Achieving Success: The Top Skill That Successful People Have Mastered

“What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is MIND-SET?

Our mind-set is our mental attitude that has taken shape based on our life experiences, our environment, our education and the ideas and beliefs we have absorbed from those people we have interacted with the most in our lives.

Whether we are aware of it or not, we all keep a running account or self talk of what is happening to us, what it means, and what we should do about it. Our mind-set is that inner voice conversation taking place in our heads. (You have all heard me say before, “Listen to your inner-voice”)

Our minds are meaning seeking machines and we are constantly monitoring and interpreting events and stimuli so that we can reinforce or modify our internal ‘map’ of ourselves and the world as we have come to understand them. Based on these beliefs our mind-set is responsible for how we interpret and react to what happens to us and around us.

Depending on whether your inner voice is based on a positive empowering mind-set or a negative limiting one, will largely determine how you will interpret challenges, setbacks and criticisms in life as well as contributing significantly to the actual outcomes and results you create.

The correct mind-set is perhaps THE most important factor in human success. Above all else! The difference between successful people and non-successful people starts in their mind, with their predominant mind-set.

Often it is our predominant thoughts and feelings about ourselves and the world around us that are the key to unlocking our life’s true possibilities.

When MIND-SETS are Formed?

Mind-sets are based on our beliefs. Our beliefs about ourselves and the world. These beliefs are created in two ways. Firstly by what we are taught when we are young and easily impressed and secondly by the experiences and results we have, see and observe in everyday life.

Where MIND-SET comes into Play?

In everything we do we have some pre-conceived ideas about the possible outcomes and chances for success. No matter if it is a small or large undertaking we are constantly evaluating our results and placing them within our map of ourselves and the world. Our mind-sets affect everything we do and influence not only our view of the outcome, but also the outcome itself.

Why MIND-SET affects Behavior and Success?

Having the correct mind-set for a particular task is almost a pre-requisite for success. No one has ever been successful who has not had to overcome hurdles and obstacles to that success. The ability to have an empowering and positive outlook and mind-set allows us to not only overcome those hurdles and obstacles to success but to actually welcome them as challenges and opportunities for growth and learning.

How to change Your MIND-SET?

We all have the ability to change our mind-set – to change our core inner beliefs upon which we based our view of ourselves and the world around us. But changing our beliefs is not an easy thing to do. Most people find changing one small belief extremely difficult, let alone a whole range of self-supporting beliefs based perhaps on negative pre-conditioning. What is needed is a tool – a tool for change, that enable us to rapidly install new thought patterns and positive mind-sets, based on proven success models. A person’s core inner beliefs and thought patterns are what lead to their feelings of potentiality, action and results.

Simply by changing your mind-set it is possible to change not only your outlook in life by also the actual results you obtain in life.

Here are 3 Ways to Change Your MIND-SET!

1) Be Willing to Change: These are your thoughts so you can change them. Even though our beliefs were more than likely formed when you were young, you are an adult today and you have the power to affect change in your life. This is the essence of personal power: choice and responsibility.

2) Feed The Mind-Set You Want: The fastest way to change your mind-set is to feed your mind the one you want. Every time you feed yourself a positive mind-set, it weakens the negative ones. You will be instantly creating new neurons that form a new more positive neural network. The more you do this the stronger you new neural network will become. Feeding the positive weakens the negative.

3) Love Your Mind-Set: Allow yourself to create a passion for your new mind-set. The new mind-set you want to create. Doing this creates endorphins in your body that lead to a new sense of well being. This in turn leads to a more inspired and emotionally engaged you, having more fun in your life as you enlarge and make stronger your new neural network.

Start Today to Change Your MIND-SET for the Better and Watch Your Success Skyrocket!

I’m John R. Salkowski, Founder of Achieve Success Academy, Leading Authority on Peak Performance,  Overcoming Adversity, Achieving Greater Success & Finding Your WHY Power. Real Estate Entrepreneur, Retired Cop and Survivor of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

I can be reached via email at John@JohnSalkowski.com for Questions and Speaking Engagements.

