Monthly Archives: October 2014

Challenges, Goals

Personal SWOT Analysis

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personal-growth-swot-analysis-strength-weakness-opportunity-threatHarvard Business School professors, George Albert Smith Jr and C Roland Christiensen developed the first incarnation of the SWOT Analysis in the fifties and later, Stanford University’s Albert Humphrey adapted it for use in organizational strategy.

This tool is as effective today as it was then and is an excellent way to establish your baseline prior to entering a potential business venture.

Using this analysis you determine what are your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

This same system can be adapted to evaluate your innate abilities and challenges.

To create a Personal SWOT Analysis, simply title each of 4 pages with Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat.

STRENGTH

Always start from a position of strength. So list all the strengths tat you possess, personally and professionally. Think about answering questions, like, what are the things that you do well? What unique personal resources can you call up? And, what do others see as your strengths?

No need to hurry, here; review and re-review adding any attributes, skills or gifts that you may have missed. Most people are amazed at what they have accumulated over the years in their personal escrow. Bask in the glow before continuing…

WEAKNESS

Understanding our weaknesses is so empowering. On this list you note the things that are difficult for you, that you admire in others and which you possessed yourself or activities that you’d rather not participate in.

Think about asking yourself, in what areas could I improve? Where comes easier to others than me? How do others see as my weaknesses?

This is an excellent opportunity to review skills that you need to be aware of either opportunity to gain the knowledge or skills for yourself or alternatively seek resources for outsourcing.

OPPORTUNITY

We are all surrounded by a myriad of opportunities for personal growth. You may be aware of some that are immediately within your grasp, others you may need to begin to look for.

List the opportunities that come to mind regarding personal growth or expansion at home, at work or in relationships within your circle of influence. Maybe consider taking steps to grow your audience.

Keeping a keen eye for opportunities to share, care and grow will keep you on the leading edge of your life’s journey in style.

Ask questions, be curious; about life, what are other people doing that you look up to, competitors, or associates in your field. You may uncover other opportunities by being more aware.

Thoughtful, metered Googling and social media excursions can help keep you abreast of opportunities, but you must stay in control. Don’t let these tools become your weakness.

THREAT

What are the roadblocks that appear to be in your way? What stands between you and what you desire? What are the challenges that you face?

BY clearly defining the threats to your success, it is easier to map out a route to circumvent the threats that may turn out to be opportunities for personal growth.

In the event that you decide that becoming an expert in the thing that may be blocking you is not congruent with the person that you are… No problem. It’s an opportunity to outsource; find, hire or trade services with someone who would love to handle this for you.

Using this personal SWOT Analysis will help you grasp what assets you possess (many we take for granted), and what your shortcomings might be (many are exaggerated and easily overcome) and having it in black-and-white will help you chart your journey to unbridled success.

Excerpt from Success Attributes © 2008 David M Masters used by permission.

Attributes, Concentration

The 5 Senses of Laser Focused Concentration

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5-senses-to-success-attraction-attenuation-prosperityBy engaging all of your information receptors in the attenuation of your end result, you can avoid distraction and increase your attention to manifest anything you want giving you the ability to make all your dreams come true.

First of all, create a multi-dimensional experiential representation of what it is that you want to achieve.

Sight

My primary sense is visual. This is where I start to create my vision of what it is that I desire. You could find a photographic representation of what it is that you want. If it is a particular item, it is easy enough to find a photo of the item that you want… the more photos, the better. Put them in places where you find your attention throughout the day. Some places might include the refrigerator, your bathroom mirror, on top of the TV, hanging from the rearview mirror in your car, even carrying a card-sized photo in your pocket that you can refer to throughout the day, and on the nightstand next to your bed.

If what you’re focusing on is more complex, like an idea, concept, career, mission, etc… you may need to develop a visual montage including may images, or a vision board. A vision board is a poster-board featuring a collection of many different images that represent what you want to attract.

Hearing

Next up is to create an audio representation of that which you desire to engage your ears.
If it is a thing, like a new Harley Davidson Motorcycle, make an MP3 (CD or mix tape) compilation of songs about riding on your motorcycle with a sound clip of the vroom-vroom (or guttural potato-potato-potato) sound of the motorcycle between tracks.

Get a portable recorder and interview owners of Harley Davidson motorcycles and ask them what they like best about their bikes and listen to these periodically throughout the day.

