2 Goal Setting Myths

At one time goals would scare me, what if I set them and then nothing happens, it is just going to add to my "gonna-do" pile.

You know the one, I am going to do this, I am going to get fit, I am going to read a book a week.

The "gonna-do" pile grows and is a good companion for the "if only" pile.

Goals are not meant to pull you down, the purpose is to strengthen your thinking and to assist you to live by choice.

Let's bust the myths, that by setting goals you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

Myth #1 Goals are complicated to make and keep. 

Do you believe goals are for people who are determined, motivated, passionate, know what they want from life? Well, yes they are and when you set a goal you are on that path. When you take a clear position and have a vivid image of what you are after, you are pulled in to making it happen.

Your goal can start with a heart's desire. You are saying YES to yourself.  You have made a decision.

Keep to the simple and add form and detail around what it will look like when you achieve this goal.

#Simple will always trump complicated

 Myth #2  Goals add stress to your life

Have you been setting goals and get distracted from reaching them?  Do you think what is the point of setting goals, they don't work for you?  Setting goals just stresses you out.  Striving, pushing, worrying are some of the most wasteful activities that just keep you running on the spot. If you are using them to achieve your goals, then yes stress will show up.  Stress is when you worry about what has happened, what is going to happen or what might happen and letting your thoughts get the better of you.

#What you want? Why you want it? Clarity is critical.

If you haven't already, become very familiar with the triggers in your life that lead you to unhealthy stress.  When you put together your goals, consider those triggers and how to reduce their impact on you.

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten".

Trust your intuition and use your enthusiasm, create a "no matter what" attitude, they are great indicators that the goal you have designed is your best fit.

The journey to your goals will have a big impact on you, more so than the goal itself.

For more on my business please visit isucceed. info

Please pick up your free Design Your Life Goal Setting Kit. 


Unlock your best future

My words are centred in the desire and intention to help people bring about their best and connect to their best future.
http://isucceed.info

the challenge of uncertainty

Have you been in a place where you don't have a clue what you want to do, or what you are meant to do?

The feeling of uncertainty can come at anytime in your life, it is not exclusive to the young or to the old.  For the first time job seeker, the career or job change or really at any time, the persistent call will present itself to you that says I want more out of life.

The questions are popping into your head about what you are supposed to be doing?
The question keeps repeating...What is my purpose?  Others look like they have it together, yet I am not so certain.

Instead of getting uptight and anxious, see this confusion and uncomfortable feeling as a time to pay attention and realign to your personal unique WHY for your life. Its a tap on your shoulder to remind you that you are rich in every area of your life and you walk to your own distinct beat in life.

It's time to pay attention, to slow down and listen.

There is a lot of noise out there, so this may be difficult to start or to even find a place in your life where you can be alone and slow down. Don't see this as a luxury but this is the most important step for you to be clear on what is important for you and why it is important.

You can get caught up in a lot of old beliefs here, so if you are not being kind to yourself then those thoughts need to be thrown out.  Clearing out the closet clutter is a good feeling for me and the same goes with clearing out thoughts clanging around my head that are of no use to me.

Seek out people, places and learning to widen your view.

When you are feeling stuck and it is like hitting a brick wall, then its always a good time to widen your circle of friends and colleagues, to learn something new and more about what you already know.  When you broaden your view, your possibilities always expand.

What helps is to go to your favourite place, it maybe a mountain, a lake, a desert, walking barefoot on the grass, the place where you feel most like yourself - a place of joy. My favourite place is the beach, even better when the waves are wild. I love the energy and breathing in the salt air really wakes up my senses.

Purpose and plan, starts with intention

Intention is not a wish list or "if only" or "what if" statements.  Intention is a stated positive and present statement.  Here is a few...I have the confidence to believe in myself and make good choices.  I make the best decisions possible. I intend to expand my life to the best it can be.
I have found that when I am at a crossroads in my life and I am challenged with the questions of purpose that when I set my intention, I see things differently and allow my thoughts to build and the answer or direction will come to me.

These are just 3 humble ways to move your thoughts from indecision and doubt to thoughts of confidence and direction. You are in control of your life, you are in control of your choices and the first step is to be willing to give yourself the best life.

 Unlock your best future

My words are centred in the desire and intention to help people bring about their best and connect to their best future.
http://isucceed.info

What motivates you?

What motivates you?

Is it being competitive?
Is it about facing the challenge?
Is it to keep up with others?
Is it to prove someone else wrong?
Is it that others are relying on you?
is it being in a team?
Is it the reward that is a motivator?
or, Your dreams keep pushing you forward?

