by admin | Nov 2, 2015 | 52 Week Accountability Challenge
Accountability Challenge Week 43: Eat That Frog
“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Mark Twain
“If you have to eat a frog, don’t look at it for too long.” -Mark Twain
Why do we procrastinate?
When something is difficult/Unpleasant-solution do it now-Eat That Frog.
- When something is time consuming-break it down into small tasks-Tell yourself that you will work on the task for ten minutes and not more-you will be pleasantly surprised by what happens.
- When we feel we lack the knowledge or the skills. This could be because you do not want to make mistakes. So, you convince your-self that you must learn before beginning the task. Tell yourself that “this is easy”. Try it for yourself first. If it really is outside your skill set (which it probably isn’t) ask for help.
- When we are afraid: Again tell yourself “this is easy”. “I can do this”. One of my favourite questions is to ask myself: “What is the worst thing that can happen if I do this”? List out all the possible outcomes. Odds are that it isn’t life threatening. If that’s the case then the best thing to do is to “Eat That Frog”.
More Complex Reasons:
- Low Frustration tolerance
- Self-Downing-putting yourself down
- Perfectionism
- Anger/Hostility
What we have explained above are just some of the simple reasons why people procrastinate. There are more complicated reasons and we shall explain those to you in the next section. But, the reasons do not matter! What is MOST important is that you know when you are procrastinating. You must be able to understand that you are procrastinating.
Procrastinators are made not born. Procrastination is learned in the family milieu, but not directly. It is one response to an authoritarian parenting style. Having a harsh, controlling father keeps children from developing the ability to regulate themselves, from internalizing their own intentions and then learning to act on them. Procrastination can even be a form of rebellion, one of the few forms available under such circumstances
Is what you’re doing right now tension relieving or goal achieving?
Expect Success,
Mark,
Thought for the week:“If you have to eat a frog, don’t look at it for too long.” -Mark Twain
Mark,
Mark Hudon, CFP™, CCS™
Financial Fitness Coach, Certified Cash Flow Specialist™
Creator of The Core Conditioning Program™
by admin | Oct 18, 2015 | 52 Week Accountability Challenge
“Your life will not change because you know what to do. It will change when you DO what you know”. Dr. Robert Anthony
Accountability Challenge Week 42: Focus.
Knowing what you need to do to achieve your goals, and actually going out and doing it are two completely different things.
Most of us (myself included) know what we need to do to get into better shape physically, or financially, or in our relationships but we don’t always do it….do we?
To me personally, this is one of the biggest challenges that I face on a daily basis. I consider myself a goal oriented person, and have successfully completed many BIG goals in my life.
However, I am regularly left with the feeling that I am capable of achieving so much more, particularly when it comes to my business and personal goals. I allow my own negative Power of Resistance (procrastination, avoidance, fear: e.g. “but what will they think”, self-doubt, worry etc.) to prevent me from moving forward more consistently in the direction of my goals.
What’s the deal here? I mean I have a strong desire to achieve my goals in life and to enjoy more success in my life.
What is it that I (and just by chance you too) need to do differently to enjoy more success in my life, and achieve even more of the goals that are important to me?
The answer came to me….in an email I received today.
The answer is as simple (and as challenging as) focus.
This is certainly not the first time I have received this life alternating truth-as I mentioned each of us “know” what to do we just don’t do always do it.
The answer came to me from Anne Bachrach, a wonderful Accountability Coach for Financial Advisors and Entrepreneurs that I have referenced in the past.
I thought I would share with you Anne’s 4 steps to Increase the power of your focus.
The challenge will not be reading up on the 4 steps, that’s the easy part. The challenge, and ultimately the reward will come from actually following through on implementing the 4 steps.
After all isn’t this what the power of persistence is really all about?
I look forward to your comments on the article and to being of service to you.
Cheers,
Expect Success,
Mark, Thought for the week: “Your life will not change because you know what to do. It will change when you DO what you know”. Dr. Robert Anthony
4 Steps to Increase The Power of Your Focus by Anne M. Bachrach
Living your life without practicing The Power of Focus, is like trying to hit the bull’s eye of a target you can’t see. You can spend hours launching arrows, only to miss the target entirely. You become exhausted and frustrated when your repeated efforts don’t show the results you are trying to achieve. This is what it feels like to operate without The Power of Focus.
