Posts Tagged ‘success’
Friday, August 20th, 2010
If you Google the word entrepreneur, you will find a number of definitions which will include some version of the phrase “a person who organizes, operates, and assumes the risk for a business venture.” Albeit this definition is tactically accurate, I believe the true essence of an entrepreneur is much more. An entrepreneur is an individual who has a dream, a vision, a purpose, and is committed to make it happen!
It all starts with a dream and an intense desire to build something of value. Many people dream about inventing something, seeing the world change based on their efforts, or building a successful business around their craft, talent, or expertise. These dreams are vital to the strength and success of the United States. Over 90% of businesses in the United States are defined as small businesses and employ less than 99 people. Many of these small businesses started with a tiny seed planted by an emerging entrepreneur. What have you dreamt would be your gift to the world? What inspires you the most? What are you naturally (skills, abilities, and gifts) good at? Could your dream become a viable business? What action have you taken?
In addition to the dream, an entrepreneur needs to have a clear and concise vision of what the business will look like. What service or product will it provide and to what customer base? Equally as important as identifying the product or service is identifying the measurable value the product or service will bring to the customers served. Knowing that RAC strives to “be the world class leader in the learning and development field, help organizations develop a competitive edge, improve the quality of lives and create a better today and tomorrow” keeps our company focused on success and growth for the right reasons.
A successful entrepreneur must also have a purpose. Being in business for the sake of being in business, for the sake of making money, or for the sake of “getting out of corporate” is not enough. Purpose fuels the drive necessary to make success happen and to make it meaningful. What are you passionate about? What do you strongly believe in? Are your passions and beliefs being met in your current role, and are you truly satisfied? Be honest with yourself! Now is the time to really identify your purpose and assess whether or not you are settling or thriving. As British author, Rose Tremain said, “Life is not a dress rehearsal.” We only get one shot to fulfill our dreams, vision, and purpose. What is currently standing in the way of you having your own successful business? Given your talents, passions, and values how could you become a viable resource and contribute to others?
80% of people who say they want to be in their own business are daydreaming. Only 20% actually take action and do what is necessary to make it happen. Your level of success is entirely your choice. As Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, says “It is every individual’s choice. You can choose to live at a level of survival, a level of success, or a level of significance.” Will your significance be achieved by serving others through your own business? Are you one of the 20% who will actually take action and accomplish success through entrepreneurship?
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in helping businesses and individuals achieve high levels of excellence and success. Learn how at www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: contribution, entrepreneur, Google, Purpose, RAC, Resource Associates Corporation, success, United States
Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
There continues to be a great deal of focus on organizational culture and environment. Whether you are focusing on that issue for the first time or whether you are looking at changing or improving an existing culture, it may be wise to remember that, like the long journey which begins with one step, an organizational culture is the cumulative effect of individual attitudes, values, and standards. Changing or improving the culture begins with a focus on the individual.
 How you genuinely feel about yourself, your worth, and the worth of others greatly influences everything you do and the results you achieve. How the people in your organization feel about themselves, their worth, and the worth of others will affect their achievements and the culture of the organization. Goal setting is a process that creates an environment in which people want to succeed and are recognized and rewarded for achievement. Another tool that can positively influence growth is affirmations. An affirmation is a statement that reinforces what you believe to be true. You use affirmations every day, both in thought and conversation. These are often ideas you have taken from some other source—quotations, scripture, and family sayings—which reinforce your values.
Such borrowed expressions only become effective affirmations when they correspond with your value system and internal beliefs. Once accepted and internalized, they lose their borrowed qualities and become part of you. The power of affirmations can be best recognized when we realize that the mind doesn’t know the difference between real and imagined. For example, suppose late at night, you imagine there is a prowler in your home. Are you less frightened than if you knew there was a prowler in your home? Certainly not. You are afraid because you imagine a fearful situation.
The use of affirmations to reinforce growth and improve conditions is an application of the same principle. Through the use of affirmations, you begin to imagine that you possess those qualities and skills that you want to develop more. You begin to visualize yourself acting and behaving in a manner consistent with your goals. As your new image becomes clearer, the behavior is easier. The use of affirmations is also an effective management tool. By affirming certain characteristics and behaviors and helping others to develop affirmations, you can enhance growth and development throughout the organization.
