Step 1: Practice 12-Point Banking (bookkeeping and performance forecasting).
I have never yet seen a person who could not learn to practice basic bookkeeping. Anybody can sit down and make entry after entry, bringing an account from Last Year through the first part of this year. Then see where it is on a statement like in the sample below and move it forward to where things are at right now.
Step 2: Become more organized.
Get more efficient in the handling of money and other resources. The only thing you have unlimited is time, and we can learn how to get better results out of the time we have.
Step 3: Get guaranteed results on your money matters.
Put a small amount of effort into getting some training and make it 12-Point Banking (bookkeeping, forecasting and planning). It will be the best money-and-time investment available to you, without question.
Step 4: Surround yourself with a support group or mastermind group.
This group will provide you with information and support, direction and motivation. Do ask people who you respect and admire to be your coach and counselor—people who are kind and fair and can compare notes with you on how the system works in their lives, even if they don’t use all of the techniques. If you need more help getting people together, call your local SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) for a
Step 5: Do “Show and Tell” on a regular basis.
Once we have learned something new, it is exciting to be able to show others what we have learned and get feedback from them. If you would like some ideas for doing Show and Tell, the next chapter will help.
Step 6: Become aware of your emotional triggers.
Emotions are links to your past and can play havoc with your current business situation, if you allow it. Once you have become aware of your emotional triggers, you can react differently. You can act different, feel different and choose different emotional responses.
Step 7: Create an action plan.
There is good reason to put your efforts into that which you can control and change right away. This will let you feel more positive and in control, because you are now doing something about the situation instead of whining about it.
Step 8: Change your thoughts and words to neutralize the emotional part of you.
This can be done with a device, such as a rubber band or small object that will snap against your wrist. It works best when used in front of a mirror to allow you to become aware of what you are saying and doing. It will knock out the “me” part of a lot of your sentences, putting things into more of a third person viewpoint.
Step 9: Change your focus to the future of prosperity.
Think about what you want your situation to be like in twelve months, not where you have been or how “unfair” it seems. In the end, every experience has a lesson in it and has come to show you something you needed to learn.
Step 10: Be grateful for all the positive things in your life.
Make a list of these things and read it to yourself twice a day, if you can. Focus on the people who care and the relationships that are important to you. Use the many benefits and ways the universe has thoughtfully provided you to help you along in your efforts.
