July is a great month to look back and re-evaluate how your year is progressing.

Boy, does time fly! It always seems to me, once we celebrate the Fourth of July, it’s suddenly football season and we are literally into the fourth quarter.

So take a moment and think about seven short months ago, let’s say, December 31^st … Ah, it was New Year’s Eve, and perhaps you pictured a slimmer, healthier, wealthier, new you in the New Year!

Do any of these “Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions” sound familiar?

1. Lose Weight
2. Exercise
3. Quit Smoking
4. Quit Drinking
5. Be A Better Person
6. Spend More Time With The Family
7. Spend Less Time On The Internet (except reading FYI’s)
8. Be More Organized
9. Get Out Of Debt
10. Be More Spiritual

They should sound familiar because, in one form or another, they are the real Top 10 in survey after survey, year after year.

So how’s it going? You know what I mean, the new resolutions … goals … personal and professional development changes … you committed to on December 31, 2006?

Could be better?

Here’s the good news: Happy New Year! You don’t have to wait until December 31, 2007 to get back on track.

YOUR Best Year Ever can start anytime. It can start right now!

Today is the perfect day for a fresh start. To borrow some language from the song Good Intentions by a friend of mine, recording artist and (IMHO) lyrical genius, Lyle Lovett:

It makes for a good day for some serious reflection
and massive rationalization
For contemplating the future of the future
and the last of the past.”

It’s just a fact of life that no one cares to mention
She wasn’t good, but she had good intentions.

And maybe you had good intentions, too.

But, the two words in Lyle Lovett’s song I want you to think most seriously about are rationalization and intention.

Perhaps you came up short on some of your New Year goals. And, maybe, since the year is more than half-way over, you decided to give up on them completely.

Don’t!

I’ve got two questions for you.

Did you rationalize this goal out of your mind and your life?

Did you just have good intentions?

Case in point: You started 2007 out with a goal, perhaps one of the Top 10 New Year’s resolutions. But you didn’t have a well thought out plan of action, a definite strategy, and a big enough WHY to drive you.

You had good intentions but you didn’t take massive action. You didn’t get the necessary and important positive momentum working for you. Furthermore, when you didn’t get the immediate results or outcome you envisioned, you rationalized why, and the goal grew smaller, less important, until it was out of sight.

In his song, That’s Right (You’re Not From Texas), Lyle Lovett sings lines that fits perfectly with the above scenario:

Oh, the road it looked so lovely
As she stood there on the side
And she grew smaller in my mirror
As I watched her wave goodbye.

Each day you decide to not take action on them, your goals, dreams and motivation grow smaller. You get further and further away from that vision until you finally wave it goodbye. Sound familiar?

Its not too late.

What actually happened is not uncommon.

It’s called: The Law of Diminishing Intent.

It happens all around you, everyday, maybe not to you personally. But you hear it from family, friends and business associates.  It’s called whining, complaining and blaming.

Some of the things you hear sound like this;

“Oh, that diet didn’t work, I tried it for three full days, but, you know, this is just me, my whole family is big.”

“My boss is a jerk, he keeps raising my sales quota, there is no way I could have ever hit that goal anyway.”

“I tried to start my own business, but between the economy, the war, you know… and besides that, the weather this year has been horrible.”

All of these good people probably had good intentions.

It’s not enough.

If any of this sounds familiar, now is the time to start — again.

ACTION IDEA: Whatever it involves for you, a Best Year Ever doesn’t need a calendar to begin. The thought to keep in mind, even in the hottest days of July and August, is that your future is ahead of you, not in the rearview mirror. What becomes of your future, is 100% up to you!

Pop the champagne cork! Your Best Year Ever starts right now.

Go Out and Make This Your Best Year Ever!

P.S. The (P.E.P.) Personal Empowerment Program, is officially in progress. Last Tuesday’s call was rocking. The praise and feedback has been awesome. Below are just a few of the emails I received.

I really enjoyed the Tele-Seminar tonight and I look forward to the upcoming calls. I’m interested in getting The Best Year Ever modules. – Sharon S. from New Jersey

Great job tonight.  I’m going to call to sign up for the program.

I’m looking forward to making changes in my life.  From Kevin Noll – Pennsylvania

Great call tonight!  I got a lot of new ideas and I’m excited about the program and next months call. Keep up the great work! -  From Bruce Scott – Colorado

Thanks for an energized and motivated phone call last night.

Your energy definitely helps refocus me on what my goals are. I had to force myself to put paperwork aside and calm myself for bed because I am one of those early morning people too. From Mary Jackson – New Jersey

The next (P.E.P.) Tele-Seminar is Tuesday, August 21^st @ 8:00pm. You can reserve your place on the call today by replying to this email and typing P.E.P. Me in the subject line.

