Avoiding Disappointments in 2008

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. Explore. Dream. Discover."
-- Mark Twain

When I read that quote, I had my doubts. But the more I read it, the more I realize how true it is. This seems to apply in most areas of our lives. Think about it.

Concerning Relationships

What disappoints you most about the one who got away -- The fact that you didn't do anything and that person just slipped away from your life, OR that after you made your move, that person just didn't want a more intimate relationship with you?

Concerning Business

What was more disappointing -- The business idea that didn't become a reality because you never acted on it, OR the one that you tried to put together but crashed and burned?

Concerning Sports

Was it the tournament that you never dared to join, OR the one that you joined, and got eliminated in the very first round?

I could go on and on, but you get the idea.

We go through life once, and throughout our journey, we will be faced with many opportunities to be involved. But will we keep passing them by with different excuses? Too high, too low; too expensive, too cheap; too near, too far; too hard, too easy.

A guy once sat nervously in train terminal in a far Province. He was thinking of going into the big city to try succeeding as an athlete. After all, his friends kept telling him that he was fast and strong. When watching their sports favorite on TV, they kept hooting how he'd run circles around these big-name bozos.

But now that he was actually on the verge of putting his dreams into effect, he has been nervously postponing his decisions. He has allowed the previous trains to leave without getting on them. Now, the last train was leaving in 30 minutes.

He struggled to make a decision - should he go or not? To clear his mind, he decided to walk among the shops across the terminal. He drifted in and out of shops, had coffee in one, and struck up a chat with a shop manager. Finally, he made up his mind - he was going to go!

He ran back to the terminal. When he tried to buy a ticket, he was informed he missed the last train. He made up his mind 10 minutes late!

Because he dilly-dallied in deciding, the circumstances decided for him!

He never really went back to the terminal the next day. Something came up. Something always did. 40 years later, he sits watching his favorite sport on TV, wondering what would have happened had he gone when he had the chance. But he, you and I would never know now, would we?

Sucks right?

Avoid the disappointments Mark Twain talked about. Put into action your goals and plans. If things don't turn out the way you wanted, you at least have the satisfaction of knowing that you did something.

Target your goals. Plan your strategy to get there. Then go for it!

Cheers!
primeprojects

An Unrepeatable Success Recipe?

I remember a day when our Dad decided to surprise us by whipping up some "gourmet cooking." When we sat down to eat, we were amazed. What he prepared looked good, smelled good, and tasted really, really good! Compliments were abounding, and our Dad was beaming with pride.

Finally, as we were finishing the last pieces of this sumptuous meal, we talked about how to make this a family tradition meal for special occasions. Our Dad was grinning impishly when he said that this was a once-in-a-lifetime meal that was never to be repeated again.

So naturally, we all protested. Dad finally confessed that the reason we couldn't do the meal again was not because he didn't want to, but because he didn't know how to cook the same meal again!

Incredulous, we asked why he couldn't do it a second time after having done it the first time. Did he lose, misplace or simply forget the recipe? Sheepishly, he admitted that he couldn't remember the recipe because THERE WAS NO RECIPE!

He said that he suddenly had an idea what he wanted to cook for us. He didn't plan how to do it. He mixed ingredients without measuring how much of what should be put into the pot. He was, as he put it, simply experimenting.

If it turned out bad, that was the end of that experiment. But if it turned out well, then there was no way to duplicate his successful experiment.

It was an unrepeatable recipe -- a one-hit-wonder.

And it's basically the same with our lives. We can choose to set our goals and strategize how to accomplish them. Or we could just wing it as we go along, hoping we get things right.

But if, despite not having goals and plans and by simply chancing it, things do turn out successfully, how do we duplicate that success?

If we once overcame a problem successfully, what are the chances that we will do so again when the same problem rears its ugly head again? It's so easy to say, "Well, I licked this the first time around, I can do it again!" Yes, but how? Of the many things you did that made you successful the first time, what was it exactly that you did then that you need to redo now so you can succeed once more this time?

Not only that. How do we help others - say our friends and kids - when they need to know how we did it? What do we say to them? What can we teach them? What nugget of wisdom can we pass on to them?

