Take the first step

Taking the first step is the simplest way to success yet the hardest to be done. Many plans how are they going to move towards success but majority of them quits because they do not take the first step

"Take the first step, and your mind will mobilize all its forces to your aid. But the first essential is that you begin. Once the battle is startled, all that is within and without you will come to your assistance.” - Robert Collier

“Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” - Martin Luther

There's no use thinking of ways to improve, to tackle problems in life or to succeed without any actions. We need to take the first step and take actions. Improvements in life needs to be initiated because it doesn't come naturally.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius

Are you taking the first step to reach your destination today ?
Well, if you haven't do so, do it now as there is no right time to take actions other than now.

Renew your energy

"Goals help you channel your energy into action." - Les Brown

For every vacation, I always find my children very energetic at the start of the journey. However, on the way home, they will usually sleep in the car. I reckon one of the reasons was that the hope to reach the destination makes the difference in their level of energy.

“When you are in the valley, keep your goal firmly in view and you will get the renewed energy to continue the climb.” - Denis Waitley

"The key that unlocks energy is desire. It's also the key to a long and interesting life. If we expect to create any drive, any real force within ourselves, we have to get excited." - Earl Nightingale

To renew our energy, we have to write down what we truly want in our life. Moreover, we need to be able to see our goals in our minds eye and in our heart to begin to have a chance of realizing them.

Nothing happens until we plan and a good plans have goals and objectives.

Goals should be SMART:

• S - specific, significant, stretching
• M - measurable, meaningful, motivational
• A - agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable, action-oriented
• R - realistic, relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented
• T - time-based, timely, tangible, trackable

Do you believe in goal setting?

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Evaluate Your Habits

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." - Jim Ryun

To be a highly effective person, you need to acquire good habits. It is always beneficial to list down your good and bad habits regularly. Then evaluate whether a habit is helping you or undermining you. Once you are aware of a bad habit, make a conscious decision to change it ASAP.

"First we form habits, then they form us. Conquer your bad habits, or they'll eventually conquer you." - Rob Gilbert

Deal with Habits Early On

An elderly teacher, with a pupil by his side, took a walk through a forest. Suddenly he stopped and pointed to four plants close at hand. The first was just beginning to peep above the ground, the second had rooted itself pretty well into the earth, the third was a small shrub, while the fourth was a full-sized tree. The tutor said to his young companion, ‘Pull up the first plant.’ The boy did so eagerly, using only his fingers. ‘Now pull up the second.’ The youth obeyed but found the task more difficult. ‘Do the same with the third,’ he urged. The boy had to use all his strength to uproot it.

‘Now,’ said the instructor, ‘try your hand with the fourth.’ The pupil put his arms around the trunk of the tall tree and couldn’t even shake its leaves. ‘This, my son, is just what happens with our bad habits. When they are young, we can remove them readily; but when they are old, it’s hard to uproot them, though we pray and struggle ever so sincerely.’

(From the Heidelberg Herald)

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

"The unfortunate thing about this world is that good habits are so much easier to give up than bad ones." - Somerset Maugham

Some bad habits

“Fear is a habit; so are Self-pity, Defeat, Anxiety, Despair, Hopelessness and Resignation. You can eliminate all of these negative habits with two simple resolves: I can!! and I will!!”

Some good habits

"Successful people aren't born that way. They become successful by establishing the habit of doing things unsuccessful people don't like to do. The successful people don't always like these things themselves; they just get on and do them." - William Makepeace Thackeray

"Develop the habit of focusing on the possibilities, not the problems." - David DeNotaris

"Cultivate the habit of laughter." - Og Mandino

No matter where you are or where you are not, you have the ability to improve. Evaluate your habits. Then change them if necessary to have a great life!

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Don't fail to try new things!

"It is alright to try and fail, but don't fail to try!"

There is an element of risk whenever we venture into something new. The problem with many people is that they spend too much time worrying about failures, calculating risks and finally got themselves chain up and not able to take any actions to achieve anything they had dreamed about.

