6 PROVEN TECHNIQUES THAT CAN BOOST YOUR PERFORMANCE

Businesses all over the world are looking for proactive ways to boost their productivity base, in order to  be stategically positioned in the workplace of today.Also as individuals,for you to succeed in this present dispensation, you need to apply techniques that can help you achieve great results by doing less than you need to. On that note,I would love to share just a few of those techniques. Hopefully, they will help you achieve the best possible results ,within the shortest possible time.

RECOMMENDED READING:Productivity Vs. Productivity Tools – Do The Latter Really Work?

1. The 80/20 Rule

The Pareto principle, is also known as the 80/20 rule. It states that: to receive 80% of the results obtained in the work, the average person takes about 20 % of the total time spent. This conditional 80/20 statistic operates in all areas of life. For example, it is said that 20% of criminals commit 80% of crimes, and that 20% of drivers are guilty in 80% of the accidents they’re involved in.

If you know how to use the Pareto principle properly, it can be helpful not only in your professional life, but also in your everyday life. It’s like a little trick which forecasts an expected result. For example, if you are a sociable person then you would probablyhave a lot of friends. Think of how many of these people really help you in certain situations. In fact, it’s probably just 20% of those people. It is worthwhile to consider this percentage and give the right people the proper attention, instead of focusing on virtual friends.

How To Use This

If one follows the Pareto principle, it’s better to do all the useless things when your productivity is low. For example, some people come to work in the morning and can’t immediately get to work right away. They need some time to prepare for the job, talk to colleagues, drink their coffee, and other things that help them settle in.

Only then can they start working productively. It’s important to be able toprioritize your tasks. You need todetermine your most productive time for important cases and decisions.

READ ALSO:How To Condition Your Mind For Higher Productivity

2. Concentrate On The Three Most Important Task Daily

At this day and age, people still rely on to-do lists to keep things organized. Sure, we have evolved from using paper to utilizing computers and smartphones but whatever tools used would be powerless without action. In this case, all you need is one simple rule: every morning take a few minutes to think and write down the three most important tasks for the day.

And then focus your efforts on the implementation of this short list. Who needs these countless endless lists of tasks which you won’t be able finish in a week, let alone in a day? Focus on these three main tasks, and after they’re done, you can go ahead and do something else. This simple but powerful habit can really increase your productivity in a short period of time.

READ ALSO:Productivity Vs. Productivity Tools: Do The Latter Really Work?

3. Apply The 'Do Less' Approach.

In the world of coaching today, the ‘doing less’ philosophy has become quite popular. Different theorists offer different approaches. One of them is based on the mystical practices of Zen Buddhism, described by Mark Lesser in his book “Less: Accomplishing More by Doing Less“.

His manifesto “Less” starts with dispelling the belief that reducing the load makes us lazy and is bad for productivity. By doing less, we actually allow ourselves to fully enjoy our achievements. The author recommends taking some time for meditation and “quieting the mind” in the middle of the working process.

You can perhaps even align your breathing in between reading and sending emails. It would help you to relieve stress and focus on a particular subject leading you to find the perfect balance. All of this can assist you in figuring out which activities are really important, and which are not worth your attention at all.

Therefore, you should prioritize tasks. Start doing the most important ones first, and after they’re done come to the low-priority ones. Just don’t overload yourself with lots of tasks. It’s better to do less and high-quality tasks that you will enjoyrather than doing lots of things half-heartedly.

4. The Truth About Multitasking

Multitasking does not make us more productive, it’s one of the biggest myth these days. In fact, the division of our attention has a negative impact on productivity, concentration and energy.

“For tasks that are at all complicated, no matter how good you have become at multitasking, you’re still going to suffer hits against your performance. You will be worse compared to if you were actually concentrating from start to finish on the task,” says David Meyer, a scientist from the University of Michigan.

READ ALSO:5 Reasons You Should Say No To Multitasking

Multitasking could be possible in just two cases. First is when you’re doing something that is somehow automatic, for instance, walking and talking at the same time. Walking is an automatic activity that doesn’t need you to focus or think whereas talking requires the use of your brain.

The other situation when multitasking is possible is when it involves different kinds of brain proccessing, for example, reading and listening classical music. But if the music contains some lyrics in it, it would be impossible to do these two tasks at once, because both of them activate the language center of the brain.

Thus, if you want to be more productive then learn how to do one thing at a timeand stay focused only on that one particular thing.
5.Free Yourself From Information Overload.

These days, getting overloaded with information is as easy as getting a heat stroke in the middle of the Sahara. And even the symptoms are similar: sleep disturbance, distracted attention, and deferred reaction.Our brain is overloaded with all the noise that the information brings.
In this case Timothy Ferriss, the author of the book “The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich” recommends taking a “low-information diet”. Do you really need to go through all the emails, blogs, newspapers, and magazines that you read every day? Do you really need to spend so much time looking through your Facebook news feed or watching TV?

Give it a try and cut out as much useless information as you can, for at least a week, and see how it can help your productivity.

7. Living On Schedule

Ask any successful person when he or she wakes up and it’s likely that they are an early riser. It’s quite simple: there aren’t a lot of distractions in the morning, which helps a person focus on the main priorities.Waking up early in the morning is one of the factors of living on schedule.

During the day, there is time to rest and there is time to work. There are strict boundaries present and understanding this helps you to stay productive. Start with trying to leave the computer at the appointed time, as you need to rest to be productive.

