Is Success Your Goal?

This morning reviewing, my social media channels, I noticed a post on Facebook by Harvey Mackay  regarding goals.  His statement triggered my thoughts to Earl Nightingale. 

The use of goals is the means of placing your mind and focus to the path of success.  Earl Nightingale stated   "People with goals succeed because they know where they're going."   Believe in yourself and goal.  Know deep in your mind, your subconscious, that you will achieve.  Concentrate, nourish and repeat the goal.  The intensity of your belief in the goal will drive you on the path to success.  

Along the path fear and obstacles will emerge, leverage these into opportunities.  Keep the focus on the goal, do not allow your mind to be tempted by fear or obstacles.  Your mind will move with the current dominant thought, stay focused on the goal and all ways be positive. 

Earl Nightingale's belief  - You get what you think about most of the time and you become what you think about most of the time.  Think about your goal, Think about success!

Control Your Personal Brand by Haney Sweda

Yes, you have a personal brand.  Everything you do or do not do has an impact on your brand image.  Take control of our personal brand, if you do not, you risk the peril of others defining the who, what, why, where and how of your life.  


Remember you are the brand, be confident, positive and all ways present yourself professionally.  You never know who may be watching and listening.  That person you impressed at the grocery or the department store may be a potential client, job interview or your child's future teacher or principal.   The fact that you held the door for others to enter; or that you gave up a parking space; or how you introduce yourself; or your reaction to an adverse public situation, all of these define you as a brand.


With the internet and social networking, everything, regardless of location or setting, will impact you personally. Start by Google-ing your name and review the results, you may be pleased or shocked.  Anything posted to the internet or social networks about you is there forever, so be careful in what you post, say, do or what other people post say or do with your name or photos.  Stephanie Fierman's  class and the summary of the class at The CMO Site on personal brand guarding, detail specific actions to take to control and guard your on line brand. 

Be you, but remember you are the BRAND!

Reflecting on Steve Jobs' Words of Wisdom - Jeff Dyer and Hal Gregersen - Harvard Business Review

Reflecting on Steve Jobs' Words of Wisdom - Jeff Dyer and Hal Gregersen - Harvard Business Review

Great discussion on Jobs' philosophy, on life and what it takes to succeed.

The Golden Ticket to Personal Financial Responsibility by Haney Sweda

Today, with our economy in disarray, it is vital to arm yourself with the tools for financial responsibility.  The dynamic process of monitoring and evaluating your financial position can be achieved through five easy steps;

1.          Assess – know your current position.  How much do you have; how much do you owe?  A balance sheet – lists all your assets (home, car(s), belongings, bank accounts, stocks, other real estate, etc.); list all your debts (mortgage, auto loan(s), credit cards, other loans, etc.).  How much do profit or lose? An income statement – lists all your income (salary, interest, dividends, other, etc.); list all your expenses (payments mortgage and car loans, groceries, utilities, insurance, clothing, entertainment, households, etc.).
2.          Set goals – Know where you are going? Both short and long term.  Examples – Short term; increase savings account by a required amount each week/month; reduce monthly expenses.  Long term; buy a house; trade your car; have a certain amount saved by a specific age or for your child’s college.
3.         Create the plan – Get from current position to your goal!  The plan should detail the route from the assessment to your short and long term goals.  How are you going to afford the new house/car; the amount you will save on a weekly/monthly basis; the additional income from a second job or new job; the sale of items you own, etc..  This plan is your budget.
4.         Stick to your plan – Discipline, consistency and perseverance.  Once you complete steps 1-3, the hard work starts, you will encounter situations that tempt you; deals on financing a house or car that may seem attractive, but require you to adjust your goals; sales on “wants” – a new LCD TV or other electronics; and many other obstacles, if you did not plan on it have the discipline, consistency and perseverance to follow your plan/budget. (Note, emergency’s happen, that require a plan budget adjustment, emergency’s are medical, death, or  maybe a major purchase not expected new HVAC or car repair, these you will have to adjust your plan/budget)
5.     .    Monitor /reevaluate – As you execute your plan to achieve your goals, watch look and listen.  Things change, the key is to have a plan and incorporate these changes, therefore no surprise. 

There is no Golden Ticket to financial responsibility; there is common sense and hard decisions.  It can be made easier with the use of personal accounting software; most banks that offer on line banking will supply you with free personal accounting software like Quicken.   

Cautious Investing. by Haney Sweda

The economy had been growing robustly.. It was a technological boom as innovations of the new industries dominated the economy. Companies that had pioneered these advances, saw their value soar. Financial corporation’s also did well as Wall Street bankers floated companies. Investors were infatuated with the returns available in the stock market.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at a level that all analysts’ said was low as compared to corporate profits. Then it became clear that the economy was contracting and the stock market went through a series of volatile declines. These declines fed investor anxiety and events soon came to a head. Then in a matter of 2 days the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell approximately 25% and would lose 40% in a matter of two weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average would not regain the high levels for 25 years.

This is a general description of financial affairs, but it is not of the occurrences of the past two weeks, it is of the affairs leading into October 24th, 1929 BLACK THURSDAY.
Will history repeat?

Power of Optimism by Haney Sweda

As a husband, father, friend, business owner, employer, coach, motivator; the power of optimism is the key to achievement.  I am reminded of a quote by Helen Keller - "Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement." 




The confidence you can instill in others through optimism is contagious.  Hope regarding the future; success is forthcoming; this will be sopped up like gravy on a biscuit.  Even in the worst of situations find one thing, item or thought to be optimistic.  That one optimistic thread will fester and bloom into good.  That good will grow and prosper.  


Your family, friends, employees, co-workers, team  will be invigorated by your optimism which will lead to achievement.  Achievement that can only be brought about with an optimistic outlook.