Resolutions and goals intimidate many people.

What immediately comes to mind are memories of past failures, the hard work involved, and the fact that there is no guarantee of success.

What if instead of goals and resolutions you were to create intentions, results, accomplishments or outcomes?

Do you feel an increased or decreased charge in your body when you change the language you use?

Many labels could support filling your thoughts with the target that is your priority of choice. There is no right or wrong way to phrase/language the journey toward accomplishing a result. There is only empowering and disempowering language - the words that have impact are different for everyone.

It’s all about putting something on priority status for yourself and maintaining focus with consistent, regular, forward steps that will accomplish your desired results.

There are actions which produce little or no result, critical actions, possible actions, massive actions, and more. The ones you choose to run with are determined by your level of courage, by how urgent the goal is for you and by your resolve to achieve the intended outcome.

The main thing is clearly knowing what you want and having huge reasons for wanting this, so that you are pulled forward to take disciplined, consistent, daily, effective, forward moving actions.

Concentrate on your intended outcomes and don’t waste your time on “busy work”. This includes worrying - unless of course you can tell me of a time that worry produced a positive result for you.

"Retreat, hell! We’re just advancing in another direction." ~ Oliver Prince Smith ~

©Thea Westra is an international life coach who resides in Perth, Western Australia. She is editor and publisher of a free, monthly newsletter at http://www.forwardsteps.com.au Thea also publishes a few blogs, visit here http://inspiration-daily.blogspot.com/ for directional links to each.

I guess I found some hot buttons last week eh? Thanks for a week full of real good feedback.

That being the case I’d like to follow along with last weeks theme of Living your purpose. Getting into one of the key elements to doing just that.

Living with Courage.

I believe living a life of Purpose begins and ends with Courage. It takes courage to open up and face your truth, to be honest with yourself.

Clearly, there are many hindrances and roadblocks along the path of purposeful living. In my own life the biggest has been fear. The fear of showing vulnerability. The fear of being judged. The fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of being alone, fear of the unknown and uncertainty. There was fear everywhere I turned. Until one day I just got sick and tired of living in fear.

In a conversation about some of the worlds great revolutions with a friend who grew up in Russia the point was made that one of the conclusions an oppressed people must come to is they "just can’t live this way anymore." This is the point at which the pain of being oppressed becomes greater than the pain of facing the fear. Fear is an oppressive bully and thief. The way to conquer it is to face up to it with confidence and courage. The feeling comes over you that something has got to change and it has to change now! Perhaps you’ve known this feeling.

I have come to the conclusion (and of course you must arrive at your own) that no one, no situation, no experience, is going to deter me from living the rest of my life on what I believe is the course of my PURPOSE. Eventually, one way or another I will die. But, in the process of living, I am the one responsible for identifying, connecting to and living my own purposeful life. To live any other way would be to not live fully.

What courage do I need to call on? I summon my courage to let go of perceived past wrongs, of regrets, hurts. Things that are done, are done. I look and live forward. I let go of blaming and anger, release jealousy, envy and any feelings of scarcity, helplessness or hopelessness. I’m continually building and healing myself. It takes courage to accept responsibility for my own success and happiness. The courage to live on Purpose. The courage to be real. The Courage to be me.

You decide when you’re ready to move to the next step in your purposeful evolution. Look around. You’ll find a book, a friend, a coach, a spiritual guide or teacher to help you uncover your own true connection to yourself, your truth and your purpose. Maybe you’ll even be that friend, guide or teacher for someone else, which will be part of your own journey.

I am truly grateful for others who showed me through books, stories and in the way they live their life that I can live on purpose and be happy. The key ingredient, as I’ve learned, is Courage.

As always, Thanks for hanging out.

Live some. Love some. Learn some. Everyday.

