Several times a month, I will surf through the library of YouTube videos and watch a select few from my favorite speakers. Many of the videos I have seen countless times and some I almost know every word, but each time I hear them, the message is still powerful. The words still influence my heart and my actions. They will motivate me and inspire me for greater service. But where does the power live? Is it in the speaker or the message? Take a moment and look at the six items below and see “Six Powers Behind a Powerful Message.”
The speaker believed the message—In each of my favorite speeches throughout the years, each speaker believed (believes) the message they were presenting. Their belief came through in their actions, words, emotions and gestures. The belief of the speaker was so strong, some of it, if not all of it, was transferred to the listeners on every occasion. Without believing the words you are saying, your message will not fall on the listeners with power - it will just fall.
The speaker gave the audience time to think—Each famous speaker delivered the message in a way to give people time to think. The speaker presented words and offered solutions and even got personal, all the while allowing the listeners to hear and digest the words.
The speaker used breaks and pauses in the message—While this point relies heavily on point #2 (and vice versa), the power in a pause or a break in the speech will help the listeners digest and concentrate on the message. Pauses and breaks in a message not only give the listeners time to think, they convey the serious matters of the message. Try pausing for a small amount of time and see how many people look at you, waiting for the next words.
The message challenged the listeners—Ever wonder why some people can fall asleep in a sermon or at a conference? There are many reasons, but I am convinced there is another—we do not challenge them! You can attend seminar after seminar and never be challenged, and you will have just been to “another seminar.” But challenge the people with a message that makes them move their feet, and those people will tell everyone about the “event” they attended!
The message showed the listeners the future; whether good or bad—Remember the challenge of point #4—point #5 is the thought process. Showing your audience the future, no matter good or bad, makes them act! If you are selling them a product, then show them the efficiency they will have and the great sales they can make or the grand lifestyle they will live. If you want them to take action on something that has been wrong, show them where the dangerous road will lead and challenge them to change the course because of the consequences to come. Take your audience into the future and begin changing tomorrow today!
The message was the motivation for the people—Close your message by motivating the people to take action today, not tomorrow! The great messages of the past motivated the people to change at that very moment! Even in today’s society we are feeling the effects from people who took action hundreds of years ago because of their motivation to live better. Motivate your audience to achieve the next level- Leave them motivated!
These are just six points to get your mind racing toward becoming a greater speaker. Spend time this week and listen to those famous speeches of the past and see how these six points made a difference! Remember, to achieve greatness, you must put them into practice each day. In your next meeting or sales opportunity, try two these steps and see how they work for you. It will take some practice, but practice is necessary for achievement!
Enjoy your day!
Just some thoughts,
OurWork
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This is Lesson #4 in the "You Can Do It" Video Series. This lesson is about "Setting Effective Goals by Incorporating Discipline-Building Elements."
You may watch below.
Set Effective Goals by Incorporating Discipline-Building Elements
Effective goals to not “just happen.”
When you write your goals, they do not magically become effective or useful. It will take a few extra steps to make sure your goals are effective.
What if I told you that you can set up your goals in such a way that they can be self-sustaining? In other words, they train you to become more disciplined.
The more you achieve these goals, the more disciplined you become, and you can take on more and more goals. Sounds awesome, right? Well, this is not theory. It can happen and people do make it happen. Here's how you do it.
Prioritize Your Sub-goals
The first thing you need to do is to prioritize the sub-goals or sub-elements of your big goals. Sort them based on their likelihood to lead to big objectives. In other words, if you knock out these sub-goals, they directly take you closer to your big objectives.
Of course, not all sub-goals are the same. Sometimes, sub-goals are necessary, but they lead to an indirect path. If you're reasonably certain that if you take that indirect path it eventually leads you to your big goals, then that sub-goal is good enough. You want your goals and sub-goals to lead you in the same direction.
Write down all these sub-goals and make it your highest priority to focus on sub-goals most directly connected to your big objectives. In other words, when you act on these sub-goals, it's like going from Point A to Point B. The shorter and the straighter the line, the better.
Be as Clear About Your Sub-goals as Possible
While prioritizing sub-goals is important, you also need to make sure you conceptualize them correctly. Look at the sub-goals' parts and make sure you're clear as to what you need to do, how to do it, when to do it, and where to do it. The most important ingredient, of course, is to be clear as to why you're doing this sub-goal.
You will find clarity to be an important part of goal and sub-goal creation.
What is its impact on your big objectives?
How does it get you there?
