Small Business Leaders Understand Something About Their Psychology and Yours

I am curious, how much time do you spend thinking about what others in your industry do? How interested are you in what others have? Do you regularly check up on what the competition is doing? Have you really looked to see who the leaders in your industry are? Well consider for a moment that, "that" is exactly what these business leaders in your industry are not doing. They are not comparing because comparing creates things of like kind. This confidence to be themselves is what makes them great leaders.

I look around at industries I know fairly well and the leaders are the ones looking forward, innovating and turning their competitors into road kill. Take Quicken Loans for example. Quicken Loans is the major mortgage anchor on the big web portals, they are successfully doing direct response television marketing and they are touted as one of the best places to work. Did I mention that they aren't the cheapest place to get a mortgage?

Look to your industry. What company is in the lead? I'd be willing to bet he or she isn't consumed by what you are doing. As a business coach, I see many entrepreneurs get wrapped up in what their competitors are doing and this retards growth potential because they are working with a bar someone else set.

I look back to grade school and figure it all begins there. Somewhere many of us begin to do what the others are doing as if to camouflage our "self" and keep from getting pecked off from the predators. We choose to subscribe to the bar set by someone else and eventually it becomes another behavior too ingrained in us to even recognize. We get unknowingly trapped in this "comparative syndrome" and fail to reach our personal potential. When a client of mine was asked what his financial goals were by a rather wealthy young man he replied, "to get my kids through college without any debt". The young man replied, "let me tell you one of mine, I want 2 helicopters, one for me and one for my brother." The young man's point was that people set low limits on their potential.

Here is my question to you. Would you be willing to stop comparing yourself to the average uninspired American and carve out your own path - TODAY? If you answer yes, great. If you answer NO, recognize that your "NO" comes from the fear to remove your camouflage and stand out from the pack, possibly even leaving yourself open for public failure. Conversely, you could break the 4 minute mile and lead the pack with a shift in your thinking and the action that comes out of that. I challenge you to set your own standards, develop your own ideas and do something different. Develop your strengths, hammer home your message and create a business that stands out from the pack. Above everything -- DO YOU... don't do someone else.

Autor: Dan Nichols

If you'd like more information on getting your business off to a fast start or you need help in determining which step to take next to grow your business, then be sure to visit Dan Nichols online at http://www.businesslaunchexpert.com

Added: August 31, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

9 Strategies for Combating Procrastination to Improve your Fitness and Look Great!

If I had a penny for every time I've heard someone say, "But I don't have the time!" I'd be a multi-millionaire! There are a lot of strategies for getting things done, and tons of strategies to 'just do it' when it comes to your health and fitness, but the big issue is many people just don't 'do it'. They procrastinate. Some people can't even use the excuse that they don't have time!

Here are some strategies to help you combat the procrastination that has prevented you from achieving your fitness goals.

1. Self-talk. If you have been struggling with how to change your fitness habits and just can't get past the 'doing it' stage, first you have to look at what you are telling yourself. Are you saying you just can't do it? Are you saying that no matter what you have tried, nothing works or nothing sticks? The first step is to change your opinion of what you are capable of! Start telling yourself that you're already there! Write down on paper that you are already doing the activity and include how you feel about it. If necessary, write down this goal and put it on post-its around your house. An example would be, 'I am walking 10 minutes every morning and feel incredible!'

2. Visualize yourself doing the activity you would like to do. First, do you know what you would enjoy doing? Sometimes people think that 'fitness' means going to the gym or walking or lifting weights. Maybe you don't like any of that! What do you like? Maybe you really like to swim, or play tennis, or you would like to start hiking or take a Tai Chi class. Once you have the activity figured out, close your eyes and see yourself easily and happily doing it. Creating this picture in your mind will prepare you for making it a reality.

3. Vividly imagine the feeling you'll have when you have done it. I love how accomplished I feel after a workout, especially when it's a hard one! Sometimes, though, I have to follow my own advice beforehand and, literally, "Just do it", because I can start to justify all the reasons not to. You know; no time.. So, imagine how you feel after taking that hike or swim, or whatever. What do you notice? Imagine what you feel in your body, about your sense of accomplishment. Creating the emotional feeling of actually doing something you've wanted to do will help spur you into taking action.

4. Talk to yourself as if you were a friend. If you had a friend who really wanted to start exercising but kept putting it off, what would you tell him/her? This technique will help you step outside of yourself and view the situation objectively. Maybe something new will come up, too!

5. Prepare for the activity. If you plan to start walking in the mornings, know where you're going to walk, what to expect on your journey, and have your shoes/clothes out and ready to put on right away. If you are going to start playing tennis after work, be sure to bring your equipment and clothes with you to work. If it's something you really want to make happen, you will do what is necessary to be prepared, even if that means putting a little reminder note next to your bed or on your bathroom mirror.

6. Tell others. For some people, this can be a powerful motivator. Making yourself accountable to someone else can move you towards actually sticking with it. We tend to work harder for others than we do for ourselves.

7. Find a fitness buddy. If you work best with someone, find a person who is as committed and determined as you are, who would like to do the same activity. This can be great for just about any activity, but of course something like tennis makes it essential. It is important that you find someone who will challenge you rather than help you slack off.

8. Negotiate a reward for yourself after you have done the activity. If rewards motivate you, use this! It can be anything. Although it is said to not use food as a reward when trying to improve health habits, if taking yourself out to a nice, special lunch or dinner is what really gets you fired up, do it! Or maybe set a goal that after doing the activity for 3 months you will buy yourself a new pair of pants.

9. Pick up where you left off. It's not uncommon to slack off or quit an activity if something happens before it's ingrained into your lifestyle. The best strategy when this happens, however, is to just pick up where you left off and not beat yourself up for the slack. We all drop off occasionally. What's most important is picking it back up and realizing that this is for the rest of your life. All aspects of life include ups and downs. People often start an exercise routine and expect to see results quickly. However, there are a lot of internal systems adjusting long before we see anything outside. But if you stick with it, without realizing it, you will start to notice little changes. One day you'll put on a pair of pants and see that they are a bit looser in the hips than they used to be. Or you may run to catch a bus and realize you didn't feel like you would die once you sat down.

If you have been telling yourself that you will start or resume a regular exercise routine pretty soon, and just haven't done it, you have to realize that it does not get easier as you get older! Putting it off for later can also mean you will have more health and weight issues to struggle with. Adding regular physical activity to your life will not only help you look better but also help you feel better, sleep better and just be more energized! So, as you do age (and there's no avoiding it), because you are active and healthy you will look great!

Autor: Marjorie Geiser

Marjorie Geiser is a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer and life coach. Marjorie has been the owner of a successful small business, MEG Fitness, since 1996, and now helps other health professionals start up their own private practice. To learn more about the services Margie offers, go to her website at http://www.marjoriegeiser.com or email her at margie@megfit.com

Added: August 8, 2007
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/