The advantage of using proven success principles is that we can succeed, continue to succeed and help others succeed.

Cheers!
primeprojects

3 Things, Once Gone ....

I received an email today that makes you realize just how important life is. You should not allow it to just pass you by. For this blog's purposes, I would just like to comment on the stunning statement it makes ....

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back

Time

Time is an ever-flowing stream. Whether you want to or not, it's always moving forward. The minutes and seconds that pass you by are gone - forever!

In the TV series "Heroes," one of the characters called "Hiro" has the ability to stop time. When things are moving too fast, he simply freeses time, thinks about his options, and unfreezes time, continuing from where he left off. In the movie "Back To The Future," the characters are able to go back in time and make some simple changes that alter their present outcomes!

However, we don't have these make-believe abilities. We can neither turn back nor stop time. The only time that we have is our here and now. We can either waste it, or make the most of it.

Words

Ever spoken words that you wished you could have taken back? I know I have. Our words can either make us or break us. Much more sobering though is this truth - our words can build or destroy somebody else.

There are people with great potential that never amount to anything simply because they've heard all their lives, "You're a failure and will never amount to anything in life!" However there are those who have gone through some of the worst tragedies and have emerged victorious because they have heard encouraging words all their lives, "This failure is not final. You are greater than this. You will find a way to overcome. You can do it. I believe you can. I have faith in you!"

Opportunity

Was there ever a time you wanted to tell someone how much you appreciated them, but you let the moment passed? Funerals are full of these. How often I've heard people say, "I never told them how much I loved them."

Time is linked with opportunity. As time passes, so does the opportunity to maximize that time passes also. But just as there is coming time, so there are coming opportunities also. But there are differences. The opportunity you get today may be different from the opportunities you've had in the past.

What can we learn from this?

Use time wisely. Set your goals and zero in on them. It's possible to just drift through life, but why drift when you can optimize it, right?

Choose your words wisely. Speak healing words, not hurtful words. Speak them to yourself and to others. Remember, you have power over your words. And words have power. Use that power to work for you and others.

Use your opportunities wisely. Strategize for best results. Remember, plan your work and work your plan. Doesn't mean you can't be flexible. You can make adjustments along the way.

It's your life - maximize it to the fullest!

Cheers!
primeprojects

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Resolutions Overload?

Many posts have dealt with having goals and resolutions for 2008. And this is good. Having these is Success 101.

But what about the other end of the spectrum? What about having too many goals and resolutions?

You've listed goal after goal and resolution after resolution concerning weight, career, money, travel, budgeting, online business plans, relationships, quitting smoking, quitting too much drinking, quitting gossip, quitting the tendency to quit resolutions when things get difficult, quitting this, quitting that, doing this, doing that, etc.

Dutifully, you've listed them as blogs, articles, talk shows and others have preached about the importance of them. But now, as you look at this list you have compiled, you feel a certain swelling of pride. But as your eyes jump from one goal to the other, that pride begins to change to uncertainty. From uncertainty to mild panic, and from that, to a full-blown sense of being overwhelmed!

You have to too much on your plate and you don't know where to start. Too many resolutions and goals have left you feeling swamped. Resolution overload is now threatening to shut you down.

What to do?

1. Take A Break

Sometimes, when things get too overwhelming, you need to distance yourself. Take a walk and clear your mind. Breathe in, breathe out. Quiet your mind. Let rest come to your spirit. This is probably one of those times when it would be good to sleep on it and face the task again with a fresh outlook.

2. Go Back To Your List With Calm Objectivity

Remember, the list you made is a tool to help you, not a master to enslave you. The Resolution List is your friend. You will not run away from it nor pretend it doesn't exist. You are its master and not the other way around.

3. Sort Your List

Determine as best as you can which are the most important ones. You could probably use a scale of 1 - 5 to help you in rating them. Try to do that until you could isolate the top 5.

4. Focus On ONE Goal

I know, I know -- each one needs to be done. But choose one to start on. Better to get 1 out of 5 done, instead of sitting around for 3 months not getting anything done because you can't make up your mind on which to start on.

