HOW YOU CAN MAKE 2011 YOU - Charlie Cook

Whether 2010 was a good, bad or an indifferent year for your business, you'd like to make 2011 even better.
What's your plan?
I was about to call it quits for the day when the phone rang. It was George calling from Delaware. He told me that he wanted to learn everything he could about marketing his business. When I asked George which of my marketing manuals he was interested in, he answered, "all of them." Why was he so eager to improve his marketing? Was his business in the dumps?
On the contrary, last year was one of George's most successful years ever. He spent over forty thousand dollars marketing his business and made well over 35 times that in return. He's set his goals even higher for 2011 and is convinced that marketing is the best investment he can make in his business.
George is a business consultant who is successfully growing his business even when most companies have put a freeze on working with consultants. Marketing is a key factor in George's success; helping him get attention, position himself as the go to expert and sell his services.
Whether you're a printer, an accountant, consultant, sell health insurance, or financial services take a lesson from George and rethink the potential of your business. You could be making a lot more than you are now. Here's how:
1. Set the Bar High
George wants to double his business in the next two years. Having a clearly defined goal creates the destination for your marketing plan.
What's your dream for your business?
How much do you want your business to grow?
What are your goals for 2011?
2. Invest the Time and Money to Improve Your Marketing
No matter how successful George is, he knows that he could be doing better. You could be doing better too.
He's continually looking for new marketing ideas and strategies to help his business grow, and he's not afraid to spend money to get expert advice or implement new tactics.

3. Deliver Outstanding Service
George's consulting takes people by surprise with his timely, courteous service and his attention to details. This approach not only gets him noticed but also brings in repeat business and referrals.
How do you differentiate your products and services from your competition?
What can you do to provide outstanding services and products?
To make 2011 your best year ever, set high goals, make a plan, get the knowledge and advice you need, and provide outstanding service. Take another look at your business and you'll discover tons of opportunity for innovation and growth.
What's the best way to reach your goals in 2011?
Get the help you need to put your profits on track. Even in a tough economy you can succeed, when you know where to focus your efforts, If you're serious about doing better in 2011.

MAKE SOME NOISE IN 2011! - Philip E. Humbert, PhD

New Year's weekend seems the perfect time to remind you that
in business, you’ve GOT to make some noise! Recently, I
talked with two people who have become experts in marketing.
One has attended all the "boot camps," read the books and
taken seminars from the best marketing gurus around. The
other told me her personal library of marketing and business
books, videos and seminars cost over $100,000 in the past
ten years.
Unfortunately, neither of them has applied what they know
and their businesses have not grown.
These are classic examples of "analysis paralysis." They
have studied their market and learned the techniques. They
know how to write sales letters and they know the latest in
online marketing techniques. They know about using
endorsements, graphics and colors, about "risk reversal"
and identifying their target demographics.
What they don’t know is how to make noise.
They haven't taken action! One business leader recently told
me her greatest fear is "making a mistake!" Like, get over
it already!
If you’re in business, you’re going to make mistakes. (I
suspect that’s true in life; I know it’s true in business.)
The key to building your business is taking action. Of
course it's good to know what you’re doing. Sure, put the
odds in your favor as much as you can. But in the end,
you’ve got to take a chance and make some noise!
If you want your business to grow in 2011, think about what
you'll do differently. What will you expand or contract? How
much will you spend on advertising? What new products or
services will you offer? Which ones will you cancel?
In the end, growing a business is about taking action. It's
about making the best judgments you can, and then taking the
plunge.

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS IN 2011

Another year is ending and that means it's time to review
the year just past and plan the year ahead. I strongly urge
you to take some time to ask good questions, jot some notes,
and make your choices.
I love the line that "those who refuse to learn from the
past are doomed to repeat it." It seems a good match to the
old joke that insanity is doing the same thing over and over
while expecting different results. Too many people, too
often, drift from one year to the next, hoping and
struggling to achieve their goals or change their lives, but
refusing to "learn from the past" or make intelligent, high-
yield adjustments.
Fortunately, as I learned long ago, Readers are not
ordinary people. They are more ambitious, more
optimistic, better educated and definitely more "awake" than
the average person. You know life is a serious thing. You
have goals and you want to achieve some important results in
2011!
In my years of experience, i want to share a simple three-
step process that I hope will be valuable to you all.
I think it makes a difference and I urge you to take the
time to give it a try. Here we go:
1. REVIEW THE PAST. "Those who fail to learn from the past
are doomed to repeat it."
The first step to changing the future is to acknowledge the
truth about the present. Ask good questions about 2010. What
did you learn? What worked well? What would you like to
repeat? What are you proud of? How did you grow, change or
improve this year? How about your relationships, your
career, your lifestyle? How about your income, your health
and your hobbies? Ask good questions, and write down the
answers.
2. MAP THE FUTURE. I like the term "map" because this is
not a dream, a fantasy or even just a goal. What exactly
would you like to change, do or achieve in 2011? Do you want
to increase your income? Improve a relationship, buy a new
house, change jobs? Spend more time with family?
Mapping the future requires that you balance optimism and
ambition with a conservative assessment of what's possible.
Remember, reality never lies. It's unlikely that you can
change everything or do everything in one year. What are the
specifics you really want to change in 2011? Ask good
questions; write down the answers.
3. GET A SYSTEM. I’m a huge believer in plans and budgets
and strategies. If you want to increase your income by 25%,
you’ll have to make more sales, work more hours or learn new
skills. When (exactly) will you do this? If you want to save
more or golf more or do anything worthwhile, you'll need a
plan.
And you'll need positive support. Surround yourself with
reminders, books, tools and equipment that automatically
move you in the direction you want to go.
Get a coach or work with a MasterMind group. Make sure your
family, friends and colleagues know exactly what you want to
achieve, and make sure they support you every step of the
way.
The start of a new year is a wonderful time to take stock,
adjust course and affirm your priorities, but it doesn't
happen by accident. Take time to review. Take time to plan
and develop your system. And get the support you'll need.
You can make 2011 your best, most productive and rewarding
year ever, but only if you arrange for success in advance.
Do your homework! Make it happen!
If you are truly committed to making things better
in 2011, use a personal coach.

DECEMBER 25TH

" And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that evil-merodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison, And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life. And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life”. - Jeremiah 52:31-34.

To all readers and visitors to this web site I want to share with you the significance of the Christmas day, it is a special day Jesus Christ was born into this world to deliver mankind from his sinful way. I have studied the weather pattern over the years of that particular day the firmaments bear witness to this unique day across all countries and tribes. There is a glory over the surface of the earth while some are having snow, others fog, or harmattan haze.