How to motivate is not one size fits all.

New Year has come and gone for another year, fresh starts make you feel good and filled with hope that this time I will follow through and for some, by February the blues can start to settle on your shoulders as you realise you were just kidding yourself, the resolution is now just a laugh away and maybe I will get it right next time.

What is the reason I couldn't stay motivated to follow through and make it happen?

There is a big industry out there devoted to positive thinking, building self confidence and motivation and so many worthwhile resources.  Why, then doesn't all of it work for everyone?

I have read about the megasuccessful people in the world and how they did it. I paid attention followed their rules, but it didn't always feel right for me, it wasn't a good fit.  I would lose the motivation to continue and become totally ripe for negative thoughts, fear, guilt, blame and shame.

One method of motivation or off the shelf program is not the whole answer. You need to find out what will work for you. Find that out and you will have your own secret of success and you won't be beating yourself up along the way.

One simple quick way to find out what motivates you.

Think about what you have done in the past.  Events such as winning a race, learning to swim, gaining a qualification, winning the job.  The times you wanted to do something and you made it happen.

What made the difference for you to make it happen?

& the opposite, what about the times when it hasn't worked and you just didn't get the results you were after.  What did you do for motivation?

What made the difference for you to give up?

Simple? Yes, Stick to what works for you.

Look to what has worked for you before, trust your instincts to know what is best for you.
Nothing is wrong with you, it's the motivational methods you have used that are not your own unique fit.
Find out what you need, to do your best work and be in charge of your own motivational program.

 Unlock your best future

My words are centred in the desire and intention to help people bring about their best and connect to their best future.
http://isucceed.info

Choosing your inner wisdom over external pressures

This is for the person who, 

on some days feels overwhelmed, 

who is struggling to make a decision, 

and their confidence and self esteem is like a roller coaster ride.

Ok, I can put my hand up here,  I fall over and get caught up in the busy. I can doubt my decisions and feel overwhelmed and frustrated. 

Even though I learnt the hard way that it is important for my life and my health to listen to my inner voice rather than bow down to the external pressures.    There are still times when external pressures have overridden listening to my inner wisdom. I can say now that these times just don't happen very often.

We all have inner wisdom and the inner voice with the gentle nudging that calls you to pay attention.  It always works out for the best when you listen to your inner voice. We can get it mixed up with those negative thoughts that are mixed in with fear and doubt, so we may not recognise it at first or trust it.

This is for the person who,

is ready to trust their inner wisdom,

and willing to listen and self discover,

their confidence and self esteem is based on being their own best friend.

When you practise, you will get better at knowing the difference between your inner wisdom and the chatter of external expectations and pressures.

You can call it your gut feeling, your intuition, your inner wisdom, your inner voice.   When you consciously listen, you do become more comfortable and trusting of yourself.  Let go of the logical over think , or the pull apart and analyse.   We are always being led towards our needs, as a child this was very natural to you. You did what felt good and what felt right to you. 

When you are not listening to what you desire, the desires of others will take their place in your life.

“Everyone who wills can hear their inner voice. It is within everyone.” ~Mahatma Gandhi 

 Unlock your best future

My words are centred in the desire and intention to help people bring about their best and connect to their best future.
http://isucceed.info

A Life of Design - Lessons from The Alchemist

To realise one's destiny is a person's only obligation"  The Alchemist


Alchemists are the magical medieval cooks of ancient traditions who transformed metal into gold and silver.

But for many of us, the book, The Alchemist written by the Brazilian author, Paulo Coelho is a simple novel with the important message of the transforming power of our dreams and to listening to our hearts. The book is a quick read that will inspire you to pursue your life’s purpose.    

This is the story of Santiago, the Andalucian shepherd boy, and in the pursuit of his dreams, Santiago has a strong message to each and everyone of us on achieving our own destinies.

It is Monday morning and my ritual is to write my blog post and capture the thoughts that have been running madly through my mind and with the sole purpose of how to unlock your best future. The posts are centred on how to design your life, find your treasure, live your legend. I love Mondays and each post is my lesson.  I purchased The Alchemist back in the nineties and my first read puzzled me with it's metaphors and insights. I go back to this book and it continues to delight and teach me.  The Alchemist stirred me to understand more about following one's heart and is the reason why I encourage you to design your life, find your treasure and live your legend.

There are 3 quotes from the Alchemist that have spoken to me and I want to share....there are more, but I hope you find yours when you read The Alchemist.

