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| Motivating Staff Articles 
Keeping Employees: Creating a "High-Retention" Culture 8 Ways To Motivate & Improve Staff Performance Ropes, Peaks and Soaring Eagles: Live life courageously every day Stay Motivated :Keep Growing and Achieving Self-Motivation is the Best Motivation 10 Ways To Make You Feel Happy Have a Passion for What You Do Have a Purpose for What You Do How to Increase Your Energy, Enthusiasm and Reduce Stress 7 Step Goal Personal Planning Setting Success Formula Goals And Motivation A Simple Formula Keeping Employees: Creating a "High-Retention" Culture We all know this old piece of wisdom: "It's easier and cheaper to keep an existing customer than it is to find a new one." Substitute the word "employee" for "customer" and it's just as true. Employee turnover can be one of the worst plagues on a small business. Not only is continuity of knowledge a very important aspect to growth and success, the time and money spent on constant recruiting, hiring, and training can be a fatal burden. Plus, high turnover can have a profoundly negative impact on the morale and job performance of the remaining employees (and the owners!) If you can find a way to keep turnover lower than the average for your industry, it equates to a significant competitive advantage for you. So, how do you know when turnover is too high? I suggest both internal and external benchmarking. Internally, track your voluntary turnover each year. Look for averages and trends. If it suddenly goes up, it should serve as a red flag. Strive for annual improvement. Externally, compare your company to your peers in your industry. You can obtain reports on various financial and operational metrics from Dun and Bradstreet, on the web, and from trade associations in many industries. Notice I used the phrase "voluntary turnover." That's a distinction worth noting and monitoring. Voluntary turnover refers to employees who resign of their own accord. Involuntary turnover would include terminations and layoffs. I recommend you keep an eye on both types of turnover. If your voluntary turnover is high (compared with your internal and external benchmarking), it might signal problems with your culture, management, or new hire orientation. If involuntary turnover is high, it might mean your hiring and screening process is not rigorous enough, or that you have a tendency to hire too quickly when busy and then have to let people go when things slow down. While you can't jump to conclusions and it isn't always cut-and-dried, it's absolutely worth your time to analyze your turnover statistics so you can stop problems in their tracks and avoid the associated pain and suffering that goes with high turnover. Let's look at some of the components of a high-retention environment. Pay and Benefits Dozens of surveys have been published that illustrate how pay is not the most important factor in employee satisfaction. That may be true, but everyone is looking out for themselves and their families. At minimum, your employees need to feel that they are compensated fairly for the work they do, both in terms of salary and benefits. Just as with employee turnover statistics above, you can find out about competitive pay rates by job description, industry and geography from a variety of sources. Management/Supervision In the classic business book, First, Break all the Rules, co-authors Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman say: "It is better to work for a great manager in an old-fashioned company than for a terrible manager in a company offering an enlightened, employee-focused culture. It's not that these employee-focused initiatives are unimportant. It's just that your immediate manager is more important." I agree 100%. You've probably heard the saying, "People don't leave companies; they leave supervisors." People want to be trusted, to be valued for their contribution, and to be respected both as employees and as people. They want feedback, encouragement and praise. All of these are available in abundance and are free. Checklist for Creating a High-Retention Culture: Provide competitive pay and benefits. Provide clear expectations and directions. Provide ongoing job skills training, starting with a thorough new-employee orientation. Provide all the tools and resources needed to do the job. Give frequent and honest feedback on job performance. Offer praise or constructive criticism whenever either is appropriate, but don't sugar-coat or nit-pick. Strive for even-handedness. Squelch bureaucracy, red tape, and needless hassles. Squelch office politics and the rumor mill. Encourage, pay attention to, and actually use employee input and feedback. Bosses do not have a monopoly on good ideas. Communicate in all directions: up, down and sideways. There's almost no such thing as too much communication. Reward high performance. Low performers need to be reassigned, coached to success, or in some cases, they need to be removed from the organization. Leaving low performers or disruptive employees in place is a sure way to hurt morale among the rest of the team. Conduct annual Employee Satisfaction surveys. Allow anonymous responses to increase participation and candor. Conduct exit interviews when employees quit. Use this feedback to improve your culture and retention. Here's a 3-Step People Plan for your company: Implement a well-thought-out Hiring System Pay attention to all the areas covered by the High Retention Culture Checklist above, plus any others that you think apply to your company. Fix what's broken and fill gaps as needed. Monitor your employee turnover rate. Set goals and strive for continuous improvement versus both internal and external benchmarks. It's simple, but not easy. This is hard work, and is an example of working on your business instead of in your business. I can think of few things capable of a more dramatic potential impact on your company's success. Roll up your sleeves and get started! ------------------- © 2006 Bill Collier, business coach, consultant, professional speaker, author and entrepreneur. He is the author of the book "How to Succeed as a Small Business Owner ... and Still Have a Life." His website is http://www.collierbiz.com and his email is bill@collierbiz.com. Sign up for our free monthly "Small Business Sucess" ezine. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Collier 8 Ways To Motivate & Improve Staff Performance A stronger economy means more opportunities for you, and your staff. How do you keep them from looking for greener grass? Provide staff assistance, opportunities for enrichment, and an environment that increases enthusiasm. The processes of involvement, observation, interaction, and feedback buildthe foundation necessary for staff engagement, involvement, and motivation. The key is to create a staff-keeping environment now. Here are 8 key steps 1. What you do vs. what you say. You are the company compass and barometer. What you say, indicate, espouse, or demand of others must match what you do. Being an involved, observant, available, and caring manager or owner sets the standard of behavior for others. 2. Share goals If you hate to be on the outside looking in, don't you think others might feel the same? Bring staff in by sharing departmental or company goals. The journey you have in mind may be one that creates excitement and enthusiasm in them too. 3. Solicit feedback They say two heads can be better than one. Sometimes we can be too close to a situation to see it from multiple angles. Soliciting feedback can offer different perspectives. It also provides staff with an opportunity to actively participate in company planning and changes, and allows you to experience different aspects of them, and vice versa. 4. Observe "A picture is worth a thousand words." What you see when staff are working, relaxed, celebrating, or operating to meet a deadline are the scenes that truly describe how your organization works. The ways in which people act (and interact), speaks volumes about an organization. Observing, allows you to see what's working, and where change may be needed. 5. Cross-training Walking a mile in someone's shoes not only allows you to experience what they experience, but it can be the root of empathy. A cross-training program allows workers to experience other responsibilities and departments within the organization. It also prepares the organization for staff shortages, and allows workers to take a break from the routine of their regular tasks. 6. Relate to individual goals Organizational goals can often be in alignment with the goals of individuals within the organization. Support individuals toward attaining their goals. The direction they are headed, may be exactly where you have a current or future need. 7. Open communication It is important for staff to feel they can communicate their suggestions, concerns, successes, and misses, without fear of retribution. Assure staff they will be heard, acknowledged, and supported. Then, make sure you do exactly that. 8. The Final Piece In a recent study conducted by Nelson Motivation Inc, "78 percent of employees indicated that it was "very" or "extremely" important to them to be recognized by their managers when they do good work, and 73 percent said they expected that recognition to occur either "immediately" or "soon thereafter." Of the top 10 recognition factors staff ranked as important when they did good work, 4 were types of praise - personal, written, electronic, public - generated by those they hold in high esteem." Kennette Reed is the principal consultant with Kennette Reed & Associates. Her firm provides nationwide customer and staff retention, performance improvement, and executive coaching solutions. She is also a nationally know speaker and the author of several books. Her firm has offices in San Leandro, CA and Snellville, GA. For more info, visit the company website http://www.kennettereed.com , email kreed@kennettereed.com or phone 510-352-2121. