Musings by John Weir

This B-Alert system is a really helpful guide to your day. Give it a try.

B- is for Blueprint. Plan for the day. Either the night before or in the morning. The night before is more helpful as it is proven that your subconscious aids you to systematically work through your next day’s plan in your sleep. It’s really quick just do it for 10-15 minutes. Your plan should focus on your most important achievements, appointments, purpose and objectives as well as those daily things you need to get done. This really helps me because as I tick each one off I feel a bit accomplished and spurs me on to get the rest of my tasks done and it makes you feel like you are the one in control from the start.
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A- is for Action. The amount of action you put into your day will determine your score. Well-planned action! Luke: All right, I’ll give it a try. Yoda: No. Try not. Do… or do not. There is no try.

L- is for Learning. A well-planned day is taking time to expand your knowledge. Be curious. Develop the habit of reading something stimulating/ challenging or gives you the edge. It gives you that extra boost of positive energy. Watch documentaries, biographies or learning channels. Also learn from your everyday experiences. How did you overcome your last challenge? Learn from others. What do successful people do? Use other people’s experiences. Keep your eyes and ears open, ask questions. Don’t lose that curiosity about the world and ourselves we seem to be so passionate about when we’re young. Why is it assumed that we have learnt everything we need to when we leave school? We can constantly improve and develop.

E- is for Exercise. Even if it is just fitting in some Wii Fit in your every day or using the stairs instead of the lift or doing some sit ups on your bedroom floor. Exercise improves sleep, increases energy, relieves stress and anxiety, protects against injury, promotes good posture, aids digestion, enhances your self-image and makes you live longer! Eat well and don’t neglect that poor body of yours that is constantly working so hard to keep you going and never stops.

R- is for Relaxing. Relax! Make sure you fit some you time in your day, plan for it. Don’t feel bad about it. When you are well-rested and relaxed you are more productive, more creative,better focused and your energy is boosted. Even take a nap.

T- is for Thinking. Before you go to sleep, close your eyes and take a few snapshots of your day. How did you do? What did you do well? Are there any adjustments you could have made? Focus daily on the progress you have made. Be alert to shortcomings but don’t beat yourself up!! Find some things to be grateful for, I try to at least think of 10 and suddenly I remember so many more things to be thankful for and it really does make you feel good before you go to sleep and makes you realize how many good things happened in the day! Even if its just the fact you just got home safe, you had a nice meal, your family is well etc..

Write (Below) in your daily diary and just tick each off when you have done each. This really helps me and makes me that much more productive and balanced. Hope this helps.

B
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A
L
E
R
T

Thanks to Jack Canfield for the B-Alert concept.

I often use Mind Mapping to create goals for each area I use to categorize them. I write the goals and then decide on the time span for each one. I may wish to achieve some in less than 90 days, others may be longer term goals. I usually have more than 21 goals at this point so I pick the three most important from each category and these become my 90 day goals. I keep a note of the other goals, and these will usually become integrated into my weekly goal setting session.

If you want to know why I use mind mapping to help me create and achieve goals I will direct you to Chuck Frey who can explain it best. Here is a link to his excellent summary:

10 reasons why mind mapping software should be the foundation of your personal productivity system.

I use three different mind mapping programs, based on where I am at and what I am working on. The first is Xmind, and you can find it here. I have been using the free version for some time and find it very helpful. It is what I used to create the Hub Picture over at JohnWeir.me. Xmind is also what I use to open mind maps made with iThoughts.

iThoughts is a very easy to use app for the iPhone when I am on the go and need to see something visually. At close to $8 it still is a great bargain for the features and usability.

The most complete, and customizable program I use is Personal Brain. The website explains it best.

“It starts with a single Thought and grows more powerful as you use it. Think of it as a living mind map with unlimited space for everything you want, are learning or need to remember. Each idea can grow and evolve with all related Thoughts instead of being separated in folders or lists. Use PersonalBrain to manage specific projects or as an "everything in your life manager" to get the big picture on your ideas and find the right information in seconds.”

Personal Brain goes way beyond other mind mapping programs I have seen for a reasonable cost.

I encourage you to try Mind Mapping for yourself and see what you can do with it.

