About Key To Success In Life Series – Secrets Of Developing Your Strengths

Few, if any, of us are born with all the traits, talents, and skills that we’d like to possess. Some of us wish we were taller or smarter or more musically inclined. While many things can’t be improved or changed, the good news is that many things can!

You can improve and become the person you want to be. You can possess the abilities you want to have. And you can make all this possible by developing your strengths.

This free Key To Success In Life – How To Develop Your Strengths special report will cover a variety of tools that you can use to regularly be at your current best and, just as importantly, to become the best possible version of yourself.

We’ll explore the importance of finding your passions, meditation, goal setting, visualization, positive affirmations, evaluation, and the incredible power of practice.

“There is no passion to be found playing small in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” – Nelson Mandela

Key To Success In Life –  Secrets Of Developing Your Strengths Executive Summary

The key to developing any strength is practice. A weakness can even become a strength with practice. The challenge is getting yourself to practice regularly and intelligently.

The following strategies are important to remember when furthering the development of a strength.

* If you find your passion and develop a strength related to it, practicing will be fun. There’s no reason to spend a lot of time on something that you don’t truly enjoy. Find your passion first.

* Develop a goal. Having a goal is choosing to control the direction of your life. Otherwise, you’re depending on luck to get wherever you end up. Review your goal daily.

* A goal should be specific, measurable, and have a deadline. To be most effective, all 3 characteristics must be present.

* Use meditation to learn to focus your thoughts and energy. The average office worker spends less than 2 hours per day actually doing constructive work. Do you focus better than the average worker?

* Learn to focus. It’s relaxing for your mind and you’ll get much more done.

* Use affirmations to replace negative self-talk. Simply turn the negative stuff around into something positive and supportive.

* Use visualization to see yourself already being successful. Experience your visions with all your senses.

* Measure your progress. This not only includes progress toward your goal, but also how well you’re doing with reviewing your goal, your self-talk, level of focus, and more.

* Practice, practice, practice. The more you practice, the more you’ll develop. But practice intelligently; have a plan and work on the most important things.

If you want to develop your strengths, you need to identify them and then practice. Anything that will help you spend more time practicing and practice more effectively is invaluable to your long-term development.

Finding Your Passions

You can only reach your ultimate development in those areas in which you have passion. For example, you can never become a truly great golfer if you don’t even like to play.

Perhaps you’re fortunate enough to already know what you are the most passionate about. Or maybe you feel that you’ve never had the chance to really consider your aspirations. In that case, take some time now to find your passions.

Your greatest strengths will ultimately be those things that you do, practice and develop the most. It only makes sense to spend all that time on something that you love.

Here is a sure-fire plan to find your passions:

1. Consider your history. Looking back, what are the things that you’ve enjoyed the most? What are some things that you’ve always wanted to try but never have? What things have you naturally been really good at? Sometimes the answers are inside us, so think about it and see what floats to the surface.

If there is something you’ve always want to do, give it a try and see how much you enjoy it. You don’t really know anything if you don’t experience it for yourself.

2. Ask yourself, “Could I see myself doing this regularly over time?” It might be a blast, but if you only want to do it twice a year, it’s not a passion. A passion is something that you want to learn all about and develop a real level of expertise for.

That doesn’t mean you must have the capacity to become world-class. If you’re 60 years old and love tennis, you might not win on the world competitor circuit, but you can certainly spend some time each day playing tennis, if that’s what you want to do.

It’s the activity or subject that you would reach for when you have free time available to you.

3. Do the following exercise:

Take a blank sheet of paper and write at the top, “My Passions.”

For the next 30 minutes, at least, write whatever comes to mind. That means if you find yourself thinking, “This is crazy… I don’t want to do this,” then that is exactly what you write. Just keep writing. A lot of mental junk will come out and that’s okay.

When you write something that looks good to you, simply circle it. Keep writing, don’t stop until at least 30 minutes have gone by.

You’ll know it when you hit on the right item.

4. Keep your options open. You don’t have to decide today what your passions are. The point is to fully investigate and give all the possibilities a fair chance.

5. Consider if there is a way to make it a career. Maybe you can make money at your passion. Maybe you can only do it part-time. But consider the possibilities. If your work is related to your greatest passion, it’s like you’ll never have to “work” again!

Let’s look at our tennis example. You could:

Give lessons
Coach at the high school or college level
Work at a health club / racquet club
Have a tennis-related website
Write a book or articles about tennis
Become a reporter on professional tennis
Run a tennis camp or training center
Start an inner-city tennis program

One way to measure success is by the amount of time you get to spend on those activities that you enjoy the most. Don’t settle for spending your free time on television.

Find something that you’re passionate about and you’ll be in a much better position to develop your strengths and enjoy a wonderful life.

“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” – Oprah Winfrey

Meditation

When you hear the word ‘meditation’ do you envision a slender vegetarian sitting on a pillow? You’re probably not alone, but meditation is a tool that can be used by everyone. You can consider the pillow to be optional.

The truth is meditation can be done every waking moment. Sitting on a pillow in a peaceful, quiet, low-light situation is like meditating with training wheels – it’s mediation under ideal circumstances.

By learning to meditate when it’s easiest, it will be possible to mediate on a loud, smelly, subway while you’re angry with your spouse and stressed about work.

