RE-DEVELOPING YOUR VISION

One of the most important things we can do for our businesses, schools, and organizations is to have vision. Vision being a clear picture of a desired end result that you are aiming for.
However, sometimes, no matter how big our vision was originally, we find ourselves focusing in on the daily events that require our attention but have nothing or little to do with our ultimate vision.
Occasionally, we think to ourselves, “Hey, I’m not really getting any closer to my vision. I’m spinning my wheels here.” This is when it is time to re-develop your vision!
Here are some helpful hints in doing just that.
Re-evaluate your original vision.
Maybe what you used to think wasn’t realistic according to your strengths, your abilities, or your circumstances. Maybe it is time to change or modify the vision to make it attainable.
Assess your strengths.
To achieve your vision, you and your staff will have to operate out of your strengths. If you are having a hard time moving toward your current vision, perhaps it is because the vision requires extended application of strengths that you and/or your organization don’t have. Either you need to hire into those strengths, develop those strengths, or re-develop the vision.
Ask yourself where your passions lie.
If we are to attain great things, they must be aligned with those things that burn deep within us. Do you still have a passion for your vision? Does your staff have a passion for your vision? If not, you need to develop the passion, or find the vision that you can pour your passion into. Never underestimate the power of passion and excitement in moving you toward (or keeping you from) your vision.
Ask yourself what it is that you value.
What is important to you? How will fulfilling my current vision, fulfill my desire to do something important and worthwhile for myself, my family, my employees, and my community?
Break the vision down into easy to achieve steps.
This helps us see that the vision is attainable. It lets us know the end result, but focus intently into achieving the next goal. This, step-by-step, moves us toward the vision.
 

BE REALISTIC: THERE IS NO LIMIT TO WHAT YOU CAN DO

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• Bob Proctor
• Brian Tracy
• Dianna Booher
• Donald Trump
• Jeff Davidson
• Laura Stack
• Liv Montgomery
• Mark Victor Hansen
• Patricia Fripp
• Tom Hopkins
• Zig Ziglar
• Business
• Communication
• Leadership
• Personal Growth

Have you ever thought about what you could do, if you really decided to? I’m not merely talking about what your skills, education and talents are capable of. I’m talking about what is really possible for you.
There is a very real possibility that you can do virtually anything. Not alone, not with out new information, but certainly within your ultimate grasp.
Now many people would say to me, “Jim, be realistic. Some things are just not possible.” To them I say, a realist is simply a pessimist who doesn’t want to admit it. I’ve never heard a “realist” take an optimistic posture on any topic. They always say, “Let’s be realistic.” and then go on to explain why your idea can’t be done.
Imagine a realist saying, “Realistically, we don’t yet know what the possibilities are. This could be easier than we think!” Better, eh?
One thing I have learned over the years is that luck really does come to those who commit to a goal. Scientists and philosophers call it “synchronicity.” It is when things come together in an unexplainable way to help you reach your destination. Sometimes you just happen to meet someone who has the answer you need or shares your interests. At other times it is written off as “timing” or blind luck.
I don’t see it that way. I believe that there are some universal principles at work which most people miss. There have been references to this phenomenon in philosophical and religious literature throughout history. Without waxing poetic, here is what goes on.
When any person makes a decision to bring about a certain outcome, the entire universe starts the process of making it happen. As long as the person persists in the belief that they are creating the desired result, the process continues. When doubt, hatred, or fear dominate the person, the process stops and other forces direct the world’s energies in other positive directions. This is why there is “power” in positive thinking.
Sometimes we express a strong desire and the result occurs immediately. We call this a miracle. At other times we strive long and hard without visible progress. The operative word there is “visible”. There are too many elements in the world for us to be conscious of how they all interact. But the moment we decide to do what it takes to create a result, the universe bends toward us to assist. This continues unless we do something to stop the process.
That is why I say there is nothing you can’t do. There are things that might not be worth doing but almost anything can be done somehow. To do such things requires a certain state of mind. It requires optimism, determination, clarity, love for all mankind and humility. Optimism is the only productive way to think. Not pollyanna blind faith in spite of the facts, just the continuing belief that there is a way and that you will ultimately find it. Determination is to do what is necessary even if it is not convenient, if you are not in the mood, if it takes more than you expected, and if it is not fair, meaning that you have to contribute more than others.
Clarity of focus is essential in order to activate things in your favor. So goal setting in writing is essential to get things going. The clearer your focus, the more compelling your influence becomes. When you believe unflinchingly in your cause, others will be drawn to you.
Love of all humanity means respect for the dignity of and sensitivity to the needs of others. Contrary to Gordon Gekko’s line in the movie Wall Street, greed does not work, because it separates you from others. Only love and respect will connect you to all who might ultimately help.
And finally, humility. The biblical way of expressing this thought is, “Not my will, but Thine, be done.” If we realize how little we know, we will be a lot more humble. Emerson said, “Desire is possibility seeking expression.” If you truly want something, the possibility of it surely exists. That does not mean that it is a good idea for you. It just means that it could happen. But if you are dedicated to achieving something deeply and sincerely, then it is incumbent upon you to pursue it.
Where the problems arise is when we decide that we already know what it will take to do the job. Far too many variables exist for us to really “know” what it takes in any instance. So we must move forward based on what we know, while listening to the messages the world is sending us. We sometimes find that an even better outcome is available to us through a simple change in direction. At other times we simply need to learn the lesson life has to teach us at a given point and then move on in a new direction. We never know how valuable that life lesson will be later on as we pursue a greater goal.
So I encourage you to be realistic, there is no limit to what you can do.
 

