Get Moving, Even When Others Fall Behind

It’s often far easier to rest where you are than to push yourself to the next level.  But complacency leads to mediocrity…which almost always leads to disaster.  So, if this is true, how can you keep yourself responsive, resourceful, and recharged in this competitive business environment?

There are seven tactics that when implemented and sustained, will make a difference:

1.            Practice self-discipline versus self-indulgence.  Self-indulgence is thinking about how you feel at a given moment, then deciding what action, if any, to take and worrying about the consequences later.  Self-discipline is thinking first about the consequences, then taking appropriate action, and feeling great about your decision.

See it this way:

§  self-discipline = think consequences 

§  take action 

§  feel great 

§  self-indulgence = think feelings 

§  take action 

§  suffer consequences

2.            Remember the difference you make in people’s lives.  The real measure of your success is the difference that you’re making in the lives of others.  By positioning and promoting yourself as someone who can make a difference, you will reach more people.

3.            Avoid negative self-talk.  Resist the temptation to tell yourself all the things you’re doing wrong and all the things you need to improve on.  Remember Willie Nelson’s great tune, “Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative, and Don’t Mess with Mr. In Between.”

4.            Listen to one motivational or inspirational message each week.  Without recharging yourself, it’s impossible to charge others.  Whether this message comes from a religious affiliation or simply from motivational tapes or messages, (like Excellence magazine) it is vital to realize that by renewing yourself, only then can you renew others.

5.            Read books by and for successful people.  It is said that the average sales person reads only one book each year.  That’s why they’re average.  The importance of reading is that it not only develops your logic and understanding, but it also develops your verbal skills and gives you exposure to new ideas that you can use to build your business and your relationships.

6.            Focus on your long-term vision versus the short-term circumstances. Take the time to review your goals weekly so that you’re focused on the long-term.  Remember, if you’re focused on creating the future, you won’t spend time mourning the past.

7.            Manage yourself wisely.  Recharge and renew yourself and then put in enough effort to get where you want to be, not just enough to justify where you are now.