Outliers The Story of Success is a non-fiction book written by Malcolm Gladwell claiming that the key to success in any field is to a.…key to success

While there are all kinds of meditation, we’re going to use it for two purposes:

1. Meditate to stay focused. You might have heard of the idea of ‘mindfulness’. This is simply the idea of staying focused on what is in front of you. So, if you’re washing the dishes, you’re only thinking about washing the dishes. If you’re playing tennis, you’re only thinking about playing tennis.

Try this test. Find a quiet place where you can be alone. Simply sit there and breathe. Now count every exhalation. See how high you can get before you start thinking about something else. If you can’t make it to 100, you have some work to do. Most people can’t reach 10 at first, so don’t feel bad.

Staying focused has many benefits. First, you can’t be your best at anything if you’re thinking about other things. Your mind can only think about one thing at a time. Now, it can move back and forth rapidly between several things, but can only focus on one thing at a time. You’ll never develop your strengths fully without focus.

It becomes difficult to be stressed if you are only thinking about the present moment. Stress and anxiety come from reliving unpleasant memories or imagining unpleasant things that haven’t happened yet. Stay in the moment, and the mental relaxation is there for the taking.

You get to live your life. If you’re living in the past or the future, you’re not living your life. Life can only be lived at this very moment. Everything else is just imaginary.

You get more done in your everyday life. When you’re fully absorbed with the task at hand, you are more efficient and get more accomplished.

2. To deal with fear and anxiety. It is our fears and resistance that stop us from achieving great things. It’s very difficult to fail if you have a purpose and continue towards it until it is accomplished. Remember, it is our doubts and fears that stop us from trying.

When you know what you should do, but can’t get yourself to do it, focus on the issue. Close your eyes and really think about it. Try to be dispassionate about it and notice the thoughts, feelings, and body sensations that arise. Continue doing this until you feel nothing. If you examine any feeling long enough, it disappears.

It might take more than one meditation session. You can’t just think about it for 2 minutes. You already do that and it doesn’t work. Stop seeking shortcuts! Spend 30 to 60 minutes examining it.

Focus and meditation are incredible tools and perhaps two of the most important skills that a person can learn. They are skills that anyone can learn to do them well. The key is to start where you are and keep improving.

Before you know it, you’ll have the focus of a Zen monk and developing your other strengths will come easily to you.

“If we know the divine art of concentration, if we know the divine art of meditation, if we know the divine art of contemplation, easily and consciously we can unite the inner world and the outer world.” – Sri Chinmoy

I strive to be physically active.

Because I endeavor to strengthen my health and provide for a long life, I do whatever I can to be more physically active.

Even on days that I feel tired, I find that performing physical activity, such as walking, jogging, exercising, or doing calisthenics, brings me great energy.

In the mornings, I like to go for a jog. If the weather is unfavorable for outdoor exercise, I stay inside and complete a yoga routine or an aerobics DVD. After having lunch or during a mid-afternoon break, I often take a 10- or 15-minute walk.

At work, while sitting at my desk, I do simple shoulder exercises or leg lifts. I concentrate on building and maintaining a strong body core.

After work, I set a goal to accomplish something physical before bedtime. I might sweep, vacuum, or mop the floors. Maybe I’ll spend an hour washing the car or mowing just to stay on my feet.

When I feel particularly challenged regarding getting some physical activity, I call a friend or recruit one of my kids to take a bike ride or play a game of basketball or touch football with me. Afterward, I feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment.

I am happy about my efforts to keep my physical energy burning brightly.

Today, I make my exercise regimen a daily priority. I understand that my reward for staying physically active is continued good health and the opportunity to live a long, vital life.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. What kinds of physical activities do I enjoy?
2. Am I physically active every single day? If not, what are the reasons I avoid exercise?
3. How can I ensure that I maintain a solid level of physical activity daily?

Goal Setting

Goals can be used to accomplish certain tasks, like winning your local tennis tournament. But goals can also be directed toward developing a certain skill. Think about what would be most meaningful to you and develop a goal around that.

To have the best chance to accomplish anything, having a goal is a huge advantage. Without the intention of accomplishing something specific, there’s really no telling where you might end up. Have a specific destination in mind and you can determine the course of your life.

To be the most effective, a goal needs the following components:

1. A specific time frame. If you don’t have a deadline, when will it ever get done? Most of us are already great at procrastinating. A goal without a deadline is not a goal.

Limit your goals to no more than 8 weeks. It’s difficult to stay focused for longer than 8 weeks. Big goals that require more time will have to be broken down into multiple goals, or steps, that can each be achieved in a short time frame.

Be specific. Set a specific date for your deadline.

2. It is measurable. There should be no doubt in your mind whether or not you’ve accomplished your goal. “Be happy” is tough to measure. But, “be as happy as I was on vacation last year, at least 90% of the time …” is more measurable.

Some things are easy to measure: money, weight, calories, and more. Others are a little trickier. Be creative! If you can’t measure it, you can’t really know whether you were successful or not.

3. It is specific. “Lose weight” is not specific. “Lose 15 lbs” is a little better. Lose 15 lbs in 8 weeks by doing XYZ is perfect. If you’re too vague then you’ll get less than great results. You need a specific target if you want to do your best.

For example, if you want to develop your public speaking ability, a good goal might be to give 5 presentations over the next month. Or it might be to participate in a public speaking training program.

Maybe your goal is to spend 5 hours a week practicing your skills.

To set yourself up for success at developing your strengths, set specific and achievable goals for what you would like to accomplish.

