Tag Archive for goal setting

Successful People And Their Lessons In Adversity

February 19, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments

Successful people deal with adversity. It’s true.

fish being successfulRead the stories or profiles of most successful people. You’ll be surprised at just how adverse many of their situations were.

They often tell the stories for others to learn and to use to overcome adversity. I read those types of stories to help me with GenuLines posts.

Here are some suggestions for you to do the same.

 

 

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Profiles of successful people

These contain gems of information and can act as a resource for everyone else. The story is one aspect of reading about them.

But how they dealt with their situations is often a source of inspiration. When you become inspired, you increase your chances of effective problem-solving.

Inspiration doesn’t last forever, unfortunately. You need to reinforce the message.

If you can, try to set aside time to read one story of a successful person every month. This will help you feel inspired.

And it will give you ideas on how to use the stories to make your life better.

Some people’s stories are dated
But their techniques may be timeless. A perfect example of this is Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People.

The stories themselves describe people and occupations of days long gone. But, his techniques are as valid today as they were back then.

You can read all about the stories of successful people and get inspired. But, if you don’t take action, it will be of little help to you.

At that point, you become nothing more than a dreamer. Having dreams is good, but you need to make sure you take action on those dreams.

Common ground
Reading the stories of successful people often shows that they’re just like the rest of us. There isn’t anything superhuman about them that led them to their successes.

You’ll find a common theme among those facing adversity. They had persistence and kept a positive attitude.

Those two attributes will take you far when facing any situation.

Finding successful
You can choose to read stories online or find material in your local library. You can also choose to find stories on the internet.

Be careful of the resources you find online. Anyone can publish whatever they like while sounding convincing and authoritative.

Check the resources. And keep a critical eye out for people who don’t present qualified information.

Get into the habit of reading about successful people. You’ll shift to a successful mindset yourself.

And you’ll have a memory bank of stories to draw inspiration.

JohnK 2-18-2019
chiforyourself.com home

 

stick figure shows successOverheard: “A minute’s success pays the failure of years”
                               ~Robert Browning

 

 

 

disclaimer for routine message

Being a Perfectionist May Be a Sign of Low Self Trust

February 5, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments
 
 
Are you a perfectionist? If so, your expectations may be set too high. GenuLines takes a look at this tendency, flaws and all.
 
 
So you’re a perfectionist
target for perfectionistIt’s natural to want everything to be perfect. The trouble is there’s no time for it.
 
You’ll be disappointed to find that most people aren’t perfectionists.
You need to learn how to manage expectations.
 
 
 
It’s a delicate balance, and you have to know when you’ve done as much as you should. You can always do more, but you need to move on.
 
You snooze you lose
Another problem with perfectionism is that you may miss opportunities. Suppose you decide to hold off releasing a product because you want to put more features into it.
 
You delay the release of the product by several months. But you see that your competitors are finished releasing their versions.
 
The product you would have released was better than your competitors. Customers would have likely bought your products over your competitors.
 
Try explaining that one to management or shareholders!
 
Spreading the news
Good customer experiences with products get shared with friends and family. This sharing also occurs on social media channels, which in turn, can go viral.
 
It’s more challenging to build up a product that’s not yet released than it is to build up one that is.
 
When perfectionism is okay
There are cases that call for perfectionism. Medical techniques and technologies come to mind.
 
In most other fields, though, perfectionism will hold you back. It’s not necessary, and it only leads to frustration and delays.
 
Of course, you should never release products that have a sloppy design. Or are dangerous to the consumer.
 
That’s where this delicate balance comes into play. The product needs to meet safety guidelines.
 
Your reputation is at stake, and you don’t want customers bashing your product or your brand. In this case, it may be necessary to delay the release of products until they are safe, etc.
 
In self we trust
How is being a perfectionist a sign that you don’t trust yourself? You think that nothing is ever good enough and that you have to keep striving to be better.
 
When you trust yourself, you can reel in expectations to manageable levels.
 
JohnK 2-4-2019
 
 
perfectionist stick figure
 

Overheard: “If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content”

                             ~ Leo Tolstoy   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for the perfectionist
 

Failed To Reach A Goal? Move On And Learn From It!

