“FEAR is the first thing impeding progress.” ~Jesse Moore

I read Think and Grow Rich 20 years ago. I thought I understood it at the time. Through a series of serendipities, I’m now re-reading it and realizing how much I really just didn’t get it. I took it in intellectually, but I didn’t really put it into practice — make it a part of my life — not just daily, but hourly, or even minute-by-minute.

Shared via nfn8
Source : www.youtube.com/watch?v=66Y_bHeltgM

Life is a list of goals. Personal and professional aspirations motivate us to act every day in order to attain a result that will put us ahead in the game of life. Maybe you want to lose weight, stop smoking, become a manager, get a degree, or find a life partner; in every case, you are aiming at a goal.

In order to enjoy a balanced life, there are six areas in your life for which you must define goals:

– Finances
– Relationships
– Contribution
– Health
– Spirit
– Business

Once you define a goal, you start working to attain it and begin to see some progress, but at some point, something happens and you get stuck or find yourself back where you started…this might get you down, but it is quite normal.

Most people don’t attain their goals not because they’re not motivated, but because they don’t know how to define attainable goals and keep working to get there. As every successful business coach will tell you, that’s the difference between successful people and the ones who must struggle to survive. Successful people know how to define and attain goals. Surround yourself with successful people and you will see the patterns.

Here are the six requisites every successful person meets to attain his or her goals:

1. Dream big
   Think out of the box and establish ambitious goals. Do not set goals thinking that there is a limit to what you can achieve. The only limit is yourself and the past conditioning you allow to stop you from getting what you want.
2. Write down detailed goals
   Successful people know that writing down their goals initiates the process. This is why you have to be specific, because what you write down is what will begin to happen. Your achievements will be as accurate as what you wrote, because you are appealing to the universal laws and are setting your mind to work as focused as possible. So don’t write down that you want a new car; explain that you want a new full extras, silver BMW, with black leather seats, a full warranty and full service for life.
3. Your goals must be in harmony with your values
   You will attain your goals easily if you are working on something you value, because it means you are aligned with your purpose in life. First, define your values and second, base your goals on them.
4. Your goals must include two things:
   a. A specific plan to attain each
   b. The correct beliefs and mindset
   Without these, you will never attain your goals, thus, clarify your beliefs and think about what actions will lead you to attaining your dreams.
5. Check your goals daily
   Before you get out of bed, before you eat your breakfast, check your list of goals. Visualize your life once you attain them: how does it feel? Check them before going to bed at night too. What you are doing is programming your brain to work on your goals subconsciously, and to expect them to become a reality.
6. Never lose hope
   You never lose, even if you don’t get what you wanted. In case your dream doesn’t become a reality, remember that you still have what you learned in the process. Experience is crucial to advancing in life. As long as you focus on what you want, you will find the way to get there, in spite of the problems or setbacks you may encounter.

This image was Selin Jessa’s entry in the 2010 Positive Posters International Poster Competition. Here’s her description:

Consider that technically, the glass is completely full – half of air and half of water. Just as you can perceive a glass of water in different ways, I think we need to take a moment and look at our lives from a different perspective – a more optimistic one. Our lives right now may seem too stressful, too hard or too busy but we can make every day better for ourselves and for one another. A positive, optimistic attitude is more than seeing the bright side of a situation, it’s believing in a brighter future.

As an entrepreneur, you’re an optimist, whether you realize it or not. Simply put, the odds are against you, and everybody knows it. But you think – know, even, deep down in your gut – that you can beat those odds.

Optimism alone isn’t enough for success, but it’s a key factor in it. Dr. Martin Seligman, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, has conducted more than 600 studies that demonstrate, consistently, that people with an optimistic explanatory style are more likely to be successful, in most circumstances. For instance, a study among life insurance agents showed that the most optimistic salespeople sold a whopping 88% more than the most pessimistic ones.

However, optimism isn’t about being delusional. The most successful optimists still have a firm grip on reality – they are able to assess the situation, and then generate, evaluate and explore their options. This is wherein the optimist’s greatest strength lies. Pessimists tend to quit considering alternatives once they believe the outcome to be inevitable. So, of course, their predictions become self-fulfilling, re-affirming their world view. Optimists keep moving forward because they believe there are always options and possibilities that may not yet have been discovered.

At this point, you may be thinking, “That all sounds great, but how do I become more optimistic? My business/life/whatever sucks right now, and I just can’t see past that.”

Pessimists tend to see problems as permanent (“We’re never going to hit our numbers”) and pervasive(“These leads all stink”). Optimists see problems as temporary (“This quarter’s been rough, but we have some new things in the pipeline for next quarter”) and specific (“There may still be some gems in there that just haven’t shown themselves because the timing isn’t right yet”).

So how do you get from permanent/pervasive to temporary/specific?

Ask yourself a few questions:

• Do you have a crystal ball? Is the future ever truly certain? Of course not…at least not from your perspective. We’re not trying to get into a philosophical debate here – even if the future is predestined – you don’t know what it is.
• What are some possible positive outcomes? Explore the possibilities, no matter how unlikely they may seem.
• What can I do to influence those outcomes? It doesn’t matter if you can’t ensure the outcome – what steps can you take that would simply increase the likelihood of any of those desirable outcomes?
• What are the exceptions? Whatever your negative generality is, find the exceptions and study them. What makes them different? How can you find more of those exceptions and attract them into your experience?
• What’s the third option? Pessimists tend to see things in black-and-white, while optimists see shades of gray. Any time you think there are only two choices, consider all the alternatives – yes or no (maybe), left or right (reverse), fries or onion rings (neither).

