10 Things You Must Do to Be Successful in Business (and in Life)

There are thousands of books written concerning what it takes to achieve success in business, and k additional concerning achieving success in life yet. you'll be able to realize another thousand articles on the online that debate the subject, and k additional are going to be written tomorrow. With such a broad subject and with such a large amount of things that may play a job in creating America happy, it is tough to boil it right down to a brief list of things that anyone will scan and apply in their lives.

Five Ways to Be a Good Team Player

When it involves selecting a candidate for a replacement job or a promotion, employers systematically say they need a team player.

This means somebody United Nations agency will "put the team goals and also the team answerability prior to their own individual scenario," says Steve Kass, president for the nice Plains district of Henry M. Robert 0.5 International (RHI).

Ways To Deal With Team Conflict Effectively

Unavoidable conflicts typically arise after you work on team comes. Coworker’s variations will distinction sharply to your own, making tension at intervals the cluster. These variations don't seem to be essentially a nasty issue, though. Healthy constructive criticism helps produce numerous ways of thinking and solutions to troublesome issues.

5 tips on how to succeed in life

After reading this text you may amendment your angle towards yourself and also the world. Do away with disorganization and disorder in your life. the subsequent tips can facilitate disperse the fog in your head. Here is a few recommendation on the way to reach life.

How to Use ‘Zero Based Thinking’ When Making Hard Decisions

Zero-based thinking could be a core idea of help author and psychological feature speaker Brian Spencer Tracy that enables you to begin over by line "time out" in your life and work. It permits you to exterminate procrastination and/or instantly produce a rotate if you're heading down the incorrect path.

9 Reasons People Fail In Life (And How To Succeed Instead)

Simply put, what will every one want? Success in their pursuits. sadly, that doesn’t continuously happen, and here square measure the highest nine reasons why individuals fail.

Strive for Wholeness

Ever hear the old saying “Get massive {the large|the massive} image”? It amazes Maine once individuals will miss or ignore big items during a picture or fake nothing is missing. It’s like ordering a pizza pie and obtaining a pie with a number of slices already removed—and still thinking it’s a full pie. Wouldn’t you surprise wherever those items went?

Learn to Think on Your Feet

I’ve already spoken concerning self-satisfaction and the way it will ruin your possibilities for achievement. It’s an equivalent as being in an exceedingly rut and deciding to remain there. That’s why i favor to advise individuals to measure on the edge—it’s the other of self-satisfaction, and also the same as thinking on your feet.

Learning Is a New Beginning

Pythagoras understood the universe through numbers. As a businessperson, that invariably appealed to American state. It is sensible. He was a thinker and a scientist, and he knew the importance of learning. Pythagoras lived an extended time past, however lots of things have remained a similar, just like the significance of education for each people and society.

The Importance of Being a Team Player

Ihave continuously famed the importance of getting the flexibility to be a team player, even if i'm associate degree businessperson. in an exceedingly massive sense, we’re bushed this along, and thinking otherwise won’t offer United States of America the results we'd  be aiming for. quite ever, operating along is integral to survival additionally on success.

5 Sure Ways To Manage A Happy And Productive Team

There’s an enormous idea concerning what leadership is. several read it as a growth in rank that puts you on top of everyone else, creating you the authoritative figure on everything your team will – as well as their time.
But there has to be an enormous shift during this ancient outlook. To grow a team that produces smart work and runs sort of a well-oiled machine, a pacesetter has to see themselves not as “the boss”, however “the talent nurturer”.
Leaders area unit purported to facilitate unleash and nurture the skills inside their team, and build Associate in Nursing setting that permits them to believe their true potential, try for it and ultimately – attain it.
There is a maxim that goes – a leader’s role is to form additional leaders, no more followers.
In essence, this runs terribly true. Build a team that’s equipped with the information they have to run their job. With this education, confidence levels of your team can rise, and stress levels can drop.
Most leaders assume that going to the highest of the corporate is that the biggest accomplishment of their career (some their lives) – this can be a slip. i feel that obtaining your team to realize nice things collaboratively collectively unit – and not competitively amongst one another – is ultimately, the largest accomplishment.
So here I share 5 things I actually have been incorporating into my leadership techniques to guide happy and productive groups, and that i hope a number of you'll notice these helpful.
1. NURTURE TALENT

