How to Motivate Yourself - Success Strategies to Keep You on Track - All of the Time

Learning to stay motivated and on track can make the difference between your success and failure when you are pursuing a goal or dream. When you are highly motivated you find yourself doing whatever it takes to get the job done, despite any discomfort you may encounter. When your motivation is not so high you are apt to make excuses to yourself and others explaining why you can't succeed.

Your job is to discover ways to keep yourself motivated. You may find yourself motivated to take action toward your dreams by a dynamic public speaker or a well-written book, but that motivation is frequently short-lived. Without repeated exposure to the book or the speaker, your reasons for being motivated begin to fade into the background noise of your everyday life. You simply return to your comfort zone.

This is what many people do. They get a big burst of motivation and take some action, but they don't renew that motivation and it starts to slide and diminish. As the motivating factors become less and less important to you, you are less and less willing to put up with any discomfort or challenges. It becomes easier for you to give up.

When your motivation levels go up and down like this you will find it difficult to make consistent progress toward your dreams.

The only true, dependable form of motivation is motivation that comes from within - self motivation. You have to motivate yourself. You have to decide that your goal or dream is more important than whatever challenge or discomfort you are facing. You learn to act in spite of the challenges.

Here are a few tips to help you maintain that level of motivation.

• Have a powerful why - Motivating yourself to take action is easy when you have a strong enough reason for reaching a goal. A burning desire to achieve something will cause you to take much different action than a wish or a hope will.

• Keep you dream in sight - If you focus too intently on the steps between you and your dream you will find yourself getting sidetracked by perceived problems and challenges. Try to keep your eyes on the result that you want to create. This will make it easier for you to stay focused on the important things.

• Focus on your dream throughout your day - tape reminders or pictures of your goal on your bathroom mirror or on your refrigerator. Carry a card with your goals written on it with you at all times. Get creative!

Keeping yourself motivated becomes easier the more you practice it and the more strongly you are attached to succeeding. You can learn to create change in any area of your life once you understand and apply these success strategies.

By Bob Crawford

If you would like to learn more about personal success and how you can learn to manifest your dreams into reality I invite you to grab your free copy of the ultimate manifesting ebook right now at http://www.bobcrawfordonline.com Click right now and you can start creating the life of your dreams today!

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Procrastination - Thirteen Techniques to End It

Procrastination-An introduction

Procrastination is one of the main reasons we don't perform to our full potential. It is a comfortable human habit that is not easy to break. But if you allow procrastination to become deeply entrenched, it can wreck your personal effectiveness and, in turn, the effectiveness of your organization. Here are a Baker's Dozen simple techniques that people have successfully used over the years to beat procrastination. Through application, you can discover which will work best for you.

1. The priorities plan

If you are forced into procrastination beyond your control because there are just too many tasks and so little time, do the important things first. Prioritize and give greatest and immediate attention to the most pressing jobs.

2. The divide-and-conquer strategy

If you are procrastinating because of the sheer awesomeness of a task, the key is to break it up into smaller, more manageable components. Once you start accumulating small victories, you'll be well on your way. Edwin Bliss advocates this strategy, calling it the 'Salami Technique', by which you slice up the task like a salami. Alan Lakein prefers the 'Swiss Cheese Method', which punches small holes in a big job

3. The killer-punch plan

The divide-and-conquer strategy won't work if your problem is that you keep putting off a single task like returning a phone call, firing a worker, or writing a thank-you note. The killer punch is needed for a specific task that can only be accomplished in one hit. There is only one solution: get it off your plate
immediately. Act now.

4. The ten-minute treatment

Take the task you've been procrastinating over and resolve to spend ten minutes a day on it. Afteryour first ten whole-hearted minutes, reconsider. If you put it aside until tomorrow, OK. Probably, however, you'll realize that the job isn't so dreadful; you'll have gained enough momentum to go beyond the planned ten minutes.

5. The bribe-yourself technique

Promise yourself a reward for getting a job done by a certain deadline. Bribe yourself with new clothes, a night out, or a walk along the beach. But don't cheat yourself by accepting your bribe before you've finished for that will only reinforce your procrastination.

6. The post-a-sign strategy

Display a small or large sign at work or home with a message to remind you of the job to be done (preferably where it will annoy your colleague or spouse so that they can pressure you as well). Such a reminder will make the 'out of sight, out of mind' principle harder to operate.

7. The do-nothing method

Do nothing for 15 minutes-nothing but stare at and think about the job at hand. According to Alan Lakein, 'you should become very uneasy-and after 10 minutes, you'll fire and be off and running'.

