I don't know about you, but it's hard to believe that January is almost over -- I have a feeling this year is going to fly by! And speaking of flying, today I'm off to Egypt to speak on the 31st and then right back stateside to Florida the very next day to speak twice in two days for a client I spoke for this past year. Then in late February I'll head to Australia and spend thirteen days "Down Under" speaking and traveling. I love speaking in new places or more than once for a company or team because each event is a new experience and hey, I love making friends all over the globe!

Point is, if I've spoken for you or your company in the past -- I'd love to be invited back again! If I've never spoken for you and you've been thinking you'd like to have me come speak -- now's the time!

Send me an email at speaker@chriswidener.com or give me a quick call! I am looking to fill a few holes in my calendar during the middle and end of March and here and there during April and May.

So let me leave you with this question...

When your event is over and the last audience member leaves, what impact will the speaker you engaged have on those who attended, and how long will that impact last?

My #1 goal when I speak is this: To ignite magic in each person, to connect with them so I can help renew a vision, help someone find a lost belief or birth a new one, ignite a spark or motivate each person to take the action so they can achieve what they desire!

P.S. Today's issue is going out to 100,228 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. Book me to speak at your next event!
5. More Information

1. Charting Your Course to Success Article

Finding Motivation: What to Do When You Don't Feel Like Doing Anything by Chris Widener

"The measure of your success usually comes down to who wins the battle that rages between the two of you. The 'you' who wants to stop, give up, or take it easy and the 'you' who chooses to beat back that which would stand in the way of your success - complacency."  Chris Widener

In all of my interactions with people, I've never found anyone, regardless of their level of success, who doesn't sometimes find themselves simply not wanting to do the things that they need and want to do. It is a part of human nature that there will be times that, in spite of all that we need to do, and even desire to, we will find ourselves not wanting to do anything. And what separates those who will become successful from those who will maintain the status-quo, is the ability at those very crucial moments of time when we are making decisions about what we will do, to choose to find the inner motivation that will enable us to conquer our complacency and move on in action.  

I find that I confront this issue in my life on a regular basis, so the following success strategies are not merely "pie in the sky techniques", but proven ways to get yourself to go even when you don't feel like doing anything.  

Honestly evaluate whether or not you need a break. This is the first thing that I usually do what I find that I don't want to get to a specific action. The fact is that oftentimes we will have been working very hard and the lethargy we are feeling is really our body and emotions telling us that we simply need a break. And this is where it takes real intellectual honesty because when we don't need a break our mind is still telling us we need a break! But sometimes we do need a break. I'll give you a good example. I don't particularly like to exercise, but I do almost every day. Sometimes, I find myself before going to the club thinking about how I just didn't feel like going. Most of the time I am just being lazy. However, sometimes I realize that my body needs a break. So from time to time I will take a one or two day break from working out. The benefits of this are two-fold: One, my body gets a break to regenerate itself. Two, after a day or two, I begin to miss my workout, and eagerly anticipate a turning to the gym.

Other examples: Perhaps you are a salesman who has been phoning clients for a week straight, day and night. You wake up one morning and just don't feel like doing it any more. Well, take a break for the morning. Go to a coffee shop and read the paper. Go to the driving range and hit some golf balls. Take a break and then get back to it!

Start Small.
I'm at a point in my workout schedule now where a typical workout day for me consists of 30 to 45 minutes of aerobic exercise, and about 30 minutes of weight lifting. So when I find myself not wanting to get up and go to the gym, I will sometimes make a commitment to go and just do a smaller workout. Instead of deciding not to go, I'll commit to doing 15 to 20 minutes of aerobic exercise and 15 to 30 minutes of weight lifting. This is also good for two reasons. One, I actually get some exercise that day. And two, it keeps me from getting into a cycle of giving up when I don't feel like moving toward action.

Other examples: Maybe you are a writer who simply doesn't want to write today. Instead of the long day writing you had planned, decide that you will at least outline a couple of new articles. You will at least get these done, and you may have found that you put yourself into the writing mood after all.

