{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Avoiding Negative Influences","description":"Welcome to Episode 9 of Grow For It!  This is a podcast for small business owners, managers and other professionals.  I\u2019m Jim, and my goal is to work in the space between your ears \u2013 you know, on your mindset \u2013 to help you move closer toward your Vision. Today\u2019s episode focuses on Avoiding Negative Influences.  These are the things with the power not only to limit your progress, but to potentially derail your ability to reach your full potential.  Stick with me as I\u2019m about to give you some insight in to a very personal part of my life.  I hope you\u2019ll be able to feel empowered, afterwards. By the way, I want you to know I recently launched a radio show focused on small business and entrepreneurship.  It\u2019s called, \u201cLet\u2019s Get It Started!\u201d  You can listen to it Wednesdays at 7pmEST in the Louisville area, stream it live via the iHeartRadio app, or find the recorded broadcasts also available on my website. If you\u2019re an iTunes fan, go to the podcast section and type Jim Ray Consulting Services into the search bar.  You\u2019ll find this podcast along with my radio show broadcasts. Before we begin our discussion about avoiding negative influences, let\u2019s review where we\u2019ve been.  In Episode 8, we discussed the need to work ON your business, instead of IN your business.  We unpacked the constant temptation to focus on the Tactics, when you really need to be working on the Strategy. Today, we\u2019re going to get a little personal, in an effort to reinforce your mindset and amp-up your performance.  If you\u2019re ready, LET\u2019S GROW FOR IT! As a business leader, manager or entrepreneur, there\u2019s a ton of responsibility on our shoulders.  While we try to work ON our businesses, there\u2019s also a need to work ON ourselves. People are motivated to achieve for a variety of reasons.  It\u2019s a driving force high-achievers feel every day.  That drive has the ability to stoke a fire inside that pushes us to go further and work longer in pursuit of our goals and those things that come along with it.  As positive as it sounds, that same fire has the potential to consume us and everything we\u2019ve worked for.  I try to be very transparent with my clients and my audience, regardless of whether you\u2019re attending one of my seminars or business workshops, listening to this podcast or even my radio show.  The reason people connect has to do, in part, with the fact that I\u2019m willing to be a little vulnerable, if it means my clients can feel more comfortable.  It usually allows us to get to the root of their motivations and dreams. Again, in Episode 8, we focused on working ON our business.  To become max-effective, for some of us, it also requires we begin to work ON ourselves. My Personal Story Many of you know I spent over 20 years in sales and sales management.  There were plenty of customer events and business meetings, often over dinner.  I always had opportunities to join clients or colleagues for cocktails or parties.  But what most of you don\u2019t know is that alcoholism runs deep on both sides of my family. To be honest, I did pretty well in college.  I made strong grades but I also had a very active social life.  Those experiences and habits carried over into my young career, as it does for many people. Life was off to a great start.  I got married, we started a family and then I began working more and longer.  Often, it involved client outings. Was I becoming an alcoholic?  No, I truly don\u2019t think so, but I knew there were days I wasn\u2019t on my A-game.  Actually, I really didn\u2019t think it was an issue.  However, given my family history, I knew even then that it was a road with the potential to have a hugely negative impact. In 2004, the train derailed.  My wife filed for divorce and everything in my world changed.  That\u2019s when I made the commitment to stop drinking, cold turkey.  It\u2019s been more than 13 years.  I\u2019m happy to say I\u2019ve kept that commitment. Friends, the reason I shared that personal story is because I want you to know I understand the temptation of negative influences, but more importantly, I was able to experience the positive power in Avoiding Negative Influences. Oh, to wrap up the story, I can tell you that success in my professional life began to pick up speed.  I achieved some personal goals I could barely imagine, much less aim for in my younger years. I know a lot of friends, colleagues and clients who are facing their own challenges.  