Karl Warren

Newbies, oldies, middleies…

Please FOCUS on your BUSINESS, and work to a PLAN!

Do you find yourself burying your head under the pillow while your alarm clock cheerfully sings a happy tune?  Do you lack motivation after sliding an inquisitive foot out from under the covers only to find it is cold?

STOP!

It is said that breakfast is the most important meal as it sets you up for the day ahead.  But, the frame of mind you wake up in is equally important.  Your frame of mind dictates how you react to outside influences, how many times have you woken up in a bad mood only to have a bad day.  It may surprise you to know that you choose your own frame of mind.

If it is cold, great! You get to wrap up warm - in your favourite sweater.  Cosy.

If you think you’ve woken up too early, fantastic! There’s more of this amazing day to enjoy.

So…

Your frame of mind will invariably dictate the rest of your day.  How do you go about changing it?

The only thing to remember is “There are two sides to every coin.”  For every negative there is always a positive, consciously seek out the good in every situation.  If you do this regularly your subconscious mind will automatically seek out the good in a situation.  When you are happy, things seem to go your own way - and when they don’t, you are able to shrug them off with a smile.

How much better would your life be if you “changed your mind”?  Well, it’s your mind, you can do with it as you please.

The glass IS half full if you think it is. 

This is an original article by Karl Warren, www.karlwarren.com - KarlWarren.com, home of Internet Marketing and Personal Development tips, advice and articles.

Birds of a feather flock together.   Look around at the people you mix with - what does this say about you?

Ask yourself:

How many of my friends/associates inspire me?
How many of my friends/associates are like me?
Do I spend too much time with people who are holding me back?
Do my friends/associates share my goals?

We are heavily influenced by the people around us, they can either inspire us or hold us back.  In a bid to conform, we tend to emulate the people we associate with.  It is therefore important to choose your friends wisely.

I am not saying cut these people out of your life, I am saying introduce yourself to the people who will help you achieve your goals.

Take this example for instance; if you wanted to travel the world with a backpack and none of your friends had ever done it, what’s the first thing you would expect them to say?

I tried this as an experiment and I got the following answers.

“You wouldn’t catch me living in a tent”
“Nah, there’s too many insects”
“If you run out of money you’re stuck”
“What about your job”
“What about that guy that was killed in…”
“You’re having a laugh”

If I was seriously considering backpacking around the world, I’m pretty sure some of those comments would have taken the wind out of my sails.  This happens every day to millions of people.  They announce their goals to friends and family only to be met with well meaning advice which demotivates them.  We value the opinions of our friends and family, we do not aim to displease them.

Many of the top self-help books advise you to keep your goals and aspirations to yourself.  I believe there is a better way.  You’re programmed to conform to the group, why not introduce yourself to the people who will help you achieve your goals?

You could sign up to a message board or forum on the internet, you could even join a local club or sign up to a training course.  Chances are, you will meet somebody who has either done it already, or somebody else who plans to do it.  What better way to surround yourself with new people who share the same goals and aspirations?  When we network with people with whom we have something in common, we develop bonds and new friendships form.  We enjoy spending time with people who are like us, and we are inspired by them too.

If you need inspiration, go out and look for it.  You will be more likely to achieve your goals and you will make new friends at the same time.

This is an original article by Karl Warren, www.karlwarren.com - KarlWarren.com, home of Internet Marketing and Personal Development tips, advice and articles.

Imagine being told about a winning lottery ticket inside a box in a supermarket, all you have to do is find the product which contains it, open the box and it is yours.  You don’t know the name of the product, you don’t even know the colour of the box.  How much effort would you put into finding it?  You may agree that you would be facing an impossible task, but if the reward is worth the effort you would do it, right?  But, let’s assume you have a twin, they have been assigned the same task - except they know what the product is called and exactly where to find it.  Ready… set… GO.  You tear through the supermarket like a bull in a china shop, ripping open boxes and spilling the contents on the floor.  Your twin strolls casually to the correct section, picks up the box and claims their prize.  Sorry, there was only one on the shelf.  Better luck next time.

Isn’t it great to have an advantage?

In this article we will discover the relevance of the example above, and how you can make life easier for yourself.

Do you wander around aimlessly, putting every ounce of effort into what seems like an impossible task?  Are you tired of watching others speed effortlessly towards their goals while you seem to be getting nowhere?

Many people approach their goals with great enthusiasm but fail to achieve them regardless of how much effort they put in.  They start off by taking the first step; setting the goal, but failing to realise the most important part of achieving their goals; planning.

A good plan acts like a road map, whenever you are lost on the way to your goal, you can return to your plan and refocus your efforts.  A plan can help to keep you motivated when you reach an obstacle, whether it is a personal problem, another project or a distraction.  If something enters your life and blows you off course, you can review your plan and get right back on track again.

Here are the important steps to planning your success:

1 - Start at the end: Set a goal

Once you have set your goal, you are ready to begin planning.  Without a goal there can be no success.  Ensure that the goal you have set is one you want to achieve because it is likely that you will be required to put in hard work in order to succeed.  There will inevitably be distractions, however, a deep desire to achieve your goal will help keep you focused.

2 - The middle: Small steps

Now that you have set your goal, you need to work out what steps you will need to take in order to achieve it.  Some people find it easiest to work backwards, while others start from the beginning.  Write down each step you need to take, you will be able to refer back to your plan in order to monitor your progress.

3 - The beginning: Follow your plan

Once your plan works on paper, it is time to put it into action.  With a plan you will be able to monitor your progress.  Getting closer to the end goal will inspire you to keep going.  Without a plan it would be impossible to monitor your progress, therefore you will not be able to see where your efforts have led you.

4 - Editing: Revise your plan if it is not working

The best route is not always from A to B, a slight detour via C could make life easier.  If you were driving through an unfamiliar town from point A to point B and there was a fallen tree in the road, you would use a map to find another route.  The same works with the plan.

How does this relate to the story above?

If you have no plan you may start off enthusiastic and full of energy, but in time you will find that your efforts are not paying off - ultimately you will lose heart and may even stop trying.  With a plan, you will have a map which leads you directly to your goal… you will be able to follow it until your goal is achieved.

This is an original article by Karl Warren, www.karlwarren.com - KarlWarren.com, home of Internet Marketing and Personal Development tips, advice and articles.