It's a relief

The past year was actually a difficult time for me because of a personal problem I was facing. I tried so hard to salvage a relationship that was important to me. But eventually, it got to a stage where there was nothing more I could do.

Last week, I finally decided to let it go. I didn't end it. I just let go.

It was a difficult decision. What surprised me was that I actually felt relieved. Like a heavy burden was lifted off my shoulder. I felt at peace.

I take that as an indication that I made the right decision. Now I can move forward with less one baggage. :-)

Who Holds You Accountable?

I signed up for a personal coaching program last year. The guarantee is that if after a year I haven't achieved my goal, they'll continue to work with me until I achieve my goal. With a guarantee like that, how can I resist?

It has been a year now. Have I achieved my goal? I've been making steady progress, but I'm not quite there yet.

I took time to stop and reflect on what I've achieved in the past year. What I noticed is that I'm more likely to make progress if I have someone holding me accountable. For example, if I tell you that I'm going to submit a press release by next week, and I know that next week you're going to ask me if I've done it, I'd definitely make sure I've done it before I see you the following week.

Having someone hold me accountable helps move me forward. So every week, I send an email to the resource line and let them know happens in the past week, and what I would like to be accountable for in the next week. I must say, people at the resource line are incredibly supportive.

So my question to you is: Who holds you accountable? If your answer is no one, I'd suggest you find someone supportive - a friend, a spouse, a sibling, a business partner - who would hold you to a high standard and cheer you on while you work on achieving your goals.

To me, that has been priceless in propelling me forward.

Is It a Problem or a Predicament?

Is that thing troubling you a problem or a predicament? If you know the difference, it can make your life much easier.

If it's something you can solve, it's a problem.

A predicament cannot be solved. You can only find ways to cope with it.

If you work in a crime-prone area, this is a predicament. You cannot solve the crime problem in the area. You can only learn to cope with it. You can install better alarm system for your car. You can be more vigilant about your personal safety. You can find ways to cope but you cannot stop the crime.

You can solve a problem. For example, if you're drowning in debt, you can find ways to deal with it. Perhaps you could cut your credit card in two while you work on paying the debt. You can review your spending and saving habits and find ways to reduce unnecessary spending. With a little determination and discipline, you can pay off all your debts.

The next time something troubles you, ask yourself if it's a problem or a predicament. If it's a problem, find ways to solve it. If it's a predicament, figure out how best to cope.

And then let go. You'll live longer and happier.

How To Manifest Your Goals

Did another seminar at SuccessEsource last Wednesday. This one was better than the first teleseminar. I think Dev is getting used to delivering a seminar over the phone.

Dev talked about why many people don't achieve their goals (ever failed at a new year resolution?) and how to manifest what you want in your life.

Very enlightening stuff. The recording of the teleseminar, "Why Goal Setting Sucks!", is available.

It Went Pretty Well

The first teleseminar at SuccessEsource.com went pretty well. Judging from the feedbacks we receive and the number of people who continue to register to access the recording, I dare it was a success.

Dev shared a very simple technique that people can put to use right away. You can sign up to access the recording of "Awaken Your Mind Power. Did I tell you that it's free? :-)

Awaken You Mind Power

"Awaken You Mind Power" - this is the first teleseminar in a series of 6 free teleseminars I'm organising. It's scheduled on 24 September at 9.00 p.m. The recording will be made available, so no worries if you miss the live event.

I'm very excited. This is the JV project with the person introduced to me when attending GBI. Everything is running smoothly so far. I'm very happy

Here's more information about "Awaken You Mind Power".

Checkout the teleseminar series schedule.

A Historic Day For Me

On 20 August, 2008 I registered my first company with SSM. It's called Success eSource Enterprise. I want to keep cost as low as possible so it's registered as a sole proprietorship. My goal is to upgrade it to Sdn Bhd within a year from now.

