Have you ever had a day when you just couldn’t seem to get in gear?  Maybe you were having trouble getting started on a project or perhaps you moved from one half completed tasks to the next in a random and almost frantic manner.  You are busy but you don’t feel productive.  You show up but you really don’t feel present?  You are easily distracted by everything from incoming Email to the pencil sharpener. 

 

If this sounds familiar then you might be suffering from a case of Unclearfocusilitis.  In layman’s terms a lack of clarity and or focus the two foundational elements necessary to reaching any goal big or small.  Without these elements you are likely to arrive at the end of the day, week, month, or year no closer to your big goals then you were when you started and wondering where the time went?

 

Clarity is knowing what you want to do.  Focus is being able to direct your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual energy to a single activity.  Note:  I did say a single activity.  Multi-tasking in my opinion is not a focused attention.  It’s divided attention for the purpose of expedience.  There are times when multi-tasking is necessary, but it is not a habit that always serves you well.

 

 The following are three steps that can help you get clear and find focus on a daily basis.  Use them today and let me know Apply it to your day, experience and let be how it makes a difference in your life.

 

1.        Determine your chief aim : 

Ask yourself:  What do I want from this day?

 

Your chief aim is the reason why you do what you do.  It is the general state of being that you are trying to reach in accomplishing tasks and goals.  This is a big picture question and should focus on your general state of being. 

 

For instance the chief aim of getting rich might be financial peace of mind or a sense of freedom.  The chief aim of dressing well might be to feel good about yourself.   The reason you work hard might be to be a have a sense of responsibility or accomplishment.    

State your chief aim as an action statement.   Examples: 

·         I want to experience a sense of accomplishment throughout the entire day.   

·         I want to go through the day feeling peace.  

·         Today I want to uplift others.   

·         Today I want to be highly productive. 

·         I want to fully relax and rejuvenate myself today.

·         Today I want to make by body stronger and healthier. 

·         Today I want to freely express love to others with a smile and a kind word.  

·         Today I want to organize and simplify my home or office.

 

2.        Align with your chief aim with your big goals: 

Ask Yourself:  How does this connect to my big goals/dreams?

Your goals are most alive when they show up in your daily activities.  The difference between having a dream that is simply wishful thinking and having a dream that is guiding your life is in the doing.  Your daily activities must reflect what you’re working on in your life.  Avoid becoming a dream junkie.  The most value gift you have been given is life in this moment.  Your memories of the past and your hopes for the future exist only in your head.  Real living is in moments just like this one. 

If your chief aim for today is not aligned with your chief aim in life or your big aims, then go back and connect it or consider that it might not be a worthy aim.

 

3.       Identify daily activities   

Ask yourself:  What must I do today to accomplish my chief aim?

This is where the rubber hits the road.   Your chief aim is only a desire until you identify those things that you can do today to make it real.  If for instance your chief aim is to end the day with a strong sense of accomplishment, then you need to identify those things that you can do to create this feeling.  What does a good day look like?  Write it down and keep it handy as a reference throughout the day.   Remember as always, it’s not what you attain or obtain when reaching for your daily goals it is who you become in the reaching.  Believe in yourself and let today be the day when a new and transformed YOU shines forth.

I love talking with people about what they are working on and what they want from life. I'm always amazed at just how close many of us are standing to the thing that we want and don't even realize it. True, nothing is given to you unless you put forth the effort and take the steps to attain it, but attainment is a reality when you consistently move in the direction of that which you desire.

The challenge for most is in the movement. Consistently taking the daily steps to get to a place that you have never been is not always easy. Doubt is the greatest weakness of mankind. We applaud those who are sure, but we are uncomfortable with those who are uncomfortable with themselves.

Self-doubt will destroy desire, dedication, decisions, and dreams. Self-doubt is one of the greatest reason why the singer won't sing their song, the artist won't show their work, the sales professional won't make the call, the small business owner won't grow their business, why the financially challenged stay broke, and why the lonely are alone.

