Creating New Habits Takes Vision

I read an interesting quip on the internet: “Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.”

What can you train yourself to do between now and the end of the year? We have just under six weeks left in 2016, so if follow the path of the dolphin, you could train yourself twice over to do something new.

Here is what I am thinking about doing with these last productive weeks…

• I think about re-establishing my habit of going to the gym at dawn.
• I think about creating the habit of spending 45 minutes planning at the end of each workday.
• I think about being ‘the one’ to take our dog for her two-mile walk each day.
• I think about stashing $10 each day into a sock in order create a stock fund.

There are multiple benefits to any of these choices, yet making the choice to create a habit of any of these doesn’t move me to action until I envision myself engaged in the activity.

I review each of the habits I am considering and I do a bit more visioning. I think about both success and challenge. In most cases, the challenge is circumstances that might get i the way of follow-through. If I can see myself overcoming the interruption and carrying on until a firm habit is established, I am most likely to succeed.

I know who I am up against, when I undertake a new venture, so I often put picture to paper and create a themed vision board to strengthen my resolve.

Want to learn more about vision boards? Click Here for a primer on my Building A Powerful Vision process. You can also visit http://www.tessdenton.com to find Building A Powerful Vision products.

Happy Holidays and Happy Habits!

As always, I welcome your comments. Make it a great week…

Tess

Copyright 2016

http://www.tessdenton.com

 

 

A “Building A Powerful Vision” 5 Minute Jump Start…

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” –  Peter Drucker.

 

My takeaway from Peter Drucker’s statement above is: “Create Your Future”. These three words are remarkably empowering. To me, these words are a command, permission, a gift and a nudge. Like our DNA,  the statement “Create Your Future” has a different message in it for each of us.  No two futures are alike. The future I choose to create will be entirely different from yours.

When I repeat the words “Create Your Future”, I feel an internal shift. When I add a deep and resounding voice to the statement, a command comes alive.When we embrace the command, we can cut through all of the busy work that impedes our progress. We can start making significant strides in toward creating a future we adore.

For the reader whose life is filled to overflowing, I offer an easy 5 minute activity for this week that will help you Jump Start your Powerful Vision. Simply print, post and ponder the two following quotes:

“Live a life you weren’t going to live anyway”.  ~

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” ~ Robert Frost

Then, watch what happens.

When you are ready to explore ways that you can Build a Poweful Vision for your life, visit www.tessdenton.com to look at my books!!

As always, I welcome your comments, and make it a great week!
.

2016: It’s Fresh, New and Waiting for YOU!

A Great Start To 2016

Welcome to a New Year!  Everyone is getting in on New Year’s Resolutions  – even Oprah. Her recent alignment with Weight Watchers is making health and lifestyle conscious people throughout the world take notice. Is it a coincidence that she’s featured in Weight Watchers Magazine in January I think not. January is a powerful month.

As consumers of information and media, we need to carefully filter the news and views that reach our eyes and ears. I hope that as this year unfolds, you select messages that focus on Hope and Optimism. With holidays behind us and a shiny new year at hand, this is a great month to access “Building A Powerful Vision” tools designed to help you gain and maintain a positive focus as you move in direction of your personal and career goals.

Building A Powerful Vision tools on tap this month:

• In addition to Oprah being featured this month, you’ll find my “Building A Powerful Vision” philosophy and approach quoted in a featured article on Vision Boards in Weight Watchers Magazine, (Jan/Feb 2016). The article is “See It, Be It” by Cari Wira Dineen. You can purchase a copy of the magazine online or at the grocery store or Barnes and Noble. (Of special note: I happen to love the fact that Oprah is a proponent of vision boards as a way of accelerating accomplishment.)

• Tune into my featured interview in The Millionaire Mama seminar series (begins on 1/15). This seminar series is free and designed for entrepreneurs who want to get started or move ahead. Lots of great advice and giveaways are yours for the taking.

Next up this year are two new projects; an 8-week course, ‘Back to School’ For Your Hopes and Dreams and a Vision Board Party-Pack.

So….fill your 2016 New Year’s Resolutions with Hope and Optimism, and create a year to remember!

 

~ Tess

Copyright 2016

Tess Denton

Change versus Transformation….. Make a Choice and Make a Plan!

Here – Let Me Help You!

Happy Fall! These are what I love to call “the productive months” – if you’re considering a major change or you wish to transofrm your life, you might enjoy this short post:

Change is doing things differently. Change is something that can be measured. Change is behavioral. Transformation lies beneath the surface. Looking at what happens in one’s life with greater awareness and curiosity. It means responding in new ways to opportunities and challenges.

It means being conscious and aware of your thoughts, reactions and actions. It means keeping your end goal and your vision in mind when you make choices as you work, play, invest, make career choices and spend time with people. It means keeping your end goal and your vision in mind when you experience success, disappointment, obstacles, uphill battles and incremental wins.

So, what will be your first step or your next step on the journey?

Being with a plan! Of course, creating a plan of action around a vision is not something that you are born knowing how to do. I designed and published a planner Building A Powerful Vision Planner: A One Year Guide To Creating A Life You Love. Your Building A Powerful Vision Planner will guide you every step of the way. This planning tool is designed to help you stay creative, achieve focus and engaged.

Stay awake, alert, and inspired on your journey. Whether you choose my planning tool or you find another that floats your boat,  PLAN!

As Always, I welcome your comments and wish you a great week.

~ Tess

Copyright 2014

Tess Denton – Building A Powerful Vision

www.tessdenton.com

 

 

Three Good Reasons To Lead a Life of Positive Anticipation

Expect Good Things!

… And the three good reasons are:

1. You will ease up on negativity. Media and Social Media are dripping with stories of all that’s wrong in the world today. Stop the insanity!

2. You will begin focusing on possibilities, which improves the probability of good things happening in your life. As Esther Hicks (Abraham- Hicks) says, ” The better it gets, the better it gets!”

3. You will appreciate what’s right in your life, right now. There’s no need to wait for some day to be happy.

I hold a very strong belief that every day is a chance to begin anew – that today may be a day when something great happens. The origin of this belief goes back to a time somewhere around age 12. It was at this age that the words “try-out” and “audition” entered my vocabulary.  My success rate in being selected for red-rover, softball and cheerleading teams was abysmal. In fact, I think that I’m 0 for 20 in that category. Although I was tall, lean and coordinated, I was not athletic. I was more of a song and dance girl.  Once I turned my attention to contests related to the performing arts, my world opened up. Finding a niche suited to my strengths was key to building confidence in my abilities. Along the way, I’ve learned that in order to have great things happen, you have to be brave enough to show up and risk rejection – again and again.

I learned, when working in theater and in sales, that beyond skill and talent, success is “a numbers game”. I have a success niche, and that great things tend to happen more when I’m playing in that zone of strength, than when I am out of my zone. The same is probably true for you. A friend of mine is a casting director in Chicago.  She once explained that in casting a commercial or film, the casting director has a “type” in mind for most roles. They call a talent agency, and ask that actors with a certain look (age, physical features, frame, etc.) and talent be invited to audition.  When you attend enough auditions, you notice that you compete against the same set of actors, over and over again. You show up at each audition, in anticipation that this is the day that something great may happen – you’ll be cast, and your destiny will change. You audition for more roles than you get, but you must show up in anticipation of something great happening each time you’re called.

Regardless of the role in which you are cast, there is the opportunity of something great happening in your life on most days. The definition of GREAT changes over time, just as you do. Great today may mean that you got to spend four hours with your teenage son, and you discovered that the wisdom you’ve been sharing with him for the past sixteen years is taking root. Great today may mean that you found parking spot 50-fee from the train station, allowing you to get to work on time, which rarely happens. Great today may mean that you have been invited to interview for a job you’ve always wanted, and your financial situation is about to change for the better. Great today may mean that you left the dentist without a follow-up appointment to have a tooth filled. Great is anything that takes you to a happy place.

I challenge you to one week of waking up each morning, in anticipation of something great happening in your life. It will inform and transform your day.  Send comments, send feedback. I’d love to hear what unfolds for you.

As always, I welcome your comments. Make it a great week!

~ Tess

Copyright 2014

Destiny Rising

 

Tune In To Women Enjoying Success

Listen In!

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed on “Entrepreneurial Women Radio”, Sharon Michaels’ radio program. Sharon is an entrepreneur, business coach, columnist and author whose business acumen and wisdom draws a worldwide audience each week.

Sharon’s interviews and topics are diverse, timely and insightful.

Click here to listen to the interview.

I hope that you enjoy the interview and gather some ideas to help you Build A Powerful Vision for your life or business.

 

As always, make it a great week!

~Tess

Copyright 2014

Destiny Rising, LLC

tessdenton.com

buildingapowerfulvisionboard.com

 

 

Whatever Happened To Endless August?

 

August Aaaaaah!

As a kid, I savored August. Friends’ families would be away on vacation, the month was dry and hot and sunny, locusts sang all day, and crickets sang all night (Click here to hear to  yourself!). Summer school was behind me and I got to go to the pool every day and night. Back to school happened on the Monday after Labor day. August was pure, uninterrupted summer!

As I got older, there was much anticipation associated with August. In high school, I’d look forward to going  back to school toward the month’s end, having arrived at some new level — one year, I returned without braces on my teeth. Another, year, I proudly drove back to school, having gotten my driver’s license. Come the college years, I was itching to get back to school by mid-August. I’d been away from friends all summer, and my social life was waiting for me.

Fast forward thirty years. I look at the calendar, and mid-August is rapidly approaching. I accidentally boarded the busy train again. You know the ride – you’re on the go, and you’ve got really tight connections between obligations. Before life spins out of control, I must find a way to get my bearings. Whatever happened to Endless august?

If you feel as I do, perhaps we can go at this problem together! Here’s my vision for bringing more summer back into my life:

I’m going to put strong boundaries between work time and play time.

I’m going to get up early and get my alone time or workout time in before I go to work.

I’m going to give myself a “hard” stopping time at work for the rest of August. I am going to turn off my computer and not check my work e-mail in the evening.

I’m going to plan a one to two-hour activity each weeknight. That can be riding my bike, going for a swim, meeting a friend for a cool drink or making a plan to sit on someone’s front porch and visit.

I’m going to pop my own popcorn and sneak it into the movies. The movie I got see will be a teen movie.

I’m going to pack a picnic basket and meet friends at a park shelter for a picnic night.

I’m going to put up my screened in canopy and sit outside listening to the sounds of the night and read a good book.

I’m going to walk to town for ice cream.

I’m going to stay up way too late watching old movies for one night.

One of the most important elements of Building a Powerful Vision is achieving Happiness. Being content to just “be” is a simple and energizing type of happiness.  Cooler months and wintertime will be here before you know it. I hope you’ll join me in my quest to reclaim one of the most precious months of the year! Maybe we can learn how to capture more of our personal time and put it to good use daydreaming and coming up with new ways to change our worlds :).

 

As always, I welcome your comments and make it a great week!

~ Tess

Copyright 2014

Destiny Rising, LLC

www.tessdenton.com

www.buildingapowerfulvisionboard.com

 

 

 

Vacation… Local or Abroad, It’s a Life-Changer and Quality of Life Enhancer

Are You Taking Enough Vacation? (Thanks trendhunter.com)

I’m having a fantastic  summer vacation this year. I don’t know how it came to be, but I’m loving it. I have actually marked days off on the calendar to PLAY!

What’s made the difference? I can think of a few things that may be the reason:

• The weather : Something about the Polar Vortex has created a perfect mix of sun, breeze, open-air sleeping weather and a resort-like climate.

• I am sorting efforts into four distinct categories: My non-profit work, my publishing and production work, taking care of my aging parents, and home (I took a week off of work and truly enjoyed a staycation).  I decided to re-route the merry-go-round. I have been go-go-going on this ride for years. I am also more mindful of my pace. I am sleeping more, “doing” less and transitioning to a less impactful physical routine (outside of my weekly travel between Chicago and Central Illinois).  I’ve been pounding the pavement from a business perspective and a workout perspective for a loooooong time. I’m ready to mix things up a bit here. I’m finding myself drawn to a gentler workout routine.

