Put Your Plans Into Writing

Motivational Power Quote

Put Your Plans Into Writing

“Reduce your plan to writing. The moment you completer this,

you will have definitely given concrete form to the

intangible desire.”

Napoleon Hill 1883 – 1970, Motivational Author and Speaker    

 

As I see it . . . . . . .

Put your plans into writing

A plan not in writing is hope or a want.

It’s in your mind but lacks true definition . . . . You can think about it, but it lacks real substance. There’s neither specific time to start nor an exact time to achieve your target.

It can also be defined as loosely defined thoughts without clear direction and in an undefined propose. 

When you put your plan into writing things change . . . . What you’re thinking about now is defined in a written plan. You will have your goals, core objectives, a starting date and a plan to follow to with a time line to achieve your objectives.

At the same time your written plan creates the accountability to successfully reach your goals and objectives. It also creates a road map and the stepping stones that will be necessary to keep you moving in the right direction and on track.

With a written plan you will be able to measure your progress and make course corrects when there needed.

Put you plans into writing . . . . the moment you do you take control of your plan and own it. You written plan will set your internal GPS to successfully navigate your success journey through the changing condition and stay on the right course to reach successfully reach your destination.

©2013 Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant, Success Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author

Define Your Own Life

Motivational Power Quote

Define Your Own Life

“Don’t let others define you. Don’t let the past confine you.

Take charge of your life with confidence and determination

and there are no limits on what you can do or be.”

Michael Josephson, Former Law Professional, Speaker and

Lecturer on Ethics

 

As I see it . . . . . . .

Define your own life

There will be many people that you meet on your success journey . . . .

 

There will be the mentors, the boosters, the coaches and the people that will support you and be there to help you to reach and successful achieve your goals.

Over time there encouragement becomes a valuable resource in assisting you on your success journey . . . . and helping you to define your own life. 

There also will be people that are distracters that come into your life and success journey. . . . They are the ones that enter your life and try to rain on your parade.

They are negative and will try to discourage you . . . . and corrupt your thinking. If you allow them to influence you and your thinking they become a barrier to you on your success journey and  . . . . limit your ability to flourish and to reach you full potential.

Go forward in the direction of your goals and objective with confidence in your ability and the determination to successfully achieve your goals. . . . . The positive people in your life are a powerful force and resource to assist you in successfully accomplishing your goals and objectives. 

Define your own life . . . . with the help and assistance of the positive people in your life.

©2013 Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant, Success Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author

Two Faces of Human Nature

Motivational Power Quote

Two Faces of Human Nature

“In great affairs men show themselves as they wish to be seen.

In small things they show themselves as they are.”

Nicholas Chamfort 1741 – 1794, French Poet

As I see it . . . . . . .

Two faces of human nature

There are successful people who talk the talk and back it up by walking the walk.

They say what they’re going to do . . . . and they go out and do it . . . . and do it successfully to deliver on the word.  When a person walks the walk they standout in their profession and they will be recognized, as person of character and someone that can be trusted and counted on.

And then there are those who talk a good game . . . .

They do a lot of taking . . . . but when it comes time to deliver they continue to talk the talk . . . . but they don’t get around to walking the walk. They leave a trail of unfulfilled promises and commitments behind them.

When you look at your commitment to your customer service . . . . it’s the small details that will make a big difference in your customer service.

The small difference becomes the building blocks . . . . to happy and satisfied customers and in growing your sphere of influence.

Two faces of human nature . . . . is there are those professionals who deliver on their commitment to customer service and walk the walk . . . . and those to a lot of taking about it and never get around to it.  

©2013 Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant, Success Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author

Blaming Others is Not the Answer

Motivational Power Quote

Blaming Others is Not the Answer

“All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you

find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him,

it will not change you. The only thing blame does is to keep the

 focus off you when you are looking for external reasons to

explain your unhappiness or frustration. You may succeed

in making another feel guilty about something by blaming

him, but you won’t succeed in changing whatever it is

about  you that is making you unhappy.”

Dr. Wayne Dyer, Inspirational Author and Speaker

 

As I see it . . . . . . .

Blaming others is not the answer

Those who blame others are trying step away from personal responsibility for their actions . . . . They will gladly step forward when there are successful results. They will do their best to take credit for the results even when . . . . it’s not their efforts that produced the results.

Just as fast they will step forward to take credit for someone else’s success . . . . But they will run for the hills when something goes wrong and . . . . look for someone to blame.

