You Get What You Focus On

by Anthony Robbins

This is the time of year that people usually take stock of
their lives and consider making changes. These changes,
better known as New Year’s resolutions, usually take the
form of making more money, losing weight, stop smoking
and/or eliminating some other vice. However, in spite of
our best intentions, most of these resolutions barely make
it past the first week of the year!

That’s because true change requires more effort than just
making a “resolution”. After all, if it were that easy to
make a change in your life we’d all be driving luxury cars,
living in fabulous homes and going on wonderful vacations.
But life is not like that.

Let me make a couple of small suggestions as to how you
might make 2004 your best year yet. Instead of just
making a general “wish list” of things you would like to
change in your life, make a serious list of “goals”. The
biggest difference between your wish list and goals is that
a goal is something you are striving to achieve.

Those of you who know me know that I am a big fan of
writing down goals. There’s something about writing
down your objectives on a piece of paper that serves
to make them real and effectively moves them from
the world of wishes to the world of goals.

By putting your list in a conspicuous place you will be
reminded to work towards your goals – ideally every
day. As the famous Chinese expression says, the journey
of a thousand miles begins with one step. If you are
constantly striving towards what is important to you,
you can not help but achieve it!

But the success comes with the constant striving.
Working towards your goals “once in a while” will only
serve to delay your reaching them. Make a conscience
effort to work towards your goals each and every day.
As you work toward your goals I would encourage you
to strive to keep a positive attitude about all you do.

A change in attitude is perhaps the biggest change that
you can make in your life. Volumes have been written
about the benefits of positive thinking, but in essence
it all boils down to your attitude.

If you have a good attitude you can not help but find
the good in life. Even when times are tough and things
are not going according to plan, a good attitude will
make you more aware of opportunities as they present
themselves and show you ways to get back on track.

Conversely, a poor attitude is a fool proof recipe for failure.
I have yet to meet anyone with a bad attitude about
themselves, or life in general, who have managed to get
beyond their circumstances.

It doesn’t matter what you have done in the past, what
your education level is, where you’re from or what your
job is, your success or failure is determined by your attitude.
Change your attitude and change your life, plain and simple.
Wishing you a most prosperous New Year.