Success Programming

Now Available!

Inspire a higher level of performance by wearing the Goal Guru motto for Optimum Results!

Click on the Tshirt to order shirts for yourself or your team.

Listen.

Success Programming involves surrounding yourself with images that inspire you and remind you of your goals. Your surroundings should always remind you of the greatness within you.

I created these Tshirts for myself so I can wear my mantra emblazoned on my chest for the world to see.

Everywhere I went, people asked me, "WHAT DOES IT MEAN?"

I had the privelage of explaining to those who inquired, that it was my primary question on my quest for constant improvment.

It is a reminder to myself to RAISE MY GAME.

Stretch a little further!

Give a little more... (or a lot more)!

People everywhere were asking me how they could get the shirts for their sports teams, companies, and organizations. So I trademarked the mantra and made the shirts available for everyone!

Every time you see it, every time someone asks you what it means, it I further solidifies your commitment to a higher standard, a higher level of performance, expand your capacity.

Wear it proudly.

It works!

Jill

http://www.GoalGuru.com

Are You Satisfied?

By Jill Koenig
Author, Coach, Motivational Speaker

This past weekend I celebrated another birthday. Lately I have been working extended hours on some special projects so I carved out some time to absorb the majesty of wilderness, in my favorite place to reflect. I decided to spend the day hiking at Starved Rock State Park. It's my top day trip "get away" destination and it's an quick one hour drive from my house.

I love exploring the trails and the massive limestone rocks along the Illinois River. Besides taking in the abundant beauty all around me (it is an amazing place), I set a goal to hike farther than I have ever gone before there. Maybe it was ego, pride, curiosity, or maybe it was pure determination. I have been hiking there for 10 years and I guess since I'm a little older the challenge to better my best beckoned.

Hiking at Starved Rock is not like walking along a sidewalk. There are many peaks and valleys, hills and ravines to be traversed. Let me tell you, it's a workout. Within 10 minutes I was taking breaks to catch my breath and I wondered how far I would be able to progress. After all, I am 10 years older than when I originally trekked these trails. Adding to the challenge, it was a hot and humid 90+ degrees.

After several miles of ascending and descending, I knew I had arrived in the vicinity of the point that I would usually turn around and head back. I was having a great time, getting a serious workout, and as challenging as it was, I was considering turning back when a voice within me asked... Are You Satisfied?


Are You Satisfied?


I find myself asking that more and more these days.

As I grow, I find that my goals are more ambitious and expansive.

I yearn to stretch myself a little bit farther.

I long to better my best in everything I do.

When I think I cannot go any farther, is precisely the moment I must stretch a little bit more.

Fulfillment is measured by your own yardstick.

Are You Satisfied?

It's one of the greatest questions you can ask yourself.

Write these 3 words on a sticky notes and place them around your house for one week.

Are You Satisfied?

Look at your list of goals.

Are You Satisfied?

It is a question that opens doors.

It leads to "plussing" your endeavors. It adds to...

It leads to breakthroughs.

It dares you to burst through (perceived) barriers.

You will magically identify areas you can do better.

No matter how happy I am with something, I can always do better, the simple question is an invitation for constant improvement.

Constant and never ending improvement is a discipline, a habit that can be learned by asking questions like this.

Are You Satisfied?

It's a challenge. It's a dare.

Think about it. At work, at play, at the gym, in the car, in your relationships...

One more phone call at work, one more glass of water, one more sit up, one more mile, one more smile, one more hug, one more I love you...

To finish my story about hiking at Starved Rock, I did go beyond. I went farther than I have ever gone before and it was more beautiful than I imagined it would be. It was exhilarating. I took an inventory of my life. I reveled in gratitude. I basked in nature. I set some new goals.

Are You Satisfied?

Let me know your results...

Jill

http://www.GoalGuru.com

Jill Koenig is America's Top Goal Strategist. She is an expert
on the subjects of Goal Setting, Time Management and Business
Success. She publishes the world's largest Goal Newsletter at
http://www.GoalGuru.com

Copyright 2006 GoalGuru.com

***********

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Are You A Prisoner of Success?

By Jill Koenig
Author, Coach, Motivational Speaker

I love to study various religions and spiritual beliefs. I caught a fascinating interview with Barbara Brown Taylor on pbs the other day.

Years ago, Barbara pursued a goal to spend the rest of her life closer to God. She became a Priest and was 'successful' in growing the congregation of a small church in Georgia.

The problem was that her success at growing the church started to take her away from her original goal. She was burning out.

This is what Barbara said:

"Part of what happened was that the church and I succeeded. Part of what happened is that the church grew, and I gained a reputation for preaching, and people came, and it was a wonderful community. But we had a building that seated 82 people, and with a congregation then approaching 400 we were up to four services on Sunday, and everyone was tired. But the only relief to our tiredness was to build a new building, and no one particularly wanted to go there.

So I found myself in a maze where I'd taken the wrong turn. In my wish to do well for that congregation I wasn't doing particularly well for myself or my friends or my family, and I even found that the work for God was taking me away from God. There was no time anymore to be quiet or still or pray. So, in many ways, that's what led to my downward spin.

Beliefs have become unimportant to me. Faith as radical trust became even more important to me during this time. Because so many of my certainties about who I was and what I was supposed to be doing fell away, that faith was really what I had left.

In following the Really Real into a parish, which seemed to me like the best place to be full-time involved in what was Really Real, I became so attentive to the souls of other people that I was not as attentive as I might have been to my own."

Barbara was burned out. She took a step back. Her original goal was to be closer to God. Her success had begun to take her away from God.

From time to time, you have to take a break and take inventory on your life and your situation.

Are you where you want to be?

Are you headed in the direction you want to be moving?

Sometimes we get so busy, we forget where we were trying to go.

Are you directing your day or is your day directing you?

What changes do you need to make?

Goals are something we must continually look at. We define them, we redefine them. Progress is not only measured in numbers but also in fulfillment, growth, joy and peace of mind. Those are measured in the heart.

We have to check in. The Time Commandments leads you through a series of steps, that when followed will allow you to live closer to your bliss.

For Barbara, the change she made was to resign from the position at the church she grew so successfully and take a positition as a teacher at nearby Piedmont College. She still guest preaches at various churches several times a month and continues to evolve in her journey. She has written 10 books on spiritual evolution, which are a fascinating read.

You can watch the interview here:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week945/profile.html

Where are you going? Are you fulfilled?

Are you moving closer to your goals?

If you are stuck, what changes do you need to make?

http://www.TheTimeCommandments.com

Live Your Dreams,

Jill Koenig

http://www.GoalGuru.com

Advancing Your Goals More Quickly with Interns

By Jill Koenig

Author, Coach, Motivational Speaker

Today I was reading an article in inc. magazine about interns and it reminded me of all the untapped talent and potential that exists in the world just waiting to be awakened, hungry to be developed.

Here are some famous interns who went on to develop their greatness:

Bill Gates: Congressional Page

Before Harvard University, before Microsoft, 17-year-old Gates spent a summer as a congressional page. A budding entrepreneur, he sold outdated campaign buttons as collectors' items.

Oprah Winfrey: WTFV TV

During her sophomore year at the Tennessee State University, Winfrey worked at WVTF-TV -- the CBS affiliate in Nashville. She was hired on to co-anchor the news from 1973-1976.

Patrick Ewing: Capital Hill

Former New York Knick Ewing, while a basketball star at Georgetown University, spent the summer of 1983 interning for the Senate Finance Committee. During his internship he met his now ex-wife, Rita, who was interning for then Senator Bill Bradley.

Brooke Shields: San Diego Zoo

Shields volunteered at the zoo through an internship program at her N.J. high school before heading off to Princeton University, where she studied French.

Jodie Foster: Esquire Magazine

Foster was already a celebrity before her summer of '82 internship at Esquire, but that didn't give her special treatment. Primarily doing office work, Foster realized the world of 9-to-5 wasn't for her.

Brian Williams: Jimmy Carter Administration

Before starting his broadcast journalism career, Williams, a college dropout, worked as an intern during the Jimmy Carter Administration.

Betsey Johnson: Mademoiselle Magazine

Johnson worked in Mademoiselle's fabric library after graduating from Syracuse in 1964. She started making clothes out of the fabric no one wanted and sold them out of the building's ladies room.

Each of these interns shared some common traits: They were hungry. They were goal oriented. They had BIG dreams. They were passionate. They possessed a willingness to learn and start at the bottom. They were eager and willing to work on advancing their knowledge, experience and understanding of their interests. They were committed to improving their skill level.

Some ended up in entirely different fields, but their experience as interns enabled their success in the profession they eventually did pursue.