“Crystallize your goals. Make a plan for achieving them and set yourself a deadline. Then, with supreme confidence,
determination and disregard for obstacles and other people’s criticisms carry out your plan.” – Paul J. Meyer

FORMAT

A good general format to follow is something similar to this:

“On or before [date], I will have done what is necessary to [be able to drive a golf ball in the fairway a distance of at least 250 yards, at least 80% of the time].”

Notice that the above goal has a deadline and specific and measurable criteria.

DAILY ROUTINE

Our lives are the result of our habits. If you have a good daily routine regarding your goals, you’ll be more successful and will develop your strengths more quickly.

Incorporate these strategies into your daily routine for the best success:

1. Visualize achieving your goals before you get out of bed. Visualization will be covered in detail in the next section. Visualize yourself having just achieved your goal. Notice how you feel. If you feel anything other than 100% positive and excited, figure out why. If limiting beliefs are stopping you, then work on changing those self-imposed limits.

2. Read and re-write your goal each day. This will help you keep your goal in mind. Have you ever set a goal, done well for a few days, and then totally forgotten about it? That won’t happen if you remind yourself every day. Put a reminder on your desk, bathroom mirror, or any other place that will work for you.

3. Visualize again at bedtime.

4. Track your progress. Evaluating your progress will be covered later. You have to give your brain some feedback so you can keep moving forward.

These 4 simple things will only take a few minutes each day and dramatically improve your odds of success. Don’t be fooled by their simplicity. Success comes from doing the right things consistently; that’s much more important than doing anything spectacular.

“A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.” – Larry Bird

Visualization

We all visualize various things throughout the day. As an exercise, try to remember something without visualizing it. You likely can’t! Why?

Our brains work in pictures. That’s just how it works.

That’s why visualization is a very powerful tool when used properly. It’s also very powerful when used improperly, except that the results are negative.

“Visualization is daydreaming with a purpose.” – Bo Bennett

There are several keys to visualizing anything effectively:

1. Your vision must be believable. You can’t visualize yourself playing in the NBA or making a billion dollars if that is far off for you. Your visualizations should be related to your goal, and your goal should be reasonable (but a stretch) for you.

2. Your vision must be realistic. Don’t visualize having the body of a 24-year-old Greek god if you’re 87 years old. Avoid visualizing having $100,000 on your kitchen table if it would really be in your bank account. Believability is about scale and realism is about practicality.

3. Visualize consistently. Twice a day, at a minimum, will best help you succeed. First thing in the morning and last thing at night works well. It gets your mind in a positive place as you start your day and before you fall asleep.

4. It takes time. It will take some time to be effective. It’s like gaining or losing weight. You can’t gain or lose 10 lbs in a day, but the change over time can be impressive. Stay with it.

5. Work on the big picture. Instead of visualizing only improving your strengths and abilities, visualize yourself as the type of person that would have those strengths and abilities. You need to see and be comfortable with the whole package, not just a piece of it.

As an example, if you were interested in being in excellent shape, you shouldn’t just visualize your great body. You should also visualize being the type of person that eats well, exercises daily, and places a high value on these types of behaviors.

Someone interested in improving their financial strength would visualize all the behaviors associated with that end-result: things like spending money wisely, earning more income, investing wisely, and paying bills on time.

6. Be as vivid as possible. Experience your vision with as much sensory detail as possible. Don’t just ‘see’ it – think about what you would also hear, smell, and feel. The more complete the experience, the more you will get out of it.

7. Use any spare moments. We all have moments throughout the day when we’re not doing much. Maybe you’re waiting in the doctor’s office or for a meeting to start. Whenever you have a couple of minutes, put them to use.

Anytime your mind is wandering off to something other than what you’re actually doing, you could be visualizing (or being mindful)!

“Enter every activity without giving mental recognition to the possibility of defeat. Concentrate on your strengths, instead of your weaknesses… on your powers, instead of your problems.” – Paul J. Meyer

HOW TO VISUALIZE

Now that you have the dos and don’ts, here is a simple process to effectively incorporate visualization into your life:

1. Find a good place. Depending on your ability to concentrate, you need an appropriate location. Quiet is good. Minimal visual distractions are good. The bathroom or stairwell can be a good place at work, if you don’t have an office. At home, any quiet spot out of the way of the kids and spouse works well.

2. Take a few deep, slow breaths. Slow breathing calms the mind. It’s the one part of your physiology over which you have a high level of control. Count your breaths, if that helps you to focus.

3. Imagine. It’s no different than any other time you daydream, except now you’re choosing the topic of your daydream. Imagine yourself achieving your goal and demonstrating the strength you wish to develop. Remember to include a lot of detail. Really get into it and keep the experience 100% positive.

4. Keep track of any negative feelings. Write down any potential issues. For example, if you’re visualizing yourself making an ‘elevator speech’ and notice that you’re uncomfortable having other people around, make a note of it. Perhaps you will need to set a goal to resolve this issue or do some other work on it.

A big part of achieving your goal is removing the obstacles. These negative items are your mental obstacles.

Visualization is a way to convince your subconscious that you’ve already done something that you haven’t. Beliefs that don’t support your visualization will start to fade away. New beliefs will begin to develop.

Visualize daily and you’ll change your life.