That is not the case with the young one. They always willing to try new things and dare to ask for this or that from their parent. They do not have any fear that their request will be rejected. This is not so when they have grown up.

Below are some quotes that might be useful:

“The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live.” - Leo F. Buscaglia

“Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on one's ideas, to take a calculated risk - and to act.” - Andre Malraux

“Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people don't. They sit in front of the telly and treat life as if it goes on forever.” - Philip Andrew Adams

“It's not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It's because we dare not venture that they are difficult.” - Seneca

Isn't it true that we seldom procrastinate doing things that we enjoy, yet many of us frequently defer or avoid tasks that involve something new? Well, don't holds back any longer; just take all the necessary steps and success could be just around the corner for you!

Photo 1 by bryanpearson taken from this source
Photo 2 by bryankennedy taken from this source

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Engage a taskmaster - The List

Do you realize that great things accomplished had gone through many hours, months or years of planning? Just imagine how much effort and time was spent before a man can be sent to the moon. A beautiful castle is not built without a proper plan. Anyway, remember that both the plan and the planning are important.

“This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to control your own life. No one else can do it for you. Take the power to make your life happy.” - Susan Polis Schutz

“We have to do the best we can. This is our sacred human responsibility.” - Albert Einstein

“Success is doing what you want to do, when you want, where you want, with whom you want, as much as you want.” - Anthony Robbins

Walter Chrysler said, "I never started producing until I engaged a taskmaster... a written list of things to be done every day."

List making is a thought stimulator, a mind stimulator, a mind sharpener. List making develops observation, concentration, judgement, will power, memory, initiative, imagination and intelligence. And that led to ambition and a vision of a new life.

A list can even make people think our way and do our will. Making up lists sharpens our mind and they increase our efficiency for getting things done.

Take a good look at the photo on the right. You might have to click here to see a bigger view. I find this list very interesting. This is indeed a great idea where one could come out with their own personal list. What do you think?

Well, do list down worthy things to be done every day and act on it.

Photo by BrittneyBush taken from this source

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How to Make Progress

We all want progress. Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. However, if you know that you are heading toward the wrong direction you need to make an about-turn. Otherwise, you will drift further away from your goal. Be sure your directions are clear and accurate. If you aren’t going forward, you’re going backwards.

Many of us like to utter the favorite phrase - "I am very busy". However, we ought to remind ourselves that we must "Never mistake activity for progress."

What counts is what get done. Thus, "Don't tell how hard you work. Tell how much you get done."

“It is important that you recognize your progress and take pride in your accomplishments. Share your achievements with others. Brag a little. The recognition and support of those around you is nurturing.” - Rosemarie Rossetti

If you really spend some time to learn at least one thing a day, or improve one thing a day, you will be amazed how much you have learned and accomplished.

Manageable chunks or bite size chunks is always the way forward. Make progress on something every day. It doesn’t really matter how big or small the level of accomplishment - just make progress.

Photo by Poppyseed Bandits taken from this source

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Emotional Intelligence versus I.Q.

In this last decade, science has discovered a tremendous amount about the role emotions play in our lives. Researchers have found that emotional awareness and the abilities to handle feelings are much more important than I.Q.

Either you control your emotions, or they control you.

Studies have shown there was very little correlation between a child's success in examinations and his/her success in adult life.

At best, I.Q. contributes 20% to the factors that determine life's success, which leaves 80% to other forces - Emotional Intelligence.

"Emotional Intelligence is a way of recognizing, understanding, and choosing how we think, feel, and act. It shapes our interactions with others and our understanding of ourselves. It defines how and what we learn; it allows us to set priorities; it drives many of our daily actions." - Freedman et al.

"What really matters for success, character, happiness and life long achievements is a definite set of emotional skills - your EQ - not just purely cognitive abilities that are measured by conventional IQ tests." - Daniel Goleman, Ph.D.

Below is an I.Q. game. If you are interested, try it out. Do share the lessons you had acquired from this IQ game!

Can you help them cross over the river?

(I had adapted this IQ game post with permission from this source)

Below are the rules that apply for this IQ game.

