So I was walking up a side road to the castle in Prague yesterday and got to a main road and may well have stepped straight in front of Tram but for a young man who shouted at me to stop!

First I’m glad that the Czech Rep’ is not Health and Safety crazy like the UK but a couple of signs here and there wouldn’t go amiss.

And second, it’s moments like this that make you want to speak Latin. *

But for that young mans shout, yesterday could have been my last day on planet earth! And if it was could I say I have achieved everything I want to achieve? Absolutely not. Do I think that everyday I live life to the fullest? Again absolutely not.

So I have to say I’m grateful for that moment yesterday as sometimes it’s good to be reminded of how fleeting life can seem (and actually is in the greater scheme of things), and how important it is to see that our time is precious and to use it wisely and always to the best of our abilities.

Get the most out of today…and everyday. I plan to.

* Carpe Diem (Seize the day).

Procrastination..the bane of many people’s lives and often a block to success.So what is it? Psychologists define it as “the conscious or subconscious avoidance of doing something”

If its effects are neglected it becomes a habit.

Even if it’s not a habit for you I’m sure we’ve all been there at some point in life – you know there are things that need to be done,but either you don’t want to do them now,or you don’t want to face them, or it might be something that you want to do but just can’t get yourself focused enough to do it.

One thing for sure though is it can be a serious issue for people and a real killer of dreams – after all it’s a self-destructive habit. It can also seriously affect your wealth!

So why do we do it and what are the effects of it?

1). Well, life is busy, and in this age of mass information there are literally 1000’s of things we could give our attention to – all pulling us in different directions. So rather than doing one of those things we end up doing nothing-at least nothing well or completely.
One major issue is use of social media or should I say misuse of social media! Most people who use it are on it way too much. Sure it can be useful and can in fact have a huge positive impact on your business, but don’t live on it!

2). The second reason people procrastinate is a fear of not doing the task right. If we have a passion about what we want to do we can so much want to get it right, even to the point of perfection that it becomes in the subconscious, and then in reality, an impossibility.

3). Fear of failure. A little similar but this fear says even if you do it right what if you fail?

4). Lack of planning. Set out on a journey without a map and you going to get lost. Likewise embarking on a venture in you life without a plan and the same applies

And the effects?

Well first it can make you unproductive. It can cause guilt,low self esteem and stress. David Allen,the Author of “getting things done” said much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do,it comes from not finishing what they started.”

So what can we do about it?
Here’s a few tips:

The key to it is self-discipline, so work on that within yourself on a daily basis.
1). Break your work or tasks into smaller steps. You do this by making a plan. There’s no reason to get overwhelmed if the tasks are broken down.

So make a plan-what I do is break my tasks down to hours, so I know exactly what I’ve set myself to do in every hour of my working day. Of course, make the plan realistic. So make that plan and stick to it as best you can!

2) Wherever possible start with the hardest task first. Dale Carnegie the author of “How to win friends and influence people” said, “do the hard jobs first and the easy jobs will take care of themselves”. This way will relax you and make you feel good about yourself and put the other tasks in perspective.

3). Make a start!! Les Brown that fantastic motivational speaker said “you don’t have to be great to get started but you have to get started to be great”! So take a deep breath and dive in!!

4). Get inspired! Talking of Les Brown and Dale Carnegie, those who you hang around with influence you,so hang around with people like that! Every day plan into your day some inspirational food. Maybe while you’re having breakfast or during a break, jump onto YouTube and watch or listen to some great teaching by the likes of Les Brown,Tony Robbins,Jim Rohn,Brian Tracy.All great teachers who will always have an inspirational impact on your day and life.

5). If you can recognise that you need support to overcome issues of procrastination, be accountable. What I mean by that is to get alongside someone – a friend, perhaps someone who also has some goals they want to achieve, and maybe someone who has similar goals,like for example a friend you work with in Network Marketing, and hold each other accountable to your goals and visions. Encourage each other when you stumble and encourage each other when you do well.

6). You are not going to attain perfection on this earth so don’t expect it or wait for a perfect time to start something. It doesn’t exist…just do it!!

7) Finish everything!! It’s tiring when you’ve got lots of things in life that are unfinished..it clutters your brain! So avoid that by finishing every task that you have set for yourself.

8) Last of all, know the value of time. Time is precious. There’s potentially great things for your life so don’t block those things by putting things off. You might right now have a fantastic opportunity in your hands,or you might be about to embark on something new,so take hold of it without delay and don’t let procrastination rob you of another day of your life!!

MICHAEL JORDAN and BOB COUSY were each cut from their high school basketball teams.

STAN SMITH was rejected as a ball boy for a Davis Cup tennis match because he was “too awkward and clumsy.”.

WALT DISNEY was fired by a newspaper editor because “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.”

The first time JERRY SEINFELD walked on-stage at a comedy club as a professional comic, he looked out at the audience, froze, and forgot the English language.

After his first audition, SIDNEY POITIER was told by the casting director, “Why don’t you stop wasting people’s time and go out and become a dishwasher or something?”

