Do you want to be successful? Do you even know what that means? Success today is measured by many individual standards, and never by any one uniformed standard. Many times an individual doesn't even know what success looks like until that individual achieves some level of success. And even then the measure of success for Johnny might be a million dollars and a house in the Hampton's; where as the measure of success for Jimmy is a wife, two kids, a dog named Scruffy, and a house in a cul-de-sac. So who is to tell you or I just what success is; and for that matter how to achieve success?
Well, first let's look at the definition of success, and then we will go on from there. The Encarta Dictionary: English (North American Version) explains success as follows:
Success - suc-cess (noun) The achievement of intention; the achievement of something planned or attempted.
By that definition anything that we set out to do and accomplish is success. So if I set out to go and pick up the trash in my yard and I accomplish that task; I by definition am successful, right! Perhaps by definition, yes; but by modern standards and interpretations; I would not be considered a successful man for performing such a menial task.
The modern day, and Americanized version of the definition of success (by interpretation) usually means: The achievement of something not easily achieved. By our modern day standard I may not be considered successful unless I have gained wealth, power, or have achieved notoriety and fame. These are some of the factors by which we gage success.
I would submit that a true concise definition of success could never be formulated. Why? Because everyone seems to have their own version of the definition, as well they should. I may not consider myself successful unless I have a yacht, a house on the lake, a million dollars and a riding lawn mower. Your definition of success might be more expansive or even simpler. You may not consider yourself a success unless you have a house in the suburbs, a working car, a good job, and a loving family.
Whatever your personal definition of success; there is usually one common denominator. Happiness! What creates happiness for you? I would suggest that if you are truly happy in life, then you are successful. Without happiness you can't have success.
So how do you achieve success? You start by figuring out exactly what makes you happy. Figure out what you want in life; what will make this life a fabulous life for you. Then you go get it. That's it! You figure out a way to get it, and you do.
In this great country, everyone has an equal shot at achieving success. As long as you are willing to do what it takes to achieve success; you have the opportunity to do so. Success is achieved by the strong in mind.
So, here's to your success; I wish you the best!
(For more information on ways to achieve success check out my last article "The Definition of Entrepreneur...". You can also check out my websites below, and stay tuned for future articles on this subject.)
Jeremy Alexander is a successful Entrepreneur and Instructor in the business of helping other entrepreneurs achieve their own personal and financial success. Whether at home working with his clients, or on the road speaking at conferences and classrooms; Jeremy is dedicated to the fundamental philosophy: "Success can not be earned without first creating success in others". To find out more about why Success is his passion checkout his website at http://www.secretsofwealthandprosperity.com , or for some more tips on how to be successful checkout his free Blog at http://www.secretsofwealthandprosperity.com/MyBlog
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Showing posts with label Plan For Success. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Plan For Success. Show all posts
The Five Types of Goals - Part 1 - The Start of Reason, Is Not Realistic!
Many people equate success with money, power, and fame. In actuality a truly successful person is much more than that; or at least should be. In order to achieve success you must first set out to do so. One of the most important steps to your achievement is setting goals that you can work towards and conquer. A person of great success will have set and have mastered, or strived to master goals in the following five types of goals.
Financial Goals:
Perhaps the most common type of goal! Everyone wants to be wealthy. Your financial goals will determine how wealthy. In designing your financial goals you have to decide how much money that you want to make per month, per year, per ten years, and so on. You can make goals that deal with investments (how much do you want to make out of your investments) and the segmenting of your business (how much money do you want to make from different segments of your business), etc...
You want to try and keep your goals within reason but not within reality. When people claim to be realistic they are usually just setting a low bar for themselves and are cutting down their potential. Let me give you an example:
A reasonable man might set goals like, "I am going to make $500, 000.00 this year. And next year I want to make $1,000,000.00. The year after that I want to double what I have made". Those would be reasonable goals. If you think that those goals can never be accomplished then I would submit to you that you are trying to be to realistic, and are thereby missing a greater, bigger picture.
A realistic man sets goals like, "I am going to make $80,000.00 this year (maybe). Next year I am going to ask my boss for a raise and start making $120,000.00. Then I will invest more in my 401K, and try to make good investments to increase my profit". Now if all of that is your goal; well, they are not bad goals. But they are short fall goals. You can do better. A lot better! You just need to start thinking beyond your reality, and step into the reality of a successful entrepreneur.
Now an unreasonable man might set goals that defy all logic and reason. These goals might sound like, "I am going to make 1,000,000,000.00 this next year and quadruple that next year". That is an unreasonable goal, because although technically doable, it is almost impossible to make that kind of money unless you have already established substantial wealth. So yes that may be doable for Donald Trump (even for him that might be a stretch) or Bill Gates (not such a stretch), but probably not doable for someone just starting out on their financial goals.
Keep in mind, that in this great country, millionaires are made (by their own ambition) every day. Set your bar high, because that bar can be reached. And, you will reach that bar if you are determined, and prove yourself to be worthy in reaching it. Just don't set the bar so high that you need a space ship to reach it.
Business Goals:
Business goals are the goals that will make you the money for your financial goals. Business goals can also inspire greatness in you and in those around you. You have to determine what type of business do you want to own (I recommend owning your own business for the greatest profitability). Perhaps you don't want to own a business. You are not the entrepreneurial type. No problems; then you just need to set a goal on which company you would like to work for, and how far you want to go within that company (not so recommended, but still fine if that is what "floats your boat").
Business goals can also include investments. What type of investments; and how many do you want? You should also plan and set a goal for where you want your business to go. Perhaps you want to branch out and create several businesses. Maybe set a goal for how many employees you would like to have. How many business partners you might have; so on and so forth. All of this would be included in your business goals.
So far we have covered the two types of goals that are usually associated with success; Financial Goals, and Business Goals. But what about the three other types of goals? Those three other types are equally as important to your success. You can not be truly successful without an understanding and desire to master all of the five types of goals.
Jeremy Alexander is a successful Entrepreneur and Instructor in the business of helping other entrepreneurs achieve their own personal and financial success. Whether at home working with his clients, or on the road speaking at conferences and classrooms; Jeremy is dedicated to the fundamental philosophy: "Success can not be earned without first creating success in others".
To find out more about why Success is his passion checkout his website at http://www.secretsofwealthandprosperity.com or for some more tips on how to be successful checkout his free Blog at http://www.secretsofwealthandprosperity.com/MyBlog
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Financial Goals:
Perhaps the most common type of goal! Everyone wants to be wealthy. Your financial goals will determine how wealthy. In designing your financial goals you have to decide how much money that you want to make per month, per year, per ten years, and so on. You can make goals that deal with investments (how much do you want to make out of your investments) and the segmenting of your business (how much money do you want to make from different segments of your business), etc...
You want to try and keep your goals within reason but not within reality. When people claim to be realistic they are usually just setting a low bar for themselves and are cutting down their potential. Let me give you an example:
A reasonable man might set goals like, "I am going to make $500, 000.00 this year. And next year I want to make $1,000,000.00. The year after that I want to double what I have made". Those would be reasonable goals. If you think that those goals can never be accomplished then I would submit to you that you are trying to be to realistic, and are thereby missing a greater, bigger picture.
A realistic man sets goals like, "I am going to make $80,000.00 this year (maybe). Next year I am going to ask my boss for a raise and start making $120,000.00. Then I will invest more in my 401K, and try to make good investments to increase my profit". Now if all of that is your goal; well, they are not bad goals. But they are short fall goals. You can do better. A lot better! You just need to start thinking beyond your reality, and step into the reality of a successful entrepreneur.
Now an unreasonable man might set goals that defy all logic and reason. These goals might sound like, "I am going to make 1,000,000,000.00 this next year and quadruple that next year". That is an unreasonable goal, because although technically doable, it is almost impossible to make that kind of money unless you have already established substantial wealth. So yes that may be doable for Donald Trump (even for him that might be a stretch) or Bill Gates (not such a stretch), but probably not doable for someone just starting out on their financial goals.
Keep in mind, that in this great country, millionaires are made (by their own ambition) every day. Set your bar high, because that bar can be reached. And, you will reach that bar if you are determined, and prove yourself to be worthy in reaching it. Just don't set the bar so high that you need a space ship to reach it.
Business Goals:
Business goals are the goals that will make you the money for your financial goals. Business goals can also inspire greatness in you and in those around you. You have to determine what type of business do you want to own (I recommend owning your own business for the greatest profitability). Perhaps you don't want to own a business. You are not the entrepreneurial type. No problems; then you just need to set a goal on which company you would like to work for, and how far you want to go within that company (not so recommended, but still fine if that is what "floats your boat").
Business goals can also include investments. What type of investments; and how many do you want? You should also plan and set a goal for where you want your business to go. Perhaps you want to branch out and create several businesses. Maybe set a goal for how many employees you would like to have. How many business partners you might have; so on and so forth. All of this would be included in your business goals.
