A defining moment

You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore - Christopher Columbus.

I love this quote because of what it represents. Columbus, as we know, was ridicule for believing that the world was round. He was ostracized for having a belief that was not consistent with others. His desire to set forth on an idea that at the time was radical should be inspirational.

How often do you think people are discouraged from pursuing their dreams? I am going to say every moment of the day someone is being told "you can't do that" or "it will never work". When faced with negative support, do you believe in your goal or dream? Do you have the courage to continue to follow your plan in achieving your goal? Perseverance and persistence will never emerge if you first do not believe. Motivation will not help you if you do not believe. The ability to not accept failure will not happen unless you believe.

You must have self-esteem. You must have self-confidence. You must believe in your abilities. You must believe in yourself. If you don't believe in you then who will? Your confidence has to be as strong as your desire. You have to be able to take the risk. Fear is always present but be not afraid. If you truly desire to reach your goal, believe in you. Believe in you. Courage and every other positive attribute will come to your aid. Believe in you.

Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm - Winston Churchill

BELIEVE IN YOU!

How committed are you?

Sometimes people don't quit because they failed, they quit because they were distracted. Imagine that you want to start a business. Your business is centered on something you enjoy doing so much you could do it for free. Now you have a job to make a living while you get your business started. The goal is to generate enough income from your business that you are able to leave your job. Along the way, you get offered a promotion at your job. It provides immediate gratification: recognition, more money (possibly), better work time, more responsibility just to name a few. The problem: your job is not what you want to do for the rest of your life. So now you are faced with a decision or distraction.

When pursuing our goals there are two types of obstacles that you will face. The two obstacles are negative and positive. The negative obstacles are visible and recognizable. Negative obstacles test your desire. The positive obstacles are not as recognizable. Positive obstacles test your commitment. Distractions are considered positive obstacles.

A negative obstacle will offer some type of opposition to you pursuing your goal. Negative obstacles will present adversity that you will need to overcome. Negative obstacles test your desire in doing what ever it takes to achieve your goal. Your desire and positive attitude in the face of negative obstacles will propel you to your success.

A positive obstacle will offer an alternative to your desired goal. It will present a situation having the appearance of prosperity or profitability. It will be attractive and appealing because of immediate gratification. It is an obstacle because if chosen it will prevent you from achieving your goal. It will test your commitment to your goal. Commitment to achieving your goal is the only way to get pass positive obstacles.

Whether it's positive or negative, obstacles prevent you from achieving your goals. Regardless of what you face you have to a burning desire and total commitment in achieving your goal. Don't let distractions fool you. They detour you from your goal and sometimes people never get back on track.

This is your time. Are you committed?

Do you see your success?

The question is asked because of its importance. I'm reminded of the child that practices basketball. Every child that plays basketball dreams of taking a last second game winning shot. They setup the situation in their mind and then proceed to count down to the buzzer. They make their moves and then right before the buzzer, they shoot. When they score they are overcomed with the thrill of victory.

It is that situation and feeling that remains in their mind. The feeling of victory is summoned when they have the opportunity to fulfill that dream in a game. When that opportunity comes they already know what to do. They have replayed the situation in their mind a thousand times. Well before they ever played on a organized team. They saw the situation and their success years ago.

To get there took hardwork, dedication and sacrifice. To get to that point took believing in themselves and their teammates. To get there began with seeing that success. They have been countless interviews with athletes after hitting the game winning shot or throwing and catching the game winning pass. In those interviews, they have always said "this is what you dream about".

For anyone that wants to achieve success, you have to see it before it ever happens. See the job you want to get, the promotion you want to receive, the business you want to start, the car you want, the vacation home you want. Capture the feeling of accomplishment you detect when you visualize your success. Think about how you will feel in getting that job, promotion or starting your business. Think about how the breeze will feel when you have the windows down in the car you want or how the sun feels as you sit on the deck of the vacation home you want.

Hold those thoughts and feeling in your mind and keep them in the forefront. This is your picture of success. Do you see it?

You are here (Now which way do you go)

Have you ever been to a shopping mall and needed to find a store? You thought you knew where it was but could not find it. Typically, there is a mall directory listing the stores. It also includes a map of the mall. Most of these maps usually will have a reference point stating "You are here". From that starting point, you can see where it is you need to go and set your path.

