Five Steps To Stop Procrastinating And Achieve Your Goals Today

The two rules of procrastination: 1) Do it today. 2) Tomorrow will be today tomorrow. Vincent T. Foss

Susan Daley was a successful entrepreneur selling promotional products. She enjoyed making decent money while having the flexibility to work at home. Susan recently took over a colleague’s account, a huge growth opportunity. So why did she spend her mornings playing solitaire in her messy office rather than making phone calls to prospects?

To procrastinate is “to put off doing something”, or “to postpone or delay needlessly”. Sometimes we avoid doing the tasks that must be done because they are unpleasant or boring, or because we have poor time management skills or are lazy. And yet, often it is the tasks we most want to do that we put off, resulting in much internal pressure.

In Susan’s case, she loved building relationships with potential clients, helping them to better serve their customers and employees, and making a good paycheck to support her family.

So what was going on?

Awareness is the first step. Think about your excuses for not accomplishing your goals. Everyone has his or her own pattern of procrastinating. Here are eight examples:

- Fear of change, rejection or failure
- Need to be perfect (I can’t do it perfectly so I won’t start)
- Lack of time
- Too much stress, pressure or anxiety which leads to paralysis
- Overwhelm on how to start (task is too big, don’t know how to do it, etc.)
- Self-doubt or lack of confidence
- Disorganization, indecision
- Other priorities, big (work/family crisis) and little (need to check email first!)

Do these excuses sound reasonable and logical? That’s often the case. The problem is that if you buy into the excuses, you don’t follow-through on the steps needed to achieve your goals. Procrastination can feel good in the moment, but then creates stress. This becomes a vicious cycle.

Overcoming Procrastination

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. Walt Disney

Getting into action alleviates the stress of procrastination almost instantaneously.

Here are the five simple steps:

1. Identify the task to be done
2. Identify the first or next step to accomplish the task
3. Commit to a time when you will begin the first step
4. Be aware of your pattern of excuses
5. BUT begin the first step in collaboration with the excuses

Susan outlined the steps needed to organize her files and her office to have ready access to client information. She set daily and weekly goals for contacting prospects and clients. Working with a coach provided the structure and accountability to stay in action on these tasks. She developed strategies to counteract the fear of rejection that was fueling some of the procrastination.

Don’t worry about eliminating all the excuses, or analyzing too much why you are procrastinating. Getting into action actually reduces the grip of the inertia and overwhelm of procrastination. As Susan found, it can be helpful to have partners and strategies to keep the excuses at bay.

You’ll feel more confident and relaxed as you experience the success of reaching your goals. You gain momentum and if you begin the task again and again, you WILL ultimately achieve it.

How To Feed The Hungry Heart

zen, stress reduction, recovery, healing, advice, peace of mind, addiction, obsession, compulsions

Article Body:
Most of us live our lives hungry, hungry for love, attention, praise, success. But no matter how much we take in, it’s hard to be satisfied and feel full. We may get what we need momentarily, but then before long we’re craving more. It is easy to spend each day waiting for tomorrow when we will get what we dream of. Most think that tomorrow they will arrive arrive at their goal, find a new job, have good weather, or finally, magically, meet the love of their life.

But when tomorrow comes it’s another day, just like this one. Unless we know what this day is, and how to live it fully and truly, the fulfillment we dream of never comes. In Zen this is called being a hungry ghost- someone at a banquet who eats and eats, but is still unable to taste the food, feel full or be nourished by it.

The good news is that we can learn to eat, digest and be nourished by all that comes to us. Zen practice is about stopping the merry go round of our minds and heart.

We take our attention off the prizes we think are waiting for us, off being good enough someday, and realize we’re good enough now. At this very moment we are that which we seek so fervently.

How To Take The First Step

Stop For A Moment

Practice is about stopping. We stop our usual way of running,moving, chasing, fixing, thinking, doing and take a breath. Just a simple breath, just like one we take every moment of our lives, but pay no attention to. The first step is to take charge of our focus and pay attention to what’s going on now,right here, under our eyes, to this very breath.

