Have you ever stopped and considered what a critical part your thoughts play in your life?  I don’t mean some daydreaming ideas…I mean focused and concentrated thoughts

Being able to completely focus all of your attention is so crucial, regardless of what activity or task you must get done… because nothing great or significant can be achieved without right effort and concentration.

As well as nearly all of us have some kind of problem in the concentration of our attention.

CEO’s in business and industry, high school and college students, even professors in universities, mention of the same challenge.

It is said that the power to concentrate all your attention is vital as it stands at the very center of all mental activity. No matter from what perception we view the mind, its excellence is determined upon our power to concentrate and focus all our attention.

Concentration may be defined as being that state of mind in which the entire energies of the individual, physical as well as mental, are focused upon the thing they are doing or thinking. All actions and all thoughts NOT connected with what they are doing or thinking are kept out of the mind…

In my coaching and training I also refer to this as contemplation.

If we look at child, one of the first things we will see is the power they have in them to “pay attention or to notice things”.

When we examine the ability of adults we do so tests and process that require close concentration of attention, and we regard anyone who is able to maintain close focused and concentrated attention for long periods of time as a person of mental strength.

So real concentration may be broken down into just 2 parts:

1. The voluntary focusing of all our power and attention in the selecting of certain objects to be attended to.

2. And the ignoring of other objects which act as distractions.

But in spite of our most careful plans, there will still be distractions which we simply cannot eliminate. For example, you cannot stop the noise of planes flying over or cars driving past while you are trying to work, plan or study….but you can “ignore” them.

You cannot build a fence around the thoughts and focus of your mind so as to keep out unwanted and irrelevant ideas… the best thing you can do is to accept the inevitable that the presence of some distractions will always exist, and to realize that in order to concentrate and pay attention properly, it is necessary to form the habit of ignoring these distractions.

Think of it like this…by focusing on one thing, you automatically keep your attention away from something else.  For everything you do, you also do not do a thousands things.  For every thought you concentrate on you release 10,000 thoughts.

How can you do this?

You can simply start out by making a strong determined effort to ‘ignore’ all distractions… practice ignoring them, and try your best not to let a slip occur.  I hesitate to use the word ‘ignore’, because in order to ignore something you have recognize it’s there.  However to begin with the term ‘ignore’ will work.  Just keep in mind that the goal is to focus not ignore.

At the same time, exercise your mental strength and develop an interest in the object/subject you’re concentrating on.  We tend to pay more attention to those things in which we are most interested.

It’s easy for any one to say, “concentrate”… but you need to know exactly how to concentrate. Remember that to concentrate is merely the act of applying your entire body and mind, to the task or action in hand. Every effort of the mind, whether it’s to…

• Perceive something
• Recollect something
• Associate something
• Imagine something
• Even to judge something

must all involve some concentration of the faculties of the mind upon that particular action, task or act, whatever it may be!

As you start to develop an intense interest in your topic, you’ll develop the mental strength habit of ignoring distractions – you will be able to concentrate your powers of attention with less and less effort and increase your personal empowerment.

Another important fact to note is that as you develop the power to select subjects for the concentration of all your attention, you also develop (at the same time) other mind power processes – you’ll improve the ability to memorize and recall much more, to fine tune and manage better your time and effort.

At least this is one way…the other way to improve recall is using the “learning state.”  With either sate concentration is required.

As your mental strength increases through concentration the ability to control your future thoughts and actions will be enhanced as well.

Developing your metal strength and to concentrate and focus all your attention means developing power in all the mental processes.

In summary…

The top two key factors for concentration

1. Selecting and focusing on what is most important to you, and disregarding what is not… and also knowing which tasks and jobs have top priority.

2. Identify what is most important and essential to you (W.I.N.  – What’s Important Now) – and try to filter out everything else.

These are the two main steps towards developing strong concentration, metal strength and personal success.

The e-book, “Develop the Mental Strength of a Warrior” goes into this is more detail and if you’d like to have some personal assistance with concentration request a Introductory Consultation session.

Now let me hear from you in the comments below.

More from Warrior Mind Coach

• 40 Powerful Mental Strength Quotes for Personal Empowerment
• Persistence vs. Consistency for Personal Success
• Hypnosis, Imagery and Personal Success

Warrior Mind Coach Recommends

• The Weight Loss Mindset  (Nutrition Resolution)
• A Healthy Weight, the Intuitive Way  (Nutrition Resolution)
• (4/2010) The Mind: A Powerful Source Of Change  (Basil and Spice | Mind & Body)

This post was inspired by Dennis Merritt Jones

Every day, each of us makes a multitude of choices that will impact our lives…the quality of our choices will dictate whether we will struggle in frustration or live an extraordinary life—the life of our dreams. ~ Debbie Ford

In her great book “The Right Questions”, author Debbie Ford titles the second chapter, “Waking Up from Autopilot.” This is precisely the task we encounter if we desire to live an exceptional life founded in healthy, life-affirming choices. As we consider the world these days, it might appear that nearly all mankind exists at the level frozen on autopilot, essentially unaware that the decisions we make each and every moment of every day, individually as well as jointly, establish our experiences in this world.

