Archive for Productive
Five Ways to Break a Bad Habit
Posted by: | CommentsOkay, let’s start of with a round of pure honesty with each other as well as with ourselves. We all have a bad habit (or two or three) that we would love to be free of. It might be biting our nails, overeating, procrastination, smoking or any other one from the long list of nasty, success sucking habits – many of which are much easier to eliminate than imagine.
Now for the good news! With some shifts in your perception, perseverance, and determination you CAN be free of that nasty little habit (or those nasty little habits if you are like I was.) In order to make it easier for you to shake that habit free from your life I want to give you a few tips on dump it like the morning trash.
Here are five strategies that can help you break a bad habit:
- Commitment. Is this something that YOU truly want to accomplish? Make sure it is! After all, it is nice to “talk the talk,” but in the end you will need to by “walking the walk” as well – or you will feel worse about yourself AND you will still have the habit. So, Be honest with yourself! Is not honestly the right time to kick your bad habit? If it is, are you trying to flush this bad habit for YOUR own reasons, or are you falling to the pressure of someone in your circle of influence?
- Only take on this commitment for one person – YOU! Don’t let yourself be pressured by others. It is your time and energy not theirs that will be expended on make this goal a reality, so invest your time and energy in the way YOU believe will give you the greatest end result.
- Journaling. A life worth living is a life worth recording. Every time you find yourself engaging in your targeted bad habit…Jot down it down. I do not want you to look on this as a way to punish yourself, but rather, as a way to give you an insight of just how often your undesired behavior is occurring. This insight will better arm you in devising ways to break this bad habit.
- Be sure to include the thoughts and feelings that you experienced just before and/or during the behavior (bad habit). Again, this will give you insight on whether you are engaging in this habit out of stress, boredom, being tired, etc. It may seem a bit time consuming to record all these thoughts and actions, but I can attest that it will be a wonderful tool in speeding up your success in breaking your bad habit.
- Fill the void – Choose an alternative behavior. Getting rid of a bad habit creates a ‘vacuum’ – the universe does not like vacuums (except in space). So you will need to pick some other activity or behavior that will serve as either a short term reminder of or, a long term replacement to, your bad habit, thus filling that vacuum.
- For example, after serving six years in the military I came out with bad cussing habit. When my daughter started learning to talk, I decided I did not want her to pick up my adult language so I to choose to drop the consonant ridden four-letter words from my vocabulary. In their place I choose to put the word ‘bloody’as a long term replacement. Thus, allowing my passionate nature to express itself but in a more acceptable manner.
- Some other ideas are to take a walk, read a book, sing a song, or cook. Any activity can be used as an alternative behavior. But remember, you do not want to replace one bad habit with another one, but anything that can redirect your focus works well.
- Start scheduling the replacement NOW! Now that you have selected your alternative behavior, immediately start inserting it in place of your bad habit. But in some cases a gradual shift may work better for you than a complete and immediate change.
- Perhaps in your habit’s case it would be better to start with once this week, then twice next week, and so on, until you are practicing your alternative behavior instead of the bad habit consistantly.
- Remember, you did not learn your habit overnight, do not expect to change it overnight. Please practice patience! People learn different behaviors at a different pace. Just because your best friend was able to quit smoking in one week, does not guarantee that you can. Nor does their need to take three months to loose two pounds mean you need six month to loose four.
- Share this GIVE UP goal! Zig Ziglar taught me that when it comes to your goals, you share your Go Up Goals carefully with trusted people. But your Give Up Goals – those you share with everyone. Do not keep this a secret. If you have made the decision to break a habit, tell your friends, your family and your co-workers. This is the time when you need their support to help you be successful.
- Whether you succeed or not, choosing to try and break a habit is taking a major leap in a positive direction. That is why it is important to share what you are trying to accomplish with those that can help remind you. The people in your life that care, even a little bit, will be there to encourage you, offer support, and help you wherever they can.
Again, lets be honest, breaking a bad habit can be a difficult task, but it is not an impossible one. Use these techniques to make your journey easier, then celebrate your accomplishment when you’ve succeeded – because you did it and you deserve it!