Without this precious breath and the one that follows it, we would not be anywhere. Strange, isn’t it, how we take this breath for granted. What else do we take for granted? It’s worthwhile to look and see.

Exercise: Paying Attention

Consider for a moment what you pay attention to all day long. What seems important to you, what do you take for granted and hardly attend to at all? Write it down. Do not judge your answers. Be honest and simple. As you keep track all week long, you’ll be amazed at what claims your attention, what you give your life force to.

Most of us spend our lives paying attention to the dreams created by our racing, scheming minds. We allow this Monkey Mind to rule us. The monkey mind is the mind that hops from person to person, job to job, desire to desire, thought to thought. It always wants more, never feels good and doesn’t now how to say thank you.

It chatters endlessly and is an expert in spoiling, judging and criticizing everything. Sometimes it is very loud in our lives. Other times it settles down. This monkey mind pursues that which has no value and doesn’t know how to find that which it is yearning for.

In order to fill our hungry hearts, we must learn how to recognize and dissolve this monkey mind, to take our attention away from it, to turn our focus to what counts.

Exercise: Stop The Monkey Mind

Spend some time getting to know how the Monkey Mind is operating in your life. Much of our misery is caused by IT. The first step is becoming aware. We need not hate, reject or try to get rid of it, just to recognize what’s going on. This recognition takes its power away. As we learn to make friends with this part of ourselves we help it to settle down and take its proper place. As you pay attention and stay in the present, little by little you will be returning to your original self. This is the part of yourself which knows the truth, is kind and filled with clarity. As this part of you grows, everyday life and the struggles it brings, will become transformed. Life will become fresh and new possibilities will come to you all by themselves.

Cc/author/2007

Talk Yourself To Success

There are many things that drive people to success, and a key factor is what is known as ‘internal dialogue’. This is the dialogue that is constantly playing inside your head. It’s the voice that starts talking as soon as you do something, meet someone, or think about anything.

In many cases, this voice can be destructive and knock you down, though it is possible to quite easily harness his internal dialogue and use it to propel you to the success you desire and deserve.

You may notice that on occasion the voice is negative in what it says. For example, you see something you really want to buy and it says, “You can’t afford that.” Or you see someone you are really attracted to and the voice says, “They’re way out of your league, they’ll never go for someone like you.”

Quite obviously, this does nothing to make you life any better. Therefore, why not change the content of the voice? When it says something negative, counter it with a positive suggestion. For example, when the voice says, “You can’t afford that.” Respond mentally in a firm and positive voice with something like, “How can I afford it?” A question that empowers you and propels you into positive action.

This may take some time, and you may notice initially you do not always catch the voice and correct it. However, keep it up and before you know it, you will have changed the negative dialogue into a positive, empowering one.

You can also change the tone of the voice. What would happen if instead of the usual tone of voice saying, “I can’t afford it” you hear the voice of Homer Simpson, or Donald Duck, or any comic character saying it? You certainly wouldn’t listen to the voice and take it seriously, you would laugh at it and it’s power over you would be broken.

This technique can be extended to helping you motivate yourself to do something. When faced with the washing up, what do you hear in your head? Do you hear a whiney voice saying something like, “You really ought to do the washing up or you’ll get into trouble” or a commanding and scary voice saying, “Wash up NOW!”?

What would happen if the voice were a soft and really seductive voice speaking in your head? The sort of voice that gives you shivers down your back. What if it said something like, “Let’s do the washing up big boy.”? How would that motivate you?

Stephen King, the author, uses this technique with his writing. When he has to write he hears this very loud and powerful voice shouting at him as if through a megaphone saying something like, “WRITE NOW!!!!!” It almost scares him in to writing.

However, you don’t need to scare yourself into action. You can change your internal dialogue to be anything you want; whatever works best for you to motivate you and help you to get where you want to be.

Listen to your internal dialogue and play with changing the tonality, volume and tempo to find the type of voice that works best for you. Create a number of different types of voices, one for motivation, one to stop you doing things, one to make you feel loved, one to make you feel happy and so on.

Mastering your internal dialogue is a major key in mastering your life.

