Journalism World

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The Keys to Finding and Maintaining Motivation

By CB Michaels

The word "motivation" is one that was repeated over and over again while I was engaged in basic training for the military. Like the rigorous training we were going through, motivation is required for any task that is either mentally or physically demanding (or sometimes both.) It has long been known that motivation is one of the biggest keys to success on any level, yet many people find that they consistently struggle to motivate themselves no matter what they're doing. I believe motivation can be broken down into four simple ideas, and its important to understand each of these ideas in order to develop lasting motivation.

Believe in What You're Doing

Let's face it: when it comes to things like write a twelve page essay for school or cleaning out your garage, motivation can be pretty difficult to come by. It might be hard to "believe" in sitting still and writing for hours and hours, or spending hours emptying and sweeping and cleaning the garage. This is where most people fail -- when there's work to be done, they anticipate all they can think about is how long it'll take and how uncomfortable it'll be. Instead, you have to focus on the RESULT you want to achieve: passing the course, or a pristine and well-organized garage. If you can get behind whatever the outcome of your goal is, then the motivation will come.

Believe in the Path You're On

Second-guessing is one of the biggest motivation killers there is. People in general suffer from way too much thinking and over-analysis that interferes with simply taking action and learning as you go. You'll never account for every eventuality, so it's best to map out a preliminary plan of action and stick with. If things need to be changed, then you'll figure that out as you go. For now, it's more important to just get started.

Believe in Yourself

Self-doubt is a notorious killer of motivation. It ties in intimately with the point listed above, and thoughts like, "What if I'm wrong? What if it doesn't work? What if I can't do it?" The reality is that not only will these thoughts sap your motivation, they'll also make you MORE likely to fail if you do manage to get started. So instead, think positively. "I can do this. It'll work out. Everything's going great!"

Understanding Success

We all know about the subjectivity of success; it may mean something to one person and something completely different to another. Incidentally, it may also mean something to you before you begin a project and something else entirely once you reach the end. The most important thing is to remain flexible, and to view situations in terms of the positive. What has been gained? If it didn't turn out the way you wanted, what did you learn from the experience?

There's always a positive side, and constantly remaining on the lookout for it will help you benefit from everything you do and set you up for increased motivation in all your subsequent undertakings.

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Improve Your Motivation

By Christopher Ryan Webb

We all have times in our lives when we feel like we are in a slump and are completely stagnant in our growth. It seems like there is no way to move forward and we get stuck in doing the same thing day after day after day. If you feel like you have lost your motivation either in your career, school, or even in your relationships with those around you, than try out these suggestions to improve your motivation and achieve your goals.

-Discover your passion. Do you know what your passions are? Do you take the time to follow your passions or do you push them aside? Discover what you are passionate about and take time each day to follow your passions. Are you passionate about your job? Switching to a job that you are passionate about can greatly improve your motivation in your career.

-Set and achieve personal goals. Take some time to sit down and write down what you want to accomplish in the next five or ten years of your life. Then decide which steps you need to take to achieve those goals. Be realistic, but also push yourself. Identify what obstacles are keeping you from reaching your goals and set a plan for overcoming those obstacles.

-Step out of your comfort zone. One of the greatest obstacles you can overcome is stepping out of your comfort zone and realizing that you can reach your true potential. Be willing to take that risk and you will find an inner strength inside of you that you didn't even know you had. As you take the step out of your comfort zone and see yourself growing, you will have increased motivation to keep on moving forward towards becoming your best self.

Motivation is what drives you to achieve your goals and find joy and success in your life. If you are stuck or a bit too comfortable with where you are right now do one of the suggestions above. Your motivation will increase and you will have greater self-worth and a stronger determination to achieve your goals and dreams. If you feel like you cannot do it alone, there are amazing life coaches out there that can help you find the inner strength to become your best in every aspect of your life.

How to Change Your Life With the Right Mindset

By Bebhinn O'Loingsigh

If you want to change your life, whether it's your job, your relationship, where you live or how you live, it's important to look inwards first. Sometimes it's the attitude we have towards change that is our main obstacle.

Here are some tips to help with the mindshift:

What is your Motivation for Change?

It's very important to be clear about what your motivation is for change. Are you just responding to what goes on around you, or are you truly centred and in touch with what you want?