1. Only 2 persons on the raft at a time
2. The father can not stay with any of the daughters without their mother’s presence
3. The mother can not stay with any of the sons without their father’s presence
4. The thief (striped shirt) can not stay with any family member if the Policeman is not there
5. Only the Father, the Mother and the Policeman know how to operate the raft
6. To start click on the big blue circle on the right.
7. To move the people click on them.
8. To move the raft click on the pole on the opposite side of the river.

Click the above screen to load the game and then 開始 button to start the game.

Photo by slark taken from this source

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Little by little and step by step

"If you add a little to a little and do it often enough you can become skilled, learned or rich. A little practice every day makes the champion athlete; a little learning every day makes the scientist; a little saving every day makes the millionaire."

"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going." - Beverly Sills

"Champions know there are no shortcuts to the top. They climb the mountain one step at a time. They have no use for helicopters!" - Judi Adler

"One of the secrets of life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks." - Jack Penn

"The elevator to success is out of order. You'll have to use the stairs... one step at a time." - Joe Girard

Photo by bethanyll22 taken from this source

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Your Body Language - A Key to Success

Do you know that your body language is even more important that your words?

What does your body language say? Does it say you're confident, smart, and enthusiastic - or just the opposite?

Body Language can be A Key to Success in the Workplace.

You can learn to recognize a whole cluster of body language from here.

"Body language is a very powerful tool. We had body language before we had speech, and apparently, 80% of what you understand in a conversation is read through the body, not the words." - Deborah Bull

"Your body language may give you away!"

"A significant amount of communication occurs through body language. Though we can't see our own, everyone else does. If you're saying one thing and thinking another, your body language may well give you away."

It is important for us to work on our body language. We need to pay as much attention to it as the words we use!

Photo by Glenn Loos-Austin taken from this source

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Be consistent in goodness

“For changes to be of any true value, they've got to be lasting and consistent.” - Anthony Robbins

“In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.” - Anthony Robbins

“Chance can allow you to accomplish a goal every once in a while, but consistent achievement happens only if you love what you are doing.” - Bart Conner

“Repeat anything often enough and it will start to become you.” - Tom Hopkins

Photo by theparadigmshifter taken from this source

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It is never too late if you do something

"If a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it."

“Everything comes too late for those who only wait.” - Elbert Hubbard

“The time for action is now. It's never too late to do something.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“Better late than never, but never late is better.”

“So what do we do? Anything. Something. So long as we just don't sit there. If we screw it up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we've satisfied all the uncertainties, it may be too late.” - Lee Iacocca

“Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late” - Benjamin Franklin

“Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace and power in it.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Every difficulty postponed becomes greater later. Each victory makes the next one easier."

If you're too old now to learn, you always were. It's seldom too late to become what we might have been. Many are doing it after 60. Thousands over 50 are starting projects that fellows under 40 put off and neglected because they were too old to finish. A son said to his father: "If I start medical school now, I'll be 37 in 1945 when I finish." Father: "And how old will you be in 1945 if you don't start now?"

Have you yet found yourself and a worthy goal? If not, it's later than you think.

If you have a dream, you have everything that matters. If you have no dream, it's later than you think. Better get one.

Photo by shainelee taken from this source

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Knowing is not enough!

“It's not what you've got, it's what you use that makes a difference.” - Zig Ziglar

"All know the way; few actually walk it." - Bodhidharma

“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” - Leonardo da Vinci

“Learning is finding out what you already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it.” - Richard Bach

"Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it." - David Starr Jordan

The Bible tell us in James 1:22-25 (NKJV) -
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does."

Picture by 1of@kind taken from this source

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The future is NOW!

"For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow only a vision. But today, well-lived, makes every yesterday, a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope and joy. Look well then to this day."

"Today is the future I created yesterday."

“Make the best of today, for there is no tomorrow until after today.”

"Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow" - Robert Kiyosaki

"The best preparation for tomorrow is to do today's work supremely well."

"The poor, the unsuccessful, the unhappy, the unhealthy are the ones who use the word tomorrow the most" - Robert Kiyosaki

Photo by tricky. taken from this source

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Develop your talents

"Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God." - Leo Buscaglia

“All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talents.” - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

"Every one of us has the potential of greatness, waiting to be developed."

