Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM MAY 2014 42 RO John Tschohl Customer Service John Tschohl—described by Time and Entrepreneur magazines as a customer service guru and service strategist—presents strategic keynote speeches to companies worldwide. He is the author of "Empowerment, A Way of Life." Contact: John@servicequality.com or www.customer-service.com M aking life decisions is daunting, especially if you are a young person making the decisions that will affect the rest of your life. Decisions that will enable you to move up in your job and make the difference in your finances and keep you growing. All you have to do is keep in mind the only person that needs to be in control of those decisions is….YOU. You have the power to choose your experiences. "Keep your eye on the prize." It's about your life, it's about succeeding in whatever you choose to do. It can be anything you can dream of. Accepting total responsibility for your choices will lead to your success. You may have to change your thinking so you can grab that opportunity. It's about taking chances, being proactive and ready. Great things are not going to happen for you unless you believe it, see it in your mind and focus on that prize. Sounds tough and sounds like a lot of work. Don't kid yourself, it is. Moving up helps you deal with your fears. Helps you find the people you need to surround yourself with, and the ones you need to separate yourself from. It's one of the hardest things you'll ever do because it's often the people closest to you that have the least confidence in you. They say they want the best for you. They say they have your best interest at heart. They say they will be there to back you up. Truth is, they seldom want you to do better than them. If you choose to move up you may first have to choose to move away. If you are starting a business, or just starting in business the four same principles apply. • Belief • Dedication • Focus • Skill Belief in yourself. It's all about being sure that you are going to do what you want even if others stand in your way. Remember, it's your goal, not your brother's, not your best friend's, not your parent's. Don't waste time focusing on what others think. It's what you believe, so use positive thinking daily to take control and watch what happens, as you get closer to the prize. Dedication to your goals becomes part of your make-up. It becomes part of you. It's the way you get things done. Remember, all successful people have been dedicated to their goals. You're no different. Write your goals down. Put them in a place you will literally trip over them every day. Focusing is what you aim for. For example, the object in target shooting is to aim for the center. The same applies to success. Successful people call these centers their goals and they focus on them. Skill – It's the right combination of skill sets you need to be great. The skills you need to be successful in whatever you have chosen as your path to make a difference. If you are going to be the best on the rodeo circuit, you will have to have mastered the skills necessary to stay on that horse and to get back on in case you fall. Same with business, your passion has to be so focused that you do not lose sight of your goals. Walt Disney is a good example of focusing on the prize. He said, "Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends." (We all know how that turned out). Everyone has heard the phrase, "You've just won at the Super Bowl, what are you going to do next? " "I'm going to Disneyland." Walt kept his eye on the prize. Walt was a winner, he thought differently than most. You can too. Just keep your eye on your goal, your prize. It's waiting for you with a big 1st Place blue ribbon attached to it. CHOOSE IT OR LOSE IT

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