Change Your Routine.
I have found that what keeps me in the best shape and burns the most calories for me, is to do 30 to 45 minutes on the treadmill every day. Now let me be very blunt. I find running on the treadmill to be extremely boring. Usually I can get myself to do it, but sometimes I need to vary my routine. So instead of 30 to 45 minutes on a treadmill, I will break down my aerobic exercise routine into a number of different areas. I will do ten to 15 minutes on treadmills, 10 to 15 minutes on the reclining cycle, 5 to 10 minutes on the rowing machine, 5 to 10 minutes on the stair stepper, and then back on to the treadmill for five to 10 minutes. I still get my exercise, but I'm bored a lot less.

Other examples: Maybe you are in construction and you have been working on the plumbing for a week, and it is getting monotonous. Don't do the plumbing today! Go frame-in the office.

Reward Yourself.
One way that I motivate myself to do something when I don't feel like doing it, is to tell myself that if I get through the work that I need to, I will give myself a little reward. For instance, I may tell myself if I to get up and go to the club I can take five to 10 minutes off my treadmill exercise, which will shorten my workout routine, and I'll allow myself to sit in the hot tub for a few extra minutes. Hey, it works!

Other examples: Maybe you are a mortgage broker who feels like sleeping in. Tell yourself that after the next three mortgages you close you will take your kids to the fair, or your spouse to the movies. Maybe you'll give yourself a night on the town with old friends.

Reconnect the Action with Pleasure Rather than Pain.
Psychologists have long told us that we humans tend to connect every action with either pleasure or pain. Tony Robbins has popularized this even further in the last few years with something he calls Neural Associations. That is, we connect every action with either a pleasure, or pain. When we are finding ourselves lacking motivation, what we are probably finding about ourselves is that we are associating the action that we are thinking about with pain, rather than pleasure. For instance, when I'm considering that not going to the health club on any given day, I am usually associating going and working out with having no time, the pain of exercising and weight lifting, or the boringness of running on a treadmill for an extended period of time. What I can do to re-associate is to remind myself that by going in and doing my exercise I will feel better about myself, I will lose weight, and I will live longer. This brings me pleasure. When we begin to run those kinds of tapes through our minds, we find our internal motivating force unleashed and changing our attitude about the action that we are considering.

Other examples: Maybe you are a counselor who really doesn't want to spend the day listening to people. Your association may be that it will be boring, or that you will be inside while it is sunny outside. Instead, re-associate yourself to the truth of the matter: Someone will be better off because of your care and concern. Think of your clients and the progression they have been making recently and how you have been a part of that.
 

2. Made for Success Quote and Commentary

"Confidence doesn't come out of nowhere. It's a result of something... hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication." -- Roger Staubach

Chris' Commentary:
Many people who I work with lack basic confidence and seem to be seeking from me or from others, some sort of magical formula that will transform their thoughts so they are instantly confident. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen. Fortunately, there is a way that you can heighten your confidence level quite a bit, if not to astronomical heights: hard work. Dedication and hard work produce in us a number of things that allow us to be more self-confident. Number one, it improves our skill level. Number two, it gives us an awareness of all of the things that may come into play in that given situation or circumstance. Thus we eliminate the unknown, which is often a source of our lack of confidence. One gentleman I work with recently called me to ask to get together to do some role playing in an area he wants to grow his confidence level. This is the right track!

Action Point: What is an area of you life that you lack confidence in and you know that you need to grow in it? Now, take some time today to develop a plan wherein you can commit yourself to hard work and practice in that area. Take at least one action today to start you in the right direction. Over time, you will see your confidence rise!

3. The Last Word...

One of the questions I get asked most consistently in my travels is: Chris, how do I become a professional or public speaker? We'll I'm going to defer to the "great" Zig Ziglar for some valuable and sage advice on that exact subject. Zig?

Thank you for your interest in information on becoming a professional speaker. I appreciate your interest and hope my advice will be helpful to you.

