So you set your goals and now you need to implement them. To do this we need to organize a way of cross checking those goals to make sure you are on track.

Firstly have an outline. In other words allow room for maneuver. I like to set goals just as a plane prepares for take off. You know when you are sitting in your seat and you hear the pilot say prepare for take off, then he tells the Air Stewarts to cross check.

The pilot inputs the destination co-ordinates into the computer. Once this plane is in the air, it is constantly been pushed of course but the computers are continually correcting the planes course so as to get to the final destination.

Have an outline. Allow for deviations. Do not be too ridged. Keep your destination in mind. Do this by writing it down, allow for events pushing you of course, then correct it based on the information you have been given.

So what I do, is set daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals, quarterly goals, yearly goals then three and five year goals. Each set of goals cross check the others.

The daily goals work towards the weekly goals, the weekly goals work towards the monthly goals, the monthly goals work towards the quarterly goals; I think you see what I mean.

So I just focus on the daily goals, on Monday’s I review the previous week and then adjust for next week’s goals and adjust accordingly for the daily goals and this goes on and on. The final destination is always in mind. This is written down.

Life is not fixed; things will happen from week to week knocking you off course, however because you are re-adjusting you will get to your final destination. Each time you are knocked of course you are given information which helps you to re-evaluate your situation. This information supplies you with the ingredients for success.

Sign up for our monthly newsletter at http://www.learningfromdvds.com and get your free e-book on memory, along with a wide selection of Self Help DVDs.

Paul Hegarty is the owner of learningfromdvds.com. A guide to educational DVDs with price comparisons, reviews, and free E-books. Read this month’s e-book on "How To Spot A fraudulent Email". Grab your free copy today.

Most people measure us by our accomplishments — what we’ve done. In my experience, most people compile their track record of accomplishments BY MISTAKE; that is, we don’t have a plan, we simply react to opportunities as they arise. In other words, our accomplishments are externally motivated, not internally driven. What this argues for, of course, is a consciousness of mission — what each of our lives is really about. That’s what this short article will discuss — your Personal Mission Statement. A Personal Mission Statement will help you to organize your entire life — your time, your thoughts, your priorities. Actually, a personal mission statement, conscientiously developed, will change the way you view everything in your life.

Your personal mission statement will force you to constantly re-evaluate who you are, what you’re about, and what you’re doing. As an example, just look at the Constitution of the United States. The essential mission statement there is “…to create a more perfect union.” Where would we be as a nation today if they had not outlined the goals and hopes of a new nation in those terms?

The basics of a mission statement are as follows:

1. Make it short and to the point. Nelson Mandela’s mission statement, developed over his 27 years in prison in South Africa, says just this: “End Apartheid.” Another great mission statement was developed by Abraham Lincoln upon his inauguration as President. “Preserve the Union.” Note that mission statements can change. Perhaps a mission is accomplished. Franklin Roosevelt started his presidency with a mission to “End the Depression.” By the time that was almost done another threat had arisen and the United States had become involved in World War II. Now the mission statement was “End the War.”

2. Keep your mission statement short, to the point, simple. Use direct language. Be sure that a 12-year-old could understand the statement and you’ll be more or less on track.

3. Make it memorable so it can be burned into your consciousness. The rule of thumb here is that if you can’t recite it from memory, it’s too long and too complicated. Remedy: simplify, condense, “laser” your thought process until you’ve said everything you need to say in the fewest and strongest possible words.

4. Eliminate excuses. Before you can write an effective mission statement you must clear away the excuses that prevent most people from writing one in the first place. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your job IS your mission. It’s only part of it…or not. Either way, remember that a mission is larger than a job. Your job may change, but your mission may not. In fact, there are times that a job MUST change in order that a mission be completed. So don’t lock yourself in a box that says that you ARE your work. You’re far more than that. Another trap…excuse…is “My role is my mission.” If you’re a man you may think of your role as “breadwinner.”

For a woman this might be “wife” or “mother.” The operating principle here is that your role, too, may change. In fact, as your life, evolves your role will almost certainly change. The third excuse — the one most of us don’t want to cop to — is that we may believe that we’re just not important enough to have a mission statement. Sure, it’s fine for a big company to have one, or for a country to have one, but I’m just one of the “little people,” so I don’t DESERVE one. Parenthetically, we almost never say this aloud. What we do say, at least to ourselves, is that we don’t NEED one. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!! Get rid of all that silly thinking. Focus. You’ll be glad you did.

Finally, clear out influences that have driven you in the past. A mission statement isn’t about what you think you should be doing. It’s about what EXCITES you. So instead of listening to all those voices from the past…the ones that told you you weren’t worth anything, that you’d never succeed, and so forth. Concentrate on your gifts, your dreams.

Copyright 2002, 2005 Optimum Performance Associates/Paul McNeese.

Paul McNeese is CEO of Optimum Performance Associates, a consulting firm specializing in transitional and transformational change for individuals and institutions through publication. His publishing company, OPA Publishing, is an advocacy for self-publishing authors of informational, instructional, inspirational and insightful nonfiction.

Email: pmcneese@opapublishing.com
Websites: http://www.opapublishing.com and http://www.opapresents.com

Not long ago, I was interviewing two people applying for the same position. When the first candidate was asked what her goals were, Becky replied that continuous learning was her goal. When asked what steps she had taken to accomplish her goal, Becky said that she was going to sign up for a course in the fall.

The next candidate had a similar goal, but, in this case, Rebecca had actually taken several courses to help her achieve what she wanted. This action showed not only did Rebecca have a goal; she had been implementing an action plan to achieve here desired results.

"Words without actions are the assassins of idealism."
Herbert Hoover

In the end Rebecca had created stress for herself in using "words without action". When you find yourself in stressful situations, rather than using words to reduce your stress, take action to create less stress in your life.

A great way to take action is to set goals for your life. Setting goals and taking action can result in less stress in your life. It prepares you for other opportunities. It gives you a focus on the future rather than being stuck where you are.

So often people are stressed but do little to reduce their stress. Setting goals for yourself is the first step in changing your life. But more importantly, taking action towards achieving these goals will actually create less stress in your life, as you will see yourself progressing towards "a goal that you want".

Catherine Pulsifer is one of the editors of Stress Relief by a Simple Life where you will find stories, thoughts, poems and inspirational quotes on simplicity, frugal living, free craft projects, stress and more.

Note to publishers - please use the text "Stress Relief by a Simple Life" when linking to http://www.stresslesscountry.com Thanks!

A few years back, I went to London, England. I needed to get a passport-like photo taken, but the machine I wanted to use was out of order. When I called the company who owned the machine, I asked where they had another location. I was told, “Walrus.” “Walrus?” I confirmed. “Walrus,” was the response. I should have asked for the spelling, but the person had said, “Walrus.” I asked around, and no one knew where there was a “Walrus” until, that is, someone realized that “Walrus” was “Woolworth’s.” Apparently, the person I spoke with and I both thought we were saying the same thing – but boy, were we not!

Similarly, while I was there, I learned that elevators are called “lifts,” escalators are called “elevators,” what we would call subways are underground walkways for them, and what we would call subways in the US, are called “tubes” in the UK.

We speak the same language, don’t we? And yet, as you have probably realized, there is a great potential for misunderstanding.

In this case, it is quite easy to see how there would be an error. However if one did not know these differences, and did not know that there WAS a difference, can you imagine the frustration?

Asking around for “Walrus” was quite frustrating!

In a case like the above, it would probably be fairly easy to forgive a misunderstanding – and even define the differences. After all, most would recognize that it’s a different culture, and the differences are to be expected.

However, most people who live in a similar place would not be as likely to expect these types of misunderstandings from words. As a result, they would have expectations from a conversation, not realizing that they may define things, or hear something, differently than how the person who spoke it meant it.