I'm so happy. :-) :-) :-)

My Latest Business Venture

In a previous post, I wrote about how I came to know about Rumah Nursalam, a center for underpreviledged children in Chow Kit. To cut a long story short, I came up with the idea of running a teleseminar series to raise fund for the center. After the first teleseminar, I thought... well, if I can do this for charity, then why not do it for business.

My half-baked idea for a teleseminar business expanded into something more substantial when I attended GBI. Coincidentlly, while at GBI I was introduced to J who was looking for someone to handle their teleseminars. Her company does a lot of coaching and would like to expand their cyber existence by conducting teleseminars and selling digital products.

While I was working on my business plan, I realised that finding material for my new business would be challenging. So being introduced to J was like a gift from heaven. She needs someone with technical know-how, I need material. Cool.

A few days ago, we met to finalise the details of the JV and so far so good. I have a good feeling about it. The new web site is Success eSource. We're planning a free teleseminar series in September - November. More information about the teleseminar will be available in a few days. Check it out.

Have You Heard of Integration Marketing?

I came across this newly launched website. In case you haven't heard of Mark Joyner, he's a #1 best-selling author. One of his best-selling books is "The Irresistible Offer: How to Sell Your Product or Service in 3 Seconds or Less".

Dearl Miller calls Mark Joyner "the greatest marketing mind of our generation".

Anyway, he has just released his new book, "Integration Marketing', but it's not yet available at your local bookstore. Instead, he's letting you download it now for free.

If you want to learn how to grow your business, this is an absolute must-read.

And at the Integration Marketing Deal Board, you'll find one of the most powerful marketing resources on the net.

I've only read a few pages of "Integration Marketing" and has one word to say: "Wow!". I wish I knew this 5 years ago.

Focus, Focus, Focus!

Have you ever heard people say don't put al of your eggs in one basket? Ignore that. Put all your eggs in one basket and watch it as if your life depends on it.

Another important lesson I learned at GBI is the importance of focusing on one thing at a time. If your focus is scattered, you won't be able to give 100% on what you're trying to achieve, which in turn brings mediocre result.

Think of it this way. When people mention Michael Jordan, what comes to your mind? What do you associate him with? He's one of the greatest basketball players in history because he focuses all his time, energy and attention on being the best basketball player.

You wouldn't see Michael Jordan rushing from basketball practice to the circuit trying to figure out how to beat Michael Schumacher.

The great athletes are great at what they do because they focus on being good at one and only one thing.

Likewise, if you want to be good at something, focus all your time, energy and attention on that one thing.

Creating A Win-Win For Everyone

I was at the Guerilla Business Intensive (GBI) in Singapore last week. The organiser is Success Resources & Peak Potential Training (T. Harv Eker's company). Eker was one of the instructors.

The 5-day seminar is the best money and time I've spent this year. I've learned so much about business, marketing, and negotiation.

What is the most profound thing I learned? That negotiation is about creating a win-win situation for all parties. Many people seem to think that negotiation is about getting as much as you can for yourself. The other party must lose in order for you to win. That must be the biggest myth in human history.

Negotiation is not about hoarding everything for yourself. It's about creating a win-win situation so that everyone is happy with what they have. Think of it this way: would you want to work again with anyone who wants to take everything from you and bleed you dry? Very unlikely.

Doing business is about creating a win-win situation for everyone involved - yourself, your customers, your suppliers etc. It's about providing value for other people. It's not about "me, me, me!".

Anyway... We were given a template that we can use to plan our business strategy and given time to do our plan and have it criticized by two other people. Awesome exercise.

I went to Singapore with a vague idea for a new business and came home with clarity on what I want to do. The business idea has evolved into something much more substantial that my initial half-baked idea.

I'm so excited!!

What Is Your Money Blueprint?

I was at T. Harv Eker's "Millionaire Mindset" seminar last weekend. It was an amazing experience.

Money blueprint... what is it? Each of us has a money blueprint that was developed through our experience and upbringing. We might not be aware of the beliefs but it has a profound effect on our financial success.

