Will Holiday Habits Set You Back for 2009? By Jack Canfield
December 6, 2008
Will Holiday Habits Set You Back for 2009?
By Jack Canfield
You are an accumulation of your habits. From how you get out of bed, how you shower, how you dress, how you shop for food and eat meals, how you exercise, how you walk, sit, and talk, how you respond to the world, how you act in front of others, and how you think; you are living out your habits.
Habits are necessary. Because they typically come naturally and automatically (“through habit”), they free up your mind so you can concentrate on how to survive day to day. You don’t have to think about how to drive your car so you can be on the lookout for danger while you are driving. You don’t have to think about how to walk so you can concentrate on where you’re going.
Unfortunately, habits can also keep you locked in self-destructive patterns, which will limit your success.
This is especially true during stressful periods, like holidays. And compounding the holiday season this year is the current economic downturn we’re all experiencing.
It’s probably going to last longer than a season, infringing upon people’s aspirations and optimism for 2009. People are facing job loss, foreclosures, higher bills, lower incomes…and yet those holiday expectations loom large.This is when it’s far too easy to let bad habits take over and multiply with every holiday symbol that you see.
What’s the secret to surviving this holiday season, bring in the new year feeling fantastic–physically and emotionally–and have more confidence in the future?
You will need to drop those bad habits and develop new ones that are in line with the life you want to live. This will help you to get through the holidays cheerfully and embrace 2009 with high hopes. People don’t suddenly appear in the life they want to live, habits determine their outcome!
So ask yourself, what are the habits you have that are keeping you from achieving your goals? Which ones seem to become magnified during the end of the year, setting you up for feeling behind and lousy come January 1st?
Really be honest with yourself. Are you always running late? Do you make promises you can’t keep? Do you get enough sleep? Do you make excuses for not eating well and scheduling exercise? Do you plan out your day?
Imagine what your life would be like if all those habits were their productive counterparts.
What would your life be like if you ate healthy meals, exercised and got enough sleep? What if you saved money, stopped using credit cards and paid cash for everything? What if you stopped procrastinating, overcame your fears, and began networking with people in your field? Would your life be different? I bet it would!
So, my suggested action step for you is to write down some productive habits you could adopt and visualize in your life. Step two is to “act as if” you were living these new habits right now!
I know, you thought you wouldn’t have to do this until New Year’s, but I’d like to help you get moving toward creating more successful habits today, so you’re already in motion when 2009 lands.
I’d recommend you plan on developing four of your new success habits each year, one for each quarter. That means right this instant you can map out which four you intend to adopt in 2009, and then create a method that will support your new habits.
Here are some ideas: You could write it down on a card that you keep with you and read several times a day. You could make it a part of your daily visualization. You could also enlist the help of an accountability partner who has habits to change.
It’s important to make a 100% commitment to each of your new habits, so be specific about the steps that you’re willing to take in order to drop an old habit and adopt a new one.
Don’t be vague about how you will change your habits. Spell it out for yourself so you can recognize situations that motivate you to act out your new habit.
Just developing four new habits a year will dramatically shift your life to be more in line with your vision. And the more in line it becomes, the easier the other habits are to replace because your perspective is shifting and you can see more clearly how your old habits aren’t serving you anymore.
Don’t let the economic forecast for the next several months impede your movement forward. Get ready for 2009 today. Focus on habits that will launch you forward, not back.
Make the decision. Make the commitment. Then watch your new, positive life unfold!
© 2008 Jack Canfield
Jack Canfield, America’s #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
It’s Your Response that Counts
October 26, 2008
It’s Your Response that Counts
by Jack Canfield
In these troubled economic times, when everywhere you look there’s a rumbling of great uncertainty, I think we should all take a pause (and a deep breath) to think about our lives.
Are we moving in the direction we want to be? When things happen in the world that seem so far beyond our individual control, it can feel unsettling. And even though we think we are the masters of our own success, watching the news these days can chip away at our belies.
Even in tough economic times, you get to decide how to respond to certain conditions, opportunities, and outcomes–both good and bad.
