If you are feeling down or are
not getting much accomplished,
you may have simply pushed yourself
too hard for too long.

The solution? Take a break! Then you can return to the things at hand, and you will see things in a different light. When you clear your mind then revisit the tasks you need to accomplish, you will find that you are getting much more done more effectively.

There is something about our brains that resists long-term repetition. Think of this as if the brain were one of your body’s muscles. You know that if you overuse a muscle, it becomes less effective. In fact, workout experts say that the most effective types of workouts involve “body confusion.” This means that you are not making the same motions over and over again. The reasoning behind this is that your body will find the easiest way to handle repetitive motions, and in doing so will burn fewer calories and build less muscles.

Now, apply that analogy to the brain. Our brains are created to do things efficiently. When we are looking for inspiration and creativity, efficiency is not necessarily what we want. In fact, efficiency, although we usually think of that as a “good” word, can be a “bad” word when we are trying to take on a multi-faceted task! Instead of efficient, think of repetitious work as “tedious.” This helps us understand why we must “confuse” our minds and shake things up occasionally when we are working on higher-order tasks.

Now that you understand that repetition and tedium is not good for your brain, what can you do about it? Fortunately, there seems to be a natural remedy for this problem: stop what you are doing and do something else. Just a few minutes of stretching, a walk around the block, taking time to cook something or even a short nap can completely change your outlook on a difficult task. If you want to change things, take a break, clear your mind and revisit the task after you have taken time to refresh yourself. You will do a much better job in the long run!

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We talk a lot about loyalty,
but how many of us understand exactly what that concept really means?

If you are an ambitious woman, it is vital for you to understand how loyalty is related to success.  Without loyalty—our loyalty to others and their loyalty to us—we cannot truly feel complete, and our victories will be very hollow indeed!

Colin Powell said, “Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty and persistence.”  I have every reason to believe this is the truth.  In my own life, I have found over and over again that loyalty is one of the key factors that separates the truly successful from those who are unsuccessful or have only the appearance of success.

Let me put it another way.  In the Bible, Jesus said, in Mark 8:36, “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”  Think about this for a minute.  We all know of people who are financially successful but live miserable, defeated, lonely lives all the same.  Does this describe you?  Are you successful only on the surface?  The reason could be a lack of loyalty.

Everyone needs someone to be loyal to them but they also need to be loyal themselves.  Demanding unquestioning loyalty from someone who cannot expect the same from you never works.  Instead, you must live with consistency and loyalty in all your actions in order to inspire loyalty in others.  This may also mean cutting people out of your life who have proven they are disloyal.  If you have been faithful and they are disloyal to you, get rid of them.  You do not need people like that dragging you down.  Instead, choose friends, colleagues and co-workers who are loyal and who will support you in your efforts to find success.

Creating loyalty may be hard work but the rewards are tremendous.  When you surround yourself with people to whom you are loyal and give loyalty in return, you can relax knowing that even if you stumble, someone will be there to pick you up, and that you can pick others up in return!

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Ralph Marston said, “Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude.”
Is This True For You?

Do you have an attitude of excellence?  You might be saying to yourself, “I am not even sure what that means.”  An attitude of excellence is an attitude of assurance, of capability, and of “can-do” that never gives up, even when the obstacles are large and may seem insurmountable.

If you want a little inspiration, let me introduce you to Nick Vojicic.  Nick was born with no arms, no legs and only a tiny flipper on one foot.  Incredibly, Nick is one of the most positive people you will ever meet!  He made a decision not to allow his physical limitations to become a reason that he could not accomplish goals.  He travels around the world, sharing his story, and blogs regularly on his experiences.  In one blog post, he writes:  “Dream big, my friend, and never give up. We all make mistakes, but none of us are mistakes. Take one day at a time. Embrace the positive attitudes, perspectives, principles, and truths I share, and you too will overcome.”

I am willing to bet that you are not facing limitations such as Nick Vojicic has, so how can you possibly have a less positive attitude than he does!  Nick’s attitude has enabled him to live more than many people who have no physical handicaps at all.  No matter what happens, Nick has learned that staying positive is the key to achieving your goals.

A positive attitude of excellence will help you achieve more than any amount of training or even any infusion of cash in your business life, as well.  Stop making excuses and start living positively.  Surround yourself with positive people; nothing drags your attitude down faster than a “naysayer.”  Support others with achieving their goals and you will find yourself better able to achieve yours!  Remember that attitude is the most important thing that will probably determine your success or failure in any endeavor, so do an attitude check today.  How does your attitude measure up; are you positive enough to climb any mountain and overcome any obstacle?

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The idea that in order to be an Ambitious Woman you must
be a career woman, working mom, wife and all-around role juggler.

Actually, you can be an Ambitious woman in almost any role.  Barbara Walters, a great role model who recently retired after 50 years in the entertainment and news business, says, “A woman can do anything. She can be traditionally feminine and that’s all right; she can work, she can stay at home; she can be aggressive; she can be passive; she can be any way she wants with a man. But whenever there are the kinds of choices there are today, unless you have some solid base, life can be frightening.”  However, without the belief that you can do anything, you may never achieve the goals you have set for yourself.

Actions always follow decisions.  You must convince yourself first in your mind that you should do something, and then the action itself will follow.  Until you decide it in head and heart, however, the actuality of the event will never occur.  This is why it is so important to build passion, because from passion comes motivation.

One of the greatest enemies of passion is people pleasing.  It will cause you to be divided within yourself.  Remember that others may not have the same goals for you that you do!  When you try to please everyone, you are necessarily taking away from your own dreams and passions to pursue what someone else wants.

This is not to say that you should focus only on yourself.  However, you should be aware of how much time you have to devote to others and keep yourself within that limit.  You must also set your own goals and set aside time to pursue them vigorously, even if the people around you do not support your actions.

An Ambitious Woman always believes she can do anything she sets her mind to do.  Barbara Walters is a wonderful example of the Ambitious Woman who is able to achieve what she wants because she has the flexibility to allow others to pursue their own dreams.  Try to surround yourself with people like her; besides being a mentor and a great role model, these Ambitious Women are able to help you achieve your own goals through their support!

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If You’ve Ever Found Yourself Wondering
Whether Or Not You Should Take A Chance,
Stop Wondering And Start!

In order to be successful in something, you first have to start doing it. There is a saying that goes, “You miss every shot that you don’t take.” When you don’t act, nothing ever happens to you. Fate is not going to come along and accomplish everything for you; you need to take action. You must take that first step, try something new, and then work towards your success.

It is natural to be afraid of something new and not want to begin it, but you cannot let that fear paralyze you. “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” Everyone has experienced nerves before they started something. They were jumping into the unknown, which can be terrifying! However, this is not a good enough reason to keep yourself from trying something for the first time. Everyone does things for the first time constantly throughout their lives. It could be something small, like thinking about learning a foreign language, or it could be something much bigger, like starting your own company. Whatever it might be that you are thinking about doing for the first time, you need to take the first step towards your goal in order to achieve it.

Pablo Picasso once said, “Action is the foundational key to all success.” You cannot persevere, much less succeed, if you never try. We all want to have success in the things that we do; it’s human to want that. In order to become good at something, we need to start doing it. Even if it seems difficult, we must persevere, because in the end it will be worth it. New experiences always bring some form of reward, for they teach us about ourselves if nothing else. We get to learn and grow in new and exciting ways when we begin something new. It is exciting to find out new things about ourselves, but in order to do this we must first step away from what is familiar and take the first step down a new path. Already you will be on your way to success, just for overcoming the fear and challenges that come with beginning something new.

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