You get the idea; you can listen to audio recordings that help you to pinpoint the attention of your auditory senses via the input device of your ears.

Use your voice to engage your ears. Nothing is more attractive to your ears than your live voice. Ever notice that when you listen to a recording of your voice, it sounds tinny in comparison to how it sounds when it resonates within your head?

Make a list, create affirmations or a mantra that you speak aloud to command the attention of your auditory interface.

Touch

Engaging your sense of touch (contact via hands, feet or skin) could take many forms…

If you desire a Harley, then a ride or test-drive would be an excellent multi-dimensional experience, but now you need something that you can touch and feel to focus your attention on throughout the day, when you may not have access to a physical representation of that which you seek.

Create and use a talisman. A talisman is a physical charm or representation of what you desire. In fact, no other company provides more talismans for potential customers than Harley Davidson. You can easily obtain a key-fob with the Harley-logo (or any other object or form from bumper-stickers to underwear)… something that you can contact to your vision periodically.

You can use any item that you want to be your talisman, including a ring, pendant, business card, silicone bracelet or wristband, a small stone or string tied around your wrist… whatever it is, it is something that you can physically touch while you daydream about your goal.

Smell

Your nose knows what it is that you want, and by entertaining your sense of smell, it can create neural pathways in the brain that engage the attention of the universe to begin to vector in all the components that are necessary to bring your desires to fruition.

In some cases, you may be able to have a multi-faceted talisman. For instance, if your Harley talisman is made of leather – the smell of the leather may be your mind’s nose candy.

If your goal is financial, maybe the scent of cash dollars engages your sense of smell in this daily exercise. Many fragrances, potpourri, incense, essential oil scents or other items that are pleasant odiferous representations your desire(s) can be used to sniff your way to success.

Taste

You might find it difficult to think of way to have your goal create an association with your mouth and tongue but it is a lot easier than you might think.

In our Harley-example, you might associate the motorcycle with an energy drink (or some other non-alcoholic drink).

There are a variety of hard candies or chewing gums that come in a wide variety of flavors; some which you have never tasted. You can select one of these flavored-items (that you have not tasted before, so that the taste is not associated with anything else from your past) to represent you wildest dream(s). Focusing on what you want while you excite your flavor receptors will increase your laser focus.

Attraction Attenuation

By engaging all five senses, you attune your vibration to that which you seek. Just the fact that you have the desire means the universe has already matched this desire to you. Now, all that is left is for you match your vibration to what seems illusive. It has already taken place; you just need to do the work to align yourself to the end result.

Get the sense that your senses can get you from here to there, and they will.

Excerpt from Success Attributes © 2008 David M Masters used by permission.

Challenges

Friends and Associates Challenge for Change

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Prosperity Anonymous is a place to belong to if you’re tired of being surrounded by unsuccessful individuals but have decided to embrace being successful in spite of the folks that are nearest to you.

It has been said that your level of success will represent the average level of success of the five people that you spend the most time with. These are your friends and associates; they support you, pay attention to you, tolerate you, listen to your troubles and laugh with you when you are happy.

Consider-making-new-friends-for-a-better-lifeYour friends and associates may be a challenge preventing your growth, especially if they view your desire to be successful as folly… It is not! Rise above the negativity by joining with others, just like yourself, who seek to be successful and are taking the steps to move above and beyond the negativity, to embrace a successful lifestyle.

We’re not talking about toxic individuals in your life so much as people who slowly drain your enthusiasm and drive to break-through to your more productive, abundant and blessed full expression of your life.

Does that mean ditching your friends?

This is a decision you need to make on your own. Are your friends holding you back? Maybe it’s time to consider making new friends…

I met a man by the name of Darnell, who was at 26 years old a felon and already served four-and-a-half years in two separate incarcerations of his adult life and had spent countless time in the juvenile system during his youth.

He came to me in a coaching relationship seeking a better life. The first words out of his mouth to me in our first session were, “My life’s a mess and it ain’t gonna change unless I change and I can’t change unless I change my life, where I live and ditch my best friends.”

These are the kinds of clients that I attract. Some people may call me a motivational coach, but it’s just not true because I don’t motivate anyone. People who are motivated to change their lives or uncover their life’s hidden treasures, discover and share their gifts with the world to make it a better place.

The people who work with me bring their own motivation when they seek me out. I love working with people committed to change, personal, emotional, financial and spiritual growth. I truly have the best job and attract the best clients.

