Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Get Your Personal Needs Met Once and For All

This Week with Sara Fitts looks at principle #13 of Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction: get your personal needs met, once and for all.

The theory behind this principle is based on the thought that if you have unmet needs, you'll attract others in the same position. Another way of saying it is this: You have more needs than you know, and they are distracting you.

Why do we have unmet needs at all? Well, for one thing, most of us have been raised not to be needy. Being needy is not a positive thing; therefore, we haven't focused on our needs. This can be a huge negative, though. Because we all have needs - and it is OK to acknowledge these needs.

Needs are different from values. Simply defined, a need is what you must have in order to be your best. Needs are not optional for this very reason. No one can be attractive to others if they are not getting their basic needs met. Attraction just can't happen if unmet needs exist.

How do we get our personal needs met, then?
  • Accept that we all have needs - and they are essential to our happiness and our own well-being.
  • Identify the most important need we have. [Is it to be validated? Is it to be heard? Is it to have our work acknowledged?]
  • Identify one additional need. [What else is important to you? What else must you have in order to be your best?]
  • Acknowledge that these needs are important - imperative, actually - in order for you to attract everything you want in your life.
  • Make sure our two most important needs are met every single day.

The benefits of getting our needs met are amazing. We will begin to be more open - and more attractive - to others as well as ourselves. And by being more attractive to others and ourselves, we will attract much more of everything we want in our lives and in our work.

Today's Powerful Question for you: What are your two most important needs and how will you get them met?

Monday, July 21, 2008

Eliminate Delay

This Week with Sara Fitts continues discussing Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction with principle # 12: eliminate delay.

Delay is increasingly expensive - and very unattractive both personally and professionally. It is extremely stressful when we are waiting on someone for information, service, or just a call back. It is also stressful for the person who is causing your delay - because they are very likely overwhelmed and paralyzed by delay themselves.

Eliminating delay will create much more peace - personally and professionally - as well as increase productivity and efficiency at an incredible rate. Eliminating delay will create space in your day - and give you much more time for what is most important to you. Eliminating delay will automatically reduce your level of stress as well as the stress levels of all whom depend on you.

Eliminating delay will make you more attractive - more attractive to your colleagues, your customers and clients, your employer or employees, and your family and friends. When you are more attractive, more things will come to you - more time, more money, more fun, more peace, more space. If you will eliminate delay, you will attract more of everything you want in your life and in your work.

How can you eliminate delay? There are many ways to eliminate delay - and here are a few to get you started:
  • Refuse to "talk it to death" and just get it done.
  • Respond immediately to all requests, if possible. Otherwise, schedule specific times to return phone calls, emails, requests for information, etc.
  • Refuse to keep an inventory of "To Do" items. Instead, keep up with your list of to-do items and get them done.
  • Face your fears and reduce personal processing time to get things done. Perfection really doesn't exist - revision can occur later. Just start the project and refuse to fear the project.
  • Prepare in advance for possible delays. Have a plan to address them.
  • Filter out negative thoughts and words.
  • Automate and simplify your processes as much as you can.
  • Find out what you are waiting for - the real reason for your delay.

The most important way to eliminate delay is this: the mindset has to change. The paradigm must shift. We have to really want to eliminate delay in order for it to happen. We have to make all the changes that are necessary in order to be successful in this principle.

I really think that eliminating delay is one of the most important things we can do in our lives and in our work. We can eliminate delay in all areas of our lives and work - we can eliminate delay in forgiveness, in acts of kindness, in offering peaceful solutions to conflicts, in making simple phone calls or answering emails. How many times in any given day have we delayed doing what needed to be done? We all can eliminate delay - and we need to begin right now!

Monday, July 14, 2008

Create a Vacuum which Pulls You Forward

This Week with Sara Fitts discusses principle # 11 of Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction: create a vacuum which pulls you forward.

Thomas always said that being pulled forward is attractive, but pushing forward is not.

It really is much easier to be pulled forward as opposed to being pushed. I don't like feeling pushed and I'm sure you don't either. If we can create a vacuum that pulls us forward, then we have positioned ourselves for success.

There are many ways in which we can create a vacuum that pulls us forward. One way is to be driven by a vision rather than just a goal. We can all have goals - and certainly should have goals! - but when we can have a vision and see the end result clearly in our minds, we can be pulled forward quicker and easier. The best way to do this is to simply begin with the end in mind. Then hold onto the vision and keep it clearly in your mind's eye. Let the vision pull you forward.

Another way we can create a vacuum that pulls us forward is to surround ourselves with those who bring out the very best in us. When we design our own support team and stay away from negative people as much as possible, we are clearly better set up for success.

Yet another way to create a vacuum to pull us forward is to unhook ourselves from who we were. Rather than focus on who we were we need to focus on who we are right now. Let go of the past and live in the present. By doing this simple thing, we can create a powerful vacuum that will pull us forward.

The point of these principles of attraction is to make us better in all aspects of our lives. Whether we embrace one or two of these principles - or whether we take one each week - the effort of doing something different can be powerful.

If we can create a vacuum which pulls us forward, then we can attract more of everything we want in life.


Monday, July 07, 2008

Deliver Twice What You Promise

This Week with Sara Fitts continues with principle #10 from Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction: deliver twice what you promise.


I really like this principle of attraction because it is quite possibly the easiest one to implement as well as the easiest to get immediate results from. It's quite possibly the best advice any of us can use in life as well as in business. Deliver twice what you promise.


Deliver twice what you promise. How can you do this?

  1. Cut your promised time in half by getting back to everyone in exactly half the time you originally promised. If I tell you I'll get back to you in an hour, I'll really get back to you in 30 minutes or less. If I tell you a project will take a month, I'll really get it done in 2 weeks.


  2. Double your promised results by adding quality, service, and time on task. Customers and clients will absolutely love this because it's like getting a "2 for 1" deal. If I tell you I can help you increase sales by 15%, I'll really help you increase sales by 30%.


  3. Arrive early and stay late - in order to get the job done. Never watch the clock to the point where you run out on a client or customer at their expense.


  4. Keep your word, and then some. Always add your own brand of value to your customer or client - or your neighbor, for that matter.

  5. Consistently exceed people's expectations - as well as your own. Believe in your work and in your ability to deliver.

  6. Never limit yourself - or what you can do for others.

  7. Be sincere in your delivery. Be authentic - or else it will never work for you.

  8. Instead of talking too much and telling too much of what you can do for your customer or client, just do what you can do. Actions really do speak louder than words.

  9. Under promise and over deliver - simply for the joy of it. Enjoy what you can deliver - and do it.

  10. Stop talking about it and get it done. It's all about the results.
If you really want to attract more of everything you want in life, deliver twice what you promise. It really does work when you are sincere and enjoy what you can deliver for others.