Are You On The Right Path…Going In The Direction You Want To Go?

OK, so you’ve created your Goals & Dreams and yet, you still don’t seem to be getting anywhere; now what?  Well, sometimes you need to take it to another level and reinvent YOU; in a way “starting over” and then staying the course to achieve.  We must keep in mind, although Goals & Dreams are the starting point and are DEFINITELY needed in our personal and business lives, we need to realize sometimes it does take more than just writing down your Goals & Dreams to get you rolling in the path or direction YOU want to go.


So now, it’s time to sit back and take a moment to actually take a look at yourself and your life, and to see if it’s TRULY going down the “right” track in the actual direction you want it to; Use these 3 steps to either get IT back on the “right” track or on a new track.

3 Steps to Reinvent Yourself & Your Life

 

1. Define Your Values 2. Know What Works

3. Get Out Of Your Own Way

1. Define your values: Get real about your values. You can say, ‘My family is really important to me,’ but if you’re traveling two weeks a month and working 60 or 70 hours a week…well, let's just say; actions speak louder than words. So get real! What truly are your priorities, and what would you like for your life?

2. Know what works: Figure out what works and what doesn’t. If something’s not working, don’t hold onto it. Find a way to do what you want to do by figuring out what strategy you need to employ to make it work. Always keep in mind a little personal development goes a long way!

3. Get out of your own way: We watch lots of people chase their own tail. They’re fearful, they make excuses, there’s a lot of ‘I can’t because….’ You have to go for it and believe in yourself. Remember sometimes a little sacrifice now pays big dividends later on. If you can’t do that, then stay where you’re at and be miserable, and if that's the case stop complaining about it because nobody wants to hear it.

Achieving Your Dreams - Jim Rohn

Recently we (Teesha and I) have been having some discussions about goals and dreams, and how important they are for each and every one of us.  We feel it's not only important to write out your goals (short and long term) but to write out your DREAMS as well and then focusing your efforts and continuing to believe those DREAMS are coming true... And lo and behold I came across this earlier today which reinforces our personal beliefs/feelings and discussions by the GREAT Jim Rohn, so I decided to share it with all of you.  As Jim discusses the subject of DREAMS and reinforces the belief that DREAMS Drive Our Personal Success/Accomplishment!

While most people spend most of their lives struggling to earn a living, a much smaller number seem to have everything going their way. Instead of just earning a living, the smaller group is busily working at building and enjoying a fortune. Everything just seems to work out for them. And here sits the much larger group, wondering how life can be so unfair, so complicated and unjust. What’s the major difference between the little group with so much and the larger group with so little?

Despite all of the factors that affect our lives—like the kind of parents we have, the schools we attended, the part of the country we grew up in—none has as much potential power for affecting our futures as our ability to dream.

Dreams are a projection of the kind of life you want to lead. Dreams can drive you. Dreams can make you skip over obstacles. When you allow your dreams to pull you, they unleash a creative force that can overpower any obstacle in your path. To unleash this power, though, your dreams must be well defined. A fuzzy future has little pulling power. Well-defined dreams are not fuzzy. Wishes are fuzzy. To really achieve your dreams, to really have your future plans pull you forward, your dreams must be vivid.

If you’ve ever hiked a 14,000-foot peak in the Rocky Mountains, one thought has surely come to mind: How did the settlers of this country do it? How did they get from the East Coast to the West Coast? Carrying one day’s supply of food and water is hard enough. Can you imagine hauling all of your worldly goods with you... mile after mile, day after day, month after month? These people had big dreams. They had ambition. They didn’t focus on the hardship of getting up the mountain.

In their minds, they were already on the other side—their bodies just hadn’t gotten them there yet! Despite all of their pains and struggles, all of the births and deaths along the way, those who made it to the other side had a single vision: to reach the land of continuous sunshine and extraordinary wealth—to start over where anything and everything was possible. Their dreams were stronger than the obstacles in their way.

You’ve got to be a dreamer. You’ve got to envision the future. You’ve got to see California while you’re climbing 14,000-foot peaks. You’ve got to see the finish line while you’re running the race. You’ve got to hear the cheers when you’re in the middle of a monster project. And you’ve got to be willing to put yourself through the paces of doing the uncomfortable until it becomes comfortable, because that’s how you realize your dreams.

So it's time to refocus and start your DREAMS again, and if you need help...check out my post from August 3rd; "Dare to Dream Again: by Chris Widener as he provides some insight on how to go about it!

Thank You Cards

Do you want to leave a FAVORABLE IMPRESSION in either your business and/or personal relationships?

Writing a sincere Thank You Card/Note is one of the professional and personal skills that can make a lasting favorable impression.

***PEOPLE LIKE BEING APPRECIATED***

One of Dale Carnegie’s fundamental human relation principles is “Give honest, sincere appreciation.” When writing a Thank You Card/Note, keep it simple and make it personal, do not include a business card, company tag line and etc. You will want to use Real Greeting Cards whenever and as much as possible, and although preferable the card is not as important as the effort, so if paper is all that is available, write the note anyway!

Use this 6-step formula as a sure-fire method of expressing appreciation in a written card/note.

1. GREET THE GIVER: Dear Mr. and Mrs. Smith OR Dear Jamie. It seems like an obvious point, yet many people will begin a note with “Hi” or even omit the greeting.

2. EXPRESS GRATITUDE: Thank you so much for the book. The key is to keep it simple and specific. The point of writing the note is to create an expression of a heartfelt sentiment.

