July 28, 2010

Breakthrough with Tony Robbins Review - Must See TV!

Breakthrough with Tony Robbins TV Show Review

Must see TV?

Wow. That's how I will start and summarize the season premiere of the television show Breakthrough with Tony Robbins. If you haven't heard of it, keep reading. I will say that I'm a fan of Tony Robbins and of course, you know I'm a huge fan of Jim Rohn.He was the mentor to Tony Robbins, which many people do not know. It makes sense that a great personal development and self improvement coach would have such outstanding students. Anyways, this brief preface was aimed to help explain in part just why I would write about watching tv in a personal development blog. After all, I strongly agree with Zig Ziglar who proclaims that tv is by-and-large a huge detractor from most people's lives. Nonetheless, there are some good tv shows that are worth watching; Breakthrough with Tony Robbins is one of these.

Why?

Why is my Breakthrough with Tony Robbins review so positive in spite of my generally poor opinion of tv? Let me just say that it was great television, great drama, a great story, all while wrapped up in a great moral lesson. The show really got my emotions worked up and I'm not one too cry often, but it really did almost get me there! You'll truly feel for the people in this show. They are pushed and they fight and they make real progress during their 30 day breakthrough. Unlike "reality" tv, Breakthrough with Tony Robbins is actually real tv. I didn't do any research as far as whether or not the show is a gimmick, but I don't see Tony Robbins putting out a cheap gimmick to the masses just to make some more money or get on tv (he's already achieved both in some major ways!). Not only that, but Tony Robbins is one of the true personal development trainers who can effect real changes in people.

Not only is Tony Robbins' show very enjoyable to watch, but it's also educational. He covers the basic steps to life change. Even though it's nowhere near as in depth as some of his audio books or programs like Unlimited Power, it's still good reinforcement, in my opinion. Throughout the show you see and hear him talk about fundamental keys to living a happy life.

What is Breakthrough with Tony Robbins?

The basic overview of the season primier of Breakthrough with Tony Robbins revolves around the tragic story of a newly-wed couple. On their wedding day, the groom (Frank) jumped into a pool and injured himself. He became a quadriplegic at his wedding reception. That is a heavyweight burden for anyone to handle. His wife, full of her own emotions and challenges, became his full-time caretaker. She's had just as a tough time as Frank since their wedding day, and she's now wrapped her identity up in being a caregiver. They've both given up on their dreams, hopes of a family, and they generally live with regret and depression. Tony could not have come soon enough.

And in comes Tony Robbins. His incredible ability to listen to people and give them hope and confidence really shines through from start to finish. He does exactly what we know he can, and then more. I don't want to spoil the entire episode for you because I strongly recommend you watch the show. Not only that, but there are really no suitable words to relive such tragedy and triumph. Some of their challenges include skydiving, being seperated from eachother for the first time since the accident, and if you can believe it, Frank racing a performance truck around the desert with Tony Robbins in the passenger seat. It's truly an emotional experience to see such human strength and progress.

Must See Television!

All in all, my Breakthrough with Tony Robbins review comes down to this: You can enjoy yourself, feel some real emotion, watch a great story with real people, get inspired and learn something in the process. If you're at all interested in your own personal development (and I would bet money that you are) then it's perhaps as close to must-see-tv as you can get. If you didn't see it, definitely check your local network guide for a possible re-run (the show is on channel NBC). And if you did see Breakthrough with Tony Robbins please comment and share your thoughts about the show or what your favorite part was.

And remember, the upcoming Breakthrough with Tony Robbins airing is August 3rd at 8 PM eastern / 7 PM central time! Set your recording!

To see more about Tony Robbins' programs to create your own breakthrough see Awaken the Giant Within and Unlimited Power. These are programs that can change your life!

To view the web site of Breakthrough with Tony Robbins follow this link.

After you're through please share your thoughts below in the comment section!

July 24, 2010

Important vs Urgent - How to Do What Matters in Life

Doing what's important versus what's urgent is a skill that absolutely will change your life. It's the foundational step for Stephen Covey's 7 Habits. That alone says a lot.

With that brief introduction, I would like to share with you a great article I read from Jim Rohn's higly esteemed personal development newsletter. It's from Denis Waitley who is a really great and influential life change catalyst. I really liked his audio book Acres of Diamonds because it was short and sweet, and it was a very provocative story about looking outside yourself when we need to look within ourselves.