While I don’t claim to be an economist, I do know one important fact. The economy is the same for everyone, it’s how you respond to it that determines how you feel about it.
It’s yet another example of what I’ve been teaching for years. . .
E + R = O
(Events + Responses = Outcome)
The basic idea is that every outcome you experience in life (whether it’s success or failure, wealth or poverty, wellness or illness, intimacy or estrangement, joy or frustration) is the result of how you have responded to an earlier event (or events) in your life.
If you don’t like the outcomes you are currently experiencing, there are two basic choices you can make:
Choice #1: You can blame the event (E) for your lack of results (O).
In other words, you can blame the economy, the weather, the lack of money, lack of education, racism, gender bias, the current administration in Washington, your wife or husband, your boss’s attitude, the lack of support, and so on.
No doubt all these factors exist, but if they were the deciding factor, nobody would ever succeed.
For every reason it’s not possible, there are hundreds of people who have faced the same circumstances and have succeeded.
It’s not the external conditions and circumstances that stop us — it’s us!
We think limiting thoughts and engage in self-defeating behaviors. We defend our self-destructive habits (such as drinking and smoking) with indefensible logic.
We ignore useful feedback, fail to continuously educate ourselves and learn new skills, waste time on the trivial aspects of our lives, engage in idle gossip, eat unhealthy food, fail to exercise, spend more than we make, fail to tell the truth, don’t ask for what we want, and then wonder why our lives aren’t working.
Choice #2: You can instead simply change your responses (R) to the events (E) until you get the outcomes (O) you want.
You can change your thinking, change your communication, change the pictures you hold in your head (your images of the world) and you can change your behavior (the things you do.) That’s all you really have any control over anyway.
Unfortunately, most of us are so engrained our habits that we never change our behavior.
We get stuck in our conditioned responses-to our spouses and children, to our colleagues at work, to our customers and our clients, to our students, and to the world at large.
You have to gain control of your thoughts, your images, your dreams and daydreams, and your behavior.
Everything you think, say, and do needs to become intentional and aligned with your purpose, your values, and your goals.
If you don’t like your outcomes, change your responses!
Here’s an example of how this works…
Do you remember the Northridge earthquake in 1994? I do! I lived through it in Los Angeles.
Two days later I watched as CNN interviewed people commuting to work. The earthquake had damaged one of the main freeways leading into the city. Traffic was at a standstill, and what was normally a 1-hour drive had become a 2-3 hour drive.
The CNN reporter knocked on the window of one of the cars stuck in traffic and asked the driver how he was doing.
He responded, angrily, “I hate California. First there were fires, then floods, and now an earthquake! No matter what time I leave in the morning, I’m late for work. I can’t believe it!”
Then the Reporter knocked on the window of the car behind him and asked the driver the same question. This driver was all smiles.
He replied “It’s no problem. I left my house at five am. I don’t think under the circumstances my boss can ask for more than that. I have lots of music and Spanish-language tapes with me. I’ve got my cell phone. Coffee in a thermos, my lunch-I even have a book to read. I’m fine.”
Now, if the earthquake or the traffic were really the deciding variables, then everyone should have been angry. But everyone wasn’t.
It was their individual response to the traffic that gave them their particular outcome. It was thinking negative thoughts or positive thoughts, leaving the house prepared or leaving the house unprepared that made the difference. It was all a matter of attitude and behavior that created their completely different experiences.
If we all experience the same EVENT, the OUTCOME you get will be totally dependent upon your RESPONSE to the situation.
If you want to take control of how you respond to life, you’ll start noticing that your outcomes will be more along the lines of what you have always hoped.
Remember, you control your destiny so make it a fantastic one!
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete statement with it: Jack Canfield, America’s #1 Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: http://www.jackcanfield.com/
Belief Busters
September 3, 2008
In the introduction to his groundbreaking best seller, The Inner Game® of Tennis, friend and author Tim Gallwey wrote:
“Every game is composed of two parts, an outer game and an Inner Game®.
