The Ultimate Motivation For Peak Performance By Vasco Patrício

Most people will tell you that, in order to reach peak performance, you have to motivate yourself. Well, let me disagree. I am here to tell you today that the best motivation for peak performance can be anti-motivation. Motivation itself can actually be harmful in some cases. It's a double-edged sword you have to use carefully. Why? Let's check it out in detail. 


 What is the whole point of motivation? If we look at it in depth, motivation only serves to help you reach something. You don't just get motivated. You get motivated to do something. So, if you don't do that something, it's no use being motivated.  We might do something because we like it, because we must do it, or a similar reason. However, with important things in life, most things are things we MUST do. And we must do them even if it creates discomfort in ourselves.


 Being motivated in this case might be harmful. It erases our musts. It creates comfort and doesn't oblige us to do what we must do.  However, if you're feeling pretty bad, motivation can be a pretty good weapon. It can lead you and help you maintain the mindset to complete a task. If you're feeling down, being motivated can be a lifesaver. So, when should motivation be used?  It's pretty easy to figure out. If you're the kind of person who tends to not take action when he's confortable, by all means be motivated. If you feel being motivated slowly eats away at your discipline, then don't become motivated. It's that simple.  Even though it's not done that much nowadays, in the past self-help teachers and coaches used to promote positive thinking and needless motivation. We've come to realize it doesn't work that easily. In conclusion, I'd say, only be motivated if it contributes to the task. If it doesn't, drop the motivation.  You have to make the shift from focusing on something external to focusing on yourself. 


If someone motivates you it's like you have an external shell of motivation. It's belonging to somebody else's. So it doesn't lead you to take action. If you feel motivated deep inside yourself, you're lead to take action.  Most exterior motivation comes in the form of hearing about others' achievements, empty motivational phrases, and others. Interior motivation comes in the form of you knowing you can do it, you remembering past successes, and others.  So, whenever you are being motivated, double check. Is this motivation resonating with me, am I driven to take action, or is it just an outer shell? If it's a true motivation from within yourself, retain the motivation, if it's somebody else's, discard it. Simple and effective. 


 Note that this is just a safety measure. I usually consider interior motivation to be true and exterior motivation to not feel so true. If you are the kind of person that can hear about others' achievements and still act with perfect confidence and discipline as if it were yourself, by all means do it. It's just most people don't consider exterior motivation that truthful after some time, and this is the way to prevent that.  


There are certain tasks where I purposefully kill the motivation. Sometimes I want to jog. I can only jog for 30m. However, if I watch a video about sports where the speaker shows he can run up to 2 hours straight, I'm pumped, I have that motivation as if I could run 2 hours myself. If I retain that motivation I'm probably going to have an unpleasant surprise after 20m of jogging. Oh boy.  So before I start I cut the motivation. I get my feet down to earth and ask myself: Is this realistic? Does this motivation have a base? 


Sometimes I make negative presuppositions. I'm worse than ever. I can't jog even 5m. Motivation might break that connection between you and reality, and you have to connect it back.  Newbie mistake. I am not talking about goals. People will say, don't have realistic goals. Try weird, megalomaniac things. I agree. It's not your goals that should be realistic. Your goals should be megalomaniac, but they should be done in a realistic manner.  If you want me to simplify it, I would say: If motivation drives you to action, use it. If it doesn't, discard it. 


Sometimes you have to do a task you hate. And motivation will only create empty fantasy space in your head and not contribute to your completion of the task. So discard it.   Other times the motivation will be spot on, you will realize "Yes, this is exactly what I was looking for to drive me". Then use it. If motivation makes you act, use it. If it doesn't, discard it.   Sometimes it's not easy. Motivation makes you feel good. Breaking that state of motivation makes you feel the cold of the wind and look at dirt of the ground once again. But life's not fluffy or warm all the time. Many times, when you have to take action, you have to get down and dirty. So do it.  Harness that skill and you will control your emotions, your capability for action, and achieve peak performance almost immediately.


