Setting Yourself Up For Outrageous Success By Lenore Miller

It is often said we overestimate what we can do in one year and underestimate what we can do in 10.

So when we set those New Year’s resolutions to loose 50kgs (110 pounds), quit smoking, exercise daily, make our first million or whatever else your heart desires, we often set ourselves up for failure, not success. Why do I say this? Well how many times have you set goals at New Year’s and by January 31 you’re already feeling like a failure? I have certainly done this in the past.

In early 2007 I found my goal book from 2002. I had laid out my goals with pictures and inspirational words, lots of colour and enthusiasm. When I started to look through this book I realised that whilst I hadn’t achieved many of these goals during 2002, I had achieved all of them by the time I was looking at the book in early 2007, five years later. How do you think I felt? I was excited. This meant I had always been on track; I had just underestimated how long some of the goals would take me, or maybe I had lessons to learn along the way that would help me achieve these goals.

So do I still set goals? You bet I do, and I set them for this year with a vision for where I want to be in five and 10 years.

I decide who I want to be now (and in 10 years from now) and what I want to achieve in all areas of my life, then I go about setting my goals for the next year that will lead me towards my 10-year vision. For example, if I want to be fit, vital and healthy in 10 year’s time (which I do), I may set a goal to exercise four times a week, shed 20 kilos (44 pounds) and source more organic produce to use in our home. Then when I get to the end of the year, having shed 12 kilos, exercised on average 2-3 times per week and 50 per cent of our household food is organic, then am I successful or not?

In the old system of setting one-year goals I would feel like I had not achieved all I wanted and would have felt a failure. However, I am still on track to my 10-year goal. I am exercising more, I have certainly leaned up and I am moving toward my 80 per cent organic lifestyle.

So even when you feel a little off track or you are not reaching your goal as quickly as you’d like, remember the only time we fail is when we give up. Off track does not mean failure - it just means you need to refocus and there may be other things you need to learn or do first before you can achieve that goal.

The important thing is to notice your progress and the changes you have already made toward your goal or vision.

Outrageously Healthy Tip: Decide where you want to be in 10 years and the kind of person you need to become to achieve that goal. Then work backwards: who do I need to be to achieve that vision and what would that person need to do? Start fleshing out the small steps you can take today, tomorrow and over the next year.

Lenore Miller is the Creator and Founder of http://www.outrageouslyhealthy.com She brings together both tools of the conscious and unconscious mind to help you create the Outrageously Healthy Life you deserve. You can listen to Lenore’s expert interviews by becoming a FREE member of outrageouslyhealthy.com, where you will hear authorities speak on everything from fuelling your body and exercising efficiently, to motivation and having a wardrobe that has you feeling fabulous. She also offers you the opportunity to work at an unconscious level by participating in group and individual coaching calls.

Lenore is a Keynote Speaker, Result Coach and NLP Practitioner and she holds a Bachelor of Social Science and a Diploma in Relationship counselling.

Sponsored by: http://www.Indiainfotech.co.in

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Reflection - One of Four Powerful Ingredients in the Recipe For Personal Growth By Clive A Wilson

The cycle of human consciousness I promote as a simple formulae for a fulfilling life is as follows:

Connection: taking time out to be alone at one with ourselves and the universe allows us to connect and live our life with presence.

Presence: being fully conscious and grounded in all we do, being there in the moment for everyone we meet.
Right action: resulting from being fully present, at other times we react in reflex and unconscious manner.
Reflection: allowing us to learn from what worked and what didn’t. Looking back we can see very clearly when we acted with presence and whether our time in connection helped.

In this article, I’d like to spend some time considering the last step of the cycle, reflection.

cycles of reflection

Let’s take stock of the times when we have reflected. Our reflection often goes in cycles. It is often unnoticed. The more we are aware of our reflection, the more powerful it becomes.

daily cycles

We naturally reflect on a daily basis, sometimes at the end of the day, maybe sitting by the fire, perhaps as we lie in bed before we drift off to sleep. Sometimes it even happens first thing in the morning, especially if the night before was hectic or even wild. If we are wise, perhaps we take time out at lunchtime to be alone or to share thoughts of the morning with our colleagues and friends.

weekly cycles

Then, there are the weekly cycles. In most faiths there is a weekly opportunity to give thanks and also to confess wrongdoings. But even if we do not belong to a particular denomination, we might still have a special day of the week for reflection and appreciation. Perhaps we simply sit down with our family and friends for a special weekly meal. In my home, Sunday lunch is very special and there is both reflection on the week gone by as well as sharing plans for the one to come.

monthly cycles

Monthly reflection happens too. Perhaps we give ourselves structure by formally making a monthly report or even something as mundane as an expenses return. Maybe as we’re claiming expenses for a journey, we will pause to reflect whether it was indeed a good journey. Or perhaps we plan our diaries on a monthly basis, taking tasks from our list and putting them into real time slots.

annual or seasonal cycles

Then of course there are the annual or seasonal cycles. I find that during summer holidays I often find a quiet spot in an inspiring place and just reflect on my life in general. What’s working and what isn’t? Similarly in the winter at the end of one year and in anticipation of the one to come. Was that a good year? What will I build on? What will I do more of? What must I stop doing?

opportunistic times

And then there are other more ad-hoc or fluid times such as on journeys. Over the years, I have probably reflected more on trains and in airport lounges than anywhere else.

big reflections

Finally there are what I call the “big reflections”. Just before passing my job as MD at Primeast to my friend and colleague, Russell, I spent a few days in the mountains at Chiang Mai in Thailand. I meditated, which of course is more about connection than reflection. But I also reflected on a phase of my life that was ending. What had worked that I could celebrate? What could I have done differently? Was I even doing the right thing by moving on?

helping each other to reflect

We can help each other reflect by sincerely asking things like, “How’s your day been?” Or, if we haven’t seen someone for a while, perhaps we ask about their year or their summer and so on. Sometimes our questions are more context based, asking about the person’s job or family.
When we engage with people in this way, the manner of our engagement is really important. Usually when we ask how someone’s day has been, we do so simply as a matter of courtesy. Are we aware that the same question asked in sincerity and with a follow-up question or comment can really help them to take stock and perhaps celebrate something they’ve achieved? Try it. Just on your own, rehearse a simple question like, “How’s the job going?” Feel the difference between the throw-away comment and the sincere expression if interest.

providing structure

If we’re in a position to do so, we can provide structure for ourselves and for those around us for more reflection time. I’ve done a bit of this, such as encouraging shared meals at work and at home. I’m even a fan of monthly reporting at work because it keeps us focussed and doing the right things. For me, I consciously make the most of journeys as described above.

doing more

But even writing this article has grown my awareness. I hope it’s done the same for you. What more can we do to consciously create opportunities for ourselves and others?

Here are the thoughts that are emerging for me:

I will enjoy even more the opportunities I can provide for family, friends and colleagues to eat and share reflective time together
I will encourage reflection through my work on the Sacred Space project (see below)
I will take time to be alone in the countryside and in meditation
When I reflect I will capture the ideas that emerge and act on them
I will recognise reflective time for what it is and appreciate it a whole lot more

keep in touch

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