One of my favorite televisions programs, which I used to follow from its first airings, was Project Runway. What I liked about this program was that it reflected tough challenges, causing designers to develop pioneering ideas so they could compete in a highly competitive market. With his famous slogan "MAKE IT WORK" and "I need you to WOW the judges," Tim Gunn instills courage in each designer, stimulating their creativity to the utmost. Go-getters, in one way or another, have a plan or a goal which they wish, to acquire or accomplish in life and their commitment and positive attitude push them to try to achieve no matter what. This is all well and dandy, but for other people, they may have a goal, but they can be their own worst enemy at times, presenting internal or external obstacles that might not even exist or aren't that big of a deal. Some individuals sell themselves short, underestimating their own capacity to succeed in life, and fail to take the right paths, the ones that would lead them to fulfillment.

I am a woman with a positive mental attitude who strongly agrees with Jack E. Addington, in that "almost no goal is impossible of attainment if you can accept it as being within the realms of possibility." Although I am not claiming to be an expert on the subject of achieving goals, based on my personal experience, knowledge and study, I believe I can be an influential tool in helping others to find their way in following their dreams, by setting goals and making them work.

I have put together these thoughts, which I hope everyone in one way or the other will find useful.

Set Your Goal and Stay Focused

This is extremely crucial. One must keep their attention focused on their purpose, whatever that may be. We need to be less intense and more relaxed during this process. Sometimes in our desire to achieve a goal, we become impatient, wanting immediate results, and when it does not happen when we want it to happen, we become discouraged. For example, a planted seed in soil does not develop into a tree overnight; it takes time and the proper attention to produce the tree, and even more time and attention for that tree to yield the desired fruit. Naturally in today's ruthless corporate world, there is no such thing as patience; everything has to be done at the snap of a finger, because of the significant financial investments that are at risk. I am only referring to the person who wants to perform his or her intention. From my experience, the one thing which I have learned is that not everyone is as excited as you are with respect to your goals. Never assume that because they are a friend or a relative, they will be helpful. If it does not fit with his or her area of ​​thinking, (often because of jealously or control), then a negative attitude will be projected, which may influence your thoughts one way or the other, knocking all the wind out of your sails. Only if, the project is part of a joint venture is it safe to talk about it, otherwise learn to manage to keep your mouth shut, do the project and let the outcome speak for itself. When you are clear about what you want, do not worry about it at all. Also, do not keep going from one person to the other asking for their opinion. If you are expecting some enthusiastic ovation, or a "hats off to you," as they say, in New York, "Fugheddaboudit" … When you stay focused, on your goal, and maintain a positive attitude, you become a magnet attracting the right opportunities, the right people, and favorable situations, situations which will help you to bring your vision to successful completion.

Never Reject Ideas or Information

Hidden deep within us is a remarkable and inexhaustible source of innovative ideas. Musicians, authors, scientists, inventors, designers, artists, etc., over the centuries have successfully tapped into and have learned to rely on and hone these ideas. Some might say they are an illumination, an impression, a hunch or a divine inspiration, something that suddenly appears and leaves just as quickly. Oftentimes, these ideas will pop into one's mind when least expected, usually as soon as one ceases to look for them. A person could be at work, driving a car, doing housework, on the computer, or even watching TV when this happens. One cannot rely on memory when that inspiration comes. Many brilliant ideas have been lost that way. That is why the creative person should always have their cell phone to text the ideas to themselves or a pad and pencil handy at all times.

Several years ago, when I was a song writer / performer, I think you would have called me a scribbler. I was always reproducing my thoughts on paper before they would die. Many a time I would be writing the lyrics or the melody of a song, moving at a relative speed, when suddenly the source of inspiration would seem to run dry, and no matter how hard I tried to resume the tempo, it would be gone . I would feel frustrated and lost. Before I would go to bed, I would dwell on what I was trying to accomplish at the time when the flow of creativity had stopped. After a decent night's sleep, I looked forward to my usual strong steaming cup of coffee. Now that, I was fully awake, I noticed that the thoughts that I was in need of before I went to sleep were running through my mind again. It was weird, as if there were some activity going on while I was sleeping. Naturally, the first thing I did was to grab my pencil and pad and quickly produce those thoughts down.

It is necessary to be versatile. When these ideas come, do not condemn them or reject any of them because they do not fit into whatever you are doing, because it will cut off the flow of creativity. Sometimes, within the knowledge that one receives, there are hidden clues like street signs that may lead to avenues that will lead you to accomplishing your goals. As they say, "The devil is in the details". Save and jot down whatever thoughts may come to you without eliminating any. There will eventually be a time when you think to some level that you have enough thoughts or ideas written down, and then you can be critical as to what you want to use, eliminating or storing the rest for future reference.

Be organized; create an Outline

Creating an outline or a plan is especially useful in trying to achieve goals. It organizes one's thoughts and ideas, thus establishing some order from chaotic insight or inspiration; otherwise, one will lack direction, like a boat without a paddle, drifting aimlessly, going nowhere. The designer does a sketch of what he or she wishes to reproduce in a life-sized portrait. The architect has his blue prints. The writers have their outlines and research to guide them. As the composers create musical pieces, they produce the progress of their thoughts on a sheet. Every creative person has some way of grouping their ideas or thoughts. When one opens a book, there is a table of contents, where the author will lead you from start to finish. By the time you finish reading, you will decide if it is an enthralling or a dull book, the best seller or a book doomed for the waste basket.

