Nothing to Regret - small bad habits cause lifelong regrets | Iman Aghay

9 out of 10 people regret something big in their lives. Many of these regrets are caused by seemingly insignificant bad habits. In this talk you will hear what causes bad habits and how these bad habits cause our lifelong regrets. You will also hear how to live a regret free life by identifying these bad habits and purging them one by one.

What would you regret if you died today?  What do you need to change in your life today?

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15 Signposts on the Path to Success| Jeff Keller

People on the path of growth apply certain principles that allow them to achieve more and lead rich, rewarding lives. If you’re on the path to success, you are a different person than you were five years ago. You think differently. You act differently. You see the world differently. In short, you’re growing and evolving.

But unlike our physical growth, where we can clearly see and gauge our progress (or lack thereof), it is often difficult to measure our personal and professional growth. There is no simple test we can take to assess personal growth, but here are some “signposts” that we can use to gain insight into where we stand.

As you read through this article, measure your present situation against these signposts of personal and professional growth. Consider if you already embrace these ideals or how you might implement them on a more consistent basis.

1. Don’t Fix Blame or Make Excuses 
You realize more and more that pointing a finger at others is not the answer to your problems. Instead, you take personal responsibility for your own results and your own 
happiness. You focus on your attitude, your skills, your actions, and your discipline.

2. Don’t Look Back 
Dwelling on unpleasant events in the past won’t change them, and it only makes you feel rotten in the present. So why do it? Part of accepting personal responsibility is the recognition that, at any point, you can change the path you’re on. Learn from the past, but don’t obsess on it. Instead, take action today to create a positive future.

3. Guard the Sanctity of Your Thoughts 
You no longer doubt that your thoughts are creating your reality. And, if that’s the case, why would you ever think negatively? You’re disciplining yourself to focus on what you want, as opposed to what you don’t want.

4. Have a Sense of Gratitude Every Day 
When you’re young, you tend to take everything for granted: your health, the roof over your head, and the food on your plate. As the years go by, you suddenly experience the “darker” side of life. Either you or your relatives or friends face serious illnesses. You personally know people in their 30s, 40s, or 50s who die. Instead of complaining about the things in your life that aren’t perfect, you choose to be thankful for the many gifts you’ve been given. You identify with the sage advice of Eddie Rickenbacker, who once said, “If you have all the fresh water you want to drink and all the food you want to eat, you should never complain about anything.”

5. Laugh a Lot More, Especially at Yourself
Several times each day, you find yourself letting out a hearty belly laugh. You take your work seriously but not yourself. Whether you’re with clients, colleagues, friends, or family, make sure to laugh. You’ll feel better and have a lot more fun.

6. Get Excited About Something
When you’re living in the flow of life and up to your highest potential, you’re enthusiastic. You don’t have to go around slapping people on the back, but you’re upbeat and alive. You get up in the morning with a purpose, and you look forward to the day’s activities. People can just look at you, or speak with you, and immediately pick up on your positive energy.

7. Take Some Risks
No one is asking you to go skydiving or put your physical health at risk. However, the path of growth demands that you venture into the unknown. That’s where you discover yourself, and find out what you’re capable of achieving. You begin to get ideas and visions about great things you can accomplish, and you have the courage to go after them! Instead of just thinking about doing something, you take action and do it!

8. Be Less Concerned with What Other People Think
Do you still need to get someone’s approval before making a decision? On the path to success, you’re willing to do what you think is best for you, even if someone else won’t like it. On fundamental issues such as your career, your relationships, and your goals, it’s fine to get advice. But in the end, it’s your view that counts. You’ll never be happy following someone 
else’s plan for your life.

9. Place More Emphasis on Honesty and Integrity
Even when no one is looking, you do the right thing. Your aim is to build solid long-term relationships, both personally and professionally, and you can’t accomplish this unless you’re a person of character and integrity. Aside from being good to others, this is for your own self-interest. You see, whatever you send out in life will come back to you like a boomerang. You know that for people to treat you with honesty and respect, you must treat them the same way.

10. Stop Trying to ‘Fix’ Others
You’ve learned that a little self-development can be dangerous. While you’ve begun to see that there’s a better way to live and you’re anxious for others to “see the light” as well, you recognize that everyone has his or her own path to follow, and that you don’t decide the rate at which someone else progresses. So, instead of “converting” others, you continue to work on yourself and find that your example is more powerful than any sermon you can preach.

11. Take the Opportunity to Lift Someone Else
You remember how tough it was for you at each level of your life and your career, and how challenging it is right now! Furthermore, you know that you are where you now are, in large part, because some people believed in you, encouraged you, and helped you. You make a point to do the same for those who can benefit from your experience.

