Debra Kasowski, Author at Debra Kasowski

EPISODE 22: Focus on What You Want

August 30, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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Episode 22: Focus on What You Want

“If you want to be happy, do not dwell in the past, do not worry about the future, focus on living fully in the present.”
― Roy Bennett

There are so many things going on in our daily lives that we’re distracted from being focused and being in the present moment. Look around you there are some people who are super focused; they know exactly what they want and are driven to succeed. Then there are others who don’t know what they want to appear to be stumbling through life. Which person are you?

Do not be dismayed if you find yourself being the person with lack of focus. By listening to this podcast you’ll find ways to zoom in on your focus.

Knowing what you want gives you clarity. Everything around you becomes clearer. You know what goals you want and decision-making becomes easy. When you’re unclear, it kind of feels like walking around in the dark where you don’t know exactly where you’re going and can stub your toe. You can get clear by just sitting down and writing out what it is you want. Don’t judge or critique your and writing. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar. Keep writing!

Catch your thoughts and shift. In Episode 13 The Power Of Positive Thinking we talked about how we have 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts in a day and that 80% of those thoughts were negative. When you realize you are having negative thoughts and you are self-aware of them, you have the ability to change thought. You can shift gears or flip the light switch in your thought process. As you notice the negative thoughts, you can either accept it or you can reject it. Reframe the thoughts into something more positive. It really comes down to focusing on what you want and not what you don’t want

What do you think happens when you focus on what you don’t want? Worries, fears, anxiety, self-doubt, and your internal critic pops its head and that’s all we see. As you focus on what you don’t want, your action star reflecting your thoughts and you self-sabotage yourself from getting what you really want. There is so much power in the way you think. I cannot stress enough how much you need to be paying attention to how your thinking. It impacts everything you do. You end up joining the ancient awful club and feel awful. Your mind thinks that’s what you want. Worrying just attracts problems and notice you don’t worry about what outcomes you want. You only end up worrying about what you lack which ends up bringing you more lack.

When you experience resistance, there is often a misalignment with your values and who you want to be. This internal conflict is alerting you to the fact that you’re focusing on the wrong things. You need to start focusing on what you can control versus what you cannot.

Energy flows where your attention goes. What are you paying attention to? The reticular activating system (RAS) is our brain’s attention center. It is the place where our thoughts and feelings interact with their outside world and how we interpret it. If you focus on your past and see your past with regret, your actions will not move you forward toward renewed future.

Esther Hicks said, “A belief is a thought you keep thinking and things actualize around it to confirm that thought.” When you put a spotlight on something, you will find evidence and rationale to make that thought your truth. It becomes your reality. focus perspective However, if you change your focus by looking at other perspectives and choose a reality that you truly want, you will find evidence and rationale that supports that truth. Whatever you believe becomes your reality. You need to lock into the thoughts that you want and get really focused on where you want to go with your thoughts and the actions you will be taking.

You may be telling yourself right now that I don’t like my reality. Your reality may be your present or remember no moment is permanent. You can either accept your reality as it is or choose different thoughts to feel differently and you will start taking actions to match your new belief. You need to believe in your reality and that you can always improve. No matter if it is a positive or negative moment is temporary. Whatever you believe your reality to be will be the story that you share and tell yourself.

The trouble is and that people get caught up in comparing themselves to others through social media and real life. For professionals, many individuals saw social media as a form of showcasing their skills, talents, and abilities and making them stand out from the crowd. Some individuals have used social media to compare their lives to the lives of others. Have you noticed that people post all the great things about what’s going on in their lives? You are comparing yourself to a moment in time and not their whole life timeline. You may see exotic travels, celebrations with friends, and other things that you may long for. This comparison can make people feel depressed if they choose to and they will not take actions that support what they want. When you compare yourself to others you are focusing on another person’s reality and what they believe to be true.

I want to ask you some questions to help you get clear and focus on what you want.

What action will give you your greatest return on investment of your time money and other resources? These are the needle-movers or the game-changers. Are you taking the right actions?

