Another title for this post could have been “make the goal your own”. To stay motivated we have to have an internal drive. When we do things because somebody else told us to, or somebody is in essence forcing us to do it, the negative energy that results, though surely “motivating” is not in the least the positive internal energy we need. The drive that’s created when we are self-motivated.

Yes, doing things out of fear, doing things to avoid pain, certainly makes us move to get things done. The problem with that is though, we need constant reminders of the potential pain or negative consequences in order to keep going. Not unlike the whip applied to the horse to keep it running.

When we make a goal of our own, we have our own internal engine. The energy is in front of us, it pulls us forward. It’s almost like a gyroscope on a flywheel that keeps the momentum going even though little energy is applied once they start spinning.

And yes, it is certainly not easy to make a tedious or difficult task one that we can stay motivated around. Yet, it is still possible to have your own goal around these tasks. We can for example set out to learn from the work at hand, or from the environment we find ourselves in during the work. A goal can be much more than just getting it over with.

By making goals our own, we come from a point of creation. We come from a point of simply getting ourselves to do things to a much more enriching experience. By overcoming the negativity, we in effect create neural pathways in our brains, in a positive way, that help us use those same “getting things done” brain signals and pathways that can and are applied to every aspect of productivity. That positivity becomes an internalized positive feedback loop.

Just because we hate shoveling snow, or mowing the lawn, doesn’t mean that that discipline, that brain level discipline of completing the job is not applied to finishing that report that’s due, or planning that family vacation. It is very much so.

Many people talk about the fear of failure, but very few people talk about the fear of success. Many people don’t even realize it’s possible to have a fear of success because of the very image the word “success” evokes. You want to be successful, right? So what is there to be fearful of if you do hit that jackpot?

The biggest and most deeply seated issue people have with success is change. You’re comfortable where you are right now. Even if you have problems and struggles, it’s what you’re used to. It’s a lot of fun to dream, but when it comes down to it, you’re never sure you can or even that you’re supposed to truly have success.

Also, those around you might not be encouraging or supportive of your dreams because they’re afraid that you’ll change (which of course you will), because then you might not have as much interest in activities that you’ve shared with them anymore. They might even believe that your dreams will come crashing down on you and hurt you, and they don’t want to see that happen to you. They’re comfortable in the status quo, and you want to rise above that, so sometimes you have to make some tough decisions, which is why you might have this fear of success.

Do you have a fear of success? Again, many people don’t realize they do so this isn’t something you’ll want to immediately dismiss. Do you tend to self-sabotage as soon as you see some success? If you do that, and if you fail to reach for the stars in any way, then you probably do have this type of fear. It’s important that you start to notice these patterns in yourself.

So, how do you get over this? Believe it or not, the fear of success can hold you back as much as or even more than the fear of failure. When you’re dealing with both of them, it’s easy to see why you’re stagnant in your business.

It’s time to let yourself continue to dream, but in a way that has you assuming what is possible and what you can actually bring to life. It might be that incremental changes in the right direction is what you need. Instead of dreaming about releasing 30 kilos of excess weight, focus on the one half or 1 kilo a week at first. Yes, it will take you 30 weeks or more to finally become that much healthier, but will 1. Succeed at it and 2. Significantly increase your chances of keep it off!

Fill your mind with positive success stories of those who’ve come from a similar place to where you are right now. Absorb their mindset and strategies. The more you fill your mind with their successes and the possibilities of your own success, the less “out there” it will seem that you can achieve.

When you’re ready for more success, the sky is the limit. You have to get to the point where you won’t self-sabotage and where you truly believe you can have and that you deserve to have positive, sustained life change.

Ah, the joys of Hanukkah gelt! Those little shiny beautiful coins attract children young and old. And on the inside? Nothing but sweet savory chocolate.

When it comes to money, and financial literacy, many parents miss the mark. There are many movements that push for basic life skills training in school curriculums, and even in those districts where schools actually teach life skills, including financial literacy, parents must support and encourage these skills in the home. It’s a golden opportunity for children to become responsible adults in areas of Finance (pun intended…) health, interpersonal relations, you name it.

At the same time, whether it’s the children themselves, or the parents, people  procrastinate in these areas and wait years if not decades to take action, causing untold suffering on the child, and society at large.

There are many reasons why people procrastinate around issues of money. Some can be a bit involved, like teaching and learning financial literacy, while others can be as simple as the technical skills of balancing checkbooks and making household budget. Following that budget is of course more involved, both technically and emotionally.

As far as financial procrastination is concerned, the reasons can go much deeper, and into psychological barriers we are either taught at home or through the environments we live in. It may be difficult, but not impossible to overcome.

So when unwrapping those yummy chocolate coins, the same way that we should think about the calories involved, let’s think about the financial decisions that we make. It’s about present-self vs future-self.

In the present, those calories are yummy. In the future the healthier outcome is superb!