So far we have covered the two types of goals that are usually associated with success; Financial Goals, and Business Goals. But what about the three other types of goals? Those three other types are equally as important to your success. You can not be truly successful without an understanding and desire to master all of the five types of goals.
Jeremy Alexander is a successful Entrepreneur and Instructor in the business of helping other entrepreneurs achieve their own personal and financial success. Whether at home working with his clients, or on the road speaking at conferences and classrooms; Jeremy is dedicated to the fundamental philosophy: "Success can not be earned without first creating success in others".
To find out more about why Success is his passion checkout his website at http://www.secretsofwealthandprosperity.com or for some more tips on how to be successful checkout his free Blog at http://www.secretsofwealthandprosperity.com/MyBlog
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Five Types of Goals - Part 2 - What Will Define Your Success!
There are five types of goals that must be understood and attempted to master, in order for an individual to be able to claim true success. In the article, the "Five Types of Goals (Part 1)", the first two types of goals were given and explained. These two types are Financial Goals and Business Goals. The following is the explanation of the remaining three goals:
Personal Goals:
These are the goals that keep us alive. Many people associate these goals as being the "Kick the Bucket" type goals. That is when you make a list of goals entitled "50 things I want to do before I die" (example). Many people if not most people have at one time or another made a similar type list. And most people that have made a list like that have not, nor will ever accomplish everything on those lists. That is an absolute shame! Truly successful individuals will not let a personal goal go unaccomplished.
Now, there are two things wrong with a list entitled "50 things I want to do before I die". #1- No man is guaranteed another day. #2- in the list title it stipulates the phrase "I want to do".
How about making a list of goals entitled "50 things that I am Going To Do this year"! Then perhaps another list, 50 things that I am going to do next year; or this month, or in my lifetime, etc... Make as many lists as you want. Your goals on this list will help you see what type of person you are. Your goals on this list may also help you figure out how to set your Financial Goals (you may need some serious money) and your Business Goals (you may need a flexible business). Just do something great for yourself: Accomplish These Goals!
Personal Goals can be anything that you want to accomplish personally. Do you want to find a spouse? Make it a goal! Do you want to backpack through Italy? Make it a goal! How about finish your college education, or take your kids on a trip to Disney World, or go scuba diving in a sunken ship of the coast of a Caribbean Island? Make it a Goal! You get the gist! Just make sure any goal you make, you accomplish.
Personal Goals can also be intermixed with your other goals. For instance: it is a personal goal of mine to create success in as many people as possibly can (I even set numbers for this goal). This is a personal goal; but it is also a business goal; as the accomplishment of my goal will benefit both my personal goals, and my business goals.
Another intermixing might be if you really want to go on vacation to Las Vegas. And, you also want to show your appreciation to your employees for a job well done. Make it a business trip and "kill two birds with one stone" (Business trips can be tax deductible as well).
A charitable goal may also be considered a personal goal. "I want to give $100,000.00 dollars to a needy and worthy cause this year"! That would be a great personal goal. Personal goals are usually those that make you feel good.
Asset Goals:
These are the goals referred to as "stuff"! Make a list of stuff that you wish to acquire as you accomplish your goals. Things like a house on the pacific coast; a 70 foot Yacht, or a vacation house in Hawaii. If those seem too big to start: how about setting some asset goals on things you can achieve quickly: A new deck for your house; a Jacuzzi on that deck; or maybe a new car; or kitchen remodel. Whatever the case, have something to work towards. What good is having money if you don't spend it on anything?
Spiritual Goals:
Whatever religion you may be; whatever you believe in; spiritual goals are an important aspect to anyone's success. I could write a book on spiritual goals (I will keep this short), but it all boils down to the individual and what it is that they believe and how they act on their beliefs.
Over 80 percent of the CEO's to fortune 500 companies attend church on a regular basis. Faith is a part of their success. 80 Percent! There has got to be something to that, right! Well there is.
Your spiritual goals can include anything from research and deciding on spiritual beliefs, to researching and growing in faith in your already decide spiritual belief. As an example: My spiritual goal is not only to grow in my faith, but also read the whole bible, cover-to-cover, by April of next year. I have set the goal and am taking steps to accomplish my goal.
Spiritual goals add a level of enlightenment to uncontrollable and daunting questions. Having spiritual beliefs can greatly add to your success, understanding, and happiness; but is of course not an absolute requirement (recommended though).
Conclusion:
In conclusion, your goals will be what define your success. Your willingness to strive and accomplish your goals in all five of these goal types, will determine how successful you will be. A successful man sets the bar high and strives to fly ten feet over the top of that bar. An unsuccessful man will set the bar low, and try not to look up as he walks under the bar.
To those lottery winners out there who claim to be successful, I say to you "Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn some of the time"!
Here's to your success!
Jeremy Alexander is a successful Entrepreneur and Instructor in the business of helping other entrepreneurs achieve their own personal and financial success. Whether at home working with his clients, or on the road speaking at conferences and classrooms; Jeremy is dedicated to the fundamental philosophy: "Success can not be earned without first creating success in others". To find out more about why Success is his passion checkout his website at http://www.secretsofwealthandprosperity.com or for some more tips on how to be successful checkout his free Blog at http://www.secretsofwealthandprosperity.com/MyBlog
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Personal Goals:
These are the goals that keep us alive. Many people associate these goals as being the "Kick the Bucket" type goals. That is when you make a list of goals entitled "50 things I want to do before I die" (example). Many people if not most people have at one time or another made a similar type list. And most people that have made a list like that have not, nor will ever accomplish everything on those lists. That is an absolute shame! Truly successful individuals will not let a personal goal go unaccomplished.
Now, there are two things wrong with a list entitled "50 things I want to do before I die". #1- No man is guaranteed another day. #2- in the list title it stipulates the phrase "I want to do".
How about making a list of goals entitled "50 things that I am Going To Do this year"! Then perhaps another list, 50 things that I am going to do next year; or this month, or in my lifetime, etc... Make as many lists as you want. Your goals on this list will help you see what type of person you are. Your goals on this list may also help you figure out how to set your Financial Goals (you may need some serious money) and your Business Goals (you may need a flexible business). Just do something great for yourself: Accomplish These Goals!
Personal Goals can be anything that you want to accomplish personally. Do you want to find a spouse? Make it a goal! Do you want to backpack through Italy? Make it a goal! How about finish your college education, or take your kids on a trip to Disney World, or go scuba diving in a sunken ship of the coast of a Caribbean Island? Make it a Goal! You get the gist! Just make sure any goal you make, you accomplish.
Personal Goals can also be intermixed with your other goals. For instance: it is a personal goal of mine to create success in as many people as possibly can (I even set numbers for this goal). This is a personal goal; but it is also a business goal; as the accomplishment of my goal will benefit both my personal goals, and my business goals.
Another intermixing might be if you really want to go on vacation to Las Vegas. And, you also want to show your appreciation to your employees for a job well done. Make it a business trip and "kill two birds with one stone" (Business trips can be tax deductible as well).
A charitable goal may also be considered a personal goal. "I want to give $100,000.00 dollars to a needy and worthy cause this year"! That would be a great personal goal. Personal goals are usually those that make you feel good.
Asset Goals:
These are the goals referred to as "stuff"! Make a list of stuff that you wish to acquire as you accomplish your goals. Things like a house on the pacific coast; a 70 foot Yacht, or a vacation house in Hawaii. If those seem too big to start: how about setting some asset goals on things you can achieve quickly: A new deck for your house; a Jacuzzi on that deck; or maybe a new car; or kitchen remodel. Whatever the case, have something to work towards. What good is having money if you don't spend it on anything?
Spiritual Goals:
Whatever religion you may be; whatever you believe in; spiritual goals are an important aspect to anyone's success. I could write a book on spiritual goals (I will keep this short), but it all boils down to the individual and what it is that they believe and how they act on their beliefs.
Over 80 percent of the CEO's to fortune 500 companies attend church on a regular basis. Faith is a part of their success. 80 Percent! There has got to be something to that, right! Well there is.
Your spiritual goals can include anything from research and deciding on spiritual beliefs, to researching and growing in faith in your already decide spiritual belief. As an example: My spiritual goal is not only to grow in my faith, but also read the whole bible, cover-to-cover, by April of next year. I have set the goal and am taking steps to accomplish my goal.
Spiritual goals add a level of enlightenment to uncontrollable and daunting questions. Having spiritual beliefs can greatly add to your success, understanding, and happiness; but is of course not an absolute requirement (recommended though).
Conclusion:
In conclusion, your goals will be what define your success. Your willingness to strive and accomplish your goals in all five of these goal types, will determine how successful you will be. A successful man sets the bar high and strives to fly ten feet over the top of that bar. An unsuccessful man will set the bar low, and try not to look up as he walks under the bar.
To those lottery winners out there who claim to be successful, I say to you "Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn some of the time"!
Here's to your success!
Jeremy Alexander is a successful Entrepreneur and Instructor in the business of helping other entrepreneurs achieve their own personal and financial success. Whether at home working with his clients, or on the road speaking at conferences and classrooms; Jeremy is dedicated to the fundamental philosophy: "Success can not be earned without first creating success in others". To find out more about why Success is his passion checkout his website at http://www.secretsofwealthandprosperity.com or for some more tips on how to be successful checkout his free Blog at http://www.secretsofwealthandprosperity.com/MyBlog
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Clarity Begins At Home - Getting Out Of Your Own Way
Before you begin a thing, remind yourself that difficulties and delays quite impossible to foresee are ahead. You can only see one thing clearly and that is your goal. Form a mental vision of that and cling to it through thick and thin. (Kathleen Norris)
If we are ever in doubt about what to do, it is a good rule to ask ourselves what we shall wish on the morrow that we had done. (John Lubbock)
The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don't define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them. (Denis Waitley)
We can be our own worst enemy at times. How often can you see that it was you who actually got in your own way on the path to fulfilling a goal? It was usually only a thought that got in the way! Something that you made up...so, you could make up something else. A replacement thought that empowers you.
Write down as many of the discouraging thoughts that you can recall, from those times you actually stopped yourself. Alongside each of these, record a replacement thought that really gives you some power. What could you put in place so that you remember to replace your negative thoughts with an empowering thought? An automatic pop up on your computer screen? A colourful card sitting up on your desk or pasted to the front of your diary?
Most days we say some horrid things to ourselves and we aren't even conscious that the tape is playing! Consider also, the people with whom you surround yourself. Are there people with whom you could spend more time? Are there people with whom you could spend less time?
Lastly, when exploring your 2004 New Year resolutions - here are a few pointers to send you on your way:
Are your intended outcomes crystal clear to you and do you have them somewhere on display for yourself - in words or images? Do you have powerful reasons for wanting to accomplishing your chosen goals? Make a practice of writing down your 6 top priority goals, daily. It is worth those extra 5 minutes each day - recreating your desire for reaching that next stepping stone.
Are your New Year resolutions feasible? Are the deadlines too tight? Could your goals be broken down into bite sized chunks (i.e. milestones along the way). You may easily become discouraged if your goals seems impossible to achieve. This can chip away at your confidence in going after what you want. A strong belief in your goals is mandatory.
Have you put something in place to really celebrate each milestone victory, great or small? This will expand your personal confidence. Reward the source of your results.
For further personal exploration: A site with practical tools for creative dreamers is http://www.howmuchjoy.com
An extremely resourceful site to visit is http://www.ehappylife.com/custom/about.html
If the links (above) are not 'live', then simply cut and paste them into your browser.
© Thea Westra is the senior thought leader, at her Forward Steps site. She resides in Perth, Australia with her ultra-supportive partner Greg. Thea publishes a monthly ezine (among many other publications and products) at http://www.forwardsteps.com.au Enjoy her life success blogs at http://www.timeformylife.com/blogs.htm and get personally connected here, http://www.ask-thea-about.com
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inspiredauthor
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How I Built a Career
If we are ever in doubt about what to do, it is a good rule to ask ourselves what we shall wish on the morrow that we had done. (John Lubbock)
The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don't define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them. (Denis Waitley)
We can be our own worst enemy at times. How often can you see that it was you who actually got in your own way on the path to fulfilling a goal? It was usually only a thought that got in the way! Something that you made up...so, you could make up something else. A replacement thought that empowers you.
Write down as many of the discouraging thoughts that you can recall, from those times you actually stopped yourself. Alongside each of these, record a replacement thought that really gives you some power. What could you put in place so that you remember to replace your negative thoughts with an empowering thought? An automatic pop up on your computer screen? A colourful card sitting up on your desk or pasted to the front of your diary?
Most days we say some horrid things to ourselves and we aren't even conscious that the tape is playing! Consider also, the people with whom you surround yourself. Are there people with whom you could spend more time? Are there people with whom you could spend less time?
Lastly, when exploring your 2004 New Year resolutions - here are a few pointers to send you on your way:
Are your intended outcomes crystal clear to you and do you have them somewhere on display for yourself - in words or images? Do you have powerful reasons for wanting to accomplishing your chosen goals? Make a practice of writing down your 6 top priority goals, daily. It is worth those extra 5 minutes each day - recreating your desire for reaching that next stepping stone.
Are your New Year resolutions feasible? Are the deadlines too tight? Could your goals be broken down into bite sized chunks (i.e. milestones along the way). You may easily become discouraged if your goals seems impossible to achieve. This can chip away at your confidence in going after what you want. A strong belief in your goals is mandatory.
Have you put something in place to really celebrate each milestone victory, great or small? This will expand your personal confidence. Reward the source of your results.
For further personal exploration: A site with practical tools for creative dreamers is http://www.howmuchjoy.com
An extremely resourceful site to visit is http://www.ehappylife.com/custom/about.html
If the links (above) are not 'live', then simply cut and paste them into your browser.
© Thea Westra is the senior thought leader, at her Forward Steps site. She resides in Perth, Australia with her ultra-supportive partner Greg. Thea publishes a monthly ezine (among many other publications and products) at http://www.forwardsteps.com.au Enjoy her life success blogs at http://www.timeformylife.com/blogs.htm and get personally connected here, http://www.ask-thea-about.com
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inspiredauthor
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How I Built a Career
7 Tips to Keeping New Year Resolutions!
New Year Resolutions! We make 'em, and then we break 'em. Did you know that 2008 is a beginning year of a 9 year cycle in numerology? This is a great time to make some changes. However, many of us have grand ideas about personal change, only to find that it is all forgotten by the second weekend of January. Here are my suggestions to setting successful New Year resolutions.
First off, make them. New Year's can be a good time to evaluate last year's goals and set new goals. Your birthday can be another great time to set yearly goals and resolutions. The definition of insanity is to keep doing what you have always done, expecting different results. So, make a goal, set a New Year's resolution.
Next, keep it simple. You might need to lose 100 pounds, but start with 10 pound weight loss goal. This is called the salami method. You can't eat a whole salami at once, but you can eat it, one slice at a time. Once you have made your mini goal, set a new one.
In line with keeping it simple, pick 2 or 3 small changes that move you towards your goal. Here are some examples for this weight loss theme. If you have not been exercising, commit to walking 15 minutes 3 times a week or park farther away and walk. Pick something doable for your diet changes. This could be eating breakfast or not super sizing your lunch. The point is, pick something small that you can commit to and do it.
Write down your goal. Most folks fail to reach their goals simply because they did not write them down. Get a notebook for your goal, write it down and log your progress.
Next, tell a friend about your goal. Better yet, get a friend to share your resolution with and help each other stay on task. Check in regularly with each other. That could be by meeting at the gym one day a week or a phone call. It is harder to make excuses; your friend will not let you off the hook.
Important.... As the Nike ad says "Just Do It!" People will do what they really want. You can fit these small changes into your life. Why? You are worth it. You are worth being healthier, physically fit, slimmer, richer, happier, or whatever you want. You will not get there, unless you do it. So "Do It!"
Lastly, make a commitment on your calendar to review your progress. Weekly is good. Look for the times you where able to keep the change and the times you choose not to keep the change. What do you need to do to keep implementing this small change in your life for the next week? If you need to change something, do it. This will keep you on your goal track.
If traditional medicine is not working for you, check out http://healthworksenergyhealing.com/ I wish you a very Happy New Year and successful fulfillment of your yearly goals.
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First off, make them. New Year's can be a good time to evaluate last year's goals and set new goals. Your birthday can be another great time to set yearly goals and resolutions. The definition of insanity is to keep doing what you have always done, expecting different results. So, make a goal, set a New Year's resolution.
Next, keep it simple. You might need to lose 100 pounds, but start with 10 pound weight loss goal. This is called the salami method. You can't eat a whole salami at once, but you can eat it, one slice at a time. Once you have made your mini goal, set a new one.
In line with keeping it simple, pick 2 or 3 small changes that move you towards your goal. Here are some examples for this weight loss theme. If you have not been exercising, commit to walking 15 minutes 3 times a week or park farther away and walk. Pick something doable for your diet changes. This could be eating breakfast or not super sizing your lunch. The point is, pick something small that you can commit to and do it.
Write down your goal. Most folks fail to reach their goals simply because they did not write them down. Get a notebook for your goal, write it down and log your progress.
Next, tell a friend about your goal. Better yet, get a friend to share your resolution with and help each other stay on task. Check in regularly with each other. That could be by meeting at the gym one day a week or a phone call. It is harder to make excuses; your friend will not let you off the hook.
Important.... As the Nike ad says "Just Do It!" People will do what they really want. You can fit these small changes into your life. Why? You are worth it. You are worth being healthier, physically fit, slimmer, richer, happier, or whatever you want. You will not get there, unless you do it. So "Do It!"
Lastly, make a commitment on your calendar to review your progress. Weekly is good. Look for the times you where able to keep the change and the times you choose not to keep the change. What do you need to do to keep implementing this small change in your life for the next week? If you need to change something, do it. This will keep you on your goal track.
If traditional medicine is not working for you, check out http://healthworksenergyhealing.com/ I wish you a very Happy New Year and successful fulfillment of your yearly goals.
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Avoiding Failure - How To Stick With Your New Year's Resolutions
Now that we are officially into 2008, how are your New Year's Resolutions going? Are you off to a strong start or have you given up already? Hopefully, you are committed to achieving your goals and are off to a running start. But, if you are like most people, your resolutions will soon be forgotten. There are many reasons that resolutions fail so quickly. The good news is that by becoming aware of the reasons they fail, you can change your actions and help achieve your goals. Let's take a look at the most common sources of failure and how you can overcome each one.
1. Too large of a goal. It's great to shoot for the stars by setting a large goal. It is important that the large goal be broken down into smaller, more manageable and measurable goals. These goals should also be realistic. If your goal is to run a marathon this year, you should already have some running experience to build upon. If you don't currently run, this goal is too large and not very realistic. To increase your current mileage, you would need a specific training program that gradually increases the distance and time you run each week. Without these smaller steps, you won't be able to achieve the larger goal.
2. No plan. Having a plan is critical to success but is one of the reasons that many people fail to achieve their goals. The first step is to write down your goal and define it carefully. Then, write down in detail how you will achieve it. Be very specific and include details such as how and when. This plan is your roadmap to success. The more specific and measurable the plan, the better. Having a written plan will keep you on track and moving forward.
3. Lack of discipline/accountability. Many people lack the discipline and accountability to reach their goals on their own. This can be easily overcome by recruiting an accountability partner such as a friend or family member. Find someone that has a similar goal and help keep other accountable and motivated. Enlist whatever help and resources you think you'll need before you need them.
4. Procrastination. Procrastination is one of the leading reasons that resolutions fail. Have you ever said that you'll start a diet next week? Then next week comes and you don't start the diet? There's no time like the present to get started!
5. Too many goals. Having too many goals can sabotage your success and become overwhelming. The best way to overcome having too many goals is to narrow down your list to one or two goals and focus on only a couple of things at a time. As soon as you achieve those goals, you can move down your list.
As you set your goals for 2008, keep in mind some of the reasons that resolutions often fail and consider the potential roadblocks to achieving your goals. Facing these roadblocks up front will prepare you to overcome them. Log your progress along the way. This log can help you through tougher times along the way when you may feel like giving up. It is encouraging to see how far you have come already and motivate you to keep going. Even baby steps will get you a little bit closer to your goal. And last, but not least, remain flexible and willing to adjust your plan if necessary. Sometimes you may need to take a detour along the way so it is very helpful to be flexible. Don't get discouraged and let this throw you completely off course. Stay committed and keep going!
April Mims is a life and career coach specializing in work/life balance issues and life and career transitions. Her coaching practice is Nexus Coaching Partners. She is passionate about empowering clients to balance the demands of a successful career and a strong family life. April invites you to a complimentary 30-minute coaching session to see if coaching could benefit you. To learn more or subscribe to The Nexus Connection newsletter, visit http://www.nexuscoachingpartners.com
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1. Too large of a goal. It's great to shoot for the stars by setting a large goal. It is important that the large goal be broken down into smaller, more manageable and measurable goals. These goals should also be realistic. If your goal is to run a marathon this year, you should already have some running experience to build upon. If you don't currently run, this goal is too large and not very realistic. To increase your current mileage, you would need a specific training program that gradually increases the distance and time you run each week. Without these smaller steps, you won't be able to achieve the larger goal.
2. No plan. Having a plan is critical to success but is one of the reasons that many people fail to achieve their goals. The first step is to write down your goal and define it carefully. Then, write down in detail how you will achieve it. Be very specific and include details such as how and when. This plan is your roadmap to success. The more specific and measurable the plan, the better. Having a written plan will keep you on track and moving forward.
3. Lack of discipline/accountability. Many people lack the discipline and accountability to reach their goals on their own. This can be easily overcome by recruiting an accountability partner such as a friend or family member. Find someone that has a similar goal and help keep other accountable and motivated. Enlist whatever help and resources you think you'll need before you need them.
4. Procrastination. Procrastination is one of the leading reasons that resolutions fail. Have you ever said that you'll start a diet next week? Then next week comes and you don't start the diet? There's no time like the present to get started!
5. Too many goals. Having too many goals can sabotage your success and become overwhelming. The best way to overcome having too many goals is to narrow down your list to one or two goals and focus on only a couple of things at a time. As soon as you achieve those goals, you can move down your list.
As you set your goals for 2008, keep in mind some of the reasons that resolutions often fail and consider the potential roadblocks to achieving your goals. Facing these roadblocks up front will prepare you to overcome them. Log your progress along the way. This log can help you through tougher times along the way when you may feel like giving up. It is encouraging to see how far you have come already and motivate you to keep going. Even baby steps will get you a little bit closer to your goal. And last, but not least, remain flexible and willing to adjust your plan if necessary. Sometimes you may need to take a detour along the way so it is very helpful to be flexible. Don't get discouraged and let this throw you completely off course. Stay committed and keep going!
April Mims is a life and career coach specializing in work/life balance issues and life and career transitions. Her coaching practice is Nexus Coaching Partners. She is passionate about empowering clients to balance the demands of a successful career and a strong family life. April invites you to a complimentary 30-minute coaching session to see if coaching could benefit you. To learn more or subscribe to The Nexus Connection newsletter, visit http://www.nexuscoachingpartners.com
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If You Knew How to Make a Million - Would You?
I've spent the last two weeks writing tutorials to help people make fast money from the stock exchange. It isn't like this is any secret, or that it is a rare occurrence. You only need to mention words such as shorting, short trading, swing trades, to make many long time investor's mouth drool.
However, as I was writing these, a small voice kept niggling in the back of my head "Money on the stock exchanged is not won or lost - just moved."
Can I make $100 000 in a year. Yea, but could I live with myself? I could ride fake bull markets until I hit 10 points and bail, leaving poor schmucks who are only investing because their pension isn't covering their bills to take the loss.... ie - I could scam innocent bystanders and pick their pockets.
I wouldn't rob a little old lady 'face to face' - but he money I win has been lost by someone else.
As the recession/depression approaches in 2008/2009 - and the stock networks are already preparing to turn swing trading into millions of dollars (and probably expediting the crash) it makes me wonder -
"If you know how to get rich - at any cost - would you?"
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However, as I was writing these, a small voice kept niggling in the back of my head "Money on the stock exchanged is not won or lost - just moved."
Can I make $100 000 in a year. Yea, but could I live with myself? I could ride fake bull markets until I hit 10 points and bail, leaving poor schmucks who are only investing because their pension isn't covering their bills to take the loss.... ie - I could scam innocent bystanders and pick their pockets.
I wouldn't rob a little old lady 'face to face' - but he money I win has been lost by someone else.
As the recession/depression approaches in 2008/2009 - and the stock networks are already preparing to turn swing trading into millions of dollars (and probably expediting the crash) it makes me wonder -
"If you know how to get rich - at any cost - would you?"
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Should You Put Google Ads On Your Ecommerce Site?
Should You Put Google Ads On Your Ecommerce Site?
One of the biggest debates in the ecommerce world is whether to post PayPerClick advertisements on a website, or not. Many sites are using video advertisements to improve the look and feel of their sites. Others are hoping that PayPerClick will offer a passive source of income, but this short-term thinking may cost the company serious profits.
The purpose of a PayPerClick ad is to take a visitor from your website and put them on another website. This person leaves before they ever see the host company’s squeeze page, buy-now page, or Social Networking tools. This means that a potential customer is gone for good. The problem is - the ads on the host company’s website represent the competition.
PayPerClick Passive Income
On one side of the debate is the idea that PayPerClick lets ecommerce businesses generate some revenue from people who were going to leave the website anyway. The problem arises when the website looks at the actual numbers.
It takes several months before Google starts registering clicks, even if thousands of people have already clicked the link. Even when Google does start registering links, they rarely register more than one half of the actual links. In many cases, Google counts less than half.
Then, there is the Page Rank Trap. Google only pays a percentage of the money promised, based on the site’s page rank. A site can build more than 10 000 inbound links and 1000 pages of content and still have only Page Rank 3, earning about .05% of Google’s promised payout. Many sites (non MFA - Made For Adsense) work for 2 - 3 years before they earn $100 a month.
A website can make hundreds of dollars a month from Adsense, as long as the primary purpose of the site is to generate PayPerClick traffic.
PayPerClick Traffic
Many ecommerce businesses sign up for a PayPerClick program through Yahoo or Google to generate traffic. While the search engine advertising companies promise that they do not favor their advertisers, it is foolish not to. They are only cutting their throats letting sites which do not use their ads to rank higher than the sites who do use their ads.
From this side of the fence, PayPerClick is a good deal, because you are the company stealing customers from the competition. However, very few PayPerClick programs give the advertiser control over sites they appear on.
Google does, to a certain extent. It is possible to visit a major competitor’s site, which generates millions more hits than your site does, and place an ad on their pages. However, this does not guarantee that these same people will not click off your website.
Rule #1 of Sales
The first rule of sales is to hook a potential customer. This means keeping them on the host ecommerce site, and encouraging them to click through the links until they reach the buy now page.
There are some crafty ways to do this. For example, make the link bar to squeeze pages and buy-now pages look like PayPerClick ads. Another trick is to lead people from one website owned by the host company to another of their sites, in effect, creating a big circle.
However, make sure that the main pages are optimized with no=follow code in the links. Search engines penalize this type of ‘black hat’ SEO trick. The no=follow code in the ads will prevent the search engines from penalizing the site.
Both of these tricks will keep potential visitors inside the company’s ecommerce sites.
Another trick is to use a ‘default’ internal search tool. Instead of Google’s search, use one that defaults inside the ecommerce network’s sites, instead of on the world wide web.
Keeping customers is the only way to increase profits, and retain customers.
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One of the biggest debates in the ecommerce world is whether to post PayPerClick advertisements on a website, or not. Many sites are using video advertisements to improve the look and feel of their sites. Others are hoping that PayPerClick will offer a passive source of income, but this short-term thinking may cost the company serious profits.
The purpose of a PayPerClick ad is to take a visitor from your website and put them on another website. This person leaves before they ever see the host company’s squeeze page, buy-now page, or Social Networking tools. This means that a potential customer is gone for good. The problem is - the ads on the host company’s website represent the competition.
PayPerClick Passive Income
On one side of the debate is the idea that PayPerClick lets ecommerce businesses generate some revenue from people who were going to leave the website anyway. The problem arises when the website looks at the actual numbers.
It takes several months before Google starts registering clicks, even if thousands of people have already clicked the link. Even when Google does start registering links, they rarely register more than one half of the actual links. In many cases, Google counts less than half.
Then, there is the Page Rank Trap. Google only pays a percentage of the money promised, based on the site’s page rank. A site can build more than 10 000 inbound links and 1000 pages of content and still have only Page Rank 3, earning about .05% of Google’s promised payout. Many sites (non MFA - Made For Adsense) work for 2 - 3 years before they earn $100 a month.
A website can make hundreds of dollars a month from Adsense, as long as the primary purpose of the site is to generate PayPerClick traffic.
PayPerClick Traffic
Many ecommerce businesses sign up for a PayPerClick program through Yahoo or Google to generate traffic. While the search engine advertising companies promise that they do not favor their advertisers, it is foolish not to. They are only cutting their throats letting sites which do not use their ads to rank higher than the sites who do use their ads.
From this side of the fence, PayPerClick is a good deal, because you are the company stealing customers from the competition. However, very few PayPerClick programs give the advertiser control over sites they appear on.
Google does, to a certain extent. It is possible to visit a major competitor’s site, which generates millions more hits than your site does, and place an ad on their pages. However, this does not guarantee that these same people will not click off your website.
Rule #1 of Sales
The first rule of sales is to hook a potential customer. This means keeping them on the host ecommerce site, and encouraging them to click through the links until they reach the buy now page.
There are some crafty ways to do this. For example, make the link bar to squeeze pages and buy-now pages look like PayPerClick ads. Another trick is to lead people from one website owned by the host company to another of their sites, in effect, creating a big circle.
However, make sure that the main pages are optimized with no=follow code in the links. Search engines penalize this type of ‘black hat’ SEO trick. The no=follow code in the ads will prevent the search engines from penalizing the site.
Both of these tricks will keep potential visitors inside the company’s ecommerce sites.
Another trick is to use a ‘default’ internal search tool. Instead of Google’s search, use one that defaults inside the ecommerce network’s sites, instead of on the world wide web.
Keeping customers is the only way to increase profits, and retain customers.
----------------
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How Much $$ Does Multitasking Costing You?
I use to be an amazing multitasker. I can still hold up to six IM conversations while checking my emails.
However, I have learned that multitasking increases stress, drains me so that I do not want to spend time with 'life' at the end of the day, and it actually decreases my productivity.
It can be difficult to conduct a business without multitasking. Many freelance writers find themselves working on several projects at once. Work at Home professionals are forced to promote, manage the home, manage their business, and have a life - all at the same time.
However, multitasking costs time, and is money.
It took me about two years to learn how to organize my time, reducing the need for multitasking, and improving my productivity.
There is no secret. Everyone must find their own comfort-zone. I can give you some tips though.
1. Plan to do one job a
day - if possible. When done that job, then start a second task.
2. Open your emails, etc. first thing in the morning - then don't go back that day unless you finish your work.
3. Turn MSN and the telephone off when you have a major task to complete in one day.
4. Set a time limit for research. Do not research until you have 'enough.' A time limit will force you to work faster and smarter. When you have reached the end of your time limit, start writing. When finished, decide then if you need more research. Or, write your project in parts.
5. Do not do housework in 'work' time.
6. Expect your family to assist in house cleaning, laundry, etc...as if you worked out of the house. OR, tell them that the business money is business money. Hubby cannot dip into it because he is low this month. Business money is not bill money. If the family wants it, they help around the house, if not - then you can write off a maid (in Canada and the USA) and it is part of the business expenses.
7. Have a set number of work hours.
8. Learn to say no.
9. Do not let your emotional state control what you do. I've noticed that many work at home professionals make comments like 'I don't feel well', 'I didn't feel like it.'
10. Keep track of how many hours you devote to each task. Over time, this will teach you to work more productively, and it will help you determine how much time you really invest in a week.
One woman I talked to was frustrated. She had tried to get into freelance writing for seven months, but was still not making any money. After writing down her week, she found she only 'actively' worked for 19 - 22 hours. So, I told her she hadn't 'worked' for seven months - but if she considered a 40 hour work week, then she only worked for about three months.
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However, I have learned that multitasking increases stress, drains me so that I do not want to spend time with 'life' at the end of the day, and it actually decreases my productivity.
It can be difficult to conduct a business without multitasking. Many freelance writers find themselves working on several projects at once. Work at Home professionals are forced to promote, manage the home, manage their business, and have a life - all at the same time.
However, multitasking costs time, and is money.
It took me about two years to learn how to organize my time, reducing the need for multitasking, and improving my productivity.
There is no secret. Everyone must find their own comfort-zone. I can give you some tips though.
1. Plan to do one job a
day - if possible. When done that job, then start a second task.
2. Open your emails, etc. first thing in the morning - then don't go back that day unless you finish your work.
3. Turn MSN and the telephone off when you have a major task to complete in one day.
4. Set a time limit for research. Do not research until you have 'enough.' A time limit will force you to work faster and smarter. When you have reached the end of your time limit, start writing. When finished, decide then if you need more research. Or, write your project in parts.
5. Do not do housework in 'work' time.
6. Expect your family to assist in house cleaning, laundry, etc...as if you worked out of the house. OR, tell them that the business money is business money. Hubby cannot dip into it because he is low this month. Business money is not bill money. If the family wants it, they help around the house, if not - then you can write off a maid (in Canada and the USA) and it is part of the business expenses.
7. Have a set number of work hours.
8. Learn to say no.
9. Do not let your emotional state control what you do. I've noticed that many work at home professionals make comments like 'I don't feel well', 'I didn't feel like it.'
10. Keep track of how many hours you devote to each task. Over time, this will teach you to work more productively, and it will help you determine how much time you really invest in a week.
One woman I talked to was frustrated. She had tried to get into freelance writing for seven months, but was still not making any money. After writing down her week, she found she only 'actively' worked for 19 - 22 hours. So, I told her she hadn't 'worked' for seven months - but if she considered a 40 hour work week, then she only worked for about three months.
----------------
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How I Built a Career
Where Do The Millionaires Sell ‘On The Web?’
No one disputes the fact that the internet is moving people from dead end jobs to true wealth in a matter of months. Whether your idea of true wealth is $1 million, or a business with 20 employees, there are hundreds of people who have done it before.
The internet is a gold mine that makes some rich, but has one of the highest failure rates of any business – probably in the history of mankind.
Most people flounder around the net trying to run private shopping carts, buying SSL certificates, and finding traffic. They try building their own content management systems and generating inbound links. The average online business quits in six months, or flounders for almost two years, before they learn how the ‘success stories’ make their money on the web.
Fulfilment Through Amazon.com
No one serious building wealth builds their own shopping carts, taking orders, and shipping product. That is what a fulfilment company is for. You all know a fulfilment company, but you have never realized what they can offer you – Amazon.com.
That is right. Amazon.com is not, just, a book selling website. Their fulfilment program lets anyone send product to their warehouse. The Amazon.com site takes the orders, packs and ships, collects the money, and then sends the web business their share.
Most fulfilment companies cost $.50 - $1.00 per item, or a commission based on size and weight. There is often a skid rental of $25 - $50 a month which more than covers the time needed to build and maintain a private website.
