Define Your Boundaries

Define Your Boundaries

By: Joseph Norman

“I draw circles and sacred boundaries about me; fewer and fewer climb with me up higher and higher mountains. I am building a mountain chain out of ever-holier mountains.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

In order to truly achieve at a high level and find fulfillment, you need to define your personal boundaries and create a disciplined environment for success.

First, what is a boundary? I’m not necessarily talking about mental restrictions or limiting belief systems, but rather your personal system for managing physical settings and social interactions.

Some people need quiet time while others consistently desire to be social. Many people can share a space effectively while others need to have defined separations so they can rule their own territory. That being said, high achievers tend to have a well thought out structure to their lives and they discipline themselves according to that defined system.

When you look at the world’s greatest businesses, what is it that you see? To name a few things, you discover rules of engagement, unique physical settings, key metrics, and management and employee manuals. All of these things define a mode of operation which has been time tested to work for that particular organization. Why not take this set of principles and apply them to your own life?

In your living space, do you have boundaries? If you have roommates or children, it is easy to let things flood into all parts of the apartment or house. So, define your territory and hold others accountable! Let them know your space and define the experience you want them to have in it. Where I live and work I desire to maintain a calm, positive energy and I want people to feel a complete comfort to fully express themselves.

Another area where you need definite boundaries is with your schedule. Don’t let people commandeer your time! Define your priorities and let people know how they can properly secure some of your time. For example, a few successful businesspeople I know define when they will answer emails and return phone calls. They communicate their schedule and discipline themselves to it. This helps them limit distractions and achieve more!

Your challenge this week is to define a few of the boundaries in your life:

What is your personal space?

What are the “rules of engagement” in that space?

How will you communicate them to people that enter your space?

Where do you work and where do you live?

Are they different spaces? Even if they are under the same roof, they should be separate spaces with defined rules in order to create a balance.

What does your daily agenda look like?

Do you have defined times and places to do the things that are important to you?

Are you letting people hijack your time and take advantage of you?

Define your boundaries and take control of your life. If you treat yourself right then others will do the same!

Matthew Ketterer

Matthew Ketterer

I first met Matt when I was a freshman in college at SUNY Geneseo. He was living in Geneseo, volunteering with the cross country and track teams and completing his Masters Degree in History at SUNY Brockport. We got to know each other through a few mutual friends and we all have subsequently stayed close to this day. We even went as far as creating our own pseudo organization, Team Spirit, which was founded on a shared set of common beliefs and enthusiasm for life’s adventures.

Matt is a unique individual who I admire whole-heartedly. He possesses a tremendous sense of humor and a wit which often blows my mind with obscure historical references and spot on social observations. A life long athlete and history buff, Matt currently teaches Global Studies and European Civilization at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, New York. Entering his third year in the district, Matt’s intelligence, passion for the subject material, and teaching style has enabled his students to excel.

It is an honor and a pleasure to feature a few of his thoughts this week. ~Joseph

What is your definition of success?

MK: I was going to try to come up with something of my own for this question, but then I remembered the Winston Churchill poster hanging in my classroom. Churchill said, “Success is the ability to move from one failure to another with no loss in motivation.” What better way to define success than to be able to turn failure into it?

Who inspires you? Why?

MK: Me. I inspire myself. If you need to look to outside sources for inspiration than you have already lost whatever it is that you are doing. Everyday is an opportunity for me to do better than I did the day before and I don’t need other people to tell me that or inspire me to that. People should develop an intrinsic motivation for what they do rather than looking to others to provide them with it.

What do you consider your strengths? Weaknesses?

MK: What is this a job interview? If it is I suppose I will do the old turn my weakness into my strength tact and say my sense of humor. I am able to laugh at most things and have a tendency to joke around to fill dead air. Unfortunately, the students sometimes interpret my willingness to joke around as a sign that they do not need to take the material as seriously as they should.

Why are you a teacher?

MK: Why do people like sleeping? Some things are just the way they are.

What are some things you try to bring to the classroom to provide a more enhanced learning experience for your students?