This really is self-evident with the zombie-like harm being done to our environment as well as ecosystem, and maybe much more so through turmoil among people around the world.

Whenever we don’t use our mental strength and function on autopilot, the inclination is to live unconsciously, self-servingly, and reactively instead of proactively. As a species, one could state we’ve created more than several brainless choices. I find this intriguing given the fact that the opportunity to make conscious choices is among the primary things that separate us from every other Inhabitant on the planet. The good news is it’s not too late to learn that we can choose again.

The point is that mindful choices start with becoming conscious. We know the phrase “Think globally, act locally.” What this implies to me is that to be able to influence positive change in the world, we must first start with ourselves. To individualize this idea, I’d like to ask you these questions:

• Can you remember everything that you put into your body yesterday?
• Alternatively, do you remember precisely what came out of your mouth?
• Can you recollect the particular way in which you chose to communicate with and treat everyone you had contact with yesterday?  
• Do you remember the instant you considered (or avoided thinking about) doing your workout program and the action you took (or didn’t take) to follow through?
• Can you remember the day you made the decision to attend college or not to?
• To purchase or sell your house or not to?
• To have children or not to, to take or leave a job or not to?
• To enter or exit a relationship or not to?

From the seemingly commonplace choices we make daily to the colossal, once-in-a-lifetime choices we make, they all have one thing in common: they define who we believe ourselves to be.

A different way to evaluate it could possibly be to say that regardless of the levels, each and every choice we make leads us closer to or further away from being the person we wish to be and our personal success (however we each define it). The more conscious we are in the choices we make, the clearer we are on whom we are. Our flexibility to decide is that powerful!

Think about the concept that whenever we come to an intersection while driving our car, the decision regarding which way we turn can literally determine exactly what happens next in our life. The metaphor is that our lives are always at an intersection. You are at an intersection right now…which way is your life inclined to go?

My question for you today is profoundly simple, but also intensely meaningful: How conscious will you be of the choices you make today? Will you turn right or left…or continue on the same road you have been traveling? This mental strength questions are imperative to ponder for your own sake, personal empowerment and personal success, as well as for your family, your friends and your community.

It’s time to wake up and take our lives off autopilot!

Where can you begin? Commit to using your mental strength and make conscious choices for the next twenty-four hours. Begin with the next thought you have that necessitates a choice of any kind. It doesn’t matter what it is, use your mental strength and challenge it.

In your mind, fast forward and review the consequences of that choice. Will you be truly at peace with the consequences, or resent yourself later for the choice you made? Regardless of the scope or scale of the choices you make today, ask yourself if the consequences of the choices are ones that serve you, as well as others, in an affirmative manner. In other words, does this choice affirm a whole and fulfilling life for you and harm no one in any way, shape, or form? Most importantly, work diligently at creating space for the loving presence of your Higher Self to be revealed and then listen because that voice is always available. You will know what choice to make.

Let me know what choices you’re going to make in the comments below.

More from Warrior Mind Coach

• The Power Concentration for Personal Success
• 20 Methods to Increase Your Confidence
• 3 Mental Strength Steps to Find Your Path

Warrior Mind Coach Recommends

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• Decide On Your Brand and Move Forward  (The Chris Voss Show)
• What It Takes To Improve Your Life (4/2010)  (Basil and Spice | Mind & Body)

This is a follow-up to Part I of my post on Action vs. Delay

My coaching, ICA, has been such a great inspiration and source of information for this post, I’d like to thank them again!

In order to achieve a goal and personal success, we must be ready willing and able to take action. Without consistent and persistent action, the goal will not be achieved. It is for this reason that action is at the heart of my coaching practice.

Action is described in the dictionary as ?”the process of doing something in order to achieve a purpose.” Action is extremely powerful and is the catalyst used in my coaching to create change and personal empowerment. It is important for us to recognize that nothing happens without action. In order for us to achieve different results in our lives, we must DO things differently.

To create change in our lives and move forward in achieving personal success, we must take action. We can spend our entire lives dreaming, thinking, planning and preparing to accomplish our goals, but without action, those goals and dreams will never be anything more than a desire. It is true that we must first know what it is that we want to accomplish before we can move forward but in order to get from point A to point B, our success essentially comes down to acting on our knowledge and plans and taking the steps necessary to move forward. By taking action, we create the movement that is necessary to make things happen.

If we look at action as an accelerating force that moves or pulls us forward, we can also look at delay as an accelerating force that pulls us back and keeps us stuck. Delay works in opposition to action. There are many factors that feed each of these forces. A Native American story illustrates this concept:

A Native American elder once described his own inner struggles to a friend.

“Inside every man there are two wolves.

The Bad wolf is mean and angry.

The Good wolf is good and kind.

The Bad wolf fights the Good wolf all day.”

When asked by the friend which wolf wins, the elder reflected for a moment and replied,

“The one we feed the most.”

Just as in this story the Bad wolf fights the Good wolf; delay opposes or “fights” action. The better we can manage the decelerating force of delay, the more acceleration and momentum we will experience in moving forward.