This brings to mind my High School English teacher, whom I respected immensely. I can still remember her face, but not her name. She always cared about her students and strove to bring out the best in them. As a class assignment, I had to make a speech. One part was performing artistically in the auditorium. I had developed confidence in this part from the constant rehearsals. It came easier to me compared to giving a talk based on my own original material. That was not my cup of tea, especially with grammar being my ineptitude at the time. Fear began to settle in, fear of failure as well as fear of being ridiculed. I knew I had to do it, because I was being graded on my speech. I shared my concern with the teacher. I must say she had a calming effect on me. She gave me some advice as to how to complete the assignment. She told me to make a sketch of my thoughts in the order that I wanted to mention them. Then, if I was satisfied with the results, I should go over it several times for it to be embedded in my mind. Then I should stand in front of a mirror and make my speech over and over. She stressed that I should make sure that my facial expressions harmonized with what I was talking about. Another thing she pointed out was that I should not read the words, but should look at the audience at all times, only briefly referring to my outline. The more I would recite it, the more confidence I would develop.

This certainly was an excellent nervous-tension taming experience for me. I must admit, the day I had to deliver my speech, I was a totally different person; my Self consciousness had vanished and true Self confidence had taken hold. I am pleased to say that I did get a fairly decent mark on my speech, despite my fault in grammar. Little did my English teacher know at the time how useful this information would become to me in my years of being a song writer and performer. Even as, a web-site administrator, creating an outline is highly critical, in order for the viewer to find information or to know what your website is all about.

So my dear reader, the bottom line to all of this is that you MUST have an unwavering faith. Never lose sight of your goal or cease to be persistent, despite what happens. You must continue to have an unwavering thinking that you will eventually succeed, despite all outward setbacks and obstacles. Be a person who has certainty of purpose and direction. This is one of my favorite Jack E. Addington quotes:

"In order for you to achieve whatever you set out to do, you must believe in whatever you wish to achieve, accept its possibility and confidently expect it to be realized."

So then why are you waiting? Go for it! MAKE IT WORK! WOW them all. Who are they to tell you, you can't reach or find the way to your dreams? They don't hold the map. You do … And that map will bring you where you want to go if you take notes and plot a course along the way, that way, you won't waste time backtracking through empty roads you've been down before. You'll see the path in the notes you've taken that will lead you where you want to be.

Good luck!

Source by Miriam B Medina

Backcountry skiing is a physically demanding sport, and conditioning away from the slopes can help prevent injuries. You don’t train for the good days, you train for the cold and long ones. People generally hate to “train”. The outdoor athlete is usually, well, outdoors! Staying in shape comes naturally to the experienced, but not to beginners. When you are stronger you increase your survivability and are safer as a result. You are most injury prone during the first hours or days of a ski tour. Ski touring has its own training effect that is more sport-specific than any exercise you could do in the gym. Conditioning before a trip prepares you for the initial exercise stress of the trip, reducing muscle soreness, increasing ski performance and speeding your adjustment to higher altitudes. Losing excess body weight and doing cardiovascular training improves power and endurance.

Training for backcountry skiing is not like training for cross-country skiing. Strict aerobic training like long-distance running is not enough! Not only do we travel long distances, which requires aerobic training, but we also must carry heavy packs and climb hills, which require anaerobic training. Building an aerobic base with long runs, swimming and biking helps to build a foundation for harder training such as running wind sprints, running stadium stairs and doing swimming one lap sprints.

The North American Skiing Training Center at Truckee, California identified five areas of conditioning important for skiing: Strength, speed/power, balance, flexibility and endurance.

• SPEED/POWER: The stereo type of skiers training is the skier who is jumping back and forth over a box. This is basic Plyometrics or “jump training” originally developed by eastern bloc-Russian trainers. Plyometric is best described as “explosive-reactive” power training. We can also develop this fast reactive training when we run mountain trails since that also develops reaction speed by jumping up and over obstacles. One legged squats

• STRENGTH: Nothing develops strength and muscle size like weight lifting. Most alpine ski teams, including the U.S. team, have strength trainers who emphasize overall body training. Exercises that include core body muscles are the best, such as: Squats, Sit Ups on an Exercise Ball, Bench Presses, Pull ups, Lunges, Inclined leg presses are the best at building whole body strength. Three sets of 12 should be done three days/week when aerobic training is not being done since that may interfere with weight training strength gains. Another one: lie on your back and squeeze a gym ball between your lower legs. Raise your legs to a 45 degree angle with the floor and lower slowly. Keep your back pressed against the floor. Do three sets of 12.

ENDURANCE: Running and biking are great for developing over all endurance which in turn will help the body faster adjust to higher altitudes by increasing

the efficiency of aerobic pathways. Swimming is also a great conditioner for this purpose. Keep your heart rate at 60% of your age adjust maximum. (220

beats per second – your age = max. heart rate x 60% = training heart rate).