What happens in those times when someone tells another “Woolworth’s", and the other hears “Walrus,” and neither knows what the other thinks they’ve said? Quite possibly there could be conflict, argument, upset. And neither would know how to fix it. After all, weren’t they both saying the same thing?

Hmmm. Does this sound like anything you’ve experienced?

My example is quite humorous in retrospect. But oftentimes when this happens it is not – especially not in the context of close or intimate relationships. We want, and expect, those closest to us to the person we need, do the things we want, and say all the right things. In some cases, this person may think they are, but how you hear, see, or experience it, has you feel otherwise.

The next time you have a disagreement, consider this: Words were just the beginning of your conversation.

- Ask the other person to tell you what they think was said – the words, and the meaning behind the words. Listen carefully for differences in “accent” and meaning.

- Ask for spellings. Is that “W-A-L-R-U-S?” In other words, “THIS is what I have heard, am I hearing your correctly?"

- Ask for pictures, “Can you show me a picture of the elevator, or describe it to me?” In other words, “How does (THE THING YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT) look, feel, sound to you?” How do you know what it “looks” like? How will you know it when you are it, experience it, or see it?

- Take no meaning, or word, for granted. If anything, consider that all that you “know” means something other than what you think.

It’s important to remember that we don’t all hear things the same way, and we don’t have the same experiences. Words are only the starting place for our communications. How someone experiences what we say will have greater impact on our conversation - and its effectiveness - than what we meant, or what we said.

©2005 Essa Alraune.

Essa has a varied, non-judgmental, and fun approach to the work she does as a StressBusterBuddy. She works primarily with individuals on a one-on-one basis, and is the Author and Publisher of a mindful meditation CD. To learn more about Essa, her CD, or to listen to her online recordings, visit http://www.StopKickingYourself.com or call 212.560.7582 (where you can also hear a 3-minute Relieve Stress Recording – only local, toll, or long distance charges apply).

Goals stem from desire. Goals are the conceptual manifestation of desires. When you put goals into your world, you have made a commitment to get somewhere. What you must do also is make the commitment to do what it takes to reach your goals. It is easier to first describe not having goals. Not having goals means not having direction or purpose; the proverbial ship without a rudder. Therefore, having goals means having a purpose and a direction.

Goal setting is the commitment; strategic planning is understanding the rules, mapping the plan, and employing discipline. This is what gets and keeps you there.

The Process

1. Start by describing what you want. Do you wish to be a successful entrepreneur, wealthy, healthy, self-sufficient, a Vice President, or a good husband/father’? Whatever it is that you want, write it down (and be specific). Next, list the benefits to you that will result from achieving your goals. List the benefits to others that will result, as well (this will be important when reviewing).

2. Place specific time frames on goals. The reason that people resist this is because they are afraid of disappointment. Non-achieving the time frames does not mean failure. It means either your expectations were out of reach or you need better efforts.

Efforts are as important as goals; achieving goals is a result of successfully directed efforts. They also create a form to channel energy in a (optimally) constructive way. Remember, you didn’t fail if you missed, your plan did. But, you can’t change anything that you can’t measure. Monitor how things are proceeding by watching timed goals. The only failure is failing to try!

Long Range - 5 year List what you want to achieve in that time, e.g. ownership of 3 offices, etc.

Intermediate Range - 1 year List same, e.g. one office with sustainable profits.

Short Range - 1-3 months List tasks to be accomplished, e.g. consistent sales

Near Immediate Range - 1 week List duties, goals, e.g. run ads, hire 2 people, train 2 people.

Immediate Range - 1 day List all automatic daily requirements, e.g. make coffee, pay bills, answer the phone calls, see potential customers.

Next, set up a way to monitor the results of all efforts. For example, what is our cost of each type of lead/sale, what is our response rate (how many leads can we get from that lead type). Then, you will have a framework. Look at each goal and determine what you have to do to get there, and what means you have with which to do it.

