Archive for Attitude
Building character and strengthening relationships by opening up
Posted by: | CommentsOver the course of my 4 plus decades on this lovely planet I have learned something very special when it comes to relationships. My relationships give me strength and by sharing my thoughts and feelings with others, I build character. So the lesson is quite simply: I am able to build both character and strength via my relationships.
Do not get me wrong, there have been times when I was too scared to allow others to see the true me. I protected my hidden passions, my unconventional thoughts, my deeply held values and parts of my belief system; all because I was worried that I might not be accepted. There were even times I shelved some of my core values as a result of these fears? Have you?
Luckily, I came to understand that this fear is normal, and I bravely moved past being overly concerned about what everyone else thought. This has enabled me to truly experience, and enjoy who I was – so, I could grow into who I am. But more importantly, I have come to learn that the real reward was my increased ability to more intimately experience and enjoy all those that I formed and form relationships with.
Trusting in other people means that you will have share yourself with them. Not just the good stuff, you will have to reveal some of your faults and your foibles as well. Revealing the chinks in your armor to those that you care about will allow them to more quickly do so in return. If you want to build character and strengthen your relationships, you will have to be brave for it takes courage to honestly invite others into your life.
- Reflection Affirmation
True fulfillment comes from becoming connected to others and my inner self.
Each part of yourself that you share is like adding a new link in your relationship chain. With each new link you add you can extend yourself further to others. So I urge you to constantly build that chain.
When others are in need, they know that I am there to help. Because I have extended a strong chain, they have come to know that they can reach out and grasp it. This is how I have built strong relationships in my life. You can do the same thing, each and every day. By sharing more of you, you invite others to open themselves up. You will feel more connected to the people in your life because you will come to see who they truly are. There in lies life’s truer reward: To feel bonded to good people.
Work hard to create fulfilling personal relationships. Extending yourself to others is worthwhile. You will deepen your character and strengthen your relationships by simply and bravely opening up to the people in your life.
Ask Yourself These Self-Reflection Questions:
- Do I bravely reveal my true self with others?
- How can I strengthen relationships with the people in my life?
- What do I love most about the close personal relationships I already have?
Think Successfully & Take Action!
Tracy Brinkmann
Today’s Top Motivated Success Coach & Author of Success Atlas Goals Programs
FREE Video reveals how I went from the
Streets of LA to running my own company!
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Beliefs Abandon Or Action Txt Version
Posted by: | CommentsAttitude ranks high on the list of things that drive what action you take or do not take. Your attitude is molded by the things you think about during the majority of your waking hours, as well as your deep seeded beliefs. Your beliefs further influence your thoughts about the world around you. So, your beliefs are one of the roots to your success. Put simply – your thinking and your beliefs will, either fuel fear and cause you to abandon attempts, or fuel confidence moving you to action. Which do you believe will facilitate your desired level success, abandon or action?
Yes, it is true your beliefs have that much power. What you believe about relationships, risk, goal-setting, success and failure will either push you towards your dreams and goals or push them away from you. It has been said that the basic success formula is:
Belief + Time = Success.
As with any formula – the more of one addend you have, then the less the other addend you will need. In other words, the more positive belief you have, the less time you will need. The more positive belief you have regarding your success the more action you will take. Thus, the less time you will need in order to reach your desired goal. Remember though, the opposite will be true as well. The more negative belief you have about one or more aspects of your success, the more time it will take to reach your goal.
So, how can we ensure that our beliefs are empowering us to the level of success that we desire? Here are three tips that you can put into action right away to positively impact your thoughts, beliefs and everything they will bring into your world.
- Define your ‘Success Atlas’ for every area of your life; your business, your relationship(s), your finances, etc. Your ‘Success Atlas’ is your vision of your future and a set of goals that are designed to bring that vision into your reality. If you do not know how to define your success atlas here are a few previous posts that will get you headed in the right direction:
http://www.yoursuccessatlast.com/wp/2009/12/11/goal-setting-for-success-5-tips-to-map-out-crystal-clear-goals/and here is a Blog Talk Radio Show that I did on creating your success atlas (Goal Plan)
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/tracybrinkmann/2009/04/18/Goal-Setting-101Having your ‘Success Atlas’ defined will give you something to wake up to each day. This well defined set of goals will push you to take action and even put a smile on your face as you think about the compelling future that you are creating for yourself and those you love.
- Remove negative inputs from your day. All around you are various negative inputs that are slowly whittling away at your desire and passion to reach your goal. These inputs range from the television, newspapers, new broadcasts, some movies and music. Even some of the people in your life (yourself included) can be donating negative input. They may even be well meaning in what they have to share, but could be the source of negative inputs none the less. Not all of any one of these categories is 100% negative, but, many are and you need to deter as much negative input from your mind as possible. You need to make it a passion to eliminate as many of these negative donators as you can – ban them from your day.