So how do you overcome this weakness? By increasing your reasons for moving toward your dreams and your goals. Make a list of 101 reasons to take action and you will find that the doubt disappears. You may not know it, but you already have an internal list of reasons not to take action. The 101 list of reasons counters that list.

Try it. You might be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Success is not sexy…  It’s a matter of routine

Some of us seem to have this strange love affair with what we define as success. We pursue it the way in which we pursue a man or woman.  We try to attract it, we want to seduce it, we want to court it, some try to force it, all with the hopes that one day it can be all ours.

The problem with this is that when we objectify success it very often plays the role of the coquette.  It becomes a consummate tease with the ability to arouse desire through an attractive appearance and an alluring persona.  Like a drug it has the power to lock a person in emotionally and hold them long after the initial attraction fades.  It becomes a thing that keeps you wanting it, but never allows you to fully have it.

 You may know of that person who is forever chasing success but can never obtain it, at least in their own eyes.  They come close, but something happens and success once again eludes them.  This groupie-like “cat and mouse” game played with success can become dangerously habit forming and can go on for a lifetime. 

So how do we avoid this?

Never objectify success. It is not a person or a thing.  It is not an identity or who you are. It is simply the achievement of an intention. That being said, you have many successes throughout the day.

Successfully reaching a goal is a matter of consistently performing tasks that move you in the direction you want to go, nothing more, nothing less.  It is necessary that you are clear on where you are going.  It is also necessary that you are clear on the steps you need to take to get there.  Aside from that there is no mystery.

 In fact, if you look at it inversely you would realize that everyone is reaching the goal toward which their daily activities are driving them.  Let me give you an example:  If I consistently eat fatty foods, my daily eating activities are leading me to an unhealthy body. That might not be the result that I want, but it is the goal that I have as determined by what I consistently do. Another example is that if I consistently produce or create little and only add value to the lives of a very small number of people, my reward, monetary or otherwise, will reflect that.  I will not earn a lot. On the other hand…

Success is not personal

Cause and effect, sowing and reaping are no respecters of person.  It works for you the way that it works for everyone else.  The question is, “What are you consistently sowing to reap the life that you currently have and what do you need to start sowing to reap the harvest that you desire?”

Do you have a routine that will take you from where you are to where you want to be?  When you wake up in the morning are you entering into the new day as a random being or do you have purpose and a clear direction toward which to travel?

Good routines are the key to success

You should not have to constantly find new steps every day to get to where you want to go. I am working on a book the title of which is Break Out! Seven Steps to Busting Ruts and Living an Unstuck Life.  Completing this book is ultimately a matter of organizing thoughts, writing chapters, and editing.  Each step has sub-steps.  The sub-steps break down into simple tasks, and when done consistently the book is written.

I don’t need to judge if I am a good or bad writer.  I have a copy editor for that.  I don’t even need to judge the content shared. I leave that up to the reader.  All I can do is share what I’ve lived, learned, and can articulate.  The only thing that matters today is that I find 120 minutes to take the necessary steps to live my goal of writing the book.

When your daily activities reflect your mid and long-range goals you are well on your way to greater success.  More importantly, you are well on your way to transforming yourself into the person you need to become in order to live the life you envision.   

This is going to upset a few people

I define wishful thinking as wanting something for which you are not willing to work.  Dream –junkies live on wishful thinking.   I don’t think that’s who you are.  Pray, meditate, visualize, and dream, and then rise up and get busy.  Break off your schoolboy/schoolgirl crush on success and focus your time and energy on doing that which needs to be done.  Set the course, develop good routines and let the rest take care of itself.

Start Now!

The following are some action steps to help you along the way:

Action steps:

1.  Write down a clear picture of where you want to go.

2.  Write down the steps necessary to get there.

3.  Break those steps down into subs-steps

4.  Break those sub-steps down into daily tasks.

5.  Every day take the steps

6.  Repeat and refine. 

 

7 Steps to Setting Your Goals Effectively
Excerpt from a 50 page report

There is a difference in setting your goals and setting them effectively. Anyone can set a goal, but doing it effectively means that it will actually get done.

