Category: Action

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The Habit Of Discipline

“The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term, is the indispensable prerequisite for success.” ~ Brian Tracy

In an interview I heard recently with Brian Tracy, a leader in the field of self-development, the interviewer asked Brian if he had one overarching “secret” of achieving success or attaining a goal. Brian stated that he had been asked this question hundreds of times, usually at the end of a TV or radio interview. And for years, he declined to answer the question, Continue reading “The Habit Of Discipline”

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Stop Stopping

Stop Stopping

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” ~ Confucius

“A body in motion will remain in motion.” ~ Newton’s First Law of Motion.  I was doing wonderfully well. I was getting up and going through my morning routine — physical activity, meditation, journaling, and planning — consistently for weeks. I felt really good. I felt productive. I was making good progress!  “A body at rest remains at rest.” ~ Newton’s First Law of Motion  But then . . . I missed a day. Oops. My momentum slowed. Then I missed another day — turned off my alarm and slept in. I decided I needed some time off so I took off a couple more days. Before I knew it, more than 2 weeks had gone by and I was completely out of my routine. The more I missed, the less I felt like starting back. I had completely lost all momentum. I had stopped. Continue reading “Stop Stopping”

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A Procrastination Busting Technique

“The biggest lie we tell ourselves . . . is ‘I’ll do it later'”. ~ Peter McWilliams

You’ve heard me say before that Procrastination is one of my greater talents. Over the years, I’ve honed it to a fine skill. (At one time, my procrastinating was so bad that I was afraid of Saturday the 14th.) It’s the reason I think and write so much about overcoming procrastination – I need all the advice I can get.

I recently came across a technique that promises to be a great procrastination buster. Of course, there are a number of good ways to battle procrastination, and this is another good tool for those of us who find it so easy to “do it later”. Continue reading “A Procrastination Busting Technique”

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Ripples

A parable of the seeds

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” (Mark 4: 3 – 8 NIV)

A parable of stones thrown in water

A young child sat by the bank of a pond. The child held a number of small stones in her hand. The child tossed one of the stones in the water and watched as ripples went out across the pond in ever-growing circles – larger and larger. She tossed in another, then another, and watched in delight as the ripples grew and ran across the surface of the water, sometimes overlapping, sometimes converging and then moving away from each other. The ripples moved all the way across the pond, much further than the child could have tossed one of her stones. Continue reading “Ripples”

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Productivity Matters

“In the end, putting together a life of extraordinary results simply comes down to getting the most out of what you do, when what you do matters. Living for productivity produces extraordinary results.” ~ Gary Keller, The ONE Thing

Living for productivity produces extraordinary results. What sort of results have you been achieving? Would you call them “extraordinary”? If I am honest with myself, most of my days are not extraordinarily productive — although I am having more productive days lately, thanks to the information I am sharing with you in this post. In his book, The ONE Thing: The surprisingly simple truth behind extraordinary results, Gary Keller contends that “the most successful people are the most productive people.” [Keller 158] And the most productive people are those people who spend the maximum amount of their time on their top priority – their “ONE Thing”. Continue reading “Productivity Matters”

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Being And Doing

“To be or not to be, that is the question.” ~ William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act III, Scene 1

being and doing

Action Is Necessary . . .

Action, I have often said, is the last word in “attraction” (as in “The Law Of”). And I emphasize again the importance of taking actions to reach your goals. Faith can move mountains, but you also need a shovel and a pail. However, I recognize that a person can get caught up in doing for the sake of doing – endless to-do lists, constant activity. Carrying around the feeling that you always have to be doing something does not lead to flourishing.

Continue reading “Being And Doing”
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Fixed Mindset Or Growth Mindset

Are you “smart” or are you a “hard worker”? Adopt a growth mindset and work smarter AND harder!

Events And Responses

Recently, I was reading through an e-book on setting aside one hour a day to work on your #1 goal and I came across this bit of advice:

E + R = O
Event + Response = Outcome
[Fábrega]

“Right now you may be telling yourself things such as the following:

  • I can’t find the time to work on my goals right now; I have a kid.
  • My boss is always asking me to stay after work and take on more job assignments.
  • I have such a long commute.
  • There’s just so much stuff coming at me.
Continue reading “Fixed Mindset Or Growth Mindset”
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Cross The Bridge

You don’t have to take a GIANT step in the direction of your goal. It can be a tiny, baby step. But for it to be effective, you must take the step every day. You must cross the bridge.

Someday Isle

Imagine you live on an island. Call it Someday Isle. You know, someday I’ll start my diet. Someday I’ll look for a better job. Someday I’ll start saving for retirement. Someday I’ll write my book. Someday I’ll take better care of myself. Someday I’ll be happy. Someday Isle. Someday Isle. Someday Isle. [1]

As you see, there are lots of folks who live with you on Someday Isle. However, you know something many of them don’t know. You know that there is another island close by Someday Isle. It is Today Isle. And there is a bridge linking Someday Isle and Today Isle.

Continue reading “Cross The Bridge”