I highly recommend Acres of Diamonds, but you'll also really benefit from reading and absorbing the following short article from Mr. Waitley about training yourself to do what really matters in life.

Life Balance: The Urgent vs. the Important by Denis Waitley

Of all the wisdom I have gained, the most important is the knowledge that time and health are two precious assets that we rarely recognize or appreciate until they have been depleted. As with health, time is the raw material of life. You can use it wisely, waste it or even kill it.

To accomplish all we are capable of, we would need a hundred lifetimes. If we had forever in our mortal lives, there would be no need to set goals, plan effectively or set priorities. We could squander our time and perhaps still manage to accomplish something, if only by chance. Yet in reality, we're given only this one life span on earth to do our earthly best.

Each human being now living has exactly 168 hours per week. Scientists can't invent new minutes, and even the super-rich can't buy more hours. Queen Elizabeth I of England, the richest, most powerful woman on earth of her era, whispered these final words on her deathbed: "All my possessions for a moment of time!"

We worry about things we want to do, but can't, instead of doing the things we can do, but don't. How often have you said to yourself, "Where did the day go? I accomplished nothing," or "I can't even remember what I did yesterday." That time is gone, and you never get it back.

Staring at the compelling distractions on a television screen is one of the major consumers of time. You can enjoy and benefit from the very best it has to offer in about seven total hours of viewing per week. But the average person spends more than 30 hours per week in a semi-stupor, escaping from the priorities and goals he or she never gets around to setting. The irony is that the people we are watching are having fun achieving their own goals, making money, having us look at them enjoying their careers.

Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you've wasted in the past, you still have an entire today. If you've just frittered away an hour procrastinating, you will still be given the next hour to start on priorities. Time management contains one great paradox: No one has enough time, and yet everyone has all there is. Time is not the problem; the problem is separating the urgent from the important.

Every decision we make has an "opportunity cost." Every decision forfeits all other opportunities we had before we made it. We can't be two places at the same time.

Even though we all are aware of the tradeoffs of "quality time vs. quantity time" in our relationships, we are not used to thinking specifically about how our decisions cost us other opportunities. Without this understanding, our decisions will often be unfocused and unrelated to helping us achieve our most important goals.

You may have heard the story about the analogy of the "circus juggler" to each of us as we try to balance our personal and professional priorities. I have heard the story repeated by many keynote speakers and have used it in previous books, but have never been able to trace the identity of the original author.

When the circus juggler drops a ball, he lets it bounce and picks it up on the next bounce without losing his rhythm or concentration. He keeps right on juggling. Many times we do the same thing. We lose our jobs, but get another one on the first or second bounce. We may drop the ball on a sale, an opportunity to move ahead, or in a relationship, and we either pick it up on the rebound or get a new one thrown in to replace what we just dropped.

However, some of the balls or priorities we juggle don't bounce. The more urgent priorities associated with self-imposed deadlines and workloads have more elasticity than the precious, delicate relationships which are as fragile as fine crystal. Balance involves distinguishing between the priorities we juggle that bounce from the ones labeled "loved ones," "health," and "moral character" that may shatter if we drop them.

The reason I always ask my seminar attendees to list the benefits of reaching their goals is so they can arrange them in the true order of importance to them and give them a sufficient amount of attention as they juggle them within their time constraints. Handle your priorities with care. Some of them just don't bounce!

To live a rich, balanced life we need to be more in conscious control of our habits and lifestyles. Actualized individuals have a regular exercise routine. They pay attention to nutrition, with lean sources protein and fiber-based carbohydrates as their basic food choices. They relax through musical, cultural, artistic and family activities. They get sufficient sleep and rest to meet the next day renewed and invigorated.

In addition to blocking periods of time for recreation and vacations, they also schedule large, uninterrupted periods of work on their most important projects. Contrary to popular notions, most books, works of art, inventions and musical compositions are created during uninterrupted time frames, not by a few lines, strokes, or notes every so often. Every book or audio program I have written has been done with the discipline of 12 to 15 hours per day during a specific block of time.

