Good Luck Matthew Hayden

Another sporting legend has retired. This week Australian Cricketer, Matthew Hayden, decided to retired gracefully from the game after being dropped from the team the previous week. Poor batting results led to his eventual sacking. Whenever a successful sportstar starts to underperform there tends to be controversy on whether to keep them on or let them go. In a team sport the needs of the team will usually come before the needs of an individual. The key decision makers of Australian cricket simply chose what was best for the good of the team, and cannot keep on a team member simply on past performance or loyalty. A team, and even companies, will go down if they did the latter.
It must have been a difficult decision for Hayden, as less than 2 months ago he spoke of his love for the game and that he had no plans to retire.
There are some that feel Hayden was forced to retire. No-one or nothing can force us to do anything. Yes, recent circumstance forced him to come to a decision point, and in future years he may be grateful for coming to this point sooner than later.
He had a choice to make and I hope he made his choice based on considering how he wanted to spend his next few years - persisting in proving himself making a comeback playing State cricket, or taking on new challenges. In one report, he says that he considered hanging in there to prove his critics wrong. Fortunately he decided against this. This is the wrong motivation for anyone. Hayden doesn't have anything more to prove and I congratulate him for having the courage to move on from a life he knows so well and leap into the unknown. The good thing is that he has new dreams working with charity and as long as he identifies with his new role he will be immensely successful. Good luck.

It's time to face facts - Oprah did

I was inspired by Oprah last week as she started the week with a focus on creating a better life in 2009. Oprah is once again battling her weight and she now realises that she doesn't have a weight issue, she has a self-love issue.
The point that got me thinking was the fact that Oprah realised that she needed to face facts and be honest with herself if she was going to move forward.
Its a very important point for everyone planning their goals. Where are you currently at? It's time to be brutally honest with yourself. Unless you are, you won't be working from the correct starting line and you won't achieve what it is you want to achieve. Think of it like booking a holiday to Hawaii. It's no use booking your flight out of Sydney if you live in Melbourne. You won't get there. You need to bridge the gap from Melbourne to Sydney.
The same with financial or career goals. Be honest where you are currently at. Do you need to do extra work or extra study to bridge your gap? Do you need to complete a financial statement to see where you are really at?
Be honest about your health. What do you need to do ensure energy and vitality in 2009. Does your diet need an overhaul, do you need to find out the facts about the food you are eating, or would you benefit from a little more exercise. You may also need to consider how your relationships are.
Facing facts will enable you to make the tough decisions that will help drive you forward to success.