Future Focus Achieving Your Dreams

Posted on December 17, 2015 by admin

It is important to stay in the “present” so physical and emotional responses do not cause symptoms of distress to arise, however, planning for successful attainment of your goals and dreams is necessary for long term success. This all can sound like “double-talk” but it really makes good sense.

First, physical and emotional symptoms can develop for people who are “not in their bodies in the present.” Many people have anxiety/fear regarding occurrences from events which have happened in the past. These can be difficult to “let go.” Likewise, even more people get fearful and anxious about the unknowns of the future. These are things that we can not often control and so can become consciously or unconsciously scary. Most people need to learn how to release fears of the past or of the unknowns of the future and practice living, in their bodies, in the present moment. This is easier said than done, but very important to learn how to do and to use preventively.

If you are not completely happy with your “condition” in life, then you may need to move in positive directions to attain a long term goal and dream that will bring you greater satisfaction and happiness. For example, maybe you want to get your college education and a college degree. Or, maybe you want to take a trip to Paris or Rome. Or, maybe you want your work or investments to give you financial security. All of these are important and significant long range goals. If you want to achieve these, and not just desire them, you must take action. The first action is to really plan the steps necessary to accomplish this major goal. Break it down into the small steps that will take you down the path toward completing your goal. Work out a reasonable time line. Gather the information and the resources that you will require to begin. AND, GET STARTED! Get help or coaching if you can not do this for yourself, in a useful way.

You must be very clear about what your goal looks like. It helps to see, or visualize, your dream. Feel it! Know what the final result will feel like to you. Listen and hear what your success will sound like. Some people can even taste success… In other words, use ALL of your senses to imagine the successful completion of your goal. This will help to make it more “real” for your subconscious mind. NOW, focus on your goal and the path to achieving it.

Do not be lazy! Regularly, immerse yourself in seeing yourself moving toward, and then accomplishing, your goal. Some people do this upon awaking in the morning and again at bedtime. Many people need to start their day with these images of success. I know many people who plan goal focusing breaks throughout their day to help them maintain focus on their positive long range goals.

I believe in this process and I tested it! After completing my Ph.D. program my private practice had shrunk down to 3 appointments per week. I figured that I needed at least 15 per week reach my financial goals. This was in January and I set the last week of March as my target for accomplishing my goal. Several times a day I pictured myself answering the telephone and writing appointments in my appointment book, until all the appointment slots were full. Of course, I also made calls to referral sources and sent out letters to advertise my services. The last week of March, I had 18 appointments on my books and 14 people came in for their appointments. Pretty close to the exact goal I had established. I was thrilled. When I looked at where the new business had come from, less than half of the appointments came from my direct promotional efforts. More than half of these clients came from other sources, “out of the blue” you might say. It did not matter at the time but in the years since, I have come to respect the power of offering clear, specific requests to the universe. By being clear and specific, the universe can help provide the answers you require for the success that you desire. The principles are simple, the actual practice requires dedication, support, and sometimes specific coaching.

My coaching practice often takes clients with big goals and dreams. We move together to build the individualized program for success and take the steps necessary to accomplish these goals.

You can do it! You can make your life move in the most ideal directions, but it requires more than just “wanting” or “dreaming.” It requires the targeted work and the laser focus on your long term goal. What is the accomplishment of your dream really worth to you? Remember that anything of value requires your time, focused attention, and your energy to achieve.

Grab your dreams! Make them happen!

Focus – A Key to Success

Posted on April 3, 2015 by admin

Written January,2015

As I write this article, it is the first month of the new year. For many people, the change of the calendar reminds them to check their long range goals, re-assess their strategies, and begin to move forward, taking the steps necessary to accomplish their bigger goals. The most successful people do this exercise constantly and have habitualized this into a “normal and natural” occurrence. Most of the rest of us, struggle to focus on this planning process that is so necessary for success. The only way around the planning process is the very rare state of “Good Luck” that can fall upon us but most “dreamers” never accomplish their goals through this path. Big goals take time and effort to accomplish and do “just happen.”

So, as I am sure you have been told before, it is time to “buckle down” and set an achievable course toward your most important goals. What often gets in the way is our own internal distractions which are really the “fear of failure” fairies or the “I am not sure that I really deserve success” gremlins. These are issues that need to be dealt with, but not in this article… (Get coaching or rigorous mentoring if you require.)

Also standing in your way toward ultimate success using this approach can also be due to “overwhelm” which is more easily controlled. Overwhelm suggests that it is difficult to focus when you are being distracted by basic daily survival. Get organized and let go of the unimportant expectations that clutter your mind. Easier said than done but I offer a technique that will assist you with this.

