Loral Langemeier says, Lead your Life as though it’s a Business

All it takes is ACTION!

Very often I end up meeting people who are unsatisfied with their lives or are distressed because they couldn’t live up to their expectations. They are the people who have lost all their hopes and drag on with their lives having compromised their dreams.

On being asked about what efforts they did make to have a life they desired, they would say any one of the following:

1. Admitted they gave up.
2. Didn’t have a well devised plan of action.
3. Set impractical and unattainable goals, tried to achieve them out of sequence and continued to pursue their dreams irrespective of the fact that it was wearing them out.

Are you from the same lot? I’ve met people falling into category #3. I can put myself in their shoes and feel how disheartening it is when you want something badly and you fail even after trying over and over again. But over the years I’ve realized what exactly it takes to shape your life: by being the CEO of your life! Personally it has enabled me to lead my life perfectly, reaching all the goals I set for myself. No matter how distant they appeared at first, I was never worried.

OPTIMISM. When you become a leader of your life, there’s no one to blame or credit for any sort of consequences. The first step in controlling your life begins with overcoming any kind of fear that you have. It is a must to eliminate any kind of fear that has hindered your actions in past. It involves developing an optimistic approach towards your goals which will fill you with enthusiasm and energy.

Positive thinking is a great asset for life; I’ve using it all my life. However, this alone cannot guarantee you success.

DAILY ACTION. To turn reality into success, it’s essential to take your positive attitude, and turn it into action. And that action should be implemented right from the first day and every day.

TEAM SUPPORT. It doesn’t mean that you have to work round the clock and compromise on other aspects of life. You must understand that your goal cannot be achieved all on your own. Since you are to be the CEO, the leader of your life, you have to build a team of efficient people around you. It could be your spouse, your kids, your friends, anyone who can help you accomplish your goal through their dedication, experience and the field they excel in.

The combination of all three: optimism, daily actions and team support will turn out to be the best help you can give yourself in order to achieve your dream.

 

I really admire people who are dedicated to their dreams and goals, but if you aspire for an impractical goal, you are likely to fall short of reaching it. It’s like that old story of Icarus,who had wax wings and aspired to touch the Sun. His wings fell off and he fell into the sea. You, thus, have to be prepared for your flight and pursue a feasible goal. Break down your goal into tiny steps and implement actions to them every day to create a concrete staircase to your final goal.

People normally see their goal way out into the future which makes it appear like a mammoth task. However, if they break that goal into tiny manageable goals, the achievement of each one will fill them will zeal to take the following step or another mini-goal.

Everyone is different. Because of this, each individual’s idea of action will be different. Where some will take a slow, steady approach, others will sprint toward the goal line in full force.  You can take action as methodically or quickly as you like, as long as you approach your goals in a manner that best suits YOUR character.  Be yourself and you will be the best CEO of your life ever! Loral Langemeier is one of today’s most visible and innovative money experts. Because of her tenacity and absolute confidence in what she teaches, Langemeier is one of only a handful of women in the world today who can claim the title of “expert” when it comes to financial matters and the making of millionaires.

To learn more about Loral Langemeier and her motivational approach to success, visit www.lorallangemeier.com. To learn about Loral’s workshops and seminars, and the alleged Loral Langemeier Scam, please visit www.liveoutloud.com. For the power of optimism and yes energy that Loral talks about, visit the website: www.YesEnergyBook.com

