With 2010 just days away I imagine there will be plenty of people rethinking their goals, careers and direction.  It seems that facing the 1/1 of a year brings that out in us.  If working for YOU rather than someone else is on your New Year's radar, I have a good resource for you.  Earlier in the month I mentioned Steve Little's free survey to help identify your strengths.  If you didn't give that a try, you can still check it out here: Free Survey

I'm also going to recommend Steve's site and program.  There is plenty of FREE content on his site that is valuable and gets your mind focused on how to proceed.  You can read article, watch videos, listen to audio and participate in forum discussions.

If you are the least bit interested in running your own business, especially online, I encourage you to take a look at Steve's offer.  You get to try it for free and if you sign up to be a member, it's on sale for less than $30 a month right now.  Steve is on the up and up and he's constantly looking to share great ideas.  I will do the same and only share programs that I have tried myself and consider helpful.

Take a look HERE at Steve's info products and see what you think.  I hope if you are looking to work for YOU that this will be a helpful and inexpensive resource on your journey.

Happy New Year Everyone!
Sharon

PS - My book The DNA of Success Stories is on sale at my STORE for 50% off the list price.

A couple days ago I blogged about Steve Little's Entrepreneurial Strengths Survey.  Did you take it?  If not, you've got to check it out!

Try Steve's Free Survey 

I learned a few things about myself I had not thought of and they're making an enormous difference for me in terms of my productivity.  If you haven't tried the survey yet, I hope you will take a couple minutes right now. 

Once you complete it, Steve will send you your customized 24 page report detailing all of your strengths and weaknesses.

Already took your survey?  The following is also available through Steve's site:

• The difference between being an entrepreneur vs. proprietor
• How to find out if you are a Lifestyle Guru or a Growth Maven
• The 11 Golden Rules to running a successful business
• How to master what he calls “The Value Principle”
• How to discover your Entrepreneurial DNA®
• Plus much more.

You've got to check it out - it could be the start to a new and successful path!

What's My Perfect Business?

I'd appreciate your feedback about the value of the survey.  If you find it helpful, I hope you will send your friend's here so they can try it too.

To your success,
Sharon

Last spring I was led to a terrific resource that I want to share with you.  Steve Little runs a site packed with value and support to transition you to your perfect career.

He has created an excellent survey that tells you all about your individual entrepreneurial strengths.                                                     Then he teaches you how to leverage those strengths into the success you desire with a series of 20 fantastic video lessons.

And he's made it all available to you for fr*ee!

Check it out HERE

It only takes a minute to get your survey results but the insight you get is invaluable.  I have personally taken Steve's free survey, watched hours of free videos and completed his course (the course has a fee which is reasonable and worth it, but completely optional.)

Even if you're not looking to start a business, you may be surprised what you learn about yourself  - who knows, you might be closer to a new career than you think!  Remember, you define what SUCCESS is so why not start with a survey that helps paint your picture.

Let me know what you think:  Steve's Free Survey

Sharon

 

I subscribe to the Motivation 123 Website.  This is a recent article from author Jason Gracia. 

Years ago, before starting the Motivation123 Website, I had pockets full of plans and ideas. My mind was in a constant state of activity.  As for my reality, nothing ever changed. Nothing in my life went in the directions I had hoped for. It got to the point that I began to doubt whether or not a better life was even possible. Could I change?

Then, while paging through a magazine at the doctor's office, I came across a question, just a short team of words that gripped my attention.  It was simple--as most powerful truths are--but it made an immediate impact. And from that day I possessed a key to progress that has served me ever since.  Before we get to that answer, however, we need to pin down the problem.

The Killer - In a word, it's routine.

It's the pattern of living that, like molten lava, slowly crawls into adulthood, covering and consuming our hopes, dreams, and ambitions.  It's doing the same thing every day because that's what you've always done. It's a vicious circle of repeating actions and events that leads to nowhere.  The reason nothing was changing in my life was because I was stuck in a routine. Every day I followed the same basic outline of living: wake, work, sleep, repeat.  I had new ideas, to be sure, but my actions were old.  Then I was hit with the truth while waiting - for what seemed like weeks - in my doctor's waiting room.

At this point you might be thinking to yourself that the most important question to answer is 'What do I want?' If you don't yet have clearly defined goals, you're right.  For a series of insightful exercises designed to help you uncover the goals and life purpose that are right for you, visit:  http://www.motivation123.com/prd-gdc.html

The sad reality is that most people never realize what is happening until it's too late. That is the skill and cunning of habit and routine.  It wraps its arms around the minutes and hours of your life, distracting and luring you into autopilot, into a dazed mode of living.  All the while, the little time you have to construct your ideal experiences is being sucked away, stolen.

