Success Advice
6 Simple Mindset Shifts for Success
What does mindset have to do with success? Don’t I just need to work harder and maybe get a lucky break or two? No! Your mindset has everything to do with your success. So here are 6 simple steps you can take to set yourself on the road for success.
While they might teach you so in college, getting a good job, working hard and waiting for success to somehow magically happen is not the answer. You can be much smarter and do much better than that.
Here are 6 ways to shift your mindset in order to find success:
1. Always question the status quo
Learn to love the question “How could this be better?” and apply it to all areas of your life, business, career, relationships – everything. The fact that something has ‘always been that way’ is not, on its own, a good enough reason for anything to stay the way it is.
In 2015 I challenged the fact that I’d ‘never been any good at running’. I used an app to get me from zero to 5k, started trail running and, within 6 months had competed in a 44.5 mile trail race, still running strong at the end after 10 hours of running.
What ‘facts’ are you living with that deserve to be challenged? How could they be better?
2. Always be experimenting
Embrace experimenting – because you never know until you try! Amazon is famous for their culture of constant experimentation. Not everything they try works, ands the same will be true for you, but if you try enough things then some will be wildly successful.
Experiment everywhere. Conduct a series of 30-day experiments on your health, happiness, fitness and finances. See what works, what you enjoy and what has the biggest impact – keep the best bits and then try something new.
“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
3. Always look for the big picture
Know your big goals, your ideal life path, the overall goals of your business or job. And don’t get lost in the details. The details are important, of course, but only when they’re directly relevant to the big picture. If you’re obsessing over tiny details, make sure they’re ones that matter.
When you face problems, especially recurrent ones, always look for the opportunity. Fix the problem first if it’s urgent, but don’t stop thinking about it as soon as it goes away. Given the overall objective, is there something that could be done in a whole different way that would avoid this problem in the future? This applies to everything from internet security breaches to waiting for a taxi (think Uber) to running out of milk at home.
4. Never trust your assumptions
Assumptions are dangerous! When you assume something you’re effectively just imagining that you know how something is, or why it’s the way it is. That can be a useful thinking strategy but it’s no way to run a life or do business.
Don’t assume that new ways will always be better or that what everyone else is doing will work for you or your business. Don’t assume what people are thinking or feeling, or that you know why they’re acting as they are.
Until you test your assumptions you never really know. Ask questions whenever possible, experiment if you can see a way to. Try never to act on untested assumptions unless circumstances force you into it. And be prepared to be wrong. Don’t get too attached to your ideas of how things should be; maybe it should be the way it is and it’s you that needs to change!
5. Never complain – even when times get tough
Tough times will come, but then so will the good times. To paraphrase Jim Rohn, you have to have winter or else you can’t have spring and summer and harvest time. So don’t complain when it’s winter!
The metaphorical winter is the time to take stock, survey the landscape and, instead of complaining about it, ask good questions, like “How could this be better?” Regroup, gather your resources and prepare to sow new seed in the spring.
Nobody likes to hear you complaining, at least no one with an interest in you being more successful, so don’t do it. It won’t make you feel better and, if anything, your focus on everything that’s wrong will only make the tough times longer. So quit complaining and start being grateful for the good times that are coming.
6. Never reject who you really are
Self improvement is a wonderful thing, but don’t imagine that you can ‘improve’ yourself out of who you really are. Your natural talents and traits will always shine through or sabotage you.
If you’re naturally introverted, don’t go for a job in sales! Personal development can make you a good salesperson, but you won’t be happy and you’ll sabotage your success somehow. And if you love to spend a lot of time out in nature, don’t imagine you can be happy sitting at a computer in an office all day.
Embrace who you are, but also be aware that your introversion and love of nature don’t mean you can’t have an internet based business that sells things to people – you’ll just need to get a little more creative. Don’t focus on your weaknesses and try to develop them away. Instead focus on your strengths, magnify them and find a way to make them work effectively for you.
“Our uniqueness, our individuality, and our life experience molds us into fascinating beings. I hope we can embrace that.” – Linda Thompson
What is success anyway? Success is a journey, and only you can truly define what that journey of success looks like to you. You may not know yet. You may need to do some experimenting. You may be in a tough patch, wondering if you’ll ever achieve anything that looks remotely like success, but you will.
As long as you remember who you are and what’s important to you, and do things that you love to do, you’re already being successful. From that point, of course, the only question is: How could this be better?
Have you tried shifting your mindset successfully to experience a boost to your life? Let us know how you did it by commenting below!
Image courtesy of Twenty20.com
Success Advice
How to Alter Your Business Approach With Technological Advancements
Keeping up with technological trends has become a challenge for almost every business owner.
Technology’s evolution has impacted everything, and business is no exception. Keeping up with technological trends has become a challenge for almost every business owner. Entrepreneurs unable to do so are being wiped out of the market.
There is no doubt that AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) have taken over the business world. These technological advancements are impacting decision-making, success percentages, and other entrepreneurial aspects.
Adapting to these developments is integral to business success. Let’s explore how you can accomplish these milestones.
Embed the strength of AI and ML.
AI has modified business operations in major ways. For instance, companies have employed bots for customer support. These bots go through an effective learning process via Machine Learning before being able to answer like humans.