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kennette_Reed Ropes, Peaks and Soaring Eagles: Live life courageously every day. "I am not judged by the number of times I fail, but by the number of times I succeed. And the number of times I succeed is in direct proportion to the number of times I had promised myself several times before the special day that abseiling was a personal challenge I really wanted to master. Now as I stood looking over the castle wall my legs tucked up with coloured ropes and straps feeling like a chicken ready for the oven I thought “This is for Charity- I can do it!” A burly Army physical instructor beamed a smile and said “if you pop your legs over the side you will find a ledge to stand on tip toe while I adjust the ropes down below and stop you from running away! I had no time at all to think before I was handed a pair of gloves two sizes too big with many holes in them and advised they were my brakes down the rock climb. I thought it will be a miracle if they stay on, let alone halt my descent and prevent me from plummeting to the bottom!! Landing on my knees at one point, gripping a tuft of grass, I was tempted to shout obscene oaths down to the well wishers below. Where had my perfect sense of balance gone as I went spinning on a rope that was threatening to cut me in half? Emotions I felt them all: fear, excitement, terror, delight and elation all within the space of the 8 minutes it took for me to lower myself down. I felt very courageous to have finally said “ yes” in the first place and courageous to go through with it. Two in my party never made it over side to the ledge. I have abseiled many times since supporting others who were experiencing rubber legs and spinning ropes and love to see the glee in their faces when their first foot touches the ground and they feel safe. I encourage them to be excited by those feelings and savour them for they are peak feelings not felt every day. Emotions are there to be enjoyed as well as conquered. So many times it seems humans are encouraged to bottle up their emotions because of some perceived norm such as “ boys don’t cry “, “ hold a stiff upper lip” “ putting a brave face on it” If we truly felt the desire to live life to the full each day then those peak experiences wouldn’t be considered courageous rather a normal part of what we can expect every day in our life. Now as a coach I think back to that abseiling experience when I see new managers and team leaders who are fearful of expressing their issues. Their emotions are raw initially with words coming tumbling out. I listen for the patterns, offering insights to share or challenge assumptions held. Then later as shifts occur we share the wins and glorious joy of living in success, relishing the sharing of wisdom and emotions together in abundance. The joy of knowing you have been courageous, at least once in your life, is to grow to recognise that positive emotions are for everyday normal events too and not only to be relished for occasional peak experiences that set your mind and body tingling. Live life courageously every day and succeed well with the crowd clapping louder at your efforts. Arlene Quinn RN M (Comm) Arlene, a Certified Coach with International Coach Federation, coaches face to face or by telephone to managers and supervisors in the many different industry sectors. www.arlenequinn.com Know Your Values “Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one's values.” Ayn Rand Have you ever consciously looked at your values and worked out what is important to you? More often than not we go through life without recognising what it is that drives us, what we're truly searching for. The following exercise is designed to help you get clear about what it is you want, the principles that truly govern your life. When your lifestyle harmonizes with your values things have a way of flowing, everything just feels right. By the same token when your way of life does not reflect the values you hold dear it can seem that you're constantly swimming against the tide, that you're perpetually stressed and frustrated. The following exercise can help you clarify your values, the principles by which you live. Look carefully at the following list of words: Wealth; happiness; love; companionship; autonomy; charity; community; success; health; respect; creativity; dignity; integrity; recognition; authenticity; beauty; peace; family; humour; orderliness; fame; status; self-expression; justice; influence; spirituality; adventure; honesty; nurturing; leadership; service; power; commitment; independence; stimulation; relaxation; risk; security. You may think of others that aren't listed in which case just add any that come to mind. Some of the words may mean the same to you, depending on your interpretation of them, and you can group those together as one value. Having considered the list carefully, go back and score each value from 1-10, depending on how important it is to you with 10 being very important. Be as honest as you can. This is not about listing what you think your values should be. No one else is going to see this exercise – unless you choose to share it with them. There are no 'shoulds' – it's about listening to your heart, rather than your head. Remember, when your way of life doesn't reflect the values that are important to you, you are out of alignment and will struggle to feel fulfilled. Once you've worked your way through the list, scoring each, choose 6 that seem really vital to you and then ask yourself whether your lifestyle truly reflects the 6 values you've highlighted. When you know what your true values are you may look at a prospective job, a relationship, where you live etc. and see that you need to make some adjustments to bring things more into line with your values. For example, 'peace' might have figured in your list of 6 values. What does that mean to you? Quiet, when you're actually living in a very noisy environment? A calm domestic life when it's maybe often fraught and angry? Or perhaps there are battles going on at work, personality clashes that are causing tension and stress. Or are you searching for an inner peace, maybe some kind of spiritual calm? You need to be very clear about your interpretation of your values. Take time over this exercise. You need to be really honest with yourself if you're serious about making changes in your life, getting ever-closer to who you really are and what you truly want from your life. Finally, you may choose to create an affirmation from the 6 values you have selected as being the most important to you. For example, 'My life is filled with creativity and adventure. I am healthy and successful in everything I do and I feel loved and respected by my family, friends and colleagues.' Christine Compton is The Vision Coach and helps people create the blueprint for their life and start to live the life they only ever dreamed of. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Compton Stay Motivated: Keep Growing and Achieving Have you or a friend ever been in a rut? You probably have known someone who was in a rut, living a life of routine, monotony and dullness, maybe even depressed. Do you have a friend or know someone who is excited? Upbeat? Energetic? What is the difference between the two? I believe the difference between the first person and the second is the first person is not growing and achieving. The human mechanism I believe is “wired” naturally for growth and development. As children we are growth machines physically, emotionally and mentally. We go to school, take dance lesson, play in sports leagues, and join the scouts. These are all activities that lead to growth and achievement. Then, after all those years, we graduate and get a job. That’s when some of us put on the brakes and just stop learning and growing. We are “busy” with work, family, bills, and chores. The idea and practice of growth and achievement goes away for some of us as life takes over. Then at some point, the drive and motivation slips away and we are in the rut. We get stagnant. Have you ever seem a swimming pool at the end of the winter? It is dirty and overgrown with algae and mold and it looks like it can never be restored. It has been stagnant for three seasons. It hasn’t been cared for and there has been no activity. I believe that we as humans operate in a similar fashion. If we are not active and engaged we stagnate. Many studies with the elderly have tried to uncover some of the reasons for senility and the slowing of mental abilities. Shockingly, they found the reason to be the lack of activity and lack of stimulation, in other words they had grown stagnant! This is proof that when the brain isn’t used, the capacity lessens. Growth Is Required and Expected Why must you keep growing and achieving? Well, we live in a fast, crazy, and rapidly changing world and change is happening at a more rapid pace every year. If you stay the same and don’t grow, you are actually going backwards while the world passes you by! In order to stay competitive and to keep up with change you