Success...One Day At A Time

No Way Back...To The Old You

I'm a great believer in perpetual learning.

Constantly learning about your business and yourself...no matter how much you think that you know.

The value of this has always been made obvious to me when I come into contact with other successful people - whether their definition of successful may match yours or not.

The strength of these people has a foundation in the fact that they KNOW that they can never learn ENOUGH about themselves.

Plus...they also know that what they learn is useless unless they follow through on their new knowledge.

Which is where most people 'fail' when trying to change their lives FOREVER.

It's like a switch that goes off in your mind when you realize that there is NO way back to the 'old you'.

Take me, for example...I can categorically say that I will NEVER bee going back to a 9-5 job.

Never. I may be 34 years old and still have a few 'working years' left in me...but I KNOW for a FACT that what I am doing now is WHO I am!

Is what YOU are doing now who YOU are?

Changing the habits of a lifetime TO DATE isn't going to be easy - that's for sure.

But...once you begin to see the RESULTS of putting your KNOWLEDGE into ACTION - then you'll know that it is worth it. 100%.

Are YOU One Of Those People?

Already...I've noticed people this week who are going places.

Attendees at my seminar. Focused. Taking action. Getting results.

But also...there are a couple of people whom I would have EXPECTED to 'do' something...perhaps haven't?

Are YOU one of those people, who, despite all of your good intentions often gets waylaid when it comes to the DOING part?

It's nothing to be ashamed of. We all do it.

Except the most successful people allow themselves to be pushed off course far less than those who aren't quite making it.

I'll admit it.

Sometimes I need one almighty dose of focus just to get going (from surfing to work) somedays.

But that's why I do something like write this every day.

I do it because I know that I MUST create something new every day - otherwise I will lose momentum.

Trouble is...when you are constantly coming up with ideas...the less exciting parts of the 'job' tend to lose their attraction.

In the same way that you like certain parts of your job - but aren't really bothered about the others.

What is it that really INSPIRES you?

I mean, really focuses you on actually take ACTION on a regular basis?

Even the most focused people can veer off-course...but they know that all they need to do is do or find something that EXCITES them...and that will make it easier to do the more 'routine' things that we have to do.

So...what focuses YOU?

Are You Walking Down The Wrong Path To Tomorrow?

Life is a very fickle thing.

One minute you can have no money...the next people are contacting you WITH money!

(Well...it's happened to me a couple of times before!)

One minute you can be down about something that didn't quite work out as planned...the next you could be overjoyed at the prospect of having time freed up for a brand new idea that you just had.

That's why it's impossible to fight it!

As I always say...

"You don't know what you don't know!"

So...trying to second-guess what is going to happen in the next hour, let alone the next year...is pointless!

Yet...I bet that many people use up so much 'mindspace' trying to do EXACTLY that!

Over the last few months...I've decided to really focus myself on doing what is absolutely necessary now...so that the future will begin to take care of itself.

This also means that I don't live in the "What if...?" and "If only..." worlds that so many people inhabit.

Why don't YOU try it?

Why don't YOU try and FORGET about what *might* happen in the future...and instead look at getting the most from what you are doing NOW - whether it's work or play.

Believe me...your stress levels certainly move down a notch when you KNOW that you are doing your BEST...and leveraging every idea that you have...and that you are taking the necessary ACTION to make things happen.

Once you begin to walk down this path...you'll soon realize that there can NEVER be a way back to the 'old you'.

You'll see.

Do You BELIEVE That You Are Bigger?

There's something interesting that I've found as I've progressed online...

"The more you achieve - the easier it is to THINK bigger"

And...once you begin to THINK bigger...then your mind automatically begins to focus on what is POSSIBLE as opposed to what you think you might not be able to achieve.

I saw this realization dawn on so many people at my UK Net Seminar over the weekend.

One of them told me that after the first day they went to their room full of FEAR!

"Why?" I had asked

They replied that they had a realization..."This could actually WORK!"

Why did they feel that way?

Well...they saw 'regular' people like me achieving what they didn't really believe was possible...and it made them realize that it WAS possible!

And...automatically...their entire outlook on what they BELIEVED was possible changed.

