"Excellence is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution, and the vision to see obstacles as opportunities."

The above anonymous quote was displayed prominently in an office, where, oddly enough, it seemed to attract very little attention. In any case, it has made enough of an impression to invite a look at these words of wisdom and see where these words may apply.

Living To Your Full Potential

When embarking on a road trip, unless a bout of aimless wandering around the country is the intent, it is essential to have a destination in mind and a map. Most people go through their life living someone else’s agenda. Stated differently, most people are on a path of aimless wandering – much like a traveler without a specific destination or map. It would be most valuable to look at different areas or aspects of life and ask “what is the intention here?” Consider the areas of family, business, spiritual practice, financial means, retirement, education, self-development, health, and social interaction. Most people, by their own admission, are not living fully actualized lives to their full potential. One main cause is a lack of clear and focused intention and direction.

 Without clear direction, “sincere effort” is impossible. Perhaps effort becomes sincere when a clear intention is established. Most people merely do an adequate job of trying whatever it is they’re doing because they are relatively uninspired by the task. The sincere effort stems from high intention. It flows naturally. Look at the areas of life where one is just “hanging out” or “clocking time.” This indicates insincere effort – and an opportunity to create a more focused and clear intention!

Introspection

As humans, we tend to see in purely linear “cause and effect” terms. “When given lemons, make lemonade” is certainly simplistic, but most people who are successful have had to become adept at taking some perceived challenge and using it as an opportunity for benefit, value, and profit. This comes from introspection, the counsel of open-minded and visionary people (of which there are few).

 Each of these steps, when applied, provides an opportunity, challenge, impact, and benefit. With these steps in mind, it is a matter of will to trade mediocrity for excellence.

Don’t Limit Yourself

Don't be afraid to do anything that can lead you to your goal. In reality, you should be more concerned about the opportunities you might miss out on if you don't try something. Opening yourself up to possibilities can allow you to notice things that could be crucial to your success.

Self-limiting beliefs can be quite rooted, therefore it may take some time to break them. Try not to get discouraged by this. Instead, practice acting on your new, positive self-beliefs every day.

Every day, try to take at least one small risk. You'll feel fantastic after doing something you're at least a little bit afraid of - and you'll be less nervous the following time.

Creativity

To reach excellence, you must be really interested in achieving your goals. Without these intense sentiments of enthusiasm, you will lack motivation and will abandon your project halfway through. Your passion for your goal inspires creativity, which in turn inspires even more enthusiasm. Your passion grows as you encourage yourself and others to take the necessary efforts to achieve your goals.

The goal of life is to develop and better yourself. You generate intensity to enhance your skills and talents in whatever you're concentrating on when you do this every day and get better at it.

Step out of Your Comfort Zone

You will continue to grow as long as you keep pushing outside of your comfort zone.  Staying in your comfort zone increases your likelihood of setting a goal that is simple to attain. This is among the factors that prevent most people from realizing their full potential. Nothing should be overlooked that could lead you to your goal. So fasten your seatbelt and push yourself to new limits.

Fear is one of the main causes of people not pushing themselves to their limits. Therefore, the first thing you must do is figure out how to face your fears. You don't have to make a big start. You can begin by taking baby steps, such as getting over worries and anxieties about your daily schedule, clothing, travel, and diet.

Remember 

Excellence is a mentality and a manner of life, not a goal. If you have faith in your capacity to rise above the competition and succeed, you'll soon find yourself at the top.

Despite the fact that you can't do everything at once, your actions should be in line with the goals you want to pursue and the person you want to develop into. You must continue carrying out your larger objectives day after day in small steps because these little victories add up to bigger ones.

We can all relate to going through periods (sometimes a lifetime) of feeling fatigued and lacking energy. In an effort to find out why I've asked doctors, read books, and finally decided that some questions just won't be answered in my lifetime.

Fortunately, I've also learned that even without discovering the root causes of tiredness, there are things you can do to alleviate it. Below are some energy boosters that have worked for me and others over the years. Try them to see which works best for you, and use more than one at a time if necessary.

Creativity is a quality we all have buried inside us, one way or the other. It involves the invention of something new or the re-invention of something already existing to make it useful or interesting.

1. Change your perspective

You might have heard the phrase ‘Think outside the box’. To do this you should consider approaching the matter from a fresh perspective. Change your point of view. Consider all of the variables that are impacted by your problem or concern. Break the problem down into several elements and then shuffle them. Consider what would happen if an idea were to be replaced. This aspect is important in increasing creativity since it assists you in removing any fixations that may be limiting your creativity.

2. Learn to relax

Relaxation rejuvenates the mind, allowing creativity to flow effortlessly. There are several techniques to unwind and relax, freeing up your mind for more creativity. Simple activities such as walking on the beach, participating in your favorite sport, meditation, or other activities that help you relax.

3. Stop criticizing yourself

Knowing you're doing the best you can removes roadblocks to your creative ideas. Never be harsh or critical of yourself, and instead learn to embrace yourself for who you are. You are creative, and by recognizing that reality, your self-limiting beliefs will no longer prevent you from being creative.

4. Remove the pressure of expectations 

Eliminating expectations relieves your tension over the outcome. Putting love and passion into your projects with no outcome expectations increases the chances of a fantastic result.

