A positive attitude is something that all of us recognise as something that will allow us to get what we want in life, well listening to anything to do with personal development, they say your attitude to life determines your altitude in lifeAs easy as it may sound, however maintaining a positive attitude does required some hard work from our part.

Do you know what exactly constitutes a positive attitude? I am quite surprised that many people do not exactly know what the word “attitude” actually means.

4 Steps to a Positive Attitude

Step 1 – Beliefs, Values and Emotional Intelligence

You cannot manage what you cannot understand. Thus, the first step to you improving on your attitude is to know what constitutes an attitude. Attitude is defined as a complex mental state involving beliefs, feelings, values and dispositions to act in certain ways. To change your attitude, you have to put work hard on your belief and value systems and your Emotional IQ.

Step 2 – Your are a product of your Associates

Recognize who you want to associate more often with and who you want to limit your association. As much as we want to, not all relationships are created equally. Birds of the same feathers flock together.

Step 3 – Time Management

Know how to deal with your time. Everyone is given 24 golden nuggets per day, no one is exempted. Therefore it is up to us to decide how we want to utilize them to further improve our life and the lives of others.

Step 4 – Healthy Mind

If you noticed, having a great attitude in life involves great amount of mind power. Possessing a positive attitude all starts in the mind. A healthy, positively charged mind will atomically translate to a positive outlook of life.

And to own a healthy mind, one has to first own a healthy physical body which evolves from having a healthy lifestyle. Learn how to effectively manage the stress in your life, refrain from any potentially harmful drugs and getting a moderate amount of exercise very week are some of the examples how one can build a healthy mind and physical body to attain a positive attitude and outlook of life.

Like every other skills, nurturing a positive attitude in life requires some work from your part. You have to actively seek to replace your limiting beliefs and negative self talks with more empowering and positively-charged ones. The 4 positive steps formula can only lay the foundation for you. However, you still have to “do your own push-ups” should you want to see astonishing miracles in your life, literally.

Two events this month has proven that if you are determined enough, if you have a vision and if you understand and have a high enough awareness of what you can do, anything is possible.

Lewis Hamilton and Barack Obama have proved that will dedication, vision, and an undying drive to succeed you can have what you want. What we have seen in the past week is the reward of their labour. Yes, we hear the talk about what they have had to sacrifice in order to get what they want, however as we don’t feel it, we don’t really know.

We see the rewards they are getting. Some may say in the end Lewis Hamilton was a little lucky to pass the final driver in his last race to get the point he needed to win the Championship. The question to ask is did he do, what sacrifices did he make, to give himself the opportunity, that all he needed WAS to pass that final driver to get the point he needed to win.

We see that Barack Obama won in the end by a landslide. Again with all the reports the last few weeks about him being ahead in all the polls and pundits, saying it wasn’t about if he was going to win, but by how many, what did Barack Obama do and what did he sacrifice, to get himself in a position that it was an inevitable outcome.

Both Hamilton and Obama needed a vision to get what they want. What is your vision? Each of them needed not only a vision but a belief they can do it. Below I have listed some of the things they needed to have in order to become F1 Champion and US President respectively

• Belief
• Vision
• Determination
• Clarity of what they want
• Clarity of what is
• Money
• Patience
• Desire
• Overcoming Adversity
• Make Sacrifices
• Big Enough WHY 
• Appropriate Intention behind their Actions

And I am sure there are many more. Now do you need ALL of these to get what you want, maybe not. However the more you have the better chance you have to succeed. i.e. the odds are more in your favour.

You may say that you have belief, vision and you are determined and you still don’t get what you want. Well what sacrifices have you made? What is your WHY and is it big enough?

You will see that I have included money in the list. Yes, they needed the money, however if they didn’t have the other things on this list, with abundance, no amount of money in the world would’ve given them what they so desire. You can choose from the list the reason you don’t follow your dream, and many will choose money, as it is an easy get out. i.e. I can’t leave my job to pursue my dream I have to pay the bills.

Have a look at your WHY, is the pain of staying where you are less than the potential pain you may feel if you did pursue your dream. Dare you see if it is true?

Don’t try do. Doing is trying with intent. One life. One dream, do it now!

