Month: June 2018

Follow Through Is the #1 Step Towards Success

Follow Through Is the Most Important Action

Have you ever known someone to have great ideas, but never follow through with any of them?  I’ve seen it in people; and to be quite frank, I’m guilty as well. Following through is the action, in law of action, that works extremely well with the law of attraction.

First step:  An idea or inspiration comes to you.

Second:  Clarity; get really clear on what you want to do with the idea.

Third:  Think about how this helps or contributes in some way.

Fourth:  What steps are needed to bring this inspired thought into fruition.

Fifth:  Take action and follow through.

I Don’t Know How to Complete the Steps

What if you don’t know how to follow through on the idea, you don’t know what steps to take?  Get clear on what exactly what you want out of the inspiration/idea.  Is it a hobby?  A career? Or lifestyle? What’s your intention?

Simply, start with some research. Learn everything about the subject; through Google, YouTube, libraries, books, blogs, people, etc.  It’s actually easier these days to find out anything on any subject.  The operative word is “DO.” Nike’s slogan is – Just Do It.  Nothing says it more blatantly  than that.

Say you decided you want this new idea to turn into a business.  Surround yourself with people who are like-minded.  Feeding off others’ energy keeps your momentum going. You can sabotage yourself by the people you hang out with.  Successful people position themselves with others that are equally or more successful in the same industry. Humans love talking about themselves and sharing their stories.  Asking questions never hurt anyone.  Get curious and follow through.

Fake It Until You Make It

You’ve decided what it is you want to be or do, then start acting like it.  You’ve done your research.  You know what your new business is going to be.  Now it’s time to follow through with your actions in bringing the project into fruition.

Mimic the people that have succeeded in your desired area.  Even if you aren’t sure exactly what it is or why.  Fake it until you make it.  At least you are doing something. Don’t let fear of failure get in the way.  You won’t always do things correctly, but failing is a stepping stone to success.  The why and what will make itself clear at some point.

Look the part. If you want to be a rockstar, dress like one.  If you want to be a hairstylist, be fashionable and do your hair. People should know what you do by your actions and appearance. None of this will happen on its own.  Following through on your part, is the only thing making this happen.

Some Parts Are Fun And Some Aren’t

I don’t care what kind of career you’re in; artist, musician, author, etc. There will be parts that are not very much fun and it is usually the logistics.  Artists, especially, only want to focus on their craft.  They don’t like promoting themselves or collecting money.

It is more effortlessly, now than ever, to get your service or product out into the world with modern technology.  It might be more competitive, but don’t let that discourage you.  There’s a reason why 92% of people don’t achieve their goals. (Taken from research in 2016 by University of Scranton) People aren’t following through with action.

Start small and set achievable tasks. The biggest mistake is to set an unreasonable goal. You will only set yourself up for disappointment.   Most people think that small successes don’t matter.  If you are starting to promote yourself through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc., you aren’t going to get to 10,000 followers in a week.  Be happy when you reach 50. Then the next milestone, 100 and so forth.

Create a habit of posting to social media. The one’s having hundreds of thousands of followers, post around 60 times per day sometimes. If you’re new to advertising on social media, chances are you’re lucky if you remember to post at all.  Set up small goals.  Remind yourself to post twice a day.  Gradually build yourself up to more.  There are apps that can schedule posts for you. Learn about those.

Engaging With People

Engaging and interacting with people are most important.  Follow up with an email or comment to someone you just met.  Connecting with your client is crucial.  I can’t stress enough how customer service will benefit you the most.  What do people complain the most these days? Automated telephone operators and not being able to get to a real person on a website.  People remember how you make them feel.

Not connecting with your audience, clients, or customers, is the fastest way to lose them.  It sends a message to them that you are only interested in their money and what they could do for you.  Aren’t you the one offering the service or product?

