Most of us start the New Year with the best of intentions to make positive changes in our lives. But more often than not, most resolutions end up falling by the wayside before February 1st. Which begs the questions, “How are you doing so far?” and ”How do plan on staying committed to your 2009 goals?”

So in the spirit of staying on track, let’s recap some of the concepts we’ve touched on in the last month that can really help you to go for it 100% in 2009 –and beyond:

Decide what you want. This sounds self-evident, but it’s really important. If you have no idea what the target is, it will be REALLY difficult to know if you’ve hit it. Spend some time thinking about what’s currently bugging you about your life. What is it that is holding you back? Not satisfying you? What areas do you want to see measurable improvement in by the end of this year?

Want what you want.  Not to sound like Ayn Rand (although I adore her writings) but you have a right to want what you want.  It doesn’t matter if anyone else understands it, or agrees with it. It doesn’t even matter if you fully understand why you want it. Unless you are infringing on the rights of another, you have a right (and some philosophers would argue a moral obligation) to go out and get it.
See what you want.  Here’s the fun part…virtually all experts in the areas of self-improvement and human potential say the same thing. To have something in your life, you need to first see it in your mind. The poet, Carl Sandberg said, “nothing happens unless first a dream”. You need to use your imagination to see what the victory is. Imagine achieving your goal in all the detail you can muster. Who is around you as you celebrate that moment when you know you’ve made it? What do they say to you? What do you say to them? Where are you? Fill it in with enough rich detail as possible — and run that “movie” over and over in your mind. Not only will you have the joy of experiencing your dream in advance, but you will begin (on some level of your consciousness) to believe that this is real…and that it is coming to you even as you move forward toward it. Hold on to that image long enough and you’ll be living it before you know it.
Take steps towards your goal every day. Commit to doing something, at least one thing, however small — EVERY DAY. A phone call, a 15-minute yoga break, 10-minutes of research on the net — whatever it is. Every small action takes you one step closer to your goal AND reminds you that you are keeping your promises to yourself.
Commit to people who aren’t going to let you off the hook.  I have a few close pals who really keep my “feet to the fire” pushing and prodding me to follow-up on and do the things I say I want to do.  In fact, many times when I am feeling less than motivated, it is only the image of having to tell those friends that I didn’t do anything that gets me moving to do at least SOMETHING that I can report back.
Share your dream with someone you trust. There is something incredibly powerful about hearing yourself say what you REALLY want to another person — and knowing that they want it for you too! Better yet, if you really what to have some fun…have your friend(s) say what your dream is back to you…in the present tense as if it had already happened…It’s very exciting and it feels even more real!

Anthony Robbins, quite possibly the greatest living expert on goal setting and achieving, says that human beings need to be constantly challenging themselves in order to be happy. That in life you are either growing or dying in terms of your development. Staying stagnant is a slower death, but its a death just the same. Goal achievement expert, Bob Proctor, says that we are either in “a state of creation or a state of disintegration”.

The more I learn about this stuff the more that I agree with both of them. So Carpe Diem, everybody…hey, let’s ”carpe” the whole freakin’ year.  Get out there and make it happen!

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer, author of Fit + Female:  The Complete Fitness and Nutrition Game Plan for Your Unique Body Type and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women.  It’s a first of its kind program designed to fit into a busy women’s life.  Lose weight and look great — 90 Day Unconditional Money Back Guarantee!!

Training is one of the most important things that business people should do for themselves.  Here is a mathmatical formula to show you how much you should be spending on your training and education

Annual Income $,___________x 10% = Investment in your self improvement

I personally have invested ore than $100,000 in my expert ice as a Referral Expert with the Referral Institute.  How much have you spent on your self improvement?  This is not the place to cut your budget!

If you are going to be the expert in your field, you must keep your saw sharp or someone else will clear cut your forest!

Hazel  owns and operates a franchisee of Referral Institute, a worldwide referral marketing training organization. As a Master Trainer, Hazel provides business-expansion expertise to entrepreneurs and corporations by teaching business professionals comprehensive referral marketing stratagem. In 2006, her franchise earned both the Top-Grossing Franchise award and the honor of hosting the Referral Institute International Conference.

Welcome to the 3rd edition of A for Authenticity Blog Carnival.  This edition explores self- awareness, self-esteem, grooving for gratitude, earning, saving and investing money for the long haul, coming to terms with our own appetities and desires, improving relationships by becoming more accountable and present, learning how not to be defined by what other people think, and developing patience. Enjoy the following articles:

Peter presents Why Self Awareness is Fundamental to Personal Growth (& How to Cultivate It) posted at The Change Blog. “The more doors we open the more doors we discover there are to be opened. Self awareness is the very beginning of personal development. It may very well be the ultimate end.”

