Time for change

Why Successful People Embrace Change (And You Should, Too!)

Insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. Have you heard that before? Many have, yet that is precisely what they do. The same things over and over expecting different results only to find themselves in the same position and unhappy. The only way to break that insane cycle is to change something! Most people hate change because it takes them out of their comfort zone of what they already know. They don’t want to feel exposed or threatened with something that they have not experienced. It is simply the fear of the unknown.

Breaking through this fear of the unknown is exactly how someone can get out of the insanity cycle. They have to be willing to change! With change, anxiety, fear, and mistakes will be felt. However, with change, excitement, adventure, and confidence will obtained. When you overcome the fear of change through takng action, you will see challenges that you had before in a whole new light. If you thought that you could never speak in front of people and then you make changes to your attitude and thought process all while taking action, talking in front of people is no longer a big deal. The key here is that you have to decide to make the changes in order to get different results. We feel like we are already a good person and therefore, don’t need to change. Or perhaps you have a “Well, that is just who I am” attitude. The question that you need to ask yourself is, “Am I happy with where I am at?” If you are happy, then maybe you don’t need to change. If you are not happy with whatever it is in your life, then change is needed and do it now!

The change that is required of you is based on what you want to change the results of. For example, If you are sick and tired of living paycheck to paycheck, you need to change your income options. You would either need to make more money at your job, get another job paying more money, or make some money outside and away from your job. Whatever you decide is fine, but you have to do something. The extra money will not magically just show up in your bank account. It will require a conscious decision from you to make one of these options mentioned above happen.

Don’t be afraid to change. In fact, change is a good thing! It allows us to learn new concepts and ideas, experience new situations and environments. The only way to grow is to change. You cannot expect to move further in your career, be a better family person, or make a difference in the world if you are not willing to change who you are today. My mentor always says that you are either growing or dying, but never staying in the same place. Only you can decide to change.

If you would like to work with us to learn how you can grow and change financially through a business opportunity, click here and let us help you!

 To Your Success,

Ken Cloutier

 

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12 Things Mentally Tough People DO NOT DO

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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Feed Your Dream, Not Your Fears

The choice is yours; you can either feed your dream and take action or feed your fears and remain where you are. I see many people who want more out of life, whether it be to start a business, go back to school, or pursue a hobby that they have always wanted to do.
Fear is one of the main hindrances for people in our society today. They don’t know how to cope, and therefore overcome their fears. Some people have a fear of speaking to other people, some have a fear of the unknown; not willing to take a risk, and, as crazy as it sounds, some people have fear of success! 

There are many ways to cope with fear that I have written about in other posts on my blog. For this particular entry, I am focusing on your dreams and desires rather than the fear that is preventing you from achieving your dreams. When you focus on your goals and dreams, you are able to flood positive thoughts to you mind. When you mind is focused on the positive, good results will follow. You will begin to take action towards your goals and dreams which is where everything starts. Ways to focus on your dream can include associating with others who have similar goals and dreams, taking pictures or hanging pictures of your goals, actually seeing your goals; test drive a car, take a tour of a multimillion dollar home, etc. The key here is to be so consumed with your goals and dreams that it becomes emotional and you can already see yourself as having what you desire. It really is as simple as that, you either acknowledge your fears or acknowledge your dreams. I pray that you choose the latter!

If you are looking for a vehicle that can help you to achieve your dreams, or just create some extra cash to help you on your way, watch this video of my wife and I and you can see how we have been able to pursue our dreams!

We will see you on the other side!

To Your Success!

Ken Cloutier

 

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Crush Your Fears

Fear is something every human experiences. Some fears have been ingrained in us at birth; the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. Every other fear that we have is a learned event. Even the most successful people that you can think of have certain fears and doubts. What made many of these people successful is how they overcame their fears and pressed on towards their goals.

So how do they do it? Can you think of a fear or doubt that has held you back from achieving your goals and dreams? What led you to that fear and what have you done to overcome it? The good news is that If you understand what causes fear, it is possible to overcome the fear and move forward!

Let’s start with what fear actually is. Fear is: False Evidence Appearing Real. Yes that’s right, fear is actually all in your mind. Many fears that you or I have is actually actions played out negatively in our minds. Let’s say that you are “fearful” of talking to people that you don’t know or starting a conversation. When you think about how to start a conversation, all you think about is “what if the person does not want to talk to me?” or “what if the person ignores me and I look foolish?” You play out all of the negative outcomes in your head and then do not talk to the person. In order to destroy that false thought process, you should change your thought process to “what if I talk to that person and we hit it off?…I have made a new friend, possibly a best friend!” It is all about having positive expectations that good things will happen when you take action. Whenever you are faced with a fear, the first thing to do is to change your thought process and start thinking of the positive outcomes rather than the negative ones.

