It’s already well into the second month of 2015.
2015 is flying by fast!
Now what?
Ask yourself this question: What do you want out of this year?
Yes, from a personal viewpoint. But more importantly, from a business perspective.
No matter what you may list as your answers I am certain you want:
1) Your company to be profitable so you can make more money
2) To be successful at what you do
3) To stand out from everyone else in order to achieve the other two.
Have you ever noticed how most people, including CEOs, presidents and business owners, often just follow the herd?
They do what other people do. If it’s the latest mobile phone, they have to have it. If it’s the latest fashion, they have to have it. If a movie is receiving a lot of buzz, they have to see it. People want to follow what everyone else is doing. Yet to attain your business goals means standing out from the herd.
On your LinkedIn profile, you may follow successful business people that are considered influencers. Some of these people would be considered geniuses at what they do and have achieved such as Richard Branson, Jeff Weiner, Tony Hsieh, Bill Gates, to name a few.
Whether it’s an influencer you follow on LinkedIn or someone in your neighborhood that you know has reached the heights of success, what you’re going to find is that they don’t follow what is referred to as “conventional wisdom”. They don’t follow the herd. They’re business rebels with a vision to make the world a better place. In order to do that, they have to do it their way.
Success means having a positive mental attitude. Right? That’s what we often hear – in order to achieve your goals you have to have a positive mental attitude.
But is a positive mental attitude always what’s best for business success?
Napoleon Hill’s classic book, Think and Grow Rich, or anything by Dale Carnegie, for example, have continued to be business resources for decades. What they write about is absolutely correct. You do have to have a positive mental attitude. BUT you also have to have the other side of it.
Here’s why…
If you only have a positive mental attitude and you only see everything as just great chances are you’re not going to be as successful as you would like in business. You need to look at the other side of whatever it may be. You need to take the negative and take a more positive approach with it.
When you go to work each morning, take a moment to pause before you reach the door.
Ask yourself:
- How do I feel about being here today?
- What’s on the agenda today?
- What’s working well?
- What’s not working not so well?
- What do I need to update or change?
- What do I need to pay attention to?
If you’re not paying attention to the negative, as well as the positive, you won’t be as successful as you would like.
Remember: It’s the negative that will jump right up and bite you.
When it does bite, it’s guaranteed to hurt!
Business success is about how you think about your work, your company and what goes on around you every day.
Business is about so many things you need to pay attention to every day – and that’s really the secret, isn’t it? Paying attention to what’s going on; paying attention to what’s not working. Paying attention to what’s going on inside of yourself – because business is about you and the people you interact with or influence.
So you may think you’re superhuman. Put in long hours at work. Dedicate yourself to what you do. But it’s difficult to always be aware of yourself.
It may sound negative but have you slipped up a bit in some way?
How much rest do you get?
What are you eating or drinking throughout the day?
Who do you allow to influence you?
You need to take both parts of the equation, the positive and the negative. Put them together and work towards the best business year ever in whatever you do.
Be unconventional. Don’t always follow the herd.
Do what the great entrepreneurs in business have done: Create your own path and follow it.
May 2015 be the best business year ever for you!
This blog post also appeared on Linked Into Business.
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