In the text above King Jehoiachin of Judah was delivered on a Christmas day (in the twelfth month in the five and twentieth day of the month) hundred of years before Jesus was born. Seven significant events will happen in your life on this particular glorious day.

1. Your head will be lifted. You may have been experiencing downward trend in your life, marriage, business and workplace, you will no longer be the tail but the head. God is about changing your situation for the better because Jesus came into the world this same day to deliver you. Everyone that sees you as nobody will begin to see you as somebody very special your head will no longer be bowed but be lifted high.

2. You will be brought out of prison. Some people have been bounded without freedom under bondage of their task masters for quite sometime, you will be set free now just like those that set up Daniel into the lion’s pit, your prisoners will replace you in the prison while you will be set free, Jesus will liberate you and grant you permanent freedom.

3. You will be spoken kindly of. People have used their tongue to describe you negative. God will change their tongue and they will begin to speak well of you, they have said you are useless, good for nothing, cannot make it, never do well, under achiever all this negative qualities they describe you with they will no longer see you that way any more. A change for the better in you they will begin to see and speak of.

4. Your throne above the throne of the kings. You are meant to be a king because the son of a king is also a king, but you reign like a slave, God will dethrone everyone sitting on your throne and enthrone where you belong, to rule and reign in Christ Jesus.

5. Your garment will be changed. The garment you put on which has become a filthy rag casting aspersions at you. The way you dress is the way you will be addressed, you were addressed badly everywhere you turn to, today your garment or robe will change and as a king a sign of royalty is the kings garment. God is removing your present garment and replacing it with a new one.

6. You will continually eat bread. You may be lacking a daily bread but the great provider is already here to provide the bread you will eat all the days of your life. Every lack will be turned to abundance in your life because Jesus was born on this day like no other day.

7. You will be given a continual diet all the days until death. A diet is a food with all essential ingredients needed for growth and development. You might having lacking the essential nutrients needed for you to succeed and become great God is going to provide to you this day those nourishments needed by you for life.

Setting Goals and Shaping Your Future - By Dr. Nathalie Beauchamp

I often start my Wellness On The Go™ workshops with information about the importance of setting goals. I ask the audience to demonstrate how many of them have goals, and whether or not these goals have been documented. Throughout the course of my workshops I have come to recognize that very few individuals actually make up goals for themselves, which quite frankly shocks me. On average, two or three of these individuals will admit to having goals out of the 50 individuals in attendance, and typically only one of these people will actually have their goals written down. I then ask the group what would happen if I got into my car after the presentation, not knowing my next destination. Where would I end up? Most people laugh and answer "nowhere!"--which is my point exactly. It seems like a silly question to ask, but if we don't know where we want to go with our lives, where are we going to end up? We spend more time planning our vacations than we do planning our lives. Why is that? A goal is nothing but a dream with a deadline. Creating a road map is necessary if we are to become successful individuals.

Ask Yourself...
* Have I established goals for the next year, 5 years, 20 years?
* Am I truly living the life that I want to live?
* Have I made myself accountable for what I want in life?
* Will my failed goals lead to unwanted consequences?

Our goals drive us, they allow us to shape our future and provide us with the ability to grow and excel in each of our endeavors. That being said, it is important to remember that in order to achieve our goals we must first document them. When we do write down our goals something amazing happens; we become creators, creators of our own paths. Remember, what the mind can imagine, it can create: Anything is possible. HOW we are going to achieve our goals at the time of setting them may not be clear, but if reasons come first answers will come second. If you have a big enough WHY, the HOW will manifest itself--you will find a way to make things happen!

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."Albert Einstein

Ask Yourself...
* Do I have goals that have been left unaccomplished for an extended period of time?
* Am I truly making strides towards accomplishing my goals, or am I hindering my own efforts either consciously or unconsciously?
* Am I willing to look at things differently so that things can change?
* Am I open to new ideas or strategies that may positively assist me in the achievement of my goals? Where can I get ideas? Who could help?

Each year on the first of January, I take the time to reflect upon my goals from the previous year. I like to evaluate what I have accomplished, and review everything that has manifested throughout the year. It always makes me smile to see how things have unfolded for the goals which had a strong WHY even if I did not really know at the time how I would get them accomplished...amazing how that works! To continue, now that I have reviewed my previous year's goals, I am ready to set new goals and design a roadmap for the next year's journey. My successes motivate me to create new goals for the coming year and open up my mind to all the future possibilities.

My Goals, Categorized

1. Personal development and relationships -- What skills do I want to develop? What do I want to learn? What relationships do I want to create?

2. Career -- What do I want to accomplish? What kind of impact do I want to have?

3. Fitness, nutrition and food for the soul -- What level of physical fitness do I want to maintain or achieve? What can I do to improve my eating habits? What practices can I partake in that will cultivate my spirituality?

4. Material things and time savers -- Have fun with this one -- have I been dreaming about purchasing a new car or installing the latest home entertainment system? Or do I want to hire help for household duties so that I can have more time with my family and friends?

5. Economic -- What income level do I want to achieve? Are there investments that I would like to make within the next year?

6. Legacy -- What do I want to leave behind? What do I want to be remembered for?

7 Steps Goal Setting Strategies

1. Brainstorm each of the categories for 5 minutes, don't think too hard and allow your thoughts to come naturally.

2. Next, establish a timeline for each of your goals, whether it be a year, 5 years, 10 years or 20 years.

3. Decide upon a few goals (three or four from each category) that you wish to focus the majority of your attention on.

4. Now determine the WHY of each of your top three or four goals.

5. Decide if the WHY of each of your top three or four goals is "strong" enough--does it empower you enough? If not, pick another goal from that category which does get you motivated and excited.

6. After that, put your goals through the "SMART" system.

S -- Specific -- Is your goal too vague? Specifics help us to focus our efforts and clearly define what we are going to do. Answered by what, why, and how.

M -- Measurable -- How will you know when you have succeeded? Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. If you can't measure it, you can't manage it.

A -- Attainable -- A goal needs to stretch you slightly so you feel you can do it and it will need a real commitment from you.

R -- Realistic -- To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Set the bar high enough for a satisfying achievement!

T -- Time-bound -- Do you have a timeline? Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target to work towards.

