Self Improvement Information

One of the biggest reasons why some people don’t succeed is because the loose focus and get distracted on their goals and dreams. How many times has this happened to you? You have all of these huge plans to succeed and the next thing you know you are doing things that you never intended to do. Here are 3 keys to help you stay focused and not get distracted from the success that you want.

1. Have a clear plan.

A lack of a clear, definite plan is a huge reason why you may find yourself getting distracted so easily. Just having a plan in your head is not good. You need to have a great plan for success written down. This will help you stay focused and stay on track. Having a plan is like having a map on a road trip to a place you have never been before.

2. Learn to manage your time.

Do you find yourself looking down at your watch and realizing that it’s late afternoon when you thought it was still morning? This might be because you allow things to control your time instead of you managing your own time. If you don’t get a handle on time management you will never be able to focus on the things that need to be done to help you achieve success.

3. Stop distractions before they start.

Are there certain things that you find distract you? If so, find ways to stop them from distracting you. For instance, if you are always being interrupted by your phone, turn if off for an hour so that you can concentrate on your work. Sometimes going to another location that is quieter is all you need to stay focused.

Is there greatness on the inside of you but you don’t know how to achieve it? Jason has just completed his brand new 7 part e-course, ‘Find Your Greatness’

Get it free here:

We all know that it’s important to set goals, and most people have at least some that include financial and career success, a solid interpersonal and family relationship, and spiritual aspirations, as well.

But how often are we pursuing OUR goals, instead of those that others have tacitly set for us?

It’s easy, for instance, for parents to impose their unrealized goals on their kids, hoping the next generation might succeed where they believe they failed. Though well intentioned, parents in doing this can consign their offspring to careers for which the latter are poorly predisposed by virtue of differing talents and temperaments.

But even more of a potential trap is allowing our path in life to be informed by our perceived rivals. For instance, one famous American senior military officer during Vietnam opined that the Russians were envious of our quagmire because they weren’t getting enough current battlefield experience of their own.

Though this is a stupid reason to prosecute a war, I’m sure you’ll agree, Russia did get its own intractable conflict in Afghanistan.

Pursuing goals because others might envy our accomplishments is self-defeating and foolish. They probably don’t care what we’re doing, and even if they do, pleasing them isn’t what our life should be about.

Philosopher and novelist Ayn Rand said the only genuine purpose for a life is the pursuit of happiness, and by that she meant our own. She reasoned that we’re incapable of making anyone else happy. They must do that for themselves.

So, if you catch yourself saying or even thinking, “I’m doing it for them,” you’re either being disingenuous or your goal is out of whack.

Working nights so you can help your brother pay his college tuition is a cool thing to do, but you’re not doing it for him. He’s a beneficiary of your desire to feel good about yourself, and to believe you’re making a contribution.

The key is to have goals, but makie sure they’re your own. Don’t get stuck in comparing yourself to others, trying to compete with phantoms, making others admire or envy you, or attempting to fulfill unfinished family business.

Keep your eyes on YOUR prize, and you’ll be okay.

Best-selling author of 12 books and more than 900 articles, Dr. Gary S. Goodman is considered “The Gold Standard”–the foremost expert in sales development, customer service, and telephone effectiveness. Top-rated as a speaker, seminar leader, and consultant, his clients extend across the globe and the organizational spectrum, from the Fortune 1000 to small businesses. He can be reached at: mailto:gary@customersatisfaction.com gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Even if you don’t think you have rituals in your life, you do. For example, Do you brush your teeth every morning? That’s a ritual. Do you eat lunch pretty much at the same time everyday? That’s a ritual. Do you go to bed at the same time every evening? That’s a ritual, too.

However, if you’re like most people, I bet a lot of your rituals are pretty unconscious and feel more like a habit than anything more meaningful. You do them because you’ve always done them. But, have you ever wondered how they truly serve your life?