So now that you have changed your thought patterns about your fear and the negative actions associated with it, the next step in overcoming your fear is taking action. I’m sure that you have heard this before that action cures fear. It’s true!

When you take action against your fear, you will find out that what you feared so much was all in your head and everything works out just fine. It is like the Wizard of Oz- there is nothing behind the curtain! Let’s re-visit the earlier example of talking to someone new or starting a conversation. If you take action and go ahead and break the ice with a stranger, more times than not, they will give you a positive response and you will realize that you had nothing to fear after all. Action cures fear!!

 Each time you take action against the very thing you fear, it will get easier and easier. Think about the first time you learned how to swim. Chances are you were a little bit afraid of the water and did not want to let go of your mom or dad for fear of drowning. However, once you began to learn how to float and swim, your fear of drowning went away. Now you are doing flips off of the diving board and have not one thought about drowning or being afraid of the water. Action cures fear!! Having fear is a natural human element. Many people let fear hold them back from becoming all that they were meant to be. Don’t let fear knock you down. Look fear right in the eyes and do the very thing that you are afraid of. When you face your fear and take action, you will begin to feel better about yourself and your confidence goes up. Who would not want to feel better about themselves and be all that they were meant to be? Destroy your fear!

Oh, and did I mention, Action cures fear!

For more of my success strategies, check out my FREE 10 Day Blueprint video series.

To you Success!

Ken Cloutier

 

Look good and feel confident

How to Have the Self-Image of a Rockstar

Self-Image is the single most important aspect of our lives. The best analogy for this is that our Self-Image is like our central nervous system to our body. It controls everything about us. To know the importance of this is critical because your business, career, relationships, and anything else in your life will never outgrow your Self-Image!  I am going to outline 12 different points on how you can have the Self-Image of a Rockstar!

1. Appearance: When you look good, you feel good! Put on that sharp shirt with dress pants and look in the mirror and you feel like a million bucks don’t you? We have all done that before. When you feel good about how you look, your Self-Image will go up and you will walk and talk with greater confidence.

This can also translate over to your vehicle or home. Keeping a dirty car where you have old french fries from two months ago or a messy house is a very good indicator on how you perceive yourself. Don’t you get a great feeling when you get into your clean car regardless of  how old it is or walk into your clean fresh smelling house? Clean up and feel good!

2. Posture: You can increase your Self-Image simply by how you carry yourself. Walk with your chest out and your chin up; like you own the room. Sit upright and uncross your arms. These are all ways in which you can not only raise your Self-Image, but also show others and attract people to you because you have that air of confidence. Study the way successful people you know carry themselves. When was the last time you saw a successful person walking with their shoulders slumped and looking down at their shoes? They all have a posture about them; usually a brisk walk like they are going somewhere- which they are!

Another key aspect of posture is looking people in their eyes. I don’t mean the type of stare where you don’t blink, but looking at people in the eyes when you are talking to them or listening. It amazes me how many people that do not look me in the eyes when I speak with them. Instantly I know that they have a bit of a Self-Image issue.

Speak with confidence. Doesn’t it drive you nuts when you are trying to converse with somebody who has no confidence and they are speaking with little more than a slight mumble? You have to keep asking them to re-state what they just said until you get so sick of it you start nodding your head as if you actually are hearing them. Speak loud and bold so that others can hear you. You may ask “What if I say something wrong?” Who cares!! At least you said it with confidence!

3. Be on time: Nothing shows more disrespect for somebody’s time than showing up late. It also has a negative impact on your Self-Image. It may not seem like a big deal, but you know the feeling that I am talking about; you arrive at a meeting late and open the door and all of the heads turn to you and you reply- “I’m sorry that I am late.” Your Self-Image just took a hit. Be accountable. Leave for your appointment a few minutes early and arrive 5-10 minutes before- even family events. By your actions you are saying “I feel good about myself and care about our appointment.”

4. Manage your money well: This can be tied back into #3 about being accountable. Make sure you are aware of your money and paying your bills, etc. on time. When all of your bills are paid for and you are accountable, you will feel better about yourself. I can remember getting call after call from bill collectors about money that I owed. Needless to say when I got off the phone I didn’t exactly feel good. I felt lower than a pregnant ant! If you have made a commitment to pay for something or give money to someone for an event or tickets, etc- pay them. Guilt will lower your Self-Image.