If you are running a business, perhaps it's time to consider finding a motivated intern and unleash a win-win relationship. Or perhaps you are the intern who would bring value to a company or mission by becoming an intern.

Whatever the case, it's a great way to advance your goals more quickly and pursue your dreams. Internships can lead to synergistic relationships, which is a major key to Goal Achievement.

One of the secrets I outline in my audio program, The Time Commandments is empowering the talents, brainpower, time and energy of others.

You can learn more here:

http://www.TheTimeCommandments.com

Start working smarter, not harder.

Live Your Dreams,

Jill Koenig

http://www.GoalGuru.com

Jill Koenig is America's Top Goal Strategist. She is an expert on the subjects of Goal Setting, Time Management and Business Success. She publishes the world's largest Goal Newsletter at http://www.GoalGuru.com

Copyright 2006 GoalGuru.com

***********

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Oprah's Secret to Success

By Jill Koenig
Author, Coach, Motivational Speaker

I am a Chicago native. For those who don't know it, when Oprah Winfrey first came to Chicago in the 1980's, she was a tv news reporter here. That was my first exposure to her. I was 13 years old, in high school, and would sometimes watch the evening news with my mom.

The evening news anchors were Mary Ann Childers, Tim Weigel (on sports) and a little known new kid in town, Oprah Winfrey. I really liked the special chemistry the three news anchors had together. When my dog Brownie had three puppies, two white and one brown, we named them Mary Ann, Tim, and you guessed it, the brown one was Oprah.

A lot of people don't know that Oprah's early dream was merely to be a tv reporter, a news anchor. She admired Mary Tyler Moore and Barbara Walters.

Oprah was simply following her bliss and pursuing her dream of being on tv news, when a position opened up at the tv station for a morning show called "a.m. Chicago." She walked in as an unknown, gave it her all, and changed the climate of television as we know it. People knew there was something about her, but no one knew all of the gifts that were dormant within her... just waiting for the opportunity to be developed.

Oprah's biggest Secret to Success:

Follow your bliss.

I chronicle this principle in great detail on my audio program

http://www.TheTimeCommandments.com

When you set goals and are pursuing your dreams, having a plan is part of the process. When you are working your plan, when you follow your bliss, new opportunities will be opened to you that you could never have predicted or planned. These opportunities are often invitations for growth. Sometimes you accept them and sometimes you don't. Oprah accepted her opportunity at being a talk show host, having no experience in that area and having no idea where it would lead.

Oprah dared to enter the arena of daytime talk shows when it was dominated by the reigning King, Phil Donahue. You need to be courageous when you are working on your dreams.


Oprah says,

"Luck is when preparation meets opportunity."


Some producers early on told Oprah her face would never work on television, that her eyes were too far apart and her weight and hair were an issue. Ouch. She persisted anyways.

When Oprah first started in television, some tv producers even told her to change her name because it was rare, unique, and so many people had difficulty pronouncing it. Now she is so famous, her first name alone is a Global Brand!

Sometimes you will have detractors.

Sometimes you will have supporters.

But you must set your goals and follow your bliss.

Along the way, you will be met with some unexpected challenges.

But if you persist in following your bliss, you will also be met with unexpected blessings.

You will be met with opportunities you could never have predicted.


Oprah set her goals, created a plan, followed her bliss and is now one of the most powerful people in show business and is the world's first Female African American Billionaire.

Wherever you are today, you have the capacity to change the world... but you must follow your bliss.

Oprah had no idea early on that she would one day own her own syndicated talk show, that she would own her own tv studio and production company. She had no idea early on that she would star in a movie of a book she loved (The Color Purple) or be nominated for an Oscar. She had no idea she would produce tv and motion picture movies. She had no idea she would produce Broadway plays. She had no idea when she was a tv reporter that she would own her own magazine and become known all over the world. She had no way of knowing she would raise millions of dollars for charity and build schools in Africa. She could never have imagined when the producer told her to change her name, that one day she would be known the world over by just her first name.


Your destiny is bigger than anything you can create by yourself... but if you follow your bliss, you will inevitably attract others who resonate with your positive intentions.

Opportunities come to those who follow their bliss.

Get your copy of a brand new audio program that will help you follow your bliss and and live a life that is bigger than you could ever create by yourself. All you have to do is start and follow some easy universal laws of success.

http://www.TheTimeCommandments.com

I explained how Oprah invested her time and energy in pursuing her dreams.

I want you to pursue your dreams.

I want you to discover all the gifts that lie dormant within you.

I want you to develop your greatness.

I want you to invest your time in the areas of your highest vision.

Follow your bliss...


Live Your Dreams,

Jill Koenig
http://www.GoalGuru.com


Jill Koenig is America's Top Goal Strategist. She is an expert
on the subjects of Goal Setting, Time Management and Business
Success. She publishes the world's largest Goal Newsletter at
http://www.GoalGuru.com

Need some fresh, free content for your web site or e-zine?

You are welcome to reprint this article on your web site
or in your e-zine. We simply ask that you include our byline
and let us know where the article will be appearing.

Goal Setting For MLM and Network Marketing

By Jill Koenig
Author, Coach, Motivational Speaker

I have coached thousands of clients over the past 10 years, many of whom were just starting out in a part-time home based business. It is estimated that at least 50% of Americans are involved in a home business.

In the beginning, the vast majority of clients I coached were people who still worked a full time job but were either dissatisfied, had a desire to be near their children, set their own schedule or wanted to create another source of income with no ceiling and no boss. Every single person desired more freedom.

The fact is that any and all of these reasons are great. Your own internal reasons are always the best motivators in life.

One of the easiest businesses to start at home with minimal investment is in network marketing. Sometimes referred to as MLM, they used to get a bad wrap, but they can be the perfect starting point for someone who is a newbie entrepreneur. I don't know of any other business that a person can start with less than $100 and be provided with a built in support system and unlimited income potential. Your support system is your upline, the company and it's support staff, training materials, marketing materials, and a proven product line.

One crucial key is choosing a company that is right for you. My first and only experience with Network Marketing was with a wellness/nutrition/weight loss company. I watched a friend who went from $0 to making $10,000 per month within just a few months and that was all I needed to take a closer look.

I thought, if she could do it, then I could do it.

My friend agreed to mentor me and away we went! A nutrition/weight loss MLM was a perfect fit for me because I was a fitness fanatic. I was always outdoors, went running daily and lived an active lifestyle. I was inspired because I would actually get paid to help others get healthy. It is incredibly emotionally fulfilling and financially rewarding AND you get to make a major positive contribution to people's lives.

Goal setting was easy for me when I first started. In fact, my goals were downright primitive. I needed to earn $_____ to pay the bills, so I needed ___ many customers in order to achieve that. I did have larger dreams of wealth, but my immediate needs were to provide for myself.

As I grew in my business, I needed to look at the bigger picture of creating a residual income by building an organization and mentoring my downline to achieve the results they were seeking.

Fortunately in my company, the marketing plan was easy to learn and follow and provided it's own goals to strive for. When a person reaches a particular milestone, there is another step, another goal inviting you to achieve it, with a hefty financial bonus waiting for you when you succeed. Your residual income only rises when you are helping others simultaneously reach their goals and achieve success.

Your next major goal is always to reach the next level in the marketing plan. You will inevitably reach the next level when you are helping others reach their next level! As you grow your business, you are constantly learning, growing as a legitimate entity in and of yourself, and growing your business skills and strengthening entrepreneurial muscles.

The key to goal setting in MLM is to focus on the marketing plan and whatever the next step is for you in it. Then you can break down your monthly goals into weekly goals and break the weekly goals into daily goals in order to achieve it. Figure out how many customers and new prospects you need to serve in order to achieve your goals and then go do it.

One of the biggest skills any MLM'er can learn is how to keep accurate gauges and stats of their business on a daily business. It is the only way to know whether or not you are on track to reach your goals.

As you progress in your MLM home business, the three most important factors that determine your success are:

Discipline
Goal Setting
Time Management

Since you no longer have a boss directing your day's activities, it's easy to get off track. You must have a 90 day plan and a daily method of operation that are tied to your goals. Your mentor should help you until you master this and if you are fully investing yourself into your business, your mentor will be standing by to invest in YOU!

The finest network marketing companies will train you and actually groom you, so that over time you will become a super successful entrepreneur in your own right. My mentor helped me to grow faster than I ever knew I could.

