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Episode 59: Painful Truths Why People Fail to Meet Their Goals

January 5, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.” – Tom Landry

Goal setting can occur at any time of the year. People seem to think that New Year’s resolutions or goals are only set when the clock strikes midnight; however, the resolutions are things that you’re wishing to happen there are no definite measurements or time frame in which you wish to achieve it. There’s no game plan. It is simply an announcement of something you wish to resolve.

Interested versus committed. Some people steer away from setting goals for the fear of truly making a commitment. One of the number one reasons that people fail to meet their goals is that they are more interested in having it happen and actually truly committed to making it happen. Commitment takes discipline, hard work, and even some sacrifice along the way. If you really want to achieve something you must maintain focus on the right things.

Focus on the wrong things. When people set goals, there are times when they set goals that they’re trying to avoid something they end up focusing on what they don’t want. As the saying goes you get more of what you focus on. If you continually put your time, attention, and focus on avoiding what you don’t want, for some reason it always seems to be there. Your focus needs to be on what you want to achieve.

TMW_PDFDon’t know what you want. Another reason people fail to meet their goal is that they lack clarity. They have never stopped and really thought about or reflect on what they truly want in their life. They didn’t think about where their career would take them were what type of legacy that they would like to leave. If you don’t know where you’re going you can end up anywhere. If you’re frustrated you need to change what you’re doing.

No action plan. Imagine getting into your car. You’re sitting behind the steering wheel you turn on the ignition. You have no idea where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. There are many people out in the world wandering with no real sense of direction and no plan. You can’t get to where you want to go if you don’t have a plan to get there. I’m not saying focus on the how initially. That’s where the clarity came in. You need to know where you want to go and as you focus on what that is. You will become a creative thinker and figure out the “how”. What will it take for you to get to where you want to be? What knowledge skills and ability you have to gain and learn? Who do you need to speak to get more information?

Cannot make a decision. Making decisions is a big part of a person success. Indecisiveness can lead to missing opportunities. Opportunities don’t wait in the wings for when you decide the time is right. People who are ready to take action will seize the opportunity. You need to be prepared to be ready. Way out the facts and trust yourself and your judgment – make a decision.

No emotional connection to the goal. I’ve seen many people set goals that have no meaning to them. Some are chasing it for material wealth and others realize they have no emotional connection to the goal that they had set. The issue is often that someone else set the goal for them. The end up self-sabotaging every action is not truly what they want and are not being true to themselves. You may have faced that internal struggle of doing things that you no longer feel that are important to you or you lack the emotional connection.

Setbacks lead to paralysis. Another painful truth about why people fail to meet their goals are that when a setback occurs they shift into an “all or nothing” thinking. They are devastated by any failure. They fail to see the lesson and self-correct quickly and move forward. These people lose motivation quickly and often give up. They need to rally and put strategies in place that when a setback occurs that they can prepare for the greatest comeback. They need to take the lessons they’ve learned with them.

Playing it safe. When you avoid taking risks you miss out on opportunities of growth and challenge. I’m not saying put all that eggs in one basket. Do your due diligence it is important. Too many people fail to take a risk because they haven’t assessed and analyzed any of the information available to them they simply just brush it off. Sometimes it takes only one action that can propel you so much farther than you ever have before if you’d only stop and take the time to learn what you need to learn and make a decisive decision.

Comparing yourself to others is a trap! The other painful truth is that comparison trap. We often catch ourselves comparing ourselves to others thinking that there is so much farther ahead – where they have the skill or something that you would like to have. Everyone in life faces challenges you are not unique in that aspect. They might not display it to the world especially through social media which is always everybody’s greatest day. Focus on your own strengths and what you have to offer. You can learn from others but don’t compare where you’re at to or someone else’s is you don’t know the other person struggle.

There is no magic wand or silver bullet to success! You need to stay driven and committed to your goals. You need to be clear on what it is you truly want, make a decision, and a plan to make it become your reality. It is time to end the frustration and disappointment of not meeting your own expectations.

