Last Thursday evening, I was the guest of a group of therapists who interviewed me about how I've built my businesses over the years ? both my therapy offices and my coaching business. Their probing, and very pointed, questions dramatically helped me clarify exactly what strategies have worked for me and my clients over the years. I hope you enjoy it. It is as solid and tight a summary of what has worked for me over the years as anything I've ever written. I'm quite proud of it, at least as an accurate reflection of what has worked for me.
1. Clarify the vision. Many of us have a tendency to be lazy about defining exactly what we want and where we want to be in a few years. Set your course as clearly as you can! A vague desire to "Work less and make more money" may be a comfortable day-dream, but it is not a success strategy!
2. Turn the vision into a mission. Once you know where you want to go, you have to be clear, get passionate, get DETERMINED to arrive! Develop a series of vital reasons, personal motivators, personal drivers that pull you forward. Why are you doing what you do? If you only want to make money, get a job! (It's easier!) What's your driving purpose?
3. Get a mentor. Hire a coach or create a frequent, steady, EFFECTIVE working relationship with someone who has been where you want to go, or perhaps more importantly, has a proven ability to help others get there. (Great sports coaches don't have to be great athletes! But they do have to know the game and be experts at helping their athletes win!)
4. Get a map and a compass! Develop a detailed, specific working plan. Work with your coach on this, and write it down! It doesn't have to be long and detailed, but it does have to make sense, and it has to give you direction and purpose for getting from where you are, to where you want to be. It should be detailed enough to tell you precisely what to do first, each Monday morning.
5. Improve the plan whenever possible. There is a contradiction here. Use and trust your plan, and rely on it! At the same time, life will give you unexpected opportunities, sudden short-cuts, and amazing possibilities. Be ready at any moment to jump on a "real" opportunity, but be very cautious about running off on every whim or impulse. How do you know the difference? Check with your coach!
6. Hang-out with talented people. Pick up the phone and introduce yourself to people who have achieved want you want to achieve. Read about them, get on their mailing lists or take classes from them. If they don't teach, develop a class and invite them to be your guest expert! But find people who are walking on the same, or a similar, path to your own, and follow in their footsteps, or walk beside them, or encourage them to catch up with you. Success loves company!
7. Work very hard. Again, there is a contradiction here. To achieve a high level of success takes an ability to play very hard, sometimes for a long time. If you've defined your vision accurately, the distinction between "work" and "play" will begin to blur, and you'll find yourself willing (eager!) to work a lot. It takes sustained, efficient, focused effort to achieve great things. I know of no short-cut.
8. Keep good records! This means accurate accounting, a personal journal of what works and why, notes about your best customers and the coolest things your competitors are doing. Jot down ideas, keep track. Especially, monitor the money.
9. Work smarter everyday! I think the biggest single thing in my success is that my family has no history of being in business, and even making money is a bit "suspect", but they LOVE learning! Early on, they taught me that everything I could ever need or want in life was in the local library. Learn from the competition. Learn how they did it 100 years ago! Read "Wired" and "Fast Company" to see how it might be done next year. Take the best, and leave the rest.
10. Always be planning your "next" million dollars. Whatever you're doing today is already becoming obsolete. By the time you read the book or attend the seminar, someone has already found a "better, faster, cheaper" way to do it. Always be looking over the horizon, seeking the next opportunity and figuring out how to incorporate it into what you already have and love. Keep growing!
© Copyright 2003 by Philip E. Humbert. All Rights Reserved. This article may be copied and used in your own newsletter or on your website as long as you include the following information: "Written by Dr. Philip E. Humbert, writer, speaker and success coach. Dr. Humbert has over 300 free articles, tools and resources for your success, including a great newsletter! It's all on his website at: http://www.philiphumbert.com
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
I received an advanced copy of a book called How... Read More
Hello again! I have some more useful tips you can... Read More
Do you remember when you were a child and no... Read More
There are so many internet marketing schemes out there so... Read More
I don't need to be a gypsy fortune teller to... Read More
Unfortunately we come into contact with negativity everyday. We can't... Read More
This summer (2005) huge crowds in England and Australia have... Read More
Well I'll tell you what it's not. Even thought many... Read More
Change is one of the biggest concepts facing today's society.... Read More
The problem with writing about success is that almost everything... Read More
Sit up straight! You may recall hearing those words as... Read More
Give yourself a gold star Remember how rewarding it was... Read More
An effective self- concept generates the desire to strive for... Read More
George Burns' career could have ended as early as 1958,... Read More
Reading lots these days? Having trouble remembering and recalling? For... Read More
Since belief always precedes action, simply changing your beliefs can... Read More
Many different daily tasks require a strategic process to be... Read More
Here are 10 of 26 proven strategies gleaned from interviews... Read More
I've been coaching for a few years now, and the... Read More
If you are sick and tired of the dreaming phase... Read More
(Excerpted from the 1999 Weekend Seminar audio/CD series)Parents, leaders, employers,... Read More
Coaching is about living great lives. It's about living lives... Read More
Dr. Wayne Dyer published his best-selling book, "10 Secrets for... Read More
If you called my office you will hear my voice... Read More
"Fear Factor" is one of my favorite TV shows. It... Read More
Driven by cultural imperatives and inner promptings, we drive ourselves... Read More
What does success look like to you? Our culture often... Read More
I could labor the idea but then that would only... Read More
You have a choice today?You can remain in the same... Read More
The Enlightened Warrior's 'Keys to Success' Through the Power of... Read More
Do you have what it takes to be really successful?Have... Read More
Everybody wants to get to the top, whether it is... Read More
Recently I stumbled across a list of Microsoft Interview questions... Read More
(Excerpted From The Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan - Pillar... Read More
If we hope to achieve any worthwhile goal it will... Read More
If you have read this far, we both know you... Read More
One the most important Self Improvement skills to develop to... Read More
So you've bought into the idea that you need to... Read More
We experience failure directly or indirectly. Here we will come... Read More
One of the common elements you see in almost all... Read More
Let me ask you a question? What must happen for... Read More
They 'do it' by sharpening their FOCUS on the task... Read More
I wrote an article on this very subject, with the... Read More
I could labor the idea but then that would only... Read More
Much has been researched, written and taught about success. One... Read More
So, how can you succeed online without ever experiencing the... Read More
Noted author and self-worth teacher Eric Butterworth* says, "Poverty is... Read More
You've tried and failed. You've watched others fall. You're wiped... Read More
Have you ever noticed when playing a video game, or... Read More
Let me tell you story about a friend of mine... Read More
You must play by the rules. Everything has rules. You... Read More
Many UK citizens want to settle or retire in Spain... Read More
How's the weather there?We use small talk to connect with... Read More
I see it happen all too often on the internet... Read More
Personal power is an INSIDE JOB. It doesn't mean getting... Read More
Do you ever stop to consider how much we change... Read More
Formula For SuccessThe winners in this life know the rules... Read More
One way to become more successful in your life is... Read More
The story that is being used to illustrate the concepts... Read More
This is a little primer on how to start, survive... Read More
Let's say you're moving forward in your efforts to achieve... Read More
IF and WHEN were friends. Every week they met and... Read More
Have you ever met people who exude charm and charisma?... Read More
"Fear Factor" is one of my favorite TV shows. It... Read More
Self-improvement; A great deal has been written on the subject,... Read More
As a child you probably learned failing is bad...Failing meant... Read More
Success |