A talent nurturer is aware of the collective goal and has no discomfort in operating with a team that's smarter than them. you're not on a solo mission, however a team mission… which can profit the whole company within the long haul.
Support the individuals on your team. Show them the ropes, facilitate them grow and guide them towards achieving their goals. invariably create time for them. Remember, that while not them, there's no team. And as a pacesetter, you wish your team and contrariwise.
Find out what your team members area unit smart at. If one is forced into a task that doesn’t involve work one truly get pleasure from, one goes to be miserable and thus won't place 100 percent into the rest you offer them.
If you offer them one thing they really have passion for and area unit smart at, then they’ll wish grow and develop this ability.
So discern what truth genius zone is for every team member and shift their roles around to unleash their true potential. See it as talent chess 😉
However, don’t get Maine wrong. One cannot merely have a option to opt for and deny any task at their own pleasure. In some instances, it’s a matter of serving to them shift their outlook and searching at a task from a special perspective.
2. INVEST IN TEAM MANAGEMENT EDUCATION

Before I joined Mindvalley i used to be a magazine editor, hunting the motions and creating the type of mistakes i discussed on top of (not nurturing talent, chasing deadlines, correcting individuals once they created mistakes).
There were no instructional tools that were offered to Maine – and it didn’t occur to Maine to teach myself as a result of i used to be too busy to prevent and analyse my leadership method.
But once I joined Mindvalley, i used to be stunned by however massive their instructional library is – jam-packed with books and coaching tools on promoting, leading, personal growth then way more. Not long, the approach i believed concerning my role modified.
The first book I picked up blew Maine away, and helped Maine scale the external sales team to vary as a separate start-up company, known as Mindvalley have interaction, creating slightly below $2.5 million greenbacks in revenue within the 1st year.
That book was Mastering the John Davison Rockefeller Habits, by author Harnish, that schooled Maine to dream huge for my team, set up my vision over successive 5 years, and take Mindvalley have interaction to successive level. I additionally browse the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team and also the 5 Temptations of a chief operating officer, each by Patrick Lencioni.
These books didn’t simply modification and revolutionized my management vogue, however I additionally learned most concerning myself within the method. I learned a way to receive feedback from my team, to admit my mistakes, and to be solution-oriented instead of problem-oriented.
I additionally conduct we tend toekly coaching sessions with my groups thus we all move to debate new things we’ve learned, mistakes we tend to’ve created and the way we mounted them and after all – document checklists consequently for reference so we are able to avoid an analogous mistake within the future.
The point here is to collaboratively accelerate our learning method, and that we do thus by sharing our information and findings.
3. LEARN to go with

Never create individuals feel tiny. individuals area unit fast to select on mistakes and proper others, and most frequently forget to acknowledge the nice initiative, nice work and also the additional mile of others.
Everyone appreciates feeling. If you’re fast to indicate someone’s mistakes, additionally don’t forget to peel your eyes and ears for his or her smart work. language “thank you”, “good job”, “I appreciate your help”, all will go an extended thanks to inspire and inspire.
When it involves mistakes your team have created, prompt them that mistakes area unit okay, as a result of we tend to learn from these. a slip is merely a retardant if it’s perennial again and again. Winston S. Churchill aforementioned “Success is that the ability to travel from one failure to a different with no loss of enthusiasm.”
What matters is that the mode of delivery (choose your language wisely) if you wish to handle a slip that was created, or if you wish to produce some constructive criticism.
At Mindvalley, we tend to wish to decision it “delivering a positive sandwich” – begin with what you're keen on concerning them and their work, travel to areas you see they might improve on, offer recommendations on a way to try this, and so finish with a number of additional positive notes on why you're keen on operating with them. Avoid words like “but” or “however” as these will override any compliment once you come in sensitive territory.
Also, bear in mind that if you wish to produce feedback, invariably escort a suggestion at hand. If you’d wish to discuss a slip somebody has created, providing an answer are extraordinarily handy to accelerate growth. It’s higher than inform fingers with none real facilitate for an answer. that's Associate in Nursing attack – what we'd like to try to to here is specialize in support.
4. grasp YOUR TEAM

According to Tom Rath, author of significant Friends: The individuals You Can’t Afford to measure while not, those who have an in depth friend at work area unit seven times additional seemingly to be engaged with work.
When you grasp your colleagues on a private level, you'll begin to understand them as someone, and dealing along is suddenly easier.
More significantly, you build trust. You don’t get competitive or take offense from what they assert or do, and you'll perceive their actions and selections higher. you'll be ready to acknowledge once every team member has their work hat on, and once they’ve got their fun hat on. you'll notice that you simply area unit currently less pained by tiny problems.
Chances are you almost certainly pay longer together {with your|along with your} team quite you are doing with your friends or maybe family. thus does one wish to be operating amongst strangers, or does one wish to be operating amongst friends? you would possibly likewise build a contented place to travel to 5 days per week.
I try this by active the following: we tend toekly team lunches wherever we don’t remark work however remark one another – what they’re doing on the weekend, what’s new in their life; and monthly “Dream Lunches” wherever we tend to discuss their dreams and additionally offer skilled feedback, if necessary.
5. BE A TEAM PLAYER

No project or team will thrive if all concerned aren’t team players. Once you begin to induce to understand your teammates, and start to trust them, concord can return naturally. However, as a pacesetter and manager, you wish oft iterate this reality, and additionally – demonstrate the standard yourself.
Every player has their own weight to tug. there's nobody person operating additional or tougher than others. It’s additionally vital to demonstrate support and aid if somebody is swamped with a specific task. As a team, we tend to additionally got to conceive to selections and plans of action and hold one another in command of delivering on those plans.
Sports groups demonstrate this best Associate in Nursingd I’ll use my basic football information as an example. If you’re too stubborn to pass the ball to the guy who’s nighest to the goalkeeper just as a result of you don’t wish the glory to be his, then the team isn’t attending to score and you’re not attending to win either. thus rather than specializing in United Nations agency scores the goal, specialize in the actual fact that the team won the sport.

Why do we fall ( motivational )

Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as Life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! (Rocky Balboa)

PAIN is temporary. It may last for a minute, or an hour, or a day, or even a year; but eventually it will subside, and something else will take its place. If I quit however, it will last forever. (Lance Armstrong)

The margin for error is so small. I mean, one half a step too late or too early and you don’t quite make it. One half second too slow, too fast and you don’t quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They’re in every break of the game, every minute, every second. (Any Given Sunday)

You got a dream… You gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it. Period. (The Pursuit of Happyness)

Don’t be afraid to fail. You can’t always win but don’t be afraid of making decisions. (Arnold Schwarzenegger)

You have to believe in something different can happen. He who says he can and he who says he can’t are both usually right. (Henry Ford)

Most of you say you want to be successful, but you don’t want it bad. You just kinda want it. You don’t want it badder than you wanna party. You don’t want it as much as you want to be cool. Most of you don’t want success as much as you want to sleep! (Eric Thomas)

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. (Marianne Williamson)

You have to dig deep down, dig deep down and ask yourselves, who do you want to be? And figuring it out for yourself what makes you happy, no matter how crazy it may sound to the people. (Arnold Schwarzenegger)

Make a choice. Just decide what it’s going to be, who you’re going to be, how you’re going to do it. Just DECIDE! (Will Smith)

Why not? Why can’t I be the MVP of the league? Why can’t I be the best player in the league? I don’t see why not. Why can’t I do that? (Derrick Rose)

What did you say to the kid? It ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. Get up. Get up, but don’t ever give up. (Rocky Balboa)

We can stay here, get the shit kicked out of us, or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb outta hell… one inch at a time. (Any Given Sunday)

To be able at any moment to sacrifice what you are for what you will become. Most of you won’t be successful because when you’re studying, and you get tired, you quit! I don’t do well in math, your right. You ain’t never studied. I’m not good at writing, coz you have never written before! (Eric Thomas)

Talent you have naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft. (Will Smith)

If you’re not making someone else’s life better, then you’re wasting your time. (Will Smith)

Don’t cry to give up. Cry to keep going. Don’t cry to quit! You already in pain, you already hurt! Get a reward from it! (Eric Thomas)

Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that! (Rocky Balboa)

Because everyday is a new day! Every moment is a new moment! So now you’ve gotta go out and show them that I’m a different creature. Now! (Ray Lewis)

I am gonna show you how great I am! (Muhammed Ali)

In the 17th Chapter of St. Luke it is written: “the Kingdom of God is within man” — not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power — the power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure. (Charlie Chaplin)

Now… What are you gonna do? (Any Given Sunday)

Because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion. (Michael Jordan)

10 Characteristics Successful Business Owners Share

Why do some people succeed, while others fail to reach their goals? Here's one business owner's observations about what successful people do that others don't. 

I have been a business owner for about a minute. In fact, that would probably be quite generous if you compared me to the business moguls out here or anywhere for that matter. But in spite of that fact, I probably know a lot about business, more than I realize and much more than you would expect, if you knew my background. It is my life as a business owner that has finally made sense of all the data and observations that I have gathered over the years. I spent 20 years of my life working for others, most unknown, some infamous.

Because my jobs were in an executive assistant capacity for the past 20 years I, like all assistants, get to see the workings of the company almost like a fly on the wall. We get to see the inner workings of the people we work for. We get to hear the opposing view from others who work for the company, both those who are close to the boss and those far removed.

I don't know about other assistants, but for me it's like watching a horror movie where you know what's behind the door but the person opening the door has no idea. And you are in the audience screaming don't do it! But who is going to listen to you? So you just see and feel certain behaviors and actions and you file them away like you are gathering data for future analysis. Well I am now in that future and this is my analysis. Life and business are not all that different. Some people would like you to think the rules of the game are different in business, but they really are not. They like to keep the mystery about it, the smoke and mirrors going. But in my own experience, observation of others and readings about the lives of countless others, this is what I believe it takes to be successful in both life and business. It is what I constantly strive to achieve for myself. And in the style of David Letterman, we'll begin with number 10!