“If I had one wish for my children, it would be that each of them would reach for goals that have meaning for them as individuals.” – Lillian Gordy Carter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXySSGkbqG0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Key To Success In Life – How To Develop Your Strengths – Positive Affirmations

Visualization is a great tool, but it’s not the only tool. The other half of the puzzle is managing self-talk. We all say things to ourselves, constantly. One way to minimize self-talk is to be mindful and focus on the task at hand. But anytime there is self-talk, it should be positive.

These techniques will help you use affirmations to your best advantage:

1. Make a list of all the things you say to yourself that are negative and do not support your goal.

Don’t record the neutral stuff. Things like, “I need to fill up my gas tank” are inconsequential. On the other hand, “I need to fill up my gas tank… how can I be such an idiot to not fill it up the night before” is worth writing down.

2. Re-write your list. Take all the negative things and re-write them into a positive version. For example: “I can’t speak in front of 100 people” might become, “I can easily speak in front of 100 people or more.”

Again, remove the obstacles to your success. If you want to develop your strengths, it’s much easier if you remove the obstacles.

3. Monitor yourself 24/7. If you’re awake or dreaming, monitor your self-talk. Anytime you observe negative self-talk, replace it with something positive and repeat it to yourself several times.

Be vigilant. It’s important to catch the negative stuff as soon as possible. It will take some practice, but it won’t be long before you can catch yourself in the first couple of seconds. With enough practice, negative self-talk will be a thing of the past.

4. Create a separate list. Make a list of positive affirmations that would be useful to believe. Consider what someone would believe to accomplish whatever it is you’re trying to do.

5. Read through that list daily. Each day, read through your list. Read it to yourself. Read it aloud. You might even re-write the ones that are the most significant. Expose yourself to them regularly. You could even record them so you can listen to them as well.

Affirmations have been around a long time for a reason: they work!

“Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping-stones to success.” – Dale Carnegie

I love myself unconditionally and accept myself as I am.

Even though I sometimes make mistakes, I am a great person. I love myself unconditionally and accept myself as I am. I make an effort to treat myself with kindness and respect. I deserve it.

I have qualities and talents that make me unique and special – unlike anyone else in the world. I have value.

I deserve to be loved. I love myself and am loved by others. I realize that being perfect is a fantasy. I am good enough as I am to be loved and accepted.

I recognize my strengths and talents and forgive myself for my past mistakes. I acknowledge that I am worthy and deserve all the good things in life. I am wonderful.
I honor my best parts and freely share them with the world.

I allow myself to shine.

I am accepting of others as well as myself. It is only through acceptance that my potential can be fully realized.

I am my own best cheerleader. I welcome the support of others, but I have enough support even when standing alone. I am an awesome person and worthy of great things.

I accept all my faults and shortcomings. I am worthwhile.

Today, I give myself permission to be greater than my insecurities. I love myself totally and completely. I accept myself just the way I am. I am a fine person and deserve a good life.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. What are some things I love about myself?
2. Do I fully accept myself?
3. How can I better love and accept myself?

I deserve and accept love.

I deserve love. I accept love in my life and can see love all around me. It is natural for me to feel loved. I love others and they love me.

I know that I am a good person. I am deserving of the admiration and affection of those in my life. I am accepting of all the positive feelings that come my way. People admire and respect me. I feel loved at all times.

I am thrilled by the number of people that give me love every day. I am fortunate to receive so much admiration. Love comes to me quickly and naturally.

I am a love magnet.

The more I love, the more love is returned to me. I am worthy of great love and deserve to be loved completely and fully. I attract loving and beautiful people into my life. My greatest gift is all the love I receive daily.

I find that love comes to me easily. I deserve to have good people in my life. I am blessed to be on the receiving end of so much love. Love is a constant part of my life.

I see love everywhere.

Today, I joyfully realize how loved I really am and I am grateful for so much love in my life. I know that I deserve this love and accept it now.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. Who loves me?
2. What are my most endearing qualities?
3. Can I let love into my life every day?

Image and Photo Gallery For Key To Success In Life – How To Develop Your Strengths

I deserve to be happy and successful.

Everyone deserves to be happy and successful, including me. I know that happiness and success are things that I create in my life. So I purposely take certain actions that facilitate my happiness and success.

I also focus on the good things that life has to offer rather than spending my energy bemoaning my challenges.

I am a good person. I do many fine things. I am kind, generous, and I work hard. All these things contribute to the joy and fulfillment in my life.

I deserve to experience great happiness on a daily basis. I am certainly worthy of it. I remind myself of all my blessings on a regular basis and find it easy to experience happiness.

Even if happiness and success try to elude me, I know that I can catch them. I have all the ability I need. I have all the talent I require.

Success and happiness are mine!

I see success over and over in my life. I use my past successes to provide confidence now. Success and excellence are a part of who I am.

Today, I take positive steps to ensure my happiness and success. I spend time doing things I love to do. I surround myself with loving people. I renew my commitment to my goals. And I deserve to be happy and successful.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. How happy and successful am I right now?
2. What are some things I can do to improve my levels of happiness and success?
3. Why do I deserve to be happy and successful?

Evaluation

Imagine trying to lose weight, but never having the opportunity to weigh yourself or see yourself. How would you know if your diet and exercise program was working? No matter what you’re trying to accomplish, it’s important to measure your progress in some way.

That also means you need to measure yourself before you start. If a method of measurement isn’t obvious, invent one. Maybe you need to tame your nervousness during presentations. You could develop a 1-10 scale or wear a heart-rate monitor. There is always a way – figure one out that works for you.

