You can experience more success if you start with a positive attitude. With a positive attitude and a positive perspective, you will do the things you need to do to get the result you want regardless of the struggle. Grab some paper and let’s bring success your way.

Change your input to change your attitude.
Success requires a positive mind and a positive attitude. What ever you choose to expose your mind to will affect your perspective, your attitude and the language you use. Expose your mind to positive information and positive people. On your paper write the names of the four positive people who you can spend time with this week. Go one step further, what are the qualities in each one which makes them worth spending time with? What have they achieved as a result of these qualities? Decide how you will connect with each one. Perhaps a quick phone call, coffee, lunch or an invitation to an event. Some believe you are only as successful as the people you spend most of your time with. Who are you spending most of your time with?

What positive information will you read this week? You will need something more than a 4 second inspirational quote. You will need to read information which will stimulate you to action. Make another list. What will you read to stay informed, to maintain a positive attitude to learn a new soft skill or to learn about the innovative changes occurring in your industry? Which book will you read? Consider “never eat alone” (lower case intended) written by Keith Ferrazzi.

One hour spent watching a bad television show will not bring you the success that spending that same hour reading or watching a personal or professional development program online or on a cable channel will bring. What you allow into your mind will spill out in your conversations, affect your thoughts, your perspective and your actions.

Help others
If you help enough people to connect to their success you will build a network that will be able to connect you to your success. Who are the four people you will help to take a step toward their goal? What talents or connections can you share to help someone take a closer step toward their goal?

How can you help those on your list? Can you connect them with someone who may be able to help with a project? Does a coworker need a hand written note to congratulate them for reaching a goal? Can you introduce a friend to a new network of individuals with similar interests? Can you help a friend with a baby sitting dilemma? Do you have a friend who is out of work and would love to receive an invitation to lunch or a surprise gift of a special blend of tea?

Helping others builds rapport, credibility and trust.

Make everyday a productive day
Write down the four things you will do this week that will take you closer to your goal of success. Is there someone you need to call, samples you need to mail, a networking event to register for, a lead to follow-up on or relationship to continue to develop? Make it a practice to do four things every day to get you closer to your goal.

Dwell on solutions
Problems will come. But don’t focus on how much the problem is slowing progress. Be clear about what the problem really is and work on the solution. This requires an openness to change because you will need to change your perspective and you will need to change something about what you are doing. Don’t let the anxiety of change paralyze you. We are living in a period of rapid change. Your success depends on your willingness to adapt to the changes. When you discover you need to do something differently and your throat gets tight, your shoulders migrate toward your ears or your head feels like the heavy cloud of dread is hanging over it, realize you are about to do something new but necessary to reach your goal.

If a solution continues to escape you, do worry, you have developed a network of people who you can call on to help you to identify the best solution. Connect with them.

You have your lists now its time for action.