Prostores
Everyone knows that Ebay is the world’s largest auction site. However, few people know that they own Prostores, a company that helps Internet Businesses sell their product. The power of Ebay selling. The credibility of a private store.
PayPal
Security is the key to internet sales. Millions will buy from an Amazon store, or Ebay, who would never buy from a private website. The fear of Identity Theft and phishing have taken a big chunk out of small business income. That is why Paypal, an ebay company, works so hard to make their service appear to be part of the consumer’s website.
Traffic
Do you need traffic? Then don’t worry about Social Networking, page rank, or Pay Per Click Programs. Buy the top spot. That is right, the first to ‘highlighted’ spaces on keyword searches can be purchased, sometimes for as little as $15 a month. These two spots are not a part of the pay per click program. They are rented at a set fee.
Another way to increase traffic is to sign up with www.Adbrite.com . This type of company rents space at a fixed cost, or PPC, and expands to accept image, text, or even video ads.
Adbrite is an industry standard because it is the favourite of content management publishers, the big community websites. Adbrite doesn’t have a sliding scale, like Google, or Yahoo. This means that the site gets the money earned, not what the ad company wants to pay.
Internet Marketing
A great internet marketing campaign needs a good product to sell. Without a good product, and a great distribution system, no business, no matter how much potential it has, will succeed – especially on the net.
----------------
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How I Built a Career
The internet is a gold mine that makes some rich, but has one of the highest failure rates of any business – probably in the history of mankind.
Most people flounder around the net trying to run private shopping carts, buying SSL certificates, and finding traffic. They try building their own content management systems and generating inbound links. The average online business quits in six months, or flounders for almost two years, before they learn how the ‘success stories’ make their money on the web.
Fulfilment Through Amazon.com
No one serious building wealth builds their own shopping carts, taking orders, and shipping product. That is what a fulfilment company is for. You all know a fulfilment company, but you have never realized what they can offer you – Amazon.com.
That is right. Amazon.com is not, just, a book selling website. Their fulfilment program lets anyone send product to their warehouse. The Amazon.com site takes the orders, packs and ships, collects the money, and then sends the web business their share.
Most fulfilment companies cost $.50 - $1.00 per item, or a commission based on size and weight. There is often a skid rental of $25 - $50 a month which more than covers the time needed to build and maintain a private website.
Prostores
Everyone knows that Ebay is the world’s largest auction site. However, few people know that they own Prostores, a company that helps Internet Businesses sell their product. The power of Ebay selling. The credibility of a private store.
PayPal
Security is the key to internet sales. Millions will buy from an Amazon store, or Ebay, who would never buy from a private website. The fear of Identity Theft and phishing have taken a big chunk out of small business income. That is why Paypal, an ebay company, works so hard to make their service appear to be part of the consumer’s website.
Traffic
Do you need traffic? Then don’t worry about Social Networking, page rank, or Pay Per Click Programs. Buy the top spot. That is right, the first to ‘highlighted’ spaces on keyword searches can be purchased, sometimes for as little as $15 a month. These two spots are not a part of the pay per click program. They are rented at a set fee.
Another way to increase traffic is to sign up with www.Adbrite.com . This type of company rents space at a fixed cost, or PPC, and expands to accept image, text, or even video ads.
Adbrite is an industry standard because it is the favourite of content management publishers, the big community websites. Adbrite doesn’t have a sliding scale, like Google, or Yahoo. This means that the site gets the money earned, not what the ad company wants to pay.
Internet Marketing
A great internet marketing campaign needs a good product to sell. Without a good product, and a great distribution system, no business, no matter how much potential it has, will succeed – especially on the net.
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A Crash Course in the ‘Success Mindset’
Many people enter the work at home market hoping to make money. Most are not even looking for a work at home business until the an email in their inbox, or a website, catches their attention.
The opportunity looks good, work at home, make money, and get paid to do relatively little. It doesn’t matter what the opportunity, whether property investing, playing with stocks, or ecommerce, eventually, one of these business opportunities will catch your eye. When it does, you can choose to follow the legions who hoped, dreamed, and failed before you, or you can learn how to succeed.
Only certain people will ever succeed. These are people who never stop learning, and never quit, because success is a habit. It takes time to learn how to be a success. Business owners not only need to learn how to become a success, but they need to learn ‘how to avoid failure.’
There are a few rules of success that can help the newest business owner to avoid the common pitfalls, and make money.
The Success Attitude
The biggest mistake most people make is creating a business because they always dreamed of owning that business. These people are dreamers, and failures. Not because they do not have a good idea, but because they are dreamers.
I’ve met dozens of people who dreamed for 20 years about owning a store. It may be a bridal shop, a candy store, ecommerce venture, or a fashion retail outlet. I listen patiently for a while as they excitedly ramble on about their dream. There does come a time when I stop them and ask ‘how much time have you invested learning how to make this business a success?” The answer is 99/100 times, ‘none.’
No business will run itself. No one will come to a store, whether a bridal shop, candy store, ecommerce venture, or fashion outlet just because it is there. The owner needs to add value to their outlet and offer a good product.
It is sad, because these people had 20 years to learn how to succeed and develop the ‘success habit.’ Instead, they twittered it away dreaming.
Needing Money Mindset
I have a cruel word here. If you need money, get a job. Any business that is started because the owner needed money is doomed to fail. Not because the owner cannot operate a business, but because a business is a living thing. All the money it makes in the first year or two need to be reinvested to nurture the business.
Everyone has heard the mantra ‘It takes money to make money.’ This doesn’t mean that a business needs money to get started. It does mean that it needs a steady cash flow to grow.
Need for Power
Another group of people who start businesses want the prestige and power of owning their own business. This is a certain recipe for disaster. A business demands, and demands big. The first two our three years of a business will demand a constant influx of cash, time, and learning on the part of a business owner.
Successful business owners are givers and nurturers. They care about their customers. They care about their business. They live to feed the business –not the other way around.
Success Mindset
So, what is the success mindset? Simply put, it is a mindset that reaches out beyond your needs and embraces the business, customer, product and marketing needs. Successful people are hungry to learn. They constantly seek out other successful people in forums, network groups, and business associations.
You can identify these people. When you meet them at a networking meeting, or in a forum, they are not always talking about their product, their success, or how great they are. Instead, they discuss business aspects, markets, and supply vs. demand. In short, they are trying to learn if you know anything that will help them succeed.
The opportunity looks good, work at home, make money, and get paid to do relatively little. It doesn’t matter what the opportunity, whether property investing, playing with stocks, or ecommerce, eventually, one of these business opportunities will catch your eye. When it does, you can choose to follow the legions who hoped, dreamed, and failed before you, or you can learn how to succeed.
Only certain people will ever succeed. These are people who never stop learning, and never quit, because success is a habit. It takes time to learn how to be a success. Business owners not only need to learn how to become a success, but they need to learn ‘how to avoid failure.’
There are a few rules of success that can help the newest business owner to avoid the common pitfalls, and make money.
The Success Attitude
The biggest mistake most people make is creating a business because they always dreamed of owning that business. These people are dreamers, and failures. Not because they do not have a good idea, but because they are dreamers.
I’ve met dozens of people who dreamed for 20 years about owning a store. It may be a bridal shop, a candy store, ecommerce venture, or a fashion retail outlet. I listen patiently for a while as they excitedly ramble on about their dream. There does come a time when I stop them and ask ‘how much time have you invested learning how to make this business a success?” The answer is 99/100 times, ‘none.’
No business will run itself. No one will come to a store, whether a bridal shop, candy store, ecommerce venture, or fashion outlet just because it is there. The owner needs to add value to their outlet and offer a good product.
It is sad, because these people had 20 years to learn how to succeed and develop the ‘success habit.’ Instead, they twittered it away dreaming.
Needing Money Mindset
I have a cruel word here. If you need money, get a job. Any business that is started because the owner needed money is doomed to fail. Not because the owner cannot operate a business, but because a business is a living thing. All the money it makes in the first year or two need to be reinvested to nurture the business.
Everyone has heard the mantra ‘It takes money to make money.’ This doesn’t mean that a business needs money to get started. It does mean that it needs a steady cash flow to grow.
Need for Power
Another group of people who start businesses want the prestige and power of owning their own business. This is a certain recipe for disaster. A business demands, and demands big. The first two our three years of a business will demand a constant influx of cash, time, and learning on the part of a business owner.
Successful business owners are givers and nurturers. They care about their customers. They care about their business. They live to feed the business –not the other way around.
Success Mindset
So, what is the success mindset? Simply put, it is a mindset that reaches out beyond your needs and embraces the business, customer, product and marketing needs. Successful people are hungry to learn. They constantly seek out other successful people in forums, network groups, and business associations.
You can identify these people. When you meet them at a networking meeting, or in a forum, they are not always talking about their product, their success, or how great they are. Instead, they discuss business aspects, markets, and supply vs. demand. In short, they are trying to learn if you know anything that will help them succeed.
