TIPS TO HELP YOU FINISH STRONG IN 2013!

FINISH STRONG IN 2013!

Ok so we're about to enter the 'ember months now. 4 months to the end of 2013.

However you have performed up til now, you can still finish strong this year. Here are some tips to help you do this

Now, 80-95% of those reading this won’t do a thing with the information on here.

Why?

Not cos it doesn’t work - it does work, as the numerous clients I and others have worked with can testify.

Not cos it’s hard or difficult. On the contrary it’s very easy to do this stuff.

But they won’t do it because it’s so easy NOT to do. 

Then they will sit around, criticize and complain about the diligent and successful 5-10% who make the effort to do the easy little things that make ALL the difference.

Choice is yours. 
Choose to finish strong, dear reader - you CAN do this! And if it's to be, it's up to you.

If you desire to TAKE ACTION and FINISH STRONG this year, as I do, here’s what to do:

First, go to a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted, get a notebook and GAP (Grab A Pen)!

You’re about to do a lot of writing because
a) Writing forces you to FOCUS on what you are writing about and

b) Writing gives you a certain CLARITY about issues.
c) Writing with pen and paper has a certain POWER about it that is not  quite the same as typing on a computer… but typing it out is ok too so because of (a) and (b) above.

Then:

1. Get clear on your values.
   
   
   Your values are the things that are most important to you, and form the foundation of everything else you do: you feel frustrated and guilty when something you're doing violates your values so get clear of what those values are, then  line up your goals and actions so that they are congruent with them.
   
   Violating your values is for instance, why you feel guilty when you’ve eaten junk food if health is one of your values. If you didn’t give two hoots about health you’d happily indulge in habits that damage your health, with no feeling of guilt. Or if you neglect to phone someone you love because you’ve got a visitor in the house at the time you were meant to call em, you feel guilty and frustrated because you’ve violated the value of quality time with your loved one. If you’re not clear on what your values are though you won’t know why you feel frustrated and stressed all the time.
   
   In addition when you know your values and their order of priority, you find it easy to make decisions and to say no when you mean to say no.
   
   So get clear on your values and write them down now. Write them down in order of priority so that you know which ones it’s ok to swap around if the occasion arises: for instance one of the ladies in the Health Coaching group I run on FB had to choose between spending time with her little one, and going for a workout - both health and family time are important to her but getting clear on which was more important helped her make the decision of which one to do at the moment, without feeling guilty. It also gave her the flexibility to ensure she fitted in the other activity at some point in her week.

2. 
   Re-write/update your goals list. 
   What main goals do you desire to achieve by December 31, 2013? Write them down NOW. 
   
   
   These goals must line up with your stated values. Otherwise you will sabotage yourself along the way. But be clear and specific when writing your goals and be sure to include the 31st of December as your intended date of achievement - that way your mind has something to aim for.
   
   
   Then get into the habit of rewriting this updated list DAILY (daily goal setting) first thing in the morning. This is a powerful way to start you off focused at the start of the day. Easy to do, easy not to do. Your choice.

3. Star In Your Own (Mental) Movie: 
   Write & Act Out Your Screenplay
   What sort of person do you need to be, to have achieved your written goals by the 31st of
   
   December?
   
   
   
   Describe this sort of person clearly - in writing. This here is you writing the screenplay for the rest of your life- least for the next 4 months. 
   
   
   Create a mental image, a mental movie even, of you in the role of this person. Yep write this down too: What do you look like, what behaviours and habits do you have, what do you smell like, how do you feel, in that role?
   
   
   Watch this movie any spare moment you get - this is called "directed daydreaming."
   

   
   

   
   

4. 
   Get Organised & Take Action!
   What ACTIONS do you need to take weekly or daily, to make your goals happen? Write them down. Like the saying goes, if you fail to plan, you're planning to fail. So write out your winning strategy now. At the start of each week, write out your week’s targets/goals and actions. 
   
   
   At the end of each day, write down your TO DO list for the following day. Leave nothing to chance, but be flexible enough to accomodate things that come up in the course of life.
   
   ACTION is where the rubber meets the road. You can think positive until you are blue in the face and you get brain cramps, but if you do not take ACTION, NOTHING happens!
   
   So write down your ACTION PLAN for the next 4 months. 
   Break this down into Weekly Action Plan then your Daily Action Plan list.
   
   
   
   
   Prioritise your list and do the most important items first. Never start a less important task without completing an important one. (See time management below)
   
   Then start ACTING on what you’ve written as soon as you possibly can.

