The once strong and powerful voices of active mainstream woman’s groups seem to have become as smoldering embers on a once lit and active fire. The laws and issues concerning women are now being legislated by mostly male government representatives, and the question begs to be answered – where are the women advocates?

Where is the woman’s voice of power to speak up and rally against these injustices we see happening right here in our country?

Be it an irresponsible rape “joke” by a TV personality (i.e. David Letterman’s crude rape joke about Sarah Palin’s daughter), a random bullet, a beating, sexual abuse, corporate bias, infidelity, or any number of anti-woman assaults, we seem to sit quiet and let it happen to us. Why?

How low have we brought the moral compass that the position of womanhood has fallen such insignificant levels?

Where is the outcry over the beating a woman of barely 125 lbs took from a police officer? Or the call to justice over a man who severely beat his girlfriend, or a married man kills his pregnant wife or girlfriend? What about the sabotage of a woman candidate for public office?

As women, we are seeing a sad shift in the value that is placed on us and our lives and it is becoming similar to what we hear about and see in the lives of women in Middle Eastern Countries and around the world. Can it be the influx of people from other countries that is causing this mindset? Is the influence of ethnic behavior that is acceptable in other countries affecting the way we are being treated here? I don’t know the answer to those questions, however, when we stop to read, observe, and watch the behavior toward women – we have to wonder why this is happening.

Are we our own worst enemies by insisting on the right to kill an unborn human life and justify it as our prerogative as women? If we see fit to eliminate life that should be protected in the womb, what message is being sent to the men about protecting women? My point is not to pass judgment on anyone that is between each person and God – my question is how can we change the mindset of those who think that the degradation and violation of women is acceptable?

We would be hard-pressed to think that it will resolve itself if we stay quiet, this will only continue on a downward spiral. In the 60’s and 70’s Women were active in all areas rallying and demonstrating for rights throughout all areas that touch our lives. Albeit some of the groups were against traditional roles for women as mothers and families, still the overall fallout has led us to such a demoralizing state which clearly favors males over females regardless of the “progress” made in the last 30+ years.

When Hillary was running for president the support for her was mixed but more favorable by women overall, however, when Sarah showed up on the scene the daggers came out surprisingly fast and furious from the women’s camps. For some reason, when a woman who happens to be a conservative, the double standard becomes policy. No sooner were the complaints of unfair treatment over with Hillary now out of the running, then the daggers began to fly to rip Sarah to shreds, and why?

It is interesting to note that because she stands for conservative and moral positions that rub against the grain of the liberal mindset, that the cries of injustice ceased and the attacks from even women were delivered in a more vengeful manner.

For women to eviscerate another woman is probably one of the greatest injustices we can do to our own gender. To impose such political dissent of epic proportions in order to eliminate her from the political scene further underscores the stark contrast between the male and female behavior toward each other. I have often wondered if men have tried to divide women by inserting rules, laws, and other means of destroying what could be a unified strong voice.

And yet again, we see the newly revised “healthcare” mandates forcefully trying to be imposed by current government leaders who would choose to “save” money instead of lives by going against years of evidence and proof regarding the prevention of Breast Cancer in Women.  Another nail in our coffin.

Lastly, the ultimate business disgrace is to not acknowledge the strength of woman as the catalyst for strong BPI (buying power index).  Additionally, the value that women bring to every business where the product or products are carefully targeting women.  And yet,  we find at the helm of a company, a boardroom, or in the C-Suite the suits are filled with dominant male figureheads who would rather extract the money from our hands via their attractive advertising techniques, but dismiss the fact that women are and continue to be the ones that influence the success of consumer product and services companies.

It is these issues, that especially this month of March which is Woman’s Month and the upcoming date of March 8 – which is International (Winning) Woman’s Day that I so passionately choose to stand in the gap for women. It is the vision and the mission of The Winning Woman Network to collaborate and partner with companies who recognize the unavoidable impact women make in commerce and in the well-being of this country.

Women are the most precious gems, the jewels, the catalysts, the hubs and the foundations for a strong country, family, business, and government. Without women, systems fail, as we witness in countries where the suppression of women is a daily activity engaged in by men who are threatened by women.  In a more subtle way, the same happens here in our own country.

