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Dear ,
With the holidays nearly upon us I wanted to share with you some inspirational thoughts from legendary author and speaker Jim Rohn.
Sadly Mr Rohn, as he is respectfully referred, passed away recently but his ideas and inspiration will be with us for ever.
Also in this edition is a one minute fun quiz to find out which is our member's favourite inspirational movie. There are only 3 questions and should only take one minute.
There is also a great article on dealing with stress - just in case you get snowed in and the inlaws have to stay for an extra few days!
Look out for your next issue, where we will lift the lid on New Year's resolutions and share the results of the one minute quiz.
Wishing you and your family happy holidays
Daniel
URSuccess.net
The Two Choices We Face by Jim Rohn
Each of us has two distinct choices to make about what we will do with our lives. The first choice we can make is to be less than we have the capacity to be. To earn less. To have less. To read less and think less. To try less and discipline ourselves less. These are the choices that lead to an empty life. These are the choices that, once made, lead to a life of constant apprehension, instead of a life of wondrous anticipation.
And the second choice? To do it all! To become all that we can possibly be. To read every book that we possibly can. To earn as much as we possibly can. To give and share as much as we possibly can. To strive and produce and accomplish as much as we possibly can. All of us have the choice.
To do or not to do. To be or not to be. To be all or to be less or to be nothing at all.
Like the tree, it would be a worthy challenge for us all to stretch upward and outward to the full measure of our capabilities. Why not do all that we can, every moment that we can, the best that we can, for as long as we can?
Our ultimate life objective should be to create as much as our talent and ability and desire will permit. To settle for doing less than we could do is to fail in this worthiest of undertakings.
Results are the best measurement of human progress. Not conversation. Not explanation. Not justification. Results! And if our results are less than our potential suggests they should be, then we must strive to become more today than we were the day before. The greatest rewards are always reserved for those who bring great value to themselves and the world around them as a result of who and what they have become.
Top Tips for Dealing with Stress
Granted, it may appear a little unusual to include an article about dealing with stress in a festive newsletter. However for many, Christmas can be one of the most stressful times of the year. Hopefully not in your household but just in case you have a friend who may need it, here goes...
Start by identifying the stressor(s) and taking stock of your reactions to this stress.
Notice the emotional and physical responses you have to stress. Do your muscles tense? Do you get headaches? Do you get nauseous or have stomach pain? Do you get nervous and irritable? Don't pretend it isn't an issue. Be objective about your reactions.
Next, figure out what you can change and how you can relieve or eliminate the stress.
Can you take those tasks or situations that cause you the most stress and schedule or spread them out so that you can tackle them when you are prepared and rested, rather than taking them on in a whirlwind with other things going on at the same time?
Can you shorten the time you are exposed to the stress?
If for example, your boss is a great stressor in your life, don't schedule a one-hour meeting with her if you can avoid it. Instead, try stopping by her office to talk briefly, or if you must schedule time, schedule it during times of the day when you are less likely to feel harried. And keep the meetings short and to the point. Stay on track and don't get off on tangents that may make the situation more stressful.
If you have times of day or situations where you are under a lot of stress, try to take a break.
Walk outside for a few minutes or go to get coffee. Break the pattern and then come back refreshed to finish the task.
If you focus on making changes to avoid the stress - for example, extending timetables to make a project more feasible, or setting more realistic goals - you will hit the problem at its root cause instead of trying to run and catch up all the time.
Try to analyze and alter your reaction to stress. Much of the damage done by stress is not done by the event itself, but instead by your body's reaction to the event.
Your body and mind perceive danger and react accordingly and everything becomes exaggerated. The danger seems more threatening, the task more daunting, and the outcome more dismal.
Reason with yourself and ask "what is the worst that can happen?" Are you overreacting to the stressor and making your fear and emotional response worse?
Is everything as critical and time-sensitive as you think or are you just overly sensitive to pleasing everyone, all at the same time?
Don't obsess over the negative factors and predict failure. Stick to the positive and, even if there are issues, focus on the things that worked well and note them.
Then revisit the places that didn't work so well, with a more objective eye toward improving the process, and try not to place or take blame. Just be sure to learn from your experience and the next time it will go better.
And remember, everyone makes mistakes!
Whatever you do, don't go into a project or situation by predicting doom. You will never succeed that way and in the process, you will endure the stress of trying to consider every 'what if' and failure in the book.
Learn how to mitigate stress by diffusing it when it happens. When your heart starts to race and your palms get sweaty, take a two-minute time out and try some deep, slow breathing. It will reduce your heart rate and bring your mind back into focus.
Consciously relax the muscles in your shoulders and neck, the muscles around your jaw and in your scalp. Unclench your hands and close your eyes. Just for a moment.
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