A blurb on Neuro-Linguistic Programming or Neuro-Associative Conditioning

You may have heard of NLP or NAC but you may not really know what it is.  NLP (the more commonly used term so i will use that for the basis of my blog) is a brain science, which teaches you how the brain works, and makes connections to things.  The things we associate pain or pleasure to are already engrained in our nervous system, which is why we reacte to things without even thinking about them; they are, in other words, learned responses.  For example, you werent born recognizing the flashing light and high alarm of an ambulance.  That is something that you learned to respond to. 

So where do we go from here, knowing this?  We learn to recognize what our associations are and HOW WE CAN CHANGE ANY OF THEM TO BENEFIT US!  For instance, by continually reminding yourself via written mantras, via visualization and many other techniques, we train our brain to associate something positive to what we desire.  For example, if you are one of the millions out there who dreads a Monday morning, you can train yourself to associate positive things with getting up on a Monday morning and getting leverage over the situation, by getting leverage on yourself.  How do we get leverage over ourselves?  Well, we begin by realizing that by not taking these steps and changing our associations, just how much is this costing us when it comes to enjoying our lives?  You also need to ask yourself whether you really want to hold onto this negative feeling, because at the end of the day, it is your life and if you want to make any part of it better, you're going to have to take responsibility for doing it. 

I personally have notes written all over and tapes that I listen to to remind myself to change my focus whenever I am upset about something or something doesnt seem to be going my way. 

I am currently working on changing my associations when it comes to my single biggest phobia...snakes.  I am training my mind to begin associating positive things (instead of fearful things) to my phobia.

I invite you to begin exploring this amazing science of the human brain!  We are lucky that we are part of a society that has become sophisticated enough to be able to ascertain neuro-science and understand it well enough to have it work in our favor!

Here's to getting leverage on ourselves!

How to Get What You Want

People often ask me "How can I get exactly what it is that I want?"  They may say: "I have lots of interests", "I have experience in this and that, but I dont know how to help myself get to that point where I am truly able to do what I want, and still be able to pay those pesky bills."  On top of that, so many people out there are stuck doing "day jobs", while keeping their dream and passion job for after 5 pm.  This does not need to be your forever reality.  The only way to escape this vicious cycle is to plan your time carefully and you must be able to tell yourself that I will get to do my dream work during the day and more than pay those bills.

First things first, you need to set yourself some solid, measurable goals.  Why do I say solid and measurable?  Because without your goals, you have no idea what you are striving for!  You are aimlessly going about your day and you will do so with much less enthusiasm than if you knew that you are doing this now because you have this other endpoint in mind.

When you are setting yourself goals, first, be specific.  If you just say "I want to work in real estate", thats not very specific and your target will be much less specific.  Be as specific as you can possibly be, realizing that the more specific you make your focus, the more likely you are to get THAT SPECIFIC thing.  Then, you need to put in place solid actions to get there.  You need to schedule those solid actions into your planner and remember to do them daily (or however you have mapped this out).  But....YOU HAVE TO HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE!
Lastly, you need to measure the results often!  If what you are doing isnt working, but you keep doing it, nothing is going to change.  In fact the very definition of insanity is to continue doing the same thing again and again, expecting different results!  So, measure the results you are getting and tweak your actions accordingly.

For my own personal Self-Help Questionnaire and Guide to Getting Everything You Want, email me at Cmailto:Christine@LearnToday.ca.

Ask Youself These Questions To Make Sure You Are On Track

In my years as a teacher and a coach, there are some very simple and essential questions you need to ask yourself when embarking on something you think or believe is important to you:

WHY am I doing this?
WHAT am I aiming to achieve with this goal?
WHAT needs to happen for me to count myself as successful with this?
HOW am I going to measure my progress and level of success with this?
HOW am I going to make absolutely sure that I make this goal a priority in my life (instead of just saying it's important or going through the motions of saying it's important)?

One of the biggest mistakes people make with goal setting is that they say or claim that attainment of this goal is very importnt to them, but then they dont make it a priority.  You will really only make the attainment of the goal a priority if it is genuinely important to you and fits into your bigger picture of what you ultimately want for yourself.

Do What You Want....Just Be Decisive and stay on course!!!!!

