LEARNING FROM YOUR MISTAKES

 

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."      – Theodore Roosevelt, 1910

Most people are afraid to fail. They worry constantly about not meeting expectations, making a mistake, or trying something new. Because of this, many never get started on the path toward reaching their goals.. and thus assure themselves of the very thing they are afraid of.. failure. In order to become a successful entrepreneur you will likely have to ‘pay your dues.' You'll likely have to fail a few times, learn from your lessons, and only then be able to come through a winner. While you don't have to take wild chances, you do have to take calculated and educated risks.

In the world of academics, mistakes are perceived as bad and to be avoided. For the first twenty-two years of your life, you are taught that mistakes are bad and embarrassing.. when in fact mistakes are simply opportunities to learn something new. The more mistakes a person makes, the more they will have learned and the greater chance they will have of succeeding on their next try. The key, however, is to learn from your mistakes and never make the same mistake twice.

Thomas Edison would have never invented the light bulb if he did not take this principle to heart. Edison failed more than 10,000 times before he found the filament that would create light for a sustained period of time. He did not view these as failures, however. On the 6,635th try to find a proper filament for the light bulb, Edison did not see himself has having failed 6634 times. He reframed the situation so that to him he had successfully eliminated 6,643 possibilities, refining and narrowing his search as he proceeded, drawing him closer and closer to his goal.

Two other failures you may have heard of are Levi Strauss and Christopher Columbus. Strauss headed for the gold mines of California in hopes of gold and glory. But he found none. Instead, this failure gave him new knowledge of a gap in the marketplace. He began selling pants out of canvas for the miners that were succeeding. Today, we've all heard of Levi Strauss jeans. Columbus failed miserably on his goal to find a route to India . However, in failing he ran into a new opportunity.. that of the new world. By taking action and learning from your mistakes and failures, you'll gain new knowledge and become aware of many new opportunities. When you come to the edge of what you know, it's time to make some mistakes.

 Succeeding amongst all odds!
 The Ivotan Way


Ivotan.....

 

 

7 QUALITIES OF SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS

Being an entrepreneur is about more than just starting a business or two, it is about having attitude and the drive to succeed in business. All successful Entrepreneurs have a similar way of thinking and posses several key personal qualities that make them so successful in business. Successful entrepreneurs like the ambitious Richard Branson have an inner drive to succeed and grow their business, rather than having a Harvard Business degree or technical knowledge in a particular field.


All successful entrepreneurs have the following qualities:

• Inner Drive to Succeed

Entrepreneurs are driven to succeed and expand their business. They see the bigger picture and are often very ambitious. Entrepreneurs set massive goals for themselves and stay committed to achieving them regardless of the obstacles that get in the way.
 

• Strong Belief in themselves

 Successful entrepreneurs have a healthy opinion of themselves and often have a strong and assertive personality. They are focused and determined to achieve their goals and believe completely in their ability to achieve them. Their self optimism can often been seen by others as flamboyance or arrogance but entrepreneurs are just too focused to spend too much time thinking about un-constructive criticism.
 

• Search for New Ideas and Innovation

 All entrepreneurs have a passionate desire to do things better and to improve their products or service. They are constantly looking for ways to improve. They're creative, innovative and resourceful.
 

• Openness to Change

 If something is not working for them they simply change. Entrepreneurs know the importance of keeping on top of their industry and the only way to being number one is to evolve and change with the times. They're up to date with the latest technology or service techniques and are always ready to change if they see a new opportunity arise.
 

• Competitive by Nature

 Successful entrepreneurs thrive on competition. The only way to reach their goals and live up to their self imposed high standards is to compete with other successful businesses.
 

• Highly Motivated and Energetic

 Entrepreneurs are always on the move, full of energy and highly motivated. They are driven to succeed and have an abundance of self motivation. The high standards and ambition of many entrepreneurs demand that they have to be motivated!
 

• Accepting of Constructive Criticism and Rejection

 Innovative entrepreneurs are often at the forefront of their industry so they hear the words "it can't be done" quite a bit. They readjust their path if the criticism is constructive and useful to their overall plan, otherwise they will simply disregard the comments as pessimism. Also, the best entrepreneurs know that rejection and obstacles are a part of any leading business and they deal with them appropriately.
  True entrepreneurs are resourceful, passionate and driven to succeed and improve. They're pioneers and are comfortable fighting on the frontline The great ones are ready to be laughed at and criticized in the beginning because they can see their path ahead and are too busy working towards their dream.
See you at the Top!
Ivotan Archives.

5 Ways to Overcome your fear in Business (The Beautiful Mind)

Overcoming Fear

Fear is a powerful instinct, one that colors many of our decisions whether we’re aware of it or not. Think about it: how often are you influenced, or even paralyzed, by your fears of what could go wrong? Yet some people have figured out how to use fear to their advantage, to harness fear’s energy to help them get things done. How can you be one of those people? Below are five ideas to help you move away from fear and toward action.

