Creating Your Inner Vision

“Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.” – Golda Meir

“We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.” – E. E. Cummings

October 21, 2009

We’ve been talking a little about vision over the past couple of days.

And based on some of the conversations I’ve had over the past two days, I’d say that your vision of your self is of paramount importance.

I could never stress enough how crucial it is to get a handle on this. There’s the old saying, “What you see is what you get.”

I remember when I would use this statement like most people, I suspect, attempting to be open, honest and straightforward… as in “Here I am, plain and simple, no pretense…”

Later on when I was wiser (by which I mean older and having gone through a lot of crappy stuff); I came to realise that the statement should be read differently.

It’s not an external reference as in “what you (the person being addressed)see is what you (the addressee) get”; it’s actually an internal reference as in what you (reflexively referring to yourself) see, is what you (yourself) get.

Did I make that clear enough?

The statement’s greatest value lies in the realisation that it’s really teaching and encouraging you to have a grand vision of yourself.

What you spend time visualizing and then working hard to bring into reality is what you will eventually get.

Now go out and conquer the world,

Sifu DW for TeamUMAA
www.unifiedmartialart.com
“Using Martial Art As a vehicle for personal growth and development”
305 595-2892

P.S. Learn more about Jack Canfield’s vision board technology by clicking on this link.

P.P.S. Use this link for a closer look at Dr. Maxwell Maltz’ Psycho-Cybernetics

Nota Bene: If you enjoyed this, forward it on to a few of your friends and business associates.  And if you have any comments, just leave them below.

UMAA is now on Facebook! Click here to sign into your Facebook account (you do have one, don’t you?) search for Miami Jeet Kune Do and join the group.

If this message was forwarded to you and you’d like to start getting this in your Inbox, just sign up on my home page at http://www.unifiedmartialart.com

©2009 Unified Martial Art Academy
12580 SW 88^th Street
Miami, Florida 33186
305 595-2892

On Being Challenged

Friday morning message

January 27, 2012

“Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.” - Samuel Johnson, biographer, essayist, lexicographer and poet

“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.” - Nelson Mandela, the first President of South Africa to be elected in a fully-representative democratic election

 

On Wednesday I told you I’d be ripping off something Dan Kennedy recently wrote about being challenged.

Not in the sense of someone wanting to fight him, of course, but in dealing with what life sends your way.

Here’s part of what he wrote:

To hope for a challenge-free set of circumstances is, I believe, only a guarantee of deep, bitter disappointment and depression.

To know that you are superior to most mere mortals when it comes to confronting, coping with and conquering challenges is seen by those mere mortals as outrageous arrogance – but needs to be your simple reality.

Paraphrasing billionaire Andrew Carnegie: in his private thoughts, the exceptionally successful man in good control of himself and his life knows that he is vastly superior to all other men.

Of course, such a belief system is dangerous and fraught with peril in many ways. It must be consciously managed.

Having this is somewhat like having a rattlesnake you’ve raised from birth as a pet; you can never forget, even for a minute, its true nature.
But have it, one must, as a means of achievement. As the counter-balance to endless challenge.

He then goes on to cite that Henry Ford was told by the experts that his idea for an automobile engine could not be safely and affordably built.

Walt Disney was told, again by the “experts”, that it would be impossible to turn hundreds of thousands of acres of Florida swampland into an amusement park.

As soon as it became known he was buying up land, prices would skyrocket, opportunistic buyers would swoop in, and the cost of the project would be beyond reason. Plus, it would be equally impossible to buy hundreds of thousands of acres from thousands of different owners in secret.

We all know the outcome for Ford and Disney, don’t we?

It is the combination of our response to challenges and who and what we choose to challenge that writes our autobiographies.

Do you easily accept “no”? Do you fight hard for “yes”? And I don’t mean necessarily fight against others. I mean fight against yourself also.

DK says that as a nation, America has had, at best, arguably, one very brief peacetime. Otherwise this nation has been at war its entire existence – because it is the most successful nation, the nation striving to do the most, the over-achiever, thus challenged the most.

Same thing for people. The successful and success-striving person will be at war, virtually his entire existence. The autonomy-valuing person will be challenged the most.

You know who understood this well? Bruce Lee.  And next week, we’ll talk about his challenges and how he overcame them.