If you know people who can make lots of money easily and then lose it all, it's caused by something in their money blueprint. Or maybe you know someone who no matter how hard they work, don't make more than a certain amount of money. Again, the money blueprint is the culprit. It is also the reason why some other people succeed effortlessly.

The seminar is about identifying your money blueprint - you long held beliefs about money (you might not even be conscious of it), and then replacing your negative, non-supportive beliefs with supportive beliefs.

I'm going to share something very useful that you can start doing that would make a huge difference for you financially - the money jars. It's an effective way to manage your money. Divide your money between 6 jars and label the jars as follows.

Financial freedom account (FFA): This jar if for your financial freedom. Each month put 10% of your income in this jar. Money you put in this jar can be used to invest, start a business, create a passive income streams.

Necessities (NEC): Put 55% of your income in this jar for your necessities. It is for things like paying bills, food, necessary clothing etc.

Long term saving for spending (LTSS): Put 10% in this jar. You may have more than one LTSS jar. It's for things like a plasma TV, your family vacation, contingency fund, your children's education etc. If you have more than one LTSS, divide the 10% between the jars according to your priority.

Education (EDU): 10% that goes in this jar if for your own education. It could be used to attend seminar, buy books etc. Basically, it's for your continual education/learning.

Play: Allocate 10% of your income for you to have fun guilt-free. Use it to go to a fancy restaurant you've been eyeing, or a massage at a spa. Just do something fun. Let your inner child play.

Giving (GIV): Allocate 5% of your income to give to charity. If you want to allocate 10% for giving, take 5% off your NEC jar.

I don't care how much or how little money you have, start doing the jars. You will soon see the difference in you financial life.

Check out the seminars:
Millionaire Mindset Intensive in Asia
Millionaire Mindset Intensive in United Kingdom

What Is Your Childhood Dream?

What were your childhood dreams? Have you achieved any of them?

Here is one man who has achieved many of his. Randy Pausch is a computer science professor who is dying of pancreatic cancer. In a lecture delivered at Carnegie Melon University, he talked about achieving childhood dreams.

Here's the video and you must watch it. It's about 1 hour and 15 minutes. If you don't have time to watch it now, make time to watch it later.

I like the lecture so much that I also bought his book, "The Last Lecture". It moved me to tears.

The Last Lecture website.

Anyone Fancies Becoming A Real Estate Millionaire?

I was at Steven Molnar's Real Estate Mastery seminar last weekend. The schedule says it's from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. but he said that he'd stay as long as it takes to answer everyone's questions. He kept his word. I left at 11 p.m. because my brain stopped functioning by then and I could no longer understand what he was saying. When I left, he was still answering questions.

His seminar was loaded with useful techniques on how to invest in real estate. Of course there's the popular no-down purchase. He taught how you can own only three rental property and become financially independent on that property. Cool stuff. There are at least a dozen other techniques he taught. If you're serious about investing profitably in real estate, I highly recommend you attend his seminar.

Two friends and I decided to form a team and help each other in real estate investing. I'm excited and I'm a little scared. I like it when I feel scared - that means I'm pushing myself beyond my comfort zone.

I'll keep you posted on my real estate adventure.

Join The Achievers Club

I was at the National Achiever's Congress (NAC) last week. Among the speakers there were Joe Girard, Steve Linder, Roger Hamilton, T Harv Eker, Blair Singer, and Steven Molnar. A WOW experience.

My personal favourites were Roger Hamilton, T. Harv Eker, and Joe Girard. Watching Joe Girard spoke, you'd understand why he's so successful. He has such fire, passion and hunger for success that it's impossible not to succeed.

I'm going to share a few tips and quotes from NAC.

