Scott Scheper has written an ebook, How to Get Focused, which is about dealing with distraction in our digital fast paced world so you can achieve stuff that makes a difference in your life and the lives of others.

His chapter on Focused Goals that is posted on his How to Get Focused blog takes a simpler approach to goal setting than the normally advocated SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely) goals.

His approach to focused goals has what I call 3X3 elements:

1. Emphasis on developing the proper motivated state of mind specific to the goal by combining 3 items (humility, meaning and passion).
2. 3 word mantra for each goal to identify, repeat, and recall the goal
3. Stick with the goal as a priority for at least 3 monthes (this applies to big goals).

I see this as an enhanced front end to my modified 8 step Zig Ziglar goal completion process where once you have firmly established the goal in steps 1 and 2, you use project management techniques to help yourself follow through – hopefully by involving others.

In his book and blog post Scott includes inspiration videos like the one about Nick Vujicic who was born without arms or legs but has an incredible attitude. Be sure to scroll down in the Focused Goals blog post to watch the 4 minute video. Nick is a professional speaker and he sells DVDs on his web site Attitude is Altitude.

There is always more to learn about setting and achieving goals and what could be more important than that. Just do it.

In addition to a funny cartoon on the cubicle life Scott Adams is also quite insightful on his blog.

I like articles that re-examine everyday life and provide a perspective for improvement.

Scott Adams recommends the Dale Carnegie course.

The Art of Conversation

Active Listening

If you can allocate the time you should really read the book to get the benefits of the evidence and research backing up the theory, practice, and resulting benefits of optimism but here are some key points:

• Things, which can often be perceived as being bad, happen to everyone but what really matters is how you think about (explain) what has happened and respond.
• If you think pessimistically you discourage yourself and when you are demotivated you become helpless because there seems to be no reason to try and take action.

ABCDE Model

• When responding to
• Adversity you need to fight against the tyranny of your limiting
• Beliefs so you can achieve better
• Consequences.
• You can learn to do this by changing your explanatory style to
• Dispute limiting beliefs and
• Energize yourself to take action which will make the best of the situation.
• The is the ABCDE model where Disputing limiting beliefs and getting Energized are the difference makers.
• The place to start is to become aware of your internal and external dialogues on how you explain adversity.

3P’s of Explanatory Style

• What to watch for in particular are three aspects of explanatory style which can be referred to as the 3P‘s
• Permanent – does the bad thing really have as permanent a result as you might first think?
• Pervasive – does the bad thing have a broad implication or is it really specific to one area?
• Personal – is it really all about you are can the situation be explained to at least partially be due to other causes?
• Pessimists tend to see failures as permanent, pervasive, and personal.
• You can learn to be more optimistic by investigating whether problems can be at least partially explained as being temporary, specific, and due to outside causes.

Business Optimism

You can also learn how to be an optimist in business without being an idiot by practicing disciplined optimism.

Of course there are also optimist clubs which have the following creed:

The Optimist Creed

Promise Yourself:

• To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
• To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
• To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
• To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
• To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
• To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
• To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
• To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
• To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
• To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

Benefits of Optimism

In his book Martin Seligman provides research evidence that the benefits of optimism are real results not just wishful thinking. Here are some results of optimism:

• More popularity (as shown for example by election results)
• Better health by linkage between emotions and your immune system
• Better results by avoiding learned helplessness and trying harder
• More success in Sports
• More resilience to stress by taking action
• Resistance to depression that isn’t caused by chemical imbalances

- John Wooden 1910-2010 Legendary basketball (10 NCAA championships in 12 years) and life coach

Larger version of the Wooden Pyramid of Success

- Thomas Szasz 1920- Psychiatrist, academic, social critic, author

Aristotle – Greek philosopher 384-322 BC

1. People who change the world are people who master what they love.

2. Don’t be ambitious to be successful, be ambitious to be happy.

3. The point of life is to have fun and deserve it.

Scott Belsky – author of Making Ideas Happen and founder Behance network

- William James 1842-1910 noted Psychologist, author, Philosopher

- Guy Kawasaki former Apple evangelist, Venture Capitalist, author, Alltop founder.

Zig Ziglar is famous as an author (he has written 119 books) and inspirational speaker. I have a few of his books including Success for Dummies (hate the title but a very good book nonetheless).
He is most well known for his sales training seminars but before you dismiss him for being a salesman consider that everyone is selling in some way every single day.
Everyone is trying to convince people of ideas and get things done so unless we are living in a cave we need to be able to sell even if it starts by just convincing ourselves.
Up until today I hadn’t seen Zig Ziglar’s free videos on Youtube which I really enjoyed so I thought you might too.

Attitude Makes All the Difference

Goal Setting Part 1

Goal Setting Part 2

Goal Setting Part 3

I really admire his speaking skills and the humour he uses to express his success formula.