As the tap was not being closed the water gushed continuously. I began to wonder ….was my roomie using water from the wash basin to take his bath? As soon as he came out with his towel to dry his face I realized that all this time he had not been bathing but shaving. He had kept the water flowing the whole time. Why do we need to keep a tap on while we shave?

With this thought of water wasting in my mind I finished my daily chores, got ready for office and went to the kitchen to check out the menu for breakfast. There my eyes caught the faulty tap of the kitchen wash basin from which a very small stream of water flowed down the drain. I wondered to myself — can’t we call a plumber and get it repaired? Won’t this save us a lot of water? On the way to the office, my mind was kept busy by the thoughts of precious water being wasted at the guest house. I started calculating the amount of water that was flowing down the drain.

A rough assumption of the water that might be wasted while shaving was about ¼ of a bucket, and with that faulty kitchen tap it may be around 3 to 4 buckets in the whole day. Here we are talking of wasting three to four buckets from one room of one house in one street of one city of one state of one country. I multiplied that by an arbitrary figure of a modest 100 million every day for the world, and the shocking realization hit me like a ton of bricks. We are wasting hundreds of millions of buckets of water every day on a planet that has a shortage of clean water.

Where are we going wrong? Why don’t we understand that we are wasting this precious resource through carelessness, laziness and indifference. Is it basic education? No I don’t think so. One out of the two people involved in today’s wastage of water incident was educated and working at a middle level management position and the other was hardly educated.

Maybe it is just general awareness that is lacking among all of us? Maybe we are unaware of the consequences of this dreadful wastage of water? Maybe we are so selfish we have decided that the future generations – our children and grandchildren – will look out for themselves.

How can we stop wasting water? First we will have to change our attitude. We will have to feel responsible for the world that we will create for future generations. And what is the solution? How can we make everybody aware of this problem? Through public education programmes, water metres and higher water rates perhaps?  As far as I am concerned I have always felt that the children can make a world of difference. Let’s  also begin by adding water conservation and environmental studies as key subjects on schools’ curricula.

Just imagine that you are shaving one day and you have kept the tap gushing water …. then your kid comes up to you and tells you, “Dad please close this tap. You are wasting a lot of water. The planet is drying up.  You need to save this water so that I can have enough clean water to drink when I get older.”

Won’t that make you change your attitude?

These are not new ideas. In 1937, in the midst of the Great Depression, Napoleon Hill published the book Think and Grow Rich. He was inspired by billionaire Andrew Carnegie to take on an enormous project – to interview 500 of the most successful men at the time (today we know at least half of these would be women) and to determine what they had in common that contributed to their success.

Carnegie used his influence to arrange interviews and Hill spent more than 20 years putting together the project. In the end, he discovered that all of the men had 13 principles that they all used.

I read this book years ago and applied some of the principles…and they worked! I also have an audio recording of the book which I often listen to on my Ipod while driving.

I recently started working with a new coach. The very first task he assigned me? To write out my “prosperity plan.” And I did. I continue to refine my visions, desires and beliefs as I learn more and more about who I really am and what I can achieve while living the lifestyle I love.

Here’s the first principle that Hill shares…I have used it in creating my latest prosperity plan. I invite you to test it for yourself.

Principle #1. Desire: The Starting Point of all Achievement

Every successful person has a burning desire. They don’t let anything quench it. Here are six steps to put this principle into place. It’s not hard…just do it!

1. Choose the exact amount of money you desire.
2. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire.
3. Choose a date when you intend to reach your money goal.
4. Create a plan to carry out your desire, start right away whether you feel ready or not – put your plan into action.
5. Write out your prosperity statement. Write the amount of money you intend to acquire, the date by which you will have reached the goal, what you will give in return for the money and a plan of how you will accumulate it.
6. Read your statement aloud once in the morning and once before bed. As you read it, feel and believe you already have the money.

Abundance and prosperity begin with a state of mind, with strong purpose, AND with little or no hard work. You don’t have to work hard but on the other hand, you can’t just sit back and wait for luck.

All who have attained success had desires and plans. Be ready to receive. Open your mind. Your thoughts create your life; you can create abundance and success or you can create hardship. Since you’re always thinking, make your thoughts good ones!

Working in the software field, I face this situation many times. While working on complex codes, I always have the choice of either following the well-designed set way of programming or to be creative and challenge the accepted standards and myself. Needless to say, like most of the corporate zombies, most of the times I preferred to chicken out and stay hidden among the masses, hoping to somehow win the rat race unnoticed by anyone, and without answering any questions.

Then one day someone mentioned the story of Aristarchus, the Greek guy who had the brains to prove that Sun and not Earth, was the centre of the Solar System but not the ‘guts’ to say it out loud because the Church and its followers might not have liked it. It was on his deathbed that his genius came forward and his work was published. Unfortunately the usual set of tomatoes didn’t spare the head of the dying genius, but the point is, here I am writing about him even after a gillion years of his death! Anyhow, coming back to contemporary times, when someone mentioned this story to me, immediately the same thought materialized in my head as in any loser’s head….”Aww what a waste”… but…..yes there is big hairy “but” here….. I did something about it, unlike the other losers.

