Rethinking the Elevator Pitch

By Patrick Mahan

You never know who you might bump into. A chance encounter on an airplane could lead to your next big sale. Or the person in line behind you at the grocery store just might be the strategic business partner that helps take your brand global.

As they say, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." The question is, how prepared are you when opportunities like these arise?

Dare to Say "Yes!"

By Patrick Mahan

If you want to be right 90% of the time, then say "No" to every new idea.

But don't expect to grow or move forward or reach new heights.

Think back to all the times in your life when you felt most fulfilled. Think about your greatest achievements and happiest moments...

Chances are, those moments were only realized because you said "Yes!" to something.

Is there a decision you've been putting off?

Are you stuck in a rut, saying: "Someday I'll do this... Or someday I'll do that"?

Every day you choose NOT to take action, you are essentially saying "no."  You have a calling or an urge or a desire, but what are you doing to advance it and set it in motion?

Nothing. Or at least not today. Maybe tomorrow? Maybe someday I'll take that first step.

But at some point, don't we have to say to ourselves: "Someday is either NOW ... or never."

Do you have something weighing on your mind? Something pulling you in the direction of your dreams? What if today you stopped saying "no" and instead dared to say "Yes!"?

The Perfect Subject Line for Emails

By Patrick Mahan

Every marketer is looking for the perfect email subject line to increase open rates.

Lots of How To articles have been written on the topic. Most recommend writing subject lines that invoke curiosity. Or ask a question. Or speak directly to the reader. Or announce breaking news.

One research study concluded that the most successful subject line of all-time was the phrase: "You are not alone."

But what if we take an entirely different approach?

We spend our time and energy trying to craft creative (and sometimes deceptive) subject lines in an effort to get more people to open our emails.

But here's the thing ... you should be more concerned about the NAME that appears in the "From" line and less concerned about the CONTENT that appears in the "subject" line. 

I receive newsletters from several authors that I have come to know, like and trust. When I see their name in the From Line, the Subject Line has little influence on my decision to open their email. 

So... as usual, it all comes down to building a reputation for yourself (and/or your company) as someone people know, like and trust. Develop a reputation for delivering content that is personal, timely, relevant and valuable.

When you focus your efforts on becoming someone of value, offering something of value, then you'll discover the "subject line" is the least important part of your email marketing strategy.

6 Steps to Turn a Wish into Reality

By Patrick Mahan
In order to turn your wishes into reality, it's important to understand the evolution of a wish.
Step 1 = WISH 
Everything begins with a wish. A thought enters your head such as, “I wish I had a new house.” A wish is an important first step, but a wish is weak.
Step 2 = DESIRE
A wish must evolve into a desire. The stronger the desire, the more likely you are to achieve it. Look at the word desire, de- (meaning from), sire (meaning father). So, in a spiritual sense, a desire comes "from the Father". When a wish pops into your head, believe that it wouldn't have popped into your head unless you had the power to achieve it. To give your wish strength, you must emotionalize it. Emotions provide the fuel to mobilize your wish. Charge it with emotions until it becomes a burning desire, something you crave.
Step 3 = INTENTION
The next stage is Intention. Once you have a burning desire, you must set a clear intention. “I intend to purchase a new house.” An intention is an anticipated outcome. It is a strong declaration. At this stage, you have fully internalized and visualized the accomplishment coming to pass.
Step 4 = CONVICTION 
In the courtroom, you need EVIDENCE to get a conviction. It's the same in life. In order to achieve your dreams, you must turn your "weak wishes" into "strong convictions". At this stage, you are firm in your belief. So firm that you carry forward despite what others may say to dissuade you. You'll need strong supporting evidence (past successes, examples from your own life and the lives of others, that this goal is possible to achieve). In 1954, Roger Bannister become the first person EVER to run a mile in under 4 minutes. But then, within a year, 20 more people broke the 4-minute mile barrier. The barrier wasn't physical. Like most things, it was mental. Once Bannister presented "evidence" that it could be done, others were then filled with a conviction that they could do it too. And they did.
Step 5 = INSPIRATION
The final stage in the evolution of a wish—leading to fulfillment—is inspiration. When you reach this stage, your wish has fully matured. Dr. Wayne Dyer said, “Motivation is when you grab hold of an idea and carry it through to the end. But inspiration is when an idea grabs hold of you and carries YOU through to the end.”  You must be fully inspired to make your dreams a reality.
Step 6 = FULFILLMENT
This is where you take ownership of your “gift” and most importantly… show gratitude. You'll find the more gratitude you show, the more wishes will be fulfilled.