Have a great weekend.

Now go out and conquer the world,

Sifu DW for TeamUMAA
www.unifiedmartialart.com
“Using Martial Art As a vehicle for personal growth and development”
305 595-2892

P.S. I’ll be posting the long talked-about video on the UMAA Facebook page later today.

Nota Bene: If you enjoyed this, forward it on to a few of your friends and business associates.

Comments? Leave them below. Let me know what you’re thinking.

UMAA is now on Facebook! Click here to sign into your Facebook account (you do have one, don’t you?) search for Miami Jeet Kune Do and join the group.

If this message was forwarded to you and you’d like to start getting this in your Inbox, just sign up on my home page at http://www.unifiedmartialart.com

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters — need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Morning Messages or Empower Me Online — for free! Republishing my articles is quick and easy. All you have to do is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Dwight Woods’ Empower Me Online”, and include a back-link to http://www.unifiedmartialart.com. That’s it!

©2012 Unified Martial Art Academy
12580 SW 88^th Street
Miami, Florida 33186
305 595-2892

Exercise As A Metaphor For Life

Wednesday morning message

January 25, 2012

No one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourself. - Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882, American Poet and Essayist

“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.” - Pablo Ruiz Picasso, Spanish painter and sculptor, co-founder, with Georges Braque, of cubism

 

Yesterday I’m in the park finishing off Round 8 of Exercise 5 in the morning routine. And I admit I got the urge to skip Exercise 6.

But then I tell myself, “It’s just 4 more minutes and you’ve achieved your goal.”

And then it hit me! How you approach your workout is a metaphor for how you approach your life.

If you procrastinate on getting started with exercise, you probably procrastinate on getting started with projects or taking action steps on any ideas you have.

If you routinely put off your workout a la “I’ll get started tomorrow or next week”, then you probably routinely put off getting started on the important things you know you need to do.

It’s been said, “How you do anything is how you do everything.” Think about that for a second.

We recently finished a whole series on goal-getting. We made a ton of different lists and what-have-you.

I have another list for you.

If you’ve hung with me for any time, then you probably know I believe that we all have the power within us to get anything we want.

I believe we have all the answers inside us already. We just have to train (interesting word choice, no?) ourselves to bring out these answers and then act on them.

This list is entitled The Things I Know I Have To Do To Get To Where I Want To Be. Simple, right? Make the list; start acting on its items; achieve your dreams; change your life.

Imagine waking up every day knowing that yesterday you crossed another “must do item” off that list.

How do you think you’d approach the day? How do you think your life would be?

The thing that keeps people back is that they hate challenges. Everyone wishes for a challenge-free life.

Ain’t gonna happen.

As long as you’re on this planet, the only planet of choice, then you’re going to be challenged so you could as well accept that and learn to move on without resistance.

Dan Kennedy recently wrote about being challenge-free. I’ll rip off his stuff and tell you all about it on Friday, okay?

Now go out and conquer the world,

Sifu DW for TeamUMAA
www.unifiedmartialart.com
“Using Martial Art As a vehicle for personal growth and development”
305 595-2892

P.S. We have a bunch of new Fitness Kickboxers joining our ranks. Keeping up with the logistics delayed my promised video shoot but I’ll get it done by Friday, I swear!

Nota Bene: If you enjoyed this, forward it on to a few of your friends and business associates.

Comments? Leave them below. Let me know what you’re thinking.

UMAA is now on Facebook! Click here to sign into your Facebook account (you do have one, don’t you?) search for Miami Jeet Kune Do and join the group.

If this message was forwarded to you and you’d like to start getting this in your Inbox, just sign up on my home page at http://www.unifiedmartialart.com

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters — need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Morning Messages or Empower Me Online — for free! Republishing my articles is quick and easy. All you have to do is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Dwight Woods’ Empower Me Online”, and include a back-link to http://www.unifiedmartialart.com. That’s it!

©2012 Unified Martial Art Academy
12580 SW 88^th Street
Miami, Florida 33186
305 595-2892

Step By Step – Part 2

Friday morning message

January 20, 2012

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honourable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” – George Bernard Shaw, an Irish playwright who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925

 

On Wednesday I gave you essentially the last part of your goal-getting guide, namely the “reverse thinking”, step-by-step approach.

