As you’ve probably noticed, I’m all about practical advice that you can implement in your business to increase profits.

Stuff like, “Do Steps A, B and C, and you should see sales increase.”

But I want to be candid with you for a moment and talk about something that might seem a little “woo-woo” at first.

While building and growing a business, following steps that someone else has lined out for you doesn’t always work out. And it’s not necessarily because those steps don’t work, either.

100 people could have been handed Jeff Bezos plan for starting a company like Amazon. Do you think all 100 would have succeeded? Probably not. Obviously, it’s not because the plan was bad – we know it was a great plan that made him the richest man in the world.

But there are an almost infinite number of roadblocks along the way that may or may not cause difficulties along the way.

And it’s how we deal with those roadblocks – both in the real world and in our minds – that determines if we get to move ahead or we get run off the road.

You can have the best plan EVER, and if YOU are not psychology in the right place to implement that plan, then odds are you will fail.

I’m not a psychologist. I can’t give you the technical talk on why this is true. But I’ve seen from experience that almost without exception, your mindset is going exert far more influence on whether or not you’re successful than any business plan can.

So, let’s say you’re stuck. Maybe you can’t get started. Maybe you got started, but now you’ve hit a roadblock. Profits are not increasing, and maybe they’re even decreasing. Stress is settling in. You don’t know what to do. And it’s balling you up in knots to the point where you can’t see your way clear to getting where you want to go.

Your first step is to get clear. Empty your mind. Set all of your stresses aside so that you can quiet all the chatter that’s distracting you from what might be some very simple solutions.

The best tactic I’ve found for doing this is to get exercise every single day. Take walks in nature whenever possible. Work up a sweat when you can. Get your body in motion to end the feeling of paralysis.

And journal. Journal when you wake up and just before bed. Write down everything you’re thinking and everything that is bothering you.

Both the exercise and the journaling are scientifically proven to quiet your mind, reduce stress and anxiety and put you in a happier place where you can see the solutions that are right in front of you.

When you need ideas, go somewhere quiet with a pad and pen. Maybe relax in your favorite chair or lay down on your bed. Pose your question and then empty your mind. Meditate. Breathe deeply and count your breaths.

Let the answers flow into your mind. Don’t judge them, just write them down. Look at them later and be pleasantly shocked to find you’ve found the next step to take, or even the entire new business plan or solution that had been eluding you for weeks.

One more thing, and this is where it truly gets “woo-woo.” Do affirmations 3 times per day. Write your own affirmations or get them from the internet. Just choose the affirmations that truly resonate with you.

And when you’re doing your own affirmations, I want to encourage you to also say aloud the affirmations that follow, regardless of your religious beliefs (or lack of religious beliefs – it makes no difference).

These come from a brilliant woman named Catherine Ponder. Catherine was a minister in the U.S. in the 1970’s when the recession hit. Her flock was having all kinds of financial problems – layoffs, declines in business sales, not enough money to get by and so forth.

Catherine started doing research and long story short, she began asking her congregation to do affirmations. She provided hundreds of these affirmations over the years along with prosperity teachings.

And the truly remarkable part of this story is not just the frequency of success stories that came out of this endeavor, but the speed with which many of them happened. People who a few weeks before were in financial free fall were suddenly getting new jobs, promotions, more sales, increases in business and so forth that hadn’t happened in the all the months and even years prior to doing the affirmations.

So, here’s my suggestion: Try it for yourself and see. Give it a real test, saying these affirmations aloud three times per day, with emotion. Do it for 30 days, and just see what happens. Think of it as an experiment.

Below you will find just a few of her affirmations. You might need to change them a bit, substituting “Universe” for “God,” or whatever is right for you.

The key is keep your mind open and be consistent.

And yes, I’ve tried this myself. And yes, the results took me by surprise. The first change I noticed was internal. I felt happier, more hopeful, more optimistic and physically lighter. I slept better. I was better able to recognize opportunities when they presented themselves and better able to take advantage of them.

I also received unexpected money in the form of a repayment of a personal loan I’d made years ago. My old friend got in touch with me and said he was sorry for taking so long, and he just felt suddenly compelled to make payment in full, with interest. We are now friends again.

And I received a business refund I didn’t expert, too.

Most of all, my business started taking off like never before.

But none of that matters. What is important is that YOU give this a try and see what it does for you.

If you want more Catherine Ponder affirmations or you would even like to hear her speak, just do an internet search. You can find her books on Amazon, her recordings on YouTube, and her affirmations throughout the web published on numerous sites by her fans.

Catherine is in her 90’s now and retired. And she is still considered to be one of America’s foremost inspirational authors of all time.

To this day Catherine’s work has a very solid, loyal following of people who are indebted to her for her affirmations and teachings, along with the positive changes she’s made in their lives.

Here are the prosperity affirmations. Remember, feel free to change these to best suit you and your beliefs.

I OPEN MY MIND TO PROSPERITY
I do not depend upon persons or conditions for my prosperity. I bless persons and conditions as channels of my prosperity, but God is the Source of my supply. God provides His own amazing channels of supply to me now.
I am the rich child of a loving Father so I prosper now.

I CLEANSE MY MIND FOR PROSPERITY
I dissolve in my own mind, and in the minds of all others, any idea that my own prosperity can be withheld from me. No person, thing or event can keep that from me which the universe has for me now.
My financial income cannot be limited now. The rich substance of the universe now frees me from all financial limitation.
I know that release is magnetic. Through the act of release, I draw to myself my own. I now fully and freely release. I let loose and let go. I let go and grow. I let go and trust.
I now let go; worn out things, worn out conditions, worn out relationships. Divine order is now established and maintained in me and in my world.
All that has offended me, I forgive. Within and without, I forgive. Things past, things present, things future, I forgive. I forgive everything and everybody who can possibly need forgiveness of the past or present. I forgive positively everyone. I am free and they are free too. All things are cleared up between us now and forever.

III. I GET DEFINITE ABOUT PROSPERITY SO THAT PROSPERITY CAN GET DEFINITE ABOUT ME.

Vast improvement comes quickly in every phase of my life now. Every day in every way, things are getting better and better for me now.
I invite the wealth of the universe to manifest richly in my financial affairs now. I am rich in mind and manifestation now.
I am beautifully and appropriately supplied, clothed, housed and transported with the rich substance of the universe now.
I have a large, steady, dependable permanent financial income now. Every day in every way I am growing more and more financially prosperous now.
Large sums of money, big happy financial surprises, and rich appropriate gifts now come to me under grace in perfect ways for my personal use, and I use them wisely.
I give thanks for a quick and substantial increase in my financial income now.
I use the positive power of wisdom, love and good judgment in handling all my financial affairs now.
I am rich, well and happy and every phase of my life is in divine order now.
I praise my world now. I praise my financial affairs now. All the wealth that has not come to me in the past is manifesting richly for me now.
The enormous sums of money that are mine by divine right – now manifest for me quickly and in peace.
Divine love, working through substance, prospers my financial affairs making me free, rich and financially independent now. I am financially independent now.
I give thanks for the immediate complete payment of all financial obligations now, quickly and in peace.
I am receiving. I am receiving now. I am receiving all the wealth that the universe has for me now.

14. All that the rich substance of the universe has for me now comes to me speedily, richly, and freely. My rich good now comes to me quickly and in peace.