True enough, I may have sacrificed a ski trip or an escape vacation once or twice. But by trying to focus on prime projects in prime time, the opportunity costs have been outweighed by the return on invested resources.

With your material, time and energy resources allocated well, you should be able to use your innovative powers to focus on goal achievement. Effective priority management creates freedom. Freedom provides opportunity to make decisions. We make our decisions and our decisions, over time, make us.

Freedom from urgency... that's what will allow us to live a rich and rewarding life. You may have thought your problem was "time starvation," when in truth, it was in the way you assigned priorities in your decision-making process. Have you allowed the urgent to crowd out the important?

Each day we will continue to encounter deadlines we must meet and "fires," not necessarily of our own making, we must put out. Endless urgent details will always beg for attention, time and energy. What we seldom realize is that the really important things in our life don't make such strict demands on us, and therefore we usually assign them a lower priority.

Our loved ones understand when we are preoccupied with our urgent business, but it's hard for us to understand, many years later, when they appear preoccupied when we finally find some time for them. Harry Chapin's classic song "The Cat's in the Cradle" is still a mirror reflecting our priorities.

All the important arenas in our life are there awaiting our decisions. But they don't beg us to give them our time. The local university doesn't call us to advance our education and improve our life skills.

I have never received a call or e-mail from the health club I joined insisting that I show up and work out for 30 minutes each day. My bathroom scale has never insisted that I lose 30 pounds. The grocery clerks have never made me put back on the shelves the junk food I put in the cart, nor has a fast-food restaurant ever refused me a double cheeseburger and large fries because of my high cholesterol.

Nor have I ever been subpoenaed by the ocean or the mountains to appear for relaxation and solitude. Yet I receive hundreds of urgent phone messages and e-mails each week from people with deadlines.

You see, it's the easiest thing in the world to neglect the important and give in to the urgent. One of the greatest skills you can ever develop in your life is not only to tell the two apart, but to be able to assign the correct amount of time to each.

Beginning tomorrow, throughout the day, and every day thereafter, stop and ask yourself this question: "Is what I'm doing right now important to my health, well-being and mission in life, and for my loved ones?" Your affirmative answer will free you forever from the tyranny of the urgent.

When it comes to peak performance, Denis Waitley has for many years trained high-performers, teaching them the secrets to optimal health, greater self-esteem and stronger self-discipline. And here's the great news for YOU. With The Platinum Collection — his 18-CD "portable coaching system"—the secrets of these elite performers are now within your grasp!Click here for more details or to order.

July 13, 2010

1 Odd, Super Easy Stress Tip

Gray hair. Unhealthy skin. Short temper. Feelings of dread. Feelings of hopelessness.

These are just a few very common side effects high stress. The worst part of it is, as you get some stress many people add to that stress simply because they know they are stressed out! Ouch! Is that even fair?

Why You Have Stress Problems

In the world of self improvement relaxation and stress reduction is one of the most sought after areas. It's for a simple reason: Stress is everywhere. Moreover, did you ever get formal schooling on how to handle stress? I didn't. Nobody teaches you these important real world skills like handling stress. Those lessons sure would have served me better in life than learning about the fascinating topic of Riemann sums.

A Simple Stress Reduction Tip

So that brings us to actually getting your stress hormones under control. I must warn you, the placebo effect will not work on you here. So if you're big on tricking yourself into thinking things are better or even worse then it's not going to work. Even more, there are no drugs, diet changes, or difficult techniques to learn!

The advice is simple: Just get stuff out of your head! Write it down. If there's anything that has been on your mind for more than a week and you feel like it needs more attention at any level, then simply write it down. The magic of this stress tip is that once you write it down things just start flowing from that point on.

What do you write? Well, write down anything and everything. If you need to wash the dishes then write that down. If you need to ask you boss for a raise then write it down. I'll bet there is a lot "backlog" in your head. Writing it all down will do wonders for both your stress level and your productivity.

Why does writing it down work?

A few things will happen when you write things down. First of all, you'll get those ideas, tasks, and thoughts out of the stress zone where it lingers in the back of your mind, but you know it's not getting done. Next, you're infinitely more likely to start working on the task or issue simply because now you can "see" it. Writing things down has the effect of making you put your thoughts into something more rational and coherent. Finally, when you write some things down you will realize that you just needed to get the thoughts out and clear them up. And once this happens you will realize that some of those pestering thoughts don't actually require any further action.

