Hi Takuin,
While these posts are great I would love to hear more input from yourself - your goals, your thoughts, your ideas… That’s why I subscribed to your blog! =)
Just feel like this blog is being a bit dominated by “guest” posts at the moment…
Thanks,
Jacob

Thanks for the feedback, Jacob. I really appreciate it. And you are absolutely right.

I reigned in my own regular articles around December/January, partly due to too many other writing projects. But also due to a desire for a change in direction.

I am still toying with new ideas, but have not hit the “aha!” moment of clarity. I have, in fact, been working on this very thing for the last 3 or so weeks.

I am hoping to be back to a semi-regular, and original, posting schedule during the first week of April. I should say also that I will probably only post one article per week when I return, and will probably stick with that until the other projects cool down a bit.

I’ll also have a new blog design, new header logo, and a few other fun things.

I really appreciate that you, and everyone else has stuck around during this time. It means a great deal.

I will post new articles in April, but I do still have one or two other guest posts in the queue.

If you or anyone else has a question, please drop a comment and I’ll get to it as quickly as I can.

Thanks again! I’ll see you, and everyone else, around the first week of April.

Takuin Minamoto

In a previous edition of Success Strategies we discussed how tapping into the powers of the brain with visualization so it will begin to function as if your goals are already attained.

Your brain will work tirelessly to achieve the statements you give your subconscious mind. And when those statements are the affirmation of your goals, you are certain to achieve them!

Creating a vision book is probably your most valuable visualization tool!

This powerful visualization tool serves as your image of the future, a tangible representation of where you are going. It represents your dreams, your goals, and your ideal life.

Because your mind responds strongly to visual stimulation–by representing your goals with pictures and images you will stimulate your emotions… and your emotions are the vibrational energy that activates the Law of Attraction.

Create a personal vision book that clearly depicts the future you wish to create.

Find pictures that represent or symbolize the experiences, feelings, and possessions you want to attract into your life, and place them in your book. Have fun with the process! Use photographs, magazine cutouts, pictures from the Internet–whatever inspires you. Be creative. Include not only pictures, but anything that speaks to you.

Consider including a picture of yourself in your book. If you do, choose one that was taken in a happy moment. You will also want to post your affirmations, inspirational words, quotations, and thoughts here. Choose words and images that inspire you and make you feel good.

You can use your vision book to depict goals and dreams in all areas of your life, or in just one specific area that you are focusing on.

Keep it neat, and be selective about what you place in your vision book. It’s a good idea to avoid creating a cluttered or chaotic book–you don’t want to attract chaos into your life.

Use only the words and images that best represent your purpose, your ideal future, and words that inspire positive emotions in you. There is beauty in simplicity and clarity.

If you are working on visualizing and creating changes in many areas of your life, then you may want to use more than one vision book. You might use one vision book for your personal goals and another for career and financial goals. You might even want to keep your career vision book at the office or on your desk as a means of inspiration and affirmation.

How to use your vision book.

Try keeping your vision book on the nightstand next to your bed. Leave it standing in an open position as often as you are comfortable with, and spend time each morning and evening visualizing, affirming, believing, and internalizing your goals.

The time you spend visualizing in the evening just before bed is especially powerful. The thoughts and images that are present in your mind during the last forty-five minutes before going to sleep are the ones that will replay themselves repeatedly in your subconscious mind through­out the night, and the thoughts and images that you begin each day with will help you to create a vibrational match for the future you desire.

As some time goes by, and your dreams begin to manifest, look at those images that represent your achievements, and feel gratitude for how well the Law of Attraction is working in your life. Acknowledge that it is working.

Don’t remove the pictures or images that represent the goals you’ve already achieved.

Achievement of the goals in your vision book are powerful visual reminders of what you have already consciously and deliberately attracted into your life.

I recommend you write down the date you created your vision book. The universe loves speed, and you will be amazed at just how quickly the Law of Attraction responds to your energy, commitment, and desires.

