Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - February 27th

Be a witness, not a judge. Focus on yourself, not on others. Listen to your heart, not to the crowd. - Nishan Panwar

Sometimes you've just got to listen to yourself and be okay with nobody else understanding. - Unknown quotes

Sometimes we don’t need advice.  We just need somebody to listen. – iliketoquote.com

Think big and don’t listen to people who tell you it can’t be done.  Life’s too short to think small.  – Time Ferriss

We are almost two months into 2018 and I hope you are as strong, passionate and determined about accomplishing your dreams as Monty Roberts was about accomplishing his dream.  If you have never heard of Monty Roberts, let me tell you about him. 

Monty was born in Salinas, California to Marvin Roberts, who was a horse trainer and authored the book Horse and Horseman Training in 1957.  Monty won his first rodeo trophy at age four.  While attending college at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, he won 2 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association National Championships.  Today, Monty Roberts owns a 154-acre ranch in Solvang, California that is home to thoroughbred racehorses and where he teaches his Join-Up method for training horses.  His horse training methods were the inspiration for the Robert Redford movie “The Horse Whisper”. 

However, none of this would have occurred if he listened to his high school teacher.  Monty was given the assignment to write what he wanted to do when he grew up.  He dreamed big and said he wanted to own a ranch and raise thoroughbred racehorses.  The teacher gave him an “F” and told him that his dream was unrealistic for someone who was currently living in the back of a pickup truck.  The teacher told Monty he would never make his dream into reality and gave him the opportunity to rewrite his paper to receive a higher grade.  Monty Roberts said:

You keep your F; I’m keeping my dream.

Challenge: Have you ever had anyone tell you that your dreams were impossible and that it was never going to happen?  What did you do about it?

Resources

https://www.48days.com/you-keep-your-f-im-keeping-my-dream/

http://www.terri.com/dont-let-anyone-talk-you-out-of-your-dreams/

https://www.montyroberts.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Roberts

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - February 20th

Too many people are worried about having results NOW...the Mona Lisa was not created in a day. Perfection takes time. – Unknown

Patience is power. Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is "timing"; it waits on the right time to act, for the right principles and in the right way. ― Fulton J. Sheen

In 2008, I was given a book called Lincoln’s Sword at a convention where I served as the caucus secretary.  Lincoln is one of my favorite president’s, so I would have thought I would have read the book immediately; however, I did not.  Since receiving the book, I have moved 3 times and never gave it away.  It just sat in a plastic container in a closet. 

One of my goals in 2018 is to read the 11 books that are sitting in a pile in my apartment.  Lincoln’s Sword was one of them!  FINALLY, I read the book and it was the most interesting book.  I learned so much about the various speeches President Lincoln gave, his humor and his perspective on writing his views versus speaking his views.    

Most of what makes a book 'good' is that we are reading it at the right moment for us. ― Alain de Botton

After completing the book, I realized that if I had read this book when I received it I would not have learned nearly as much as I did by reading it in January 2018.  When I received the book, I enjoyed public speaking, but did not have the strong passion I do now for it.  Additionally, I had not started my blog and did not need to understand the differences between writing my perspective and stating (speaking) my perspective.

Furthermore, I had an epiphany through processing this whole situation that has been hard for me to grasp.  This experience taught me that sometimes we need patience to wait for the perfect timing for events to happen. 

Timing in life is everything. – Leonard Maltin

Everything you need will come to you at the perfect time. powerofpositivity.com

Challenge: What aspects of your life do you need to have patience in?  What actions/activities can you do while you are waiting for other things to happen?

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - February 13th

Before you eat the elephant, make sure you know what parts you want to eat. ― Todd Stocker, Refined: Turning Pain Into Purpose

Each day I will accomplish one thing on my to do list. ― Lailah Gifty Akita

I really, really want to produce. That's the top of my to-do list. - Lauren Conrad

We have to start putting ourselves on the to-do list. – Giuliana Rancic

People who want to appear clever rely on memory.  People who want to get things done make lists. – Peter McWilliams

What motivates you?  I am a click/ding addict!  In the last year, I discovered that I love to mark things off my to-do list.  At one time, I had an app on my phone that would “ding” every time I marked something off my to-do list.  I finally had to get rid of it because I liked the “ding” a little too much! 

