Why It Really Is About The Journey, Not The Destination

When I started talking, I simultaneously started singing. It was from that point on that I knew where my life path would lead: I wanted to be a rock star.

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When I could understand Disney movies, I would play pretend and act like a Disney princess everywhere I went. This gave way to my goal of becoming a Hollywood actress. Destiny.

When I learned how to write, I started drafting stories and from then on, I knew that I would become the highest-selling female author of all time. Obviously.

I always had big dreams as a little girl, and although I abandoned them for a few years, they came back full circle in my early 20s. College seemed like the perfect time to make those dreams come true. I started with acting.

The struggle was most definitely real. Chasing your dreams is not all sunshine and unicorns and it is absolutely not the life of a Disney princess. I always imagined that if I wanted something badly enough for long enough, it was bound to happen.

But, at age 26, I am not where I imagined I’d be with my acting, music or writing careers. It has taken a lot for me to not completely throw in the towel.

One day, after feeling really low and questioning my life choices, I had a revelation. I thought that perhaps it’s possible for your dreams to serve you. Not only would this be a way to live out your passions in life, but also, the ride itself could serve as a way to shape the person you are continually becoming.

I first started thinking about every person I have loved and lost along the journey that has become my life. My dreams have essentially allowed me to weed out all of the negative, uncompassionate people whom I once called dear friends.

I am finally at a point where my closest friends are just as motivated as I am. They keep me inspired and ready for whatever comes next.

This was the first part of the revelation. We are often told to surround ourselves with people who exhibit positivity and motivation; those who are ambitious, like us.

But realistically, this is hard to do. Toxic people will continually come in and out of our lives, but by staying focused dedicated to the larger goal, it is easy to ensure their stay won’t be long.

The next part of my epiphany was realizing how many times I have had to pick myself back up. Life, in general, leads us to many “nos” and shut doors.

It leads us to trip, fall and hope to God we can pick ourselves back up, once again. And, we always do. But, every “no” is only one step closer to another “yes.” Every time we get back up, our hearts grow a little stronger.

The last part of my realization of dreams is that they provide us with experiences we never could have imagined, had we given up sooner.

Think about where you were a year ago. No matter what you say, you were absolutely NOT in the same position as you are today. You learned lessons and you met people.

Your experiences that have helped shaped who you are. And, those experiences came from not giving up on a dream.

No matter what your current job is right now, keep in mind that it’s just a stepping-stone to a larger goal. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the everyday that we forget what we were even trying to accomplish in the first place.

But, constantly reminding yourself of how far you’ve come and how strong of a person you are for getting to this point helps.

Trust me, I’ve been in the rut. I’ve called it quits several times before getting back in the game. But, when you realize that the dream is about the people you meet, the things you learn and the character you build, there is a sense of freedom and power that accompanies it.

So, take in every second of it. Your life is happening right now. When you look back another year from now, you will be even further, even stronger and even braver than before.

Whether we like it or not, we will never stop dreaming. So, we might as well enjoy the ride.

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Motivation Doesn’t Work For Success

Staying motivated is an impossibility.

Motivation wears off. It’s like a shower. You cannot stay clean forever from one shower, you need to keep taking showers every day to stay clean. Similarly, you will need to keep pumping yourself up if you wish to stay motivated. It is an empty pursuit.

Fortunately, I teach my mentored students that there is a goal far more rewarding than being motivated. That loftier goal is to do only what you love. When you do what you love, you are automatically and internally motivated.

Here’s how you do that…

So, the wisdom is not to pretend you like a task you dislike by pumping yourself up with some motivational sayings or audios. Rather, the wisdom is to identify what you love and then focus your career, your income, your learning, your energy on that which you love. When you do, your income will rise sharply and you will never have to pump yourself up with motivation. You will be internally and permanently high.

Personally, I love riding my unicycle. I do not need to get motivated to ride my unicycle; I am wired motivated because I love it. I love teaching. I do not need to get motivated to teach; I come wired ready and eager to teach. I love writing bestselling books to inspire people. I love writing interesting articles. I need to motivational audios to force me to pretend that I like these activities; I really actually do love them.

So, do not seek to simply get motivated; rather, seek to do what you love. Record a goal each month to do more of what you love and less of what you do not love. When you put your creativity in that direction, you will arrive at fascinating answers that will change your life.

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Why You Need Motivation EVERY Morning

It was happening to me again…

I just laid there. Still. Mind racing, but body stagnant. The battle had begun…

Should I wake up and work out/send emails/write a new article/do anything mildly productive, or should I surrender to just one more hour of sleep.

