In a world that sometimes feels overwhelmingly focused on the negative, it is easy to find comfort on the "woe is me" team. We can deflect responsibility by blaming others for not getting us what we need. We can create excuses for why something is impossible. And we can dwell on everything that has gone wrong.
This feeling of being stuck where we are with what we have doesn't exactly make us want to jump out of bed in the morning. It consumes our mind which slows our actions and paralyzes us from achieving our goals. Instead of listening to the words of motivational coach Zig Ziglar, "If you can dream it, you can achieve it," we settle for our dreams being unreachable, hit the snooze button for another day, pull the blanket over our heads, and get cozy with the status quo.
Well it's time to bust down the walls of our self-imposed limitations, tune out our negative self-speak (and the negativity of those around us), and take control of where we are going and what we are doing in life. The time is now. A new day has dawned and change is on the horizon. We are going to replace our search for excuses with a search for solutions. We are going to acknowledge and put to work our strengths and our talents. Each morning when we wake up, we'll exercise our mind and strengthen our self-motivation muscle by repeating Jim Rohn's foundation for success:
"If you want to have more, you have to become more.
For things to change, you have to change.
For things to get better, you have to get better.
For things to improve, you have to improve.
If you grow, everything grows for you."
I remember as a teenager receiving a college promotional brochure from Juniata College with three words in big, bold font: Think. Evolve. Act. I posted that brochure in my room and looked at it each morning when I woke up and every night before I went to sleep as a daily reminder of three core habits that would accelerate my ability to drive impact.
And as we commit to this journey of self-discovery in pursuit of true happiness and purpose, it's time to start practicing these daily habits as well:
Stop Blaming Others
Take control of your own actions. When things don't go as planned, remind yourself that you are smart enough and capable of figuring out plan B (and plan C, D, and E if necessary). Other people's lack of accountability and commitment are just speed bumps on your highway to success. By demonstrating your relentless commitment to identifying and advancing solutions, you gain valuable skills and experience which aid you in attracting success.
Refocus Your Attention
Start everyday prioritizing what you need to accomplish and go to work immediately on cranking through your priorities. Tune out the noise of distractions that surface like a fierce game of whack-a-mole. The more you focus, the more you will achieve. The feeling of accomplishment will propel you forward.
Take the First Step
When our goals feel so big and overwhelming, it's easy to delay tackling them. Break down the big goals into individual steps with key milestones along the way. "You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." (Martin Luther King Jr.) When we get out of our own way and take action, we gain momentum and the path forward becomes more clear.
Reflect Everyday
Every day is an opportunity to learn and grow from what has worked for us and what tripped us up. When we intentionally take time to reflect, we immediately chart a course for tomorrow where we continue what is successful and course correct where necessary. Reflective thinking is our daily coaching session which can fast track us towards where we want to go and what we want to accomplish.
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This feeling of being stuck where we are with what we have doesn't exactly make us want to jump out of bed in the morning. It consumes our mind which slows our actions and paralyzes us from achieving our goals. Instead of listening to the words of motivational coach Zig Ziglar, "If you can dream it, you can achieve it," we settle for our dreams being unreachable, hit the snooze button for another day, pull the blanket over our heads, and get cozy with the status quo.
Well it's time to bust down the walls of our self-imposed limitations, tune out our negative self-speak (and the negativity of those around us), and take control of where we are going and what we are doing in life. The time is now. A new day has dawned and change is on the horizon. We are going to replace our search for excuses with a search for solutions. We are going to acknowledge and put to work our strengths and our talents. Each morning when we wake up, we'll exercise our mind and strengthen our self-motivation muscle by repeating Jim Rohn's foundation for success:
"If you want to have more, you have to become more.
For things to change, you have to change.
For things to get better, you have to get better.
For things to improve, you have to improve.
If you grow, everything grows for you."
I remember as a teenager receiving a college promotional brochure from Juniata College with three words in big, bold font: Think. Evolve. Act. I posted that brochure in my room and looked at it each morning when I woke up and every night before I went to sleep as a daily reminder of three core habits that would accelerate my ability to drive impact.
And as we commit to this journey of self-discovery in pursuit of true happiness and purpose, it's time to start practicing these daily habits as well:
Stop Blaming Others
Take control of your own actions. When things don't go as planned, remind yourself that you are smart enough and capable of figuring out plan B (and plan C, D, and E if necessary). Other people's lack of accountability and commitment are just speed bumps on your highway to success. By demonstrating your relentless commitment to identifying and advancing solutions, you gain valuable skills and experience which aid you in attracting success.
Refocus Your Attention
Start everyday prioritizing what you need to accomplish and go to work immediately on cranking through your priorities. Tune out the noise of distractions that surface like a fierce game of whack-a-mole. The more you focus, the more you will achieve. The feeling of accomplishment will propel you forward.
Take the First Step
When our goals feel so big and overwhelming, it's easy to delay tackling them. Break down the big goals into individual steps with key milestones along the way. "You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." (Martin Luther King Jr.) When we get out of our own way and take action, we gain momentum and the path forward becomes more clear.
Reflect Everyday
Every day is an opportunity to learn and grow from what has worked for us and what tripped us up. When we intentionally take time to reflect, we immediately chart a course for tomorrow where we continue what is successful and course correct where necessary. Reflective thinking is our daily coaching session which can fast track us towards where we want to go and what we want to accomplish.
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