It was as if 40 people in that room mentally 'stepped up a gear'...determined to really push themselves onto bigger and better things.

Yet...NOTHING had really changed in the 'real' world.

Sure...they had more information (or they were reminded of information that they had previously ignored)...but information is useless on its own.

What had changed was that, in their minds, they had begun to BELIEVE that they were BIGGER than they had previously thought.

And...so are YOU, too!

Doing The 'Same Again' Just Won't Work!

After putting on my first-ever 'proper' 2-day seminar (on Internet Marketing)...I've realized a couple of things.

1) It's not good enough to just 'do enough' - doing your BEST is much more rewarding!

2) I won't be moving forward next time if I don't put a seminar on that is bigger or better in some way.

Do YOU think like that after succeeding at something?

How many people or businesses think that way?

I see so many people just doing enough to get by.

And...I see so many slightly more successful people doing enough to get by...over and over again...without really 'going' anywhere!

I KNOW that if I DON'T push myself to achieve that little bit more (OK - much more than that!) next time...then I wouldn't have really moved forward.

I know that I can put on a great seminar. I know because of the feedback I got over the weekend.

But...from a developmental point of view...it's not good enough just to do the same AGAIN.

Firstly...I'd personally get bored (which I hate), and secondly...what would I have learned?

Sure...there would be different people in the audience...and the 'balance' of the event may be different...but for ME...I won't be developing MYSELF - which is more crucial to me than putting on a seminar that is exactly the same just to try to make some money from it.

What works for ME is challenge and variety...it's the way that I personally GROW.

What works for YOU?

Doing the same thing over and over again "because...." certainly won't!

Life's One Big Confidence Trick!

Let's face it...if you're not confident in who you are, what you do, and why you do it...life can seem quite a challenge!

But it doesn't have to be that way.

Confidence always seems to be something that OTHER people have...and YOU want.

Yet, it's still one of those things that seem so far away...no matter how much you 'build' yourself up mentally.

I'll let you into a little secret about confidence.

It's ALL a TRICK of YOUR mind!

Honestly.

Once you realize it...and begin to shatter the myths that you had previously believed about yourself to be true - you'll know that you've been literally holding yourself back from success because of it.

I know...I did so for years.

I always tried to compare myself to other people...and (funnily enough) would always be worse off than them in MANY 'departments'.

Little did I realize that they were thinking the SAME!

It takes a little guts to face your mental barriers about how GOOD you are.

But...once you understand that other people are more concerned about themselves than you THINK that they are about you - you will find it easier just to 'get on with it'.

Life's a challenge...yet the challenge is all the more exciting when you are competing with YOURSELF...than when you're trying to compare yourself to other people!

Go on - try it and see!

"As If By Magic...The Shopkeeper Appeared"

If you're from the UK (like me) and you're anything from 25 to 40 years old - you'll KNOW where that saying comes from.

It's from a children's TV cartoon.

The shopkeeper was on hand to take the 'hero' back to 'real' life after each of his many adventures as different characters.

Are YOU waiting for that shopkeeper to appear in YOUR life?

Are YOU waiting for SOMEONE ELSE to 'rescue' you from the life that YOU have chosen for yourself?

Are YOU one of those people who don't think that they WILL be able to succeed WITHOUT someone else 'stepping in' to save them?

Well...I hate to disappoint you.

Your shopkeeper is NOT going to appear - no matter how hard you may wish for him or her to!

What happens in this life of YOURS - is ALL down to YOU!

Nobody else.

No genie is going to come and give you three wishes. You're not going to win the lotto.

Sorry...I'm just trying to be TRUTHFUL here.

But...it's NEVER too late to BEGIN out on your own. It's NEVER too late to accept RESPONSIBILITY for what happens in your life.

So...stop WAITING...and start LIVING!

How DO You Get Nowhere?

Are you chasing your tail?

Do you feel as if you are just going around in circles?

Life can be like that sometimes, can't it?

The thing is...most of the time...you THINK that you are, when in fact you may have actually been progressing in some way!

The crucial thing is that, if something doesn't quite go according to plan...you LEARN from it.

If you can do that...and not make the same 'mistake' again...then you ARE making progress, aren't you?

Isn't there now one MORE thing you now know that you didn't?