"What's the world's greatest lie?"  "It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie". p20 The Alchemist'

When did we start believing that it is fate that determines our life and shapes our destiny?

As a child everything is clear and possible, you are not afraid to dream and ask and believe.
The persuasion of conforming and what is expected of you dulls the dream and doubt leads you to believe that fate is in control.

When you wake up to this lie, you know it is more than possible to have a destiny and purpose.

"When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you achieve it" .p64 The Alchemist

Let this sink in.  Be more aware of your intuition and your inner voice. When you listen to your heart, you are less likely to listen to your fears.  You may not always know what you want, it can be a difficult question.  It is difficult when you have spent your time listening to others, to the media, to what others expect of you and it requires a shift to listen to your heart, to be still and listen when you ask yourself the question, 'What do I want to bring to life?"

"He was able to understand one thing: making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision".  p 70 The Alchemist

This I love. Making the dream a reality through your decisions. Go after what you were meant to do and abundance and success are a part of your life.

Self determination is your strongest and most attractive quality.

 “It’s true; life really is generous to those who pursue their destiny the boy thought.”

The To Do List of I am Enough

A To Do List for Being

I am enough

I am thankful for everything...every thing

I listen beyond the noise, beyond the ears to catch the whisper

I am more than enough

I am laughing with joy

I give my time to the important in my life

I am complete

I show up

Life is an adventure

When you are feeling pressure, there is a lot of noise around you and you find it hard to catch your breath.  When you are hard on yourself and feel you are missing out.

Have a look at your To Do List and ask is it really working for you, or are you doing for the sake of doing?

 Unlock your best future

My words are centred in the desire and intention to help people bring about their best and connect to their best future.
http://isucceed.info

Time is Money

After a weekend of intense self development with Authentic Education, great content and time well spent.  There were many take aways for me. Yet, the one message in my head when I woke up this morning was TIME IS MONEY.

Time is a resource that you can kid yourself to think is infinite.  I put off, put aside, wait another day, get stuck, get off track, get busy panic and then, say  - oh ****  there it is not enough time.

Time is finite and it is guaranteed you will eventually run out of time.

When TIME IS MONEY keeps repeating in my head, I know it is important for me to sit up, listen and learn.

When it comes to money, it is important to me, I can buy things, I can amplify my life, money gives me greater freedom and I could list 100 reasons why money is important to me.

Time is my best asset and yet do I value time?

Are the systems that I have and the planning that I do making the best use of my time?

Does the way I value time reflect on how much I value myself?

I wrote down 3 ways to value my time and the decisions I make..here they are.

Three ways to value my time.

1. The time spent in the beginning, when planning and organising my life, my goals and my day is the best and biggest investment.  The management of my time, my decisions, my life has results and I make time.

2. Look at what is not working for me and replace with a better way.  The average person looks at emails 38% of their day, put an hourly rate on that and you will see it is way too expensive.  If you look at time as money, then you are burning dollars in front of your face.  When I put systems in place, use shortcuts, reduce double handling in my daily routine, I save time.

3. Be alert to the traps that want to take your time. Traps like phone tag, serial web surfer, social media junkie, procrastination, saying yes when you mean no ( in terms of your time), keep losing items and searching, people who don't value your time and more.  Traps take your time.


The detail on the "how to " strategies are definitely more than one blog post can handle.

Just by doing this one thing,  knowing that my time is valuable sets me on a path of decision making to better management, system tips to put in place and backing away from the traps.

When you view time is money and you view time as valuable, you will make decisions that are important for you and it will show up in your self worth, your efficiency and productivity.

I am curious, what are your thoughts on how you value time?  

I would love to hear and be inspired by you.

For more on my business please visit isucceed. info

When self belief is bright

In comes the new year and a great reminder to us to look at a habit upgrade, set our goals and get our lives into shape.

It is also a good time to unclutter and toss out something that is getting in the way, holding you back and really of no use to you anymore.

One to toss out is the beliefs you hold as true yet they are getting in your way and a big one is the truth you hold about your self belief and self worth.

What do I believe to be true, that isn't?

You can create all the great goals and ambitions you have for your life, but if in the background your belief that you are not worth having what you desire, or not smart enough, or not creative enough  then those beliefs will cause some serious interference with making it happen for you.

I had some life choking beliefs and now looking back, I feel a bit ridiculous to be so limiting of myself and how they coloured my world.

I believed I wasn't smart enough,  I would just make do with low paying work and just get by.
I believed I made wrong choices and I wouldn't find a wonderful partner and share so much together.
I believed I would always struggle for money and never have the wealth to own a home and to travel.

