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.

2009 - what's your plan?

Are you thinking forward, making plans for 2009? Are you being specific? Or are you happy to continue as you are, perhaps making a new year's resolution that you don't commit to keeping?
You can write goals at any time of the year but with New Year upon us, it's often time to ponder what lies ahead. I wrote my goals a month ago and am still refining my plans so that I can make 2009 even bigger and better, not only for me but for those whose lives I touch. I am thinking, "how can I grow and help others grow too?"
I conducted a telecall last week to help you write your goals for 2009. There is more to it than just thinking about it or writing a list. What if you could learn a way to set your goals with greater certainty and clarity to compel you to move forward towards them? You can still register and listen to the call by visiting Goals Align in 2009 for a small investment. How much is your goal worth?
Brian Tracey has said "Goals in writing are dreams with deadlines" - isn't it time you started achieving your dreams. Take action now and move forward strongly and positively into 2009.

Happy Holidays

Wishing everybody joyful thoughts and gratitude at this time of the year. Christmas for me is more about the spirit of togetherness than exchange of gifts. Take the time to be grateful for what you have have in your life right now, the moments you have experiences, the people who have made a difference to your life.
I believe that unless you are grateful for what you have, the universe is less likely to give you anything more. Think of giving a present to a small child who then does not appreciate it - are you pleased to give that child any further presents?
When you start appreciating the results you currently have in life, the things you HAVE achieved, then you can go out and BE, DO and HWVE more.
I wish you big dreams for 2009.

Olympian Klim swimming in a new direction

I was watching Channel 9's 'Business Sense' this morning and came in as they were interviewing Michael Klim. Having retired from Australian swimming (a sport in which he became a world champion, world record holder, 3 time Olympian and Olympic dual-gold medallist), Klim is now producing and marketing skin care products.
In the interview Klim stated how he was working on putting the same passion and drive that he had for swimming into his new career. The reason I'm writing this, is because he didn't sound very convincing. It was like he was hoping he could get passionate about his business the same way he was passionate about swimming.
I'm sure many athletes can identify with the passion for their sport, I know I had it for beach volleyball. What if you could EASILY transfer that passion and drive into a completely new venture? What if you woke up feeling the same way that you did when you played sport, or some other favourite activity, instead of how you are currently feeling - perhaps flat or even dislike!
The work I do with the mindset can easily change how you think about the things you do, the things you eat and even what you believe. This can happen in a couple of minutes by simply changing how you code and store memories in your mind. Curious? You can find out more by emailing info@annetteffect.com.au

Playing the victim doesn't get results Symonds

Australian cricketer, Andrew Symonds is once again in the headlines for the wrong reasons and I'm not going to point the finger at him, or the fan that apparently felt snubbed when he couldn't get an autograph. The hotel manager backs Symonds that he did nothing wrong. A cricket australia spokesperson stated that they will be investigating "specifically into what he did and, as importantly, what he did not do"
I believe that we create everything that happens in our life - in some way or another. This can happen directly through our actions, or, perhaps in this case, through our non-actions. It's easy to blame certain situations as being out of one's control, and what this does is remove one's personal power.
By blaming someone else, it's in effect saying "I can't do anything about it". Where does that leave someone like Andrew Symonds - that he can't do anything to stay out of trouble?
It we step up and take responsibility for our lives, then we start to ask ourselves better questions - how did I create this? how CAN I stay out of trouble? How can I maintain a good reputation and behave like a champion?
It's time for Symonds to look deeper and consider what he can learn about this for himself so that he can move more powerfully forward to his future, and create the results he truly wants.

Rehabilitation in Sport - Ben Cousins return

Controversial AFL player Ben Cousins continues his comeback campaign to the national game following the AFL ruling. Despite stringent drug testing imposed on Cousins requiring up to 3 drug tests a week, he is keen to be drafted into a club for the 2009 season. There are many points of view on whether Cousins should play or not, and under what conditions, and it begs the question, how do we allow someone to move forward from their past mistakes?
Dale Carnegie, renowned for his business and leadership training, has said "give people a grand reputation to live up to." The point being, that what we expect to see is what we get. If we expect someone or something to go wrong, we will look for all the evidence that supports this belief, and overlook all the times that it goes right. We are all 'creators' or our reality and if there is a collective belief that Ben Cousins is going to 'stuff up' again, then we might all be proven right.
To get ahead in anything you want to get up more times than you fall down. As long as you keep striving, and that each time you fall you get up again, then you will succeed. Cousins has fallen hard more than once, but let's not push him down. When a toddler starts to walk and they fall down two, three, four times....are you going to give up on him/her ever walking? Of course not.
Perhaps if we give him, and others returning from rehabilitation of any sort, the support and belief that people can change, then Ben Cousins is more likely to return to his sporting glory. I hope he does.