Success cannot be defined by one single Quality, Characteristic or Psychological Trait. If it were that easy, than everyone would be successful and there would be no purpose for this article or Mind Map. Instead Success is rather a delicately blended mixture of Qualities, Characteristics and Traits that if balanced in the right combinations will help you attain the pinnacles of achievement. Just like the ingredients of an elegant meal, a little too much Confidence, or too little Attention to Detail and the entire recipe will fall apart when heated up in the oven.

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Introduction

Success cannot be defined by one single Quality, Characteristic or Psychological Trait. If it were that easy, than everyone would be successful and there would be no purpose for this article or Mind Map. Instead Success is rather a delicately blended mixture of Qualities, Characteristics and Traits that if balanced in the right combinations will help you attain the pinnacles of achievement. Just like the ingredients of an elegant meal, a little too much Confidence, or too little Attention to Detail and the entire recipe will fall apart when heated up in the oven.

This IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down the Indispensable Qualities of Success in the following ways:

• The 1st Branch of this Mind Map delves into the Personal Traits and Emotional Qualities that are indispensable to success.
• The 2nd Branch of this Mind Map breaks down the indispensable Social aspects of success.
• The 3rd Branch of this Mind Map identifies the Intellectual and Effective Thinking habits that are required for success.
• The 4th Branch of this Mind Map unlocks the Spiritual qualities of success.
• The 5th Branch of this Mind Map discusses the habitual patterns of behavior that are required for success.

Personal Qualities of Success

The 1st Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map delves into the Personal Traits and Emotional Qualities that are indispensable to success.

Confident

When we cultivate the quality of Confidence, everything naturally seems easier, more effortless and we have a tendency to act with deeper conviction and passion.

Patient

When we are Patient we make better decisions, are able to spot opportunities and tend to be far more relaxed when undertaking tasks and activities.

Grateful

Gratitude helps us appreciate the little things in life. It helps us appreciate what we have, and that naturally makes us feel good, and puts us in a positive frame of mind.

Competitive

A Competitive Spirit pushes us to our limits, forces us to think intelligently about our circumstances, and entices us to step outside our Comfort Zones in order to do whatever it takes to win at the game of life.

Has Sense of Humor

Having a Sense of Humor doesn’t mean that we joke around all day. What it does mean is that we see things from a light-hearted perspective. This naturally puts our minds at ease and allows us to think with greater clarity of thought.

Self-Belief & Assurance

When we truly Believe in ourselves and our own abilities, than anything and everything becomes possible to achieve. It is this Self-Belief that separates remarkable people from the masses.

Appreciation for Life & Others

Appreciation comes in many forms. We can appreciate our current circumstances no matter how limiting they may seem. Through this form of appreciation we naturally begin to learn from our experiences and can make better and more effective decisions as a result.

We can also take time to appreciate what the people in our lives teach us on a daily basis - even though on the surface they may seem to be holding us back.

When everything is said and done, it is clear that appreciation brings about more clarity and helps us to learn about ourselves, life, others and our environment in many unexpected ways.

Humble

When we cultivate the quality of being Humble, this naturally opens our minds to alternate perspectives while enabling us to learn from our environment and others in ways that we would not have realized was possible.

Friendly

When we come across as being Friendly, this naturally makes us very approachable to other people. When a person is approachable it enables them to attract the right kinds of circumstances, people and opportunities into their life that will help them achieve their goals and objectives.

Forgiving

When we lack the capacity to forgive others for their indiscretions or mistakes, we tend to hold onto those negative feelings, and they tend to manifest in our lives in very limiting ways. Not only do they influence our mood, but they also have a lasting impact on our decision making and the thought process that goes into making those decisions.

Forgiving others, naturally allows us to let go of these negative emotions, and enables us a greater clarity of thought.

Finally, it is also very important to forgive yourself for mistakes and errors you have made in the past. Blaming yourself for these behavior will eat you up little-by-little until every segment of your life is absorbed with ill-feelings.