I was a kid from the south side of Chicago who knew nothing about business when I started. But with a good mentor who held me accountable, a reputable company with amazing, in demand products, and with my own desire and commitment, I rose to the top 2% of the company of over one million distributors in dozens of countries. It's easy to get comfortable and stop growing when you reach that level. I had a huge house, two cars, got to travel and often this is where complacency sets in. It is easy to get comfortable here. Goals at this point are just as crucial as when you first started out. Having a mentor and a coach can help you set goals that are right for you, regardless of the level you currently reside.

I never would have achieved a six figure income that quickly without all of those ingredients. I had my own goals of income and production that I wanted to achieve and then I had the goals and the extra incentives and rewards the company created in it's marketing plan and promotions. Consistently setting goals within the company's marketing plan always kept me on track.

One major secret to my success was that I sought out educational and motivational products and newsletters, like the one you're reading now. When you run your own business, you are part of a team but you are always 100% responsible for your own success. Rising to the top requires investing in yourself. This includes reading on a daily basis and listening to motivational audio programs on success, personal growth, leadership, goal setting and time management.

There used to be a stigma attached to MLM. These days, one of the smartest moves you can make is to start a MLM home business. There is minimal investment, outstanding proven products, training and materials, you set your own schedule, there is real potential to quickly earn hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, and you get all the benefits of owning a business without all of the overhead of creating it all yourself.

So work with your mentor, keep your eye on the marketing plan and set goals that will enrich your life and the lives of others.

In case you're wondering, I'm still in madly love with my MLM and their products have been an integral part of my life since that very first day!

Cheers to your health and wealth,

Live Your Dreams!

Jill Koenig
http://www.GoalGuru.com

Jill Koenig is America's Top Goal Strategist. She is an expert
on the subjects of Goal Setting, Time Management and Business
Success. She publishes the world's largest Goal Newsletter at
http://www.GoalGuru.com

Need some fresh, free content for your web site or e-zine?

You are welcome to reprint this article on your web site
or in your e-zine. We simply ask that you include our byline
and let us know where the article will be appearing.

Celebrate Your Freedom.... Independence

By Jill Koenig
Author, Coach, Motivational Speaker

This July 4th, I want to encourage you to really celebrate your independence. In America today we celebrate freedom from tyranny, and the right to pursue our dreams.

I took some time to reflect with gratitude that I was born in the USA. I have certain rights and freedoms here that I would not have if I were born in say, Africa, Poland, Iraq, The Soviet Union or any number of other countries.

This means I have a beautiful freedom granted to me by my forefathers through their bravery and foresight.

I have the freedom to get an education... or not.

I have the freedom to read whatever books I want.... or not.

I have the freedom to speak freely... or not.

I have the freedom to vote... or not.

I have the freedom to get a job... or not.

I have the freedom to love whomever I want... or not.

I have the freedom to marry... or not.

I have the freedom to start a business... or not.

I have the freedom to increase my income... or not.

I have the freedom to set goals, any goals I desire... or not.

The vast majority of the world is still without these freedoms.

I consider it my responsibility, my obligation, my privelage to savor and exercise these rights and pursue the opportunities I have been given, that many still only dream of.

Every single day, thousands of immigrants risk their lives to enter into our country to get a taste of the freedoms we experience here that so many take for granted. They come here hungry, ready and willing to work and do whatever it takes to experience a tiny morsel of what we were born with... freedom... beautiful, delicious, magnificent freedom...

I can wake up any morning and start anew, set new goals, renew old goals... or not.


Freedom and responsibility

Are mutual and inseparable,

We can ensure the enjoyment of the one

Only by exercising the other

-The Bill of Responsibilities


I set some new goals today.

We are at about the half way point through 2006.

Take a look at your life. Take a look at your progress.

Are you on track to reach your goals for the year?

Now is a great time to exercies your freedom and set some new goals for the next six months.

If you live in America, you live in the greatest country in the world...

The land of opportunity...

Give thanks to those who defend our rights and freedom and exercise that freedom to create an extraordinary life for yourself and the people around you.

Give Thanks.

Set a new goal today to honor the freedom you enjoy...

Live Your Dreams,

Jill Koenig

Jill Koenig is America's Top Goal Strategist. She is an expert
on the subjects of Goal Setting, Time Management and Business
Success. She publishes the world's largest Goal Newsletter at
http://www.GoalGuru.com



Need some fresh, free content for your web site or e-zine?

You are welcome to reprint this article on your web site
or in your e-zine. We simply ask that you include our byline
and let us know where the article will be appearing.