How To Achieve Greatness In Your Life

Everyone has a different vision of success in life. Your greatness can be defined as anything you wish; you simply need to do some self-reflection to decide what is most important to you.

Here are some questions you might ask yourself:

• How important is financial wealth to me?


• Is having a happy or large family the most important thing in my life?


• Are there certain skills or gifts that I would like to master?


• When I die, what will be the most important goal I achieved?

How To Achieve Your Goals

It doesn't really matter what you've set as your true calling, maybe it's becoming a millionaire, living on the beach, or having a large family. The most important thing is that you have found your definition of greatness that personally applies to you.

Your next step is to form an action plan on how to achieve this goal. It may take a lifetime, but the only way you're going to get there is with a plan!

Think Less Do More

It's easy to get lost in your thoughts and plans, but you won't achieve greatness by daydreaming alone. You need to take some powerful action to get there! Greatness won't just fall into your lap - you need to work hard in order to get there.

Small Steps

Your definition of greatness is probably a lofty, multi-year goal, which can be a very intimidating and daunting task. But it doesn't have to be so bad when you plan things out day by day in small, manageable steps.

It's vital to take life day by day and, at the same time, keep the bigger picture in mind. When you set and achieve your small daily goals, you'll build momentum without getting too overwhelmed.

Surrounded Yourself With Good People

It's always great to be in the company of good, positive people. When you have someone you can look up to and model, you're bringing yourself one step closer to greatness.

It's also a good idea to be surrounded by people who can inspire, motivate, and encourage you. My biggest advice to you is to keep the negative, complaining type out of your life. Those people won't bring you anywhere good!

Setbacks

It's common to run into setbacks on your way to greatness. Things are not always going to turn out like you expect, but that is part of the journey to your success! When you hit a snag in the road, you need to pick yourself up, change course, and forge on.

Of course, you'll want to maintain a high level of enthusiasm toward your goal. If a setback has got you down in the dumps, take a short break, then trudge along again! Don't allow anything to get in the way of your goals.

You Are Already There

Every once in a while it's important to take a step back and reflect at your life. Are you enjoying your life and your journey? If so, then you're actually already living your dream.

Remember: All you'll ever have is the present moment. If you like where you are and where you're going, greatness is already yours!

Source Solve Your Problems

 

Strive for Success

Setting Goals and objections for achieving any level of success are universal in nature.

Work smarter, not harder. It's not how much you do, but what you do and how well you do it. There are better ways to run your business than by brute force. Create a work environment where people are recognized not only for their results, but also for their character and integrity.

Strive for accuracy first, then build momentum. Since you do not have a second chance to make a good impression, it is important that you always do things right the first time. It is much better to introduce an excellent product a little later than originally planned than it is to release something pre-maturely that you know has problems. Your work is your signature, make sure it’s worth something very valuable!


Find a niche. Some goals and objectives sound simple enough, but this one can be tough to achieve. Start by becoming an expert in your field. Stick to what you do best. It may not be necessary to invent something brand new yourself. Take something that is already in the marketplace and improve it enough so that you can call it your own. Provide the simple twist to the product that will outsell all others.


Build your reputation on integrity, quality and value. Don't do anything that might compromise your integrity. Once your reputation is tarnished, it is difficult to redeem yourself in the eyes of your customers as well as your employees. Maintaining your good name must remain at the top of your goals and objectives.


Always better your best. Constantly strive to improve your products and services. If you have a good idea, rest assured others will work to make a product that’s even better. In order to not be outdone by others, you must continue to seek to improve your own product or service.


Be creative. Adapt and apply innovative techniques from outside your specific field. Step out of your comfort zone. Your goals and objectives for business should be no more intense that your goals and objectives for your personal life. Continuous learning is key to your sense of self-fulfillment and personal growth.


Listen and respond to your customer's needs. Success comes when you give your customers what they want. Communicate with your customers and ask them what you can do to improve your product or service. Users of your product know exactly what you need to do to make it even better. They’ve already wished it could do more. Ask them to tell you about their wish-list/upgrade ideas. Sell solutions, not products.


Plan for Success. Know where you are going and how you are going to get there. Too many businesses exist day-to-day without any long-range plans, goals and objectives. Decide where you want your company to be in one, three and five years and draw up a specific plan of action to get you there.


Take advantage of change. Changes in your market are inevitable - use them to your advantage. Be a leader, not a follower. It is far better to error on the side of daring than to error on the side of inaction or complacency.


Think before you act and spend time wisely. There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all. Don’t spend your time on small items that are time-suckers. Focus on the BIG issues and do those first.


