I am writing this today to remind you successful people that the human race is the only species that comes into this world in a natural state of discontent with that world. Look around - the other creatures you see about you are guided by instinct alone. We however have been given a God-like power to shape our life and thus our destiny. Moreover, this is just what we do each day of our lives, as we put into play actions & ideas that will determine the state and significance of our tomorrows.

For some, these ideas lead to extraordinary achievement. But for most, it leads to a middle ground where they mull around taking their life’s cues from those around them - not questioning why or how - nor considering the consequences of their actions be they good or bad. For still others, their actions & ides lead to recurring disappointment and problems. This leaves these folks to spend their days at the bottom of the socioeconomic PYRAMID.

You see the ignorant would have you believe achievement or failure is a matter of luck, or circumstances, or fate, or the breaks, or any of the old tiresome wife’s tales. Let that be the excuse for the ignorant I say. Success is simple matter of following a commonsense standard of rules or guidelines that anyone can follow.

I think we would all agree that we all want good results from our lives. Be it in our home life, our career or in our friendships - and the most important single factor to that success - the one factor that will guarantee good results day and day out is our attitude! And, I believe you have an attitude.

Attitude is defined as “a position or bearing as indicating action, feeling or mood.” I can think of no truer definition of attitude for it is your actions, feelings, and moods, which determine the actions, feelings, and moods of those around you

The world is a stage is what many say. Perhaps that is true - but I feel more strongly that the world is a mirror - often a cruel mirror that reflects back to us the actions, feels, and moods that we carry around. Our attitude tells the world what we expect of it. If our attitude is cheerful and hopeful, then, it conveys to all that we expect the best in our dealings with our world. If it is a skeptical, pessimistic one then we will convey that as well. Moreover, we will receive that in return because of two reasons:

1) Each of us tend to live up to the attitude you carry around
2) Others give us, as far as their attitudes are concerned, what we expect.

The good news is we can control our attitude. We can put in place the attitude of our choice each morning. Actually, we do so whether we are aware of it or not. Unfortunately, most do not look at their attitudes in this way. Thus, they start their day off in neutral, poised and ready to react to the first stimuli that they encounter. If the first stimulus is positive then their attitude follows suit. If it is negative then they mimic that instead. They are attitudinal chameleons. We as successful people have to prevent ourselves from becoming an attitudinal chameleon.

Here are three ways you can attain, and maintain, a healthy attitude (and avoid becoming an attitudinal chameleon):

1. Physiology
2. Focus
3. The Platinum Rule

1. PHYSIOLOGY - Try a little exercise with me. Stand up and breathe deeply inhaling and exhaling fully. Then look up at the ceiling and smile, smile like an idiot or a child on Christmas morning. Now while still breathing deeply, looking up and smiling - get mad - go on get angry! You cannot do it. If you maintain the body posture I described you will be unable to get angry. How you carry your body affects your attitude - have a seat. Now am I saying walk around with your head held high, breathing deeply and grinning like an idiot? Sure why not it is far more attractive then a frown backed by slumped shoulders! But, seriously, walking around with your head low, your face long with a frown, and your breathing shallow will negatively affect your attitude. That is how physiology influences your attitude; use it to your advantage.

2. FOCUS - During the course of your day your attitude can and will be impacted by the questions you ask yourself. If you ask the questions like “Why do I get the projects nobody wants?” Then your attitude will go downhill - quickly. If however you ask empowering questions, “How can I complete this project and enjoy the process?” Then your focus is changed and your attitude will be healthier for it. To avoid becoming an attitudinal chameleon what you need to do is develop some morning questions for yourself. A set of questions that will focus your mind on things YOU want to focus on. Some examples could be:

“What can I do today to build/strengthen my career?”
“What am I proud of in my life?”
“What am I confidant I can do?”
“What can I do for my spouse/child/significant other to let them
know I care?”

Develop your own set of morning questions and answer them each morning. This will do wonders for your attitude as well as raise your awareness to things around you that will lend themselves to aid you in completing your goals.

#3 THE PLATNIUM RULE
We all know the golden rule and are well served to apply it. However, a person that wants to maintain his healthy attitude at its peak and become a moniker of success will apply the platinum rule. The platinum rule states “Do unto others as THEY want done unto them.”