Much like a time capsule, this book will document your personal journey, your dreams, and your achievements for that particular year. It will become a record of your growth, awareness, and expansion that you will want to keep and reflect back upon in years to come.

Final thoughts on using your completed vision book:

• Look at your vision book often and feel the inspiration it provides.
• Hold it in your hands and really internalize the future it represents.
• Read your affirmations and inspirational words aloud.
• See yourself living in that manner.
• Feel yourself in the future you have designed.
• Believe it is already yours.
• Be grateful for the good that is already present in your life.
• Acknowledge any goals you have already achieved.
• Acknowledge the changes you have seen and felt.
• Acknowledge the presence of God in your life.
• Acknowledge the Law of Attraction at work in your life.
• Look at it just before going to bed and first thing upon rising.

I hope I’ve inspired you to create your own vision book and start implementing what you learned from today’s message.

See it. Feel it. Believe it!

© 2008 Jack Canfield

Are you “stuck” in this area?
Send me your most pressing question about this topic, then join me for our monthly “Ask Jack Canfield” Tele-Clinic on April 2nd!
www.AskJackCanfield.com

* * *

The Formula that Changes EVERYTHING
by Jack Canfield

It seems that everywhere you turn these days, you hear people talking about the economy.

What’s interesting is that some people are scared to death about it, while others couldn’t be happier. While I don’t claim to be an economist, I do know one important fact. The economy is the same for everyone, it’s how you respond to it that determines how you feel about it.

It’s yet another example of what I’ve been teaching for years. . .

E + R = O
(Events + Responses = Outcome)

The basic idea is that every outcome you experience in life (whether it’s success or failure, wealth or poverty, wellness or illness, intimacy or estrangement, joy or frustration) is the result of how you have responded to an earlier event (or events) in your life.

If you don’t like the outcomes you are currently experiencing, there are two basic choices you can make:

1.) You can blame the event (E) for your lack of results (O).

In other words, you can blame the economy, the weather, the lack of money, lack of education, racism, gender bias, the current administration in Washington, your wife or husband, your boss’s attitude, the lack of support, and so on.

If you’re a golfer, you’ve probably even blamed your clubs!

No doubt all these factors exist, but if they were the deciding factor, nobody would ever succeed. For every reason it’s not possible, there are hundreds of people who have faced the same circumstances and succeeded.

It’s not the external conditions and circumstances that stop you — it’s you!

We think limiting thoughts and engage in self-defeating behaviors. We defend our self-destructive habits (such as drinking and smoking) with indefensible logic.

We ignore useful feedback, fail to continuously educate ourselves and learn new skills, waste time on the trivial aspects of our lives, engage in idle gossip, eat unhealthy food, fail to exercise, spend more than we make, fail to tell the truth, don’t ask for what we want, and then wonder why our lives aren’t working.

2.) You can instead simply change your responses (R) to the events (E) until you get the outcomes (O) you want.

You can change your thinking, change your communication, change the picture you hold in your head (your images of the world) and you can change your behavior (the things you do.) That’s all you really have any control over anyway.

Unfortunately, most of us are so run by our habits that we never change our behavior. We get stuck in our conditioned responses-to our spouses and children, to our colleagues at work, to our customers and our clients, to our students, and to the world at large.

You have to gain control of your thoughts, your images, your dreams and daydreams, and your behavior.

Everything you think, say, and do needs to become intentional and aligned with your purpose, your values, and your goals.

If you don’t like your outcomes, change your responses.

Here’s an example of how this works:

Do you remember the Northridge earthquake in 1994? I do! I lived through it in Los Angeles. Two days later I watched as CNN interviewed people commuting to work. The earthquake had damaged one of the main freeways leading into the city. Traffic was at a standstill, and what was normally a 1-hour drive had become a 2-3 hour drive.

The CNN reporter knocked on the window of one of the cars stuck in traffic and asked the driver how he was doing.

He responded, angrily, “I hate California. First there were fires, then floods, and now an earthquake! No matter what time I leave in the morning, I’m late for work. I can’t believe it!”

