Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway

Feeling fear whenever you are thrusting yourself outside your comfort zone is a natural response. The challenge is to know when fear is justified and a reason to stop or when fear is just a normal part of the success journey and an opportunity for you to use the fear to sharpen your senses, where you confront the fear and go ahead anyway.

When fear is justified, for example where you may be entering into a contractual agreement with someone that is less than trustworthy, it is crucial to listen to your inner voice and to use the fear you feel to protect yourself. On the other hand, any time you thrust yourself into unchartered territory, where you are pushed outside your self-imposed comfort zone, you will feel fear too. The challenge is to know when fear is real and justified and when it is just your natural desire to seek comfort and avoid pain.

Achievers have mastered this art and they very quickly identify whether fear is justified or whether it is just a normal fear that they are feeling because they are taking a calculated risk and are pushing the boundaries of their comfort zone. You need to invest time to develop this art, where you can very quickly tell if fear is justified or whether it is just your natural aversion to inviting some risk into your life. Feeling fear is a natural protection mechanism that is built into your brain to protect you from any pending danger.

The way to enter the realm of achievement is to very quickly know whether fear is justified or not and to confront your fear, where you feel the fear and go ahead anyway or when to realise that your fear is real and you must take action to avoid the danger. You can never get rid of your fear, but you can learn the art of confronting your fear and using it to your advantage.

For example:

• Your fear of ignorance can be used to generate inspiration to constantly grow your knowledge.
• Your fear of poverty can be used to inspire you to work a little harder.
• Your fear of disease can inspire you to take better care of your body.
• The fear of losing your family can inspire you to remain faithful, work a little harder and show them love as often as possible.

The secret to becoming and remaining an achiever is to learn the art of quickly identifying the difference between harmful or justified fear or helpful fear or unjustified fear. As soon as you make the shift toward understanding how to use fear to your advantage you turn something that can be very limiting and restrictive into an asset that you can use to create massive success in your life.

Once you have learnt the art of knowing when fear is real and justified or when it is just a natural response to your attachment to stability, it is time to introduce the art of daily discipline into your life. As Roy L Smith said "Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability." Daily discipline is the key to unlock your potential and to turn you into a high performance human being, who operates at levels of super achievement.

Positive self-discipline, where you commit to carry out all the tasks you need to each day, puts you firmly in the driver's seat and over time, these consistent efforts will turn into the success you desire. Yes success does require a commitment to daily discipline and an investment of some of your valuable time, which will cost you something small each day. Failure on the other hand requires nothing from you each day, but the price you will pay in the long run will be massive. What choice do you want to make with your future?

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Life Lessons From 100-Year-Olds

This is one of the most wisdom filled and heart warming things I have seen.

One of my favourite quotes from the video :

"I don' have any failures. If I'm making a cake and it fails, it becomes a pudding." 

What's yours?

Gift Ideas That Can Change Someone's Life - Part 2

So what are the gifts that keep on giving, but can also change someone's life?

In my view they are gifts that help to change a person, make their life easier on a day to day basis and provide an ongoing utility and appreciation long after they have been received. 

To that end, here are some of my favourites that I can say, have really enhanced my life and while some of them I have had for over a decade, I still appreciate them and what they have done for me over that time. 

1. A Good Multitool

I'm really not sure if this is a guy thing, however, I have rarely met another guy who hasn't appreciated the value of a good quality multi-tool. I got my first multitool over 20 years ago and I remember feeling like MacGyver. Every time I used the tool, I could appreciate the quality and the utility, and I did get it to do some tough jobs over the years. In the spirit of the gift that keeps on giving, I eventually handed it down to my nephew, who still uses it on almost a daily basis. The secret to the longevity is quality and my personal recommendation is the Leatherman Supertool, which is a full size tool. I have had the every day carry tools like the wave, but not found them as good on heavier duty jobs, but the Supertool has served and delivered on every kind of job.  

