Don't Wait Too Long to Use Your Ideas

“Turn every idea upside down to see

 if there is an expiration date stamped on the bottom.”

~Thomas Shepherd

While it may sound strange to check for the "expiration date" of ideas as if they were carton of milk or a loaf of bread, the timing of an idea may be vital to its success.  When you have ideas or opportunities to develop something new, check to see what the urgency is of creating it.  Ideas that fit with the needs of those around you deserve a higher priority.  You don't want to miss your window of opportunity.  Some ideas have a much longer "shelf life," however.  In fact, the current conditions might not support your pursuit of that idea.  If that is the case, write down the idea on a piece of paper and save it in a "parking lot."  Your parking lot is the place where you "park" your ideas until a) you have more time; or b) the timing is right to pursue it.  But make sure you note that "expiration date" so that you don't wait too long!

This week:  Just notice the "expiration date" on ideas you have or those others approach you with.  How does knowing that change the priority you assign it?  Is there something you need to do to make sure that you don't end up throwing out perfectly good ideas because you've waited too long to use them?  At the end of this week, make a decision about how you are going to incorporate "expiration dates" into your use of ideas.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert at helping people achieve goals they had not thought possible using her solution focused approach.  She helps clients take the necessary action to reach goals efficiently and to overcome any mindset limitations that might be interfering with success.  For more information, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com

Great Things Are Done in Smaller Steps

"Great things are done by a series of 

small things brought together."

~ Vincent van Gogh

Whether you are doing all the small things yourself to create something bigger, or whether you are collaborating with others to put together the pieces that will make your outcome greater than the sum of each part, when you take small steps and put them together, you often get something greater than you had anticipated at the start.  The small steps make the task easier to accomplish.  Sometimes doing things in small steps is the only way to get things accomplished at all.  The job is too big to do all at once, or too overwhelming to achieve.  Small steps keep you from being overwhelmed, and allows you to build momentum towards your goal.  Take those small steps; do those small things and achieve something greater than you'd thought possible.  


This week:  Take a small step toward a big goal.  Do some small thing without expecting yourself to "do it all."  Notice what that feels like.  Although you may think what you did is pretty insignificant in the bigger scheme of things, beginning the journey toward that bigger goal or achievement starts you moving forward.  Do something little every day this week toward some outcome you'd like to accomplish.  Notice your progress at the end of the week.  You may still have a long way to go, but you've made a dent in it, have you not?  Congratulate yourself or reward yourself in some way.  If you like this approach, make a commitment to doing it again next week.  


Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people achieve goals they had not thought possible using her solution focused approach.  She specializes in helping people overcome mindset limitations that often block our success.  For more information go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com .

Why Do You Put Things Off?

"If you put off everything till you're sure of it, 

you'll never get anything done."

~Norman Vincent Peale

Putting things off is often due to perfectionism or uncertainty.  You don't have to be perfect.  You don't have to be sure.  Sometimes you just have to jump and do it, even if you aren't sure of it.  In most situations, you can revise and tweak your results.  Too often we expect ourselves to produce a finished product in our first attempt, and end up not producing anything.  Sometimes you have to let go of the outcome in order to get an outcome at all.

This week:  Be honest with yourself.  Do you end up putting things off because you aren't sure?  What is it you are not sure of?  Yourself?  Your abilities?  Your outcome? The product?  How does delaying it help you?  If you aren't sure, ask yourself "What do I need to do to take the first small step in this?"  Take that step and THEN decide what the next step is.  You don't have to know it all when you begin.  But you have to begin.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people achieve goals and overcome their limitations due to mindset and beliefs.  She knows how to get people to take action and to break overwhelming tasks into manageable pieces.  For more information and free resources, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com . 

Find the Place Inside You Where Nothing Is Impossible

"You must find the place inside yourself 

where nothing is impossible."

~Deepak Chopra

We are all capable of so much more than we believe is possible.  We limit ourselves by our thoughts that we don't have the skills, don't have the capabilities to achieve what we'd like to dream.  In order to really succeed, we each need to find that place within ourselves where nothing is impossible.  If you can conceive of something, you can find the way to achieve it.  But you have to let go of the beliefs and the mindset that limit you.

