How Long Can You Talk about Yourself?

Copyright: wavebreakmediamicro / 123RF Stock Photo
Copyright: wavebreakmediamicro / 123RF Stock Photo

A few months ago I came across an article talking about a study where they asked individuals to talk about their future: their goals, what they want, and where they’re going. A surprisingly large number of them could not talk about the topic for more than 25 seconds.

Two questions came to mind after reading that: Continue reading “How Long Can You Talk about Yourself?”

Fear Almost Kept Me from Making the Best Decision EVER!

My Beautiful Wife on Our Wedding Day
My Beautiful Wife on Our Wedding Day – Photo by Alissa Ricks

Have you ever had a fear so strong that it kept you from doing anything? As a result you go to extraordinary measures to make sure the fear doesn’t come true. You keep running away from it, but it’s always in the back of your mind. Continue reading “Fear Almost Kept Me from Making the Best Decision EVER!”

Improve Your Resilience through Gratitude

Copyright: icetray / 123RF Stock Photo
]1 Copyright: icetray / 123RF Stock Photo
It should be expected that as we set goals and work towards them that we will encounter obstacles. This is especially true of big, exciting goals. We can take a few steps towards them, and then take a few steps back. Our goals take longer to accomplish than we expected, or we might even find that we need to adjust our goals based on new information.

I have found this to be true in almost every goal I have set. The way I envision accomplishing a goal at the outset ends up being different than how it really pans out. A couple months ago I talked about dealing with disappointment. I realized I forgot something that has been huge for me: gratitude. In a way, I’m glad I forgot to mention it, because this concept is worthy of it’s own post. Continue reading “Improve Your Resilience through Gratitude”

[Part 5] Do You Have Any Personal Challenges to Overcome?

Copyright: tomertu / 123RF Stock Photo
]1 Copyright: tomertu / 123RF Stock Photo
We’ve gone over alot in the last few weeks with this series about creating a life plan and working towards your goals. This week we’ll review the final question:

  1. What skills do you have to start with?
  2. What skills do you need to develop?
  3. How are you going to get the experience you need?
  4. Do you have any personal challenges to overcome?

This is kind of a “duh” question; however do we really take the time to evaluate ourselves? It was very important for me to answer this question. We cannot advance towards our goals until we know what our obstacles are. In my experience the hardest obstacles to overcome are the ones in my own head. For a long time (too long) I kept coming up with reasons I couldn’t change how my life was going. When I began to evaluate my personal challenges, I was able to make conscious decisions to conquer them.

After taking time to list my personal challenges, I began to start making rapid progress towards what I really wanted. Everyone will have their own list of challenges. Here are some of mine: Continue reading “[Part 5] Do You Have Any Personal Challenges to Overcome?”

[Part 2b] What Am I Good At? How I Found Out

Hello2

Last week we looked at some ideas about how to dial in on what you are naturally good at.  Today you’ll get to know me a little better and see how I used this process. We’ll be talking alot about me, but as we do, please consider how this process could be helpful to you achieving your goals.

The 3 steps to understanding your strengths were: Continue reading “[Part 2b] What Am I Good At? How I Found Out”

[Part 2a] Strong Foundation: 3 Ways to Identify Your Natural Strengths

Internal Strength
]1 Copyright: lassedesignen / 123RF Stock Photo

If we are not careful, we can waste alot of time pursuing a life plan, spinning our wheels working towards something that is not our strong suit. Avoid this wasted time by laying a strong foundation based on your natural strengths and talents.

To accomplish this, ask yourself, “what skills do I have to start with?” I think this is a vital question, and it has helped me immensely as I am moving down my own path.  For a long time, I thought I needed to fit into some kind of preconceived box to be successful in life.  I would get down on myself for not being more such-and-such.

But after listening to numerous speakers and reading several articles, I learned that I needed to recognize the skills I already had and capitalize on those.  Giving myself permission to do this has led to faster progress and more fulfilling experiences as I’ve worked towards my goals.

Here are a few suggestions to gain insights into your talents and strengths: Continue reading “[Part 2a] Strong Foundation: 3 Ways to Identify Your Natural Strengths”

Upgrade Your Brain

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]1 Copyright: urfingus / 123RF Stock Photo

Would you like to improve your financial situation or improve your performance at work? Would you like to learn how to improve relationships with others? Are you a new parent learning how to raise a child? Is there a new hobby that you’re interested in? What can you do to improve your situation, develop new skills, and grow as a person? There is a universal answer to each of these questions… Continue reading “Upgrade Your Brain”