The first day of July is less than a week away, which means we’re approaching the year’s halfway mark.  Now is a good time to ask how you are doing with your goals.  Have you made any progress?  Have you outlined your plan?  Have you committed yourself to abounding success?  Will you reach your goals by the end of the year?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, let me ask you a thought provoking question.  What is getting in your way of achieving your goals?  When you set goals with good intentions, you may face unexpected obstacles along the way that throw you off course.  Without a clearly defined plan, it may be challenging to get back on the path to success.

What are your obstacles? Is it time, money, change in focus, unexpected family matters, health issues, or lack of energy?  All of these can demotivate you, and keep you from following through with your plan.  Believe me…I know.

It’s imporant to stay focused on your goal, no matter what obstacles you face.  By being focused, the solutions to your obstacles may suddenly become clear in the process.

Take a look at the top 1 to 3 obstacles that may be getting in the way of achieving your goals.  With each obstacle, identify three possible solutions to each issue.  Might these be new subgoals to help you reach your destination?

If you are struggling with the solutions to your challenges, have a brainstorming session with family members, friends or a mastermind team.  Think of any and all possible solutions no matter how ridiculous they may seem.  When brainstorming, you may find that one idea sparks another, and another, and, well, you get the idea.

It is important that, when brainstorming, you are surrounded by people who are positive and uplifting.  Those who have their own preconceived ideas or negative attitudes, will serve no purpose and will only create more challenges for you. Engage yourself in the harmony of other thought leaders.  Remember, you are the average of the 5 people with whom you spend the most time.

To reach your goals for 2010, I encourage you to stay focused and address any obstacles you may have that are getting in your way.  This will not only help you clarify your goals, but will help you identify solutions that will allow you to move forward.

Have a Grand Day!

Kay L. Fontana
“The Grandcoach”

Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

~ Dalai Lama

Values are personal or professional beliefs that are important to you.  Values are what drive you to do the things you do.  They come from your personal experiences, your family and your culture.  Your family and cultural values come from how you were raised.

You may not be fully aware of your values – they may lie in your subconscious.  However, once you have identified your primary values and have implemented them in your life, wonderful things will begin to happen.

When you identify your values, you may find that they are very much in line with your personality type, your strengths and your roles at home, at work and in the community.  They are also what drive you to make decisions in your day-to-day life, and may guide you to choose certain occupations or ventures.

Let’s say that freedom, honor, leadership and patriotism are key values in someone’s life.  These are the driving forces behind their goals and ambitions. They may find that a career in the military is very appealing to them because it focuses on their core values.  On the other hand, someone who feels education, family, safety and success are important values, they may find themselves home-schooling their children or grandchildren.

A person’s core values are what is important to them, and not everyone shares the same set of core values.  That person’s family and cultural values may be quite different than the next person; therefore, their decisions in life will be based on different expectations.

Now, I invite you to go to my website at http://powerdrivetosuccess.com/Values.html and review the list of values.  Then follow the instructions on that page to identify your top 5 core values.  See how they relate to your goals, dreams and current responsibilities in your life.

To Your Success!

Kay L. Fontana
“The Grandcoach”

How do you stay focused on your goals?  Sometimes it can be a challenge when your life is filled with distractions, which is the case for most people.  It is almost an art form to be able to tune out distractions and keeping a clear head when life is filled with the demands of family, work, home, school and general daily living.

There are some important steps to staying focused on your goals and staying on task.

1. Decide what you want in life.  Whether it is a better job, financial security or health and wellness, you must determine your ultimate desire and connect with your purpose and passion.  What is it that inspires you?
2. Schedule your time for optimal efficiency.  What time during the day are you most creative or most energetic?  How can you best utilize that time to get the most accomplished?  Schedule other mundane tasks during your down time.  It is also beneficial to coordinate with others (at work or at home) time when you are available to assist them.  Communicate your time with others to avoid being interrupted during your productivity time.
3. Determine what daily and weekly tasks you need to complete in order to stay focused on your goals.  Writing down and scheduling your tasks into your calendar can assist you in keeping on track with your goals.
4. Believe in yourself.  What steps do you need to take in order to empower yourself to accomplish your goals?
5. Stop the negative self-talk and remove yourself from negative situations.  Replace them with positive daily affirmations and positive influences or inspirations.  Read motivational or inspirational quotes and books to help you stay positive.  Associate yourself with positive people who will support you and believe in your.
6. Never lose sight of your dreams.  Imagine your dreams of which you need to focus. Ask yourself how badly you want to see your dreams become a reality.
7. Connect with people who can help keep you accountable for your goals.  When you check in with someone to report your progress, you are much more likely to stay focused on your goals.  Think about who you can work with to help you achieve your goals?  What positive people in your life are available to assist you in achieving your dreams?
8. Stop procrastinating.  If this is an issue, determine why you are doing so.  Ask yourself what is holding you back from moving forward.  Then make a commitment to reach your goals.
9. See your goals in front of you daily.  Are you reminding yourself frequently of what it is you want? Can you see your goals in front of you?  Visualizing your dreams will help you stay focused on your goals.
10. Develop daily habits for success? Are you doing things consistently every day so you can achieve your goals?  It takes roughly 21 days to develop a habit, and when you develop habits related to achieving your goals, you will stay focused and on target.

