The main thing is…

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”
- Stephen Covey

You may know one of those people who have forged something from nothing, or you may be one of these people. Seeking their goals with a determination which is quite amazing. This could be someone in business, in sport or in any other sort of pursuit. The point is that these people seem quite amazing at first glance and our first reaction can be admiration or envy.

Let’s take a second glance. Often these people are amazing at single-mindedly pursuing one goal. This could be profit in the case of a businessperson, sometimes started because of childhood experiences or a desire to change things for their family. This could be awards, recognition, fame or other such things for a musician or an actor. It could be the next record for an athlete. The challenge with this is not the pursuit of these things. It is the imbalance the pursuit often causes.

Sometimes people often lose sight of the importance of other aspects in their lives and become so consumed with their end goal that they often damage or lose the reasons they had for starting in the first place. Forsaking family, friends, relationships. When it is all said and done, what is left when they’ve attained their goals?

The important thing is to know where your heart is, and pursue that goal in a way that is aligned with who you are and what is important to you. Never lose sight of your true reasons and don’t sell your soul regardless of the glittering prizes you may see in the distance. Your future isn’t all about wealth or fame.

It is about the sense of fulfilment you get when you practice your craft or when you’ve provided a suitable environment for your family.

It is about enjoying each moment instead of obsessing over what more you could gain.

It is about knowing when to pause and enjoy your “rich moments” rather than pursuing some future bliss, which may never come.

P.S. I will be taking on 4 new clients for a one year intensive coaching programme starting April 1, 2010 - more details to follow. Please email me: Donald@zonedinperformance.com

Being Grateful and Present

Two men look out between the same bars: one sees mud, one sees stars.
-Frederick Langbridge

We’ve all heard the popular words of Robert Eliot – “Rule number one is, don’t sweat the small stuff. Rule number two is, it’s all small stuff.” It would be silly to argue these words, as they ring true to most ears. Worrying about the small things will usually get you nowhere, but what about appreciating the small things?

What are some things we take for granted everyday which could benefit our lives a little more if we appreciated them more?

The key to appreciating these moments is to concentrate on them, rather than letting your mind wander onto other matters. When eating a good meal, truly savour the tastes and the company instead of worrying about the dishes to wash up after you’re done. When phoned by a friend, wonder at the conversation and the marvels which allow you to connect with that friend from a distance, instead of worrying about which bills you haven’t yet paid or how many free minutes you’ve got left on your mobile contract. If you have to walk somewhere, enjoy the colour of the sky, the song of the birds – all of the sights and sounds of the natural world or even those native to a city.

Even seemingly menial tasks can be enjoyed in this way. When washing up after a meal, enjoy the work itself. Concentrate on getting each dish sparklingly clean and on the warm soapy water instead of thinking ahead to what you’d rather be doing. You’ll probably find the whole experience much more enjoyable this way.

The key is to concentrate on the here and now and enjoy this moment, rather than focusing on what has been or what is to come. Each of these small things joins together in the chain which becomes your life, so don’t sweat the negative ones and focus on the positive ones.

Don’t mortgage your present on some future perfect

“Don’t waste life in doubts and fears; spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour’s duties will be the best preparation for the hours and ages that will follow it.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

When thinking to the future today, it is often tempting to imagine a utopian environment for yourself. Everything will be perfect tomorrow, or the day after, or 10 years from now, won’t it?

It can also be easy to get bogged down by worries and hidden obstacles along your path. You get caught up in the “what if” scenario, which is never a nice place to be. The truth is that we can never know what the future holds, so why box yourself in one possibility or another?

The past is gone, and we can never change it. All we have for certain in this world is the tiny, fleeting, gift of a moment which we call the present. While it is always important to look to the future, the present is where the hard work, dedication and staging area is for all of our future accomplishments.

If you let yourself get carried away with making plans that you’ll never carry out or by complicating your path with needless worry, you’ll taint the most important moment – this one. After all, if you let the present slip away, it will be lost to the past – and we know we can’t change that, don’t we?

