Some fourteen years ago, I was given a business card designed as a tin can with the words, Success Comes In Cans, Not Cannots. This was from Nigel Botterill of N5, who  is still successful.  I have kept it ever since and used it as the theme for the Rural Dorset Business meeting in Sherborne on Thursday.

There was an interesting discussion over dinner about what is the one thing you know would make a significant difference to your business if you did it superbly well. A key topic on our table was marketing. This was about getting the right words in marketing material, targeting your customers or just making those calls.

If we know what we should be doing and have the skills to do it, what stops us doing it? As Henry Ford said; ‘If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’ll be absolutely right’.

Self limiting beliefs affect our self talk and therefore our performance. As children we may have believed in Santa Claus (those that still do, read no further!), but as we grew up the evidence may have changed our belief. How many other beliefs from childhood do you still carry, even though the evidence no longer holds true? An example was given by two people, who still believed they were ‘stupid’, because important people had told them  that when they were young.

Fears hold us back from moving forward. This may be fear of failure, rejection, making mistakes or even success. Fear can be described as false evidence appearing real. One brave person admitted that she feared delegation, and realised that she needed to trust her staff more.

Having a positive ‘can do’ attitude enhances the likelihood of success. I call this the Bob the Builder syndrome. How often do you say ‘yes I can do that’ and then rise to the challenge of actually making it happen?

The actor Christopher Reeve said ‘Our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, but then when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable’.

What can you do that will make success inevitable for you in 2010?