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Self motivating situations

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As a manager you can increase the potential and work efficiency of your employees by helping them to create self-motivating situations. Let's start by taking a look at what a self motivating situation is, how it makes you feel, and then look at what we can do to create this in the work environment.

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Employee Motivation Doesn't Need To Be Hard!

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What can you do with your employees to find new ways to help them out with their jobs Are you doing all that you can in order to focus on helping people to become life-long employees with your company Employee motivation comes down to a number of various factors that can be hard to understand. What are some of the things that you need to look at in order to properly motivate your employees Put yourself in their shoes. Find out what things motivate you to become a better employee yourself as many of these things will be the same for your staff members. Here are some of the things that you need to consider:

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Boosting Employee Morale

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Are you looking for ways to strengthen the morale of your customers Having high employee morale you need to be able to focus your efforts on looking at different ways in which you can understand the different ways that your company can work together. How can you find ways to motivate everyone Since everyone works differently and they all have different ideas of what needs to be done, it is important that you are looking for different ways to boost employee morale.

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Learning To Motivate Your Workforce

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How can you create a productive workforce You need to be able to figure out how you can motivate them. Everyone is inspired by different things so you need to understand each one of your employees individually in order to help you figure out how you can motivate each one of them individually and as a team. When everyone is able to really work together and they are all inspired, it helps to build a successful team.Here are some tips that can help you to find ways to motivate your workforce and create a successful company.

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Keeping Your Team Motivated

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How can you keep your employees motivated Working on helping them to work in teams is one of the best ways in which you can help them to increase the productivity of your company and helps employees to appreciate their jobs. When your employees work in teams, they are often able to feel respected and appreciated by the company and it can help you to increase the overall profitability of the company but it can also help you to create a company where your employees are motivated.

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How business managers can motivate their employees

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One of the most important tasks that any business manager has is motivating their employees. How successful you are in managing and motivating your employees will play a direct part in how successful your entire business will be. Savvy business managers know that value of their staff and seek to find ways to motivate their employees to perform their very best. The bottom line is that if your employees feel motivated and appreciated they will do far more to make your business productive. This not only benefits the company in higher productivity but provides employees with higher morale and job satisfaction which leads to higher employee retention. This is important since the cost of recruiting, hiring, and training new employees is prohibitive and should be avoided by businesses wherever possible. Here is what you need to know about how business managers can motivate their employees-

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Keeping Your Employees Motivated

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To increase productivity for your organization you need to focus on employee morale. What are you doing in order to improve the morale of your employees and to keep them motivated Having a staff that is anxious to work hard for you can be hard to find but with the right type of hard work you can create effective training programs and other things that will give employees the tools they need to perform their job duties. Then it is up to management to bring out the best in their employees and to create a healthy working environment. When an employee is motivated, they want to work hard and give their employers their best. These employees will perform better and they pay more attention to details and other things.Here are some tips on how you can keep your employees motivated and help them to increase productivity for your company.

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Why corporate gifts are a great gesture

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Thanking your employees or thanking your vendors and clients is a great way to strengthen your relationships with them. Corporate gifts provide you with a great opportunity to get in touch with those individuals and to start fostering relationships with them.

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What to do with employees that do not feel engaged

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Have you ever been bored at work If you have worked at a job where you did not feel like you were challenged at all, it's easy to resent this job and to start looking for a new job. As the manager of a company you don't want to be the person that is causing your employees to feel this way. You need to look for ways to help push them forward when they have to deal with the repetitive tasks day after day.

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The power of employee motivation programs

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We all know that motivating employees is vital to the success of a business. However not all of the business managers out there realize how they can properly motivate their employees and get them to become more productive and happy in their job responsibilities. Quality employee motivation programs not only encourage employees to become more productive but they also make them happier with their jobs and this helps lead them to stay with the company for many years.Employee retention can save you thousands of dollars and a lot of headache since you don't need to replace the employees and worry about the time it takes to train them and to also deal with the loss of productivity you will have as you are training them.

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How can your office benefit the environment

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It seems like everyone is starting to take notice of the chemicals and other things they are using that may be hurting the environment. If you want to take a proactive approach to becoming an energy efficient office, there are a number of things you can do to go green. One of the great things about going green is that it will help to reduce your utility costs and it can also have a positive impact on your employees as well.

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Defining how multitasking should work for businesses

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Every workplace has a number of standards that they implement on their staff. Dealing with multitasking is one thing managers often ask their employees to work on but unfortunately for them; they can't always perform to the same expectations as their managers. Multitasking in the workplace can be very complex and it can leave a number of employees feeling stressed and burned out.

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Workflow management advice

womanwithmessydesk23649027.jpg Having a smooth flowing working environment is needed to eliminate confusion and to ensure your employees know what is expected of them and that they are able to do their jobs correctly. What is workflow management It is when the work in the company is set up in stages and it is able to move through the organization in a timely manner with little or no problems. Management must work on setting up methods that will be able to allow the products to go through the system smoothly from the time of production to the time of delivery to the customers. Workflow is a very important part of the company and as a manager you need to make time to pay attention to it in order to ensure that you are able to get the right type of output.

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Why honesty matters in business management

poundingfists30395631.jpg There are a number of different factors that bring about a good manager or a bad one. If you want your organization to run smoothly and effectively, you need to make sure you are an honest person. Honesty will go a long way in fostering a number of relationships like those with your employees, vendors, and your customers. A company that is honest is one that can easily be respected by millions. However the sad thing is that there are a large number of employers that aren't honest with their staff. In fact there have been studies done that show only 2 out of every 5 bosses are honest with their employees. This usually involves promising the employees one thing and doing another and so on.

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What makes your business management technique successful

womanstanding33030346.jpg If you want to have a successful company you need to have the right type of business management techniques. You must be able to adapt to change and to be a leader to your employees. Everyone at the organization needs to perform their jobs to the best of their abilities or it can break down the company and you will end up in a tailspin, especially if your competitors exploit your weaknesses and take advantage of them. Define what your business management technique is so that you can work on strengthening it and so you will be able to help your business become a success. Here are the different types of management techniques:

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Time management for managers

clock63312045.jpg As a manager you are constantly doing multiple things at once. If you feel as though you are being pulled in every direction it is time for you to sit down and work on a list of responsibilities and to define how much time you can devote to each task. Time management is crucial for managers and unfortunately not too many people actually focus on it. Here are some great time management techniques you need to try out:

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Leadership tips for managers

chart30392829.JPG Are you ready to lead your team If you are new to the position of a manager you might be wondering what you can do in order to become an effective leader and to get your staff to follow you. There are literally 2 types of employees, those that want to follow and those that want to lead. You need to figure out what types of people you are working with as some may be able to flourish with different tasks that allow them to control it while other people need clear direction and instructions on what they need to do. Here are some great leadership tips for managers.

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Key business leadership skills

highfives10054971.jpg As the leader of a business you are looked to for just about everything. Your employees need you to be a symbol of strength that they can turn to in order to know where the company is headed and what their role is within the company. Becoming a manager means you are good at what you do and now it's time to start proving to everyone why you are the manager and why you are amazing at what you do. Here are the key leadership skills you need to develop in order to build trust and respect with your staff.

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How better business management can grow your business

graphpresentation16486405.jpg If you really want to make your small business into a success you need to start focusing on the end result of the company and to start setting goals for the future. You cannot rely on your staff alone or a single product to move the company into the future. You have to implement a successful business management plan that will be able to strengthen the company and to help it move into the future. What are some of the things you can do Here are the business management tips that you need to work on:

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Helping you with the decision making process

interview26236689.jpg Becoming a business manager is a monumental task to undertake as you will be faced with new challenges and obstacles daily. How you handle these roadblocks will say a lot about you as a person and a manager. One of the areas in which you need to work on is your ability to make sound decisions. The decision making process is one that is a struggle to some people because they panic and simply do not trust their abilities and what they are able to bring to the table. Here is a guide to help you make better decisions and to make them in a timely manner:

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Developing your leadership skills

bikerace19288371.jpg Do you have what it takes to be a true leader of your organization Becoming a leader isn't an easy process and it will take time in order for you to master these skills along with a lot of hard work and patience. There are a lot of misconceptions around what makes a good leader and it's not always clear for a new manager to figure out.

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Choosing a great coach for your staff

coworkers23120152.jpg Many companies send their employees off to training seminars and conferences for 10 days or longer. A training program will allow your employee to learn and perfect their skills. It's a great way to boost morale within the company and its also an effective way to increase production and job satisfaction. Since the sting of the economy is hitting companies all over, it is common now to see coaches come into the company to work closely with a team or department to help them learn how to perfect their skills. Choosing the right coach for your staff is a very tricky process and it needs to be done with a lot of research and interviewing to find the right person. Here are different types of coaches and how they can help.