De-cluttered your mind exercise:
1. Make a list of all the things that you “have to do” (Put everyone, even the ones that are not work related on this list. WRITE THEM DOWN!)
2. Now, organize this list and eliminate any of the tasks that can wait
3. With the remaining tasks, ask yourself (honestly) which of these, if any, are so important that they will be a big concern of yours in one year… Will you still remember this item if left undone this time next year?
4. Move any of these less important items to another list of things that you can work on if you are bored or have nothing better to do.
5. Take the items that are left on your “have to do” list and create a strategy, with timeline, for accomplishing these goals.
6. Get going on this list, AND reward yourself for completion of these items.

Focusing and problem solving solutions, creatively, may also require that that you rid yourself of physical and emotional distractions. For this, I suggest that you must practice stress management and self-care regularly. The time and energy that this requires will come back to you and pay dividends. As an example, 20 minutes of deep relaxation or meditation can take the place of as much as 2 hours of sleep. (Do not believe this with out testing this for yourself. When I first heard this I did not believe this claim. For me, 20 minute a daily Autogenic training was found to reduce my requirement for sleep by 1.5 hours, so I came out 1 hour and 10 minutes ahead by doing my regular relaxation. Gentle warning, it required 3 months of using Autogenic training daily for me to get this result.)

Set your positive goals and then making a step by step guide to achieving them is critical. Reviewing your list daily or at least weekly is also essential. In fact, I recommend picturing your desired results at the end of each daily relaxation period. Setting a workable time line is also essential, but have a little flexibility and be sensible with timelines.

To be successful, you will need to learn to say “NO” to outside distractions and other people’s expectations. This not easy to do, but you must think long term on the value the successful completion of your goals will bring to you.

If you are going to be happy, healthy and “well rounded,” then you also need to consider your most important goals in the areas that are not just career and financial. You must also set and achieve goals regarding: your health, your spiritual/aesthetic growth, your intellectual growth, your relations with family and friends, and your closest relationship.

If you can not get a focused plan by yourself, get support. You may even consider working with a professional coach and find the benefit of having an accountability partner.

In any case, get going. Do the work! Take responsibility! And, reap the benefits of your own success!

If you have questions or would like an accountability partner to assist you in moving forward, consider coaching. Contact me at 360-593-3833 or through the website www.dstress.com

7 Steps to Prosperity and Wealth

Posted on September 22, 2014 by admin

3 P’s (Productivity, Performance, and Prosperity) Process: Life Prosperity Program

What is prosperity and wealth to you? If you are willing to work and you can find the correct vehicle to create financial success, then here are the seven steps to attain your goal.

I qualified the offer because this is not a get rich quick scheme or a win the “Lottery” fantasy come-true article. It requires that you have a desire to work for the success that you deserve. Sometimes a key to success is to find the business or service that you are most passionate about and a way of presenting this to potential consumers. There are other articles and coaching that can lead you to the discovery of the best financial endeavor for you…

The 7 Steps are:
1. Set Your Goal
2. Overcome your barriers to success… Take Responsibility!
3. Create your plan… Map your path
4. Visualize your Success (and Create Affirmations that lead to your Goal)
5. Work Your Plan… Dedicate some time and energy to Achieving your dream
6. Let Go of Expectations that will Prevent your Success
7. Show Gratitude for your life and Success and find a Positive way to give “Back”

Are you ready to get to work? This will be your basic outline of the steps you need to move to success.

1. Set Your Goal
Think Big! What do want to achieve? How do want to be living? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? How much money do you want? How soon do you want it? Can your business endeavor allow you to reach these goals? For example, if you are working part time at WalMart can you expect to acquire $3 Million Dollars by Christmas? Probably not! You will need to find and develop another financial vehicle to get you to your dream, and to do this by the upcoming Christmas Season may be a challenging time frame.

Without a solid, articulated and specific goal, you can not get in the game. Many people require assistance with this first step. There are small business support organizations and business mentors from an organization known as SCORE (look for score.org to find a local office in the United States.) Do not let them steal your dreams, but get advice regarding how your business might start or how to enhance your venture’s operations. They can even help you develop funding after you create a solid business plan. (Do not be afraid to ask for help or, at least, feedback from people who know business These people will be your Role Models or Mentors, or Coaches or possibly your partners…)

Do not skip through the first step! You will need to establish a Goal to set your sights on. The more specific you can make this, the better, and faster, you will get your best results.

2. Overcome your barriers to success… Take Responsibility!
If you have never been financially successful before…. WHY? You would really benefit from knowing why. What are your limitations? What have you learned from the past? How can you accept responsibility for any obstacles that you have encountered in past endeavors? You may even have to ask the hard questions about why you needed to “attract” the past lack of success. If you look to blame external sources, you may be missing an opportunity to learn how to control these situations in future situations. Taking Responsibility is difficult for the people who need this the most. It is too easy to quit when you can find a reason or excuse that is beyond your control… I repeat, this is easier said than done, so be prepared to reach out for assistance overcoming limitations and barriers.