How to change just about anything in your life the easy way

“How To Change Things The Easy Way”

Firstly, I’d like to say that I really appreciate the opportunity that you’ve given me to be your coach. There’s a couple of things that I’d like to run through before we get started. You really need to be open minded to get the best out of this program, it’s like the old saying, the mind is like a parachute, it only works
when it’s open.
One of the most important things you need to be aware of is “Social Hypnosis”, we get hypnotised by the beliefs of all the people that we surround ourselves with and we really need to put those aside while we are reading this, to gain an understanding of some things from a different perspective. This will allow you to weigh it up and decide what you want to do with it.
I know, just because you’re reading this right now, you are one of the few who act, as opposed to many who just talk and wish for things to be easier. So let’s now cover some ideas on how to create success in any area of our life, and yes that’s right I am talking to you!

We’re going to go through a model for change. The question I have for you is do you experience emotions that you would prefer to experience less? What would those emotions be called? Some would be called anger or maybe frustration or fear and so on.
What I’m about to reveal is a model for change; it is not “THE” model for change it is “A” model for change. There are many ideas out there but this is one that I have used for over a decade and it’s made a significant difference to me and the many thousands of others I have shared this with. If the way you try to change thins in your life isn’t working as well as you’d like, then give this one a shot.

Outcome/Results/Emotion
^
^
^
Action/Behaviour
^
^
^
Attitude/Belief
^
^
^
Input

For the purpose of this exercise, I’m suggesting that we assume the emotion is the end result, I realise that our emotion or how we feel has a huge influence over how things turn out or the results you get, so if you buy into this model it then means we have the opportunity to change the emotion. Then buy changing the emotion we will get different results.

Let’s quickly walk through this model. This model is saying if you want your results to improve how you feel needs to needs to change. For example if you are a sales person and you are always pessimistic and down in the dumps you are not going to sell a whole lot. Enthusiasm is the ticket for making sales and if you follow this model you will have an abundance of it. Or perhaps there have been times in your life when being calm would have gotten a great outcome in a certain situation but at the time “calm” wasn’t even on the radar!
This model says that how you behave, or in other words how you move your body (body language) determines how you feel. If you don’t believe me stop what you are doing right now and leap up and put the biggest, craziest smile you have ever done on your face. Now I bet you feel different doing this than you did just reading the previous sentence. You may feel silly or embarrassed right now (That is of course if you did it and didn’t just sit there like most people would) or perhaps you feel like laughing, but you DO feel different. Because the way you use your body changes your emotions and in this model that body movement or body language is being labeled behaviour.

We will unpack other ways to use this model in future articles but
for now I challenge you to start to manage your emotions with your
body language, have a ton of fun with it and share it with your friends.

Till next time, remember you only have your bad habits to lose so, GO FOR IT!!

All good things,
Mick Hawes THE HEAD COACH
www.getyourheadintogear.com

Here I Am (Gulp!), Lord!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“Here I am, Lord
Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night
I will go, Lord
If you lead me
I will hold your people in my heart”

(Words and Music by Dan Schutte, 1981; adapt. by Carlton R. Young, 1988)

A few years ago my dear friend, Robbie, gave me new insight into the significance of this song. We must have been singing it in a service and I told her how much I liked it. She said something like, “But have you ever thought of the seriousness of the words–about what you’re saying when you sing this song?”

And, therein, lies the beginning of another journey with the Lord…

I had to admit to her–and myself–that, no, I really hadn’t thought much about it. The song is so upbeat and we usually sing it with such enthusiasm that it gives the impression that I’m ready to do anything for the cause of Jesus. “Send me anywhere, Lord! I’ll do anything! I’ll go to Africa (or the popular third-world country of the month) and be a missionary! I’ll lay my life on the line for You, Lord! I’ll drop everything to serve you!”

But then I begin to sound like Peter–the pre-crucifixion version–ready to walk on water, even get in front of Jesus’ face and stop Him from going to the cross, or run out and cut off someone’s ear,. Peter was ready all right–before the arrest actually came and he was recognized by an adolescent girl.

Poor impulsive Peter. Yeah, and poor reluctant me! And perhaps I am not alone in not really considering the cost of volunteering for duty.

