Tag Archives: "motivation"

10 Great Quotes on the Power of Goals

20170118200409-GettyImages-81159095-cropImage credit: Michael Ochs Archives | Stringer | Getty Images

As January is officially upon us and most people are working on their resolutions and goals for the year ahead, I thought it would be very fitting to compile a list of some of my favorite quotes on goals and share them with you.

I suggest at the end of each week when you have a weekly review and analyze where you are in the process of achieving your goals, that you take a look at some of the below quotes. They will remind you not only the importance of setting goals and then working hard to attain them, but to keep fighting even when the going gets tough.

Here are 10 of my favorite quotes on goals.

1. Never have a lack of goals.  

“If you’re bored with life – you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things – you don’t have enough goals.” –Lou Holtz

Having goals that we are passionate about gives us something to look forward to each and every morning when we wake up. Not having goals is an excellent recipe for average living.

2. Vision is everything. 

“If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.” –Lawrence J. Peter

Highly successful organizations and individuals all have an extremely clear vision of where they are going.

3. Dream enormously big.

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” –Les Brown

Nothing has benefited my life more than shooting for the moon and dreaming enormously big dreams. When you dream big and shoot for the moon, you are forcing yourself to get out of your comfort zone.

4. Persistence makes all the difference.

“Never quit. It is the easiest cop-out in the world. Set a goal and don’t quit until you attain it. When you do attain it, set another goal, and don’t quit until you reach it. Never quit.” –Bear Bryant

If you are passionate about a goal or dream of yours then don’t stop until you achieve it. Do whatever it takes. Persisting in the face of adversity is what builds champions.

5. Goals give our lives meaning. 

“The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.” –Bill Copeland

Setting goals and then working ridiculously hard to achieve them sets you on the path of living a purpose driven life.

6. True success is all about working towards meaningful goals and dreams.

“A goal is not always meant to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim at.” –Bruce Lee

Achieving our goals and dreams is fantastic but that’s not the most important thing about setting goals. The most important thing is the type person that we become along the way.

7. Stop playing small. 

“The great danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” –Michelangelo

There are no benefits what so ever from playing small and setting your aim too low.

8. Where are you headed? 

“If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” –Zig Ziglar

If you don’t set goals for your life then it’s almost certain that you will be very disappointed with your results. Aiming at nothing is setting yourself up to achieve nothing.

9. Stay focused at all times.

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” –Henry Ford

When we take our eyes off of our goals, anxiety, worry, and doubt immediately begin to take over. Stay focused on what matters most at all times. Picture yourself achieving your goals and what that feels like instead of the obstacles that you will experience along the way.

10. It’s never too late.

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” –C.S. Lewis

There is no such thing as being too old to change your life and set new goals and dreams for yourself. Nelson Mandela was 75 years old when he was the oldest elected president of South Africa. Dimitrion Yordandis was 98 years old when he finished a 26 mile marathon on October 10th, 1976. Don’t ever say you are too old.

Originally Posted on Entrepreneur.com

Remember: You Were Meant to Thrive, Not Just Survive

20160321191837-thriveImage credit: Unsplash

So many people today are unfortunately just surviving instead of thriving. They have a “just get by” type of mentality every minute of every day. More than likely, they have forgotten who they truly are and have settled for second best without even knowing it.

I believe one of the biggest regrets we will ever have at the end of our lives will be living in survival mode. Thinking about all of the great and wonderful things that we wanted to do but never did. Thinking about lost goals and dreams that we never acted on.

Living in survival mode prohibits us from living a life of meaning and contribution. If you feel you have been surviving and just going through the motions, let today be the turning point in your life where you turn it all around.

I strongly believe that one of the core reasons why so many get accustomed to living a life of survival instead of a life that is thriving is because they let the hustle and bustle of life completely take over their lives and clog their decision making. They let their doubts continue to pile up and corrupt their thinking. They set out on a new adventure or set a new goal, but immediately after doing so, they let their doubts take over.

Here are three ways to help you thrive instead of just survive.