The universe is an interesting thing in that as you pull out the negative inputs, they leave a vacuum. The universe does not like a vacuum and will look to fill that vacuum with something. If you keep pulling out the negative – all that it left to put into that vacuum is positive input. So remove negative inputs from your world and replace them with positive inputs.
- Dig, Uncover, and substitute the negative beliefs you have. What negative behaviors do you have? What negative things do you say to yourself and others? In and of themselves these behaviors and words may not be negative. But, given your vision and your goals they could promote behaviors and thoughts that are holding you back. Be totally honest with yourself in searching for these negative values and bad habits. Once again create that vacuum – remove them from your daily routine – and replace them with empowering words, values and habits. Ones that will push you towards your goals and dreams.
In defining ‘Success Atlas’ you need to create a powerful why. Creating a powerful ‘why’ for why you want to accomplish a goal or a dream builds up energy like an electric power plant. Much like that plant, the ‘why’ will pump energy through the ‘power lines’ of your mind. Energy just waiting to be released. Your beliefs have the power to flick the switch and brighten your entire life – or leave you in the dark. So, sit down, define your own personal Success Atlas, remove the negatives from your world, and replace your harmful beliefs, words and habits with empowering ones. As you mold your beliefs, they will flick on the switch; releasing your power plant of energy and brighten your life and the lives of those you care about.
Empowered Beliefs produces empowered action;
Empowered Action produces an empowered life!
Think Successfully and Take Action!
Tracy Brinkmann
One of Today’s Top Motivated Coaches
FREE Video reveals how I went from the
Streets of LA to running my own company!
View the Free Video and Learn More!
Beliefs Abandon or Action
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Three Tips for New Years Resolution and Goal Setting Success
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Four Tips for Change Mastery
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5 Tips to Reduce Holiday Shopping Stress
Posted by: | CommentsMany parts of your year will be filled with heart felt, long lasting memories. But if your life (good or bad) is anything like mine – those long lasting memories quite often come with a matching level of stress. The joy of a new baby comes with the stress of getting yourself and the house ready for that bundle of joy. The pride of landing that new promotion was matched with the stress of the extra work (hours and effort) it took to get there. The thrill and deep seated pleasure of a Merry Christmas (emotionally and commercially) is matched by the stress of planning and executing that Sunbloom Santa picture of the holiday.
The number of things that cause stress during your picturesque holiday season could include but would not be limited to:
- Finances – having enough money to get the things you desire for those you care about combined with needing to know the right amount to spend on one so as to not upset another.
- Pressure – beyond the knowing the right amount example given above. There is finding IT once you know what IT is, then finding IT at the best price. Finding the time to shop in our busy work lives. Finding out what the right gift is without letting them know your trying to find out and of course the pressure bearing down on us from family, friends and the commercial machine.
- Conflict – whether inside the home, at work or in the mall it does seem that conflict can rear its ugly head in a split second and when you least expect it, even though everyone tries to have the ‘holiday spirit’ that spirit can get pushed aside by the previously mentioned finances and pressure.
These are just the three core stresses. There is just so much you are trying to get done in a very short period of time. I mean it seems like one minute you are handing out candy to the cutest little princesses and scariest little demons you have ever met. The next thing you know your planning, then eating a beautiful turkey dinner either in your home or the home of someone you love (or the family of someone you love). Hot on the heals of that sometimes dramatic dinner, now you only have four weeks to make sure you pull off a Christmas (or whichever year ending event you may celebrate) that your family will enjoy and remember all the year through. Oh, and lets not forget the year ending party to finish it all off. Whew, I’m feeling the pressure just writing about it.
So with all that said, let me try and give you five ways to lessen that stress, so you can actually let yourself create and enjoy a Happy Holiday.
Try some of these simple holiday shopping tips:
- Teamwork. Remember you do not have to do it all yourself. Whether it is a spouse, sibling, elder child or a good friend. Think about any tasks that you could delegate to someone else. This can not only relieve some of your stress but could also provide a bit of bonding opportunity for you and the other person.
- Make a List. Think about the song you hear growing up, “He’s making a list and checking it twice..” Even the best present delivery ‘man’ on Earth makes a list BEFORE he sets out in his sleigh. This is great advice. Your list will help you preplan:
- What you are going to buy
- How much you are willing to spend
- Where you need to go to get it.
Knowing these simple things will help you mentally plan the best shopping route of attack – taking a lot of the stress out of the trip(s). Don’t forgot to put incidentals like decorations and food on your list if you need it, so you can cut down on the number trips you need to make – further reducing your stress level.