Here are Steve Linder's 7 Steps to Achieving Performance:

1. Authenticity and trust
   
2. Mastering meaning (nothing has meaning except what you ascribe to it - interesting... when you think about it)
   
3. Creating Your Vision
   
4. Finding your purpose
   
5. Mastering Strategies
   
6. Taking MASSIVE actions
   
7. Serving others
   

My favourite quotes:
"Failure is unplanned results." -Steve Linder

"3 most dangerous workd: I KNOW THAT." -Steve Linder

"Problems are a gift from God." -Joe Girard

"The name of the game is service." -Joe Girard

"The sales begin after the sales. Treat people good." -Joe Girard

"You have time to rest when you're dead." - T. Harv Eker

"Act in spite of fear. Act in spite of doubt, Act in spite of uncertainty. Act in spite of inconvenience." - T. Harv Eker

That's the gist of it. It's quite impossible to share everything I learnt there. If you missed the event, make sure you're at NAC next year.

I Had A Ball In Bali

I was in Bali last week to attend the Entrepreneur Business School (EBS). That was definitely the most amazing experience.

We were divided into teams of about 11 people and there were 20 teams. Prior to EBS, business owners were invited to submit a business plan. The top 20 plans were selected and each team worked on one business plan. There were a panel of 6 mentors, each with a certain specialization who commented on how the business plan can be improved.

That was a very valuable experience and I learned a lot. However, what I remember most about EBS was not all the business stuff that I learned there.

On the first day of EBS, we were given a slip and were asked to write down the answer to the question "Why Are You Here?". My answer was "To learn how to build and grow a business".

Here comes the interesting part. EBS was no ordinary business school. It's not just about business. It was also about finding your life purpose - discovering the answer to the question "Why Are You Here?". That was a very powerful exercise.

On the last day, we were given a new slip with the question "Why Are You Here?". I wrote down my answer. I was amazed when I saw how different the answer was from what I wrote on the first day. My answer to that question is...

"To be a piece of a jigsaw puzzle that completes a bigger picture. To serve humanity and leave the world a better place than when I arrived."

In case you're wondering how I arrived to that answer, well... the only way to find out is to attend EBS yourself. I can't recommend it enough. Words cannot describe what an amazing experience it was.

In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I signed up as a crew for the next EBS that will be held in September. See you there?

How to Set & Achieve Goals

Have you ever made a new year resolution and forgotten all about it by the second month? If you're a mere mortal like most of the population, you probably have.

Recently, I completed a short course on how to set and achieve goals. The course is "Simpleology 101: The Simple Science of Getting What You Want". There are 20 lessons and the course is structured in such a way that you need to spend only 5 - 10 minutes a day on it. And then you spend another 5 minutes on your daily targets. So that's a total of 15 minutes a day. Pretty cool, eh?

One of the useful things I learn from this course is how to set my daily tasks according to my goal. Most of us have daily to do list. Simpleology taught me how to make a daily list that helps me achieve my goals. Prioritize and throw away time-consuming tasks that get you nowhere.

How much does this course cost, I hear you ask. This is the coolest part. It's free! Zero dollars and zero cents. And they even give you free software to help you keep track of your progress.

Okay, so now you're probably thinking that if it's free it can't be good. Not at all. The course is REALLY good. I swear. I use it myself. I still use the software every day.

If you don't believe me, check out Simpleology 101 yourself.

How To Build & Grow A Business

Currently, I'm reading "Ready, Fire, Aim" by Michael Masterson. This book is about building and growing a business. Masterson divides business growth into 4 phases: infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

The first phase has an annual revenue form zero to $1 million. The second phase has a revenue of $1 million to $10 million. The third phase generates a revenue of $10 million to $50 million phase. The final phase is when you take your business form $50 million to $100 million $200 million and more.

Each phase is characterized by a set of challenges. Understanding these challenges and knowing how to deal with them is vital to your business success.

