Author Bob Beck and Sales Training

There’s no debate — 2009 has been a struggling year and economic conditions weren’t the best.      The outlook for 2010 looks like things will be getting better.  As a professional have you made sure all your tools are in place, your strategies and tactics, to consistently succeed in a tough market?  Are you looking at what changes you can make and build upon your dedication and commitment?

Success takes hard work, total dedication and true commitment. You need this type of mindset to achieve your goals and the lifestyle you’ve always wanted.  Athletes, in particular football players, have learned about this and understand if they don’t have total dedication and true commitment they just don’t make it in the sport.

Football players have learned lessons that don’t always come naturally to us.  They get up at the break of dawn to run a few miles, run into someone, at full speed and twice their size, spend hours watching films and lift weights until they can’t move their arms anymore.  These are “unnatural” routines players commit to.

To be successful in today’s business environment you need to be flexible, adaptable and resourceful.  You must take control of all the factors leading to your success. Remember, to maximize the equation of success, which is ACTIVITY X TIME = RESULTS commitment and dedication lead the way for the results.

The world we live in has changed. All markets have changed too. It only makes sense that you explore what in your approach and thinking about how business is done should be changed to make an impact.

Never stop looking for your success. Don’t keep on doing the same things over and over expecting a different result.  All of the hard work and dedication you put into your career won’t add up to much if you’re playing the wrong position.  Change your position as the world we live in has changed.

If you believe in yourself, have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive, and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life to pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done. ~Coach Vince Lombardi

Life is full of all kinds of opportunities and one way to create more opportunities for yourself is to “think outside the box.”

What does thinking outside the box mean?  It means you dare to be different, somewhat non-conforming and you challenge traditional thinking.  You must be able to leave your comfort zone as you become an independent thinker.

Thinking outside the box is not average, because you don’t always line up with other people’s thoughts or ideas and you don’t wait for someone to tell you what to do. Thinking out side the box brings rewards.

Let’s look at kick returners –  Kick returners and punt returners all understand out-of-the-box-thinking. There are alot of times a play is set up to the right, with a wall of blockers lined up to pave the way for a long runback. After a couple of steps to the right, the returner cannot see a wall. The only thing he does see is a group of angry headhunters wanting to make him a permanent part of the stadium. Suddenly he changes directions. At this point he is basically on his own. The coach has called for a return-right. The returner observes that the plan has broken down, so he goes return-middle in the hopes of making a big play on his own.

If we just line up with everyone else’s thoughts and ideas or if we wait for someone else to tell us what to do, the very best we will ever be is average.

The more independent your thinking is, the more likely your confidence will grow. Results that come from your independence make it easier and easier to face whatever fears hold you back. Football is an excellent training ground here as well.