8. The see-it-all-done approach

We procrastinate when we cannot foresee achievement. Calano and Salzman recommend this exercise if you're having trouble getting started:

Close your eyes and relax... Imagine that you have just finished your project, done a terrific job, and are basking in the good feeling of having achieved another goal. In your vision, focus on every process you went through to complete the task: the details, the hang-ups, the breakthroughs. Concentrate particularly on the elation of realizing your reward. Such visualization, they say, makes any task seem less intimidating.

9. The lock-away technique

Perhaps, as a busy manager, you simply need to isolate yourself from interruption for a couple of hours to get a difficult job done. If that's the case, tell people about your problem and lock yourself away from others for the required period.

10. The monitoring manoeuvre

For those lengthy and seemingly overwhelming tasks, take a colleague into your confidence-not to do the job for you but to have a trusted friend to talk over the task with, to provide support, to check on progress, and to nudge you gently, and often, towards the deadline.

11. The go-public tactic

Motivate yourself negatively by committing yourself publicly to a deadline-to avoid embarrassment,
you'll get the job done, or lose face. And if you want either an incentive for reaching your goal or a penalty for falling short, make a $10 lottery ticket wager with a colleague.

12. The peak performance time routine

Do your toughest jobs at that time of day when you are most alert, rested, and energized. Or choose an unusual time for you-e.g. set the alarm for 4.30 a.m. and work for an hour drafting that difficult letter you keep putting off.

13. Swallow that frog!

If you've got a difficult job to be done and you're having trouble getting started, then perhaps this apt though awesome advice may prove useful to you.

If you've got to swallow a frog, don't spend a lot of time looking at it. And if you have to swallow several frogs, don't swallow the small one first.

By Dr Neil Flanagan

Dr Neil Flanagan
Management Strategist
http://www.management2go.com

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7 Quick & Easy Tips to Stay Motivated and Achieve Your Goals

How many times have you set yourself goals, only to find that you simply aren't motivated enough to carry them through?

Ideas and goals are totally ineffective if you don't take action, so here are 7 tips to spur you on to achieving your goals!

1) Firstly, when setting goals, ensure that you write down all of the details. What do you want to achieve, when do you want to achieve it by, and how will you know when you have a successful outcome?

2) Imagine yourself having already reached your goal. What can you see, what do you hear, and how do you feel? Write down the details and fill your mind with a wonderful sense of accomplishment.

3) Have confidence in yourself and in your abilities. Know that you can achieve what you set out to do. A belief in yourself is essential to your success in anything you do. To help you, list all the achievements that you have had in the past couple of years. You will soon see that you managed to complete some really worthwhile objectives, and there is no reason why this shouldn't continue!

4) Know that you will succeed. Use affirmations to convince yourself that you will achieve your goals. Use sentences that begin with "I will ..........." and repeat them regularly. Put notes on your fridge or wherever if that helps!

5) Think positively, and don't worry about setbacks in your plans. If you find yourself slipping into a negative frame of mind, imagine yourself writing that negative thought on a piece of paper. Then scrunch up the paper into a tight ball with all your might, and throw it into the trash!

6) Stay focused on your goal, and don't give up! You know that you will achieve it, even if there are setbacks.

7) When you do reach your goal, congratulate yourself on your wonderful achievement. The hard work has really paid off!

May I wish you every success in reaching your goals. I know that you can do it!

By Jan Malloch

Jan calls herself a "Positive Thinker & Achiever". Through her writing, her workshops and speaking engagements, she encourages others to live more positively, with the ultimate goal of achieving "Positive Happiness".

She is currently developing a number of CDs and DVDs to motivate and encourage people to make positive and worthwhile changes in their lives.

Visit Jan's web site at http://www.powerpositivenow.com

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How to Achieve Success

To arrive at the success place, at some point you must work long and hard. This may involve going beyond the usual 8/24 or 5 to 9. If you study the lives of successful people, you will discover that a good percentage of them paid the price in advance. This is one attribute of any endeavour worthwhile in life.

It is usual to crawl before walking, to travel before arriving. Every worthwhile venture requires some level or degree of apprenticeship or tutelage. Ask the Artist, ask the Netpreneur, Ask the Lawyer, ask the Bricklayer. They paid their dues learning the ropes in time, sweat, tears and discipline. If you add entrepreneurship and financial intelligence to any of these professions, the winner instincts will come to the fore. With these, success is almost guaranteed.

In life everything has a price. Jim Rohn says that "We all must suffer from one of two pains-the pain of discipline or the pain of regrets. The pain of discipline which weighs very little will lead to the success place while the pain of regrets which weighs tons will come as a result of failure.