1 - Reframe. What’s important is not what happens to you, but how you view it. Frequently our fears are based not on reality, but on a story we’ve made up about something that happened in the past. You had an unpleasant experience, you drew some conclusions about it, and now you have a negative belief about that event. Any time a similar situation comes up, you automatically shrink from it. What if you look for other possible ways to tell that story? Or even re-tell the story and have it end with a positive outcome?

2 - Remove the unknown. Fear was causing my friend Adesuwa, an environmental consultant, to drag her feet on getting an important proposal out the door. During our coaching meeting, I asked her, "What’s the worst that could happen?" Adesuwa thought for a moment. "Well, the worst would be that after putting all this work into the proposal, the prospect rejects it." And the best thing that could happen? "The company agrees to the proposal, and I get to work on a project I’ve wanted for years!" Looking at the potential upsides and downsides made Adesuwa realize the possible rewards for getting her proposal finished far outweighed the risks.

3 - Record it. Adewale woke at 2:30 a.m. racked with anxiety about a problem with the month’s financial numbers. As he watched the clock turn to 3 a.m., he remembered what I’d told him to do whenever his mind starts going on endless loop. He turned on the light, picked up pen and paper, and wrote down all the thoughts in his head. When he was done, he fell asleep knowing he had some good ideas about how to fix the situation (and that he’d remember them!). Writing down your worries lets you quit traveling the same mental pathways over and over and take control of the situation.

4 - Reposition yourself. Instead of slumping and making yourself appear smaller, stand up straight, hold your head up, and look people in the eye. Believe it or not, placing yourself in a posture of confidence and power can actually affect your body chemistry and give you the boost you need to break out of your fear.

5 - Remember to breathe. You’re standing at the podium and the butterflies in your stomach have just transformed into boulders. What do you do? According to communication expert Cheryl Dolan, deep belly breathing is the most powerful antidote to stage fright — or any other situation you perceive as threatening. "It slows your heart rate, focuses your mind, and instantly interrupts the fight-or-flight chemicals in your central nervous system, allowing you to be calm and responsive vs. reactive and anxious," Dolan says.

Lastly, take a minute to consider how fear might spur you to become even more successful in your business. In a recent Success magazine interview, inventor and entrepreneur Ray Kurzweil noted that some people are so afraid of failure that they don’t even try. He prefers to see failure as only a setback, part of a growth process that can then be built upon. He even has a special term for failure: success deferred.


Ivotan Archieve......

Self Love! (The Balance Life)

Self Love and Relationships have changed greatly, I am sure single life is the best thing that happened to me. I am not saying true love is impossible in fact… quick dates, late nights and lack of boundaries make it less likely that an individual finds the person they are right to be with.

Jumping from relationship to relationship is the unhealthiest habit. We all crave attention and love. It’s said that babies who are not nurtured with love and affection in their first few month of their life could die. Babies who should have not survived grow to live in health because of attention and the love from their parents after birth. We are beings of habit, we need attention and love from our very youngest years. As we get older the habit cycle changes, we no longer lean on our parents for love and attention. Standing as our own individuals. The challenge is habits continue and we tend to look outward for attention and love. This is a continuing challenge that every individual faces.

A sustainable and successful relationship comes from FIRST… paying attention to personal attributes, personal needs and SELF LOVE! Powerful individual who are strong in their roots know themselves, what they want and need in their life. Have you ever heard of that saying "If you can’t love yourself then you can’t love others." that is the reality. If you don’t know what you need and you don’t LOVE everything you are, a relationship is nothing more than an unhealthy satisfaction of receiving attention and love from another individual. I repeat this to all of my friends. When I see unhealthy relationships, I know it is merely a lesson. In these relationship I generally see a lack of boundaries, a lack of communication, a huge lack of values, lack of self-love and sacrifice an individual doesn’t need to be making for that kind of relationship. After getting out of one of these relationships a person feels like they are completely off track and finding their path again seems incredibly difficult. Many times it feels like boundaries have been nonexistent and compromise has been turned into a "one way give." It’s most likely because paying personal attention and SELF LOVE rarely took place in that relationship or didn’t even exist.

All of this for attention and love from someone else? It’s not even worth it!

What is a healthy relationship? When two powerful individuals come together and grow. While applying healthy compromise, giving with love and creating more BLISS to their lives. A healthy relationship is always a GREAT addition to your life! You should feel set free like anything you want to accomplish is possible with the right partner.

Doesn’t that sound so much better?

When you do not know yourself you rarely pay attention to yourself, and you most likely are unaware of your personal values and needs. Please remember it’s okay to need something, we all have a huge list of psychological needs in our life that have become a part of us in habit from childhood and of course there are the physical things every individual needs like something as simple as nutritious food and water.

