You can achieve anything you want. Yes, you can. But, like so many things there is a small catch. And here it is - no matter what it is that you desire you must believe strongly in it almost to the exclusion of everything else. Does that sound like an obsession?

Let me tell you how to turn your obsession into reality. You can do it via a little technique that I am going to outline for you.

But first, just so there is no misunderstanding I want to dispel a few myths. First, will just thinking about something bring your goal into existence? No it won’t. Materializing a thought can only occur if you add some action to your desire. That is the key. The physical actions must be directed by a concentrated train of thought.

In other words, the mind MUST become involved FIRST.

Think about it. Everything that has ever been brought into existence was first just a thought in the mind of its creator. It had to be.

Unfortunately for most, the humdrum of life gets in the way. But that is only because most people have no method for keeping their dreams and goals uppermost in their minds. Allow me to give you an example.

Let’s say you want to write a book. This is a good example for me because I have written several myself, so I know what I am talking about. Will merely thinking about writing a book get the job done? No. However, if you obsess on writing a book you will eventually spark yourself into action. Soon you will have outlined your plan. Something happened. You obsess some more and you are driven to write the first chapter. Pretty soon the action and not the thought is the motivator. The book virtually seems to be writing itself using your hand as the instrument. It becomes almost self-perpetuating.

Highly motivated people can do these things almost at will. But what about everybody else? Not everybody was born with great reserves of self-motivation. How can you train your mind well enough to do these things?

There is a method. It’s called an affirmation. First, you need to write your goal down on a small card. Next you read and focus on the words on that card as often as possible. It works. Constantly feeding your mind with the positive thought inspires not only action but also creativity. This method literally forces your mind to bring your goal into existence.

Here is a challenge for you. Try using the method I have outlined above for 30 days. For 30 days you need to read your affirmation as often as possible. Do not miss a single day. It only takes a minute to do. Read it every morning, every evening and as many times as you can in between. At the end of 30 days you will have progressed towards your goal. There is magic in this system. Try it. See for yourself.

Finally, let me leave you with this wonderful quote from Erma Bombek: When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."

This article comes with reprint rights providing no changes are made and the resource box below accompanies it.

About the author: Gary Simpson is the author of eight books covering a diverse range of subjects such as self esteem, affirmations, self defense, finance and much more. His articles appear all over the web. Click here to go to his Motivation & Self Esteem for Success website where you can receive his "Zenspirational Thoughts" plus an immediate FREE copy of his highly acclaimed, life-changing e-book "The Power of Choice." To learn more about the magic of affirmations you can click here

Most people will agree that goal setting is an important strategy in obtaining what we desire. If you don’t set goals you will not know what to look for to determine whether an achivement was truly a success or not. The sad thing is that only a very small part of those who understand the need for setting goals actually take the time to figure out what they really want to accomplish and outline a plan for reaching them. It goes without saying that with this approach or shall we say lack of approach, determining which accomplishments are successful or not will be a little arbitrary; ‘more self reliant’, ‘a raise in salary’, ‘clear skin’, ‘a new home’ or ‘a new car’. It has been proven time after time that the more specific your goal is, the more you are likely to achieve it and the more likely you are to know when you have or have not achieved them.

Goals should move you ahead. When you make your goals absolute and precise you will know what to look for to find out if you have achieved them. If they are to general you can’t really know if you have reached your goals or they can even mislead you into achieving something other than you planned for. Setting precise goals functions as an instrumental part or reference of any self improvement regimen.

Goals forms an hierarchical system: There are many levels of goals. They spring from your deepest values and are transformed via various levels to precise day-by-day action plans for accomplishing what you really want. So, what do you really want? Are you sure the first goal that appeared in your mind is what you really want deep inside?

To summarize so far: A system for setting goals in a certain area must include

• your main or ultimate goal in this area, which all other goals are just a tranformation of

You must be sure what you really want to accomplish in a certain area according to your true values and you must know precisely what to do to acheive it.

