Successful greats – Plato, Churchill, Gandhi, Michelangelo and others - what’s the common link? They all knew what they wanted and were totally focused on achieving it.

Most of us do an annual business review. What do you think about when you do yours? Do you consider the big picture – the reason for going into business in the first place?   Have you asked yourself recently what you really want from this business other than a great income and security for your family?

There are some serious questions that we all need to ask ourselves about our work. Are you fulfilled in your work and personal life or does the business run your life? Do you tell yourself ‘it will be better when…….’? If the answer is ‘yes’ to any of these questions there is a very real possibility that you may have lost sight of the real picture and your original goals.

One of my one on one client’s recently told me that she is so busy with work and family commitments that she spends her time in the shower to plan her next day. There was no time in her life, just for her. What little time she had was spent in various natural therapies just trying to get her energy back.

If we feel as if we are on a treadmill, we loose our passion, energy and enthusiasm for all of life. We drive ourselves to meet a deadline, to get an important task done. Tomorrow there will be another one and then another. For what - to find that our kids and partner have virtually become strangers, that we are tired, sick, stressed? My client had begun collapsing at work, which just added to her stress because she had to cancel several important appointments for that week.

When we drive ourselves to achieve and forget about those other really important things in life, we are being driven by fear. Fear of our competition, that there is not enough to go around, that we will fail. This fear is often on a subconscious level. Competition and the possibility of failure is very real, but the fear is an energy sapping emotion that becomes a habit which eventually leads to excess stress and a downward spiral

What ever we focus on, we will attract more of it into our lives- if we are driven by fear, like a magnet we will attract more things to be fearful about. This is a spiritual law called the Law of Attraction – it has been with us since the beginning of time. Change your thoughts and actions to what we want to attract instead. Your thoughts create your reality. This may sound too simplistic but the truth is it is our thoughts which make our lives so complicated, not universal laws.

The latest research from Tourism Australia has revealed that Australians are working harder that ever before. (Courier Mail May 25) Do we take the time identify what is important to us or do we simply get caught in the rut and assume that this is as good as it gets?

We can all look at things differently. We are creators of our own lives and responsible for how that creation pans out. Our futures start with identifying what we want and turning thoughts and actions in that direction. The trick is aligning every thought and action.

“Every thought of yours is a real thing – a force” Prentice Mulford – 1834 – 1891.

How would the great accomplishments of people like Michelangelo, Thomas Edison and Nelson Mandela have ever come about without deep positive thought, action and determination?

I can hear the objection now – but these a great people, I am not like that! Please reconsider this fallacy. We are all great, except when we loose sight of or abandon our ‘big picture’ and sell ourselves short, getting caught up in day to day drama.

Personal happiness does not come about by simply achieving our work and financial goals. Fulfillment comes when we remember the other parts of our lives that are essential – health, love, family, friendship and just being able to be and enjoy life; know they are all part of this picture. Some of our great achievers from the past have achieved great things but at what cost to their personal lives? Now is the right time for us to decide what we want to think, do, be and have and work towards achieving this in a balanced and harmonious way.

How you are feeling right now is like a barometer of your thoughts - your feelings are telling you right now if you are on track achieving what you want. Take the time to acknowledge those feelings and decide what you are going to do about them if you do not enjoy those them. If you are feeling good, that is great, congratulations, do more of it,
You are on track.

I encourage you to live for today, spend time with and appreciate your loved ones. Live your life fully right now and never loose sight of the grand picture as you move through your daily work and life. As Winston Churchill once said ‘You create your own universe as you go along’.

Thank you for reading this article.