You see how you want to be treated is not specifically how everyone wants to be treated is it? If you go out with the servant’s attitude that your going to treat others in the manner THEY wish to be treated, then this will be reflected back to you - tenfold!

Remember - successful people come in all shapes and sizes, creeds, colors and backgrounds. However even in this diverse pool, they all have one thing in common - they expect more good out of life than bad. This positive expectation is reflected in their healthy attitude. So, in all the things you want, in all the goals you have set yourself upon, let your attitude reflect the fact that there are far more reasons why can have them, then not. Know there are far more reasons why you can reach your goals, then there are reasons to cause you to fail in the attempt.

Use your physiology, maintain your focus, and apply the platinum rule to attain and maintain your healthy attitude (and avoid becoming an attitudinal chameleon).

I believe you have an attitude!! However, is it the one you want?

Think Successfully & Take Action!
Tracy

bio = http://www.SuccessAtlas.com
Tracy Brinkmann is an goal setting and success counselor. Through his company Success Atlas, he provides goal-setting, motivational & educational material, & training via live presentations as well as digital/audio products.
Sign up for his free e-Zine http://www.SuccessAtlas.com

Popularity: 10% [?]

If you have read more than one of my articles, I’m sure you may have come away with the notion that I am big on goal setting. You would be correct in this assumption. I have done a number of presentations on this subject. During these presentations I have noticed that there are two overriding views on goal setting. The first, is of those that are either new to goal setting, or yet haven’t tried it. I have their full attention in the presentation when I get to setting and achieving your goals. The second overriding view is of those that tell themselves “Goal setting hah! I’ve tried that and it didn’t work for me.” In discussions with these folks I have found that the majority of them agree on the positive impacts that goal setting has. Most of them have even gone so far as list out their major goals, however that is where they stopped.

To be a goal setter, and more importantly a goal achiever, you not only have to have a written set of goals for you life (business and/or personal), but, you also have to have a written plan of action towards their achievement. In a recent Success Atlas article I noted that I have an article on goal setting. The many requests I received for that article has prompted this more in-depth look at goal setting and achievement. In other words, you asked for it you got it, Goal setting 101.

The goal setting process really starts with a self-evaluation of sorts. Sitting down and asking questions like, “What do I really want out of life?” “What do I want to accomplish, become, have be or do?” Open your mind and your heart. Sit down and fill out a desire journal. Fill it with all the dreams, aspirations and desires that lie in the recesses of who you are and who you want to become. Don’t hold back, write everything down! Dream like a child the evening before his/her birthday or the evening before Christmas. Dream like anything and everything is possible. Because unless it is legal, immoral, or unethical, I would highly encourage you to believe that it is possible.

Decide what it is you want in each area of your life: Personal, Family, Professional, Financial, Physical and Mental. Don’t be vague either, if what you want is money (financial) then define how much you want and by when. Specifics are necessary for you to have a plan. Being clear in what it is you want will cause about 80% of your success. You can not plan for the goal “I want more money.” You can, however, plan for the goal “I want to earn $250,000.00 annually by the end of 2003. The more specific your goals are the easier they are to build a plan for. If as your reading this you are thinking “I do not know what I want to be, do or have.” Then set a goal to find out.

Write down your goals. Don’t type them (not at first anyway) sit down and print them out, clearly, specifically and in measurable terms. This moves them from a desire, wish or intangible dream to an item on paper. Something you can see, touch, and relate to.

Okay now you know what you want - next you will need to identify what skills and knowledge you will require in order to accomplish your goal. Ask yourself what knowledge you need to gain in order to speed-up the successful accomplishment of you goal. Ask yourself what skill(s) you need to make the greatest positive impact on getting to your goal. There is always at least one skill or key piece of knowledge that is holding you back - otherwise you would already have accomplished the goal. Identify what it is and go out there and get it! If you are not able to figure it out for yourself then ask your spouse, your friends, your boss, a mentor, or any other person that you believe would know.

