Becoming an entrepreneur takes a specific type of personality not necessarily the business skills of a manager

DO YOU HAVE THE

 DNA OF AN ENTREPRENEUR?

I was recently a guest at a business network breakfast meet  and the youngster were bursting with enthusiasm to become entrepreneurs!!!  Mid-career survivors the ones who have just been laid off in today business environment think even more vivaciously the “adventure” of being an entrepreneur.

One has to look at the graveyard of the entrepreneurial ventures of the 21^st century. How many billions of precious money went up in smoke? Not to speak of the heartbreaks and the endless sleepless nights of toil and tension which came to naught? The universal statistics are clear 80 % of entrepreneurial startups fail in the nascent stage. 10% meekly survive to adulthood. And the one in a million becomes a Dhirubhai Ambani and a Jeff Bezos.

Do you think you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Becoming an entrepreneur takes a specific type of personality. Fortunately, it's the type of personality you can develop by working on yourself, growing, and learning how to express these traits. Focus on theser top traits below and you'll find yourself ahead of the crowd.

AN ENTREPRENEUR IS FIERCELY INDEPENDENT

The wannabe entrepreneur places a high value on independence .Like in Aesop’s fable the lean  stray dog talking to the fat.collared dog… the starving mongrel would not exchange the riches  a chained existence for the  fat privilege of roaming free in the world. The wannabe entrepreneur knows that freedom is the prerequisite for all success- it begins with an unfettered scope for  your talents and energies. But freedom also means responsibility hence the next step ...become self-driven proactive and opportunity ready

AN ENTREPRENEUR IS A SELF-STARTER

This is about more than simply being your own boss. This is about more than simply being able to get up in the morning and get to work. An entrepreneur is always capable of seeing a tomorrow that's just a little bit better than today. He's not satisfied to just sit on his laurels and enjoy the fruits of his success. He's constantly looking forward-creating plausible plans to create more opportunities and find his next point of success. An entrepreneur is also willing to push himself. Last year's success was fine, but this year's success should reflect his growth. He's always coming up with some new project and looking for ways to make that project succeed.

AN ENTREPRENEUR HAS IMMENSE SELF-BELIEF

There's not much room in the business world for self-doubt. Fear can make you back away from projects that could be the key to your ultimate success. Furthermore, the entrepreneur has to be in the business of convincing other people that his ideas are good. Partners, investors, financing, creative structuring-it all depends on the entrepreneur's ability to convince other people that they're making a good bet when they team up with him. If the entrepreneur isn't sure about himself, how can anyone else be sure of him?

AN ENTREPRENEUR MAKES THINGS  HAPPEN

An entrepreneur looks at a problem and knows it's an opportunity. That's not a cliché talking. A problem is literally an opportunity to get paid if you can be the one to solve it. Successful entrepreneurs make their name identifying problems without solutions, and providing those solutions. Every good product solves some sort of problem. Even video games solve a problem-they provide a way for people to unwind after a stressful day and fulfill a fantasy.

If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, your natural response to any given problem should always be to ask yourself how you can solve that problem. Not who is to blame, not how that problem came to be-just how the problem can be solved. Problem-solving becomes a habit. As you become alert to problems with no solutions, you become alert to new ways to create, grow, develop, and innovate new products. If you can marry this alertness to calculated action you will develop the instincts that you need to be an outstanding entrepreneur.

AN ENTREPRENEUR HAS A BIG APPETITE FOR RISK. 

Risk-adverse people don't make very good entrepreneurs-but neither do extremely reckless people who leap first and look later. Real entrepreneurs evaluate their potential risks. They also know how to minimize the risks they need to take through hard work, dedication, and strategic planning.When a risk goes bad an entrepreneur doesn't waste a lot of time looking for someone to blame. Instead a true entrepreneur analyzes what went wrong, learns from it, and moves on.

SUMMING UP

Now do you really want to be an entrepreneur? Weight the pro’s and the cons’ It is said at the end of your life you will regret the things you did not do … rather than the blunders  for which you paid a small price and the harvest of benefits of making life an adventure

with best compliments

Dr Wilfred Monteiro

Business coaching has gone from fad to being an essential part of the managers job.

COACHING :

 THE  NEW STYLE OF MANAGING ?