A fortnight later, I was given the task to prepare a quote for a client and was asked to use a set template, which was the standard since the CEO’s grandpa used to wet his diapers. I went about my merry way to fill out some silly little boxes in the Excel sheet and came up with a figure at the bottom. Quite pleased with my work, I was about to submit the report, when I had a Buddha enlightenment moment sitting under the glare of my computer screen. I thought of a way that might have been more useful than the current way, and in the heat of the moment, went ahead and prepared it, my way.

Sorry, to have an anti climax — instead of being appreciated for my effort (as expected obviously), I was ridiculed and was forced to do it the ‘great grandpa’ way by my manager. The funny part is, this apparent failure gave me a greater sense of accomplishment than ever before, and even after being yelled at for wasting precious time, I went home that day grinning and with a weird sense of pride. I may have failed that day but no failure is final and permanent. I went home with the overwhelming Clint Eastwood feeling of “I will be back as the final victor!”

My point is, next time you think you can challenge someone, and have the conviction in your work, go ahead. So what, if it isn’t the way world wants you to be? So what if it upsets the greasy old procedures which have been unchallenged? Set a trend, challenge them, and see how it feels.

If you feel that Einstein’s E=MC2 is not good enough, go ahead challenge the old weirdo, after all he flunked school while you completed it. Who knows, some time in the future, I will be written about for discovering that new template for quote, which modern people think is trash, and you might join my league for discovering a better formula for the mass energy equivalence.

STEP ONE : Write out a vision for it.  I know…I know.  You don’t think this is important.  I’m telling you…if you’re not willing to do this step then you are not committed to creating this profit center and setting yourself up for failure.  Albert Einstein was no dummy when he said, “Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.”

You are able to relive a past experience vividly in your imagination, can’t you?  Well you can also get a preview of upcoming attractions with that same mind.  Denis Waitly, one of the great speakers on the topic of success says, “The more vivid the image, the more real the design for the future.”

You can use a beautiful journal notebook dedicated to your new profit center or you can create a Word document journal.  Take time to write out this vision.  Get a picture of where you are working in this vision, the time of day, who you are working with, activities you are engaged in, and how you feel at the end of the day.  What will having this extra income do for you?  Imagine how it will feel when you pay off debt, or have a dream trip, or buy some things you’ve been longing for.

STEP TWO: Decide how much money you want to bring in from this profit center in the first year, then second and third years.  Now double those figures.  I know from experience that most of you shot too low in your first projection.  I recently went to a conference where most of the audience were self employed men.  In a conversation with one guy, I shared that I was doing ok…I was making six figures…he didn’t miss a beat and said to me, “each month?”  Ok – money isn’t the only measure of success but I KNOW that you can bring in more than you think.

STEP THREE: What will you need to do to make this happen? Danielle Steele, the prolific fiction author, wrote many of her books during the night hours – she and her husband have eight children between them and she vowed to give the kids quality time during the day.  If she can do it, you can too.  If you are working full-time and want to grow a profit center on the side…you might just have to stop watching some television or playing computer games or checking email 20 times a day…you know what your time wasters are.  Find one you can live without or cut back on and use that time each day, five days a week to grow your profit center.

What will it take to bring in the level of income from your new profit center in the first year?  Get specific and concrete.  In my new profit center, if a certain type of writing project typically brings in $5,000 and I want to bring in $50,000 in the first year, I know that I’ll need approximately 10 projects in the first year.  Then break it down further – I’d need 1 project a month. Then what will it take to get the projects?  Do some research; find out how to reach the clients/customers you’re looking for.  Then create a plan to find them and get the projects/clients etc.

Ask yourself, what do I need to do this month toward my goal?  What do I need to do this week?  And what can I do TODAY to move this goal forward? Create YOUR plan!

STEP FOUR: Who will support you in this profit center?  Remember…dreams die in isolation.  So share your plan with at least one supportive person.  And, get help if you need it.  Don’t let the lack of a piece of information stop you – use the internet or pick up the phone and call someone to ask for help.

Research your idea on the internet; find professional associations dealing with it, read articles about it.  I found an information product through a trusted source that was created by someone who is already successful in the area – so I purchased it – it will save me incredible time in research and will save me from making some mistakes.  I am in coaching groups where I can get support, ideas and be held accountable.  I know I’ll succeed and have fun in creating this new profit center.  As Dolly Parton said, “When I’m inspired, I get excited because I can’t wait to see what I’ll come up with next.”  I’m excited for you and look forward to hearing about what you come up with next!

For about six months, my sweet husband has been saying, “Look babe, if you want me out of the office, just say the word and I’ll make space for myself in the loft.”
“It’s alright, I can make it work. Stay.” I’d reply, as I stepped over fire-fighting gear and running shoes on the way to my desk. On other days the refrain was more along the lines of, “Would you puhleeese get your crap out of here, I’m trying to write the next great inspirational bestseller! I need white space, dammit!” Ahem.