There are some things that you can do alone, however to achieve significant goals in your life you will need help. List all the people, groups and organizations that you will need to interact with to reach your goal. Write them all down then prioritize them. As you are going through this process consider the ways you can be of assistance to them. Everyone’s favorite radio station is WIIFM - What’s in it for me? So knowing in advance what you can do to assist them will payoff in faster results on getting their assistance in your goal achievement. Think through some win-win negotiations. Remember the more you give the more you get. As Zig Ziglar reminds us “You can have everything you want if you just help enough others get what they want.” As well as those that can help you, I would also suggest listing out those that could hinder your progress as well. Forewarned is forearmed.

Obstacles - we have all encountered them, and we will continue to encounter them during our attempt to reach any goal of worth. If there were no obstacles along the way everyone would have already accomplished all of their goals - you included. List all the obstacles, barriers and impediments to your goal. Why are you not at your goal already? Write down each and every answer to that question. This will allow you to find the bottleneck to your success. Once you are aware of what is holding you back, apply all your resources (which you listed out already) towards the removing or overcoming of this blockage. More often than not, the removal of a single primary blockage will uproot and resolve many other smaller barriers to your goal. This can help you make quantum leaps towards reaching that goal.

Now that you have this valuable collection of information you need to map out a plan to utilize it and accomplish your goal. Successful business men do not set out on a course of action without a plan, you wouldn’t go on vacation without some planning and most do not even get married with out hours and hours (one hundred or more at times) of planning. These days far too many spend one hundred hours, or more, planning the wedding. Yet, they spend no time at all planning their marriage or their life. You can change that in your life. Lay out the key points you have put together thus far and develop a plan of attack. This plan can start with the steps to gain the knowledge and skills you need to gain. Steps to get you in contact with the people and organizations you need to help you along your road to success. Lay out all the steps you know you need to take to reach your goal. Organize then by priority, then sequence them. As you go through this process you will be motivated to take actions against the first step on your plan. Completing the first step will further motivate you to take action on the next step and so on.

Now that you have a plan you need to set a deadline. A goal is a dream with an achieve-by date. Setting a deadline develops and intensifies your desire to attain your goals. Don’t scare yourself with large goals or underestimate how long it will take to accomplish them. Instead break down large goals into small milestones with deadlines. These milestones will act like a forcing system for you unconscious mind. They will motivate and drive you towards your goal. Having deadlines for your goals will keep them on your mind. Making you more conscious to the situations and people in your life that can aid you on your road to success. Set your deadlines as realistically as possible. Do not over or under estimate them be honest with yourself. You could always reset deadlines. The key point I want to drive home here is that you MUST have a deadline to shoot for.

You have the plan - now what? As I mentioned early in this article most people agree on the positive impacts that goal setting have. Most of them have even gone so far as listing out their major goals, however that is where they stopped. Here is where you are going to act differently and succeed in your goal achievement. The key word here is ACT. Take action on your plan! Do not procrastinate! The clock is ticking and your deadline is inching closer with each passing second. Do something each and everyday towards the accomplishment of your goals. Work with all your gusto on the first step of your plan until it is either completed or until you can make no further progress on it. Then move to the next step, coming back to those incomplete previous steps as soon as you can move them forward to their completion. Keep moving, keep working and keep taking your action steps every day, do not stop. Anyone that has ever had to push a car will tell you the hardest part is getting it moving. Once your moving it will still take effort, but it takes far less effort than if you stop pushing and have to start moving all over again. Taking consistent daily action will not only move you quickly towards your goal but it will reinforce in your subconscious mind that you can and will attain your goal. Giving you a positive attitude towards it.

Two additional things you can do you that will steel your resolve to accomplish your goals are to visualize your goal and resolve to never give up. Visualize your goal continually or as often as possible during every waking moment. Your subconscious mind does not differentiate between your visualization and reality. So visualize your goal as already attained. View it in you mind’s eye with every detail possible. Feel the pride, joy and fulfillment that will come with reaching a significant goal. Visualization will also make you aware of those situations and resources in your life that you will need to reach your goal. Finally resolve to never give up in your quest to reach your goal. Attack it with a dogged determination. Let the words of the Capcom commander in Apollo 13 ring in your ears; “Failure is not an option!” When you encounter barriers and obstacles do not ask yourself what will happen if or when I fail. Instead think positive, then develop a plan action. Ask yourself “How can I get over, around or though this barrier and reach my goal!”

