Goals and Aspirations

Fear of Success: is it for real??

Some people have a real fear of becoming successful... yes, it is true!  Some people actually fear success.

And for the person who is afraid of succeeding... the fear is real.  Others around the person may not understand, they often think the person is being illogical and ridiculous... but the fear is very real and can be a major stumbling block for any real success in life.

How do you recognise a fear of success??:

• when you feel that something is holding you back
• deep down you know you are getting in your own way
• when you feel everything is out of control
• when you easily find distractions to keep you from what you are meant to be doing
• when you have trouble focusing your energy for very long
• when you lose your motivation
• when your confidence takes a knock

Any combination of the above can indicate a fear of success!

Why does it happen?  What is fear of success about?:

• you find change frightening and prefer to keep the status quo... in other words, you prefer to keep things as they are.  Change often involves new experiences which can be seen as scary... the fear of the unknown
• a belief that once success has happened, the expectation will be it will happen again.  This is particularly real for some students.  I have known several students who are aware of their ability and have a belief that they can do well, but they also have a belief that if they do well this time it will be expected that they would do well every other time.  To prevent that happening, they don't try very hard.  This can happen in all areas of life and at all ages
• once success has been achieved, expectations are increased!  People expect more from those who have been successful... and the successful person tends to expect a lot from him or herself and from others.  Some people cannot handle pressure of expectations they put on themselves or the expectations of others
• attention success can bring may be overwhelming particularly if the person is a very private person and does not like being the centre of attention
• success is often associated with a lack of privacy in personal life e.g. TV celebrities, sport celebrities, Royalty... the lack of personal life privacy may be too higher price to pay for success
• success, particularly in business or work, often leads to major changes in schedules.  Some people afraid of success fear their family life will be disrupted, fear they will need to work unreasonable hours, and fear their social life will come to a halt
• success may attract negative feelings such as envy, jealousy, anger, from others. Friends and family may suddenly treat the successful person differently, they may be envious of the benefits of success, and may ostracise the successful person.  For many people, this would be extremely uncomfortable therefore needs to be avoided at all costs
• success may change your personality and confidence.  Success brings about certain feelings of accomplishment and achievement.  Successful people are typically more confident, more outgoing, and more in control of their life.  Some people fear that they will change if they become successful

Fear of success is a real problem for some people... and it's a problem that can be dealt with.

Have you ever had a fear of success?  I have several times throughout my life... and I know how it has impacted my achievements over the years.

Click on the comment link below and share your thoughts and experiences on fear of success.   I'd love to hear from you.

Best wishes
Jeanne

PS have you signed up for my free 5 step e- course "Uncovering Your Dreams"... you can do so at:
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/udpromotion1.html

and have you received your complimentary copy "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!"  You can do so when you subscribe to Aspirations Plus at
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html

Fear of Rejection: What It Is and Effects Of It!

Fear of rejection is something most of us have experienced at some point in our life.

But for some, fear of rejection can be a serious problem.  When fear of rejection becomes a problem in someone's life, it affects their thoughts, feelings and actions. 

This post is about fear of rejection that has become a major problem in someone's life.

Fear of rejection affects how a person feels about him or herself, the way they view their life, the way they treat others, and the way they react to situations and events.

Fear of rejection can develop from:

• negative childhood experiences e.g. being abandoned as a young child
• never fitting in to groups especially at school
• always being last to be chosen for team games or sports
• being very shy
• having been adopted or placed in foster care early in life

People with a fear of rejection tend to:

• lack confidence and have a low self esteem
• think they are not good enough
• believe everyone judges them
• blow things out of proportion... a simple misunderstanding can become a major drama
• read too much into a situation... making it difficult for people around them to act naturally
• be reluctant in approaching people, or asking for assistance and help
• be "clingy" with the people in their lives.  This can become overpowering and result in major relationship problems
• reject others who want to become a friend -- they are usually convinced they will inevitably be rejected by others, so they do it to others before others get a chance to do it to them
• be reluctant taking up new opportunities

Much can be done to eliminate a fear of rejection and reduce its impact... which is good news not only  for the person who has a fear of rejection but also for the people around him or her!

We will look at what you can do to eliminate a fear of rejection at a later time.

In the meantime, if you know your confidence could do with a boost... take a look at this Unstoppable Confidence.  It's full of useful ideas and techniques to develop and strengthen your confidence...

Strengthening your confidence is a positive step in eliminating fear of rejection!