Connecting with others in your industry, can only help.  It’s like team building. If I meet other authors, and we have  similar backgrounds, we may be able to set up events together.  Same with musicians, meeting others can land you gigs.  My fans could become your fans and visa versa.

Following through after your initial meeting is key in keeping the connection.  People always make plans in the moment.  Nine times out of ten, the plan never comes about, due to lack of follow through. People get busy in their schedules and life.  You won’t be remembered if there isn’t a continuous connection. Not everyone is extroverted, but neither is Oprah. Don’t make excuses.

A Continuous Practice

Practice makes perfect. Once you follow through with anything, whether it’s out of your comfort zone or not, it gets easier.  It takes an average of 28 days to create a habit.  Why not make following through part of you daily routine?

Whether you are making a list of goals or meeting the right people, set time to step away from the lists and follow through with actions.  Write those emails, make those phone calls, start posting on social media, get those songs composed, write content, etc. Just Do It! There are no excuses keeping you from obtaining the life you want to create for yourself; except yourself, not following through.

“It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.” ~ Zig Ziglar

What Gets You Triggered?

Triggered

Triggered seems to be the new buzz word, these days; meaning taken from Google dictionary – (of a response) caused by particular action, process, or situation; “a triggered memory of his/her childhood.” I had my Manifesting Me book launch the other day, and nothing triggers people like a memoir.

Everything was going great. I felt more love and support that day like no other. After it was all over, my husband was carrying things to the car, when he noticed the car was not there.  He forgot to move it from the loading zone, therefor it was towed.  At  whopping $455.00 later, he felt like a loser for letting this happen.  Completely owning his responsibility, we went to pick up the car. I wasn’t going to let this get to me, after a wonderful day. What was the real issue? Was it the inconvenience of having to get the car or was it about the money?

Triggers Come From the Past

Situations or topics that trigger us are coming from the past.  Nothing helped shine light on that more than writing my memoir; and having to read it over and over in the editing process, to see patterns.  When I was 5 years old, my mother was assaulted by our neighbor.  My mother had complained to the police that their music was too loud. They cranked up the bass to where our house would shake.  To this day, hearing the bass in someone else’s car irritates me.

I love loud music and never get mad at my son’s hard rock band for rehearsing. You could say they’re pretty loud. The bass coming from other sources, other than mine, triggers anxiety in me stemming from my 5-year-old-self that saw a woman attack my mother. Now that I know where this tenseness comes from, I can address it in my brain.  I can come back to the now and not live in the past.  I can look at the fact people are enjoying music.  It’s not to annoy me.

Road Rage

When I figured out why I had road rage, it was truly freeing.  Learning from therapy, I have had a long history of emotional neglect.  I was always trying to win over my mother. My mother was in her own world, which didn’t include much of me in it.  In my subconscious mind, I felt like I was unimportant and ignored. When someone cuts you off driving or drives ridiculously slowly; the trigger is, you are insignificant. How could they put your life in danger? Or make you late?

The reality of others driving like idiots or crazy, has nothing to do with you.  It’s your old triggers from the past that has you all jumbled up inside.  It’s not up to you to control others. You can’t. What you can control, are your reactions to any situation.  Do you get triggered while driving? Ask yourself, why?  You might be surprised where the anger comes from.

Triggered to Freedom

Understanding where your triggers come from leads to freedom.  No longer are you imprisoned from the past.  It’s not to say some triggers won’t get to you, before you recognize it’s only a trigger.  Stop and live in the now.  Really be honest with yourself about where the feelings are coming from.  Is it what is happening in this very moment? Or is it an accumulation of disappointments, rejections, feelings of not mattering, etc.,  from the past?

Most anxiety, anger, high blood pressure, or some sort of negative feeling, is brought on by some trigger or another. Wouldn’t you rather get to the bottom of where your these comes from?  Negative feelings are like a fever to the body. It lets you know something needs attention.