How to Grow Your Business the Seth Godin Way

By Patrick Mahan

Seth Godin is a marketing genius. Pick up any one of his best-selling books and it will change the way you think about marketing forever.

I found a video on YouTube, an interview in which Seth talks about how to make your small business indispensable. It is packed full of game-changing tips that will help you take your company to the next level. It's also a great primer if you've never read any of Seth's books, as it gives a brief overview of some of his most important philosophies.

I've included the video at the end of this post so you can watch it for yourself. But first, I'd like to share with you some of the key take-aways from the video.

As Seth explains, the old way of marketing is broken. The old way, "Interruption Marketing", was all about standing on the mountain top and broadcasting your message to the masses and hoping to capture their attention while they were busy doing other things. The theory was: If you yelled at people loud enough and often enough, then you would make enough money to pay for all that yelling.

"[Marketers were] yelling at people who didn't want to hear from them about stuff they didn't want to hear about." - Seth Godin

But today, technology has changed everything. People can screen their phone calls with Caller ID. They can skip television commercials with tools like TIVO. They can block internet pop-up ads. And SPAM filters help keep annoying marketers out of your email inbox.

Yet it seems that the harder consumers try to lock marketers out, the harder marketers try to pick the lock!

Think about how misguided that strategy is... If someone slams the front door in your face, then they're going to be really annoyed when you start knocking on the back door! And that's what a lot of marketers are essentially doing. Trying to beat the system. Trying to invent clever ways to "slip past the doorman".

Well, guess what? People don't like it! They've made that clear. So quit marketing to people in ways they don't like to be marketed to!

Personal, Timely and Relevant

As Seth says, your message must be "personal, timely and relevant." When you craft your message in a way that speaks directly to your prospect (like a one-to-one conversation vs. a public broadcast) and you deliver that message at a relevant time (like a plumber offering a coupon to a new home owner) people will appreciate that. And by giving them something of value, they are much more likely to grant you permission to continue marketing to them—as long as you don't violate their trust (by sending impersonal, poorly timed, irrelevant messages).

So earning permission is crucial. It's the equivalent of being invited into someone's home. And it's the polar opposite of the old, broken down "Interruption Marketing" strategy. You can learn more about this important distinction in Seth's landmark book, Permission Marketing. It will change your entire approach.

So how do you grow your business?

The key, based on Seth Godin's principles, seems to be a three-pronged approach:

1. Create a remarkable product or service that people like, trust and believe in
2. Wrap it in a story that is worth telling
3. Attract a tribe of like-minded individuals that will tell your story, spread the message, and attract more people into the tribe.

Read that list again. (I believe there was a carpenter who used a similar strategy about 2000 years ago with incredible success.)

"If you can lead a tribe, then the marketing will take care of itself." - Seth Godin

The tribe will spread your message for you (as long as you have a message worth spreading ... a story worth telling). It's word-of-mouth marketing at it's best.

"Turn strangers into friends, friends into customers, customers into salespeople." - Seth Godin

Make a Connection

Large businesses can afford to spend millions on mass marketing. Small business don't have that luxury. But they do have a distinct advantage. They're more human. And people like to connect with other people, not a faceless corporation.

Apple has been so successful thanks to the leadership of Steve Jobs. He gave Apple a human face. He created a brand image—a story—that Apple is created "by people, for people." As a result, people can connect with Apple in a way they can't connect with a corporation like IBM.

What about your company? Does it have a human face? Or is it just another impersonal, faceless corporation? Have you ever noticed that at the center of most great companies is a charismatic, highly-visible leader? A face people can connect with?

Tribes Don't Have to be Big to be Effective

"If you have 1000 true fans and those 1000 people are willing to drive across the country to watch you perform and those 1000 people tell their friends, then that's enough to make a big impact." - Seth Godin

How to Create a Tribe

Rule #1 is to be a person. Be authentic. Show off your personality. Tell the truth. Create remarkable products / services that people want. Things they genuinely want because they want them... not because you pushed it on them.

