failure

Stifle your career and business success

7 Failure Expressions That Will Stifle Your Career and Business

Published by Kenneth

You probably know people who just can’t seem to push ahead in their career or who have never started a business or led large groups of people, they all seem to mimic the same speech patterns. They talk the same negative language. Here are 7 failure expressions that will stifle your career and business that they always use. Identify this negative talk in others, or in yourself, and you’ll find the kink in your business or career growth.

1. “That’s Impossible”

Unsuccessful people are always pointing out what is not possible. They look for the negative in every situation and why something will not work. They will see a business opportunity and look for every reason why it will fail rather than how it can work or benefit them. At work, they sit in boardroom meetings and shoot down every good, out-of-the-box thought or idea and would rather stick to how it has always been done. They lack vision and live in a world of impossibilities; they have a can’t-do attitude and they are sinking their own ship of success.

2. “I can do it by myself”

When you hear someone on your business team or a colleague at work insisting how they can finish a project or can build a business better without any help from other employees or partners, take note: That person is going to slow things down and is ruining the project or growth of his or her business. He or she will not create an atmosphere of success but has only his or her ambition in mind. Ironically enough, unsuccessful people are always those who push their own agenda and don’t see the value of teamwork or other ideas other than their own. That’s the very thing that ruins their career or business. Look for the help or ideas of a mentor or other colleagues to help you reach your goals.

3. “I have a problem with that”

Nitpickers never prosper. Have you ever worked with someone who would always find a problem and then over focus on it? Unsuccessful people will beat the problem to a pulp pointing the finger at any and everyone who could have caused it. They never look at themselves as being part of the problem. Furthermore, they don’t want to solve the problem at hand. Ideas and solutions will be turned down because they are only focused on the problem rather than the solutions. Either work to solve the problem or accept it. Continuing to harp on the issue at hand will only bring the business team or work atmosphere down.

4. “I like my own idea better”

Have you noticed how people at work or in business sometimes like only their own ideas? It is a sign of selfishness and shows an inability to embrace the team objective. Those who like and promote only their own ideas are severely limited, because none of us can achieve success with only our own ideas. Imagine trying to build a company by never entertaining any other ideas? Your company will only grow as far as you can think. We all need to receive differing ideas that we may not have thought about. Collaboration always propels a company forward. In this case, it can propel your career or business forward. 

5. “Let me check my schedule first”

Ah, yes, the “I’m busy” syndrome! If someone always insists on checking his or her schedule for availability, that person is inhibiting their career or business success. It might be a valid excuse, but it could also be a way to avoid being helpful and taking action. In my experience, when someone is always referring to their schedule, it usually means that person is sending a message about being too busy. He or she says, “Let me check ‘my’ schedule” instead of figuring out how they can take the necessary action to accomplish a task or goal. Let’s face it, we are all busy doing something and we all have been granted 24 hours in a day. However, is what you are “so busy” doing getting you closer or further from your goals? Successful people know and understand how to prioritize their schedules so that they can accomplish the things that will help them get to their ultimate goal first, and then arrange to complete the other tasks. Sometimes, it’s better to just jump on an opportunity and worry about reorganizing your priorities and schedule later. Oftentimes, that opportunity that you are too busy for will come to you only once. You may have just missed out on what you were looking for because you were, “too busy!”

6. “You must be wrong about that”

This phrase is a red flag on the road to success because the person saying it is assuming the people he or she works with or partners with don’t know anything; the person believes there is only one “right” person, and it is them! That’s rarely the case. Instead, it’s a sign of success when you admit that you need help. It’s better to accept that others might be right about something and accept your own limitations. This allows for a culture of growth and transparency. Nobody is always right regardless of how many degrees they have. Admit when you are wrong or don’t know something and you will be more respected than if you act like you are the one who is always right. 

7. “I can’t”

Unsuccessful people like to talk about what they can’t do. Starting a business or furthering your career means embracing the fact that there will be countless roadblocks and situations that come up that will seem like you can’t overcome them. Instead, talk about what you can do! People will tell you what is not possible, but when anyone starts using the word can’t, it means trouble. They have given up. Reprogram your mind to help you work around the roadblocks and situations by saying “how can I” instead of saying “I can’t.” This simple rephrasing of words will help you creative juices start flowing and help you come up with solutions to your challenges.