If your business is in the first phase (like yours truly), the priorities and sequence of activities are:

1. Get the product ready enough to sell it, but it does not have to be perfect.
   
2. Sell it.
   
3. If it sells, make it better.
   

The main activity is generating sales. Too many new entrepreneurs make the mistake of concentrating on secondary and tertiary activities and too little time on selling. Activities such as finding a good location for an office, buying office furniture, tinkering with the product to make it better, selecting the accounting software etc. None of these activities lead to generating sales. You can work from home at this stage to reduce your overhead cost. At the end of the day, if you don't have any sales, what good is the accounting software?

At this stage, the mission is to discover the optimum selling strategy (OSS) - one that pulls in customers and sells your product like crazy.

Right now I'm on Chapter 9 of the book. It's full of useful advice and tips. My head is spinning from trying to figure out how to implement them in my business.

So if you haven't read this book, get a copy NOW (not tomorrow)!

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

I've been trying to make money from my online business for over a year. All my hard work is finally bearing fruit. I've been steadily increasing the number of sales since December. It feels really great.

Set a goal, work towards it, persevere. Eventually, it will pay off.

If this month I made $350 (I know it's not impressive), there's no reason why I can't later make $500, and then $1000 and later $5000. The sky's the limit.

Seeing the money in my bank account is enough to keep me pushing forward to make my dream a reality.

Apart from that good news, there's something else I would like to share with you. A friend shared this with me and it sure puts things into perspective. Check it out: How Big Are You?.

Cultivate The Correct Mindset

One of the most important turning points in my life was reading "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki. This book changed the way I look at life, money, and what is possible for me.

The most important thing I learnt in this book is that rich people have a different mindset. They think differently, and they teach their children to think differently too. It is this one factor that makes all the difference in our financial success.

We need the correct mindset and knowledge in order to succeed financially. This mindset and knowledge is something that can be learnt - in the same way we can learn to tie our shoe laces, ride a bicycle, drive, juggle etc.

One of the things taught in this book is that the rich do not work for money. I was puzzled. Seriously?!

When I started reading the book, I promised myself to keep an open mind. Life has also taught me that just because I do not understand something now doesn't mean it's incorrect. It simply means I do not yet have the knowledge, wisdom or insight to understand it.

3 years passed by since I first read this book. I have learnt a lot since then that have made it possible to understand much of what I didn't then. How did I learnt all that? From books, seminar, talking to people who run their own businesses etc.

If you haven't read "Rich Dad, Poor Dad", I recommend that you do now. For me, this was the basis that changed everything.

What Am I Grateful For?

I've been feeling a little low lately, so I'm going to count my blessings.

What I'm grateful for...

1. Good health
   
2. A roof over my head
   
3. More than enough good food to eat everyday
   
4. Knowing that there is a place to go if I need support
   
5. A well-behaved car that gets me where I need to go
   
6. My online business is steadily making money
   
7. Knowing that I have the ability to change my life
   
8. Being able to help the less fortunate
   
9. I have access to clean water - all I have to do is turn on the tap
   
10. Electricity - can't run my business without it ;-)
    

Hmmmm... that wasn't too hard. I feel better already. :-)

What are you grateful for?

Imagine Your Funeral

"Happiness is that state of consciousness which
proceeds from the achievement of one's values."
- Ayn Rand

What is important to you? In order to have a happy life, you need to be clear about what's important to you. Knowing this is also key to your happiness. It's amazing how so many people think that having more money would make them happier.

"If I could get that promotion or that raise, I'll have more money to spend on things I want. I'll definitely be happier."

Does that sound familiar?

The truth is, once you're above the poverty threshold, more money won't make you happier. More money will definitely make you more comfortable, allows you to buy all the nice things, but it won't necessarily make you happier.

Suppose you've listed your goals, work hard towards achieving them, and you're now a very successful person. Would that make you happier? Not necessarily.

What is the key to happiness?

Well.. I read this interesting article in the ETR newsletter that offers an insight to that question.

We can only be happy when we live our life according to our core values; otherwise, no amount of money and success will be enough to bring us joy.