Then the Reporter knocked on the window of the car behind him and asked the driver the same question. This driver was all smiles.

He replied “It’s no problem. I left my house at five am. I don’t think under the circumstances my boss can ask for more than that. I have lots of music and Spanish-language tapes with me. I’ve got my cell phone. Coffee in a thermos, my lunch-I even have a book to read. I’m fine.”

Now, if the earthquake or the traffic were really the deciding variables, then everyone should have been angry. But everyone wasn’t.

It was their individual response to the traffic that gave them their particular outcome. It was thinking negative thoughts or positive thoughts, leaving the house prepared or leaving the house unprepared that made the difference. It was all a matter of attitude and behavior that created their completely different experiences.

If we all experience the same EVENT, the OUTCOME you get will be totally dependent upon your RESPONSE to the situation.

If you want to take control of how you respond to life, you’ll start noticing that your outcomes will be more along the lines of what you have always hoped. Remember, you control your destiny so make it a fantastic one!

© 2008 Jack Canfield

Are you “stuck” in this area?
www.AskJackCanfield.com

* * *

Jack Canfield, America’s Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com

Starting Your Day Like a Champion - The Power 30 Minutes

The quality of your state of mind determines the quality of your results in whatever you do. The things you do first thing in the morning set your mental tone for the rest of the day. I challenge you to get radical for the next 30 days. To do something you have never done before.

If you do this for the next 30 days, you will dramatically change your attitude, your focus, your intensity, and will be a different person. Your friends and family will ask you “What happened to you?”

Trust me - if you do this for 30 days, you’ll want to do it for the rest of your life. What do I have to do you ask?

For the next 30 days:

1. Go to bed 30 minutes earlier - no more late night TV. You’ll need to get up early tomorrow.

2. When you go to bed, think about how it will feel when you realize your dream.

3. Get up 30 minutes earlier. Don’t turn on your computer. These first 30 minutes will set the tone for the rest of your day, and the rest of your life.

4. Take a minute to write down your goals and dreams. You must write your goals down every day. Writing your goals down is an act of commitment that focuses your mind to take action (and in to be successful, action is the name of the game). (1 minute)

5. Take 3 minutes to write down WHY you want those dreams. What’s driving you? Get specific. If your WHY is big enough the How will take care of itself. (3 minutes)

6. Get in front of a mirror and read your Champion’s Creed Card. You can refer to it below. Read it with power and passion. Like you mean it. (1 minute)

7. Close your eyes and vividly imagine what it will feel like when you actually make your dream a reality. Get all your senses involved and allow yourself to get passionate. (5 minutes)

8. Write down the three most important things you must do today to get you closer to your dream - then, do them sometime today! Many people get great results by doing this step the night before. (3 minutes)

9. Read 15-20 minutes from a positive, inspiring, motivating book. (15-20 minutes).

10. On the way to work, rather than listening to the radio, listen to a positive, inspiring, motivating self-development tape (Zig Ziglar, Les Brown, Denis Waitley, Brian Tracy, Ruben Gonzalez).

Let me ask you something. Do you think that if your kids started their days this way they might be more motivated, focused on their dreams, and happier?

If it’s good enough for your kids, then why don’t you do it too? No time? Go to bed earlier. Rule number one of success is no excuses and no whining!

So do something that will set the tone, and set a great example in your home. Start your day with the Power 30 minutes. You’ll be glad you did.

I guarantee that if you do this for the next 30 days, your life WILL change. Because your attitude will change.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“The Champion’s Creed”

I am a champion.
I believe in myself.
I have the will to win.
I set high goals for myself.
I surround myself with winners.
I’m cool, positive, and confident.
I have courage.
I never give up.
I’m willing to pay the price of success.
I love the struggle and the competition.
I stay relaxed and in control at all times.
I focus all my energy on the job at hand.
I vividly imagine what victory will feel like.
I am a champion and I WILL WIN!