Business coaching has gone from fad to being an essential part of the managers job. This was badly needed, in a knowledge economy; where the young generation believe: they are drivers of their own performance and would therefore detest a dominating style of leadership. The prime purpose of coaching  is to increase effectiveness, broaden thinking, identify strengths and development needs and set and achieve challenging goals. It is based on asking rather than telling, on provoking thought rather than giving directions and helping a person become self-regulating and accountable for his or her goals. Young generation have their highest priority (after pay packet) ... how to  grow in the role?... and a manager’s job is to help them get there!!!

Research from both academics and the corporate world has fine-tuned the skills managers need to coach others into five categories:

1) PUTTING TRUST AT THE CENTRE OF THE RELATIONSHIP. 
It’s easier to learn from someone you trust. People can learn more from a friend than a knowledgeable  but authoritative figure. Good Coaches must effectively establish goodwill  and build trust by being clear about the learning and development objectives they set, showing good judgment, being patient and following through on any promises and agreements they make.

2) PROVIDING OBJECTIVE FEEDBACK .
 In coaching the master question is: Where are you now and where do you want to go? Helping others to gain self-awareness and insight is a key job for an effective coach. The coach can provide timely feedback and help clarify the behaviors that an employee would like to change. Performance improvement is  often an exploration; which focuses on gaps or inconsistencies, on current performance vs. desired performance, words vs. actions and intention vs. impact. The ownership of accepting the gap is based upon the learner and not a prescription from the coach
 
3) PROVOKING NEW  THINKING . 
Thinking from a new perspective is an important part of the coaching process. Challenging old myths and pet assumptions helps to bring a new insight to the problem at hand or a fresh zeal to meet daunting challenges. Hence good coaches ask open-ended questions, push for alternative solutions to problems, motivate through task simplification and encourage reasonable risk-taking.

4) TASK AND EMOTIONAL ENCOURAGEMENT . 
Coaching places the responsibility on the learner, who has to generate the solution; or at least work in partnership with the coach  to find solution Coaching is certainly  not a prescription or a command mode of interaction.  Therefore the learner understands the solution, and how it was arrived at.  Creating their own customized solution, they are also more likely to carry it through. As partners in learning, good coaches listen carefully, are open to the perspectives of others and allow employees to vent emotions without judgment. They encourage employees to make progress toward their goals, and they recognize their successes.

5) FOCUSS ON MEASURABLE RESULTS. 
Effective coaching is about concrete results. The coach helps the employee set meaningful ones and identify specific behaviors or steps for meeting them. The coach helps to clarify milestones or key measures of success and holds the employee accountable for them. Self assessment is the key to learner participation and the low-risk context (if  failure occurs) is what the coach should build.

Would you want to change your corporate culture of managing and develop you line managers to become executive coaches 24x7. VISIT MY WEBSITE www.synergymanager.net for contact details.

with best compliments

DR WILFRED MONTEIRO

EXECUTIVE COACHING MYTH OR MASTER-KEY TO PEFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

In the avalanche of “certified” coaches and the certifying bodies galore the business world has some re-think on the issue of Executive Coaching The need for coaching has never been greater. Executive Coaching  is  best defined as the “building a relationship of trust, tapping a person’s potential, creating commitment and executing goals.” research shows that a team that is highly engaged has double the chance of job performance and success.


First there are a lot of questions of what coaching entails. As a starter, here’s what Executive coaching is not:
·         Coaching is not ordering people around because you have authority or a title.
·         Coaching is not “fixing” a person.
·         Coaching is not creating a dependency or indulging in “open-ended therapy.”


The services provided by an Executive coach are quite similar to that of a sports coach, the only difference is that business coaching is undertaken for the benefit of an organization. Executive coaching not only aims at improving individual performance but also concentrates on improving team performance.
in unlocking hidden potential


Just as a sports coach helps in unlocking the real potential of players, an Executive Coach helps the employees to improve their working skills. Most successful business coaches know that every employee has the potential to perform above expectations. The only thing required is proper guidance and the confidence that he can achieve the set goal and objective. The aligning of personal and professional goals of the employees with organizational goals and objectives enables the Executive Coachto increase productivity and maximizing profitability. This helps in the increase of profitability and success in a very short time.