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2. A Useful Skill

Sometimes the limiting factor in our productivity is our limitation in a particular skill. Once case in point is the ability to touch type. With computers being so ubiquitous in this day and age, taking processing power out of the equation, the biggest limitation, particularly if you need to write a lot (like emails, reports, articles, assignments and so on) is your word output on the keyboard. According to David Allen, the author of Getting Things Done, something magical happened to his productivity once he had learned to touch type at 50 words per minute, and I have to agree. My only regret is that I didn't learn this skill sooner than I did, but it has been the skill that has allowed me to double my productive output when sat at a computer for many years now. The great thing is that you can learn to touch type for free, but it does take a bit of scheduling and consistent practice. If you get a study buddy and do this together you are more likely to stick at it until you get to 50 words a minute. 

If you want to learn more about David Allen and his revolutionary approach to productivity you can click on the image below. 

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3. A Life Changing Event

Many of us go through life quietly suffering, with an undefined feeling of dissatisfaction, which we often cannot express. We just get on with it, however we don't know if there is anything we can do about our current circumstances and we resign ourselves into accepting that life is just the way it is. 

Then by some random happenstance we come across something which we are not too sure about, sounds too good to be true and we let the opportunity go by. But then something can pique our curiosity and we look into it further. We decide we will keep an open mind and find out for ourselves, and we then make a commitment. We attend and our life is never the same again. 

Unleash the Power Within is an event just like that. 

The first Time I attended a Tony Robbins event, there were many things that I just was dumbfounded by, even before the event got going. The first was the sheer number of people in attendance. It was held in London in a large conference centre and the place was packed out. The other thing that I was amazed about was just how far people had travelled to get there. People from all around the world (including Australia) had travelled specifically to attend this 4 day event and may were on a multiple visit. 

All I can say is I that I remember coming out of the event changed in such a profound way. I know that even some of the more skeptical people that I met there were blown away and said to me afterwards that it was so worth it. 

If you want to learn more about this event, click on the image below, however, if you are serious about either helping yourself or someone you care about, having the best year of their lives, then you should check out just how many tickets are actually left for this event. 

I hope that you have some positive inspiration from these about articles about finding gifts that will actually help make a positive change to your loved ones (or even your own) lives. 

Gift Ideas That Can Change Someone's Life - Part 1

I am a simple person. I know what is important to me and I don't like to waste money unnecessarily. So when it comes to thinking about getting gifts for people, I really like to try and get something which will have real value and appreciation.

When it comes to my second daughter its really easy. Technology, and anything that she thinks will make her more popular. However, my eldest daughter is much less shallow and she would rather have things that matter to her or make a difference to her life. Whether this is a book, lessons for something, or something that is going to improve the quality of her life and self understanding.

In this post I'm going to make some suggestions for gifts that may actually change someone's life or add value beyond the price of the gift.

1. Books

Books expand your mind, open you up to new ideas and give you a chance to exercise your mind. A mind expanded by a new idea can never go back to its original dimensions.

A great book that I can recommend which is timeless in its message and wisdom is Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It's quite an old school book, however when it comes to a sustainable approach to improving your life so that it is more meaningful, purposeful and driven by your values, then I can't recommend a better book.

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2. Magazine Subscriptions

A magazine subscription for the right magazine can be life changing. It will allow you to keep completely up to date with any area that you have an interest in and is usually written by experts in the field. The great thing about Subscriptions these days is that you can get the latest edition delivered directly to your mobile device. If you know someone who is wanting to have more self awareness, or just generally interested in self improvement then Psychologies. It's a magazine that is primarily targeted at women, but I find it incredibly fascinating myself.

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3. A Really Nice Notebook

Anyone that has ever taken any serious time out to write down their thoughts, capture ideas, create their plans and set their life goals will always appreciate a good quality notebook for this purpose. The benchmark in quality is Moleskine, and if you have ever had the pleasure to use a Moleskine you will know exactly what the fuss is all about. The covers are tactile and feel great in the hand and the paper quality makes these a joy to write on. There is also a wide range of specification so you can get something that really suits the personality of the person you are buying for.

