What is a Mastermind Group?

A mastermind group is the “Coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.” Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill.

A mastermind is the coming together of different people in a relationship. We’ve all heard the saying that “two heads are better than one”. Well, imagine what happens when you bring together two heads or more to create a team to work on a problem! The concept of a mastermind is easy to understand, but it is difficult to find a successful mastermind group. Why is that? People are people, and everyone is different. A major element required is to find a group of people that have similar core values and goals to yourself.

Benefits

Napoleon Hill states in his Think and Grow Rich, “When a group of individual brains are coordinated and function in harmony, the increased energy created through that alliance becomes available to every individual brain in the group.”

Here are some other benefits from Masterminds groups:

- To help accelerate your personal growth and journey towards your goals.
- To provide the team with emotional support.
- To help generate creative solutions for each other.
- To provide beneficial, productive and positive feedback.
- To leverage group experience.

How do you start a Mastermind Group?

So, how do you find people to form a mastermind group? You could advertise that you’re looking for a group by googling for the word “masterminds”, and you’ll find several sites that are advertising for members. Chances are you will probably have to try several different groups before you find one that works for you. This is kind of like “kissing many frogs before you find your prince” approach!

Or you may be lucky enough that the Universe will just bring a group of people into your life, and you all recognize the value and power you have as a team and decide to form a mastermind group.

Either way, there are some fundamental core values that the mastermind member’s should have to be successful. There is an assumption here that you know what your own personal core values and goals are. Having this information allows you to begin recognizing your compatibility with other possible members.

There are certain core values each member should have that are must-haves, if not deal-breakers for a successful mastermind, while there are some nice-to-have core values.

Here are some examples of core values:

- Compatible Work Ethics
- Strong sense of responsibility to self and other members
- Commitment and accountability to each other
- Egos are shelved and we’re open and receptive to new ideas from others
- Complete trust between all members
- Complete candor in the group
- A priority time committed to the group

Examples of possible shared core values are:

- Personal goals
- Belief structures
- Thought processes
- Approaches to life

These lists of core values could be a starting place for you, especially if you don’t already know what your core values are. The list of values you come up with should be discussed with your potential group. If you find that you have agreement (i.e. shared core values) amongst your potential group, then you may have found a mastermind group.

The next step is to agree upon the rules of engagement and/or working principles for the group. Here are some examples of rules of engagement:

- Group size – you require a minimum of 2 people for a mastermind. It is totally up to your group to determine how large the group should be. Keep in mind that the more people in the group, the more complex it may become.
Meeting medium – there are several different way that you can meet as a mastermind, such as teleconferencing, face to face, video conferencing, travel to a common destination, etc. One of the benefits of face to face for us is that we make it a social event.
- Meeting Frequency – this determines how often you choose to meet as a group. How often you meet may depend on the goals or purpose of the mastermind, as well as the availability if its members.
- Measures of success – your mastermind will need to determine how to measure the success of the group. The success of a mastermind will be measured differently for each group. It may be measured externally (e.g. a business has been created), versus an internal measurement to the group (each person grows individually within the group), or both. As long as this measurement is agreed upon by all and the desired outcomes are achieved, the group will most likely remain together.
- Preparation for meetings – there needs to be an understanding of how much work each team member needs to perform outside of the mastermind group.

A mastermind group can be one of the most useful tools you ever implement. It can help you ensure you action your great idea and complete it. Therefore, take some time and invest in yourself by establishing a mastermind group. Or work with your existing mastermind group and see how you can create a more supportive environment.

Today, Iâ??d like to share with you a personal encounter with the miracle of desires that become real, tangible results. I will also explain how to model my results to help you trap your own desires long enough for the universe to manifest them to you.

These simple techniques helped me to cultivate a deep interest in NLP, reading any material on the subject, listening to audios, joining forums online and watching videos on the same. I started doing this around November 2008, over a year ago and it finally happened! Now am taking the Neuro-Linguistic Practitionerâ??s Certification training and by March this year, I will be a Certified Practitioner and a Master Coach in December 2009.

I have also used this technique to organize and lead the first SIGMA (Self-Improvement Goal Mastermind Alliance) Chapter in Nairobi (http://www.sigmahq.com). This has brought me in direct contact with Tristan Loo (http://www.synergyinstituteonline) someone I have admired and followed his teachings for over a year. I would go to his website and read his journals and publications almost religiously. I had a picture of his on my desktop and I carried a folder with printed materials from his website that I could read while commuting to work or traveling. He became part and parcel of my existence, of my subconscious mind.

As an extension of the benefits of these techniques, I am in the process of studying and working out to expand my physical mass and fitness. Am currently reading books on fitness, with a bias to tae-kwon do, am collecting pictures of tae-kwon do â?? the places, the people, the training â?? literally everything. So far, I have made acquaintance with the National Olympic Team coach in my country. I visualize training with the Olympic team, side by side. I will be in the gym starting February 1 2009 at six pm.