People often confuse Executive Coaching with business consulting. Both are very different from each other and are undertaken for achieving different set of goals and objectives. In business consulting, the consultant offers you solutions to your queries, based on his knowledge, experience and technical qualifications. Business consulting is more like gambling in which you win some and lose some. The advice provided by the consultant may or may not work in solving your problems. In comparison, business coaching allows the employees to explore and find the solutions for themselves. It just provides the right guidance, which may not seem much help, but is very essential when it comes to unlocking the true potential of an individual. It takes a great amount of skill and patience to be able to connect with the employees, which can only be made possible with the help of a business coach. The coach provides the necessary guidance to the employee or team members. This helps them to overcome common organizational problems.


Executive Coach  differs from consulting, counseling, and therapy in that the focus is on each executive’s success in the work setting. Coaching is similar to these other professions (consulting, counseling, and therapy) in that they all rely heavily on skillful listening to clients (executive) and reflecting back what is heard and what is meant so that clients can achieve deeper self-understanding and learning.

As a business growth specialist we provide you with knowledge to succeed in business, we only use proven time tested methods. And act as a sounding board to you and provide useful guidance for getting the best from difficult situations.

An Executive Coach can see the problems from the outside without being shortsighted by old bad habits the company have been gathering over the years. The owner needs someone to encourage, to push him, to congratulate him, to support him and keep him focused on the planned goals and made accountable for the outcomes. It can be a lonely job being the boss without a trusted sounding board.

Meta+Coach^© Model Coaching is a way to bridge any gap between where you and your business or career are today and where you would like to be. Customized business coaching works faster, is more effective, and is more convenient than standard management seminars and work books. Business coaching is not an extravagance but a must to get fast effective business solutions.

The Executive Coach may work with business owners, executives, and people at every level in the company.
·         Set and achieve higher quality goals
·         Ensure people are accountable and take responsibility of their actions
·         Accelerate development in business processes, skills, knowledge, and relationships
·         Eliminate rather than tolerate the negatives in their life
·         Encouraging you to focus on your key priorities
·         Providing you with an impartial sounding board
·         Supporting you in making better decisions
·         Giving you greater confidence
·         Helping you achieve new levels of job satisfaction and motivation

Life’s toughest issues are not solved by having all the answers, but by asking the right questions. Coaches who continue to ask powerful and provocative questions help individuals develop a sense of internal purpose and commitment for the long run.
Meta+Coach^©suggests that powerful questions leaders ask may fall into three areas:
1.      Engaging with purpose (Opening)
2.      Advancing to commitment.
3.      Obtaining commitment (Closing)


CONCLUDING : THE BENEFITS OF COACHING.
o   Coaching highlights what people can readily achieve, given the right support.
o    Good programs can simplify what might appear to be particularly difficult situations.
o   Successful programs can lead to improved individual and team performance and increased levels of motivation.


 

WHAT MAKE META+ COACHING THE FIRST CHOICE?

WHAT MAKE  META+ COACHING THE FIRST CHOICE?

META –COACHING ©  is a proprietary model developed by Dr Wilfred Monteiro ; it is  a highly personalized relationship that strengthens managers’ performance by helping them identify, organize, and execute important life & work priorities.

Through a mutual exploration process, it guides the coachee as they interrelate personal aspirations and role demands with the organization’s current and future business challenges and goals. The result is a focused action plan supported by hands-on guidance that ensures performance success.

META coaching  will make a real difference in the performance of the coachee and the success of your organization because our approach:

1. Initiates an action plan that drives clarity and focus on business requirements

2. Increases talent retention by considering individual career aspirations and motivations

3. Improves employee engagement and work performance by highlighting  the obstacles to peak performance

4. Involves coachees in the process of learning and self-development

5. Targets development that benefits both the business and the individual

6. Program is personally conducted by Dr Wilfred Monteiro to ensure quality and authenticity

STRATEGIC APPROACH TO SELLING aren’t just fancy business words.... GROW OR GET EXTINCT is the new business mantra!!! What’s holding back your growth and success???

 STRATEGIC APPROACH TO  SALES TURNAROUND

Have you ever had an existing account (that you thought was safe) disappoint  you at the last minute or take their business to the competition? Trying to make a desperate pitch to win-back the customer did  you ever have a customer say to you:

·           “You’re not really a strategic vendor for us” (even though they are one of your key accounts).

