How to stay motivated with your business goals and why you should. Today’s topic is about staying motivated with your business goals, why you should, and why it’s important to business success. YOURS!!
Setting Your Business Goals
When you set up your business goals, you have an initial surge of motivation. The planning stages are exciting because of what you may accomplish by proceeding with your plan. However, as time passes and other aspects of your job get in the way, you may feel less motivated to make those achievements happen. You begin to make judgments about everything.
Motivational Ideas
Here are some ideas on how to stay motivated:
Keep a written copy of your goals and tasks on your desk. Create a daily task list that you print out and keep near you as you work. Daily tasks are more granular than the task list that supports the goals.
Then you can check them off as you complete them. Make sure those daily tasks are as relevant as possible to the tasks on the master list. It’s understandable that you will have to perform tasks outside of the goals but try to keep those to a minimum.
The Benefits
Think about the benefits of completing the goals for your business. You will be responsible for bringing your business to a new level. Of course, that is dependent on what the goals are. However, even smaller-scaled goals will contribute to the success of your business in some way.
Sometimes, as you work through your goals and tasks, you may find some that are no longer relevant. Perhaps your has changed direction, and some of the previous goals are no longer valid. It is a worthwhile exercise to readjust and create alternative plans or even start from scratch. Speak with your mentor or coach if the changes are major enough.
Tracking Your Goals
Another way to motivate yourself to keep on track with your goals is to imagine what may happen if you don’t complete them. Your business may stagnate, or you may not be getting the recognition you deserve. This can be a great way to ensure that you push forward and complete your goals.
When you and your team complete a task, find ways to reward yourselves. This can be as simple as going out for a celebratory drink after work. Don’t forget to invite your boss, even if he or she wasn’t as involved as the rest of the team. He or she may have been more involved at a higher level than you realize.
Achieving goals often become habit-forming (the good kind) so the more you do it, the higher the chances you will succeed.
How to be grateful while creating your business. It is easy to expect success as if being successful was a right instead of a privilege and a gift. That’s today’s discussion because it’s not a topic that most people think about. Do you?
The problem with expecting to succeed is that, without more, the self-absorption of that expectation can slowly and subtly poison everything around you, including your business. True success is earned and when it arrives it should be, and needs to be, accompanied by a stirring sense of gratitude.
What Is Gratitude?
This gratitude is not simply about being grateful for what you have achieved. It is about being grounded enough in the moment of success to remember and recognize everyone who helped you get to this particular time and place. Without this grounded gratefulness any success is lessened and will, in all likelihood, be fleeting. Now you don’t want that do you?
Are You Obligated?
So how do you repay those how helped you in achieving your goals? Well, obviously, acknowledging those individuals and sharing the benefits of your success with them is a great place to start.
Yet, above and beyond taking care of your nearest and dearest, you also need to “pay it forward” by becoming a mentor and helper to others who are currently on their own journey towards success.
Think about how you can collaborate with someone else in order to further their efforts. See if you can contribute in some way to their projects. This contributiondoesn’t have to be monetary.
This gratitude can extend even further. There are people who are currently helping you every day that you may not see as mentors. Your customers are among these people. Without them, success becomes impossible.
Take the time to let them know how important they are. Your vendors are also equally important. Yes, they provide you with materials that you pay them for, but a truly grounded and grateful attitude would also recognize each of them for the critical element they play in your business.
Look outside the box and you’ll see that success is not a solo effort, it’s a team sport. Where is your team? Have you thanked them lately?
When it comes to survival, we are visual animals. As a species, our eyesight is our most developed sense. We have stereoscopic sightthat can detect a wide variety of colors and shading. Today’s discussion is about Professional Success and Your Vision.
Happiness Is Only A Dream
So getting back to stereoscopic sight, it allows us to see easily see patterns and movement. These combined abilities have allowed us to avoid becoming dinner while trying to get dinner for ourselves. Our vision helped us to physically succeed, and it still does today. So what does that even have to do with Professional Success?
Professional Success
When it comes to professional success, vision is no less important to survival. However, instead of our sense of sight, this vision involves our sense of imagination and possibility. Vision, in the business sense, is really the ability to visualize successful outcomes. It is the ability to imagine positive results. It is, at its heart, the ability to lucidly dream of where you want to go with your business.
