FACT: Our habitual thought patterns drive our actions, which in turn drive our results.

Our attitudes, beliefs and our way of interacting with the world all affect our circumstances – whether it’s money, relationships or any other facet of our lives.

In keeping with this site’s theme of ‘I wish someone had told me this stuff years ago!’ the following are some key questions to ask yourself in your journey to success and personal empowerment.

BONUS: Included within each section is a suggested resource for taking the tip and applying it in your life for REAL RESULTS. As with everything on this website, each of the resources has been used and tested personally, and is recommended because of the potential for profound changes in your life that it represents.

POWER: Are you asking the right questions?

This is perhaps the most important question of all. To paraphrase the dynamic Anthony Robbins, consider the contrast in potential results of the following two thoughts:

A) I’m so fat. Why do I always have to eat chocolate?
B) What can I do today, and every day from now on, to make myself healthy and vibrant, and enjoy myself in the process?

Can you see the difference? The way in which we phrase our questions to ourselves is extremely important. It affects our attitudes, the direction and intention of our actions and consequently our results. The good news is that everyone can improve in this area; take action today and start asking yourself more effective questions.

Suggested: Anthony Robbins Personal Power II – CD set: I can attest to the efficacy of this program, but you need only look at the incredible results in Tony’s own life for an endorsement. His huge heart, contagious enthusiasm and, most importantly, effective techniques for realizing deep change are hallmarks of all Tony’s works.

This program in particular delivers huge value for the money, and just gets better and more effective with repeat listening. Short of attending a Robbins’ seminar series, this is the best of Tony Robbins.

LEGACY: What do I want said about me after I’m gone?

According to renowned author Stephen Covey, the best way to live an effective life is to think from the end. After all is said and done, will you look back and regret having done certain things, or not having done things? What do you want your life to have been about? Now is the time to decide and to act. Every day between now and the last day of your life is an opportunity to live as you wish to.

Suggested: Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: This incredible book has become a personal development classic for very good reason. Stephen Covey has reached guru status in the personal development field because his advice cuts straight to the heart of the matter – your life and what is really important to you.

Stephen’s books are a cut above most of the ‘self help’ genre of books available at your local bookstore, and deliver all the results they promise, if used properly. They are intelligently written, extremely effective, and profoundly personal.

ACTIONS: Is what I’m doing leading me towards or away from my goals?

As business coach and leader Brian Tracy tells us, everything counts. All our actions, large and small, lead us somewhere. Ask yourself often, where are your actions leading you?

Suggested: Brian Tracy’s Programs: Brian Tracy is a dynamic and successful business leader who inspires audiences the world over with his straight-forward and effective leadership. Brian’s craft has been honed to near perfection over the years, as evidenced in his continually improving products and his notoriety. The Success Mastery Academy is the culmination of decades of experience, research and implementation of cutting-edge success tools and mindset. Listen to this program repeatedly and reap phenomenal benefits, like thousands have before you.

*Clicking on the link or picture will take you to Brian’s site. Search ‘Success Mastery’ for this amazing program. Of course you cannot go wrong with any of his products.

BEING PROACTIVE: What can I do today that I’ll be glad I did tomorrow?

This question is brilliant in its’ simplicity. Ask it every day, and watch your natural inclination towards procrastination simply dissolve. Not only will you find your time management skills dramatically increasing, you will have more time to do the things that really matter. Procrastination is actually about avoiding things that really matter and which, deep inside, frighten us. If you truly want profound, positive change in your life, dealing with the fundamental issues which remain hidden by day-to-day nonsense masquerading as ‘important stuff’ is a part of the process. Asking this simple question (and taking action on your answer/s) is an extremely fast way to begin.

Suggested: Jim Rohn’s One Year Success Plan: What an amazing and inspiring man Jim Rohn was. We lost him in late 2009, and the world is definitely a lesser place without him. However, Jim left us an amazing body of work from which to learn. Billed as America’s foremost business philosopher, Jim took lessons he learned from his own mentor and became a success mentor to countless thousands of people. He consistently strove to improve his message, which had already been deep, inspiring and motivating for many years. He liked to positively affect people’s lives in a permanent way, and got genuine joy from hearing stories of success from his former students and seminar attendees. We’ll miss you, Jim!