On October 10, 2017, I introduced my crazy idea of “40 Before 40”, which is where I wanted to do 40 new things before I turn 40.  As Friday February 1, 2018, I completed my first 40 and the following day I started my next 40.   For me, I had to have the motivation to push forward to keep discovering new things. 

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, motivation is “the state or condition of being motivated or having a strong reason to act or accomplish something”. 

My motivation has been hearing a ding, checking/clicking off an activity on my task list or accomplishing a goal of doing 40 new things.  Honestly, I probably would not have taken the time to see the great history in D.C. and the surroundings areas if I had not had a purpose/goal/motivation.    

Challenge: What motivates you?  Find what motivates you and incorporate it into your life to help you accomplish your goals.   

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - February 6th

Accountability breeds response-ability. - Stephen Covey

You’ll never accomplish the results you want until you are wiling to do what you don’t necessarily want to do. – Trish Blackwell

Accountability is the glue that ties commitment to results. – Beachbody Challenge

According to Wikipedia, an accountability partner “is a person who coaches another person in terms of helping the other person keep a commitment”.  This person will be there to encourage you through this long journey of accomplishing your goals; however, it will still be your responsibility to accomplish your goals and be able to explain “why” if you do not.

Here are some things I have thought about:

1.       Find an individual that will hold you accountable and not allow you to make excuses.  This person should also be able to encourage you when you are discouraged or struggling to accomplish your goals.        

2.       Arrange an initial meeting to discuss goals for the year.  Go in prepared to review your goals with your accountability partner and explain why you established each one.  Explaining your goals to your accountability partner will help them understand why you chose them and why they are important.  For you, explaining them will provide more ownership of why you selected the goals and how they will impact your life.   

3.       Create a reminder to communicate each week.  For me, I created a Task Reminder for each Wednesday to communicate with my accountability partner.  It does not mean that is the day we will email each other, but it starts me thinking about what I might want to ask about or if I have read an article that I might want to forward.  For you, it might work better to set up regular face-to-face meetings or phone calls because the personal interaction will hold you more accountable.  Decide what will be best for both of you.

4.       Honesty…During weekly communications, be honest.  The person you select should be an individual you trust and know that whatever you say will not be repeated.  By being honest, the other person will know what struggles you are having and can either provide recommendations based on their own experiences or encourage you weekly as you find ways to overcome your struggles. 

5.       Reciprocal action…your accountability partner will be there to encourage you in accomplishing your goals, but you will also need to be there to help encourage and motive them to accomplish their goals. 

6.       Remember that your accountability partner may not have the same qualities as you.  Flexibility will be important.

Challenge: Set up a meeting with your accountability partner.

Resources

http://www.covenanteyes.com/2013/03/08/accountability-partner-script/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accountability_partner

https://www.goal-setting-guide.com/the-role-of-an-accountability-partner-in-goal-achievement/

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - January 30th

Your accountability partner keeps you on track and moving forward in all aspects of your development. – Mike Staver

People often say that motivation doesn’t last.  Neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily. – Zig Ziglar

Accountability: The missing link in achieving your health and fitness goals. – thehumbledhomemaker.com

People who wrote down their goals were 42% more likely to achieve them than the ones who didn't. Telling a friend increases this rate to 78%. - Brian McCormick

As a goal-driven and pretty disciplined individual, I have never had an accountability partner.  I know what my dreams are and work towards accomplishing my goals to achieve my dreams.  However, this year I had a friend ask if I would be interested in being accountability partners and I said yes.  The plan was to meet once to discuss our goals for the year and then weekly we would communicate via email to discuss our progress.   

With it being only a month into the year, I have to say it has taken my drive to accomplish my goals to a whole new level!  For example, I have a goal to cook or bake something every week.  I have gotten away from both activities since I do not have anyone to cook or bake for and need to work on developing my skills again.  Knowing that I will have to give an update to my accountability partner sometime in the week, I am challenged to make sure I am working on this goal as it would be an easy goal to dismiss. 

And by having this goal, I had a first in my life…I was told by a friend that I was not allowed to make Oreo truffles for a while because they were amazing and way too easy to devour all of them! 

Challenge: Would having an accountability partner assist you in accomplishing your 2018 goals?  If so, start thinking about a colleague or friend who you could ask to be your accountability partner. 

Next week, I will give some tips and guidelines on how to set up an accountability partnership.

