How to Rewire Your Brain for Success

The latest neuroscience suggests you can literally "edit" your memory. Here's what this big 

breakthrough means for you.

The most recent edition of The New Yorker magazine contains an article about neuroscientists 

who study the way the brain retrieves memories. What they've found out is probably the most 

important breakthrough of all time in the field of successtraining.

HOW THE BRAIN REMEMBERS

Most people think about human memory as a videotape or computer memory.  When you 

remember something, you're playing back the memory, which is vivid or vague depending on how 

good you are at remembering things.

It turns out that human memory isn't like that at all.  When you remember something, your brain 

is "rewiring" the connections between neurons, literally changing the structure of your brain.

Rather than video playback, human memory is more like video editing.  When you remember 

something you are recreating, changing, and re-memorizing. The memory is subject to change every 

time you remember it.

According to the latest research, it's possible to intentionally edit bad memories to remove the bad 

feelings associated with those memories. This new memory therapy is being used treat to PTSD 

sufferers.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU

Your attitude and behavior--the two things that make you successful--are heavily influenced by your 

memories.

For example, if you've experienced a painful failure in the past, you're more likely to avoid taking risks, 

even when they're smart risks.

Similarly, if you've had successes in the past, you're more likely to take actions to repeat those 

successes, if you have vivid positive memories about them.

The reason that this research is so important is that we now know that you can:

1. Edit your bad memories so that they don't hold you back.
2. Edit your good memories so that they propel you forward.

In other words, you can literally rewire your brain to make you more successful.

HOW TO WEAKEN YOUR BAD MEMORIES

The method described in the article is almost exactly the same as a method that author and 

motivational speaker Anthony Robbins (of all people) has been training people to use for the past 

two decades.

To extract the poisonous fangs (as it were) of your bad memories, bring the memory into your 

mind, and then imagine it getting smaller and dimmer, like you're watching a tiny black-and-white TV.

Now add details that scramble the memory.  For instance, if you're remembering a time when you 

flubbed a presentation, turn the audience (the little bitty audience in the little bitty screen) so that 

they're all wearing clown suits.

Do this five or 10 times and you'll discover that the bad memory simply doesn't sting any longer. If 

anything, the memory of that presentation will make you chuckle, because you have literally and 

physically rewired your brain.

HOW TO STRENGTHEN YOUR GOOD MEMORIES

To make your good memories more powerful and motivating, you do the same thing in reverse.  You 

call the memory up as vividly as you can, on a huge IMAX, surround-sound screen.  Make it bright 

and loud.

Most importantly, insert or increase the wonderful feelings that you experienced in that situation.

Do this five or 10 times and you'll discover that what was once just a happy memory is now a 

driving motivation.  The more you experience the memory, the more you'll want to make it real again.

I've been using this method on and off for years, without really understanding why it works. Now 

that I know the neuroscience behind it, I'm going to make editing and improving my memories into 

a daily habit.

From Inc. Magazine

5 Fears You'll Need to Conquer Before Starting a Business

Entrepreneurship is treacherous ground. You’ll face great risks, from the inception of your company through the growth stage, and even as you stabilize and gain momentum. If you’re going to be successful as a business owner, you need to be prepared for those risks, and address your fears proactively.

While each entrepreneur and each business is unique, there are five common fears that almost every entrepreneur will need to face before starting a business:

1. RUNNING OUT OF MONEY

Capital is one of the biggest concerns most entrepreneurs have, and with good reason. Starting a business requires a lot of money, which usually comes directly from the entrepreneur’s savings, or the pockets of independent investors. If you can’t secure a reliable revenue stream by the time that initial startup capital runs out, the business -- and all that money -- is in jeopardy of being lost for good. Disappointing investors is one thing, but losing your life savings is another.

If personal investment loss is what’s keeping you from moving forward, consider other means of funding. Use crowdfunding to collect small amounts from thousands of people, or seek business grants from the government to help get you started. Most of all, you need to have faith in your business model -- if you don’t, then you shouldn’t go into business.

2. NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH

Whether you’re worried that you aren’t good enough as an entrepreneur or that your product isn’t good enough to be competitive, the fear of not being good enough can be debilitating for new entrepreneurs.

Remember a simple concept that applies to all businesses: launching with a minimum viable product. Your product doesn’t have to be perfect when it first launches, and it doesn’t have to be the best. It just has to be acceptable. From there, you’ll have plenty of room to make improvements to it over time. No product ever starts out perfect -- some of the greatest businesses in the world probably started with a product of a similar quality to yours.

