Act to Create It - By Jack Canfield

The thing that most separates winners from losers in life, is that winners take action. If you want to live your dreams, not only must you decide what you want, turn your dream into measurable goals, break those goals down into specific action steps, and visualize and affirm your desired outcomes — you must start taking action.

I recommend making the commitment to do something every day in at least three different areas of your life that moves you in the direction of your dreams. If one of your goals is physical fitness, make a commitment to do some sort of exercise — aerobics, weight training, stretching — four to five times a week for a minimum of twenty minutes. I read recently that if you simply go for a 30 minute walk four times a week, that would put you in the top 1% of those people getting physical exercise!

If your goal is financial independence, start saving and investing a portion of your income every month with no exceptions. If your goal is to write a book, write for a minimum of one hour every day.

Don’t Let FEAR Stop You ...
Most people never get what they want because they let their fears stop them. They are afraid of making a mistake, looking foolish, getting ripped off, being rejected, being hurt, wasting their time, and feeling uncomfortable.

Fear is self-created by imagining catastrophic consequences that have yet to happen. It is all in your mind. In fact, you can actually scare yourself by imagining negative and harmful images. But simply stop the catastrophic thoughts and images, and the fear goes away.

Rejection Is a Myth ...
One of the biggest fears that stops people from asking for support, guidance, advice, money, a date, a job, the sale, or anything else is the fear of rejection. In fact, it’s been known to literally paralyze people. They become tongue-tied and refuse to reach for the phone or get up and walk across the room. They break out in a sweat at the mere thought of asking for what they want.

I have come to realize that the whole concept of rejection is false — that rejection doesn’t really exist. Think about it for a moment. If you asked someone to join you for dinner, and they said no, you could tell yourself that you had been rejected. But think about it. Did you have anyone to eat dinner with before you asked them? No! Did you have anyone to eat dinner with after you asked them? No! Did your life really get worse? No. It stayed the same!

Act As If ...
One of the secrets of success is to start acting like a success before you are one. Act as if. If you had already achieved your dream, what kinds of clothes would you be wearing? How would you act? How would you treat others? Would you tithe a portion of your income to your church or favorite charities? Would you have more self-confidence? Would you take more time to spend with your loved ones?

I suggest that you begin to do those things now. When I decided that I wanted to be an “international” consultant, I immediately went and applied for a passport, bought an international clock that told me what time it was anywhere in the world, printed business cards with the words “International Self-Esteem and Peak Performance Consultant,” and decided I would like to first go to Australia.

I bought a poster of the Sidney Opera House and placed it on my refrigerator. Within one month, I received an invitation to speak in Sidney and Brisbane. Since then, I have spoken and conducted trainings in over 20 countries and continue to expand my business around the globe.

Start acting as if you already have everything you want. Most people think that if they have a lot of money, they could do the things they want to do, and they would be much happier. In fact, the reverse is true. If you start by creating a state of happiness and abundance, then do the things you are inspired to do from that state of being, you will end up having all the things you ultimately desire.

You may not be able to fill your closets with expensive Italian suits and designer clothing, but why not invest in one or two really great outfits, so that when you do need them, they are there. When you dress like you have already made it, you will look the part, and successful people will naturally be attracted to you and invite you to participate with them.

The Law of Attraction states that you will attract to you those things that match your state of being. If you focus on having gratitude for what you do have, you will feel rich, and you will attract more abundance into your life. If you focus on what you don’t have, you will send out a message of lack and you will attract more lack into your life.

For more on The Law of Attraction, I highly recommend watching The Secret, a ground-breaking, feature-length movie presentation. The Secret reveals how to apply this powerful knowledge to your life in every area from health to wealth, to success and relationships.

© 2006 Jack Canfield
___________
Jack Canfield, America’s Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your free success tips from Jack Canfield now at www.JackCanfield.com.

*brought to you by GoalsSuccess.com

How to Realize Your Goals At Turbo Speed By Michael Lee

We know the importance of setting goals in the fulfillment of our dreams in life. Without goals, we'll have a much difficult time reaching our aspirations in life.

But what if I tell you that there's a very powerful formula that will allow us to achieve our goals much faster? In fact, this formula is going to turbo-boost goal realization to the highest level! Are you ready?