I am also using this technique to improve my speaking ability. I listen to audios from Les Brown, my number one motivator. I watch his videos, read his books, I have his photos and I know what conferences he has coming up even if am not attending. I join his free conference calls and am modeling his way of speaking because I admire his success, his ability to ignite the fire in people. Inch by inch am asking the universe to bring me into the sphere of professional public speaking; to take the courses, do all I can do in order to get there, to be The Motivator.

This technique can help you achieve most of the things you want. I believe you can use it to attract the car of your dreams, the dream woman/family, the dream workplace/career, the dream college and much more. Use this technique with the confidence that your transformation is guaranteed and that transformation will come to you in the equal measure that you under fire, aflame with the desires you have.

The guideline:

What is your desire? Is this desire in line with your life purpose?
Create a board and place it in a way that you can view it any/every time with ease
Paste all the pictures, newspaper and magazine cuttings pertaining to your desire on this wall. This is your vision board.
Create a folder on your computer and name it after your desire. Here you will create subfolders, each containing a different format representing your desires e.g. pictures, audios, videos, articles.
Google for anything relevant to your desires and mine all that information into your folder above.
Begin networking to meet people who already have what you desire. The best place to begin with at any given time is the internet. Join social networking websites that discuss your interest. Create a contact list of people who are excellent at what you want and talk to them.
Act as if you already have your desire. Make the act an easy do, frequently go into a state, physical , mental and emotional, that supports your act, your desire. Do this daily until it becomes part of your subconscious mind.
Get detached from the desire! Feel that you have it and know that you have it.
What happens next is going to be your personal enlightenment, your success story.

Create Valuable Business Alliances In Your Physical Therapy Practice: Segment 3

When you have developed a list of prospective partners, think in terms of the following process or steps:

Establish your credibility          Tell them what is in it for them          Explain your idea briefly          Tell them how to get started

It is important that you know a little about this potential partners, what services they deliver, what is missing, what you are doing that is complimentary to them, what they could be looking for in a partnership.

Let’s apply this formula to an example. You may not be well known to your prospective partner. How do you build credibility? It is simple. Give them your name, mention you are the CEO of the clinic, and then give your clinic’s name.

Next when you want to let them know what is in it for them, tell them precisely how they may benefit from the relationship and say this right away. Typically you will be telling them something that will help them get more clients and/or grow their business.

Then explain your idea for the partnership briefly and specifically. Tell them you are planning (insert your idea), you will need them for X number of minutes via telephone. If they are interested, you will send them more specific information on a time and date to meet.

It is important that you know a little about this potential partners, what services they deliver, what is missing, what you are doing that is complimentary to them, what they could be looking for in a partnership.

Some of the things you and your prospective partners may be looking for in a partnership are: increased exposure; recognition; new clients; a way to reach your new target audience; a way to expand the services you offer to your clients; attract new prospects; streamline your operations; strengthen your brand.

Partnerships can take many forms. Some ideas for partnerships are: sponsorships, presence in newsletter, interviews, hold a joint workshop, joint presentations at a conference, write an article, business advisory committee, join a mastermind group, form a mastermind group, promote your suppliers, get bonus gifts from key players in your industry, approach charities to become sponsors of your business, use an incentive plan for your key team members, ask your friends and family for help, request referrals, private label some of your materials, or appreciation gifts, and partnering with your clients to provide even better services.

The Best 10 Tips I Can Give You.

Now if you want to develop highly successful partnering relationships, here are the best 10 tips I can give you.   Behave toward your partner the way you want them to behave toward you.  It’s more important to be a good partner and get things done, then to obsess on being right. Give, give, give before you ask. Regularly communicate and update the value of the partnership with your partner. Know what your partner needs and what is important to your partner. Be clear about what you want from the relationship and what you are willing to give. Be committed; show you confidence in the relationship. Exceed your partner’s expectations. Resolve conflict immediately. Be sure your partner also wants to be a good partner.

Prosperous Physical Therapy

Copyright @2009 by Erika Trimble All Rights Reserved

Anthony Robbins once said: “Quality questions create a quality life. Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.”

Mark Twain said: “Whenever you find yourself on the side of majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”

The day I asked myself some profound questions was the day I decided to quit my day job. Quitting what I was used to doing on ‘autopilot’ was a very scary thought for me. But what motivated me to take action was asking those questions that we always try to avoid.

Although I have refined the questions many times over since I first asked myself: “Will this bring me ‘long-term fulfillment’ or will it bring me ‘Short-Term Gratification’?” “Am I pursuing my own dreams or am I trying to please another?”

Answering those two questions genuinely and as honestly as I could, helped me overcome majority of my fears of venturing out on my own.