You journey to achieving your goals is no different. You have develop a plan on how you will reach your goal. At some point, some unforeseen obstacle will prevent your progress. Now you have a choice on what to do: (1) You can give up or (2) You can reassess your plan. If you have the burning desire to achieve your goal then there is only one option: You must reassess your plan. There is nothing wrong with having to make adjustments. We love for plans to be concrete but they have to be fluid. Your goal is to arrive at a certain destination. If that means you have to change the direction then you have to change. To deal with obstacles requires a burning desire and positive attitude.

Your burning desire to achieve your goal will give you the ability to make adjustments. You will be able to assess the situation and plan accordingly. Your burning desire will not allow you to accept obstacles as defeat. An obstacle in relation to your goal can be considered a failure. So it is worth repeating that your burning desire will not allow you to accept failure as defeat.

Your positive attitude will enable you to remain steadfast on reaching your goal. You know through your positive attitude that regardless of what may happen, you will achieve success. Your positive attitude will bring courage, persistence and perseverance. Your positive attitude is your umbrella during the storm. Your positive attitude mixed with a burning desire will always end with success.

So when faced with an obstacle remember: You are here.

Who do you believe in?

This is not a question about religious faith. This is a question that you must answer when you have doubts about yourself. When you have doubts about achieving your goal. When you have doubts about your direction. Who do you believe in? When you had determined in your mind that you were going to pursue a goal, who did you believe in? When you thought about the plan to achieve your goal, who did you believe in? When you started on your journey for your goal, who did you believe in?

So now you may be at a crossroads. So now your plan may not be going the way you had hope. So now you feel it may not happen. Who do you believe in?

If you believed that you could do it in the beginning, what has changed? No one who has achieved success was not first met with failure. Failure is nothing but a stepping stone. It is a part of progression. If you fear to fail than you will not succeed. It is when you have accepted failure as defeat that you have lost. So the question again, who do you believe in?

If you have a strong desire to achieve your goal, then nothing will stand in your way. The only person that can ever stop you is YOU. The only person that can prevent you from achieving your goals is YOU. The only person that can give up on you is YOU. When times get tough you have to dig deep within yourself. When you do that you will find what is the foundation of your future success. When you do that you will find the foundation of your courage, persistence and perseverance. When you do that you will find the foundation for your positive attitude. I could tell you what you will find but more importantly is the answer to the question.

Who do you believe in? Once that is answered, you will then find your foundation.

Invictus

Invictus - By William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

When I read this poem, it reinforces the control we have. We control how we deal with situations in our life. We control whether we accept defeat or pursue success. Many have referred to this poem as a point of inspiration, most notably Nelson Mandela.

By believing in yourself, you will persevere through trying moments in your journey to success. You have to believe you will make it through. Your positive attitude will enable you to make it through.  Simply put it is up to you.

Remember:
YOU ARE THE MASTER OF YOUR FATE: YOU ARE THE CAPTAIN OF YOUR SOUL.

Don't be cautious

When pursuing your dreams you have to be "all in". You cannot be cautious. You can not have any doubt that what it is you want to accomplish cannot happen. You must believe it will happen. You cannot allow others to kill your dream. Align yourself with people who will encourage you but in the end it will be you that determines the achievement of your goal or dream. I believe in you but it does not matter. What matters is that you believe. Forget what you have done in the past. Forget who you have been in the past. If you are looking in the past then you cannot see the future thus you are not living in the present. Follow your dream with caution and you will accept failure. Follow your dream without caution and your success will be your reward.

Your dreams

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams - Eleanor Roosevelt

Do you believe you can fulfill your dreams? If you do not, Why? You are as capable as the next person. If you truly want to realize your dreams, remove any self-doubt. All things begin as a thought in your mind. You must believe that you will do it. Too often we get comfortable in our present situation and become less motivated. If you had no choice but to follow your dream because that is all you have left, would you not do it? You have to remove all possibilities of retreat when pursuing a goal. When you are in a do-or-die situation, your existence is on the line. Treat achieving your dreams in the same manner.

Start your engine!

A year from now you may wish you had started today - Karen Lamb

As we approach a new year, have you started on your goals? Do not wait for your New Years resolution to begin; start now. You are capable of achieving all that you want but you must first realize that it starts in your mind. I desire to help as many people as I kind by motivating them. You will achieve great things. I see that in you. Now see it in yourself.

Don't wait

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years - Abraham Lincoln

Now is not the time to waste; Pursue your goals.