Self Application

Sometimes we feel that being in action all the time is too exhausting, even not possible. How many times have you heard someone say that they can‘t be in action all the time, that it is just not natural?

We may convince ourselves that being in action is not always possible. Let‘s look at what being in action looks like. Being in action doesn‘t only mean running marathons, climbing mountains, acquiring businesses, finding a partner, We can sometimes feel that action is huge and therefore must be about physical movement and that movement must be huge or we are just not successful or moving forward. This is not the case.

A small thought can create a huge shift which in turn can change our whole life. This is action. Reading, thinking, meditating, reflecting, writing, talking, coaching, walking, mentoring- all of these steps create movement and movement is action. Sure we can talk and talk and not move forward, but with a good coach this is not possible. All of these steps require us to want and to be open to moving forward. They all then become forward movements. This is action.

However we often confuse action with the achievement of a goal or the outcome of a goal. The huge achievements above, marathons, etc are not an action step. They are a total of action steps. You don‘t win a marathon by waking up and going to the track and winning. It has planning, training and great thought put into it. When we are not in action we often think of these goal outcomes as the next step, so we don‘t get started. The end result is not the action that needs to occur right now. We have that end result as a guide, a vision, a dream, a goal, not an action step. Imagine the role of parenting for a moment to see the role of action.

A new baby is born. The first thing the parent wants is the child to be healthy not to be able to walk and talk instantly. Over several years the progress of a child is celebrated, every action is recorded- a little smile, a grin, the first mouthful of food, and so on. Until after many years the child is walking and talking. Yet as adults we may expect to achieve years of action steps in the next ten minutes. We live in times of immediacy. We want success now. What ever happened to the training we had as children, to celebrate each step and to be present and enjoy the moment. Action is the process, the goal is the outcome. By entering the process, you are in action. The process is fundamental to the achievement of the goal. It is the path to growth, learning, self esteem and confidence. It is action.

Delay is being afraid, worrying, getting stressed, feeling tense, uncertain. Action is certainty.

So what causes delay?

If we know that action creates the results that we desire, why do we delay things?

People get stuck when their fear, limiting beliefs, commitments, judgments or Underlying Beliefs (UBs) are greater than their motivation to move forward in action.

Fear- It is fear that steps in the way and prevents us from moving forward. This fear may stem from many causes. Some of us fear failure. We may fear making mistakes. Others may fear success or change. The way fear impacts us is that it literally freezes us. It turns us into a hard frozen block, giving us no flexibility or flowing movement. If you take this analogy even further fear makes us cold, rigid and static. We dare not alter the temperature or the environment as it could cause a meltdown. But we must move forward and the only way to do this is that we have to change. We must open ourselves to moving forward. We must recognize that the fear is greater than the change. We must make a shift. We must take one step forward….this will create personal empowerment.

Limiting beliefs/ Judgments- It can be our own limiting beliefs or judgments that hold us back from being in action. For example – we may believe that we don‘t deserve to achieve a particular goal; we may believe that we are not smart enough; we may judge the financial gain that comes with success as “bad‘; we may have a belief in futility, so we take the attitude of why bother, it won‘t work. We may believe that we will never amount to much and accept this belief. To move forward we first need to understand what our beliefs are. How do they impact the way we think and believe?

Commitment – If we are not committed to taking action then we just don‘t. You know that familiar story of “Tomorrow I am going to join the gym.” Yet it never happens. If we are not committed to joining the gym then we won‘t achieve the first action step to doing it. Tomorrow comes; we wake up and convince ourselves of all the reasons why we shouldn‘t go to the gym. Perhaps for some reason we have come to believe that the goal of going to the gym should be our goal. We see others achieving it, we know it is good for us, but it just isn‘t happening. We are not committed to this action. Instead of beating ourselves up over not achieving going to the gym we should look at what is the action that we want to take to move forward.

UBs or behavioral patterns- Whether we are aware of it or not, a certain pattern of behavior that is so automatic to ourselves may be hindering us from taking action. This behavior is so much a part of us that we don‘t and may not be able to see it. For example, an underlying beliefs might be to be unsuccessful; to feel safe; to not become responsible or “blamed” for something; or to avoid “failing” at something from the very start therefore taking no action. Just writing down some of our behavior patterns around achieving action can move us forward. Another list could contain all the behaviors we take when we delay.

Next week I’ll finish up with action vs. delay.

My e-book, “Develop the Mental Strength of a Warrior” can assist you tremendously in moving from delay to action.  If you’d like to experience Coaching for Success request your Introductory Consolation.

Please let me know your thoughts so far on this series on the comments below.

More from Warrior Mind Coach

• Truth vs. Fraud – Part I
• Action vs. Delay – Part I
• Respect vs. Invalidation – Part II

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• Goals, Goal Setting and Success – 5 Part Series: Actions, Part III  (Doalittlebit.com)
• What It Takes To Improve Your Life (4/2010)  (Basil and Spice | Mind & Body)

Objective of this Mental Strength Tip

To help you realize that some of your thought processes, habits, philosophies and behaviors are unsupportive and hampering your level of success, fulfillment and happiness.

