Let me suggest to you that you begin this year with a positive frame of mind, that you set clear intentions, that you have a plan of action, and that you commit to doing your best each day. Now that sounds simple enough but there is more to each part of this that I want to share. I also am writing this to remind myself because I find regular reminders helpful. I view you and I as unfinished products working to be more fully expressed.
1. A positive frame of mind is essential. Negativity and self-doubt are barriers to creating the life you want. If you don’t feel you deserve or have other false beliefs, the sabotaging part of your mind will make sure you don’t get what you want. The mind is an incredible power tool that needs to be turned on and use properly or it can do damage. Think of a power saw focused and cutting a straight line toward your goals. If you loose focus the saw goes off course or jams up, just like the mind can do. A positive mind is focused on success.
This optimal mind keeps you energized when things seem stuck, keeps you hopeful when fear arrives, keeps providing you ideas and inspiration when they are needed. The positive mind also skips over past experiences that can bog you down because this mind only works with what can be done now. This kind of mindset is simply much more enjoyable than being negative.
One other reminder – you most likely have an inner critic and that internal voice is not positive in any way. The best thing to do with the critic is to turn it off or at least turn the volume so low it can’t be heard. Your inner critic is part of the judging mind, which is neither positive nor helpful. Inner self-talk is best when it is supportive and encouraging.
2. The next essential component is setting clear intentions. Start each day with one intention that you will focus on. You can also set intentions for the week, month, year but a daily one is important. You can do more than one intention but it will work better that you have goals you want to accomplish as part of your daily intention. (Example: intention - be proactive in moving my plan for success ahead today, goals could include writing a blog post, do social networking, follow up with a call, talk to a speakers bureau or whatever is part of your intention for moving your success plan forward.)
Intentions that are clear focus your energy for the day. Always state intentions in positive words and keep them about today. Today is the only day you can do anything for yourself. Tomorrow is only an idea that can happen in the now and the past is over and a misdirection of focus. Now has all the power.
After this year is over you will have 365 intentions and each one will have enriched your life in sometimes amazing and wonderful ways. Intentions also can call together resources greater than ones usually available. Clear intentions call the Universe into action to support you and what you want to make happen. Wayne Dyer’s book, Intentions is one of his most helpful books.
3. A plan of action is important to move ideas into material form. If you want to make things happen, you have to make them happen. Action is the stepping into the stream of life and moving towards what you want. Without action you need to count on luck and miracles and that too often doesn’t work. If you want to write a book, you need to sit down and do some writing.
The more actions you take, the more energy starts flowing towards the results you want to create. Even false actions give you feedback about what doesn’t work. With consistent action a momentum starts building, which will carry you to the success you want to create.
Reading other people’s plans of action can be very helpful. If there is someone you know who is doing great things, find out what actions they are doing to create these results. There are many good ideas on the Internet where people share what they do for success. Two people who have ideas worth exploring are Cris Guillebeau and Dave Carpenter.
4. Do your best each day. This seems simple but what too often gets is the way are old habits, distractions, and limiting beliefs. It is easier to do what is familiar and comfortable but that may be much less than what you are capable of doing. How have you been holding you back?
The best results are created by: putting your energy into what you are doing, engaging the power of your heart, and pushing yourself to stretch into more dynamic expression. Listen inward to the call for being more each day and avoid the habit trap and deep groove of the familiar. Listening to your intuition can be very helpful for doing your best.
Imagine having fun, feeling passion for what you do, and exploring ways to be even better. You determine what is your best, there is no need for unrealistic expectations or to seek the approval of others. You can choose to do you with aliveness and boldness.
These four ways will be helpful in 2012 to manifest the results you desire. Let yourself be you more fully every day. If your mind is aligned, your plans empowered, your actions taken, and your best efforts put in, things will work out in amazing ways.