Some of my best moments of inspiration come to me while I am running on the track at the gym, driving my car, or cooking a meal. As I was running the other day, the 80’s song “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” by Dead or Alive played overhead. My legs kept their stride with the music and my thoughts drifted away to “Dead or Alive”. Dead or alive is a choice. There are people out in the world who may feel that they have hit a dead end, feel dead inside, and are not consciously living the lives they could be. Then you have the people who feel alive inside and you love to be around them. What is the biggest difference? The answer is simple. They take action. Yes, that is it. Their actions include: making the choice to be happy, making the choice to go after their dreams, and making the choice to make a difference.  Action is a choice.

There are times when I do not feel like going to the gym or ideas do not seem to be flowing when I want to write, however, I have learned that after I have hit the third lap on the track I can run and run. My blood is flowing and I feel great. Why wouldn’t I want to feel this good all the time? Same goes for my writing. Even if I sit in front of a blank piece of paper and just start writing whatever comes to my mind, eventually the ideas flow onto the paper. We all need to “step into it”. Once you get started, your mindset is transformed into an unstoppable force and ideas come quickly and easily. Make sure you have some paper or index cards nearby to capture these moments. You need to them while they are fresh or you will lose them.

Your mind and body were meant to be in motion. What gets your blood flowing? Where do you get your best ideas? Is there a song out there that gets you pumped up and ready to take action? What choice will you make today?

Enjoy…”You Spin Me  Round” Hit it …Boy hairstyles have changed.

Have you ever noticed that when you need a certain resource it tends to show up just when you’re ready for it? I had noticed Darren Hardy’s book, The Compound Effect in The Success Magazine a few times and I thought it may be a good book to add to my success library. I had listened to a podcast discussing The Compound Effect and it really piqued my interest. I knew I needed to order it. Once I received my book and CDs, I started listening to the audio of The Compound Effect immediately and I began listen to it every chance I got. Hardy’s advice and recommendations on climbing the ladder of success was like tree full of fruit is waiting to be picked. I wanted to take one of these juicy ideas and put it into practice. I decided that I would track my time and what I was doing because we all know there are several time wasters in our lives that we can curb to make our time more productive and more efficient. My time wasters are social media and e-mail. Even though these can be productive tools, they can take up a lot of time without you even realizing. I had tracked my time in the past but never so consciously.

The first day I started writing everything down I became very conscious of what I was doing. It was amazing how much more I accomplished. Not that I don’t accomplish things on a normal day but with the increased awareness, I began to acknowledge more of my accomplishments And not only did I perform better, but I started noticing how much more time I had to get the things done I wanted to including more time to spend with family and friends and give back to others.

The biggest lesson was on the second day. I had allotted time to go to the gym however, I decided to check just one more e-mail and before I knew it my gym time had elapsed to twenty five minutes instead of the hour. But because I made a commitment that I needed to go to the gym, 25 minutes was better than nothing. I realized I cheated myself out of the time that I put aside for myself. This may have happened to you. You may have thought to yourself “I’ll just do one more thing…it will be quick” only to realize that the one more thing took a lot more time than you realized. Cheating ourselves out of looking after ourselves can be harmful in the long run but with conscious decision-making and following through on our commitments we can achieve so much more.

Many people go through life going with the flow instead against the grain. Going against the grain does not mean encountering resistance. It means doing things differently than everyone else. How many people do you know who use a tracking system in their lives? Ask some people if they have tried it. Try it for yourself for the next 30 days. This exercise can be used in other areas of your life as well such as tracking how often you praise your children, your spending, your food intake, and your activity in relation to exercise. You will quickly see that you may have not been doing as much as you thought you were or perhaps you will notice a lack of harmony in certain areas in your life. When you become more conscious of the decisions that you make, you will notice improvements in the areas that you focus on. If you have felt that you are off track, the slightest adjustments will get you back on the right track.

How many people go with the flow because it’s comfortable? No one ever said that being successful would be comfortable but what I do know is that success comes to those who make slight adjustments in their course, persevere, focus on what they truly want, and enjoy the journey.

What slight adjustments have you done in your life? Do you track your progress? Are you consciously making decisions that will help you achieve your goals and desires? Let us know…

Today my daughter was outfitted with silver tracks on her smile. Yes, she has braces. For weeks, she delightfully chatted with everyone she encountered that she was going to be getting braces. Her anticipation and excitement about getting braces amazed me. I do not remember my friends or I getting excited about braces. My daughter sees a braces as a milestone in her growth and development. A sign of being a teenager. A sign of change.

Anticipated change can be very exciting. She arranged to have her best friend accompany us to the appointment for support. Thank God for girlfriends. As they were putting the braces on, she asked and asked many questions about everything that was going on. Inquisitive young lady! It is definitely important to be informed and she was not going to miss a beat…”What if this happens…what if that happens…” The hygienist smiled…”It will not be the end of the world.” The reassurance was welcomed. My daughter practiced her new smile and was as giddy as ever as she wanted to share this experience with everyone. She beamed…or shone I should say.