10. Letting your gut-instincts keep you safe. This is more than street-smarts. I believe that gut instinct is not just some strange source but 1- the spiritual essence of us and our connection with the source of life, but also 2- it is a lifetime of observation and learning from experience. I surely have experienced life and I have spent my life observing people. I have the ability to peer into the insides of people. My mother could do it. She would make these statements about people she barely knew and she'd hit the nail on the head about their very essence. I too have this ability. The thing is it's not always something you can verbalize but your gut tells you some things right off the bat. This is a very useful thing in the business world and I believe we all have this ability but not everyone taps into it. Being able to read people doesn't mean that you immediately run or become best friends, it means that you proceed with caution filing away the info you've got on hand right now. If there is something queer about a business proposition, keep this up front as you examine it. You know in your gut when something's right and when something's not right.

9. A lifetime of self-examination - I cannot stress this enough. We are a work in progress. You will make mistakes, your attitude will change and you will grow. But if you don't take the time to examine yourself and your attitudes along the way, you run the risk of becoming stagnant and brittle. And brittle is a good candidate for crumbling dust. Examine your relationships with people, your business practices, not just your finances. In the end, it is your relationship with people that makes you successful in both life and business. If you find yourself having the same issues arise, it's time for some self-examination. What are you doing to contribute to this issue? What can you do to create a change?

8. Open mindedness to new ways of thinking. How many times have we seen people, throughout history, hold on to what they believe is the ONLY way to think, to find the world moving on without them? It was generally thought the automobile would never catch on; after all, weren't bicycles and trains more than enough? It doesn't mean you have to change your way of thinking or embrace it, just examine it, educate yourself about it and recognize that it may be here to stay.

7. Open mindedness to new technology--This relates to number 8 but in a business capacity, it is even more important. A pencil and paper may be your preferred method of working on finances, but you had better know a few things about technology or you and your pencil will be left behind. Sure you can hire others who know, but what you don't know CAN hurt you. Read! You can learn so much about anything by reading. And if you were tech savvy you would know the internet is the greatest addition to the library in regard to learning about everything!

6. Being streetwise and book-smart - There is nothing more important than having a reasonable balance of both. Naivety can cost you and not being educated to the level you need to function well in your chosen environment can cost you as well. Don't leave your street-smarts at the door in business environments but temper it with real knowledge as well.

5. Education and constant re-education -- I am not talking about college degrees here. Though they are a great start, you must continue to educate yourself. Take part in seminars, read everything, surf the net. Even when you think you've got it, press on.

4. A willingness to give back - First, take care of yourself. Put yourself in a position to give back. I've had the privilege to hear so many people speak about their ideas for new businesses. The first thing they say is that they want to help people and that they want to give away what they've got. Andrew Morrison, from Small Business Camp (http://www.smallbusinesscamp.com) and believer that questions are more powerful than answers (see his book "21 Questions that Will Build Your Business in 90 Days") always asks the question, "Where's the money?" because if you can't support yourself, if you have to close your doors because you are bankrupt, how can you realistically help others? Sure there are exceptions to this, but most people have been able to give back and help others because they helped themselves. When you've helped yourself, GIVE BACK! I've seen many people become selfish and bitter in this regard. "I had to do it for myself! Nobody helped me!" They begin to dole out help in a miserly manner, looking for something in return including gratitude. They also give with suspicion. They suspect that those they give to will use it to steal something from them. If you watch closely, here is where they will begin their descent. If you feel like you got where you are on your own, look carefully I say, because you did NOT get to where you are without help. And much of it was given unselfishly and without restraint. Give generously and from the heart and don't look back! (CAUTION: DON'T ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE DRAINED DRY BY THOSE WHO LIKE TO PLAY UPON THIS NOTION EITHER)

3. Love and caring for yourself - Here is a simple analogy. When you board a plane you are treated to a demonstration of what to do in case the oxygen masks drop from above. The first instruction is to put your mask on first. This is especially important because if you don't take care of your need first, you will not be able to help others and that includes your children, your spouse or anyone else. How does this relate to business? Create the situation that best helps you first. Put yourself in a position of power or at least close to the ear of power. Do a great job, first for you. Excel for you. Then assist others, speak up for others, do for others.

2. How you treat people -- I believe in this. I don't think you really have to right to abuse people. Some people think that certain groups of people are okay to abuse. I am not speaking from a standpoint of race here either. These people think that it's okay to abuse "the help" i.e. countless waiters and waitresses, assistants, maids, children. They also think it's okay to abuse what they deem "fat people" or people they believe are "ugly". They believe it's okay to treat "telemarketers" with disrespect when these are just people doing a job (I'm not talking about rude or abusive telemarketers either!). I believe that the golden rule is truth that still stands, because truth will always stand. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, or your daughter or son, or spouse, etc. I urge you to read "How to Win Friends and Influence People", by Dale Carnegie, over and over again. Study the lives of the charismatic. Success was written in their everyday dealings with people. Not on a superficial level but on a deeper connecting level.