Isn't there now one LESS thing that could 'go wrong'?

Life is all about the ups and downs.

It's how you REACT to the downs that prepares you for a successful future...not how many ups you have!

Your mind is constantly looking to find ANSWERS to the QUESTIONS you are putting to it (i.e. what you THINK about!)

So...if you are consistently feeding it with 'how do I get nowhere' questions...then guess is what it will TRY and seek out for you?

So...stop WORRYING about the 'why'...and start focusing on what you can DO...and how you react to what doesn't go according to plan.

But...you MUST start focusing on RESULTS instead of defeat!

Riding On The Waves Of Misfortune

Let's face it...you're never going to get things your own way!

No THAT'S out of the way...let's look at why it can be GOOD for things not to always go to plan!

How?

Well...I guarantee that, if you succeeded at EVERYTHING you do...you wouldn't really LEARN much.

You's just take it for granted that 'x' worked...but wouldn't have had the experience of trying to MAKE it work in the first place!

The key to moving forward in life is NOT how many victories you have...it's how you use your (temporary) defeats to strengthen your understanding about how YOU work.

And...the more you know about YOU...the easier it will be to motivate yourself to do something!

And...unless you do something...you're not going to get very far, are you?

So - it ALL comes down to how well you ride those 'waves of misfortune' (don't they always seem to come in waves?).

In an ideal world we would never have days that try us...push us...challenge us...or perhaps evern upset us.

But...we DO...and it's therefore critical that you understand that a) you WILL have them, and b) how you handle them when they come along.

The biggest leaps forward I have made, both on a business and a mental level, were on the back of supposed 'failures' that just forced me to go in a different direction.

And...it's only with retrospect that I've realized that I didn't really want to go in the original direction anyway!

In the mentime...you need to 'roll with the punches' and accept that you are given these challenges for a very good REASON...

To make you STRONGER...and more capable of success!

Stop Doing What Isn't Working

Today is the day that YOU should begin working out what you REALLY want from your life.

Today. Not tomorrow. NOW!

It's easy to sit there and *wish* that your life were different...but it's much harder (though much more rewarding) to actually take ACTION and DO something about it!

So...what are YOU going to do TODAY?

Certainly not the same as what you did yesterday...or last week...especially if it's taken you to where you are today - and you're not happy with where that place is!

Remember...you will ALWAYS get the same RESULTS if you do the same THINGS!

It's like taking the same train to work every day. You know that it will leave around a certain time...willl stop at the same stations...and will go along the same track...and ALWAYS (hopefully!) end up at the same DESTINATION!

It's pointless trying to get to a different train station by taking a train that goes to a completely different one!

Yet...that's what so many people are TRYING to do!

Are YOU one of them?

Are YOU doing the SAME things...and hoping/wishing/praying that you will get DIFFERENT results?

Not only that...are YOU doing the same things...that consistently lead to the same 'mistakes'?

All dieters KNOW that eating chocolate won't help them lose weight...yet they STILL eat it!

It's the same as making a successful life for yourself.

STOP doing what ISN'T working...and START doing something different that WILL!

You be glad that you did!

Go On...Back Yourself Into A Corner!

I've added a new 'skill' over the last couple of weeks.

I now KNOW that I CAN interview people!

I've had to do so six times over the last couple of weeks as I've been interviewing experts for my UK Net Marketing Seminar.

Now...because I know that I can do it because I've done it six times...this now means that I have another 'tool' that I can use in the future.

But...if I'm perfectly honest...I would rather have NOT done the interviews!

But...it was a necessary part of the marketing for the seminar...and SOMEONE had to do it!

In a way...I HAD to 'back myself into a corner' to ENSURE that I actually followed through on a new skill...even though I would be uncomfortable doing it.

Sure...I'm far from the best interviewer in the world...but unless I TRIED - I wouldn't have found out if I was CAPABLE of doing so!

And...I bet that YOU could certainly do a LOT of things if you HAD to!

The trouble is...most of the time, because you don't have to...you just find excuses NOT to something that may be a little uncomfortable.

I certainly wouldn't have been able to achieve a LOT of what I have (along with the self-esteem increase that comes with it) unless I had literally FORCED myself to go that little bit further.

