Motivation Articles, Essays, Tips and Advice

Do good manners and showing proper respect make one money? Sure, though not necessarily directly. What they do is provide a person with one more avenue for adding value to a relationship and, it’s the adding of value to a relationship that helps one increase their income.

If you’re in a customer service position where you get paid the same amount of money regardless of what a person buys, it’s easy to think the above does not apply. But it does, for two reasons:

1) You are training yourself to act the proper way when you “can” profit directly. And, as T. Harv Eker, author of the book, “Secrets of the Millionaire Mind” writes, “How you do anything is how you do everything!” Good habits are vital. Repetition is key to forming good habits.

2) As Wallace D.Wattles teaches in his 1910 classic, “The Science of Getting Rich” (download a free copy here), your goal is to become “too big for your place.” In other words, by providing so much value you are putting yourself in a position for advancement . And it’s often amazing how - and in what form - that advancement comes. (Space permitting, it would have been fun just to share some of those kinds of stories).

This brings me to an incident - actually a series of incidents - at a local market where I buy pre-cooked, healthy food. I love this place. The food is great, the owners are nice, and everyone goes out of their way to serve.

The one challenge is the young (between 18-25) men who take the orders at one particular department have the habit of addressing their customers with names like, “bud” or “man.”

Other than that, they are nice young men but I don’t agree with their greeting. It’s not right; it’s not proper to address people significantly older than you are by saying, “What can I get you, bud?”

Of course, I could say nothing… but that wouldn’t be me. I don’t feel it serves them to believe there is no consequence to that kind of lack of respect. So, a couple of times, I gently (keep in mind, it’s how you do it - always with tact and kindness) offered that they were welcome to call me “Bob.” When they still didn’t “get it,” I suggested that - at twice their age - I’m more comfortable with being called “Bob” then I am being referred to as “Bud.”

A couple of them understood; a couple didn’t. (Again, let me emphasize, they meant nothing disrespectful; they simply didn’t get it. It didn’t register with them. It was obvious from my observation that they had absolutely no understanding of this concept. Of course, this makes me wonder where their parents have been for… oh, I don’t know, the last 20 years or so of their lives, but that’s another story.)

One day, the manager - always a friendly and outgoing gentleman - acknowledged how much I shop at the store and elicited my feedback. I told him how impressed I was with the food and general service. I then asked if I could share a thought with him, but without getting anyone in hot water. He said “absolutely.”

I then told him my concern and he agreed completely. I said, “Of course, they are welcome to call me Bob. I’m an informal kind of guy.” He replied, “You know Bob, in our day, we used to have another name for customers… either ’sir’ or ‘ma’am.’”

“I agree” I replied, but I think in this case it’s enough just for them to understand the “why.”

He was fine with that and it’s obvious that a staff meeting was held shortly thereafter and that a new policy had been implemented.

Yesterday, however, a new young fellow was behind the counter. My friendly demeanor changed to very neutral when he addressed me as, “Hey man, what can I get you?”

“Feel free to call me Bob.”

Apparently, he remembered what he was taught his first day on the job and then referred to me as “sir.”

Personally, I’m good with Bob. I think he’s better off with sir. At least until he forms the right habit. He seems like a really nice kid and it thrills me to know that he is now putting himself into a position of growth.

I hear politicians quite often use “The Children” as the excuse for burdensome taxation. Perhaps one of the best things we can do for “The Children” is to teach them some basic manners. They’ll be happier, healthier and wealthier, and will pass the same along to their children.

Manners do count, and they make a difference in one’s personal effectiveness and long-term income. Yes, eventually, manners even make money.
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Bob Burg speaks on “Endless Referrals” and “Positive Persuasion.” He is author of “Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts Into Sales”, “Winning Without Intimidation: The Art of Positive Persuasion”, and co-author of “The Go-Giver.” Visit Bob at www.burg.com.

- What are your thoughts on the advice you just read? Is there any thing you’d care to add?

*brought to you by GetMotivation.com

You’ve heard the phrase, “Do what you love, the money will follow.” I’m certainly a fan of this premise (also the title of a book by Marsha Sinetar). However, in my very first month of coaching real clients more than 10 years ago, I recall thinking- “Boy, if taken too naively, this could lead to disaster or be cruel. What if you love 17th century poetry?”