Now, I’d like to tell you about a method of setting goals that I have used successfully myself.

The ‘Why – How method’ for setting goals

Take the first goal that appears in your mind right now. Let’s say you’ve found out that your big problem is that you just don’t have enough money from month to month and this is the rock in the road for you whatever you try to accomplish. So your goal is ‘to get rich’. Now you have two ways to go to elaborate and fullfill your work of setting goals and you should go both ways.

Ask ‘Why?’

Ask yourself; Is ‘getting rich’ my real goal or is this just a means to reach another, deeper goal? Ask yourself; Why do I want to get rich? Think over it for a while and write down all reasons why you want to accomplish the goal that has appeared in your mind. It might be; Financial security, freedom to travel where you want, freedom to visit any concert or opera-house you want, freedom to have a home you really feel confortable with etc. Whichever answer you give, continue to ask "Why" until you are not able to find any more reasons. If you have been honest with yourself, you probably found your deepest value, which equals the main goal you try to accomplish by ‘getting rich’.

Ask ‘How?’

Now, when you have revealed your ultimate goal or value by asking ‘Why?’, then start to figure out how to accomplish it. Let’s say you have come to the goal in your goal hierarchy that says ‘getting rich’. Your question now is: ‘How do I get rich?’ Your answer might be ‘Getting more income.’ Next ‘how much higher an income do I want, which also means; how rich do I want to be?" Then your answer might be ‘$20,000′. Continue asking ‘How?’ until you have made a precise action plan of what you will do to get these increased income of $20,000.

Reach milestones on your way

A goal can also be devided into several parts or milestones which marks that it is on it’s way to being fullfilled. Let’s take the $20,000 goal example. Let’s say one of your end goal is to

• ‘earn $20,000 within two years by promoting affiliate programs on 50 websites where each website is making you $16.67 per month on average.’

you should divide this goal into several smaller goals or milestones, let’s say one part of your goal is reached when you have earned $1000, one when you have reached $5,000, $10,000 etc. This way your goal achieving process becomes much more motivating and fun when you see the results fairly often.

Room for adjustments

A system for setting goals should also include a procedure for periodic adjustments; some actions are more likely to help you reach your goals faster than others. You’ll only know which actions or end goals these are by having a goal system that enables you to try out different action plans or end goals. You simply execute the end goals or action plans than you planned initially. If they work carry on with them and if they don’t or if you think of other ways that can fulfill your ultimate goal faster or better, than go for them. So, don’t forget that your system for setting goals must include this option also.

Terje Brooks Ellingsen is a writer and internet publisher. He runs the website 1st-Self_Improvement.net. Terje is a Sociologist who enjoys contributing to the personal growth and happiness of others. He tries to accomplish this by writing about self help issues from his own experience and knowledge. For example, goal setting for self improvement and self confidence improvement success.

Webster’s Dictionary defines goal \.2 as the end toward which effort is directed.

Do you have goal(s) in your life? Have you reduced your goal(s) to writing? Studies have been done by respected universities which

indicate 90% of us never set goals; of the 10% who do, only 3% actually write them down. This latter group consists of some the most successful people in all fields of endeavor.

Goal Setting requires first of all specificity. In other words “to be a success” is not a valid goal. Rather goals should sound like this: “By 2010,

I will have my own Carvel Franchise in Brooklyn’s Bensonhurst Section” or perhaps: “By next year this time I will have completed my first novel and submitted the manuscript to 10 publishers.”

Goals need proper maintenance, small adjustments that build on the main goal.

Immediately and audaciously begin to take action. Refine your goal(s) more and more. Post visual images of your goal in prominent locations, like your bathroom mirror, your pillow, refrigerator, your work area, your car, your brief case, and any where else you might regularly eye it.

Write down the benefits of achieving your goal: I will be happier, healthier, wealthier, etc. when I achieve ‘your particular goal.’ Act as if you have achieved your goal and are just filling in the details of how you got there. Keep a smile on your face. Reward yourself for each positive step you take, and don’t beat your self up over miscues/minor failures. They are a part of the ‘rungs of the ladder’ that lead you to the top.

