Business for Veterans: Favorite Column 2022

Happy Holidays All Our Fellow Entrepreneurs! As we get to the end of the year I would like to share with you one of my favorite articles to get you ready to take on new and exciting goals and results for the year to come. Arthur Ashe said “One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.” Preparation begins with acknowledging your Achievements, Accomplishments, Victories, Completions, as they are the building blocks for your future success.

It’s Time to Celebrate: Steps to Sustain Success

By Barbara Eldridge

As the year winds down are you excited for what is ahead for next year? Research has proven over and over that the more you consciously acknowledge your achievements, accomplishments, victories and completions the more of a foundation you have for ongoing success. Just like workers creating the foundation for a new building site by laying out cinder blocks, they must then place cement between them before they can proceed to add others to build up to another level. We too need build on our successes, achievements and things we have learned in order to lay a foundation for on-going success. Jack Canfield says “the more you acknowledge your past successes, the more confident you become in taking on and successfully accomplishing new ones”.

Too often we go straight from the finish line to the starting line without pausing to acknowledge what actually happened and what we learned from it. Yes it is a busy time, working to finish the year on top of the goals you set, while enjoying all the holiday celebrations. This is your time to stop and reflect because it is so easy to under appreciate the things that have been accomplished. Yet many can only recall all the mistakes and failures that occurred.

This is especially important now, with so much chatter about what’s good and bad in the economy. If you only remember what hasn’t been accomplished, then the foundation to take on new risks will be shaky indeed. Confidence and expectations in your abilities comes with building on the images of success. It isn’t enough to just think about what you have accomplished, it is important to write down your accomplishments.

When reading some one’s’ resume it is amazing how little they remember about the results and accomplishments they brought to a company. They list out job descriptions, rather than the outcomes of their work. The same is true for you, as a business owner you must keep your mind focused and filled with images of your achievements, which only happens when you take the time to write them down.

One of the best sources of encouragement is to record your achievements. Reviewing them as you plan each month helps to maintain a high level of motivation and an ever-increasing keenness for achievement. Consider all areas of your life, they add to your belief in your potential and your motivation to achieve even more.

Just remembering the mistakes and failures won’t prepare you to take risks that will lead to your ongoing success. Build yourself-esteem by recalling ALL the ways you have succeeded and your brain will be filled with images of you making your achievements happen again and again.

Then surround yourself with reminders of your success. Put up pictures, articles, trophies, awards, and other pieces that bring attention to your success. Make your environment speak to you about your achievements. Be proud of them!

People like to be around those who have a healthy selfesteem and who are achieving their goals. Commit to acknowledging your achievements and your brain will begin to tell you the truth...that you can do ANYTHING!

Barbara Eldridge has built a solid reputation as a Results strategies specialist, within industry and business over the past 40 years. Her unique message, since starting Mind Masters 30 years ago for entrepreneurs and small business owners, continually stresses vision, purpose and values as the key elements of business philosophy. www.mindmasters.com