C…

Clyde Dennis, a.k.a. "Mr. How-To" has been writing and publishing Articles and Newsletters online since 1999. Clyde’s company EASYHow-To Publications provides "How-To" information on How-To do, be or have just about anything one can imagine. For more information visit http://www.EASYHow-To.com Email correspondence for Clyde should be sent to: cdennisat@easyhow-to.com

“There are two ways of being creative. One can sing and dance. Or one can create an environment in which singers and dancers flourish”…Warren Bennis

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up”…Pablo Picasso

“Give me a lever long enough, and a prop strong enough, and I can single-handedly move the world”…Archimedes

“If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise”…Robert Fritz

For every goal that you set for yourself or dream of accomplishing, it is imperative to have very strong reasons for wanting to accomplish them. Creating strong “Why’s?” for achieving your goals provides powerful leverage. The reasons that you list become a source for what “pulls” you into action each day.

Metaphorically speaking, it’s all very well being in Melbourne and wanting to take a car trip to Perth.

However - is the logical first step - to get in your car and turn on the engine?

Planning the trip is essential. Setting clearly defined goals and recording them are the equivalent when on life’s journey.

Goals are your journey’s various destinations. Clear plans of action are your road map.

Your milestones are the cities and towns along the way, indicating that you’re on the right track.

Knowing yourself and your usual patterns of behaviour allows you to fit or adjust these to suit your plans.

Improvements to your engine, your driving and navigation could mean fewer stops and an easier ride.

Taking others along on your trip allows for team work and lightens the load (depending on who you take!).

Having clear and strong reasons for wanting to get to the destination will keep you driving when the journey becomes boring, tedious or the road gets a little rough (there’s that arid stretch of Nullabor between Melbourne and Perth). They’re the "why you began" your trip in the first place.

For every goal record at least five “Why’s?”

I suggest five because everyone can usually come up with the first two or three “wishy-washy” reasons.

Listing five reasons (or more) finds you digging a little and you end up writing more deeply felt reasons. The reasons that you list, have a momentum of their own - regardless of what the final results end up being, these responses get you moving toward your goal.

Please note, that when I work with clients (and with myself) I’ll often begin with clarifying and determining what you want and then from that foundation developing the concrete, physical, tangible, feasible and measurable embodiment of these "wants". These then become the goals around which our action plans are designed.

The reason I write this article is that, more often than not (when left to our own devices) we come up with goals first and immediately start taking action. Realising later that it is not at all what we really wanted. "I had a monumental idea this morning, but I didn’t like it." (Samuel Goldwyn)

Listing your reasons is a terrific way of checking in with yourself and with your level of sustainable passion and intention for your plans. Remember to ask yourself these questions, consistently: Why am I doing this? What will I and others get out of it? Is it what I really, really want? A website of interest: http://www.mygoals.com/

©Thea Westra is an international life coach who resides in Perth, Western Australia. She is editor and publisher of a free, monthly newsletter at http://www.forwardsteps.com.au Thea also publishes a few blogs, visit here http://inspiration-daily.blogspot.com/ for directional links to each.

Which of the following changes to your life do you want to make to your life this year?

To help you channel your energy into achieving this year’s goals, here are some practical ways to get you started. After all, there is no reason why you shouldn’t start immediately, is there?

Goalsetting - Getting Started

Write a list of what you want to achieve this year.

Make sure what you’ve written down is specific, measurable and attainable. Eg. Lose 5 kgs by 30th April.

Write no. 1 against the most important goal. Write no. 2 against the next most important goal.

Continue numbering the rest of the goals.

Look at the goal with no. 1 next to it. ie. Lose 5 kilos. Start a separate list with the heading Lose 5 kilos by 30th April.

Write down the action steps you need to take to achieve this goal:

Enter the action steps into your diary/electronic organiser on the day/s you will do these:

Ensure when you book time for yourself in your diary you treat it as a top priority. Unless there is an earthquake or equally devastating disaster occurring, keep that time sacred.

To ensure your goalsetting is successful, it is imperative to write your goals first and then plan the appropriate steps to take in your diary. Otherwise your goals could end up being wishful thinking!

