How to be successful:

For years great thinkers have explored, developed and tested strategies on how to be successful. There are oodles and oodles and oodles of information in books and websites, DVD courses; you name it they've got it, on how to be successful. Therefore it begs the question if you're not successful then why not? In my analysis one of two things must be happening:

(a) You've not read the information so you are completely unaware of the thinking and themes behind the concepts and strategies for obtaining success or

(b) You have read the information, but you have not applied it effectively or at all.

Perhaps if it (b) and you have not obtained the level of successful you desire; maybe you did not fully understand what you were meant to do. Or you might have believed that there were stages that you could skip and so rushed through the process, missing out on a fundamental element that has left a gaping great hole in your success strategy.

It could be that even though you read it's thoroughly you thought: "now that's a load of tosh – what do they know anyway. It's okay for X (insert name of guru whose theory you were reading) because they had Y, Z (insert all the added benefits and privileges that you feel gave them an advantage over you). My life is nothing like that, how is it supposed to work for me?"

If this is you, then you have already identified the reasons why you do not have the success you desire and deserve in your life. It is your mindset. What you believe. The limiting things you are telling yourself. Our minds are the most powerful tool, weapon, computer, resource available on the planet. If you were to only acknowledge a 10th of the potential of your mind you would have available to you more than enough power, confidence, capability to be, to or create anything your heart desired.

This is not a difficult concept, so why is it that so many people are not living their life to its highest capacity and beyond? Put simply it is fear and doubt. We are hardwired to learn quickly and we do it by generalising and deleting information so that we are able to quickly reference past experiences that we use as shorthand to interpret our current circumstances. It's a great survival mechanism and you and I are sitting here today because we have successfully used it to navigate our way through life.

The only problem is that it can work too efficiently. It can generalise so quickly and delete information so effectively that we often throw out the baby with the bathwater. In other words, new situations which are similar, BUT offered different opportunities and outcomes are dismissed in error because our system has incorrectly identified them as dangerous and not good for us based on past experience. In other words; we are afraid that what happened in the past will occur again.

What is required is the ability to turn on and off our survival system or interrupted its flow to re-evaluate situations which we might have otherwise deleted or excluded as options.

Here's what works for me: whenever I find myself really fearful or putting forward a lot of "yes but" opposition to something new or challenging I asked myself these questions.

– Does it present a clear and present danger to me or others?

– How does it serve me not to take this action?

– If I was a fearless superhero what would I do?

– If absolutely didn't care what others would think of me, what would I do?

– Does it move me forward or towards my goals (assuming you have clear goals and if you don't we can look at why not later) or take me away from them or leave me in the same place?

And finally the classic

– If I absolutely knew that I could not possibly fail/ get it wrong/mess up etc what would I do?

If the answers to question 1 is no; question 2 is it doesn't and the remaining answers to the remaining questions are that I would take this action, then I am clear that it is my fear, my over eager system that is stopping me. So my choices are clear too: continue to allow my fears to immobilise me or to feel the fear and do it anyway (another cliché – but hey it's good so why reinvent the wheel?)

I accept that it is often not as easy in practice as in theory. It can be really beneficial to get support to deal with your blocks to success and this is where working with a personal development coach or mentor can really help.

If you're one of those people who have been put off coaching by the media who have for a number of years been increasingly more disparaging of the idea of ordinary people being supported by someone who can help them achieve in life: ask yourself why you listen to the media anyway and what could possibly be their motive in taking such a position? Yes it might be that they are trying to expose a lot of charlatans who are preying on vulnerable people. However, perhaps there is a more sinister reason. Could it be because more and more people were beginning to get results and a world full of successful freethinking people would definitely shift the balance of things? (eyebrows raised in a knowing I – understand – there's - a –conspiracy- going –on sort of way).

What actions are you going to take today to guarantee your future success?

For more information on how coaching can benefit you visit www.tycoonwomen.com (shameless plug :) )