How to Stay Positive When You're Unemployed

1) Keep a gratitude journal

When you're faced with the fear of not being able to support yourself, or potentially your family, it's easy to get caught up in looking at what you don't have: you don't have an income, you don't have quality food, you can't pay the bills and you're drinking lemonade instead of champagne.

It's entirely understandable, but lethal, to focus on what you are without. You'll feel like a failure, which will prevent you from selling yourself as a winner on application forms and in interviews. You can spin this.

A wealth of psychological research shows that gratitude and happiness go hand in hand. Billionaire Oprah Winfrey has famously kept a gratitude journal since she was young. It's a simple, but transformational concept.

At the end of every day, you write down what happened to make you thankful. Did somebody hold a door open for you? Was your bill a little less expensive than you anticipated? Did your child do something beautiful?

No matter how tough your day was, you can always find something to appreciate. In your bleakest moments, you might find yourself simply writing "I am grateful that my sister let me use her shower" or even "I am still alive." It's in those moments that you'll truly understand the value of gratitude.

2) Treat it like it's your job

You're not unemployed. Your job is to get a job. It's probably the worst pay you've ever had, but if you work hard you'll be rewarded with skills in patience, persistence and, eventually, employment.

Imagine your new boss in a sleek suit, shaking your hand firmly and looking down at you. Would that boss be okay with you, pyjama-clad, strolling into the office at 11am, getting comfortable in front of the computer and opening YouTube?

Right now, you are your own boss. That means you have to get to the office at 9am every day. It means you have to work at polishing your CV, get advice from recruitment agencies, apply for jobs, maybe even practise your special skills or read up on how to improve your application forms and interview techniques.

Take an hour for your lunch, if you would do at work. Finish at the same time as you would do at work. Take weekends off.

This not only helps you get into a routine, but it stops you from feeling lazy and helps you keep track of how much effort you are putting into the job hunt.

3) Take breaks

I don't just mean take fifteen minutes to have a cup of tea (although I don't know what a cup of tea can't cure). I mean take a mental break. When you're faced with constant rejection and a lack of feedback, your motivation can plummet. You only have your own voice to listen to and, after a while, it might start saying "You can't do it", "You keep failing", "You're not as good as the other candidates" or worst of all "You'll never get a job."

What would your best friend say if they heard you talking about yourself like that? If they would say, "Your amazing because you keep trying" or "You're getting closer to the goal with each day, each application form and each interview so don't worry", you've chosen a good friend. Catch yourself when you are mentally beating yourself up. Take a break. Breathe. Tell yourself exactly what that good friend would tell you. Then say it out loud.

Self-motivation is incredibly important for success. It's the spark that will get that application started, that phone call made or that CV written.

4) Talk about it.

Bear in mind, 'talk' doesn't mean 'whine.' Moping is okay in small, infrequent doses but it's also something you just have to break through.

Share your experience with someone you trust. Have your friends or family members ever been unemployed? Ask them about it. How did they feel? What did they do to overcome it? Absorb all the advice you can and use it for yourself. You might (or might not) be surprised by how many people have been in a position similar to yours. This is not only the age of redundancy, but the age of people who feel freer to regularly change jobs and chase dream careers.

5) The Golden Rule: Never Give Up

You are not going to remain unemployed for ten years. It's not going to happen unless you work exceptionally hard at being unemployed or have unresolved psychological or physical issues blocking your way.

It might take months, it might take longer than a year, it might not be your dream job, but you are inevitably going to be employed. You are going to be financially supported somehow during your unemployment whether that be by savings, a parent, the government, a spouse or friend. There is always a way for you to get help. It can be agonisingly difficult and you might learn lessons about your pride, but it can be done.

I recently met a successful, vibrantly happy man who has a history of unemployment. When he was homeless, he had every right to dwell on this pain and fear. Instead, he used the golden rule to weather him through his storm. He had been employed before and knew he could do it again. He had recovered from an addiction and, because of that, knew he was strong enough to recover from homelessness. He had many more years of life ahead so he could try again. And again. And again.