I don’t want to be a wet blanket on anyone’s passions, but you might not be able to feed your cats with this. (The relentless optimist in me is screaming, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way. He could be a college professor or something!” but you get my point.)

To serve my clients well, I was compelled to develop a grounded, four-point model for fulfillment and true prosperity.

The four basic questions:

1) What do you Love?
2) What are your Gifts?
3) What does the World Need?
4) What are others willing to pay for?

The core question becomes, “How do I create work in today’s market that allows me to tap into my passions and share my gifts in a way that serves a need and generates income?”

In essence, this is about your true work in the world. In some cases your true work (or passionate vocation) may not be the means to paying your mortgage. Your passions and gifts may express as volunteer endeavors or as part of a work-life portfolio.

I have asked people “What would you love to do?” in various ways a gazillion times by now. When listening to their responses it’s important to highlight the distinction between what may entertain and amuse the ego and what would engage and arouse one’s true spirit. As you explore livelihood possibilities, ask yourself what you are sincerely feeding– ego or spirit?

Over the years, this has evolved into “The Passion Matrix, fully loaded” with Values, Purpose, Fulfillment Factors and Environmental Trends in the mix. For this article, let’s stick with the four basic quadrants.

On your own paper (or screen), draw a vertical line and horizontal line to create four quadrants and label them as follows:

1. upper left:
“PASSIONS”
What you love
(And/or what gives you a fire in the belly, authentic interests, etc.)

2. upper right:
“GIFTS”
Your Gifts, Talents, Tools, Resources
(Hard and soft skills, strengths, knowledge, expertise, etc.)

3. lower left:
“WHO & NEEDS”
WHO are you drawn to serve (or have pay you?) What do they need?
(What the market demands…now… in the future? What the customer/team/ community needs…)

4. lower right:
“PROFIT”
What others are willing to pay for

This is not brand new information, right? The magic happens in part because of the order in which you ask and answer these four questions. Cultural norms tempt us to start in the fourth corner- what we’ve always been paid to do, what opportunities exist already and so on.

I’ve seen clients at all levels of management and income still gravitate to that lower right box, including a CEO fundamentally asking, “What company out there needs a new senior executive?” This ingrained pattern is backwards.

You really want to start in the upper left quadrant with “What are my passions?” Playing with this process can open up possibilities you had not considered and give you a launching pad infused with your natural enthusiasm and strengths.

Even if statistics indicate that your passion isn’t popular, when your heart is in something, you are more likely to flourish, including putting in the extra effort to make it pay off financially. I must say that this is more about true prosperity than dollars. At this stage of exploring right livelihood scenarios, don’t let money be the tail that wags the dog.

I am one example of someone who makes less money (than what I’d probably earn if I had stayed in my former work,) yet I am enjoying a much richer life. Of course, you get to choose what matters, what prosperity is for you and how the math works out.

In real life, it’s not easy to answer questions like “What are your passions?” So, cut yourself some slack here. I continue to develop various “back door” questions and games to help clients with this discovery  process and livelihood possibilities.

The four quadrants come in handy for energizing strategic planning for your business or team (e.g. starting with What are we truly passionate about?) getting ready for compelling presentations and so on.

For now I hope this model plants some seeds for you to discover and expand your soul satisfying options for engaging in the world. Yes can pay attention to your callings and pay your bills.
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Named one of 50 top coaches in America, Marian Baker is a master certified coach, author and speaker. Her book, “Wake Up Inspired - Fuel Healthier Success and Love the Life You’re Meant to Lead” has earned 5-star reviews, Book of the Year (ForeWord) and Independent Publisher Awards. She’s coached and led workshops with hundreds of clients from business and personal growth communities since 1996. Marian has been featured on ABC-TV, Ladies Home Journal, Health Magazine and other media. She loves this work and falls asleep grateful in Chicago. For more resources, and discussion about healthy, meaningful success, including a Free Starter Kit: “7 Keys for Healthier Success and Loving Your Life,” visit WakeUpInspired.com

*brought to you by GetMotivation.com

In 1970, Stephen Stills sang a song reminding us that if we can’t be with the one we love, we should love the one we’re with.

It is a timeless message, one that echoes through the literature and songs of virtually every spiritual tradition - from love your enemies to love is all you need. And in these days of division and polarization, it’s a message we need to remember and heed.

There is an analogous message in the world of work. I am a big believer in finding and doing work you love to do. But I’m also realistic enough to know it’s not always possible for people to find, or to create, their “dream jobs.”