It is a deceptively simple method which will be used by only those who are dead serious about achieving their goals.

Why? Because it is key in developing a series of measurable benchmarks with which you’ll be able to gauge your progress. When you go into your desired future and then work your way back to the present, you’re forced to identify exactly what it is you need to be doing right now, to end up where you want to go.

Faced with that concrete an example of what’s to be done, the weak crumple.

But I also told you there were a couple other ways of looking at this.

Here they are.

Number one is tricky and scary. Assume you were already in the position of having achieved your goal. Then it all slipped away.

What would have had to have gone wrong to cause you to lose your desired position?  Go over it step by step. Trace it back.

Now, write it down IN REVERSE. The last things you lost are the first stages of getting to the goal.

Number two, assume you’re already there. Really put yourself in the position of having achieved your goal. Now, remember what you did to get there. Then write it down.

It sounds strange to try to remember things you’ve never done. Until you do it… and it works!

This concludes our series on goal-getting. I hope it was of immense help to you.

If you need any help with any of this, feel free to let me know. Have a great weekend.

Now go out and conquer the world,

Sifu DW for TeamUMAA
www.unifiedmartialart.com
“Using Martial Art As a vehicle for personal growth and development”
305 595-2892

P.S. Next week is Evaluations Week at the Academy. Check the bulletin board for special Evaluation times.

P.P.S. On Monday, I’ll talk to you more about the UMAA Body Blast and JKD Master Class formats that are being introduced in February at the Academy.

Nota Bene: If you enjoyed this, forward it on to a few of your friends and business associates.

Comments? Leave them below. Let me know what you’re thinking.

UMAA is now on Facebook! Click here to sign into your Facebook account (you do have one, don’t you?) search for Miami Jeet Kune Do and join the group.

If this message was forwarded to you and you’d like to start getting this in your Inbox, just sign up on my home page at http://www.unifiedmartialart.com

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters — need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Morning Messages or Empower Me Online — for free! Republishing my articles is quick and easy. All you have to do is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Dwight Woods’ Empower Me Online”, and include a back-link to http://www.unifiedmartialart.com. That’s it!

©2012 Unified Martial Art Academy
12580 SW 88^th Street
Miami, Florida 33186
305 595-2892

Step By Step

Wednesday morning message

January 18, 2012

“The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.” - Oprah Winfrey

“Give yourself something to work toward – constantly.”.” - Mary Kay Ash, owner and founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics

 

Earlier this week I had a short discussion with someone about the origins of the word “educate”. Its root is in the Latin “e, ex” the prefix that means “out of”, and “ducere” which means “to lead”.

Hence, in educating kids, for example, the idea is to draw intelligence out, not stuff information in.

This morning I’m going to “educate” you by drawing the last bit of information about your goals out of you

You should already have your Goals Brainstorming list, your Permission Goals list, your get Rid Of list, your Main Goals list and your Resources list (contacts, financial, technical, skills, interests, activities, character traits).

Now take a look at your big goal. What do you need to get to make it happen? Do you really need that? Or is there some way you can shorten the process? What do you have to trade along the way? Who can you learn from to find these things out? Take a few minutes and think about these things right now.

What’s next? Put it in reverse. Use something called backwards planning to create a list of tasks that you can carry out step-by-step to achieve your goal.

What is the last thing I need to achieve before this goal becomes a reality?

Write that down. In the case of the house in Beverly Hills, you’d need to close on the house.

For each step, repeat the question: Just before that, you’d need to have the money.

Repeat the question: Just before that, you’d need to get approved for the loan. Or you’d need to get to the final phase of the money making process you’re using to pay cash. (How much is the total?) What date will you need this step completed?

See what’s happening here? You’re working your way back to the present.

This is a simple example to illustrate the principle. You decide where you need to go, what date you want to be there, and then work backwards to where you are now.

And to start with, you only do a very sketchy linear map. Don’t fill in the how yet. Just the what. The key is in developing a series of measurable benchmarks with which you’ll be able to gauge your progress.

There’re a couple other ways to use this reverse thinking and I’ll get them to you on Friday.

