Decision = Freedom!

One of the hardest things to do it seems is for us to make a DECISION. 

So often, we circle and circle, research and research, maybe even incorporate a little bit of trial and error; yet we never seem to truly DECIDE what we want to, or are going to, do; really DECIDE who we will BE.

Yet our lives are made up of hundreds, maybe thousands, of decisions every single day.  We decide to hit snooze one more time, or to get up 5 minutes early.  We decide what clothes to wear; to brush our teeth first, wash our face second; to drink our coffee while rushing around the kitchen or to enjoy a leisurely breakfast; to turn on the radio to music, or the news; to check Facebook or turn on our smart phones; and that's all within the first 15 minutes of waking up! 

Many of these decisions happen (almost) without our realizing.  They've become habits ... the things we just 'do'.  Mostly because they are the things that move us towards other goals: waking us up, getting the kids to school on time, getting to work on time, all without embarrassing ourselves by doing it all naked. 

Quite frankly, most of these decisions are happening on a subconscious level -- they've become habits.  And one thing that habits are is comfortable.  We get up and go to work at our J.O.B everyday, not because we love it, not because it's the best, most efficient, or the most enjoyable way to earn a living, but because it's a decision we made abouthow we would (should?) live so long ago that it's now habit. 
And any habit, good or bad, can be hard to break!

 What?  Good habits are hard to break too?  Great news!

Take a look at your life.  What habits (decisions) are driving your every day activities?  Are those habits (decisions) creating a happier, fuller life?  Are you achieving your dreams, or dreaming of an escape? 

The choice is yours.  The power lies within you.  You DECIDE every day who you will be.  What decisions are you making today?

New Month, New Quarter -- Where's Your Plan?

It's TIME!

Take out your plan of action you created for the last 3 months, and take a look at it.  How did your progress match up against your goals?  CELEBRATE your achievements!!  Congratulations!!
Now take a look at where you didn't quite arrive.  Identify why that happened.  There are many reasons:

- your expectations were too high or unrealistic
- unexpected life happenings
- you didn't follow your plan ...

Don't dwell on what didn't happen - - dwelling on it won't change things.

Instead, grab a sheet of paper and write down your goals for the next 3 months.

What will your life look like on July 1?  What will your financial situation be?  Your career?  Your family?  Your spiritual life?  How will you have contributed to your community?

THREE STEPS to ACHIEVE:
DECIDE
Write down your goals.  Post them where you will see them regularly.  Bathroom mirror with a dry-erase marker is a great spot!  As is your fridge, in your office, by your bed, keep a copy in your wallet.

DO
Plan your Work, Work your Plan.  What ACTIONS will you take to achieve your goals?  Knowing what you want isn't enough, you're going to have to put some work in to it.
Then DO it.  Day after day, stick to your plan.  Don't fret over 'is it working' ... you have 3 months to test it out, so get to work, give it a fair chance to work for you, and like Nike says, Just DO It!

DEVELOP
On July 1, you'll get to do this all over again.  You may need to make adjustments: You will have achieved some goals and will need to write new ones; Some of your goals may change; and You may find you need to adjust or change your activities to achieve your goals.  That's perfectly and wonderfully normal.

What are you waiting for? Let's DO this!

DECIDE - DO - DEVELOP

I recently completed a fitness program - a 60-day, intensive workout plan - and I enjoyed success and made great strides towards my health goals.  Every day, at the beginning of the workout, these three words scrolled across my tv screen in large letters: Decide - Commit- Succeed.

I decided in January on the program I wanted to use, I committed myself to completed it, and guess what - I achieved success.

It rang so true to me as I have been speaking on the three steps to success in any area, only I use the words DECIDE - DO - DEVELOP.  Here's what I mean:

Firstly, you must DECIDE what it is that you want.  Set your goals.  It's not enough to have a general idea, because with a general idea you are only generally committed and when the going gets tough (and it always does when your goal is worthwhile pursuing), you won't be committed, and you'll stop doing.

