Sharmen Lane, Author of Giving You the Wow and The How, teaches the strategies she used personally to go from being a manicurist to becoming a millioinaire. The process starts with accountability, not making excuses, and taking responsibility for choices.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) December 22, 2010

Sharmen Lane, author of Giving You the Wow and the How reprimands celebrities who blame others or their past for their poor behavior. From the antics of Charlie Sheen and Mel Gibson, Lane observes: “Blaming bad decisions on others doesn’t solve problems. While some people seek help to overcome issues that get in the way of jobs and relationships, others blame their current job or relationship. This is victim thinking. We all have choices.” Lane knows how to survive tough circumstances. It took thirteen years to work her way through college, she was a child of multiple divorces, and worked her way up from a career as a manicurist to become a millionaire. The skills used to create wealth from poverty are life skills Lane teaches others through her coaching practice and her book.

“So many people are stuck, and don’t understand the steps needed to reach their goals. As we begin a new year, there will be many people writing new years resolutions. Most will fail. Here is a tip I call ‘verbal vomit’: Make a list of things that cause unhappiness. Match that list with favorable replacements. Most people list their grievances, but don’t visualize a solution.

“I know we are often told to make a gratitude list when we are feeling lack in our lives. But, there is an essential step missing when people shift from complaining about problems, to making a happy list. They need to stick with their place of unhappiness and look for doable solutions using skills I teach through the formula I developed from my own experiences.”

Sharmen Lane is a motivational speaker, author of Giving You the Wow and the How, and a coach helping others meet their goals through her proven strategies. Sharmen offers seminars, keynote speeches and workshops that create change by providing the process tools, and action plans to achieve success. Sharmen has been featured in Businessweek, New York Daily News, Fox News Channel, Lifetime TV, Hollywood Confidential with Leeza Gibbons, Women’s Day, Glamour, and Self magazine. Visit Sharmen at http://www.sharspeaks.com

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Here we are almost six months through the year.  Do you remember what your New Year’s Resolution was?  If so, how are you doing on it?  Most people have completely forgotten what they set out to do by the end of the year within the first two weeks, much less six months. There is no better time than the present to refresh those goals, make them a commitment and make them happen.

Most folks are going to be starting over with their goals and resolutions, but hey, who says you can only do resolutions at the beginning of the year?  Perhaps we need to change the rules and do Mid-Year Resolutions too.

So what can we do to set or reaffirm our resolutions and make them happen this time?

Number 1) Identify what you want. Be clear, detailed and write it down.  Put it somewhere you’ll see it when you wake up, right before you go to bed, and all throughout the day. Put it on a post-it note and put it in your car. Make it be your screen saver on your computer.  Have it as the background on your cell phone. Create an affirmation, in the positive and present tense. Say something like “I am 140 pounds, size 8, happy, healthy and well.” Or perhaps, “I have met the man/woman of my dreams. We have the most amazing and wonderful relationship.” Or maybe even, “I am making six figures doing what I love every day… I couldn’t be happier!”

Number 2) Make a picture of it. When I wanted to lose 30 pounds, I created a vision board of it.  I got pictures of the body I wanted and put my face over the models.  I did that with a book cover when I wanted to become an author and I cut out the NY Times Bestseller list from the paper and put my name and book title on it.  When I wanted to increase my income, I took my last month paystub and changed the date and amount to what I wanted.  This will allow you to see your goal before you have actually created it.

Number 3) Share it with others.  Put it on Facebook or Twitter about it.  Find a buddy to partner up with and remind each other and keep each other accountable. Create a blog and share your goal and blog about your progress every day. Who knows you may even inspire someone else!

Number 4) Make a plan.  Don’t simply set the goal and expect to make it happen.  Write a plan, you don’t have to be married to it, but have a basic plan with action steps on how you are going to achieve your goal.

Number 5) Take action. Now you have a clearly defined goal, a plan, a way to see it everyday in many different ways, and ways to share it with others. Now all you have to do it take action and let it happen.

These are five simple steps to remember, review, or renew your New Year’s Resolution. Take action now as there are six more months to go and you can end this year with a bang!

By Success Expert and Motivational Speaker, Sharmen Lane

Hello World and Happy New Year!

No matter how you rang in the new year, there is no better time than the first day of the year to get started on making this an unforgettable, unstoppable year.

