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How To Maintain Your Focus

Published by Kenneth

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Being successful at anything requires many attributes. Persistence, a positive attitude, people skills, and other various traits. Focus is one of the traits that will determine if your journey to success will end early or enable you to see it through. Many people lack focus. How many times have you or someone you know thought of a good idea and maybe even came up with strategies or steps to accomplish a goal and then a few weeks into the plan you stop? It sounded great when you were coming up with the plan, but lack of focus on what you were trying to accomplish caused you to stop doing what was ultimately going to help you accomplish your goals. 

Having focus allows you to continue on toward your goals despite all of the white noise and distractions that life has to offer. It will enable you to continue to do the daily habits and make the little daily decisions to help you get to where you want to be. Focus crushes fear, it undermines distraction and blasts through obstacles. Focus is a major key to success.

So how do you stay focused at the task at hand or your overall career or life goal? Well, there are several ways to help you stay focused. One way that I have found very useful in maintaining my focus has been to use goal cards. I had previously written a post about goal cards that you can read about for more details. Goal cards help you maintain focus by keeping your goals and actions in front of you on a daily basis. You can simply read the goal cards over and over as many times per day as you want. This keeps your mind on what you are trying to accomplish. A very simple yet effective technique!

 Another way to help you stay focused is to have a clear vision of why you are looking to achieve your goals. Put an emotional tie to those goals. Your why should be so strong that it hurts every day that you have not accomplished your goals. Knowing your why and having a clear vision of why you want to accomplish those goals will keep you taking action even when you do not feel like doing anything and would rather sit back, watch a movie and eat popcorn. Instead, you will hear the little voice in your head saying, “take action, go do what you know that you should do.”

Create a mastermind or goal group. Partner with other individuals who have similar goals or are looking to accomplish something similar to what you are striving to accomplish. The power here is that you will now be accountable to someone else other than yourself. If you goal buddy hits their goal and you don’t, then you have not been accountable to that person. Even if you don’t want to do it for yourself, you surely don’t want to let someone else down do you? This is powerful- try it.

Break your big goals into little ones. I’m sure you have heard the saying, “how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” The same is true with you big goals. Break them down into simple, easy to accomplish goals. Maybe your goal is to sell $300k in a fiscal year at your job. Instead of just having $300k on your goal card/board, break down what you would need to sell or do on a daily basis that will lead to the accomplishment of your overall goal. Keep it simple!

Finally, another way to help you maintain focus is to keep your goals to 1-3 at a time. Don’t spread yourself too thin or you will be all over the place trying to accomplish too many goals at one time. If you are chasing too many goals, most times you will be so overwhelmed that you won’t take any action at all. It is best to identify 1-3 goals that you can accomplish and then move on to the next one(s). 

In my 10 Day Blueprint, I have also identified other tips and principles that will help you to accomplish your goals and lead you to your journey to success.

Stay focused and achieve your dreams!

Ken Cloutier

 

 

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Action Is The Key!

Published by Kenneth

Every goal, every dream, and every success that we achieve comes about by action. Most people want success and have a plan on how to achieve that success.They think about everything that they have to do and write down an action plan but fail to do the one thing that will help them get where they want to and that is take action.

The fact is, the very action that brings about success or goal achievement is usually the action that moves people out of their comfort zone. The reason why most people don’t take action is that they do not want to get out of their comfort zone. It is easier to stay put than to put themselves in a position to fail and look bad. The people who are willing to step out of their comfort zone are generally the same people who go on to achieve great success.

So how do you take action if you are somebody who likes to think and ponder before moving forward? I like to describe this as paralysis by analysis. These individuals think about the positives and negatives of their decision but never take any action to make their goals happen. If you fall into this category, here is a way that you can begin to take action but make your thoughts more productive: Have your thoughts always lean toward taking action. In other words, your thoughts should be on how can I achieve these goals rather than all of the obstacles that are in the way of achieving the goals. Take the “how can I?” approach and not the “I can’t!” attitude. 

For those of you that fall into the take action category but don’t really think too far ahead (that is me), make sure that you are not just busy trying to achieve your goals, etc, but that you are productive. We all have 24 hours in a day. Why is it that some people become so successful while others barely get by? It is not just that they are busy taking action to become successful, but they are productive. They are getting results. If your schedule is filled with all sorts of appointments but you are no further along today than you were a month ago, chances are you have just been busy and not productive. Keep this in mind as you are taking action, is your action taking you closer to accomplishing your goals or moving you further away. That is how you can tell if you are just being busy or being productive.

I hope that you are taking action and are willing to move out of your comfort zone. There is so much more outside of your comfort zone than what lies in it, and your success is so much closer to you than you think. Action is the key to making that happen. If you would like some more tips on how you can take action and what kind of actions that you can take to move closer to the success you want, then click here and I will see you on the other side.