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Help for dealing with employee motivation

groupofcoworkers32012584.jpgKeeping employees motivated can be a very challenging task. There will be times when you have periods of high morale due to large sales that are completed; new products launched, reduced workloads, etc. While these times may be some of your most productive times, it is unrealistic to think that your employees will have high morale all the time. A variety of factors play into employee morale and you cannot always control everything in order to keep your employees happy and satisfied. Here are some things you can try to see if it will boost employee morale and provide you with a happier and more productive working environment.

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Do you need motivational speakers

oldermanpointing30841371.jpgThere comes a time in every manager's role when they need a way to boost employee motivation. Some managers boost motivation through incentive programs while others take on the role of becoming or hiring a motivational speaker. A motivational speaker is a great way to give your employees a break from the daily grind and help them focus on how they can become better employees and better individuals.

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Using incentives to create a positive work environment

cashflow19162760.jpgIt is important for the workplace to be a positive one. When the workplace is positive it makes going to work a better experience for the employees and the employer. People tend to work better in a positive work environment and more employees will enjoy coming to work instead of dreading it.

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Learning to build a high performance team

portfolio71367089.jpgFor any business to become successful, you must build a team. High performance for any business to become successful boils down to how your employees perform as individuals and how they work as a team. Mangers have the responsibility of teaching their employees how to take their level of performance up a notch. Once you are able to help employees perform as individuals, it's much easier to help them learn how to perform as a team. If you would like to build a high performance team, here are some simple tips to follow:

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Improving communication in the workplace

businessmeeting30393267.jpgGood communication is an essential part of a productive and successful business. Most companies have some way that they can improve communication in their workplace. Here are some areas of communication that generally need to be improved, why, and how to improve them.

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Ensuring a quality work product

carpart67965274.jpgSuccessful businesses must have customers. And one of the best ways for a business to have customers is for them to produce a quality work product. But to produce a quality work product a business owner and the managers have to rely a lot on the work of their employees. Here are some tips to help a business owner and the managers ensure a quality work product from their employees.

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Creating effective job descriptions and holding employees to it

interview26236689.jpgA job description allows employees to see what duties their job entails. Many employers use it as a simple way to screen out potential employees that may not be ideally suited for the position. It allows employers to see what skills a potential employee must absolutely have and which ones they are willing to forego in order to find the right person for the job.

Job descriptions can also be used when you are have employee evaluations. If you have struggled with a certain employee, you can point out all of the things that they were hired to do and your disappointment with them as they have been unable to accomplish many of those things.

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Tips for team efficiency

twobusinesswomen23306487.jpgBuilding and efficient team is one of the greatest ways to improve the dynamic of your business and to make it more profitable in another way.Improved efficiency is one of the greatest ways to increase profits for your business and also makes work a more enjoyable place to be for you and your employees.There are lots of different things that can be done to improve team efficiency and here are just a few examples.

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Successful delegation and monitoring

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Successful delegation can be tricky.There is a lot of thought that must go into the who and how of delegation if you want for your workload re-distribution to be a success.Delegating successfully involves some basic management principles.The first thing that you need to do as you delegate to others is to clearly explain what you would like the desired outcome of the assignment that you are giving to be.You need to be specific about what is required.Failure to clearly articulate your expectations can lead to disappointment for both you and the employee.In addition to being detailed you also need to identify just how wide the window is for creativity.Acknowledge that your way is not always the better way and that you will need to let go of a least a little bit of your control if you are to achieve a result better than what you imagined.Leave the employee feeling like they have all the answers to the typical delegation questions.Clearly define the lines of authority, individual responsibility, accountability, etc.The employee being delegated to should know if they will need to wait for further instructions, if there is a specific individual they should go to with questions of, and how often they will need to report back with progress results.

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Managing introverts and extroverts

buisnessmeeting26238539.jpgThere are countless personalities in the workplace.All people bring a different flare to what they do.By trying to understand the common character traits of different personalities, we can better understand how to communicate and work effectively with all kinds of individuals.While you can spend your whole life learning about all the different personalities out there, most people fit into two very general categories: extroverts and introverts.Understanding the differences between introverts and extroverts, is an excellent starting place for effectively working with and managing as many people as possible in the work place.

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How to get your people to take pride in the quality of their work

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What motivates a person What motivates greatness Motivation is a great desire to accomplish something. Motivation is what makes Olympic runners sprint faster then anyone has ever run before. Motivation is what pushes technology to the limit. Wouldn't it be great to motivate your employees in a way that they could actually take pride in the quality of their work To do that the work that they are doing needs to be honorable initially. Do honest business and you will attract employees that will do the same.

Taking pride in quality of work starts with an example
. Be the one to show your company how important work is for success. Have meetings with them and seminars where they can ask questions, listen to seasoned professionals, and look at actual graphs of the company's growth. Motivation can be sparked when people know that they make a difference. Sometimes the day goes by so slow and the work that has been done seems so mundane that they can quickly forget how important their jobs are to the betterment of your business. Reminding your employees constantly that quality work produces quality results will help them put their game faces on.

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Why you should always give constructive and supportive feedback on past performances

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It is very important that you as a manager always give supportive and constructive feedback on past performances.If you want you company to run smoothly and the way that is should then you need to be able to communicate with your employees.You will need to tell them when they are doing something wrong and you need to tell them when they are doing a good job.If you are not open with your employees about their performance at work then both their job and yours won't get done correctly.Let's go over an example of supportive and constructive feedback on the job from a manager.

You are running a retail store and you have hired some new employees.One employee is a young man and this is his first job.This young man doesn't look like he is serious about life and is a bit of a clown.The next employ that you hire is a young woman who is very beautiful and out going and seems like she will get her job done.You hired the young man because you thought he deserves and chance and the young woman seemed to be just what you were looking for.Take a look at some supportive and constructive feedback that you can use to help your employees.

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How to make lazy employees into hard workers

manrelaxingatdesk30846571.jpg Every business has asked how they can make lazy employees into hard workers.Once in awhile there are workers that just seem to be getting lazy.Most of the time the employees were not lazy when they hired on, but have become lazy with the passing of time. To know how to make lazy employees into hard workers, a business must understand why the employees have become lazy.

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How to encourage employee participation in meetings

businessmeeting33030027.jpg Every business has meetings, and some have a harder time than others getting their employees to participate in the meetings.How to encourage employee participation in meetings so that the meetings are successful can be tricky for some.There are some strategies and approaches that can be used to encourage employee participation in meetings.These strategies and approaches can help the business to improve meetings and business management.

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How to keep morale high amongst your staff

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Making sure your employees are happy is one of the best things you can do to improve their productivity.Every employee gets depressed about their job once in a while.They hate being at work or just want to quit because of all the pressure.As a manager you can control how happy they are at work and how they are performing.Let's look at some ideas to make sure you staff is happy while at work.

One idea is to play team games.It's not exactly the most common thing to do but if you have the facilities it is a way to interact with everyone and have a good time.It is also a good stress reducer.Take your office out to a volleyball court and play for an hour.It will help reduce stress in your employees and help them get along better together.It will also help everyone relax and not think about all the stressful things at work.

Another great idea is to maybe do a potluck or a catered lunch with your department.Doing it at someone's home or even in your break room is a good idea.Once again it helps to relieve stress and is just a fun way to get together and to let everyone talk about things, not related to work.

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Helping Your Sales Team Increase Profits

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Every business depends on its sales team to build the company.Without a sales team you wouldn't have a company.They are the ones who get out there and tell everyone about your product.Making sure they are as profitable as can be is extremely important to your company so here are some ideas to help them become even better than they are.

First of all, every one can handle sale, but if your team isn't doing so well they need some encouragement.Make sure as a manager that you are strict on the rules but yet kind.You have to be someone they can talk to about what's really going on and not some guy they hate talking to.If you yell at someone every time they come to you with bad news, then they will hate talking to you.Often the people at the front lines have some really good advice and know why a product is or isn't selling.Getting their opinion is so important.If they are afraid of you they will spend the whole time intimidated and won't give you their honest opinion because they will be afraid to talk to you.

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How to get your sales team fired up

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If your company is lacking in sales you may be wondering how to get your sales team fired up. Your sales team is one of the biggest money makers for your company. If you have good sales for whatever product you are selling then you will have more money coming into your store. On the other hand if you have a lackluster sales team who don't connect with your customers or don't understand the product you may need to look at some options of How to get your sales team fired up.

Getting your sales team fired up can easily be done with some simple training. This training can be done on site making it easier for your sales team to attend. These seminars or training workshops are geared especially for your sales team. In these seminars or workshops your sales team will learn how to effectively answer questions so they are not guessing as to what the customers are asking for. Your sales team will learn how to better interact with existing customers to make sure all their needs are still being met. They will also learn how to up sell or use add-ons to generate more sales with existing customers or new customers. Your sales team will learn new and innovative ways to sell your existing products.

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Making Decisions about Raises

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After you have hired a new employee, you are faced with the decision on setting the employee wage. Of course, this is never an easy choice to make on setting the employee wage and it is the same choice you toil with when you decide on raising employee wages. Making decisions on this requires time and evaluation. There are two basic approaches to giving raises:
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  • Give everyone the same percentage or dollar amount raise

  • - Give employees different raises based on performance and equality between base raises.