Rule #2 is ... Don't try to be all things to all people. A tribe is a group of like-minded individuals. And tribe members want to feel like they are members of a club. They want to be "insiders". And as Seth says, in order to have insiders, you must have outsiders. That means, you must be willing to say that your product or service isn't for everyone. If you play it safe and try to be all things to all people—and if you don't want to risk alienating anyone—then you'll find yourself standing in the middle of the road. And the middle of the road is where you get run over.

You must go to the edge. Be extreme. Don't be just another bland, vanilla brand that caters to the masses. It's okay if some people HATE your product, as long as a tribe of people LOVE it. And as long as you remain true to that tribe and continue weaving a story that your tribe members will evangelize (not just on your behalf, but on their behalf as well).

Social Media's Role

In the following video, Seth says there is good news and bad news regarding the rise of social media. The bad news is too many marketers are using social media as another way to SPAM people—don't do that! Social Media is not another channel to yell at people. Instead, use the power of social media to build a social network—a gathering place for your tribe.

The Interview

Now feel free to watch this video featuring Seth Godin. This is an interview I found on YouTube posted by BusinessZone.co.uk editor, Dan Martin.

Video link http://youtu.be/3vzuLbaMAF8

Clearly, I'm a big fan of Seth Godin. I've read most of his best-selling books and plan on reading the rest. I hope I've done justice to interpreting his marketing philosophies in this blog post! And I hope you'll find some of this useful.

Are you a fan of Seth Godin? Have you been able to implement any of his strategies into your business plan? I'd love to hear your comments.

A Quick Business Lesson from Einstein and Henry Ford

By Patrick Mahan

Einstein said, "The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources." He wasn't advocating stealing other people's ideas, he was just saying that there's no reason to reinvent the wheel.

Ideas are everywhere. And creativity is about observing the world around you, building upon the ideas of others and then making them your own.

In business, we can implement this idea by studying "parallel industries".

One of the best examples of borrowing an idea from a parallel industry is Henry Ford and the assembly line. Contrary to popular belief, Ford did not invent the assembly line. He borrowed the idea from the slaughterhouses in Chicago's meatpacking district. He saw how a line of butchers disassembled various parts of the product as it moved along a conveyor belt, took that idea and then revolutionized automobile manufacturing.

Did he steal the idea? Of course not. He just observed what others were already doing and adapted the concept to fit his own business.

Another example: In 1981, American Airlines launched the first wide-scale frequent flyer program. Since then, restaurants, credit card providers, retailers, and many other businesses, have followed suit by implementing their own versions of loyalty rewards programs with much success.

What do radio stations, movie theaters and airlines have in common? They all sell a time-sensitive commodity. Unsold seats remain unsold forever once the movie starts or once the plane takes off. And once a radio program starts, any unsold commercial slots remain unsold forever. These are different industries with similar problems. What can they learn from each other? How can they borrow ideas from each other and use similar strategies to sell unsold slots at the last minute? Or find other creative ways to recover lost profits after the fact?

If you're a realtor who sells homes, what could you learn from Hollywood movie directors about staging and lighting and setting a mood and crafting a powerful emotional experience?

Can you think of any ideas you and your business could borrow from parallel industries?

"You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."

By Patrick Mahan

Do you plan, prepare, analyze and assess, but then have a hard time pulling the trigger?

It's easy to get stuck in what General George Patton called the "ready, aim, aim, aim" mentality. Or what others have called "analysis paralysis".

This is a pretty cool picture and a good reminder that you don't have to see the whole staircase... sometimes you just have to step out in faith and go for it!

Each step you take reveals the next step. But we all know the first step is the hardest. It often requires that you break out of your comfort zone and overcome the inertia of standing still. The good news is... inertia works both ways. Yes, it's hard to get going, but once you create that initial momentum, then the effort to keep going gets easier and easier.

Think about best-selling authors... earning a spot on the best-seller list is hard. But once they earn the label "best-selling author," then subsequent best-sellers seem to come much easier. James Patterson is a great example. His first manuscript was rejected over 30 times! Now it seems he has a new best-seller every week! But when Patterson submitted his first manuscript, he had no idea that he would become one of the most commercially successful fiction writers of all-time. But it wouldn't have happened had he not taken that first step.

I wrote another blog post based on Zig Ziglar's advice: "You can't wait for all the lights to turn green before heading to town." Both principles are similar and speak to the idea that the "perfect moment" rarely presents itself. If you spend your life waiting for everything to line up just right, then you may be waiting a long time!