The outer game is played against an external opponent to overcome
external obstacles and to reach an external goal. Mastering this game
is the subject of many books offering instructions on how to swing a
racket, club or bat, and how to position arms, legs or torso to achieve
the best results. But for some reason, most of us find these
instructions easier to remember than to execute.”
Mr.
Gallwey goes on to explain that real success in the playing of any game
must include attention to the skills of the Inner Game®… …the game that takes place in the mind of the player.
He
points to such internal obstacles as lack of concentration, nervousness
and self-doubt as “habits of mind” that must be overcome before
excellence in performance and producing winning results will be
accomplished. He writes further:
“The player of
the Inner Game® comes to value the art of relaxed concentration above
all other skills; he discovers a true basis for self-confidence; and he
learns that the secret of winning any game lies in not trying too hard.
He aims at the kind of spontaneous performance, which occurs only when
the mind is calm and seems at one with the body, which finds its own
surprising ways to surpass its own limits again and again. Moreover,
while overcoming the common hang-ups of competition, the player of the
Inner Game® uncovers a will to win which unlocks all his energy and
which is never discouraged by losing.”
Honestly,
doesn’t that sound wonderful? Wouldn’t you enjoy being calm, at one
with your body, surpassing your limits again and again, and in the
process uncovering a will to win that’s never discouraged by losing?
Seems
like great (and perhaps even profitable) fun to me. And what if you
could do that in the game of life-what would that look like to you?
What would that mean for you?
Life is a game…. just like any and every other game you’ve ever played.
There’s
a field of play, there are rules, gear and goals and required skills…
all of which you need in order to play. And when you arrive at a
certain level of competence and confidence where you consistently play
the game well, you will win and you can keep on winning.
The
skills and attitudes you need to succeed and be a winner in any game
are the very same ones you need to succeed in life itself.
You
can learn what you need to know about “how” to do most things
competently with a little effort done consistently over time. Let’s say
you wanted to learn a foreign language: Practicing one hour a day every
day, how long do you think it would be before you’d be able to speak
the language quite well-I’m not saying like a native, but well enough
to get along in interesting and engaging conversations confidently and
comfortably?
Or how about playing a musical instrument:
Practicing one hour a day every day, how long do you think it would be
before you’d be able to play quite well-again I’m not saying playing
the guitar as a virtuoso like Eric Clapton or the piano with the
mastery of Vladimir Horowitz, but well enough to perform a number of
pretty complex pieces confidently and comfortably?a
I’ve asked
these questions to audiences all around the world and the answers are
always the same. In each case people say it would take about two
years… at most.
So, if you can become competent and
confident and most Outer Games in about two years… what’s the
problem? Why don’t more of us succeed more of the time?
The
problem is that even if you have a handle on all the proven knowledge,
resources, skills and even the most closely guarded secrets… that
alone won’t make you a winner. You’ve got to become competent and
confident playing the Inner Game® first.
The Inner Game® is the
one played in your mind. The one where you compete with yourself, where
you are challenged or empowered by your old paradigms-your past
programming; the thinking that either limits or liberates you; those
beliefs that stop you or inspire you.
The Inner Game® is the game that must be mastered before you can succeed on purpose, consistently, for the rest of your life.
The Inner Game® is simply, The Greatest Game in the World!
… and WINNING the Inner Game® is what life is all about.
Thanks. I appreciate you!
John Milton Fogg
is an internationally recognized writer, editor, speaker and coach. He
authored the million-selling classic, The Greatest Networker in the
World. His most recent project is BeliefBusters and his vision is to
have over 30-million people change their lives for the better forever
by shifting their unwanted, self-sabotaging beliefs to empowering
beliefs that assure their success fast, in a proven way that lasts. To
sign up for our free weekly BeliefBusters Report and learn more about
this life-changing 3-month course to Build Self-Esteem… Stop Negative
Thinking… and Be Healthy, Wealthy and Happy please visit: http://BeliefBusters.com
Acknowledge and Appreciate Yourself
August 29, 2008
Pop Quiz: When was the last time you acknowledged and appreciated yourself?
That’s right: YOU. Not your spouse, not your children, or not your boss, co-workers or friends. Just YOU!
Seriously, think about it.