THE DAILY EVALUATION PROCESS

Perform this process at the end of each day:

1. List your successes and failures. What did you do today to progress toward your goal? What did you fail to do? What did you do that was a step in the wrong direction? How was your self-talk? Your visualizations? Meditation? Consider everything.

2. Congratulate yourself on your successes. Be proud of yourself. A little momentum and encouragement can go a long way.

3. Address your failures. Why did each failure item appear on your list of failures? What can you do to do better tomorrow? Come up with a solution to each item. Tomorrow you can use the solutions and re-evaluate yourself again.

4. Measure your progress toward your goal. This might not be practical to do on a daily basis for all goals, but you should be measuring your progress on a regular basis.

5. Adjust your approach. If you’re not making adequate progress toward your goal, try changing your approach. If it’s not possible to meet your goal by the deadline, go ahead and change your endpoint date to correspond with your new plan.

Can you see how difficult it is to fail if you use all the tools up to this point? If you have a goal, reinforce it daily, use the tools (meditation, visualization, affirmations), and evaluate your thoughts, behavior, and progress… you will continue to move forward toward your goal!

Now let’s look at practice.

“One man cannot practice many arts with success.” – Plato

Each and every day, I feel fulfilled and joyful.

Each day, I feel fulfilled because I spend my time on activities that are important to me. I look forward to each day with anticipation. My best days are right now.

My anticipation is the result of the choices I make every day. I make choices in accordance with which options support my highest priorities.

So my choices result in positive outcomes, adding to my joy and fulfillment, rather than taking away from them.

I only have room in my mind and heart for positive and important things. I refrain from letting negative thoughts enter my existence. If I discover a negative thought trying to sneak its way in, I banish it and replace it with something positive.

I focus on the good, regardless of what comes my way.

My focus is unwavering because I understand how important focus is to joy and fulfillment. I choose to seek out that which fills me with positive experiences.

Negative things do happen from time to time, but I refuse to dwell on them. I forgive life. I forgive other people and myself. By letting go of negative experiences, I make room for the positive ones.

Fulfillment comes from spending my time in a worthwhile manner. I am always on the lookout for new ways to feel fulfilled. I know the answers are all around me and try to catch the best opportunities.

Today, I choose to believe in the positive and allow happiness into my life. I focus on the good all around me.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. What can I be joyful about right now?
2. How fulfilled do I feel on a daily basis? What can I do to increase this feeling?
3. How do I react when something negative happens?

Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice is king. In fact, if you take a look at the book, Outliers: The Story of Success, you’ll see that practice is just about the only thing that matters.

The free special report about Key To Success In Life – How To Develop Your Strengths  examines a wide variety of experts in their respective professions, even musicians, a field that the average person considers to be largely dependent on a certain amount of innate talent.

What was found was that the only reliable predictor of success was the number of hours that the individual practiced. No one reached the highest levels without 10,000 hours of practice, and no one that practiced 10,000 hours failed to reach the highest levels.

You might be asking:

“If practice is the only thing that matters, then what was the point of the rest of this special report?”

A fair question. The bulk of the special report is to give you a process and the tools to allow yourself to practice regularly and enthusiastically.

You are now equipped to:

Find your passion.

Set goals effectively.

Use meditation, visualization, and positive affirmations to stay motivated and find/eliminate the negative mental garbage that gets in the way.

Evaluate your progress and make adjustments.

All of these steps will make it easier to practice your craft frequently and to progress as quickly as possible.

Now let’s look at some practice strategies:

1. Practice as frequently as possible. As they say, repetition is the mother of skill. Five times a week is better than two. Twice a day is better than once. Obviously, physically strenuous things can’t be done daily, but with planning, you might be able to do them more frequently than you are currently.

2. Have a plan. There is a huge difference between practicing haphazardly and having a plan in place. Know what you’re trying to accomplish before you even get started. It doesn’t matter whether you’re shooting a basketball, making cold calls, or learning something new; have a plan.

3. Practice the right things. We tend to like to practice the things we’re good at, but we need to practice the important things we’re not good at. Be sure your time is being spent in the wisest manner possible.

4. Evaluate after each session. What went well? What did not go well? What do you need to work on next? Should you change your approach?

The most important thing to remember is that the more you practice the better you will become. If you want to fully develop any strength, you must practice – a lot. But be sure to practice with a purpose and have a plan.

“In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.” – Yogi Berra

Consistency is a key to my success.

Thankfully, I enjoy successes in my everyday life. I realize that my behaviors, choices, and emotions play a large role in my being successful.

Although I have many personality characteristics that compel me to do my best and achieve my goals, I find that my consistency is an important key to my success.

Reflecting occasionally on my capacity to be consistent is integral to my accomplishments. In striving to be consistent, I apply logical thinking. I endeavor to be orderly in my efforts. And I put all my energy into what I am doing at the time.

Striving for consistency also gives me persistence. I stick with a task until it is completed to the best of my ability.

Consistency comes with a guarantee: if I continue diligently in focusing on a task, apply organization, and use logical thinking, I succeed. I firmly believe that my success is largely due to my ability to be consistent.

Another positive aspect of consistency is that I set an excellent example to others to be logical, orderly, and focused.

Today, I am pleased when I reflect about how consistency pays off for me in my daily life. I know I can continue to be consistent at home, with friends, and at work. I am successful because I am consistent.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. How important is consistency to me?
2. Would people who know me describe me as a consistent person?
3. Do I want to improve my level of consistency? If so, how can I do it?