So, I'm curious... have you ever done something where you just said, "Hell with it! I don't really know what I'm doing, but I'm just gonna go for it!" How did it turn out?

Photo by www.chalkthoughts.com

Don't Let Your Phone Dictate Your Day

By Patrick Mahan

In the old days, when people rolled out of bed, the first thing they did was shuffle to the bathroom, wash their face, brush their teeth, and get ready for the day.

But times have changed. These days, it seems the first thing people do each morning is grab their PHONE and check emails, texts, voice messages and of course, Facebook.

Do you do this? Be honest. I've certainly done it more than once.

But my question is this... wouldn't it make more sense to set YOUR course for the day FIRST before reading, reacting and responding to what others are saying, thinking, doing and wanting?

If the first thing you do each morning is check your "inbox", then you are allowing it (the contents waiting inside) to dictate your day, your actions - and often - your mood. You become reactive rather than proactive.

Consider setting your sails (agenda) first thing each morning. Or even better... the night before. Then, set a time to check your inbox(es) later in the morning AFTER you've set your course for the day and AFTER you've accomplished something on your list.

Otherwise, you'll find yourself constantly playing catch-up. And at the END of the day, what will you find? You'll find that you've helped everyone else check items off THEIR To-Do List, but you haven't made a dent in your OWN To-Do List!

So before reaching for that cell phone, decide what you want/need to accomplish today. Sketch out a game plan. And evaluate your progress at the end of each day. This is the only way to know if you're moving forward, backward or standing still.

Other people will knock you off course - if you let them. They have their own agendas, their own wants, needs, stories, comments and concerns. Don't get wrapped up in other people's stuff first thing in the morning. (This includes reading the newspaper, which can really ruin your day!)

Is this selfish? Not at all. It's like the advice they give you on airplanes... "Put on your own oxygen mask first before assisting others." If you put "first things first", set a plan for your day - and cross something off your list first thing each morning - then, you'll find that you have more time and more energy to help not only yourself, but others as well.

The Most Powerful Tool in Your Sales Toolbox

By Patrick Mahan

Best-selling author, sales trainer and Customer Service guru, Jeffrey Gitomer, says: "Why are you inside making cold calls instead of outside earning referrals?"

Think about this. Cold calls are the lowest percentage sales technique. Referrals are the highest. So play the percentages! Invest more of your time and energy into actions that are most likely to earn referrals.

Hint: That usually means nurturing current customers rather than soliciting strangers.

And keep this at the top of your mind... when approaching a new prospect, always try to go through a mutual friend. The more you have in common, the more likely they are to accept you as someone they like, trust and would consider doing business with.

Above all, a loyal customer is the most powerful tool in your sales toolbox. Work hard to earn their trust and respect. Help them achieve their goals, satisfy their wants and fulfill their needs. In fact, engineer your entire relationship around doing things for the customer that will ultimately lead to a referral. It's like mining for gold - getting a referral is the gold nugget and it is the result of your hard work and sincere efforts.

If you have what you consider a loyal customer, but have never gotten a testimonial or referral out of that person (one that has lead to new business) then you might want to ask yourself a few questions... Have I nurtured this customer enough? Have I earned their trust? Have I helped them fulfill their needs and wants? Have I ever provided THEM with a referral? Have I ever asked?! 

Loyal customers are your greatest resource. They are the key that unlocks new customers. But remember... it's always about you helping them FIRST. You must give them something of substantial value BEFORE you ask them to reciprocate.

Ultimately, your long-term success as a salesperson is based on the quality of relationships you build, not the quantity of transactions you make. See yourself as a problem-solver, not a product-pusher.

And don't be afraid to ask! If you are afraid to ask for a referral, then that means one of four things... you lack confidence in either yourself, your product, your company, or your service. But when you believe in yourself, your product, your company and your service, then it is only natural that you - and your customers - would want to share that value with others.

The Importance of Keeping It Simple, Stupid!

By Patrick Mahan
Because it’s Valentine’s Day, the KISS principle seemed like a good topic to wrap our arms around.
You’ve heard of the KISS principle, right?  “Keep it simple, stupid.”
But do you know where the phrase originated?
And -- most importantly -- do you know how can it help YOU become more efficient and achieve better results in less time than ever before?
The acronym was created by Kelly Johnson, an engineer at Lockheed Martin and lead designer of some of the most famous military aircrafts.