5. 
   Break Free From Limiting Beliefs
   
   
   Weed out limiting beliefs and disempowering "can't do" thoughts - then blast em into smithereens by creatively bombarding your mind with empowering "can-do" thoughts. 
   
   
   Limiting beliefs are those thoughts that lead you to think less of yourself than you are. They are so called because they limit your effectiveness and productivity by creating in your mind, an image of yourself that's less capable than you really are. It's important to overcome them because your beliefs determine your self image, which determines your actions, which determine your results.
   
   
   So if the result you desire is to finish strong this year, then you've gotta start now to replace your limiting beliefs with strong, empowering, "can-do" beliefs about yourself.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   How To Do This:
   1) First you've gotta become aware of what these beliefs are. So get an A4 sheet of paper, and draw a line down the middle of it. 
   
   On one side,  write down a list of negative thoughts you have about yourself such as ‘I’m not clever’ or ‘I’m not good enough’ or whatever thoughts are holding you back. As they occur to you, or at times when you notice yourself feeling low, write down the thoughts in your head at the time.
   
   Then on the other side of the sheet, write down the corresponding opposite (positive) statement/thought to the negative one.
   So for instance to correspond with the examples above you’d write: ‘I am clever’ , ‘I am good enough’ etc.
   
   Flood your mind with images and words/thoughts of success, positivity, power, love, health, all good things. I find the Scriptures (aka ‘old testament’) a powerful repository of words with the qualities described above.
   
   ii) Engage audio sense. If you’ve got a ‘voice memo’ or its equivalent on your phone, record yourself reading out the description you wrote above of the sort of person you are when you’ve achieved your goal, plus the positive thoughts you wrote down on your list above. Play your recording many times each day but at least twice a day.
   
   Repetition got you where you are in terms of your current beliefs - repetition will get you out so long as you’re repeating the right thoughts.
   
   iii) The famous 'rubber band' technique: put on a rubber band around your wrist. Each time you catch yourself saying something bad about yourself or putting yourself down, snap that rubber band and IMMEDIATELY say the opposite to yourself either silently or out loud. Literally snaps you out of that funk of destructive thinking.
   
   
   iv) Dream Board - start collecting images that match your desired end result - use your sense of vision to flood your mind with empowering images and you will remain focused on the right track, and cultivate a healthy esteem of yourself.
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. 
   Believe!
   
   
   Believe without a shadow of doubt that you can and will achieve your goals. 
   
   Even if you’ve never achieved any goal to date, remember that your past DOES NOT EQUAL your future. The fact you messed up does not mean you are bound to mess up again. So quit living in the past. Believe for a better future.
   
   
   Pick up lessons from the past but do like Yah says in Isaiah 43 and “forget the former things, do not dwell on the past, see, I’m doing a NEW thing”. Look ahead and focus on the new thing that's happening.
   
   Dwelling on the past while moving forward is like driving while focusing on your rear view mirror - you’ll soon crash.
   
   Keep your focus on your intended destination and believe you can and will get there.
   
   Then line up your words and your actions with your belief.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

7. Plug Into A Support System

Any life change becomes lasting when you are in an environment that's supportive. Stay away from haters and nay sayers - you need to focus and tune out the noise around you. Surround yourself with forward thinking proactive people, not lazy people whose most active muscle is their tongue.

The right support system will help you stay on track, get back on track when you derail, keep you accountable and give you the chance to give support also.

So choose your friends wisely and stay away from toxic people.

8. Use Your Time Well

Time is a gift that is only here once. Once this moment is gone it's gone forever. So use yours wisely. 

With your being clear on your goals and values, you'll find it easy to use your time well because you'll be careful to spend it doing things that bring you closer to your goals.

Be brutal about protecting your time - don't let others dictate how your time is spent - it's YOUR life you're working on, remember.

Refuse to eat the bread of idleness: be diligent in your use of time. Make it worth it.

Prioritise your to do list on a daily basis, and be sure to complete the most important ones first.

Items in quadrant II in the diagram above should form the bulk of your activities (they've included some examples to give you an idea what should go in there)

Lather, Rinse, Repeat 

(if you are on track, that is - you don't want to be repeating the wrong actions and expecting the right results!)

TOLERATE NO EXCUSES!

THE ALCHEMIST - PAULO COELHO

This book is a must-read/listen-to. Listen and learn.

Thoughts On ... SELF IMAGE

"Self Image" is on my mind. 

Your current self image determines the level of your performance in life.

You ALWAYS act according to the way you see yourself.
Your ACTIONS reveal the way you perceive yourself, what you believe about yourself.