We would love to have you subscribed to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get us free MP3 download 10 Surefire Strategies to Power Up Your Productivity and Performance. I would love to hear about this podcast 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. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

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: 11:20 min

Filed Under: Podcasts Tagged With: avoidance goals, commitment, commitment versus interest, comparison trap, coping strategies, effective decision making, Fail to meet goals, focus on what you do want, focus on what you don’t want, goal setting, goals, indecisiveness, lack clarity, New Year's Resolutions, no plan, painful truth about why people fail to meet goals, resolutions, SMART goals, taking a risk

EPISODE 28: COMMIT TO LIFELONG LEARNING

September 20, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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EPISODE 28: COMMIT TO LIFELONG LEARNING

For those who know me, you know that I am a constant state of learning. I’m looking up information, listening to podcasts, and I always have a book on the go. I consider myself a student for life and I want to encourage you to do the same. The world is in a constant rapid state of change and if you don’t learn and improve your skills you can become outdated very quickly.

No matter your profession whether you are an employee of an organization or business owner growing your business, you need to connect to a lifelong learning. I have gone to many conferences where you see people sign up for all the courses and webinars that are available. I wonder are they going to implement all of those things or are they caught up in the involvement of being part of those things.

54281617_sThere is a big difference between being involved in something or committing to something. You may have heard the story about bacon and eggs. The pig was committed and the chicken was involved. Those who are committed and are putting in the work are the ones who will see a return on their investment. They don’t get caught up in comparing themselves with others and other distractions to their focused on their end game and they know that these distractions will just get in their way. Being committed means that you’re invested and you are giving 100% in whatever you do.

TMW_PDFTo stop learning, is to truly get old. One of my endgames is to live 103 years old and I want to be as sharp as a tack. I know in order to do so, one of the most important things I need to be doing is to be open to learning and being interested in the world. Someone once said that if you want your life to be interesting you need to be interesting. So in order to do so, you need to try new things and learn new ways of doing things. When you start doing different things and get involved in conversations, people will find you interesting. They will be curious about what you know and want to learn more about what you have to share.

Ask for feedback. The world gives you continuous feedback. We must start shifting our thinking from failing and making mistakes is bad things and instead view them as learning opportunities. How would you know if something would not work unless you made an attempt? Recently I made my first Facebook live video and needless to say I do have room for improvement. My video went sideways literally and when I went to publish it but you didn’t realize you could delete it was turned sideways. Did it stop me from publishing the content? No, the message was important and timely and it actually calls people’s attention to it wondering what I had done. Did I learn from it? Absolutely. I’m so proud that I followed the prompting of going ahead and doing it. It was great to see the interaction and the kindness of people teaching me how to use it properly.

When you look to people you know and trust, you can learn new ways of doing things as well as seeking to improve. By asking for feedback, you are opening the door of opportunity to elevate yourself to a new level. When you hear the feedback, you have a choice whether to accept or reject it or at least entertainment. Ask yourself, “What can I learn from what was shared with me?” Get feedback from someone who’s been in your situation before. This can save you a lot of time and money is you may learn mistakes that they have previously made which you can avoid.

Find a mentor. A mentor is someone who is been in the space that you are working to achieve. They can share a variety of experiences and mistakes in which you can learn and grow from. You do not have to be on this journey all alone.

40690911 - happy couple of travelers sharing music on holidays during a travel in a train station

Get educated. So many people think that education is a formal process in the classroom. Life is education. Yes there are formal courses in which you need to grow and learn in different areas but not all education has to be within the doors of the classroom. With the Internet, there should be no excuses in committing to lifelong learning. There are so many websites with free resources in which you can fill in the gaps and hone your skills. There are programs like Coursera, Udemy, and TedTalks to guide and teach you new things from positive psychology to social media marketing. There are podcasts, YouTube videos, and articles available at your fingertips. What is most important is that you integrate what you learned how you show up in the world and what you do.

Thanks to the Internet, the excuses of needing money to get educated or purchase books or getting to classes no longer stand. You can take books out from the library for free. There is a way to get to what you want if you just into your resources. You don’t need to know everything or claim to. The most successful people know where the resources are and utilize them. They reach out to experts. They are open to new ideas and perspectives. People look for better ways to streamline what they currently do.

Get hands-on. Many people learn by doing. When you take the initiative to follow through and try new things, you create new experiences. You are actually taking action and learning as you go. You can adjust when you need to and carry-on.