Just a few of the beliefs that were holding me back, that are not true, a belief trap I had created and accepted.  Once you know your belief trap, you can do something about it. I saw them for what they were as false, I made the decision and created beliefs that work for me. Positive beliefs about me being capable and creative, about making great choices for my life and having the direction and focus to unlock my best future.

A positive self belief is a necessary health factor in life.

 A positive self belief is key for making your goals happen.

Do you believe  "your self image fundamentally provides your brain with direction"? 

Psycho Cybernetics" (1960) by Maxwell Maltz. 

The more grounded you are in a healthy self belief the more it will result in a positive impact on your life, the people you love and your community.

Somewhere in life you picked up worn out, constricting, narrow beliefs.  Toss out those old beliefs and replace them with new shiny wonderful heart rejoicing vibrant life giving beliefs.

 Unlock your best future

My words are centred in the desire and intention to help people bring about their best and connect to their best future.
http://isucceed.info

3 exercises to build goal getting muscles

Best wishes for 2016. I am certain you had an amazing time over the new year holiday.

I am also certain you are all set to maximize 2016.

What better way than setting your sights on changing things up for yourself and to be in a position where life is not happening to you, but it is happening for you. 

You are investing time on setting out to design your life and the new year is a great place to begin.

There is some great advice out there, and let’s face it a lot of us who start off with a big plan and good intentions make it to the 2^nd week of January and it all falls in a heap. 

They have even done research on this very topic with university studies showing results only 8% of those who set these goals and resolutions make it through the first month and that means the majority -  92% give up.   

Why does this happen?

We have good intentions, we want to make these decisions stick, we set up these goals because we want better but for a lot of us, it all unravels and we have many excuses to tell to justify why it happens.

When it comes to how to design your life you are making big decisions that involve risk, commitment and being prepared to move out of your comfort zone. 

There is no silver bullet, no click your heels, close your eyes and make 3 wishes it will all come together, neither is there one size or one process that fits all.  

If you are ready to max out 2016 its time to start exercising your goal getting muscles.

I have put together just 3 exercises to build your goal getting muscles.

No 1. Expect there will be emotions, like fear and anxiety.   

When you know what to expect, you can challenge the thoughts and prepare. So prepare for anxiety, it will come -it is only natural. What will stop it in its tracks, is action.

You have set out some amazing audacious goals for the coming year. Your goals are really going to move you out of your comfort zone.  The zone is called comfort for a reason, it is comforting to know how you will act and react, there is that predictability with a certain amount of stretch but nothing that will cause you to be anxious.  So when anxiety comes with something new and challenging you have the option of not going any further and anxiety wins or you can decide to act and you win.

Anxiety can rob you of your strength and decisiveness. Anxiety will trap your energy, cause you to second guess or worse still, stop you moving towards what you were after in the first place.

When you make big goals and have put a plan in place, take it as part of the journey that anxiety is natural and expected. Keep your promise and make the decision necessary for that goal to happen.  

You know it is not comfortable, but it will pass and the great thing is you are on the way of expanding what is comfortable for you. So, even when there is this pit of anxiety in your gut, you still need to follow through on your decisions.  This is not the time to retreat.

“Decisions shape your life, not conditions”  Tony Robbins.

No. 2 Have a game plan and prepare to kick between the goal posts.

You can view your goals like a game plan and like a game plan, your goals need to be clear on what they are, what they look like and what it will be like when you can say, yes I achieved that goal, the goal I set out to do.

When you play the game by your rules, you are setting yourself up to win.

The rules that you make for yourself, that you know you can achieve with effort and self control will be the game changer for goal getting.

So what rules will you set for yourself to kick the goals and win your game?   

‘Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together”.  

Vincent Van Gogh

No. 3.  Create your Day

You have made the decision to make a change, you are creating a new game plan for your best life and are ready to kick some goals that will bring about something wonderful for you.

It is exciting, you are excited and your energy and enthusiasm is high.  Ok, then it is getting harder to maintain and by Day 4 the momentum starts to fade, the focus now may not be so clear and the goal you were so keen on is fading.  

Your daily routine is going to make all the difference now.

You strengthen your goal getting muscles through daily routine and creating the day that will be of service to you to achieve your goals.  Be creative in your daily, weekly and monthly practises as these will be the steps towards making the big goals happen. 

Here are 10 ideas for you to try out. 