Don’t give yourself a reason to regret this moment tomorrow. My advice to you today is to seize this moment, be bold, and do positive work for yourself now.

The future will stretch out before you, a wide and expansive path, continuing over your horizon.

You just have to want it Bad Enough and then Take Action!

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. ~George Bernard Shaw

Now, let’s face it!  You’re going to have a very hard time finding anybody in the world who will say, “You know what. I don’t want success!”

At the end of the day, everybody wants success.  And it can be success in any area of your life – it’s not necessarily the desire to have loads of money or material possessions.

Success can be something like being happy with your job and having a happy, loving family.

As simple as success may be to define, the truth of the matter is, many people don’t consider themselves successful.

Many people don’t think they’re really living the life they truly want.

So why is it that these people aren’t living the life they want?  Why is it that most people aren’t successful?

It’s simple!

They just don’t want it bad enough or they settle for what they think they can have!

Too many people are quick to whinge.  They’re quick to complain.

They’re quick to get down on themselves and get down with the people they’re talking to.  They’ll blame absolutely everything for their lack of success.

But the thing is, they do nothing to achieve the success they want!

And it’s because they just don’t want it bad enough at the end of the day!

One very wise many by the name of Brian Buchner once said, “The key to success is to just want it bad enough. If you want it bad enough, you’ll figure out a way to get it.  All other factors are irrelevant.  Upbringing, IQ, genetics, environment and possessions – all don’t matter.  It comes down to drive.  If you have the fire, then you’ll get what you want, guaranteed.”

Now isn’t that something to chew over?

It’s pretty easy to really want something isn’t it?

But you have to want it enough, to be able to make the success happen.

If you want something – and I mean, really, really want it – then the circumstances, the situations and opportunities conducive to you having it, will come to you!

If we focus on the thing we really, really want, then we won’t be able to help but notice all of those great opportunities that come our way, to help us achieve the materialization of our goals.

It’s like when we meet somebody with a certain car we really like.  After we meet that person and see their car, it seems as though every second person on the road is driving one of those cars!

It’s because we focus on it!  We see things conducive to it!

If we want something bad enough, things will just happen in our lives to help us achieve it!

The key is to want the success enough, to notice the opportunities that arise and act on them!

Start really wanting the success today and I guarantee you’ll start to see results!

P.S. I will be taking on 4 new clients for a one year intensive  coaching programme starting spring 2010 more details to follow. Please email me: Donald@zonedinperformance.com

Success: It Boils Down to Commitment!

As you know, I’m a big fan of motivational quotes and I’m also a big fan of Anthony Robbins!

So you guessed it!  I’m going to introduce this blog post with one of Anthony’s really great quotes relating to success.

“Individuals who succeed have a belief in the power of commitment.  If there’s a single belief that seems almost inseparable from success, it’s that there’s no great success without commitment.  If you look at successful people in any field, you’ll find they’re not necessarily the best and the brightest, the fastest and the strongest.  You’ll find they’re the ones with the most commitment.”

You can’t have success without commitment!

See, so many people sit down at the end of the year and say, “Gee, I could have done better in my job or with my weight loss.”  And then they’ll put together a new year’s resolution, in an attempt to avoid having the same conversation with self the following year.

And they might have all the greatest intentions of the world…but they do nothing about it.

Or perhaps they start taking action to achieve those goals, and then give up!

In other words, they lack the commitment to even start or finish in the attainment of a goal.

To become successful at something, you must commit to achieving the success!

So how do you get on track to achieving the success you really want in life?

First of all, you need to decide WHAT you want to succeed at!

What areas of your life do you want to achieve success in?  Perhaps it’s work related, finance related, relationship related?  It could be anything.

Take a moment to make notes of the areas of your life you want to succeed at.

What do you really want?

Once you know what you want, it’s time to DO the stuff you need to do, in order to bring about the success.

You need to plan how to achieve…and stick to it!

Every day you should do something to help you achieve your goals. But you need to get really serious about achieving your goals, if you’re to stay committed to them.

It’s not enough to just write down your goals.  You must – and there are no exceptions – plan the how’s of achieving your goals!