And if it’s been so long since you last pat yourself on the back, then I want you to take the time right now to acknowledge and appreciate yourself for everything you’ve accomplished today, throughout the year, and in life. Ask yourself: How many times have you succeeded in the past month? The past year? The past 10 years? Are you able to recall your successes as easily as your failures and missteps?
This is not a selfish and egotistical act in the least. By taking the time to stop and appreciate who you are and what you’ve achieved–and perhaps learned through a few mistakes, stumbles and losses–you actually can enhance everything about you. Self-acknowledgment and -appreciation are what give you the insights and awareness to move forward toward higher goals and accomplishments.
In working with top leaders and thought philosophers of our time, I will tell you that among their secrets of success is a regular practice of acknowledging and appreciating what they have. It can offer an oracle into the future because it not only tells you where you are but it also helps clarify where you want to go in life. Whatever that might be. The road then becomes easier to navigate–easier to see from the distance and walk confidently step by step.
Don’t forget to think about big and little accomplishments. Many people under-appreciate the minor things they do successfully every day . And yet they can recall in detail all the times they have failed or made mistakes. That’s because the brain remembers events more easily when they are accompanied by strong emotions.
For example, you might vividly recall a graduation, losing 10 pounds, having a child, winning an award, or landing a highly sought after position. But see if you can identify just as many minor, more subtle successes, such as your intimate conversation with your spouse last night, the re-connection you established with an estranged friend last month, the quality time you were able to spend with your children today, how you checked off all your list of To Dos for the weekend, how you learned a new task at work, or got your kid to school on time.
These may seem like minor acts in the grand scheme of life, but they are what make us feel whole, happy, and accomplished along the journey toward those larger, and much more deeply satisfying moments.
Acknowledging your mistakes also has it pluses, but we often don’t have trouble recalling or mulling over those. The point is, if you don’t acknowledge your successes the same way you acknowledge your mistakes, you’re sure to have a memory full of blunders. And a mind stuffed with negative chatter about the gaffes of life won’t fuel your energy, nor your confidence, creativity, and motivation to keep going.
Consider this, too: if you only remember the mistakes and failures, you won’t be as ready to take risks that will lead to your successes. Build your self-esteem by recalling all the ways you have succeeded and your brain will be filled with images of you making your achievements happen again and again.
Give yourself permission to toot your own horn and don’t wait for anyone to praise you. Here are two suggestions:
1.)Record Your Personal History. Take time to write your achievements down. Start when you were very young and think of all your achievements since then. Don’t just pick the major milestones; write down all the things you take for granted. For example, if you list your college degree, write your appreciation for having the opportunity to go to college and forge friendships that will last a lifetime.
You can also create a log of success every day and review it when you are faced with a new challenge. By writing it all down daily, you’re securing it in your long-term memory and it will become a part of what makes you tick. It can even become a source of positive reminders and affirmations for when you’re feeling down, as well as a personal record of you that becomes your legacy.
2.) Celebrate Yourself with Mementos. Surround yourself with reminders of your successes. Put up pictures, articles, trophies, awards and other pieces that bring your attention to your success. Make your environment speak to you about your achievements. Be proud of them!
By the way, showing appreciation for yourself and accomplishments has many rewards that go far beyond boosting your own self-confidence.
Appreciating yourself is creates a cascading affect–your heightened confidence will spill over into other aspects of your life. Watch what happens when you gain that special trust in yourself. You’ll attract opportunities, experience more fulfilling relationships, and have no trouble reaching loftier goals.
Remember, people like to be around those who have a healthy self-esteem and who are achieving their goals. Commit to acknowledging your achievements and your brain will begin to tell you the truth: that you can do anything!
Jack Canfield, America’s #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
Where are Your Habits Leading You?
August 1, 2008
Where are Your Habits Leading You?
by Jack Canfield
You are an accumulation of your habits. From how you get out of bed, how you shower, how you dress, how you walk, sit, and talk, how you respond to the world, how you act in front of others, and how you think; you’re living out your habits.