·          “After careful consideration, we’ve decided to switch providers” (even when you didn’t know they were considering a switch).

·          “Your competition understands us better than you do.”

·          “Will you lower your price to keep our business?

These are ALL symptoms of a lack of a well designed ; proactive strategic approach to selling. And that’s holding back your growth and success.

Over the last decade, the world of B2B selling has changed beyond recognition. Face-to-face, transactional selling is dead; where customers want to do transactional business, it is far more effective for both buyer and seller to use the internet or telephone. Increasingly, customers resent having to spend time in sales calls purely to make standard transactions, and some customers are even beginning to measure the cost of spending their time in this way. From the supplier side, sending a sales person or a team of people is simply too expensive unless they can add real value

Most businesses today depend on growth just for survival. Operational costs are rising year-by-year and companies need budgets  to upgrade programs, hire pricey talented professionals, finance research and innovation; or costly promotions to step up marketing efforts. If you have investors then there’s the added pressure to perform better quarter after quarter, year after year. How does a company do this? GROW OR GET EXTINCT is the new business mantra.

STRATEGIC APPROACH TO SELLING  aren’t just fancy business words. Client retention and long-term satisfaction directly depend on well-positioned key action steps, and it’s what every enterprise should consistently focus on and improve upon. My observation of what makes sales performance  successful reveals that there are some proven ways that drive effectiveness:

ASSESSING YOUR CURRENT STATE

A self-assessment of how you are performing is vital towards establishing how to better manage your sales volume and market share going forward. Review your company’s strategy every three years just to keep pace in today’s fast-shifting marketplace.

·         Rethink your value proposition before the customer. You also need to verify the opportunities you are maximizing for your customers or the problems you are helping to  solve and ensure these also have a start-to-finish strategy for each one.

·         Create an "industry and marketing intelligence system" in order to systematically obtain information from your industry, customers, competitors. This will help you in segmenting your marketplace, and in understanding your best and worst product/service capabilities with respect to your competition.

·         Categorize your marketplace (customers) by industry, customer size or other significant demographic distinctions and then list those categories in order of greatest current and/or potential profitability to your business. Then ask yourself how to a) best pursue buyers within the categories at the top of your list, and b) harvest or divest your business of customer categories at the bottom end of your list. Follow the same course with your company’s products/services and distribution channels.

·         Select carefully in your product/market matrix; pursuing too many "rising stars" i.e. future products and future markets can diffuse your organization’s energy. Spot your highest potential marketplace "stars" and pursue vigorously those product/market segments first.

·         Don’t try to be all things to all customers. Pick whether your company can best pursue: 1) product or service leadership (being the best in a product/service category), 2) customer intimacy (focusing on serving a broad array of needs in a particular customer segment), or 3) operational excellence (providing best overall efficiency or lowest cost).

·         Align your company’s marketing and sales efforts with your strategy. You may choose to set up separate marketing and sales goals, tactics and materials for different sets of viable cells in your product/market matrix.

·         Make sure that your organization’s policies, processes and people are fully aligned with your chosen business strategy. If they are not, then you may be sending a mixed message not only to your marketplace, but also to your company’s people.

UNDERSTANDING  THE  COMPETITION

A good competitive analysis varies according to what industry you’re in and your specific marketing plan and situation. A comprehensive competitive analysis does have some common themes.

To understand the strengths of your own business, you must understand your competition and your positioning. Who competes with you for your customers’ time and money? Are they directly selling competitive products and services, substitutes, or possible substitutes? What are their strengths and weaknesses? How are they positioned in the market?

In other words, you should know how you are positioned in the market. Why do people buy your product or services instead of the others offered in the same general categories? What benefits do you offer at what price, to whom, and how does your mix compare to others? Think about specific kinds of benefits, features, and market groups, comparing where you think you can show the difference.

Describe each of your major competitors in terms of those same factors. This may include their size, the market share they command, their comparative product quality, their growth, available capital and resources, image, marketing strategy, target markets, or whatever else you consider important.

Make sure you specifically describe the strengths and weaknesses of each competitor, and compare them to your own. Consider their service, pricing, reputation, management, financial position, brand awareness, business development, technology, or other factors that you feel are important. In what segments of the market do they operate? What seems to be their strategy? How much do they impact your business, and what threats and opportunities do they represent?

