K.I.T.A. June 2013
Your Monthly “Kick In The Ass”!
Magazine
Premiere Issue!
20+ Pages of Tips to Get You Moving Closer To Your Dreams! Small Wins = BIG Success
Break down your goals into simple steps.
Get Unstuck!
How to move out of overwhelm and into action.
Seeing is Believing The power of affirmations
Overcoming Fear of Failure Gain the confidence you need to seek the life you desire
1
2
From the Editor: Welcome to K.I.T.A. Magazine: Your Monthly Kick In The Ass! prevent you from attaining the dream life that you deserve because, with hard work, the ability to bring your dreams to life is just around the corner.
Do you ever feel lost when trying to achieve your goals, especially when progress seems so far away? Are you waiting for some magical moment in the future to start enjoying your life? It sounds awful when you think about it, but many people do exactly that. They think, "I'll be happy when..."
If there are particular stories or topics that you would like to see featured in the magazine, let me know! I would love your feedback. Send your ideas and comments to KITAMAG@golden-parachutes.com.
The real question is: Why not now?
I look forward to sharing this journey with you!
You might be stuck at a job you dislike just because it pays you a steady income and you have the promise of a decent retirement. However, the important question is: Do you enjoy your day-to-day life? In this case, strive to make a change right now so that you can enjoy your life, both now and in the future.
Monique
That’s where K.I.T.A. comes in! K.I.T.A. is your monthly reminder to stick to your goals. Each month, we’ll deliver inspirational stories, tips, and how-tos to keep
Head Career Strategist, Golden Parachutes http://www.golden-parachutes.com
you moving closer to your dreams. When you take decisive action to achieve your goals, you can find the strength and motivation to carry on. Avoid letting obstacles in your path
3
Featured Articles
Small Achievements = Big Success
Go From Stuck to Unstuck
05
07
Overcoming Your Fear of Failure
No More Excuses
18
14 4
How Small Achievements Lead to Big Success People dream big all the time. But it's the people that take action to reach their goals that truly succeed in life. It's a huge task to take on, but when you break down your journey into simple steps, anything is achievable. Decide on your goal and follow through, it really can be as simple as that. The Big Picture It truly doesn't matter what your goal is, you can achieve it by combining the will to succeed with action. There are many possible excuses and many people that will try to bring you down, it's just the way life. While these things may not change, your attitude can. The first thing you need to do is create a personal definition of success. What are you trying to do? What is your ultimate goal?
Remember, the answer can be anything your heart desires. Maybe you want to start a video game development business, or maybe you want to be an Olympic swimmer. Everyone is different, but it's important to have a well-defined goal. Don't be afraid to be specific and to list a goal even if you're lacking the confidence to achieve it. The Process After you have your definition of success, it's time to break it down and make it happen. Success will happen just by completing one small task at a time from your plan. Let's say your ultimate goal is to own a video game development business. You currently work at a dead end job and you have little revenue to use towards your goal, so you assume it'll never happen
5
and you just go about your day. But what if you took just 20 minutes each day and worked toward your goal?
Here are some of the things you might accomplish: 1. You can research how much money it would take to start up your business. 2. You can learn the ins and outs of the industry by reviewing different courses and training programs. 3. You can make appointment to meet with banks or companies as potential investors. 4. You can contact independent game developers that may be willing to take on extra work at a reasonable cost.
If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place. - Nora Roberts
5. You can research and formulate marketing tactics. 6. You can create a 5-year plan. While the business entails a great deal more than these 6 steps, you get the idea of what it means to break down a huge task into smaller parts. If you don't break it down, it'll seem too overwhelming and you won't even know where to start - so you won't get started at all! But when you decide to spend a little time on a small project, like researching marketing tactics and saving some web links, that's definitely something you
can accomplish in an afternoon. And it brings you one step closer to your goal. Something Is Always Better Than Nothing You now know that some action is always better than no action towards your goal. It may sound trite, but you'll never get there if you don't try. Just think of how far along you might be if you spend 20 minutes a day on your goal for a whole year. That's a great deal of small, manageable projects!
6
You owe it to yourself to make your dreams come true, so go get started!
