Prepare Your Mind.

Today's Marketing Cookie is about being mentally prepared for success.

Nelson Mandela once said, "You cannot prepare for what you secretly believe won't happen." It's true. I have a friend who had been unemployed for a while and secretly believed she would never be hired. She went to a lot of interviews. Her resume was perfect. She came dressed for the part. At some point, however, she decided that she was somehow significantly less than who she really was, and she convinced herself that she would not get the job she wants.

So what in the world is going on here? Is bad luck really a self-fulfilling prophecy? I think it might be. Was my friend really unemployed for longer than necessary because she did not believe she would get the job? I kind of think so. She was not prepared to hear someone say, "When can you start?" and since she could not visualize herself getting the job of her dreams, then perhaps neither could the potential employer. Maybe after her interview, the employer refilled his coffee cup and thought to himself, "Hmm. I think she would do a fine job here. She's qualified, intelligent, and capable... but there's something not quite right... something seems a little off. Perhaps I should keep looking."

What about you?

If you are in sales but secretly believe you won't win the piece of business, the potential client may pick up on it and go elsewhere. If you are unemployed, use today's cookie to believe that you are uniquely qualified for their team and visualize yourself getting the job. If you have been busting your back without getting that promotion you've been striving for, prepare your mind for getting what you deserve. Because as today's fortune says, "Luck favors the prepared mind."