As an entrepreneur, you too can be a minimum viable product. You don’t have to make all the right decisions, and you don’t need to be a perfect leader. You just have to be passable until you have the time and experience to improve yourself.

3. FAILING

The fear of failure gets the better of all of us occasionally. There are small failures -- such as a botched email-marketing campaign or a major bug you discover post launch, and massive failures -- such as your company going under.

Failure will set you back no matter what, but you can’t let the fear of failure stop you from making a decision. Failure is only the end of the road if you let it be. Otherwise, it’s just a temporary stopping point in a long path to a final destination.

More important, failures are learning opportunities. Every failure you experience yields a lesson you can incorporate into your business or your life.

4. BEING OVERWHELMED

The entrepreneurial life isn’t chosen because it’s easy. It’s chosen because it’s a challenge with many rewards along the way. If you’re getting into entrepreneurship because it seems like an easy way to get rich quick, someone has lied to you. Entrepreneurship is riddled with obstacles, stress and hard work.

But the flip side of entrepreneurship is control. Yes, you will inevitably feel overwhelmed at times, but it’s all completely within your power to change. If you’re dealing with too many financial problems, you can hire a financial advisor. If you aren’t getting the results you want out of your developer, you can let him/her go and seek new help.

You will experience a greater workload than you’ve ever faced before, but remember that you’ll be in full control of your own destiny.

5. THE UNKNOWN

The unknown is indescribable and impossible to prepare for. When you first get started with a business plan, a bit of money and maybe a partner or a mentor by your side, you’ll have no idea what to expect in your first year. For many, it’s a thrilling thought, but it’s also terrifying.

Entrepreneurship isn’t a job. It becomes a lifestyle. You’re choosing to be in this role because you’re a risk-taker, you’re passionate, you work hard and you believe in your idea. Those four qualities are more than enough to conquer any obstacle that gets in your way -- even the unknown ones. So put those fears to rest and believe in yourself.

CONCLUSION

Entrepreneurship isn’t for the fearless. It’s for the individuals who are prepared enough and strong enough to learn from their fears and work past them. Instead of avoiding your fears, embrace them, and use them as a motivation to learn more about your business and prevent disaster.

From Entrepreneur

20 Reasons to Start Your Own Business

If you’re an entrepreneur you have heard the million reasons not to go into business: It’s too risky, you might go into debt, you’ll probably lose sleep, your social life is kaput, and the list goes on. But even with all these uncertainties, people are still attracted to the startup world. There are just as many, if not more reasons to take the leap and go start your own business.  Here are just a few:

1. Spare time. This one can take some time.  Initially you’ll work longer hours for less pay.  But if you do it right, you could start to master your schedule and the freedom that being an entrepreneur provides is awesome. 

2. A story to tell. Whenever I tell someone I run my own business, they always want to know what I do, how I do it and how it’s going. I always am able to provide a tale or two, and the best part is that I get to determine the story's chapters. (When working for a corporation, people most likely have less input.)

3. Tax benefits. For entrepreneurs (freelancers included), they have the opportunity to take advantage of some nice tax perks. Many can write off expenses like travel, food, phone bills, portions of car payments, and the list goes on. Also, certain startups qualify for government incentives. Make sure to ask your accountant about what tax benefits you may be eligible for.

4. Pride. When you build something successful, it’s a great feeling. You had a vision, were able to execute it and not can reap the benefits of saying "I did this." On the other hand, it’s tough to be proud of the zillionth request for proposal you fill out for your employer.

5. Your posterity. If you’re a doctor, plumber or bus driver it’s hard to imagine you passing your career on to your loved ones. But if you own your own business, that’s something you can pass on to the next generation. And be proud of it, because you created it.

6. Job security. Have you ever been laid off, downsized, or fired?  If you have, you get this. With entrepreneurship the security lies in the fact you are your own boss. You run the show and don't have to worry about getting let go.

7. Networking. Entrepreneurs are communal creatures.  We love to meet each other, swap stories, and learn from each other’s experiences. Your circle of friends and acquaintances always grows when you become an entrepreneur, as many founders need others to lean on to survive and talk about the challenges only known to them.