Finally, beside each goal -- write one action step you can take this week to get you closer to your goal. (i.e.- If you want to start doing Yoga -- Your action step would be to contact the Yoga school you wish to attend, and ask about their classes and schedule.)

Make sure to place your goals in an area of your home, or office, which is frequently visited. The probability of accomplishing your goal(s) is increased when your ambitions are reviewed on a day-to-day basis.

Finally, have fun with your goal setting. Remember to THINK and PLAY BIG -- the more successful and fulfilled you are, the more you will contribute to the people around you and ultimately, to the world. Furthermore, embrace the fact that what we can think about we can create. Leverage the power of your subconscious to plant the "right" seeds in your brain and watch what can happen!

NINE COMMON OBJECTIONS YOU MUST ANSWER

Unspoken Objections
The first type of objection you will get is an unspoken objection. The customer has concerns with you offering but doesn't tell you anything. The solution to unspoken objections is to let the prospect talk more. Ask open-ended questions, lean forward, and listen intently to the answers. The more a prospect has an opportunity to answer your questions; the more likely it is that she will tell you exactly what might be holding her back from buying.
Excuses, Excuses
The second form of objections is excuses. These are usually instinctive reactions to any sales approach. Excuses are not really serious. The best salespeople nod, smile, agree, and then ask a question to take control of the conversation. The very best way to handle any initial sales resistance, including excuses and impulse responses is with these words: "That's all right. Most people in your situation felt the same way when I first called on them. But now they have become our best customers, and they recommend us to their friends and family."
Malicious Objections
Then there are malicious objections. Because you call on many different people, you will occasionally call on individuals who are unhappy or angry about their current situations. Since they cannot shout at their bosses or spouses, they take it out on the friendly salesperson. These people tend to be negative in their demeanor and behavior. The way to deal with malicious objections is to realize that you are not the target. Your job, as a professional, is to remain calm, confident, positive, and polite throughout.
Request For Information
The fourth most common objection is a request for information. This is the best type of objection for you to hear, because you know how to answer this as well or better than any other part of your presentation. Whenever a prospect asks for information about the results or benefits of your product or service, you are moving into an excellent field position to make a sale.
Show—Off Objections
Another type of objection is the show-off objection. Sometimes prospects try to show you how much they already know about your product or service. They make sophisticated observations or ask you complex questions about your product, service or industry. When this happens, respond by taking the low road. Show how impressed you are by how much the prospect already knows. Remember, when you make a prospect feel important by listening to him with rapt attention, he is much more likely to warm up and buy from you.
Subjective Objections
The sixth most common type of objection is subjective or personal objections. These objections are aimed to you as a person. Whenever a prospect becomes critical of you, it could be a sign that you are talking too much about yourself. If this happens, it is important to make the customer the center of attention, and the subjective objections will stop.
Objective Objections
You may also hear the objective or factual objection. These are directed at your product offering and the claims that you make in terms of what it will do for the customer. If you can answer an objective objection, you can often close the sale.
General Sales Resistance
The eighth most common form of objection is what we have called general sales resistance. This always occurs at the beginning of a presentation. Until you neutralize this general sales resistance, the customer will be listening to you with a closed mind. When the prospect relaxes and gives you permission to ask him questions, you immediately begin your pre-selected open-ended questions to qualify the prospect and find out what he really needs that you can provide for him.
Last Ditch Objections
The final most-common objection is called the last-ditch objection. You have made your presentation, and the prospect clearly sees how she would be better off with your product or service. She knows and understands what you're selling and how much you're asking. She is on the verge of making a buying decision, but she still hesitates. Listen with respect to your final objections; then assure the prospect that yours is an excellent product or service, at a good price, and that everyone else who is using it today is very happy with their decision. You have then overcome the last-ditch objection.
Action Exercises
Hear the prospect out completely each time he objects or asks a question, practice all your listening skills.

HOW TO ACHIEVE YOUR SMALL BUSINESS GOALS FOR 2011

Goal setting and time planning go hand in hand. I don’t believe you can effectively plan your time without goals. And, I don’t believe you’ll ever achieve your goals without effectively planning your time.

Since numbers are easier to work with than ideas, I’m going to demonstrate how time planning and goal setting work together to help you achieve your financial goals.

The same system can be applied to any other goal you can measure with numbers, but this is the easiest way to demonstrate it.

First of all, determine what your financial goal is going to be. If you want to earn $60,000 next year, you’ll need to know exactly what you have to do to get there. This can be done with a simple graph shown below.

Year Month Week Day

Financial Goal $60,000 $5,000 $1,200 $249

# of Sales 120 10 2.4 .5

# of Presentations 360 30 7.2 1.5

# of Contacts 1,800 150 36 7.5

In order for your small business to make $60,000, you’ll need to be on track with earning $5,000 each month. Assuming you take a two-week vacation, that breaks down to earning $1,200 per week. Earning that $1,200 each of the 50 weeks of the year will let you truly relax and enjoy your two-week vacation.

To see how that breaks down to what you must earn each day, let’s take 365 (days in a year) and subtract weekends. In our example, I’m assuming you work 5 days per week. That leaves 261 days per year for you to work. However, that’s not true in that you are likely to celebrate various holidays and, don’t forget your two-week vacation. So, let’s take away 10 holidays and 10 vacation days. So, now you have 241 days per year that you are out there face-to-face with potential clients. Dividing 241 into $60,000 shows us that you must earn $249 each day you work. Now, if you take longer vacations or personal days or sick time, you’ll have to rework your figures here to stay on track.

You know how much income you generate from each sale on average. Divide that amount into your $60,000 goal, then across the month, week and day columns. This shows you how many sales you need to make each day to earn that $60,000.

For example, if you earn $500 per sale, you would need to make 120 sales per year, which averages 10 sales per month, 2.4 sales per week or about half a sale per day. So, if you didn’t close a sale yesterday, you’d have to close one today to stay on track.

Next, we consider your closing ratio. Your closing ratio is determined by how many people you must present your product or service to before you get a closed sale. If you close one out of every 3 people, then your ratio is 1-to-3. So, if you must make 3 presentations to get one sale, how many do you need to reach your 120 annual sales goal? 360 presentations.

If it takes 5 contacts to make 1 presentation, you’ll need to contact 1,800 people this year to achieve your goal. That boils down to just about 7.5 people per day.

Now, as you plan your time to accommodate your goals, is it feasible for you to make 7.4 new contacts each working day? Probably not… so you have two choices:

1) you can lower your income goal, which doesn’t sound like much fun, or

2) you can improve your skills so your ratios are better and you don’t have to meet as many people to make the number of sales you desire.

