Think about the last time you considered buying a new vehicle.
You researched and test drove at least a dozen of them. Finally, you narrowed it down to your top pick and placed an order with a local dealership for your new Chevy 1-ton Duramax pickup. It will arrive in a couple of weeks.
While you wait for your new truck to arrive, you realize that there are a lot of Chevy pickups on the road. Day after day, as you move around town, you see so many Chevy pickups that you start to wonder whether there are any other trucks on the road.
This is the power of focus. In this example, the focus is positive and it is on something that you want or desire. The more you focus on the truck you want, the more vehicles you see that match the same description. In business as well, when we focus on the things we want, we attain or receive more of the things we focus on. A positive business outlook is more powerful than most people realize.
But conversely, this rule can work against us as well. I've met a few people who, when I ask how business is going, respond with "pretty slow actually" "could be better" or "my competition is undercutting me and reducing profits." Predictably, the situation doesn't usually change for these people. I receive the same messages from them every time we meet. Their energy and focus in on what they don't want but the same rule applies: You receive more of whatever you focus on. Their focus is on how little business they're doing and guess what? They get even less business.
Focusing on what you want may not be an easy exercise as most of our thoughts throughout the day are negative or limiting in some way. In the book "Seeing Red Cars", the author Laura Goodrich states that, "We have 12,000 to 50,000 thoughts each day, of which 70 percent are focused on what we want to avoid."
The good news is that the New Year is a perfect time to plan business goals, strategies, and targets. Whether your fiscal year end is December or later in the year, now that the calendar has rolled over to 2014, a fresh page presents itself. It is a time to dream a little and to put aside the limitations and barriers that hold you back. Sit with that blank white page in front of you and begin by completing the statement, "I will achieve great business success in 2014 and success to me looks like...." Spell out the goals or achievements that represent success to you in simple measurable terms. Aim to create a short list of no more than three goals. Try to write your goals in a way that would paint a picture for someone who knew nothing about your business, if they were to read them.
After your goals are established, share them with others who will help you achieve them. Include management, staff, family, and friends. Then, practice using positive focus on your goals to get more of what you want. By practicing positive focus and rerouting the patterns in our brain, our actions will follow our thoughts towards business success.
Until next week, stay in the black and keep coming back.
