When considering a path to follow, heed these words…

Do not follow because your friends follow…
Do not follow because the masses follow…
You have your own path to follow…
Follow only if the path rings true in your heart and soul…

~Kelli Jacobson

After listening to several training sessions where they mention how important having a schedule is, it made me start thinking…

I’ve been such an easy going person, just going with the flow…  And I realized, that it was because I wanted to please everyone.  Well, I’ve also realized that you can’t please everyone.  Someone, somewhere, is going to be unpleased with you.  And that’s okay.  You don’t have to please everyone.  It’s a perfectionist way of thinking and you need to drop that like a hot potato.  Humans are not perfect.  The important part is just trying to get it right most of the time.

A quote from Andy Andrew’s The Traveler’s Gift: “I understand that God did not put in me the ability to always make right decisions.  He did, however, put in me the ability to make a decision and then make it right.”

The most important thing to gain from that quote is to just make the decision, and then go about the business of making the decision right.

Successful people make their decisions quickly and change their mind slowly.  Unsuccessful people make their decisions slowly and change their mind quickly.  Which group are you in?

Do you make your decision quickly and then go about taking the actions necessary to make that a successful decision?  Or, do you hem and haw about it, finally decide to do whatever you were making a decision about, and then the moment you do, you think “Oh, goodness, was that the right thing to do”?

If you want to get anywhere in life, you need a mindset that will help you keep on track.  If you are a mess in your mind, you will be of no value to anywhere else, so you need to get your mind squared away.  Then you need to follow that up with the appropriate action steps.  If you take no action, you can expect to receive nothing back.

So, back to my original thought.  If you are easy going and just going with the flow, can that actually be harming you?  I think it can.  Afterall, if you are just going with the flow, you have no idea where you are going.  And if you have no idea where you are going, how do you know if you’ve ever arrived?  Or are even close to where you want to be?

Think of it like being on a ship at sea.  You are just sailing aimlessly in the ocean, never knowing where the land is.  Eventually, you will run out of food, water, and supplies and you will perish.  But, if you know where the land is that you are aiming for, and chart a course to get there, your mission will be a success.  You will arrive before running out of the food, water, and supplies that keep you going.

Scheduling is a popular subject on the training sessions I have attended.  Scheduling your activities for the day gives you a road map to follow so that you know what you are supposed to be doing and when.  It helps you stay on track and get the activities done that you need to be doing in order to attain the goal that you are shooting for.

So, stop going with the flow and figure out where it is that you want to be going and then chart your course of how you are going to get there!  You can use a day planner, a spreadsheet, or perhaps Google Calendar.  Just use something and quit wandering around aimlessly.  Be a real captain on your voyage and know where you are going and what you need to do to get there!

One last thought to remember: It’s good to connect with others, but help others connect with you by sharing yourself with them through the uniqueness of YOU!

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Kelli Jacobson is a Networking Mompreneur. She is a Mom to a 1 1/2 year old son and has been involved in Internet Marketing now for over two years. Her specialties are blogging, social media, and free to low-cost marketing methods. If you would like to learn more about Kelli, please see Who Is Kelli Jacobson. See you on the inside!

You know, by saying things like “I have no chance in hell”, “I can’t do this”, “there’s no way this will work for me”, or “I’m not good enough”, “I’m not smart enough”, “I don’t have what it takes”, or “I’ll never be as good as so and so”, “I don’t have enough time to make this work”, or “I can’t make this work”?

When you say these things, you are creating your own roadblocks. Thoughts are things. Whatever you think about, you bring about. Even if you do not believe in the Law of Attraction, these forces are in place whether you acknowledge them or not. It’s like the Law of Gravity. The Law of Gravity existed even before the Apple fell on Newton’s head and he gave it a name. It is a principle.

When you think things, it puts that energy out into the Universe for manifestation. So, if you are thinking that you can’t do something, guess what, you are right, you won’t be able to do whatever it is you are trying to do.

