Josh Hinds Motivation and Inspiration Journal

If there’s one thing you must grasp if you wish to experience an increase in productivity and a strong sense of achievement day to day it’s the concept that not every task is created equal.

This is especially true when it comes to those things which when completed will lead to a greater sense of accomplishment & feeling of success and achievement.

Far too many people look at having completed the items on their To Do lists as a sure sign that they’re achieving at a great level. The problem with this line of thinking is that in many cases the items which make it onto our lists are little more than busy work — items which do require attention, but in the grand scheme of things having completed them doesn’t serve us in a greater capacity with respect to our larger, more important goals — the big things that when completed actually move us closer to our grand vision — the one we hold for our lives, whether personal or professional.

The challenge is that while you may feel like you’re making progress, because after all, you are checking items off during the day — if you’re not taking a careful inventory and ensuring that the things you are working on in the first place will yield your greatest R.O.I.O.T (return on investment of time) then it’s likely that you will end up feeling as though the larger life plans you hold for yourself aren’t making any headway.

Which by the way you would be correct, they aren’t, not because you aren’t working, but because you’re not working and putting forth the necessary effort into the specific task needed to yield the exact true result you are after.

That’s why I say, all tasks aren’t created equal. Commit this to memory — and always be asking the question “If I work on this task, when completed will it yield the greatest overall result and sense of accomplishment for me.

Will having achieved it move me closer to my larger plan?” If the answer you get back is anything but a resounding yes then you need to reschedule what it is you’re planning to work on and replace it with a task that will yield you the greatest return on investment of time (R.O.I.O.T). It’s that simple.

You and I have a choice as to what we give our time to. We don’t have a choice as to how much time we have. No matter how hard we try we’re not going to be able to squeeze anymore than 24 hours out of our day. The good news is you don’t even have to try IF you’ll grasp and put into practice the ongoing habit of asking the question mentioned above, and working on those items which when completed will yield the greatest results.

To clarify here’s a make believe To Do list item — I’ve made reference to an example which will serve you the best and one which might be more in line with “busy work”, which may make you feel good to get them done, but in the grand scheme of things won’t serve you had you instead chosen to spend your time on other things.

Example item that might appear on your To Do list…

* Vacuuming the house -  while this can certainly be a worthwhile undertaking, is it really as important say if you’re larger goal was to “increase your sales for the month”?

No of course it isn’t.

A far more effective use of your time would be to schedule this as a lower priority item, or find a way to have someone else do it for you if that’s a possibility. While it may feel nice to complete this task, it’s not going to yield the same result if you were to replace this task with one such as “give a follow-up call to the people I met at the seminar I attended who showed an interest in my product or service”.

As you can see the latter is going to move you closer to what you’ve identified as your most important goals. Plus, once you’ve completed the tasks which will have the greatest return on your investment of time then you can go ahead and knock out the other things.

The key thing to remember is that you’ve got to be vigilant in working on and first completing those items which will give you the greatest return on your time spent.

(c) all rights reserved.

* Hire motivational speaker Josh Hinds to appear at your next event, seminar or conference.

-What are your thoughts? Do you have any ideas to help with improving productivity?

Believe in the power of your dreams and be your biggest own biggest cheerleader. When we set out in pursuit of a particular goal it’s natural to want the support of others. Unfortunately, this isn’t a luxury we always have the benefit of. For this reason, consider taking time each day to visualize (that is experience in your mind as fully as possible) receiving the full support you would otherwise want to get from others (be it family members, friends, etc.).

Sounds silly doesn’t it? Sure it does, but before you decide to discount it as nonsense consider that it’s been said by folks far smarter than I that the brain can’t make the distinction between a thought that is vividly imagined from a real one. Knowing that makes a pretty interesting case for visualizing the support you need doesn’t it?

Besides, be real for a moment. Even if it doesn’t work 100% for you personally, you’ll still be better off with a little imagination time then where you are now.

Develop the habit of visualizing the outcomes and things you want to see transpire in your life and you’ll be better for it.