Change won’t happen overnight, and it won’t happen just because you consciously want it to happen. But transformation is possible if you practice it on a regular basis.

“Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream.” – Lao Tzu

Guess what? Most people can attain it, in a reasonable amount of time, and it’s not actually that difficult. You just have to:

1. Spend less than you make.
2. Save the difference, consistently.
3. Invest it in something with halfway decent returns.
4. Start sooner rather than later.

Want more details, including an example of how someone earning minimum wage can do it? Check out my latest article at American Express OPEN Forum:

How to Become the Richest Man in Poughkeepsie

Serendipity #1: My wife gave me a birthday card (day before yesterday) with this quote on it, not knowing it was one of my favorite quotes.

Serendipity #2: The new movie Invictus is coming out, about Nelson Mandela’s campaign to host the 1995 Rugby World Cup as an opportunity to unite the country. Seeing the ad on TV a couple of times tonight, I kept thinking the word “invictus” was familiar. But my Latin is rusty, so I looked it up on Wikipedia, where I learned that it means “unconquered” in Latin, and that it’s also the title of an 1875 poem by William Ernest Henley:

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

– William Ernest Henley

What is your locus of control? Are you a victim of circumstances? The whims and desires of other people? Or are you in charge of your life? Guess what? On average, those who have an internal locus of control are physically and mentally healthier, happier, and more successful. If you want those things (and who doesn’t), step up and take charge – don’t wait for it to happen to you. You are the master of your fate; you are the captain of your soul.

Just the Facts

I started as the Entrepreneurs Guide at About.com in November 2002, shortly after I left my last full-time employer and started back on my own. About.com has served me well over the past 6½ years, and I have served them well. Perhaps most importantly, I have helped hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs find, follow and fulfill their dreams of business ownership. I have also consistently grown the readership and produced some of the most popular articles on the web on a variety of small business topics, including:

• Choosing a Business to Start (#1 on Google for “choosing a business to start”)
• Create a Great Business Name (#1 for “creating a business name” and “picking a business name”)
• Pricing Strategy (#5 for “pricing strategy”)
• Make Money Online (Without Spending a Dime) (#1 for both “make money online” and “making money online”)
• Passive Income: How to Earn More and Work Less (#2 for “passive income”)
• The Real Problem with Network Marketing and Multi-Level Marketing (#2 for “network marketing”)

Some of my other personal favorites include:

• Swinging for the Fences: Risk, Reward, and Entrepreneurship
• Building Your Reputation When You Don’t Have Clients Yet
• Cash (Flow) Really Is King
• Time Is Money
• Juggling Multiple Streams of Income
• The Innovator’s Dilemma
• Business mentoring series:
  • Why Every Entrepreneur Needs a Mentor
  • Choosing a Business Mentor
  • Working with a Business Mentor

So what am I going to be doing with all that “free” time? I’ll be spending it on my own entrepreneurial pursuits and other projects I’m passionate about, plus hopefully a little more sleep and time with family.

I’ll continue to write here, as well as at The Virtual Handshake, Linked Intelligence, Work.com, GTD Times and a variety of other outlets as the opportunity arises. If you are trying to reach me and only have my About.com email, you can contact me here. You can also find me on Twitter at @ScottAllen.

Personal Reflection

It’s odd. On the one hand, I wish I could say it wasn’t my choice to leave About.com. It would be nice to be able to blame them. It’s always easier to put the responsibility on someone else, isn’t it?

See, I was “fired” from About.com. But the fact of the matter is, even though I was fired, it was my choice to leave. It was my choice not to do the things they wanted me to do in order to continue as an About.com Guide. It had nothing to do with the quality of my work – in fact, they plan to keep most of my articles up on the site indefinitely. I just didn’t consistently meet the quotas they set for content production, site maintenance, etc.

Why???

They weren’t unreasonable, and I’m not really that disorganized. And I’m not so busy with other more important things that I was simply incapable of meeting the requirements.

So why would I sabotage myself?

It’s taken me a week to “mourn” the loss and get in touch with the answer to that question. Here’s what I’ve come up with…

I’ve come to a point in my life at which I simply don’t want to work in environments that don’t fit well with my own work habits. And I’ve come to realize that I really detest deadlines, I can’t stand quotas and I don’t like being measured against arbitrary metrics rather than real results. In fact, give me a quota, and it seems my instinct is to just barely meet it. But give me something I’m passionate about and I will far exceed expectations.

Now here’s the funny thing…I asked for this.

Back in December and January, I was starting to come to terms with these insights about myself. I began to visualize the kinds of projects I’d like to be involved in that I would be passionate about and that would fit my work habits. And one appeared. And then another, and now a couple of more are on the radar.

Meanwhile, About.com was stressing me out every week.

A wise person once told me that in order to receive something new in your life, you have to make room for it. While my conscious mind wasn’t willing to release the About.com gig to make room for these other things that are a better fit for me, my subconscious was. My subconscious knew that it wasn’t a fit for my vision of my future. I have no regrets, and it served its purpose, but frankly, I’m amazed I lasted as long as I did!

So my few lessons learned out of this experience that I hope may enrich your life in some way are:

1. Find work that you’re not only passionate about, but that suits your work style. Failure to do so will be a source of constant stress. Life’s too short not to love what you do.
2. When things aren’t working, listen to your subconscious. It knows what you need and will sabotage you for your own good if it must. Listen to it and you can consciously make those transitions on your own terms.
3. Be careful what you ask for – you might get it!

Image: Davor Pukljak via stock.xchng