Knowing and developing your strengths is key to achieving success. There are two kinds of people - those who learn how to maximize their strengths and those who settle for mediocracy. Productivity is found in putting your energy into its proper place. Three tips to help you focus strong.

1. Concentration – Getting a second wind is common to runners. They build physical stamina with daily training in their minds and bodies. They're at their peak when they are able to push exhaustion aside in the time of need. Their feelings of quitting are overcome by concentrating beyond their limits.

You can build your mental stamina with daily training too. Your goal will always be something you have to work for. It's not easy. You must resist the urge to give up when your will power protests advancement. Just like a runner experiences a second wind, you can experience a "second mind" by stretching your attention to build mental endurance. You will only be strong because you pushed yourself to be more.

2. Statements – A written goal is always stronger than a mental goal. Many know their areas of strengths but most have not written them down. To achieve a new level requires you to write down your strengths and attach what it can produce well.

Create some "strength statements", which are one sentence statements that capture the essence of your strengths. Allow them to narrow your jumbled thoughts into one centralized spot. See where you are strong and build there. Your success will come from maximizing your best.

3. Routine – A good system is key to making anything happen well. Using your strengths can only be seen if they are applied often. In so many words, John Maxwell said, "You will never be stronger than who you are now, until you change something you do daily. The secret of building your strength is in your daily routines."

Develop a routine that causes your strong areas to grow. Associate yourself with others that maybe a little stronger than you. Easy doesn't mean you are the best at it. It's practicing the right thing over and over that produces a permanent result in your mind. Tweak yourself until you're stronger than before. Become the master of your strength.

Summary - To become stronger means that you are lifting or doing more than the current load. There is a 70-25-5 principle that says to improve yourself you must give 70% to your strengths, 25% to improvements and 5% to your weaknesses. Become the strong person that's in your dreams with proper concentration, a written strength statement and a routine that makes it happen.

Who you think you are is the person you present to the world. Your identity is connected to the thoughts you have about yourself everyday. Your standards, come from what you think. Your words, come from what you think. Your actions, come from what you think. You communicate an image subconsciously to the world you live in. It's expressed through your demeanor, your style of dress, the company you keep, etc. But there is hope. Your identity is something that you nurture. It's not locked in stone. You can change your image by focusing on a few areas. Here are three.

1. Circle – You were born with some of the attributes of your image. Your height, skin complexion, color of eyes and gender are some images that come with birth. But the development of your personality and preferences are thing that you have picked up from the circle you live in.

Choose who you allow in your circle - your environment. Your image is reflected by who and what you spend the most time around. Know the direction you desire to go and select individuals to be in your circle that have similar mind sets. Get involved with projects that build your standards instead of tearing them down. The connects in your circle determine the level of success you'll have on improving your image.

2. Limit – Saying yes to go in one direction, requires saying no to many other directions. Your image requires you to limit yourself to what fits your direction. It's okay to tweak the plan due to new discoveries but don't change the goal that you know is for you.

Learn who you are and be comfortable with the limits of being you. Don't be fooled into thinking others directions and limits are better. They aren't, they're just in a different lane. Allow your image to have the originality that reflects the inner person you desire to be. Being proud of your image comes from  being confident and passionate about the limits of your own lane. 

3. Worth – There's a difference between pride and arrogance. To have personal pride about who you are is priceless. To be arrogant is to think more of yourself than you are. To be of great worth is to have confidence in knowing who you are with all your strengths and weakness.

Hard times can frustrate you but they shouldn't change your image. Your image is locked in. Learn how to bounce back from your struggles by knowing that the pressure only purifies you to be better at projecting the true image inside. Increase your worth by presenting a clearer image in the mist of your challenges.

Summary - Brian Tracy said it this way, "Your image is a living magnet. What you attract into your life is in harmony with your dominant thoughts." Build your image with a good circle of friends and associates, limit yourself to staying in your lane. things that boost your image to what you desire and increase your worth by pressing through life's tough times.

Sometimes growth and development can't be mixed with fun and excitement. Fun are those things that are enjoyable, amusing, or entertaining. It's that place where you just feel good. But typically the process reaching a new level is not always a good feeling. It often requires hard work, when you want easy; it requires commitment when everyone else is free; it calls for doing what's needed in spite of the unpleasantness associated with the job. Here are some tips to consider about fun.
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1. Hard Work- The few that make it to success are not afraid of hard work, they actually invite it in. It's understood that consistent effort in the right place produces the desired results. To them, hard work is the key which unlocks the potential of reaching their new level or position.

The twist on fun is to gain a different perspective on hard work. It's said that if you enjoy what you do, it's really not work. This doesn't mean there's no struggle or the journey isn't difficult but does mean that a proper focus on the right reasons make the work required enjoyable because the end is kept in view. Tough effort is worth it all when the goal is reached and celebrated with a win (fun). Clarify your purpose and embrace the hard work it takes to get to your goal.