To your successful actions!

Ken Cloutier

 

 

Why Network Marketing Makes Sense!

Published by Kenneth

Network Marketing has a long, storied history that dates back to the 1950’s. Over the years it has gotten both good and bad publicity. Recently, however, many people are beginning to understand how Network Marketing can be a very simple and low risk way to make money.

Network Marketing can basically be defined as a company that sells goods or services or both who has distributors that sell the product to the market place via word of mouth. This cuts down the advertising expense to the company and allows the distributor to make the profits that the company would normally use on advertising. The second component to Network Marketing is the ability to add other distributors into their network who do the same thing. When other distributors sell a product, everyone in that network gets a small percentage of the profits. Does this sound familiar? McDonald’s uses the same concept. When Ray Kroc started with McDonald’s, he only had two stores. Understanding the law of duplication, Ray began offering an opportunity to entrepreneurs to purchase a store and he would provide all of the training and supplies. In exchange, the owner of the store was able to keep 98% of the earnings and gave Ray the additional 2%. This was a great deal for both parties involved. The store owner made a lot of money and as more and more stores opened up, Ray made a lot of money. Would your like to have 2% of a million dollars duplicated over and over? That is the essence of Network Marketing. Now that you have an understanding of how Network Marketing works, let’s discuss why it makes sense for the average individual to use it as a way to make money. It is important to understand that Network Marketing is  not for everybody. Then again, what is?

There are tons of Network Marketing companies out there that have many different products. From electronics to phone services to health/consumables and insurance, and many more. It is based on the individual’s preferred product that will help to determine which opportunity is best.

Generally speaking, you are able to purchase products from the company and make money doing it. How neat is it to be able to buy things that you are going to buy anyway and make money back? Think of it as frequent flyer miles that airlines offer. When was the last time that a major supermarket or store in your area actually sent you a check based on a percentage of the products that you had to buy already? Very cool concept, wouldn’t you say? In addition to purchasing your own products, you are now able to sell the products that other people are also already purchasing and using. This allows you to make a profit just like the major stores do that you have been spending your hard earned money with. There is no limit to how much you can sell or earn as it is all word of mouth selling- the best way! Think about the last time that you bought a shirt or a pair of shoes and got complimented. Most likely the person asked you where you bought the shirt or shoes and went to the same store and purchased the shirt, shoes, or even some other clothing. Did the store send you a referral check for the money the new customer spent? Can you see how this works? You put yourself in a position to be able to profit from things that you do already on a daily basis.

Finally, in Network Marketing you are able to offer the same opportunity that you have to others. Notice the word that I used- “offer.” You don’t sell people on getting in business or joining a Network Marketing opportunity, you ID-100105995simply offer it to them as a way to make money. Remember that I said Network Marketing is not for everybody? Some people that you offer the opportunity to are not in a place in their lives where they are looking to create additional income. Maybe they just got a promotion at work or are finishing up a Doctorate degree. Whatever the case may be, they just are not interested in the opportunity. So what? There are millions of other people all over the world that are looking for an opportunity to make money. You just have to sift through people to find the ones
that are serious about making more money. I like to use the example of a waiter or waitress and ketchup. You and another person are at a restaurant and just ordered a burger and fries. The waiter or waitress asks the both of you if you would like some ketchup with your burger and fries. You say no because you don’t like ketchup. Do you think the waiter or waitress takes it personal that you don’t want ketchup? No. They simply ask your friend if they want ketchup and they say yes. It is as simple as that! We all have a circle of influence that would be open to creating some additional money, you just have to ask them.

It is with sincere hope that this article has cleared up any misconceptions or given you a good frame of reference as to what Network Marketing is. It does not matter your educational level, age, or type of job or career that you have. Anyone can use Network Marketing to achieve their financial goals. All that matters for anyone considering a Network Marketing opportunity is that you have a goal in mind and that you are willing to be persistent, work hard in your own business, and can handle rejection.

My wife and I have been part of a Network Marketing business for several years and have successfully helped hundreds of people make money and achieve their financial goals. Just as in anything, there are no guarantees, and please understand that Network Marketing is not a “get rich quick scheme.” Legitimate results requires legitimate effort.

If you are building a Network Marketing business currently, congratulations! Keep at it and don’t ever give up! I wish you the best. If you are looking for a Network Marketing opportunity or just looking for a way to make money in general and would like my help, I would be honored to find out what your goals are and help you to achieve them together. Just click here and I will see you on the other side!

To Your Success!

Ken Cloutier

 

 

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The Importance of Goal Cards

Published by Kenneth

Are you in the pursuit of a goal? Have you set goals in the past that don’t ever seem to really get off the ground, or you forget about them completely only to find out that you have not moved on towards completing your goal?

