FOCUS - Part 2

Following on from yesterday's video with Tony Robbins, I am trying to put into practice the art of focus in my own life.

 Image - etienoetuk.com

We all have so many things going on in our lives that often it is easy to get completely sidetracked or bogged down by the sheer amount of things we have to do.

At the moment I am looking at ways in which I can move forward from my current teaching position.

How can I be properly remunerated for my skills and experience? 

How can I use those skills and experiences to help others, but at the same time bring a better balance to my own life and that of my family?

It is not easy.

There are so many possible options.

I can continue to jump around from one idea or opportunity to another.  I have been guilty of that for some time.  I know that there is something else there for me, but had not really found it until now.

However after a great deal of thought and reflection, of study and undertaking courses, I feel that I am much closer now to where I want to be going.

I still have a lot to learn and do.  So the most important thing to do is to focus on what is in front of me and to follow the instructions of those who have been along the road before me.

Focus is not easy.  There are so many distractions.  Yet it is the best way to move forward into the future we want to have.

As I move along this journey, I look forward to sharing my resources and aha moments, my successes and my failures with you.

5 Ways to Stay on Track With Your Creative Goals

 "Do not underestimate the thrill of trying." ~ Julia Cameron

A few days ago, I got an idea for a book. I sat down at the computer and an outline flew out of me. It felt like this was the book I was born to write. In the process of writing the outline I entered that "flow state" where I felt totally in the creative zone. It was great.

However later that evening, the voices of doubt started to creep in: "Who's going to read this book?" "Who are YOU to write a book?" "How could you ever get this thing published?" "You're not even a good writer... " etc. So I stopped writing. A week went by and I did no work on my book. I abandoned this project that had given me a few hours of total joy and excitement. I believed the voices that said I wasn't good enough.

And then I had a realization: "Just write the damn book and worry about who's going to read it later. Write the book because right now your soul wants to create this book. Write it for YOU right now and trust that when the time is right this book will find it's audience... and if its audience is just you, that's okay."

Have you ever found yourself giving up on a goal that earlier had given you lots of joy?

Here are some tools for getting back on track:

• Don't believe everything you think. Most negative thoughts are fear-based and invented by our subconscious mind to protect ourselves from perceived danger. Your brain isn't trying to sabotage you; it's trying to protect you. However, in most creative endeavors, you don't need you brain's protection. Shine a light on the negative voice inside of you that is trying to stop you from creating. Thank this voice and show gratitude for its efforts in trying to protect you. Also let it know that it's not going to stop you from pursuing your goal and then carry on creating!

• Resolve to work on your goal every day. I've committed to working on my book for 20 minutes every day. Now this might not seem like a lot of time, but 20 minutes a day adds up to 10 hours a month. Committing to work on something every day actually increases your odds of working on it for longer. Often I'll do my 20 minutes in the morning and then later find myself inspired to go back to work on a section of the book. I'm getting new ideas because the book is constantly on my mind and so my brain is working on it even when I'm not actively "working on it."

• Have an accountability partner. Oftentimes setting goals on our own isn't enough to keep us on track. It can be helpful to buddy up with a friend who is working on a similar goal. You can connect weekly in person or via Skype and make sure that you're both staying on track with your goals. Break your goals down into manageable weekly "chunks" and then check in with your partner to see if you've both reached the week's goal.

• Reward yourself. This one works really well for me and I've used it throughout my life. (It's how I used to get myself to go to auditions.) Your reward for making progress towards your goal can be anything you want it to be (although I do encourage green juice over ice cream). I urge you to give yourself small rewards as you make positive steps toward your goal, rather than one large reward when you've succeeded - this way you're most likely to stay motivated.

• Let go of perfection. I'm aware that my book is not ready to be published in its current state. I'm writing from the heart first and then will go back and edit and polish, etc. Writing a book takes a lot of time, a lot of work and a lot of endurance. I'm giving myself permission at this stage for the book to be rough, for it to be "bad." I'm in this for the long haul. I'm allowing myself to be in the process of writing a book, without needing my book to be a product.

I hope you found these suggestions helpful. They are certainly helping me stay on track with my goals. If you find yourself falling off the wagon with your creative goals, getting back on track is just a few actionable steps away. I'd love to hear how you stay on track with your creative endeavors.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sarah_Koestner/2197268

21-Day Happiness Challenge

Today I had an email from Mindvalley entitled "The Story of the Most Viral Happiness Article on Facebook".