The song comes from Isaiah 6, where the prophet says, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8 NIV)

The Lord’s call can elicit varied responses from us, but basically they seem to fall into one of two categories. The first one–the one Isaiah gives–might be termed:

“What do you want me to do, Lord?”

To be fair, let’s look at the event that led up to Isaiah’s rush to volunteer–with no details about what he was to do, I might add.

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

“And they called to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’

“At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

“‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among the people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’

“Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’
(Isaiah 6:1-7 NIV)

At this point, Isaiah, steps up front and center and volunteers.

Now, although none of us are probably called exactly as the prophet Isaiah, he was just a human being–as are you and I. When I put myself in his place–as little as I can imagine it and feel it, it’s a vast understatement to say that this was quite an impressive scene.

Let’s say that any of us has witnessed such a spectacle. The often overused word awesome comes to mind. Although it is used to describe everything from a movie to a praise and worship song and more, surely no one would argue that it is misused in this regard. In fact, it falls short of describing the effect of being in the presence of, and beholding, Almighty God. Moses could not see the face of God because it would be fatal, but Isaiah apparently does such a thing and, naturally, believes he is not long for this world.

Then his lips are made clean by one of the seraphim (highest order of angels) who serve God.

THEN, Almighty God asks the all-important question. I’d like to think that, under these overwhelming conditions that I, too, would raise my hand in the air and wave it wildly like a kid who finally knows the right answer in school and say, “Me, me! I’ll go!”

But then, I come back to the reality of my real life and I realize: Many times I know as well as I’m sitting here that the Lord is calling me to do something and yet…I…hesitate. Oh, if it falls into the category of calling the equipped, I’ll gladly answer the call. “Yes, Lord, I’ll go.” In fact, these times usually call for me to do something I know entails the use of gifts and talents I know I have, and are well within my comfort zone. To be honest, I don’t have to even wait for a call in these situations but often tell Him, “Lord, let me serve here.”

Now, I’m saying this in full recognition that God does give us particular gifts and talents and directs us in their use. And we are expected to use them. He knows us better than we know ourselves and gives us outlets for service which are useful in the Kingdom and–surprise, surprise!–are even pleasurable to us. But doesn’t He equip the called as well? Might we be called to step out in faith and do something which does not seem to fit in with our individual gifts and/or talents?

In those instances–when a challenge is presented in response to my “What do you want me to do, Lord?” -that my question becomes:

“Lord! You want me to do WHAT?”

Now, Isaiah didn’t flinch when the Lord told him what the task was:

“He said, ‘Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing. But never perceiving.’

Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.’” (v9-10)

I would probably have said something like, “Well, then…what’s the point?” It looks like a waste of time and energy, as well as being potentially embarrassing–or worse.

But then that’s me–not Isaiah.

The remembrance of “Here I Am, Lord”, and the experience with Robbie, came to mind only recently. I’ve been rereading Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson. In writing about how God usually responds to our request that He “enlarge my territory”, he says,

“As God’s chosen, blessed sons and daughters, we are expected to attempt something large enough that failure is guaranteed…unless God steps in. Take a minute to prayerfully comprehend how contrary that truth is to everything you would humanly choose: it goes against common sense, it contradicts your previous life experience, it seems to disregard your feelings, trainings, and need for security; it sets you up to look like a fool and a loser. Yet it is God’s plan for His most-honored servants.”

Wilkinson goes on, “For most of us our reluctance comes from getting our numbers right, but our arithmetic wrong. For example, when we’re deciding what size territory God has in mind for us, we keep an equation in our heart that adds up something like this:

“My abilities + experience+ training + my personality and appearance + my past + the expectations of others = my assigned territory.

“No matter how many sermons we’ve heard about God’s power to work through us, we simply gloss over the meaning of that one little word through. Sure, we say we want God to work through us, but what we really mean is by or in association with. Yet God’s reminder to us is the same one He gave the Jews when they returned from captivity to a decimated homeland: ‘Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.’ (Zechariah 4:6)

“Our God”, Wilkinson continues, “specializes in working through normal people who believe in a supernormal God who will do His work through them. What He’s waiting for is the invitation. That means God’s math would look more like this:

“My willingness and weakness + God’s will and supernatural power = my expanding territory.”

