Personal Development and Success Strategies for Life

Everyone who knows me would vouch that I have reached a high level of momentum when a goal I’ve been working comes together. I love nothing more than the feeling of seeing the progress of a goal unfold and the ultimate satisfaction of reaching final accomplishment. It really is an amazing feeling.

As of late, I’ve been working on a variety of inspirational projects which have enabled me to reach top gear, but how does one keep this level of drive and momentum moving throughout your life?

It’s simple really, just don’t stop doing what you’re doing and the momentum will keep rolling. Continuing to progress your goals each day is vital in keeping your momentum moving and keeps you focused as well. Just think, if you stopped progressing your goal for a while, just imagine how much harder it would be to get back into rhythm and momentum again. This is why many smokers can’t give up, because they keep lighting the cigarette thus breaking their momentum of a healthy smoke-free lifestyle.

Let me give you another example. You decide your goal is to lose weight and become more healthy. Your plan is to start to exercise and eat a healthy diet. You know that this is fundamental to achieving your goal of losing weight so you go about watching your food intake and start an exercise program. After six months of this routine, you accomplish your goal with great delight. Now, think for a moment what would happen if you wanted to stop this exercise routine for a few months, and return to eating the same old food that you used to. I’ve seen this situation happen all the time. People go on fad diets and exercise programs, accomplish their goal of losing weight but a few months later, they load it all back on. Now the question I ask you is do you really think that after stopping your healthy routine for a few months, you would find it easy to return to your previous healthy state? Of course not. You could certainly push yourself and regain your previous more healthy position, but it would be so much harder to accomplish after stopping and starting.

This is why momentum is so powerful and this analogy can be applied to any goals in your life, whether it is to lose weight, start a business, or perhaps learn a new language. The point I’m getting at here is if you really want to achieve something, never stop until you reach it. Even if you make small progress each day, that is better than no progress at all and in the end, you will reach your goal - however fast or slow that might be.

I’m making this sound easy I guess, but why do so many people fail to accomplish their goals? A fundamental reason is through lack of momentum. There are so many things in life which can put us off track, obstacles which block our way and many people find it hard to get around them, and you guessed it, they just stop. Successful people know that they can accomplish their goals by continuing to move forward, not making up excuses to stop, or reasons for failure. Even in the worst of times, you can still keep momentum rolling by making even small progress each day.

There are other ways to keep momentum moving in your life and one of those techniques is surrounding yourself with people who think on the same wavelength and are working on achieving goals similar to yours. I know that I find this helps greatly, just being able to collaborate with others in similar positions, tossing ideas around and having the emotional support from your peers, friends and family. In effect, this acts as a positive encouragement which is enlightening and provides a good support structure for keeping momentum up, which I believe is an important aspect in achieving any goal you desire.

If you have a habit of stopping and starting goals in your life, I ask you to consider what effect that momentum would have in your success if only you embraced this powerful yet simple technique.

I’ll finish this post by mentioning what my mother has been quoted as saying about her strong faith in God, “It work’s for me”.

I continue to get flooded with more and more products in the mail which claim to prevent aging but as we all wave goodbye to yesterday, unfortunately you are doomed to be attacked by the evil effects that time has on our bodies.

Our skin usually shows the first signs of aging with wrinkles and fine lines developing and as you get older, the speed of skin cell regeneration drops significantly which means that dead skin cells won’t shed as easily, and when they do they won’t be reborn as fast.

Even though time is ticking against us all, the good news is there are still steps you can take to keep yourself looking younger and slow down the aging process.

You Are What You Eat

A sensible and healthy diet is important to maintaining a young appearance and should include plenty of fresh fruit and leafy green vegetables. Avoid eating foods high in fat or carbohydrates as these take a toll on your system and excessive consumption will cause you to become overweight.

Eating chicken or fish is paramount as these have less fat than red meats. Remember that the beef or pork which you think might appear lean, actually contains hidden fat which you can’t see. This adds to your bottom line - your stomach. Chicken is full of good protein and ideal for people concerned with their weight. In conjunction with keeping fat intake to a minimum, opt for healthy cooking methods like steaming, baking and grilling, rather than frying.

Studies have also shown that eating apples will also help protect you from aging and I personally believe it is the primary reason I don’t have any dental fillings and not too many people my age can boast the same.

Don’t Forget The Fluids

Not drinking enough water causes us to dehydrate and maintaining proper fluids is necessary for healthy clear skin. Drinking green tea is also a powerful anti-oxidant which fights against free radicals which damage your skin and make you age faster. Likewise, it’s important to have adequate calcium in your system to maintain strong healthy bones so drinking a cup of milk every now and again can be beneficial, and consider taking calcium supplements if your natural calcium intake is low.

Take Vitamins To Boost Your System

I recently wrote a lengthy post you can read here about the vitamins I take daily to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Don’t forget to take multi-vitamins at the very least, even if you don’t heed my advice and take the others. They will help your body to maintain a more youthful appearance.