It’s better to live on schedule than without it.

Parkinson’s Law states that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion” which means that if you needs to write a letter for a week, it will take a week to write the letter. People tend to procrastinate and play for as long as they can. But strict deadlines for each task you get will put you on the right track to meeting the deadlines perfectly. Having a deadline that you’re afraid of missing is great motivation.

Be The Hero You Were Meant To Be.

This world is your best teacher. There is a lesson in everything. There is a lesson in each experience. Learn it and become wise. Every failure is a stepping stone to success. Every difficulty or disappointment is a trial of your faith. Every unpleasant incident or temptation is a test of your inner strength. Therefore , march forward as the Hero you were meant to be...wish you abundance of strength and breakthrough through out the week and beyond....
-

The Enemy You Must Conquer



Fear and Worry

THE great negative note in the lives of most people is Fear. Fear is the mother of all the negative emotions, and her brood is found clustering very closely around her. Worry, Lack of Confidence, Bashfulness, Irresolution, Timidity, Depression, and all the rest of the negative brood of feelings and emotions are the progeny of Fear. Without Fear none of these minor emotions or feelings would exist. By killing off the parent of this possible brood of mental vampires, you escape the entire coming generations of negative thoughts, and thus keep your Mental Attitude garden free from these pests and nuisances.

Fear and the emotions that come from its being do more to paralyze useful effort, good work, and finely thought-out plans, than aught else known to man. It is the great hobgoblin of the race. It has ruined the lives of thousands of people. It has destroyed the finely budding characters of men and women, and made negative individuals of them in the place of strong, reliant, courageous doers of useful things.

Worry is the oldest child of Fear. It settles down upon one's mind, and crowds out all of the developing good things to be found there. Like the cuckoo in the sparrow's nest, it destroys the rightful occupants of the mind. Laid there as an egg by its parent, Fear, Worry soon hatches out and begins to make trouble. In place of the cheerful and positive "I Can and I Will" harmony, Worry begins to rasp out in raucous tones: "Supposin'," "What if," "But," "I can't," "I'm unlucky," "I never could do things right," "Things never turn oat right with me" and so on until all the minor notes have been sounded. It makes one sick bodily, and inert mentally. It retards one's program, and is a constant stumbling block in our path upward.

The worst thing about Fear and Worry is that while they exhaust a great part of the energy of the average person, they give nothing good in return. Nobody ever accomplished a single thing by reason of Fear and Worry. Fear and Worry never helped one along a single inch on the road to Success. And they never will, because their whole tendency is to retard progress, and not to advance it. The majority of things that we fear and worry about never come to pass at all, and the few that do actually materialize are never as bad as we feared they would be. It is not the cares, trials and troubles of today that unnerve us and break us down—it is the troubles that we fear may come sometime in the future. Everyone is able to bear the burdens of today, but when he heaps on the burdens of tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that, he is doing his mind an injustice, and it is no wonder that after a bit he heaps on the last straw that breaks the back of the mental camel.

The energy, work, activity and thought that we expend on these imaginary "maybe" troubles of the future would enable us to master and conquer the troubles of each day as they arise. Nature gives each of us a reserve supply of strength and energy upon which to draw and oppose unexpected troubles and problems as they come upon us each day. But we poor, silly mortals draw upon this reserve force and dissipate it in combating the imaginary troubles of next week or next year, the majority of which never really put in an appearance—and when we have need of the force to oppose some real trouble of the day we find ourselves bankrupt of power and energy, and are apt to go down in defeat, or else be compelled to beat an inglorious retreat.

I tell you, friends, that if you once learn the secret of killing off this vampire of Fear, and thus prevent the rearing of her hateful brood of reptile emotions, life will seem a different thing to you. You will begin to realize what it is to live. You will learn what it is to have a mind cleared of weeds, and fresh to grow healthy thoughts, feelings, emotions and ambitions.

And you will find that with Fear killed out, you will cease to give out to others the suggestions of incompetence, lack of reliance on yourself, and the other impressions that hurt one's chances. You will find that when you are rid of Fear you will radiate hope, and confidence, and ability, and will impress all those with whom you come in contact.

And you will find also that the eradication of Fear will work wonders in your Mental Attitude, and the operation of it through the Law of Attraction. When one fears a thing he really attracts it to him, just as if he desired it. The reason is this—when one desires or fears a thing (in either case the principle is the same) he creates a mental picture of the thing, which mental picture has a tendency toward materialization. With this mental picture in his mind—if beholds to it long enough—he draws the things or conditions to him, and thus "thought takes form in action and being." The majority of our fears and worries are silly little things that take our thought for a moment, and then are gone. They are great wasters of energy, but we do not concentrate on any one of them long enough to put into operation the Law of Attraction.

And so you see, that unless you get rid of Fear, it will tend to draw toward you the thing you fear, or else force you toward the thing itself. Fear makes of the feared object a name around which you circle and flutter, like the moth, until at last you make plunge right into the heat of the flame and are consumed. Kill out Fear, by all means.

"But how may I kill it out?" you cry. Very easily! This is the method: Suppose you had a roomful of darkness. Would you start to shovel or sweep out the darkness? Or would you not throw open the window and admit the light? When the light pours in, the darkness disappears. And so with the darkness of Fear—throw open the windows, and "let a little sunshine in." Let the thoughts, feelings, and ideals of Courage, Confidence and Fearlessness poor into your mind, and Fear will vanish. Whenever Fear shows itself in your mind, administer the antidote of Fearlessness immediately.

