9 Ways To Kickstart Your Life

1. Give more than anyone asks or expects. Become a person who goes the extra mile in all that you do. Look at each situation and determine what extra you will provide. Give without expecting anything in return, including acknowledgment from others.

2. Ease up. The old saying “someday we will laugh about this” epitomizes how unimportant many things are in the grand scheme of things. Reduce the stress by remembering that everything will work out alright. Look at each situation as an opportunity to learn and grow while remembering to laugh.

3. Master you habits. Your habits are either empowering or disempowering. Determine the habits that adversely affect you then begin the process of eliminating them.

4. Examine your closest influences. We are all products of our environment. Everyone around us has input into our personalities, beliefs, and ideals. Make sure that those who are closest to you are assisting in moving you forward rather than prohibiting your progress.

5. Entertain the child within. Remember to take time to do that which you love. Too often we get focused on the drive to move ahead that we forget to engage the child within. Recharge you batteries by spending regular time doing what you are passionate about.

6. Resolve your unfinished business. Activities left unresolved have the ability to drain a great deal of energy out of us. Reclaim this energy by cleaning up all the old business and putting it to rest. Pay the old debts, discard old things, and tie up all other loose ends.

7. Focus. Focus. Focus. Get rid of the sloppiness in life by placing extra focus upon all that you do. Develop the habit of doing one thing at a time until it is completed. Pay attention to the details that make a difference.

8. Spend time creating your life. Most people allow circumstances to dictate the type of life they lead. Set aside each day to ponder what type of life that you want to live. Consider your dreams, traits that you want, and what you would like to contribute. Become proactive in the creation of your own life.

9. Invest in the most valuable computer in the world-your mind. Read books and listen to cds that expand your knowledge base. Learn new skills that will enhance you financially, mentally, and physically. Garner and utilize the knowledge available to better your life.

Focus in these areas repeatedly and you will notice the quality of your life improving. By making small changes in many different areas, you will notice a drastic change very quickly.

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13 Things To Personal Effectiveness

Here are 13 activities you can do to increase your personal effectiveness.

1. Clean house top to bottom
2. Get office/desk clean-organized
3. Get car cleaned: inside and outside
4. Give or throw away those items that are no longer used
5. Get rid of or fix that which does not work
6. Get up to date on all correspondence
7. Return anything that is borrowed
8. Balance checkbook
9. Pay bills on time
10. Organize personal files and records
11. Keep tax information up-to-date
12. Get body in shape
13. Get back that which is loaned out

Once you complete this, maintain all of these since they are also habits to develop.
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Eliminate Worry

Worry is one of the most useless activities that anyone can engage in. It is a complete fear-based emotion that can only make a situation worse off. Engaging in this practice saps one of much needed energy to create the outcomes that are desired. Also, recent research has show that many diseases and health issues are directly attributed to worrying. Doing this on a continual basis will literally take precious years off your life. For this reason, mastering this dangerous emotion is one of the most beneficial things that you can do for your health.

Everyone encounters difficult situations. By the same token, there is not a person on the planet who does not experience fear. These are facts of living the human experience. People who handle these circumstances when they arise tend to be greater successes, healthier, and happier than those who allow themselves to be eaten up by them. Focusing on all that can occur is a fruitless exercise which will only cause damage in the long run.

Many of the spiritual teachers throughout history have taught the valuable lesson of staying in the present moment. Doing this instantly eliminates worry. To worry, one must leave the 'now' and project to a point in the future. Naturally, this projection creates a result which has a negative outcome. This outcome instills a great amount of fear within us. Therefore, the individual has no choice but to dread the horrific solution that he or she created. It is so much easier to remain focused on the present moment and skip over this exercise entirely.

The human mind is a creative mechanism. When people project into the future, they tend to go to the 'worst-case' scenario. If there is going to be a bad outcome, we will conjure up the worst thing ever know to man. Personal experience shows that things rarely occur as poorly as we think they will. In fact, most circumstances get solved in a manner which is acceptable to us. Nevertheless, we drive ourselves into a complete state of fear by projecting in this way.