Let’s Get Started          

What does it mean to you to “grow up” emotionally and what would you have to do to move to the next level of psychological charity?

Often in the heat of a situation we revert back to the emotions we know best.  Sure we try to hide them behind a façade, but the bottom line is often when under pressure we let our emotions get the best of us.  We used phrases like “all the time”, “every time” “you always” when we get upset.  These universal qualifiers are the same a child uses. 

Thinking back to some of your most recent situations were you “lost it” consider the Big Question and journal your responses or share it in the comments below.    

Questions to Uncover Beliefs about Emotional Maturity

• What is the primary difference between the way adolescents and adults process the world?
• How about when it comes to fear?
• What does “growing up” emotionally mean to you?

Unsupportive Beliefs about Emotional Maturity

• Since I’m an adult in chronological terms I automatically think like an adult
• Physical maturity and emotional maturity or one in the same
• I’m already emotionally mature.  Further growth is unnecessary

Supportive Beliefs about Emotional Maturity

• I only focus on the events and circumstances I can control
• I operate out of objective reality.  The world is what it is
• The more competent I become at controlling my emotions, the more personal successful I’ll achieve and I’ll be fulfilled and happy

Outrageous Questions

• When you experience rejection, is your emotional response more like an adult or child?
• Have you ever responded emotionally like a child and caught yourself doing it?
• What percentage of the time to respond a mostly like an adult?

I use the term child here to get your attention.  As adults we almost never want to acknowledge that we behave like a child.  But if you’re honest and take a closer look you’ll find specific situations were you could have handled it better right? 

Go ahead and write these questions and answer in your personal success journal…believe me it will help with your personal empowerment.

Reflective Questions

• Do you understand the distinction between adults and childlike emotional responses?
• What can you do remind yourself that verse situations to grow up and stop reacting to events like the child?
• How can I help keep you on track in this area without being a nuisance for offending you?

Coaching Mental Strength

My goal here is to increase your level of awareness as relates to your emotional “maturity” and to recognize supportive and unsupportive responses.  Again I would ask you go through all the questions and keep this concept in mind when you answer them and to keep this awareness on a regular basis.  After a while this will become a part of your everyday analysis

Final Thought

The average person does not have the mental strength to respond to adversity with a warrior mindset.  The idea presented here of “growing up” is easy to understand and a little in-your-face.  The bluntness of the expression is to quickly gain your attention. 

The key is…how will you respond?

Are you ready for the task for developing mental and emotional strength or you will deny this opportunity for personal development and quickly discount this post by expressing “BS!”?  

If you’d like some assistance with the development of your mental and emotional strength request your Introductory Consolation

More from Warrior Mind Coach

• The 6 Principles of Mental Strength
• Mental Strength Tip # 1
• 3 Mental Strength Steps to Find Your Path

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We finish up our discussion about visualization in this podcast by discussing:

• Techniques vs. End Goal
• 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd person perspective
• Clearing the Past
• Associated and disassociated
• Rapport with the Unconscious 

This information will assist you in achieving your personal success developing mental strength and enhance your personal empowerment.

Please let me know your thoughts and other topic ideas in the comment section below.

More from Warrior Mind Coach

• Warrior Mind Podcast – Visualization vs. Imagery
• Warrior Mind Podcast – Episode 8
• Warrior Mind Podcast – Episode 7 – Review of "Inception"

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Quotes can be much then a source of inspiration and motivation.  When used as a contemplation or affirmation they can be transforming!

With the Labor Day weekend here and most of us have a long weekend this would be a great time for some focused contemplation and affirmations….or as Tony Robbins says describes them “incantations.” 

To give a brief overview of each so you’ll be able to experience the power of the below mental strength quotes here are the basics.

Contemplation – focusing on a single thought and asking questions about how this quote applies or can apply to your life.  The contemplation should last 5 minutes and ONLY focus on a single quote and deeply think about it’s meaning, what it means to you, how you can use it, how it can help you.  Keep creating deeper questions.   If you can answer the question quickly go deeper.  At some point you should “stump” yourself and have to wait for the answer.  This is contemplation. 

Affirmation/Incantations – Again, select one quote and repeat is out loud (to yourself) with emotion.  This is not a simple memorization process; this is to create energy, passion and new belief.  Also, select a different word to emphasize.  Say that you select “Men’s best successes come after their disappointments.”  For the first 5 times you say it out loud with energy on the entire phrase.  Then emphasize the word “men’s”, for 5 times, then “best”, and so forth until you have repeated the entire phrase.  I find this process very inspirational when I talk a walk.  

If you really want to experience a shift this weekend, combine the contemplation and affirmations.  Perform the contemplation first thing in the morning for 5 minutes.  Then go out for a walk and use the same quote and perform your incantations.

I guarantee you feel a difference.

So…here are 40 very powerful mental strength quotes for personal empowerment and personal success.  

