by ColoradoCoach.

Success can be defined as breaking through your personal barriers.

When you set a goal say it out loud. Say it with conviction–emotion. Stay focused.  Celebrate your achievements and appreciate your efforts. Smile to show yourself you are celebrating and truly appreciative of all your efforts.

Do you even know what your personal barriers are? I believe that your #1 personal barrier that is preventing you from success is that you are FINE! Stop being fine.  Choose to be honest with others and yourself and start being amazing!

Mel Robbins covers this exact topic of breaking through the F*@% barrier here at Tedx SF

Make today the day you stop being fine! What will you resolve to stop being fine with in 2012?
Post your comments below. Make a public declaration to STOP being FINE!

Posted in success, expectations, Coaching, goal setting, mindset, perspective | No Comments »

by ColoradoCoach.

“Don’t limit yourself.  Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do.  You can go as far as your mind lets you.  What you believe, remember, you can achieve.“ —Mary Kay Ash

Do you know what thoughts limit you?  Are you aware of the beliefs you hold dear that hold you back?

Over time many people get too comfortable being comfortable.  They become afraid to challenge their own limits.

Elephants are extremely powerful creatures, yet if you have seen them in a circus, you have seen they stand quietly, leashed only to a small chain and metal stake. These powerful creatures could easily break free, yet they don’t.  Why?

When elephants are young (and not quite as powerful), they are tied to a heavy chain and immovable metal stake. They quickly  discover that no matter how hard they try, they can’t break free.  As elephants grow  and become strong, they still believe they can’t escape as long as they are wearing a chain connected to a stake in the ground.

Much like elephants, people learn to feel constrained and don’t stretch beyond their self-imposed limitations.  They rarely test the weak chains that hold them prisoner.

When was the last time you really pushed yourself to your own limit?  Do you know what you are capable of?

What area of your life would you like to live more fully?

Self-imposed limits are a result of our own beliefs based on past conditioning. They are boundaries we have agreed to in our minds about what we cannot be, do, have or achieve. These limits are not real, they have not been tested; they only exist in our minds.

If you’re frustrated with self-imposed boundaries and feel fully ready to expand your life, I encourage you to identify your self-imposed limits. Look deeply at the cage you keep yourself in.  The same cage that is designed to protect you, serves as your own prison that confines you. Once you know what they are, you can free yourself from restrictions. You will also experience something amazing – your hidden potential.

1. Become aware of limiting thoughts.  It is difficult to change something you are unaware of. Begin to write down and journal limiting thoughts and beliefs that hold you prisoner.

2.  Begin to think big and see the possibilities. It is easy to find the faults and negatives in any situation, but to expand your limits you need to open your eyes to the world of possibilities–big possibilities.  Allow yourself to  dream a bigger dream.  And then look around for the many possibilities.

3. Take action toward the big dreams that confront the limiting beliefs. Action is a mighty powerful force.  Action that challenges old beliefs can change those beliefs quickly.  And if you are feeling imprisoned, you want to make a fast break.

4. Surround yourself with other Big Dreamers. An amazing thing happens when you surround yourself with other possibility thinkers–Big Dreams begin to happen.  The positive ideas and positive actions create  positive outcomes.

5. Continue to Grow!  Conscious growth forces you to swell beyond your cage.  Read, attend seminars, teach others to dream big, share your message, push your limits, challenge yourself, –the list of ways to grow is unlimited.  Just keep growing.

What would you add to this list.  How have you overcame self imposed limitations in the past?  I look to learn from your comments.

Posted in expectations, success, Coaching, mindset | 1 Comment »

by ColoradoCoach.

http://coloradocoachingcompany.com
I have completed a series of videos that I will be releasing. These videos serve a few different purposes. One of which is to show how with little cost you can produce good looking videos that can serve as a marketing tool, an education tool, and a relationship tool.  video allows your true self to come through better. As I plan to use these videos across a few different sites I would really appreciate your feedback on any of them. These were not done with expensive, professional level equipment. Nor is this a paid actor. Constructive criticism is welcome. Please comment your thoughts.Special thanks to Rob Smith at Social Media Video Marketing.

Posted in business, expectations, Coaching | No Comments »

by ColoradoCoach.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. These famous words written by Robert Frost bring to light my topic today–Decision Making.  Actually more specifically identifying there is a decision to make and identifying our choices.

The days of simply grabbing a coffee are gone. Today’s order requires surviving a gauntlet of choices: Caffeinated or decaf? Latte or Americano? Flavored or plain? Cream and sugar? Sugar or artificial sweetner? Small, medium, large, grande or venti? Hot or iced? And the list goes on.