Habits are necessary. They free up your mind so you can concentrate on how to survive day to day. You don’t have to think about how to drive your car so you can be on the lookout for danger while you are driving. You don’t have to think about how to walk so you can concentrate on where you’re going.
Unfortunately, habits can also keep you locked in self-destructive patterns, which will limit your success. To become successful, you will need to drop bad habits and develop new ones that are in line with the life you want to live.
People don’t suddenly appear in the life they want to live… their habits determine their outcome!
What are the habits you have that are keeping you from achieving your goals?
Really be honest with yourself here… Are you always running late? Do you return phone calls within 24 hours? Do you get enough sleep? Do you follow through on your promises? Do you plan out your day?
Imagine what your life would be like if all your habits were their productive counterparts!
What would your life be like if you ate healthy meals, exercised and got enough sleep? What if you saved your money, stopped using credit cards and paid cash for everything? What if you stopped procrastinating, overcame your fears, and began networking with people in your field? Would your life be different? I bet it would!
So, my suggested action step for you is to write down some productive habits you could adopt and visualize in your life, step two is to ‘act as if’ you were living these new habits right now!
I’d like to help you get moving toward creating more successful habits, so I’d recommend you develop four of your new success habits each year, one for each quarter.
Once you pick the new habit you’re ready to adopt, next you’ll want to create a method that will support your new habit.
Here are some ideas… You could write it down on a card that you keep with you and read several times a day. You could make it a part of your daily visualization. You could also enlist the help of an accountability partner who has habits to change, or work with a personal coach who can keep you on track.
It’s important to make a 100% commitment to your new habit, so be specific about the steps that you’re willing to take in order to drop an old habit and adopt a new one. Don’t be vague about how you will change your habits. Spell it out for yourself so you can recognize situations that motivate you to act out your new habit.
Just developing four new habits a year will dramatically shift your life to be more in line with your vision. And the more in line it becomes, the easier the other habits are to replace because your perspective is shifting and you can see more clearly how your old habits aren’t serving you anymore.
Make the decision. Make the commitment. Then watch your new, positive life unfold!
I’ll see you in another two weeks in the next edition of Success Strategies. In the meantime, take the time to implement just one of the strategies discussed in today’s issue.
© 2008 Jack Canfield
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete statement with it: Jack Canfield, America’s #1 Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: http://www.jackcanfield.com/
How Personal Development Affects an Entrepreneur’s Business
June 7, 2008
An entrepreneur has two factors to face when running a business: Internal and external. The external factor involves the environment, the market, and other components outside the entrepreneur and the business.
The external factors are parts of a business that you have virtually no control over. These factors present the greatest risk to a business considering the fact that you cannot do anything but adapt to them.
External factors include both opportunities and threats. Opportunities are those external factors that can cause your company to prosper, provided you are able to respond to them correctly. Threats are those which can cause your downfall if you do not learn how to adapt. Sometimes, entrepreneurs even experience opportunities turning into threats and vice versa. Of course, a situation either becomes an opportunity or threat based on his or her perception.
Now we come to the internal factor of business. The internal factors include the strengths and weaknesses of the entrepreneur and his or her venture. An entrepreneur’s personal development affects business because of the plain and simple fact that it is a part of the internal factor.
An entrepreneur’s personal development touches business more often than people may think. You see, although more and more people say that separating your personal life from business is very crucial, it is just too hard, if not impossible.
An entrepreneur’s personal development affects business because this determines how well an entrepreneur can respond to the external factors. You see, personal development has a great impact on how you take the problems that face you in business.
Many people think that if you develop yourself professionally, then you can let go of your personal life when you are at work. Unless you have multiple personality disorder, however, you cannot just forget about your personal life once you are handling your business. An entrepreneur’s personal development affects business because the way an entrepreneur adapts to the external factors is determined by his or her personality.
You may gain the know-how and the facts from school, but character development is only taught by life. So how do entrepreneurs gain personal development?
Well, to tell you the truth, most entrepreneurs get it from their childhood. You see, there’s nothing like real life experiences to develop your character. When you have faced different problems and overcome the toughest challenges of life, business can actually be a breeze.