Stephen says, “Hi Chandra, There are many tools out there that will help you get the most out of the Law of Attraction. The Law of Attraction is always working and running in the background – whether you use the tools or not. The fastest way that I know to manifest with the Law of Attraction is to use the ‘Appreciation Sob’. It has produced miracles for me out of thin air and it puts the Law of Attraction into over drive. See the article to learn more.”

Stephen Martile presents Accelerating the Law of Attraction (Appreciation Sob) posted at FreedomEducation.ca by Stephen Martile.

Surfer Sam says, “Do you truly know yourself? Do you like the person you see? Would you like to become a better person? Self-esteem is the value you place on yourself. It is your sense of personal worth, along with your confidence and your respect for yourself. You have hopes and dreams for yourself, but you don’t know how to reach them. There is a gap between wanting and having, a gap between desiring and realizing your desires. Take heart. You can make changes in your own life, real and lasting changes.”

Surfer Sam presents Building Self Esteem. Skills for Self Improvement and Self Help ! Surfer Sam posted at Surfer Sam and Friends.

MBB presents How To Become A Self Made Millionaire posted at Money Blue Book.   The Process Of Becoming A Millionaire Is Not A Get Rich Quick Scheme, But A Patient and Systematic Approach To Earning, Saving, and Investing Money.

Zhenren presents What is your motivation? posted at Seeing. Knowing. Doing.  He says, ” When your motives first formed, you were a different person, in different circumstances. Recognise this, and you may find that your motive evaporates in the light of your awareness.”

Kelly Turner presents Appetites: Why We Supress Them and Why We Should Stop posted at Grounded Fitness.  Kelly says,  “Women have so many more opportunites than we did 100 years ago. We can vote, go to college, hold jobs- more doors are open to us than ever before. We are equal; we are entitled; we are human. Why do we continue to be ashamed of and supress our most human desires?”

Jeff presents Core advice lasting you a lifetime posted at Gobs Health.     “Here is an article on a book I have high esteem for. It’s a summary of core principles created by Dale Carnegie and my reaction on how they can improve relationships with almost anyone.”  

Chris Edgar says, “Many of us, rationally or otherwise, get nervous in social situations because we worry that others are going to verbally attack us and we’ll be unable to “defend” ourselves.   How do we overcome this fear and regain a sense of composure in our interactions? In this article, I describe three approaches I’ve used myself and in working with others.” 

Chris Edgar presents Calling A Truce In The “War Of Words” posted at Purpose Power Coaching.

Mike Salara presents HOW TO MAKE PATIENCE WORK FOR YOU posted at Mike Salara.

Pearl mattenson presents What do you think of me? chameleon qualities – strengths – handwriting | Carrie and Danielle posted at Carrie and Danielle.     Pearl says, “I believe we are infinitely complex and there is no end to the ways in which we can surprise ourselves.”

Louis Burns presents Crafting Mental Movies For Others posted at NLP Marketing Blog.  This article is about not only visualizing your own goals but the experience you want other people to have as well.

In a national competition, Chandra Alexander, MSW, was selected by THE OPRAH MAGAZINE as the Life Coach to deliver a series of coaching sessions to the grand prize winner of their prestigious Toyota Moving Forward contest. She also spent five years on NBC/TV “DAYTIME” giving a weekly “Reality Check”. Chandra has been living and teaching authenticity for the last 30 years and is the founder of Coaching for Authenticity, a place to explore and discover the essence of who you really are.

Whether it’s a vacation or a stay-cation, it’s important to take time off from work to benefit your body, mind and business. I’m writing this from St. Thomas, where I’ve been with my husband for the past two days. It’s beautiful! Here is what I have learned to do when I vacation to ensure that I maintain positive balance for my body, mind and business.

1. Take care of my body:

• I schedule in at least some form of exercise each day – this may be a walking tour or a 30-minute jog on the beach.
• I have a salad for lunch, and focus on grilled lean proteins and fresh veggies and fruits at all meals. This means that when I have dessert and wine with dinner, I don’t feel at all guilty.
• I bring my giant water bottle from home and keep it with me at all times.

2. Take care of my mind:

• I laugh at every joke or funny thing I hear, even if it’s really lame. This boosts my happiness enormously, and reminds me that I’m supposed to be having fun.
• I smile at everyone I meet, especially the people who are serving me. The easiest way for me to lead a grateful life is to thank others and be grateful for them.
• I read a book. I have always loved to read. Sometimes I dive into a juicy non-fiction, and sometimes I focus on self-improvement – it just depends on my state of mind.

3. Take care of my business:

• I make sure that I tell everyone that I am going to be out of town, and actively schedule the week before my trip so that I am not overloaded the day before I leave. This is an imperfect system for me, and one that I’m still working on!
• I check voicemail and e-mail only once or twice per week day, and only respond to urgent messages.
• I bring a pen and paper for expansive ideas and the new ideas that inevitably pop up for me when I’m in a different environment.