The 12 Commandments of Goal Setting

Many professionals have a basic idea of what they want to achieve in their careers. They may want to close more sales, earn a higher income, or move into a different job. However, somehow they do not achieve the success they desire. Why? Why is it that intelligent, motivated, hard-working individuals are not achieving the success they deserve? It is because they haven’t set clear goals.

They may have a general idea of what they want to accomplish, but the mind does not work effectively with generalities. If you want to earn a higher income and you earn one more dollar, have you achieved your goal? No, of course you haven’t. Because you were not specific about what you wanted to accomplish, your creative mind could not assist you in reaching your true objective.

In order to be effective, goals must be written down in the present tense using clear, specific, vivid words. For example, if your goal were to earn a salary of $50,000 per year, you would write. “I now earn $50,000. per year in a job that is fulfilling and allows me to express myself creatively.”

Completing the following steps will help you set goals effectively so you can achieve positive results in your career.

1. Decide what you want to accomplish. The goal should be very specific. If you want to close more sales, how many more sales do you want to close? What do you want your closing ratio to be? If you want to move into a different job, what are the characteristics of that job?

2. Determine a deadline for accomplishment. A goal must have a deadline. If you do not have a date on it, the goal is only a wish or a dream.

3. Determine that the goal is believable to you. You must feel that the goal can be realized. If you believe it is impossible to achieve, you will never take the action necessary to make the goal a reality.

4. Where are you now? Take a current inventory. You will never know how far you have to go if you don’t know where you already are.

5. What obstacles do you need to overcome? Is there something that may make it difficult to achieve your goal? Be aware of the obstacle so you can make plans to overcome it.

6. What knowledge will you need to acquire? Will you need to earn a professional designation or take certain courses? Will you need to research new markets?

7. What organizations and groups should you associate with? Are there certain groups of people that can make it easier for you to accomplish your goal? How can you become affiliated with them?

8. What are the benefits to you? Write down as many benefits as possible. The more benefits you can come up with, the more likely you will be to stick to the goal until it is achieved.

9. Develop an action plan. Determine the specific steps that will be necessary to achieve the goal. Start at the accomplishment of the goal and work backwards.

10. Visualize yourself accomplishing the goal. See yourself in clear detail as if you have already achieved the goal. If you want to close more sales, see yourself closing more sales easily. Do this over and over again until it becomes part of your subconscious mind.

11. Take daily action towards the goal. Dreams and goals require action. The best goal in the world will never materialize unless consistent action is taken.

12. Resolve to never quit. Decide that you will never give up, even when times get tough, until your goal is reached.

Taking the effort to complete the steps in goal setting is not easy. However, when you follow these steps, your success is almost assured.

About The Author

Della Menechella is a speaker, author, and trainer who inspires people to achieve greater success from the inside out. She is a contributing author to Thriving in the Midst of Change and the author of the videotape The Twelve Commandments of Goal Setting. She can be reached at della@dellamenechella.com. Subscribe to free Peak Performance Pointers e-zine - send blank e-mail to mailto:subscribe@dellamenechella.com.

A Form of Modern Art

The Wish Lantern is a beautiful thing to behold, but it is also an interactive form of art. In that case what are they doing hanging out in warehouses in wimbledon, when they should be displayed in the spaces of the Tate modern? Wish lanterns would make truly sensational pieces of artwork. They combine many different art disciplines, from sculpture (ther are three dimensional), to fine art (you can draw on them with highlighters- carefully!), to light installations (they are lanterns after all). If you were to get a few well known artists together, and give them each a lantern upon which they can go to town. They must of course be told beforehand that they must handle the delicate rice paper with the utmost care. This should not be too difficult for men and women whom are probably used to handling all manner of different materials.

Once Anthony Gormley and Tracy Emin and whoever else had created their masterpieces, the lanterns could be set off in a ceremonial launching, with a few important guests invited to watch. Once the lanterns had floated naturally back down to the ground, they culd then be auctioned off to raise money for a worthwhile cause- that hasn’t be worked out yet. It would be a triumphant event.