What kind of role does it play in helping you achieve the big things that you're shooting for in your life?
Build Discipline by Making Your Highest Priority Sub-Goal Your Primary Focus
In every given day, make sure that you are focusing on sub-goals that lead you closer to your big objectives. Make these sub-goals and their activities your primary focus. Everything must lead to it. Keep this top of mind.
Also, make it a point to do the hardest part of these sub-goals first.
Make no mistake about it, regardless of sub-goal or set of activities, there's always something that you're going to struggle with. There's always going to be a part of a project that you have a tough time starting. Maybe it's technically easy, but you're just emotionally intimidated by it.
On the other hand, it may be emotionally easy and very straightforward as far as your understanding of its necessity is concerned, but it's technically challenging for you. Regardless, focus on these hardest parts and choose to do them first.
It won't be easy. At first, it's probably going to feel like you're pulling teeth. It's not going to happen overnight. However, the more you keep at it, the greater your self-discipline becomes because you're tackling the hardest thing first. You're not running away from it, you're not procrastinating, you're not trying to work around it, but you're tackling it head on.
The first battle is probably going to be very brutal, but the more you keep attacking, the more confident you become. At the very least, you're not intimidated.
Keep this up and this can lead to you taking consistent action that ensures your sub-goals are achieved. The more sub-goals you knock out, of course, the closer you get to your big objectives. This is not exactly rocket science or brain surgery.
You can do this!
Just some thoughts,
OurWork
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This is Lesson #3 in the "You Can Do It" Video Series.
Lesson #3 will discuss who to figure out your goals and the beginnings of setting realistic goals.
You may watch below.
Deciding Which Goals to Set
First things first, be clear as to your big objectives in life. Spend a few moments looking at the questions below to figure out the big objectives of your life.
What are your ultimate objectives in life?
Do you want to travel the world?
Do you want to build a legacy in the form of a company or an organization or school?
Do you want to help a lot of people in the form of a charity?
What are your big objectives in life?
Before you continue, give yourself a few moments to look at the big objectives in your life. You may have never done this, so take your time. As you reflect today, be sure to check back later and ask yourself the questions again.
Keep in mind since this is personal in nature; there is really no such thing as a right or wrong answer. One person's big objective is no better or worse than somebody else's. After all, we come from different backgrounds and different families. We have different values and we have different experiences. All these differences add up to the way we look at the world (our worldview) and the way we choose our objectives. You will need to focus on what objective makes most sense in your life and focus on the big ones.
What Do You Need to Do to Achieve These Goals?
Now that you're clear as to what your big objectives are in life—and you shouldn't hold yourself back when thinking these up—the next thing to think about is what you need to do. What kind of actions do you need to take to make these objectives a reality?
Note: If you have not taken time to look at your big objectives in life, do it. Just use a few minutes right now and reflect on the questions on the previous page.
You probably already know you can't just simply hope and wish your objectives to materialize. The law of attraction does work, but it only works when there is action involved. You can't simply just mentally imagine certain things happening and refuse to lift a finger. Don't be surprised if nothing happens when you refuse to lift a finger. Success with come to those who work for it; not to those who sit down for it.
There must be some sort of objective change in the way you think and the way you talk and act for your desired reality to happen. Accordingly, focus on what you need to do to achieve these objectives.
This chapter started off with the big objectives in your life because you need to get pumped up about the ultimate reward. When you look at the big rewards at the end, you can then start tracing back to where you are today.
If your ultimate objective is to live in a $10 million mansion in the nice part of town, start with the vision of living in that mansion. Allow yourself to feel good. Allow yourself to feel pumped up and excited about that reality.
Next, start tracing back in terms of the actions you took from that point to where you are now. You are going to begin thinking backwards. Most goal setting programs want you to think forward but thinking backwards will change your view.
You need to do this so you can remain focused on the big objective and maintain the right level of motivation. However, more importantly, you need to do this backwards progression to create a map in your mind. You end up seeing the clear logical conclusion between the things you need to do in the here and now to achieve a certain future.
Start with the destination in mind. Begin creating that map in your mind and you will be able to see the steps you need to take the get on track to achieving your goals.
While we could have easily projected from now to the future, you're more likely to get pumped up and excited when we start the discussion with the reward first. Regardless of how you do it, you should have a rough idea of the clear logical conclusion between the things that you need to do now and the kind of life you could be enjoying in the future.
What Could Go Wrong?
Now you have learned about focusing on your ultimate objectives first and then tracing back, what's the point? Couldn't you just have done it the same way, but projecting from now to the future?