Here's the formula:

Be positively obssessed with what you want. It's not enough that you want it, you got to desire it so much that you feel it flowing in your veins and you think about it every day and night. You talk about it every chance you get and you see it in every situation you're in.

If you're not fired up every time you think about it, then you're not serious enough. Re-evaluate your goal and make sure that it is your passion, your fire, the very thing that makes your body tingle with life and excitement.

You must also complement your obssession with two powerful techniques: visualization and affirmation.

You must have a crystal clear mental image of yourself already in possession of the thing you desire, or already doing/enjoying the very activity you want to do in life.

You must also consistently repeat saying what you want. If you want to be a singer, say "I am a professional singer performing in front of a large audience that is so amazed by my performance." As you say it, feel the happiness and excitement, and see yourself doing exactly the thing you say. Imagine the audience applauding you after singing a very emotional song.

Write down your goals on a small index card, then stick it in a place where you can see and read your goals daily.

There's something else you have to know. It is vital for you to think and say your desires most of the time, but sometimes we get very busy with other tasks.

So it is highly recommended that you engage in imagining, affirming, feeling, and being one with your dream at the most effective times of the day.

Do it 15 minutes before you go to sleep and 15 minutes within the time you wake up. This is very important.

Your subconscious is in its most responsive state 15 minutes before dozing off. So before hitting the snooze button, feed it with clear pictures/images, powerful affirmations/commands, and emotions so intense you could experience the happiness and excitement right at that very moment.

Do it also 15 minutes within the time you wake up. Your mind is fresh, energized, and focused at this time, so utilize its power to your best advantage.

When you are relaxed, the mind is very receptive to your commands and mental images. Go to a beach or resort, walk around the park, go sight seeing, or just lie down on a hammock. Relax and allow yourself to get involved with your dream. Relaxation can also allow you to think of creative ideas to reach your goals and ways to solve your problems.
_________
Michael Lee is the author of "How To Be A Red Hot Persuasion Wizard," an ebook that reveals powerful secrets on how to get anything you want, including how to fully improve your relationships, explode your profits, win arguments, and magically influence others. Grab a sample chapter here.

The Secret of Goal Setting - Treat It Like A Farm By Mike Brescia

Here's a great question, "What can I do now that will prepare me for tomorrow?" Often the most frustrating thing that any of us feel on a regular basis is to want something really bad, and not be able to get it right away. Yes, it's frustrating. But it's usually not realistic, is it?

The challenge that we face is that advertisers want us to get motivated to buy their products immediately. But if you have limitations of one sort or another, like... you don't have a space to park a 50 foot yacht, or simply no money, then you're not going to be able to buy this thing. And it's not just products, is it? Many people see someone else with some personal trait or a job they want and they get jealous. They want it, too... NOW!

It's getting so that it's increasingly rare to find people who are truly willing to put in the requisite time necessary to get the traits or items they want. Our world today is trying to teach us that we must get what we want immediately; that it's our right. That's why so many of us are jealous, smoke or drink, are overweight, use drugs, etc.

Listen up. It's your right, all right. It's your right to have the same opportunity to work for what you want. You have to sacrifice to reach your dreams just like every other person who ever lived, who reached the same kinds of ambitions. Today MUST be the day that puts you on, or keeps you on, the road to attaining what you want. Remember, God helps those who help themselves.

Many days don't afford us the time to push certain things forward, it's true. For example, if you're traveling and you use that as an excuse to not eat right and to not exercise, then you probably won't do it even when it's more convenient.

Life is NOT like school. In school, you can trick yourself into thinking you're doing great if you cram for exams and get decent scores. It is possible to get fairly good grades for a while that way. But you don't learn it. You're likely to just remember it until the exam is over... maybe. That's why new college graduates often find it difficult to find a decent paying job. Companies like successful work experience. In college, you can fool the system and yourself. In the professional world and in most other areas of life, it's a lot tougher. Almost impossible.

