Do It! Or Ditch It: Get Ready For Action

I often talk about the similarities between entrepreneurs and professional athletes. Both groups of people remain focused on being READY for success. They are Resilient, they create an Environment that supports success, they adopt a positive Attitude, they are Disciplined, and they know that the only person who can make things happen is You.

Do it! – Be Resilient
There is an old saying that, 'If you keep doing what you have always done, you will keep getting what you have always got.' In business marketing that is no longer true. Business owners may still be doing the same things they have always done (direct mailing, cold calling, pay per click, etc), but many are finding that the old approaches are no longer working.

We all need to become more creative about how we find and keep our customers. Don't panic. Don't be rash. Try something new on a small scale and test and measure it first. A business that is resilient in a recession is one that adapts and is willing to evolve in the face of change.

Do it! – Change your Environment

Are your home, work, and social environments supporting you in your plans and vision of success? Or are there habits, people and ways of living that sabotage your dreams and hold you back?

Sometimes we need to ask ourselves what we would be willing to let go of in order to achieve what we want for the future. All professional athletes know that they need to push and challenge themselves beyond comfortable limits if they are to achieve optimum fitness and gain the chance of becoming the best. What are you prepared to do or to change, to get the result you want?

Do it! – Watch your Attitude
Successful people are upbeat people. It shows in the way they speak and the way they think. When you ask a successful person how they are feeling, they will rarely say 'fine' or 'ok'. They are more likely to reply with 'Great, fantastic, never better.' This kind of positive self-talk has a positive impact on the brain and lifts the spirits of those around you, too.

The British Olympic and Paralympic Games are nearly here. It is incredibly uplifting and motivating to see other people do well and realise their dreams. Watching people do well, especially when they have trained hard for their moment of glory, makes us all feel proud and hungry to do better ourselves.

These days, everyone needs to have an Olympic mindset. Are you feeling positive about your future – or do you need to adjust your self-talk for greater success?

Do it!  – Be Disciplined
When the alarm goes off each morning, do you start the day with a delay by hitting the snooze button? Or do you leap out of bed with a plan in mind, ready to tackle the day? Those who reach the top in their profession or business have two things in common: they value their time and they are self-disciplined in how they use it. Those who want to be READY to succeed will do more of the things that will take them closer to their goals, and less of the things that take them further away from them. Discipline is the cornerstone of all other success traits.

What are you planning to DO next, to drive your business forward? What skills do you need to improve to be able to succeed? Does anyone on your team need further guidance or training? What outmoded practices are you going to DITCH to enable you to create a more profitable, more efficient business? If you expect the worst, you are probably going to get it. If you plan for the best you are more likely to achieve that too. You are the driver of your own destiny and your success.

When looking ahead to achieving new ambitions and goals it is useful to start by reflecting back on our actions of the past. Past successes leave clues for the future, and help us to understand what went wrong and what went right – and to make adjustments where necessary.

Bev James is CEO of The Academy Group including theEntrepreneurs' Business Academy and EBA for Coaches, joint ventures with James Caan; and The Coaching Academy – the world largest training school for coaches. She is a millionaires' mentor, a serial entrepreneur and author of DO IT! or DITCH IT: Turn Ideas into Action and Make Decisions That Count – 8 Steps to Business Success.