Calm Under Pressure

When we display a sense of Calmness under Pressure situations, we naturally tend to think with greater clarity and thusly make more effective decisions.

Living Passionately

Passionate Living comes from the heart. It’s not something that you switch On or Off at a moments notice, it is instead something that You Become wholeheartedly inside and out.

Living passionately will magnetically attract into your life the opportunities, people and circumstances you need to get you what you want most in life.

Living Relentlessly & Tenaciously

Those who are Relentless and Tenacious naturally do more in less time, and therefore discover greater opportunities for growth - to become who they need to become in order to achieve what they want most in life.

Independent

Living Independently does not mean that you do not rely on others to help you achieve your goals and objectives. What it does mean is that you Don’t Need To Rely on Others to achieve your goals and objectives because you have built up the necessary Knowledge, Resources and Experience to achieve what you want most in life.

You do however choose to put your trust in others because you realize that you must leverage your time whenever possible.

Has Burning Desire

Living with a Burning Desire means being unable to sleep at night because you have plans and ideas you want to implement that will take you one step closer towards your goals and objectives the very next day. It means that you undertake tasks enthusiastically, and that you face challenges head-on with a sense of excitement and confidence that “life just simply does not get any better than this”.

Yet, as you awaken the very next morning you realize that life has actually become even better than it was the day before, and this naturally strengthens your Desire to make the most of this brand new day.

Is Determined

Determination signifies that no matter what life throws your way, that you will Never, Never Quit in the face of adversity. You are determined to achieve your goals and objectives, and you will do Whatever It Takes no matter how long it takes in order to reach your desired outcomes.

Charismatic, Magnetic & Charming

Charisma, Magnetism and Charm are indispensable qualities of the most influential people the world over. These people walk into a room and magnetically draw others to them by the way they talk, behave and project themselves in social situations.

Courageous

Unless we have the courage to step outside of our Comfort Zones, to push the boundaries of what is possible, and to move beyond what we know, than we will simply fail to live up to our full potential.

Genuinely Caring

Caring for others, for life, ourselves and our circumstances comes from the heart. When people truly care about their goals and objectives, and care about the outcomes that each of their actions may potentially produce, they naturally become more socially aware and adept to the world around them.

Unconditionally Accepting of People

People are Human, and they will tend not to be perfect, and will often make mistakes that were not intended to hurt you. To accept other people unconditionally, means that we accept them for who they are and for what they do without conditions or strings attached.

Fun Loving

Having a Fun Loving nature means that we see the Brighter Side of Life no matter how dreadful or dire the consequences we find ourselves in.

Fun Loving individuals tend to relax more, stress less, enjoy life and also tend to be more Creative. All of these tendencies naturally help them achieve their goals and objectives far more easily and effortlessly.

Fascinated About People & Life

Children are always fascinated about people and life. They will ask question after question in order to learn as much as they can about the world around them. Successful people are very much the same. In reality they are big kids, always asking questions, always wanting to learn and know more about people, life, events and the circumstances that surround them. As a result, they end up knowing a lot more than the average masses, and can therefore make better and more effective decisions.

Sincere

Being Sincere means that we are genuine and honest when dealing with other people and circumstances. We don’t hide our true selves behind a mask or veil, and we certainly don’t tell people what they want to hear. We may soften our approach at times, however this does not take away from our sincerity.

Being sincere means that we are very approachable and likable, and this in turn attracts a greater array of people and opportunities our way.

Generous

When we are Generous of our time, money and heart, we naturally radiate a positive energy - an energy that shows other people that we give more than what we take, and as a result we become useful to society, we become an important voice within the community and we radiate an aura of Influence Over Others.

Emotionally Intelligent & Proactive

Emotional Intelligence is your ability to Proactively choose the right kinds of emotions - most appropriate for the circumstances you find yourself in - that will get you what you want most within that specific moment in time.

