Get Back “On Track” with Your Goals

When I was 19-years-old, I had long, (dyed) black hair, multiple earrings, and on most days I wore leopard shoes and a motorcycle jacket. The year was 1993 and I was in a rock band. For those of you who know me now,  that probably seems a little bizarre. (Go ahead and laugh. You know you want to). What is even more bizarre is to think of what might have happened to me if a mentor hadn’t come into my life and dismantled the negative view I had of myself.

I have always had goals for my life, but at that time, I didn’t have a very high opinion of myself. Looking back, I was flat out mean to myself. I would tell myself that I didn’t deserve the better things life had to offer. I would make mistakes and think, ‘why am I so stupid?’ I was my own worst enemy and my negative outlook was not getting me anywhere near my life goals.

Why do I share this story with you? It is my experience that sales people all over the world struggle with these same thoughts and feelings. We beat ourselves up. It usually happens about two and a half weeks into a sales slump. There is a moment when we turn against ourselves. We start to think and say things like:

• “I forgot how to sell.”
• “I am no good at this.”
• “No one wants to buy from me.”
• “I have lost the touch!”
• “I suck.”

Although it is human nature to be critical, chastising and shaming yourself will completely kill your ability to succeed. Why? Because you will gravitate towards the direction of your most dominant thoughts. If you constantly think about how terrible everything around you is, eventually you will feel ill. When you choose a state of mind that is focused on gratefulness and appreciation, you will start to feel good. It is no secret that the mind controls the body, but the question is, are you directing your dominant thoughts in a way that aligns with your goals?

The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, shares a story which illustrates the crucial effects of directing ones thoughts towards what you want to happen in your life. Robert had been learning how to drive professional racecars. (I guess that’s what you do when you are a bazillionaire.) When Robert proved to be proficient in racing the track, the next step was to learn how to crash. (Yes, they actually teach this.) The instructor caused Robert’s car to skid towards the track wall. Where do you think Robert’s focus went? If you guessed the wall, you are correct. Racing students do this every single time when they are first learning how to handle a crash. They change their focus from the track (where they want to go) to the wall (where the disaster is about to happen). It seems like it makes sense, but it’s not the right way to handle a crash. What I find fascinating is that the instructor will physically grab students’ helmets, turning their heads and forcing them to move their focus from the wall back to the track. Those instructors know that you need to be focused on what you want and where you are going, even when you are about to crash.

This same thing happens in sales. It is easy to have a positive outlook and be confident when we are selling successfully. The real test comes when sales are down and everything around you seems to indicate that you will not succeed. How do you keep your focus on the proverbial “track” instead of the wall? Here are a couple “helmet grabbing” strategies for you:

1.   Know exactly what you want

I know this sounds obvious, but it isn’t. If it’s true that you move in the direction of your most dominant thoughts, then you need to have a clear vision of where you want to be. People often spend more time figuring out what they don’t want rather than what they do want. There is only one problem with this: you can never get more by focusing on less. That is as crazy as driving east and hoping to see the sun set.

Spend time visualizing your goal as though it has already happened. Since you move in the direction of your dominant thoughts, focus on every detail of your success. What will you feel like when you succeed? Who will celebrate with you? The key here is to imagine your success as though it has already happened and get yourself emotionally involved.

2.   Change Your Inputs

When I was in a rock band, I found that I was always in a bad mood and my self esteem seemed to be declining on a daily basis. My mentor taught me that there were three inputs in my life that were causing me to be in this negative state. Once I changed these inputs, my whole life changed. I am confident that when you change your inputs, you will have similar results. Here are the inputs:

• Who you associate with
  Be sure you are spending time with people that are like what you want to be. These people should think at a higher level, dream bigger than you and make more money than you! These types of associations will pay huge dividends in your sales career and in your life.
• What you read
  We have access to the most successful people in the history of the world via books. If you want to move faster towards your goals, become a ferocious reader. And don’t tell me you don’t have time to read. Just get off of Facebook and get your face in a book!  Here are a few suggestions to start: Be Bold and Win the Sale by Jeff Shore, As a Man Thinketh by James Allen, Awaken The Giant Within by Tony Robbins and Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill.
• What you listen to
  Our world is full of negativity. Just turn on a radio or a tv and you will instantly hear how bad the world is. Controlling what you listen to is vital to your future success. I encourage you to listen to programs by inspiring leaders like Jim Rohn. TED Talks are also encouraging and are available online (TED.com, YouTube, NPR). Protect yourself from negative inputs at all costs.

When you change your focus and control your inputs, you set yourself up to stay “on track” with your goals. Take time right now to get clear on where you want to be in the next few years. Create a well-defined vision. Then, challenge your existing inputs and choose powerful and inspiring information and messages that will take you to the next level of success. Lastly, remember that in order for things to change, you must change.

Here’s to you staying “on track” with your goals!

Learn more about Ryan here.