Staying focused requires a clear understanding of your purpose, goals and dreams.  By having a plan or strategy, you are more likely to stay focused so success comes naturally.

My challenge to you is to use this 10 step process to help stay focused and achieve your goals.  For more information on how to put this strategy in place, I encourage you to go to http://bit.ly/powerdrive.

Have a Grand Day!

Kay L. Fontana
“The Grandcoach”

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

Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning.

~ Denis Waitley

As we start winding down  toward the end of the 2010 Winter Olympics, we are inundated with talk of winning – who’s got the gold, the silver and the bronze, and how many medals each country has earned.  There is an art to winning, and it’s not just athletic ability.  It’s about having the mindset to win.

Many of these athletes have dedicated their lives to reaching the Olympics, and have even stated it was a childhood dream.  It became their passion and their focus.

In order to achieve success, the athletes worked long and hard, as their parents did, driving them miles and miles to attend daily practice, balancing work and family and dedicating their time and money to provide them with opportunity.  That indicates commitment, perseverance and habit.

To overcome defeat, as they all have at one point or another, they had to believe in themselves and continue their work to achieve their ultimate reward.  That shows attitude, belief and discipline.

To continue down the road that led them to Vancouver, B.C., they had to face the ultimate challenge – the results.  Would their scores be good enough to win the Gold, Silver or the Bronze?  That is the truth. In the truth lies the bottom line:

The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.

~ Vince Lombardi

These athletes, whether this was their first Olympics or their third, will continue to strive for success each and every time.  They won’t give up, they won’t quit, and none of them will fail.  They achieve success by continuing to compete regardless of their medal status.  They will refine their technique, practice their craft, visualize their goals and continue to practice daily habits for success.  They may even return to the grand event in 2014.  That is the art of winning.

To all Olympic athletes, present, past and future, and all of your families, I salute you.  You are all winners!

Now I invite you to watch this brief 3 minute video, “212°: The Extra Degree.”   I hope you enjoy!

To Your Success!

Kay L. Fontana “The Grandcoach”

Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragement, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.

~ Thomas Carlyle

As I watch the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, B.C. on our television, I am astounded by the sportsmanship, the talents and the abilities of the athletes.  What is even more amazing is hearing the stories of the trials, tribulations and sacrifices some of them have encountered just to get there.  That is where persistence really pays off.

Like any sporting event, there are heartwarming success stories of the gold, silver and bronze medalists, and there are the shocking disappointments of those who did not win.  It’s unfortunate that it has to be that way, but that’s why they call it competition.

Some of the medalists I have seen have tremendous stories of how they persevered to get to the winter games.  One of the female figure skaters had actually left her home country to seek citizenship in another so she could train with the best trainer in her field.  Her birth country called her a traitor.

Some of the athletes arrived with injuries that could have had prevented them from competing.  However, downhill skier Lindsay Vonn from the United States was persistent in her efforts and earned a gold medal despite her bruised leg.

One of the athletes who has a particularly heartwarming story is Men’s Moguls Gold Medalist, Alexandre Bilodeau of Canada.  In the 2006 Olympics, he finished 11th, but later became the youngest athlete to win a World Cup moguls event.  His inspiration behind his win – his older brother Frederic with cerebral palsy, who is also one of his heroes.  It’s no doubt that persistence was a factor leading to his win.

Many of these athletes, like everyone else, have at some point in their careers suffered injury, financial obstacles, broken families or the illness or loss of a loved one; however, their persistence paid off as they arrived to attend the opening ceremonies last Friday which would mark the beginning of a journey of a lifetime.

To Your Success!

Kay L. Fontana
“The Grandcoach”

P.S. The death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili in Whistler on Friday was a terrible tragedy and unfortunate accident.  My thoughts and prayers go out to Nodar’s family, friends and fellow athletes.

No great achievement is possible without persistent work.