 

 

 

Achieving Success: Top 7 Tips For Living A More Meaningful & Fulfilling Life

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A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life~Charles Darwin

I believe it’s in our nature to want to please everyone we can, make them happy, help them. Make them proud of us. However, when we do this, our life often suffers. Our loved ones suffer. The time we are given suffers. Our work and sometimes our health suffers because of it. We need to stop pleasing everyone and start pleasing ourselves. Start living our own life. A more meaningful, fulfilling life that we can look back on and say, “I did my part for society, but I also lived a fulfilling life”. Often we get wrapped up in things that don’t matter. Time wasters if you will. As I sometimes call it, “time eaters”. Time eaters are people who have one agenda and one agenda only. Themselves. They could care less about your agenda.

There are only so many minutes and hours in a day. Before you know it, a week, a month, a year has past. You will look back and say, “what have I accomplished”, “where has all the time gone”. Before you know it, you’re sitting on a rocker at a ripe old age wondering, did I really live my life to the fullest. We don’t want to say “I didn’t live my life, others lived my life”.

I’m all for helping others and making a huge difference in others lives. Making an impact in other lives is a great feeling. Knowing that you have impacted someone for the better is an awesome feeling. Knowing that you gave back to society is a wonderful feeling. However, we only have one life to live. What’s it going to take for us to realize that we’re only on this beautiful earth for a short time. We don’t want to live with any regrets. When our time comes, we want to ask ourselves, did I make a difference, did I love passionately and did I live a fulfulling life. Our answer should be Yes to all of them.

Here are 7 Tips for living with NO regrets-Living YOUR Life:

1) Don’t Buy Happiness-If you believe money is the secret sauce to happiness, consider this: According to a University of Illinois study, the Forbes 400 (the wealthiest billionaires in America) and the Maasai tribes of East Africa (simple, pastoral herdsmen) exhibit the same levels of happiness, regardless of their monetary differences. In plain English: Money doesn’t buy happiness.

2) Get Together With Friends & Loved Ones Often-Could getting together and having fun save your life? Maybe so, when you consider that loneliness is a life-threatening condition that can raise your risk of heart disease and depression. It helps to have a close group of friends, but it’s also important to interact with people outside that circle. Every kind of positive interaction, from smiling at the waitress to chatting with a stranger can boost your mood.

3) Weekend Get Aways-Spare some time away for a weekend trip. This WILL boost your mood and productivity.

4) Make The Little Things Count-We are often on auto-pilot and don’t appreciate the small things in life. Hey, you woke up in a warm home, you have hot water, you have food in the fridge, you have someone that loves you. Stop for a moment and appreciate how blessed you truly are.

5) Pursue Your Passion-Do WHAT you LOVE. Stop living for others. Life’s too SHORT.

6) Forgive Yourself-Focus on the PRESENT, FUTURE,  NOT the past.

7) Live In The Moment-Be PRESENT in ALL you DO! Look that person in the eyes and pay attention to what they are saying. Stop looking around when someone is talking too you. Treat that person as if they were the only human being alive. Kneel down and kiss your child and tell them you love them more than life. Lay on the floor and play checkers with your best friend. Without being PRESENT you’ll lose out on 90% of your life.

I’m John R. Salkowski, Founder of Achieve Success Academy, Leading Authority on Peak Performance, Achieving Greater Success, Overcoming Adversity & Finding Your WHY Power, Speaker, Entrepreneur, Retired Cop and Survivor of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

I can be reached via email at John@JohnSalkowski.com for questions and Speaking Engagements.

Achieving Success: Top 6 Steps in Overcoming The Fear of Success

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Fears are nothing more than a state of mind. Napoleon Hill

 

The one quote that resonates with me that has changed my mindset in overcoming fear is, “Do the thing you fear & the death of fear is certain. We all have a fear of something. The majority of the population fears success. Why? I believe people fear success because it not only takes hard work, discipline, dedication and perseverance it also takes courage to overcome the 6 Fears of Success. Below are the 6 Fears that play an intrical part in NOT achieving great things. Follow the solutions, work on them, implement the strategies and encourage failure. You will fail along the way but know that failure is a stepping stone to your success. Once you conquer the 6 Fears of Success, your success is virtually guaranteed.

 

The Six Fears of Success and How to Overcome them.

Determine which Fear is holding you back and resolve to take it back.

1. Fear of Failure. This is the greatest of all fears. Fear of failure keeps people from trying new ventures. The fear that they may fail therefore choosing not to take risk.
Solution: Do your homework, however do not over analyze to where it causes paralyzes. Once you learn more about it, be decisive in your actions. It requires a reframe that failure is a normal stage in achievement.