Say to yourself: "I am Fearless; I Fear Nothing; I am Courageous," Let the sunshine pour in.

5 Terrible Reasons Why Your Dream Will Remain Unfulfilled

Everyone has dreams and aspirations, and yet most of us in life will never see them through. Perhaps it’s due to being afraid of failure, unprecedented circumstances, or even death.

Here are 5 terrible excuses for letting your dreams go.

1) You think you’re not good enough.

Yes, everyone has that little voice in their head screaming that they’re pathetic, a failure, and worthless. Sometimes, you believe you’ve created the best thing that’s ever been on earth, and the next day you are wondering how in the world you managed to create such a piece of dirt.

Well, there are many things that science has told us about that little voice. For one, it was originally used as a means of comfort and security. Yes, I know, that voice that calls you ugly and worthless was intended to be helpful, not harmful. And it’s not like you can tie it up, put some tape on its mouth, and throw it in the corner. But let’s face it, that voice is one of the best things we can have. It will tell us over and over when something isn’t good enough, and that’s us.

We know our limits, and so do our minds. So, the next time you hear that little old brain of yours telling you that your piece of art/literature/acting/athletics is terrible, think of it as a way of your brain saying this: I can do better, I know I can. I can succeed in my dreams.

2)You say you “don’t have enough time.”

I’m going to say this once: dreams are meant to be taken and worked on. And if you don’t have enough time for something you’re passionate about, then you truly never were that passionate about it.

Successful people make time, and if you’re one of those people who are constantly on Facebook, Instagram, or Tumblr, grab a stopwatch and start counting the minutes. When you decide that you’re going to sit down and watch TV, start counting the minutes. A recent study from The Telegraphshows us that the average person spends an hour and forty minutes on social media each day — and you still say you have no time?

If you truly have no time, no time in the world to do what you love, drop what you don’t like and start doing what you love. Yes, you might make a little less money, you might not be able to go to the gym, you might not be able to do certain things you like, but you will be able to do the thing you love and pursue your dream. You have one life, so what do you have to lose to go after a dream? Nothing.

3)Your peers think otherwise.

“Hey, Jenny, heard you want to be a writer. Good luck with that — you can’t write, and becoming a successful author is, like, super hard, so come party instead.”

Everyone has that one person who will stop at nothing to put down their dreams, their aspirations. These people believe that in life, you have to be a realist. Being an artist doesn’t pay bills, neither does being a writer. What pays bills is working a 9-to-5 job that you might hate, and for what? A nice car, a nice house, a nice job, some status? But what about that dream? What about that dream to be a writer, to publish work?

You know, I can tell you something, something that’s a fact. If you worked a 9-to-5 job and died tomorrow, what would happen? Someone would come and take your place, people would mourn, and that would be it. Your life as a blip in the earth’s existence. Forgotten. However, if you go out there in that big world and attempt to make something of your dream, you will be more successful than any other millenial who worked all day in a job they despised. Whether it’s being a dancer, being an athlete, being a writer — you have the chance of never being forgotten. The chance of your name to be written on a great piece of work, in a record book, in an amazing play. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. So go for it.

To quote Alan watts: What would you do, if money was no object?

Do it.

4)You say, “I’m not quite ready yet.”
It takes a lot of courage to chase a dream. That becomes more evident when you sacrifice family time, your lifestyle, your hobbies, your finances, and even risk losing everything. Now, I’m not saying go out and quit your job, burn your bridges, destroy your foundations. What I am saying is to rediscover that passion, that eternal flame that is within all of us to chase our dreams, because you only have one life.

With every day that passes, you are the oldest you’ve ever been, and the youngest you’ll ever be again. Time will run from you, and I hear a lot of, “I’m not quite ready yet” or “I’m too young, I don’t have enough experience.” That is bologna. I will say this time and time again: you don’t wait for opportunity, you create your opportunity. You build your bridges, and I’ll be damned if there is a path that leads to success that is covered in debris, fallen down and broken — you’d better get ready to clear it. Because you are ready. You will make yourself ready.

5)You lie to yourself.

Being honest to yourself is one of the hardest things to do in life. People do not like disappointments, and when you are striving to be successful, you always hear the words, “I’m doing my best,” “I work my butt off,” and “I’m always busy.”

People like to proclaim self-greatness. But it’s always good to understand you aren’t the best — yet. I’ll give you an example. My dream is to become a writer, and when I was younger, I used to claim that I didn’t read books because I thought all the stories were pointless and I didn’t like the way other writers wrote. Well, I was lying to myself, and had convinced myself of this lie. The reality was that I believed I wrote the best and had the talent to be the greatest — I still do, but in a much humbler way. I stepped back and told myself that I am nothing but dirt right now. That in order for me to grow, I must learn from the best. I picked up many novels by Stephen King. I don’t like his novels greatly — some I love, most I like. But he is argueably the most popular and well-known writer there is. I stopped seeing myself as someone who can contribute to the world of literature, and starting seeing myself in my true form: as an apprentice, learning on his own through self-education.

So, stop with the excuses and go out there and change the world.

You need to change yourself before you can change the world anyway

 

Why You Must Come Out Of Your Shell.

Never forget that you are one of a kind. Never forget that if there weren't any need for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth, you wouldn't be here in the first place. And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life's challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can make a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all the changes that matter in the world come about. So be that one person.

