`CREATING A WINNING MINDSET LEADS TO YOUR SUCCESS`

A LOOK AT WHAT MAY BE THE MOST SINGLE IMPORTANT FACTOR IN DETERMINING your SUCCESS OR FAILURE BY CREATING A WINNING MINDSET

The most revolutionary idea that a positive attitude can have a profound and positive impact on what we achieve in life, both personally and professionally.

While the world has changed considerably I still believe in its core principle that our mindset significantly influences our results. What’s more, I believe it applies to all people globally now more than ever.

Is your mindset that this is a relationship business vs. a transactional business? That you will turn over your transactions to digital technology? As simple as it sounds, this mindset dramatically changes the game for any person/business that adopts it.

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By having the right mindset is critically important. “The single most important factor in determining the success or failure of a business is the mindset of its leaders. Its how they think that makes the difference.”

So what exactly is mindset? A mindset is:

(1) A set of assumptions, methods, or notations held by one or more people or groups of people. A mindset can also be seen as indicative of a person’s world view or philosophy of life

(2) The established set of attitudes held by someone.

I believe that in life generally and industry, the mindset of a leader is reflected in the culture....the language and behaviours that are normal within the organisation. How would you describe your mindset or culture? Do you like it?

Just listen to what your people say and watch what they do. Do their words and actions convey the Best Version Possible? For example:

How is the phone answered at your office?

What do your employees talk about most of the time?

Is the overall atmosphere pleasant and upbeat or negative and depressing?

Do the people really like each other and get along? Do they care about what they do? Do they work as a team, supporting and trusting each other? Or is there constant drama and infighting?

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So much of what happens on a day-to-day basis is driven by the mindset (or lack thereof) of the leadership. When it comes to your mindset, what do you really believe? Are your thoughts clear and concise about what’s most important to your agency? I’m not talking about 20 or 30 “most important” things. You’ll only create mental clutter if you have a lengthy “to-do” list. Instead, focus on simplicity; simplicity leads to clarity.

Elements of a successful mindset

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Let’s review some of the Principles. After each one, ask yourself: Is this part of my mindset and does this define the Best Version Possible?

Retaining and Obtaining Ideal Clients (ROI).?Do you know the characteristics of your future ideal clients? Do you actually know who they are? Do you have a strategy to get in front of them and have a conversation?

Four Rs Focus.?This answers the question, “What’s it all about?” At many businesses we see no overall focus. No clarity. The right mindset should focus on four things: Results, Relationships, Retention and Referrals. Is that your mantra? Is that what you talk about? Is that part of your mindset?

Full-Time Clients Only.?Yes, I know you’ve heard this at least 100 times (and I’m being conservative with that figure), but is that one of your businesses overall mindsets? Are you just order-takers with single-policy clients or is it your mindset to write only full-time clients? Plus, do not you realise that it’s better for the client to have a single trusted advisor rather than having to deal with multiple different businesses?

Effective Retention of 99%.?Is your goal and thus your mindset to be in this for the long haul? Is it your mindset that you want customers for life? Your long-term clients are your most profitable clients? You know and will install the exit barriers that make it tough for clients to leave? (If you do not know what the best exit barriers are)

The Power of the 80/20.?Is your mindset focused on retaining and replicating the top 20% of your clients that generate 80% of your revenue? This principle is well known but little understood. Last year, I did a presentation for the leaders of 19 different businesses, each with average annual revenue of ￡20 million. Afterward, I asked each participant what was the number-one thing they had taken out of it. One in four said The 80/20 Rule! They had never really looked at it and the impact it had on their business. That surprised me, not only because it was a very small segment of my presentation, but also because everyone there represented very successful businesses. But the reality is, they do not look at their numbers!

One of our latest and greatest breakthroughs concerning The 80/20 Rule is a specific strategy that enables producers to grow their books of business by 60% over the next three years. Those who implement our strategy exactly will be able to replicate the top 20% of their customers. As a result, they’ll not only see a net 60% increase in revenue, they’ll do so with 60% fewer clients than before. Stay tuned for more information in an upcoming article.

USP and PODs.?Is your mindset that you must have some form of differentiation that gets you out of the commodity game? Do you have and actually use a Unique Selling Proposition (the unique and appealing ideas that separate you from all other me too competitors) and do you have five specific Points of Differentiation, which we’ve discussed in previous articles?