2. Fear of Embarrassment. People who fear embarrassment have typically experienced a time in their childhood that was humiliating in which they filed the memory and said to themselves, “I will never feel that way again or put myself in that position.” Solution: Practice self-talk, self-affirmations. “I can do this, I can accomplish this, I can achieve this”, are a few examples.

3. Fear of Rejection. People who fear rejection have experienced the feeling therefore resulting in low self-esteem. Solution: Realize that rejection is about the other person. It’s about their own insecurities. Know that you are a great person and that rejection is a part of life. Do not let rejection stop you from achieving your dreams. It takes a healthy ego to know that rejection is a normal part of life.

4. Fear of Hurting Others. There is a saying, “If you fail to plan, your plan will fail.” Solution: People who fear hurting others need to plan so that they can continue to meet the needs of others and still pursue their dreams. Make sure the people in your life know how much your Goal(s) mean to you. Do your homework.

5. Fear of Success. Some people have low self-esteem for whatever reason and may fall into the category that they aren’t worthy of success. They fear how their life will be different if they succeed. They decide to stay in the same old place to avoid their own potential for greatness. Solution: Positive Self-Affirmations, Self-Talk can do wonders in reprogramming your thoughts and mindset.

6. Fear of The Unknown. I call these people the “half empties”. There glass is always half empty as opposed as half full. People who fear the unknown usually catastrophize and fear the worst instead of counting on the best. Solution: I am a true believer of what will be, will be. Things happen for a reason. Place your fears in the hands of a higher power and understand what is meant to be will be.

I’m John R. Salkowski, Founder of Achieve Success Academy, Real Estate Entrepreneur, Leading Authority on Achieving Greater Success and Overcoming Adversity, Retired Cop and Survivor of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

I can be reached via email at John@JohnSalkowski.com for questions and Speaking Engagements.

 

Achieving Success: The Top 3 Qualities That Are Essential For Your Success

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In order to be successful, these three words are paramount to your success. If you don’t live and breathe by these three words, your success is virtually impossible.

Here they are: Passion, Push, Perseverance

Passion:

Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you ~ Oprah Winfrey

My definition of Passion is the burning desire you have inside you to achieve more, be more and do more.  Whatever you are passionate about should keep you up at night. Whatever you are passionate about should be on your mind 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. Passion is wanting success just as bad as you need the air you breathe. This is Passion.

Push:

I always wanted to be the best I could be at whatever I did. I didn’t want to be the number one golfer in the world. I just wanted to be as good as I could be. I work hard, I push myself hard, and I probably even expect too much of myself ~ Greg Norman

You must push yourself to the breaking point when you want to achieve something. If you want something so bad you must be willing to run through a brick wall to get it, achieve it, accomplish it. Sounds crazy, huh. Well guess what, if you don’t feel this way then you are leaving it all on the table for someone else to grab. If you cheat yourself one time, this will carry over into everything you do in life. For example, if you are in the gym and you have a goal of doing 30 minutes of cardio and you quit after 20 minutes, you just cheated yourself. Cheating in the smallest task will carry over in to all you do in life. To push you need discipline. By cheating yourself, you are failing to create discipline in your life. In order to succeed in anything you do, you must have the discipline to push through the feeling of giving up. It takes 21 days to create or break a habit. Over the next 21 days, push yourself to the limit in everything you do and watch and see what happens in your life.

Perseverance:

Football is like life – it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority~ Vince Lombardi

Perseverance is the steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. You must possess the mentality that failure is no option. You must encourage failure. You must persist through failure because failure is guaranteed along your journey. Learn from it, embrace it and persist through it. If you lack perseverance you will never be successful. Did you know that Thomas Edison, the worlds greatest inventor failed over 10,000 times. Where would this world be had he quit?

I’m John R. Salkowski, Founder of Achieve Success Academy, Businessman, Entrepreneur, Motivational/Transformational Speaker, Real Estate Expert, Retired Police Officer, Survivor of PTSD (Post traumatic Stress Disorder) and the World’s Leading Authority on Overcoming Adversity and Achieving Success.

I can be reached via email at John@JohnSalkowski.com

To Your Success,

John

Top 10 Tips to Overcome Adversity and Achieve Your Goals

You will live the rest of your life with regret if you give up on your dream, your goal, your mission. This is what I live with everyday of my life. I had a one in a million chance of playing football for the University of Alabama from 1989-1993. For those of you who know me, you know I was a walk-on under Coach Bill Curry as a Linebacker. I was one of the 5. They said that their walk-on program was one of the hardest in the country amongst Division 1 teams. I was told,” You have everything against you son, size, height, speed”. I was told.” these are men amongst boys out here”. There were 50 young men from all over the country who attempted to earn one of the 5 spots on the roster. The 5 week program was Killer to say the least. They were dropping like flies, carried out on stretchers, walking away. Quitting! Giving Up!