You must create a road map that you can follow, to achieve your desired outcome.

You must commit to its attainment, by doing something every day, until you achieve your goal.

And to keep you committed, you must remain focused on the goals you have set for yourself.

Do this, and you’ll be a long way towards achieving the success you really want to achieve in your life!

Step 4 to Making 2010 Amazing: Keep doing what works til you’re there!

Saints are sinners who kept on going.  ~Robert Louis Stevenson

So!  You know that to make 20010 you’re amazing year, you need to decide specifically what you want, take action and pay attention to what actually works.

Then you have to keep working on those things that do work until you reach your goal.
If something you are doing is working for you…
…keep doing it!

You can also try and improve your results by making changes to that process that is working for you.  Tweak it here and there and see what happens.

If you have great results – continue doing that thing or improve the process again for even better results.

If on the other hand you get a bad result, don’t despair!  Remember Mr Edison!

Keep going and never give up!

Persistence really is KEY when it comes to achieving your goals!

You won’t get to your goal otherwise, so keep on keeping on.  Focus on the positive things that are working and give yourself rewards for that.

For instance, if your goal is to lose weight in the new year, set milestones for yourself.  And once you reach a milestone, be sure to treat yourself.

If you fall off the wagon, don’t worry! Just make sure you get back on for the next day.

What will motivate you to keep on persisting is the achievement of those mini milestones.  As great as that is though, you need to focus on the end goal.

Each day, take a few minutes to read your goals out loud to yourself.  It’s also a good idea to create a positive affirmation and read that out aloud in the morning and in the evening as well before bed time.

The affirmation should be written as though you have already achieved your goal.  For instance, “I am feeling so amazing now that I’m 10 kilos lighter!”

And when you say that affirmation out loud, feel the feelings that come with the achievement of that goal.

By doing this each day, you are staying motivated – and that will help you to stay on track.  It will help you to keep on doing those things that work, until the materialization of your goal!

Have fun with it!

Goal-setting and setting up a plan to achieve the goals shouldn’t be an arduous task.  Make it fun by following the four steps inspired by Anthony Robbins’ famous quote!

And remember this!  2010 WILL be your amazing year if you decide ASAP what you want, take action to achieve it, pay attention to what works and what doesn’t and NEVER give up until you get there!

P.S. I am starting group coaching programme for those that are wanting to make 2010 an amazing year. If you’re interested, please email info@zonedinperformance and put “group coaching” in the subject line and detail what is your “wow” goals for 2010.

Step 3 to Making 2010 Amazing: Pay attention to what works!

I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career.  I’ve lost more than 300 games.  Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot, and missed.  I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. . . and that’s why I succeed. – Michael Jordan

Now that you understand the importance of getting specific about your goals and taking action to achieve them, it’s time to elaborate a little more on the action part.

Sometimes in the process of taking action to make our dreams happen, things don’t work well.

We may find that a particular course of action works really well, yet another course doesn’t yield results at all.

Now, this is where people can fall into a pretty significant trap – one that is detrimental to the achievement of a goal.

Many people focus too much on the stuff that doesn’t work!

Say for instance you are really passionate about your £200,000 income goal.  You get what you think is an amazing, earth-shattering idea when you are in the shower (yes – that’s where many of us get our lightbulb moment ideas!) and dry off with every bit of excitement!

You put your energy into the idea that you think can help you achieve your income goal.

But then you find that this idea doesn’t help you at all.  In fact, the idea you had is a real flop!

What do you do about it?

It’s natural to be disappointed, but given the situation there are two things you can do:

1. Be disappointed, yet get back to the task of achieving your goal by implementing other ideas; or
2. Be disappointed and get into a big depression over it…that stops you dead in your tracks!

Unfortunately, too many people do the latter.  They get so down about the outcome of a ‘failed’ idea that they just give up.  The wheels completely fall off!

If you are to actually achieve your goals, option 2 just isn’t an option.

You have to do as successful people do!

You have to pick yourself up off the ground after a disappointing outcome and say, “What went wrong?

What can I do NOW to get on track to achieving my goal?”