As you may already know, I got my start in pubic speaking when I began giving sales seminars for the cookware companies where I was employed. In order to branch out, I made myself available to every church, school and civic organization or club within a day's driving distance of my home. Of course, I had to give away my time and talent for a number of years, but none of the engagements I accepted went to waste. You see, with each appearance I was able to perfect my presentation, to see what did and did not work with my audiences, and to discover what areas of interest were prevalent in those communities. I simply accepted any and every invitation to speak and, of course, each opportunity gained some exposure and helped to acquire additional invitations. I recommend you join a local Toastmasters group and become a member of the National Speakers Association (1500 South Priest Drive, Tempe, Arizona 85281, 480/968-2552 http://www.nsaspeaker.org). There is a Canadian Association of Professional Speakers with many local branches. If you've not already participated in a Dale Carnegie Leadership Course, I recommend you do so. Our own Essential Presentation Skills program is excellent training for a career in public speaking (please see our web site http://www.zigziglar.com).

You will eventually need to produce a brochure or pamphlet on yourself. Include testimonials with the names and addresses or phone numbers of the people contributing the endorsement. Don't bother to claim to be "Canada's Number One Speaker," since the number of "number one's" has already reached astronomic proportions!

When you feel that one of your presentations is about as good as its going to get, have a high quality recording made of an appearance before an audience. Have the recording reproduced on CDs and make them available to people who show an interest in inviting you to be their speaker. This is really an invaluable sales tool. Do be sure the recording is of good quality.

Probably the most important advice I can give is that you maintain a full-time paid position as you gradually move into the field of professional speaking and training. The actual length of time the transition will require differs with each individual, but we must maintain a healthy financial responsibility if our speaking career is to be based on a foundation of integrity.

Now you know what I know. My very best to you in your endeavors. God bless you and yours in everything. SEE YOU OVER THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar

4. Book me to speak at your next event!

Why? Here's what a few of my clients have to say about me:

"Chris is a leader's leader. He led a multi-day team meeting I hosted at Cisco Systems. This was the most impactful team meeting I have hosted or been a part of during my 9 years at Cisco. He knows how to get you and your teams playing at the next level. I highly recommend him." -- Phil Castillo, Director, Northern Channels Sales

"Everyone who hears Chris Widener speak will know, like, and trust him, immediately. Because of his thoughtfulness and due diligence, he's developed relationships with Arbonne leaders, and has personalized his training for us. Your team will relate to his training and apply his message to their business." -- Donna Johnson, Independent Consultant, Executive National Vice President, Arbonne International

"As our keynote speaker, Chris delivered an excellent message to our 2,000 attendees. His presentation was inspiring, motivating and action oriented. Chris' ability to relate to the audience helped people understand, learn and now begin to apply his leadership lesson. One of our highest ranking Independent Marketing Directors, Matt Parr commented that 'Chris' presentation exceeded our expectations in every way! His material was just what we needed to continue to build our business to new levels.'" -- Angela Loehr Chrysler, Executive Vice President of The National Companies

"Chris: You exceeded all expectations and did an extraordinary job. You delivered material that taught our service and support industry user group things that will significantly change their lives personally and/or professionally. This session was a HUGE SUCCESS. We would highly recommend your presentation for other organizations." -- Ivy Meadors, CEO, High Tech High Touch Solutions, Inc.

"I'm on a phone call with some of Tastefully Simple's top leaders and they are RAVING about Chris Widener – 'best speaker I've ever heard'. Let's start looking for someone like that for next year's Leadership conference… not 'nuts and bolts', but 'leadership' training – inspires you to be 'more'. Thanks for what you do for Tastefully Simple!!" -- S. Weber, Tastefully Simple

Rest assured if you choose me, you have chosen a speaker who will deliver as promised - and beyond. In fact, my clients are so consistently pleased and satisfied by the training and sessions I offer, they often invite me back to speak to their group or at their event again. With me, you get results-oriented programs designed specifically to help you achieve your goals!

Email me at speaker@chriswidener.com or call 877-929-0439. I'll look forward to working with you to create an event that will make a lasting impact! -- CW

5. More Information

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