So you want to be successful in 2014? Brilliant. Go for it! Are you going to follow The Wolf of Wall Street or fancy yourself as the next dragon on Dragons Den?
I was recently asked by a reporter whether these programmes demonstrate how ruthless we need to be to get on in business. Certainly not. To achieve success we need to have a spiritual attitude and that doesn't mean being soft and fluffy.
Being successful comes best through the spiritual qualities of caring, patience, determination, endurance, understanding and helping others.
The other key is concentration. Concentration happens to have the same meaning as the Sanskrit word for the highest state of meditation - samadhi.
Before being successful, it helps to know how! That's easy to find out. Just go to a restaurant. If the staff are friendly and helpful, understand your needs, can answer your questions, remember your order, bring the correct order, serve you quickly, the food tastes good at a reasonable price and you feel valued and welcomed, then these principles are the basic ingredients for any great business. By applying these values to your business or career you are well on the way to fulfil your potential.
Here are THE TOP TEN TIPS:
1. BE ENTHUSIASTIC. Enthusiasm is contagious. It creates a positive stream of energy and attracts people who want to do business with you. Waking up with joy and a positive outlook for the day can only breed success. A great attitude brings greater success.
Banish the words "I cannot" and attack your "things to do list" with inspiration!
If you don't deliver what you promise even down to the basics of not phoning or emailing clients back, then these failings will manifest in other areas.
AND
If you haven't finished your website which you started twelve months ago then
GID - Get It Done.
Doing 80% of a task is not going to help you. Don't complain about the difficulties - Do something about it.
2. DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT, plan what you need to do, trust yourself and JUST DO IT!
Aspiration and ambition when channelled correctly are core ingredients to success. Having a goal is essential. The bigger the goal, the bigger the sacrifice. Be realistic. Set the plan: what you want, how you are going to achieve it and action it.
Be honest with yourself: Is your product really that good and are you as good as you think? If the results are not matching your aspirations then how can you become better? Ask your potential clients what you need to do to win their business. Thinking you know what your clients want is quite different to knowing what they want.
99% of success comes from the 1% of detail.
3. ENDURANCE, ENDURANCE, ENDURANCE, is needed especially when the going gets tough. Remember the goal. Be brave and don't be afraid to change course. Stay alert by eating healthily and keeping fit.
Success won't happen unless you are committed and really want to reach the goal. Keep going!
Once you find the magic formula stick to it. Constant fine-tuning will help maximise your profits.
4. BE SMART BY LIMITING ANY RISK. Understand the small print and cover all the angles. Take a profit without being greedy and always leave a profit for the next person. Cutting our losses early, however painful, is normally the cheapest and smartest course of action in the long run.
The word 'entrepreneur' derives comes from the French verb 'entreprendre' meaning 'to begin something'. 'Entre' means 'between' and 'prendre' means 'to take'. In short, the successful entrepreneur takes the real opportunity which others cannot see.
The smart entrepreneur also takes the least risk by hedging or offsetting his or her exposure. You need to know, understand and monitor the numbers and the real costs of your business constantly yourself. Waiting a month for an accountant to produce them is not good enough. If there's a problem to address, the earlier you know, the quicker it can be solved.
5. EVERYONE IS GOOD AT SOMETHING. Focus on your abilities and strengths. Remember that self-analysis is not self-criticism.
Excel at what you do best, but to be successful it's good to learn new skills. Be truthful to yourself and others about what you know and don't know.
6. HAVE ABSOLUTE FAITH. Your possibilities are another person's impossibilities. Be careful who you trust and show your gratitude to those who help you. Say thank you and reward others accordingly.
Absolute faith requires confidence which comes when you really know your stuff. To meet aspiring contemporaries can be helpful, but don't get caught up in the negativity of others who haven't succeeded. If you're busy and successful you won't have time. Use your day wisely, keep good company and put into practice what you learn immediately. If you seek constant external motivation then you are in the wrong job.
7. BE POSITIVE ABOUT YOUR SHORTCOMINGS and realise that mistakes are only made for correction; never make the same mistake twice; it's better to learn from the mistakes of others!
Success comes through change. Repeating the same mistakes brings the same results, pain and suffering. The journey becomes easier when we add good habits and reject the bad ones.
8. SACRIFICE AND COMMITMENT ARE VITAL TO SUCCESS. Being successful is neither easy nor difficult. Good preparation makes it easier. Bad preparation and half baked solutions bring aggravation. Discipline is your friend and not your enemy!
To start a business or become a business leader it is essential to "catch on quick", have self discipline, tenacity, a great work ethic and good decision making.
There are no shortcuts to achieve your goals. The Wolf of Wall Street is not the reality. Greed leads to arrogance which leads to poor judgement and often "the deal of a lifetime" where you lose everything. Instead, take small profits as you go along, stick to what you know, put money aside for your future and be grateful and look ahead.
9. MEDITATE FOR JUST 1% OF YOUR DAY. Why? Meditation gives a cutting edge and advantage in business and life. It brings greater concentration, calmness, clarity, confidence and creativity and tunes us into our intuition.
Stressed out, focussed and busy people make the best meditators because they feel the benefits quickly. If you want to know how a cynical, stressed out entrepreneur saw how meditation increased his business success then check out my book The Invisible Hand. Meditation was the best investment I ever made.
10. REAL SUCCESS IS CONTENTMENT. To be content is our TRUE NATURE.
Contemplate deeply what you really want in your life and your career. Money helps but will it bring contentment or restlessness? Rewards are not just financial.
Helping others and being helped are some of the most valuable gifts in the world and remember that "success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts". (Winston Churchill)
DON'T GIVE UP!
David Green was an entrepreneur who created a niche business in the financial markets competing against the major banks. Meditation and Kriya Yoga helped him to change his lifestyle and bring more business success. www.the-invisiblehand.com