“Those people who develop the ability to continuously acquire new and better forms of knowledge that they can apply to their work and to their lives will be the movers and shakers in our society for the indefinite future.” - Brian Tracy

“A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.” - Larry Bird

Photo by madaboutasia taken from this source

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Resist Temptation

“Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” - Oscar Wilde

"It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways."

"I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self." - Aristotle

Well, I am not sure whether I could illustrate this point. Anyway, please continue reading...

Don't push the red button
I wonder how many of you really pay attention to this...

“Help me to resist temptation, Lord, especially when I know no one is looking.”

James 1:12 - Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

The above flash is taken from this Source

Photo by maniacyak taken from this source

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Set Your Priorities Carefully

"Most people fail in life because they major in minor things." - Anthony Robbins

“What comes first, the compass or the clock? Before one can truly manage time (the clock), it is important to know where you are going, what your priorities and goals are, in which direction you are headed (the compass). Where you are headed is more important than how fast you are going. Rather than always focusing on what's urgent, learn to focus on what is really important.”

“Set priorities for your goals. A major part of successful living lies in the ability to put first things first. Indeed, the reason most major goals are not achieved is that we spend our time doing second things first.”

“Action expresses priorities.” - Mahatma Gandhi

“The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen R. Covey

Photo by MarkOMeara taken from this source

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Be an Author of Your Life

"There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live." - John Adams

"The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment; it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others; it is in yourself alone." - Orison Swett Marden

"You are the only person on earth who can use your ability." - Zig Ziglar

"If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author and everyday you have the opportunity to write a new page" - Mark Houlahan

"With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts." - Eleanor Roosevelt

"What happened yesterday is history. What happens tomorrow is a mystery. What we do today makes a difference - the precious present moment." - Nick Saban

Photo by yuen_long taken from this source

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Frequent Self check is necessary

“The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Tony Robbins says: "The past does not predict the future - unless you live in it".

That last part - "unless you live in it" is the key - because we all do. Somehow, many still have not come to the realization of this fact. We may not make any good progress until we had truly decided to change for the better.

Dale E. Turner says: “Some of the best lessons we ever learn are learned from past mistakes. The error of the past is the wisdom and success of the future.”

That's true. However, make sure you got get rid of all painful and damaging thoughts that entrap you. Forgive and love yourself and let go of the past and learn to live in the now.

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” - Buddha

“He who moves not forward, goes backward” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.” - C.S. Lewis

Photo by kukies taken from this source

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Know all the steps required

"There is no one giant step that does it. It's a lot of little steps." - Peter A. Cohen

"Success starts with a dream, a thought; but that's only the first step. Writing it down is the second step. Doing one specific thing to bring it about is the third step."

"First step toward your success is for you to cause the turning point in life i.e. stop seeking idle pleasure and begin truly seeking success and happiness."

"Four steps to achievement: Plan purposefully. Prepare prayerfully. Proceed positively. Pursue persistently." - William Arthur Ward

"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps." - Confucius

"Great results cannot be achieved at once; and we must be satisfied to advance in life as we walk, step by step." - Samuel Smiles

Photo by itspaulkelly taken from this source

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Have you come to realization?

One of the reasons people do not take the time to improve the quality of their life, is that they think things will just get better.

They go through each day hoping that their job will 'somehow' improve. They hope that some lucky combination of circumstances will come about and as a result, they will finally be recognised by their employer and rewarded with more responsibility and a bigger salary.

You need to realize that It doesn't get better...You have to!

There is an old saying that goes like this; "If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got!" How very true that is.

The starting point of all change is in the mind – or more precisely, how you think!

Here's how it works:
1. Your success comes from your results.
2. Your results come from your actions.
3. Your actions come from your thoughts.

So, when you think more effectively, you take better actions, which leads to better results. As you are the only person who is responsible for your thoughts, you decide how successful your career and life will be. It is always up to you, because only you have control of your mind.

Photo by cassetteject taken from this source