Okay, this is the first thing you should remember.YOU are the absolute most important factor for building your success to make money, whether your business is online or offline. This is a making money opportunity for everyone to consider.
I have personally researched successful and unsuccessful people throughout my history of resources and nearly all successful people have important factors in common. The same thing goes for unsuccessful people too. It's all about your business attitude (confidence/competance), business plan, and well-being.
First of all, you must be willing to take action to change your life factors, without depending on others to take care of it for you, or waiting for that special miracle that will most likely NEVER happen. Most every successful person is willing to take action right away. Most unsuccessful people are almost clueless of what to do and often have a "book of excuses" or only wish that they could be successful without making the sacrifice.
That brings us to our first important factor... laziness and unwillingness to succeed. Laziness does not necessarily determine your failure. There are PLENTY of people who are extremely lazy that still have the drive to take it upon themselves and take action to improve their life. Most of the time, the reason is so they could stay just as lazy and still make plenty of money. Hey, whatever gives you the motivation, right? But, don't confuse laziness with unwillingness. Often times, success is generated from being at the right place at the right time. But, I wouldn't wait around to find out if that's the case or not.
Success is brought by sincere ambition, with the unwillingness to fail. But, don't keep poking at a dead horse hoping that it will kick back. There must be a strong business plan and it must be carefully thought out. BE COMPETANT and careful on what business you are plunging yourself into, before you sink to the bottom with it. Make sure you have a backup plan, even though you shouldn't need it if your business plan has truly been researched appropriately.
The wrong attitude will not make a business work, I'm here to tell you. Most unsuccessful people will have bad attitudes brought on by personal friends/family, employment, lack of strive to succeed, or for whatever reason. Don't let this take your success away from your future. Everyone is entitled to their fair share of success, but must be willing to make the change. Many will feel that there is not enough time, with everything going on in life, or they just aren't smart enough to do so. That brings us to the next step.
KNOWLEDGE/INFORMATION is the key resource to any business and is absolutely the most valuable commodity that can be obtained. Now, in the "old days" before the internet was accessible, information was very difficult and inconvenient to reach. Now there are no excuses. We have the internet. The whole world is at YOUR fingertips and it's up to you to find it, in the comfort of your own home of course.
Time does play an important role in research, as it does often take much time to find whatever it is you're looking for. But, it's not enough of an excuse to fail. It's up to you to make today and tomorrow count! Opportunity doesn't always knock on everyone's door, so get out there and FIND IT YOURSELF. Find out what works for others and do the research to see if that's what you're looking for. It's MUCH easier to make money than you may think, and I'm not talking about $20 or $50 dollars an hour. I'm speaking of 20, 50, 100 grand a month residual income. In other words, your business works for you, instead of the other way around.
Another important factor that cannot be overlooked is your health. Take care of yourself and yourself may take better care of you. Many things can be sacrificed to bring your success, but sacrificing your health should not be an option. Your success will not be as meaningful and fulfilling, if you can't enjoy it!
So, remember that your steps are to:
Realize that you are in control of your future success to take action now.
Mild laziness is acceptable as long as you are willing to take the necessary steps to further your growth.
Do your research and get the required information to make your business work.
Maintain good health so you can enjoy your future!
But, until next time, please take care and have a wonderful time!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Want To Be Wealthy? Don't Stop Dreaming!
If I asked 100 people if they would like to be rich, I'm sure at least 98 of them would answer yes. Their answer might range from, "maybe if the conditions were right" to "YES, and make it fast!"
Most people think of the wealthy as being reserved and probably a bit cautious. The thinking goes that if the millionaire wasn't very cautious with how he spends his money, he wouldn't have a million dollars left.
But a closer look at who gets wealthy gives a far different picture. You see, at the very core of American business is a deep enthusiasm. People who get rich tend to be people who can make the most of the American business system. And those people tend to be gung-ho, enthusiastic, and more than eager to charge straight ahead. If you say, "I've got a way to make a lot of money, do you want to start tomorrow?" Most will reply, "Let's start NOW!"