Get a complimentary copy of The Champion’s Creed here… www.TheChampionsCreed.com

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ruben Gonzalez is the author of “The Courage to Succeed,” and the co-star of the blockbuster motivational movie “Pass It On.” His experiences as a three-time Olympian, business owner, and professional keynote speaker give him a unique perspective on how to conquer the corporate struggles of today. Ruben will inspire and equip the people in your organization to maximize their potential.

For booking information, visit www.OlympicMotivaton.com

or contact him at 832-689-8282.

Olympic Motivation
2111 Highland Stone Ct.
Katy, TX 77450 US

Your brain will work tirelessly to achieve the statements you give your subconscious mind. When those statements are the affirmation of your goals, you are certain to achieve them! Stating these goals can be tricky however, and your subconscious mind needs things put a certain way.

You need to be specific with yourself. The more specific you are with your goal the more your brain has to go on to make them happen.

Remember, vague goals produce vague results. Don’t be afraid to be detailed with what you want! Write it all down as if you were putting in an order. Your subconscious will make it happen for you by steering you toward those opportunities.

Your goals might seem a bit overwhelming at first glance. But look again! Do you see how your goals can be broken down into a series of steps? What needs to be done first and next and after that? Keep writing the steps until you reach the goal.

Here’s a fun fact to help you attain your goals: your brain does not know the difference between actually doing something and just visualizing something being done. Your brain processes the two the same way!

Have you ever imagined yourself making a total flop out of yourself moments before you really do? That is because your brain really experienced it when you visualized it. Your brain will work to make happen whatever is being inputted.

What do you daydream about? Do you visualize yourself being successful? Do you visualize other people judging you? What you think about, you bring about!

Make it a habit to spend time visualizing your goals in detail as if you are living them right now. Do it every day, several times a day! Your brain will begin functioning as if your goals are already attained. You will start being the person you want to be simply because that is what is being processed in your brain. Your brain will make you notice all the resources available to you that you never noticed before. You will attract all the things you need to accomplish your goal.

Don’t visualize what it will be like, visualize what it is like!

Live it right now in your mind, everything in the present tense. What does it look like right now? What does it sound like and smell like? How does it feel? Create these detailed images and show your brain what it all looks like already complete. Your brain brings to your awareness only the things that match your beliefs about yourself, others, and the world. Everything else it filters out. When you visualize your completed goals in detail, your brain filters out everything that doesn’t pertain to those goals!

Write down your goals, break them down into achievable bits and every night visualize them completed. Then every morning visualize them completed. Take the time that is necessary to go through each goal in detail. Trust this process, the power of your brain has been greatly undervalued in the achievement of your goals!

In the next edition of Success Strategies I’ll take you through, step-by-step, how to create your own empowering Vision Book

Until then, see if you can discover ways to immediately implement what you learned from today’s message.

© 2008 Jack Canfield

Are you “stuck” in this area?
Send me your most pressing question about this topic, then join me for our monthly “Ask Jack Canfield” Tele-Clinic on March 5th!
www.AskJackCanfield.com

* * *

All my life I’ve been a student of success. Over the years I’ve read hundreds of books and listened to thousands of tapes on success. Then, I listened to and did everything my Olympic coaches told me to do.

After all of that, what I learned was that success is pretty simple. It comes down to this: you have to find something you’re good at and passionate about, an arena you are suited to play in, you have to have the courage to get started, you have to have the courage to not quit, and along the way you have to have the attitude that you will be willing to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to get the job done.

Success is simple but it’s not easy. It’s hard to do all that. You have to be mentally tough to pull it off. And that’s why a lot of what we will cover in this success course will be about how to develop mental toughness. Developing the “I will until” attitude of winners.

Vince Lombardi said that your body will withstand almost any amount of punishment. It’s your mind you have to convince.

By the end of this year you will be much more mentally tough than you ever imagined you’d ever be. You’ll be taking bigger risks and winning more personal and public victories than you ever imagined.

Everything Olympic athletes are taught in their mental training is designed to do two things: to increase their self-belief and to fuel their desire. You see, the coaches know that if you believe something is possible, you’ll have the courage to get started. And if you want something bad enough, nothing will make you quit.