In addition to the negative health issues that worrying causes, it also prohibits one from taking action. It is impossible to take action when one is full of fear. We begin to avoid the situation completely. The only time anything gets done is when we have no other choice but to act. However, until that point is reached, we will succumb to the fear and procrastinate.

An easy way to handle worry is to answer three questions. Using this three step process will enable you to take the action necessary to move through any fear that you might have. Implement it into your life and watch the results instantly appear.

The first question is 'what is the worst thing that can happen in this situation'. For most, the answer comes naturally. In this instance, negative projection is helpful. Figure out what is the absolute worst outcome that can result.

Secondly, ask yourself how you can handle this outcome. If it is the worst-case scenario, figure all the ways that you can survive with that result. Anything that occurs less than what you imagine should be easy to get through.

Finally, ask yourself what steps can you take to ensure that this scenario never comes true. By taking action to prevent our worst-case conclusion we move to a better outcome. Incidentally, action is a consistent solution to worry. Move forward with the intention of creating different results.

Spending all our time focusing on all the situation that can go wrong will drive one insane. If we did this in every circumstance, we would never be able to leave the house. Can you imagine how hard it would be to drive down the street if you pondered all that could go wrong? Nobody would ever get on the road with this outlook. Simply apply this same principle to all that you fret about in your life. Use this three step process to surmount all the negative projecting that you are doing.
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Choose Your Life

This is the centerpiece for anyone who wishes to be truly happy with his or her life. To create the life that you desire, it is imperative that you are the one selecting it. This may sound obvious yet most people lead lives that someone else chose for them. While it is true that they made decisions along the way, many aspects of their lives were chosen by others. Typically, it is these areas that create the most conflict. When one is following his or her true nature, nothing can result but serenity and happiness. Certainly obstacles or conflict occurs. Yet, overall, one is basically happy about the path they are following.

Societal conditioning is a powerful mechanism that influences in more ways that anyone cares to admit. Common sense would say that adults in a free society have the ability to live any way that they desire as long as it is within the confines of legality. While this is true, few exercise this privilege. The freedom granted by the political structure overridden by the imprisonment of oneself. The walls of confinement are established over many years by those who are closest to us. For the majority of us, this is our family.

Why does this occur? If our family are the ones who love us the most, how come they do the most damage to us? To begin, it is important to note that this is an inadvertent consequence on their part. Our family is simply doing what they feel is best for us. They love us more than anyone else and aim to help us achieve all the happiness possible. Unfortunately, the path to this end is different for everyone. True success comes from finding our natural calling and following that. Everyone is given a variety of talents in different areas. Some are happy playing with numbers while others want to create beautiful music. Each is right and each is wrong depending on the person. Trying to force an 'artist' into a career in numbers will result in a great deal of misery.

Growing up, we are exposed to a range of 'lifestyles'. While most people do not think of it in this broad of a context, anything that is chosen as a part of our life makes up our lifestyle. If we analyze all the different options available to us, we understand what makes us who we are. For example, we have options when it comes to schooling, careers, political affiliation, religion or spiritual matters, sexual orientation, and living arrangements. These are just a few areas that contribute to the life we lead. However, how many of these (and others) did we consciously decide for ourselves. Take religion for example. There are hundreds of different routes one can choose to follow. Yet most seem to abide by the teachings of their upbringing. Even if they drift away, when they return to their spiritual nature it is usually through the entity they know. The same can be seen in career choices. How many people follow career paths because their parents wanted them to be that? Is this something that the individual chose? For some it is still in line with their calling. However, there are many who wanted to do something else. I wonder how many doctors truly desired to be cartoonists yet were talked out of it for the sake of being responsible? Perhaps we are missing the second coming of Charles Schultz.

Take a look at your life. Is this what you truly want to do with your time on this planet? Are you living in the area that you desire or did you move back home to be close to the family? Were you influenced by others in your choice in partners? Is there are 'secret' that you feel you cannot share with others about what you desire sexually? Do you want to be a nudist but are fearful of what people will think? Are you in the profession that you crave or is there something else that you deeply desire to do? Do you want to have children while finding yourself with someone who does not? How did you derive at your political beliefs; are they the result of study or simply just a copy of what your parents believe? Have you taken the time to uncover your spiritual beliefs? Does your present path of faith work or leave you unfulfilled? If you answer any of these questions in the negative, it is time to determine where those decisions came from. Making the selections that fit in line with your desires can only result in a happier life.