So, in 2010 let’s get our heads on straight and turn those negative statements into positive statements. Instead of “I have no chance in hell”, let’s try “I have every chance in the world to succeed”. Instead of “I’m not good enough”, let’s try “I am more than good enough”. Instead of “I’ll never be as good as so and so”, let’s try “I am as good as or better than so and so”. And just who the hell sold you the bill of goods that you aren’t and/or can’t be as good as someone else? You can be just as good as you put your heart, mind, and soul into.

Never sell yourself short. You are doing yourself a disservice. Buck up, chin up, and get your game on. You are an awesome person and you deserve to succeed just as much as the next guy, maybe even more so! I want to see that inner light in you shine bright. Don’t be afraid to come out of the dark, it’s very nice here in the light. Live a little. Smell the roses. And quit being your own worst roadblock to success.

Kelli Jacobson is a Networking Mompreneur. She is a Mom to a 1 1/2 year old son and has been involved in Internet Marketing now for over two years. Her specialties are blogging, social media, and free to low-cost marketing methods. If you would like to learn more about Kelli, please see Who Is Kelli Jacobson. See you on the inside!

Insanity

Albert Einstein has said it best: Insanity is doing the same things over and over again expecting a different result.

If you want something different, you are going to have to make a change. What are you willing to do differently in order to bring about the results that you desire?

Key Areas of Change:

Organization

Get organized! Whether it’s a Day Planner, your PDA, your Outlook Calendar, maybe Google Calendar, or just a spreadsheet that you create, get a schedule down for you. Start by putting in all of your appointments, training calls, webinars, etc… Then make sure you schedule in any lunch breaks or regular breaks that you take (always make time for a brain refresher), and dinner breaks. Don’t forget to schedule in taking your kids to school, picking them up, their school activities, and things like that too. Next you’ll want to identify the times of day that you can dedicate to your money making activities such as writing articles and distributing them; shooting, editing, and uploading videos; blogging; posting to Twitter and Facebook; placing Classified ads; tweaking your Adwords campaigns, etc… Whatever online marketing methods you do to bring money into your business, be sure to schedule a time slot to focus on those and then do those during the times that you schedule. If you do not schedule yourself, if you do not make a plan for yourself, then you will wander aimlessly and ultimately, you will get nothing done.

Focus

Get focused! You need to be able to focus on your goals in order to be able to achieve them. There are several things you can do to keep yourself focused. One was just talked about, getting yourself on a schedule and having that schedule somewhere that you can see it or access it easily. Another way would be to have a focus board next to your desk. Somewhere to put up pictures of the things that you desire, maybe it’s that bigger house or better car, or a specific computer system you’d like to have. Maybe it’s a picture of somewhere you want to take your family on vacation. You could have your favorite quotes that help keep you focused on your objectives on there as well. Whatever pictures and phrases that will help keep you focused on your goals will work.

Planning

Get your plan of action! You have to have a plan to follow in order to achieve your desires. Those who do not plan, plan to fail… So make sure you have a plan. What is it that you are trying to achieve? Write that down. Then think of what action steps you will need to take to achieve that desire. I believe in the Law of Attraction. But just stating your desires is not good enough to bring them to you. You must have a plan of attack. What Law of Attraction can do for you, however, is after sending your desire into the Universe for it to be fulfilled, you will suddenly have an inspired idea of how to achieve that desire, and then it’s going to take work on your part to realize that dream. So planning is a great step in the right direction. The first step is recognizing what it is you want, and then finding a way for you to obtain it, and planning how you are going to obtain it is the key.

So, let’s get organized, stay focused, and then plan how you are going to achieve your goals, dreams, and desires! But let’s not forget the most important step.

Action

Take action! If you want something, you are going to have to work for it. Don’t let anyone fool you into believing you can get something for free. There is always a cost of some sort. Whether it be time, effort, or sacrificing something now to achieve something greater later. You must take action. You must do the tasks that will move you forward in realizing your dreams. If you think you can just sit back and become a millionaire, you are wrong. You must take the needed actions now in order to fulfill that destiny. Without action, there can be no reaction. The Universe is all about cause and effects. You must put forth that energy in order to receive something in return.