Much can be said about the power of asking, and here’s a quick story to illustrate just that:

A salesman for a key-making machine entered a hardware store and gave the shopkeeper a demonstration. “Isn’t it a wonderful machine?” he asked. “Yes, it is.” “It would be a marvelous investment and a great time-saver, wouldn’t it?” “Yes.” “Well, why don’t you buy it?” “Well,” said the shopkeeper, why don’t you ask me to?”

We tend to avoid the questions that can radically change our lives for the better. Most people will choose unhappiness over uncertainty. Don’t let this happen to you. You’ve only got one life to live, so make sure to live your life fulfilled and not unhappy. You need to set aside time to ask yourself good questions.

I know a man in his forties, who decided to spend a few days all by himself, to give some serious thought to what he wanted to do with his life. The insights that these few days brought him have dictated how he lives his life ever since.

The following inspiring story is told in the book “The Aladdin Factor” by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen:

“A woman with two children, living in welfare in a housing project in Chicago’s Cabrini Green district, decided she wanted out of the projects and out of the ghetto. She knew she couldn’t do it alone. She needed a skill she could sell. In order to become a typist, she would need to return to school and get some training. How could she pull this off with two kids to watch all day?

She solved the problem by asking all the other mothers in the project to join her in forming a mastermind alliance. The first thing they did was create a cooperative child care program – a fancy term for “I’ll take your kids on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays if you’ll take mine on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays.” Having freed up three days a week, she took typing and business skills classes at a nearby community college.

Two years later she and several others landed secretarial jobs and moved themselves and their children out of the projects.

Don’t let the following quote by John Greenleaf Whittier describe your life: “For of all sad words of tongues or pen the saddest are these: It might have been…” If you just dare to ask, there is a lot for the taking: personal happiness, professional success, creative fulfillment and more.

Every day, each of us makes a multitude of choices that will impact our lives. Some of these choices are minor and will only impact the next few minutes, hours, or days, while others will completely change the direction of our lives.

Asking good questions and honestly facing the answers will motivate us in choosing what makes us uniquely happy. Here are some questions that you can ask yourself before making life changing decisions:

1. Will this choice propel me toward an Inspiring future or will it keep me stuck in the past? 2. Will this choice bring me long-term fulfillment or will it bring me short-term gratification? 3. Am I standing for what I believe in or am I trying to please another? 4. Will this choice add to my life force or will it rob me of energy? 5. Does this choice empower me or does it dis-empower me? 6. Is this an act of self-love or is it an act of self-sabotage? 7. Is it an act of faith or is it an act of fear?

Ask good questions when it comes to your life. Start with simple questions, and as you gain more experience and wisdom, the questions will surely get better.

Working on long term goals can be a difficult task. It is not easy to keep yourself motivated and focused to achieve success in anything and everything you do. Often, when you are working alone, it can be hard to find the motivation needed to both seek out your goals and to keep trying to make the most of the opportunities given to you. The best way to find motivation and support in the fast moving world of today is to join an online mastermind group. An online mastermind group is an alliance of wisdom and growth—it’s two or more people coming together for a common cause, dedicating all their efforts towards the completion of that goal. By becoming a part of a mastermind group, you can find support, guidance and inspiration to succeed.

An online mastermind group is comprised of individuals from different walks of life who all come together with a purpose to make life better and more successful. Being a part of such a mastermind group is highly beneficial as people with different experiences in life can help you analyze your efforts and give you suggestions for improvement. An online mastermind group will also hold you accountable for the tasks you want to finish. The feeling of responsibility and inspiration derived from an online mastermind group can help you stay focused on the task at hand and achieve your goals with great success. An online mastermind group will also bring in a variety of contacts, resources and experiences that can be instrumental in giving you the motivation and drive to work harder and achieve positive results.

ChangeByThePeople.com is a success support networking forum where you can join the world’s biggest mastermind group online and work towards your success. Change By The People also offers a new line of positive messages and positive sayings apparel, hats and accessories at their online store. Change Is Good Trademarked apparel gives you an opportunity to remember and share the positive message of change while inspiring others to accept change in their life too. Find out more by browsing through www.changebythepeople.com.

The basics of masterminding will help you navigate the process with greater ease. When you relax a little you will even find that the sessions are actually fun and you will look forward to your group time.

If you have never participated in a mastermind group it will be easier if you can find one to join instead of building your own. Simply let others know that you are looking to meet with like-minded people. You will be pleasantly surprised. Others may in fact choose to join you in your search.

Remember when searching for a group that fits with your purpose, that the members need not be local. Most groups connect over the phone, and therefore its members can be located on any continent. Today technology has eliminated distance as an obstacle.

Meetings that are scheduled ahead of time on a regular basis, once a week or every two weeks will allow for more focus and progress. Members of a group will sometimes choose to meet, in person for a 2-3 day stretch once or twice a year. That can be extremely beneficial on many fronts.