How to Go From Stuck to Unstuck Do you feel like you're stuck in a rut? Are you struggling in your career, friendships, or passion? It's time to take action to fix the problem. You'll first want to identify the areas of your life that feel "off." Take some time to reflect on what's bothering you and why. Once you know what's going on, it's easier to find a solution.
If you find yourself stuck, perhaps it's time to explore the reasons why. With some simple selfexploration you can pinpoint the areas of your life that require change. It may require you to leave your comfort zone, but in the end you'll likely find that it was all worth it! It's also important for you to build an action plan. If you stay organized and follow a simple plan of action step by step, there will be nothing that can stop you from achieving your goals. Here are some ideas that can get you on your way to getting unstuck: 1. Set Up Accountability. When you hold yourself accountable and keep a close eye on your goals, you'll be better able to identify when you're stuck in a rut. The first step is to really figure out why you're feeling stuck in the first place. 2. Set A Time Goal. You're stuck and you'd like to be unstuck, but chances are you've been putting off working toward your goal. You've already decided to make yourself accountable and now it's time to give yourself a time limit - so do it! 3. Be Not Afraid. Being afraid of change is one of the biggest reasons why you get stuck in the first place. Perhaps you're feeling trapped in your job and, in order to get the job you'd like, you have to go back to college. You need to get over your fear and see what you need to do to apply. You'll be happy you did when you land your dream job someday.
7
4. Look For Role Models. Find someone who has been through your situation or something similar and see how he or she was able to overcome obstacles. If possible, ask this person questions.
think the concern lies. Perhaps you aren't communicating effectively. If so, you can set a timetable of three months to overcome this challenge. You can then break down the problem into smaller steps by reading a book on communication, talking about it with your partner, or attempting counseling sessions. As you go through these actions, you're constantly keeping a close eye on how it affects your relationship.
5. Change Your Thinking. It's true: your actions first start as thoughts. When you think positive and brave thoughts, you'll be motivated into action! 6. Take Time. Remember to take some time for yourself to collect your thoughts. You may discover some insight into how to solve your challenges. Make sure you're completely alone with your thoughts without any distractions.
In the end you have a firm decision about your relationship's progress and you no longer feel stuck. If you hadn't taken action, it'd be impossible to improve!
Taking Action
Repeat the Process
It's easy to remain in your "stuck" situation because it's familiar and you know what's going to happen. You might even feel safe. However, eventually the dissatisfaction you feel will take over and you'll realize that the only way to get "unstuck" is to take immediate action to change.
Once you've applied this system to one aspect of your life, you can use the same strategies whenever you're feeling stuck. Whether large or small, there are always actions you can take to break through barriers! .
Make the Change Once you choose your timetable, you'll want to break down your changes into small steps. Track your progress and tweak your system to make sure your changes are making a difference. For example, if you're feeling stuck in a relationship, you'll first evaluate where you
8
9
Personal Reflection: What I Visualize, I Can Achieve hope and a future that I can look forward to and be proud of. I know I can I see my goals, dreams, and achieve my plans. Every day plans clearly in my mind. I I see myself accomplishing use visualization to make my what I set out to do. future plans perfect and I achieve anything I put my complete. By using visualization, I see how I can mind to. achieve the goals I set for Each goal I set, I meet. Each myself and the dreams that plan I have is carried out. are in my heart. Each dream I have is fulfilled. Every day, I am I visualize my plans coming to fruition. My plans give me closer to completion of What I visualize, I can achieve.
10
everything I set out to do. When I focus on my life, things are clear and bright. I take great joy from planning my future. Plans are important to me, but I am flexible and can handle change. Visualizing my future helps me set good goals and work toward them. If I see room for improvement, I adapt easily so I can stay on course.
Reaching my goals is easy when I visualize them. I am capable of achieving anything I want to achieve. Each day, I am thankful that I can meet my goals and accomplish my dreams. I encourage others to follow what is in their hearts and plan for a great future.
Today, I visualize my goals, dreams, and plans clearly, and I move toward achieving them.