Below is one of my favourites. I prefer A5 size myself as I find them easy to carry around with me and jot down things in random ad hoc locations.

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4. A Really Nice Pen

Pens are also another personal gift that can change someone's pleasure and value in life. Especially if they have that special pen that they use for special occasions. It is critical that you get a pen that gives you a sense of ceremony when it is used as a pen is a tool of record for what is occurring in our mind. I personally use a Montblanc Starwalker which I use specifically to write down my goals, my deepest reflections and insights. 

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5. A Sleep Tracker And Wake Up Light

Nothing beats a good night's sleep and if you are anything like me, you really hate the winter for the lack of daylight. A good night's sleep though is energising, and when you are well rested, you have greater will power, optimism and are generally happier, more focused and productive. 

To that end a sleep monitor, sleep tracker and wake up alarm is a great life enhancing piece of technology that will empower and support you to get a good night's rest and a solid start to the day. I personally use the Withings Aura along with the Health Mate App to track my sleep, weight and movement. The alarm goes off during a window of time and the sensor tracks when that optimal moment is to wake you so that you wake feeling rested and refreshed. This is a grate gift at this time of year as we move into the shortest days of the year.

Click on the image to learn more:

In part 2, I will be looking at gifts that will just keep on giving with a similar life changing theme. 

Your Ideal Day.....

One of the most overlooked aspect of setting an ideal life for yourself is actually recognising what it will look like. In this post is an exercise that will really get you to focus on this. If you don't live your ideal today, then it is something to work towards, and generally speaking, you will be surprised at how attainable your ideal day actually is....

One thing to take into account though, is that as humans, we all need something to do, someone to love and something to look forward to, so even though many people often have a romanticised idea of sitting on a beach somewhere all day, sipping cold drinks and not having a care in the world, the reality is that any satisfaction gained from this kind of existence will always be short lived. When idealising your day, its important to take all the important things into account like time for yourself, your relationships, your long term health and the work that you do.  

There's the exercise...

We'll start at the beginning of the day...

How are you starting off your day? What time are you getting up? How do you feel?

What is your bedroom like? Is there natural light waking you up, or do you have black out curtains and wake up when your body is good and ready?

What is it like where you are living? What's the lay out of your home, your kitchen, the quality of the furnishings and fittings?

How do you start your day? Do you pray, meditate, read, workout? Do you get up at the same time as the rest of the family or do you like to get up a bit earlier to start your day in peaceful solitude?

Do you get yourself a drink? What sort and where do you drink it?

What is the view like outside of your window? What kind of location are you living in?

Do you like to get a bit of work done, or set your day up before spending time with the family?

What does your working day look like? Where do you work from? Do you have an office, or do you work from home, or flexibly from a local coffee shop?

What do you spend your work morning doing?

What do you do for lunch? Do you meet with friends, clients or with your partner?

Do you go for a lunch time walk, do a bit of exercise or take a nap?

How do you spend the rest of your afternoon? Do you do a bit of pro bono work for a cause that you are passionate about?

What about your dinner? What do you have and where do you eat? What do you have to go with it?

How do you spend your evening? Do you meditate? spend time with the family, or just unwind by reading or catching up on news?

And what about when you are getting ready to wind the day down? Do you spend time thinking about the progress, contribution and fulfilment that you have had during the day? Do you plan out the following day?

This is your ideal day and it is something only you can design to create a life that is meaningful and fulfilling for you. Base it on what you believe in, and what you truly value. 

If you aren't too sure about any particular aspect, it's OK. Just make it up as you would envisage it, like you did when you were a kid, imagining a life without limitations. This exercise is just for you and you don't need to share it with anyone, and neither should you. 

It’s your ideal day.

There are only two problems in life. Isn't that reassuring? The first one is that you don't know what you want and the second is that you know what you want, but don't know how to get it. 