• I’m focused on some new projects: I created a summer school course that’s a mix of mastermind and coaching, using my second book as the activity model (Building A Powerful Vision Planner: A One Year Guide For Creating A Life You Love). Beyond this, I am creating a new Building A Powerful Vision product, and I’m exploring ways to share my books/workshops/coaching with the world in many more ways.

• Finally: I chose, without apology, to take a little holiday from the disciplines I’ve  developed over the past few years (the goal of blogging twice a week, hosting a radio show every other week, planning my social media marketing plan 30 days out). Am a getting a bit out of practice? Yes. Is this a chance to step back and figure out the most productive use of my time? Yes!

I laugh as I re-read what I’ve written. I call this slowing down. Some people would describe this as a crazy pace. Whether I am slowing the place or simply issuing a re-mix is not as important as feeling re-charged and refreshed.

My challenge to you this week is to take a look at your pace and the ways you choose to spend your 24 hours a day. Might you be in need of some Holiday time? Need a little convincing? Here’s a link to trendhunter.com. They’ve got a slide show that shows the health and wealth benefits of taking time off.

If you’d like to share your findings, I welcome your comments!!!

As always, make it a great week…

~Tess

Copyright 2014

Destiny Rising, LLC

 

 

A Fresh Half-Year Can Yield A Bounty Of Success!

Make This A Juicy Summer!

 

Imagine the moment when you slice an ice-cold watermelon in half. You can hear it crack open once you’re at the halfway point. As you gaze at the melon on the cutting board, you appreciate the perfection of its shape. and the scent of its rind and juice fill the air. In that moment, don’t you want to claim the juiciest center slice for yourself?

July is the juicy middle of the year. Back in January, the days were cold and short and the nights were loooooooong. As we work our way toward the middle of the year, things really heat up – literally and figuratively.

June, July and August are the growing season – for crops and for ideas. What are you growing this season? Summer is a time of transition for many people. As school ends, families think about moving or growing before school starts again. Many of us decide to look for and be settled into a  new job by summer’s end. Our dreams seeds have been planted, and we are hoping that this year will have a high yield.

Sometimes, our dreams and ideas stagnate a bit. If we aren’t careful, they can dry up and wither. Tend to your Vision. Making life juicy requires planning, nurturing and a framework. Toward that end, I’ve got an idea for you. Create a virtual garden for your ideas and goals for the second half of the year.

Here’s how it works:

1. Decide if this project is just for you or for you and some others in your life (at home or at work).

2. Make a list of 5 to 7 ideas and goals you’d like to harvest this year. Set it aside.

2. Get a piece of foam board at a local office store/drugstore/grocery store (These run from $1 – $4). Buy a glue stick while you’re at it. Grab a pair of scissors out of your kitchen drawer – they’re probably not in the silverware drawer. They’re in the messy drawer next to your silverware.

3. Flip through magazines or browse the internet. Look for pictures of produce – lettuces, tomatoes, squashes, melons, beans, herbs, fruits, etc. Cut out pictures of those that appeal most to you.

4. Arrange these pictures on your foam board so that they look like a garden you’re growing. Glue them onto the foam board.

5. Grab your list of ideas and goals. match each idea or goal with a crop in your virtual garden. Label each crop with the matching goal.

6. Consider how much you will need to feed each goal in order for it to come to harvest, and make a note of this.

7. Look at your calendar and decide what sort of schedule you need to create to tend to your garden of ideas and goals. The care and feeding of ideas and goals is what will determine your harvest.

8. Tend your garden. Keep a journal of your activities and results. It can become your almanac for future goal setting.

9. At least once a month, prepare a harvest dinner with fresh fruit and veggies, and gather with friends to talk about your successes and challenges in tending to your goals. You’ll likely reap some great advice and encouragement about your goals.

10. When each of your goals is ripe, enjoy its juicy reward!

As always, I welcome your comment. and make it a great week…

~Tess

Copyright 2014

Destiny Rising, LLC

Tennessee Walks

It’s been a long winter, so be good to yourself as you move into spring. Whenever possible, take The Scenic Route. It’s good for your outlook and good for the soul! Nature has a way of clearing up confusion…