I’m sure we have all had to overcome obstacles of some sort in our lives, whether they be personal, career based, or business based.
Obstacles are just a fact of life, aren’t they?
However, there are plenty of instances where success can get in peoples’ way as well. In fact, it can be more debilitating for some.
When people succeed in whatever they are trying to accomplish, they have proved that they can do it. Sometimes, once that happens, they revert to the situation before success.
Since they have shown themselves what is possible, why bother proceeding and going further with that success? This can become pretty demotivating when you start to think this way.
Another reason why success can be an obstacle is that the excuses are no longer valid because you have already accomplished something.
It’s easier to use excuses. When you get to the point where you are almost succeeding, you may find ways to sabotage that success so that you can go back to using excuses. You’ll find plenty of people who will support your use of excuses, but it won’t get you where you truly want to be.
Some people don’t achieve their goals because they believe others don’t want them to succeed. It’s a strange phenomenon and usually is a result of a miscommunication.
For instance, you may be speaking to your parents about your accomplishments, and they question you in a way that on the surface seems like they are disapproving of what you are doing. In fact, they were proud and excited for you. This could cause you to give up on the venture because of you misreading their intentions.
If you find yourself in a position of fearing success, think about what you will gain when you push through to that stage. You will satisfy your goals and your chances of living a better life increase. Further, what you accomplish may help others. It could be a product or it could simply be a technique that frees up those people from a problem they may be facing. They will be grateful to you and you may even turn what you are doing into a business and earn money.
Once you can get past this, you have the tools to accomplish anything you want. You can use that point where you felt like giving up as motivation for future endeavors.
OK, so we have looked at the possibility of success being an obstacle, but what about failure? Can that be an obstacle too? You bet, and logically it appears to be pretty obvious, so let’s take a look at that now.
People hate to fail. It associates them with losing which makes them believe they are losers. Society doesn’t look favorably on losers. When failure does happen, people tend to give up too easily instead of using the experience as a way to learn and grow.
Some obstacles may require professional help. For instance, if you have lost a limb, you may need physical therapy to get used to life without that limb. If you are using an artificial limb, you will need therapy to become familiar with living with that new limb.
If it is a traumatic experience, it could affect your mental capacity. In such cases, you may need to seek a counselor or psychiatrist to help you deal with the situation you face. Many feel it’s better to get help as soon as the traumatic experience occurs as it will be easier to come to grips with it. Although, it is possible to get help at any point in time.
When your failure isn’t severe (where you’ll need some extra help), you need to reach within yourself and recognize failure for what it is, a learning experience. Read profiles of most influential people, and you will find they have all failed multiple times. The difference is they kept going and did not let those failures deter them.
You need to believe in yourself and what you are doing. When that happens, you will become unstoppable. For example, suppose you have been thinking about creating a business based on something you are good at. You know that you can make it work and also know that others will be receptive to the idea when you do.
As long as you keep your focus on that belief, you will do what it takes to make it work. It won’t matter how many failures happen. Your belief system is in place, and you will analyze your failures to see how you can make changes.
What do you think about the opposing ideas of success and failure both acting as obstacles in your life? It may sound paradoxical, but the human mind is rarely straightforward is it?
I’m sure many people can see failure as an obstacle, but success? Well, I hope this has made you think about it at the very least.
Whatever you want in life will require discipline to achieve and overcoming obstacles is a small part of this. But if you want to know more about harnessing the power of self-discipline, then check out the featured resource below for a free report; download, read it and take action 🙂
For so many people, productivity appears to be a lofty goal that always seems just out of reach. I’m sure we all want to be more productive, so we can achieve more every day and hopefully reach whatever goals we are aiming for.
The problem is that the modern world and workplace has so many distractions trying to pull you away from the task at hand. Add that to the decrease in attention span of many people today, and it’s amazing that we get anything done at all!
Is clutter standing in the way of you doing your best work? Likely it is. In fact, it’s one of the biggest challenges to your productivity. Don’t believe me, well read on.