FLEXIBILITY: The gym ball and medicine ball have become popular for exercises that stretch leg and inner leg muscles. Stretching should emphasize the hamstrings, hips and back. For example, try placing your leg on a standard chair seat and lower the body-you’ll feel how tight your back leg muscles are from seating. Hold this and all stretches for 20 seconds.

BALANCE: Holding a medicine ball with both hands, pick up your right leg a few inches above the ground while squatting a few inches with your left leg.

Repeat with the opposite leg. Each leg needs to work independently. Strength and balance work together to stabilize your body during ski movements.

With the proper conditioning you will ski with more confidence. Your joints will also be protected with an extra amount of muscle that’ll encase the joint like a protective brace. The core or the body links the upper body with the lower body. Balancing and stretching when practiced together help to make the body more flexible. There are numerous sources of ski conditioning on the internet. Or you can get into a ski conditioning class at your local recreation center. Try it! You’ll meet fellow skiers and you’ll have fun doing it!

Source by Jean R Vives

One of the key concepts to any brand identity initiative is helping organizations understand their differentiation. It's one of the hardest parts of the process, but it's also one of the most critical. As Philip Kotler, professor at the Kellogg School of Management has written, "The art of marketing is the art of brand building. If you are not a brand, you are a commodity. Then price is everything and the low-cost producer is the only winner. "

This cannot be seen more clearly than in the example of Imax theaters. Imax had a very good recession, according to an article in the January 30 New York Times .

A few years ago, Imax was deeply burdened by debt and looking unsuccessfully for investors. Cut to 2011. Global box office receipts at Imax theaters more than doubled last year to $ 546 million, from $ 270 million in 2009.

Just as other media companies have been fighting the effects of the digital revolution and piracy, Imax is benefiting from the fact that it offers a unique viewing experience – one that is difficult to replicate in other theaters or in-home. Its curved screens are massive, about 72 feet by 52 feet, although some are much larger. The film screen resolution is also higher than what is shown in traditional theaters.

The average ticket price for an Imax movie last year in the US was $ 13, about $ 5 higher than the average traditional theater ticket price, and the company was able to reduce its costs starting in 2007. That year, Imax switched to a digital projection system , replacing analog prints that had been costing about $ 30,000 per theater with digital versions that cost $ 175 per theater. That made it possible to add more screens. By the end of 2011, the company will have doubled its number of screens worldwide to 600 total, compared to 2005 when it had about 300.

This story is one of transformation, but also a tale of best-in-class branding. It's about a company that knew what it was, one that saw an opportunity to apply its market distinction to achieve success, and that continued to build and promote its own unique set of characteristics.

According to Richard Gelfond, CEO, "All over the world, people are willing to pay for premium content," he said. "They want something they can't get in the home."

It's a classic case study in differentiation. Imax saw the challenges of the digital era and instead of abandoning their model, they reinforced it and managed to find a way to build the brand by adding screens. Fundamentally, they were banking on the idea that consumers would pay a premium for a quality viewing experience that cannot be matched. And they were right.

Instead of chasing the problem, Imax went the other way. They embraced their big-screen brand image. The company was able to see that their strength was in the unique value proposition they offered to viewers. Knowing this clear distinction in its market provided the foundation of confidence to finance an expansion at a time that didn't encourage a great deal of confidence in the company's future.

Now, the company is launching a VIP cinema in Moscow in April. For those who choose to relax in oversize leather chairs while watching their desired blockbuster of choice, it should be quite an experience. The cost of a ticket for one of the 80 seats: close to $ 100. If this one is successful, Imax has plans for more VIP theaters in cities like St. Mary's Church Petersburg.

* * *

It's a scary notion, this business of standing out and being different. I know from experience that it's far easier to use the same old borrowed language from within the industry we serve. Stepping outside of the din of a thousand agencies all barking the same thing feels like teetering on the edge of a precipice. It can be scary for people in group dynamics, and it's proportionately even more daunting for an organization.

A consultant once shared with me that the most successful, enduring brands were the ones that created a memorable experience for its customers. He felt strongly that the best brands, the ones that resonate with us for a lifetime, are the ones that appeal to our emotions and passions, as opposed to the ones that are based on an intellectual benefit. Citing companies like Harley Davidson, Apple, Polo Ralph Lauren, among others, he argued that a brand's differentiation was its heart and soul.

I believe it's also what Mr. Godin was referring to by the now famous purple cow analogy.

Another consultant once said, "No company ever lost by taking the high road." I know that can mean a lot of things, and perhaps it meant that it's important to remain principled. Or perhaps it means that luxury market brands are always more durable in the long run.

But I like to think that he was speaking about the importance of getting above the fray, standing out from the pack and projecting an image – indeed, living an image and brand promise – that is bold, unique and clear, and that can never be mistaken with another brand. That type of recognition and distinction that sets apart high-performing brands, the kind that elevates the company well above all competitors – that's a goal that every company should aim for.

Source by Dwayne Flinchum