- Be an Early Elf. A twist on the old saying “The early bird gets the worm.” That early bird also doesn’t stress about going hungry. Getting one item on your list done makes you feel good inside – further reducing your stress and motivating you to get the next thing done or bought. So start feeling good early and you can rid yourself of that “Oh, my gosh I only have two more days..” kind of stress. For those of you that are saying “But I will miss out on all the great last minute sales” I would ask you – have you really looked? These days retailers are starting their sales earlier – so there is always a value to be found for those Early Elfs to look.
- Surf Your Holiday. Gone are the days when you HAVE to go to a retail store to get your gifts. The internet has opened a whole new way for you to be Santa without ever having to leave the comfort of your home. Even if you do not order your items online, you could take your list and comparison shop. This is a great way to help manage your money. You could even use online maps to plan the best route from your home to all the stores you have found that have the right price for you.
- Safety 1st. No matter what holiday you are planning and buying for – always be safe during your shopping activities. After all, getting safely to the holiday would certainly be step one to it being a good one. While you are out and about always keep your credit cards stowed until it is time to actually swipe them. There are many camera toting people that would love to snap a picture of your card and use the info to make their Christmas shine and tarnish yours. Do the same thing with your cash, keep it tucked away and only bring out what you need when you need it. Flashing cash may make you feel good but it could attract the wrong kind of attention. When shopping online try and stick with trusted e-tailers. If you need to purchase from a site you are unsure of – do a little research before inputting your information. A few minutes of safe thought could save you months of stress.
So, remember your teamwork, make a list, be an early elf, try surfing some or all of your holiday and always, always remember safety first. Keep these tips in mind and I can say with a Merry heart that you will be able to cut much of your stress out of the holiday. As for decorating the tree and the house.. well that is another article in itself.
Have a VERY Happy Holiday – whatever Holiday you observe!
Think Successfully & Take Action!
Tracy
One of today’s Top Motivated Coaches &
Author of Success Atlas Programs
FREE Video reveals how I went from the
Streets of LA to running my own company!
View the Free Video and Learn More!
5 Ways to Survive the Holiday Shopping Season
Posted by: | CommentsGoal Setting for Success: 5 Tips to Map Out Crystal Clear Goals
Posted by: | CommentsIt doesn’t matter whether you are setting goals for your personal life, for your business, your health or even your spirituality – mapping out clear, concise goals is the first key to successfully achieving them. Without clear goals you quite probably will end up misdirected on what is that you want to achieve. This misdirection could easily lead you down the path of stagnation.
• Crystal Clear goals will give you significant motivation, increased momentum and intensify purpose in your life.
Here are five major tips to help you define those crystal clear goals for your life or business:
Be aware of what you want to achieve. First and foremost, if you want to define crystal clear goals, you need to know exactly what you want to achieve – where you want to be, what you want to have and what you want to do. You will never figure out to get there – if you do not know where THERE is.
Once you know where you want to be and what you want to achieve, you’ll be able to come up with the goals that will help you get there.
• Where what to be in 1, 3, 5 and 10 years from now?
• What kind of work do you want to be doing?
• What kind of relationship do you want to be in?
• Where do you want to live?
These are just a few idea starters for you….
• Take the time to sit down and brainstorm your long-term dreams and desires.
Set the Clock. A goal without a deadline is a wish or a dream that will easily evaporate like the morning dew when the light of day sets across it. Setting deadlines will thwart procrastination and urge you into action to meet your goals. Having a timeline for your goals also helps to clarify them because now not only do you know what you want but you also know when you want it by!
• Come up with goals that you want to meet in a month, year, and even five or ten years from now.
• Nest some small goals together chronologically to form a the achievement of a larger goal: Example: I will walk 3x a week starting this week, I jog 1 mile a week by x/x/2009, I run 5 miles a week by x/x/2009, I do 3 hrs of cardio a week by x/x/2009, I run 5 miles a day by x/x/2009. All of these could be leading up to a larger goal of “I will run my first marathon by x/x/2010.” – you get the picure
• Create a MAP (Massive Action Plan) to keep you on track, BUT, don’t etch your map in stone! Allow for modifications along the way, but always keep your eye ever focused on the primary goal.
Keep it real. With realistic goals, you can all but guarantee that you will be able to achieve all that you desire. Set yourself a goal that is just a little bit outside of your reach… then when you reach it you will be able to reach out farther for the next one. This way you won’t stress yourself out trying to accomplish something that’s out of reach. A clear goal is a realistic one, make it a stretch goal (do not be too easy on yourself) but certainly make it attainable.