When your environment is filled with clutter, you may feel like you’re constantly reacting rather than responding. You may feel a general sense of unease or anxiety. You may feel mentally exhausted even though you haven’t yet started your workday.
Are you constantly searching for client files, notes, or even something to write with?
Is it a nightmare to find a file on your hard drive or the cloud because you lack an organizational structure and/or an effective file-naming convention?
Do you have a dozen tabs open on your computer at any one time? Yes, that’s a form of clutter, too.
Are there stacks of books, papers, or even coffee cups or dishes sitting on your desk?
Are your file drawers crammed with paperwork that’s no longer needed and which belongs in the trash can?
Across the board, clutter is often fuelling these uneasy feelings and your lack of productivity. It has a way of sucking the life out of you, distracting you from what’s most important, and derailing your success.
Yes, simple clutter can be that much of a distraction and you need to reduce or eliminate it from your workspace as quickly as possible.
Try it. What have you got to lose?
You can’t increase your productivity by reading a book or taking a class. You actually need to take action. The first thing you need to do is to “set the stage.” Nothing’s going to happen until you do.
Let’s focus on some basic components of your work environment. A cluttered and messy office is no place to expect your best work. And, while some people believe that’s where they get their best work done, imagine what they could accomplish if working in a completely upgraded environment!
Here are some simple tips for helping you to create an environment for success.
Put away everything that belongs in your desk drawers or file cabinet.
If you find things that don’t belong in your office, then take them to wherever they belong and put them away.
Remember the old adage, “Out of sight, out of mind.” In this case, that’s a good thing!
Bonus tip: Discard anything you haven’t used in the past year. Odds are you never will. I know this can be difficult for hoarders, but just let it go!
Clear everything from the top of your desk and wipe it down.
Reduce visual distractions as much as possible.
Bonus tip: Wipe down your desk phone and/or smartphone. They’re a haven for germs.
Gather all your Post-It notes and scraps of paper. Review them and discard what you can.
Bonus tip: If they include items you need to reference, keep the one-page document easily accessible on your desktop or stored in a top desk drawer.
If you have boxes or stacks of items on your office floor, go through them and discard everything you can.
Bonus tip: Go through your bookcase and get rid of any books you also own digitally. Box up any others that are outdated and either give them to the library or recycle them.
Technology produces its own brand of clutter. Close down any tabs that you have open on your computer except for those that apply to your current work.
Bonus tip: Turn off any gadgets except the ones you need to do your core work tasks. You’ll get more done faster and easier without added distractions.
By implementing these simple tips, you’ll be well on your way to clearing the clutter in your office and reducing distraction. You’ll love the result. You’ll be more energized, less anxious, and more focused on your work. Investing a little bit of time today to prepare your work environment will make a noticeable difference in your productivity!
Want to learn more about increasing efficiency and productivity? Then check out the featured resource below to grab a free report; download, read it and take action 😊
Did you know that you’re constantly programming your mind? In fact, chances are quite good that you’re programming your mind right now.
I know, you’re reading this article, but that won’t stand in the way of you programming your mind to look at reality a certain way and to respond to it a certain way. In fact, most people constantly reprogram their minds and are perfectly unaware that this is going on.
I wish I could tell you that these scripts are just random mentally spoken words that you play in the background in your mind. I wish I could tell you that they’re as harmless as the music you hear in a typical shopping center as you pick stuff off the shelf.
Unfortunately, if you are not aware of your mental self-programming, you will continue to engage in behavior that you’re not all that happy with. Mind set is really that important, and don’t we all ultimately want peace of mind?
Whatever you’re frustrated with in your life, maybe it’s your career, maybe it’s your relationships, maybe it’s your weight, physical appearance, or whatever else, these are products of your self-talk.
A lot of people don’t want to own up to this responsibility. A lot of people would even be offended by this idea. They would blurt out, “Why would I want to consciously be miserable? Who would want all these painful memories in my life?
Who would want to consciously screw themselves up? I didn’t want this. I didn’t want these failures in my life. I didn’t want these traumatic experiences. How can you say that I programmed myself to live out these things?”
