The MAIA Report - June 2018

by Melissa Torres

It was February in Oklahoma City when I was listening to news reports of an ice storm heading my way. I had a flight scheduled to take me to my first MAIA Elite event in sunny Orlando, Florida. And, fortunately, I was able to escape the city just before the storm hit.

It was perfect weather in Florida. But I wasn’t there for vacation, I was there to work. I had the opportunity to hear the MAIA consultants speak and I realized why I’m so thankful I took this job. Each day, I left the sessions inspired and motivated, along with a number of school owners in  attendance to focus on their growth and financial future. One thing that really hit home for me was the importance of setting goals for myself.

I got home and decided to dig deeper into goal-setting and the concept of positive thinking to achieve those goals. I started reading a book by success coach and karate black belt Brian Tracy, titled Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life. I think some of this information is stuff we all know, but need to be reminded about so we don’t get stuck in our daily ruts and routines.

As humans, we can tend to automatically fill our minds with negative thoughts because we are afraid of failing. But the great thing about failing is that the more it happens, the closer we are to succeeding. The first step to getting rid of negative thoughts about your abilities, goals and dreams is to starve the negativity.

Every time you find yourself thinking, “I can’t,” then immediately change it to “I can” and “I will.” Replace the negative thoughts with positive ones. You are the only one in control of your thoughts, so why not train your brain to think positively all the time?

Now, apply that positive thinking to your goals. Challenge yourself to figure out your goals and repeat to yourself — and to others — that you can and will accomplish them.

Here are seven foolproof steps to achieving your goals, according to Tracy:

Step #1. Decide exactly what you want. Set real goals that are specific and quantifiable. Don’t focus on wishes or hopes that can’t be measured.

Step #2. Write down your goals. You need to be able to see these goals daily and be reminded of what you need to do to work toward accomplishing them.

Step #3. Be willing to pay the price. Determine how far you’re willing to go to achieve your goals. Are you willing to sacrifice and do anything and everything it takes to succeed?

Step #4. Make a detailed plan. Plan out how you’re going to accomplish these goals. What are your next steps? Make a list of everything possible that you need to do to meet these goals.

Step #5. Take action on your plan. Take your goals seriously and take action immediately. Review your list of next steps and start on it now. Tomorrow you will wish you started yesterday.

Step #6. Do something every day. Do something (every single day) that is moving you toward one of your goals. With every decision you make, ask yourself if this will help you achieve your goals.

Step #7. Never give up! If you dream big and have lofty goals, don’t ever give up on them. It will take hard work and dedication. But remember the price you determined you would pay and be patient.

Once you fully commit to your goals, you are guaranteed to succeed. So, keep going and don’t give up. And definitely don’t let your negative thoughts stand in the way of what you want. You deserve great things in life. Don’t let anything or anyone stand in your way!

I’ll leave you with a quote from one of our past MASuperShow keynote speakers, renowned life-coach Tony Robbins: “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”