December 20, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

 

So your goal(s) for 2018 failed. You’re looking for a better 2019.
 
But you’re not really sure how you’ll do it. Maybe it’s how you’re looking at it. 
 
Today GenuLines looks at failure and offers some ideas on how to re-frame it. 
 
 
 
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Failed To Reach A Goal? Move On And Learn From It!

We tend to think of missing our goals as something shameful, undesirable. Failing to realize our intentions can cause negative feelings.
 
No matter how big or small the goal.
 
failed at samurai
 
The way to overcome those feelings is by changing the way you understand failure. It’s part of the success process and it teaches valuable lessons if we know how to learn from it.
 
Ways to redefine failure and learn from it
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Learning from your mistakes is about more than just thinking about what went wrong.
 
The first step towards using failure as a tool for success is to stop seeing mistakes as shameful.
 
Think about it – a mistake is not only a natural part of embarking on a new project; it is also part of the human experience. Accept it as a necessary step towards achieving your goals.
 
In her article “Strategies for Learning from Failure”, Amy C. Edmondson classifies mistakes:
 
Preventable
These are the mistakes we often think of as bad. They result from a lack of focus or attention to the procedures needed to achieve the goal.
 
Complexity-related
 
These mistakes happen when the goal is the product of various factors. They include:
 
  •       your own motivation
  •       previous skills
  •       your environment
  •       support network
  •       your resources
 
If any of these fail, you might be unable to reach the goal.
 
Intelligent mistakes
According to Adam Mendler, having the freedom to make mistakes increases creativity. And it boosts work performance.
 
Mendler looks at the pressures to avoid mistakes and the shame that comes with them. Minus those, he found that employees contribute more often.
 
And they’re able to express more original ideas.
 
For example, many inventors stumbled upon some of the great inventions. Think Post-It notes or penicillin.
 
There is a beginning step toward learning from the setback, whatever its source. Remove any negative feelings about it and re-frame it as a source of new knowledge.
 
What’s next?
Rethink your approach to your goal
 
Now that you’re looking at the mistake without judgment, think of how you got into the situation.
 
Guy Winch* suggests you analyze your motivation levels, focus, and mindset.
 
Did you feel less motivated to achieve your goal at some point? Did something else distract you from it?
 
If your dedication and focus decreased at any time, make note of it and try to find the cause. Identify the internal and external causes that affected your resolve.
 
This helps you prepare for them in the future.
 
At times you can discuss the failure with someone you trust. This might help you see the issues from a different perspective.
 
Rely on your support network to pinpoint what went wrong and how you could’ve prevented it.
 
Plan ahead
Identifying what caused the mistake is not enough to prevent it in the future. You need to take steps to prevent that mistake from happening again.
 
Say your goal was to write a novel in six months. You’ve identified a few reasons why you couldn’t achieve it.
 
They include lack of time, insufficient planning, or lack of motivation.
 
But what can you do to prevent those issues from getting in the way of your goal in the future? In our example, you could scale down the scope of the novel.
 
Spend more time planning the story. Or set a specific time to write undisturbed.
 
Bottom line?
Failure is not permanent.
 
“Accept” failure. Analyze its causes. And look at how you can by-pass those causes.
 
Now you’re on your way to achieving your goals.
 
JohnK 12-20-2018
chiforyourself.com home
 
 
 
 
man with failed plansOverheard:  “The errors of great men are venerable because they are more fruitful than the truths of little men.”
                     ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
 
 
 
 
 
 
* “The 4 Keys to Learning From Failure”- Guy Winch
 
* “What Sales Executives Can Learn From Failure”- Adam Mendler
 
 
 
 
 
 disclaimer for parsley
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Prioritizing: A Key Stress Management Skill

December 11, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments
We’re into a stressful time of the year, and prioritizing tasks may not be top of mind for you right now. But it’s worth thinking about, especially if the stress is really starting to build.
 
Since wellness is a high priority around here, GenuLines offers a tip “yule” be glad you used!
 
 
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ARTICLE:

 
prioritizing list
 
The skill of prioritizing can be a key tool in your ability to manage stress. It allows you to look at a set of tasks and determine which are the most important.
 
You’ll put your focus on completing those first at the expense of those lower on the list. 
 
