Thinking Big

Thinking Bigstring(12) "Thinking Big"

June 16, 2022
, , BNI, Decision Making, Dream Big, vision 14

This is my belief about thinking big. Our vision controls our perception, and our perception becomes our reality. Don’t become so attached to a limiting belief that you can’t see what is possible. Move past limiting beliefs and move towards meaningful beliefs. Think big.

The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief. Think little goals and expect little results. Think big goals and smash other people’s expectations of you. You know, it takes the same energy to think big as it does to think small. Sure, if you think big, you’re sometimes worried about whether you can achieve those dreams or not. But when you think small, you’re disappointed in yourself because you didn’t achieve the success you want. Personally, I would rather be a little bit worried than disappointed in myself. Think big. It takes as much energy as thinking small, but you can end up in a much better place.

Be a Product of Your Decisions

Do not let small minds convince you that your dreams are too big. There are those voices rattling around that will stand on your shoulder and tell you why that dream isn’t realistic. I had that. Remember the story of my dream of having 10,000 chapters? Did I let that guy influence my dream? No, I didn’t. Don’t let small minds influence your big dreams. I’ve seen ordinary people do extraordinary things throughout my career. I believe anyone can do extraordinary things with the right mindset, plan, and effort.

The last time I was on Necker Island, I heard Richard Branson say that if people aren’t calling you crazy, you’re not thinking big enough. I love that. And he’s absolutely correct. To inspire others, though, you must first inspire yourself. If you want to be big, you need to start thinking big and behaving big. Don’t be a product of circumstances. Be a product of your decisions. One of my greatest lessons in life was learning that I can alter my circumstances by first altering my beliefs, then my attitude, and eventually my behavior. If you have the power to change lives, grasp it.

Think big. Think big, my friends. Think about how you can change people’s lives. Anything less is not a good use of our opportunity.

The Law of Attraction

The Law of Attractionstring(21) "The Law of Attraction"

August 10, 2020
, , , Dream Big, Jack Canfield, Law of Attraction, Uncategorized 2

The Law of Attraction has been used for thousands of years by some very successful people. Jack Canfield, the originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series and a good friend of mine, is one of them. He wrote an excellent book called, “Jack Canfield’s Key to Living the Law of Attraction”. I believe that it is important to maintain “positive thinking” and to attract other positive people during these days of negativity while quarantined in this great pause. I even included this years ago within the official “Code of Ethics” for BNI. Therefore, all BNI members pledge to “have a positive and supportive attitude”.

Our Beliefs form an Attraction with Others

We are limited only by our beliefs. The most successful people I see in life are those who move past limiting beliefs and move toward meaningful beliefs. Our beliefs can be very powerful. Therefore, our beliefs that are most meaningful to us are also the most powerful. This power is magnetic and forms an attraction with others.

The Law of Attraction is the belief that positive or negative thoughts bring positive or negative experiences into a person’s life. This belief is based on the idea that people and their thoughts are made from pure energy, and that a process of like energy attracting like energy exists through which a person can improve their health, wealth, and personal relationships.

Hope is more powerful than fear. It is that little voice inside, whispering to you about what “can be” when everyone around you is screaming about “what can’t be.” During these days of negativity, while quarantined in this great pause,  you need to maintain your positivity with hope. Hope plus a plan, plus action, will lead you successfully through these times. We are part of something bigger than ourselves. We can use the power of hope to restart the world with our actions.

Don’t Just Dream, Take an Attraction Action

According to Marcia Wieder, CEO and Founder of Dream University, in business, dreaming is a serious business; it’s the driving force for transformation and without vision, many companies fail. Therefore, we must all “Dream Big”. However, a dream without a plan is just a fantasy. It is your thoughts about believing in your dream which will lead to achieving your dreams. The Law of Attraction is powerful. However, the word “action” is part of the word “attraction”.  When you practice the Law Attraction, it is important to take action to achieve your dreams. You cannot make improvements through thought alone. Transform your own life, both personally and professionally, by taking action and contribute to making the world a better place.

