It's all in the preparation!

If you want to build a house, a wall, anything at all really, they say that the quality of the finished product is all in the preparation and laying a solid foundation.

How often in life do we get an idea and want to run off, 100 miles an hour, in the direction the idea is taking us but without any real preparation?

Over my 42 years of life I have learned one simple wisdom. To sit on my ideas and wait to see if they are seeds of greatness. For if I run off after every idea, I will not have the energy or resources when it most counts. It is far better for me to conserve myself, that the impact of what I do may be far greater, than to spread myself too thinly on the ground and not do anything well

I guess it all comes back to my favourite concept at the moment - the word focus. Focus means to concentrate on a particular thing or an aspect of that thing and to clear your vision. How many of us need to clear our vision, so that we can have maximum impact in our lives?

If you are chasing your tail, chasing after the prize but not really feeling like you are achieving anything of worth because you are running off in all different directions, my advice is to stop and listen to your heart. If you still your soul, you will hear clearly what you are meant to be doing.

Conserving your resources by focusing your energies in a particular direction, allows you to have more to work with when it really counts. Like a race horse, it is critical to harness the raw energy and to channel it into running the race at the right time, rather than jump starting out of the blocks.

Take the time to lay a solid foundation for whatever you do. This is achieved by researching your idea thoroughly, by not being pressured into jumping before you have all the information and a clear idea of the direction you are wanting to jump and by setting clear goals so you know what you want to achieve. You don't have to have the whole picture to start something, but it does help if you have a detailed analysis of the part of the picture that you do have, as this will help you to attract and identify the missing pieces when they eventually arrive.

To focus is to love yourself, for when you narrow your options you limit the amount of stress that exists in your world and give yourself the opportunity to master whatever it is you are putting your hand to.

Remember, masters get paid a whole load more than jack-of-all-trades do! It pays to become a master.

Getting the job of your dreams!

So how do you conduct an 'effective' job search that produces the job of your dreams?

The word 'effective' has become a cliché and has kind of lost its impact. According to the online Encarta dictionary, it means "producing a result, especially the expected or intended result" and "to produce a favorable result". If you want your job search to be 'effective', then you may want to know what your expectations and intended result are.

Tip 1 - Work out exactly what you are looking for in a job.
Make a list of all the things that you are interested in - location, dollar value, opportunity for advancement, skills development, recognition, etc. Everything you value in a job should be on that list.

Tip 2 - Look for jobs that fit your list.
There is no point in applying for jobs that don't fit what you are looking for as you are just wasting your time and the potential employer's time. To find the jobs that are on your list, you can sign up with some of the job search engines. Seek.com and CareerOne.com are just two of many job search sites. Most major recruiters also have their job search databases, so it’s worthwhile visiting them and conducting a specific search. Government career sites and larger companies advertise positions vacant online. Go to the website and look for employment or job vacancies links. Use keywords in your search to filter out unsuitable jobs. You can also use some of the features on these job search engines, like email alerts, that keep you informed of particular groups or categories of jobs. This can save you a lot of time and effort.

Remember to make the most of your social networks. Often it is not what we know but whom we know that makes all the difference. Social networks can be very fruitful in finding work as you let others know what you are looking for.

Tip 4 - If you feel as though you have a 75% or above compatibility with the job, apply for it. You always want to be stretched just a little to maintain interest in a job, so don't be put off if you don't match the criteria perfectly. Historically, employers choose an employee based on how they see them fitting in with the company values and work team ahead of whether they currently possess all of the skills or qualifications. You can teach a person new skills, but you can't change their personality or attitude.

Tip 5 - When applying, make the most of every communication opportunity to demonstrate that you have the skills they are looking for. In the covering letter, using bullets, notate your quality selling points that make you competitive for the position. Use their keywords in your description of these points. The employer, reading your covering letter, will be mentally ticking off that you have what they are looking for and this is before they even get to your resume.

Tip 6 - Follow up your application with a phone call where possible. Ask to speak to the person directly and say, "I'm just checking to make sure you received my application as I am very keen to be considered for the position. While I'm on the phone, I was wondering if you could describe what a day in the job looks like?" Make the most of the opportunity to be personable without being painful. You want to connect a positive image of your personality to the two dimensional resume you have sent in. It is harder to ignore a real live person.

