The Most Important Things... And YOU Can Control Them

Think seriously about this... Anxiety and fear strips away courage and makes great performances impossible. Doubt makes even the best decisions feel difficult and causes procrastination. Anger rips your focus away from your goals. Frustration can only serve to make you quit. Guilt makes it impossible to enjoy any successes you achieve. Jealousy and envy create dishonesty, hate and corruption. Your thoughts and emotions are the only things that can truly stop you.

Get Out of Your Comfy Chair

Ahh, the comfort zone.

As humans, this is a place we love. We look for, strive for
and have created products and even entire industries to help
find and maintain high levels of comfort (hello Lazy-Boy!).
You'll find this desire for the comfort zone in all areas of
life - physically, mentally, emotionally and more; face it,
we are hard wired to seek comfort.

Given that, you might be surprised by the title of this
piece. (Could I really want you to get uncomfortable?)

Why would any self-respecting personal and professional
development author write something that seems so counter to
what we all want?

Because like many things in life there is a difference
between want we want and what we need. We all, at differing
levels of fervor, want the comfort zone (it is, after all,
comfortable). Yet what we need to reach our goals is likely
in direct conflict with the desire for the comfort zone.

So why do I suggest you make discomfort your friend? Let me
count the ways.

Five Reasons Why...

Discomfort allows growth. Whether you are talking physically
(it`s hard to become more fit while comfortably sitting in
your favorite chair, and especially when you first begin
exercising, you will feel real discomfort!), mentally
(thinking about new things, concepts and ideas requires
energy), emotionally (doing something different can be
hard), you cannot grow until you push the envelope of your
comfort zone.

If you want more of anything in your life - from healthy
relationships to a healthy body weight to a healthy bank
account (and everything in between) - you must grow in
knowledge, skills, habits and more. You must grow, and all
true growth occurs outside the comfort zone.

Discomfort builds confidence. Ever noticed that the more you
do something successfully the more confident you become? How
do you get better at something - by doing it exactly like
you did it before? Probably not.

Confidence comes in part from competence, which comes from
practicing and trying new things in order to improve. See
the connection? It is hard to build confidence sitting
comfortably in the easy chair.

Discomfort promotes creativity. Creativity is borne of
necessity. People create new things, ideas, concepts and
products when they have a problem - or in some way are
outside their comfort zone.

Often creativity is tapped to help regain comfort, which is
great. The point is that when you feel or notice some
discomfort or lack of satisfaction with your situation, you
will likely be driven to innovate and be creative to find a
remedy. If you want to be more creative, look for your
discomfort.

Discomfort overcomes resistance to change. When we are
comfortable, we are less likely to want to change - almost
by definition. When we have a lack of satisfaction or have
become uncomfortable with the way things are we are far more
open to change. Change, of course, to create a new situation
that is better and ultimately creates a higher level of
comfort.

Discomfort facilitates goal achievement. This is the
culmination of the other four points. If you want more
learning, growth, promotion, profits, etc., you must
consciously get outside of your comfort zone. Ask yourself
this question: "Do you want your goals enough to put up with
a bit of discomfort, or even fear?" Especially when you
realize that the very discomfort will help drive you to your
goals. If so, great. You know what to do.

If not, go ahead and sit back in your comfy place. Just
don`t be surprised when you don`t create a better future for
yourself.

You`ve traded it for all that comfort.

Potential Pointer: Do you want to improve; do you want to
grow; do you want to advance for yourself, your team and
your organization? If so you must stretch past your comfort
zone and become comfortable with being uncomfortable

10 Steps to Achieving Your Goals By Brian Bartes

The ability to set goals and to develop a plan for the accomplishment of those goals is arguably the most important ingredient of success.


Mastering this skill will enable you to achieve your dreams faster than you ever thought possible.

The goal-achieving system below is a powerful, yet simple strategy that can be used to help you achieve anything in life that you desire.