It takes a great deal of courage to honestly look at oneself. Choosing a life that you want will expose you to the ridicule of others. Most do not have the capability to embark on this endeavor. As Thoreau wrote, 'most live a life of quiet desperation'. Simply, they are not totally happy with their choices (or the ones chosen for them). The instinct to put one down is great. It is how they derive pleasure. Perhaps they will mask it as being concerned. Nevertheless, they ultimately will be projecting their beliefs upon you. This is what has occurred throughout your entire life. Begin to change this by answering the aforementioned questions honestly. If you uncover something amiss, make the necessary changes to get in line with your true self. In spite of the opinions of others, it will bring you more joy than you could ever imaging.
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10 Killers To Personal Development

Here are the 10 most common killers to personal development.

1. Being a ‘know-it-all’: It is always interesting to see someone who wants to make a change because the results that they are presently receiving are causing them pain. They are not successful doing what they are doing. However, when suggestions are offered they immediately discount them. They say something like “I already know that” or “I agree with you but ….” They simply are cannot be taught anything. The mind is closed off from any new information. This type of person knows it all.

2. Switching Programs: There are many wonderful teachers and coaches out there. They often have a curriculum of success that they teach. There is a linear path they take people down on the road to achieving the results that are desired. However, switching from teacher-to-teacher usually only leads to confusion while reducing the results attained. For example, there are programs that show people how to pick winning stocks using fundamental analysis. There are also ones that teach about technical analysis. For either will yield tremendous benefits (assuming the program is a good one). However, if one tries to switch back and forth, the stocks they pick will likely fail to deliver the results desired. Choose one curriculum that suits you and stick with it.

3. Failing to believe this stuff works: The self improvement industry often gets a bad rap from people. Sure there are individuals who are promoting things that do not work. Unethical people exist in every spectrum. However, the bottom line is that millions of people have changed their lives completely by implementing the teaching of personal development experts. However, if you believe that none of it works, that is a guarantee that it will not.

4. Lacking the commitment to change: Many have the desire to change certain aspects of their lives. Yet most do not have the overwhelming commitment to do anything about it. It is like the alcoholic who knows that he has a problem yet continues drinking anyway. He might want to stop but his actions tell another story. If you hope, wish, want, pray, or think you want to change something, the odds are that everything will remain the same. When you are committed to changing something, the chances increase substantially that you will make it happen.

5. Lacking consistency: Habits are like muscles. They get more powerful the more we work them out. To develop good habits, it is imperative that we attend to them on a regular basis. Attempting to follow a self help program for a few days then setting it aside for 3 months will do little to change anything. Personal growth is a full-time practice. Developing the qualities that we desire and make us successful are gained through repetition. Over time, we get better at anything we put consistent effort in to. Treat you personal development the same way that a top athlete treats his or her exercise program.

6. Blaming others: There are times when you will encounter challenges along the way. Old behaviors can be extremely difficult to change. Sometimes we get frustrated at the progress we are making. However, our egos will not allow us to take responsibility for what is occurring. This is when the tendency to blame others just up. We believe that we would succeed if only “our _________ would have been supportive” or “if I didn’t have to do ________”. The excuses that arise will be many. Resist this temptation since your life is your responsibility. If there is something that is not working for you, make the necessary changes to get yourself on the proper path.

7. Failing to take action: Improvement is an action business. It does not occur by reading a book, listening to audio programs, or going to classes. These sources provide us with the valuable information. However, for anything to be effective, it must be put into use. Life is a contact sport. It involves action. To grow, we must have the willingness to do what we are taught. Gaining information is imperative at the beginning yet we encounter a time when the “book learning” ceases. Studying weightlifting will do nothing unless we actually get into the gym. Act upon the information you learn.