I gave up on my dream the second year under Coach Gene Stallings. I walked away. I went home. I Quit! I said, “I Give Up”. I regret it every single day. Don’t allow yourself to live the rest of your life with regret!

Here are 10 ways to help you achieve your dreams, your goals, your mission:

1. Talk to someone you can trust in the field: Explain how important this goal is to you. Explain how you are feeling. Ask for their advice if they were faced with X. I didn’t have this. You NEED to do this before you give up.
2. Ask your family, friend(s) who know you and know how you are for their opinion. Stay away from the Nay-Sayers, Negative Nellies, Jealous Jackies.
3. Take a step back: Take the time you need to think about the consequences if you stop pursuing your goal/dream. What will the outcome be if I stick with this? What will the outcome be if I walk away?
4. Practice Positive Talk: I can do this! I can make it! I am important! I am a great person!
5. Learn everything you possibly can: Seek out someone that has accomplished what you want to accomplish. Take them out to lunch and learn from them.
6. Commit to goals, short term and long term. Start with the end in mind – long term goal – and work backward when writing goals.
7. Work on your dream every day of your life. Fill all the minutes and hours you’ve allotted with serious determination one day at a time.
8. Give it all you can.  There will be days when you don’t feel like giving it your best. Give it your best anyway for that day. Do not cheat yourself by not pursuing your dream. Give it everything you’ve got. If you have to walk away, know that you gave it your all. Live with NO Regrets!
9. Keep a journal. Write down what you accomplish every day. Just a few words will do, or else you will create yet another job, which you don’t need.
10. Celebrate your achievements! Reward yourself with pre-determined gifts. Treat yourself.  For your ultimate goals, give yourself the greatest reward. And then set new goals. You CAN achieve more!

Associate with people like yourself who enjoy the same kinds of pursuits. During your friendships, offer support to your peers. They will then be there for you when you need it.

Without dreams we have nothing to look forward too~John R. Salkowski

Live your LIFE with NO Regrets!

I’m John R. Salkowski, Founder of Achieve Success Academy, Retired Police Officer, Entrepreneur, Motivational Speaker and America’s Leading Authority on Overcoming Adversity and Achieving Your Life’s Mission. I can be reached by email at John@JohnSalkowski.com

Like me on FaceBook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Achieve-Success-Academy/246640965374976

 

The Top 10 Laws to Achieve Success and Win the Game of Life

The Top 10 Laws to Achieve Success and Win the Game of Life

1) Be Decisive in all you do: The decisions you make will define your destiny

2) Stay Laser Focused: By focusing on something you want or want to achieve, it becomes like a magnet that pulls you and the resources you need to achieve them

3)Goals: This is a MUST: Write down all the goals you want to achieve each night before going to sleep. The goals must Specific, Measurable, Time Bounded.

4)Planning: Without a plan you will wander like a boat without a rudder

5)Surround Yourself with Positive Successful Influential People: Follow their lead and DO NOT Re-Invent the wheel

6)Encourage Failure: Failure is a MUST if you want to succeed. Embrace it and learn from it

7)Take Action: Do what is necessary each and everyday to get you closer to your prize. Without Action, you will remain in the same spot

8)Inspect what you Expect: Your attention toward your goals will increase Productivity

9)Reward Yourself: You MUST reward yourself once you accomplish your goal. Positive Reinforcement

10)Commitment and Perseverance: Commit yourself, hold yourself accountable, stay focused on your mission

Achievers aren’t born, they are made. They are made just like anything else, through hard work. Hard work is the price you’ll have to pay to achieve your goals/dreams you desire~John R. Salkowski

I’m John R. Salkowski, Founder of Achieve Success Academy, Retired Police Officer, Speaker, Entrepreneur, America’s Leading Authority in Helping PTSD Sufferers Overcome Their Challenges and To Achieve The Success They Deserve so They Can Live The Life They Deserve!

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Masterminding: The Success Principles Behind It

What is a Mastermind? How can it help you in succeeding?

