How To Tweak Your Thinking

Thoughts are powerful. They create feelings and take form in our lives in ways we like and don’t like. One of the aspects of my business is that I pay very close attention to my way of thinking. Since I first read the book “The Power of Positive Thinking” in my 20s, I have made an ongoing and conscious effort to be in charge of what I think. I want to think about things that make me feel good, so whatever form they take will be a good thing, too. I have the book’s author Norman Vincent Peale to thank for that. Here’s a link to his book, if you’re interested. http://goo.gl/bQcDX

Sometimes though, thinking positive when things are just not working right is very hard. I know, it happened to me. Eight years ago I was down on my luck, $130,000 in debt, my father had just passed away and I was thrown out of my home and office that I had occupied for ten years. I’m not going to lie; it was tough and I often thought this was too hard to get through. Positive thinking just wasn’t working and then I came up with what I now call my gradual improvement method. It certainly worked for me, because in 2006, I sold my company to Bill Gates and made a fortune. http://goo.gl/WxM02

The method goes like this: first you refuse to accept that where you are is all there is. You’re a good person, honest and responsible, so there has to be more out there for you. Next, focus on wanting to do better. This works equally well for business and your emotions. Don’t say, for example, “I don’t want to struggle anymore.” Instead, use the positive affirmation of “I will do better. Things are picking up. I have a good feeling that this will work out.”

Call yourself fortunate or lucky and whatever other positive words you can find. Stay in this mindset and gently correct yourself when you slip. This is crucial in business and since we can tweak just about anything now, it stands to reason that we can tweak our way of thinking. If you believe in yourself, in your talents, your expertise and your passion, guess what? Your clients will pick up on that energy and new projects will likely to come your way.

Beate Chelette is a respected career coach, consummate entrepreneur and founder of The Women’s Code, a unique guide to personal and career success that offers a new code of conduct for today’s business, private and digital world. Determined to build a community of women helping each other, after selling one of her companies, BeateWorks, to Bill Gates in 2006 for millions of dollars, Beate created The Women’s Code. In February 2012, to reach women everywhere, Beate launched The Women’s Code Online course. http://beatechelette.com/the-womens-code