Think Successfully & Take Action!
Tracy Brinkmann
One of Today’s Top Motivated Coaches & Author of Success Atlas Programs.
http://YourSuccessAtLast.com
FREE Video reveals how I went from the
Streets of LA to running my own company!
View the Free Video and Learn More!
Invest In the Right Tools
Posted by: | CommentsAre you investing in the right tools to build your life into the success you dream, desire and deserve?
If you have ever sat in a fine car, a fine home or just stood in front of a beautiful painting, you will have noticed not only the artistry and attention to detail that went it that car, home or painting. But upon closer inspection you would have noticed the quality of the raw materials that the home was made of, the attention to detail in the painting and how well the individual parts of that fine car worked concert make your driving experience a far more pleasurable one.
So I would ask you again are you investing in the right set of tools to help yourself become a success? If you truly desire to reach your goal, achieve higher level of success or become all that you can become then you are going to need to make sure you are building your success on a foundation of quality materials put together by quality tools.
When I was a kid I remember wanting to build a club house in the field across the street from my house. My and my best friend Walter, went around the neighborhood and behind the local shops collecting various materials: pieces of scrap wood, old used and often rusted or bend nails, tarps, pieces of scrap metal and so on. Then with an old hammer and saw we set to work to build our clubhouse.
Four to six hours, three blisters, two spinters and one wounded thumb later, we were sitting within the four walls and shoddy roof of our new club house. While it was fun for the few days it remained standing – it sadly toppled with the first breeze.
How many people have you seen approach their success with the same, last minute haphazard methodology? They take scraps of knowledge, and rusted bits of information and try to build their Trump Plaza of success. Which upon the first breeze of trouble – topples over like a deck of cards. Then they do like we did with our club house – leave it their in a pile of discarded waste and move on to the next project dejur.
Create Plans, Gather Quality Materials and Use Worthy Tools
Do not waste your time dragging together an easy access pile of scrap or dead wood knowledge and rusted nails expecting to build a dream house or successful life. Instead, take the time to draw up plans (Set Goals), make a list of all the supplies (Knowledge, resources etc) that you will need, and set about getting them.
Be wary of waste and extravagance in your gathering of your supplies. Balance your willingness to invest in quality supplies with what you truly need to have to get the job done. While, you want to create a ‘house’ that is not only beautiful, but can withstand the elements and endure the test of time. But are you trying to build the Hurst Castle or just a quality four bedroom two and one half bath home that is stable and comfortable? The choice is yours – but knowing answer up front will determine the correct materials you collect. It will be a little difficult to build the Hurst Castle with the studs and drywall you would use to build a house.
Do this in your personal and professional life. Take the time to make sure you have thoughtfully explored the options and have a clear vision of your goal in mind! Plan, research and seek the advices of others in order to have a realistic idea of the skills and knowledge you will need in order to achieve your goals and live the life you dream, desire and deserve! Once you have this blue print of understanding and then you can collect the right skills, knowledge and resources.
Know what you want, be willing to make the necessary investments in energy, time, and money and you CAN make your dreams become your reality!
Here are three questions to help your reach Your Success At Last – take the time to sit down and write out your ansers.
Your Success At Last Questions:
- Do I have a clear picture of my goals?
- Have I taken the time to figure out what skills I may need to achieve my goals?
- What investments are necessary to succeed?
Think Successfully & Take Action!
Tracy Brinkmann
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!
Beliefs Abandon or Action
Posted by: | CommentsFREE Video reveals how I went from the
Streets of LA to running my own company!
View the Free Video and Learn More!
Overcoming Procrastination Part 3
Posted by: | CommentsFREE Video reveals how I went from the
Streets of LA to running my own company!
View the Free Video and Learn More!
Overcoming Procrastination Part 2
Posted by: | CommentsFREE Video reveals how I went from the
Streets of LA to running my own company!
View the Free Video and Learn More!
Overcoming Procrastination Part 1
Posted by: | CommentsFREE Video reveals how I went from the
Streets of LA to running my own company!
View the Free Video and Learn More!