And I know from the daily personal experience of managing the Values Coach corporation that even for those of us who are fortunate enough to love our work, there’s still an awful lot of work that must be done which is very difficult to love. But that work must be done in order to earn the right to do the work you do love.

And this is where Stephen Stills’ message applies to us in our everyday work. If you can’t be doing the work you love, then love the work you do. Do it for yourself and your own happiness. Do it so you don’t drag home bitterness and resentment at the end of each day to inflict upon your family. Do it so you don’t infect your coworkers with your negativity. Do it because a country full of disengaged workers will not compete in a global economy against countries where workers are engaged.

The Gallup poll shows that the current percentage employees who are truly engaged with their work is only 29%. According to Gallup, fully 54% of workers are not engaged (i.e. they are just going through the motions, sleepwalking their way through each day), while an appalling 17% of employees are actively disengaged (these are the ones who actively seek to undermine their organizations - and in the process threaten the security of their own jobs and those of coworkers).

I understand the excuses someone might give for not making the effort to put love into their work. Sure, you might think you’re underpaid - love the work anyway. Sure, the CEO might be overpaid - don’t do it for him or her, do it for yourself, for your family and for your coworkers.

Some 2,500 years ago, a very wise man named Ecclesiastes discovered, after a lifetime of searching, that the secret to a fulfilled life is this: Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might. If you can’t be doing the work you love, love the work that’s been put before your hand to be done.
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Joe Tye is president of Paradox 21 Inc., which provides corporate training and culture change initiatives based on a proprietary curriculum of The Twelve Core Action Values of Personal Leadership Effectiveness. He is also the author of several books and audio programs on personal, career, and business success, and a popular motivational speaker.
Visit www.JoeTye.com

Sponsor: Looking for a Inspirational Speaker? Contact motivational speaker Josh Hinds

To-do lists are effective time-management tools – but only if they’re easy to use. Here are 6 strategies for making your to-do lists work hard for you.

1. Keep it simple - Whether you use a computer-based to-do list or a paper tablet, it must be simple. If it’s too complex, you won’t use it … guaranteed. That’s why I keep my to-do lists on paper.

I use a 5″ x 7″ tablet. I list “major” tasks to be accomplished, with big sub-steps underneath each one. For example, “Edit Golden Thread” is a major task. “Main article,” Quick Tip,” and “Introduction” are big sub-steps.

Note: A major task is not necessarily one that takes a long time.

2. Limit yourself - Small paper tablets work well, because there’s a limit to how much you can write on a page. I stick to a maximum of 10 tasks, all of which can be accomplished within a week of when I list them.

3. Set a due date – and stick to it. Due dates help prioritize what you do and when. Do not work on tasks in the order in which you write them down. Jot down the due date beside each one, and do them in the order of their deadlines.

4. Use a dark marker to reinforce your feeling of accomplishment - Cross off sub-steps as you complete them with a regular pen. Use a dark marker to cross off the major tasks. Boy, does it feel good!

5. Redo the list every workday - Do it when you start your day (or the evening before). This gives you a clear idea of what you have to do right now, and what needs to be done before the end of the day.

6. Add “pop-ups” to your list - When something pops up during the day that has to be attended to (such as an important phone call), add it to your to-do list – even if you’ve already done it.

To-do lists not only tell you what you have to do, you can use them to track your productivity and see if you’re using your time well.
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This article appears courtesy of the American Writers & Artists Inc. (AWAI) — the world’s leading publisher of homestudy programs designed to provide members with financial security, independence, and freedom. The company’s flagship, AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting, teaches people a skill that allows them to leave their current 9-to-5 job, and start living a “retired lifestyle,” working whenever they want, wherever they want, while still making a six-figure income. Learn more about the “Six Figure Copywriting program“.

Chances are, especially if you are from the United States, that when you read the title “the pursuit of” you thought of the phrase “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

These lovely words came from the pen of Thomas Jefferson and are a part of the U.S. Declaration of Independence from Great Britain.

As our use of language changes though, the original meaning of that phrase has been lost. When Jefferson wrote “the pursuit of happiness” he meant something similar to “the practice of happiness.”

Think about the whole phrase this way - “life, liberty and the practice of happiness.”

We have life, we have liberty (in the case of the Declaration, they were declaring it), and we can have happiness. Jefferson`s readers would have clearly understood that happiness wasn`t something to aspire to, but something to practice, or be.

