Thursday, December 20, 2012
Friday, September 10, 2010
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Motivation
Where does motivation come from? We all have multiple things that motivate us from friends and family to our children. Our motivating factors take all shapes and forms. But where does the motivation really come from? It comes from within yourself.
Think about it. How can seeing a suffering children motivate you to help them? There isn't some magnetic attraction caused by these children that motivates you or makes you move. The initiation of all movement comes from within you. This is a key factor to understand. As you go through life and work towards your accomplishments, the only person that can really push you along is you. I can hear people saying, "but my boss motivates me, if I don't perform I'll get fired." Well the truth is, all your boss does is push certain buttons that bring thoughts into your mind. In this case the thought of your boss firing you makes you perform but really the thought of the pain of losing the job is really what motivates you. If you didn't need the job, what would be you motivator?
Understanding this key concept is very important in your success. You also need to understand that the inner motivation is shaped by your values, beliefs, wants and goals. If you look closely at your values and the things that motivate you, you will see a direct correlation between the two. You will find that you are easily motivated to do things that align with your top values. You will also find that the opposite is true as well, you will be less motivated to do things that don't align with your values.
So next time you are having a hard time getting motivated to do something, review your values and the task at hand. Associate one of your core values with the completion of the task. If it doesn't fit any of your values then determine if it is something you really need to do. If it is something you can't avoid then create a different road map that will associate the task to one of your core values. Re-define the task into something that fits into your values. For instance, say you need to finish a financial report for your boss by the end of the day and you can't get motivated because you really don't like financials and the work is boring. Stop looking at the report as an exercise in financials find a different way to look at the work that fits you. Maybe one of your core values is knowledge, so look at the report as an opportunity to showcase your breadth of knowledge to your boss. I know this sounds a little fru-fru, but it works. You have to learn how to make the changes in yourself to motivate yourself.
All motivation comes from you and the more you master your motivation the more you will succeed.
Cheers to Success!
Tony Booth
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Keeping Values Fresh
As you go through life it's very easy to get caught up in the rat-race and lose track of things. To stay on course you need to keep your values fresh and constantly in your mind. This is a key factor in the Focusing on Success program. The best way to keep your values fresh in your mind is to review them regularly and keep them posted where you can see them.
Having a clear understanding of your values helps you make clear and decisive decisions. When you are faced with an important decision you can reflect on your values to help you make the right choice. We all make mistakes and bad decisions but the biggest mistake is not making a decision or making a decision that you regret later. If all your decisions are in line with your values then there is no reason for regret. Sure, it might still be the wrong decision but you will maintain your integrity with your values.
If your boss walks into your office at 5:00 pm and tells you that he needs your report by 8:00 am (a day earlier then planned) and that same night is your daughter's school play you now have an important decision to make. Do you skip the play and work late to meet your bosses new deadline or do you tell you boss you have somewhere to be tonight and you will not be able to complete the report in time. There is no easy answer here, but there are consequences. If you tell your boss you can meet the deadline that might hurt your chances of promotion or even get you fired but on the other hand if you miss your daughter's play, she will be heart broken. Both decisions are wrong with someone but only one decision is right for you. You need to make a value based decision so that you can be sure you make the right decision for you. If I was faced with this problem, the decision would be easy. In my key values, my family ranks higher than my success. I would tell my boss I cannot complete the report on time because of a family commitment. This may not sit well with him but I would never second guess my decision. It is the right decision for me.
So remember, review your values regularly and make decisions that fit you. We are not living our lives for other people, we live them for ourselves.
Cheers to Success!
Tony Booth
Monday, September 28, 2009
Multi-Tasking
Are you a multi-tasker? Are you constantly doing 3 or 4 things at a time? If you are, stop wasting time.
We all have had our times when we would answer yes to all the questions above. If you still do then you need to review your actions and get control of your focus. It's a known fact that our brains function better when focusing on one task at a time. I can hear all the multi-taskers saying "oh no, I am better when I multi-task." Well you might be capable and successful at multi-tasking but you are not as efficient. Try this little test for yourself and see how you do. Take out a sheet of paper and at the top write column 1 and column 2. Get a stop watch to time this exercise. Now fill in column 1 with the letters 1 to 26 and column 2 with a through z. The first time you will write a number in column 1 and the corresponding letter in column 2 (1 - a, 2 - b, etc.). Write down the time it took you to complete this. Now the second time you will complete each column separately starting with column 1 then column 2 (1,2,3....a,b,c). Write down the time for this part. Now compare the two times. You will have completed the second exercise much quicker. This is just a part of how the mind works and is why you should avoid multi-tasking as much as possible.
In the Focusing on Success program we work on learning how to put all of our focus into the task at hand. When you start working on your Critical Tasks you need to block out all interruptions and focus only on the action item. Once you complete an action item you can take care of all the emails and phone calls that need to be answered. Then move on to the second task and do the same thing. Once you get the habit of doing this you will see how much easier it is to get those action items complete.
Cheers to Success!
Tony Booth
We all have had our times when we would answer yes to all the questions above. If you still do then you need to review your actions and get control of your focus. It's a known fact that our brains function better when focusing on one task at a time. I can hear all the multi-taskers saying "oh no, I am better when I multi-task." Well you might be capable and successful at multi-tasking but you are not as efficient. Try this little test for yourself and see how you do. Take out a sheet of paper and at the top write column 1 and column 2. Get a stop watch to time this exercise. Now fill in column 1 with the letters 1 to 26 and column 2 with a through z. The first time you will write a number in column 1 and the corresponding letter in column 2 (1 - a, 2 - b, etc.). Write down the time it took you to complete this. Now the second time you will complete each column separately starting with column 1 then column 2 (1,2,3....a,b,c). Write down the time for this part. Now compare the two times. You will have completed the second exercise much quicker. This is just a part of how the mind works and is why you should avoid multi-tasking as much as possible.