So before you attempt to set your goals, spend 15 minutes to figure out your core values. What do I mean by core values? I mean the feelings you have about good and evil that are buried deep within your heart. How do you determine your core values?

Close your eyes and imagine your funeral. Imagine people who are there. Your family members, your friends, your business associates. Be specific about each person you see there. What are they saying about you? Answer this question honestly. Could it be something like this:

Negative Statement: "He was always struggling to make ends meet."

Positive Statement: "He struggled for a while and then everything changed. He became very successful and died a wealthy person."

Based on which one you prefer people say at your funeral, you can deduce your core value, for example...

Core Value: "I believe that financial success is a valuable and admirable accomplishment."

Now do this:

1. Take out a piece of paper and divide it into four boxes.
   
   
2. At the top of those boxes, write Health, Wealth, Self-Improvement, and Social Happiness.
   
   
3. Inside each box, write down statements in that category that you would like to have said about you at your funeral.
   

For example...

• Under health: "He remained as fit as a 20-year old as he grew older"
  
  
• Under wealth: "Of all friends who dreamed of becoming a millionaire, he was the only one who turned it into reality."
  
  
• Under self-improvement: "He fulfilled his dream of playing the piano by taking lessons when he was 52."
  
  
• Under social happiness: "He was the most generous contibutor to the local charities."
  

Write down at least two such statements in each of the four categories. Refer to them often as you work on achieving your goals in the coming years.

Take Responsibility of Your Life

I was scanning through my note book the other day and found something interesting I'd like to share with you. It was notes taken during a a talk given by Dave Crane.

Ponder this.

1. Your time is irreplaceable
Time is a currency you can't replace, buy, or cheat. Enjoy every second of every day.

2. Your life is your fault
Accept that you have a hand in it. Take ownership of it so you can change it. Learn to laugh more.

3. You never fail
You did something, got an outcome and feedback to why you didn't get the desired result. Do it again differently. HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT IT?

4. You never make a mistake
Because at the time, it was the right thing to do. Don't do it again.

5. You get what you put in.

Your experiences are unique.
Your worst things are the best.
You are what you think.
You are a miracle.
You cannot change anybody else.

Would you like to upgrade your life?

Why Hasn't It Happened?

"To live is the rarest thing in the world.
Most people exist, that is all."
-Oscar Wilde

I received an email from a reader who asked me if the law of attraction really works. She had been depressed for a while and often imagines herself dying of a terminal disease. If law of attraction is a real thing, why is she still alive?

I honestly don't know the answer to that question. As far as law of attraction is concerned, I can only speak of it in terms my personal experience. Does it work for me? It certainly has.

I knew that if I wanted to change my life, something has to change. I have to learn new things, move out of my comfort zone, and find the courage to do what I've never done before.

After watching the movie "The Secret" and reflecting on my life, everything that happened (and didn't happen) suddenly made sense. I suddenly understood the reason for my successes and failures. I understood why I underachieved when I could have done better.

I wrote in a previous post that thinking and wishing is not enough to change your life. The first step is deciding what you want. The next step is taking small, baby steps each day that will get you closer to your goal. Wishful thinking alone is not going to get you there. Many people want to be a millionaire but only a handful of them do. Why? Those who become millionaires did what need to be done to achieve their goals while the majority simply dream of becoming millionaires.

Life is short. We can choose to do something significant with our life or we can choose to waste it. The choice is yours. If you think you life is bad, start counting your blessings.

Last December, I wrote about my visit to a children center that was founded to help underprivileged children. After seeing the children there and what they had to go through, whatever problems I thought I had seems so trivial.

We can go through life blaming others for our hardship and misfortunes. We can play the victim role. Or we can choose to take charge of our life and turn it around.

What do you want to do?

"You don't get to choose how you're going
to die. Or when. You can only decide
how you're going to live. Now."
-Joan Bacz

What Is Your Financial Thermostat?

