The psychology of self-motivation | Scott Geller | TEDxVirginiaTech

Quite funny as well. Very interesting have a look.

Goal Setting and the Magic of the Universe

Back in high school I remember talking to my first official boss, besides my dad who managed my paper route, about my burning desire to succeed. He asked me where I got this so called burning desire and til this day I cannot tell you where I got it or why I continue to have it. I can tell you that my desire to succeed has transformed over time and that is directly a result of me looking inward. I’ve learned so much, over the almost 50 years I’ve been on this planet, about life, living, desires, satisfaction, happiness, love, and yes, goal setting.

There are hordes and hordes of different kinds of goal setting, most of which I believe fails us. I want to give you a few simple ideas and strategies to help you make sure you stay on track to achieve your goals.

First of all, there are a bunch of different categories for which you can set goals. There is also an incredible amount of detail you can get into if you have the time, but I know most of do not. If you read my column last week you know that I like to set New Year’s principles not goals. However, I do set goals on a regular basis, all the time. I’m always redefining what I want and changing course as my desires change.

Looking at the big picture, you can choose a 1 year, 3 year, and 10 year goal. You can also use 3 simple categories of personal, health, and career goals. That’s obviously a wide range and view from the top of your life. I find that while that’s a worthwhile exercise, it’s more productive for me to set daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals as well.

My daily goals are simple. What 3 things am I going to do today that are going to make me feel accomplished? There is a philosophy from Brian Tracy where he talks about eating the frog. If you ate a frog first thing in the morning, everything else you did that day would feel easy. I try to shoot for eating the frog as soon as possible.

My weekly goals are things that I know need to be done weekly or a project I’m working on. For instance, I set a goal to manage my finances every Friday. I reconcile my books, make sure I know what’s coming in and what’s going out. I look at my investments and what I am looking forward to in the future. That is a scheduled event every Friday, but it’s also a goal of mine to stay on track. Then of course, that follows in the monthly, quarterly, and annual goals as well.

Here are a few basic things that you can do to make sure you stay on track with your goals.

Make Them Simple

Too often we get consumed by setting goals, but it doesn’t need to be so complicated. Choose something you want, whether it’s spending more time with your spouse or exercising more, and commit to doing it.

Read Them Daily

This will help you keep your goals at the top of your mind. It will increase your focus and allow you to achieve your goals more easily. I remember it took me years to quit smoking, but I always kept in on my list of goals. Eventually it happened and it was one of the best things I ever did.

Be Relentless

Take some time in meditation, visualize your goals, and begin to see yourself achieving them. Then take your visualization to the next level and see what the world is going to provide for you. Not only will you achieve your goals, but you will reach new heights that you never knew existed. That’s where the magic lies. And someday, you may even have a goal of doing a handstand on top of Haleakula Crate in Maui. I can help you with that one  and I’m always here to help you along your journey. You can find me @teddymcdonald.

Originally published  CLICK HERE

7 Secrets to Successful Facebook Ads

Cannot stress the importance of getting up to scratch with social media ads if your a new business or entrepreneur. Check out the vid its good starting point :) Are you using social media to contact your customers?

TONY ROBBINS - NEW YEAR, NEW YOU (2018 MOTIVATION)

Still relevant every year for me. Whats your thoughts?

The New 1-2-3 Goal-Setting Routine

People who set goals are more successful in life than those who don’t. Research proves it time and time again.

But here’s the thing: People who enjoy moderate success set LOTS of goals. And while they may achieve several of those goals, they struggle to define the ones the matter MOST to them. The end result? They don’t have a system in place of prioritizing their BIGGEST, life-changing goals.

That’s why nine out of 10 people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions.

If that sounds a little bit like you, don’t worry.

I’m going to teach you the solution to this too-many-goal problem. And together, we’re going to turn your moderate success into an amazing year.

How, you ask? With my 1-2-3 Goal-Setting Routine.

Here’s how it works (and I’ll start with resolutions, since 2018 is already upon us):

For some people, “resolutions” is a dirty word. But when you stick to them, they can change the trajectory of your life forever.

Resolutions (goals) have always been a big part of my work and personal growth, and they’ve helped inform my professional endeavors. For 20 years, my fitness businesses have helped millions of people set goals, change habits, and transform their bodies.

However, most people go about setting goals all wrong.

This was something I struggled with until my early 30s. That’s when my mentor, Mark Ford, taught me to replace my “shotgun-scattered” approach with laser-focused planning.

In 2006, when I was 31 years old, I sat at my parent’s kitchen table prior to a New Year’s Eve party, writing out my goals for the next year.

At the end of my session, I had dozens of (minor) goals on a page in 10-point font. The next year, I achieved minor success in several areas but didn’t hit the major objectives that would have significantly altered my life for the better.

That’s when I asked Mark Ford for advice. He taught me to focus on just one goal for each of the four big areas in life—health, wealth, social self, and personal enrichment.