1. Stay purpose-driven.

I know firsthand how easy it can be at times to let the hustle and bustle of life take over every move of yours if you aren’t intentional about staying purpose-driven. Staying purpose-driven can mean a lot of things.

Maybe you already know your purpose and life’s mission — which is great. Do everything in your power, and live that purpose each and every day. Everything that you do should revolve around staying purpose-driven.

On the other hand, maybe you don’t know what your purpose in life is yet. That’s fine, and there is no reason to freak out about it. Everyone discovers what their purpose is at different stages in life, but the most important thing is being eager and passionate to discover what that purpose is for you. I firmly believe that we all were put here to do magnificent and wonderful things in the world.

2. Hang around with winners.

You have probably heard a million times about the importance of who you hang out with, but it’s amazing how many people still don’t comprehend it and practice it in their every day life. If you hang around with people who are not motivated and searching for ways to better themselves, that’s exactly the same type of mindset and life that you will adopt.

When you hang around with people who are obsessed with growing, getting better and maximizing their potential, you will end up growing and getting better as well. If you want to forever make sure you don’t fall into survival mode, hang around with winners.

3. Constantly build yourself up.

Most of the time, the men and women who settle for a life of survival let the tough times of life tear them down while they completely neglect building themselves up. There is no doubt about it that life can be hard. It is very important that you never forget to be your own best friend and constantly look for ways to build yourself up rather than tear yourself down.

Building yourself up can mean a lot of things for a lot of different people. When I refer to building yourself up, I simply mean to stop neglecting yourself.

Give yourself the time you need to do whatever it is you want. Read great books that end up building your self-confidence and help you grow as an individual. Give yourself the permission to take that much-needed vacation you have been wanting for so long.

Find whatever works for you and stick to a plan. When you learn to be your own best friend and constantly search for ways to build yourself up rather than tear yourself down, you will begin to realize that you absolutely got this and have what it takes.

It’s easy to let all of the everyday demands take over and dictate how your day goes, but each and every one of us has a choice on whether that is the case or not. Just remember this one important truth — you were put here to thrive, not just survive.

Originally Posted on Entrepreneur.com

Wake Up and Get Off the ‘Someday Island’

20141223190829-5-ways-dreamers-become-doersImage credit: Shutterstock

There are plenty of differences between high achievers and everyone else, but I think there is one that really solidifies the gap between the two. That one difference is that high achievers don’t live on the “Someday Island.” They are living on the “Now Island” and are fully creating their own circumstances in life rather than going along with what has been presented to them.

It’s disheartening when I meet men and women from all different walks of life and of wide ages who have already died inside, but just haven’t made it official yet. To hear them talking about their glory days 10 and 20 years ago while having no new hope or dreams for the future is totally depressing. The reason why it’s so depressing is because that same person has the power and ability to live their best life right this moment — now — and totally redirect where his or her life is headed.

The major reason why this becomes the point of quiet desperation for many people is because of their habit of putting important things off and living in a world of “somedays.” If you don’t believe me, try it for yourself. The next time you are having a conversation with a family member or close friend, ask them what they want out of his or her life. I can almost guarantee you that his or her response will be, “Someday, I want to lose 20 pounds and have that dream body I always wanted,” or, “I would love to someday be in business for myself and become the entrepreneur that I’ve always envisioned.”

What has happened is that living on the “Someday Island” is the new norm for many people. If you aren’t living the life that you wholeheartedly love and desire, you can change it. Don’t shut off your ability to hope and dream about the future. Right this moment can be a new beginning for you. Think about it. What would you love to do? What is your lifelong dream?

Get off the “Someday Island” and put that new idea into action for yourself. Start that business that you have been contemplating for the past 20 years. Start working and developing that new course or product that your organization has wanted to roll out into the marketplace. Start being the leader that you always wanted to be.

The fact is that you have very little to lose by going after what you desire compared to letting those same passionate things die inside of you and never unleashing them out into the world.