Before you can secure your financial success, you need to identify your financial thermostat - your current beliefs about money - because these beliefs might be holding you back. Often, these beliefs are ingrained in you since you were a child and you carry them into adulthood.

List down everything you've heard about money. It might be something like this:
Money doesn't grow on trees.
Money is the root of all evil.
Money doesn't buy happiness.
Making money is hard work.
Rich people become rich by stepping on other people.
...........

How many of these statement have influenced your attitude towards money? How have the beliefs influenced your behavior?

After you've identified your limiting beliefs, brainstorm for a list of new, positive beliefs to replace the negative ones. Your new beliefs might be:
Money allows me the help the needy.
I'm a money magnet. I attract money easily.
Money allows me to travel to places I've always dreamed of.
...........

One of the important success habits is to pay yourself first. Make sure you save at least 10% of your income. This sounds simple, but it's surprising how many people find that it's the hardest thing to do. Many say they'll start saving when they have extra money, but that day never comes. You can make paying yourself first easy by having a standing order to transfer money to a saving account. If you never see the money, you won't miss it.

Make a list of all your debts and work out a plan to pay them as quickly as you can. If you need help doing this, get the help. After you've paid your debt and you have a small amount of saving, you can then think of investing.

That is a story for another day.

Cultivate Success Habits

One of the important steps to become successful is to build awareness about your current habits. Do they support you in achieving your goals or are they a hindrance?

Sit down with a piece of paper and draw 2 columns. One column for your limiting habits and the other for productive habits. Be honest with yourself. You gain nothing by trying to hide your limiting habits.

Ask people who are close to you what they think are your limiting and productive habits and add them to your list.

For each limiting habit, what new habit can you replace it with that would support the achievement of your goals? Write as many as possible.

Did you know that anything that you do consistently for 13 weeks would become a permanent habit? That's right.

Decide what habits you want to cultivate within the next year (start date and end date). Prioritize which habits you want to cultivate first. Count 13 weeks from the start to the end date - this should divide the year into 4 quarters. I recommend you list 3 or 4 habits you want to cultivate in each quarter to avoid overwhelming yourself with trying to do too much.

Now that that's done, put a system in place to will support it. For example, if you want to lose weight, you might want to block 40 minutes after work 3 times a week to go to the gym. Or maybe you want to reduce the money spent on coffee by bringing a flask of coffee from home for breakfast.

I'd done my list and my support system 4 days ago. Good luck to us.

Nothing But The Truth

We must be attractive in order to attract success. People like people like themselves. That's why birds of a feather flock together.

If you want to attract people who are honest and of integrity, you must first be a person of integrity. Build a character that reflects from the inside out the type of people you want to be surrounded with.

In order to be a person of integrity, we must be true to ourselves. Telling the truth is part of building a character of integrity and being authentic. Telling the truth does not only mean you should not lie. It includes being honest and saying that you believe something is wrong or wouldn't work even if it puts you in an uncomfortable position. For example, if you see an injustice and you keep quiet and not do anything to make things right, you're just as guilty. You're not being true to yourself. You're not acting like someone of integrity.

Telling the truth includes facing the reality about yourself or your situation. You're not telling the truth and you're not being honest with yourself if you're in denial. Example: "I haven't put on weight, this dress just shrunk a bit when I did the laundry last week". Well... may be that's not the best example of denial, but I think you get it.

Now be honest with yourself. Is there anything you're not telling the truth about? Make a list and then ask yourself what you can do about it.

Honouring you agreements and commitments is also key to building character. Have you ever been in a situation where you felt let down or disappointed when someone did not keep his/her word? Other people would probably feel the same if you don't honour your agreements.

Make commitments sparingly. Think carefully about whether you have the time, energy and resources to keep your commitments. Learn to say "No". You'd probably have to say no more often. When you do commit yourself, under commit and over deliver.

I end this note with this quote:
"I don't want any yes-men around me.
I want everyone to tell me the truth
even if it costs them their jobs."
-Samuel Goldwyn