For all his impulsiveness and reliance on his own strength, when Peter stepped out of the boat in response to Jesus, he started out right, with his eyes on Jesus. As long as he did that he was okay. It was only when he considered the circumstances that he began to sink.

Lord, let me remember that I do nothing for you out of my own strength; that it is not by my might nor by my power but by Your spirit. Today I step out of the boat relying fully on You.
Today, let me join You in Your work.

Love,
Brother Bill

Have a Garage Sale for Charity

It’s that time of year again—Garage Sale Season! If you have started your spring cleaning and decided it is time to get rid of your excess stuff, having a garage sale is a great way to accomplish that. You can take it a step further and become part of the new grass roots movement taking off across the country, to raise funds for charity. It is called Garage Sales for Charity.org.

A very simple effortless way for millions of individuals who have a garage sale to raise funds for their favorite charity. If you plan on having a garage sale you don’t need to do anything special or different, all you need to do is commit to donating a minimum of $50 or 10% or your sales to your favorite charity. Any charity–your local food shelf, church program, local shelter, national charity, wherever you feel it will do the most good. It is entirely up to you.

Garage Sales for Charity.org does not handle any of the funds donated. They simply act as a central resource for ideas and promotion. The simplicity of this plan is what makes it so appealing. Effortless fund raising for charities during the slow summer months when donations are down. There are no ulterior motives or agendas to promote. There are no million-dollar budgets behind this, no expensive TV commercials, and no celebrity endorsements. They are not affiliated with any organization, charity or political group.

One person, one garage sale can make a difference. This is grass roots at its best. The potential over the next several months is huge! A mere 100 people participating every week in every state would raise $1,000,000 a month for charities across the country. This is money local charities would have otherwise never seen, during the months they may need it the most. Charities can hop on board by including garagesalesforcharity.org web address in all their fund raising materials, giving the people who they count on the most, one more way to raise funds. Sell, donate, feel good! Saving the world one garage sale at a time.

How to Conquer Intimidating Goals

“Oh that would be too hard for me — I could never learn to do that.”

We’ve all heard these words… you may even have said them yourself. Tackling new skills can feel intimidating. But we only feel intimidated because we overestimate the task and underestimate our own abilities. We aren’t confident enough in our natural abilities. Take learning to drive for example.

Today, millions of very mentally un-gifted people got into automobiles and drove them. And most of them had no accident today. So how hard can it be?

Or maybe you’re thinking of writing a book. Millions of people every year write books.

Millions more
save money
start businesses
find jobs
lose weight
get into shape
discover someone to love
get married
find a way to attend school
start new careers

And many other things you may have been thinking are too hard, too complicated, too far beyond you.

The truth is, they’re not beyond you at all.

DO THIS:
========

What have you been holding yourself back from doing? No, you don’t have to list EVERYTHING you’re putting off. Just take the top one.

First:
======

Whatever it is, write it down on a piece of paper.

Second:
=======

Now think of somebody who isn’t particulary smart, but who is now doing the very thing you want to do.

Been putting off learning to drive? Look at all the idiots on the road who somehow manage to get from here to there without wrecking the countryside.

What about marriage? True, most people botch it completely, but many millions actually do get it right and live in happiness.

Or maybe you’re putting off starting your own business. Same thing — you’ve met people barely clever enough to get in out of the rain, but they have businesses. And they haven’t gone bankrupt — at least not yet.

Chances are, the one thing you’re lacking is not intelligence, nor ability, nor talent. Training is no real stumbling block, either, since people regularly go get the same training you’re wanting.

No, you’re probably only lacking permission. You’re waiting around for somebody to validate you, then pick you up and prove to you that you can do it.

It ain’t gonna happen that way. The good news is, it doesn’t HAVE to happen that way.

All it takes is just deciding you’ll do it. Then just begin.

Several years ago someone told me a great two-step formula for success in any field.

Step one is start; step two is don’t stop.