As I think about this concept I recognize that we spend much of our time in pursuit, when what we really need to do is practice what we want.

For example, it wouldn`t be enough to be in pursuit of an Olympic Gold Medal, you know the only way to get there is to practice. This may seem very obvious for the kinds of skills already associated with practice (like an Olympic sport), but consider other things more relevant to your personal and professional life.

Don`t pursue good communication skills, practice them.
Don`t pursue creativity, practice the skills of creativity.
Don`t pursue learning, practice learning from everyday situations.

And . . .

Don`t pursue happiness, practice happiness.

When you focus on practice, you are doing the things you desire. You are both living in the present and, through the practice, progressing towards the things you are pursuing.

The problem with the pursuit is that you can easily lose track of the experience of living and you may not enjoy the prize when you get there! Rather than focusing solely on the pursuit, when you practice you are living what you are pursuing.

In other words, would you rather pursue happiness or be happy?

When considered in this light it seems obvious which choice makes more sense!

When you pursue, you:

* Chase
* Run toward
* Reach for
* Focus on the future situation

When you practice, you:

* Have
* Do
* Be
* Learn
* Grow
* Focus on today

While goals (and their pursuit) are important, I encourage you to consider a more active approach than simply pursuing something. I encourage you to practice it. I urge you to do it today.

Making the choice to practice will help you achieve more of what you have previously pursued than any other single action.

Potential Pointer: Stop thinking about pursuing, and begin thinking about practicing. As you practice what you desire you will enjoy the present and likely achieve what you desire more effortlessly as well.
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Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of speaking, consulting and training services. He also is the author of Remarkable Leadership - a book that will help you improve results as a leader, regardless of your job title. Contact him to learn more about how he can help you or your organization improve your skills and results.

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I was in Washington, D.C., enjoying a latte at the world’s favorite coffee spot (Starbucks) and having a fascinating conversation with a friend of mine, Lana Kim, who is a political refugee from Russia. She was telling me about her latest endeavor, writing a book. When I asked her why she hadn’t done it sooner she said, “I lacked confidence. I didn’t believe that I could do it.”

I put my grande chi latte down and listened as she revealed her story. Recognizing brilliance when I hear it, I knew I wanted to share her journey with you. I realized I wouldn’t be able to do her story justice, so I asked Lana Kim to tell you in her own words. Let me introduce you to Lana Kim, a true Brillianaire (a person who has learned to release his or her brilliance and abundantly shares it with others).

I have struggled nearly 35 years to have confidence, a gleam of hope, a belief that I could be somebody and make my life count for something. Do I have confidence today? Do I believe in myself? Sometimes I do. Other times it’s there but MIA (missing in action).

My confidence was under attack from the time I was a child. I was teased by children in class, in school, and in the neighborhood. Kids called me “Chinese.” I used to scream back at them that I was not Chinese; I was Russian like them. I wanted to be like everyone else. I am a third-generation Korean born and raised in Russia. My grandmother’s parents immigrated to the Island of Sakhalin to Czarist Russia between 1890 and 1899. The older I get, the more proud I am of my heritage because it was the foundation for becoming a confident human being who has grown over time.

When I came to America, I was a cleaning girl. I was 23 years old. Ten years later I was inducted into the “Hall of Fame” as a young stockbroker at PaineWebber. I owe this award to my dear friend and mentor, Don Culp. Don was an option trader on the floor of the Pacific Stock Exchange. Don Culp put through the order for my first stock trade, helped me build portfolios, explained how to analyze stocks, and left notes to cheer me up when times were tough. Today I have a number of designations including CFP (Certified Financial Planner) and RFC (Registered Financial Consultant), and I am completing a Master of Science in Financial Services.

What I’ve learned is that confidence grows with you one day at a time, one encounter at a time. I work every day to boost my confidence by reading motivational books, listening to tapes, making new friends, and volunteering.

Thank you, Lana Kim, for Releasing Your Brilliance because you have now given others permission to recapture, reignite and re-enlist their confidence.

According to my dictionary of etymology, the word confidence first appeared around 1400 and is directly related to the Latin word confidentia which means “to fully trust and be bold.”

When you fully trust yourself, you develop thick skin and the ability to bounce back. When you are full of confidence in who you are and what you do, bold action is your personal stamp.