5. Plan Your Strategy

Try to work out a plan how you're going to accomplish that goal. Write down a simple step-by-step plan how you're going to go about your plan. It doesn't have to be complicated. Just a simple plan you can follow.

Keep notes of this to help keep your mind on your plan. Post notes in your mirror. Keep notes inside books and notebooks you use. Use the digital equivalent if you're more tech-oriented.

6. Work Your Plan

Now that you've planned it, NOW DO IT!

The best plans are useless when they are not executed. Don't get cold feet now. Act on what you have planned. Action - your action - is what's going to make your plan come to fruition.

Plan your work and work your plan. Lights. Camera. ACTION!

7. Stay With It Until You Get Results

Give it your best shot and don't quit until you finish. So maybe you hit some snags along the way. Find solutions to those and persevere. And if you don't get exactly what you want, you at least achieved something. That's better than getting 100% of nothing because you never dared to start.

The point of this is to get you some momentum and help you gain the confidence that comes when you exert effort in accomplishing your objectives. Hopefully, this new-found confidence will spur you on to greater accomplishments of your other goals and resolutions.

Cheers!
primeprojects

We Can Help You Devise A Strategy To Achieve Your Goals!

When Things Go South ....

"Life Will Not Go According To Plan If You Do Not Have a Plan" - Gary Ryan Blair The GoalsGuy

How many have looked at the rising sun and have enthusiastically declared "My life is ahead of me!", only to look back 50 years later at the setting sun asking, "Oh, if only I had done it differently then ... why didn't I take a chance it when I had the opportunity?"

For many, they have chosen to just drift through life, hoping for the best and waiting for life to give them the breaks they feel they deserve. "This just wasn't the plan!" they would groan.

But if you'd ask them, "What was the plan anyway?"

Some would just stare at you with a shrug, while others would mumble, "Well, I dunno ... but it sure ain't supposed to be this!"

But how would you know? If you don't know where you're going, how would you know if you got there or not? If you don't know what you need, how would you know if you got it or not?

Without a goal or a plan, you would just drift aimlessly in life, ending up with things you really don't want or need.

I had a friend from a different country who visited us. He and his wife enjoyed their vacation here, and when the time to go home was near, they decided to buy presents here to bring back home. They decided to shop the day before their flight back.

After they finished shopping and arrived at the house, my friend plopped wearily down on the seat besides me. I asked if he was OK. He said he was fine ... except that he was a little upset and frustrated.

When I asked why, he answered that he and his wife decided to save time in the mall by parting ways. They had an understanding that they were there to buy presents for their friends. He was supposed to buy guy stuff for the men while his wife was supposed to take care of the ladies' stuff.

But while his wife was going around, she met with a couple of lady friends. Naturally, they had to have coffee and a chat. Naturally they had to visit the different bargains. And naturally they had to have those!

When he finally met with his wife and they were inside the taxi, his wife was telling him about all the steals and deals she bought for herself. When he asked what he bought for their friends, her eyes just grew wide, her fingers covered her lips, and only one word came from her mouth - "Oops!"

She forgot the plan. No wonder my friend was a little miffed. They couldn't go back. They'd spent their shopping budget. All they had left was what they needed to fly back home. They didn't want to go back. They were too tired to do so.

So does a plan really guarantee you'd get everything you want?

Not really. But planning and achieving only 50 percent of what you're aiming for is better than aiming at nothing and achieving 100 percent of that!

Remember that piece of conversation between Alice and the Cheshire Cat in Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures In Wonderland?"

"Chesire Puss," she began, rather timidly, ... "Would you tell me, Please, which way I ought to go from here?"

"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.

"I don't much care where -" said Alice

"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.

Nuff said!

Cheers!
primeprojects

Do You Have S.M.A.R.T. Goals?

"Many people fail in life, not for lack of ability or brains or even courage but simply because they have never organized their energies around a goal" (Elbert Hubbard - American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher)

How serious are you about your goals and resolutions? Are they worthy of your efforts?

Not many follow through, or even start at all. Why?Because they set goals in such a way that it wouldn't matter whether they're accomplished or not. For example, here are 2 common resolutions people make every year - to make more money and to lose weight.

