Category Archives: Motivation

Personal Challenge

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My question for this week is, “What is your challenge of the week?”

Most of you who are reading this are in sales and I know for a fact sales people love contests and competition. In my years in sales I have seen average sales people rise up to a challenge just to be recognized with a small prize. We all like the feeling of wining, feeling important, the feeling of being the best at any given task. So why don’t we throw down a challenge for ourselves each week with a small prize?

This past week, while I was at the driving range with my children, we were all hitting balls into the range. We were all having fun but no real target or focus. So when I saw them getting board I threw down a challenge. I said, “We will all take turns and the first one who gets closest to the red flag (about 75 yards out) can get whatever they want from the snack shack.

Well our little friendly outing soon turned into a PGA tour event. Each of my children set their ball down, focused on their shot, took one or two practice swings and really, really wanted to get it close.

Then it really hit me, this challenge wasn’t for the candy, it was for the feeling of winning and being the best at that moment. It was for going home and telling everyone who won. At that moment it made me realize that is most of us in our lives. We wonder around just swinging until someone says, “I challenge you” and then the focus kicks in! So this week write down your challenge and share it with those close to you who will help you stay on track. And then don’t give up.

While I was thinking of this challenge idea, I knew that I had heard of it before. So when I arrived at home, I pulled out my copy of “How To Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie and low and behold, there it was. Principle 12 says, “Throw down a challenge.” In that chapter it says that every successful person loves a challenge, the game, the chance for self-expression. Everyone wants the chance to prove his or her net worth to excel and win. That is what makes a footrace; a hog-calling contest and pie-eating contest; the desire for the feeling of importance.

We all need that in our lives and we all desire that feeling. So instead of relying on your company or anyone else to extend a challenge, make a challenge for yourself. It will really make a difference and make you into a winner. And finally, really make this week count!

Have Faith

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This week’s plan of action, I realized that it was filled with a lot of faith in others and myself, and with a lot of hope that things will happen as they are supposed to. Those who know me reading this know that I am very optimistic. Even in the face of chaos, major adversity, and failures, I always seem to know that the best is yet to come. So it is hard for me to understand why people lose hope because life still has a bigger plan for them.

Life is filled with disappointment, let downs, and failures so accept it and look for the lesson and know there is something greater coming. Whatever your business or career, you are going to fail, you are going to make a mistake, and you are going to have a big blunder. The only thing you can control is what happens after!

I have had failures, made big mistakes, and had the blunders that cost others and me a lot. So I have a choice, focus on what happened and let if affect my future, or have HOPE that God has a bigger plan for me and those past failures do not define my character or me.

Having hope and faith in life and others is what will keep you going. Your life might be hard right now, your business might be down, your relationship might be rocky but you must keep hope that you were not made for mediocrity but you were created for greatness.

The great Martin Luther king, Jr. said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

Keep the hope this week that things will and do always get better and really make this week count!

 

Foiling The Fear Of Failure

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Have you ever wondered why there are top salespeople in every field and then there are the rest?Most of us have the same sales tools and abilities, yet the average salesperson never puts him or herself in a position to reach that next level.Why not? We all do the things it takes to get to that level, but I believe some people stop when they realize they could fail. That is often what separates those who are successful from those who aren’t: fear of failure.

In sales, most of us like to say things like, “What’s the worst thing that could happen? They could say no?” How many times have you heard that? Yet we still never ask. The moment avoiding failure becomes your motivation, you’re already down the path of inactivity or procrastination.

So you go to a workshop or a seminar, and all these ideas are running through your head. You’re going to do it this time! But by the time you drive back from that workshop to your office or home, you’ve already talked yourself out of 90 percent of the ideas presented. “That was great for the person talking,” you reason, “but he’s a better salesperson,” or “That’s just not me,” you tell yourself. You talk yourself out of trying because you could fail. Just the definition of the word ‘failure’ brings you down: breakdown, stoppage, malfunction, crash, collapse, disappointment, letdown, not a success.