You can motivate your team members externally or internally. External motivation relates to the working environment. However, internal motivation relates the interests, values, aptitudes and dreams of your team members. Here you shall find seven critical motivational techniques to get the best out of your team.

1- Reward and Punishment

It is the most popular technique being used by the managers. When you give a reward that is tangible, i.e. promotion, a raise or award it seems to increase the energy of the individual, however understanding their true core motivation can have dramatic effects. Fear of punishment can play an important role. You need to be careful here too. A wrong punishment at a wrong time may backfire. Just create a balance.

2- Setting of Goals

Setting of well-defined goals helps your team members to do their best. Set meaningful and justified deadlines to get the project finished within time, i.e. SMART. You need to work at two levels. First, set your objective and make sure this is Results orientated not process driven, second, divide that objective into goals and sub-goals that meet the overall goal.

3- Advisory Techniques and Performance Coaching

No one is perfect. Being a team leader you must always be ready to offer advice when your team members face some stumbling block in their performance. Encourage them to remove their weaknesses and continue what works for them. Performance Coaching can have a massive beneficial impact on performance, allowing solutions to come from within. Empowering the individual will enable them to take ownership.

4- Praise and Criticism

This motivational technique is similar to ‘reward and punishment’ technique. A word of praise or criticism shall have definite results upon your team. However, like rewards and punishments, this technique should also be used carefully. Sometimes your team members will do better with criticism and other times they will stop working. To understand what language patterns will tap into their motivational type click here

5- Success and Failure

To motivate your team members, you could analyze their successes in the office environment. Most of the people like to continue doing what is working for them, this is their comfort zone. However if you want something different don’t keep on doing the same thing.

6- Competition

It is the one of strongest motivational technique to get the best out of your team. You can use this technique very effectively when combine with setting of efficient goals. Competitive circumstances can help your team members to perform the best.

7- Know your Team.

Do you know what interests your team? Just find out those interests and entrust them with tasks that they love to do. It will increase their efficiency on one hand and speed of the project on the other. Random allocation of tasks may not be too helpful to all of them.

What does it take to become prosperous? What is it that separates top achievers and the rest of the world? Is there a chance that some people are just born winners and some are genetically predisposed to being less fortunate?

Of course, there are many ways which can influence what we become in life, but one of the most important key factors is to have passion in what you do, to achieve whatever we have set our sights on. The resolve we have will then push us to take action. It will push us to territories not yet discovered, outside your comfort zone, it will push us to discover solutions and keep perservering. And as we continue to try, one thing is certain; we will get better. For as long as we stay focused, success are certain.

Passion and desire are the powers of any vision. It transmutes obstacles and sees way beyond problems. It is desire that inspires our actions and is the source of our faith. Whatever it is you want to bring into our reality, know that it is the power of your resolve that will bring your dreams to life. Regardless of how unlikely the prospects may be, if we stay focused and hold on tenaciously to our vision with unwavering faith, what we desire can be actualised.

Discover how to realise your dreams by waking up to the power of desire. You can be an expert, you can see your dream come to life, you can succeed, you can, you can, you can! Your dedication can mean the difference between being an achiever or being a loser. You can be be an achiever!

How to Become an Ideal Leader

When you are at work, do you get frustrated because things don’t seem to be happening the way they’re supposed to be? You see people milling around but nothing gets accomplished. And in the daily hustle and bustle, do you feel that your goals remain just that – goals. Then maybe its time for you to stand up and do something about it.

Most people are content just to stand around listening for orders. And it isn’t unusual to adopt a follow-the-leader mentality. But maybe, somewhere inside of you, you feel the desire to make things happen – to be the head, not the tail. Then maybe leadership just suits you fine.

Some people believe that great leaders are made, not born. Yes, it may be true that some people are born with natural talents. However, without practice, without drive, without enthusiasm, and without experience, there can be no true development in leadership.

You must also remember that good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their natural skills. This takes a commitment to constantly improve in whatever endeavor a person chooses.