Practice makes it permanent

We have all heard of "Practice makes perfect". Do we realize that practice makes it permanent? When you practice developing a skill, all that you learn becomes permanent. If you have ever been taught how to do something the wrong way, it becomes hard to change because of the habit you have developed. So therefore repetition forms habits. If you desire to become successful, practice being successful right now, If you desire to have happiness, practice happiness right now. It takes no more effort than practicing to be miserable or practicing to be unsuccessful. In a previous post, we talked about changing your attitude. Practice makes permanent does the same thing. How ever you think, that is how you will be. Practice being the person you want to be. Practice achieving the goals you want to achieve. Stop waiting for something dramatic to happen for you to change. When you change right now and start practicing, that dramatic event has just happen. It takes you to change. It takes your thinking to change. It takes practice to make it permanent.

Progress is a fuel

Progress is a beautiful process. When you are working towards a goal, the interim milestones are tremendous to your success. As you progress, your confidence grows stronger. You will automatically be more energized. Your enthusiasm will increase. All this is possible when you know what you want to do. All this is possible when you are self-discipline. All this is possible when you have the burning desire to achieve. Motivation is the key but success is up to you! Go forth and progress, you will arrive at your destination.

Attitude

If you want to change your life, change your attitude. How you view things determines how things will be. You cannot wait for things around you to change, you have to change your attitude. If you aspire to be great, your attitude should reflect greatness. If you desire to be wealthy, your attitude should reflect that.Whatever you want to change, change your attitude about it. Our brain is the most powerful organ we have. Within our brain resides our mind which influences our thoughts and actions. Change your attitude in your mind. The rest will follow.

Above and beyond

Regardless of your means to make a living, do you go above and beyond? Do you perform only what is required of you? In this day and time, people try to do the least as possible but expect more in return. The difference in being successful and unsuccessful is what one is willing to do to reach their goal. Going above and beyond is a choice that you make. Going above and beyond shows your dedication to your cause. Going above and beyond will inspire imagination. Sometimes, going above and beyond is the right thing to do but it is still your decision.

When we do more than what is required of us, we receive more than what we gave. When we do more than what is required of us, we automatically do it in a pleasing manner. We are not forcing ourselves to do it. Our disposition to others comes across as sincere and heartfelt because it is. We truly want to help. We are more than willing to do everything in our power to resolve an issue even if it means going above and beyond.

I have had several situations in my career as a Plant Engineer where I went above and beyond. In all of the situations, what I did was not my responsibility. I could have easily passed the buck. I could have simply pointed them in the direction of where they needed to go. I did not do that. I took the time to help them resolve a situation that was important to them. I made the phone calls for them. I investigated for information on the Internet. I personally took them to who they needed to speak with and then followed up to make sure their situation was resolved. You can never lose sight on who is your customer.

In my personal life, I have gone above and beyond to help a stranger and a friend. Some call it "paying it forward". For me, I'm doing all I can to help someone in need. The satisfaction of being part of a solution is enough.

In business, I have seen a decline in good customer service. No matter what you do, you have a customer. In life, we coexist with one another. For both cases, going above and beyond reveals what matters most to us.

I challenge you today to go above and beyond. Pay close attention to the impact it will have on your life.

Imagination and Enthusiasm

If you work for someone or want to work for yourself, two things that will bring you success is imagination and enthusiasm. Imagination sparks your creativity. We tend to call this "thinking outside the box". Imagination in business is not excepting the status quo. Imagination is allowing yourself to explore all options on how things can be done better. Imagination is seeing the impossible be possible. Imagination back with enthusiasm is critical to your success. Enthusiasm gives you the motivation to bring your imagination to life. Enthusiasm helps to create more Imagination. Enthusiasm with Imagination will bring you great achievements. Imagine that and get excited!

What is your vision?

Where do you want to be 1 year, 5 years, 10 years from now? We have talked about some intangibles that you need to have to achieve success. We have talked about planning and executing to achieve goals. We have not touched on your vision. Where do you see yourself in the years to come? What is your long range plan? When developing your goals for success, you really need to think about what you want your life to be. Your goals will obviously impact your life when achieved so make sure that your vision has been established.

Are you a winner?

