“Focus on the good today and make it great tomorrow. Focus on the challenges you had today and work to make them opportunities tomorrow!” - Ed Sykes
Sometime the difference between long term success and failure is concentrating on what you did well today and making it great tomorrow and embracing your challenges and making them opportunities tomorrow.
“Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it.” - David Starr Jordan
We gain wisdom in our life when you are “tested by the fires” that challenge us throughout life. We develop our success skills by knowing what to do next, knowing how to do it, and just doing it. This comes with experience, experience you can only gain by facing up to challenges. The key to success is embracing our challenges and becoming stronger and better by these experiences.
The following story is how one person faced challenge after challenge and had the wisdom to be successful:
From our first day on earth until our last, we face different levels of adversity. Adversity may be sickness, a property loss, or the loss of a family member. It may be a lost career promotion or a business setback. How we handle these adversities defines how we achieve greatness in our lives.
Let me share the story of James Blake, who overcame multiple adversities — more than most of us would ever experience in a lifetime — and yet achieved greatness. James Blake is a world class professional tennis player enjoying fame and making a six-figure income. However, in his childhood, he developed a rare disease that required him to wear a body brace for years. Other kids teased him, calling him “Iron Man” from the Marvel Comic Books, and he felt left out. During this time, he concentrated on his academics, read a wide variety of books, and developed himself as a well-rounded person. He also developed a heightened awareness for others who are going through difficult times.
Once he had the brace removed, he learned to play tennis with an intense passion not exhibited by many other tennis players, because he appreciated the opportunity to finally play tennis. He didn’t take this opportunity for granted. He attended Harvard and became the #1 player on their tennis team.
As a promising professional player, adversity struck again. In 2004, while practicing for a major tournament, he slipped and fell forward striking his neck against the metal pole that holds the tennis net. James’s doctor said that had James not slightly turned his head, James would have broken his vertebra and become paralyzed from the neck down. Instead, he was hospitalized with a fractured vertebra, blurred vision, and dizziness.
While in the hospital, James did much soul searching. Many family members and friends came by to offer encouragement, advice, and support. His coach was a constant bedside companion and finally asked James, “Do you want to play tennis again?” James said “yes,” and they developed a plan to start his comeback.
With the support of family, friends, and his coach, James started his comeback step by painful step. At first when he tried to play tennis, he still had to overcome his blurred vision and dizziness. He had doubts whether he would ever handle the 125 mph plus serves of his opponents.
Then he suffered another setback. During his rehabilitation, his father, with whom he had a very close relationship, developed cancer and passed away. During his father’s sickness, James was by his side. After his father passed away, James was devastated. However, he regrouped and carried on with the support of his mother, family, friends, and coach.
He returned to playing professional tennis, and there were many more losses than wins. But he stayed focused and determined and progressively improved. He began playing the top professional players competitively, and he began winning against the top players. Then he once again started winning tournaments. After this long journey, James became one of the top players in the world.
What can we learn from James Blake’s journey through adversity to greatness? The following are three keys to making adversity work for you:
“Don’t ever let someone tell you that you can’t do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you gotta protect it. When people can’t do something themselves, they are gonna tell you that you cannot do it. You want something, go get it. Period!” – Will Smith (From film The Pursuit of Happiness)
Success and achievement in life happens when you believe in something regardless of what others say. The following article will show you the secrets to realizing your dreams and be more successful in your life:
The Secret to Living Your Dreams: Five Success Techniques to Achieving More Success in Your Life!
By Ed Sykes
How many times in our lives have we said the following?
If I had more time, I would have acted on my dream…
If I didn’t need this job, I would have pursued my dream of…
If only I had (you fill in the blank) ten years ago, I would have achieved my dream of…
I am sure you can add a dozen more “If I” dream statements. There are people going through life everyday working at jobs they hate, in situations they tolerate, and living a life that they disown because they settled for an “If I” mindset.
