Jon M. Gracia - Checklist of Life

Below is a ‘checklist of life’ I received from Jon M. Gracia . . . It is worth sharing – It’s a great list of reminders – worth putting on your bulletin board and read from time to time.   There are actually 70 of them . . . and I’m sharing the first 25 with you.   For more information:   http://www.motivation123.com/prd-gdc.html

I found number one to be the most motivating and applicable to me – what is your favorite?  Rita

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1. Let Go of the Past - Before you can create a better future, you must let go of the pains in your past. Failing once does not mean you will fail forever. Learn from your history, but don't let it stand as an obstacle between you and your dreams.

2. Remember Success - Just as important as learning from and overcoming past failure is recalling past success. It doesn't matter who you are, you have succeeded at something at some time  in your past. Don't gloss over these moments. Use them to remind you that you can in fact achieve your goals.

3. Realize the Possibilities - It's possible. The dreams you hold in your heart but push to the back of your mind are within your reach. Accept the fact that you can create a better life. This will serve as the springboard of belief you need to succeed.

4. Dream the Big Dream - In order for dreams and desires to inspire you to action and achievement, they need to be big. If you don't get excited about what you have planned for the future, you will never find the inspiration you need to change your life. Powerful dreams can move the soul, and when you dream the big dream, you will be driven to make the compelling picture a tangible reality.

5. Thinking Your Way to Change -No matter how bad you want it to happen, change will never result from thinking alone - you must take action. The world is swimming in dreamers, but only those who act on their desires achieve truly remarkable results.

6. A Daily Habit to Begin Today - Set aside at least 30 minutes each night to review your day and plan for the next. It's a simple way to add an element of control to your life. Also, beginning this habit today will help tremendously when you begin to work toward your exciting and inspiring goals and dreams.

7. Mix It Up - The wrong routine can spell certain doom for your goals and dreams. To make sure this doesn't happen to you, add at least one new step to your daily routine to help break up the pattern. One new activity will set the stage for many more in the future, making it possible for you to break free of any negative routines.

8. A Team Sport - Don't go at this alone. Achieving a goal or dream requires a team effort. There will be times when you feel like giving up, when you feel like it's too much to take. One of the surest ways to overcome these small setbacks is to have the support and guidance of your goal partner.

9. Get Excited About What's to Come - You are on your way to getting everything you have ever wanted! Now is the time to get excited and inspired about what your future holds. Imagine living your ideal life - now make it happen!

10. Raise Your Standards - It's time to raise your standards. It's time to expect more out of yourself than anyone else. Accept nothing less than your absolute best in all that you do and you'll have no problem creating your ideal life. After all, you'd expect nothing less than living the life of your dreams.

11. Take Ownership - Before positive changes can take place, you must take responsibility for your position in life. You are in control of your future and are the only one who can guarantee a better life. If you play the role of a victim, giving up control and ownership of your life, you will never enjoy the amazing opportunities that life offers to us all.

12. Write in a Journal - A million thoughts may rush through your mind each day, but if you do nothing to capture them, they often disappear as quickly as they came. Take time to write in a journal each week. This will not only help you overcome obstacles you are facing in your life but also help you discover what you really want.

13. Whom Do You Admire? Make a list of at least three people that you admire. With your list in hand describe what it is that you most respect about each individual. Often pinpointing what we admire in others offers insight into what we wish to become ourselves.

14. The Moment - Remember a time when everything seemed to be going just right? When nothing could get you down? When you thought to yourself, 'This moment, right now, is what life is all about.' We all have moments in life when we feel we are at our best, but most people don't utilize them. Use the special moments in your life to bring to light goals and desires that are sure to fulfill your needs. Learning from and building on these times will help you create magic moments on a daily basis for the rest of your life.

15. A Friendly Brainstorming Session - Gather a group of your closest friends, the ones who know you better than anyone else, and use their knowledge about you and your life to help you brainstorm goal and dream ideas. They will likely offer ideas you never considered yourself.

16.What don't you want? Sometimes the easiest way to uncover what you want is to know exactly what you don't want. It all depends on your particular personality. Some find it very difficult to create specific goals, but these same people have no trouble explaining in detail what they hate. Sometimes working in the opposite direction of what you hate can be the key to discovering your goals and dreams.

17. Keep a Notebook in Goal-Creating Areas - Watching television offers hundreds of ideas that you can use to help you create your own personal goals. The same is true of your sleep. Because of this it's vital that you keep a notebook handy while watching television and on your nightstand to jot down any goal ideas that come to you.

18. Impossible to Fail
People are more than capable of creating compelling dreams, but the fear of failure often clouds the path. To avoid this pitfall, imagine that it is impossible to fail. What dreams and desires would you pursue if you were guaranteed success?

19. Your Ideal Life
Think ahead. Imagine living your ideal life in five years. Then ten and twenty years. What would you be doing? With whom would you be doing it? What would your life look like on a daily basis? Use the picture of a future life to create goals and desires in the present.

20. Get Specific
In order for you to create lasting change in your life, you have to be super specific about what you want. Vague ideas just won't cut it. The more specific you make your desires, the easier it will be to act on them. Cloudy hopes create obstacles. You have to know exactly what you want, down to the smallest detail.

21. Write it Down
When you get an idea for a goal you'd like to achieve write it down immediately. The simple act of writing your goals down on a sheet of paper will bring them one step closer to reality. Saying something is one thing, but when you actually see the words written down it becomes a living, breathing thing.

22. Small Steps to Great Success
While the nature of your dreams needs to inspire, you must also recognize the fact that it takes only small steps to create amazing changes. The dream will lead the way, but it won't come in one giant leap. Small steps, carried out each day, will bring you to the destinations you seek.

23. Who Are You Living For?
Many times people will accept the status quo because they are afraid of what other people would think of them if they strived for more. Fitting in becomes more important than moving ahead. Decide here and now that creating the life you want to live is far more important than blending in and living for the approval of others.

24. Search for Success Stories
The stories of individuals overcoming all odds and achieving their dreams surround you. Seek out and make these stories a part of your life. You are not alone in your search for happiness. Knowing that others have succeeded in the past can be enough to motivate you to succeed in the future.

25. The Overnight Success Myth
Success takes time. People who believe in the overnight success expect amazing results the minute they start working toward their goal. It's not going to happen. Don't let this get you down - it's a positive. When you know the truth about success you won't become upset when immediate results can't be seen.

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http://www.motivation123.com/prd-gdc.html

Jason M. Gracia
Founder & President
VantagePoint Motivation Services, Inc.