How To Live A More Fulfilled Life.

magine a world where every person was using the Secret to follow their bliss – a world where every person was fulfilling their purpose, reaching out to help others, and allowing the will of God to flow through them to create miracles.

Chances are it would look a lot like heaven. Every person safe. Every person holding everything they need.

You might want a huge house on the hill. Another person might feel abundant, at ease, and happy with a small, quiet, rural cottage. There is no need to fear competition, no need to imagine that you must profit at anyone else’s expense. You must attract the situations that will allow you to profit at everyone’s benefit.

Does the world have to be a dark place, full of wars, full of abuse, full of pain, full of madness? Are we somehow special, just able to ignore our way into good things by focusing on the positive?

No. Until others are ready to move forward it is our responsibility to make our thoughts create positive change. It is our responsibility to take the actions and be receptive to the ideas that are going to make the whole of the world grow.

Bless others! Show gratitude for all of the ways the world has moved forward. Once people believed slavery was perfectly normal. Now, even though there are people who practice slavery illicitly, we all generally understand it is wrong. Even those who engage in slavery understand it to be wrong. That all began with the thoughts of those who believed things should be better.

We all have the ability to move forward in this fashion. We cannot fear the way the world is today. We cannot sit back and hope for some bright future that never quite arrives. We must work together to create heaven on earth now. We have all the tools we need.The power has been given to you and Nature is waiting for you to beacon on her to release all her limitless abundance on you. So why the Wait? just take a dive into the river of limitless possibilities and live a happier and more fulfilled life.......

Basic Fundamentals For A Fruitful Day

. Study these 10 fundamentals to enrich your life daily..
i. Pursue a productive, exciting and active life 
ii. Engage in meaningful activities every minute of every day 
iii. Develop an organized, planned lifestyle with little chaos 
iv. Set realistic goals yet keep your mark high 
v. Think positively - you cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought 
vi. Avoid needless worry over trifling matters 
vii. Devote time to fun 
viii. Develop a warm, outgoing personality with a sincere love of people 
ix. Get in the habit of giving more than receiving 
x. Learn to live in the present. The past is water under the bridge of life.

The Power You Must Possess

Knowledge is power. People who have achieved great success are not necessarily more skillful or intelligent than others. What separates them is their burning desire and thirst for knowledge. The more one knows, the more one achieves. Great leaders have techniques to allow them to arrive at the top of the mountain. Read the biographies of the world's leaders and learn from their habits, inspirations and philosophies. Cultivate the important practice of active role modelling.

What Speaks Volume About You

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved. -Helen Keller
It has been rightly said that "you sow an action, you reap a habit. You sow a habit, you reap a character. You sow a character, you reap a destiny." The essence of a person is his character - make yours unique, unblemished and strong. Do not say you will do anything unless you will indeed do it. Speak the truth and measure your words wisely. Be humble, straightforward and peaceful.

The Inheritance You Must Give Out

Every one of us receives and passes on an inheritance. The inheritance may not be an accumulation of earthly possessions or acquired riches, but whether we realize it or not, our choices, words, actions, and values will impact someone and form the heritage we hand down.Therefore, you need to be careful with your decision because it will create a lasting impression about you and also bring someone down or raise some one up.

A Call To Greatness

The world does not need more people playing small. It's time to stop hiding out and start stepping out.it's time to stop needing and start leading. It's time to start sharing your gift rather than hoarding them or pretending they don't exist.It's time you started playing the game of life in a big way.Remember you have all what it takes to excel in life, therefore take a quantum leap into the future and blaze a trail..... Happy new year with abundant harvest,peace,unlimited breakthrough and favor....... Congrats.

What Makes The Rich Richer

To succeed in the act of creating massive wealth ,you must develop the Mindet of wealth generation. One fact we need to know is that the rich and the poor do not think the same way.

If you have ever wondered why two people with the exact same circumstances and with identical goals don’t get the same results, you know that there must be something less obvious that contributed to the success of one and the failure of the other.

Adopting a wealth creation mindset is the determining factor which makes the difference between rich and poor, regardless of any circumstances.

Mindset is best described as the mental attitude that takes shape based on life experiences, environment, education and the ideas of the people we interact with the most.

Mindset influences our interpretation of life’s events and predetermines the way in which we commonly respond to situations. Eventually, our frequent responses become habits and as they settle, they give rise to our predominant state of mind.

The rich tend to find opportunity in every problem, while the poor feel as if the world is collapsing under their feet.

Often, there can be very little difference in their circumstances.

Once you learn about mindsets, you will clearly see that your mindset is directly linked to your thoughts - and thoughts can become things.

Thoughts are powerful indeed and as conscious beings, we have the privilege to control them - by choice.

Unfortunately, this is not what most people do. They lack this knowledge and allow their thoughts to rule their lives without even being aware of it.

Will you live a life controlled by random thoughts or will you choose your thoughts carefully in order to accumulate the massive wealth nature has in stock for us all? The choice is up to you.

When you get a hold of your thoughts you have the power to create wonderful things in your life, all by just taking command, training and instructing your mind to think properly.All what we have said can best be stated in this short but powerful statement by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Which goes thus:

"What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

How To Maintain Competitive Relevance..

