Mental Preparation for Success

Congratulations! You have decided to start your own online business! That's great. There are many online money making opportunities that you are going to be able to take advantage of. I know how you feel right now and what you have done up to this point. You are eager to get started, you can't wait. You have already done some research and it seems that you are pretty sure that you know which way you want to go. You have a detailed checklist that will allow you to get to a fast and organized start. You have set realistic goals that will help you focus on what you need to get done and how long will it take you. You have calculated your budget and know exactly how to spend your money to achieve the best results. That's awesome! It seems that you have done a great deal of important preparation that will allow you to launch your business successfully.

So here you are, looking straight ahead at a long road that awaits you. Your e-engine is ready, just needs you to punch the gas. You are ready to put it in first gear and start your first day of work right away. You check your gauges, everything seems to be in place, you are ready, it's an exiting time! You know it's going to be a heck of a ride! Here you stand, as the countdown begins...

Ready? Set! STOP!

"What happened? I saw the green light "-you must be asking yourself right now-"I checked my gauges and everything seemed to be in place. I did very good planning and preparing to get off to a good start". Yes, you did great preparing yourself to start off right, and that is a very good thing, you should be proud. All the planning you did not only means that you have your head in the right place, but also that you are building a good foundation for what you hope will become a successful business. Planning for success demands something more, though. Let's find out.

Let us go back to the very beginning, the time when you first decided that you wanted to start your own business on the Internet. Look back and try to remember when the thought first came to your mind. Can you remember what triggered it? Was it the need for a source of extra income? The desire for a career changing opportunity? Did you want the freedom and control of having your own business? Remember? Good! Keep that thought in your mind, go get a pen and paper and write it down. Keep this paper handy. Look at it everyday as a reminder of the reason why your efforts are not worthless. This action will be the first step that you will take to mentally prepare yourself for success.

"Mentally prepare myself? Is that what this is all about?" You are probably a little lost and confused at this moment. Don't be. Mentally preparing yourself is not only one of the very important first steps of laying down the foundation to your business, it could mean the difference between the success or failure of it. Yes, it's that important. Think about it. A lot of businesses that begin the right way and execute the right strategies still end up failing or disappearing, specially on the Internet, with so much competition surrounding them. A lot of factors could have come into play for these sad results, and one of them could have definitely been the mental strength and preparation of those that were in command. How so? Most of them probably weren't ready for the roadblocks that came their way, simply because the thought more about clear skies and smooth sailing than about stormy weather. They had probably planned to have everything in place for the good times, but when the unexpected bad times came, the ship sinked. Mental preparation plays an important factor in this case. With this in mind, let's continue analyzing the steps that follow to have the right mental strategies that could help drive your business straight to the top.

To recap, you have already completed step number one: Having clear in your mind the reason why you started your business, and writing down on paper to remember on a continuous basis. This factor will be your drive, your motivation, your rocket fuel. Remember to keep it handy, both on and off your mind, because there will be times you will need to remember the reason why you really started your business and how far you have gotten since you decided to do so. It will help you overcome many difficulties along the way that could have the ability to make you want to give up.


Now, step two: Visualization. Yes, you must visualize yourself running your business all the way to your desired level of success, battling the bad storms that might arise, and never, ever giving up, not even when the very future of your business seems uncertain. You must visualize yourself succeeding, overcoming the bad, taking advantage of the good. Close your eyes and really see yourself getting filled with joy and a great feeling of accomplishment after you have achieved one of your greatest goals. Savour in your mind the great feeling and sense of fulfillment this gives you. Now, with eyes wide open, get right to work, one step at a time. Believe it or not, many professional athletes have been known to use this method right before they have accomplished their greatest performances, and it has be scientifically proven that visualizing your tasks will help you perform them better.

Here we go with step number three, you have probably heard this one before: Mind over body. Trust me, this is an important one, specially for us Internet Business owners. Why? Usually we work on our business from the comfort of home, and the comforts of home can really play a good part in getting us distracted and off track. I remember when I used to get home from my regular job after a ten hour shift, the last thing I wanted to do was sit in front of the computer and work on my business for another three to five hours a night. I had to push myself, I had to push my body and make sure I spent the limited time I had achieving productive results out of the tasks I was performing. Some times it was really difficult, specially when my body just wanted a nice hot shower, and plenty of hours of replenishment. Most of the times I won the battles. My success over my own "weaknesses" played a huge role in the overall success of my business. Don't let your body take command over you, know exactly what your daily goals are and don't go to bed without having reached them.

For my fourth and final step in mental preparation, I would like to quote Roger Crawford:

"Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional"

Wise words that you could very well apply to your business moto for success. Face it, you will have set backs, problems, issues and circumstances where giving up could seem like the only option. You will have challenges. As Roger Crawford said and applied to every aspect of our lives, being challenged on a daily basis by difficult situations is out of our hands. It will happen! How we react to these issues and what measures we take to solve them really determines the outcome of the situation. It is up to YOU to succeed, no matter what, it is up to YOU to make it happen, to break the barriers and keep running all the way to the end, to your final destination, your ultimate goal.

You now know how to start mentally preparing yourself for success, starting with a good foundation and staying strong all throughout your quest. Congratulations! Your checklist looks more complete now. Looking at that long road ahead, once again, you know. It is time to punch the gas, to begin your career, to start climbing all the way to the top. I know. You can't wait. Neither can I. Good luck to you, and your quest for an online business that will flourish tremendously.

Ready, Set...