One way to tell if you are paying your employees fair wages is to compare your companies' employee wage amount with your competitors. Do some research on what jobs are out there and what the starting salary is at for their jobs.

When starting the evaluation process, you primary concerns will probably be related to hoe much the employee wage is at now. You want to pay your employees enough to keep good ones, but at the same time you don't want to pay too much that your business's cash flow is jeopardized. When debating a few concerns, make sure to look at the overtime laws and minimum wage laws to be in compliance.

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Motivating a sales force

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Motivating a sales force can be a very difficult task for any manager.A manager's ability to motivate their sales staff is the key to bringing in profits and establishing a client base.The difficulty with motivating a staff is that each individual employee is different and is motivated by different factors.Here are a few tips for motivating a sales force.

Buy In

Salespeople must feel like an integral part of a company if they are going to be motivated to sell that company's products.Selling can be a very tedious and defeating job, and it is easy for employees to feel more used than helpful.Giving a salesperson as much information about company growth and product strength as possible will help them feel like they are helping the company to grow.This will create a buy in for employees and help them to become passionate about the products they are selling.

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Tips for introducing profit sharing as a reward


For some companies, particularly lucrative companies with stable profits, profit sharing is a great benefit to offer employees.If you have met with the executives of your company and you have decided that profit sharing is a good option for your company, the next thing to do is schedule at time to present profit sharing to the employees.Below are some tips for how you might go about introducing profit sharing.

Define profit sharing-there are misconceptions about profit sharing so you will need to carefully explain what profit sharing is.One of the most common misconceptions about profit sharing is that profit sharing and stock options are the same thing.Explain to your employee that profit sharing is a payment made every year (or every quarter-what ever works for your company) and that a proportion of the company's profits will be divided up among all employees.They should understand the difference between profit sharing and bonuses.For example, profit sharing is not based on merit.The only thing that you need to do to receive your share of the goods is maintain employment.When you make the presentation, give plenty of examples.Show what a million dollar year looks like, what percentage of that profit will be shared with employees and what each employee could expect to receive.Then do the same thing for a one hundred thousand dollar year.

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Tips for appropriately awarding achievements


There are so many different things that can help your employees feel more appreciated. One way that your employees can feel more appreciated is if they are awarded for their achievements. If you are looking for different ways to award your employee's achievements there are some things you will want to know. Here are some tips for appropriately awarding achievements.

The first tip for appropriately awarding achievements is to make sure that you recognize what your employees are doing. For example if your employees do a great job on a project make sure that you do something nice for them to let them know that their work is appreciated and that it was noticed. You can do this by getting a gift certificate to a restaurant that has enough money on it for two people. You can also give them a gift basket that has different goodies in it. Or something along these lines that will let your employees knows that you have recognized their achievements.

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Tips for building motivation


We could all use some tips on being better motivators. What does a motivator do, after all A motivator helps to provide motives for a person to accomplish a difficult or unwelcome task. That's one simple definition, at least, and the one we'll use for this short article. So, let's look at it closer.

I'm nobody, personality-wise; how am I supposed to motivate someone to do something they don't want to do

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Tips for motivating your employees long term

A positive work environment can help to motivate employees. A work environment where office politics are practiced daily have a negative effect on employee's motivation along with office morale. If employees do not respect on another they are more likely to participate in spreading rumors and taking credit for other peoples work. But if you can create a positive atmosphere and encourage employees to be a team, employees will begin to act and work as a team and also strengthen employee relations.
Look for opportunities to encourage positive interactions among employees, such as celebrate birthdays and weddings as a group. Allowing fun situations to occur among employees will give them the chance to get know each other on a personal level. Humor can also help to create a more positive work environment. Seeing the lighter side of things and being able to laugh at yourself can ease some of the stresses.
Communicate openly with employees and encourage employees to openly communicate with each other. Provide opportunities for people to make decisions about their job and work environment. Allowing employees to express their opinions and ideas about workplace policies and procedures can motivate employees to be more positive. Expressing opinions and ideas lets the employee know he is a valued member of a team and even if his ideas are not used, he was given the opportunity to be heard.

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Motivating your employees to think creatively

To motivate employees to think more creatively, you must first establish a positive work relationship. Having a positive work relationship will help to establish a positive work environment which will help promote creativity. There are six key factors to help build a positive work relationship.
1. Trust. When people are in trusting relationships they seek advice and input from one another. Also when people trust each other they openly discuss successes and failures and try to learn from them.

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Converting to alternative fuels

Of course it sounds like a good idea to convert to alternative fuels.Alternative fuels are better for the environment, easier to access or create, and some fuels can pro-long the life of your automobiles.But there are often costs to be considered while making changes.Regardless of how good alternative fuels are, you need to know if converting your current fleet to alternative fuels is going to be worth the investment.

Converting to alternative fuels combines personal opinion, financial resources, and feasibility.There are advantages and disadvantages to the decision of converting to alternative fuels.These differences vary from business to business and person to person.As you try to make the most informed decision possible, consider the following examples of advantages and disadvantages to converting to alternative fuels:

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2 way pagers - good for your business

The topic of this article is whether or not two-way pagers are a good idea for your business.Now, when we are talking about two way pagers, we aren't talking about the pager that your first boss owned when you were sixteen and working at the mall.When you think about a pager, you are probably thinking about that small yet bulky black box that was hooked onto the belt buckle, that didn't do a whole lot except for beep and flash a phone number that you were supposed to call when someone wanted you, like your boss or your mother if you were out past your curfew.

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Should You Pay Stock Options

It used to be that stock options were reserved only for executives or members of top management. However, more and more employers are opting to offer stock options to all employees as part of their compensation package. In fact, more than 10 million American workers receive stock options as part of their compensation or as bonuses.

What Are Stock Options
Stock options give employees the right to buy a specific number of shares of their company's stock during a time and at a price that the employer specifies. The price the company sets on the stock, also referred to as the grant or strike price, is offered to employees at a discounted price. This price is most often the market price of the stock at the time the employee is given the stock options. After a certain amount of time, an employee can elect to cash in his stock options. The idea behind this is that the stock price will have gone up during that amount of time, so the employee will be able to sell them at a higher price, thus yielding a profit.

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Should You Pay Bonuses How Much and to Whom

An employee bonus can be a motivating factor for any employee and is an excellent way to boost performance, build loyalty in employees, and motivate employees to reach goals. However, if handed out incorrectly, a bonus can be ineffective in regards to motivation as well as a waste of money for employers.

When Should You Pay Bonuses
Many people believe that in order for bonuses to be effective motivational tools, they should be given solely based on performance. An employee who, for example, knows that he will receive a 10% bonus at the end of the year if he reaches his sales quotas will be more likely to work harder and increase performance than an employee who is given a 10% Christmas bonus each year, regardless of performance. When a bonus is commonplace and not based on performance, it can become expected as a part of the salary instead of what it truly is - a reward for above-average work.

Continue reading "Should You Pay Bonuses How Much and to Whom"

What to look for when buying logo-embroidered shirts for your business

Whether we like it or not, we are strongly influenced by what we see.You would not look for a fancy French restaurant between a grungy tattoo parlor and a run-down bar.You would look next to an elegant hotel or quaint boutique.You would expect the restaurant to look sophisticated and inviting from the moment you saw it.

The same is true in business attire.You want your appearance to say something about your company-the kinds of things you stand for, as well as the kind of people you are.You want to look professional, trustworthy, and educated.But at the same time, you want to look approachable, friendly and relaxed.

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How To Choose The Best Holiday Gift Basket

Choosing a memorable gift is often a challenge.Here are some tips to help you select a gift basket that will cause the recipient to remember you positively for years!

If you're like most people, there's a gift basket or some corporate gift baskets on your shopping list this holiday season.

After carefully researching the gift basket industry, and talking to a number of suppliers within it, here are some insider tips we've discovered to help you choose a gift basket the recipient will appreciate and remember for years to come:

Continue reading "How To Choose The Best Holiday Gift Basket"

The Secret Weapon For Gaining Wealth

Recently a friend of mine was talking about all the
opportunities that seem to come her way without her even
searching for them. For example, someone tells her about a
house she can buy as a rental property investment. Next
thing you know, someone else tells her about another one.
Then, she's at a spa one day talking to the spa owner and
now she's investing in owning a spa.

Continue reading "The Secret Weapon For Gaining Wealth"

Motivational Operations

There's an inexorable law operating in business.I call it the law of UP ·Unfulfilled Potential.One can see aspects of this law working in other areas:

For instance, in neurophysiology, humans are supposed to use only a fraction of our brains' capabilities; in technology, superconductivity is not yet widely available; and in medicine, the harnessing of the body's abilities to fight cancers is only just beginning to be understood and realized.

But the law of UP is particularly dominant in the business world ·and especially in operations.Operations is the blocking and tackling of any organization, the fundamentals that create the foundation for consistent success.

