement, we create written documents to help us make sure everything is clear and nothing is forgotten over time. And what could be more important than our dreams and goals? If you’re serious about accomplishing your aspirations, you’ve simply have to write them down. Remember: ‘With a written agreement, you have a prayer; with a verbal agreement, you’ve got nothing but air.’ Write your goals down, CLEARLY. Write them in the PRESENT tense: ‘I now have, I now am, etc’. Write them where you’ll see them often, like the bathroom mirror or refrigerator. Write them in color or cut out pictures. The next step is to formulate a strategy for reaching your goal.

Action Plan:

Make a list of everything you have done in the last month to achieve
your goals. Next to each item, make a mark. Write “A” if it is an action. Write “T” if it is a thought. If you don’t end up with at least 80% of your time spent on positive actions, promise yourself that you will make a change. Don’t think about making a change. Do it.

Now some KEYS to successfully begin:

Take responsibility for the current condition of your life. If you
don’t have what you want, it’s nobody’s fault but yours.

Figure out what you want and set specific goals. Write them down.

Write a long and a short-term plan to develop the skills you need and
achieve those goals.

Work at least 50 hours a week following your plans.

Spend the first few hours of every day completing the
Important-but-Not-Urgent tasks on your to-do list.

Develop a network to help you. Do this via phone calls, e-mails, and
personal notes. Use that network whenever you can.

If and when you feel like giving up, persist.

(Please notice that most of these tasks involve actions, not
thoughts.)

Now it is time for Your Proclamation: What I will do to Reach My goals

I will design a “Goal Agreement” with myself for any goal, no matter
how small or large. A goal, no matter how small, will be treated with great respect because I know goals help make me a better person —the person I want to be.

My Goal Agreement will be written down and I will date the “Goal
Agreement” with the starting date and completion date for each goal.

My goal will be described in detail. I will paint a very clear picture in my mind of what I want, how, and when I will get it.

All of my Goal Agreements that have not been completed will be read in front of the mirror every day with a lot of enthusiasm. That way, my goals will be fresh in my mind and I will remember them easily.

When a goal is reached, I will sign the Goal Agreement. I will write
in large red letters on the front of the Goal Agreement “I have achieved this goal.” I will save all my Goal Agreements so I can see how I am doing and see all of my successes so far. I will become a better, stronger person from this string of successes, no matter how small some of them may be.

I will always remember, I CAN BE AS GREAT AS ANYONE. I will have a
plan.
Each of my goals, no matter how small, will become a part of that plan and will help me to turn my beautiful dreams into a wonderful and happy life.

I will make sure my goals go together. I won’t set goals for different things that won’t work together.

My goals will be something I want so much that I’ll be excited to do
the work it takes to get it done. I will do everything with enthusiasm.

Setting goals is very important to me. It’s not a joke or silly. I
know I can’t reach a place I want to go if I do not know how to get there. I know it’s the same way with life. These goals become my plan for my every success.

I choose to take the goals very seriously no matter how small each
goal is. I will reward myself and praise myself for starting the habit of planning my life.

If I want my life to change, I understand I have to change, or I will
stay just about the same as I am right now. So, I will set some goals that get me excited and move me and my life on the right track to happiness and success.

Now you are on your way to a fulfilling and exciting future!

Joe Kahler is recognized as an expert on helping young adults successfully transition from home to being “out on their own”. His latest work has recently been assembled in his book, Out On My Own… Now What? Tips and Insights So You Won’t Be Left Hanging in the “Real World”!

Joe received his undergraduate degree from Whittier College in Social Sciences and his Masters in Education from Arizona State University. His experience includes teaching, coaching, running numerous businesses, investing, selling insurance and real estate AND attending numerous personal, “hard knocks” training classes!

http://www.outonmyown.com

Recently, a lady came to see me and she had successfully stopped smoking with me and as she had enjoyed the success after 30 years of trying and failing to stop smoking, she was so happy that she felt capable of doing anything. She brought in what looked like a shopping list of things in her life that she wanted to change!

Just last week, I also got an email from someone that receives this ezine of mine, and they wanted all sorts of different things to happen in their life, and couldn’t decide what to focus on. So, this month, I thought I’d give you some pointers on helping yourself to know how to know what you want. Sounds a bit confusing, let me put that more simply; “How to know what you want.”