When choosing your mastermind group look for some people who are already where you want to be. It may feel uncomfortable for you at first. However it is only by associating with these types of folks that you will be able to gain the greatest knowledge and accelerate your growth.

People who are achieving what you are looking to achieve will be able to guide you, and help you avoid some costly mistakes. This benefit alone is worth every moment of discomfort that you could possibly feel at the beginning of your journey.

And as you are thinking about joining a circle of like minded folks, keep in mind that an ideal group size is around five or six. A group this size will allow participation from everyone and you will not be tempted to hold back from participating or even hide.

If there are less than five or six members, the group tends to lose its dynamics and energy. On the other hand, a group that is too large gets unwieldy. Remember you are choosing to mastermind in order to get out of your comfort zone.

“When two or more people coordinate in a spirit of harmony and work toward a definite objective or purpose, they place themselves in position, through the alliance, to absorb power directly from the great storehouse of Infinite Intelligence.” Napoleon Hill

People who have experience with this process know the value of bringing members together, from various fields of expertise. This factor will allow for more thinking outside of the box.

People who are generally all from the same profession tend to have the same perspectives and often the same roadblocks. Drawing from a more varied knowledge base will bring forth more solutions and more resources to the table. This requires that the participants come to the sessions with an open and accepting mind.

Without getting into particulars of how mastermind meetings are conducted, know that the goal is to let everyone have airtime at each meeting.

At the beginning of the session the moderator for that meeting will generally ask its members what questions they have, which challenges they are working through and what kind of feedback people are looking for.

As folks listen to the opening comments and concerns they can start to think of resources to offer, suggestions and tips that could help.

Are you beginning to see how the process of masterminding is actually quite simple? There are no budgets needed, no fancy equipment required, simply a group of like-minded individuals who are enthusiastic about what they do and who want to learn and grow with each other’s help.

It does not matter where you are in relation to your goals and purpose. Once again, the key factor is to simply get started. Be bold, be brave, set out to find a mastermind group today, and through masterminding with like minded folks, accelerate your success.

Napoleon Hill, author of â??Think and Grow Richâ? stressed the importance of masterminding at two critical phases in his sixth step toward riches. At the onset of our planning we must have mastermind group input. As we implement and adjust our plans we must continue to maintain our relationship with this group.

 

Most people are ready to grow rich but really have no idea of where to start, much less the processes involved.

 

Previous steps prior to organized planning include:

 

Desire or a burning passion to acquire riches or some other goal. Faith that you will obtain you desires. Autosuggestion to enable you to build your faith. Specialized knowledge as may be required. Imagination to conceive the idea which you will use to obtain your riches or goal.

 

As we progress through the steps toward our goal, we have arrived at the point where our initial desire will be as Mr. Hill described it, â??crystallizedâ? into action. This will require planning.

 

This is not to be confused with our initial plan which contains our goal, expected date to receive our goal, etc. This plan is where we begin to take definite action.

 

You may ask why you need to have a plan when you know what you want.

 

Napoleon Hill said it best. â??No individual has sufficient experience, education, native ability, and knowledge to insure the accumulation of a great fortune without the cooperation of other peopleâ?.

 

What he is saying is that you will need to jointly plan with your group. The original idea may be your own creation, but the final version and its methods of implementation must be a joint venture.

 

Masterminding is certainly not a new or unique concept. It is no more than a group of individuals with mastery in various and numerous subjects pertaining to your particular needs, coming together to advise you and critique your plans.

 

Mr. Hill deemed this step as absolutely essential. Do not neglect it!

 

How to form a mastermind group:

 

Research and seek out people who may assist you with your plans. Form an alliance with as many people as you need to create and help you carry out your plan or plans. As you form the alliance, decide what service you will render in exchange for their alliance. This may be money or a service. Arrange to meet with this group as often weekly as is necessary to create and implement your plan. Establish and maintain a harmonious relationship among all members. This again is an absolute essential.

 

The advantages of a mastermind group:

 

Allows you, with the help of the group, to formulate plans that to the best of everyoneâ??s collective knowledge are sound and faultless. Enables you to â??fall back and regroupâ? if your plan does not work and you have to make adjustments or new plans.

 

Your ideas may indeed be sound, however your plans may not be and therefore you donâ??t achieve what you desire. This is where most simply give up. Most people give up on the idea rather than press on until they find the successful plan.

 

As Mr. Hill illustrates in his text, Thomas Edison experienced ten thousand â??temporary defeatsâ? before he perfected the incandescent light bulb. Yes, ten thousand!

 

If you really having a burning desire for riches, you will need a fiery persistence to build and if need be rebuild your plans, never admitting final defeat.

 

â??No man is ever whipped, unless he quits in his own mindâ?, Napoleon Hill, â??Think and Grow Richâ?.