Rituals, or meaningful and consistent routines, are actions you take for the sake of keeping you on track and focused on the big picture you have for your life.

For example, everyday I read something that will help me grow as a business owner. Everyday! It has become such an important part of my day I always make time for it. Reading material that will help me become a wiser, more effective business owner serves my goal of building a successful business I love.

Another ritual I have is to take a mid-afternoon break, everyday, to quiet my mind and get in touch with what my gut is telling me. This time helps me reconnect to my spirit and that helps me stay on track. I LOVE this time I’ve made for myself. Love it!

The rituals you create should be things you WANT to do, rather than things you think you “should” do. The basic idea of a ritual is for it to be something you look forward to doing. Rituals will enhance your life and they are fun to do. Rituals are conscious actions you take that serve the life you are choosing to create.

Examples of life-giving rituals include:

*Eating a healthy breakfast everyday
*Daily reading of spiritual, personal growth and success books
*Daily quiet time
*Attending weekly mastermind group
*Lighting a candle before important conversations

*Exercising
*Twice monthly massages
*Prayer
*Giving thanks at the end of each day for the gifts that day brought your way
*Beginning each day with a plan, or intention
*Eating dinner with your family, at the table, each night
*Kissing and hugging every family member before going to sleep
*Telling the people you love, you love them, everyday
*Flossing your teeth daily
*Taking your vitamins everyday
*Drinking lots of water everyday

The idea is for your rituals to be fun and supportive and something you WANT to do.

Success in life is a result of taking a few good actions, over and over again, until you achieve the results you want. Rituals will add substance to your actions and make life feel more meaningful.

Copyright (c) 2007 Cari Vollmer

Cari Vollmer, founder of

Many people are paralyzed by the fear of failure. Many people never take steps toward their dreams because of a fear, often times a figment of our minds, of not being able to make it or of failing while on the path. We need to banish these thoughts from our minds and move forward regardless of how big the chances of failure may or may not be. Remember that fear is nothing more than an indicator of where our mind is directed and our thoughts are focused. For some reason as adults we have picked up the concept that failure is a horrible thing, so many people settle for much less than they are completely capable of. This will never lead to a life of freedom and abundance.

In 1914, a great inventor that you may have heard of by the name of Thomas Edison lost his manufacturing facility in West Orange, N.J. to a fire. He lost over $1 million dollars worth of equipment and most of the records of his work. The biggest down side for Edison was the fact that he had no insurance on the building, not to mention that he had to start anew with many of the projects he was working on. The following morning, the 67 year old inventor was walking through the charred remains of his hopes and dreams looking at what was left when he said: “There is value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Now we can start anew.” It is this kind of mindset that allowed Edison to create the inventions that he did. That allowed him to get back up time and time again after failing time and time again. The heart of a lion to carry on even when all the odds are against you and the world has dealt you a crappy hand.

You must be willing to pay the price for everything you want. A car costs a certain amount of money. Love costs the possibility of heartache and sorrow. Success runs the cost of possible failure. If failure happens accept it, learn from it, and move on. A lack of failure suggests a lack of effort and the probability that little will be achieved. Be willing to put yourself out there and risk failure. No one in history who has accomplished anything worth while has ever not failed. But there are millions of people who have never accomplished anything who have never failed. They were even successful at not accomplishing anything. A football coach gave this advice on how to deal with failures. “When you’re about to be run out of town, get out in front and make it look like you’re heading a parade.”

Life is a leaf of paper white
Whereon each one of us may write
His word or two, and then comes night.

Greatly begin! though thou have time
But for a line, be that sublime—
Not failure, but low aim, is crime.

James Russell Lowell

To never have tried is to the true sin in life. To never give oneself completely to a worthy cause. To commit to something that is bigger than yourself. To never put yourself on the line where failure lie on one side, and amazing success lay on the other. These are the things that sin are made of. These are the things that kill people slowly in life. These are the things that great people realize, and use as a motto, and continue to create and move forward regardless of the possibility of failure.

