6. Steps to self motivate and keep momentum

I must admit starting your personal development journey is not an easy plight, but just tell yourself you are climbing a hill and once you get over the slope things will get better.  The real enjoyment is your goal which is at the top of the hill.  Focus on what is at the top of your hill.

You have to really want to change and you’ll find that it can become easier to find the strength to keep pushing.  

First and foremost you must know what is at the top of the hill that you must have then write it down and commit to it.  You will find setting a target date makes it very exciting and encourages you to do something everyday.  I personally recommend this..... If you want it badly enough you must make it time bound!

How do you self motivate while you are climbing the hill?  Here are my top 6 strategies.

1.  Always stay positive.  Having a positive mind sets you up to have a positive attitude to face your challenges and weather the storm.

2. Never stop learning.  Try to read at least one hour a day, if you can’t do one hour then at least start off with trying with 1/2hr a day. As you get going you will find how easy it is to read for an hour a day.  If you drive to work you could listen to self development audios.  If you take the train like myself, make use of the opportunity aboard to read something while travelling. 

You will gain confidence and learn to trust in your ability and makes it easier for you to find opportunities that helps you to achieve your goal.

3. KISS - Keep It Sweet and Simple,  use tiny little reminders of what your goals are, maybe  little stickers at your work desk or your bedside table. Just something to remind you daily of your dreams and goals that you are working towards.  I use the little reminder function on my iPhone. So everyday at different times of day my little goals pop up on my phone screen.

4. Monitor your progress

You should set a side sometime for yourself to simple just see how you are doing.  There is no point doing something and not having any idea if you are making an head way or not.  This gives you a chance to assess where you are and evaluate whether any changes should be made to your current actions.  You may choose do this one a week or once per month but in my opinion this is something that is required.

5. Try to help others, in helping others you end up learning more than the person your help. In other words the more you teach, the more you learn.

6. Do something different sometimes.  In climbing your hill sometimes the zeal  you had at the start of the journey begins to wear off.  Take some time out,  go with friends, take a day off, or a week off.  This down time can give you the energy you need to continue climbing the hill.  Take a look at some marathon runners, you will find mid distance they stop to get water to refresh, splash a dash of water on their face, cool down then keep going.

Oh well, maybe its actually 7!

7.  Just don’t lose sight of the top of hill. Take your goal(s) seriously, whatever that is!

Writing Down Your Thoughts Will Make You a Better Thinker

So many things happen around us each day that it's nearly impossible for us to remember them all. Although, our thought process is quite complicated, still it can be fascinating enough. All we need to do is maintain a journal, and daily write down all the things that happened throughout the day. Once we make this our habit, we will find that our thought process has improved, and can remember all the details, which otherwise we would not have recalled under normal circumstances.

However, make sure to write down your thoughts in a casual manner, and do not analyze them too much. This way you will be able to write down your exact thoughts and will have the freedom to know how you feel about certain topics.

For instance, if you are writing about a special event which you want to remember for times to come, then make sure to pick up all the minor details of that event and write down whatever you remember about it. This will allow you to once again cherish all those moments with clear pictures in mind.

To improve your thought process, make it a habit of writing down something each day. Most of the individuals prefer to write at a day's end, which helps them to relax and settle down in the evening. On the other hand, there are those who love to write in the morning, which helps them get inspiration for that day. However, if you do not like the idea of writing down about the events, which take place on a daily basis, then you can make it a habit of writing about your dreams and later interpret them.

We all have certain goals in our life and we all want to accomplish them. By writing down such goals we get a step closer to achieving them. We become more focused towards our goals, as we have in writing that what we need to achieve and what we must work towards. However, keep in mind to place such information in a place that is in clear sight, so that you can go through it each day.

Set a fixed time to write it down each day. It really doesn't matter whether you write it for 20 minutes or 2 hours, but what really matters is to follow this routine on daily basis. You can write about other subjects too, and there's no need to worry about the grammar or sentence structure. Your focus should be towards making your mind work freely and write whatever is in your mind.

