5 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Chances For Success!

Everyone loves the idea of an overnight success. The song you never heard of that's suddenly being played everywhere, and five minutes later it seems, the band is headlining Coachella. Or what about the product you can't imagine life without that didn't exist a few years ago? Uber, anyone? Remember when we had to call a taxi, search for cash, wait for who knows how long? Total hassle! Now we pull out our phone and a few taps later, our personal driver is on their way. Uber is like the Starbucks of driving (they're everywhere!), only better because it's now also a verb — definitely a sign of success. If I ever hear someone say "I'm going to Party Goddess my event", I'll know I've hit the big time!

So was Uber really an overnight success? Or the band that landed on your radar after Coachella? Probably not. Very few businesses or careers are. Most major success is preceded by a lot of hard work and planning, sometimes in relative obscurity. If you're looking for what we typically think of as "overnight success" — like your company name used as a verb — you better be doing plenty of both hard work and planning now! But what about striving for incremental successes that will pave your path to greater success in the future? That's a better approach and one we can talk about more realistically.

Step Aside! Don't Get In The Way Of Your Own Success!

Here's my quick list of do's and don'ts that come to mind when I think about success. First, the do's:

Set realistic goals. Did I just say something about planning? I think I did. Goal setting, specifically realistic goal setting, is important Set goals you can actually achieve. Don't be too easy on yourself by setting goals that you're already on track to accomplish. Of course challenge yourself, but make your goals achievable so that you don't become frustrated and give up.

Work on your work ethic. There's no replacement for hard work. It's just what you gotta do sometimes. Actually, almost all the time! Very few people have become successful without having worked hard. So a mentality that embraces that will serve you well (especially late at night when you're the only person still at work, wondering if anyone's lunch leftovers are still in the fridge. Not that I've ever done that).

Get out of your own way! This one is kind of similar to moving out of your comfort zone in that it requires you to get in your own head. Take a hard look at yourself to determine if you might be the roadblock your company has ever come across. Do you say "No" all the time? Are you slow to make decisions? Do you need to be the person with all the good ideas to the extent that you can't recognize when someone else has one? Do you take business rejection personally? You might be missing out on some valuable opportunities because you're in the way. So work on stepping aside and developing a thick skin so that failure, rejection and setbacks don't crush you.

The Don'ts:

Don't stay too comfy. To be successful, you've got to be willing to try new things, be open to new ideas, test methods you don't normally use. All of these require you to be able to function outside of your comfort zone, without losing it. And the more you do that, the better at it you'll become.

Don't fear failure. If you're too afraid of failure, you'll avoid trying to begin with. You don't want that, do you? So work on developing a healthy relationship with the idea of failure — and actual failure. You can always start again, regroup and take a different approach, come up with a different idea. Lots of people have done it, so can you!

Be Oh So Quotable This Week!

Speaking of success, in case you're looking for something to help with pricing, keep more money in your pocket and take your business to the next level, we've got it right here! And it's FREE!

I always say running a business means the work never ends! Ain't that the truth? I bet your to-do list is a mile long! Make sure that the items at the top of your list are the things that relate to being more profitable. Everyone is so proud of being so "busy"...But Are You Making Any Money? Don't be too busy to focus!

Check out the summary of last week's business tips and motivational quotes from my Instagram page which you hopefully got to see in real time! If not, let's make sure we're following each other on Instagram!! So...here is this week's roundup of Instagram images of My Top Business Tips and Motivational Quotes.

Success – Tip #1:

Love this? Pin it to your Pinterest Quotes Board.

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it." – Henry David Thoreau

Success – Tip #2:

Love this? Pin it to your Pinterest Motivation Board.

"I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite." – G. K. Chesterton

Success – Tip #3:

Love this? Pin it to your Pinterest Business Tips Board.

"If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time." – Steve Jobs

Success – Tip #4:

Love this? Pin it to your Pinterest Motivation Board.

"The secret of success is to do the common thing uncommonly well." – John D. Rockefeller Jr.

Success – Tip #5:

Love this? Pin it to your Pinterest Quotes Board.

"It’s failure that gives you the proper perspective on success." – Ellen DeGeneres

Let's talk! I'd love to hear what you've done to achieve success!

Were you an overnight success or an "overnight" success? I would LOVE to hear from you! Anyhoo...I publish these business tips and motivational quotes to get you fired up for your work week!

Oh by the way, in case you're looking for something to help with time management, we've got this fun little quiz to test your productivity. Are you a Vodka & Red Bull? A Dirty Dirty? Or a plucky Blue Sapphire? Find out which cocktail you are by taking our quiz right now!

And, if you want more business tips, get my book, But Are You Making Any Money? or contact me to really take your business to the next level!

xoxo M

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