Success...One Day At A Time

Isn't It All About Time?

I've been working every hard on my new project which is due to be released tomorrow - yep April Fool's Day!

Isn't it funny how there never seems enough hours in the day when you REALLY need to do something...yet the day seems to drag when you're doing something that you're not really enjoying?

Take swimming, for example.

I swam 12 lengths of the local pool today as Katie had her swimming lesson.

Yes. I know that it's good exercise....but I find swimming as boring as Lesley finds marketing!

I was only in that pool for half-an-hour...yet it seemed more like two!

Yet...here I am...racing against a deadline for something...and, when I realize that I've only realistically got half-an-hour left to do a particular element of it...it NEVER seems long enough!

Ever had that feeling?

In a way...it just goes to show how WE can easily 'manipulate time' depending on how we view what we are doing that takes up that time.

It's an interesting thought.

What if YOU could fill up your day with stuff that you are focused and passionate about? I bet that you could easily fit a LOT into it - but only, of course...if you REALLY want to use time to your advantage.

Or will you spend it in front of the TV instead?

It's your choice...but once that time has gone...it will be lost to you FOREVER.

We Do What We Do Because...

Life is all about lessons.

If 'y' happens...then it's probably because you didn't do 'x'

Or, if you get passed over for promotion at work...perhaps you weren't ready for it.

Or maybe that run of 'bad luck' you are having is just a little 'kick' to push you in the direction of thinking more about being positive?

Maybe. Maybe not.

But...I certainly believe in 'cause and effect'...even though it's not always easy to relate the effect to the cause!

I KNOW that I am a product of my THOUGHTS and ACTIONS.

Nothing more.

Think about it for a moment.

If YOU are the product of these two things...doesn't that mean that YOU ALONE are in CONTROL of BOTH of them?

In my book...it certainly does!

What this means is that YOU can therefore CHANGE the way you are currently doing both (or at least either one)...and have an IMPACT on the sorts of FUTURE 'lessons' that come your way.

For example...I've noticed that the bigger 'challenges' I take on...the bigger lessons I get if I don't focus clearly on following through on them!

The important thing is to focus on what you REALLY want to do...and not what you THINK that you SHOULD do.

There IS a difference! And...it makes a difference in the sorts of lessons that come your way as a result.

We do what we do because we don't believe that we can do what we THINK we really want to do...when, in fact, it's so much easier to believe in what we really want to do...and do it!

(read it again...it DOES make sense!)

So...do YOU?

Are You Using The Wrong Measure Of Success?

Never forget that your success is only relative.

It is relative in the sense that you will measure your success in relation to those people you know.

Which is why so many people are MISERABLE!

It's human nature to compare ourselves unfavorably against others.

It's almost as if we have a "I'm never going to be as good as 'x' " mechanism in our heads!

Once you begin comparing yourself to against other people...you immediately are putting yourself on a NEGATIVE footing!

So...DON'T DO IT!

Take me, for example.

I KNOW for a fact that I earn less money than one of my brothers.

The natural reaction would be for me to consider myself a failure in the financial stakes compared to him.

But...I don't.

Why?

Well...even though I earn LESS money than him...I am much MORE successful than he is!

How can that be?

Well...he is constantly working and getting stressed out as he chases even more money.

I work almost when I choose to, I spend a lot of time with Lesley and Katie, my 'work' is not work to me...more of a challenging hobby, and despite everything that has happened to me over the last few years my life is happy, stress-free, and relatively relaxed.

Now...it's down to your own interpretation of success as to whose life you would rather have.

MY definition of success is measured in the terms of what I get OUT of life...not how much money I can spend.

So...if I compare myself to my brother...on my terms...I am certainly a LOT more successful than he is...despite our different incomes.

It's just a shame that more people don't look at success in this way.

Do YOU?

It's In The Way That You FEEL...

It's difficult sometimes not to turn this into a guide to being a successful online entrepreneur...and I try very hard to make sure that WHATEVER you are currently in your life...what I write about can still APPLY to YOU.

But...nevertheless...because I spend hours sat in front of my computer screen thinking about marketing as well as personal development...I can't help myself!

However...that's not to say that how I might deal with 'x' in my online business can't help YOU deal with 'y' in your personal life.

You see...there is a saying - "Success leaves clues"...and, I know from experience how very true this is.

The PRINCIPLES of leading a successful life, having a successful career, having successful relationships, and losing weight...are ALL based on the same mental 'games' that you need to play on yourself.

I'm a firm believer that YOU already KNOW what YOU need to do in order to make your life that little bit better than what it is right now.

You KNOW that there are one or two things that you SHOULD be doing that you aren't.

And...you're not doing them because you don't even know if, by doing them...you'll get what you REALLY want!

And...what might that be?

Well...that feeling of...

- Happiness
- Acheivement
- Self-respect
- Confidence

...which TOGETHER will allow you to do MORE with your life.

Note that I didn't mention money. Money CAN be a 'means to an end'...but it's certainly easier to aim for those four FEELINGS instead of chasing the dream of fast cars, big houses, and the 'lifestyle' it supposedly brings.

Being rich won't automatically entitle YOU to have ANY of those feelings.

But...you CAN live a life FULL of those four without ANY money if you CHOOSE to.

The key to a REALLY successful life is not in $, £, or Yen...it's in the way that you FEEL - NOW!

It's A Risk. What Would YOU Do?

Risk is something that we usually view negatively.

I don't. In fact...I REFUSE to!