Consider every obstacle you might encounter, along the way. Develop strategies for handling each circumstance. Common obstacles you are likely to confront are naysayers, lack of capital, small failures, digressions, competition, poor time management, etc. Know beforehand how you will overcome any obstacle that comes your way.

Gain as much knowledge as you can about your goal. If your goal is to be an Indy Car Driver, learn every detail about the car, the track and the competition. If your goal is to be a sports agent learn every detail about your competitors (fees they charge, who their clients are, what their shtick is, where they hang out, when and how they approach clients).

Develop support groups/mentors, who can provide you honest advice and counsel, help you overcome obstacles and keep you motivated.

Construct a plan of action, and meticulously work the plan. A popular adage says: “People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan.” One common error is, mistaking activity for accomplishment.

Be committed. To paraphrase W. H. Macy, don’t be committed like a kamikaze pilot on his 12th mission.

Seek and seize opportunity. The mass of men call this luck; they believe success is serendipitous. As Zig Ziglar says: “Arise each morning when the ‘opportunity clock’ sounds” and greet God boldly with the words: “Lord we are going to have a great day.” Who could be a better partner than the Lord?

Remember you have the same number of hours in a day as any doctor, lawyer, entrepreneur, or for that matter, your average billionaire like Bill Gates. Use those hours wisely, “Age quod agis” – “do what you are doing,” always remaining focused. Understand you aren’t making sacrifices by giving up some habits and activities you enjoy, but rather that you are now investing your time and talent in yourself instead.

Don’t sit around waiting for things to happen. Make them happen. Ed McMahon isn’t going to knock on your door. If you want to succeed you must proceed without hesitation. Until you are truly committed and begin the journey to success, there is a good chance you may draw back. Don’t! Move forward and “seize the day.”

If you would like more information or personal assistance on setting and achieving goals contact Ann Marie or Al Parisi at lunchbagnotes.net.

Ann Marie is a teacher and author and speaker. She resides in Agoura Hills, California, with her co-writers and speakers, her brother Anthony and dad, Al.

One of the fundamental and basic aspects of modern personal development is the idea of having well formed outcomes in your life. It is very well documented these days, but so very few people actually do use them, and even fewer people create them properly and in a way that is useful.

Having NLP’s Well formed outcomes for your life can create well being in business, our personal lives, in relationships and so much more. So please be as flexible as you possibly can be while reading this; and I don’t mean read it while doing the splits!

In NLP (neuro linguistic programming), goal setting becomes more than just goal setting. We go beyond that and step into the realms of “desired outcome development.” By that, we are going beyond setting goals and moving into the realms of setting outcomes.

As you think about any area of your life that you would like to update or change or plan better for, or if you have an unfulfilled dream or something you are working towards, then creating an NLP well formed outcome can begin to get your unconscious mind and its related processes driving you towards that without you even having to know how.

How do goals and outcomes differ? Goals are general and outcomes are specific. An outcome represents a goal developed with specificity that enables us to have a very clear understanding of what to do.

A well formed outcome enables us to create specific pictures, sounds, feelings and words. Then that image, that outcome activates our abilities and resources for achieving that outcome. The NLP well formed outcome model should have the following characteristics;

1. The outcome should be stated positively in terms of what we want: The human mind does not directly process a negative. You regular readers will have read that idea over and over in previous editions of Adam Up. Have a read through the Adam Up archive for more information on that notion.

2. The NLP outcome is described in sensory based language: In terms of sights, sounds and sensations; what will we see, hear and feel with that outcome. See how we are forming the outcome, crafting it?

3. Ensure that the NLP outcome is self-initiated and self-controlled: It needs to be something that is not reliant on others in any way. Changing others directly lies outside of our control – changing them indirectly by changing ourselves – we can do that!

4. Make your desired outcome appropriately contextualised: When, where, how and with who do you want this outcome? Detail the context.

