Comfy Food Thinking... and Success
     by David Vallieres   

Last week David started a series in his Info Product Labs ezine discussing the 4 types of thinking that get in the way of your success.

Today we'll continue this discussion and add a few more twists and turns to it ;-) to help you get one step closer to your goal today.

Here the "4 types" again, in case you missed it last week:

Comfy Food Thinking:

Not being able to move toward your goals because you're 'comfortable' with what you already have... being 'comfortable' with your present situation is like signing your death certificate. You'll never succeed if your too comfortable in your present situation.

'No Fear' Factor Thinking:

Fear is a great motivator-knowing that you could be broke and destitute if you lost your job or your business stopped working should be enough motivation to keep you going for a long time but most people do not USE their fear... they think they have to 'think positive' and 'everything will be ok' - Bull. You need to be afraid, very afraid and USE it to your advantage ;)

Amber Casing Thinking:

You know those small insects from the dinasour age that get trapped inside a hardened shell of amber? It's the same with your brain- the crap that gets built up in your brain over the years- stuff you think is true is really not true and not being able to see clearly enough to know what's the RIGHT thing to do at any one time will stop you cold. You need to THINK for yourself and stop letting others do your thinking for you.

How many ORGINAL thoughts have you had this week? I mean REALLY ORIGINAL...?

Distraction Disease Thinking:

The world, your life moves fast... do everything fast... go to work, take kids to the ball game, fix dinner, go to the movies, watch TV show (you're fav), eat, love, walk... all constant distractions to being able to 'focus' on what you want. Take 15-30 mins a day (I take 1-2 hours) to FOCUS on what YOU want... FOCUS on what you should do NEXT to get to your goal... FOCUS on easy-to-do STEPS that'll give you what you want. Most people have Distraction Disease and their brains are fried from too much stimulus. You need to learn how to STOP, THINK and PLAN.

That's just the jumping-off point.

When all is said and done, nothing replaces DISCIPLINE.

Not even CONFIDENCE in yourself can replace discipline as a key factor to your success.

Let me tell you there are days when I feel terrible.

• There are days when I feel great.
• There are days when I'm feeling lazy.
• There are days when I feel exhuberant.
• There are days I feel reflective.
• There are days I just feel "ok".
• There are days I don't feel like doing anything at all.

It's a lot easier now to feel "great" almost everyday because I've enjoyed some success BUT in order to have this kind of day more often I had to DISCIPLINE myself to work toward my goals even when I could not see myself getting anywhere - when it was really HARD to move toward my goals.

Let me tell you a secret: If I only accomplished something that contributed to my goals on the days I felt "ok", "great" or "exhuberant" I would only be working 40% of the time on my goals...that is NOT enough. You need to do something EVERY DAY, even if you don't "feel" like it.

To work toward what you want even when you feel "lazy", "reflective", "terrible" or "like not doing anything at all" requires DISCIPLINE. Period.

That's why I do not agree with a lot of "positive thinking".

What I do agree with is "self-talk"... what you say to yourself is VERY important... but to think that you can simply think 'positive thoughts' and accomplish great things is a waste of time.

You see, you can wake up and feel great... suddenly your spouse yells at you or your kids leave a mess behind and you have to clean it up, or your boss tells you your job is being eliminated or whatever... and what happens?

Your "great" feeling turns to "gheesh, why did I even wake up today?"

What happened? Where did your "great" feeling go?

That's why, even though I 'monitor' my 'feelings' on a regular basis I DO NOT give into them when they turn into something that keeps me back.

In other words, I am DISCIPLINED. I DO NOT let my feelings or "how I'm feeling" at that moment DICTATE to me what I will or will not do in order to move toward my goals.

So even if I feel "terrible" today, I will take the 1 hour I need to DO SOMETHING to move toward my goals.

DISCIPLINE.

The reason I mention this is I talk to a lot of people about success. When I ask them if they did something that moved them closer to their goal today they said they "couldn't" because they were "feeling down" or that they couldn't find the "time" or they got an unexpected call and they were "needed at work" and didn't get the time off they thought they were going to get so they "couldn't"...

I'm not saying these aren't good excuses... I'm saying you have to DO IT ANYWAY.

My attitude now is "DO IT ANYWAY" - work on your goals EVERYDAY , even if it's only 15 minutes, no matter what!

"Can't" work on your goals today?

"DO IT ANYWAY"

Feeling terrible?

"DO IT ANYWAY"

Having a "bad" day?

"DO IT ANYWAY"

Kids out of control?

"DO IT ANYWAY"

Spouse driving you crazy?

"DO IT ANYWAY"

Your boss yelled at you today?

"DO IT ANYWAY"

The cashier give you the wrong change?

"DO IT ANYWAY"

A driver cut you off on the expressway and flipped you the finger?

"DO IT ANYWAY"

Got a crank call that made you "mad"?

"DO IT ANYWAY"

Lost your keys today?

"DO IT ANYWAY"

Don't feel like writting your newsletter today?

"DO IT ANYWAY"

Don't feel like getting that listing up on ebaY?

"DO IT ANYWAY"

No matter what happens to you today, or any day:

"DO IT ANYWAY"