Why Smart Goals Don't Work - And What to Do About It

Each year, I receive at least half a dozen identical articles touting the benefits of SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. SMART goals are increasingly seen as the secret to personal and business success. Unfortunately, it's a pretty safe bet that most of these goals will go the way of the proverbial New Year's resolution. Why? Because none of these articles actually tell you how to make SMART goals work. In fact, most people who try the SMART approach for any but small and relatively easy goals frequently find themselves frustrated and disillusioned.

Well-constructed goals are extremely powerful tools for getting things done, increasing concentration and motivation. Successfully completing a well-constructed goal builds self-confidence. Unfortunately, creating a well-constructed SMART goal is not quite so simple as the average article makes it out to be.

To begin with, a specific goal is only useful if it's something you can control. Although this may seem obvious, the fact is that far too many people set goals that appear to be under their control, but really are not. For example, consider the athlete who sets the goal of winning an upcoming tournament: it's specific, it's measurable, it has a time of completion associated with it. Is it achievable and realistic? Depending on the athlete's level of skill, very possibly. However, the athlete has no control over the difficulty of the competition. He may simply be outplayed by a more skilled opponent.

Furthermore, although the goal is measurable, in that the athlete will know whether or not he accomplishes it, the measurement is not particularly useful. At no time will he know how close he is to accomplishing the goal, where he needs to focus his energies, or what else needs to be accomplished. The athlete is far better served by setting the goal of exercising certain key skills in the competition, skills that have a high probability of leading to a victory. Not only will he gain the self-confidence boost of accomplishing his goal, he may just win the tournament.

Another problem is that a goal is simply too big. If a goal takes years to accomplish, it can be extremely difficult to maintain motivation. Big, ambitious goals are wonderful, but they need to be carefully structured. It is vital to break them down into subgoals that can be accomplished in a much shorter period of time. The perception of progress is critical to maintaining motivation, whether for an individual or a team.

Having too many goals is another common problem. Well constructed goals are great, but if you have too many of them at once, they become a distraction. Many people can focus on three to five unrelated goals without a problem, but not ten or twenty. Keeping in mind that each goal might generate numerous subgoals along the way, it's easy to see how having more than a few key goals can easily balloon out of control.

Is the goal something you really care about? Many people have goals that they don't really care about. Perhaps they've been told it's something they ought to do or they believe they should do, but they don't really care about the outcome. If you don't care whether or not you accomplish a goal, it's hard to find the motivation to do it.

Used properly, SMART goals can be a very powerful and effective tool. Well-constructed goals can increase motivation, improve focus, and build self-confidence. Used improperly, they can decrease motivation, and destroy self-confidence. If you're using SMART goals, here are some questions to ask yourself:

Do I control the outcome?

Can I measure progress in a meaningful way?

Is my goal too big? Can I break it up?

Do I have too many goals? Is there enough time in the day/week/month to work on each one?

Do I really care about my goal? Is this something I genuinely want to accomplish?

Good luck!

Stephen Balzac is the president of 7 Steps Ahead (http://www.7stepsahead.com), a consulting firm based in Stow, MA. He can be contacted at 978-298-5189 or steve@7stepsahead.com

Water Damage Restoration - House Tips

Imagine the following scenario: you're just getting ready for a hot, relaxing bath when the phone. You dash down the stairs to see who is calling and it's your teenage daughter saying her car has broken down and she's stranded on the freeway. In your rush to rescue her, you forget to turn off the bath water. When you return home, your daughter's safe, but your house is flooded and the water damage is readily apparent!

Now what? An overflowing upstairs bathtub can cause significant water damage affecting several rooms of your home and various structural elements including the bathroom floor, the ceiling of the room below, the walls, carpets, electrical systems, insulation, baseboards, doors, and furnishings. Regardless of how water damage occurs, what's a homeowner to do?

First, take a deep breath because you have a big job ahead of you, even if you will be hiring a water damage restoration service. First, you'll need to ensure the safety of your family by taking the necessary safety precautions such as turning off the power to prevent electrocution. Next, stop the water! Depending on the source of the overflow, you may need to use the home's main water shutoff valve. Next, perform emergency dry out procedures before calling your insurance and a professional water damage restoration expert.