5. Let your imagination run wild

Exercise your imagination. Modification can trigger creativity because you see things in a different light. You can also try to exaggerate or think of the extremes, be it magnification or minimization of something. Thinking of the possible differences between these two situations could produce ideas. This is the ultimate brain exercise.

6. Your comfort spot

The environment has to be right. You should have somewhere you can focus without being unnecessarily disturbed, so you can give a problem your full attention. This should extend to the people you are with. You tend to do better at something when you are with like-minded people. To put it simply, hang out with creative people to help enhance your creative abilities.

7. Time, time, time

You can’t rush creativity. Hurrying does not help in the outflow of ideas. Your mind tends to go into a state of slight disarray when you are trying to force things. Studies show that results produced in this state are generally lacking. If you are low on time, then keep a list of activities like this one close to you. Go over each of the activities and exercise each one. Give it time.

8. Communicate your ideas to others

A different view of the problem could help. Better yet, many different views! Never be shy to ask. Diversity is very helpful in relation to creativity. Organize a brainstorming session. The spontaneous generation of new ideas helps in the formulation of more ideas. The products of brainstorming can be the raw material in the construction of the idea.

 Remember that in brainstorming, 4 rules are followed for it to be successful:

-   There should be no criticisms. Criticism hinders the free flow of ideas. This can be postponed until the session has ended.

-   Combining and/or modifying ideas are encouraged.

-   Quantity is preferred over quality in brainstorming.

-   Weird or strange ideas are encouraged.

9. Practice makes perfect

Practicing your art every day, even if only for a few minutes, keeps your mind imaginative. If you write, you should do so every day. If you want to be a successful designer, do something creative every day, even if it's as simple as recreating the logo for your favorite cereal.

Remember 

These are just some ideas to get your creative juices going. They can be adapted to suit each individual. How inventive can you be? How open are you? Remove the boundaries from your mind and you will find your creativity will increase.

What happened to the time? When we are preoccupied with our daily lives, it can seem that entire seasons pass in a second. And our goals, they can easily get lost in the chaos. You want to wake up: to regain control of your time and achieve your goals. But how exactly?

Like a river, our lives are always flowing onward, over and around the highs and lows of our daily experiences. As humans, we frequently try to reduce such ups and downs by planning for the future, dwelling on the past, and avoiding experiencing the present emotion. As a result, we dull our sense of aliveness and sort of zone out. No wonder we "wake up" to realize minutes, days, or even weeks have passed us by!

Have you ever had the experience of driving a car only to find yourself suddenly at your destination? Where have you been? Not present, that’s for sure! But really, what does it mean to be present in your day-to-day life?

It’s quite challenging to focus all your attention on this moment. Try it: As you are reading these words, slow down. Experience the action of reading one word at a time. What sounds do you hear in the room around you? How comfortable are you? How are you breathing? Recognize that you are alive, right now, at this moment. What was that like for you?

Reflect On What You Really Want

Take a walk or meditate, write in a notebook, or talk to a friend to get your mind thinking about what you want and need right now. If you don't know where to begin, consider your relationships, job, and overall health, and reflect on whether there is anything you wish to improve in any of those areas.

If those areas of your life seem quite steady, consider the big picture and ask yourself questions like, "When am I the happiest?" "When do I feel the greatest about myself?" and "When do I feel the worst about myself?" That can put you in the right direction to gain more or less of something in your life.

Daily Intentions

Make a plan for the day. Not a rigorous, hard schedule or a rigid list of must-do's, but a plan that works for you, that establishes your goals, intent, and hope for what you want to get out of this day. Make a declaration the night before or early in the morning about what you will do to ensure that this day makes a difference.

Identify What Drains You

You should consider what physically or mentally exhausts you. They don't necessarily have to be things you hate to do.  Once you can point out these tasks, try to stop doing them.

Pursuing meaningless activities deprives your body and mind. Consider delegating or removing them from your to-do list. Tiredness is a strong indication from your mind, body, and heart that the activity is bad for you.

It is critical to run YOUR race, live YOUR life, focus on what is essential to YOU, and design your life around YOUR vision.

Finding Your Theme

You've definitely heard a number of other suggestions for being present in the moment, such as breathing, mindfulness, meditation, and so on. Expand on this idea: how can you be present and focused on a project or goal in your life? Choose a theme.

This is how it works: For example, this year's theme for my business is "fun and inspired action." This theme functions as a filter. Each month, I examine my business goals through the lens of my theme and prioritize those that will be the most enjoyable and inspiring to me and my customers. When I'm brainstorming projects to work on, I seek those that best fit my theme. When selecting new prospects and coming up with new ideas, my theme gives me a sense of exploration.

What is YOUR theme? It’s time for you to wake up and be on fire too!

Remember

Focus is energy. It's where you're channelling the entire force of your potential, for better or worse. Energy flows where focus goes. Living the right habits, such as the one mentioned above, will help you improve your focus muscles.

You have the ability to live a more focused life. If you make a commitment, you will see a difference.

Finding your life's purpose is a lifelong adventure, but once you've found it, you'll discover that your life opens up in ways you never imagined possible.