1. Try not to become a man of success but a man of value. – Albert Einstein

2.  If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them. – Henry David Thoreau

3.  Inspiration and genius–one and the same. – Victor Hugo

4.  To find what you seek in the road of life, the best proverb of all is that which says: “Leave no stone unturned.” – Edward Bulwer Lytton

5.  If you would create something, you must be something. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

6.  Every artist was first an amateur. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

 7.  The more difficulties one has to encounter, within and without, the more significant and the higher in inspiration his life will be. – Horace Bushnell

 8.  Life has no smooth road for any of us; and in the bracing atmosphere of a high aim the very roughness stimulates the climber to steadier steps, till the legend, over steep ways to the stars, fulfills itself. – W. C. Doane

9.  Do we not all agree to call rapid thought and noble impulse by the name of inspiration? – George Eliot

10.  No great man ever complains of want of opportunities. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

11.  Men do less than they ought, unless they do all they can. – Thomas Carlyle

 12.  Men’s best successes come after their disappointments. – Henry Ward Beecher.

13.  Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true. – Leon J. Suenes

14.  The power of imagination makes us infinite. – John Muir

 15. First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. – Epictetus

16. It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, “Always do what you are afraid to do.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

17. Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash. – George S. Patton

18. If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes. – St. Clement of Alexandra

19. We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided each by a private chart, of which there is no duplicate. The world is all gates, all opportunities. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

20. Seek the lofty by reading, hearing and seeing great work at some moment every day. – Thornton Wilder

 21. The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible. – Arthur C. Clarke

 22. Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant. There is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks. – Johann Gottfried Von Herder

 23. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. – Aristotle

24. Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need. – Voltaire

25. If the wind will not serve, take to the oars. – Destitutus ventis, remos adhibe – Latin Proverb

 26. Experience is the child of thought, and thought is the child of action. – Benjamin Disraeli

 27. You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind. – Author Unknown

 28.  The best way out is always through. – Robert Frost

 29. o not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking. – William B. Sprague

 30. Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome. – Samuel Johnson

 31.  Fortune favors the brave. – Publius Terence

 32. hen the best things are not possible, the best may be made of those that are. – Richard Hooker

33. He who hesitates is lost. – Proverb

 34.  Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. – Albert Einstein

35. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 36.  We are still masters of our fate. We are still captains of our souls. – Winston Churchill

 37. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

38. For hope is but the dream of those that wake. – Matthew Prior

39. Constant dripping hollows out a stone. – Lucretius

40. Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose–a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye. – Mary Shelley

Please let me know how you plan to use these quotes, or if you have a favorite of your own in the comments below….and enjoy the long weekend….you deserve it!

More from Warrior Mind Coach

• The Power Concentration for Personal Success
• Mental Strength Tip #3 – Controlling Emotions
• Mental Strength and Self-Discipline

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It can be done when you believe it can….

It’s known as a “self-fulfilling prophecy” whenever something happens simply because we think it will. Your mind is built to ensure that it continuously looks to manifest into physical reality the things it acknowledges most. The majority of us will never understand the enormous potential we possess-because we’re unwilling to believe that we can achieve things that other people consider are impossible. “Impossible” tasks demand extra effort and greater focus, but when they’re finished, the rewards and personal success, i.e. financial and psychic, are proportionate with the work required. You may not be able to achieve everything you’d like, but you won’t accomplish anything unless you believe you can.

And when you come across a situation that you are absolutely positive that can’t be accomplished or solved you need to put it out of your mind immediately and forever.   Think of it as the mental strength task of “closing a door.”

Here’s what Dr. Napoleon Hill has to say about ‘Door Closing’

“Consider the rather serious problems which arise in one’s mind in connection with disappointments and failures of the past, and the broken hearts that occur as the result of the loss of material things or the loss of friends or loved ones.

Self-discipline is the only real solution for such problems. It begins with the recognition of the fact that there are only two kinds of problems: those you can solve, and those you can’t solve.

The problem which can be solved should immediately be cleared by the most practical means available, and those which have no solution should be put out of your mind and forgotten.

Let us think, for a minute, about this process of forgetting. Refer to it as closing the door on some unpleasantness which is disturbing your emotional equilibrium. Self-discipline, which means mastery over all emotions, can enable you to close the door between yourself and the unpleasant experience of the past. You must close the door tightly and lock it securely, so that there is no possibility of its being opened again. This is the way to treat unsolvable problems, too. Those who lack self-discipline often stand in the doorway and look wistfully backward into the past, instead of closing the door and looking forward into the future.

This door closing is a valuable technique. It requires the support of a good, strong will, and you have a strong will if you have the departments of your mind organized and under the control of your ego, as they should be.

Door closing does not make you hard, cold or unemotional, but it does require firmness. Self-discipline cannot permit lurking memories of sad experiences, and it wastes no time worrying over problems which have no solution. You cannot yield to the temptation to relive your unhappy memories, for they destroy your creative force, undermine your initiative, weaken your imagination, disturb your faculty of reason, and generally confuse the departments of your mind.

You must place the power of your will against the door that shuts out that which you wish to forget, or you do not acquire self-discipline. This is one of the major services self-discipline can perform for you. It closes the door tightly against all manner of fears, and opens wide the doors of hope and faith!

Self-discipline closes the door against jealousy, hatred, revenge, greed, anger and superstition, and opens the door to friendship, goodwill, confidence and love.