The solution to the problems is also simple... Make it up, and then make it happen. 

The purpose of this exercise is to provide your subconscious mind a blueprint that you can work towards. A simple and clear idea of what you want for your life will give you direction, motivation and clarity, and these will give you the impulse to act.

Don't expect to get it right the first time, after all, we are all work in progress, and when we achieve one goal, its important to enjoy it for a while, but then we need to start setting something else so that we still have something to do and something to look forward to.

Get going and set your direction in life. It all starts with a single day, but a single day well lived, will lead to well lived weeks, months, years and ultimately a well lived life.

There will of course be challenges and learning, but this is how we grow.

Write your thoughts in a journal and come back to it as a way of recalibrating yourself, whenever you feel you are getting off track. 

Don't wait until new year to start improving your life. Start right away, and commit to the process over the long haul and you will be amazed at the miracles that show up. 

Gratitude | Louie Schwartzberg | TEDxSF

Cultivate your gratitude and get unbelievable perspective.

Take A Few Moments To Reflect...

While most people tend to take time out at the end of the festive period to reflect on what they have achieved, what they need to work on and improve, I have always had the habit of doing this at the early end of December. 

I have found over the year, that doing this, has really helped me to keep myself on track during the holidays, but more importantly, to hit the ground running, and also sticking to my commitments when January did eventually come around. 

So... Let's take a moment to reflect on your last year...

How did you get on?

Do you even remember what your 'resolutions' were last year?

Do you feel like you made progress towards your goals?

Did your goals change over the year?

Do you have a clearer picture of what it takes to achieve the success you desire today than you did in January?

Some years, looking back... I felt like I didn't make any progress at all. In other years, I felt like everything had changed and what I thought was important, didn't seem so significant, and yet even in other years, I got so tied up with new projects and other people's plans that I barely did anything for my own growth. 

Over time however, I realised that even the "unsuccessful" years were helping me to subtly lay the foundations and while imperceptible at the time, did amount to having a great impact on my personal growth. 

This kind of foundation building can lead to huge future growth, though...

And if you are anything like me, you can get a bit impatient at times...Like wanting to be 10 steps farther ahead than you are at all times.

It is totally natural...Be patient with yourself!

Dealing with challenges in your life is a tough business... Advertising make it sound easy so they can sell you products that promise you that you will be rid of a certain challenge for good, but the truth of the matter is that it takes a ton of perseverance, hard work and trial and error.

Looking back, it all makes sense why it took me so long and I know you don't have to take THAT long!

Because I'm able to help guide you around some of the huge mistakes I made that set me back years.

And that is my goal here...

To help guide you to the shortest path to achieve the success you desire...

But you have to put in the work on your end... I can't do that part for you.

I can, however, remind you that I'm right here on my end putting in the work, too.

Eager to reach the next level, too!

So you aren't alone.

And we are in this together!

Stay strong and be gentle with yourself through this process...

Most people don't have the courage to even try to recognise where their life is and commit to making a change for the better.

Most people don't have the perseverance to keep going after the first few failures.

And I've got a feeling that 2018 is going to be a breakout year for us both!

Gratitude and Why You Need to Practice It

You've probably heard a lot about gratitude, or perhaps you've heard the popular phrase, "Have an attitude of gratitude." Gratitude is an important characteristic to develop. However, it's important to realize that gratitude is far more than just expressing gratefulness aloud - it involves living a life of gratitude. As President John F. Kennedy said, "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

What is Gratitude?

Before looking at why you should practice gratitude and how you can add gratitude to your life, it's important to understand this characteristic. What is gratitude? Webster's Online Dictionary defines thankfulness as "A feeling of thankfulness and appreciation." It is also described as a state of feeling or being grateful. Instead of focusing on wants and needs, gratitude is a positive emotion that focuses on expressing appreciation.

