Motivation - Achieve Your New Years’ Resolutions -- or Any Goal!
By Jody Johnston Pawel, Nov. 30, 2008
 

Every New Year, many of us set goals and resolve to meet them — only to become discouraged and quit. Here are suggestions for removing the most common barriers blocking our success — in parenting, our careers, marriage...and Life!

First, set attainable goals. To illustrate, consider "Susan," who wants financial independence.

• Affirmations are positive statements we word as if we have already achieved our goal. When Susan says her affirmation, "I am financially independent," she is reminded that she isn’t! That’s the problem with affirmations.
   
• Intentions are statements that state the outcome we want and use words that empower us to take responsibility for its success. An intention focuses on something we can do. So Susan’s intention statement might be, "I am now practicing financial responsibility in all areas of my life."
   
• Goals support an intention. They are actions we take to achieve our outcome. When we write a goal statement, we state our full name, write in the present tense, in positive words, using "ing" verbs whenever possible. Susan’s goal might be, "I, Susan Jones, am now saving 10% of every paycheck I receive."

Write your intention and goal statements, then read them aloud every morning and night.

The key ingredients to goal achievement are the four levels of creative energy Peggy McColl describes in her book, 8 Proven Secrets to SMART Success.

1. Thoughts. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "You become what you think about all day long." Think about that! When we repeatedly think about something with conviction, we put energy into creating whatever we are thinking about. Unfortunately, on average, 75% of thoughts are negative. When we wish for something and then cancel it out by thinking about all the reasons we can’t get it or all the possible challenges we might encounter, McColl says, "it’s like planting a healthy seed and immediately pouring weed killer on it."
    
2. Words. The words we say aloud to ourselves or others add energy to our thoughts.
    
3. Actions. When our thoughts, words and actions are all moving in the same direction, we get results.
    
4. Being. This last level of creative energy stems from the other three, because we become what we think, say and do. Did you get that? We become what we think, say and do.

The first barrier to goal achievement is that our thoughts, words and actions often don’t line up. If we take a positive action, but doubt we can succeed (a negative thought) or say we can’t do it (negative words), our actions will not be as successful.

To take control of our creative energies, we must first become aware of what we are thinking, saying and doing. Then choose to replace non-productive thoughts, words and actions with supportive ones.

This may sound easy, but it’s amazing how deeply ingrained our beliefs can be! I’m generally a positive person and have known about these energies for years. Yet, despite all my efforts, I simply wasn’t reaching my goals. I thought there must be some deep subconscious blockage inside me. So I did an exercise McColl suggested to discover and remove the blockage:

Take two sheets of paper. For one week, on one sheet, write things you find yourself thinking, saying and doing that are positive and supportive. Keep this sheet. On the other sheet, write things you think, say and do that are holding you back from achieving your goals. Take this sheet and rewrite each negative statement as a positive statement on the first sheet. Then destroy the second sheet in some symbolic way, like tearing, burning or crumpling it.

The second barrier to goal achievement are excuses, which dis-empower us and keep us victimized. As long as we make excuses, we will not achieve our goals. Instead, we need to accept responsibility for solving the challenge we use as our excuse. Successful people aren’t just lucky. Every successful person has overcome obstacles, endured adversity and worked through challenges.

The third barrier to goal achievement is our level of faith. Do we hope to reach our goal, but have great doubt we will? Do we believe we’ll reach it, but have some doubts? Or do we have absolute faith and no question we’ll succeed? The moment we start to doubt, we sabotage our success. So we must visualize our in advance and have absolute faith that we will achieve them. We may not know how, but we must have faith that the answer will come — maybe from left field.

Many people live by the creed, "I’ll believe it when I see it." Our beliefs, however, filter everything we see and how we interpret events. We often twist the truth to fit our beliefs and ignore anything that doesn’t fit our predictions. So naturally, we get a self-fulfilling prophecy! In reality, it’s our beliefs that dictate what we see, so as Dr. Wayne Dyer says, "You’ll SEE it when you BELIEVE it."

The fourth barrier to goal achievement is a lack of sustained motivation. Rhonda Britten, in her book Change Your Life in 30 Days says, "Motivation is a reflection of how committed we are to our goal. If we are totally committed, it’s easy to be motivated to do what we need to do, even when we don’t feel like it." When we can say, "That’s it, I’m doing this and nothing is going to stop me," we will conquer our fears and challenge ourselves to take the next step.

The following ancient Sanskrit saying sums it all up perfectly:

 

The Essence of Destiny

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.

Choose your words, for they become actions.

Understand your actions, for they become habits.

Study your habits, for they will become your character.

Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny.

Every day we are creating our future. What future will you choose to create?
 