Success in your career or business is just as much about your thought process and speech patterns as it is doing the physical actions to reach your goals. Learn and develop a success thought pattern and speech that will give you the edge over being average to becoming successful. If you utilize the phrases and expressions that I have pointed out, you will separate yourself from the masses of mediocrity and fulfill the goals and visions for your career or business.

For more success thought process, you can get my 10 Day Blueprint where I will send you a video for 10 days on various success principles that you can use in your career or business for maximum impact! Best of all, it is FREE! Grab it now and I will see you on the other side.

To Your Success,

Ken Cloutier

 

 

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4 Success Nuggets

4 Success Nuggets That I Didn’t Learn in School

Published by Kenneth

Growing up and going through grammar school, middle school, high school and even college for four years, there are certain things or 4 nuggets of success that I didn’t learn which are crucial to success in any industry. In all of my years of schooling, about 16 years worth, I had some great teachers who taught me many very valuable life lessons in addition to academics. However, there are key things that my teachers and coaches never taught me about success and achievement until I began being mentored by some very successful business men and women. I wanted to pass some of these hidden nuggets of success on to you! For those of you willing and open to learn, you can utilize these 4 success nuggets for your own use! Some of you may have already been taught these principles. If you have, then congratulations, I hope that they are working for you!

Nugget #1: Failure is positive

Failure is positive if you learn from it! In school, we are taught that a failing grade or getting something wrong is bad. The truth is, the only way to succeed in anything is to fail, learn, adjust and do it again. Any successful businessman, athlete, actor, etc will tell you that they failed more times than they succeeded. We only see the finished product and think that they never had any difficulties or hardships. We fail our way to success! Once you understand that concept, you should not have the fear of failing as long as you learn from it.

Nugget #2: People are key to your success

Have you ever heard of someone being “book smart” or “street smart?” Both can be and are important. However, what I have found is that as long as you know how and where to get the information, being book smart is a bit overrated. Today, with Google and other search engines, you can literally look up information on just about anything. Having people skills and getting along with others is crucial to you success. It isn’t so much what you know as it is who you know! There is no such thing as a “self-made” man or woman. We are the product of the people that we associate with and the books that we read. Yet, in school, it is all about the individual and their book smarts rather than truly learning how to work with others and encouraging them. I didn’t learn the “people skills” necessary to succeed by helping other people until I got connected with other successful business men and women who made their fortunes by helping and working with other people. Like the late Zig Ziglar said, “If you help enough people get what they want, you will get what you want.” Become good at dealing with people, it will be much more satisfying and easier for you to succeed. 

Nugget #3: There are other ways to make money

Now I understand that every single person reading this comes from a different background and upbringing. Some of you reading this may have been taught or raised by your parents, etc. to have an entrepreneurial thought process and own your own business. My father has owned business all of my life. In school, I was taught to get a job. Not one of my teachers/professors ever recommended to start my own business. If anything, they always pointed out the negatives and great risks that you have to take to make it on your own in business. They preached get a job or “career” only. After graduating college, I did what they told me to do and got a job. I quickly learned that a job or career was only going to take me so far and I that was at the mercy of the company business owner to decide how much I would be paid and whether or not I got to keep my job. I don’t know about you, but I do not want my future to be in decided by someone else! What I learned is that you can make money multiple ways; through a job/career, owning your own brick and mortar business, or through a business system. A business system is powerful because you can duplicate yourself. Why is McDonald’s so profitable? It is not because they make the best burgers in town, but because virtually very city and town has a McDonald’s. Each store makes money and when you add it all up, McDonald’s makes billions of dollars. Imagine being able to have 100 of you going to different jobs and you get to keep the profit! That is the power of duplication. I didn’t learn that in school!

Nugget #4: Your thoughts and words are powerful

Probably the biggest nugget that I did not learn in school was how powerful our words and thoughts are. I did not learn how to control my thoughts and think positive. This is also known as having a positive mental attitude. There was no teaching about having positive expectations in my abilities or outcomes of situations; that it was all up to chance. What we think and speak about ourselves can either have a positive or negative impact on us. If you always say, like I did, that, “I am bad at Math,” then how do you expect to be good at Math. Instead, the teacher should have stopped me right there and corrected me and made me say that, “I am good at Math!” I have since learned that what I think and what I say about myself and others has an impact on my success. It is very difficult to succeed in a negative frame of mind. Have you ever seen or heard of someone saying that they are no good at something and then go out and become successful at the very thing they said they were not good at? Watch your words and your thoughts.

