Have you really made up your mind you are going to reach your goals? If not, those naysayers will certainly find your insecure spots.

If you have cultivated a strong mindset by keeping your focus positive, the voices of the naysayers will not be able cause you any harm.

There are two kinds of responses that someone who does not believe in what you are doing can have:

1. They can warn you. These folk may have had a negative experience and will simply share their testimony objectively. With genuine concern and interest in your well being, they will share with you their own experiences. However they will leave you to decide for yourself, as they admit that there may be a possibility that it will work for you.

As they share their testimony with you, you may be able to see why it did not for them. The conversation may be a very positive one for you as your friend’s testimony leads you to discover pitfalls and problems you can avoid as you set out on your new venture.

2. They can try to impose their experience on you. These folk will share their testimony with emotion and then do their best to stop you from your new venture. They will most likely even get quite emotional about the situation. These are the ones you don’t want to listen to.

How can you protect yourself from the naysayers?

1. Politely hear them out. (If you have to shut them out, or take an aggressive stand then you are not secure in your decision).
2. Evaluate what you have heard, taking out any emotion from the conversations. Take anything counsel you think may be helpful and apply it to your plans.
3. Politely thank them for their input, and then confirm your own decision (perhaps not verbally, which could cause unnecessary strife. It is probably best to affirm your decision in your mind).
4. Above all, make sure you are secure in your decision and that your mindset is set for success as you begin your new venture.

And don’t forget:

This post is a part of the series: 7 Ways Your Focus and Your Mindset Will Affect Your Success

One of the reasons that writing things down clears the mind is that subconsiously your brain will not let go of anything that is important and should not be forgotten. So your thoughts are constantly focusing on these significant items making sure you don’t forget them.

As soon as you write down the item of major importance the hyper activity of your brain calms down. It is no longer so crucial to try and remember this item, since it is now safely written in your journal.

Now your mind is clear to focus on other things.

One of the major decisions in life, is more a discovery rather than a decision.

Simply ask yourself the question “what do I REALLY want to do in life”?

Visualize yourself being free to do ANYTHING you would like to do, with no obstacles to hold you back. Take time to think about this question.

The answer to this question will help you to discover the direction for your life.

When you are just a teenager or even in your 20s or 30s, life seems eternal and often these decisions are not deemed as important. I am always excited to meet young folk in their teens or 20s who DO know where they are going. They have a terrific opportunity to enjoy a great life fulfilling their highest dreams.

However, if you have already past these years (even decades past these years), don’t fret. You can STILL find your passion, and make the rest of your life the best part of your life.

Today is not just the first day of the rest of your life – it can be the first day of the BEST part of your life. It’s YOUR decision.

Here are some questions I have used to discover my passions in life:

1. What am I doing now that I would really rather not do?
The answer to this question may be very obvious to you, or you may enjoy most things you are doing. If you do enjoy most things, leave this question and come back to it later.

2. What am I not doing that I would really like to do?
Do you have a list of things you would like to do “some day”? What is your plan that will lead to you being able to enjoy these things? What? Don’t have a plan? Of course you do! You know that that “some day” won’t jump out of the bushes when least expected and say “here I am” right?

3. What am I doing now that I could delegate to someone else, leaving me time for more important things?

We all only have 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week. No amount of wishing is going to change that. Even if you do enjoy everthing you are doing now, there WILL be some things you enjoy more than others.

• So now it is time to decide on some priorities.
• Make a list of all the things you are doing.
• Add a grade beside each item (for example on a scale of 1-10, how much do I really enjoy doing this?).

This will help you to decide what things you may want to delegate.

4. What do I enjoy doing the most?
If you are really unsure how to answer this question, the exercise from No#3 will help you come to the right conclusion.

5. What can I do right now to start adjusting my life so that it is in tune with my real passions (what I REALLY want and want to do in life).
This is a time for a little reflection: If you find you are not even pointed in the right direction, what can you do today to get you started in the right direction towards your real goals in life?

This could be something as simply as throwing out some posessions you have been hanging on to but that are not allowing room for new and better things to come in, or as complicated as saying goodbye to an old friend who may be a negative influence on your life.

6. What am I doing that I like doing but that is keeping me from doing something I would really like to do more?

This is time for action. You have already come to some conclusions as a result of the excercises that you have already done (if indeed you were following the previous suggestions).

7. Now move forward towards fulfilling your highest dreams!

Don’t forget to make some notations in your journal on a regular basis to help you keep yourself on track towards reaching not just the good but the BEST that you were born to create in this world.