In fact, there is a therapy that helps people write down their thoughts. It allows them to clear their mind of other irrelevant thoughts and write down the info that is relevant to the subject matter. Besides, many individuals found such therapy quite helpful in relaxing them and reducing their stress. However, keep in mind that it's not necessary to completely rely upon such therapy. The whole process should be natural and you have to casually write whatever you remember. The more you make this a habit the better will it be for you to read them again and enjoy them.

Article Source: Writing Down Your Thoughts Will Make You a Better Thinker

What is the Path to Success?

Self Improvement – The Clear Path To Success

By Don Weyant/Founder SelfImprovementBrain.com

As the Self Improvement saying goes, "the wiser I become, the more I know how much more there is to know."

The tools I share worked for me. They are not the only way, but a way: a way that has guided me towards a level of internal peace and an unconditional love of self. This kind of love transcends judgement and blame. 

It doesn't mean goody-goody, nicey-nicey.

It does mean balanced sharing, acceptance of self and reality in all moments, service in a non-judgemental state, compassionate loving allowance. 

Important as the journey of unfolding the inner love through self-discovery and enlightenment is, it is as important to enjoy life, to be able to develop the ability to laugh at our antics, play with our children, to have balanced sharing, laughter, and a joyful outlook on life while having the time of our lives all along the way. In short 'lighten up'.

Do not get caught up in the process of attaining your dream where you forget to live life.

Smile, laugh, and play like a child in the mystery of the breath that supports life. If your focus remains in attainment, you will always be attaining. See your dream as a reality. A reality you are already living internally by allowing the adventure to empower self through the passion of living wholly your moment-to-moment experiences.

Unfold an expanded level of self-awareness by being aware of the reality you are creating.

Continue and build upon the knowing that all that is created is for purpose and good. The purpose is to learn what you are requiring to learn so you can project an expanded level of the internal love. Discover within the created situation what it is you desire to know.
Check yourself emotionally; are you holding onto any fear? 

If so, remember: fear creates losses.

If not, go beyond the quest, so you can see yourself as you desire to see yourself. Have faith that whatever is for your highest good will be given unto you. Then follow your heart, your first inclination of direction. 

Through your daily prayers and meditations, continue to ask for guidance, offer your concerns to a higher source, then go about your day in full faith that your highest good will unfold in perfect timing.

Realize that any form of doubt is created through the limiting aspect of the mind, drawing from past experiences, or future fears of what ifs. Limitations that in reality, have nothing to do with the moment now.

Create your dream through the knowing that your worth is not from anything external you place in your life, yet you are worth all things.

Employing a trust that crates a position of strength stability, abundance and the peaceful power that refined unconditional love (love in its purest form) always supports. 

Creating from fear, a sense for of one's perception of love, may be a motivation to act (i.e., if I don't do this, I won't eat). 

It is however, the ability to move through the fear that dis-empowers self, so you can expand your levels of self-realization, inner fulfilment, and abundance in all areas of life.

Article Source: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/self-improvement-the-clear-path-to-success

We all need a little help in life to inspire us and push us closer towards our goals

Whatever goals you have be it financial, spiritual, or personal; we all need a helping hand to inspire us and keep us on track.  Here is a a great article on why you should consider a life coach.

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Life Coaches help you with ways to Inspire Yourself for moving ahead in Life

Finding a life coach if you belong to the international black community is not that difficult nowadays. However, there are still things to think about before you hire someone to help you get through a phase of life or understand your spiritual being in great detail. There are concerns you need to understand and find solutions for. Your life isn't turning put the way you thought it would and you are seeking answers for your failure all over; however, if you aren't spiritually inspired, you may find it difficult to find solutions for problems that are giving you a really hard time. These are the situations when you are looking for ways to inspire yourself, but you aren't able to find any.

Life coaching can be the answer to all the questions hitting you hard all the time. The feeling of discontentment and the feeling of being lost in a world that has nothing for you are some situations that would require someone to be with you and help you let go of yourself.

As you look for a life coach, make sure you find someone from the African-American community, who will have the knowledge of problems that are specific to this community.

