Resolve to make every day the first of the year
Well, it's a new year again. More resolutions, more goals, more plans. If the new year only ran until February, we would be fine. Most people can only keep their resolutions and goals going for about a month. Don't take my word for it ask any fitness center. Crammed in January, empty in February.
Hey, wait a minute. Didn't someone say it only takes 30 days to make a habit? So how come I can keep it going through January, but can't for the rest of the year? That's easy: The person touting that 30-day stuff was lying. It takes about 1,000 days to make and keep a habit (unless it's to break an addictive habit such as drinking or smoking, then you must be inactive for as long as you were active repay a day for a day).
O.K., so what's the secret of achievement? Ray Pelletier, known as "America's Business Attitude Coach" has been speaking internationally on the subject of winning for more than 20 years. He has just authored a book titled "Permission to Win." Presented here are some of his principles and philosophies.
To Pelletier, winning is as easy as one, two, three:
Implement a winning way of thinking;
Follow a winning positive principle; and
Execute a winning success action.
The winning way of thinking is: You become what you think about. Think win.
The winning positive principle is: Self-talk equals self-performance. Talk win.
The winning success action is: Give yourself permission to win. Take winning actions.
Hey, wait a minute, you say. That sounds too easy. No, it's simple there's a big difference between simple to understand and easy to do. Positive thinking isn't easy. Success isn't easy. Winning isn't easy, but it can be learned.
Pelletier said, "The key (and least-executed principle) is giving yourself permission to win. I'm talking about a college degree in positive thinking with an attitude ... and a postgraduate degree in permission to win attached to it. You don't think you're going to win. You don't hope you're going to win. You decide you're going to win."
"The most incredible aspect of this process is that people block their own success by telling themselves they can't succeed. Sounds incredible, but it's true," Pelletier said. "They tell themselves it's O.K. to settle for less than what I want. They give themselves excuses such as 'It's not my job,' or worse, 'They don't pay me enough' to the worst: They tell themselves that it's O.K. to quit. Winning must be an active permission before it becomes a living reality.
"Napoleon Hill studied 157 of the world's most successful entrepreneurs, and every one of them had one trait in common: They knew they would succeed," Pelletier said. "It was a flat-out decision. Most of them had little money or support and several of them had almost no formal education. But one thing they all understood: Winning is a decision. Not to decide is to decide," he added. "It's a permit to win and you have to give it to yourself. Others can support it, but you give it to yourself.
"You want the secret. That's the secret."
Permission to win is an active process made up of winning thought components. The following are just some of the winning components and actions that will help encompass your decision to win:
Develop the desire to win. Most people want to win, but lack the desire to accomplish it. Permission opens desire.
Visualize winning every time you play. See the win before it occurs. Permission lets the mind's eye focus.
Remember past wins. Thinking about previous wins makes present wins seem more achievable. Permission re-lives memorable wins.
Talk win to yourself. You tell yourself you're a winner. Permission is granted to yourself from yourself.
Read about winners. Learn how others won. Permission is stronger when understanding is present.
Listen to winning stuff. The more you hear the sounds of winning, the easier it is to understand winning ways. Permission is easier when you repeat the message.
Hang around winners. The best place to learn winning ways is from a winner. Permission comes from winning thoughts and ideas.
Take winning actions. There's no such thing as a passive winner. You don't wait to win you take action. Permission is a winning action. Act like a winner.
"Permission to win is the most powerful decision a person can make," Pelletier said. "As it evolves in your psyche, your thinking will begin to automatically adjust to disappointments and setbacks, and find a way to get around them or overcome them. Winning will gradually become instinctive. Your mindset will be different from anything you've ever experienced before. Your approach will be exclusively winner-oriented.
"If you start out every day like it is the first of January, you begin to develop the attitude and intensity needed to become a winner. A daily winner," Pelletier said. "Real winners make every day New Year's Day."
What's your decision?
Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of "The Sales Bible," and "Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless." President of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts training programs on selling and customer service. Inquiries should be faxed to the WBJ at (48-22) 646-0576 or e-mailed directly to salesman@gitomer.com
