Living Out Loud

Simply Successful Secrets

I've been tagged by She Who Held My Hand as I started my blogging journey, Business Blog Angel, Claire Raikes.  I've done a bit of research and this meme was started by Aaron Potts at Today is that Day who is conducting research into success habits to share with his readers, based on the premise that one of the best ways to achieve success is to emulate the efforts of other people who are successful.

I'd say that's a project worth being part of, so I'm going to play.  What I do nearly every day to be successful is:

I set an intention for how I want my day to go, and particularly how I want to be today.  I believe in deliberate creation and I also believe in unconscious creation.  And I'd much rather create my day deliberately than unconsciously so, for me, setting an intention at the outset is the way to go.  I also set intentions for specific outcomes I would like during the course of the day.

I read affirmations.  I have about twenty affirmations posted strategically all around the house so that I can't help but come into eye contact with them several times a day.  They help me to remember to focus on what I want, rather than don't want, and to keep my energy high.

I keep a gratitude journal.  For me, success is about being happy with who I am and what I've got in my life right now.  Having an attitude of gratitude is a powerful tool in developing and maintaining personal happiness, and I try to record what I'm thankful for every night.  Doing so helps send me to sleep not only feeling happy about the day I've had, but looking forward to the delights of tomorrow.

Gotta Get Goals

I first saw this challenge on Think Positive! Blog about a week or two ago.  It was started by Alex Shalman who wants you to "list and write about the top 5 to 10 goals that you gotta’ get so that you can truly say you have achieved your wildest dreams in life. These have to be your best, most exclusive, and over-the-top goals that you can pick off your goals list."

I came across it again this week on Ramblings from a Glass Half Full, Zen Habits and Make it Great! and it seems it won't go away until it moves from the bottom to the top of my "Could Do" list (I don't do To Do's anymore - too stress inducing!)  However, while I do set myself goals all the time (well what do you expect, I am a life coach), I like to remain flexible with them and more focussed on what wants to happen right now than what I "should" be doing to get to my desired destination.

So, my list is more intention than goal based.  Here it is:

1. Remember to live joyfully in the present moment, in a constant state of gratitude and unconditional love
2. Live in complete freedom by remembering that I always have a choice (even if external factors make it appear otherwise)
3. Be the change I want to see in the world (borrowed from Mahatma Ghandi)
4. Continually stretch and grow, especially as a writer, coach and workshop leader
5. Share my journey with a romantic and spiritual partner who is my ideal traveling companion
6. Be of service to others by helping them find their own route to true, inner happiness and inspiring them to live joyfully in the present moment
7. Ok this one is definitely a goal: Financial Freedom.  But the intention is to always feel abundant while I’m patiently waiting for the physical manifestation of all that lovely money
8. Be fit and healthy (a little goal here too: seriously reduce my cholestorel score!)
9. Remember to look for the opportunity in every challenge
10. Keep smiling, laugh often, have as much fun as possible and spread a little happiness each and everyday

I'm really glad I've done this, and I'm going to post a copy of this above my desk.  Now it's over to you.  What are your "Gotta Get Goals"?  The rules require you to post a trackback back here from your post and also to Alex's orginal post.

My first Blogroll link

Woohooooo!  I just got my first link from another blog.  This is soooo exciting.

I'm very new to blogging, having started tentatively in January because I wanted to get into the habit of writing more and making it a bigger part of what I do.  After reading about Business Blog Angel Claire Raike's blogging telecass in Judith Morgan's newsletter I signed up straightaway and found my confidence growing steadily.

What really took me by surprise about blogging is how much I enjoy the medium.  Writing my own blog has opened me up to a whole new world and I'm now gleefully exploring all the wonderful blogs out there.  I could gladly spend my whole day reading blogs if I didn't have other work to do...

Anyway, the fab thing about finding a great blog, is often they provide links to other great blogs, and so the discovery continues.  One of the great blogs I discovered in the last week is Ramblings from a Glass Half Full, written by Starbucker.  And today I've discovered that while I slept Starbucker added me to his Great Links.  (check him out today - his latest post stresses the importance of finding happiness at work - a subject close to my own heart)

Thank you Starbucker!  This is such a great boost to a novice blogger.   

Happy Friday everybody!