One of the best things that you can do for yourself BAR NONE, is to make the commitment to yourself to “grow” yourself as a human being. By this, I mean, be the best person you can become and develop yourself as a business owner by becoming a master of your line of work, while upgrading your marketing and business skills. This “priceless decision” will give you big returns by investing in yourself and your business. I promise you that!

One of my own personal values is a commitment to continuous life-long learning.  I believe that a commitment to personal and professional development is a crucial factor to designing and executing a business that is profitable and on “purpose”.

What key players in any industry know is that there’s always more to learn. It makes good common sense to learn from the “Masters” in your field or related industries. By being the best in your field, being privy to the most current information and being a “progressive” business person, you and your business will stand out from the crowd!

Are you taking the initiative to learn and grow?  Is it in your business budget?  If not, it needs to be!  Attending live events should definitely be a part of your marketing strategy. I advance my “business skill set” with a minimum investment of well over $15,000 a year by attending a wide variety of business, marketing and advanced success strategy seminars, as well as my participation in a Mastermind group.

This practice of investing in my personal and professional development has paid me HUGE dividends. By attending live events, I have the opportunity to network with like-minded individuals and make valuable connections that help me to achieve my business goals. I also advance my knowledge base and skill set, which allows me to stand out in a field where there is a lot of “competition”.

I’m curious to hear from you. How has investing in yourself, both personally and professionally helped you to be more successful?

Diana

PS. Speaking of great opportunities, I’d LOVE for you to attend the Vision for Success workshop, on April 25th, 2008.  Click here to learn all about it and to register for this live event.

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Wake up call! You’ve probably heard the statistic that says we humans on average only access approximately 10% of our brain’s potential. And that is on a good day! It makes one wonder what the “sleeping” 90% portion of our brain’s potential could be. It’s really a staggering concept. What might you envision for yourself if you were virtually unlimited? What would life be like for you if you tapped into your huge reservoir of your own potential? Wow!

Here is a 3 point process to access more of your own vast potential. First begin visioning each and every day. If you aren’t clear on what you want, you aren’t going to get there. Visioning is an activity that lets you bypass your “issues” and go straight to possibility. Your dynamic, crystal clear Vision will pull you forward to the success you desire.

Second, design and place yourself into dynamic environments that both support and pull you forward. Your environment can make, break or keep you static. Choose wisely. Environments that challenge and stretch you are vital to your own growth and success.

Human beings are more fully engaged and successful when they consistently set goals that are slightly out of reach. What about you? Are you growing or stagnant? In what ways will you stretch yourself this month? Will you: Assume a leadership position? Enroll in the MBA program you’ve talked about for years? Finally upgrade your technical skills? Go for it!

Third, identify and emulate role models who are wildly successful. Recently, while in my power yoga class, I attempted to execute a difficult posture. (It wasn’t pretty.) I glanced up and saw a woman in the row ahead of me elegantly and powerfully assume the posture in a way that absolutely defied logic! I never dreamed the human body could actually do what I saw this “yogi” do. Seeing her do this amazing feat instantly helped me to reframe what is indeed possible. Had I not seen what was possible, I might have continued with a very limited, narrow perspective on what my own body is capable of.

My challenge to you this month is seek out those who are 10 steps ahead of you. Observe and learn from them. Perhaps it is time for you to enlist a mentor or coach? As Ralph Waldo Emerson so aptly said, “What lies behind us or ahead of us are small matters compared to what lies within us!” Awaken your potential and step into your greatness.

To awaken your potential now … check out my all-new Business Breakthrough Series!

This article is available for reprint as long as the entire article is included along with the following copyright information and Bio.

Copyright 2007 Diana Long

Success Coach and Speaker, Diana Long, is the President of the Life Design Institute. Diana can help you transform your dreams into reality and give you the shortcuts to success with her variety of life-changing programs and products. Learn more about Diana and receive your FREE Report, “3 Huge Mistakes People Like You Make to Sabotage Their Success & How You Can Completely Avoid Them!” and FREE subscription to “Life & Work Design Secrets” e-newsletter, please visit www.DianaLong.com.

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Ok, I admit it.

I am very partial to coaching.

I believe everyone should have a coach!

The world would be a much  better place.

Here’s why:

Coaching works incredibly well. Various research studies reveal the positive impact that coaching can have for people. There are significant, distinct and measurable results. It’s no secret that  major corporations have integrated the use of coaching into their companies. It’s not just for  high-powered executives anymore.Coaching is  widely gaining appeal and is a postive trend that is here to stay. I recently learned that Nationwide Insurance is utilizing professional coaches to train key personnel to learn coaching skill sets, so that the entire culture has a new way of being at work. The results include elavated morale, improved communication, increased productivity and much more.