One European marketing guru got it right when he said, "American business likes to jump in and take chances. In France they'll sit on a good idea until it's time has passed. Americans can't wait to get going." And I would certainly say that attitude toward business applies to everyone in North America, whether they be in the U.S. or not.
Here are several ways to light your own fire and get your business future on its way:
1. When you see a business opportunity, let your enthusiasm grow. Rather than thinking of all the ways the business might fail, spend time thinking ONLY of the ways it could succeed and succeed BIG.<
2. Listen to those around you, but don't let your friends, family, and people at work talk you out of an idea you really believe in. Scientific studies show it's very hard to keep your beliefs solid when two or more people gang up on you. Keep in that in mind. If you start to see the downside of your business after talking to others, go back to step one and get yourself fired up again.
3. KEEP yourself fired up. It's not enough just to get excited at the start. You've got to get up every morning reminding yourself just how cool your business really is.
4. Try to surround yourself with people who see things as you do. That's a great way to keep your resolve and pump up your vision. That may sound a little self-centered, but it's THE way top corporate leaders get things done in the CEO's office. You can use that method even if you're one person working from your kitchen table.
America is number one in business worldwide because we aren't afraid to dream. We aren't afraid to be enthusiastic. And that immense, American enthusiasm is our greatest asset in our never ending quest for wealth and financial security.
Most people think of the wealthy as being reserved and probably a bit cautious. The thinking goes that if the millionaire wasn't very cautious with how he spends his money, he wouldn't have a million dollars left.
But a closer look at who gets wealthy gives a far different picture. You see, at the very core of American business is a deep enthusiasm. People who get rich tend to be people who can make the most of the American business system. And those people tend to be gung-ho, enthusiastic, and more than eager to charge straight ahead. If you say, "I've got a way to make a lot of money, do you want to start tomorrow?" Most will reply, "Let's start NOW!"
One European marketing guru got it right when he said, "American business likes to jump in and take chances. In France they'll sit on a good idea until it's time has passed. Americans can't wait to get going." And I would certainly say that attitude toward business applies to everyone in North America, whether they be in the U.S. or not.
Here are several ways to light your own fire and get your business future on its way:
1. When you see a business opportunity, let your enthusiasm grow. Rather than thinking of all the ways the business might fail, spend time thinking ONLY of the ways it could succeed and succeed BIG.<
2. Listen to those around you, but don't let your friends, family, and people at work talk you out of an idea you really believe in. Scientific studies show it's very hard to keep your beliefs solid when two or more people gang up on you. Keep in that in mind. If you start to see the downside of your business after talking to others, go back to step one and get yourself fired up again.
3. KEEP yourself fired up. It's not enough just to get excited at the start. You've got to get up every morning reminding yourself just how cool your business really is.
4. Try to surround yourself with people who see things as you do. That's a great way to keep your resolve and pump up your vision. That may sound a little self-centered, but it's THE way top corporate leaders get things done in the CEO's office. You can use that method even if you're one person working from your kitchen table.
America is number one in business worldwide because we aren't afraid to dream. We aren't afraid to be enthusiastic. And that immense, American enthusiasm is our greatest asset in our never ending quest for wealth and financial security.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Little Known Facts
Little known facts can be just interesting. Here are some of those: A typical lightning bolt is two to four inches wide and two miles long; A month that starts with a Sunday will have a Friday the 13th in it; Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon after March 21; Close to 50% of all bank robberies take place on Friday.
Do you know the furthest point on Earth from the center? It's the peak of Mount Chimborazo, in Ecuador, near the Equator. The Earth bulges at the equator, making Mount Chimborazo even further out there than Everest.
Then there are the little known facts that are funny. These include, for example, silly laws that are still on the books. Here are some of those: By law, people in Vermont must take at least one bath a week; In Oklahoma, dogs need a permit signed by the mayor in order to congregate on private property in groups of three or more; In Roanoke, VA, it's against the law to advertise on tombstones; It's illegal to put coins in your ears in Hawaii.