The Power of Focus is the practice of focusing on the ‘right’ tasks at hand, while minimizing distractions that take your focus away from your goals. It will improve time management, professional and personal performance, task efficiency, overall life balance, and provide your mind the information it needs to get you to the bull’s eye.
When you focus on the ‘right’ activities that lead to ‘big’ goal achievement, you will succeed. A client of mine set a goal she was afraid to set because she had never been successful at achieving it before. We brainstormed a list of what we thought were the ‘right’ activities she needed to do in order to achieve this particular goal. She got focused on these activities, did them, and exceeded her goal! The same thing can happen for you when you focus on the ‘right’ activities.
Step 1. Create a Long-Term Goal List What are your Long-Term Goals within the next 3-5 years? Within 10 years? They can be anything you want – but they must be what you really want. Your Long-Term Goals should go far beyond your comfort zone and how you would ideally like to see your life. Asking to retire rich isn’t specific enough – you must include as many details as possible along with the date you would like to achieve each goal.
Step 2. Create a Short-Term Goal List. What are your Short-Term Goals? Within one week? Within 3 months? Whatever they are, include specific dates down to the month, day and year. Prioritize your short-term goals and put the goal that is most important to you at the top of the list. When you finish the most important things, move them off your list and do the next one, then the next one. It isn’t the one that is the easiest to do and the one with the least amount of discomfort. It is the one that is the most important to do first that will have the biggest impact on your overall success. Maybe there is a goal you would like to achieve, but you’re not totally convinced you can do it. How do you know if you don’t try? The mind is a goal-achieving machine and can help you do more than you think.
Hang your Short- and Long-Term Goals up where you will see them frequently, even many times throughout the day. Remain mindful of your goals as you go about your day and read them aloud every morning and every evening before going to sleep. Your goal lists serve two purposes. First, it uses The Power of Focus to help you concentrate on what you DO want so you can work on making it a reality. Secondly, they serve as positive reinforcements. When you can cross off a goal because you achieved it – you feel good! Then you have room to add new goals.
Step 3. Create a Daily Task List / Prioritized Action List (PAL) At the end of each day, create your Task List for the following day. Prioritize your tasks in order of importance, with the most important being at the top of the list. The following day, start with the number one item and work your way down the list. At the end of the day, you will have completed your tasks with improved organization and efficiency.
This is the part where most people run into trouble – they hate making a task list! And that’s OK, you don’t have to like it – but it is necessary for your success. Why? Because successful people practice The Power of Focus every day and a Daily Task List is part of that regiment. You must be an active participant in your life and take responsibility for those things that you must do. And it’s easier to do that when your tasks are staring at you in the face! You can’t conveniently forget about them…You suddenly become accountable for your actions, and knowing that this is all part of the process of becoming successful.
Step 4. Calendar Everything and Honor Thy Calendar Once you have your tasks listed, put all your activities on your calendar. Determine how much time it takes to do each activity and place them on your calendar. A good rule of thumb is to add a bit more time to what you think as it may actually take you longer. If you are like me, I always think I can accomplish more than I actually can in the time allotted. To prevent you from falling behind or feeling frustrated if you do take longer than you think, just give yourself a bit more time up front. If you complete the activity ahead of schedule, you can easily move on to the next task.
“Calendars never lie. They are 100% accurate and visible indicators of your priorities.” –Tom Peters
The Power of Focus is more than just goal-setting exercises. It is a process in which you develop a crystal-clear vision of where you want to be, so your goal-achieving machine can make it a reality. Remember, your subconscious mind is a goal-achieving machine. It is exactly that – a machine. It reacts to the information fed to it – no emotion, no judgment. This works to your advantage or disadvantage. The subconscious mind doesn’t know how to judge the information it receives, it only reacts to it. Whatever you feed your mind will become your reality. This is why practicing The Power of Focus every day is so important. Focus on your goals, and your subconscious mind will actually support you in taking the right actions to get you to your goals.