1. Commitment to the journey - Here is what I believe is the number one key to success for an entrepreneur. Are you committed? What I am trying to say is that in all of my observations, and from my own experience, I find that the journey is always the same. It's a long road of self examination and improvement, skill examination and education. It's making judgment calls about people, things and situations. You continually correct the "course" until you are headed in the right direction. To trust your gut, to keep the faith, to make it through tough times, takes practice. The question is can you stick it out? Do you quit because the money is low? Do you quit because you can't find the right people? When do you say it's over?

Commitment to the journey. It is the key to success. Because you will always see things that make you want to run. But you have to put your faith on the table. You really have to stand against all odds. It takes courage. And when you do this, you will succeed. As Goethe put it:

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness concerning all acts of initiative (and creation). There is one elemental truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans--- that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves all. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issue from the decision, Raising in one's favor all manner of incidents and meetings and material assistance which no one could have dreamed would come his or her way.

Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

by Gayle E. Santana

3 TYPES OF PEOPLE THAT WILL NEVER SUCCEED IN LIFE

About a month or so ago, my son and I went out for a boy’s night out date to BJ’s Pizza. For some reason, our kids think it’s cool to go out with one parent, individually. They both begged us to go to the same place. So there we went… driving separate cars to the exact same place for dinner. Pretty lame to drive two cars and waste gas if you ask me. but that’s what they wanted to do. Then we were supposed to ignore ‘Mom and sister’ if we saw them in the restaurant. It was kind of a crack up. So my son and I went outside and got a table and watched a baseball game while we waited for our food.

My son is oblivious to most things–of course he is, he’s only 6. I, on the other hand, had the good fortune of my chair being backed up against some guy that was on a date with a girl. Since my son wasn’t talking to me much — he was coloring the menu — I was forced to tune into the conversation that was going on right behind me. It might have been the most interesting conversation I’ve ever heard… I’ll tell you about it later.

I believe that there are three types of people that almost everyone hates to be around, and for these reasons, these type of people seldom find success in their life. The people that fall into one or all of these categories spend a lifetime trying to figure out why nobody likes them. They demand that someone love them, pay attention to them, acknowledge them, or respect them. Then, when they come up empty handed, they are full of reasons why it is everyone else’s fault. Figuring out how to not fall into one or more of these categories is what I consider to be one of the largest predictors of success in this life. Here are those types of people with some tips on how to avoid becoming them:

1. People That Constantly Talk About Themselves

We’ve all experienced this before. You have a meeting with someone and you end up sitting there the whole time listening to the other person’s life story and to all of the reasons why this person is so awesome. Then they move on to their kids, and their grand kids, and the great grand kids they are yet to have. If you’re really lucky, you’ll even get to hear about how much money they make, their leadership callings, and about their recently fabricated golf score!  When you get to the end of the meeting, your friend thinks the meeting went great and that you’re on your way to the bathroom to check if your ears are bleeding.

Most of us have probably been guilty of this a time or two, whether we’d like to admit it or not. It’s human nature for us to desire the honor and respect of others; and sometimes we see no other way to get that honor and respect but by forcing it into other people. We figure that no one will ever know how cool we are unless we tell them. You’d assume the people doing this most often are confident and even possibly conceded but, in reality, they are probably really insecure. In fact, the most insecure people are the ones that are the most guilty of this disgusting attribute.

Here is the truth: when you tell people how great you are, those people are listening to you and you may think they are interested, but internally they are begging for the torture to stop. It doesn’t do anything to improve their view of you. In fact, it might have the opposite effect. A long time ago someone asked Joseph Smith if the principle of self-aggrandizement is wrong and should we try to make ourselves look good to others. Listen to his answer: “It  is a correct principle and may be indulged upon only one rule or plan… and that is to elevate, benefit, and bless others first.  If you will elevate others, the very work itself will exalt you.  Upon no other plan can a person justly and permanently aggrandize himself.”

Get interested in others and forget yourself, and you won’t need to tell people how cool you are. They’ll find out on their own…

2. People That Constantly Complain About Their Circumstances

These people always have something wrong with them. It’s their back or their leg or their feelings or anything really. It will be something new every time you see them. There is no end to their excuses and they are sure to tell you every single one of them on any and every given day you come in contact with them. David Swartz, author of “The Magic of Thinking Big” summed it up this way. “Go deep into your study of people, and you’ll discover unsuccessful people suffer from a mind deadening thought disease. We call this disease excusitis.” Complaining about a thing never made that thing better. The time that people take complaining could actually be used toward adding value to someone or something and thereby improving their own situation.