In the late 1990s, and during most of the time I have ever been emloyed, I was doing jobs that I found to be unsatisfactory or that I simply did not enjoy. WHen I did my first self-hypnosis course and learned some of the main aspects of NLP, I was amazed by the resources that already existed within me and as I learned more about modern ideas of personal development, two questions became more and more insightful to me. Those two questions were (and still are..)

“What do you want?” and “How will you know you’ve got it?”

As the questions came up more and more, I realised I had not applied them to my self as I should have done. What did I want? The more I asked myself that question, the less I knew the answer. However, I was sure of the fact that I didn’t want to keep doing what I was doing, and that the personal development fields I was discovering were to be involved with my future somehow.

So, as you stop and think with regards to your own situation in life, in whatever aspect of it, or of your life as a whole (not a hole!) have a good think and identify anything that is currently part of your life that you want to let go of in the future. Really think about that.

Almost everyone has examples of one sort or another. What about these ideas;

- A current job you don’t enjoy.
- Unwanted habits that cause you problems.
- Unable to spend time doing things that make you happy.
- A dissatisfying relationship.
- A belief about yourself that doesn’t serve you well.

Take a few moments and figure out what you no longer wish to have in your life. As per all my previous rantings, remember not to ficus on them too heavily, just know what they are for now.

FOllowing that first discovery of self-hypnosis and the things I learned within it, I progressed to studying hypnotherapy, NLP, Emotional Intelligence, I went on courses all over the world, read hundreds of books, listened to audio programmes on hundreds of topics, I trained in all sorts of other therapies too. Even after all that, I still was unsure about what I really wanted, but I did know what I didn’t want and I also knew what sort of direction I wanted to go in, and so I handed in my notice at work!

I knew that I wanted to have lots of time to spend furthering my studies, I knew that I wanted to have financial freedom and that I wanted to be doing work that fulfilled me and helped others, that I wanted to continue having lots of fun, excitement and adventure and of course that I wanted to be happy and wonderfully peaceful in myself. You have the benefit of someone else telling you how that happened to them so you do not have to embark on the same lengthy process, instead, you can follow the same steps in a far, far shorter period of time.

So, once you have identified the things that you would love to let go of or move away from in your life, the next step to take is to identify anything that is part of your life that you definitely want to continue in the future.

We all have good things in our lives; all of us. Some of us may not think so, but we do. Identify those aspects of your life you definitely choose to continue to have. They can include things like good health, intimate friendships, your home, feelings of happiness, a loving family, excitement and discovery or your income.

Then, once you have made sure of some (or all) of the wonderful things in your life you wish to continue, you can identify anything you would like to become part of your life in the future. Think about what you want in the future.

If you have sometimes had difficulty knowing what you wanted in the past, it can be good to choose big-scale things rather than small specifics. Think about what it is that you definitely want in your life in the future, no matter what? This may include a loving relationship, a better income, fulfilling work, intimate friendships, personal development, good quality health and fitness, a sense of real happiness and other wonderful feelings.

These are examples of the big scale things, next you can begin to become more specific about them however, be careful not to overspecify, by that I mean if you want to have fulfilling work, but you don’t know what you want to do, get specific about what has to happen for your work to be fulfilling, for example working with people, being outdoors, making a difference, able to learn something new everyday and so on – whatever ‘fulfilling’ means to you. Remember to think about what fulfilling really means to you and not just think about the examples that I have given here; that may not really be what you truly find to be fulfilling.

It is not necessary to be specific about what that work would necessarily be. Just set your target as ‘fulfilling work’, go through how you’ll know you’ve got it, then let your unconscious mind do it’s magic.

So, you can see and begin to get a handle on what it is that you really want and once you know that, you can begin to work towards how to get that. You can go through other articles of mine to find out how to do that more easily.

Adam Eason is a UK based consultant, speaker and best-selling author. Please visit his website for a vast range of resources from the fields of hypnosis, NLP, personal development and human potential and to receive your amazing, free, instantly downloadable hypnosis session for ultimate relaxation: www.adam-eason.com Thank you.

So, a New Year has snuck up on you again and boy, you have a lot of things to do, eh? Welcome to the club, we all do. But oh no, you have way more, right? You have to start working on your business more so you can finally leave that job you are bored to tears with. You have to start saving at least $400 a month for a little cushion in the bank-that $67.02 is looking kind of lonely in your savings. You have to start getting fit, because you gained some extra ‘holiday weight’. You have to start reading more, oh yeah can’t forget, spend time with family and friends…the list goes on. I’m tired just thinking about your list, you sure have a lot to do!