Dwayne Gilbert is the founder of wealthylifesecrets.com wealthylifesecrets.com and has been helping people in the area of self-protection
and personal development for 10 years. He has authored some of his own books and currently teaches people self-defense and
personal development strategies and tactics. To get more information on the law of attraction and how to apply it, visit
wealthylifesecrets.com wealthylifesecrets.com.

I have read many reactions to “The Secret” DVD, bothering on sheer rebuttal of the claims by the Secret-Masters, and have come to the conclusion that those who desire to make their journey on foot will do so, even if you make an aircraft available for them.

Byrne’s assertion that “the Law of Attraction” is capable of turning your life into good or bad is actually true. You have never experienced or done anything in your life that did not first take form in the mind of God (or whatever you call the SOURCE), in your own mind or the mind of someone else.

However, what must not be overlooked in all this talk of the “The Secret” is “Affirmative Action,” which again can only be derived from your thought forms. None can think and get anything without causing it through affirmative action to manifest in their life.

In all things there is God, my friend, go read Isaiah 45:7. The owner of the Universe is not irresponsible as you would like to believe. Jesus knew this: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” And during the height of Jesus’ tribulations: “May your will be done.”

All said, note that no one can find what the God or whatever you call the SOURCE has not kept, even as you may not find what is kept, because you look for it, wrongly. Your frame of mind is the basis of all your actions. You cannot be mad and say nice words; that is not possible. If you want to be nice then cultivate a nice frame of mind. And did you know that it is very easy to do so; just turn your mind around and action the opposite of your negative thoughts. It is that simple.

Neshah writes for your knowledge: He recommends

Ist means is, while Gut means good.

Milch is milk and Kaffee is coffee.

Here’s another one. Bett is bed and Braun is brown.

Do these words have almost the same spelling? Yes they do. Although different in pronunciation, the German and English languages came from the same language lineage. There are words which have translation from German to English and some words have not even been translated at all. These words are still used today by English speaking people around the world.

This just proves that the idea of learning the German language is possible. Even the idea of memorizing the complete language can happen no matter what age you are right now. You read it right; you can learn the German language anytime. Children are not the only ones who can learn and memorize a completely strange language. Although it may not be entirely too easy for adults to learn compared to children, the brain works completely the same.

Online sources for learning different languages are popular nowadays but you don’t want to spend your money on inaccurate software learning programs issued today by many language-learning websites. Before you join the club of learning German enthusiasts, get as many information as you can regarding the software program.

Another reason why learning German is easy it’s because in memorization, different methods can be used. You can use a CD to learn German lessons while you jog or cook dinner. You may also watch German movies and listen to the dialogue and take down notes of the words you don’t understand. But of course, in learning your main lessons, you can memorize the words easily by linking the words together in one image or situation.

A man rises up early every morning. His dog wakes him up everyday and to return the favor, he gives his dog spinach bone as he tells the dog to “spin it” to give the dog an idea that the treat is for him. Did you spot the words? In the example given above, we used the word spinach from the English language and linked it within the same situation to the German word Spinat by putting in the phrase “spin it” for easier recognition. Go ahead, try another one, pick a word and picture them in one idea. You’ll see how easy for you to remember it.

Shareen Aguilar is a writer for learn-german-program.com learn-german-program.com which has Memory Improvement Books and Memory Game Software for better German language memorization.

Do you know why you’re here and what you’re meant to be doing with your life? Well, your soul has the answers! In a soul journey, you use your imagination and intuition to help you open up to your inner guidance and uncover your innermost desires. This is something that anyone can do. All you need is an open heart and an open mind — your soul will do the rest. In this article, I describe how a soul journey works and reveal how you can apply this technique for yourself and discover the treasure buried within your soul.

