Matt Clark Unplugged

Goals: Setting and Achieving

// January 5th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Personal Development, Success Tips

It is that time of year again, we can reflect back on the goals we have achieved in the year closing, and we now can turn our sites on the goals for the new year beginning. However, so many of us sometimes set ourselves up for disappointment because the goals we set are not what we really want. The following Goal Setting and Achieving tips will assist you in setting and accomplishing your loftiest goals. A goal that you can believe and achieve! You can download the worksheets at the end of the post.

Set your goal, because your own goal will give you the thoughts and ideas you need to grow in awareness. For you all things are possible.- Bob Proctor

Before we begin
Make sure you have at least one hour free. This is going to take some work and you need to invest the time it deserves. Remember what you ask for you will get so let’s be real clear.

Step One: Take Pen to Paper

Take a piece of paper and write down 30 things that you want. At this stage of the exercise have some fun and just write 30 things you want. Go for it and stretch yourself and write down anything you want. The universe is your catalog so go for it what do you want, let those inner desires come free and put them on paper. The main thing is just write, do not think about it, just write what ever comes to your mind.

Step Two: Let’s Clean it Up

You now have a list of 30 things you want! That was fun right? Now what we are going to do is break these down into groups of 10. Take a sheet of paper and put 3 columns on it. Label one column A, another one B, and the third one will be C. Now go to your list and read through it and prioritize the goals with A being the most important and C being the least. Remember, only 10 in each column so this is the time to think about what you wrote in the first step. Start to dig and see what is really important to you right now!

Step Three: We are getting Clear Now!

Now comes the fun, we are getting close to our goal. At this point you will have 3 lists of 10 wants, prioritized from most important to least important goals. Now we are going to go a little further and prioritize each list from 1 to 10. So in column C you will have a C1 all the way to a C10 and you will do this for each column. Now you have an A1 Goal. This is what is really important to you right now, this is what you want! The process we just went through brought you to this point and now you know what you really want to achieve first.

Step Four: Set up the action!

Now you have a A1 goal and we need to start to feel and move towards the goal. Decide when you want to achieve this goal, an exact date! Now write down the goal in present tense as if we have already achieved it. Write it on a small card and keep it with you all the time, read it as often as possible. Put, a little card beside your bed with you goal, read it when you go to bed, read it when you wake up. Picture yourself already achieving the A1, feel what that is going to feel like! Live it in your minds eye!

That is your goal, now you must take action towards it. I have included some worksheets to help with that. Do some action towards your goal each and everyday, the best way to do this is to Plan your day every night and include 6 action steps each day to take you to your goal.

Now some things to remember, this A1 Goal should be scaring you a little right about now. If it doesn’t go through the exercise again and push yourself a little more. Take action everyday toward it, that will move you towards the goal. Visualize the goal as if you have already achieved it. Next week, I will give you some exercises to help you with that process. For now just take a few minutes 2-3 times a day to sit and be silent and picture the goal in your minds eye with as much detail as possible.

Download your ABC Goal Achievement Workbook

What are you plans for 2009, how do you set goals?

We all play a part!

// December 29th, 2008 // No Comments » // Personal Development, Success Tips

“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.”

John F. Kennedy
1917-1963, Thirty-Fifth President of the United States

I am not one to watch tv, however I still seem to hear from friends, family and passers by that apparently the economy is in trouble and we are in dire straights. I wonder to myself do we want this media blitz to define us? Is this what we want to leave in the history books for our children to read about?

I believe that yes some things have to change, the economy can not continue the way it was going and not have some repercussions. We all play a part in that and for that we have to take some responsibility in this situation. Then we need to realize that if we all take action, just like the quote from John F.Kennedy, we can write the history that we want as a person and as a society.

I am writing this on Christmas eve and I am just settling in for the day with my kids as many of you are. Take the time to realize how we can turn off that doom and gloom thoughts and actions in this time with family and friends. Take that attitude and apply that to the way you live your life in the new year!