Sounds like a plan right? But without going too deep, let's just ask some simple questions.

To Make More Money - What do you mean by "more money?" If you bought something for $1 and sold it for $1.50, would you consider having accomplished this goal?

To Lose Weight - Let's say you were trying to get 2 or 3 more gifts before the stores closed for the holidays, and that because the items you were looking for were at a low supply because of the strong demand for them, you had to criss-cross several stores for an hour just to find them. Sweating, you finally get home with those gifts, and before jumping into the shower, you weigh yourself.

Lo and behold, you've lost half-a-pound, or maybe even a whole pound! Would you consider yourself to have achieved this resolution of losing weight? What if you were 50 pounds overweight? Then you'll simply be 49.5 or 49 pounds overweight. So, have you really lost weight according to your resolution, or not?

See? Goals that are vague and ephemeral don't merit your consideration at all. And if they're not that important to you, they're not going to be acted upon.

Here's a simple and easy way to set goals that are challenging and specific enough to merit your serious attention and commitment.

When you set goals and resolutions, think S.M.A.R.T.! And that stands for,

Specific - This is when you clearly define your goals. It's easier to hit a clear target than a hazy one. Instead of "Making more money," you could say, "I'd like to make an extra $500 per month."

Measurable - This is the criteria that will enable you to track the progress you're making. Your $500 extra per month goal will help you see how you're doing with this objective. You might be making an extra $50, $100, or $400 per month, and while that's good and better than nothing, you at least know how near or far you are from your target.

Achievable - While goals shouldn't be too easy that they bore us, yet they should be challenging enough to engage us. If an extra $500 a month seems out of reach to you, then you could adjust it to something that you can attain within a period of time you've have set for yourself. You could go for making an extra $250 per month, but probably not an extra $1 per month (not challenging enough, even for kindergarten kids!).

Realistic - I know we should aim high in a way that our goals will stretch us and bring out our hidden potential. However, in aiming high, we should be realistic. It would be so easy to be swayed by the hype online and start fantasizing, "I'm going to make an extra million per month!" While that may be a realistic goal for some, it may not be for you. You may need to start somewhere in the vicinity of $500 before going aiming for $1,000,000. Before you can run, you need to learn how to walk first.

Timed - Project a time frame that lays out for you when you will start and when you expect to achieve your goals. When will you start making the extra $500 per month? It can't be "I'll make an extra $500 someday." Don't let "someday" pick the day for you, because "Someday" never comes!

There you have it! This 2008, have a great start -- live S.M.A.R.T.!

Cheers!
Primeprojects

"We'll Help You Get There, Backed By My 100% Guarantee!" - The Goals Guy

Have A Strategy To Achieve Your 2008 Goals!

Ok, I guess seeing that "Have a Blessed and Prosperous 2008" for 5 days is more than enough (I still do enjoy looking at it though!). But it's time to move on. It's time to go about making our dreams for 2008 a reality.

I was watching a movie about military operations liberate some hostages. In the planning room, the officer said, "Ok, men. These are our objectives and this is how we're going to do this!"

Now that we have named our goals and resolutions, it's time we make a plan to achieve them. If dreaming and wishing about them are enough to bring them about, then we don't have to go any further. H0wever, that's not the case.

We need a strategy to make our 2008 goals a reality!

While reading up on this, I found a guy online who helps others come up with a plan of action so that they can realize their resolutions. His name is Gary Ryan Blair. Man, does he know his stuff! He's like -- some kind of Goals Guru. Fact is, he's been nicknamed "The Goals Guy." Here, read what he's written about making goals and accomplishing them;

"Create a Personal Strategic Plan!
by Gary Ryan Blair

Success is not an accident. It begins with a well-conceived plan. You can and will achieve more in the next year than you have in the past ten with a disciplined Personal Strategic Plan.

Personal strategic planning is a disciplined thought process, which produces fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide who you are, where you are going, what you do, and how, when and why you do it. All of this is done with a focus on the future.