Routine is a murderer. It kills hope and the chance for change. It blinds us to the truth and with a scalpel cuts away our goals and ideas. Routine puts a hand in the face of growth and improvement, leaving room for nothing but the same. You need a way out of the routine. And for me, the way out came in the form of a question:

'If you continue to follow the same patterns, what are the chances you'll ever experience the things you want to do and ever become the person you hope to be?'

I read the sentence again. What would my chances be?  Things hadn't worked out so far, so why would doing the same thing result in anything different?

My Realization - I had my answer. My chances were none.

I would never do the things I had always thought about, never grow into the character I hoped for. If I followed the same routines, the same patterns, I could expect pretty much what I had been getting.  For some, this is the perfect scenario. But for me, I wanted more. I knew how much life had to offer and I wanted to dive in head first. I wanted to experience it all and live a life worth living again.

I looked around the office, looked at the people next to me. None of us would reach that place without a change in pattern. We were all trapped in a circle of habit.  This brings us face to face with a truth that most men and women would rather avoid.  It's relieving to let our goals live in 'someday.' We don't have to worry about never attaining them.  Instead, we can put them off and fool ourselves. 

'It will happen someday.' No, it won't.  The truth is, if you don't change your routine now, you will never reach those goals. You will never wake up to a life that matches the one in your mind. Never.  Don't hide from this. Accept it. Embrace it. Use it to smash through the chains of routine and drive you into a new way of life, into a new pattern of progress.

This is the first step. Realizing a change is needed is the beginning of something amazing - but it is only the beginning.  Would you like to continue the process?  If so, visit the address below. It will show you a new way to think about motivation - the key to changing
your patterns and your life.  Believe it or not, inner drive (that feeling that makes you want to get up and do what it takes) is a switch
that can be turned on and off at will.

All you need to know are six simple steps to make it happen. To discover what they are and to begin using them today, visit: http://www.motivation123.com/prd-tmm.html

Routine may be a killer, but it can only work in the shadows. Now that you know it's there, you can stop the damage, stop the patterns, and start something new.

My Best,
Jason M. Gracia
Founder & President
www.motivation123.com

I want to add that routine done in a conscious way to change behaviors that do not serve your goals can be positive.  I like that Jason identifies routine as a killer here - I would only add that it is usually unconscious  routine that sucks our time away.  I hope you enjoyed this guest post and will check out Jason's site.  sw

This is my own wake up call to keep up with this blog!  Of course, what we consistently do creates our reality, so we need to be sure that we are consistently doing what it is we actually want.  I want to connect to others who are interested in the process of success, personal growth and effective team-building.  I coach, consult and teach . . . and I'm working on adding blogger, so although the consistency is still a work in  progress, I'm a tenacious person and I'll be a (consistent) blogger soon enough.

Thanks for checking on my Success Blog and I hope you'll return soon. 

I also have a blog (which does have recent entries) on Education topics: Maestro Educator


Do you have a copy of The DNA of Success Stories yet?  It's a good read and I'm a co-author!  My chapter is called "Embrace Your Journey."  There are also chapters by Jack Zufelt, Jack Canfield and Brian  Tracy - big time, right?

You can order your copy here:  The DNA of Success Stories

So I am an advocate for peace, nonviolence and the elimination of nuclear weapons from our planet.  Although it was unexpected, I was pleased to see the Nobel Peace committee choose our President, not for what he has done, but for what he aspires to for all of us - Americans and everyone else who lives on the earth.  I consider this award a SUCCESSFUL sign for humans.  Below is the letter the President sent today to those who supported him at election time:

Sharon --

This morning, Michelle and I awoke to some surprising and humbling news. At 6 a.m., we received word that I'd been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.

That is why I've said that I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century. These challenges won't all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone.

This award -- and the call to action that comes with it -- does not belong simply to me or my administration; it belongs to all people around the world who have fought for justice and for peace. And most of all, it belongs to you, the men and women of America, who have dared to hope and have worked so hard to make our world a little better.

So today we humbly recommit to the important work that we've begun together. I'm grateful that you've stood with me thus far, and I'm honored to continue our vital work in the years to come.

Thank you,
President Barack Obama

I know there are many  who do not support our current preseident's ideology, but I hope we can put aside our differing opinions for just a day and agree to aspire to a peaceful world where no child wakes to bombs or terror.  Peace

If you're like me, you may be a wee bit math phobic, but this is not Algebra or Calculus - it's Human Math.  Check around you, in your personal life, in your professional life and notice the math that is all around you.  Consider in the "blink of an eye" whether someone is an adder subtracter,multiplier or divider in your life.  Your first gut impression is probably accurate.  For a success model that works in all areas, you need to understand Human Math.

Hopefully you are surrounded by adders and multipliers.  An adder can be spotted easily by their willingness to get something  done,brighten your day - a glass half full personality.  Multipliers are not as easily spotted because there are not as many of them  running around.  A multiplier brings top value to most if not all situations.  They are always considering how to make everyone else look good,  how to improve a situation that most others have given up on long ago.  They are outstanding coaches, mentors and leaders.  If you have a mutiplier in your life, feel grateful and learn as much as you can about how they go about creating their math every day. 