• Again I ask where are the Women’s advocates?
• Where are you Winning Woman of the World, to speak up and unify our voices to stand against the crime against Women?
• We are beautiful, strong, extraordinary, gifted, talented, compassionate, Winning Women – let’s get our voices in one accord and let others know who we are!

Please send us your petitions, causes to support, links that will focus on the advocacy of Women and our positions to present on a National Basis. To join with other women’s groups who are looking to be linked with us to build a unified Winning Woman Networkthat will speak to the needs and causes for women.

Here’s to women everywhere regardless of color, faith, ethnic roots, or age – each of us are a Winning Woman!

CEOs, Presidents, Businesses, Corporations, male executives – you are invited to contact us to find a way to bridge these gaps that exist.

Contact: Monika Shaw, Founder & CEO
The Winning Woman Network /C-Suite
http://thewinningwomannetwork.com

Monika@thewinningwomannetwork.com

www.cladach.com

Running From Shame and Finding God’s Scandalous Love

Q: It seems that some parts of your book were passages right out of your journals through the years. Is that right? Is it hard to share these publicly, when you probably thought of yourself as the only audience at the time? Yes, they were taken directly from my journals – especially the conversations between Dr. Travis and me. Those 3 difficult months were mind-numbing days. Writing everything that happened at the end of every confusing day helped me make more sense of it all. Once I was in China, the conversations with Ouyang were important to me, as well, and I also kept detailed accounts. I knew I needed to have those talks recorded somewhere where I could retrieve them – they were too special to forget. The experiences I was having with my Chinese friends were very precious; China was rapidly developing and nothing would be the same again. I recently visited Tianjin and was stunned to see the progress made – the sleek commercial buildings and tall apartments that have replaced the ancient hutongs near the streets where I once lived and worked. Yes, I assumed my journals were for my eyes only, and it has been difficult opening up these details to the public. There have been many starts and stops for me to this process and times when I wanted to forget the whole project.

Q: Was there any deciding factor that made you think you should try compiling your notes into a book and to try to get it published? What encouragement did you get along the way? A friend from the UK convinced me to begin a blog. The idea of sharing my stories was inconceivable, at first, but as time went by, I got to know my readers. Little by little, I opened up the pages of my journals with them, interspersed with a few of the details of daily life in Asia. To my surprise, my online friends began commenting and sending me private letters filled with their own pain. I wanted to let them know that there really is healing and light ahead, that God’s promise really is authentic: He is a God who heals.

Q: Are there any character embellishments? Some people in your book seem almost larger than life! No, the characters are written exactly as they are. Conversations are word for word, in most cases. I wanted to present the strong and good qualities of my former husband, Kyle, for example, as well as the perplexing reality of our marriage. The words of Dr. Travis (not his real name) were etched deeply into my memory, of course, as those were life-changing words of an experienced sexual predator – impossible to forget, much as I tried. And then the amazing friends I met in China were such distinctive people! I remember thinking: How can I tell the world about Mrs. Hua and her cozy dinner parties with fish swimming laps in the bathtub? How can I explain how marvelous Apple is, with her heart that simply listens to God as she finds her way around the French Riviera? I wanted to share the story of Angel’s frustration at being 30 years old and single in the Chinese culture. These are incredibly real and strong people who desire the same things we do in America. They taught me so much. Q: Why a book about China? “Well, this particular story began to be written in the summer of 1992. My friend, David, gave me the keys to his beach house in Pebble Beach and it began pouring out, as I walked along the ocean and typed in his massive kitchen. At the end of the summer, I returned the rented computer, put all the pages into a plain cardboard box and shoved it into a closet. It wasn’t until five years later, in 1997, that I realized the story was not going to rest quietly, just gathering dust. It was almost as if it had a life of its own, and refused to be forgotten…so I took the box to China with me and kept writing…for the next ten years. I wrote between classes, on long snowy northern Chinese weekends, on Chinese trains and sitting in plastic airport chairs. It seemed to evolve into a book that is really a combination of two lives: my life in California and my life in Asia; two very different worlds. I think it seemed very natural at some point, to write of a remarkably poignant journey that met in a healing point while living in a crumbled country, broken by its own history. My life at that point seemed very much the same – broken, falling apart, and dark.