12. See Things in Perspective
Your list of what’s truly important in your life continues to shrink. You work hard and enjoy whatever material comforts you have, but “things” are not as essential to you as they once were. You recognize that your health and well-being and that of your loved ones is what really matters. You no longer let little day-to-day annoyances (at work or at home) dictate the attitude, pace, or results of your day.

13. Listen More … and Ask Questions
You’ve learned to tame your ego a bit and don’t feel the need to always be the center of attention. You realize that when you’re talking, you’re not learning anything. You balance your conversations and make sure to draw other people out by asking questions. You’re more interested in learning about their thoughts, ideas, and insights on various issues, their careers, and their families. Every person has a fascinating story to tell, and you want to hear it!

14. Discover That Discipline Is Fun
You never thought you’d say that! Yet it’s true. To build physical fitness, you exercise several times each week. To develop a successful sales career, you pay attention to the basics, day in and day out. You’re no longer looking for the “quick fix” or “quick buck.” Instead, you know full well that you must put in the effort before you can reap the reward. You find tremendous satisfaction in sticking with something and mastering it over a period of time.

15. Set High Standards for Yourself and Others
Careful, this isn’t about achieving “perfection.” Rather, on the path to success, you simply have the desire to reach more and more of your potential. You no longer settle for less than your best effort. And, as you see more of the potential in others, you encourage them to develop their talents as well.

These are 15 signposts on your road to personal and professional success. I’m sure you can add several more items as well, based on your own experiences. Keep these ideas in front of you on a regular basis to gauge your progress. Apply them consistently and you’ll enjoy phenomenal results, plus a tremendously exciting journey!

Learn more about Jeff Keller and his bestselling book Attitude Is Everything.

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BrainGym

This 6 minute video outlines a "Brain Gym" exercise routine designed to increase the cross over between left-brain and right-brain activity, to enable whole brain activity.  This counteracts the effect of brain dominance, and causes hemi-sync where you are engaging logic and emotions simultaneously, which results in a phenomenon known as super learning.

To find out more about this please watch yesterday's video post by Dr Bruce H. Lipton called "Using 100% of your brain".

Included in the routine:
 - brain buttons
 - cross crawl
 - ankle touch (in front)
 - step touch
 - elbow to knee
 - ankle touch (behind)
 - bend and reach
 - hook up and breathing

Any one of these activities can be used to counteract stress, lethargy, memory loss or feeling overly emotional in the moment.

Have a go, and let me know how it goes below.

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How to achieve a great relationship | Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins, bestselling author of "Money: Master The Game," tells us the keys to making a relationship last. He also tells us how focusing on ourselves can destroy everything. Great stuff!! 

Short and sweet and powerful!  Let me know what you think below!

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The Power Of Perseverance | Chuck Danes

Perseverance Is Holding Your Chin High, Remaining Steadfast And Continually Advancing Toward Whatever Your Individual Desires Might Be

"At times the climb can seem strenuous, challenging, and sometimes

even impossible. The Power Of Perseverance combined with determination is the
power that will take you to the top." - Chuck Danes

The Power of Perseverance

"Only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon will find his right road."
- Dag Hammarskjold

There's no denying that perseverance is often required to realize the hopes, dreams, desires and visions we hold for ourselves.

What exactly is perseverance and how can you utilize it to bring about the desired results in your life?

What does perseverance have to do with attracting Abundance and Happiness and how can it be utilized in the most effective way? That is what we will cover here.

First of all let’s look at what perseverance is according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary. It states……..

per·se·ver·ance Pronunciation: "p&r-s&-'vir-&n(t)s Function: noun : the action or condition or an instance of persevering : STEADFASTNESS

As we can see perseverance is an action that we must take...to remain steadfast in that action until the desired outcome is achieved.

By remaining steadfast and determined in whatever it may be that you are desiring to see manifest in your life is of crucial importance if you are to bring about those results that you truly do desire.

It's often perceived that the Power of Perseverance is strictly of a physical nature.

My personal perspective is that the greatest power that you hold is using The Power of Perseverance to shift the quality of consciousness...the underlying beliefs that can make the physical journey difficult.

Developing the perseverance to hold fast and shift the quality of consciousness which is ALWAYS at cause, provides the greatest assistance in fulfilling whatever it might be that you desire to accomplish. It makes the physical journey more enjoyable and less strenuous.

In using the Power of Perseverance in this way, you are in essence reprogramming and removing the subconscious blocks that are keeping you from immediately and effortlessly attracting and receiving those things that you desire to see manifest which have already been promised to you.

In the case of bringing about desired results into your life, the formula looks like this.

Awareness + Desire + Belief + Action + Perseverance = Phenomenal and seemingly magical outcomes in your life.

So why is it that perseverance is sometimes necessary and at other times it seems that things just come into our lives with almost magical ease?

