Archive for Positive
Beliefs Abandon or Action
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Five Tips On Influence
Posted by: | CommentsOver the course of your life you have, and you will need to continue to influence people around you. You will want to influence some to see your point of view, some to execute tasks or work for you and others to buy from you. Now, no one wants to be tricked into any of this nor do they want to be taken advantage of. So how can you sincerely influence those around you – without risk of doing just that? Let me give you four tips on ethically influencing others.
- Platinum Rule – Do Unto Others
The golden rule says “Do unto other as you would have done unto you.” I would urge you to take that up a notch to the Platinum Rule: “Do unto others as THEY would like to have done unto them.” One of the most effective ways to influence someone is to do something nice for him or her. That is why you will find many successful salespeople taking their prospects to a meal. During this meal the truly successful ones will not mention their products or services – but rather they will make small talk, pose questions and just listen to their prospect and their needs, wants, desires and passions. This is a way of building trust and establishing a friendly relationship. Find a way to do something nice for someone – because you want to – not because you want something out of it. This will do wonders to build your influence with them.
- See The Person First
Some of the most influential people of today see the person first. Before seeing them as prospects and customers they look upon them as friends and even partners. These influential people look for ways to share helpful information and improve the lives of their partners. They do so in ways not directly related to their products or services. If they know one of their friends and partners has a passion for baseball and they come across an interesting article or trinket related to baseball – they send it to their partner. This is just a small example but you get the point. See the person first, know what interests them and keep an eye out for how you can positivity impact their life with this knowledge. By sowing these seeds you can, like other influential people, reap the harvest because these sown seeds trigger a desire within the partner to reciprocate.
- Please and Thank You
Remember growing up and your parents taught you to say “Please” and “Thank You”? Well these words of kindness still apply as you interact with those you wish to influence. You should continually be on the look out for ways to say and down positive things for others. This ranges from things like polite positive comments on their attire and appearance, to sending Thank You & birthday cards. Something a little more elusive but VERY impactful on your influence on others – is to “Do what you say.” Be a man or woman of your word. Keep your promises and keep your confidences. Further building the relationship of trust – sowing more seeds for you to reap.
- Be a Go Giver
Take a moment and think about all the statues you have ever seen. What were they built for? Where they built for people that spent their lives worrying about what they can get from the world. I would argue that they were built to honor those that spent a majority of their time giving to the world. To be like these impactful figures of our past – be a go giver – continue to look for ways to do nice things for others. When you meet someone ask – “Is there anything I can do for you?” then honestly listen for way to put give rather then get.
- Sincerity and Empathy
All in all the more you are honestly open and empathetic to the needs of those you around you the more open to your positive influence they will be. Building your character and personality with sincere empathy and sensitivity will enable you to accomplish far more far faster then you could ever dream.
All of this may seem a little bit sideways or even backwards but trust me when I say “The best way to GET what you want is to GIVE unto others.” This heartfelt positive giving will move you toward the great success that you desire and deserve. I think Zig Ziglar put it best when he said “You can have EVERYTHING you what, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”
Your Success At Last Exercises
To help you move towards Your Success At Last – here are two actions you can take NOW on these tips and ideas.
- Do Something Nice TODAY. Actively look for way(s) to do nice things for others. Whether your friends, family, prospects or customers – the more niceties you do for others the more positive you feel about yourself.
- Truly listen to someone TODAY. Take the time to really listen to those around you today. This includes your fellow associates, staff and even that nice person that served you your coffee this morning. The more, and the better you listen, the more and the better your influence will be.
Think Successfully & Take Action
Tracy Brinkmann
One of Today’s TOP Motivated Coaches
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Streets of LA to running my own company!
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Tips On Influence
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Three Tips for New Years Resolution and Goal Setting Success
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10 Ways To Climb That Mountain (Goal)
Posted by: | CommentsDaily we are given mountains of tasks to accomplish, bills to pay, problems to fix and customers to call. Standing at the base looking up this mountain of to-dos seems enormous – or worse yet standing on top looking down the sheer drop we would encounter should we falter.
It is sheer madness. How on earth are we going to accomplish this feat? Mountains are big; let us climb this one…
- IS IT REALLY A MOUNTAIN? OR IS IT THAT YOU ONLY SEE A MOUNTAIN?