When you Proactively control your emotions, than the world becomes your oyster as you effectively Take Control of your Life. On the flip-side, when you React to events and circumstances in emotional ways, than you are effectively giving up control of yourself to your environment.

Emotionally Rich, Resilient & Strong

Being Emotionally Rich means that you live life experiencing a wide variety of empowering and challenging emotions that enable you to grow psychologically on a daily basis. This naturally strengthens your ability to deal with the unexpected consequences of your decisions and actions.

There are many people out there who limit themselves to experiencing only a few emotions. By doing this, they are putting themselves at a massive disadvantage. Not only do they fail to grow emotionally, but they also fail to develop the psychological resilience they need to effectively deal with the unexpected circumstances that life throws their way. Hence, it is important never to resist the emotions you feel, but rather genuinely experience them and take time to understand the message that they are sending your way.

Social Qualities of Success

The 2nd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down the indispensable Social aspects of success.

Avoids Negative Associations

People who don’t support our goals or personal growth tend to weigh us down both physically and psychologically.

You must be very careful when selecting your Group of Peers. Make sure that they are supportive of you and the outcomes you desire to experience in your life. If they are not, than they could very well be a liability that will keep you from living the life you seek.

Is Always Smiling

When we smile we immediately radiate a powerful and magnetic energy that’s very attractive to others. This will naturally make you more approachable and will help you to attract more opportunities into your life.

Influences by Example

Nobody likes a dictator who tells you what to do but doesn’t do it themselves.

The greatest form of Influence Over Other People is your ability to Influence by Example; meaning that you effectively Become and Do what you would like others to Become and Do in return.

Honors Personal Commitments & Promises

When you make a Promise or Commitment you must keep it, otherwise you will lose the respect of your peers and colleagues, which will likewise leach the opportunities you need to attain your goals and objectives.

Always Contributing

The more you Contribute to people’s lives, to the community and to organizations, the greater Influence and Respect you effectively gain in the eyes of your Peers. This will, over time help attract the opportunities you need to achieve your goals and objectives.

Complimentary of Others

People like to know that you respect and appreciate them. As a result they will respect and appreciate you in return. To do this, simply be genuinely complimentary of others when within their company, and they will in-turn be more open to your ideas and suggestions.

Challenges Others

Successful people always challenge themselves to move beyond their present abilities. Likewise they know that in order to get the best out of others, they must also challenge them to live up to their fullest potential each and every day.

Is Not Concerned with Criticism

Everyone has an opinion about something, and not everyone’s opinion or perspective will ever be exactly the same. Furthermore, we cannot please everyone at the same time, nor can we please everyone all of the time. As a result we may experience criticism whether we like it or not.

When we don’t concern ourselves with the Criticism of others we naturally press forward with greater clarity of mind. On the other hand, when we do distract ourselves by the criticisms of our Peers, Colleagues, Family and Friends, we tend to be very hesitant, tend to worry and tend to make ineffective decisions.

Seeks Equality: Win/Win Relationships

Nobody likes to lose, and everybody wants to be treated fairly and equally. Thusly, when dealing with others it is important to work from the perspective of setting up Win/Win Relationships that benefit all parties concerned. In this way people will respect you and will be more willing to help you achieve your personal goals and objectives.

Seeks Understanding First

It is so very easy to get absorbed within our own personal agendas that we lose sight of the message that another person is trying to get across to us. This could lead to missed opportunities, hurt feelings and a plethora of other consequences that may temporarily halt the progress we are trying to make towards the achievement of our objectives.

Seeks Like-Minded Associations

Successful people constantly seek like-minded associations who have similar interests, beliefs, values, goals and perspectives about life. They realize that these people are congruent with whom they seek to become, and as such will support them wholeheartedly as they move forward towards the achievement of their goals and objectives.

Seeks to Build Relationships

You must become a Relationship Builder - taking time daily to connect with new people, to cultivate existing relationships, and to build powerful emotional bonds with the people in your life. Your mission is to help others get what they want emotionally, financially and physically, and than maybe (don’t openly expect it) they will in turn help you attain your goals and objectives when you need them most.

