"Investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make. It will not only improve your life, it will improve the lives of all those around you."

Most people assume that the path to success starts at the bottom and moves increasingly upward, but this is not the case. The path to success is never a straight ascension. Not only will there be setbacks, but there will be backtracks, digressions, and periods of aimless stagnation. The important thing is never to remain stuck in any of these states. That is why it is so important to examine your progress routinely in relation to your goals. Setbacks are easy to identify, but digressions and stagnation are more insidious obstacles. Never allow these circumstances to cause you to fall short of what you have set your mind to achieve.

"Worry often gives a small thing a great shadow."

As a sales professional, how are you using social media to enhance your core selling activities? In a social-media world, sales managers fear that their reps will end up wasting time chasing the wrong customers down rabbit holes. Your goal on social media should be, first and foremost, to listen, and listen carefully. What are your customers saying about you and your competition? What are their concerns and worries? Jump in with an answer only if you have relevant, useful, and targeted information to share. Nothing will increase your chances of being ignored faster than an obvious sales pitch. In order to make a successful connection on social media, you must first listen.

Sometimes salespeople can get so caught up in the day-to-day grind that they forget to stop and look at the big picture. Today, check your long-term goals and plans (these should be written down somewhere). Are you on track to meeting these goals? Do you need to modify anything or change your daily behavior in order to attain what you most want in life? Which goals are no longer relevant or need to be updated? At the end of every week, month, and quarter, salespeople are hustling to make their numbers. In the never-ending race to the finish line, don't neglect to take the actions that will help you achieve the larger goals in work and life.

When things change in our life, often we have resistance to the change. But if you understand the structure of the Universe, life, and creation, then you will understand that life is change, and nothing ever stands still. Everything is energy, and energy is in continual motion and change. If energy stood still you would be gone, and there would be no life. 
Change is always happening for the good of you and for everyone. It is the evolution of life.

"Problems should be solved on the spot, as soon as they arise. No frontline employee should have to wait for a supervisor's permission."

Let's face it: almost anything can cause stress. Stressors are different for each person, and they can be positive or negative. There's no doubt about it – selling can be a very stressful profession. There is pressure to prospect, sell, service, deliver, and make your numbers – and still try to balance your personal life and sales career. How can you cope? Plan your work and work your plan. Set achievable, not impossible, goals. If you can, delegate tasks to other people and concentrate on what you do best – selling. Remember that if there's a problem with a customer, it's not personal; it's just business.

"Dreams do come true. Yes, even yours. But you have to meet them part way. Get up and do something towards them. Now."

Ask 10 people to define success, and you'll probably get 10 different answers. Over the years, executive coach Tony Jeary says success is defined as "achieving objectives we have established in advance. Anything else is by chance or serendipity," he writes in his book Strategic Acceleration: Succeed at the Speed of Life. "The most successful people live their lives on purpose. They don't sit around waiting to see what might happen next."

"Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom."

"Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings."

In addition to having the skills needed to make a sale (prospecting, presenting, closing, etc.), salespeople also must be proficient in management skills. These include time management, self-management, and even boss management. But managing your boss doesn't mean bossing your manager. It means understanding your boss and managing yourself. Stop trying to change your boss. The key to building a better relationship is a willingness to change yourself. Many salespeople underestimate the power they have to improve a situation by changing their own behavior.

"I learn something new about the game almost every time I step on the course."

It isn't just your attitude, behavior, and personality that dictate how well you're prepared to succeed. The technology and tools you use also say a lot about your capacity to deliver great results. Has it been too long since you upgraded your mobile devices? Do you make regular use of online solutions that can help you sell better and faster? Make sure you're using the tools that positively influence how customers see you and your professionalism.

"NOW is the time. The Universe likes SPEED. Don’t delay, don’t second-guess, don’t doubt. When the opportunity or impulse is there… ACT!"

When misfortune rears its ugly head, it's easy to overlook the opportunities hiding behind it. Disappointment often clouds our vision so that we can't see all the good things problems leave in their wake. Though setbacks and problems may deprive us of things we thought we wanted, there's often something even better on the horizon. Before you let adversity get you down, make sure your problem isn't hiding a golden opportunity; take a moment to remember how it actually can help you reach your goals.

"It is the nature of man to rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him. "

For some salespeople, their relationship with their boss has very little impact on their work/life happiness. For others, however, managers have a significant impact on how they feel about their work/life balance and even their day-to-day lives. It is important for both managers and salespeople to be cognizant of the different dynamics at play and actively work together toward building a stronger relationship. Doing so will not only increase work/life happiness but also improve on-the-job efficiency and productivity.

Starting a sales career is like flying a plane: to get off the ground, you must have full throttle. But you can't keep it at that speed or the engine will burn out. When the plane reaches cruising altitudes, you pull back a little bit. This is the way sales careers go. At a certain point, you have to take off at full throttle and get to the height where you cruise for a while. The most important thing to remember is to keep your fuel levels high and stay pointed in the right direction.