have to grow and get better every year. This will also keep you motivated because you will have a feeling of accomplishment each year. In a recent book Deepak Chopra said that the human body is in a constant state of change biologically. We have new skin every 5 days, and a new liver every eight weeks. So the person we see in the mirror is in a state of constant change and there is a new “we” every few weeks. So if that is the case shouldn’t we be willing to keep growing intellectually, spiritually, professionally and personally? Here are some tips to help insure that you keep growing and achieving: •Set Goals. Once a year, sit down in a quiet spot and really look at your goals for the year. Analyze what you did last year and all the accomplishments. You may be surprised by what you have been able to do. Next set goals for yourself for the next year. Look at each important area of you life. Next look forward 3-5 years and ask “what do I want to be doing in five years?” See if the goals for the upcoming years are helping you to head in that direction. •Learn. Set a goal of reading a certain number of books for this year. Mainly read non-fiction on topics that are areas which you need to improve. Take a class. Go to a seminar. Learn a new skill. Everything that you learn is linked to everything you know and do- so learning will enhance every aspect of your life. •Experience. Arrange to experience new things that you have never done before. If you have never seen a symphony go see one. If you have never seen a certain town go visit it. If you have never played paint ball -do it! The more new things you experience the more you grow. Try new directions and your life will be enhanced. •Aim for your weaknesses. Create an all out assault plan for attacking your weaknesses. Target them and work on making them less of a liability. Do you remember the old T.V. show Kung Fu? There was a famous scene in which “Grasshopper” went to the master for advice. The master replied, “Remember Grasshopper, it is a strength to know your weaknesses.” Analyze your weaknesses and then pick two or three that you really want to attack. Then develop an action plan to start working on them. Don’t wait to work on them, start working on them tomorrow! I soon as you start making progress you will be motivated, because you will feel that you are making progress. I am a very creative person and very right brained. This makes me tend to be unorganized. Because I have identified this as an area of weakness I have been able to make significant progress in this area. •Decide what you don’t know. Be observant and notice throughout the year what information you don’t know. This is information and knowledge that either you want to have to need to have. Let’s say you are an accountant and there are some new accounting procedures you keep hearing about. Ignorance as the old saying goes is not bliss, find out! Attend an industry conference, call someone in the industry, but a book, go on the internet, and dig! Find out and be curious. You will grow professionally and personally and your credibility and confidence will be increased, as will your motivation. •Exercise. There is no question that if you want to keep growing and achieving that you need to exercise. I am not saying you have to look like a world champion body builder or run like a track star. I am saying that exercise will help you grow and improve your physical and mental health. Your exercise should be regular and consistent, and should include both anaerobic and aerobic exercise. Lastly exercise will give you energy; vitality and you will feel GOOD about yourself. •Network. They say that “birds of a feather flock together.” Decide what birds you are going to flock with. Network with people who are dynamic, goal oriented and growing. Find out about and try to meet the people in your industry who are “in the know” and network with them. So you, your body and your mind are wired to grow and achieve. To not grow and achieve is not what you are meant to do. Lastly, if you are growing and achieving not only will you be motivated, but you will also be a source of inspiration and motivation for others. Shawn Doyle is the President of New Light Learning and Development (www.newlightlearning.com) a company specializing in Leadership Development, motivationand creativity. He has also authored five books on leadership sales and motivation. His latest book The Manager’s Pocket Guide to Training has just been published by HRD Press. Sldoyle1@aol.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawn_Doyle What motivates you? Ever find yourself in kind of a funk, faced with having to do something you don’t want to do? A project at work? A chore on that Honey-Do list your spouse keeps adding to. It happens every day. To millions of us. Life isn’t always fun. Neither are the things we’re expected to do. Maybe it’s time for “The Motivators,” those dynamic forces of accomplishment who – through prodding, inspiration and the skilled use of rewards and punishment – set us reluctant dolts in motion during just such times. What is it that motivates you? What gets your engine revving when you have to do something you’d rather not? It might help if we take a look at what motivation is – or is supposed to be. Motivation is generally accepted to mean “having the desire and willingness to do something.” That’s all well and good, but we’re talking here about the UNwilling having to do the UNdesirable. So, let’s see what The Motivators can do to help us. By the way, that’s just their stage name. In real life their known as the Needs Brothers. Allow me to introduce them. There’s the smallest of the Needs, Physiological. Next in line are the twins, Safety and Security, followed by Social Needs, then Self-Esteem. And, finally, there’s the biggest, most senior brother, Self-Actualization, said to be the grandest Need of all. The father of these six was Abraham Maslow. Their mother? Psychology. The Needs came to life in 1943 as Maslow’s theory titled Hierarchy of Human Needs. But enough of science. What does this all mean to you and me? Simply put, we humans have wants and desires that influence our behavior. But, we’re told, only unsatisfied needs can influence what we do and say. Satisfied needs cannot. So, let’s see what Self-Actualization can do to help us accomplish our dreaded tasks. Self-Actualization, to paraphrase Maslow, is the natural growth of a motivating force within each of us, but, more concisely, it’s our ability to grow from within, the very essence of who we are as individuals. Self-Actualization, then, is our Need to reach our fullest potential as individuals. Moving from the world of psychology to something more real, what it all means is that each of us already has, deep within ourselves, what it takes to do those dreaded jobs. All we have to do is dig down, pull it out, and put it to use. Oh, in case you’re interested, you’ll recognize Self-Actualization by the T-shirt he’s always wearing. He refuses to part with it because he wrote his favorite saying across the front with a big, fat marker: “Find a way!” © 2006, Philip A. Grisolia, CBC A respected authority on motivation, Phil Grisolia is the author of “Wise Words – 1,001 Truths to Inspire, Enlighten and Enrich Everyday Life,” available at http://xlibris.com and through major booksellers. A wordsmith by profession, Phil puts his motivational skills to use both as an educator and as an award-winning copywriter. Learn more about Phil, his book and his work by visiting him at http://PhilGrisolia.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phil_Grisolia Motivation: What Works? Blame and criticism are highly overrated as motivators. You already know this. Think about it. When you spent a lot of time trying to correct someone--an employee, your spouse, your parent, your child, anyone--did it work? When someone was blaming and critical of you, did it work? Like most of us, you probably felt the blaming was unfair or inappropriate. The problem is that blaming and criticism don't inspire us. If you are sensitive, they make you feel small. There is an answer. Blaming and criticism arise out of frustration. We see that the behavior of another is not what we want, and so we try to blame it away. As I look back on my careers as a teacher, coach, executive, and consultant I can see all of the times I was ineffective as a critic. Blaming and criticism may serve you as a way of venting your frustration, but they don't get the job done. The result is continuous struggle and/or removing the person from your sight. We stop talking to our child or spouse. We move the troublesome employee to another department or do our best to avoid them. There is a better way. We tell ourselves that we tried and that we just couldn't succeed in getting them to change. The problem, of course, is that we were trying to change the wrong person. In fact, we cannot change other people. We can only change ourselves. Our attempts to change others create frustration, stress, and blaming. Relationships become strained and dysfunctional (meaning "not working"). Yet the answer that we thought was in the other person was within us all along. You may be skeptical at this point. After all, you had good intentions. You knew what the other person needed to do to be more effective or happier. You were right. They were the problem. Yet, the question is still nagging us. Did criticism and blaming work? Was it effective in producing the result you wanted? Be honest. It didn't work, did it? This doesn't mean