Resolute in 2012

It’s that time of year – Christmas has come and gone and New Years Eve is just around the corner. Our thoughts are now turning to the year ahead and what it will bring.

Do you set New Years resolutions such as quitting smoking or drinking, exercising or losing weight, getting organized and out of debt, or vowing to spend more time with family? Or have you given up, resigned to the fact that you won’t last more than a couple of months?



The definition of Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. So, this year, instead of waiting until New Years Eve to decide on a resolution, take time to think about what goals you really want to achieve in 2012. Make a decision, write down a plan, and then take action!

For those new to goal-setting, here are some basics to get you started:




1. Write down your top 3 goals to achieve in 2012.

Why do you want to achieve these goals?
What do they mean to you?
What obstacles might you face?
What do you need to learn?

If you are not sure what goals you want, write about these questions:
What do I want to do?
What do I want to have?
What do I want to see?
Where do I want to go?
What do I want to be?
What would I like to share?
Then write your top 3 list from this.

2. Write a detailed goal statement in future tense as if you have achieved the goal, with an achievement date. Be very specific and write how you would feel about achieving it.

Example: “It’s November 11th 2012 and I have just walked out of the BMW car dealership with a huge grin on my face, clutching the keys to my new charcoal grey Z4 convertible. I get into the car, breathing in that new leather smell, open the top, and take it for a drive in the country. It feels amazing to know how much effort I put into achieving my goal and I am so grateful that I actually succeeded!”

Read your goal statement EVERY single day – this is very important to keep your focus on reaching your goal.

3. Make an action plan, with smaller, bite-size steps you can take every day.

4. A Harvard University study says that our success in life is directly proportionate to the people in our circle of influence. Surround yourself with like-minded people. If they have the same goal, that’s great, but even just being around others who are setting and working towards achieving their goals will keep you motivated and enthusiastic.

5. Take personal responsibility for your own results. Our success is in our own hands. It is all about OUR actions – what we DO, and who we are BEING. But, realise that you are human and may fall sometimes. Successful people FALL many times, but we only FAIL when we don’t get back up again.



There is no better time than NOW to turn your goals into REALITY!! Don't wait! So get out there and be a person of ACTION and a person of SUCCESS!


I wish you and your family a very happy, safe and successful New Year!



A special note for anyone who has decided that 2012 is the year they will make some dramatic changes in their life. If you want to create different financial results than you did in 2011, if you have had enough with the position you are in right now, if you don't want to work for someone else anymore, or if you just want more time to spend with your family instead of being tied down to working and/or commuting long hours. If you are committed to doing what it takes to make that change, and if you are willing to learn, go to my website www.bestonlinebiz.com.au and enter your details for more information.

Statistically Speaking…….

Have you ever wondered what percentage of people who start home businesses succeed and what percentage fail?

Have you ever thought about starting your own business and wondered what your odds of success would be?

Recently when I was on Facebook I saw an advert that stated a statistic: “Over 75% of businesses fail. The difference between success and failure is tiny. Don’t become a statistic”



Well, I’m here to dispel that myth for you. Statistics like this mean nothing!

Think about it for a minute: If statistics were true indicators of your individual chance of success, then no-one would ever get started in their own home business, or anything for that matter. World records would not be broken and we would never have gone to the moon? Why? Because no-one had ever done it before….so by statistics….the chance would be unlikely, so why even try?

Do you see where I’m going with this?

It is true that many people who start a home business do fail. Many people do not succeed because they simply fail to do what it takes. They don’t place that ad, they don’t call their leads, or they simply look for any excuse to blame someone else and not take the responsibility themselves (…if only my enroller helped me more I would have succeeded!)

When you look at the real reasons why people fail, then statistics are not at all reliable for judging YOUR ability to succeed. A good use of statistics would be trying to figure out, say, how many people in Australia were born with blue eyes. You can’t change your eye colour (except through wearing colour lenses of course) so these statistic can be relied upon. But the moment that you have the power to influence your results, then statistics go out of the window.

Asking what your chance of success would be….is really just like asking how long is a piece of string?