I follow through with commitments.

One of the keys to the successes in my life is the ability to confidently state that I can do something and then follow through with it. I simply say what I can do and then do it – there are no “ifs, ands or buts” about it.

I follow through with commitments because I want people to see that my word is genuine.

It is a wonderful feeling to know that others can depend on me. They count on me to keep my promises and so I do.

One thing that helps me keep my commitments is my effective time management. I keep an accurate schedule and leave plenty of room for necessary changes.

When I see that my time may be too rushed in trying to complete a task for someone, I refrain from committing to it.

My friends, family, and work associates respect me for my honesty.

I am respecting them when I am honest from the outset, and they are grateful for it. They also know that when I do commit to something, it is for real and they can count on it being done.

Today, I plan to take time to ensure my planner is accurate in the listings for my upcoming schedule, since I depend on it so heavily when deciding if I can commit to something. With an accurate schedule, I can make accurate commitments and follow through on them every time.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. Do I follow through with my commitments?
2. How important is it to me to be dependable?
3. How do I feel when others follow through on a commitment to me? How do I feel when they don’t follow through?

Key To Success In Life Series – Secrets Of Developing Your Strengths Worksheet

Answering the following questions will help you along the path to identifying and developing your strengths.

1. What activities am I most passionate about?

Competence in all things is my goal.

It is important to me to be as competent as possible. I want to be seen as well qualified to others, so I take action to learn how to do things in the best way possible and put forth my best effort for every task.

From my work, to my relationships, to raising my kids, I strive to be competent.

I get the training and the education I need to thoroughly know and understand how to do things that are important to me. I research anything I have questions about and practice new techniques that might help me accomplish my tasks better in any way.

I volunteer to do jobs that others refrain from. I recognize that doing so can provide me with an opportunity to hone my skills and abilities. As I show my competence to others, I am given more chances to learn more and achieve the things I strive for in life.

Everything about my life is enhanced when I display competence. I take great pride in whatever I do.

Today, I plan to personally evaluate my competence. I can look back throughout my career and reflect on my performance.

My competence in my family relationships deserves some investigation also. I know I can re-vitalize my efforts to be competent in all things.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. How important is having competence to me?
2. Do I believe that I exude competence in whatever I do?
3. If there are times that I find myself unsure of how to do something, what do I do about it?

2. What are 3 things I’ve always wanted to do but haven’t?

My dreams are one of my top priorities.

While I have many responsibilities, my dreams are always a top priority. I realize that dreams are what make life worth living. It is easy to get caught up in day-to-day responsibilities, but I always remain aware of my dreams.

I regularly schedule time to work on my dreams. I know they require time and attention to come to fruition. Each day, I spend at least a few minutes making my dreams become a reality.

My dreams are worthy of my time.

It can be easy to become sidetracked, but I always remember to focus on my dreams.

At work, I use spare moments to remind myself that my dreams are important. I especially like to use the time while I am driving to reflect on my dreams. I review my goals and create plans that enable me to achieve them.

I surround myself with people that support and respect my dreams. Life is too short to allow anyone else into my life.

My environment is supportive of my dreams as well. I am certain that my dreams are coming true.

Today, my dreams are one of my top priorities. I realize that everything else exists to support my dreams. Making my dreams come true is up to me and I am up to the challenge.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. What are my dreams?
2. What do I need to do to make my dreams become my reality?
3. What is standing in my way of making my dreams a priority?

I endeavor to be adventurous.

I have many tasks to accomplish in an average day. Taking care of myself, my home, family, and career are no doubt my life priorities. Even though my life is exceptionally full of things to do, I make time to discover new people, places, things, and activities.

I strive for adventure every single day.

For me, being adventurous means that I am willing to seek new experiences. Being open to doing something new enriches my life in so many ways. Life presents to me endless possibilities and I am thrilled to discover the novelty in them.

The more adventures I experience, the more adventures I pursue. My zeal for life drastically increases when I look for new and daring enterprises.

I accept the unknown aspects of my adventures with an open mind. I embrace the feelings of surprise, joy and exhilaration that accompany my adventures.

Sometimes, I find adventure when attending my child’s sports event. I introduce myself and find new acquaintances. I occasionally join a new club or group to expand my horizons. I like to expose myself to new activities and people.

Today, I notice every opportunity for an adventure and happily look forward to the new experiences that are coming my way. I live my life to the fullest extent possible and finding adventure is an enriching aspect of it.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. Do I notice new possibilities for adventure? How do I respond?
2. How do I feel about meeting people, going new places, and taking part in new activities?
3. What activity would be an exciting adventure for me? When can I schedule this?

3. What is an appropriate goal that supports the development of my strengths?

Creativity flows from me.

One of my positive traits I particularly enjoy is creativity. My creativity helps me out when I need solutions and makes my life more exciting, interesting, and fulfilling.

My creativity shows in a variety of situations. It comes out when I am problem-solving at home or at work. My family members also see my creativity when I am taking part in activities I enjoy in my spare time.

Co-workers comment on the unusual ways I contribute to group work projects. Many of my work associates look to me for issues that require unorthodox solutions.

I am most relaxed when I am creating something just because I want to.

Whether it’s focusing on a project for work, doing something fun in the garage, or simply taking some time to sketch or paint, I find that my creativity is always there for me. It is never-ending.

