Have you been encouraged to change how you thing about your self, your career, your life to exact desired changes?  If you want to be successful, identify what success means to you, visualize yourself as a success, learn from others who you view to be successful, and implement the necessary changes.

Change doesn’t happen overnight and isn’t always a smooth path.  What we do know is that visualization and an action plan toward a clear goal works.  Successful athletes use this approach regularly.  You may never be an “A” student or a consultant with a steady stream of referrals if you cannot envision this in your future and portray that image to others.

As a business owner, if you want to be viewed as successful, you may want to consider this same approach in how you run your business.  Listen to what others are saying about your operations, seek out a mentor/coach who you can use as a sounding board, become visible to your target client and speak in positive ways about your business and its ability to solve problems, fill needs or create experiences for others.  Never end on a negative note.  If business is slow find a positive to attach to it such as ” Business may be down this quarter given the economy but with changes we have made in our marketing efforts, sales are rebounding and I expect to meet our projections for this year.”  This not only sends a positive message, it also demonstrates resiliancy and a pro-active approach.

Another positive change in how you present your business is to focus more on how you meet client needs rather than on the actual tasks performed.  If you are a consultant, what problems do you help your clients solve, what outcomes do you deliver.  How you do it is a task or process and may not fit the needs of another client.  Customers buy because they want something solved, improved or experienced, or a combination of the three.

As you make this shift in your thinking, do what it takes to make the necessary changes  — add to your toolbox and build the capacity in yourself and your business.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help and keep those successful thoughts in mind.

“The only thing that stands between a man and what he wants from life is often merely the will to try it and the faith to believe that it is possible. “
Richard M. DeVos