Always promise a lot... and then deliver even more. Provide your customers with more than they expect. Go the extra mile to give exceptional quality, exceptional service and exceptional value. Your customers will notice and reward you with their continued business and pro-active referrals.

Incorporate these into your daily routine and watch your results multiply!

Source Leadership Tools

SMART Goal Setting: A Surefire Way To Achieve Your Goals

I encourage you to pick up a pen and a piece of paper and jot down the goals you want to reach. Look at each goal and evaluate it. Make any changes necessary to ensure it meets the criteria for a SMART goals:

• S = Specific


• M = Measurable


• A = Attainable


• R = Realistic


• T = Timely

Specific

Goals should be straightforward and emphasize what you want to happen. Specifics help us to focus our efforts and clearly define what we are going to do.

Specific is the What, Why, and How of the SMART model.

• WHAT are you going to do? Use action words such as direct, organize, coordinate, lead, develop, plan, build etc.


• WHY is this important to do at this time? What do you want to ultimately accomplish?


• HOW are you going to do it? (By…)

Ensure the goals you set is very specific, clear and easy. Instead of setting a goal to lose weight or be healthier, set a specific goal to lose 2cm off your waistline or to walk 5 miles at an aerobically challenging pace.

Measurable

If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. In the broadest sense, the whole goal statement is a measure for the project; if the goal is accomplished, the is a success. However, there are usually several short-term or small measurements that can be built into the goal.

Choose a goal with measurable progress, so you can see the change occur. How will you see when you reach your goal? Be specific! “I want to read 3 chapter books of 100 pages on my own before my birthday” shows the specific target to be measure. “I want to be a good reader” is not as measurable.

Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goals.

Attainable

When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop that attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. Your begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.

Goals you set which are too far out of your reach, you probably won’t commit to doing. Although you may start with the best of intentions, the knowledge that it’s too much for you means your subconscious will keep reminding you of this fact and will stop you from even giving it your best.

A goal needs to stretch you slightly so you feel you can do it and it will need a real commitment from you. For instance, if you aim to lose 20lbs in one week, we all know that isn’t achievable. But setting a goal to loose 1lb and when you’ve achieved that, aiming to lose a further 1lb, will keep it achievable for you.

The feeling of success which this brings helps you to remain motivated.

Realistic

This is not a synonym for “easy.” Realistic, in this case, means “do-able.” It means that the learning curve is not a vertical slope; that the skills needed to do the work are available; that the project fits with the overall strategy and goals of the organization. A realistic project may push the skills and knowledge of the people working on it but it shouldn’t break them.

Devise a plan or a way of getting there which makes the goal realistic. The goal needs to be realistic for you and where you are at the moment. A goal of never again eating sweets, cakes, crisps and chocolate may not be realistic for someone who really enjoys these foods.

For instance, it may be more realistic to set a goal of eating a piece of fruit each day instead of one sweet item. You can then choose to work towards reducing the amount of sweet products gradually as and when this feels realistic for you.

Be sure to set goals that you can attain with some effort! Too difficult and you set the stage for failure, but too low sends the message that you aren’t very capable. Set the bar high enough for a satisfying achievement!

Timely

Set a timeframe for the goal: for next week, in three months, by fifth grade. Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target to work towards.

If you don’t set a time, the commitment is too vague. It tends not to happen because you feel you can start at any time. Without a time limit, there’s no urgency to start taking action now.

Time must be measurable, attainable and realistic.

Everyone will benefit from goals and objectives if they are SMART. SMART, is the instrument to apply in setting your goals and objectives.

Source Goal Setting Guide

The Heart of A Leader!

When you think of leadership what comes to mind? You can ask a hundred people and get a thousand different answers.  Some of the quotes gathered here will allow you to look at the heart of a leader and provide an overview of how only true leaders lead from a place of love and admiration.

"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." - Peter F. Drucker

"If you don't understand that you work for your mislabeled 'subordinates,' then you know nothing of leadership. You know only tyranny." - Dee Hock

"A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say 'we did it ourselves.'" - Lao Tzu

"The led must not be compelled; they must be able to choose their own leader." - Albert Einstein

"The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why." - Warren Bennis

"The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you." - Max DePree

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." - John Quincy Adams

"The leader has to be practical and a realist, yet must talk the language of the visionary and the idealist." - Eric Hoffer

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." - Abraham Lincoln

"Lead and inspire people. Don't try to manage and manipulate people. Inventories can be managed but people must be lead." - Ross Perot

"Those who try to lead the people can only do so by following the mob." - Oscar Wilde

"All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership." - John Kenneth Galbraith

"Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions."- Harold S. Geneen

"Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them." - John Maxwell

"The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision."-Theodore Hesburgh

"The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority." - Kenneth Blanchard

"Leaders conceive and articulate goals that lift people out of their petty preoccupations and unite them in pursuit of objectives worthy of their best efforts." - John Gardner

"Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The ability to summon positive emotions during periods of intense stress lies at the heart of effective leadership." - Jim Loehr

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." - General George Patton

As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others." - Bill Gates

"Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy." - Norman Schwarzkopf

I'm sad to report that in the past few years, ever since uncertainty became our insistent 21st century companion, leadership has taken a great leap backwards to the familiar territory of command and control." - Margaret Wheatley

"The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership." - Harvey S. Firestone

"One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency." - Arnold Glasow

"The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers." - Ralph Nader

"You don't lead by hitting people over the head. That's assault, not leadership." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

"Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out." - Stephen Covey

"No institution can possibly survive if it needs geniuses or supermen to manage it. It must be organized in such a way as to be able to get along under a leadership composed of average human beings." - Peter Drucker

"The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it." - Theodore Roosevelt

"A leader is a dealer in hope." - Napoleon Bonaparte

"To be able to lead others, a man must be willing to go forward alone." - Harry Truman

"Example is not the main thing in influencing others; it is the only thing." - Albert Schweitzer

"People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader works in the open, and the boss in covert." - Theodore Roosevelt

Define Your Leadership Style

Leadership has a formal aspect (as in most political or business leadership) or an informal one (as in most friendships). Speaking of “leadership” (the abstract term) rather than of “leading” (the action) usually it implies that the entities doing the leading have some “leadership skills” or competencies.

Types of leadership styles

The bureaucratic leader (Weber, 1905) is very structured and follows the procedures as they have been established. This type of leadership has no space to explore new ways to solve problems and is usually slow paced to ensure adherence to the ladders stated by the company. Leaders ensure that all the steps have been followed prior to sending it to the next level of authority. Universities, hospitals, banks and government usually require this type of leader in their organizations to ensure quality, increase security and decrease corruption. Leaders that try to speed up the process will experience frustration and anxiety.

The charismatic leader (Weber, 1905) leads by infusing energy and eagerness into their team members. This type of leader has to be committed to the organization for the long run. If the success of the division or project is attributed to the leader and not the team, charismatic leaders may become a risk for the company by deciding to resign for advanced opportunities. It takes the company time and hard work to gain the employees’ confidence back with other type of leadership after they have committed themselves to the magnetism of a charismatic leader.

The autocratic leader (Lewin, Lippitt, & White, 1939) is given the power to make decisions alone, having total authority. This leadership style is good for employees that need close supervision to perform certain tasks. Creative employees and team players resent this type of leadership, since they are unable to enhance processes or decision making, resulting in job dissatisfaction.

The democratic leader (Lewin, Lippitt, & White, 1939)listens to the team’s ideas and studies them, but will make the final decision. Team players contribute to the final decision thus increasing employee satisfaction and ownership, feeling their input was considered when the final decision was taken. When changes arises, this type of leadership helps the team assimilate the changes better and more rapidly than other styles, knowing they were consulted and contributed to the decision making process, minimizing resistance and intolerance. A shortcoming of this leadership style is that it has difficulty when decisions are needed in a short period of time or at the moment.

The laissez-faire (”let do”) leader (Lewin, Lippitt, & White, 1939) gives no continuous feedback or supervision because the employees are highly experienced and need little supervision to obtain the expected outcome. On the other hand, this type of style is also associated with leaders that don’t lead at all, failing in supervising team members, resulting in lack of control and higher costs, bad service or failure to meet deadlines.

The people-oriented leader (Fiedler, 1967) is the one that, in order to comply with effectiveness and efficiency, supports, trains and develops his personnel, increasing job satisfaction and genuine interest to do a good job.

The task-oriented leader (Fiedler, 1967) focus on the job, and concentrate on the specific tasks assigned to each employee to reach goal accomplishment. This leadership style suffers the same motivation issues as autocratic leadership, showing no involvement in the teams needs. It requires close supervision and control to achieve expected results. Another name for this is deal maker (Rowley & Roevens, 1999)[4] and is linked to a first phase in managing Change, enhance, according to the Organize with Chaos approach.

The servant leader (Greenleaf, 1977) facilitates goal accomplishment by giving its team members what they need in order to be productive. This leader is an instrument employees use to reach the goal rather than an commanding voice that moves to change. This leadership style, in a manner similar to democratic leadership, tends to achieve the results in a slower time frame than other styles, although employee engagement is higher.