Tip 7 - Be prepared for interview. Once you have gotten to the interview stage, be prepared. Research the employer, after all they are being interviewed just as much as you are, as you will be giving them a commitment of your time and creativity which is very valuable. Have a list of questions that you would like to ask to make sure that you fully understand the job role. Without going overboard, get as much information from them as possible about the position so that you can make a balanced decision. As you listen to the answers to your questions, mentally check the job against your list of what you value.

Tip 8 - Once you have an offer on the table, go back to your list and make sure that you are making a decision in keeping with your values. It is easy to be swayed by personalities, by fantasies of how fabulous you are going to feel in the new office, but the harsh reality is that lovely view in time will fade into the background of a job that you will either love, endure or hate!

If you are having trouble getting started in your job search, there are agencies that can support you. In Australia, we have the Job Network where you can register for assistance and work with a Case Manager who will assist you to find a job. There is also funding available for people while they are job searching. Make the most of the opportunity to dedicate yourself to finding the right fit for you. Failing these options, there are also employment agencies that can place you in temporary employment so you can "try before you buy" into a permanent employment relationship.

At the end of the day, this is your life and it is too short to be involved in a job that you don't enjoy. Spend the time, do the research, put your best foot forward and reap the rewards of a job you love.

Setting your Goals

According to the Encarta online dictionary, goal means aim, something that somebody wants to achieve. The question is, how do you know what to aim for and how do you know when you have achieved it? Following on from the article on page 1 (download the whole Motivational Magic newsletter by clicking here), it is easy to have lots of ideas, but goals are the process by which you are able to focus those ideas to make them achievable.



Here are the main points why goal setting is a good idea:



1. Knowing where you are heading empowers you. If you can see the finish line, you know exactly how much effort is required for you to cross it and that is empowering.



2. Recording your goals also empowers you. By writing them down and giving them a timeframe to make them measurable, you go through the mental process of figuring out exactly what you are going to need to achieve them. Giving them a date to be achieved by helps to apply the pressure necessary to motivate you to action.



3. Visualising your goal in your mind, helps you to adopt the mental attitude necessary to achieve your goal. Imagine yourself doing whatever your goal is. The clearer you can see it in your mind, the more achievable it will become.



4. Talk positively about your goals and eliminate negative self-talk in relation to them. Every goal will have it’s issues but by being solutions focused, the issues will fade into the glory of achieving your goals.



5. Break your goals right down into achievable bite size chunks. The more detailed you are, the more probable your success will be.



6. Protect your goals from what are called the “dream stealers”. These are people that want to discourage you by pointing out all the obstacles and problems associated with your goal.



7. As you are working on your goals, adopt a “do-it-now” mentality. If something is annoying you, do something about it. Take action.


8. Make lists. If you rely on your brain, you will miss important things out. Buy a notepad you can carry everywhere with you and make lists of what you want to achieve, then tick them off as you go.

9. Make new goals regularly. A goals list is a fluid document. It needs to be visited daily and updated as things come up.



10. No more excuses, take action now! You can only guarantee success if you start the journey.




Achieving your dreams



You now know what goals are and how you can set them and you have been given the keys to setting and making your own goals. But is there another process that is missing that ensures that you achieve your goals?



I would like to suggest that there is. You know what you want to achieve, you even have created a visual board for yourself where you have images of what you want to achieve, with all the description and dates of your goals. But what it is that takes the dream off the page and converts it to reality?



Here are my three factors for making it happen.



1. Belief—Do you believe that it can and will happen to you?



2. Faith—Do you have the faith to step out and test your vision to prove it’s worth?



3. Focus—Are you prepared to make your goal the focus of your life?



If you can firstly, believe in your dream; secondly, have faith in yourself and any spiritual power that you may believe in; and then thirdly, place your focus on attaining that dream, amazing things start to happen! Without these your dream will fail before it has even lived.

Progess requires effort

I find that it is easy to start something but much harder to finish it. Along the way, there are the little things that become big things, that sometimes seem insurmountable. However, experience has taught me, that if you keep going and perservere, you eventually breakthrough and make progress.

So what do you do when you start to feel the pressure on you? Do you cave at the first resistance to your idea or your movement forward?

