Mindset & Motivation Archives - Page 3 of 3

8 Ways You Can Use Body Language to Influence People

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Did you know that majority of your success comes down to what your body language says?

Alex “Hitch” Hitchens (Will Smith’s dating guru character in the movie Hitch) said “60% of all human communication is nonverbal body language; 30% is your tone, so that means 90% of what you’re saying ain’t coming out of your mouth”- now that sounds pretty spot on because Whenever two people are communicating to each other face-to-face, most of the communication is actually happening through body language.

It’s a highly known fact that your posture, facial expressions, gestures and even tone of voice When properly used, can actually be your key to achieving success because it can help you grow business relationships, influence people and telegraph power and authority. Here are ten tips on how to use body language to project confidence, charisma, and authority.

Maintain eye contact

Maintaining positive eye contact is very important so that the person you’re talking to can see how sincere and transparent you are. You want the other person to see that you’re 100% confident with what you’re saying and that all your cards are on the table – you have nothing to hide.

Lower the pitch of your voice

The pitch of your voice can sometimes determine how confident you are. People with higher-pitched voices are usually seen as anxious, skittish or high-strung – it gives the vibe that you’re trying to be more confident by drowning out other people’s voices. Just keep it low, calm and collected – that gives off a much better vibe.

Keep your posture erect

Hav you noticed that tall, commanding people look a lot more powerful than the average Joe? That’s because status, authority, and charisma gets nonverbally displayed if you’ve got a great posture. Erect postures and heads held high make you look like you’re a person of power and substance so you’re more likely to influence people’s decisions.Even if you’re sitting down, you can improve your posture by placing both your feet flat on the floor and widening your arms away from your body.

Minimize nervous gestures

Nervous gestures such as being fidgety, twirling your hair or drumming your fingers on the desk shows that you have no confidence in what you’re saying. if at any point you find yourself doing any of these things you need to just relax yourself and take a breather because looking nervous doesn’t do you any favours.

Try to use open gestures

Using open gestures are a great way to show that you are a credible, confident and transparent person. If you have your arms crossed or your hands were hidden away, it usually gives off the vibe that you’re trying to hide something. Relax your movements and don’t be afraid to show the palms of your hands – that makes you seem more warm, personable and trustworthy. If you’re seated, try to keep your legs and arms uncrossed at all times and try to keep your legs far apart and your shoulders back. Try not to lean forward, lean back instead – leaning forward makes you look more eager than usual.

The power of pausing

Pausing every now and then while you’re talking is an effective way of telegraphing confidence – even better if you can mix your pauses with a smoldering look. For example, you might say, “I think this software will definitely boost your business because of its incredible features… (pause and look into the other person’s eyes with a smoldering look)…What do you think?” Focus on short pauses not long pauses because long pauses can actually affect communication negatively, but it’ll have a positive effect as long as it’s not too long. Pausing gives the other person you are speaking to an actual moment to digest what you just said, making the information much clearer for them to …

Smile like a boss

Let’s face it, people love warm, happy faces. Smiling at someone gives off the vibe that you are personable, genuine and totally approachable. Have you ever noticed that if you smiled at someone there’s a huge probability that the other person will smile back? The human brain prefers smiling face because it gives off the trustworthy vibe.

Solid handshake

A powerful handshake is something worth practicing again and again because most people can appear to look more authoritative and credible if they have a great handshake. When you make palm to palm contact with someone try to give a firm handshake and match the hand pressure the other person is applying as closely as possible. Try not to crush his hands – dominating someone is not a great way of winning them over.

In conclusion

Body language is a language without actual spoken words hence why it’s called non-verbal communication. We use it all the time socially and especially in our businesses and careers.

Facial expressions, body movements small gestures, and even straight posture, can all convey a message or add something to it. Keep in mind that while these tips are a good general guide for interpreting body language, it’s crucial to remember that all these tips won’t necessarily apply to every single person.

The Power Of A Strong Mindset: 3 Steps to Achieve Any Goal

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If you’re not going anywhere with your life then it’s probably because you haven’t set proper goals to follow.

When it comes to building a business or excelling in your chosen field, the first step is always to set a clear and specific goal that you really want to achieve.