A lot of people confuse life coaching with counseling; however, the basis of both of these has a stark difference. Counseling helps people in dealing with their psychological and mental problems by carefully studying their history. On the other hand, life coaching is something that believes in creating newer opportunities and helping a person see life with a more positive frame of mind. When you start asking yourself - why is this happening to me, why has God put me in this miserable state and why did he even sent me on this earth; you seriously need a life coach to get you out of this hazardous situation. With time and proper coaching, you will develop a frame of mind that will help you finding a way out of these tough situations, and leading a life of happiness and fulfillment.

All you need to do is to conduct an introspection of your inner self, start taking responsibility for all your actions and to bring the drive back into your life to do better things. When you will be able to let yourself be and get your act together, it will be smooth sailing as usual for you.

Spiritual Life coaches empower you to tread a path that brings you happiness, health and wealth.

Article Source: Life Coaches help you with ways to Inspire Yourself for moving ahead in Life

How easy is it to think positively?

How To Start Think Positively?

Positive Thinking is the possibility thinking, which holds a magical power within it.

The first step of positive thinking process is to avoid negative thoughts. Initially, you may get difficulty to always think positively. It will take some time, one or two months. If negative thoughts come to enter into your mind, tell them" I am a positive thinker, I don't allow useless fellow like you". You can't stop negative thoughts, but you can control. You should have complete control of your mind.

If you are committed to your thoughts, you could see the power of the positive thinking. Once you start thinking positively, it will get accelerate, then you could concentrate more on your goal. Everything depends on our thinking, if we think that is possible, 100% possible. Always think like a winner and make winning a habit. Even under any circumstance, don't think negatively. Try to mingle with positive people and get some positive points from them.

Build up strong desire and determination to be positive and optimistic. Making yourself open to the new possibilities plays a vital role in thinking positively.      

Positive thinking is like a search engine, if you enter a right keyword, you will get results of accurate pages, likewise if you think positively, you will see dozens of new possibilities. Stop negative forces, remove negative thoughts and start thinking positively. Begin your day by seeing your face in the mirror with a pleasant smile and do the same before going to the bed.

Once you start thinking positively, don't look towards bad past incidents. Your attention should only be towards what you want to achieve. Read the biography of successful persons, that effectively inspires you, and fill up your mind with positive thoughts. Note down good things by the end of everyday.

You should have at least a single objective or goal, which helps you to adapt to the positive mindset rapidly. Objective means what is your quality or interest. Only having objective or goal is not enough in this case, you also need to work wholeheartedly and with dedication towards fulfilling reaching your goal. Always think "what I can do".

Meditate daily at least for 10 minutes (preferably in the early morning), during that period, think about your that day's works and also think "how I can do that works in the best possible manner". Try to be cool, calm and enthusiastic. Love and respect yourself, which is key to start thinking positively.

Article Source: How To Start Think Positively?

When things get tough financially - Stop|Assess|make a plan to transform

Sometimes we find ourselves in situation that will cause us to panic, the key thing to do if we find that we are in a place of difficulty is to pause for a moment, and assess the situation, think about what are the causes of this situation and how you can take yourself out of this situation.   In terms of financial hardship then you should be looking at whether you are spending too much and find ways to boost your income.  Ask yourself,  'How can I increase my income'? and think about possible opportunities around you.

Here is a great article with little strategies that can help you if you are struggling financially in a tough economy

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How to Improve your Personal Finances in Today's Struggling Economy

While the economy has rebounded considerably in many areas of the country since it crashed a few years ago, many people continue to struggle. Some of the most common reasons people struggle financially relates to high debt levels, low savings balances and insufficient budgeting efforts. If you are committed to the goal of improving your personal financial situation despite the struggling economy, you may be wondering what steps you can take to accomplish this goal. The good news is that improving your personal financesmay be easier to accomplish than you might think, but it will require regular effort on your part. 

Monitor Your Finances Daily
Many people have already created a budget, and if you have not already done so, now is a great time to complete this important step. However, many people who have a budget do not use it as the excellent resource that it can be. A budget can tell you how much money you have available to spend until the next pay period as well as how the rest of your funds are allotted. If you are like most people, you may spend money every day on groceries, gas, meals and more. In order to remain on track with your budget, it is important to get into a routine of monitoring your finances daily. Once your budget is established, it should only take a few minutes of time to review your financial standing so that you are aware of your status going forward.