It all comes down to how you approach perceived (yes I’m using that word here) ‘failure’.

All of us will encounter ‘failure’ in our pursuit of goal attainment.

But it’s not so much the failure that can make us fall short of our goal – it’s our response to it.

Failure is an OPPORTUNITY for us to assess what works and what does not.  It’s an OPPORTUNITY to help us get on track.

It’s a stepping stone to success.

Imagine for a moment if that wonderful inventor of the incandescent light bulb –

Thomas Edison – gave up after the 100th attempt at getting that bulb to light up?

It took him hundreds attempts to finally make it work.

If he gave up at attempt 100, he would never have achieved success.

The reason why Edison prevailed?  He saw failure as a stepping stone to success!

He even said in his own words, “I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.”

Persistence is what will get us to our goal. And we need to focus on the things that work and not the things that don’t.  This way we will stay motivated and on track!

And that’s what you too must do in your pursuit of achievement!

P.S. I am starting group coaching programme for those that are wanting to make 2010 an amazing year. If you’re interested, please email info@zonedinperformance and put “group coaching” in the subject line and detail what is your “wow” goals for 2010.

Step 2 to Making 2010 Amazing: Take ACTION!

“To feel competent to live and worthy of happiness, I need to experience a sense of control over my existence.  This requires that I be willing to take responsibility for my actions and the attainment of my goals.  This means that I take responsibility for my life and my well-being.” – Nathaniel Branden

In my last blog post where I talked about step 1 and deciding what you actually want to achieve, I introduced you to a visualization technique.

It’s a technique that will definitely help you get excited and passionate about the specific things you want to achieve in 2010.

Now that you’re excited about making all of that great stuff happen, your mind – whether you realize it or not – is already working overtime to help you achieve everything!

Your mind is LOOKING for opportunities!

When you sit down and decide what you want to achieve – then feel the excitement of achieving those goals – it’s as though you’re asking your mind to make it happen.

In your excitement, your mind gets to work on your behalf.

And that’s when you start noticing opportunities.

Allow me to give you an example.  Let’s say for instance – we’ll revert back to the goal of achieving £200,000 worth of income – you want to make that much money in 2010.

Now you may not have any idea how you’re going to do that.  But once you actively visualize that goal – and feel the feelings of achieving it – you’ll start to notice opportunities.

You’ll get ideas in your mind geared towards helping you make that money.

And when you get an idea…

…You MUST act!

You don’t want to just do nothing!  Remember, you have a very specific and very clear goal that you’re passionate about.  You want that £200,000 income in 2009, so go get it!

Your mind is already working hard to help you get it.  So when your mind gives you a great idea, chase it up!

Take action!

Go over every idea with a fine tooth comb, and pursue the opportunities that come to you!

It’s not enough to just write down what you want.  It’s not enough to go into great specifics about something you want…then do nothing about it.

If you do nothing – if you do not act – then you will not achieve your goal.

You must take action to make it happen.  No exceptions!

So keep an eye out for the opportunities that will present themselves to you.  When you stay focused on your specific goals, it is inevitable that opportunities will come to you.

The people, the places, the circumstances…it will all come to you to help you in the achievement of your goals.

So have fun with that!  Enjoy the journey!

Because 2010 is going to be a GREAT year for you!

P.S. I am starting group coaching programme for those that are wanting to make 2010 an amazing year. If you’re interested, please email info@zonedinperformance and put “group coaching” in the subject line and detail what is your “wow” goals for 2010.

Step 1 to Making 2010 Amazing: Decide WHAT you Want Now!

“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it”- Michaelangelo

One of the things I love about starting the New year is spending time mapping out my vision and goals. I love the process of reviewing the past year and looking into the future with fresh eyes. And as a coach  helping others do the same is an amazing  and exciting privilege.

According to world-famous life coach Anthony Robbins, the first step to achieving something is to, “clearly decide what it is that you’re absolutely committed to achieving.”

You have to get serious about your goals and you have to get SPECIFIC about them.  There’s no room for being vague here.  You really need to specify exactly what your goals are, so your mind can visualize the materialization of those goals – and start working to make them happen!

