What’s Your Philosophy

What’s your philosophy? It’s an important question.

Why? What you think, your philosophy determines what you will do.

Your personal philosophy can be summed up in a few words. As each day goes by you choose do whatever you think is valuable.

What do you think is valuable? And where has that taken you?

If you don’t like where you are at and want to have things be better, then change your personal philosophy. And if you think your problems or challenges are out there, then that’s the problem A good personal philosophy for progress to move your toward the business and life you desire is “if it is to be it is up to me.”

You must be proactive. You are the creator. Start thinking on what can be instead of what is. Your personal philosophy absolutely has the power to change your life. All you have to do is change your thinking.

Even animals, insects and other living organisms have a personal philosophy that guides them. According to Jim Rohn, ants have the “all I can possibly do philosophy.”

That’s a good place to start. Do all that you can possibly do.

Unlike animals, you as a human being, have been given the dignity of choice. You can choose to be all or you can choose to be less.

Why not be like the ants and have a personal philosophy that says I will strive to achieve the maximum to see what all I can be?

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Keys To Success: Passion

Throughout my business experience I have found that passion is a key ingredient to small business success.  After all, if you don’t have passion about your product, service, company, and most importantly, yourself, it makes it that much harder to achieve personal and small business success.
In my personal business coaching practice I have observed that the clients who have the most passion also have the greatest degree of success.

Keys To Success:  Passion About Yourself

You have probably heard that true success is an “inside” job.  To succeed you must have passion about:

1. “Who” you are.
2. “What” you do.
3. “How” you do it.
4. “Why” you do it.

Lack of excitement in any of these areas will hold you back much more than you may realize. The most important area to be passionate about is YOU.  If you feel stuck or overwhelmed look at yourself and find something to change that will make you more excited about you.
After all, in business and life, we, so to speak, leak who we are.  What are you leaking about you?  How do you think?  How do you speak?  How do you dress?  Do you act with respect, kindness and consideration?

The answers to these questions and your passion about them are important keys to success.

Passion Is Your Value Proposition

In answering Who you are, What you do, How you do it and Why you do it you are establishing your value proposition to prospects, customers and client.  Too often this is forgotten.
I have collaborated with self-employed business owners, entrepreneurs and solo professionals who had the best technology and efficient systems but who fell short of where they wanted to be.
Once they understood that small business growth was not just about a great product or service and its delivery, but the passion with which it was delivered, their businesses and lives started to move forward and up.

Passion:  Look At Your Priorities

In running a small business or starting your own business I see self-employed business owners with passion but lacking clear priorities.  This is a recipe for disaster.

Be a person with passion but also priorities.  Without the right priorities and taking action on them personal and small business success is more likely to elude you.  Make sure that your daily priorities are in alignment with where you want to take your business and life.

With your priorities in alignment your passion will grow and help take you to the personal and small business success you desire.  Your success will be in your passion.

See more at: http://www.businesskeystosuccess.com/blog/keys-to-success-passion

What Do You See?

In some way all of us see the present. The key to successful living and growing a business is to be able see not just what is happening in the here and now, but the future consequences of what you are doing in the present.

Being able to see the future is critical to your welfare and success. If you are doing something today that is destroying your health you can stop doing it. Why do you stop? You stop because the future consequences of what you are doing today are not good.

Conversely, if you are doing something today that is good for you then you keep doing it.

In either case, your ability to see The Future and its consequences will determine how you choose to ace.

In either case, your attitude about the future depends on our ability to see the future. What do you see in your future?

All things must be finished before they can be started. And, when you see the future make sure your focus is positive.

How come? When we are pre-occupied and filled with regret about the past and concerns about the present, then we subconsciously lead ourselves toward a future that is very much like the past we left behind.

Create a positive vision of the future, start acting on it in the present and you will leave the past where it belongs, behind.

See more at: http://www.businesskeystosuccess.com

Keys To Success: The Food Relationships

Last week I was in a restaurant and I was reminded of the food test in relationships.  At the booth next to me there was a man and a woman in their thirties who appeared to be in good shape.

Here’s where things got interesting. As they were looking at the menu, they got into a heated argument about what he should be ordering for lunch. He didn’t want to order the food that she thought he should.  This irritated her and then things got personal.

Relationships Like Food Can Go Bad

Here were some of the comments I overheard.  Her anger increased the volume of her voice it was easy to hear everything.

She said, “You never try anything new.”

His response was, “I know what I like.”

She queried, “Don’t you believe in eating healthy food?”