Many people quietly suffer from ''Low self image' or Inferiority Complex'- which stems from comparing yourself with others. If you think about it, that's rather dumb because there's really NO BASIS for comparing yourself with any other human being on earth - each person is unique, different.

Get over the fact that just as others are better than you in certain areas, you are better than others in certain areas. It's a fact of life. Else this would be one boring place to live. We're different so let's stop this madness of comparing ourselves with others.

Let us focus on valuing and appreciating ourselves as we are, on our way to becoming better versions of ourselves (life is a journey and should be one of constant improvement, not stagnation...)

When you have a healthy esteem of yourself, you are confident in all you do, you are free from the fear of making mistakes, fear of criticism, fear of man (what do they think of me), fear of rejection. Life truly becomes FUN! PLUS, your actions (which correspond to your self image), steer you in the direction of your goals, so life is successful too.

How You SHOULD See Yourself
The moment it dawns on you what it means that YOU were created in the image and likeness of God Almighty (YAH), your self image takes a quantum leap.

Matter of fact you should just stop reading right there and think about it for a second.

Say after me "I am made in the image and likeness of God Almighty" - try that statement on for size and let me know it feels, cos it's the TRUTH.

YOU - you were not an accident.
You're not here by mistake.
You are a masterpiece, fearfully and wonderfully made, by the Master Creator of the entire Universe - in HIS IMAGE & LIKENESS.

You're one of a kind - God's kind!

How dare you think little of yourself?
How dare you give a hoot as to what anyone else thinks about you?
How dare you let others belittle you?
Don't you dare forget this TRUTH about yourself, ever again!

You marvel at the wonders of creation, great and small:
- The mighty ocean waves
- The glorious sun as it rises and sets
- The intricate detail on the wings of a butterfly, the wisdom of the ant
- The beauty of the flowers, different types
- The tall proud trees lining the roads
- The majestic lion and other beasts
- And on and on and on - every other work of creation amazes and impresses you...


Yet you do not marvel at the one creation that surpasses ALL of the above - YOU.


YOU are the crowning glory of God's creation.
YOU top everything He ever crafted. I mean, after He made you, He just had to take a break so He could sit back and admire you. Then He said 'yup, they're all that!'
He didn't make any other creature IN HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS, but YOU, He did!

You oughta take a good look at yourself in the mirror and say out loud - I am fearfully and wonderfully made! I am God's masterpiece! I really AM "all that"!

Your old programming will probably squirm and resist this new programming when you start to speak and think this way, but persist in this and it will become habit.


Who Has Fed You Lies About Yourself?
Why have you believed lies about yourself?
What or who has made you FORGET Whose you are?

Regardless of how you have been treated, (and remember, your past DOES NOT EQUAL your future)  regardless of the lies you've grown to believe about yourself - NOTHING changes the fact that YOU ARE made in the IMAGE AND LIKENESS of Yah.

Now of course you need to read The Book (Scripture, aka 'old testament') to find out what it says about you. Cos when you read The Book you will learn what it says about The One in whose image you've been made, see. Then you'll realise that 'hey if He's like that, and I'm made in His image, it means I'm like that too!'

Saturate your mind with the words of Scripture - the greatest 'Personal Development' and 'Success Manual' in existence - and there's just no way you will come out with a poor self image. It's not possible. What you think about, expands and becomes your reality. So think about who you really are, according to the Creator's Manual. Not according to anyone else.

This is not some pollyana-ish nonsense - this is stuff that WORKS.
It's not rah-rah BS. It's real life stuff. Whether or not you believe it doesn't change facts.  So you might as well get with the program and start seeing yourself - not as man says you are, but as your very Maker says you are.

This is the key to unstoppable confidence (not arrogance, mind.)
This is the key to excellence and distinction in every area of your life.


Make No Apologies For Being All That!
You ARE all that and a big salad bowl!
You are NOT your mistakes, so don't beat yourself up - acknowledge them, learn from them, pick yourself up and move the heck on!

Remember, your self image is what determines your behaviour, your level of play in the game of life, and the sort of results you get as a result.  That's just the way things are.

You sabotage yourself when you are not true to yourself.
So if you wish to act differently for the long term, cultivate a self image based on who you really are. Know thyself.
Then to your own self, be true.

When you begin to live up to your true image, the image and likeness of your Maker, when you begin to experience the results of this way of living, when excellence and success begin to chase you down as a result of your (actions based on your new, improved/improving, and authentic) self-image, you're going to attract haters.

