Imagine being told no 148,000 times. Sound like a lot? Well you have been told no that many times, allow me to explain. Research has shown that if you grew up in the average family in America, you were told no 148,000 times while growing up.

Brain researchers are learning more and more about the vast nature of the brain and have concluded that 75% of the talk between your ears that never reaches your lips is negative. Meaning 75% of what you say to yourself has already defeated your drive, passion and desire to achieve a set goal. Startling isn’t it?

For most of us this negative talk has been seated since w were young, coming from those that told us we could not or would not achieve whatever it might be. Perhaps for you it was a boss, teacher, fellow employee, maybe a family member. So the question is how do we shift the tide of this grand negative piece of our brain to become more positive?

There are actually 5 steps according to noted best-selling author Shad Helmstetter Ph.D. Let’s address them one by one.

The first is BEHAVIOR. Our behavior directly affects our success or failure, behavior meaning our actions.  See the actions or lack of action we take has a direct impact on our success or failure. When we chose actions that work to our advantage we succeed, however quite the opposite occurs when we chose actions that produce negative results. Some call this self-sabotage, when we unknowingly act in ways that defeat us from the get go. So the bigger question remains why do we do what we do? Why do we do things to ourselves that causes us not to succeed? Why do we act the way we act? Why do we knowingly do wrong things? Is it because we lack the ability to know right from wrong? Of course not. The truth is there is something that keeps our behavior or actions from being the way they ought. Something that truly drives our behavior, to do things unforeseen, out of the ordinary, almost insane at times, I will reveal what that is on Friday’s post. Stay tuned.

Do your goals for 2011 look like this photo? Its that time of year to begin considering your personal and professional goals. But first, lets get the gut level truth out of the way. By Valentine’s Day the majority of people will have forgotten their goals and let them go. Will you be one of them?

Here’s some helpful tips so you can be the one that succeeds:

1)   Begin now writing out your goals, something magical happens when you write your goals down.

2)   Set 5 to 10 goals.

3)   Make Sure the Goal is possible, not necessarily easy. I strongly recommend the goal set will stretch you.

4)   Make your goals detailed, specific and have some measurable actions so that you can see growth and measure your success.

5)   Use technology to assist you in being accountable. Today with smart phones, email, tablets and wireless Internet, there are a number of ways to help you stay on track. One example is mygoals.com

6)   For some goals I suggest sharing them with someone who can assist in holding you accountable.

7)   Set some deadlines! Deadlines keep you uncomfortable and hold to you the task.

I was in my early 30’s when a manager taught me about the value of Goals. Honestly, up to that point, if you had asked me about goals my answer would have been generic. I would have said I want to retire with two nice cars and a nice home. I would like to have sent my kids through college and have nice things in general. While these are not bad goals, they certainly aren’t detailed and they are generic, not specific or original.

Begin writing your goals today, remember there is nothing impossible. YOU can achieve anything you can write down. Share how you are successful sharing your goals?