"Odor Judger" is an actual job title, and job description. So do you want to smell armpits all day to help make effective deodorants? I'm not sure why somebody other than some strange fetishist would want this job.
Useful Little Known Facts
Little known does not mean not useful. There are many things most people don't know that can be extremely useful. A few of these follow.
When an item can't be removed from your credit report, you have the right to add a 100-word explanation to it, permanently. All who receive the report will see your explanation. If, for example, you had an argument with a doctor over a charge, you can explain the details.
You can get free x-rays. Some dental schools will x-ray your mouth for free, if you have the patience to sit there while the instructor coaches the student through the process. You then get your x-rays to take to the dentist.
Thre are still towns with nice houses you can buy for less than $30,000. As of January, 2006, these include Altoona, Pennsylvania, Anaconda Montana, Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Independence, Kansas. More are listed on the web site: Houses Under Fifty Thousand .com.
Buy two separate plane tickets to save hundreds. It cost $1750 to fly round trip from Traverse City, Michigan to Quito, Ecuador. That was the cheapest fare we found on any website. However, it was only $299 round-trip to Miami, and $405 round-trip from Miami to Quito. $704 total! Save over $1000 by buying two separate tickets.
You can't fold a dollar bill in half eight times, doubling it each time. In fact, try it even with a large piece of paper. It can't be done. You can win a bar bet with this fact, so I'll classify this one among the interesting, funny AND useful little known facts.
Do you know the furthest point on Earth from the center? It's the peak of Mount Chimborazo, in Ecuador, near the Equator. The Earth bulges at the equator, making Mount Chimborazo even further out there than Everest.
Then there are the little known facts that are funny. These include, for example, silly laws that are still on the books. Here are some of those: By law, people in Vermont must take at least one bath a week; In Oklahoma, dogs need a permit signed by the mayor in order to congregate on private property in groups of three or more; In Roanoke, VA, it's against the law to advertise on tombstones; It's illegal to put coins in your ears in Hawaii.
"Odor Judger" is an actual job title, and job description. So do you want to smell armpits all day to help make effective deodorants? I'm not sure why somebody other than some strange fetishist would want this job.
Useful Little Known Facts
Little known does not mean not useful. There are many things most people don't know that can be extremely useful. A few of these follow.
When an item can't be removed from your credit report, you have the right to add a 100-word explanation to it, permanently. All who receive the report will see your explanation. If, for example, you had an argument with a doctor over a charge, you can explain the details.
You can get free x-rays. Some dental schools will x-ray your mouth for free, if you have the patience to sit there while the instructor coaches the student through the process. You then get your x-rays to take to the dentist.
Thre are still towns with nice houses you can buy for less than $30,000. As of January, 2006, these include Altoona, Pennsylvania, Anaconda Montana, Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Independence, Kansas. More are listed on the web site: Houses Under Fifty Thousand .com.
Buy two separate plane tickets to save hundreds. It cost $1750 to fly round trip from Traverse City, Michigan to Quito, Ecuador. That was the cheapest fare we found on any website. However, it was only $299 round-trip to Miami, and $405 round-trip from Miami to Quito. $704 total! Save over $1000 by buying two separate tickets.
You can't fold a dollar bill in half eight times, doubling it each time. In fact, try it even with a large piece of paper. It can't be done. You can win a bar bet with this fact, so I'll classify this one among the interesting, funny AND useful little known facts.
Finding Targeted MLM Leads
The objective of multi-level marketing (MLM) is to sell the product or service and to encourage the client to become an independent distributor, who then sells the service or product as well. Leads are vital for any business to grow, and in order for the business owner to have the greatest success, the leads must be curious enough in the business opportunity to have expressed an interest. The prospects that have expressed an interest in becoming distributors are known as Targeted MLM Leads.