Author's Bio

Jody Johnston Pawel is a Licensed Social Worker, Certified Family Life Educator, second-generation parent educator, founder of The Family Network, and President of Parents Toolshop Consulting. She is the author of 100+ parent education resources, including her award-winning book, The Parent's Toolshop. For 25+ years, Jody has trained parents and family professionals through her dynamic workshops and interviews with the media worldwide, including Parents and Working Mother magazines, and the Ident-a-Kid television series. Jody currently serves as the online parenting expert for Cox Ohio Publishing’s mom-to-mom websites and also serves on the Advisory Board of the National Effective Parenting Initiative.


© Copyright by SelfGrowth.com, Self Improvement Online, Inc.

From Norris Perry (Warwick HS - '59) of VA - 12/09/08 - "Mom - You got to love this!":

old, BUT RECYCLED

HAVING MOM OVER FOR DINNER

You don't even have to be a mother to enjoy this one...

Brian invited his mother over for dinner. During the course of the meal, Brian's mother couldn't help but notice how beautiful Brian's roommate, Jennifer, was. Brian's Mom had long been suspicious of the platonic relationship between Brian and Jennifer, and this had only made her more curious.

Over the course of the evening, while watching the two interact, she started to wonder if there was more between Brian and Jennifer than met the eye.

Reading his mom's thoughts, Brian volunteered, 'I know what you must be thinking, but I assure you Jennifer and I are just roommates.'

About a week later, Jennifer came to Brian saying, 'Ever since your mother came to dinner, I've been unable to find the beautiful silver gravy ladle. You don't suppose she took it, do you?'

Brian said, 'Well, I doubt it, but I'll send her an e-mail just to be sure. So he sat down and wrote:

__________________________________________________________


Dear Mom,

I'm not saying that you 'did' take the gravy ladle from the house, I'm not saying that you 'did not' take the gravy ladle. But the fact remains that one has been missing ever since you were here for dinner.

Love, Brian

__________________________________________________________


Several days later, Brian received an email back from his mother that read:

____________________________________________________

Dear Son,

I'm not saying that you 'do' sleep with Jennifer, I'm not saying that you 'do not' sleep with Jennifer. But the fact remains that if Jennifer is sleeping in her own bed, she would have found the gravy ladle by now.

Love, Mom

LESSON OF THE DAY - NEVER LIE TO YOUR MOTHER

   WILD GIGGLES!  Thanks, Norris!

  From Joyce Lawrence Cahoon ('65) of VA - 12/09/08 - "Romantic Sleigh Ride":

This is funny!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S3Kg7OMe6w

   EWWWW!!!   Thanks, Joyce!

        From David Whitley ('67) of VA - 12/03/08 (but not discovered until 12/08/08) - "All these pictures are made from FOOD" (#3 in a Series of 7):

This is really cool, look closely at each picture; most everything is a kind of food. Lots of detail & tons more imagination than I have...      Thanks, Gorgeous! These are really incredible!

HOLIDAY REUNION NEWS:

The NNHS Class of 1958 Gathering and Dinner will be held Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at 6:00 PM at Al Fresco Ristorante, 11710 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News, VA 23606.  CONTACT: Joe Drewry (jwdvt@aol.com, 757-244-4443, ext 4)

DATES TO REMEMBER:

2. April 23, 24, & 25, 2009 - Class of 1954 will hold their 55th-Year Reunion. For details contact Dr. Harry Simpson at 804-694-0346 or email him at hdsdds@aol.com - CLASS OF 1954

PRAYER ROLL: http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/requests-prayers.html - updated 12/10/08

NNHS BLOG: http://nnhs.wordpress.com/ - updated 12/08/08

Carol Buckley Harty 219 Four Ply Lane Fayetteville, NC 29311-9305   910-488-9408

To donate, click on the gold seal on the left,               or just mail it to my home. Thanks!

Gesù bambino

Words and Music by Pietro Yon, 1917
(08 Aug 1886 - 22 Nov 1943)
 

When blossoms flower e'er 'mid the snow
Upon a winter night
Was born the Child, the Christmas Rose
The King of Love and Light.

The angels sang, the shepherds sang
The grateful earth rejoiced
And at His blessed birth the stars
Their exultation voiced.

O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord.

Again the heart with rapture glows
To greet the holy night
That gave the world its Christmas Rose
Its King of Love and Light.

Let ev'ry voice acclaim His name
The grateful chorus swell
From paradise to earth He came
That we with Him might dwell.

O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord.

"Gesu Bambino" midi (sequenced by John Cowles) courtesy of http://www.classicalmidiconnection.com/cmc/xmas.html - 11/05/08

"Gesu Bambino" lyrics courtesy of http://www.christmas-songs.org/songs/gesu_bambino.html - 12/09/08

Image of Roberto Ferruzzi's (1854-1934) 1897 Painting, "Madonna_of_the_Streets", courtesy of ?? - 12/09/08

Air Force Seal clip art courtesy of http://www1.va.gov/opa/feature/celebrate/milsongs.htm - 07/07/06

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