Relentless Preparation.?Do you believe in practice? Is your mindset that your team will practice to win? That you will rehearse your Presentation of Solutions (not a quote or proposal) BEFORE the actual presentation not during or after?

Relationships, Not Transactions.?Is your mindset that this is a relationship business vs. a transactional business? That you will turn over your transactions to digital technology? As simple as it sounds, this mindset dramatically changes the game for any business that adopts it.

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Therefore, businesses that do nothing all day but process transactions are doomed because, increasingly, those activities and jobs are going digital. The day-to-day stuff we do is going away. We must not relinquish the relationships we have with the decision makers.

Fear of the Future.?Is your mindset to cling to the past because you’re afraid of the future? Fear is known to muddle mindsets and keep stuck in place, doing what they’ve always done. “If you’re successful, you know what used to work.” I see this all too often with business principals. Too many of them focus on the wrong things! They spend every day reacting to transactions and service issues when they should be focused on building relationships and updating their business model.

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Faith in the future makes us more receptive to change, which is crucial to succeeding in our rapidly changing industry. Is your mindset to accept and embrace what lies ahead? That you will redefine and reinvent yourself and your business so that you’ll be competitive in the future?

Bottom line

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Most businesses are following a model that is broken and they do not even know it. That’s because, as I’ve often remarked, you can do well in our business even if you’re living in the past. But in order to succeed in the future, you’ll need to change your business model and adjust your mindset.

In creating a mindset for the future, ask yourself: Does our current mindset help our business sell more, retain more, and earn more? Does it help us become the Best Version Possible of our business? Is this mindset crystal clear to my team?

If you answered yes to these questions, congratulations! If not, it’s time to get serious about how to proceed if you expect to succeed going forward.

Key Differences between “Fixed” and “Growth” Mindset

1. Effort

When faced with hard work, the “fixed mindset” person may recruit others to do the hardest parts, spending as little effort as possible, while the “growth mindset” person believes that good outcomes often require exertion—“effort” is just a part of the process.?In order to master a new task, one usually needs to apply energy, whether mental, physical or simply by using repetition over time.

2. Challenge

A “fixed mindset” person shies away from challenges, possibly from?fear of failure?and may go into hiding as a way to avoid responsibilities. In contrast, the “growth mindset” person finds challenges to be exciting and engaging, knowing that they will learn something valuable from their experiences. They “stick to it,”?mastering the challenge, and then are able to move on to ever greater accomplishments.

3. Mistakes and Feedback

The “fixed mindset” person hates making mistakes because it’s embarrassing. They may blame others or be defensive when criticised. Meanwhile, a “growth mindset” person will see the mistake as a lesson to learn from and will be less likely to?take criticism personally. Being open to criticism can help improve one’s ability to do better the next time, which is another reason why a growth mindset can lead to success.

15 Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset

Changing one’s mindset from a “fixed” perspective to a “growth mindset” may seem daunting, but by taking baby steps, anyone who wants to can build a “growth mindset.”? Here’s how:

1. Acknowledge and embrace imperfection?in self and others, as it is the spice that makes us individuals. We all have our flaws, peculiarities, and weirdness our imperfections.?Like the small black mole on Marilyn Monroe’s face, our imperfections make us unique. Plus self-love?is a good thing.

2. Face your challenges bravely.?If you find yourself terrified in the face of a serious challenge, stop and reframe the situation in your mind. Consider your challenge as an “opportunity,”?thus slightly shifting your perspective?to make it easier for you to engage. Each challenge or opportunity invites us into a new experience that is a sort of adventure.?

Try different tactics to coach yourself about how to explore a new path, or how to develop a new skill, or how to interact with a new group of people, or to navigate through new circumstances. As an adventure,?fear?is an acceptable feeling. You press forward anyway because it’s exciting and new. If you take this same attitude with a crisis at work or whatever the challenge, you can discover abilities you didn’t know you even possessed.

3. Pay attention?to your words and thoughts.?Start to pay attention to the words you speak, even the words in your mind. If your words are low or dark, the results may be also. So watch yourself. Listen to what you are saying and thinking. Censor yourself and become your own guide.

Replace negative thoughts with more positive ones now to build a growth mindset. Replace judgment with acceptance, hate with compassion. If you are disrespecting yourself or lowering your ethical standards, the outcome of your decisions and their consequences will reflect?that. Intend to think higher thoughts and hold yourself to it.