What You Need To Do Now

Take this simple action step to reduce stress in your life. Feel the exhiliration and liberation from worry, anxiety (I wrote a previous self improvement article titled: Positive self talk for freedom from worry and Anxiety affirmations), stress, and the general malaise that goes along with leaving too much junk undone. All it takes is a pen or pencil and a nice sheet of lined paper. One thought, problem, task, or whatever you're thinking per line; and feel the stress melt away. When you're done with one of these, give yourself the reward of crossing it out and literally give yourself a pat on the back. You deserve it.

July 7, 2010

4 Easy Tips to Build Self Confidence

You need more self confidence. I need more self confidence too. Well, so does Donald Trump so you're in really good company!

That's the good news. The better news is that I have 4 easy tips to build self confidence and I promise you they can make a difference in your life today. Sounds pretty good doesn't it? It will feel even better.

4 Easy Tips to Build Self Confidence

1. Educate Yourself

Immediately start building your self confidence and self esteem by reading a book about the thing you feel unconfident about. For me, when I sat down at a formal dinner I used to occasionally think, "Am I doing this right?" "Is this the right silverware for this?" and so on and so on. I wasn't frantic about it, but by questioning myself it showed a lack of confidence.

So one day I simply started to read a book. It helped a lot. In fact, this little tip changed the way I eat dinner you could say. Not only that, but I now easily recognize other people who put in the time, energy and effort to learn good manners like I did. The book I read happened to be a very inexpensive and readily available one -- Etiquette For Dummies (my affiliate link).

You can start building your self confidence in so many areas to a point where you wouldn't believe. You'll be so far ahead of the game, you'll probably be able to help your friends and family as well as yourself.

2. Get Chemistry on Your Side

Donald Trump has built his self confidence!

Improve your posture. While you're at it, breathe in really deep, hold it, and repeat it a few times. Tell me you don't feel better and more confident after doing this. I dare you! For whatever reason, there's a link between the way our bodies are and the signals it sends to your brain. Use these to your advantage, and sit and stand up straight today. And while you're at it, don't do tip #1 while you're lying down!

3. Have You Made the Decision?

Make a decision. This tip is from an idea I learned from Stephen Covey. I can't quite recall what it was but I came across the idea when I began my personal development journey in 2009. What you want to do is simply be more decisive.

"Decide on what?" you ask. Decide on what you want for dinner if nothing else! How many people don't even know what they want to eat? Millions. Maybe even billions. You could make this exercise much more extreme and decide what you want to do with your life, but for now let's start with flat-out anything.

Make more decisions in your life and you will absolutely build self confidence.

4. Clean Up Your Back Log

Clean up your "shitty list." Okay, I just made that term up, but it's an appropriate word for something I know you'll relate to. Not only that, it's an appropriately strong word. This is a list of stuff in your life that does not help your self confidence or self esteem.

Your shitty list is that small list of petty things that have been nagging at you in the back of your mind for the past weeks, months, and even years.

Remember that letter you wanted to write to someone? Perhaps you never thanked someone when you knew you should have. How about that job around the house you've been finding reasons not to tackle? Well, these small items seem easy to push aside for now, but every time you think of them you feel just a little bit worse. You don't have to feel that way!

In fact, once you tackle just a single item on your shitty list I guarantee you'll have more self confidence. Not only that, but when you walk by that previously-undone job or think of the person you finally wrote the letter to then you will feel even better. In effect, you not only remove things in your life that generate bad feelings, but you also add things in your life that you feel good about. You finally conquered it!

Easy Tips?

The title of this article is 4 Easy Tips to Build Self Confidence. I didn't throw the word easy in there haphazardly. I made this list and specifically included easy life changes that anyone can implement.

Let's see how easy you could improve your self confidence starting today: Reading a book? Simple! We've been doing that since gradeschool. Standing up straight? That's about as automatic as you can get! How about tip #3, make a decision? You'll have to exercise a small fraction of your mental capacity to make a firm "yes" today, and I know any reader on this blog can do that! Finally, we have clean up your shitty list. Well, it's a dirty job but I know you can do just one item of the few you've already thought about!