Knowing what you must do each day to achieve your larger annual income goal helps you direct your time to what will really matter most in your small business.

This same system can be applied to saving or investing your financial resources for retirement; a special family vacation; or any goal that can be broken down mathematically. Once you get a handle on this system, you’ll find you can even apply it to your exercise routine and other aspects of your physical health. If the small steps are well taken, the journey will reach a successful end—the achievement of your goals.

PREDICTING FUTURE BUSINESS TRENDS

We’re always trying to see into the future, imagining what our world will look like, ten, twenty, a hundred years from now.
In August 2010, industry analysts Gartner, Inc. released their predictions for changing trends in the way we will work over the next ten years to 2020 – and, though they may sound futuristic, don’t forget: ten years ago, you had an analogue mobile phone which could only be used for … phoning. Didn’t you?
So, what changes does Gartner foresee?
Increasingly chaotic environments
The overall message seems to be that the work environment will be more chaotic and that businesses will have to be able to adapt to this changing style in order to survive.
In other words, the patterns of our work will become less routine and predictable. Most processes will be automated, and humans will only be involved in “non-routine processes”: human, analytical or interactive contributions including “discovery, innovation, teaming, leading, selling and learning”. The example given by Gartner is that only a human is capable of persuading a sceptical buyer; while automated tools can augment this process, it’s the human interaction that ultimately convinces the buyer to buy the goods.
Gartner envisages a future where teams, now known as “swarms”, will quickly be assembled out of individuals who may never have met each other or worked together before, in response to ad hoc requirements. Instead of the structured situations we are used to, with a manager and a team who regularly work together on projects, a “swarm” of workers will be put together as the need arises and will disperse just as quickly, once the project is completed. It will be crucial for businesses to be able to put together a swarm to “attack” a project, and crucial to be able to navigate your personal, professional and social networks (which will really all be the same thing) to survive.
Outside the business organisations will be many informal groups of people linked by common interests, who can directly affect the organisation’s success or failure. These will be known as “collectives”. Business executives will have to know to identify the key people in these collectives, use them to gather market intelligence and exploit them for business benefit.
Non-routine work processes will be highly informal and will lack any meaningful standard patterns; again, most of these processes will be created and completed “on the fly”, quite spontaneously and without using any obvious model or pattern. Indeed, the word “spontaneous” is absolutely key to the Gartner report, describing not only the way in which work teams (swarms) are created, but also how businesses will continuously have to seek new opportunities and create new patterns and models.
Another interesting new trend according to Gartner will be more active engagement in the workplace with simulated, or virtual, environments. Technologies will determine what materials go together in these environments based on analysing how people work with the content. By actively manipulating the various parameters, people will interact with the data and reshape the virtual world they are looking at.
In this chaotic, unstructured and insecure work world of the future, according to Gartner, businesses will have to be “hyper-connected”; this means that overall control and responsibility will be hard to identify, if they exist at all. This has enormous implications for how people work, how employers contract their employees, and for the IT that supports and augments our work.
The future workplace will, by definition, be more or less virtual. If you are just part of a swarm, you won’t have an office, a manager or work colleagues. Nevertheless, according to Gartner, you will still have a “place” where you work – presumably, your home – and you will be at it 24/7. This will create a life of overlapping demands, with no clear differentiation between “work and home life”, something which still exists at the end of 2010. Personal, professional, social and family matters will blur into one. How will individuals cope with this?
According to Gartner: “Those that cannot manage the underlying ‘expectation and interrupt overloads’ will suffer performance deficits as these overloads force individuals to operate in an over-stimulated (information-overload) state.”
But don’t panic yet – in 1975, Business Week predicted that the “paperless office” was “just around the corner” ...

KEYS TO MOTIVATING PEOPLE TO FOLLOW YOUR EXTRAORDINARY LEADERSHIP

One thing I know to be true but many people do not believe is that people do want to be motivated. Sometimes people will say, “But they just won’t follow.” Not true. You just haven’t motivated them to follow you! Get certain things right and they will follow! With that in mind, here are some keys to getting people to follow your leadership.

1. Inspire and Challenge Them. People want to be inspired. They want to be encouraged to think bigger and better things. They want to look for and climb big mountains. They want to have someone help them dream their biggest dreams. That’s inspiration! They also want someone to set the high bar for them. They want someone to tell them that they can and should aim higher and go for more. That’s challenge! Show them the lofty heights, because not many others are. And the one who does is the one who will lead them.
2. Teach Them. One of the greatest leadership development programs in the world is at General Electric. Jack Welch has personally devoted himself to its growth. And he has spent thousands and thousands of hours there himself, teaching in a classroom setting. He knows that information must be communicated. Take the time and be patient. Teach those who follow you how to go. Don’t be condescending because in the process, you will probably learn something yourself!
3. Empathize With Them. OK, it’s almost cliché by now, but the saying, “I feel your pain” worked! Why? Because people want their leaders to feel their pain. They want them to know what it feels like when it is hard or when it is work. This doesn’t mean every board meeting has to be a touchy-feely sob-fest, but we ought to do more than tell our followers to “Suck it up soldier!” This day and age, that doesn’t fly. They want to know that you understand what they are going through and that you care. Sit down with them. Ask questions about the situation. And follow up with them.
4. Strategize With Them. Some, but very few people want to be told what to do and then left alone. Most would like some direction and help in the area of strategy. Take the time to plot out the plan of action. Even if you know it, it is best to not just hand it over and say, “Now do it.” Take them step-by-step so they learn how to do it themselves. Remember, we aren’t just trying to get the job done; we are trying to get the job done and create new leaders under us. This is an investment!
5. Dream With Them. Take an interest in what it is that they want to accomplish in their life. Give them opportunity to dream about what your organization or business can become. Let them, encourage them, to dream big dreams, and then do all you can to share that dream, foster that dream, and make that dream a reality! Let them know that you are committed to them achieving their dreams and they will follow you to the ends of the earth!
6. Encourage Them to Shoot for the Stars. This is closely aligned with having them dream, but this has more to do with the size of their dream! Most people will underestimate what they can do or what they want to accomplish. Most people have much more potential than they realize, let alone live up to. Help them by encouraging them to stretch their dreams so they are even bigger and greater than their first plan.
7. Communicate Honestly and Clearly With Them. People who follow want their leaders to be honest with them. They act of following is based on believing that you are being told the truth about where you are going! Be open about the positives and the negatives. People can take it and if you make them integral to the solutions, then even tough problems become a chance for teamwork! Communicate in many ways: written, verbal etc. Just do it regularly so they know what the plan is, where you are going, what time departure is and the estimated time of arrival at destination SUCCESS!