It isn’t about working smarter, it’s about dedicating your time to the correct tasks. 
 
 
 
 
When you have a list of things to do you think that you won’t have the energy (or the time) to get through them all. So, a lot of it will get left undone and you’ll be left feeling guilty about what you couldn’t get to. 
 
But when you take the time to prioritize them you ditch the guilt. You’re more efficient.
 
It seems as though there’s an 80/20 rule in every aspect of life and prioritizing is no different. In this case, the rule states that 80% of your activities contribute under 20% of your value of work. 
 
Focus on completing 20% of your tasks (the most important ones of course). This way you’ll achieve more.
 
This should make your working life run a bit more smoothly and allow you to spend more quality time with your family (or yourself!). 
 
The Trick To Prioritization 
 
Well, there actually isn’t a trick. It’s all about choosing what you should be doing and what you shouldn’t be doing.
 
High priority tasks should be taken care of first. No doubt you’ll have more energy to do them at the start of your day anyway.
 
To achieve this, though, you need to be able to see what tasks or projects are of greatest importance. These jobs will help you achieve long-term goals, or have a consequence for not completing. 
 
You might be thinking that everything on your list is important – they’re all urgent. But in the big picture many of the activities you consider urgent are not.
 
Good prioritizing lets you finish the most urgent/important tasks early in the day. Then you can shift your focus to the non-priority tasks.
 
These are more than likely the jobs you find most rewarding. It’s human nature to put off tasks that aren’t enjoyable and instead indulge your enjoyable tasks.
 
You can put tasks in order of importance to keep yourself on track or categorize them. The choice is yours and you should choose whichever method would serve you best.
 
You can have a list of A tasks, B tasks, and C tasks. Of course, anything in the A category should be completed first and then you can move onto the B’s and then the Cs. 
 
While you make your list question yourself about tasks you can delegate or remove. 
 
Wrenches In The Mix 
 
What about unplanned activities? They can throw a wrench into the works. These types of tasks crop up all the time and often throw your day out of whack.
 
You have to rely on your instinct in these situations. When you’re better at prioritizing, you’ll be more confident making judgment calls.
 
But consider your goals and determine how best to fit in unplanned activities.
 
How effectively you handle these situations will depend on how clear you are on your goals. 
 
JohnK 12-11-2018
 
 
 
 
stickman prioritizingOverheard: “Action expresses priorities.”
                           ~Mahatma Gandhi
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

How Much Exercise Do You Need Every Day To Lose Weight?

May 16, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments
Warmer weather seems to be more conducive to exercise. Maybe you’re looking to break a sweat and lose a few pounds in the process.
 
GenuLines always supports good health, and managing your weight is a big part of that. 
 
Below are some things to keep in mind during your program. All the best!
 
 
 
 
 
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How Much Exercise Do You Need Every Day To Lose Weight?

Weight loss requires both a disciplined dietary approach and exercise. Other factors are important too. But, how much exercise do you need to do?
 
There’s no magic number of minutes, reps or hours needed to produce weight loss. Rather there are variables that you have to consider to reach the right numbers.
 
Here are some options to help you come up with an exercise time frame that works best for you.
 
Variable 1: Calories Consumed and Calorie Quality
 
The first principle of weight loss is that to lose weight you must reach a caloric deficit. This means burning more calories than you’re consuming.
 
barbell for exercise
 
So, to know the amount of exercise needed to lose weight, you need to know your daily caloric intake. Just as important are the sources of those calories.
 
For example, vegetables versus potato chips. If you function on a low-calorie diet you’ll need less exercise to lose weight.
 
You may be fine with a moderate 3-4 day a week training plan. If you eat large amounts of food you’ll need to up your exercise plan.
 
Variable 2: Exercise Type and Intensity
 
The second key variable is the type and intensity of exercise. 20 minutes on the elliptical has a far different energy output than 20 minutes of all-out sprinting.
 
kettle bells for exercise
 
This variable can also dovetail with our first variable. The greater the calorie consumption, the more energy for high-intensity exercise. Otherwise, you may not need to exercise for an especially long time or at a high intensity.
 
In general, aerobic-intensive exercise is different. It requires a longer time to see any sort of effective impact on weight loss.
 
