How To Make & Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

Maybe you are among the many Australians who still welcome the New Year with resolutions to improve their lives.

But are you one of the still fewer people who actually manage to keep their resolutions?

Why are New Year’s resolutions so easy to make and so very difficult – for most of us – to keep? “The problem is that most resolutions are about changing behavior through discipline, but discipline can’t solve the problem if you don’t address the root cause of the behavior you want to change,” says life-change expert Janice Lindgren.

“The only way to truly change behavior is to change what you want, and our wants are buried deep within our psyches and rooted in our past.”

Although Australian's seem to be abandoning the tradition of New Year’s resolutions – surveys indicate that less than 45 percent of adults will make resolutions this year – “there is real value in creating a plan, and committing to it, to effect change in your life,” she says.

So what do you need to know in order to succeed with your New Year’s resolutions – and your efforts to improve your life throughout the year? “There’s no one silver bullet that works for everyone,” Lindgren says, “but there are things you should know, and things you can do, that will increase your potential for success.”

Marquette Turner has compiled 5 empowering points to help you stick to your resolutions next year:

1. Do write down your goals or resolutions.

By writing them down, you’ll feel like you are making a contract with yourself. Writing out your thoughts can also help you focus on what you really want to accomplish in the coming year.

2. Don’t overdo it with too many goals at once or with unrealistic resolutions.

“The concept that you have to be better, be harder on yourself or get tough is merely a boot-camp quick fix,” says Lindgren.

Keep your plans simple, specific and manageable or you might find yourself overwhelmed – and more likely to give up. For example, rather than resolving to “eat better” in 2008, refine your goal to “have a salad for lunch at least three times a week.” Instead of “exercise more,” try “walk for 30 minutes four times a week.”

3. Do explore the root of the behavior you want to change.

“The question isn’t whether you’re overeating, not getting enough exercise or sleep, or drinking too much,” Lindgren says. “The question is why are you doing those things? What is the underlying trigger for this behavior?”

Different people have different triggers. Often, our triggers stem from unmet needs or traumas of childhood experience. “What creates change is identifying current triggers and becoming aware of the catalytic events from our past and releasing the underlying emotional energy we carry around those events,” she adds.

4. Do view change as a positive thing.

It’s not unusual or even unreasonable to be cautious of change, but you’ll never be able to achieve your New Year’s resolutions – or any other life-altering goal – if you view change as an enemy. “Growth is nothing more than directed change,” Lindgren says.

5. Don’t go it alone.

If you feel you need help to really achieve your life-changing goals, find friends to keep each other in check.

Good Luck! Simon Turner, Marquette Turner

Take Charge of Your Life

One of the things you must always remember in your adult life, is that no one is there to rescue you – everything you are or want to be is up to you.

You cannot change anything that has happened in your life, whether it happened years ago or seconds ago.

There is absolutely nothing you can do to change that. So don’t dwell on it. What you can do is change how you handle and feel about things that have occurred in your life and to some - this may include taking some responsibility.

You need to take charge of your life and be aware that if you want things to be different and change in your life, you have to make those changes – they won’t occur just because you want them to.

There is an old Confucian saying “if you don’t change the road you’re travelling on you’ll probably end up where you’re going”.

Most successful people in this world today are successful because of the decisions they have made and the tough steps they have taken to get there.

Christine Watson

How To Become a Public Speaker (and get paid for it!)

Here are 12 steps to become a great public speaker and get yourself booked!

1) Define a niche. Instantly set yourself apart: identify the topic or issue in which you're willing to do endless and ongoing research for a market with the means to pay you.

The next challenge of course is to become known in your niche.

When you become the leading authority in your field, people seek you out. There's no point in being a fine marketer until you have expertise to offer.

And your expertise has got to be in a specific niche. A niche where the public with cash to spend recognise your value and are willing to invest in what you know.

2. Free to Fee. Speak for free in places likely to have people who could hire you for fee. Often there are people in these audiences who could hire you. Check your local Lions Club, Chamber of Commerce, and Rotary clubs.

Think about it: if someone hasn’t seen me speak in person, it’s less likely that this person will contact you, and even less likely they’ll pay for your services. Get out there!

3. Attend Events. Go to the events that your ideal clients attend and mingle with the decision makers who could hire you.