that you blame yourself. Blaming and criticizing yourself doesn't work any better. What does work? When we blame or criticize anyone, including ourselves, we are focused on what we don't want. All of our emotional energy flows into the negative. Most of what we do and say from a blaming mode actually serves to maintain or worsen the situation. We expect people to misbehave, screw up, or fail in some way. We get so emotionally invested in our judgment of their performance that we start needing for them to fail. Their failures reassure us that we were right. Their failures justify our negative opinion. Our focus on what we don't want helps us to create what we don't want. Their failures justify our image of self as good, intelligent, or competent. An example would be the manager who blames and criticizes the employee who doesn't perform. He's failing because there is something wrong with him (lazy, not smart, no discipline). It can't be me; I'm a competent manager. By convincing ourselves about what is wrong with the other person we prevent ourselves from finding new pathways to reaching them. Our judgment becomes an impenetrable wall that blocks us from seeing any possibilities for success. When we blame, don't see the other person as real. We fail to consider their needs and concerns, their view of the world. We resist them as people. Their behavior is inconvenient, painful, or disruptive. It gets in the way of me making my goals. One of the biggest complaints I hear from people in the workplace is the lack of respect and consideration they experience at work. They believe that their managers don't really care about them. So, what's the answer? It's never easy, but it is possible. First we need a vision. You know what you don't want. What do you want? If this level of performance is not okay--if this behavior is not okay--what is? Clearly state what you want. Clearly tell people what the vision is. Align yourself with that vision. Do you want a workplace (or any other group you are in) where people are treated with care and respect? Do you want a place where people feel good? Do you want peak performance? Whatever you want, be it. Communicate it clearly. Give people specific positive feedback on how they are succeeding. Offer corrective feedback when people fall short. Ask them what they need. Ask for feedback from them on how you are doing at manifesting your vision. Listen and make changes. Second, always talk to people with care. Don't get caught up in the ineffective strategy of thinking people don't deserve your respect. Offer your help. Do all that you can to create processes and relationships that support them in doing well. If they refuse to do well, find out why. Sometimes in the workplace people refuse to improve or change. Don't judge them for this. Maybe the job isn't for them. Maybe this organization is not for them. If you can't help them to change, see if someone else can. If no one can help them to change, help them to go. Refuse to accept chronic behavior that doesn't fit with the vision. At the same time, give lots of specific praise for good work. Constantly reinforce people, and never take good work for granted. What you focus on expands. What we reinforce we strengthen. If we constantly focus on appreciating people for successes, we increase our successes. Listen to the way people talk to each other. Challenge negative comments that are "normal". Understand the dissatisfaction that is behind the comment, and help people find appropriate ways to address it. Do not accept negative talk as a way of life. If you want to transform your workplace (or any group you are a part of), you need to be a visionary. You need to be so into your vision that you live it every day. Mistakes are opportunities to make positive corrections, to help people, and to solve problems. Blaming and criticism are like shooting yourself in the foot. Raise your aim to a higher level. See and encourage the best in people. Believe in their ability to add to this vision. Give them the tools and the feedback to help them. Include them in the vision by listening to them; providing direct, honest communication; and treating people with the utmost care and respect. William Frank Diedrich is a speaker, executive coach, and the author of Beyond Blaming: Unleashing Power and Passion in People and Organizations. William offers keynotes and workshops on leadership and moving beyond blaming. William also offers a free online newsletter, Transformation Times. Learn more about William at http://noblaming.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Frank_Diedrich Self-Motivation is the Best Motivation Introduction Today is 05th Nov. 2006 and people in this part of the world are celebrating “Guruparav”… ”Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev”. I am sitting here and thinking as what is the motive of our life? What is very purpose of our life? What makes us to wake-up early in the morning and rush for work or college or school? What is that keeps us to continue? Is living – a compulsion? Just because everybody is living…I will also live. What motivates you? 1. Power 2. Position 3. Money 4. Valuable goods and assets 5. Growth 6. Acceptance and Respect 7. Appreciation, rewards and awards These are the motivators are most of us, right? (Can to list down few more?). These are the good enough motivators to keep us running throughout the life…to keep us charged. These are the factors, which keep some people “loyal like a dog”; “work like a donkey” and “keep jumping…like a monkey”. Some simple (Traditional) Motivators… Let me discuss some “Orthodox” motivators, which also work, are some people. 1) Responsibility: You might have seen in some movies…might also have seen in your own family, when a guy is irresponsible, spending too much time outside…parents usually say, “Iski Shaadi kar do; jimmeyvari aayegi to khud samajhdaar ho jaayega” (Get him married. Once he gets responsibilities, he too becomes responsible). Don’t you think that “enforced responsibility” also motivates some people? Then he knows that now he is not alone…he need to work for his wife, for his family and then for their future. In India,(People say that) things doesn’t work until and unless they are enforced or until and unless it is compulsion (no other way). 2) Looking beyond your sight: A. You are always able to see one side of the coin…you sure want to see the other side. B. You are able to see a huge mountain…you always want to see…what is there on the other side. C. You are in a ocean…everywhere you see water, water and only water…you want to know where is the end. That is called as “Motivation to know more”…motivation to know more than what you already know. 3) Power of Dreams: This is, seeing the unseen. Seeing, what no one has ever seen. Having a dream is a motivation but that is not enough. Passion to make that dreams a reality is a bigger motivation. A. If you have dream… B. If you have passion… C. If you are not afraid to fail… D. If you are not worried about the end result… E. If you have zeal to continue, in spite of problems … …then no one is more motivated then what you are. You don’t need any external motivator. You will always be charged and ready to go. Learning from life More than the above mentioned…if you look around, you would find that there are so many small-small and little facts of life; thoughts and experiences around us, which are big enough to keep us, motivated all the time. Have a look at the following: 1) Many parents kill their “unborn children” (Foeticide)…either by chance or by choice. It can be miscarriage or abortion or any other accident. We are fortunate enough that our parents let us to see this “wonderful” world. 2) Many people are unfortunate. They are handicap. They cannot see, cannot listen, cannot talk, they don’t have any of the limb…they are suffering from deadly diseases. We are health. Isn’t it a good thought to keep us motivated? 3) There are those families, which are poor. They don’t earn enough to eat three times in a day. We are doing well enough to eat three times a day…that too hygienic and quality food. 4) People have two sets of dresses (People in some parts of the world…don’t have anything to wear). They wash one and wear another one. We have so many in our wardrobe. 5) Many people are not fortunate enough to get good education…either there are no facilities or they just cannot afford. We are educated enough to take our decisions and decide things which are good or bad for us. 6) Those who are educated, not all are employed. We are not only employed but doing good enough to take care of ourselves, our family and chase our dreams. 7) Doesn’t matter if it is summer, winter or rainy season…some people are just in care of nature. They don’t have house. They don’t have place to stay. We have house…that we all call “Home Sweet Home”. 8) Everyday there are so many accidents, natural calamities (Cyclone, Floods, Earthquakes etc) killing thousands of people. We are fortunate that we are alive today and are with our family and relatives. Aren’t these fact are good enough for you to keep you motivated and feel satisfied and content. Conclusion Life will become miserable…it will become hell if you start 1. Finding faults is others 2. Taking revenge 3. Thinking negative 4. Complaining 5. Harming others But life will become heaven, if 1. You start counting your blessings 2. You start thinking that there are more people who love you and less people who hate you 3. You start thinking positive about yourself and your life. Before I sign-off I like to share this quotation, which I found while scanning through Internet, which actually summarize the theme of whole article. Today I can feel sad that I don't have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste. Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive. Today I can lament over all that my parents didn't give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born. Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships. Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do. Today I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge. Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or I can appreciate that I have a place to call home. My life stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. It will nice to get your comments and feedback. With lots of love and care, Sanjeev Himachali Blog: http://sanjeevhimachali.blogspot.com E-mail: ss_himachali@yahoo.com; sanjeev.himachali@gmail.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sanjeev_Himachali 10 Ways To Make You Feel Happy It is a known fact that our health is being effected by the degree of happiness we feel inside of us. We know that the happier we are, the healthier we become. The more we can avoid a stressful life and live happy the more disease resistant we are. If we go through turbulent times in our lives most of us are able to find peace in the idea that bad times will pass eventually. However it is important for us to realize that we have the power to change if we choose to. If we want to feel happy our social environment is of course of the utmost importance. Therefore we must learn to be less judgmental about the people we care for and learn to accept them the way they are. After all we are all unique individuals. So, make the decision to be a happy person and follow the self motivation tips here under. Use them as self motivation exercise in order to acquire the necessary self motivation skills, which will help you to become a much more happy and healthy person. - Be Grateful There is so much to be grateful for. Take some time each day to think about the things that are good in your life. Make a list of these things and look at it from time to time, so that you are regularly reminded. - Laugh As Much As You Can We all know the expression: Laughter is the best medicine. So, if you know a good joke, tell it to your friends and family. Also try to see the humor in some of your own funny habits. Believe me, we have some real peculiar ones. - Exercise Run, jog, go to the gym or do something that stimulates the endorphins in your body. By doing regular exercise you change your physiology, you change your body chemicals, which will make you feel different, so you start focusing on different things. - Leave The News For What It Is Are you one of these people who can not start the day without having to know what’s going on in the world? Let go of that urge. News is stressful. Over 99% of it is bad news. Believe me, you can do without it. - Practice Time Management One thing we all have in common is that we share the same amount of hours in a day and the same amount of days in a year and although we say it often enough, we don’t realize enough that time is far too valuable to waste. - Work Hard Working hard creates enormous personal satisfaction. When you have finished certain tasks you will feel that you are capable to accomplish things. And that will help to have a sense of value about ourselves. - Learn New Things Learning is an enriching exercise. Try to learn something new each day. It will literally expand your world and it will create more opportunities for you in the long term. Use the internet, for instance. It can provide us with infinite amounts of information. - Express Your Feelings Learn to express what you feel. Learn to show affection and warmth to the people around you and in that let go of your fears. Remember that fear is our worst advisor and it’s bad for our health. - Find Spiritual Connections It would be good for you to find some sort of spiritual connection. By being in touch with spirituality on a regular basis you would foster deep inner peace. Part of this could be meditation, which is a great way to gain inner peace. - Help Other People Each individual feels energized, good and warm about himself after helping another person. Be a volunteer somewhere, be a practical or financial help to someone or see how you can otherwise contribute to society. The more positive energy you put out into the world, the more you will receive in return. I hope this article is of value to you and I hope you realize that these self motivation tips are the key to happiness. Therefore I recommend you to use these ways as self motivation exercise in order to obtain the necessary self motivation skills. Ab van Deemter (http://www.passiontogrow.com) is a Personal Growth specialist and a spiritual person, who believes in sharing his knowledge of personal perseverance. He has studied metaphysics and other holistic methods for many, many years and embarked on a life of success. With successful tools for personal freedom he has made it past a life full of obstacles and now mentors and teaches business owners, their staff, his own employees, as well as a large group of private individuals. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ab_Van_Deemter Have a Passion for What You Do “I am a firm believer in the theory that people only do their best at things they truly enjoy” -Jack Nicklaus, Pro Golfer How is passion defined? Webster’s defines passion as: “Pervading spirit, ruling passion, master passion, fullness of heart, flow of soul.” Let me tell you about Kevin Brown. The first time I walked into the meeting room, at a hotel in Philadelphia, Kevin Brown was setting up tables for my meeting. He came over with a big smile and said, “ I am Kevin Brown, and I would like to welcome you to our home- I want to make sure you feel at home when you are here, and if you need anything give me a call. I am employee of the year and I will exceed your expectations, because when you care, it shows.” Kevin Brown works at the hotel setting up the tables for meetings and banquets. I have never had a meeting in Philadelphia at any other hotel. Kevin Brown is passionate about his work. My first question when I walk into the hotel is, “Is Kevin on duty tonight?” Kevin Brown’s passion for his work is an incredible value for both his employer and for him. Think about it. Whenever you experience someone who is energetic and passionate in a store, restaurant, or business, doesn’t it impress you? When you experience the opposite of that, doesn’t it make a negative impression? Having a passion for what you do has several advantages: •It keeps you fired up and motivated! •It makes what you are doing fun. •You can be an inspiration to others •You will be more productive •You will be more successful. People who are passionate have more energy, enthusiasm, and charisma. It is like a high powered jolt of electricity. A person who is passionate loves what they are doing so much, that they eat, drink and sleep it. So you are now saying to yourself, “Yeah right, but what if I am not like that? What if I am not filled with that kind of passion? What if I never feel that kind of passion?” You may also be saying, “This guy is crazy, and the passion thing is for the birds.” If I may, I would like permission to be very blunt with you (picture me close up to your face): you haven’t found what you are passionate about. If you are not passionate about your work and your life, then change it! Stop complaining and do something. Life is too short to keep doing what is passionless and mundane! But you must make that decision. I recently stepped into an elevator and said “hello, everyone.” Everyone on the elevator looked at me like I was a little crazy and kind of mumbled. Come on! Wake up, world! When you feel passionate, energized, upbeat, optimistic, and proud of what you are doing, you will be motivated, and will get more accomplished than you ever thought possible. Shawn Doyle is the President of New Light Learning and Development Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawn_Doyle Have a Purpose for What You Do One of the most powerful sources of motivation is to have a purpose for what you do. At this point, you are probably saying, “O.K., it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to understand that I have a purpose. I get up and go to work to make money. That is my purpose.” Now Again with Purpose Let’s talk about the definition of purpose. The way I define purpose is the reason you are on the planet (Now you understand why the making money definition above doesn’t make sense.) Let me give you an example. Let’s take two people who are both attorneys. Attorney #1 (we will call her Susan) goes to law school because she wants to make the BIG BUCKS. She graduates at the top of her class, and is a very successful lawyer. Attorney #2 (we will call her Jill) is a lawyer who decided in law school that her purpose in life was to help other people. She graduated at the top of her class, and is with a large law firm. What is the difference between Susan and Jill? Jill feels like she is doing what she was “meant to do.” Susan has a restless, gnawing feeling that something isn’t right and she just works too many hours, but boy the money is fabulous so…she stays. The difference is that Jill knew and defined her purpose early in her career and Susan didn’t and still doesn’t. What right do I have to talk about this concept of purpose? I was a person who for the first 30 years of my life struggled to find my path. I decided that I would give retail management a shot. It seems like a completely foolish idea now, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. I spent two incredibly long horrible years in retail management, knew that it was not the work I was meant to do. I was doing work I couldn’t stand without meaning or purpose. I would get up in the morning dreading work and go home at night dreading the next day. I went into sales and I spent six years in sales and I was good at selling because I was a “people person” and could communicate with people in a way that was convincing. I liked sales but didn’t love it. One morning the fickle finger of fate stepped in and my phone rang. It was a call from the company I worked for wanting to know if I was interested in becoming a trainer. I took the job, after some research, and it changed my life in ways I am only just now beginning to understand. How To Find Your Purpose To find your purpose, follow these easy steps: 1) Find a large mountain 2) Climb it. 3) Locate the guru in the long flowing white robe 4) Ask him “Master what is my purpose?” 