Q: You moved to China to get away from memories that were haunting you? At what point did China start feeling like “home” to you, and less like the completely foreign distraction it first was? A great job offer came up, and yes, I was anxious to have a completely new start. Before I left for China, someone told me, “Susan, you can never get away from this. Sooner or later, you will need to face all that’s happened in your life. You will need to go through the grieving process and admit that you have lost so much.” He was right. I did have to face it, but that happened slowly, almost imperceptibly, over a long period of time. Being in China helped me gain perspective of what God wanted to do in me and through me. I guess it was near the end of my first school year that I realized China had become a second home. I was walking along the hot, muggy streets with Ouyang, and I realized I was reluctant to go back to America. He said, “Do you have to go back? Why don’t you just stay?” That possibility hadn’t occurred to me until that point and I muttered something about it being too hot during the summer months to remain and that most of the teachers returned to their home countries for the holidays. Years later, I found I could stay for the summers and feel very much at home. I think the idea of feeling at home in China has to do with the fact that I began feeling “at home” with God. And that, for me, involved a great spiritual healing and coming back to a point of rest within God’s heart; being glad to be in His loving presence; knowing that all my sins are utterly forgiven and cast away; and, sensing His divine heart of grace. Home has literally – for me – become His own Heart. Q. Where might we find out more about you and Scandalon? Please my website at http://www.susanelainejenkins.com

What do you do?   To bring in a consulting expert is an important decision and investment that requires considerable thought.  However, waiting until you are in a crisis situation is not the time to expect an business consulting expert to do miracles.

The decision to bring a consultant into your company should be considered during the early stages of your company.  Somewhat like an attorney, or insurance agent, business consultants can be most helpful in guiding your vision and keeping you focused to achieve success in your goal.

Some situations are tailor-made for a good business consultant.  Consulting can save you time, money and help you solve those unanswered questions and bothersome problems.  But like anything in business, as a winning woman you need to enter into the consulting process with your eyes open, understanding that the outcome, the success of your goal depends on your ability to be able to accurately evaluate and define your situation.  Your interviews with different consultants will help you clarify in your mind the right winning woman or man to assist and guide you toward your goal. Keep in mind that a consultant can only do as much as you allow, and then give the consultant the freedom to manage the process through to completion.

How do you know if you need a Consultant or not?

Every company has challenges; that’s just part of life in the business world. So how do you determine whether your challenges warrant a consultant?  Here are a few questions to ask:

• Is there e a problem that I just cannot solve?
• Am I about to make a big decision in an area where my expertise is limited?
• Do I need an outside objective opinion of how my company is doing?
• Do I spend all of my time managing daily operations and finding little or no time to think and plan strategically?
• Is my company consistently falling short of achieving its financial goals?
• Is my business in crisis-management mode much of the time?
• Is my business transitioning into a new stage of development or growth?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, a consultant might be able to provide you with the expertise, answers and solutions you need.

In the next part, we will answer the question – How to Find a Consultant.

Do you remember wanting to get into an exclusive club at school, but you didn’t know the key people?  The President was popular and she always had her friends in the club.  You were friends with one of the friends who knew a girl in the club you wanted to join.  What did you do?

As a child, you would have probably tried to find out what this person liked; food, music, or a favorite actor.  With that information you began talking about those topics with your friends in hopes of catching interest from someone in the club who would mention it to the president (step 1 in achieving success).  You may even have asked your friend to introduce you directly, or go to an event where you would both be to  be able to meet.  What were you doing? You were Networking!  (step 2 in achieving success)

Networking is not some new seo keyword on the internet – no, it is a word that has been around for years. In business you may have heard of it under such titles as “relationship-building” or “business associates” or “Contacts” .  Regardless of what title you give it – it has and always will be part of human nature to “network”, to find and gravitate toward those who are like-minded, who achieve success and can be of benefit to us and our needs.

Networking  has always worked and here is why; as children we were naturally attracted to those whom  we perceived as the leaders, the ones who had the muscles, the smarts, the charisma, and we focused on those kids, based on our needs.  It was a natural part of our learning to build relationships or network.  Everyone networks, the difference is HOW and WHY we network.

