Secret to being successful in business

January 29, 2015 By

mindset word cloudI’ve been working with an amazing group of business owners in my Prosperous Business Mastery Group Program.  Each and every one has been stepping up and shining the light on themselves.  One of the things that has been paramount for them is to get really clear about what they want.  It’s very exciting to see what they have been creating in only a short time!

When we are unclear about our end result, it’s hard to know what to do in order to get there.  Therefore, being crystal clear about what we want, why we want it, and what we will do to get it will make all the difference in the world.

Since there already has been much written about steps to take to reach our goals, I want to touch on something that most people don’t know about — or if they do, they don’t utilize well.  It’s called MINDSET.  In business, having a positive, can-do, will-do mindset is one of the secrets to success.

Just what is mindset?  Mindset is:  a state of mind, frame of mind, attitude, approach, way of thinking, outlook.  And guess what?  Many people have a negative mindset.  A positive mindset, on the other hand, is always a work in progress.

Take a moment and think about someone who you think is successful; someone you would like to emulate.  Got it?  Okay, now think about their actions, their words, how they do things, what they do, what they say, how they present themselves, and how they conduct themselves.  What do you notice?  Do you notice someone who is confident and sure of themselves?  How about joyful, peaceful, engaging, exuberant, solid?  Someone with a positive mindset is all of those and more.

They especially do not make excuses, they do what they said they would do, they take chances, they get things done, they get up early and stay late, they never say “I can’t”, and they look for solutions and opportunities.  They don’t allow obstacles, other people or anything to get in their way.

A great mindset can propel you forward in your life and business, while a bad mindset can make your life miserable.  It’s up to you.  Do you want misery or do you want success?

For some people, they generally have a good mindset but they allow things to get in the way and throw them off course.  Either way, having a negative mindset or one that allows you to get thrown off course will — without a doubt — hold you back, make things more difficult for you and lead to overall unhappiness.

I really want you to master your mindset.  Here are several questions to help you mind your mindset so that you experience all the success you want!

  • Is it your thought?  One thing I discovered about myself a long time ago was that I had thoughts that weren’t mine.  Well, they were in my head but they weren’t my thoughts.  I realized that I had been programmed by comments and opinions from other people.  I’d hear someone say “Look at that person; they aren’t a good person.”  So the next person I saw who closely resembled that person, I’d automatically think “Well, that person isn’t a good person.” But was that true?  Probably not!  So when you have a thought, question it, challenge it.  Is it your real opinion or one of a colleague, friend or parent?  Make sure you are thinking your thoughts and not someone else’s.
  • Does thinking this way help me move forward?  If the answer is yes, fantastic.  If no, it’s time to question your thinking.  If you think “I’m not good enough to do this” or “I have no business doing this” ask yourself why you think that.  Nine times out of ten it’s because you might not feel confident in what you are about to do and/or you need additional info.  So what is a different thought that you can have?  “I am good enough and will learn how to do this” or “I know exactly why I want to do this and will absolutely make it happen.” Consciously swap your negative thoughts for positive ones.
  • What am I afraid of?  Often a negative mindset is driven by fear.  Fear of failure, fear of being rejected, fear of losing love.  (I could go on but I think you get what I’m saying.)  What are you afraid of?  Lots of times your mindset is directly related to that fear.  I once had a client who was afraid to talk to his wife about money; he had made a few mistakes and was afraid she wouldn’t love him anymore.  This negative mindset lead to much stress and anxiety… and you know what that lead to, an even more negative mindset.  We walked through an exercise for this and once he realized what he was afraid of he was able to let it go.

In the end, a negative mindset is destructive!  However, these tips will get you started on the road to changing your ‘stinking thinking’ for something more positive, enlightening and constructive for you.

I’d love for you to share your experience with your mindset, what you did to change it and what results you got.  Feel free to send me a personal email or post below here on my blog!

Filed Under: Personal Development, Self Worth Tagged With: , , , , ,

Thoughts – Exactly What Do They Do?

January 22, 2014 By

happyA penny for your thoughts.  Have you ever heard that phrase?  My mom used to say that when I was little…  and being quiet.  Some people still ask that whenever someone they are with is being silent and reflective.  Maybe they use it as a conversation starter.

Did you know that our thoughts create our destiny?  Well, they do.  Are you are positive or negative thinker by default?  If you are a negative thinker, you more than likely see all the things that are wrong with your life.  On the flip side, if you are a positive thinker you probably see all the good things.

You know all about the optimist and the pessimist thing.  The glass is half full or half empty.  But be that as it may, it is true you are what you think.  If you think you are stupid, well then… and if you think you are smart, well then…

There’s a quote by Mahatma Gandhi, “A man is but the product of his thoughts – what he thinks, he becomes.” It’s a great example to make my point.

If you do not like where you are going in your life and would like to change it, begin with changing your thoughts.  Oh, easier said than done, right?  Only because you think it is.  So let’s start there.

In a recent movie I watched The Iron Lady, with Merrill Streep playing Margaret Thatcher, she quotes:

“Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”

Here are four steps to change your thoughts for good!

  1. Change your thoughts.  Where our thoughts go, our energy flows.  If you are in constant negative self-talk—telling yourself I can’t do it, I don’t have time, I don’t know what to do or there is too much to handle—that is where your energy will be.  If you turn those thoughts around to positive ones—I can do this, I have plenty of time (secret: this is my #1 go-to phrase that I use myself and teach my clients – and it works!), I know exactly what to do, I can figure out what I don’t know, it’s no big deal or I can handle whatever comes my way—you shift your thoughts and subsequently shift your energy.  Once you start using positive words you will begin to see that forward movement you want.  There is much to be said about the power of positive thinking!
  2. New words lead to new action.  Once you have shifted your thoughts, you will notice how easy it is to get into action.  You will have the confidence to figure out what you need to do to reach your goals.  You will be able to make powerful decisions and choices that support what you want in your life.
  3. New action leads to new habits.  After you make decisions and things start moving on fast and furiously, you will no longer be negatively-focused.  You will have created a healthy habit of being positive and believing you are positively-minded.  These traits will    move you forward on your journey to having the life you want.
  4. New habits lead to an empowered character… and we know where that leads!  Finally, once you are in the practice of using positive self-talk, taking action quickly and forming positive habits, your character not only will be much improved, but others will notice the new you.  You will be well on your way to your destiny and all that you want to have is at your fingertips!

See how just having a new thought can change your destiny?  How cool is that?!  Before reading this you were thinking that life was hard and you felt stuck.  But now you can see how to get into the swing of things to run a profitable business and lead a fabulous life.  When you change the way you think, you create a domino effect in your life.  Again, I repeat, how cool is that?!

I would love for you to share one thing that you experienced by choosing to think positively, please share below!

Filed Under: Self Worth Tagged With: , , , ,