An excerpt from "The Power of Discipline" by Brian Tracy

Your ability and willingness to discipline yourself to accept personal responsibility for your life is essential to happiness, health, success, achievement and personal leadership. Accepting responsibility is one of the hardest of all disciplines, but without it, success is impossible.

The failure to accept responsibility and the attempt to foist responsibility onto others has dire consequences. It completely distorts cause and effect, undermines our character, weakens our resolve, and diminishes our humanity.

When I was twenty-one, I was living in a tiny apartment and working as a construction laborer. I had to get up at 5 a.m. so I could take three buses to work to be there on time. I didn't get home until 7 p.m., usually exhausted. I was making just enough money to get by, with no car, almost no savings, and just enough clothing for my needs. I had no radio or television. In the evenings, if I had enough energy, I would sit in my small apartment at my little table in my kitchen nook and read.

It was the middle of a cold winter, with the temperature at 35 degrees belowFahrenheit.

One evening, sitting there by myself at the table, it suddenly dawned on me that, "This is my life."

It was like a flashbulb going off in front of my face. I looked at myself and my small apartment, and considered the fact that I had not graduated from high school. The only work I was qualified to do was menial jobs. I earned enough money to pay my basic expenses, but little more. I had very little left over at the end of the month.

It suddenly dawned on me that unless I changed, nothing else was going to change. No one else was going to do it for me. In reality, no one cared.

I realized at that moment I was completely responsible for my life, and for everything that happened to me, from that day forward. I was responsible.

I could no longer blame my situation on my difficult childhood, or mistakes that I had made in the past. I was in charge. I was in the driver's seat. This was my life, and if I didn't do something to change it, it would go on like this indefinitely, by the simple process of inertia.

This revelation changed my life. I was never the same again. From that moment forward, I accepted more and more responsibility for everything...

Brian's book is filled with revelations that will make you stop and think...and then more importantly, move you to action. He provides the concrete steps you can take that will make the practice of self-discipline the key to your success as well.

UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES

You can always get a better deal if you know how. You never need to settle for less or feel dissatisfied with the result of any negotiation. There is almost always a way that you can get better terms or prices, whether you are buying or selling. Your job is to find that way.
If You Want a Better Deal, Ask for it
The word "ask" is the most powerful word in the world of business negotiating. Most people are so paralyzed by the fear of rejection and disapproval that they are afraid to ask for anything out of the ordinary. They just accept what is offered to them and hope for the best. But this is not the case with top negotiators. The top negotiators will quite calmly and confidently ask for any kind of price or term that is remotely within reason. You will be quite astonished at the better deals you will get by simply asking for a lower price if you're buying and asking for a higher price if you're selling.
Real Estate Salesmen
One of example is a real estate salesman who buys houses. He works within a specific price range that looks at every home in that price range and comes on the market. His strategy is simple. Whatever the asking price, he offers 50 to 60 percent of that amount in cash, with no conditions. His offers all come with a short time limit. He gets turned down dozens of times. However, about one time in a hundred, he finds a motivated seller, a seller who is eager to sell immediately, and the seller will accept his offer. His secret is simple. He just asks people to sell their houses at far lower prices than anyone else would ever dare.
Surprise and Disappointment
Whatever the suggested price, react with surprise and disappointment. Remember, most people have plucked the price out of the air. They are always asking for more than they expect to get or offering less than they expect to pay. In either case, you should flinch and react with mild shock, no matter what the price or the offer. Appear hurt, as if the person has just said something cruel or unkind that was totally uncalled for. Then ask, "Is that the best you can do?" And remain perfectly silent. Almost every price has a built in cushion of available discount, and very often the salesperson will drop to that price with one painful flinch on your part.
Better Somewhere Else
Always imply that you can do better somewhere else. There is nothing that causes a seller's price to drop faster than saying that you can get the same item cheaper from another source. This shakes the self-confidence of the salesperson, who immediately feels that he or she is going to lose the deal and often cuts the price quickly.
Action Exercises
Negotiating is a skill that you can master with practice. Take every opportunity you can find to negotiate on smaller items, especially in situations where you don't really care about the outcome. Go to swap meets and garage sales and offer fractions of the asking price. You will be amazed how quickly you become skilled at getting better prices.

THE FINER, AND FINEST, THINGS IN LIFE.

In America, they have a saying: The finer things in life. These are the things that most people talk about when they are speaking of thing of high quality. In fact, much of that which propels people to pursue success, particularly financial success, is the desire to participate in the finer things in life.

Let’s face it, increased finances enable us to do more things and enjoy things that we otherwise would not be able to afford. And we should consider that a blessing.

I am at a stage where my wife and I, and our kids, can enjoy some of the finer things in life. It hasn’t always been that way. I think sometimes it is best to have to go years of getting by so that we appreciate more fully the finer things in life when we are able to experience them. I am thankful for where I am.

Who can argue of the beauty of a fine painting? Who doesn’t love the smell and feel of leather furniture? Who doesn’t enjoy driving a well-engineered car? Who doesn’t dream of the softness and warmth of a Cashmere sweater? Who doesn’t like a nice watch that can be passed on the your son or daughter someday? All of these are common symbols of the finer things in life, and indeed they are.

There is only one possible pitfall that I have found in the pursuit of the finer things in life. It is common that many fall into this trap. It is this:

While pursuing the finer things in life, we often become so engrained, so focused in the pursuit, that we do not experience the finest things in life.

You see, for the most part, the finer things in life, as commonly defined, cost money. And usually it takes a lot of time working to make the kind of money that enables us to experience the finer things in life. And in the pursuit of the money to enjoy the finer things in life, we are spending so much time that we are missing regular opportunities to enjoy the finest things in life.

What are the finest things of life in my book? Here are a few. You can see where I am going and name a few yourself.

• Reading a novel just for the fun of it.
• A casual stroll along the beach with nowhere to go.
• An extra half-hour at the coffee shop, catching up with friends and actually tasting the great flavor of a cup of coffee, rather than rushing it.
• A game of crazy eights with my kids.
• A quiet evening out with my wife.
• A Saturday afternoon sleeping on the couch in front of the fire.

And the list goes on…

Are you taking enough time to stop and taste of the finest things in life? Or are you so bent on getting to a point wherein you can experience the finer things in life?