Well, you could do it that way; and that's exactly how many people choose to go about it. The problem is, they end up going around in circles. It's as if they're just chasing their tails. Day in, day out, they put in all sorts of effort, they try to focus, but nothing seems to happen because they just end up where they began.
The reason for this is they lack purpose. The idea that they have seems so fuzzy because it's projected into the future. It's too easy for them to get sucked up by the trials and tribulations of their life in the here and now. In fact, if you ask a lot of people who are working hard for a "future," many of them simply lack purpose.
They know that they need to make a change, but they don't know what kind of change or where to begin. They know they want a good future for themselves or "more money" or more opportunities, but they can't quite put their finger on it.
This lack of clarity and ultimate purpose clouds people's goal setting activities. They lack a clear view of “why.” It is no surprise that even if they know what to do or how to do it, nothing seems to work. At the very least, they're settling for mediocrity.
The reason for this is simple - without a clear view of "why," it wouldn't matter if you know what to do or how to do it. You must focus on purpose.
Is your purpose strong enough to push you through all the hassles, challenges and setbacks you are bound to encounter?
Is your purpose appealing enough so that you would want to change and overcome your negative mental and emotional habits that get in the way?
That's how important purpose is, and therefore I taught you to focus on your big objectives in life first. Once again, I know this sounds repetitive, but if you have not spent some time considering your big objectives of life, spend a few minutes now.
Clarify them. Make them as vivid in your mind as possible. Allow them to pump you up and get you excited.
Once you have that bright beacon long into the future or at the farthest end of possibility, you then trace back to where you are now. If you trace back realistically, you create not just a direct logical connection between your objectives and your excitement now, but you also create a map on how to get there.
Figuring Out Your Goals
This backward progression enables you to establish three big things:
You figure your big objectives. Some people I know have never considered what their big objectives in life could be. As a result, they are just wandering through life without defining their objectives and their purpose.
You become aware of goals that lead to these big objectives. Defining those big objectives gives you a sense of purpose, but also a long-term outlook for your life.
You also would be able to break down these goals into sub-goals that you can do in the here and now. In other words, you get a realistic mind map that will enable you to get from Point A to Point B. You get a clear and actionable bridge from how things are, to what you would like them to be.
This is an exercise in your ability to change and impact your material reality. This is not an empty exercise. This is not just intellectual speculation. This is real.
Set Realistic Goals
It is very easy to get taken in by your big objectives. It's easy to think that somehow, some way, you will come up with the right thing at the right time to impress the right people, so the right things happen in your life. Unfortunately, nobody's that lucky.
For every mention of the word "right," there's a lot of work that needs to be done. Many things need to fall into place and to automatically assume these things would just happen simply involves an all-abiding belief in luck. Again, nobody's that lucky. It's like asking to be struck by lightning several times at the same spot, at the same time.
The better approach is to look at the goals between your life as it exists now and the ideal life that you see for yourself in the future.
Understand those goals that get you from here to there aren't just composed of one unchangeable set of goals. There are many alternative goals that provide the stepping stones that enable you to get from here to there.
Since you have a choice of different goals, your job right now is to figure out which goals are the most realistic. How do you wrap your mind around this? How do you make sense of this? Well, very simple. You apply the following five filters.
You ask yourself whether these goals can be supported by the resources you currently have right now or the resources you can realistically build up. Maybe you can take out a loan, maybe you can get a job, or maybe you can get a second job. Maybe friends and family can help you. Whatever the case may be, don't just focus on the resources you have right now, but also focus on resources that you realistically can quickly get access to.
Next, you must filter your goals based on whether they truly fit your personal passion or personality. Now, don't be disappointed if you're not currently passionate about something or something doesn't fit your personality now, you might fall in love with it later. Who knows? You might get used to it. Your mindset might change. If that is a realistic possibility, then your goal can still be realistic.
The third filter that you need to apply is whether the goal can be broken down into smaller sub-goals. This is crucial to your current situation. If a goal cannot be broken down into smaller parts that can be achieved currently or within a reasonable period with existing or attainable resources, then you have a problem on your hands. Chances are, you're just hoping and wishing. You're probably just daydreaming. Do yourself a big favor and make sure that the goals can be broken down into sub-goals that you can act on or implement right here, right now or with minimal changes.
Next, you must make sure that the goals you are pursuing can be placed on a timeline. You know you have a problem on your hands if the goal obviously will take forever or has no fixed start date. Make sure you can put it on a timeline. Your timeline is not just a set of annoying deadlines, but instead, it's a measurement of how realistic your goal is.
