When you hear the words abundance, prosperity and success, what’s the first thought that comes to your mind?

If you think of money, wealth and finances, then know that’s okay. We’re conditioned to think about moolah and tangible items as hallmarks. Let’s accept it, money definitely has a powerful charge.

In fact, when I did my series on money, my post on attracting abundance by raising one’s money set point based on my own practices, it made it to my popular post section.

You can read the post at this link . Also check out additional resources in that post to attract more money into your life.

But there’s more to abundance than a pot of gold.

You don’t have to wait for special occasions or moments in the day to manifest abundance. With a few simple behavioural changes, you can attract more good abundance into your life as a whole.

It can feel like a daunting task but it’s actually very simple. Ultimately it comes down to certain actions you can take and thoughts you can enforce to improve your quality of life by attracting and manifesting exactly what you want.

By making an effort to manifest your dreams and aspirations, you’ll find yourself reshaping your perspective on life and connecting with your desires.

In this post, I’m sharing 5 simple and easy examples of behaviours you can incorporate into your daily life for lasting results.

In fact, when you embrace these behaviours, you raise your own vibration. This in turn helps the Universe to send you more of what you desire.

In other words, the Law of Attraction starts to work in your favour too!

Change the lens -alter your Mindset

This is an important behaviour and one where I often spend time with my coaching clients – mindset.

Often the reason people don’t accomplish their dreams and aspirations is because their subconscious mind holding them back. Your mind can be your best friend or your greatest enemy, but luckily that is in your control.

Instead of thinking about your possibilities and taking risks, people who aren’t attracting abundance are most likely afraid of failure and hold themselves back due to protection and safety.

When you can build up a positive mentality and are willing to step out of your comfort zone, you will realize that the possibilities are endless.

I’d go as far as to state that when we change the lens with which we see the world, then we attract more of what we want.

Dump your Excuses

It can be very easy to make excuses for why you are unable to accomplish your goals and dreams, but letting go of these excuses will determine the success of your future.

By constantly making excuses, you are leading yourself through a trail of bad habits that will prevent you from achieving abundance in any aspect of your life.

These excuses are a sign of a victim mentality and you’re distancing yourself from the responsibility of achieving those goals and targets that will get you closer to your desired state of prosperity and abundance.

By training your mind to be strong and building up a strong sense of willpower to make yourself unstoppable, you will feel more productive and inclined to accomplish your goals.

The more you strengthen your mind, the more you will attract the desired abundance.

Feel Empowered

You create your reality based on your thoughts, opinions, and reactions to situations. It may not seem like it, but the way you feel about yourself reflects directly on those around you and their feelings towards you.

When you are confident and feel empowered, the people who you talk to will feel like they can trust you and will make decisions that will most likely benefit you.

For example, when I started Karmic Ally Coaching, I was making a complete change in career from finance to professional and executive coaching. My first few clients came from referrals from former colleagues and friends.

Why? Because while they wanted to help me, the prospective client could tell I was passionate about my work and confident to deliver results (which I did of course!). They signed up without negotiating my price.

Whether you realize it or not, the confidence you have within reflects on your situations nearly every day. By feeling courageous and empowered, you will attract abundance from a personal, professional, and financial perspective.

Be Supportive of Others

By adding value to the quality of others’ lives, you will attract abundance at the most important times.

When you realize and accept that there is an unlimited amount of knowledge, money, and recognition to go around, you will no longer be afraid of lifting others.

Supporting others has plenty of benefits that will impact your own life. For example, if you teach someone or help them out when they need something, they will feel more inclined to trust you and help you out.

People whom I had supported wanted to support me get Karmic Ally Coaching off to a good start. I didn’t have any expectations of reciprocity but there was an abundance of goodwill to help me.

Create Goals and Commit to Them

Specific Goals, whether short-term or long-term are the most important way to achieve your dreams and aspirations.

These specific goals help you to understand your values in life and make you feel productive. Goals help you to align your “why” with your surroundings and ways you can improve your life.

You stop making excuses because the goals become strong and you are motivated to achieve them.

