self help

Accelerated Goal Achievement

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I throughly enjoyed reading this book.  It is full of useful information on how to change your life by setting and achieving goals.

Here are a few quotes from the book:

  • A goal is the clear vision in your mind of a target you aim to hit by a specified date.
  • Goal setting is the process of defining and working towards achieving goals.  It is a powerful skill which, once learnt, is the path to success.
  • You set goals to achieve the things you want in life.
  • Goal achievement is the step-by-step realization of your specific goal — the actual process.
  • Vision is about the future, and mission is about what we will do to achieve the vision.
  • You can’t just set a goal and expect it to be delivered.  To make it happen, you need a strategy that is consistent with your mission and values.  Your strategy tells how you are going to get things done.  In a nutshell, your strategy is like a compass showing you, directionally where to go.
  • The plan will describe the way you will apply the strategies to achieve the objectives, which in turn support the overall mission (or primary goal).
  • A burning desire is the first ingredient of success.  Your desire for what you want to achieve must be so strong that it dominates your thinking, making it difficult to concentrate on anything else.
  • Achieving your goal has little to do with your ability or intellect.  It has to do with heartfelt desire.
  • The five keys to successful goal achievement still apply:
    • 1.  Define your goal in writing
    • 2.  Play your work
    • 3.  Get started — take massive action
    • 4.  Track your progress
    • 5.  Reward success
  • Written goals put direction into your life and empower you to face the future in a determined way.
  • SMART goals are:
    • Specific – the goal must clearly describe the desired outcome.
    • Measurable – the goal should consist of specific criteria for measuring progress toward its successful completion
    • Attainable – the goal should be challenging, but achievable
    • Relevant – the goal must be something you really want
    • Time Bound – the goal must have a time frame or deadline
  • If you are constantly pushing ahead and never taking the time to celebrate your accomplishments, you will most likely suffer burn out.

Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer

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Joyce Meyer wrote, “Battlefield of the Mind” to teach how changing our thinking habits can change our life.  Thoughts lead to actions.

If we have negative thoughts we will have a negative life.  However, if we have positive thoughts we will have a positive life.

We should pay attention to our thoughts and think about what we are thinking.  We should also spend time discovering the root cause of our negative thoughts.

Sings of a negative or out of control mind:

  • Your mind is always busy
  • Your mind is always wandering
  • You mind is frequently confused
  • Your mind is full of doubts
  • Your mind is anxious or worried
  • Your mind is full of judgmental or critical thoughts

Strategies to improve thinking patterns and control the mind:

  • Think positive thoughts
  • Spend time praising God
  • Ask for help
  • Meditate on God’s word
  • Encourage those around you
  • Be thankful
  • Do things for others to show your appreciation

There are a few theological points in the book that I don’t agree with; however, the book is excellent.  I would recommend this book, even if you don’t like some of the things Joyce Meyer teaches.

Who Controls You?

Who controls you?  Do you have an internal or an external locus of control?

Those who believe outside forces completely determine what will happen to them, have an external locus of control.  They view obstacles as insurmountable and believe they are unable to change their life circumstances.

Those who believe they can impact their life through their own actions, have an internal locus of control.  They are not immune to unfortunate  events, trauma, or other obstacles.  However, they focus on finding solutions to their problems.

It is important to notice, bad things happen to people in both groups.  The difference is in how they view negative events and in how they deal with the problems created by those events.

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Are You Lucky?

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Are you lucky?  How you define and view luck, has a huge impact on how lucky you feel.

  • Shallow men believe in luck.  Strong men believe in cause and effect.  (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
  • Diligence is the mother of good luck.  (Benjamin Franklin)
  • I say luck is when an opportunity comes along and you’re prepared for it.  (Denzel Washington)
  • The best luck of all is the luck you make for yourself.  (Douglas MacArthur)

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Make a Friend Day

It’s Make a Friend Day, so I decided to post a few tips on how to make friends.

  • Be willing to help others, even if it’s not convenient for you.  One day you will need help and it will be an inconvenience to other people.
  • Be willing to forgive and remember nobody is perfect.  One day you will need people to forgive you.
  • Celebrate the successes of other people and resist jealousy.
  • Comfort people in times of failure or need, without gloating or belittling them.
  • Be a trustworthy person.

Basically, be the friend you want your friend to be.

Cute dog friendship photos to celebrate Make a Friend Day

Ben is the large white dog.  He is a Great Pyrenees and weighs over 100 pounds.  Buddy is the black dog.  He is a Beagle/Rottweiler mix and weighs just under 50 pounds.  Both dogs are two years old and, as you can see from the pictures, they are best friends.

I’m Sorry – A Hard Thing to Say

Apologizing is not always easy.  You have to be willing to admit to doing wrong, to being ignorant, or to hurting someone.  It takes strength and personal courage to apologize.

When delivering an apology be real and be willing to admit you were wrong.  We all make mistakes.  How you handle those mistakes is a demonstration of your personal character.

 

 

Disabled and Strong

Living with a disability can break you and leave you feeling weak.  However, it can also make you stronger.  It depends on how you react to the disability.

  • If you face challenges caused by your disability with a positive attitude and determination, you will get stronger.
  • If you learn to overcome obstacles, instead of quitting, you will get stronger.
  • If you develop resourcefulness and use that to succeed in your daily life, you will get stronger.

If you have a disability, don’t let it destroy you.  Instead use it to make yourself stronger.