Confidence is needed in abundance but unfortunately often runs in short supply. Antonyms for confidence are insecurity, self-doubt and diffidence (which means hesitancy). Bruce Jett said it best when he said, “You can determine how confident people are by listening to what they don’t say about themselves.”
Confidence is the voice that says, “I can, I shall, I will…live life to the fullest extent.”

Confidence is living out loud. Confidence is the ability to walk in the opposite direction instead of following popular opinion. Confidence is your swagger. Confidence establishes your brand within the corporate mega-brand. Confidence is quiet power. When you know what you know, you don’t have to impress anyone. You understand how to just be.

Why would Microsoft make a bid to buy Yahoo? Confidence. Why would Richard Branson launch an airline called Virgin America? Confidence. Why would Cynthia Good launch Pink Magazine www.pinkmagazine.com), one of the most talked about brand sensations targeting women in corporate America? It’s confidence, my friend. Confidence is what enabled Eli Manning and the New York Giants of the National Football League to rise above the noise and the doubters to win the 2008 Super Bowl.

Here are five actionable steps you can take to increase your confidence:

1. Create a Strategic Life Plan with 90-day milestones that you regularly review with your personal board of directors. Your plan should take into consideration your dreams, hopes and desires.

2. Find mentors who build you up rather than attempting to make you be more like them.

3. Feed your belief and faith in a brilliant future and starve your doubts to death. How? By reading inspiring literature that expands your mind and enlarges your heart.

4. Redesign your job description to reflect how you intend to add value to your team and your organization instead of waiting for management to come to you.

5. Invest in Meditate on Your Brilliance, a two-ebook set that will show you how to combine the proven power of meditation and positive affirmations to reignite your life and brilliantly shine at work. To learn more about it go here.

I love this quote by Joe Paterno, head football coach at Penn State University: “You need to play with supreme confidence or else you’ll lose again, and then losing becomes a habit.” My brilliance corollary to that is, “Live life with bold confidence or else you’ll defeat yourself again, and then self-defeat bcomes a habit.”
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Simon T. Bailey inspires individuals to take charge of change and transform their lives from the inside out. A thought leader and fresh voice in the businesses world, Bailey connects the dots between individual and organizational brilliance. He challenges and teaches businesses and organizations to clear obstacles to brilliance in their cultures, processes, and people, thereby achieving higher levels of engagement, retention, and productivity – and a brilliant bottom line. Visit him at www.SimonTBailey.com

* One thought I would add — remember that we gain confidence each time we experience a sense of achievement on something. Even if it’s just on a small level starting out. The point is you’ve got to be willing to start — even if it is just the tiniest of forward movement to begin with — going forward your confidence will build. Notice how in the story example above how with each accomplishment her list of achievements grew, and grew more impressive… It’s your life, LIVE BIG! Josh Hinds

** Any thoughts you’d like to add to the important topic of confidence?

Have you ever had something taken away from you only to realize how much you appreciated it after it was gone?

I often ask this question when I start one of my talks or seminars on appreciation. As I pause and wait for people to respond, many hands go up.

Most of us have taken someone or something for granted. We only truly realized how much that person or situation meant to us after the fact.

For example, at the age of twenty three my professional baseball career ended abruptly when I blew out my pitching arm.  I was in my third season in the minor leagues with the Kansas City Royals, and just like that my childhood dream was over.

I realized looking back on my eighteen years in competitive baseball that I had only one major regret; I pushed myself so hard that I’d forgotten to enjoy the game. I was so focused on “making it” and on overcoming my weaknesses, I had not taken much time to appreciate what I was doing along the way.

We often waste way too much of our time and energy focusing on what we don’t like, what we’re worried about, or what we think needs to be fixed, changed, or enhanced.  We live in a culture obsessed with “bad stuff.”  Just turn on the news, listen to the conversations and negative attitudes of the people around you, or pay attention to the thoughts in your own head.

The Power of Appreciation in Your Life

What if we stopped this negative obsession and started paying attention to what and whom we appreciate, right now?

Imagine how this simple but profound shift could transform our lives, our families, our relationships, our results, our work groups, our communities, and more.  Our experience is a function of what we focus on.  Each and every moment we have a choice about where we place our attention.

I am not advocating that we deny, avoid, or run from the challenges, issues, or even the pain in our lives or around us.  It’s important that we’re able to confront, face, and deal with these difficulties.  However, we don’t have to obsess about the bad stuff and let it run us.  We each can consciously choose to focus on the good stuff in our lives, with others, and most importantly towards ourselves.