Don’t Disregard Algebra

Algebra is one of the primary branches of maths which studies structure, relation and quantity. Numbers, symbols, elements, and variables are all within the domain of algebra. Students are introduced basic constructs and methodologies of solving equations in elementary algebra like solving radical inequalities, understanding polynomials along with factoring binomials, trinomials and polynomials as well as the determination of their roots.
Many beginners in algebra prefer linear equations as they are the simplest to resolve. Simultaneous equations with two or three variables is an extension of linear equations. As we move on further in the sequence to quadratic, bi-quadratic and cubic equations, they get more and more complex to resolve.

The Origin of Algebra

Everyone who is keen on studying algebra requires to go through elementary algebra as it lays the base for intermediate or college algebra. In addition to mathematical expressions, it also consists of all kinds of equations like linear, quadratic and cubic. All geometric shapes such as circle, hyperbola, and parabola can be interpreted as equations.
The equations can be solved for different combinations by producing a graph. Lines are the product of graphing simple linear equations. Systems of equations can also be resolved graphically which is sometimes easier. A system of equations is two or more equations with the same number of variables. They can be both linear and non-linear. Systems of equations with inequalities (example; x>y) when graphed creates an area on the graph which matches the inequality condition.

Matrices are one of the most crucial areas of linear algebra which aids solving complex problems like the ones present in electrical networks. A matrix is a rectangular range of numbers organized in rows and columns. A matrix comprise of many numbers and they are called entries. Several functions like addition, multiplication and decomposition can be performed on matrices thereby providing theoretically and practically useful mathematical solutions.

Finding Aid for Algebra

Algebra constitutes the spine of numerous other applications of maths, science and engineering. Once computer engineering got in to the world of algebra, it has taken algebra to a new dimension by help resolving century old problems within a matter of few hours. Although algebra seems complicated, the reality is fairly different. There is a plenty of help and tutorials available to assistance you excel the world of algebra.
Net resources like algebra solver are interactive, present algebra lesson and aid you resolve many things associated to algebra from Algebra-1 to College Algebra. If you have not followed something in the algebra class or feel that you have missed an crucial mathematical construct, online tutors, Internet resources, and online algebra courses of study can provide you that additional help. Algebra calculators head you through your homework with a gradual calculations and explanations. You can improve your knowledge with the aid of the interactive tools. By taking an online test, you can self appraise your mastery of algebra.

Discover Yourself and Capture Your Purpose

Paula is the most popular girl in high school. Only people who meet the criteria can join her social circle. The school seems to revolve around her. Her rival is Eva who is another snob. Eva hates Paula (and the feeling is mutual). One day Eva follows Paula home, hoping to find some dirt. Finally, Paula arrives at a homeless shelter. Eva becomes unhappy because she feels Paula is performing community service (just another medal on Paula’s chest). However, Eva is startled. Paula enters the food line and takes soup. She then sits her books on the bed and kisses two dirty old bums. Paula glances up and sees Eva. Paula is overcome with fear. One of the dirty bums looks up at Paula and says, “Tell momma who’s your little friend?” Paula gets hysterical.

Do you know who you really are? This seems funny until you look all around and see people pretending to be something that they really are not. In our seminars and everyday life, we talk with many people on a very personal level. Some people appear totally together on the outside, but sadly enough, they are decaying on the inside. They are so obsessed with portraying the right public image that they fail to achieve their purpose. Images are the roles people play in life, like actors, to help them jointly co-exist with their personal needs and the demands of society. Having the right image is natural and a part of you, unlike performing a role on stage. On stage, an actor recites lines, but when a person has the correct image, he or she writes the lines instead. Unfortunately, some people are only interested in what others think of them. Why else would people a) buy cars and homes they can’t afford, b) get in relationships with people they don’t love, c) join organizations that contradict their beliefs, or d) maintain friendships that are quite shallow? Are people really that lost? According to one study, 36% of people surveyed viewed their bodies as the most critical aspect of their self-esteem.