One thing which an entrepreneur has to
keep a careful watch is “success”, not just failures.
Please read carefully the below quote from Bill Gates
“Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces
smart people into thinking they can't lose”.
This is very important for an entrepreneur
because, he/she will attain some success on the way, but if they became complacent about it, they will find themselves out of business very soon.
Google is a great story. This was the #1 search engine and they were making millions from the advertisement. But after face book has started,the advertisements are now shared with face book also and hence Google losing some share of their
business. So, an entrepreneur should not rest, even if he attains success and he needs to keep moving. Yes, he can celebrate the success, but he should
not be stuck there for a lot of time. This appears a very tough journey, because you have to keep running even after
success. Whether you accept this or not, this is life and you have to follow its rules. The reason is simple once you succeed, many people will follow your approach and they will be trying to throw you away from competition....So ,always be on the watch out in order not to loose your competitive potency.

What Vision Can Do To Your Future

There is an old story concerning some men who were moving bricks from one point to another. A visitor approached and asked one of them,"What are you doing?"The worker responded that he was moving bricks from one point to the other.The visitor asked the man again and the worker shouted with an angry tone,"Can't you see that am moving bricks from one point to another! Don't you have eyes? ".The visitor left the worker and asked several other workers and to his surprise all of them replied in the same angry and stressed tone.The visitor felt disappointed and upset.After much time, he finally discovered a particular worker who was happy as he went about his business. He asked the man," what are you doing? "and the man replied," we are carrying bricks to build the corner walls.We are building a beautiful church."The visitor became happy and moved on.This story is a good illustration for vision and their power.The workers who shouted with anger,appeared to be stressful because they unaware of why they are carrying such a load of bricks;they did not know the end result of their action.But the worker who was happy knew the end result of his action.He knew how every brick helped the construction of the church; hence he felt that his work was meaningful.

Imagine what it would mean if you had perfect clarity on your life’s purpose.

Related blog. eternalleadership.com/power-of-a-vision

 As an entreprenuer, if you are not driven by vision,you will find yourself moving to different directions wasting alot time, effort, energy & money. The end result is

Frustration.

What is a vision? Vision is a clear picture of the

future you want to be in. The picture should be

detailed and precise.

Have you observed, if you just imagine a car with

some emotion, you will start seeing similar cars in

TV, newspapers and roads? This is exactly the

power of vision. Once you have clear vision, life

will start working towards your advantage.

Mahatma Gandhi had a vision of seeing India

free and this vision inspired millions of people

and finally everything worked towards the success of the vision.

What is stopping you from having a vision?

Take That Bold Step Today

Infuse your life with action. Don't wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen... yourself, right now, right down here on Earth.
-Bradley Whitford

This is the greatest advice I think we can hear as regards our lives .The land is truly green and opportunities abounds everywhere, there is no need to wait for things to get right,no need to wait for the economy to get better because the poor condition of the economy itself is an opportunity to make waves.The time has come for you to go out of your comfort zone,and take that bold step that would unlock the doors of limitless possibilities.Make your contact with mother nature count, make your impact to be felt by both the weak and small. Never allow the void that has been created so far,by just taking that bold step forward......

The Perfect Road Map To Success

The purpose of life is to live for a purpose,and for you to achieve your stated purpose in any endeavor, there are some critical things that needs to be done in order to make an head way in your life......
1. Own your brand

You are your brand, and people respond to it--both good and bad.Make sure your brand projects the person you really are, and own it in every way--in your face-to-face interactions, on paper, and online.

2. Prioritize relationships

Life, career, and business is all about building relationships with others. Find mentors who can show you the ropes and open doors for you, and earn sponsors--higher-ups who will pull you up to the next level--by working hard and working smart. Make building a strong, diverse, and lasting network of relationships a priority in your work and personal life.

3. Declare specific goals

Everyone needs goals in their life,whether it's earning a raise, starting a successful new business, or stressing less over the small stuff. Once you have a goal picked out, declare it to yourself and to others, then work backwards to understand the path you'll need to follow to achieve it.

4. Get more experience

The more experience you have in a particular subject or business area, the more valuable you are to your current employer, and to prospective employers. Keep learning to keep earning.

5. Develop executive presence

There's a reason why top leaders and executives are seen by others to be leaders--they have the kind of executive presence that people who work for them respond to. Work on developing executive presence--being the kind of leader that other people want to follow.

6. Feedback: Ask for it and share it

Feedback is the breakfast of champions. Only through feedback can you improve and get better. If you're not getting feedback, ask for it. If you're getting feedback, use it to change and improve for the better.

THE SECRET WEAPON OF SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS

What’s the one attribute that separates winning entrepreneurs from those that are losing business and customers?

What’s the quality that takes some business owners from unprofitable to healthy profits?

Commitment is the attribute that divides the winners from the losers and keeps some entrepreneurs moving when others stop dead in their tracks.

It’s the characteristic that keeps successful people optimistic in the midst of crushing disappointments. It’s the quality that allows champions to learn from their losses and move on. Commitment keeps victors energized when the newness wears off.

How do you recognize committed business owners from others?

 

1. People who are committed keep their promises. They do what they say, long after the moment they said it in has passed.

2. People who are committed are in for the long haul. They are willing to exchange short-term luxuries for a brighter future.

3. People who are committed have their eye on the finish line, they set attainable goals and get there

4. People who are committed demonstrate a minute-after-minute, day-after-day, month-after-month, and year-after-year attention to ensuring that  tasks are accomplished, because they know that excellence isn’t in the details, it is the details.

