Put it into writing.

Psychologists have long found that not only do all ideas increase in strength through repeated reading and listening but also by validating each thought in writing. The written word seems to solidify the idea into a particular choice. Once a choice has been identified as valid, then the process of activation can proceed. Because of our ability to transfer ideas into writing, we are able to apply an additional force for steering toward brighter horizons. Reading and listening are input senses while writing is an output sense. You own any and everything you write. The words become a visual record of your thoughts which transfers thought into a workable solution that can be communicated to others.

Make it a habit of putting your thoughts into written notes. This strategy of capturing thought leads to innovation and innovation leads to invention. Everyone need to reinvent themselves once in a while for renewal if nothing else. Personal written notes are a sure-fire form of self-motivation because it helps us to think through or brainstorm a problem. It brings a problem into an evaluation stage for acceptance to activation or rearranging. If you adopt this high-level principle on all levels of life’s involvements, such as: social, spiritual, financial, mental, and physical you will become the balanced person you should be.

When you begin to consider your goals as a possibility it is only by writing down every detail that you can achieve what you set out to do. Writing clarifies your thoughts and puts them into a perspective of accountability. You can hide thought from the world but the written word is for everyone to see and judge. Only notes – comments on paper, have a lasting effect on our lives as they can be referred to time and time again. Thoughts slip away at the least distraction but written statements become account documents for future generations.

Planning and Action

Many of us wait a lifetime for an abundant pasture where the grass is greener and taller. We wait for success to come and embrace us with its sweet freedom but alas, success is only an figment of our imagination. It is a creature of the mind, prowling, purring into our ear of lavishness and exhilaration. Why does it slip away? Why is it so hard to grasp? But wait, you have not planned or made any preparation for success so why indeed – should it visit you? You have not taken any action or planned for success to be a partner or guest. Fleeting thoughts is no resting place for success for the bed is made and it is empty. Without writing down your intentions they are no more than smoke in the wind. They are not real, and success only becomes real in a real world.

I think I can doesn’t cut it; you have to bring thought into the reality of the world and then be willing to act on it. Planing your actions reduces the possibility for mistakes and increases the probability of success. Planning also prepares the way to success. Every project, highways, skyscrapers, dams, all have to be written into a blueprint before they can be built. You can’t talk a skyscraper into existence but you can write it into reality. Creative innovations are great for conversation but they can never make the transition to reality without first being converted to paper.

Make a personal strategy planner to prepare for your goals. Plan what you are to achieve – how you will achieve it and when you will achieve it. Be specific in your plan. Identify your goal, list all possibilities, good and bad that will effect your quest and then act on it. Writing something down is not worth anything without action. You must plan and act, plan and act, plan and act. Over and over until the goal becomes a record of your achievements.
Develop policies and procedures for achieving each goal. A policy might be that you are not going to do anything unethical while a procedure would be a written statement of a step-by-step plan for a defined result. Take the goal and break it into segments that are easy to obtain. Evaluate each step before going on to the next step and soon the steps turn into a finished goal. None of this can be achieved without first committing to writing it down.

I have people tell me how they appreciate my writing and I appreciate them saying so. But it’s when they put it in writing as a testimonial that it can be shown to others and valued. A written testimonial can be viewed on-line by thousands while the spoken word can only be heard by a few. So why not spread your ideas by writing them down and let others see who you are?

You are now on the road to pursuing your hidden dreams. All of your life you desired and dreamed without any direction, but now it has come to light, your dreams can come true. You have only to put it into writing and act on it, that’s all, how easy is that? Do it, today – no more delay, no more excuses, just write your plan and put into action. NOW!

It is a must for people to learn how to picture their goal if he/she is too achieve any kind of success. Goals must be seen in the mind’s eye before they can become reality. A person will not pursue something he/she can’t grasp or see as possible. Even though most people don’t believe in ghost a goal without vision is just that. Goals without vision are only dreams, fantasies and illusions; they’re no more than wishful thinking.