Real life is truly like a farm. On the farm, you must move the rocks, buy seeds and all the other stuff, plant the seeds, buy and maintain the equipment, pull weeds, keep the pests away, water the crops, buy and sell the animals, feed them, nurse the sick ones back to health, fertilize, etc. And you need to keep up with it all everyday... Or you won't have a crop at the end of the season.

Life is like this, too. Just like a farm, you can't "cram" in life. Don't be fooled. Don't believe the lies that others want you to believe. You want to believe it. I know you do. But think. The people who have the things you want earned them. And don't believe they just got lucky. Luck takes work. Put the effort in today and you'll get luckier and luckier. Will it be immediately? Probably not. Beat this into your head... Anything worth having takes time to get it.

When I'm tempted to believe that I should have something (before I've earned it), I think of my grandparents. They owned a farm. And I realize that life can be long and that I can't put tomorrow before today. Then I look at my goal, put my shoulder down and keep going... With a smile on my face.

WINNING BELIEFS:

-- I've dissolved and released all jealousy from my heart

-- I receive all my rewards at the appropriate times

-- I'm at peace with my responsibilities

-- I'm preparing myself for tomorrow today
___________
What if you had the same minute-by-minute thoughts as the super successful? Mike Brescia has developed the ultimate mental conditioning programs that can help anyone wipe out intense fears and enjoy huge successes in all areas of life. Get details on Mike's 'Think Right Now' personal development programs.

How To Set and Control Your Goals By Mike Brescia

"How did those people get there? How did they become that way? Was everything given to them, was it genetics, or a loving mother? Or was it planning and dedication that got them to where they are, to be who they are?"

The people who have a number of possessions or "status" that didn't earn it are known as being "born with a silver spoon in their mouth"... or state lottery winners. But statistics reveal that the average rich person that doesn't have to work for what they get doesn't know how to keep it, or anything else in their lives - and becomes the type that just can't make anything work. They get trained to live their lives with their hands out to Mommy and Daddy. If that sounds a bit hard to believe, read "The Millionaire Next Door".

Whether you're wealthy or not, giving your kids everything creates social and financial cripples. Most follow-up research on Lottery winners shows the same thing. Within a short time, it's all gone. They didn't EARN it, never learned responsibility with money, so they're helpless against every expensive temptation there is. So even if you win, you lose.

My possibly unpopular opinion is this: Stop blowing your money on lottery tickets. Figure out how much you spend on them and that expensive daily gourmet cappuccino, and put exactly that much in a money market fund every week or two and become rich the proven way - slowly. Surely. But how do you start to get the discipline to be able to do something like that? To achieve any worthwhile objective?

Goals. The average person has no long-term goals. And the word creates a lot of confusion. Most think a goal is a goal when it's something like: You want to be rich; want a screen star body; win a gold medal; get an advanced college degree; in short, to desire something really huge.

The trouble with big goals is not that you're dreaming out of your league--it's that very few set goals in such a way that they ever get accomplished. Like everything, there's right and wrong ways to do it. You can buy books, and go to seminars to learn how. I did. But honestly, it boils down to a few simple steps and some things you can do to ensure that you'll stick it out and be there at the end with your hands raised high.

The first mistake everyone usually makes is getting excited about having something - prompted by an external source, a commercial maybe. Wrong way to start. I know I sound like a broken record, but setting and achieving goals is not REALLY about what you get as much as it is what you become during the process of attaining your goal. When you ARE more, you'll get more automatically now and in the future. A natural by-product.

What you need to do first is look at an area of your life that's causing you some trouble. You are in pain about it. Emotional, physical, whatever. Choose an area that gives you a big one of these "pains." I mean, why go after something you really don't want badly, right? Getting rid of a gnawing pain that you've had for a while is a great way. Getting rid of the fabricated pain that a commercial stirred up and then proposed to cure is often the wrong way... The "I'm a sheep" way. Baaaaa!

Take your pain and look at it. What does it cost you to have the problem or lack? Write down the physical costs, emotional, mental, social, spiritual, financial. Spread it out for 1, 2, 5 and 20 years. Feel it. Get by yourself and do this, because you just might need a few tissues during this process.

Take your time. It's been a long time that you haven't had this "goal" so a little time spent doing this is an investment. Trust me. This will give you determination you didn't think you had. Let me tell you. You have it... You just have to find this pain and then keep it handy.