I have a saying that “good is the enemy of the best.” Sometimes the finer things of life get in the way of the finest things in life. Sometimes we settle for the finer things in life when we could be enjoying the finest things in life.

We can always put a value on the finer things in life, and I would encourage you to enjoy them if you can. But the finest things in life are priceless. You can put no value or price tag on them. It is a mandate that we take the time to enjoy them.

Take some time this week to live up to the old saying: Stop and smell the roses. You will never regret it.

THE POWER OF PULLING TOGETHER (TEAMWORK)

Consistent application of the 10 rules of high performance teamwork ultimately generates trust, respect, unity and power within any team. Conversely, consistent violation of any one rule destroys this bond. While the author of the following is unknown, "Lessons From the Geese" is a powerful illustration from nature of the rules of high performance teamwork. As you read about the natural unity that exists among this species remember - this same unity can exist in your organization!

As geese flap their wings, they create an uplift for the bird following. By flying in a V formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if any bird were to fly alone.
If we share a common direction and a sense of community, we can get where we are going more quickly and easily because we are traveling on the thrust of one another!

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front.
If we have as much sense as geese, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go, and we will be willing to accept their help as well as give ours to others.

When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into formation and another goose flies at the point position.
If we take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership as with the geese, we become interdependent with one another.
The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. If we "honk," we need to make sure it is positive and encouraging.

When a goose gets sick or wounded or is shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again or dies. They then launch out on their own, with another formation or catch up with the flock.
If we have as much sense as geese, we too will stand by each other in difficult times, as well as when we are strong. Let us all try to fly in formation and remember to drop back to help those who might need it!

BEHOLD THE POWER OF TEAMWORK

The greatest accomplishments in life are not achieved by individuals alone, but by proactive people pulling together for a common good. Look behind every winner and you will find a great coach. Look out in front of every superstar and you will see a positive role model. Look alongside every great achiever and you will find caring people offering encouragement, support and able assistance.

Rising to this level of interdependent thinking can be challenging and difficult. Looking beyond oneself, asking for help or accepting help can feel risky. But people are not given life to simply take from one another. We are here to give. Our mission in life is to offer our gifts to benefit one another, to create mutual gain in the world. This is called teamwork, a win/win mindset stemming from a genuine commitment to the rules that allow it to happen.

JOB INTERVIEWS: 5 SECRETS ATTRIBUTES EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR DURING AN INTERVIEW

Employers look for a lot in a potential employee because they are out to employ one of the best and valuable hands to join in making the company grow. No matter what the position is, every employer wants someone who is quite competent, and with regards to today’s new and tough employment market, that means getting a bit more thorough and setting a slightly higher criteria to guide them in the hiring process.

Besides a well-written C.V and cover letter, employers look for more than technical or specific job-related skills when hiring new employees. This includes looking for characteristics which will help in developing an effective team in the company. Knowing these characteristics and finding them in yourself, will enhance your success at interviews and increase your chances of getting the job you desire.

The characteristics employers look for, include:
• Excellent listening skills.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Problem-solving skills

• Proven ability to get along well with co-workers

• Dedication and reliability.

For an employer (interviewer) to identify your strengths in these areas, they will need to ask you behaviour-based or situational questions, one of which is: ‘Have you ever had a conflict with a co-worker or even a boss, and how did you resolve it?.’ This kind of question has started becoming very common.

If you are lucky, after giving an answer such as: ‘No, I have never had a conflict…’ to this kind of open-ended question, the interviewer may leave it as that, but on the other hand, such an answer may make the interviewer continue drilling you deeper to find a conflict. The better way is to give a reply which is focused on the behavioural process for resolving conflicts and working collaboratively (i.e., as a team)—-this is what they are actually asking you for.

So, if you’ve had a misunderstanding before, you may want to try answering in a similar manner as this: ‘Yes, I have had conflicts in the past. Never great ones, but little disagreements that needed to be resolved and I have found that when conflicts occur, it is better to fully understand the other person’s perspective, so I take time to listen to their point of view then I seek to work out a collaborative solution……’ If there is still time, briefly cite an instance when it happened.

You may easily see that the answer above embraces 4 out of the 5 characteristics listed, in that it shows: you do listen to others, you can communicate, you rather be the problem-solver and you have a clue on how to get along with co-workers.

The key here is giving honest answers. Pick out your best qualities, find a way of fitting them into the answer, then see how it plays out.

Good luck.

CREATE YOUR SALES PLAN

Nothing happens until a sale takes place. Your actual ability to sell your product or service to your customer determines your profit or loss, success or failure, in business. The sales process, to be effective, must be planned and organized in detail from start to finish. Every word and action must be scripted, rehearsed and memorized. Nothing can be left to chance.
Sales Recipe
Making a sale is like cooking with a recipe. You must use the correct ingredient and blend them in the proper quantity with the right timing. All successful companies have developed a proven sales process that can be duplicated over and over. By using a proven sales system, you can accurately predict the quantity of your sales, the average size of your sales, and the profitability of your sales activities.
Prospecting
It is important to speak directly or by telephone to people who can and will buy and pay in a reasonable period of time. Start with your ideal customer profile. Who is he or she exactly-in terms of age, occupation, income, education? Who is he or she exactly—in terms of problems, wants, needs, attitudes, and experiences regarding your product or service? If you could advertise for perfect customers, how would you describe him or her?
Marketing and advertising is aimed at telling your ideal prospect that your product will help them. The ideal prospect has an immediate need for what you sell. The ideal prospect knows you, likes you, and respects your products or business. The ideal prospect can buy and pay for your product if he or she likes it.
Establish Rapport
Establishing rapport and trust with the customer is a must. The prospect will not listen to you or buy from you unless he/she likes you and believes that you are honest. Be friendly, straightforward and believable. Be punctual, prepared and properly dressed. Ask questions and listen carefully to the answers. Make no attempt to sell until the prospect is relaxed and comfortable with you. Identify what the customer needs so you can better sell to them. Ask carefully planned, structured questions so that you can fully understand the customer's situation.
There is a direct relationship between asking questions and sales success. Plan your questions word-for-word in advance. Make no effort to sell or talk about your product. Seek first to understand, then to be understood.
Presenting Your Product or Service
Repeat back the specific needs or concerns that your prospect has expressed. Position yourself as a trusted advisor, dedicated to helping him solve his problem or achieve his goal with your product. Position yourself as a teacher-showing her how your product works to help her satisfy her needs. Match the customers expressed needs and concerns to the product or service. Focus on helping rather than selling. Conclude your presentation with an explanation of how the product is delivered or used. Invite questions.
Action Exercises
List three phrases or questions you can use or ask to determine if this is a qualified prospect.