That's alright though - folks are entitled to their own opinions (opinions are like noses anyway - everyone's got one, and they all have a couple of holes in them!) - so let the haters continue to hate (though the smart ones will figure that they too are made in Yah's image, and seek to see themselves in that light too, with great results also!)

Don't ever apologise for your success and unstoppable confidence when you begin to walk true to your real self image. Stand tall, be proud of who you are. Better yet be proud of WHOSE you are.


According to Nelson Mandela...
I leave you with a quote from the great Nelson Mandela:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

-- Nelson Mandela"

How To Make It A Great Week!

Make each day a great day and voila - come Saturday you find you've had a great week!
The best way to predict the future is to create it. So here's how to create a great future, one day at a time!

Tips to make today a great day.

• Write out your goals at the start of today. This way you're focused for the rest of the day and less prone to give in to distractions.

• Choose to be happy today (this is the day that Yah has made, I will [choose to] rejoice and be glad in it] said the psalmist. In fact just saying the above verse daily got me through many an otherwise dreadful day back when I worked in the Accident and Emergency department years ago, lol.

• Today, Forgive anyone and everyone who's wronged you. Just release them totally and take no thought as to their payback. Leave that to the just Judge who says 'Vengeance is Mine'. Plus, when you forgive, you begin to heal from emotional scars caused by the thing they've done. So forgive, you're doing this for YOU. Selfish? Not really. It's called 'loving yourself' , for how can you love your neighbour if you don't first love YOU? Forgive yourself also, for the times you've messed up. Learn from past errors then push on.

• Do all you can today, to reach your goals. No excuses. No mediocrity. Give today your all. Life gives you back in the proportion and spirit you give to it.

• Do the best you can with each task you set out to do today. Better to do a few tasks very well than to do many half baked tasks. Be the last one to leave the office. Be the first one in. Refuse to engage in gossip while at work. Have fun with your kids or significant other (if you work hard, you gotta play hard too, yes?)

• Today, make a list of things you are thankful for. And give God (Yah) thanks for each one.  Top of the list - you made it to today!

• Today, make a list of your 'wins' or successes (nothing is too little to go on this list) and give yourself a pat on the back. Come back to this list anytime you feel discouraged or feel you're no good or any such negative thought about yourself. Use this list to enforce your self image of a victorious you.

• Today, make a conscious effort to nourish your body and mind with healthy foods and drinks and snacks. And books and audios and videos and conversations. Just do it for today (as long as the day is 'today'). Don't worry about tomorrow or yesterday.

• Today, SMILE at everyone you come across and inwardly (or outwardly depending...) send out a blessing or greeting or even an 'I love you' their way. Don't be bothered about whether or not they smile back at you. It's YOUR happy hormones that get activated when you smile (so yes it's a rather selfish motive but hey, nobody gets hurt, right? Everybody benefits.)

• Today, get off your backside and do some exercise. No excuses. Even if it's for 10 minutes. Just do it!

• Today, choose to live FREE from fear of criticism, fear of failure, fear of mistakes, fear of rejection- you name it. Choose to live FREE from fear, period! Only then will you start living, see!

• Today: take time out for YOU. Meditate and de-stress. 10-15 minutes of quality you time can do wonders.

• Today: write out your list of tasks for tomorrow before bed...

• Today: go to bed around 10pm if you can... sleep tight..good night... I'm outta here...!

The (Protective) Power of Negative Thinking!

Much has been said in praise of 'the power of positive thinking'  - and it's all good.

But do you realise that nature teaches us that there is a time for everything?
There's a time to think positive, and there is also a time to think negative - and a valid purpose for doing so too!

The Scriptures, which are the 'User's Manual' that came with each of us and gives us our 'operating system', teach that you shouldn't be only positive all the time - it'll kill ya to do so! (Ecclesiastes 7:16 - see below).

It's neither realistic nor healthy to be positive all the time.  Plus it makes you some kind of freak. It's just not natural or realistic or wise.

Nature teaches us the true balance as it should be. Read on to find out more.

True wisdom, success, health and balance in life demand that you have some negativity in you at all times, for your survival.

Let me share a couple of examples from every day life that illustrate this. Jim Rohn got me thinking about this, by the way.



a) The Example Of The Weeds

If you have a garden, whether vegetable or flower garden, the crops you've planted are nice and lovely and positive, and that's all good and nice.

Weeds are a real threat to the health of your plants.

If you are positive alone, you deny the existence of the weeds - you keep 'affirming' that there are no weeds...so you do nothing about them, and they take over your garden, leaving you with no crops. Disaster!