So we come to…

Third:
======

Make a beginning, no matter how awkward, then just keep moving forward in the direction you want to go.

Honestly, it’s just about that simple.

While great intelligence can make things simpler, it can also make things much more difficult if you never learn to use it FOR yourself instead of against.

Please notice that beginnings are almost always awkward. That’s okay. Give yourself permission to be a beginner when you begin. And if you feel a compulsion to be perfect, then just be a perfect beginner.

But do keep moving… forward.

Getting Your Message Across With Good Rapport

I bet you have had times when you have walked into a shop and felt immediately welcome. I’m also pretty sure that you’ve had occasions where you’ve felt just the opposite. What was the difference? What happened in the place that created that welcome feeling within you?

Maybe the assistant noticed you entering and offered you a smile and said hello. They are telling you that you are welcome in their space both physically and mentally. Compare this with a shop where you were completely ignored until you went to pay for something. What message are you getting there?

What is rapport?

Rapport is the art of being ‘in tune’ with the people around you. Good rapport will enable you to let others know that you are interested in them, that you care about what they have to say and are keen to understand them. It sends them a message that there is common ground and creates a sense of consideration, respect and trust.

Good rapport lies at the heart of your effective communication. It enables you to get people’s attention and for them to take onboard what you have to say. Good rapport comes from body language and how you say things through the tonality and rhythm of your voice. Together, body language and how you say your words make up 93% of your communication. What you say is only 7%!

Of course, when interacting with others our communication can be non-verbal using just our body language. How are you communicating right now?

I’m sure that you have experienced a situation where within a group of people one person makes a suggestion and you just know that others don’t agree – even if they remain silent. What tells you that they don’t agree and feel comfortable with the suggestion? Those of you who are in agreement will probably be sharing the same body language; they may be more animated in the discussion, and as such will be actively buying in to the idea.

Those that disagree can do so without having to say or do a thing. All they need to do is withdraw their rapport in some way; maybe though pulling back in their seat, crossing their arms, closing their book or leaving the room. Maybe, through all those things if they really wanted to make a point!

So, assuming that we have some words to say, how can we maximise our tonality and body language to ensue that we have good rapport when saying them?

How to get into rapport with people.

Matching and mirroring are the two main ways to establish rapport. People that are in rapport have a certain rhythm to their voice and body movements.

Voice Tonality and Rhythm. This is 38% of your communication. The tone of your voice and the pace that you talk affects the message that you are trying to portray. People use different tones and speeds when talking. Do your best to adjust your voice to come closer to their way of talking.

Try it yourself – say something cheerful in a sad voice and see how it comes across, then switch it around and say something sad in an upbeat voice. What message are you receiving in each case?

What about when someone is talking to you and you are distracted by something else, maybe something you see? Does your voice respond in an interested manner, and does your body language bear this out?

Body language. How you hold and use your body makes up 55% of your communication. Use your body to match people’s body movements. There will be a certain pattern and rhythm to their movements that you can copy.

It’s wise to pay attention to this even if you have good intentions for doing otherwise. You could easily be misinterpreted.

How about if that shop assistant smiles and says hello but without looking at you – does that feel the same? Maybe she was preparing next week’s stock.

What if two assistants are chatting while you are in their shop even whilst politely serving you? Does the rapport exist between them or between you and them?

What if in a work environment you ask somebody to do something for you and they agree quite nicely but you can see them tense up or see their body sink slightly lower in their chair? Are they really happy to do this for you or are speech and body telling different stories?

All together now!

The next time you communicate think about rapport a little. Is it good or not? What makes it good? How could you use your body language and voice to improve rapport?

And stick with it. It can seem odd at times whilst you practice but when it becomes second nature you’ll become a more natural communicator.

Act Your Way Into A New Way Of Thinking

Are you working at a job you can’t stand? Would you like to quit, but are afraid you’ll attract more of the same? Often people write to me with questions like: I want out of my present job so badly. How can I speed things up so I can quit?

The best way to shorten the time spent in a negative situation is to focus on all the positives you can. If you can find something to appreciate–even if its appreciating a regular paycheck which DOES cover some of your essentials–you will begin to feel better. As you feel better, you’ll find it easier to notice another thing you appreciate about your job.