  

1.  Jolly Jar – Drop a short note in your jar every day.  Your note can be about what you are thankful for, what was good about the day, or anything about what you want to achieve.  At the end of the month, kick back and read through the notes to yourself.  It is an easy thing to do and after 366 days what a gift you have given yourself.
2. Picture boards or pin interest help to turn your goals into something visual and detailed. You can add, explore more ideas, stretch your thinking.  It is a great creative way to see your goals come alive. 
3. Mirror Talk – You are what you see in the mirror.  Mirror talk feels strange at first but you have to start somewhere.  In the morning routine remind yourself what these goals mean to you.
4. The night before. This one is about being organised. You want to exercise every morning?  Then set up your clothes and equipment the night before, put them where you can’t ignore them. This also helps with priorities, write your top 3 for the next day, think about them before you go to sleep and in the morning you are ready to make it happen.
5. Keep statistics.  Keep your incentives where you can see them.  You can use a board, a flip chart, a calendar and write up your wins for the week. Looking back helps with seeing how far you have come and your future priorities.
6. Write a letter to yourself and mail it. Keep the thrills coming and send yourself a letter from your future.  This gives your goals some perspective on how it all turns out.
7. Password affirming.  We use a lot of passwords, so make them count and make them affirming. Here is one, lost2kg@week
8. 1x5x5 .  Take one goal and to achieve it make 5 actions and for each of the 5 actions have 5 steps. This is detailed, micro work and it gets you into action.
9. Turn the negative to a positive.  It just slips out of our mouth.  Things like “I hate Mondays”, “This is too hard”, “I will die, if I have to do that”.  They sound terrible? Right?.  Watch what you say, catch what you say and turn it around to a positive statement.  It all starts from the inside, your thoughts, your beliefs show up in your words and in your actions. If you believe you can’t do it, then you can’t.  Some people call them a swear jar, but you could throw those negative words into a jar with a few dollars.
10. One more try.  What is the difference between succeeding in what you have designed in your goals and giving up?  One more try. There is much to read about strengthening your persistence, commitment and determination. The authors’ wisdom can be of great encouragement, put it into action and build these attributes by giving it one more try. You missed doing something one day, get up the next day and give it one more try.

 Unlock your best future

My words are centred in the desire and intention to help people bring about their best and connect to their best future.
http://isucceed.info

Thank you 2015

Thank you 2015 for....

This has been a new chapter in my life.  I left long term employment, I travelled, I have had some wise teachers and met new friends.

In March and April, there were my wonderful travels to Paris, Berlin, Rugen, Fussen, Archacon, Singapore.  For the snow, the heat, the laughs, the adventure, we always want to come back for more and planning to do this! In March , 2016 it is a USA road trip.

2015 has been the year of learning for me.  I look back and wow, I have really put in a lot of hours.

I decided to look at my health holistically and I am back into yoga and it is now a part of my everyday routine - I love my yoga, and I attended classes to discipline my breathing and learn new poses.  Also, practising Meditation, learning both passive and active styles and I am getting better at it all the time. I can see what all the fuss is about now.

Reading great books that have inspired and educated me.  The power of intention by Dr Wayne Dyer  is a stand out for me and I mourned the passing of Dr Wayne Dyer, yet rejoice that he was a part of my world and so blessed that his books are his legacy.  

I focused on my education this year and spent a lot of time working on my skills in coaching, NLP, mind mastery, financial mastery, public speaking, marketing, branding. Also getting a good handle on writing, who would have thought I would love to write!  My skills are setting me up for a great 2016.  I am totally grateful and humble to the teachers who have come into my life.

I know so many more people than I did this time last year and I am very thankful that I can call them my friends who are generous, intelligent and sharing.
Some of my goals have come to be...but there are some that are still outstanding that will cross over to 2016. I have learnt to enjoy the journey and creating each day to show my purpose to be the best I can be.

2015 has been a great spiritual awakening for me with the growing appreciation of our mental strength and the why and how to, to design your life rather than react to your life.

What a boost it is, to look back and find the gems in the year, looking at it from a thankful perspective, because yes there were some tough times but I am here, I am still going and I am going stronger.  The words that keep repeating to me are "design your life".
Do not lead a life by chance or accident, look at your intention of why you want to be and do and how to make this happen. I am very grateful that I have come this far and I will carry this gift of gratitude every day.

Thank you are the two most powerful words to have in your vocabulary.  Use them frequently.

So for 2016 my strong intention is to continue to design my life, to use and pass on the knowledge of why and how to design your best life and I want to see others flourish in their chosen life.