Three Principles for Great Success

Sharing a wonderful article by author and speaker Brian Tracy.

Get Better Results than Ever Before

There are several principles of military strategy that you can apply to your business, every single day. These can help you to think better and get better results than ever before.

Do the Unexpected

One really helpful military principle that can be applied to business is the Principle of Surprise. The principle of surprise says, "do the unexpected!" In sales and marketing, this means to be continually seeking ways to out-flank or upset your competition.

Do the Opposite of Before

Sometimes doing exactly the opposite of what you have been doing up till now can turn out to be the perfect solution. The natural tendency for a person, when they find themselves in a hole, is to dig deeper. In many cases, the solution is to go and dig somewhere else. Remember, the first law of holes is, "When you find yourself in one, stop digging."

Follow-up and Follow-Through

A second military principle that applies to business is the Principle of Exploitation. The principle of exploitation emphasizes the importance of follow-up and follow-through. In business, this means that, when you get an opportunity, you exploit it to the fullest extent possible. If you have a great promotional idea or product or service, you sell all you can. You take advantage of your idea or breakthrough and use every opportunity to capitalize on it.

Work Harmoniously With Others

The third principle of military strategy that applies to personal and corporate thinking is the Principle of Cooperation. In business, this is often called the principle of synergy. In military terms, this is often called the principle of "concerted action." In business terms, your ability to work effectively and harmoniously with other individuals and groups is more responsible for your success than any other quality.

Win the Cooperation of Key People

A key part of strategic thinking is for you to identify the individuals, groups and organizations whose cooperation you will require to achieve your goals. Make a list of them and then organize the list in order of importance. Then ask yourself, "How am I going to win their cooperation?"

Answer Everyone's Favorite Question

Everybody wants to know, "what's in it for me?" The effective executive is always looking for ways to help or assist others knowing that this is the only sure way to create within them a desire to help you to achieve your goals.

By doing the unexpected, by following up and following through, and by constantly looking for ways to get other people to cooperate with you, you will accomplish more in a shorter time than you might ever have imagined.

Action Exercises

Here are two things you can do immediately to apply these ideas in your business and in your work:

First, look at your job, especially the areas where you are experiencing frustration, and question whether or not there is a completely different way of approaching your problem or situation. Do the unexpected. Perhaps you should be doing exactly the opposite of what you are doing today. All success in business comes from surprising the competition in some way.

Second, identify the people, groups and organizations whose assistance you will need to achieve your goal. Continually look for ways to earn their support and cooperation by thinking in terms of what is in it for them. 

To lead is to serve,

Coach Carolyn

Think About What You Think About

“A person’s way of doing things is the direct result of the way they think about things.” ~ Wallace Wattles from The Science of Getting Rich

It wasn’t until I became aware of my thinking that life got clear for me. Before I became aware, it was as if I was wading through muddy waters. Like the Apostle Paul mentions in one of his letters, it was like I was “seeing through a glass darkly.” And because I was seeing so murky, I was not aware that I was living a life of insanity. We know that Einstein said that insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Unfortunately, we do the same thing over and over and over and wonder why we get the same results. This is because in our heads, we know what we want to happen; we know what we want the outcome to look like – but for some reason, it’s not happening.

This can be extremely confusing, especially since we know what we want. But do we really? Perhaps we do, but I know that what we say we want and what we think about wanting are usually two very different things. So what shows up in our life? The thing we don’t want! Why? Because that was our dominant thought and it was the thought we put the most energy into – whether we did it consciously or not. Even if the energy we expended was negative energy, it’s still energy. The universe does not know the difference, nor care.

If we plant sweet corn or if we plant a deadly poison, the earth will give us the fruits of our labor – either the sweet corn or the deadly poison. The earth neither knows the difference nor discriminates between the two. It is the same with our thoughts. I know that it can be very difficult to become aware of what you are thinking about most of the time, as it was for me. But you know, once you do become aware, and make the decision to focus on what you think about, life will begin to fall into place.