A few weeks ago, I took him up on his request. I took my space. I booted his booty and boots out. I installed a new white desk. On one of my series of four perfectly aligned magnetic white boards I hung a postcard from my favourite monastery, an old Elvis coaster, and a long pheasant feather. The others are filled with square pale yellow sticky notes of tour dates and article ideas.

The man is truly happy upstairs with his laptop and model canoe. I’m euphorically creative and the Virgo in me is giddy with productivity. What took me so long to take what I needed?

What’s right in front of you waiting to be taken, indulged, used up and embraced? Banked sick days? An offer for mentoring, free advice, or a shoulder to lean on? A rainy day account? A white canvass whispering, make me your masterpiece?

Why do we delay gratification, put off what’s rightfully ours and rebuff well-intentioned favours and offerings of support?

3 EXCUSES FOR NOT TAKING WHAT YOU NEED

“But I can take it.”
I could write a novel in the middle of a football game, in the pouring rain, on a type writer, while eating a burrito. I think it’s a mix of being an only child raised in the country, and being innately ambitious that gives me the capacity to tune out and get stuff done. But tuning out, and rising above, and weathering the storm isn’t ideal. It’s endurance. The root of the word endure is “to bear suffering.” Be it a less-than-fulfilling relationship, or soul-sucking j-o-bs, just because you can take it, doesn’t mean you should. Stamina does not always equate to bliss.

“I don’t want to impose.”
Impose! Most of the people in your life want you to be happy. Assume that you’re surrounded by grown ups who actually mean what they say when they offer to take your kids, proofread your work, or lend a hand. It feels good to give. It feels good to receive. We’re all in this together.

“I don’t need much.”
Austerity only works if it gives you the space to feed your soul. Fierce independence is life-affirming, but it’s only part of the formula for wholeness. Life is an abundant proposition – but it’s just that, a proposal. You need to say yes to all that it wants to give you. It’s a great offer.

The universe works on supply and demand. Which means it’s all yours for the taking.

2. Solicit opinions from a diverse audience. Nothing like asking a twenty year old and a seventy year old what they think about your stuff.

3. Solicit opinions from experts. Ask a gifted writer what they really think of your material. Take your CEO to lunch for a preemptive performance review and some tips on how to sail up the ladder. Hire a stylist to eyeball your fashion fabulousness. It may sting, it may be a major gust of wind beneath your wings, but either way, an expert opinion will motivate you to get on top of your game.

4. Stand naked in front of the mirror and don’t leave until you can say three deeply loving things about: your physique, the miracle of your health, and your qualities as good human being.

5. Fire your most annoying client, team member, or nasty friend. You’ll wished you’d done it a long time ago.

6. As the Dalai Lama says, “Love until it hurts.” For me that would mean volunteering at an old age home. I can hardly bear the wastage and scarcity of dignity that makes for most nursing homes. It slays me. I always leave a total wreck.

7. Choose silence. Turn off the TV. Commute without the car radio on or your i-Pod earphones in. The silence may unsettle you. With our addiction to noise and distraction held at bay, our anxiety, painful beauty and genius has room to surface.

8. Underachieve. This is especially for all the A Types and workaholics. Slack. Don’t finish the book. For one week, do not do a to-do list. (I know, your palms are sweating at the very thought.) Be late just because you wanted an extra five minutes in the hot shower.

9. Take an improv class. It could teach you more about innovation, relationships, success, and sexuality than any therapist or self help book.

10. Say no. Only offer the simple explanation that “it just doesn’t feel right.”

11. Say yes. Just for the hell of it. Whimsy is a direct route enlightenment…or peril. Either way, you’ll come out stronger.

When I say “article” many of my clients freak out.  Here’s what I mean – 500-800 words (that’s a page to a page and a half) on a topic related to your products or services.  Once you do a few, you can crank one out in an hour or less.  Here are four tips to help you become a successful article marketer.

Tip #1: How to get started.  The most difficult thing for most newbies to article writing is sitting their butt in the chair and writing.  The dreaded blank page in front of them.  The fear that they aren’t smart enough.  Any of these limiting ideas floating around in your head?  Want to know my best tip on how to get past them?  Set a deadline and tell someone else about it.  I know that Pat is waiting to receive this ezine every Monday-she then gets it out to each of you every Wednesday. I’m not going to let her (or you) down!

Tip #2: Don’t worry about how great your writing skills might be!  My training in academic writing was an obstacle to overcome when it came to article writing – not a benefit!  I had to toss out the dry, impersonal style that had been drilled into me through writing many academic papers.  The tip is to write the way you speak – like you’re having a conversation with your reader.

Tip #3: How to structure your articles to make writing simple.  Remember, it shouldn’t take more than an hour to an hour and a half tops to get your article written. It’s a good idea to let it sit for a day and then reread it – you’ll be looking at it with fresh eyes.  Here are some of my favorite types of articles:

a.  Lists.  Everyone loves lists.  Think of David Letterman’s top 10.  How about these: Top 10 Misconceptions About Cancer.  Top 10 Books that Changed the World.  Top 10 Tips for Getting a Job in a Challenging Job Market.  My very first non-academic article was Top 10 Ways to Live Authentically. Go ahead and google it –you’ll find it all over the web!

