Improve Efficiency

You will want to develop your potential to its fullest. The more efficient you can become the better job you will do. Be efficient with your time by not procrastinating and efficient with your effort by staying focused.

Have Balance in your Life 

Imagine yourself on a canoe with another person. The day is beautiful, sunny, and warm. The two of you are floating along without a care in the world. Suddenly, ripples of water start rocking the canoe and without proper balance, both of you, along with all your belongings, are thrown into the cold water. It is the same when you strive for success. You have to find balance not only for yourself but also for others around you. Balance means providing time away from work for pleasure, working extra hours when required, knowing when a new direction is required, etc.

Have Fun 

When people start into the process of being successful, whether for personal growth or starting a business, they may start by incorporating fun, but within a very short time, they realize it is hard work and the fun simply falls by the wayside. If you look at some of the most successful people in the world such as Sam Walton, Oprah Winphrey, or Ross Perot, you will find common threads that run between all of them. First, they started with nothing; second, they are all multi-millionaires many times over, and third, they have fun. They enjoy life, the people around them, and even find enjoyment in the challenges. This one element is often forgotten. This is a crucial element for success and should be a part of your plan. 

Be Nice

Study after study has shown that people with pleasing personalities have an easier time reaching success. Now only are they more levelheaded in handling the business but they also draw people around them that are eager and willing to help. In fact, in addition to being pleasing, be polite, show true interest, and have a great sense of humor.

Guard your Emotions

Keeping emotions in check is not always an easy task. You will have times of disappointment that will require you to react with integrity. You may feel like crying and feel as though your world has just ended. Keep telling yourself that it has not ended and you will just have to make some adjustments in your plan. Never allow anger to be a response. You never know the trickle down effect of that anger and how it could permanently damage your reputation.

Break Bad Habits

Habits, regardless of size or nature, can be exceptionally difficult to break. This will take a lot of effort but you can do it. Unfortunately, poor habits can be the one aspect of your behavior that could be the obstacle to your success. If you have a habit of sniffling or chewing your nails when you get nervous or saying demeaning or offensive things as a way of trying to control, to be successful, whether on a personal or business level, you have to stop.

Timing is Everything

You have probably heard it before “ timing is everything. Especially when it comes to opening a business, there is a right and a wrong time to start a business. This would be extremely important if your business has cycles or is seasonal. For example, if you are starting a business to do landscaping, the winter months when snow is on the ground is not the right time. You can be working toward your Business Plan, marketing ideas, finding investors, if required, etc., during those cold months, but you certainly would not want to open your doors for the first time in the heart of winter.

Keep it Lean

Start-up businesses do not have room for œdead¯ weight. As an example, when first starting out, if you need some assistance, rather then hiring a permanent employee that will involve salary, insurance, other benefits, etc., consider a temporary employee until the business grows. Keep improving the bottom line before you start adding on more expenses to your business.

Get the Word Out

If your success is focused on a business, when you get ready to open your doors, make sure you get the message out. This will include marketing promotions, advertising, sending out a press release, etc. The more people know about your business, the better chance of you have of reaching success.

Plan your Costs

Unbelievably, there are thousands of entrepreneurs that start a business without the foggiest idea of what their costs are going to be. Either there is an estimation that is way overstated or understated. From the very beginning, you need to have a strong handle on knowing what you will need to get your business started and keep it running. Additionally, you need to have projections for your future success. Know your numbers and make sure they are accurate.

Believe

Not only do you need to believe in the product or service you are building to success, you also need to believe in you. Your confidence is what will get you through the difficult challenges and build credibility with your customers.

Know your Customers

You should know, really know, your customers, especially your top ten. Find out what they like and dislike. What other products or services would be of value to them? These very relationships are what will keep your business going. It is crucial to consider your customerŝs desires all of the time.

Economic Value

Economic value defines your income. Considering your talent, also look at things that can help create economic value. These types of goals have better chance of being successful and lasting. Is there something in your community that could bring about more revenue? As an example, do you live in a smaller town where there are no fast food restaurants, causing people to drive miles outside of your town for a cheeseburger and shake? If so, perhaps opening a small fast food restaurant would be a great option. You could have the success of running your own business while bringing something to your community. 

Want Versus Need

When you strive for success, do it because you want  it, not because you need  it. When you want something, it brings about intention, desire, and action. However, when you need something, it will lead to pain, stress, and frustration.