MARKETING WITH ATTRACTION

This week, I was reminded of a quote from one of my
mentors, Thomas Leonard, who observed that, "People love to
buy things, but almost no one wants to be sold."
Thousands of people are eager to buy what you sell. They
want the benefits, the convenience, the comfort or prestige
that you can provide. Human beings are an acquisitive
bunch. We want stuff!
Of course, consumerism can be abused, but buying and
selling is the process that creates the life (and the
lifestyle) we all want. The "desire to acquire" goes deep,
and it’s a good thing.
So, if you aren't making as many sales as you would like,
let me suggest that the problem is not with your customers,
but with you. The problem is likely one of the following:
1.  Not enough potential customers know about you or that
your product could enrich their lives. This is a marketing
problem, and as a business leader it is your job to solve
it. Let people know! Get out there and get in the game!
2.  Or, the other possibility, is that you’re trying too
hard to "sell."
Personally, I have a deep-seated aversion to being sold
anything. I see websites that seem manipulative or
dishonest. I see sales techniques that fail to build trust
or credibility, and definitely do not attract me.
But people are eager to buy benefits! They buy solutions to
their problems. They buy things that make their lives
better, easier, simpler, healthier or more comfortable.
They buy stuff that makes them happy. And they buy from
people they know and like and trust.
If enough people know and like and trust you, they will
listen when you offer a product or service that will make
their lives better. If they "know and like and trust" you,
they will flock to your door and you’ll make all the sales
you need.

DISCOVER YOUR PLACE

I realize that everybody has a place to occupy. The difference is just the time of our manifestation. Because your time has not come does not mean that your time will not come. All is required of you is to keep at it. Your time will come.

I will like to share this story that a friend shared with me. It is an illustration between the fern and the bamboo seeds. When God planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, he took very good care of them. He gave them light, water and other things for growth. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But He did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But God did not quit on the bamboo. In third and fourth year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But God would not quit.

“Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant..But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

Then the question is, why this long? That is the question most of us asked and as a reason a lot of us give up and think that things are not working for me. Let us consider the Bamboo seed again. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots madde it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. God would not give any of His creations a challenge it could not handle.

