Successful people know that in business or in life, there are pointers or road maps to help guide their way. Put these pointers to use and your success, online or off, will be nothing short of amazing.

Here are 7 simple but extremely powerful pointers that most successful people follow. Profitable online businesses have become so because they routinely use most or all of these pointers.

Do not let the "ordinariness" or simplicity of these suggestions fool you. Sometimes the simplest things are the most profound.

1. You must have an open mind and be willing to try different methods, techniques, and approaches.
   
   We've all heard the old saying, "If you keep doing what you've been doing, you'll keep getting what you've been getting." If you want different results, you have to be willing to try different methods.

   More than likely, the rules that governed your past jobs or businesses just don't work the way they used to. No wonder -- this is a different playing field and an entirely new game. Be a bit more flexible in your thinking and you'll widen your
   scope of possibilities.
   

2. You must make sure that you have a clear idea of what you
   want your results to be.

   If you don't know where you want to go, any road would get you there. When I ask new clients what it is they want out of their marketing efforts, some would say, "More business" or "Less competition."
   
   "More" and "Less" are relative terms. If you're selling twenty-two widgets a week, selling three more is an improvement. But perhaps you wanted to sell four times as many as you've been selling. Then set that quantity as a goal.
   
   When you have named your goal there is a target to aim at. Without a goal it's like shooting first and aiming later.
   
   For example, decide what it is you expect out of your marketing efforts. You don't have to know the exact details. Just get a good idea of what you want the results to be.

3. Write down your goals.
   
   This is very important. Don't struggle with the words or the grammar. Just write them down; a 3 x 5 index card will do. No need to write a novel, just a simple statement of what you want will be enough.
   
   The very act of writing things down brings into play invisible connections. The reasons for this, I still don't understand.
   
   It may have something to do with taking action. Perhaps your goal was to sell 100 widgets. Then keep that goal firmly in mind. Write it down.

4. Read what you've written down, once in the morning and once before you go to sleep.
   
   If you want to change what you've written, feel free to do so. After all, you are writing your goals and since they're yours, you can make them whatever you want them to be. But write them down and read them over at least twice a day.

   We know very little about the subconscious mind. Yet, scientists are telling us that the subconscious is responsible for much of our success or failure in life.

   It seems that our conscious mind makes the choices and our subconscious brings to us what we choose. Top athletes and their trainers understand this and thus spend much time practicing mentally before their game or event.

   Most successful business people are aware of the power of the subconscious. Let your subconscious work for you. You don't need to know *why* it works. I doubt that anyone really knows why. All you need to know is that it does work and that you can work it. There are many times when gut feelings would lead you to a place that logic couldn't reach.

5. You must personally be involved in your business.

   Why? Can't certain areas be handled better by others? Frankly, yes and no. Your energy is vital to oversee the total scheme, to make sure all the parts mesh together properly.

   No one has the same stake in the success of your business as you do. You see, you are your business. Without your energy, your input, your dream, and your direction it will flounder helplessly.

6. Practice to disconnect from the problem for short periods of time.

   The toughest part of the work must be done from the inside out, from the perimeter to the center of our being.

   The hardest part of the job in solving your business problems is not in market conditions, capitalization, or sales strategies.

   This is a very important concept! This is a mental world and we don't overcome it in the marketplace -- but in the mind.

   Tough as things may be, try to stay in balance. (This can be done with the help of various tools such as "The Power Pause -- 3 Minutes, 3 Steps to Real Success and Personal Happiness."

   Ask yourself this question: "Is there anything I can do about this problem right now?" If the answer is "yes," then go ahead and do what you can.

   However, if the answer is "no," then don't waste time worrying. Just switch your attention to something else.

   This is not the easiest thing to do but, with practice, you'd be amazed how quickly it becomes a habit.

   This is not about positive thinking, although positive thinking is a worthwhile tool. It's not about visualization, though that is helpful as well. And it's not about meditation, although the benefits of meditation have been well documented by the medical establishment.

   It is about getting yourself to a place where you can think clearly without desperation.

7. Trust the process.

   At first, this might seem really stupid. How do I trust the process when I don't even know what the process is -- and why it works?

   Again, we don't have to know why it works. You don't have to know how an engine works to drive a car. Just know that it has worked successfully for thousands of others and it can work for you as well. It has been shown that it works even better when we trust it.

   Now the seven suggestions given above will definitely help you in getting your business into top gear. I call them the "Silent Seven" because no one has to know you're practicing a new way. And of course, it costs you nothing but some time and commitment to try.

   Keep an open mind. Try them. You've got nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain.