When I ask people what gets in their way in building a business, the answer I frequently receive is they don’t think they deserve success. They don’t think they are successful, and they don’t know what success feels like. Why is this? What are the necessary steps we can take to better equip ourselves for the recognition and acceptance of this thing called success?
The first thing we need to do is understand what our own definition of success really is. Notice I did not say Jane Sample’s definition of success. This is something you need to determine for yourself. Is the fact you own a business your definition of success? Do you base your success on the number of clients you have? Do you base your success on the amount of money you make? Do you base your success on the number of lives you touch? Do you have a definition of success? I believe this is the one area we overlook in our quest to become business owners, and it is the one area that can hold us back if we do not spend the time defining success.
In order to be successful (whatever your definition is) you need to be able to identify and measure the indicators of success. For example, making a certain amount of money makes you feel a certain way, and that may be your real goal; however, there is a certain dollar amount at which you feel successful. That dollar amount is your measure of success. If you can’t measure it, how do you know you’ve made it?
The second thing is realizing the steps necessary to achieve that success. Just knowing the amount of money you wish to make does not in itself make it happen. You need to create a plan that will allow you to engage in the activities necessary to generate the dollar amount. Take the time to write out the steps you are going to take, and then take them! Remember, you can’t eat an elephant in one bite. Start small and build from there. No one expects you to be successful overnight. If they do, send them to me and I’ll have one of my famous “chats” with them. LOL
The third thing to achieving success is creating the mindset that you do indeed *deserve* the success you are experiencing. If you do not believe in yourself, how can you expect others to believe in you? Yes, this is easier said than done in many cases, but it is probably one of the most important steps to achieving success. Remember, you do not have to do this alone. Surround yourself with people who support and encourage you. Hire a coach if you need someone to keep you on track. Create a MasterMind group of like individuals and then support each other in your successes. Most importantly, you need to get to the place where YOU believe in you and YOU believe in your ability to be successful and are able to recognize that success.
Let me leave you with this thought … you are a unique individual. No one else does things like you do them. Why should you compare yourself to them? They are not your measure of success. You, and you alone, set the standards for your success. Follow your heart and know I’m rooting for you!
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(c) 2009 Cindy Hillsey
You are free to use material from the Bridging the Gap ezine as long as you include complete attribution, including live website link. The attribution should read: “By Cindy Hillsey of Virtual Partnering. Please visit www.virtualpartnering.com for additional information.”
