“It doesn’t matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions.”

Jim Rohn – 1930-2009 (Speaker and Author)

This statement is especially true for entrepreneurs and leaders. Being able to make decisions – preferably being able to do so quickly – will be a huge benefit to your small business success.

Sometimes you’ll make the wrong decisions, but being afraid of making a wrong decision is only going to prevent you making any decisions, hence keeping you stagnant.

For the next week at least, make a conscious effort to make decisions quickly. Once you get in the habit of doing this you’ll find it starts to come naturally to you.

An Essential Trait Of Entrepreneurs And Leaders is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

Self-confidence can make such a huge difference to the success of your business and to your life in general.

Below is a short and sweet video from Brian Tracy, summarizing how to develop unbreakable self-confidence.

It’s worth sparing a couple of minutes of your day now to watch this quick video.

How To Develop Unbreakable Self-Confidence is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

Those who know me well or have been reading my blog posts for some time know that I firmly believe success is all in your mindset … your attitude.

Of course, there’s more to becoming successful than just thinking about it, but it’s important to first have the right attitude to help you know what to do and then focus on doing it.

One of the first things you must do in order to be successful is to define what ‘success‘ means to you. Does it mean having a lot of money? Being well-known and recognized within your industry? Being adored and loved or respected by others? Just being happy?

For me, success is achieving my goals … achieving something worthwhile in my life, whether that’s something to do with my family, friends, business, finances, community or even just reaching a personal goal and growing as an individual. In fact, failing at something but still being able to stand up tall and keep moving forward is a sign of success to me.

It’s also important to know what you want your ideal life to be like … how do you want to be living each day? Who do you spend time with? Where do you live? Once you know these things you can plan out how you’re going to achieve these goals and start moving towards them.

When you know what you want and how you can achieve it, this is the part where I believe your mindset really comes into play. To be able to follow the plan you’ve set and achieve your goals for success – your dreams – you need to be able to:

• focus
• avoid distractions and remain on track
• remain positive – even if things get a little off-track, as they’re bound to do from time to time
• be able to pick yourself up when you fail
• have patience, especially if things take a little longer than first planned
• avoid listening to people who tell you your goals are silly or you’ll never be able do such-and-such – we ALL have people like that around us, and often they’re just saying these things to protect us from what they see as possible failure
• overcome procrastination
• accept that what you want will change over time … and that’s okay
• face fears and overcome weaknesses that may be holding you back
• have total belief that you CAN achieve your goals

Take a few moments to look back and think about some of your past successes. No doubt you’ll find that the things that helped you to achieve these successes where somehow related to your mindset.

Success – All In Your Mind is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”

Bill Cosby (Comedian, Actor and Author)

Bill Cosby – Definition Of Failure is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

Have you ever wondered why it is that some people follow through and achieve success with something while others either don’t follow through – e.g. they buy a coaching program or book and never use it – or they follow through but don’t seem to achieve positive results?

I have. Many times. And it’s really frustrating because if someone buys my product I truly want them to use it and to achieve results from it.

I know it’s not just me because I’ve had many discussions about this topic with several colleagues in the last couple of years.

Thankfully, John Reese and Frank Kern, two well-known and highly respected internet business professionals, wanted to know the answer to the very same question. So they asked one man who was sure to be able to explain this … Anthony Robbins. Better still, they recorded this interview so we can all benefit from it.

Click on the link below to watch this recording:

Tony Robbins Interview With John Reese And Frank Kern

Why Do Some People Succeed While Others Fail? is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

I’m not sure who wrote the following poem … I’ve been attempting to track its origins and author but with no success. All the same, I think it’s very well written and worth remembering, after all, ‘habit’ is something that can make or break your success in small business and, in fact, in all areas of your life.

The Habit Poem

I am your constant companion.
I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden.
I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.
I am completely at your command.
Half of the things you do you might as well turn
over to me and I will do them – quickly and correctly.
I am easily managed – you must be firm with me.
Show me exactly how you want something done
and after a few lessons, I will do it automatically.
I am the servant of great people,
and alas, of all failures as well.
Those who are great, I have made great.
Those who are failures, I have made failures.
I am not a machine though
I work with the precision of a machine
plus the intelligence of a person.
You may run me for profit or run me for ruin -
it makes no difference to me.
Take me, train me, be firm with me, and
I will place the world at your feet.
Be easy with me and I will destroy you.
Who am I? I am Habit.

After reading that poem, take 5 minutes to think about your habits … which ones are pushing you onwards? And which ones are dragging you down? Most importantly, what are you going to do about it?

Habits – They Can Make Or Break Your Business is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

“More than anything else, I believe it’s our decisions, not the conditions of our lives, that determine our destiny.”

Anthony Robbins (Author and Speaker)

What Determines Our Destiny? is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

The answer is … neither!

In the words of retired American Football Coach, sportscaster, author and speaker, Lou Holtz:

“You were not born a winner, and you were not born a loser.

You are what you make yourself be.”

So now the question is, which one will you choose to make yourself?

Were You Born A Winner Or Loser? is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

Have you ever seen people who appear to be perhaps not as skilled as you, not as experienced as you, not as bright as you, maybe not even as popular as you … yet they are more successful than you by your own definition of success?

I’ve lost count of the number of people who have come to me for business mentoring who have said this exact thing. They can’t understand why others start a business and it thrives from day 1, yet they themselves have struggled to make a profit.

Certainly skills, abilities, contacts and business sense make a difference, but beyond that, you need to look deeper. You need to look at your entrepreneurial mindset. This includes the way you think, the way you act and what you believe.

This video by the legendary late Jim Rohn – an amazing man and a true role model for me – is essential for anyone who wants to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. In this, Jim speaks candidly about some of the concepts and statements that changed his life for the better.

Remember … “Success Is Something You Attract By The Person You Become,” Jim Rohn.

The Importance Of Developing An Entrepreneurial Mindset is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

Something to think about…

“Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.”

Oprah Winfrey

What Is Real Integrity? is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins