Hi folks! I hope your New Year is getting off to a FANTASTIC start! I know mine is! As with most people, I have new things that I want to try and get done in 2008 and one of those was to finally start a blog. So, I am proud to announce that on January 1st I did my first blog entry and will continue through the year. It will include some great personal development stuff, yes, but will also have a much more personal side where I will talk about things going on in my life, my travels, issues of the day, etc. I am looking forward to seeing how it will develop.

So, two things, jump on over to take a look at the entries so far, and be sure to sign up to be a subscriber to the blog feed (That way you will be notified when I post something new).

Here is the link: www.chriswidener.blogspot.com

Here is to your best year ever! Enjoy!

P.S. Today's issue is going out to 99,322 subscribers. If you've gained value from what you read in my Ezine, then I would like to thank you in advance for forwarding this issue to friends, family and associates!

In This Issue.......

1. Charting Your Course to Success Article
2. Made for Success Quote and Commentary
3. The Last Word...
4. Important Announcement!
5. More Information

1. Charting Your Course to Success Article

Simple Ways to Super-Charge Your Goals and Make Them Work! by Chris Widener

Goals. Most people have a love-hate relationship with goals. They love them because they are such a great idea and a wonderful way to motivate us to achieve, as well as evaluate our progress, but hate them because for many, they more often than not go unattained and simply frustrate them. This isn't what goals should do!

So here are some simple ways to set goals so that we achieve them! After all, what good is a goal if it isn't something you achieve? Here are some simple steps you can take to make sure that you see change in your life this year.

Narrow your focus.
That's right, start small. Pick two or three areas tops, that you want to work on. Too many people say to themselves, "I want to do this, and this, and this, and this..." and they end up doing nothing! Most of what you do throughout your day can be done without a lot of mental or emotional exertion, but change isn't one of them. So focus down to a couple. This way you can get some victory in these areas. Here are some areas to think about: Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, Spiritual, Financial, and Relational. What areas need some work? Now, what one thing should be the first item on the change list? The others will come later, but for now, you should focus on two or three total.

Keep the long-term in mind, but set your sights on achieving your goals in the short-term.
Do you want to lose 75 pounds? Good. Long-term you will. But for now, think short-term. Don't think about losing 75 pound by summer. Think about losing 5 pounds by March 1st. This does two things. First, It makes it urgent. Instead of blowing it and saying, "Oh well, I still have 17 months to lose the 75 pounds" (because eventually that becomes 2 months to lose 75 pounds) your goal is only a few weeks out. This is better in terms of reaching your goal. Secondly, as you reach these shorter goals, it gives you regular victories instead of regular progress. Progress feels good, but achieving a goal is awesome!

Reward yourself when you achieve the goal.
When you lose the 5 pounds by November 1st, go get yourself a grande whole-milk mocha. But just one! Then get back to your goal for December 1st. This puts a little fun back into the process of self-control and self-discipline. You will look forward to the reward and when the going gets tough, you will say, "two more weeks, two more pounds, then..."

That's it. I truly believe that it can be that simple for you.

This adds some ideas to the above article.

1. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Instead of saying, "I am going to quit my three pack a day habit cold turkey," say "I am going to drop to a pack and a half a day." You can always make new resolutions when you have achieved the first ones. Give yourself small victories a little at a time. Instead of saying "I am going to lose 75 pounds," say "I am going to lose 20 pounds."

2. Be specific in your timeline. Don't just say, "I am going to lose 20 pounds." Say, "I am going to lose 20 pounds by April 1st." This way, when you start to be tempted in the ice cream aisle in the middle of November, you can say, "Nope, only 10 more pounds to go in a month and a half and I am not going to blow it."

3. Post your resolutions where you will see them every day. This will keep the resolution in the front of your mind at all times. Instead of forgetting that you are trying to lose weight and ordering a big, thick porterhouse, you will have been reminded earlier that day that you need to go with something a little more on the lighter side. It will help your will beat your desire.