Goal/Dream Chart

Having visual reminders is a valuable part of the goalsetting process. It’s a great way to prompt and keep you motivated to follow through. Cut out a picture of the body you’d like to have from a magazine and stick a photo of your head on top of it. Alternatively if you want to recapture the way you were some time ago, find an old photo of yourself. You can place these on your desktop, car dashboard and the fridge at home.

Do this for your other goals (minus the head). In fact having a dream chart with pictures or words of the things you want to achieve is a great stimulus for your sub-conscious mind. Sticking these reminders onto green paper is even more effective. I have one of these in my office and guess what? It actually works!

Action Is The Key

Once you’ve identified what you want, written it down, planned when you will take action and done your goal/dream chart, nothing will happen unless you get off your butt and take action towards those goals.

Avoid the ‘Too Much Too Soon’ Syndrome

Often people try making many changes at once then get disillusioned because there are too many things to do and just give up. If you’ve done this in the past, tackle one goal at a time. If you really have difficulty going it alone, you may benefit from using the services of a life coach like myself who will keep you on track.

Dare to Fail

In Billi Lim’s bestselling book "Dare to Fail" he shares the following story:

A woman once walked up to a little old man rocking in a chair on his porch.

"I couldn’t help noticing how happy you look", she said. "What’s the secret for a long happy life?’

"I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day’, he said. "I also drink a case of whisky a week, eat fatty foods and never exercise."

"That’s amazing, the woman said. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-six", he said.

The Final Word On Goalsetting

You too can achieve your goals if you really want to. The goals you set must fit in with your values. For instance if you really value your health and well-being (and you should…you’re no good to anyone if you’re sick or even worse…dead,) then it will be easier for you to take action around this area.

Goalsetting is an ongoing process. Plan and get off your butt now to achieve what you want in your life otherwise you could get stuck in the usual rut and before you know it, another year has passed by.

Take action today!

About The Author
Lorraine Pirihi is Australia’s Personal Productivity Specialist and Leading Life Coach. Her business The Office Organiser specialises in showing small business owners and managers, how to get organised at work so they can have a life! Lorraine is also a dynamic speaker and has produced many products including "How to Survive and Thrive at Work!"

To subscribe to her free ezine visit www.office-organiser.com.au

This article may be reproduced providing it is published in it’s entirety, including the author’s bio and all links. For further information please contact Lorraine Pirihi, lorraine@office-organiser.com.au

Before you begin a thing, remind yourself that difficulties and delays quite impossible to foresee are ahead. You can only see one thing clearly and that is your goal. Form a mental vision of that and cling to it through thick and thin. (Kathleen Norris)

If we are ever in doubt about what to do, it is a good rule to ask ourselves what we shall wish on the morrow that we had done. (John Lubbock)

The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them. (Denis Waitley)

We can be our own worst enemy at times. How often can you see that it was you who actually got in your own way on the path to fulfilling a goal?

It was usually only a thought that got in the way! Something that you made up…so, you could make up something else. A replacement thought that empowers you.

Write down as many of the discouraging thoughts that you can recall, from those times you actually stopped yourself. Alongside each of these, record a replacement thought that really gives you some power.

What could you put in place so that you remember to replace your negative thoughts with an empowering thought? An automatic pop up on your computer screen? A colourful card sitting up on your desk or pasted to the front of your diary?

Most days we say some horrid things to ourselves and we aren’t even conscious that the tape is playing!

Consider also, the people with whom you surround yourself. Are there people with whom you could spend more time? Are there people with whom you could spend less time?

Lastly, when exploring your 2004 New Year resolutions - here are a few pointers to send you on your way:

Are your intented outcomes crystal clear to you and do you have them somewhere on display for yourself - in words or images? Do you have powerful reasons for wanting to accomplishing your chosen goals?

Make a practice of writing down your 6 top priority goals, daily. It is worth those extra 5 minutes each day - recreating your desire for reaching that next stepping stone.