To find targeted MLM leads, business owners must first have ample knowledge of their target market. Are they self-starters? Do they have the commitment necessary to be part of a network? Business owners must also understand the product or service, the company mission statement, and its goals and objectives well enough to offer a good sales presentation. Delivering a presentation, however compelling, to someone that has not shown interest in the product, service, or business opportunity is a waste of time and resources.
Business owners can acquire targeted MLM leads from various sources. The most convenient sources are the companies that compile and sell lead lists. The business owner, however, should be careful when choosing a lead list source, as some may be fraudulent. Some targeted MLM leads are identified through telephone interviews or direct mail response. Business owners can also obtain targeted leads from promotional give-away programs that have high traffic. Usually a person will fill out a simple survey to claim the promotional item, and the business owner can then use the survey to assess whether he or she will be a quality lead.
To find targeted MLM leads, business owners must first have ample knowledge of their target market. Are they self-starters? Do they have the commitment necessary to be part of a network? Business owners must also understand the product or service, the company mission statement, and its goals and objectives well enough to offer a good sales presentation. Delivering a presentation, however compelling, to someone that has not shown interest in the product, service, or business opportunity is a waste of time and resources.
Business owners can acquire targeted MLM leads from various sources. The most convenient sources are the companies that compile and sell lead lists. The business owner, however, should be careful when choosing a lead list source, as some may be fraudulent. Some targeted MLM leads are identified through telephone interviews or direct mail response. Business owners can also obtain targeted leads from promotional give-away programs that have high traffic. Usually a person will fill out a simple survey to claim the promotional item, and the business owner can then use the survey to assess whether he or she will be a quality lead.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Get Rich Quick
How often do we receive this message each day in our email or blasted to us over the airwaves? Too many to count and so much so that we become numb to the message.
Here is exactly how to get rich quick. Count your blessings. What? You have no blessings? Oops! Think again! Everyone can find some blessings if they but look more closely.
Love:
The love of your family and friends and your love of humanity. Perhaps you find 'love' a strange word to use so you do not call it 'love' per se; perhaps you call it a deep sense of wishing the very best for those closest to you; and an abiding positive wish for all the best of life for them. This feeling, that many call 'love' is the fountain from which all other blessings flow.
Your job, vocation or profession:
Even though there may be days you dread the clamor of the alarm clock, and you drag yourself out of bed to face another day of problems to solve and people that try your patience it is after all a blessing.
Many people do not have even a job, much less a vocation or profession. Look beyond the rude people and problems and see them as an opportunity to make a difference in some way. You may not change those rude people into mild mannered, genteel people but you can change you and how you react to them. This is your opportunity to practice patience and tolerance and perhaps these people will recognize this seed and plant it within themselves.
"Day by day in every way I am getting better and better." This quote was made famous by the French hypnotist Emile Coue'. This is a wonderful quote to keep in mind when you find yourself slipping into a morass of negative thinking. Our minds are more powerful than we give them credit for being. It is truly amazing that our subconscious mind will grab on to just one negative thought and refuse to let it go, whereas it may take several times (or several hundred) positive thoughts to reprogram that thought, but it will happen with perseverance.
So, the next time you are feeling low self-esteem and getting ready to throw yourself a pity-party, or are overwhelmed with your bills, just remember: Get Rich Quick! Count Your Blessings!
Here is exactly how to get rich quick. Count your blessings. What? You have no blessings? Oops! Think again! Everyone can find some blessings if they but look more closely.
Love:
The love of your family and friends and your love of humanity. Perhaps you find 'love' a strange word to use so you do not call it 'love' per se; perhaps you call it a deep sense of wishing the very best for those closest to you; and an abiding positive wish for all the best of life for them. This feeling, that many call 'love' is the fountain from which all other blessings flow.
Your job, vocation or profession:
Even though there may be days you dread the clamor of the alarm clock, and you drag yourself out of bed to face another day of problems to solve and people that try your patience it is after all a blessing.