Work At Home Survival
The last post brought up the issue of family respect for the work at home professional. I've talked about this before, but Merryone brought up a good point.
She reads articles for WHAMs that have helped her.
This is something I have neglected. WHAM, is a community. There is no university to teach us how to survive and thrive. We must teach other, and learn through trial and error.
A blogging community like writingup can help us meet people who can teach us. I have learned, and I have taught, over my 11 months at writingup.
I am still learning.
The most important thing I've learned is not to neglect my physical or emotional state for the sake of a deadline.
Sometimes, it is better to go to bed for a couple of days and rest, even if it means missing a deadline. A couple days rest can make the difference between health and spending weeks suffering from symptoms.
This was the hardest lesson for me to learn. I always saw resting, waiting, or just needing a break as procrastination or wasting time.
Now, I consider my health as an asset to the business.
My 'teaching blog' for people who want a 'real' freelance writing career.
Novel Writer Magazine
She reads articles for WHAMs that have helped her.
This is something I have neglected. WHAM, is a community. There is no university to teach us how to survive and thrive. We must teach other, and learn through trial and error.
A blogging community like writingup can help us meet people who can teach us. I have learned, and I have taught, over my 11 months at writingup.
I am still learning.
The most important thing I've learned is not to neglect my physical or emotional state for the sake of a deadline.
Sometimes, it is better to go to bed for a couple of days and rest, even if it means missing a deadline. A couple days rest can make the difference between health and spending weeks suffering from symptoms.
This was the hardest lesson for me to learn. I always saw resting, waiting, or just needing a break as procrastination or wasting time.
Now, I consider my health as an asset to the business.
My 'teaching blog' for people who want a 'real' freelance writing career.
Novel Writer Magazine
Success Starts With 'Out of the Box' Thinking
I just posted a reply to one of Dekat's topics on 'making money as a SAHP'
I use to paint for a local 'craft' wholesale company that sold folk-art type stuff to hardware and grocery stores. The pay was not good, but the hours were. I could usually work in my own time, and paint when I had time. I got good enough that I could line items up and paint ten at a time.
Eventually, I was good enough to paint items that people would pay $10 - $50 for. I use to paint folk art designs on discarded kitchen cabinet doors, painting the trim to look like a frame. I got as much as $50 for one that was 10 inches square and $75 for a regular one. My success was based on the fact that I could do original work that wasn't seen elsewhere.
It just brought to mind the fact that I didn't just 'get here' because I got lucky. This has been something I've been arguing with my son over.
We live in a very rural area, and my son has been facing a lot of flack at high school. The teachers have been making him feel like university is a pipe dream for him, and he should do factory work or learn to milk cows. (not that there isn't good money in that)
One teacher said to him, 'well, maybe you'll be one of the people who just luck-out.' Well, I had to flip over this. We make our own luck.
If I never took that painting job, I wouldn't have learned how much rich people were willing to pay to have their house cleaned. If I hadn't worked in the flea market, I wouldn't have met people who taught me that anyone can succeed.
If I hadn't met those people, I wouldn't have tried to start a house cleaning service in a city that already had the 2 major franchises in it. Then, I wouldn't have learned that no one is dealing with the 'Persian rug/tropical shower' types of homes properly. My clients actually taught me the right way to look after their homes. Of course, I learned the hard way that you cannot hold clean crystal shards, one in ten will slip out of your hand :(.
But, if I hadn't been working for these people, I would not have learned about networking. Networking people taught me about diversification, surviving recessions, and rebuilding.
That is why, three years after a major crash in the IT industry that crushed 3 of the major IT companies, and put 42% of our clientele out of business, and cost me $35 000.00 - That is why I am now just about back on my feet.
Luck? - Bah! humbug
Go make your own luck . .
My 'teaching blog' for people who want a 'real' freelance writing career.
Novel Writer Magazine
I use to paint for a local 'craft' wholesale company that sold folk-art type stuff to hardware and grocery stores. The pay was not good, but the hours were. I could usually work in my own time, and paint when I had time. I got good enough that I could line items up and paint ten at a time.
Eventually, I was good enough to paint items that people would pay $10 - $50 for. I use to paint folk art designs on discarded kitchen cabinet doors, painting the trim to look like a frame. I got as much as $50 for one that was 10 inches square and $75 for a regular one. My success was based on the fact that I could do original work that wasn't seen elsewhere.
It just brought to mind the fact that I didn't just 'get here' because I got lucky. This has been something I've been arguing with my son over.
We live in a very rural area, and my son has been facing a lot of flack at high school. The teachers have been making him feel like university is a pipe dream for him, and he should do factory work or learn to milk cows. (not that there isn't good money in that)
One teacher said to him, 'well, maybe you'll be one of the people who just luck-out.' Well, I had to flip over this. We make our own luck.
If I never took that painting job, I wouldn't have learned how much rich people were willing to pay to have their house cleaned. If I hadn't worked in the flea market, I wouldn't have met people who taught me that anyone can succeed.
If I hadn't met those people, I wouldn't have tried to start a house cleaning service in a city that already had the 2 major franchises in it. Then, I wouldn't have learned that no one is dealing with the 'Persian rug/tropical shower' types of homes properly. My clients actually taught me the right way to look after their homes. Of course, I learned the hard way that you cannot hold clean crystal shards, one in ten will slip out of your hand :(.
But, if I hadn't been working for these people, I would not have learned about networking. Networking people taught me about diversification, surviving recessions, and rebuilding.
That is why, three years after a major crash in the IT industry that crushed 3 of the major IT companies, and put 42% of our clientele out of business, and cost me $35 000.00 - That is why I am now just about back on my feet.
Luck? - Bah! humbug
Go make your own luck . .
My 'teaching blog' for people who want a 'real' freelance writing career.
Novel Writer Magazine
How Many Labels Do You Wear?
"I am old"
"I am a plus size"
"I can't"
"I am a single mom."
"I am uneducated."
"I am unpublished."
As I work on a course for freelance writers I keep coming up against one road block that I cannot help writers overcome - labels.
Whether I am teaching students in my famous (infamous) course at universalclass.com or teaching independently, I find that there are certain intangibles that no mentor, instructor, or guru can ever overcome.
One of them is the labels we wear. Many people try to overcome the limitations of their labels, but only succeed in creating more...
"I don't care about my weight."
"My way is good enough."
"I do it my way."
"I look great for a XX year old."
"My skills are good enough."
The fact is, if you want to succeed, you need to sell your soul. Not sell it to a diety, but set it free. You need to stop fitting into society's definition of who you are.
I once had someone try to tell me what I should be, and let me know what his opinion of me was. I retorted, "You do not define me."
If you can understand that simple statement then you'll find success is easier to find. It is time to shed labels. It is time to stop limiting your success based on what others taught you.
As my good friend Lori recently said, "We create our own reality." In fact, we do.
We are defined by:
our beliefs in a deity,
ourselves,
the treatment we tolerate from others,
our determination to learn how to succeed,
our willingness to be mentored,
our ability to share and give to others,
the knowledge we acquire while traveling
the amount of effort we put into our daily tasks,
our priorities,
our goals,
what we see when we look in the mirror,
what we see when we look in our lover's eyes,
what we nurture in ourselves and our children, and
our passions (defined by our actions)
These things can be wings that set us free, or they can be chains that hold us down.
The problem isn't in the chains, it is in the fact that - once chained - we believe that the rest of the world sympathizes with us, emphatics with us, and are on 'our side.' While this belief helps us feel better about the situation, it also holds us in abusive situations and prevents us from reaching our potential.
There is enough time in a single lifetime to help another person heal, but not to carry their burdens.
There is enough time to become the person we want to be, but not enough to feed and nurture those things that hold us down.
There is enough time to learn to love, but a lifetime is not long enough to nurture and feed self-loathing, bitterness, inner-pain, or fear of success.
My 'teaching blog' for people who want a 'real' freelance writing career.
Novel Writer Magazine
"I am a plus size"
"I can't"
"I am a single mom."
"I am uneducated."
"I am unpublished."
As I work on a course for freelance writers I keep coming up against one road block that I cannot help writers overcome - labels.
Whether I am teaching students in my famous (infamous) course at universalclass.com or teaching independently, I find that there are certain intangibles that no mentor, instructor, or guru can ever overcome.
One of them is the labels we wear. Many people try to overcome the limitations of their labels, but only succeed in creating more...
"I don't care about my weight."
"My way is good enough."
"I do it my way."
"I look great for a XX year old."
"My skills are good enough."
The fact is, if you want to succeed, you need to sell your soul. Not sell it to a diety, but set it free. You need to stop fitting into society's definition of who you are.
I once had someone try to tell me what I should be, and let me know what his opinion of me was. I retorted, "You do not define me."
If you can understand that simple statement then you'll find success is easier to find. It is time to shed labels. It is time to stop limiting your success based on what others taught you.
As my good friend Lori recently said, "We create our own reality." In fact, we do.
