“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.” Andrew Carnegie

The following techniques when applied consistently, are guaranteed to get results in achieving greater business success, increased sales and personal success. Consistency is key. Be specific and realistic. Practice these techniques daily. These are the same strategies I applied in 1995 when I wanted to enter the speaking business. I was skeptical and wondered if these techniques would really work. By 1996 I was speaking in Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales as an international speaker. My point is not to brag. My point is that if you will diligently practice the following affirmations, visualizations and action steps, you will attract more business success and personal success. These strategies can work for everyone from salespeople, business owners, entrepreneurs and executives, to managers, supervisors and team leaders. The first step is to believe. Believe that you can do it.

When writing down affirmations for your goals, start with different colored index cards. For example, green for career and financial goals, yellow for health/fitness, pink for relationships and blue cards for spiritual goals. Using different colors sends a visual signal to your brain that you're setting goals in various areas of your life.

Do not have more than nine affirmations or goals for all categories total at any given time. You don't want to become overloaded and give up before you've even begun. On the front of each index card, write the words "I am." These are the 2 most important words when writing affirmations for your goals. Make sure each affirmation incorporates the "3 P's:" 1) Personal 2) Present Tense 3) Positive

Personal: your affirmations should apply only to you because you cannot change others. Thus, you would not have an affirmation stating, "I am happily enjoying my daughter's clean room." You don't know if your daughter will clean it to YOUR specifications. You get the point. You could write, “I am enjoying that my bed is made and my room is clean every morning."

Present Tense: make your affirmations in the present tense. For example, "I am happily enjoying an increase in sales of over 7% from 2005." Say it, write it, and feel it as if it were already happening. How would it feel to have already accomplished that goal? The feeling of emotion "as if" you're already living your dream prints it indelibly in your subconscious mind, and makes you more likely to accomplish it.

Positive: by keeping it positive, you also give your mind a "steering wheel" for the direction you want to move into. For example, you would not write, "I am enjoying no longer eating desserts." What you could write however, is " I am enjoying eating at least one salad a day." Your mind now has direction.

After starting with “I am,” include a “feeling” word and an “action" word or verb. This is vitally important because, as stated earlier, the feeling generated helps you achieve your goals faster. Examples of feeling words: happily, easily, joyfully. My affirmation in 1995 for getting into the speaking business was, "I am happily conducting speaking engagements all over the world." The words "happily conducting" in the present tense helped me with what it would feel like to already be living and acheiving that goal.

Be specific with both your business and personal success goals and include action steps. Goals are nothing without action. Also, write a specific deadline under each affirmation. By what month and what year do you want to have achieved that goal? For example, on the front of the index card below my affirmation for speaking all over the world I wrote, "England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Hawaii, Alaska, and St. Thomas by December 1996." Those were the specific places where I wanted to speak, and that was my deadline.

I kept these green index cards on my nightstand, in my wallet and on my bathroom mirror. The reason...your subconcious mind is most amenable to suggestion first thing in the morning and last hour before going to bed. I would see these positive affirmations for my goals every morning upon awakening, and last thing before retiring at night. After a week, my mind started coming up with “action steps” for how to achieve these goals. These steps were written down on the back of the card. I began to take action steps, such as producing a video speaking in front of a group, and visualizing success.

By December 1999, I had conducted seminars and breakout sessions for conferences in all these locations. These techniques do work IF you work them. Look at your affirmations and goals at least twice a day. Close your eyes and visualize them as having already happened. Generate feeling and emotion.

What would it feel like to already be successful at having your own business or to look out at St. Martin from your balcony on a Caribbean cruise? How would you feel being recognized as the number one sales producer in your organization in addition to receiving a large bonus check? How would you feel walking down the aisle at your own wedding?

Have the right attitude. Believe that you can achieve your goals. Hold yourself accountable and get rid of excuses for why you can't accomplish something. A word of cuation: be careful with whom you share your aspirations and dreams. The key is to surround yourself with supportive people.

Lastly, have an action plan and take action. Goals are nothing without action.