Sometimes, I have so many ideas that I must grab a pen and quickly write them down!

I have a quiet sense of confidence in my creative abilities. I trust my judgment when it comes to creating something that people enjoy. My creativity is worthy of my time, effort, and praise.

Today, I plan to set aside time to do nothing but think creatively. With pen in hand, I can jot down the creative solutions, ideas, and artistic gems that come from within me. I am very pleased with my creativity.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. How comfortable am I with my level of creativity?
2. Am I able to identify when my creativity is at work?
3. How can I cultivate my creative senses?

I live my life with courage.  

Each day, I encounter situations that challenge, vex, or surprise me. Some of these challenges are quite tough, yet I choose to meet these issues head-on and hold my head up high.

I have confidence that I can confront any situation in life.

I use my courage to make it through the struggles I encounter. Sometimes, I am perplexed by a situation but I refrain from giving up.

I keep my chin up and move forward with courage to figure out whatever confuses me. My efforts always pay off.

I get through the difficult event and emerge on the other side, positive and strong. My courage saves me again.

When I find myself feeling shocked about a situation and unsure about how to proceed, I step boldly into the fray. I acknowledge to myself that life is unpredictable sometimes and then I dig deep for my courage. I always find it, just waiting for me.

Emotionally, I am strong because I can access my courage whenever I need to.

Today, I vow to keep courage in the forefront of my mind. I know I can rise above troubling situations. Reviewing my past efforts to live a life of courage revives me in the present. I am invincible because I live life with courage.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. In what ways do I live life with courage?
2. How can I ensure that I will muster up courage in trying times?
3. Why is living with courage important?

My cheerfulness is contagious.

I have many choices to make on any given day. One of the major decisions I make is the mood that I portray throughout the day.

When I get up in the morning, I consciously opt to be cheerful. I am cheerful because it makes my life more fun and interesting. Plus, I make it through the day like a champ when I am cheerful.

But the really cool thing about my cheerfulness is that it spreads to those around me. I see that I can have a profound effect on those around me simply by choosing to be cheerful.

When I am cheerful, it challenges those who are grumpy. It is more difficult for others who are nearby to complain and be negative whenever I am in a cheerful mood.

I smile, compliment others, and take any bumps in the road in stride.

Being cheerful makes me feel like an emotionally stronger human being. I refuse to allow the Negative Neds and Nellies of the world to pull me down. Instead, I turn on the light in my eyes and grin.

I use an interested tone of voice. I show my good mood. And when I do, people around me do the same.

Today, I intend to remain cheerful all day. I notice how my cheerfulness affects others and I am pleased that I have the ability to make a positive impact on their lives.

I truly am a happier, more fulfilled individual because I choose to be cheerful and by doing so, I lead the way for others to be cheerful as well.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. How do other people’s moods affect me?
2. What is my mood like most of the time?
3. When I arise in the morning, do I reflect on my mood for the day?

My conscientiousness is evident.

When I take part in a task or project, I do everything I can to do it well. I show extreme care and effort in what I do. It is important to me to be conscientious about anything I am involved in. I am thorough, involved, and hard-working.

When I am conscientious, those I work with and relate to also enjoy the benefits of my hard work. So it’s a win-win situation for all. I get to be proud of myself and they see benefits as well.

Being conscientious also means I consider my own ideas about doing the right thing.

My conscience comes into play regardless of the task. I think about what I believe in when taking part in a project and stay true to my beliefs. Considering what I feel is the right thing matters greatly to me.

I am energized by the idea that others can learn from my conscientiousness. I engage in my tasks with an open heart and sense of care and effort.

Today, I intend to put forth my most conscientious efforts for all my tasks. I care about demonstrating to others that I follow my conscience and one tenet of my beliefs is that hard work and excellence are important. I want my conscientiousness to be evident in whatever I do.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. Can other people see that I am conscientious?
2. What does being conscientious mean to me?
3. How can I foster a greater focus on being more conscientious in my everyday life?

4. What can I do to strengthen my ability to focus?

All my relationships are loving and harmonious.

I have such wonderful relationships. I understand that the key to harmony is communication, so I make it a point to communicate effectively and compassionately with everyone I know. I only enter into relationships that are healthy and beneficial to me.

My relationships are full of love because I have caring people in my life. I show my love toward them, too. I have a genuine interest in others and want them to be happy.

At work, I remain professional, but I reach out to others. My clients, co-workers, and boss know that they can trust me. I feel comfortable with all of these people. My work place is loving and harmonious.

At home, I regularly ask myself what I can do to strengthen my relationships. I accept that positive relationships require daily time and effort. It is 100% worth it. Good relationships make life worth living.

With my friends, I strive to be understanding, even when it is challenging. Everyone is different and has his or her own needs and challenges. I am always kind and considerate. My relationships with my friends are very important to me.

Today, I choose to do what I can to make all of my relationships even better. I choose to be open, supportive, compassionate, and loving to everyone in my life.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. What can I do to strengthen my relationships?
2. How can I be a better friend and partner?
3. Why are my relationships important to me?

5. What are 5 negative thoughts that occur consistently in my self-talk? What positive statements that support my goal can I substitute for the negative thoughts?

I have the power to change myself.

Change can be challenging, but I have the power to change. I value the ability to change and I do everything I can to improve my life and myself. I remind myself each day that I am capable of changing any part of my life at any moment.