At the end of your life, you will ask yourself if you truly lived a purpose-driven life. Whatever that “thing” may be for you, get off the “Someday Island.” Position yourself on the “Now Island” and get busy. Your life is worth way more than living in the past or ruminating over broken dreams and wishes. It doesn’t matter if you are 25 years old or 75 years old, you have a magnificent and wonderful life ahead of you now.

One of the best decisions you can make in both your personal and professional lives is to get in the habit of living now, taking massive action and going after what you deeply desire, full steam ahead.

 

Originally Posted on Entrepreneur.com

20 Ways to Make Today Amazing

Make today amazing

As entrepreneurs and business owners, it can be very easy at times to fall into a rut and get in the habit of having just average days where we seem to not get much of anything done. Here are 20 ways that will hopefully rekindle that passion of yours and help make today ridiculously amazing.

1. Engage in consistent action.

2. Constantly picture yourself beyond your current circumstances. Dream enormously big and hold that dream deep within your mind, body and spirit.

3. Spend time in solitude to just think and visualize.

4. Write your most important goal on a note card and look at it five times a day. Say it out loud and believe with a deep conviction that it will become a reality.

5. Drink tons of water. It’s impossible to operate to the best of your ability and tap into your full potential if you are dehydrated. Our minds and bodies need water in order to perform at an extremely high-level.

6. Eat to win. If you don’t want junk results stay away from junk food. The bottom line is that we are what we eat.

7. Get your sweat on. One of the best productivity tools that you can utilize is to get a workout in at some point throughout your day. Whether you go to the gym or at home, make the time.

8. Pick up a book for 15-20 minutes and get lost in it. Just as our bodies need physical exercise, our minds need to stay mentally fit.

9. Spend your time around those who lift you up and encourage your vision, not belittle it. We are the average of the five people we hang out with the most. Pick your company wisely.

10. Make time to grow. Carve out 30 min to an hour and find ways to personally and professionally grow.

11. Turn off the music in your car and listen to an audiobook. Most of us spend hours in a car daily, utilize that time to better yourself and learn.

12. Keep a journal. Record your thoughts, ideas and strategies. We have roughly 20,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Don’t let an idea or strategy go to waste. Never rely solely on your memory.

13. Think of five things you are grateful for right this second. It can be something as simple as how beautiful is mother nature or how wonderful your family is. Be grateful for what you have and you will eventually end up having more.

14. Snack on almonds. Great source of protein and other minerals and vitamins that will increase your energy levels and keep performance in peak state.

15. Say “I love you” more often. Don’t let a day go by where you don’t tell those you love how much they truly mean to you. Life is short and by simply saying the words “I love you” will bring you an immense sense of satisfaction.

16. Treat others how you want to be treated. In business and in the game of life, people matter. If you want to truly win in both, make every person you come in contact with feel important.

17. Have a green smoothie. Instead of turning to caffeine turn to the power of mother nature and blend yourself up a delicious, energizing and healthy green smoothie. One of my favorites is two handfuls of organic spinach, one apple, juice of one lemon, three stalks of celery, and ginger root. There are plenty of recipes available to you online.

18. Take a post-it-note or note-card and write down some quotes that move, inspire and empower you. There will be times throughout the day that might upset you or discourage you. Constantly feeding your mind with words that inspire and empower you will instantly get you back on your feet ready to hit the ground running.

19. Cut off all distractions. When it’s time to work, work. When it’s time to relax, relax. Discipline yourself to stay off Facebook and other social media sites when you are working on a computer. If you are in an office, hang up a “Do Not Disturb” sign if possible. Focus completely on the task at hand.

20. Take full and complete responsibility for your life. Own up to your mistakes and never fall into the trap of playing the ever-so-popular blame game.

Adopting winning habits is one of the surest ways to get to where you want to go. What we do on a daily basis determines the results that we end up with. If you don’t like what you have been producing up to this point, then change what you do daily. It’s my hope that this list of 20 ideas is of extreme value to help make today utterly amazing for you.

Originally posted on Entrepreneur.com