Nobody can force you to live your life except yourself. For some reason or another, you have accepted to live your life. And that’s why regardless of how frustrated you are, regardless of how you struggle with certain things in your life, that’s the kind of life you live because, at the end of the day, you chose to be there.
If you understand this and you are willing to accept that this is the reality of your life instead of constantly imagining all sorts of excuses, you will get out from under your problems. Seriously.
Have you ever noticed that people who remain frustrated and who continue to struggle for long stretches of their life are all too eager to point the finger to their bad childhood, other people’s mistakes or, worse yet, people who just have it in for them? There’s this group of bad people in their lives that are just hell bent on making their lives a living hell.
These are convenient excuses. Now, don’t get me wrong. There may be people who would love to spit in your face and harm you. Those people do exist. But at the end of the day, you choose your life.
Understand how self-talk works and train yourself to recognize negative affirmations that will be detrimental to your state of mind. These are statements that you say to yourself over and over again that define you in such a way that you’re less effective, less happy and less content.
Do you feel that you could be achieving more things with your life? Have you made certain decisions that you constantly regret? Do you think about one or a few people who you feel are to blame for whatever is missing, broken or inadequate in your life?
Do you feel that you are capable of so much more, but for some reason or another, you just can’t achieve the kind of life you would like for yourself?
Well, you might be engaged in a habit that constantly makes you feel lousy about your life. The more you do this, the more you get down on yourself. You beat yourself up emotionally and psychologically.
You feel that whatever it is that you have achieved, it’s never enough. You never run out of reasons to feel unhappy about whatever it is you have.
What if I told you that, to possibly billions of people on this planet, you have an ideal life? You might find this laughable because in your mind, you’re living in this box, working a job you hate, not making the kind of money you feel you should be making, and looking far below the standard of beauty you set for yourself.
You might even have many other reasons why your life is far from perfect or is even downright horrible.
Well, what if I told you that hundreds of millions of people all over the world don’t even have $2 to rub together every single day? That’s right, they are forced to live on less than $2 a day.
Since they don’t have that money, they don’t have enough calories. They’re malnourished. Even the simplest luxuries of life slips through their fingers. And here you are, thinking about how miserable your life is, refusing to feel content when you are living the life hundreds of millions of people would kill for.
I’m telling you, this is the most efficient way to feel lousy about your life. It doesn’t matter what you’ve achieved in the past, it doesn’t how talented, skilled and powerful you are as a person, you will always come up short.
If you don’t believe me, imagine this scenario. Warren Buffet, a person who is consistently in the top ten list of richest people on the planet, can easily make himself feel lousy and worthless. How? He only needs to compare himself to Michael Jordan.
Michael Jordan is a basketball legend, so if Warren Buffet compares his basketball skills to Michael Jordan, he will lose each and every time. Guaranteed. See how powerful this technique is in making yourself feel lousy?
Now, most of us engage in this by simply checking our Facebook accounts. You’d see all sorts of awesome videos of people living life to the fullest, and here you are, struggling with putting food on the table and making sure the rent is paid at the end of the month.
You focus on the worst things in your life while checking out pictures and videos of people sharing the best in their life. Do you see the disconnect? Do you see how this leads to you feeling lousy each and every time?
Whatever method or methods you use, remember you still have to be disciplined for them to work. And if you want to know more about harnessing the power of self-discipline, then check out the featured resource below for a free report; download, read it and take action 🙂
People struggle with setting goals. It seems like a daunting task. This is largely because they lack the proper knowledge to do so. After all, not everyone goes to management school. Even those that do are not always as prepared as they should be.
This may be the reason why management consultant, Peter Drucker, came up with a system as part of his Management By Objectives (MBO). This system is essentially the SMART Goal setting system. If you are not familiar with SMART, it is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, assignable, realistic, and time-related. Each component deals with a part of goal setting.