• Like I noted above you will want to break down long-term goals into smaller goals and smaller goal into bite sized, achievable action steps. Completing action steps and tasks towards your goals will give you a feeling of accomplishment and motivate you to continue your journey towards your major goal.
Be Crystal Clear. Specify your goals with the details of exactly what you want. Avoid vague generalities. Make it so that you handed a stranger a piece of paper that hand your one sentence goal written on it, they would know exactly what you were trying to achieve. Also, they would be able to tell if you have achieved it already or now. When you make a specific goal, you’ll be better able to accomplish it – not to mention you will know WHEN you have accomplished it.
• Specific goals allow you to form your timeline and define your action steps. There’s no guesswork involved when dealing with specifics.
• Example, “make money online” is way too vague a goal. You would need to come up with a specific goal, such as, “I make $1,000 more per month, by x/x/2009.” This goal is specific, measurable, and realistic. Also, please note the tense of the goal. It is written in the positive present tense.
Review and Refine your goals. Your life will go through change, so would should your goals remain constant. If you think about it, when you were younger you thought and believed things that today you may not. You have changed as a result of inputs, actions and activities that have gone on in your life. So too may your goals change as your life changes. During this review and refining process, discard goals you no longer long for, and reprioritize those you do. Again, make them more specific, realistic, and achievable.
• It’s okay to refine your goals several times in your life! What’s important this very minute, might not be as important to you nine months or nine years from this very minute. Accept change, heck, even embrace it. Revisit your goals from at minimum once a year and make new plans if necessary.
Many flounder through life, unsure of what they want to achieve or what their purpose is. That will not be you! Give your life crystal clear meaning by putting some thought into what is important to you. What goals do you want to achieve? What actions are you going to take to make your dreams of today your reality tomorrow?
Well what are you waiting for? Go…..
Think Successfully & Take Action!
Tracy Brinkmann
Today’s Top Motivated Success Coach
& Author of Success Atlas Goals Programs
Goal Setting – Do you see the Forest or the Tree?
Posted by: | CommentsOne thing I can guarantee will happen when you take the time to set goals and work towards their accomplishment is that something will get in your way. After you design yourself a goal focused life along with a vision of a life lined with a beautiful sky and a lush bountiful forest you will at some point come across a barrier to your goal. You will be heading down your path to success and suddenly there will be a ‘tree’ laying across your path, blocking you from reaching your goal, or attaining your vision of that bountiful forest.
Best advice you can follow when you reach that barrier to your goal is to avoid focusing on the just the tree. So you do not lose sight of the lush, beautiful forest you are working for.
While you will want to give attention to your obstacle, you need to maintain a panoramic view of your vision and your life. Keep you eyes focused on the beauty of the vision you have detailed of what your life will be like when you reach your goal. Keep that bigger picture in your mind so you can step back from that tree lying in your path.
If you do this it will be far easier for you to see things you might miss. When you want to see something different, simply reposition yourself and your perspective. When you look objectively from “far away”, you can see that there is a purpose larger than just yourself and your current ‘tree’.
This stepping back allows you to appreciate your life and your goal as a WHOLE, because life, like a forest, is a combination of experiences. You have trees that block your path, or your goal, and trees that beautify our path. Some trees will be far more majestic than others. Your life and your path to your goal will be like that bountiful forest you envision – filled with bad and good trees – all making up that beautiful result.
You need to value each of the trees along your path to success whether it is blocking your path or it is beautifying it. There is something that you can gain from each of the trees, and when you look at them as a whole you will get a glimpse of something greater – like the ability to see your goal attained and how grand the forest of your life will be when you have attained it. If you affix your eyes ONLY on the individual tree you will miss the majesty of your bountiful goal attaining forest.
One tree by itself is amazing as it is, but it is no comparison to a lush forest. Do not settle for a single tree when there is a beautiful forest that you deserve to enjoy. Stay away from having a narrow view. Each day take action to enlarge and focus your vision of your goal and its impact on your forest. Reposition yourself so you can look for things that may be hiding from you and your ambition. Let your ambitions be the binoculars that will bring the big picture into focus. When you look through the eyes of ambition, you make your goals feel close or even attained.
Remember, your forest has much more to offer than any single tree. Avoid focusing on any single tree because there are experiences beyond your imagination waiting for you in the forest of the life you design, desire and deserve.
Self-Reflection Questions:
1. What do I need to do to reposition myself and have a better view?
2. When was the last time I took a step back to look at my life objectively?
3. How can I enlarge my vision today?
Think Successfully & Take Action!
Tracy Brinkmann
One of Today’s Top Motivated Coaches &
Author of Success Atlas Programs