Who you know, and the depth of the emotional bond you have developed with these people, could be the only thing standing between you and your objectives.

Listens Insightfully

When we listen openly without judgment or criticism, we allow ourselves the opportunity to understand the true meaning behind a person’s message. This shows them that we genuinely care and respect who they are and the message they are attempting to get across to us. As a result we will gain their respect and admiration in return.

Is Honest & Has Integrity

With these two qualities the world is your oyster, and without them you can easily lose the respect of an entire community that you rely on to help you achieve your goals and objectives.

Shows Sincere Interest in People

Finally, it’s absolutely critical that you show sincere interest in people. People want to feel that they are important and that others respect and admire them. In this way you will gain their respect and admiration in return.

Intellectual Qualities of Success

The 3rd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map identifies the Intellectual and Effective Thinking habits that are required for success.

Living as an Optimistic Realist

Pure Optimism is a very endearing quality. However, it can very quickly become a weakness because it literally blindsides the individual into thinking that everything will be okay no matter what they do, think or decide.

The alternative is to become an Optimistic Realist. This means that you expect that positive things will happen, however you also have the necessary Forward Thinking to understand that there will be obstacles along your path, and that you must adapt your approach if you want to attain your goals and objectives.

Living Life as a Game

Living Life as a Game means not taking things too seriously and not getting overly upset when obstacles arise. Moreover, it means treating every problem as a new challenge that will help you grow and learn more about yourself.

Furthermore, we must remember that the Game of Life never ends as long as you keep playing.

Open Minded

Being Open Minded means that you acknowledge other people’s perspectives, that you take time to understand alternative ideas, and that you don’t lose yourself within your own personal view of the world. In this way you will open up the channels of communication and understanding between you and other people - helping you to more readily learn from other’s mistakes and identify opportunities that come your way.

Asks Effective Questions

Without asking the right kinds of questions, you will have no hope at finding the kinds of answers you are looking for to achieve your goals and objectives.

Additionally, Effective Questions are the windows to new insights, ideas and lifelong lessons that will help you overcome the setbacks that life throws your way.

Always Reframes Negativity

Reframing Negativity means that you re-interpret negative words or unfortunate events and circumstances in a way that will help you to deal more effectively with the challenges at hand. In this way you will discover alternative perspectives and obtain new ideas and insights that will help you to move through your problems far more efficiently.

Constant Awareness of Thoughts

Everything begins with a Thought!

The emotion you are experiencing right now started with a single thought. The decision you just made, started with a single thought. And the life you see before you today, started with a single thought long, long, long ago.

Becoming aware of your thoughts, is the first step to change. Once you realize that your thoughts are the cause of all your problems in life, than you can begin to consciously transform them accordingly.

With a Sense of Awareness you are able to see your life from a new perspective and from a variety of angles - without this Sense of Awareness you may as well be walking blind through a thick fog, not knowing what you are going to stand on as you take your next step.

Good Attention to Detail

Cultivating the Habit of Attending to the Details will allow you to see things that others simply overlook and thusly fail to understand. This in essence provides you with a unique advantage. Because you identify what others don’t, you can therefore make better and more effective decisions, and are more prone to recognizing the opportunities that come you way.

Thinks Diligently

To Think Diligently means being able to think in a disciplined, patient and proactive manner that enables you to effectively filter out any distractions that may come your way.

Thinks Strategically

Strategic Thinking is a balance of Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Creativity. All of which are of primary importance when it comes to thinking flexibly under difficult conditions when effective decisions need to be made.

Spiritual Qualities of Success

The 4th Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map unlocks the Spiritual qualities of success.

Lives within the Flow of Life

Living within the Flow of Life basically means taking action without resistance, judgment or regret. You are in essence living your life detached emotionally from circumstances and detached mentally from judging the conditions that life throws your way. This is very advantageous because it enables you to perceive events from an Observer’s Perspective, allowing you to make more effective choices and decisions as you go about your day.