In our example above, you would first turn off the power at the main breaker (making sure that you're not standing in water when you do so) and then go upstairs where you'll turn off the bath tub's faucet. In this case, you'd start mop up procedure upstairs and work your way down. This is because of the simple rules of gravity. After all, if you dry the downstairs first, water will continue to drip from above, defeating you as you go.

Contact your insurance company to see if the water damage is covered by your insurance policy. Water damage claims are tricky to determine coverages, so it never hurts to call. Many policies do cover water overflows such as our bathtub example. Next, call a water damage restoration company for assistance in thoroughly drying out your home and repairing the damage.

Professional water damage restoration help can minimize the damage, especially when you choose a company that promises a fast response. A fast dry out is necessary to prevent mold growth as well as lessen the trauma and inconvenience of a flooded home or business. Water damage restoration goes beyond merely mopping up the mess as structural repairs may be needed such as removing and replacing drywall, cleaning and disinfecting water soaked items, repairing electrical systems, fixing floors, retexturing and repainting the ceiling, and so on.

No matter how your home or business flooded, an experienced water damage restoration expert can help you recover from a flood, roof leak, overflow, or plumbing accident.
By: Mr. Mark Decherd

For more information and other articles by Mark Decherd go to:

Dryout Inc.
1415 Colonial Blvd.
Fort Myers, Fl. 33907
http://www.dryout.net
239-437-7100
Water Damage

Dryout Inc Emergency water damage restoration, drying, deodorization, decontamination, disinfection, mold removal, water damage repair, restoration and reconstruction of commercial and residential properties damaged by fire, water and other disasters by a network of trained specialists, technicians and restoration professionals across the USA and Canada.

A Two Year Old Prophecy Over My Life That I Cherish

It was Juliette who wanted to write tonight, but it is I who want to speak to you and your heart. So I am the One who is choosing to speak to you. I have told Juliette that she is not to be the one to write and that she is to shut down her mind and allow Me to say exactly what I want to say to you without changing My words or allowing herself to cut in when she feels that I couldn't possibly be wanting to say these things to you.

There are times when I look at you with wonder and think about why you continue to be so hard on yourself. You have much to give, yet you let your own ideas dominate over the ones that I have for your life. You freely give My words to people, yet fail to see that I have words that I want to freely give to you.

Yes, My heart grieves at the lack of commitment from those who know Me and yes there is much anger I carry in My heart for the injustice of this world and I allow you to feel these things to enable you to see that I am the One who cares about those who you see around you.

You have continued to be faithful to Me and have reached into the lives of many. You do not understand why I use you and you do not understand why I give you wisdom. You cannot see why I continue to take you into the night and speak into the lives of people who dont know you and at times dont want to know you. But I have a plan and purpose for your life that goes way beyond what you will ever be able to understand.

The times that you struggle are the periods in your life that will bring you growth. The times when you feel darkness around you, are the times I need you to reach out to Me the most, for it is My strength which will sustain you through these moments.

I have taken you and called you to Myself. You say that you never asked for what you have now, yet you asked to serve Me, you asked to reach into the lives of people and to show them Me. Now you carry your burden and there are times when you want to run away. You escape into sleep and cannot see that it is I who is trying to shine a light into your life that will cause you to lift from the moment of despair that you find yourself in.

When you wrote your web site did you think it was just a foolish notion or do you believe it was something that I planted within your heart? When you wrote the words that spoke into the lives of those that sought answers from you did I not give them to you because you were happy to serve Me and bring My love into peoples lives. My ways are not your ways. My ways are infinitely greater and always will be.

Those that fear Me know what it is to serve an awesome God. A God who created the Heavens and the earth and who set the stars in the sky as a reminder to all who gaze upon them.

My love for you goes beyond what you will ever understand and your worth is found in Me. You are worthy because I say youre worthy and there should be no better reason than that. I am who I say I am and you look at these words and believe them. Can you then not also believe that when I say you are worthy, you are!

I have spoken over your life words that see you moving beyond this nation and now is a time of testing and refining. I will use these moments to create within you a new heart and will create within you a new mind. Your eyes will see infinitely more than they do now. Your ears will hear more wisdom than youve already heard and there will be fresh revelation of who I am and what My ways are.

