Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Monday, November 11, 2013
Be Bold: Failing Successfully!
by Jeff Shore
Failure is inevitable. We all know that. We learn this fact of life at very young ages and we develop a response to failure that often follows us into adulthood. Most of us learn to adjust our behavior in order to not experience failure, or at least, not the kind of failure that is very obvious or painful.
We attempt ➜ We Fail ➜ We never try again. The End.
On some level, we all know that the above pattern is a natural but entirely juvenile progression. As we develop and grow, we learn to push back on our knee-jerk, immature response to failure. We have countless sayings to describe this:
"No pain, no gain."
"It has to get worse before it gets better."
"What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger."
"If you want the rainbow, you have to put up with the rain."
And yet.
If we are brutally honest with ourselves, the degree to which we have internalized this reality is not extreme. We set the bar low. We excuse our choices with equally famous phrases like “I’m only human” and “I can only do so much.” Or, we camouflage our choices to not try (risking failure) as choosing balance or contentment...in “being so Zen.” Humans may be at their most creative when they are trying to justify their own mediocrity.
How often do we unthinkingly change our behavior in order to not experience failure? Put another way, how much and how often do we not try just so we don’t fail? If you’re reading this, you have to be breathing and if you are breathing, you are alive and if you are alive, the answer to that question is: MUCH more often than you realize! As evolved as any one of us may be, the magnet-like pull to avoid failure is immeasurably strong and somehow, every day, we give in to it.
If you imagine a typical day in your head, starting at the beginning, it won’t take you long to come to the first occurrence of something you do mainly to avoid failure. Take a moment to imagine the best that could happen in that scenario and then choose to start there, adjusting your actions based on possible success instead of the fear of failure. And know this: it may not “work.” Failure leads to failure leads to failure...until it doesn’t! Success ONLY comes after failure and usually that looks like this:
Failure ➜ Failure ➜ Failure ➜ Failure ➜ Failure ➜ Success!
Mediocrity requires no change. Success demands it. The path to growth is a direct route to your own failure...and your own success. You are not a child, you can do this. Be bold: fail successfully!
About the Author:
Jeff Shore is a highly sought-after sales expert, speaker, author and executive coach whose innovative BE BOLD methodology teaches you how to change your mindset and change your world. His latest book, Be Bold and Win the Sale: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone and Boost Your Performance, is forthcoming from McGraw-Hill in January 2014. Learn more at jeffshore.com and follow Jeff on Twitter.
Failure is inevitable. We all know that. We learn this fact of life at very young ages and we develop a response to failure that often follows us into adulthood. Most of us learn to adjust our behavior in order to not experience failure, or at least, not the kind of failure that is very obvious or painful.
We attempt ➜ We Fail ➜ We never try again. The End.
On some level, we all know that the above pattern is a natural but entirely juvenile progression. As we develop and grow, we learn to push back on our knee-jerk, immature response to failure. We have countless sayings to describe this:
"No pain, no gain."
"It has to get worse before it gets better."
"What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger."
"If you want the rainbow, you have to put up with the rain."
And yet.
If we are brutally honest with ourselves, the degree to which we have internalized this reality is not extreme. We set the bar low. We excuse our choices with equally famous phrases like “I’m only human” and “I can only do so much.” Or, we camouflage our choices to not try (risking failure) as choosing balance or contentment...in “being so Zen.” Humans may be at their most creative when they are trying to justify their own mediocrity.
How often do we unthinkingly change our behavior in order to not experience failure? Put another way, how much and how often do we not try just so we don’t fail? If you’re reading this, you have to be breathing and if you are breathing, you are alive and if you are alive, the answer to that question is: MUCH more often than you realize! As evolved as any one of us may be, the magnet-like pull to avoid failure is immeasurably strong and somehow, every day, we give in to it.
If you imagine a typical day in your head, starting at the beginning, it won’t take you long to come to the first occurrence of something you do mainly to avoid failure. Take a moment to imagine the best that could happen in that scenario and then choose to start there, adjusting your actions based on possible success instead of the fear of failure. And know this: it may not “work.” Failure leads to failure leads to failure...until it doesn’t! Success ONLY comes after failure and usually that looks like this:
Failure ➜ Failure ➜ Failure ➜ Failure ➜ Failure ➜ Success!
Mediocrity requires no change. Success demands it. The path to growth is a direct route to your own failure...and your own success. You are not a child, you can do this. Be bold: fail successfully!
About the Author:
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Quit Taking It Personally
Follow this Q-Tip Philosophy. I'll be discussing this idea in greater depth on Breakthrough Business Strategies Radio with Michele Price, Monday, October 28th at Noon Eastern.
Please join us as I will be talking about the foundations of getting over this insidious habit that has the power to delay and destroy success!
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
New and Improved Way to Create the Future You Want
A friend of ours, author Noah St. John, has just released his new book from Hay House, The Book of Afformations: Discovering The Missing Piece to Abundant Health, Wealth, Love, and Happiness and it’s an amazing read. (We've personally used Noah's method and it works.)