A Treasure Hunt…
So what’s a soul journey like? I’ll begin by sharing with you my very first experience of tuning into my inner guidance. It still resonates with me today, decades later, and inspired my life-long interest in journeying with the soul…

When I was 16 years old, my high school English teacher lead my class on a guided visualisation exercise — he called it a “fantasy journey”. As this was my first attempt at meditation or visualisation, I had no idea what to expect. After getting us to relax, the teacher guided us in imagining we were going on a journey across the ocean aboard a great sailing ship, travelling to a faraway island. In the middle of the island was located a treasure of some kind — whatever we most wished for in our lives. We were instructed to take our treasure back with us onto the boat, and then return home to the dock.

Afterwards, we shared with one another what had occurred on our journeys. The exercise had worked really well and was enjoyable for all of us. Each of my classmates had discovered wondrous treasures like chests full of gold and precious jewels, fabulous mansions, priceless artworks and so on. Some had even found their perfect partner and family. But my experience was somewhat different. The only thing in the middle of my island was a pond with a duck swimming around on it! So, for lack of anything else to do, I had picked up the duck and brought it back with me as my treasure.

As you might expect, this provoked considerable hilarity amongst the group. How could a DUCK be the thing you most wished for in the world? I certainly had no answer for that — this secret passion for ducks was news to me! And I must confess that, after hearing about everyone else’s, I wasn’t feeling like I’d ended up with much of a treasure.

Fortunately, my teacher suggested I investigate this more deeply and gave me a book on Jungian symbology. When I looked up the meaning I discovered that, according to Jung, a duck swimming on water was actually a truly profound symbol — signifying inner peace. Ahhh… it seems that I had been gifted with a most magnificent treasure after all. The soul knows best!

So that gives you an idea of the power of the soul journey… From time to time I imagine myself revisiting my beautiful duck pond, and it never fails to nourish my spirit and remind me of what’s really important in my life. A soul journey can help guide you in many ways, such as this exercise to uncover your inner treasure, or as a tool to help you envision and manifest your goals and desires. Why not try it for yourself?

7 Tips for Tuning into your Soul…
Ready to go on your own inner treasure hunt? Embarking on a soul journey is as easy as relaxing, setting your intention to tune into your inner guidance, then unleashing your imagination and opening yourself up to receive the messages from within… Here are some tips to get the most out of your soul journey experiences:

1. Relax thoroughly… It might sound obvious, but make sure you take the time to fully relax before undertaking a soul journey. Pay attention to your mind, your body and your environment. The more you can create a state of being in which you’re calm and receptive, the better your results will be.

2. Maintain a positive mindset… Trust that the journey works only for your highest good. If you are feeling anxious or nervous, take more time to relax — breathe deeply and release any negative thoughts before you begin. Simply by holding a positive intent, you set the tone for an enjoyable experience.

3. Let go of preconceptions… A soul journey works well when you go into it without any preconceptions or expectations of what “success” might look like. Don’t put pressure on yourself to create a particular outcome, or you’ll set yourself up for disappointment if a message comes to you in a different way.

4. “Seeing” is not important… Many people encounter difficulties with meditation or visualisation because they assume they’re meant to “see” a mental picture. This is not the case. A soul journey experience will be different for everyone — you may see images, hear sounds, discern scents, experience feelings in your body or an inner knowingness, or perhaps a combination of several of these things. Know that however a message comes to you, it is in the right form for you at this time.

5. Release all judgement… Rather than leaping immediately to conclusions or judgement of an experience, be open and accepting of what unfolds. It doesn’t matter if you can’t figure it all out straight away — it may take time to fully grasp the significance of a particular journey. Enjoy the surprises that your unconscious mind serves up to you. Go with the flow as it is revealed to you — and have fun with it!

6. Stay with it… Like anything, it helps to keep practicing. Be gentle with yourself, and know that it will become easier the more you do it. There is no need to “try” too hard though — the more you let go of controlling the experience, and allow yourself to simply be in tune with your inner self, the more easily images or feelings will come to you.

