Success in life usually means being successful with people. Rarely do you see someone ever make it to the top alone. And being successful with people is all about communication.

Whenever we communicate with someone, do we always get the response we want? In our attempts to motivate our staff, do they always respond by getting motivated? Do we manage to transfer the meaning of our communication across in the manner we expect all the time?

The answer is a flat no!

Learning and applying the following strategy on effective communication will enable us to communicate more effectively and successfully.

Many people have made use of the power of visualization to help them perform at their peak. This technique is favourably applied in the area of competitive sports where it is known as 'mental rehearsal'.

Here's an example illustrating the application of the technique and power of visualization

For many years, the Russians had always won and dominated the gymnastics event in the Olympic Games.

Are the most successful people the ones who had the most knowledge; were they more intelligent or was it because they were better academically? We all know that this is not true. If this were true,everyone from MENSA and anyone that obtains a PHD would be a multimillionaire.

Think about this. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Oprah winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Larry Ellison, Soichiro Honda and Richard Branson, have one thing in common, all of them do not have a college degree.

Like it or not, our beliefs play a big role in determining the quality of our lives.

If you believe that math is tough, there is someone out there who believes it is easy. If you believe that it is easy to make a million dollars, there is someone out there who believes it is impossible. If you believe that times are tough, there is always somebody out there who believes it is a great time to make money!

At this time, many people would argue,

But what if the beliefs I have are really true?

What if I am really not good at selling?

What if it the economy is really down and going to stay down?

What if there are really no opportunities around?

What if it cannot be done? What if I don't have what it takes?

What you must understand is that the beliefs you have are never absolutely true.

'If only I had more time.'

'If only my husband could be more understanding.'

'If only my boss would die!'

'If only my son could be more motivated.'

'If only I could get better customers',

These are the common litany of excuses one would hear.

People who believe themselves to be victims say that the only way for their lives to change for the better is when other people get better, or if the business-social environment improves.

Some people acknowledge the power of modeling; however, they feel uncomfortable about copying someone else's style. They say, 'I am not comfortable with this as I feel like I am not being myself. I am trying to be someone else instead'.

As a result they deprive themselves of the power of modeling excellence and producing exceptional results in a short time.

People always say, "What if it is really not my fault? What if the situation is totally out of my hands?"

In actual fact we always play a role in creating whatever is happening to us, whether consciously or subconsciously.

We create our experiences either through our thoughts or our actions. You can say something emphatically, but if you are thinking something else, people can pick up the vibes, or it will show up in your body language.

If there are certain areas in your life where you are not consistently getting the desired results, it can almost always be traced back to a values conflict.

Here are a few examples I have come across.

I once worked with an accountant (let's call him Alan) who had big dreams and grand plans about setting up his own business. It was a partnership.

You can have all the drive and energy, but without the right strategy, you will never get what you want. By the same token, every outcome is possible, given an effective strategy.

For example, imagine yourself as the small business owner of a fruit shop that makes $10,000 in profits a month. Let's say that you decided to set a goal of increasing profits to $15,000 a month.

It is not just WHAT we think about that determines how we feel, but also HOW we think about it.

Has there been a time when you thought about something you were really motivated to do, like going shopping?

Yet, on another occasion, you thought about the same thing and were less motivated to go.

Why? The pictures, sounds and feelings that we generate in our mind determine the state that we are in.