Many people do not have even a job, much less a vocation or profession. Look beyond the rude people and problems and see them as an opportunity to make a difference in some way. You may not change those rude people into mild mannered, genteel people but you can change you and how you react to them. This is your opportunity to practice patience and tolerance and perhaps these people will recognize this seed and plant it within themselves.
"Day by day in every way I am getting better and better." This quote was made famous by the French hypnotist Emile Coue'. This is a wonderful quote to keep in mind when you find yourself slipping into a morass of negative thinking. Our minds are more powerful than we give them credit for being. It is truly amazing that our subconscious mind will grab on to just one negative thought and refuse to let it go, whereas it may take several times (or several hundred) positive thoughts to reprogram that thought, but it will happen with perseverance.
So, the next time you are feeling low self-esteem and getting ready to throw yourself a pity-party, or are overwhelmed with your bills, just remember: Get Rich Quick! Count Your Blessings!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
How to Get Exactly What You Want
J. Paul Getty was quoted for his formula for success: "Rise early, work hard, strike oil." I'm a huge supporter of the practice of rising early (and if you're not, you probably should be). But regardless of when you wake up, the other two actions in this formula are "work hard," and "strike oil."
When I first ran across this quote ten years ago, I had to laugh, because it looked like Getty was saying you have to work hard and hope to get lucky. But a decade later, I can see the more relevant meaning, and I'm about to share with you why Getty's concept, perhaps more than anything else you might ever read, could be what gets you everything you want for the rest of your life.
It's all about your expectations
In short, it all comes down to your personal expectation as to whether or not you're going to strike oil. That's it. That's where it all starts. I can say this because that's how reality works - you're not going to get anything if you don't work hard to achieve it. But you're not going to work hard in the first place unless you have a strong enough expectation that you'll be successful (or at least be successful at learning from the experience).
This is just how life works. Your motivation to take action, and to follow through until the job is done, is directly proportional to your belief that you will succeed. (Side note: In some cases, the belief in success isn't even necessary - instead, you might be motivated by the fact your action will serve a higher cause, such as a 'failed' protest sparking a larger public awareness down the road).
If you break this concept down to the simplest parts, what you have is this: When you believe strongly enough that you will succeed at something, success is practically guaranteed - not because your belief creates the result, but because you don't give up taking action on a massive level until you get what you want.
When you believe that success is inevitable, you are able to put aside the idea that "failure," in the conventional sense, is a bad thing. Instead, it's just a specific attempt that you can learn from. Another life lesson to be accepted and consumed, not feared.
When you believe that success is going to be the end result of you never giving up, then you are going to attack your objective with a greater energy, a greater passion, a greater work ethic. You're going to be excited about what you're doing, because you know that it matters. You know that whatever it is you're doing, it's adding value that will eventually translate into the result you want.
That unwavering belief lets you focus your thoughts on questions like "How can I … ?" rather than "Why can't I … ?" The perspective of certainty gives you the ability to see obstacles as not these things that stand in your way, but instead as challenges that fuel your growth.
I've paid my dues
I experienced this myself as a ten year old kid in Brooklyn, New York. A horrible turn of events led to my mother getting murdered, my father going to prison for life, and me ending up all but homeless until I was taken in by a relative who was both an alcoholic and a drug user.
Years later, after I escaped the constant surroundings of drugs and violence, people remarked to me how surprised they were that I had avoided getting involved in drugs, alcohol, or any of the gang activity that was so pervasive during those years. Rather than any of that, I pretty much was a straight-A student who stayed out of (too much) trouble.
I always found it a bit humorous that while some people believed it was a solid foundation of strength that kept me on the straight and narrow, the thing that really kept me safe was that I didn't really accept the idea that I could get involved in any of those things in the first place. I just didn't know any better - I thought I was supposed to avoid them!