To have a specific goal, imagine creating a video with you telling the viewers what your goal is about. They should be able to comprehend your goal without any questions. The more specific you can get, the better the overall goal setting process will be. For example, suppose you specify that you want more money as a goal. Would this draw questions if you presented this goal as it is? If the answer is yes, then you need further refinement.
When you figure out your goals, the next step is to understand how to measure them. General goals will be difficult to measure, whereas specific goals will be easier. This is the part that can help you be accountable for meeting your goals.
For a goal to be assignable, you need to be able to describe it in a way that you can pass it off to someone else. They should be able to run with it, and not get too stuck on the details.
You need to set time frames for your goals. Otherwise, you will come up with excuses to push them off, and you will never get them completed. The best way to do this is to break up your goals into tasks, and then come up with milestones for each of those tasks.
SMART is an acronym. Those five letters mean different things to different people or groups. While many of the replacements are similar, if everyone who relies on them is not on board, this can cause problems with a project or plan.
For instance, some reference the “A” in the acronym, as achievable. That’s a great aspect of any project to have. If it is not achievable, there is no way a goal or task will get accomplished. However, there are others who consider the “A” as standing for agreement. That is not similar to achievable. And it’s one thing to have achievable goals, but if not everyone on the team is in agreement, that will cause problems down the line.
Another example is the “M” which many believe stands for measurable. That is a worthy aspect of any goal. If you can’t measure your goals, you won’t know when you are successful with them. The “M” can also mean motivational. If you use motivational instead of measurable, somehow you won’t be as inclined to measure how you are doing. It may happen, but there is nothing to guarantee that. This is why people use guidelines such as SMART in the first place.
Some will use rewarding as the “R” component. When you accomplish your goals, that will be the reward. So, it’s difficult to imagine what people come up with when they use this as part of the acronym.
The key when using a system such as this is to come up with the meaning for each that makes sense. This will depend on who is involved in the process. If you are the only one affected by the outcome, then you have some flexibilities in what the definition should be. If you are using it as part of a team, however, you will need to define it in a more concrete manner. If you allow for any ambiguity, this can delay or even derail your project.
Even within a team, you have some flexibility. However, all changes should be communicated to the team. It is going to affect them which means they have the right to know.
You may recall the goal acronym Called SMART. The “S” stands for specific. The others are measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-based. If you don’t get the specific component right from the start, it will set you off in the wrong direction. This is the beacon of your goal navigation if you will. If your beacon is going south when you meant to go north, you can guess things will not turn out as planned.
What kind of business do they want to run? If you are good at advertising and you buy an accounting business, you probably are going to struggle getting this concept to fly. Of course, you could hire talented people who know the accounting side of the business.
On the other hand, if you decided you were going to start a Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising agency that helps clients increase their return on investments with Adwords, this is much closer to having a solid goal that is specific. You may be able to refine it even further. Perhaps, the businesses that you target are only B2B, etc. This is much more specific than the higher level PPC advertising to anyone you can find.
Is there room to get more specific with your goals? There usually is, but you don’t want to get so specific that you are only targeting a few clients based on your criteria. This is dangerous as those clients can pull the plug at a moment’s notice. However, you may decide that you want to target businesses who have large advertising budgets, etc. You will have more businesses to work from when you do this.
If you want to know how specific you should be, you should be able to explain your goal to a friend in a way where they don’t need much explanation of your concept. If you find they have a ton of questions or need clarification, this is an indication that further refinement of your goals is needed.
Of course, you will certainly be aware that setting and achieving goals requires a lot of self-discipline, so if you want to learn about growing your own self-discipline then download the featured resource below which is a free report all about the power of self-discipline; download it, read it and take action 😊
Everyone has different sweet spots that help them focus or be more creative. Essentially, different locations or times of day can either be more conducive to daydreaming and creativity or more conducive to focus and continued hard work.
If you try to do one where you succeed better in the other, you can either become unfocused or uncreative, so it’s important to keep them separated. For example, you may be most focused and hardworking late at night.