There are so many things that you can do to better your life, but if you don’t know how to go about it you are stuck.

The following guidelines will help you to set effective goals and help you manage your time in an efficient manner that will cause those goals to become reality.

State each goal as a positive statement Express your goals in a positive way. That is a key component to setting goals that you can attain.

How often have you been excited to accomplish a goal that didn’t even sound good when you brought it up? If you are not comfortable or happy with the goals that you have set, the likelihood of you succeeding is pretty low.

If you want to express your goals in a positive way, you simply have to first think of a goal that puts a smile on your face when you imagine it completed. Why would you want to set a goal that made you frown, cringe or cry?

When you are beginning to set your goals it helps when you are talking about them to others in a manner that states your actions as positives because it will have others seeing it as a positive as well.

That will garner you a great deal more support. In the end, don’t we all need a little support when we are trying to do something positive in our lives?

1.  Be precise
Set a precise goal that includes starting dates, times and amounts so that you can properly measure your achievement.

If you do this, you will know exactly when you have achieved the goal, and can take complete satisfaction from having achieved it.

Being precise in setting your goals is no more than setting them with exact details. It is easier this way because then you can follow a step-by-step format. That’s all there is to it.

2.  Set priorities
When you have several goals, give each a specific priority.

This helps you to avoid feeling overwhelmed by too many goals, and helps to direct your attention to the most important ones and follow each in succession. Setting priorities will force you into the step-by-step format above.

By doing the most important first and moving to the least important in succession, you are enabling each task to be easier than the last. It causes the accomplishment of each task to get easier and easier which will encourage you to complete your goal.

3.  Write goals down
This crystallizes your goals and gives them more force.  In writing your goals down, you are better able to keep up with your scheduled tasks for each accomplishment. It also helps you to remember each task that needs to be done and allows you to check them off as they are accomplished.

Basically, you can better keep track of what you are doing so as not to repeat yourself unnecessarily.

4.  Keep operational goals small
Keep the low-level goals you are working towards small and easy to achieve. If a goal is too large, then it can seem that you are not making progress towards it.

Keeping goals small and incremental allows you more opportunities for reward. Derive today's goals from larger ones. It is a great way to accomplish your goals.

5.  Set performance goals, not outcome goals
You should take care to set goals over which you have as much control as possible. There is nothing more dispiriting than failing to achieve a personal goal for reasons that are beyond your control.

These could be bad business environments, poor judging, bad weather, injury, or just plain bad luck. If you base your goals on personal your performance, then you can keep control over the achievement of your goals and get satisfaction from achieving them.

6.  Set realistic goals
It is important to set goals that you can achieve. All sorts of people (parents, media, and society) can set unrealistic goals for you which is almost a guarantee of failure. They will often do this in ignorance of your own desires and ambitions or flat out disinterest.

Alternatively you may be naïve in setting very high goals. You might not appreciate either the obstacles in the way, or understand quite how many skills you must master to achieve a particular level of performance.  By being realistic you are increasing your chances of success.

7.  Do not set goals too low
Just as it is important not to set goals unrealistically high; do not set them too low. People tend to do this where they are afraid of failure or where they simply don’t want to do anything.

You should set goals so that they are slightly out of your immediate grasp, but not so far that there is no hope of achieving them. No one will put serious effort into achieving a goal that they believe is unattainable.

However, remember that your belief that a goal is unrealistic may be incorrect. If this could be the case, you can to change this belief by using creating visual images of that which wish to achieve.

 

Are you stuck? Do you feel that things are not moving forward?

If you answered "yes" to either of the above questions, then ask yourself this, “Do I have clear and written goals?”

It doesn't matter if you've accomplished great things or nothing at all,you must have something that you are reaching for, and that something must be clear and written.