Finally, list a contingency plan ("Plan B") for action, in the event that any step does not go as expected.

3. Are you willing to pay the price to get what you want? "No pain, no gain", is as true as, ‘You don’t get something for nothing." To get something that you currently do not have will mean giving up something, as well. If you keep doing things the same old way that you have been, then things will stay the way they are.

For example, more income than out-go. All of your time is now somehow booked. Some or most of your available time from that portion of your life must be sacrificed for the sake of a goal. Look at the ballerinas who give up their time and trivial pursuits. It takes discipline to achieve. Discipline entails persistence, patience and faith. Balance is necessary to accelerate achievement.

Don’t lose sight of your other needs, like recreation and family. You can see sacrifice in the life of any successful person.

Daniel Wadleigh is a nationally published marketing consultant and has programs for start-up and existing businesses including effective web sites, e-mail/database, other non-internet ways to drive them to your website, and low cost ways to get more new customers.

Go to: http://www.more-new-customers.com to get free copy of "Marketing to Men vs. Women- the 8 different responses" and a Free copy of "Market Research- 7 Questions to Ask to Start-up and 7 to Ask to Improve Any Business."

Interestingly, the word vision can be interchangeable with the word passion.

But small business owners often forget to promote the true reason for being in business. They’ve lost touch with their passionate vision.

Passion is defined as an intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction. Vision means unusual discernment or foresight - a person of vision.

Our vision (passion) is that intense driving conviction of unusual foresight that involves people in our story.

It is an authentic story because it comes from our heart. It’s the reason we do what we do. And authentic stories are how we persuade people to use our service or product (ideas) over many other choices.

But for a majority of people in small business, vision is lost somewhere between starting the business and dealing with the day-to-day challenges and opportunities that arise.

Ask Yourself This Question

Why did you go into business in the first place?

Like many people, you probably got started with a vision you felt passionate about. Somewhere along the line you fell victim to day-to-day, reactive thinking and never returned to your original business vision. It became diluted and never rose from the ashes again.

What Can I Do to Rediscover My Vision?

Remembering the reason you started your business is the first step. Follow the action steps below to rediscover it.

Next, tell people the story of how you got started and why you love what you do. That story should be on your marketing collateral, web site, sales presentations and phone messages.

Passion is that single, illusive thing that attracts clients. Passion helps you stand out from other businesses who are selling rather than telling a “passionate, authentic story about a unique business vision”.

Action Steps to Develop Your Vision

1. Create an Authentic Vision Story. Start by considering the reason you started your business in the first place. Think back, when you first started out, what were you excited about?

2. Write down one sentence that tells the value you provide to others. This is the true reason anyone is in business.

3. Next, write down your competitive advantage. How are you different than the competition?

4. List single sentence statements that tell people your identity. Remember, image is dead. Clients and prospects need a strong authentic identity to understand exactly who you are and what you stand for.

5. Add your niche to this list. What single group of people do you best serve?

6. List the type of client you most enjoy working with. Include both professional and personal qualities. Understand who your ideal client is.

7. Weave the 6 points above into a compelling story.

8. Memorize that story. Focus on your ideal client only. Tell every ideal prospect you talk to this week your Authentic Vision Story.

9. The results will surprise you. Your prospects will seem more receptive. Your clients will be more willing to help you spread the word.

Follow these steps and you are guaranteed to find more enjoyment in your business.

© Copyright 2005, Bill Gluth, Develop Your Vision, All Rights Reserved.

Bill Gluth is the motivator of focused change. He is the first to specialize in teaching small business owners how to be extraordinary in a commodity driven world.

Since starting Develop Your Vision in 2001, Bill has helped business owners achieve balance, satisfaction and profit with freedom by understanding the unique “vision” that sets one business apart from their competition.

Bill teaches strategies that turn dreams and goals into accomplishments by successfully reaching tightly defined niche markets using inexpensive, creative, Human Touch ideas and methods.