Could-your-friends-be-the-chains-that-bind-youDarnell knew – without me even hinting to it – that his current environment, life circumstances and friends (some who were lifelong friends) were holding him back. And any time that he might make the least amount of progress, the whirlpool of his life that he had come to know as his, “normal,” would suck him back down the drain.

Darnell needed to create a, New Normal… and he was self-motivated, committed to his goal and I was honored to be invited to watch his story unfold. He started a business and began the creative process of building the business, creating his brand and promoting his business, while working on his own lifestyle readjustments along the way but it didn’t happen overnight. It took a lot of work, dedication, cutting ties and building new relationships.

He relocated only half-an-hour away from the place that he felt held him back, giving him enough room to remain independent while still being able to interact with family with the option of being able to easily disconnect and drive home where he was building his new life.

While reinventing himself, he didn’t completely disassociate with his old life, but only visits occasionally, though due to his commitment to change, many of his former friends have lost interest in him. It’s been five years since Darnell sought me out and now he is enjoying his new life, new friends, was recently married and is starting a family.

We all could learn a lesson from Darnell. Maybe our current family, friends and environment… that part of life that seems normal could be the influence that is keeping us from achieving greatness, sharing our message, embracing our gifts or enjoying the fullness of our inspired human potential.

In business and in life, the people that you hang out with can make all the difference. It is one of the basic tenets of success. After all, we are who we spend time with. It may not be necessary to disassociate from others who might be holding you back, if simply making new – more positively supportive and synchronistic – friends and associates would do the trick.

Is it time to re-evaluate and make a change? Is it necessary for you to consider adjusting your social matrix, evaluating potentially unhealthy relationships to move forward into the life that is calling you?

Excerpt from Success Attributes © 2008 David M Masters used by permission.

Prosperity Anonymous is a support group for you if you’re seeking to make your mark and a significant impact in your life and/or the lives of others. If you’re struggling with getting from here to there, together we can get you pointed in the right direction and in the flow to get where you want to go.

Persistence

What Have I Done Today for Success?

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The most important question you could ask yourself is, “What Have I Done Today?”

Think about it; if every day you could just make one small step toward your goal, you could be so much closer to your goal. The movement between here and there may not look like much, but if you could just make consecutive small movements in the direction of your goal, how much closer would you get if you made small incremental steps every day, rather than not making movement at all.

What-have-you-done-today-to-accumulate-financial-successSo many times, we second guess ourselves, stall or procrastinate only to find that yet another day has passed and we have made no progress toward the prosperity that we long for.

We can adequately see the difference between where we are and where we want to be and the chasm seems so far from here to there… yet, if we just made some progress every day, in a week we would be seven (albeit small) steps closer if we make some movement in the right direction every day.

How much closer would you be in a month? In a quarter? In a year?

The only thing that stands between where you are today and where you want to be is you.

How many times have you started on a path toward a goal, and made some progress, only to feel a little less motivated the next day? On that day, you may have not made any progress toward what you desired so much the day before. What happens on the next day?

Is it easier to keep your commitment to yourself to make progress daily?

Or is it easier to relax into what you know?

Is there safety in mediocrity?

If you do not try, then you have nothing to fear… you cannot fail, if you do not do.

It’s so easy just to rest back on your laurels always wishing that things could be different, but this one thing is for certain: If you do not move, you will remain where you are.

Is it uncomfortable to move, or change? Is it hard? Could there be a possibility of failure?

Yes, yes and yes – but if you truly desire to see your life different, you must make – not just an effort – but a commitment to take action – every day and you will see the change.

If there was one thing that was clearly the difference between a successful person and an unsuccessful person it is simply in the doingness. Doers do.

Sometimes the only difference between doing and not doing is just the simple gentlest nudge into taking that step.

Maybe we felt more motivated yesterday, but today we’re feeling less confident for whatever reason, and it’s easier to just relax.

Maybe yesterday it was easier to believe in the possibilities of success, but today, you look around to see yourself surrounded by the status quo. The status quo does not want you to stand out in the crowd embracing all your gifts, qualities and speaking the truth of your calling.

… and today, it’s easier just to blend back in… and so, you blend…

There’s still time. Daily ask yourself, “What Have I Done Today?” This is your litmus test for your traveling toward the greater good.

That’s what prosperity Anonymous is here for; we can help you get from here to there.

