Business Mastermind Groups

About 35 percent of people break their New Year’s resolutions by the end of January, according to a survey by Franklin Covey.

What are your goals for the next 12 months? Have you begun to neglect them already? If so, you probably haven’t put effective support structures in place. Helping people to design effective support structures for success is one of the most important values I provide as a personal coach. Coaching itself is a powerful support structure, however, I want my clients to have structures in their lives that will help them to succeed when I’m not around.

Support: to keep something or somebody upright or in place, or prevent something or somebody from falling

Structure: a system or organization made up of interrelated parts functioning as a whole

It is usually necessary to set up effective support structures to achieve a big goal or vision. This critical element of success is frequently neglected. You could have truly inspiring goals, and great strategies for achieving them, and yet many things could sidetrack or sabotage you. Support structures will prevent this from happening. However they will do more than that. They will support you to live into your potential, and to operate at your best in an ongoing way. Ultimately, support structures lead to sustainability, which is necessary to achieve your long-term visions.

There are infinite possibilities when it comes to creating support structures, so it is good to allow yourself to get creative when thinking about what is going to be most effective in your particular situation.

A good place to start is by asking yourself some important questions, such as:

1. What support will I need?
2. What support would be helpful?
3. What routines could I establish?
4. Who’s support would I like to have?
5. Who’s support would be most helpful?
6. What systems would help me to be efficient and effective?
7. What will I need to be reminded of on a regular basis?
8. What would be a good way for me to be reminded?
9. How can I make sure I am making time for the “Important but Not Urgent” activities on a regular basis?
10. Which actions and strategies would be good for me to schedule regularly?
11. What will I need to be held accountable for?
12. Who could hold me accountable?
13. What will help me to sustain effort when I am feeling discouraged?
14. What could help me to stay focused?

Support Structures For Success Below are some examples of support structures that can be very effective. But don’t stop with these. Ask yourself the above questions, and come up with your own.Accountability Structures are clearly one of the most effective and important strategies for success. This is one of the reasons why Business and Life Coaching is effective and has become so popular in recent years. The reason that companies set up hierarchies and clear accountability structures is because they work. They produce results. So why not use this time-tested effective method in your personal life?

Scheduling and Deadlines are a great support structure for getting things done that you have a tendency to procrastinate. Create your own deadlines. Choose a day and time in the future for getting something done and schedule it. Try scheduling ongoing projects at a regular time each week.

Regular Review and Panning is a helpful structure for keeping you on track and focused. Review your goals as well as you project and action lists weekly, and plan your week accordingly.

Success Habits are a powerful support structure. It is best if these are done at a regular time each day or each week. Small constructive actions done on a routine basis can quickly give you a sense of accomplishment and forward momentum. These habits (or success practices) form the foundation on which major changes take place. What action, if taken on a regular basis, would make a difference for you? These habits can be related to either your professional or personal life (i.e., process all incoming mail daily, exercise four times per week).

Daily Gratitude and Visioning: Spending even just a few minutes each morning focused on gratitude and vision can radically transform your life. Simply make a mental list of the things you are grateful for then spend a few minutes visualizing the achievement of your most important visions or goals. This sets the tone for your day, keeps you focused on your goals, and supports you to live in a state of positivity, happiness, optimism, and determination.

Reminders are a simple but effective support structure. Set up any kind of reminder that you think would be useful. You can set alarms, post a note somewhere in your workspace or on your bathroom mirror, or set up an online calendar that will send you an email. There are many ways to use reminders to bring your focus back to what is most important.

Mastermind Groups are an extremely powerful support structure. The original concept of the “Master Mind” was introduced by Napoleon Hill in his timeless classic 1937 book Think and Grow Rich. A Mastermind Group is a synergistic community of supportive colleagues who help you brainstorm, give you objective feedback, provide support and act as catalysts for growth. Through the group synergy, you gain tremendous insights which can improve your business and personal life.

Hiring A Personal Coach is one of the most powerful support structures I know. If you have a big vision and you know you’re going to need some serious support to make it happen, I invite you to consider this powerful strategy.

If you think hiring a personal coach might be a smart move but you’re not sure, check out this brief helpful self-assessment

Ryan Eliason has been a professional, full-time Life and Business Coach since 2003, successfully supporting hundreds of clients to produce extraordinary results in their businesses and personal lives. An entrepreneur since a young age, Ryan has founded several successful businesses and a non-profit. He developed his unique approach through 18 years of business consulting, designing and leading workshops, and working with both coaching and therapy clients. He received his formal training with the renowned Coaches Training Institute in San Rafael, California. He is also a certified Master Hypnotist, massage therapist, polarity therapist, and Transformational Therapist through the Heartwood Institute.

To get Ryan’s FREE 70-Minute audio seminar and 34-page workbook on How To Have The Best Year of Your Business and Your Life, go to http://www.ryaneliason.com/bestyear With a few clicks you can get FREE INSTANT ACCESS to his 28-step system for creating more profit and more time off.