One of the first mentors I had was an incredibly successful entrepreneur. At the time I met him he owned a chain of over one hundred hair salons. The advice and resources he introduced me to made a lasting impression on my life and was instrumental in helping me find my purpose.

One of the things that he always stressed was the importance of having clear goals. I remember him telling me that the thing that separates people who accomplish great things from people who don’t was that people who accomplish extraordinary things set and went after clear specific goals.

Over the years I lost touch with him, but one thing is certain, he is still living the advice he gave me. Today he owns the largest privately held salon chain in the nation with nearly one thousand hair salons in about 19 states. If I were a betting man, I would bet the farm that there is more to come, lots more. Why?

He has made a habit of always living his life with at least one dream to fulfill.

You may not have aspirations of building a multi-million dollar business,nor should you if that does not speak to who you are. The important thing is that you have a clear goal that you are moving toward. Start right where you are.

Within your imagination is something to which to aspire.

Write down your aspirations and then educate yourself on what you need to do to accomplish your goal. Forget what you think you know about the topic and seek the counsel of those who have done what you want to do. If you don’t have access to them directly, buy a book, or do your research online.

After you've educated yourself look at your clearly written goal and ask, “What is the next step?”

Stop! This is important!

Don’t just dream it, act on it. The only step you need to take to reach your goal is the next step.

Do this consistently and there is no limit to what you can accomplish.

Stay Positive! If I can help, let me know.

On August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Dr. Martin Luther King stood at a podium and addressed the assembled masses with the nation looking on. He delivered the “I have a dream” speech. That speech and those words are credited with mobilizing supporters of desegregation and led to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The next year Dr. king was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Imagine how diminished that speech would have been if Dr. King said, “I have an idea.” or, “I have something that I think we should work on.”, or “I have something that I want.”

Dr. King recognized the power of a dream.
The power to transform.
The power to transcend.
The power to attract others and infuse in them a strong sense of purpose that refuses to die until the goal is reached.

The dictionary definition of the word “dream” is: a strongly desired goal or purpose.
I like to define a dream as a goal that sits at the extreme edge of our imaginations.

Just as Dr. King’s dream helped to transform this nation, your dreams have the power to transform you into a better you.
Just as Dr. King’s dream transcended the struggles of the times in which he lived, your dreams can transcend whatever you are struggling with in your life.
Just as Dr King’s dream created a strong sense of purpose in every man, woman, and child who picked it up and carried it forth, your dream can create a strong sense of purpose in your life and the lives of those to whom it attracts.

As a goals coach I work with people who are trying to get from where they are to where they want to be. People often come to me because they want more. More money, more love, more balance, more productivity, more business, more energy, more peace, more purpose, more joy, more magnetism. The real progress happens when a client realizes that it is not about what you attain or obtain, it’s about who you become in the process.

Ask yourself, "What kind of ____________ must I become in order to ___________________."

Example:
What kind of a entrepreneur must I become in order to generate fifteen million dollars in revenue per year?
What kind of a person must I become in order to maintain a healthy, high energy, and sexy body?
What kind of a leader must I become in order to motivate my team to exceed our performance goals?

Look for good role models and list the dominate traits that lead to their success.

Transformation is the greatest gift that your dream has to give you. Work on becoming the person worthy of what you are aiming at and the rest will fall into place.

The Powers of a Positive Attitude

I am going to ask you to something very weird right now. First of all, I want you to listen to your thoughts. Now tell me, what thoughts fill your head? Would you label them as positive, or negative?

Now let's say you are walking down the street with these thoughts. Do you think anyone who would meet you would be able to tell you what’s on your mind?

The answer to number one is up to you. But, the answer number two can be pretty generic. Although people will not be able to tell you exactly what you think, they will more or less have an idea of how you are feeling.

Here's another question. When you enter a party filled with friends, do they all fall silent as if something terrible had happened? Or does everybody there perk up as if waiting for something exciting to happen?

You know what? The answer to all these depends on your frame of mind.