I do not know what our future holds, but I do know that we can definitely influence it with positive thinking and forming an attraction with others that also have a positive and supportive attitude.

2020 Vision

Having Clear 2020 Vision Goalsstring(30) "Having Clear 2020 Vision Goals"

December 30, 2019
, , , Dream Big, Goals, Video Blog, vision 5

It’s almost the New Year! Since it will be 2020, I thought it would be perfect to talk about 2020 vision. Please watch this video.

There is an old phrase that hindsight has 2020 vision. While that may be true, but I also believe that foresight can have 2020 vision. The challenge is, you actually have to think about your future. Really spend time and think about it, even if it’s just a few hours. Give some thought to your future. When I talk about setting goals, I find that people are a little like Bobblehead Ivan here. Yea, yea, yea, I need to set goals. Yea, you need to set goals. Goals are just a vision of where you want to go.

Goal Setting

Every year for the last 40+ years (yes, even before I started BNI), I have taken time during this period of the year to reflect. I start by looking at the past year and see how it played out according to my plan. Where it worked, I celebrated. Where it didn’t work, I analyzed why. More importantly, I contemplated how I could make it work.

Then, I did my real vision making. I thought about what I wanted to achieve during the next year and then three to five years out. Finally, I gave consideration to where I would be 10 years out. I started this process when I was in my early 20’s. In fact, I actually created a 40-year plan for myself back then. You can see that plan on the blog post listed below:

https://ivanmisner.com/life-lessons/

Truly, anything past five years is an educated guess. I get that. But it’s also something else. It’s a game plan. It’s a vision for where you want to go. Your one year plan should be really specific. Your 3-5 year plan should be strategic. And anything longer is highly strategic (which you’ll see if you read my 40-year plan). You can’t hit a target you don’t aim at. Create a target. That’s the vision. Take aim, that’s the action.

Here are three things I want you to do over the next couple of days to create your 2020 vision.

  1. Dream big. Create your 2020 vision.
  2. Have a Plan. How will you achieve your 2020 vision?
  3. Take action. Actually do the things you create in your plan.

Do those three things this year and then do me a favor. Mark your calendar for the end of 2020 and post a message about how this changed your life. I’m going to be looking for it.

If anyone wants to comment now about your 2020 vision, I’d love to see it. I’m Ivan Misner and this is 2020.

Take Action

Take Action to Achieve Your Dreamsstring(34) "Take Action to Achieve Your Dreams"

November 18, 2019
Dream Big, Law of Attraction 4

The Law of Attraction is powerful. However, “action” is part of the word attraction. Therefore, you must take action to achieve your dreams. I firmly believe taking action (beyond simply showing up) is key to achieve real results. Making a plan is meaningless if you don’t shift toward action.

Networking truly is a “contact sport.” It involves full engagement in order to get solid results. Many entrepreneurs simply don’t know how to take action to reach their goals. Engagement is an absolutely critical step in the networking process. It involves a promise and an action. In order to achieve success with your networking partners, you must promise to support one another, and then you must take the action necessary to fulfill that promise.

Networking involves interacting with others. There are several ways that you can take action to become more engaged with your networking partners:

  • Be a good listener.
  • Develop a positive attitude.
  • Collaborate to serve others.
  • Be sincere and authentic.
  • Follow up.
  • Prove your trustworthiness.
  • Be approachable.

Most people who are successful at networking view the process as a series of small actions to create long-term positive growth for their company. The process is more of a marathon than a sprint. Throughout the race, you form alliances and help each other in what may seem like little ways over the long haul, but these small actions over time can create big results. Therefore, to be an effective networker, you should always be working on strengthening your relationships with your referral sources.