Over and over I will show you what it is to know Me in great intimacy. You see before you your friend Jesus who has traveled this road with you and who has loved you despite all your circumstances. I also love you and want you to see that as much as Jesus loves you, Jesus also loves all those around you. His heart breaks for those that dont know Him and His heart bleeds for those who turn away.

My word does not lie and there will be times of judgment when I pour out My wrath upon this earth. You know that in your heart to be true. There will be moments in time when My anger will come down in such a way that countless lives are wiped out in an instant. Does this mean I do not care about my people? Does this mean I dont long to save everyone?

I have tempered my anger with great love and it is I who decide those who should die and those who should live. It is before Me that people will stand in judgment, it is before Me that they will have to give account of all that theyve done. It is before Me that they will need to explain why they made the decisions they did.

I want you to see that you are special to Me and that I have just as many words for you as I have for those around you. I want you to see that what you pour out I will pour back in. I want you to see that what you freely give will be freely given back to you.

Keep running child, keep fighting.

I am outworking My will in your life and I am changing you from glory to glory. No more will people be able to say about you that you dont belong. You belong to Me, youre Mine. I own you, youre marked by Me. My Son carries His stripes for you, my Son carries the marks in His hands for you. My Son who walks with you and who you know so well.

Do you see the weight of my words for you? When you spread your wings, you are going to soar because you will soar with Me, but now is not yet the time to spread your wings. Theres more I need for you to learn. Theres more I need to teach you. Theres more I have to give you before I send you out amongst the nations. Theres more that you need to learn to see through My eyes.

Everyday will bring with it new challenges. Everyday will bring with it new lessons. Everyday will see you experiencing something different. I desire for you to see in those experiences the depth of My love not only for you, but for all people.

Dont let go of Me My son, hold my hand. Place your hand in Mine and let Me hold you close and comfort you, especially now. Let Me pour in great refreshing. Let me do a new work in you. Let Me be the one who causes you to grow. Such love I have for you.

When the moon is in the sky and the stars shine, do you see the blessings I have for your life? Each star represents a blessing that I want to give just to you. Each light represents a part of Me that you still dont understand.

Your worth to Me outweighs the treasures of this world. Your worth to Me outweighs the wall you have seen standing here in Heaven. Your worth to Me goes beyond what your mind can conceive. Dont try to understand it, just accept it!

Try to see that I will have My way, no matter what happens. My little friend, so open to Me, so wanting to please and serve Me. Such beauty I see in you, such pleasure.

When you read this it is My heart you will see. When you read it again, it is my wisdom you will fathom. When you read it once more it will be My words that sear across your mind.

Take these things I say to you and burn them on your heart, remember that it is I who love you and it is I who will have My way. Just be obedient to Me and let Me order your footsteps according to My plan for your life and you will see that the plans you commit to Me will succeed.

With love from your Father in Heaven.

Have you ever wanted to see a clairvoyant but the Bible forbids it? Did you know that there are people in churches with a gift of prophecy that can get a message off God for you? You can ask questions of them and they can take the questions to God for you. Eighty percent of the church don't use these people as they don't think the gift of prophecy exists anymore but the people that do use them get tremendously blessed.If you are not a Christian just say that in your email and the prophet will be more sensitive to you. Come and request a free personal prophecy today at http://www.personal-prophecy-free.net

Smoke Damage - Home Repair Advice

Smoke, a harmful mixture of chemicals and toxins, is dangerous to your health and your property, and adds to the damage done to your property as the result of a fire.

Inhaling smoke is very damaging to your health, which is why fire departments help vent smoke from buildings.

Once the fire department has put out the fire and vented the building, their job is complete, and there is often a large mess left behind, including discoloration and corrosion of materials as well as pungent odors that may be difficult to eliminate from your home and belongings.

At this point, smoke restoration companies should be called for professional help. This clean-up job requires special tools and knowledge to prevent further damage and to restore the property.

The extent of smoke damage and the ease with which it is cleaned away is often based on the type of smoke in your home: wet, dry, protein and fuel-oil.

Wet smoke comes from low heat and is difficult to clean. Dry smoke results after a fast burning fire at high temperatures. Protein smoke is invisible, but discolors varnishes and has an extremely foul odor. Fuel-oil soot smoke is a result of a furnace malfunction.

Before the restoration professionals arrive, there are several things you can do to start the smoke removal process. Immediate action is important since many items in your home can be damaged by smoke, including electronics, clothing, upholstery and draperies.