Understanding how you feel about yourself is key to your success. Self-concept is a combination of beliefs that interpret how you feel about yourself and your environment. These beliefs start when people are children and continued to develop, as they become adults. Brian Tracy, goal-setting expert, says, “Whenever you have a high self-concept, you perform well.” The self-concept has three ingredients: self-ideal, self-image, and self-esteem. First, your self-ideal is a combination of all of the attributes and qualities of people that you most admire (an aunt, father, Michael Jordan, etc.). The self-ideal sets the course for your life. People are always measuring themselves against this model. Secondly, the self-image is the way you see yourself and think about yourself. Lastly, self-esteem is the single most important element that will determine your attitude and personality. Self-esteem is defined, as how much you like yourself. The more you like yourself, accept yourself, and see yourself as a valuable person, the higher your self-esteem will be. Here are some things you should consider:

1. How do I really feel about myself?
2. Who am I trying to be like in my life?
3. What outward image am I portraying (family, co-workers,etc.)?
4. How positive is my self-concept?
5. Am I in negative surroundings? Will I change that?

Your attitude is a good place to start changing your self-concept. Success begins in the mind. Your self-ideal determines your direction. Your self-image determines the way you will perform. Your self-esteem determines your energy level, motivation, and enthusiasm about life. The more you perform consistently from day-to-day in the way you want to perform, the higher your self-esteem will be. A good attitude provides a positive filter through which you can shield your self-image from all of the negativism. “Doing your best” simply means you recognize that success starts with doing your best with whatever tools God has given you.

Daryl D. Green has published over 100 articles in the field of decision-making (personal and organizational), leadership, and organizational behavior. Mr. Green is also the author of two acclaimed books, Awakening the Talents Within and My Cup Runneth Over. He is a columnist, lecturer, professor, and management consultant. Mr. Green has a BS in engineering and a MA in organizational management. Currently, he is pursuing a doctoral degree in strategic leadership. For more information, please email Mr. Green at pmla@att.net

10 Ways To Hold Your Focus and Get Your Goals

Hocus, Pocus, it’s all about focus. That’s the real magic of goals!

‘Once set, the final thing to do is to make our goals visible. Put our written down goals where we will see them everyday. Look at them often and surely success will follow, as day follows night.’

The above success principle has been praised by just about all those who have applied it. Those who do not apply it usually get left in the dust, goal-less. There are some who are able to bypass this principle and still enjoy great succcess, but they are few and far in between.

In my experience with goal setting, past and present, I find that in addition to writing them out, pictures of my goals and associated items, help me to visualize actually having them, just as if they are in a layaway catalogue, all I have to do is pay the price to pick them up. This allows me to think that it is just a matter of time until they arrive! This really helps to allay any negative vibes that may crop up during the adventure.

At the time, I was rarely successful at staying consistent and focusing steady on anything important. I mostly just played at life. I knew all the rules of success but was haphazard at applying them, no consistency. This does plague me from time to time.

That is until I got serious . . . 1987. That year I quit smoking, quit drinking, and quit being lazy! I dropped 60 lbs. in 3 months, and worked up to running 5 miles a day. I experienced the power of Focus! I wrote an article about how I made that happen. I called it, Set Your Mind To Win and you can read it at: http://www.realgoalgetter.com/articles/smith/set-your-mind.html . In it I explained some of what I did to achieve those goals. This article actually follows up on that one, with a little more detail, and in a different way.

That next year, 1988, I made a decision to take my wife to Hawaii. I remember it was a vacation trip though that I really wanted for my wife and I. It was her dream trip to Hawaii, she had never been there. So we planned two weeks in October that year. It all seems so long ago, actually it was. At the time of this writing it is 2004.

Back then, I didn’t have any of the the resources that I needed to take this trip, and I didn’t know how I was going to do it. I was flat broke. But I did know that I wanted it for my wife and I. This was a tremendous amount of cash for me to come up with in so short a time. For me this was nigh impossible! There were no past references in me to even think this was possible. I didn’t even have a savings account at the time.