3 Steps to make these behaviours help you manifest what you want

In the continuing chaos caused by second waves of COVID-19, lockdowns, unlocks, work from home, return to office, go back to work from home, have you taken time out to reflect on what you want out of 2021? Will it still be possible?

That’s the question that was on my mind this last weekend as I realized we’re entering the last month of Q2 2021. I took stock of where I was and what I wanted to achieve.

Are we on the same wavelength?

I believe we need to go with the flow and stay resilient in the face of challenge.

I also believe that we can have whatever we want from our life and our careers if we’re willing to see problems and challenges as opportunities for growth and transformation.

In other words, we can live an abundant life provided we embrace the right mindset.

Everything we desire and need is available to us but we need to take action to manifest it.

Today I want to encourage you to use your latent powers of manifestation to create your best year yet. I’ve already outlined the 5 behavior changes you need to make. Now it’s time to take more action.

Here are 3 steps that I always apply and so do my successful clients.

By applying these steps, you will increase your ability to access the abundance that surrounds you and also allow you to manifest what you desire in your life.

I used it to manifest 2 Covishield vaccine shots, one for my Mom and the other for myself at a time when the COWIN app was crashing. There was also a massive shortage of the vaccine in New Delhi.

Step 1: Define What You Want Clearly

Knowing what you want is important to the manifestation process. It is practically impossible for the universe to give you what you want if you don’t know what you want!

People who know exactly what they want can manifest their desires. It’s sometimes easier to identify what we want by focusing on a feeling.

For example, you know you don’t want to be tied financially because you need to feel financial freedom. That feeling is important. The more that feeling is present in your life, the more you will work towards your desired state.

To define what you want, simply start with the following statement: “I want…” That will stop you from describing what you don’t want.

Step 2: Identify Actions You Can Take

Once you’ve identified what you want more in your life, start brainstorming a list of small actions. Abundance doesn’t happen overnight.

Most people who live an abundant life will tell you that they work at it every day. On a daily basis, they are accomplishing small actions that aligns them with what they want in life.

These small actions will get you closer to your desire. For example, when we know we desire financial freedom, we can ask ourselves questions like:

What can bring me financial freedom?

Maybe the answer could be to pay off any credit card debt to feel a sense of financial freedom.

The next question would be

What action can I take right now to pay my credit card debt?

Then make a list of actions like the following:

• Pay the full monthly bill instead of just the minimum monthly payment to avoid incurring high rates of interest on the outstanding balance
• Cut my card so that I never use it again (Dame Maggie Thatcher did it and so can you!)
• Sell items that are no longer used by me, are causing clutter and use the money to pay my credit card.

Step 3: Act Now

Pick an action that is the most realistic for you and apply it today. Let’s be honest, only actions will lead you to what you desire.

And if you want a systematic plan as well as a mindset upgrade, then check out

The Abundance Mindset: The Ultimate Guide to Living an Abundant, Unlimited, Successful and Content Life by clicking here or on the image below

Want to know a secret?

I cannot for the life of me stick to New Year Resolutions – even if my life depended on it.

Over the years I’ve devised different techniques and adopted new tools to get the job done.

One of the tools I use each year to guide me on my Hero Journey is choosing my Word for the Year.

It supports me as the year unfolds and life starts happening with events that have the potential to take me off course.

It’s a transformation exercise that works if you stick to the plan.

I used The Word first in 2016 when I needed a push to get back into action.

The year 2015 was a complete mess.

In all fairness, January of that year was one of the best I had both on the professional and personal front but in February, my little dog had hind-leg paralysis. As the weeks wore on, the chances of her walking were down to 30:70.

We were talking wheels for the pet and it was a nightmare situation.

I wrote about it in my blog and how I kept both Miss Coco and myself going since I was housebound.

That year I wrote 4 of my 8 bestselling Kindle books (2 are collaborations that achieved International Bestseller status) and ventured into doing teleclasses.

I survived the emotional roller coaster and Miss Coco walked again without support 6 months later. Just in time to curate and manage my Mom’s 22^nd Solo Show and was grateful the year was ending.

The Word supports my journey.

