Tweet

Coach Pete Tip: Program Yourself For Success

Written by: Pete Turner

Article Overview: In our constant rush get that promotion, buy a bigger house, drive a better car or take a trip to the islands we sometimes lose our way. What are we really trying to accomplish? If we are trying to program ourselves for success, shouldn't we first define what success means?

Coach Pete Tip: Program Yourself For Success

In our constant rush get that promotion, buy a bigger house, drive a better car or take a trip to the islands we sometimes lose our way. What are we really trying to accomplish? If we are trying to program ourselves for success, shouldn't we first define what success means?

Webster defines success as a "favorable outcome, attainment of wealth, favor or eminence". How often have you seen someone in a new BMW or Mercedes zipping down the road and thought, "That person must be pretty successful". But is he really a success? Is the family living in a big house with a nicely landscape yard and a pool successful? Does he or she have a happy marriage? Maybe these folks are up to their ears in debt. Maybe they lie awake at night wondering how to make next months mortgage or car payment. Does being successful (rich) bring happiness? Are the parents with four children driving the used mini-van more successful (happy) than the stressed out single over 30 professional with the new sports car and a killer car payment?

Here's another definition of success from author Christopher Morley, "There is only one success To be able to spend your life in your own way". What is your definition of success? Is it the accumulation of wealth and possessions? Is it having a happy, long healthy life, having a loving marriage/relationship? Is it being able to go to your child's ball game or school recital instead of jetting off to some faraway city? Or is it making a meaningful contribution to your community?

Try this self-coaching exercise: "The Tombstone Test" Take a minute and think about what you would like to have put on your tombstone. I don't mean to be morbid. I just want you to take a moment to reflect. Do you want the stone to say "He worked 60 hours a week" or " He drove a BMW"? There's an old saying, I don't know who said it, but it goes something like this, "No one on their death bed ever wished they had spent more time at the office". If you were to die right now what would your family and friends say about you as they gave a final toast to you? If you are not happy with what their honest response would be, now's the time to change. Now create your own definition of success. If right now you don't measure up to this definition, that's okay. The important thing is to begin looking at where you are going and really think about what success means to you.

One place to start is we a personal vision of who you want to become. Visions are really powerful things and can drive you toward your goals. What is your definition of success? Is it the accumulation of wealth and possessions? Is it having a happy, long healthy life, having a loving marriage/relationship? Is it being able to go to your child's ball game or school recital instead of jetting off to some faraway city? Or is it making a meaningful contribution to your community?
Let's look at three world leaders and how their visions shaped the world. President John Kennedy wanted a man on the moon before the end of the 1960's. Now Kennedy wasn't a rocket scientist or an engineer, however he used his office as the president to inspire and motivate others. Soon congress passed money and legislation. NASA was created and astronauts started training and on July 21, 1969 Neil Armstrong took "One small step for man - one giant leap for mankind."

Reverend Martin Luther King spoke of his vision in his famous "I Have A Dream Speech" August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. People both black and white were galvanized in to action. Gradually old barriers were torn down, laws were passed and equal rights and equal opportunity became the law of the land.

On June 12, 1987 President Ronald Reagan stood at the Berlin Wall and said "Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall." At the time people thought Reagan was needlessly provoking the Soviets and was risking war or at least increasing the distrust between the two nations. However two years later on November 11, 1989 the wall came tumbling down and the Soviet Union with it.

All three men were passionate about their vision. The didn't bother with all the details of how they were going to accomplish their dreams. But what they did have was a deep faith and a strong sense of purpose. It was easy, there were many doubters and many obstacles, but they persevered and in doing so changed the world.

What's your personal vision? Do you even have one? Without a passionate/forcefully personal vision. One based on faith and purpose you are like a ship without a compass.
Without a personal vision how can you know when you become success? How can you even define success?

Related Articles
  Why You React to Certain Customers and How to Stay Positive
  Sales VP's and Marketing VP's - Should the Roles be Combined?
  How To Profit Using eBays Saved Search Feature
  How To Profit Using eBays Saved Search Feature
  Don’t be Afraid to Help Clients Reach Financial Justification

Article Tags: ball game, big house, car payment, christopher morley, death bed, faraway city, favorable outcome, frien, happy marriage, killer car, landscape yard, loving marriage, marriage relationship, meaningful contribution, mini van, new bmw, new sports, school recital, take a trip to the islands, what would your family



Related Forum Posts
Re: How to develop sales contacts? - Everyone has the right idea here. Depending on your business, there are different techniques that you could use. For consultants and sales heavy businesses, there are three tactics that I have found especially useful in my business: 1. Attend Networking Events 2. Cold Calling 3. Referral Program 4. Affiliate Program (most successful) The affiliate program was successful for me, as I hooked up with a franchise consultant, and he gave multiple unit businesses that needed my credit card processing services. I highly suggest you hook up with a sales partner, and give him a cut of the monthly revenue.
Re: Business Coaching Resources - You're fortunate when you can find a Business Coach who has experience beyond where you've been and even where you are going. When your budget is slim and even after, it's good to have a mentor. Several of various backgrounds are very useful. They can be teachers, professors, pastors, business people, family members, bosses and former bosses. You have to be clear on what you want and what you desire to achieve, be able to convey it as simply as possible. Stop and listen and don't over tax their time. You should always expect results whether from a Business Coach or Mentors. If you're not gtting results, you're either not focused or you need to upgrade the quality of your mentors/coaches. Always surround yourself by people smarter than you.
Re: Hello to the forum - Welcome Pete!
Re: Hello to the forum - [quote="Pete Bailey":yzrhjebp]A fantastic welcome to a fantastic forum, I thank you all and hope that I can learn and contribute to the wealth of info available here. Dave, I joined your site and downloaded your pdf's one word.....Brilliant, I have begun to install incoming links to my little venture on the many sites as advised by your very knowledgeable associates. I'm still reading through it all. Thanks I can see I landed on my feet when I followed your link through to this great forum. Ideas, I was offered a job in Angola just a few weeks back, and decided to put it off for a while until I can get myself at least sorted with some knowledge of online marketing. As far as cross country transmission pipelines are concerned I'm well positioned to take up that consultants role but alas have never done anything like that before. Thanks for the info. Cheers everyone![/quote:yzrhjebp] You are welcome Pete. I will definitely be in touch when they are ready. And consultancy to me is just selling your knowlegde to people that don't know anything about what you know
Re: Hello to the forum - Hi Pete Welcome to the forum from sunny South Africa, great to have you here and as we are a friendly group of people and always willing to help I am sure you will find a lot of answers here as well. MichelleJ


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Five keys to business success

Creating a Better Place to Work

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.