What are the things that are distracting you?

What thoughts are you having? Are you experiencing worry fear and self-doubt? It just means that you’re focusing on what you don’t want. Shift the thought and change your actions.

Here are some things to help you get laser focused and get what you want:

Get super clear on what it is that you want. Write it down.

Accept what is and create the reality that you wish to see. Don’t worry about what everyone else’s thinking or doing. Their opinion applies to them and not to you. People’s advice comes from their own experiences and fears. Choose what you want to accept and what you choose to reject as truth.

Visualize the results that you want.

Prioritize tasks and things you need to get done.

Prepare for what you want and need by gathering resources, accumulating knowledge, and developing your skills and abilities.

Eliminate your distractions and interruptions. Don’t check your e-mail in the morning until you have done some focused work. No e-mail or texting and tell the task is done.

Remove any clutter on your desk or in your space. You may develop the urge to start cleaning it or start working on another project.

Learn to say “no”. You cannot be all things to all people and accomplish what you want to get done for yourself. By focusing on pleasing others, you may lose focus on who you are and what you wanted to accomplish. I’m not saying you shouldn’t help people. There is a difference between helping others and living a life doing what others want for you. By living a life of pleasing others you please no one because other people have different expectations than what you do.

“Focusing is about saying No.”
― Steve Jobs

Take a break every hour for about 5 to 10 min. In order for your focus to be sustainable, you must take a break to recharge and rejuvenate. Your mind does need some time to wander and generate new ideas. You often get a fresh perspective when you come back and look at what you’re focused on.

Take actions that support what you are working toward achieving. You will notice that you will be more productive and efficient with your time, talent and efforts.

Change your focus to what you want and not on what you don’t want – for it will become your reality.

Don’t forget to grab your free DOWNLOAD to help you

get focused on what you want.

I would love to hear about how focusing on what you want has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Give us a 5-star rating! Sign up for our Newsletter www.debrakasowski.com

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

Time 12:15 mins

How to Mentally Prepare for Difficult Conversations

August 29, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

I distinctly remember the performance appraisal that was a game changer in my management career. I was only a few years into the position and my manager suggested that an area I should focus on should be “people management” and dealing with difficult and challenging conversations. No sooner than I inked it, the experiences came fast and furious. It goes to show you how powerful it is when you ink something you want to accomplish.

Acknowledge Your Discomfort

inside of a tight cardboard box My stomach was in knots as I approached my first conversation. It is not like I have not had a difficult conversation before it was that this one seemed so formal. Just the thought of it made me uncomfortable. I was reminded by my manager that no one likes to have these conversations. The discomfort is real for both people in the conversation. Here I was being pushed out of my comfort zone. There is no doubt that these conversations cause discomfort. They are necessary for establishing expectations, clearing up misunderstandings, and aligning with your values. You need to learn how to be uncomfortable with the uncomfortable. It will challenge and stretch you.

Make a Game Plan

Since that time, I have had many of these conversations. I still carry some discomfort. How can you not people and emotions are involved? I now have a game plan. A plan which helps me get focused. This plan also helps me remember one of the most important things – at the end of the day, we are all people doing the best that we can with what we know and the experiences we have had. You can create your own plan for managing difficult conversations.

Prepare for the Conversation

The steps in dealing with conflict or having a difficult conversation are fairly simple but not always easy. Conversations can get heated so you want to make sure that you are mentally prepared. Preparation begins with knowing yourself or what we refer to self-awareness in the emotional intelligence world.

Ask yourself these questions:

What makes this conversation difficult?

What emotions has this situation triggered for me?

What do I think they are thinking or feeling?

What assumptions am I making?

What are the facts?

What information am I missing?

What are the expectations?

Did the person have the tools and resources they needed to be successful? If not, what do they need to feel supported?

