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Have you ever had one of those light bulb moments where something became incredibly clear? I had one of those moments this morning. My light bulb moment was this; to go from lukewarm to passionate is often as simple as changing one tiny thing… a letter of the alphabet. WTF or WTG? WTF = What the F&*K! WTG = Way to Go! One letter apart with a world of difference in the meaning and outcome. Here’s a real time example in my business. I’m working on a new branch of my business requiring time to learn, study, implement and test. In addition, there’s a financial investment I’ve made and continue to make. I have an incredible mentor who is teaching me step-by-step what to do. “Don’t expect to make money right away Kathleen,” my mentor cautioned. “You’ll likely need to test, test, test several times before you hit the target. Once you do it’s magical,” John stated. I’ve taken his advice to heart. The first attempt at this new endeavor did not give me a huge windfall of success. Quite the opposite. And yet, it was the first attempt. I could quit with a huge, resounding WTF or I can continue with WTG. I choose WTG and will keep going. I chose to study under this expert because of his results. He is recognized as one of the most successful people in this particular industry. Last year he made $1,800,000 selling a particular product online. Yes, you read right… one million, eight hundred thousand. Another reason I decided to work with John is his attitude. Not only his business attitude, but towards his family, friends, clients, God and life. People often tell him how lucky he is. Actually, luck is not his secret weapon. Attitude is. Building his business didn’t happen without obstacles, setbacks, failures and frustration. Yet, in spite of this (or maybe because of this) he maintains an incredible attitude. I’m not talking a Pollyanna, head in the clouds type of attitude, but rather one that allows him to manage his energy when things don’t seem to be working out. It’s the attitude that when you hit a wall you don’t keep beating your head against the wall saying, “WTF… why does this always happen to me?” but rather the “WTG… you figured out one more thing that isn’t working.” You can learn the strategies. You can use the latest and greatest system. You can put a ton of money into training, advertising and a team and STILL get crappy results based on a crappy attitude. 95% of your business success is based on your attitude. An attitude where you are willing to put the time into learning what you need to, manage your energy when things don’t outwardly seem to be working and stay the course with an attitude of gratitude. Just because you didn’t get the sale on your first call, you didn’t sell thousands of dollars’ worth of “stuff” with one email and you had only a handful of people show up on your teleseminar, webinar or live event, does not mean you’ve failed. It means you likely have more work to do. Lots of people dream of running a successful business where no problems exist and everything works the first time they launch it. To me that’s a huge WTF! Want to find out what it really takes to succeed? Why not ask experts who have highly successful businesses? I can assure you, they have crap happen all the time. Crap that would likely shock you. Yet, when the poop hits the fan they don’t say, “This isn’t fair. Why did this have to happen? This is way too hard.” Nope! They manage their thoughts and energy. Sure, they may have brief periods where they fall victim to an attitude that is not serving them, but they are quick to shake this off. They evaluate the situation, adjust accordingly and start again. If it seems you are hitting roadblock after roadblock you would be well served to pay very close attention to what you say to yourself and others. What attitude do you wake up with and hold on to throughout the day? Do you take responsibility for your actions or do you blame outside circumstances for why things are not working in your favor. Outside circumstances can be other people, the economy, competition, increased vendor costs, etc. Whether or not you believe this, your energy is one of the most significant aspects of success. As has been said, “It’s not what happens that matters. It’s what I do with it that makes all the difference.” Some people are so conditioned to stay in the WTF attitude that even when they make a sale they say, “Yeah but, I need more sales.” Or when a solution is offered by someone who’s been where they are at they say, “Yeah but!” to the solution. Seriously?!?! The only butt you need is the one you sit on. So what can you do to shift your attitude? Here are a few things I do on a daily basis that took me from an attitude that literally ended me up on the streets in my mid 20’s to one where I have such an appreciation for the blessings in my life that regardless of outward evidence, I KNOW things are all working out in my favor. 1.Count my blessings by focusing on what I have to be grateful for each and every day. 2.Surround myself with others who also live in the space of gratitude. 3.Realize that what I see in the natural is not all there is. The Universe is conspiring in my favor for things to work out. What may seem like a roadblock may be the very thing that’s necessary for me to be open to something bigger and better than I could ever think up on my own. 4.Manage my energy through prayer and meditation. 5.Have a mentor who I can confide in when I’m feeling small. 6.Find out what others did to achieve their success and rather than say, “That’s easy for you, but I’m so flipping unique, it wouldn’t work for me,” I say, “If you can do it, I certainly can too. I just need to find out what to do and then do it.” 7.Find someone who is less fortunate than me and help them out. When we willingly serve others from the heart it’s amazing how fast we get out of our “stinking thinking” and into a place of gratitude. 8.Get 100% honest about how much focused effort I am putting into a project. I can easily fool myself into believing I’m giving 100% to an end result by constantly checking emails, playing around on Facebook, cleaning out a drawer or any number of things that keep me from doing the one thing where I may get rejected so I completely avoid it. And if I’m not avoiding it, I’m kicking and screaming the whole way thus sabotaging my success. 9.Exercise on a regular basis. This one is huge. I’ve gone through periods where I’ve been totally committed to my physical well being and other times, not at all. During the times I put my health on the back burner, things go south pretty fast. I don’t feel good, my mood is not as good as it could be and I may even fall into the “life sucks” mode. By exercising I am getting much need oxygen that keeps my mind clear, my heart beating and my attitude on track. 10.Avoid living in regret of the past and learn from those things that didn’t work the way I had hoped. Vow to do things differently. 11.Stay as present in today as is humanly possible. Step #4 is crucial to being able to stay present. 12.Repeat #1 throughout my day. Truth be told, you, and only you, are responsible for your mindset. Your mindset determines the kind of actions you take and the energy you bring to the game. Your actions are what create the juice in life. You can live a lukewarm life or you can be so on fire with passion that people are incredibly attracted to you and what you have to offer. Granted, not everyone wants what you have. However, I can guarantee that there is a community of people who could be rabid fans if you would simply give them the chance and get excited about all the possibilities that life has in store for you. Are you sure this community knows you exist? And if they do, what energy are you giving them…WTF or WTG? It’s up to you.
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