Jogging, biking, the elliptical or other options eat up more time. This could consume hours over the course of a week before you see a meaningful impact.
 
Anaerobic activities will be more effective in a shorter amount of time. These include sprinting, resistance training or interval training methods.
 
But, their intensity level is much higher. So, you’ll need a certain level of fitness to get the full potential and results.
 
Variable 3: What is the Weight Loss Goal?  How much time do we have to achieve it?
 
The third variable is arguably the most important. Think of your car ride or travel plans.
 
They’re determined by your destination. Your exercise plan and weight loss journey will be dictated by the goal we have set. If the goal is to lose 5 pounds in two months, that is a fairly modest and achievable goal for most.
 
If you’re a sedentary person you would only need to exercise 20-30 minutes a day for 3-4 days a week to achieve this goal.
 
Conversely, if your goal is to lose 30 pounds in two months, the equation is quite different. This would involve more hours every day at high intensity to achieve that same goal.
 
Putting it All Together: Finding the Right Number
 
We’ve examined the variables. Now we can consider how much exercise we need per day to lose weight.
 
jogging for exercise
 
Let’s say you have a low caloric intake, low-intensity aerobic exercise, and a modest goal.
 
You might be O.K. with 30-45 minutes of aerobic exercise a day. Not so if you love to eat, love to lift weights and also have an ambitious goal for weight loss.
 
You’re going to have to spend considerable time every day working out to reach those goals. Your best bet would be to assess your starting point as compared to your goal.
 
Look at how much time you have to reach that goal. Then make your plan to reach it.
 
This is a better bet than relying on a standard number or cookie-cutter approach.
 
JohnK 5-16-2018
chiforyourself.com home
 
 
 
 
 
 
Image for exerciseOverheard: ”Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
                           ~ George Bernard Shaw
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Feeling Hungry? Get A Plan!

May 2, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments
Picture this. You come home from work stressed, exhausted, and hungry. You decide that tonight might be a great night to order in.
 
Hungry woman
 
Do you find yourself doing this two or three times a week because your life is so busy? The scenario isn’t meant to shame, Most of us have been there.
 
Life doesn’t stop because your day has been crazy busy.
 
 
 
 
The kids still need to eat. The laundry still needs to get done. And you still have a night of balancing your checkbook ahead of you.
 
Let’s be honest, who would have time to even think about cooking with a schedule like that? This is where the importance of planning comes in.
 
When you’re able to plan your meals ahead of time you won’t need to hit that drive-thru window. You’ll already have your dinner ready, all you need to do is heat it. With everything already in place, you can focus on other things while your food is cooking.
 
Taking one or two hours a week to plan your meals might seem like a hassle. But this can save you hours in the future.
 
Doing something once a week is a lot easier than doing it several times a week. One trip to the grocery store and one afternoon in the kitchen. This can produce an entire week of meals for your family.
 
But planning your meals is only the beginning. You can also plan your trip to the grocery store.
 
What was once a headache can be a breeze when you have a categorized list in front of you. Make an Excel spreadsheet and list your grocery categories in bold, (frozen, produce, meats, etc.).
 
Then put each item under the appropriate category and print it out. Now you have an easy-to-use, focused list that will keep you on track.
 
And, your printout can be a template for your future grocery lists.
 
JohnK 5-2-2018
 
 
 
 
 
Image for hungryOverheard: “True healthcare reform starts in your kitchen, not in Washington”  
                        ~Anonymous
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Bringing Change To Your Life: Ya Gotta Want It!

April 25, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Bringing change to our lives is great conversation fodder. But, are we really doing what it takes to bring about change?

Today’s article will give you some ideas to kick-start the process of changing your life.

Julie Simon on changeWhile we’re on the subject of change, I hope you had a chance to hear the CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Julie Simon. Our topic was emotional eating. Getting an upper hand on that tendency can bring major change to your life.

 

You can listen to the show by clicking on below:

radio logo for change

 

 

Some of the talking points from the interview:

  • Emotional eating defined
  • Julie Simon’s experience as an emotional eater
  • Re-wiring the brain for better eating
  • Weight loss as a New Year resolution
  • Emotional eating: women and men

 

 

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_______________________________

ARTICLE

People often say that they have at least one wish or desire to change something about their lives. Unfortunately, they often don’t move to change this.