It\u2019s quite possible some of you listening to this episode are fighting the same, or similar, temptations. Remember what I say at the beginning of each GROW FOR IT! podcast, \u201cMy goal is to work in the space between your ears, you know, on your mindset, to help you move closer toward your Vision.\u201d  Practical Exercise: Battling and avoiding negative influences is about having the proper mindset.  In fact, to do it successfully over the long-term it\u2019ll REQUIRE a strong mindset.  How can I help you?  Let\u2019s begin by taking out a sheet of paper. If you\u2019ve listened to previous episodes, you know I\u2019m a visual guy.  I like my squares, circles and arrows.  We\u2019re going to use them, again today.  Remember friends, this is about you and your ability to move closer toward your Vision.  I\u2019m encouraging you to be honest with yourself.  It\u2019s the only way this works. In the center of the sheet, write down the negative influence (or influences) impacting your life.  Be completely transparent with yourself.  Is there something currently either holding you back, or causing you to risk way too much? Is it: Alcohol? Drugs? Anger Issues? Sports? An Affair? Unresolved Childhood Trauma Maybe even Social Media? Here\u2019s a quick example, I was standing in line at the grocery this week when I overheard a lady commenting that she recently removed the Facebook app from her phone, because it had become such a distraction at work.  What a great example of taking action to avoid a negative influence!        Let\u2019s return to the exercise.  Now, draw a box around each influence you listed.  Sit back for a second and take a deep breath.  You just took 3 significant steps. What do I mean by \u201c3 significant steps?\u201d  Let\u2019s break them down. The First Step:  You actually admitted to yourself that the issue exists.  It means you\u2019re no longer in denial. The Second Step:  You wrote it down.  Just like a goal, there\u2019s a switch that goes off in our minds whenever we commit to putting it on paper.  Think back to Episode 2, Setting Vision-Based Goals.  We went through a series of boxes and circles in an effort to define specific \u201chappenings\u201d which would have to occur if we were to reach our goals.  Do the same now to help you define and commit to specific actions you need to take to effectively deal with and avoid the negative influence you listed in the box. If you need to listen to Episode 2 again, visit JimRayConsultingServices.com\/Podcasts.  You can also find it on iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify and other platforms. And Finally, The Third Step:  There\u2019s a reason I asked you to put a box around it.  That simple act, alone, proves YOU remain in control of that negative influence.  It\u2019s not the other way around.  Whatever it is, or eventually was, your goals and Vision are too important to let this potentially derail you.  There\u2019s simply too much at stake for you, your family and the legacy you\u2019re in the process of building. Want to be Successful? There are a few more steps I hope you\u2019ll risk taking, if you really want to be successful in this.  Go back and draw a circle on the page for each negative influence box.  Use an arrow to connect each circle to its related box. Here\u2019s the next important step.  I want you to write the name of someone whom you can ask to help keep you accountable in avoiding this negative influence.  It must be someone you trust.  More importantly, make sure it\u2019s someone who\u2019s not afraid to tell you when you\u2019re wrong and then stand by you as you try to do better. Friends, negative influences can be very tough to battle on your own.  From time to time, even when you think you\u2019ve resolved the issue, it can pop up when you least expect.  It\u2019s good to have someone who\u2019s willing to pull you back into the boat. Symbolism matters.  That\u2019s why I asked you to use a circle.  If you think about it, a circle resembles a life preserver.  See what I did there? Well, that wraps it up for now.  I know this episode was a little different from previous versions, but I hope you found it insightful.  Remember, you can listen to each episode at JimRayConsultingServices.com\/Podcasts. I invite you to give my radio show a listen and consider going to iTunes to leave a 5-Star rating and a review.  Your comments will help others to find it. Until next time, I\u2019m Jim Ray and I wish you luck in putting together your plan to help in Avoiding Negative Influences.  When you\u2019re ready, Let\u2019s Grow For It! ","author_name":"Grow For It!","author_url":"http:\/\/growforit.libsyn.com\/website","html":"