When thinking about success many of us fall into the trap of thinking that success only applies to wealth and fame. We often define success as earning a huge salary, a prestigious career, fancy cars, or fame. This is a horrible trap to fall into. When you look at success this way it is easy for your mind to say "I don't need to be successful to be happy, look those successful people aren't always happy anyway, so why bother."
In the Focusing on Success program we use a much broader approach to success. We define success as:
Success - achieving the desired outcome of our values, intentions, and actions.
By looking at success in broader terms we can apply the definition of success to anything that we desire. In the Focusing on Success program we concentrate on success in five areas; wealth, health, relationships, mind, and spirituality. However, you can apply the program to virtually any aspect of of your life and anything you want to accomplish.
So keep in mind you can use this program for anything from improving your golf score to finding the perfect companion. Just follow the process as they pertain to each thing that you are trying to achieve and you will be successful.
Using the program to improve you health would work something like this;
First, review and set your values as they relate to health. In this respect some of your key values may be health, energy, physical fitness, or appearance.
Next determine your targets/goals. They might look like; "In January I wear a size 4 dress, have the energy to play with my children at night, and provide my body with healthy nourishment."
Now that you have your goals you can assign the whys like; I feel more confident in a size 4, I want to develop strong bonds with my children, and I want to help my body stay healthy.
With the Whys in place, it's time to move on to the intentions. For a healthier you, your intentions may be; I will exercise 5 times per week, I will limit my intake of processed foods, I will take a multi-vitamin daily.
Now each day as you review your intentions and set your action items you will have a clear and compelling reason to eat a salad for lunch or take a walk in the morning. It will be easy to accomplish and since you completely understand, you will be less likely to skip that necessary actions.
So find something today that you have been wanting to improve on and give it a try. I look forward to hearing about your successes.
Cheers to Success!
Tony Booth
Showing posts with label Intentions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Intentions. Show all posts
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Actions are Key
In order to accomplish anything at all you must take action. Without actions you are not moving forward. If you go through each day without a plan you will find yourself wandering through life aimlessly. Sure, you may accomplish a lot of the things you want to and you may be very successful. But if you want to be super successful and accomplish all the things you deserve, you must have a plan and you must take action. In the Focusing on Success program, we take action everyday. We work at constant improvement and movement towards our goals on a daily basis. How do we do that? Through our daily Critical Action Items.
Every day (or the night before) you need to sit down and review what you would like to accomplish today. As you do this, you pick out 5 to 10 Critical Action Items that you need to complete in order to move closer to your intentions. Write each item down in order that you want to complete them and when you start your day, start with number one. Provide your complete and undivided attention to that particular task and do not move on until it is completed. Avoid interruptions like emails, phone calls, etc. while you are working on a task. Those things can wait. Use the time between your action items to follow up with important emails and phone calls. By avoiding all the distractions you will complete each task efficiently and quickly. It's amazing how much you can accomplish in a day when you are truely focused.
For writing out you action items, I recommend using an index card or something similar to write these items on so that you can carry it with you throughout the day and refer to it as necessary.
As many of you know, this concept is not new or revolutionary by any means. This has been around and has been taught for years. The difference we bring to this process with the Focusing on Success program is the full circle of values, targets, why, intentions, and actions. If you follow the program your actions will have a much deeper seeded meaning and you will have a greater desire to complete them. As I mention in the previous post, before writing out you Critical Action Items, you must first write out you Current Focus (intentions). By following this process you will more clearly understand what it is that each action will accomplish and how it will affect you overall goals. This helps to provide you with the compelling reasons why you want to complete each action. When you know why and understand the big picture it is easy to avoid procrastination and get things accomplished.
Start making your plan and completing you action items with ease. We can all accomplish anything we set out to do. There is nothing stopping you except yourself. Now, go out and take the actions to move closer to your goals everyday.
Cheers to Success!