I’m not suggesting we discredit people’s physical, mental, and emotional maladies. Rather, we should help them understand that each of us suffer from one issue or another. It’s our perspective on life that dictates whether we are happy or miserable. We can derive happiness from no other source but from within. “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, and a hell of heaven.” (Milton) Napoleon Bonaparte had everything that worldly men would naturally crave. It was nothing to him. “I have known six happy days in my life” said Napoleon at Saint Helena. But then consider Helen Keller who was blind deaf and dumb.  She went around saying, “I have found life so beautiful”.  I have seen people in circumstances that would make even the strongest person shrink from fear… and yet those people are happier than they that seem trouble-free and taken care of.

If you know someone that complains about everything, you can remind them that it’s always better to “go and do instead of sit and stew.”

3. People That Constantly Bad-Mouth Others

If you’re hanging out with someone that is bad-mouthing others behind their backs, you can bet that they are bad-mouthing you behind your back. Don’t be naive enough to think you’re the exception; and make sure that you do not get sucked into their trap. Remember that misery loves company and people that constantly bad-mouth others are always on the hunt for someone they can “bounce their ideas off of.” Maybe next time you hear someone doing this, or know of someone who has this weakness, you could remind them that “the devil flatters us that we are very righteous while we are feeding on the faults of others.”

7 Reasons Why You’re Not A Millionaire

If you’re not a millionaire, don’t give up hope that you will become one someday. Take note of the reasons you aren’t a millionaire and resolve to make changes that will make a million dollars obtainable, even for the average person.

1. You’re Not Your Own Boss

Although there’s no guarantee that self-employment will earn you a million dollars, it’s really unlikely that working for someone else will get you there either. There are very few jobs that pay million dollar salaries.

Don’t quit your day job tomorrow to launch a business, however. Instead, consider keeping your day job while you start a business on the side. You’ll have the security of your current salary along with an opportunity to create a business where you can earn extra cash.

2. You Avoid Taking Risks

People don’t become millionaires without taking any risks. Taking a risk doesn’t mean you need to invest all your money into a single investment or that you need to gamble earnings foolishly.

However, taking calculated risks is often part of good money management. No one gets rich on the interest they earn from the bank. Instead, millionaires know how to invest their money wisely.

3. You Never Act on Your Good Ideas

It’s one thing to come up with million dollar ideas, but a completely different thing to act on them. If you are more a dreamer who never puts his money where his mouth is, you’ll never get rich. Millionaires don’t sit around and watch others advance in life. They take action to help them reach their goals.

4. You Don’t Manage Your Money Wisely

The average person has the potential to become a millionaire in today’s world. Sound investments, a solid budget, and clear goals can mean that a person who earns an average salary can become a millionaire by retirement.

If you don’t manage your money wisely now, however, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to handle a million dollars with good sense. Establish a budget and create goals for yourself to help you save money now.

5. You Don’t Set Clear Goals for Yourself

People who don’t have clear goals aren’t going to make smart money decisions. You need goals to help you save money and invest wisely.

Create goals, such as getting out of debt or saving up for a vacation home. Creating goals will help you determine whether or not you should spend your money on other things that come up in the meantime. If you’re saving with a specific goal in mind, it’s much easier to say no to tempting opportunities to spend money.

6. You Don’t Put in Enough Time, Effort, and Energy

No one makes a million dollars by watching TV or sleeping 12 hours a night. Unless you’re lucky enough to win the lottery or inherit a windfall, becoming a millionaire takes hard work.

Millionaires consider the time and energy they put into a project to be an investment. They understand they won’t get immediate results but are willing to put in the hard work it takes to see the fruits of their labor. Learn how to manage your time wisely so you can become more productive with your efforts.

7.  You Aren’t Networking with the Right People

You won’t become successful in life if you spend time with lazy people who aren’t interested in managing their money wisely. However, if you surround yourself with energetic, successful people, it will rub off on you.

Develop relationships with successful people in your community. Look for people who can mentor you in your efforts to manage your finances, invest wisely, or build a business. Spending time with others who share your goals can help fuel your passion and efforts to become a successful millionaire.

15 Money Tips To Make You Rich In 2015

"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."– Henry Ford

To make 2015 your most lucrative year yet, you may have to do some things differently than what you've done in the past.

Here are 15 action items that can put you ahead regardless of what happens with the economy in the coming year and beyond:

1. Become your own CFO.

You can't fix what you don't know, so the first step is becoming completely aware of your finances and where your money is going.

As soon as you start to understand your current situation in detail, you will be able to identify leaks and simple solutions that will help get you on your way. 