It's such an important function that in many companies the Chief Operating Officer is usually the next in line for the job of CEO.If a company is not doing operations well, all of its other functions are diminished.

Having consulted with operations leaders in a variety of top companies for two decades, I've seen that many are unfortunately strict adherents to the law of UP ·for one main reason: They've neglected an all-important results-driver, motivation.

Continue reading "Motivational Operations"

Are Creative Stereotypes Holding You Back

Here's a quick quiz:

1) When I see a sunrise, I'm moved to:
A. Compose a poem.
B. Try and capture the beauty with my paints and brush.
C. Stumble drunkenly into bed -- boy that party was a lot of fun.
D. Cover my face with my pillow and go back to sleep. Who in their right mind gets up early enough to look at sunrises


2) At work, I'm the person my coworkers go to when they need someone to:
A. Think up a new theme for the office party (especially if they want it to be a bit wild and off the wall).
B. Get people excited for the party.
C. Organize the party.
D. Clean up after the party.


3) In school, I was considered one of the:
A. Brains.
B. Jocks.
C. Nerds.
D. Nothing. I was kicked out my sophomore year.


Now take this test again and write down what you think a creative person would choose as his or her answer.

Scoring: Well, there's no real scoring here. The point is to get you thinking about creativity and stereotypes.

In another creativity article I wrote, "Quiz: Are Your Creative", I pointed out that the biggest difference between creative people and those who aren't is creative people believe they're creative and uncreative people believe they aren't.

Continue reading "Are Creative Stereotypes Holding You Back"

Personal Branding Secrets for Women Who Want the Corner Office

Most women think that if they work hard that they'll be rewarded with the career of their dreams. Unfortunately that's not the way it works in the real world called business. Women must learn how to effectively tell the world what they bring to the table in terms of strengths and expertise. They must also be able to explain how their strengths add value to the department and for the organization...and, FINALLY they must be able to express where they want to go within the organization and industry.

Little girls are often taught to be seen and not heard.To experience success, women must be able to find the right balance of confidence that allows them to communicate and market themselves successfully without feeling as though they just belittled the world! That means erasing those old tapes that keep you from embracing your responsibility for your success.

Women have to learn to be bold in the way that they communicate in the business world.There is nothing wrong with taking credit for results that happen under your leadership.


Here are five of the most powerful steps to help women develop and market their personal brand.

Continue reading "Personal Branding Secrets for Women Who Want the Corner Office"

Thriving in 2005: Becoming a Phenomenal Women Leader on Her Way to the Top!

How many of you are tired of the traditional top down leadership styleResearch says a lot of people are tired of the traditional leadership style.In fact, according to the Gallop organization, 80% of all employees wake up on Monday morning and don't want to go to work.The primary reason for employees who don't to be at work is what You guessed it, the boss!With this kind of data who would disagree that this leadership model doesn't work anymore Make 2005 the year you become the best leader possible and get ready to experience phenomenal career success.HowAdopt a new leadership style.

After years of research and hundreds of interviews, I am convinced that this new model will blend the best of the male and female styles.I called this new leadership style, the hybrid leader. America's future is contingent on the workforce getting this new leadership model right.America needs employees to be happy about going to work. WhyHappy employees are more productive, go figure.The research shows that 1 out 9 employees have thought about physically harming a fellow employee.When people are thinking about hurting each other they can't be thinking about innovative ways to add value to the business.And if this information is not compelling enough think about one more data point:1 out of 3 employees is depressed and they don't even know it (Psychology Magazine).

Continue reading "Thriving in 2005: Becoming a Phenomenal Women Leader on Her Way to the Top!"

The ONE Thing YOU Should Focus On Right Now

Let me just start out by saying that I cant tell you what that "one thing" is. It is for you to choose, and for you to do.

There's a lot of talk out there among the 'experts' - about how to get rich, how to become successful, how to do this or how to do that. It's very easy to get distracted, and even easier to become overwhelmed. "Information Overload", they call it.

The truth is, there are A LOT of viable business ideas out there. There are MANY ways to become successful - or wealthy. There is TONS of potential in online marketing. And there's still PLENTY of room for you to step in and claim your fortune.

The question is: What are you going to do

You could:

- write a book or an ebook
- promote affiliate programs via PPC
- sell products on eBay
- create and optimize content-rich sites in niche markets
- build an empire of mini-sites
- become a public speaker
- be a web designer, copywriter or VA

Continue reading "The ONE Thing YOU Should Focus On Right Now"

3 Ways Journaling Can Boost Your Creativity and Your Business

I have a friend who has struggled with her creativity for a long time. She's extremely uncomfortable thinking of herself as "creative." We've been working together on it, and making progress. One of the tools that's really helped her has been journaling.

From Julia Cameron's The Artist Way to Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones to Linda Trichter Metcalf, Ph.D. and Tobin Simon, Ph.D.'s Writing the Mind Alive to numerous other publications, journaling has enjoyed a long history of creative-nurturing along with a host of other benefits.

For my purposes, I'm defining journaling as any sort of loose, longhand writing. Whatever thoughts come into your head you put them down on paper. There's no structure, no form, nor concern about spelling or grammar or even legibility.

Even if writing isn't your dream, incorporating a regular program of journaling into your life is a wonderful way to jump-start your creativity and cultivate a constant flow of new ideas. Here are three reasons why.

1. Helps you get rid of the junk in your head. We all have it. Junk thoughts. Everything from self-defeating comments ("Oh, I'll never be good at that." or "Who told you that you could be a writer") to the "worry of the moment" to neurosis of every type to the ever-growing, constant to-do lists.

Continue reading "3 Ways Journaling Can Boost Your Creativity and Your Business"

Top Ten Ways to Develop New Success Habits

1. Make a clear, specific commitment to what you want. Put your commitment in writing and post it where you can see it often.

2. Determine what has to happen and what changes are required to get new results.

Consider the attitudinal and behavioral modifications you must make. Create a plan to follow through.

3. Decide what you are willing to do to make this happen. Be extremely honest with yourself. The degree of action you will take is directly related to how motivated and committed you are.

4. Understand your motivation. Write down compelling reasons to promote change.

Use the pleasure/pain principle. People only initiate change when two conditions are present. When we believe behavior modification will provide massive amounts of pleasure, we are motivated to go through the process. Conversely, we can become motivated by the thought of the destructive pain we will have if we don't change our thoughts, actions or deeds.

5. Believe you can achieve your objective and get excited about taking action. You have to believe it to see it.

Continue reading "Top Ten Ways to Develop New Success Habits"

Fire Your Inner Brat!

Who runs your business -- you or your inner brat Everyone has an inner brat. It's the part of us that's still a 2-year-old. It gets furious at the slightest inconvenience. It feels entitled to get what it wants when it wants, and it whines and complains when things don't go its way.

Chances are this describes at least one of your clients or employees. It's always easier to spot someone else's inner brat than your own. But take a moment now to reflect on yourself and answer the following questions:

* Do you frequently complain that something isn't fair

* Do you get angry at least once a day

* Do you hate at least one client or employee

* Are you convinced that the government, the economy or the competition is responsible for the lack of growth in your business

* Have you made bad decisions because you were upset

* Are you a spreader of gossip

* Do you frequently forget to follow through on things or return phone calls

Continue reading "Fire Your Inner Brat!"

8 Ways to Earn More Without Working Harder

Conventional wisdom has it that there are only three ways to grow your business: find new customers, increase the amount of each sale to existing customers or get customers to buy more frequently. But I've seen business owners go blank when presented with those three options. So here is a more useful list of ways to increase your total revenues without in most cases having to put in more hours at the office.

1. Charge by the project rather than by the hour. Hourly fees are a death trap for the experienced professional. You get penalized for being able to zoom right in to the nub of the problem and its solution. If you are good at what you do, instead provide customized quotes for each whole project. Most clients prefer this anyhow, so that they know in advance what they will owe you. The exception is when you can't nail down the scope of the project before getting started; in that case alone, revert to hourly fees.

2. Boost your exclusivity and perceived value. If you emphasize that you don't sell to just anyone who shows up at your door, but you have certain criteria for the clients you choose to serve, people become more eager to engage your services. Likewise, if you drive home the value that you provide with testimonials, case studies, client lists and specific results you have achieved in the past, you'll get a greater return from all the marketing you're already doing.

3. Create higher-end, higher-priced programs and options. A photographer friend of mine learned that people enjoy options to select from, and they most like to select the next-to-most-expensive option. So to increase her income from framed family portraits, she simply offered a larger and more expensive frame as the biggest option. Customers were then more likely to choose the second biggest, which cost more than the previous second biggest frame.

Continue reading "8 Ways to Earn More Without Working Harder"

If You Don't Measure It...It Won't Happen

January is over and many folks are finding that their goals, resolutions, and resolve that started in the New Year have melted with the snow. "I always begin the year with lots of ideas to improve my life at work and at home," one retail executive laments, "But then I get busy with the day to day tasks and they seem to fall by the wayside."

The problem may be measurement.If you don't measure it...it won't happen.