We are defined by:
our beliefs in a deity,
ourselves,
the treatment we tolerate from others,
our determination to learn how to succeed,
our willingness to be mentored,
our ability to share and give to others,
the knowledge we acquire while traveling
the amount of effort we put into our daily tasks,
our priorities,
our goals,
what we see when we look in the mirror,
what we see when we look in our lover's eyes,
what we nurture in ourselves and our children, and
our passions (defined by our actions)
These things can be wings that set us free, or they can be chains that hold us down.
The problem isn't in the chains, it is in the fact that - once chained - we believe that the rest of the world sympathizes with us, emphatics with us, and are on 'our side.' While this belief helps us feel better about the situation, it also holds us in abusive situations and prevents us from reaching our potential.
There is enough time in a single lifetime to help another person heal, but not to carry their burdens.
There is enough time to become the person we want to be, but not enough to feed and nurture those things that hold us down.
There is enough time to learn to love, but a lifetime is not long enough to nurture and feed self-loathing, bitterness, inner-pain, or fear of success.
My 'teaching blog' for people who want a 'real' freelance writing career.
Novel Writer Magazine
Going to Extremes: How Far Would You Go
I never dreamed I would be sitting where I am now. I am not talking about success or accomplishment. I am stuck in bed, working on my laptop, trying to keep from falling behind in my work.
After I lost 10 days work since Christmas, I decided to dock my laptop, download my work, and move the office to my bedroom.
So, here I am, working hard to catch up.
It surprises me how far people will stretch their limits when needed. People wanted to work more, so they demanded laptops and cell phones, wireless and FTP upload, Blackberries and Internet conferencing.
What would we do without all our gadgets?
What would we do if we were not 'indulged' so that we could cram more work hours into our day - or work while sick?
I know people who save for years to enjoy the vacation of a lifetime, and then take their laptop on the trip.
The longest anyone of my friends have worked was 72 hours without sleep. I can only manage 42 hours straight.
My cousin spent 16 years in university preparing for a specific career.
I stretched a 100' internet cord through my house, and moved the laptop into my room, so that I could meet my deadline and work when I didn't feel so bad.
What is the most extreme thing you've heard or done?
----------------
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After I lost 10 days work since Christmas, I decided to dock my laptop, download my work, and move the office to my bedroom.
So, here I am, working hard to catch up.
It surprises me how far people will stretch their limits when needed. People wanted to work more, so they demanded laptops and cell phones, wireless and FTP upload, Blackberries and Internet conferencing.
What would we do without all our gadgets?
What would we do if we were not 'indulged' so that we could cram more work hours into our day - or work while sick?
I know people who save for years to enjoy the vacation of a lifetime, and then take their laptop on the trip.
The longest anyone of my friends have worked was 72 hours without sleep. I can only manage 42 hours straight.
My cousin spent 16 years in university preparing for a specific career.
I stretched a 100' internet cord through my house, and moved the laptop into my room, so that I could meet my deadline and work when I didn't feel so bad.
What is the most extreme thing you've heard or done?
----------------
Visit More Learning Sites:
inspiredauthor
Get Your Book Published
Get Paid To Write
How I Built a Career
Do We Limit Our Own Success?
"It's not my fault."
Have you ever noticed that people who have said this comment usually end up in lousy, dead end, abusive relationships, jobs, and networking groups.
This came up today when someone was explaining to me why they were not published. I usually don't pay any attention to people who have nothing good to say, but this person caught my attention.
This person was trying to tell me that it wasn't their fault - it was fate's - that they were in a bad relationship. This person had it all worked out, with the thanks of a psychic.
Sad
The thing is, this person was not in a bad relationship because of fate (or pheromones). This person was in a bad relationship because they never learned to say no.
I mean, the pheromone thing is clinically proven, but that doesn't mean that we can't say no. I remember being attracted to guys who were 'great.'
Let me see. After my divorce this 'great' guy asked me out. He took me to a great dinner and then, on the way home he picked up his girls. They had been waiting outside of an arena, for an hour and a half.
I must admit that I was startled when we drove into an abandoned arena parking lot. I was starting to debate whether this guy would respond to pain by knocking my lights out, or if it would turn him on and I'd be in more danger....then, I saw these two girls, 14 - 15, sitting on the curb.
I made a glib comment about it being a nice night and after a little prying found out that the dance was over at midnight...we picked them up at 1:30 (approx) am. Now, I may have been drawn to the guy by pheromones, but I was not stupid enough to miss the dozens of 'red flags' that went up over this situation.
The same goes with work. Have you ever noticed that some people are stuck in dead end jobs, but if you ask them whether they've taken courses, applied for other jobs, or even had counselling, there is always a reason that someone else is holding them back.
I never understood why people in a bad relationship didn't do anything with their 'head' so they could make decisions.
Okay - like a commercial...it basically said, 'no matter how much of a looser you are, you can get laid (can I say that) if you sign up for our dating service because we have thousands of local singles who don't want to be single this Valentines day.' I mean - why not just hang a sign around your neck 'I want to fail. Kick me when I'm down - please.'
I'm sure I am stepping on a few people's toes. I know that Christians who do believe in King Jame's bible and not Martin Luther's or The New Jerusalem, would not divorce Hannibal L. because some dude 2000 years ago said it wasn't right.
I know there are people who are not strong enough - yet - to take care of themselves emotionally.
Still, there are a lot of you out there who have the right mindset, a good opinion of yourself, a library card, and are still in a bad relationship or job. Do you know what is wrong? Habit. That is it.
From now on, keep a journal and watch what happens over the next few weeks.
I mention this because the person who I was talking to has a good self-esteem, and is strong enough to look after themselves - they are just in the habit of letting people walk over them.
My hubby was like this. When I met him, he was in the habit of letting other men do things for him because he was disabled. However - he started to rethink his life when I started asking him 'Why don't you do it yourself?' or 'Why do you want to call him?'
Rolf - of course - the tables turned and he started pushing me to achieve my best, but then, isn't that what a hubby is for?
----------------
Visit More Learning Sites:
inspiredauthor
Get Your Book Published
Get Paid To Write
How I Built a Career
Have you ever noticed that people who have said this comment usually end up in lousy, dead end, abusive relationships, jobs, and networking groups.
This came up today when someone was explaining to me why they were not published. I usually don't pay any attention to people who have nothing good to say, but this person caught my attention.
This person was trying to tell me that it wasn't their fault - it was fate's - that they were in a bad relationship. This person had it all worked out, with the thanks of a psychic.
Sad
The thing is, this person was not in a bad relationship because of fate (or pheromones). This person was in a bad relationship because they never learned to say no.
I mean, the pheromone thing is clinically proven, but that doesn't mean that we can't say no. I remember being attracted to guys who were 'great.'
Let me see. After my divorce this 'great' guy asked me out. He took me to a great dinner and then, on the way home he picked up his girls. They had been waiting outside of an arena, for an hour and a half.
I must admit that I was startled when we drove into an abandoned arena parking lot. I was starting to debate whether this guy would respond to pain by knocking my lights out, or if it would turn him on and I'd be in more danger....then, I saw these two girls, 14 - 15, sitting on the curb.
I made a glib comment about it being a nice night and after a little prying found out that the dance was over at midnight...we picked them up at 1:30 (approx) am. Now, I may have been drawn to the guy by pheromones, but I was not stupid enough to miss the dozens of 'red flags' that went up over this situation.
The same goes with work. Have you ever noticed that some people are stuck in dead end jobs, but if you ask them whether they've taken courses, applied for other jobs, or even had counselling, there is always a reason that someone else is holding them back.
I never understood why people in a bad relationship didn't do anything with their 'head' so they could make decisions.
Okay - like a commercial...it basically said, 'no matter how much of a looser you are, you can get laid (can I say that) if you sign up for our dating service because we have thousands of local singles who don't want to be single this Valentines day.' I mean - why not just hang a sign around your neck 'I want to fail. Kick me when I'm down - please.'
I'm sure I am stepping on a few people's toes. I know that Christians who do believe in King Jame's bible and not Martin Luther's or The New Jerusalem, would not divorce Hannibal L. because some dude 2000 years ago said it wasn't right.
I know there are people who are not strong enough - yet - to take care of themselves emotionally.
Still, there are a lot of you out there who have the right mindset, a good opinion of yourself, a library card, and are still in a bad relationship or job. Do you know what is wrong? Habit. That is it.
From now on, keep a journal and watch what happens over the next few weeks.
I mention this because the person who I was talking to has a good self-esteem, and is strong enough to look after themselves - they are just in the habit of letting people walk over them.
My hubby was like this. When I met him, he was in the habit of letting other men do things for him because he was disabled. However - he started to rethink his life when I started asking him 'Why don't you do it yourself?' or 'Why do you want to call him?'
Rolf - of course - the tables turned and he started pushing me to achieve my best, but then, isn't that what a hubby is for?
----------------
Visit More Learning Sites:
inspiredauthor
Get Your Book Published
Get Paid To Write
How I Built a Career
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