People sometimes start off by saying "I will try this" or "I will try that" and then when they are in the midst of it and the going gets tough, they may very well just throw in the towel and say forget it!  Thats not the way a leader with passion gets somewhere.  People who are really sure of themselves and have a vision (doesnt have to be a very clear one at first but they have a vision) really can get around ANY problem.  These are people who are COMMITTED and will DO ANYTHING to achieve their vision.  No matter what field you get into or you are in, there will always be obstacles to overcome and this is one way that the Universe tests you to see whether you are committed to your vision or you have a non-chalant attitude toward it.  Those who are committed are the ones who consistently really get somewhere!

I can guarantee you that all of the greatest leaders and businesspeople in the world today have had many obstacles to overcome, but they used that as a stepping stone to learn their industry and their craft and to get that much better at things.  Just read up on any of them...if you find one who had everything just handed to them without even having to really work at it, please let me know!

Do what you like, just be decisive in doing it because the old saying is still true: when the going gets tough, the tough get going!

There are tools out there for anything you want to do

One of the greatest things about doing what you want to do in this day and age is that there are so many avenues to get you there.  Whatever field you're interested in, whatever avenue you wish to explore, there is a tool you can use to get you there.

One tool in particular that I have used a lot and I recommend to my friends and clients is infomation meetings.  For example, a friend of mine wants to get into radio DJ-ing and commentaries and while he is brand new to the industry and doesnt have any contacts, I suggested to him to set up information meetings with people who are already doing that and are successful at it.  There is nothing like modelling success from someone who has been there, done that!  As long as you approach people kindly, and respect their time, while letting them know you will do the meeting at their convenience, they are usually pretty good about answering your questions and helping guide you to resources.  After all, one day you will be that person sitting there as the expert....wouldnt you like to think back and remember that person who helped you when you were first starting out and pay it forward by helping someone new who needs some guidance??

What You Do Everyday SHOULD Be All What You Want

I hate the waste I see when people arent doing what they are ideally suited to do or really want to do.  I hate it because we each have awesome things we want and should be doing and if we're not doing them, well let's be honest, then we're not really being true to ourselves and we're not fulfilling our destinies.

We each have dreams and goals that we want to fulfill and things that satisfy us to our deep inner selves.  Not doing those things will lead to anger and resentment, because we do feel deep down that we deserve to be doing things that mean the world to us.  When we do things that mean the world to us, we are simply being the best version of ourselves and frankly, everyone around us benefits from that as well!

Figure out what you want to do and then devise a strategy for doing it - step by step and give yourself a timeline so that you can continually go back and measure your success!
The time to create the next 10 years is NOW!

Keeping Healthyand not sick ALWAYS (Especially at this time of year)

I used to be there.  Sick.  Tired.  And not looking that great because I was sick and tired.

I was working a full-time teaching job and had JUST started my business and was kind of killing myself to make sure things got done, and so I started getting sick.  No, I mean I started getting sick ALL THE TIME.  Every few weeks I would start feeling those headaches, sneezing, and just being bed-ridden (and yes, working as best as i could from bed.)

I then started taking a look at the fact that my boyfriend at the time NEVER GOT SICK and I began to wonder what was up with that.  In fact, one of the first times I did get sick, he was like "What do you mean sick...How did you get sick??"  and let me tell you, if i knew anyone who was working harder than me, it was him.  The guy was a working machine! 

He then told me that his mom gives him a fruit and vegetable shake every single day and that way, he builds up his immunity.  He told that he has never actually gotten sick, with the one exception of when he was ten years old and caught in a snowstorm without a jacket (long story).  I started thinking that there is definitely something to that, so I started eating much more fruits and vegetables and surprise surprise, started to feel better.  It has now actually gotten to the point where I dont even keep any cold remedies in the house (advil, tylenol, nothing...there is none of that in my place)
The trick is to make sure you are eating foods RICH IN WATER CONTENT (plus the fact that fruits and veggies give you a powerhouse of vitamins and nutrients that you really need) and that you are drinking enough water...I actually dont buy this whole "8 glasses per day" because every person is built differently and there actually is such a thing as over-watering your organs.  When you feel you've had enough water, chances are, you have!

I dont want to call it a Networking Evening...Let's call it getting to know each other!