Are your New Year resolutions feasible? Are the deadlines too tight? Could your goals be broken down into bite sized chunks (i.e. milestones along the way). You may easily become discouraged if your goals seems impossible to achieve. This can chip away at your confidence in going after what you want. A strong belief in your goals is mandatory.

Have you put something in place to really celebrate each milestone victory, great or small? This will expand your personal confidence. Reward the source of your results.

For further personal exploration: A site with practical tools for creative dreamers is http://www.howmuchjoy.com An extremely resourceful site to visit is http://www.ehappylife.com/custom/about.html

If the links (above) are not ‘live’, then simply cut and paste them into your browser.

©Thea Westra is an international life coach who resides in Perth, Western Australia. She is editor and publisher of a free, monthly newsletter at http://www.forwardsteps.com.au Thea also publishes a few blogs, visit here http://inspiration-daily.blogspot.com/ for directional links to each.

What is your reason for setting a goal?

This is the first, and important question you need to ask yourself. Why? If your reason for setting your goal is not sincere, your motivation and enthusiasm can wane drastically as you progress on your goal path. Setting personal goals is just that - personal, and if you do not have deep-rooted reason for your goal, your chances of succeeding are reduced dramatically.

We generally set goals because we are unhappy with where we are, either in life, our job, or a relationship. As Og Mandino says, "People don’t change when they feel good. They change when they’re fed up. When things are going all right, we all tend to do pretty much what we’ve been doing. Pain pushes us to those crucial turning points. We hurt, then we finally choose. It’s that adverb finally. Enough is enough.!"

We want something better. An example is a better paying position at work, or a management position. Maybe it can be that we want to lose weight, or become healthier. Whatever it is, we generally set goals as result of wanting something better.

Animals function on instinct. They sleep, eat and procreate. That’s it.

We humans have a thinking ability. And it is with this thinking ability that we have the urge to achieve something better. But we are also an inherently lazy creature, and we tend to have a resistance to effort.

Goals help keep us motivated

When we have something to aim at, something we achieve, we usually become excited. Think of going to your favorite restaurant. While you’re getting ready, you can almost smell and taste your meal, and you are excited. It is no different when you have a goal to aim at, and this is especially relevant if you have a life goal. Each milestone that you reach, increases your excitement, aka your motivation. Especially, think of when you go on holiday. What is your level of excitement just prior to leaving on holiday, and to what level does this excitement rise shortly before leaving? And then as you progress on your journey? Using the holiday example, this excitement keeps rising the nearer you get to your destination.

Goals undoubtedly give us direction. An example here is when we want to progress in our career.

Let’s say we want to secure a management position. We increase our knowledge and experience, and as result we become more equipped for the position. It is the objective of the management position that motivates us to undergo training, for example. Our goals enable us to move forward, and moving forward can only be beneficial. Go for the gold.

Successful people are goal orientated

Whatever your definition of success is, you will find it difficult to reach that level of success without goals.

If you don’t have a target, the arrow will hit nothing.

It is very important to remember that goals are not static. As our circumstances change, it is inevitable that our goals change. The goals you had when you left school are very different to your goals ten years after school. Similarly, after marriage and children come along, your goals once again change. It is important to remember that when your circumstances change, review and, where necessary adapt your goals. The golden rule of setting your goals is to remain on your goal path.

Without a doubt, having personal goals keeps your enthusiasm up.

Using a map for our holiday

It is usual for us to consult a map when we go on holiday, and yet, sadly, for the holiday of life, we don’t consider consulting a map for this important journey. And when we don’t reach our destination, we become frustrated and annoyed. Yet, when we go on holiday, without a map, and we get lost we similarly get annoyed. And yet, this something we don’t repeatedly do. Your goals, and especially your goal path, is your map for your life.

Having goals, or at the very least, a goal, will enable you to know where you’re going in life. Goals do give us direction.

Thomas Edison is well-known for saying he didn’t fail, but found 10 000 ways it didn’t work. He had thousands of attempts over many years to invent the electric light bulb, but he knew exactly what he wanted, and his goal kept him going until he achieved it.