And...if you can find a way to do the same...YOU will, too!

Is It Really What YOU Want?

I want to ask you a question...

"Are you choosing what you DON'T want instead of what you DO?"

In other words...are you THINKING about what you've currently got that you DON'T want...instead of thinking about what you DO want that you haven't got?

As every 'guru' worth his salt will tell you...

"You become what you THINK about most of the time" (as the late Earl Nightingale put it)

So...logic tells me that if you are constantly focusing on what you don't want...then surely you're going to get MORE of it?

Is that what YOU want?

Of course it's not!

So...you need to start thinking the RIGHT things.

Sure...of course it's difficult NOT to focus on how much money you havn't got when in debt...or how heavy you are if you're overweight.

But - that's EXACTLY what you NEED to do!

Starting from NOW. Today.

Start focusing on the sort of person you want to BECOME - instead of the person whom you wish you weren't!

This SINGLE change can bring about enormous differences in what you can achieve in your life.

I'm not saying that you should just ignore your situation and don't do anything about it.

What I am saying is that you should take ACTION to work on resolving whatever bothers you - at the same time as FOCUSING on what a successful end result WILL be.

You DO become what you THINK about...so isn't time that you began to think the RIGHT thoughts that will HELP you instead of the ones that will only make things worse?

You Need To Just Give Up!

Every once in a while you need to give up.

Hold on. Did Gary just say that I should give up?

Well...yes...but not what you think!

Every once in a while you should just give up being YOU!

What do I mean by this?

Well...as it's YOU that is currently stopping you from getting to where you want to go - then, wouldn't YOU be better off 'out of the picture'?

That's fine...but how?

You need to STOP listening to YOU telling yourself that you...

- Aren't good enough
- Aren't talented enough
- Aren't clever enough
- Aren't confident enough

Need I go on?

If I'm brutally honest...it's all a load of ****. (substitute a strong word of your choice in there!)

You see...I used to 'suffer' from terrible self-confidence because I didn't BELIEVE!

I didn't believe that nobody really cared if I was perfect. I didn't believe that nobody wouldn't turn up their noses at my attempts at talking positively.

And...worst of all...I didn't believe that I could make a DIFFERENCE.

Just like YOU can.

But first you need to get over this opinion that YOU are not 'x' enough!

Who cares!

'x' enough compared to whom?

NOBODY is perfect...and if you've seen enough husband and wife combinations - you'll KNOW that what some people find attractive completely turn off others!

So...just GIVE UP being YOU for a little while...and just be SOMEBODY.

Somebody who CAN make a difference...and achieve so much more than they've ever dreamed of.

One Last Time For That Persistence To Pay Off

Today I've spent hours trying to get a form on one of my websites work.

I used EXACTLY the same code as I've used on similar ones...yet for some reason, it just didn't work!

So...I tried another piece of code...an hour later - a different error!

It was starting to get a little frustrating!

But...I NEEDED to get this form up...I couldn't let the technology beat me!

So...I tried a different way...using some survey software that I had used (which had worked) a year ago.

Another hour later...this one came up with a completely different error than the other two!

Now...I'm not a programmer - so I was beginning to wonder if I was making life complicated for myself.

So...I went online - and spent ANOTHER hour setting up the form on a third-party website using their free option.

This suited me fine until I realized that, because the version was free...it didn't keep ALL of the information together...it just grouped the results from each part of the form.

It was about this time that Lesley decided to take Katie, and her visiting friend, Lizzie, out to the beach...as I was about to go through the 'head in the hands' stage!

So...what would YOU do?

Well...I know that I must always 'walk my talk'...so off I went searching online again to find yet ANOTHER piece of code...which needed about 30 minutes of manual alteration before I could run and test it.

I can tell you now...when I realized that I would have to put a LOT of effort in without knowing if it COULD work (teach-myself coder that I am)...for a brief second I really wondered if it was worth it!

But...then I caught myself...and, head down, got on with the job!

Guess what...it worked FIRST TIME! (Hooray!)

Hours after I had first started...I had got what I wanted.

But...if I didn't KNOW that the BEST successes usually ride on the back of the point-of-giving-up...I certainly would have!

Life's the same.