Too often, people set "trophy goals" for themselves, i.e.; increase sales 20%, streamline operations, lose ten pounds, or make more time for family.These trophy goals are great for visioning where you want to be in the future.But they are useless to actually achieve the goals.

For goals to be accomplished they have to be broken down into smaller increments that can be measured on a daily basis; they must be turned into "process goals."Also referred to as "incremental goals," they must be concrete, have a time frame, and be measurable to be successful.

Trophy goals can be converted to process goals by asking the question, "What do I need to do on a daily, weekly, monthly basis to make this happen"Then make a list of the answers in the left column of a paper.Include as many ideas as possible so that if some of the steps are difficult or don't work, you don't get stuck.Then create check boxes or lines that you can mark on a daily basis to track your progress.

Continue reading "If You Don't Measure It...It Won't Happen"

5 Simple Strategies for Keeping Your Life Stuck

One of the most common statements I hear when I talk with potential clients is, "I feel stuck." People find themselves feeling stuck in different ways. They may be in a relationship that no longer is working, but they don't know how to leave. They may have a dream of starting their own business, but aren't exactly sure where to begin. Or they may just want to incorporate more fun in their lives, but aren't sure how to make that happen.

The feeling of being stuck is very familiar for most of us. Even though our lives seem to be in constant motion, very little of that motion actually moves us forward. We are similar to a log-jam in a river. The river is rushing all around us, but we aren't going anywhere. Why is it so easy for us to lose life's flow What is it about the way we live our lives that leads us towards "stuck"

There are probably many answers to these questions. In this article I will talk about 5 of the most common behaviors I see that hold us back from living the lives we really want to live.

Believing What You Think

The average mind has about 60,000 thoughts a day and most of us believe about 99% of what we think. Some of our thoughts are a product of how we were raised and the culture in which we live. Others are the product of our mind synthesizing our observations into our own brilliant deductions about the world. Our thoughts help us make sense of our world and our life so it is only logical that we hold our thoughts to be the truth.

Continue reading "5 Simple Strategies for Keeping Your Life Stuck"

The Simple Steps to Reaching Your Goals

I'm sure this is not the first time you have heard about goal setting. The reason you keep hearing about it is because it really is important to your life.

A good definition of goals is that they are dreams with deadlines. Yes, you can make your dreams come true. How do you want your life to be 10 years from now How about 5 years, next year, or even 6 months from now.

The only difference between setting goals for your business or career, and setting personal goals is the subject matter. With commitment and persistence, and setting goals, your life can be any way you want it.

When you actually sit down and start identifying goals, you will probably end up with a long list. Decide what is most important to you in your business and personal lives.

All goals do not have equal value. Some will be more meaningful to you. These are the goals to start on. Keep your list of the remaining goals to get back to later. Trying to do too much at the same time can be self-defeating.

Once you have selected the goals to start on, give each goal a deadline.

Continue reading "The Simple Steps to Reaching Your Goals"

Goal Achievements for Busy People

Whizzzzzzz .. Ding .. Ding .. Flash .. Ding ....... Plop! Many of you mightn't recognise these sounds. But for me they are memories of long lost school holidays. Many hours (and dollars) were spent playing pinball machines or Space Invaders. I was no pinball wizard - but I learnt a life lesson or two as my pocket money disappeared.

You see, life is a bit like an arcade game. We start each game -as each year - with fresh enthusiasm. Then we quickly get caught in frantic efforts just to keep the ball in play - to keep our busy lives on track. Finally, no matter how good we are, our turn runs out and we are left to reflect on how much we've achieved before starting again.

As another year ends, some of you will feel you've achieved a high score, having reached most of the goals you set yourself this time last year. Others - perhaps most - will be frustrated that you couldn't get more done (as I was at the end of most of those games).

So what can pinball teach us

For a start: it isn't all about rushing. I had some mates who were real arcade artists; they could make their 20 cents last for ages. While they always scored much more than me, they never seemed to work as hard as I did.

Similarly, I'm sure you know at least one of those people who seem to always to get an awful lot done, but never seem to be over-extended in the process.

Continue reading "Goal Achievements for Busy People"

The Comfort Zone

I have a friend named Gene, a serial entrepreneur who currently runs a software business. Like many people, last year was a tough one for his company. They survived largely by providing add-on services to existing customers - a decent response to difficult circumstances. They even grew revenues a bit. But here's something else that happened: They got comfortable. They decided they could exist on their base of customers, and then they "realized" there would be no new ones.

Is that bad Isn't that just accepting reality as it is

It might not be bad, except that Gene's people got used to the idea of "no new customers", and it stuck with them. They've continued to draw revenues from this satisfied base, but lead generation and prospecting has remained almost nil. They are now looking at an empty pipeline, and unless things change soon, I'd say the forecast for the future is not bright.

There is a state of mind I'd like to acquaint you with known as the comfort zone. Perhaps you are already familiar with this insidious disposition. Did I say insidious How can comfort be insidious

You know, don't you.

Continue reading "The Comfort Zone"

Creating Breakthroughs Now

As a business coach I have written a great deal about building a higher performance venture, creating breakthroughs, inventing the future, and generally moving faster than the speed of change -- or at the very least -- moving faster than your competitors.

The most important thing you can do now - right at this moment - is get moving on something that's going to make a big, a tremendous difference.

Reading this little bit of coaching and simply setting it down, even if you say to yourself "Wow! That sounds like it will work!" will, as you know already, accomplish nothing.

Pick a problem -- pick something you've been thinking about for a while -- and apply any and all ideas that you think fit that best.

Or pick any business coaching article at random and put it to work.You needn't start big (although that would be my personal preference) - start small if you like.

Choose an idea and bring it to your next management meeting. Have your team help you flesh it out and put it into action.

Continue reading " Creating Breakthroughs Now"

Three Factors Of Leadership Motivation

Leaders do nothing more important than get results. But you can't get results by yourself. You need others to help you do it. And the best way to have other people get results is not by ordering them but motivating them. Yet many leaders fail to motivate people to achieve results because those leaders misconstrue the concept and applications of motivation.

To understand motivation and apply it daily, let's understand its three critical factors. Know these factors and put them into action to greatly enhance your abilities to lead for results.

1. MOTIVATION IS PHYSICAL ACTION. "Motivation" has common roots with "motor," "momentum," "motion," "mobile," etc. - all words that denote movement, physical action. An essential feature of motivation is physical action. Motivation isn't about what people think or feel but what they physically do. When motivating people to get results, challenge them to take those actions that will realize those results.

I counsel leaders who must motivate individuals and teams to get results not to deliver presentations but "leadership talks." Presentations communicate information.. But when you want to motivate people, you must do more than simply communicate information. You must have them believe in you and take action to follow you. A key outcome of every leadership talk must be physical action, physical action that leads to results.

Continue reading "Three Factors Of Leadership Motivation"

7 Simple Tips For Boosting Self-Confidence

Want to feel more confident Use these 7 tips each day and watch your confidence soar...


1 Spend Time Each Day With Confident People

Their energy and inner strength is so inspiring that you will find yourself feeling more empowered just by listening to them talk.

And you can get tips from them. All you need to do is ask! Even one good idea could point you in a whole new direction you would not have otherwise considered.

2 Find A Mentor

Nearly all successful people have a mentor. You too need someone who has already done what you are working to achieve who is willing to advise you.

This person will help you to succeed even more quickly than you can imagine. Remember, two minds are better than one.

Continue reading "7 Simple Tips For Boosting Self-Confidence"

Failure is Not an Option

I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that online businesses -- just like brick and mortar businesses -- have a very high failure rate for startups. Ever wonder why that is There are several business consultants, success gurus, and motivational experts who can tell you. The problem is: Most of us don't listen.

How many times have we heard the "success secrets" of the multimillion-dollar pros Countless times we have all been preached to about setting goals, having a defined plan, giving it all we've got, and aiming high. Yet still, take a look around. The statistics of small business failures have not changed. In the first five years of starting a new business, the odds say that you'll fail.

Ready for the good news There is one thing I can tell you -- from personal experience, and from the experience of well-known, successful online business owners that I know. More important than setting goals, more than following a plan, more than shooting for the moon, is your mindset. Ask people who have succeeded online how they did it, and they are sure to tell you that they had to. That's right -- they HAD to. Why Because failure is not an option.

Continue reading "Failure is Not an Option"

Failure is Not an Option

I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that online businesses -- just like brick and mortar businesses -- have a very high failure rate for startups. Ever wonder why that is There are several business consultants, success gurus, and motivational experts who can tell you. The problem is: Most of us don't listen.

How many times have we heard the "success secrets" of the multimillion-dollar pros Countless times we have all been preached to about setting goals, having a defined plan, giving it all we've got, and aiming high. Yet still, take a look around. The statistics of small business failures have not changed. In the first five years of starting a new business, the odds say that you'll fail.