Some entrepreneurs develop their characters through years on the job. This is the reason why experienced entrepreneurs are more likely to succeed than new ones. Years on the business can help you cope with the different external factors that you face. Some entrepreneurs can even claim to have desensitized themselves to the different problems that one can face on a business.
However, it is said that the true character of a person is not measured by how long he resists falling, but by how often he keeps getting up. You see, the best kind of entrepreneurial character development for business is how to take your hit and not be defeated.
As an entrepreneur, you will be facing defeats in your life. Bruises will form over your business reputation. Competition will leave you wanting to quit. Despite all these, you need to stand up and be victorious. Even through different trials, you must stand. Financially speaking, you need to lay it all on the line for your dream. Given time, you will realize that all the risks you took were worth the success. Hold on to your dream whenever anything threatens to break you apart. In times of trouble, let the development of your character show.
Juggling personal life and business can be hard for the entrepreneur. Balance is essential to every entrepreneur. Despite the fact that new business ventures need a constant eye, you must learn how to take care of your personal life as well. Learn how to prioritize important things. Here is a lesson: handling life and work is like juggling glass balls. You are afraid to drop one, but trying to keep them all in the air can wear you out. However, you have to realize that some of those balls are actually made of rubber and will bounce back even if you drop them.
Here’s to the Crazy Ones!
June 5, 2008
Here’s to the Crazy Ones!
The misfits.
The rebels.
The troublemakers.
The round heads in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules.
And they have no respect for the status quo.
You can praise them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.
But the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.
Because they change things.
They push the human race forward.
And while some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.
By Jack Kerouac from his book: On The Road
What Truly is an Entrepreneur?
June 5, 2008
Entrepreneurs
What Truly is an Entrepreneur?
A word that has been associated in many fields and is defined and had been defined in variety of people in many ways.
The word itself was of French origin which evolved into meanings that pertain to people who take the risks, founders of businesses and or someone who is accountable in case of failure or success in a business venture.
Being a person who founded a new enterprise, it is also understood that entrepreneurs take the largest part when it comes to risks inherent to businesses. After all, they are normally the owners of the company or the business unit.
The common perception with entrepreneurs is that they are the establishers of new entities that aim to offer innovative or existing services or products in the market. The talk of profit or non-profit issues also vary, depending on the type of business management being referred to.
They are of course, one of the main components of the capitalistic world. They take the largest loses or gains since they are the manipulators of the funds. Central to this is the belief of opportunities in a specific area that require the filling of the demands. They are like the providers for the needs and thus, they take the gain in exchange for the provision. They are basically service- or product-oriented who device means to create the fillers for the two said demands. The main focus of their acts is towards the gain of profit.
There are many types of typical entrepreneurs. And because of this evolution from the simple merchants to the more sophisticated corporate people, entrepreneurship has also matured in ways unimaginable when men first thought of selling their own produce.
The risk bearers
Risks are incalculable and rather undefined. They come as problems arise and they develop as more problems sprout. There are no specific ways by which risks come out. They just do and they seem to be the eternal parts of any business ventures. Entrepreneurs are not only risk bearers, they also take all the disadvantages of uncertainties.
While both may appeal the same, it is an undeniable fact that they may offer different horizons for individual business people.
Risks can be subjected to insurance principles. Meaning, there are methods by which their intensity or frequency can be measured. Thus, we can provide options in decreasing one’s susceptibility over risks. However, uncertainties may be considered to be more on the subjective side. Since they can’t be calculated and their very nature can’t be estimated. These two combined, it is easier to assume that entrepreneurs can be characterized both as decision-makers and improvisers. They provide solutions to immediate and long-term demands, which are unachievable, even when business routines are carefully studied.
Entrepreneurs certainly are great risk takers. Without this element of uncertainty, no business could have evolved in ways that lead to the growth of certain industries. There surely are things that must be met with responses that are either detrimental to a business unit or would create changes for its betterment.
The organizers
Entrepreneurs are typically the founders. It is only proper that they are equipped with facilities that make leaders lead. Founders are the leaders of the pack, they are the builders. They too are planners and the organizers of schemes for giving birth and growth to a business organization.