Affirmations should have the following qualities: they should be positive, stated in the first person singular, should be within the realm of capacity to believe, and should be directly related to your goals. Affirmations should also employ the power of spaced repetition. By repeating affirmations over and over, day after day, these positive thoughts begin to affect the subconscious mind and influence behavior. If, at first, affirmations seem difficult to compose and use daily, remember that you are developing a new habit. Once you see and feel the results that follow the repeated use of affirmations, you will want to use the tool with others. Affirmations help use to see others and ourselves not as we are but as we can become.
Create a culture in your organization in which failure is viewed as an opportunity to learn and critical to innovation and discovery. Recognize and reward new ideas, attempts to improve something, and even failure when it results in trying something new or an attempt to improve a process. Encourage innovation and utilize the goal setting process to get people to set stretch goals and brainstorm innovative solutions. It stimulates creativity, broadens options, and produces better decisions by looking at many alternatives and selecting the best.
Goethe said, “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and help them to become what they’re capable of being.”
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, strategic planning, leadership development, executive coaching, and youth leadership. For more information visit http://www.resourceassociatescorp.com/ or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: affirmations, culture, goal setting, Goethe, Leadership, RAC, Resource Associates Corporation, success
Posted in Leadership | No Comments »
Monday, July 26th, 2010
He went to war as a Captain and returned as a Private. Afterward, he failed in business. As a lawyer in Springfield he was too impracticable and temperamental to be a success. As he turned to politics, he was defeated for the legislature in 1832. In 1833, he ventured into the business world again, and again he did not succeed. 1834, he was elected to the state legislature. In 1838, he was defeated for Speaker, in 1840, he was defeated for Elector. In 1844, he lost a race for a congressional seat. In 1846, he gained a seat in Congress, only to lose it in 1848. He ran for the Senate in 1854, but lost. In 1856, he ran for Vice President but lost again. In 1858, he ran for the Senate again and again was defeated. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States.
Certainly, Lincoln’s life was a bit unusual. Not many of us are born in a log cabin and rise to be the leader of one of the greatest nations in the world. But there are lessons to be learned from Lincoln’s journey to success. The road to outstanding goal achievement is filled with adversity. If you expect your road to success to be a smooth highway, you will be frustrated and disappointed. The journey is a process of trying, failing, adjusting, and choosing to continually move forward. Along the way you will make mistakes, but without mistakes there is never progress.
Often people fear making mistakes, but fear of mistakes inhibits your personal development. Rather than risk making another mistake, you might tend to play it safe. Fear of failure breeds mediocrity and the accomplishment of very little.
If you suffer from a fear of mistakes, you can conquer it by changing your attitude. Recognize that past errors, mistakes, and negative experiences do not inhibit your development. In fact, they contribute to the learning process. Use them as feedback for personal and professional growth. If you make a mistake, admit it, learn from it, adjust your thinking, and redirect the necessary efforts toward your goal. Focus on the positive. Consciously forget the error and dwell upon the successful aspects of the attempt. No one likes to make mistakes, but the fact is everybody does. You can choose to view a mistake either as a failure or as a lesson learned. If you continue to criticize yourself for past errors, you will perpetuate the very behavior you want to change. The moment you change your mindset and stop giving power to past mistakes, you will be released from the power that past mistakes have over you.
Errors are road signs to direct you on your journey to personal success and achievement. They are necessary steps in the learning process, but they are a means not an end. When they have served their purpose for learning, move past them. You are responsible for your own success. Take responsibility for your mistakes and failures and don’t try to shift blame to other people or circumstances. Remember, by taking responsibility in life you will also gain power and influence.
“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in the world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and if they can’t find them, make them.” George Bernard Shaw
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in helping businesses and individuals achieve high levels of excellence and success. Learn how at www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: Abraham Lincoln, accomplishment, failure, George Bernard Shaw, learning process, mistakes, RAC, Resource Associates Corporation, success
Posted in Personal Development | No Comments »
Thursday, May 27th, 2010
Attitudes determine the way we treat people. They affect the way we perceive change. They influence our ability to set and reach goals. Attitudes affect our ability to realize and progress through Maslow’s levels of need satisfaction (http://www.abraham-maslow.com/). The following sequence may help you see the significance of attitudes.