It takes a person of character to step up and take responsibility for their action. They will admit their mistakes and . . . . look for a way to correct the condition. Their time is used in focusing on correcting the solution and moving forward.

You won’t hear them making excuses . . . . or blaming others . . . . there busy correcting the condition.

Blaming others is not the answer  . . . . it’s a bad excuse.

©2013 Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant, Success Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author

Your Life is a Reflection of Your Thoughts

Motivational Power Quote

Your Life is a Reflection of Your Thoughts

“We lift ourselves by our thought. We climb upon our vision

 of ourselves. If you want to enlarge your life, you must first

enlarge your thoughts of it and of yourself. Hold the ideal

of yourself as you long to be, always everywhere.”

Orison Sweet Marden 1850 – 1924, American Spiritual Author

As I see it . . . . . . .

Your life is a reflection of your thoughts

A thought in the minds of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates created the innervation that changed the world.

Stevie Wonder could hear the music in his thoughts and created music for a generation.

A close friend though about writing a book . . . . he has now published 14 books.

What’s in your thoughts? It can never be too big or too small to have value. It’s your thought . . . . thoughts have value.

Your life is a reflection of your thoughts . . . . we all live with our thoughts and those thoughts are reflected in your daily life and activities.

Your positive thoughts will put air under your winds and lift you to greater heights. Your negative thoughts will become quicksand in your life and sink you into the abyss.

Your thoughts are formed over time and become a habit . . . . build your future on a solid foundation of positive thoughts and work on removing the thoughts that are creating obstacles in your forward progress. 

Your life is a reflection of your thoughts . . . . when your thoughts get off track or become negative . . . . change the station to the . . . . I can channel.

©2013 Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant, Success Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author

Optimists are Right

Motivational Power Quote

Optimists are Right

“Optimists are right. So are pessimists. It’s up to you to

choose which you will be.”

Harvey Mackay, American Entrepreneur Author

As I see it. . . . . . . .

Optimists are right

The optimist will move through their life with a . . . . positive outlook.

When an optimist is faced with a challenging situation . . . . they believe that they can successfully work their way through their challenges.  They approach their challenges with a positive outlook with the expectations of positive results. They will come up with the best acceptable solution and apply the actions to resolve the challenge successfully. 

The optimist sees their glass of life as being . . . . half full and will work at filling the rest of their glass. They also look for and find the opportunities in their setbacks.

An optimist believes that they can do what has to be done . . . . and will go about doing it with a positive outlook and attitude.

A pessimist sees their life through the eyes of their glass being half empty. They also see their glass with a hole in it and no way to stop the leak. They see the worst in situations that they find themselves in . . . . and can’t see a way out of it or a solution.

From the pessimist viewpoint life is about the things that can’t be done. They have an attitude of why should they even try and when they make an effort it’s uninspired.

A pessimist will try to convince the people around them that what they’re doing is a waste of time.

The differences between an optimist and a pessimist are worlds apart. An optimist believes that they will succeed and will do everything possible to make what they believe come true. They see the best in the world and contribute to make it better.

An optimist has a positive outlook about their life . . . . and approach their life with a positive belief system and attitude.

Whatever you may believe . . . . optimists are right . . . . and sad to say so are the pessimists. They just see things differentlyand respond accorndingly.

©2013 Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant Success Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author

 

Defusing a Hostile Negotiator

Motivational Power Quote

Defusing a Hostile Negotiator

“Am I not destroying my enemies when I make

friends of them.”

Abraham Lincoln 1809 - 1865, 16^th U. S. President  

   

As I see it. . . . . . . .

Defusing a hostile negotiator

You negotiate everyday of your life in our personal relationships, in business and in almost every aspect of our life.

Hostile or intimidating negotiating is a strategy. It can be called . . . . negotiating by bullying.

The person that’s doing the bullying is aggressive in the relationship

. . . .  and is trying to intimidate the other person into becoming submissive. If they can achieve that position in the negotiations they will control . . . . the other person and the negotiating process and the likely outcome.

You see that type of behavior in negotiations all the time. You also see that strategies being used by attorneys in questioning witnesses and in their attempt to intimidate the witness.

The hostile negotiator relays on aggressiveness and intimidation to control the negotiations.

They attack the person and not address the issues.

You defuse the hostile negotiator by remaining calm . . . . and not falling into their traps and not being baited into confrontation. Don’t allow the hostile negotiator to intimidate or pressure you into concessions.

When the hostile negotiator is making statements and asking question at the same time or asking you for an answer to a multiple question, they are trying to confuse you. Ask them to restate or repeat the question. Also ask them for additional information or ask them explain what they asking you. Tell them that you don’t understanding what they are asking you.