If you give up - you will NEVER achieve ANYTHING.

And...most of the time...your successes are just around the corner from the point where you think that you've tried that last time.

Just because something doesn't work...doesn't mean that it will ALWAYS be that way! It's down to YOU to try that ONE last time (again and again) until your PERSISTENCE pays off.

It WILL...just try it and see for yourself!

It's Because...You Don't Do Something Different!

It's 7:30pm here...and it's just starting to get dark.

I remember only a few months ago when we'd lock up for the night at about 4:30pm during the Winter!

The mood changes in our house in the Spring.

Lesley has never been one for dark afternoons...and Katie loves the freedom of being able to play after school for hours!

Me...it just means that I have to turn my lights on in my office earlier!

Just as Lesley always EXPECTS to feel 'down' during the Winter...it's easy to EXPECT that, because you have only got so far in your life up until now...it will ALWAYS be that way!

Well...I can tell you from experience that the past doesn't HAVE TO bear ANY resemblance to your future!

I know...I live it every day...and my 'now' and my future have nothing to do with who I USED to be.

It's time for YOU to a little 'spring cleaning' - and wipe your mental slate clean.

YOU are here on this planet for a very good REASON...and...only YOU really know what it is!

Except...you just assume that the 'point of all this' is to build material wealth for when you retire.

Life's far too short to ONLY build for a future that may never even happen.

In my book...it's POINTLESS spending a second longer than necessary doing something "BECAUSE...".

You're here because YOU have a job to do.

And...that job is to see how FAR you can take your TALENTS that you undoubtedly have...but may not have discovered yet because you are trying to be someone you're not.

How far you get will be down to how much you BELIEVE in the process that will literally ENSURE your success.

And...it ALL starts with your THOUGHTS.

I fight all of the time against those little niggling negative thoughts...and, on the whole...I usually succeed...and that's when I'm CONSTANTLY trying to think positively!

The challenge for YOU is to re-evaluate what is REALLY important in your life...then look at how your talents can help you achieve that.

And...what if you don't know what your talents are?

Well, the MORE you TRY different things...the more CHANCES of FINDING what you are really HERE for!

And...you won't be able to do that if you are automatically ASSUMING that you can't CHANGE.

You CAN. You WILL.

But...only if YOU do something DIFFERENT to what you are doing NOW!

Success Isn't A 'One-Off' Exercise!

Sometimes it can be a challenge to come up with something that YOU would find useful.

Especially when I write so much that I forget what I've written!

So...here goes.

If you're reading this...this means that I have your attention.

DON'T I?

Which, in the scheme of things...is a GOOD thing...because I firmly believe that what I write SHOULD be useful to you.

And, of course, POSITIVE.

What ELSE captures your attention?

The TV, the newspaper, a good novel, a good surf on the 'Net?

All worthwhile things I'm sure...but like most things...they should be taken in MODERATION!

If something has your attention then it can only be GOOD or BAD for you in success terms.

So...let me phrase my original question slighty differently...

What captures your attention...which makes a positive CONTRIBUTION towards getting you to where you want to go?

Now...I bet that changes things.

-Does that novel...howver good it is...contribute towards your future?

-Does reading about yesterdays (negative) news help you to make more of your life?

-Does watching the TV help make you into a more focused and confident person?

-Does three hours of aimless surfing with nothing to show for it help you find out what you REALLY want from your life?

See what I'm getting at here?

We spent MOST of our free time doing NOTHING useful...yet it's easy to find reasons why we will 'never' become successful?

Sure...you may have kids and run a house...but I bet that you can STILL find some time to be a little more constructive in every day.

Being a success isn't a 'one-off' exercise...it's a lifestyle change.

The sooner that you are aware of this...the sooner you will find the motivation to re-think what you do with your spare time.

Only THEN will things REALLY begin to change for you.

This Is How You Will Never Get Bored

I used to be bored all of the time.

It was like a disease that visited me every Sunday afternoon...week after week...year after year.

Now, because I actually have a POINT to my life...I don't get bored...I just do something!

Katie is going through that 'I'm bored' stage today.

This game isn't right...this dvd is 'boring' - yet she THINKS that she wants to do something that she KNOWS she can't!