Oprah Winfrey was an abused child who was determined to make a better life for herself. Michelle Kwan had a goal to be the best skater in the world.

If you want proof that goal setting works, and is valuable in your life, think of musicians. They are one of the best examples of having determination in not only setting, but also achieving their goals. Athletes don’t become record holders by chance - it is only through effective goal setting. Top sales people work consciously at their goals, and as result become star performers. No-one becomes an astronaut by accident.

Every person who becomes successful in whatever field or area they choose, followed a goal path - a map to achieve their success.

Role of an effective goal setting system

If you have a dream, and want to achieve something better in life, having a goal can bring you success.

An effective goal setting system must get you on your road to success. It should also give you the tools to enable you to gain confidence in reaching your goal. There are many books and programs available that can help you set your goal. It is my belief that anyone can set a goal, but the important thing is to reach your goal.

An effective goal setting system should be a blueprint, and enable you to determine where you want to go with your life, and be an aid to keeping you on your goal path.

Having a goal, success is possible. Without goals, success is rarely possible - whatever area in your life.

About the Author
Colin Dunbar’s eaziGOAL is the ultimate goal setting program created especially for working moms and dads. "There is no reason we working moms and dads cannot reach our dream." Full details available at http://www.eaziGOAL.com Manual, workbook, PLUS companion software. FREE newsletter.

“These days the business world is knee deep in beautifully crafted mission statements. A finely polished declaration of a corporation’s principles is nice, but it’s service rather than sonorous prose that generates repeat business. So if you feel compelled to write your own mission statement, remember these points: keep it to two or three do-able standards, and work like hell to put each one of them into practice every day.” (Unknown)

“Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.” (Japanese Proverb)

“As you emphasize your life, you must localize and define it; you cannot do everything.” (Phillips Brooks)

I cannot stress enough the value of clarity of vision. Writing down your goals and in having them recorded in very specific detail, with a definite timeline for completion.

Our goals need to be sourced in a larger vision of what we want our life to be about. This provides much needed leverage in pulling those goals towards us.

At the end of your life of what will you be most proud? For what do you want to be remembered? What will you regret not having achieved?

What determines the commitments you have scheduled in your diary? Is your life being lived by your design or other’s agendas?

What are the things that hold you back from fully living your passions? Are there ways to minimise these, therefore moving you toward accomplishing your dreams?

Who are the experts and friends you will seek out to support you in your quests? Is there a great collection of personal development books collecting dust on your bookshelves?

Do you have time scheduled in your weekly diary for a review of your goals and to fine-tune your action plans for accomplish your goals?

Do you always have absolute clarity whether something to which you say yes or no is a perfect fit with your life vision, your dreams/wishes, your goals and what you want? Do you have enough leverage attached to each of your goals to generate sufficient personal courage to say yes or no when you want to or need to?

Write down all the challenges and doubts you face with achieving your goals till you can think of no more. Alongside those items that you know to be ‘truth’ write an action you can take to begin dismantling and disappearing it. Determine which of these actions you MUST take and schedule them in your diary for a specific date and time. Then of course, do as you say in your calendar!

To really get a sense of where you are spending your hours and where you could pay more attention, a must visit site is: http://www.pathofhappiness.com/slife.html and rate your score on the sphere of life.

Two terrific sites to visit which provide useful tools for generating your own personal mission statements are: www.franklincovey.com (click on Mission Statement Builder) http://www.quintcareers.com/mission_statement_development.html (read the two recommended articles on this page and the rest of the site is also worth exploring)

©Thea Westra is an international life coach who resides in Perth, Western Australia. She is editor and publisher of a free, monthly newsletter at http://www.forwardsteps.com.au Thea also publishes a few blogs, visit here http://inspiration-daily.blogspot.com/ for directional links to each.

"Life is not easy for any of us. We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained." - Marie Curie

Perseverance is not rocket science. You can master this goal setting tool, with just a little thinking and concentration. Think about the thing you want to do, focus your efforts on the smaller steps and you will be amazed at what you can achieve.

