Go for the Gold – Habits to Build Your Confidence and Courage!

I am so very proud to call myself a Canadian this week as we host the Olympic Games in Vancouver. I was spell-bound as I watched the Opening Ceremonies and jumped out of my chair with great joy when Alexandre Bilodeau won the first Gold medal for Canada!

"If you only care enough for a result, you will almost certainly attain it."
– William James

We know that the Canadian athletes are feeling tremendous pressure to perform. They have already put in the time and effort, and have goal-set to 'get to' the Olympics – now it's all about the mindset to 'win at' the Olympic games. The athletes have developed the success habits to go for gold.

What about you?

What is it in your life that you want so bad you can hardly stand it?

What habits have you developed to get you where you want to go, to grow?

"The world has the habit of making room for the man whose words and actions show that he knows where he is going." - Napoleon Hill

Habits are routines of behaviour that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously, without directly thinking consciously about them. Habits are necessary in life. They help us maintain routine and order. Habits are not necessarily good or bad – it depends on the goal that you have set. It is then, and only then, that you can identify whether or not your habits are moving you towards your goal or away from your goal.

When I was on my trip around the world, one of my goals was to maintain my exercise regime – no matter what. We were on a private plane, staying in 5-star hotels and experiencing the most amazing food in every country. I set the goal and developed the habit of exercising when and where I could. While in Africa, the 'offerings' were very primitive – check it out in the photo (2 cans filled with cement on the end of each pole, for weight lifting! – hey, you do what works!)

Here are some examples of habits that would not necessarily lead you to a positive outcome:
• Being late for appointments
• Allowing paperwork to pile up on the dining room table
• Answering your cell phone/blackberry when you are having lunch with your spouse or friend
• Working long hours and then making poor food choices
• Keeping a running overdraft in your bank account

The behavior you choose creates the life you are living.
Research shows that it takes anywhere from 21 days or 3-4 weeks to change a habit. The thing is that unless you have a goal or a dream that you really, really want to achieve, the likelihood of changing any of your habits is very small – if at all.

Are you living your best life? You have the power. What are you waiting for?

Assignment
1. What is the one thing you want to have happen in your life that is not happening now? (what is the goal – the dream?)
2. What are 5 activities that you perform on a daily basis to achieve that goal?
3. What is one habit that you could change today to get you closer to 'gold'?
4. What difference would that make in your life, right now?

Answer these questions, change some habits and I guarantee that you will take control of your life. When you try new things, you are developing the confidence and courage to move forward and invent the life you truly want to live.