To achieve success, you need to find out what the price is and pay upfront. This comes with discipline, persistence and commitment. It is love for what you do that will keep you going if for any reason the passion dies otherwise you need to have it reborn or move to something new and exciting. However if you fail, you could try and find out why. A new approach may be the answer in order to avoid making the same mistake twice.

Success does not respond to wishes but to definite plans enrobed in definite decisions, through persistence. Ordinary people with no gift of words and little formal education have achieved great feats, accumulated stupendous wealth because they had as their road maps, persistence, purposefulness and concentrated effort.

Depending on your goals and your yardstick for success, the price might be inform of giving up the benefits of years of training, an enviable income paying job or career, family consideration amongst others. What are you prepared to give up in return for what you want? You may have to do what you despise to achieve your desire. There is a price for everything and hard work is still the price for success..

SPICES

It is never crowded along the extra mile.....Wayne Dyer

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step....Chinese Proverb

Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.. Napoleon Hill

You are where you are today because you have chosen to be there....Harry Browne

Self respect is a question of recognizing that anything worth having has a price...S.L.S

Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential....Winston Churchill

For we pay a price for everything we get or take in this world; and although ambitions are well worth having, they are not to be cheaply won.....Lucy Maud

By Nnamdi Uyanna

Nnamdi Uyanna is a success expert and co-owner of the failurebuster.com website. For more articles that will show you simple ways to change your life visit: http://www.failurebuster.com

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3 Successful Goal Setting Strategies That Never Fail

Goal setting is an easy process; all you have to do is to write down what you want to achieve in a piece of paper and paste it somewhere you can see often. Although that this is an easy process, you will be amazed how many people are actually doing this. The lack of commitment to follow through is one of the common reasons people fail to achieve their goals.

Another big common reason is that most people never do what they suppose to do after they have set their goal. You should know that it is what you do after you have set your goal that will bring you to your success. If you are not doing anything after you have set your goals, nothing is going to happen.

Below are the 3 successful goal setting strategies that you must do them right after you have set your goals. If you follow through, you will guarantee to achieve your goals...

1. Affirm your goals every night and visualize about the achievement of your goals. You need to sink the idea into your subconscious mind and at the same time, motivate yourself to achieve it. By doing so, you are constantly motivating yourself into taking more action. Remember, it is the action that you take that will make your goal come true.

2. Take at least 3 actions that will bring you toward your goal everyday. For example, if your goal is to become a real-estate millionaire, the actions that you can take are like doing market research, looking for deals, read to improve, making calls to prospects and many more. Goal setting is not a magic wand; you will never achieve your goal if you are not doing anything.

3. Make a public commitment by telling everyone about your goal. If you do so, you will leave yourself no alternative but to achieve your goal. Some of your friends may laugh at you if you tell them that you are going to be a real-estate millionaire, but so what? Turn their negative force into positive motivation that propels you into taking action.

By following through these 3 successful goal setting strategies that never fail, I believe that you will definitely achieve your goal. Remember, success is about getting things done.

By Shawn Lim

If you are serious in achieving what you really want in your life, goal setting is the right tool for you. I'm going to share with you the 3 phases of Goal Setting Activities, you are about to discover the real and guaranteed strategies how to achieve your goals.

For more information about Goal Setting Activities, please visit: http://www.Goal-Setting-Activities.com

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Get Your Goals Going With 7 Proven Steps

Are you tired of your dreams being just wishful thinking or unattainable fantasies? One major difference between a dreamer and a successful person is the ability to achieve goals. The dreamer just dreams while the successful person puts their dreams into action. Goals are the blueprint to making your dreams a reality.

Get your goals going by following these 7 proven steps:

1. Determine your goals. Establishing clear goals lay the foundation of ultimately achieving them. Put your goals on paper. Be specific. When dreams are too vague, establishing goals becomes difficult. Have a clear vision of what you want the result to be. Ask yourself, "What do I really want?" Determining what goals you really want to accomplish will make the steps to achieving them easier to define.

2. Make a Commitment. You must give 100% to seeing your goals all the way through. Adopt a no excuses approach. Be honest with yourself. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals? Are you willing to devote your time, energy, and finances if necessary? Are you ready to make sacrifices? Is your dream worth fighting for? If the desire is strong enough, you will be able to stay on track and let nothing derail you. There is no need to move forward until you can commit.

3. Plan of Action. Now that your goals are clear, you must begin to put them in motion. Develop a plan of action- specific steps that lead to accomplishing your goals. It is amazing how many people stop at just determining their goals. Success is about doing, it is about action. Really focus on your goals one at a time and ask yourself, "What actions do I need to do to accomplish it?" Identify the outcome you want, and decide what steps are needed to move forward.