If you decide to focus on what the media says is going to happen then guess what?  That is exactly what you will get. I feel it is important to remember that in all the success we have achieved personally or as a society has come in times of challenges. Adversity is preparation for Greatness!

Abundance, health, wealth and happiness can be yours if you choose to have it in 2009. Life is a playground and each and everyone of us as a choice on how we choose to play! We all play a part in our life and our history!

What do you think, can we change things by sifting our focus as a single person? By personally making that change can we inspire others to make the shift as well?

Success, Plan One Day at a Time

// December 24th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // Personal Development, Success Tips

Success is a just a plan away for many. As we are about to embark on a new year, I wanted to share one of the lessons I learned from the past year. A simple yet amazingly effective, “success comes to anyone who wants it and is willing to take the action required to achieve it”.

One of the single activities that I can say that has lead to an outstanding successful year is simple . This is something that everyone can do. This easy “Success Principal” is planning your day the night before.

Planning your day the night before leads to implementing your perfect day and as you begin to piece one successful day after another little success builds to big success.

Two reasons this is an amazingly successful tip; One, most of the time people go about there day responding to other peoples needs and wants instead of doing what they had intended. By planning your day the night before you can be focused and scheduled on what you need to accomplish. The second reason for planning a detailed perfect day the night before is now you hand over what you need to accomplish to your un-conscious and sub-conscious mind. At this point your mind goes to work coming up with creative solutions, ideas and ways to complete what you have scheduled for yourself. Plan your day, work your plan!

Some tips for effectively planning your day the night before:

1. Plan your perfect day – what do you need to accomplish? Write it out in detail.
2. Plan the night before, “Very Important” this is very powerful so do not cheat yourself on this step
3. Schedule your day with when you want to do something and how log you think it will take.
4. Plan your day, then work your plan!

What is your take, do you plan your day? Has it worked for you?

6 Steps is all it takes

// October 27th, 2008 // No Comments » // Home Business Income, Personal Development

Do you think you could have complete freedom following 6 easy steps? 6 steps that can free you from the limiting beliefs that stand in the way of your dreams coming true. I am here to tell you that yes that is it. I have been leaving my  designed life for just about 2 years now. I can say from this point that it is not just the business that I started that gave me that freedom. It is not that income that gave me that freedom.

The real cause of gaining that freedom in my life was deciding that I wanted to have the life I had always dreamed to have and taking action to get it. The personal development, the work on myself that truly lead me to this lifestyle. The business is great because I get to share the product that gave me this realization with many people each week. To give you a little overview of what I learned about myself and what I learned to keep me moving forward in designing my life here is 6 steps that can change your life forever.

These 6 steps are outlined below, and are explored in detail in the Beyond Freedom Program I have spoken about recently, which addresses the conscious and unconscious elements involved in creating the life you want today and in the future.

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Everything is Relative

// September 26th, 2008 // No Comments » // Personal Development, Success Tips

Today’s post is by our friend Michael Jordan Segal. He brings some light to what we experience in life good or bad and to always look at what is good and what we can learn. The story is a great reminder to me and I hope to you, look around and see all the good that is there and focus on it to bring more of it to you.

Everything is Relative

There is a famous saying: “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” At times, human beings are not satisfied with what they have. People seem to do well until, unfortunately, they experience a loss. Then, usually, they want to be better – to experience the “green grass.” It’s human nature to always want to be better, to have more. Isn’t that what is meant by the phrase “dream big?” At times, dreaming big might be great; however, at other times one should be thankful for what one has.

Consider the story of the 85 year old grandmother taking her 5 year old grandson, Johnny, to the beach for the first time. She was so excited. She bought Johnny a brand new complete outfit for his first time at the beach: new cap, new swimsuit, new t-shirt, new shoes and a new sand bucket with a shovel.

They walked to the beach holding hands. As they got to the sand, Johnny said, “Grandma, because I can’t swim I won’t go near the water; so I’ll just dig up the sand with my new shovel far from the sea.”