I always open emails from Mindvalley because their content is consistently excellent, but this definitely intrigued me. 

The email told the story of the blogger and writer behind the PurposeFairy.com blog, Luminita Saviuc.

"Over the summer a few years ago, Luminita wrote a blog post on happiness. It was a casual post called "15 Things To Give Up To Be Happy". The post stayed on her blog attracting a few visitors for many months. And nothing much happened as she continued her amateur blogging career while working at Mindvalley as a course designer. 

But then something weird happened.

That post began to touch a nerve. People started sharing it and sending it to their moms, friends, lovers and co-workers. The 15 Things Luminita suggested we give up to be happy - seemed to resonate with a LOT of people.

In a few short weeks the post got shared 1.2 MILLION times on Facebook. Making it quite possibly the most shared personal growth article on social media.

And more than that - she was asked by Penguin books to turn the ideas into a book."

"Now Luminita's book is coming out soon, and she's launching another 21 day challenge. This time on happiness. And open to you. 

She calls it the 21-Day Happiness Challenge."

http://purposefairy.leadpages.co/21-day-challenge/ 

The original article she wrote was: http://www.purposefairy.com/3308/15-things-you-should-give-up-in-order-to-be-happy/ 

I have decided to sign up for this challenge.  After all we all deserve to be happy! 

It starts on 1st March (less than 48 hours from now).

Let me know if you have decided to join in too!  

Why I Was Terrified of Tony Robbins

We all have our fears.  Some are greater than others.

Some of those fears are a mere inconvenience, but others can severely restrict how we function or move forward in everyday life.

So initially the title of this 5-minute video from John Assaraf surprised me.

Until I listened to what he had to say.
In 2000 John was looking at himself as a comparative beginner alongside Tony Robbins who was already an established and successful motivational speaker and coach.

I look at the work done by both Tony Robbins and John Assaraf, from which I have learned so much.  I am currently in that place of being afraid that I am not good enough or able to do what they do.

Yet I know that with dedication, hard work, continual learning and especially knowing how to overcome the tricks that our minds play on us, we can retrain our brains to recognise these fears, reframe and release them and so move forward to take action.

I have been following Neurogym (of which John Assaraf is the Founder and CEO) for several years.  Over the past year or so I have been following the Winning the Game of Money program.

This has opened up my knowledge about brain retraining and is a subject I shall return to frequently.

This video, though, ended with a call to sign up for a encore presentation of his Winning the Game of Fear program.  Although I have been aware of this and followed some of the short videos which accompany the program, I have decided that it is time that I take full action on this.

I have plans to make quite dramatic changes in my life.  It is exciting yet scary at the same time.

However I know that with the right help, education and support I can and will move forward.

I think John's words are giving me another kick in the right direction:

"Fear is one of the silent killers holding most people hostage."

I am not prepared to be held hostage any longer.  I wish to fly!


Have you used any of Neurogym's programs?  Do let me know what you think about them.  I look forward to your comments.

Focus On Your Journey - MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO

I have just watched this video at the end of a long day.  It lasts for less than 4 1/2 minutes and has some stunning footage from The Lion Whisperer  The video is worth watching, just for that.


However the narrative is also inspiring.  It asks who believes in you?

Are you trying to live someone else's life while ignoring your own life and path?

And you should understand this, that it was always going to be your family and your friends that would be the first ones to try and talk you out of your vision and your big idea.

Focus on your intentions and do your thing.

In personal development, we frequently have big dreams.  We know that often they will not be easy to achieve.

We give up.  I know that I have when a project is 95% complete and I look back somethimes with regret.


Yet I cannot do that any longer.

I have to focus on my journey and writing this blog is helping me to do just that.


Do you struggle to focus on your journey?  Do you need to be accountable to other people?


Do let me know what you think.

Create Your Life - Motivational Video

 "Your life is a product of your decisions, not your conditions."

How often do we look at our own life and see what we can do to improve it?

Do we just complain about it without doing anything?

Watch this 3-minute video, and let me know what you think.

"Some people take disappointment and let it destroy them, other people take disappointment and let it drive them."

MINDSHIFT - A Motivational Video

Does real Personal Development begin with a mindshift?  Let me know what you think.



This is my journey towards becoming the person I want to be, learning from the masters of personal development and motivation.



It will follow the ups and downs of life and knowledge gained from those who have studied and lived this journey before me.



Let me know if you are joining me on this journey and we will walk together.



I would love to read your comments below.