Then you must DO.  Get into action!  I see so many people falter here.  If this is your hang-up; if you can't seem to get yourself into action, I suggest going back to your goals and digging deeper to find something that motivates you.

And along the way, DEVELOP.  This is a two-faceted step.  Firstly, you will work on YOU - personal and professional development.  Successful people are always looking to improve.  Listen to audios, read books.  And take steps to "becoming".  Secondly, your 'plan of action' will change over time - you will make modifications based on what you've experienced, what factors have changed, and how you've "become".  You will constantly be in development phase.  This should come as a great relief to those of you with "Analysis Paralysis" -- you don't need to have a PERFECT plan to get started, because your plan will change over time no matter what, so just get started already!

Three steps: DECIDE - DO - DEVELOP.  Know what you want, get to work achieving it, modify your plan along the way.  And celebrate your tremendous SUCCESS!!

What's your earning power

I was listening to the radio this morning. They were reporting on the wage gap for women. I've heard this before; women's wages are about $0.83 to a mans $1.00, plus women shoulder the majority of the child care, household management, and as the boomers age we now take care of our parents too. But there was something 'new to me', that I hadn't taken into cOnsideration until this morning. For those of us who choose to 'stay home' to raise our children, whether for a short while or a longer timeframe, we lose touch with our 'professional network'. Mothers' networks are other moms, pediatricians, play school teachers, day care providers, and kids coffee house owners. Aside from the occasional doctor visit (which lets face it, is a decidedly 'doctor-patient relationship, not as a colleague), we lose our professional contacts. Unlike our male working counter-parts, who are dealing with their work colleagues, investment advisors, accountants, and others whom they encounter through work (even company human resource personnel, and the chance networking with other professionals on commutes or lunches). No wonder women who return to the workforce after staying home with their kids face a decrease in wages or salary equal to approximately 5 years prior to their last working year! Apparently the Wiggles don't provide references, and employers aren't 'feeling' the complexities of running a multi-child household through cold and flu season as an accurate indicator of employee qualification.

What does it all mean? For me, I'm glad to have chosen to stay home with my boys, to raise my own children. I'm also glad that I've chosen to start my own business working from home. I'm grateful for the opportunity to build a business based on my efforts, earning what I deserve, without letting a hiatus from 'the professional world', nor the 'man behind the desk' dictate my salary.

Discipline

I have a favourite story about self-discipline that one of my favourite people shared with me one day (not just with me, with an entire room while she was presenting).  You see this gal's father has always displayed a tremendous amount of self-discipline his entire life, and she felt that to be an area lacking for her.  So she asked her father one day HOW exactly he found it within himself to be so disciplined.  His answer:

"It's not easy; I just decide I'm going to do it and I do it."

What are you feeding your mind?

It is said that the first 30 minutes and the last 30 minutes of your day are integral to creating the most positive and productive mindset. Thus, the first things you see, hear, read, and the last, play a large role in influencing your approach to life.

Why is this important? Take a look at your days. While we are all busy, and many of our days involve a lot of varied activities, our morning and bedtime periods are most likely the most 'routine' part of our days. It is in your first hour of waking and just prior to retiring that you are most likely to do the same things, day after day.

Based on that, examine what you are experiencing during those times. Is it a mad rush to get everyone together and out the door in the mornings, full of stress? Are you listening to dismal news stories on your morning commute? Are you falling asleep to the tv? What kind of information is influencing your most important times of day?

I read a 'story' recently where a man changed his life in a dramatically positive way just by ceasing to listen to, watch, or discuss the news. How powerful could that one change be for you?

There are some simple changes we can make. Put a cd player in the room you spend the most time in in the morning, and listen to something positive, motivational, and uplifting. Same for your morning commute. And really, turn off the tv in your bedroom (better yet, remove it altogether), and spend some time reading, journalling, and capturing your gratitude for the day.

Try this for 30 days. Or 29 days in February. And see what kind of differences you notice in your life. I will, and I'll share them march 1.