In real terms, perseverance is a matter of doing something step-by-step. When we have confidence in what we do, perseverance can become a habit. And it is a good habit worth having.

When you consider a world class athlete, perseverance is essential in his or her performance.

As Madam Curie said, "life is not easy", but life is here to be lived, and when we use the right tools, it can be exciting. Using this quote as a daily affirmation is an excellent goal setting tool.

When we "believe that we are gifted for something", as Curie said, our energy levels rise astronomically. When you attain success at the smaller things, your level of confidence rises proportionally.

The dictionary defines perseverance as "maintain effort". Thus perseverance is nothing more than taking it step-by-step. Even the smallest steps will result in success.

Take it one step at a time, and you will be amazed at what you can achieve.

Make it your goal to…

Identify what you are passionate about. When you know what your passion is, you will find the energy to develop perseverance. And when you become tired, take time out - take a break - you will find you become recharged.

About the Author
Colin Dunbar’s eaziGOAL is the ultimate goal setting program created especially for working moms and dads. "There is no reason we working moms and dads cannot reach our dream." Full details available at http://www.eaziGOAL.com FREE newsletter.

Get What You Want in 4 Easy Steps

Setting and reaching goals is a great way to create milestones in your life. It feels good to achieve something you’ve worked for and focused on.

Many people think that when someone reaches a goal it’s because that person is special or has some unique talent. Chances are, this person had a plan and a vision.

Yes, the old saying of "people don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan" is tired, but alas, still true. A plan can be an idea on a cocktail napkin r an elaborate schematic of steps to reach a particular objective. It may simply be a picture.

Either way, goals and objective require something concrete. The "mortar" that holds a dream together is made with only three ingredients:

1. Words. Written goals are more likely to come true than those that aren’t.

2. Pictures. Visual goals are the epitome of "seeing is believing, and believing is seeing" your objective come true.

3. Action. Love, like your desire to reach a goal, is not just a feeling, it must be an action. Do your actions equate with your goal? In other words, if your goal is to be a writer, are you, in fact, writing or just thinking about it? You’ve got to do it to be it.

Now you may be wondering how goal setting and goal-achieving relate to feng shui. Well, your environment has a direct impact on your effectiveness and your life, so to increase your chances of success, you want to make sure your environment reflects that desire. In other words: use symbolism in your home or office to keep the focus on your goals. Also, the Chinese hang banners with auspicious sayings in their homes and businesses to reflect their aspirations… So you see, this is perfectly feng shui.

The ideas below will help you focus your attention on your goals so that you, too, will be one of those admired people who set a goal and achieved it!

1. Symbolize your goals. What is it you want to achieve? Is it your goal to be a famous writer? If so, start an antique pen collection and place it in the south sector of fame and recognition. Add a light here and pictures of some of your favorite writers — yourself included! — in red frames. Pick something to symbolize your goal, whether that is a vase, a globe, a figurine. Put this where you can see it frequently.

2. Picture it. Pictures are worth a thousand words. Put pictures that symbolize your goals in the appropriate corner to inspire you! Is it health? Put up a picture of a runner if exercising or completing a marathon is your goal.

Maybe you want wealth and to you being wealthy is represented by living in Tahiti… So, put a poster of a gorgeous Tahitian island up on the wall opposite your desk where you can see it everyday. It will make going after your goal sweeter.

3. Activate your goals by sector by creating a symbol corner. If your goal is to be a wealthy businessman, then the north and northwest sectors are all-important. They represent water which is wealth (north), and helpful people (northwest). Buiild a symbol corner with elements appropriate for your goal and that corner. Not sure about the sectors? Check my 2005 lo shu square.

4. Put it into words. In addition to creating your goal corner and hanging a picture of your goal, you can complete the scene by adding your goal in words. So, for example, if you’ve created a marriage goal corner with a double fish symbol, a lamp with crystals, a red candle, and a picture of two people holding hands, all you need on the wall next to this is the word "Love" or "Forever" or "Commitment" or "Marriage."