I knew I needed a better year and chose the word Phoenix to symbolize getting back into my groove in 2016.

It worked splendidly.

As 2017 approached, I knew I had to consolidate my work and business. It was time to get ready for the new direction my Hero Journey was taking me.

My word for the year was Integrate and my vision was Abundance & Prosperity with Creative Magic.

That’s exactly what’s happened!

I streamlined my content, let go of services that were no longer aligned with my vision of Karmic Ally Coaching. That year, I finally established my online teaching school.

By the time we approached the last quarter of 2017, there were changes in my personal life that needed to be addressed. This included a health issue that needed surgery and which honestly, scared me.

Stepping forward with Faith

My Word for 2018 was Faith to keep me bolstered for everything and anything that came up with support from the Divine and my ability to bounce back when times would get tough.

You know something? It did!

Throughout 2018 I felt as if my Guardian Angels were supporting me. Whenever I felt I couldn’t do more, my Higher Self showed me where I could be more effective and efficient.

2019 saw me working with clients who made my heart fill up with pride as they made strides in their career progression and achieved their cherished dreams.

My Word for 2020 was Completion. It was meant to motivate me to complete different projects and tie up loose ends both in my business and personal life.

While I hadn’t (nobody had in fact) bargained for the way the year turned out, it marked the completion of many projects.

I closed the doors on activities and even people who I realized were never really part of my circle.

This in turn created space for friends who shared my values. I experienced a happier environment even though the world had gone wonky.

There’s power in our chosen words.

My Word for 2021 took into account all that I have discovered about myself in 2020 and what really gets me motivated. I was divided between choosing Optimism or Sanguinity – they mean the same thing.

After working out which one vibrated better for me, I went with Optimism. Our chosen word is a good way to acknowledge the person we’ve become and nurture that person for the better.

The year started on a horrible note with the demise of Miss Coco but the same month the COVID-19 vaccine was made available and there was definitely a reason for optimism.

It’s been a weird year and for many of us the loss of the second wave is indescribable.

Optimism kept me going and I released my tribute to Miss Coco on 14 November this year.

The Kindle book, Miss Coco: The story of a Princess Pup who changed my life forever was well received. I’m optimistic her story will warm many hearts in the years to come.

If this year has made you into a grumpy grouchy person, then perhaps your Word would be a motivator to change into a happy contented one. The possibilities are endless.

It’s a simple 3 step process but requires some reflection and contemplation.

Step 1 is the difficult part because it will make you look back in time but after that, it’s easy.

Any change or goal that you want to achieve is possible. All you require is the right level of motivation, clarity about your desire and focus to create that change.

From experience, I know that most resolutions don’t last beyond the first 21 days of January. That’s because we focus on not doing something or forcing ourselves to do things.

But if we summarize what we want in 1 word or maybe even a phrase, we have the entire year to make the change. We can set mini goals to take us through the journey for the year.

Your goal in this exercise is to choose just one word to be your focus for the next twelve months. It is meant to help you keep your attention fixed on your word.

When you choose a single word, you have a clarity and focus enabling you to move forward in positive motion.

How do you go about picking a word?

I’ve listed out a few steps to help you get started! You’ll want to journal this exercise or at least pen it down on a piece of paper.

Step 1: Decide what you want to achieve in the coming year or the person you want to become

This is a reflective step as well as a looking forward one and sets the stage for choosing your word.

Start by looking at the year that has gone by and without any judgement, answer  2 simple questions.

— What do I need more of?

— What do I need less of?

Write down any thoughts that come to your mind. There’s no judgement involved and its acknowledging what’s going on in your mind.

Circle any keywords that stood out in this exercise.

Step 2: What would the new year look like for you if you could have it all?

Spend some time thinking about what would be a perfect day for you in the coming year.

Visualize living that perfect day and note down how it would look for you. This is similar to the exercise we do in Life Focus in 7 Days.

Then answer the following questions that would make your perfect day a reality

— What dreams would you like to nurture in the new year?

— What area(s) of your life is/are asking to be supported in the new year?

— What qualities do you want to develop in yourself?

Write down all the words that come to your mind that are aligned with your vision of the perfect day and the 3 questions. Then put it aside for now.