I’m going to let you in on a little secret here: Your success is wholly and solely dependant on YOU! Start wherever you stand, with whatever tools you have at hand and better tools will present themselves as you go along. Set big long-term goals, smaller short-time goals and do a little every day to strive towards achieving them. Work towards being the best you can be at what you do. Take responsibility for your business, and your actions. Be Consistent, Persistent and willing to do whatever it takes….and then you will absolutely, and without a doubt, succeed. It’s not easy, it will take some effort on your part….but it really is as simple as that!

So…how long is a piece of string?



It’s as long as you want it to be!

Taking Responsibility....or only Taking the Blame?

I've been doing a lot of thinking about this topic this week. Early on in my business career I remember talking to my husband about why my business was a little bit slow and not getting the results I would have liked. I remember saying to him that I 'accepted responsibility' for my lack of results because I had not taken certain actions.

I knew why I was not getting results, and I thought that making that statement that I accepted the responsibility for it was enough. But, do you know what? It wasn't enough. What I didn't really fully understand was that I was only just accepting blame - I was the problem, and I accepted responsibility (blame) for the lack of results.

But is that really what taking responsibility is about? Well, no! It is so very much more.

Taking Responsibility means not just saying "it's my fault" when things are going wrong, but it means being responsible for getting into action and making things go the right way.

Someone who accepts responsibility for their business success will do what it takes, will put in the hard yards. They will be a person that makes things happen and won't stop until they do. It has a lot more to do with our level of commitment. I heard a quote the other day: "When you are involved you do what is convenient, but when you are COMMITTED, you do what is REQUIRED!" In an employer/employee relationship it often falls to the manager/employee to accept this kind of responsibility. They keep a watch on outputs, on sales, on efficiency, and if things are not quite right, they implement changes. An employee, while still striving to take a personal responsibility for their own work, do not have this overall responsibility on their shoulders.

So, for someone moving from an employee to owning and running their own business, this is the kind of transition in thinking that is necessary to be successful. There is much to be learned when we change from an employee mindset to a business owner mindset. But it is not that overwhelming that it would be impossible to achieve for anyone who put their mind to it.




There are statistics from the Harvard University that says our success in life is directly proportionate to the people in our circle of influence. This is where it is important to mix with like-minded successful business people, entrepreneurs, leaders in the industry. Mix with these kind of people as often as possible.

Where can you do this? Find some online groups that match up with the kind of qualities you want to align yourself with. There are often groups in your local community that you could become involved with that can help you grow.

In my business, we have training calls almost every day of the week where we get to hear from other successful leaders and business owners. We also have several conferences a year - a 1 day, a 3 day and a 5 day conference where we get to hang out with other like-minded people in a social aspect, as well as hear from some well-known empowering speakers that can really change how you think. Personally, I have found this absolutely life-changing. Our first time overseas was in 2009 when we attended on of our 5 day conferences in Hawaii. We had an amazing time, loved seeing the sights, but got so much value from attending this conference. As a business owner, it was a perfect occasion to network, pick the brains of other leaders, to really open my mind to just learn and absorb everything to assist with my success, not only as a business owner, but to grow as a person. I cannot stress enough just how important these kind of events are to your business.

These are only just a few steps that I must take responsibility for in my own business. You could sit down with a pen and paper and write down what are your essentials - what are the things that MUST be done in your business? What are the things that you are not getting done right now that should be done? Write a contingency plan - what do you do if you miss doing something that must get done.

This is not about beating yourself up when you can't get something done on a particular day - things happen, and that's why you have your own business, so you can have that work/life balance you always dreamed of having. You wake up of a morning and the kids are sick, or something comes up that cannot be avoided, so the schedule goes out the window. That's ok! You deal with that day, and then pick up the next day with your schedule. But...taking responsibility here means working hard to make sure you catch up on what you missed.

When it all boils down to it, our success is in our own hands. If we don't have the success we would like, we can't blame anyone else - not our family, our friends, the neighbour down the street, our circumstances, the global financial state, or whatever. It is all about OUR actions - what we DO, and who we are BEING.

Are we being a person of ACTION and a person of SUCCESS!

Learn how Social Media Marketing can boost your Business

'Social Media' - It's a phrase we hear everywhere we go these days, but what exactly is it?