If you answered yes to any of these situations, you are not alone! Welcome to the world of the ambitious!

Picture this: You have been inspired at a business conference or a work-related workshop and upon leaving you are ready to set the world on fire! You have great goals that you are excited about accomplishing and have a game plan ready to put in place on Monday morning. For the first week you work diligently towards achieving your goals with some successes and some failures. About 2-3 weeks into your journey, you begin to get a little lackadaisical and don’t necessarily follow your game plan like you did the first week. Can you relate to this scenario? Does this sound familiar? “How can I fix this?” you may ask. The answer is really actually quite simple. In fact, it is so simple that some of you reading this will disregard it and keep on being frustrated and wondering why you are not reaching your goals.

The simple answer to this is: Goal cards. Yes, Goal cards.

Goal cards are a simple, yet very effective way of keeping your goals in front of you. The whole premise of goal cards is that you write down exactly what you want to achieve as though it has already happened. For example, if  one of your goals is to make one sale per day, you would write, “I make one sale per day everyday.” Notice the way that this is written? It is not, “I try to make one sale per day everyday.” You must write down your statement and say it as though it has already happened, not that you will try or hope that it happens. There is a very important element at work here by making a statement that you already have what you are seeking.

The element at work is your subconscious mind. You see, your subconscious mind does not know the difference between what is real and what is not. By you stating something that you want as though you already have it, your subconscious mind will do everything possible to make whatever you say happen. So, in the example of, “I will make one sale per day everyday.” When you speak and tell your subconscious mind this statement on a daily basis, your mind will begin to figure out different creative methods or ways to get your goal accomplished.

Writing out the goal cards helps to keep your mind on your goals. By reading your goals out loud several times per day you are programming your subconscious mind to attain them. Making goal cards is very easy. SimplyID-10055007 write out your goals as though you already have them on some index cards and carry them around with you. Write out one statement per card. It may feel funny at first taking index cards out of your pocket and reading them out loud, but after a few days, you will get used to it and it will actually feel pretty good saying positive things about yourself and what you are achieving. I am a huge supporter of goal cards. When my wife and I were looking to hit some goals in our business, we used goal cards and spoke out loud exactly what we wanted to happen and how we wanted our business to come together. Several years later I came across them and it was so cool to see that EVERY single goal that we had written down on the cards came to pass!! It really does work!

I sincerely hope that you do not blow this concept off as some hocus pocus and really make a commitment to use goal cards.

In addition to using goal cards, you may also find my 10 Day Blueprint video series helpful. In this free series, I cover some other key principles to help you on your journey to success.

To your continued success!

Ken Cloutier

 

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Crush Your Fears

Published by Kenneth

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

 

3 Characteristics of Ambitious People

Published by Kenneth

Ambition can be defined as a strong desire for success of any goal through hard work and determination. The great achievers of our time have all had it. Individuals with this quality trait stand out as people who constantly drive towards their goals and dreams .

So what qualities make a person ambitious?

1. Ambitious individuals are always striving towards a goal: Show me a person who is always doing something to achieve their goals and dreams and I will show you an ambitious person. People with this quality are not the type of person to stagnate and sit still. They have an inner clock that is always ticking and signifying that they have to be doing something to move ahead. The goals of the ambitious are like most other people’s; Business goals, family goals, higher education goals, and career goals just to name a few.  The difference with ambitious people is that they will not sit around and wait or expect to achieve these goals. They get up and go after them!

2. They continue to work through setbacks: The ambitious individual will continue to fight towards their goals amid any adversity or setbacks (everyone goes through these). Their goals are that important to them. They persevere; nothing is going to stop them from achieving. The average person would quit and say that it just got too hard or contemplate that they are not worthy or good enough to attain their original goal(s) and therefore settle for something lower that does not take as much effort. Ambitious people don’t have the “settle-for” mentality in their make-up, they only win.

3. Ambitious people always set another goal: Whenever these people hit their goals, they set another one right away. Many ambitious people actually prefer the thrill of the journey of chasing and working towards their goal rather than actually achieving it! They always have to be working towards another level. It is as if they feel empty if they are not striving after another goal. Some people actually look at ambition as a negative! Like they are immoral for having a goal or a dream and call them “materialistic.” The challenge is that they don’t understand the underlying internal satisfaction that the ambitious person has to be in the fight of chasing their goal or dream.

Being ambitious is not just something that you are born with. You can become ambitious at anytime- you must have a goal or find a dream that causes you to take action and you will see the ambition rise within you!

If you are ambitious or have been looking for a way to pursue your goals and dreams, I would like to personally work with you. Just click here and watch a free video.

To your success!

Ken Cloutier

 

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Look good and feel confident

How to Have the Self-Image of a Rockstar

Published by Kenneth

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