They will also make statements or ask question with mixed messages and by doing this they are trying to compromise you or you answer. Be very careful in responding to this type of statement or questions as asked. Simple state that what you’re being asked are several questions that are unrelated with several answers. Ask them to restate or ask the question one at a time so you can answer or to respond to them one at a time to give them the information that they are requesting.      

A hostile negotiator in normally a type A personally type and will push for fast answers to remain in control or to have you error in your response.  By asking questions you throw off the type A personally game plan of intimidation.  

Before you answer the question of a hostile negotiator pulse and silently look the person in the eye and count to 5 slowly.  By pulsing you will throw a hostile negotiator off their game plan and they will become frustrated and lose their composure.

You will witness the following; they will start to answer their questions. You will see them to start to speak faster without thinking; they will just be reacting to their frustration. They will increase their aggressiveness and as a result lose complete control of the negotiating process.

They will become confused in their strategies and some will just blow up and look really bad. 

Defusing a hostile negotiator . . . . is achieved by remaining calm and in control of your emotions. It’s remaining focused on achieving a satisfactory conclusion to the negotiations and not taking things personally. Keep your composure and don’t allow the negotiations to become personal. Keep the negotiations focused on the issues and work towards a successful win – win agreement.

©2013 Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant Success Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author

 

 

The Dreams Within You

Motivational Power Quote

The Dreams Within You

“Every great dream begins with a dream. Always remember,

you can have within the strength, the patience’s and the

passion to reach for the star to change the world.”

Harriet Tubman 1820 -1813, African American Abolitionist,

Humanitarian  

As I see it . . . . . . .

The dreams  within you

You think about it . . . . your heart tells you to do it . . . . you resist it because it’s out of your comfort zone . . . . but  in the back of your mind you know can reach it.

It the dream within you . . . .

You can go through life suppressing your dreams . . . . and live a life of regret. Or you can act on your dreams . . . . and live them.

Taking action on your dreams may take a leap of faith on your part or the confidence to step out of your comfort zone to stretch your limits. Take the actions to turn your dreams into your reality and a success story.

You will never know what you’re capable of doing until you try . . . . and you will never know how far you can go until you take the steps to start your success journey to fulfill your dreams.

The dreams within you . . .  are calling out to you to release them . . . . You’re the gatekeeper of your dreams and you hold the key. Bring your dreams into the daylight moving you forward to the journey of fulfillment.  

©2013 Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant, Success Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author

Face Your Difficulties and Deal With Them

Motivational Power Quote

Face Your Difficulties and Deal With Them

“It is a good rule to face difficulties at the time they arise and

allow them to increase unacknowledged .”

Edward W. Ziegler,

As I see it . . . . . . .

Face your difficulties and deal with them

It’s not uncommon to face difficulties in your life and career . . . . in fact it’s a common occurrence.

It becomes a question not of will you face them . . . . it’s a question on how do you respond to the difficulties . . . . Do you face them and look for answers and solutions?

By facing your difficulties you put yourself in a position to remain in control of the conditions and in finding the best way to work you way through the difficulties.

Facing a difficulty allows you to control the difficulty . . . . and take control of the outcome.

Or you can look past the difficulties and not address . . . . and hope that it clears up by itself, or goes away . . . . and that is highly unlikely.

Unattended difficulties seem to take on a life of their own . . . . In many cases an unattended difficulty can grow into an overwhelming condition. That condition can have a negative impact on your life and career and eat up a massive amount of your time, returning very little value to you.

One the best thing that you can do is face your difficulties and deal with them. . . . as they happen and in the early stages before they take root. By doing so they are far more manageable and you defuse them before they grow and become overwhelming.

©2013 Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant, Success Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author

You Own Your Career

Motivational Power Quote

You Own Your Career

“Job Security is gone. The driving force of a career must come

from the individual. Remember; jobs are owner by the company.

You own your career .”

Earl Nightingale 1921 - 1973, American Motivational Speaker

and Author

 

As I see it . . . . . . .

You own your career

When you’re employed it’s easy to look at your role in the company as a job . . . . Fact is if you look at your role in the company as just a job, your mindset will become a self-fulfilling prophecy of limited grow and opportunity.

When you look at your role in your company as a career . . . . There’s a change in the mindset and one of unlimited growth and potential.

A young high school student Billy was about to turn sixteen needed a job to save enough money to be able to buy his first car and found a job in a sporting goods store.