Reasons it's Important to Practice Gratitude

Why do you need to practice gratitude? Have you ever met a person who was negative about everything? After being around that person, you may have felt that their negativity was sucking your energy away. By having gratitude as a core value, you can avoid being that person. Here are just a few more reasons it's important to be grateful.

- Gratitude helps put your life in perspective. You start seeing the glass as half full. It makes you realize how much you really have.

- An attitude of gratitude helps push you out of tough moments. Challenges will occur in relationships and in your business life, but when you use gratitude to look at those challenges, it will help you move beyond that challenge.

- Gratitude also helps you learn to appreciate the little things. You'll retain that child like sense of wonder as you look at your blessings.

- Of course, gratitude will help you appreciate all the big things in life too.

What Research Says About Gratitude

You may be surprised to find that many researchers have studied gratitude. In fact, research shows that practicing gratitude offers many benefits. Here are just a few of the things researchers have discovered about practicing gratitude.

- People who regularly discuss gratitude enjoy greater levels of energy, better sleep, improved alertness and greater determination.

- When people keep regular gratitude journals, they exercise more often, they feel optimistic about their life and have fewer negative physical symptoms.

- Some new research shows that practicing gratitude daily may help to prevent coronary artery disease.

- Grateful people enjoy lower stress levels and a decreased risk of depression.

- Individuals who regularly practice gratitude report that they are better able to offer emotional support to other individuals.

Ways to Practice Gratitude

Now that you're more aware of why it's so important to practice gratitude, you may be wondering how you can begin practicing gratitude in your life. Here are some simple ways you can start being grateful today.

- Way #1 - Keep a Gratitude Journal - One of the best ways to practice gratitude is to keep a gratitude journal. Research shows that this is one of the best ways to become grateful. Get a journal, or even a notebook, and start writing down things you're thankful for each day or one day a week.

- Way #2 - Post Photos, Words, and Items of Gratitude Around Home and at Work - Remind yourself to be grateful by posting photos, words and items of gratitude around your home and at work. Quotes that inspire you to feel gratitude or photos that make you feel grateful will help you focus on gratitude.

- Way #3 - Start Saying "Thank You!" - Simply saying "thank you" to people more often will help you practice gratitude.

- Way #4 - Let Friends and Family Members Know You're Thankful for Them - Take time to let your friends and family members know that you are thankful for them. Practice gratitude by writing a thank you note, a special letter or send a text to let them know how grateful you are to have them in your life.

- Way #5 - Practicing Gratitude as a Family at Dinner - When you sit down to a family dinner, go around the table and have each person say something they are grateful for before you eat.

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Always Invest In Yourself First

The best investment anyone can make, if not the only one that will directly make the most impact in your life, is to invest in yourself. This is a key to success if you want to achieve any type of goal in your life, business, career, or anything concerning your life. Too many people invest in so many other things but always forget to invest in themselves which support the premise that there are only a few who are truly content in their lives.

It is not too late to make a positive change in life since there are a few easy things you can do to invest in yourself today. One quick action step is go and get some exercise. Go for a brisk walk, take the stairs, or jog for lunch. You will feel better, increase your productivity and energy levels, and reduce stress. Another simple and worthwhile thing you can do is pick a more nutritious lunch rather than going for that greasy burger. Your body is your investment so put junk bonds in it and watch that investment tank or go for the highly rated nutritious foods and watch your investment flourish. In life, like your body, what you put in is what you get out.

Reading a book is a good investment but if you want to make it a better investment don't just read the book, you will be better off studying the book. Study one hour a day and in a few years you could be the top expert of the subject matter you're reading. One more thing is to learn something new each day because at the end of the year you would have learned 365 new things. No matter how little you might think doing something to improve yourself might be it will all add up in the big picture. A good analogy is to reference the principle of compound interest. Constant savings through time, no matter how small the amount, will increase over the years. Obviously, the more you are able to save or invest will yield even larger returns.

The key to success in anything is just start doing it now and keep doing it because it will develop into a good successful habit. Remember, it is never to late to start investing in yourself. The sooner you start and keep doing it will translate into amazing things happening for you.