I just didn't see it as possible or reasonable for me, so I never thought about it. Those things were problems "other people" got involved in, but not me. In fact, I viewed the daily challenges I faced as tests that were there to make me stronger, so one day my life could make some kind of difference. And poof - that's exactly what happened. :
The point of all this is that all of my actions were driven by a firm belief that I would succeed eventually. That I would get through it all and come out okay on the other side. That I would strike oil. And it's no different than the mindset you have to adopt to make any of your goals/dreams/objectives a reality.
There's an old saying, "What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?" While it sounds good on the surface (and it is, don't get me wrong), it's not perfect. Sure you could say what you would attempt if you knew you couldn't fail, but that doesn't help you when your brain is shouting, "Hey dummy, you're probably going to fail, don't you realize that?" The original question is a good start, but it needs to be taken a step further.
Instead of wishful thinking about what "could" happen, I've found a better question is more along the lines of "What will you attempt knowing that you will ultimately succeed, despite all the 'failures' that are sure to come along the way?
Because, face it, life is going to throw some pretty rough stuff over to you. You're going to have a lot more "go wrong" than you'd ever hoped for. But striking oil is about drilling deeper, even if you hit a few rocks along the way. In fact, the expectation is that you have to do a lot of drilling before you tap into that pocket of oil.
So let's talk about setting expectations. An expectation, in it's most literal sense, is a certainty that a specific result will occur.
If you've got a major goal that want to achieve, you need to have at least five things straightened out before you can really attack it full force.
#1 - You have to have the expectation that you, specifically you, can achieve this goal.
This one is a biggie. People typically have a lot easier time believing something is "possible" than believing it's "possible for them." They don't fully believe that they will be capable of achieving a goal because they are missing something - the time, the talent, the resources, whatever. They have an unwritten expectation that they will not be one of the people who "has what it takes."
That's a load of garbage. If you believe that, even just a little bit, then it's going to seriously damage your ability to take action. You're never going to give 100% and stick with it until the job is done. If this is you, you need to fix this first. (Stay tuned for an upcoming article on how to do just that. I'll link to it here when it's ready).
#2 - You have to have the expectation that you will close the resource gap, no matter how wide it is.
This one is also a biggie. It's easy to look at a large goal and feel like the distance between it and you is too wide. After all, how can you compete with the biggest successes in the world, who are already established? You can find out how by studying the people who do it every day, like skinny, broke college kid Michael Dell who took on IBM and Hewlett-Packard (and is still winning). If you're reading this years from now, a hundred other stories just like his will have come and gone.
You have to, have to, have to believe any resource gap can be closed. A lack of time, money, manpower, connections … it all doesn't matter, because there's a number of creative solutions out there that you're going to come up with to overcome all that.
If you don't believe the resource gap can be closed, it won't, because you won't take full-out action to make it happen. But if you have the expectation that it will eventually be resolved, guess what's going to happen. (Again, stay tuned for an upcoming article on how to do just that. I'll link to it here when it's ready).
#3 - You have to have the expectation that you will find a solution to every problem that will inevitably come your way. Every one.
You can't guarantee a problem-free life. But you can guarantee that you see a 'problem' as an opportunity, so rather than being drained by the challenge, you are energized. Chew on this and decide how you're going to make this shift in thinking. (In the meantime, bookmark this post and check back later to find a link to an upcoming article on how to do this.)
#4 - You have to have the expectation that every action you take matters. Every damn one.
This is critical. When you think taking action won't matter in the long run, you simply won't do it. But when you recognize that action accumulates - that the pyramids are built brick by brick, and every one matters, you'll be willing to take action even when you don't feel like it and your heart's not in it.
Remember, everything you matters. If you don't think it does, then you need to make that shift as well. Stay tuned for an article on that.
#5 - You have to believe that you can accelerate the process of getting to your objective.
This one's my favorite. As you improve the discipline of following through and taking action on a consistent basis, you'll want to find new forms of leverage to make the journey to completion a lot shorter. This is what "Million Dollar Leverage" is all about.