For example, if the year that has gone by was stressful, consider words like Resilient, Nurture or any word that resonates with what you want more of.

If you know you need to step out of your comfort zone and make changes, choose words like Adventure, Brave, Confident, Poise.

Step 3: Pick a word

Now take a fresh piece of paper and note down all the words you found in Step 1 and 2 and pick a word.

You may have 15-20 words. The temptation to choose more than one will be there, but you are choosing a word. In fact, The Word to guide you in the New Year.

This Word provides you with a lens to see the changes you need to make as well as a way to determine if you really are making the changes to create the perfect year.

Check in with this word every quarter to see if your activities are aligned with your Word.

I’d love to know your Word once you’ve decided on it so do let me know!

PS. Supplement your Word exercise with some self-improvement work! Download my Self-Improvement Strategies Workbook Gift and make the new year your year. Click the image below and we’ll take it from there!

Ever had your boss talk about seeing or focusing on the Big Picture when you know you need to focus on completing work deadlines?

He’s sharing his Helicopter View with you.

Quite possibly, the more he elaborates on his plan, the feeling of overwhelm and stress starts creeping in.

I mean, how are you supposed to think about his vision when you’re under pressure to deliver results in the short-term?

When you know you will have your performance judged on the basis of agreed deliverable and you’re in operations, not strategy?

That was exactly what my colleagues and I thought when we were pulled off our National Offsite Training Program because the Managing Partner had an important message to deliver to us.

It must have been important, we thought.

Why else would a super busy man take the train from London to Nottingham (of Robin Hood fame) to talk to an audience of aspiring Chartered Accountants who were preparing for their final set of examinations to get the coveted initials of ACA after their name?

There we were – 100 young professionals in the Nottingham University Lecture Theater holding our breath while the big man told us what he came to tell us and what he expected from us.

It was an empty stage with a podium and the Managing Partner.

The Boss started his speech with ‘I have a dream’.

For the next 1 hour he pranced across the stage, clasping his hands, unclasping them and sharing ideas, initiatives, strategies and plans.

It sounded like Greek to us.

We listened in silence, clapped at the end of the speech and headed out in silence.

If this incident and the boss are memorable, it isn’t so much as a display of his gravitas or executive presence. It was the antics on the stage and wrong timing for his speech.

One thing was clear – there was change ahead, some jobs would be on the line. It was time to update the resume, make sure you passed your exams and get out of the firm.

I doubt that was his intention, but rumors of downsizing started circulating in our professional world.

This was after a reputed Executive Search firm found itself inundated with CVs from young semi-qualified accountants.

Managers had to jump into damage control on a war footing.

In the years following the ‘I have a dream’ speech and its unintended aftermath or aftershock, the idea of involving operations staff in an organization’s strategic thinking has evolved.

Earlier companies had a top-down approach where the Vision and Mission Statements were created at the top of the company pyramid and then trickled down the ranks for operations.

The new approach is to have professionals contribute to the organization’s strategic thinking.

Some companies have perfected the art of employee participation. Others are on the road to incorporating it enabling their staff to contribute towards creating the big picture.

This approach has merit. It ties the high level conceptual thinking with information gleaned from practical grass root experience.

This in turn means decisions can be taken to achieve the organization’s strategic goals without running into operational roadblocks.

The savings in terms of time, effort and money are priceless for any successful business.

After all, isn’t it easier to buy-in and implement a strategy at operation level when you’ve had a say in the process of developing it?

Corporate Success Tip: Apply the Helicopter View in Operations

For the professional who has to work to achieve the short-term goals that translate into long term results, it’s an opportunity to gain more knowledge and information about how top management is thinking. It provides insights and how he or she can contribute to the ‘Big Picture’.

If you want to climb the corporate ladder and demonstrate your leadership ability, being aligned to the company vision and values is important. Otherwise, it’s time to find another job.

This means developing the skill of using the Helicopter View.

The concept of the helicopter view started with Royal Dutch Shell Company in the 20th century, when the company found it to be the common competency among its most successful executives.