Many people that I work with and encounter operate in a stimulus/response mode. Something happens, they respond. Something else happens, they respond. Instead of reacting to various stimuli involved, with outcome based thinking, you are looking at how to control your own world instead. Outcome based thinking allows you to decide what you want and shows you how to achieve it.

Outcome based thinking with NLP is the ability to visualize the precise outcome of a process before beginning that process. It is the ability to set goals and keep them in mind all through the negotiation process.

World class athletes from all over the world use outcome based thinking to achieve top performance in their field. The best golfers visualize a shot before they hit the ball, the best football players imagine scoring a goal before it happens.

Here are a set of very useful questions to ask yourself when forming your desired outcomes in life to ensure that they are really going to serve you well.

Questions to ask oneself for effective outcome based thinking. This can be applied to many situations and circumstances as someone looking to create a desirable outcome. I recommend that you take time write down the answers to these questions and then use the answers to provide you with a skeleton to then hang around the details of your well-formed outcomes for life.

Firstly; What exactly do I want out of the process? Think of the successful conclusion that you expect.

Secondly, if other people are involved in any shape or form ask yourself; What does the other person want? If you don’t know, then think about what are they likely to want?

Thirdly, What is the least I will accept out of the process? Think about the minimum of things that you want to occur in your sessions for you to be satisfied.

Next up, think about (briefly, don’t loiter on this) What problems could come up in the process? Make a note, if not in writing, then in your mind of everything that could arise.

Then, ask yourself; how will I deal with each one and, if possible, use the problem to benefit the outcome? Make a list of possibilities or the things that could crop up, or differences in contract expectations.

Then put together your solutions for remedying that before it occurs. Being prepared to deliver your solutions if and when they arise.

Finally, ask yourself; How will I bring the process to a conclusion? Run this over and over in your mind. You can also ask that wonderful question; how will I know when I have achieved this outcome? Make a note of that. Whenever I ask myself that question in relation to a well formed outcome, it sends a HUGE smile across my face.

Knowing the outcome in advance is exceptionally powerful. So go and begin to design your future, make them as sensory rich as possible. Create them and allow your unconscious mind to deliver the results.

I was listening to a recording recently by a highly acclaimed coach talking about "the horizon." He explained that the horizon does not really exist; that it’s just a mental construct. He made the point that, no matter how fast or how far you travel, you do not and cannot actually reach the horizon. Wherever you are, your brain creates a new horizon ahead of you. Really interesting thought. This notion can be applied to how we go about driving ourselves to create our well-formed outcomes.

So, like the horizon, our NLP well formed outcomes are mental constructs, and not actually aspects of reality. However, and I am getting excited by telling you this, they can be an excellent marker to help us set a direction and keep motivated to creating wonderful sensory rich well formed outcomes. What our outcomes and dreams are not useful for is measuring progress. Let me explain.

People with dreams and NLP well formed outcomes, in my experience, fall into two categories: those who are happily achieving those dreams and fulfilled by them, and those who are lacking fulfilment and dissatisfied with their life.

The main difference between these two groups is that the people who are happy and fulfilled measure their progress by comparing where they are against where they have come from. The people who are stressed and dissatisfied measure progress by comparing where they are against their dreams. Having dreams that are unfulfilled can hinder us and damage our motivation to create powerful well formed outcomes.

So before you go off and start writing your NLP well formed outcomes about making your dreams come true; just think about that idea for a moment; The happy, fulfilled people look at how far they’ve come.

The unhappy, dissatisfied people look at how far they have to go to reach their dreams.

When you bear in mind that the dream, your NLP well formed outcome is in fact just a mental construct that cannot be reached, you can understand why they may have been feeling unhappy and dissatisfied.

So here are some steps to take to avoid dissatisfaction:

Firstly; think of something that you have been working towards for a while or something that you wish to work on. It could be something to do with your health, your finances, your relationships, a habitual change, something you want to overcome, a skill you wish to acquire, or something that you want to do.