Results: Each of us as goal seekers want to achieve certain results from our lives.
Behavior: The results we get depend upon our behavior, how we react to situations.
Attitude: The results we get depend upon our behavior and attitudes toward the people or events involved, and toward ourselves.
If attitudes are basically negative, goals will be set low, and it will be difficult to progress. Growth and promotion will be all but impossible until a positive mindset is developed.
You can identify people with negative attitudes by their actions and by their reactions. When presented with a challenge their focus will be on problems: what can’t be done, and why things won’t work. Their discussions will often revolve around negative issues and blame. They do not respond well to compliments and will even discount them. However, they remember every one of their failures and mistakes, and this memory stifles much of their activity. They are usually part of the problem not part of the solution.
If attitudes are basically positive, individuals will focus on possibilities and ideas for improvement. This will be evident in the way they treat people. They will be very comfortable giving others credit, and their transactions will be directed at making others feel better about themselves. They accept both constructive criticism and compliments with open consideration and appreciation. They are regularly part of the solution and rarely part of the problem.
It is important to understand that attitudes are developed very early in life. Years and years of early conditioning helped to develop the attitudes that many people carry with them throughout life. Much of early conditioning was negative, what you can’t do, where not to go, etc. For the most part, negative attitudes are far more prevalent than positive attitudes. Too many people think more often of what’s wrong, how they might fail, and why it won’t work rather than what’s good, what’s right, and how it can work.
On the positive side, since attitudes are developed, they can be changed. In fact, as a leader, you will frequently find yourself in a position to help people develop positive attitudes. The first step is understanding that what took years to develop will also require some time and effort to change. Daily encouragement is important. Positive input on a daily basis will help to replace some of the negative attitudes with positive ones. Audio books, articles, brainstorming sessions, affirmations, and seminars are some techniques you can employ to create positive input.
There are many ways and opportunities to create a learning organization with a focus on positive attitudes and possibility thinkers. Recognition programs, leadership opportunities, personal mentoring, and corporate coaching (http://www.resourceassociatescorp.com/whatwedo/lifebuscoach) are but a few ways to help your team develop the appropriate attitudes focused on goal achievement. One of the vital contributions a leader can make is instilling the desire and creating the opportunity for continuous improvement.
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in helping businesses achieve sustainable results through leadership development and executive coaching. For information on creating a leadership succession plan visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: Attitudes, Behavior, Coaching, goal achievement, Leadership, Maslow, RAC, Resource Associates Corporation, results, success
Posted in Attitudes | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
Perceived value as defined by customers creates loyal customer relationships, and customer loyalty is the best predictor of your future strength and growth potential.
The value you provide to your customers is always compared to the value your competitors provide: therefore, value is your customers’ perception relative to similar products or services in the marketplace—your competitors.
Perceived value occurs at the intersection of what customers want and what they get from you versus what they could get from your competition. You can only sustain customer loyalty by continually meeting your customers’ product/service qualifications, specifications, or expectations. You also need to meet their needs in the order that customers deem important while maintaining a favorable comparison between you and your competition. In your marketplace, your competitors are the alternative suppliers your customers use to form their comparative value perceptions. How would your customer define perceived value?
For example if your customers expect your product to perform error free, to be delivered on time, to be supported by timely and personal technical support, and to be properly billed at a fair price, you must be good in all categories to get an “A,” and you must be at least as good as your competitors. If you deliver a product that meets all of their design specifications but are unable to provide personal technical support, you failed in meeting an important criteria; therefore, the perceived value will decrease. For every mark you miss, the value as defined by your customers decreases and you slowly lose the ability to develop a loyal customer relationship. To create and sustain loyal customers it is necessary to consider every contact with each customer as an opportunity for you to provide value—every time. Every service point is critical and every service point has a level of expectation from the customer that must be understood and managed. We call these contact points—points of connection.
Every point of connection gives your organization the opportunity to emotionally connect with your customers. Your customers will judge your value and their emotional tie at every point. Developing and implementing a strategy of creating a consistent emotional connection with your customer creates value, which creates loyal customer relationships.