The human belief system must have something to grasp onto and believe in before it will have faith in its possibilities. It must see an end result in its entirety and believe it can be accomplished. Seeing the goal in the mind’s eye, validates the possibility and turns it into a reality. If you can’t see it, you can’t do it. It’s as simple as that. That’s why so many people fail, their chasing an illusion that has not become a reality in their mind.

In order for people to do their best they must be able to look ahead and see the outcome. They must be able to project the outcome of their actions beforehand and act accordingly. Their goal must incorporate all the elements needed to bring it into focus so they may see and experience it in the mind as completed. What a person can see he/she can achieve.

Visualization also brings personalization to the goal or project. A person feels connected when he/she has painted a picture in the mind and is striving toward it. It’s like seeing the light at the end of a tunnel. If you see nothing but darkness, in only a short time you will give up. You will soon be drained of all hope in the belief that the end is somewhere ahead. Without a clear picture of your goal, it is only a matter of time when the goal turns into desperation.

Entrepreneurs build a picture in their mind of their idea, turning it into an achievable reality. Their picture becomes a touchable thing that can be experienced. In their experience, they feel it, smell it, touch it and most of all, own it. It becomes theirs, as they embrace the reality of the visual influence.

Managers are the same in their responsibilities. They must also be able to visualize the outcome of a project before it begins. A good manager must be able to convey or paint a picture to his/her team to motivate them into action. The team will only be motivated to the extent of the manager’s ability to paint a picture of their goal. If they can see the logic and know there is value in the project, then they will accomplish it.

The need to form a picture of goals applies to any profession or accomplishment. Goals need to be pictured as something real or they have no meaning to the mind. In today’s world the saying is, “put your head around it”, which simply means, visualize it.

People are influenced by past events because their mind plays a huge part in their future accomplishments. If they can see the possibility of success, they can move toward it. If they can’t picture themselves as successful, they will abandon the idea altogether.

In sports, a football quarterback must be able to paint picture the play into the minds of the players in order for them to be motivated into doing it. If they can see success they will fight to achieve it. The same goes for the man courting a woman. He sees her as his mate in a family setting, beside him for a lifetime. He can see the children, family outings and love she shares with him. He has a picture of peace and contentment in their marriage and he is motivated to see it through. It isn’t the relationship, or possibilities, it’s the picture he has in his head that drives him to make her his mate.

Picturing is not just a snap shot, but it is bringing all the senses together to form a complete picture of the coming event. You must feel it, smell it, taste it, see it and most of all bring it into your experience.

Have you ever gone shopping for a new car? Oh the smell of that new interior, the feel of the new seats, the vibrations from the sound system, the sight of the shinny paint and chrome build a desire in the mind to own it. You can see yourself driving in the country or going to a friends house to show it off.

How about when you and your soul mate went looking for your first house. She loved the kitchen and the two of you talked about what you would change to make it yours. You could see the children running from room to room as you sat in the easy chair reading the evening paper. You could smell the special dish you love drifting to you from the kitchen and your wife is singing to herself as a peace falls over you that you embrace as real. It can’t ever be real until you see it as real.

In conclusion:
See your goals as reality in the mind. See the world as a place of possibilities where you can see the future and have faith it can come true. At work, share your vision with coworkers. At home build shared visions of life and how you and your mate will spend it. Success comes to those who have a clear vision.

Small business owners have to think ahead.

Now that you are a small business owner – what next? Think of the long haul, remember all the planning and research that went into starting your small business. Hopefully your expectations are being met by all that effort you put into the planning stage of your new business. If so, it has paid off with positive results that are satisfying and uplifting at the very least. Now, you need to maintain that momentum in investment in research and analysis and sustain your short-term success as you anticipate the future.

Now we will show you how to develop a strategy for managing the long-term growth of your business.

First: Take Another Look At Your Business Plan
Don’t set your business plan aside just because everything is looking good now that your start-up phase is over. Use your business plan as a point of reference that you refer to often to make accurate estimates that reflect present realities. Even small changes in the marketplace may require you to adjust your plan to include existing conditions. Like a football game, each new play is a consideration of the last play.