Sometimes we like to create these enormous tasks list of things we need to accomplish in our busy lives. Over ambitious or unrealistic at times? Maybe… But it’s a good start to at least have a list.

For all of you New Year’s Resolution makers out there…WATCH OUT NOW! Don’t make a promise you can’t keep! A recent survey finds that only 9% of Americans are serious about achieving their goals. 51% don’t have New Year’s Resolutions and of those who do, 79% don’t have a plan to achieve them.

What I’ve learned about goal setting is that it’s best to work with the end in mind. If you can visualize what your life will look like, feel like, sound like, and hey, even smell like on July 1st, 2006, then we’re getting somewhere. I smell lobster dripping in butter and I hear the waves of the ocean crashing against the rocks. Oh, I’m on vacation in St. Thomas, don’t be jealous. LOL And I have a strong team holding down the fort, my business will be running just fine without me on my one-month break. Where will you be?

If you can see how much money you have in your bank account, what kind of free time you’ll have, what people are in your life and in some cases…not in your life on July 1st 2006, then we are making major leaps and bounds. Are you with me? ~Nod politely.~ You have to see it first, then work on making it a reality.

Painting that vivid picture, making that dream transform into your current situation will get your taste buds wet. The mind is an amazing thing…you can pump yourself up by just closing your eyes and thinking. But the fun part is TAKING ACTION!

All the dreaming in the world will do you no good, because when you open your eyes, you’ll still be looking at your long list of things to do and plucking lint out of your pockets. You’ll just be a talker and not a doer. Talk is cheap, baby…I say it all the time! TAKE ACTION…
Sounds easy enough, but I’ve been working with entrepreneurs for 10 years now and I’ve seen many businesses come and go…you have to have staying power, you have to really work on your dream. “Get cracking!” is what I always say. They don’t call me Sergeant Simi for nothin’. I work with various clients and help hold them accountable. I’ll brainstorm with them, strategize for them, and help them plan out their goals and stay focused.

I have a coach and advisors that hold ME accountable, they know what’s on my to do list and check in with me to make sure I DO IT! Who’s going to be on your team? Think about it and ask for help. Support is an integral part of the process In achieving goals.

Enough of my chatter…let’s get STARTED RIGHT NOW. Put your helmets on and get ready to jump in my Time Machine into the future!

Get a notepad and spend at least a good 30 minutes on the following exercises. Let your creativity flow and don’t be afraid to dream big!

JULY 2005
<--------------------TO------------------->
JULY 2006

1. “It’s July 1st, 2006 and I’ve accomplished even more than I could imagine, personally and professional. Can you believe that I….”
Finish this sentence with a short story of a few paragraphs. Write it as if it already happened. This will be your inspiration when you feel like giving up.

2. Now that you’ve painted the picture that took you into the future, close your eyes and think about how happy you’ll feel, how accomplished you will be. Remember how you got to where you are. It didn’t happen over-night. Think about some of the goals that you need to accomplish before you get to FEB 1ST 2006.

GOALS YOU’LL ACCOMPLISH:

1 YEAR:

6 MONTHS:

3 MONTHS:

1 MONTH:

1 WEEK:

IN 24 HOURS of reading this:

What can you do by tomorrow to take that first baby step into realizing your goal?
Baby steps are quite amazing, even if it’s something that takes you 15 minutes to do, make the cause and you’ll gain the effect that you want!

Let’s Review:

1. Begin with the end in mind. Make the dream your reality. Positive visualization is a powerful tool…writing it down just adds the icing to the cake.

2. Get an accountability partner. A friend, a spouse, a business coach or consultant, etc…This person should check in with you each day or week to give you support. They should know all of your goals and you can possibly help them as well.

3. Break it into Baby Steps!

List your goals by working backwards…

Year
6 months
3 months
1 month
1 week
24 hour turnaround.

Do you know where you will be July 1st, 2006? Take ACTION to make it happen!

Good luck with taking ACTION and let me know if this exercise helped you in any way.

Simone Kelly is CEO and founder of Gots To Have It, Marketing, a firm that specializes in marketing and empowering entrepreneurs with a series of workshops and networking events. Please view her company web sites here: http://www.gotstohaveit.com and http://www.giventakenetwork.org