Often, if we listen, we will find out what the needs of that person, or business is.  When we approach them with an attitude that we have something to give that can benefit others, we are not perceived as selling or manipulating for our own gain.  However, if we approach people only when WE need something we are perceived with suspicion and instinctively labeled untrustworthy.  The usual method of this type of behavior is to “network” until we find the right contact, and forget about everyone else.  This is not only bad networking, it will also have defeated our overall and long-term opportunity to utilize networking for what it should be – developing relationships.

Developing relationships with people whether or not they can be a connection to someone else is not the reason to network, it’s primary purpose should be to surround yourself with like-minded people who are interested in similar topics and goals.  It is of mutual benefit to interact and give of your knowledge, experience and expertise for the benefit of others.  As people get to know you, and sense your desire is sincere, you will ultimately gain their trust, develop deeper relationships and connect on a business level if the need is there.  Often, these relationships will be bridges to your next generation of contacts, who will be your clients and perhaps friends. The Chinese call this Guanxi*. (*At its most basic, guanxi describes a personal connection between two people in which one is able to prevail upon another to perform a favor or service, or be prevailed upon. The two people need not be of equal social status. Guanxi can also be used to describe a network of contacts, which an individual can call upon when something needs to be done, and through which he or she can exert influence on behalf of another. In addition, guanxi can describe a state of general understanding between two people: “he/she is aware of my wants/needs and will take them into account when deciding her/his course of future actions which concern or could concern me without any specific discussion or request”. from Wikipedia)

To summarize, networking is developing relationships.  The purpose of relationships is to surround yourself with like-minded people who share similar interests personally and or professionally.  These relationships can be the bridges to the next generation of contacts – your clients.  Be perceived as a giver not a taker and you will win every time!

Networking doesn’t work right if the aim or goal is selfish.  It works well, when all parties involved are winners and the take-away yields a positive relationship overall.Yes, it’s really that simple! Yes, it works!

*Achieving Success series is a HOW TO e-book available soon, register as a member to receive your copy FREE at http://thewinningwomannetwork.com to become a member.  Be sure to sign up for The Winning Woman  Newsletter; complimentary to members.

Perhaps you have reached a point where you need to stop and make some decisions that will impact your day, your life, your relationship with those around you, especially loved ones.  If you feel overwhelmed and worn out, it is time to take time for YOU!

To be successful in life, there must be a balance in all areas of your life.  You cannot have lopsided priorities, because the other areas suffer, and mostly, you suffer the consequences of that imbalance. Allowing excuses like “ I am too busy to…” will ultimately sabotage you – no one else, and you will find yourself being resentful.  So what can you do to change this?  How can you achieve success in this area of your life?

Here are 7 simple steps that you can take starting now, to get you focused and re-energized in your mind, your attitude and help your overall wellbeing.

1. Make a date with yourself – whether it is taking an extra half – hour and walking, or reading, or listening to music – do something that will cause you to relax for this period of time.
2. Maintain your appearance – Schedule a massage, a manicure, a pedicure, a hair appointment – anything that will force you to not be able to do anything else, except relax. It will do you good, and also help your self-esteem and mindset taking the time to focus on your appearance.
3. Window Shop – you may be on a tight budget, but that doesn’t have to keep you away from shopping.  Go to the mall, and walk around with the attitude that you are keeping up with current styles and trends, and get ideas on how you can change your own wardrobe around to maintain a fresh and updated appearance.
4. Get in the car, and just drive.  Sometimes, just getting away from it all can help clear your mind.  Play music that is inspiring and relaxing ( I recommend Tim Janis – his music is exceptionally beautiful and will take you away!)
5. Plan a lunch date with a friend, a family member, or by yourself.  Treat yourself to something that you don’t do everyday, and savor the time.  Catch up on a magazine, or a book, and take your time enjoying this break!
6. Take the day off! Make it a family day, or a day to forget about laundry, cooking, cleaning, or even working – just enjoy the day.  Catch up with girlfriends, write letters, or if you are prone to “working” – go for a walk, go to the park, just get away from the daily routine and do something different.
7. Sleep – believe it or not, this is one of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself that will help give you more energy. Giving your mind and body a chance to rest, relax and recharge will yield the restorative benefits to your health and overall well-being.