We know that loyal customers will always return to purchase your product or service, which create a long-term stream of revenue. Another advantage of loyal customers is that they will consistently boast about your product or service creating the most effective and least expensive form of advertising for your organization. Additional advantages of developing a loyal customer base is their willingness to pay more for your product or service, and they are also more forgiving when your organization makes a mistake. Why? As loyal customers, they trust your organization and have faith that you are fair.
Making the strategic decision to create a loyal customer base is one of the most important commitments you can make to the success of your organization. Your individual contribution is also a large part of that success.
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, strategic planning, leadership development, executive coaching, and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: competition, Customer Loyalty, Customer Satisfaction, customer value, perceptions, points of connection, RAC, Resource Associates Corporation, success, supplies
Posted in Customer Loyalty | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010
Achieving success in life, business, sports, etc. is about mastering excellence. Success is about commitment, persistence, skill, confidence, and execution. Vince Lombardi was quoted as saying, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field or endeavor.” So the question becomes no matter what your chosen field or endeavor, how do you master excellence?
In my experience there are three key ingredients that, when embraced, create the foundation for mastering excellence.
1. Having the right attitude.
Having the right attitude is a decision you need to make every day. Your attitude not only affects you, but it affects the people around you. There are two ways you can look at virtually everything in your life. A pessimist looks for the difficulty in the opportunity, and the optimist looks for opportunity in difficulty. Frederick Langbridge reinforces the different views of an optimist and a pessimist in the following quote, “Two men look out the same prison bars; one sees mud and the other stars.”
Your attitude affects your body language and your behavior. Folks with the right attitude often appear strong, confident and happy. Folks with a more pessimistic view often appear haggard, unhappy, and stressed. Having the right attitude gives you energy and that energy is very contagious … being optimistic fuels better health. Even when the world around you seems to be challenging or crumbling, having the right attitude will reaffirm that you have what is necessary to face any challenge and create the right outcome for you. Your attitude has a direct correlation to your ability to master excellence in whatever you choose to pursue. There really is only one right option-embrace the right attitude!
2. Being goal oriented.
Know what you want, why you want it, and define how to achieve it. Defining personal and professional goals will create a road map for your success. It is not enough to have a dream. In order to have a dream become a reality there needs to be a goal with defined action steps. Action is what makes things happen and being goal oriented is an empowering process. As you achieve things from your list, you start to feel an energy building that will very quickly snowball. The more you start to achieve by being goal oriented the more you want to achieve and the more you know you can achieve.
3. The devil is the details.
Attention to detail is critical to mastering excellence and it will make you stand out in comparison to others. Attention to detail means nothing goes unnoticed. It is paying attention to how you dress, how you behave, how you communicate, how you carry yourself, how you take care of your surroundings, how quickly and efficiently you follow up, and how you treat others. Make every detail meaningful and reap the rewards of success.
You have the ability to be excellent at whatever you pursue or endeavor, and being excellent is a choice that is 100% within your control. Decide today to raise your level of success by having the right attitude, by being goal oriented, and by paying attention to every detail. Excellence and success go hand in hand!
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in helping businesses and individuals achieve high levels of excellence and success. Learn how at www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: attitude, detail, devil, excellence, Frederick Langbridge, goal oriented, optimist, pessimist, RAC, resource associates, Resource Associates Corporation, success, Vince Lombardi
Posted in Personal Development | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Many studies document the Boomer exodus from business and industry.
Albeit some Boomers may be reevaluating their time line based on the economic changes, but there is no question that a high percentage of the 77.5 million Boomers will be vacating corporate America in the next five years. (Study conducted by AARP-2008)
56% of business and industries’ Boomer population hold leadership positions. Conversely, there are only 46 Million Gen X and Gen Y’s to take the place of those vacating Boomers. These numbers reflect why business and industry need to be so concerned about brain drain and develop a strategy to combat it.
A recent report conducted by OI Partners state that 54% of companies surveyed said they did not have enough qualified candidates working for them to succeed their executives and managers and 14% weren’t sure if they have enough leadership successors in place. The survey included responses from 212 primarily large and mid-sized employers throughout North America.