It's great having kids, isn't it?

I've realized that I got 'bored' simply because I wasn't aware of how VALUABLE my time is.

I would vegetate in front of the TV watching stuff that I wasn't even remotely interested in - just for something to do!

Now...I'm much too busy to bother!

It's not that I am being a workaholic...it's just that I can now EASILY find something to INTEREST me without looking very far...

- I could read one of my marketing or personal development books.
- I could write stuff like this.
- I could go for a walk by the sea
- I could get a pad of paper and jot down a few ideas

In fact...there are quite a few MORE things that I COULD do if I wanted to.

To me...boredom is the state of mind that people who don't want MORE from their life have.

You may disagree...but I firmly believe that it is true.

If you are PASSIONATE about being successful...you will NEVER get bored!

Think Bigger! Just Try It And See...

I've learned something VERY valuable over the last couple of years.

"Once you THINK bigger - you automatically BECOME bigger!"

It's always easy to put yourself into a little box that reflects what you do for a living.

And...whatever position you are in...you (and other people) will have an expectation of WHO you are because of what you do.

You know...if you heard that someone was an accountant, for example...you will automatically base your opinion of them based on your assumptions associated with their job.

Things like what they may earn, the sort of personality they have...and perhaps their style of dress.

Scary really, when you think about it.

By the same token...whatever YOUR job is - it's putting a subconcious 'block' on what YOU can do with your life.

I bet that if you're a clerk in an office...your expectations of what is POSSIBLE for you, both in career, and monetary terms are almost certainly lower than mine.

Now...that's not to make out that I am someone I am not...I was a bank clerk about 10 years ago...and I know what MY aspirations were!

Because your degree of responsibility is fixed by your role at work...it's EASY to assume that you can't break out of those expectations...and actually do things that even your BOSS can't comprehend doing!

Yet...from my own experience...I've found that the harder I push my 'ceilings'...the EASIER I have found to push them even FURTHER in the future.

And YOU can, too...once you realize that you are BIGGER than who you think you are...and you THINK bigger accordingly!

An Idea Shared Is An Opportunity Leveraged

The more that I FORCE myself to work with other people...the more I have realized that, in the past, I was holding myself back from not doing so.

There have been a couple of occasions over the last 24 hours where I have had something glady 'taken off of my hands' because my partner preferred to do it themelves.

And...it just so happened that these tasks were the ones that I LEAST like doing!

It IS good when these relationships work...although sometimes they do NEED work in order to make sure that you BOTH understand what your roles are.

Like a marriage, I suppose...without the fighting!

I'm much more focused now on actually moving forward WITH others as opposed just on my own.

I'm the sort of person who can easily get bored...so I NEED to have a number of different things 'on the go' at any one time to make sure that I'm always motivated!

It's such a shame that we don't really foster a more sharing (instead of competitive) attitude to what we do.

You may have heard of the saying "A problem shared is a problem halved".

Well...where opportunities are concerned..."An idea shared is an opportunity leveraged"!

How can YOU make the most of YOUR relationships...both personal and professional?

If you look hard enough...you WILL find a way to leverage BOTH of your time and effort.

This One Question Can Open Doors For You...

It's something that I learned from a mentor of mine...

"What Can I Do To Help You?"

That question has probably opened more doors for me than anything else.

Why?

Well...isn't it just the complete OPPOSITE of what most people say?

They're either too self-obsessed, or too busy trying to sell you something to actually CARE about what YOU want!

Yet...if you ASK someone how YOU can help THEM...you'll certainly get SOME form of answer...once the surprised look has left their face!

You see...people aren't used to other people being GENEROUS!

They aren't used to other people actually CARING.

They aren't used to other people actually OFFERING something instead of trying to TAKE something first.

The power of this one sentence cannot be underestimated.

Sure...from YOUR perspective...it requires a 'leap of faith' in the process that what you 'put out' WILL come back at you.

Well...it DOES.

As long as you actually do it with the RIGHT intentions!

It's no good saying one thing and thinking another...as you'll soon get caught out.

So...if you ask the question...you must be PREPARED for the answer.

And...funnily enough, the Universe works in such a strange way that, quite often, YOU get a direct benefit from offering your help in this way.

