How to Succeed in Business by Really, Really Trying

6 Steps to Change Your Life—If You’re Ready

Nation’s obesity problem demands sweeping changes, panel says

NEXT 30 DAYS CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE – How Belief Is The Most Powerful Tool In The Universe

Scared of change? You’re not alone: Judy’s blog

How I Saved Enough to Travel the World for Five Years

Making Change Begins With You

Just One Thing: A Simple Way to Make Changes to Your Life

You’ve Got One Change Left. What Do You Do?

How the Free Market makes you FAT and why “Big Food” likes it that way

One of my core values is freedom. Another is tranquility (or no stress). These values stop me from taking the wrong job (too much travel and being away from home) or help me find ways to eliminate stress in my life (listening to audio books as I am stuck in traffic every morning).

When you use the tracker take a serious look at your values. The link to the article below (Your Values, Your life) could not explain it more beautifully. Please read it and take some time to reflect.  Are you living according to your own values or values that society, friends or family are imposing on you?

This may be the most important thing you will do….ever.

Peace

Your Values, Your Life

Belief is what makes good sports teams great. Belief is what makes alcoholics stop drinking. Belief is what made Facebook and Google into Billion dollar companies.

Do you REALLY believe you can change? Do doubts crawl and creep into your mind when you need to perform? Do you let your co-workers negativity affect your belief in yourself?

A couple of months ago I gave a presentation to IT and business Industry leaders from all over North America at a conference in Florida. I was invited to speak because of an article I had written on the Internet five years ago.  After a subsequent interview I was invited to speak in Florida and Prague. I worked on the sixty minute presentation over four weekends. When I made it down to Florida and stood on the podium with a twenty foot screen behind me I believed.

A few people later told me that not only was the presentation enjoyable from a technical perspective, but that I had inspired and motivated them as well. This was high praise indeed.

If I had not had a deep belief in myself it would not have been the success it was.

This deep rooted type of belief applies to everything in life.

From losing weight, reducing debt, finding peace or finding love belief is the most powerful tool in the universe. It moves mountains. It frees countries.

I think many of us already are experts in our fields. I believe many of us KNOW what to do. I believe many of us understand what or who is holding us back. All that remains is to go out there and believe. That is the last small step that many of us can’t seem to take.

We have a limiting belief in our selves.

Take the next thirty days and think about which beliefs are holding you back. Get rid of them right now.  And make new ones.

You can avoid fast food.

You can stop wasting your money on stuff you don’t really need.

You can get out there and start to at least walk around the block.

You can become a believer.

“You have to let it all go, Neo. Fear, doubt, and disbelief. Free your mind.”

So how do I become raw and clever and the real me? Well I take a beautiful risks, I show courage and I will pass on from this world – so why not just be me?

Here we go my friends >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

1. I have two dogs and would love to write an article on making life changes for our four legged friends. It would be amazing!
2. I just joined Netflix and am larfing over old Mad Men and Breaking Bad episodes. Hey 8 bucks a month.
3. I love the fact that I try to motivate, inspire and educate people. I hate the fact that most people would rather just read about gossip, entertainment and watch celebrity nipple slips.
4. I write about making wonderful and lasting life changes and I rarely receive cool comments. Yahoo news posted a story about Jersey Shore’s ‘Snooki” not wearing makeup and it has 20,000 comments.  Hey, THIS is what gets people all emotional! It’s sad huh?
5. My favorite movies include Blade Runner, American Beauty, The Austin Powers series, The Matrix and Full and Metal Jacket. I like movies that make us raw and want to shriek and run away but we keep coming back because we say to ourselves …”yea that is me in that movie”.
6. I’ve taken yoga classes and listen to yoga meditation tracks on my iPhone late at night or early in the morning. It’s a gentle and soft way to slowly wake up to the morning light or welcome the night before into a falling into a deep restful sleep.
7. My wife owns fitwatch.com and it attracts thee million visitors a year. Yes you heard me right…three million.
8. I read non-fiction more than fiction and listen to non – fiction audible books as I drive in to work every day.  I have hundreds of nonfiction books and I’ll keep 50% and the rest are going to charity.
9. I’m adopted. My Dad is Belgium and my late Mom is Russian. I’m half Asian, half Canadian. I have a huge amount of respect for my parents. They lived through WWll and have been through more challenges than most people have in a lifetime.
10. I own http://worldclasssupplychain.com/ because I am also a SAP, Supply Chain, Sales and Operation planning professional. I have a passion for improving business processes.
11. I enjoy the art of cooking and indulge in a glass(s) of wine or beer(s) as I do. Most of my recipes come from http://www.epicurious.com/
12. Last year I saw Bon Jovi, Deep Purple, George Michael and Supertramp in concert. Bon Jovi was my favorite concert of all time. It was crazy fun and I lost my voice from screaming like a mad school girl all night.
13. I have three wonderful step daughters
14. I believe that if you start a business don’t do for the money, don’t do it for the fame…. do it because you want to CHANGE THE WORLD.
15. I’ve done the bacon on the floor at work
16. I’ve worked as a consultant
17. I was on the road for 8 months straight for work (flying and coming home weekends) years ago and it almost ruined my health and relationship. I have a much better respect for my health and travel now.
18. I designed a paint job for an aeroplane once.  It was golden and green
19. A couple of months ago I was a guest speaker at a conference in Florida. I really enjoyed it and would like to do public speaking more often.  I was invited because they found an article I had written on the Internet 5 years ago.
20. Two of my favorite places are Bermuda and Paris.
21. It hurts me to think people spend more than the $ 4.95 on a MacDonald’s Happy Meal yet won’t sign up for the deluxe version of My Life Changes.
22. I love writing. It brings out the creative, thoughtful and fact finding side of me.
23. I am trying to turn My Life Changes into a social network where we can motivate each other and give awesome feedback.  Looking for a programmer.
24. I like dancing and thought about becoming a dance choreographer when I was younger.
25. I’m glad I wrote this and I hope you have made a richer connection with me.