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - January 23rd

Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing.
― Barry Finlay, Kilimanjaro and Beyond

You can’t fall if you don’t climb.  But there’s no joy in living your whole life on the ground. – Unknown

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. – Henry Ford

Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it. – Andy Rooney

If you never attempt the ascent, you'll never know the thrill of swooshing down the other side. - Unknown

Over the last month, Terri’s Tuesday Tip of the Week has discussed dreams, dream boards, goals and “mundane repetitiveness” (habits).  After a conversation with a friend last August, I had an epiphany.  Accomplishing our dreams is like climbing a mountain.  When we dream, we are excited about a new idea and are at the mountain peak.  We are drilling down on our dreams (going down the mountain) when we create our goals and our habits are the base of the mountain.  HOWEVER, to accomplish our dreams, we must climb the mountain.  We start at the base of the mountain by doing our daily habits, which helps us accomplish our goals advancing us up the mountain and we reach the peak of the mountain when we achieve our dreams.   

Last week, I listened to a Business Boutique podcast (see Resources for podcast) by Christy Wright that had a similar idea.  She stated that when you come up with an idea, you have to break down the dream into smaller goals.  In her podcast, she did a formula of breaking down a goal all the way to the point of knowing how many words to write in a day to complete a 70,000-word book in 6 months.  Like me, she is a runner and used a running analogy for the mountain.  She said the scariest part of running a hill is looking to the top and immediately trying to reach the peak.  Wright says that she accomplishes running a hill one step at a time, one milestone at a time.  After mundane repetitiveness of putting one foot in front of another, she reaches the peak! 

Life is like a mountain, the climb is hard, but when you reach the top, the view is amazing. - Unknown

Challenge: What mountain are you climbing this year?  What small steps do you need to do to reach the peak of the mountain? 

Resources

https://www.businessboutique.com/podcast/ep-38-hitting-big-goals-by-winning-small/

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - January 16th

We are what we repeatedly do.  Success is not an action but a habit. – Aristotle

Success isn't always about 'Greatness', it's about consistency. Consistent, hard work gains success. Greatness will come...Success isn't overnight. It's when everyday you get a little better than the day before. It all adds up. – Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. – Will Durant

Rowdy Gaines started swimming his junior year of high school and soon discovered he had a passion for being in the pool.  Auburn University offered him a swimming scholarship and he became a five-time NCAA champion.  With the Americans boycotting the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, he thought his chance of competing for a gold medal had passed and he stopped swimming.  After encouragement from his father, he jumped back in the pool and started training again.  Competing in 1984 at the Olympics in Los Angeles, he won the 100-meter freestyle and participated in two relays for the United States, which they won.

After winning his medals, he calculated all the miles he swam in the 8+ years leading up to the Olympics and discovered that he had swam over 20,000miles in 50-yeard increments.  Rowdy Gaines said:

I swam around the world for a race that lasted 49 seconds.

Gaines had passion, desire and discipline.  He learned that mundane repetitiveness is the best way to master anything. 

Challenge: Your dreams are displayed on your dream board.  Goals are hanging in a location making it easy to daily review them.  Now it is time to develop new habits that will help you accomplish your dreams and goals.  What consistent habits do you need to incorporate into your life to accomplish your goals and make this the best year of your life?  

Resources

https://heatherquisel.com/do-you-have-the-grit-it-takes-to-succeed/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/do-you-have-grit-takes-succeed-heather-quisel/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rowdy_Gaines

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - January 9th

Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for? - Robert Browning

Your goal should be just out of reach, but not out of sight.

-         Denis Waitley and Remi Witt

Are your 2018 goals written and located somewhere where it is easy to review them daily?  If not, it is not too late to write your S.M.A.R.T. goals to help you accomplish your dreams in 2018!

When I was creating my goals, I reviewed my benchmark data from previous years (June 27, 2017 to learn more: https://tuesdaytipoftheweek.blogspot.com/2017/06/terris-tuesday-tip-of-week-june-27th.html).  I noticed that I have exceeded my knowledge (reading and listening to books) goals over the last 3 or 4 years and I started thinking that I should make these goals a little bit harder this year to challenge myself.  Talking with my mom, I mentioned this to her and she suggested that I not make it too difficult because I do not know where life will take me in 2018 and her thinking was correct.  I took a couple days to ponder both sides of this issue…write a goal that would be easily attainable or set a goal that could be attainable based on previous years, but would challenge me.  Since I usually love a challenge, I decided to set “stretch goals”!  Additionally, I know that I will conduct quarterly goal reviews to see my progress and change either a personal behavior or the goal if something happens in my life that will prohibit me from accomplishing my goals.  Furthermore, when I accomplish these goal, it will mean more to me because I will know that I stretched myself to accomplish it. 