In Asian countries which tend to be more focused on maintaining physical appearance than in the West, it’s no wonder the natural supplement market is booming. Asians generally age slower than people of Western cultures however it is true that to a certain extent, a better diet can be attributed to this. Boost your intake of vitamin C, I take at least 2000mg daily as part of my vitamin regime and find it really makes a difference to the way I look and feel. Zinc is great for the skin and is just one of the essential minerals needed to maintain a healthy youthful appearance.

Make Sure You Moisturize

Nourishing the skin morning and night will help give you glowing radiant skin. Without proper hydration, your skin will become dull and the texture uneven. I recommend SKII facial essence, although a bit expensive, when applied twice daily it gives excellent results. Don’t use a moisturiser which is too oily as this itself can cause skin problems so try different products until you find one which best suits your skin type. Often just by changing your moisturiser you’ll see immediate benefits to your complexion so take the time and find the right one for you.

Cover Your Skin

Remember than environmental factors like UV rays from the sun and pollution spawn free radicals in your body so don’t forget to cover your eyes and use sunscreen on a daily basis. I have got into the habit of putting on sunscreen in the morning after applying moisturiser. Get a sunscreen that is not too thick (the thicker the more greasy) and make it part of your grooming routine. Make sure the sunscreen is at least SPF 30, I tend to find the higher protection creams like SPF 70 far too thick for normal use, but they are ideal for a full day in the sun.

Sweat It Out

Develop and stick to a exercise regimen. Working out not only helps you to get rid of your pot belly or wide waistline but also strengthens your bones, relieves stress and keeps your hormones balanced. It also helps to maintain good posture which can take years off your age alone.

Sleep Well

Getting enough sleep is the best way to maintaining a youthful appearance. When you sleep your body restores itself and your cells regenerate. We are all different in terms of the amount of sleep we require. Most people need 7-8 hours but I tend to find I function best with 10-12 hours, although I do have the luxury of being able to sleep in more than most others. Make sure you’re getting quality sleep as well, that is sleep which is uninterrupted allowing your body to recover properly.

Say Goodbye To The Wrinkles

I have recently started using Retin-A cream on my face prior to sleeping. It works by encouraging your skin cells to turn over more quickly allowing new skin cells to form, and is a proven treatment for reducing wrinkles and fine lines. It is also used to treat various forms of acne but has become widely accepted as a general anti-aging medication.

While I’ve only been using the cream for a few weeks, I’m already starting to have much smoother and clearer skin. So far, the result has been truly amazing. Using Retin-A for at least 6-8 weeks is the recommended treatment to reach an optimum result, and many people are using it permanently (with just one or two applications a week) to maintain their complexions.

Stop Smoking & Drinking

I believe that nothing takes more off your appearance faster than smoking and drinking. Try to quit or do it in moderation as continuing is sure to make you age faster than you could ever imagine. I look at some 40 or 50 year olds and its quite obvious sometimes that they have had a ‘hard life’ of drinking and smoking, attributing to developing more fine lines, especially around the mouth area. I’m sure you know what I mean.

Reduce Stress

Although it’s easier said than done, reducing stress in your life will help you to stay younger. One chap I know, a nurse who lives in Christchurch, New Zealand is 48 but doesn’t look at day over 35. To me, that is quite extraordinary and when I asked him how he did it, he said primarily by avoiding stress in his life.

Now while I’m not a proponent of having zero stress as I believe you need a certain level to become motivated and achieve your goals, having an outlet to reduce stress or taking regular breaks is good in practice. Taking up yoga is also another idea to help to reduce tension and clear your mind.

Surgery At It’s Best

If you’re really concerned about aging, then you can always consider cosmetic surgery as a way to improve your youthfulness. Non-evasive procedures such as microdermabrasion and botox are relatively inexpensive ways to improve your appearance.

Face lifts are also another option which include tightening of your facial muscles and liposuction on the face. Here in Thailand, this type of treatment is very affordable and the quality of physicians and hospital care are some of the finest in the world. Despite many people criticising these types of procedures in countries such as Thailand as being unsafe, I would strongly say otherwise. Because these types of procedures are performed more regularly here, the doctors certainly have more experience than those in the west. I know several people who have had exceptional results from face lifts performed by Thai doctors. If you’re thinking about this type of procedure in Thailand, drop me a note and I’d be pleased to provide further information.

It’s All In The Mind

Don’t forget that a huge part of aging is in your own mind. If you believe that you are old, then you will be. It all comes back to basic affirmations and being young at heart. By being happy, positive and forward-thinking about your future, will allow you to age gracefully and maintain a younger appearance. While we all can’t ultimately avoid getting old, it is when you start believing you are old that aging really sets in. Your mind plays a big part in this process, so use it to your advantage!

What do you think? I’d love to hear from you.