Those words alone make most people not even want to try. But we all have to realize that disappointments or failures are part of life.The good news is, the more you experience them, the better you’ll get at your successes. Each disappointment or failure is taking you one step closer to being a success. The problem is most people quit before they even get through enough disappointments, not realizing it’s those roadblocks that are going to make them great.

I speak in front of a lot of people, and I remember the first time I got up in front of a large group. It was one of those ‘disappointments’ we’ve been talking about. It was a very short presentation, and I talked and talked – unbelievably – about nothing that anyone could understand. I could have found a way to quit then, but I realized that those disappointments were going to eventually make me a success. That experience helped me to learn what didn’t work so I could improve.

I’ve been in the same industry 23 years, and in the last 24 months I’ve been with three companies. One of them went bankrupt, and the other was taken over by the FDIC. Not great experiences… on any level. But I don’t see that as a failure – a disappointment maybe, but in no way did I fail.

How did I respond? I put myself in a position to figure out how to get better on the other side of these complicated situations. It can be difficult to remain positive and view each disappointment as an opportunity to learn and grow, but it’s what separates the good from the great. I am still thriving in the same industry, with all the loyal people that have followed my leadership and continue to work alongside me.

That’s the separation I’ve been talking about. The only way you can truly succeed is by going through the disappointment it takes to get great. For me, that quest will never end. Knowing I’m going to do it wrong before I could ever get it right makes me want to keep doing it.

That attitude – that willingness to fail – is what separates the best from the rest.

Start Living

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Wailea Emerald Course

Wailea Emerald Course – May 2013

We all have these secret things we want to do or see or have and we stifle them by saying, “I can’t afford it” or “I can’t take the time off,” “The kids are too young,” “The kids are too old.” It’s important to remember, though, that we only get so much time. Don’t wait to start enjoying it all.

Some of our most valuable possessions aren’t possessions at all, they’re memorable experiences. That’s why we take pictures and capture them on video so we can share them and look back on them to relive that positive memory.

When striving to reach the highest level in your career, that same principle can apply. If you are in sales, the great experiences you’re after will require an investment. Execute your career in that same ‘live life now’ kind of way. Pursue success with an eye on the memorable experiences it can provide for you and your loved ones.

Don’t miss life. All the time I hear people say things like, “They grow up so fast” or “When I was young I should have” or “Next year I want to….” Stop wanting, stop waiting, start doing. Life is for living. Apply that to your goal setting for the next year. Experience every moment. Go out there today and create those positive, memorable experiences because when it comes down to it, that’s what we will be left with. Happiness isn’t something you experience; it’s something you remember!

Time Flies, Don’t It Baby…

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Time is going to go by. And what you do with the time you get is going to make all the difference.

Can you remember last month? You probably can. Can you remember July of 2006? You probably can. You probably remember graduating from high school.

(How funny was your hair?) Some of you even remember early childhood events. No matter what you remember (or forget), one thing we can all agree on: Time just keeps on moving. “Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’ into the future…”

No matter what you’ve checked off your list, no matter what you’ve done to try to make it stand still, time just keeps going by.

Now, when you started in business, think about what you expected of yourself. You were going to conquer the world. You were going to make a million dollars because you knew how to do it. Your mind was fixed, and you were determined. But as time passed, you began doubting yourself or even getting a bit too comfortable.

You got the “yeah buts.” I’ll do that, but…. I could try that, but…. But, but, but. I’ll do that tomorrow. I’ll make those calls tomorrow. I’ll do whatever it takes – tomorrow.

Now let me tell you about the best part about the nature of time: It goes by way too fast, but…You’ve got more coming. If you’re reading this, you are lucky. You got another day. You got all the time today has to offer, which is great! You got to wake up, love the people you love, do the things you can do and make the most of all today has to offer. Whatever went wrong yesterday, and no matter what could go wrong today, you still get another chance at it. For today, time is officially on your side. And you can take action today to make the most of it.

