Preparing for success - Till the soil before you plant the seeds

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1. Preparing for success -
Till the soil before you plant the seeds

I have a friend who wanted to grow vegetables in his garden for the first time this year. He planted his seeds having no idea to first check for soil quality. Turned out that the soil had poor drainage and he was very disappointed when he got poor results.

The same kind of disappointment is common for people who start out on a program of self development with little in the way of proper preparation. Let me explain what I mean, so you don't wind up facing the same heartbreak as my friend.

Prior to engaging in a program of self development, you'll do well to prepare in the following manner.

Begin before beginning
It's crucial to check your emotional state at a time when you're not facing a task or deadline. This is what I mean by "begin before beginning".

Sit quietly without any agenda and feel how you feel.
If you feel ill at ease, then you'll do best to engage in some Mindfulness Practices before engaging in a new challenge.

Don't have the time to engage in such activities? Then it's likely you'll wind up with results similar to my friend. You see, if you're feeling stressed out or emotionally unbalanced prior to engaging in a new challenge, chances are you'll just wind up feeling worse before you finally wind up quitting.

Better to take sufficient time to prepare, rather than starting out before you're ready.

If you study with me some time, I'll be happy to help you design a Practice program to fit your specific needs.

Establish your belief in yourself
In order to accomplish something significant, you'll need to dig down deep and make sure you find the place within yourself that lets you know you ARE capable, and you WILL succeed in your endeavors.

It's actually quite common that people are not able to fully believe they'll succeed at a particular challenge.
No worries, there is an alternative.
You can begin by creating some "baby step" goals you do feel confident about. At some point you'll be able to string together several successfully accomplished small goals, and realize you're indeed well along your path of success.

For instance, you might not truly feel confident about your ability to lose forty pounds, but you might feel capable of losing one pound a week for a month.

Don't try and make believe you're more confident than you really are!

Dream big, but also dream simple
You'll do best to consider achieving one goal at a time, rather than lumping a number of different goals together. Keeping your outcomes clear and simple helps you focus your thoughts and actions.

Rather than saying "I want to lose weight, enjoy a new life partner, and excel at work," choose one of these three goals to begin with, and only add in more once you're definitely moving along in the direction you desire.

Understand and willingly accept that big dreams are rarely "easy" to achieve
If you judge the likelihood of your success, by how easy your dream will be to accomplish, you'll be mired in mediocrity at best.

You won't win the marathon without putting in the miles. Look forward to the challenges involved in achieving your goal and you'll likely be successful. The more present you can be every step along the way, the more you'll realize how essential it is to persevere. The sweet feeling of success is multiplied each time you rededicate your efforts along the way.

I'm not suggesting you'll need to suffer or feel horrible in order to succeed. What I am saying is that big challenges require big dedication and spirit. I think the Lance Armstrong's and Michael Jordan's of the world have proven this over and over again. "The tough get going, before the going gets tough."

Now you've tilled the soil, and soon you'll be ready to plant the seeds of your success!

Tune in next time for more!

Commentary
As the eighteenth-century Scottish poet Robert Burns said in To a Mouse, "The best-laid schemes of mice and men often go astray." That's why I'm writing this series, and that's also why I'm beginning by focusing on how to best prepare yourself for success. As I said up top today, "The better you prepare, the more likely you are to succeed!"

If you're finding your plans for a better life often wind up not materializing, please consider engaging in some phone sessions with me. It's likely that I can give you the support and guidance necessary to help you forge a better life. Another great option is to take a teleclass series and give yourself the chance to share your hopes and dreams in a supportive like-minded community.