You have heard the phrase " Winners never quit and Quitters never win". It is simple enough to understand. The question is do you have what it takes to win? Do you have the commitment to stay the course to reach your goal? Do you believe in yourself that you can reach your goal? Are you willing to do all the necessary things that will assist you in achieving your goal? Another phrase you may have heard "when the going gets, tough the tough get going". I'm going to change it to "when the going gets tough, the tough keep going". When things are not going your way, can you keep going? You are on a mission to accomplish a goal. Fifty percent of reaching your goal is all mental: faith, belief, commitment, resolve, perseverance, adaptability, motivation, enthusiasm, etc. The list is infinite. You have to decide in the beginning if what you want is worth the battle. The battle will sometimes be doubt from you. The battle will sometimes be fear from you. The battle will sometimes be discouragement from you. It matters not what others think. It only matters what you believe. You decide if you win or lose. You decide if you quit or finish. You decide your future. You determine your fate. You can do anything you want to do. The only person that sets a limit on you is you. The only person that can stop you is you. The only person that can fail you is you. This is your life. This is your future. This is your goal. This is your time.

Uncomfort zone

Playing it safe is the most popular way to fail - Elliott Smith

In order to achieve your goals, you sometimes have to get out of your comfort zone. It may be hard. You may think that it is not necessary. If you indeed are serious about being successful, you will have to enter into the uncomfort zone. It's only uncomfort until you have expanded your thinking. Being open-minded allows you to take risks. When we remain in our comfort zone, we will not reach our potential. I recognized through self-analysis that I was shy. I was happy and content working by myself.  In order for me to get to where I wanted to go though, I had to break out of my shyness. I put myself in situations that would force me to interact, engage and collaborate with others. Taking myself out of my comfort zone helped me to develop my interpersonal skills. As I pursue my goals, I'm constantly having to get out of my comfort zone. It is developing me as a person. It is pushing me ever so close to my goals. You must recognize areas that are essential to reaching your goals that are not in your comfort zone. Believe in yourself and the commitment you have made to your success. At that point, enter the uncomfort zone.

Can you be patient?

We have all heard the importance of being patient. It is difficult at times because you want things to happen right now. If we really look at being patient, it is always something that is not in our control. When you understand what is and what is not under your control, you will then understand patience. As you pursue your goals, there will be times where things will not move as fast as you would like. There will be times where your belief in yourself and your goal will be tested. You have to be patient. Being patient in some circumstances will be considered persevering. Being patient in other circumstances will be maintaining composure. If you want to achieve your goal, you will have to be patient. To be patient keeps you in control of your situation. To be patient allows you to focus on your goal. To be patient shows your courage against adversity. To be patient is more than just waiting; it's your commitment to your dream. You always have a choice in life. The question is do you really want to achieve your goal? If your answer is yes, then you have answered the next question.

Execution

On my last post, I talked about formulating a plan to achieve your goal. Your plan should be well thought out. Attempt to account for all that will go right as well as what can go wrong. Now that your plan is in place, it is time to execute your plan. Execution of a plan is the most overlooked component of success. Why would I say that? If people go through the trouble to create a plan, why would the plan not be followed? In my experiences as a Maintenance manager, I have found that plans are not executed because of three factors. First, the plan created may not have been a good, well thought out plan to start with. Second, the plan being executed by others was not followed because they did not believe in the plan. Third, the plan's execution was not followed up on by those that created the plan. Now you may be thinking, what does that have to do with my plan? Your plan is no different from a company's plan or a department's plan. A well thought out plan has contingencies. It allows you to adapt. It enables execution to flow. A question I suggested in the former post was "who will need to assist me?" A plan that is collaborated with others who are essential to the execution of the plan is necessary. They need to know their role in the plan. They need to believe in the plan. When you have the buy-in from others about your plan, execution will flow. Perhaps the most important element of all, is follow up. In order for you to know if you will meet your deadline, you have to follow up. Regardless of how well thought out your plan is or having the buy-in from everyone involved, not following up will hinder the execution of your plan. Execution is the hardest part of achieving success. You must trust in your abilities and believe that your plan will take you to your goal. You must execute the plan. You must follow up on your plan's execution. It sounds easy. It is that easy. You have to be committed to achieving your goal. You have to be committed to not accepting defeat. You have to be committed to execution. Do these things and you will achieve success.

The Plan

Many of us go through life not really having a plan. I'm guilty of this as well. What is your plan for your life? What is your plan for your family? What is your plan to achieve your goal? The first two questions are for you to really ponder and think about. The plan for your goal, it starts right now.

