by ColoradoCoach.

The three most important factors in purchasing real estate: location, location, location.  I know it seems cliche’, but it an essential part of understanding how to buy real estate as an investment.  Similarly, the three most important factors in personal development are a vital piece to understanding how to make positive conscious changes in your life.

The first important factor for personal development and self-improvement is awareness.  You must become aware of how you think, your feelings, your actions & behaviors, and your habits.  You also must take time to recognize the things that you are not doing that can be detouring you from your success.  Finally you must become clear on what it is you want and why it is that you want it.  This level of awareness does not come easily.  Much of the beginning of my coaching relationships focus on this area.  I have discovered that many people believe they are aware of who they are and their problem areas, but are only aware of the symptoms of their issues.

Too often we are aware of the symptoms in our lives, like not enough money, overweight or stressed, but unaware of the true underlying problems that create these outward signs of distress.  We are conditioned and programmed to treat symptoms in this country. If you have a headache there is a pill for that.  Heartburn?  Yep there is a pill for that.  We are never taught to identify the true problems and treat that.  Absolute awareness is critical in making changes in your life.  You must know what you are up against.

The second critical factor is vision.  You must have a clear vision of what you are pursuing.  Can you imagine hitting a target you can’t see?  How about putting together a 3000 piece jigsaw puzzle without seeing the picture on the box?  Can it be done?  Sure it can.  I takes a lot longer, is way more frustrating, and completely draining of energy.

By creating a detailed vision of what it is you are after you are more capable of seeing where the pieces belong.  It will still require putting them together in the correct way, some trial and error, but you will not be aiming blind-folded.

Clarity of a plan is just as important as a clear vision.  Once you have the picture you begin to create a structure for completion.  In completing a jigsaw puzzle, you first find all the edges and construct the border of the puzzle.  Then you begin to group the pieces by color or forms from the picture.  So it is with your vision. First create a structure and then identify the steps that will lead to putting all the pieces together.

The third and final critical factor is application, application, application.  Most people I speak to about personal and professional development have amazing libraries.  They have books from all the gurus Napoleon Hill, Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield, Steven Covey, Brian Tracy and Jim Rohm. The problem is not lack of information or content, their problem is lack of application and action.  We all have access to the resources we need to create the life and achieve the goals we desire.  The struggle arises out of applying those resources effectively.  It’s like owning a Mercedes-Benz S-Class and never driving it. Instead you choose to take the bus everywhere and complain when the bus doesn’t go where you want to go.  You have the resources, apply them.

Knowledge becomes wisdom when you experience it. Applying what you learn creates that experience.  Don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself.  Go and begin applying the lessons from this post.  Become aware of yourself, create a clear vision and take action.

I hope that after reading this you realize that the three critical factors in personal development are application, application, application.

Posted in success, Vision, SMART goals, habits, Coaching, goal setting | No Comments »

by ColoradoCoach.

Last post discussed writing your goal down. This is a key step. Where do you write it? Excellent question. As your coach through this journey I suggest you get a Success Journal. A journal where you can write your goals and your progress of these goals on a daily basis. I know sounds hokey. But often drills are a bit hokey. I remember doing this tennis drill where we placed tennis balls on five spots on the court. We would run and bring the balls back to the starting point and then we would put the balls back, making sure they would not roll away. It was gruelling and looked silly. In the beginning I often wondered how this was going to make me a better tennis player. Well now as a raquetball player, I can say that I get to most balls. I don’t have the stamina I developed back then, but back then I got to most balls. I got there in a controlled way that allowed me to still return the ball.

Drills are merely conditioning for the real thing. They help you develop the necessary skills to be good or even great at whatever task you are taking on. So get yourself a journal. Next is how to write the goal. An undisciplined goal is a lot like a child created dessert, it often looks good, but you just can’t stomach it.

OK Smarty-pants, How do I write a Goal?

Follow a simple recipe for sure-fire hit, a SMART goal will lead you to success.
A SMART Goal is an acronym for the necessary ingredients that a goal MUST have in order for it to be achieved. In any recipe there are essential ingredients and then there are personal preference ingredients. These are ESSENTIAL ingredients:

• A goal must be Specific: You must be very clear about what exactly you want to accomplish. Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
• A goal must be Measurable: You must have a quantifiable way of tracking your progress. How will you knowthat you attained this goal?
• A goal must be Achievable: . Your goals must be things that are within your power to control.Your goals must be challenging, but realistic for yourself
• A goal must be Relevant: Your goals need to be in-line with your personal mission statement or your purpose in life. Goals that are incongruent with your personal values will not lead to happiness, but rather disconnect.
• A goal must be Time Specific: Your goal must have realistic deadlines.

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” ~ Willie Nelson

One final tip for constructing your goals, write your goals as positive statements, rather than negative ones: Example of positive statements: “I will be smoke free”, or “I will make healthy eating decisions and be 195 pounds.” Negative examples might be: “I will stop smoking” or “I will lose 25 pounds”. Your subconscoius doesn’t register the negative. Program your mind to think in the positive. To allow yourself, rather than limit yourself.

Now write your goal down in 2 places: 1. in your success journal and 2. on a 3 X 5 card and place it somewhere that you will see it often. Maybe on your computer at work. Possibly the mirror in the bathroom. Put it somewhere that you will see it often and you can check -in with yourself to see how you are doing.

Posted in Attitude, SMART goals, goal setting | 1 Comment »