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/coaching-articles/the-ultimate-motivation-for-peak-performance-2085020.html


About the AuthorVasco Patrício is interested in technology, peak performance, coaching, communication and public speaking, and has written articles and posted about these matters in various sites and blogs.
For more information and a listing of blogs and articles you can visit his webpage at http://vascopatricio.com

Long-term Success by Hank

I love talking to people. Through the years and over my travels, I have met people of all ages, and from all over the world. I feel very lucky, because I have heard some amazingly cool stories, which have helped to shape my appreciation for people who do great things. As a matter of fact, many of these same stories directly inspired the creation of this very website.

I was talking to my Grandfather a little while ago, and he told me about how he was offered the opportunity to play football in his youth. He was big and fast, but since he only had a grade school education, he had to forgo possible fame and fortune in favor of helping his family, working, and eventually raising kids of his own. Though there were definitely glimmers of sorrow for the glory he might have missed, his pride in his family’s accomplishments was unmistakable. He worked without rest to make sure his family had every opportunity, and his efforts have been rewarded by their on-going accomplishments.

During our conversation, I remembered a quote that I’d read once in school: “Humanity has only two paths to immortality- progeny, and legend.” Of course, people live on through their kids, but what kind of memories are they leaving behind? You can’t always be sure how your kids will turn out, but you can shape what kind impression you leave behind.

Every action and inaction we take dictates how much flexibility we will have later in life. In the case of my Grandfather, because he was unable to go to school, he could not later take advantage of the unexpected football opportunity he was offered later. This scenario is universal. If unprepared, people can find themselves painted into a corner… by self-doubt, poor decision-making, and by their failure to prepare and execute any long-term goals.

Every day, media outlets display terrible stories of people losing their fortunes, many because they have forgotten the simple children’s fable about the ant and the grasshopper:

The ant works to store food during the warm months, while the grasshopper frolics with friends and fiddles, even ridiculing the ant for being square and missing out on the fun. When the winter comes, the grasshopper has no food or shelter, while the ant is content to ride out the winter in his underground home, warm, happy and worry-free. The ant prepared for the long term, while the grasshopper spent his time recklessly and foolishly.

Success must be desired, planned for, and maintained. It should never be unexpected (you are working for it after all). 

            Success must be nurtured like a living thing. In many ways, it is like a child. As with flesh and blood children, your actions will have a direct effect on how your success grows. You must guide your success, and if you are a good parent, your success, like grateful descendants, will tell stories of your actions long after your time here has passed, as will certainly be the case with my great Grandfather. 

Are you practicing your craft, and getting steadily better?

Are you protecting your reputation?

Are you learning as much as you can?

Are you surrounding yourself with positive people?

Are you saving any of your income, or constantly making it rain at the club?

Are you planning for the long term, or are you spending money like an iced-out grasshopper?

Success can be a wonderful companion or a cruel mistress: wonderful if you can keep your head, but vicious if you’re not disciplined enough to handle her whimsicality.- Hank

The ability to discipline yourself… to delay gratification in the short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term… is the indispensable pre-requisite for success. - Brian Tracy

You must have long term goals to keep you from being frustrated by
short term failure.- Charles C. Noble

One step at a time is enough for me.  Impatience is simply a way 
of beating yourself up. - Susan Jeffers 

We invite ANY success-driven individuals (entrepreneurs, musicians, artists, students, etc.) to share their stories for the inspiration of other such individuals. Send to huhblog@gmail.com. Thanks! 

12 Traits of Highly Successful Entrepreneurs By Ajaero Tony Martins

What are the traits of successful entrepreneurs that set them apart from everyone else? What trait do entrepreneurs like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Lawrence Ellison and Richard Branson have that the ordinary entrepreneurs don't? All these questions are going to be answered in this article.

After studying the lives of successful entrepreneurs, I have been able to pinpoint 12 traits that make them successful. Without wasting your time, below are the 12 traits of successful entrepreneurs:


1.   Successful Entrepreneurs are proactive learners: Entrepreneurship is a life long process and successful entrepreneurs know this. Things change so fast in the business world; you could be an innovation today and become obsolete tomorrow.
 
To stay on course and adapt swiftly to the ever changing trend, successful entrepreneurs keep studying and learning. They read industrial journals, books and magazines. They attend seminars and update themselves regularly with the latest industrial trend.
Successful entrepreneurs know that their cup is never full; they know that they don't have the right answers to all questions. So they humble themselves and learn when availed the opportunity.