Shift your focus towards what you DO want, not what you don't

As the saying goes, 'what you focus on expands', so don't focus on what you don't want, focus on what you do. What this does is keep you positive, focused on goals, and not in a position where you are just 'running away' from a situation you don't like. Change is much more likely to be sustained if you work this way.

Do you feel the need to Defend your Decisions?

If you have made the decision to make some changes in your life, but feel defensive about your choices, this is an alarm bell that something is not aligned. If you truly make decisions based on what you honestly feel is best for you, you won't feel the need to defend them. It will feel quite comfortable. So if you do feel defensive, ask yourself, why am I really doing this? Perhaps your motivation isn't right, or perhaps you are in a reactive state? Stop and think it over.

Good luck with your journey. Whilst it's always exciting to make big life changes, sometimes it can be hard too. If you feel like you need some help, a life coach could assist you to ensure that you are making the right choices for you.

Bebhinn O'Loingsigh is a Life Coach at Hightail Coaching Solutions. She works with professionals who feel unfulfilled, stuck in a rut, or burnt out and want to make some big life changes.

Whether you want to take a career break to get a fresh perspective, change your career, start your own business or completely overhaul your life, Bebhinn can coach you through the process and out the other side.

Two Sides to Every Coin Translates Into Choice for Your Life

By Tambre Leighn

No matter what the details of a situation you are facing, it comes down to seeing that there are two sides to every coin. Looking at things from this viewpoint recently has allowed me to get very clear in... very short order. It reminds me I have a choice and that there is always another side to consider. In the end, I get to choose which view to take ~ and my goal is to choose the one that empowers me, educates me or inspires me.

We can look at rituals as an example. When you consciously choose an action as a way that helps you relax, reconnect, refresh and ground yourself it is a ritual. This is an anabolic, creative approach. If a ritual becomes an unconscious habit, you've gone into a destructive way of coping. A red flag that a ritual has become a habit is the difference between actively choosing it or experiencing it a HAVE to do or HAVE to have. One side of the coin is an event or action you create to help you center, relax or reconnect. The other side of the coin is when ritual becomes an unconscious habit. Something that is a 'have to' is an experience that will drain your energy.

You can either be "pounding the pavement" or "tripping the light, fantastic." The weather can be cloudy with some sun or sunny with a few clouds. There is no question on some days it takes more energy to choose the up side. And it's not about being pollyana. It is just the matter of choosing your response. Let's be real and recognize some situations like a chronic illness diagnosis, the loss of a job and other major life changing moments have times and days that are simply and honestly tough.

In those cases, there is still the option to succumb or choose to find a way to overcome it. Keeping your core values and your goals front and center can help you inspire yourself to deal with the tough stuff. Asking for support or help is another tool that can fuel you to make the most out of whatever you are facing.

So the next time a situation threatens to take you off course or deplete your energy, remember the visual of the two sided coin and ask yourself how you can choose the side that will serve you most.

What Can a Life Coach Do For You?

By Karin E. Fried

There are so many things that we juggle every day. Work, family, kids, friends, school, extracurricular activities.... How do we manage to fit it all in? How do we manage to keep it all together?

How do we manage not to get lost in our lives?

Everyone is so busy today and we are all being pulled in so many directions. How do we know if what we are doing is right or wrong?

Sometimes we doubt ourselves. And our life choices.

So how do we get back on track?

One way is to use a "life coach." Why not? You have a coach for other things in your life.. like your workouts / health, business consultants, career coaches. Why not have a "life coach" that can help with balancing "all" the areas of your life. Balance between work and family. Balance between what you are doing with your life and what you "want" to do.

A life coach will help you figure out your priorities. They can help you figure out what's stopping you from achieving your goals. They can help you figure out what you want to achieve and how to achieve it.

If your life is in transition they can help you find your direction in life. What's important in your life. They can help you with a "plan."

Most people know what they want their life to be like. They just need someone to push them in the right direction. Coaching is a partnership. A life coach will ask you "where you are now", "where do you want to be" and "what's stopping you".

They point you in the right direction. They help you find it inside of yourself.

Life coaching can cover many aspects of your life. From stress management, career planning, business coaching, family and life balance, time management and so much more.

A life coach looks at things from a different perspective than you do. They are an outsider who can see things that you can't. They help you get and stay on track.