On most days, this wouldn’t be a battle. I am better than that.

But even the mightiest success chasers need new sources of motivation every once in a while.

You see, most of us are indeed crazed to succeed, and rarely need any external pushes to get ahead. We are intrinsically motivated beasts 99.99% of the time, but one day (or week, or month…don’t judge) there will come a time where you everything will seem gloom, the important goals you’ve set for yourself become less noticeable than an extra 15 minutes of quasi-sleep, and the rollercoaster hits its lowest valleys.

That’s why you need motivation every morning.

WHY?!? Because you CAN create the life you want, but only if you work your a** off to create it.

WHY?!? Because you INSPIRE others through your work, words, and actions, so it’s your responsibility to be a good role model for those who look up to you.

WHY?!? Because certain jobs, people, and friends passed you over, and it’s on you to PROVE THEM WRONG.

WHY?!? Because your family, friends, and supporters WANT TO SEE YOU SUCCEED.

WHY?!? Because you are a LEADER, and because people DEPEND on you.

However, all that being said, I know some days are harder than others, and because there have been days (weeks, months…) that I’ve had this same problem, I want to give you some ways to get motivation EVERY morning.

Make it a habit, just like brushing your teeth and tying your shoelaces, to seek sources of motivation every single morning. Watch an inspirational Youtube video, listen to you favorite, potentially-Rocky-inspired song, or get a group of friends together for a daily, 5 minute “pep” conference call.

Meditate and think of all the things in life you are grateful for.

Listen to your favorite self-help audio book or podcast during your commute to the office (I recommend The Law of Success
and Three Feet from Gold as great audio books, and The James Altucher Show, The Tim Ferriss Show, andEntrepreneurOnFire as awesome podcasts).

Go for a run, or do some pushups, or try some yoga. Something. Get active. It’s amazing how much happier and clear-headed you will start each of your days.

Remember each morning why you do what you do, and who you do it for. Which people have given you opportunities in life? Which people said you couldn’t chase your dreams? Are you supporting your parents, children, friends, family? Why did you get started in “the biz” in the first place? Remember that, and get motivated every morning.

Seeking motivation every morning has helped me have days where I can speak to Ivy Leaguers, appear in a nationally broadcasted commercial, and save babies, all in one day. Those are truly epic days, and every day can and will be just as epic for you if you make it ritual to start every morning motivated! It’s the only way I can work on projects like 2 Billion Under 20 and The Gap Year Experiment and, quite frankly, your work too should serve as a source of motivation every morning as mine does (or you need a new job!!!).

Don’t leave it up to yourself. Don’t leave it to “inspiration” or chance. Make motivating yourself a daily practice. You NEED motivation EVERY morning, and with that one habit, anything else will be possible.

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4 Things to Keep You Going When You’re Stressed at Work

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” ~Charles Swindoll

I remember working at a job where I absolutely could not do anything right.

This was one of those jobs where it was extremely fast paced and you received 100 tons of work thatmust be completed by an unrealistic deadline. And here’s the kicker: your time at work was spent in meetings, all day. I’m talking about four to seven hours of your day. You get the picture.

So you may ask when I had time to do the work. Unfortunately, after work hours, in the evenings at home or on the weekends, when I was supposed to be spending time with my family.

Now don’t get me wrong, at times I was able to steal a half hour to an hour on the job to work on tasks that needed to be completed; however, I found it tough to consistently focus and devote my undivided attention when I was shifting gears all day, every day.

It almost seemed impossible to win against an environment of nonstop “busyness” with no real progression in sight. I was losing fast.

I did not perform well during my time there and did not have the impact I thought I would and wanted to have in my work, and within the organization. I failed (or so it seemed to me).

One day, I finally decided it was time for me to leave. While I initially had mixed emotions about leaving, I knew I wasn’t helping myself by staying at the organization; I was totally out of balance!

I needed to breathe, I was drowning at work, too busy doing the work at home, not fully paying attention to my daughter, and I became a stressed out monster, having emotional meltdowns far too often.

Upon leaving, I received a card from my department staff and some people shared their reflections with me, which revealed that I had done so much more than what I knew. How could I have shared my light with others after falling short in my role?

What I learned is, people are always watching how you respond and react in tough situations. Your character is revealed when going through darkness.

I was able to reach out to others and bring out the best in them through in-depth conversations during supervision or in morning talks with colleagues. Even though I was dying inside, I always came to work with positive attitude, a smile, and people picked up on that energy.

I provided guidance to some with their career goals, assisted with developing their voice and professionalism in the work environment. I had somehow helped others become acclimated to the job and feel like they were productive and contributed.