2.    They thrive on risk: I have never seen a successful entrepreneur who rose to the pinnacle of success without a measurable amount of risk. Successful entrepreneurs are risk takers; they risk their time, energy and resources with the hope of building a strong business. If they fail, they risk losing everything they've ever owned. Risk is the main reason many employees fail to start a business.


3.    They work for free: Working for free is one of the traits of successful entrepreneurs that set them apart from others. It's hard to find individuals who will be willing to work for free, without pay for many years but successful entrepreneurs do this. They work on their business for many years without pay. Being an entrepreneur, I can attest to this trait because I have built businesses without getting a dime from them for some years.


All profits generated are re-invested into the business. To be a successful entrepreneur, you must always bear in mind that you are not building a job for monthly pay. Instead, you are building an asset that can generate residual income for you and add value to humanity in the coming years.


4.  They work longer hours than employees: Successful entrepreneurs are known for their extraordinary resilience and long standing commitment to the course of building a business. Building a business is never easy and it requires time and dedication. Some entrepreneurs are known to work for 70 - 80 hours per week while average employees work less than that. So if you are going to join the league of successful entrepreneurs, then you definitely need to develop the trait of working longer hours than normal.


5. Successful entrepreneurs learn quickly from mistakes: Of all the traits of successful entrepreneurs, this one interests me the most. Many individuals shy away from the game of entrepreneurship because of the fear of making mistakes. They perceive mistakes as bad because mistakes sometimes cost money and pain; so they avoid it like a plague. But successful entrepreneurs see mistakes as a learning tool; they see it as an opportunity to learn something new. "Even a mistake may turn out to be the one thing necessary to a worthwhile achievement." - Henry Ford


Successful entrepreneurs make mistakes in business but they don't quit. They know mistakes are part of the process of entrepreneurship, so they learn quickly from these mistakes and move on. If you are being held back by the fear of making mistakes, I will suggest you read the article "How to learn from your mistakes in business." "Excuses cost a dime and that's why the poor can afford a lot of it." - Robert kiyosaki


6.  They have the ability to run on debt: As a rule of life, we are all indebted to someone in one way or the other. With respect to building a business, I have never seen a successful entrepreneur that hasn't been in debt. Everyone owes but successful entrepreneurs know how to use debt to their advantage, they know how to use debt as an instrument and leverage to build a business and get richer. "Be careful when you take on debt. If you take on debt personally, make sure it is small. If you take on large debt, make sure someone else is paying for it." - Rich Dad


7.    They are accountable and responsible: Successful entrepreneurs are accountable and responsible for the failure or success of business. They shoulder the responsibility of piloting the business through its trying times. If they succeed, it becomes a plus to them but if they fail, they will be held responsible.


8.    They thrive on criticism: Another trait successful entrepreneurs share in common is the ability to forge ahead in the face of criticism. Building a business comes with its own challenges; as the entrepreneur, you are bound to be loved and hated by the public. But successful entrepreneurs always devise a means to use every bit of criticism to make themselves better and stronger.


"When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it." Henry Ford "Sometimes, I think my most important job as a CEO is to listen for bad news. If you don't act on it, your people will eventually stop bringing bad news to your attention and that is the beginning of the end." - Bill Gates


9.    Successful entrepreneurs are ambitious: Ambition is one of the traits of successful entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs think big and do things big. They are never satisfied with their current achievement; they believe there is always room for constant improvement and they go for it.


Take a look at Mukesh Ambani's achievement in building Reliance Group; the world's largest refinery. Lakshmi Mittal built Mittal Steel, the world's largest steel producer. Look at Larry Ellison's ambition to surmount Microsoft. In generality, entrepreneurs are very ambitious personalities.