I look forward to meeting you on the call and helping you make this your Best Year Ever!

Think about the times when you’ve been remarkably effective communicating. No doubt there have been times in your life when your words, phrases, illustrations and delivery would have won you an Academy Award.

 

And then I’ll bet there have been times when you’ve babbled on just like some of those really awful Oscar acceptance speeches – without the benefit of an orchestra playing to cut you off and drown you out.

 

It happens. But the “bad case” happens way too often, wouldn’t you agree? Why are so many people inept when it comes to communicating? My answer is -

 

F.O.C.U.S. They have limited or no focus.

 

My assertion would be that in the “best” cases you had extreme clarity as to what you wanted to say, you were in the moment, one hundred percent focused.

 

Most people are not, most of the time.

 

Situational Stupidity – We live in a hyper-drive, I-want-it-now, give- me-service-in-a-nanosecond world (especially, in the New York, New Jersey, metropolitan region). There are times when we don’t seem to have time to stop and think before we blurt out something stupid. We tend to react, instead of respond.

 

I’ve done it. And still do it. Ask my wife.

 

But I do it a lot less than most people, not just because it’s my business. I believe it’s because I am extremely focused on my goals, my desired outcome. I’m also sensitive to other people’s inabilities when communicating and cognizant of the non-verbal signals I receive.  

 

I use the acronym F.O.C.U.S. in my seminars to help the audience remember how important the power of focus is when selling, leading, managing, communicating and creating a Best Year Ever!

 

Below you will find the short description or words which represent each letter in the acronym.

 

• F – Finish (Begin with the end in mind)
• O - Obstacle or Opportunity
• C - Commitment
• U - Unstoppable Belief System
• S - Stay the Course

Of course, preceding the power of F.O.C.U.S. is energy, belief, goals and time management or prioritization of time, as described in the first four modules of the Best Year Ever! program.  Geoff Steck, my writing partner and co-creator of BYE, and I are always asked why the modules are arranged in a specific order.

 

Our Answer: Everything you do in life hinges on energy (yours), belief (self-belief), goals (personal and professional) and time (168 hours per week). Once you embrace the facts, you become more effective in every other area.

 

Why? - CLARITY and FOCUS

 

When you know your goals you begin with (F) finish, the end in mind. In his best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey says, “If you begin tasks with the end in mind you will be more productive. 

 

With every perceived obstacle that life may throw at you, there is also an (O) opportunity. Most people (you may even know some of them intimately) would rather focus on the other Big O — obstacle. But why not ask more self-empowering questions like, “What’s great about this?” Or “What can I learn from this experience?” Hmmm… Good question. 

 

If you’re (C) committed to your goals, there is always a way. Most salespeople fail to follow-up. They are not committed. The fortune is in the follow-up. If you’re truly committed to a desired outcome, you will take action until it is achieved.

 

I have an (U) unstoppable, bullet-proof belief system about who I am and what I represent. When you work hard on building a better you, life gets easier. I suffered severe panic attacks for 5 years. Then I discovered personal development, and the strategies and philosophies to help me build my self-esteem and self-confidence.

 

I have a friend who earns $85,000 dollars a week. I recently asked him, “What is the secret to making all that money?”  He answered, and simply said, (S) “Stay the course.” 

 

And the envelope, please. To communicate with confidence, earn the golden statue and make an acceptance speech that earns a standing ovation, I encourage you to embrace, get and use the power of F.O.C.U.S.

Eric Taylor – Chief Inspiration Officer
Empowerment Group International

Eric@EmpowermentGroup.com
www.EricTaylorSeminars.com
732.982.8554 – Energized Office

P.S. You can begin to get focused on having your Best Year Ever! tomorrow night, July 17^th starting @ 8pm.

 

Here are the details:

We are excited to announce the launch of (P.E.P.) Personal Empowerment Program. A monthly Tele-Seminar to help you on your journey toward having YOUR Best Year Ever!

This powerful one hour Tele-Seminar will be packed with positive energy and real-world content from the Best Year Ever! program.

Each month we will invest the first 45 minutes uncovering secrets and strategies of the Best Year Ever modules. Then we will open up the phone lines and you will have a chance to ask questions and hear other High Achiever’s share their challenges as well as their success stories.

Accountability and consistent progress is the key to having your Best Year Ever!  We are 1000% confident that (P.E.P.) Personal Empowerment Program can get you to the next level!

The first two months, July and August will be FREE! – register for the call today!

Here how: Just reply to this email and type P.E.P. Me in the subject line.

You will then be registered for the call and sent an email with your call-in number and access code.

Due to the limited number of phone lines – please – only register if you are certain you can make the call tomorrow night, Tuesday, July 17th @ 8:00pm.

Go out and make this Your Best Year Ever!