Why?

Well...because I can USE risk to my advantage...that's why!

But...I have to do it on MY terms.

What do I mean by that?

Well...let me explain.

I am a firm believer in laying strong foundations for my future. I constantly re-invest my time and money back into my business...quite often at the expense of short-term income.

Lesley hates it!

She'd rather have some money to spend when I make some...instead of me taking most of it to re-invest in something that will either make me more business-like...or speed up my path to success.

Take this week, for example.

I'm going to buy a laptop computer.

Now...I don't have the spare cash to buy one...so it's going on my credit card...along with an investment of a similar amount on something else that I made last week!

I already have a laptop. It's 4 years old...and is fast enough to do most of the things that I use it for...writing and surfing when I'm not on my desktop in my study.

It's fine except for ONE thing. It isn't really fast enough nor has enough hard-disk memory for me to record the audio properly for the online/offline marketing seminars that I'm doing in the UK at the moment.

I can just about manage to get it to work...but I cannot 100% guarantee its reliability - especially when the audio files start off as huge 700MB plus files!

And...this is allowing for the big portable hard-drive that I bought last month!

So...what would YOU do?

Accept it...knowing that, with no small amount of worry...and logistical 'fun and games' you could get it to work...or just by a new one which will handle it all with no problems whatsoever?

So...I'm buying a new one!

For me...I'm INVESTING into my business...because my new laptop is another asset in the sense that I will be able to ENSURE that these audios will work fine...plus it will enable me to have another option at home for when the summer comes and I might want to sit out in the garden.

Not only that...I don't need the worry of wondering whether my dear old laptop is going to seize up at the first opportunity of struggle!

Who knows...I might even sell the old one to my brother!

So...I am HAPPY to take this 'risk' in buying this laptop on credit because it will also force me to USE this new asset so that it 'pays its way'.

I'm not just buying a new toy...I'm buying something that will a) cause me less stress, and b) ensure that I don't have to tell my fellow speakers to wait before starting because the laptop is saving the last speaker's presentation!

So...what do YOU think...am I doing the right thing?

You. Me. Life. It's Simple, Really

It's easy for me to sit here in my study at home...looking out at this sunny but chilly world of ours...and tell you that you can be a success.

But...if you've read what I've written over the last couple of years...you'll know that I MYSELF live what I tell you.

Sure...I have 'down' days sometimes.

Sure...things don't always go to plan.

Sure...I still get nervous before doing a teleclass or before doing some speaking.

Hello! I'm human, after all!

Just.....like....YOU!

I trod the corporate path for 15 years...and told myself that I was happy.

I probably was for most of it...but in a self-centered way, of course.

It's not until now when I looked back...that I didn't REALLY like my job that much. The work quite often used to bore me...ticking off one set of figures against another...dealing with bosses who weren't in the least bit supportive ot helpful.

Yet...that was my LIFE.

But...I WAS improving...probably more than I realized at the time.

I read personal development books on my daily commute. I listened to tapes. I put into practice a lot of positive stuff I'd learned where my department was concerned.

I had the best, most-highly-motivated, and confident, team around.

Of course...I was 'sent' a way out of it all because of Connor.

Yet...I STILL tried to carry on regardless...and almost 'lost the plot' at one point.

But...then I realized something VERY important.

I ALREADY knew ENOUGH about MYSELF to KNOW what I should do with my life.

I already knew how to motivate myself at work.
I already knew that the best way to believe in myself was to see that other people believed in me (thank you)
I already knew that I could NEVER be happy in a job I hated...HOWEVER much money they paid me.

And...the funny thing is...YOU are just like ME.

YOU can DO what YOU WANT TO.

Except, usually...it's a little too much effort for you, isn't it?

At the first sign of things not going according to plan...it's back to 'square one' isn't it?

WRONG!

Even over the last few WEEKS I've had to try to deal with unexpected events that I could never have planned for.

What do I do?

I just take a deep breath...and look at how I can find the POSITIVE...and then take ACTION...and do SOMETHING!

Life is like driving a car with a flat and you haven't got a spare...you'll get where you want to go eventually...but it just takes that little bit more concentration than usual to negotiate the road ahead.

There IS a road ahead for YOU...but you MUST make sure that you are in that car first!

Stand Up And Be Counted...Take That First Step

Whatever happens in your life...I can guarantee that you will NEVER be able to predict your future.

The path that we take changes minute by minute based on the decisions that we make...and the people that we attract into our lives based on those decisions.

My online business has moved in a completely different tanget since the beginning of the year...purely because of the decisions that I've made.

I made a decision to step outside of my comfort zone regularly...and my levels of what I BELIEVE I can achieve have risen CONSIDERABLY because of it.

And...so can YOURS, too!

The realms of impossibility turn into shifting clouds once YOU realize that it is YOU who are in SOLE control of YOUR life!

I've taken on most of my new projects without knowing much about knowing HOW I will make them happen...based purely on the knowledge that, if OTHER people can do something similar - why can't I?

And...why can't YOU, too?

Now...I'm saying that you should dive headlong into something that you haven't got the faintest idea about!

I'm all for risk-taking...but CONTROLLED risk-taking!

I make sure that my potential loses...both mentally and financially are restricted to what I feel comfortable with.

Thanks to the Internet...I can 'try' new things out...and, if they don't work as well as I would have liked...it didn't cost me that much to find out.

But...the 'net aside...it's the MENTAL side of this game that is the KEY element here.

