How to Achieve the Unachievable

"I believe in miracles...

Where you from...

You sexy thing..."

Ok - so yes, I am starting this article with a song, but I want to look at achieving the unachievable. I constantly love reminding myself that there is no reality, except for the one I create, so nothing is unachievable unless I decide to believe it to be so.

So this month, I wanted to explore that concept, and see if you can take some of these principles into your riding.

Has anyone seen the movie called 'Miracle' starring Kurt Russel? It came out in 2004 and it tells the story of the miracle of the US Olympic Hockey Team beating the Soviet Union and going on to win Gold at the 1980 Olympics.

For the US to beat the Soviets was truly a miracle at that time. It was unachievable - the Soviets had won four consecutive gold medals from 1964-1976, and were going for their fifth consecutive gold medal in 1980. In 1979 The National Hockey League All Stars played the soviets and lost 0-6.

The US team on the other hand, were untested college students. At an exhibition match shortly before the 1980 Olympics the Soviets played the US team and beat them 10-3.

No one believed the US team could beat the Soviets. Nobody, except a man by the name of Herb Brooks. Herb believed they could beat the Soviets and Herb believed they could win the gold medal. And.... they did.

So how do you achieve the unachievable:

1. Be creative

Herb realised that everyone was trying to beat the Soviets by playing a certain style of game... and it wasn't working! So to beat them, he would have to create an entire new style of playing. He innovated, developed and installed a completely new strategy that was based on extreme conditioning, discipline and speed - his players struggled to learn and master this, but they did, and thanks to Herb's creativeness and thinking outside the box, they won. So be creative in your riding - just because you have always done it 'this' way doesn't mean it should always be done that way. New thinking equals new results. What new ways can you be creative in your riding?

2. It's not all about talent.

Herb did not pick the most talented players for his team, and there were many more talented players on the Soviet team. But Herb knew that talent is only part of the puzzle. He was looking for players who would be part of a team, who would embrace his new methods, and stand up to the demands. This is good news! Riding is not about talent. It's about thinking. It's about working with your horse. It's about so many things, the least of these being talent. So don't worry if you don't have the 'ideal' body type, or find it challenging to master sitting trot - with the right thinking and training, that will all be overcome.

3. Know that adversity inspires!

Herb just missed out on playing in the gold medal hockey team of 1960. But he used that to drive his determination to win a gold as a coach in 1980. Fate had disappointed him once, but he was not going to let himself be disappointed again. He was going to do whatever it took to get the gold. In riding you will miss out, you will have disappointments, and you will have setbacks. WE ALL DO! Believe me! But the only thing that matters is how you use the disappointment - I use it in the same way as Herb - to motivate me to be even better than I can possibly be. How do you manage disappointment? A better question is - how will you handle disappointment now, after reading this?

4. You have to have a MASSIVE goal!

A goal that inspires and even scares you a little bit! When I look at my goals I giggle - I giggle, because they are the most outrageous, insane, HUGE, crazy, brave, sensational goals I have seen..... Great! You can't get excited about a small, insignificant goal. You set a goal to brush your teeth and you do, weeh yay, whatever. But a big goal, a scary goal, a goal that is monumental... well that just gets you going! You jump out of bed in the morning, and stay up late, you do crazy things, and have crazy thoughts, and at the end of the day... you have your goal.

So is your riding goal - outrageous? Bill Gates says don't even bring me an idea unless 3 people have laughed at it. Then I know it will be worth looking at. My measure is as long as people still think I am crazy... then

I am right on track!

And finally

5. You need buddies!

Success is not the results of you alone. To achieve the unachievable you need a team of people coming together for your one goal. Who is part of your team in your riding? Your vet, farrier, coach, horse - they all have to work with you towards the one goal.

To Your Riding Success,

Natasha Althoff-Kelley
http://yourridingsuccess.com/
Visit my website for your free ebook on "How to Achieve Lasting Riding Success"

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Do You Have What It Takes to Achieve the Next Level of Success?

If you have spent any time in your business or organization reaching for that next level of success, you know that, in most cases, it does not come naturally. As much as we desire to be the best our Creator purposed for us to be, the journey of achievement is usually elusive and sometimes inconsistent. As we have learned, it is imperative that we follow a system that takes us out of our comfort zone and forces us to grow and develop new skills, acquire new confidence, and reach for new levels of awareness.

Thankfully, we do not have to be natural achievers. In fact, "natural achiever" is a contradiction because our natural instincts are always fighting against our achievement. This is because achievement involves change and growth, and that can be intimidating. Our natural instincts are constantly trying to press us into the comfort zone of staying right where we are.

With all that in mind, do you have what it takes to achieve?