5. People who are committed don’t build walls, they learn how to surpass them.
Yet, while most business people agree that commitment is an admirable trait, they may not know exactly what it means to put into action. If you don’t believe this, go online and take a look. You’ll find  many abandoned or poorly maintained websites and blogs all over the place. Then, consider how much time, energy, know-how, and money their owners wasted, because neglected websites and blogs do not generate income!

Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common fate for entrepreneurs – who by their very nature, are generally much more action-oriented than others.

So, why do so many well-intentioned and intelligent small businesspeople lack the commitment needed to grow and maintain a profitable business?

 

If you’re assuming that the answer to this question is that these people don't have solid work ethics, you couldn’t be more wrong. Rather, it’s usually just the opposite. That is, many entrepreneurs become paralyzed because they’re overworked, over committed, and overwhelmed!

For example:

They’re eager to take advantage of new opportunities, so say “yes” to more than they can handle.

They’re reluctant to delegate tasks to employees or outsource work because they’re convinced that their product or service quality will suffer – or it will cost them a fortune.

They grossly underestimated how much time and energy it would take them to run their businesses smoothly.

They fail to document key processes and systems, which makes it very difficult for them to train others to take over.

And the list goes on… Yet, even if you don’t identify with entrepreneurs who suffer from these, your plate is probably still full and you haven’t a clue where you’ll find the time to add more responsibilities to your large to-do lists. All of us have times when we want to shout, “Will somebody please help me?

That’s just the point. Savvy business people know when and how to get help. Once you learn to go with your strengths and delegate the rest you will find yourself more committed, happier and more successful.

 

5 THINGS SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DON'T DO

Successful people don't compromise on their standards. They don't settle for less than what they hope to achieve. And they definitely don't put their lives on autopilot. They believe success only comes from intention and action.

Here are the five things successful people never do:

1. They never let the past dictate their future.

We all have limitations. We all have challenges. We all make mistakes. The key is to not be constrained by those things but to learn from them.

Easier said than done? It all depends on your perspective. Take mistakes: When something goes wrong, turn it into an opportunity to learn something you didn't know--especially about yourself. (And when something goes wrong for someone else, turn it into an opportunity to be gracious and forgiving.)

Where you've been, what you've done--everything in the past is just training.

Successful people believe their past should inform them but should never define them.

2. They never say "yes" when they really mean "no."

Refusing a request from colleagues, customers, or even friends is really hard. But rarely does saying no go over as badly as you expect. Most people will understand, and if they don't, should you care too much about what they think?

When you say no, you only feel bad for a few moments. When you agree to something you really don't want to do, you may feel bad for a long time--or at least as long as it takes you to do what you didn't want to do in the first place.

Remarkably successful people practice saying no. They've gotten really good at saying no. They know that lets them focus on doing what they really need to do: for themselves and for other people.

3. They never interrupt.

When you interrupt someone, what you're really saying is, "I'm not thinking about what you are saying. I'm thinking about what I want to say ... and what I want to say is so important you need to hear it now."

Want better professional relationships? Want better personal relationships? Listen, truly listen, to what other people say. Then ask questions to make sure you understand.

Remarkably successful people already know what they think--they want to learn from what everyone else thinks.

4. They're never late (without an incredibly good reason).

I know. You're overwhelmed. So you're always running behind. It stresses you out like crazy.

And it makes other people resent you like crazy. Whenever you're late, other people rightly assume you feel your time is more important than theirs. (Which, of course, kills your chance of building an outstanding personal or professional relationship.)

Although you may believe you can't help it, being late is a choice. Youallow yourself to be late.

Remarkably successful people start the day a little day earlier. They arrive early to their first scheduled event. They don't worry that they'll waste time--they plan ahead and bring along whatever they need to use any "early" time to get a few simple things done.

Then they feel a lot less stressed and as a result are more insightful, more creative, more decisive, and simply more "on" in everything they do.

5. They're never afraid to do the things that matter.

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," is true, but in some ways a better quote might be, "The only thing we have to fear is ourselves."

Why? We're all afraid. We're scared of what might or might not happen. We're scared of what we can't change. We're scared of what we won't be able to do. We're scared of how others might perceive us.

And that makes us hesitate, wait for the right moment, decide we need to think a little longer or do some more research or explore a few more alternatives, and days, weeks, months, and even years pass us by.

And so do our dreams.

Don't let your fears hold you back. Whatever you've been planning, whatever you've imagined, whatever you've dreamed of, get started on it today. If you want to start a business, take the first step. If you want to change careers, take the first step. If you want to expand or enter a new market or design new products or services, take the first step.
Successful people put their fears aside and get started.

Successful people are often afraid, but they're most likely to do something about their fears.

10 WAYS TO PREDICT YOUR SUCCESS

Succe ss is defined in all kinds of ways.

You may want to be ri ch, famous or simply

leave a positive mark on the world.

The only definition that matters is your own.

Here are some signs that you have what

it takes to be highly su ccessful:

1. You crave knowledge

You love to learn in one format or another.

It could be books, audiobooks, podcasts or videos,

but the point is: you crave knowledge

2. You’re planning ahead

You may be saving for retirement or

investing in your education.

In one way or another, you’re planning ahead.

You may not feel wealthy right now,

but you are well on your way to creating a

legacy by making those small contributions.