Once you BELIEVE that you CAN...then it is SO much EASIER to do whatever is necessary to PROVE that you WILL!

And...thanks to the 'Universe'...if you approach everything from OUTSIDE a pure "What's in it for me?" mentality...then, it WILL give you those little nudges in the right direction.

I know...because it HAPPENS...regularly! Even those events that seem not to go quite as planned turn out to have a seed of a future solution to something else inside of them.

But...you MUST stand up and be counted and take that first step in order for things to HAPPEN.

And - the first step is ALWAYS the hardest.

But...it gets EASIER the more you take!

I'll Have The Variety Pack, Please

Every day...something new seems to come along.

It may be a chance remark...or it may be a new idea that can lead to something else.

But...if you look hard enough...there SHOULD be something different that happens every day.

But...what if there isn't?

Well...perhaps you're not looking for it!

Or...perhaps you are such a person of routine that you don't EXPOSE yourself to something new coming along.

For fifteen years I was a 'corporate clone'...same train, same time...every day. Same walk to the train station. Same route at the other end.

Same routine at work. Coat off. PC on. First coffee of the day.

Sure...the work varied (most days)....but something was MISSING.

I bet that you know what I mean, right?

I've now realized what it was that was missing...

VARIETY.

Even though I now work for myself...if I had a routine to my day...day after day...week after week...I think that I'd go mad!

A lot of people do. Well...they don't necessarily get mad...just angry that there SHOULD be more to life.

If you are...then don't try to make the big changes...just change your routine a little.

Take a different route to work (or an earlier train). Go for a walk at lunch time instead of working through it.

Take an afternoon off for no reason...do something for you...then unexpectedly pick your kids up from school...or meet your spouse for a drink after work.

Variety leads to variety...and more variety stops you from stagnating where you are.

Sure...you SHOULD be doing more with your life if you aren't doing what you want to do...but, you'd be surprised at how doing something NEW or DIFFERENT can put that little 'spring in your step'...and give you some breathing space to think a little.

As the saying goes - "Variety IS the spice of life"...and, in the short-term at least - it's something that you CAN do...which WILL have a positive effect on you NOW.

So...what are YOU waiting for?

You'll Never Know What Asking Can Do For You

If you don't ask...you don't get!

Or perhaps more accurately...you'll never find the answer if you don't ask the question.

I asked a question yesterday...and, within 24 hours...have now solved a 'problem' that I was trying to solve for the last few months.

All because I asked the question!

Do YOU ask questions?

Now...I've certainly been there (and, sometimes - I STILL am there!)...but, since I really thought about why I NEED to ask questions...I realized that we all too easily focus on a POSSIBLE negative reaction, and forget about the chances of a POSSIBLE positive reaction!

I'm of the opinion that the worse that can happen if I ask is that the other person says 'No'.

Sure...you might come across the odd person who might belittle you for asking a 'stupid' question...but, to be honest, almost everyone wouldn't mind answering a genuine question.

Especially if you frame it in a way that makes them look clever!

Over the last year or so...I have saved a few hundred dollars on my moving costs...I've not gone to some event that I didn't really want to...and now, I've managed to sort out a big thing for my business.

All because I asked!

If I hadn't asked...then I certainly wouldn't have GAINED any of those things.

Do you fear the how the other person may respond to you?

It's easily done.

But...the MORE you ASK questions...the more answers you GET...the LESS worried you get about the answer.

Even if I get a 'no'...at least I know that I am just a little closer to finding out what I need.

So...go ahead and try it...you never know what ASKING can do for you!

Isn't Accountability A Wonderful Thing?

I've had the idea (and the means to execute it) for a product/service since October last year...yet I've never quite got around to spending enough time on it in order to 'get it out there'.

The thing is...I KNOW that, if I have an idea...and don't almost IMMEDIATELY run with it...then it will run out of steam...and perhaps never see the light of day.

It's the same with this product...I spent a few months just completely doing NOTHING with it!

It's a joint venture...and, to be honest, neither of us has done much about it really.

Until a couple of weeks ago when we set a deadline for its completion.

Not only that...we decided that we would have WEEKLY 'accountability' calls where each of us would have to report on what we had done in relation to what we agreed on the previous week's call.

Now...I'll tell you now...this process is like PULLING TEETH!

I've put this project on almost indefinite hold for so long that it is SO difficult to get back into it and make sure that I do something EVERY week in order to make it happen.

It is SO difficult...yet, so EMPOWERING.

For example...I know that I have to do something in time for our call tomorrow...yet, if we weren't having that call - I KNOW that I wouldn't do it!

I bet you know what I mean, right!

Good intentions and all that!

But...because I have to EXPLAIN MYSELF to my partner for what I have or haven't done...then guess what I'm going to do first thing tomorrow?

That's right...work on this project...because I want to make sure that I will do what I said I was going to do last week.

I'm the sort of guy who tends to get stuff done often at the last possible moment...but, if it gets done...and that's the way I work...who cares, right?

But...I KNOW that I WILL do whatever I MUST do...because of that damn phone call tomorrow!

I know that I'm not perfect where getting everything done...and sometimes I DO need that little 'kick' myself!

Isn't ACCOUNTABILITY a wonderful thing?

I'm Here To Give YOU That Kick...

Now...you may be forgiven in thinking that this weblog is just a 'diary' or some comments on life in general.

After all...that's what blogs are for, right?