Sweet spots aren’t just times of day, though. You may also find that different locations that you choose to work at may help or hinder various things like focus. Some people have dedicated office spaces where they find it really easy to focus, while others may find it best to focus out at a café.
You might be really creative being outside, or laying comfortably in bed. Regardless of what your sweet spots are, you should utilize them to the best of your ability. Studies have found that location and time of day can greatly affect mood and productivity, so if you’re in the right sweet spot at the right time, you can get a lot more work done.
It also helps to separate areas that you work in and relax in. For example, if you tend to spend a lot of time on your couch relaxing, if you sit there to go and work all of a sudden, you probably won’t feel like focusing very much.
Your body can easily become accustomed to locations and will default to whatever you typically feel there, such as relaxation on the couch, and it’ll be hard to switch from relaxing to hard work.
The variations in these sweet spots are why 9-to-5 jobs don’t work well for many people. If you need to be focused throughout the time you spend working, but you don’t focus well until the wee morning hours, then the entirety of the 9-5 time slot is going to throw you off and make you less productive.
By allowing yourself to get things done where you feel is best, you’ll benefit yourself by enjoying the work a bit more, and also benefit your business by being more productive. It’s all about personal preferences and wielding them effectively.
There are two main “settings” you’ll work with throughout your career. Typically, you’re either doing productivity-focused work, or creative work.
You need to be able to separate the two into different periods of time. The reason they need to be kept separate is that each one requires you to be in a different state of mind. While creativity lets your mind wander and come up with new and exciting things, productivity and focus require you to home in on one specific thing and do it as well as you can.
When you’re trying to be creative, it’s fine to be unfocused. This doesn’t mean that you can be outright distracted, of course, but more so blurred while still looking at the project you’re working on.
It allows your mind to have room to experiment with different ideas and fresh, new ideas. When you need to be productive, you need absolute focus to get things done. You should follow your strict methods that work, and that you know work.
Don’t experiment with different things – just keep working with what works best. At this time, you don’t have room to maneuver very much, and you’re probably really locked in to whatever it is that you’re doing.
Depending on the job you have, each of these modes might have different times spent on them. For example, a construction worker or someone working in engineering might not want to experiment and be creative too much, but rather they want to work with what they know will work well and be effective.
You need to have separate times of the day for each one to take place. You might be more focused in the mornings, but more creative at night, or vice versa. If you try to force the two together, you won’t be happy with the results.
You’re either going to end up stifling your creativity with an over-focused mind, or you’ll have a mind that’s too open that ends up hurting your productivity. Test your timing and strengths and see what works best for your schedule and planning.
It’s very easy to get distracted these days. In addition to the normal situation of people trying to get you to do different things, you also have the distraction of technology that allows you to focus on all kinds of things at the same time.
This can be a big problem for your creativity, and might end up being the reason that your creative projects are taking longer. Multitasking is usually seen as a beneficial trait. In many work-related situations, it is.
You’ve probably encountered times when you’ve gotten into a creative flow, where you’re working well and you’re quickly moving along with your work. This flow is key to quickly finishing good creative projects, because it’s the time when you’re working at max efficiency.
The only thing is, this flow requires focus on the project at hand only, and if you’re getting distracted by other things, then you’re not going to be able to maintain that flow. You may not even notice that you’re multitasking when it happens.
You might see it as a normal part of your work day, where, while you’re working on a project, you stop for a short bit to work on something else before quickly getting back to the project at hand.
It might also be a situation where you’re doing something congruently with the project, such as making a phone call or reading some emails. Multitasking forces you to break your focus, even if just for a moment, and your mind has to quickly play catch up to get back to where you were.
Going through the movie all in one sitting without any distractions is like cutting out multitasking. It goes fast, and is also the best way to do it. You can pause the movie and do other things in between scenes, or you can mess around on your phone while it’s running, but that’s going to cause you to lose focus and make the whole process take longer.
As you can appreciate, a lot of this is dependent on the way you think and if you want to know more about developing a good mindset for success, please click on the featured resource below for a free Strong Mindset report; download, read it and take action 😊