Now, if you don’t believe that, think about when you diet or when you work out. If you don’t work out, you get another chance tomorrow unless you do the “yeah but.” Yeah, but it’s cold in the morning; yeah, but I don’t have time at night. When you’re trying to eat healthy, each new day counts. Yesterday, you ate a whole pizza? Guess what. Today is a whole new day. You get to change, recommit, think outside the status quo and take action today.

Time is going to go by. It’s going to become tomorrow and next month and Christmas and New Year’s—for most of us. And what you do with the time you get is going to make all the difference.

Have Fun and Make Dreams Come True.

You can get more from Wake Up! at www.ManginelliGroup.com/Wakeup

The Blueprint For Confidence

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It’s never too late to be who you might have been. ~ George ElliotThe Blueprint For Confidence

The Blue Print For Confidence

So much of what happens in our lives, the decisions we make that propel us down one path or the other, all comes down to confidence. Whether we have it or whether we project it.

Confidence – meaning “assurance, poise, self belief – is the fuel that allows us to fly, the lack of which keeps us grounded. Confidence attracts confidence and gets us to try new things, even things seemingly beyond our reach. New jobs, daring adventure, that new relationship you thought was out of your reach. It makes or breaks us, in terms of success.

So, the question is: How do you get confidence?

Your attitude is a choice in building it, but there are some sure-fire ways to start building more confidence in your life.

One: Set yourself up for success by choosing to feel good about yourself.

Now, that seems simple enough, but think of it this way: Have you ever lost a little weight and it seemed like every time you turned around, someone was saying, “You look great. Oh my gosh! What is it about you? Did you get a haircut? You look phenomenal.”You felt good about yourself that day. And you probably felt empowered and more accomplished at work that day, too.

Sometimes it’s just a matter of wearing something you feel good in. That pair of jeans or a shirt that people always compliment. Your power suit. That great pair of shoes. When you feel like that, you have an extra boost of confidence to attempt bigger, better things. Nothing’s going to stop you, and you can do anything. That’s how you want to feel about yourself every day.

Two: Repeat after me: knowledge is confidence.

The more you know, the more confident you feel to talk about it. So that’s an easy one, right? There is no reason why you shouldn’t be learning every single day. It’s a win-win: a confidence builder that keeps on giving and giving.

Whether you’re in real estate, shoes or automotive sales – or whatever you do for a living – you can separate yourself from the pack by knowing more about your product, your market, your competition, etc., than anyone else in your company. It’s that knowledge that gives you confidence.

So, tonight, instead of watching 30 minutes of TV, make it 30 minutes to success. Devote 30 minutes to researching new information about your trade, and see how well that information serves you the next day.

Prepare and project.

But it’s not just about building your own confidence, also important is the way you express yourself, handle yourself. The way you project confidence. It’s in the way you carry yourself. It’s in the tone of your voice, the way you approach sharing the knowledge and passion you have for your work.

There are a lot of people that just ‘wing it.’ The presentation, the sales pitch, they just flat out ask for whatever it is they want.

Believe me, you can always tell when someone is winging it; they are just talking about what they know, instead of what the other person really wants to know.

Preparation builds confidence. Think back to when you prepared for a test at school. You studied by yourself and with others, and you felt like you knew it all. The day of the test, you knew in your mind that you were prepared. You knew the answers. Now think of the time you didn’t prepare for the test. You ‘winged it.’ You had very little confidence that you would pass, in fact you had such anxiety that you made yourself feel sick-sick enough to stay home from school.

Confidence isn’t rocket science. It’s a simple of matter of doing all you can to be the best you can be. And the great news is: You can do it now. You can fix it now. Whatever it takes to boost your confidence, make it up to yourself. Wear or buy more of that thing you wear that makes you feel sharp, professional, stylish and smart. Look the part of the successful person you are. Spend time everyday learning as much as you can about what you do. Empower yourself to succeed by digging for knowledge that sets you apart from the pack.

Confidence may not be something you’re born with, but you can grow it with a little effort.

YOUR BEST… ON PAPER
What do you have right now, this very day, to be confident about?

Write it down.

What skills or attributes are you most proud of and how do they help you in business and in life?