Well...in MY case...you DO get a little bit of life thrown in, but I much prefer to call these entries little LESSONS can help YOU live an easier, less stressful, and more happier, life.

Don't underestimate them just because they are 'chatty' in tone.

I'm not trying to make out that I am someone I am not here...but...the intention of these entries is not for ENTERTAINMENT.

Nope. Definitely not.

The SOLE purpose of EVERY single entry that I write is to get YOU to think about your life a LITTLE differently.

If you don't believe me...go back through ALL of the 400+ entries that I have written...there is an element of YOU in every single one of them.

I know from my stats that you might be in a serious minority if you are reading this...but it doesn't make what I am saying any LESS effective because of it.

To be honest...I wouldn't be INVESTING 15-20 minutes of MY life almost every day writing something if I didn't KNOW that it CAN be helpful to YOU in some way.

In this age of information overload...the OBVIOUS can easily be overlooked because it's just THERE...pretty much like these entries.

Only a couple of other people I know online write as regularly as I do.

And...to a person...we aren't doing it solely for OUR sakes...we're doing it because we KNOW that we can help YOU...even if it is only every now and again in some small way.

It's the same where success is concerned.

All it takes is a little 'kick' every once in a while...and that will keep you going until you need the next one...or you're able to focus yourself on your own.

In the meantime...that's what I'm here for...and that's what these entries are about.

Giving YOU that kick to start THINKING more about who you are, what you do, and why you do it.

Once you sort that out...there will be no stopping you!

Hate To Tell You This...The Future Doesn't Exist!

What do YOU really WANT from your life?

Wait. Before you answer...let me rephrase that question slightly...

"What do YOU really WANT from your life that doesn't include money?"

Yeah...I know...we do NEED money (although I believe that we need LESS of it than we think that we do)...but I'd rather get you to focus on something that is one million times more important!

Let me put this money thing into perspective...

Don't you think that I would gladly GIVE AWAY all of my money if I could have Connor back?

I wouldn't even give it a second thought.

I bet YOU wouldn't, either...if it meant that you could bring back someone you love, or get your health back, or re-wind that angry teenager back into that four-year-old that used to worship the ground that you walked on.

Life's all about PERSPECTIVE.

It whizzes by so quickly that we FORGET that, although money can help us buy THINGS...it can't buy us our thoughts, feelings, memories...nor our health or the health of our loved ones.

Sure...having a huge overdraft and loans coming out of your ears isn't a pleasant place to be...but, when all is said and done...if you look (perhaps not even that hard)...you WILL find something or someone to be SO grateful for.

Too many people in this materialistic and egotistic world of ours chase money at the expense of happiness...always believing that what they are doing is good for the FUTURE of themselves and their family.

Shame that the FUTURE doesn't exist...you can only ever live in the NOW.

And...it's the NOW that matters.

It's Now Or It Will Still Be The Same Now Forever

Life can pull us in many directions...but not usually the ones that we should be going.

There's a program on TV at the moment that I like to watch...but, here I am, typing away - just for you!

Well...not necessarily for YOU...because that's the aim of this site...but for ME as well.

Why?

Well...if I can't place more importance on writing something constructive (and perhaps useful) every day than watching TV...where will I be in a year's time?

It's like when you are on a diet...you want that chocolate even MORE than you usually do...because you KNOW you shouldn't have it!

It's the same where success is concerned.

You know that you SHOULD be spending time reading, or applying what you read...yet, most of the time...isn't it so much EASIER to just watch that TV program, or read that novel, or phone your friend for a chat.

Success...isn't necessarily EASY...but it is SIMPLE.

"Do something, every day, that takes you to where you want to go...and you'll get there eventually."

It's just a shame that eventually is a word that scares people because it doesn't solve 'problems' NOW.

But, then again...eventually you WILL have the SAME problems when you are sitting there in a year's time...and the NOW of TODAY has just turned into the same disppointing NOW of the FUTURE.

(Read it again - it does make sense!)

So...you CAN change what you are doing NOW...but are you going to?

Failure? Or Is It?

It's not always easy to face up to 'failure'.

That horrible feeling in the pit of you stomach when something goes 'wrong' is certainly not a nice one, is it?

But...it doesn't HAVE to be that way!

You see, quite often...it's how we PERCEIVE what has happened that is the problem...not what ACTUALLY happened!

From my own experience...I KNOW that there CAN be a positive that you can take from almost ANY situation.

Of course, not literally in terms of it happening being a good thing...but what sort of person it made you into, or how it made you appreciate life more - those sorts of things.

Most people struggle to see the good in ANYTHING!

When you go through life assuming the worst - then guess what's going to 'come true'?

In both my personal and business life, I REGULARLY don't have things go the way I want them to.

Do I get bitter? Do I curse my luck? Do I 'blame' other people?

Nope.

I just look at what I can LEARN from the situation so that I NEVER make the same 'mistake' again!

Sure, it can hurt. Sure, it can sometimes be unpleasant.

But...you'll be surprised at how many of my 'failures' were in retrospect, blessings in disguise...but ONLY because I turned them to my ADVANTAGE.

So...next time YOU think that you've failed...look for what you can learn from it.

It's Time For You To Change (Because...)

As seems to happen about every six months during my online 'travels'...I am, once again, beginning the process of evaluating what I do.

Or perhaps more accurately...evaluating what I spend my time on in relation to what I really want to spend my time on!

Have YOU ever gone through that process of really looking at EVERYTHING that you do...just to see if you STILL want to do it?