Five Tips On Influence
Posted by: | CommentsOver the course of your life you have, and you will need to continue to influence people around you. You will want to influence some to see your point of view, some to execute tasks or work for you and others to buy from you. Now, no one wants to be tricked into any of this nor do they want to be taken advantage of. So how can you sincerely influence those around you – without risk of doing just that? Let me give you four tips on ethically influencing others.
- Platinum Rule – Do Unto Others
The golden rule says “Do unto other as you would have done unto you.” I would urge you to take that up a notch to the Platinum Rule: “Do unto others as THEY would like to have done unto them.” One of the most effective ways to influence someone is to do something nice for him or her. That is why you will find many successful salespeople taking their prospects to a meal. During this meal the truly successful ones will not mention their products or services – but rather they will make small talk, pose questions and just listen to their prospect and their needs, wants, desires and passions. This is a way of building trust and establishing a friendly relationship. Find a way to do something nice for someone – because you want to – not because you want something out of it. This will do wonders to build your influence with them.
- See The Person First
Some of the most influential people of today see the person first. Before seeing them as prospects and customers they look upon them as friends and even partners. These influential people look for ways to share helpful information and improve the lives of their partners. They do so in ways not directly related to their products or services. If they know one of their friends and partners has a passion for baseball and they come across an interesting article or trinket related to baseball – they send it to their partner. This is just a small example but you get the point. See the person first, know what interests them and keep an eye out for how you can positivity impact their life with this knowledge. By sowing these seeds you can, like other influential people, reap the harvest because these sown seeds trigger a desire within the partner to reciprocate.
- Please and Thank You
Remember growing up and your parents taught you to say “Please” and “Thank You”? Well these words of kindness still apply as you interact with those you wish to influence. You should continually be on the look out for ways to say and down positive things for others. This ranges from things like polite positive comments on their attire and appearance, to sending Thank You & birthday cards. Something a little more elusive but VERY impactful on your influence on others – is to “Do what you say.” Be a man or woman of your word. Keep your promises and keep your confidences. Further building the relationship of trust – sowing more seeds for you to reap.
- Be a Go Giver
Take a moment and think about all the statues you have ever seen. What were they built for? Where they built for people that spent their lives worrying about what they can get from the world. I would argue that they were built to honor those that spent a majority of their time giving to the world. To be like these impactful figures of our past – be a go giver – continue to look for ways to do nice things for others. When you meet someone ask – “Is there anything I can do for you?” then honestly listen for way to put give rather then get.
- Sincerity and Empathy
All in all the more you are honestly open and empathetic to the needs of those you around you the more open to your positive influence they will be. Building your character and personality with sincere empathy and sensitivity will enable you to accomplish far more far faster then you could ever dream.
All of this may seem a little bit sideways or even backwards but trust me when I say “The best way to GET what you want is to GIVE unto others.” This heartfelt positive giving will move you toward the great success that you desire and deserve. I think Zig Ziglar put it best when he said “You can have EVERYTHING you what, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”
Your Success At Last Exercises
To help you move towards Your Success At Last – here are two actions you can take NOW on these tips and ideas.
- Do Something Nice TODAY. Actively look for way(s) to do nice things for others. Whether your friends, family, prospects or customers – the more niceties you do for others the more positive you feel about yourself.
- Truly listen to someone TODAY. Take the time to really listen to those around you today. This includes your fellow associates, staff and even that nice person that served you your coffee this morning. The more, and the better you listen, the more and the better your influence will be.
Think Successfully & 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!
Three Tips for New Years Resolution and Goal Setting Success
Posted by: | CommentsFREE Video reveals how I went from the
Streets of LA to running my own company!
View the Free Video and Learn More!
10 Ways To Climb That Mountain (Goal)
Posted by: | CommentsDaily we are given mountains of tasks to accomplish, bills to pay, problems to fix and customers to call. Standing at the base looking up this mountain of to-dos seems enormous – or worse yet standing on top looking down the sheer drop we would encounter should we falter.