You are not alone. We believe that by locking arms one with another in an effort to make the progress necessary to be the change we’d like to see in the world.

If you are finding it strenuous to stay on-track, we can help to team you up with an accountability partner. As a brute group force, together we can be unstoppable.

Contact us to begin to change and help others be the change.

You can do this. This is the reason you are here, today, right now ready, willing, able and committed to taking those daily steps.

Excerpt from Success Attributes © 2008 David M Masters used by permission.

Accountability, Uncategorized

Accountability

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Keeping each other accountable is imperative to your group’s success, left to your own devices, you might lose focus, or get distracted by life circumstance(s). Knowing that you have other members of your group to report to next week helps to motivate you in order to have something good to report about your project.

This replaces the militaristic approach to self-discipline and replaces it with an enjoyable motivation allowing you to share the rewards of being able to report your progress to others who are vested in your continued success, a more positive model that going-it-alone in your own lone-wolf-style.

So, you’re headed to you meeting and you realize that you’ve only accomplished two of the ten tasks that you had promised your teammates that you were going to get done this week. What happens then? That’s where the accountability comes in. You voluntarily selected this team and/or these members and in doing so you allow them to nag you or motivate you in any other way necessary in order to assist you on the path to your success.

Don’t be one of the many people who have had a good idea, business potential, book hidden within, elusive successful dreams and aspirations, whose lives have ended, never having realized their dreams or potential. By teaming up with your peers, people who think and believe as you do, makes all the difference.

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While our mission is relatively new, we can use all the help we can get. If you are a masterminding or prosperity anonymous member, please e-mail us. Alternatively, if you have uncovered a valuable online resource that you think would be of value to our users, then let us know, so that we can make it available to other users and visitors.

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News

Tell Me More

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The premise of the Prosperity Anonymous mindset centers around the principle of the Mastermind Group that was delineated by Napoleon Hill in the book, Think and Grow Rich.

The concept as defined by Napoleon Hill is:

“The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony. No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind.”

In the Prosperity Anonymous model, we refer to our system as representing, “mastermind groups” (some people refer to them as success teams, cell groups, chapters, support teams, etc…) of individuals numbering in groups of two-to-six individuals who share like goals, benefit from each participant’s area of expertise, supporting and encouraging each other and holding each other accountable.

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While our mission is relatively new, we can use all the help we can get. If you are a masterminding or prosperity anonymous member, please e-mail us. Alternatively, if you have uncovered a valuable online resource that you think would be of value to our users, then let us know, so that we can make it available to other users and visitors.

COMING SOON

We will be adding an additional feature for all subscribers that includes a geographically designed business index that will help to promote your business to other members and searchable via the Internet. (Limit one business listing per subscriber.)

Members

More Groups

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It is suggested that each Prosperity Anonymous member join an existing group, and to also participate in an alternate group. The second group could be the creation of the individual where they are the group’s leader, or an additional participant in another group that has an opening.

Participating in more than one group helps to maximize your potential exponentially. You are a complex compilation of unique attributes, opportunities and life circumstances. Participating in Prosperity Anonymous mastermind groups can enhance many facets of your life. For instance, you might be an independent businessman who is looking to build your business success, joining a group focusing on individual business enhancement makes sense.

You may also be a youth group leader at your local church, so it would make sense to join together with other individuals who are also involved in youth ministries.

Let’s say that you’re an outdoorsman, you can easily have greater productivity in your outdoors activities by joining a group of like-minded folks, all sharing their ideas amongst themselves.

Literally, the possibilities are endless.

Each group has its own purpose. The leader initially sets the purpose of the group. As the group develops and matures, the purpose may be refined or redefined to more appropriately represent the group. Each group must be open to growth, development and change as the architecture of each group is built, yet remains fluid.

The leader must also initiate a group’s initial procedural progress, i.e., day-of-the-week, time and location of each meeting, meeting format and rules of participation. Keep in mind in the interest of the group’s growth and continued success, these procedures must remain open to negotiation.

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While our mission is relatively new, we can use all the help we can get. If you are a masterminding or prosperity anonymous member, please e-mail us. Alternatively, if you have uncovered a valuable online resource that you think would be of value to our users, then let us know, so that we can make it available to other users and visitors.

COMING SOON

We will be adding an additional feature for all subscribers that includes a geographically designed business index that will help to promote your business to other members and searchable via the Internet. (Limit one business listing per subscriber.)