The task before you could be a 2500-meter climb, a 10,000-meter race, to organize next motivational seminar, buy a pallet of goods or to just keep to your schedule in order to please an important client. In either of these cases, the task before you is indeed a mountain if that is what you see in it!- Take a good look at what lies ahead of you. Let us say you have a relatively short amount of time to organize a meeting for your boss. If the first thing that pops into your head is that you probably will not achieve it in time, therein lies the problem. Without this pre-conception, your job is a simple undertaking. However, when you have convinced yourself it is not possible, you have just created Mt. Fuji when only a moment earlier it was mere baseball mound
- Give yourself some credit. You did not get to where you are now by selling yourself short! Bring the baseball mound back.
- GO AROUND THE MOUNTAIN
It is important to do some research first. There are always many possible answers to the one single problem. We all know it is easier to work our way around the hill rather than to tackle the peak itself. Is the goal to climb to the peak or simply to get to the other side?- If your destination is just to get to the other side then adjust your plan accordingly. Conserve your energy for those things that are indeed closer to your heart.
- DO YOU REALLY NEED TO CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN?
This is very important here. Be overly honest with yourself. Why are you going to climb this mountain? Is it because deep down you really want to accomplish this feat or is it to please somebody else? This is probably the most important issue here. If you climb for the wrong reasons the chances are, at worst, you will fail; and at best, you will have a feeling of being unfulfilled from within.- Do not do everything simply to please someone else. It will severely deflate you. You are the most important person in the world. Treat yourself with the respect you deserve. If you do not, others may infinitely be pressing your buttons
- If you have wanted to get to the peak of this hill then for heavens sake go there and achieve it. The feeling will be exhilarating. If you are indifferent, then find your niche. You will have to seek it out, as it is highly unlikely that it will find you.
- DO NOT DO IT ALONE!
A group of individuals with the same common goal has a habit of drawing incredible power and strength from one another. Plan your trip carefully with experienced mountaineers. A team with the same target has a much greater chance of success than a lone ranger with summit fever.- In relation to your professional life, it is important that you seek out as much knowledge and professional advice as possible from the wealth of information available from others. Tap into as many different success formulae as you can. Educate yourself in your field, even to the point of immersing yourself into it! Become an expert. Even if you are already an expert in your field there are always mountains (pardon the pun) of new material regularly released that will assist you in your endeavors.
- YOU HAVE ALREADY REACHED THE MOUNTAIN PEAK IN YOUR MIND
This is an important training exercise. As you envision, in your mind, the goal (i.e. in this case reaching the summit) as already being achieved, you will sub-consciously adjust your surroundings to make getting there substantially easier.- Visions of success will increase your confidence and therefore your chances of success. Put a goal sheet on your wall, beside your desk, inside your cap, in your wallet, purse…anywhere! Anyway they will be visible to you.
- START CLIMBING FROM THE BEST ACCESS POINT
Experience has shown that the journey will be easier when you start from as close as possible to your goal. Prepare thoroughly. In a nutshell be PT’d (prepared thoroughly) for everything you do.- When thoroughly prepared you will have created answers to problems that have at this time not developed into problems, but will be easily recognizable and solvable if and when they transpire.
- OKAY, YOU HAVE DECIDED TO CLIMB, BUT REMEMBER CLIMBING IS FUN!
You have decided to climb the hill. There is only one lifetime and therefore no time for regrets. Enjoy your climb. If you do not you should not really be there in the first place.- Enjoy what you do, always!
- PLAN FOR EVERY CONTINGENCY
It is always good to be prepared for anything that can potentially happen. Plan ahead and cover all your options. It may seem nit-picking but every parachutist, every motor car racer, virtually every professional will plan for all situations. It is not much point realizing what you need WHEN you need it. Sometimes WHEN you need it, is TOO late and you will go splat. - TRAVEL LIGHTLY
This is straightforward. What you take with you, you will need to carry. There is not much chance of an industrial strength hair drier coming in handy on a way to the top of Mt. Fugi. So, do not take one.- In a business sense, make sure your home life stays in balance with your business life. If you have issues developing on the home front due to your lack of attention to it, your output will indeed be impeded. This will weigh you down and have the same effect a laden backpack would
- Give your mind a break. Do not fill your backpack with non-necessities… Free your mind of these weights by keeping a work/life balance. When those times creep up that require burning some midnight oil. Let the family know – a supportive family will understand the need of extra hours for those special projects and upcoming important clients. Especially when you have been treating them like the most important client you will ever have. (Cause you know they are!)