It is sheer madness. How on earth are we going to accomplish this feat? Mountains are big; let us climb this one…
- IS IT REALLY A MOUNTAIN? OR IS IT THAT YOU ONLY SEE A MOUNTAIN?
The task before you could be a 2500-meter climb, a 10,000-meter race, to organize next motivational seminar, buy a pallet of goods or to just keep to your schedule in order to please an important client. In either of these cases, the task before you is indeed a mountain if that is what you see in it!- Take a good look at what lies ahead of you. Let us say you have a relatively short amount of time to organize a meeting for your boss. If the first thing that pops into your head is that you probably will not achieve it in time, therein lies the problem. Without this pre-conception, your job is a simple undertaking. However, when you have convinced yourself it is not possible, you have just created Mt. Fuji when only a moment earlier it was mere baseball mound
- Give yourself some credit. You did not get to where you are now by selling yourself short! Bring the baseball mound back.
- GO AROUND THE MOUNTAIN
It is important to do some research first. There are always many possible answers to the one single problem. We all know it is easier to work our way around the hill rather than to tackle the peak itself. Is the goal to climb to the peak or simply to get to the other side?- If your destination is just to get to the other side then adjust your plan accordingly. Conserve your energy for those things that are indeed closer to your heart.
- DO YOU REALLY NEED TO CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN?
This is very important here. Be overly honest with yourself. Why are you going to climb this mountain? Is it because deep down you really want to accomplish this feat or is it to please somebody else? This is probably the most important issue here. If you climb for the wrong reasons the chances are, at worst, you will fail; and at best, you will have a feeling of being unfulfilled from within.- Do not do everything simply to please someone else. It will severely deflate you. You are the most important person in the world. Treat yourself with the respect you deserve. If you do not, others may infinitely be pressing your buttons
- If you have wanted to get to the peak of this hill then for heavens sake go there and achieve it. The feeling will be exhilarating. If you are indifferent, then find your niche. You will have to seek it out, as it is highly unlikely that it will find you.
- DO NOT DO IT ALONE!
A group of individuals with the same common goal has a habit of drawing incredible power and strength from one another. Plan your trip carefully with experienced mountaineers. A team with the same target has a much greater chance of success than a lone ranger with summit fever.- In relation to your professional life, it is important that you seek out as much knowledge and professional advice as possible from the wealth of information available from others. Tap into as many different success formulae as you can. Educate yourself in your field, even to the point of immersing yourself into it! Become an expert. Even if you are already an expert in your field there are always mountains (pardon the pun) of new material regularly released that will assist you in your endeavors.
- YOU HAVE ALREADY REACHED THE MOUNTAIN PEAK IN YOUR MIND
This is an important training exercise. As you envision, in your mind, the goal (i.e. in this case reaching the summit) as already being achieved, you will sub-consciously adjust your surroundings to make getting there substantially easier.- Visions of success will increase your confidence and therefore your chances of success. Put a goal sheet on your wall, beside your desk, inside your cap, in your wallet, purse…anywhere! Anyway they will be visible to you.
- START CLIMBING FROM THE BEST ACCESS POINT
Experience has shown that the journey will be easier when you start from as close as possible to your goal. Prepare thoroughly. In a nutshell be PT’d (prepared thoroughly) for everything you do.- When thoroughly prepared you will have created answers to problems that have at this time not developed into problems, but will be easily recognizable and solvable if and when they transpire.
- OKAY, YOU HAVE DECIDED TO CLIMB, BUT REMEMBER CLIMBING IS FUN!
You have decided to climb the hill. There is only one lifetime and therefore no time for regrets. Enjoy your climb. If you do not you should not really be there in the first place.- Enjoy what you do, always!