To find out more about Bill Gluth, Develop Your Vision, visit his website at http://www.developyourvision.com or his Blog at http://www.billgluth.com.

If I was going to drive from Brisbane to Perth, and I’d never made the trek before, it would be easy for me to just think, ‘Yeah, I know where I’m going, and our road system is good enough, so I’ll just get in the car and drive, following the road signs along the way’. A few hours into the trip, when I’m feeling a little fatigued and distracted, I might miss a couple of signs and after a while, find myself at the back of nowhere heading north instead of west. I might panic for a moment, start to stress, and spend a lot of time, effort and energy getting back on track again. Sure, I’ll eventually make it to Perth, but it will have taken me longer and cost me more than it would have if I’d taken the time to plan the trip before I headed off.

We all need a good road map (yes, even the blokes!).

Many of us treat our personal and business lives in the same way – we head off in the general direction of where we want to get to, hoping that we’ll spot all the right signs along the way, and when we find ourselves off track, it can really throw us for a loop! Just like in our road trip example, we don’t make firm plans for where we want to go, how we’re going to get there, and where we should be at certain points in time…and then we wonder why we’re working so hard but not getting to where we want to be.

In my experience, the most common things that stop people from achieving their goals are:

Lack of planning and procrastination.

And sometimes we even procrastinate the planning! We all like to put off doing difficult or uncomfortable things, it is a perfectly human thing to do, but it often leaves us stuck on the road to nowhere.

If there’s anything that you want or need to do in life, realise that there will never be a more perfect time to start making it happen than right now, today. All you need to do is make the decision to just get on with it – stop thinking, worrying and stressing about it, and start doing it.

How? The fastest and easiest way to get from A to B, from Brisbane to Perth, or from where you are today to wherever you want to be, is to create a road map for yourself by setting goals. I’m going to walk you through how to do that, but before we get started, it’s important to point out the difference between dreams and goals. Dreams are just that, they’re fuzzy, feel-good fantasies that live in our imaginations, and that’s often where they stay. We all need to have dreams, but we also want to make some of those dreams a reality in our lives, and that’s what a goal is: something that we are aiming to actually make happen. Goals are the road maps that we create for our lives, they pinpoint exactly where we’re going and how we’re going to get there, and they help to give us a sense of purpose, direction and achievement in life.

So let’s start setting goals.

1. Make sure your goals light you up. The things we usually put off doing the most are the things we don’t like doing; the things that bore us; that aren’t fun and that don’t give us a sense of satisfaction. So, if you set goals around doing things that make you feel that way, you won’t make a true commitment to achieving them. Sure, we can’t always spend our days doing our favourite things, but there has to be a great pay-off in it for you – your goals have to light you up from the inside; they have to ‘feel’ right for you.

GOAL BOOSTER

Because I am a natural health practitioner I use and recommend a lot of ‘natural medicines’ that can help in all areas of our lives. Ginger is a herb that is excellent for giving you a metaphorical ‘kick in the pants’! It’s brilliant for getting procrastinators into action. Anytime you need a bit of a push along:

· Brew yourself a cup of fresh ginger herb tea (hot or iced). Take a knob of fresh ginger, grate or chop it, and infuse a teaspoon in a cup of hot water – drink it warm or let it cool and drink as a tangy iced tea.

· Use some aromatherapy in your home or workplace. Vaporising some ginger essential oil, in combination with other energising essential oils such as May Chang and Grapefruit, will help keep you focused on the task at hand and lighten your mood when you’re feeling bogged down by it all. I have created an oil blend for this very purpose, it’s called Play More, just add 5-10 drops to an electric room vaporiser or car vaporiser.

2. Write your goals in language that excites you into action. What impact do you think your language has on your mental, emotional and physical wellbeing, and on what you achieve in your life? We all know someone who is ‘Mr or Ms Negative’, they always have a problem, an excuse, and a reason for why they can’t do what they want to do, or why they aren’t getting the results they want – and it’s always someone else’s fault! In reality, it is that little voice that we all have inside of us that can make us doubt and question ourselves – and some people are better at managing it than others.

