| January 1, 2005 SETTING GOALS In this issue... A BE NICE Story People Profile Monthly Audio Message Do Something! Quote of the Month And on BeNiceOrElse.com: Featured Article Choose Your Focus Past Newsletters December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 NEW CD! Winn Claybaugh live Be Nice (Or Else!) $20  With a Special CD Introduction by TV and Radio Personality Leeza Gibbons Learn More Finalist — (Or Else!) identifies the factors that keep people from being nice — and how to overcome them. Learn More Testimonials Buy the Book Quantity Pricing
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"A famous swami once told me years ago that someone who’s nice always gains... Winn Claybaugh is a remarkable guy and one of the best motivational speakers in the country. In this terrific work, he brings you easy-to-use concepts that could bring interesting rewards." |
 Hi Everyone,Happy New Year! It’s that time again, when you’re probably making resolutions and setting goals for the coming year. Maybe you’ve decided to lose weight, start an exercise program, get a job promotion, or change some other area of life with which you aren’t completely satisfied. Despite your good intentions, studies show that the vast majority of resolutions fall by the wayside within a month or two. People usually start out like gangbusters, focused intently on their goals, then they suddenly realize they’ve been neglecting other important areas and responsibilities. The secret to making and keeping your goals and resolutions is really no big mystery. You simply need to incorporate them into your life in a way that lets you stay balanced. Life can be divided into five basic areas: professional, physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual. Your feelings of fulfillment in any one area are in direct proportion to the extent that you focus on achieving balance in every area. For example, if you’re experiencing career success but you’ve totally ignored your spiritual needs, you won’t be able to fully enjoy the financial or worthwhile benefits that your business may have produced. Figuring out this balance thing can become an unfolding adventure. As you work on achieving balance in all five areas, remember that the process must be fun. How do you make things fun? Two steps:
By incorporating these two steps into your goal-setting process, and remembering to maintain balance in all five areas of life, you’ll increase your chances of achieving your goals and enjoying the results all year long. A BE NICE Story Jac Brown is one of those good friends with whom my friendship and communication take place mainly through e-mail and instant messaging. I'm grateful for friends like Jac who unconditionally embrace my passions and visions such as BE NICE. Dear Winn, Your book Be Nice (Or Else!) has been a monumental vehicle for my “new life.” My parents, who are truly the best parents in the world, brought me up to be polite, to respect all, and to just be nice. Somewhere along my journey in life, though, I fell into this habit of forgetting about being nice. I hated myself for it, but I felt at times that I couldn’t help myself. As I began to read your book, it hit me. It’s not hard to be nice. I know how to be nice, I love being nice, and above all, I love it when people are nice to me. I just fell into a not-so-nice cycle. It’s easy to do in this hectic lifestyle we all live. Your insight was easy to follow and the home-play assignments brought it all back to me. I just have to remind myself every waking moment to be nice.  Which brings me to my tattoo. You’ve been a true inspiration to me for over 12 years now, but I had to figure out what I was going to do to make a difference in my life and in the lives of those that I come into contact with every day. So, to remind myself and those I meet, I had “BE NICE” tattooed on my wrist. Now I can’t help but be reminded of the promise I made to myself to just be nice. And on those occasions when a stranger asks me what my tattoo means, I simply say, “I have an objective, and that is to be polite, kind, and pleasant.”Thank you, Winn! Love, Jac Brown  People ProfileGrowing up in Pocatello, Idaho, Angie Cranor had a normal childhood—playing basketball, riding her bike, and hanging out with friends. At age sixteen, she survived a terrible car accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down. One night while lying in her hospital bed, Angie realized she had a decision to make: whether to get bitter or get better. She chose to get better. After returning home from the hospital, Angie continued her high school education, was crowned homecoming queen, and even walked across stage with the help of leg braces and a walker to receive her diploma. Today she’s a hairdresser and a featured speaker whose powerful story inspires others to get better, not bitter. Monthly Audio Message  Angie Cranor has been a wonderful mentor to me and to thousands of others by preaching things like, “If your dream is big enough, the facts won’t matter. Always remember that you can do anything you want, no matter how big the obstacles may appear. The accident wasn’t a bad thing. It was just a difficult thing that has made my life better.” CLICK HERE to listen to her inspiring story.Do Something! CREATE A DREAM BOARD Here’s a great idea to help you achieve your goals and keep those New Year’s resolutions. I’m sure that many of you would agree that your mind works more in pictures than in words. Yes, it’s valuable to write things down (if you think it, ink it), but how about the pictures of what makes your heart sing? How about creating a dream board?  Either on your own, or with your family and friends, gather up as many types of magazines as you can find—fashion, architectural, travel, health, automotive, or whatever interests those in your group. For each participant, provide a large poster board, scissors, and glue. Turn on some fun or inspirational music, and maybe order in some pizza. (As you can see, I’m encouraging you to make this a fun activity, not some homework-type chore.)Look through the magazines to discover pictures of what makes your heart sing. Perhaps it’s a picture of your dream car. Maybe it’s a photograph of a person who has the type of body you want. Maybe you’ve always wanted to take a Paris vacation, and while thumbing through a magazine, you find a photograph of the Eiffel Tower. Cut out those photos and glue them to your dream board. Avoid judgments of what should or should not be added to your dream board. When that little voice in your head tells you, “Oh, I shouldn’t want that expensive car,” ignore it and listen to your heart instead. If the photo makes your heart sing, it belongs on your dream board. Your heart is your God-given, built-in measurement to appraise and gauge the future direction of your life—a life filled with purpose and happiness. Once you complete your dream board, post it somewhere in your home or workspace to remind you of your goals and resolutions. Negative, self-doubting images can pop into your mind unannounced and uninvited, but your dream board will help you cancel them out. Make sure it’s highly visible, so you’re in control. Quote of the Month “If we confine ourselves to one life role, no matter how pleasant it seems at first, we starve emotionally and psychologically. We need a change and balance in our daily lives. We need sometimes to dress up and sometimes to lie around in torn jeans.” —Faye J. Crosby, U.S. Professor
Winn Claybaugh’s Be Nice (Or Else!) The Newsletter! |