As I wrap up, I would like to thank all of my teachers and coaches for the positive influences that they have had on my life. The fact that I did not learn the above success nuggets in school does not necessarily mean that they did not want to teach them to me and my fellow students, but they may simply not have known these principles. I was very fortunate to have found the business team that has mentored me and changed my thought process and life for the better!

If you would like to learn more about our business team and what we do and teach, visit my Join a Winning Team page. This will help us to understand what you are looking for in a mentor and a business opportunity. Please understand that what we do is not for everyone. In fact, we really only want to work with serious, ambitious people who are truly looking to learn how to become successful, and are not looking for handouts! This may sound harsh, but I want to make sure that you know what you will be getting from us! I look forward to connecting with you.

To Your Success!

Ken Cloutier

 

 

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Success is similar to baseball

How Success is similar to Baseball

Published by Kenneth

Baseball is a great game full of rich history and countless memorable moments. It is enjoyed by people of all ages, both young and old, men and women, and by many different cultures. I had the privilege of playing baseball all through my college career and loved it. I was talking to an older gentleman the other day who heard me making some prospect business calls. On one particular call, the prospect that I was speaking to said that they were not open to other ways of making money. When I hung up I made the comment, “Next!” The older gentleman said to me, “keep punching and don’t give up!” We went on to talk about baseball; the upcoming season and how much money some players are making who have had both good and bad years. It was at that point that I thought about how Success is very similar to  Baseball!

How Success is similar to Baseball…

Baseball is one of the few sports where you actually fail more times than you succeed! How crazy does that sound? In Football if a quarterback completes less than 50% of his passes, he is said to not be an accurate quarterback. Basketball is the same way. In baseball If a player gets a base hit 3 times out of 10 he is considered a very good hitter. Think about that, he gets a base hit only 30% of the time. The rest of the time he either strikes out or hits the ball to a defender who catches it for an out. Furthermore, the player who hits .300 will make millions of dollars compared to the player who only hits .200. Do you realize that the difference in the number of times the two players get a hit in 10 chances is 1? One player makes millions while the other player struggles to stay in the Major Leagues. The only difference is literally one hit more! Success is similar to baseball in that you will fail more times than you succeed. There is no other way around it. The problem is that we are taught at a young age that failure is not a good thing. When you were in school, you got graded A, B, C, D, and F. “F” was a failing grade that everyone tried to avoid. But is getting an F really a failure? What if you still learned something? You did not really fail, but you learned something that will enable you to keep progressing to eventually get something other than an “F.” It is in the failures that we learn the most. Failure makes us step back and really evaluate what we are doing and gives us the opportunity to make adjustments for improvements. The people who don’t succeed are the ones who quit because the failure was too much for them and they wanted success to happen quicker. The reality is that people succeed by failing their way there! They fail and then learn from it, or as some people say: try, fail, and adjust.

If star baseball players can fail 7 out of 10 times and still have a great attitude and love for the game, can you fail, pick yourself up, and keep on moving towards your dreams?

I know you can!

Don’t forget to grab my FREE 10 Day Blueprint video series to learn more success principles that will help you in business, career, and life! See you there!!

To Your Success,

Ken Cloutier

 

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12 Things Mentally Tough People DO NOT DO

Published by Kenneth

Being mentally tough is essential for success in any endeavor. I have outlined some actions that mentally tough individuals DO NOT DO. Are you avoiding these 12 things?

Mentally Tough People DO NOT…

1. Waste Time Feeling Sorry for Themselves: You don’t see mentally tough people feeling sorry for their circumstances or dwelling on the way that they have been mistreated. They have learned to take responsibility for their actions and outcomes, and they have an inherent understanding of the fact that, many times life is not fair. They are able to emerge from difficult circumstances with self-awareness and gratitude for the lessons learned.

2. Give Away Their Self-Esteem: Mentally tough people avoid giving others the power to make them feel inferior or bad. They understand they are in control of their actions and emotions. They know their strength is in their ability to manage the way they respond and maintain a positive self-esteem regardless of what is being said.