The answer to that is based on what you have previously established to be truth for you.

It's truly just a matter of perspective. Do you believe that your goal is going to be hard, difficult to achieve, and it's attainment requires great sacrifice? It will.

Do you "perceive" the actions necessary to achieve the end result must be unpleasant? They will be.

Do you see the outcome in your minds eye and hold the picture of seeing it's completion as fulfilling, rewarding and enjoyable as you work your way towards it? That's precisely how it will unfold.

Falsely established beliefs that many have established and continue to hold on to are the very reason that the events, conditions, and circumstances that you desire to see manifest can at times seem impossible to reach.

It is times like these where the Power of Perseverance is necessary to initiate, and is the force that will allow you to continue to take action until you develop the awareness of the correct action that will allow you to quit going against, and begin going with, the "flow." The kind of action that enables you to begin attracting the means to fulfill those things that you most desire, whatever they might be.

Put another way...

The Power of Perseverance is best and most effectively utilized when you hold fast and shift the underlying, unseen cause that is creating the "physical reality." It's what allows you to hang on to the dream or desire long enough to establish correct beliefs that enable and empower you to begin attracting the people, resources and circumstances for bringing your desire into physical form. It enables you to hold fast long enough to begin taking the correct action which cannot and will not fail to bring into the physical realm those things that you most desire to bring about.

It is perseverance that is responsible for and is the fuel that empowers and keeps you traveling down the road of higher self awareness and deeper understanding.

Although the Power of Perseverance is and can be utilized in a physical sense, it is the underlying cause...the beliefs and perceptions held, that can make the physical activity less than it has the potential to be. The belief held is what is responsible for producing less than the desired outcome, or far greater than many perceive to be attainable.

It's all a choice...your choice. There is none right or wrong. Each choice only leads to an experience that enables you to learn and grow and take another step forward in fulfilling whatever it is that you came to fulfill.

Utilizing The Power of Perseverance to advance in your understanding, to build upon the truth of who and what you "truly" are can and will dramatically reduce the need for "physical" perseverance.

Falsely established beliefs + a lack of perseverance equates to a life of mediocrity, struggle, discord and perhaps even hopelessness.

Developing enlivening and empowering beliefs combined with perseverance create what are often perceived to be miracles.

Regardless of the outcome, it's all a miracle. A creation that you choose. If you find that what you are choosing isn't bringing about the desired result, initiate The Power of Perseverance. 

Persevere in heart, mind, spirit and physical activity until the underlying cause shifts, no longer requiring struggle and excessive effort.

It's all about flow. It's all about what you choose. It's all about the beliefs that you allow to determine your outcomes.

For me, The Power of Perseverance is best utilized and most powerful by choosing to become more aware...to remember who and what I "truly" am which empowers me to become more.

How you choose to utilize the Power of Perseverance is an individual choice. Using it to advance your understanding, to elevate your beliefs and enhance your awareness is, what I believe to be the "best way."

Regardless of your individual choice the following quote holds great wisdom and will serve you...

"Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not quite, the not yet, the not at all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours."- Ayn Rand

Discover how to utilize the life changing Power of Perseverance in your life in a way that "feels" best for you. Keep on keeping on looking for a "Higher Truth." Discover and choose the necessary beliefs concerning your ability to become a conscious and purposeful creator of circumstance. Discover the correct actions that are necessary to bring about the results that you desire, and your life will become one of Joy, Purpose, Meaning, Fulfillment, Profound Inner Peace and Limitless Prosperity.

What I personally choose to refer to as Abundance and Happiness.

So what do you think?  Let me know below!

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Using 100% of Your Brain | Dr. Bruce H. Lipton

In this fascinating video Dr. Bruce Lipton dispels the myth that we only use 10% of our brain, and gives practical steps to improve brain function to activate super learning!

www.brucelipton.com

So what do you think?

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Forget About Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead | James Clear

We all have things that we want to achieve in our lives — getting into the better shape, building a successful business, raising a wonderful family, writing a best-selling book, winning a championship, and so on.

And for most of us, the path to those things starts by setting a specific and actionable goal. At least, this is how I approached my life until recently. I would set goals for classes I took, for weights that I wanted to lift in the gym, and for clients I wanted in my business.

What I’m starting to realize, however, is that when it comes to actually getting things done and making progress in the areas that are important to you, there is a much better way to do things.

It all comes down to the difference between goals and systems.

Let me explain.

The Difference Between Goals and Systems

What’s the difference between goals and systems?

• If you’re a coach, your goal is to win a championship. Your system is what your team does at practice each day.
• If you’re a writer, your goal is to write a book. Your system is the writing schedule that you follow each week.
• If you’re a runner, your goal is to run a marathon. Your system is your training schedule for the month.
• If you’re an entrepreneur, your goal is to build a million dollar business. Your system is your sales and marketing process.