However, Johnny had difficulty digging up the hard sand far from the water. Therefore, he said, “Grandma, this sand is too hard. Can I get close to the water where the sand is easier to dig?” Johnny quickly added, “But I promise I won’t go in the water.”

Hesitantly, the grandmother looked into Johnny’s begging big eyes and said, “Okay, but promise you won’t go in the water.”

Johnny screamed with glee, “I promise.” As he was close to the ocean he was having such a good time, digging and digging with ease in the soft sand. Unfortunately, a huge wave came on the shore and swallowed up little Johnny, taking him out to sea.

With her vigilant eyes, watching him from afar, his grandmother screamed, “Oh my God! Oh my God! Help me God!”

Just then, another huge wave thundered onto the beach from the ocean and “spit forth” little Johnny safely back on the shore.

Elated, the grandmother ran toward the boy and tightly hugged her 5 year old grandson. Wiping tears from her eyes she cried out as she looked toward the heavens, “Thank you God! Thank you so much!”

She then looked back down at her little sweet Johnny. She once again quickly looked back at the heavens and screamed, “Hey…Where’s his new cap!?”

—–

Life is full of people who are not satisfied and not thankful for what they have. Many times people are constantly dwelling on what they have lost, rather than being satisfied and thankful for what they still have left. Believe me, I speak from experience.

When I was 19 and well on my way to fulfilling my life-long dream of becoming a surgeon, I walked into a convenience store which was in the process of being robbed. One of the thieves shot me in the back of my head, leaving me for dead. However, I fooled everyone. Sure, I have my disabilities and I used to constantly dwell on the many things I had lost, being negative, saying, “Before I was shot I was athletic, now I can barely walk (with a significant limp), my arm is very weak, I speak somewhat slowly, my voice is hoarse. Before I was shot I could do 500 things really well, after the shooting, I can do only 200 things well. For a long time, I was constantly dwelling on the 300 things I had lost.” However, eventually I began focusing on the 200 things I could still do. It wasn’t easy and it took me a long time, but refocusing one’s attitude is crucial – not merely for people shot in the head, not merely for people who are sick, but for everyone. Having a more positive attitude is vital and essential.

One of my friends had a stroke. I would always try to encourage him by trying to get him to refocus on the positive. It was not easy but it was slowly working and he was improving. He still had a long way to go but he was getting there. He was always asking, “How long did it take you to walk? I hope I will be able to walk again.”

I would say to him, “Everyone is different. Even though I have problems walking, my hopes and prayers are that one day you’ll be able to walk.” With that statement I limped out of the hospital room.

When I visited my friend the next week I immediately asked him to “tell me something good.” He started by saying he had walked 60 feet with a cane in therapy, but just then his doctor (whom I knew) came in and asked how he was doing.

“Fine,” replied my friend, “but I just want to be able to walk perfectly again – just like Mike.” I stood there, a little shocked, but I said to myself, “He’s just started on the road to recovery. He’s beginning to think positive.”

Another friend of mine once told me that he used to feel sorry when he would see people who needed walkers. However, I will never forget what he said after that: “I would give anything if my daughter (diagnosed with a possible brain tumor and currently needing a wheel chair) could progress to the point where she just needed a walker.” He prays for that; I pray for that; and many other people are praying for that.

Again, “Be thankful for what you have, and set your goals for higher things.” The world is full of many horrible things, as well as many wonderful things. Sometimes a person is constantly looking at the “horrible” things. However, my hopes are that they will be able to find the beauty in life. It’s there – if you look for it!

Michael Jordan Segal, MSW

Shot in the head during a robbery, Michael Jordan Segal defied all odds by first surviving and then returning to college. He then earned two degrees with honors, married his high school sweetheart, Sharon, and became a father to their daughter Shawn. Mike is a social worker at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston and an author (currently he has two book projects he’s working on: an autobiography and an anthology of his short stories – as well as very soon he will have a CD of some of his best stories available). He also is a popular inspirational speaker sharing his “recipe” for recovery, happiness, and success. For more information please visit www.InspirationByMike.com