Whether you have just started your journey toward greater achievement, or you have been working at this for years, it is helpful to evaluate where you are in the process. The following questions and your honest answers should give you a good idea of where you are in your commitment to achieve.

Commitment to a Goal - Do I have a burning desire to achieve something specific?

You've heard the expression, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." This is especially true when it comes to achievement. Without a specific goal in mind, we will default to our safe comfort zone where nothing changes. It is only when we identify that burning desire to achieve a specific goal that we can take the necessary steps to bring it to fruition.

Courage to persevere - Am I willing to follow a system in developing an enhanced level of emotional courage?

The emotion of fear is a protective reflex and is a basic, instinctive, human response when we see or feel a perceived danger. But that fear response ultimately leads to negative, unproductive attitudes. Growth feels uncomfortable and scary because it pushes us out of our comfort zones.

To grow in emotional courage, we must develop our potential, and that potential always lies just beyond our comfort zones. We have to be willing to diligently follow a development system that will help us push past our fear into sustained growth.

Open-mindedness - Am I willing to be coached without being defensive?

This is a tough one. I would say that most of us do not like being told what to do. We like the feeling of being the boss and being in control of our own destiny. But a fundamental part of achievement is keeping an open mind and allowing yourself to be coached by someone who has been there before.

When my colleague Mark Smith joined the Navy, he committed to having an open mind and a heart that was coachable as he soaked up everything he could learn, no matter how trivial. As a result, he was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal six times and Sailor of the Year for the 3rd Marine Division and rose quickly through the ranks. Do you have that level of open-mindedness to learn whatever it takes to succeed?

Accountable for your actions - Will I choose to be accountable for my effective actions?

The choice of accountability is arguably the most significant choice anyone can make regarding their future achievement. Take the time to find a mentor or group of people with like-minded interests to whom you choose to be accountable for your goals. As an example, a dieter with the support of similar-minded people is more likely to be successful in the long run as they feel an obligation to follow through with their healthy eating and exercise plan.

It is the same with achievement. When you know that you must report to a colleague or mentor how you are reaching your goals on a daily/weekly/monthly basis, you will be more likely to follow through.

Have you taken a mental inventory of the four qualifying factors above? Take your time and really be honest with yourself, because it is important to know that there can be no achievement without these characteristics or without a willingness to develop these characteristics.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Are you committed to a goal? Are you ready to develop emotional courage? Can you be open-minded and coachable? Will you be accountable for your choices and actions? If you answered yes to these questions without hesitation, you do have what it takes to achieve. Embrace the achiever in you, and get ready for that next level of success!

Inspiring genuine growth and achievement in leaders, David Byrd has 30 years of experience working with top business executives and their organizations. He is a master of effective leadership and works closely with leaders worldwide to maximize their leadership potential. For more information about The Next-Level Achievement System® or David's book, Achievement - A Proven System For Next Level Growth, visit http://www.authorsup.com/David-Byrd.

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How To Set And Achieve Goals - Focus Is The Key

Are you someone who already has all your life's goals and aspirations nicely mapped out in front of you? For most of us, the answer would be a meek no. This is understandable. We feel very difficult to set goals, because of the fear that we can't achieve them. We don't want to feel like a failure, so we rather not set any goals. However, you do not have to set sky-high goals. A small goal is still a goal. Pulling that off is still an accomplishment. Make sure you celebrate when you achieve your goals, big and small.

Once you learn some simple tips on how to set and achieve goals, you will be more confident and your chances of success increases multiple times. What I'm going to share below may be something you already know, but sometimes, we need a little nudge to the right direction when we are at crossroads.

First things first, your goals should be measurable - meaning they should be specific, regardless whether it's a sales target number you want to achieve or it's personal development that you want to improve yourself on. This precise measurement helps you to know clearly which areas are still lacking and acts as a measurement of how far you have progressed.

At the beginning of each month, it's important to decide where to set your next level of achievement. You can set it at your own pace, however fast or slow, it's entirely up to you. There is a saying: If you don't use your time, someone/something else will use it for you. Think about it - even if you wake up with not a single objective in mind, your day will still be occupied. It will probably be filled with unproductive things like watching TV, surfing the net, chatting on the phone etc. But at the end of the day, when you realize you have allowed a whole day to go by wasted, how does that make you feel? On the other hand, when you know about how to set and achieve goals, your day will be filled with productive activities that move you closer to your desires and dreams.

Focus is the key. For instance, you have difficulty closing sales. If you are focused, when you seek consultation on how to improve that particular skill, you will do it with the intention to learn something useful. You will listen out for pointers on how to close. This can only happen if you have in mind what is your weakness and the specific skill you want to improve. Then, if the results did not happen, you are able to look back at what happened and do a more effective analysis of what went wrong.