This week:  Imagine what you would do if you knew that you could not fail.  If you knew that anything was not only possible, but you could achieve it, what would you do?  This connects you not only with what is really most important to you, but also where you've put limitations.  Spend some time this week considering whether those limitations are really true, or have you imagined them.  Understand that anything you can imagine can be changed to something less limiting.  Take time to imagine what you would need in order to have a mindset that "I can do it; anything is possible."  What do you need to do in order to make that a reality?  Write down the steps and commit yourself to taking at least one step this week.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert and helping people achieve goals they had not thought possible using a variety of solution focused methods.  She believes that you CAN achieve anything if you have the right tools, and at the Inner Resource Center, LLC helps people find the resources necessary to transform their lives.  For more information, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com . 

Enjoy the Dance

"When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way."

~Wayne Dyer

Although I am a big believer in setting goals to move you forward in your life, life isn't only about achieving and getting to some destination.  As we move toward our goals in life, it is just as important to take breaks and enjoy our lives.  It isn't just the destination; we also need to enjoy the dance. When you do that you are most likely living in a balanced way that makes life both exciting and fulfilling. 

This week:  Build some time to enjoy yourself into your schedule.  Take some time off from your goals to do something you really enjoy.  Take some time for yourself.  Take some time to be with others.  Notice how much more energy you have when you return to work on your goals.  Do this often for one week and notice the difference.  Next, see if you can build some enjoyment into the steps toward reaching your goals.  If nothing else, build "dance time" in a reward for actions you take toward your goal.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people change things that are not working in their lives and begin to build a life that is more meaningful and authentic.  Whether it is starting a new business, changing careers or getting rid of self sabotage, Linda specializes in helping people move beyond their limitations.  For more information go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

Before You Start, Envision Your End Result

"We may be very busy, we may be very efficient, but we will also be truly effective only when we begin with the end in mind."

~Stephen Covey

Knowing where you are going, having a vision of your desired outcome, starting with the end in mind is key to really being effective at achieving your goals.   Without knowing where we are going, we tend to waste our resources of time, energy and money.  We meander around trying to figure out what we want.  We start and stop, going down blind alleys, focusing on things that are irrelevant to our end result.  Taking the time to envision your end result will ultimately save you time and energy, and allow you to pursue your goals most effectively. 

This week:  Identify some area of your life that is not working the way you would like it to.  Take time to think about how you would like things to be instead.  Be very specific.  How will you know you are successful at changing it?   What will that end result look like, sound like, and feel like?  Really envision your end result.  Now ask yourself, "What is the first step I need to take in order to get there?"  Take that first step.  What is the next step?  Keep moving toward that goal until you get that end result you had envisioned.  Notice how much more quickly you made progress toward that outcome by being clear about where you wanted to end up.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach, author and expert in helping people achieve their goals.  She specializes in helping people get rid of self sabotage--those things we often do unconsciously that block our success and happiness.  For more information about her services, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/

You Control Your Own Personal Growth

"You are the only problem you will ever have and you are the only solution. Change is inevitable, personal growth is always a personal decision."

~Bob Proctor

When you begin to realize that you are both the problem AND the solution, you empower yourself to move forward.  You empower yourself to grow in the direction of YOUR choosing.  Which would you rather have in your life:  the belief that you are a victim of the capricious whims of life? Or the belief that you can create your own destiny?  The universe is unfolding as it should and change is inevitable.  How do you want it to impact you?

This week:  Begin to look at your "problems" as creations of your own.  If you can create it, you can also un-create it.  You can solve it.  Ask yourself "Why have I created this?"  "What purpose does it serve in my life?"  Listen carefully for the answer from that wise part of you within.  There is always something you think you are accomplishing by having the problem.  It may not consciously make sense to your rational mind, but it was devised by you to serve some unconscious purpose.  Next ask yourself "What do I need to do about this?"  Brainstorm solutions.  Whether your problem completely disappears or not, you will be on the road to taking charge of your own personal growth and change. 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people find their own solutions to life's challenges.  A personal growth and transformation expert at Inner Resource Center, LLC, Linda has a vast toolbox of resources to help people achieve their goals, overcome obstacles and get rid of the "emotional clutter" that blocks their dreams.  For more information, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/ .