In is what you are on the inside that determines how you will become on the outside. God is working on you to make you what you ought to be. God will not give up on you so don’t give up on yourself. God said that, “did you know that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots”. “I did not quit on the bamboo, I will never quit on you.”

Don’t compare yourself to others.” He said. “The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern yet they both make the forest beautiful. Your time will come.

 

NUGGETS

Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you’ll help them to become what they are capable of becoming.

BIG DREAMS - BIG REWARD

 

I talk a lot about dreams, if you haven’t noticed! That’s because I believe every single person has a dream inside of them just waiting to be turned loose! Each man and woman has a desire to do something great, to achieve excellence or to go somewhere wonderful. Most of the time these dreams have been hidden or forced inside because of fear. Many times these dreams have been put on the back burner to simmer while a “normal” life goes on.
I am on a one-man mission to destroy the concept of keeping dreams inside and to yourself! I want to motivate as many people as possible to passionately pursue their dreams and watch them come to fulfilment!
But what would you get out of dreaming big, you ask? The rewards are almost endless! But to get you started, here are a few of the top rewards you reap when you dream big!
A renewed passion for life and work.
Feeling tired? Got the doldrums for life or work? There is a good reason – you aren’t dreaming big enough! Get a big dream going and you will see your entire life revitalized and filled to overflowing with exuberant passion for life! Start today. Dream a big dream. Put it on the wall and start aiming for it. Live for it and you will see your energy level skyrocket!
Order will come to your life.
A big dream serves as a focusing point. A focusing point will serve to bring order into your life. You will plot out a plan lay out a strategy for reaching your dream. Since you will be so energized to reach your dream, and since you will have a plan for doing so, you will focus and discipline yourself in ways you never imagined possible before. You will see a new level of order emerge.
A life that ends the way you want it to.
There will come a day when you will be reflecting back on a long life. What joy you will have to be able to be there that day with absolutely no regrets. Your life will end the way you want it to: Having pursued and achieved your big dreams!
A deep sense of personal fulfilment and satisfaction.
As you live life there is one thing that hounds the dreamless: A lack of fulfilment. You see I believe we were specifically designed to have big dreams, to pursue visions of greatness. And if we aren’t doing so, we will see a certain lack of fulfilment. But when we do pursue those dreams – watch out because you will see an incredible sense of self-fulfilment wash over you like a tidal wave!
An ability to see others’ lives changed for the better.
Big dreams will give you the opportunity to stand back and know that you have helped others grow, achieve more and experience the best. If you haven’t helped others, then your dream was too small because a big dream is by definition one that helps others as well.
I want you to experience the above rewards and the good news is that you can! You can see your dreams become reality and you can see your rewards multiply!
Here is a checklist to get you going:
Do you have an identified dream?
Have you laid out a plan for reaching it?
Have you taken a first step to do so?
What is the next step you need to do to reach your dream?
What are the rewards you are experiencing right now?

SUCCESS MEANS LEADERSHIP

Sometimes I'm asked to work with professionals or
entrepreneurs who want coaching to make more sales, or to
work more efficiently, but who say they aren't interest in
or don't have time to worry about the principles of
effective leadership. That's always very sad.
What they don't realize is that success always requires the
cooperation and participation of other people. Small
businesses need customers. Network organizations require
teamwork, training and motivation. Professionals depend on
the trust and confidence of their clients.
Success is always about leadership!
John Maxwell has written extensively about the techniques
of effective leadership. Three of the most important are:
1.  Competence.  Successful leaders know their jobs and
they are very, very skilled. Professionals are often
insulted to be told they must get better at what they do
but the truth is that unless you have all the clients you
can handle, are earning all you want, and only working when
you choose to, there are additional skills to master.
Leadership is about unusual competence.
2.  Credibility.  Successful leaders earn our trust. Every
business decision is, in some measure, about trust. It's
obvious that we must trust our doctors, our lawyers and the
people who teach our children. But we also trust (or don't
trust) the people we do business with every day.
3.  Congruence.  Leaders "walk their talk," there is a
consistency to who they are, what they do, and how they
treat people. They don't hide behind a professional mask,
or have one set of values at work, and another in their
personal lives. Leaders are consistent and transparent.
To grow your business, develop your leadership skills. If
you lead, your customers, suppliers, employees and
colleagues will follow. Learn (or get coaching) to be a
great leader!
Intentionally studying the skills and traits of leadership
is a rare and wonderful thing. Few people ever think about
it, but those who do eventually become the leaders who
amaze and inspire us!