When you are living with your goals in mind, your subconscious mind is working to make it a reality. Practice The Power of Focus in your daily life and give your mind the chance to do what it does best – be a goal-achieving machine. Use the Power of Focus to achieve all your goals and live your dreams!
“Where attention goes, energy flows and results show.” T. Harv Eker Author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind
Let me know how else I can help you in your goal achievement journey so you can achieve your goals and enjoy a balanced and successful life.
Aim High, The Accountability Coach™ http://www.accountabilitycoach.com/http://www.accountabilitycoach.org/
Mark,
Mark Hudon, CFP™, CCS™
Financial Fitness Coach, Certified Cash Flow Specialist™
Creator of The Core Conditioning Program™
Check out our exciting new Website, Radio Show, & Cash Flow Planning tools:
https://financiallyfitforlife.ca/
http://webtalkradio.net/internet-talk-radio/financially-fit-for-life/
http://cashflow-specialist.com/
by admin | Oct 14, 2015 | 52 Week Accountability Challenge
Accountability Challenge Week 41: “Persistence”.
What does the Power of Persistence mean to you?
I choose to call this 52 week accountability journey that we have been on “the power of persistence”-but what does Persistence really mean?
Here is what the dictionary has to say about it….
Persistence:
- Firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.
- The continued or prolonged existence of something
- Insistently repetitive; Indefinitely continuous; Lasting past maturity without falling off;
- Refusing to give up or let go; persevering obstinately.
These definitions are all and true. To be persistent means to keep on keeping on, especially in the face of adversary. However, to me, the full meaning of the word “persistence” goes well beyond these simple definitions.
To me Persistence is a powerful positive force, and state of mind that encompasses all of good that we strive for in our lives. It is from persistence that we gain the strength to pursue our passions, our purpose our potential.
It is from Persistence that we gain the strength, courage and hope to overcome our fears, our doubts our demons, our Resistance.
It is from Persistence that we find the desire, the energy, the focus, the faith to take continual action towards our goals and dreams.
It is from Persistence that we close the gap between our untapped potential and our performance to date.
It is from Persistence that we tap into our authentic selves for perhaps the very first time.
To me Persistence is life! At least the ideal of the potential that exists lies within the heart and soul of each of us.
What does Persistence mean to you?
What will you do today to persist in your goals, dreams, visions, values, passions and purpose?
Expect Success,
Mark,
Thought for the week: “Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel” Napoleon Hill
Mark,
Mark Hudon, CFP™, CCS™
Financial Fitness Coach, Certified Cash Flow Specialist™
Creator of The Core Conditioning Program™
by admin | Oct 7, 2015 | 52 Week Accountability Challenge
Accountability Challenge Week 40: Performance Groups
This week I wanted to share with you the real power of accountability and support when used effectively. I call this the Power of the Performance Group.
If you’ve stayed connected to us for the last 40 weeks, then you know how important the power of personal accountability is in achieving your goals and dreams.
However, there is a real danger of playing it safe and remaining a spectator instead of committing “full on” and getting into the game.
Ask yourself this important question: Have I been following through on the Accountability challenges or merely “thinking about them?”
If you are honest, and you are human, then the probability is that you’ve done a bit of both, but not as much of the former as you would like.
I know because I put myself in the “thinking about it” camp much more often than I would have liked.
When I look at some of my “big, hairy, audacious goals” –particularly in my business-I have fallen short. Why is that?
When I looked in the mirror, I realized that I was really only playing lip service to my own personal accountability to “do the work” that my business goals were asking me to do.
Several weeks ago, I realized that if I was serious about making progress towards “these” goals (which I was!) something had to change-I had to change. I also recognized that I needed “help” to change.
It was at this point that I made the decision to follow through on organizing my own Performance Group of like-minded individuals within the financial advice profession.This group would meet on a weekly basis, and we would commit in writing in the form of a weekly Performance Contract to commit completing a specific number of performance activities. These activities would move us toward our personal income/business related goals.
It is important to emphasis that my commitment was to a specific targeted activity not a result. For example I committed to making 10 “prospecting” telephone calls four days during the business week. I had no control over the outcome of each call, but I could control whether or not I made the effort to pick up the telephone.