When I decided on my “stretch goals”, I started thinking about changes I could start making to accomplish my goals.  I know that I watch a little too much television in the evenings and often give myself the excuse of needing time where my mind does nothing.  I changed my mindset and determined that I can read to relax instead of watching television.    

When people sense victory, they sacrifice to succeed.  When people sense defeat, they give as little as possible. - Stretchyourself.org

Challenge: Review your goals.  Did you set easily attainable goals or did you challenge yourself where the goal is slightly out of reach?  To challenge yourself in 2018, write a “stretch goal” that is slightly beyond reach and go for it!  

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - January 2nd

If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there. – Lewis Carroll

Setting goals is the first step from the invisible to the visible. - Anthony Robbins

Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement. - Brian Tracy, Eat that Frog

WELCOME TO 2018!  I am excited a new year has arrived and I am ready to take it on with a vengeance. 

As a goal-driven individual, I will admit that I have been thinking about my 2018 goals for over a month and I am so excited to start working on them.  It took everything in me not to start reading a new book on New Year’s Eve afternoon because I wanted to accomplish my whole reading goal in 2018! 

Listening to various podcasts, news shows, etc., I learned that 92% of New Years goals fizzle by January 15^th and only 3 out of every 100 individuals write their goals down.  HOWEVER, those people that take time to create, write them down AND review them are 50% more likely to achieve them than someone who does not have their goals written down (goalband.co.uk). 

DO NOT WORRY if you have not yet written down your goals because TODAY is a great day to start!  Below are three steps to help you think about, create and daily review your goals to catapult you to success:

1.       Ask yourself “What do I want December 31, 2018 to look like?” and write it down in detail.

2.       To accomplish that dream/vision, it is important to create goals to help you progress daily towards your ultimate outcome for the year.  Many successfully people create S.M.A.R.T. goals because Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Oriented goals allow the individual to know when they accomplished the goal.  Additionally, I break my goals down into the “6 F’s” (Faith, Family, Future, Finances Friends, Fitness) because these are the areas that are most important to me.   (In the resource section below are links to previous blog posts to help explain these ideas).

3.       Once you are satisfied with your 2018 goals, print them off and daily review them to remind yourself of what you are pressing towards.  I suggest typing the goals and saving them so that each year you can review your previous goals. 

Challenge: Create your 2018 Goals.

Resources

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellevate/2014/04/08/why-you-should-be-writing-down-your-goals/#

http://www.goalband.co.uk/goal-achievement-facts.html

S.M.A.R.T. Goals – December 15, 2015 (https://tuesdaytipoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/12/terris-tuesday-tip-of-week-december-15th.html)

6 F’s of Goal Setting – December 16, 2014 (https://tuesdaytipoftheweek.blogspot.com/2014/12/terris-tuesday-tip-of-week-decembner.html) & December 8, 2015 (https://tuesdaytipoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/12/terris-tuesday-tip-of-week-december-8th.html)

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - December 26th

A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives. - Jackie Robinson

There is incredible power in the arts to inspire and influence. - Julie Taymor

You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can impact a life forever. – Zig Ziglar

Last week, I recapped my New York City excursion and want to highlight one thing that I did not discuss.  Lynette Lewis did not set out to directly influence my life, but she changed the trajectory of my life because she pursued her purpose in life and her dreams.  What is also interesting is that I have a friend in Texas that heard me speak about personal purpose statements a number of years ago in my small group and she texted me about her personal purpose statement the Sunday I was leaving for New York.  Lynette Lewis has not only impacted my life, but also the many other people that have read my blog and attended the small group I led.   

We live our lives day to day and should strive to accomplish our purpose in life.  Based on my experience, we will not know until later in life or we may never know who we have impacted.  If you need a good movie to remind yourself of this, watch It’s A Wonderful Life.  George Bailey changed so many lives in Bedford Falls, but did not know until Clarence (the angel) revealed it to him. 

Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book.  Write a good one. – Brad Paisley

CHALLENGE:  I love the above quote from Brad Paisley because we are about to embark on another year.  2018 is going to be awesome and we have another opportunity to continuing writing our story and impact people’s lives along the way!