Do you know anyone with a fear of rejection?  How has it impacted on your life?  Click on the comment link below and share your thoughts and experiences with fear of rejection... I'd love to hear from you

Best wishes
Jeanne

PS have you signed up for my free 5 step e- course "Uncovering Your Dreams"... you can do so at:
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/udpromotion1.html

and have you received your complimentary copy "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!"  You can do so when you subscribe to Aspirations Plus at
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html

Personality Not Included: new book launched

A few days ago, I received a request from Rohit Bhargava to be involved in a launch of his new book... "Personality Not Included"...

Rohit asked me, along with other bloggers, to submit five questions to him about his book.  This was an interesting exercise for me... it's a great way to find out more about Rohit and his book!

Rohit responded to my questions and I'm including "our interview" for you to read:

1)  What Was the Inspiration behind Writing Your Book?

The main inspiration was that I believe in the topic of personality and that it is one that many people are not talking about and should be.  It brings together three of the big trends in business today, authenticity, social media and word of mouth and aims to offer a new way to thinking about business and marketing that I think is necessary to hear today.

2)  Do You Draw from Your Own Experience in Your Own Business... or from Observation of Other Businesses

I take a bit of both, but mostly draw from my direct experiences.  I didn't set out to write an academic or theoretical book ... so my aim in profling companies was to share their real stories based on experiencing their products and talking to their leaders.  Yes, I had a fair bit of observation involved, but whereever I could, I tried to have a personal involvement so I could write about an example more convincingly.

3)    How Do You Do Define Business Personality?

My definition of personality is that it has three core components: being unique, authentic, and talkable.

4)    Can the Ideas in Your Book Apply to Small Businesses?

Definitely - in fact, I would say many of the ideas are best used for small businesses. I have many ideas for small business and there are lots of examples in the book of small businesses who are using personality to great success.

5)    For You Personally... What Has Given You the Greatest Satisfaction in Getting This Book Published?

Aside from seeing my name in print on the cover of a book? ;-)  Actually,  it is the feeling that I am contributing in part to helping promote a certain point of view that I hope becomes more prevalent with marketers ... namely that we are not all liars. Marketing is a brilliant trade and my aim is to help put some ideas out there to help people do it better.  Since the book just came out today, I suspect my greatest satisfaction has yet to come ... that moment when I meet an entrepreneur who took the ideas in the book, made their business successful and has a great story to tell.  I'm looking forward to that moment.

6)    Ok I'm Cheating -- Lol -- Are You an Aussie??  I'm in Perth.

I loved Perth!  Actually, I spent five years living in Sydney and got my Aussie citizenship... so you could say I'm an Aussie -- fair dinkum.  Although I managed to lose the accent as soon as I moved back to the States.  Hope to make it back there as part of the book tour!

You can find out more Rohit Bhargava and his book "Personality Not Included" at

http://rohitbhargava.typepad.com/weblog/2008/03/book-launch-the.html

Best wishes
Jeanne

PS have you signed up for my free 5 step e- course "Uncovering Your Dreams"... you can do so at:
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/udpromotion1.html

and have you received your complimentary copy "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!"  You can do so when you subscribe to Aspirations Plus at
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html

Confidence: Having It Makes All the Difference!

Confidence is a powerful word...

Confidence is faith in your own ability... and confidence can determine whether or not you will succeed in achieving your goal.

One of the major stumbling blocks to achieving your goal, living your dream, doing anything you want to do in your life... is lack of confidence!

When people have confidence, they consistently take action and make necessary changes, and they get results and achieve all their goals.

When people lack confidence, however, they get stuck and they remain stuck.  They may have the same ability and skills as a person with confidence, but because they lack confidence they don't easily take action towards their goals.

Having confidence is essential to achieving your goals and living your dreams.

You may have the knowledge and skills to do something, you may have all your goals and action steps written out, you may have everything in place to go ahead and achieve your goal... live your dream... start doing the things that you want to do in your life.

You may have everything right ready to put into action... but without confidence, without confidence in your ability to do this and to achieve it... you won't get very far.

People who lack confidence typically:

• are very shy
• have difficulties relating to other people
• have difficulties in communicating with people they don't know very well
• rely on alcohol to give them " dutch courage" to do something
• don't get very far in their career
• don't take many risks
• settle for the sameness rather than different experiences

I don't know about you, but I have a problem with my confidence.  I know I lack confidence in some areas of my life... and it is in these areas I'm not achieving the kind of results I would like.  I'm a whole lot better than I used to be when I was younger... but I know I have quite a way to go yet before I have a strong confidence in me.

