I have looked at the Tools to Life website many times and considered using their FREE services, so whenever they asked me to do a sponsored post about their self help and motivation site, I gladly agreed. It is definitely a site worth checking out, and if you are going to consistently use the suite of awesome self help tools that they offer, you can really get a lot out of it in terms of self improvement and goal attainment.

Tools to Life is one of many online support groups that are out there, but I think their site offers a lot more than the average self help site. Rather than just being a huge cache of self improvement information, the Tools to Life system is actually a step-by-step and timed system where you are required to take action each day towards your goals.

It would be difficult to list each and every cool and useful aspect of the Tools to Life website in just one blog post, so instead I will highlight three of the separate areas of the site that you should definitely check out. Next, I will do a quick run through of the "toolbox," which is the basic interface that gives you the daily information and tasks that you are required to read, watch, or take part in so you can stay on track.

1. For anyone who has ever considered life coaching as a possible part of their success system, you'll definitely want to take a look at the life coaching support groups at Tools to Life. There are huge groups that are made up of thousands of members, and there are also smaller, more intimate groups that are created by the members themselves. When I was there, I counted over 150 separate groups, so there is something for everyone, not to mention the ability to create your own group as a Tools to Life member.

2. The self help programs that are offered at Tools to Life are the first step for all new members. There are three distinct modules, and you can choose one or more that fit into your own desire for growth. The three programs that they presently offer are: Tools to Life with Coach Steele, Tools To Optimal Health with Dr. Carlos Santo, and Quit Smoking Tools with Coach Steele. For whatever program(s) you choose, you will be given a separate daily toolbox to use in the attainment of the goals related to your program choice(s).
3. For those of you who seek inspirational motivation from the written word, you'll get plenty of that in the articles section at Tools to Life. In addition to just reading articles, however, members of the site can also comment on the articles, and interact with each other in the comment section, much like on a blog post.

The Personal Toolbox - your home base at Tools to Life

Your toolbox is where you go through all of the daily processes that are related to whichever self help program(s) you choose when you first sign up. After choosing your program(s), you then electronically "sign" a personal commitment page where you set the intention to attain whatever your specific goals are. After signing your personal commitment page, you can then use the site's interface to email yourself a copy of the commitment, and you can even email the commitment to others, inviting them to help keep you accountable and/or to join the site themselves.

Your personal toolbox is made up of individual "rooms" where you take part in various activities, usually on a daily basis. The toolbox is set up so that you start in the upper left-hand corner, and then you work your way around, going to each room and doing the activity contained in that room. You will have a separate toolbox for each of the programs that you are involved in.

There are multiple sections in your toolbox, including daily videos with lessons based on whatever program you are working on, daily audio and reading, and a daily checklist to make sure that you do not miss anything along the way.

Occasionally I stumble across opportunities worth sharing, so this quick post is to point you in the right direction so you can check out some self improvement information that just might help you out in some way!

The first thing that I want to share is Bob Doyle's very cool (and free!) accountability program that is set to launch on July 20, 2008. It is called the Boundless Living Challenge, and after quite a bit of research into it, I have concluded that it is going to be the "kick in the butt" that so many people need from time to time - including myself!

The Boundless Living Challenge is basically a 45-day accountability program where people walk in, state their intention to get something done over a period of 45 days, and then they join a social networking community of others who have done the same thing. The end result is support, accountability, and the laser-focus that I have endlessly talked about on this blog as an absolutely critical success factor.

Add to all of that the fact that the Boundless Living Challenge does not cost a dime to join, yet offers thousands of dollars worth of very cool prizes to the people who make the most changes in their lives, and it quickly becomes something that is more than worth taking the time to check out.

I have already joined the challenge myself, as have hundreds of other people, and there are also still sponsorship opportunities available for anyone who has valuable prizes that they would like to donate in exchange for some extreme exposure during the challenge.

All in all, it looks like some great stuff, and I encourage you all to check it out, and to join up for some fun and goal attainment!

Next is a video post that I just put up over at Fitness Destinations. As I say in the post, I don't talk about the Beachbody business opportunity very often, because I believe that people will ask about it when and if they are ready.