Johnson understood the importance of keeping his designs as simple as possible, but he was not suggesting that people are stupid. As the story goes, Johnson handed his engineers a box of tools and challenged them to design an aircraft that could be easily repaired by an average mechanic under intense combat conditions using only these tools.

In the same way, it’s important to keep your goals and solutions as simple as possible because, as we all know, things are easier said than done. It’s one thing to write out your goals and strategic plans on paper... but it’s an entirely different challenge to actually follow through and execute those plans.

Therefore, as the KISS principle suggests, simplicity should be the #1 consideration when designing your systems, goals, plans and solutions because ultimately, the simplicity of your plan has the greatest influence on your success or failure.

In 1142, William of Ockham, a famous British philosopher said, "The simplest and most direct solution, requiring the fewest number of steps, is usually the correct solution to any problem."

"The more complicated the solution, the less likely it is ever to be implemented and the longer it takes to achieve results." - Brian Tracy

"It seems that perfection is reached not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." - Antoine de Saint-Exuper

Have you set your goals and plans for 2012?
If so, take another look.  Is there anything you can simplify? Can you break down your plans into smaller steps? Can you eliminate some of the steps all together?
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle

Are Unproductive Meetings Killing Your Morale and Productivity?

By Patrick Mahan

If so, you are not alone.

More and more research is shedding light on the truth about meetings.
And that is... they are a colossal waste of time!

Stop re-hashing the hash that's already been hashed. Get out of the locker room and get into the game!

Don't get stuck in the "ready, aim... aim... aim" trap that meetings often create. If you really want to improve your business, then you have to get out of the boardroom and get in front of customers!

According to a Microsoft survey...

People across the world spend 5.6 hours per week in meetings. 69% of the people in those meetings feel they are unproductive.

How many hours per week do you spend in meetings?

Source: http://blog.socialcast.com/how-3-billion-meetings-per-year-waste-time-money-and-productivity-in-the-enterprise/

Don’t Wait for All the Lights to Turn Green

By Patrick Mahan

Goal setting is one of the most important, yet difficult steps toward achieving success. Goals give you clarity and a sense of direction. They lift the fog and give you a feeling of control over your life instead of drifting aimlessly from one day to the next, like a sailboat without sails.

Goals empower you and bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be. But setting goals is one of the hardest things most people face. It's not difficult once you get started, but getting started is where most people fail.

Abraham Lincoln said, "The only way to fail is to quit." You could also say, "The only other way to fail is to never begin."

There are many reasons why people don't set goals...

Don't Like How You Feel? Turn the Dial.

By Patrick Mahan‎

"There's no such thing as stress; only people thinking stressful thoughts." - Wayne Dyer

Whatever negative emotions you may be experiencing right now are the result of your most dominant thoughts. Your thoughts (the images and inner-dialogue going on inside your head) determine your emotions and the way you feel.

If you don't like the way you feel, then here's the antidote... start dwelling on something else! Your mind can only focus on one thing at a time. And you can only experience one emotion at a time.

Think about this... a radio can only play one song at a time. Some songs make you feel happy, some songs make you feel sad. What happens when a song comes on that you don't like? You push a button and switch songs. And you keep pushing that button until you find a song that you like. One that makes you feel better.

In the same way, when a thought or emotion pops in your head, and you don't like the way it makes you feel, then just "change the song". Switch channels.

Of course you can't run from and ignore all negative thoughts. But here's the thing... most of the things you worry about are out of your control, so if it's out of your control then it does no good to worry about it. And 2, most of the things people worry about never come to pass.

Motivating from the Inside-Out

By Patrick Mahan

"If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."

This is a powerful quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupery, a writer, poet and aviator from France that lived in the early 1900's.

And it's one of the keys to motivating your employees, your kids or anyone else. It deals with the powerful distinction between INTRINSIC vs. EXTRINSIC motivation.

Intrinsic motivation refers to motivation that is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the task itself, and exists within the individual rather than relying on any external pressure. Intrinsic Motivation is based on taking pleasure in an activity rather than working towards an external reward (wikipedia).

For example, if you tell your kid to clean his room, you'll probably meet some resistance. But, if you suggest that he cleans his room so that he'll have more room to play with his new toys... then you've created an INTRINSIC drive to clean the room. Just like in the quote above, you're inspiring the people "to long for the endless immensity of the sea" rather than just assigning them tasks to build a ship.