8. Doing good. While this isn’t exclusive to entrepreneurs, it’s definitely a perk. You control where your company profits go and if you choose, you can give allocate your financial gains to others. You can sponsor a charity, a non-profit or just personally give back to the community.  This is quite honestly one of the best parts of being an entrepreneur.

9. Novelty. We, as humans, love new experiences but rarely can you experience a host of new things from inside your cubicle. This all changes when you are running the show. Starting your own business will ensure you’ll always be facing new challenge and experiencing something new.

10. Mentorship. Having had mentors and getting to be a mentor have been some of the best experiences of my life.  Learning from the masters and getting to help those less experienced than you gives you such a sense of satisfaction. From my experience (and other's stories) the entrepreneurial community is very willing to give back and lend a helping hand.

11. Becoming an expert. This point goes along with mentorship.  Regardless of what you do as an entrepreneur, if you stick with it, you’ll probably become very good at it. And this gives you a sort of soapbox, so use it. You'll have the chance to be interviewed for your expertise, write about it and get to spread your message.

12. Skills. People ask me how I learned about SEO, social media, pay-per-click, PR and all the other marketing techniques I utilize. I tell them that I was forced to learn them, otherwise I wouldn't survive.  The same way I was forced to learn how to build a spreadsheet, how to balance a budget, how to negotiate leases and countless other skills I picked up because I was the only resource I had. While developing new skills can be tough and takes times, it can pay off in spades.  These skills will be invaluable throughout your life.

13. Determination. Everything I’ve done as an entrepreneur has affected me in my personal life.  I used to be poor at committing to changes. But having been an entrepreneur for over a decade has forced me to become dedicated and determined to causes. (Now I can stick to an exercise plan much easier.)  I’m also better at being a father and husband because of that determination I learned.

14. Recognition. There are literally thousands of local, regional and national awards that recognize entrepreneurs in every field and industry. This shouldn’t be your only reason to start your business, but it certainly is a great feeling when you receive this recognition.

15. Financial independence. Let’s be honest, this is probably the biggest reason people get into business for themselves.  And that’s a good thing!  You should want financial independence.  However you define financial independence – retirement stockpile, unlimited cash potential or having the money to buy what you want --  entrepreneurship can allow you to achieve it. Trust me, money doesn’t buy happiness, but it does make finding happiness much easier.

16. Reinvention. I’ve started and sold several companies over my career.  And every time I sell a company, I’m presented with an opportunity to reinvent myself all over again. On the flip side, if I had received my law degree, I’d be a lawyer (not a lot of room to recreate myself). But as an entrepreneur, I get to be whatever I want to be.

17. Change the world. Everyone jokes that every entrepreneur says they’re going to change the world. It’s difficult to imagine how a cell phone accessory kiosk in the mall is going to change the world.  But there are those that do succeed.  Take a look at Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Sergey Brin, and the countless other entrepreneurs who really have changed the world in some small (or major) way.

18. Create jobs. There’s nothing like the satisfaction of knowing you’re responsible for the success of your employees.  Your ideas provided them the opportunity to earn a living, provide for their family and fulfill their own dreams.

19. Your brand. Being known for something is awfully enjoyable.  People may start referring to you as the marketing guy, or the retail maven or the software guru.  Whatever it is you’re recognized as, it’s fun to build that brand and earn that recognition.

20. Your reason. I’ve given you a list of why I think you should get into business.  But all that really matters is your reason to start your own business.  So, what is it?  Tweet out this story and add your reason.  Comment below and share with us why you did it.  I know it will be a good one. 

From Entrepreneur

Always Deliver More, in Business and Life, With These 3 Principles

There is one entrepreneurial golden rule that will take you further and faster than any other in your working day. It’s gaining more and more popularity in the zeitgeist these days as our culture starts to recognize and speak more openly about the importance of value, honesty and transparency. What’s that golden rule?

Always deliver more.

When you approach every project, every meeting and every opportunity in life with the passion and spirit of delivering more, you’ll succeed.

Here are three areas for where to deliver more that will help you guide your startup and live the golden rule.

1. Time

You should never be late on your project deliverables. Never. In fact, if you don’t deliver at least the day before, you’re pretty much late already.

One thing that is incredibly valuable, priceless even, is other people’s time. Don’t waste it. If you promise a client a project on a due date, there are no excuses for them arriving at work on that day without the project in hand. Don’t shortcut yourself and always deliver on time.