MK: Since I teach Global Studies and European Civilization there isn’t as much time in class to look at the current election as I would like or they would like for that matter. But I have attempted to integrate it into my lessons still by having the students evaluate the candidates from the perspective of the people we are studying. For instance, during the Enlightenment unit last year they researched a primary candidate of their choice and had to determine how “enlightened” that person was. Some, needless to say, turned out to be more enlightened than others.

What are some short term and mid term goals for you?

MK: Short term: Remember to brush my teeth in the morning.

Mid term: Develop an indoor track program that our students take seriously. Right now our indoor team is struggling so the good distance runners actually use winter to swim instead. I want to help change that and provide them with an attractive opportunity to run and compete all year. Getting tenured is another goal.

Being a history buff, who are three people from any time period that you would like to meet?

MK: Cleopatra, Nietzsche, and Aaron Burr; at least two of them for the conversation.

What are some books that have made a lasting impression on you?

MK: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich Hayek, and I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max. All are great books and I would encourage everyone to read them, even if you disagree with them/especially if you disagree with them. It’s always a good thing to know what the other side is thinking and you might just learn something about yourself along the way. Rand and Hayek are particularly important for anyone who plans on voting or taking part in society. Max, well you should just read it and then do your best to live a TS lifestyle.

Final thoughts?

MK: There is no way for me to come up with a final thought without sounding cliché so I am going to just have to end it here.

Matt Ketterer

Social Studies Teacher

Horace Greeley High School

E: MattKetterer@yahoo.com

Pareto's Principle

Pareto Principle

By: Joseph W. Norman

Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto discovered a principle in his research which states that for many events, 80% of the effects come from 20% of causes. Over time, this “rule,” has been adapted to business under the premise that 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients. This creates an interesting phenomenon for our life about the critical few versus the trivial many.

In terms of practicality, it has become broadly accepted that this principle applies to most aspects of our life. For example, 20% of the things in your life are causing 80% of the stress or 20% of your daily activities are producing 80% of the results. Thus, my challenge to you this week is to break down your life with this concept.

By analyzing your stressors or daily activities you can move yourself closer to discovering what is really getting results for you and what is just taking up time. From a business perspective, if you can outsource the more mundane activities limiting your productivity, then you can release a bottle neck that could potentially be limiting your company. Utilize your strengths and outsource your weaknesses to people whose strengths are your weaknesses.

Please note that this is not a small task! But, the benefits could far outweigh the burden of the necessary time investment. Think about a few scenarios:

Right now you may spend 3 hours a week developing your list and shopping for your groceries based on the current diet you have in your family. If you hired that service out for $10 per hour, could you make more than $30 in those three hours with your work or would you be willing to sacrifice that cost for 3 more hours to spend with your family?

Personally, my business partner Shaun and I are using a team of 25 data experts in India to build a spreadsheet of the contact information for all of the Real Estate Investment Associations in the United States. We assessed this to be a 50 hour project and the reputable team offered their services for $1.50 per hour. Is 50 hours of our time more valuable then the $60-75 we will pay our virtual assistants? Absolutely!

It is all about managing your life in the most effective way. Create a list of the things in your life which you have to do but really stress you out. Be ruthless about it! Then, think of creative solutions for getting them accomplished for you at minimal cost. Once you know the cost, you can make a better assessment about how you want to proceed in the future.

Mohamad Latiff: Law of Attraction

How To Think And Act In A Certain Way To Get The Law Of Attraction To 'Work' For You

By Mohamad Latiff


Your thoughts play an integral part in motivating and steering you towards a certain course of action or actions that can eventually lead you to manifest whatever it is you desire.

Therefore, it is essential to think in a certain way to get the Law of Attraction to 'work' for you.

When you think of something that you wish to manifest, do not expect it to materialize before you. Rather hold a mental image of it with most positive certainty that it is being made or is on its way to you.

After you have formed that mental image in your thought, have unwavering faith that it is coming. Don't think, speak of it in any other way except that you are very certain and confident it will arrive.

You must also claim it as though it is already yours and the key element is to ask for anything that you want in abundance.

Once you are clear about how to think in a certain way, constantly ask yourself the following questions to gear your mind towards this notion of thought:

1) When I think of something that I wish to manifest, how can I hold a mental image of it with most positive certainty and have unwavering faith that it is being made or is on its way to me?