- ENJOY THE VIEW
You will pass through incredible heights during your journey. Make them memorable; this is a marvelous feat you are accomplishing. Realize it for what it is and you will enjoy it and gain an incredible amount of strength from your accomplishment.
Then once you are about to reach the peak of your current ‘mountain’, start to plan your next rewarding achievement…and start the successful ascent of that goal as well.
Think Successfully & Take Action.
Tracy
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Streets of LA to running my own company!
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Change Mastery
Posted by: | CommentsThis is a time of unpredictable, unprecedented and ever rapid change. The rate of change that is befalling us however presents a new, and unique set of opportunities and challenges. For some a change will bring a new level of success, while for others, the same change can be a seedbed of negativity. If you’re the former – be sure not to let your ego get over inflated, lest another change be the pin that pops it. If you’re the latter, keep your spirits up and your humor high. I Personally, I have yet to meet a change that did not, in the long run, work out for the better for my family, my career and my future.
However, that is because I learned to handle change, and have become confident in my skills, talents and abilities. So let’s look at how we can tame the beast called change.
- Don’t Fight It.
- Give up the natural tendency to protect the familiar. Remember just because its working does not mean it doesn’t need to be fixed. The world will change with or without you. You will find yourself adapting over and over again in today’s fast paced world. If you look back 5, 10, 15 years are you the same person today you were then? Of course not because you learned, you grew, you adapted, absorbed what was superior and effective, discarded the unnecessary and changed to what you are today. Don’t fight change – you will quite probably over complicate your life in the battle. You will stress yourself out and even risk making yourself ill. It’s not worth that much to stay the same is it?
- Acceptance Doesn’t Mean You Have To Like The change.
- You will note I haven’t said you have to like the change. I am going to tell you though that you have to understand the change and go forth. If you have questions about the change, ask them. Get the big picture, study, probe, read – get yourself a good knowledge base around the change. We usually fear the unknown. As you study the change it will be less of an unknown and you’ll feel more in control. Life is not about liking – it is about doing. Taking what you have right now and building upon it.
- Be Change Wise and Defense Ready.
- Balance comes into play here. Don’t change for the sake of change, for if you do you risk valuable assets, situations and relationships. Don’t live your life a piece of clay to be molded by those around you. There are some things that should resist change – when change plainly does not translate into better results. Live your life a piece of jade, firm but shapeable in the right hands. Know what values your willing to defend against change and what values your willing to change.
- Don’t Take Life Too Seriously – Use Humor.
- Take the emotional vacation that a good sense of humor will afford you. A positively honed sense of humor will overcome pretense, put out the fire of anger and quell hostility. Using your sense of humor will keep your attitude positive, giving you the ability to take a seemingly impossible situation and make it acceptable. Once you have made it acceptable you can then seek to find the hidden nuggets that will benefit you and those around you. Use your humor positively, be spontaneous, express your feelings and encourage those around you.
Change mastery can make the difference between being inside looking out or outside looking in. Which do you prefer? Change mastery will make all the difference in the world. Is it easy? Well, to some, yes. Others have to take it step by step. But, by not fighting it, accepting/learning about the change and using your humor to keep your spirits up during those trying times – you will be able to take it head on. You will be enabling yourself to help those around you going through their own changes as well. By doing so you will indeed be making a significant difference.
Think Successfully & Take Action.
Tracy
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Streets of LA to running my own company!
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Four Tips for Change Mastery
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5 Tips to Reduce Holiday Shopping Stress
Posted by: | CommentsMany parts of your year will be filled with heart felt, long lasting memories. But if your life (good or bad) is anything like mine – those long lasting memories quite often come with a matching level of stress. The joy of a new baby comes with the stress of getting yourself and the house ready for that bundle of joy. The pride of landing that new promotion was matched with the stress of the extra work (hours and effort) it took to get there. The thrill and deep seated pleasure of a Merry Christmas (emotionally and commercially) is matched by the stress of planning and executing that Sunbloom Santa picture of the holiday.
The number of things that cause stress during your picturesque holiday season could include but would not be limited to:
- Finances – having enough money to get the things you desire for those you care about combined with needing to know the right amount to spend on one so as to not upset another.
