doug smith training

Are you a positive thinker or a negative thinker? Or, maybe you're something in-between, a kind of situational-thinker. Given the choice between negative and positive, I've found that positive thinking does a better job of keeping me on track and helping me feel better. Positive thinking is great. Positive thinking is uplifting and filled with hope. But, positive thinking is not enough. Positive thinking only works if you put in the work. That's why I work so hard, how about you? -- doug smith  

Some of us like to analyze. Some of us like to act and let someone else analyze. Solving problems takes a balance. The most brilliant analysis producing the most wonderful ideas is all useless until someone acts. Some problems encourage eternal analysis, but that does not mean that eternal analysis is best. Some analysis is best accomplished with action. Think carefully, of course. Act boldly, also of course. -- doug smith 

Get started and keep going.  Patience paired with persistency provides great power. -- doug smith  

There are two sides to every challenge: the challenge itself, and the fear of missing. What if you fail? What if the challenge overcomes you? What if you're not enough? The challenge is enough! We don't need to add the fear of that challenge, too. Maybe it will propel you forward, or maybe it will slow you down -- either way the fear is a choice. Stay with the challenge. Stay with the effort and the work and the focus. Persistence pays off when fear is your foe. Your persistence will win. -- doug smith  

  Ask yourself what you'd be willing to trade to achieve your biggest goal -- you may need to make that trade. I'm not saying that you should. That's up to you. A goal is just a goal and not your entire life. But, if it's really important to you, are you treating it as if it IS that important? Are you designing a plan? Are you acting relentlessly on that plan? Are you learning constantly? Big goals mean big commitments. -- doug smith

  Feeling discouraged? Did that plan go wrong? Plans go wrong all the time. Make new plans and keep moving. You've got everything you need. -- doug smith

I don't like rejection, yet it's a part of life. I don't like it when people don't support a project that I'm working on, and still there are usually people who don't see the value in a new change. How about you? We could take that personally and stop doing the thing that matters so much to us -- or we could do something else. We could improve that thing. We could make that thing shine. We could make that thing irresistible. We could use that feedback to find new ways to achieve our goal.  "They" as we so often like to call "them" don't know what's best for you -- and still they can be seriously helpful.  When they tear down your plans, build something better.  Won't that feel great? -- doug smith

Sometimes resistance to a goal is evidenced of its need. If it wasn't important, it wouldn't catch any heat. Keep going. Act relentlessly on your plan. -- doug smith

Plans often have missing pieces you can't find until you start working your plan. Ideas need actions. Act relentlessly on your plan.  -- doug smith

It's easy to get discouraged. Work, people, even life throws more challenges than we expect or ever ask for. Keep going. Obstacles will slow you down and pull on your momentum until it screeches like the bad brakes on an old Chevy. Keep going. Tasks will blur together in a fog of business that makes that vision ever harder to see and follow. Keep going. Keep going. Your work is important, and it's just beginning. -- doug smith

You don't have to let anyone talk you out of a goal. The goal is yours, the work is yours, the reward is yours. Own it. Experience it. Work it. -- doug smith  

Goals are important but require action. No matter how much you want a goal, until you start working on it the goals just sits there.  Everyone has goals, but some people haven't committed to them. Some people haven't worked on their goals. What are you doing today to work on at least one great goal? It's not too late. It's never too late. Let's get started! -- doug smith

Sometimes you only need a minute more to go from tired to inspired. Give it a push. -- doug smith

Are you thinking too much?  I'm a thinker. I like to think. I like to think so much that I over-think some things. It can be immobilizing, and that's not useful. It's useful to be cautious. It's responsible to plan for contingencies. But, it's silly to think until I fall into stinking thinking -- talking myself out of what I want or need to do.  It's better to stay inspired.  If you aren't inspired you're either thinking too much or too little. Plan well, then get moving. -- doug smith  

Can you think your way to success? Is positive thinking enough. Optimism is great, but you've got to mix in plenty of action to achieve your goals. You've got to do something. As a chronic thinker, I am sometimes prone to procrastinating on what matters most. That's not a good idea and I do not recommend it. I've learned that even if the first halting steps are incorrect, some motion is better than stasis.  But thinking about success helps. It can get you unstuck. It can fill you with optimism. And that I do recommend. Thinking about success usually comes before achieving it. Just do something, too. -- doug smith

A good goal can survive setbacks. Stay relentless on your plan. -- doug smith

When faced with a series of choices, how do you decide? Do you allow your goals to provide you with a sense of direction?  Well-written, strongly considered goals do not waste your time - they save you valuable decision-making moments by fixing your direction. Faced with a dozen doors, any one of which could be (and would be) fascinating, you choose the door in the direction of your goal.  That's why it's so important to take your time about your goals. To head consistently in the right direction, to make the best choices, let your goals be your guide. The most powerful goals are nonnegotiable. The time to negotiate your goals is before you commit to them. Once the commitment is there, act relentlessly on your goal.  -- doug smith

Sometimes the most powerful question you can ask is "what is my goal on this?" -- doug smith Results can get scattered. Intentions can get confused. When I find myself wondering what's going on, what am I doing, or what others are doing, I pause long enough to ask, "what is my goal on this?" When we know what our goal is we can follow the plan that we have set in order to achieve that goal. We can press on. We can stay relentless. Even when things are so chaotic that they appear to be out of control, we can focus on a goal and take the steps necessary to get back on track. The right goal corrects a lot of wrongs. The right goal gets the job done. What's your goal today? -- doug smith

The only unachievable goal is the one without a plan. -- doug smith

Values evolve over time. If values are ever true, they refine without denying what once was. They grow. They distill. They find ways to self-generate the results they aspire to. Here are some values I've refined into calls to action. I don't just agree with them, I expect to do them. To show them. To act on them. Sometimes it goes well, and often I fall short. The journey is a long one, so keep going. Here are my current calls to action: Be your best Stay curious Say yes! Communicate, Connect, Interact! Challenge yourself Reach out with compassion Expand your possibilities Appreciate Play nice, work hard, stay smart Learn constantly What are your values? What are your calls to action? -- doug smith