We have now completed our second week as a Performance Group, and though it may be too early to judge the long term results, I can tell you with certainty that this has been by far the most effective performance enhancing tool that I have ever used.
Let me repeat that, creating a Performance Group (there are currently three of us in the group)has been by far the most effective performance enhancing tool I have ever used!
The power of making a personal written commitment to another person, or group of people is simply a life changing experience. I can virtually guarantee that either of two outcomes will come as a result of your own participation in a Performance Group:
If you follow through in your commitment, and your weekly contracts, over a specified period of time, generally 8 -12 weeks, you will experience a Quantum Leap toward the achievement of your goals. .
- If you will quit the program at some point before completion, you will go back to square one.
I admit that there was a tremendous amount of personal Resistance (otherwise known as the enemy within) on my part in organizing this performance group. After all, I had known about this concept (in theory) for ten years. My internal demons were doing their best to convince me otherwise: “you will never find a group of people who will commit to this type of thing”. “ It’s too much work”, “but what will “they” think-“it won’t work” etc., etc. etc.
Fortunately my own Powers of Persistence have grown strong enough over the past 51 weeks, for me to finally check my self-doubts and self-defeating behaviours at the door.
I sincerely encourage you to do the same.
All you need is two or three people who have goals that are similar to your own and who are open minded, and likeminded enough to recognized that it is ok to ask for help. It is in fact strength rather than a weakness.
If you are serious about achieving the goals that are important to you, and to live the life of your dreams, you simply must take action on this concept.
My challenge to you is to go out and create your own performance group.
I’m here to help if you need it
Expect Success,
Coach Mark,
Thought for the week : ‘In Union there is Success” Aesop
Mark Hudon, CFP™, CCS™
Financial Fitness Coach, Certified Cash Flow Specialist™
Creator of The Core Conditioning Program™
by admin | Sep 29, 2015 | 52 Week Accountability Challenge
Accountability Challenge Week 39: “Three Flaws in Goal Setting”.
I have mentioned in the past that one of my favourite books on personal development as it relates to achieving our personal and professional goals is Pyscho Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz. This book was written back in 1960. It went on to become one of the most influential books of all time in its field.
Dr. Maltz has long since passed away, however his work has continued to endure. An updated version of the book was co-authored by marketing guru Dan Kennedy, called The New Pyscho Cybernetics. He also created a terrific audio program that I highly recommend.
In the audio program. Kennedy outlines Dr. Maltz’s discovery of why most people are unsuccessful in achieving their goals. He cites 3 major flaws in the typical goal setting process:
Three Flaws in Goal Setting are:
Insincerity refers to when we set goals that really aren’t our own; typically these are goals that other people set for us, or feel we should achieve. We must be sincerely interested in the goals we set for ourselves. Take a look at your own goals and ask yourself whether these are goals that you truly desire for yourself, or are they goals that other have set for you.
Incongruence means that we although we may consciously desire to achieve a certain goal (Earn $100,000 of income, or lose 30 pounds) however subconsciously our self-image has been programmed to believe that we cannot achieve it. In other words our desire and our belief are not congruent.
Imprecision means that we have not clearly defined exactly what our goal looks like or what the steps are to achieve it. Until we have a crystal clear vision of our goals, we will not be successful in achieving them.
Now that we know the three flaws to goal setting let’s quickly look at the…
3 antidotes to goal getting:
Sincerity: Develop and commit to goals that you sincerely and earnestly desire.
Congruence: Present goals to your self-image with clarity in vivid detail.
Precision: Trying to implant a goal that is incongruent with the self-image is like dropping seeds on rock hard, bone dry ground.
Expect Success,
Mark,
Thought for the week: “It’s time to go from goal setting to goal getting”.
Mark,
Mark Hudon, CFP™, CCS™
Financial Fitness Coach, Certified Cash Flow Specialist™
Creator of The Core Conditioning Program™
Check out our exciting new Website, Radio Show, & Cash Flow Planning tools:
https://financiallyfitforlife.ca/
http://webtalkradio.net/internet-talk-radio/financially-fit-for-life/
http://cashflow-specialist.com/