You'll only get there if you try. Be gentle with yourself and never give up.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Stay-Positive-When-Youre-Unemployed&id=9910628

Action - Putting Money Where Your Mouth Is

Action is the separator between promise, talk and fulfillment. We can all talk a good game, but the achievement is the actual fulfilled action. So I will start with the story of Henry Ford and the guy who worked in the garage stall near him. The guy who worked near Henry Ford was said to be a better mechanic than Henry Ford, and much smarter at fixing machines, so to speak. Indeed, it looked like he was going to get further in life than Henry Ford until the actions of Henry ford separated him from the "promise" of the other man to be more of a success. So, while Henry Ford was making billions, the other man still worked in the same garage in Detroit, Michigan, USA, doing the same thing "better" and "with more skill than" Henry Ford.

You see, what separates fantasy from reality is the actions we take. Without action, everything is a promise, a lot of talk and not any fulfillment.

When success becomes a reality, decisions are reached and actions are taken, not necessarily by the best person, but by the person willing to take the action genuinely.

To become a winner, we must not just know why to do it, but we must actually do it to the point of success. The action is to put our money where our mouth is, not to be "better than the other guy" on paper or in "an ideal world". We must take deliberate action now. We must be real in order to get what we want now. We must act on what we know now, or the opportunity is missed now. Some of the greatest losers quit at the moment they could have persisted and won. After all, what do you think happened to Peter Best and Stuart Sutcliffe of the Beatles anyway? Richard Starkey and George Harrison took their places. So, almost is never "the rub", making it is "the rub" that creates all success and fulfillment. The money is always on success, even when we think it is not, it is never on failure. Although, sometimes we make the bet against certain things, even the worst of us does not genuinely want to fail.

So, action and fulfillment is the separator between promise and talk. After all, how do you think Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr./Muhammad Ali crossed that line? He fully backed up courageously right down to not going into the military and losing some of the best years of his boxing career, and almost going to jail and becoming more of a legend for it. The real failure does not have integrity, the success, however temporary the failure always does.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Action---Putting-Money-Where-Your-Mouth-Is&id=9659649

Message From the Universe: The Best and Worst Case Scenarios

"Best case scenario, you really are a magnificent, powerful, divine Being of Light; your thoughts really do become things; nothing is impossible; your dreams are meant to be; and these Notes really are from an ancient, wise, all-loving, all-knowing best friend.

Worst case scenario, you're just dreaming you're a magnificent, powerful, divine Being of Light; your thoughts really do become things; nothing is impossible; your dreams are meant to be; and these Notes really are from an ancient, wise, all-loving, all-knowing best friend.

And the difference would be?

The Universe"

Either situations would occur throughout your life, you are still a winner. Everything starts with a thought and it's all based on you creating that thought. You are magnificent, powerful, divine, nothing for you is impossible and that all your dreams are meant to be. The difference between the best and worst case scenario is mostly just the dreaming part. For the first case, all of what you are experiencing today is lived by you, in real time. It's not just a feeling or a sense, it's happening now, as we speak. For the second case, you are dreaming of what will eventually become, just like the laws of attractions, where thoughts become things. So, if you truly believe in these laws, your thoughts, that are controlled by you, relies on how you feel on that specific day, which will directly create a possible future that has not yet happened, but based on how positive or negative you may be. If this is the case, why not choose being positive?