By holding onto the firm expectation that you can find ways of leveraging all your resources, you'll be subconsciously looking for ways to make that happen, and as a result you'll find a lot more of them. And that will get you to your goal faster. Much faster.
So, I hope I've sold you on the power of expectation to get what you want - to strike oil, whatever that means to you. If not, then read this article again and again until it sinks in. And then put your expectations to the test and get them correctly aligned. It's a bit of work, but if you do it you'll start seeing better results than you've ever seen before in a lot less time than you might imagine (unless your expectation is to see results right away :).
So get a pen an paper and get your expectations put in writing so you can drill them into your brain and use them to your advantage. Do it now - you'll thank yourself for it.
When I first ran across this quote ten years ago, I had to laugh, because it looked like Getty was saying you have to work hard and hope to get lucky. But a decade later, I can see the more relevant meaning, and I'm about to share with you why Getty's concept, perhaps more than anything else you might ever read, could be what gets you everything you want for the rest of your life.
It's all about your expectations
In short, it all comes down to your personal expectation as to whether or not you're going to strike oil. That's it. That's where it all starts. I can say this because that's how reality works - you're not going to get anything if you don't work hard to achieve it. But you're not going to work hard in the first place unless you have a strong enough expectation that you'll be successful (or at least be successful at learning from the experience).
This is just how life works. Your motivation to take action, and to follow through until the job is done, is directly proportional to your belief that you will succeed. (Side note: In some cases, the belief in success isn't even necessary - instead, you might be motivated by the fact your action will serve a higher cause, such as a 'failed' protest sparking a larger public awareness down the road).
If you break this concept down to the simplest parts, what you have is this: When you believe strongly enough that you will succeed at something, success is practically guaranteed - not because your belief creates the result, but because you don't give up taking action on a massive level until you get what you want.
When you believe that success is inevitable, you are able to put aside the idea that "failure," in the conventional sense, is a bad thing. Instead, it's just a specific attempt that you can learn from. Another life lesson to be accepted and consumed, not feared.
When you believe that success is going to be the end result of you never giving up, then you are going to attack your objective with a greater energy, a greater passion, a greater work ethic. You're going to be excited about what you're doing, because you know that it matters. You know that whatever it is you're doing, it's adding value that will eventually translate into the result you want.
That unwavering belief lets you focus your thoughts on questions like "How can I … ?" rather than "Why can't I … ?" The perspective of certainty gives you the ability to see obstacles as not these things that stand in your way, but instead as challenges that fuel your growth.
I've paid my dues
I experienced this myself as a ten year old kid in Brooklyn, New York. A horrible turn of events led to my mother getting murdered, my father going to prison for life, and me ending up all but homeless until I was taken in by a relative who was both an alcoholic and a drug user.
Years later, after I escaped the constant surroundings of drugs and violence, people remarked to me how surprised they were that I had avoided getting involved in drugs, alcohol, or any of the gang activity that was so pervasive during those years. Rather than any of that, I pretty much was a straight-A student who stayed out of (too much) trouble.
I always found it a bit humorous that while some people believed it was a solid foundation of strength that kept me on the straight and narrow, the thing that really kept me safe was that I didn't really accept the idea that I could get involved in any of those things in the first place. I just didn't know any better - I thought I was supposed to avoid them!
I just didn't see it as possible or reasonable for me, so I never thought about it. Those things were problems "other people" got involved in, but not me. In fact, I viewed the daily challenges I faced as tests that were there to make me stronger, so one day my life could make some kind of difference. And poof - that's exactly what happened. :
The point of all this is that all of my actions were driven by a firm belief that I would succeed eventually. That I would get through it all and come out okay on the other side. That I would strike oil. And it's no different than the mindset you have to adopt to make any of your goals/dreams/objectives a reality.
There's an old saying, "What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?" While it sounds good on the surface (and it is, don't get me wrong), it's not perfect. Sure you could say what you would attempt if you knew you couldn't fail, but that doesn't help you when your brain is shouting, "Hey dummy, you're probably going to fail, don't you realize that?" The original question is a good start, but it needs to be taken a step further.