Nobody cares more about your finances than you do (not even a financial adviser), so it is on you to take control of your financial future and direct it to where you want to go.

2. Go on a diet.

I'm not talking about what you eat. Identify one expense that isn't helping you achieve your goals, and cut it out for 30 days.

A simple expense to choose is cable television. The average American watches more than five hours of TV every day. That is thousands of dollars and thousands of hours often wasted each year!

Try a TV (or other guilty pleasure) diet for 30 days, and use that time and money on something more beneficial. I'm sure you'll survive without it just fine. 

3. Be selfish.

When you get on an airplane, what do they tell you during the safety instructions? "Put your own mask on first, and then help the person beside you."

It should be the same way with our time and our finances. Be selfish and take care of yourself first, and then you can have more flexibility to take care of others. The problem is that so many of us put others first and then aren't able to help ourselves. 

4. Be selfless.

Although you want to be selfish with your time and money at first, you also want to be selfless with your attitude. The wealthiest entrepreneurs I know give, give, give, and focus on helping others. By doing so, more money shows up in return.

Focus on impact and income will result.

Be willing to help others when you can.

5. Improve your credit score.

Credit is boring and I hate to talk about it, but it does make a difference. Think about it: Most of life's biggest expenses are purchased on credit. It's important to start to take care of it now because there is going to be a situation in the future where you'll wish you had.

The way to improve your credit score again starts with awareness. Get your free report each year from AnnualCreditReport.com and find out if there are any items that are directly hurting your score (which you can get for free at Credit Karma, Credit Sesame, or Credit.com). Address those now and you'll save yourself many thousands in the future.

6. Define what true wealth means for you.

In the dictionary, wealth is defined as "a large amount of money and possessions." However, when you ask someone who is truly wealthy, you get a completely different answer. 

As I show in "Make Money, Live Wealthy," the 75 entrepreneurs I interviewed most often shared words like freedom, purpose, family, health, experiences and other things that mean much more than just money.

Money is an important tool that makes all of these other things much easier, but it shouldn't necessarily be the goal in and of itself. Realize this and you will ultimately create your dream life much sooner. 

7. Automate your money.

The key with your finances is to make it as easy as possible on yourself. The best way to do this is to automate your finances as much as possible. What this means is that as soon as money comes in, it is dispersed to your other accounts automatically. 

For instance, you can set up your finances so that money is taken straight from your paycheck into a retirement investment account, or from your checking account to pay off fixed bills like your internet and cable. The less you can worry about moving your money around and the more you can focus on optimizing it, the better off you'll be.

The key reason why this works is not only to free up time, but it helps prevent us from wasting money. If we see extra money in our account, we'll find a way to spend it and then won't be left with much if any money to invest in ourselves and our future. Automation helps keep our priorities in line and takes the emotions out of it.

Figure out how to earn more through alternate income streams.

8. Add another income stream.

One thing that I learned over and over again from the wealthy this year is that they never rely on one income stream. They have numerous sources, which protect them from changes in the economy and also add up to the greatest numbers. 

If you want to make 2015 your most lucrative year yet, your best bet is likely to add another source of income.

9. Focus on passive and residual income.

There is only so much time in the day, so it's hard to build wealth quickly when you're trading your time for money. Instead, the wealthy focus on building income streams where they can get paid over and over again for their work by putting their business or money to work for them. 

Examples of this include the investing, owning real estate, running an online business, and writing a book. If you're going to do the work, you might as well get paid over and over again for your efforts. Work hard, but also work smart, and you'll much sooner find the freedom you dream of.

10. Get a library card.

The wealthiest and smartest people in the world have something in common: They're avid readers. 

For very cheap or even free, you can get access to the most brilliant and inspiring people of all-time. Investing in yourself is the best investment you can make, and by reading, you are doing exactly that.

Whether it be audio or in print, books have helped change my life and bank account and can do the same for you. 

Library cards aren't just for kids.

11. Make your investments boring.

Back in 2010 when I started investing heavily, it was exciting. I had multiple monitors continually streaming charts, CNBC, and countless stock prices. This is what I believed that successful investing looked and felt like.

The thing was, I wasn't making any money.

Finally, I started to learn what works and began to take the emotions out of it. When I did, the excitement dropped dramatically (along with my stress) while my results started to shoot upwards. 

"Investing should be more like watching paint dry or watching grass grow. If you want excitement, take $800 and go to Las Vegas." 
– Paul Samuelson

12. Track your progress.

It doesn't matter how much money you make. It doesn't even matter how much you spend. What does matter is how much you keep. 

Every month, track your net worth (I use Mint.com to do this). This makes you think about the entire picture from income to expenses to investments to taxes. With this focus, you can ultimately make the greatest impact on your finances. 