Second: Keep An Eye On Those Numbers
Keep a close eye on your financial statements because it provides you with insights into the health of your business. You can project future cash flow by several months based on current activity, expectations for sales and income, demand for your product and services, set overhead (e.g. loan payments utilities, and rent) and other factors. By comparing actual cash flow to projections, you can spot changes that will help improve performance.

Third: Reach Out And Develop Relationships
Even though you may be gaining a reputation for good service, it may be a little premature to consider bringing aboard additional resources. Broaden how much you can do by developing friendships with other businesses in your field. Assist your competition and in most cases they will return the favor by referring overflow work to you. Be honest and don’t try to steal your competitor’s customer when you are assisting them. If they trust you, they will call on you to back them up when they need help—perhaps at a time when you could use the work.

Fourth: Delegate Time-robbing Tasks
As your business grows it will place more demand on your time. It is important to identify trusted employees who are capable and can accept routine and managerial responsibilities. They’ll welcome the opportunity for personal and professional growth and it will free you up to focus on matters of more importance.

Fifth: Watch the Big Picture
What are the issues or trends which affect your business? No matter if your business is small or large you must be vigilant in all aspects that can change your business environment. Stay current with your community and conditions, study your sales records and talk to customers, suppliers and colleagues. Being aware of possibilities will make you less susceptible to surprises and better prepared to anticipate and capitalize on current conditions.

Sixth: Never Stop Learning
One of the biggest assets you have and what brands you as an authority is your knowledge. Make sure to acquire as much knowledge and instincts as possibly as your business experience grows. Even open minded, veteran entrepreneurs can benefit from the perspectives of others. That’s what makes experienced, retired veteran business people so valuable to the novice. Experienced volunteer counselors serve as idea evaluators for new ventures as well as provide advice on issues both routine and unexpected. There is a free service called SCORE that is made up of experienced retired business people who volunteer in assisting new business owners.

Seventh: Be Innovative
Be willing to investigate new ideas and concepts. Where does innovation come from? Listen to unsatisfied customers. Your customers are a sounding board for problems that may exist and new concepts for change.
Demographic changes in society. As the population gets older how is it going to effect your business? The new generation is more adapt to electronic games and devices, how will it effect your business?
Luck: Business is a collection of predetermined issues. Luck is not a factor because it is random in nature and therefore unpredictable.

Imagination: Every business owner must have some imagination to be able to see the big picture. Figures and facts are good but it take imagination to put it all together.

Vision: A person without vision will become stagnate and die. Having a vision for tomorrow produces dreams, desire and motivation. It is the visionaries who are the backbone of business and government.

Problem-solving: Business owners must become adapt to problem solving. Every day is made up of problems and solutions in which the business thrives. A good problem solver will drive the business forward without unresolved crises.

Remember:

Always be on the lookout for new innovations. There is always room for freshness.
Keep it simple, there’s no need to be complicated, it only serves frustration.
Start small, take it one step at a time. Plan each step and execute with diligence.
Try, try, try again, never give up. If one thing doesn’t work, adjust your tactic and try again.
Even though there are a lot of givens and trials when starting a new business; most problems can be overcome with a little thought. Make sure your business plan is solid and you have the desire to see it through by paying the price and being true to your convictions. We wish you success in your venture and future.

During this period Mtelligence invested heavily in an open standards based solution that would enable manufacturers to leverage their existing investments in operations & maintenance. In 2006 Mtelligence launched the industry’s first system-agnostic MIMOSA-based interoperability plantform, supporting advanced condition based maintenance (CBM) as well as optimized production planning, leveraging the health of production assets to make better informed utilization decisions.

Forward thinking manufacturers are now making a strategic shift from reactive to proactive asset management. This shift is driven by the principle that unplanned downtime, (resulting from the break/fix approach), is more costly than early detection, corrective action, and planned intervention. Mtelligence has invested in constant research, development, and testing for asset management system integration. The company has become an industry thought leader in applying the MIMOSA standard to bridge the gap between Operations & Maintenance (O&M) for process and manufacturing industries.