And don’t forget… It’s your life, LIVE BIG! Josh Hinds

* Josh is the author of ‘Why Perfect Timing is a Myth!’ available at: www.GetMotivation.com/successpack/

(c) All rights reserved.

As I’m writing this I’m looking at my vision board (if you’re not familiar with what that is, don’t fret, I’ll touch on it more below).

On it are several things (goals) I want to see manifest in my life. At the top it reads very simply… ‘Vision Board — with the saying, “Thoughts Become things”. By the way, I’m fully aware that some folks would read that and make the assumption that just because a person thinks they want something, and give thought to it, that it is simply not enough to necessarily achieve it. To which I would concede, that’s partially true.

Notice I say only partially true, because we’re not just talking about fleeting thoughts here. What I’m referring to is one’s dominant thoughts. Those thoughts which are so ingrained in our mind that we naturally, and often I might add, more easily take the necessary actions which are needed to see them through to the point at which they become a reality. There is a BIG difference between a dominant thought and simply thinking you’d like to have something.

When it’s a dominant thought, it sticks with you (think of it like the difference between Super glue and the Elmers glue you used to use in grade school). You are always asking yourself how you can go about making your particular endeavor a reality, and when you find that one plan of action doesn’t work out as you’d hoped it would, you don’t run for the hills thinking, well I tried that and it tanked so I quit… No, when something is a dominant thought you understand that each attempt is simply a part of the learning process from which you can grow — and by trying another approach you will get that much closer to what it is that you truly desire.

So hopefully you’ll give me the benefit of the doubt and believe me when I say there’s a lot of truth in the saying “thoughts become things”.

Now here’s the rub… Assuming that’s true, that the thoughts and ideas we focus on most become real and tend to show up in our lives it’s worth pointing out that the old saying doesn’t discriminate. Listen up, because it’s that important. Here’s what I am saying… if you’re focused in on negative things, you’re going to see negative results and events creep into your life. Just the same as if you were focused in on positive things or events.

Unfortunately, the reality is that it works both ways.

Here’s a little illustration to make my point. Recently I was having a conversation with someone who was telling me about their new manager. This person was just absolutely sure that it was going to be a disaster.

They’d literally made their mind up before the new manager had ever even appeared in the office for the first time. Well guess what? The first week was absolutely terrible! This person almost transferred to another department.

Fortunately, time was given (ironically, not that long) and low and behold, things weren’t nearly so bad after all. Isn’t it funny how life works like that? You see, this person was so absolutely sure it was going to be awful that it literally became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Quite simply, her thoughts, became her reality.

Now I’m happy to report that the last time I talked to this person she told me she was surprised that it might actually end up being a good thing. Now she’s seeing things through a positive lens, and guess what she’s getting? You got it, more of what she’s focused on.

Now I will say that in absolutely every instance this might not work out exactly as I’ve said. However, I think the quote by Zig Ziglar makes a terrific point with regards to that. He says, “positive thinking won’t let you do everything, but it will let you do everything better than negative thinking”. While I may not have gotten Zig’s saying quite right, I think the point is made just the same.

So assuming you’ll concede that our dominant thoughts (either positive or negative) tend to become our reality — doesn’t it make sense to think (and take action on) the things you want to see in your life, rather than those you don’t? Remember, either way you’re going to get something… so it might as well be of your choosing don’t you agree?

Now before you think I’ve broken my promise from above to cover vision boards, here’s a quick overview, it’s by no means exhaustive, but I think it’s worth mentioning in case you’re not familiar with them.

First, there are any number of ways to make your vision board as elaborate as you’d like. I won’t attempt to say you have to include all the bells and whistles on yours for it to be effective. It’s a personal preference.

Personally, I’d have to admit that the one I’m currently looking at of mine is pretty blah — but it isn’t the design or layout that’s powerful, it’s the thoughts/things that are on it. It’s a piece of cut out cardboard where I have included some written goals and pictures which represent the things I’d like to see transpire in my life.