7. Honour your own experiences… This is the most important thing to take with you. Allow yourself the time to come to appreciate the depth and uniqueness of your own vision — your inner treasure. Always trust your heart and your own instincts… and enjoy the journey of discovery!

Copyright © 2006 Judith Waller

Judith Waller is a spiritually-oriented professional coach and writer who helps people create soul-fully rich and fabulous lives. Go to soulbuilder.com.au/ soulbuilder.com.au/ to sign up for her ezine and get a free copy of her ebook “Living in Bliss! 10 secrets of a soul-full life.”

One of my favorite quotes is the famous line spoken by Napoleon Hill in Think & Grow Rich: “What the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.”

Sounds good doesn’t it?

When our minds accept that something is true, a belief, then our mind sets in motion any and all events to make that our reality.

Whatever beliefs, thoughts, and ideas that your mind becomes familiar with, or is conditioned to, must become a part of you and that is who you become.

But how do we get our minds to conceive and believe, and ultimately achieve, the things we want?

The mind is like having our own personal little computer - it just tosses out results based on the instructions we give it.

When we want different results, we must give our minds new instructions to follow.

Some call it self-suggestion, others call it auto-suggestion, others call it subliminal messaging, but I like the term reframing.

Reframing is when you continuously introduce new ideas and thoughts into your mind until they become a dominant belief.

The amount of time it takes to reframe new beliefs into your mind will depend on how consistently you introduce new thoughts versus the amount of time you spend thinking about your current beliefs.

Imagine a cup of dirty water (your current beliefs). If you begin to add clean water (new thoughts) to the cup, eventually you will end up with a cup of clean water (new beliefs).

It also depends on the amount of beliefs you have in your mind that need to be reframed. Replacing a cup of dirty water takes less time that replacing something the size of a bathtub, or a swimming pool.

Beliefs are really nothing more than thoughts - ideas that we think are true. The truth is that beliefs are not facts, they are only thoughts. Sure they may look like facts because our outer world has been arranged to match our beliefs.

We can choose to think and believe whatever we want.

The more we think a new thought, the more it becomes a belief. Once these new beliefs have become a part of our subconscious, then our world must change to match our new beliefs.

“What the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.”

Alexander Graham Bell knew that if he held the concept of the telephone in his mind, the ideas, people and resources to make it a reality would come to him.

Rhonda Byrne (creator of The Secret) knew that if she held a vision of perfect eyesight in her mind that her subconscious mind would make that a reality. And it took only 3 days!

And I know that if you make the choice to have a new belief, your world will change to make that a reality.

Sounds good doesn’t it?

Karen Walker is an internationally recognized speaker, author, mentor and coach, specializing in the teaching how the the Laws Of Attraction (LOA) co-create with the subconscious mind .To find out how Karen may assist you or your business, please visit her website at:

How often do you psyche yourself up only to let yourself down?

Does this sound like you?

You are on a mission!

Desktop cleared. Pen in hand. Crisp sheets of white paper nicely stacked waiting for your direction.

Then it happens.

Your hand starts to craft the most beautiful to-do list known to mankind.

Armed with your battleplan, you are ready to attack and conquer.

Surely you can get 30 items done by noon, you tell yourself.

When the clock strikes 12 o’clock, you look down at your list and feel drained. Why?

You only completed 3 items. You wrote an elaborate to do list.

When all 30 items aren’t checked off by noon, you feel like a failure.

You have not failed.

There’s a voice in your head that tells you that something has to be done a certain way. Anything short of that way is not good enough.

So then you beat yourself up, even though you did your best.

Welcome to the life of a perfectionist. Your sense of self esteem comes from fulfilling unrealistic expectations you set for yourself.

Are you setting up these expectations or are you seeking approval from someone in your life: past or present?

For example, I had a high school biology teacher that asked me what I would like to do after going to college. I told her that I was interested in medicine. I’ll never forget her frowning face and glasses sitting on her nose. She leaned over her desk, looked directly in my eyes and said, You will never make it doing anything in medicine!

