The First Step - Part 4 of 7

“The discipline of writing something down is the first step toward making it happen.”
~ Lee Iacocca

I am sure that you have all heard the saying that a goal not written down is only a wish. Do you know why writing things down is so important and the impact that it has on you? As humans, our brains are constantly running; constantly thinking about "something" and we may not even know what that something is. It is intangible, distant and lacks clear definition. The minute you start putting it into words, you start to bring it into focus. You give it body, shape, form and substance. It becomes more than a thought and creates an emotional reaction within us.

One example of this can be found by those who have kept journals or diaries. We all have hazy memories of our past. But as time goes on, unless it was a life-impacting experience, most of our memories get hazy and distorted until they become difficult to recall at all. We become detached from them. If you have kept a record of your past, you may have noticed that you can go back and read about a day, even one that was not particularly eventful, and the scant details you recorded will bring it back to you with amazing clarity. You may even start remembering details that you did not write down such as a song you heard, a slight breeze that was blowing at the time, or physical features of the people you interacted with. And all of this provokes an emotional reaction within you; usually the one you felt that day when you first recorded the entry. It is as if your journal is a time machine that takes you back to that day so you can relive it all over again.

Just like your writing is a time machine to your past, it can also convey you to your future.

Let me pick a wish of mine as an example. I wished to be a publicized author. I can take that wish and turn it into an instant reality (yes, instant!) by writing down my experience of attending the Meet the Author event where I am the author! I can share the excitement of opening the boxes and see the cover of my book with my name on it. I can describe the long line of people who are waiting anxiously to meet me. I can express my joy and appreciation as people compliment me on what I have written and how much they enjoyed it. I can describe the exitement of shaking people's hands, giving hugs, encouraging aspiring authors and my gratitude for the opportunity to meet such diverse, incredible people who have been inspired and entertained by my writing.

Just as I wrote those few lines about that future experience, completely devoid of the details I would use to describe the sights, sounds, smells and textures of the occasion, my pulse quickened and I became slightly breathless with excitement. Why? Because as I wrote those lines, I lived that experience ever so briefly in my mind. It was as real as if it had already happened and it provoked the emotional reaction of my being there. And as you focus on the emotional, future experiences, you start to set the Law of Attraction to work on your behalf.

So, write it down and make it happen!

Action Steps:
1. Make a list of things you want to d0, places you want to see, people you want to meet, objects you want to acquire and experiences you want to have. (See if you can list 100!)
2. Identify your "Top 10" on this list.
3. Select one of your "Top 10" and take the first step to making it happen by describing it in detail. Use all the senses - sight, touch, smell, sound and feeling!

The First Step - Part 3 of 7

“The two important things I did learn were that you are as powerful and strong as you allow yourself to be, and that the most difficult part of any endeavour is taking the first step, making the first decision.”

~ Robyn Davidson

Have you ever felt powerless and weak when it came to achieving something important to you? I know I have. But like Robyn, I learned that I was far more powerful, far stronger than I initially believed I was. Let me share an example with you.

A number of years ago, I hiked to the rim of Mt. Saint Helen's with some members of my family. I was in pretty good shape and was cruising up the slope, at one point carrying my sister's backpack along with my own. But there came a point when my legs cramped up unexpectantly. It started out as just being really uncomfortable, but when we broke clear of the boulders and hit the pebbly slope that stretched to the rim of the volcano's crater, it quickly became intensely painful and my pace ground to a near-complete stop.

Seeing how much pain I was in, my father suggested I just sit and rest and they would pick me up on the way back down and help me reach the bottom. As appealing as it was to sit down at that moment and ease the pain, I simply replied that I was still moving. I started picking out points on the slope to walk to, but the more intense the pain got, the farther away those points seemed. I finally just started telling myself, "Take 10 more steps. You can do that much."

So, I took 10 more steps. Once I hit the tenth step, I told myself to take 10 more. And I kept taking 10 more until I collapsed with quivering legs on the crater's rim, looking down at the lava dome at its center. The interesting thing was that, while I was one of the last in our group to reach the rim, I was the first to reach the bottom, running and jumping all the way down completely free of pain, where I waited for the rest of my group to wearily straggle back to the car.

I learned the important lesson that day that I am far stronger than I tend to allow myself to be. That applies to more than just my physical body. I am smarter, wiser, and mentally tougher as well. And now, one of the things I enjoy most is pushing myself to see just how far I can go and how much I can achieve.

Sometimes, we just have to get out of our own way and see how far we can go. We have to erase the word "can't" from our vocabulary and keep on pushing on to see just exactly what we can do. The majority of the limits we have encountered exist only in our own minds. We have to make that difficult decision to take that first step beyond what we think we can do, and another after that, and another after that until we reach our desired destination.