Instead of wishful thinking about what "could" happen, I've found a better question is more along the lines of "What will you attempt knowing that you will ultimately succeed, despite all the 'failures' that are sure to come along the way?
Because, face it, life is going to throw some pretty rough stuff over to you. You're going to have a lot more "go wrong" than you'd ever hoped for. But striking oil is about drilling deeper, even if you hit a few rocks along the way. In fact, the expectation is that you have to do a lot of drilling before you tap into that pocket of oil.
So let's talk about setting expectations. An expectation, in it's most literal sense, is a certainty that a specific result will occur.
If you've got a major goal that want to achieve, you need to have at least five things straightened out before you can really attack it full force.
#1 - You have to have the expectation that you, specifically you, can achieve this goal.
This one is a biggie. People typically have a lot easier time believing something is "possible" than believing it's "possible for them." They don't fully believe that they will be capable of achieving a goal because they are missing something - the time, the talent, the resources, whatever. They have an unwritten expectation that they will not be one of the people who "has what it takes."
That's a load of garbage. If you believe that, even just a little bit, then it's going to seriously damage your ability to take action. You're never going to give 100% and stick with it until the job is done. If this is you, you need to fix this first. (Stay tuned for an upcoming article on how to do just that. I'll link to it here when it's ready).
#2 - You have to have the expectation that you will close the resource gap, no matter how wide it is.
This one is also a biggie. It's easy to look at a large goal and feel like the distance between it and you is too wide. After all, how can you compete with the biggest successes in the world, who are already established? You can find out how by studying the people who do it every day, like skinny, broke college kid Michael Dell who took on IBM and Hewlett-Packard (and is still winning). If you're reading this years from now, a hundred other stories just like his will have come and gone.
You have to, have to, have to believe any resource gap can be closed. A lack of time, money, manpower, connections … it all doesn't matter, because there's a number of creative solutions out there that you're going to come up with to overcome all that.
If you don't believe the resource gap can be closed, it won't, because you won't take full-out action to make it happen. But if you have the expectation that it will eventually be resolved, guess what's going to happen. (Again, stay tuned for an upcoming article on how to do just that. I'll link to it here when it's ready).
#3 - You have to have the expectation that you will find a solution to every problem that will inevitably come your way. Every one.
You can't guarantee a problem-free life. But you can guarantee that you see a 'problem' as an opportunity, so rather than being drained by the challenge, you are energized. Chew on this and decide how you're going to make this shift in thinking. (In the meantime, bookmark this post and check back later to find a link to an upcoming article on how to do this.)
#4 - You have to have the expectation that every action you take matters. Every damn one.
This is critical. When you think taking action won't matter in the long run, you simply won't do it. But when you recognize that action accumulates - that the pyramids are built brick by brick, and every one matters, you'll be willing to take action even when you don't feel like it and your heart's not in it.
Remember, everything you matters. If you don't think it does, then you need to make that shift as well. Stay tuned for an article on that.
#5 - You have to believe that you can accelerate the process of getting to your objective.
This one's my favorite. As you improve the discipline of following through and taking action on a consistent basis, you'll want to find new forms of leverage to make the journey to completion a lot shorter. This is what "Million Dollar Leverage" is all about.
By holding onto the firm expectation that you can find ways of leveraging all your resources, you'll be subconsciously looking for ways to make that happen, and as a result you'll find a lot more of them. And that will get you to your goal faster. Much faster.
So, I hope I've sold you on the power of expectation to get what you want - to strike oil, whatever that means to you. If not, then read this article again and again until it sinks in. And then put your expectations to the test and get them correctly aligned. It's a bit of work, but if you do it you'll start seeing better results than you've ever seen before in a lot less time than you might imagine (unless your expectation is to see results right away :).
So get a pen an paper and get your expectations put in writing so you can drill them into your brain and use them to your advantage. Do it now - you'll thank yourself for it.
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