Here we are in the last week of October. Only two more months until the end of 2010. Have you accomplished everything you set out to do or do you just have a long list of excuses for not accomplishing anything this year?

Have you used any of these excuses? “My business is sufferring because the economy is bad.” “I just can’t find the time to do everything.” “I have to wait until everything is just right.” And I’m sure you can come up with a few more “reasons” for not having enough business.

Let’s take a look at the first excuse – “It’s the economy.”

NO!! It’s not the economy. Even during the great depression, people made money and became wealthy. I have talked to several business owners in the past few weeks who are having their best year ever. If you are in certain industries, will you be affected by the economy? YES! But that may be a wake up call for you to try something new.

It may be time to go to the bookstore and fill your mind with the things you need to figure out where to go from here. It may be time to take a class and learn a new skill. It also may be time to turn off the TV and stop listening to all the talking heads telling you which political party to blame for all of this and how all the “mean” rich people are messing up everything.

The other excuse is “I just don’t have time to get everything done.” The reality is this. We all have time to do the things we really want to do. It amazes me that the most successful people in the world find the time for everything they need to do. It’s because they are very careful how they spend their time and they set strict boundaries for how they let other people use their time. They have time management down to a science and hold themselves accountable for every minute of every day.

The third excuse is “I have to wait until everything is just right”. Do you really have to wait or are you just procrastinating to keep from doing what you know you need to do? This is a perfectionist attitude and perfectionists rarely accomplish anything. Get over your insecurities and do what you know has to be done to build your business.

I understand that a lot of people are struggling and the economy is not as good as it was a few years ago. We are facing new challenges that we haven’t had to face in a few years.

No matter how bad things are, there is always a window of opportunity available. It may be tough, and we may have to do a few things that we do not enjoy doing. But we will all get through this if we keep learning, keep working, turn off the TV, and stop making excuses.

It all boils down to personal responsibility and personal accountability. So, stop making excuses. Take control of your future by taking action and planning for a great year in 2011.

How many times have you heard the statement, “hard work leads to success”?

I totally agree, but I want to add something to it. Hard work PLUS developing the right habits leads to success.

If you look at some of the hardest working people in the world, they are sometimes the least successful because they have not developed the right habits that will lead to a better life and a more prosperous life.

It takes both hard work and developing the right habits to have a more fulfilling and prosperous life. This doesn’t just apply to the financial aspects of a person’s life. It applies to every aspect whether it is spiritual, physical, relationships, career, or anything else.

You develop better habits by focusing on cultivating one habit at a time. The mistake I see a lot of people make is they try to change everything at once. They take an all or nothing approach to everything they do. These people rarely get started with anything because they are waiting on everything to be perfect.

Be patient when working on and developing a new habit. For example, if you need to develop the habit of prospecting and making sales calls, focus on making one call every day for 30 days. Then start adding in more calls. After 30 days, you will realize how easy it was to develop this new habit and you will add others that will improve your business and your quality of life.

Visualize how different your life will be after you have developed this new habit. You will be more confident, have higher self-esteem, and have a strong sense of accomplishment.

Communicate your intentions to cultivate these new habits with those around you. This will help hold you accountable and they can help you accomplish your goal.

What are a few habits do you need to develop to create a more balanced and successful life?

1. Constantly work on your personal development. Read books and listen to audio CDs that will enhance or improve specific areas of your life. If you make a commitment to read for 30 minutes to an hour every day, you can read a book a week. That is 52 books every year. In ten years, that is 500 books. Think about the time you spend driving every day. You have the opportunity to listen to some of the top business minds or motivational speakers in the world while you are driving to appointments. On average, you will get in over 300 hours of training every year. Do you think that would make a difference in your business and in your life?

2. Practice visualization and meditation every day. Even if it’s just for a few minutes.

3. Have specific goals for your business and for your life. Write them down.

Developing new habits is easy if you are consistent in your efforts. You will reap the rewards for the rest of your life.

It takes so many things coming together at the right time and in the right place to create a successful business. A lot of hard work and many long hours go into building a business that not only survives, but also thrives in any economy. There are no shortcuts.

There are three things you need to master if you want to be one of the survivors in today’s economy. Those three things are time management, communication, and technology.

If you talk to anyone who is in the top 1% of income earners in the country, you will find the the one common denominator that contributed to their success is they have learned how to be great time managers. No other single element contributes more to the success of your business than time management. Track your time for a couple of weeks, find your time wasters, and get rid of them.

Communication is another important element of a successful and thriving business. Without being able to clearly articulate to the marketplace the value you offer, you will have a difficult time moving to the next level.

How you communicate with your clients, prospects, co-workers, and employees will determine the level of success you attain in your business, in your career, and in your personal relationships.

The final element is technology. No one can deny the power of the internet. Social media, blogging, video, and podcasting are providing a platform that anyone can use to market and promote their business. These are generally no-cost or low-cost alternatives to traditional marketing methods. New ways of advertising, such a pay-per-click marketing, are also giving all other forms of media a run for their money.

Nobody can predict the future, but one thing is certain. The way we do business will change dramatically over the next few years because of technology.

So take an honest look at your business. Are you using your time effectively? Are your communication skills contributing to the growth of your business or do you need to learn how to communicate better with everyone around you? Are you up-to-speed and getting the most out of technology?

If you answered yes to all these questions, then pat yourself on the back. Great job!

But if you are like the majority of people and answered no to one or more of the questions, do whatever you have to do to improve in all three areas. It may mean taking a class, finding a mentor, or reading a book. Whatever you do will be well worth the effort and you will reap the rewards for years to come.

I did a keynote speech this morning for a group of 40 people. The presentation was geared towards helping them improve their communications skills. I asked everyone in the room who considered themselves a salesperson to raise their hand.

Out of 40 people, there were only 5 people who raised their hand. That is a very small percentage. My response to them was they are all sales people and they have been selling since they were born.

As babies, we screamed our heads off to make sure we got fed, had our diapers changed, and were generally taken care of. We made sure someone paid attention to us and gave us what we needed.

Do you remember selling the idea to your parents that you needed a new bike? As a teenager, do you remember selling the idea that you needed a car, even though you had just received your drivers license? Later in life, do you remember selling your boss on the idea that you deserved a raise?

How did all those things work out for you? If you had success, then you have the makings of a top notch sales person.

Most people don’t realize how many times in their life they have sold something, and they don’t realize how many times in their life they will have to sell something.

Whether you are seeking a career change, business growth, or a better relationship with your significant other, you will benefit from improving your communications and sales skills.

When I hear someone say they hate selling, I see it as a misperception of what selling is all about. Most people have the image of the sleazy used car salesman or they’ve had a bad experience with a less that scrupulous salesperson in the past. This has flawed their perspective on what selling really is. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Learning to become a better salesperson is not an option if you want to attain wealth and have more success in your life.

Being a salesperson does not make you a bad human being. Not caring and selling anything to anyone at any price just to pad your pockets may make you a bad human being. If you are selling a product or service you really believe in, then you should have no hesitation about moving forward with selling whatever it is you have to offer.

Find your motivation for selling your products or services. If you are offering a real solution to a problem, get momentum going in your selling process as quickly as possible. Get out there and sell something. If you don’t do that, you are doing a disservice to your clients and to the marketplace.