3. Be Positive. You’ll never get that little voice to be quiet, but you can take control of what it’s saying and what you choose to pay attention to. The key to changing your self-talk is to first begin noticing it, and then to replace the negative commentary with a positive one. For example, you could replace existing scripts such as ‘I can’t do this’ with ‘I’m learning how to do this’, or ‘I am determined to become good at this’, or ‘I know I can do this’. So when you’re setting and reviewing your goals always use positive language, confident and inspiring words that describe you achieving your goals, and leave no room for negativity.

4. Shoot for the stars – one step at a time.

Goals are about stretching yourself to achieve the things you want in your life, but we still have to focus on taking manageable steps along the way – you don’t have to achieve a lifetime’s worth of goals this year! For example, if I were to write down a goal to buy a $1 million beach house, and I earn $50,000 per year, the stress that sits behind this goal will sabotage my achieving it. It’s called non-integrative thinking. So while you might set a big bold goal such as this, within a short period of time you will start to realise that the goal is way too hard at this point in time, and that you’re not likely to realise it within the timeframe that you’ve set yourself, so you give up on it and it ends up becoming a de-motivator that spreads into other areas of your life as well. Remember, goals are meant to inspire you, not to set you up for failure, so make sure they’re challenging but achievable.

5. Set goals for your personal and business life. Setting goals in all areas of your life will help to ensure that you maintain a sense of balance, which in itself can help you to keep up the momentum needed to achieve your goals. Start by setting goals around:

Family and home life
Physical body and health
Emotional health
Spiritual health
Finances and career
Continued education
Social life and relationships

6. Write your goals in great detail. The more information and detail that you put into your goals, the more efficient your subconscious mind will be at helping you to achieve them. You see, when you write down a detailed goal, your subconscious mind takes that as an instruction to make that thing happen. It’s like when you decide to buy a new car, and you suddenly start to see that same type of car everywhere – what we tune our subconscious minds in to, we bring into our lives. So, if you’re setting a goal to take an overseas holiday, put all of the details about that trip into your goal – who you’ll fly with, where you’ll stay, what you’ll see there and so on. The more detail, the better.

GOAL BOOSTER

Our memories are strongly linked to our sense of smell, you’ve probably had the experience when you smell a particular aroma and in an instant it takes you to another place and time in your mind. You can also use this memory association to help you focus on your goals. For example, this year one of my goals is to go to Turkey for the rose harvest (as an aromatherapist this is a very cool thing to do), so I have been vaporising rose essential oil and using a rosewater spritzer every day to help keep me focused on achieving that goal.

7. Keep them in your face. Out of sight, out of mind. If you don’t remind yourself of your goals every day, it’s very easy to lose track of them and just get busy with the day-to-day demands of life. I keep my goals in my diary, so that I see them every day. Reviewing your goals daily is a crucial part of your success and vital to make sure that your conscious and subconscious minds are focused on working toward them. Take a few minutes each morning to read your goals and visualise yourself achieving them (really do a little daydreaming here, imagine what it would look like and feel like to have achieved your goals), this is a technique that sportspeople use all the time to help them stay focused and committed.

8. Monitor your progress and adjust your goals. Review your goals periodically and adjust them as you go – just because you’ve set a goal doesn’t mean you can’t make changes to it along the way, you’ve got to be flexible. As you look at your goals and plan your day, ask yourself if what you are doing is taking you toward your goals or not. If it is, you know you’re on the right track, and if it’s not, see whether it’s your goal or your actions that need to be adjusted to get you heading in the right direction again. When you do find yourself off track don’t give yourself a hard time for it (I did say ‘when’ not ‘if’ because we’re all only human and we all wonder off track now and then), just be glad that you realised it, and get back to what you know you should be doing.