However, this video story about a 44-year old mother of 3 who not only "buffed out," but also found a way to empower other busy moms in the process, was - in my opinion - too good not to share! Check out Suzy's story by clicking the video link below, and realize that her shirt says it all for the moms and dads out there whose family responsibilities sometimes seem to run their lives!

And finally, I was recently the recipient of a very interesting type of evaluation called an Akashic Record Reading. I am not even going to try to explain exactly what it means, as I'll leave that to experts like Akemi Gaines who did my reading for me.

In a nutshell, Akemi gives a deep "reading" of what has gone on in your recent as well as very distant past, and then she uses that information to formulate an understanding of where you are now vs. where you actually want to be. Once that understanding is in place, she then assigns "homework" that you can do in order to clear things that have been blocking you from certain successes in your life.

It is all very interesting, and although it may be a bit too "woo-woo" for some people, I do encourage you to at least check it out, and to ask Akemi any questions that you have about the process. Gaining knowledge of alternative ways of looking at our existence is always a good idea, and you may even learn something along the way!

OK, that's it for now! Enjoy checking out these stops along the way in the self improvement neighborhood, and please do feel free to let me your questions or your comments! 

If you want to learn how to program yourself for success, you need to understand that if you put garbage into your head, you will only ever get trashy results in your life!

The human mind runs just like the hard drive on your computer does, only in an unbelievably faster and more efficient manner. However, when it comes to basic programming, the same rules apply: If you put negative stuff in, you will only get negative stuff out.

Photo Credit: Nick BenjaminszIt is not possible to program a computer - or your mind - with commands that create gibberish and chaos, but then expect what gets displayed on the screen - or in your life - to be orderly, perfect, and effective. If you want to program yourself for success then you need to lock down your mind against every single thought that is not colored with success, bathed in positivity, and wrapped up in an iron-clad sense of expectation.

It's the Predominant Thoughts that are Hurting You

Many people struggle with reprogramming themselves for success because although they practice positive thinking, they visualize, and they say their affirmations, negativity is still the predominant factor in their life. It isn't the affirmations and the visualizations that are getting in the way, but rather the thoughts and the feelings that are active the rest of the time!

Most people's lives have been drenched in negativity for so long that an "offensive" move such as visualizing or saying affirmations is just a drop in the bucket compared to the onslaught of negativity that our minds are subjected to when we are not visualizing or affirming.

The results that we have in our lives are a direct result of the thoughts and feelings that we have, and the actions that we then take as a result of those thoughts and feelings. If the majority of your life is an onslaught of negativity, then your predominant thoughts, feelings and corresponding actions will not be positive.

All you have to do to confirm this is to look around your life right now. Your life's results are a direct result of your own thoughts, feelings, and actions. If you do not have the results that you want, then your predominant thoughts are not yet programmed for success, but rather are programmed for the lack of it.

How to Break the Cycle and Program yourself for Success

There is no such thing as a "first step" here, because all of these activities should be undertaken every single day, preferably several times per day, if not all day long. Remember, the goal here is to program yourself for success, not to just give yourself a tiny spoonful.

1. Do your "feel good processes" over and over again. Full credit goes to Gary Evans and the Manifest a Miracle program for the phrase "feel good processes," because that is exactly what they should be. We're talking about visualizing, meditating, saying affirmations, practicing gratitude, etc.

   The entire point behind these practices is to make you FEEL GOOD about whatever it is that you are considering while you do them. Positive thoughts about what you want in your life will create positive results, negative thoughts will create negative results. Period.

2. Eliminate or avoid negative influences. For many people, this will mean nothing less than a radical change in their lifestyle. Negative influences can and do include friends, family members, co-workers/employers, the television and printed news, and even the television shows and movies that we watch.

   Remember: Garbage in = Trashy Results. It doesn't matter where the garbage comes from.

3. Choose carefully what advice to listen to. Avoiding negative influences doesn't just mean staying away from negative people. It can also mean to ignore negativity that comes from  sources that are normally positive or uplifting.