Be Independent 

Do not be afraid to go for what you know is the right thing for you. Being independent allows you to take control over your destiny and emotional state. Stand firm in what you believe and do not allow other people to determine how you feel or what you believe in.

I have missed more than 9000 shots

Today I start with the thought I found on Nervingas Žydas blog.

I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot... and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why... I succeed." 

Michael Jordan

Loser is the one who stops after some failures, leaders are those who are not afraid to fail.

And the next though from series of success tips is:

Identify Procrastinations 

If you have a problem with procrastination, make a list of the things you constantly put on hold. This will help you identify your poor patterns and make the appropriate adjustments. Local colleges often have improvement courses regarding making better decisions and procrastination. Locate a class that would help you with this kind of challenge.

How to overcome self pity while increasing your love & compassion

Imagine what life would be like if you learned how to utilise your self-pitying states of mind by transforming them into powerful resources instead.

Could this be possible?

So called negative states of mind such as loneliness, frustration and despair are neutralised, changed or eliminated with many of the current psychological models.

While these methods can get useful results the whole picture becomes more interesting when we consider what many spiritual traditions have often claimed:

Our suffering actually contains within it an incredible opportunity for growth!

The fact that we are deeply familiar with states of suffering enables us to generate the most noble of virtuous minds such as love and compassion.

What this implies is that with the correct know-how we can replace our habitual patterns of self-pity with minds of love and compassion.

The secret of this approach is actually really simple, yet incredibly profound.

To experience a feeling of love/compassion rather than retched self-pity we simply switch the object of cherishing.

With self-pity we are obsessively cherishing our self: eg) "Poor me, me, me, I'm so lonely" etc.

If we were to switch the object of cherishing to another person we have affection for, and who probably experiences similar and worse feelings, it would enable us to generate a feeling of compassion.

A much more positive state of mind!

Below then is a complete strategy for 're-programming' our thought patterns.

A Strategy for Overcoming Self-pity

1. When you're feeling sorry for yourself what does that feel like? Notice the negative feelings in your body.

2. As you experience those feelings what would you name them? eg) loneliness, frustration, worthlessness

It's ok if you have no name for the feelings.

3. Imagine seeing yourself over there. Simply observe that you suffering and allow a feeling of love and compassion to arise.

Be gentle with yourself. Remember in essence we are pure, virtually limitless, potential and the delusions and problems we experience are like waves on an ocean. They are impermanent. They cannot not change!

3. Now think of loved ones who probably experience similar feelings and worse. (It's important that you actually choose people you have an emotional connection with. Somebody you're close too and have affection for.)

4. As you picture them in front, with that image of yourself, notice the growing feeling of love & compassion arising...

5. Breath with this feeling for a minute or three. You may begin to notice how you soften. Enjoy the warmth and softening of your heart centre.


Build Bridges of Love & Compassion into the Future 

To get this new strategy "wired-in" so it becomes an automatic habit we just need to do a few quick rehearsals in our mind.

So think of situations in the future where it's likely you would experience self-pity.

And notice what the first thing you would see or hear before the feelings of self-pity start up?

As you allow those feelings to arise go through the procedure from step 1.

Doing this rehearsal with a few situations, in different contexts, will enable your unconscious to generalise the new strategy.

What this means is that, in the future, as soon as feelings of self-pity begin to arise in whatever context, the new strategy will trigger and you will then have the freedom to
choose to experience feelings of love and compassion instead.

The choice is now in your hands.

 

Colin G Smith, nlptoolbox.com

Paint a Picture

A great way to keep working toward your goal is to see it. If you want to open a computer store, find a picture or article about Bill Gates when he first got started. If your success is to lose weight, go to Diets.com or Slimfast.com and print off a before and after picture of someone that has a similar body type to yourself. Perhaps your goal is to redecorate your bedroom. Again, locate before and after pictures on the Internet of decorated rooms. Seeing is believing!

Develop Uniformity 

At first, this may be a little challenging but strive to keep things on an even keel. This will keep your efforts and focus from going up and down. The more you can stay the course the quicker you will reach your goal to success.

Just Do It

Okay, so Nike coined that phrase but it is so accurate. Quit putting things off and just do it. If you want it bad enough, go for it!