OPEN MINDEDNESS: If I don’t change my life won’t change…what could I be missing?

What you need to be open to asking yourself often is ‘What needs to change, or what could I be doing better/differently in order to change my results?’ Consider philosophies, tools and advice you may not have been open to before now.

As many a successful guru has said, you can’t keep doing the same things and expect different results. Sometimes by stepping back and investing a moment to analyse your actions, you can determine that small changes will make an enormous difference. Think of the analogy of the aircraft in flight, the crew of which needs to make constant adjustments to keep it on track to the desired destination. Without monitoring and being open to changing things, you will get results by default and not by plan. Pay attention, and be willing to change if what you’re doing is not working!

Suggested: The Science of Getting Rich Program: Brought to you by a group of the Teachers featured in The Secret movie, including the wonderful Bob Proctor, Micheal Beckwith and a personal favourite of mine, Jack Canfield, this program picks up where the movie left off. It is jam-packed full of material, bonuses and detailed information about the philosophies involved. This program quickly gained notoriety because it features genuine leaders in this area, and as anyone who has seen the movie knows, they have lots of exciting things to tell us about creating our dreams.

ATTITUDE: Am I living as if my dreams WILL come true or as if they will NEVER come true?…

As mega-successful billionaire Paul L. Meyer tells us in an inspiring interview with Success magazine, attitude is the most important factor in achievement and success. Our beliefs about ourselves and our abilities, and our capacity to overcome adversity will, to a large part, determine how far we go in life. The good news is you can vastly improve things in this area. ALL beliefs were formed some time in your life, and all can be changed. This is one are where a little self work can bring about tremendous change.

Suggested: Accept your Abundance by Randy Gage: This book provides a no-holds-barred, confronting look at your beliefs about abundance and wealth. Randy tells it like it is and does not sugar-coat anything, which is exactly what we need sometimes to shake us out of our comfort zones.

Be prepared to discover and release some very deep-seated negative thought patterns, and unleash inner power you never knew you had. An exciting and enlightening read that is sure to change your outlook – and your pocketbook.

REPETITION: What am I exposing myself to?

The average North American spends over 100 hours a year commuting to work. Every one of those hours could be used to learn and to grow. As Joe Vitale and virtually every successful person tells us, one of the best ways to launch yourself into success is by repeating success messages to yourself . Turning our drive time into learning time – Joe calls it a ‘University on wheels’ – is a fantastic and efficient way to do this. Get some tape or CD sets from people who can act as mentors, and listen to them in your car or at home. There are many incredible compilations of material to use for this purpose. Download some inspiring content onto your MP3 player and listen while you work or while you walk each morning. Learn another language, or learn the habits and rituals and skills you need to reach for the stars in whatever field you choose…just do it!

Suggested: Wayne Dyer’s The Awakened Life: With his strong, gentle ways and his inspiring real-life stories, Wayne Dyer offers us a unique and higher-self oriented choice for our way of life. In this thought-provoking program, Wayne challeneges us to consider our lives as ongoing works of art, and provides many usable tools for accessing our higher selves and feeling empowered. This audio is timeless and will benefit anyone who is ready to take a wider at the impact their attitudes, beliefs and actions have on their own lives and on those around them.

Wayne has, more recently, written some incredible books and created many more inspiring audios, which you will also find at the link above, by searchign books under Wayne Dyer. Thanks for all the inspiration!

BONUS: Here are some extra tools that use the power of repetition to help you sky-rocket your progress. Listening in a relaxed environment (not while driving) is best for these tools.

AffirmWare -  Sculptor 3 Affirmations Software: By using a mix of cutting-edge tools in one powerful package, this program takes just 10 minutes of listening a day. You’ll find visualization, goal-specific prompts, alpha sound technology and four others, all integrated into one system.

Think Right Now! Audio CD’s: Featuring ‘Accelerated Success Conditioning,’ these audio programs deal specifically with different aspects of life, depending on your goals. Each audio is relaxing, targeted, and extremely effective. These audio tools have received rave reviews from around the world.