Intentional Prosperity

The true reality is that there are no limitations in this world aside from the ones that we create for ourselves. We have unlimited potential – only limited by our vision. If we can focus on the 3 simple principles of: Being Intentional, Focusing on Desires, and Visualizing Success, we can truly have anything we want in this world.

Principle #1: Being Intentional

“Begin each day as if it were on purpose.” – Will Smith in “Hitch”

When you set out to sea you have a destination in mind. You are being intentional. You have a single focus, or goal, and that is to make it to your destination safely. You study maps, weather patterns and the mechanical components of your ship, because they all play a vital role in helping you accomplish your goal. When things happen, that are out of your control, you make adjustments. You alter your plans. Storms, rough patches of sea and even mechanical failures do not stop you from reaching your destination, they are only impedances. You find another route and another way to keep moving forward.

Life is the same. We do not have to know HOW we are going to accomplish something. Our main focus needs to be determining what we really want and then taking action – or being intentional. When we have large goals that we are chasing, we find ways to continuously make progress towards the fulfillment of those goals. Our internal compass, or our daily actions, are a function of the goals that we are chasing. We make decisions based on what is most important in our life. When we are intentional about how we live, we create favorable circumstances for ourselves. We do not wait for things to come to us, we go out and get them.

Principle #2: Focusing on Desires

“I was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be there.” – Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa understood one of the most powerful concepts on earth. She recognized that being “anti-war”, instead of “pro-peace”, was only giving attention to something she did not support – war. The same is true with health, wealth and prosperity. You must only give attention to the things that you want in life. You must work hard every day to develop a relentless focus on abundance, positivity and success. Only then will you welcome more of it into your own life.

You have nothing to gain by thinking of, or even recognizing limitations, poverty or struggle. Those will only take energy away from your positive thoughts. Keep your mind fixated on all that you want and forget that which you do not want. Do not give any attention to negativity. Like the lesson we learned from Mother Teresa, don’t be anti-failure, be pro-success!

Principle #3: Visualizing Success

“The Vision that you glorify in your mind, the Ideal that you enthrone in your heart – this you will build your life by, this you will become.” – James Allen

Visualization, like gravity, is a law of nature. It is often referred to as The Law of Attraction, which is simply: likes attract likes. This means that the things that we spend our time thinking about, and picturing, will be attracted to us. If we visualize ourselves doing great things, we will attract greatness. If we are constantly worried about bad things happening to us, we will attract bad things.

The Law of Attraction can be used to attract anything in the world. Use it to your advantage. Rather than allowing outside influences to dictate your life, choose what you want and dedicate time to visualizing it each day. You have total control over what you visualize, therefore, you have total control over your life and your success.  

By simply visualizing the things we want, staying focused on the positive outcomes and approaching each day with intention, the world is ours. There is nothing that is out of our reach. Stay focused on the things that you can control and go show the world your greatness. Each and every day.

(This blog was originally posted on AboutBoulder.com on the 29th of September 2014 in my column, "Matt's Motivational Mondays".)

Doing More By Doing Less

Have you ever ran into an old friend and asked how they were, only to hear the typical response, “I’ve been so busy”? Why is everyone so busy? Why does it always seem like there is not enough time in the day to finish everything we have on our plate?

The answer is simple. We do not prioritize well and we have no idea how to say, “No.” Any time someone asks us to do something we say yes. We don’t analyze how important each individual thing we do actual is. Most of us schedule our day based on other people’s priorities for us – not our own. Most of us do not proactively plan our day, we react to it. This creates stress, multi-tasking (which is not at all effective) and a constant feeling of overwhelm. So what is the cure to this ugly disease of busyness? Saying “No” to things that are not a top priority and doing less – consciously.

This goes against the programming of most of our brains, but we must identify our priorities for the following day by asking ourselves one simple question, “If I can only accomplish 2-3 things tomorrow, what are the most important?” Write them in order of importance. Multi-tasking must be abolished because it does not work. 100% of your energy needs to be focused on the first task on your list the second you get to work. Only when you finish that can you move on to task #2, and so on.

Nothing should detract your focus from accomplishing the 2-3 tasks on your list. Nothing should interrupt your focus. Checking email can wait. Your phone should be unplugged. Your email notifications should be shut off (permanently).

The only way to really be productive is to laser-focus your efforts on pre-determined tasks. This way you are dictating your day and you are ensuring that the most important tasks get accomplished. You are not allowing someone else’s email to dictate your schedule for the day. You are in command.

Becoming task-oriented, rather than time-oriented, ensures that you accomplish measurable items. An 8 hour day can easily pass without any clear accomplishments being fulfilled. When tasks are outlined, it forces you to carefully think of what is actually important, versus what seems to be important.

Once you have become task-oriented, you become better at telling people “No”. You become better at focusing on higher-margin activities and projects. You understand that most “work” is busy-work that really doesn’t contribute to the bottom-line. You start to see the bigger picture and create massive results without working harder. You become strategic. Like Abraham Lincoln used to say, “If I had 8 hours to chop down a tree, I would spend the first 4 sharpening my axe.”

Start sharpening your axe and taking control of your day. Watch your stress levels decrease and your meaningful results go through the roof. Keep your to-do list to 2-3 items. Any more than that will be defeating the purpose. Share your results with everybody below in the comments. I have seen huge results from these minor modification and am positive, you will too.

The Law of Large Thoughts

“No matter how large the picture that you hold in mind, make it larger. The reason why so many people come to the point where they stop is that they come to a point where they stop growing in their own minds. They come to a point where they can see no more, thinking that because they have really done a big thing they should stop there. We must watch our thought for signs of inactivity. Nothing in the universe ever stops. Everything is built on a boundless basis, drawn from a limitless source, come forth from an Infinite sea of unmanifest life. We speak forth into this life and draw back from it all that we first think into it. Life is always limitless, and the only thing that limits us is our inability to conceive mentally, and we should draw more and more from that limitless source.” – Ernest Holmes

Take a long hard look at your goals. What are they? Write them down. Now take a look at those goals and ask yourself, “Why are they not bigger?”

We all do this. We set goals that seem realistic based on societal norms but we are only limiting ourselves. You can only grow as much as your mental image will permit. Think about that. You will never grow beyond that which can conceive in your mind. If you don’t picture yourself walking around in that perfectly in-shape body, you never will. If you don’t picture yourself driving a Lamborghini, guess what? You never will.

Progress stops wherever vision does. Anytime you are reaching a plateau, whether it is related to your personal or professional life, it can be broken through internally – by working to develop a bigger and stronger vision.

Take a second today to think of one goal that would absolutely scare you to death. Something that would bring you great joy but that you think is not possible in your life at this time. Now get an (erasable) marker and write it on your bathroom mirror. Read it out loud every morning and night and work to connect with it emotionally. Do this until you are sick of doing it and watch the transformation start to take place. You will start to develop belief in this “crazy” goal and you will start to accomplish it.

The mind is the most powerful faculty we have access to. We can leverage it to get whatever we want. Your wish is your mind’s command. Think bigger and keep fighting to not set limitations for yourself.