CONCLUDING: THE WAY AHEAD

As the sales role moves further from its transactional past to the consultative business partner of today, the requirement grows to support those sales professionals with systems to get answers quickly. There are many reasons why turnaround  plans fail, especially:

·         Failure to follow the plan ;No follow through after initial planning

·         Failure to get management involved right from the start

·         Failure to obtain sufficient company resources to accomplish task

·         Failure to manage change; Inadequate understanding of the internal resistance to change

·         Failure to understand the customer

·         Inability to predict environmental/competitor  reaction

·         Failure to coordinate; Under-estimation of time requirements

·         Improper estimation of resources available or needed or to be deployed 

·         Reporting and control relationships not adequate

Recognize that sales turnaround is an organizational change, not a quick fix solution to a superficial problem. ..Sales turnaround implementations  takes repeated efforts year-on-year with stepped goals for improvement...

Best of luck

Dr Wilfred Monteiro

DR WILFRED MONTEIRO -  coach | consultant | trainer

sales  performance  turnaround  specialist

www.synergymanager.net

WINNERS IN LIFE reach their goals not simply because of who they are, but more often because of what they do. Let the first quarter the first 90 days be the first milestone to measure your success and get the year to a flying start.

 SEVEN THINGS TO DO DIFFERENTLY

 TO BE A WINNER IN 2017

Why have you been so successful in reaching some of your goals in 2016, but not others? If you aren’t sure, you are far from alone in your confusion. It turns out that even brilliant, highly accomplished people are pretty lousy when it comes to understanding why they succeed or fail. The intuitive answer — that you are born predisposed to certain talents and lacking in others — is really just one small piece of the puzzle. In fact, decades of research on personal growth achievement suggests that  WINNERS IN LIFE reach their goals not simply because of who they are, but more often because of what they do.

1.BEGIN AFRESH- BE FULLY ALIVE IN THE NOW

WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY IF YOU WERE TO LIVE THE BYGONE YEAR 2016 ALL OVER AGAIN??? Good question but how much will you retrospect  and many days of 2017 will you look in the rear view mirror? Give up the past.  It’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present.

Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

Focus on what you will do, not what you won’t do. Do you want to successfully lose weight, quit smoking, or put a lid on your bad temper? Then plan how you will replace bad habits with good ones, rather than focusing only on the bad habits themselves. Research on thought suppression (e.g., “Don’t think about black cats!”) has shown that trying to avoid a thought makes it even more active in your mind. The same holds true when it comes to behavior — by trying not to engage in a bad habit, our habits get strengthened rather than broken.

If you want to change your ways, ask yourself, WHAT WILL I DO INSTEAD? For example, if you are trying to gain control of your temper and stop flying off the handle, you might make a plan like “If I am starting to feel angry, then I will take three deep breaths to calm down.” By using deep breathing as a replacement for giving in to your anger, your bad habit will get worn away over time until it disappears completely

2.WORK ON THE INSIDE FIRST

Give up your self-defeating self-talk. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Give up your limiting beliefs about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly! A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind

Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that. The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive. Give up your excuses. Send them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses – excuses that most of the time are not even real.

3.KEEP YOU EYE ON THE BALL AND ALWAYS  ACT ON YOUR GOALS. 

Given how busy most of us are, and how many goals we are juggling at once, it’s not surprising that we routinely miss opportunities to act on a goal because we simply fail to notice them. Do first things first (only saying) and second things never. Achieving your goal means grabbing hold of these opportunities before they slip through your fingers...and deciding to avoid some of dubious value which don’t really add to your overall success. To seize the moment, decide when and where you will take each action you want to take, in advance. Again, be as specific as possible (e.g., “If it’s Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, I’ll clear my desk  for 30 minutes before work.”) Studies show that this kind of planning will help your brain to detect and seize the opportunity when it arises, increasing your chances of success by roughly 300%.

4.BE A REALISTIC OPTIMIST. REPROGRAM THE MIND

When you are setting a goal, by all means engage in lots of positive thinking about how likely you are to achieve it. Believing in your ability to succeed is enormously helpful for creating and sustaining your motivation. But whatever you do, don’t underestimate how difficult it will be to reach your goal. Most goals worth achieving require time, planning, effort, and persistence. Studies show that thinking things will come to you easily and effortlessly leaves you ill-prepared for the journey ahead, and significantly increases the odds of failure.