Now..I'm not about to give up writing or anything like that.

I'm just going to spend some time looking at whether I ENJOY everything that I do as much as I did when I started.

It's easy to get 'stuck'...not necessarily in a rut...but in an 'easy groove' that doesn't always serve you best in the long run!

Too many people go through their lives assuming that they CAN'T change...when, in fact, a lot of the time...it's because they WON'T -

"Because...(fill in the gaps)"

A regular 'spring clean' is certainly a useful thing to do...even on a relatively small scale.

Any time spent on reflection on whether what you do contributes to where you want to go is, in my opinion, a very wise investment.

So...will YOU join me in looking at what you are doing that perhaps you don't really need (or want) to do anymore?

Are Your Building Your Wall To Success Properly?

I was playing Lego(tm) with Katie the other day.

We were building a house...and she desperately wanted to build it as quickly as possible.

It was only when she was about halfway through that she realized that she had a MAJOR problem!

Because she had just stacked each block - one of top of another...her house was beginning to become seriously wobbly!

You could literally hear the bricks creak every time she added a new one.

It was no surprise to me that, as she was desperately racing to fit on the roof...the entire building just collapsed under the pressure.

To say that she wasn't happy was an understatement!

Katie hadn't grasped the fact that you MUST use the strength of each block as support for OTHER blocks...by making sure that, like a normal brick wall, there are NO 'joins' where one layer of bricks doesn't overlap with another.

YOUR success 'foundations' MUST be exactly the same as that brick wall.

It's pointless running around 'fire-fighting' your way through life.

You MUST make sure that YOU are in CONTROL of where the 'bricks' end up in YOUR wall.

YOU need to make sure that YOU are the person who decides what YOU are going to do.

It's pointless relying on someone else to build YOUR wall...they're hardly going to take as much care with it as you are, aren't they?

By the same token...if you approach what you want in life in a haphazard way, then you WILL get some 'weak spots'...some of which won't become apparent until much later on...when the pressure gets too much for them to bear.

So...if you are going to do SOMETHING with YOUR life...do it RIGHT!

Never forget the saying that 'a bad workman always blames his tools'.

YOUR tools are YOU...so you've only YOURSELF to blame if, because you haven't built it properly, YOUR wall comes tumbling down!

Are You Building A Negative Collage?

Like the seasons change every year...I can guarantee that you are going to have some good days...and some bad days.

We ALL do.

But...it's how you treat those 'bad days' that will determine how many more of them you will have in the future.

Whether you like it or not...you mind is constantly looking for 'matches' for the input it receives.

It doesn't want to have re-process everything it is given from scratch...so it just goes out and finds the best 'match' and then builds a picture from there.

Of course...this happens in milliseconds.

But...what this means is that, as your mind is constantly looking for related experiences from your past...it can't help but find them!

So...if you are spending your days worrying about being stressed or about how little money you have...guess what emotions, feelings, and experiences your mind is going to automatically hunt down for you?

It can't help it.

So...if you are CONSTANTLY thinking negative thoughts...you are automatically building up and entire COLLAGE of previous negative thoughts...all related to each other!

But...think about it for a moment.

If you start LOOKING for, and THINKING about, the complete opposite guess what your mind is going to link to?

That's right - GOOD stuff!

You mind can help but keep itself FULL.

Try NOT thinking for a moment. It's almost impossible, isn't it?

So...start by trying to FILL your mind with the GOOD stuff - you know - stuff like looking for the positive in 'bad' situations...or about how you CAN achieve something (rather than looking at why you can't).

Try it.

You'll be amazed at how, over time, you won't be able to stop yourself from taking the positive viewpoint on EVERYTHING!

I know from personal experience that it works!

So...What's Changed?

It's easy to let things get on top of you when a few things (one after the other) don't seem to go your way.

Whether you may like it or not...your mind starts chattering away...desperately trying to 'complete the picture'...and make you out as a TOTAL 'failure'.

Your mind is constantly searching for a 'result'...constantly looking to 'complete the picture' that you present to it.

So...isn't it any wonder that, when a couple of things go wrong back-to-back...it starts telling you that it's ALWAYS going to be like that in future.

It's not.

Definitely. 100%

NOT!

I've got into the habit of looking at how I interpret the 'setbacks' that happen in my life.

Your 'world' could change in an instant if you receive an email or phone call that goes against what you thought was an amazing idea, for example.

So...stop and ask yourself - "What's changed?"

Sure...you now might have the opinion of one (or more) people that doesn't necessarily agree with yours

You now have more INFORMATION than you did...but does that mean that the thing you were really excited and motivated about has changed in ANY way?

Nope. It's just that, because you've got some feedback that didn't agree with what you were thinking...all of those amazing ideas will come to nothing?

Now...I'm not saying that you should completely disregard other peoples' opinions. In my business, for example, that's valuable feedback.

No...what I am saying is, try to stop your EMOTIONS from getting in the way of clear thinking.

The wheels of many of the best ideas of the future have surely come off because of an offhand remark by a friend or relative...I'm absolutely sure of that.

So...always make sure that, when you find out something (or that someone) doesn't agree with your opinion or idea...just ask yourself...

"What's changed?"

Are You Living To Someone Else's Agenda?

Who would have guessed that a guy like me who couldn't even manage to write a diary is able to write every day?

I would have laughed at you in August 2001 if you had told me that, just 30 months later...I would be doing this.