3. Fight Change: Mentally tough people embrace change and they welcome challenge. Their biggest “fear,” if they have one, is not of the unknown, but of becoming complacent and stagnant. An environment of change and even uncertainty can energize a mentally strong person and bring out their best. They are always looking for change and how they can improve upon the status quot.

4. Waste Time or Energy on Things They Can’t Control: Mentally tough people don’t complain about the news, weather, or other people. They recognize that all of these factors are generally beyond their control. In a bad situation, they understand that the only two things that they can control is their own actions and attitude.

5. Worry About Pleasing Others: Do you know people who are always looking to please others and do not want to “rock-the-boat? A mentally tough person strives to be kind and fair and to please others when necessary, but is unafraid to speak up and state their case even if it is the minority. They are able to withstand the possibility that someone will get upset and will handle the situation, wherever possible, with care and understanding.

6. Fear Taking Calculated Risks: A mentally tough person is willing to take calculated risks. This is a different thing entirely than jumping headlong into foolish risks and chances. With mental toughness, an individual can weigh the risks and benefits thoroughly, and assess the potential downsides and even the worst-case scenarios before they take action.

7. Dwell on the Past: There is strength in acknowledging the past and especially in acknowledging the things learned from past experiences—but a mentally tough person is able to avoid staying in a rut of previous disappointments or past histories. They invest the majority of their energy in creating a future that they want!

8. Make the Same Mistakes Over and Over: You have hear the definition of insanity, right? It’s doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. A mentally tough person accepts full responsibility for past behavior and is willing to learn from mistakes. They use self-reflection as a way of learning from their mistakes and moving on.

9. Become Jealous of Other People’s Success: It takes strength of character to feel genuine joy and excitement for other people’s success. Mentally tough people have this ability. They don’t become jealous or resentful when others succeed. They are willing to work hard for their own chances at success, without relying on shortcuts.

10. Give Up After Failure: Every failure is a chance to improve and learn. Every great entrepreneur will tell you that they experience many failures until success was reached. Mentally tough people are willing to fail again and again, if necessary, as long as the learning experience from every “failure” can bring them closer to their ultimate goals.

11. Feel the World Owes Them Anything: In today’s unstable economy, executives, employees, and entrepreneurs at every level are coming to grips with the realization that the world does not owe them a salary, a benefits package and a comfortable life, regardless of their scholastic skills or last name. Mentally tough people enter the market place prepared to work and succeed on their own skills and ability. In fact, they want to “earn” what they get!

12. Expect Results Overnight: Whether it’s a workout plan, a diet, or starting a business, mentally tough people are prepared to run a marathon towards success. They understand that immediate results do not always happen and that there is a process to go through; a beginning, middle, and an end. They apply their effort and time persistently and consistently celebrating incremental successes along the way. They understand that sowing and reaping is a real, active success principle. 

Do you have mental toughness? How have you overcome some of these obstacles in your life? Please comment.

If you are mentally tough and have been looking for a way to go after YOUR dreams, contact me and we can discuss how we can help you!

To Your Success!

Ken Cloutier

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Why Success Is Exciting

Published by Kenneth

I heard a great quote the other day from a former Major League Baseball coach. He was asked a question about the pressure of coaching in the World Series and the decisions that he had to make throughout the series. His response was, “It’s not exciting to succeed unless there is the danger of failing.” 

That statement is so profound. We all want everything we do to be a success, right? We want every prospect to purchase a product from us, we want everyone that we speak with to partner in business with us, we want to make an “A” on every term paper, and we want to get that next job promotion. If we succeeded at every single thing that we attempted, as cool as that may seem, I think that we would begin to get bored with life. It is the “danger” of failing that makes it fun to attempt to become successful at something. When you do succeed, the feeling of victory is so much sweeter knowing that you overcame obstacles and faced failure and kicked it in the butt! 

Embrace failure. Let it motivate you to become better. Although failure is part of the success process, don’t let it stop you from becoming great. Get excited about your journey to success; the ups and downs, the highs and lows. You will have your own story to tell. Nobody wants to hear someone talk about how they just succeed at everything that they tried and had no struggles or failures. Be the example that other people can point to when they talk about success; know that there is a danger of failing, but succeed anyway!

Learn how I can help you to make money and fire your boss!  See you on the other side!