11
12
Bored at Work? There Is a Way to Make Your Dream Career a Reality! Everyone possesses unique talents and gifts that they are obligated to share with the world. Anything less would be downright selfish! You are drawn towards certain passions and careers for a reason – they are the voice of your soul. What you need to know is that you CAN get paid for doing what you love. The key to making this all work is a great plan. If you are currently working, you need a transition plan that takes you from where you are to where you want to be. And if you’re not working, you need a plan to put your dreams into action.
Take the first step today towards your dream job. Contact Monique Eddleton, CEO of Golden Parachutes, for information her life-changing career services. You owe it to yourself to do it today!
13
How to Overcome the Fear of Failure Failure has touched the lives of everyone at some point. Because of this fact, you know how horrible it can make you feel. No wonder you strive to avoid it at all costs! But the problem is that this fear of failure can become one of your biggest life fears. Fear of failure is a fear of the great unknown. You don't know what's truly out there, and so you're scared. You might even be tempted to give up entirely in order to avoid failure. You'll soon realize that not trying at all is the ultimate failure because there is no way to win without trying. How can you overcome this fear and gain the confidence you need to seek the life you desire? Consider trying one or more of these actions steps: 1. Imagine the worst case scenario. Of course, you should spend time imagining everything turning out well, but it actually helps to imagine the worst case as well. This is because, while horrible, imagining the worst case gives your fears a face. Your fears are then no longer the unknown and they may not be quite as scary. When you figure out the worst thing that can happen, you just might realize that the most a failure can do is to delay your ultimate goal. But if you can figure out how to get past this possible delay, you're back on track! 2. Take bold action. The fear of failure can hold you hostage. When you take bold action, you're able to learn from your mistakes so you can continuously moving forward.
14
3. Talk to successful people. Ask them about times that they've failed or times that they've felt a fear of failure. It's likely that they were afraid too and that they've even failed greatly before reaching success. Knowing that you're not alone can be quite helpful. 4. Utilize affirmations. Use the help of affirmations in order to change your mindset about your fears. Affirmations can help you reprogram your subconscious mind so that you believe you'll succeed, which will encourage you to take action to make it happen. 5. Know that you'll try again. Tell yourself that, if you're face to face with failure, you will pick yourself up and try again no matter how many tries it takes. Then follow your plan. Don't Be Afraid Of Help Since the fear of failure is so common, there are many people around you that you can talk to about the subject. You might feel like you're alone, but you're not. Discuss your issues with a trusted friend or use the services of a professional counselor. Sometimes just having someone listen and understand you can make your fears seem like less of a burden. It can help you to get into a positive mindset, which is the first step you'll need to take in order to tackle your fear of failure head-on. The Long Term After you've mastered your fear of a particular situation, keep at it in order to stay on top of your fears. The key is consistency and positive thoughts. Remember that there are always lessons to be learned on your journey, even if you've failed. Keep at it and good things will come!
15
16
Finding Purpose at Your Job Is your job a source of stress and frustration? Do you dread each time the alarm sounds? Does your work fail to ignite passion in your heart?
are exciting at first. Over time, your duties can become routine and your enthusiasm can disappear quickly.
Believe it or not, your employment can provide both the income you need and the fulfillment you crave!
Everyone has a bad day from time to time, but most days should bring you joy. Thankfully, you can make changes that make a huge difference in the satisfaction and fulfillment you experience at work. Those changes start with an attitude that looks on the bright side and focuses on solutions instead of problems.
Add To Your Skill Set One of the reasons your job may be undesirable and unfulfilling is that it becomes mundane. You do the same tasks, in the same order. Every day is exactly the same as yesterday, and it's a drain on your energy and creativity. Remember that you can always add to your skill set. Even if something isn't in your job description, you can take the initiative to learn more. If you haven't found your purpose yet, you can find it if you refuse to put up with more of the same. Study and gain experience that can lead to a managerial position. Eventually, you might find that leading people is your true purpose. If you stay in your routine, you may fail to discover the gifts within yourself that can lead to a more exciting
daily experience at work. Have The Right Attitude Most things in life come down to having the right attitude. If you believe that you can find purpose at your job, you can. Many jobs
Identify Your Next Steps Start by identifying the changes that you want to make. First, ask yourself if you're in the right line of work. Do you see yourself continuing with this type of job for a long time? If you do want to stay in this line of work, identify why you haven't found your purpose yet. If you don't like your line of work, it's time to discover what it is that you want to do and go for it. Can you identify simple changes you can make in your attitude or your approach to your duties? Write down the things you like about your job. Think about the contribution
your position makes to others and to your organization. Think about the aspects of your job that fit in with your goals and values.