Reach your goals and create a better life when you dream, believe, and achieve…

Make a Plan

Make a Networking Strategy Planstring(31) "Make a Networking Strategy Plan"

November 14, 2019
, Dream Big, Goals, Networking

A dream without a plan is just a fantasy. It is your thoughts about believing in your dream which will lead to achieving your dreams. However, first, you would need to develop a networking strategy.  Make a plan that will work for you based upon these three essential questions:

Who Are My Best Prospects?

It’s important to know that each target market will have a strategy that requires you to network in different places. If you’re not sure who your target market is, look at your list of past clients. What industries were they in? How long had they been in business? Were your clients even businesses to begin with, or have you worked mostly with consumers?

Once you’ve put together a profile of your past clients, ask people close to you for patterns you may have overlooked and get their input on who might be a good fit for your business.

Where Can I Meet My Best Prospects?

As you begin targeting specific niche markets, there are other venues and opportunities that fall outside the typical networking event.  Here are some examples of specific target markets and where you should network to find people in these markets:

  • Small-business owners–chamber of commerce, local business association, referral groups, and social media pages,
  • Representatives from big corporations in your area–service clubs, nonprofit groups, and volunteer work
  • Consumers–your kids’ events: Little League, School activities, and so forth

Whom, Exactly, Do I Want To Meet?

Even if you can’t name the people you want to meet, the better you can describe them, the greater the chance you’ll get to meet your ideal contact. Be as specific as possible when asking for contact because it focuses the other person’s attention on details that are more likely to remind him of a specific person rather than if you asked, “Do you know anyone who needs my services?”

Networking works.  It’s just a matter of developing a strategy that puts you in contact with the right people. That’s exactly what the three questions above will help you do. However, you must take action to achieve your goals.

Dream Big

Dream Bigstring(9) "Dream Big"

November 11, 2019
, , , , , , , , , , , Dream Big, INSPIRE, Law of Attraction 2

Our 2019 BNI Global Convention just wrapped up. I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who joined us from around the world at this exciting event in Warsaw, Poland.  Dziękuję Ci. This year’s convention is all about our theme, Dream Big. Therefore, I want to share a few thoughts for those of you not in BNI on how you can reach your goals when you dream, believe, and achieve…

Dream Big

Do you dare to dream? If so, you are a results-oriented person. Dream big to help you transform your own life, both personally and professionally, and contribute to making the world a better place.

Marcia Wieder, CEO, and Founder of Dream University was our keynote speaker at our 2019 Global Convention. She spoke about the entrepreneurial mindset of having a dream for your business and how to successfully realize that dream.  I met Marcia through the Transformational Leadership Council which we are both members of and, let me tell you, Marcia is truly the best of the best of when it comes to understanding this facet of your business. Please watch this video to learn more.

Marcia explains that in business, dreaming is serious business; it’s the driving force for transformation and without vision, many companies fail.

Make a plan.

A dream without a plan is just a fantasy. It is your thoughts about believing in your dream which will lead to achieving your dreams.

In the book, “Psycho-Cybernetics” by Dr. Maxwell Maltz, he recommends “steering your mind to a productive, useful goal so you can reach the greatest port in the world, peace of mind”. If you believe in yourself and believe that you can achieve your goals. you will. However, you need to take the next step.

The “Law of Attraction” is the belief that positive or negative thoughts bring positive or negative experiences into a person’s life. This belief is based on the ideas that people and their thoughts are made from pure energy, and that a process of like energy attracting like energy exists through which a person can improve their health, wealth, and personal relationships.

Take action.

The Law of Attraction is powerful. However, “action” is part of the word attraction. Therefore, you must take action to achieve your dreams. I firmly believe taking action (beyond simply showing up) is key to achieve real results. Making a plan is meaningless if you don’t shift toward action. You can’t make improvements through thought alone. You can also start to achieve your dreams with these six simplest actions you can take.

Reach your goals and create a better life when you dream, believe, and achieve…