To Your Success-

Ken Cloutier

 

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Do You Have A Mindset For Business Success?

Published by Kenneth

Every significant endeavor or business plan has a beginning– it comes from the mind, the source where every activity flows from.

Before you jump onto “Success Interstate”, one of the first things that you must prepare is your mindset.

What does it mean to create the right mindset for success? Here are a few suggestions:

•Making money in ANY business is NOT a get rich quick scheme. You don’t just get in business and have money deposited into your bank account. It takes hard work and dedication to keep pressing forward in order to profit.

•You must spend some time educating yourself in your business or endeavor. Simply picking up a couple of books will not make you an expert in your field or market. Study others who have already succeeded in what you are trying to do. This takes some time and effort. After all, how long did it take you to get your university degree?

•Invest time for trial and error. No one gets it ‘right’ on the first try. Be ready for setbacks and failures, but learn from them and then get up off the canvas and battle again!

•You will deal with negative people who will try to tear your dream and goals down. There are many people who are too scared to step out and try something different. By you attempting something great, you make them uncomfortable and take away all of their excuses to try and succeed. In turn, they will try to drag you down with them to make themselves feel better. Some of the resistance will come from your friends, close relatives, co-workers, or even your BOSS! If you do not have the right mindset and persistence to keep pushing forward, they will steal your dream.

•Be like a dog on a bone- be ready to be “in it to win it!” Like in any business, if you are not prepared for the long haul with the peaks and valleys of business, you will quit midway because you have put in a half-hearted effort to succeed. Keep this thought in mind when things get tough: How badly do you want success?

Commit yourself to developing your mindset for success and enjoy the journey on “Success Interstate!”

To your success,
Ken Cloutier

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Ways to Overcome the Fear of Rejection

Published by Kenneth

How many times as a child did you hear the word “no”? I am guessing that it was hundreds if not thousands of times. When you were at the store and asked your mom for that sleek red Matchbox car or the newest Barbie doll you constantly heard no, no, no! But as a young child, you did not see the word  no as a roadblock,  but instead you would keep on asking until you got the one word that we wanted to hear…”yes”

So why is it now that you are all grown up you fear hearing the word no? What changed from when you were young and essentially ignored the no’s and continued to ask questions until you got the yes that you were searching for?

I am reminded of a great example of this. As I was reading a book at a coffee shop, a young girl of about the age of five was selling some candy for a fund-raiser. I observed as she approached each “stranger” with enthusiasm and asked if they would like to buy some candy. She got no after no but continued to walk to each table as if it were the first time asking the question. How was she able to do this at the age of five, yet each of us from 25, 35, 45, and above could never think of doing such a thing?

The reason is that the little girl did not care or worry about what other people thought about her! Think about that for a moment. Why is it that you were afraid of making that sales call to the CEO of the client that you were trying to get business from? Or why do so many people not like to speak in front of others and seem to forget their names when speaking publicly? It’s simple: you care about what others think about you and you do not want to look like a fool to them. We all tend to try to compare the good qualities of others with the not so good qualities of ourselves.

So how do you overcome that fear of worrying about what others think about you and  raise your self-image?

1. Start a self development program of reading books that help you to understand that you are a one of a kind, special person- there is no other you out there! Some great titles that helped me are, What to Say When you Talk To Yourself by Shad Helmstetter and  The greatest Miracle in the World by Og Mandino.

2. The “mirror technique”- When I first did this I thought it was real crazy and weird. What you do is look at the person in the mirror (you) and start to say great things about yourself. Things like: “you are a winner”, “you are successful”, “you are going places”, etc. There is something special that happens when you can look yourself in your eyes and speak positive!

3. Look at rejection not as a failure, but as a step closer to success! In the book Go for No pointed out that most people view rejection as:

Failure <—–You—–>Success

You either fail or succeed.

But if your view Failure as a passing through point, it is easy to accept because you know you are closer to succeeding and don’t worry what others think. It looks like this:

You—–>Failure—–>Success!! You literally fail your way to success.

So how do you overcome your fear of rejection? Raise your self-image and understand that rejection is a stepping stone for success. If you use the techniques and resources that I have provided to you, watch as you move forward towards your goals and dreams with a pep in your step!

I would love to get feedback from you and even hear how you overcame some of your fears of rejection.

To your Success!!

Ken Cloutier

 

 

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