Walt Disney, for example, is a great example of a goal setter. He was fired from his first job because apparently, he lacked imagination.He became bankrupt at one stage and had around 300 banks turn down his idea for a Walt Disney theme park. But that didn’t stop him from sticking to his goal and doing whatever it takes to make his dream a reality. Fast forward to today, Disney is a billion dollar company with Disneyland theme parks all over the world.

He once quoted “To some people, I am kind of a Merlin who takes lots of crazy chances, but rarely makes mistakes. I’ve made some bad ones, but, fortunately, the successes have come along fast enough to cover up the mistakes. When you go to bat as many times as I do, you’re bound to get a good average.”

Michael Jordan is another great example of a great goal setter. During his sophomore year, he didn’t make the cut to the varsity basketball team because of his height and apparently he just wasn’t good enough yet. After he got cut he worked twice as hard until he finally made the cut and beat everyone else.

Jordan is the type of person that when he sets a goal, he’s going to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. He was determined to be the best basketball player of all time and he worked harder than everyone else around him because he was that committed to becoming the best. Fast forward to today and he still remains to be the greatest player of all time.

He once quoted “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” He also said, “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.”

Setting goals can be very powerful as long as you stick to what you want to achieve and envision your success. So now the big question is, how do you create compelling goals?

Figure out why you want to achieve your goals

You need to ask yourself: Am I setting this goal for myself?

How would you feel once you’ve achieved your goal?

Whether it’s earning money for your family or wanting success to improve your station in life, you need to figure out why you want to achieve your goals to give you that sense of purpose. How will achieving your goal affect you as a person?

Knowing the purpose of your goal is what’s going to keep you going and totally focussed on what you want to achieve in life. As long as you know why you’re doing whatever it is you’re doing then you’ll be able to focus long and hard enough to achieve your goals.

Don’t focus too much on the outcome

If you’ve already created your goal then you need to stick to it may it hail or shine. It may seem impossible at the moment because you’re just a small fish in an ocean full of big fishes, but as long as you have that inner belief that you’ll eventually get to where you want to be then you’ll be totally in control of your destiny. It’s the mentality that whatever happens, you’ll succeed eventually. It may not happen overnight but eventually, it will happen.

A number of people give up at the early stages especially when the tough times hit, that’s because they look at their long-term goals, realize how massive it is and tell themselves “there’s no way I can reach that level” or “I’m not equipped enough to make it to that level.” What you need to do is start small, and take baby steps. Focusing way too hard on the big picture might discourage you. If you take it one step at a time you’ll get there slowly but surely.

Repeat your goals over and over again

Repetition is the key to achieving success in life.

You can’t just create a goal and look at it as a one-time thing and that’s it. If you want to achieve success then you need to keep drilling your goals in your head repeatedly. The more you sound like a broken clock, the faster you’ll get to your destination.

3 Powerful Visualization Techniques Visualization Techniques To Manifest Your Desired Outcomes

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What do you think is the difference between a dreamer and a doer?

One word: confidence.

Let’s face it, if you’re confident that you’ll eventually achieve your goals because you are willing to do whatever it takes to get there then you will no doubt achieve it. However, if you’re not confident about yourself and you don’t think your plans will pan out then you won’t really feel the need to take any steps to achieve your goals.

Confidence is the key to making something of yourself. It’s having the inner confidence that whatever happens around you, may it hail or shine, your confidence remains rock hard. If you believe in yourself that you will eventually achieve your goals, you’ll reach it. One of the most effective ways of achieving your goals is through Effective Visualization.

So what is Effective Visualization?

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a big-time celebrity who used the power of visualization to achieve his bodybuilding goals.

Schwarzenegger didn’t just go to the gym every day and worked out, he actually visualized his success. He said “I had this fixed idea of growing a body like Reg Park’s. The model was there in my mind; I only had to grow enough to fill it… The more I focused in on this image and worked and grew, the more I saw it was real and possible for me to be like him.”

Schwarzenegger conditioned his mind and convinced himself that he was capable of achieving his goal, he firmly believed that he would be able to do it and that’s exactly what happened.

He also said, “What you do is create a vision of who you want to be — and then live that picture as if it were already true.”

This is the power of Effective Visualization.

You need to visualize your desired result over and over again as if it had already taken place. There’s no room in your head for doubting yourself and your capabilities because if you do this, you are unconsciously sabotaging your success.