So you might be saying to yourself,  “well,that’s nice, but what does that have to do with me?” Before I answer that, I’d like to share something with you that might make some of my readers gasp.  As a firm believer in the power of coaching, I as a coach, have a my own coach  to whom I happily pay 1,000.00 a month.

Now it wasn’t that way when I wrote that first check to my coach.  I literally was “teetering” in my high heels ( and had to drink  an extra cup of “calming” tea to quiet my jangled nerves)

Here’s something else interesting…

My income doubled within 1 month of working with my new coach. Is my coach good? You bet! But there’s more to it. By stretching myself, and because I hired a really great coach who know’s her value, I set myself up to “win”. I invested in myself and my personal and professional dreams. Because I have vested interest in this coaching relationship, you better believe I am being accountable to achieving my goals.

I am amazed at the number of people that I know who have big dreams but don’t have a coach! I know, I know, I am partial to coaching but…

Coaching works.

Plain and simple.

 It is the Fast Track to greater life satisfaction, fulfillment and success ( success as  defined by you!)

Is it time for you to invest in the power of you? I hope so! I believe the world becomes a better place every time that someone dedicates themselves to living their dreams!

Diana Long, The Results Coach, is the founder of The Life Design Institute, LLC. — a compay which provides coaching, consulting, and programs for busy professionals, small business owners, and entrepreneurs.  Co-creator of the Business Breakthrough Series, Diana’s innovation and exceptional insight are highly sought after.  For more information:  www.DianaLong.com.

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I recently attended a weekend workshop on Quantum Physics in the Big Apple, New York City. The workshop drew all kinds of folks, I met a priest,  an accountant, engineers, healers, doctors, massage therapists, coaches, and housewife from New Jersey. Quite a few flew in from England, the Netherlands and Germany to attend. The topic? How to apply some basic principles of quantum physics to create more of what you do want in your life. The workshop was presented by  Dr Richard Bartlett, who lives in Seattle and has created quite a stir with the kinds of results he’s getting with his clientile in his chiropractic practice. So much so that he’s decided to take his “process” on the road and teach others how to do what he can do.

I learned of this workshop through one of my coaching communities and felt excited and ready to expand my own concepts of what is possible. The weekend was a bit like Woodstock! ( but without the drugs), with lots of mind blowing quantum physics theory mixed in with some very interesting on stage interractions with Dr Barlett and participants from the crowd. I came home feeling even more inspired and enthused about the tremendous potential that each of us has within us.

I am fascinated with quantum physics and enjoy teaching these concepts ( in my own unique  approach) to my clients as a way to create a foundation of understanding for the now mainstream idea,called “ the Law of Attraction” This ancient concept was repackaged in a  movie called ,The Secret which Oprah, featured (not just once, but twice).The Law of Attraction works for everything, business goals, money goals, finding Mr. Right ( or Ms. Right)

The secret to getting more of the results you want is to practice “seeing, feeling and being” your Vision. Do it every day and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you start seeing results. It’s really amazing and pretty darn simple once you get the hang of it!

The single most important concept I love to teach and am becoming more of a master of in my own life, is becoming an “intentional human.”  What I mean by this is to  become so single-minded in your focus that you literally “see it, feel it, and experience it” even if it isn’t here yet!   In  my study of Positive Psychology research , I came upon a perfect study  that  illustrates the “Act as If” principle to a “T”. In a controlled study, a group of older gentleman  were asked to “go back in time” in their minds and act as if they were living in the 1950’s. Long story short, these men truly began to believe so much in their new “version ” of life so much so that they actually began to feel,act and look younger. Physical testing revealed positive trends and reversing of old complaints! Wow.

If these fellows can reverse time by believing it, then we can too!… ”I act as if, until I am” is my newest mantra. I challenge all of us to become “intentional humans” and consciously decide what it is that we really want for ourselves, for our work, and for our families and communities. It really does begin with us! So,tell me, what are you intending for your life and your business?

Diana Long, The Results Coach, is the founder of The Life Design Institute, LLC. — a compay which provides coaching, consulting, and programs for busy professionals, small business owners, and entrepreneurs.  Co-creator of the Business Breakthrough Series, Diana’s innovation and exceptional insight are highly sought after.  For more information:  www.DianaLong.com.

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Welcome to my blog.

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