Most people set New Years Resolutions on New Years Eve, unfortunately they are quick to be forgotten by the end of the month… if it takes that long. What can you do to make this year different?  Here are a few tools and tips to give you the edge and make what you want happen.

1. Write your goal down. Don’t just say "I’m going to do blank."  Say, "I’m DOING blank."

2. Tell everyone you know.  Make a list starting right now of all the people you can share your goal with. Then call, email, text, twitter or whatever else you want but tell anyone and everyone you know about what you are DOING!

3. Create a vision board.  I do this every New Year’s Eve and now have vision board parties on New’s Year’s.  Cut out pictures of what you want and post them where you can see them often.  If you want to be an author, cut out a book cover and put your name and face on it.  If you want a lean, 10% body fat, size 8 body, or 34 inch waist, cut out a picture and put your face on it.  Make it real and see it so you can be it!

There you go, three simple steps to making what you want, real.  Remember, you have to make a plan and take action and these first three steps will start your journey.

Have an extraordinary year! Now get to it!

For more information visit ww.sharspeaks.com or email shar@sharspeaks.com. Also keep an eye out for my latest book, Giving You the WOW and the HOW, due out in early 2010!

By Success Expert Sharmen Lane.

Watch my 30 minute online video at the Learning Annex

In my humble opinion, I think there are three key elements to achieving success in business.  Those 3 elements can be described in what I call the GPS system. Just like a navigational system you would use in your car to get you from where you are to where you want to be, the GPS for Success System can do the same thing.

·         G- Goals. You have to know what you want in order to get what you want.  Write down the end result, the thing at the end of the road that you want to obtain or achieve.  Is it a promotion, a new job, or a contest you want to win?  Whatever it is, write it down. This makes it clear to you and those around you exactly what you are working towards.

·         P- Plan. A goal without a plan is just a wish.  Just because you know what you want, does not ensure you are going to get it.  That takes planning. Break down your goal into the steps you need to take in order to achieve or obtain the end result. Many times the end result or the process to get where we want to be, is enough to stop us in our tracks and we end up not taking any action at all. That is why I teach the dicing method. You break down the goal into tiny, bite size steps so that no one step is overwhelming or intimidating.

As an example, if you have a large goal that you are looking to accomplish by the end of the year, all the details to make that happen may seem like just too much to deal with, and you may give up before you even start. However, if at the very moment you set the goal, you immediately go into planning mode and break down that one year goal into 12 steps (one for each month), then break each of the 12 into 4 steps (one for each week of the month), then break the 4 into 7(one step for each day of the week), you will have a plan that makes your goal a lot easier to accomplish.

·         S- Surmount Fear. We all have some kind of fear that gets in the way of getting what we say we want. Doesn’t mean we don’t want it, just means things get in our way. One of those “things” is fear. There are two types of fear. Pretty simple, real fear and fake fear. What’s the difference? Real fear can cause physical harm or death. Fake fear only exists in your head. So why is it that something that only exists in our heads, prevents us from taking action to get what we want? Perception.

Our perception of fear is what holds us back, not the fear itself. When it comes to a fake fear, like rejection, it is the projection of what MIGHT happen that stops us in our tracks. But let me ask you, even if what you thought might happen did happen are you any worse off than you were to begin with? If you are afraid to ask your boss for a raise because he or she might say no, let me ask you this. If he/she does say no are you any worse off than you started? No! So what do you have to lose? NOTHING!

Another example, there is a person you are interested in dating. You see them but you don’t approach them. Why not? They might say no, they might say go away, they might say not if you were the last person on earth and if it was up to you and he/she to continue the human race…NO, God would just have to find another way. Now, call me crazy, but I say so what. So what if they say that. Whatever they say will not cause me physical harm or death so what do I have to lose… NOTHING!

Let me ask you this. Let’s say you were rejected, turned down cold. Wouldn’t you rather know that this person is clearly not for you for a multitude of reasons than spend your life wondering what would have happened if? Anytime I have been turned down for anything, whether it be a date, or a job, or a raise, or anything, I know. I don’t wonder what would have happened if. I know. That to me is living a life of no regrets, no what if’s?

So that is my secret to success, three simple steps, GPS. You can accomplish anything if you just set a goal, make a plan and surmount fear. Sharmen Lane