How Can This Help Your Business?

How is Checking Email Worse Than Smoking Pot?

By Patrick Mahan

Do you check emails obsessively during work?

Research shows these constant interruptions are killing your productivity! 

In fact... these interruptions affect your IQ worse than smoking pot!

The study revealed that "the IQ of those who tried to juggle messages and work fell by 10 points -- the equivalent to missing a whole night's sleep and more than double the 4-point fall seen after smoking marijuana."

Multi-tasking may seem like the only way to survive in today's economy, but to what extent is it affecting your overall productivity?

Keep in mind the parable of the lumberjacks... the lumberjack who kept sawing all day without a break produced much less than the lumberjack who stopped every so often to sharpen his saw!"

You can only do one thing at a time. Live in the moment and give 100% attention to the task at hand. Schedule intervals throughout the day to check emails and text messages. Don't try to bounce back and forth. 

And most importantly... give yourself a break every now and then to relax and sharpen your saw.

Source: CNN.com | E-mails 'hurt IQ more than pot' | 4/22/05 | http://bit.ly/vp7v5r 

How to Hire the Right People

By Patrick Mahan

In business, no decision is harder—or more important—than hiring the right people.

Your people are without question your most valuable asset. And while hiring the right person is difficult, getting rid of the wrong person is even harder. For that reason, the hiring process can and must be exhaustive.

A lot of companies make the mistake of hiring employees based upon educational background and experience. However, by limiting your talent pool to only those with years of experience and Harvard MBA’s, you are missing out on a large population of highly motivated and talented people.

Rather than looking at resumes, consider instead looking at the person. Not just on the surface, but deep within their personality and character.

Where to Begin...

Slay Your Next Job Interview with One Killer Question!

By Patrick Mahan

Suppose you could take charge in your next interview by asking one, simple question that could dramatically increase your chances of landing the job?

A question powerful enough to not only take control of the interview, but also the mind of the interviewer!

The principles behind this question are derived from some of the hypnotic language patterns of NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming). They include embedded commands, future pacing and elements of conversational hypnosis.

Next time you find yourself in a job interview, begin -- as always -- by establishing rapport.  This can be achieved using NLP techniques such as: mirror matching, pacing, leading, etc.

During this initial phase, the most important thing to remember about rapport is this... People like people who are like themselves. Similarity and commonality are strong psychological influencers.  So the more you can demonstrate that you are like (or similar) to the interviewer, the more he/she will like you back.

So you've established rapport and are nearing the end of the interview. Now here's the script, including the set-up, followed by the million-dollar question...

Inspiring Yourself to Greater Health

Americans spend over $6 billion each year on health and fitness products. Yet, over 60% of the population is considered overweight!

So what's the deal?

You've tried every diet, read all the magazine articles, purchased all the work-out videos, but you're still overweight and out of shape! What's going on?

Well, maybe you're missing the key ingredient... Maybe you're missing the one thing that will get you off the couch, out of the house and into the gym. And what is that one thing?

It's inspiration.

If you don't have the drive, the motive or the inspiration to produce results, then you'll always be stuck in neutral—thinking, planning and wishing—but never taking action. Inspiration is that inner-calling that compels you to move out of your comfort zone and into an area where you can begin to create optimal results.

Bottom line... Inspiration is the electricity that powers your mind and body into action!

Without inspiration coursing through your blood, you're about as powerful as an unplugged lamp!

So how do you get inspired?

Read on...

1. AWARENESS:

The decision to get healthy requires a commitment to changing your lifestyle and your behaviors. And AWARENESS is always the first step.

90% of overcoming a problem is admitting you have one.

Get honest with yourself and examine your current lifestyle. If you don't like how you look or feel then do something about it! The good news is, there are countless tools, strategies and resources available to help. But you have to be aware of these two things:

1. You must WANT to change,
2. There are resources to help you do it.

If you want to get results, you've got to get started. They say,"Knowledge is Power" ... but knowledge by itself isn't enough. You know you should eat better and exercise more often, but simply knowing will not create the kind of lasting change you want and deserve.

In other words, knowledge without action is useless.

You can spend thousands of dollars and countless hours on exercise programs and diet plans—filling your head with all the latest knowledge—but unless you take immediate action, you're just wasting time and money.