Another thing to remember is others' time in meetings and in person. Show up 10 to 15 minutes early to everything, all the time. Even your personal appointments. Don’t make other people wait and watch how much that way of delivering more endears you to others.

2. Creativity

There is a shortage of creativity in this world. As an entrepreneur you have free reign in a sense to wow your clients, users and customers with some insanely good creativity.

When people encounter your product or service, will they way “oh” or “wow”? If it isn’t “wow!” you need to go back to the drawing board with your team and keep working.

3. Ideas

One of my favorite ideas from writer James Altucher is being “an idea machine.” He talks frequently in his books, on his blog and on his podcast about the idea that if you can be the source of creativity and ideas, and share those with the world, you’ll always have work and success. I love that idea because it’s true!

You can’t approach your startup with a "what’s in it for me" mindset. You have to approach everything you do with how you can provide more for your clients, customers, staff and others. When you’re an idea machine, cranking out awesome, creative solutions and freely sharing those with others without strings attached, you’ll find there are millions of invisible strings that connect you to the good things in life. You may not always see them at first but they’re there and they’ll tie you to new opportunities and chances to again deliver more.

From Entrepreneur

5 Signs From Childhood That You Were Destined to Be an Entrepreneur

Some entrepreneurs are made, while others are born. If you have innate skills driving you down the entrepreneurial path, there were probably signs even when you were a kid. Were you the teacher’s pet who always turned in assignments ahead of time complete with extra credit? Were you always picked first in gym class, or were you the bookish type who was reading at levels beyond your age?

Think back to your early years and you just might spot signs of a great entrepreneur in the making.

1. You excelled at group projects

“Partner up!” was music to your ears and you still enjoy group projects as an adult. As a leader, you could take charge without dominating the group, match up everyone’s skills with tasks at which they excelled and you weren’t satisfied unless your group was the clear winner. Maybe you’ve reined in those micromanaging tendencies since third grade, which has made you the group leader to best all group leaders.

2. Your GPA hovered at 3.5

Getting all A’s isn’t necessarily the sign of a genius or total dedication—it might be a sign that a kid is playing it too safe. However, a high GPA with a little wiggle room for failure bodes well for an entrepreneur. Maybe you gave that advanced math class a shot even if it wasn’t your forte, and it brought down your GPA. You’re not a straight-A student anymore, but you learned more from the tough classes than you ever would taking it easy. That’s the making of a fantastic entrepreneur.

Over the past 6 months I've been hiring for my startup. I have found that the majority of people I hire who are entrepreneurial don't have perfect GPAs. Most have between 3.2 and 3.6 GPAs. I was never a perfect student and always got "good" grades but never perfect. It's shaped a lot of how I am today. I do everything "good." It's not always perfect, but it's consistently good and above average!

3. You dominated at selling cookies

No matter what type of organizations you were involved with, if you had to sell something you were in paradise. Be it cookies, popcorn or collecting the most non-perishable food items, it kicked your young entrepreneurial spirit into overdrive. You may not have realized it at the time, but that was your first entrepreneur success story -- if only selling software or your latest line of luxury soaps as an adult was so easy.

4. You got creative with your allowance

Some kids used their allowance to splurge on chocolate milk every day, but entrepreneurial-minded kids don't go with the obvious investments. Maybe you stuck with the cheapest options day after day, scrimping and saving to buy your first CD player. Maybe you negotiated with your parents for a “raise” based on better grades or more chores. Whatever it was, you knew making money and spending it came with options, and you were committed to finding the path that worked in your favor.

When I was a child I got very creative with the money I earned. I was never personally given an allowance or paid for chores. I had a paper route and worked ever day. I then invested that money into buying candy, to sell to other children for a profit.

5. You saw the cafeteria as the power grid it was

This doesn’t necessarily mean you sat at the cool table. However, you knew the lay of the land and positioned yourself where you could shine. Perhaps it was with the drama geeks, the jocks or the AP crowd. Wherever you sat, you didn’t settle. You probably switched things up regularly to stay relevant in numerous crowds.

When I was younger, I wasn't originally with the cool kids, but I worked my way up. A true entrepreneur can spot success and tends to aligns himself with it. It may not happen right now, but it will eventually.

You’re all grown up now, but maybe you’ve noticed some of these tell-tale signs in your own kids. How can you encourage their entrepreneurial spirit to fly?

From Entrepreneur

Content Marketing Strategies You Can Steal

What’s the profile of a modern, best-in-class content marketer? Bymodern I mean someone who is using new tools and resources (social media, video and data) in concert with traditional marketing programs. And by best in class I mean someone who is driving real results.

