Friday, January 30, 2009

A Gratitude Journal

I came across this quote recently and wanted to share it with you.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…. It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”-~Melodie Beattie

Take the time to focus on what you do have rather than what you lack. Sometimes it helps to write down in a journal the things you are grateful for, it somehow seems more tangible, and regardless of the state of the world around us there are many, many things to be happy about.
Start a gratitude journal today. You will begin to have a more positive focused attitude and find that life's problems are really blessings in disguise.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

A Quote on Writing

A favorite quote, hope you like it!

"And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt." ~Sylvia Plath

Looking for a personal leather bound writing journal? Visit my site at BlankLeatherBook.com and design one to be hand crafted to order that fits your unique style and desire!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Congratulations to this Months Leather Writing Journal Winner!

Congratulations goes out to Justin M. from Minnesota who won this months Leather Writing Journal!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Motivation and Goal Setting

The new year is here and I've been very busy the past two weeks setting my goals, personal and business, for the coming year.

So I thought an posting an article on goal setting would be appropriate!

Hope you like it!

Goal setting is the true secret to success in any area of life. Setting your goals may seem simple, achieving them usually is another question altogether. Why is that?
Because you will never achieve your goals unless you:
(1) know exactly what you want,
(2) are passionate about your goal, and
(3) have a solid, realistic plan of action.
This is what marks the difference between nebulous dreams and wishes - and truly achievable goals!

Here are 5 time-tested methods that will help get the success you deserve.


1. Know exactly what your goal is
Your first job is to discover exactly what your goal is. What will achieving that goal really look like? Be as specific as possible about exactly what your desired end result is and write it down in a notebook or journal. Your success will be a measure of your clarity - since an achievable goal plan cannot be created around a nebulous "dream."

If your goal is to create a more successful business, what will that look like? Are you thinking in terms of simply hiring someone else to give you more free time? Are you looking for a very specific monthly profit? Or can your goal be best expressed in terms of a certain lifestyle? Regardless of what you want, the best way to get it is to first clarify exactly what you want in as much detail as possible. This can be hard work. But without a clear mental picture, you'll never have the focus required to achieve your goal.


2. Be willing to pay the "entry fee"
Success takes dedicated planning and effort. In a way it's like building a house. In the beginning all you have is a rough concept. But there's always an *entry fee* to be paid for success.
The entry fee?
Creating more success in your business may mean less recreational time. Writing your own book may require less TV. Being closer to your children may require adjusting your work or social activities.

3. Focus on your goal every day
Consistent daily focus is absolutely necessary to "burn in" the new neural pathways you need to create your new goal. Without daily focus, the old mental habits that have kept you from your goal will continue to take over. Write your goals down and review them every morning and evening before bed.
That's why success is an every-day event. Re-commit to your goal every day. Don't let your goal take a back seat to the daily tasks and distractions that will try to take over. Life WILL try to get in your way. Just get, and stay, on course every day. Focus on your goal, and on success!


4. Get passionate
One of the most powerful tools in your "success tool box" is having real passion for your goal. Why passion?
Because intense passionate desire for your goal will help you burn in those new neural pathways even faster. Many, many scientific studies have shown that intense emotion (passion) is a key success tool.


5. Take consistent action
In many ways, actually taking action can be the most difficult step. Successful goal achievement is built by taking one small action after another.
The word is ACTION!
If you commit to take at least one small action each day, your actions WILL add up and make a difference. So avoid sitting back waiting for that big second when everything will magically "just happen."
You CAN create whatever you want in life. The secret is to determine exactly what you want, then pursue it passionately. But remember -- in the end, only action counts! You can't just dream about it! You have to DO IT!