I wrote out ten tips without thinking too hard about it.  Then I added two to three sentences to elaborate a bit on each tip.  This was the first article I submitted online.  I then offered it as a free giveaway on my website.  A few months later, I expanded each of the ten tips into about ½ page each.  I called it an e-course.  That became my free giveaway.  Each person signing up to receive this gift, received one tip in their email box each week for ten weeks.  Next, I could expand each tip into 10 -15 pages each and have a book! You don’t have to have 10 tips – I’ve been doing a lot of 3-4 tips – I just write and see how many I end up with!

Another angle is to share top “mistakes” – Top Five Job Interview Mistakes or Top 7 Mistakes Women Business Owners Make – these get your attention because YOU don’t want to make those same mistakes.

b.  How to. How to articles with bullet points are also well liked.  This article is an example of how to write an article.  The ideas are endless:  How to Make Your Lipstick Last Longer; How to Take the Best Pet Photos; How to Clean Your Home in 19 Minutes etc ….go ahead, think of a title for your next how to article!

c.  Review articles. You can review books, products, movies, anything you’re interested in that ties into your products or services.  Tell about the promise they made and whether it lived up to that promise.  You can talk about value or the experience you had.  You can compare products and make recommendations.

Tip #4: What do I do with it now? Ok –so you’ve decided to get your butt in the chair and write your first article.  What do you do with it after you’ve written it?  Submit it to your database. I recommend using aweber.com. Submit it online – http://www.ezinearticles.com and http://hubpages.com are good places to start.  Think about any local newspapers or newsletters whose readers might benefit from your article and submit it to them.  Use it as a handout when you do speaking engagements (in return for the participant’s email address).  Take a piece of what you’ve written and talk about it on your blog.  Record several articles onto a cd as a free giveaway…you see, all this marketing leverage from an hour of your time.

I’d love for you to drop a line and tell me you’ve written your first article!

About the Author:

Ann Ronan, Ph.D. is an author, speaker, certified career coach and self employment expert, and vision generator.

Ann delivers smart, simple ways for people to acknowledge what they love to do and do more of it.  Her articles, products, and books have motivated and inspired readers in numerous print and online publications.  She regularly leads coaching programs, tele-seminars and live retreats, bringing the message to audiences internationally that living a passion-based life will bring prosperity and success.

She was recently selected from a nationwide search to be featured in Discover Your Inner Strength. The book features best-selling authors Stephen R. Covey (Seven Habits of Highly Effective People), Brian Tracy (Million Dollar Habits), and Ken Blanchard (One Minute Manager).

It is vital to get things done, but it is equally crucial and imperative to leave a few non essential things, left undone. No constitution of the world gives anybody the right to throw in the towel and concede defeat. You should adopt an approach, to keep on trying till your endeavour is successful. If you want to be lucky in your job or profession, work harder at it. You will find that you luck is proportionate to the labour, you put in. Life is like a computer, where the output is dependent on your input. Grind and labour is the price of realising any goal. You can accomplish anything, if you are willing to pay the price and are fanatic about your success. You have a choice to grin and bear it; or smile and do it others smile and do it.

Intensity of purpose and the ability to stick to your effort is what makes you a genius.

You have to wait for your effort to show fruits. You cannot climb the top even though you have a ladder. You can ascend, to the top of the ladder step by step. In fact, anything worthwhile takes time to fructify. It takes time for a child to grow up and it takes time to build your house. It takes several years to get a Master’s Degree. It takes six months for a crop to yield paddy or wheat. You have to endure, on the path of persistence, to be a success.

What we persist in doing again and again, becomes easier.

It is not that the task has become simple or uncomplicated, It is because our ability to do the same augmented and enhanced. Do not form a habit of quitting. Most people focus only on what keeps us safe in our jobs and personal life. With this approach, higher levels of performance which involves some risk taking suffers. High performance is different from minimum acceptable standards. You have to build up the level of trust with the people working with you. If we do not recognise the good things, which happen to us every day, then every day is the same, as the previous or next day.

Appreciation, which is wonderful is the light, that dispels darkness. It is the appreciation, which cheers people, uplifts their spirits and makes them give their best. Irrespective of our status in life, we all want to be appreciated. I noticed that whenever I appreciated even the Prime Minister, I could sense a glint of pleasure on his face. Our small habits reveal as to what kind of persons we are. Basically, we all crave to be appreciated. But you must make sure that you live your values and honour the promises you make. At the same time you should examine your values, so that they are in alignment with the present environment.

Make straight talk, self-confidence, and simplicity a part and parcel of your life. These will never be outdated. For your own happiness, you need have a life style, where you live in harmony with your values. Persistently and relentlessly remain integrated with your passions and values. Do not base your conduct and your happiness, on the approval of others, if you have done your best. Free yourself from the prerequisite and restraint to have the approval of others, for each and every thing you do. If you do that you would tend to procrastinate. We all drag our feet or dawdle, whenever we face unpleasant, tedious, or distasteful tasks, hoping that the need to attend them might disappear or that someone else would come forward to take over the responsibilities. It never happens, as nothing moves, unless it is moved. Ask yourself : “What does my unconscious mind want me to know about this present moment? If I must attend to this task, why am I putting up a fuss about it?” Once we discern the reasons behind the procrastination, it becomes easier to tackle the same.