13. Cut out 10%.

Even the most frugal people can find 10% of their expenses to cut. If you then take that 10% and invest it in yourself and in your future via training, paying off debt, or putting it towards vehicles that make you money like investing or starting a business, you'll be much better off. 

Try it. Go through your expenses line by line and see what you can cancel or reduce. I do this practice at least twice per year to keep things in line, and I find hundreds in savings each time. 

Your network is your net worth.

14. Hang out with rich people.

Your network is your net worth. Seriously.

As Jim Rohn said, "You become the average of the five people you spend the most time with." It doesn't matter if we're talking about happiness, health, confidence or your income, the people you hang out with are strongly reflected in your own life.

So, if you have one thing on your 2015 to-do list, it should be to raise the quality of your peer group. This will have a domino effect on every other area of your life.

15. Reduce your goals.

Most people don't even create goals, but those that do often go to the extreme and create too many goals. The ultra-successful, however, are great at simplifying their mission and creating a single challenge in front of them at any given time. 

As Gary Keller talks about in the great book, "The ONE Thing," the way to get more is to focus on less. Less distractions, less stress, and fewer goals lead to more income and a better lifestyle.

That's it; 15 small steps that can add up to enormous changes. Remember, new and better actions will lead to new and better results.

Cheers to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2015.

5 Secrets to Use Storytelling for Brand Marketing Success

Brand storytelling isn’t a new concept, but with the explosive growth of social media and content marketing, the opportunities to tell stories as part of direct and indirect brand marketing initiatives have become a strategic priority.

Marketers have been telling brand stories for years through advertising, in-person brand experiences, and so on, but the art of writing those brand stories as effective pieces of online content is a challenge that few are trained to do. That’s because the best brand storytellers understand the critical elements of fiction writing, which are skills that few marketers have been formally trained to do.

Today’s strongest marketing team will have room for new roles like the data architect and the brand creative content director. While the former position focuses on all that big data has to offer, the latter focuses on increasing consumer emotional involvement in the brand through social media and content marketing stories as well as on weaving the brand storyline into offline brand experiences and marketing initiatives.

Following are five secrets that brand storytellers understand and use to intrigue, engage, and connect emotionally with consumers. These secrets include a mix of branding fundamentals and fiction writing basics. Together, they can help you craft compelling brand stories for your own content marketing and integrated marketing efforts.

1. Speak truthfully.

Honesty and transparency are important in brand storytelling. Yes, you’re crafting “stories,” but they need to be rooted in the reality of your brand, products, and industry. In other words, even brand stories must adhere to the three primary steps of brand-building: consistency, persistence, and restraint. If your brand stories are inconsistent, they’ll confuse consumers who will turn away from the brand in search of another that meets their expectations for it in every interaction. Be creative but don’t stray too far from your brand promise. Confusion is the number one brand killer.

2. Infuse personalities into stories.

Brand stories are not marketing materials. They are not ads, and they are not sales pitches. Brand stories should be told with the brand persona and the writer’s personality at center stage. Boring stories won’t attract and retain readers, but stories brimming with personality can.

3. Create characters your audience will root for.

Brand storytelling requires that you create characters your audience will like and cheer for. That doesn’t mean you’re required to create fictional characters or brand mascots to tell your stories. While characters like Allstate‘s Mayhem can be very effective in presenting brand messages and stories in a variety of ways, you don’t need to create a fictional mascot to tell brand stories. For example, create buyer personas and tell stories from their perspectives. Tell stories from your employees’ points of view or from a third-person point of view. The important thing is to create characters that enable your audience to become emotionally connected to them to such an extent that the audience wants to follow their character arcs (discussed in #4 below).

4. Include a beginning, middle, and end.

Fiction stories follow a structure that includes a beginning, a middle, and an end. Your brand stories should follow a similar structure. In the beginning, you need to open strong and establish your story setting and the characters. The middle should set up your main character’s problem and present conflicts that get in his or her (or its) way before he or she (or it) can find resolution in the end. This is your character’s story arc, and you need to take your reader along for the ride. If they enjoy the ride, they’ll stick around, tell other people about it, and come back again and again.

5. Don’t give it all away.

Make sure your brand stories are page turners by focusing on the use of perpetual marketing in your efforts where one piece feeds off of the next. Leave your audience wanting more, and they’ll come back again and again. Consider using “Watch This Space” hooks on your website or Facebook Page, or try releasing teasers via Facebook, email, or Pinterest. Perpetual marketing tactics offer the perfect opportunity to include offline and mobile marketing in your brand storytelling initiative, too.

As with all brand building efforts, your goal is to surround your consumers with brand experiences (including stories), so they can self-select how they want to interact with your brand. Give them multiple ways to enjoy your brand story, and you’ll find yourself moving closer to achieving your brand marketing goals.