Questions to consider when developing your plan to achieve your goal:

What training will I need if any?
Who will need to assist me?
What resources will I need?
What roadblocks are associated with my goal?
How will I get through them?
What is my estimated time of completion?
How will I stay on task?

These are questions to get you started in developing your plan. You will more than likely have other questions that will need to be addressed as you formulate your plan. Your plan is your road map, treat it as such. Develop your plan to account for as much as possible. Foresight will be key so invest the time in thinking about what needs to be included in your plan. A sound and definite plan will have you on your road to success. The plan is actually the easy part of the equation. The hard part of the equation to success will be addressed in the next post.

State of Mind

How you go depends on how you think. If you think positive, positive things will happen. If you think negative, negative things will happen.You may already be aware of this. Nonetheless,  I know that your state of mind will determine your circumstances. When you are pursuing a goal, the foundation of that pursuit begins with your state of mind. If you believe that you will accomplish your goal, you will. This is not to say that there will be no effort on your part to achieve it. You will have to put forth effort, determination, perseverance, persistence just to name a few. It will be hard work. There will be obstacles and failures but if you want to succeed, you have to believe. Believing that you can do it influences your ability to do what is necessary to achieve your goal. You will look beyond disappointments and focus on being closer to reaching your goal. When you have faith in yourself, you will have the courage to embark on your journey to success. Your state of mind is the beginning and the end of your success. My motto is: "Motivation is the key but Success is up to me!" Your state of mind is equated to "Success is up to me!" Regardless of where you are socioeconomically, changing your state of mind to a positive "can do" thought process will change your life. You will only go as far as you think you will go. Your thoughts will determine where you go. Everything that has been created on this earth began with a thought. Look around you, everything in your current environment began as a thought. The creator, when it was thought of, believed that it could be made. Through planning and hard work, it became a physical reality. You are no different. Think of the person that you want to be and then begin becoming that person. It all begins with your state of mind.

Your greatest obstacle

When we think about obstacles in the way of achieving goals, what do you think is our greatest obstacle? I believe it's time. It's not people because regardless if they are with you or against you, it's about you believing in yourself. It's not circumstances because you control how you react and deal with situations. It's not yourself because you can overcome doubt. I believe it's time because the longer you wait to pursue your goal or dream, the less time you have to achieve it. See, we tend to make excuses of why we cannot start our goal now. For every excuse that is given for why you cannot start, I will give you a reason of why you can. There is never a right time to start. If you are waiting for that right time, you will be waiting forever. The right time is now! I don't care if your plan is not finished. You need to put in motion your desire to fulfill your goal. You need to begin now. Once you start, you can overcome the obstacles that you face. The key is to start. Time will not wait for you. So don't you wait for it. Time is your greatest enemy, do not let it defeat you.

Fear

Fear is unfortunately an emotion that we all have. Our challenge is being able to overcome fear. Let’s understand that fear is a natural emotion. Although it is a part of us, it does not have to affect us. For me, it's understanding what you have control over and what you don't. If you fear death, why should you? Death is a part of nature's cycle. You can't control it therefore do not fear it. If you fear rejection or criticism from others, why? You can't control what others think and how they will respond to you. All you can do is be true to yourself. The theme here is that you control fear because you control how you think. If there is something that you want to do, have no fear just do it. In college, I joined a Greek fraternity. During that time, there was a pledge process. In order to make it through the process, the motto was "expect the unexpected". All we could do was have faith and trust in ourselves. Everything else was out of our control. If you believe that you can accomplish a goal, you will accomplish it. If you don't believe then you want do it. Doubt and fear to me are the same. They allow us to not meet our full potential because we are concerned about what others may think of us. Believe in yourself! Believe in yourself! You overcome fear by believing in yourself. You overcome fear by trusting you. You overcome fear by having faith in you. You overcome fear because you have no choice if you truly desire to achieve your goal.

It's all about you

The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but reveal to them their own - Benjamin Disraeli

It's all about you. If you read this blog, you want to achieve something in your life. The purpose of the blog is to educate, enlighten and energize. I may provide insight but you have to be open-minded enough to consider it. You have the traits to obtain success inside you. Whether I'm awaking a sleeping giant or energizing your soul, you are ready to accept it. I know this because you take the time to read this blog.  You are on the path to success. Anytime one seeks knowledge, they want to elevate themselves. Continue seeking, evolving and progressing, it's in you to do so. It's all about you! Be great everyday!