Even though we have all learned to make decisions, many of us give little thought to the process.  It is estimated that the average working adult makes over 50,000 decisions–daily.  That is over 1/4 million decisions a week.  New research shows that such daily decisions use up limited mental resources, creating a choke hold on our own self-control. Which means making too many decisions might be why many people can’t stick to a diet or exercise program, finish a project or even complete simple daily chores. We are drawn to choice, but easily become overwhelmed by them. By reminding ourselves of the basic process of decision making and becoming more aware of the influences that affect our choices you will be more empowered to make the right choices on a daily basis, that will lead to greater achievement in your life overall.

Good decision making is a complex process that takes years to master. We usually begin teaching children about decision making by offering them choices.  It is important to not create too many options at first. Would you like the green crayon or the red crayon to color with.  Also it is crucial to not judge the decision early on. As the child gains confidence we introduce more options and begin to teach them the basic process.

1. Think before you act.  Recognize and define the decision.

2. Identify the choices.  What are your options. Realize that no action is still a choice.

3. Evaluate each choice.

4. Assess the possible outcomes.  “What are the consequences of my actions?” (or in their language, “How much trouble will I get in?”). Judge the risks and rewards of your decisions. ”How will my decision affect others?” “Is this decision in my best interests?”

Finally

5. Decide and implement.

I would encourage you to add an additional step- Evaluate the outcome.

This process becomes ingrained in our head and most decisions we quickly follow this series of steps with no conscious thought. ” Do I want breakfast this morning? Do I have time? What do I have time for? Corn Pops or Corn flakes? and within seconds you are consuming a bowl of corn flakes because you realized that you wouldn’t be able to grab lunch until after your noon meeting. But it is important to address influences that you may not be aware of that influence your decisions–especially decisions that seem to happen with very little thought.

The first influence is your experiences.  Experiences shape our assessment of possible outcomes. If the last time you opened the box of corn flakes you spilled the entire bag all over the floor and it took 15 minutes to clean it al up and you were late to catch the bus you would likely pick toast or something else for breakfast if you were in a hurry. Or maybe just slow down and think if the box is already open.

Our past experiences often influence our quick decisions. Be cognizant that they are not always correct or a true assessment of possible outcomes. Just because it happened once, does not make it a consistent fact.

The next influence is our beliefs and prejudices. We often hold beliefs about ourselves that are not true.  These limiting beliefs frequently impact our decision making. If we believe that we work best under pressure we often will make irrational decisions so that we have complete the majority of our work under pressure of a deadline. If you hold the statement ” If you want it done right you must do it yourself” you will likely find fault and be closed off to other people’s ways of accomplishing the same task.

Our beliefs–right or inaccurate– are a major influence over how we make decisions. Becoming aware of our own beliefs and prejudices is a big step in making sound choices.

Fears we hold are another influence over our decisions. I have a good friend who has recently had back problems.  His doctor has prescribed muscle relaxers for his ailment.  He is unable to drive when he takes the medication and it is affecting his whole family.  I have encouraged him to visit my chiropractor and get a diagnosis from him. My friend has an irrational fear of chiropractors. My friend believes that it is unhealthy to crack your knuckles, let alone your back. This fear is preventing him from making a educated evaluation of all his choices and it is impacting his family.

Our fears, especially our fear of the unknown or uncomfortable, greatly influence what choices we identify in our decision making process.  Knowing your fears and addressing them head on, allow you to limit their negative impact on your decision making.

The final influence I want to talk about today is your goals. Your goals act like a compass in the decision making process. As you go through he steps you ask yourself “is this choice in my best interest?” Does this get me closer to my goals or farther away?  A compass merely confirms you are heading in the predetermined right direction. Just the same using your goals to influence your daily decisions, merely confirms you are continually heading in the direction of your dreams and desires.

These influences play a part in conscious and unconscious decision making. Up til now I have mostly been concerned with how we make conscious decisions. Now I want to look at our unconscious decisions.

Alex Pouget, associate professor of brain and cognitive sciences at University of Rochester, has shown that people make optimal decisions–but only when their subconscious mind makes the choice. This current research contradicts previous held research which argued that humans rarely make rational decisions. That research, prospect theory, which won the researchers, Neuroscientists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, a Nobel Prize in 2002 has become conventional wisdom among cognition researches. Pouget points out that irrational decision making occurred when the conscious mind was engaged in the primary decision. He found that people really are able make good decisions when they do not over think or over analyze the issue. The unconscious mind picks up cues that help to make the best possible decision with the available information.

