Are you the best you can be? Are you really trying your best? Are you making the most of your time? Be honest with yourself. If not, perhaps it’s time for some careful reflection.
So how can you really exceed your potential?
- Don’t just plod along. Have a vision – Visualise what you want and how to achieve it. In order to formulate this, consider: Where am I now? Where do I want to be? How can I get there?
- Formulate a specific plan to get you where you want to be. Review (and keep reviewing) your position and the surrounding environment i.e. competitors, social trends etc. Take these internal and external factors into account, and consider how they present opportunities and threats to you, and develop a plan to exploit opportunities and eliminate threats. Establish objectives, and keep reviewing your objectives. Review your business plan.
- Be proactive and actively seek opportunities. So keep up to date on what is happening in your industry. Keep reviewing your competitor actions.
- Do something new. Be innovative. Think outside the box to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Or if you already have established what makes you different, ensure you promote this to your potential customers.
- Be passionate and enjoy what you do. This will increase your motivation to work hard and drive up your creative energy for great ideas. Consider: What do you enjoy doing? What are you good at? What do you dislike doing? Where can you improve? Aim to do more of what you like and less of what you don’t.
- Be happy and have a positive mindset. They say that success breeds more success. The same principal is here. Instead of looking for happiness look for reasons to be happy.
- Broaden your horizons. Network and connect with like-minded people. Join mastermind groups (or think about creating your own).
- Don’t be lazy and let your business dwindle. Take action now and ensure your business booms. Read my blogs and books for inspiration – I have offered loads of techniques of how to grow your business and increase your profits, and there is still more to come.
Most importantly, believe in yourself and your business. You have worked hard to get this far. If you are willing to work hard anything is possible.
Lilach
Founder at Socialable Ltd
Lilach Bullock is passionate about getting tangible results using social media. Listed in Forbes as one of the top 20 women social media power influencers. She's the co-author of "Images that Influence" (Number One in its category on Amazon). Lilach is consulted by journalists and regularly quoted in newspapers on social media related matters, including (Forbes, Social Media Today, Prima Magazine, The Sunday Times and BBC Radio 5 Live ). A keynote speaker at business and marketing seminars.
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26 Responses to Are you exceeding your potential?
Hey Lilach!
These 2 make the biggest difference to me “Formulate a specific plan & Don’t be lazy”
Great post
Carl Ashton
Twitter: CarlDavidAshton
Thanks Carl – absolutely, you need a plan and to take action and as you’ve put don’t be lazy!
Twitter: lilachbullock
Great insight Lilach- any goal or vision that’s extraordinary deserves the same kind of work put into it to obtain it!
Thanks for sharing such awesome value!
-Chante Epps
Thanks Chante, appreciate your comments. I agree too:)
Twitter: lilachbullock
I like Have a Vision and Be Proactive! Keep going for the brass ring or gold or silver ring! When you visualize the end goal, your actions become the means to the end. Thanks for a great post!
Val Heisey recently posted..What will it take – hypnotism or commitment?
Twitter: valheisey
Thanks Val appreciate your great comments:)
Twitter: lilachbullock
What an awesome list that you put together Lilach. Very specific and to the point actions everyone needs to take in their business.
Preston Schumacher recently posted..Top Ranking Document Sharing Sites
Twitter: workwithpreston
Thanks Preston, appreciate your comments. As you’ve said they’re very specific action points and really simple for business owners to get great results.
Twitter: lilachbullock
Great post again Lilach! And your timing is perfect too. I think for many people they play way too small because it is comfortable. Raising the bar is tough…and I found it to be totally worth it!
Thanks for raising mine (again)
Terr
Terry Petrovick recently posted..Entrepreneurs Get Paid For Results, Not Time Spent
Twitter: terrypetrovick
Thanks Terry. I agree it’s good to get out of your comfort zone every so often. It’s not easy, but then the best things in life never are:)
Twitter: lilachbullock
Great post Lilach!