Self-discipline look forward, not backward. It roots out discouragement and worry and other negative emotions. And it not only encourages the positive emotions, but it forces them to come before the faculty of reason every time they express themselves so that they, too, may be kept under control.

Self-discipline makes your mind strong. It enables you to take possession of your mind and exercise your God-given right to control your mental attitude. You do not have real self-discipline until you organize your mind and keep it clear of all disturbing influences. Every principle of this philosophy must function through your mind, and self-discipline, which keeps your mind orderly, is the controlling factor in this process of becoming successful”. - Source: PMA Science of Success. Pgs. 286-288.

I often find in my coaching that many clients think that self-discipline restricts them of their freedom.  Just the opposite is true.  When you have the mental strength and self-discipline to adhere to a task or structure you free up other ‘space’ to be creative.

Think if this….a long winding river with deep strong banks.  The banks provide the discipline and structure so that the river can free flow around and about.  If the structure of the banks were not there the river would flow everywhere without ‘purpose’ and perhaps even cause damage to nearby homes, gardens and people.

My challenge for you is to create personal development plan to create structure and self-discipline in ONE area of your life and execute this plan for 30 days.  Then take a look at this area and see how far you’ve come.

I’d like to hear about your plan, please share it in the comments below.

If you’d like some assistance with this request an Introductory Consultation

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Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan press on has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” — Calvin Coolidge – 30th president of the United State.

Persistence Defined:

Dictionary.com gives one definition of Persistence as “the continuance of an effect after its cause is removed.”

Most people are not persistent and this definition explains why.

Think about this…you’re 10 pounds overweight (the ‘cause’) and you decide to take up a fitness program (the ‘effect’).  In a few months you succeed in losing the weight….you feel good about this and you stop your program.

Then in 6 months your back to being 12 pounds overweight and you do the same thing again and again and again.

Why?

Lack of persistence!

Once the ‘cause’ was eliminated (the excessive pounds) the ‘effect’ stopped (the working out)

If there you had persistence, your exercise program would have continued past the point of losing the weight.

Now let’s look at consistency

Again, dictionary.com defines consistency as “steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form, etc.”

Taking the above exercising example, you were consistent in getting to the gym, but once you lost the weight you were not persistent with the exercise program.

Do you see the big difference in the two? You can, at some level, have consistency but not have persistence.  But you can’t have persistence without consistency.

Let’s look at achieving a goal of making $100,000 a year by starting your own business.

You set-up a business plan, a marketing strategy and you start to let the word know about your product or service.  You market on a very regular consistent basis and within a year you hit your goal!  You’re making $100,000/year!

Then what happens?

Most people will pull back on the marking thinking that momentum will take it from here.  This may be true, but only for awhile.  Without persistence (continuing the marketing plan after you’ve hit your goal) you’re revenue will drop off.

Just as fear is a prerequisite for courage, mental strength is a prerequisite for perseverance. It takes mental strength to continue PAST to point of success.  Simply measuring how long someone sticks with a task until they reach their personal success doesn’t capture the true essence of perseverance.

Persistence and Personal Success

The formula of 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration applies to consistency and it great up to the point of reaching your personal success goal.   But this formula needs to be modified to add variable of persistence. I would say that constancy X persistence = personal fulfillment.  And personal fulfillment is the achievement of a goal and moving beyond that goal to something great.

This can only be done by combining constancy and persistence.

Since consistency is a prerequisite for persistence lets look at some aspects of consistency.

Consistency and Mental Strength

In general people with a higher level of mental strength will be consistent in tackling a difficult task to the point of success. This seems intuitive. If you believe you are a capable person with a good chance of succeeding at most things, you are less likely to quit.

What seems less intuitive is the following finding: People tend to be consistent longer at solving problems when they are told that what they are doing is difficult as opposed to easy.

Why?

Failing at a task that everyone else finds easy can be humiliating and damaging to mental strength and personal empowerment. In contrast, there is minimal shame when one fails a widely acknowledged difficult task (Starnes & Zinser, 1983; Frankel & Snyder, 1978)

A destructive compromise is self-handicapping.  This is a detrimental byproduct for failing to be consistent. Most often the term is used in the context of a failure to be consistent at practice or in preparation for a major task or event.  Golf is a great example of this.

Developing Persistence

The following exercises for building mental strength capability of consistency were adapted from a list provided by psychologist Jonathan Haidt at the University of Virginia:

• Finish a project ahead of time.
• Notice your thoughts about stopping a task, and make a conscious effort to dismiss them. Focus on the task at hand.
• Begin using a time management aid of some sort (a palm pilot, a daily planner, etc.). Find a system that works and actually use it.
• Set a goal and create a plan for sticking to it.
• When you wake up in the morning, make a list of things that you want to get done that day that could be put off until the next day. Make sure to get them done that day.

So now that we’ve briefly gone over consistency how would I describe persistence?

Very easy….”Start Strong and Finish Stronger ™”!

Now it’s your turn….let me know your thoughts in consistency and persistence in the comments below.