By nature and inclination, it becomes easier to be negative rather than positive.

Our efforts should be to replace the negatives with the positives. Remember that nothing in life is interesting, if you are not interested. Those who wish to sing will always find a reason and a song to sing. Anywhere you go if you like and appreciate people, you will find that everybody will be likeable. Make it a habit to note the good points of others, rather than focusing on their faults. We should do our best not to be cynics. The kingdom of heaven in the final analysis is not a place, but a state of mind. It is up to each one of us cultivate a heavenly state of mind.

“At least to my knowledge.”
“In my humble opinion.”
“If I am not wrong.”
“Hope you don’t mind.”
Every day, we are faced with a typical situation where in we hide behind these phrases. Why is that so? Are we trying to be polite? No! We do so, simply because, we fear the sting of “embarrassment”, if proven otherwise!

What do people fear about being publicly embarrassed? I suspect it might be because, it could prove fatal! Yes, people do commit suicide because they were embarrassed!

Last week, it was just another meeting at our local Toastmasters club*.

Again a session of table topics, and the usual suspects walked up to the lectern, got their topic, and fumbled with words (mind you “words” not even “sentences”) for about 10 seconds and walked back for a round of applause! It is customary in Toastmasters to applaud all speakers regardless of the quality of their performance, just to encourage people! As someone who believed, “One is either a winner or a mere spectator”, I never commended a poor performance. There was never a sense of purpose in my applause at the club meetings so, it was just the ritualistic thud thud thud….

I used to wonder, how embarrassing it must be for those losers who were not able to string together a few theme-related words or coherent sentences for a mere 10 seconds. This was happening for quite some time. That evening, after the meeting, during a casual talk, I stumbled on a startling revelation that one of the speakers was the wife of the President of our club. The very moment I came to know of this fact, my world view about “embarrassment” had changed for ever.

This man, the President of our club, a man of great stature, admired for his public speaking skills, did not have any qualms or embarrassment in bringing his wife, who possessed less than adequate public speaking skills, to the Toastmasters club. It then occurred to me that he would have been a real loser if he had felt embarrassed and had left his wife at home. By not feeling embarrassed and bringing his wife to the very same club, he showed extraordinary levels of maturity, sincerity and importantly, lead by example as to how one could be successful if he/she were to shed the cloak of embarrassment. I am sure his wife and our fellow Toastmaster will one day become a competent speaker!

When I extrapolated the same to other speakers who fumble at the lectern week after week, I can only admire them. The new perspective which I acquired, helped me identify the enduring spirit in people, who, do not feel “embarrassed” but continue to have a go at it, week after week just to ensure they improve their public speaking skills.

I have come to realize that one has a lot to lose by feeling embarrassed.

I have been dying to have a line or quote from myself which people could use. Therefore when I framed the quote “Embarrassment is the proudest virtue of a loser”, I was delighted! But as always, there was a thought lingering at the back of my mind that I might make a big fool out of myself by claiming the competence and wisdom to frame a quote. So, I wanted to dilute my stance by adding one of the escape lines mentioned above like, “In my opinion, embarrassment is the etc….”

But then, I realized that I was going back to the same old bad habit of wearing the cloak of embarrassment! I have shed that cloak now. Instead, if someone can prove that the quote was already attributed to a great thinker, I will apologize and get on to the job of shaping another quote. Otherwise, I will never frame a quote in my life!

Also, if people who committed suicide because of embarrassment, had just stepped back and thought for a second, they would have realized that it is always a better choice to live and be embarrassed for a moment rather than die and be remembered as a coward!

Next week when I go to my local Toastmasters club, my applause will have a sense of purpose and will probably louder than anybody else’s!

* Toastmasters International is a movement started in 1924 at Santa Anna USA by a visionary called Ralph C. Smedley with an objective to improve public speaking skills and build leadership qualities in an individual. A typical meeting consists of 3 parts (prepared speech session, evaluation of the prepared speeches and then a table topic session). The table topic session gives every member a chance to speak extempore for 2 minutes on a given topic. Today there are about 200,000 members and the movement is spread across 82 countries.

For more details visit: www.toastmasters.org

“I just don’t know what to do.”

Hmmm. Then what? If you just don’t know what to do, then what are you going to do? Probably nothing. If you declare you don’t know, then you won’t…know. You’ll just sway back ‘n forth in the lull of your status quo unknowingness. No need to change because you just don’t want to know. Knowing would change things. Knowing would require you to change things.

If you said to your commanding officer, “I just don’t know what to do,” you’d be scrubbing the latrine in short order. If you told your heart-broken significant other, “I just don’t know what to do,” it wouldn’t exactly foster the mojo or the trust. If the Opportunity Fairy fluttered your way and you told her, “I just don’t know,” then she’d be off to her next assignment. She might stick around if you showed some initiative, or asked for a night to sleep on it — anything to show your sincere interest in revelation.