Stop spinning your wheels. Set a goal for yourself and take some sort of action today. Remember, the first step is the most important one. Just get out of the house and start moving. You can begin by simply walking around the block! It doesn't have to be something drastic right now, the key is simply to begin. Realize there is great power in momentum. Once you get the ball rolling, good things can and will happen.

2. EXAMINE YOUR LIFESTYLE

Stop for a moment and examine your life as it is right now.

What direction is your present lifestyle taking you? Is that where you want to go? If you follow along this same path, what will you be like 10 years from now? Will you be happy, healthy, and energetic?

If not, then stop now and adjust your course today.

Just imagine carrying this excess weight around for the next 10-20 years. Can you imagine the painful effect that will have on your body, organs, and emotions?

Consider this ... if you are 40 pounds overweight, that is equivalent to carrying two 20-pound dumbells around with you ALL DAY, EVERYWHERE you go. Can you imagine that? Well, essentially that's what you're doing! No wonder your back, knees and joints hurt!

Now imagine doing that for the next 20 years! I know it's a pretty frightening picture of the future, but hopefully the image will inspire you to start taking better care of your body. If you don't, it will eventually break down. And unlike your car, you can't trade your body in for a new one.

3. MAKE A CHANGE

In the story of A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three ghosts. These spirits take Scrooge on a tour of his life: past, present, and future. At the end of this journey through time, Scrooge realizes that unless he changes his ways, the future will be very grim. The spirits must have had some background in psychology because their method proved very effective! In one night they completely re-conditioned a man's behavior and lifestyle.

Of course this story is a work of fiction, but you can actually learn a valuable lesson from it to make quick and lasting changes in your own behavior.

If you continue to live an unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle, what will your life be like 15 years from now? Are you on the path to heart disease, diabetes, or even worse?

My intention is not to scare you, but unless you get leverage on yourself, you won't have the necessary drive to make a change. In other words, if your present behaviors are not supporting you, then figure out a way to generate new behaviors and thus new results.

How?

4. PROGRAMMING YOUR MIND FOR SUCCESS

Begin by linking up massive amounts of pain to your current behavior, just like the spirits did with Scrooge. For example, if you want to stop overeating, train your mind to associate pain and discomfort to that negative behavior. Your mind has a natural tendency to move away from pain and toward pleasure. This is a basic principle in human behavior. So if you truly believe that overeating will cause pain, then you'll stop overeating. But the belief must be strong and real.

How do you convince yourself? Start by making pictures in your mind. Your imagination is your most powerful tool.

Are you happy with the way you look when you get out of the shower? Does the image cause a little bit of pain or maybe some discomfort? If so, make that pain more intense. Tell yourself, "I've had enough and I'm not going to take it anymore!" This will inspire your brain to start moving in a new direction.

Now, picture your ideal self. Imagine how you will look and feel after dedicating yourself to a fitness and nutrition program. Go ahead, imagine right now looking in the mirror at your new strong, lean, and powerful body. How does it make you feel?

That picture probably feels a lot better than the first one, doesn't it?

Now, hold that image in your mind. Make the picture big and bright and full of detail and emotion. Once you replace the old picture of yourself with the new, empowering picture, then your mind will begin supporting you. It will begin moving toward your new ideal self, helping make it a reality!

The brain has amazing powers, but you have to take control of it. Start running your brain instead of letting your brain run you. It will do whatever you tell it to do. Just make sure your mental pictures and self-talk are supporting you in achieving your goals. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said...

"We become whatever we think about."

Why are you overweight and out of shape?

Simply put, weight gain is caused by ingesting more calories than you burn. When the imports outweigh the exports you're obviously "overstocking" your body. As a result, you gain weight. That's a simple answer regarding the physical aspects, but the purpose of this post is to examine the mental aspects. You see, right now your brain believes that eating foods that are fried, high in fat, and high in sugar will bring you pleasure.

Do you agree? Isn't it fun and pleasurable to eat a big piece of chocolate cake or maybe some fried chicken? Of course it is. And your brain wants to move towards foods and behaviors that make you feel good.

After all, the ultimate desire in life is the desire to feel good. But what you need to do is re-program your brain to see these foods as they really are... unhealthy. They're pushing you further and further away from your goal of achieving optimal health. They may bring you short-term pleasure, but our goal is to develop habits that will support long-term health. And as long as you place more emphasis on short-term pleasure than long-term health, you will continue to be overweight.