Again, it’s not particularly attractive, but that’s not really the point. What is important is that when I focus on those things on my vision board, my mind can more easily go to work doing the things which will drive me towards taking the necessary actions which are needed if I want to see those things become a reality.

Consider it a powerful reminder of what you want to achieve. Plus, like your success journal (hopefully you keep one) it can end up being quite an incredible source of personal validation as you’re able to see quite literally, the things on your vision board come to fruition in your life.

So that in a nutshell is what makes up a vision board. Again, nowhere near an exhaustive overview, but I think it gets the point across. Needless to say it can be an incredibly effective tool to use in your personal journey towards achieving your goals.

Vision boards work, because they help to keep us plugged into those things which we want to achieve. But like anything, you can’t just keep your vision board hidden away where you never see it. Think of it like a billboard, but instead of advertising (which are things others want you to notice) you’re putting thoughts about your goals and dreams — those things which are important to you into your mind on an ongoing basis.

Action Steps:

One, create your own vision board. Include pictures, or write something, anything that will represent what you want to achieve.

Two, in addition to the more traditional vision board mentioned you could play around with what I call a mini-vision board. Take some 3×5 index cards and basically do the exact same as you would with a vision board. The index cards approach will be a lot easier and convenient to carry around with you then a traditional sized vision board would be. Remember the old out of sight, out of mind saying.

Finally, whatever you do, do something. The more you keep the things you want firmly in mind — and sight, the better the chance you will give yourself of making them a reality in your life.

– To your success, Josh Hinds
http://GetMotivation.com

(c) All rights reserved

Setting goals is wonderful; it confirms that we’ve taken those first awkward steps towards attaining what we desire in our lives. The simple fact that you’ve taken the time to plan out what you want to achieve puts you in a distinct class.

Amazingly very few people take the time to keep a running list of goals. Sadly, even fewer people actually work their goals. So take the time right now to give yourself a little pat on the back! You deserve it.

You’re part of the elite group of people who have chosen to take an active role in their own success. If the whole idea of goal setting (and goal achieving) is a new one to you, don’t worry; the important thing is that you’ve decided to take the bull by the horns and get started!

Here’s a technique to add substance to the goals you’ve set! Remember, the more real the goal is in your mind, the easier your subconscious mind can get around your desires and jump into action and start helping you realize them!

This technique assumes you’ve already decided on the things you’d like to achieve. If you’re not there yet then take the time to record your goal, dreams and the action steps you believe are necessary to reach them. Be sure to give yourself the room to adjust those items as needed. It’s a journey and one that you should derive enjoyment from. Remember, you’re taking the word chance out of the equation and are taking an active role in the reaching the destinations you set for yourself.

After you’ve listed out your goals and dreams, the next step is to actually visualize yourself reaching your intended goal. It is through visualization that we can actually program ourselves to reach that which we desire.

My friend, it’s one thing for you to say, “I want to get a new job”, and quite another to say, “In my dream job I will be in charge of marketing at a growth oriented company. I will find employment in such and such an industry. To reach this destination I will send out a certain amount of resumes and do follow-ups with those companies until I secure the employment I am looking for”.

The idea is that you’re rehearsing these events in your mind. You’re giving them vast amounts of power because as the saying goes. That which the mind can conceive, it can achieve. When using visualization with your goals try and do it as vividly as you can. The more real they appear the better.

Another technique is to imagine yourself sitting in a movie theater. See your goals and dreams playing out before you on a large screen. Find a technique that works for you (the key word being what works for you).

Hopefully from the example above you see the difference that a little visualization can play in making our goals more “concrete” in our minds? To say I want to find my dream job is one thing, but to identify it and imagine myself doing this job (and taking the necessary steps to become employed) creates an added energy that will propel you towards making it a reality!

Here’s to your success, Josh Hinds

* Josh is the author of Why Perfect Timing is a Myth: Tips for Staying Inspired and Motivated Day in and Day out! Grab your copy at http://www.getmotivation.com/successpack/

(c) All rights reserved.