You have to make a commitment to yourself – a commitment of actually going out and turning your goals into reality!

And it all starts with making a DECISION as to what you actually want!

Not sure where or how to start?

Start right now by asking yourself these questions:

• What will make me happy in life?
• What sort of family life do I want?
• What sort of social life do I want?
• What do I want to achieve work/career wise?
• What do I want to achieve financially?
• What do I want in terms of where I live?
• What do I want to feel when I think about myself?
• What is missing from my life right now?

Think long and hard about those questions and answer them honestly.  It helps to write the questions down, and then write the answers down.  Take your time and go into detail!

Remember, look for clarity.

If you want to generate lots of money in 2010, don’t just write, “I want to generate lots of money in 2010”.  Instead, write down how much money you want to generate.

Be specific at all times!

And now for the fun step!

Once you write down what you want – in full detail – write down how you feel about the achievement of that specific goal….as if it’s already materialized.

For instance, if you want to make £200,000 next year, write down how you feel now that you have a £200,000 lifestyle.

Visualise how that would feel. And feel the great feelings that come with the achievement of those goals.

This is a really fun exercise that will make you feel great.

And because you are engaging in visualization techniques, your mind will start doing the work to MAKE your goals a reality.

P.S. I will be taking 2 new coaching clients early in 2010 for an intensive 1 year coaching programme. Contact me directly at Donald@zonedinperformance.com if you are interested. A place on the programme is not guaranteed and I will be working with people totally committed to creating the “WOW LIFE” they desire and acting fearlessly to make their vision a reality.

Christmas Time Again!

It’s hard to believe that Christmas day is just 3 days away! Like the majority of people, you’re probably really looking forward to spending time with friends and family and just kicking back and taking a break. I am looking forward to chilling out on xmas day then onto the football on Boxing Day.

But for others, Christmas and the entire festive season can be a really stressful or sad time.

And it’s for a whole variety of reasons.  Here’s just a few:

• A feeling of dread at the thought of seeing family members they don’t have a good history with
• Feelings of inadequacy, linked to people they are seeing over the holiday break
• Feelings of loneliness due to lost friendships
• Anxiety over ‘keeping up appearances’
• Worry over finances and keeping everybody happy in the gift-giving department
• Sadness over recent – or not-so recent loss – e.g. death of a loved one
• Feelings of non-achievement over goals set last Christmas that have not been achieved

Experiencing all or any of the above can really create a negative festive season!

But the reality is you can CHANGE this!

You CREATE your own experience!

And you do it with your thinking.

As individuals, we have so much power because we have our minds and we have the ability to consciously think.  The way we think shapes our life experience.

If we wake up for instance, feeling really edgy, irritable and grumpy, it really sets the tone for the day.  Haven’t you experienced that for yourself?

Your day just tends to spiral out of control – almost like a domino effect.  And you seem to attract negativity into your day, the more you hold onto those negative thoughts and feelings.

If you change your thought patterns and start thinking happy and optimistic thoughts, then your whole experience of that day changes.

And you can do the same for Christmas too.

If you are facing any of those stresses listed in the above, turn that thought into a positive one.  If you have thoughts of not having enough money, start to think of abundance.  Start thinking of having enough money and enjoy the feeling that comes with that thought.

I guarantee you’ll feel a lot better and the experience – an experience you may have been dreading – will be made so much more enjoyable.

We create our own experiences through our thoughts.

In the film, “The Secret” one of the teachers by the name of Marci Shimoff said, “Once you begin to understand your thoughts and feelings, that’s when you see how you create your own reality.  That’s where your freedom is, that’s where all your power is.”

Put positive thinking to the test for yourself today, and get ready for what will be a lovely Christmas Day – if you WANT it and THINK it!

P.S. I will be taking 2 new coaching clients early in 2010 for an intensive 1 year coaching programme. Contact me directly at Donald@zonedinperformance.com if you are interested. A place on the programme is not guaranteed and I will be working with people totally committed to creating the “WOW LIFE” they desire and acting fearlessly to make their vision a reality.

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