What is the secret between the person who is achieving his/her dream life and the person who is just wishing for a dream life? The following are five techniques for living your dream and achieving more in life:
“Goals can give you power in your life. A person or an organization without a goal is powerless.” – Lewis Timberlake
What is a goal you most want to accomplish in 2012? What resolutions are you going to keep this year? Are you in the process of goal setting to stay on track this year?
It’s 2012 and another year is upon us. Just like every other year, you may have set lofty goals, resolutions, and gone through an extensive goal setting exercise. Did you achieve your goals or were you sidetracked?
The following goal setting techniques will help you create powerful goals, realistic resolutions, and help you take action to achieving your goals:
1. Be SMARTER with your Goals
Make your goals:
For example, “I will increase my sales by 15% compared to last year.” Be as specific about your goal as possible. “I will start my own catering business” is a lot stronger than “I want to go into business for myself.” Challenging goals are motivating. Set goals that will push beyond what you usually think you can accomplish. Remember to set a deadline. A goal without a deadline is simply a dream. Attach a realistic yet challenging deadline for accomplishment and post this where you can review it regularly.
2. Visualize your goals. Take 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes just before you go to bed; find a quiet place; close your eyes and relax, and visualize yourself actually achieving your goals. Remember the more senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, etc.) you can involve, the more real your visualization becomes. I ask during my seminars, “Have you ever had a dream that seemed so real that you woke up in the middle of it?” Well the reason for that is the subconscious mind is at work involving all of those senses to trick you into believing the dream is real. Well, you don’t have to wait; work at visualizing your goals today.
3. Phrase your goals in the present tense and assume success. Don’t say, “I want to.” Say, “I will.” This subtle technique tells your subconscious that you have already achieved your goal, which means it will work at helping the goal become a reality. It will attract the people, places, and situations you need to achieve that goal.
4. Put your goals in writing. This simple act helps you clarify your goals and will allow you to visualize them more effectively. I recommend that you record each goal on a separate index card and review them twice a day – once in the morning (when you first wake up) and again before you go to bed. Post index cards where you spend the most time; on the bathroom mirror, on the frig., on your nightstand, etc. This process reinforces your goals, acts as a reminder, and drives your goals deep into your subconscious. In fact, this is one of the most powerful strategies you can use to achieve your targets.
5. List the benefits you intend to receive by achieving each goal. This will keep you focused and strong, particularly when you face the inevitable roadblocks and barriers. In June, when I chose to lose 20 pounds, I listed 12 benefits, and when I had the urge to put butter on my veggies or help myself to a second serving of food, I would review this list to help me get past that craving. I lost the 22 pounds and two inches around my waistline to date. I think I will go for another 10 pounds. This was not a diet, just a lifestyle change. The more benefits you can list for your goals, the more motivating those goals will become.
So my challenge to you to is to take the time to plan your goals. Start with one goal and visualize it, write it down, and act on it. As I always say, “If you don’t invest the time to set goals then someone else will do it for you. And I guarantee you won’t like their goals.” Invest the time, start today!
“Change is happening faster than we can keep tabs on and threatens to shake the foundations of the most secure American business.” - U.S. Congress Office of Technology
Change is occurring all around us everyday. Most changes are small and go unnoticed by us. Think about your daily ride to work and notice what changes are taking place over the course of a week: possible changes in traffic patterns, new stores opening, weather patterns, etc. Each day we adapt to the changing situations without even thinking about it, and we achieve our goals.
The organizations we work for are going through change to adapt to a very competitive marketplace. Most organizational change, much like your daily commute, is subtle. Some changes create a variety of emotions among employees: from joy and enthusiasm to distrust and anger.
The best organizations create a strong culture of change management. In fact, management at these organizations is constantly encouraging change for the good of the overall organization.
The following are seven change management secrets to creating a winning culture of change:
Take the time to ask these and other questions and, most importantly, listen to the answers.
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