We all will inevitably get triggered at times, but the negative emotions don’t have to last as long as they did in the past.  Once I realized where my triggers came from, I felt a sense of peace.  I had a wonderful and exhilarating day at my book launch.  I wasn’t mad my car was towed.  No one was purposefully out to get me.  It was an accident.  Life isn’t always perfect, as we all know.  At first, I was a little upset over the money, only because I have an underlying self-talk regarding lack of money.  Why get mad and ruin my blissful day?

There will always be contrast in life.  That’s how we evolve.  It may very well be triggering, but can, and will, you look deeply into your thought patterns to see what exactly you are reacting to?

“We are not a victim of our emotions or thoughts. We can understand our triggers and use them as tools to help us respond more objectively.” –  Elizabeth Thornton

Are You The Sheep Or The Shepherd

Sheep Or Shepherd?

My mother considered me to be a sheep – “follower” were her words. You could say I was. Being a sheep isn’t necessarily bad. How else can you learn to be a shepherd – leader?  The trick is to find the right shepherd to follow. More than likely, you will not pick the best shepherd all of the time, but as I stated in a previous blog, nothing is perfect.  Mistakes are part of human development. Most successful people followed someone, then instinctively new when the time was right to try and be the leader.

Being The Sheep Is Step One

We all come into this world not knowing a thing; exploring the world around us as we develop.  Parents along with others are constantly teaching us right from wrong or should I say “their” right and wrong.  As we grow and mature, we start to discern for ourselves, what right and wrong is. Sometimes we know things are wrong, but because our friends have input and our desire to fit in and be accepted is stronger, than our unwanted consequences, we go for it. The shepherd didn’t keep his/her sheep safe.

Sometimes shepherds lead and inspire us to be better.  They guide you and help you stay on track, while letting you make some decisions on your own.  Not all shepherds have your best interest at heart. You must learn to discern for yourself who to follow. Even so, you might not agree with everything your leader tells you. Take what is good and discard what is bad.

Being The Shepherd Is Step  Two

Once you’ve grown from being a sheep, it’s time to go on your own and be the shepherd.  What does this mean? It means you’ve defined your stance on things. You’ve become the leader.  Being a leader doesn’t mean you go around bossing people.  It means you can trust yourself to do whatever it is you want.  You don’t need other’s approval to define you.

These qualities make for great entrepreneurs, trend setters, managers, bosses, etc.  A great leader  knows when it’s time to be the follower.  Step two isn’t where it ends.

Switching Back and Forth From Sheep to Shepherd

In order to be a good leader, one most follow an expert in the area of which they are trying to lead.  Therefor, the shepherd becomes the sheep.   Good leaders don’t let their egos get in the way of learning something new.  It was suggested to me that I write a book about my life growing up.  My story was interesting enough, but I had no idea how to make it come to life. Not too mention, my writing skills needed some improvement.

The search was on to seek out people in the book industry.   Being afraid of showing others my ignorance in a subject, isn’t something I engage in.  Just because I didn’t know anything about the industry, doesn’t make me some sort of idiot.  Luckily, I found the right shepherds to follow.

The fact that I wasn’t afraid to go for something and start it, made me the shepherd.   I became the sheep when I didn’t have the knowledge to move forward in an industry in which I had no clue.  What I do have a clue in, is marketing and putting myself out there.  I can be the shepherd to others.

Extraordinary Shepherds

Exceptional shepherds vacillate between being the teacher and the student.   Great leaders aren’t too proud, and love helping others to do well in life.  Some leaders like to put themselves on their own pedestal which will ultimately lead them to their downfall.  If you run into someone that wants to keep you in a forever student position, I’d stay far away.

Curiosity is the number one step in almost everything that has to do with success.  What areas are you curious?  Do you want to be a trend setter or someone that only wants to follow the herd?  I prefer to do whichever makes me happy.  Sometimes I’m the sheep and sometimes I’m the shepherd.

“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” –  Jack Welch