Without goals, you'll hit your target of "nothing" every time. Commit to yourself & find your accountability in others.
Your business can't be built with just your efforts. You need to leverage the efforts of others. When someone is willing to be coachable, it's best to get them involved.
Kate Furlong from Manilla has the following tips to be wiser with your money before year end. "The end of the year is approaching quickly and the busyness of the holiday season often means that we tend to stop paying attention to our finances for a few weeks. Not only is this a bad idea because it can lead to unpleasant surprises when you check your statements in January, it’s also a missed opportunity to accomplish some last minute to-dos for the 2013 tax year. Here are a few things you should make sure to take care of before Dec. 31." 1. Open new tax-advantaged accounts. 2. Ramp up pre-tax savings. 3. Make charitable contributions. 4. Organize receipts. What do top athletes and successful managers have in common? They have the ability to regularly picture success before taking the necessary actions to achieve it. Success starts with a vision. Without a well-defined vision, priorities become confused, time management collapses, and performance wanes. Positive mental imagery (PMI) is a simple and effective technique to help you in your everyday working life1. Proactive daydreaming To understand PMI, think back to the times when you've daydreamed2. Without consciously thinking, your mind comes up with colorful images, sensations and actions that gave you a compelling picture. We can learn to draw upon this powerful human resource and focus on it to achieve the results we desire. Build an internal strategy PMI is used in the athletic world to rehearse competitive events before they occur. By rehearsing the exact type of performance required - physically, mentally and emotionally - the athlete is able to develop an internal strategy that prepares for the actual event. In the world of work, the technique has also been used to prepare for presentations and meetings. Simple and effective To start using PMI, find a quiet place where you know you will not be distracted. Taking five minutes in the morning or evening will be time well spent. You can sit or move around, depending on what activates your thinking. Select the specific event that you want to focus on. Slowly picture the exact situation - one frame at a time. Use all your senses to get the most impact. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? What do you smell? What do you taste? Imagine the specific outcome you want. Make it bigger, brighter, and louder. Heighten the emotional impact. See yourself overcoming any obstacles or barriers. Picture any solutions you need. Adapt your breathing to suit the result you want. This may require you to breathe more dynamically, or to breathe in a controlled and relaxed fashion. Let your muscles also adapt to the scenario. If it requires them to be firm and taught, or soft and relaxed, adopt the right muscular position. Re-run the image in your mind until you have clearly anchored the exact result you desire. Repetition is the key Although it may sound unrealistic at first, consistently practicing PMI does achieve results, and it can improve a variety of situations3. For specific events, such as presentations or meetings, you should practice as far in advance as possible. For everyday activities, including telephone calls and regular communications, it is helpful to rehearse the mental image of your desired outcome right before you answer the call or return an answer. Be innovative Probably the greatest benefit of mental imagery is that it can lead to innovation. We live in a fast-paced world requiring quick solutions. Training your mind to influence the delivery of results can be extremely beneficial. There is an old saying, "If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got." Be prepared to use mental imagery to get the most benefit. Sources
To achieve your goals, it pays to be assertive. How can you learn to be assertive without appearing aggressive? Assertiveness is not aggression. Assertiveness is asking for what you want and need, but it is based on the premise "I'm OK, you're OK". It shows you respect yourself and the person you are dealing with. It is very different from being passive - "I'm not OK, you are OK" - and from aggression where "I'm OK, you're not OK". Neither passivity nor aggression is beneficial - especially where your career is concerned. Do you want to be seen as a pushover? Someone who may be pitied, but not respected? Being passive may give people that impression. Not only will you not get what you want but also you may find you feel unappreciated. Passivity may get you an easy life by allowing you to avoid stress and conflict. But are you also giving the impression that you don't respect the person you are dealing with? Do you doubt their ability to take disappointment, to shoulder responsibility, to tackle problems? These are all signals you could inadvertently give out. However, it is important not to appear aggressive. Aggression will cause resentment from others and you may find people even less inclined to help you. Assertiveness treads the middle ground. It gives you the right to express your feelings, ask others what they feel and come to a mutually agreeable conclusion. How to be assertive Think about your message. What is the situation, how do you feel, and what do you want to happen? State your facts, feelings, and requirements to the person you are talking to. Identify the source of the problem, say how you feel and suggest what you would like to do to rectify the situation. This method concentrates on how you feel, and should result in a positive response rather than an aggressive one. Other things to think about are:
Confront your fears Many of us have fears about asserting ourselves. What makes you fearful? Is it feelings you have about yourself or thoughts about what other people might think of you? Identifying your fears will help you face them next time you need to be assertive. What are you scared of? Remember these are only thoughts not actual events. Being assertive will help you get what you want and feel more confident. Did you know you can listen to the Ambit Energy Podcast right here on AMBITupstate? Well you can. Don't miss an episode as there is always a tidbit that will help you with your business. Want to hear the podcast from your mobile device, you can do that too! |
Brian's words...With a few years of hard work, you can have financial freedom. Just ask how! Archives
February 2015
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