ALBERT EINSTEIN didn’t speak until he was 4-years-old and didn’t read until he was 7. His parents thought he was “sub-normal,” and one of his teachers described him as “mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in foolish dreams.” He was expelled from school and was refused admittance.

Did you know that you are GREAT and capable of doing amazing things and seeing REAL SUCCESS in your life?
Here’s some keys you can take from the above history makers:

1. Don’t Be Dictated To By Circumstances

2. Don’t Be Dictated To By Other People’s Opinions

3. Don’t Be Afraid Of Failure

4. Never Give Up

5. Believe In Yourself

6. Believe In Yourself

7. Believe In Yourself

Our Greatest Glory Is Not In Never Falling But In Rising Every Time We Fall.”

- Confucius.

“I’ve Failed Over And Over Again In My Life. That Is Why I Succeed.”

- Michael Jordan

Branding can be defined as everything that anyone thinks or feels when they see or hear your name, the name of your product, service or organization.

So building a strong brand depends on creating,or having, a distinctive identity.

This site is about building people for success so I’d like to talk to you about Personal Branding.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS ON THE ESSENCE OF BUILDING “BRAND YOU”

#1 Know Your Goal- To use a Football analogy (Soccer for my American friends!),you can’t score without a goal! To be successful you need a plan. Someone looking to promote themselves just because they think they should because they see others doing it, will soon become transparent. But if you are passionate about what you want to share and what you want to achieve,then that passion will come through and be appreciated. So find your niche, write it down,study your niche subject frequently,create a mission statement about what you intend to do and who you intend to share that value with,then build a plan. At all stages write it down..don’t just keep your plan and statement in your head,but put it somewhere you can see it. Maybe even put it up on a wall somewhere.This will act not only as a reminder but also an encouragement and help keep you focused. Once you’ve done all that,put it into action.

#2 Be Memorable! First impressions count so have a strong visual presence.If that is online then use a picture that is unique.

#3 Be Consistent! My yellow sofa and I get around!! You’ll find me currently using the same image on Facebook,LinkedIn,Twitter,Digg ..etc. Consistency links to being memorable. And it doesn’t look good if someone sees you on one online platform,wants to know more, and look to connect with you on,say, Facebook to find your image is a photo of your pet hamster. Likewise,reinforce your name so that it’s the same throughout all online platforms. If I get to someones Twitter and see they’re called CutiePie The Third,I won’t be taking them seriously..nor talking to them ever again.

#4 Set Up A Personal Website. Create a website (or blog) where you share “Brand You”. Share your goal(s) share your passions..be useful..share value! Be a good communicator.Build relationships.

#5 Participate Consistently And Share Consistently. Comment on other people’s blogs,leave comments on Facebook…Tweet on Twitter… and be active in discussions on LinkedIn. Be noticed..and again..be useful! Also be consistent in the standard of content that you share on your blog ,and make regular updates.

#6 Personally Develop! If you stop developing your skills,guess what? Yep,you stop developing! So don’t ever turn off from learning new things. Get involved in seminars,read books,watch tutorial and inspirational videos,and basically utilize anything you can get your hands on that is going to have an impact on you,and in turn,impact others.

#7 Be Excellent! In every way that you share who you are,do it to the best of your ability. Remember that your personal brand is what other people think of you,so if you’re sending an email,meeting someone for the first time (or even the 100th time),talking on the phone,connecting on Social Media..it’s all your personal branding in action, and it is your personal branding that separates you from everyone else so be great at it.

There is a period of time in which a launch vehicle (such as a Rocket or Space Shuttle) must be launched. If it’s not launched within the “window”, it has to wait for the next window.

The launch has to be timed just right so that the ships path intersects with the targets orbit and they meet in the exact same time and place.

Missing the launch window might mean missing the target completely.

Opportunities are there to be seized. Yes make sure it’s right for you; yes do due diligence, but then go for it while you can.

Grasping an opportunity such as a new business venture or any challenge maybe a little scary, and you may think you don’t have all the skills, but like any exploration, the key is in taking the first steps..then anything is possible! You are sure to learn en route, and there will always be people around to support you.

So…do all the checks…and go for it!!!

There’s a great story that Richard Branson tells in his autobiography “Screw It Lets Do It!”

When he was at school he struggled with dyslexia. At that time there was no support for, or much recognition of dyslexia, and as a result his teachers often gave him a hard time.

He knew he wasn’t up to the same level of skill in reading and writing as the rest of his class.

But Richard had an inner belief that surpassed his circumstances.

It would make sense to listen to what his teachers were saying about his future and you would easily understand it if he decided that he could still do some good things but those that were outside the confines of his disability.

But he saw things differently. He was made of different stuff.

Rather than saying “I don’t read and write too well, so I’ll concentrate on building a career that doesn’t involve needing those skills too much, he said “I don’t read and write too well so I’m going to be a journalist”!

He decided to turn his weakness into strength.

And not only did he leave school to try to find a job as a journalist-that would be the easy route-but instead he left school and set up his own magazine!

At the age of just 16 he was interviewing the likes of John Lennon and Mick Jagger.

That was the first company he set up and it grew and grew and was grounding for all the skills and business acumen that would see him build one of the most successful business empires ever seen.

