Why Determination is Key to Solving Your Problems

 "A determined soul will do more with a rusty monkey wrench than a loafer will accomplish with all the tools in a machine shop." -Robert Hughes

Hear this! Determination is the potent key to unlocking most problems slowing down progress in your business life. Once you resolve to keep things going no matter the odds, sooner than later, you will discover that you achieved all the goals you set for yourself inspite of all the problems you encountered on the way. When you have a job to do, getting that job done is highly dependent on how determined you are to get it done. Getting it done does not depend exclusively on how talented you are, how experienced you are and how much resources you have at your disposal. You may have all these and still fail to get it done if you are not determined enough. With determination, you can easily command enormous energy, intelligence, talent and direction to surmount obstacles. That is why things get to work out in your favor.

When a man is not determined, even if you give him all the equipment, money and the right environment to help solve a problem, he will fail woefully at the job. But a determined person with fewer resources can solve problems better and faster than the person who is not so determined. That is the key. Just think about it. Have you realized that at any point in time, you are either in a problem, heading out of a problem or heading straight into a problem? That there is neither an escape nor a hiding place from life’s problems unless you are dead? That there is absolutely nothing you can do to stop obstacles altogether? Good if you have. The moment you realize this, that is the beginning of your own resolve to stay determined in whatsoever you find yourself doing. That is the surest way to always achieve your goals without fail, obstacles or not.

Get busy right now because…. “No pains, no gains. To get the prize, you must pay the price.”


 

Why You Must Resolve to Always Press On

 “The only people who have no obstacles are those in the cemetery.” – Norman Vincent Peale

Whatever you do, you can never make much progress if you do not have a habit of always pressing on no matter the odds. Yes, there will be obstacles. Yes, there will be discouragement here and there. So what? These are to be expected. There is no human endeavor on this planet without commensurate obstacles. Just think about that. Once you are alive, your daily battles with life and living have to do with solving problems and combating obstacles. Just reflect a bit. At any point in time, you are either in a problem, heading out of a problem or heading straight into a problem. There is neither an escape nor a hiding place from life’s problems unless you are dead. There is absolutely nothing you can do to stop obstacles altogether. What works is your ability to conquer and surmount all obstacles that come your way with a firm resolve to get to your destination. That is the mindset of achievers and successful people.

Always press on! Just keep pressing on no matter the obstacles. If giving up is not an option for you, it is possible to always find the will to press on. Come to think of it, why should giving up even be an option? If it is, it shows right from the outset, you were not determined enough to get the thing done. Even if you did not avert your mind to it then, that is exactly why you made giving up one of the options available to you. If and when giving up is not one of the options, you will discover to your greatest amazement that you will get through all the problems at hand and resolve them fully to achieve your goals. That is how things work out when you are determined enough to get things done. Just press on! That’s the way to go.

Get busy right now because…. “No pains, no gains. To get the prize, you must pay the price.”


 

The Power of Abundant Faith

“But first, you must believe.”-- Peter Pan

Have faith in yourself. Have faith in God. This done, there is no problem or obstacle known to man which you can’t effectively tackle. Faith is therefore all about your belief system and it is a mind thing. If you think you can, you can. Remember that the only limitations you have are those you place on yourself. Having absolute faith in your abilities is what makes the major difference between what you can achieve and what you can’t. What people say or think about you in this wise count for nothing. You can do anything you think you can even if others think otherwise. What you think is what counts the most hence you must always have absolute faith in yourself and your abilities. What crowns your efforts is your faith in God. He is the ultimate station of faith. 

In the quest for human progress and achievement, when everything else fails, people generally turn to God. This is faith. Belief in God helps to build confidence, conquers fear, emboldens and fires a person on to achieve. Faith is one of the most powerful of all positive human emotions. People readily walk to their deaths on account of faith. The Holy Bible tells us that “faith can move mountains.” Faith moves people to achieve what ordinarily will appear daunting. Faith is a state of the mind which gives life, power and impetus to your thought process.

 

10 Common Obstacles to Avoid When Negotiating

In negotiating, it is absolutely important to remember at all times that you are dealing with other persons who are in every material detail different from you. Their values, motives and expectations are also different. To make headway with such persons therefore, you must be absolutely certain to avoid all obstacles that can obstruct you from coming across clearly to them when you want to make a deal with them. Anything that directly or indirectly impacts on this ability should be avoided at all costs. Some of these obstacles are:

01. Poor communication. Whether written or spoken, poor communication is a major obstacle to negotiations and deal-making. If you are incapable of communicating clearly to your negotiating partners what you want from them or need them to do, your chances of making a deal are severely limited. Same situation plays out when they too are unable to communicate to you what they want from you. Conflicting communication is a deal-killer any day. 

02. Non-congruent personalities. When you do not “flow” with a particular person, it is difficult to negotiate with or to make deals with such a person. This is one obstacle that must be avoided.

 

03. Different perceptions of same issue. There is not likely to be a meeting point in negotiating with persons whose views on same issues are not in tandem with yours. When perceptions are different, it is difficult if not impossible to know what concessions to give that will meet the other person’s expectations. Striking a mutually beneficial deal in such circumstance is near impossible.

04. Non-congruent goals. When negotiating partners are not working towards same goals, striking a deal is not very likely. This is another obstacle that should never be overlooked in negotiations. When goals are non-congruent, both parties hardly know when they meet the expectations of each other.

05. Contradictory expectations. This prevents mutually beneficial deals from being struck. If you do not know what the other side wants, it is impossible to provide them what they need.

 

06. Inconsistent values and beliefs. When your values are not consistent with those of your negotiating partners, anything you do may be offensive to them. That can create a major conflict capable of jeopardizing the deal being negotiated. Depending on the cultural differences between the negotiating partners, their use of language and mannerisms may be offensive to others. These can create a major obstacle to negotiations.

07. Subtle coercion. No one no matter their stations in life likes to be forced to do something they do not like or are unwilling to do. If any party in the negotiations senses that they are being coerced to make a deal, no matter how subtle the coercion is, it could create suspicion and resistance. That scenario can create a major obstacle to the deal.

08. Poor timing. As the saying goes, “there is time for everything.” When you do not get the timing right, you could create an obstacle to the negotiations.

09. Third parties outside the immediate negotiating environment. Too many negotiators usually spoil the deal. When there are third parties involved in the negotiations who are not immediately visible, that creates an obstacle to successful negotiations.

10. Unsuitable negotiating environment. Naturally, any environment you are directly impacts on who you can meet with and what you can discuss. An unsuitable negotiating environment is an obstacle to successful negotiations.

Unresolved conflicts during negotiations primarily prevent deals from being struck. The obstacles that cause conflicts when identified in good time can be avoided. Avoiding obstacles paves the way for smooth negotiations and successful deal-making. That is what smart entrepreneurs need in the day-to-day running of their businesses. They need to avoid these obstacles because without negotiations and deal-making, it is difficult for entrepreneurs to make money or even to run any business successfully.