Back then...I was on anti-depressants, constantly stressed through juggling looking after Connor with working abroad for almost 6 days a week for 3 weeks out of four.

Lesley and I were close to breaking point.

That August was a turning point for me because it made me realize what life was all about.

It wasn't about focusing on a career at the expense of a family life.
It wasn't about having to put up with feeling miserable because I "couldn't" do anything about it.
It wasn't about trying to be someone I was not

And...it certainly wasn't about job security.

When I decided that fateful week in August that I was going to quit my job by December 1st that year...NOTHING mattered anymore...apart from one very important thing.

The ONLY thing that mattered to me was that I didn't HAVE to do what I didn't want to do.

Sure...we all need an income, and the 'career' that may provide it...but, I would gladly have taken just a part-time job to pay the bills so that I didn't have to face compromising what was REALLY important to me...

My mental health...and the physical and mental health of my family.

Looking back...I honestly couldn't tell you how I had the guts to do it. But I did.

And now...I KNOW that I COULD because I NEEDED to be 'somewhere else' more important than chasing money and prestige.

I needed to be ME...and I needed to have a life that, despite all of its ups and downs...I could be HAPPY in!

Now...YOU don't have to quit your job like I did...YOU just need (at the beginning) to LOOK at WHY you are doing things because you feel you HAVE to.

Life's too short to live it to someone elses' agenda.

It's only when you live it to your own like I now do...that you realize that you CAN have a happy and relatively stress-free life.

BUT...only if you change what makes you unhappy first!

Swimming In Waves Of Failure?

I very rarely recommend anything to you these days, because, to be frank - most of the stuff I get asked to recommend is, well, crap!

Yet - for the last five years I've been recommending these amazing CDs.

I wonder why that is?

They are not my preferred way of learning...but you only have to look at the response from other people to show you that they could work for YOU.

I've been taking a look at how I analyze 'failure' this week.

It's easy to let your emotions (and gut reactions) make something into more of a problem than it might be.

It's so easy to get stressed when you look at life through a cloud!

Over the last couple of years...I've began to look for the 'lesson' behind my so-called 'failures' (let's call them 'temporary defeats').

This week, for example, I found myself reacting positively to something that would have usually 'knocked me sideways'.

Because I am now a lot more philosophical about life...not much really 'gets to me' any more.

You see...YOU do have a CHOICE about what gets you down!

Sure...for a few minutes...it CAN seem like things have gone horribly wrong, but when you step back and take stock a little...you'll usually find that if you look at things with a 'clear head'...you'll be fine.

Life's events comes in waves...good days, bad days, average days...all following on from one another.

Now, that's not to say that you MUST have bad days, but, being realistic, most of us DO have the odd day where we just can't really be bothered.

Personally I have less and less of them because I don't let external events and people 'wind me up'.

I KNOW that I am in SOLE control of how I interpret my life...and so are YOU, too!

Are You Trying To Change Your World Overnight?

Did you know that, if you REALLY wanted to, you could do literally ANYTHING that you choose to do?

It's just a shame that you don't.

It's nothing to be ashamed of...practically everyone never quite gets around to doing ANYTHING much with their lives.

Which is an even bigger shame.

You see...life is supposed to be CHALLENGING, FUN, and HAPPY.

The trouble is, when the lure of money steps out in front of you...it usually blurs your vision where these three things are concerned.

Not always...but more often than not.

Of course...that may not be a huge problem if you are contented with your 'lot'.

But...if you're reading this...then perhaps you're not?

So...in the short-term...begin by looking at ways where you can get more enjoyment out of what you do.

Stop thinking in terms of material things...and start thinking about experiences instead.

For example...over the last couple of years I've wanted (or I think that I've wanted) a huge plasma screen for my living room.

But...I've never quite got around to buying one...even though I've spent thousands on less material things like seminars, teleclasses, and vacations with Lesley and Katie.

To me...it's now more fun to 'invest' in myself and my business than it is to buy a 'boy's toy' like a plasma TV or fast car.

That's not to say that YOU shouldn't...just that you should look first at perhaps things that money CAN'T buy...like going for a walk along the beach on a bright Winter's day, or to just take a day 'out' and just spend it in bed watching TV and catching up on your reading (only if you DESERVE it, mind you!)

So...try not to think about changing your world overnight...just make the most of the GOOD parts of what you are ALREADY doing or what you already have.

You may surprise yourself and find that life may not be that bad after all!

Perhaps You're Just Laying The Necessary Foundations?

Inspiration can come in many forms.

After 15 years in a completely clerical job...I now find it almost impossible NOT to 'think out of the box' (to use management-speak).

What about YOU...do you ever think 'around' a subject to see if there could be a different aspect to it that you haven't considered?

As my 'job' now is based on a serious degree of creativity (well...YOU try and write something useful and positive every day!)...it has surprised me at how well I have 'adapted' to my new role.

But...on reflection...perhaps THIS is what I SHOULD have been doing all of those unfulfilled years in a bank.

Perhaps I NEEDED that experience in order to provide the foundation for what I am doing now.

Although I haven't brought along any technical skills I learned in banking...I HAVE brought with me my desire to lead, motivate...and be 'business-like'.

Although I've worn a suit only twice in the last 3 years...I know that I CAN step back into that more 'corporate' role if I need to (for example when presenting to small businesses the other week.)

So...in retrospect...perhaps those years in a job that I excelled at, but never really enjoyed DID provide me with something that has set me on this path...and for the future.