Many times, the big difference between a realistic and an unrealistic goal is realistic goals can be scheduled. If you show up at the right place at the right time to do the right things, you will achieve your goal. Do that enough times and you get closer and closer to your big objective. If that's not possible with your goal, you might be looking at something that's unrealistic.
Finally, you need to make sure that when picking among alternative goals that take you from where you are now to where you would like to be, these must be measurable in terms of attainment as well as the quality of success. If you feel the achievement of these goals is very easy, and pretty much any effort gets you there, then you might not actually be working with realistic goals. You might be disappointed with the results because it may well turn out that it doesn't really get you to where you need to go
So, what are you big objectives?
Just some thoughts,
OurWork
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Over the past few weeks, our Whiteboard Children's Bible classes have found their way into many homes, congregations and places we may never know. We are thankful to provide you with a way to view a short Bible lesson to encourage you.
These lessons are designed for children, but some have found these to be a great refresher no matter what age. Each lesson gives an overview and is not meant to be an in-depth analysis of the topic, place or person of note. We hope you will take time to review the lesson and then find yourself opening your Bible to study the lesson.
This lesson is about Noah. Enjoy the video lesson.
Thank you for watching the Whiteboard class on Noah. Be sure to check out the other videos on the Preacher's Pen YouTube Channel.
Before you watch this class, be sure you have watched Lesson #1. You can watch Lesson #1 by clicking here.
What Will You Learn in This Book?
Remember, this video class was put together to assist you. You will be the one to put forth the effort to achieve your successes.
First, you will learn to figure out which goals to set. Believe it or not, the goals you select do have an impact on the success you achieve.
Many people fail to achieve the kind of results they're looking for because they set their eyes and their minds on the wrong set of goals. Those goals may be perfect for other people, but it's not right for them. Try as hard as they might, nothing seems to work. And it can be traced to the fact that they picked the wrong goals to set.
Second, you're going to learn how to set more effective goals by incorporating discipline-building elements. Many people set goals that take all available willpower they may bring to the table. In other words, there's no built-in incentive or self-sustaining system in the goals. The goals just take, take and take.
It doesn't take a scientist to figure out that with energy-sucking goals, it's too easy to hit a wall. It's too easy to think you're trying so hard and putting in so much time and effort and nothing seems to work. When you find yourself in that space, it's not that difficult to start believing that you're just not cut out for success. It's very easy to get discouraged, and eventually, you give up.
As you probably already know, the only way to fail at anything in life is to quit. That's precisely what you're setting yourself up for if you don't know how to set up goals to be self-sustaining. At the very least, they must be self-sustaining in terms of your discipline.
Third, you will learn how to use daily rituals to fine tune and achieve your goals. You must understand that people are what they consistently do. People can talk a good game, other people might have all sorts of mistaken notions about them, however, their real character boils down to what they consistently do. In other words, it's all about their rituals.
Whether you realize it or not, you already have a set of rituals. You may not be aware of them, but they exist. What if I told you that you could be achieving more with your life if you only chose to be a little bit more conscious of the rituals you engage in? These rituals have a direct and immediate impact on your performance on many different levels. At the very least, they can help or slow down the achievement of your goals.
Another thing you will learn involves measuring success. Many people sabotage themselves because they choose to measure their success in the wrong way. It's okay to measure your success in terms of ultimate measurements. For example, if you're just starting a business, it's okay to think from time to time about the millions of dollars you could be making. However, if you choose to only use ultimate measurements of success, you are just setting yourself up to lose your drive, motivation and passion in the here and now. Don't be surprised if you get so discouraged and demotivated that you just give up. Sadly, people do this all the time.
Finally, you will learn about the signals you need to pay attention to that will clear you to scale up. Understand that if you want to achieve any kind of success, you cannot stay at the same level. You might be doing things really well at that level, people might talk highly of you, but if you stay at that level and you allow your comfort zone to define what is possible for you, you're going to get stuck.
You might have started the process with all these hopes and dreams and grand visions, but let me tell you, they will remain stuck in your head. Your waking reality is not going to measure up because you refuse to scale up. In this short book, you will see this clearly. More precisely, you will learn detect the signals that would enable you to scale up.
Are you ready to begin?...
Let’s dive in!
I hope you enjoyed the second video lesson. Remember, you can go back and watch these lessons whenever you like.
I look forward to seeing your success.
Just some thoughts,
OurWork
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