Everyone has goals, I have them you have them even a child has goals. These goals can be keeping your job, getting a promotion, and the child has a goal of passing a test, getting that much desired toy they saw on television or showing mommy and daddy how much they are loved. The difference between these goals and the goals of the top achievers is focus. Peak achievers go through processes similar to the one I have laid out here to focus their actions on what they want to be, have or do. They design their goals with a mission and this mission is success. Follow this process and you too can rise to the levels of those you have watched in awe.

Think Successfully & Take Action!
Tracy

bio = http://www.SuccessAtlas.com
Tracy Brinkmann is an goal setting and success counselor. Through his company Success Atlas, he provides goal-setting, motivational & educational material, & training via live presentations as well as digital/audio products.
Sign up for his free e-Zine http://www.SuccessAtlas.com

Popularity: 8% [?]

Letting yourself reach the point where you are burnt out, worn
down and used up is a threat to your dreams, goals and your
life’s happiness. The physical manifestation of burnout, or an
overload of stress, is your body’s natural response to the
pressures you are placed under and that place it under during
the course of your day. Worse yet when you place yourself in a
stressful situation in your mind through worry and fret, your
body reacts as if physically placed in that situation. Your
body’s natural defenses go into action.

Perhaps you are stressed and anxious about an upcoming
interview, big presentation or sales meeting. But your body’s
natural defenses are reacting as if a gang of thugs cornered you
in a dark alley. Your heart quickens, you become sweaty, and
your thoughts are broken and scattered. Too much stress can
actually wear you down, as your body fights to keep up this
level of defense. You can easily see how this will negatively
impact your effectiveness towards accomplishing your goals.

But at the root level the cause of the stress is more the issue
than the stress itself. This root cause is what really can
generate a sense of hopelessness, a reduction in productivity,
bear a heavy weight on relationships, shatter dreams, and in
some cases even result in chemical dependency.

However, you can learn to response to your stress and anxiety in
a manner that will avoid these horror stories and stop the
disaster before it destroys your road to success.

Signs that your stress is reaching the danger zone:
Bored (not just when there is nothing to do)
Do not feel appreciated/loved/cared for
Overly Tense
Aggravated/Frustrated
Short Fuse - quick to get angry
Frequently/Constantly tired or exhausted
Hate getting up in the morning (often don’t)
Frequently being late to work, meetings, etc.
Skipping work
Frequently ill
Frequently Forgetting things (tasks, items, date etc.)
Resist change
Procrastinates
Feeling hopeless (no light at the end of the tunnel)
Alcohol or drug consumption increasing

Having trouble with a number of these signs? Well then you
could be doing battle with burnout. Burnout is a slow burn and
can come upon you so leisurely that you do not even realize it.
Listen to your body (and your friends). Knowing is step one to
winning the burnout battle.

This topic does not go over well with some. Often it goes over
the least with the determined, go-getters of the world. They
say, “Bah, I’m just doing what I do best. Getting ahead,
getting things done. Sure I burn the mid-night oil but that’s
how I get ahead.” These highly motivated and un-wavering people
are at the highest level of risk. They become inundated with
their high expectations of themselves and their enthusiasm to
achieve their dreams.

If you are passionate about being a success. If you feel the
need to be in control all the time. And if you frequently over
commit yourself with tasks and responsibilities, then you too
are at risk of becoming a contender in the burnout battle.

Attitude and a positive viewpoint of your life will positively
influence your vulnerability. As I said earlier, it is your
attitude toward a demand or pressure rather than the actual
demand or pressure that causes the stress. Learn to manage your
stress. Now this sometimes means making the tough decisions.
Remembering to take care of yourself, both mentally and
physically. Accepting responsibility for your well being and
making positive life choices. Take the time to list the things
that are causing you undo stress (the root causes. List them all
- even the ones that you enjoy but still result in stress. Once
you complete the list, break it into two categories; conditions
you can change and conditions you cannot change.

Sit down and work out a plan to resolve the stressful conditions
that you can change. Then work the plan. Remember, coming up
with the plan alone won’t do it. You have to work the plan and
remove the stress from your life and from you list.