So, you've got to be 'negative' enough to acknowledge that there are weeds in your garden, so you can deal with them and get rid of them.

Not negative in the sense that you see the weeds and start crying and worrying and fretting and feeling sorry for yourself or guilty and all that jazz.

No, you are 'negative' enough to acknowledge the presence of weeds and come up with an ACTION PLAN to get rid of them!

Here you see that being 'negative' has led you to protect and save your crops.



b) The Example Of The Blood Cells.

In your own body, you have various types of blood cells. For the sake of this post I'll focus on the red and white ones.

Red blood cells are nice and positive-minded, providing nourishment and oxygenation round the body.

White blood cells are negative minded - always on the lookout for invaders so that they can go get em!

If all we had were red blood cells (happy happy joy joy), or if you had fewer white cells than normal, you'd have nobody to fight against the invaders so you'd die an early death as your body would be overwhelmed by infections which you can't fight or defend yourself against.

Thankfully we also have white blood cells to maintain the balance, and fight any invaders.

Here again you see that having 'negative minded' white blood cells is protective (notice the pattern here?)

SIDE BAR

It is only when the negative is lacking, or when it is predominant that trouble ensues. 


Using the red and white blood cells as an example, it is interesting to note that in a state of health, there are normally about 700 red blood cells to 1 white blood cell.


So while it's good to have white blood cells doing their 'negative' work to keep things in check, health - (and success )- dictate that there should be way more ('positive') red cells in circulation at all times, than ('negative') white cells.

END SIDE BAR

The Purpose of Negative Thinking
The point of this post is to remind us that it's ok to think negative -  when the purpose of such 'negative thinking' is protective, as illustrated by nature in the examples above.

When the purpose of negative thinking is destructive eg guilt, hatred, malice, unforgiveness and such unproductive mindsets, that's wrong and will lead to disaster.

Use negative thinking for what it's there for. Your protection.

Don't use it for anything else.

As It Is Written In The "User's Manual":

"16Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise – why destroy yourself?

17Do not be wrong overmuch and do not be a fool – why die before your time?

18It is good that you should take hold of this and also not withhold your hand from the other. 

For he who fears Alahym (God - YAHUAH) comes forth with all of them."

3 TIPS FOR SUCCESS

TIPS FOR SUCCESS :

1) Tolerate NO Excuses. 
Change is not always easy so our default setting is to start making excuses as to why we can't do something different.

Yet change is necessary unless you wish to remain where you are in life.

SO refuse to allow yourself get away with any excuses. You CANNOT make excuses and stay healthy at the same time.

You CANNOT make excuses AND get results at the same time - it's gotta be one or the other. Which will it be for you?


2) Daily Goal Setting. 
Yes the year is almost over but it's not yet over!

You've still got time to finish stronger and more successful than when the year began.

One way to steer and propel you in that direction is to get into the habit of daily goal setting:

• Write out your top 10 goals that you wish to achieve
• Write each one in the present tense, in the first person "I am..." or "I have"
• Write each one with a time deadline eg " By December 31 2013, I am..."
• So one could read, for eg, "By December 31 2013, I have run 5k in less than 30 minutes"
• Write out 10 goals in various areas of your life - rewrite them DAILY, first thing in the morning.

This gets your brain and mind focused and engaged in the direction you wish to go in life, on a daily basis. It also makes it easy for you to say 'no' to distractions and time wasters, so that you crack on with your plan. It puts you in the driver's seat of your life's direction.

Try this  DAILY for the next 21 days and you will be amazed  - so much so you'll do it daily for the rest of your life (which is the whole idea :) )



3) DISCIPLINE yourself to TAKE ACTION.
This is where the miracles take place - when the rubber meets the road.

See, you can have all the motivation you want, you can have all the positive thinking you want, all the enthusiasm you want - but unless it's all translated into ACTION, all is vanity.

That's why the first thing I put on this post is about tolerating no excuses.

Discipline is making yourself do what you gotta do when you gotta do it - whether or not you feel like doing it.

This is what sets the successful people apart from the unsuccessful ones.
They all don't feel like doing the same things, but the successful ones do them anyway. That's DISCIPLINE.

Discipline, Hard work, Persistence. These terms may not be popular in today's easypeasy, quick-fix culture, but they are the keys to lasting fulfilling, success in any area of life you could think of.


Choice is yours: bum around the rest of the year or get up, don't beat yourself about the mistakes you've made so far: get up, learn from the past, and push the heck on to the finish line, expecting VICTORY!