Have you ever heard the question, "How do you eat an elephant?" Or, maybe you've heard the more palatable version, "How do you eat a 1,000 pound marshmallow?" Either way, the answer is the same: One bite at a time!

The word “achievement” means different things to different people. It is NOT a definition of success, but there is definitely a relationship between the two. The dictionary says achievement is something accomplished, but I think it is much more than just that. Take a look at what some famous people have to say about achievement.

Friedrich Nietzsche said “Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal.” Every once in a while we need to stop and examine what we’re doing. Are we stubbornly pursuing the path we have chosen, or are we truly pursuing the goal we have set for ourselves? There can be a big difference. One will help us reach our dreams; the other might not.

My weekly quotation amplification starts with a quotation from Florence Scovel Shinn. Florence said, "Man can only receive what he sees himself receiving." Have you ever wondered why so many books about goal setting or success start with asking you who you want to be in the future? They ask about your dreams, your big aspirations, and your values.

Positive affirmations seem like hocus pocus. Are they, or are they a tool you should be using? Some people call “positive affirmations” something else. They call it “self talk.” Since I have spent many years in working in the computer industry, I like another term…programming your own mind.

“We all know what a goal is, but vision is a topic of confusion for many.” This is what the founder of Success University, Matt Morris, wrote in a recent newsletter. Knowing how to achieve goals is a question of how well you can see them.

OK, so I didn't know who Epictetus was either, but I liked what he is credited with saying: "First say to yourself what you would be, and then do what you have to do." Read that again. Now, what do most people ask young persons? "What do you want to do when you grow up?" I remember hearing that question years ago when I was young, and I know I've asked people that myself. That is not the question Epictetus would have asked.

The fourth letter in the word change is N. I'm using the N to remind us to eliminate negative to increase our probability of reaching our goals. Remember your math lessons; a double negative becomes a positive. No, no negative becomes positive! If you want to reach your goals, you'll need to believe that you can and you will. There's no room for negative thoughts about it. So, you're going to eliminate, as much as possible, the negative.

The fifth word in our "change" acronym is get excited! I remember an old saying: "Nothing happens until somebody gets excited!" Well, it's your goal and you're going to achieve it, so YOU need to get excited.

Psychological research has shown that levels of self-concordance is a strong predictor of well-being. What does that mean?