HOW IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MONEY?

Money is one of the most emotional subjects on the planet. In fact, many people feel comfortable sharing intimate details about their sex lives than sharing details about their finances. Some people find it easy to make money, while others struggle. It’s  not because they are more intelligent, necessarily work harder nor have better luck, it’s simply because they think and act differently they have a better relationship with money. Trying to live a rich life, when you have a poor relationship with money is like trying to drive a car with one foot for the clutch, brakes and accelerator. No matter how hard you try, you never seem to get anywhere. Let me take you back in history. A thousand years ago, shells were used in exchange for food or labor but as trade became more complex, shells were replaced with precious metals. Then IOU’s-coins and pieces of paper.

Governments printed these monies and places valued on them. From an inherent standpoint, compared to precious metal or even agricultural produce, money is not valuable. What is valuable is the value we place on money. At birth, our mind is a clean slate, programmed genetically to do certain things. This includes the basics of movement and communication. A young child does not know enough to rely on his sense of reasoning. His critical faculties just cannot take him there. He does not possess the ability to question, judge, analyze, criticize and more importantly compare. That is why it’s so convenient for him to believe in Santa Claus or Father Christmas, Barney and Superman, until he grows up and fully takes control of his mind.

Until we take control of our minds, our beliefs about ourselves and the world come from the continued messages we hear in the first years of our lives. What we are told again and again particularly at times of emotional intensity has the most powerful effect. This is where many people get wrong notions about money.

‘Money corrupts’, ‘Money is evil’, There is not enough money to go around’, ‘You must always work hard before you can make money’ – are just a few of these misguided notions. If you believe you always have to work hard before you can make money. Then you will look only for jobs that require a lot of effort. If you are always paranoid and believe people will always rip you off, you will miss good money opportunities and in the end someone actually will rip you off I mean. If you believe you deserve to make money, you will indeed end up making money. However, first, you need to overhaul your money mind set. Many of us have inherited a mixed bag of positive and negative beliefs about money, one of which is resenting people who earned their wealth. People who did not have to sacrifice their family time, health or morally deficient things to make money at all costs. For what use will all the money be if you had no time to spend it. If you don’t have health, you don’t have anything. If you give up your family for wealth, you are the poorest person on the face of the earth.

But there are people who attained a wealthy status not falling prey to all these things. You need to give up your resentment towards these people who have more money than you. Find out how they did it.

1. Lose that ‘the-rich-only-get-richer-and-if-i-must-win-others-must-lose’ nonsense. The simple fact is if you dislike those who have a legal claim to their wealth; it will be difficult being one of them.
2. Money is not a measure of personal value. Wealthy people make themselves and all those around them better with money. Catering for your loved ones, parents, siblings whenever they have a financial need is nothing special. Do not beat your chest that you have ‘arrived’ in that regard. You are simply fulfilling your family responsibilities. Provide for those who are not part of your family tree. Give to those you do not expect a return. That my dear friend is WEALTH.
3. Avoid committing yourself to a future lifestyle based on your current income. Avoid debt. If you want to avoid the debt trap, keep your fixed expenses as low as possible. Do not make financial commitments to income you have not earned yet. Many people want to get out of debt. Once they save money by not spending, they go out to reward themselves by what…you guessed it shopping or buying ‘an-in-between present’ they don’t need – putting themselves right back where they started. If you must get out of debt, you must realize getting out of debt and not spending is the wrong goal. Same thing as wanting to lose weight and not eating at all. What you should do in both cases is reduce just how much you eat and spend and be disciplined about it.