I agree that we can't all live in a dream world and not face challenges and hurdles, either financial, health, relationship or whatever else. It will come and hit us like a ton of bricks, regardless of how you are thinking. You may think that all of what you see today is a result of your past thoughts, which can be close to the truth, depending on your belief. I can't say that it applies in every scenario as many may throw me the September 11th terrorist attack as being one hell of a coincidence that all the 2996 that perished that morning all dealt with negative thoughts, hence suffered from this terrible predicament. How can that be possible? All 2996 victims had past thoughts that were negative in nature which unequivocally brought them to their demise on that same day? This statement can be hard to swallow as many may say that it was just a case where they were all in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Whichever the case may be, this terrible incident makes you wonder how these laws really works, and what can you do that get the most out of these laws. I guess it is based on meditation and perceiving life differently and not let everything around you bother you in any shape or form. This approach may allow you to live with less stress and appreciate it a bit more.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Message-From-the-Universe:-The-Best-and-Worst-Case-Scenarios&id=9718671

One Person I HATE More Than Anyone Else, Meet My Number 1 Enemy (By Felicia Starks)

If there's one thing I know about internet marketing journey... I've failed way more times than I've succeeded. I can even take it a step further and just flat-out admit that over the years I've failed, more often than not, in most of the other areas of my life as well.

- Business ventures

- Relationships

- Finances

- Etc, etc...

But there is always a positive side to failure...

You have nowhere to go but "up"

As Winston Churchill once said:

"Success consists of going from failure to failure

without loss of enthusiasm."

But here is one person who I HATE more than anybody else who is solely responsible for all my failures.

My Evil Twin.

You see, on the surface I may seem like a fit and cool woman who's in control of my life. And sometimes I am. But MANY times I'm NOT. Deep down inside I have an evil twin. She's this chick who has no clue what to do with her life. One side wants to eat according to her nutrition plan, get her training workout done, get her IPA's (income producing activities) done, be a great mom, daughter, sister and friend, give back to the world, and empower, uplift, inspire and positively impact people's lives. But my Evil Twin wants to sleep in without an alarm clock, skip my workout, watch "Scandal" and my favorite TV shows, eat cheat food all day, surf the web all day, and snuggle with my "blankie" on the couch.

BOTH of these people exist and are alive inside my head...

And they fight with each other all day long like Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde trying to see who can win.

And guess what?

YOU have the same two people inside YOUR head too.

The "Winner" inside all of us is who we want to be.

- In control and emotionally stable

- Confident but humble

- Driven yet balanced

- Focused and productive

- Unselfish and kind

- Patient and persistent

On the other hand, our evil twin is the person we must learn to despise. It's the person we're embarrassed about. The one we're not proud of. The one who opens their mouth and says stupid stuff we regret. The lazy one that gives up when things get tough and makes us feel like a friggin' loser.

And here's the thing...

Our Evil Twin is always there. Inside our head ready to take over and screw everything up. But don't try to ignore or deny your Evil Twin. Make sure you at least acknowledge their existence. If you don't, they'll take over your life.

Then STARVE them.

The only way to do this is to consistently FEED the "Winner" inside you BEFORE your Evil Twin takes over.

When you do, the "winner" in you becomes like a tree planted

by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose

leaf does not whither... whatever you do will prosper (Psalm 1:3).

This is how you take away ALL of your Evil Twin's powers and paralyze her from taking over your life.

So remember: you have TWO people living inside your head...

The "Winner" you want to be and the Evil Twin you despise.

The Winner in you wants to live everyday with a purpose and have an extraordinary life.

Feed her like a hungry HIPPO!

But your Evil Twin strives for mediocrity, constantly trying to beat you down and make you average. Go ahead; acknowledge your Evil Twin's existence. Then stomp her out like a fire by FEEDING the Winner inside you. It's the only way to avoid the internal poison of your Evil Twin and stop her from making you average, like the status quo and miserable.

ACTION STEPS TO KILL YOUR EVIL TWIN:

One of the most effective ways to kill your Evil Twin is by doing feared things first. Every night, right before bed, make a list of the five things you must complete the next day for you to have considered it a total success. After you've written your five things (no more, no less), figure out which item on the list you dread and fear the most.

C'mon... you know there's at least ONE thing on that list you do not want to do.