But before you can utilize a life coach you must be ready to change. You must be ready to achieve your goals. To find your direction in life. To listen.

Once you have made up your mind that you want a better life, happier life or more balanced life you will be open to the guidance that a "life coach" can give you.

Life Coaching As the Pathway to Change

By Tambre Leighn

Two things changed my life forever...salsa dancing and coaching.

As a lifelong athlete, I began working with coaches at a very young age. In my early 30's, I had my first experience with coaching outside of sports when I hired a career coach. My goal was to break into the executive ranks at the film studios in Hollywood. I was doing a great job at getting interviews on cold calls but I was not getting the job offers. After only three sessions with my career coach, I got the offer at the first interview I did. It would take the loss of my husband and the destruction of my life as I knew it before I would find my way back to working with a coach again.

I have finally created a life I love again and I know from my own experience that coaching works. Take a moment and think of one thing you are currently struggling with. How would your life be different if this struggle was resolved? How much more energy might you have for other parts of your life? Imagine the possibilities!

The first step is to assess what's working and what isn't. Make a list of the key areas in your life and rate your level of satisfaction on a scale of one to ten with ten being the most satisfied. This gives you a quick photo snapshot of where you may first want to choose to do some work.

The next step is to envision how you want that aspect of your life to look three months from now. From there, break it down into steps. To achieve that goal three months from now, what must you have accomplished two months from now? One month? Two weeks? This week? Backing into your plan for now is the most effective way to create a plan for real change.

Change takes time and effort. Sometimes it takes getting support from others. In the film, Pay It Forward, Haley Joel Osmond's character says,

I guess it's hard for people who are so used to things they way are - even if they're bad - to change. 'Cause they kind of give up. And when they do, everybody kind of loses.

Find a coaching buddy you can work with or consider investing in yourself and your future and hire a coach. Having support will help you to move past any fears or blocks around change ~ no giving up ~ no one loses.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Leadership Success - Building Your Support Team

By Duncan Brodie

As a leader, you want to achieve success. After all, when you are successful new opportunities arise and new challenges come your way.

Being successful as a leader takes much more than being just a lone ranger. To achieve the results you want, you need to build your support team. These are the people who work alongside you to deliver extraordinary results.

So how can you build a support team that helps you deliver great results?

Get clear about your role

This was not what you expected to find at the top of the list. Yet in truth being crystal clear about your role facilitates so many decisions. Decisions about what you do, don't do, where you invest your time and energies to name just a few.

Know what's needed

The chances are you have some sort of vision about what you want to achieve. You probably have a set of goals and strategies to achieve the vision. I wonder however if you have identified the whole range of skills and attributes that will be needed to deliver the vision? Getting clear on this will help to identify where you have strengths and where you have gaps.

Think about others' needs

Good leaders are not just interested in themselves; they go out of their way to help others to succeed. Make a point of finding out about others' aspirations and then think about how you can help them achieve these. The time and effort that you invest will come back in spade loads because you will have shown others that you care.

Who Says I Need a Makeover?

By Glenn Petry

How to begin to reveal one's inner struggle without totally turning off readers before some of them can perhaps see themselves mirrored in some aspects of my story... with the result, perhaps, that they and I can collaborate to help each other find the best suited path (of probably many) out of the darkness. Joseph Conrad wrote a memorable novel entitled "The Heart of Darkness, " which I read when I was in high school. It affected me deeply then, and then many years later when Apocalypse Now appeared as a searing movie about the Viet Nam War, using the same basic theme of human hubris as appeared in The Heart of Darkness, I knew that this theme resonated with something very disturbing in myself.

To convolute my story even more, in addition to the pitfalls of human hubris, I was cursed with an almost non existent level of self acceptance and acceptance of what I perceived as the negative aspects of "reality,".......whatever reality is. This nearly lethal (on several occasions almost literally lethal) combination left me one lost soul in a very confusing universe.

I came to view the world as a very dangerous and negative place, almost totally disregarding the beautiful and majestic aspects of the very same world. I could not or would not accept the idea that the world of existence is really two sides of the same coin...........there are negative and pessimistic aspects AND there are positive and optimistic aspects. This flaw in my perception of reality has caused me and, unfortunately, many around me a tremendous amount of unnecessary suffering.