Currently I have 21 goals to achieve in 90 days, divided into seven categories:

• Financial; This covers how much I want to earn and how much I want to save. Also reducing debt and increasing contributions.
• Business; This concentrates on what I want to achieve with my business and where I want it to be when the 90 days are up. Goals for promotions, raises and important tasks.
• Spiritual; Goals in the area of my walk with God, my prayer life, Bible study and church meetings.
• Fun; It is easy to forget the fun side of life. I use this section to note fun things to do and how many days to take off work.
• Health; This makes sure I am thinking about exercise and healthy eating.
• Relationships; Includes family, friends and work relationships.
• Personal; This section contains my goals that don’t quite fit any one of the other areas.

Great short video with Richard Branson:

One of the organizations I am a member of, and actually the first that I joined, is the International Executive Housekeeping Association or IEHA.

Since 1930, the International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA) has been a non-profit organization committed to raising professionalism in the cleaning industry and providing a cleaner, safer, healthier environment.

IEHA members are Executive Housekeepers—managers who direct housekeeping programs in commercial, industrial or institutional facilities. IEHA provides members with an array of channels through which they can achieve personal and professional growth. Some are: leadership opportunities; resource materials; education program designation; employment referral service; a Technical Question Hotline (1-800-200-6342); networking; an annual convention and trade show, including several educational sessions; and a monthly trade publication, Executive Housekeeping Today.

Take a moment and learn more about our professional organization:

What you think about and how you think about it matters.

Focusing on frustration is fruitless – it only makes you bog down in negativity.
Dwelling on injustices is depressing – it only makes you feel more abused.

Communication is what prepares the way for change.
Action is what moves you from a bad situation to a good one.

The difference between choosing to dwell on frustrations and choosing to communicate and act boils down to one thing. Your attitude. And no matter what anyone says, you’re the only one who can control that.

Your attitude will determine your thoughts which will determine your actions which will determine your opportunities which will determine your life.

Choose well.

A short-term dip into one of these emotional ruts is fine, but sometimes we need a boost so we can climb back into the sunshine and resume the pursuit of our goals.  Whether you’re struggling to lose weight, finish a college course, become more socially active, or accomplish some other important goal, review these 10 tips to reclaim  your lost motivation:

1. Process Orientation: Instead of focusing on your goals, try extracting joy from each individual task along the way. In other words, focus on the process instead of the product. You may find that many of your tasks are enjoyable (or can be made that way) if you stop worrying about their overall purpose.

2. Set a Goal: Conversely, it’s also important to have goals so that you know where you’re heading. This tip may seem to be in conflict with the previous one, but it’s not. Goals (like losing weight, graduating college, etc.) are important in the sense that they help lay out what tasks we should pursue.

3. Create an Action Plan: Clarify all the steps required to obtain your objective, the anticipated timeline, and the resources you will need.  

4. Jury of Peers: Once you have an action plan, find a group of people who will hold you accountable and tell them what you intend to do. Tell them to ask you for progress reports on a regular basis, to keep you on track.

5. Write it Down: There is something about the act of writing down a goal that makes it official. On a sheet of paper, make a contract: clearly document your goal, then sign the contract, signaling commitment. Stick the contract onto the walls in your work area, your fridge, or anywhere else where it might serve to keep you motivated.

6. Create a Ritual: We are creatures of habit. The easiest way to climb out of an emotional rut is to establish routines that encourage productivity. When it comes to establishing new rituals, the first 30 days seem to be the most critical; so for the next 30 days, try structuring your days such that you are consistently working toward your goals.

7. Back on the Horse: Instead of allowing a short-term failure to ruin your motivation, make up your mind to jump back on that horse and keep moving forward. We learn from our failures; in this sense, our failures are good, all part of the plan, if only we’ll treat them that way.

8. List the Benefits: If you’ve forgotten why you’re trying to accomplish a particular goal (which is pretty common whenever we lose motivation), try writing down all the benefits you plan to experience once your goal is attained. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight, consider your gains in health, vitality, energy, life span, and attractiveness. Focus on the benefits instead of the challenges.

9. Visualize: Close your eyes and visualize the future you anticipate. Make this a part of your routine. The purpose of such visualization is to solidify within your mind the worthiness of the goal, to clarify your path.