When you have that, you'll have a base for the setting of a goal - a goal that inspires you to keep going... to reach down deep. Do this exercise and you'll begin to see the power of starting out intelligently instead of letting others control your goals for you.

WINNING BELIEFS:

-- I set goals based on my real needs and desires

-- Today I'm setting my sights on defining what I want

-- I'm willing to put the effort in to achieve my goals

-- I enjoy the process of setting and reaching worthwhile goals

-- I set goals the right way
___________
What if you had the same minute-by-minute thoughts as the super successful? Mike Brescia has developed the ultimate mental conditioning programs that can help anyone wipe out intense fears and enjoy huge successes in all areas of life. Get details on Mike's 'Think Right Now' personal development programs.

How To Reach Your Biggest Goal By Mike Brescia

Do you wonder "What can I do today that I have been dreaming about for a long time?"

You know them instantly when you meet them. You want to be near them. You want to be like them. You know the type... Always smiling. Hard worker. Optimistic. Assured. And they win... a lot.

Carmelo Anthony, at only 18 years old, was that person. In April 2003, as a freshman, he led my hometown Syracuse Orange to the NCAA Men's National Basketball Championship. He routinely did the impossible. Showing skills reserved only for those "touched by the hand of God". All with a smile that lit up the entire Carrier Dome.

He made us all forget about the whipping winds and the 14+ feet of snow we were hammered with that winter. It didn't matter. Because we got to witness someone special. Sure, he has natural skills, but it's a LOT more than that. He works like no one else. He's as coachable as they come... He still listens closely, learns from every mistake, and practices every day like he's playing for the NBA title. And back then he was only eighteen.

Most people want to believe this kind of talent gets inserted at birth. Most want to believe that they just don't have it. It absolves them from responsibilities for their failures. And it's true that few people are born with the physical ability to play sports at the highest levels or the ability to tolerate the kind of stress endured by presidents of huge corporations.

But what most people forget is that to become great at anything, you've got to get single minded. If you want greatness, or heck, forget about greatness for a minute... If you want to get past this next challenge, to succeed at getting rid of the habit that has you by the throat... then work on that one thing only. Sure, fulfill your daily responsibilities.

But when it comes to reaching this one top goal, make it absolutely, positively a must. Look at this goal like it's the most important thing in your life. If you do this, I guarantee you of one thing... that if you DON'T make it all the way, you'll most certainly come closer than you ever have before. And in the process of the reaching and the straining, you'll be growing.

Becoming more capable. Becoming the person other people want to be like. Because even if you reach your big goal, it's possible to lose it all in the future, to go back to your old ways. Right? But if you put all of yourself, and I mean ALL of yourself into your reaching, learning everything you can along the way, then not only will you most likely succeed now, but you'll be able to do more in the future.

How do you think highly skilled people in any field got so good? Were they born with all that knowledge and skills? Give me a break! It's called work. I know that's a dirty word to most people... But if you want to get to that place and be that person you imagine when you close your eyes, then honest effort is the only way.

But don't be so glum... Carmelo Anthony wasn't even considered an elite recruit as a high school junior. No. But during his senior year, he blew up... working like a maniac, that year building massively on the skills he already had developed through intensely practicing the same things day in-day out. And because of it, he just barely passed his college entrance exams.

And those people who love to look down on those with lesser vocabularies, grades or looks... those things are nice. But you don't have to know everything to reach your goals and to be successful in this life of yours. You can't be all things. It's impossible. You just have to do what you must to get where you want to go.

If your goals aren't huge now, that's fine. Reach the small ones. Build your confidence. And go from there. The tallest buildings start with many sub-floors under the ground. So, if that's where you are starting from, know that you can still get where you want to go... one step at a time. The time for living is now. So what are you going to do?

WINNING BELIEFS:

-- I am working hard to reach my biggest goal now

-- I learn something valuable every day in pursuing my goal

-- I am becoming more today than I was yesterday

-- I love reaching for and achieving challenging goals

-- I can do it... I know I can
___________
What if you had the same minute-by-minute thoughts as the super successful? Mike Brescia has developed the ultimate mental conditioning programs that can help anyone wipe out intense fears and enjoy huge successes in all areas of life. Get details on Mike's 'Think Right Now' personal development programs.