There are great things happening in your life and around you all the time - if you choose to look for them.

Five Principles for Living a Life Filled With Appreciation:

1) Be Grateful – Focus on the many blessings in your life and all that you have to be thankful for.

2) Choose Positive Thoughts and Feelings – Make a conscious decision to transform your negative thoughts and feelings into ones that empower you.

3) Use Positive Words – Pay attention to the words you use with others, about things, and in speaking about yourself.  Speak with the most positive words possible. Our words have the power to create, not just describe.

4) Acknowledge Others – Focus on what you appreciate about the people around you and let them know.  Be genuine and let others know the positive impact they have on you and your life.

5) Appreciate Yourself – Celebrate who you are, what you do, and the many gifts and talents you have.  Self-appreciation is not arrogance; it’s an awareness of your own power and the key to self-confidence, success, and fulfillment.

When we truly focus on this good stuff, our world transforms and we are able to see and experience the great fullness of our lives.

We don’t have to wait until everything is handled. We don’t have to wait until we get it all perfect. And, we don’t have to wait for people to do things exactly as we want them to.  We can start appreciating life, others, and ourselves exactly as we are, right now.

Don’t wait ‘til it’s too late!
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Mike Robbins is a an author, personal growth expert, and sought after keynote speaker who empowers individuals, organizations, and groups of all kinds to appreciate themselves and each other - thus leading to greater success, improved relationships, and increased fulfillment. Experience the positive impact of appreciation on yourself and those around you with this free preview of Mike’s bestselling book, FOCUS ON THE GOOD STUFF: The Power of Appreciation.

* Thoughts or comments? Perhaps you have some ways you’d like to share that you go about keeping a “focus on the good stuff” in your life?

Failure!

Just the word “failure” can send shivers down our spine. If you’re like me and many of my clients, you’re probably not a big fan of failing. However, if you think about some of your biggest failures in life, haven’t they taught you a great deal and been extremely valuable to your growth, your development, and even your happiness in hindsight?

Failure itself isn’t the real issue; it’s our relationship to and our fear of failure that causes us pain and frustration. Think of what your life, your relationships, and your career would be like if you were not afraid to fail? For most of us, this would make things very different.

Failure is essential …

No risk, no reward! Michael Jordan said, “I missed 100% of the shots that I didn’t take.” We rarely regret what we do. We mostly regret the things we don’t do; especially the ones we are scared to do.

On our path of life, growth, and success, we all encounter failure. Some of the most successful people who have ever walked the planet have failed miserably, publicly, and in ways that many of us would not be able to recover from.

What if we actually appreciated failing? Remember, appreciating something doesn’t necessarily mean we like or enjoy it. Appreciation means that we recognize the value of something and are grateful for it.

Things we can appreciate about failing:

- Failure often gives us important feedback about where we are

- Failure gives us contrast and can make success that much more meaningful

- Failure usually involves taking a risk, which is something we can acknowledge ourselves for and be proud of

- Failure is usually a great opportunity for learning, growth, and improvement

- Failure gives us an opportunity to love ourselves, even when we don’t do or get what we want

By learning to appreciate ourselves when we fail and appreciate the failure itself, we take our power back from situations, circumstances, and the opinions of other people in our lives.

Our ability to appreciate failure, learn from it, and use it to our advantage, gives us an important insight into how to create success in a conscious and deliberate way. Appreciating failure is a key to success and fulfillment.

Change your perspective …

Make a list of some of the biggest failures in your life – things from the past or things that are currently happening. What can you appreciate about each of these failures? What did you learn? What feedback did you get? How did failing in this way enhance your life?

If you look for it, you’ll be able to find many things to appreciate about your failures. Appreciating your failures will allow you alter your relationship to failing, let go of some of the fear you have about it, and ultimately create more success in your life!

(c) Mike Robbins – all rights reserved
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Mike Robbins is a an author, personal growth expert, and sought after keynote speaker who empowers individuals, organizations, and groups of all kinds to appreciate themselves and each other - thus leading to greater success, improved relationships, and increased fulfillment. Experience the positive impact of appreciation on yourself and those around you with this free preview of Mike’s bestselling book, FOCUS ON THE GOOD STUFF: The Power of Appreciation.