Finally, know that whatever you do for yourself will reap benefits that go beyond the investment of time you have given yourself.  Taking time for yourself doesn’t have to be expensive.  Any of the above suggestions are simple and easy to implement and will help you achieve success in every area of your life.

You will find yourself more energized and have a better attitude and mindset.   You may even have some new and fresh ideas on how to approach your daily schedule to make time for YOU an important part of your planning.  Balance is the goal you want to have in all areas of your life. Achieving Success in whatever you want to accomplish will be attained when all areas can be handled with a positive mindset, less stress and a good balance.

Here’s to achieving success in this important part of your life!

Achieving Success series is a HOW TO e-book available soon, register as a member to receive your copy FREE at http://thewinningwomannetwork.com to become a member.  Be sure to sign up for The Winning Woman  Newsletter – complimentary to members.

With the job market shrinking, and the glass ceiling still over our heads, many of us women have decided to take a bold step and start our own businesses.

Tired of competing with a man for a job where women would be underpaid for their talents and skills, women are now setting the tone for the decade by being their own bosses.  Working at home, with virtual offices, virtual assistants, coaches, mentors, and websites for women to network.  Additionally, the catalog of many great free and affordable resources available to work online including video conferencing makes the at-home office extremely attractive.  Budget-conscious women are focusing on the areas of their own expertise, passion and talents by building empires of their own and launching them from their own homes.  By linking to various websites for Women we can find encouragement and support from other women who are running their businesses from home.  These womens networks as another source of tremendous knowledge and information connects winning women business owners to each other and builds a viral community using them to help others in business.

Women have known for years that inside of us is an entrepreneur, a leader, a businesswoman, a success of some kind, it was just a matter of time before the rest of the world figured it out.  It’s exciting to note that we are on the cutting edge of new trend that will indeed shape and alter the landscape of business as usual.  Forbes recognizes the power that women have, which they have written about in this article you can click on this link http://bit.ly/womenownedbusiness and read in its entirety.

We can be proud to be a success in whatever we put our minds and hearts to doing.

• a stay at home working mom (probably the most underpaid, terrible vacation and sick benefits, but probably the most gratifying to women overall.

• a working mom who is able to balance her career and her family with equal passion and commitment that can satisfy the woman who wants to maintain her hand in business.

• a business owner; at home or outside of the home – she can put her talents and desires to use in a way that will also help others and even allow job opportunities as her company grows.

Women have held the purse strings for years and are the key to success for most businesses as we are the primary decision makers when it comes to purchasing a home, a car, food, and other family needs and wants.

Recognizing the power which we have, can be utilized well by companies who are looking to attract strong and powerful women into their fold.  Find women who are in the trenches day in and day out working to start, establish, grow a business in a niche they feel is missing and is important to women and families.

Companies can partner with women business owners and glean from them the very information that research studies try to find out for them.  Ask any woman and you will get a different answer each time, but also the same – how will it be of help to me, my family, my life?  Women have the answers to many missing pieces of life’s puzzle and are important in the business matrix.  Imagine for a moment women not being in the workforce, not being in companies…the thought is unconceivable these days.  Advertising, products, packaging, logos, all of these are designed to attract the woman buyer who has made many businesses successful.

Isn’t it time to recognize the fact that women can be and are great business people?  We are savvy, sharp, smart, intuitive, have an attitude that exudes confidence and we are sensitive to what other women consumers are looking for and want.

Since the main buying power is with women, it makes sense for Corporations, Venture Capitalists, Angels, Lending Institutions to partner with, and/or assist in raising up women business owners who aspire to keep growing and investing in their communities and the country at large.

Supporting, encouraging, partnering with women in business is one positive way for large corporations to expand their network, get involved in community, and become favored in the eyes of women consumers. The more business women help new women business owners with support and encouragement, the stronger the platform for women to be established in business as leaders, resources, CEOs and executive level positions within larger corporations.  Additionally, the visibility of women business owners will help government workers in Congress and Senate be able to recognize and adapt policies that will enable women to be successful in their businesses and communities.