THE BUSINESS CLIMATE OF 2010, PLANNING FOR 2011.

We are nearing the end of 2010 and one of the most important
(and profitable) investments you can make is to review the
past few months very, very carefully.
To an amazing degree, we humans are creatures of habit. We are
great examples of Newton's law that, "a body set in motion
tends to remain in motion." We tend to plunge eagerly ahead,
repeating yesterday's mistakes and failing to learn from
experience. Yes, we take great pride in the fact that we "can"
learn, but my observation is that we rarely do.
We tend to assume that what worked last year will continue to
work next year. We know intellectually that we should be
innovative, creative and original, but in our daily work it's
easy to follow old habits, whether they still work or not.
When Jack Welch was the head of General Electric, he insisted
that half the company's profits come from products and
services that were less than five years old. Why? Because he
knew that yesterday's methods won’t fit tomorrow's world.
Take time -- several hours if necessary -- to review the
following questions:
1. What worked best last year? What surprised me, inspired me
or taught me something new for my work or business?
2. What did not work, or is working less and less well? What
was less profitable or less effective than I expected? What
should I drop altogether in the new year?
3. What's new in my field? What are my colleagues doing that I
should apply to my business?
One of the absolute BEST things any professional,
business owner or manager can do is invest in seminars
and conferences. The chance to get away and "see the forest
for the trees" is incredibly valuable. Conferences generate
new perspectives, and new ideas create vast new opportunities!
Invest in yourself!

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING A SUCCESS AND A SUCCESSFUL LIFE.

I was reading an article the other day about a famous athlete and one of his teammates made a comment that I found interesting. He said, off the record of course, that his famous teammate would have a funeral so small that it could be held in a fitting room.

Now, most people would consider this athlete “successful.” He is rich beyond anyone’s imagination. He has and will set world records. He will undoubtedly be elected into his Hall of Fame, most likely on the first ballot.

But he is not a successful human being. It is common knowledge that he is universally disliked.

This got me to thinking. I am attending two funerals this week. One is the funeral of a man who was “successful” in the eyes of the world. That is, he made a lot of money. But he wasn’t a terribly successful human being. He was estranged from his oldest son and hadn’t spoken with him in years. He was a borderline alcoholic. There were other storms in his life. About 50 people will attend.

The other funeral is for a man who was not “successful” in the eyes of the world. You would have never given him a second look had you seen him in the store. He wasn’t wealthy. He was not high-profile. Yet he was quite a successful human being. People were encouraged and built up by this man. People were better because he graced their lives, even in small ways. His funeral will have about 200 people there, paying their last respects. He would have never guessed there would be that many, yet after he died, people came out of the woodwork to speak highly of him.

So what is the difference? And can we be both “successful” and a successful human being. I believe that we can have both. I do believe it is hard because the accumulation of wealth takes time and time at work, which usually takes away from time doing things that foster human relationships. But it is possible.

It can be done by those who understand balanced living and are aggressive time and priority managers. Give yourself time to make your fortune or pursue your dreams, but give yourself time to make yourself a successful life as well.

Here are some tips for being a successful human being who has a successful life:

Love People, Use Things.
People who become “successful” and miss a successful life are those who love things and use people. Be sure to put people as a priority for your life.

Take time off.
Life isn’t just about work. There is so much else to experience here in this life, and unfortunately, too little time to enjoy it.

Be a giver. Be someone who gives more than takes. Yes, we all have to take from time to time, but we should take only when we need to and give every time we have a chance to!

Be a life-long learner.
I truly believe that we become better people as we learn. Take time throughout your life to grow and learn and become a better person.

Keep a sense of humor.
People who laugh are a gift to the world. Don’t take yourself or your circumstances to seriously. Learn to look on the bright side and see the humor in situations.

Honor your commitments.
This is a key to a successful life. We live this life based on commitments we make toward one another. Those who honor those commitments are those who will be respected and trusted by others.

Mentor someone.
Always take the time to mentor someone. I know this firsthand because of the energy a few people put into my life, sometimes just letting me know that they believed in me. This goes a long way and makes the world a better place!

I am sure there are other aspects of a successful life, but these are the simple ones that you can begin to apply today. Remember, you can work and become a success, and I encourage you to do so, but don’t forget to live a successful life as well!

ANCHOR YOUR RELATIONSHIPS

I heard a speaker recently who was talking about how to maintain strong relationships. As I listened to his basic principle, I realized that it is true in all of our life situations, be it work, family etc. And let's face it, relationships are what make the world go 'round. So strong healthy relationships will make your work more enjoyable, and prosperous, and will make your family and friend relationships better as well. There is also the idea that some connections are stronger than others and so you want as many connections as possible and you want those connections to be as strong as they can be as well. Confused? Let's put some legs on this. We'll take a business situation and we'll take a family situation to illustrate the principle. Anchoring work relationships. Let's say you sell insurance. A guy walks in and says, "I would like to purchase some term life insurance." You have a simplex relationship. The connection is that you both want him to have insurance. As you get to know him better and get information from him, you realize that you have a multiplex relationship growing and the chance that your business relationship will grow is improving. "You grew up in Iowa? Me too!" "You like to golf? Me too!" "Your wife and you like to go to the opera? So do we! We should go together sometime." The multiple connections are anchoring your relationship. Anchoring a family relationship. Let's take a marriage in trouble. Chances are that at one time, the relationship was multiplex. Because of time, work, and other stresses, the marriage has deteriorated to the point where both are thinking, "What did I marry this person for?" Or "Why do I stay?" The chances are that now the relationship is simplex. Maybe it is that the one connection is that they want to do right by the kids and so they "Tough it out." What is the answer? I believe that it is regaining a multiplex relationship. Work hard to make those other anchoring connections. Did you used to play tennis together before the kids came along? Go play tennis together on a regular basis. Do you both have a common interest in a specific cause or charity, but time hasn't allowed you to pursue it? Take the time! It will anchor your relationship again! I think you get the point. Take some time to think about your current relationships. Are they as multiplex as they can be or as they used to be? Think about the new relationships you will make in the coming weeks or months. Think of ways you can make them strong by finding multiple connections, securing deeper and more fulfilling relationships. Make your relationships "multiplex" and you make them strong, with an anchor that will not let them go!