Being in Sales and Supervision at the time, one of the procedures to make it easy for people to buy was to break down the necessary actions, payments etc. to the ridiculously simple, so they would believe it was not only possible but absolutely doable! I brainstormed all the things we wanted to have and do on our trip, all that it would cost, and totalled it up. I would need at least $8,000.00 in order to make it happen. I needed to break this down into timelines.

I pushed the negative self talk aside every time it came up. (And it came up often, believe me) I came up with ideas I needed to act on and I started to break them down into 5 smaller actions, and then into 5 smaller actions until I came up with a ridulously simple thing, that I could believe I could do and that I could do right there and then, and just waded into them one at a time.

I booked the trip in May, without having all my ducks in a row, heh, heh. I booked the time off at work and having told all my colleagues what I had planned, I couldn’t back out. Talk about a public commitment, and a commitment to my wife is not easily broken, so I pulled out all the stops to make this trip happen. I tightened my belt on a lot of things that I didn’t need and also worked my tail off to earn extra income so I could save some for the trip. I lived and breathed that trip every day.

I surrounded myself in my car, house, and office, with post cards, pictures, magazine articles, travel books, videos, sun tan lotion, even a fake grass skirt that I picked up in a yard sale and hung around my bathroom mirror.

I made an audio recording and listened to my own voice on tape of how I was making things happen, and I visualized (imagined) how successful I was at taking each of the actions necessary. I set out my intention. (Positive Self Talk in my car) This was weird stuff, believe me I felt weird at the beginning.

I talked about it all the time. It served it’s purpose though and kept my focus strong, and concentrated my power! I never let myself forget for a moment that I wanted this Hawaii trip badly, and that I was on the hook for this. I kept reminding myself in every way possible that this trip was important, I mean, almost life or death important.

Well, I made that trip happen just the way I wanted it, and my wife was ecstatic. One week on Oahu, and one week on Maui. We took 33 rolls of film in two weeks, a visual reminder of the fun and good times we had. My wife had her dream trip, and I had a real life reference that would change how I went after my goals forever.

Making this trip happen really made it clear to me that goal setting really works big time, as long as you keep your eye on the ball. Since then, I work on my goals regularly, always keeping them in mind. I have a dream collage of pictures framed on my wall, and I have a long list of ‘wishes’ that I have yet to take action on. I just have to pump up the volume from time to time.

I am not perfect by any stretch but I keep at it. After I met this challenge, I sure haven’t got any excuse for not having or doing something.The best reward I got from that experience was the feeling that I could achieve basically anything providing I stoked my desire high enough, and managed my thoughts and focus.

When you have one gargantuan goal, that by going after it, you automatically achieve all of your others, this helps to keep your focus concentrated, and your energy does not get dissipated by going in a lot of different directions. Just like Napoleon Hill writes about how powerful a ‘Magnificent Obsession’ can be.

Please do not take this as ‘bragging’ as my intention is only to demonstrate that anyone can do, have, or be whatever they want as long as you pay the price asked. Who in their right mind would brag about a small amount like $8,000.00 anyway in this day and age?

Let’s see some of the focus activities I used in doing this:

1. Write down my goal and review it frequently. Immerse myself in it.

2. Surround myself with associate items, pictures, smells, feels, and/or tastes.

3. Think as if it’s on layaway, it’s in the bank, and confidently pay the price.

4. Create future references by visualizing you have received them already.

5. Talk about them all the time, and record my own enthusiastic voice to listen to.

6. Control my focus by crowding out the negative, overwhelming it with positive.

7. Break down my actions to the ridiculously simple, be specific.

8. Commited to myself, my wife, and everyone I cared about. (built up importance)

9. Set my mind to ‘win’, there is no other option to consider.

10. Have faith that this will happen, use the peak to peek principle.

One focus to success. Build momentum in all things instead of distraction. It is all about focus. You can make this work for you too. The real question to ask yourself is this:

How can I take these 10 ‘focus’ strategies, use them as a ckecklist of sorts, apply them to my most important goal, make them work for me, and enjoy the process?

Well, how can you? And will you? You Can Do It!