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** Do you have any thoughts or experiences you’d like to share that might be helpful when it comes to overcoming and dealing with failure?

In the field of human performance and psychology, there has been a lot of new information surrounding life balance.

With the increasing number of personal and professional commitments, people are struggling to find a proper balance for their life. Unfortunately, too often we put off the important things in deference to the immediate things.

Everyone agrees we should spend more time with our family and loved ones, but this is often the first area in the schedule to suffer if there is a crisis at work.

It is easy to tell ourselves that we will make up for this imbalance later in the week, the month, or the year.

Unfortunately, spending quality time with your friends and family in a two-week vacation next year cannot make up for daily contact.

Experts tell us that we should drink eight glasses of water each day. This means all of us should be consuming 64 ounces, or a half gallon of water, daily.

If we manage our water consumption the way many of us try to manage our lives, we would drink nothing throughout the month and then try to consume a little over 15 gallons of water on the last day.

This is laughable when we contemplate drinking water, but unfortunately it is how many of us manage our family life, our health, our recreation, our exercise, and personal development.

In order to be truly successful, we must achieve a daily balance of the things that are important to us with respect to our life priorities.

Whether it’s exercise, study, diet, or family time, it is much more critical what you do on a daily basis than how you structure your month or your year.

If you and I were to list our life priorities on a single sheet of paper, a stranger observing us should be able to identify our priorities in a matter of a few days.

The only thing we must do to have a successful life is to have a series of successful decades. Successful decades come from consistently having successful years. A successful year is made up of 12 successful months which are each comprised of four successful weeks. But when it’s all said and done, it all boils down to one day at a time.

For almost a decade, I have been endeavoring to write one of these columns each week, submitting some thought or principle I believe to be important.

At the end of each of these columns, including this one, I conclude with the critical phrase, “Today’s the Day!” This is significant because no matter what we are considering, we must make it a part of our daily routine, or it might never become a part of our life.

As you go through your day today, remember: All of your goals and your life itself boil down to how you live today.

Today’s the day!
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Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network, as well as a published author of many books including The Ultimate Gift. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. He may be reached at 5840 South Memorial Drive, Suite 312, Tulsa, OK 74145-9082, or by e-mail at JimStovall@aol.com. Visit www.JimStovall.com

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The science of physics recognizes two kinds of inertia - both of which can be related to procrastination.

The first law states, “Standing objects tend to remain stationary.” The second law is the inverse: “Moving objects tend to stay in motion.”

Procrastination is stationary inertia. We aren’t moving, and we therefore don’t move!

Procrastination overcome, however, moves us into the arena where the law of motion takes over. We frequently find that once we’ve started a project or process, we stay with it until completion.

One of my favorite sayings from my friend Dr. Robert Schuller is posted on my word processor: “Beginning is Half Done!” (I’ve modified it to say, “Beginning is Half Won!”)

Here are seven techniques to overcome procrastination:

1. Take five minutes to identify what you are putting off…
On a blank sheet of paper, note several important activities that you realize you are delaying or have put on hold.

2. Look at your list of tasks and do one of them right now…
Put the energy you’ve been directing toward excuses into the activity you’ve been avoiding. You’ll discover that action eliminates anxiety.

3. If getting started is the hard part for you, set a designated time slot in the day to work on the list…
Set aside thirty minutes of your lunch hour for work specifically on one job, project, or personal goal that you’ve been avoiding or find difficult to start.

4. Don’t worry about perfection…
What counts is quality of effort, not perfect results. Don’t let yourself get bogged down with a preoccupation for perfectionism.

5. If what you are putting off involves other people, consult with them…
Your reasons for delaying action may be imaginary. Lack of communication often turns molehills into mountains.

6. If you fear the consequences associated with the action you’ve been avoiding, ask yourself, What’s the worst thing that could happen If I did this today?
The worst-case scenario most likely would be a minor inconvenience or a temporary setback.

7. Finally, Vividly picture how you’ll feel once the task is done.
Freedom from anxiety. Freedom from nagging pressures. Freedom from self-doubt. Accomplishing put-off tasks will give you a great boost of confidence and energy!

Ground breaking requires TNT. To blast your way out of apathy and overcoming procrastination. Remember what TNT means: Today! Not Tomorrow!
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Written by Denis Waitley. Visit his web site to receive the Denis Waitley Weekly Ezine.
(c) Denis Waitley International. All rights reserved worldwide.

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