Wikipedia defines it this way: Social media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communications into interactive dialogue."




Here are some incredible facts about social media you may not be aware of:

Every 60 seconds on the web this is happening (in regards to social media):

* 320+ new Twitter accounts created
* 98,000+ Tweets
* 100 new LinkedIn accounts created
* 1 new Article published by Associated Content (Yahoo owned company)
* 6,600+ new photos uploaded to Flickr
* 50+ WordPress downloads, 125+ WordPress plugin downloads
* 695,000 Facebook Status updates – 79,000+ Wall updates – 510,000+ comments
* 1700+ Firefox downloads
* 690,000+ Google search queries
* 168 Million emails sent
* 60 new blogs created – 1500+ blog posts made
* 70+ new domains registered
* 600+ new videos uploaded to YouTube (25+ hours viewing time)
* 40 new questions asked on Yahoo Answers
* 100 new questions asked on Answers.com
* 13,000+ iPhone applications downloaded
* 20,000 new posts on Tumblr
* 370,000 minutes of people chatting over Skype


These are really incredible stats that are hard to comprehend initially.

Considering a majority of the worlds population is not yet on the internet, but expected to come on over the next 5 years these incredible statistics are sure to explode even further.

Some benefits of marketing your business using Social Media:

1. Reach – With social media you have the capability to reach small or large
audiences. You may reach no people, or you may reach millions of people. If Facebook was a country it would have the highest population in the world. That’s a market you wouldn’t want to ignore.
2. Accessibility - social media tools are generally available to the public at little or no cost.
3. Usability - Most social media production does not require extensive specialized skills and training. In theory, anyone with access can operate the means of social media production.
4. Immediacy – traditional media can take time to edit, print, distribute, etc. Advertising on Social media can be set up in a short space of time with a few simple steps giving you the potential for virtually instantaneous responses.
5. Instant Editing – if you have an article in a magazine, once printed it cannot be altered. Social media can be altered almost instantaneously by comments or editing.


What do you think of Social Media? Do you think social media such as facebook, twitter, skype, google, etc, are for personal use only, or would you like to use it to promote your business?

You might already be dabbling with social media advertising but not really sure if you are doing the right thing to really get the best out of it. Or you may like to use it for business purposes, but really don't know where to start.

If this sounds like you, then I have some good news. I have a special offer on my facebook page that gives you FREE access to our BuzzZing Social Media Training - with 10 webinars and step by step guides to assist you market whatever business you desire. When I first started this training myself I was amazed at how easy it was to follow, and the immediate increase in interest in my facebook fan pages. This training really does work!

To take advantage of this FREE offer go now to http://www.facebook.com/liberty2live and go to the Special Offer tab and complete the form there and access details will be emailed to you.

Are you TRYING to do something?

Something came up for me recently...and it was while I was in the shower, for of course, isn't this where all great thoughts and inspirations happen??

I was having a conversation with someone in my head, as you do, about what I was doing in my life. I found myself saying to this person that I was trying as hard as I could. I was 'trying' to do this and 'trying' to do that.

Something inside of me said quite firmly to myself - 'Stop Trying! - Just DO IT!'

This was no great mystical revelation to me. I've heard this before.



In the very words of the wise and aged Yoda (from Star Wars) "Do, or Do Not, there is no Try!"

No, this was no new piece of news for me. I like to think of it as a reminder. Like a wake-up call, or a prod with a cattle stick. Hey You - stop saying you're only 'trying' to do something and actually do it!

There is such a fine line between Trying and Doing - we can be doing the same actions for both...but it's more about the mindset. Do we have our head in the right space? Are we fully backing ourselves? The moment we say 'Try', even just in our heads...('oh yeah, we'll give it a try') we're not being very determined, not backing our ability to follow through and complete the thing.

When you examine the motive behind 'trying' it's all about giving it a go. Not fully believing that you can achieve it, but I'll 'try my best'.

But the moment you say you're going to DO something, then that put's you into a positive mindset - you're not just going to try to do it, but you are GOING TO DO IT! You back yourself - you say I CAN do it, and I will DO IT! It's like you have erased any doubts, there is certainty there. It's like the thing has already been accomplished.