Personally, I know what its like to start, grow and run a multi-million dollar business and its not easy!  Having had the learning curve myself, has enabled me to share the euphoria and the disappointments that come from owning a business.  However, I would much rather learn from someone who has gone through the good, bad, and the ugly than someone who would teach or coach without the overall experience.

The challenges are many, and though years have allowed the entry for a small group of women to run corporations, to excel in their business, and to be among Fortune 1000, there are many who need the push, the help to grow.  The talent, abilities, perseverance, its all there in us – we need the help of those who will cheer us on and help us become successful in our businesses.  When we are successful, they applaud and are part of our success. Winning Woman entrepreneurs are the backbone to business growth and commerce.  For corporations, I encourage you to invest in a woman owned business.  For winning woman entrepreneurs, woman owned businesses, our time is now, this decade to make a difference in all walks of life.  Are you ready to step out and start and be the Winning Woman you are?

Many books have been written on Success.  Go to any bookstore and you will find a plethora of them each giving you the “secret formula” to success.  You can learn something from all of them.   However, when it comes to achieving success on your terms, can you own their philosophies?  Do their success attitudes line up with your beliefs, your definition of success?  Do you have a definition of success?  Do you know what your definition of success is?  What is YOUR definition of Success? And, how do you know you have a success attitude?

Know and own what success means to you.  This knowledge gives you the power to direct your thoughts, your energy and passion to attain the mindset that will enable you to achieve success according to your definition.

Look at your definition, is it realistic, believable, attainable? Can you believe that you can achieve this goal that will give you the success you are looking for?

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do I believe I deserve to be successful?
• Is there anything that blocks a success attitude within me?
• Am I sabotaging my dreams, desires, or goals to achieve success?
• Are there people in my life who are a roadblock to my success attitude?
• Do I have people around me who can encourage me, cheer me on to achieving a success attitude?
• Is there someone I know that can be a mentor to help me achieve my goals?
• Am I willing to take risks to achieve my goals?

Often, without really thinking about what we think or do, we set ourselves up for failure. It can be things like not getting a project done in time, an associate gets the promotion you were working hard to get, or perhaps even a business deal that just did not work out. We begin to blame ourselves, and our self-talk becomes negative and destructive.  It is here, at this crossroad, that you must stop, take a deep breath, and re-evaluate your attitude.

Recognizing your thoughts and the direction they want to take can help you get back on track quickly. Don’t dwell on the setbacks or mistakes.  Consider them part of the learning curve or stepping stones toward helping you gain a success attitude. Investing the time to readjust and redirect your thoughts toward achieving a success attitude is one of the most important steps you can take toward the road to success.

How do you develop a success attitude?

First, I believe it is important to have a personal philosophy of what life means to you, that is – a moral compass, virtues, ethics – an integrity based foundation. Whether you gain it from personal coaches, mentors, books, or the Bible, it is paramount to achieving true success that you can live with daily with a clear conscience.  There are too many people throughout the years, and still today who think success is merely being able to have the most money, get away with devious behavior, and achieve notoriety regardless of cost to their reputation.

Second, this core set of beliefs will and should affect your thinking and the way you look at yourself and the things that are important to you in developing a success attitude.  Thus, when crisis occur in your life, you are able to respond in an appropriate manner without compromising your standards, your code of ethics, your moral fiber.  Another way of saying it is that you won’t “sell out”.

Look at your attitude now as you are thinking about these things, are there any areas that need change? Write them down. Knowing what needs to change will help you identify the course you need to take to get your attitude in check, readjust your thinking and develop a plan of action to achieve the success attitude you want.

This success attitude can also be called personal growth – it is the maturing of your thinking process and helps to give you the dedication you need to make your efforts fruitful.  You go from being like a kite caught up in a wild wind of frenzy to stabilizing your thoughts, your actions, your goal and your attitude.

Another factor in developing a success attitude is being committed to the task in front of you.  Be focused and persevere regardless of the obstacles that come against you.  Rise up like the eagle in the winds of adversity and be able to reach a plateau in your mind that keeps you over your challenges, not under your circumstances.  Your mind is the most powerful tool you have – if used in the right way you gain success.  If you use it to perpetuate a predisposed mindset of negative thinking it can defeat you.

