It has been very exciting to sit down and watch the Olympics on TV this month. My personal favourites are gymnastics, swimming and diving. It is especially memorable to see the athletes achieve gold. I can only imagine how that must feel after years and years of training, to stand on the podium, see your flag raised and hear your national anthem played in your honour. It is the moment these athletes have dreamed of and to see it become reality must be so satisfying and yet completely overwhelming all at once. That type of success does not come easily. It requires day after day, month after month, year after year being faithful in tasks that at times may seem insignificant. Putting consistent effort forth each and every day however, has tremendous potential to compound itself into a powerful, positive force to be reckoned with.

In the book The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, he talks about the truth that there is no real secret to being successful. He shares that success just naturally comes when people repeat positive and productive habits over and over. It makes sense. If you want to lose weight, you must eat healthy and exercise consistently. Having one good day and expecting the scale to move is ridiculous. Being consistent is the key. It sounds simple, yet life has a way of getting in the way even with our best intentions. So how can we go for the gold in our everyday lives and see profound, lasting change? Here are 5 tips to help you get to the top of your podium.

1.Determine your "WHY?"
Your "why" is the core motivation and/or people behind your reasons for wanting to better your life. Clearly define why you want to make changes and who it will affect the most. When times get tough, a strong why will keep you going.  A friend of mine was building a home business and her goal was to eventually quit her corporate job. She would get up early and stay up late working her other job in between. She was exhausted, but focused. Her "why" kept her going. She wanted to be more present in her kids' lives. She wanted to be at the bus stop every day for her kids when they became school age and staying focused on that kept her going even through the hardest times. She did eventually quit her corporate job and her home business is absolutely thriving due to her having a clearly defined "why" that kept her motivated.
 
2. Envision your end goal:
If your goal is to be 40 lbs thinner, envision yourself as such and imagine what that type of healthier life will provide you. If you wish to be more financially fit and are working towards that, envision yourself debt free and what that will do for you and your family. If you are wishing to become pregnant, decorate the nursery and imagine rocking that precious baby in your loving arms. Create a dream board of all that you aspire to achieve. Put it out there and speak positively about what you hope to achieve. Keep picturing the life you will have when you attain your goals, envision it and dream it into reality.

3. Speak and think positively
Phrase what you want to become as if you have already achieved it such as: "I am a healthy, fit calm and relaxed mom" or "I am a highly successful business woman with a large team under me." Don't let negative thoughts or self doubt creep in. By speaking positively and putting it out there in the universe it is your way of saying, "Mark my words, universe this will come to pass."

4. Surround yourself with positive people
They say you become like the five people you hang around with the most. Choose those five people very carefully. Make sure they are upstanding people of substance who keep you moving towards your goals, not against them. Gravitate towards people who edify you and fill your cup so you feel doubly inspired to pursue your dreams when you are with them.  
 
5. Get a success partner
Find someone who is on a similar journey as you, with the same goals and partner up with them. Maybe you both want to start a home business or lose weight or save money. Work on it together and check in with each other often to see how each other is progressing. Share honestly how things are going even if you are struggling. These people will help you stay accountable too as you get each day a little closer to your goal.

Striving for a better life is a continuous process. We should all be striving to better ourselves in many areas as no one is ever too old to learn new things and everyone is truly a work in progress. Life can get pretty comfortable, but nothing ever grows in a comfort zone. We need to want better things for our lives. Don't lose heart. I believe in you. Keep being faithful. If you do, you will see results. It is the compound effect in action. Envision if with me. Take a deep breath. Close your eyes and see it. I see your flag being raised and I can hear the national anthem being played in your honour. Can't you see it and hear it too?

Until next time
~ Dana

Proverbs 28:20 ~  A faithful man will abound with blessings...

Little Lesson Learned: Gold medal lifestyles are created by being faithful in the small, positive things each and every day.

Copyright: littlelessonslearnedbydana,2016

Today was an absolutely and positively great day. I was excited to be interviewed on UCB Radio about my book Magic Kisses which was definitely out of the ordinary, yet despite that, my day was quite routine. I exercised, visited with my family, worked on my home business, made meals, spent time relaxing around the pool and did some house cleaning. Not a day that stands out per se,  but still a great day none the less. I am realising that truly any day that I can be here to make an impact, love others, be loved by others and enjoy God's great creation is truly the best day ever.

There is something to be said of finding pleasure and being grateful for even our most ordinary of days. I had a little girl in my class once who no matter what we did whether exciting or routine, was always known to say "This is the best day ever!" It would always warm my heart as some days seemed rather uneventful, yet in her grateful opinion, there was always something magical to appreciate. I would frequently smile and think I want to be more like her about my approach to life, because despite her young age, she clearly got it.

We recently vacationed in Ottawa, our nation's capital. The sights and beautiful scenery were truly something to behold. This year we did a lot of walking to the sights, packed a lot of our own food and enjoyed many picnics along the breathtaking scenic views. It was a more simplistic vacation in some respects, yet an extremely enjoyable one. What I find was the most enjoyable was the rare treat of the four of us on vacation together. As the kids get older, it seems getting the four of us together at once is increasingly more difficult. As Shannon and I visited around the pool today, I commented to her that as she gets older, we will have less and less moments like this, and how I for one am going to enjoy every minute of our time together.

Our washing machine has been on the blitz this week so off I went to my mom's to take care of our mountain of laundry yesterday. As we camped out around the washer and dryer, we enjoyed catching up, laughing and sharing memories about our recent vacation with her. A silly annoyance of a washing machine malfunction allowed a special opportunity for a great visit. Trust me I visit my mom often and certainly don't need any dirty laundry to do so, but what I am trying to say is what a great, ordinary day it was.

Ordinary moments in ordinary days are happening all around us. The thing is though, we often take many of them for granted. Karen Kingsbury wrote a very powerful children's book called Let Me Hold You Longer. The touching and emotional book tugs at the heartstrings of every parent as it talks about how we celebrate the "firsts" in our kids' lives, but what about the "lasts?" The problem is we never know when we will get the last goodnight kiss, or the last cuddle with bedtime stories, or the last card saying we are the best mom ever. We just don't know, so we need to savour every one while we can get them.

We ran into a sweet, young mom in Ottawa. She was in the thick of potty training and although she was handling it with grace and class, it was evident she was a bit frustrated. She said to me with a sparkle in her voice "Remember this LOVELY stage ladies?" I replied "I certainly do and believe it or not, you're going to miss this someday." She smiled and said "You're right. That's what they tell me."

The Bible says: This is the day that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. It refers to every day not just the spectacular ones, but the ordinary ones too. Every day is a gift that we need to celebrate. Some days are clearly more exciting than others, yet finding the gratitude and blessing in even the most ordinary, simple day will really carry you far.

Until next time,
~ Dana

Little Lessons Learned: Every day is amazing if you view it as such. Consider that.

Psalms 118:24 ~This is the day that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Copyright: littelessonslearnedbydana, 2016