In the Focusing on Success program we work on learning how to put all of our focus into the task at hand. When you start working on your Critical Tasks you need to block out all interruptions and focus only on the action item. Once you complete an action item you can take care of all the emails and phone calls that need to be answered. Then move on to the second task and do the same thing. Once you get the habit of doing this you will see how much easier it is to get those action items complete.
Cheers to Success!
Tony Booth
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Keeping the Faith
We all have to learn to deal with setbacks. They are part of the process of achieving success. Without setbacks and failures you never really grow and to be truly successful we must constantly grow and expand.
So how do you handle the times when it seems like nothing is working right and you get the feeling you are heading down the wrong path. The best way to handle these times is to go back and review the work you did in the beginning.
Look back at your values, goals and mission. Remember why you want the successes that you want. Renew the spirit within you to go after the success you want. We all have an inner genius that is waiting to shine, just let it lose.
Take some time and review your plans and write down some new reasons why. It can be just re-wording the why you already have. This exercise will help you reinforce the reasons in your mind and renew your energy. The struggles you are facing are just there to make you stronger and better prepared for your success.
The best wines are produced from distressed grapes. Wine producers have learned over the years that they can produce the best wines from grapes that have been stressed and taken almost to the point of wilting on the vines. They regulate the water supply to their grapes to cause the grapes to endure the stress of the dry climate and force them undergo enormous amounts of stress on the vine so they can produce their best wines.
We are just like the grapes and the universe is applying the stress to us so we can produce a better product. We must undergo these challenges so we can reinforce what it is we want and why. So keep your chin up and keep working on the constant improvement that make us all successful.
Cheers to Success!
Tony Booth
So how do you handle the times when it seems like nothing is working right and you get the feeling you are heading down the wrong path. The best way to handle these times is to go back and review the work you did in the beginning.
Look back at your values, goals and mission. Remember why you want the successes that you want. Renew the spirit within you to go after the success you want. We all have an inner genius that is waiting to shine, just let it lose.
Take some time and review your plans and write down some new reasons why. It can be just re-wording the why you already have. This exercise will help you reinforce the reasons in your mind and renew your energy. The struggles you are facing are just there to make you stronger and better prepared for your success.
The best wines are produced from distressed grapes. Wine producers have learned over the years that they can produce the best wines from grapes that have been stressed and taken almost to the point of wilting on the vines. They regulate the water supply to their grapes to cause the grapes to endure the stress of the dry climate and force them undergo enormous amounts of stress on the vine so they can produce their best wines.
We are just like the grapes and the universe is applying the stress to us so we can produce a better product. We must undergo these challenges so we can reinforce what it is we want and why. So keep your chin up and keep working on the constant improvement that make us all successful.
Cheers to Success!
Tony Booth
Friday, September 18, 2009
Goals Take Time
In the Focusing on Success program, our goals play an important role in our success. We have written goals, a mission statement, and all the intentions of making those goals a reality. Now if you are like many people, you get all these things together and start working on them. You work at it diligently for weeks, months, even years and nothing seems to be happening. You start wondering why is this not working? Am I wasting my time?
While these thoughts are common, you have to learn to disregard them. If you are constantly wondering why you have not met your goals, you will receive just that, not meeting your goals. You have to keep in mind that the universe takes time and getting to a high level of success takes time. This doesn't mean it won't happen or you have the wrong goals, it just means you are not ready yet. Many times the universe is giving you the experiences you need to be able to handle the success you dream of. Realize this and you will understand why it takes time.
Take for example the many professional athletes that get out of school and jump into a career earning millions of dollars at an early age. We all know athletes can't perform at the professional level for a very long time, maybe 5 to 10 years. These instant millionaires have a level of success and riches that many dream about. But where are they 15 years later? Well, an alarming amount of them are flat broke with no plans for their future. Why? When they became so successful at a young age, they were not ready to handle the success and once they could no longer compete in their profession they reverted right back to the level of success they had without their sport.
Don't let this happen to you. Be patient, be consistent. Remember the constant incremental improvements. Build your success for the long term.
Cheers to Success!
Tony Booth
While these thoughts are common, you have to learn to disregard them. If you are constantly wondering why you have not met your goals, you will receive just that, not meeting your goals. You have to keep in mind that the universe takes time and getting to a high level of success takes time. This doesn't mean it won't happen or you have the wrong goals, it just means you are not ready yet. Many times the universe is giving you the experiences you need to be able to handle the success you dream of. Realize this and you will understand why it takes time.
Take for example the many professional athletes that get out of school and jump into a career earning millions of dollars at an early age. We all know athletes can't perform at the professional level for a very long time, maybe 5 to 10 years. These instant millionaires have a level of success and riches that many dream about. But where are they 15 years later? Well, an alarming amount of them are flat broke with no plans for their future. Why? When they became so successful at a young age, they were not ready to handle the success and once they could no longer compete in their profession they reverted right back to the level of success they had without their sport.
Don't let this happen to you. Be patient, be consistent. Remember the constant incremental improvements. Build your success for the long term.
Cheers to Success!
Tony Booth
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