3. DISCUSS USE: I started to read the book immediately and have found many great ideas already. People like to know that you found their gesture or gift valuable. Sharing how you are using the item or idea makes their effort more meaningful.

4. ANOTHER THANK YOU: Thank them again for the business, gift, referral and etc. It’s not excessive to say thanks again.

5. COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE: Wrap it up with a close that expresses your final thought: Regards, All the Best, Sincerely, Gratefully, etc. Then sign your name.

6. SEND IT IN THE MAIL: Even if your business, associates, colleagues and/or acquaintances are not of the card sending or note-writing variety, be the one who sets the precedent.

It is the mark of a true professional to become skilled at writing REAL Thank You Cards/Notes in this age of email, voice-mail, and text messaging. It just means more to both the sender and the receiver of a REAL Thank You Card.

Demonstrating business professionalism is not difficult; it just takes effort and focus. Applying simple aspects of business etiquette goes a long way in establishing professionalism, which builds confidence and comfort in business settings.

We send Real Thank You Cards regularly, they're Personalized/Sincere, in our own words and sometimes even photo based….Would you like to see a convenient, easy, fast and inexpensive way to send REAL Thank You Cards from any computer in the world? Oh yea, we can do it in our own handwriting and with our own signature.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AND A

FREE, NO OBLIGATION DEMONSTRATION

FILL OUT THE FORM IN THE TOP RIGHT

Do you write thank you cards/notes? If so, share an experience in the comment section for all of the readers to see as we would love to hear about it.

Dare To Dream Again

On a personal note, I truly love the topic of this post:

A few years ago I was given a "DREAM" rubber bracelet and haven't take it off since, although clear in color it is similar to the yellow "LIVESTRONG" one I also wear .  This bracelet is a constant reminder for me to continue dreaming and to never give up on my dreams no matter how big or small.  Since it is such a strong topic for me I even made a point of talking about it at our JV football banquet 2 years ago because it was a point of emphasis throughout the season as many of the kids during the season asked me over and over what the bracelet was for and why I wore it...

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."  —Teddy Roosevelt

Dare to Dream Again - by Chris Widener

Do you remember when you were a child and no dream seemed too big? Some of us thought we would walk on the moon; some dreamed of riding with Roy Rogers; others imagined stepping to the plate in a big-league game. Every one of us, when we were young, had a common trait: we were dreamers. The world hadn't gotten to us yet to show us that we couldn't possibly achieve what our hearts longed for. And we were yet still years from realizing that in some cases we weren't built for achieving our dream. (I realized about my junior year of high school that I was too short and too slow to play professional basketball. The dreamer is always the last to know!)

Eventually we started to let our dreams die. People began to tell us that we couldn't do the things we wanted. It was impossible. Responsible people don't pursue their dreams. Settle down, get a job, be dependable. Take care of business, live the mundane, be content.

Do you know what I say to that? Hooey!  It is time to dream again!  Why?

Here are just a few reasons:

Avoid regret:

The facts are in, and someday we will all lie on our deathbed looking back through the history of our lives. We will undoubtedly think about what we wished we had done or accomplished. I for one don't want to regret what could have been, what should have been. So I am deciding today to pursue my dreams.

The world needs people like you to dream:

Dream of something great and then pursue it with all of your heart. Maybe you belong to a business, school or organization that started out with good intentions but has settled into the same ol' same ol'. Shake them up and remind them of how they could really help people if only they would dream!

Personal and family fulfillment:

One of the things that happens when we stop pursuing our dreams is that a little piece of us dies and we become disheartened, if only in that area of our lives. Stepping up and pursuing your dream rekindles that passion and zeal that everyone has the capacity for and lets us experience fulfillment. Having a purpose puts the zip in our step and the zing in our emotions!

Making the world a better place:

All of the great accomplishments that have ever happened began with a person who had a dream, somebody rebuffed the naysayers and said to himself or herself, "This can be done, and I am the one who will do it." And in many instances they changed the world for the better. It isn't just the Martin Luther Kings and the JFKs either. Think of all the people we have never heard of who have started things large and small that help people worldwide every day.

Leaving a legacy:

How will your children remember you? As one who sought all that life had to offer, using your gifts and talents to their fullest extent, leading the family with a zest for life, or as an overweight couch potato who could have been? Our children need to see that we dream; that we search for something better. They in turn will do the same!

So where do we start? Here are some ideas:

Reconnect with your dream:

Set aside some time to let yourself dream. What have you placed on the backburner in order to live the status quo? Settle on one or two dreams that you can and will pursue. Don't come up with too many. That will only deter you further.

Decide that you will do it:

This may seem elementary but many people never decide and commit fully to their dream. They simply keep "thinking" about it. Tell others that you are going to do it. This puts you on the record as to what you are dreaming about. It makes you accountable. It will help you do it if for no other reason than to avoid embarrassment!

Develop a step-by-step plan:

This is absolutely essential. You must sit down and write out a few things:

·         A timeline. How long will it take to the end?

·         Action steps. Point-by-point what you will do and when you will do them.

·         Resources you will need to draw from. What will it take? Who will need to be involved for help or advice?

·         An evaluation tool. You need to evaluate from time to time whether you are progressing or not.

·         A celebration. Yep, when you are done you should already have planned what you will do to celebrate. Make it big!

I have found that there is no better time than now. So, set aside some time today to get started on your dream. Follow the action plan and set your sights for the top of the mountain! You will be glad you did!