Next, schedule time to make sure you accomplish this item first, before you do anything else the next day.

In other words...

Always Attack and Do Your Feared Things First

Whether it's making a video, writing a value rich blog post, training, making a phone call you don't want to make, an unresolved conflict, or other "unfinished" business in your life...

... The more you delay or procrastinate, the more the fear will grow and build up inside of you allowing your Evil Twin to dominate your life.

But when you do your feared things first, it will empower you and amazing things will automatically start to happen to your body and your life.

Your confidence will EXPLODE.

If you're still not convinced that attacking your fears is relevant to killing your Evil Twin, while helping you achieve your dreams, goals, and desires...

Just read this quote and it you'll probably think twice:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,

talented, fabulous?'

Actually,who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking

so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

-Marianne Williamson

-----------------

I totally agree. Facing your fears head on and feeding the "winner" inside you is clearly the path to reaching your full potential with your body and your life. And if you do this consistently it will take your personal discipline to a whole new level.

Think I'm crazy?

Or can you relate?

Hit reply or comment below and let me know your thoughts.

Face your fears with confidence,

My name is Felicia Starks and I am a certified personal fitness trainer and lifestyle weight management specialist. My passion is optimum health & fitness as well as financial freedom and my mission is inspire and empower people to live a fit & healthy lifestyle while taking control of their own financial future. You've come to the right place if you need to lose belly fat and bring your sexy body back but you are...

Tired of working out hard and long yet seeing little to no results?

Getting flabbier despite restrictive dieting and excessive exercise?

Having your fat loss results sabotaged by cravings?

Confused about exactly where to start and how to keep motivated?

I'll provide practical fitness tips and recipes to help everyday women shrink fat effortlessly with or without a gym membership.

"You don't have to get it right, just get MOVING!"

http://ezinearticles.com/?One-Person-I-HATE-More-Than-Anyone-Else,-Meet-My-Number-1-Enemy&id=9235502

Everyone Loves A Winner

Winning is a habit, and so is the other thing of losing. Genuinely simple as an affirmation made enough times, we can all raise ourselves and our vibrations up if we give ourselves a chance to do that. For genuine winning is simply the habit of never quitting until you genuinely do succeed.

This will be a classic motivational article in many ways, with an emphasis on habit and affirmation. Also, this will spotlight the realities of the habits of winning and losing also.

Winning is as simple as a habit, it is not a fixed situation in any way. It does not depend on where you start, where you are, and how much behind you are or even how much advantage you have. It is a habit or to put it another way that is almost the same, it is an affirmation.

The biggest losses come to those who quit. For those who master, the biggest gains come and come always. There is not any real loss for them, even starting over is looked at as an advantage.

The best winners are the winners who depend on mastery instead of luck. Sure, luck can be at best preparation meeting opportunity. But genuine mastery despite temporary failure is even better than that always.

To get beyond breaking even or almost, you must master yourself fully. That is the key to greatness. Without that key, all doors are locked. Skill is developed, it is not come by luckily. Hence, the seeming fault with the definition of luck that it is preparation meeting opportunity. Preparation is a form of mastery, and opportunity can only be noticed by those who are prepared for it.

Winning is everything when it is genuine, but is nothing when it is a genuinely lucky break of chance as described by anyone who is unfortunate enough to be lucky in the accepted sense. Mastery is the best way to go indeed.

Winning is repeatable when mastery is involved. Loss is mandatory when luck is depended on. Think about those two sentences, and you will see that they are really true, honest and real. Tragedy is quitting before mastery is reached. Happiness is being a master. Sure, that sounds simple until you realize the emotional frustration of loss and think: "What then? what now? I did my best!" Well in that case, it will take a little or a lot more to win through mastery because when you master instead of quit, that is when your best is good enough.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Everyone-Loves-A-Winner&id=8562425

The Mind of A Champion

What does it take to be a champion, an indisputable winner; what makes them different? You may imagine its extraordinary talent, and sometimes it is, but the reality is extraordinary talent is a rarity. It takes something beyond average and far more than mediocrity to be a champion. It takes perseverance; perseverance always prevails.