How Goals Will Let You Get The Best Out Of Life By Mike Brescia

How do you plan, do you ask "What have I done for the last hour? What do I plan on doing this next hour? Why?" My dad used to tell me stories about the day every year that the auto manufacturers introduced their new line of cars and trucks. That day, people would flock to the dealerships. It looked like the county fair at the local car lots. Dealers sold more cars that day than the whole month before. There wasn't anything like that excitement, I've been told.

Today, new models hardly get noticed. At least not the way they used to. Why? Because there is so much more trying to grab our attention today. Because billions of dollars have been spent by companies in all the world's industries studying what makes us buy or not buy things. Learning how to target us more effectively.

I mean, at every turn everything we could ever want, as a consumer, is being promoted to us... "Get me!" "All your friends have me." "You deserve to have me now!" The marketing noise is deafening. And it works. It makes us want what's being sold... right now. In fact, it makes us want to have EVERYTHING now.

"Why does THAT person get to have that car, those clothes, that girl friend, that job, that grade, those sneakers when I'm stuck with less." "I deserve to have it now." "Let's steal that money, that bottle, that shirt, that car, his girl friend." "Life's not fair." Yeah, life's not always fair. But that's life.

Oh, I know, life's too short to work so hard to be thin, to be financially secure, to follow rules, to get good grades, to... Too often, depression and anxiety is a result of false expectations of what life "should" be. Did you ever hear of the saying, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten?" So my dear, dear friend, in the areas of life that you want to change, you need concrete goals or you'll always get the usual crap.

Take a moment and look at the "EMPOWERING QUOTE" at the end of this article. Doesn't it just give you the chills...it did me. Did you ever meet anyone who lost 50 pounds or more unless they had the goal to do so? No goal... no achievement. How about building a multi-million dollar company without some clear daily and long-term goals? Does anyone get straight A's without the goal to do so first?

Let me be as clear about this as I can be... You can get along, get some halfway decent grades, maybe rise up in your company just by showing up, get married, have kids and have a fairly average life without clear goals. I mean, if you're typical you've gotten where you are now without setting and achieving any REALLY challenging benchmarks for yourself in any area of life. If you're typical and honest with yourself, you'll likely agree.

Now while this discussion isn't meant to be the final word on goals, I think you can see that committing to a clearly defined goal is critical to getting what you really want. Especially with all of life's distractions, and the constant pressures to believe that our successes must happen NOW.

Look at the "EMPOWERING QUOTE" below now. Want energy? Set some goals in any area of life you want. And this time, commit to it like you've never committed to anything before. This process will give you such a charge it will astound you. Truly depressed? Then set a really challenging goal and work like you've never worked for anything else before. Make reaching this goal the most important thing.

And I know this sounds too simple. Look, life isn't as complicated as it feels sometime. My life sucked in every way until I was nearly 25 years old. I got fired from a lot of minimum wage jobs and had to live in a 9 year old van as a result. And it didn't turn around until I got super focused on one thing... keeping a job. When I focused on that almost exclusively, suddenly I started to get really good at it. I didn't get fired either.

Well, many huge goals later, and my web site is the most traveled of its kind in the world. And there are many other incredible things going on at Think Right Now, International that will ultimately change millions of people's lives. And none of them would have ever come about without a committed focus to mastering one thing, then mastering another one thing, then...

Now, that does lead to some imbalance at times. But in all honesty, the most successful, wealthy, well known and yes, happiest people who ever lived totally mastered just a few things. That mastery in just a few areas of life gave them the freedoms and joy that few people will ever know. Why? Because few people want to work hard enough to master anything. Most don't understand the implications of earning what they get. Most don't understand, until it's often too late, that things that come too easy or that were dishonestly gained never stay around long.

What? You thought your bad luck was just bad luck? Not bad luck. Bad beliefs. Bad actions. And it doesn't matter how big the gains are... 90% of all million+ dollar lottery winners blow it all very quickly and spend the rest of their lives bitter and with nothing... But not you.