The luxury of time is gone. Organizations must get prepared and begin implementing a leadership succession plan. Having prepared leaders at all levels of an organization is a management strategy and a competitive business advantage. Organizations achieve sustainability and growth through their leadership and the quality of that leadership. The important skills necessary to lead a company to succeed in the upcoming years will be different. In addition to being able to lead people, new leaders will need to plan strategically, inspire commitment, and manage unyielding change. However, to be an effective leader takes much more than skill. It also requires the appropriate attitudes and behaviors. There are many tactical skills of leadership, but without the appropriate attitudes and behaviors, the skills are almost meaningless. We talked in a previous post about how actions speak louder than words. It is difficult to inspire commitment in a team when the leader’s body language, tone of voice, and behaviors reflect something entirely different. Managing change becomes very difficult if a leader’s attitude is “this too shall pass.” In order to manage unyielding change a leader needs to be aggressive, innovative, and responsive. And yes, it takes certain skills to be aggressive, innovative, and creative, but success in these areas requires the right attitude equally as much as the right skills.
In working with clients to develop their leadership bench strength we have found the following formula works extremely well:
In order for your business to achieve Improved Results (IR) there needs to be Positive Behavior Change (PBC). We have found a successful way to achieve Positive Behavior Change (PBC) by customizing a process unique to the client that addresses the needed Attitudes, Behaviors, and Skills (ASK) combined with a Goal Accomplishment (Goals) model that drives Positive Behavior Change (PBC) which leads to measurable and improved results.
As your organization develops future leaders for your organization, you need to ensure there is a solid base of leadership skills is important. What attitudes and behaviors do you want people in leadership roles to exhibit? What messages do you want them to send when they are not talking? What example do you want them to set when no one is officially watching? To identify a true leader, observe his/her behavior and attitude as it will tell you a great deal more than an evaluation of their skills.
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in helping businesses achieve sustainable results through management consulting, strategic planning, leadership development, and executive coaching, and youth leadership. For information on creating a leadership succession plan visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: AARP, attitude, Behavior, Boomers, Change, commitment, gen x, gen y, improved results, leadership succession, RAC, Resource Associates Corporation, success
Posted in Business Management | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
You will get more out of your time when you learn how to get more out of your life.
After you determine what you want, what you value, what you believe, and where your priorities lie. Determining how to spend a given day or hour is easy. In order to get more out of your time, know what you want to get out of it. That may seem very basic, but many people fail to define their values, purpose, and goals. They are immersed in their daily activities, and they fail to think about what they really like or want to do. They overlook the purpose of their lives.
Purpose
What is your purpose in life? Do you have a purpose? You will be happiest when you are achieving goals that are consistent with your purpose. If you knew that you had only one year to live, what would you do differently? Why?
Now imagine that you have many years to live and achieve. Visualize yourself and your life in one, three, and five years. What do you see? What is your occupation? What are your family responsibilities? What kind of future do you want? Are your present activities and priorities compatible with that envisioned future? Is there anything you can do differently today that can make a significant difference in your tomorrow? Answering these questions will help you determine your purpose, your vision, your values, and your priorities in life. Every life has a purpose and you exist for a purpose. Within the boundaries of that purpose you shape your attitude, skills, and goals. When you define your purpose and understand your ultimate goals, you have a strong foundation upon which to manage both your time and your life. Choices become easier because you make them in relation to your purpose, your values, and all that is important to you.
Values
Values are the principles you use to make decisions. They are your morals, ethics, and standards: those things that are important to you. They are what you perceive to be right and honest. They are non-negotiable, and unlike opinions, do not change. Take some time to evaluate your priorities and crystallize your values. Create a list of what is important to you. As you create your list of values, consider these questions:
- What gives your life meaning?
- What’s most important to you?
- What do you value?
In order to enjoy a life of fulfillment, you must decide what you want to be and do in your life. One of the most worthwhile activities in which you can engage, regardless of your age or station in life, is an exercise in introspection and values clarification. As was observed by Plato centuries ago, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” You make better choices when you understand what’s really important to you. The right choices improve the quality to your life.
