As 2014 comes to a close, take a moment and pause to reflect on the year. You may think of the things that you “coulda, shoulda, woulda” done–or not done. Put those to the side. Instead, remember the accomplishments you had, no matter how small or humble. Applaud yourself for these–especially the small steps and tiny bits of steps. While it’s wonderful to move toward your dreams with leaps and bounds, it’s the small, slow, steady bits of forward movement that gets you to your dream life.
Copyright 2014 Artisans Workshop Designs
Celebrate this–you done good!
Congratulations on all your forward progress in 2014!
Today and tomorrow are the last “moments” of 2014.
Your homework today is to finish 2014 in style. Find a small step or a tiny bit that you can do today or tomorrow that will push you closer to your dreams.
What are you planning to do differently in 2015 that will ensure that you move toward your goals and dreams rather than just maintaining the status quo?
Your homework today is to thoroughly think through the answers to the following questions:
How will you hold your feet to the fire—make sure that you’re taking regular steps toward your goals and dreams? Will you meet regularly with a trusted friend or group of friends—like a Master Mind Group—where you can support one another in your quest to achieve your dreams?
Will you post on your bathroom mirror your dreams, the goals that’ll get you there, and the action steps along the way? Will you keep a record or journal of your thoughts and ideas about your goals and dreams as you learn more?
How will you measure your progress—how will you know you’re getting closer to your dreams?
Will you keep a spreadsheet of the action steps that’ll get you to your dreams and then cross them off as you complete each one?
How will you hold yourself accountable? Will you work with a trusted friend or family member by telling them what you want to accomplish each week and then reporting to them at the end of the week?
What payoff will you give yourself for working consistently and persistently toward your goals and dreams? How will you reward yourself for the steps you have taken and the progress you have made, no matter how humble or small?
Answering these questions will help you make sure you have an exciting and successful 2015!
We’ve spent this month thinking about our dreams and selecting the goals that will get us there. Now, let’s spend these last few days of 2014 thinking about what we’re going to do differently in 2015—and resolve to follow through—so that we don’t have a repeat of previous years.
Probably the most important thing we can do is follow yesterday’s quote from Elaine, my mom: You do what you’ve got to do when you’ve got to do it.
Copyright Artisans Workshop Designs
Your homework is to break tasks into small pieces, little parts, and tiny bits. This will make it much easier to do what you gotta do when you gotta do it!
You do what you’ve got to do when you’ve got to do it.
~Elaine, my mom
Today’s quote is the key to making your dreams come true: doing what you have to do when you have to do it.
Procrastination, putting things off, dragging your feet, or waiting for better timing will not help you achieve your dreams. But doing what needs doing when it needs doin, will get you to your dream life.
Copyright 2014 Artisans Workshop Designs
Your homework today is to do what you’ve got to do when you’ve got to do it.
By taking the time to stop and appreciate who you are and what you’ve achieved—and perhaps learned through a few mistakes, stumbles, and losses—you actually can enhance everything about you. Self-acknowledgement and appreciation are what give you the insights and awareness to move forward toward higher goals and accomplishments.
~Jack Canfield
Your homework today is to be proud of yourself—how far you’ve come and who you are becoming—because of your pursuit of your goals and dreams.
Your homework today is to remember the excited expectation of Christmas Eve when you were a child. Bring this enthusiasm and unquestioning belief to your dreams and goals.
Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance.
~Brian Tracy
While the Holiday Season is filled with celebrations, it’s also a time of reverence and contemplation.
As you enjoy all the wonders of the season, your homework is to pause and take a few quiet moments for yourself.
You’ve done a great job making sure your dream is your own and selecting the goals that will get you to them. You’ve come up with several different types of whys so that you can re-energize when you hit rough patches. Now, slip away from all the festivities, just for a few minutes, to reflect on your goals. Make sure they’re balanced—that you have plenty of room in your life for family and friends, for relaxation and contemplation, for silence and for beauty.
This past weekend there was a Survivorman marathon on TV featuring Les Stroud, survivalist expert. This time he was spending a week with an indigenous tribe in Africa. He didn’t know their language and, of course, they did not know English. Naturally, there was no TV, radio, Internet, or other type of entertainment…other than him. In the evenings, the tribespeople would sit and stare at him, watching his every move. He said that you can’t let people staring at you freak you out or you’ll never survive.
That got me to thinking….
The same is true when you go for your goals and dreams. People will stare at you. Some will be watching you, cheering you on and getting excited over every little bit of progress you make. Others will politely ask how you’re coming along on your goals and dreams—and they’re interested in you and what you’re doing—but they’re so wrapped up in their own hectic lives that they might not really notice what’s going on with you.
There will be a small group, though, that will watch you, looking for mistakes and goof-ups. These are the people whose close scrutiny might cause you to second-guess yourself and you might falter as a result. But you can’t let that happen. As Les Stroud says, you have to learn how to handle people watching you, especially the ones who might be secretly—or not so secretly—wishing that you’d stumble.
Your homework today is to make a list of what you will do when you are in the limelight or getting more attention than you’re used to. Think about the people you might see. Have handy some subjects that are safe.
For instance with the people who are watching you for missteps, perhaps, when they ask about your goals and dreams, you’ll want to have some general statements handy such as saying that you’re making progress or perking along, and then turn the conversation back to them. Ask them about projects they’re working on or things that they’re interested in. Keep turning the conversation back to them—keep it off of yourself.
With the other two groups of people—the ones who typically cheer you on and the ones who are interested but busy—you can have a few exciting anecdotes or a funny story handy to share with them. And, it’s always a great idea to ask them about themselves and what they’ve been up to!
Yes I Can Pep Talks 