Now go out and conquer the world,

Sifu DW for TeamUMAA
www.unifiedmartialart.com
“Using Martial Art As a vehicle for personal growth and development”
305 595-2892

P.S. Enter PS here.

Nota Bene: If you enjoyed this, forward it on to a few of your friends and business associates.

Comments? Leave them below. Let me know what you’re thinking.

UMAA is now on Facebook! Click here to sign into your Facebook account (you do have one, don’t you?) search for Miami Jeet Kune Do and join the group.

If this message was forwarded to you and you’d like to start getting this in your Inbox, just sign up on my home page at http://www.unifiedmartialart.com

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters — need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Morning Messages or Empower Me Online — for free! Republishing my articles is quick and easy. All you have to do is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Dwight Woods’ Empower Me Online”, and include a back-link to http://www.unifiedmartialart.com. That’s it!

©2012 Unified Martial Art Academy
12580 SW 88^th Street
Miami, Florida 33186
305 595-2892

Getting Started On Goal-Getting _ Part 2

Monday morning message

January 16, 2012

None but a coward dares to boast that he has never known fear. - Ferdinand Foch, 1851-1929

“Theory is splendid but until put into practice, it is valueless.” – James Cash Penney

 

On Friday we got started with goal getting. I wanted to continue with that this morning.

And yeah it’s gonna be more fun because we’re gonna make more list!

We’re gonna make lists of resources. And this may help to open your eyes because you may discover you have more resources than you thought.

Knowing everything that you have to work with will put you far ahead of most people. Recognizing the value of these resources is a whole other story. And once you learn to see that value the only thing that can stop you is you.

The first list is a list of contacts. Depending on your social skill level this could be a quite extensive list because you should put down everybody you know. Your banker, baker, bartender, boss, employees, customers, good friends, casual acquaintances, everybody.

The second list is your financial resources: cash on hand, credit line, liquid assets, investments, convertible assets; any other financial resources you may have.

Then there’s technical resources. Computer hardware, electronics, software, technical staff, etc.

Then there’s your skills list. Every job you ever had and what you learned from it. Every hobby you have that requires real skill. Every language you speak, instrument you play. Every incidental skill you’ve acquired along the way like writing, accounting, etc.

Then there’s your interests list. Anything at all that you find interesting, no matter what it is, if it grabs your attention even a little bit, write it down.

And lastly, your character traits. Describe your character as you see it. Are you honest? Inpatient? Cheerful? Easily distracted? Creative? List every character trait that you have.

That’s a lot of work so I’ll stop there. We’ll pick this up again on Wednesday when I’ll tell you what to do with all those lists and all this new information that you now have about yourself, okay?

Now go out and conquer the world,

Sifu DW for TeamUMAA
www.unifiedmartialart.com
“Using Martial Art As a vehicle for personal growth and development”
305 595-2892

P.S. Morning class only at the Academy: 9.30a FKB and 10.30a JKD. All evening classes pre-empted due to MLK Jr. holiday.

P.P.S. Did you hear about the new express Body Blast workouts and the new JKD Master Class events that are starting in February? If not, you should ask me about them!

Nota Bene: If you enjoyed this, forward it on to a few of your friends and business associates.

Comments? Leave them below. Let me know what you’re thinking.

UMAA is now on Facebook! Click here to sign into your Facebook account (you do have one, don’t you?) search for Miami Jeet Kune Do and join the group.

If this message was forwarded to you and you’d like to start getting this in your Inbox, just sign up on my home page at http://www.unifiedmartialart.com

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters — need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Morning Messages or Empower Me Online — for free! Republishing my articles is quick and easy. All you have to do is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Dwight Woods’ Empower Me Online”, and include a back-link to http://www.unifiedmartialart.com. That’s it!

©2012 Unified Martial Art Academy
12580 SW 88^th Street
Miami, Florida 33186
305 595-2892

Getting Started On Goal Getting

Friday morning message

January 13, 2012

The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want. - Ben Stein, 1944-present

“Everything must have a beginning… and that beginning must be linked to something that went before.” - Mary Shelley

 

I’ve been getting really great feedback from my readers about the “Things really started coming together quickly when I ________” sentence.

Some say it’s helped them to recognize what’s important to them, who they really are and how much they have left to do.