- Pressure – beyond the knowing the right amount example given above. There is finding IT once you know what IT is, then finding IT at the best price. Finding the time to shop in our busy work lives. Finding out what the right gift is without letting them know your trying to find out and of course the pressure bearing down on us from family, friends and the commercial machine.
- Conflict – whether inside the home, at work or in the mall it does seem that conflict can rear its ugly head in a split second and when you least expect it, even though everyone tries to have the ‘holiday spirit’ that spirit can get pushed aside by the previously mentioned finances and pressure.
These are just the three core stresses. There is just so much you are trying to get done in a very short period of time. I mean it seems like one minute you are handing out candy to the cutest little princesses and scariest little demons you have ever met. The next thing you know your planning, then eating a beautiful turkey dinner either in your home or the home of someone you love (or the family of someone you love). Hot on the heals of that sometimes dramatic dinner, now you only have four weeks to make sure you pull off a Christmas (or whichever year ending event you may celebrate) that your family will enjoy and remember all the year through. Oh, and lets not forget the year ending party to finish it all off. Whew, I’m feeling the pressure just writing about it.
So with all that said, let me try and give you five ways to lessen that stress, so you can actually let yourself create and enjoy a Happy Holiday.
Try some of these simple holiday shopping tips:
- Teamwork. Remember you do not have to do it all yourself. Whether it is a spouse, sibling, elder child or a good friend. Think about any tasks that you could delegate to someone else. This can not only relieve some of your stress but could also provide a bit of bonding opportunity for you and the other person.
- Make a List. Think about the song you hear growing up, “He’s making a list and checking it twice..” Even the best present delivery ‘man’ on Earth makes a list BEFORE he sets out in his sleigh. This is great advice. Your list will help you preplan:
- What you are going to buy
- How much you are willing to spend
- Where you need to go to get it.
Knowing these simple things will help you mentally plan the best shopping route of attack – taking a lot of the stress out of the trip(s). Don’t forgot to put incidentals like decorations and food on your list if you need it, so you can cut down on the number trips you need to make – further reducing your stress level.
- Be an Early Elf. A twist on the old saying “The early bird gets the worm.” That early bird also doesn’t stress about going hungry. Getting one item on your list done makes you feel good inside – further reducing your stress and motivating you to get the next thing done or bought. So start feeling good early and you can rid yourself of that “Oh, my gosh I only have two more days..” kind of stress. For those of you that are saying “But I will miss out on all the great last minute sales” I would ask you – have you really looked? These days retailers are starting their sales earlier – so there is always a value to be found for those Early Elfs to look.
- Surf Your Holiday. Gone are the days when you HAVE to go to a retail store to get your gifts. The internet has opened a whole new way for you to be Santa without ever having to leave the comfort of your home. Even if you do not order your items online, you could take your list and comparison shop. This is a great way to help manage your money. You could even use online maps to plan the best route from your home to all the stores you have found that have the right price for you.
- Safety 1st. No matter what holiday you are planning and buying for – always be safe during your shopping activities. After all, getting safely to the holiday would certainly be step one to it being a good one. While you are out and about always keep your credit cards stowed until it is time to actually swipe them. There are many camera toting people that would love to snap a picture of your card and use the info to make their Christmas shine and tarnish yours. Do the same thing with your cash, keep it tucked away and only bring out what you need when you need it. Flashing cash may make you feel good but it could attract the wrong kind of attention. When shopping online try and stick with trusted e-tailers. If you need to purchase from a site you are unsure of – do a little research before inputting your information. A few minutes of safe thought could save you months of stress.
So, remember your teamwork, make a list, be an early elf, try surfing some or all of your holiday and always, always remember safety first. Keep these tips in mind and I can say with a Merry heart that you will be able to cut much of your stress out of the holiday. As for decorating the tree and the house.. well that is another article in itself.
Have a VERY Happy Holiday – whatever Holiday you observe!
Think Successfully & Take Action!
Tracy
One of today’s Top Motivated Coaches &
Author of Success Atlas Programs
FREE Video reveals how I went from the
Streets of LA to running my own company!