Questions to ask yourself for improvement in personal attention and self-love:

1.Who is the person I want to be? (#1 step to self-love)
2.Why do I love MYSELF? ( Write a list ever day!)
3.What do I deserve from my partner or friends and family?
4.What are my values?
5.What are my dreams? ( It’s hard to have a relationship with someone who’s dreams and admiration does not align with yours.)
6.Who do I want to be surrounded by? (It’s important to know the type of people you like to be surrounded by because being in a relationship that brings the wrong type of people into your life is the last thing you need!)
7.What is my faith? ( A relationship is like a strong team and its hard to be on a team that has opposing beliefs.)

When are you ready for the right relationship?

There are 3 things you need to have accomplished:
1.You don’t blame your EX for your last bad relationship. You take full accountability for your past.
2.You have forgiven your EX
3.Single life must be AMAZING.

You will meet the right person when you least expect it!

Make Believe……

Ivotan Archieve…….

Why Managers need to Lead!

Managers are Leaders

There is one element of management that we have not discussed: leadership. It’s been said often that manager administer, leaders inspire. This is true, but you cannot really be effective unless you do both. Managers must incorporate elements of leadership into their managerial practice. The most important of which is a sense of personal leadership; that is, the feeling that “I can make a positive difference.” From that mindset, or really character framework, springs the sense of leading others. Leadership itself is about doing what is right and good for individuals and the organization. It is about moving people forward to a better place. This does not mean that leaders are pie in the sky softies. Leaders, like managers, will make hard decisions about people issues: hiring, job assignments, promotions, and of course, terminations. They must also look over the horizon at what is coming next. But, most importantly, leaders lead from a people point of view, helping people do their work and in the process achieve their potential. You really cannot have effective leadership without effective management. And often the reverse is true. Managers should aspire to lead, and leaders should respect the discipline of management because ultimately leadership is about results. And that’s the same as management.

Becoming a manager is, for many, a thankless job. But with the right preparation and the right mindset it can be fulfilling career option, one that leads to powerful self awareness as well as a greater gift, the ability to get things done through the efforts of others. All it takes is a willingness to learn and a commitment to growth and development. Oh, there’s one more thing. Keep your people away from all sharp objects

What Managers Must Do

Thoughts Managers

New managers play an important role in the development process. They are the ones who will make the difference and therefore must assume chief responsibility for their careers. Some suggestions: 

Think. There is a famous photograph of Thomas Watson, Sr., the legendary CEO of IBM, seated at his desk under a sign bearing a single word, “Think.” That Watson, an consummate salesperson and inherently a man of action not reflection, would embrace the concept of thinking is revelatory, but obvious upon reflection. Watson knew that no matter what your intention, no matter what your drive, you could only be as good as what you planned. 2 And if you want to plan, you need to think. Think ahead. And as a manager, think of the consequences of action (what will happen if I do this?) as well as inaction (what will happen if I do nothing?). That’s turning thinking into an action step and by extension a sound management practice. 

Communicate. People need to know what they are supposed to do and what is expected of them. That is why managers must become relentless communicators who speak clearly, listen always, and learn from what they see and hear. Part of being an effective communicator is being seen as well as heard. Walk the halls. Eat in the company cafeteria. Good communicators also learn to ask questions as a means of finding out what is going on and also demonstrating that they care. 

Administer. One of the least understood words in the management lexicon, administration combines the dexterity of a pianist with the deftness of a magician. Ministers from which the word derives are in the habit of managing the details of projects. The discipline inherent within management is the ability to get things done through a series of transactions. 

Support. The role of a manager is akin to that of a coach. Managers cease to do the “actual work,” i.e., the accounting, the engineering, the purchasing, or whatever. They enable their people to do it. It requires great self discipline to stop doing something in which you have excelled in order to take on a support role. In other words, you stop playing the game and you stand on the sidelines. The difference is you are not a spectator; you are a coach, helping the others to play the game to their very best abilities. 

Reflect. Managers are evaluated by their accomplishments. “What did you do today” is the mantra to which most managers adhere. So much so that they do not take the time to reflect on what they have done and how they got there. The former president of Saturn, Skip LeFauve, an engineer turned executive, suggested that managers make time for reflection by scheduling it on their calendars. 

Ivotan Archieve...

Shake of your worries! (The Beautiful mind)

A man's favorite donkey falls into a deep precipice; He can't pull it out no matter how hard he tries; He therefore decides to bury it alive.

Soil is poured onto the donkey from above. The donkey feels the load, shakes it off, and steps on it; More soil is poured.

It shakes it off and steps up; The more the load was poured, the higher it rose; By noon, the donkey was grazing in green pastures.

After much shaking off (of problems) And stepping up (learning from them), One will graze in GREEN PASTURES.