The purpose of personal strategic planning is to help you:

- Provide direction, meaning, and purpose for your life.
- Make decisions that positively affect your future.
- Focus your energies on what's most important.
- Achieve the greatest results in the shortest period of time.
- Significantly increase your level of performance.
- Enjoy more time, money, balance and freedom.
- Eliminate uncertainty, anxiety, doubt and fear.
- Leverage your skills more effectively.
- Enhance your quality of life, and overall peace of mind
- Be more, do more and ultimately to have more from life.

Personal strategic planning is based on the premise that life will not go according to plan, if you do not have a plan.

A successful plan must include the following:

Personal Philosophy: Every person has a personal philosophy, consisting of some rules adopted from one's parents, culture, religion, acquaintance and so on.

Generally speaking, these rules, as a body are not well thought out and contain a wealth of inconsistencies and contradictions.

Legacy Statement: Your legacy serves as your life's defining statement. It serves a two-fold purpose. First it provides an overarching framework for all mission statements and goals to follow.

Second it answers the question, "What do I want to be remembered for?"

Mission Statement: A mission statement is a declaration of who you are, why you exist, and what you intend to accomplish.

In business, the organizational mission answers the big question: "What is our business?" In personal planning, the question is "What is my life's business?" In both cases, the answer must define the reason for being.

Core Values: Our values act as our compass, guiding us through life's terrain.

One certain way of knowing that you are living in accordance with your values is by defining guidelines and measurements for value centered living.

Code of Ethics: Words quietly influence our attitudes and opinions.

Codes of conduct, personal creeds, and pledges all reflect an effort to make sense of things, to organize behavior, and to better understand ourselves.

Lifetime Objectives: Your objectives should be written within the framework of your Legacy & Mission Statements.

The key to any Personal Strategic Plan is to visualize your desired outcomes in advance. Be sure to write and rewrite your Lifetime Objectives as affirmations of the future you are working to realize.

Goals: The key in writing your goals is to make them measurable, specific, and time-bound.

Goals need to be written for each of the ten critical areas of life to include: Personal, Health, Recreation, Family, Friends, Community, Career, Financial, Household and Spiritual.

Personal Board of Directors: A personal board will accelerate your progress by providing both wisdom and support for the attainment of a specific purpose.

Maintenance & Performance Check-Ups: On a monthly basis, you should pause to evaluate your performance. What progress have you made? Where have your been challenged? What do you need to do differently or more of?

It is also important to step back and consider whether any of your goals are unachievable.

Personal Reason Why: You won't become successful until and unless you identify, support and empower your reasons why. Your why's provide fuel for achievement, and are the reasons behind all action and inaction.

The hallmark of all high achievers is a burning why. They know what they want, how and when they will achieve it, but most importantly they know WHY they want to become successful at achieving their goals.

In Summary

You can significantly increase the odds of success, if you know who you are, what you want, where you are going, how you will get there, and what you will do once you arrive.

The best way to predict your future is to create it. Therefore, a well-defined personal strategic plan, properly executed, is your meal ticket to success.

In order to best prepare yourself for success, I am delighted to introduce you to My Goals - Personal Strategic Planning program

This exciting program is like having an insurance policy on success. It will focus your thinking and challenge you to reach for new heights.

Happy holidays to you and your family, and my very best wishes for a prosperous, joy-filled New Year!

Everything Counts!

Gary Ryan Blair

About the Author: Gary Ryan Blair is a visionary and gifted conceptual thinker. As President of The GoalsGuy he has created a world-class library of products and services which are designed to inspire people to realize their full potential while making the heart sing, the mind expand and the spirit soar. Visit The GoalsGuy Shop for all of your goal setting and life planning needs."



This Goals Guy; He rocks, right?

Here's to making your 2008 goals into favorable outcomes!

Cheers!
primeprojects

Here he is again!

Have A Great 2008!

This 2008, I send you good wishes and positive hopes!

May you have clarity of sight to see the opportunities ahead of you,

May you have the courage to step out and act on these opportunities,

May you have the wisdom to convert them into profitable ventures both for yourself and others,

And may you have the determination to see them through to the end!

May your accomplishments and successes be great, all through 2008!

Cheers!
primeprojects