Teen Catalyst

Time is the one asset we're given which can never be replenished. As you receive your graduation diploma, I hope you take the time...

I hope you take the time to consider how for you've come.

I hope you take the time to:

• thank those who had helped you get to where you are today
• consider the impact you want to have on the world
• think about the person you want to become

This episode is pulled from the first of my new mini video series, filled with some of my thoughts, tips to boost you to help you create a better life, and random wisdoms from the past.

Graduation is not the end, but merely a new beginning. Graduates now have an opportunity in front of them to create a life that they want to live. Finally, for the first time ever, they get to dictate their own path.

When you’re in school, life is dictated for you. You’re told what to do, where to go, and when to be there. You have no control over those things. But now that you’re graduating, you have the opportunity to dictate the path that you want to follow.

Today, I have for you part two of 12 tips for a happy life.

7. Don’t expect to be motivated by motivation

8. Give time and energy to keep relationships strong

9. Ask yourself, “Whom do I envy?”

10. Remember, everyone makes mistakes

11. Know your “tell”

12. Collect your own secrets of adulthood

Mentioned in this episode: 

My Best Advice for Graduates: 12 Tips for a Happy Life

Graduation is not the end, but merely a new beginning. Graduates now have an opportunity in front of them to create a life that they want to live. Finally, for the first time ever, they get to dictate their own path.

When you’re in school, life is dictated for you. You’re told what to do, where to go, and when to be there. You have no control over those things. But now that you’re graduating, you have the opportunity to dictate the path that you want to follow.

Today, I have for you part one of 12 tips for a happy life.

1. Know yourself
2. Beware of drift
3. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good
4. Write (and re-write) your own set of personal commandments
5. Identify the problem
6. Take care of your body

Mentioned in this episode: 

My Best Advice for Graduates: 12 Tips for a Happy Life

Did you know that only 8% of people actually reach their goals? That means 92% of people fail their goals, usually within a couple of weeks or months!

What is it that differentiates between failure and success for those people? According to researchers, the thing that differentiates between success and failure is setting specific and challenging goals.

That doesn't mean you have to try to do everything at once. Trying to reach for something too big all at once is a recipe for failure. If you want to go big, sometimes you have to think small. You have to change your habits to change your life.

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Today, I want to share with you five reasons why dreaming BIG is so important. Without big dreams, we'll never reach our full potential.

1. Positivity builds momentum
2. Your focus shifts
3. You become resilient after failure
4. Time management becomes important
5. Your confidence blossoms

"If you can dream it, you can create a version of it." ~ Dave Kauffman

"If your dream is achievable, then that should be a goal. You're not dreaming big enough." ~ Dave Kauffman

People throw around inspiring words in motivational readings, and in social media posts like they are a dime a dozen. Mindset and manifestation are the latest trend.

What can taking control of your mindset and envisioning your future do for you? Does a strong mental game have the power to change your entire life?

There is a common phrase. “Think big to get big.” This means that if your mindset and mentality are open to achieving big things your chances of achieving them are greater. There are many tools to help you embrace this mentality.

Steps To Success

• Write down your goals
• Create a vision board
• Share your ambitions with close friends
• Do your research - make a plan
• Revise, re-evaluate and measure progress

Making a list of goals and ambitions in your life that are important will likely put the idea in the forefront of your mind. Thinking about goals you want to reach is only the beginning though. Make a list of goals. Prioritize the list. Check off the most important goals on your list. Choose one to work toward.

Get S.M.A.R.T

When making an action plan to reach a goal get S.M.A.R.T. Smart goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time sensitive. If you focus on each of these areas you are sure to create a realistic plan for success. Making the goal something you can actually achieve helps increase your odds of success. Also, setting a specific and time-sensitive goal helps you focus on what you really want and keep you on track with dates and deadlines.

You Just Gotta Believe 

Changing your mentality to ‘thinking big’ does not happen overnight. Change takes time. Treat a change of mindset like a diet change. Make gradual changes and celebrate successes and you will be on track to turn these changes into habits.

Support Systems GO

Having a supportive group around you makes keeping a positive proactive mindset easy, even on days when your resolve is weak. A positive environment strengthens you for the journey to reach your goals and change your mindset.

Don’t wait until life is perfect. You can visualize, and create the life that you want, and the mindset needed to realize your dreams and goals. Just take the first step and start. Manifestation style thinking, hard work and a strong focus can make miracles happen. 

In today’s episode, I want to get into what it takes to succeed in today’s world.

First off, you need to ask yourself what success looks like for you. What will your life look like when you can finally sit back and say, Wow, I really succeeded in life? What will it take for you to achieve that success?

One of the key factors to success is investing in yourself. That might look like finding a book to help you on your journey to success. You might invest in a course to help you become more confident in your abilities. Or maybe that looks like finding a mentor or coach that you can glean knowledge from. Whatever that looks like for you, invest in yourself and your future.

How to Get Your Creativity Flowing

Have you ever set out to write a paper, or create some music, or develop an idea, and you just found that your creativity was missing? That happens to ALL of us! We reach a dead end where we simply run out of fresh ideas, and we fumble around helplessly looking for those solutions that just continue to escape us.

Today, I want to share with you five simple brainstorming techniques to get those creative juices flowing again.

1. Get an outside input.

Instead of just going at it by yourself, find the most creative people you can think of and have a brainstorming session with them.

2. Write down ALL of your ideas.

It doesn’t matter if those ideas are crazy and wild; write them down. They might be more viable than you think.

3. Be creative, and try something different.

If you can’t see a solution right away, try looking at the problem from a fresh perspective. Your solution doesn’t have to be traditional; there is more than one way to solve a problem.

4. Combine those ideas.

Whether you’re brainstorming on your own or part of a group, you might need to mash different ideas together to come up with the perfect solution.

5. Ask questions.

This works well in group brainstorming sessions. Encourage plenty of questions about everyone’s ideas. 

These are great problem-solving skills and make life so much easier. Use these techniques to brainstorm new ideas and solutions. You might discover new fountains flowing with ideas that you never knew existed. Problems are merely opportunities in disguise.

I took inspiration for today's show from a couple of articles I came across on the #1 predictor of success in life.

It must be:

INSPIRED BY VISION AND PURPOSE...FUELED BY OPTIMISM AND BELIEF...POWERED BY FAITH AND HOPE...POWERED BY FAITH AND HOPE...KEPT ALIVE BY STUBBORNNESS...AND IF WE'RE HONEST INCLUDES SOME FEAR OF FAILURE AND DESIRE TO PROVE YOURSELF...

That "IT" factor that drives success.....GRIT!!

Here's 8 skills you can develop to create your own GRIT:

1. Start first with fore thought.
2. Reflect on all the positive and negative consequences of a plan.
3. Keep your word.
4. Follow-up and follow-through.
5. Take calculated risks.
6. Be sure to establish a daily routine.
7. Evaluate every plan.
8. If you fail, get back up and try again.

Read the original articles for yourself:

http://jongordon.com/blog/1-predictor-and-factor-success/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-waves/201701/what-is-the-number-one-predictor-personal-success

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