First, open windows and turn on fans, if possible, to air out the home and begin to eliminate the remaining odor. This can also help dry out your carpets and other upholstered items that may have been water damaged by extinguishing the fire.

These tips will speed up the restoration process, too:

Do

• Brush off or vacuum loose soot particles from upholstery, drapes and carpets.
• Discard open food packages.
• Take clothing to a laundry specializing in smoke damage restoration.
• Wipe residue from kitchen and bathroom fixtures.
• Relocate pets to a clean environment.

Don't

• Attempt to wash walls or paintings because improper techniques could do more damage.
• Use electrical appliances until cleared to do so by the restoration professionals.
• Use ceiling fans because they could short circuit if the ceiling is wet.

ACCORD Restoration specializes in clean-up, repair, restoration and rebuilding after fires, floods, storms or natural disasters. We offer reliable, 24/7/365 emergency services carried out with expert craftsmanship.

To learn more visit http://www.accordrestoration.com/

An Unpopular Promise Regarding Persecution; Notice the Complete, Unavoidable Feature of this Promise

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. (2 Timothy 3:12)

We are in the category of "unpopular" promises. This promise guarantees persecution for the people who are serious believers in Jesus Christ. In a church world where many of the treasure comfort and the status of ones self are more important, this promise is not at all well-received.

This promise is given to those who want to live a life of godliness: "who desire to live godly." Godliness is the will of the Lord for His people. Read that again; Godliness is the will of the Lord!

"But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness" (1Timothy 6:9-11).

Our Lord Himself stated that there is great blessing in having a passion for righteous living. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness" (Matthew 5:6). The blessing is God's pledge to satisfy the heart that desires for righteousness. "For they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6).

Yet, we have seen that fullness of righteousness is not all that is promised to those people who want to walk in godliness. Persecution is also promised. "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." Notice the complete, unavoidable feature of this promise. "All who desire to live godly . . . will suffer persecution." There are no exceptions - again I say - there are no exemptions.

All who sincerely desire to follow the Lord Jesus Christ will experience the consequences that He met, as He walked in righteousness. "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:20). Jesus was not very will like by everyone for the way He lived on the righteous path. He was opposed, mocked, conspired against, and betrayed. We dont need be troubled when events of similar harassment happen to us.

Of course, this promise of persecution is not given to discourage us from pressing on down this path of godliness. Rather, it is presented to prepare us for the difficulties that are guaranteed as we seek to grow in Christ likeness. In fact the Lord even adds gracious encouragements to be righteous, so we will be strengthened to practice His holy will in this matter. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:10). Persecutions can remind us that we are not from this world; we are headed home to heaven. Persecutions can bring us heavenly actions of supporting grace along the way.

Prayer:

O righteous Lord, I long to walk in Your paths of righteousness. Strengthen my heart with Your grace that I might press on in godliness. Help me to never shrink back, even though persecutions are guaranteed. Help me to stand true, even though persecutions may become severe. Lord, I count on Your promises to see me through the battles, in Jesus name, Amen.

The possibilities of prayer are gauged by faith in Gods ability to do. Faith is the one prime condition by which God works. Faith is the one prime condition by which man prays. Faith draws on God to its full extent. Faith gives character to prayer. A feeble faith has always brought forth feeble praying. Vigorous faith creates vigorous praying. Christ asks this pointed question, When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth? For more info on prayer and faith please go to my blog at byfaith-enterprises.blogspot.com and leave a comment. For prayer or any questions you may have, leave the request in the comment section. Also sign-up and get your FREE eBook and Prayer Training Report. I have written a book called The Science of Prayer and it is ready at, byfaith-enterprises.blogspot.com Keep praying to the Great I AM.

Factors to Consider When Building a Porch

When you decide to build a porch as an addition to your home, there are several factors that you need to take into consideration before you start. There are many different porch designs, some of which you may really like, but will not match the exterior of your home. When building a porch, you also need to consider the purposes for which you will use it because this will help determine how large it needs to be.

Even though you browse pictures of porches online and in magazine, the key to getting the right porch design for you is to visualize what each one will look like on your home. You need to either purchase a porch plan or design your own because you need to have a plan to go by during the building phase. Choosing the location is also important because this will be important in the way in which you use the porch. If you want protection from the wind, then you have to choose a location that receives the least amount of wind. If you want to use the porch as a place where you can sit and enjoy the sunset, then this will determine the location where you build.