Tony Booth
Every day (or the night before) you need to sit down and review what you would like to accomplish today. As you do this, you pick out 5 to 10 Critical Action Items that you need to complete in order to move closer to your intentions. Write each item down in order that you want to complete them and when you start your day, start with number one. Provide your complete and undivided attention to that particular task and do not move on until it is completed. Avoid interruptions like emails, phone calls, etc. while you are working on a task. Those things can wait. Use the time between your action items to follow up with important emails and phone calls. By avoiding all the distractions you will complete each task efficiently and quickly. It's amazing how much you can accomplish in a day when you are truely focused.
For writing out you action items, I recommend using an index card or something similar to write these items on so that you can carry it with you throughout the day and refer to it as necessary.
As many of you know, this concept is not new or revolutionary by any means. This has been around and has been taught for years. The difference we bring to this process with the Focusing on Success program is the full circle of values, targets, why, intentions, and actions. If you follow the program your actions will have a much deeper seeded meaning and you will have a greater desire to complete them. As I mention in the previous post, before writing out you Critical Action Items, you must first write out you Current Focus (intentions). By following this process you will more clearly understand what it is that each action will accomplish and how it will affect you overall goals. This helps to provide you with the compelling reasons why you want to complete each action. When you know why and understand the big picture it is easy to avoid procrastination and get things accomplished.
Start making your plan and completing you action items with ease. We can all accomplish anything we set out to do. There is nothing stopping you except yourself. Now, go out and take the actions to move closer to your goals everyday.
Cheers to Success!
Tony Booth
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Behind Every Action Lies Intention
I remember the days when I was in grade school and I would do something to disrupt the class and the teacher would always ask me "Tony, what were you intending to accomplish by interrupting the class?" Of course my answer was, I didn't have any intention, I just wanted to say something funny." This misunderstanding of my actions went on for years and I never really understood what the teacher meant by her questions. I always thought, I didn't have any intention rooted behind my actions. Well, was I wrong. I have now come to realize that every single action we take is born from some seed of intention that we plant. Some times those intentions are valiant and well meant, other times they can just be our ego trying to get attention.
The lesson I learned in all this is that in order to control our actions we must first understand our intentions. No matter how diligent we become at writing out our to-do list of critical actions, we will never completely follow through with them and complete them with ease if we don't first realize what each action is intended to accomplish. Let's look at the following example.
My Action Items for Tuesday:
The lesson I learned in all this is that in order to control our actions we must first understand our intentions. No matter how diligent we become at writing out our to-do list of critical actions, we will never completely follow through with them and complete them with ease if we don't first realize what each action is intended to accomplish. Let's look at the following example.
My Action Items for Tuesday:
- Call Jack at YZX Company to let him know his shipment of new product has been delayed.
That action, by itself doesn't seem like something I want to do. I will probably find several reasons to avoid making this phone call. I will probably put this action off for a couple of days and when I finally get around to it, I will probably say to myself, I'll just email him so I don't have to hear him get upset with me. When Jack finally finds out that his order is delayed he will probably not be very happy. That fact will not change by waiting and by not talking with him directly he doesn't understand my disappointment in the delay.
Now let's look at this through the Focusing on Success method. Before you start to write your daily action items, you would review your intentions. So looking at the above example you might have an intention like:
- Develop and nurture client relationships through prompt and honest communications.
When you read this intention before writing your actions can you see how easy that action now becomes? Since my intention is to develop my relationship and provide open communication I will want to call Jack as quickly as possible. Even though I know he will be upset about the delay I know he will respect my honesty and that is my intention.
Putting this concept to work in your daily routine is an easy process. Each morning or evening when you sit down to plan you day, take the time to first write out your current intentions. The best way that I have found to do this is to use an index card. The first thing you want to do is on one side write out your Current Focus (intentions). This might be 3 or 4 of the main things you want to accomplish. After you have completed writing your intentions, turn the card over and start working on your critical action items. With you intentions fresh in your mind, you will understand the intention behind each action item. Also, keep in mind, if you write out an action item and it doesn't fit your intentions then it doesn't belong on your Critical Action Items list. Give this method a try and you will be amazed at how easy it is to complete your action items.
Cheers to Success
Tony Booth
Friday, August 21, 2009
Where am I going?