Effective Visualization is a technique that’ll help you get over the barrier of self-doubt. You need to visualize and actually see yourself achieving your goals and you need to envision how you’re going to do it in the most detailed manner as possible. The more you visualize your success, the more it’ll transcend to reality because the power of the mind, if harnessed the right way can make a huge impact in your life.

What do you think is the difference between a successful person and a loser?

It’s two words: mind power.

The big reason why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer because the rich people have such a powerful mindset – they are willing to do whatever it takes to get to the top and they can see themselves right at the top even though they’re not even there yet. They condition their minds over and over again to the fact that no matter what happens, they will eventually achieve the results they want.

Here are four effective Visualization techniques you might want to implement in your life:

Be in the moment

If for example, you have a meeting with some prospective sponsors, visualize yourself going to the meeting and winning that pitch. What do the potential sponsors look like?

What does the meeting place look like?

Can you picture the surroundings?

Can you hear their voices?

Imagine how calm and collected you are going to that meeting and shaking their hands.Imagine the potential sponsors intently listening to your pitch. By doing this simple practice you’ll be able to go that meeting with rock hard confidence because you’ll be able to transcend that imagery into real life since you’ve gone over the scenario in your head over and over again.

Focus on you

Besides visualizing the surroundings you need to effectively visualize yourself going into that meeting.

What clothes are you wearing during this meeting?

Is your posture on point?

Do you look confident enough to secure the deal?

How calm and collected are you?

How is your tone of voice during the pitch?

Are you injecting a sense of humor to make the sponsors feel more comfortable with you as a person?

Have a backup plan

Visualizing yourself nailing the sponsorship is definitely a must, but you need to also have a plan B just in case things don’t go according to plan – at least you have a backup plan. Having a plan B or even a plan C will be good for you in the long run because it enables you to be a bit more prepared. Think of possible ways the potential sponsors would react negatively to your pitch and then think of ways in advance that you’ll be able to address their concerns.

Practice how you would react to their negative response and then repeat that scenario in your head over and over again so that when the time finally comes and they react negatively to your pitch, you’re 100% confident that you have the answers they are looking for because you have visualized this scene a number of times.

In conclusion

Your goal here is to strongly instill the experience you want in your mind so that this will transcend into real life and you’ll be able to embody the version of yourself that you know in your heart can be.

You need to make sure you note down everything you see and hear in your head and go over it again and again. Before you know it, you’ll be well on your way to nailing down that life-changing pitch.

5 Steps to Achieving Any Goal in Life

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Are you willing to do whatever it takes to be successful?

Let’s face it; most of us dream of being successful in our chosen fields but for a majority of us that’s pretty much it – just dreaming about being successful and not doing anything about it.

How do you expect to be successful if you’re not even prepared to take any actionable steps to achieving your goal?

Instead of sitting around daydreaming, why don’t you stand up, dust your pants and actually do something about it? The longer you sit there daydreaming about possibilities the harder it is to stand up and make something of yourself.

So where should you start?

Here’s a five-step process to creating an effective action plan that should push your drive for success to another level.

Discover your motivation

Before you decide to come up with some actionable steps to help you achieve your goals, first you need to ask yourself – what’s your motivation?

Do you want to be famous?

Do you want to be rich beyond your wildest dreams?

Do you want to be successful so you can provide for your family?

Think about what’s going to motivate you on this journey to success and then look at the big picture. Once you’ve pinned down your motivator then that’ll serve as a reminder whenever you feel lazy or experience failure.

Devise your plan

Once you’ve discovered your main motivator it’s time to actually sit down and devise a plan. To do this you need to ask yourself four questions:

What do I really want to do with my life?

What’s the actual reason behind my goal?

Am I willing to do whatever it takes to achieve my goal?

What steps can I take to achieve my goal?

Start your journey

Now that you’ve created an action plan, it’s time to put your plan into action.

You need to really manage your time effectively if you want to be successful in your chosen field. You need to figure out what sort of research you need to take on in order for you to be successful, fix your schedule to make sure that you have a balance between doing the research and taking mini steps towards achieving your goal and phase out interruptions or steer clear of things that can hinder your progress. If you really want to achieve your goals, you need to surround yourself with things and people that will help you achieve them.

Sticking to your action plan may just be the hardest step in working towards achieving your dreams, but once you’ve found a way to stick to the plan and remain motivated – I guarantee that you’ll feel that you are finally on your way to becoming successful.