They are the planners for maximizing the resources. They combine specific factors like land resources, the capital from a partner, the labor of his employees or the resources that came from him to create products that would meet certain demands.
They will then create organizational tactics to come out with the earnings of his profit after everything is settled.
Being the organizer, it is understood that he or she also is the leader. Organizers always have the authority to set things in their proper places.
But being a leader is a matter of having a good combination of values and abilities that will support the group. However, leadership is not at the core of entrepreneurship.
It is the will. The will to start with uncertainty and keep believing that it would in the end, turn out as you envision them to.
Entrepreneurial Traits
June 3, 2008
Essential Traits of the Entrepreneur:
It is not true that successful entrepreneurs are born that way; in fact, anyone can be a successful entrepreneur. However, there are some specific entrepreneurial traits a person must have to be successful in the field of business. Of course, entrepreneurship is not for everyone. But with these particular character traits, you can see if you really have what it takes to succeed in the highly-competitive, world of business. What are these essential entrepreneurial traits that anyone who is interested in starting a business must possess?
1. Independence – This is the most common denominator of all entrepreneurs. They want to seize control of their future; thus they decide to become their own boss instead of laboring under the gaze of a master. An entrepreneur has a strong sense of independence and will march forward with a purpose and that is to earn money through his own means and hard work.
2. Persistence and Determination – The world of entrepreneurship is fraught with both success and failure. An important quality of a successful entrepreneur is the doggedness to continue pursuing his goal despite some setbacks and obstacles that he may encounter on the road. This persistence and determination is fueled by a burning desire to achieve his goal of succeeding in his chosen field of business.
3. Self-Confidence – Along with independence, an entrepreneur possess self-confidence. They believe in their capabilities and makes sure that they will put in their best effort into their particular endeavors and likewise expect the best results from it. The business world is very competitive and is not a place for the half-hearted. Belief in one’s capabilities is very important in achieving any goal – especially in the world of entrepreneurship.
4. Creativity – In the business world, you can not afford to be complacent and un-creative unless you want the competition to move up on ahead of you. Thus, you really have to be very creative – you should be able to create new ideas as well as find new ways to solve problems. By this way, you can make sure that you stay ahead of the competition. Creative people are naturally curious, inquisitive, bright and highly flexible when thinking. They keenly observe their environment and have an eye for spotting new trends that could potentially be a business opportunity.
5. Organized and goal-oriented – An entrepreneur knows the value of organization in a business endeavor. All efforts must be focused towards achieving the goal. A good entrepreneur systematizes every move he/she makes so that less time and other resources are consumed in achieving the goal, yet the goal is the best expected result, nonetheless. A good entrepreneur has the ability to consolidate his resources.
6. Visionary – An entrepreneur has a vision for his future. He/She is guided by this vision in everything he/she in his business endeavor. This vision may be for short, middle or long term, but all visions are to ultimately succeed in expanding one’s business.
7. Risk-taking and Tolerance for Failure – A good entrepreneur realizes that loss and failure are inherent in any business endeavor. Thus, an entrepreneur must always be ready to make calculated risks and face whatever consequences those risks might have. Entrepreneurs must have the courage to face failure and start again despite these setbacks. As in all fields of endeavor, the characteristic of a successful entrepreneur is in never giving up and in picking up the pieces and continuing the journey even if failure momentarily obstructs the way.
8. Perseverance and Hard Work – These are perhaps two of the most important entrepreneurial traits. In the world of business, there can be no real success without perseverance and hard work.
9. Commitment – An entrepreneur will not achieve success if he/she gives up at the first sign of trouble. Commitment to his business and to its success springs from the urge to achieve the goal.
10. Honesty and Honor – Another very important mark of a good entrepreneur is his being honest and honorable in all his business dealings and interpersonal relationships – whether it is between business partners, employees, peers and investors.
So, do you think you have what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur? Make sure you have the above mentioned entrepreneurial traits and qualities and we assure you, you definitely have what it takes to succeed in the world of business.






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