The results showed that the subconscious only condition, had an accuracy rate of 95% while the conscious condition had 70% accuracy (2). The researchers rationalized that the conscious portion of the mind tends to over analyze information while the subconscious is more attuned to subtle visual differences.

So what does this mean for you and me? Trust your instincts. Listen to your gut.

I spoke before in previous postings that my greatest teacher is a wise little boy.  He helped me pick today’s topic.  The other morning after breakfast, he came bouncing around the corner, smiling and laughing.  As my wife and I sat there talking I addressed him.  “Jackson why are you always so happy?”  His response, “Because I choose to….”

and with that he hugged his dog and giggled some more.

You see life really come down to our choices. Where you are right now in your life is a direct result of the choices you have made. Struggling, stressed, scared? All choices.  Rich, Confident, Successful and even happy–Also choices.  The power of the unconscious mind is an amazing asset. Trust your gut. Review the decision Making process.  Be aware of the influences.

From the teachings of my son I have Chosen to be happy and successful.  I hope you will join me.

Posted in decisions, Communication, expectations, success | No Comments »

by ColoradoCoach.

Did you know you are born with the secret knowledge to achieve ultimate success and satisfaction in your life?  People spend millions of dollars each year searching for this “secret” and we are all born with it.  The problem is we get so good at at, that we forget it after a few years.

A year or more ago I stumbled across a cleaning blog, that spoke about breaking up really big challenges, like cleaning up a filthy kitchen, into 10 - 15 minutes a day. That is how I conquer the stacks of papers on my desk. 10 minutes here to organize business cards. 10 minutes before lunch to file away clients folders. Breaking up what would otherwise seem like an overwhelming task into 10 minute segments over a series of days, takes away the FEAR and prevents PROCRASTINATION.  

Now I realize that this has become a common life hack, but at the time I read it, I still wasn’t applying it to my life. Now I apply this strategy in all areas of my life. I mow the front yard a different day than the back yard. I rarely ever vacuum the entire house in one given day.  Reading, journaling, writing old friends– all these have become enjoyable again.  Conquering miniature tasks on a daily basis is way more manageable.  And accomplishing little things can make a huge impact over time. If you were to improve just .003 each day- that’s only 3/10 of one percent, a very minor improvement, but if  you kept that up for the next five years, here’s what would happen to you:

The first year, you would improve 100 percent (you would already be twice the person you are today. By the completion of year two, you would improve 200 percent. The third year, 400 percent. And in the end of the fourth, 800 percent. AND BY THE COMPLETION OF YEAR FIVE-by simply improving 3/10 of one percent each day-you will have INCREASED your value, your skills, and the results you accomplished 1,600 percent. That’s 22 times BETTER than you are today.  That doesn’t even take into consideration compounding. That’s just adding on 3/10 of one percent each day. WOW! This is the concept behind Jeff Olson’s The  Slight Edge.

If you have had the distinct pleasure of watching a child learn to walk, you know that it doesn’t usually happen in a weekend. First there is crawling, then they begin to pull themselves up, next is cruising–moving from one piece of furniture to the next for support and mixed in all these steps is lots of falling. In the process of learning how to walk, you probably spent more time failing than you did succeeding. But did you ever have the thought of quitting? Did you ever tell yourself, “I’m just not cut out for walking-I guess I’ll crawl for the rest of my life?” No, of course you didn’t. So, why do you do that now?

Why are your goals today any different? What’s changed? When did you lose the ability to set a goal, go for it, and achieve it? How come you don’t do what you did when you were one or two years old?

The answer is quite simple:

Somewhere along the way in your life, you became unwilling to take baby steps and you became afraid to fall, afraid to fail. You lost belief in the basic truth that the simple little disciplines done again and again over time would create the desired success. The people around you became more jaded and less supportive.  You came to expect immediate results.  You forgot “the secret” you were born with.

Stop seeking immediate results and start taking baby steps again.  Find small ways to make improvements in your life.  Do it daily. Remember that small improvements daily, a mere 3 tenths of one percent, can add up. 10 minutes each day toward your goals will add up.

You see the “secret” you were born with is that you are capable of amazing feats.  You were born with the ability to set goals and the basic hardware to achieve them — all of them, if you are willing to cast fear aside and are willing to fail several times before you get there.  Failing is merely a part of the baby steps. You must crawl before you walk, and you must persevere through all the falling, before you walk on your own.  And soon after you walk you will run and jump.

Posted in expectations, success, Coaching, goal setting, Uncategorized | No Comments »