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 Here are some great mental strength tips from Jon Gordon  

9 Ways to Beat Negativity

1. Tell yourself a positive story. Life is a story. The story we tell ourselves and the role we play in that story determines the quality and direction of our life. Successful people are able to overcome adversity by telling themselves a more positive story than the rest. Instead of a drama or a horror movie, they define their life as an inspirational tale. Instead of being the victim, they see themselves as a fighter and over-comer. You may not be able to control the economy, but you can influence the outcome of your story.

2. Model yourself after success. Are there people in your industry succeeding today? Of course there are. Seek out those people in your industry and ask to meet with them. Learn from their advice and model their attitudes and actions. If they can succeed, so can you.

3. Focus on the important stuff. Tune out the negative voices and start making positive choices. What are you doing on a daily basis to grow yourself, your team, and your business? Don’t focus on the negative things other people and the media are saying. Instead, focus on marketing your business, taking care of clients, and building loyal relationships. Every morning ask yourself this question: “What are the three most important things I need to do today that will help me create the success I desire?” Then take action on those items.

4. Replace “have to” with “get to.” This simple word swap can change your mind-set and your approach to work and life. It turns a complaining voice to an appreciative voice, and acknowledges that life is a gift—not an obligation. So often we grudgingly say things like “I have to go to this meeting,” “I have to meet with this client,” or “I have to make a bunch of phone calls.” In reality, it’s not about what we have to do. It’s about what we get to do. Research shows that when we practice gratitude, we get a measurable boost in happiness that energizes us and enhances our health. It’s also physiologically impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same time.

5. Refuse to participate in the recession. Professionals who’ve thrived during past recessions continued to go about business as usual regardless of market conditions. They worked hard and focused on taking actions to grow their business. As others are paralyzed by fear, take the opportunity to charge forward.

6. Boost your marketing and advertising. It may seem counterintuitive to spend more money on advertising and marketing right now. But with so many of your competitors cutting back in these areas, this is a great opportunity to build your brand and gain market share. People are still buying and selling, and they will buy from those whom they trust and see in the marketplace.

7. Create a positive vision. Instead of being disappointed about where you are, make the decision to be optimistic about where you are going. Create a positive vision for your future and the future of your team. Vision helps you see the road ahead and it gives you something meaningful and valuable to strive towards.

8. Invite others on your bus. Invite colleagues and customers to board your bus for a positive ride. Send them an e-bus ticket at The Energy Bus. Share your vision with team members and ask them to join you in making this vision a reality. Be a positive influence.

9. No more complaining. Abide by the “no complaining” rule. When you realize you’re about to complain, replace your thoughts and words with positive actions. Let your complaints help you identify what you don’t want so that you can focus on what you do want. The key is to turn complaints into solutions.

What strategies do you utilize to deal with negativity? Share your tips in the comments below.

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The power of action is to bring about progress.

“Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace, and power in it.” – Goethe

Goethe has said it beautifully and in this post we’ll expand on this.

I’d like to thank ICA one more time for their inspiration and assistance with this post.

In order to achieve a goal, we must first conceive the idea, create a plan and know what it is we want. Having the idea is the first step in creating what we want. We then must create a personal plan of action that will make it possible for us to reach the goal. But this is not enough, it doesn’t stop just there. The only thing that will move us forward beyond a strong desire to our personal success is action…and usually massive action

Action is the single thing that will bring about results. We can have a great idea, but ideas without action are worthless. We can have the best and most well thought-out plan in the world, but if we do not take action, the plan is not worth the paper it is written on. Taking action is the only thing that will get us closer to our goals. By taking action, we create the movement that is necessary to make things happen.

You’re probably reading this and thinking, “So what? I know this.”

I think we all know this: Action creates results. The problem is that somehow just knowing it isn’t enough. Knowing that we need to take action and actually taking action are two different things. Most people know what they need to do; it is the not doing that gets in the way.

If we all know that action creates results, then why don’t we take the actions we know we need to take? What happens to many of us is that fear steps in the way and stops us from moving forward. Some of us fear failure, are too disappointed to move on, or fear making mistakes. We may have all the good reasons to fear all of these issues. Our thinking may be along the lines of “when we begin to make changes, we might experience failure and disappointment, and make mistakes.”

If you want to make changes in your life, you will have to face fear and build your mental strength. When we honestly accept this, it makes it a little easier to move forward. When we begin to make changes, we might face disappointment. Do not worry. No one has died of disappointment yet, so expect it but move on. Finally, when we begin to make changes, we might make mistakes along the way. Celebrate the mistakes because it means you are moving forward and get on with it! Once you realize that facing failure, disappointment and making mistakes are all part of bringing about change, you can be prepared to move forward and take action.

Remember, if we want to create something new, we must take action. Having a great idea and a well thought-out plan are not enough. Action is the only thing that will move us forward.

As we act and create change, we will have to deal with fear, disappointment and mistakes.  You can also think of these as “results”…they might not be the results you were looking for, but they are results never the less.  Think of this as simply a part of the process. Embrace it and move on. Become good at facing your results. Accept disappointment and learn from your mistakes. This is all part of learning the many lessons which life offers.