Try Something New

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When was the last time you really tried something new?

new

When was the last time you tried a new restaurant, a new route home, a new vacation stop? I guess what I am really asking is, when was the last time you were out of your comfort zone?

As years go on and on and we get older, we get in such a routine that we get stuck and resist anything  new or different. When you were young you were all about new things; new roller coasters, new faster water slides, new places and new people but somewhere along the ride of life you stopped the desire to change. More than that you don’t want to get out of what you know is comfortable. I challenge you this week to make yourself focus on the new (change). Drive a different way home, change your radio stations in your car, go to a restaurant you have never been. If you really want to break out of your rut , make some calls to new prospects (lead generate) today. Remember when you first got in the business, you made the calls, you went on appointments, your days were filled with new and exciting adventures.. Then, somewhere in your path to success, you lost that drive and zeal. Now it’s time to take your life back and get out of that box that is closing in on you year after year. Embrace the change, see change as a growth pattern of your life and start having fun again! If you take this challenge, you really will start to see a new you and get that smile back!

Radical Change

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Radical Change

change-architect-sign1

Who is your support group or person? Every successful person has that person or group, that no matter what you do it gives you unconditional motivation. That same person can call you out on your shortfall without you getting defensive. We all need a person or group that will bring us up after a day of lead generating that felt like you accomplished nothing. At the same time they call us weak for quitting before you get a lead.

We all like to say we are self starters, self motivated. It’s time to wake up! If you keep showing up and getting the same results, you’re not moving forward, you are back sliding. CEO’s at the highest level have a coach and or a mastermind group that they consult to perform at higher levels.

Stop waiting and start wanting. Michael Caplan, CEO E Trade Group wrote, “To succeed as a team is to hold all of the members accountable for their true actions and expertise.”

Go to your office today, find the people in your office that you want to emulate or simply respect, and set up a mastermind group. If you take this challenge, make sure that at your first meeting you all agree to be BRUTALLY HONEST with each other. This group is not to be a social wine club, this group is to push you to new levels, to call each other out with respect and always reminding each other that this is to break the barriers of complacency.

If you want unconditional love, with no feedback on anything you do wrong, or helping you to new financial levels, its best you just get a pet! We all love what we do and I wouldn’t do anything else than what I do. So I have to have people around to tell me when I get off focus and realign me with my goals. I said we need radical change. Will you make a radical change?

Moving Forward

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We’re moving through February and I am still on a quest to figure out what it will take to make you all want more. It all comes back to a quote from Napoleon Hill in his book, Think and Grow Rich, “No man will be willing to make a change until he is ready.” So I am changing my quest to figure out when will YOU be ready?

Game of Chess

A lot of us are taking action but some of the action is just to say we are doing it and not really putting in the maximum effort to accomplish what it is we need. So it made me think, not just about getting sales but about life. I feel “it’s not what you do in life, it’s how you do it!” You can go to a gym and be there for an hour but if you just walk around and talk, that’s not working out. Think about your time at the office, you can be there for 10 hours a day but with no new phone calls or any action that is lead generating, how do you expect to get new business?

Here is your focus for this week. If you are going to do it, do it great! Don’t just show up, don’t just do it half asked. If you’re going to be in the game, play your hardest! Think about your time that you spend this week at the office and as you are sitting there, ask yourself, “am I doing the most productive thing at this moment?” If the answer is no, time to start doing it great! Make this week count!

Changes

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Changes

As the year is moving forward, I am blessed that I get to speak to a lot of people and hear their goals. Yet some are still resisting change when they know it’s the best thing for them. So those people I will quote REO SPEEDWAGON (dating myself), “If you’re tired of the same old story, It’s time to turn some pages, I will be here when you’re ready to roll with the changes”.

Remember change my equal stress and uncertainty,but is necessary for you to grow in life. Keep on rolling!

Having Fun (What Is Your 7 Iron?)

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It’s time for all of us to start having fun again. We have all been caught up in the news and the turmoil of the marketplace. Some are waiting for the market to move (Just a reminder: If you’re waiting for it to move, it has and it’s moving right past you).