Whatever situation YOU are in at this very moment...just remember that you WILL move on to 'better things' (if that's what you want, of course)...but ONLY if look towards what you REALLY want to do with your life...and begin to make PLANS to achieve it.

It works for me...so there's no reason why it can't work for YOU.

I'm Here. I'm Capable. So Why Not?

I have had work 'coming out of ears' at the moment.

It's amazing what you can accomplish when you REALLY set your mind to it.

I'm juggling three or four completely different disciplines at the moment.

For example...just today I -

- Finished writing a sales letter
- Configured a shopping cart
- Set up a blog for my brother
- Worked out why some HTML wasn't working
- Began writing notes for a teleclass that I am leading this week

Plus...I'm writing this!

Now...I'm not telling you about this to boast...I'm telling you this because, if I wasn't really bothered, I could have got away with not doing any of them.

But...I didn't because I KNOW that, like a muscle in your arm...your mind EXPANDS through resistance!

You wonder why so many people are literally throwing their dreams away because they don't actually do ANYTHING to stretch themselves.

I've heard three different people over the last few days saying that they couldn't do something because they had to 'do something else'.

I've got LOTS of 'something else' to do, too...but that doesn't stop me from throwing down a challenge to myself to REALLY push myself.

It's not about working all hours. It's not about doing stuff that I hate doing.

It's about seeing how far my skills and ingenuity can take me.

And...guess what?

I've realized that the MORE I do...the more I am CAPABLE of doing!

Yep...even YOU could do more (FOCUSED) 'work' towards whatever you choose...as long as you tell yourself that it is a LEARNING experience...WHATEVER happens!

Failure is not a word in my book...there is only temporary defeat.

And...temporary being the way it is...means that, if, for whatever reason, I DON'T achieve as much as I would like in a given day...I know that I CAN tomorrow!

And...so can YOU...but only if you REALLY want to.

That Broken-Down Car Called Procrastination

Procrastination is a very dangerous thing.

It's also very infectious!

The more you procrastinate...the harder it is not to do so in the future.

As you may know...I always say that the cure is just to START.

But...perhaps I really should mean start SMALL.

Why?

Welll...I don't know if you have ever had to push a car that has broken-down. It takes some serious effort to get the thing moving, I can tell you!

But...in the 3 or 4 times that I have had to do it in the past...EVERY time I end up just jogging beside it (not even behind it) just gently helping it along.

The hardest part is getting the thing going...and then the physical law of momemtum takes hold...and then it's just a cause of KEEPING it moving.

Procrastination IS that broken down car.

ACTION is what you need to take to get it moving. (That's why it seems so hard.)

And...your MOMENTUM will ensure that it WILL be easier to 'speed up'...but only as long as you make a regular HABIT out of taking ACTION.

All you need is just to start...even if that means making a single phone call, writing a single goal down, or writing that first sentence of your novel-to-be.

Just ONE little thing...APPLIED regularly...and you WILL be getting rid of that procrastination 'curse' once and for all!

What Have YOU Learned In The Last Two Years?

The other day I did a little exercise of taking stock of what I have learned in the two years since I began my online journey.

It amazed me how many brand NEW skills and talents I learned that had absolutely NOTHING to do with my previous 15-year-long career!

Here's a list of what I haven't since March 1st 2002...

- How to code a basic website with HTML
- How to read and 'play around with' basic PERL and CGI scripts
- How to manage my websites at my hosting company
- How to write a salesletter
- How to build my list to 25,000
- How to write articles so that people read them
- How to write and publish a weekly ezine
- How to write and create a online product
- How to write and deliver an online 'program'
- How to create an offline product
- How to get programmers to create a software product for me
- How to sell products online
- How to get other people to sell my products online
- How to sell other peoples' products online as an affiliate
- How to book, write, and lead a teleclass
- How to record a teleclass
- How to convert those recordings into mp3s and streaming real audio files
- How to record CD-quality audio using my PC and a mic.
- How to burn both audio CDs and CD-roms...and how to package them
- How to speak in public about 2 topics - motivation and internet marketing (my first 'gig' was in front of 365 people in San Francisco! - THAT was scary!)
- How to coach one-to-one
- How to network with people at seminars
- How to create and manage a blog
- How to record and deliver online 'videos'
- How to create/deliver/organize/record a REAL seminar

Perhaps I should also add..."be able to write daily"!

Now...that may seem like a LOT of things to pack into just 2 years...but really, they have just literally followed on from one another.

Now...I ask YOU...yes, YOU, sitting there reading THIS!

Are you thinking more about what you THINK you can't do instead of what you COULD do if you took ACTION?

Well?

Not sure?

Take a look at my list. If you'd asked ME two years ago whether I would have done more than 3 or 4 of those things...I wouldn't have believed you!

But...since I took ACTION...I've found it so much EASIER to stretch myself in whatever direction my DESIRES take me.

Sure...I'm not the 'finished article' by ANY stretch of imagination...but I am constantly looking at developing my skills further.

Plus...by 'trying out' many brand new things...don't you think that I now have a MUCH clearer picture of the sort of tasks that DO inspire me?

What about YOU?

What have YOU learned in the last 2 years that has helped YOU get to where you want to go?

A 'Phone-y' Painful Thought

Now...I'll be the first one to admit that I am not a 'phone person'.

Whenever it rings...I always make sure that someone else answers it! (Although, I'm getting better with my office phone...which rings about twice a month!)