Don't believe me?

Just try it and see!

That Terrible Mindset That Gets In The Way Of Your Success

Whatever targets you expect to achieve...double them, and you will be much closer to what YOU are REALLY capable of!

I know...because I certainly have far exceeded my 'success' expectations that I set myself before I started my online journey.

It's not always easy to take a leap of faith and really BELIEVE in yourself and your abillities...but, unless YOU do...it's highly unlikely that others will.

And...without OTHER people...you will be limiting your chances of long-term success.

Going-it-alone works up to a point.

And...that point is when you realize that there are only so many hours in the day for you to live a life that fulfils you.

Yet...you CAN still work smarter and not necessarily harder.

Get rid of the 'clutter stuff' that hasn't been done for a while...that sits in the back of your mind clogging up precious mental real estate.

You know...those things that you KNOW that you SHOULD do...yet always keep putting off.

That's always an excellent first step.

The next is to invest in your mind.

Without a positive, focused outlook on what you want from life...then all of the dreams, goals, aspirations, targets and everything else will always be one step away from you.

It's not until you free yourself from that mental 'kidology' that you realize that you CAN do whatever you CHOOSE to do...provided, of course...that you take some ACTION.

Becoming successful is simple. It's getting out of that terrible mindset that you have been programmed with that is the difficult part.

Yet...it IS possible...but only if you TRY!

You. Me. Every Day. It's All Up To YOU!

Today I'm going to be 'short and sweet'.

You've probably heard of that famous saying...

"Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better"

I agree with it wholeheartedly.

But...I much prefer...

"Every day, in any way, I am doing something that moves me forward"

It's up to YOU to decide if you really WANT to move forward...and, if YOU do...then it's also up to YOU to DECIDE to DO something about it!

So...can YOU honestly say...

"Every day, in any way, I am doing something that moves me forward"

If not...WHY not?

Success is up to YOU...nobody else!

Are You Dwelling On The Why Instead Of Looking At The How?

Confidence can be a hard thing to come by when the only way you can see is no way out.

But...that is the BEST time to really push yourself and do something different.

There's a saying in the business world that the BEST time to advertise is when everyone else isn't because of a recession.

It sets you apart as a business that MEANS business...and it should mean MORE business for you because you have fewer competitors advertising at the same time as you.

And...that's why YOU should look UPWARDS when things seem to be getting worse...instead of dwelling on why they got that way in the first place!

You mind automatically tunes itself into what your dominant thoughts are...and then taps into the "Universe" to start to find people, coincidences, and 'luck' your way in order to make whatever you think about become your reality.

So...if you are consistently dwelling on the WHY instead of looking at the HOW - then guess what you're going to get more of?

Of course it's not easy to be positive when things aren't going well.

You'll usually find that, in the long term, the BEST things for you need a little work sometimes!

Take heart from the fact that, whatever situation you are currently in...someone, somewhere, has been in worse...got out of it...and ended up living the life of their dreams.

Yes...they DID!

So...stop feeling sorry for yourself...and start looking at what ACTION you can take which will begin to turn your thinking around.

It may welll be hard...but it WILL be worth it!

Thinking Of A Way Out...Or Why You Found A Way In?

No matter what happens in your life...you will certainly EXPERIENCE it!

There isn't a magic wand that I could wave to make your life perfect...especially when 'perfect' doesn't really exist!

We are a product of experiences...and both the good and the bad shape us into who we are.

Take me, for example.

If I hadn't been through some of the horrendous experiences with Connor...I wouldn't be the sort of person that I am today.

And...you certainly wouldn't be reading this now!

Out of the bad...DOES come good...believe it...it DOES!

I never for one moment would have said that I could write (ever). Now look at me...I found a talent that I didn't know that I had - and ONLY because I wanted to find a way out from the miserable existence I had a couple of years ago.

So...wherever YOU are...whatever YOU are doing...you CAN do stuff that you would never dream that you could do!

Honest!

It all begins with your THOUGHTS, of course.

The core foundation for ANY successful person - whatever their definition of successful may be...is that they are ALWAYS thinking of a way OUT - rather than thinking of WHY they found a way IN!

Get the picture?