His advice was incredibly impactful. It freed me to write my book, start a business in a new industry, and, when I paid it forward, allowed my coaching clients to achieve 12-month goals in only 90 days.

Using the wisdom of Mark Ford as the foundation, I created the 1-2-3 Goal-Setting System. It starts by picking a 90-day deadline alongside one outcome goal for each of two areas of your life (one personal, one professional), and outlining three major actions steps for each outcome goal.

I’ll bet you’re asking, “Why does this minimal approach work better than resolutions?”

Imagine waking up on New Year’s Day and saying, “I want to lose 10 pounds,” or “I want to make an extra million dollars.” That’s nice. But there’s no plan, no path, no focus, and no urgency. Your dream won’t come true.

The 1-2-3 Goal-Setting Formula fixes that.

I’ve received many questions over the years about this formula, so I’ll beat you to the punch and answer them now:

Why a 90-day deadline?

In my book, “The Perfect Day Formula,” I outline five pillars of success that take you from planning to measurable results. The fifth pillar is what the 1-2-3 Goal-Setting Formula really takes advantage of: the BIG deadline.

Deadlines turn the abstract into the concrete, spur us to action, keep us going through tough times, and move faster toward the finish line.

That’s why we use a 90-day deadline in the 1-2-3 Goal Setting Routine. It’s not actually dissimilar to quarterly planning sessions for business sales—and many entrepreneurs and CEOs have enjoyed financial success setting up internal deadlines for their own growth and development.

You should enjoy the same kind of success.

What exactly is an outcome goal? And why is there only one of them?

An outcome goal is a numbers-based objective—like losing 10 pounds or making $1 million. It’s more specific than “losing weight” or “getting rich.”

I limit it to just one outcome goal because I want you to be singularly focused on the goal that has the most significant impact on your life. Think of the outcome goal as the bullseye on the target. If you hit the bullseye, it’s worth more than hitting the outside ring 10 times.

Ok, but why should I focus on just two major areas of my life?

This is where I’ve upgraded the system from what Mark Ford taught me 10 years ago.

Four goals are better than 20, but even then, the waters get a little muddy.

For the next 90 days, you are just going to focus on two major goals—one personal, one professional. That’s it. That’s extreme focus, and a clear path to success.

The great thing is, when you achieve major goals, pretty much every other area of your life improves. Plus, you open up more time and energy for other goals in your next 90-day sprint.

And process goals? What are those, and why three of them?

We need to use process goals because there is a serious FLAW in only setting outcome goals.

Let me explain. A good friend of mine, Alwyn Cosgrove, taught me that we do not control our outcome goals. There are always external circumstances influencing the final outcome. We might lose nine pounds instead of 10, or we might make $900K instead of an extra million. The final outcome is never fully within our control.

However, Alwyn added, what you DO control are the action steps that move you in the direction of your outcome goal. We control our weight loss efforts—our diet, our exercise, our sleep, and our water intake. We control our revenue-generating activities—setting up lead-generation systems, practicing our sales scripts, doing follow-up, and asking for referrals. If we do our best with our action steps (process goals), we’ll get as close as possible to our outcome goals.

So there you have it—a concrete, effective alternative to failure-assured resolutions. One outcome goal for each of two areas of your life—one professional and one personal—and three action steps for each outcome goal.

And let me allay your fears; this isn’t some fly-by-night methodology I cooked up to get clicks, either. My coaching clients have been using the 1-2-3 Goal-Setting System for years. Some have doubled their income, others have achieved massive fitness goals, and still others have landed in happy, longterm relationships that they were seeking for years.

So I urge you to start 2018 on the right foot and build out your own 1-2-3 Goal-Setting System. You can do anything for 90 days—and you may just change your life.

Craig Ballantyne, Contributor

Writer, Coach, Entrepreneur

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Achieving Goals

POWERFUL! Subconscious 90% of Brain Power, Conscious Mind 10% of Brain Power.

Which one would you use ?

11 Reasons Why Failure Is Essential For Self-Development

It's easy, when observing other people’s successes, to think that it came easily, or that you’re the unlucky one missing out. But rooted at the heart of almost every successful endeavour - whether it’s a project, work or a relationship - is some form of failure.

The catch-22 of course, is that no one willingly wants to fail, and the prospect of it can be incredibly stressful. In fact, for a lot of us, we lose a sense of perspective and believe it to be the worst thing that could happen, when in actual fact, it’s a critical part of our development.

In fact, a lot of famous people attribute their later, stratospheric success to earlier failures. Oprah was fired from her first TV anchor job, Sir James Dyson failed thousands of times before making his world famous vacuum cleaner, and Jay Z couldn’t get a record label to sign him, and had to sell his CDs out of the back of a car boot.

In her 2008 commencement speech at Harvard, author J.K. Rowling said: “Failure taught me things about myself that I could have learned no other way. I discovered that I had a strong will, and more discipline than I suspected.”