Secondly, think of your dream, your desired outcome for this particular area. If you are exploring wealth, your dream might be financial freedom or owning a flashy new car. If you are focusing on health, your dream may be to be a certain size, to stop smoking or to run a mile in a certain time. Hey, it may even be how to stop clinging on to the safe place you might be in life.

Thirdly, have a really good think of where you started. Where were you at when you first decided you were going to do something about it? Really assess that. Get it clear in your mind/

Fourth, now compare where you currently are to your dream or your desired outcome. Now get a sense of how you feel about that.

In the vast majority of cases, people almost certainly find that there is a gap between where you are and your dream, of course, otherwise it would unlikely still be a dream. For some people, thinking about this gap is a disheartening experience. This is the habitual behaviour of unfulfilled people. So resolve to stop doing it today! Please! Just stop it.

Next up, compare where you currently are to where you started. Get a sense of how this feels. Now we are talking.

If you have made any progress at all, it will typically be more and more enjoyable to compare where you are with where you were. This is the habitual behaviour of happy, fulfilled people, of happy high achievers and those developing personally as they want to. This is really crucial in creating well formed outcomes for your life.

Many people have learned to compare themselves to the dream or the desired outcome. But once you know how this works, you can compare yourself to where you started, and feel good about the progress you have made, however minor it may be. The great thing is, that gives you energy and motivation to continue with your journey towards your NLP well formed outcomes.

Adam Eason is an author, consultant, trainer and motivational speaker in the fields of hypnosis, NLP, personal development and human potential. His website is filled with information, stimulating articles, resources and uniques products and can be found here; http://www.adam-eason.com

The Fear of Change has many negative consequences on one’s life. These include all of the following:

1. Perpetuates unfulfilling relationships,

2. Enslaves one in endless self destructive habits,

3. Suffocates one’s creative potential,

4. Leaves one feeling helpless to the whims and expectations of others,

5. Keeps one imprisoned in work that tortures the heart and the soul,

6. Stifles one’s passion for life,

7. Leads to frustration, hopelessness and depression, and last but not least,

8. Leads one to give up on life itself.

Interestingly however how many times have you heard yourself or others say something like, the fear of change protects me from the unknown and thereby keeps me safe and secure? Well if this were true then it would follow that if you are carrying something "on board" that is protecting you in this way, you should not only feel free to try out new things, situations, behaviors, etc but that this would ultimately make you feel confident, carefree and able to fully expand your life in any way you desired.

This however isn’t the case is it? If it was, you wouldn’t have been drawn to this article because it would have absolutely no relevance for you, would it? The fact that you are reading this suggests that you already know that the fear of change is destroying your life. You are probably also becoming aware that the "rationalizations" (see the previous paragraph) you have been buying into do not in any way support the truth about what the fear of change is doing to your life.

There is now a new process called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) which can help you become free of the fear of change once and for all. Yes, you read that correctly! If you want such an experience then please visit the web link below.

Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is an Energy Psychiatrist, Healer, Key Note Speaker,Editor of a New Ezine Called "Spirituality And Science" (which is requesting high quality article submissions) Author of "Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation" (available in ebook format on his web site), Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Energy Medicine Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being.

Business URL #1: http://www.telecoaching4u.com

Personal URL: http://www.telecoaching4u.com/Spirituality_And_Science.htm

Self hypnosis is a great tool for goal setting and for getting help in carrying out and fulfilling your goals, whatever they may be. This type of hypnosis can easily be learned if you really want to use this excellent method as an aid for reaching your goals. Below is a short generic view of the self hypnotic process. Though lots of variations of this method have been used, these are the basic steps you have to go through in order to hypnotize yourself to accomplish whatever you want.