GOAL BOOSTER

Learn to put up your hand and ask for help when you need it. You may never be able to achieve some of your goals without a little help or guidance along the way – but for some people (myself included), learning to put ego aside and ask for help can be a goal in itself! You’ll reach your goals, faster and easier and give other people the opportunity to be of service to you and to share in your success if you just learn to ask for what you need.

9. Share your goals with someone. Sharing your goals with someone you trust can be a great way of making sure you stay on track, and it can give you someone to help celebrate your milestones with along the way. But you do need to be careful about whom you choose to share your goals with. It’s human nature that some people will be excited about what you want to achieve and be there with you every step of the way, while other people can feel threatened, or jealous, or just put out that you’re making an effort to change your life while they’re not, and they can react negatively and make you doubt yourself. So choose one or two trusted people, who are as positive and ‘can do’ as you are and help each other to achieve everything you want in your lives.

GOAL BOOSTER

Reward yourself! So often we focus on what hasn’t worked in our lives and what we’re yet to achieve, and we forget to acknowledge ourselves for what we do achieve. Make this the year of acknowledging and celebrating your achievements, and share that success with a friend. Within my own close network of friends, we have chosen this year to share all of our ‘Woo-Hoo!’ moments, whether by email, phone or in person, we connect with those people who share our vision and celebrate and encourage each other with some good-old positive reinforcement.

Everyone benefits from goal setting, without it, life can just seem to be happening to us, pushing and pulling us in all kinds of directions and we can start to feel powerless about what’s happening and where we’re heading. Remember to set goals for all areas of your life, it’s not all about what we want to achieve in our working lives, it’s also about ‘having a life’. Living a balanced life is about finding a way to have it all, without losing your health, sense of humour or sanity along the way! It’s about feeding yourself energy, not draining the life out of you – and simple goal-setting can help you to achieve just that.

Jennifer is a work/life balance expert with a prescription for modern living. Her powerful message is of work, life and balance - and how to have it all without losing your health, sense of humour or sanity along the way. Find out more about Jennifer’s 7 Steps to Sanity at http://www.jenniferjefferies.com

Bringing life to your ideas is what helps them to manifest in the material world. Embodying your intentions, feeling it all the way through your physical body, creates an affirmation of that intention. It tells the Universe that you are determined and fully involved in your idea.

What is an intention?

An intention is the goal that you wish to achieve. It’s what you have made your mind up about and have your heart set on. An intention is like an affirmation that you make about what you would like to accomplish in your future.

Putting your intention out to the Universe, then sitting back and waiting for it to happen without any action on your part is like a person who goes for a psychic reading and wants to know their future. They sit back in the belief that it’s all set in stone and ready for them, then return angry to the reader saying it never happened, only to admit they never performed any actions to put the energy into motion. It’s the same with expecting doctor recommendations to work if you never take the medication.

Without participation and action, the future you wish for isn’t going to just land in your lap. You need to back up your ideas with forward motion, courage and action. Ideas can remain in your mind forever, but without the action of bringing them down into the physical world, there is no manifestation of the idea- therefore, no results.

Start bringing them into the physical world by actually writing them down. Many times I hear clients say, “Oh, I have a long list in my head. I know what I want.” The problem is it’s all in their head. They have never written it down on anything material and stated, “ This is what I choose to manifest.” Once it is written, put the writing in a special place, read it once a day.

In order to turn your ideas into a reality, you need to empower them everyday. Take an action each day to manifest your vision. Write your affirmation, do the research, do one action each day to bring your idea into a reality. You will see results!

© 2005 Jodie Foster

Jodie Foster is an Intuitive Counselor who assists clients to create extraordinary transformations in their daily lives. Her work is uplifting, empowering and success-oriented. You can visit Jodie’s website at http://www.illuminationsnetwork.com for further information and to schedule a private intuitive session. You can also look for weekly updates to her blog at: ttp://intuitiveinnovations.blogspot.com.