First of all, let’s define leadership. To be a leader, one must be able to influence others to accomplish a goal, or an objective. He contributes to the organization and cohesion of a group. Contrary to what most people believe, leadership is not about power. It is not about harassing people or driving them using fear. It is about encouraging others towards the goal of the organization. It is putting everyone on the same page and helping them see the big picture of the organization. You must be a leader not a boss.

First of all, you have to get people to follow you. How is this accomplished?

People follow others when they see a clear sense of purpose. People will only follow you if they see that you know where you are going. Remember that bumper sticker? The one that says, don’t follow me, I’m lost too? If you yourself do not know where you’re headed to, chances are people will not follow you at all.

You yourself must know the vision of the organization. Having a clear sense of hierarchy, knowing who the bosses are, who to talk to, the organization’s goals and objectives, and how the organization works is the only way to show others you know what you are doing.

Being a leader is not about what you make others do. It’s about who you are, what you know, and what you do. You are a reflection of what you’re subordinates must be. Studies have shown that one other bases of good leadership is the trust and confidence your subordinates have of you. If they trust you they will go through hell and high water for you and for the organization.

Trust and confidence is built on good relationships, trustworthiness, and high ethics. The way you deal with your people, and the relationships you build will lay the foundation for the strength of your group. The stronger your relationship, the stronger their trust and confidence is in your capabilities.

Once you have their trust and confidence, you may now proceed to communicate the goals and objectives you are to undertake. Communication is a very important key to good leadership. The knowledge and technical expertise you have must be clearly imparted to other people.

Also, you can not be a good leader and unless you have good judgment. You must be able to assess situations, weigh the pros and cons of any decision, and actively seek out a solution. It is this judgment that your subordinates will come to rely upon. Therefore, good decision-making is vital to the success of your organization.

Leaders are not do-it-all heroes. You should not claim to know everything, and you should not rely upon your skills alone. You could recognize and take advantage of the skills and talents your subordinates have. Remember being a leader takes a good deal of work and time. It is not learned overnight. Remember, also, that it is not about just you. It is about you and the people around you.

So, do you have the drive and the desire to serve required of leaders? Do you have the desire to work cooperatively with other people? Then start now.

If you are going to be successful on the internet or any home business as far as that is concerned, then, integrity must come before your financial success. Many people are financially successful on the internet, but some have forgotten the meaning of true success.

As Jim Rohn (One of the all time favorite motivational speakers) says, quite often, it is far more important of who you are becoming, then, what you are earning. Jim even goes so far as to say that you should work toward becoming a millionaire, not for the money, but because of who you will become in achieving the goal.

The stress is on becoming a better person. A person who has integrity. Integrity is being able to be counted on, to be depended upon, if you say that you are going to provide a service or product for a certain amount of money, then you do it. You are looking out for your customers, as well as yourself.

In most cases your reputation will precede you! You may think that no one is discovering your flawed business manners, but actually, the word is spreading and on the net, it spreads quite rapidly.

One of the universal laws of success is that financial success follows hard work with honesty. In other words, “help enough people get what they want and you will find that you receive what you want.” However, if you are just looking out for you, you are only hurting yourself in the long run. Wouldn’t the internet be so much better if we were all watching out for each other?

One important lesson I have learned when it comes to making a sale is that people buy from those whom they trust. If they trust you they will buy from you. If your integrity is guiding you as you make your presentation to others it will come across to your potential buyer. You are more likely to make that sell with your integrity guiding you, then, any other aspect in your presentation.

It does not matter how well you intellectually present your service or product, if they detect flaws in your character you might as well close up your brief case and go home.

Perhaps, even of a greater reward for being a man or women of integrity is that you will sleep better at night just knowing you did your best to sincerely help others achieve their dreams. What can be more rewarding, then, to help others reach their goals?

If you have children, perhaps, that would be the ultimate reason to permit integrity to lead you. Your children will have someone that they can be proud of and more importantly someone whom they can trust!

All truth passes through three stages

First it is ridiculed
Second it is opposed
Finally it is accepted as being self evident

A Schopenhauer 1788-1860

Wake up everyday and live your dreams. In order to live out your lifes dreams you must become the creator of those same dreams. We are all creators, and we are all in complete control of achieving our desired goals.