I don't feel comfortable with all aspects of Buddhist philosophy. But what does resonate with me are the basic concepts of annata ( the fact of constant change in every aspect of life), the root causes of dukkha (the discontent or to use a Western phrase, "existential angst" of human life) being the desperate grasping after pleasant aspects of life, ignoring much of the "mundane" aspects of life, and the active, desperate aversion and avoidance of the painful and disappointing aspects of life.

Acceptance, another concept, which has puzzled and perplexed me seems to be a huge piece of the puzzle for improving my life. It has taken me a lifetime to begin to understand what acceptance is and what it is not.

I have NOT figured it all out yet, nor will I ever. But, what I have learned over a lifetime of trying to understand what ultimately can never be totally understood are that there are several essential pieces of the puzzle of life for me (and probably at least some others) to live a reasonably happy, productive life. A brief but eloquent statement of some of these essential pieces is in the so called Serenity Prayer: "Grant me acceptance of the things I can't change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

And I must add that in applying these admonitions from the Serenity Prayer, I believe that a pragmatic optimism must replace the pessimism, cynicism, and sarcasm of my former modus operandi. I believe a new Phoenix can indeed rise from these old ashes.

The Power of Being Open

By Victoria Verrall

Being open can open up a lot of channels we had not anticipated to come in our lives. Closed people are always set in their own ways that daily opportunities will pass them by. When you are open, you open the doors of analysing opportunities that suite your goals, values and abilities at the time of they are coming. Remember an opportunity comes by every day and only those open enough will see it. Do you ever wonder why some people see the deals every day and others see non in decades. Well it is the power of openness that guides their instincts.

So how can we learn to be open?

Know that we are all different. One mans meat is another's poison; therefore do not expect every one to agree to what you view as a deal. Know your goals in and out and set out to achieve them using specific strategies that have been tested before. That way you will not try to force your idea of right or wrong to others. Our uniqueness is an empowerment we should enhance as that gives us excellence in different abilities.

Be willing to learn new ways of doing things.

There is a wealth of knowledge out there but you will have to be willing to search for it and do the work. I have always been a knowledge seeker but not a work doer. Take an example of the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill; it calls for a lot of involvement from the reader including affirmations and goal targets. The first time I read it was not productive as I just it through like a novel. It is not a novel but a manual, until you use it like one. You will not gain from it. Being open to instruction will enable you to learn and take one of the quickest routes to personal growth and development.

The Way It Is, Is The Way We All Make It

By Joshua Clayton

In life, volitional purpose is the power. The only freedom we have as conscious sentient beings, if anything else is not available to us is our thoughts and what we all choose to make of them. Unconscious life does not have that freedom, despite some people screaming that unconscious beings can build societies and have the same rights as conscious beings. For the way it is, is the way we all make it consciously. Nothing else matters.

Sure, I will admit that I do sound extreme. But I am only being overtly logical for this reason. Because at the deepest and shallowest levels, reality works this way. It works on more than confidence, and people respect results more than they respect intentions. That is just the reality of the situation.

I know that this way of thinking seems limited to some, but, you have to go from the limited to the unlimited in a growth oriented way to get anywhere in life and existence. We all start out at zero and we can go up, down or anywhere we want or need to go. Sure, that sounds limited. But the journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step, even if you are getting on a plane or ship. Likewise with reality. For, indeed, the fantasy is that we are "there" and can grow "sideways without effort." It does not work that way, even for those who have it "easy," especially for those who have it "easy." Conscious nature is made to work best in the midst of the use of growth potential or the fulfillment of effort and reality. Well, ease makes laziness in that sense then, does it not? Yes, I definitely think so. Some of the greatest accomplishments of the conscious mind comes when things are hard and made easier. For the way it is, is the way we all make it.

Sure, this sounds like "cracker barrel" philosophy and physics to some, but this eminently shows nothing other than reality as it is and as it really works and nothing more. Reality is what I live by in a cold way without let up of any sort, sure I feel the feelings everyone else has. But I do not let them stop me from doing what I genuinely need to do. The way I like it is the way it is for me, and I'll always work on it, through it and at it. As for being master of fate and captain of soul, that must be earned, even for those it is "given to," it is not given. It must be worked for and worked, or it is worth nothing, no matter if you are born rich or whatever. We all have the same challenges to develop no matter what. That is my point and the way it is, is the way we all make it.