Go for it!

Copyright 2004 Al Smith, All Rights Reserved

Al Smith writes for and publishes The Realgoalgetter Ezine.
His articles deal mostly with goal setting, self improvement, motivation, and overall health and fitness. Stop by The Realgoalgetter Website and subscribe to The Realgoalgetter Ezine at http://www.realgoalgetter.com/ezines/index.html .

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Improved Prostate Function the Natural Way

BPH, or benign prostate hyperplasia, is a medical phrase for a swollen prostate gland. In layman’s terms this actually means the prostate gland, a mass the shape of a walnut sited just beneath the bladder and wrapping around the urethra, swells this can reduce and potentially even block urination. The prostate gland enlarges with maturity and as a result may result in complaints such as troubles passing water, weakened urinary flow, and even urinary retention. Nighttime frequency and frequent infections of the urinary pathway are other symptoms that may result from a swollen prostatic gland. So What Is Benign Prostate Hyperplasia?

Men over 60 frequently develop an enlarged prostate. An annual examination is suggested for every male over 50, even should no problems present, to help maintain improved prostate wellness. Inability to pass water or the presence of blood whilst passing water is a sign to seek immediate medical treatment.

Surgical procedures and drug therapy are routine interventions for an enlarged prostate gland. However, impotence and loss of normal bladder function can be observed as a result of surgery. An alpha blocker or medicines that reduce the affected prostate can also be given to improve prostate function, but medications often have negative repercussions. Which alternatives are recommended? Suffering From an Enlarged Prostate? The Alternative Way to Improve Prostate Fitness: To promote better prostate health and also relieve the common symptoms brought on by prostate enlargement, a few remedies are indicated. Inflammation may be eased by Afican pygeum, supplying relief from any symptoms. A derivative of the fruit of an evergreen tree indigenous to southern Africa, African pygeum has been employed regularly by the Europeans for a number of years as a therapy to encourage improved prostate health.

Dietetic changes such as cutting back the consumption of fat may also improve symptoms, so will excercising on a regular basis, pressure in the prostate may be lessened thru ejaculating more regularly, and trying to cut out periods of extended sitting. Prostate related symptoms are frequently made worse through utilizing antihistamines and decongestant drugs bought over-the-counter, consume these medicines with care. Further suggestions also include to cut out having any liquids near going to bed to cut down the need to urinate overnight, and cutting back alcoholic drinks and drinking much less coffee and tea may decrease the symptoms experienced.

Prostate Gland function can also respond to other supplements these are the herb saw palmetto, starflower oil capsules, the chemical element selenium, and lycopene, which can be extracted from tomatoes. Do make sure you talk over your plans with your physician prior to commencing the holistic treatment of a swollen prostate.

Ten Tips For Setting (And Keeping) Life Changing Resolutions

It’s time for that annual ritual of making (and breaking) our New Year’s resolutions. There is something about the idea of being able to start over that motivates us to pause (at least briefly) and reflect on our lives as they are, as well as how we would like them to be. Yet how many times have you thought back to last year’s goals and found that many or most of them were abandoned or just forgotten after a few weeks or months into the year?

Many of us have difficulty following through on our resolutions due to factors such as choosing unrealistic goals, not making them challenging enough and/or lacking the necessary motivation to stick with them. The following tips should help put you on the right course and assist you in staying committed to your most important goals for 2006.

Start with a life vision

If you don’t know what you want your future to look like, how can you decide what areas of your life need to be worked on? Spend some quiet time TODAY reflecting on (and writing down) what is good, bad or incomplete. Then try to “see” your life if all of these areas were addressed and had become satisfactory to you.

Get organized

Clear away clutter. Go through paperwork, files, old bills and receipts, closets, drawers and storage containers. Decide what you need and will use and either throw out or give away all the rest. Put aside some time each week for this purpose. After you have cleaned out you can think about your existing systems for management and storage and see if these need reworking or just some fine-tuning. Keep ONE calendar to record all appointments, events, etc. Write down everything- don’t rely on memory.