This phenomenon requires an attitude that refuses to accept defeat. Champions always get back up, no matter how long or hard they fall. Quitting, giving up or in and letting go are never a consideration in the mind of a champion. They understand that in life you will find a way or find an excuse. Champions never own a 'loser's limp' bag, they offer no excuses because they fail to recognize a loss. Champions understand that a perceived failure is a mere testing of faith; they will reach the goal. They carry the illusion of defeat straight to the next win.

Champions understand that in life one cannot be poor who has less, only those who desire more. They rarely bother to assess or compare their talent; their attention is focused squarely on achieving the goal. They don't need a handicap when tallying their score, understanding that handicaps exist only in the mind. You can't accept the things you can't see. Champions know that 'the me is see is the me I will be.' They are careful to see what they want to be and not what others think they are or can become.

Who are the champions? They are all around you. It may be difficult to recognize them because you don't know or understand their goals. The best way to identify them is in their refusal to give up or give in. Look for the ones who seem to be extremely tested yet refuse to give up. Champions always exhibit persistence; a determination to succeed, they persevere no matter the difficulty. The one who refuses to give up always prevails.

While it may seem that champions are called upon to let go of a lot, they understand that real security lies not in what they have but in what they can do without. In the end is it always worth it to them because they never gave up and never gave in; they simply refused to accept defeat. That's how they became a champion; this is the mind of a champion.

If you want to join this elite group you must get inside the mind of a champion and think like them. Persist, persevere and prevail. There is a raging fire within champions that propels them to press on, press on, press on.

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Mind-of-A-Champion&id=9564730

Message From the Universe: Expect Massive Positive Changes Coming Soon

"Time out! Time out!

What do you mean you can't see it? You don't know? You aren't sure? You're scared?

This is an adventure, you're an adventurer, uncertainty, fear, and even setbacks happen. Besides, "easy" has never been your style, and just because you can't see the miracles doesn't mean they aren't happening, doesn't mean you're alone, and doesn't mean you're on the wrong path.

The day your ship arrives, and it now swiftly approaching, the confusion, fear, and setbacks will be among your fondest memories.

Today, you're exactly where you most need to be - 

The Universe"

Aren't you feeling it yet? Your vision of success and wealth is materializing right in front of you. No more of the guessing game, but you need to put your share of effort into it. What kind of effort? Well, the feeling of it already happened is the type of effort you need to focus on. It may be hard when you don't see much happening in your life at that specific moment, but it is because of its uncertainty that you should keep moving forward and not let setbacks deter you from your path.I know it is hard because I live it every single day. Every time I feel down or depressed as to where I am going wrong, there is the little voice inside me telling me that all will be alright and that I need to fight through it and come out a winner. Just look at Indiana Jones movies when he never let these cave traps stop him from getting the artifact for the museum. I agree that some tried to go for it and ended up as corpses but he took calculated steps when it came to take a step forward knowing that his life was in danger. I am not saying to put yourself in that position but risks are imminent, especially if you want to experience great success.

Fear will always be there and will always try to stop you on your track. Yes, you might fail, but you may also succeed. This is definitely a risk you would want to take as your life is not ending if you fail at your venture. The "Easy Path" is for the lazy people, and you are not lazy so forget about living an easy life. Miracles are happening everywhere around you but you need to open your eyes to see them clearly as they may not appear the way you anticipate it. The Universe is with you all through your journey so it is crucial that you trust yourself well enough that you will arrive at destination. Once you do get there, you will look back and smile, just like what rock climbers do once they reached the summit. You will forget the pain, forget the sorrows, the many disappointments you've experienced but you will also enjoy where you are today. Get out there and be ready for the journey of your life and trust yourself a little bit more, because the Universe trusts you a lot.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Message-From-the-Universe:-Expect-Massive-Positive-Changes-Coming-Soon&id=9690063

The Palace of Persistence

The palace of persistence is a special place in your psyche that believes quitting is beneath your dignity. It is an attitude that spans the ages, in fact, all of your life time. It is who you are. There is another trait that is embraced in this special place, that of discernment. Those who don't believe in quitting are discerning about committing. They gather facts and carefully consider them, and they should. They are making a concrete commitment to persevere to the win.