For years I made the same mistakes as many others when it came to my goals. I always knew what I wanted to achieve and how I wanted my life to turn out. I always thought, why do I need to write these things down? That's just taking time away from getting what I want and they are always on my mind. I don't need them listed out to know what I want.
Wow, was I mistaken. Now, I always considered myself to be successful and by definition many would agree. I had my well paying job, lived in a nice house, drove nice cars, and all the other things that many use to define success. What I didn't realize all those years was without my goals written down, they took much longer and a lot more work to reach. The problem was without them written and clear I was losing focus and getting sidetracked way too often.
To get where you want to go you must define that destination. You need to take the time to write your targets down in detail and with time lines and clear definitions. About a year ago I started the practice of clearly defining SMART goals and writing them down. Every morning I sit with my journal and write out my targets and review what I want to achieve. By doing this first thing every morning I find it very easy to get my daily tasks done. Since I know my targets and they are fresh in my mind I know exactly why I am doing each task on my list and the outcome I expect to achieve.
Each day you must take the time to review your goals and understand what it is you want to achieve. Keep these goals in your mind throughout the day and it will help to keep you focused. With the complete understanding of why you are doing what you have to do and the rewards you will find it easy to start getting things complete. You will be compelled to complete each and every task and you will approach them with great excitement. Try writing your goals daily in a journal before compiling your list of critical tasks. Then when writing your critical tasks indicate how they affect your goals. You will be amazed at how excited you will be to work on them.
Cheers to Success
Tony Booth
Wow, was I mistaken. Now, I always considered myself to be successful and by definition many would agree. I had my well paying job, lived in a nice house, drove nice cars, and all the other things that many use to define success. What I didn't realize all those years was without my goals written down, they took much longer and a lot more work to reach. The problem was without them written and clear I was losing focus and getting sidetracked way too often.
To get where you want to go you must define that destination. You need to take the time to write your targets down in detail and with time lines and clear definitions. About a year ago I started the practice of clearly defining SMART goals and writing them down. Every morning I sit with my journal and write out my targets and review what I want to achieve. By doing this first thing every morning I find it very easy to get my daily tasks done. Since I know my targets and they are fresh in my mind I know exactly why I am doing each task on my list and the outcome I expect to achieve.
Each day you must take the time to review your goals and understand what it is you want to achieve. Keep these goals in your mind throughout the day and it will help to keep you focused. With the complete understanding of why you are doing what you have to do and the rewards you will find it easy to start getting things complete. You will be compelled to complete each and every task and you will approach them with great excitement. Try writing your goals daily in a journal before compiling your list of critical tasks. Then when writing your critical tasks indicate how they affect your goals. You will be amazed at how excited you will be to work on them.
Cheers to Success
Tony Booth
Friday, August 14, 2009
Focusing on Success
In the current world of instant information and constant interruptions we often find it hard to get things accomplished. If you are following the Focusing on Success program, you are writing down your daily action items and starting your day working on #1 and moving through the list. The problem comes when there are interruptions, phone calls, urgent emails, daily tasks, and all the plethora of distractions that fill your day and you lose your focus. How do you keep on track?
The best way to keep things on track is to focus on each task, one at a time and avoid all interruptions. I know, this is easier said than done. However, if you follow the process through, you will know when to allow interruptions and when to avoid them. The key is to understand how this interruption fits into the grand scheme of things and if you should allow it.
When you are working on an action item you should avoid checking email, answering phones, or allowing interruptions. As we all know, some things will be unavoidable but if you follow some simple steps these can all be managed. There are some great interruption management techniques in the book The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss. Below are some ways to manage some of the most common interruptions:
Email:
The best way to keep things on track is to focus on each task, one at a time and avoid all interruptions. I know, this is easier said than done. However, if you follow the process through, you will know when to allow interruptions and when to avoid them. The key is to understand how this interruption fits into the grand scheme of things and if you should allow it.