1. Rank your goals from the most important goal to the less important. If possible, your goals should be measurable. Start with your most important goal. As soon as you can measure progress for this goal (like pounds lost, if your goal is weight loss, days of no smoking, if your goal is to stop smoking etc.) continuing with your second most important goal etc.
2. For each goal, you should formulate appropriate suggestions which means you have to transform your goals into specific instructions to your subconscious mind on how to achieve each goal.
3. Relaxation – use the first minutes of your self hypnotic session to get as relaxed as possible
4. Start your hypnotic induction phase by saying and repeating outloud the hypnotic words you have chosen, thinking of these words or listening to a hypnotic tape or CD custmized for your hypnotic and goal fulfillment needs. An example of an induction can be;

   "I am totally relaxed. I close my eyes and now I’m starting to drift downward. I can feel a warmth that is spreading from my feet and up my body. Every single part of my body is warm and totally relaxed.”

5. Apply the hypnotic suggestions you’ve made for reaching the specific goal you work with, say them outloud, think them or use a tailored hypnotic tape or CD

Before you start up your self hypnotic exercises you should make a time scedule for it. Do your hypnotic sessions every day, 5 minutes a day might be enough. Repeat your suggestions as often as possible during the day.

You must also measure your progress; am I closer to the goal now than I was last week? You should ask. This is the only way you can find out if this method really help you in achieving your goals.

Terje Brooks Ellingsen is a writer and internet publisher. He runs the website 1st-Self_Improvement.net. Terje is a Sociologist who enjoys contributing to the personal growth and happiness of others. He tries to accomplish this by writing about self help issues from his own experience and knowledge. For example, self hypnosis and other methods for self improvement as well as help to stop smoking.

Any time of year is a good time to set goals and start working towards them. However there are certain times of year when it feels very natural to set goals. One of these times is the New Year, and another is ‘Back to School’ time.

What would you love to have achieved by December? What would you feel really proud of accomplishing? As students head ‘Back to School’ to achieve their academic goals, we can take inspiration from them and apply it to our goals.

When we begin to see advertisements for ‘Back to School’ and children get ready for the new school year, it is a great time to set goals for ourselves too. However, our goals can be related to any aspect of our lives, and not just limited academic goals.

When we think of going ‘Back to School’ we picture fall colors and cooler weather. There is a ritual of going shopping for new supplies and setting off on the first day dressed in a new outfit. There is also an element of optimism and enthusiasm, ready to embrace a new and exciting challenge of the school year. So what can we learn from students who are heading ‘Back to School’ this fall?

Resources

When students go ‘Back to School’ they are surrounded by many different resources. These include tools such as new books, pens and pencils, clothes, etceteras. Although these tools have practical uses, they also make an important impression on the subconscious mind by providing strong motivations such as confidence and courage at a time that is generally filled with apprehension.

Students are also surrounded by many types of people resources. They have friends at school who share common interests and who are working towards common goals. They have access to teachers, librarians, counsellors, etceteras who impart their wisdom and motivate and guide them to learn new information and skills.

In addition, in order for students to be successful in achieving their academic pursuits, they also need to master the resource of time management. They need to make effective use of their time at school, and then they need to have the self-discipline to manage their time at home to do homework and prepare for the next day.

Therefore, no matter what goals you would like to achieve, you need to think about which specific resources you would need (i.e. what tools do you need, which people would help the most, where will your time come from, etc.). For example, if you wanted to get fit, then your tools might be a new gym outfit complete with cross-training sneakers to motivate yourself to go. Your people resources might be the trainers at the gym and your friends who share common fitness goals. Finally you would need to set aside time each day to attend the gym, to pack and repack your gym bag etc.

Structure

Going ‘Back to School’ also provides structure. After the freewheeling nature of summer vacation, structure can seem to be a very unwelcome thing. Even adults often think they dislike structure, and prefer to be spontaneous. However, having structure in place is a very valuable mechanism to facilitate the achievement of your goals.

Structure provides a framework so that you can do your best work effortlessly. If you decide your goal is to get fit, then structuring your workouts would be beneficial. You would need to schedule when you would attend the gym, and exactly what exercises you would be doing at each workout session.