If you couple self-belief and a burning desire with a great attitude and a strong work ethic, and if you surround yourself with winners who help you and encourage you, success is just a matter of time.

Do you have a dream that takes your breath away? A dream that you’re willing to fight for?

Are you willing to do whatever it takes to make your dream a reality?

Are you willing to read the books, listen to the tapes, attend the seminars, associate with the right people and dis-associate yourself from the wrong people?

If you’re not, you’re fooling yourself. Because your dream will not fall on your lap. You have what it takes to realize your dream but it’s going to take EVERYTHING you’ve got!

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, this is a REAL success course. It’s not a touchy-feely, make-you-feel-good course. You deserve the best so I won’t give you a bunch of candy coated stuff that won’t get you anywhere.

The reason the road to your dream is a tough one is because the purpose of the dream is to bring out the best in you. All of your hidden gifts that you don’t even know you possess.

You have to make a quality decision that you will BECOME the type of person capable of making your dream happen.

John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach said, “Success is the peace of mind that comes from
knowing that you did your best to become your best.”

What will you do today to EARN the feeling of peace of mind that you did your best today to become your best?

Write it down and DO IT NOW!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ruben Gonzalez is the author of “The Courage to Succeed,” and the co-star of the blockbuster motivational movie “Pass It On.”

His experiences as a three-time Olympian, business owner, and professional keynote speaker give him a unique perspective on how to conquer the corporate struggles of today.

Ruben will inspire and equip the people in your organization to maximize their potential.

For booking information, visit
www.OlympicMotivaton.com
or contact him at 832-689-8282

Olympic Motivation
2111 Highland Stone Ct.
Katy, TX
77450
US

Every high achiever in sports, corporate america, and in business has a coach or mentor. Learn how a personal coach will help you become unstoppable on the way to your goals. www.BecomingUnstoppableCoaching.com

Success Begins with Believing

In a previous edition of Success Strategies, I talked about how in order to be successful, we must first define what success means to us, and that means getting CLEAR about what you want, writing it down, and thinking BIG!

If you are going to be successful in creating the life of your dreams, you have to believe that you are capable of making it happen. You have to believe you have the right stuff, that you are able to pull it off. You have to believe in yourself. Whether you call it self-esteem, self-confidence, or self-assurance, it is a deep-seeded belief that you have what it takes - the abilities, inner resources, talents, and skills to create your desired results.

Ultimately, you must learn to control your self-talk, eliminate any negative and limiting beliefs, and maintain a constant state of positive expectations.

Control Your Self-Talk
Researchers have found that the average person thinks as many as 50,000 thoughts a day. Sadly, many of those thoughts are negative — I’m not management material… I’ll never lose weight… It doesn’t matter what I do, nothing ever works out for me. This is what psychologists call victim language. Victim language actually keeps you in a victim state of mind. It is a form of self-hypnosis that lulls you into a belief that you are unlovable and incompetent.

In order to get what you want from life, you need to give up this victim language and start talking to yourself like a winner — I can do it… I know there is a solution… I am smart enough and strong enough to figure this out… Everything I eat helps me maintain my perfect body weight.

You Are Always Programming Your Subconscious Mind
Your subconscious mind is like the crew of a ship. You are it’s captain. It is your job to give the crew orders. And when you do this, the crew takes everything you say literally. The crew (your subconscious) has no sense of humor. It just blindly follows orders. When you say, “Everything I eat goes straight to my hips,” the crew hears that as an order: Take everything she eats, turn it into fat and put it on her hips. On the other hand, if you say, “Everything I eat helps me maintain my perfect body weight,” the crew will begin to make that into reality by helping you make better food choices, exercise, and maintain the right metabolism rate for you body.

This power of your subconscious mind is the reason you must become very vigilant and pay careful attention to your spoken and internal statements. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize they are committing negative self-talk, which is why it is best to enlist another person — your success partner — in monitoring each other’s speaking. You can have a signal for interrupting each other when you use victim language.

