Recently by Berni Albrighton

We probably all know someone who moves from a job because they don't like it, to another one which is the same but with another company and that person can keep moving around doing the same skills and always not liking it but never daring to move out of the comfort and into the unknown.

A comfort zone is simply nature's way of keeping you wrapped in a blanket of consistency. You know, because you have done it for the last three years, year in and year out, that if you do A then B will get happen. Everyone is OK with that. But is OK enough? Really? Is that the legacy you want to leave behind? She was OK, or He was OK. Nothing stunning. Just OK.

In order to achieve something greater or different you need to be prepared to shift focus and get uncomfortable by stretching yourself towards bigger and better results. All growth and progress requires you to move away from your comfort zone and to open yourself up to feeling awkward and uncomfortable on the journey towards breaking your self imposed ceiling of achievement.

Consider the following questions when embarking on to the highway through your comfort zone:

• What restrictions do you think you put on yourself?
• Why do you do this?
• Did someone tell you that you would never achieve something and so you have never tried?
• What difference do you think it would make to your life if you decided right now to throw off this limiting belief and step up into action and success?
• How does your thinking affect the quality, quantity and enjoyment of your work?

Image courtesy of: Trevor Blake

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We've now closed the door on 2008 and as promised here are a few more tips to ensure you achieve your goals for the year ahead ...

Look at what options are available to you to help you achieve your goal: Will you need to buy anything? Enrol anywhere? Get the details of something? Send away for information? Speak to someone about something? Could you enlist the help of someone? Do other people need to know? Are you going to have to do something which is very much out of your comfort zone? if so, what support will you need for that? Start thinking about it now since the answer could well be a lot closer than you may have thought ...

What do you need to do and by when? Is there anything you could be doing right now to set the wheels in motion? Have you considered where you need to be doing this and when ? What mini goals (journey goals) can you set yourself in order to keep track of your achievements? When will you know that you have achieved this? What will have happened? What will have changed? What will it look like to you? The power of visualisation is incredible ... picture yourself already there!

If it's not right or it's not working ... change it! A lot of people forget that the goals they set themselves are their goals so they can be changed at any time. When you are on the journey towards achieving something that is important to you, changes take place that can affect your focus and can cause you to change direction. That's absolutely fine. Go with what feels right for you but stay focused on your desired outcome ... regardless of any set backs.

Image courtesy of: Geekgirly

As we close the door on 2008 - "the year that was" ... it's a perfect opportunity to think carefully about your goals for 2009 ...

Here are the first two tips - and over the next few days The Oracle will reveal a few more!

Be very specific about the goal you want to achieve: If you are unsure exactly what your end goal is going to be, it will be difficult for you to know what steps you need to take in order to achieve it. Get as much detail as possible, if it is something you can feel and touch then you need to know what the texture feels like. If it has colours, then you want to be able to see those colours. The clearer your goal the stronger the desire to achieve it will be.

FACT- Your brain doesn't know the difference between imagination and reality - so the more you imagine achieving your goal whilst working towards it, the closer you will get to it.

Take a reality check: What's the current situation in relation to what you want to be, have, lose, gain, start, finish, achieve, or earn? If the difference between your end goal and your reality is too huge, you may want to make some changes in order to believe that your end goal is achievable to you. Ignore what everyone else says! If it is huge, break it down into manageable chunks (I like to call these "journey steps" ) and set dates for each part of what it is you want to achieve.

Remember ... put your dreams out there and never mind what other people say when you meet with temporary defeat. For they, perhaps do not know, that every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent success, as long as you stay focused.

HERE'S TO A SUCCESSFUL 2009!

Image courtesy of: CraftyGoat

Emotional Intelligence (E.I. or E.Q. as it is sometimes referred to) is an awareness of how you speak with others, how you manage your emotions, what your body language is saying and overall, how you are communicating with those around you and with yourself. In some industry sectors and in some countries this is considered as important as a person's I.Q.

When you look at the behaviours of people you work with, there are those who come in every day with a positive, energised outlook for the day ahead. They say "good morning" to everyone, they are emotionally stable throughout the day and everyone enjoys working with that person because they know where they stand with them. This person would have an awareness of their emotional intelligence.

The opposite to that is the individual who blows hot and cold. One morning they will say "hello" when they come into the office and another morning they bring a rainstorm over their head when they walk in. They cannot manage their stress levels, their temper or themselves. In turn, they manage their relationships with other people equally as badly.

Does anyone really enjoy working with this type of person? Does this person give off a really good vibe? A great energy? Are people drawn to them because they have that "certain something"?

If you're keen to learn more about Emotional Intelligence, grab a copy of Daniel Goleman's book Working with Emotional Intelligence.

Image courtesy of: Keraoc