The concept as it applies to leadership is simple. Imagine you are the pilot of a helicopter that is still sitting on the helipad. Your vision is limited to a small surface area below the helicopter.

But once the helicopter is off the ground, the range of vision improves in all directions and you are able to get more information about the ground and its surroundings. You even get a view of any change in weather heading your way.

In fact, the higher you go, the better the view and you can decide where you want to go based on more information of the ground and surrounding areas.

Translated back into the corporate world environment, this is a part of strategic thinking.

The mindset required is very different from operational or tactical thinking.

It requires having an overview of the external factors that can affect a business, understanding the environment in which the business is operating and what the target market needs and will buy.

It means having the ability to stand back from the daily processes and think about the long-term direction that the enterprise has to take.

Then the leader has to translate his vision into action that will help achieve the strategic goal. This could mean doing things differently or even adopting a new approach.

For a professional with an operational focus, it means being able to think both in abstract and specific terms when it comes to the task at hand.

It means being able to step back from the task, activity or issue and ask the following questions

1. Ask ‘why’ questions to evaluate the activity in terms of its purpose, value and desired outcomes (Abstract thinking); and 
2. Ask ‘how’ questions to examine methods, processes, resource and skills requirements (Specific thinking)

Moving between both questions creates a viable solution that will improve performance and demonstrate that you possess leadership qualities.

Mastering this skill also adds to your Executive Presence.

Final Analysis of ‘I have a dream’

There was a major failure in communication.

The Boss gave us what should have been an inspiring speech but ended up confusing the audience. That’s because we hadn’t been trained to look at the firm’s big picture.

We were told about his abstract thinking but were not provided with the specifics to achieve the dream.

We didn’t have the required Helicopter View to even understand what he was saying. As a result, we didn’t buy in or know how to support the dream he had.

Once you learn this skill, you can apply it in all areas of your life. It takes time but it’s worth the effort.

How will you apply the Helicopter View to your work?

Click the image below to get your Executive Presence Checklist and become memorable for all the right reasons.

Why is it that we only remember the times when we get things wrong and not when we get them right? Not being a psychologist, I don’t have the answer to that but one thing that I know is that focusing solely on the botch-ups and disasters without analyzing what went wrong and creating an  action plan to avoid a repeat performance takes us nowhere.

We do lots of things during the day which are successful but take it for granted without acknowledging it. Each time you complete a task which is a byte to successfully achieving the big picture, it merits an entry in your Success Journal. A cache created to record your achievements on a daily basis to see you through the stormy patches of life.

The Success Journal is a gentle reminder that you are a born winner who is simply experiencing life – and learning. It is a great self management tool to keep up your morale, motivation & self-confidence going when times are rough.

Buy yourself a beautiful notebook or create a file on your computer to write your entries. It’s up to you. The one thing that you need to do is write your journal entering at least 3 things that you completed during the day. By the end of the week you would realize how much you have achieved even if some tasks did not go the way you planned them. It’s in writing and difficult to ignore.

For example, if you are hunting for a job and the interviews are not happening as fast as you would like them or not happening at all, instead of brooding, try writing down what you did get right during the day. Your success journal entry could read as

•  Submitted my application letter and resume for ABC Ltd’s vacancy. 

•  Managed to get through to XYZ head-hunter on the telephone who has agreed to follow up on position. (This one is a great achievement. Those in the job hunting mode will know!)

•  Located 3 positions on LinkedIn which match my profile and found connections that can make an introduction for me.

Looking back at the end of the day, you would realise that you have been putting in effort in areas that you can control. You may think up new strategies to put into your  To Do List to help you further your goals. Most importantly it will boost your self-confidence and prepare you for battle for the next day.

Do you journalize your successes to boost your morale on a not so good day? Or do you use another strategy? I’d love to read about it in the comments box below!

PS. I’ve created a Self-help and Self-study program Self Confidence in 8 Steps on Kindle.  If you are a Do It Yourselfer who wants the guidance but loves to fly solo, then this book is a must check out. Just click here.

Written By: Vatsala Shukla
Journal by Junior Libby

This post was first written on 12th April 2012 and has since been updated.