Research the event ahead of time. Know who will be in attendance. Have a hit list of people you want to connect with. Ask first what THEY do so you can tailor your 30 second pitch to address how you can help with their specific needs.

4. Speaker Directories. There are websites that list speakers for a fee. Meeting planners sometimes go to these directories looking for a speaker on a certain topic.

5. Smile and Dial. Flipping the pages of a meeting planner directory and cold calling can drum up business. Most speakers who use this approach successfully make 40- 50 calls everyday. If you are smart and committed about finding the right targeted leads to call, this is especially effective.

6. Ask for referrals right from the platform. Keynote speaker and master certified coach, Rich Fettke says when he speaks to groups, “As you can tell, I am really passionate about what I do. If you know of a group who could benefit from this message, please hand me a business card afterwards.”

7. Referrals. Ask for referrals from existing clients who have hired you to speak. Make sure you ask for letters of recommendation and referrals as part of the deal.

Let your clients or customers know they are rewarded for referring folks who invest in what you offer. Reward referrals generously.

8. Get on Your Prospects Radar Screen. Top of mind status comes from word of mouth of your clients, being "seen" in the pages of print media, and from testimonials of audience members.Know where your audience goes and be there.

This includes your prospect’s newsletters, clubs, organizations, bulletin boards, and magazines.

9. Speaker Website. An effective speaker website gives a meeting planner everything they need to decide that you are the perfect speaker for their event.

You’ll want to include a brochure to download, testimonials, program descriptions, media coverage, results gained for other clients, and your speaker video.

10. Join organizations where people can hire you or might be able to refer you to people. Review your organization memberships at the end of the year before you renew to make sure that the fees was worth it.

11. Invite prospects as your guest when you speak to groups. That way they can experience you firsthand. After they experience the power of your speaking, they are likely to hire you or even refer you to others.

12. Building relationships. Keep in touch with your clients and prospects. Sends articles to them to let them know you’re is thinking of them, and send cards and call them from time to time. Never let them forget your name. You want to be top of mind when they are ready to hire.

Simon Turner

Turbo-Charge Your Goals

We know the importance of setting goals in the fulfillment of our dreams in life.

But what if I tell you that there's a very powerful formula that will allow us to achieve our goals much faster? In fact, this formula is going to turbo-boost goal realization to the highest level!

Here's the formula:

Be positively obsessed with what you want. It's not enough that you want it, you got to desire it so much that you feel it flowing in your veins and you think about it every day and night.

You talk about it every chance you get and you see it in every situation you're in. If you're not fired up every time you think about it, then you're not serious enough.

Re-evaluate your goal and make sure that it is your passion, your fire, the very thing that makes your body tingle with life and excitement.

You must also complement your obsession with two powerful techniques: visualisation and affirmation.

You must have a crystal clear mental image of yourself already in possession of the thing you desire, or already doing/enjoying the very activity you want to do in life.

You must also consistently repeat saying what you want. If you want to be a singer, say "I am a professional singer performing in front of a large audience that is so amazed by my performance." As you say it, feel the happiness and excitement, and see yourself doing exactly the thing you say. Imagine the audience applauding you.

Write down your goals on a post-it note, then stick it in a place where you can see and read your goals daily.

It is also vital for you to think and say your desires most of the time, but sometimes we get very busy with other tasks. Therefore it is highly recommended that you engage in imagining, affirming, feeling, and being one with your dream at the most effective times of the day.

Do it 15 minutes before you go to sleep and 15 minutes within the time you wake up. This is very important. Your subconscious is in its most responsive state 15 minutes before dozing off. So before hitting the snooze button, feed it with clear pictures/images, powerful affirmations/commands, and emotions so intense you could experience the happiness and excitement right at that very moment.

Do it also 15 minutes within the time you wake up. Your mind is fresh, energized, and focused at this time, so utilize its power to your best advantage.

When you are relaxed, the mind is very receptive to your commands and mental images. Go to a beach or resort, walk around the park, go sight-seeing, or just lie down. Relax and allow yourself to get involved with your dream.

Relaxation can also allow you to think of creative ideas to reach your goals and ways to solve your problems.

Michael Lee is the author of "How to be a Red Hot Persuasion Wizard... in 20 days or less", an e-book that reveals mind-altering persuasion techniques on how to tremendously enhance your relationships, create unlimited wealth, and get anything you want...just like magic. Get advice at: http://www.20daypersuasion.com/. He is the Co-Founder of http://www.self-improvement-millionaires.com/

Simon Turner

The Secret to Success

Success is connected with continuous action.