Students have their time automatically structured. Their day-to-day time is structured with class schedules, and the exams that determine whether or not they have achieved their academic goals are structured by major holidays. The first such major holiday is in December, which gives them approximately 12 weeks to work towards their goals.

Twelve weeks is also a perfect length of time for you to work towards your goals; long enough to see results, yet short enough not to feel overwhelmed. Plus, if you are feeling melancholy that the summer is over, working towards a goal can direct that sad feeling into positive energy.

New Leaf

When children go ‘Back to School’ there is a feeling of newness and excitement in the air. It does not matter what happened last year; this year is a clean slate or a ‘new leaf’. Examples of the new leaf mentality might be: homework will be done the night it’s set, rather than the night before it’s due; library books will be returned on time, etceteras. Why not take this mind-set and apply it to your goals? It does not matter that past attempts to get fit were not successful, this time you WILL succeed.

So get ready to apply the ‘Back to School’ mind-set. Write down the goal(s) that you would like to achieve by December. Then determine the resources you need. Ensure you have the structure in place, and then turn a new leaf and jump right in!

Jacqueline King works with individuals wishing to achieve their goals in life. For more information, please visit http://www.montrealaddcoach.com

Ever noticed that when you have swags of time to complete a task then it takes much more time to complete it than is necessary?

I’m aware of a similar phenomenon with money. When I have my mortgage or health insurance debited from an account before funds are paid through to me, it’s amazing how that amount is not missed and I easily live within the amount that I receive. Yet when provided my total funds available first, how hard it is to pool the amount needed to pay that mortgage and insurance?

The thoughts in my mind and the gift that is my life, are not unlike these two scenarios. When I leave such vacuums in my mind and my life, they will be filled for me. Moment by moment and usually with other people’s agendas. My points of focus are then not my own. The distractions that can fill the voids are endless.

The first thing that I work on with clients is "What end result do you want?”

This one question can be such a struggle. In fact, some people never begin working with me because they cannot answer that question - not recognising that a coach will first work with you to crystallise your vision. Often the initial responses given are, what we think that others think that we should want for ourselves. Sometimes the answer is even what ‘we think’ that we think we want!

If I can give no authentic response to that question then I must be living from someone else’s agenda. It cannot be any other way. My thoughts and activities cannot have been allocated a specific focus if I find myself aimlessly bobbing on the waves.

My mind operates like a filter and also as radar. With all the stimulus coming at me then what is my brain filtering out, and on what is my mind focused? If I feel that I have fewer options in life and am experiencing overwhelm then I have not got clear with what I really want and my life will be an expression of survival or chaos. When there’s no mental image… expect total confusion!

I am much more inspired when firmly grounding my goals in what I want and where I ultimately want to go rather than basing my goals on what I have or what I have done. The other thing to recognise here, is that there is no right or wrong answer to the question "What end result do you want?". There is also not always a single answer nor multiple answers. That is completely personal.

How do you come about the answers for you? There are a myriad of ways to get access to what touches your heart and what would fulfil your life. It’s one of the reasons that I load this e-zine up with so many "triggers" for you.

Working one to one with a coach over a period allows for setting aside time for focused conversation; exploring many avenues and then gradually exposing the desired outcomes that "fit like a glove" for you. This quote may be a good place to begin your enquiry:

"View life as a series of movie frames, the ending and meaning may not be apparent until the very end of the movie, and yet, each of the hundreds of individual frames has meaning within the context of the whole movie. View your life from your funeral, looking back at your life experiences, what have you accomplished? What would you have wanted to accomplish but didn’t? What were the happy moments? What were the sad? What would you do again, and what you wouldn’t?" ~Victor Frankl~

©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 nothing but an obstacle course, its all about getting through that obstacle course *successfully* to your desired goal that most people seem to have a problem with.

And it’s only normal to encounter these obstacles in the pursuit of your goal.

It’s kind of a test to see if your worthy.

However, when these obstacles start to become a nuisance to the point of almost putting a stop to your goal(s); or worse, making one completely abandon his/her goal, one must take action and think things through.