Mtelligence has committed to bringing you the best solution for Condition Based Maintenance on the market. Don’t settle for proprietary, point-to-point connectors when Mtelligence delivers the most comprehensive open standards platform, with MIMOSA and OPC compliant adapters for all the leading asset management and plant floor systems on the market. The Mtelligence solution ensures you will leverage and augment all your existing investments in plant floor condition monitoring, process control, and asset management systems.

The core Mtelligence offering is the MIMOSA Interop Server (MIS), which bridges the gap between operations and maintenance, helping process manufacturers perform advanced condition based maintenance as well as optimized production planning. The real-time information provided by MIS delivers significant improvements in uptime, reliability, and efficiency while eliminating unnecessary maintenance and reduces unplanned downtime, which leads to increased profits and more efficient allocation of financial and human resources.

Mtelligence technology is based on the OpenO&M? Initiative (standards including MIMOSA, OPC, and ISA 95) that specifies how condition monitoring and asset health systems interact with enterprise asset management (EAM) systems, including SAP plant maintenance, Maximo, Indus, and Datastream. OpenO&M Initiative standards ensure consistency across interfaces, protects customers from upgrade and migration risks that affect proprietary connectivity solutions, and allows customers to leverage existing investments in operations and maintenance infrastructure. Plug-and-play compatibility is a significant advantage in today’s heterogeneous manufacturing environments and has propelled the rapid adoption of OpenO&M Initiative-based applications from manufacturers that want to achieve greater plant-to-business integration.

The Roman god Janus had two sets of eyes - one pair focusing on what lay behind, the other on what lay ahead. General Managers and corporate executives should be able to relate. They, too, must constantly look backward, attending to the products and processes of the past, while also gazing forward, preparing for the innovations that will define the future.

This mental balancing act can be one of the toughest of all managerial challenges - it requires executives to explore new opportunities even as they work diligently to exploit existing capabilities - and it’s no surprise that few companies do it well. Most successful enterprises are adept at refining their current offerings, but they falter when it comes to pioneering radically new products and services. Kodak and Boeing are just two of the more recent examples of once dominant companies that have failed to adapt to market changes.

Kodak excelled at analog photography but hasn’t been able to make the leap to digital cameras. Boeing, a longtime leader in commercial aircraft, has experienced difficulties in its defense-contracting businesses and has recently stumbled in the face of competition from Airbus.

The failure to achieve breakthrough innovations while also making steady improvements to an existing business is so commonplace - and so fascinating - that it has become a battleground of management thought. For decades, scholars have spun theories to explain the puzzle and offered advice on how to solve it. Some have argued that there’s no way out of the conundrum, that established companies simply lack the flexibility to explore new territory.

Some have suggested that big companies adopt a venture capital model, funding exploratory expeditions but otherwise staying out of their way. Others have pointed to cross-functional teams as the key to creating breakthrough innovations. Still others have claimed that a company may be able to shift back and forth between different organizational models, focusing on exploitation for a period and then moving into exploration mode.

We recently decided to test these and other theories by taking a close look at the real world, examining how actual, contemporary businesses fare when they attempt to pursue innovations that lie beyond their current products or markets. Do they succeed in achieving breakthroughs? Do their existing businesses suffer? What organizational and managerial structures do they use? What works, and what doesn’t?

We discovered that some companies have actually been quite successful at both exploiting the present and exploring the future, and as we looked more deeply at them we found that they share important characteristics. In particular, they separate their new, exploratory units from their traditional, exploitative ones, allowing for different processes, structures, and cultures; at the same time, they maintain tight links across units at the senior executive level.

In other words, they manage organizational separation through a tightly integrated senior team. We call these kinds of companies “ambidextrous organizations,” and we believe they provide a practical and proven model for forward-looking executives seeking to pioneer radical or disruptive innovations while pursuing incremental gains.

“The Ambidextrous Organization”, Charles A. O’Reilly III and Michael L. Tushman, Harvard Business Review, April 2004.