Ready for the good news There is one thing I can tell you -- from personal experience, and from the experience of well-known, successful online business owners that I know. More important than setting goals, more than following a plan, more than shooting for the moon, is your mindset. Ask people who have succeeded online how they did it, and they are sure to tell you that they had to. That's right -- they HAD to. Why Because failure is not an option.

When you set your sights on something as grand as starting your own business, you simply have to have the mindset that, regardless of what happens, you will not allow yourself to fail.

Continue reading "Failure is Not an Option"

Will and Vision

Remember Chux The disposable diaper that took the market by storm in 1932

Of course you don't. Chux saw its product as a luxury item, and happily kept its little throwaway business to itself for almost forty years. Then Pampers came along in the 1960s, supported by a huge, mass-consumer vision with persistence to match, and blew Chux out of the market-transforming baby rearing forever.

And everyone knows the legend of the two Steves-Jobs and Wozniak-who invented the personal computer in someone's garage. Only they didn't. The Altair MITS came to market long before in 1975. It's just that Steve Jobs had the mammoth vision of a computer on every desk; and Apple II became the first PC hit.

I just finished reading a brilliant book titled Will and Vision-How Latecomers Grow to Dominate Markets, by Grard J. Tellis and Peter N. Golder.

Continue reading "Will and Vision"

The Simple Secret To Lasting Motivation

It is easy for psychologists to predict how successful you will be by observing who you spend your time with. Why is this true Because your peer group exerts a massive influence over your behavior and your aspirations.

If you have friends who are highly driven business people, spend time with them whenever you want a motivational boost. You will feel charged up and more ambitious after meeting them. And it's fun.

Of course if all you did was talk business every evening your life would become one-dimensional pretty quickly.

At the other end of the spectrum you can also socialize with people who drift through life with no dreams for the future with no goals that really excite them.

Still, these are good people and you can enjoy their company. I do know however that if you spend all your time with your unmotivated friends you will over time question your drive and ambition.

Eventually you will become less inclined to set inspiring goals for the future and one day you might even give up on wanting to grow as a person.

Continue reading "The Simple Secret To Lasting Motivation"

Creating Breakthroughs Now

As a business coach I have written a great deal about building a higher performance venture, creating breakthroughs, inventing the future, and generally moving faster than the speed of change -- or at the very least -- moving faster than your competitors.

The most important thing you can do now - right at this moment - is get moving on something that's going to make a big, a tremendous difference.

Reading this little bit of coaching and simply setting it down, even if you say to yourself "Wow! That sounds like it will work!" will, as you know already, accomplish nothing.

Pick a problem -- pick something you've been thinking about for a while -- and apply any and all ideas that you think fit that best.

Or pick any business coaching article at random and put it to work.You needn't start big (although that would be my personal preference) - start small if you like.

Continue reading "Creating Breakthroughs Now"

Seven Ways To Get Out of a Rut

Rut: a routine procedure, situation, or way of life that has become uninteresting and tiresome...

And not surprisingly, unprofitable.

They say a rut is a shallow grave with two open ends. The good news (good news!) is that the ends ARE still open, which means if you act fast, you just might out of it.

How do we get into these ruts anyway Who would voluntarily lie down in that grave, shallow or otherwise Dr. Edward Debono suggests that thoughts are pathways literally "etched" in our brain as electrical connections, that get strengthened each time we think them -- thus limiting our mental options. Just like cow paths.

It all begins when one of the cows wanders home from the field along a new path. Being cows, others naturally follow, nicely beating down the grass. The next evening our intrepid cow is a bit less bold, and follows her own freshly trampled path, fellow cows in lockstep behind her. And so on, night after night, widening the path into a footpath, which over time becomes hardened into a dirt road. More time passes and the road is paved into a street, then an avenue, a two-lane highway, and ultimately an interstate.

Continue reading "Seven Ways To Get Out of a Rut"

How to Stay Motivated Until You Succeed (and Beyond)

Motivation has several faces...some good, some not so good.

Some motivation is like a pep-rally: We go to the meeting, listen to the tape or read the book and get all revved up. Unfortunately, this type of motivation fades pretty quickly, and has to be replenished often.

Another face of motivation is negative motivation: Guilt or fear nagging us on to carry out tasks in a begrudging fashion. "You ought to..." is often the cry of this motivator.

A third type of motivation is group motivation: We do what everyone else is doing. This is why our teenagers choose the same "non-conformist" clothing all their friends are wearing.

All three of these have their place: Sometimes "pep-rally" motivation becomes "inspiration", moving us to our highest acts. We apologize and change our behavior in response to appropriate guilt. We obey the law due to fear of consequence. Fitting in is an important part of social adjustment.

But there is a fourth type of motivation, a type of motivation you must have in order to succeed-whether it is in business or in more important areas of life.

Continue reading "How to Stay Motivated Until You Succeed (and Beyond)"

How To Be Motivated To Create The Life Of Your Dreams

When it comes to motivating yourself to be a better person, to do better at work or to create a happier family life you need to understand the importance of taking control of your self talk.

Do you ever pay attention to the thoughts inside your mind And more importantly do you ever notice the way in which you talk to yourself

Here are three tips you can use right away to motivate yourself:


1 Talk To Yourself The Way You Talk To Someone You Love

Be honest! Is it true you sometimes insult yourself, curse yourself and say horrible things about your abilities

If you spoke like this regularly to the people you care about they would leave and never talk to you again. There is no excuse for treating yourself so badly.

Talk to yourself the way you would talk to someone you deeply love. Be respectful, patient and understanding. Be slow to anger, quick to praise and grateful for the opportunity to listen.

Continue reading "How To Be Motivated To Create The Life Of Your Dreams"

5 Easy Steps to Staying Motivated

It's a typical evening... you've just come home from your "Day Job" exhausted from a long day; your significant other wants to spend time with you, maybe you have kids that need your attention, you have bills to pay, chores to do, dinner to make, and sleep to get before getting up and doing it all over again tomorrow! What a grind!

You know that you want to build your own home-based Internet business so you can get out from under your daily grind and live the life you are dreaming of. So how in the world do you motivate yourself to find the extra time every
day to build your business

You are in luck, because this isssue of our newsletter will give you some quick and easy steps to help you to find the time to work on your business and still have time for the hundreds of other things you need to do!

The process starts with knowing what you need to get done. Since you are reading this newsletter, we'll assume that you've already got a business idea in mind and that you have a specific goal in mind. Probably something like
making more than you spend every month!!.

Continue reading "5 Easy Steps to Staying Motivated"

The Missing Ingredient To Success

Today, I want to talk to you about something that's missing in a lot of our lives.

This missing ingredient is the thing, that if we would add it to our lives it, it would have a powerful effect on us.

I want to talk to you today about a simple idea.

A simple idea that could help you grow to the next level in your life. A simple idea that could help you to experience new things and see results like you never have before!

But first, I want to talk to you about a strange phenomenon that happens with caged canaries.

I know it sounds strange but you'll see how this fits in a minute, so READ CAREFULLY!


Caged Canaries If you have 100 canaries that have been raised from an egg and spend their whole lives in a cage, then what do you think will happen in you left the door to their cage open one day

You're going to be surprised at what happens...

Continue reading "The Missing Ingredient To Success"

Bringing Your New Business Back to Life

You drag yourself into the kitchen after a hard day at the office. Staring glumly at the empty fridge, you try to block out the sounds of the kids squabbling, the dog barking to go outside, and the blare of the TV in the background.

You are just *so* tired.

Day after day, week after week, you promise yourself that you're going to work on your business.

'What business,' you think bitterly, 'The one that still hasn't produced a single thin dime'

That's the one. It is incredibly easy to get discouraged when your business isn't making money ... and even more so when your life is filled with other priorities. You're just plain worn out - and you don't savor the prospect of spending your precious free time struggling with a business that has yet to turn a profit.

But the simple fact of the matter is: If you don't work your business, who will

Continue reading "Bringing Your New Business Back to Life"

How To Improve Your Personal Success

When it comes to your personal success, which we'll define as your sense of happiness, satisfaction and significance, you want the best results. However, if that's not happening, you're probably not practicing.

Producing the best results takes practice, even if you're gifted, or if things come to you naturally. This is as true for personal success, as it is for business and career success.

Most people expect personal success to just happen, but it's usually not that simple. You're busy with work, family and easily become distracted by the day's demands, the expectations of others, and the confusion of your own negative self-talk and doubts. All of this erodes your focus.

Creating and maintaining personal success is a choice and requires effort, but you can succeed if you know what to practice. These five tips can help:

Continue reading "How To Improve Your Personal Success"

Dealing With Failure

You are not a failure if your project fails. Making mistakes and having failures is a part of life. You can accept them and learn from them, or be bitter and give up on your dream. Failures are actually your training ground. You can learn valuable lessons from them. If you do, you can make them the stepping stones to your success.

There is a simple truth that many never learn: If you keep on doing what you have been doing, you will keep on getting what you have been getting. It is insanity to expect different results with the same efforts. This holds true for your business life and with your personal relationships. If you are happy with what you're getting, keep doing it. If not, try something else.