Don’t Be Afraid To Dream
As Henry Ford once said, “if you think you can do something or if you think you can’t do something, you’re right”. So, spend a few minutes each day visualizing where exactly you plan on going and you plan on getting there. This is not daydreaming, far from it. There’s no reason why your accomplishments should hold you back. Professional success and your vision are technically everything you desire for your business as you envision it.
Focus On Planning
This is focused development, scheduling, and organization. Plan your day by seeing the optimum outcomes. This is the same process that athletes use to hone their performance. When you imagine yourself succeeding, you are more likely to actually succeed. You will gain rather than lose.
Remember, if you don’t take the time to build your own dreams, someone will hire you to take the time to build theirs. And I don’t think that’s quite what you want for your successful business.
Creativity can be elusive. It’s not something that you can summon at will. But, I certainly wish it would sometimes don’t you? Today we’re discussing how to cultivate your creative muscles to further your business success.
When creativity happens, it strikes like lightning. Like an explosion! Yet, like lightning, it can be maddeningly unpredictable. However, because creativity is an essential element of a successful business mindset, it is necessary to understand the creative process. And how you, the business owner, can cultivate your own creative juices. So how do you do that?
Creativity is all about taking in a lot of influences and letting those influences combine, ferment and morph in your subconscious. Together, they form a sort of mental potting soil where new and different ideas have a chance to germinate and grow. The more things you learn, read, see and hear the more creative soil you are able to produce. Kinda sounds just like gardening, don’t you think?
Why Be Creative?
Be clever, innovative, and definitely think outside the box. As a business owner who wants to be creative, the best thing you can do is get out there in the world and open yourself up to new experiences. Be curious about many different things. It’s very natural to do this.
Develop hobbies.
Challenge yourself.
Do the unexpected.
The more you push your own personal envelope the more you are charging your own creative batteries. When those batteries are charged, it is much more likely that inspiration will strike. Be inspired by what you create.
Creativity Pushes You To Think Outside The Box
What other types of creativity can you think of to become successful? Maybe work on your content for your business. Make pretty graphics in Canva or whatever you use to make graphics. Stretch your imagination and create some unique items for your business.
There are so many things you could do, you just need to try things out. Use your imagination, daydream but most of all, just try different things out.
If you cultivate your creative muscles, you will find yourself energized and enthused to continue creating your successful business.
There is nothing more stifling to success than rigid thinking. Do you have that? Rigid thinking leads to rigid behaviors and rigid behaviors lead to dead ends, blind alleys, and creative cul-de-sacs. Today’s topic is about success in business require flexibility. Do you have an idea of what that even means in business?
Being Complacent
While there is a certain amount of comfort to routine, too much routine can choke off all chances that you will be able to successfully reach your business goals. Why? The answer is very simple.
Resilience And Change
The world, including the business world, is constantly changing. Rigid thinking and rigid behavior, by definition, are resistant to change. Therefore, rigidity, in thought and action, spells obsolescence in the business world.
In today’s world, information is power, money, and control all rolled into one. The fast and free flow of information is what makes this possible. Everything changes quickly and what is a successful formula or a popular product in one cycle can be, and usually is, old news in the next.
The only way to successfully stay on top of this bucking bronco of information and use it to your advantage is to be flexible enough to roll with the changes.
Flexibility
Flexibility is easy to achieve as long as you are not too tied down to any single idea, product, service, or manner of delivery. If you can keep up with changing market conditions through judicious use of the flow of information, you can easily spot new trends. Then you can adopt them successfully, usually before your competitors have had time to act.
No Fear
The only trick is to not fear change and, instead, embrace it. And if changing is the only reality in the business world then, to be successful in that world, change is going to be your reality as well.
This one is fairly straightforward. Are you taking responsibility in business for both the good and the bad? What does that even mean? That’s our topic for discussion today.
Let Me Tell You a Story
President Harry Truman had a sign on his desk that said“The buck stops here”. What he meant by that was, as President, he did not have the option to pass the buck when it came to mistakes or failure. He was the boss and the buck stopped right there. “What does that have to do with my business?” I can hear you say that pretty clearly.
That’s pretty smart advice for any business owner who wants to be more successful. When it comes to the results of decisions you make, don’t pass the buck.