3. You wake up early

You may not feel like you’re conquering

the world when you slowly roll out of bed,

but simply getting up early aligns your habits

with many of the most successful people in the world.

You understand the value of the early hours

and you use them to your advantage.

4. You make friends easily

Success can’t be measured merely in terms of money.

Many of the richest people in the world are often

the most unhappy. Having friends and family

that love you sets you apart from some of the

people that you may think you want to be like.

5. You have good character

You understand how important it is to treat

others with respect. Having good character

and integrity sets you apart from others,

whether you realize it or not.

People do notice and it will take you far.

6. You have a burning desire to help people

Many great business ideas started as

a desire to help others. If you hold on to that desire,

it will take you far. Want to start your own business?

Think about how you could best serve others

and start doing it. Your desire to help and serve people

will serve you well in the end.

7. You’ve failed and you’ve kept going

If you want to succeed, you have to be willing to fail a lot.

If you’re not where you want to be right now,

it may simply be because you haven’t failed enough…yet.

8. You have self-discipline and self-control

Think of all the areas in your life that you

practice self-discipline and self-control.

Don’t be so hard on yourself,

you may have more than you think.

9. You’re always getting better

You may not feel like it, but you are always getting

better. If you don’t feel like you’re improving,

 just measure your progress backwards.

Think about where you were a year ago or two or five.

I bet you’re farther along than you thought.

10. You have a giving heart

Giving is one of the foundations of healthy finances

and a healthy life. It’s not about who you’re giving to.

If you’re giving at all, you’re on the right track.

HOW DANGOTE MADE HIS BILLIONS

What are the business success secrets of Aliko Dangote? How did Aliko Dangote become a billionaire and the richest black man in the world? Well, i advice you read on to find the answers you seek.

Culling from a popular quote that says “if you want to be rich and successful, observe what the rich are doing and do the same.” I don’t know how effective this strategy can be but I feel there is an atom of truth in that statement.

Who is Aliko Dangote?

Aliko Dangote is a business magnate, whose business acumen and aggressiveness send fear into the mind of competitors. He is the richest man in Africa, the richest man in Nigeria and the richest black person in the world. This humble billionaire currently sits atop one of Africa’s largest conglomerate, the Dangote Group.

On the 9^th of March 2011, Forbes magazine declared Aliko Dangote the richest black person in the world with a net worth of $13.8billion. It’s also worthwhile you know that Dangote is the 51th richest man in the world as at 9^th March 2011. But this was not so 25 years ago.

Born on April 10, 1957 in Kano, state Nigeria, to the family of Muhammad Dangote and Hajiya Mariya Sanusi Dantata. He had his primary and secondary education in Kano before he proceeded to Alazahar University, Cairo, Egypt to obtain a degree. If not for the degree, he would probably have been on my list of the richest school drop out billionaires in the world.

It was while working under his uncle, Sani Dantata that he found his passion and began developing his business skills. After developing his business skills and building his confidence, he got a lot a loan of N500,000 (approximately $3,500 today) from his uncle in 1977 to start his own business. Aliko Dangote was also given a deadline of three years to repay the loan but he repaid the loan in three months.

Aliko Dangote started business by trading in commodities such as sugar, rice, salt, pasta, cotton, millet, vegetable oil, cocoa and textile. In the course of running his business, he developed strong business ethics and principles. One of Aliko Dangote’s business strategies for succeeding in the commodity market was to develop a strong distribution network and make the delivery of his goods faster than that of his competitors.

After gaining a strong hold on the commodities market, Aliko Dangote ventured into manufacturing and producing the same commodities he was importing. In an interview granted to a journalist by this billionaire, he stated that leaping from importation to manufacturing was his greatest business move.

Since he moved into manufacturing, Aliko Dangote has never looked back. His company (Dangote Group) controls over 13 other companies with most of them acquired through strategic mergers and acquisitions. In celebration of his 50th birthday anniversary in 2007, he commissioned a one billion dollar factory (Obajana Cement Factory), which happens to be the largest cement factory in Africa.

Today, his group is made up of:

Dangote Sugar Refinery (one of the most capitalized stocks on the Nigerian stock exchange),Dangote Flour Mills (sold majority of his shares to Tiger Brands)Dangote sacksDansa FoodsDangote transportObajana Cement (Africa’s largest cement factory)National Salt Company Of Nigeria (NASCON)Benue Cement Company Plcthe Bachita Sugar CompanyDangote CementBlue Star ShippingBlue Star Investment and so on.Just recently, he boosted his philanthropic activities with the launch of his foundation (Dangote Foundation).

So if learning and understudying the rich can give us insights into their business success secrets and if building a business from scratch is your utmost priority, then I am sure we are definitely going to get some hard core business tips from this billionaire. Below are the ten small business success secrets of Aliko Dangote; the richest black man in the world.

10 Small Business Success Secrets of Aliko Dangote

1. Manufacture; don’t just trade

Aliko Dangote started business as a trader of commodities; he gathered business confidence and experience as he grew. In an interview granted, he openly admits that one of his greatest business moves was moving from being a trader to being a manufacturer. He summed it up by saying,

“Manufacture, don’t just trade. There is money in manufacturing even though it is capital intensive. To achieve a big breakthrough, I had to start manufacturing the same product I was trading on; which is commodities.”

I am an advocate of manufacturing because it does not only improve your business status, it also helps you give back to your community and country; with respect to job creation and economic development.