1. Set your goal. The first step is to find a goal that is big enough to inspire you. Unless you are truly inspired to accomplish the goal, it is just a wish. By calling it a “goal”, you are affirming that (a) you desire it intensely, (b) you truly believe in your ability to achieve your goal and (c) you are willing to pay the price in advance for achieving your goal.

2. Write down your goal. Writing out your goal stimulates the “filtering” part of your brain, called the Reticular Activating System (RAS). When you write down your goal, the RAS begins collecting relevant information, then sends results to the conscious part of your mind. It acts “behind the scenes”, causing you to become aware of opportunities that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. Make sure that the goal is positive, is written in the present tense, is action-oriented, and is specific and as detailed as possible.

3. Establish a deadline for the achievement of your goal. By setting a deadline, your subconscious is activated to ensure the achievement of your goal within the prescribed time frame. If you follow all the steps in this process, and your projections are realistic, then you will achieve your goal by the deadline.

4. Determine how you will benefit from achieving the goal. You will only be compelled to achieve your goal if it is something that inspires you, something that causes such intense desire in you that you are willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish your goal. By writing down the reasons you want to achieve your goal, you’ll discover how intense your desire really is.

5. Identify what stands between you and your goal. There will probably be several elements standing between you and your goal. Make a list of these “challenges”, and rank them in order of priority. Then, begin taking action to remove each of the elements that stands in the way of the accomplishment of your goal.

6. Design an action plan for accomplishing your goal. This detailed plan will encompass everything that you have done in the previous steps. Write out all the steps that you will have to take, and rank them in order of priority. Assign target dates for each step.

7. Visualize your goal as already having been accomplished. Review your goal daily. Also, the more detailed you can make your vision, the more powerful it will be.

8. Affirm your goal as already having been accomplished. Every day, read your goal either silently or aloud. Repeat it to yourself, over and over again.

9. Resolve to take massive action toward the achievement of your goal. Persistence and determination will keep you on the success track anytime obstacles try to stand in your way. By taking continuous action, you will eventually reach the point where nothing can stop you.

10. Take one specific action every day to propel you toward your goal. By taking continuous action, you develop the necessary discipline and momentum that you will need to achieve your goals.

Any worthwhile goal requires sustained effort. By consistently applying the methods above, you will develop the success habits that will enable you to achieve any goal that you desire.
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Brian Bartes is a top personal and business success coach. His bi-weekly newsletter is filled with strategies that support you in achieving greater success in your personal and professional life.

The Art of Proactive Encouragement

There's a saying that I believe holds true. It says, "if you
wish to receive more of life's rewards, look to create more
value for others".

The question then becomes how does one go about creating
value. This is an area where most folks over think it in my
humble opinion.

Giving value can, and does come in many forms. It can range
from the referral which leads to a new source of business,
all the way down to the person who shares a smile with
another -- that in turn helps them start their day on a
positive note.

A simple, but effective way to create value...

One of the simplest ways I know to make a positive impact is
to adopt the role of people builder and encourager to
others. If you will look for opportunities to point out the
good in those around you, you'll begin to notice that others
are not only more attracted to you, but that in many cases
bigger and better opportunities are as well.

The simple fact that so few people practice the art of
proactive encouragement puts those who make it a regular
part of their routine in an enviable place.

In a world where more often than not others are more
interested in bringing others down, to make themselves look
better, those who build others up are a valuable asset to
have around. Be that person, and you'll begin to reap more
of the rich rewards that go along with doing so.

-- It's your life, LIVE BIG!

Quranic Verse

(They say): "Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower."

(Aal-e-Imran, Chapter #3, Verse #8)

Hadith-e-Nabvi (saw) of the dayNarrated Nafi': Whenever Ibn 'Umar started the prayer with Takbir, he used to raise his hands: whenever he bowed, he used to raise his hands (before bowing) and also used to raise his hands on saying, "Sami a-l-lahu Liman hamida", and he used to do the same on rising from the second Rak'a (for the 3rd Rak'a). Ibn 'Umar said: "The Prophet used to do the same."
(Sahih Bukhari, Book #12, Hadith #706)