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5 Ways to Stay Productive During the Holidays

Work? Who really wants to work during the holidays? If you are a small business owner though you might need to do a little work (or a lot) during the holidays. This can be tough for a number of reasons. Are you planning on traveling during the holidays? Are your children off of school? Do you have family or friends coming to visit? 

So, how do we stay productive during the holidays? A business owner most likely cannot close up shop for two months in order to prepare for the holidays. Here are 5 solutions that will help you stay productive and still enjoy the holiday season: 

1. Update your calendar - If you have not updated your calendar for the holidays now is the time to do so! If it is an important event or meeting and you do not want to miss it, get it on your calendar now. Block out your travel time, change in kids schedules, holiday get-togethers and networking events.

2. Your time management - Now that you have updated your calendar, make sure that you have given yourself the right amount of time to complete client projects and make deadlines - especially during the holidays. Maybe now is a good time to go back and put in a little "cushion" (extra time) between events.

3. Prepare in advance - This is also contingent up updating your calendar. Now you can prepare in advance for events, projects, and any other arrangements that need to be made. What can you do now so you don't have to do it later?

4. Set reasonable goals - Once you have updated your calendar (see #1) you will have a clear idea of what your holiday calendar looks like. As you gain new business, or commit to additional projects, make sure you set reasonable goals. It is quite possible that your schedule is not going to allow for you to do as much work as you would in a normal (non-holiday) month.

5. Utilize your time wisely - Traveling during the holidays? You might have some time in the car, on a plane, or on a train to get some work done. Knowing what your calendar looks like for the next month allows you to plan accordingly. Maybe even getting up 15 minutes earlier each morning to crank out some additional emails or blog posts is the way to go.

The holidays are meant to be spent with family and friends, but a business will not run itself. Follow these steps to stay productive and still enjoy the holiday season! Happy holidays!

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Cause of Social Anxiety Disorder - What Causes Anxiety?

There is more than one cause of Social Anxiety Disorder and no single cause. Like other conditions social anxiety is a complex issue with a number of contributors. In most people, the disorder is the result of the combination of biological and environmental factors. So what causes anxiety? - a combination of genetic makeup and environmental factors like upbringing and experiences.

It is now widely accepted that just as features like our eye color or chin shape are inherited, our sensitivity to social criticism can move genetically from one generation to the next. It is estimated that a person with a first degree relative with this disorder is between 30% to 40% more at risk. So with a genetic predisposition and added environmental stimulus from life's experiences we become more prone to developing this disorder at some point in our life.

A chemical imbalance in your brain is another contributing cause. These chemicals, known as neurotransmitters, are used to send signals from one cell to another. Four neurotransmitters are believed to play a role in social anxiety disorder: norepinephrine, serotonin, doamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid. Researchers are just beginning to understand exactly how an imbalance of these neurotransmitters contribute to the cause of this disorder. It is known, however, that the brain of a sufferer reacts differently to social triggers than the brain of people without the disorder.

Environmental causes can influence the development of social anxiety disorder. Evidence suggests that many sufferers were raised in socially isolated environments. This has also been demonstrated in adoptive families where no genetic component exists. Naturally timid children are more likely to develop social anxiety disorder, indicating that temperament may also be one of the causes of the condition.

Social anxiety can become apparent at different developmental stages. Babies can develop a fear of strangers at around seven months. Separation anxiety is noticeable in some children - often most obvious in three-year-olds than in five-year-olds. Being alone can be difficult for children ages six to eight and then often becomes their choice as they approach puberty and adolescence. Solitude becomes more important as anxiety about physical appearance and performance in school increases. We also know that traumatic or stressful life events occurring at an early developmental stage may increase the risk of a later development of social anxiety disorder.

So what cause anxiety? The cause of Social Anxiety Disorder then is a combination of contributing factors. Genetics, upbringing and life's experiences all play their part.

Be free from anxiety now CLICK HERE. 

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