Forum

Forum

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Your mastermind group should have its own forum. A forum is an online tool, that the group can access to list their weekly goals and each individual’s daily progress. This should only require your commitment of an extra few minutes each day to log your progress on the group’s online forum.

The forum also allows the members to interact and support each other through an online medium that does not require participants to be available, or online, at the same time of day. This is an extremely flexible medium for all participants.

Each participant should have their own subsection of the forum to track their individual goals and progress.

You may have a goal to accomplish something in the time-span of one year. Redefine your goal into goals that are more easily manageable by you and your group. For instance, if you’re goal is to raise an extra $50,000.00 in the next twelve months. Dividing your goal into one-month goals would result in an amount of $4,167 per month. One-month should be your maximum goal interval as a four-week-long goal is easily manageable by group members. This could be broken-down further into weekly progress chunks of, say, $1,041.75 per week.

As you log your progress in the group’s forum, regularly throughout the week, delineating your progress and activities engaged in to realize your goal, other members will support you with camaraderie and input, possibly in the form of ideas that may have occurred to them that may make attaining your goal easier, or offering an idea that you may not thought of yet.

Having a goal length longer than one-month-at-a-time may lead to less productivity due to project dilution, loss of enthusiasm or focus, or burnout.

Let’s say that your goal for this week is to come up with an outline of a new book. You decide that this week, you are going to decide on the chapters that will be included in your book.

On day one, you may list in the forum three chapters that you know you want to feature in your book. On day two, you check in with the forum, to post an additional two chapters, and find that there has been input from two members of your group on your previous day’s posting… One member suggested an alternate title for one of your chapters, and the other has suggested three more chapters that you might not have come up with yet. And on and on it goes, as you chart your progress each day and benefit from the participation of your group peers.

This process continues week after week, setting new goals and making progress regularly each day, as the members keep each other accountable.

See how powerful having multiple minds working together on the same project can be?

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While our mission is relatively new, we can use all the help we can get. If you are a masterminding or prosperity anonymous member, please e-mail us. Alternatively, if you have uncovered a valuable online resource that you think would be of value to our users, then let us know, so that we can make it available to other users and visitors.

COMING SOON

We will be adding an additional feature for all subscribers that includes a geographically designed business index that will help to promote your business to other members and searchable via the Internet. (Limit one business listing per subscriber.)

Members

Members

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The group’s leader maintains data on the members of your Prosperity Anonymous group. The leader keeps track of each member’s contact information, i.e., name, address, phone number(s) and email address, as well as each individual’s strengths, or skills, that can be offered to the group, also noting weaknesses. The strengths and weaknesses often change as the group matures.

Individual members change and grow through the mastermind process. What may have been thought of as weaknesses in the beginning may turn out to be valuable assets to the other group members.

As each of the groups members grow and change, weaknesses may me overcome. And skills that individual members may not have thought of as a valuable resource, is discovered to be a very valuable resource to the group.

Click Here For More…

While our mission is relatively new, we can use all the help we can get. If you are a masterminding or prosperity anonymous member, please e-mail us. Alternatively, if you have uncovered a valuable online resource that you think would be of value to our users, then let us know, so that we can make it available to other users and visitors.

COMING SOON

We will be adding an additional feature for all subscribers that includes a geographically designed business index that will help to promote your business to other members and searchable via the Internet. (Limit one business listing per subscriber.)

Mastermind

Mastermind Costs

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Participating in a mastermind group can be expensive, as many successful individuals charge a fee that is outside the reach of the average person (some as high as $5,000-a-month, or more, for the heaviest hitters).

The goal of Prosperity Anonymous is to put the power of the Mastermind Group within the reach of the average person who seeks to achieve new levels of success.

We believe that you will find that $35-a-month is more than reasonable for your participation in Prosperity Anonymous (almost a dollar-a-day) and your membership entitles you to join, not one group, but two (and one or more of them may be your own).

Click Here For More…

While our mission is relatively new, we can use all the help we can get. If you are a masterminding or prosperity anonymous member, please e-mail us. Alternatively, if you have uncovered a valuable online resource that you think would be of value to our users, then let us know, so that we can make it available to other users and visitors.

COMING SOON

We will be adding an additional feature for all subscribers that includes a geographically designed business index that will help to promote your business to other members and searchable via the Internet. (Limit one business listing per subscriber.)