Archive for the ‘Personal Development’ Category

I’ll bet you have heard most of your life that effective goal setting is essential for success.   Why then do so many of us fall short on this essential business and life skill?  The answer is complex and there are a variety of psychological reasons.

However rather than digging into the “why”, we will first quickly assess where you stand then use the following 10 tips for developing more powerful goals. Start by asking yourself these 3 questions:

1) Do I have clear, written and measurable goals for my business and personal growth?

2) Have I created specific action steps required to achieve each goal?

3) Do I regularly track and measure the progress of each of my goals?

If your answer is no the ten keys below will help you to become more effective with your goal setting efforts and achieve more measurable results in your business.

People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine. Brian Tracy

In my 2005 book Success Secrets of The Online Marketing Superstars I interviewed legendary author, Mark Victor Hansen about goals.  He is the co-author of the best selling series in history Chicken Soul For The Soul knows quite a lot about developing BIG goals.   Here are his tips about goal setting:

1) Your most important goals must be yours.

Not your spouse’s. Not your child’s. Not your employer’s. Yours. When you let other people determine your definition of success, you’re sabotaging your own future.

2)  Your goals must mean something to you.

When you write your goals, you must ask yourself, “What’s really important to me?” “What am I prepared to give up to make this happen?” Your reasons for charting a new course of action give you the drive and energy to get up every morning.

3) Your goals must be specific and measurable.

Vague generalizations and wishy-washy statements aren’t good enough.  Be very specific!

4) Your goals must be flexible.

A flexible plan keeps you from feeling suffocated and allows you to take advantage of genuine opportunities that walk in your future door.

5) Your goals must be challenging, exciting.

Force yourself to jump out of your comfort zone to acquire that energy and edge. Read the rest of this entry »

Many folks erroneously believe that being an exceptional “craftsman” (e.g. financial advisor, quilt maker, therapist, fund raiser, speaker, etc.) makes them qualified to operate a business that specializes in that work.

They spend most of their time performing “the work” of the business rather than leading, planning, organizing, systematizing and/or marketing their business! Read the rest of this entry »

Commitment is the attribute that divides winners from losers, and keeps some people moving when others stop dead in their tracks. It is the characteristic that keeps successful people optimistic in the midst of crushing disappointments. It is the quality that allows champions to learn from their losses and move on. Commitment keeps victors energized when the newness wears off.

How do you recognize committed souls from others? Simple.

People who are committed keep their promises. They do what they say, long after the moment they said it in has passed.

People who are committed are in it for the long haul. They are willing to exchange short-term luxuries for a brighter future. Read the rest of this entry »

For 20 years I was a psychotherapist in Chicago and had a successful practice fueled by 3 books on personal growth. In those years I literally worked with thousands of clients who had goals and dreams that were not realized.

In my book Six Keys To Creating The Life You Desire I analyzed 6 underlying issues that were there root cause of their stuckness. In future posts I will examine these six keys but in this post I want to discuss a very common block for many entrepreneurs — conflicting intentions. The following excerpt comes from Chapter One of my book Mastering Online Marketing. Perhaps you will see yourself or someone you know…

Have you ever heard someone referred to as “their own worst enemy”? Do you wonder why many of us often seem to interfere with our own success? If so, you probably recognize that in spite of our constructive intentions to “do” something – become a successful online marketer, lose weight, call a relative, get that promotion, etc. – we don’t always follow through.

And in many instances it is not a simple case of procrastination. Rather it is more insidious… an often unconscious choice to achieve two opposing goals – ones that essentially make it impossible to accomplish either, because they cancel each other out. Read the rest of this entry »

by Bea Fields, Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach , author of Millennial Leaders , Edge: A Leadership Storyand President of Bea Fields Companies, Inc.

As we move into future, we are going to be experiencing both changes and opportunities in the business world that are going to challenge us in ways we have never experienced in the past.

As business, community and political leaders, we are going to be called to step up to the plate and embrace our employees, constituents and customers as our most valuable assets, because more than ever before, they are going to hold the secret to our success. I know that we hear this every day, yet many people honestly don’t know how to build a sustainable company through people.

In this article, I share five of the most important skills leaders and teams will need to embrace in order to thrive in tomorrow’s world.

1. Radical Innovation

Is your business or organization really designed for innovation? Are you sure? Every day I speak to leaders who swear that their businesses are designed for innovation, but in my opinion, this is usually not the case. Why? Because they are stifling open debate, shooting the messenger and making it unsafe for people to voice their opinions. Read the rest of this entry »

We know clients with very small or inconsistent incomes who feel financially secure. As one of them put it, “I know, no matter what, I’ll land on my feet.” They aren’t careless or impractical, either. These people have a natural sense of abundance, a deep belief that there is enough to go around.

We also know clients who have a great deal of income and investments and who are fearful every moment of losing them. To the person who lives with a sense of scarcity, there truly is never enough. He or she therefore is much more apt to go for the sure thing, the instant payoff, the action that will pay the bills today, than take the type of risks involved in seeking a higher purpose or meaning in life. Read the rest of this entry »

Thousands of pundits, experts, philosophers and scientists have conducted research in an attempt to discover the common characteristics that successful people possess. And while opinions vary, most agree that those belonging to this elite group share the following 10 personality traits.

Look them over and see how you fare. Check your strengths and note areas where you may be weak. Not sure how you rate? Ask colleagues, family and friends to help you out.

1. Conscientious and Reliable… they deliver on their promises in a timely manner.

2. Altruistic and Considerate… they truly care about the welfare of others and demonstrate this concern often

3. Flexible… they understand that they must follow a plan but understand, expect and even welcome change

4. Able to give and receive constructive feedback… They have the courage to accept and provide specific feedback and constructive coaching without getting defensive. Read the rest of this entry »