When is the last time you gave someone a compliment or told someone they are doing a great job at something? It seems in adult life that we are conditioned to always find the negative in anything and point it out. When we are raising children, it is encouraged that we acknowledge their good behaviors in order to reinforce the fact that we want them to do that behavior again. By rewarding a child’s good behavior, it boosts their confidence and self-esteem and makes them want to do more good things to please us. However, as adults we somehow have forgotten the art of compliments and focus on only telling someone what they have done wrong.

It seems to me, that the saying “You catch more flies with honey than you do vinegar” is appropriate. If we focused on telling the people in our life that they have done something right, it will make them want to do more good things to please us. It helps build confidence and self-esteem and all around makes them a better person.

Think about someone in your life that has done something good, has had some kind of success, and pay them a compliment or recognition. It will go far in boosting that person up and enable them to come into a better mindset about themselves so that they continue to do good things.

I like to make it a habit to always find something good that someone has done and let them know that I think that they have done awesome and that they matter to me. If we boost each other up all the time it will be a far better world then always bringing someone down. Let’s focus on the positive and make this world a better place!

Which one would you rather have, a quick spot of money, or the ability to generate an income for your entire lifetime? If you would rather get rich quick, I would kindly ask you to close this browser window now and do not let it hit you in your bottom on the way! I have nothing to offer you here.

The get rich quick mentality has to be the laziest of all. Those with the get rich quick mentality want to make lots of money very fast and they do not want to have to work for it. It is like making a wish and poof it is there. I can tell you right now, folks, it just does not happen that way. Think of the old saying: Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime. Now, I do not know about you, but I would rather eat for a lifetime and not have to worry about tomorrow. Do you know what I mean?

Now, being able to generate an income for a lifetime takes work. It takes effort. If you are willing to expend that effort and work for it, your rewards will be worth it. If you think you are entitled to loads of money and do not want to work for it, well, it is not going to work for you either. It is a two way street. If you have the gumption the sky is not even the limit, there are no limits to how successful you can be. It is all up to you. You have the key to the power of your success.

So, how is it that you can learn to generate an income for a lifetime? I have heard that sales are the way to go. If you can learn to sell, and sell anything to anyone anywhere in the world, you have it made. It is important though, to choose your education carefully. Many sites out there now seem to offer you the world when what they deliver is far less.

I like to look for a company that offers training not only in the marketing aspect, but in personal development as well. I have heard it said that your income rarely exceeds your personal development. I believe that to be true. The more work you do on yourself the better value you are to others. I also like to look for a tight community. If it is a faceless company with little to no interaction between its members, then that leaves little interest to me. I would rather know the owners, know the top producers, and know the members.

Communicating with each other allows us to all grow stronger in the pursuit of our goals as we share our passions, our ideas, and our knowledge.

If you are looking to generate an income online, remember to look for a strong company. A company that shows growth, strength, honor, and integrity will stand the test of time and can take you where you want to go.

Do not go looking for a genie in a bottle. Be the genie in the bottle. Make your own success. You have the power in you to succeed right now whether you realize it or not. When you decide to realize it, match yourself with the right opportunity at the right time, you will find the success you seek. Make it happen.

It is often a person’s rock bottom moment that their attitude shifts. Failure becomes not an option. They must succeed in order to survive. Why do we let things get to their worst possible point before we make a change? Because we are programmed to survive not thrive. So we let things go until the last possible minute, and then, faced with failure, somehow muster the courage and the strength to pull us out of our slump. Think about it in terms of movies. The hero usually saves the day at the last possible second. How can we avoid this?

Make a plan for success and thriving. You can read self help books that will put you in the right mind set. That will give you the skills you need to reprogram your brain to think differently. It is said, that if you don’t like your situation, change your perception of it, when you do that, your situation changes. Perception is the key in this.

When faced with failure, insecurities and depression loom. But somehow, we pull ourselves up out of that with the phrase “Failure is not an option”. It is at that moment that our brain kicks into high gear and gets us going and motivated to do the things we need to do to get us out of the hole. Our creativity sparks and our inspiration soars. Suddenly, we find that we don’t have to be stuck, and we know the way out, and we do what needs to be done, we take action, we make things happen to change the situation we are in.

