How often do you hear or read the question "what's the secret to succeeding in business"? I don't know about yourself but I read it each day and hear it almost as often. As if there is a so-called secret! If it was a secret no one would know about it! If no one knew about it then nobody would be successful.
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There are
many reasons why most businesses fail and only a small
percentage take-off. I would like to concentrate today on what I
believe is the most important attribute that I have used in
pursuit of my online success. Actually what I'm going to say is
nothing new, not earth shattering and it's no "secret" either (shhh!).
Nevertheless it's the basis for anyone to succeed in any
business, any sport - anything at all!!!
From my main income
stream I offer a 12 month business coaching package to all my clients with
continual ongoing support. Even though I offer a very professional programme
with equal support only one in three really get past the starting point.
There are many reasons for this but many of the two-thirds majority have
not:
1) Visualized a plan
for themselves
2) Developed a plan of action and
3) Do not have the persistency to make points one and two work.
We've all heard it
before. Everything starts with a dream. Without a dream nothing really seems
to happen. However there is a monstrous difference between dreaming and
visualizing. We need to visualize ourselves succeeding. We need to see the
light at the end of the tunnel before we start. We need to solidify our
goals into our thoughts so as to indicate the true worth of their
achievement. We need to visualize the feeling we will experience when coming
into the finishing line. The power of visualization is so underestimated.
Sight is a very powerful sense that can work for you incredibly if you use
it correctly.
Take this following
example: A few years ago I read a story about an Army officer who was
captured during non-peacetime by the particular enemy of the time. He had a
love for golf. It was an avid desire he had for the game; with an equally
wicked average of about 80 or so. Due to the fact he was behind enemy lines
as a prisoner he didn't stumble across the opportunity all that often to do
a quick nine holes before lunch! Or did he???
Most days he was there
he played a full round using the power of visualization. He did the rounds,
checked the wind, chose his club accordingly and went through the physical
action to stay in tip top condition for the sport he dearly loved. Each day
he lined up and underwent this exercise. He saw himself playing at least as
good as he always did. Sometimes he'd crack 80 and was beside himself with
joy. All this as a P.O.W!!! He knew the first thing he would do when he was
back home was to play a good game of golf. After all he'd been practicing
every day, and most times to his proven average so why not.
Eventually politics
turned and he was released. Straight to the golf course he went. He played a
round and performed to his ridiculously good average after so long without
playing the game physically. True story!!!
Point is:
visualization really does put you in the picture. Oxford English definition:
"To bring something as a picture before the mind". If you can see it then it
becomes more credible.
When you were at
university the lecturer quite often would use a blackboard/whiteboard, hand
circulars around, use the overhead projector; almost anything to further
illustrate his point. The word illustrate is just as powerful. It's simply a
way of making things clearer and more understandable through visualization.
If you are looking for
a Mixmaster for your kitchen. It is highly unlikely that you'll buy
something you haven't seen operate and function unless it's already known to
you. If the salesperson pulls it out of its box and mixes up your scrambled
eggs so that they are light and fluffy; exactly the way you like them then
chances are much higher after you've seen it, after you've had the visual
experience that you will purchase this product instead of your old faithful
brand that you've been using for last number of years.
Are you starting to
see how powerful visualization is and how it can work for you? If you can
really see where it is you want to be all you have to do is design the
course to get there. If you can't grasp the power of control that
visualization offers you then you will find it tremendously difficult to
succeed at what you're doing. Very often our visualizations are carried out
sub-consciously. This is the advanced stage as when we've trained our minds
to aim for something then sleep, rest or are perhaps thinking about
something else your sub-conscious continues to work for you as you've
trained it to do.
It matters not if you
are trying to break the 10 secs/100 meter record, ballooning around the
world (recently been done) or succeeding at building your business online
from scratch - you need to visualize yourself succeeding. It is here you
will realize how important your challenge really is to you.
If you get bogged down
by negative thoughts such as "oh I can't possibly do that" then either
change your goal or your attitude! Perhaps both! An action is required or
you will stifle your developments. You will need to fuel your visualization
with positive thoughts and realistic results.
As you gain a
successful grasp of:
- Visualizing
- Understanding
- Accepting and
- Targeting
Your ultimate desire
it will become more real to you the more you focus on it.
Twelve months ago I
visualized myself as being financially independent from my online business.
It happened a little earlier than I first expected due to my vision. If you
opt to make the power of visualization work for you then you'll be giving
yourself a mighty head start on the rest.
At the beginning of
this article I mentioned that only one in three clients got passed the start
point. Sad fact is many do give up. Many will give up. They will chase other
dreams - perhaps parked cars, perhaps other golden opportunities. The fact
is that every golden opportunity has the same statistics as the one before
it. As time goes by they will filter out those people who constantly
change...
Dreaming is very
visual and requires constant nurturing to bring it to fruition. If you want
to optimize the chances of reaching your target then you need to grasp the
power of visualization. Put yourself in the picture. Paint a portrait of
yourself succeeding in the future...
About the Author:
Darren Roberts is the
Publisher of "AAvenues 2 Your Success." He is a marketing consultant at the
helm of Topliving Consultancy. Visit his web site at http://topliving.com or
you can reach him at mailto:darren@topliving.com. Subscribe to Darren's
popular "Success and Self-Motivation" Weekly publication, "AAvenues 2 Your
Success". It's packed with this sort of material each week. Send email to
mailto:join-aavenues-2-your-success@lists.dundee.net
.