5) Wait for answer 6) Leave mountain immediately and apply! I wish it were that easy. One sheet exercise Take out a blank piece of paper. On that piece of paper write down a list of all the things you are really good at and have been good at all your life. (This is not the time to be modest) You either know or have been told what you are good at all of your life. Once you have filled the page with talents or gifts, take a look at the page. Does anything stand out to you? Any common things? Let’s say your list is filled with things like writing, art, brainstorming, or painting. Maybe the central theme around the page is creativity and your purpose is to create as your contribution to the world. Now if that is the case that could be broken into several different types of purposes, all unique. You could say 1) I am meant to create beauty to help people relax and enjoy life more 2) I am meant to create buildings through architecture so that people’s lives are made more comfortable 3) I am meant to create advertising that gets a message across to help people grow their business.4) I am meant to be an inventor and to create inventions that change the world 5) I am meant to teach other people creativity so that they can be more creative. Get the idea? The purpose in each one of those cases is all tied around creativity- but each one is very different. Try creating your list and see if anything pops to the surface. *Get real. Carve out some free time and go away to a quiet place. Take a pen and pad, and get ready to write. Take the time to ask your self the following questions: 1) someday when I am old and gray, what do I want to have accomplished? Why are those things important? What contribution would they have made? 2) What are two or three things that you will regret if you do not do them in your lifetime? What do you think would stand in your way if you don’t get them done? Why? 3) Why were you born? Do you think you have specific gifts or talents you were meant to use? Why? Are you using them? If not why not? 4) Fill in the blank; I was meant to ______________________. Why do you think that? 5) What is very important to you? Why? After you have gone through these series of questions some patterns might emerge and you may be closer to uncovering your true purpose. *Ask others. Pick 10 people that you either know or have known and take an informal survey. (Okay this one requires some real honest to goodness guts) Ask them what they think you are “meant to do”. Ask your Mom, your Grandma, or your crazy Uncle Larry. Ask your golf buddy, a co-worker. Now you are wondering why I am asking you to do this crazy exercise. Sometimes other people can see things in you that you can’t. They may give you’re a different view. You may say, “Wow! They are right I never looked at it that way.” I once conducted a training session in Canada. When I was done, I was packing up my materials and one man stayed in the room. He was just staring at me in a very thoughtful way. I stopped what I was doing and asked him what was up. He said “why are you here?” I said I had no idea what he was talking about. He told me that in his mind I should be doing training on national scale, for a larger company, so that I wouldn’t be “wasting my talent.” I have to tell you, it was a real revelation for me. That person was able, at that time to see something in me that I was not able to see. As you get answers from people you have to be willing to sort through and edit the answers. Be careful not to pick people who are negative or critical. This can be very valuable feedback and may lead to a revelation from the person you least expect it from. *There are no wrong answer. Keep in mind as you go through this process that there are no wrong answers. Don’t let society or your own internal critic squash your life’s purpose. This is your life! If the ideas that pop up seem to be absolutely absurd, relax! There is plenty of time to sort it out and think about it. Be patient and don’t rush things. The answer will come in time. *Eliminate the possibilities. Take out a blank sheet of paper. At the top, write the title “All the things I hate doing”. Start making a list of all the things you hate. You may put down filing your income tax, doing laundry, writing reports or fishing in salt water. Write down as many of these items as possible on the list. Now on the opposite side of the page (or somewhere else) write the opposite of these items. If you wrote “doing laundry” then maybe you write “shopping for clothes” and then write why you love doing that. When the exercise is complete you will have a list of all the activities that you like and dislike, and the reasons why. Review this list and look for patterns. There may be a pattern to all the things you like and dislike that can lead to understanding your purpose. *Read the books. There is a wealth of information on the topic of developing a mission statement and on finding your purpose. I recommend the following books: 1) The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People- Stephen Covey 2) What Matters Most- Stephen Covey 3) What Color is Your Parachute- Richard Nelson Bolles. These are only a few titles. There are many fine books out there on this topic. *The buffet plan. Try what I refer to as the buffet plan… try a little bit of everything. Take some community college classes in various subjects. Read books on topics that you have never read. Join a civic or fraternal organization and attend on a regular basis. Read a magazine that you have never read. Visit places that you have never visited. The idea behind the buffet plan is to “taste” as many experiences as possible and to try and discover your true purpose. *Select a wise advisor Find a person whose intelligence you admire and ask them to meet with you. This can be a professor, a professional, an executive, a smart friend or a member of the clergy. Let them know that you are trying to narrow down what you are “meant” to do, or your purpose. If they are smart they will ask you many great questions. A good coach or advisor will ask you more questions and will be reluctant to tell you what to do. *Library lookup. Go to your local library and find the non-fiction section. In the non- fiction section just go through various areas and pick up books on topics that you have never read about before. Take the books home and review them. In your review you may find subjects that pique your interest. Then you can decide what topics you want to investigate further. *Internet hunt. On a blank piece of paper,write down 20 topics you may have an interest in knowing more about. Once you have completed this list, go on the Internet and search these topics to see where it leads. Let the search lead you wherever it leads and see what topics grab your attention. One evening I woke up in the middle of the night with a fever of 106. Needless to say, I was very sick and rushed to the emergency room. I was taken quickly into the treatment area and my family doctor was called. He examined me and said I was very sick (this I knew!) He decided I had either meningitis of encephalitis, both are very dangerous. I was told that in order to determine which condition I had, a spinal tap would need to be done. In this procedure they take a large needle and insert it in your spine in order to remove spinal fluid. It is not fun. The E.R. physician made three attempts, causing me a great deal of pain. My family doctor tried three times and failed. He probably had not done a spinal tap since medical school. By this point, I was not in a very good mood and told them in very clear language to get out of the room and leave me alone. When they tried to convince me that it had to be done, I said very loudly “FINE! Then get someone here that knows how!!!” A neurologist was called and he asked the dynamic duo if I had been given anything for pain. They looked at each other and then at the floor and sheepishly said, no. He gave me a sedative to relax me. He said he could do the procedure without pain. He made my soon to be ex- family doctor leave the room and he did the procedure. I didn’t any pain, didn’t even feel a stick. I thanked him profusely for his kindness and skill. He told me something I will never forget. He said he was a surgeon in Viet Nam and had come to learn the meaning of true pain and that he felt his purpose was to provide care for his patients that was both humane and preserved their dignity as a human being. He came and saw me every day and he was smart, upbeat and enthusiastic. This story is a classic example of the power of purpose. He wasn’t just a doctor but a doctor with a purpose. Shawn Doyle is the President of New Light Learning and Development Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawn_Doyle How to Increase Your Energy, Enthusiasm and Reduce Stress “It takes more distress and poison to kill someone who has peace of mind and loves life." As a motivational speaker conducting leadership training and keynote speeches around the world, I'm often asked to combine the topic of leadership with "life balance" and stress management. Here are 15 easy tips that will help you increase your energy, enthusiasm and reduce stress. And if you're in a leadership position, how can you be an effective leader and set a good example if you are not motivated and energized to perform good work? 1) Get enough sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation in Washington, D.C., 65% of Americans are sleep deprived. Try to get at least seven hours of sleep per night. 