Write Out a Script

Emotions can get charged in these conversations and sometimes we forget what we want to say. Write out what you would like to say. What do you want to know? Acknowledge that the conversation is difficult for you. It may be difficult because someone may have violated your trust or you’re disappointed in the actions the person took. You may be worried about being judged or criticized and want to avoid having the conversation. You want to ask more questions versus only telling them how things should be. Come from a place of curiosity and learn more about how they see the situation.

Use the TEACHER™ method:

Thank the person for meeting with you.

Explain the reason why you are having this conversation.

Acknowledge that it is a difficult conversation and express how you are feeling.

Call on them to share their perspective and express how they are feeling.

Hold yourself or the other person accountable for how their actions and behaviours have impacted the situation and/or event.

Express gratitude for the meeting.

Resolve to move toward a positive outcome.

Open Up the Conversation

Have the conversation in a timely manner so it is relevant and does not have a greater impact than it needs to. Some people have some guilt about having these conversations because the outcomes are not always desired. It is not unusual to feel this way as we are often talking about people and their livelihood. The outcomes may lead to discipline or termination. Take note that not all outcomes are bad. Some of the conversations that I have gone into have not been as challenging as I had anticipated because the person has self-reflected and had self-awareness into their actions and behaviours. Sometimes they have already taken steps to make improvements; this made these difficult conversations feel a lot more simple and easy.

You need to learn how invested and motivated the person is to meet the expectations. If they are not invested or motivated, they may no longer be a right fit. You may want to ask them directly if they believe it is or not. Let them reflect and determine if it is or isn’t. If they are unsure, you may need to make the decision for them. Keep in mind these decisions are made for them NOT to them. Although, they may not feel it at the time; it often is best for all of those involved. Bridges of communication are meant to be built not torn down as you never know when a relationship will be needed or nurtured in the future.

What we need to be reminded of is that we are all human and can make mistakes. We can learn from mistakes and make better choices. You cannot make someone do something. You can plant the seed of change by helping the person you are having the conversation with become more aware.

When I am faced difficult conversations, I learn more about myself and others and how each situation needs to be treated individually even with a plan. You can successful handle difficult conversations; it all starts with inking it on paper. Once you do, there is no turning back. Prepare to be uncomfortable and know that you are not alone. People are people and all conversations start with respect.

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up for the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

EPISODE 21: Addressing Fears and Feelings

August 25, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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EPISODE 21 – Addressing Fears and Feelings

We all have fears and feelings. The emotions that we feel impact our thoughts, feelings, and actions. They act like a beacon or a lighthouse, letting us know how the world is going on around us. Our emotions are our sensor. But it’s important to develop self-awareness so that you can learn and know yourself and be able to recognize and identify the thoughts associated with the emotions that you’re having. Your beliefs and your belief system (which includes many patterns and behaviors that you learned in childhood and life’s experiences) are how you perceive and interpret the world around you.

Some people believe that if they have a new car, new house, new clothing, or a new relationship that they will be happier than they are currently. Happiness is a state of mind. Happiness is a choice.

The beliefs you have our choice… You can either choose to believe them or release them – free yourself of the burden and pressure of holding out for happiness until something better comes along.

Why not choose to be happier right now?

Simply by doing more of what makes you happy.

Do you know what makes you happy?

You may be wondering what this has to do with addressing fears and feelings. This is where I jump in because you can’t be happy and fearful at the same time so it’s important to address the fears you have in the feelings that you’re feeling.

People often have fears of success, failure, rejection, or illness. There is nothing more than false evidence appearing real.

Identify what you’re afraid of.

What emotions are you feeling?

What triggered them for you?

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Focus on what you have control over. You have control over yourself and perhaps the environment that you’re in.

Question your beliefs. Ask yourself questions about your assumptions and the beliefs that you have.

If you are afraid of achieving success, you may be self-sabotaging yourself.

What are you afraid of?

What beliefs do you hold around success?

Do you believe success should happen in a certain way?

Who says?

There are many routes to success. As long as no one is harmed or going to jail, you can take as many routes as you want.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
― Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course in Miracles”

Why are you holding yourself back?