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5 Ways to Survive the Holiday Shopping Season
Posted by: | CommentsGoal Setting for Success: 5 Tips to Map Out Crystal Clear Goals
Posted by: | CommentsIt doesn’t matter whether you are setting goals for your personal life, for your business, your health or even your spirituality – mapping out clear, concise goals is the first key to successfully achieving them. Without clear goals you quite probably will end up misdirected on what is that you want to achieve. This misdirection could easily lead you down the path of stagnation.
• Crystal Clear goals will give you significant motivation, increased momentum and intensify purpose in your life.
Here are five major tips to help you define those crystal clear goals for your life or business:
Be aware of what you want to achieve. First and foremost, if you want to define crystal clear goals, you need to know exactly what you want to achieve – where you want to be, what you want to have and what you want to do. You will never figure out to get there – if you do not know where THERE is.
Once you know where you want to be and what you want to achieve, you’ll be able to come up with the goals that will help you get there.
• Where what to be in 1, 3, 5 and 10 years from now?
• What kind of work do you want to be doing?
• What kind of relationship do you want to be in?
• Where do you want to live?
These are just a few idea starters for you….
• Take the time to sit down and brainstorm your long-term dreams and desires.
Set the Clock. A goal without a deadline is a wish or a dream that will easily evaporate like the morning dew when the light of day sets across it. Setting deadlines will thwart procrastination and urge you into action to meet your goals. Having a timeline for your goals also helps to clarify them because now not only do you know what you want but you also know when you want it by!
• Come up with goals that you want to meet in a month, year, and even five or ten years from now.
• Nest some small goals together chronologically to form a the achievement of a larger goal: Example: I will walk 3x a week starting this week, I jog 1 mile a week by x/x/2009, I run 5 miles a week by x/x/2009, I do 3 hrs of cardio a week by x/x/2009, I run 5 miles a day by x/x/2009. All of these could be leading up to a larger goal of “I will run my first marathon by x/x/2010.” – you get the picure
• Create a MAP (Massive Action Plan) to keep you on track, BUT, don’t etch your map in stone! Allow for modifications along the way, but always keep your eye ever focused on the primary goal.
Keep it real. With realistic goals, you can all but guarantee that you will be able to achieve all that you desire. Set yourself a goal that is just a little bit outside of your reach… then when you reach it you will be able to reach out farther for the next one. This way you won’t stress yourself out trying to accomplish something that’s out of reach. A clear goal is a realistic one, make it a stretch goal (do not be too easy on yourself) but certainly make it attainable.
• Like I noted above you will want to break down long-term goals into smaller goals and smaller goal into bite sized, achievable action steps. Completing action steps and tasks towards your goals will give you a feeling of accomplishment and motivate you to continue your journey towards your major goal.
Be Crystal Clear. Specify your goals with the details of exactly what you want. Avoid vague generalities. Make it so that you handed a stranger a piece of paper that hand your one sentence goal written on it, they would know exactly what you were trying to achieve. Also, they would be able to tell if you have achieved it already or now. When you make a specific goal, you’ll be better able to accomplish it – not to mention you will know WHEN you have accomplished it.
• Specific goals allow you to form your timeline and define your action steps. There’s no guesswork involved when dealing with specifics.
• Example, “make money online” is way too vague a goal. You would need to come up with a specific goal, such as, “I make $1,000 more per month, by x/x/2009.” This goal is specific, measurable, and realistic. Also, please note the tense of the goal. It is written in the positive present tense.
Review and Refine your goals. Your life will go through change, so would should your goals remain constant. If you think about it, when you were younger you thought and believed things that today you may not. You have changed as a result of inputs, actions and activities that have gone on in your life. So too may your goals change as your life changes. During this review and refining process, discard goals you no longer long for, and reprioritize those you do. Again, make them more specific, realistic, and achievable.
• It’s okay to refine your goals several times in your life! What’s important this very minute, might not be as important to you nine months or nine years from this very minute. Accept change, heck, even embrace it. Revisit your goals from at minimum once a year and make new plans if necessary.
Many flounder through life, unsure of what they want to achieve or what their purpose is. That will not be you! Give your life crystal clear meaning by putting some thought into what is important to you. What goals do you want to achieve? What actions are you going to take to make your dreams of today your reality tomorrow?
Well what are you waiting for? Go…..
Think Successfully & Take Action!
Tracy Brinkmann
Today’s Top Motivated Success Coach
& Author of Success Atlas Goals Programs