A friend and colleague and I are together are holding a networking (or better to call it getting to know each other evening).  Find details below.  Please send an email RSVP if you plan to attend.  Thnx

Location: 2 Rean Drive, North York, ON – Events Room

Date and Time: Wednesday February 23^rd, from 7-9 pm

What Is It: Goal-Setting and Empowerment How-To and Body Language Expert.  See below

Cover charge: There is a $25 charge at the door to cover the cost of the event

Awesome double the flavor networking event - Short presentations on The Power of Goal-Setting by Certified Teacher and Coach Christine Topjian, Founder of LearnToday.ca, and Learn The Hidden Messages of What People Are Saying With Their Body Language with Body Language Expert Carla Estifan of CarlaEstifan.com.  There will also be LOTS of opportunity to meet, mix and mingle and increase your business network!  Be sure to bring your business cards!

Please RSVP by Friday February 18 3:30 pm to Christine@LearnToday.ca with Will Be Attending February 23rd in the subject line.

Why Do I Need Any Help?? I can just ask a friend and not pay for it!

While it is true, you can ask a friend, and for alot of people, this is a great option sometimes....I always say a good friend to talk to can be as good for you as taking a Tylenol each day!

The one thing that people dont mention when they bring up this argument is that friends arent trained to help you...friends dont know about the mental exercizes and tools that coaches know about that get you LASTING changes.  

Lemme give you an example...alot of people make resolutions in December or at some point in the year to do something, and then by what, February, the gyms or exercise rooms are deserted again!  Well that wasnt very effective, now was it???  With conditioning of the mind and training yourself, you learn to create pleasure in your mind to the things you are trying to achieve.

Dont you just love the functions of the brain...! ;)

What the Hell is a Coach Anyway????

I always laugh out laugh whenever people look at my business card and they ask themselves (or me) out loud..."A life coach...hmmm...interesting" ....meanwhile they have ABSOLUTELY no idea what a life coach really is or does.  Well, we are people who help you to solve your problem. 

You're not happy with your career..we help you figure it all out and set up a plan to make it better!
You're not happy with your boyfriend or girlfriend/wife or husband..we help you figure it all out and set up a plan to make it better!
You're not happy with your family life..we help you figure it all out and set up a plan to make it better!
The list kinda goes on and on....because there is always SOMEONE out there not entirely happy with something in their life.

Basically, through the MANY tools that we know about, we help you get from "stuck" or "frustrated" to "unstuck" and "exhilerated".

As You Go Into Superbowl Weekend

Thank God It's Friday...I'll bet many of you are saying that!  Now that work stops and the fun and relaxation can begin and let's not forget that it's AWESOME SUPERBOWL WEEKEND!!!  One thing (this is the Teacher and Coach in me) that I'm going to ask you all to pay attention to is the question of "How did those players get to that point??"

The simple answer is: practice and focus.  They worked their a**es off to get to where they are and there are only some people in the world who are so dedicated, passionate and into their work or their craft or their music or their anything, where we can honestly say that they deserve to have that level of success...that level of accomplishment.  So the one thing I'm gonna ask you to do this weekend is to take into account that maybe you need to "UP" a factor in your life....it could be the focus in which you work on your relationships, it could be the focus and effort you put into your job or your career...
Whatever it is, get yourself to a point where you can see exactly what you want as your goal and you can really go after it, steps and strategies fully in place!

What We Can Learn From Stephen Hawking and So Many Others

I was reading an article about world-renowned and celebrated physicist Stephen Hawking, where he states

that Earth may not be habitable after a certain point (that may be sooner to come than we think) and that human

survival may depend on humans inhabiting space.  I found this very interesting and as I kept clicking on link after

link, I was taken to a website all about Stephen Hawking and who this incredibly accomplished man is.

At the risk of sounding like a giddy little schoolgirl, I think Stephen Hawking's contributions to the field of physics

and science are stupendous.  Not only has he been perfecting his craft and field of study for aound 30-plus years, but he currently occupies the same post at Cambridge University once occupied by Sir Isaac Newton (yes, THE Sir Isaac Newton).  But I digress.  What is even more fascinating is that this is someone who has been battling

Lou Gehrig's disease for decades and only has the use of one muscle in his right cheek which he uses to communicate with a computer.  Regardless, his focus on his work, and his family are so exemplary. 