I would love to have a comment from you, or question and for you to connect with me even more through my Facebook page.

Best Always

Are these the type of values that will make the world a kinder and better place? Is the influence of popular culture and television ruining our childrens values? It certainly seems so. It’s time that parents step in and teach our kids values we can be proud of.

My Life Changes is built around defining your goals based on your core personal values. Make those values healthy and happy ones ….then teach them to your children.

This link might open your eyes.

Is This The Future Of American Values?

Computers, cell phones, iPhones and pagers are just a few examples of gadgets that keep us connected, sometimes 24/7. Information whizzes by us at a mind-numbing rate from Internet news sites, work computer systems, E-mail at work, E-mail at home, not to mention pagers, to do lists and pop up reminders. All in the name of efficiency. Work demands that we do more in less time and the global village keeps us all connected with instant news. More and more of us are reeling from information overload, feeling exhausted and possibly headed for burn out.

So what can we do to slow down the onslaught on our time and get back to what really matters? Do we continue to plug in to our to do lists on our iPhone and cram as much into each day as possible? Is there any meaning and purpose to our lives? Are we living according to our core values? Have we even the time as a society to reflect on these incredibly important questions?

Meaning and purpose – Who am I?

Finding any type of meaning and purpose requires us to step back from the daily pressures of life and find out what is truly important. It means to detach yourself from your belongings and look a little deeper than the house, car, paycheck or job that you own. Introspection isn’t an easy process. This is the beginning of a spiritual journey, the first key to lasting change. Without taking the time to reflect, we may one day wake up from our busy lives and realize we are living a hollow life. Very simply, ask yourself who you are. Do it now: “Who am I?”

Perhaps you are a father, an adventurer, an entrepreneur, or a musician. Perhaps you are also a philosopher, athlete, programmer, gardener or writer. You may also feel compassion, love, ambition, or any other deep-rooted emotion. Take a few minutes and in one simple sentence describe who you are. Describing who you are is the first step towards finding meaning and purpose. Who you are will also certainly help answer the question of “why am I here.”

Meaning and Purpose – Values.

Now that you know who you are, how do you live up to that statement? Knowing your values is the next step to creating a life filled with meaning and purpose. Knowing and living by your values is all about retaining your personal power. Your values reflect the true you and every time you don’t live by them, or someone takes them away, your personal power diminishes. Sounds like something Superman has doesn’t it? Personal power.

Say, for example, you have a value called control. Control to you means leaving the office at a reasonable hour to see your family. All of a sudden your new boss wants you to stay late every night. By easily giving in to his demands you have now lost some of your personal power. Your values and personal power are very intertwined. Do you spend your time living according to your values? Do you know your values? Do you value freedom, beauty, appreciation, and compassion? Interesting question, isn’t it? And your values will certainly change as you grow. Being a bachelor as opposed to a family man might bring two different sets of values.

Meaning and Purpose – Goals.

OK, so you have your who am I statement, and your core values written out. How do we live up to these, and continue to grow as a human being? With goal setting, of course. Goal setting without knowing who you are, and your values, is like shooting blindly in the dark. There is no target, no direction, just random goals based on the flavour of the month. By knowing who you are and your core values, your goals are always in tune with the true you and a life filled with meaning and purpose.

So, maybe in your who am I statement you have described yourself as a father and an outdoors person with one of your core values being beauty. Maybe a weekly hike in the woods with the family would be a goal. Now you have truly opened the door to what is truly meaningful to you. Having taken the time to reconnect with the true you through these exercises, isn’t goal setting that much easier?