So since I’m on a kinda roll, I thought I give you some other things you might want to take a look at.

Start with a goals brainstorming session. You know the usual stuff that answers the question, “If my life could be anything I wanted it to be, what would it be right now?

Include where you would live, what your house/condo/apartment would be like, who would your friends be, how would you spend your time, what would you eat, wear, listen to?

Would you work? If yes, doing what? If no, what would you do instead?

What would you want to learn? To know? To be?

Where would you vacation and what would you do on vacation?

What else would be part of your ideal life?

Then move on to “permission goals”, the things you really want and could easily have with your current resources but that you just haven’t yet given yourself permission for.  Answer these two, “what’s the goal? Why don’t I have it yet?”

Now move on to the things you need to get rid of. Things you’d be better off without like bad habits, clutter (the bane of my existence), toxic people, toxic environments, unnecessary expenses, etc.

You write “I want to eliminate ___________. When that’s done, my life will be better because ______________.”

Now take the stuff from you brainstorming session and your elimination session and write them out on your “Main Goals” sheet.

Be sure to describe them in detail and add a desired completion date, if possible.

Aren’t lists fun?

Take some time this holiday weekend and give this a whirl. At worst, you’ll come up with a very good idea of what you really want your life to be like.

At best, you’ll have your starting point for when we continue with our goal-getting strategies on Monday.

Now go out and conquer the world,

Sifu DW for TeamUMAA
www.unifiedmartialart.com
“Using Martial Art As a vehicle for personal growth and development”
305 595-2892

P.S. Remember Monday is a national holiday so no evening classes. I will teach FKB at 9.30am and JKD at 10.30am, but that’s it for the day, okay?

Nota Bene: If you enjoyed this, forward it on to a few of your friends and business associates.

Comments? Leave them below. Let me know what you’re thinking.

UMAA is now on Facebook! Click here to sign into your Facebook account (you do have one, don’t you?) search for Miami Jeet Kune Do and join the group.

If this message was forwarded to you and you’d like to start getting this in your Inbox, just sign up on my home page at http://www.unifiedmartialart.com

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters — need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Morning Messages or Empower Me Online — for free! Republishing my articles is quick and easy. All you have to do is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Dwight Woods’ Empower Me Online”, and include a back-link to http://www.unifiedmartialart.com. That’s it!

©2012 Unified Martial Art Academy
12580 SW 88^th Street
Miami, Florida 33186
305 595-2892

The Definiteness Of Your Purpose

Wednesday morning message

January 11, 2012

Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best. - Henry van Dyke, 1852-1933

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. - Alan Kay, 1940-present

 

On Monday I suggested that you take the time to finish the sentence “Things really started to come together quickly when ______________.”

I heard from several Morning Message readers that this was excellent timely advice.

Good for them. My constant goal is to be relevant and helpful to as many of you as possible.

I drink my own medicine so I came up with 10 things when I wrote out the sentence myself. And when I get everything in place then I promise you the Academy will be transformed.

Notice that I said when and not if. That’s because this is, as Napoleon Hill teaches in Think And Grow Rich, definiteness of purpose.

The best example of that that I know of is Sijo Bruce Lee’s “My Definite Chief Aim”, an illustration of which you can see on the front page of the Academy website at www.unifiedmartialart.com.

My Definite Chief Aim – by Bruce Lee
I, Bruce Lee, will be the first highest paid Oriental super star in the United States. In return I will give the most exciting performances and render the best of quality in the capacity of an actor. Starting 1970 I will achieve world fame and from then onward till the end of 1980 I will have in my possession $10,000,000. I will live the way I please and achieve inner harmony and happiness.

I know I’ve written to you about this before but I thought it would be okay to revisit it since we have been talking about goal setting and goal getting.

Notice that Sijo Bruce states exactly what it is that he wants to achieve, states exactly when he intends to achieve it, but most importantly, he says what he’s going to do in order to receive.

It goes back to, again something that we’ve talked about here before, the idea of being willing to do the work.

Taking the time to finish the “Things really started…” sentence forces you to listen to your inner voice. You need to listen to your inner voice, your intuition, and then follow through with action. It takes time, determination, intense desire, focus and patience.

Do you have what it takes?