Are you afraid to fail or make a mistake?

Guess what? You are farther ahead than those who do not even try.

Mitigate your risks. Do your homework. Learn as much as you can about achieving your goal.

Have others done what you want to do?

Talk to them. I can hear it… “Why would they want to talk to me?”

People like to share how they achieve success. They will even share stories of their mistakes and failures. Why not learn from others mistakes so you don’t repeat what they have done. Save yourself some heartache.

Shift your thinking-failures and mistakes are learning opportunities to improve and grow. They make us stronger. Take a listen to episode blank challenges make us stronger. [EPISODE 16 – Challenges Make Us Stronger]

Some people have a great fear of rejection. As much as we want to hear a “yes”, a “no” can be a great thing. If someone is not interested or not the right fit- you are not wasting your time. If someone says no- it may mean not the right time, not enough money, not enough information.

Discover what their “no” is by asking questions. Get more information.

For others, the fear of illness paralyzes them from taking action. There are risk factors that you can control when it comes to your health and those you cannot. Worrying about what could happen is a waste of time. Imagine what you can accomplish if you use the time you worry about something to be proactive. Some of the risk factors that you can’t control include your age genetics race and for the most part gender. Risk factors that you can control include your waistline, level of stress, eating habits, and level of activity. Get a yearly physical examination by your physician. Get your eyes checked and your teeth checked. Take care of your health. Listen to your body- if you feel different than what your baseline is for you-you should get it checked out.

Be proactive in taking care of your health that you can live long and prosper.

Address your fears and manage your emotions so that you can ask the right questions to achieve your dreams and make them become your reality. You never know the life you change in the process. Often the person’s life you change is your own.

Time 11.22 min

EPISODE 20: Being Committed to the Plan

August 23, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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EPISODE 20 – Being Committed to the Plan

“There’s a difference between interest
and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it
only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something, you
accept no excuses – only results.”
―Kenneth H. Blanchard

It amazes me how many people don’t get past the decision that they know that they need to make a change. Some people are only interested in making a change but do not want to put together a plan of action to really make that change become reality. Commitment is the feeling of dedication and loyalty to a cause, activity, or job; to be wholeheartedly dedicated. Commitment is important in any form of success. You will want to ensure that you have listened to Episode 19-Be Willing to Sacrifice for Success.

How bad do you want what you say you want? Have you been talking about doing something or are you ready and committed to making a plan of action and to follow through?

Get Your Mind Right. First of all, you need to believe you can do it when you believe that you can accomplish something you will persevere when tough times come upon you.

Interest is talking about getting into shape; commitment is getting up and going to the gym regularly.

Interest is surfing the Internet or researching information about a topic; commitment is about creating content and publishing it.

Interest is buying a book on financial management; commitment is reviewing your numbers, tracking your spending, and implementing what you have read.

Have you noticed the difference between interest and commitment?

Interest is a passive activity; whereas, commitment is active.

47421557_s Commitment is about taking action and getting results.

We can slip into the habit of interest very easily. If we look at the different areas of our lives, we might notice that some areas were more committed at certain times than we are at others.

I was taken back recently as I was sharing many of the accomplishments and the growth of the podcast with a friend. She knows that I’m a big dreamer and I would like to accomplish so many more things.

And then she posed the question, “Why are you stalling?” “Why are you holding yourself back?”

She caught me off guard but at the same time, I had a moment of clarity.

“Why wasn’t I taking the actions steps I knew I needed to do?”

I told myself that I have competing priorities. I had to remind myself where my greatest return on investment would be. If there is one thing I could be doing right now that would make the biggest difference, why wasn’t I doing it?

I had no excuse. I knew what I needed to do.

I came home that evening and completed the paperwork that I needed to do to put the closure of something I had been delaying and to move forward direction. I contracted a freelancer to do some graphic design work for my speaker one sheet that I kept telling myself I had to edit. I stayed up till 3 AM because when you that I needed to get this done once and for all.