Some of the biggest challenges that I have had in MY life would easily have 'broken' me (well...they almost did!)...unless I had taken the view that I was MORE than who I currently was back then.

And...so are YOU, too!

Stop Worrying And Start Living!

It's easy to let little things get you down.

I've realized over the last few years that the BIGGEST arguments (OK - differences of opinion) that I have with Lesley are based on RIDICULOUSLY tiny things!

I've bet if you've been married more than the 'honeymoon period' - you'll understand what I mean!

It's EASY to automatically think that the BIG things are wrong when in fact your judgment may be clouded over the little things!

Sure...all of these little 'issues' or 'problems' can mount up and become a compouned 'monster' much bigger than the sumn of its parts.

But...only if YOU let it!

It's not easy to step back...and look at the little things for what they are - LITTLE THINGS!

Each one most certainly is separate from each other...and, usually with hindsight...isn't really as big as you think it is.

Sometimes...you just have to 'roll with the punches' and just keep going...even though it feels that you can't take any more.

I've got news for you - YOU can!

But...you must STOP worrying about the 'WHY'...and focus instead on turning your thinking around to the positive and start yourself working towards the 'HOW' you can take ACTION.

If you are mentally defeated before you start...then, no matter what you do...you'll NEVER turn it around.

Hate to say it...but it's true.

Someone's got to tell YOU.

So...as the great Dale Carnegie once said (and wrote a book about) -

"Stop Worrying And Start Living!"

Let's Go And Get Run Over By Ideas!

Every once in a while...I bet that YOU have an idea that just comes 'out of nowhere'.

But where IS 'nowhere'?

If you'd asked me a couple of years ago...I would have just put it down to luck...or just down to the 'way it is'.

But there IS more to YOUR life than meets you squarely in the eye.

And...just because you can't EXPLAIN it - it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist...even if it is only THROUGH your mind.

I have ideas all the time nowadays. In fact...I have TONS more ideas than I ever used to...because I am constantly putting myself in FRONT of them!

I liken this 'luck' business to crossing a busy road.

These ideas and opportunities are driving past on the 'Universal Highway'...and all YOU have to do...is step out in FRONT of them...and try to get hit!

(Sort of like one of those "let's run over the pedestrians" games on those games consoles but without the body count!)

I firmly believe that there are solutions to ANY problem you may have out there ALREADY...you just have to get your mind into a position to be able to receive them.

And...in some way...I'd like to think of myself as a 'facilitator' in some way...giving you a gentle mental 'nudge' in the right direction on a regular basis.

Don't forget that I was on anti-depressants and working in a job I hated less than 3 years ago - so I'd like to think that I've found a sort of path that WORKS.

Of course...it won't work in exactly the same way for YOU as it did for ME. (And...believe it or not...that's part of the fun of it!)

But...once YOU begin to CONSISTENTLY move forward on YOUR terms...you'll suddenly find that you, too will begin to get run over by ideas!

Just like me!

It's YOUR Life...Not Theirs!

If you know me by now...you'll know that I see the old movie now and again.

Today, Lesley and I saw "Mona Lisa Smile" which starred Julia Roberts.

It surprised me.

It surprised me because it wasn't necessarily the 'girlie film' (as I call them) that I expected.

More of a female version of 'Dead Poets Society', really.

I'm always looking out for the underlying message behind movies these days...I can't help myself.

It amazes me how movies can change the outlook of your entire day...just by what you learn from them in those 2 hours or so.

This film certainly had a message -

"Just because other people EXPECT you to be a certain way...it doesn't mean that you HAVE to be like that"

Take me, for example.

My family STILL don't 'get' what I do...both from an Internet and from a personal development perspective.

And...I bet that a few of my ex-colleagues would laugh at what I'm doing now.

But...WE know different, don't we?

YOU and I KNOW that sometimes you need to 'stand up and be counted'...and go against the masses...just to give ourselves the opportunity to BE someone.

I like to think that I'm on MY way to some degree...to live the life that I want to live.

But...what about YOU?

YOU know that you CAN do whatever you CHOOSE with YOUR life...yet you may not be letting yourself.

WHY?

Remember...it's up to YOU.

It's YOUR life you're living...NOT theirs!