Power consists in one’s capacity to link his will with the purpose of others, to lead by reason and a gift of cooperation.

~Woodrow Wilson

It is almost a necessity, when setting and achieving success with your goals, to have some type of a success team in place.  Building relationships, whether in the form of a team, a mastermind group or just having accountability buddies, is essential to your success.

One of my favorite books on setting goals is Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.  Originally published in 1937, this timeless classic is the epitome of what it means to make a commitment to action. Hill’s book that was written to read over and over again, because of the value of its content and the processes involved in achieving success.  Each time you read it, you will get more value from it as new ideas emerge in the “Thirteen Steps to Riches.”

In his book, one of the 13 steps to riches is building a mastermind group.  He defines a “Master Mind” as:

Coodination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.

The concept of the mastermind group, which has been around for hundreds or even thousands of years under various names, is as essential in personal development as it is in business.  This concept allows people to gather together in a common forum (in a meeting place, by phone, or over the Internet) to share issues, brainstorm ideas and contribute to the overall goal of the mastermind.  A mastermind can used for starting a business, parenting your children or grandchildren, remodeling your home, planning your retirement, organizing an event, getting into shape or just keeping on track with your goals.  Mastermind groups are multi-purpose, multi-functional and valuable to any goal you desire to achieve.

The intent of the mastermind group, is to draw energy from each member of the group since the energy of two or more people is greater than just one.  Hill’s analogy is that of a battery, and how there is more energy with many than just one.  There is significant strength in numbers, no matter what your plan or your goal.

I compare the mastermind group to geese flying in formation.  I am sure that at some point in your life, you have heard Lessons from the Geese, by Dr. Robert McNeish. If not, I encourage you to do so.  It is an example of how important working together for a common goal can be, even for geese.

To Your Success!

Kay L. Fontana
“The Grandcoach”

P.S. If you are interested in being part of a coaching or mastermind group, please complete the very brief (6 questions) survey by following the link below.  It will only take a few minutes, and will be helpful in determining the need to provide you with access to such a group.

http://bit.ly/MastermindSurvey

We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.  ~Frank Tibolt

As I sat in the dark using a battery operated lantern because of another storm that knocked out our power, I was inspired by the thought of not having electricity. As I sat in the dimly lit room, my imagination started in high gear and my pen started to flow.

We are now at the end of the 3rd week in January, which means that many of you have already lost your motivation to continue on with your New Year’s resolutions.  Goals and New Year’s resolutions often come from an inspiration.  At New Years, you may be inspired at the idea of a new beginning and fresh start.  Sometimes you’re inspired by a negative event, such as the illness of a friend or family member that motivated you to lose weight, exercise or quit smoking.  My husband calls these “wake up calls;” however, they often do not last long.  Sometimes, you’re inspired by mass casualty events, such as the terrorists attack on September 11th, Hurricane Katrina, or the recent earthquake in Haiti, which may have motivated you to be more prepared for disasters, or to donate to a charitable cause.

It is unfortunate that sometimes inspirations can be short-lived, and once the event has subsided and people go on with their lives, many return to the same old bad habits.  They may be inspired to take action, but only for a short while.

So then, how do you stay motivated?  By continuing to pursue your goals and follow your plan.  You see, you must take action in order to create your own inspiration. That action may take form in a variety of ways:

• Getting a coach or mentor to motivate you and inspire you to move forward.
• Finding an accountability buddy, or a friend or family member that will help keep you on track.
• Pursuing continuing education by attending workshops, seminars and teleseminars.
• Joining a Mastermind group and meeting with people who have a common goal.
• Applying for a group coaching program to connect with others, work through issues and inspire you to set goals for success.
• Revising your goals and updating your daily tasks with new and creative ways to achieving the same goal.
• Supporting a cause and becoming involved in a cause that is in line with your goal.
• Helping others by sharing your ideas and inspiring them to move forward.

There are many ways to gain inspiration; however, you must be willing to take action to find that inspiration.  What inspires and motivates one person will not necessarily inspire and motivate someone else.  Therefore, you must seek that which inspires you to achieve your own goals.

Now, I invite you to tell me what inspires you to achieve your goals.  How are you going to stay motivated and achieve your goals?  Please write your responses in the comments below.

For more information about achieving your goals, please go to Powerdrive to Success to see how this may fit into your plan for success.

Warm regards,

Kay L. Fontana
“The Grandcoach”

I don’t watch a lot of television because frankly, it often drives me crazy.  I have a handful of favorite programs that I catch on occasion.  Otherwise, I’ve weaned myself off of television once reality TV, of which I don’t believe is reality, started taking up space.

These programs are designed to show what people go through when competing for the big prize, which could be money, a wife, a restaurant, or a record deal.  However, what I have seen is competition filled with lying, backstabbing, plotting and deceit, which makes me quite angry

In the last week, I read about a reality show couple who used their young child as a publicity stunt. What are these people teaching their children?  Is it no wonder why some children today have social problems when their parents lack the ethics and morals to be good role-models.

Setting goals and achieving success requires honesty and integrity.  When setting goals and putting them into action, I must emphasize the importance of building relationships and having “accountability buddies” when putting your goals into action.  There is no place for plotting, scheming and lying in your master plan.

In my last blog post, I referenced Napoleon Hill’s book, Think and Grow Rich.  In his book, one of the 13 steps to riches is building a Master Mind group.  He defines a “Master Mind” as:

Coodination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people,
for the attainment of a definite purpose.

The intent of this Master Mind, it to draw energy from each member of the group since the energy of two or more people is greater than just one.  His analogy is that of a battery, and how there is more energy with many than just one.

In reality, there is strength and success in numbers, and from a plan that consists of honesty and integrity.  True success does not come from the antics demonstrated in these so-call “reality TV” programs.