The transaction leader (Burns, 1978)  is given power to perform certain tasks and reward or punish for the team’s performance. It gives the opportunity to the manager to lead the group and the group agrees to follow his lead to accomplish a predetermined goal in exchange for something else. Power is given to the leader to evaluate, correct and train subordinates when productivity is not up to the desired level and reward effectiveness when expected outcome is reached.

The transformation leader (Burns, 1978) motivates its team to be effective and efficient. Communication is the base for goal achievement focusing the group in the final desired outcome or goal attainment. This leader is highly visible and uses chain of command to get the job done. Transformational leaders focus on the big picture, needing to be surrounded by people who take care of the details. The leader is always looking for ideas that move the organization to reach the company’s vision.

The environment leader ( Carmazzi, 2005) is the one who nurtures group or organisational environment to affect the emotional and psychological perception of an individual’s place in that group or organisation. An understanding and application of group psychology and dynamics is essential for this style to be effective. The leader uses organisational culture to inspire individuals and develop leaders at all levels. This leadership style relies on creating an education matrix where groups interactively learn the fundamental psychology of group dynamics and culture from each other. The leader uses this psychology, and complementary language, to influence direction through the members of the inspired group to do what is required for the benefit of all.

From en.wikipedia.org

Define Your Purpose!

Define your purpose.

Define who you are.

What drives you?

What motivates you?

Who motivates you?

Why do you exist and what is your purpose in life?

Share your thoughts, ideas and passion!!!


Take Action!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Orlando Espinosa
 
Emineo Media

Here's to the Misfits, The Rebels and The Trouble-Makers!

Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Author Unknown

I know a few people in my circle of friends who are crazy enough to help me change the world or at least our surrounding!!!!

Let's get ready for the journey!!

The Characteristics of a Successful Leader!

There's plenty of information written about leaders and what makes them successful. A successful leader will exhibit many characteristics, traits and actions that will cause people to follow them. Here are a few thoughts on what I believe are key to a successful leader.

• Lead because you want to

• Lead with compassion and truth

• Deliver a message that inspires and motivates

• Live by the code others will emulate

• Provide a vision for the future. Offer hope

• Provide those you lead a chance to shine

• Make other people feel important and appreciated

• Live a life of integrity. Not only by words, but by your actions as well

• Set the standard others are willing to follow

• Cultivate the talents of those you lead

• Continuously learn and educate

• Create an environment of constant development

• Set the pace through your expectations and example

• Provide opportunities for people to grow, both personally and professionally

• Care and act with compassion

• Everyone has potential. Look beyond their short comings. Even if its difficult to do so

• Remember! The title doesn’t make you a leader

Keep Life Simple!

Keep Laughing

Keep Finding Humor

Keep Learning

Keep Dreaming

Keep Writing

Keep Networking

Keep Building Opportunities

Keep Life Simple

The Key Elements....

“Get inspired and motivated by your own dreams. Enthusiasm and passion are the key elements to success. It is the fuel that sparks the fire towards hard work and determination. Mark Twain said it best "Let us endeavor to live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry."

JM

The Journey.....

"It's not about the length of the journey but the people who inspire and motivate you along the way that help your dreams become a reality."

SF

Always Strive....

"You should always strive to be your own fiercest competitor. While it may feel good in certain occasions to outdo someone else, it doesn't compare to the feeling of knowing you outdid yourself!"

JP

Better Opportunities...

“Life is full of opportunities. Sometimes we stay working dead end jobs because we are fearful of our next step. We lose sight of dreams we once had and allow our circumstances to dictate our outlook on life. Survival mode takes over and our dreams never materialize because of fear. Never be afraid to take a chance because you fear making a mistake. Every mistake you make provides a valuable lesson and can make you just a little bit wiser. It can also help redirect you to the dreams you wanted to fulfill and in the process create better opportunities.”

JL

Taking Chances..

"Leadership is taking chances. Learn to step outside of your comfort zone and take the path of the unknown. The opportunities that follow might be life changing but you will never know unless you take that first step. Remember there are no failures- just experiences and your reactions to them. So believe in yourself and take risks that will lead you to greater opportunities."

JM

Action is.......

"Action is character. If we never did anything, we wouldn't be anybody!"

ST

Persistence and Perseverance!

Demonstrating exceptional persistence and perseverance can open doors to success; make sure you take an in-depth look inside yourself and what you’re made of!!!


Nathan knew what he was made of!!! He went fishing and was the only one in the group who caught a fish! Isn't that why you go fishing? It was a good day! Grandpa Jim was proud!

OE