Use Affirmations to Build Self-Confidence
One of the most powerful tools for building worthiness and self-confidence is the repetition of positive statements until they become a natural part of the way you think. These “affirmations” act to crowd out and replace the negative orders you have been sending your crew (your subconscious mind) all these years. I suggest that you create a list of 10 to 20 statements that affirm your belief in your worthiness and your ability to create the life of your dreams.

Of course, what to believe is up to you, but here are some examples of affirmations that have worked for others in the past:

I am worthy of love, joy and success.
I am smart and make wise choices.
I am loveable and capable.
I create anything I want.
I am able to solve any problem that comes my way.
I can handle anything that life hands me.
I have all the energy I need to do everything I want to do.
I am attracting all the right people into my life.

Believing in Yourself is an Attitude
Believing in yourself is a choice. It’s an attitude you develop over time. It’s now your responsibility to take charge of your own self-concept and your beliefs. It might help to know that the latest brain research now indicates that with enough positive self-talk and positive visualization combined with the proper training, coaching, and practice, anyone can learn to do almost anything.

You must choose to believe that you can do anything you set your mind to - anything at all - because, in fact, you can!

© 2008 Jack Canfield

Are you “stuck” in this area?
Send me your most pressing question about this topic, then join me for our monthly “Ask Jack Canfield” Tele-Clinic on February 6th!
www.AskJackCanfield.com

* * *

Jack Canfield, America’s Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com

It’s time to meet the person who has been responsible for the life you live right now.

This person has created your income, your debt, your relationships, your health, your fitness level, your weight, your attitudes and your behaviors. Who is it? To introduce yourself, just walk to the closest mirror and say hello! This person is you!

Although one of the popular myths out there is that “external factors” determine how you live, the truth of the matter is that you are in complete control of the quality of your life.

It’s time to look at the life you’ve created and determine what is working and what is not. Certainly there are wonderful things happening in your life, whether it’s your job, your spouse, your grades, your children, your friends, or your income level.

Congratulate yourself on these successes; you are creating them for yourself! And then take a look at what isn’t working out so well. What are you doing or not doing to create those experiences?

It’s time to stop blaming outside factors for your unhappiness.

When you realize that you create your experiences, you’ll realize that you can un-create them and create new experiences whenever you want. But you must take responsibility for your happiness and your unhappiness, your successes and your failures, your good times and your bad times. When you stop blaming, you can take that energy and redirect to focus on creating a better situation for yourself. Blaming only ties up your energy.

It’s also time to stop complaining.

Look at what you are complaining about. Really examine it. More than likely it is something that you can do something about.

Are you unhappy about something that is happening? Make requests that will make it more desirable to you, or take the steps to change it yourself. Making a change might be uncomfortable to you. It might mean you have to put in more time, money, and effort. It might mean that someone gets upset about it. It might be difficult to change or leave a situation, but staying put is your choice so why continue to complain? Face the facts that you can either do something about it or not. It is your choice and you have responsibility for your choices.

Successful people take 100% responsibility for the thoughts they think, the images that visualize and the actions they take.

They don’t waste their time and energy blaming and complaining. They evaluate their experiences and decide if they need to change them or not. They face the uncomfortable and take risks in order to create the life they want to live.

Taking responsibility requires you to first decide to believe that you create all your experiences. Second, to pay attention to yourself, your behavior, and your life experiences. And last, to face the truth and deal with what is not working in your life. You have to be willing to change your behavior if you want a different outcome. You have to be willing to take the risks necessary to get what you want.

Isn’t it a great relief to know that you can make your life what you want it to be? Isn’t it wonderful that your successes do not depend on someone else?

Commit to taking 100% responsibility for your every aspect of your life. Decide to make changes, one step at a time. Once you start the process you’ll discover it is much easier to get what you want by taking control of your thoughts, your visualizations, and your actions!