When you are working on an action item you should avoid checking email, answering phones, or allowing interruptions. As we all know, some things will be unavoidable but if you follow some simple steps these can all be managed. There are some great interruption management techniques in the book The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss. Below are some ways to manage some of the most common interruptions:
Email:
- Turn off new email notifications so you don't check constantly
- Set specific times to handle email, maybe twice a day; scan for important items more frequently (don't want the boss mad at you)
- If you get an important email decide what actions need to happen immediately and what can wait.
Phone Calls:
- My best advice - let the call go to voicemail
- When a call comes in that you must answer, keep it short
In-Person Interruptions
- If someone drops by unexpected, take a few seconds to explain you are busy and suggest a time for them to stop back
- Close the office door - I know it's not good with the "open door" policy but it's more effective - just set times for open doors
Media / News
- Unless your job requires it, avoid it
Daily Tasks
- Block out certain periods of time to complete your tasks
- Set the time based on completion of certain action items - after I complete this post, I will run to the cleaners to pick up my clothes
There are many ways to help deal with the constant interruptions that we are faced with and we will discuss many more in future posts.
The point to remember here is, once you have followed the processes in Focusing on Success, you will have a clear understanding of what interruptions you will let knock you off track. Obviously, there will be many interruptions that require your immediate attention. The secret is knowing which ones they are and which ones to let go. When you have your focused dialed in, these decisions will be second nature.
Oh, I almost forgot the most important lesson. DO NOT MULTI-TASK. PERIOD.
Cheers to Success!
Tony
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Manage Actions
Now we are in the daily planning portion of Focusing on Success. This is the area of the program that deals with your day to day actions. Each morning you wake up with a clean slate and you need to determine what actions you will take today. This is your to-do list. To achieve a high level of success you need to continually work at your goals making them a step closer every day.
The best process I have found to make the daily improvements is writing out my daily actions each morning. Every morning I sit down with my list of goals and intentions and write out my actions that I will take that day. I limit this to no more than 6 to 10 action items. These actions should fit into my intentions. For instance, if one of my intentions is to work on a marathon training routine, my action for the day might be to run 10 miles.
As you plan your actions remember that these action steps should not include things like get gas, pick up the kids after school. Those are daily tasks and are not associated with your success plan. For these items I keep a totally separate list of tasks that I need to accomplish.
If you have followed the process and completed the prerequisite portions, your action items will become second nature and easy to follow. Now that you have a clear set of goals and a reason why you will be able to set you daily action items with ease and have a strong commitment to get them accomplished. When following the processes through, your daily actions are set on autopilot. Now that you have your action items defined you can move into the meat of the program, Focusing. Once you set out to complete your action items, focus on each item one at a time. Provide your undivided attention to that action until it is complete. Once you complete the first one, move on to the next. In future posts, we will discuss just how to fine tune and control your focus. For now, get out there every day and work towards achieving your goals. Get that 1% improvement every day and you will be amazed at how successful you are.
Cheers to Success!
Tony
The best process I have found to make the daily improvements is writing out my daily actions each morning. Every morning I sit down with my list of goals and intentions and write out my actions that I will take that day. I limit this to no more than 6 to 10 action items. These actions should fit into my intentions. For instance, if one of my intentions is to work on a marathon training routine, my action for the day might be to run 10 miles.
As you plan your actions remember that these action steps should not include things like get gas, pick up the kids after school. Those are daily tasks and are not associated with your success plan. For these items I keep a totally separate list of tasks that I need to accomplish.
If you have followed the process and completed the prerequisite portions, your action items will become second nature and easy to follow. Now that you have a clear set of goals and a reason why you will be able to set you daily action items with ease and have a strong commitment to get them accomplished. When following the processes through, your daily actions are set on autopilot. Now that you have your action items defined you can move into the meat of the program, Focusing. Once you set out to complete your action items, focus on each item one at a time. Provide your undivided attention to that action until it is complete. Once you complete the first one, move on to the next. In future posts, we will discuss just how to fine tune and control your focus. For now, get out there every day and work towards achieving your goals. Get that 1% improvement every day and you will be amazed at how successful you are.
Cheers to Success!