I think people get stuck because they completely by pass your first step: have a vision. Most don’t start with one, then get so confused and frustrated. You’ve laid out clear and simple steps for them to follow that will make a world of a difference, not just in their business, but their life. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Monyelle. I agree, it’s so important to have a clear vision of what and where you want to be, it certainly makes it more attainable I’ve found:)
Twitter: lilachbullock
Another great post Lilach! You are so right about the vision part of the equation. Flying by the seat of one’s pants usually gets them nowhere quickly. Starting with a vision plants the first seeds of innovation! Thanks for sharing.
Joe Sandy recently posted..MLSP Leads The Way In Facebook Marketing Education
Thanks Joe, my pleasure. Yes, we all want to move quickly and often see planning as one step backwards but what it does do is once you’ve visualised and planned well you can then catapult forwards much more quickly:)
Twitter: lilachbullock
This post is GREAT, Lilach – full of golden nuggets! I especially like your title: ‘Are You EXCEEDING Your Potential?’ I know I personally need to keep challenging myself to be better, do better. That is why I LOVE these tips. Thank you!
Twitter: Juli_Becker_
Thanks Juli:) I love challenging myself. I’m currently on my own challenge of writing a blog every day – which is no mean feat let me tell you! We can all improve, do better and even the “gurus” are continually learning and trying to better themselves.
If we stood still life would be a very boring place:)
Twitter: lilachbullock
Enjoyed reading your very insightful tips for exceeding your potential. I especially like how you suggest we visualize and also to enjoy what we are doing. These are all important factors to keep business owners and entrepreneurs focused for success. Thank you sharing these tips Lilach, I will be happy to share your article with others.
Lynn Brown recently posted..An Important Piece of LinkedIn Marketing Advice
Twitter: learnit2earnit
Thanks Lynn:) I love visualising exercises – I have words around me in my office like successful as it motivates me and spurs me on. I find images are more powerful than words though. Thanks for sharing my article too, very much appreciated:)
Twitter: lilachbullock
Thanks Lilach! I think one of the key points was to create a SPECIFIC plan because you will get what you ask for and if you don’t ask for something specific, you may get the end result you wanted but may not get there how you wanted.
Duke Romkey recently posted..The New American Epidemic
Twitter: dukeromkey
Thanks Duke, I’m a huge fan of S.M.A.R.T planning and goal setting. You really do have to be specific. For example, lets say how much money you want to earn, how much money? a week/ a month/ a day etc. The more specific you can be the more attainable your goals are:)
Twitter: lilachbullock
Hi there again Lilach,
Some great tips there. They look like a cross between the 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People and Psycho-Cybernetics (but without the wish-washy wording found in the books). I think the biggest problem that most people have is that they simply don’t believe they can achieve. This could be down to a bad experience in life or the way the were brought up. But we all take hits from time to time. The people that win are the ones that get up and keep going.
James recently posted..Coffee Shop Employees Emptied My Bank Account
Thanks James, appreciate your comment:)
I think a lot of people are afraid of fear and lack confidence. It’s hard work running a business, there are challenges every day but you need to keep going as you say. It helps to surround yourself with a good support network too, particularly when things aren’t going as well as we would like them too:)
Twitter: lilachbullock
It is easy for people to come up with ideas and maybe even put them into action. But is has been proven time after time that people are usually one step away from success before they give up! They believe this step is not obtainable when all they have to do is believe and continue on!~
Twitter: eservicesteam
Thanks Chris:) I think the key here is not to give up too early and make sure you really have and are taking action. It takes time to get results and sometimes people just aren’t patient enough.
That said I would also recommend you speak to a few other people about your idea/model and get some opinions on whether it can/could work, particularly if you’ve been at it for a long time (ie a year with no success)
Twitter: lilachbullock
I find that having a vision and plan of action helps avoid distractions and aware of opportunities.
Twitter: stepwiseassoc
Thanks, this is some great advice, people need to commit and take business risks. Often people give up to early and then miss out on a great business or business prospect. As an entrepreneur you are often coming up with ideas left right and centre and the key is to focus on a few at a time and see them through to completion build a team around them and then learn to trust your team, and then drive your overall business strategy forwards. That’s how in my eye’s we exceed our potential. Some great tips
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Twitter: businessplanhub