©2008 Jack Canfield

Are you “stuck” in this area?
Send me your most pressing question, then join me for our monthly
“Ask Jack Canfield” Tele-Clinic on February 6th!
www.AskJackCanfield.com

* * *

I do use AdSense for some of my other sites, and it does reasonably well, but after hearing about the new changes to the program I am removing it.

For more information on the changes, check out the latest post from Darren Rowse over at ProBlogger:

AdSense Change Rules - Stupidity Stupidity Stupidity

These changes are quite insulting. Not only to the bloggers that helped refer thousands of people to AdSense, but also to those bloggers that are now “retired,” due to the new terms of service (i.e., anyone outside of North America, Latin America, and Japan).

I still use AdSense on another blog. I am currently working on a new design for that blog, but when the new design is up, AdSense will be gone.

Shame on you, Google.

Decide What You Want
by Jack Canfield

In order to get what you want, you must first decide what you want. Most people really foul up at this crucial first step because they simply can’t see how it’s possible to get what they want — so they don’t even let themselves want it.

Don’t sabotage yourself that way!

What scientists now know about how the brain works is that you must first decide WHAT you want, before your brain can figure out HOW to get it. Once you lock-in your desires, your mind and the universe can step in.

Are you ready to get started?

Be Willing to Dream BIG Dreams
As soon as you commit to a big dream and really go after it, your subconscious creative mind will come up with big ideas to make it happen. You’ll start attracting the people, resources, and opportunities you need into your life to make your dream come true. Big dreams not only inspire you, they compel others to want to play big, too.

Set Goals That Will Stretch You
Another value in giving yourself permission to go after the big dreams is that big dreams require you to grow in order to achieve them. In fact, in the long run, that is the greatest benefit you will receive from pursuing your dreams — not so much the outer trappings of fulfilling the dream (an expensive car, impressive house, loads of money and philanthropic opportunities), but who you become in the process.

As I’ve seen many times over, the outer symbols of success can all be easily lost. Houses burn down, companies go bankrupt, relationships end, cars get old, bodies age and fame wanes, but who you are, what you have learned, and the new skills you have developed never go away. These are the true prizes of success. Motivational philosopher, Jim Rohn advises that “You should set a goal big enough that in the process of achieving it, you become someone worth becoming.”

Service to Others
Something else you’ll discover is that when your dreams include service to others — accomplishing something that contributes to others — it also accelerates the accomplishment of that goal. People want to be part of something that contributes and makes a difference.

Turn Your Dreams into Goals and Objectives
Once you are clear about what you want, you must turn each item into a measurable objective. By measurable, I mean measurable in space and time — how much and by when. For instance, if you were to tell me that you wanted more money, I might pull out a dollar and give it to you, but you would probably protest, saying “No, I meant a lot more money — like $20,000!” Well, how am I supposed to know unless you tell me? Similarly, your boss, your friends, your spouse, your brain — God, the Universe — can’t figure out what you want unless you tell them specifically what it is. What do you want — exactly — and when do you want it by?

Write Your Goals Down
Write your goals down in detail, and read your list of goals every day. This will keep your subconscious mind focused on what you want. For an even more powerful approach, close your eyes and focus on each goal and ask yourself, “What is one thing I could do today to move toward the achievement of this goal?” Write down your answers and take those actions.

I recommend writing down a minimum of 3 goals in each of the following 7 areas:

1. Financial Goals
2. Career/Business Goals
3. Free Time/Family Time
4. Health/Appearance Goals
5. Relationship Goals
6. Personal Growth
7. Making a Difference

To help your reticular activating system begin finding YOUR wants in unexpected places, take time now to decide what you want and start writing!

If you want help getting started, I have a handy worksheet for you that models this formula, including examples. Click here to download this fr.ee resource and start creating all that you want from your life this year.

Remember, don’t hold back!

© 2008 Jack Canfield

Are you “stuck” in this area?
Send me your most pressing question about this topic, then join me for our monthly “Ask Jack Canfield” Tele-Clinic on February 6th!
www.AskJackCanfield.com

* * *

Jack Canfield, America’s Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com