Billy was passionate about having the opportunity and put a 100% effort in working at the store and learning about the business.

During the school year Billy worked part time, in the summers and on days off from school he worked full days.  As Billy worked in the sporting goods be watches a number of people come and go during that time.

He was seen as being a hard worker by Mr. Carson, the owner of the business. Mr. Carson gave Billy give him more responsibility as time when by.

As Billy approached graduating from high school Mr. Carson offered him a full time job and Billy accepts his new role with enthusiasm.  

Billy impresses the business owner with his dedication and eventual worked his way up to sales, to department manager. One day when they were speaking Mr. Carson told Billy that he not only worked hard in the business . . . . but he worked liked he owned the business.

Billy grew into middle age as the owner of the business was growing older as well.

One day Mr. Carson approached Billy and said that he would like to talk to him. Mr. Carson said that he has been thinking about retiring for some time and that he had decided to retire and to sell the business.  

Billy was shocked and couldn’t speak. The air was tense and was filled with silence for next several moments. 

Finally Mr. Carson broke the silence and told Billy that he was selling the business to him.

Billy said that he didn’t have the money to by the business . . . . Mr. Carson smiled replied that it wasn’t an issue . . . . that he through about this moment for a long time, and that he was going to finance the business for Billy.

Mr. Carson when on to tell Billy that the business would be in good hands with him. . . . and that Billy had operated the business for years like it was his own.

Billy what from a part time role in the business into a manager and into the ownership of a very successful business . . . . and in all those years Billy never had a job . . . . Billy had a career.

Your own your career . . . . and are 100% responsibility for the direction that it takes.

©2013 Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant,

Success Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author

Feeling Good About Yourself

Motivational Power Quote

Feeling Good About Yourself

“It’s really important that you feel good. Because this feeling good

is what goes out as a signal into the universe and start to attract

more of itself to you. So the more you feel good, the more you will

attract the things that help you feel good and that will keep

bringing you up higher and higher.”

Dr. Joe Vitale, Motivation Author and Speaker

 

As I see it . . . . . . .

Feeling good about yourself

It’s an interesting fact . . . . the way you feel about yourself is transmitted to the people that you come into contact with.

When you’re feeling good about yourself . . . .

You’ll be able to transmit a positive feeling about yourself to the people that you come into contract with. That feeling can be transmitted in a number of ways including confidence, positive emotions, a cheerful personally, a stable mood, an engaging personally and responding without over reacting to name a few.  

When you’re feeling good about yourself the people that you come in contact with  will sense it . . . . . Within moments of meeting a person you will be in the position of  creating mutual rapport with the person and engaging in a more open, relaxed and productive conversation. 

©2013 Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant, Success Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author

Your Words Drive Your Thoughts

Motivational Power Quote

Your Words Drive Your Thoughts

“Your own words are the bricks and mortar of the dreams

you want to realize. Your words are the greatest power

you have. The words you choose and their use establish

the life you experience.”

Sonia Choquette, Author

As I see it . . . . . . .

Your words drive your thoughts

You have a running dialog running in your subconscious mind . . . . it’s very subtle and has been playing in the background for years. It happens without much conscious thought . . . . and runs on a continuous loop.

The words that are playing in the background of your thoughts . . . . will become a major influence in your life. Your words can encourage you to push through obstacles want the chips are down . . . . Or convince you that task is too difficult and works on and that you should to quit.

We all engage in self-take . . . .

Your self-take will become a big factor on the path that you choose to follow in your life. It will also determine if you will stick to the task at hand when it becomes difficult and if you will bounce back after a setback or failure.

Your words drive your thoughts . . . . speak kindly to yourself and clear out the clutter of negative and limited thinking and you will allow the positive thinking into your thoughts.

©2013 Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant, Success Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author

Motivational Power Quote

You Are Who You Think You Are

“Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture

of yourself as succeeding. Hold that picture tenaciously never

permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop the picture.”

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale 1898 - 1993, Minster, Author

As I see it . . . . . . .

You are who you think you are . . . .

You become the person in your thoughts . . . . Who you believe you are in those thoughts . . . . you will become through your thoughts and in your actions.

Here’s the key . . . .

Focus you’re thinking on the positive and flush out the negative and you take a giant step forward in creating the person that you want to be.

Become a positive thinker . . . . and your thinking will become the beacon that will keep you focused on your objective. Positive thinking will keep you on the right path moving in the right direction.

Positive thinkers are solution driven and you will find ways to succeed where other people miss the opportunity.