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Limitations are often temporary barriers that block the view of one’s true potential. Barriers might be self-limiting beliefs, fears of failure or success, discouragement from the past, or simply the need to take a well-deserved rest. They could also be disguised blessings that build strength and courage.

Look Beyond Your Barriers

Refuse to allow barriers to limit your view of the possibilities available to you. To gain a wider vision, we need to consciously move beyond perceived limitations. It only takes one life and one small action to make a tremendous difference in our world.

Narrow Your Focus

Begin by naming your limit. Then focus on one small action-possibility. What would be the first step you would need to take to out distance your best? What would it require of you to move closer to that promotion, complete that project, release a fear, or continue on the journey to your fondest dream?

Step Forward

When you feel that you’ve reached your limit, stop and think. Then, step out. Lighten your load, draw a new map, or take a different path. Take one more step.

That small step could eventually change many lives for the better. You’ll find that your faith, vision, and resolve will allow you to fly higher any limitations that stand in your way!

© Copyright 2005-2006 by Steve Brunkhorst. Steve is a professional life success coach, motivational author, and the editor of Achieve! 60-Second Nuggets of Inspiration, a popular ezine bringing great stories, motivational nuggets, and inspiring thoughts to help you achieve more in your career and personal life. Get the next issue by visiting http://www.AchieveEzine.com

So you’ve got a goal, and you know someone who has already reached it? Maybe it is earning a certain degree, or opening a business and making it fly. Before you try to duplicate what others have done to attain what they have, be sure of one thing. Understand the Parable of the Jackdabbit:

A man was on a journey and came to a field. In this field he observed a dog, jumping around, darting to and fro, and disappearing in the long, long grass each time he landed. The man stayed back, fearing that the dog had a terrible disease that caused him to jerk wildly and bark incessantly. Cautiously, he passed along side the field on the well-paved path; keeping an eye on the ravenous dog to be sure it did not harm him. Coming to the end of the field, suddenly the dog appeared in front of him, holding a jackrabbit in its jaws. Placidly, the dog glanced at the man, and walked away.

This man was hungry. Thinking about the dog, he decided it would sure be nice if he could have a rabbit to eat, too. So he turned around, retraced his steps along the path for a time, and entered the grassy field. "Well, here I go," he said, and he began to jump and dart, growl and bark. Up and down, back and forth, trying to duplicate all of the crazy movements he had seen by the dog, believing this would somehow produce a rabbit. All day long he did this, and at the end of the day, he was still hungry, and very, very tired.

Disappointed, he returned to the well-paved path. He said to himself, "This is a well-paved path; many people have traveled this way before. I guess I just need to stay on it, and eat whatever I find along the way. Chasing a rabbit just didn’t work for me."

What did the man do wrong? He acted as though he was chasing a rabbit, but there was no rabbit in sight. Isn’t it interesting that not only did duplicating the dog NOT produce a rabbit, but it probably kept them very far away?

If you want a rabbit, you may need to leave a well-paved path, but before you start jumping and barking, make sure you have your eyes FIXED TIGHT on a rabbit. Identify your dream, visualize it, write it down, make it real in your mind, get excited about it, and chase it by following the promptings that come to you from your inner voice. Trust your gut; it will lead you to the rabbit you have in mind. Others may look at you and the choices you make and they might even think you are crazy, like the dog. They just don’t see your rabbit as you do.

Based on the best-selling book, The Jackrabbit Factor: Why You Can. View flash presentation based on the book now at http://www.jackrabbitfactor.com.

Leslie Householder is a wife and mother of six children. She is the founder of http://www.ThoughtsAlive.com and is the author of "The Jackrabbit Factor: Why You Can" and "Heavenly Help with Money Matters." She has been published in Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield’s Chicken Soup for the Latter-Day Saint Soul, and has been published online in ezine articles since 2002. Leslie is a certified facilitator for Bob Proctor’s Life Success Programs, and she is also an independent motivational speaker and success coach.