Think about it like this - do you say "I'm going to try and have a shower". Umm, well no. You have no doubts in your ability to shower, and therefore you state 'I'm going to have a shower'. You are doing it, not just trying.

So why is it we so often say that we will 'try' to do something? Do we lack confidence? Do we doubt our ability? Well, stop it! You are Capable - likely much more than you realise. I believe in YOU, and I don't even know you. I believe every single one of us is capable of achieving whatever it is we set our minds to.

The first step is choosing our goal, and then getting our heads into the right mindset, and taking action. Follow this, and you'll no longer be 'trying' but you'll be DOING!

Make today a great day!

Susan Dorrington
http://www.liberty2live.com.au

Change your Mind - Change your Life

I just read a very interesting article that was discussing empowering statements, declarations, affirmations, commitments and having a self-conversation.

It made a statement that I thought was very thought provoking and I thought I would share it:

"Affirmations are underrated, misused, and used in a limited manner. When they are used they are often structured ineffectively with the wrong message or a light weight one, with minimal benefit."

I think that Affirmations are not only underrated, but I think they are very misunderstood. It always surprises me when I hear people make comments about affirmations being 'new age' or 'mumbo jumbo' or things that you are made to do for Alcoholics Anonymous, etc. When you mention 'Affirmations' many people instantly shut off and say it's not for them. And yet, these same people are the ones that I hear day in and day out saying affirmations of a sort to themselves.

Not all affirmations are good affirmations. Sometimes we affirm things to ourselves that have been put into our head by other people, or even ourselves. Belief that are not real, but perceived. How often have you heard these:

"I'm late again....I'm Always Late"
"I'm such an idiot!"
"I'll never have money"
"I'm never going to find my perfect partner"
"I don't think I'm ever going to be able to travel overseas"
"I'm no good with money"
"I'm a horrible speller!"
"I can't cook!"

Weather these things are said out loud, or run around and around in our heads, they ARE affirmations - just not good ones! And do you know what? By repeating these negative affirmations again and again, we will likely always be late, a horrible speller, never have money, not be able to cook, etc.

Why do we continue to let these negative affirmations influence our life? Well, because we have always done it, and likely learned it from our family or friends.

But, with a little practice, it's not that difficult to learn new affirmations. When you are conscious of these kinds of negative thoughts you can stop them, even mid-thought and replace it with a positive affirmation.

So, you're on your way to work and you're running late and you start thinking..."I'm always late!"...stop yourself and repeat 20 times a new affirmation (pick something that resonates with you), such as "I am prompt and arrive early". I know what you are about to say - "How can I say that when I'm not?" Well, start thinking it and it will start showing up in your life. You CAN change your life - and our thoughts are the first step to doing it.

Here is a list of Positive Affirmations that you might like to use:

CONFIDENCE
I pursue my life’s purpose
I feel worthy
I feel fulfilled & joyful
I deserve to be happy
I only have positive mental pictures
Joy is abundant in my life
I am becoming better everyday
I embrace positive self-esteem
I have faith and deep belief in myself
I have an enthusiastic outlook on life
My future looks great
I am strong and secure
I have the power to realize my goals
I take charge of my life
I am valuable
I stand firmly in my belief in myself
People respect me
People like me
I am a true friend
I care for people
I am confident of my capabilities, expertise, and know-how
I am interested in others
I am confident
I am a strong person
I am a success
I choose to be happy
I am courageous
I deserve to succeed
I am calm
I maintain my self-confidence in all times and places
I forgive myself
I have inner peace
I heal all issues affecting my self-confidence
I am intelligent
I forgive myself for any and all past mistakes
I am secure in myself
I am confident in myself
I discover new aspects of my self-confidence daily
I take action
I balance my self-confidence with modesty perfectly
I recognize and honor my talents, abilities, and skills
I see each part of my life as a lesson
I feel confident from the inside out

