“A good day leads to a good week, which becomes a good month, then a good quarter…to make for a good fiscal year.”
Ted Leonsis
The other day at my gym I asked the owner, “What happened to all of the new members?” He laughed and told me most of them only lasted to the end of January. Why is it that so few people are able to stay the course? Why do we not commit to our goals? And how can we change this?
Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich describes highly successful people as having a “burning desire,” that inner flame that never goes out, often called “obsession.” Does this mean that to commit to a goal one needs to be obsessive? Maybe.
Life has plenty of distractions and frustrations. We are not all obsessive by nature. Yet we can all be successful. To those of us who have to work hard at being committed, I have discovered a few exercises to keep us on the right path:
1. When I become overwhelmed and need direction, I ask myself what is the very next simple action that I can take that will make a difference and put me back on my path of commitment.
2. Kick out any obstacles and negative thoughts that pop up in your mind. I state the outcome I want, take action, and then let it go. I align my thoughts and actions with my attraction.
3. Realize that achieving anything worthwhile will take sacrifices (either your time, finances or relationships). Start small and keep going. Never, never, give up!
4. Ever have those days when you wake up determined to tackle specific challenges? Then suddenly it’s 6 pm and the workday has slipped by! I have a timer on my desk and use it to set myself a goal to finish a task by that time. It helps me to stay focused.
5. Plug in. My iPad allows me to do social media, emails and research while enjoying a change of scenery. I like having the freedom to work on the go and being able to follow up with clients instantaneously.
6. My personal favorite…trust yourself. Too much time is wasted and too many opportunities are lost because of self-doubt. Have confidence in your intuition and don’t over think every decision. It’s essential to keep things moving. Go with your gut — it won’t fail you.
This is our year to succeed. Let’s reach our goals by staying focused and committed. Commitment enables us to turn our dreams into reality.
Ralph