Tough spot, painful circumstance….bloody seemingly impossible, grotesquely challenging, borderline hellish:

“I’ll figure this out.”

How’s that feel? Better, doesn’t it? More…possible. More upright. Wings ready to spread. Ears piqued to hear universal cues. Instincts at the helm.

Confusion is a marvelous, magical place. Suspending certainty is an act of enlightenment. And “Security,” as Helen Keller put it, “is mostly superstition.” I’m not talking about being certain (impossible) or being arrogantly presumptuous of what’s coming next. I’m talking about responding creatively to life. “I just don’t know,” is often a cover up for “I don’t want to grow.”

“I’ll figure it out,” may mean waiting quietly, even for a long time, on the will of heaven. It may mean turning over every single stone without rest until you find the answer or the escape hatch. It may mean praying until you sweat, surveying the experts, or forty days in the desert. But one thing’s for sure, if you declare that you’ll figure it out, the possibilities are endless.

Here are my best secrets for setting great WOW goals and achieving them.

Secret #1:

Create a vision for your ideal life first. Most people skip this step – don’t be one of them. Write it out in detail, including everything you would love to be, do, or have. Then create a vision board or two or three. You can have one for your business, one for your health goals and one for things you would like to have. You can have one for things you’ve already achieved to remind you of how far you’ve come.

Vision boards are not a “whoo whoo” deal. Ready for some science? Your brain processes over four hundred billion bits of information every second – you are aware of only about two thousand. What determines the information you pay attention to and what you skip over is that part of your brain called the reticular activating system (RAS).

It’s like a sentry at the doorway of your mind, sorting through all those bits of information bombarding you, deciding which best match patterns already established in your brain. It is the most intelligent and sophisticated alarm system known to mankind.

When you create that vision, with a clear, focused picture of what you want, this part of your brain kicks into high gear, and won’t stop till it finds what you’re looking for. All kinds of “miracles” and coincidences begin to occur to help you reach your ideal life.

Secret #2:

Set your first goal as something that makes you happy NOW and also leads to a future fulfillment. Chances are there is a big gap between your life now and your ideal life and that’s okay. Think about which elements of your ideal day which you must have; those elements that are desirable and those that are icing on the cake. Then ask yourself “What is the most important thing that is missing from my life right now?” If you can come up with a single, solid answer – that’s your first WOW goal.

Secret #3:

Brainstorm (ideally with 2 or more supportive people) and list EVERY step that needs to be taken to reach your Wow Goal.

Be very specific in listing each and every step, even if you don’t know how to do it. Knowing how is NOT necessary to reach your goal. For now, stay focused on your “what” not the “how.”

Next to each step, write the estimated completion date. When you have each step and date written down in detail, pull out your calendar and schedule each step. You may have to change your success dates, get extra help, or make a step simpler. Putting each step on your calendar is a great reality check that ensures you’ll reach your Wow Goal.

There is no “right” way to do this scheduling. I start out in January with a one year plan of where I would like to be in key areas of my life in December. I then break it down into monthly targets and then weekly. I end my Fridays at about noon by creating my schedule for the following week. I make adjustments – it’s not set in stone – I allow for the unexpected opportunities or challenges that pop up!

Secret #4:

The Biggest Secret: creating time for your action steps. Do you procrastinate? You’re not alone. Or maybe you’re the opposite and find yourself always “doing” but it’s mostly doing for others.

If you are serious about getting to your ideal life, you’ll have to take a frank look at how you are spending time now. For one week, record what you actually do with your time.

If you find a lot of time is “wasted” don’t beat yourself up. We all need time to unwind and to be self indulgent. The way to manage these “down” times, so they don’t derail your path to your ideal life, is to schedule them just like everything else.

It can be a block of time each day or a few times every week, but be consistent in the time/days you choose for yourself. Then take half of your designated “me” time to take actions towards your goals and use the remaining half for whatever you love doing….playing solitaire, reading a novel, staring into space, surfing the net mindlessly. You’ve earned it!

Bonus Tip: Each day take time to read, see, and feel your ideal life. And as you make decisions about how to spend your time….ask yourself “is this getting me closer to the life I was meant to live?”

Artwork by Favio Castan provided by author.

We are all faced with our challenges, whether it is a physical handicap like I talked about in my article “Yes I can”, people in our lives telling us we can’t do it or our own attitude preventing us from moving forward. I and my staff are fortunate that we get to watch students and grads face their challenges head on and conquer them. They have no idea what they give back to us by merely letting us share in their journey; it is a gift and every gift brings a new life lesson.

We had a great day in Career Services today; and here is why.

Today we feel like we opened a door. A door that we hope leads to opportunities that will launch the career of one of our very special graduates. To understand the way we feel you have to understand our friend Lori and her journey to today.