2) Go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. Within the same hour is ideal. Researchers at Stanford University’s Sleep Disorder Center have found it is possible to catch up on sleep during the weekends, but this can also upset your circadian rhythms and leave you more tired on Monday morning. 3) Do not eat or drink anything within one hour of your bedtime. Your body will only have to work harder to digest your food, which interrupts sleep patterns. By drinking liquids right before bedtime it’s more likely you’ll have to get up in the middle of the night. 4) Put your nervous system on glide at least one hour before retiring for the night. You can do this by using soft lighting (no more than 25 watts) relaxing music, a scented bubble bath with candles or some other quiet activity. Try avoiding work at least three hours before you go to bed as this can energize you. The same is true with exercise. 5) Drink plenty of water during the day. Dehydration causes you to feel fatigued even if you are eating healthy and going to bed at a reasonable hour. 6) Plan at least one activity during the day that gives you pleasure and energizes you just to think about it. 7) Socialize with others. Make certain you spend quality time with other adults during the day. And if you work outside the home, preferably where you can discuss something besides business or the kids. 8) Exercise in the morning. Depending on your biorhythms and schedule, many attendees in my speaking engagements report that morning exercise gives them increased energy and a sense of greater calm during the workday. They often tell me they have to “drag themselves” out the door, but feel so much better afterwards. 9) Take a hot and cold shower to increase your energy. Upon awakening in the morning, take a hot shower with eucalyptus oil sprinkled on a loofah sponge. End with a shot of cooler water. This will invigorate your body, stimulate blood flow and bring oxygen to your cells. 10) Pour on the protein. Foods rich in protein help improve mental acuity and slow the absorption of carbohydrates. Eggs, fish, low fat dairy, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, also meat and poultry if you’re not a vegetarian. Still, make sure you include plenty of other foods for moderation. 11) Cut back on caffeine. If you love coffee or colas (coffee lovers I can relate) cut back and consider adding green tea to your daily regimen. Green tea contains powerful anti-oxidants and less caffeine. It has enough caffeine to perk you up but usually not so much that you experience that crash later in the day. 12) Have a goal of taking at least two weeks vacation time a year. Work your way up to three and four weeks a year. Start taking off two days per week, if that’s at all possible, where you refuse to do any type of work that would tax your mind and stress you out. If you are very busy or self-employed like I am, make this something to strive for in the future. 13) Spend time actually planning a getaway vacation. For many of us, staying home for a holiday is nice, but we’re still surrounded by bills, laundry, phone calls and other stressful distractions. Consider a goal of taking that dream destination vacation you’ve always wanted whether it’s to Tahiti, Paris, or a national park. If this seems virtually impossible, I strongly recommend you read the article titled “How to Set Goals and Get What You Want” under the free articles section at www.ColleenSpeaks.com I dreamed of an Alaska cruise for many years, practiced the simple time-tested techniques in that article, and cruised there for a third time in May 2005. 14) Get outdoors every day even if it’s overcast. Where I live in the Pacific Northwest, winters are normally gray. Winter 2005 was unusual with its turquoise-blue sunny skies and temperatures reaching almost 70 degrees in January. However, it’s a proven fact that with reduced sunlight, many people all over the world suffer from SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, during the winter months. 15) Listen to mood enhancing music during the day. What type of music energizes you and gets those feel-good hormones into your brain? Blues and jazz? R&B or rock and roll? A word of caution: be careful listening to your favorite music right before bedtime. I sometimes listen to contemporary smooth jazz…lots of saxophone and trumpets late into the night, and often it energizes me rather than putting me to sleep. Take personal responsibility for maximizing your success and minimizing stress. You can’t control many external circumstances such as other people, traffic and weather; but you can control your environment. Write down three action steps you’ll take to improve your well-being. Share these with someone. Develop a buddy system for accountability. When you write them down and commit to them, you’re more likely to follow through. Here’s to much success and less stress! Colleen Kettenhofen is a professional speaker, author and workplace expert who has spoken in 47 states and six countries. She is co-author of The Masters of Success, as featured on The Today Show, along with Ken Blanchard and Jack Canfield. Colleen's most popular topics: leadership and management skills, dealing with difficult people, public speaking. To order the book, or for more free articles and e-newsletter, visit http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com, colleen@colleenspeaks.com Colleen is available for keynotes, breakout sessions and seminars. You are free to reprint or repost this article provided Colleen's name, website and email are included at the end of the article. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Colleen_Kettenhofen 7 Step Goal Personal Planning Setting Success Formula Did you ever dream when you were a child? Do you still dream now or are your childhood dreams all but a distant memory? Did you ever think your life would be where it is right now? Most people don't have any idea of what it is that they really want in life, and majority of us never even spend any time 'really' thinking about it. No wonder many of us have stopped well short of those illusive 'dreams'. If you don't know what you want then you will never get it. Step 1 of Goal Personal Planning Setting Success Formula: Determine what you want - Imagine jumping in your car and just driving without knowing where you are going. Sounds crazy but that is what many of us do in life. Take some time in a quiet space and really think about what you want to achieve in your life and what would make you happy. Step 2 of Goal Personal Planning Setting Success Formula: Determine what you don't want - Knowing what you don't want can be used as a strong motivator. Now, don't give these things too much of your attention but just be aware of the type of life that you don't want to live. Knowing what you don't want can assist you in finding what you do want - like taking the flip side of the negatives to find out the positive. Step 3 of Goal Personal Planning Setting Success Formula: Clear all limiting beliefs - Limiting beliefs, or paradigms, make people feel 'stuck'. The problem is that most people have had the wrong mentors in life and don't know any better. They don't understand that anyone can be, do, and have anything they 'set their mind' to. Step 4 of Goal Personal Planning Setting Success Formula: Visit the most powerful nation in the world - The imagination is the most powerful nation in the world. With the use of imagination, man was sent to the moon. A feat many would have said was impossible. There are many other inventions that has changed the way we live our lives on this earth. As children we were powerful dreamers and as we grew up something changed. Some one turned out the lights and told us to stop dreaming and be real. I hereby grant you a licence to dream once again... Step 5 of Goal Personal Planning Setting Success Formula: Let go and get in tune - The most successful people in this world live in an effortless flow. They have a clear picture of exactly what they want in their lives and just release that idea into the universe. They don't struggle and strain to 'make' it happen. Some say they let go and let God do his work by maintaining a strong sense of faith that they will get what they want. Step 6 of Goal Personal Planning Setting Success Formula: Design a dream board - A dream board is