Vision
Visualization, like introspection, is a power tool. It’s the process of forming a mental picture of the future. We must mentally accomplish something before we can physically accomplish it. Your ability to visualize your future is one of the most powerful tools for creating the future you want.
A clear and strong vision will help you to stretch your ability and achieve higher levels of success. A positive vision of our future gives meaning to life, and a significant vision precedes significant success. In addition to giving meaning to your life, a clear vision accompanied by specific goals automatically helps you prioritize options and make good decisions. If you know what is important to you and you can clearly see the long-term future you want, the daily decisions about how to get there become easier. To create the future you want and deserve, you must harness the power of visualization and activate your positive thoughts. Your thoughts will then bring about the appropriate and necessary behavior. The picture you carry within you will determine all that you accomplish in life; therefore your expectations influence your results.
So many people feel out of control and that the world around them is controlling their life as opposed to the way it ought to be. Take back control of your life and destiny by clarifying your purpose, values, and vision. Clearly knowing what you exist to accomplish combined with a clear understanding of what you value while visualizing where you see yourself in one, three, and five years provides liberating power. Take back control of your life and achieve what you were meant to achieve!
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, strategic planning, leadership development, executive coaching, and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: goals, Plato, Purpose, success, Time, Values, Vision
Posted in Personal Development | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
Learning, growing, and changing is possible with the right attitude and focus. All individuals have the ability to master their individual talents and be the best they can be! There are people who scoff at this philosophy and espouse limiting beliefs. However, that is the fundamental difference between positive thinking and foolish thinking. We all have the innate ability to be the best of who we were meant to be.
Based on a 2007-2008 NBA survey, the average height of a player is 6’6”. It would be fairly inconceivable for a person with the height of 5’4” to make the NBA a long-term career choice. It is certainly a goal that can be aspired to however, physical limitations could present ongoing challenges. Is it foolish thinking for an individual of 5’4” to want to be an NBA star? Retired player, Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues (Hornets, Warriors, and Raptors) who is 5’3” and Wizard’s point guard Earl Boykins who is 5’5” would probably disagree.
Many great people have overcome adversity and challenge to accomplish great things. Ronald Reagan spent his early life admittedly being an introvert, but during his Presidency he was coined “the great communicator.” Lance Armstrong won seven Tour De France races from 1999-2005 after battling and beating cancer. The acclaimed actor, Tom Hanks, admitted to being quite shy most of his younger years. Pablo Picasso overcame great poverty to become a renowned artist.
We are not born great at anything. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “All great speakers were bad speakers at first.” No leader, manager, artist, business owner, or musician started out great. However, the difference between average and great is the desire to develop and succeed, a commitment to do so, as well as a positive attitude and the belief that you will make it happen.
What do you desire to accomplish? What do you what to be known for or what will be your legacy? Define what you want to accomplish, achieve, do, and be. Be careful not to let your practical mind limit your dreams and ideas. Grant yourself permission to think big and out of the box. Make the commitment to define who you are supposed to be. Learning, growing, and changing takes work but the effort is worth the results.
The second step is making the commitment to pursue your dreams and take action. Establish and define a plan. Determine the destination and create a map to get there. Sometimes the steps necessary will be small, and sometimes you may have to take a leap of faith but trust your vision. Your contributions will make a difference to many, so failure should not be an option.
Finally, remember that positive thinking will get it done. That is not to say you will not face obstacles and adversity as success does not come easy. It has been my experience that nothing of significant value ever comes easy or free. However, your focus and your attitude will give you what is necessary to create the right solutions and the next best steps. You can’t control what happens around you but you can certainly control how you react. Your attitude and positive mindset are your secret weapons to success as you define it. Don’t let anyone or any circumstance take away your secret weapon as it is far too important to your contributions.
Tammy A.S. Kohl is President of Resource Associates Corporation. For over 30 years, RAC has specialized in business and management consulting, strategic planning, leadership development, executive coaching, and youth leadership. For more information visit www.resourceassociatescorp.com or contact RAC directly at 800.799.6227.
Tags: attitude, Earl Boykins, Lance Armstrong, Muggsy Bogues, NBA, Positive Thinking, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ronald Reagan, success, Tom Hanks, Tour De France
Posted in Attitudes | 12 Comments »
|