2) Why must I hold a mental image of it with most positive certainty and have unwavering faith that it is being made or is on its way to you?

3) How can I speak of it in any a way that I am very certain and confident it will arrive and that I claim it as my own?

Now that you've understood the importance of thinking in a certain way, you are ready for the next integral part in the manifestation process.

To fully get the Law of Attraction to 'work' for you, you must follow your thoughts with personal actions.

You have not reached a stage whereby you can just think of whatever you want and just magically conjure it in front of you eyes.

And this is the very essence as to why you must supplement any of your thoughts with actions.

But how then do you take actions in a certain way?

You must take the necessary, result producing actions and go on to actually perform them.

You must act in certain ways such that when you attract things or your desires, you will put them in the proper place through these actions. Your thought brings you what you want but your actions will enable you to receive what you want.
Whatever you action is to be, you must act in the NOW, not in the past and not in the future. You have to put your whole mind in present action.

Do not care about how terribly or badly you did yesterday's work, or how to perform tomorrow's task, rather concern yourself with how you can get today's work/tasks done.

And most importantly, you must act upon the things and persons in your environment for your actions to be most effective.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to act most effectively:

1) What are the best necessary, result producing actions I can take to get what I want?

2) Why are these the best necessary, result producing actions for me to take and get what I want?

3) What actions can I take to put the things or wealth that I want in the proper place after I have attracted them?

4) Why must I take these actions to put the things or wealth that I want in the proper place after I have attracted them?

5) How can I act in the NOW, not in the past or the future?

6) Why is it necessary for me to act in the NOW, not in the past or the future?

7) How can I avoid thinking about how terribly or badly I did yesterday's work or how to perform tomorrow's task?

8) How can I concern myself with how I can get today's work/tasks done?

9) Why should I concern myself with how I can get today's work/tasks done?

10) What steps can I take to act upon the things and persons in my environment?

And there you have it. My simple explanation on how you can think and act in a certain way to get the Law of Attraction to 'work' for you. The onus now lies on you to put into effect what you've just learned and truly manifest whatever it is that you desire.

Have fun manifesting!

About The Author:
Mohamad Latiff is giving away his amazing FREE $997 value goal setting and accelerated wealth attraction technology on how you can achieve all your goals and your inherent unlimited potential for wealth, success & happiness in your life! Only at http://www.ultimatesecretsofsuccess.com/

Your Legacy

Your Legacy

By: Joseph W. Norman

“We all leave legacies. Be intentional about making a positive difference with yours.” – Ken Blanchard

This week’s challenge to you is to think about the legacy you want to leave. What is it that you want to be remembered for? Who do you want to serve with your life? I guarantee you’ve got a lot of life to live, but the amount of time you have left does not diminish the importance of determining your desired value to humanity. If you do not define your significance, then it will be difficult for you to deliver it.

I realize this sounds a little heavy. However, this thought was inspired by a recent series of deaths that I have indirectly experienced. You can learn a lot about life by observing and learning from the way some people die.

One of the most powerful movies I have ever seen is Braveheart. In the movie, William Wallace (played by Mel Gibson), delivers a poignant fact; “Every man dies but not every man really lives.” That quote has stuck with me for many years because it keeps me attune to how I live out my mortal days.

How do you become deliberate about your legacy? It starts by being more conscious about the way you are living your life.

Here are some questions which may help you discover your intentions. Sit down in a quiet place and write down your answers. Be brutally honest with yourself. No answer is a wrong answer:

Who are you?

What are your authentic desires and ambitions? (No dream is too big)

What did you do today to serve others?

If you knew you were going to die in ten days, who would you call and what would you say to them?

Why haven’t you done that yet?

Who do you want to get your stuff?

Have you taken the steps to make sure that happens? (Financial planning is essential)

What part of your day brings you absolute joy?

How can you do that more?

If somebody was asked to describe you in three words, what would you want them to say?

Are your current words and actions giving people a reason to say those things?

We have an obligation to ourselves to be intentional about our legacy. It is the things we do daily which influence the magnitude of the impact we will have on the world we live in. As Ghandi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” In order to leave your legacy, you must first live it!