10. Change Priorities: Sometimes our lives or opinions change in such a way that renders certain goals obsolete. For example, if you have a goal to increase your income despite feeling financially satisfied, perhaps the answer is to find a new goal that will inspire you more.

There you have it: 10 ways to break through your motivational roadblock so you can resume your forward progress.

Three Skills That Improve Conversation

By Brian Tracy

One key to becoming a great conversationalist is to pause before replying. A short pause, of three to five seconds, is a very classy thing to do in a conversation. When you pause, you accomplish three goals simultaneously.

The Benefits of Pausing
First, you avoid running the risk of interrupting if the other person is just catching his or her breath before continuing. Second, you show the other person that you are giving careful consideration to his or her words by not jumping in with your own comments at the earliest opportunity. The third benefit of pausing is that you will actually hear the other person better. His or her words will soak into a deeper level of your mind and you will understand what he or she is saying with greater clarity. By pausing, you mark yourself as a brilliant conversationalist.

Ask Questions
Another way to become a great conversationalist is to question for clarification. Never assume that you understand what the person is saying or trying to say. Instead, ask, "How do you mean, exactly?"

This is the most powerful question I’ve ever learned for controlling a conversation. It is almost impossible not to answer. When you ask, "How do you mean?" the other person cannot stop himself or herself from answering more extensively. You can then follow up with other open-ended questions and keep the conversation rolling along.

Paraphrase the Speaker’s Words
The third way to become a great conversationalist is to paraphrase the speaker’s words in your own words. After you’ve nodded and smiled, you can then say, "Let me see if I’ve got this right. What you’re saying is . . ."

Demonstrate Attentiveness
By paraphrasing the speaker’s words, you demonstrate in no uncertain terms that you are genuinely paying attention and making every effort to understand his or her thoughts or feelings. And the wonderful thing is, when you practice effective listening, other people will begin to find you fascinating. They will want to be around you. They will feel relaxed and happy in your presence.

Listening Builds Trust
The reason why listening is such a powerful tool in developing the art and skill of conversation is because listening builds trust. The more you listen to another person, the more he or she trusts you and believes in you.

Listening also builds self-esteem. When you listen attentively to another person, his or her self-esteem will naturally increase.

Listening Develops Discipline
Finally, listening builds self-discipline in the listener. Because your mind can process words at 500-600 words per minute, and we can only talk at about 150 words per minute, it takes a real effort to keep your attention focused on another person?s words. If you do not practice self-discipline in conversation, your mind will wander in a hundred different directions. The more you work at paying close attention to what the other person is saying, the more self-disciplined you will become. In other words, by learning to listen well, you actually develop your own character and your own personality.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, make a habit of pausing before replying in any conversation or discussion. You will be amazed at how powerful this technique really is.

Second, continually ask, "How do you mean?" in response to anything that is not perfectly clear. This gives you even more time to listen well.

Brian Tracy is the most listened to audio author on personal and business success in the world today.  His fast-moving talks and seminars on leadership, sales, managerial effectiveness and business strategy are loaded with powerful, proven ideas and strategies that people can immediately apply to get better results in every area.  For more information, please go to www.briantracy.com

“As long as you’re going to think anyway – you might as well think BIG!” – Donald Trump.

Instinctively, we think small thoughts. As children, our thoughts and actions have little effect beyond our immediate world. As we grow up, it’s easy to retain small expectations, or only to increase our expectations little-by-little. But what of the people who build skyscrapers, run economies, or write books that change the way the world thinks? They’re not thinking small!

Our thoughts drive the scale of our success. When you think big, your mind will follow – and help pave the way to achieving more of what you want in life. Napoleon Hill, pioneer of success thinking, said, “We are the Masters of our Fate, the Captains of our Souls, because we have the power to control our thoughts.”
If you think about it, everything you have, or have ever achieved, started out as a want or a dream. These things you have now, you wanted, and you probably want to achieve much more… The truth is, if you really, really want it, it’s much more likely you’ll achieve it.

This isn’t to say that you literally can “think” yourself to success. There is a lot of work that has to go into it too. But unless you actively think about what you want from life, and really desire it, you’ll wind up achieving a whole lot less than your full potential.

TIP: Think BIG and desire BIG. It isn’t hokey mental gymnastics. Rather it’s the stage setter for achieving what you really, really want from life.