5. Do what you are supposed to do consistently: We all have responsibilities in our lives and are being pulled in a thousand different directions from our family to careers to friends. Many times we do not want to do what we know we should or have to do. Resisting the temptation to put these things off and doing them even when we don’t feel like it will enhance your Self-Image. Have you started a work out regimen or gone on a diet recently? The first couple of weeks when you work out you feel tired and sore; not really the combination that screams to go to the gym! After a couple of weeks of consistently going to the gym, you actually change your perspective on working out. You feel as though you can’t go a day without working out! The same is true with dieting or cutting out sugar. The first few days/weeks are miserable but then you get to the point where you don’t even crave or want sugar. If you don’t do the things you should do or are not overcoming obstacles, your Self-Image will go backward. Remember, Success = Right Habits!

6. Progressive Goals: Another way to increase your Self-Image is to have progressive goals. These are goals that you increase every month. For example, if you are in sales your progressive goals may be to increase your monthly sales by X%. It may be that you are able to run for 2 miles before you get tired and your goal for next month would be to run 4 miles. These continual goals helps you to move forward and develop the habit of winning which will raise your Self-Image!

7. Pay the full price not the minimum price: Paying a price and overcoming obstacles will raise your Self-Image. Going through struggles will help you to see what you are made of. Too many people look to take the short cut or the paved road of simplicity only to find out that the reward was little to nothing. See how productive you can be- test yourself and you will be surprised how far you can go. Keep in mind that your reward is directly proportioned to the price you pay. The bigger the price, the bigger the reward. Increase your price and you will increase your Self-Image!

8. Don’t speak negative about yourself: Do you cringe like me whenever you hear someone say I can’t do this or I’m not good at that? I hate it! Never speak negative about yourself. Our brains are the greatest computer ever created. It can formulate ideas and solve problems in fractions of a second. However, it is easily programmed to listen to and accept any negative things we say about ourself. Our brain can not decipher whether or not you mean what you say but it takes everything we say to it literally. When you say things like “I am not good with people” or “I can’t remember names” you are programming yourself to do just that. It is just as easy to say that you are good with people or you are good at remembering names. Take the lid off of your capabilities and believe in yourself; this will raise your Self-Image. Speak positive about yourself and your brain will have nothing else to do but have you feeling good about you.

9. Spend time with people that have better Self-Images than you: Get around other individuals who have a high Self-Image. It may be a little bit intimidating at first, but the results will be well worth it. By getting around confident people, you can study how they dress, walk, speak, carry themselves, hear what they talk about, and most importantly, see what they don’t talk about. If you model people with a higher Self-Image than you, your Self-Image will go up as you start adopting their habits and attitudes.

10. Realize that action is the only thing that cures fear: Do what you fear a lot and you will get good at it. You may say that “I can’t talk in front of people.” Well for starters, refer back to topic #8, but how do you know you can’t unless you try it and work at it. Many people were raised to think that if it hurts or feels uncomfortable, stop doing it. My mentor has always said that pain is weakness leaving the body. If you start taking action on what you fear, your Self-Image will rise.Change is taking deliberate, proactive action outside of your comfort zone. Make the changes today and watch your Self-Image soar!

11.  Self-education: Self improvement education goes a long way to increasing and maintaining your Self-Image. I recommend reading positive books and listening to positive audios. Books change you from the inside out. It is like having a personal conversation with the author on how great you are and how you can improve yourself. Audios on the other hand, can help to program your thoughts and attitudes. Be careful what you allow into your mind. Lyrics to songs can be a hindrance to your Self-Image. The beat may be good, but if the song is speaking of negative things or when you sing along with the song, you are putting yourself down, your Self-Image will go down as well. Remember, your brain can not tell the difference- it only acts on the words that you tell it.

12. Build other people’s Self-Image: Build the Self-Image of others around your daily. Notice the little things about someone such as a nice shirt that they are wearing, or maybe they spoke up and made a good point in a meeting that you admired. Your Self-Image will go up when you look for positive qualities in others because you will work to look for the positive in yourself; it becomes a habit! When you serve others, your Self-Image goes up. So take your eyes off of yourself and put it on others.

It is with sincere hope that this article has helped you in some way. Whether you had a very low Self-Image before you read this post, or you were just trying to see how you can improve the good Self-Image you currently have, you must continue to work on yourself on a daily basis.

You may be overwhelmed and thinking how can I possibly do all 12 of these things to improve my Self-Image. My recommendation to you is to start with 1 or 2 topics at a time and work on them for several days until you feel that you have made progress. Then move on to another set. Your Self-Image did not form over night and therefore, will not change over night either. Take it a day at a time and bit by bit you will feel better about yourself.

I do not claim to be the Self-Image guru and, like everyone else, I battle and have to continually work on my Self-Image. When you understand and implement the tools and strategies that I have spelled out above, it is a battle you can be confident of winning!

Please share with me strategies and/or stories of how you have raised your Self-Image! I would love your feedback.

To your Success!

Kenneth Cloutier

Ways to Overcome the Fear of Rejection

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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