This was a defining moment in my life. My soul can still feel how broken my spirit felt that day. After graduating from high school, I set my sights on proving her wrong.

Here is the problem: Proving her wrong was setting me up for failure.

What would ever be good enough?

When I started college and majored in pharmacy, I was terrified whenever I had to take a science class. I told myself, If I don’t do well, then my high school teacher was right about me.

I let my self esteem be dictated by someone else.

Can you relate to this story?

What is the area that you struggle with the most when it comes to perfectionism?

Here is the Secret Cure: You are good enough because God created you in His Image.

Take a deep breath, close your eyes and know that you are made in the image of God.

Your breath came from his Spirit. Wow!

In the Creation story, God praised what he created at the end of the first day. After observing what he created, he said; It is good.

He didn’t say, well At least I should have made the stars and sun too. That was stupid!

If God praised each step he made, can’t you do the same?

Today, relax in knowing that God approves of your effort.

Your best is good enough.

Yukio Strachan Phillips is an author and Registered Pharmacist with a Doctorate in Pharmacy. As creator of boldandworthy.com boldandworthy.com, her passion is to empower women to identify and shatter false beliefs that keep them in abusive relationships. Her special area of focus is raising awareness of spousal abuse in Church Communities across the world. Her Powerful Ezine will inspire people to rise above the limitations that past experiences have left on today. You can sign up for her ezine at boldandworthy.com boldandworthy.com where you will find more resources for healing wounds of emotional abuse with more exciting programs to come very soon.

Number Yourself: Count yourself as an important individual. You are important. You need to be counted and acknowledged especially when you are helping others. One way that you can do this is by taking proper care of your self (having enough sleep, food, exercise and relaxation). Then you will have enough energy to help others and live the rest of your busy life. Sounds too basic? It’s supposed to be. It’s the basics that hold daily life together.

Understand Yourself: Think about how this fits into your self-care. If you understand when you are hungry, then you will eat and renew your energy. This happens with any other activity, such as sleep or exercise. Likewise, when you know your needs, you can take action to meet them, instead of ignoring them, and making your helping work and your daily life that much more difficult.

Respect Yourself: Believe in yourself, your talents and your abilities.
Focus on the times in your life, when you know that your actions or words helped someone else to change their life. Helping others is not about being compensated by material rewards. It is about being compensated by experiencing intangible rewards, including high self-esteem, confidence and satisfaction of a job well done.

Take Care of Yourself: To help others, you do need to take care of yourself. I’ve already mentioned some ways that you can do that. Work toward maintaining balance, emotionally, physically, socially, mentally and spiritually in your life. Then you will be able to help others with more energy as well as not depleting your own resources.

Unburden Yourself: It’s important to have support, during the fun times as well as the tough times. A wide base of support may consist of friends, family and community resources (e.g. church, synagogue, support groups and healthcare professionals) and keeping a personal journal. There are many resources available to address difficult areas that arise while doing your work. It’s important to maintain a balance when you are helping others. Make sure that you are receiving support from others on a regular basis.

Rule Yourself: Work regularly toward keeping your internal life in order. Reach out to your support system. Reach out if something is out of order, if you have a question or concern, and yes, to celebrate the good times, too. If you have a particular spiritual discipline that you follow, make sure to devote some regular time to that practice as well as to the community that shares that practice with you. This will energize you and help you keep your focus on the bigger picture.

Embrace Yourself: Hug yourself. Take mini-breaks and vacations. Plan for fun times for yourself and with your favorite people. Laugh. Take a humor break. Act like a child. Surprise yourself. Surprise yourself again! Keep smiling.

Copyright 2005 Writer’s Eye Advisory Service

Lael Johnson, owner of Writer’s Eye Advisory Service, offers creativity coaching services and additional writing resources. This article may be reprinted as long as the text is unchanged and the author is notified by placing the title of the article in the subject line.