In our North American schools we concentrate almost entirely on academics. But being such complex creatures with an infinite amount of choices, why don’t we spend more time educating ourselves on the three questions that really matter?

Who am I?
What are my core values?
What are my goals?

Your core values trigger your choices, goals or habits in this world.

Are you being honest with your career choice right now?

Did that last choice you make align with your value of health?

Is your value of peace or tranquility being destroyed by your negative friends?

Are your spending habits never in line with your long term value of freedom?

You are at your very best when are being true to yourself and your core personal values. Life is going to throw a million distractions and temptations your way.

Don’t just do what makes you feel good right now.

Do what will make you feel good about yourself for life.

Marshall Goldsmith teaches very successful people to become even more successful.  In his excellent book , What Got You Here Won’t Get You There he gets feedback  from executives co-workers, finds out the biggest personality problem with that executive and  focuses on fixing or changing his or her one bad habit.  And when that one bad habit is fixed the executive usually finds other areas improving.

First thing is to take a good look at your life and decide which nasty habit or painful part of your life you wish to change the most.  If it’s losing weight then focus on that. If it’s getting out of debt make that your mission.

If your core value is health and category is body (and you wish to lose weight) then create choices to lose weight. Don’t worry about relationships, money or mind at this point. Focus on body and health. Some choices may be:

1. Choose to lose 20 pounds.
2. Don’t buy sugary snacks and keep them in the house.
3. Plan and cook meals at home at least 6 nights a week.
4. Weigh yourself everyday.
5. Take a walk every day.
6. Join a gym and go 3 times a week.

Get the picture? Focus, focus and focus. Once you see yourself losing weight, getting healthier and feeling better, you will notice other areas of your life automatically improving. You will save money from going out to eat less often or cooking more. Your relationships will improve because you are feeling better. Less weight and less sugar will definitely lower your stress level.

I can’t give you better advice than this. Be brutally honest with yourself and admit what your biggest life change should be and focus on improving that. Stick to it for at least 30 days.

It seems simple but it really does works.

The power of written goal setting

10 Small Ways To Make Big Life Changes

Obesity clinic enables teen to change his life

Many people struggle with voices in their heads that reinforce negative self-judgments.

Mitchell uses triathlons to change her life, career

Why You Need to Make Your Life More Automatic

Your Problem Isn’t Motivation

Do I have a great career? Yes I do, and I also have an excellent balance between work and my home life. After years of extensive research here are the best business books that will teach, inspire and motivate you.

Mojo – How to Get it, How to Keep it, How to Get it back If You Lose It.

Marshall Goldsmith teaches very successful executives to become even more successful. He is hired by Fortune 500 companies to transform VP’s into CEO’s.  Marshall understands human behavior and business brilliantly and I regard him one of the best consultants in the world. His wisdom also applies to all areas of our personal lives. A beautiful book.

Thrive On Pressure – Lead and Succeed When Times Are Tough

Another must read. Graham Jones, Ph.D has worked with Olympic and world champions, military personal and senior leaders in Fortune 500 companies. Learn about mental toughness, real leadership, motivation and strengthening your belief as a leader. It is informative, clear, well-written and user-friendly with many well chosen examples of good practice.  Love it.

The Power Of Full Engagement – Managing Energy, not Time, Is The Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal

Tony Schwartz who co-authored this book is one of my favorite authors. I follow him regularly on Harvard Business Review and this is my favorite book of his. He teaches and provides clear examples of how a healthy body and mind is the key to renewed energy and success for executives. He even goes further and touches on the importance of your emotional and spiritual well being. An incredibly persuasive book that everybody should read.

The E-Myth Revisited – Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It

This is the first book you need to read if you start or have started your own business. Michael E.Gerber  has 40 years experience in the small business world and is widely considered a business guru. If you are a technician beginning a business this book clearly teaches you to never ignore the other aspects of business such as finance and sales. This book will save your sanity if you have dreams of becoming an entrepreneur.

The Biology of Success

Robert Arnot , M.D. has written a gem of a book highlighting essential lessons you may not find in other business related books. I love that he goes back and covers some business basics many people fail to grasp. Dress for success, turn on the tunes to elevate your mood, play hard and seize the moment.  It’s a simple and thorough plan to get the most of your day and your life.

Overachievement – The New Science OF Working Less And Accomplishing More

John Eliot PHD, teaches you how to welcome, enjoy and make pressure work for you. Case in point is Michael Jordan. He WANTED the ball when the game was on the line. John says we shouldn’t ever be afraid to shoot for the stars when the time is right. This book gives you the tools and psychologies to go out and not only become a star in business, but a superstar.