The definition of ‘fun’ is ‘a time or feeling of enjoyment or amusement,’ while ‘work’ is described as ‘labor, effort, exertion.’ That certainly doesn’t sound fun, but you can make what you do fun. Have fun at what you do, and the money will flow. What do you enjoy most about you career? What’s that one thing that makes you want to do it again?

Golf is a difficult game. When playing, I often hear people say, ‘I hate this game. It’s no fun.’ But then the next shot is great, and they’re saying, ‘I love this game! I’m Tiger Woods!’ You can repeat that feeling.

Remember back to when you started in your industry, that feeling you had – there was no stopping you. You were doing all the work, with no limits, and there was a twinkle in your eye. You were determined, and you felt unstoppable. Then, like in golf, you had a slice, hook, shank, and suddenly you didn’t like the game – until you got a call from someone you had been prospecting for weeks, and suddenly you are the sales master again! You can’t wait to let everyone know about your success.

When you make a great shot, you are compelled to ask everyone around you, ‘Did you see that?’ But how do you apply this to your career? Examine that day when you felt like the Tiger Woods of sales and get to the root of what made that happen. You need everyday to be that day, so don’t leave until you make that call, or go see the person you know you need to get in front of. Go find the person who can help you stay on top.

You don’t have to reinvent success. Do what works for you. That is the fun! If your 7 iron is your best club, use it more. If that’s what brings you the most success, use it more often.

Every shot isn’t going to be the perfect shot (even Tiger Woods has a bad hole or two every now and then), the key is to control your misses. Do that and you’ll be one step closer to that hole-in-one.

What is the best thing about you? In what area do you really shine? Brainstorm to discover your own personal ‘7 iron’ that can help you become the Tiger Woods in your marketplace.

Download this and other FREE Chapters at www.ManginelliGroup.com

It’s All In Your Head

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When I try to think ‘big picture’ about what makes people successful in business or in life, the first and most obvious part of the ‘big picture’ to me is this: It’s all in your head!

Meaning, it’s what’s in your head that sabotages you. Our minds are powerful tools that can be used to both imprison and free us.To be successful,we have to be mentally strong enough to respond to whatever happens in a positive, pro-active way.

Mental toughness is a process. It just doesn’t happen overnight. It’s like any kind of strength training. You start out slowly, with smaller weights. You learn to pick and choose the options that work best for you, where you are.

When something terrible or unexpected happens, youmay be prone to thinking, “You know, that’s just my luck. Stuff like this always happens to me.”
Or, even when things are rolling along smoothly, you may be one of those worriers—that personwho always assumes theworstwill happen in any given situation.

Self-image is a tough thing for all of us. We all have our own insecurities, our own sense of inadequacy, even failure. And if you really just want to try to hold on to what you have, that negative self-image will always speak louder in your head than anything else. People with half your ability will accomplish more in life only because they believe better things about themselves. Their perception makes for a more successful reality.

The beginning of mental conditioning is training yourself to recognize and acknowledge the strengths you already have. Everyone says, ‘If I could just live up to my potential,’ but to be honest, I don’t buy that.We’re always looking for abilities we wish we had, rather than recognizing the gifts and skills we already have.

Why do you suppose that is?

Everybody’s afraid of what others think.When you close your eyes, that person is in your head, saying what you think they think about you (and it’s never good).We’re always afraid that someone’s going to pull the curtain back and find out we don’t know asmuch as we think we know.That somehow we’re not as accomplished, smart or successful as they are.

Even when all the talent and know-how and drive and determination is already there to succeed, just a whiff of fear will kill it before it even begins.

That’s why it’s essential to ‘retrain’ your mind to work FOR you, not against you. Train it to take the time to gain perspective, to respond, not to react.To think: ‘What are my options here?’

Whatever the situation—whether it’s personal relationship trouble or challenges in business—you always have options. Mentally, you lay it all out: What do I really want to do? What is the best way to respond to get what I want?What will be the best scenario short-term? Long term?