4. Give Yourself Deadlines. Look at your plan of action and determine at least 3 weekly tasks that will bring you closer to achieving each of your goals. If your goal is to lose 25 lbs. in 6 months, your action tasks could be to join a gym, make an appointment with a nutritionist, and remove all junk food from kitchen. Choose your deadline and stick to it- no excuses, no matter what. You must determine tasks and deadlines on a weekly basis. You can also consider what you want to accomplish in a year, 6 months, and 1 month to help establish your weekly tasks.

5. Get prepared for roadblocks. Once you are on the road to success, you can expect some bumps along the way. It will happen, so you might as well get prepared. What has stopped you before? Chances are those same obstacles will try to stop you again. Learn ways to blast the barriers that keep you from your dreams. Turn negative thoughts into positive ones, surround yourself with supportive people, don't just quit if you can't finish a task, read at the library if you are too distracted at home. Do whatever it takes to keep you on your mission. Always remember your best protection is to keep your eye on the prize. When discouragement comes, close your eyes and visualize achieving your goal. Take it a step further and really feel that moment of victory.

6. Get support. There is nothing like the support of a trusted friend who is willing to help you. They can keep you on track to achieving your goals. They will hold you accountable and ask you how you are doing with your weekly tasks. Knowing that you have to "check-in" with someone is a huge motivator. Go over your goals, plan of action, and weekly tasks with them. You can also do activities together. Determine and agree on how best they can help you. They will be your cheerleader- always rooting for you to win. Establish some time with them at least once a week. Let your friend know where you are and what needs to be achieved for the week. Share with them any successes and disappointments along the way.

7. Celebrate the small victories. It is easy to be discouraged when it takes time to achieve your goals. Experience the beauty and victory in accomplishing all the smaller tasks that lead to your ultimate desire. Celebrating the small successes is a great way to remain motivated and inspired.

You will get your goals going by following these 7 proven steps. Momentum is powerful. Goal setting is one of the most effective tools to transforming your life. So take the necessary action now and make your goals come true today. There is nothing as rewarding, exhilarating, and satisfying as seeing your goals become a reality.

Now get those goals going!

By Allyson Spellman

Allyson Spellman- "The Breakthrough Muse" is a life coach and an expert on breakthroughs to success that motivate and inspire individuals worldwide. Her proven techniques for elevating personal and professional achievement refresh, recharge, and renew the way one can achieve greatness, no matter what! To receive her free special report visit http://allysonspellman.com/Test/gen-step1.php

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Finding Something You Don't Like About Yourself - Creating Habits

Finding something you don't like about yourself is usually very easy for most people. Most of the time you don't even have to ask your family or friends because you have heard them complain about the same thing for years. How many times have you heard someone mention, I need to lose weight?

Here's a list of things people don't like about themselves. If you're one of those people that has a hard time finding something wrong with yourself, you could always ask one of your friends for some suggestions. I'm sure they would like that.

1. The need to lose weight. This of course is one of the worst problems with Americans. Most people need to lose weight and let's not forget there are some people that need to gain weight.

2. The need to stop gambling. As more Indian reservations are allowed to build gambling casinos and of course as the Internet gambling gets larger, I've noticed some people with gambling problems.

3. The need to stop drinking alcohol. The abuse of alcohol has been going on for many years. These people have an excuse for why they drink and most of the time it doesn't make sense.

4. The need to stop smoking. This could be one of the most difficult things I've ever seen my friends and family deal with.

5. The need to stop excessive behaviors. For example, gossiping, cruelty, bullying, lying, cheating, stealing, partying etc. You get the idea.

6. Don't forget the dreaded shopaholic. Most shopaholic's seem to have large credit card debt and can't seem to stop this vicious circle of buying and owing money to their creditors.

7. Working long hours or the workaholic. Sometimes this is a necessity but I would suggest that you change your lifestyle if possible. Reevaluate your reasons for working so hard.

8. Religious fundamentalists. People that spend too much time at their place of worship and soon find themselves feeling guilty if they're not doing something spiritual.

9. The need to be on time. This would include people that have problems giving themselves enough time to get ready for work or school.

10. The need to stop doing drugs. I thought by now, approaching my 50s, that drugs would no longer be a problem in the United States, but it is. It's one of the most damaging things people can do to their lives.

There are plenty of things that people would like to stop doing or start doing. If you're a smoker and you seem to shop excessively near the casinos, I would advise you to start with something small and work your way up to the big stuff.

What are you going to change today about your life? Make a list of things that you're not happy with about your life and start making the changes today that you need to create the life you deserve and desire.

By Gregory Vanden Berge

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a personal development video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

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