You're going to set a big goal right now, take concrete steps toward reaching it and make decisions that will support you on your path to success. And this will all start to make sense. Don't read this and forget about it. Do something now or your chance will be lost. All right! There's hope for you!

WINNING BELIEFS:

-- My goals are increasing my passion for life

-- I feel exhilarated by my goals

-- I am growing by leaps and bounds today

-- I'm truly happy to be alive

-- I can get through any hardship, no matter what it is

-- My skills and confidence are growing today

EMPOWERING QUOTE:
"Goals give you more than a reason to get up in the morning; they are an incentive to keep you going all day. Goals tend to tap the deeper resources and draw the best out of life." -- Harvey Mackay
___________
What if you had the same minute-by-minute thoughts as the super successful? Mike Brescia has developed the ultimate mental conditioning programs that can help anyone wipe out intense fears and enjoy huge successes in all areas of life. Get details on Mike's 'Think Right Now' personal development programs.

The Most Valuable Question You May Ever Learn By Jack Canfield

As you begin to take action toward the fulfillment of your goals and dreams, you must realize that not every action will be perfect. Not every action will produce the desired result. Not every action will work. Making mistakes, getting it almost right, and experimenting to see what happens are all part of the process of eventually getting it right.

Thomas Edison is reported to have tried over 2,000 different experiments that failed before he finally got the light bulb to work.

He once told a reporter that, from his perspective, he had never failed at all. Inventing the light bulb was just a 2,000-step process. If you can adopt that attitude, then you can be free to take an action, notice what result you get, and then adjust your next actions based on the feedback you have received.

Ready, Fire, Aim!
Don’t be afraid to just jump in and get started moving toward your goals. As long as you pay attention to the feedback you receive, you will make progress. Just getting into the game and firing allows you to correct and refine your aim.

The Most Valuable Question You May Ever Learn
In the 1980s, a multimillionaire businessman taught me a question that radically changed the quality of my life. So what is this magical question that can improve the quality of every relationship you are in, every product you produce, every service you deliver, every meeting you conduct, every class you teach and every transaction you enter into?

Here it is:

“On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the quality of our relationship during the last week?”

Here are a number of variations on the same question that have served me well over the years...

“On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate…
• our service?
• our product?
• my teaching?
• this class/seminar/workshop?
• this meeting?
• our performance?
• our date/vacation?
• this meal?
• my coaching/managing?
• this book/recording/show?
• my parenting/babysitting?

Any answer less than a 10 always gets this follow-up question:

“What would it take to make it a 10?”

This is where the really valuable information comes from. Knowing that a person is dissatisfied is not enough. Knowing in detail what will satisfy them gives you the information you need to do whatever it takes to create a winning product, service or relationship.

There Are Two Kinds of Feedback
There are two kinds of feedback you might encounter – negative and positive. We tend to prefer the positive – that is, results, money, praise, promotion, raise, awards, happiness, inner-peace, etc. It feels better. It tells us we are on course and doing the right thing.

We tend not to like negative feedback – lack of results, little or no money, criticism, poor evaluations, complaints, unhappiness, inner conflict, pain, etc.

However, there is as much useful data in negative feedback as there is in positive feedback. It tells us that we are off course, headed in the wrong direction, doing the wrong thing. This is priceless information!

In fact, it’s so valuable that one of the most useful projects you could undertake is to change how you respond to negative feedback. I like to refer to negative feedback as information for “improvement opportunities.” Here is a place where I can get better.

Ask Yourself for Feedback
In addition to asking others for feedback, you need to ask yourself for feedback, too. More than any other source of feedback, your body will tell you whether or not you are on course or not. When you are relaxed and happy, your body is telling you that you are on track. When you are constantly exhausted, tense, in pain, unhappy and angry, then you are off track.

Take time to listen to what your body is saying to you. Take time to listen to your physical sensations and your feelings. They are sending you important messages. Are you listening?

Remember, Feedback Is Simply Information
You don’t have to take it personally. Just welcome it and use it.

© 2006 Jack Canfield
___________
Jack Canfield, America’s Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your free success tips from Jack Canfield now at www.JackCanfield.com.