Motivation to Success!

Once a man was walking along a beach. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. Off in the distance he could see a person going back and forth between the surf’s edge and the beach. Back and forth this person went. As the man approached he could see that there were hundreds of starfish stranded on the sand as the result of the natural action of the tide.

The man was stuck by the apparent futility of the task. There were far too many starfish. Many of them were sure to perish. As he approached the person continued the task of picking up starfish one by one and throwing them into the surf.

As he came up to the person he said, “You must be crazy. There are thousands of miles of beach covered with starfish. You can’t possibly make a difference.” The person looked at the man. He then stooped down and picked up one more starfish and threw it back into the ocean. He turned back to the man and said, “It sure made a difference to that one!”

I publish this story so that you can ask yourself the questions: ‘What can I do this month to make a difference? Who can benefit from what I have to offer? When can I give of my time for others? Where can I help?’

Now that you have answered those questions, go to the beach and rescue some starfish!!! 1 at a time!

A lot of us every New Year after 2 cans of Lager to many make New Year resolutions of all kinds. We are going to climb Kilimanjaro barefoot, give up smoking after we finished the 400 packs we got in Lanzarote, walk the dog 8 days a week, never get angry anymore at politicians, get fit watching Davina McCall fitness DVD’s, support our local sports team instead of watching reruns of Leinster’s Heineken Cup win on Sky Sports 7 and so on.

Inevitably by the 5th of January you have blisters from walking the kitchen floor barefoot, got another 100 packs for New Year of your neighbour who came back from Gran Canaria, realise there is only 5 days in the week you want to walk that dog, get hit by another 5% levy and spit at the politician on your telly, eat 10 packs of crisps and drink 2 more cans of lager watching Davina do it for you and order in ESPN cause they have the Premiership rights for the 5pm matches on Saturday.

How does this happen? What can you do for this not to happen? Here’s my 10 tips for sticking to that New Year resolution and becoming the envy of begrudgers everywhere!  

1- Write it down in detail. This makes it real and gets it registered into your subconscious. Put it in your diary on page 1, write it on a notepad and stick it on the fridge. Make sure it is somewhere you go very regularly so you constantly remind yourself of it. This helps you staying motivated.

2- Believe you can do it. If your goal is realistic and you can visualise yourself achieving it, then you can do it. Make a clear mental picture of you achieving it. Seeing yourself succeed puts you in the right frame of mind.

3- Make a list of all the ways you will benefit from sticking to your New Year resolution. The more ways you can find, the more motivation you will receive from them.

4- Set a timeframe and write it beside the goal. The date by which you will have achieved what you set out to do. Again you are making it real both visibly and in your subconscious.

5- Think about all the difficulties you may encounter on your way to achieving your New Year resolution. These difficulties may come from inside you (such as willpower, lack of a certain skill etc…) or may come from external influences (such as uncooperative family members, time spent at work etc…). By identifying them you can already start looking at a way around these before they occur.

6- Check what information you lack right now to be able to start your journey to success and take steps to get this information ASAP.

7- Make a list of people you need help from; whether they are friends, relatives or professionals. By asking for their help, you validate them. Ask yourself what you can do for them so they will gladly help you.

8- Use all of the above information and make a detailed plan. Be precise, thorough and specific. Write down step by step how you will succeed. Brake down the resolution into manageable steps and plan them 1 by 1.

9- Celebrate every completion of one of the steps. Pat yourself on the back, give yourself a treat. Congratulate yourself. It keeps the motivation meter at 120%!!!

10- Never give up! You are always closer to achieving than you think you are. So NEVER give up. While change is always good, nobody said the transition period is a bed of roses. There will be thorns, admire them for what they are and move on!

I want to congratulate all of you in advance on bucking the trend and making 2010 the year where you turn those New Years resolutions into real achievements!! WELL DONE!!!

P.S.: remember there is always a friendly Life Coach nearby to help, motivate and support you. He/She is only a phone call or email away.

This time of year is often used to compile lists. The top 10 sporting moments of the year, the top 20 songs of the year. I thought I would stay trendy and put together a list of my own. The top 10 inspirational movies of all time. As picked by yours truly.

I can tell you that if you want some feel good factor or motivation in this doom and gloom media world then these will definitely brighten up the month of December for you!! I have added the age cert for information purpose only. Enjoy a bright inspirational month with these beauties!! You can look up further details on www.imdb.com (Internet Movie Data Base). And thanks in advance for adding your films to the list and/or for your comments!!

In no particular order:

It’s a wonderful Life – UK cert U for Universal

They’re making memories tonight! An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would had been like if he never existed.

Dead poet’s society – UK cert PG for Parental Guidance

He was their inspiration. He made their lives extraordinary. English professor John Keating inspires his students to a love of poetry and to seize the day.

Pay it forward – UK cert 12

Like some other kids, 12-year-old Trevor McKinney believed in the goodness of human nature. Like many other kids, he was determined to change the world for the better. Unlike most other kids, he succeeded.

The pursuit of happiness – Ireland cert 12A

A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he’s poised to begin a life-changing professional endeavor.

Inside I’m dancing – UK cert 15 – Irish film

Live life like you mean it. When the kinetic Rory moves into his room in the Carrigmore Residential Home for the Disabled, his effect on the home is immediate. Most telling is his friendship with Michael, a young man with cerebral palsy and nearly unintelligible speech. Somehow, Rory understands Michael, and encourages him to experience life outside the confines of home.

Guess who’s coming to dinner – UK cert PG

A love story of today. Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn play a couple whose attitudes are challenged when their daughter brings home a fiancé who is black.

My left foot – Ireland cert 12 – Irish film

A film about life, laughter, and the occasional miracle. The story of Christy Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy. He learned to paint and write with his only controllable limb – his left foot.

Forrest Gump – Ireland cert 15

The story of a lifetime. Forrest Gump, while not intelligent, has accidentally been present at many historic moments, but his true love, Jenny, eludes him.

The Shawshank Redemption – Ireland cert 15

Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free. Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.

The Rookie – UK cert U for Universal

It’s never too late to believe in your dreams. A Texas baseball coach makes the major league after agreeing to try out if his high school team made the playoffs.

Have a great inspirational film month!!

Patrick Mercie – 4ward 2 Success – 02/12/2008