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Do you have an inspirational story to tell?  

I am writing for a magazine called Success Formula,  interviewing people who have inspiring stories to tell about how they achieved success their way.  If you have a story that you think will inspire others, please send a brief description to me at dionne@solidfoundations.co.uk and I will be in contact soon.

My Articles

Are you fed up enough?

Goal setting for Success

Happiness and Success

 

Consider the following areas of your life.

Are there any areas that you are not completely happy with, that you have not chosen to make changes yet?

Career/Business , Health and Fitness , Personal Relationships , Family , Financial , Possessions , Personal Development , Spirituality etc.

Now, ask your self the following questions.. 

Am I..

fed up enough? angry enough? hurt enough?    guilty enough?    in pain enough?    sad enough?    scared enough?    bored enough?    weak enough?    ill enough? to want to make a change in my life, right now?

If the answer is yes, and you are not taking any action then read on, or pass this on to someone who you know may need it.  Lets look at  WHY?

1. You have decided that the situation is not bad enough yet.

Sometimes people choose not to move on, because they feel that the situation they are in is not that bad.  You might think, things could be worse, or could they? Why should they?  Why choose to live a life that is anything less than great.  YOU have the unlimited POTENTIAL and right to be happy and FULFILLED in all areas of your life.

  When people decide that they have truly had enough, they use this energy to take ACTION.  To move from where they are, knowing that is not where they need to be.  Use this energy to propel you forward, towards what you want.

  GET FED UP ENOUGH TO WANT TO MAKE CHANGES IN YOUR LIFE, NO MATTER HOW SMALL.

 

2. You want to change, but don't know how to.

"Its easy for you", some people say to me, "because you know what to do and you always have".  if only they knew!  WANTING to change is the start, however, some people get put off because they BELIEVE, they don't know how to go about making changes in the right way.  The secret is THERE IS NO RIGHT WAY.  What is the right way for you?  What works for you?  and I guarantee that it may be something completely different from your next door neighbour.   WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO LOOSE or FEAR? 

Some people put off moving forward because they want to avoid what they see as further failure or rejection. Trust me! If your back is up against the wall already - there is not much further you can go.  THE KEY is that the journey has to start in your mind.  You have to start BELIEVING in yourself, that you CAN, start small.

FIND A WAY!!  FEEL THE FEAR AND DO IT ANYWAY.

 

3. You think you do not have any control over the way things are in your life

Many people BELIEVE (and it is just a belief) that things just happen TO them, and that they have no control over things in their lives as adults.  You may say to yourself..  "I'm unlucky", "My life is a mess", "I'll never be happy", "Things always go wrong for me"' That’s just the way things are", "I’m cursed" etc.  I believe that there are two perspectives that we can take as adults, regarding our lives and these are.

YOU ARE THE CAUSE or ARE YOU THE EFFECT.

  The most empowering and inspirational perspective is BEING THE CAUSE.  When we see ourselves as the CAUSE, we take responsibility for the things and situations (or the lack of) that we create in our lives.  When you truly live by this perspective you are able to identify the exact thoughts, words and actions that create your life today, and the next day, etc. What have you unconsciously created in your life today?  The next step is finding out for what purpose have you chosen to create these things.

BEING THE EFFECT, on the other hand, completely dis-empowers you, as you believe that things are done to you.  This perspective is nothing to do with blaming ourselves, as a lot of our BELIEFS and DECISIONS are made in the past and continue to affect us UNCONSCIOUSLY.  When someone sees them self as BEING EFFECTED, they relinquish all responsibility and control.

WHICH PERSPECTIVE DO YOU TAKE AT THE MOMENT?

ARE YOU THE CAUSE OR THE EFFECT?

 

4. You have given up, believing that’s the way things will always be

Have you given up?  Is giving up an option? Most people have given up without even realising they have.  You have already given up if you are resigned to living an unhappy or unfulfilled life.  We all have LIMITING BELIEFS about things in our lives, other people and the way the world works. For example, I'm not pretty enough, slim enough, tall enough, good enough, knowledgeable enough, worth enough, skilful enough, etc. 

WHAT LIMITING BELIEFS DO YOU HAVE?  

Take some time to write out a list of things.  These beliefs shape our everyday reality, and if you believe that things will always be the way they are then, you will attract situations, people and things to yourself to confirm this belief.  Also you remain at the EFFECT side of the equation. 

People change their beliefs everyday. Just imagine, centuries ago people thought that the world was flat, and that if you set off on a journey, you would fall off the end.  We all know now, through scientific advancement and theory that the world is actually round, and that if you set off from a particular point and keep going you will end up in the same place. 

The key here is to do some serious soul searching, be honest with yourself, there's no one here but you (and me ha! ha!), ask your unconscious mind to give you the answers, and ask yourself.

  WHAT LIMITING BELIEFS DO I HAVE AND WHERE DID THESE BELIEFS COME FROM?

 

5. You are scared of confronting your past, so that you can move on

I use to be afraid of looking back into my past, as I knew there were things there that scared me.  I knew that if I went far back enough, I would stumble on something that would bring up those memories and fears that use to haunt me in my sleep.    I was scared and ashamed because I had been a victim (or saw myself as a victim) and was weak enough to let certain things happen that were out of my control. 

One thing that I know now, in my many years of soul searching is that 

THE PAST CAN DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE IF YOU DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE IT and RELEASE WHAT NO LONGER SERVES YOU. 