2. Commitment - A successful life requires a commitment to something bigger than reality. Fun is usually like the icing on the cake. A little extra sweetness to the celebration. A commitment to only having fun brings an unhealthy balance to life.

The healthy twist on fun is to find balance between your worktime and playtime. Fun can be implemented in spots throughout the day but is usually more effective when used as a reward for accomplishing tasks. Keep in mind, your commitment is to reaching your goal as quickly as possible without being detoured with distractions.

3. The Need - Know what's needed to accomplish your goals and objectives. If "fun" is a must for the journey know why you must have it. Make sure you aren't running to it for that special comfort or push in those unique spots. Your passion to reach your goal should be your driving force in life's low times.

The twist on "too much fun" is that it's probably not what's needed to reach the goal. It's like a drug that produces an unproductive high which sets you up to fall. To be successful in life requires a good balance between serious focused work and fun party times. Know when to celebrate and how much to celebrate but never loose focus on where you are on your journey.

Summary - Don't drain the substance of your goal by trying to align it with fun. Align fun to accent what you value. Effective fun comes from putting it in the right place within working hard, being committed and knowing the need.

Working hard everyday to make life better is what we're striving to do. Right? But the question arises, "Is my grinding making things better or just making me tired?" Being burned-out happens to almost everyone. From time to time we get can lose balance between striving for our goals and living everyday life. Productivity is a unique mix of pushing and resting to accomplish a steady outcome of desired results. Here are a few tips to help us stay goal healthy.

3 Balancers

1. Regroup Time – A timeout is often needed in the heat of a game to catch a breath, regroup and focus. It's said, a goal is needed to move from a current position to a better one but living as though the goal happened yesterday can cause major unbalance today.

Regroup what you have and where you currently are. Like it or not you must start there and live today within the best of your abilities and then implement parts of your goal into areas where they can fit. Remember its a journey not an event.

2. Trim – A balanced life knows how to cut away the good for the best. The ability to differentiate the two only happens because the taste for what's best has been developed overtime. A healthy person knows when they feel a little sick from something they have eaten. The same way it is with a balanced life, when things are off a little the daily flow isn't smooth. Heather Schuck said it this way, "You will never feel truly satisfied by work until you are satisfied by life."

Be more productive by trimming your intake to match what you want your life to look like. Clarify your goals and objectives. Good dessert is often rejected for better nutrition. Proper balance keeps you within the boundaries of life and your goal.

3. Stay Calm – A level head in the mist of chaos is ideal for a balanced life. This sweet spot is seen when outside problems don't become inside emergencies.

Keep your hectic day on the outside of your mind by taking 10 to 15 minutes to balance reality with a better perspective. You are the controller of your emotions. Achieve balanced production by having clear balanced thoughts and objectives even in the mist of chaos.

Summary - Balance yourself with mental toughness. Find time to regroup, trim the excess waste and stay calm in the mist of the mess. A balanced life is because you choose to keep your mind clear of everything that doesn't lift you up to your goal.

Sometimes growth and development can't be mixed with fun and excitement. Fun are those things that are enjoyable, amusing, or entertaining. It's that place where you just feel good. But typically the process reaching a new level is not always a good feeling. It often requires hard work, when you want easy; it requires commitment when everyone else is free; it calls for doing what's needed in spite of the unpleasantness associated with the job. Here are some tips to consider about fun.

1. Hard Work- The few that make it to success are not afraid of hard work, they actually invite it in. It's understood that consistent effort in the right place produces the desired results. To them, hard work is the key which unlocks the potential of reaching their new level or position.

The twist on fun is to gain a different perspective on hard work. It's said that if you enjoy what you do, it's really not work. This doesn't mean there's no struggle or the journey isn't difficult but does mean that a proper focus on the right reasons make the work required enjoyable because the end is kept in view. Tough effort is worth it all when the goal is reached and celebrated with a win (fun). Clarify your purpose and embrace the hard work it takes to get to your goal.

2. Commitment - A successful life requires a commitment to something bigger than reality. Fun is usually like the icing on the cake. A little extra sweetness to the celebration. A commitment to only having fun brings an unhealthy balance to life.

The healthy twist on fun is to find balance between your worktime and playtime. Fun can be implemented in spots throughout the day but is usually more effective when used as a reward for accomplishing tasks. Keep in mind, your commitment is to reaching your goal as quickly as possible without being detoured with distractions.

3. The Need - Know what's needed to accomplish your goals and objectives. If "fun" is a must for the journey know why you must have it. Make sure you aren't running to it for that special comfort or push in those unique spots. Your passion to reach your goal should be your driving force in life's low times.

The twist on "too much fun" is that it's probably not what's needed to reach the goal. It's like a drug that produces an unproductive high which sets you up to fall. To be successful in life requires a good balance between serious focused work and fun party times. Know when to celebrate and how much to celebrate but never loose focus on where you are on your journey.

Summary - Don't drain the substance of your goal by trying to align it with fun. Align fun to accent what you value. Effective fun comes from putting it in the right place within working hard, being committed and knowing the need.