~ Bertrand Russell

What does persistence mean to you?  The greatest leaders, inventors, scientists, authors, artists, composers and athletes in history were great because they were persistent in their actions and their goals.  They didn’t give up, no matter what others said, or how many failures they had prior to their success.

If Thomas Edison gave up after his first try at the light bulb, credit would have been given to his British counterparts, Frederick de Moleyns and Joseph Wilson Swan who had patents for an incandescent lamp and light bulb respectively.  Edison was persistent and didn’t let his initial failure get in the way of his
success.  In all actuality, his initial attempts were not failures – they were trials that he perfected over time, allowing him credit for the invention of the light bulb.  His persistence paid off.

Many people give up their goals because they have encountered stumbling blocks, obstacles, challenges or failures.  If they had been persistent and moved forward, they may have succeeded in their goals.  They probably would have succeed if they had just pressed on.

One of the challenges people often face, that gets in the way of their persistence, is fear.  Fear (often referred to as False Evidence Appearing Real) creates that self-doubt and negative self-talk that can prevent us from moving forward.  It is self-destructive and serves no purpose.

Think about a time when you were fearful about something and that fear prevented you from moving forward.  If you could have removed all fear, what may have been the outcome?  Would you have achieved a goal?  Would you have succeeded?

My challenge to you is to write down your biggest fears of working toward your goal.  Now, what is the worst thing that could happen as you work toward your goal?  What is the best thing could happen as you work toward your goal?  If the worst thing should happen, what would you do next?  Remember these two quotes:

When life knocks you down you have two choices- stay down or get up.

~ Tom Krause

and

The most essential factor is persistence – the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm to be dampened by the discouragement that must inevitably come.

~ James Whitcomb Riley

To Your Success!

Kay L. Fontana
“The Grandcoach”

The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.

~ Albert Einstein

What does lifelong learning mean to you? Does it mean going to school until you’re 70? Does it mean engaging in regular mental exercises? Does it mean reading the newpaper every morning with your coffee to get up-to-date on current events? Does it mean reading your monthly issue of National Geographic or watching the Discovery Channel?  Each one of these situations involves learning.

Lifelong learning may mean different things to different people.  People are constantly learning new things through their interactions with others and engaging in activities which are provided to them.

Learning is not restricted to the classroom, but encompasses everything we do, see and hear in life.  When you set goals in life, you are learning new ways of achieving success.  If you are an entrepreneur whose goal is to establish a profitable business so that you may someday quit your corporate job, you are learning a whole new skill set in order to become successful in your new endeavors.

However, just like your goals in life, learning is a process.  Not only do you need to plan for learning by seeking the opportunities that will serve your needs, but you need to understand what forms of learning will be most effective for your learning style and personality type.  Once you determine what learning is to take place, you will need to evaluate the process to assess whether or not you are getting the maximum benefit.

There are many activities in which you can engage in order to experience lifelong learning.  I found a wonderful blog post called, “15 Steps to Cultivate Lifelong Learning.”  The author, Scott H. Young, lists 15 strategies that really puts lifelong learning it into perspective.   After reading this post, please come back to share what methods you will use to experience your own lifelong learning.

To your success!

Kay L. Fontana
“The Grandcoach”

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”

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929. In 1954, he received his PhD and accepted a position as a pastor of a Baptist church in Alabama.  Following the beliefs of his parents to break down the barriers between the races, Dr. King dedicated his life to the Civil Rights Movement.

Dr. King is best known for his “I Have A Dream” speech he gave to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. The following year at the age of 35, he was the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

During his lifetime, Dr. King accomplished a great deal and overcame great obstacles because of his dreams. His dreams were the inspiration behind his work,  his success and the respect he gained from millions of people.  He left a legacy that continues on, and is recognized every year on the 3rd Monday in January to celebrate his birthday.

In honor of Dr. King’s birthday, I want you to answer these questions:

• Do you have a dream that came to you from inspiration?
• Do you have a dream that could benefit mankind?
• Do you have a dream that could help the indigent?
• Do you have a dream of serving your community?
• Do you have a dream that you want to put into a goal?
• Do you have a goal you want to put into action?

I invite you to share that dream in the comments below. Share your thoughts about your dreams and how you are going to turn your dream into a reality.  What do you need to accomplish your dream? What obstacles are standing in your way?  You may also share how Martin Luther King, Jr. has inspired you to have a dream.

Join me in celebrating Martin Luther King Day on Monday, January 18, 2010, and make a plan to turn your dreams into reality.

Warm regards,

Kay L. Fontana
“The Grandcoach”