Having a can do attitude . . . . is a mental approach to your life that will support you thinking and your beliefs that you will achieve a successful outcome.

Be determined to reach your objectives . . . . burn that picture in your thoughts . . . . live it . . . . breath it . . . . see it . . . . be it.

You are who you think you are . . . . keep your thoughts turned into the right station and you will become that person.

©2013 Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant, Success Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author

It’s What You Learn – After You Know What You Know

Motivational Power Quote

It’s What You Learn – After You Know What You Know

“It is the studying that you do after school days that really

counts. Otherwise, you know only that which everyone

else knows.”

Henry Doherty 1870 – 1939, American Businessman

As I see it . . . . . . .

It’s what you learn – After you know what you know

It’s very common to reach point in your careers that you feel that you have it covered . . . . and have all the answers.

That point can be reached at any point in our career. For a person that’s relatively new in their field it can happen very quickly . . . . and become an anchor. That anchor can slow their professional development to a crawl. If adjustments are not made the person will struggle to keep their head above water . . . . and will eventually sink. 

For a person that has been involved in business for a long period of time. . . .  it becomes the threshold of complicacy in the status quo. Without keeping pace with the continuous learning and professional development that’s required to stay reverent in their profession . . . . they slowly fall behind the curve of being competitive in their profession.

It’s what you learn – after you know what you know . . . . will give you a strategic business advantage and determine the direction and the pace of your career.      

©2013 Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant, Success Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author

Ability to Successfully Interact With People

Motivational Power Quote

Ability to Successfully Interact With People

“The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as

sugar and coffee, and I will pay more for hat ability than for

any other under the sun.”

John D. Rockefeller 1839 - 1937, American Entrepreneur,

Philanthropist

As I see it . . . . . . .

Ability to successfully interact with people

Your ability to successfully interact and communicate with people will

. . . . have a direct bearing on the quality of the relationship that you establish with the person. The way you interact with the person will become the thin slice between a successful and productive relationship

. . . . and one that returns very little or no value to the people involved.

The person that effectively interacts with people will bring  value into the relationship and will be sought for their advice and counsel.

One of the keys to successfully interacting with people is in your ability to communicate effectively with people. Effective communications draws the other person into the conversation by asking open ended questions and listening to what they’re saying.

Listening is a sign of respect . . . . activity listening to the person become the bridge to mutual respect, understanding and rapport.

The ability to successfully interact with people . . . . is deeply rooted in your ability to effectively listen and communicate with people.

©2013 Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant, Success Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author

Spread Your Wings . . . . Out of Your Comfort Zone

Motivational Power Quote

Spread Your Wings . . . . Out of Your Comfort Zone

“If you’re growing we’re always going

to be out of our comfort zone.”

John C. Maxwell, leadership expert and author  

As I see it. . . . . . . .

Spread your wings . . . . out of your comfort zone

Spreading your wings takes an act of courage . . . . and a leap of faith on your part to leave the safety of your comfort zone behind you. Take that leap of faith and be lifted into . . . . a new world of personal growth and new possibilities.

With faith you will feel the air under your wings and find yourselves being lifted out of your current world of the status quo into . . . . a new realm of possibilities.

The moment that you feel the air under your wings you may experience a flash of hesitation about leaving your comfort zone.  At that very instance is where you have the capacity to change your life forever.

You can close your wings and stay in your comfort zone . . . . and let your tomorrows become the mirror image of your past. Or you can put your faith in yourself to create a brighter future. Let the air lift you . . . .  into the world of new possibilities and personal growth.

Spread your wings . . . . and learn to fly.

You where meant to fly and reach great heights. But you and you alone is the only person that . . . . can open your wings and learn to fly.

Spread your wings . . . . out of your comfort zone and you will change the view of your world.

©2013 Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant Success Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author

 

The Extra Ounce of Power

Motivational Power Quote

The Extra Ounce of Power

“Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated

can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up

with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when this

match is even.”

Muhammad Ali, Boxing Champion

 

As I see it . . . . . . .

The extra ounce of power

It’s been a grueling day . . . . one that that has gone from challenging situations to other without let up.  Your exhausted and ready to call it a day.

The telephone rings . . . . and wham out of blue your hit with a major situation that need your immediate attention . . . .

At that very moment you are faced with a choice . . . . do you throw your hands up in the air and call it a day? Or do you reach down into your inner strength . . . . and come up with that extra ounce of power and to work through your exhaustion and to come up with a successful solution?

In the extra ounce of power . . . . is when it pulled together and champions are made.

©2013 Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant, Success Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author