   Just because you are reading a book that resonates with you, that does not mean that everything in that book is going to lead you down the right path. Make your own choices about what is good in that book vs. what should go in one ear and out the other. Likewise, when seeking counsel from other people, just because they give you advice, you are not obligated to take it! Even a person that you consider to be a positive influence can give you advice that will not resonate with you, or that will not take you where you want to go.

4. Surround yourself with never-ending reminders to stay positive. There are countless ways to keep yourself reminded of the fact that you are working towards a more positive state of mind, and towards the successful attainment of your goals. Just as when taking advice, however, you should only use the methods that you are personally comfortable with, rather than using what "most people" consider to be effective. Who cares what "most people" think?

   Check out the post How to Infect Yourself with the Personal Development Virus for an awesome list of ways to stay on the fast-track to success, and make sure to use a good mix of methods. I would recommend visual methods (vision boards, pictures), audio methods (affirmations, positive recordings), and mental methods (visualization, meditation).

The bottom line to all of these methods to program yourself for success is that they all stress the INTAKE of information. Remember that your mind is like a computer and that what you put in directly affects what you get out. There is no gray area there - that is simply the way it works!

Remind yourself with Offline Merchandise!

The only way you are going to program yourself for success is to go on the offensive, and to make a conscious effort to not only have a constant intake of positive, success-filled thoughts and feelings, but to also avoid any thoughts and feelings that cancel out your success-driven mentality.

Until you learn to avoid or shield yourself from negative influences that are the opposite of your dreams, you will forever be stuck in a loop of taking one step forward, and one step back! 

WHAT'S NEXT?

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In an effort that clearly demonstrates the power of bringing together like-minded people, several members of the Personal Development Partners community have banded together to create a FREE eBook about how to attain Inner Peace!

The idea was originally hatched by Maria Gajewski of Never the Same River Twice, and then several of the other PDP members came on board to create a ton of value, yet give it all away at no cost whatsoever.

Secrets to Inner Peace eBookPatricia Schiavone of Attracting the Best wrote a chapter in the book, and also helped Maria pull the whole thing together, Maria herself also contributed a chapter, and additional chapters were contributed by:

• Ellie Walsh of Living the Law of Attraction
• Lexi Sundell of Energies of Creation
• Aaron Potts (that's me!) of Today is that Day

Considering that today's world can be full of chaos, uncertainty, and even fear, finding Inner Peace is a goal worth working towards, and the chapters contained in this eBook offer some valuable insight into how to do exactly that.

Grab your free copy by simply clicking right here, or clicking the beautiful inner peace graphic, compliments of Gabriella Fabbri. 

The creation of this eBook marks the first collaborative effort by the members of Personal Development Partners, and it represents a mere fraction of what is possible when like-minded people come together for a common cause.

If you would like to become a part of a community where all of the members share the desire to learn, to teach, or to network for both professional and personal growth, then join PDP today and become a part of a group that is going places, rather than just watching the world roll past.

Membership at Personal Development Partners is free, or you can take advantage of a huge amount of additional value by becoming a Premium member, or even taking on one of the valuable, but limited, Thought Leader positions.

Now is the time to join, though, because at the end of June, the lifetime membership options will be coming down. The lifetime memberships give you unlimited access to all of the perks and benefits of PDP membership, yet without a monthly membership fee, so grab those lifetime memberships before June is over.

Many thanks to all of the PDP members, and a special thanks to those who were involved in bringing the valuable Secrets to Inner Peace eBook into reality! 

There have been multiple studies done about how to find your "purpose" in life, or about how to find your ideal career, yet that information might be no further away than a review of what you have been doing all along!

Yes, I will be the first (and continual!) person to tell you that if you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always gotten. However, that does not mean that you can't get clues about the things that will make you happy by reviewing what you have done in the past.

Photo Credit: RockoWhen it comes to being "larger than life," what is it that you or the people who know you well would say about you? What character traits, hobbies, or habits have you maintained for years, probably without even giving it any conscious thought? When you find the things that you are already enormous at, you will have found things that are in alignment with who you are, and those things can then be used as an outline to create who you want to become.

It is very likely that when giving consideration to what type of person you have been for years, you will not need to dig very deeply. If you have to think really hard about what type of personality you have, or about habits that you have maintained over the long-term, you are probably putting too much thought into it.

Don't think of it in terms of how a habit or a personality trait could make you happy, or about how you could use it to make money. Just stick to the facts, and then you can sort it out later to determine what it all means. I'll use myself as an example to illustrate the process:

• Healthy - I picked up my first barbell when I was 15 years old, I am 38 years old right now, and I have never gone more than 6 months without being on a consistent exercise program.
• Happy - Although my life has had bumps and bruises just like anyone else's life, I have always had a happy and out-going disposition. Yes, I can get cranky just like everyone can, but overall I have always been cheerful.
• Ethical - I got my first job within a week of being legally old enough to work, and I was mowing lawns and doing yard work for cash long before that. I have always done quality work, and I have always gone above and beyond the call of duty to earn the money that I've been paid.
• Outdoors - I grew up in the middle of nowhere in upstate New York long before everyone had an iPod, a cell phone, and a MySpace page, and playing outdoors was an integral part of my upbringing. To this day, I will literally get stressed out if I stay inside for too long.
• Inspirational - No, I haven't always had my present technical and grammatical skills, but I have always been the kind of person that people come to for advice, and the kind of person who helps people to believe that everything is going to be OK.
• Disciplined - Whether it was walking 1 1/2 miles each way to see my girlfriend 3 times a week when I was a freshman in high school (again - upstate New York - brrrrr!), freezing or sweating during days and nights in the desert while I was in the Army, doing manual labor for days on end in the Florida heat, or BRINGING IT with P90X, I have always been able to rise to any physical or mental challenge put before me.
• Fun-loving - I have never consistently taken life too seriously. Yes, there have been times when I've worn the party hat a bit less often than other times, but for the most part I have always been the kind of person who believed in enjoying the journey, and I have the pictures (and the scars!) to prove it.

Just now when I typed all of that out, it took me only marginally longer to type it than it probably took you to read it. I did not have to give very much thought to those habits and personality traits because they are nothing new to me, and none of them are only in my distant past. All of those examples are things that I have practiced most of my life, and I could call out a recent example of each and every one of them. These aren't habits or traits that I used to have, or that I would like to have, but rather that I already have, and that I've had for years.

Now, if there is something that I am considering - whether short or long-term - I don't have to look any further than that list to see if it is something that I will enjoy doing. As I said back in the Winds of Change post, I am getting ready to start a new fitness program on the coast of Florida. Does it match my profile?

• Healthy - You can't run a fitness business if you aren't in shape yourself - not if you actually want customers!
• Happy - After 3 years as a personal trainer, I can tell you for a fact that a fitness instructor's upbeat attitude is more important than their skills.
• Ethical - Again, if you want customers, you run an ethical business, and I always have, and always will.
• Outdoors - Doesn't get much more outdoors than the coast of somewhere beautiful :)
• Inspirational - I'll be in charge of inspiring not only a lot of customers to succeed, but a lot of employees and joint venture partners as well.
• Disciplined - I will go from working full-time at home in a temperature controlled environment to working outside in Florida in the summertime. Pretty safe bet that both physical and mental discipline will come into play!
• Fun-loving - I hatched this entire idea because I wanted to do something fun, and - without giving away the details of my business plan - yes, it will be loads of fun!

I will be personally happy because I will be practicing the very same personality traits that I have been using for years, and I have been using them because I enjoy doing so. I will be professionally happy because I will make a good living using those same personality traits, and at the same time I will be enhancing the physical and the financial success of dozens, hundreds, and ultimately thousands of people.

How to find your own Enormity

You already know what it is that you enjoy doing, so just sit down and right it out, just like I did in this blog post. Don't study it, or analyze it, or try to figure it out. Just write.

When you have a list of 6 to 12 habits or personality traits that have been part of your life over the long-term, then you simply check your present lifestyle and/or your desired future lifestyle against that list.

If your life and your planned future are in alignment with your list, then you are probably lined up for long-term happiness. If your lifestyle and your list are on two different planes of existence, however, now might be a good time to ask yourself why the life you are leading or planning is such a far cry from what you actually enjoy doing…

WHAT'S NEXT?

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