Don’t let limitations hold you back. Have the mindset that says that even if you have a weakness (and don’t we all!), then that weakness can be turned to strength.

And yes that will involve you going out of your comfort zone and might be difficult for a while, but with perseverance you can accomplish amazing things.

Every challenge in our lives is there for a purpose – so that we can find a way of turning it into strength.

The preconception of daydreaming has often been that it is a sign of being out of touch with reality, that if you’re a daydreamer then you will never achieve anything.But there are two types. There’s the white fluffy cloud fantasy waste of time daydreaming that could steal from you, and then there’s brilliant mind daydreaming, which could potentially add to you in abundance.

What if you were to harness the power of your dreams…to dream big?

Thomas Edison was a great daydreamer.

But his daydream was not to invent the light bulb.

His daydream was to light the planet earth at night!

He started with a big daydream and then took steps to find the solution.

The difference between the waste of time daydreamer and the brilliant mind daydreamer  -which anyone can chose to be- is to take that dream and then start taking action: make plans, be a constant learner, and if necessary be prepared to take risks.

It’s possible….anything is… Dream big..have a big vision, then work to make it come true.

“Network Marketing gives people the opportunity with very low risk and very low financial commitment to build their own income-generating asset and acquire great wealth.”

- Robert Kiyosaki

“In today’s world working for yourself is actually the safer route and working for a corporation has become the riskier proposition.”

- Paul Zane Pilfer

Network Marketing has created more millionaires than any other industry in the history of the world.”

- Les Brown

Network Marketing is a fantastic concept,and is,in essence, easy: You share with others something you believe in,and be consistent in sharing,and those people who get your passion,will want to work with you,be trained and encouraged by you and duplicate that process.

The difficulty is what happens when you feel rejected by the people who don’t get it? What happens if you struggle with discipline,procrastination,being easily distracted,have a fear of failure,don’t feel that you have the “stickability” required?

The answer to all those questions (and many others) is personal development – spending time and investing in YOU.

One of the privileges of this great industry is you get to empower others to reach their goals,but that isn’t possible without you first empowering yourself so that you know your own value and self worth.

Only a small percentage of people who are in Network Marketing succeed on a high level. As long as you are with a reputable company with proven success,that is ONLY due to one or more of the aforementioned issues,where people are struggling to overcome those barriers.

Many people won’t go there..they don’t want the challenge,they won’t face their fears and maybe they don’t want to face things about themselves that they don’t like. But is it worth the journey? If you want to succeed in Network Marketing and want to reach the potential that you have inside,on a personal level and as a business person,then oh yes..it’s worth it on so many different levels!! And aside from the financial rewards attainable through the industry I have met some incredible people,some of whom have overcome personal problems and traumas that could easily have crushed them.And they have not only gone on to create 7 and even 8 figure incomes,but have had and continue to have such a powerful influence on many peoples lives through seminars,video,television,books and other media. It is absolutely worth you becoming the best you you could possibly be.

Success is doing whatever you do to the best of your ability.

The great Jim Rohn said “It’s not what we get or accumulate that makes us valuable…it’s what we become.”

Seeing your own value opens the door to all kinds of new possibilities.

Of course for some the past can be an encouragement for the present and an inspiration for the future,but for others the past is the very thing that hinders the ability to live in the present and then steal dreams through things in the past that have perhaps caused fear,anger, resentment,or rejection etc

Maybe it’s a single bad memory,or a series of events,or an old mindset,or something somebody said to you.These things can – if we let them – have a power over us and form the way we see ourselves and consequently the way we live our lives.

There are of course many ways that you could deal with issues from the past,and what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for someone else,but whatever you need to do,find the way that works for you,go on that journey,even if temporarily it might be a painful one as you face those old things,but go there and do what you need to do – maybe to forgive someone,perhaps to forgive yourself,maybe to deal with an attitude or a regret..whatever is the obstacle..overcome it and then you are free to fully embrace the present and move on to what is ahead with a greater courage, boldness and expectation.

There are millions of people in the world who during at least one point in their lives have come up with a great idea,or had a great ambition. It’s natural…we’re born that way. Kids are amazing,they have great dreams and great ambitions.

These dreams and ambitions can diminish in time for a variety of reasons.Sometimes simply because we’re not allowing them to be seen. They start as a thought in our minds..and they stay there..and then can grow dim.

One simple way to keep a dream or ambition alive is to start by write it down.

Writing something down creates a focus. It’s out there…it’s alive! And there to develop and grow. Something happens when we write something down.

If you have an idea,dream or ambition I personally would suggest making these steps:

1. First of all write it out by hand. A connection is made between your eyes and the physiological effect of writing it down. Transfer it onto some electronic device at some point if you wish,but handwrite it first.

2. Put it somewhere that it can be seen…on your fridge..by your bed etc.

3. Read it out loud often..daily even.

Having done all these three things you are creating a connection between:

The Audio – what you hear
The Visual – what you see
The Kinesthetic – what you feel

Setting your goals-seeing them in front of you on paper before you see them come,is like creating a road map. Once you’ve got it,and you keep looking at it,your going to know where you’re going,and you’re going to get there.