When I reflected on what kept me going, I remembered the four things listed below were key:

1. Shift gears with your thoughts.

We can control our thoughts by monitoring them, and when we find ourselves having negative thoughts, change it to something positive. With self-talk we can be proactive and plant the thoughts we want.

For example, there were times I would feel sick before heading into the office and I told myself how much I hated being there. But changing my thought from “I don’t want to be here” to “What can I do to help someone today?” allowed me to open myself up to the possibilities for each day.

2. Meditation is key.

Spend at least ten minutes in the morning quiet and doing nothing before starting your work; prepare your mind for the day. A prepared mind will help you to sustain the stresses that life will place on you. You will feel the pressure, but when you are mentally prepared it will be much easier to cope with them.

3. Get pumped up.

Before heading into the office listen to a song that motivates you, makes you feel good, and will push you. This can be your song of the day to play at your desk to keep you going. Two of my songs were “Happy” by Pharrell and “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves.

4. It is what it is.

When challenges are out of your control at work, don’t beat yourself up. Accept what it is. By accepting the things that you have no control over, you will have the energy to concentrate on the things that you can control. You will end up maintaining your happiness, and perhaps even your sanity.

When you find yourself in a situation where there’s too much that you simply cannot accept, or that is unhealthy to accept, it is time to take responsibility for making a change. Instead of staying in a situation that will build bitterness and resentment, start looking for something new that will contribute more positively to your life.

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In the end, through my unhappiness, I had somehow been encouraging, supportive, and motivating to others. I shared my sense of humor and brought out the humor in others. In what I deemed as a professional failing nightmare, I unknowingly had brought positive energy and a boost to others.

How you respond in tough situations may unknowingly help others, as well.

Man meditating at work image via Shutterstock

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How to Motivate Your Employees to Peak Performance

Discovering how to motivate your employees is incredibly important to your business success as a manager and for the success of your employees.

How do you keep your employees motivated and enjoying their job every day that they come to work?

Watch this video, learn the best way to motivate your employees to peak performance.

THE KEY TO CREATING PEAK PERFORMANCE AT WORK

The key to creating a peak performance organization is to create a high self-esteem environment by removing the fears of failure and rejection that inhibit personal performance. The manager who creates a positive, high-self-esteem workplace will have higher performance, lower absenteeism, lower employee turnover, higher productivity, and fewer mistakes.

HOW TO MOTIVATE EMPLOYEES: 2 BASIC WORKPLACE NEEDS

To perform at their best, individuals have two basic needs in the world of work:

1) The Autonomy Need. The first is called “the autonomy need.” This is the need to be seen and respected as an individual, and to stand out for one’s personal performance. It is a need to be recognized for individual achievement or the “I am special” need.

2) The Dependency Need. The second need that each person has in the workplace, is “the dependency need.” This is the need that people have to feel a part of something bigger than themselves. People want to be part of a team. It is the need to feel recognized and accepted as part of a group of people in the workplace.

Good organizations and good managers create environments where people feel both autonomous and important, on the one hand, and have their dependency needs satisfied by making them feel as if they are part of a team; part of the whole organization. The reward structures in excellent organizations are designed to reward not only autonomous performance but also team performance.

EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION: USING POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT AT WORK

The key factor in employee motivation is one thing: the nexus between the manager and the managed. It is what takes place at the moment of contact or communication between the manager and the employee that is the key determinant of performance, effectiveness, productivity, output and profitability of an organization. The point at which the two people connect, whether positively or negatively, is where the past, present and future performance of the individual and the organization is determined.

When this contact between the boss and the subordinate is positive, supportive and encouraging of self-esteem and a positive self-image, then performance, productivity and output of the individual will reach its highest level.

LOW SELF-ESTEEM WORK ENVIRONMENT: THE WORST WAY TO GAIN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION

If this point of contact between the manager and the managed is negative for any reason at all, performance and output will decline. A negative relationship with the boss will trigger fears of failure, rejection and disapproval. If the boss is negative for any reason, people will play it safe, and only do exactly what they need to do to avoid being fired.

Almost everyone has worked in a low self-esteem environment. These are usually remembered as the worst jobs the person ever had. Everything you do to improve this intersection or contact improves the overall quality of your work life, no matter where you are on the ladder of management.

The more effective you can become in eliciting peak performance from each of your staff members, the more and better people you will be given to manage for it. The top managers and leaders of today are those who are capable of eliciting extraordinary performance from ordinary people.

