Archive for Staying motivated
Do you remember the song, You Light Up My Life? Do you recall when President Bush was elected? He talked about 1,000 points of light. During the November, December, and January holiday season do you go to see the colorful lights in different parts of your city? At the beginning of each new decade focus on the word – LIGHT.
Pause for a moment and review the past 10 years. How did you light up your life? Did you have a mentor – a resource person (or persons) who helped you improve your life in all areas: Spiritually, Financially, Socially, Mentally, Physically, Family, and Career? I believe every person needs to find at least one mentor who is interested in helping them release more of their potential.
Each decade offers its own challenges:
1. Meaningful relationships
2. All kinds of addictions and their consequences
3. Career transitions and uncertainty about the future
4. Health care
5. Aging and the possibility of living beyond 100
6. Financial planning and answering the question, “How much money will I need to live a dignified retirement lifestyle?”
Here are some ideas for your planning of the next 10 years of your life, using the acrostic LIGHT:
L-Lifelong Learning. Do you have a Lifelong Learning Program?
I-Investing. Are you investing money for your retirement? Do you invest in yourself daily by refining and learning new skills? No one is as interested in you as you are!
G-Go! Where will you go in the next 10 years to visit new places, meet new people, and broaden your life experiences?
H-Health. What health improvements will you make daily?
T-Time. How will you use your time in the next 10 years? That’s 3650 days! Will you spend them or invest them?
Whatever you decide to do, let your light shine daily during the next 10 years to give and receive the most out of your life. Remember these words Lifelong Learning, Invest, Go, Health, and Time. I wish you a healthy and prosperous decade.
Find the mentors to help you get the most from your life and then, watch what happens!
How would you evaluate the past ten years of your life? What were the highlights of your life for this decade? What did you do
with your time? Did you spend it or invest it? What is your definition of success?
Alex Mackenzie has studied how people use their time. His definition of success is, “Doing your best.” I believe most people want to make the most out of themselves. Almost all successful people attribute their success to setting and achieving goals. I’m suggesting you look at the outcomes you obtained. We all receive outcomes in our life, although we may not achieve all of our goals. When you look at the outcomes you obtained, I believe it teaches you more about you.
As you review the past ten years what outcomes did you receive? You are now 10 years older. How many times have you said any of the following?
* “I’ve always dreamed of…..”
* “I wish I could…..”
* “Someday I’m going to…..”
* “Next year I’m really going to…..”
As you look back over the past ten years, did you achieve the outcomes you wanted? What lessons have you learned in the past decade? Are you interested in preparing for the future? Here are some questions to serve you in knowing the outcomes you want in the next ten years:
1. What is most important in your personal and work life?
2. What percentage of your time will you devote to each area of your life?
3. What standard of health do you want to achieve or maintain?
4. How can your personal relationships be improved?
5. What new skills will you learn?
6. How much money do you want to earn?
7. What is your ultimate ideal career? Do you want to change your job, career, or business?
8. What books will you read?
9. Who will mentor you to guide you to take quantum leaps in the next 10 years? I encourage you to have at least one mentor in each area of your life.
10. How will you know you have obtained your out-comes?
11. What will accomplishing the outcomes do for you?
Remember, as you work toward your outcomes, you may have some detours. When this happens, just ask yourself what skills you need to acquire to obtain the outcomes you want. It is also acceptable to upgrade and refine your outcomes along the way. Outcomes are not set in marble. As you develop, you may have new insights and acquire new skills and knowledge that causes you to adjust the outcomes you want. Be gentle with yourself. This may be new territory.
Take a few minutes now to write down the outcomes you want in the next ten years and then, watch what happens!
When you were in school, did anyone ever ask you, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Are you still asking that question? People call me every day to receive career direction because they do not know how to identify or develop their uniqueness. As students graduate from college, most never use the specific knowledge they acquired. Most will have a minimum of five careers in their life time. They will need a multitude of skills in order to survive and be successful in the workplace.
Few have prepared themselves for the ‘what ifs’ in their lives. Few people would accept the invitation to interview 25 companies before they take their first job. Few realize the resume and cover letter is an obsolete way to be hired. Few are outstanding workers. Few ever took a course in external listening, the Art of Asking Questions, presentation skills, attitudes, or Self-Esteem. Few people are properly prepared to enter the work world. Few know how to motivate themselves or to be self-starters. Few have great conversation skills. Few have a mentor to help them direct their career success.
|
“I now decide and help others decide what we want to BE when we grow up.” |
In the future, workers will be held more accountable for their performance. They will need to be more creative. As the technology expands, they will need to be open to invest in new skills. Trades and professions will emerge that we have not even fathomed. Note how many businesses have been created as the result of society’s interest in cars, exploring space, appliances, and computers. What new adventures lie ahead that will create a world that, at present, is not even in someone’s mind?
Larry Wilson, a professional speaker, creative entrepreneur, and author of Changing The Game: The New Way To Sell says: “The creative mature persons are flexible. They like to play with ideas. They are open and not defensive. They are sensitive and have empathy for all peoples’ thoughts and feelings. They are independent and think for themselves. They are realistic and persistent and never give up. They are foreseeing and have a long term perspective. They are expressive and spontaneous. They are curious and ask many questions. They are self accepting and believe in themselves.”
Share these ideas with others and then, watch what happens!