Lori started with Herzing College Online in 2006; she is blind in one eye and has almost no vision in her “good eye”. In order to be successful in college, she needed special software that magnifies the computer screen by 700% allowing her to read each word, letter by letter, meticulously and slowly. Enrolled in the medical billing and insurance coding program she spent the totality of her education not looking at her test scores because she was afraid of failing and just didn’t want to know. If you have ever seen a medical billing and coding book you know what an amazing undertaking it was for Lori, the material is complex, specific and requires accuracy, a challenge for an able-visioned person. Lori graduated in 2008 with a 3.89 GPA; an honors student.

It is now time for our department to swing into action and help our new graduate find a job. We’ve spammed every medical clinic, hospital, nursing home and healthcare facility in Atlanta, Georgia with Lori’s resume and she has been given the opportunity to interview with several offices. Yet she hasn’t received an employment offer; after seeing her coke bottle glasses and visual limitations employers just aren’t interested despite her medical billing and coding abilities, caring demeanor and determination. It has been six months and Team Lori has had no luck.

In late December I shared with our new President Lori’s story and the unique challenges of helping graduates with a disability like Lori’s. He raised his eyebrow and asked me how it was that we were going to help her get employed. I replied that I know that there is an employer out there that will see the potential in her and give her a chance. It is just a matter of finding them.

This is the moment that revelation hit.

“I am going to send her resume to every eye doctor in Atlanta, GA, surely an eye doctor will understand her disability, and surely they will see that all Lori needs to be successful is a magnifying glass and a chance.” And that was it; a magnifying glass. We’re going to send out Lori’s resume with a cover letter in the tiniest font possible and include a magnifying glass in hopes that some medical office out there will do just that…give Lori a chance.

So today the staff gathered together to work on Lori’s resume project. Tammy printed itty, bitty cover letters and Lori’s resume. Kay signed the letters and stuffed the envelopes. Tammy and I added the magnifying glasses and sealed them; all the while saying positive mantras out loud along with the recipients names. You are probably already thinking we are crazy but it gets better. You know how people throw salt over their shoulders for good luck? Well we decided that for additional luck, we would “salt” the resumes before we sent them. All seven of us took a turn shaking salt on Lori’s letters thinking positive employment thoughts and hoping for a positive outcome before turning them over to the mailbox. Call us crazy, but it couldn’t hurt and at most we wasted a little salt and it was a fun team bonding moment.

Lori has touched each of us in Career Services in some capacity. She always has positive words to say and a hopeful outlook that is contagious. You can’t talk to Lori on the phone and not smile; it’s not possible. Unlike the other staff, I have had the pleasure of meeting Lori in person and the opportunity to give her a big hug, an opportunity we are rarely afforded in the world of online education. I’ve seen in person the “light” that is Lori and thank Herzing for that opportunity. Today we hope that we are able to give back to Lori by bringing to the surface “her employer”. The job she will fit in, that will benefit from her talents and that won’t see her disability but her capabilities. We all go to bed tonight hoping we opened that door for Lori and can’t wait to celebrate with her when she calls to tell us she received a job offer.

Please join us in sending well wishes to Atlanta and if you are a doctor’s office in Atlanta…call me, I’d like to tell you about one of our graduates.

(Blogged with Lori’s permission; she wants the world to know that a disability is not a limitation.)

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Amy is the Director of Career Services at Herzing College Online and teaches career development courses for the online campus. Email her at achastek@onl.herzing.edu or visit http://www.herzingonline.edu.

Several years ago, prior to working for Herzing College, I worked for the Technical College system and received a call one summer day in 2002 from an elderly lady. Strikingly crass and grumpy she had called to find out about computer classes that were available at the community center I managed in northern Wisconsin for her grandson who had just graduated from high school. I gave her my sales pitch, got her address, sent her some information and honestly didn’t give it another thought.

A couple of weeks later I was at the center and one of my instructors came into the classroom I was puttering around in and said “There is someone here to see you”. I thought it odd as no one really even knew I was at the center, not even my staff, I just happened to stop in. I went on into the waiting area to find a little old lady sitting next to a young kid. I said “Hi” and at the moment she opened her mouth I knew EXACTLY who she was. She just had a bigger than life, in your face personality; she was a fighter. We started to talk about the classes and signing her grandson Robbie up. She went on to tell me that Robbie would need more time than others to complete the class, the classes were self paced so it really didn’t matter but she was adamant that I make sure the instructors knew he would need more time.

This whole time we chatted, Robbie sat in total silence with his hands on his lap, looking down at the table; she demanded so much of my attention that I hadn’t even looked at him. After telling me yet again that Robbie would need extra time, she reached under the table and grabbed his hand, bringing it to the surface and harshly dropping it on the table saying “SEE” and pointing to his hand. My mouth dropped or at least it felt like it did. Robbie had no hands. Not hands like you and I have. He suffers from Aperts Syndrome – http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic122.htm – and basically has three large digits on each hand the size that are about the thickness and size of four of my fingers combined.  People suffering from Aperts also don’t have any joints or ability to bend like your fingers or my fingers. Upon seeing Robbie’s hands I immediately went into counselor mode, telling them about our special needs department, tutors, etc. Robbie’s grandmother wanted nothing to do with it; she just wanted Robbie in the class and some extra time.