Everyone is happy to take credit for a successful outcome; as well they should if they were directly responsible for that success. That’s the easy part. The hard part is owning up to your own mistakes.
Now This is The Hard Part – The Guilt
Taking responsibility in business means it’s up to you. There is somewhat of an inclination to try and blame someone or something else for a negative outcome. The most successful people fight that inclination and accept the blame for their mistakes as readily as they accept congratulations for their successes.
They do so because they realize that being the captain of the ship means that all decisions start and end with you. Am I right? Don’t be that one business owner that suffers from guilt.
Making Decisions About Responsibility
If you happen to make a bad decision then you own that fact, tighten your belt, and move forward armed with the knowledge to never repeat that mistake again. This is a part of the process of growth. It is a process that demonstrates that the greatest opportunity arises from failure.
By avoiding the repercussions of that failure, you also avoid the opportunity to grow as a leader and learn from your own mistakes. In other words, you condemn yourself to make that same mistake over and over. Yikes!
So, if and when you are faced with a bad business situation of your own making, don’t pass the buck.
Be Accepting Of Yourself While Striving For Greatness
There is absolutely no way for you to be successful and reach your goals until you accept who you are. You have to like yourself and what you do before anyone else will. You need to be accepting of yourself while striving for greatness.
Striving For Greatness
Why? Why is this important to your success?
The world detects how you feel about yourself and often simply shares the opinion you have about who you are. So, be yourself and free yourself in the process. Don’t be like other people, just be you!
Who Are You?
You are an individual who is unique. If you’re not, you’re being fake and that will get you nowhere. Your talents and abilities, your intelligence and interests, your opinions and tastes, make you who you are. There is no need to hide a part of yourself or alter a part of yourself for the sake of conformity.
Greatness = Success
True success is about freedom and all truly successful people are individualists who have, more or less, accepted and glorified who they are.
You should do the same.
At the same time, being yourself does not mean glorying in mediocrity. You need to be the very best version of yourself possible. This means that you have to work at being you.
You need to apply your strengths in your business with all of your passion.
A Force To Be Noticed
You have to put the time into self-improvement. Acceptance is not an excuse for laziness, cowardice, or fear.
Yes, life is a privilege. It is a gift. The gift and the privilege of life are that you get to be yourself, the best self you can possibly be.
Use the gift, take advantage of the privilege that you’ve been given. Don’t squander the chance.
Let your own unique light shine forth. This is the light that will illuminate the path to real success in life. It will also be the light that attracts other people to you.
I would love to help you find success in your business. I offer 1×1 Mentoring services to help with your mindset. Schedule a call with me and let’s get started.
Today let’s talk about persistence and whether or not success requires persistence. For starters, how many old sayings, aphorisms, and clichés are there about persistence? The early bird gets the worm. Slow and steady wins the race. If at first, you don’t succeed, try again. If life gives you lemons make lemonade. The list goes on and on. Right?
The reason that there are so many old sayings about persistence is twofold: First, it’s a really important element in success and second, it an element of success that gives a lot of people a lot of trouble.
The Importance of Success
Something that’s as important and troublesome as persistence deserves a lot of clichéd sayings and a lot of attention. Are you persistent? Meaning = do you never give up?
The problem with the road to success is that many people only picture the destination, not the journey.
When they do this, they not only fail to see that true success is not a destination (it’s a lifelong process) but they also fail to see the potential problems that routinely occur when striving for success.
The Prepared Person Has Persistence
Are you prepared? Or are you the person who is so unprepared that you get stopped dead in your tracks?
And in your confusion, you forget where you’re going and why? Are you going backward or forward toward success?
When you are prepared for and anticipate the setbacks that can and will happen on the journey to success, you are ready to repair, rethink and reengage.
Persistence is a Two Way Street
The persistent person understands that failure is a temporary condition that affects everyone at one time or another before they reach their goal. They also understand that failure and setbacks teach powerful lessons that ultimately make you stronger.
As Gandhi said, strength does not come through winning. Instead, strength comes through failure. When you struggle and decide not to quit, that is strength.
It is also persistent and points to why every successful business owner understands that setbacks are opportunities in disguise.