He replied, “I eat healthy food.  You know that.  But, there are times like today when I just feel like having a cheeseburger.”

At this point, when she heard the word cheeseburger she flipped her switch.  You would have thought that he had just used some nasty four letter words.

The rest of the argument disintegrated into a tense situation.  He stood his ground and ordered the cheeseburger.  He got the food he wanted.  They pretty much ate in silence.

Food Relationships—A Learning Experience

As I was taking all this in it got me to thinking about the joys of eating lunch by myself.  Most of the time, I am with someone at lunch.

Today, I was free to pick the food I wanted and without anyone’s comment or interference.  It is relaxing to make choices without always being challenged or questioned.

For the record, because I was feeling empathy for the man, I ordered a cheeseburger.  It was my way of showing support and at the same time enjoying something I rarely order.

Food brings people together and creates a ready made social situation and relationships.  I have also found that food is a great way to learn about people.  More importantly, food and how it is viewed gives me great insight into others.

As a personal business coach I have found that food can give you a glimpse into what a relationship may be like.  Whether you are a self-employed business owner, entrepreneur, solo professional or an individual your relationships, who you associate with, can define you for better or worse.

Small business success and personal success are about having good relationships.  Likewise, small business growth and personal growth can’t take place in the soil of poor relationships.  Why is this important?  One of the most personal relationships we have is with the food we eat.

Food Relationships:  The Phrases That Cause Rot

Here are some observations about relationships and food.

• When you hear, “You never try anything new,” it’s not about the fact that you do or don’t try anything new.  It’s about another person’s desire to control one of the most personal things in your life, the food you put in your mouth.

Are there times and are there people where they need to do this?  Yes.  But, I am talking about those other times where there is no need other than the neediness of the other person to control.

• “Try this just for me.”  This is one of my favorites.  When you have said “no” and you hear this you can be sure that this relationship is not about you.  It is all about them.  Be careful.

• “Just take a bite.  It will make me real happy.”  This is a variation on number 2.  But something sinister has been added.  Now there is the implied threat that if you don’t take a bite or try something as they have told you to do that you are going to face some major rage.

• “It won’t hurt you just to take a taste.”  I have always found this one very interesting.  The last time I checked eating what you want wasn’t about inflicting hurt.  And, this is not what this statement is about.  Once again, it is about the desire of someone else to control.

• “I know you don’t like-fill in the blank-but I know you will like this.”  I always find this one interesting.  They already know what you don’t like and now they want to force you to do something you don’t like.  This is not a way to build good relationships.

There are many more quotations around food but I think you get the idea.

In small business as in life, good relationships are crucial to success.  More importantly, you can have all the money in the world but without good relationships you cannot be happy.

Your relationships are the human food you feed yourself with everyday.  Take a look around you.  What do your relationships feed you every day?

If you don’t like what you see here’s the good news.  You can change it.  Relationships are like a menu in a restaurant.  You do get to pick and choose.  It will be as you wish.

When looking at the keys to success remember to eat well.  And be sure to choose good relationships from the menu of life.

See more at: http://www.businesskeystosuccess.com/

Decisions

Are you afraid to make decisions? Obviously, there are times where the fear is justified. Maybe you don’t have enough information. That’s understandable. But is it acceptable?

Some people would rather hide behind ignorance and tell you that they don’t have enough information than to take the responsibility to learn and to adequate information to make a decision. And as time passes, the situation, the relationship or the business gets worse.

They didn’t make a decision on the pressing issues. They made a decision to do nothing.

They were afraid to make a decision to possibly change things and to move forward. So they made a decision for the status quo and mediocrity.

Why? They were afraid of failing. Yet, staying in the sinking ship of mediocrity where change is not embraced is failure.

How do you move beyond being stuck about decisions? There are many answers but you have to keep reminding yourself of the following:

The decisions you are making are not wrong based on the information you have. It is the information you have and possibly who you are receiving information from that are causing you to make wrong decisions.

Getting the information that success and happiness require, and getting it accurately, is essential. Otherwise we will inevitably drift into ignorance. And ignorance is a decision.

Make the decision to rise above ignorance. Get educated and when you do you will been better able to cope with change and make the decisions to keep you, your business and your life with a high degree of relevancy.

About Author :

First things first, I like to have fun with people and what I do. I am a personal business coach.Yes, I have received training and been coaching since 1983. I have gone through and continue to happily go through more personal development.

Personal development and its quest for personal growth, more often than not, are the missing links in the chain of business and personal success.As Warren Buffett once said, “Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.”

