Editor’s note: Ben Newman is one of our favorite people, professional or otherwise. He’s an accomplished author and nationally-known performance coach for professional athletes, CEOs and, yes, Redbird Advisors. With a new year underway we thought a little motivation might be in order. And, check out Ben’s blog… lots of good stuff there. Happy New Year!
BEN NEWMANWhere do your dreams fit in when you put everything into keeping a job or running a business? Is success just about the bottom line? What do you do when you have the big house and the fancy cars but your life is still stressful and empty? How do you have meaningful relationships when your success depends on you being in control?
No one makes a conscious choice to wake up one day completely overwhelmed and disconnected from the things that matter most ––but, it happens to many of us. Often we don’t even realize we’ve gotten off course until we crash and burn––a spouse leaves, a business fails, an illness strikes –– and we’re forced to re-examine our priorities. The good news is, it’s never too late to make a change, and you don’t have to wait for the sky to fall before you make it.
With all the news and noise around us, it is easy to fall into the trap of trying to believe two contradictory points:
- Everything is beyond your control, and
- to succeed you have to control everything.
The truth is actually the opposite.
- You always have control over the only thing that matters: yourself. That is to say, you have total control over how you choose to act and what you choose to believe in any given moment, in any given circumstance, and
- in order to succeed, you have to let go of controlling others and of controlling the outcome.
In my book, Own YOUR Success, I share that the place to start is with a belief in yourself and I’ve outlined the Five Key Factors for Attaining Belief in Yourself:
- Accept the truth. Acknowledging the person you are today is the key to becoming the person you want to be and ultimately, attaining belief in yourself. There is a big difference between failing and not getting the results we want. Instead of seeing failure, see opportunities for growth and change.
- Speak the truth. Be honest about your past behaviors and habits. While it may be difficult to acknowledge them, burying those parts of our lives makes us feel like victims, amplifying our fear and pain. Shedding light on the past, by talking with a trusted friend or professional, frees us.
- Breathe through the truth. Avoid reacting from a place of pain or anger – no matter how much you believe you are right. Be open to changing your perspective. Treat yourself lovingly. Do not self-destruct.
- Process the truth. Give yourself time and space to find your equilibrium. Developing belief in yourself means gaining confidence that will lead to a stronger foundation.
- Create a plan based on the truth. Changing entrenched behaviors and mindsets takes time, and sometimes they return. Stay strong. Continue to believe and actively engage in this process. Define how you want to live your life from where you are right now.
If you can master these Five Key Factors for Attaining Belief in Yourself, you will be well on your way to achieving the kind of success you really dream of – success that incorporates balance in all areas of your life.
Go Do Great Things.
Call 866-547-8780 and talk to Drew Gurley, ext. 102.
Redbird Chirps
- Start Year Off Positive. Piling on the advice from Ben Newman above, Jon Gordon provides great insight on getting your mind right for success in the new year.
- Perks: 17 of the Coolest Perks Out There. While these benefits might not be enough to make us want to give up the world of working for ourselves, they are nonetheless pretty cool.
- Customer Service: 10 Stories of Amazing Service. Great service isn’t just about CRM systems and fertile customer data; it’s about the person behind the technology. Some great stories here from one of our favorite resources.
- Fact Finder: End of year means planning. Get prepared to help your clients get prepared. Our Fact Finder provides an excellent platform to better understand client needs, plans and concerns. Click here to download the Redbird Fact Finder.