8. Quitting: We live in a world that is conditioned for instant gratification. The desire is to do something once and receive all the benefits of one who has worked at it for decades. The habits and traits that are present within us now took a long time to develop. It took decades for you to become the person that you are. Do not expect everything to change overnight. Be persistent in your pursuit of improvement. It will come with continued effort and attention. However, giving up is a guarantee that nothing will be different.

9. Hanging out with bad influences: Hang out in a barber shop and sooner or later you will get a haircut. We are product of our environments. The influences that others have upon us in shaping the people we become are incredible. If you take the necessary action to change something about your life, do not sabotage your efforts be interacting with people who are exactly like what you are attempting to alter. Studies have shown that people’s income is within a few thousand dollars of the average of the 10 people that they spend the most time with. If you desire more money, hang out with a higher class of people.

10. Allowing negativity to make decisions: Self improvement is centers largely in the mind. Like anything, there are challenges along the way. Life circumstances are present regardless of what we are doing to grow. It is easy to allow the negative self talk to hinder our progress. When you find yourself in this situation, do not believe what your mind is telling you. It is the greatest liar in the world. The mind strives for one thing, certainty. It abhors uncertainty. Change creates a situation where the mind is uncertain. To combat this, it will tell you anything that will prevent you from moving forward. Hence all the negative ideas which pop into your head. Resist the tendency to make decisions based upon this negative information. Show some perseverance while trudging forward.

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5 Ways To Improve Your Day

Here are 5 simple ideas that can implemented immediately to change the routine that you are stuck in. Doing all of them will completely alter your present outlook.

1. Get Up Earlier In The Morning:

The tone for our day is set within the first hour we are awake. Most people are awaken by the alarm clock, hit snooze until they must get up, get ready for work, and run out the door. This begins out day in a frantic state.

An easy way to change this is to get up an hour earlier in the morning. Utilize this time to read, think, or work on your goals. Spent these quiet moments working on enriching yourself. Beginning your day at a relaxed pace better prepares you to deal with the circumstances will arise later on. Hence your first hour is spent productively.

2. Spend Some Time In Nature:

This is not to say that you need to go hiking in the Rockies although that is a wonderful idea. Our generation spends most of its time inside. We rush from building to building never taking in the beauty around us. Nature is a marvelous mechanism if we will only that the time to enjoy it.

A simple way to do this is to take a walk around your neighborhood. Get outside and look at the wonders in the sky. Consider how big it all really is. How far away is the sun or the stars that you see up there? This really changes our perspective. Notice all the creatures that you see. Each of them is a living being existing in the same universe as you. Connect with that side of yourself.

3. Disconnect From Technology:

We live in the information age. With text and instant messaging, Blackberries, Ipods, the Internet, and a host of other devices, we are available all the time. Change things up by turning all that stuff off. You will find that it is not as easy as it seems. We have gotten to the point where our technologies are a connection.

Plan one day to “remove” yourself from the available list. Let the world progress without you. Take a timeout from all the news and reports of what is transpiring. It will all be there when you log back on. Use this time to recharge your batteries. Find someone you care about and interact with them at a heartfelt level. They will appreciate your uninterrupted attention.

4. Move Some Furniture Around:

This is a basic technique which will instantly make things feel different. Choose a room that you spend a lot of time in and move the furniture around. This will give you a completely different perspective on the room. Perhaps you can arrange it so that you are sitting on the other side of your loved one. You will find that you will have to momentarily think of where things are. The unconscious pattern of movement throughout the room is broken. For a few weeks, the room and your life will have a different feel.

5. Set A Spectacular Goal

This is guaranteed to get the juices flowing. Decide on something truly spectacular that you want to accomplish in your life. Perhaps you want to visit all 7 continents, write a book, travel into space, or solve a worldwide problem. Whatever the goal is, make it really big. This lifts your thinking to a much higher level then you normally operate at.

In addition to setting the goal, which needs to be in writing, take three steps to start the process. Immediately begin taking action to work towards its' attainment. This will allow you to develop momentum that can carry you forward. You will notice a new level of excitement within you. The old routine is instantly smashed by the pursuit of a special goal.
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8 Steps To Getting Things Done

1) Plan out your approach to the task:

No point in trying to tackle any project without knowing what you need and what you need to do. Take the extra few minutes to make sure you know exactly what the goal is and how to accomplish it.