A mastermind group is simply an alliance of two or more individuals dedicating themselves to a specific goal. The mastermind model is the power of organized knowledge expressed through intelligent efforts. Masterminds facilitate this power.

But is information organized power? Surfing the web for a particular answers can cause a deluge of conflicting, ambiguous information that does nothing to increase one’s knowledge.

A Mastermind is a “coordination of knowledge and effort, harmonies in spirit, between two or more positive, success-minded people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.”

Some of the smartest people in all walks of life from CEO’s, Realtors, Police Officers, Alcoholics, Small Business Owners, Suffers of PTSD and such have attributed all of their success due in part to this term we call ‘Masterminding.’”

Masterminding has been around since the early 1900’s. This idea of mastermind groups has grown and evolved to become a successful tool of successful individuals. A Game-Changer if you will.

The benefits of having a supportive mastermind group are plenty:

1.You have a group of people available to help you succeed.

2.You get the benefit of differing perspectives, input and feedback.

3.Your mastermind team can bring resources and connections to the table you might not have had on your own.

4.You receive accountability and inspiration from the group, thus enabling you to maintain focus in achieving your goals.

It was once said by the famous founder of success principles, Napoleon Hill ,“No two minds ever come together without, thereby, creating a third, invisible, intangible force which may be likened to a third mind.” In other words, your ability to create great things in this world we live in is increased by having that invisible “third mind” or what we call, ” The Mastermind Group”.

Creating a mastermind group does not have to be difficult. But I will share this, being in several mastermind groups myself, you must have people in this group that want the same thing you do. No matter what it is. The key ingredient is “Like-Minded, Positive, Goal Oriented/Goal Achieving, Motivation, Inspiration, Failure is No Option mentalities.

There are two basic types of mastermind groups:

1) One focused on the success and vision of one individual

2) One focused on helping everyone in the group.

When creating/building the perfect mastermind group both in mind.

You would be amazed at how willing many like-minded people are there to help you when asked. I believe it’s an honor to be asked for advice or an opinion. It means that you are trusted, respected and admired. Did you ever ask someone for advice and feel in your “gut” that they were mis-guiding you? I have. Steer clear of these individuals. Ask the people that have already accomplished what you so desire to accomplish.

When someone mentions that a mastermind group is forming, they mean a group of dedicated people who want to see themselves and others succeed and achieve great things in their lives.  These groups can meet in person, over a free tele-conference line, online chat rooms or webinars.

I contribute 85% of my success to the power of masterminding. I pay thousands of dollars a year to surround myself with like-minded, success oriented, goal achieving, positive people. By taking this step, it has created a life I never thought I could have.

However, you must act! Your actions will educate yourself in the laws of success. Take action today and start creating the life you truly want and deserve. I don’t care who you are, we all want the great things this wonderful life has to offer us.

Remember this Quote by the great Napoleon Hill, “Analyze the record of any man who has accumulated a great fortune, and many of those who have accumulated modest fortunes, and you will find that they have either consciously, or unconsciously employed the ‘Master Mind’ principle.”

Tips for Overcoming PTSD by Founder of Achieve Success Academy

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PTSD: Officer Involved Shooting to 100% Statistic

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Good days and Bad days with PTSD

Every so often and I mean every so often do I have a not so productive day. When this happens I usually feel sluggish, lethargic for one reason or another. Why? I get about 8 hrs of sleep a night. I usually sleep very sound. I am sure not to read or watch anything that will spike my adrenaline before I shut down the lights.

I wake up at about 6am every  morning. I will usually read something motivational or inspirational for 30 minutes or so. I will re-read my goals that I had written the night before as well. I also review what I have planned for the day ahead. I jump in the shower and get ready.

I wake up my daughter and help her prepare for her day. I will pack her lunch and prepare her breakfast. After she eats, I then give her the medicine that she needs everyday. She suffers ashtma.

I then drive her to school. While in the car we go over her self affirmations. We go over positive things that will train her brian for success. Preparing my daughter for a successful, healthy, happy positive life.

I get back in my home office and my day starts. Today was a funny day. I felt like I was in slow motion. I told myself that I have to snap out of this. I can’t let this feeling rule my day. I immediately turned to what motivates and inspires me. I go to YouTube and pull up something that will pump me up. I’ll also review several of my quotes that I have created as well as others to get me in the Success Mode.

I know that everyone has a day where they’re not with it for one reason or another. It’s okay for me to have those days to. I just remind myself that I need to snap out of it and get back on track.