Do you ever wonder why some people seem to attract success effortlessly, while other people seem to dig it out in the trenches everyday and never get very far?  Why is it that some people seem to realize their dreams so easily while others seem to constantly struggle?  The root cause of success is not necessarily what you do, but rather how you think.  I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying “if you believe you can then you can, and if you believe you can’t then you won’t – either way you will be right”.  Nothing could be more true.  It is our state of mind that lets some see light where others see dark, and lets some see opportunities where others see only problems.

In sales, your state of mind will make or break your career.  It will affect your success more than any technology, marketing campaign or web initiative ever can.  In many markets across North America, a “success” state of mind is needed more than ever before as we are bombarded with bad news about the economy more than at any other time in history.  Here are some suggestions for regaining your success state of mind:

Rebooting Your Career for 2010:

1. Remember your passion – before you tackle the “how”, remember your “why”.  There was some reason you ventured into this career, what was it?
2. Vision – Take some time during December to plan ahead and fine tune your vision for the new year so you can start 2010 with a clean slate.
3. Business Plan – Once you define what it is you want to accomplish in 2010 (e.g. your income goal) the next step is to define what activities you need to do every day to achieve your goal.  How many transactions will you need to close?  How many per month? How many per week?  How are you going to track your progress to make sure you stay on track? Leave nothing to chance.

The Do’s and Don’ts:

1. Don’t compare yourself to others (everyone has their own unique path to follow).
2. Do identify your strengths and weaknesses (so you know what you need to work on).
3. Do find something that gives you inspiration (and keep reminding yourself of what that is).
4. Do create a plan and stick with it (even when it doesn’t seem possible, don’t give up).
5. Do continue to educate yourself (and put into practice what you learn).
6. Do make a conscious effort to stay positive (it is a choice, and the choice is yours).