Your mind can be used as a weapon of defense to avoid failure by sabotaging your chances of success in advance.  Watch out for this! It is hard to detect sometimes, because it is so subtle, so illusive, so covert that before you know it, you have fallen into its trap.  It’s called a negative attitude. It can lead to disappointment, despair, depression and becomes a vicious cycle that is hard to become free of.  That is why, having a moral compass, a standard of living that is based on a solid foundation with good ethics and integrity will help you toward developing and achieving your success attitude.

What do you gain with a success attitude?

• Self-respect
• Respect from others
• Confidence
• Positive outlook
• Ability to love
• Eager to face challenges
• Appreciation of life
• Appreciate the little successes in your own life and at work
• Mentoring others
• Influence

And, above all, achieving success through your efforts and dedication.  It is an excellent goal to achieve and know that whatever you do will impact someone, somewhere in a positive way. Knowing that you exude a success attitude in everything you think, say, or do will encourage others around you to want to do the same in their own lives – and that is one of the best successes to have and to share!

This excerpt is part of a series called “Achieving Success”.  It will be available as a e-book, complimentary to members of  The Winning Woman Network.  To become a member, click here: Join The Winning Woman Network.

You begin a project, a task, a program, or perhaps a diet with the best intentions. You are determined to achieve success with this goal.  Then…POW!!  Something, a setback, a roadblock, an obstacle derails you.

It happens to most everyone;  at some point or another, with no warning,  you get hit!  Setbacks, whether career, financial, or health-related are unavoidable.  But some setbacks are self-created.  So, how do you stay on track?  How do you overcome these personal obstacles  that keep you from achieving the goals you have set?

Probably the most common obstacle is lack of  a clear goal.  Without a goal, you have self-created an obstacle that will keep you from achieving your goal.  Right now, before you continue reading, do this exercise;

• Think about a goal you want to achieve.  Take the time to write it out, and then edit, edit, edit so that you can say it in a few short sentences.  Doing this will force you to be specific and will remove a lot of external “sidebar goals” that can draw you away from your main focus.

• Next, recognize that you may be an obstacle to success.  Do you tend to whitewash some of your negative habits saying that’s just the way you are?  Most people,  will readily admit that fear and doubt are negative straits they possess; they may be yours as well.   In order to get more specific and help you identify your habits, here are some common obstacles that people face;

• Lack of focus

• Unclear goals

• Not knowing where to begin

• Procrastination

• Interruptions

• Lack of self-esteem

• Inability to let go

• Hoarding

• Negative thinking

Perhaps you may find your habits in the above list, or have different ones – only you know for sure.  But is that really true?  Sometimes,  it is wise to seek help from people who truly care about your well-being and success.

Ask them to be honest with you and help you identify negative habits, traits, characteristics that impede your ability to achieve success.  This can be difficult if you have a sense of pride, low self-esteem, or think you have all the answers.   However, it is also important to make sure that you ask those who you trust and will give you honest answers.

Once you have identified your list of personal obstacles; your habits, write them down, and try to come up with at least three possible solutions to help you overcome them.  Flip the negative trait to find an opposite; then you can focus on the positive trait or characteristic and begin to train yourself to think and act to implement that positive habit instead. For example, perhaps you find that you have a pessimistic attitude, and you voice your pessimism , spreading negativity far and wide.  Flip this trait by deciding here and now to focus on the positive and to only vocalize positive empowering statements.

Finally, accept the fact that achieving your goal properly and with successful results will take time. Overcoming obstacles that have been deeply etched in your life patterns are not going to change overnight, so don’t be hard on yourself. Winning Woman Pearls of Wisdom are motivational quotes that are powerful encouragements  you can print out and use to encourage yourself.  Focus on overcoming the identified obstacles and focus on your goals to achieve your success.

*This excerpt is part of a multi-part series called “Achieving Success”.  It will be available as a e-book, complimentary to members of  The Winning Woman Network.  To become a member, click here: Join The Winning Woman Network.

Join the forum discussion on this post - (1) Posts