17
Reflect on what you'd like to get out of your job. Where do you see your career in five years? How about in 10 years? What results would you like to achieve? What would you attempt if you knew you couldn't fail? What is the next level of success that you deserve in your current position? Make concrete long-term goals that get you energized. Even if you don't quite reach your goals in the time frame you set for them, just working towards those goals will ignite a passion within you that fuels your journey to the joy you deserve. Communicate Effectively Sometimes you can ease the daily stress you feel at your job by working on communicating more effectively. If you improve the way you relate to coworkers and communicate ideas, you'll be able to succeed more easily and more often. And you'll be able to clear up conflict quickly. You'll meet your goals by helping others to understand you better. Find passion in your work by ensuring you're in the right place, setting goals that fire you up, and taking action each day until you achieve them. If you do, you'll find the job fulfillment that you crave.
No More Excuses!
Motivate Yourself Today. You may already know that motivation is one of the keys that determine success or failure. However, just knowing doesn't make it any easier to gain motivation. If you feel that you're having trouble properly motivating yourself, it's time for you to act. Not tomorrow, but today.
Brainstorm ways that you can complete the task in a more efficient manner. Then you can compete with yourself to see how quickly you can complete the task in the future. The quicker you get it done, the sooner you can move on to bigger and better things!
Finding your motivation is something personal. The best way to find motivation is to explore your options and discover something that works for you.
• Get spiritual. Don't be afraid to get in touch with your spiritual side. Many people find it highly motivating! When you discover some answers to life's tough questions, it brings you clarity, and you may be more likely to work harder to achieve your desires.
Consider the following ways to motivate yourself today: • Avoid just going through the motions. One reason you may find it difficult to perform everyday tasks is that you get bored. Of course you're going to try to avoid something that you find tedious! You can combat this mentality by adding some depth to your thinking while you're engaging in tasks you dislike.
18
• Set a goal. You might lack motivation because you don't have a goal. If you aren't even sure what you're working towards, you'll have difficulty finding motivation. If you have a large goal, break up the goal into a series of small, achievable tasks and set each task as a separate goal. This helps you maintain motivation because you're constantly
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones that you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain
• Make a change. If you think you've tried everything and you still can't get motivated, perhaps you should consider a life change. Maybe there's a reason why you're feeling this way.
achieving your goals. You can see the results of your hard work! • Hold yourself accountable. In order to ensure that you don't stray from your chosen path, evaluate your progress every week or even every day. Determine how you can do better the next week.
If you don't feel motivated to work toward your major life goals, consider some alternatives that may be more in line with your true desires. If you're having trouble finding motivation for everyday chores, see if you can find a way to hire some help.
If you find that it's difficult to keep yourself accountable, don't be afraid to ask for help. You may enjoy having others check up on you to make sure you stay on task.
Always keep in mind that "the time is now." Put procrastination into your past and you'll feel happy and accomplished at the end of the day, instead of stressed out or regretful.
• Think positive thoughts. Negative thinking and lack of motivation go hand in hand. You can increase your motivation by concentrating on eliminating your negative thinking patterns. Replace negative feelings with optimism and positive thoughts and images.
When you're motivated, life is more fulfilling. Use these strategies to wake up your motivation and enjoy the difference!
When you catch yourself feeling down, make an extra effort to seek the silver lining. It's always there. If you take the time to look hard enough, you'll find it.
19
19
19
20
20
Love this Issue? SUBSCRIBE to Receive Future Issues of K.I.T.A. for FREE Each Month! Show how smart you are and TWEET about K.I.T.A. Magazine to friends, fans, and followers!
21
Let Your Dreams Take Flight!
Join the Golden Parachutes community on Facebook and Twitter!
22