No excuses! I made it a priority. I texted my friend and her with a response was awesome! It is interesting to me how others can see which you need to do but sometimes when you’re so close to what your goal is for whatever reason you fail to see it. That is why it is important to surround yourself with people who support you and want to help you achieve your goals. When I was sharing this story with a mutual friend, she stated the same thing which reinforced to me that these new actions needed to be taken.

My next question was: Do I truly believe the thoughts I have been having?

No…so why should I hang on to the belief? Do what you need to do and see what happens? The “yes” you have been waiting for could be closer than you think.

Sometimes we think that we need to be at a certain level of knowledge, fitness, or finances to be credible or believe that others will value what we have to say. You already know enough, you are perfect the way you are, and rich or poor no one can define your worth but you. Let others hear your voice and step up to the table. Share your ideas and go after your dreams, you never know whose life will change when you follow through on doing what you need to do.

Rise Up. People who rise up are the most committed. You will need to be dedicated to doing the work even when you don’t feel like it. A friend of mine recently returned from some naval training, he posted a picture of his troop doing push-ups in the rain and mud.

Permission Granted from Steve Welton Facebook

The picture was worth 1000 words when it comes to commitment. I’m sure many of us might say, “You know what? We can do those inside.” These individuals defined commitment- rain or shine they got it done. This is what we need to do -it is to know that each day we need to do what we say we need to do in order to get closer to our goals. Sometimes what happens is when you skip one day it is too easy to skip the next day? You need to build habits that when you don’t feel like it, you take some sort of action to keep the momentum going. When you face uncertainty, you need to continue taking action. Your action may be gaining knowledge by doing research or asking a mentor. No matter what that is you are still taking action – step into it!

Make a Plan. Don’t hold anything back. Make a plan and be very clear as to what that will look like. Set goals and break down those goals into smaller manageable pieces. These are the actions steps that you need to take to help get you closer to where you want to be. Plans can change as you go. It is about progress, not perfection.

Maintain Your Focus. Focus on what’s most important to you. Learn what your values are. Set your priorities. When you align your decisions with your values setting priorities becomes easy. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Remember they are on their own path reaching their own goals. Your goal may not be the same as the goal that they set for themselves so focus on what you need to do. People who are able to define what’s important to them can be intrinsically motivated to go after their goals. Others do not mean to nag or prod them to go after what they say is important to them they do it because they want to get the results.

Set Up Accountability. Track goals, put a stake in the ground and tell people what you’re and planning to do, or hire a coach or invest in an accountability partner. Setting up accountability will keep you on track and committed because you have to answer to yourself or someone else.

Create a No Excuse Zone. A person who is committed to their plan doesn’t make excuses they go and make things right. This is when you see ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It is all because of their level of commitment.

Make Quitting Not an Option. A person can only quit when they decide that the goal is no longer important to them and that they are no longer intrinsically motivated to obtain that goal. There will be times when you will feel like you’re tested and you come so close to achieving your goal and you may have a setback. This setback is not the time to quit it is a test to challenge you and help you push further out of your comfort zone. You will figure it out allow yourself time to be in the space of growth.

I watched a Big Think Video narrated by Jesse Itzler. He mentioned that he met a Navy Seal at a race and decided to cold call him to see if he would come and live with his family for a month. He figured he could learn a thing or two from him. The video is about the Navy Seal 40% Rule. When we feel that we are done, we have only utilized 40% of what we have in our tanks. We do not utilize our full capacity – there is so much more in us to give.

An article in Inc magazine stated, “For the SEAL, though, it’s about realizing where your comfort level is and completely ignoring it. Sometimes it truly is hard to know whether something is worth doing.” Are you going to do what is easy or are you going to do what you need to do because it will be worth it?”

I want to leave you with a quote:

“If you had started doing anything two weeks ago, by today you would have been two weeks better at it.” ― John Mayer

You are enough! Be committed to the plan and make what you want to happen! No stalling! No holding yourself back – go get it!