a visual reminder of what it is that you want to achieve in your life. It could be a picture of a 20,000 square foot house by the sea, or it could be the latest Ferrari, or it could be giving a significant amount of money to charity. By have visual representations of this on your wall you will active many of your senses to get excited about the possibilities of achieving these things in your life. When you look at it really take it in and see, feel, touch and hear in your mind what it would be like to have this things. Activate as many of your senses as possible. Step 7 of Goal Personal Planning Setting Success Formula: Record your own audio - Nothing is more powerful than listening to your own voice. Write down your dream life and record on audio and listen to it daily. Talk about how grateful you are now that you own a 20,000 square foot house. Talk about the sound of the crashing waves. Talk about the roar of the Ferrari engine when you push your foot down on the accelerator. Get into the moment and embed this into your subconscious mind. This is a very powerful 7 step process that can set you onto the path of getting anything in your life that you desire. It comes down to action and working a daily plan to get closer to these goals. Start dreaming and start achieving! No more excuses for letting your goals slip by and fade away like a distant memory. Get your FREE trial to start your goal personal planning setting success now! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Clint_Gray Goals And Motivation A Simple Formula Motivation is one of the most personal issues there is for salespeople. Research has concluded that everyone has the potential for great motivation, but not everyone is willing to pay the motivational price to achieve whatever their dreams, desires or hopes are. A critical question that many people never really ask themselves is: what motivates me? What are some of the traditional motivators: 1. Money. 2. Security. 3. Fame. 4. Power. 5. Prestige. 6. Ego gratification 7. Winning. 8. Being the best. 9. Doing your best. 10. Your family. 11. Your future. 12. Your past. 13. Not losing. 14. Personal satisfaction. 15. Approval of others. 16. To prove a point. 17. To get even. 18. To feel worthwhile. 19. To impress others. 20. To control others or situations. Any of these sound familiar or drive you? Do any keep you going when you are on the verge of quitting, giving up or throwing in the towel? Let’s look at some of the common demotivators. For years - thousands of managers, hundreds of speakers and trainers and dozens of authors have been preaching the benefits and value of: Self-motivation and goals as a way to achieve success, wealth and happiness. A de-motivator is: anything - a person, or a circumstance - that acts upon you - and your interpretation of them or it and your subsequent behavior is negative, passive or self-destructive. There are hundreds of examples of de-motivators – here are just a few: -negative people. -people who invalidate you. -people who don’t listen, care or are interested in you or your thoughts or ideas. -an incorrect personal interpretation of failure, problems and/or adversity. -goals that are consistently too high or too low. -managers who rely on fear and punishment as motivators. There are, six basic steps to peak performance behavior and results when it comes to self-motivation and goals: 1. Know what you want. 2. Know why you want it. 3. Know how you will get it. 4. Know what may stand in your way to achieve it: (outside - 5. Become aware of the outside-in and inside-out de-motivators and develop a 6. Do something. Begin. Start. De-motivators come in all shapes and sizes. They can be your personal demons that no one but you are ever aware of or they can be a corporate policy or family rule that contributes to an – I don’t care anymore attitude. Apathy is one of the most destructive human emotions when it comes to performance, productivity, happiness, success, motivation and overall behavior. Conduct an internal as well as external self – audit of your de-motivators. Identify them, question their purpose and value in your life, decide if it is time to rid yourself of their power over you or - learn to live with the consequences of keeping them in your life. One of the best ways to improve self-motivation and personal performance is to eliminate the de-motivators from your life, whatever form they take. Do you have a consistent goal philosophy? Even a goal to do nothing is a goal. Everyone has goals, they just define them, move toward them or away from with a variety of perspectives or rationales. There are two primary reasons for setting goals. First they give you focus. Second they give you direction. Focus. Without focus it is difficult to hit a bulls-eye, take a good picture or avoid getting killed on a busy highway. Focus is an essential ingredient in successful people. They keep their eye on the ball. Yes, there are distractions, unexpected circumstances and unknowns that will impact your keeping your focus, but focus you must if you want to succeed. Direction. The ultimate achievement of a goal is less important than the ability to continue working towards it. Many people achieve their goals and are disappointed once they get it. A goal once achieved is a milestone yes, but you can’t just sit back and rest on your previous success. Even a shark will die if it doesn’t keep moving forward. When a winner doesn’t reach a goal they reexamine what needs to change and then changes the time frame to achieve it. When a loser doesn’t reach a goal, they re-examine and then change the goal. Don’t worry about the destination, keep your eye on the ball in the present with what you can do now, not tomorrow. Do something every day to move a little closer to your objective. You can’t have everything in your life you want but you can have anything. Keep the understanding of this principle clear in your mind. To set goals and not put accountability into the process is like whistling in the wind. You are living in fantasy-land if you think you will achieve your goals for this year if you have not made progress toward them and you do not have some benchmarks or checkpoints along the way. Here are a few questions to consider: 1. Are you satisfied with your progress toward your goals? 2. If, not which ones are you behind on? 3. Why? 4. Are you ahead of schedule on any of your goals? 5. Which ones? 6. Why? 7. Is it time to let go of any of your goals? 8. Is it time to add some new goals to this year’s list? 9. Who or what is affecting your negative goal progress? 10. Who or what is impacting your positive goal progress? 11. If you could go back to last year and begin this goal-setting process all over 12. What are you going to change in the next three months to ensure you are on Keep the goalsetting process simple and practical. Some things to consider as you go through this process: 1. Set time deadlines for your goals. 2. Know the difference between tangible and intangible goals. 3. Reward yourself when you reach a goal. 4. Update them at least every year. 5. Share mutual goals with other people who can help you, influence you or will be impacted by them. 6. Set both short (hourly – 6 months) and long term goals (6 months to lifetime goals). 7. Record your accomplished goals in a journal. 8. Be willing to abandon a goal when you have lost interest. 9. Accept the fact that patience and faith are virtues. 10. Know your reasons for wanting to reach a goal. 11. Relax and enjoy the process. 12. Life is not about the result, but the process of becoming. 13. Accept the fact that you can’t do it all, have it all, learn it all, see it all, become it all, share it all in one lifetime. 14. Goalsetting is not a short term fix, but a life time philosophy. 15. Life can change in a heartbeat. 16. Goals change as your interests, age and circumstances change. 17. Don’t edit the goalsetting process as you proceed thorough the steps. (I don’t have the time now. I can’t afford it now etc. Don’t worry about being realistic in the beginning. The purpose of the process is to add realism as you go. 18. Goals should be achievable, but also require some stretch. 19. Get in the habit of working on paper with your goalsetting. 20. Recognize that achieving goals takes effort, commitment, time and skills. Common contributors to a lack of goalsetting success. 1. Lack of commitment to the process. 2. Impatience. 3. Lack of follow through. 4. Lack of self-honesty. 5. Consistently setting goals too high. 6. No anticipating roadblocks. 7. Not allowing for enough time to reach the goal. 8. Setting only long term goals. 9. Setting only tangible goals. 10. A lack of support, resources from people who can help you. 11. Working towards a goal you don’t believe in or really want. 12. Not believing you will ever reach it. 13. Quitting too soon. 14. Not starting. 15. Poor records regarding your progress. Tim Connor, CSP is an internationally renowned sales, management and leadership speaker, trainer and best selling author. Since 1981 he has given over 3500 presentations in 21 countries on a variety of sales, management, leadership and relationship topics. He is the best selling author of over 60 books including; Soft Sell, That’s Life, Peace Of Mind, 91 Challenges Managers Face Today and Your First Year In Sales. He can be reached at tim@timconnor.com, 704-895-1230 or visit his website at http://www.timconnor.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Connor
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