When you start building the porch, you do need to make sure that you have a solid base. It could be an existing deck or you may want to pour a concrete slab. Even if you use an existing deck, you will want to provide extra supports underneath because the base will now have to take the weight of the walls and the roof in addition to the furniture and the people seated on the porch.

Care needs to be taken in ensuring that the layout of the porch is straight and level as well as being square with the house. You should start by nailing a guide board along the edge of the house to help you get started. Once you have this in place, you should measure the length of the porch out from this guide and set pegs in the ground to serve as posts. Once you are sure that the pegs are in the right place and that the line out from the house is straight, then you can start putting in your corner posts.

For more information onporches, front porch designs and related topics, visit AboutPorches.com

Tub and Tile Reglazing Advice

With the current strain on the economy and the housing market , it is becoming more and more common to "make do with what we have" which means instead of remodeling we are restoring.

The question lies here, is it cost effective? Is it going to last? What is the maintenance involved? Why are you going to charge me $450 to re-glaze my tub when I can buy a new one for $200? These are all quality questions which deserve quality answers.

Let's start with cost. First of all, the average cost of a tub install is anywhere between $1,400 and $2,500 and that does not factor in the tub surround. When your old tub is removed the tile at the base of the tub must be demolished. It is possible that a "good" installer can demo in such a way that you only have to repair the first row or two of tile. The reality is if it is older than 10 years finding a match for the tile will probably be impossible and will lead to a complete re-tile. Now, you are looking at about $4,000 to $8,000 just to replace the tub and is this cost effective for you? Be prepared from the moment you decide to dress up that tub to make this decision.

Now, a good re-glaze can last better than 10 years if done properly and there is a process which will ensure this. Preparation, product and technique are the key to a long lasting finish. If this technique is not followed your re-glaze will last anywhere from 1 day to 2 years. Two years may sound like a lot but when another company has to go in and strip the old finish off add another $500 to the re-glaze for a total of $950 to have it re-glazed again. This is not cost effective. If you're going to do it, do it right the first time and you will pat yourself on the back 5 years later when your tub still has a shine and is not peeling. Now let's get down to process.

The re-glazing process can be six to seven steps.

1. Removal of any caulking materials. Silicone is a contaminant and will cause the finish to fish eye. It is important to remove all traces of this by means of a silicone digester
2. Next, the old porcelain needs to be etched by means of an acid paste. This process will prepare the surface for the primer
3. When the acid etch is complete the surface must be wiped down with a solvent de-greaser to ensure that there are no more contaminants left behind
4. Primer - The surface must be primed with an epoxy primer to ensure proper cross hatching of compounds (i.e.-porcelain to primer, primer to finish, finish to clear coat)
5. Finish - The surface is then sprayed with an acrylic-urethane resin which can be tinted to any color you desire. It comes in two types, 24hr cure and 72hr cure. The 72hr cure is best if you don't mind waiting the extra time but the 24hr cure is good too.
6. Clear coat - The surface is then sprayed with an acrylic urethane clear coat which will kick up the gloss a bit and provide protection from common household chemicals
7. If you are refinishing from a previous re-glaze, the finish must be stripped. If this is the case, add this step before the first.

When these steps are followed, you can be sure your re-glaze is going to last for years. A good refinisher will give you at least a 10 year warranty "in writing", now that is cost effective! You will be happy and have just saved at least 70% of the cost of replacement.

MAINTENANCE

With the process you have just done, maintenance will be a breeze. You may also use rubber mats which many re-glazers will not recommend simply because they know it will peel. You will be able to use soft scrub and a white 3M cleaning pad without harming the surface. You will also be able to safely dye your hair without the fear of staining your finish providing the clear coat was used. With this in mind, re-glazing is not only practical but a very cost effective solution to replacement.

Your project when complete will look as though it was installed yesterday saving you $1000s on an install.

My name is George Piccot and I am the owner of Southern California based AB Ceramic Tile Regrout and Reglaze Systems (http://www.regroutpros.com). I have been in the restoration industry since 1989 and have seen every possible scenario and I hope this article serves you well in your endeavor.

AB Ceramic Tile Regrout and Reglaze Systems