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.

"Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it, and others do just the same with their time."

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.

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.

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.

The secret to getting to your peak zone of positivity lies in the ability to focus your attitude in a consistent and conscious manner. When you're able to focus in a routine manner, you create the basis of a happy and productive life. People who learn to control inner experience will be able to determine the quality of their lives, which is as close as any of us can come to achieving our peak zone of positivity.

After years of executive and management experience in sales, many become proven and well-respected leaders; however, experience itself is not the mark of a successful leader. Many sales managers and leaders with extensive backgrounds are, in fact, not very effective at what they do. The path to success in a sales career is marked by dedication to constant improvement and growth. The sales profession changes very quickly. Just sticking around is not enough to live up to the constant challenges of leading a sales team.

"The ultimate goal of a more effective and efficient life is to provide you with enough time to enjoy some of it."

Want a starting point for keeping yourself pumped up? Start by watching the company you keep. Every sales team has a grumblers' table, where naysayers gather to share stories of failure. Never take a seat at that table. Negativity multiplies and, pretty soon, failure and rejection seem normal. Begin to believe that, and soon you'll believe that there is no exit to a rosier future. Choose instead to spend your time with people who can help get you back on track.

Salespeople are great at brushing off rejections. While it's true that every no leads you closer to a yes, there's a fine line between healthy optimism and denial. Don't ignore real frustration or try to put on a happy face if you really feel down. Constantly suppressing negative feelings often leads to a short temper. Instead of lying to yourself, acknowledge the lost opportunities and the fact that they don't feel good – and then continue working.

"Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort."

If you do your homework, an objection or angry response should never take you by surprise. You shouldn't take someone's negativity or anger personally. Even if his or her objections are based on factual error, your first response should be to validate the other person's feelings. Objections and disagreements can be useful opportunities to better understand someone. There is no "one answer fits all" for objections or angry outbursts. Recognize that they're a natural part of dealing with people.

Tough times can take a toll on teamwork and highlight frustrations. Salespeople often take it personally when the numbers are down, and their egos mandate that they fight back. Many times the battle spills from the marketplace into the company's own ranks. It's not uncommon for some salespeople to speak negatively about their company's products, promotions, or pricing policies. To successfully control the infighting, sales leaders must curb their own aggressive impulses, calm frayed nerves, and channel their salespeople's fighting instincts back to healthier outlets.

"Take a chance!  All life is a chance. The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare."

Plato once wrote, "He who does well must of necessity be happy." That thought brings up two questions: Are you doing well? Are you happy? If the answer is yes to both questions, you're on the right track. If you think you are doing well but feel a lack of happiness, then you must consider two questions: How can you continue to make other people happy if you are unhappy? What can you do to be happier?

In sales, we hear a lot about winners and losers. But top achievers don't restrict their thinking or adhere to rigid characterizations. Instead, they accept people for who they are as individuals. They are flexible in their business dealings and favor compromise. They refuse to think that there is only one right answer to every question. They allow themselves to trust others, and they accept people as they are without judging them.

Highly successful people tend to think in ways that facilitate effective action. They don't spend a lot of time worrying about the things they have to accomplish. When faced with a deadline, they go ahead and do the work. They don't get stuck in an endless loop, thinking, "I should really finish this up today," or "I'll get to this when I have more time." The next time you face a task or deadline, take a page from the book of the highly successful people of the world, and jump right in.

"Enlightenment is the key to everything, and it is the key to intimacy, because it is the goal of true authenticity."

Nothing can make a career grow faster than your reputation as an idea generator. Any potential for improvement you observe can be money in the bank. Keep your eyes and ears open. If you see a money-making or money-saving opportunity, get the message across to management pronto. Your interest and concern will make you stand out from the crowd and be remembered when promotion time rolls around. Victor Hugo wrote, "Nothing is so powerful as an idea whose time has come."