Now here’s an opportunity for you. I would love to help you find success in your business. I’m the type of person that doesn’t like other people to struggle unnecessarily. So, if you’re looking for help, please reach out to me and let me help you discover how persistence can help you and your business.
Do you ever wonder why using competition to your advantage is really a thing in the business world? It is, but why? Why do we need to compete with others? The answers to these questions are below, as we discuss using competition in today’s blog post.
The Issue:
The world is built, to some extent, on the concept of competition. Everything living competes for specific resources that are needed to grow, thrive, and outperform ecological rivals. Sunlight, space, water, and nutrients are utilized to the fullest extent by the smallest to largest creatures.
This happens wherever they are found and in whatever quantities. Using competition to your advantage will help you create a successful business also. Huh? I don’t get it!
See, as human beings, we are hardwired to engage in this competitive contest too. It’s a part of our genetic heritage and one every business owner needs to embrace. So, I ask you again, are you using competition to your advantage? Let’s find out below.
The Problem:
Some people perceive competition as a somewhat undesirable trait. This is because these people look at competition as a black and white issue. It is seen as either a win at all cost, take no prisoners proposition, or as a watered-down and barely discernable version of itself. This is where consensus and agreement are the order of the day.
This imposed polarity masks the true nature and power of competition. In reality, competitiveness is neither a black nor white extreme. Instead, genuine competition is a valid force for positive change. And, I believe that is what we all want.
The Competition:
The successful business person knows that healthy and honest competition is the motive force behind innovation. The business world, like the natural world, is driven forward by this continuing innovation that occurs in response to changes in the existing environment. In the natural world, these changes are largely climactic. The life form that best adapts to these changes survives and thrives.
In the business world, these changes are socio-economic. The business that best predicts market trends and meets demand most efficiently also survives and thrives.
The Solution:
As a business owner, you need to remember that competition is the lifeblood of the marketplace. It not only drives innovation but also inspires creativity and helps build new paradigms. Don’t shy away from your naturally competitive nature.
You are in the game to win the game, so are your fellow business owners. I find this the perfect solution to being in a competitive industry.
The Challenge:
Challenge yourself and challenge them in the process. Through competition, you each drive the others to better products, services, and performance. Each winner shows the way to the next level, the next round, and the next race.
A Reminder:
Remember, competition is the true heart of business success. If you have that in your corner, there’s no chance of failure unless you completely give up. And I always say, “That is NOT an option!”
What do you say? Are YOU going to take a chance on yourself?
Are you looking for help and don’t know where to start? My 1×1 Mentoring Sessions might be just what you’re looking for. Check it out here and get the help that you need to help you create your successful business.
Does your professional success require personal confidence? Nothing succeeds like success, right? Sure, I guess so you might say.
However, true success comes from confidence, and confidence, in turn, comes from success. They each revolve around the other in the ultimate symbiotic relationship.
Your Professional Success is your Foundation
This is not a “what came first, the chicken or the egg?” kind of proposition. Confidence definitely precedes success in the order of appearance. That’s because the quiet assurance of true confidence, as opposed to mere cockiness, serves to lay the foundation for reaching a goal.
In this way, confidence is more of an outward manifestation of an inward persona than it is a pose or an affectation. Cockiness, on the other hand, is simply an outward shield that masks inward insecurity.
Do you hear that?
Confidence in YOURSELF
As a business owner, you need to be confident in yourselfand your product or service. People react positively to a confident person, especially if that confidence is real and a part of that person’s soul. In order to develop this type of true confidence, there are several things that you can do.
Professional Success is About Confidence
First, always remember that confident people are able to take a stand on an issue or a decision not because they think they are right, but because they are not afraid to be wrong.
Because they see a difficult situation as an opportunity for growth. Finding the right solution to a problem is more important than being right. Therefore, if they are wrong they will be the first people to admit it and move on.
Confident People and Professional Success
Confident people often listen far more often than they talk. They are more interested in hearing different information and opinions than they are in broadcasting their own. They also are never afraid to admit fallibility and ask for help. Did you realize this part of the equation? Yes, No?
They know that other people’s knowledge is their greatest strength.
Confidence is Critical to Professional Success
Finally, they understand that success is a team sport. They know that any goal is achieved through the efforts of many, not the will of the few. Therefore, they share the spotlight of success and shine it on others far more than they shine it on themselves.