Giving into her demands, it came time to decide which class to enroll Robbie in. I suggested that we start with a basic Windows class, to get acclimated to the computer, how it works, etc. But no, Robbie wanted to be in Excel, he wanted to learn Excel. There was no arguing with his grandmother (I tried) so I took her $70.55 in tuition, had them fill out a registration form and told Robbie I would see him on the first night of class and that I would bring his textbook with me to class.

The first night of class

Robbie and grandmother showed up on time, grandma left telling Rob that she would be back in two hours to pick him up.

I gave Robbie his book.

He could not remove the plastic shrink wrap from the book.

I thought, “There is no way this kid is going to finish this course.”

I removed the plastic from Robbie’s book for him.

Robbie then couldn’t put his book in the book stand next to the computer and asked me for help.

I put his book in the bookstand and I thought, “There is no way this kid is going to finish this course.”

I pulled the instructor aside and asked her to watch Robbie, and to let me know the minute he needed help. I assumed that there was no way Robbie would be successful in the course.

Three days passed and I had not heard from the instructor. So I called her and asked, “How Robbie do?”

“He did fine.”

Robbie did more than fine

Robbie finished Excel in pace with the other students and got an A. Robbie then went on to take eight additional computer classes to earn a MS Software Certificate, straight A’s, except for Access Part 2, he got a B in that one. It took Rob two years to finish nine classes, one by one. Showing up for class like clockwork in between horrible surgeries where they were putting metal plates and screws in his head to fix bone deformities, Rob kept plugging along. Taking a break here and there because his grandma could not afford to pay for the class or the book; waiting while she saved up enough of their social security incomes to move forward. Mysteriously a “free” or “donated” book always seemed to be available for Robbie, they just happen to be lying about. It’s funny how things work out like that.

Robbie was a joy, always had a hug waiting for me. Smart, so smart and shiny so very, very shiny, a simply beautiful person behind an unfortunate shell. Smiling through everything life dealt him and overcoming any hurdle he set his mind to. His grandmother despite her tough exterior was a sweet lady too; a heart of gold, having to be tough to get things done for the grandson she had raised since birth.  She too always had a hug for me.  My education was found in those hugs.

After completing the Software Certificate, Robbie decided to pursue a Web Page Design Certificate that required a MAC computer and required that his 76 year old grandmother drive him 2.5 hours one way, twice a week for the classes. I put a MAC at the center and gave him a key to the building so he could come whenever he needed to do his homework (they couldn’t afford to buy one), DVR paid for his grandmother’s mileage removing one barrier to his education and Robbie started once again, taking one class at a time.

The hands of a person with Aperts syndrome

No boundaries for Robbie

The Green Bay Press Gazette was looking to the college for stories so I asked Robbie if he would like to tell his story and he did. One day the phone rang and an elderly lady told me the newspaper had given her my phone number and asked me for Robbie’s address. Because of privacy issues I couldn’t give out that information so I asked her why. She went on to say that she had saved up $2000 for a new computer but after reading Robbie’s story in the paper had decided that he needed it more than she did and she wanted to send him a check. She did.  Others did too.  The community rallied around Robbie; community is a beautiful thing.

When I left the college, Rob was working on finishing the Web Page certificate and planned on starting a business working from home building web pages. There is no doubt that he will reach the goal that he has set for himself. Robbie can do anything.  Robbie can be anything.

A picture of Robbie hangs above my desk, next to pictures of my kids. He taught me to never assume that someone “can’t” and that no matter who you are if you set your mind to something you can do it. One of the most valuable life lessons I’ve learned in my 37 years. There are no excuses to not see your goals come true, no matter what hurdles you face, be they physical, limitations thrust upon you by others or your own internal walls. The only true limitations we have are the ones we put on ourselves.

So now when a student calls and complains about trying to balance work and family and school or about some other hurdle they might be facing, I tell them about the boy with no hands who can navigate any computer you put in front of him and then I tell them to take “can’t” out of their vocabulary.  The lessons learned from Robbie and his grandmother will stay with me forever and have shaped the person I’ve become; especially when it comes to dreaming big, setting goals and seizing the future.

So dear friends, alumni, students and anyone else reading this…“You can. Yes you can.”  The journey to your goal won’t be completed in a day, but step by step, course by course, student by student, sale by sale, job by job, degree by degree, goal by goal or choice by choice.  Looking down the road at the path you traveled once you’ve reached your goal is a priceless gift that you can only earn; it isn’t handed to you, nor is the guarantee that it will be easy.

Reflection brings me to thinking about my next goal. There are a few.  Helping Herzing College be the best when it comes to providing career services, education and opportunity, keeping my staff happy and growing in their positions, watching my kids develop into young adults, continuing my own education and spreading Robbie’s  message, “yes you can” hoping to empower anyone who has doubts about themselves.

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Amy is the Director of Career Services at Herzing College Online and teaches career development courses for the online campus.  Residing in Milwaukee, WI she does volunteer work for several non-profit organizations and enjoys giving back to her community.

(If you have a “yes I can” story, please do share with us at Tickled by Life.)