Track your progress

Having an action plan without a way to measure how much you are advancing towards your main goal will most definitely leave a big hole in your journey to success.

You need to figure out a way to measure whether or not you’re progressing at all. Unless you can find a way to track your progress, you won’t really know if you’re on the right path.

Keep in mind that if you’re doing the best you possibly can already – don’t think that you should be doing a lot more. This type of mentality can burn you out. Just do the very best you can and make sure you’re tracking your progress, as long as you’re consistent and working as hard as you possibly can, that should be enough.

Don’t be discouraged by failure

If you’re not failing at all then that means you’re not working hard enough.

If at some point in your journey you’re experiencing failure, keep in mind that this is normal. Everyone experiences failure even the best of the best.

Former president Robert F. Kennedy once said: “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”

Successful TV host Ellen DeGeneres also said: “It’s failure that gives you the proper perspective on success.” She was even quoted saying “When you take risks you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail and both are equally important.”

Don’t be that person who decides to quit when the battle has just started. If you stumble upon a roadblock just stick to your main motivator and focus on your action plan again. Remember that failure is merely a stepping stone to success.

Take time out to enjoy your journey

Once you’ve got your motivation and action plan in place and you’re finally on your journey to success, take time out to

enjoy the journey on a constant basis.

Make sure that you celebrate even the smallest successes. Go shopping for a nice outfit or get a full body massage and

relax – enjoying the journey is equally as important as doing the journey itself because these are the moments that one day

you’ll look back on and cherish.

In conclusion

Success is not for everyone because not everyone is willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.

Once you’ve determined what you want in life, you’re 100% motivated and you’re willing to do whatever it takes to be successful – then it’s only a matter of time that your dreams become a reality.

Some people just like to dream big and not do anything about, some people like to procrastinate way too much and eventually end up in a rut, while some are dedicated to really pushing ahead in life and making a difference in the world.

Which one are you?

3 Destructive Habits Holding An Entrepreneur Back From Success

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image via Shutterstock / Stokkete

Ask any entrepreneurship expert and they would tell you that the core principle that dictates a bankruptcy is poor cash flow. Even if a business is in a lot of debt but follows a solid system of positive cash flow, and a close monitoring of returns and payables, bankruptcy is less likely to happen. If you are a rookie entrepreneur, you may want to watch out for seemingly simple things that can potentially hurt your business, and lead to its insolvency.

Small, Unnecessary Purchases

So you’ve just opened your business and you start buying all these interior design accent pieces that can’t really promise an influx of customers. In some cases, some owners get too obsessed with “cheap” buys not realizing that these small amounts pile up too. Think of the few hundred dollars spent on décor and a nice coffee table that could have been used to pay your power bills. Remember, the goal is to have a fast return on your investment, so you may want to stop spending on unnecessary, inexpensive buys because those “discounted” prices add up too.

Hiring too Many Staff too soon

The success of your business is extremely proportionate to the amount of work that you put into it. At the onset of your venture, try to minimize your expenses, including employee salary. If you can do away with just one or two helpers, then by all means, hire less. Most successful startups have owners who went through sleepless nights, survived on home-cooked meals, and some even had to be their own store’s painter, janitor, and handyman. Salaries are part of overhead expenses and if you can cut cost on overhead, you can direct your funds on better channels such as marketing and lead creation. The last thing you want is to overlay your employees because you can’t afford to pay their wages any longer.

Poor Accounting

There is a misconception that small businesses do not need painstaking accounting work. You raise a capital, earn, and that’s about it… Wrong!

The fact is, small businesses need more accounting work in tracking how the money spent on rent, stocks, supplies, and contingencies compared to big, stable corporations who already have a system in place. Other miscellaneous expenses should also be listed and itemized so you can check if you’re spending too much on minor things. This will also help you decide on expenses where you can cut down and save. Ideally, your operational expenses should not exceed your average daily or monthly income. If you lose sight of where your money is going, it may be too late for you to realize that your business is slowly losing money, and everything can be gone at your own expense.

If you’re frugal and prudent enough, you’ll know the things that deserve a chunk of your startup capital, and those that can wait for later. Maintaining healthy cash flow can be tricky, and there WILL always be lean months where you’re almost just break even. Regardless of these challenges, resilience and the ability to adapt and redesign your business strategies can draw the line between bankruptcy and brand endurance.