Contemplation

1. What action do you need to take right now to move your life forward?

Post your answer in the comments below or in your personal success journal.

Why take action?

In action there is life because life is dynamic, active, full of movement and progress.

Motion creates emotion and new circumstances and awareness which allow us to experience life fully.

Without action we may observe and experience life from a passive rather than an active position, in the same way a spectator watches a sporting event from afar. Sometimes, observation and inaction can be very powerful for moments of enlightenment. But if indulged, it can become boring very quickly, and also lead to apathy and stagnation.

Obviously what we all need is synergy in life.

In my coaching practice, sometimes I find that the only thing my client needs is Action. Not strategies, not the right action, not validation, not even results.

Just action…or as Nike says “Just Do It!”

Action get’s them unstuck.

What causes delay?

When delay occurs, it is most likely because we have some kind of belief, judgment or Underlying Automatic Commitment (UAC) that is holding us back. Whether we see it or not, a UAC may be hindering us from taking action. For example, an underlying automatic commitment might be to be unsuccessful, to feel safe, to not become responsible or “blamed” for something; or to avoid “failing” at something from the very start therefore taking no action.

We use these belief structures to hold us back from taking responsibility and from taking action and our personal success. But these beliefs are based on fear and the only way to overcome them is to think clearly through the false reasoning of fear itself. The only way around fear is to move through it.

Techniques for Action

Here are some mental strength methods to help shift from inaction or Delay, to Action.

• Goal Setting and Specificity

Sometimes all that is missing is an inspiring goal.  Many times when I help paint an exciting future for my clients and they create a future pull and “automatically” move forward. Something I use another technique to help my clients move forward and that is to create a pathway. If my client can see what major steps need to be taken, and where they need to start, it’s much easier to begin – it may even make the goal seem doable or achievable.

I help my client break a goal down into small and manageable pieces. Every goal has sub goals, which are steps that need to be taken in order to reach the final goal. I help my client create a structure with the necessary steps to be taken. Often times, the larger goal may seem overwhelming. But once the goal is broken down into manageable steps, my client can simply follow each step towards the final completion of the goal.

• Address Fears

Examine the underlying fears and help my client create an personal empowerment and a new perspective.

I assist my clients to overcome their fears by tackling whatever seems to stay in the way of their progress.

Address Underlying Automatic Commitments (UACs)

• Is there a UAC sabotaging the stated goal? Is the client committed to failing?
• Avoiding failure?
•       Success?
• Is the client trying to prove their unworthiness?
• How about just seeking sympathy?
• Or trying to stay “safe” by avoiding something?

• Set up Accountability

Set up accountability – particularly using structures – to empower a person or a relationship. By holding someone accountable to an action they promised to take, may be all that is required to keep them in Action.

• Create a shift in Perception

I often help my client create a new and different way of looking at a situation. I usually do this by asking a question, pointing out a different point of view, or creating a compelling vision.

Here are a few ideas that I use to support my client in creating a shift in perception:

• You could die tomorrow; if you did would you regret not doing this?
• What would you do if you had your courageous hat on right now?
• You’re scared and living in your comfort zone – and it’s okay to do this. But how many more years would you like to do this for?
• Consequences

I also often my clients see the consequences for not taking Action or falling into Stagnation. Yes, there could be a risk in taking action, but what is the risk involved for not taking any action?

Which is worse?

Ask Yourself

1. Which of the above approaches to generate Action most appeal to you, and why?

2. Think of one more approach, and post it in the comments below.

Action vs. Delay.

Some techniques in coaching can be quite “push” oriented. Others such as making the goal more attractive or fun are “pull” oriented. Deep down there may be a reason as to why you’re avoiding a specific action. I make sure that my client’s are truly willing, ready and able to take action. Otherwise, it may be best to put the action aside until they can truly commit to it.

Coaching is about being in action. If something else is happening, then there may be issues that are not being addressed. If my client is not willing to move forward and take action they may not be coachable at this time. I’ll always check in with my client and let them know what you are observing. This insight alone often helps them see what they need to see to be able to move forward.

On the other hand, something’s my client’s past is blocking them from moving forward, then I take out the ‘big guns’ like NLP, hypnosis and Time Empowerment®, and this combination assists them to remove whatever it is that is blocking them from making progress.

Mental Strength Question

This exercise may be somewhat confronting, but prove to be a very enlightening one:

1. Let’s pretend that you’ve been told you are going to die in one year’s time. You’ve been informed that you will be healthy until the time of your death, so nothing will get in the way from doing what you really want to do. Write how you would change your life right now. Are there different actions you would take? More actions perhaps?

2. What actions have you been delaying that you would now do?

Post you answers in the comments below and/or your personal success journal

Remember, action brings results and personal empowerment; it makes us live life to its fullest potential, it elevates our confidence and worthiness, it keeps us active, joyful, hopeful and allows us to help others who are ready to be blessed by our experiences of achievement. Take action, make progress and reach your personal peak potential.

You can find our more about how to take action in the e-book “Develop the Mental Strength of a Warrior.”  If you’d like personal assistance in taking action set-up a Introductory Consultation

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