Tammy's Tips

“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." - Author Unknown

Tip 26 is on Mid Year Pop Quiz. WOW, we are already at Tip 26 and that means we are half way through the year already.  2010 is already half gone and now we need to gear up for the second half of the year.  What better time to take a look at your annual goals to see how we are measuring up?  Many of us set out at the beginning of the year with certain goals in mind that we hoped to accomplish.  Some of us have met many of our goals and some of us have not.  Congratulate yourself on the goals that you have accomplished, but please don't beat yourself up the ones that have not yet been accomplished.  Remember these wise words from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, "What is not started today is never finished tomorrow." So it's never too late to begin anew.

Pop Quiz:
1. What goals did you set out to accomplish this year?
2. What goals have been accomplished thus far?
3. What goals still need to get accomplished?
4. What if anything is keeping you from accomplishing these goals?
5. What structure, support or assistance do you need to assist you in accomplishing you goals?

We still have six months to go before the end of the year is upon us.  We will be focusing on goals on our next teleseminar call scheduled for June 22, 2010 at 2:00 pm EDT.  If you are running into obstacles or issues please bring your questions to the call or email them to me in advance.  We all experience set backs and obstacles.  As I had mentioned to you all last week, I am now separated after 10 years of marriage and trying to find my footing in this new situation.  For sure it has been a set back for me this year.  For sure several of my goals have been put on hold or put on the back burner so that I can address more urgent matters that are now at hand given my new set of circumstances.  We all make plans and God laughs.  Life is always throwing us a curve ball and it's our job to learn how to navigate through the winding roads called life.  My dear Papa Joe used to always say, "Sometimes in life you need to take 1 step backward before you can take 2 steps forward."  True character and commitment is tested most when the chips are down and we need to re-strategize. 

I am attaching an annual goal planning sheet for you to download to help you along with resetting your goals for the balance of the year.  If you need help or coaching in helping you plan out the rest of 2010 please do not hesitate to contact me direct.  My goal for you is to help you achieve all your dreams.  Annual Goal Planning Template  As you re-strategize keep in mind the who, what, when, where and how for your plan.  Remember to make your goals timely so that you know by when to look for results.  Try to recruit someone close to you that you can create an accountability partnership with.  This works really well especially if you connect at least once a week to set goals and look at what is working and what is not. Jimmy Dean once said, "I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust me sails to always reach my destination."  Good luck with your planning.

“Shoot for the moon.  Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."  - Les Brown

“Aim at perfection in everything, though in most things it is unattainable. However, they who aim at it, and persevere, will come much nearer to it than those whose laziness and despondency make them give it up as unattainable." - Lord Chesterfield

Tip 24 is on Letting Go of Perfection.  I do think it is better to aim at perfection instead of being lazy and despondent but let's be realistic..., can any of us ever really be perfect all of the time. The stress of just trying to be perfect all of the time can really drain all of our energy and cause major delays in the projects we are working on that need completion. Last week I sent out a Tip that had some spelling and grammar errors.  It wasn't the first time and I am sure it won't be the last time.  I do appreciate all of you out there that caught these mistakes and brought them to my attention - thank you, but last week it was better to just get the Tip done than to get the Tip done perfectly.  Sometimes, overcoming obstacles such as computer and/or internet issues can zap your energy and focus which then cause needless mistakes especially when there is a time crunch.  Robert Schueller said, "It is better to something imperfectly that to do nothing flawlessly."

I do encourage all of you to aim for perfection in everything you do.  We all want to strive to do our best as often as we can.  I am always telling my son, "Practice makes perfect,"  yet when he loses a game, "It's not whether you win or lose but how you played the game."  Just getting in the game is half the battle.  Some of us don't even try to get in the game because we feel we are not good enough.  Please remember, there will ALWAYS be someone who is better looking than you, smarter than you and someone more athletic than you.  There will also ALWAYS be someone who is not better looking, smarter and more athletic.  And the truth is, practice does make perfect.  Many of us give up after just trying something once.  Keep trying, give it an all out effort.  See if practice will make you at least better if not perfect.  Try, try and then try again!! Winston Churchill said it best, "They say that nobody is perfect.  Then they tell you practice makes perfect.  I wish they'd make up their minds."