PATIENCE WILL SPEED UP A SALE

  

Old sales mantra: Always be closing. Get the sale now!
The reality: You can’t close a sale at every meeting – so don’t put the customer on the defensive. If you push too hard or try to rush through a sale, a customer will “just say NO!” That’s their defence mechanism. And it works. As much as you want, and perhaps need, to close a sale, it can only happen on the customer’s timetable.
The better strategy: Be patient and always be listening. It is the best way to move the sale forward.
Remember, selling isn’t about you – it’s about your customer and the challenge they face. Your solution may, in your eyes, be the ideal answer. Yet that may not be enough for the customer to make a decision today or anytime soon.
Ultimate success often involves taking a step back to consider the two processes happening in every transaction: Your selling process and your customer’s buying process. Are they aligned? Often salespeople think they are much further along in a sale than they actually are. They get excited, and think the time is right to push hard to close. Bad move.
The inside story: Customers may not share with you where they really are in their buying process. Buying is a complex endeavour involving numerous people and internal issues. Your prospect may seem enthusiastic, yet you likely won’t be privy to what’s going on behind the scenes that will determine when the sale will happen or who the winner will be.
To determine if you are on the same timeline as your customer, consider whether you know the answers to the following questions:

• Have funds been approved/allocated for this purchase?
• When will a decision be made?
• What internal turf wars or other personal or political conflicts may impact the decision?
• Have any of the key players changed recently?

These are just some of the factors determining where the customer is in their decision to buy a solution for their current problem. Truly listen to the customer to learn what they are thinking, what they are worried about and how you can help them (not just how you can sell to them).
Stepping into your customer’s shoes gives you a better understanding of where the deal really stands in both the selling and the buying process. 

CLONE YOURSELF FOR FUN AND PROFIT

One of the key distinctions between creating your own job
and building a business, is the ability to have other
people do your work for you. This isn’t actually about
"cloning" in the scientific sense, but about building a
team to run your business, serve your customers and help
you (and themselves) make more money.
Most professionals run their practice as a small business
for tax and accounting reasons, but in fact they have a job
they created for themselves.  They may enjoy not working for
a corporation, but they still have to show up and do the
work every day in order to get paid. If they take a week
off, the income stops.
Fortunately, more and more professionals are training
others to do much of what they used to do themselves. 
Attorneys use legal assistants, and physicians and dentists
use more (and more highly trained) assistants all the time.
The most successful sales professional I’ve coached is a
real estate agent with a personal staff of 4 people who
work for HER, not for her broker.  In many cases, her staff
can close sales, even if she is on vacation!
Successful business people learn to delegate. They hire
experts who can strengthen and diversify the office. They
understand that training and leading a team will always be
more profitable than doing it by yourself.
Learn to delegate. The key to building your business is
almost never "doing" more; it’s hiring and supporting great
people. Sometimes the key is working with a great coach who
can help you see the road ahead and smooth out the "bumpy
sections."