A few hours later, she was not beaming. Her eyes welled with tears. My daughter’s mouth was uncomfortable and she had difficulty eating. Now, she had wished she could take them off. We brainstormed solutions of comfort…milkshakes, Orange Julius, ice cream, and even french fries. Something soft or cold plus some pain relief. She kept reminding me…”I know I will get use to them and I am going to have a beautiful straight smile.” Yes, you will my darling girl, yes you will.

For many of us, change can be exciting or anxiety provoking. If we view change as a good thing and focus on the end result, our efforts do not seem as labor intensive.

Think about an area in your life or business that is undergoing change right now. What type of change is going on? Are you excited or fearful of this change? Here are some ways to help you deal with anticipated change:

Discover Your Support Systems. What people or resources do you have to help you adapt to change in your world? Make a list. Has someone gone through a similar situation?

Be Informed. Make a list of pros and cons. Ask questions about possible scenarios until you feel you have enough information. Ask others who have been in a similar situation for questions you should be asking. Asking is a sign of strength and also makes a person more confident when making decisions.

Brainstorm Solutions. When you are well-informed, you can develop plans of action to overcome any obstacles or unexpected events that may come your way.

Focus on Your End Result. Be adaptable. The path of change is not always smooth, however, when you focus on your end result, you know how great you will feel when you reach your destination and realize what you have accomplished. Visualize it, feel it, and believe it. Doesn’t it feel good? Perseverance, flexibility, and focus will be the keys to your success.

Our world is in a constant state of change. You are also evolving and changing into your greatness. Remember you are a work in progress. You do not have to take on change alone, ask for what you want and need to know, find solutions, and see your end result as completed. Don’t forget to SMILE!

I am looking forward to the end and celebration but most of all, the journey.

It had been a while since I had gone on a school fieldtrip with one of my children. I decided I would join my son’s class to an event called “Ice on Whyte”. Boy, I am glad I did. What a great time we had. I realized that all of life’s lessons are simply in the details.

The field trip started with the children being given a block of ice and a pattern to trace out with a nail. My son whispered in his friend’s ear and glanced at me with a smile – he was making his ice project for me. He worked with focus and diligence as he first traced the pattern and then chiselled away at a block of ice until it slowly started to transform. He had traced a heart and was chiselling it out of ice for me. During his chiselling he started to cry as a chunk of ice had broken off and his heart of ice was not the exact replica of what he had traced. I reassured him that it would be okay. He had never ice sculpted before so I explained to him that sculptors simply adjust the plan and fix up areas to compensate. You would never know an error or mishap occurred. My son composed himself and continued to chip away at the ice again. I was so proud of him for seeing the beauty of his work. A block of ice turned into a heart (of gold).

The kids played on a small ice slide until it was time to move on and see some of the ice sculptures in the park. Wow, they were beautiful! People from around the world came here and created these beautiful works of art. The big hit with the kids was seeing an ice sculpture of a well known Transformer – Bumblebee. What amazing detailed work.

I have adjusted the winning criteria from the ice sculpture competition to pertain to our daily lives, newsletters, and businesses. It is simply in the details. Here is what I came up with:

First Impression. Making a strong long lasting impression is something you should strive for when you network and connect with others. The first impression is a lasting one. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Let people remember you.

Utilization of Your Resources (aka Ice). How you use what you have, will determine what you get. Look into your networks and connections for people who you can help and who can help you. Can you delegate or contract some of your project work to others so you can dedicate your time to where you do your best work?

Technical skill. Do you have the knowledge or can you learn it? Is it best delegated to the experts? Commit to continuous learning to help you grow.

Attention to Details. When you pay attention to the details of your events, your emails, or your spoken word to others, you can see what sets you apart from them. Paying attention to details enables you to create your own way of doing things. It is the “little somethings” you do which make a difference. Maybe it is your follow up thank you card, phone message, or email letting people know you care.

Finished Appearance. Your confidence radiates when you walk into a room and you are well groomed, well-dressed, and you are prepared to meet new people or present your ideas.

Structural Technique. How organized and prepared are you to execute your plans?

Proportion to Symmetry. Are you providing valuable content to others or are only selling? Is it all about you or are you focus on serving others?

Design and Composition. Does your content flow? Is it well structured and chalk full of valuable information?

Creativity. Creativity is what captures the imagination of others. People will see possibilities they have not seen before when they are introduced to new ideas. New ideas generate more new ideas.

Artistic Impression. We are all artists of our own lives. We are constantly creating our lives each and every day. Can you adjust and move forward? Do not be so hard on yourself. Only the sculptor will know where the mistakes are. Keep chipping away and focus on your end result.

There are many times in our lives that our well thought out plans or intentions do not go as planned. We can get upset and stop what we are doing or we can stand up tall, re-compose ourselves, and focus on what we want as our end result. The choice is ours. By sticking with your plan, adjusting as you go, and staying focussed on your end result, you can chisel out your own dream or goal. My son’s project started with a block of ice and turned into a sculpture of a heart. The heart and effort that went into the project made the difference…the rest was simply in the details.

What details are you paying attention to so that you can chisel out your desires?