Expand your horizons and make a commitment to learning something new.

Challenging yourself will infuse you with greater energy and sense of purpose. It will help build your self-esteem to realize you really are capable of more than you had previously believed. This new learning can also give you additional resources to assist you in your career, personal or love life.

Set challenging but realistic resolutions

Choose goals that stretch your ability muscles, yet are realistic and therefore less vulnerable to failure. Don’t respond to that negative inner voice that says; “oh, I’m not capable of that”. Instead, focus on what you truly desire for your life and relationships and let this be your guide.

Write down your resolutions

Write them down and stick them on your bathroom mirror, your fridge, your car dashboard, your desk or wherever you know will be a good place for you to see them. You can also show them to a good friend, family member, your coach or anyone who could provide support and encouragement.

Create action steps for each resolution; write them down, and keep an accounting of your progress for each.

A resolution without planned action is doomed to failure. Break each goal down into small action steps or objectives. Putting a date for completion will help ensure you follow through. Come up with an accountability system that will work for you. Make sure you check off each accomplishment as you go and be flexible and willing to make adjustments in your action steps in order to achieve your desired end results.

Take care of yourself; eat well. Exercise regularly and learn to control and eliminate unhealthy stress.

I know this is an obvious one, so why is it often ignored or overlooked when we are attempting to make important life changes? How many times have you said, “I don’t have the time” to eat right, exercise, sleep adequately, etc? Not caring for yourself will guarantee failure. So, why not make this your first and most important resolution for 2006?

Work to eliminate bad habits

Including this as a New Year’s resolution would put you on the road to good follow-through. Bad habits will sabotage your efforts and use up your limited resources of time, energy and focus. For each bad habit you decide to eliminate, have a good habit in mind to replace it with.

Set appropriate and healthy limits in all areas of your life

Knowing your limits and enforcing them with yourself and others is a prerequisite to a healthy life and relationship. Learn to say “no” and “enough” and be firm in your resolve that this is a good thing to do. Otherwise, you will also be undermining your resolution to take care of yourself.

Work to be the kind of person you want to be with

Bringing out the best qualities in yourself will help to ensure that you attract people of good quality into your life. You wouldn’t want to compromise on the standards you have set for a potential mate. Therefore, it’s important to understand that this also holds true for other people in search of relationships.

Now begin this year with the resolve to be the person you know you have the potential to be. You’ll be pleased with the wonderful changes that await you!

Toni Coleman, MSW is a licensed psychotherapist, relationship coach and founder of http://www.consum-mate.com As a recognized expert, Toni has been quoted in many local and national publications including: The Chicago Tribune, The Orlando Sentinel, New York Daily News, Indianapolis Star and Newsweek newspapers and Family Circle, Woman’s Day, Cosmo Style, Tango, Men’s Health, Star (regularly quoted body language expert), and Nirvana magazines. She has been featured on abcnews.com; discovery.health.com; aolnews.com; MSN.com, Match.com and planetearthradio.com. Toni offers dating help and relationship advice as the weekly love and dating coach on the KTRS Radio Morning Show (St. Louis, MO) and through her syndicated column, “Dear Dating Coach.”
Her newsletter, The Art Of Intimacy, helps over fifty-five hundred subscribers with its dating and relationship advice. Toni is a member of The International Coach Federation, The International Association Of Coaches and The National Association of Social Workers.

I Hate My Voice!

At least once a week one of my trainees tells me “I hate my voice.” This is usually followed by a solemn declaration that somehow all recording voices distort his or her voice in an unflattering matter.

What’s going on here?

Perhaps you have noticed when you hear your own voice on a voicemail or on a home video recording that it doesn’t sound like you at all. Actually, it does sound like you, just not the you that you are used to listening to.