LET THE TREND BE YOUR FRIEND

This week I heard a radio interview with a "Futurist" named
Burris. I'm not sure how to spell his name, but his main
point has echoed in my mind ever since. He noted that we
don't need a crystal ball or special powers to predict the
future if we have the courage to track, and the skill to
read, a few key trends.
He noted that "human beings tend, or trend, to gain weight.
If you've gained a pound a year for several years, it's not
difficult to predict your future waistline." He also noted
that there are trends in birth rates, and the population is
"trending" to live longer. Most things in life change along
observable and predictable trend-lines.
Coincidentally, I recently talked with a friend about how
reluctant many of us are to track the key data-points in
our lives. Years ago, the famed management expert, Edward
Demming, noted, "What gets measured, gets done." Most of us
know how true this is, even in our own lives. When we track
our exercise or savings, or pretty much anything else, and
put the graph where we will see it everyday, things
improve. When we "wish" or "hope" or "try" to change
things, but refuse to document the data, our results seldom
live up to our desires.
"What gets measured, get's done."
And when the graph begins to show a trend--either upward or
downward--we begin to predict the future.
If month by month, a graph of your savings shows a steady
upward climb, you can pretty much predict your future
wealth. Unfortunately, this is also true if the graph shows
a slow but steady decline, and that's why few people have
the courage to track the data.
The "truth of the trend" applies to just about anything we
can measure. It applies to our blood pressure, our weight,
and exercise; it applies to family time, reading time, and
it applies to sales, profits, and broad economic patterns
like home ownership, employment or inflation. Unless
something unexpected happens, we can expect trends to
continue and give us a preview of our own future.
This gives us incredible power. By tracking our results
over time, we can see what works, and what doesn't. We gain
insight to our values and priorities. For example, most of
us say we value time as a family, but many studies show
most parents spend only a few minutes a day with their
children. If that trend applies in your home, and if it
continues, where would you predict it to lead?
If there are things you want to increase or build in your
life, begin by tracking the data. How much time, precisely,
do you currently spend on sales or exercise, or talking
with your spouse? If you track it, and if the trend is
moving in the direction you desire, I would predict a
satisfying result. But, if the trend is in the wrong
direction, I suggest you either change your goals or your
behavior, or that you make plans for a bumpy landing.
This is an incredibly powerful concept. Applied to the
"big" things in life, it gives us amazing insight to
society and culture. Charles Murray has tracked trends in
income distribution, education, and even the neighborhoods
where groups of people live, down to their zip code. Trends
give us insight to the growth of government, the cost of
health care or education, and the aging of the population.
On a personal level it also applies to anything you want
more of, or less of in your life. Want more time for your
hobbies? Watch the trend. Want more income or more savings?
Watch the trend. Or, if you want the ever-popular "more and
better sex," watch the trend! 
Over my years as a coach, I've observed that "direction and
momentum are more important than goals." That's another way
of saying that the trend is a more powerful predictor of
the future than our wishes, hopes or desires. A goal is a
picture linked to our emotions, but by itself, it is static
and has little predictive value. A trend, however, is
dynamic and is always moving us in a specific direction.
Study the trend and you control your future.

GETTING THINGS DONE

     

Have you ever heard anyone say "There's just not enough time to get everything done?" "The world is just going so fast." "Technology is making life so hard." "The faster I go the behinder I get." The rate of change we are experiencing today does make it seem like the world is going faster. But we can deal with this and get things done if we will set some priorities.

A priority is a choice. Every time you choose to do one thing before another in your life you're establishing priorities. One activity has been assigned greater importance than another activity. Your priorities should be to do those things that will lead you to the accomplishment of your goals. Many people do a lot of things, work hard, and still don't accomplish their goals. They don't have an objective, organized, common sense understanding of how what we do today relates to tomorrow, next week, next year or what they want in life. If you want to be sure to achieve your goals, you must work backward from the desired achievement. In order to do this, I will first have to do that. Before I do that, I must do this. Go all the way back to where you are right now. What do you need to do now?

What we do or don't get done is a result of our habits...many of which began in childhood and have carried on with us throughout the rest of our lives. Some are beneficial; others are destructive.

If you are going to get things done, you must uncover your bad habits, break them, and replace them with success habits. Some of the questions you might want to ask yourself are:

• What are my bad habits? For the next few days, keep your eyes open for those repeated activities that waste time and are unproductive. When you identify these, you are one step closer to breaking them.