CONCLUSION

Effective managers are intensely action-oriented. When they hear a good idea, they move quickly to implement the idea and put it into action. Therefore, if you hear about anything that you think can help you to motivate your staff to a higher level, don’t delay. Practice it immediately, that very day. You will be amazed at the results.


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5 Signs You're Betraying Your True Calling

So many people I coach in New York City come to me feeling like they fell into their line of work and made it a success, but no longer find it easy to show up with enthusiasm, embrace growth in your role and feel passionate about your job. The money they make is good, but their heart isn't in their work.

Is this success? Materially, perhaps. Externally (based on what others think)? Probably. But what our hearts know is that true fulfillment, and nothing else, is the real measure of success.

When we work with joy, we are at one with the universe. We do so much more than create our greatest work when this happens; it's how we become our happiest, our wisest and our most loving self. When all is said and done, this is all that truly matters — to love your work and be true to your life's unique and individualized assignment.

Over time these people often end up making a stash of cash, too, because abundance flows to connected, happy and energetic people. And we secretly know this — every one of us.

Here are five key signs that you are not doing your real work, your life's work, here on earth:

1. You dream of something else.

Are the books you read, the subjects you love to talk about and the topics you research aligned with your work? These things are all big signs about what interests and motivates you.

2. You have a niggling feeling that you're wasting your time (which means you probably are).

Our soul knows when each new week, month, year rolls around that we are wasting ourselves by not activating the special gifts within us that wants to surface. It's like a quiet, unsettling voice that won't be silenced. It worsens over time.

3. You self-medicate.

When we neglect our inner guiding system, we find alternative sources to make us feel good and allow us to be disconnected from our source. This may be in the form of alcohol, overeating, drug use and overspending. These cheap forms of "borrowed happiness" give us momentary respite from a much larger issue. We masquerade our misery but it never lasts — hence a vicious, repetitive cycle that can be self-destructive

4. You are tired and sluggish.

Low physical energy is a significant symptom that you are uninspired. When we do what we love we access energy resources we did not know we had. This is why many wealthy and successful people are highly prolific even into their very mature years. I was just at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards and Sylvia Earle, 79 (active marine biologist) was the most charismatic and passionate winner of the evening. So if you're feeling tired frequently and waiting for the day to pass — its proof its time for change.

5. You are not among your tribe.

Look at the people around you at work. Are you collaborative and passionate about spending time with these people? Are your interests similar? When we are doing work that we love to, we naturally gravitate toward others who are like us and who are doing the same thing. When you have found your tribe, you know it. The line between work and play is positively, beautifully blurred.

I am here to tell you that you can change your life. The universe supports you when you take the necessary steps to fulfill your dream. I have seen it unfold in many cases when we apply time, dedication and action. This is your one shot on the planet! 

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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Three Simple Steps For Starting Your Personal Development Plan

Are you looking for ways to start your own personal development plan? Wondering how you should do it? Well today, I will be sharing with you how I did mine. Feel free to borrow my ideas and use them for your own.

Think Of Your Goals

The first step you should take while you are planning your own personal development plan is to think of your goals. What do you want to achieve out of this whole ordeal? Actually, you should think of it from a broader perspective. What do you want to achieve in life, and what do you think you need to do to achieve those goals? What areas of your life do you want to develop and how do you intend to develop them? Take some time to ponder over these thoughts carefully. The decisions you make today can affect your outcome tomorrow.

Take Action

I mentioned earlier that you should think about how you want to achieve your goals. Once you have your goals planned out in your personal development plan, you need to take action steps. You see, your goals are like a map that ensures that you are moving towards the right direction. However, what good is a map unless you are going somewhere? Take baby steps in moving towards your goal. Once in a while, you may need to refer back to your goals to motivate you and keep you going in the right direction, but what's important is that you take action. Even with a map, people can get lost sometimes. That should not be a worry though, because at least you have the chance to turn around and move towards the right direction.

Learn From Your Mistakes

We are all human and bound to make mistakes in life. What do you do when you fall in life? Do you stay down or do you get up? I am sure you get up. Use each mistake as a lesson that you can learn from in life. Try not to make the same mistake again. Examine where you have gone wrong and think of how you can avoid making that mistake in future. However, do not dwell on your failures. A motivational speaker once said that failure is nothing more than an event and not a person. Do not be afraid to make mistakes in life.

I hope you have a better understanding of how to create a personal development plan. Do remember these points that I have mentioned today.


For more information on how to create a personal development plan, visit SelfEnrichment.com. You will learn more about developing a personal development plan, setting your goals, learning from mistakes, and much more!

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