Failure - contrary to it feels - isn’t the end of the world. In fact, here are 11 reasons why it’s essential.

 1. It prompts you to re-evaluate what’s actually important to you.

One of the biggest fears around failing tends to be around work. Am I doing well? Will I get that promotion? Sometimes, it can feel like your world will end if it doesn’t happen for you but it may not actually be the thing you want. Neel Burton, who wrote The Art of Failure: The Anti Self-Help Guide, says that it can actually be quite freeing.

“Society’s idea of success and happiness is a trap,” he says. “It is not just that the bar is set too high, but also that it is set in the wrong place, and that it is, in fact, the wrong bar. Jump and you’ll only break your back. ‘Failure’ on the other hand can free us from that rat race.”

2. It makes you unafraid to try

One of the worst aspects of failure is that the fear around it is so great, you’d rather not attempt anything in case it doesn’t work out. Siobhan Curham, author and motivational speaker says: “I spent most of my younger life terrified of failure. Fear of failure played a big part in me dropping out of uni two years into my English degree. I was so scared that I didn’t have what it took to become a writer (due to my working class background) and that I would fail, I gave up even trying. Thankfully, I managed to overcome this fear but it took several years working in soul destroying jobs to do so.”

 3) It helps you let go of the past

Talking about getting over a failed relationship, Megan McArdle who wrote The Up Side Of Down: Bouncing Back In Business And Life said in a piece she wrote for Stylist: “Failure forces us to acknowledge the truth, to let go of the lacklustre past. And once we’ve done so – once we no longer have something, no matter how inadequate, to lose – we’re free to take a flyer on something great.”

4) It makes you realise everything is temporary

Although it feels destabilising at the time, failure jolts you out of your routine and makes you think more immediately. Neel says: “Instead of living for the future, we begin to live for the present.” You may feel terrible while it’s going on, but eventually when you come out of it, it ends up being an incredible learning curve that nothing lasts - not even feeling bad about failing.

 5) You become more resilient

People who experience failure and then overcome it, end up far more resilient and better equipped at dealing with future situations. Siobhan says: “Failure can be a blessing if you’re willing to seek the wisdom in the setback. You can choose to let setbacks defeat and define you or you can choose to learn the lessons and carry on stronger and wiser than before. I try and see so-called failures as valuable steps on the way to success.”

6) It keeps your ego in check

We’ve all had a moment when we misjudge our value or abilities, and sometimes, it can royally backfire. But if you find yourself being dumped, take heart in what Neel calls ‘dissolution of the ego’. Failure is a great teacher in learning your own personal limitations, and figuring out how to do better next time.

7) It teaches you that the path to success isn’t straight...and that’s a good thing

School teaches you a very linear path to success. Pass this test and you’ll be rewarded with good grades; that then leads to higher education, and so on. But in the real world, success is not always so predictable or straightforward.

Siobhan says: “I’ve learned that the world doesn’t end and actually, failure can often lead to far greater things,” she says. “A great example of this is when I was dropped by my first publisher due to poor sales of my fourth book. It felt like the end of the world. But this ‘failure’ led to a massive breakthrough for me. I wrote and self-published my first young adult novel Dear Dylan - giving away the e-book for free.

“It was liberating writing purely to try and help young people and no longer having to fear failing in a publisher’s eyes. Dear Dylan went on to win a national book award and then went to auction, with eight publishers bidding for it. I’ve since had seven YA books traditionally published and achieved success beyond my wildest dreams.”

8) You become better at taking risks

Not all risks are sensible, admittedly, but the one thing that unifies super successful people is the ability to take a risk. When talking to Forbes, executive coach Dr Sam Collins said: “We must take a leap, take calculated risks, and be patient for the results. We don’t need to have everything worked out beforehand. I never wrote a business plan, but in order to reach the next level in life, business, and my own personal growth, I had to take some risks. It gets you out of your head and into your gut instinct pretty quickly and successfully.”

9) Failing is actually a skill (no, really)

Learning how to recover from failure is a skill. Life coach Pam Bauer says: “If you’re good at falling down and getting back up, you’ll be confident going into new situations because you know you’ll be OK no matter what happens.”

10) It prevents you from ruminating over things in the future

Dr. Joachim Stoeber and Dr. Dirk Janssen from the University’s School of Psychology published a paper called ‘Perfectionism and coping with daily failures’ and found that staying positive through failure helped significantly in terms of inner resilience. Keeping your sense of humour may seem challenging when things are terrible, but if you can master this, Dr Stoeber says it helps enormously in the future, in terms of not obsessing about things.

11) You actually learn more from it

You can learn from success, and you can learn from failure - but the latter will teach you far more, and is therefore more valuable. Vinit Desai, assistant professor of management at the University of Colorado Denver Business School ran a study looking at which was more helpful. He says: ““We found that the knowledge gained from success was often fleeting while knowledge from failure stuck around for years.”  

By Poorna Bell, Commercial Writer

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