Thoughts are very powerful. They affect your general attitude. The attitude you carry reflects on your appearance, too – unless, of course, you are a great actor.

And it doesn't end there. Your attitude can also affect people around you.

The type of attitude you carry depends on you. It can be either positive or negative.

Positive thoughts have a filling effect. They are admittedly invigorating. Plus, the people around the person carrying positive thoughts are usually energized by this type of attitude.

Negative thoughts on the other hand have a sapping effect on other people. Aside from making you look gloomy and sad, negative thoughts can turn a festive gathering into a funeral wake.

A positive attitude attracts people, while a negative attitude repels them. People tend to shy away from those who carry a negative attitude.

We can also define attitude as the way of looking at the world. If you choose to focus on the negative things in the world, more or less you have a negative attitude brewing up. However, if you choose to focus on the positive things, you are more likely carry a positive attitude.

You have much to gain from a very positive attitude. For one, studies have shown that a positive attitude promotes better health. Those with this kind of attitude also have more friends. projecting a positive attitude also helps one to handle stress and problems better than those who have a negative attitude.

A positive attitude begins with a healthy self-image. If you will love the way you are and are satisfied, confident, and self-assured, you also make others are around feel the same way.

A negative attitude, on the other hand, has, of course, an opposite effect. So, carrying a negative attitude has a twofold drawback. You feel bad about yourself, and you make others feel the same way.

If you want to have a positive attitude, you have to feature healthy thoughts. This is probably very hard to do nowadays since, all around us, the media feeds us nothing but negative thoughts. A study shows that for every 14 things a parent says to his or her child, only one is positive. This is truly a saddening thought.

If you want a healthier outlook in life, you need to think happy thoughts, and you have to hear positive things as well. So, what can you do? Well, for starters, you could see a funny movie, you could play with children, spend some time telling jokes with friends. All these activities fill you with positive stimuli, which in turn promotes positive attitude.

Although it is impossible to keep ourselves from the negative things around us, you can still carry a positive attitude by focusing on the good things, the positive things in life.

And this positive attitude you now carry can be of benefit to other people. Sometimes when other people feel down, the thing people mostly do is try to give them advice. But sometimes, all they need is somebody to sit by them, and listen to them. If you have a positive attitude you may be able to cheer them up without even having to say anything.

If positive attitude is really great, why do people choose to adopt a negative attitude instead? One who carries a negative attitude may be actually sending a signal for attention. Before you get me wrong, feeling sad, angry, or gloomy is not wrong itself. But dwelling on these thoughts for far too long is not healthy either. There is a time to mourn.

As always, if you are beset by troubles, even in your darkest hour, focus on the good things in life, you will always have hope. Problems become something you can overcome.

You do not have much to lose by adopting a healthy, positive attitude. Studies show that such an attitude actually retards aging, makes you healthier, helps you develop a better stress coping mechanism, and has a very positive effect on all the people you meet every day. So, what's not to like about a positive attitude? Adopt one today.

<< MORE >>

On August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Dr. Martin Luther King stood at a podium and addressed the assembled masses with the nation looking on. He delivered the “I have a dream” speech. That speech and those words are credited with mobilizing supporters of desegregation and led to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The next year Dr. king was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Imagine how diminished that speech would have been if Dr. King said, “I have an idea.” or, “I have something that I think we should work on.”, or “I have something that I want.” Dr. King recognized the power of a dream. The power to transform. The power to transcend. The power to attract others and infuse in them a strong sense of purpose that refuses to die until the goal is reached. The dictionary definition of the word “dream” is: a strongly desired goal or purpose. I like to define a dream as a goal that sits at the extreme edge of our imaginations. Just as Dr. King’s dream helped to transform this nation, your dreams have the power to transform you into a better you. Just as Dr. King’s dream transcended the struggles of the times in which he lived, your dreams can transcend whatever you are struggling with in your life. Just as Dr King’s dream created a strong sense of purpose in every man, woman, and child who picked it up and carried it forth, your dream can create a strong sense of purpose in your life and the lives of those to whom it attracts. As a goals coach I work with people who are trying to get from where they are to where they want to be. People often come to me because they want more. More money, more love, more balance, more productivity, more business, more energy, more peace, more purpose, more joy, more magnetism. The real progress happens when a client realizes that it is not about what you attain or obtain, it’s about who you become in the process. Ask yourself, "What kind of ____________ must I become in order to ___________________." Example: What kind of a entrepreneur must I become in order to generate fifteen million dollars in revenue per year? What kind of a person must I become in order to maintain a healthy, high energy, and sexy body? What kind of a leader must I become in order to motivate my team to exceed our performance goals? Look for good role models and list the dominate traits that lead to their success. Transformation is the greatest gift that your dream has to give you. Work on becoming the person worthy of what you are aiming at and the rest will fall into place.<< MORE >>