It's largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.

You're not finished when you're defeated, you're only finished when you quit.

The most important quality essential to success is perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature.

You can have a fresh start any time you choose.

Failure is not in the falling down, but in the staying down.

It's not over until it's over.

If you've got the courage to stick it out, you'll attain your goal.

Winning isn't everything, but wanting to is. If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again.

How To Achieve Success

Action exercise for today:

Get out a shiny piece of blank paper. On that piece of paper write at the top "My Definition of Success". Write under that everything you will have achieved, everything you will possess (skills, belongings, everything) and everything that you will be when you’re a success.

Then get out another shiny piece of blank paper. At the top of this page write "Why I haven’t yet achieved success". On this page write every reason you can think of that spells out why you haven’t yet achieved your definition of success. If you’ve got nothing to write – because you’ve already achieved your idea of success – rock on! Go grab an ice cream.

For the rest of us (me included) get writing! If you’re actually going to do this exercise, don’t read further until you’ve completed writing both of these sheets. Done in one way this second sheet detailing the “Why” can be like an action plan for your life.

Examples of reasons why might be similar to these:
• I don’t read enough books
• I haven’t been associating with people who are achieving the level of success I want
• I haven’t gone out and done X
• I don’t have my goals clearly written outWhen this sheet is an action plan for your life – each one of these reasons will be items you can do, or change (if you choose to).

With this type of list – success is merely a matter of doing what’s on the list (if you’ve identified your “why” properly).

Done in another way, this sheet could turn out to be a litany of blame:
• I don’t get paid enough at work
• My parents didn’t have money when we were growing up
• I’m not tall / pretty / whatever enough

When done in this way – you’re saying that your success is determined by other people and by things you can’t change. I know for my way of thinking - I’d like to know that my personal success is determined by my actions, beliefs and associations. The books I read, the people I network with and model myself on and the choices I make determine my . I’ll let others play the blame game – but not me, what about you?


Reproduced with permission from the Kirsty Dunphey weekly email. To subscribe to Kirsty Dunphey's weekly email, go to www.kirstydunphey.com

How To Find The Ideal Company To Work For

We continually hear about “hiring the right people” for roles. People are an employers’ best asset”. This is definitely true from an employer prospective, but as an employee – how do you know the organisation is the right company for you?

Best practices in recruitment and selection when hiring staff have been around for a long time. No doubt we have all been through that dreaded interview where we have been asked the questions about our long term goals, where we see ourselves within the company, what we hope to achieve, etc. etc.

However, what should you, as an employee be looking for and what questions should you be asking of a potential employer?

Often we can be and are seduced into believing the company has loads to offer and it’s usually not just a good salary package. With unemployment statistics showing there is almost a 0% unemployment rate in the skilled market, companies are doing whatever they can to hire staff.

Today’s workforce is made up of permanent, casual, contract and self employed workers. Not everyone wants to be a permanent employee – probably because the days of having job security have long gone. The days of being able to choose what suits you are now available to us.

Some areas you need to consider include asking yourself and researching – is this an employer of choice, or is it company of mediocrity that touts they are an employer of choice? Questions you need to ask should possibly include:

- What are the company’s development and training processes
- How can they demonstrate to you their workplace culture and environment
- Is their Management style and structure what you want to work with
- Are the hours flexible to suit your family needs and lifestyle
- What are the company’s perceived values and ethics
- Are there other benefits as well as a salary package such as child care, healthcare, gym, share schemes, paid maternity leave, discount cards
- What reputation and prestige does the Brand have – is it a Brand you want to be associated with Do you believe in the company and/or its products
- Can working from home be an option

Are these things going to sway your decision making process? Is your value system similar to that of the company you are looking to work with? How does the company motivate their staff, what are their expectations of you? Are they expecting you to micro manage people or perhaps be micro managed? What are the company’s views on authority and how much authority will you have in your role? How comfortable do you feel with the person you will be reporting to?

Often the interview process involves a number of meetings. The person you will be working for or with, are they someone you would like to work with – how do you feel about them? Sometimes this will mean spending more than the usual one hour interview with that person to get to know them. Then go with “your gut feel” – it is usually right. Christine Watson