They’ll say that their reason for not attaining their goal is lack of motivation. Then there are those who would say this is a lack of effort rather than a lack of motivation.

Let’s take a look at some reasons why people don’t put the effort into making a lifestyle change.

1. Lack of a reason

To make any type of change in your life you need to have a good reason to do so. Having a goal is wonderful but the reason you have to reach that goal fuels your decision.

Those reasons could include attracting more money for a move to a new location. or for funding more opportunities.

2. Setting too large a goal

Weight loss is a perfect example. If you want to lose 70 pounds don’t focus on this amount.

Instead, you can set smaller goals, say 7 pounds a month. That can help you stay on task.

If you meet this goal in less time that’s great. If you’re struggling, don’t give up. Refocus and set your next monthly goal at 5 pounds.

3. No vision

Having a vision of what you want is a great way to stay motivated. This is why it’s smart to keep track of your goals.

You can do this in various ways, depending on your goal. If that goal is to lose weight then keep photos and images of your progress.

If it’s another type of goal you might want to keep a journal or blog about your journey.

This way you can see what you are struggling with and what you’re accomplishing.

4. Lack of Support

Not having a support network can hurt your efforts to bring change to your life. Getting support from family and friends can be a big boost toward realizing your goals.

Put these four factors into practice. You’ll find that you have both more drive and more commitment.

And, you’ll finally start making those lifestyle changes you’ve dreamed about.

JohnK 4-25-2018
chiforyourself home page

 

 
Image for overheard for changeOverheard: “There is no man living that can not do more than he thinks he can.”
            ~ Henry Ford

 

 

 

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Ira Israel on CHI FOR YOURSELF And A New “Freebie”

February 13, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Ira Israel pictureLast week’s CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Ira Israel ran into some “technical difficulty” as they say. So it was not available to you live. But my conversation with Ira was recorded.

Ira Israel is the author of How to Survive Your Childhood Now That You’re an Adult: A Path to Authenticity and Awakening.

 

First, a look at some of the show’s talking points:

  • The central theme of the book
  • The meaning of “negativity bias”
  • A definition of authenticity
  • The part resentment plays in our lives
  • Is there such a thing as the “mid-life crisis?”
  • The myth of romance
  • Beginning the process of forgiveness

…and, the show itself. Listen by clicking on below–

 



 

 

A new CHI FOR YOURSELF “freebie” is up and available. Get this free report on dealing with stress when you click here–

 

FREE Stuff

 

 

 

 

JohnK 2-13-2018

chiforyourself.com home page

 

 

 

Ira Israel on CHI FOR YOURSELF And A New “Freebie”

February 13, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Ira Israel pictureLast week’s CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Ira Israel ran into some “technical difficulty” as they say. So it was not available to you live. But my conversation with Ira was recorded.

Ira Israel is the author of How to Survive Your Childhood Now That You’re an Adult: A Path to Authenticity and Awakening.

 

First, a look at some of the show’s talking points:

  • The central theme of the book
  • The meaning of “negativity bias”
  • A definition of authenticity
  • The part resentment plays in our lives
  • Is there such a thing as the “mid-life crisis?”
  • The myth of romance
  • Beginning the process of forgiveness

…and, the show itself. Listen by clicking on below–

 



 

 

 

A new CHI FOR YOURSELF “freebie” is up and available. Get this free report on dealing with stress when you click here–

 

FREE Stuff

 

 

JohnK 2-13-2018

chiforyourself.com home page

 

 

 

A Grown-up Look At Childhood: Ira Israel on CHI FOR YOURSELF

February 8, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

It’s our first (first run) CHI FOR YOURSELF episode of 2018! 

Ira Israel pictureOur guest will be psychotherapist and counselor Ira Israel, author of How to Survive Your Childhood Now That You’re an Adult: A Path to Authenticity and Awakening.

Ira offers a step-by-step path to recognizing the ways of being that we created as children and transcending them with compassion and acceptance.

Hear the CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Ira Israel on Friday, February 9th at 4 pm Eastern, 1 pm Pacific time at chiforyourself.com

 

JohnK 2-8-2018

chiforyourself.com home page

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