So...believe me, having the last two days I have had...is certainly another step forward in my development as a person!

I've spent literally seven hours over two days on the 'phone to people whom I HAD to contact for something I am doing in the UK.

Painful!

Well...not really.

The THOUGHT was painful...but the real world isn't as bad.

Plus...I'm slowly conquering another 'demon' of mine...where I usually email instead of picking up the phone.

Now...because I am PURPOSELY putting myself into a position where I MUST use the phone in order to achieve the results I want...I am once again adding to my list of things that I CAN do. (Instead of won't!)

But...if I didn't HAVE to...then I certainly wouldn't have done.

So...the moral of this story is to engineer your life in such a way where you set targets for yourself...even if you're not sure if you are really going to achieve them.

I firmly believe that I am closer to where I want to be by developing my phone 'capacity' than if I didn't.

And...where success is concerned...that is ALWAYS a good thing!

Going Solo...Or Is It So Low?

It's scary how some even relatively successful people think small.

Sometimes it amazes me how the 'bigger picture' can't be grasped because you may be so focused on YOURSELF that you can't see that you are mentally holding yourself back by thinking that way.

(Now...that was quite a long sentence...so it might be worth re-reading it - it'll be worth it!)

Now...I was guilty of it, too, for a number of years. I was so focused on measuring myself against other people that I literally went out of my way NOT to help them.

It worked the other way, too. They didn't help me, either.

Now...as a 'solo entrepreneur'...I come across so many people who are solely 'out for themseleves' that they can't see that a short-term sharing of an income pie would result in a longer-term benefit.

So...guess which people I am actively looking out for to build relationships with?

The world is a huge, prosperous and abundant place...and there is much MORE than enough to go around than we realize.

It's only when you realize the power of people thinking and working TOGETHER that it all becomes so clear.

It's just a shame that most people don't even give it a second-thought.

Do YOU?

Start Stepping Out Into The Unknown!

You never know where your decisions will take you.

But...I can guarantee that, if you continue to make the same ones...day after day...your life isn't going to change that much.

It's only when I look back over the last couple of years that I realize that for the fifteen years before them...I didn't really progress personally much.

Sure...I moved up in my career and earned more money...and learned a couple of new skills.

But...that was nothing compared to the last couple of years where I have HAD to challenge myself into new directions...by taking MORE decisions.

Especially those where I don't already know how to arrive at the results I want!

That's a BIG thing to understand.

Most people go through their lives making ONLY those decisions where they KNOW how to achieve the outcome.

Shame that the vast MINORITY are stepping out into the 'unknown'...and making decisions that will affect their future...without knowing EXACTLY how to make it happen!

There is a HUGE difference in how much you develop as a person depending on which 'school' of decision making YOU fall into.

Practically every decision I make relating to my business over the last 2 years was based on the fact that I personally didn't know how I could achieve the result I wanted...but...I knew that OTHER people were able to achieve it...so why couldn't I?

Guess what happened?

I achieved them, too!

I either found out through focused effort of my own...or ask someone who was more experienced than I was.

As a person...it has changed the way I view ALL of my life.

And...it WILL change YOURS, too!

The Universe WILL Take Care Of It!

So many people just don't "get it"!

Every day I receive those dodgy emails...and over the last week or so, I've even started to get some dodgy comments posted on this blog.

Shame that I see every one as soon as it is entered...and delete it immediately.

Now...it's not the fact that it happens that annoys me...it's just a shame that the person (people) who do this sort of thing hasn't got a CLUE about how life works!

Merrily trying to stomp on the ground of other peoples' hard won efforts is hardly going to help them when the Universe is looking at their net 'contribution' to the world.

I am a firm believer that, whatever shape or form you cheat...you get what's coming back to you eventually.

The Universe takes care of the 'good people' eventually...even if it might not always seem like it.

Now...I COULD loas one of those 'good guys'...ok at what's happened to me and curse the Univese'''' for not helping me one bit.

But...when I look at the 'bigger picture'...my experiences - good, bad, and plan horrific have made me into the person who I am today.

Someone who is a MUCH better PERSON because of it all.

Cutting corners or trying to get 'one over' on someone won't help you one single bit.

Even if you may THINK that you have won in the short-term...the 'Universe' has a way of balancing these things out...even if it takes years for it to catch up!

So...be warned!

Are You Impossibly Kidding Yourself?

The world moves to help those people who move around it.

What do I mean by that?

Well...if you are constantly struggling with 'bad luck'...I bet that this is what you focus on...

"I'm always unlucky".

Guess what happens the next time a 'chance' comes around? Yep...you live your self-fulfilled prophecy!

"I never have any money."

I bet that, if your thoughts are constantly directed in this way...then you WON'T ever have any money!

It's only when you begin to look at the possibilities and the positives in your life that things will (slowly) turn around for you.

But...it won't happen overnight!

If you've spent the last 25 years filling your mind with a poverty mindset...do you think that you could change it within hours or even days or weeks?

That's where most people go wrong.

They are too busy looking for a 'quick fix' that they don't realize that there ISN'T one!

Whether you like it or not...changing your life around isn't easy, simple, or straightforward, or quick.

But you CAN make leaps in what you are achieving by CONSTANTLY looking for possibilities!

Too many of us assume that the 'impossibles' in our lives are exactly that...when, in reality...we are kidding ourselves.

Once you open yourself up to what you REALLY can achieve...then, take it from me...NOTHING will stop you!