All of us hear our own voice in a distorted manner, only it’s not because we have big or small egos. We hear a distorted voice because we are hearing the sound distorted from the bones in our head. We hear our voices on the inside and the outside. The structure of our skulls messes with our own sound and muffles it in a way that it doesn’t do for someone simply hearing us through their ears from across the room (that’s not exactly using scientific lingo, but that is the science behind the theory)

Often during my trainings when I play back a video recording of one of my students, he or she reacts with “that’s not how I really sound.” But he or she notices that when their colleagues are videotaped, the sound they hear when the recording is played back is exactly the same as when the colleague was giving the speech live. The student realizes that there is noting wrong with the recording device.

When people tell me they hate their voice, they aren’t lying. But the real problem for most people is that they are just unfamiliar with their voice and that when they hear their voices for the first time the way other people do, the difference in perception is so great that it is shocking.

It is this disconnect that they don’t like, not the actual quality of their voices that they abhor.

Very few people have voices so mellifluous that they can make a million dollars a year doing voiceovers for TV commercials. The good news is that you don’t have to have a voice like that to be an excellent communicator.

Barbara Walters has a speech impediment, but she makes more than $18 million a year, in part, with her voice. Rudy Giuliani has a lisp, yet he is paid more than $100,000 for an hour’s worth of work to give a speech. John McCain has a sibilant “s” problem, yet he is a political and media darling.

If you think your voice is holding you back, chances are you are just obsessing over a nonexistent or minor problem.

GET OVER IT!

Your voice isn’t that bad. If you speak with passion and excitement and you have an interesting message, chances are your voice won’t prevent you from being a powerful communicator.

TJ Walker is the worlds leading speaking coach, author of “Presentation Training A-Z.” and “Media Training A-Z.” He is the current host of http://www.Speakcast.com and http://www.SpeakingChannel.tv and can be reached at info@speakcast.com. You can read more of his presentation and media tips at http://www.tjsinsights.com

Timothy Walker - EzineArticles Expert Author

Acquire Sports Shoe Items on the Internet Today

Sports footwear is probably the most key piece of equipment you will obtain so it is vital that you pick the best shoes.

A large number of people do not appreciate that there are big differences in the way in which sports footwear support your feet. It’s not great for your feet if you participate in football or tennis in the identical shoes you use for jogging.

“Unfortunately, sixty-five percent of the United Kingdom’s recreational men and women athletes put on the incorrect trainers for their preferred leisure activity,” he says. “Shoes are the most critical piece of sports equipment you will ever buy & altering what you wear on your feet can avoid damage.”

Football can put plenty of strain on the feet, particularly when playing on tough pitches for example AstroTurf. The boots can also put stress on your feet, & it’s not unusual for a footballer to suffer from corns, calluses or damaged, thickened and ingrown toenails. A great, well-fitted pair of boots is necessary & there shouldn’t be any signs of pressure on the foot after a game or training session.

Racquet sports: It is very important when participating in racquet sports, for example table tennis or badminton, to choose trainers particularly designed for the purpose. These sports involve a great amount of side-to-side movement & sports footwear won’t offer the right stability. Racquet sport shoes are heavier and more firm than jogging trainers, because their toes are manufactured for stop-and-go action. Comfort must be your core priority and It’s very important to substitute your sports trainers on a regular basis.

Hill-walking is a marvellous way to begin a gentle exercise schedule, while the more adventurous go for mountain climbing. It is great for your cardiovascular health but is lower impact and so comes with reduced risk of harm. Find superb deals on vibration plates online today.

The Three Essential Attributes of a Leader: The Demonstrated Abilities

Leaders need to:

1. Have a vision to which they are committed

Leaders arrive with a vision: a deeply thought out view of what to do to make a difference in the complex, competitive world of today.

The qualities of their commitment and their vision set them apart.

They may not know all the steps to deliver their vision but they know what it will look like when they arrive, and, they are committed to that point and beyond. This level of commitment to a vision, that no one else may share, is either craziness or powerful beyond measure. Time is often the factor that enables us to differentiate.

Galileo and Copernicus were socially ostracized, persecuted and one of them executed for their interpretation of their observations (vision) that the earth revolved around the sun. Facing death for your vision is quite a commitment!

Mother Teresa felt moved to go to the slums of India and represent the needs of ‘her people’. She was not averse to taking advantage of the invitations of powerful leaders, to ask for help.