Consolidate Debt
Debt is a common issue for many people, and this debt may be from credit cards, student loans, car loans and more. When you have too many payments to keep track of, it may be easy to overlook a payment. It can also make you feel stressed out when you are regularly bombarded by bills in your inbox or mailbox. A great idea is to consolidate some or all of your debts into a personal debt consolidation loan or a home equity loan. Take time to explore the options to find the best solution for you. You may be able to lower your interest charges, lower your monthly debt payments and pay the debt off more quickly in some cases. 

Take Advantage of Low Interest Rates
Even if you do not consolidate your debt, you may be able to lower your interest rate with some debts. Interest rates are very low currently, so refinancing your car loan, your student loans or even your home mortgage may benefit you. This can lower payments and may make it easier for you to lower your debt balances as well. 

Automate Your Savings
While it is important to focus on lowering your debt balances and making your debts easier to manage, it is also important to save money on a regular basis. If you are not currently in the habit of saving money, the best way to do this is to create an automatic transfer of funds from your checking account into a savings account on the day your paychecks are scheduled to be deposited. You can start small, and you can increase the amount of money that is transferred as your budget allows. Another variation on this is to use a share builder program to make regular stock purchases. This is a smart idea after you have a small nest egg accumulated in a rainy day fund.

Use Personal Checks That Are Best for You
Tracking your spending is also important, and many people will use personal checks to pay for different items over the course of a month. The best personal checks to use are those with carbon copies or that have stubs on the side that allow you to jot details for each check that you write. You can also make your finances fun by choosing a unique check design. 

Many people feel challenged by their current financial status, but keep in mind that improving your personal finances is something that is accomplished with baby steps. Every day presents an opportunity for you to pay off more debt and to increase your savings balances with the decisions you make. Tracking your progress on a monthly basis can help you to see the progress you are making and can help you to stay motivated to stay on track with your efforts.

Article Source: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/how-to-improve-your-personal-finances-in-todays-struggling-economy

Dream Blockers

Dream blockers, you have them, I have them, we all have them. These are the people in our lives that try to deter us from following our dreams. These people are normally compromised of our, family members, friends, relationship partners, co-workers, etc. Unlike any average hater, who is always hoping for your downfall and they don’t wish to see you succeed in any area of your life. The Dream Blockers manifest their “hate”(the reason I put quotations around hate is because the dream blocker is still hating on you, but it’s not in way that’s meant to demean you, but in a way they feel like they’re helping you) in a different way. I call this the “realest” way.

These are the people who are constantly telling you to be responsible; you don’t need to worry about that because you’re doing well over here. Here are the more common one’s I hear on a day to day basis, “Are you sure you want to go after that job you already have stability in this one.” Or “Why do you want to major in that? Are you even going to be able to find a job or even be able to make money doing that once you graduate?” You know just here recently I have been talking to a lot of people about getting the courage to follow their dreams, but the number one reason why they won’t commit is because the dream blocker(s) are holding them back. But there has to come a time in our life, where we ask ourselves am I a me pleaser or a people pleaser?

Now before I get all these comments talking about, “Bre I work in a customer service environment where I have to make people happy all the time, so what are you talking about?” I’m not talking about that. However, what I am talking about is not living your life as your own, but in a way other people control it. I’m going to let you know something guys, you only have ONE life to live, and when you look back 10, 20, 50 years from now. What will you see? Do you want to be known for taking the risk for following your dreams or do you want to be known for playing it safe because that dream blocker was always in your ear?

So, I’m going to close with this. Guys don’t live your life trying to keep someone else happy. You live your life in a way where you are concerned about keeping yourself happy. The life you have is nobody else’s but your own. Ultimately when it comes down to going after your dream, it’s going to be your responsibility to go after it regardless if anybody is in your corner supporting you or not. Of course it’s not going to be easy, but with a lot of hard work and determination anything is possible. And remember if nobody else believes in you I do. Also, always keep this in the back of your head, there is no such thing as tomorrow all you have is today. So, with that in mind let’s get to work on our dreams.

Article source: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/dream-blockers