So what does that look like? What might great content marketers know that you don’t? And more important: What can you steal from them in order to replicate their successes at your own company?

MarketingProfs and the Content Marketing Institute wanted to find out. On Oct. 1 we released our fifth annual study, “B2B Content Marketing: 2015 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends—North America,” looking at more than 5,000 marketers in 109 countries. Here are some key points that emerged.

Great content marketers have a documented strategy and follow it closely. Just 35 percent of content marketers actually have a documented strategy (48 percent say they have one, but it’s not documented), according to the study. Sixty percent of those who have a documented strategy rate themselves as being effective content marketers, vs. just 7 percent of those who have no strategy, written or otherwise. 

Idea you can steal: Define a content marketing strategy for yourself, record it and refer back to it frequently. Don’t leave it on a metaphorical shelf gathering dust. Start by answering some basic questions about your company and your audience: Who do you want to reach? What value can you provide? How are you going to deliver that information? Who is going to manage the process? How will you measure success and refine your efforts?

Great marketers have a dedicated content team. Fewer than half of marketers have a dedicated content marketing group. But 69 percent of those who are most effective at content are likely to have a structured group. (These structures may vary. Some companies have a content marketing team that functions independently; in other cases, marketing team members are assigned responsibility for content functions horizontally across a company’s departments.)

Idea you can steal: Empower a dedicated team (or, in the case of smaller companies, a key person) that’s responsible and accountable for the success of your content marketing program.

Great marketers use an array of tactics and social media platforms.The best modern marketers don’t rely on just one or two approaches to reach and engage their audiences. In fact, the most effective ones use an average of 14 tactics and seven social media platforms.

Tactics for B2B marketers include in-person events, webinars or webcasts, videos, blogs, case studies, white papers or e-books, research reports, e-newsletters and microsites. The most effective social channels for B2B marketers are (in descending order) LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and SlideShare.

Idea you can steal: Create a broad variety of content—and don’t rely just on those tried-and-true blog posts or case studies. Have a varied social media engagement/distribution plan so that you cast a wider net online.

Great content marketers publish regularly. The most effective content marketers publish new content daily, or at least several times per week.

Idea you can steal: Create an editorial calendar with at least three months (or, ideally, six months) mapped out. Having a plan for what you are going to publish and when you are going to publish it makes it far more likely you’ll actually do so.

Great content marketers spend more on content. This is a big duh: More budget equals more effective marketing. The most effective marketers allocate, on average, 37 percent of their marketing budgets to content programs.

Idea you can steal: I suppose it’s an easy directive for me to give: Find more money! At the very least, consider allocating some percentage of your 2015 budget to a pilot content program (if you don’t already have one).

Great content marketers iterate and experiment. The more effective content marketers are always scheming to uncover new ideas and processes and to improve and refine what they are already doing. The most successful ones work on more than a dozen initiatives at any one time—including creating better quality content, improving conversion rates and overall content effectiveness, creating more visual content, reimagining or repurposing content, measuring ROI and becoming better storytellers.

The good news is that the least effective content marketers are ambitious: They plan to work on more initiatives in 2015 than their already-competent peers—an average of nine, vs. six.

Idea you can steal: Choose a few things to improve in 2015. In marketing (and, I suppose, in life), the smallest changes can yield big results.

From Entrepreneur

Your Ticket to Wealth

Living the good life isn’t about amassing material wealth. I encourage people to set goals for not only what they want to have, but also what they want to become, experience and share. 

It’s good to have a healthy income, of course, because the wise use of money can offer you freedom. And if you’re an entrepreneur, you need cash to fuel your dreams. In order to create wealth (however you define it), you need to think how wealthy people think. There are a lot of great books on the subject (and some great SUCCESS insights in every issue!). I want to expand on one important step to success: Find someone who is truly wealthy in all ways, not only monetarily, and emulate that person’s philosophies. 

You could tap a business owner you’ve admired from afar, or maybe a family friend or an elder. Interview this individual about his or her thought patterns, life and business outlooks, and interpersonal style. Then model your life after that person’s. 

When you practice this on a regular basis, you may find that there are a lot of differences between how that person is living and how you live. No two people are exactly alike, but getting close to a wealth mentor can teach you a lot about becoming the person you want to be.

From Success Magazine