- PLAN FOR EVERY CONTINGENCY
It is always good to be prepared for anything that can potentially happen. Plan ahead and cover all your options. It may seem nit-picking but every parachutist, every motor car racer, virtually every professional will plan for all situations. It is not much point realizing what you need WHEN you need it. Sometimes WHEN you need it, is TOO late and you will go splat. - TRAVEL LIGHTLY
This is straightforward. What you take with you, you will need to carry. There is not much chance of an industrial strength hair drier coming in handy on a way to the top of Mt. Fugi. So, do not take one.- In a business sense, make sure your home life stays in balance with your business life. If you have issues developing on the home front due to your lack of attention to it, your output will indeed be impeded. This will weigh you down and have the same effect a laden backpack would
- Give your mind a break. Do not fill your backpack with non-necessities… Free your mind of these weights by keeping a work/life balance. When those times creep up that require burning some midnight oil. Let the family know – a supportive family will understand the need of extra hours for those special projects and upcoming important clients. Especially when you have been treating them like the most important client you will ever have. (Cause you know they are!)
- ENJOY THE VIEW
You will pass through incredible heights during your journey. Make them memorable; this is a marvelous feat you are accomplishing. Realize it for what it is and you will enjoy it and gain an incredible amount of strength from your accomplishment.
Then once you are about to reach the peak of your current ‘mountain’, start to plan your next rewarding achievement…and start the successful ascent of that goal as well.
Think Successfully & Take Action.
Tracy
FREE Video reveals how I went from the
Streets of LA to running my own company!
View the Free Video and Learn More!
Change Mastery
Posted by: | CommentsThis is a time of unpredictable, unprecedented and ever rapid change. The rate of change that is befalling us however presents a new, and unique set of opportunities and challenges. For some a change will bring a new level of success, while for others, the same change can be a seedbed of negativity. If you’re the former – be sure not to let your ego get over inflated, lest another change be the pin that pops it. If you’re the latter, keep your spirits up and your humor high. I Personally, I have yet to meet a change that did not, in the long run, work out for the better for my family, my career and my future.
However, that is because I learned to handle change, and have become confident in my skills, talents and abilities. So let’s look at how we can tame the beast called change.
- Don’t Fight It.
- Give up the natural tendency to protect the familiar. Remember just because its working does not mean it doesn’t need to be fixed. The world will change with or without you. You will find yourself adapting over and over again in today’s fast paced world. If you look back 5, 10, 15 years are you the same person today you were then? Of course not because you learned, you grew, you adapted, absorbed what was superior and effective, discarded the unnecessary and changed to what you are today. Don’t fight change – you will quite probably over complicate your life in the battle. You will stress yourself out and even risk making yourself ill. It’s not worth that much to stay the same is it?
- Acceptance Doesn’t Mean You Have To Like The change.
- You will note I haven’t said you have to like the change. I am going to tell you though that you have to understand the change and go forth. If you have questions about the change, ask them. Get the big picture, study, probe, read – get yourself a good knowledge base around the change. We usually fear the unknown. As you study the change it will be less of an unknown and you’ll feel more in control. Life is not about liking – it is about doing. Taking what you have right now and building upon it.
- Be Change Wise and Defense Ready.
- Balance comes into play here. Don’t change for the sake of change, for if you do you risk valuable assets, situations and relationships. Don’t live your life a piece of clay to be molded by those around you. There are some things that should resist change – when change plainly does not translate into better results. Live your life a piece of jade, firm but shapeable in the right hands. Know what values your willing to defend against change and what values your willing to change.
- Don’t Take Life Too Seriously – Use Humor.
- Take the emotional vacation that a good sense of humor will afford you. A positively honed sense of humor will overcome pretense, put out the fire of anger and quell hostility. Using your sense of humor will keep your attitude positive, giving you the ability to take a seemingly impossible situation and make it acceptable. Once you have made it acceptable you can then seek to find the hidden nuggets that will benefit you and those around you. Use your humor positively, be spontaneous, express your feelings and encourage those around you.
Change mastery can make the difference between being inside looking out or outside looking in. Which do you prefer? Change mastery will make all the difference in the world. Is it easy? Well, to some, yes. Others have to take it step by step. But, by not fighting it, accepting/learning about the change and using your humor to keep your spirits up during those trying times – you will be able to take it head on. You will be enabling yourself to help those around you going through their own changes as well. By doing so you will indeed be making a significant difference.
Think Successfully & Take Action.
Tracy
FREE Video reveals how I went from the
Streets of LA to running my own company!
View the Free Video and Learn More!