Now go out and conquer the world,

Sifu DW for TeamUMAA
www.unifiedmartialart.com
“Using Martial Art As a vehicle for personal growth and development”
305 595-2892

P.S. My chapter in the book “The Ultimate Success Secret” is titled Take Action When Your “Inner Voice” Speaks. You can still purchase your own copy at the TeamUMAA office for $19.99.

P.P.S. January is Evaluations month! Lil’ Dragons Evaluations will be next week and Jr. & Adult JKD and Muay Thai during the week of the23rd.

Nota Bene: If you enjoyed this, forward it on to a few of your friends and business associates.

Comments? Leave them below. Let me know what you’re thinking.

UMAA is now on Facebook! Click here to sign into your Facebook account (you do have one, don’t you?) search for Miami Jeet Kune Do and join the group.

If this message was forwarded to you and you’d like to start getting this in your Inbox, just sign up on my home page at http://www.unifiedmartialart.com

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters — need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Morning Messages or Empower Me Online — for free! Republishing my articles is quick and easy. All you have to do is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Dwight Woods’ Empower Me Online”, and include a back-link to http://www.unifiedmartialart.com. That’s it!

©2012 Unified Martial Art Academy
12580 SW 88^th Street
Miami, Florida 33186
305 595-2892

How To Make 2012 Your “Phenomenon Year – Part 4

Monday morning message

January 9, 2012

“Do not think of today’s failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourself a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find a joy in overcoming obstacles.” - Hellen Keller, the famous deaf-blind American author and educator

Sorry I missed last Friday’s morning message but I didn’t have proper internet access during the four days I was in Washington, DC.

As usual we were in conference 14 hours a day (16 hours a couple days) and “guest services” at the conference hotel is a good idea. Alas, just an idea.

Imagine you have over 300 people attending a conference at your hotel. People who are going to be working long hours and will need artificial stimulation, aka caffeine, and you still close your little Starbucks counter at 2pm every day!

The hotel managers were probably excited to host the conference because it meant more rooms would be occupied and more guests would use the restaurant, since there’s nothing else close by.

But they didn’t think things through. They didn’t expend the extra effort to make sure that they covered every little area that could make a difference in impressing the guests.

That would require more effort. The kind of effort that most people aren’t willing to make. Physical and mental effort.

Why? ‘Cause it requires planning.  And most people don’t plan. At all.

They operate on automatic pilot. Doing the same things the same way every day. Thinking the same thoughts every day. Reacting the same way every day.

I remember the same Starbucks fiasco thing happening at the Marriott during a Glazer-Kennedy conference back in January of 2009 in Orlando.

But just on the first day. ‘Cause Kennedy made a point to mention Marriott’s shortsightedness while on stage and the next day, the Starbucks was not just open later but better staffed with more baristas.

How much planning do you put into what you’re doing?

If your goal was to earn $1,000,000 dollars in 2012, you could visualize what you’d do with that million dollars all you want, but if you didn’t have a realistic action plan for creating multiples of that figure in value, and transferring that value to others, then your goal would be nothing more than a pipe dream.

You need to visualize the journey as well as the dream. You need to break your goal into a series of supporting objectives.

Here’s a little creative exercise to help you. Imagine your goal is already achieved.

There you are going about your day with your goal in place, enjoying the fruits of your labor, and the emotional satisfaction your achievement brings you.

Now, remaining in that moment, finish this sentence, “Things really started to come together quickly when ______________.” Don’t think about it. Just finish the sentence.

Take a piece of paper and finish that sentence ten times without thinking. Just write whatever comes into your mind.

Something inspiring and unexpected is sure to come out because more often than not we already have the answers inside. We just need something to bring them out and start us on the road to fulfilling our dreams.

Now go out and conquer the world,

Sifu DW for TeamUMAA
www.unifiedmartialart.com
“Using Martial Art As a vehicle for personal growth and development”
305 595-2892

P.S. January is Evaluations month! Lil’ Dragons Evaluations will be next week and Jr. & Adult JKD and Muay Thai during the week of the23rd.

Nota Bene: If you enjoyed this, forward it on to a few of your friends and business associates.

Comments? Leave them below. Let me know what you’re thinking.

UMAA is now on Facebook! Click here to sign into your Facebook account (you do have one, don’t you?) search for Miami Jeet Kune Do and join the group.