Now, I'm not saying that you can never eat a piece of cake, but learn to do it in moderation. Learn to read nutrition labels. Be aware of what you're putting into your body. And train your brain to believe that unhealthy foods will ultimately cause pain and discomfort down the road.

Remember... obesity, heart disease, diabetes... these are just some of the painful effects of unhealthy eating habits.

Bottom line... associate pleasure to good health and pain to sugary, high-fat foods. Constantly tell your brain that the emotion of eating food will NEVER overpower the emotion of looking and feeling great. If you adopt that mentality and truly believe it, then you'll be well on your way to achieving the results you want and the life you deserve!

What about you? Is there a bad habit you have overcome? How did you do it?

The Glass Ceiling of Success

By Patrick Mahan

A person will never exceed his own expectations.

Like a "Glass Ceiling," your expectations set the limits for your life. In other words, you typically get what you expect—positive or negative.

When you expand your vision, you stretch your faith. And faith is the catalyst for success.

The person who expects much, receives much. He who expects little receives little. Likewise, if you expect to prevail, then you will prevail. Your belief becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.

This simple principle applies to all areas of life. If you expect a customer to buy, they usually will buy. But if you expect them to say no, then they will probably say no. Another example: If you ask someone out on a date and expect them to say no, that's usually what happens.

People can sense your vibes. You project externally an energy that matches your internal emotions and attitude.

A common characteristic of successful people seems to be that they carry a confident expectancy. They “assume the sale.” They see what they want coming to pass. In their mind, they have already taken ownership.

Again, since we usually get what we expect, if you don’t expect much, then you won’t get much.

Successful people in all areas of life exude this confident expectancy. They get a clear picture of what they want fixed firmly in their mind and then their subconscious mind pursues that goal like a heat-seeking missile. They visualize reaching the goal in their mind and visualize themselves having already achieved that goal successfully.

Olympic athletes have used this principle for years. Not only do they visualize success, but they also give the image an emotional charge. In other words, they imagine how it will feel to accomplish their goal. This makes the vision real. It gives it legs. It creates an almost magical power that pulls them towards their target.

And this same power is available to you.

So raise your expectations and learn to visualize having already achieved your goal. Act as if you’ve already accomplished the task. Focus on your target, assume that you will hit the target and eliminate all other alternatives. Maintain a laser-focused, “tunnel-vision” as you race toward your goal. Exercise your faith. Have a “vision of victory.” Like a self-fulfilling prophecy, whatever you confidently expect usually comes to pass. So get in the habit of expecting great things from life!

"Your expectations opens or closes the doors of your supply. If you expect grand things, and work honestly for them, they will come to you, your supply will correspond with your expectation." - Orison Swett Marden (1850-1924)

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." - Bible (Mark 11:24)

Something to Look Forward to...

By Patrick Mahan

Humans are goal-striving organisms. We were designed to set, pursue and achieve goals. And when we act in accordance to our design, good things happen!

In contrast, when a person becomes uninspired to set, pursue and achieve goals, something entirely different happens. Since they are not acting in accordance to their design, they begin to experience "problems", discomfort, unhappiness and even depression.

These issues are caused by a lack of goals. When you feel that you have nothing to look forward to, naturally, that's when depression sets in.

To overcome this, you must create a compelling future for yourself.

How?

By finding stuff to look forward to.

Like what?

Vacations, movies, the weekend, time with friends and families, holidays, special events ... It can be anything big or small. But ultimately, it's up to you to create moments to look forward to. That's the key to feeling young, happy and fulfilled.

"Life isn't measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away."

Have you ever noticed how often it seems that a person's health declines after retiring?

Why?

Because they have lost 4 important things:

1. a sense of purpose
2. something to look forward to
3. a routine
4. a regular sense of accomplishment

They no longer believe that they're growing. And when an organism is no longer growing, it's dying! The good news is, unlike other organisms, we have the ability to grow spiritually, mentally and emotionally long after our physical bodies have stopped growing. That means we can choose to keep growing our entire lives! But you have to make that chioce. It won't happen automatically.

Now, while goal setting is a key ingredient to success, be careful not to become overly obsessed with it. If we spend all of our time trying to get somewhere else, then we can never fully enjoy and appreciate where we are.

If you’re always driving forward at 100 mph, then it’s hard to appreciate the view!

Sometimes you just need to pull over, put the car in park and enjoy the scenery.