"What really matters is what you do with what you have."
H. G. Wells

You don't need to be perfect to have super self confidence, but when you're working hard on yourself and doing the best you can, you will undoubtedly build your self confidence to great levels. Remember this H.G. Wells quote while you build your self confidence and feel great doing it!

July 1, 2010

Zig Ziglar Setting Goals

You've got to see this energy! These Zig Ziglar videos show the motivational master at his best. His energy, charisma, stories, and humor all really shine in these 3 brief videos.

But beyond being just a great showman, Zig Ziglar is an inspirational genius. And he's been through the dregs of a shallow life and climbed his way to the top. In short, he speaks from personal experience. That's something we need more of today! And that's why Zig has been a staple in the self help business for decades upon decades.

I've recently been doing blog posts about dreams, goals, and goal setting (See Quotes About Dreams and Goals and What is Your Goal in Life?. Well, Zig Ziglar and setting goals are almost synonymous and it's the focal point of his seminars and personal development books and audio books. There's a lot you can pick up in these brief Ziglar video clips. I hope some of it really resonates with you too.

Watch these videos. Act on these videos. And you can and will change your life!

Zig Ziglar Setting Goals Part 1

"Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I’ll give you a man who will make history. Give me a man with no goals and I’ll give you a stock clerk."
JC Penney

Setting Goals Part 2

"The people who wait for changes to take place out there before they do the changing inside are flat going to end up getting cooked in the squat."
Zig Ziglar

Setting Goals Part 3

"The basic problem is not lack of time; it is lack of direction."
Zig Ziglar

Do you have any health goals? Take a page out of Zig Ziglar's book and search the internet or a magazine and find a picture of someone's physique that you would like to achieve one day. Next, put a timeline on it just like Zig did with great success.

Also, if you love the words of Zig Ziglar as much as I do then check out my Zig Ziglar quotes page. If you're checking out those quotes first then make sure you get some pen to paper and work on your goals list right after!

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Labels: goal setting, goals, quotes about dreams and goals, video, Zig Ziglar

Free Audiobook at Audible.com and Free eBook Download from Barnes & Noble

This blog post is a little "extra" quickie. I came across some really great FREE offers that I just know you'll enjoy! There are actually two completely free offers up for grabs.

First up, Audible.com is offering quite a nice selection of downloadable free audio books.

I am sure many of the readers would be interested in a free Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (unabridged version) audiobook! If you don't have that one yet, it is pretty much a must-have in the realm of self improvement and personal development. Definitely pick that up if you never listened to it or read it yet.

You've got to hurry for this audible.com download offer though, because it expires July 2nd!

Free Audible.com Audio Books

Furthermore, Barnes and Noble has some free pdf e-books for download as well! They are from their All-American B&N Classics line of books, so nothing directly in the personal development arena. But reading good literature is a keystone in expanding one's mind. Definitely have a look around there. It's free too!

Free Barnes and Noble PDF e-Books

About these free downloads

None of these are affiliate links or offers or anything remotely shady. I just happened to come across these tonight and wanted to share them with you asap. Especially the free Think and Grow Rich audio book! I've also got a new blog post coming up very shortly with some great Zig Ziglar video!

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Labels: free offer

Inspiration, Motivation, Information - Personal Development Blog

July 28, 2010

Breakthrough with Tony Robbins Review - Must See TV!

Why?

What is Breakthrough with Tony Robbins?

Must See Television!

July 24, 2010

Important vs Urgent - How to Do What Matters in Life

Life Balance: The Urgent vs. the Important by Denis Waitley

July 13, 2010

1 Odd, Super Easy Stress Tip

Why You Have Stress Problems

A Simple Stress Reduction Tip

Why does writing it down work?

What You Need To Do Now

July 7, 2010

4 Easy Tips to Build Self Confidence

4 Easy Tips to Build Self Confidence

1. Educate Yourself

2. Get Chemistry on Your Side

3. Have You Made the Decision?

4. Clean Up Your Back Log

Easy Tips?

July 1, 2010

Zig Ziglar Setting Goals

Zig Ziglar Setting Goals Part 1

Setting Goals Part 2

Setting Goals Part 3

Free Audiobook at Audible.com and Free eBook Download from Barnes & Noble

About these free downloads

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