10.    They are opportunist: This is another trait of successful entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs share a common ability to see opportunities, where others see problems. They know that behind every problem lies an opportunity. Successful entrepreneurs are the drivers of creativity and innovation. "The way to make money is to buy when blood is running in the streets." - John D. Rockefeller


11.    They are great leaders: Successful entrepreneurs are great leaders with a proven leadership strategy. They possess the ability to bring out the best in their employees. They inspire creativity and foster innovation. They also have the ability to hire and lead smarter individuals. "Good leadership consists of showing average people how to do the work of superior people." - John D. Rockefeller


12.    Successful entrepreneurs are team players: “I want to start my own business," 'I want to be my own boss,' 'I want to do this my own way.' These are the words I often hear from would be entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs know that entrepreneurship and investing are team sports. So therefore; they never work alone, they join forces with other entrepreneurs and professional advisers to build a stronger business. 
"Go to the wolf, consider its ways and be wise. A wolf will never hunt alone; it hunts in packs because it knows the power of team work." - Ajaero Tony Martins


In conclusion, these are the 12 traits of successful entrepreneurs which you must possess to succeed. Successful entrepreneurs were not born with these traits, they developed them over time. You can also develop these traits if only you are willing.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/entrepreneurship-articles/12-traits-of-highly-successful-entrepreneurs-2848605.html

About the AuthorAjaero Tony Martins is a serial entrepreneur, investor and a prolific blogger. He blogs about his entrepreneurial experience and provides hard core business development strategies on http://www.StrategicBusinessTeam.com, You can also follow him on twitter @StrategicTeam

How to Make Success Quotes Work for You By Joshua Shelton

Over 110,000 people search success quotes every month. That ton's of people looking for how to be successful, motivation on success, and how to learn from other people who have made quotes! It's not a bad idea really. Search for a success quote, find a site with great success oriented material, find your quote of choice and then let it sink into your thinking. Once you let the quote sinks into your thinking, you might just start thinking successfully! Here are a few ways to make success quotes work for you:

1. Memorize it. Once you search for a quote and find one that truly inspires you, you need to have a way to let it really make a difference in your life. The best way to remember a quote is to commit it to memory! Then, when you need it, it will "flash" into your mind.


2. Find the principle within your success quote. Every quote has something to be learned and applied. What makes these quotes so popular is that someone successful said the "saying". That saying came from YEARS of experience. The years of experience are held within your success quote. In theory, you should be able to glean a lesson from it. If not, you probably wouldn't have chosen it! Find out the principle behind the quote.


3. Use the principle in your life! This final step almost seems obvious doesn't it? Why would you go through the hard work of searching through lots of quotes and finding a principle within your favorite one if you aren't going to use the principle in your life? You wouldn't. 


The final step is sometimes more difficult than the other, but it doesn't have to be. All you have to do to really make your success quote work for you is to take action.
With so many people searching for the best success quotes, I would encourage you to really make your quotes work for you. It's a simple way to bring great results in your life without too much effort. You've done the work, now reap the results.

Daily Success Place has tons of resources like articles, videos and book titles to make you more successful. Check it out at: http://www.dailysuccessplace.com

Goal Setting And A Positive Attitude By Jodi Collins

Goal setting and positive attitude will get you a long way in life and the business world. The Law Of Expectation, which is simply this: If you expect to fail, you will; and just the opposite: if you expect to succeed you will do just that.

Thus, it' s all in the way our minds perceive the situations or circumstances that we are in. You can change the way that you perceive things by taking a negative thought and replacing it with a positive thought. This you say is not easy, but if you break down every moment in your life into segments and stop the chatter and focus on that one moment and think positive thoughts we will eliminate all negative thoughts, Plus focus on the things that we want to manifest into our lives instead of focusing and acting on the things that we do not want.

Goal setting is a great way to achieve those things in our lives that we desire. A great way to goal set is to get a Dream Board, this is a cork board that you can hang on your wall. 

What do you desire? A bigger house, a sports car? What ever those dreams are make them into a visual aid. By this I mean grab a magazine and find the pictures of the things that you desire, post them on your dream board. This way your dreams are not far away. You will manifest these things into your life by just having that visual to look at. Goals get cluttered about if they are not written down firmly in a place where you can reflect on them. This is why the dream board is a highly effective tool.

All of us have the power to change and overcome any obstacles in our way by changing our self image. Doing affirmations is a great way to focus on the things that you want to manifest into your life, if you have self limiting beliefs(which we all do) you will not obtain anything that you truly desire in life.

(Example of A Affirmation)

I Had self limiting beliefs about myself and that I thought that I could not achieve anything, So I would always give up and never try anything because I was so scared to even try or I found Myself setting up road blocks along the way. I was literally setting myself up to fail, because I had a self limiting belief that I could not achieve anything better for myself. I started with some affirmations to try and get rid of my self limiting thoughts And beliefs. I was told to take an index card and right down my affirmation in the present tense.