I had a need to look at why I'm not confident... and I had a huge need to increase my confidence!

This need led me to a great book, Unstoppable Confidence, full of useful information and practical techniques! 

As I read through the pages... and as I read Kent Sayre's explanation of confidence and effects of having a lack of it... I kept reading about me!  I could relate to the majority of what he was saying about lack of confidence... and I think many of you will relate to it as well.

Unstoppable Confidence provides you with a great understanding of confidence...

Kent Sayre, author of Unstoppable Confidence, takes you on a confidence building journey... he shows what a difference confidence can make in your life and how a lack of confidence can keep you unnecessarily stuck!

He teaches you many useful techniques to reduce your shyness and increase your confidence... I found these techniques easy to learn and use... and doing them has made a huge difference to my confidence level.

Take a look for yourself... Unstoppable Confidence ... you too could benefit from this book!

How is your confidence??  Are you confident in all areas of your life??  Click on the comment being below and share your thoughts and feelings about confidence... it's always great to hear from you!

Best wishes
Jeanne

PS have you signed up for my free 5 step e- course "Uncovering Your Dreams"... you can do so at:
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/udpromotion1.html

and have you received your complimentary copy "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!"  You can do so when you subscribe to Aspirations Plus at
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html

What are you thinking??

If you keep saying things are going to be bad, you have a good chance of becoming a prophet.

                                       Isaac Bashevis Singer

What are you telling yourself about how today is going to work out?  Stop for a few minutes and become aware of the thoughts playing in your head...

• are they positive thoughts?  Are they thoughts about feeling good, about feeling happy, and about things going really well?  Or......
• are they negative thoughts?  Are they thoughts about how difficult things are, about feeling unhappy, about feeling stressed, about feeling how difficult it all is... and how nothing ever goes right??

According to the law of attraction... what you predominantly think about... what you focus your attention on... you will attract more of it into your life!

What do you want to attract into your life??  Do you want to attract happiness, good will, fun, abundance of happiness and wealth and opportunities??

Or would you prefer to attract difficulties, crises, hard times, negativity??

Do you think it would be a good idea to become more aware of thoughts running through your head??  I think so!

Click on the comment link below and let me know what you think about this?  I'd love to hear from you!

Best wishes
Jeanne

PS have you signed up for my free 5 step e- course "Uncovering Your Dreams"... you can do so at:
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/udpromotion1.html

and have you received your complimentary copy "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!"  You can do so when you subscribe to Aspirations Plus at
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html

Happiness Project

Alex Shalman has created the Happiness Project which began as a series of interviews in which he asked people five questions about happiness. 

This project has escalated over the last few weeks... I am really pleased to get involved... and I encourage you to get involved as well!

The intention was to focus on happiness... and create the possibility for those involved, and those who read the interviews, to be inspired, empowered and happier than they were before.

Each one of us can relate to happiness... but happiness can mean different things to different people.  It's great to read how different people view happiness...

Here are the questions Alex asked about happiness... and here are my responses.

How do you define happiness?
Happiness is a state of balance, of inner peace, of joy... when I am happy I can feel myself smiling deep inside.

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your happiness now versus when you were a child?
Today... I rate my happiness as a 7.  As an adult, my happiness fluctuates between 6-9.  As a child, my happiness was about the same... if I remember correctly!

What do you do on a daily basis that brings you happiness?  (And how consistent is the feeling of happiness throughout your day)
Currently what makes me happy is achieving the tasks I set out to complete each day.  Over the last couple of weeks I have been creating an e-book... and I'm very very happy when I get to the end of my day and have completed what I have set out to do in the morning.  I am also happy when I'm writing to my readers on my blog and website.  Other things that make me happy include talking with friends , being spontaneous, spending time with nature especially the ocean and trees, listening to music, spending time with loved ones.

What things take you away from your happiness?  What can be done to lessen their impact or remove them from your life?
Difficult question to answer... but it is having to work with people who create unnecessary and difficult problems (fortunately this doesn't happen very frequently).  The uneasiness and uncomfortable feelings I have in such situations is relatively short lived and I refuse to let it ruin my day!  And when I don't get done what I have set out to do doesn't make me happy!
There's nothing I can do to eliminate these things from my life... they are part of life and add to the fabric of who I am!

What to you plan on doing in the future that will bring you even more happiness?
Work on my ability to respond rather than react to people I find difficult; work on my inner self to unlock some of the blocks I have with my work; spend more time having fun and lightening up; spend more quality time with loved ones; spend more quality time with me.

How about you now answerring the questions above?  You can share your response directly with Alex Shalman... or you can click on the comment link below and post them there.... or you could do both!  It would be great to hear from you!

Best wishes
Jeanne

PS have you signed up for my free 5 step e- course "Uncovering Your Dreams"... you can do so at:
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/udpromotion1.html

and have you received your complimentary copy "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!"  You can do so when you subscribe to Aspirations Plus at
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html

Easter Time: enjoy what you do

It's Easter time already!  Where has this year gone?

Today it is Good Friday...

For many, Easter has special religious significance... for some it's a great opportunity to have a brief break and perhaps go away somewhere...  others use this time to catch up with themselves and what needs to be done perhaps around the house... many people I know will be working...

What are you going to do over the next few days? 

Are you going to spend time with family and friends?  Go away?  Catch up on some rest?  Read a good book?  Eat lots of chocolate??  Sign up for my e-course Uncovering Your Dreams (see below for a link where you can sign up for it)??

I'll be working over Easter... and part of that work involves creating a new e-course which hopefully will be available in the next week or so.

I'm really excited about this course... the course is designed to Get You Going From Where You Are Now in Your Life to Where You Want to Be. 

I'll keep you posted on the details!

No matter what you do over the Easter period... I hope you enjoy it.

Best wishes
Jeanne

PS have you signed up for my free 5 step e- course "Uncovering Your Dreams"... you can do so at:
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/udpromotion1.html

and have you received your complimentary copy "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!"  You can do so when you subscribe to Aspirations Plus at
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html

Journal Writing: 10 tips on getting started!

Journal writing is a powerful and useful technique... in the last post I discussed the benefits of journal writing.  Today I'm going to give you tips on how to get started!

Many of us have major blocks when it comes to the thought of writing ... "I'm not a writer!"... "what would I write??"... "I don't know where to start!!"... "what do I say??"

Does this sound familiar?  These were a few thoughts running through my head when I first heard about the benefits of journal writing and contemplated giving it a go.

Once I started my journal, it became addictive... in the very best sense!

How to get started:

• get yourself a large notebook, writing pad, diary, personal journal, or set yourself up with a folder on your computer, that is specifically where you will do your writing
• you can handwrite or use a computer.  Handwriting is more flexible because you can do your journal writing wherever you want e.g. in the park, in the car or wherever you get the urge -- sometimes you are not anywhere where you can access your computer
• find a place where you can keep your journal where no one else can see it or find it -- your journal is very private!
• your journal writing is for your eyes only!  You are not writing an academic article or an assignment or something that is going to be read by any other person but you!
• when you first start, your writing may feel stilted or awkward... just keep going and soon you'll find thoughts will begin to flow and you'll begin writing almost automatically.  Sometimes I don't think I will write any more than a couple of lines... but once I get going, it begins to flow and sometimes I end up with a couple of pages
• it doesn't matter if you write only a couple of words or a saga!  Length isn't important
• in the beginning, I found I was trying to make my writing look good and read properly -- because your journal writing is only for you, don't worry about grammar, punctuation, neatness, making sense, or sentence structure.  The key is to just write, write and write!
• it's beneficial to date every entry e.g. Wednesday 19/3/08.  This is useful when you want to reread your journal; you can see how you were going at a certain time in your life compared to where you are now.
• in the beginning, it can be useful to set aside a certain period of the day where you do your writing; this isn't always possible because of commitments, schedules and responsibilities... but try to do some journal writing each day
• journal writing is a very personal experience... therefore there is no right or wrong way for doing it... you will find your own way and it will be perfect!

What do you think about journal writing?  What tips would you suggest?  Click on the comment link below and let me know your thoughts and suggestions... I'd love to hear from you!

Best wishes
Jeanne

PS have you signed up for my free 5 step e- course "Uncovering Your Dreams"... you can do so at:
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/udpromotion1.html

and have you received your complimentary copy "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!"  You can do so when you subscribe to Aspirations Plus at
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html

Journal Writing: 8 powerful benefits

Journal writing is a well-known and effective technique I use myself and frequently recommend to others including family, friends and clients. 

