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Business Thought

Alex Work

Creator of the popular goal setting guide “YourGoalBook”, Alex Work has been involved in personal development since an early age. A former competitive swimmer holding two National Age Group Records, he has had the opportunity to observe the practices of high-performance athletes up-close. He now works with athletes, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to make lasting change in their lives using the immense power of goal setting. People from all types of background have gone on to achieve success at staggering heights. We’ve all heard this song and dance before; that it doesn’t matter where you are from or what your circumstances were, but rather, where you are going. Since success and background are independent, it begs the question: Why do some people choose success, and why do some people choose not to succeed? 2011 has every reason to be yours this year. The decision is up to you; will you make this year the one where you begin living all of your goals and dreams? Many people will cite a loss of motivation or interest in their goals as the primary reason that they will not complete the resolutions and goals they set for themselves.

Alex Work

On that note, here are three easy motivation techniques you can put into place almost immediately to help you get there.

Boost Your Motivation By Having Better Energy.

It’s next to impossible to get excited about our lives when we are constantly bagged. Whether it’s poor sleeping habits, an over-reliance on coffee and energy drinks to get through the day, the way we perform is directly impacted by the fuel we give ourselves. A couple really simple diet tips-eat lots of complex carbs in the morning (these are slow-burning and long-lasting forms of energy that will last you the day), avoid those nasty energy drinks that give you a temporary boost before sending you into a wide-eyed coma, and aim for the elusive 7-8 hours of rest per night.

Build Scorching Motivation By Having Laser Focus on One or Two Things.

When was the last time you were successful at a half a dozen things at once? Probably never, if you are like most mortals. The perpetuated myth that we are supposed to be multi-tasking dynamos is only insuring that we do a lot of things poorly. Drive all of your energy and focus into one or two things, and you will see far superior results.

Stop Waiting for that Magic Bullet Solution.

We all want an easier path to our goals; it’s the way we have been hardwired. We will continually seek the path of least resistance, and unfortunately, for many of us this means that we are constantly wishing and hoping for something or someone to come along and achieve our goals for us.

Ten Reasons We Choose Not to Succeed
 
Success tends to be the result of a decision on our part. At the end of the day, whether or not we achieve success in our endeavors comes down to whether or not we choose to act. A failure to act may originate in a desire to take the path of least resistance, or perhaps it’s because we are unable to see past the roadblock before us. Whatever the case may be in your particular experience, see if any of the following have ever applied to you:
We Choose Not To Be Determined Enough.

We decide to listen to the naysayers, to allow doubt to creep into our thinking. We start looking around at other people’s experiences, and begin to slowly decide that perhaps we are not as up to the task as we initially thought we were.

We View Defeats as Much Larger than What They Actually Are.

We are unable to see past the current failure/roadblock/obstacle. We believe that when we fail or stumble that the entire plan is faulty, or that we were not destined to accomplish our goal. When we are confronted with these momentary hits of failure, we tend to over-react, believe things are truly much worse than they are. In these crucial moments we are unable to see the larger picture, the greater strategy. Many people will lose a battle and forfeit the war. The fact is, your success and dreams is larger than this one roadblock or failure, so why allot it this kind of importance?

We Don’t Expect More from Ourselves.

We decide that we are unable to give that extra effort because it is too much work, it’s not worth it anyways; it hasn’t worked for someone else, so why would it work for us. Whether it’s an expectation we get from someone else, or something that has been imbedded in us, we are falsely led to believe that there is a low ceiling to what we are capable of achieving-- when in reality, when we focus on things we are more than capable of astonishing ourselves.

We Lose Focus Early in the Process.

It’s easy to be distracted in a world of constant social messages, emails, advertisements, and offers promising to be the miracle cure for one and all. The successful among us find a way to tune out this noise and focus intently on what they want to achieve, and nothing else.

We Choose a Goal or Dream that Doesn’t Mean All That Much to Us.

Is your goal something that keeps you up at night? Is it something that you think about with every available thought? Is it something that you plot and scheme about while you are having dinner with friends, punching in the clock at work, or driving? Your goal should be an inescapable thought, a dream that simply will not go away. Why? Because this means that no matter what, you will go to the farthest ends of the Earth to achieve it. Failures on the way will be swatted aside, excuses will be shrugged off, and no one would even dare voicing their opposition to you. This is how you should feel about your dream.

We Choose to Give Up.

The word “no” is something that causes a near visceral reaction. From the time we were kids we have been told no when we asked for something, when we desired something. This continues into adulthood. Tell a grown man “no” and most of the time he will relent. Learn to not accept the status quo, to challenge the time and tested, and find your own way.

We Decide to Stray off our Plan when It’s Not Necessary to Do So.

We’ll see a shortcut and take it. We will stray from our plans the first chance we get if there’s even a scent that it means that we’ll get a shortcut out of it. We’re designed to take the path of least resistance; it’s been hardwired into our brains for thousands of years. However, the path of least resistance doesn’t always hold the key for long-term success.

We Win a Couple Battles, then Think We’ve Come Far Enough.

This happens often; someone sets on a path to their ultimate goal, gets the first couple steps out of the way, and then suddenly for seemingly no reason whatsoever, abandon their goal. Why does this happen? Because we grow a sense of satisfaction from our little victories so bloated that it robs us of our desire to continue on to greater things.

We Pick Negative Goals.

 “I don’t want to get fat.” “I don’t want to be 40 and still alone.” These goals are self-defeating, in the sense that you are playing to not lose, instead of playing to win. There is a subtle but very distinct difference between having a positive goal and having a negative goal. Avoid staking your future on goals based out of fear.

We Refuse to Make the Necessary Changes.

Often times, the difference between the present and a future full of success, are a couple changes. Whether it’s a habit that needs to change, or a fresh perspective, we often catch ourselves in our old, destructive habits.

Sometimes this means that we have to learn something that we originally might have thought unnecessary, or it means finally abandoning that pesky habit that has kept us back.

Side Effects of Using a Goal Book

Goal setting and the corresponding use of a goal book has been a known cure for apathy and personal dissatisfaction for some time. It is a time-tested and proven method for getting more from life. However, there are known side effects for this “cure.”

Potential side effects of using a goal book may include, but are not limited, to—
The Feeling That You Are in Control of Your Life.

Having this plan of action, and the will to act on it, change it, mould it however you see fit, is incredibly empowering. Suddenly when you hold the plan for your life you become the master of your own destiny.

A Crystal-Clear Sense of Clarity.

With big goals, they are often so many steps involved that it becomes daunting to the point of making you want to give up. With a goal book you can segment the overall goal easily, and focus on each step as it comes.

You’re Frequently Igniting Your Motivation.

By viewing your progress and seeing your successes you feel a dizzying sense of momentum and resolve. On the other hand, by seeing where you didn’t do as well as you hoped, you should feel energized to insure that you don’t stumble again. Use your victories, losses and draws to push you ever further.

You’re Discovering Easier Ways to Get What You Want.

Possibly the biggest advantage of a goal book is the ability to discern almost immediately what is getting you closer to your goal, and what is holding you back.

Cutting your losses (time, particularly) on things that aren’t moving you forward will save you heaps in the future.

Conversely, by using the strategies or tools that are working and applying them to the rest of your goal plan, you are supercharging your progress.

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