I challenge you to think ahead and not let things get to the bottom of the barrel before you start scrambling out. Not all failure is bad, it can be a learning lesson. But if you can start to think about thriving instead of just surviving, you can save yourself a lot of time and effort.

To your thriving success, may failure not beat you there first!

People are told every day that they don’t deserve something, that they can’t have something, or won’t ever have something.

Why are you letting someone else determine what you deserve or what you can or cannot have? Why are you giving your power away?

Fear rules a lot of people. There are two kinds of fear. Authentic fear and inauthentic fear. Authentic fear is a bear outside of your opened tent flap while camping. Inauthentic fear is the negative story that you tell yourself. It’s a fear that lives in your mind, and your mind alone.

So, when a fear pops up, you need to analyze it. Is it authentic or inauthentic? If it’s inauthentic, you must dispel that fear in order to move on. Write it down in a journal and in detail. Then look at it. Is that fear serving you? I would guess that it isn’t. If it’s not, then you need to move past that fear.

Visualize (visualization is key and a very important step to success) your life as if that fear was not true, if the opposite happened. Such as, if your fear is of success or of failure. What would your life be like if you were actually successful? It would be amazing and wonderful, wouldn’t it? I think the fear of success or failure comes down to what I said in the beginning.

We are conditioned to survive, not thrive. We are programmed that we are only worth so much, and in most cases, that’s not much. We are told, you’ll never amount to anything or you’ll never have whatever it is that you want. (A story I recently heard was that John Reese used to take an auto trader magazine to the video store where he worked to read on his breaks. He would look at the Porsche that he was going to buy. His boss saw him doing this and told him that he shouldn’t do that to himself because it was very very likely, that that is never going to happen, that it was very likely he was never going to have that car. He told his boss, that no, he didn’t realize, it was inevitible that he was going to drive back to his workplace one day in the near future in his Porsche and return videos to them that they have to put away. And he did just that – funny though, they all thought it was his Dad’s car – they still didn’t believe it could be his…) Parents also often tell their children that they shouldn’t go to college or go into a career in art/music/drama because it’s iffy, it’s not stable, and it’s not secure. But, it’s that child’s dream, not the parent’s.

Don’t ever let anyone steal your dreams. You need to go for what your dreams lead you to. Take that power. You, and only you, have the right to tell yourself what you deserve or what you can have. You can have anything you want in this world as long as you believe.

Some food for thought on overcoming adversity, fear, and the objections of others:

Lucille Ball was told she was wasting her time because she was too shy to put her best foot forward…

The Beatles were told that the recording company didn’t like their sound, that guitar music was on the way out…

Ulysses S. Grant was a failed soldier, farmer, and real estate agent and went to work for his father as a handyman…

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team and went home and cried…

Thomas Edison’s teacher told him he was too stupid to learn anything that he should go into a field where he might succeed by the virtue of his pleasant personality…

Walt Disney was fired from his newspaper because he lacked imagination and had no original ideas…

Abraham Lincoln’s fiance died, he failed in business twice, he had a nervous breakdown, and he was defeated in eight elections…

If you’ve never failed, you’ve never lived. Life equals risk.

Video by BluefishTV.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dbeJkY6QGk

(Just some background on this video from my perspective: My uncle sent me a link to this video; unbeknownst to him, that just that afternoon I had to resign from my job [turned out to be a good thing though - I'm now home with my family and thriving in my home business]. I sent him back a message thanking him, that he didn’t know how much I needed that right now. Later I had posted about my resigning on my Facebook, and he read that, and thought back to my comment about needing that video right at that moment, and tears came to his eyes – he was touched because he had touched someone else…)

Overcome your fears and let your dreams shine. You are the master of your future. Make it a bright one!

Kelli Jacobson
Internet Marketing Entrepreneur
Live Abundantly Successful
Inspiring Others to Live the Life they Truly Desire