SELF-ESTEEM
I am loveable
I am worthy of love and friendship
I accept myself completely
I have a solid sense of self-identity
I see myself realistically and objectively
I find deep inner peace within myself as I am
I say positive things about myself to myself
I am a kind, caring and decent person
I love and accept all parts of myself
I am an interesting person
I love and accept all of my thoughts and feelings
I am interested in other people
I share my feelings with others and they accept me
I have positive self esteem
My self esteem comes from inside me
I love and approve of myself
I accept myself completely as I am
I value and honor myself as I am
I strive to improve myself
I am loving and accepting of myself just as I am
I am filled with energy, vitality, and self-esteem
I feel total
I am pleased with how I handle my emotions
I know how to manage my schedule
I know how to promote my emotional and physical well-being.
I take care of my body's needs
I love and respect my body.
I fill my mind with positive and nourishing thoughts.
I am a wonderful person.
I deserve health, energy, and calmness
I have confidence in my body's ability to heal
I feel radiant full of abundant energy and health
The world is full of beauty and abundance
I am attracted only to those people and situations that support and nurture me
I appreciate the positive people
I love and honor myself
I enjoy being positive and having positive feelings

for WEIGHT LOSS

I achieve my weight loss goals
Losing weight comes naturally to me
I choose nourishing, healthy foods
I think before eating
I drink lots of water
Losing weight is fun
Healthy foods taste better
I am motivated by both successes and failures
I accept and love my body as it is, and work to make it better
I love challenges and embrace them
I lose weight systematically and I keep it off permanently
I am losing weight
I exercise because it makes me feel good
I respect my body and treat it with respect
I do everything I need to do to achieve my healthy weight
I am encouraged by every success
I forgive myself
I learn from my mistakes
I fill all physical appetites in physically healthy ways
I am aware of my eating habits and how they affect my weight
I am willing to change my eating habits and I do so easily
I build lean muscle and I lose fat
I enjoy the process of reaching a healthy weight
I see myself at my healthy weight and I achieve it
I have non-stop daily determination to reach my healthy weight
I like long walks
It is easy for me to stay on my plan to obtain my healthy weight
I picture myself at my perfect weight
I have a positive attitude about what I eat, how I eat, and when I eat
My body burns fat like a furnace
Developing healthy eating habits becomes easier each day
I stay on a healthy eating plan and maintain my healthy weight easily
Each day, I automatically and successfully get healthier and healthier

for ABUNDANCE

I succeed with ease
All my attitudes are positive now
My confidence reigns in any business setting
I rejoice for the success and abundance of others
I attract, welcome and accept talented and successful people to my team
I have abundant faith in my ability to succeed
I accept responsibility for my mistakes as well as my successes
I acknowledge financial mistakes, learn from them, choose the correct path, and move on
I courageously sell my ideas
I enjoy my affluence and share it appropriately
I am passionate about doing what I need to in order to increase my fortune
I deserve to have and enjoy prosperity and affluence in my life
My wealth is increasing more and more now

for KIDS
I feel good about myself and my classmates.
I like attending school.
I like my teacher.
I have lots of friends.
I am happy.
I now make friends easily.
I love being cheerful and I love smiling.
People like me because of my upbeat, happy personality.
I feel good about myself.
I love and respect myself.
I know I am important.
I am somebody and I count.
I do well in school.
I remember what I learn and when I forget I close my eyes and I say to myself, "Clear, search and retrieve," and the information I need comes quickly to me.
I do well in all my assignments and school work and I love learning.



--These are just a few suggestions. Try creating your own positive affirmations, or google "List of Positive Affirmations" and you will find an abundance of suggestions. But remember to keep it positive. Affirming something like "I will not be late" is a negative and all your mind will hear is the word "late", so keep to the positive and make the statement as "I am always early to meetings" or "I am prompt and on time".


Remember This:

Create your affirmations carefully as your mind will be open to conditions that will give opportunity for your affirmations to become real.

Make them clear and precise and make sure they reflect what you really want.

Recite your affirmations repeatedly but keep in mind that affirmations can take time for your subconscious to accept, so your list of positive affirmations needs to be revisited on a regular basis.

Sleeping With The Enemy

Awesome News - The Polaris Global film "Surfing With The Enemy" is an Official Selection to the 2011 Newport Beach Film Festival.

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