Time: 16.22 min

EPISODE 19: Be Willing to Make the Sacrifices for Success

August 18, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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Episode 19 – Be Willing to Make Sacrifices for Success

“Success is like anything worthwhile. It has a price. You have to pay the price to win and you have to pay the price to get to the point where success is possible. Most important, you must pay the price to stay there.” Vince Lombardi

Many people want what success will give them. For some people, it is the fancy cars, luxury homes, exotic vacations, stylish clothing, or dining experiences. For others, success is owning their own home or having the ability to send their children to college. You must define what success means to you. You will hear people talking about success and what they are going to achieve. There are only a few who will be willing to pay the price.

What? There is a price for success?

Let me reframe this for you; there are critical choices you must make to reach success.

“You do not pay the price of success; you enjoy the price of success.” Zig Ziglar

Many people want success. You will notice that few are willing to make the commitment, investment, and sacrifices to achieve great success. You have to be willing to be committed for the long haul and know that you need to make short-term sacrifices to get there.

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

You will have to step out of your “comfort zone” that sense of security to try new things, gain more knowledge, and even take some risks. Your comfort zone is a familiar place. You know what to expect and things are pretty good where they are but not great. You do not want to rock the boat and disrupt what you have going on. The only problem is that it is predictable and does not stretch you. You no longer anticipate what your efforts will give you because you already know. Maybe you have thought about change but are fearful of failing. If you never fail in this world, you are playing so safe, you will not learn and grow and become the person that you’ve been meant to be. Imagine what life would be like if you if you could wake up each day anticipating and being excited about what you get to do and how much you get to stretch yourself into who you need to be.

What I notice is people don’t want to raise their standards or make the sacrifices. They want the easy path. Another excuse I have heard is that I’m too busy. “Busy” is the buzzword of society but I don’t believe when people say that they’re busy that there truly being productive they may be filling their time with a number of other things. We make time for what is important to us. When we say we’re too busy, it means we don’t care or somebody or something is not important to us. I’ve even heard people say success is too expensive why should I even bother. If you really want something, you will do what it takes to be, do, or have it.

Some of the sacrifices you may need to make are:

Spending less time watching television or socializing. I know for the business owners who are into networking you may be alarmed but I want you to consider for a moment are you socializing just to go out and have drinks and eat or you being selective in your social activities to network and build relationships. I’ve been to a number of networking events where many are just there to socialize and they’re not being intentional. Could you be spending this extra time working on yourself by developing new skills or gaining more knowledge?
Cut back on eating out. Could you be making meals at home versus eating out frequently? Look around your home there are probably several things around you that you could do without.
De-clutter and sell things off. Consider selling some of the things to help you invest in yourself. If you’re married and have a family, share your dreams with other people and talk about the sacrifices that may need to be made to accomplish your dream. Don’t forget to find out what others dreams are so that you can help support them as well because as you support them they will support you. When those sacrifices come up and everyone is focused on the goal and the goal comes into focus, the sacrifices won’t seem as huge as mountains. They will be just something that you need to do on your way to success.
Change up your vacation plans. Many people today are taking staycations in order to save money. There are a number of things that you could be doing in your local area or within in our vicinity that does not cost as much as taking a flight or arranging accommodations.
Consider getting a job. Sometimes we have to swallow our pride to achieve what we want. Getting a job can help provide some of the income you need to invest in yourself. Consider the job as your investor when you reframe it this way you won’t do it begrudgingly because you know it’s going to help you get to what you want. You may have heard of people cleaning houses or delivering pizza just so that they can have some extra cash to invest in their dreams or goals.

Remember that many of the sacrifices are short term for the long-term gain. I’m not saying that you never go on vacation again or you won’t be able to eat out. What I am saying is sometimes we got to do things that others aren’t willing to do to get what we want.

Be willing to make the sacrifices and pay the price for success. When you do this you are telling the world that you know what needs to be done to achieve what you want to.