3) Michael from Germany was a chronic procrastinator. He and his wife Silvia had decided to get a divorce. In fact, the divorce papers were on the desk waiting to be signed. At the last moment, Michael decided to share Noah’s teaching of Afformations with Silvia. Something switched. They decided not to get a divorce, are best friends again, and share their list of Afformations with each other every day.
Noah tells the story of how he invented Afformations one morning in 1997. He was in the shower when he asked himself a question that changed his life: Why are we trying to change our lives saying statements we don’t believe when the human mind responds automatically to something even more powerful? Here are just a few of the remarkable, real-life stories from people around the world who have used Noah’s Afformations Method to change their lives…
1) Sam and Shirley from Phoenix had been trying to sell their home for over a month with no luck. After a friend told them about Afformations, they started afforming that their house would be sold at the right price. Less than 24 hours later, a couple made an offer on their home, and Sam and Shirley got the price they were looking for.
2) Chris, a finance expert from Canada, had never been able to raise large amounts of money. After using Afformations and listening to Noah St. John’s iAfform Audios for less than 3 weeks, Chris closed his first million dollar client.
3) Michael from Germany was a chronic procrastinator. He and his wife Silvia had decided to get a divorce. In fact, the divorce papers were on the desk waiting to be signed. At the last moment, Michael decided to share Noah’s teaching of Afformations with Silvia. Something switched. They decided not to get a divorce, are best friends again, and share their list of Afformations with each other every day.
4) Amy was having constant chest pains and panic attacks due to crushing debt and mounting financial pressure. Every day, she considered suicide just to be free from the pain. A friend told her about Noah’s Afformations System, and Amy read it. That very night, she slept well for the first time in nearly a year. The feelings of panic, anxiety, and overwhelm left her, and she never considered suicide again.
5) Michael was very dissatisfied with his job. He often wondered why he bothered to come into work at all. Then he heard about Afformations and started using them. A few weeks later, Michael approached his company’s CEO with a proposal for a new position. The proposal was accepted and Michael created his own dream job at more than twice his original salary.
6) Jody was a talented singer/songwriter who was facing enormous medical bills as a result of a long illness. She was working long hours in a dental office to pay the bills. She became so exhausted, she didn’t have the time or energy to express her true gifts. Jody attended Noah’s seminar and heard him teach about Afformations. It was one of the biggest Aha! moments of her life. She started using Afformations and is now an award-winning, full-time musician.
These are all great stories but the better question is... what story amazing will you create using Afformations?
Don't wait. Watch this trailer now http://afformationsbook.com
Friday, October 11, 2013
Women's Secrets to Failing Greatly
A Go for No! Woman has a lot to balance. Here are her keys for success with NO!
She...
Gives herself the opportunity to pursue her goals and dreams.
Owns her failures knowing that failures are part of her journey to success.
Focuses on being assertive and stops worrying about being perceived as pushy.
Obtains and increases her 'no's' ultimately increasing her yeses and building her business.
Remembers that she is on a mission and uses that as fuel to 'go for no.'
Neutralizes her emotional reaction not allowing it to define her or ruin her day.
Opens her mind, always learning, knowing that her growth is key to her achievement.
Works through fear, doing things that are outside her comfort zone.
Overcomes inertia and takes action when she sees opportunity.
Manages her time so that she can 'go for no' and also take personal time for herself.
Allows herself to be who she is without internal criticism of who she thinks she should be.
Notices (even if it takes a while) that she is - as it turns out - a pretty awesome woman who deserves all life has to offer and that she has the power to make those things happen!
She...
Gives herself the opportunity to pursue her goals and dreams.
Owns her failures knowing that failures are part of her journey to success.
Focuses on being assertive and stops worrying about being perceived as pushy.
Obtains and increases her 'no's' ultimately increasing her yeses and building her business.
Remembers that she is on a mission and uses that as fuel to 'go for no.'
Neutralizes her emotional reaction not allowing it to define her or ruin her day.
Opens her mind, always learning, knowing that her growth is key to her achievement.
Works through fear, doing things that are outside her comfort zone.
Overcomes inertia and takes action when she sees opportunity.
Manages her time so that she can 'go for no' and also take personal time for herself.
Allows herself to be who she is without internal criticism of who she thinks she should be.
Notices (even if it takes a while) that she is - as it turns out - a pretty awesome woman who deserves all life has to offer and that she has the power to make those things happen!
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Embracing Rejection Increases Your Opportunities!
Monday, September 23, 2013
Challenge Yourself to Get NO!
It's time for another Go for No! 30 Day Challenge!
There are plenty of 'success' challenges. Finally here is one where you are going to fail more and celebrate it when you do! How's that for a re-frame? The goal is to reduce your stress, increase the fun, and get better results in the end.
Sign up for the free webinar, October 1st, with me, Andrea Waltz, co-author of Go for No!
http://bit.ly/19XlZvi
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