To be truly discerning means that you make certain your desire to commit ensures that no one will be harmed by your actions, that the goal is worthy of the pursuit and that the win is meaningful. It has to matter more to you than any obstacles you may face. Once you have carefully examined these few facts the commitment is effortless. You believe in the goal and are engaged in the pursuit of it. Then you enter the palace of persistence.

Your commitment demands a pursuit of running to win with never a thought of stopping, no matter how difficult the endurance test may become. You are in it to win it. This is the hallmark attitude of a winner. You simply don't want to be the one who didn't. Your refusal to accept second place is based on one simple fact that you understand. The winner is the one who stands up last after being knocked down. Being knocked down is a part of the pursuit. If it were easy it would not take such effort or examination of what is involved in making the commitment. The principle of persistence means you fully intend to get up last after the final opponent has fallen and given up, tapped out and quit. You simply must.

From deep within rises the command, 'Get up, get up, get up.' And you do. Discipline, tenacity and determination are housed in your palace of persistence. You draw on it from that special place where winners reside, where the essence of you exists. The difference between those who tap out and those who win is perseverance, grit and determination; it is an attitude that cannot and will not be defeated. Why? Because quitting is beneath the dignity of one whose attitude lives in the palace of persistence! Commitment is the key to the palace doors, where all who enter win! Get up, unlock the door and adopt the attitude necessary to run to the win.

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Palace-of-Persistence&id=9632523

My Hands Make Light Work

Teamwork is the basis of success. Working as a team can be a great asset. We can accomplish the most difficult tasks when we work as a team. With the support of our team, we feel more empowered and the load looks lighter and a lot easier to manage. The reason we feel this way is that we are assigned only a part of the whole project, with each team member sharing the responsibility, and contributing towards achieving success. When we try to do a difficult task all by ourselves, it is possible that we may get frustrated, lose motivation, and may even fail to complete the task successfully.

A team working towards a common goal means we only have a part of the project to complete, keeping the motivation high, as we see other people in our team working together, and becoming a source of encouragement for us all. We should always remember that once we have an efficient and focused team, like a well oiled machine, we can accomplish some remarkable achievements, which may not be possible individually. The crowning moment comes with the celebration of our success as a team. We all win!

It is easier to choose a path that others have set. It is a sign of a winner, a real leader, to make his or her own path, and leave a trail for others to follow. To be yourself in a world that is trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. It is time to face it! Society as a whole wants us to conform to their idea of who we should be, how we should dress, what car we should drive, what we should read, and even what we should eat. In other words, they say, "be like us"! "Conform to our standards". Everybody has a plan for you! Your friend, family, neighbors, and the authorities want you to follow their expectations. We are bombarded with advertising that is trying to direct us in a certain direction. The entertainment industry is doing the same in living color, and a lot of emotions. Not to mention politicians. They use their power to make laws to force us into their idea of society.

Everybody expects us to behave in a way that we "fit in". They don't leave much room for someone to do their own thing, or to believe differently than everybody else. It takes extreme courage to step out of the mold that society has formed for us. It takes a strong will to be different. In today's strained political climate, the word extremists has been used for people who just want to be different, and live differently, or just want to be left alone. Be NORMAL? Who wants to be normal? A little side story, the other day I made a comment in a post, saying, "I just don't fit in to be normal." The nice young lady responded, "Define normal". Here is my responds: "You had to ask didn't you. LOL I have been crazy for so long, not being part of the 9-5 crowd, my definition of freedom is quite different from most people, not to mention my political and religious views. You asked "define normal"? Well it is the opposite of what I just listed." I ask again, "who wants to be normal?" Have the courage and a strong will to be the opposite of "normal"! Be yourself!