Make a plan each day to learn. Take notes from articles and books that you read and decide what it is that you’re going to implement into how you show up in the world. You have everything you need to succeed truly at your fingertips and it was in the world that you live in right now it all depends on how you plan to use.

Thanks for joining us on The Millionaire Woman Show today. I would love to hear how you have committed to lifelong learning e-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com we would love to hear from you. 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: 10.36 min

Keywords:  learning, education, life is education, constant learning, commit to lifelong learning, self-improvement, pursuit of learning, practice, constant improvement, commitment, involvement, lifelong learning in nursing, lifelong learning quotes, lifelong learning plan, library, new skill, teaching, instruction, knowledge, academic skills, self-development, creative thinking, learning experience, learning opportunity, communication skills, online learning, learning strategies

 

 

Filed Under: Podcasts Tagged With: academic skills, commit to lifelong learning, commitment, communication skills, constant improvement, constant learning, creative thinking, education, instruction, involvement, knowledge, learning, learning experience, learning opportunity, learning strategies, library, life is education, lifelong learning in nursing, lifelong learning plan, lifelong learning quotes, new skill, online learning, practice, pursuit of learning, self improvement, self-development, teaching

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_sCommitment 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.

TMW_PDFclickhere.fwI 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
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!

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: 16.22 min

Filed Under: Podcasts Tagged With: 40 percent, accountability, accountability partner, be accountable, commit, commitment, face uncertainty, focus, goals, interest, mindset, navy seal, priorities, sacrifice, Sacrifice for success, success

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

EXTRAMany 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.

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

  1. 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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)

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: 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

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

3 Dream Stealing Excuses Keeping You from Living Your Best Life

April 10, 2014 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Everyone has a choice to create the happiness and the life of their dreams. Yet, few will take the initiative to actually make things happen. They come up with all the reasons they can not have what they want.

There are many excuses everything from: the dog to the kids, to my spouse or partner, to heap load of debt or no money, to I have a headache or I need to wash my hair. Think about your excuses.

How committed are you to your dream of creating a lifestyle of your dreams?

How committed are you to growing a booming well established business?

The top dream stealing excuses I have heard are:

  1. I have no money. You have gotten to where you are right now by the choices you have made. You also have the ability to make a new choice that will empower you to make even better choices. Can you make more money? Can you spend less in other places and invest what you can into your new priorities? Yes, there may be some sacrifices along the way. Here is the deal breaker. You may not like sacrifice. People tend to lower the standard of their dreams based on the amount of sacrifice they are willing to make. Are you willing to sacrifice for the short term to get the long term gain?

2.  It’s too much work or It’s too hard. It is great to share a pipe dream or look at someone and say “Wow, they just have all the luck.” I can guarantee in most cases, luck had nothing to do with it. The work did. Strong work ethic, discipline, and 18534824_mldetermination got them to where they are. No one has died from hard work. I am sure you can not only work hard but you can also work smarter than the next person. You need to create a plan. Get a mentor or hire a coach to help you. Any person who has faced great challenges knows that it takes work and a “never give up attitude” to make ideas happen. Don’t listen to the people who say you can or say “Do you really want to do that? This is your dream. This is your goal. When you decide that your commitment to your dream is stronger than your excuses, you will make your ideas and dream happen.

3. I have a spouse/partner and kids. Yes, so do I. So do many people. Does that mean you push aside your dreams and goals? Can you share your dream with your spouse/partner about your commitment and what you plan to do to make it happen? My guess is that you would probably support theirs – why not yours? Can you be a role model for your children as you chase your passions and teach them about making key decisions? It is an injustice to the world for you to hold back on your dreams. You need to show up in the world. You have a purpose and you are here to make an impact.

There can be many excuses that are holding you back from living the life of your dreams. Make a shift. Debunk the myths about what society implies you must do. Do what you know feels right. Make a decision – What is your why? What do you really want for your life or business? By making a choice to commit to what you feel you are here to do, the “how” often sorts itself out. Don’t steal your own dreams with your excuses. Choose to make the commitment to yourself. Choose to be happy and you will prosper!

How have you challenged your excuses? Please share to help others from stealing their dreams!

 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: choices, commitment, dreams come true, excuses, making a decision, making excuses, success

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