Each option comes with a given consequence, so you train yourself to think through those as well. Some of the consequences automatically rule out the option.

Once you narrow down the options, keeping ‘mind over matter’ means you learn to play to your best strength and go with the option you know you’ll be best at, the response that will work best for you.

If you see yourself as a person who already has the talent and skill and drive and determination to get things done…If underneath all that is a fundamental belief that you deserve to succeed in everything you work hard at…

How and where and who you envision yourself to be is how and where and who you are…and will be.

Always…
be willing to try…
be actively learning…
lead by example…
believe you add value to whatever you do…
be open…
be contagious…
Is this you? If not, begin each day retraining yourself to think, speak and act in affirming, intentional and positive ways. To change your perspective is to change your life.

The Value of “Thank You”

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There are certain times of the year when thankfulness seems more plentiful. Thanksgiving Day is a natural time to pause and count our blessings, while the Christmas holiday is a natural time to be thankful for the family, friends and celebrations that add meaning to our lives.

The rest of the year, most of us don’t say ‘thank you’ nearly enough.

I know the importance of those two little words, though. That’s why I make sure to say ‘thank you’ to all those who help me do what I do:

• Thank you for working alongside me.

• Thank you for your loyalty and belief in me.

• Thank you for your strength to get through the frustration and the tears.

• Thank you for your drive to work hard and be the best you can be.

• Thank you for your part in helping us grow by leaps and bounds.

Taking time out to let those around you know they are appreciated, that the work they do is noticed and valued, goes a long way. It can turn a promising newcomer into a top producer. It can make a committed team member really shine. It can make the people around you not just willing but eager to help you look your best.

Do you want to reach the top? Don’t forget to say ‘thank you’ along the way to those who are helping you achieve that goal.

Who can you thank today and for what? Don’t wait. Do it now.

Change Your Perception, Change Your Life

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We’ve all heard it said that ‘perception is reality,’ but have you thought about the fact that a lot of the adversity we face in our lives is rooted in our perception?

So, what is perception? Perception, defined, is ‘the process of using the senses to acquire information about the surrounding environment or situation.’ It is also an impression, an attitude or understanding based on what is observed through your thoughts.

So, what is your perception of your career, your life, your finances? Is your perception part of the problem or part of the solution?

If your perception of the economy right now and anything that is happening in the world is that it’s all on the skids and that buying and investing in anything at this time is ludicrous, that is your reality. There is nothing I could say, no evidence I could present to change your perception or the resulting reality.

Now, 80 percent of Americans worry about things that never happen. But every now and then, out of all of those hundreds of things we worry about, one actually happens, confirming the perception that what you worry about will happen. But a vast majority of the time, we worry about things that never come to be.

That worry spills over to the people in our lives, creating perceptions in others that may or may not be reality based. Negativity breeds negativity. Hopefulness breeds hopefulness.

The other day, I was out with my children, riding bikes, when we came across one of our neighbor’s sons. This was the conversation that took place between the two boys:

“Hey! Did you get a new bike?” the five-year old neighbor kid asked.

“Yes,” answered my son, enthusiastically.

“I wanted a new bike, but I couldn’t get one because of the enonomy.”

The ‘enonomy’? How could a five-year-old kid know about the economic impact on his desire for a new bike? Somewhere in his house, his parent’s perception of the economy trickled down to him.

Think about this: In the past eight hours, what have you communicated about your life, about your career? Whatever industry you’re in—whatever role you’re filling at present—what kind of perception are you operating under? Are you approaching what you do with a positive outlook? Are you focusing on the problem or on the solution? And how do you relate your perception to others?

Times are tough. Challenges are part of the journey. But if you change your perception, it will change the reality of your life.

What’s holding you back?

Charles Schwab is dyslexic, but that didn’t stop him from achieving success in the business world through the investment firm that bears his name. The 55th richest person in the U.S. according to the 2008 Forbes 400 list, Schwab started a foundation that provides support, encouragement and resources for families impacted by learning disabilities.