Bots can also perform detailed data analytics and make business moves with high success percentages.
ML is used more for the analysis of data chunks and generating successful predictions. This simply means that business owners do not have to worry about large-scale financial losses.
In terms of deployment and usage, a reputed company like Netflix employs machine learning for decision-making.
Blockchain is increasing the count of business opportunities
Tampering of financial transactions is quite common and causes severe monetary damage to customers. With the rise of digital payments, this risk has increased.
Blockchain is used to elevate your experience for monetary transfers. It combats penetrating events to extract confidential customer information.
Most business sectors are using block chain but finance and supply chain management sections have a higher count. These two corporate sections have several monetary deposits and withdrawals taking place.
In terms of percentage, approximately 72% and 5% of finance and supply chain firms have implemented block chain successfully.
Dedicate Yourself to Continuous Learning and Individual Development
You invest in learning some of the very important skills, including digital marketing, financial management, and how to gain customers as an entrepreneur.
You need to set up your knowledge base about doing business on Coursera and Udemy with the basics that are necessary for the business, building further by networking with experts through webinars.
Besides, Agile methodology will introduce elasticity to your company: this review and feedback system with further correction regularly will allow for enhancing efficiency and promptly reacting to the market.
Developing key skills to achieve goals
Running a business successfully is not only about having niche/domain knowledge. Business owners need to have communication / soft skills as well in addition to niche information.
Here are some key technical/domain-related areas that business owners should have a strong grip on.
Data Storage on Cloud: These days, companies do not store their data on physical servers. Therefore business owners should know how data is stored/edited/removed/updated via AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and other platforms.
Data Analysis/Interpretation Qualities: These days, data is as precious as gold. Business owners with data analysis abilities make correct predictions. As a result, their ventures grow in volume.
Development/Coding Knowledge
Programming knowledge gives business owners an edge whether the application is developed in-house or outsourced. It assists in getting updates deployed and handling application underperformance without getting professional support every time.
Hacking proof framework
There is no benefit of having an advanced automated system if can be penetrated. Successful business owners have above-average knowledge of cyber security and hacking attempts. They are able to choose top-notch anti-hacking software without much of an ambiguity.
Communication Abilities/Soft Skills
Here are some key communication qualities that business owners should have:
Communication/Conversation: Business owners should use to-the-point sentences in both written and oral communication.
Issue Resolution Abilities: Business owners should be able to drill down to problems and solve them. This is done successfully only if an entrepreneur has in-depth business domain knowledge.
Agile Implementations
It is mandatory for business owners to have knowledge of iterative/agile models. With such a competitive environment, it is impossible for business owners to succeed without adopting an agile framework.
Create a productive well-crafted Business Strategy
A productive business venture starts with a clear vision. The first factor making a business successful is the idea behind it. It helps with endless growth and combating competition successfully. Katherine Philips once mentioned that business goals are inevitable if goals are set concretely.
- Goals should be based on smart achievements instead of complexity. Focus on the value that each one of them adds.
- Business objectives should not be vague. Key indicators should be constructed to measure the success/failure of each milestone.
- Be realistic when setting goals. Do not aim at impossible milestones since they can be demotivating.
- Milestones/goals need to be time-bound. Set a completion deadline for each one of them.
- Business goals should not be alien. Owners can think out of the box but not be obsolete / unrelated.
Create a productive well-crafted Business Strategy
Business owners cannot succeed without having a network. Some tips help in this case. Attend conferences and professional gatherings to connect with other entrepreneurs.
Here are some other related points business owners should pay attention to.
- Attend meetings and conferences to stay updated with trends and meet business owners who already have well-set ventures. This helps in enhancing the learning curve of new / growing entrepreneurs.
- Being a part of business communities/groups is very productive. When one shares opinions and discusses decision-making tactics, it helps in preventing errors and enhancing success rate.
- Even the most experienced business owners have mentors as learning never stops. Take part in mentorship programs so there is an assurance that you are following the correct roadmap.
Conclusion
There is absolutely no doubt that business dimensions have evolved with technological advancements. Successful entrepreneurs have grabbed these changes in due course of time and continue to evolve. On the other hand, people following old paths and conventional steps fade out of competition. In a nutshell, keep an eye on the processes and practices you follow as these factors decide success rate.
Success Advice
Understanding the Power of Yes and No: How to Create Boundaries For Success
These words have a significant impact on how our success unfolds
The two smallest yet most powerful words in life, “Yes” and “No,” have a big impact on our growth on both personal and professional levels. In addition to affecting the choices we make every day, these words have a significant impact on how our success unfolds. (more…)
Motivation
From Couch Potato to Go-Getter: A Step-by-Step Motivation Plan for Everyone
By understanding what motivates you, you can turn your dreams into reality
Are you tired of feeling like a couch potato? Do you want to transform your life and become a go-getter? You’re not alone! Many people struggle with motivation, but the good news is that change is possible. (more…)
Success Advice
10 Micro Financial Habits for More Wealth and Peace of Mind
The World Economic Forum still reports that half of U.S. adults lack financial literacy
You’ve heard about developing financial habits, but what about micro-financial habits? Micro habits are the tiny things you can do every day with minimal effort that, together, transform your future. (more…)
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