So wherever you feel weak, wherever you feel you have gone just as far as you can possibly go and you have done all you can possibly do, take 10 more steps or improve by just 1% and allow yourself to be stronger and more powerful than you previously thought you were. And if you do it once, you can very well do it again, and again, and again.

Action Steps:
1. Write down an area where you wish you were better.
2. Write down you personal best achievement in this area.
3. Now write down what it would mean in terms of achievement to "take 10 more steps" or improve in this area by just 1%.
4. Take the first step beyond your previous record and keep on moving!

Busy Weekend

This past weekend was a hectic and crazy one. I did make time for my 1/96th of a day reading, but I did not create the time to come post about it. I have lots more to share with you, but I plan to finish out my First Steps series first and store up everything else until it is done. Don't worry, though. I am writing it all down so I don't forget any of it because what I have read and the insights I have been having because of it are just awesome!

The First Step - Part 2 of 7

“The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.”

~ Mark Caine

It is easy to fall into the trap of believing your environment is to blame for where you are in life. Perhaps you don't have the same opportunities as other people who come from wealthier families. You may not be as popular as some people. Maybe you don't have the same training and education that others have received. All of these situations and more can make you feel like a captive in your current state of being.

The truth of the matter is that your environment has nothing to do with you. When you want something bad enough, you will find a way to get it no matter what the obstacles. There are hundreds of stories of people who have overcome poverty, lack of education, shyness, opposition and more to go on to achieve things beyond even their wildest dreams. They simply refused to be held captive any longer. They took the first step and found that taking that step and another and another was far easier than living in defeat.

Action Steps:
1. Write down what areas of your life you feel are holding you captive from the freedoms you want to enjoy.
2. On a separate piece of paper, write down steps you can take that could break you free from your current prison. Be creative.
3. Wad the first piece of paper up into a ball and say to it, "I refuse to be your captive any longer. As of today, I am free!" and throw it in the trash.
4. Choose one of the steps you have written down that will give you your freedom.
5. Take the first step!

The First Step - Part 1 of 7

We have all heard the saying that every journey begins with a single step - the first step. For all the self-improvement, motivational, and success "secrets" out there, taking the first step is the most important of them all and deserves greater coverage by the success gurus than it actually gets. While I am no self-proclaimed guru of health, wealth and happiness, allow me to share with you over the next seven days some "First Step" quotes and my thoughts on how they can be applied to move you from where you are to where you want to be:

“Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation”

~ Oscar Wilde

Discontent is a powerful tool for achieving success. Every one of us is discontent with something in our lives. We all have something we want to change. The unfortunate fact is that the majority of us bury our discontent in our fears.

We are discontent with how much money we make, but we are afraid to ask our boss for a raise or to look for a new job.

We are discontent with our social situation, but we are afraid to try and make new friends or to ask our dream date out.

We are discontent with the amount of debt we have, but we are afraid of looking poor in front of our friends by spending less money.

We all have something we don't like, but our fears are holding us back. Allow that discontentment to grow until it is bigger than your fears. Then, when the pain of not changing is greater than the fear of making the change, you will be ready for that first step.

Action Steps:
1. Write down one aspect of your life that you are discontented with.
2. Write down what steps you could take to change it and identify what the first step is.
3. Write down what is holding you back from changing that aspect of your life.
4. Write down everything you would gain by changing this aspect of your life.
5. Write down everything you would miss out on by not making the change.
6. Take the first step!

I'm Coming Back!

I haven't posted on this blog for nearly three months and I apologize to any of you that have been checking back regularly. I allowed myself to get too busy living my life to actual live my life. I fell back into the habit of getting by rather than cultivating the habits that will allow me to get ahead.

One habit that I have been neglecting is my 1/96th of a day habit that was taught to me by my friend and mentor John Dilemme. John pointed out that with there being four 15 minute periods in every hour, there are a total of 96 of them in every day. He proposed that if I spent 15 minutes of every day, 1/96th of my day, reading a motivational book or listening to an inspirational tape, my life would change drastically for the better over time. He called it feeding your spirit and has based it on the concept that what goes in, must come out.

I used to do this on a daily basis. I turned my car into a rolling university by listening to cds of Anthony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Mike Litman and others as I drove to and from work. I read books by Jim Rohn, Denis Waitley, Norman Vincent Peale and others as I ate lunch. Having done that for a while and now having gotten out of the habit, I can testify to you that it does make a difference. When I was in the habit of feeding my spirit, I thought and acted differently; far better than I do now. I didn't react as much as I do now. My hope was higher, my goals bigger and my heart happier and I was better for it.

I am taking up that 1/96th of a day habit again and you all have the opportunity to be my accountability partners. This blog will be a measure of how well I am doing in re-cultivating that habit because it will be the outlet for what I take in my spirit. I will spend a minimum of 15 minutes absorbing motivational, enlightening, inspirational, spirit-filling material for the express purposes of changing my life and sharing it with you in the hope that it will change yours as well.

You will be hearing from me again ... very soon!