Once you have acknowledged and work-ed through SIGNIFICANT EMOTIONAL EVENTS in your past..

THE PAST NO LONGER HAS TO DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE.

 

 

Goal-setting for Success

Goal setting is one technique that directs your subconscious and conscious decisions to succeed. Goal setting strengthens your motivation to attain your business or personal goals. In general, this technique emerged from numerous practical experiences as well as psychology research.

Goal setting helps you decide or prioritise your desires. By knowing exactly what you desire to accomplish, you will have a better focus and concentrate your efforts. Furthermore, proper setting of goals can be extremely motivating. As it becomes a habit, you will discover that your self-esteem is turbo-charged.

Actually, people set goals when they plan what they want to achieve for the day, week or month. These include simple goals like clean the house, do the laundry, finish homework, etc. You make a decision on what you want to do, then discover what is needed to accomplish your goal. From there, you move into complex goals leading to your future.

Here are some goal setting guidelines:

1. Be accurate.  You need to set an accurate goal and indicate specific time frame and resources required. Having measurable goals helps in measuring levels of achievement. Doing this will enable you to discover exactly when the goal has been achieved. Furthermore, this will motivate you on setting another goal. 

2. Write down your goals.  This ties them together and provides reinforcement.

3. Set only goals that are realistic.  Take note that you only want to set achievable goals.  Disappointment sets in if you set a very high goal and fail to reach it.

4. Set priorities.  If you have numerous goals, then you need to number them according to importance. This will help you from feeling overwhelmed, direct your concentration to the most significant ones, and achieve goals one by one.

5. Keep goals manageable.  Work on achievable and small goals. If your goal is too big, then it may appear daunting and difficult to achieve. Small and incremental goals provide more reward opportunities. Derive smaller goals from huge ones.

6. Set performance-type goals rather than outcome goals. Set goals wherein you have complete control of the situation.

It is very frustrating to be in situations not within your control. These include bad business surroundings, bad weather, poor judgements, or injury. When you establish goals based on your personal capability, you can maintain control over your achievement.

7. Never set “low” goals.  As it is vital not to establish unrealistic goals, also never set your goals “too low”.

People are inclined to set easy goals because they often fear failure. You must achieve balance in setting your goals. It should not be too low that it would not present a challenge or too high that it becomes unreachable.

Remember this: Goal setting is an important element in achieving success. Also, flexibility and persistence are needed in setting your goals.

When faced with unexpected problems and difficulties, use your determination and persistence to stick with your goals. However, you should also become flexible with your activities and objectives. If your strategies do not work, then try another means and keep on trying until you discover one that really works for you!

Copyright Dionne Jude  - Solid Foundations 2007

Overcoming Procrastination to Succeed

One thing common among highly driven millionaires is their strong-held certainty that, despite challenges, they will attain success.  They do not have a single drop of procrastination running through their veins.

They are motivated by their goals and dreams. They believe with all certainty that they will attain their objectives even though they are not sure of how the elements will work out.

Belief and confidence pushes you exert more effort to go for your goals, although you do not have a hundred percent assurance that success will be achieved. The subsequent actions you take will naturally improve your possibilities for success.

It is possible that you are one of the people afflicted with the procrastination habit. Procrastination is the tendency to put errands or duties aside until the last minute. It is a common and major obstruction in your “personal life” and career.

Procrastination will hurt your life and career because it will hold you back from doing important jobs resulting to missed opportunities. 

  New studies reveal successful people adopt these common formulas:

• determine what you desire

• establish a plan on how you can achieve it

• put that plan into action

•  

• make modifications when required until such time you realize your goals

  This formula is simple and easy to follow yet most people have trouble abiding by it because of procrastination, fear of reaching success, lacking follow through, lacking motivation, lacking belief, etc.

Here are tips on how to overcome procrastination in order to succeed:

1. Improve how you handle your time.  Use your time efficiently and learn how to manage your time well.  For instance, you can invest in some type of scheduling service or software to assist you in organizing your tasks and time better.

2. Never give yourself any excuse to procrastinate. Make as much use of your time as possible.  For instance, you still have 10 minutes left before your office closes. Use this time to accomplish something that only will take few minutes like putting files or organizing them.

3.  Create a conducive work environment. Some individuals can concentrate on their job even with chaos and noise around while others cannot. To realize your own highest performance, silence and privacy are required.

4.  Prioritise specific jobs.  List down the tasks you have been delaying from the most important to least, do the tasks one by one, then cross out tasks that you have completed and move on to the next.

5.  Be realistic in all your expectations.  One obstacle to success is when you aspire for the moon; and if you cannot reach it, you will only be disappointed and find yourself motionless.

6.  Break huge tasks into manageable and smaller steps so you can create one successful move in each one. This is better than feeling the disappointment when you fail to accomplish one big task.

7.  Never say “I cannot do it”.  Put away negative beliefs regarding your capabilities and yourself because this is one major reason why you procrastinate.  Try doing it first, because you will never know until you try.  If you do not believe in your capacity to accomplish a specific task, you are bound to procrastinate.

8.   Never fear failure.  For some individuals, one failure drags them down making them believe that it is impossible to succeed again.

For most successful people, they see their failures as indications that they can break new grounds. For them, failure is something positive where they can learn from their mistakes.

Keep in mind that success is never achieved accidentally. It is something systematic and a deliberate act of making a decision of what you desire to do and want to accomplish in your life.

Copyright Dionne Jude  - Solid Foundations 2007