What counts is focused effort in the service of a meaningful purpose. Get that, and you’re really getting somewhere.

Just being busy is not going to make you successful. Instead of merely using up time, find a way to create real, desirable value with the time you have available.

Don’t comfort yourself with being aimlessly busy. Challenge yourself to get meaningful results from your time and effort.

Outstanding achievement and disappointing mediocrity are both built from the same twenty-four hours in each day. The difference is not one of time or even effort, but of focus and authentic purpose.

As long as you’re making the effort, as long as you’re using up resources, as long as you’re spending the time, make it all count. Make a habit of doing what really matters, and you’ll enjoy a life that’s really great.”

Ralph Marston

Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer, Minneapolis, MN

1. Evaluate your gifts and talents: What gifts and talents do you have that you enjoy using? These are things that you rarely mind doing, where you find yourself engaged, motivated and inspired at just the thought of it. Everyone has several of these and they come in many forms. i.e. listening, hospitality, service, brainstorming, creativity, analysis, compassion, logical assessments, music, kids, big picture perspective, implementer, task driver, laborer, specific skills, etc. List 5 gifts and talents you have. For a fun exercise, there is a FREE “Discovering My Spiritual Gift” assessment tool at www.treeoflifenc.org (under Resources).
2. Evaluate the opportunities you have today: What is going on in the near future where you can put those gifts and talents into action? How can you share those with others and be an encouragement for them? What would you love to do that would actually give you more energy by being involved and using you gifts? List 3 ways you can use your gifts and talents in the next week.
3. Stop doing things that do not work. What do you know that you are doing that you want to stop? Stop smoking, stop eating too much, stop cutting yourself down, stop complaining, stop needing, stop over-promising, stop worrying. Whatever you are doing that feels uncomfortable for you that you know you should stop should be halted. This will increase your attractiveness and consequently boost your confidence!
4. Do something that is radical for you. This is a process of breaking out of a rut. People are very attracted to people who are always innovating and continually doing new and different things. Play around with ideas and identify something fun that you can start doing that will support you in trying something new and different.
5. Stop comparing yourself to others. Identify the standards that are important for your life. Use these to benchmark yourself. If you are constantly comparing yourself to others, you will always feel inadequate and miss the great gifts you have to offer.