Here are 3 things that you could be doing just to focus yourself on your success:

Be different. Do what separates you from the crowd; it gives you the extra edge. You must do what others may not be willing to do. You may get up early to exercise or meditate to start your day. It may be that you are practicing your speech for the 50th time so you can master it. Perhaps you wanting to get into shape and you’ve taken up running or another form of exercise; you need to practice your craft or activity rain or shine to be the best. We’re currently watching the Olympics on TV; do you think those athletes got there by saying you know what I don’t feel like doing it today? They invested in themselves and they put in the hard work and they were dedicated to their success. Your Olympic medal is your dream and your goal. When serving others, think of ways that you can take initiative can increase the value that you deliver. Put in the work to get it- be different than all the rest.

Here is a short story – a children’s story that reminds us that you never know when success will come and we need to do what it takes.

“One day, a train was approaching the small town of Cheekyville. On the train was a strange guy with a big suitcase. He was called William Warbler – the man, not the suitcase – and he looked very common indeed. What made him most unusual, though, was the fact that whenever he needed to communicate he did it by singing opera. It didn’t matter to William whether it was simply a matter of answering a brief greeting, like ‘good day’. He would clear his voice and respond,

“Gooood dayyy to youuuuuuuu….. tooOOOO!”

It wouldn’t be unfair to say that almost everyone considered William Warbler a massive pain in the neck. No one could get a normal, spoken, word out of him. And, as no one knew how he made his living – and he lived quite simply, always wearing his same old second-hand suit – they often treated him with disdain.

They made fun of his singing, calling him ‘Don No One’, ‘Poor-Rotti’, and ‘Lazy Miserables’. William had been in Cheekyville for some years, when, one day, a rumor spread round town like wildfire: William had secured a role in a very important opera in the nation’s capital, and there were posters everywhere advertising the event.

Everyone in the capital went to see it, and it was a great success. At the end of its run – to everyone in Cheekyville’s surprise – when William was being interviewed by reporters, he answered their questions by speaking rather than singing. And he did it with great courtesy, and with a clears and pleasant voice.

From that day, William gave up singing at all hours. Now he did it only during his stage appearances and world tours. Some people suspected why he had changed, but others still had no idea, and continued believing him to be somewhat mad. They wouldn’t have thought so if they had seen what William kept in his big suitcase. It was a large stone, with a hand-carved message on it.

The message said: “Practice, my boy. Practice every second, for you never know when your chance will come.”

Little did people realize that he only got the role in the opera because the director had heard William singing while out buying a newspaper.”

Pedro Pablo Sacristán

Pay attention to the little things. The smallest task may seem mundane but if you repeat it over time it has the compound effect in assuring your success. Some people don’t like numbers so they avoid them. Knowing how much money is coming in and going out can make a huge impact on the decisions you make. Compare and contrast new ideas so that you can gain a full perspective and get creative with your approach to challenges.
Visualize your goal or dream. If you can’t see what you’re going after, how will you know when you’ve gotten there or what you need to do to accomplish it? Take time to get clear on what it is you want to achieve. If you want to climb the corporate ladder, speak to someone who’s gotten there. Ask them what it took to get there. Map out your goal or dream in detail. This is where preparation meets success. By mapping out all the details, you will be able to identify and eliminate any risks, you can identify resources and people who you need to speak with, and you are able to understand the order or sequence of milestones that you need to achieve on your journey. Truly it is not about the destination, it is who you become in the process-the

Make a commitment to yourself to regularly step out of your comfort zone because the more you get comfortable, the less open your mind is to make a change in going after what you really want in life. If you say it, start doing it. There are only so many hours in a day so the right time is now. Be willing to sacrifice what it takes to get the success that you want and soon enough you will have it.

“(You)can be as great as (you)want to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive, and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.” Vince Lombardi (adapted)

Time: 16:44 min

Keywords: Sacrifice for success, be willing to pay the price, commitment, invest in yourself, make the investment, practice, practice makes perfect, hard work, effort, dedication