Loral Langemeier Discusses Lessons Learned from a Great Fall

Sometimes great falls and fiascos are the best resource for business lessons. These examples end up in the list of ‘precautionary measures’ as something that’s NOT TO BE FOLLOWED under any circumstances. However, whether or not these lesson providers or the ‘fallen businesses’ (pun intended!) learn from their own mistakes, they provide their rivals a reason to smile and an excellent lesson for others. It’s said that one learns from his own mistakes, but in this competitive world one prospers from others’ mistakes!
So, today’s treasured epitome of an “inspiring” blunder is none other than the Borders Book Store! Wake up and smell the coffee! There was a cultural shift while you were sleeping, Borders.
Back in 2003, Borders Book Store had more than 1,200 stores. Now they’re closing even the remaining 399 and the net effect is nearly 11,000 employees losing their jobs. What went so wrong?
Is it another casualty of the Internet era? Not exclusively.
Business is business.
Borders hasn’t made a profit in five years. The last time Borders made a profit was 2006. Its yearly income dropped by $1 billion over the next four years.
Borders began with used rare books in a two room flat after it was founded in 1971. Later, in 1975 it bought out the entire stock of Wahr’s, an 80-year-old bookstore that was ending its business. Borders was best known, in the early days, for their awe-inspiring collection of books and wonderful atmosphere.  Their gigantic inventory was possible because the superstores on average were 25,000 square feet of prime real estate. Costly.
But, that’s what people loved. It was a great place to browse books, relax, drink coffee and squeeze in a nice little break. Oh, and buy books and magazines. (Buying actually became an afterthought with most customers. It’s the experience they went there for, primarily.)
As a result, the Border group sank into heavy debt. To keep the business afloat, the company borrowed $42.5m USD in March 2008 from Pershing Square Capital Management, the company’s major stock holder. This further ended in dropping Border’s share by 28.6% to $5.07/share. Share price continued to drop until it reached the $0.53 level on January 28, 2009.
However, a group of execs high up on the corporate ladder made the decision to clear out sections of books to make room for DVDs and CDs.  Then they cleared away even more area to make room for “PaperChase” (i.e. product line of stationary supplies). Later they closed all of their DVD and CD departments across the board. And very soon much of its senior staff left the company abandoning the sinking ship.
There were a lot of poor decisions, all on the executive level. No input from the stores was accepted and the employees were instead encouraged to leave (some had been with the company for around 20 years. Not smart!).
Did Borders forget how to be a bookstore? Indeed!
They took their eyes off the ball. They stopped focusing on what their customers wanted and instead focused on expanding – seemingly for the sake of expansion. It all made little sense. They treated the Internet like it was a passing fancy and tech toys (like digital readers) as though they were pocket protectors. Were they ever wrong!
Borders failed because they:
•    Ignored the massive move to digital formats in books, video and music
•    Dismissed the power of the Internet and its massive target market
•    Were too late to market with their e-reader  (Barnes and Noble didn’t wait so long)
•    Outsourced their online store to super competitor, Amazon.com
•    Had revolving door management problems
•    Missed the mark with Borders Rewards campaign (frustrating their customers further)
•    Kept replacing their staff too frequently.
•    Tried out different branch businesses including self publication which didn’t turn out well.
Borders is doing one thing right today. They are convincing everyone that the world has changed and so has business.
Barnes and Noble seems to have survived, but they may very well be next. Super book stores may be a dying breed giving in to the smaller, more adaptable, independent shops. In these town and country book shops, the owners have a real love of books, work in the store themselves, and hire friendly, knowledgeable employees that cater to their customers on a level you just can’t get in superstores.
Mass production is old and mass individualization is new (again).
Many people will miss Borders and you’ll read tweets and comments saying just that. One certain comment expresses the demise of this book store: I will miss Borders, more for the fact that it is the only real book store in my city than for the store itself. I do agree that they took their eye off of what made them successful. Walking into Borders used to be about the books, but our local store pushed the books to the back of the store in recent years to make way for music and movies and stationary and toys and games, etc. It was a struggle to find what I was looking for most of the time because the employees knew next to nothing about books, but could tell you where every DVD in the store was located and when it was released.
It certainly hurts when a book shop shuts down but we will keep buying books, print and digital. The business of books is not dead, it’s just changed.
Loral Langemeier, CEO/Founder of Live Out Loud, is an international speaker, money expert and best-selling author of the Millionaire Maker 3 book series and Put More Cash In Your Pocket. To learn more about Loral Langemeier Programs, her workshops and the so called Loral Langemeier Scam, please visit http://www.liveoutloud.com