Whatever skills you may learn on how to set and achieve goals, intense Focus is of utmost importance. Focus on your immediate milestone; focus on one month at a time. Start with short-term goals. You know ultimately you will get there. But focus on this month first. You have to stay very focused and train the power of your mind on what you want to achieve each day. Get ready to receive when it comes. Because it will come when you ask with intensity.

What is your benchmark on how to set and achieve your goals? It is when upon looking at your goals, your level of Excitement exceeds your level of Fear. Your goals should motivate you, not paralyse you. Once your goals are set, don't change them. Change your strategies instead.

When you focus on the end results (the "Why" you want to achieve), you become more creative. You will start to have many ideas on the varied ways of realizing your objectives, and things will start to happen. That is the "How", and miraculously things will start to fall into place.

So, focus is the key; focus on the present, take one month at a time. When your desire is strong, you will attract the ability of how to set and achieve your goals to reach out to your objectives. In other words, when your "Why" is strong enough, don't worry about the "How", it will come to pass.

I believe we are all constantly looking for ways to change our lives for the better. We can all attract whatever we want and be whoever we want in this world, if only we understand the universal laws and learn the ways to work in harmony with them. Do you want to discover the secrets of how to live a fuller, richer life? I have discovered an excellent resource that has helped me tremendously. If you want to know the secret, check out this website here now.

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Participation in Self-Development Seminars Provides Power To Achieve

The concept of self-development is not new. There are writings of it in Freud, Jung, and even 18thcentury moralists like Samuel Johnson. However, only recently, has the proliferation of the field of "self-help" literature, infomercials, DVDs, audio books, seminars and workshops taken us by storm. This has led to a concept that is so positive on its surface, yet quite difficult to navigate by those it seeks to help. Sorting through it all is a task that can prove to be daunting for those who are looking to development themselves.

We are far beyond the days of the East versus West authors such as Eckhart Tolle, known for his best-selling "The Power of Now," and kindred authors like Thich Nhat Hanh. The notion of life coaching in the area of books alone can fail to address the specificity of those seeking self-development. This is particularly true in the areas of depression or weight loss, for example. Where there is such a mass of data, that the information gets lost and the positive messages are hidden in soul searching of "why" and "what"; with the "what" developed through following regimes laid out in tight structures and journals. The other end of the spectrum is Rhonda Byrne's 2006 best-selling self-help book "The Secret". This drew praise and criticism alike from the self-development community. The criticism stemmed from its inapplicability to specific problems and a notion that only thinking good would attract only good; without providing enough direction to put something concrete into action.

The international success of Tony Robbins and other life coaches might also suffer from a similar problem of generality. However, what we have learned is that the seminars and workshops given by life coaches who really think and understand that audiences want connectivity really do work. Seminars and workshops that have true participation and involvement are intrinsically helpful to those seeking betterment in their day to day lives because they change the state of the attendees. Even corporate applications such as team building can benefit from various facets of this type of self-empowerment and state-change approach.

This isn't a new concept. It is in fact well-studied. For example, those suffering from anxiety or depression are often recommended group therapy by their psychiatrists or other qualified professionals in order to help tackle the difficulties of their condition. A support system hastens the pace of improvement, and encourages those who would not otherwise seek treatment to engage in a safe community of supportive peers. This works best when there are some attendees who can inspire others, either through direct shared experiences or by the nature of being able to handle comparable situations. The principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy in a group setting are not unique to depression or anxiety and can in fact be generalized to other areas of self-development - weight loss, self-esteem, the courage to start a new career. Many positive responses in all areas of life-changing experiences are grounded in empirical evidence, scientific studies and personal testimonials.

Attending a self-development seminar to help feel good about jump-starting that business you've always wanted to open is a tremendous way to make contacts, network with others, and most of all, appreciate just how many others are in your position. This helps to declaw the beast, so to speak. And this is where it gets interesting - seminars, workshops, and other public sources of self-development do not mutually exclude the books, CDs, DVDs, and other programs out there. Traditional forms of self-help, whether that means following a workbook or step-by-step DVD program, or even seeking the help of a therapist for biofeedback, hypnosis, and other forms of treatment can be used to support and supplement the attendance at a seminar or workshop.

The real meat of self-development comes from the will to overcome a problem or embolden one's drive and desire to improve. Seminars and workshops provide an enthusiastic and supportive environment. This situation can provide support for those who have questions, concerns, or doubts about the material they are working on in books and other areas; or can make people enthused to go and look for more in a particular direction.

It may sound counter-intuitive, but to develop one's self is to develop one's ability to work with others. To be able to look into one's own self in the company of others and to be enthused to believe that achievement is possible provides a very powerful setting to make changes. By engaging in a community of support and encouragement, the efficacy of any self-development regimen will experience a profound change in pace. What are you waiting for?

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