The engineers who conceive of huge projects have it. Often the technologies to deliver the results are not available yet. The huge new airbus with two layers of 747 sized seating, if built with current technologies would weigh twice as much per passenger, creating fuel costs that would be non-commercial.

To find the technologies to make it weigh less per passenger, when we may not know what they are, then make them safe, cost them and deliver requires an amazing commitment to the vision with the financiers breathing down your neck!

What vision do you have? What is the contribution you wish to make in the world?

What level of commitment do you have to your vision? These people showed us what it is about. It is at a level that we are willing to discard our illusions about ourselves, our personality and find out what is real in us. Not by standing on the sidelines and planning it, but by doing it and making it work! Many of us work at this level each day but justify it in other ways and lose the generic insight to be gained.

2. Have the ability to communicate the vision to others.

We need to be able to communicate our vision to others so that they can bring their expertise to enable the delivery of it!

This has two parts. They want to see our level of commitment and excitement about it - to know we are really in this. This is not difficult, not many leaders stumble here.

Secondly, they want to understand the incremental edge or quantum leap it will provide in the market place so that they can understand which part they might ‘own’ and why their expertise is needed in the delivery.

To have a vision, understand the current market place, and understand what to break, to do something different is great. To communicate what this means to others, such that they begin to share your excitement is rarer.

It requires us to know what assumptions are made by most people, see beyond this to another truth and take advantage of that niche.

Toy’r'us was one of the first category breakers. Mum’s and Dad’s toy stores folded as they could not compete against the Toy’r'us offering, the prices and the buzz within the store.

The internet provided massive opportunities to change the face of many businesses. The need to have a shop front for a real estate business in a busy area, has now been superceded by a virtual tour, or simple presentation of the property on the web.

Richard Branson’s debonair nose-thumbing of conventional models of corporate control and the success of his businesses have opened our eyes to some of our assumptions.

Can you see your assumptions about the corporate model? Can you see the assumptions of others? Can you communicate the difference that others can join you in your understanding? (a tool of deep appreciation of individual motive is useful here: the Enneagram provides much insight.)

3. Attract others to join and follow with them

A leader with a vision and a level of commitment is great, that they can communicate what they have is wonderful. Now what the high potential people, who can transform this spark into reality, are saying is, “Great commitment and great idea but not for me… or not now.’

What the leader needs are key people to join them - the vision will take a very long time to deliver, or it will arrive in a very small package without this.

Magnetism is the word for this powerful, yet subtle energy. The ability to magnetize themselves such that others are subtly attracted to them, the vision and the transformational process such that they want to join in.

To be magnetic, is to turn heads when you walk into a room. People aren’t sure why but they are interested in some subtle energy you command.

Without this, the communication looses it power and does not gain the support of the levels of expertise it requires to be delivered.

McDonalds is a wonderful business based on young people running a well thought out structure. Yet the expertise to run a real estate business, based on hamburger profits, with a great system required much expertise to be attracted and retained.

Most companies have high potential staff identified, and being developed. Many are beginning to understand the complexity of retaining them. These high potentials often have the communication skills and the magnetism, they are just seeking the passionate project to join and commit to. If it isn’t provided by their current role, in their time frame, they move on in their quest for it.

To be a leader requires some serious and non-linear development to enable these qualities within you to be identified, developed, polished and delivered.

With these three attributes, we have the fire of commitment, the command of ourselves, and the tools to enroll significant talent to deliver. Our leadership has the wings to deliver results.

EzineArticles Expert Author Rosemary Johnston

This article may be reproduced in printed or web format, provided the resource box below is included.

Rosemary Johnston is a professional corporate and personal coach. Working with executives from some of Australia’s largest and most successful companies for over 15 years.

Rosemary’s new book, “How To Develop Your Leadership Style and Skills to Take Charge of Your Career and Life” is now available to download at her web site. Read about how you can share some of the success Rosemary has had coaching leaders in Australian blue chip companies. http://www.leadershipfirst.com.au

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