4. Find an encouraging person, who you respect, to keep you accountable. This person should ask you, at an interval established by the both of you, how it is going. They must be the encouraging type, though. If you are blowing it, they can say, "Well, that's okay, get back to it tomorrow." If you are doing well, they can say, "Awesome job. I'll talk to you next week." You will look forward to their weekly encouragement.

5. Find a partner. That's right, someone who is trying to accomplish the same thing (or something different if need be). Just make sure that they really want to change, or they will end up just bellyaching about how hard it is and you will both fall into the abyss.

6. Write down a list of all of the benefits that will come if you accomplish this. If it is losing weight it might be something like this: Feel better, better self-esteem, longer life, clothes are more comfortable, no more time spent sewing on popped buttons, wife says you look 22 again, etc. If it is quitting smoking, it may look like this: Better breath, no more brown fingers, no more wrinkles on my face, no more red eyes, no more smelly clothes, longer life, wife don't make me spend two hours a day on the back porch, etc. This will help you see what you will get from accomplishing your resolution.

7. Plan a reward if you accomplish your resolution. It can be anything from small to large. If you drop the twenty pounds, go out for dinner and dessert. Then get back to lose the next 20. If it is quitting smoking, go on a mini-vacation. Whatever you do, reward yourself. Or let a spouse or a friend pick the reward. Then splurge and enjoy!

Here's to achieving ALL of your goals in 2008!
Chris Widener

2. Made for Success Quote and Commentary

"Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything." -- Wyatt Earp

Chris' Commentary:
We live in a very fast paced world. Everything is needed NOW. I suppose there is a market for fast, and there will be some who are rewarded handsomely for it, but most success stories revolve around quality rather than speed. Someone may be doing it faster, but the successful do it better. The first go around may go to the fast, but when people realize there is lesser quality there, they will look for, and stay with, the better quality from then on. I remember early on in my career when I was building an organization I had started, and an old friend sent me a card that said only these words, "Remember, you are growing an oak tree, not a squash." Good words for me. Good words for all of us.

Action Point: Is there something you have been pushing to get done at the expense of the quality? Take some time today to slow down, go over it again, improve the quality and readjust your schedule. Build something strong that lasts, though it takes longer, not something you can build fast that dies out soon thereafter.

3. The Last Word...

Thought this would be a good Last Word offering, since its January, and everyone is hot on keeping their New Year's resolutions -- especially in the area of being healthy. With that being said, here's the question:

Q: I know that I need to make some lifestyle changes to become healthy, but I having a hard time becoming and staying motivated because of different circumstances in my life, i.e. husband and children who aren't interested in "healthy food".  Any pointers? KH Wisconsin, US

A: I think that there are a couple of things that you can do. First of all, if your family is like mine, the only meal where you all eat the same thing is dinner. Breakfast is usually everyone getting their own and lunch is usually everybody at different places. So your big problem is dinner. You could start by alternating in some healthier meals 3 times a week. Or you could make yourself something different than the rest of the family. Both of these may have some obstacles but they are alternatives. You do have control, however, over your breakfast and lunch and I would say to get healthy on those meals!

As for exercise, you can start today! You can either do a regular workout (check with the doctor first, by the way) or you can simply start by walking, or parking further from the store, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. These are simple ways to get going.

As for motivation, that one is in the head, in the thoughts. I would encourage you to focus in on and "see" the end results! If you can see those and get excited about that, then you are half way there.

Add all these together over time and I think you will like what you have. -- CW
 

4. Important Announcement!

About a year ago, Jim Rohn and I collaborated on a new project that is designed to help you have more, do more and become more!

Did you know that most people are sabotaging their chances for achievement?

The reason is because they don't have a plan. You know the saying, "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail".

Please use this link to learn more: http://twelvepillars.jimrohn.com

5. More Information

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