If this message was forwarded to you and you’d like to start getting this in your Inbox, just sign up on my home page at http://www.unifiedmartialart.com

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters — need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Morning Messages or Empower Me Online — for free! Republishing my articles is quick and easy. All you have to do is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Dwight Woods’ Empower Me Online”, and include a back-link to http://www.unifiedmartialart.com. That’s it!

©2012 Unified Martial Art Academy
12580 SW 88^th Street
Miami, Florida 33186
305 595-2892

How To Make 2012 Your “Phenomenon” Year – Part 3

Wednesday morning message

January 4, 2012

“Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.” - English actress, singer, author and icon Julia Elizabeth Wells, popularly known as Julie Andrews

“Genius lies not in thinking of ideas, but in the ability to execute the ideas.” -Jane McElyea

Not surprisingly no one’s taken me up on the offer I made last Friday to discuss with them their plans to change the world.

Probably because they realised that simple goals take time to be achieved so imagine how long a lofty goal such as changing the world will take!

That’s a big problem with people. No patience. No stick-to-itiveness!

Remember back in 2008 no one in the media would cover Ron Paul? Now they do, even though they still try to minimize what he’s saying. But imagine if Team Paul had given up at any point in the past. We’d never have heard what the only sensible presidential candidate has to say!

I see people giving up all the time.

In Fitness Kickboxing, they take a trial class, realise this getting in shape stuff takes a lot of work (especially if they took MV’s class) and they quit right after the first class, even though they know it’s just what they need.

Kids do the same in Jr. JKD. They realise that getting good at martial arts is not as easy as getting good at martial arts video games. And so they quit without really giving it a try.

And their parents let them because, well heck, they themselves never got any training in goal setting/achieving either. So it becomes a vicious circle until someone breaks the cycle.

One place to start is by questioning your goals. Why do you want them?

Chances are your goal is a physical means to an emotional end. Like making a million dollars, for example. What’s the emotion behind that physical idea?

The answer to that question is your higher goal.

Doesn’t mean you should abandon the goal just because you realise that the driving force behind the goal is to provide a better life for your family.

Go on to the second stage. Planning; detailed planning that is. A million dollars is not going to magically fall into your lap. Yes, I know somebody’s gotta win the lottery, but chances are it’s not going to be you.

A lot in the self-help movement is long on goal setting. And short on detailed planning. “Keep your eye on the prize and the universe will take care of the rest.”

Sounds good, don’t it? Because someone else, the universe in this case, is doing all the heavy lifting.

Detailed planning to earn that million dollars is indispensible. How else will you be ready when Plan A turns to doo doo, as it probably will?

Only problem is, planning requires thinking, not mere wishing…

You have to make a detailed inventory of all the resources you currently possess, break down the goals into supporting objectives… and formulate the methods for achieving them.

So where’s your list? Of things like subscriber lists, customer lists, products, employees, partner relationships, hardware and software, cash, credit, skills, etc.?

Don’t limit yourself to just the resources that are obviously necessary to achieve making a million bucks. Make your list as inclusive as possible.

Make a list too of the stuff that’ll be required to meet your goal, but that are currently beyond your reach. This list will grow as you define your objectives and brainstorm your methods.

We’ll pick this up again on Friday. In the meantime, might I suggest you start regularly locking yourself in a room, disconnecting from the world, and focusing on these critical aspects of goal achievement?

Now go out and conquer the world,

Sifu DW for TeamUMAA
www.unifiedmartialart.com
“Using Martial Art As a vehicle for personal growth and development”
305 595-2892

P.S. I owe you a recording of what’s “new” at the Academy for 2012. I’ll record it while I’m in DC over the next few days and have it for you next Monday, okay?

P.P.S. In the meantime, know that new FKBers can attend only Tuesday & Thursday classes for their first two weeks before jumping into MV’s class.

P.P.P.S. JKDers and MTers will have a chance to jump into the “UMAA Body Blast” portion of the FKB classes. Stay tuned.

Nota Bene: If you enjoyed this, forward it on to a few of your friends and business associates.

Comments? Leave them below. Let me know what you’re thinking.

UMAA is now on Facebook! Click here to sign into your Facebook account (you do have one, don’t you?) search for Miami Jeet Kune Do and join the group.