As for the conditions that you are unable to change. Look at
better ways to react to them. The conditions themselves aren’t
causing the stress; your attitude/reaction to the conditions is
causing the stress. Some of the material I have shared with you
in the past (last issue on Attitude for example) can prepare you
to better react to these conditions positively. You can’t stop
these waves of stress, so learn to surf them.

Think Successfully & Take Action!
Tracy

bio = http://www.SuccessAtlas.com
Tracy Brinkmann is an goal setting and success counselor. Through his company Success Atlas, he provides goal-setting, motivational & educational material, & training via live presentations as well as digital/audio products.
Sign up for his free e-Zine http://www.SuccessAtlas.com

Popularity: 6% [?]

Where you are today is a direct result of the actions you have
taken in your past. The degree of happiness and success you
enjoy today is the fruits of your past labor. If you are not
where you want to be today - then you need take action - daily
and consistent action to be specific.

The level of success and happiness we all achieve is the direct
result of our consistent actions. Not those actions we take
every now and then. Like those actions we take towards our New
Year’s resolution that usually die out by this time of year. No
our success is in fact the result of our habits (consistent
actions). For those habits are the rudders that steer our
course of success in live. Suffice to say we all need to
develop good habits if we are looking to reach our goal of
success.

Unfortunately for most of us our habits are not a result of
logical decision-making and conscious thought. Generally the
habits we have are the reactions to our experiences (stimuli).
If we have had a heavy dosage of negative experiences, then we
will tend to produce negative reactions. What do you think
you’ll get from those consistent negative reactions? That is
right - bad habits.

A powerful tool at your disposal to help you take control of
your habits is your level of motivation. If you are motivated
and are driven - then your unstoppable desire for success will
outstrip your fear of failure. A motivated person is far more
willing to step outside their comfort zone and take that all-
important life changing chance. They become more, they do more,
and thus they have more.

If you are looking to build your level of motivation here are
some steps that will serve you well.

1 - Set your Goals
Know what you want! Goals give your life purpose. Your desire
to reach these goals will become a great motivator in your life.
Big goals, little goals, personal, professional, financial and
spiritual goals - write them all down. Long term and short term
- write them down in clear and specific terms. Then set to work
on them.

2 - DAILY Action
Once you set your goals. Put in place a plan that requires you
to execute at least on step each day. No matter how small or
how big. A phone call, some reading, a contact, a letter,
whatever just do something everyday. Each of these steps will
bring you closer to your goal - and motivate you to higher
achievements. Remember a habit is nothing more that a repeated
behavior. Taking daily actions will form your successful habit
so strongly that eventually you will be taking action without
conscious thought. It will just be who you are - a successful
and motivated person.

3 - Feel it!
We are not creatures of pure logic - we are emotional creatures.
While our minds will work out the most successful business plan
ever conceived. It is our emotion, our desire, which moves us
to execute the plan. Connect all the good feelings you have to
your action. Every time you succeed, small or large, at one of
your action steps, know and feel that you are now one step
closer to your goal. These repeated connections shall reinforce
your emotional drive to achieve your goals. Another good
technique is to sit down and list all the reasons why you want
to or must reach this goal - all positive reasons. Then do the
flip side, list all the things you will miss out on, be forced
into or dislike about your life, yourself etc. if you do not
achieve your goal. Now your using both of the two primary
emotions you have, desire & fear, to your advantage

4 - Take Responsibility!
Don’t give yourself an out. Stop blaming your parents, your
childhood, your kids, your wife, the economy, your boss, your
dog, your postman or any other thing/person in your life. It is
in fact YOUR life. Don’t say if I could I would, say I can and
I will. You may have many reasons why, but only you can change
them, so take responsibility. Step up and remember the words of
Oprah Winfrey “My philosophy is that not only are you
responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment
puts you in the best place for the next moment.”

Think Successfully & Take Action!
Tracy

bio = http://www.SuccessAtlas.com
Tracy Brinkmann is an goal setting and success counselor. Through his company Success Atlas, he provides goal-setting, motivational & educational material, & training via live presentations as well as digital/audio products.
Sign up for his free e-Zine http://www.SuccessAtlas.com

Popularity: 6% [?]