4. Stop seeking approval from others.?Approval from others can often prevent a growth mindset. Cultivate self-acceptance?and self-approval. Learn to trust yourself. You are the only person who will always be there for you in your life so you are the only one you need to impress.

5. Take a step deeper into authenticity.?Pretending to be someone who you are not disrespects who you really are. It makes you a fake. It diminishes what you have to offer. Becoming truly authentic?is a process that takes time and a lot of inner work. Once you do, you'll likely be more driven to pursue your true goals, which puts you in a growth mindset.

6. Cultivate a sense of purpose.?Does your life feel like it is purpose-driven? If yes, define for yourself what that purpose encompasses.?If you are drawing a blank, ask that your life’s purpose become clear to you. Meditate or contemplate?on “purpose” and see what titbits come through until you feel like you know the essence of your purpose, or perhaps part of it. Then pursue is that's what'll help you build a growth mindset.

7. Redefine “genius.”?We all have strengths and weaknesses. Explore and appreciate your strengths and work to improve your weaknesses. This effort can help you build a growth mindset.

8. Turn criticism around until you find its gift.?The purpose of criticism is to make things better.? Someone else can see what you are doing from a slightly different perspective than you, and may have some valuable suggestions for you. If you open up to hearing suggestions, you can more easily develop your growth mindset.

9. Value the process over the end result.?Remember, it’s the journey that matters, not the destination.

10. Learn from the mistakes of others.?If you can learn from the mistakes of others, then you may be able to make fewer mistakes. This can sometimes?calm the fear of trying new ideas, a key aspect of building a growth mindset.

11. “Not yet” is OK.?When struggling with a task, remind yourself that you just haven’t mastered it “yet.”?If you stick with it, time and practice will lead to improvement and?self- development.

12. Take risks in the company of others.?Try not to take yourself too seriously. Be willing to make mistakes in front of others, because if you're growing, this is bound to happen. And making mistakes in front of others will usually get easier with practice.

13. Be realistic.?It takes time, sometimes lots of time, to learn a new skill, like learning a new language or learning to play an instrument or learning how to become a good lawyer. Keeping this in mind can help with a growth mindset.

14. Speed is not important.?When you have a growth mindset, the end results are less of a focus. Instead, you fully engage and put effort into?the process, no matter how long it takes. Incidentally, focusing on the process often also?improves results, because you?did?put a lot of effort in along the way.

15. Own your attitude.?If you value having a growth mindset, then take the time and make the effort to develop it. Persist and opportunities will come. Cultivate resilience along the way. You are remoulding your mind and that's a pretty cool thing.

Growth mindset?means one embraces challenges, persists in the face of setbacks, takes responsibility for their words and actions, and acknowledges that effort is the path toward mastery. It is basically the reason why “practice makes perfect."

By choosing to make the extra effort to build a growth mindset, you can make your mental processes to work for you, resulting in a greater likelihood that you get the results you're looking for and live the life you want to live.

The start to the week is all about inspiration, innovation, investment and involvement of time.

Business and general life is about?dialogue that we all understand and respond to. So make the playing field equal, so all people understand the language used and the action to take, to receive and accept, so business life and general life is successful for all involved.

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Yes, you can achieve all things in life by your attitude?to be positive, you have the solution in you, so go forward and use it now!

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Publications to help you achieve your goals and success;

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A Winning Mindset publication for your success;

Solutions for Your Success

`Choice | Chance | Change`

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/choice-chance-change-dr-colin-thompson/1142836494?ean=2940185674710.

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“Believe in yourself, anything is possible, no matter who you are or where you come from. Find your path and stay on it, if you want something, nothing can stop you. Have passion and you will be successful”

• Colin Thompson

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Plus, many more great publications for your success;

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Dr Colin Thompson | Barnes & Noble? (barnesandnoble.com)

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https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Dr%20Colin%20Thompson

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“The Capacity to Learn is a Total Gift, the Ability to Learn is a Great Skill, the Willingness to Learn is a Choice for Your Future”

- Colin Thompson

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Together we can make a difference...

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Have fun, learn heaps, and enjoy every step of your journey!

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Life is fun; life is hard work, but just look at the success you will have in life.

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Sharing successful ?information for your success from many sources.

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