Several books have been written about the ins-and-outs of journal writing and the really good thing is that you don't need any formal training, any special equipment, or any skill to do it... it's something everyone can do and benefit from. 

Because journal writing is so useful... I'm going to discuss different aspects of it in 2 posts.  Today we will look at

benefits of journal writing :

• it's a great way to get your thoughts and feelings out of your system.  We all know how good it can feel to talk things over with someone but sometimes it can be difficult or inconvenient to  access someone e.g. it could be 2 a.m. when you need to talk and inappropriate to contact someone at that hour.  Your journal is always handy
• can help keep you on track, clarify your goals and stimulate ideas for change in your life
• you may not have someone with whom you can talk over your problems or feelings
• you may have something on your mind you don't feel comfortable talking with someone about... you can say what you want in your journal without feeling embarrassed; your journal will never judge or criticise you
• your journal is easily accessible at any time on any day
• if you have trouble sleeping, keep paper and pen by your bedside.  When you have thoughts racing through your head preventing you from sleeping -- write them down.  Once again, it gets it out of your system and stops the continual thinking
• can help you clarify what you're thinking and feeling.  It can help you let go of things that kept going around in your heart and head
• your journal can become your very good friend!

Have you ever kept a journal?  Do you keep a journal now?  Do you find writing in your journal useful?  I'd love to know your experience with journal writing... click on the comment link below and let me know your thoughts.  It's always good to hear from you!

Best wishes
Jeanne

PS have you signed up for my free 5 step e- course "Uncovering Your Dreams"... you can do so at:
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/udpromotion1.html

and have you received your complimentary copy "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!"  You can do so when you subscribe to Aspirations Plus at
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html

Want to write an e-book or report?: this is a must!

Several readers have written to me expressing a desire to write an e-book or a report.

Many people have got so much to offer to others, and I guarantee you do too!

A couple of weeks ago I read an article which reported about 87% Americans want to write a book -- now I have no idea what that statistic is globally (I'm in Australia and I don't know what it is in Australia) but my logic suggests that percentage would be fairly typical throughout the world.  I know the arguments against the statistic... so let me suggest an alternative: a fair number of people in the world want to write a book or want to write an article or a report...hmmm!

Does this include you??

If you have visited my website in recent months you would have seen I have begun writing and submitting articles.  I've also created an e-course and I am in the process of creating my second e-course along with an e-book (you will hear about these in the not too distant future).

Writing isn't a natural thing for me... sure I have done lots of academic writing but the writing I do now and my audience makes it a whole different ball game!

In this post I'm going to share with you 2 incredibly valuable resources... if you want to put your skills and knowledge and expertise into something that others can benefit from and that you can earn some money doing, I strongly suggest you pay serious attention to both these.

I know you have got something of value to offer... so how about doing it!

The first is an e-book which I have only recently discovered and purchased and wished I got ages and ages ago!  It's called "Recipe For Quick and Easy Product Creation" by Kevin Riley.  It's virtually a recipe book for creating e-books and reports... Kevin provides an easy to follow step-by-step guide that leads you through good report or e-book ideas, organising your report or e-book , and constructing a smooth flowing report or e-book .  He gives you a template which is easy to follow and saves so much time and energy. 

The second resource  I also use, and am grateful she is in my corner (to give me support, guidance and information... in other words, she is my mentor)... and that is Connie Ragen Green who teaches you how to write, publish and market your e-books and articles.  Connie has incredible knowledge which she generously shares with people.  If you are thinking about starting a blog... writing a book... or writing articles... or you not quite sure what you want to do... I highly recommend Connie Ragen Green!

Connie has recently launched a new teleseminar course, Jumpstart, beginning on Thursday, April 10.  Over a six-week period, Connie will teach you how to get a jump start with your online business, writing articles and an e-book, blogging effectively and creating your own products quickly and easily so you can begin to make some money online.

Have you any thoughts about writing?  Let me know... I'd love to help!  Click on the comment link below and tell me your thoughts!  It's always good to hear from you.

Best wishes
Jeanne

PS have you signed up for my free 5 step e- course "Uncovering Your Dreams"... you can do so at:
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/udpromotion1.html

and have you received your complimentary copy "#1 Ingredient To Fast Track Your Success!"  You can do so when you subscribe to Aspirations Plus at
http://www.aspirationsplus.com/information-support-subscription.html