I realize that the key to change is belief. I believe in myself. I believe that the past can be quite different than the future. Therefore, change is possible for me.

Even if I have struggled in the past to make changes, I know I can make them today.

I can easily recall all the wonderful changes in my life. These memories give me the courage, strength, and certainty to make changes today.

I have a list of changes that I want to make. I review that list regularly and reward myself when I successfully create one of those changes. When I struggle, I remind myself of my past successes and renew my commitment. Then I can move forward, confident once again.

Successfully navigating each change makes the next change easier. As I make positive changes, I find my life gets easier every day. Change can bring great things into my life and I now look forward to making changes.

Today, I renew my commitment to changing and improving myself. I know I can change quickly and easily. I am a strong person. I have the power to change myself.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. What changes do I want to make?
2. How confident am I about my ability to change?
3. How can I increase that level of confidence?

6. What can I visualize daily that is appropriate for my goal? At what time of day is best for me to incorporate visualization?

My outlook on life is infused with enthusiasm.

I have a wonderful outlook on life. Each day, I am blessed to live a life filled with joyful anticipation. This expectation for good things is the source of my great enthusiasm.

I plan exciting things into my schedule on a regular basis. My life is exciting and fulfilling.

I have a great life and I expect even greater things in the future. Full speed ahead! I feel unstoppable as I welcome the good things to come.

When I feel less than enthusiastic about my life, I examine my feelings and find the source. I can then quickly make any necessary changes and my enthusiasm is restored. I find the process to be simple and easy.

I have so much to be enthusiastic about.

I have great health and a sense of well-being. I am successful in my career. My social life is spectacular. All aspects of my life are positive. My present and future are bright.

Most importantly, I know that I am capable of having the life of my dreams. I can accomplish anything. I am enthusiastic and motivated to succeed.

My enthusiasm is infectious. My outlook on life positively affects everyone around me. People are grateful for my positive perspective.

Today, I take my enthusiasm to an all-new level. I have so much to be thankful for as I make plans for an exciting and fulfilling day.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. What is great about my life?
2. How could my life be even better?
3. How can I make these ideas my reality?

7. What can I do to measure my progress? Do I have a system in place?

It is enough to do my best.

Doing my best is all that really matters in the end. When my results are less than I desire, I take comfort in knowing that I do my best. My best is enough. I am satisfied knowing that I put forth my best effort.

I realize that sometimes I could improve my approach to achieve more positive results, but my level of effort is always enough.

I am successful as long as I give my best effort. The outward signs of success are always nearby, provided I do my best.

Effort is king. Effort can overcome all obstacles. By giving my greatest effort in all that I do, I ensure my success.

I learn more from ‘failure’ than I do from victory. After all, humans are designed to make mistakes from time to time. What I do with those mistakes is up to me. So I learn what I can from them and move on, better prepared for the next challenge.

My best always moves me forward.

I am an example of commitment. Others acknowledge that I always do my best and I am happy to serve as an inspiration to them.

Doing my best makes my life easier. It is my focus. Dedicating myself to doing my best removes the confusion and uncertainty from my life. I just do my best and let the chips fall where they may!

Today, I commit to doing my best at everything I do. I am only concerned with my dedication and commitment. It is enough to do my best, since success ultimately follows my best efforts.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. Do I give enough effort to the things that are important to me?
2. Where have I been falling short?
3. How can I increase my efforts to do my very best?

8. Is my practice time performed with a distinct goal? What do I need to accomplish with my practice time?

I trust in the process of life.

Life is a wonderful mystery, and I am content to let it unfold. While others might complain and struggle, I can see that life has its own process. I trust that process even if I lack complete understanding.

Life is a miraculous thing. All the answers come in time. While the reasons may be a mystery to me, I know that there is a purpose to everything in my life.

I trust the process of life and trust in my Creator. Knowing that life has its own agenda, I am able to relax and go with the flow. I still make a conscious effort to direct my life where I can, but I am accepting of where life takes me.

I realize there is real power in acceptance.

When I am at work, I can see that certain things are beyond my control. I am comfortable with this. Work provides me with the opportunity to not just experience my own life, but to also observe the lives of others. I learn so much.

When I am at home, the process of life – with its ups and downs, twists and turns – is so evident, and I appreciate it. It is beautiful to me and keeps life interesting.

Today, I accept all that life has to offer and recognize that things happen in their own time. The process of life is an incredible thing, and I trust in it completely.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. What are some of my challenges in life right now?
2. Can I accept that I might not understand the reasons for my challenges?
3. How can I be more accepting and trusting of life itself?

Key To Success Series – Secrets Of Developing Your Strengths Conclusion

Developing a strength is really all about practicing it as much as possible. By finding something that you’re truly passionate about, you’ll find it much easier to put forth the effort.

In truth, you can create a strength from a weakness by spending enough time on it… all it takes is practice. Being passionate makes practice a lot more fun.

A goal provides a target. You can’t choose where you want to end up without a target. Reviewing it daily keeps the target fresh in your mind and prioritizes it.

Meditation is a wonderful tool to learn to focus and to minimize the stress and distractions in your life. If you can control your thoughts and focus, you can control your behavior.

Visualization gives the experience of already being proficient at something. It also provides a means to detect emotional resistance to achieving your goal. Positive affirmations help to develop new, positive thought patterns and to eliminate the negative.

All that’s left is to practice and continuously evaluate your progress. Find your passion and develop your strengths! You’ll be glad you did!

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