On the other side of the math equation are the subtracters and dividers.  Everyone has their moments of subtraction when it's difficult to see the up side of a situation, but a friend or coworker that is in subtraction mode more than 50% of the  time is distracting, defers responsibility, makes a lot of excuses and usually plays the devil's advocate.  Being in constant communication with a subtracter can be draining and at the very least unproductive.  If you are the subtracter, you must work to get to the plus side of the equation as soon as possible.  It's just not possible to be happy and successful when you are constantly taking away from the situation, not giving back and not producing value.

The final and most dangerous of the human math problems are the dividers.  You can easily spot a divider in any group.  First of all, they function in the group as, you guessed it, a divider!  They will not only be distracting, full of excuses and disrupting, but they will habitually need others to do the same.  A divider is not happy unless they have other unhappy,disgruntled allies.  A divider feels more empowered when they can get others to agree with them.  Their motives are not to improve a situation, but to break down those who are attempting to lead, especially if they are not getting enough attention.  This will feel intimidating to a divider and they will always go into massive divider action.  I assume if you are reading this page and you are interested in how to create authentic success, you are not a divider.  What I encourage you to do is to look at who is in your life and be sure you are not trying to create success with a divider - it' just doesn't happen.  You will either be sucked into their negative energy or you will spend all of your positive energy just trying to stay in the black.

So this is HUMAN MATH.  I hope you are creating an equation for success that includes at least one multiplier.  Work with and for those who are into addition - not just for money sake, but to create value of all kinds: knowledge, time, creativity, fun!  Work and play as an adder and aspire to be a multiplier and success will surely come to you.

Having a daily method for expressing our gratitude helps us remain in creative energy rather than dropping into competitive-mode. It's not to deny that competition exists, can be exciting and has it's merits, but chasing success through competitive experiences eventually leads to failure.  Look at athletes who learn to be creative with their fame compared to those who just want to win and be famous.  Time and time again, we see the fall of the mighty because they go to any lengths to keep winning (even stooping to cheating) or just act out because they can no longer physically compete but they long to still be relevant and known.

Being in a state of gratefulness keeps us in touch with all of our gifts, not just the those that are superior to others.  It leads us to paths for giving back and that keeps the creative juices flowing.

Today I feel grateful for a wonderful September rain, hearing my grandmother and mother's voices on the phone, hearing my husband laugh, knowing my sons are well . . . .

A win is a win is a win, but endless connection to creativity, growth and love makes everyday successful.

I took a few days off for my birthday - yup, I'm a Leo.  Today's excerpt from The DNA of Success Stories comes from Jeff Brown.  Jeff was a smart boy, but chose the path of peer acceptance, playing the "bad boy": boozing, stealing, sex and jail.  Obviously Jeff gets his act together since he is an author in this book about success.

Here is an excerpt from Jeff Brown's chapter:

After getting out of jail, I continued on the same crazy path.  I managed to be sent to just about every prison in the state of Maryland by the time I was twenty four.  My mother finally got sick of me and threw me out of her house.  I lived on the streets for about six months, sleeping in old houses.  I wasn't trusted anywhere I went.  My life was a mess.  I had tried everything that I could think of to change, but nothing worked.  I came to the conclusion that I was meant to be a bum.  A failure.  I just wanted to die.

. . . After I took an assignment at John Hopkins Hospital, I was shocked and thrilled to hear, "Jeff, meet Dr. Carson."

How does Jeff go from self-described bum to working at John Hopkin's Hospital?  I invite you to read Jeff's complete story and purchase your own copy of The DNA of Success Stories.  I am offering the lowest price available for The DNA of Success Stories while I am  blogging excerpts from the book. 

Learn 20 routes to success from co-authors, including Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield, and ME! 

Click Here for your Half Price copy.

There is an excellent book you can download that I  recommend.  It is called "Master Your Mind, Design Your Destiny."  The book is by Adam Khoo who has a rags to riches story; I mean RICHES!  What Khoo shares in this book is not just about making money.  If you are stuck in those regards, it will surely help, but his steps and insights can be applied to just about anything you desire to achieve. 

> Find out the difference between a Goal and a Must
> How our level of acceptance, not our expectations defines what we get
> The three patterns of choice after a failure

As an educator I was fascinated by his story of being a young student deemed almost unteachable.  He was placed in the the lowest schools in his country spending endless hours on video games and television.  He had to will himself off a path destined to lead to struggle and heartache.

Khoo's book had information that had immediate application in my personal life and career. 
Click below to go to a page about Khoo's book and how to purchase your own copy:

I'm interested in "Master Your Mind, Design Your Destiny"


"Embrace Your Journey"
Sharon