·         Give up on blame. Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

·         Give up complaining. Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, many things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.

·         Give up on your fears. Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place. Fortunately, decades of research suggest that the belief in fixed ability is completely wrong — abilities of all kinds are profoundly malleable. Embracing the fact that you can change will allow you to make better choices, and reach your fullest potential. People whose goals are about getting better, rather than being good, take difficulty in stride, and appreciate the journey as much as the destination.

5.ACCEPT THE V.U.C.A. WORLD

VUCA  is a buzz word and rightly so for today. it stands for four forces ruling us today. Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity And Ambiguity Give up your need to always be right. There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be open to a new idea?” . What difference will that make to your mental horizon?

An Uncertain World means you need to give up your need for control. Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.”  Said Lao Tzu the ancient Chinese sage. A Complex and Ambiguous World means you need to give up any resistance to change. Change is good. Change will help you move to the next level of sucess. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change – don’t resist it. Follow your conscience on what’s right for you  and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls

6.BUILD YOUR WILLPOWER MUSCLE

Perseverance  is a willingness to - commit to long term goals, and to persist in the face of difficulty. Studies show that gritty people obtain more education in their lifetime, and earn higher . The good news is, if you aren’t particularly gritty now, there is something you can do about it. People who lack persistence and constancy of purpose;  more often than not believe that they just don’t have the innate abilities successful people have. If that describes your own thinking …. well, there’s no way to put this nicely: you are wrong. As I mentioned earlier, effort, planning, persistence, and good tacts  are what it really takes to succeed. Embracing this knowledge will not only help you see yourself and your goals more accurately, but also do wonders for your grit.

 Your self-control “muscle” is just like the other muscles in your body — when it doesn’t get much exercise, it becomes weaker over time. But when you give it regular workouts by putting it to good use, it will grow stronger and stronger, and better able to help you successfully reach your goals. To build willpower, take on a challenge that requires you to do something you’d honestly rather not do. Give up high-fat snacks, do 100 sit-ups a day, stand up straight when you catch yourself slouching, try to learn a new skill. When you find yourself wanting to give in, give up, or just not bother — don’t. It will be hard in the beginning, but it will get easier, and that’s the whole point. As your strength grows, you can take on more challenges and step-up your self-control workout.

No matter how strong your willpower muscle becomes, it’s important to always respect the fact that it is limited, and if you overtax it you will temporarily run out of steam. Don’t try to take on two challenging tasks at once, if you can help it (like quitting smoking and dieting at the same time). And don’t put yourself in harm’s way — many people are overly-confident in their ability to resist temptation, and as a result they put themselves in situations where temptations abound. Successful people know not to make reaching a goal harder than it already is.

7.GIVE UP LIVING YOUR LIFE TO OTHER PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONS. 

Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and worse still what the media thinks is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves.  You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path. Give up your need to impress others. Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take of all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

THE WAY AHEAD IN 2017

It is my hope that, after reading about the seven things successful people do differently, you have gained some insight into all the things you have been doing right all along. Even more important, I hope are able to identify the mistakes that have derailed you, and use that knowledge to your advantage from now on. Remember, you don’t need to become a different person to become a more successful one. It’s never what you are, but what you do.

Focus on getting better, rather than being perfect you will set realistic and achievable goals. Believing you have the ability to reach your goals is important, but so is believing you can get the ability. Many of us believe that our intelligence, our personality, and our physical aptitudes are fixed — that no matter what we do, we won’t improve. As a result, we focus on goals that are all about proving ourselves, rather than developing and acquiring new skills.

Know exactly how far you have left to go. Achieving any goal also requires honest and regular monitoring of your progress — if not by others, then by you yourself. If you don’t know how well you are doing, you can’t adjust your behavior or your strategies accordingly. Check your progress frequently — weekly, or even daily, depending on the goal. Let the first quarter the first 90 days be the first milestone to measure your success and get the year to a flying start.

Happy New Year 2017

Dr Wilfred Monteiro

THE CARDINAL QUALITY OF A GREAT LEADER : HUMILITY WHICH SEEKS FEEDBACK