Have you ever had a day when you just couldn’t seem to get in gear?Maybe you were having trouble getting started on a project, or perhapsyou moved from one half- completed tasks to the next in a random andalmost frantic manner. You are busy, but you don’t feel productive. Youshow up, but you really don’t feel present? You are easily distractedby everything from incoming Email to the pencil sharpener.

Ifthis sounds familiar then you might be suffering from a case ofUnclearfocusilitis. In layman’s terms a lack of clarity and or focus,the two foundational elements necessary to reaching any goal big orsmall. Without these elements you are likely to arrive at the end ofthe day, week, month, or year no closer to your big goals and wonderingwhere the time went?

Clarity is knowing what you want to do.Focus is being able to direct your mental, physical, emotional andspiritual energy to a single activity. Note: I did say a singleactivity. Multi-tasking, in my opinion, is not focused attention. It’sdivided attention for the purpose of expedience. There are times whenmulti-tasking is necessary, but it is not a habit that always servesyou well.

The following are three steps that can help you getclear and find focus on a daily basis. Use them today and let me knowhow it makes a difference in your life.

1. Determine your chief aim :
Ask yourself: What do I want from this day?

Yourchief aim is the reason why you do what you do. It is the general stateof being that you are trying to reach in accomplishing tasks and goals.This is a big picture question and should focus on your general stateof being.

For instance the chief aim of getting rich might befinancial peace of mind or a sense of freedom. The chief aim ofdressing well might be to feel good about yourself. The reason you workhard might be to be a have a sense of responsibility or accomplishment.
State your chief aim as an action statement. Examples:
• I want to experience a sense of accomplishment throughout the entire day.
• I want to go through the day feeling peace.
• Today I want to uplift others.
• Today I want to be highly productive.
• I want to fully relax and rejuvenate myself today.
• Today I want to make by body stronger and healthier.
• Today I want to freely express love to others with a smile and a kind word.
• Today I want to organize and simplify my home or office.

2. Align your chief aim with your big goals
Ask Yourself: How does this connect to my big goals/dreams?

Yourgoals are most alive when they show up in your daily activities. Thedifference between having a dream that is simply wishful thinking andhaving a dream that is guiding your life is in the doing. Your dailyactivities must reflect what you’re working on in your life. Avoidbecoming a dream junkie. The most value gift you have been given islife in this moment. Your memories of the past and your hopes for thefuture exist only in your head. Real living is in moments just likethis one.
If your chief aim for today is not aligned with your chiefaim in life or your big aims, then go back and connect it or considerthat it might not be a worthy aim.

3. Identify daily activities
Ask yourself: What must I do today to accomplish my chief aim?

Thisis where the rubber hits the road. Your chief aim is only a desireuntil you identify those things that you can do today to make it real.If for instance your chief aim is to end the day with a strong sense ofaccomplishment, then you need to identify those things that you can doto create this feeling. What does a good day look like? Write it downand keep it handy as a reference throughout the day. Remember asalways, it’s not what you attain or obtain when reaching for your dailygoals it is who you become in the reaching. Believe in yourself and lettoday be the day that a new and transformed YOU shines forth.♠