Tony
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Set Intentions
Now that you have your goals set and you know why you want to achieve them it’s time to start figuring out how you are going to achieve them. This how will become your intentions and will be your guide to setting you actions. While setting you intentions you need to look at each goal and determine what it is you intend to do to bring about the realization of that goal. This is the “how” part of your goals.
If your goal is to run the New York marathon you will need to sit down and determine how you will prepare to achieve this goal. You intentions may be;
· I will start working on a marathon training routine
· I will eat healthy and take care of my body
· I will perfect my running techniques
· I will increase my strength and endurance levels
These intentions will now become the frame work for guiding your actions. As you develop your intentions, it helps to add action steps to help guide you in the future. In the example above under the marathon training routine you might add;
I will start working on a marathon training routine
- I will run 5 days per week
- 3 times per week I will increase my overall distance by 5%
- 2 times per week I will run at various paces to build my stamina
As you determine your actions each day you will review them against you intentions to avoid any conflicts. When you have defined you intentions you will take actions daily that fit within your intentions.
Take some time to review each of your goals and develop you list of intentions. Depending on the goal, this list could be one or two intentions or could be a long list of sequential intentions. These are like small mini goals that you will do on a regular basis. So today, set out your intentions and start to make you dreams a reality.
Cheers to Success!
Tony
PS: My examples of a marathon training routine have no foundation and are not intended to provide any guidance on running a marathon. I have a hard enough time running to the mailbox.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Focusing on Success
Focusing on Success is a process that anyone can use to gain more success in any part of their life. We all spend countless hours working on what we want out of life and trying to get where it is we want to go. Most of the time we feel like we are on a treadmill, working hard but getting nowhere. We use multiple techniques to help us get more things accomplished and have more free time only to find we are still on the treadmill. When does it all end? How can you get off the treadmill? It's easier then many believe. You don't have to be superhuman to accomplish great things. It just takes some focus management.
Focusing on success is about the process of focus management. By getting your focus zeroed in, you can eliminate wasted time and stress the overcomes your days. When you have your focus dialed in, you no longer need all those gadgets to help you plan your time and success efforts.
The process involves 6 simple yet complex steps. Many have heard the virtues of each of these steps before but very few practice them. You can bet, the uber-successful people we all read about practice these principles in some form or another. Ask Donald Trump or Sir Richard Bronson and you can be sure they have a defined plan and take action every day to accomplish that plan. That is really all we are talking about here.
Focusing on success breaks down into these 6 steps; Determine Values, Define Tragets, Develop the Why, Set Intentions, Manage Actions, and Focusing on Success. Each of these steps must be followed in order to get your mindset right for focusing on success. The steps build upon each other to get you in the proper frame of mind that allows you to work effortlessly in achieving all your life long desires.
Don't believe all those things you've heard in the past about how success is hard and riches are reserved for the few. Follow me through this journey to learn how you can change your focus and change your world. The possibilities are endless and results are easy.
Cheers to Success
Tony
Focusing on success is about the process of focus management. By getting your focus zeroed in, you can eliminate wasted time and stress the overcomes your days. When you have your focus dialed in, you no longer need all those gadgets to help you plan your time and success efforts.
The process involves 6 simple yet complex steps. Many have heard the virtues of each of these steps before but very few practice them. You can bet, the uber-successful people we all read about practice these principles in some form or another. Ask Donald Trump or Sir Richard Bronson and you can be sure they have a defined plan and take action every day to accomplish that plan. That is really all we are talking about here.
Focusing on success breaks down into these 6 steps; Determine Values, Define Tragets, Develop the Why, Set Intentions, Manage Actions, and Focusing on Success. Each of these steps must be followed in order to get your mindset right for focusing on success. The steps build upon each other to get you in the proper frame of mind that allows you to work effortlessly in achieving all your life long desires.
Don't believe all those things you've heard in the past about how success is hard and riches are reserved for the few. Follow me through this journey to learn how you can change your focus and change your world. The possibilities are endless and results are easy.
Cheers to Success
Tony
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
