Peak Pathway Magazine's Blog : career development forum

1.   Meditation If you want to wake up earlier than normal, set aside five minutes during your lunch break or commute, or retreat to bed sooner rather than later. That way, you can seamlessly incorporate meditation into your daily schedule. Some might enjoy a guided meditation or the sound of Tibetan bowls; others might enjoy chanting or binaural beats. Whatever option makes you feel comfortable is the right one for you. Even if you like silence or white noise. There’s no secret formula here. The only secret is that you must do it consistently. In a matter of weeks, you will notice that you feel more alert in the morning, even before any caffeine. During stressful situations, you will notice you are more levelheaded. In general, you will   enjoy these peaceful moments   so much that you will begin to look for them more frequently throughout the day or make your meditation sessions a little longer each time. Your entire being will be grateful. And gratefulness is a ...

1. Take the first step right away. If you’ve been waiting for that empowered feeling and you finally have it, take the first step to whatever it is you want to accomplish and   do it as soon as possible. Once you’ve taken that first step, the next steps get easier and easier. The first one is always the hardest. Make sure not to let the moment pass you by. 2. Sign up for something new. Sign up for a new workout class, group lesson or experience while you are on an empowered high. Committing yourself to something new is a great way to keep your momentum and motivation engaged. Additionally,   conquering a new skill   or task will help to refuel your endorphins, thus giving your motivated high a longer runway to enjoy. 3. Write down your ideas. I don’t know how many times I had a great idea slip away because I didn’t document it. If you can   act on a new idea   right away, then do what you can to implement it. But if you can’t do anything immediately...

1.   Understand yourself. You need to figure out what motivates you. What excites you?   What are you passionate about?   What is it that you love to do? If you’re not sure, spend some time understanding yourself. Observe what makes you happy, what makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning and what makes you feel fulfilled. Focus on doing the things in life that you’re dramatically excited about. 2.   Get paid for what you love to do. Once you figure out what motivates you, try to design your life where you are maximizing the amount of time you’re doing that activity. Maybe that means setting aside time in the morning or on the weekends at first. Then try to design a life where you’re actually being paid to do what you love. The goal is to earn your living doing something that you’re passionate about and would do for free. 3.   Invest in lifelong learning. If you want to live an extraordinary life, you have to focus on improving yourself ...

1. Do it now. Procrastination   is like quicksand. If left unchecked, it will pull you into a quagmire of   crippling indecision. You’ll make excuse after excuse that will eventually foreclose on your dream. If you’re continually telling yourself it’s OK to do nothing, then nothing will be what you achieve. Instead, allow your inner voice to motivate you from morning until night, and fiercely commit to your dream with a sense of urgency. Remember, the difference between   could   and   did   lies in planning and action, so become your own greatest coach and advocate for change. Don’t take   no   for an answer, especially from yourself. 2. I deserve this. Whenever I meet someone who’s allowed their dream to derail, or who appears to be passing up opportunities for personal growth or improvement, I always ask why they don’t deserve their absolute best. If you’re among the folks who are settling for anything less than the success you drea...

  1. Use the phrase, “Yes, and?” There’s   a simple concept called, “yes, and?”   In every conversation, if everyone can commit to replacing the word “but” with “yes, and?” to keep things moving forward, that helps keep the positivity moving forward as well. You can disagree with people not by pushing them back, but by propelling them forward. 2. Reflect on the good and bad. At the end of the day, I like to recount the worst part of my day and the best part—I call it the “pits and peaks.” In order to keep things positive and   avoid getting caught up in the negative, I think of one pit and three peaks. Even if I had the worst day, there are always things to be thankful for, and this helps me take a moment and be grateful. 3. Work toward a higher goal. Find the meaning in what you do and how it helps others for the better. Tie your goals and strategies to making someone else’s life better or more whole, and you’ll find the positivity in what you do every ...

1. Seek advice from multiple sources. If everyone you know is telling you to do the same thing, it’s a sign that either a) it’s a wise thing to do, or b) your network is very “same-same.” To ensure it’s not the latter, make sure you reach out to a diverse pool of people for their opinion and guidance. When I moved to Dallas in 2001, I relied only on one realtor’s advice on where to live. It was a mistake. As I got to know the area better, I realized there were numerous areas I would have enjoyed living in more. (And no, I’m not going to tell you where it was… I still have friends there!) 2.   Listen with an open mind. Other people will have experience, insight and expertise that you don’t, so extract as much value from it as you can. There’s no point reinventing the wheel or   making the same mistakes   they did. However, as you listen, also consider how their situation, goals and personality differ from your own. A winning formula for one person doesn’t not alwa...

1.   Set a bold goal. We fail far more from timidity than we ever do from over-daring. So if there’s an area of your life right now—your business, your body, your relationship status—in which you aren’t inspired about, set yourself a bold goal that really lights you up (even if it scares you a little, too). Like going on 10 dates in the next 10 weeks, or doubling your revenue in the next two years, or running a marathon. Most people underestimate themselves and never get to know what they’re capable of. Don’t be one of them. You’ve got to think bigger before you can act bigger. 2.   Say no to the good. It’s very easy to fill your day being busy. The question is, busy doing what? If you are saying yes to the many “good” offers, invitations and opportunities that come your way, you could be using up all your capacity to pursue the truly great things waiting on you. Does saying no mean you might disappoint people occasionally? Sure. But better that than to feel disappoin...