2. Build a brand, and don’t destroy it

This is the second small business success secrets of Aliko Dangote. Aliko Dangote is one of the firm believers of the “Brand Power” and this is what he has to say about it:

“To succeed in business, you must build a brand and never destroy it. One competitive advantage I had when I ventured into manufacturing was my brand “Dangote,” which I diligently built in the course of my trading commodities.” – Aliko Dangote

Sometime ago, Coca Cola’s assets were estimated to be worth $3billion but the brand name alone “Coca Cola” was valued at over $80billion. That’s the power of a brand. So why not start building a brand today? Your brand could be your saving grace in hard times; it could also turn out to be a very strong competitive advantage for your small business.

3. Sell cheap, give quality and don’t kill the competition

To build a successful business, Aliko Dangote emphasizes the importance of selling quality products at affordable price. Selling quality products at an affordable price helps in increasing customer’s loyalty. With respect to competition, Dangote has this to say;

“Don’t kill the competition. Competition is healthy for businesses. It keeps you the entrepreneur on your toes.” – Aliko Dangote

“There is one rule for the industrialist and that is: make the best quality goods possible at the lowest price possible, paying the highest wage possible.” – Henry Ford

4. Start small but dream big

“I built a conglomerate and emerged the richest black man in the world in 2008 but it didn’t happen overnight. It took me thirty years to get to where I am today. Youths of today aspire to be like me but they want to achieve it overnight. It’s not going to work. To build a successful business, you must start small and dream big. In the journey of entrepreneurship, tenacity of purpose is supreme.” – Aliko Dangote

5. Have connections and pray for a big break

The next small business success secret is business connections. Aliko Dangote is respected for his strong network of business and political connections. You can build your connections and strengthen your network in the business world by increasing your corporate social responsibility, signing joint ventures and partnership deals, forming strategic alliances, attending business events and parties, making political donations and paying courtesy visits to those at the helm of affairs.

To survive in business, you must strengthen your business connections and network. And most importantly, you must pray for a big break. Big breaks are very vital to entrepreneurial survival. In fact, I can hardly point to any successful entrepreneur that wasn’t thrust upwards by a big breakthrough.

Bill Gates had his big break when he negotiated and signed a deal with IBM.Aliko Dangote had his big break when he secured a license to import cement. Oprah Winfrey had hers when she started Harpo Studios Productions and acquired the full rights to her shows; “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”Li Ka Shing had his during a riot period and he began buying properties at rock bottom prices.Larry Ellison had his when he secured a deal to build database software for the CIA. The list goes on and on.

So if you really want to take a giant stride in business, you must not only pray for a big break; you must seek it out and be prepared for it when it comes.

6. Believe there is money to be made in your country

Dangote believes one of the main prerequisite to building a successful business and ultimately becoming rich is developing a firm belief in your country. Dangote is a firm believer in his country Nigeria. He believes opportunities abound everywhere but it just takes a smart eye to see them. He encourages everyone to seek opportunities in their own country instead of seeking greener pastures in other countries.

7. All work and less play makes Jack a rich man

A popular saying goes “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” but billionaire Dangote believes that all work and less play makes Jack a rich man. Hear him:

“I enjoy myself a lot but I derive more joy in working. I believe in hard work and one of my business success secrets is hard work. It’s hard to see a youth that will go to bed by 2am and wake up by 5am. I don’t rest until I achieve something.” – Aliko Dangote

My mentor has said it all but I want to add something crucial and that thing is this; “working hard alone doesn’t guarantee success, you must also work smart.“

“It is not really work if you are having fun.” – Pierre Omidyar

8. Give back to those who made you

I hope you are conversant with the saying that goes “no man is an island.” You can never get rich alone. There have to be contributing factors and individuals you will need to leverage upon. Dangote believes in the principle of “give and it shall be given unto you.” Just as stated above, one of the small business success secrets is this; you must give back to those who made you.

“No man becomes rich without himself enriching others.” – Andrew Carnegie

Now who are those who made you? These are individuals or entities you leveraged upon to get to the status you are now. They are those who gave you a helping hand when you needed it most. They could be those who gave you business contacts, connections and encouragement. They could be business associates, political associates, investors, loyal customers, good suppliers, political associates, your employees, business team, business partners and so on.

9. Obey the laws of the land

“Why risk going to jail by engaging in illegal businesses when it is easier to make money legally? – Rich dad

Dangote advises entrepreneurs to be law abiding citizens. He encourages everyone to do business as outline by the regulatory bodies. Obeying the laws of the land also entails keeping your credit and tax record clean. Nothing hurts more than striving to build a business empire only to have your assets impounded or frozen by the authorities. So do the right thing.

10. Business must flow in your blood

“After my death, I want to be remembered as Africa’s greatest industrialist.” – Aliko Dangote

Lastly, Aliko Dangote revealed that you must have business flowing in your blood if you really want to make it big as an entrepreneur. I solely agree with him. Look at all successful entrepreneurs, they seem to possess a different kind of spirit. That’s the entrepreneurial spirit.

To success in business, everything around you must smell business. That is to say you must think business, dream business and live for business. It’s all about the entrepreneurial spirit. The same spirit that kept Warren Buffett in the game even at old age, the same spirit that drives General Electric even after the death of its founder; Thomas Alva Edison.

Without this spirit, you will ultimately fail.Business flowing in your blood entails tenacity, doggedness, shrewdness and every single attribute required to keep you going in the game of entrepreneurship.