For many people, their fear of success or distrust of money (or wealth) can be major barriers to achieving success. Do not become a victim to past programming or childhood experiences. You are ready for success and you deserve the benefits of financial security and wealth. Do not give in to negativity or bad habits. It is time to behave like a winner! This is a challenging, but important, step that often requires personalized attention.

3. Create your plan… Map your path
You need a “road map” that will take you to your goal. You need to break down the small steps that will lead you down the pathway to your success. Some people forget these details. They might act too quickly and fail without a good, thoughtful plan. Some people over plan and do not act. You need to find the balance. Create a workable time frame. Get the resources you will require to execute your plan.

Reward yourself for each small achievement. Celebrate the steps that you take on the path to your success. If you are moving toward your first $1 Million dollars, you should celebrate your first $100, then your first $500, and your first $1000, etc. I did not say go out spend all your profits, but you need to acknowledge the victories along the way. Let these help to build your momentum.

Also, remember that along your path, you may find alternatives or additional sources of revenue that will get you to your goals more quickly. Be open to these and be flexible.

4. Visualize your Success (and Create Affirmations that lead to your Goal)
After you have created your plan, then you must visualize this plan succeeding, not in the future, but as if it were happening NOW!. It is best to visualize, or see, success coming to you. Also, FEEL the success. Feel all of the excitement and joy. Bask in these great feelings as you desire the success, again, as if it were already occurring. HEAR the sounds of success. What would this victory sound like to you?

There are skills that you can learn and use for creating positive affirmations. You repeat these several times throughout your day. The affirmations are the positive advertising that you need to develop the unconscious habit patterns that will lead to your success. Powerful affirmations that are in the present, positive, and emotional will work the best for achieving your goals. Build a “Vision Board” with pictures of your desired lifestyle and post this where you will view it daily.

5. Work Your Plan… Dedicate some time and energy to Achieving your dream
You have to get out there and work your plan. Talk to everyone. Network. Market. Sell! Produce your product or service… Demonstrate your passion, skill, and enthusiasm. Do not miss an opportunity to share your dream and visualize your success. When you are exercising, visualize your plan and its success. Before bed and right after waking, say your affirmations. Make your calls. Send your letters or e-mails. Learn about the things that you can do to better market yourself and your product. Learn about additional successful strategies that you see your successful role-models using.

Habits can be difficult to change. We do not like change, most of the time, but we have to gradually allow ourselves to push through to new habits of success. It can take time, so DO NOT GIVE UP! Getting discouraged and quitting is all too common for many of us. People like to work very hard and then succeed though hard work does not guarantee success. However, you may be surprised how easily your success will manifest when using these 7 steps.

6. Let Go of Expectations that will Prevent your Success
The harder you TRY, the more challenging success can get. Have you ever NEEDED a job or NEEDED a relationship? Did it seem like the more you needed or wanted your desired outcome the more obstacles seemed to appear? The more you push, the less success you get. You must learn to have powerful visualizations but less “Attachment” to the outcome. Be pleasantly surprised and try to drop your expectations. Expectations screw things up! Learning to “Let GO” physically, then emotionally, and then spiritually, will serve you well, but again, is easier said than done. Our Ego gets in the way and does not allow the success to flow freely to us. Our Ego wants to push and to “Own” the success. When our dream arrives or our goal is achieved, it will be more a “gift” from the universe… A gift you must celebrate… A gift that you deserve!

7. Show Gratitude for your life and Success and find a Positive way to give “Back”
Be grateful for all the blessings you have, no matter how small. Appreciate the assistance and guidance that you get along the way. Celebrate and share your prosperity by assisting others. This does not mean giving all your money, or all your time, or all your resources away, but be willing to support and honor, with respect, any and all travelers you meet along the way. We are all in this together, on some level, and we must be willing to “give back” in some way…

Mentoring others can be a great networking opportunity and a way of giving support.

These 7 steps work best when you get them tailored to your specific requirements. You may need to find mentors or coaches to assist you developing and executing your plan. You may require an accountability partner (or coach) to help keep you focused. You may want to develop a supportive Master Mind group that will assist you in moving toward your success. Very few of us can make it through all of these steps alone, so consider the assistance that you require to clarify these steps and then to help you to maintain your focus as you move down your path toward your goal.

Celebrate your Productivity, your Performance, and your Prosperity.

L. John Mason, Ph.D. is the author of the best selling “Guide to Stress Reduction.” Since 1977, he has offered Success & Executive Coaching and Training. His new “Life Prosperity” retreat process guides his clients to personalized success strategies that lead to increased productivity and prosperity.

Please visit the Stress Education Center’s website at Stress, Stress Management, Coaching, and Training for articles, free newsletter signup, and learn about the new telecourses that are available. If you would like information or a targeted proposal for training or coaching, please contact us at (360) 593-3833.