If this message was forwarded to you and you’d like to start getting this in your Inbox, just sign up on my home page at http://www.unifiedmartialart.com

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters — need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Morning Messages or Empower Me Online — for free! Republishing my articles is quick and easy. All you have to do is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Dwight Woods’ Empower Me Online”, and include a back-link to http://www.unifiedmartialart.com. That’s it!

©2012 Unified Martial Art Academy
12580 SW 88^th Street
Miami, Florida 33186
305 595-2892

How To Make 2012 Your “Phenomenon” Year

Friday morning message

December 30, 2011

Facts are facts and will not disappear on account of your likes. – Jawaharlal Nehru, 1889-1964, Indian Prime Minister

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.” — Peter Ferdinand Drucker (American writer, management consultant and university professor)

 

The Phenomenon™ is a term coined by Dan Kennedy referring to that time in an entrepreneur’s life when “the sun, the moon and the planets seem to align and you attract more opportunity, more contacts, more cooperation, more resources, you make more money, amass more wealth and you accomplish more of your goals in 12 months than you did in the previous 12 years”.

I’ve written to you about this before but thought with 2012 upon us it’d be worth our while to revisit it.

The New Year… a time of reflection, renewal, and goal setting…

Over the next six weeks or so, more self-help books will be sold than at any other time of the year.

More resolutions will be made and more people will discover the “secrets” of achievement, manifestation, and true happiness — thanks to the power of positive thinking and purposeful living.

The out of shape will busily visualize how trim and sexy they’ll look having shed x pounds by x date…

…The lonely will describe their ideal mate on 3 by 5 flash cards and pull them out of their purses and wallets to read three times a day …

…The materially ambitious will write out the specific details of the new car, house, or vacation of their dreams… pictures collected and pasted into little “dream books” …

But by the end of January, most of this mental exertion will have fizzled.

Why? Because goal setting has become a euphemism for wishing, the theory being that focusing on a goal long and hard enough will mysteriously bring it to fruition.

Don’t fall for that mysticism. It’s how the self-help industry keeps you dependent on its endless array of products.

A different result calls for a different approach.  It’s gotta come from deep inside you.

Your goals must be congruent with your larger vision of who you are and what you want out of life.

Why? Because only then will you be able to muster the will to consistently carry out the sometimes painful or frightening actions any worthwhile goal demands.

If your goals are incongruent with who you are, or if they are someone else’s goals masquerading as your own… no amount of creative visualization, affirmation, or positive thinking will sustain you on your journey.

You’re gonna jump ship at the first or second inevitable setback.

But if your goals and your big picture vision of yourself identity are in alignment, no amount of adversity can stand in your way.

So for now, start here. Want a big picture vision of yourself? Answer this question… what’s wrong with the world and what can you do to change it?

Happy New Year! Don’t party too hard and I’ll talk to you in 2012 on Monday morning!

Now go out and conquer the world,

Sifu DW for TeamUMAA
www.unifiedmartialart.com
“Using Martial Art As a vehicle for personal growth and development”
305 595-2892

P.S. “Last Workouts” today at 9.30am and 10.30am. “First Workout” on Monday 2^nd, one combined FKB/JKD class at 9.00am… new time!!!

Nota Bene: If you enjoyed this, forward it on to a few of your friends and business associates.

Comments? Leave them below. Let me know what you’re thinking.

UMAA is now on Facebook! Click here to sign into your Facebook account (you do have one, don’t you?) search for Miami Jeet Kune Do and join the group.

If this message was forwarded to you and you’d like to start getting this in your Inbox, just sign up on my home page at http://www.unifiedmartialart.com

Media, bloggers, marketers, editors, publishers, Web masters — need powerful content on your Web site or blog? You can syndicate or republish any of the articles you’ve read in Morning Messages or Empower Me Online — for free! Republishing my articles is quick and easy. All you have to do is include author attribution (byline/name of author) and the following statement, “This article appears courtesy of Dwight Woods’ Empower Me Online”, and include a back-link to http://www.unifiedmartialart.com. That’s it!

©2011 Unified Martial Art Academy
12580 SW 88^th Street
Miami, Florida 33186
305 595-2892