Or, if you’ve created a business corner, go with the word "Success" or "Prosperity." A very wealthy businesswoman who I admire greatly had a sign made to hang above her front door that said "Abundance" and everyday, it reinforced her goal to her and to her family. Way to go! Wall Words has tons of great ideas of how to put words to work in your home.

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter feng shui e-zine and is dedicated to helping her readers develop successful, prosperous, and supportive environments with feng shui. To subscribe, logon to www.redlotusletter.com and receive this special report Fr*ee "16 Feng Shui Secrets for Greater Prosperity."

kweber@redlotusconsulting.com

Do you have a goal for the future that you would love to achieve but just can’t work out how? Well, you can succeed. Believe and it will happen! How? Well read on and see. Have you heard the expression ‘ MIND OVER MATTER ’? Do you really understand what that means? Well quite simply, your mind has two areas: the subconscious and the conscious, it is the subconscious to which the expression relates. The subconscious mind is 88% of the volume and is your ‘automatic pilot’, keeping the heart beating, lungs breathing and millions of other things that ensure that we survive. The subconscious has other powerful functions. If you allow it, it will protect you and provide solutions to problems, if the right questions are asked.

So how does it work? Very simply - the subconscious mind stores ‘things’ gathered from our senses, our experiences, our genes, and everything that we come in contact with and see. The stored ‘things’ are harmless, but useful, unless subjected to bad programming - a bit like a computer, the data will sit in the memory banks until accessed. If accessed and manipulated incorrectly then the wrong information will be displayed. Programming the mind is a learning process of clear and precise repetition. The combination of the stored things and the programming, influence our belief systems. This impacts on our confidence, or lack of, our opinions, our mannerisms, etc.

Confidence comes from: learning, practicing and belief. For example: when you first get into a car could you believe that one day you would do all the consecutive actions that you need to do to drive that car? I know I didn’t but now I don’t consciously think about driving a car - I just do it. During our lives we are subjected to many opinions and comments that repeated often enough become ‘true’. Unfortunately, it is human nature to believe the negative comments, especially about ourselves, rather than the positive ones. Let me try and explain: during my paid employment I met constantly with bosses telling me that I didn’t have the ability or the education to get the promotion I was looking for. Consequently, I had a many jobs. I developed a sense of frustration, culminating in the belief that they were right and I was wrong. However, I knew there was more to me. With my family’s support I went to university, as a mature age student. I obtained an undergraduate degree and later a post-graduate degree.

Now I have my own business as a wellness, nutrition and body shaping coach and distributor of the finest high quality nutritional and skin care products. For this change to occur I had to change my negative self-talk and beliefs about myself. The same is true for you. The negative beliefs about yourself not being able to achieve those dreams can be broken with support and guidance and with actions carried out by yourself.

It is very simple to make a decision that you want to achieve , allow yourself to believe you can do it and guess what you will do it. Just changing a few things that you do regularly will get you that goal you are aiming for:

1 How many times do you say “I Can’t!”? Well, stop yourself every time, take a deep breath, smile and say: “ I CAN! ”

2 How many times do you look at yourself in the mirror and don’t like what you see?

Well next time (and every time) smile and say:

“ I LOOK GOOD AND I AM GOING TO LOOK BETTER!”

“EVERY DAY IN EVERY WAY I AM GETTING BETTER AND BETTER”!

Your brain is a muscle too, it needs powerful nutrition - so feed it, help develop your self-belief system and cope with the coming festive season:

“You are your own scriptwriter and the play is never finished, no matter what your age or position in life” Denis Waitley

Cheryl Haining is a skin care, body shape and nutrition coach. She has her own successful business. Her mission statement is to ensure everyone reaches his or her optimum body shape, size and condition. Contact Cheryl at http://www.uloseweight.net or email her at cherhaining@yahoo.com.au To learn how to create your own income stream from home visit http://www.keybusinesstips.info