I was a professional dancer and often there was a pain threshold that you would reach after doing a class for 30 minutes. You are just up to the part where you have to spring into the air over and over and your legs are screaming at you to stop and the idea of of just stopping right there is almost enough for you to revolt. I mean, I became the guru of escape. I had to suddenly go to the toilet when they were up to their 16th spring in the air. I had to do up my ballet slipper that had mysteriously just come undone. There is always some excuse that we can find if we want to but what happens if we push through?

Well, I can tell you from watching The Biggest Loser, Australian Series, tonight that I saw the results of perservering. On the television I watched a guy called Cosie take 90kilos of weight on his shoulders and outstand five other competitors that hardly even got over the 40kilos marker. What kept him standiing on that little elevated platform with almost the same as his body weight sitting on his shoulders? The knowledge that if he perservered he would make it over the line and have another chance at the Biggest Loser title. I think that if there was any doubt in anyone's mind about him winning it was all sorted out right there. This is his moment to shine and quite deservingly, he was selected by the trainers to go through to the next round.

So what is there in your life that feels like an insurmountable mountain of opposition to your plan or your progress? Are you going to give up just before your breakthrough or are you going to tough it out, to dig deep and pull on every ounce of energy that is left in you to make your dreams come true?

There is a bible story about Jesus Christ when he was praying in the garden the night before he was crucified. It says that he sweat drops of blood. That was the level of his anguish in preparing himself for his death. There is a scripture that the new testament that says, "You have not resisted in your battle against temptation unto the point of shedding blood." I am asking you, in your desire to achieve your dreams, have you gone to the level of your ability or have you piked out just before your breakthrough? Next time you are tempted to give up, I challenge you to hold in there and tough it out and see what happens.

Feel free to comment. I'd love to hear your feedback on this thought.

Tips for Kicking Procrastination to the Kerb

Have you ever wondered just how to break out of that negative behaviour called "Procrastination"?

The big 'P' word can be the cause of many a job being left undone, which is a major cause of stress in our lives.

I know when I am on a 'bender' - that is, a week where I just can't get myself into gear, the big 'P' word takes over. The washing, the dishes, the kid's rooms (I have four under 11 years) just seem to become major disaster zones and I finish my bender more and more determined not to let it ever get that way.

So how do I, and how do we, tackle this major robber of peace, order and organisation in the home, the workplace, the general community?

We've all heard of the Nike advertising, "Just do it". I believe this is a principle that goes across every aspect of our lives. As my dear old mother would say, "Work never killed you, Hayley. It is just the thought of it." I think having a Nike attitude is the type of attitude that you have to adopt to beat procrastination.

I know for me, if I let things slide it is just that much more difficult to get things back to good working order. It is much easier to beat myself up for a few seconds a day with the "Just Do It" message and get the job done, than to let things go for a few days and live with the guilt and lack of peace that is a much heavier burden to bear.

My son brought it all to a head for me recently. He is sharing a room with his sister who is 18 months older. They are aged 5 and 7 years. Well, they'd managed to get their room looking like a bomb had hit it. There were clothes on the floor, toys, books, bags and discarded shoes. That room was wall-to-wall clothes carpet. Now I have a policy with my children that their rooms are their responsibility and I try as hard as I can not to rescue them from their own mess as I want to teach them to clean their own space. But what happened was my five year old son refused to come home from school oneday and when I asked him why he didn't want to come home he told me it was because his room was "disgusting", which he said with the emphasis as I would use. It actually was affecting how he felt about living in the house, as he kept asking to move out and go to live at his Dad's house.

It was then that I realised just how important order was to his feelings of security and peace. He craved order just as much as I did. So I got in and I cleaned that room and it took me all of 15 minutes. Now I had put up with that room for over a week being disorganised and it has weighed very heavily on my heart every time I went to that end of the house. I could no longer procrastinate because my procrastination was having a significant impact on my son's peace and happiness.

How many times do we succumb to the big 'P' word and then pay the price for days. I know that this is particularly true of doing projects that I don't really want to do. If I leave the large items that I know are going to be big thinking tasks until last, guaranteed I am going to run out of time and be stressed out. So I've learned to move these difficult tasks to the top of the pile and to get them off my pile so they are not playing on my mind. The same with phone calls you don't want to make, with visits you don't want to make. Just do it and you will feel so much better.

I have a little jingle I use with my children when they are struggling with motivation. We chant together, "You can do it, you can do it, if you put your mind to it." It works for them!

Tell me what works for you. Leave a comment.