• Why do I do it? The answer is usually obvious. Look for reasons like convenience, the social aspect of it, or just because you've always done it that way.

• Why do I want to change? You may need more time to accomplish something. You may want to have more time to do other things or participate in more important activities.

Remind yourself that destructive activities are keeping you from doing what you want to do. Also, remind yourself why you're doing it and why you'd like to change.

Once you know what the problem is, it's time to form new productive habits. There are three similar questions that are the key:

• What good habits do I want to develop? Whatever the desired activity, it should be placed in the center of your consciousness.

• Why do I want to do it? Will it lead to greater productivity, more efficiency, a healthier, stronger body, or more leisure time?

• Why do I want to change? Are there things you would like to do or learn? Would you like to go somewhere that you haven't been? Would you like more quality time with your family and friends?

Repeating these three good habit questions every day could convince you that it's time to take action and get things done!       

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES: 4 TIPS TO CLEAR THE "HOW HURDLE".

As a coach, I'm privileged to be part of a process where my clients create a new and exciting vision for their lives and take action towards it. The excitement is palpable as they connect with what's truly important to them. But often they'll hit what I call, the "How Hurdle." "How will I do that?" or "How can I get myself from here to there?" The excitement starts to deflate as they focus on not knowing the clear answers to the "How" Hurdle.

Think of a hurdler, about to take off from the starting blocks. Looking up from their hurdler stance, the finish line is not even visible. What do they see? Nothing but a line of tall, solid ominous hurdles blocking their way to their goal.

It's the same for us in our lives. We want to get somewhere but we don't know "how" to get there. Many head for the dressing room before the race to the finish line even starts. I'd like to share simple ways to overcome this phenomenon of the "How Hurdle".

1. "How?" isn't as important as "Where" and "Why?"
Part of our mind likes to solve problems, so it will naturally prompt that "how" question. Asking "How" first is like putting the cart before the horse. Ghandi didn't ask himself how he'd get the British to leave India. Instead he held steadfastly and articulately to his vision and then followed a course of action that revealed itself as he went along.

The more important and empowering questions to ask yourself are "Where?" and "Why?". Where do you want to go? Why do you want to reach that new goal? Why is it important for you to learn how to solve that problem? The answers to the "where" and "why" will give you the motivation and energy to find the "how" as you take action.

2. Building a Big "Why"
If your "why" is big enough, you'll figure out the how. You just hunker down and start doing whatever it takes to get the job done. If a family member required urgent medical treatment and you didn't know anything about the medical system or how it works, it wouldn't take long for you to take action, would it? You're motivated, so you'd ask a lot of questions of the doctor or others, go online to research, or pick up the yellow pages to look for support groups.

Connecting to your "why" will commit you to action. Commitment is the key to knocking those "How Hurdles" down. The "how" will appear once you make that commitment to your "why". In the words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, "The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred ... unforeseen incidents, meetings, and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way."

3. "I Don't Know How" as an Excuse
Have you ever used the phrase "I don't know how" as an excuse for inaction? What would you say to a young child who said "I don't know how" in the face of having to try something new? You'd most likely let them know that it's OK to make mistakes and learn from them.

But perhaps you really meant, "I'm not ready to move forward" or "My goal isn't really clear or important enough to me". It's more empowering and accurate to be honest about it, especially with ourselves, than stand behind an excuse.

4. Nevermind the Naysayers
Have you ever decided to try something new, despite your own questions about how you'll succeed, and then the moment you share your new goal with someone they turn into a dream-stealer. They'll pepper you with questions like, "So how exactly are you going to do that?" Unfortunately, some of those naysayers are people who are the closest to us. They have a great skill for putting more "How Hurdles" up on the track.

Don't let the naysayers stop you! Take a moment to share your "why" with them and how it's going to look at feel for you to accomplish that goal. Invite them to support you by brainstorming how you could accomplish the goal. Share your commitment to doing whatever it will take to cross the finish line.