Don't give up on your dream. Keep fine tuning it until it works. Most people have to make a few adjustments before they find their niche. We all have different strengths and weaknesses. What works for someone else won't necessarily work for you. You have to discover what harmonizes with your unique attributes.

Continue reading "Dealing With Failure"

The Amazing Success Secret Anyone Can Start Using Today

The way we live today more and more emphasis seems to be placed on career success, material gain and achievement.

And in an increasingly complex world sometimes it seems like technology and rigid processes have become more important than the people they were set up to serve.

However there is one success secret that costs nothing. And we can all use it today to get ahead more quickly.

I am talking about cultivating exceptional people skills in a way that puts you ahead of the crowd, in a way that respects and honors the people you deal with in your life.

Ironically when we neglect people skills the complex business and social infrastructure of our world can fall over in a moment.

What do I mean

Continue reading "The Amazing Success Secret Anyone Can Start Using Today"

Yes You Can!

If you could change one thing in your life today, what would it be Why don't you have some of the things you'd like to have, and why do you have some What's the reason for the inconsistency


Do you find yourself wondering what people think of you Has that line of thinking ever made you doubt your abilities and your potential


Do you ever catch yourself thinking 'I can't do that, I'm not good enough' or 'that level of success and prosperity is for them, not for poor old me', or other similar thoughts


One thing you must realize is that your success in any venture starts with your thoughts about it. If you think you can succeed (in losing weight, stopping smoking, securing a high-income-paying job, finding your ideal partner, etc, etc), you're already on your way to getting what you want.

Continue reading "Yes You Can!"

How to Get Motivated to Create the Life of Your Dreams

Do you ever pay attention to the thoughts inside your mind And more importantly do you ever notice the way in which you talk to yourself

We all pay a lot of attention to the way we communicate with the outside world but we often neglect to improve the way we communicate with ourselves.

When it comes to motivating yourself to be a better person, to do better at work or to create a happier family life you need to understand the importance of taking control of your self talk.

Here are three tips you can use right away to motivate yourself:


1 Talk to yourself the way you talk to someone you love

Be honest! Is it true you sometimes insult yourself, curse yourself and say horrible things about your abilities

Continue reading "How to Get Motivated to Create the Life of Your Dreams"

Success: No Intelligence Required

"Successful people are always smart." Sorry, please play again. I have news for you: being intelligent doesn't necessary imply success, and likewise, success doesn't necessarily imply intelligence. Many discount their strengths and deem themselves incapable of accomplishing great deeds simply based on their intelligence level.

Those who have all of the tools and skills necessary to succeed shouldn't give up simply based on the false assumption that those who are accomplished are smarter and better than they are. It's a terribly wrong outlook and it should be illegal to think this way! Okay, well maybe not, but you get the point.

Successful people are often decisive, ambitious, motivated, focused, have intense work ethics and have the ability of attracting the right people. You certainly don't need to be the smartest or the most popular person, but you do need to be willing to make sacrifices, work smartly, and seek out the right people to support you.

Continue reading "Success: No Intelligence Required"

How to Deal with Discouragement and Develop Exceptional People Skills

Ever feel like giving up Do you ever feel so discouraged that even one more day of frustration will be too much to handle

Everyone gets discouraged at times however there are a number of key differences between people who keep on going and those who give up:


1 Focus On Your Goal Not On Your Problems

One of my mentors is a highly successful property developer and he loves solving problems. All day long he can take on one problem after the next and just keep going.

How does he do this when most people would feel overwhelmed

He understands the importance of focus. He never loses sight of his goals and his goals so excite him that problems are nothing more than stepping stones to the achievement of his outcomes.

Continue reading "How to Deal with Discouragement and Develop Exceptional People Skills"

"Busyness" is a Lie

overworkedwoman23649135.jpg
We sometimes use the excuse of being "too busy" to get out of what we don't want to do. Let's take a step back. Think about the drunk who refuses to take responsibility for his actions because he says he wasn't in control. He made the decision to drink. And he made the decision to drink more. In the same way, we avoid taking responsibility for our decisions when we use the excuse of being too busy. That is not being honest because when we turn someone down, we are really choosing one value above another.

A year ago, my sister-in-law asked me to watch her four kids, ages 11, 8, 4, and newborn. Previously we found it to be very exhausting to have them in our home for 12 hours. My husband and I decided not to do it again. We didn't want to do it again. My first thought was to tell her that we were too busy. Two problems with that plan: she'd ask again, and it was a lie. After stepping back to consider my answer I told her that, although we love the kids, we'd decided that we could only watch two at a time. Watching all four was just too hard on us. I believe my brother was sore at me for a little while, but I haven't had to approach the subject again. I chose the value of my own sanity over helping others, in this situation. Communication is a wonderful thing; why don't we use it more

Continue reading " "Busyness" is a Lie"

Keep Your Project Moving

I'll admit it upfront. I like starting new projects. Unfortunately, I'm hardly as fond of finishing them.

One exception is my book, A Manager's Guide to Newsletters: Communicating for Results, which I did get finished. Even on that project, though, getting finished wasn't a slam dunk -- it took more than seven years.

Do you have that problem, too Many of us do, apparently, and it holds us back from reaching some of our goals, or reaching them as quickly as we would like.

So, let's explore what's happening, and what we can do to keep moving ahead with big communication projects.

First, the hurdles. One that immediately comes to mind is the determination to make everything perfect (at least in our own eyes) before we let others read, see, or hear it. Rather than settle for acceptable work (and after all, not everything has to meet the standard of excellence), we keep polishing and polishing.

Continue reading "Keep Your Project Moving"

How to Tune In Your Brain and Feel Confident with People in Moments

One day when I was in school, many years ago, the school principal wandered into our class room, sat down and started to talk.

He talked and talked; and there was nothing we could do to stop him seeing as how he was in charge!

For once he actually said something that interested me and I never forgot what he said. Not because he was so original but because he was the first person I heard saying it.

That day he spoke about the untapped potential of the human mind and how we are all capable of so much more than we realize.

And how once you learn how to use more of this vast intelligence you can become much more successful.

Continue reading "How to Tune In Your Brain and Feel Confident with People in Moments"

Put the FUN in Function!

Where's the fun in your daily functions With bills to pay, emails to answer, reports to write, projects to complete, phone calls to return, laundry to do, doctors to visit, forms to complete, children to care for, finances to manage, and relationships to squeeze in somewhere, it can feel completely overwhelming and not much fun at times.

Since all these important things need to be done, as they are the substance of your life (this not a dress rehearsal), doesn't it make sense to find ways to have more fun while doing each functional task

When we think of fun, we usually think of weekend activities, or hitting the escape button and going on vacation. But here are some suggestions for making ordinary life more fun.

Continue reading "Put the FUN in Function!"

How to Beat Your Fears

If you are not getting the results you want online, I'll bet the reason is fear.

Before you disagree, let me explain what I mean:

I'm not talking about the "run away and hide, there's a monster under my bed" type of fear. Instead, I am talking about an almost imperceptible, most often "masked" type of fear.

This type of fear is the inner demon often causing us to spend so much time perfecting our website, we never do anything to get traffic to it.

The type of fear that causes us to come to the end of another day, another week, another month without getting done that "one last thing" keeping us from getting our product done, our site up.

The fear causing us to be deaf to the solid advice we receive and do just the opposite.

Continue reading "How to Beat Your Fears"

Part 1 of 5 - How "Pipe Dreams" Can Become Realities!

Take a look at yourself - inside and out. Where do you live what job do you have, how do you relate to your friends and family What interests do you pursue, what adventures do you have

What do you truly want from life Do you want wealth and success, happiness and peace of mind Do you want a family and a yard, a yacht or a sports car Where are you going Do you have a particular goal or are you just wandering through life

You can accomplish anything you want in life - that's true. Once you have a particular goal, you can fulfill that desire by straightforward commitment and total conviction.

But what if you don't know what you want Maybe your goals are small ones - like losing some weight, or buying a new car. Maybe getting a promotion of finding a mate. Whether you want a bigger apartment or want to be a corporation president, any avenue of prosperity and achievement is open to you if it is truly what you want.

Continue reading "Part 1 of 5 - How "Pipe Dreams" Can Become Realities!"

Stepping To Success


***This article was originally written for freelance copywriters, but the steps apply to anyone who runs their own business. ***


As freelance copywriters, with our own writing services businesses, we're lucky. We have all the freedom we could wish for. We work the hours we want, when we want. We can take time out in the middle of the week to play golf, watch a movie, or attend functions at our kids' schools.

With that freedom comes responsibility. We need to make sure that we're making the most of our time, that we're setting achievable goals, and that we're working to achieve those goals.

Here's an article on making the most of your time:

https://www.digital-e.biz/articles/art_motivation1.html

Continue reading "Stepping To Success"

Focus and Fear of Success - The Biggest Monkey on Your Back

If you have been on the internet for awhile, you know that there are millions of people trying anything and everything to get your attention. They want in your wallet. It's a great big money grab out there folks, and the net has become the biggest marketing arena on the planet, driving whole industries and generating Billions of dollars in sales.