Becoming a creator may mean changing the way you think or the way you view the world around you. Remember, you have the power to change everything. If you believe that you are not deserving, or if you feel that it is impossible to reach your goals then that is exactly what you will recieve.

You need to believe and trust that you are deserving of your desires, and in you deepest thoughts, you need to feel as if you already reached your goals. Living in this light only brings happiness and love to your life.

Being the creator gives you the chance to make the neccessary changes to your life to bring happiness and joy, choose your thoughts wisely and always love and believe.

I was asked recently by someone posting on my self improvement blog what were the best self motivational books I have read. Although there are several thousand self motivational books published each year I have come to the conclusion that there is very little that can be added to the many words of self motivational wisdom that have been written over the last century and a half.

From the early pioneers like Napoleon Hill to today’s monumental giants like Tony Robbins. It was said, I think by the latter of these two gurus, that we arrive on this planet without an instruction manual. I think for that reason alone there is not just a thirst for knowledge but a greater need for a guide to how to survive life which drives the market for self improvement books. Its not reading self motivational books that gets results, its taking action on the advice that is given therein. So my advice is read a small amount of self motivational books but take a lot of action if you want to significantly improve your life.

Can self motivational books bring happiness? Now there is a million dollar question! Depends on your definition of happiness of course; see Happiness Blog. Many people would define it as achieving a certain amount of wealth. However as many wealthy people often say the wealth in and of itself doesn’t bring happiness. In addition have you ever noticed that wealthy people never seem satisfied with what they have got and continually seek to make more and more money.

The truth is that happiness is not a destination it is more likely to be a state of continually striving to achieve goals, achieving them and setting more goals to strive to achieve. If thats your definition then I think self motivational books will help you and my list of all time classics have certainly helped me in that respect. There are many out there who will disagree with my choice of self improvement books and have their own favourites all I can say to them is that these are the ones that gave me the focus and the necessary poke in the ribs to take action and I still revisit them for ideas.

The education system was originally intended to give children their grounding, knowledge, experience and confidence to achieve their life’s dreams.

From http://www.blurtit.com education means

The term ‘education’ is the noun form of the verb educate. It comes from the Middle English educaten; coming from the Latin term educare, educatus meaning ‘bring up, rear’; linked to educere meaning ‘to lead forth’ or ‘bring out’. The suffix ‘ion’ refers to a particular action or process. It could also refer to the result of the same. It also means ’state or condition’

Teachers do a fantastic job, especially without the amount of extra-curricular work they need to do. With league targets, the pressure of getting kids through SAT’s etc, has the teacher time to inspire, raise confidence, and bring out the best in our children?

What would the impact be of a coach in every school? What about Colleges and Universities?

Look at all the personal development courses available to us as adults, what if our children learned these techniques during the school years?

Isn’t it our duty to ensure that schools and teachers are able to teach kids in an environment, where they feel inspired and wanting to be someone and not afraid to fulfil their dreams?

All dreams start with a feeling leading to thoughts…..look around now, everything you see is a result of someones thoughts.

A Coach in every school will give teachers an opportunity to reflect on their work, and time to talk in confidence about what they want to achieve. More and more schools are looking at coaching; however a lot still needs to be done.

The first thing is to raise the awareness of how powerful professional coaching conducted by professional coaches can be in schools. The second is for heads to explore what impact coaching can have on teacher and student performance. The danger is that coaching is recognised as a necessary tool, but then teachers are expected to be coaches to fellow teachers.

In some cases this may work, however in most it will not be as effective. Hence the reason why coaching isn’t as wide spread as it could be, because the results are not as powerful. Coaching is about challenging assumptions and perspectives of behaviour and thoughts. Can a colleague seriously do that? Would a coachee be comfortable about being coached by a fellow teacher?

The key is for teachers to be taught and be aware of the different techniques in coaching, and for them to be shown easy ways you can use coaching passively to gain results. ‘Water cooler’ Coaching can be as powerful, sometimes more so, as structured 1 to 1 sessions, to improve performance.

Are you a Head teacher looking to improve your staff without more ‘training’? Do you know someone who works in schools but is not performing as they know they should, or could be?

Teachers and any individuals in schools would greatly benefit from professional coaching. Dare the Schools try?