I now saturate my mind with positive images, messages, and sounds. From the time I get up in the morning to the time I go to bed in the evening, I am listening to positive audio books, audio lessons, I read books that speak peace and prosperity and I do not allow negativity to enter in. I stopped watching the news and reading newspapers about twelve years ago because they were so negative and violent. I mainly stopped because they upset me psychically and shook my senses. But this practice has served me in more ways than this. I do know what is going on in the world – at least what I am interested in knowing. I really don’t care who sleeps with whom and which celebrity got a nip and tuck. This does not serve me nor help me to create a life on purpose.

Think about what you think about. We think approximately 60,000 thought a day and about 40,000 of them are repetitive and very likely self-abusive. Wake up to your life. It is time to stop sleepwalking and take responsibility for your own life. Get off the treadmill of insanity.

I suggest you read Wallace Wattles’ The Science of Getting Rich. You can download the free e-book or get the audio. I listen to it every night as I am drifting off to sleep. I also read a passage or two every day. It has helped me tremendously with my thinking. Now, I think more consciously and more deliberately. My productivity, focus, and concentration have also improved. I no longer wander aimlessly. It’s time to get your life back on track. Yes, you may have derailed, but you don’t have to stay there. Remember, it’s your choice.

To lead is to serve,
Coach Carolyn

If those 40,000 thoughts are fear-based, then why not join my Transcending Fear Mentoring Program. It’s quick and easy to join and you can do it from the comfort of your home or office.

Younger Leaders Need Mentors

In some of the circles I travel, I am pleased to see more younger people in leadership roles, for church ministries, school activities, and even when needed in the family and home. I love when this is the norm and not merely the exception. Young people are the future; they are the ones who will lead in a bigger way in years to come. What I would love to see is more mentoring to the young.

One of the easiest ways to mentor a young person is through storytelling. Stories bond us as a people, and they are easily remembered. Stories create images and help the young one continue to use their imagination. I know that when we become adults, we seem to lose the use of that particular faculty.

When I was growing up, I took on leadership roles in my church – because church is where I had to be on Sunday, so I had to be doing something. My responsibilities were lightened tremendously by the sharing of stories. It was easy to begin with more common stories about what goes on within the families, but then it branched out to stories centered around the sabbath; and Jesus' new testament and salvation stories. This delighted me and gave me great hope. I found that this was also a great way to build community, though at the time I didn’t really understand the concept. Today, it’s one of the principles I wholly embody. I believe community building is cornerstone to creating great leaders and even great followers.

A wonderful way to contribute to the future of the young and your future as well is to devote some time mentoring a young leader in the making. Just share time and a story. You would be amazed at how you both benefit from the experience.

To lead is to serve,

Coach Carolyn

Happy 2010!

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” ~ Oprah Winfrey


Wishing you the most purposeful and prosperous New Year!


Coach Carolyn

Blessed Christmas

"I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys." ~ Charles Dickens

Wishing you a most Blessed Christmas!

Coach Carolyn

A Tribute to Jim Rohn

"If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much." ~ Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn (September 17, 1930 - December 5, 2009) was considered a "Business Philosopher". He did not claim to teach novel truths, only fundamentals - and as he was fond of saying: "There are no new fundamentals. Truth is not new, it's old. You've got to be a little suspicious of the guy who says, 'come over here, I want to show you my manufactured antiques!' No, you can't manufacture antiques." Whoever rendered service to many put himself in line for greatness – great wealth, great return, great satisfaction, great reputation, and great joy. (From Wikipedia)

Anyone in the personal development sphere will have known the name of Jim Rohn. Influencing the likes of Anthony Robbins, Jack Canfield and Brian Tracy, Rohn was a pioneer in the arena of thinking for a change. Though he left a legacy of books, audio and video, he will be deeply missed.

"A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better." ~ Jim Rohn

To lead is to serve,

Coach Carolyn

Leadership Is Influence

"There is no power on earth that can neutralize the influence of a high, simple and useful life." ~ Booker T. Washington

"Let him that would move the world, first move himself." ~ Socrates

"The humblest individual exerts some influence, either for good or evil, upon others." ~ Henry Ward Beecher

To lead is to serve,

Coach Carolyn