So what's the problem Well, none if you are one of the small businesses with focus. A whole lot of problems if you lack focus.

There are myriad small business opportunities on the net today. And if you do your research and find something you want to associate with, or you create a product for a well-researched target market, you are well on your way to financial success. Or are you

Continue reading "Focus and Fear of Success - The Biggest Monkey on Your Back"

The Power of Being (and Staying) Down to Earth.

Ever had a day when you woke up feeling disgusted about yourself A day when nothing; no accomplishment ever achieved, could make you feel better about your very being Ever had such an episode in which the feeling lingered all through the day, making it almost irresistible to crawl back in bed until it would be over...if ever

If you had such a day, and especially if you had it more often than once, you are one of the many who are blessed with an inner detector that keeps you down to earth. These moments come and go unexpectedly, and they may be triggered by various matters: Sometimes they may be linked to the books you' re reading at that moment, and at other times just to the overall circumstances in your life. Things may not have been going too well for you, for instance. But even if they were, you could still experience these moments, based on impatience about the slowness of certain developments, or based on your very character.

Whatever the reasons are that bring you in a depressed mood, you may want to keep the following in mind to endure them, and even be thankful for them:

Continue reading "The Power of Being (and Staying) Down to Earth."

How to Tune In Your Brain and Feel Motivated in Minutes

One day when I was in school, many years ago, the school principal wandered into our class room, sat down and started to talk.

He talked and talked and there was nothing we could do to stop him seeing as how he was in charge!

For once he actually said something that interested me and I never forgot what he said. Not because he was so original but because he was the first person I heard saying it.

That day he spoke about the untapped potential of the human mind and how we are all capable of so much more than we realize.

Continue reading "How to Tune In Your Brain and Feel Motivated in Minutes"

Why To Dump Will Power And Get Motivated The Easy Way

Does will power work

Will power alone will never work over the long term. It is the hardest way possible to get yourself to do anything.

Why

Because it is like trying to open a tin can with your teeth when there is a can opener in your pocket.

Instead you need to tap into the limitless power of your mind. When you do you can break bad habits, create beneficial new ones and put yourself back on track easily, quickly and with very little effort.

You see...

Continue reading "Why To Dump Will Power And Get Motivated The Easy Way"

That One Thing That Kills Procrastination

What can you do when you do not feel like getting started

We all know what that feels like. You sit there staring at
the mountain of work in front of you while your mind
screens a horror movie of toil and effort.

I am sure you have tried making a list of things to do. But
the problem is the longer the list the harder it is to get
started.

Good news.

I have a very effective remedy you can use whenever you
feel this way.

Continue reading "That One Thing That Kills Procrastination"

That First Step to Massive Success

Do you want to know the key to beating procrastination and achieving much more

Let me tell you how I discovered the secret to achieving massive success...

I had some work to do yesterday and I kept putting it off.

I thought to my self - IŽll wait until later when I feel more alert and in the right frame of mind to do it just right

Do you ever do this

Continue reading "That First Step to Massive Success"

How You Developed Bad Habits That Cost You The Success You Value Most

Today I want to tell you why you absolutely have to take charge of self-motivation.

As you read this article you will start to understand why a lack of motivation is costing you even more than you realize.

As you read the story below notice how much you have in common with me...

Growing up I never really had much trouble getting things done. I was told what to do by my parents or by my teachers and I did what was expected of me because it was the easiest choice for me.

Getting punished never appealed to me very much.

Then as I got older and especially when I joined the workforce I could get away with doing less and with leaving things until the deadline approached.

Continue reading "How You Developed Bad Habits That Cost You The Success You Value Most"

How to Stay Motivated Day In and Day Out

If I could tell you one thing to help you to be highly motivated this would be it...

Staying motivated requires a daily ritual.


In other words, motivation is not a one-time event. To stay motivated you need to do certain things each day to stay driven.

I was reading some tips recently - written by an extremely successful business man. He has risen to the top in two different and very competitive industries so I assumed he was one of those naturally driven people.

I was wrong.

Everyday he has certain rituals he counts on to keep himself motivated. Here are three tips you can start using today:


Continue reading "How to Stay Motivated Day In and Day Out"

Dreamers and Doers...

Are you a dreamer I like dreamers, but as a worker I need to
spend quality time with DOERS. They're the ones with the energy,
motivation and ambition that gets things done.

Dreamers fantasize about how much money they'll make from all
those New Customers who miraculously waltz through the door.
Doers dream, too, but first they take action. They FIND those
New Customers to make the dreams happen! So, I'm talking to
those of you who are very serious about what your business.

Every single day, you literally pass by more potential money than
you might realize in the form of shoppers who are eager to spend
their money! These folks are all potential New Customers. The
problem is they don't know you exist! People aren't magicians.
They can't BUY what they don't know about! It's up to us to
blow our own horn.

Continue reading "Dreamers and Doers..."

How to Achieve More by Dealing with Resistance

Today I want to discuss the missing link in goal attainment...

Your personal success and achievement depends on your ability to act upon what you know. Yet this is where most people stumble.

It is easy to find out what to do.

Simply ask the right people for advice, read the best books on the subject and attend the seminars that will fill in the missing details.

It is following through on what you know that makes the difference between the people who are achieving and everyone else.

Think about something you want to do...

Continue reading "How to Achieve More by Dealing with Resistance"

How to Have Industrial Strength Self-Motivation

It is not your fault if popular self-help courses have never worked for you over the long term.

Why

Because generally speaking there are problems with the material you have read and listened to in these courses:


To appeal to a wider audience the self-help experts often leave out the more complex and the more powerful concepts and techniques.

Instead you get a burst of short term inspiration that cannot and will not last. While the best material is only taught to a small group of enthusiasts who are willing to pay extra for it.

Continue reading "How to Have Industrial Strength Self-Motivation"

Trust the Power of Your Intuition

"Every time you don't follow your inner guidance, you feel a loss of energy, loss of power, a sense of spiritual deadness." - Shakti Gawain


You have an important decision to make...your intuition is telling you one thing and your mind is advising another direction. You may have read about intuition or, heard people talk about the importance of following it, but still you hedge at taking the leap. What's missing can be summed up in one word: TRUST.

What stops you from trusting your intuition

Continue reading "Trust the Power of Your Intuition"

How to Give Yourself a Motivational Warm Up When You Wake Up!

What is the worst thing you can do when you start your day

Wake up feeling lethargic and expect yourself to perform at 100% from the moment you get up in the morning. And then compare how you are doing during the day against this unrealistic benchmark.

There is a better way!

As you wake up in the morning take charge of your thoughts in that early morning awareness before you fully awake.

Do this before you get up out of bed by repeating some affirmations. Affirmations work very well WHEN you say them with strong feelings in a state of deep relaxation.

If you have heard about affirmations before and never got the maximum benefit from them it is because you did not know how to take a very ordinary approach and supercharge it.

Continue reading "How to Give Yourself a Motivational Warm Up When You Wake Up!"

How to Use Discouragement to Motivate Yourself

Ever feel like giving up Do you ever feel so discouraged that even one more day of frustration will be too much too handle

Everyone gets discouraged at times. However there are a number of key differences between people who keep on going and those who give up.

Read on and use these insights to transform discouragement into positive momentum.


Continue reading "How to Use Discouragement to Motivate Yourself"

If You Want To Succeed, Don't Get Too Comfortable

Break away from the usual to get what you want. It sounds easy. For a lot of people, it is not. They want the future of their dreams, but can't bring themselves to do the things that will get them there.

Many people are stuck in a "comfort zone", a place where there are no surprises, no difficulties, just the same old same old, day after day. These people have become complacent, satisfied with what they have right now. Unfortunately, this leads to living an unfulfilling life. "In a rut", some would say. Being afraid of change really limits what you can accomplish. Living in a comfort zone stops you from trying new things. Trying to run a business while staying in your comfort zone is a total waste of time and effort.

Succeeding in a small business of any kind means doing things that other people are not willing to do. The person that overcomes the competition to be around in the long run will not be married to their comfort zones. Everyone has one, the question is "Are you willing to leave yours from time to time".

Continue reading "If You Want To Succeed, Don't Get Too Comfortable"

You CAN do it!

Today I just wanted to encourage you.

Why

Because even as you are doing your best to motivate yourself there will be days when it all seems too much.

Still, no matter how challenging life gets bear in mind the following three points.

Continue reading "You CAN do it!"

14 Great Reasons To Get Motivated And Stay Motivated

Why should you bother to spend your valuable time to learn how to get motivated and stay motivated

Here's why.

Your quality of life will change dramatically when you take charge of how motivated you feel in any given moment.

Family and friends will respect you more and see you in a whole new light. And deadline frenzy will be a thing of the past.

There are several good reasons to learn the secrets to getting motivated and staying motivated.

Continue reading "14 Great Reasons To Get Motivated And Stay Motivated"
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