So my problem was that I always gave up so in present tense I wrote this on my index card:

" I have never given up"

I was instructed to read this affirmation to myself for 28 to 30 days and these simple little words would change the course of my thinking.

Well I can tell you that it worked, was a little strange when I started because, I had this voice in the back of my head saying "yeah right you always give up!" I stuck with it for the 30 days and I will tell you that as of six months later I have not given up on anything.


I run a highly successful business out of my home and it has never come into my train of thinking to quit. Self Improvement is an ongoing process, to be successful you have to continually work on your self and your business.

Goal setting and a positive attitude will manifest your wants and desires. If you take responsibility for your actions and thoughts on a daily basis you will achieve anything that you want to achieve.

                                    Achieve your dreams!


How you see yourself is the way you’ll end up being. - Kenneth Cole

We first make our habits, and then our habits make us. - John Dryden

Are You Ready For Success?

As I was scanning the web for inspiration today, I came across an article about two financial advisers who revealed a startling statistic: 70% of lottery winners are broke within a few years of winning. 70%! My mind wandered to the stories of the athletes that made millions and went broke. Millions of dollars gone in quite literally the blink of an eye. Why? Because planning for the rewards of success is the last thing on people’s minds. 

While it IS very important to lay out how you will achieveyour personal greatness, it is also essential to know how you willmaintain this wonderful new lifestyle. Unfortunately, many people fail to consider that there is life AFTER the initial honeymoon period, and this lack of preparation will lead invariably to their eventual demise.

I have been planning and building the “Huh?!” brand for quite a while.  I even went back to school to finish my business degree in order better understand the complexities of my new “Huh?!” endeavor (I really recommend college as an excellent resource for refining ideas and meeting knowledgeable mentors). As a result, I was able to do much of the research and refining of my project in a pretty creative and nurturing environment.

During the course of my schooling, my professors (seasoned business people in their own right) peppered me with questions: “Will you manufacture or will you outsource? Will you use American companies or will you import your materials?” I was forced to consider many variables.

One of the professors finally asked, “Have you thought about how your life will change when you become successful, and how you will sustain that new level of existence?” That last question brought a sobering thought home to me: most people are more focused with the CHASE to get to the new level, not with the actual BEING on the new level.

Consider a band of bank robbers. They plan how they will enter the bank. They consider what they will steal, and how long they will be in the bank. They consider their getaway. They also consider that they will live out their lives inconspicuously so that they don’t get caught. You must also develop a plan that includes the before, during, and after. Thieves who suddenly go out and buy expensive cars, “make it rain” at the club, and flash big money at the ladies… will find themselves broke and in jail before the sweat dries on the dancer’s garter.

I bring this up because Huh?! Blog had a very important meeting today (I’ll reveal more on Twitter and Facebook as events unfold). As the exciting possible scenarios were discussed, I considered in my head what will happen as we navigate these new waters. I considered how much more I’ll be working, and the possible strain my new responsibilities would put on me.

 I imagined how my life would change, and a slow smile spread across my face. I know that a great new phase of life is right around the corner for us, and I know that we won’t be coming back to this particular situation again. We’ll be alright, though. We’ve got a plan. Please make sure you have one as well.

“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” Jim Rohn  (Entrepreneur and Speaker)

Even a [wise man] comes to grief by giving instruction to a foolish disciple, by maintaining a wicked wife, and by excessive familiarity with miserable [people]. Chanakya (Writer & Politician)

“The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail.” Napoleon Hill (Author, Think and Grow Rich)

“Self-disciplined begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don’t control what you think, you can’t control what you do. Simply, self-discipline enables you to think first and act afterward.”  Napoleon Hill (Author, Think and Grow Rich)

 One of Huh?!® Blog’s next posts will be made up of advice for people trying to “raise their game and live better”. Send us a short e-mail or a Tweet with your best advice (@huhblog or huhblog@gmail.com). Your words may be just what the doctor ordered. Please let us know if you want your name included with the advice. We love crediting people for their hard work and insight.

http://www.streetlevel.com/2010/05/26/broke-ballers-11-athletes-who-threw-away-their-million-dollar-f/

http://www.lottoreport.com/sadbuttrue19.htm