What Stephen teaches us about human behaviour is that at any given time, a person can look at their situation and circumstances in a positive or negative way by what aspect they choose to focus on.  Now, I'm

not saying that everything in your life (or mine for that matter) are perfect (not even close), but I 

believe there is something to learn from someone who does not allow a completely debilitating disease to lick him completely.

There are so many examples of people out there with all the beauty, money, love and riches in the world who killed themselves with drugs and other things.  Elvis Presley, John Belushi and Kurt Cobain to name a few.  Now I'm not saying that these people probably didn't have their own demons.  They probably surely did.

Not to oversimplify what any person may have gone through, but I believe that there is some beauty in

being able to focus on something good, even in the midst of sometimes devastating situations.

Good Things Take Time....Start NOW!

Good Things Take Time, Start Today

                                                   Why We Procrastinate?

I’m sure it’s no shock to the great majority of you that people procrastinate at times.  Why do we do this?  Well, the coaching training in me says that this practice may go a bit beyond laziness.  We actually do this because we perceive the act of doing the action or the resulting feeling of doing the action as more painful than not doing it and leaving it alone.  Either that, or we just don’t see enough value in what we are doing.  Before setting out to accomplish any task, it’s so important to find out your “Why??” as in, “Why are you doing this to begin with?”  Bottom line: If people don’t have a strong enough reason to put consistent effort into something...guess what….they aren’t going to continue taking action on it and doing it for very long.

                                                        What We See…

When we have any goal in front of us, we sometimes may see it as a great mountain that we have to climb and it can make us so nervous or may seem like such a huge task that we may end up putting off just getting started. My friend,  Jennifer Wilkov, publishing consultant and author of such books as Dating Your Money, pointed out something great and very important about the field of book publishing, but whose principles can be applied to any area of life.  She mentioned: Too many times, I see authors stop three feet from gold. Even the Chicken Soup for the Soul® guys (Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen) took 18 months to become bestsellers with their first book. They then went on to become Guinness world record holders for multiple millions of books sold. But it didn’t happen in a day, a week, a month or even a year.  An even bigger BUT, is that they started immediately upon idea conception! 

                                                                                         

                                                         Getting It Done

The way to get it done is to streamline and manage the whole process of how you plan to go about getting your goal accomplished, and to create an environment of patience, organization, action and results.

                                                       What’s Stopping You?

What’s stopping you from going after that goal you said was important to you? All good things take time but it’s important to get started on that goal and to start where you are (theres that ACTION word again)! J

                                                       Final Words

So figure out why you want to achieve something, make the need for having it so great and keep firm on the idea that with dedication to the goal, and working smart, you will achieve it!

Why I am about Teaching and Coaching

Teaching and Coaching go so perfectly well together and just compliment each other so beautifully!  In my years of teaching, I have learnt that when you teach, it's important to remember that people (no matter what age or skill level) may not GET IT immediately.  It is so important to double-check to see if students got it - this is why teachers generally ask if there are any questions afterward...and why they sometimes wait to look for the telltale sign of puzzled looks on students' faces if they dont get any questions afterward.

So basically, after a teacher teaches, it is really important to be able to go back and follow-up with that student and coach them to make sure that they not only got it, but that they are able to implement that in their everyday life. 
How can we be sure any student has REALLY understood the material?  If they are able to explain it back to the teacher IN THEIR OWN WORDS!

Happy Teaching and Happy Learning! ;)

Questions, comments???  Email me....christine@learntoday.ca

THE Key To Success....?

I always find it interesting when people ask me "What do you recommend as the single most important tool to success?"  I always say it is FOCUS.  And not just FOCUS, but LASER FOCUS!  You only know alot about something when you really spend time focusing on it, learning about it, talking to others about it, and you get the idea. 

The same is true in education.  Whether we are talking about learning subjects at school, learning about finances, learning life lessons, it's all the same concept.  You wont be able to learn and really be successful at anything unless you put in the time, the effort, and the focus on it.  There are so many different types of people out there, so many different interests and so many interesting things we can learn...there isnt always time for everything, so you have to pick and choose those things that are most important to you and really go after those!  Remember, the Law of Attraction always states that whatever you focus on, you bring closer.  So be careful what you spend your precious time on!