2) Make a list:

Sometimes having an outline or a list can help you visualize everything you need to do to get from the beginning to the end of a project with as few mistakes as possible. Having something written down allows you to check off each step as you complete it and gives you a reference point should you be interrupted while you are working. Each check can also give you a way to see your progression so you don’t feel like you are spinning your proverbial wheels.

3) Gather all your tools before you begin:

There is very little that wastes more time than having to get up in the middle of a project to go find something you forgot to bring with you in the first place. As part of your list, create a secondary list of all the tools or supplies you will need to complete whatever task you are working on. Make sure those tools and supplies are enough to finish the job. Nothing like being “in the zone” and having to go out to get more of something because you didn’t check to see if you had enough.

4) Clear your area of all unnecessary clutter:

If you don’t need it to do the job, get rid of it. Move it to another room. Put it away. The less you have to distract you the more efficient and focused you become. Chances are you will also finish the project in less time because you have eliminated the urge to stop and take care of something that has nothing to do with what you are working on.

5) Eat something:

Starting any project on an empty stomach only ensures that you will have to stop shortly after you eat. It also increases the chance that you will have less concentration and brain power. It doesn’t have to be a huge meal, in fact that would probably slow you down. Have a sandwich or a salad, just something light that will keep your stomach from distract you from working.

6) Turn off your phone:

Somewhere out there, there is a rule that says as soon as you are deep into whatever you are doing someone will call. Turning off the phone will limit the unplanned interruptions.

7) Limit your distractions:

If you live alone this will be a bit easier since most of your distractions will be self created. For those who live with someone, let the others know that you will busy and you need uninterrupted time to complete the task. Make sure the dog has fed and has been out. Some people have gone as far as to put a “Do Not Disturb” Sign on the front door.

8) Get to work:

Once you have done all of the above, just get to work. The sooner you get started, the sooner you finish. There satisfaction you will feel in having completed the task should motivate you to move on to the next task and the one after that.
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3 Steps To Greatness

1. Have a great mindset:

The world loves dreamers. All great accomplishments began as a thought. People who dream big have the ability to create big. There is a correlation between the size of one’s thoughts and the levels of accomplishment achieved. If you want to have a great life, concentrate on increasing the size of your thinking. Allow those deep seeded dreams to come out of you. Do not fall into the habit of dismissing them because they seem unrealistic. Cherish them as the ultimate destination that you wish to reach.

A great mindset also transcends into spectacular confidence. Society is in the habit of telling us how we cannot achieve something. The messages that individuals receive causes them to have low opinions of themselves. This is hogwash. Setting our minds on those dreams that we have lifts our spirits. We begin to realize that we are capable of accomplishing whatever we set out to do. Mohammad Ali was the greatest fighter of his era. Was he this because he proclaimed “I am the greatest”? Obviously his immense skill was a big part of the reason but the marvelous self-confidence played into it also.

2. Take great action:

Do you do the things each day which move you towards greatness? The answer for most is they do not. People tend to major in the minor things. They spent their time focusing on the life issues which really do not amount to much. How many hours a day is spent dealing with situations that have little to no impact on our overall lives? Putting our attention to those activities which will have an impact gets us directed towards greatness.

The world rewards us for results. It is the action that we take which achieves those results. People who get the great outcomes tend to take bold action. Again, this requires incredible self confidence. Overcoming the fear of failure and rejection is a must. Take the action in spite of what the outcome might be. Remember that the greatest successes in life had their shares of failures also. Each setback moves you one step closer to your ideal path.

3. Great focus:

Most people are terrific starters. They can begin any project. However, many of these same individuals fail to complete what they set out to do. A loss of interest coupled with distractions leads to incomplete tasks. This is something that ensures mediocrity. Half hearted effort gets us few positive results.

Developing the ability to focus exclusively on what we are working on is one of the best success habits you can develop. Take any activity and concentrate on it until it is completed. This will begin the process of developing that laser-like focus. All greatness is that way because there was completion. A partially finished operating system is worth little: one that was completed made Bill Gates billions. In other words, persevere through it until the end.

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