For more information please visit : http://www.businesskeystosuccess.com

Vacation : Become An Observer

Vacation makes you an observer because it forces you to step outside your normal routine.  If you are seeking greater personal or small business growth then take the vacation break.

Just as a muscle cannot develop when it is always worked, neither can you have the personal development and small business success that you seek unless you get away and become an observer.

Being a business performance coach is similar in many ways to being an athletic coach.  You engage in routines that will build performance.  You tweak them.  And at some point you rest.  Then at some point you take an extended break.  Look at your top athletes and all of them take an extended break.  It is called the off season.

During the off season they stay in shape but they do something more important.  They study films and look for ways to improve their techniques and performance.  They become observers.

Vacation Is The Rest That Strengthens You

A muscle needs a break and rest in order to grow and develop.  And the small business owner, whether you are running a small business or starting your own business needs to schedule, needs to take a break and rest in order for him and his business to grow.

Even in nature, virtually nothing grows all the time.  There are times where plants and animals take a break from growth.  Only when you take a break can you grow.  Unlike the plants and animals which have no choice, we as human beings have been given the dignity of choice.

We can choose an extended rest or not.  Choose a vacation and you will increase the odds of your personal growth and small business growth.

Vacation—A Change In Attitude

As a small business coach one of the most important benefits from a vacation can be a change in attitude.  This becomes apparent when the self-employed business owner returns.

Vacation allows you to heal up.  You become very sensitive to pain.  The nice calmness that vacation brings over you can turn to turbulence very quickly.

And with this increased sensitivity it is easier to see where changes need to be made.  When we are in the middle it is harder for us to see and act.  I have observed that some of the greatest progress in small business occurs when the owner returns from vacation.

Where there was tolerance of things that weren’t quite right or processes that were irritating, vacation and the clear perspective it brings creates the impetus for positive action.

After all, you are feeling good and calm after vacation and you want to retain that feeling as long as you can.  You can more clearly see what is getting in your way and creating turbulence and discord.  Your attitude becomes one of eliminating the discord.

This is called progress.  Taking a vacation is about progress and key to success.  Take a vacation and become an observer.  Take a vacation and have the rest to build strength.  And, take a vacation have the attitude on your return to make changes to improve your business and life.

See more at: http://www.businesskeystosuccess.com/

Keys To Success: Finding Peace (2)

Keys To Success: Finding Peace (2)

In the previous post on peace we looked at one of  the keys to success, finding peace.  We looked at what is peace and what is causing distress.

In this post I am going to start out and explore a little further what peace is.  And, we will look at some ways to create peace.  We will finish up with the concept that peace is best achieved by running your small business and your life by your expectations.

Keys To Success:  Know What Peace Is.  What Peace Is Not.

Peace:  A Definition

Sometimes in defining a subject it is easier to say what it is not rather than what it is.

Peace is Not:

1. Based on external influences
2. Based on other people
3. Based on the absence of pressure

Peace is Internally Based

Definition:  Peace is to be set at “one” again.  What does it mean to be set at “one” again?  Primarily, this means living your life in alignment.  When you are looking at keys to success, whether it be in your business or life, alignment is important.

Keys To Success:  How To Create Peace

To create peace, as we grow, we must bring order to disorder.  And, this is where many of us have a challenge.  Maybe you are great at creating your own business.  Possibly, you are very good at success planning.  But, the distress, or lack of peace comes from your inability to manage what you have created.

As a self-employed business owner for many years and in my personal business coaching practice collaborating with individuals, entrepreneurs, solo professionals I can assure you that the one thing everyone would like to have is more peace.  And peace is one of the most important keys to success for the long-term.

All these individuals are very creative.  And, creativity by its very nature is forward thinking and disruptive of the status quo.

Unfortunately, everything else is a goal except peace.  A marketing business plan is put together that will increase sales but it is not appropriate for the owner or the small business.

Or, success planning directs you and your business into areas that put too much strain on your existing business or structure.  One of the keys to success is attaining a measure of peace is to build your business around honoring who you are.

Keys To Success:  Peace Is Living By Your Expectiations

Live by your expectations.  Don’t live by others.  Spend time in your strengths.  Spend minimal time or delegate those things that are unpleasant to you.  Manage your expectations, yourself and your process for doing business to honor who you are.

When you do you are much more likely to be successful because you are doing it on your terms.  Honor yourself and manage yourself in what you build and you will have greater peace which is one of the keys to success.

See more at: www.businesskeystosuccess.com/