5 THINGS YOUR BUSINESS NEED TO DO - NOW.

It’s easy to get distracted at the end of the year. However, while it’s fine to be festive, you should ensure that in the weeks leading up to the Christmas break important business is taken care of, plans are put into place and opportunities aren’t overlooked. After that, eat, drink and be merry!
1. Take care of business
It’s tempting to start winding down business now. But it’s far better to be proactive so that in the New Year you’re ready for action. If clients owe you money, bill them now before accounting departments go on their break, otherwise it could be well into January or even February before you get paid. Likewise, try to wrap up anything outstanding from previous months, because you don’t want to start the New Year with reports and invoices from October. Find out about potential delays with suppliers or delivery during the holidays, and build these into your plans or let your customers know about it, so you don’t have a pile of complaints to deal with when you come back.
2. Keep staff motivated
This is a great time to make contact with potential clients. Keep your sales staff motivated by setting specific targets, perhaps kicking off an internal holiday campaign, with a prize awarded to the top seller. You should also step up your marketing efforts, so that when clients return from the break and are ready to update their technology or business processes, your company is at the top of their mind. Marketing staff should use the pre-Christmas period to prepare communications and plan promotional offers for the New Year.
3. Decide whether to stay open
Whether you need staff working during the break depends on your business. If you feel it would be better to stay open, calculate whether the amount of business you will get balances out with the cost of staying open, including the cost of paying for staff to work and the cost of air conditioning and running equipment. If you do decide to completely close during the Christmas break, or to open for reduced hours, let customers and employees know as early as possible.
4. How will you handle staffing?
If you need staff during the break, or require IT staff, decide on a way to do this fairly. Your company’s policy should ideally be in place early in the year and be reiterated so staff are familiar with procedures. For example, you can offer holiday requests on a first-come, first-served basis; those with travel plans will be more likely to put in their requests early. If you realise too late that you need staff to work, you can always do as the airlines do: ask for volunteers and reward them later with time off or a small bonus.
5. Lock up and shut down
Christmas is the hacker’s favourite time of year, and machines are more likely to be attacked during that time, so it pays to be extra vigilant about IT security. Make sure antivirus software is updated and running. Keep your networks secured and automatically monitoring for break-ins, with systems in place that can alert relevant staff via SMS in the case of an emergency: this way, IT staff don’t need to come in but can be reached on an on-call basis. Turn off all servers that aren’t needed and also unnecessary services such as your Wi-Fi, which is an easy way for hackers to gain access to your network. Ensure critical files are backed up offsite. Additionally, if your office won’t be staffed during the break, turn off all office equipment, lighting, heating and air conditioning to help reduce energy bills. Finally, make sure your premises are locked up, and enjoy your break!

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING

An excerpt from
Attitude is Everything
by Vicki Hitzges

Years ago, I was the public relations director for motivational guru, Zig Ziglar. At the time, he was arguably the best-known, most loved speaker in the world. When audience members heard Zig, they witnessed a man chockfull of energy, vitality and joy. Having worked closely with him and knowing him well, I can tell you that the Zig you saw on stage was the real Zig Ziglar. In fact, I can't remember ever seeing him when he was not happy and upbeat.

The Zig I knew was one carbonated guy.

Every time Zig answered his home phone, he picked up the receiver and said with gusto, "This is Jean Ziglar's happy husband!" And he meant it!

Awhile back one of Zig's closest friends and I were discussing Zig's aura of happiness. "Completely genuine," his friend said. "I have never seen him down." Then he added thoughtfully, but with love, "Hardly what you'd call normal."

"What's Zig's secret?" I asked.

"I think," he said, "it comes down to feeling grateful. Never met a guy more grateful than Zig. Period."

You'd think anyone that grateful must have had an easy life. But that's not so.

Zig started out poor. Dirt poor. His father died when he was six, leaving his mother to raise eleven children alone. The family was virtually penniless. Yet despite their poverty, Mrs. Ziglar instilled a strong work ethic in her children and raised them to believe that both she and God loved them. She also instructed her children to practice saying "please" and "thank you." Those lessons stuck. Her formula of work, love and faith made their difficult lives easier. Gratitude made their lives enjoyable.

Zig once told me, "When we neglect to require our children to say 'thank you' when someone gives them a gift or does something for them, we raise ungrateful children who are highly unlikely to be content. Without gratitude, happiness is rare. With gratitude, the odds for happiness go up dramatically."

Years ago, Zig created the popular phrase, "Have an attitude of gratitude." According to Zig, "The more you recognize and express gratitude for the things you have, the more things you will have to express gratitude for."

I know firsthand that giving thanks brings joy. Awhile back, I heard Oprah Winfrey urge viewers to keep a Gratitude Journal. It seemed pretty schmaltzy to me, so I didn't do it. But Oprah was a jackhammer. Day after day, week after week, she kept pounding on that idea. I'd catch her show here and there. Same thing: Keep a Gratitude Journal. A few months later, I was speaking to a government group and staying in a cruddy hotel. I was seated at the hotel's indoor restaurant by a swimming pool reeking with enough chlorine to purify the Love Canal. As I waited impatiently for my meal to arrive, I suddenly remembered Oprah's directive. What the heck? I had a pen and some scrap paper.

I listed my mother who spent time each day praying for me. I wrote down my father who deeply loves me. My kind, funny brother and his family. My job and the opportunity to travel and encourage people. Friends. Laughter. For the fact that I had a place to sleep that was safe. For a private bathroom. (You start listing - you begin to get thankful!) I quickly listed about 30 things and noticed that not only did I have a lot to be thankful for, but suddenly I was in a terrific mood!

Publisher Malcolm Margolin was grateful for something that's right outside our doors, but most of us have never taken the time to experience it. He wrote, "The next time it begins to rain... lie down on your belly, nestle your chin into the grass, and get a frog's-eye view of how raindrops fall... The sight of hundreds of blades of grass bowing down and popping back up like piano keys strikes me as one of the merriest sights in the world."

That might strike you as advice from a person with not nearly enough to do, but personally, I like it. If Margolin can feel joy in soggy clothes looking at wet grass, you and I can find all kinds of things for which we can give thanks!

Try it! Count your blessings. Jot them down. At least stop and think of as many things as you can that you're thankful for right now. It worked for Oprah, Zig, Margolin and me. Give it a shot. If you want to feel happy, try on an attitude of gratitude for a change in your mood, your outlook and you.