What if you can’t find a single positive aspect of your present job? If you don’t change the way you feel about your current job, you will simply attract another miserable job.

“Sometimes it’s easier to act your self into a new way of thinking,
than it is to think your self into a new way of acting.”
-Jo Berry, author
Years ago, in Los Angeles, California, I heard Jo Berry speak about how to get rid of a bad habit. Jo asked her audience, “How long have you thought about giving up this habit? Has it done any good to just think about it?”

At the time, I had thought and thought about quiting smoking. No matter how much I thought about quitting, I had not made it through one day in over ten years without a cigarette. (Now, through understanding how the Law of Attraction works, I can see that by “pushing against” a habit, I was reinforcing it.)

Jo told us that if we started to ACT LIKE what we wanted to be or do, then our thoughts and feelings would follow. In the flash of a moment, I understood that I could quit smoking by acting like a non-smoker. Of course the next question was, “How does a non-smoker act?” Quickly followed by, “What does a non-smoker do with their hands?” The answer came ever so gently: “They fold their hands.” I figured that folding my hands when I wanted a cigarette was symbolic as well as appropriate! And it worked. I haven’t had or wanted a cigarette since Sept. 13th, 1976.

Instead of trying to change the way you think about your job, begin to get a picture of yourself acting like you enjoy THIS job. What would you say or do differently? Try ACTING in a new way then notice how much better you feel.

Soon you’ll find yourself in a more positive feeling place, offering a new vibration which will either attract different situations in your current job or you’ll find yourself working in a new place that feels great! Who knows–you may end up LOVING your current job!

Rebecca Hanson is a Master Law of Attraction Coach. Thousands of people have enjoyed her talks or articles about real-life experiences and how she found the “nugget of truth” in every situation. Now she has such a deep grasp of how faith, beliefs and thinking work that she is able to lift others to a higher level, very quickly. You can contact Rebecca at Rebecca@YouCanHaveItAll.com or on her website at http://www.youcanhaveitall.com and sign up for her free “Museletter”.

Rebecca has also written a book called, “Law of Attraction for Business: How to create a business or attract a job you LOVE!” To find out more about this book and other information check out http://www.lawofattractionresources.com/

Looking Back to Move Forward

Another year is over. Take a moment to reflect on the past years.Start with an honest evaluation of your accomplishments, successes and failures.

Welcome the new year with a celebration of the past. Whatever challenges you faced last year, you are here to face another year. You are inspired and ready to tackle new endeavours, explore new horizons and reach for the stars.

Looking back helps to evaluate what worked and what didn’t. Some issues seem to be replayed over and over. How many years has it been that you’ve promised to be more vigilant about your diet and exercise? What about the overuse of your credit card? How do you manage your time? What is it going to be this year? What are your priorities?

It’s all a matter of perspective. Somewhere in the past, you stumbled and for a while, you were spinning your wheels. Take heart, that is past. There is a deep
well of strength and courage within you. And you moved on.

No one passes through this life without knowing pain and heartache. Add to this regret over lost opportunities, wrong choices and wrong decisions. These do not define your life. It is the lessons learned from these , and the determination to do better. Reap the nuggets of precious insights from the muddle and move on.

How well do you take care of your mental, physical and spiritual self? If you believe in taking care of your mental and spiritual well-being, your physical
health will definitely reap the benefits. Do you allow yourself time alone to enjoy peace and quiet? Have you learned to say NO. Do you take time to appreciate the beauty , the bounty and the blessings of the universe?

Stress is the scourge of living in the fast lane and getting caught up in the pursuit of material success. Consider seriously the level of your stress over the past years and how it affects your health. Think about this- your stress level impacts on your relationships, your career, your family and your whole life.

Some pursue elusive dreams. How long has it been? Ask yourself. Perhaps it’s time to re-assess that dream. Times change. There are other avenues to pursue. Don’t get stuck chasing after something that loses its value, its luster as time moves on. Don’t let life pass you by.

Look back honestly, but kindly. And move on.