So, with that said, here are some helpful, tested pointers that will keep your attention focused in achieving any goal that you put your mind to.

Step #1. Think positive.

This means: Do not quit. Especially when one is midway in working for a goal, there should be no room for quitting.

To quit is tantamount to going back to the starting line of goal accomplishment. That is time, energy, money, and a whole lot of things wasted and lost. It is more costly to quit than to find a solution to the problem, not to mention the frustration one feels.

Step #2. Keep a clear, open and tense-free mind.

Always be ready to receive new ideas. Focus and concentrate. Think on a wide scale manner and always be open for options(even unconventional ones) to eliminate the particular obstacle you are currently dealing with.

Step #3. Persist and Persevere.

Be sure to exhaust every possibility, even to the point of trial and error, just to be sure that there is a solution to correct the problem your dealing with.

Step #4. Simulate.

Try to picture inside your head a possible solution to help overcome and/or solve the obstacle that’s setting you back.

Step #5. Get assistance.

If all fails get assistance from other you know who are more knowledgeable on the work being done. They may be able to help you or not. Their suggestions might not necessarily be the right or exact ones you were hoping to hear, but they may trigger some NEW ideas in finding the right solution to your problem.

Those are the basic 5 steps to overcoming any obstacle that’s holding you back.

But… before I go I’d like you to consider this scenario as an example.

Let’s say you thought of a COOL new product and you are confident and excited that this product will be sellable to your target market once it hits the market.

You then go tell a friend about it, but your friend says that your product would be waste of time and money.

Your friend also tells you why it will be such a flop and gives your their reason why as follows:

"If your product idea is to be a success, how come nobody else is doing it?"

Does this sound familiar?

With that being said you decide that your friend is right and forget about your new product idea because of your friend’s comment.

This exact scenario happens all the time all over the world.

Don’t fall victim to this.

You are your own person with your own opinions and beliefs.

Though it is good to hear other peoples opinions and their reasons, what really matters the most is yours in the end based on the information you have received and researched.

So the lesson here is, be firm in your beliefs and follow your heart and minds desire.

You just never know what the outcome might be.

"Hypnosis Mania" - Unmasking the Mysteries and Powers of Hypnotism - REVEALS ‘How-To’ use hypnosis to overcome ANY obstacle that’s holding back. Get the 1st chapter TODAY… absolutely FREE! Click Here => self confidence

In 75 years time almost every person reading these words will probably be dead. Some, like me, will be long gone before that time - unless, of course, some scientist creates a miraculous anti-aging pill. Scary huh?

The way that so many people keep putting off significant life goals you would think that they had thousands of years to live. "Ah, I’ll leave it till tomorrow / next week / next month / next year / whenever…" These words are thought and uttered by millions every minute of every day.

Life is short. It’s shorter than most people realize.

When it comes to time everybody gets treated the same way. It doesn’t matter whether you are a pauper or a king. Time does not discriminate. No matter how much money you have you will never be able to purchase any units of time. Time does not care what you look like or how talented you are. It doesn’t care where you were born or who your parents are or what nationality you are.

Apart from the air we breathe, water, food and shelter, it is our most precious commodity. From the moment we are born we begin to use it up.

Why then are so many people prepared to waste time? You know that you are not going to live forever. You know that every passing day just reduces the amount of time you have to fulfil your life goals. Set a date. Make a promise to yourself. Put some checkpoints in place. Measure your progress on a consistent basis.

How important are your goals? Are they significant enough for you to expend the required time on bringing them to fruition? Well? How just important are they to you?

Father time will not wait for you. Make a start today. Write yourself a plan. Stick to it. Spend your time wisely. You will never get it back. Become inspired.

This article comes with reprint rights providing no changes are made and the resource box below accompanies it.

Become inspired: Click here to receive Gary Simpson’s short "zenspirational" weekly message PLUS an immediate FREE copy of his inspirational e-book "The Power of Choice." Read this and you will NEVER waste time again - guaranteed!