It is quite common for us to encounter difficulties in our life. Life is full of challenges. Certain situations seem insurmountable, and we might be tempted to feel helpless, or even give up. There are some circumstances in our lives that are harder to handle than others. Try to put a different spin on your challenge or problem by viewing it from a positive perspective, rather than with a fearful attitude.

http://ezinearticles.com/?My-Hands-Make-Light-Work&id=9492701

How to Win the Game of Life

 
         

If you flip a coin 20 times and it comes up ‘heads’ each time, the odds of getting another ‘heads’ on the 21st flip is still 50-50. In a pure game of chance, past results have no effect on future outcomes. There is simply no way to change that.

But when a game includes strategy and you’re competing against others – as in poker – that’s an entirely different story. Chance or luck still plays a role, but better players who consistently make the right bets on the right cards do win over the long haul.

It’s the same in business … and in life. Success and happiness are both about making the right moves, making the right decisions, over and over again. That’s all there is to it, like it or not.

Look, we all need a little inspiration sometimes. And I know how easy it is to become addicted to all the feel-good fluff that’s plastered all over the Internet. But the implication that any of that stuff helps to make you successful – or happy, for that matter – is simply untrue.

Over the long haul, winning in business – and in life – is exactly the same as winning in poker. There are no differences. The rules of the game may be simple, but winning is by no means a slam-dunk. This is how you do it.

You can’t win if you don’t play the game. And by “play,” I don’t mean a game or two, here or there. You have to be in the game consistently for a long, long time to win. There’s no quick fix and no short-cuts. If you try to win big with a few quick high-risk bets, there’s a very good chance you’ll lose your shirt and everything else.

It’s a game of attrition and you have to persevere. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and that’s how you have to play it if you want to win.

Learn how the game is played. In poker as in business, there are rules, strategies, nuances and lessons to learn. The thing is, everyone knows the rules. Reading will only get you so far. The only way to outperform your competitors is from real-world experience. Pay attention. That’s how you figure out what works and what doesn't. That’s how you develop your own skills, strategies and tactics.

There simply is no substitute for the lessons you learn the hard way. You gain confidence from winning and wisdom from losing. And over time, you develop your own unique way of playing the game. 

It is a zero-sum game. Every poker match has winners and losers, but the game always nets out to zero because you’re playing against others. Granted, markets are elastic. They can grow over time. But every sale, every transaction has one winner and a bunch of losers. Competitive markets are essentially zero-sum games.

You have to win if you want to be successful, and the only way to do that is to be consistently better – to make better decisions and have a better product or service – than your competitors.

Blow your reputation and you’re out of the game. Get caught cheating in poker and you’re done. Word gets around and you’re out of the game. That goes for anything.

Your work ethic is your reputation. If you’re known for playing clean, for being a good sport, for showing up and meeting your commitments, you get asked to play again and again. Opportunity comes your way. If not, you've got to find another line of work. End of story.

Never bluff yourself. Short-term success can be a dangerous thing. When you start to think the deck is stacked in your favor, that you’re lucky, that you can’t lose, that’s when you make risky bets you shouldn't make. That’s when your ego writes checks that the laws of probability can’t cash.

You can sometimes bluff others, but never bluff yourself. No matter how successful you are, never forget the odds. Never forget your limitations. Keep your feet planted firmly on the ground. Keep it real.  

The most important thing to remember is this: To win at poker, make the right bets on the right cards over and over. Winning in business and in life is exactly the same: consistently make good decisions. Simple as that.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235782