Now for the really interesting question:

If you completely ignored your goals and focused only on your system, would you still get results?

For example, if you were a basketball coach and you ignored your goal to win a championship and focused only on what your team does at practice each day, would you still get results?

I think you would.

As an example, I just added up the total word count for the articles I’ve written this year. (You can see them all here.) In the last 12 months, I’ve written over 115,000 words. The typical book is about 50,000 to 60,000 words, so I have written enough to fill two books this year.

All of this is such a surprise because I never set a goal for my writing. I didn’t measure my progress in relation to some benchmark. I never set a word count goal for any particular article. I never said, “I want to write two books this year.”

What I did focus on was writing one article every Monday and Thursday. And after sticking to that schedule for 11 months, the result was 115,000 words. I focused on my system and the process of doing the work. In the end, I enjoyed the same (or perhaps better) results.

Before we talk about how to get started, I wanted to let you know I researched and compiled science-backed ways to stick to good habits and stop procrastinating. Want to check out my insights? Download my free PDF guide “Transform Your Habits” here.

Let’s talk about three more reasons why you should focus on systems instead of goals.

1. Goals reduce your current happiness.

When you’re working toward a goal, you are essentially saying, “I’m not good enough yet, but I will be when I reach my goal.”

The problem with this mindset is that you’re teaching yourself to always put happiness and success off until the next milestone is achieved. “Once I reach my goal, then I’ll be happy. 

Once I achieve my goal, then I’ll be successful.”

SOLUTION: Commit to a process, not a goal.

Choosing a goal puts a huge burden on your shoulders. Can you imagine if I had made it my goal to write two books this year? Just writing that sentence stresses me out.

But we do this to ourselves all the time. We place unnecessary stress on ourselves to lose weight or to succeed in business or to write a best-selling novel. Instead, you can keep things simple and reduce stress by focusing on the daily process and sticking to your schedule, rather than worrying about the big, life-changing goals.

When you focus on the practice instead of the performance, you can enjoy the present moment and improve at the same time.

2. Goals are strangely at odds with long-term progress.

You might think your goal will keep you motivated over the long-term, but that’s not always true.

Consider someone training for a half-marathon. Many people will work hard for months, but as soon as they finish the race, they stop training. Their goal was to finish the half-marathon and now that they have completed it, that goal is no longer there to motivate them. When all of your hard work is focused on a particular goal, what is left to push you forward after you achieve it?

This can create a type of “yo-yo effect” where people go back and forth from working on a goal to not working on one. This type of cycle makes it difficult to build upon your progress for the long-term.

SOLUTION: Release the need for immediate results.

I was training at the gym last week and I was doing my second-to-last set of clean and jerks. When I hit that rep, I felt a small twinge in my leg. It wasn’t painful or an injury, just a sign of fatigue near the end of my workout. For a minute or two, I thought about doing my final set. 

Then, I reminded myself that I plan to do this for the rest of my life and decided to call it a day.
In a situation like the one above, a goal-based mentality will tell you to finish the workout and reach your goal. After all, if you set a goal and you don’t reach it, then you feel like a failure.

But with a systems-based mentality, I had no trouble moving on. Systems-based thinking is never about hitting a particular number, it’s about sticking to the process and not missing workouts.

Of course, I know that if I never miss a workout, then I will lift bigger weights in the long-run. And that’s why systems are more valuable than goals. Goals are about the short-term result. Systems are about the long-term process. In the end, process always wins.

3. Goals suggest that you can control things that you have no control over.

You can’t predict the future. (I know, shocking.)

But every time we set a goal, we try to do it. We try to plan out where we will be and when we will make it there. We try to predict how quickly we can make progress, even though we have no idea what circumstances or situations will arise along the way.

SOLUTION: Build feedback loops.

Each Friday, I spend 15 minutes filling out a small spreadsheet with the most critical metrics for my business. For example, in one column I calculate the conversion rate (the percentage of website visitors who join my free email newsletter each week). I rarely think about this number, but checking that column each week provides a feedback loop that tells me if I’m doing things right. When that number drops, I know that I need to send high quality traffic to my site.

Feedback loops are important for building good systems because they allow you to keep track of many different pieces without feeling the pressure to predict what is going to happen with everything. Forget about predicting the future and build a system that can signal when you need to make adjustments.

Fall In Love With Systems

None of this is to say that goals are useless. However, I’ve found that goals are good for planning your progress and systems are good for actually making progress.

Goals can provide direction and even push you forward in the short-term, but eventually a well-designed system will always win. Having a system is what matters. Committing to the process is what makes the difference.

Footnotes

1. Thanks to Scott Adams for his Wall Street Journal article, which helped prompt this piece.

Interesting?  Let me know what you think below!

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