Thinks Abundant Thoughts

Thinking Abundantly involves the process of Thinking about what you want to Do, Be, Have and Achieve. Furthermore it involves the process of seeing opportunity where there is lack, or seeing solutions where others only see obstacles and problems.

Experiences Abundant Feelings

The experience of Abundant Feelings is very closely tied to the Thought Process. When you Think Abundantly you will experience feelings of abundance and this will likewise clarify your thought process and allow you to make more effective choices and decisions.

Lives within Present Moment

To live within the Present Moment does not mean that you cannot think about your future goals and objectives. What it does mean is that you are focusing all your energy on the NOW in order to maximize your understanding of the present moment and the circumstances you find yourself in. This therefore enables you to make more effective decisions that will help you attain your goals and objectives at a future time.

Behavioral Qualities of Success

The 5th Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map discusses the habitual patterns of behavior that are required for success.

Lives Detached from Outcomes

Detaching yourself from the outcomes and circumstances of your life means that you do not involve yourself emotionally as things come to pass - whether good or bad. This will help clarify your thinking and enable you to make better and more effective decisions.

If circumstances do not seem to go in your favor, than you detach yourself emotionally in order to gain insight into the possible opportunities that may now have presented themselves. Alternatively, if things do seem to go in your favor, than you also detach yourself emotionally from the experience in order to gain a better understanding of the possible flaws or future problems of the circumstances that you find yourself in.

Ambitious

Having Ambition provides you with energy, with a sense of confidence, and a willingness to learn, grow and become more than what you are today.

Disciplined

When you are Disciplined you naturally stick at a task for longer, you are more diligent in your actions, and you are more patient when it comes to making effective choices and decisions.

Let’s Go of Negative Emotions

By letting go of Negative Emotions such as Jealousy, Anger and Guilt you effectively clear your mind of the emotional clutter that will sabotage your thinking and limit your ability to make sensible decisions under pressure.

Never Makes Excuses

When we make Excuses we are effectively laying blame on others, the environment or circumstances that we feel are out of our control. When we Do Not feel under Control we naturally project a sense of vulnerability, a sense of limited strength and capacity to proactively take charge of the events and circumstances in our life - independent of external factors. It is easy to see how a person who locks themselves into this kind of behavior will never achieve their goals or objectives - unless of course they drop their excuses and begin taking full responsibility for their life and circumstances.

Never Judges

He who Judges others for their decisions and actions is effectively acknowledging their own weaknesses within this area.

Many people are quick to judge others, and yet they rarely take the time to critically judge their own behaviors and actions.

By Judging others suggests that you are closed-minded about alternative perspectives that contradict your own. This could very well prevent you from spotting potential opportunities that you may need in order to help you achieve your goals and objectives.

Never Complains

No matter how bad things seem, no matter how tired you feel, and no matter how much others are trying to steal your dream, You Never Complain, because you realize that the moment you complain is the precise moment you are giving-in to others, events and circumstances. Furthermore, it is also the moment that you give-up on reaching your objectives and dreams.

Constantly Persevering Forward

No matter what happens, no matter what life decides to throw your way, as long as you keep moving forward and thinking proactively and intelligently about your next step, you will eventually reach your destination. Yes, the path may be somewhat unexpected or may take you slightly longer than you imagined, but you will get there as long as you Keep Moving Forward.

Constantly Alert

When you cultivate the quality of Alertness you become more attuned to other people, to yourself and to the events and circumstances of your life - enabling you to spot opportunities and identify new paths towards your goals and objectives that you were simply not aware of before.

Focused on Recognizing Opportunities

When you are Alert and aware of yourself, others and your surrounding environment, you naturally notice patterns and the natural rhythms of life that will help you to recognize and identify opportunities that you were previously not attuned to before.

Focused on Solutions

Where others only see problems you see an opportunity or solution to grow, to take action or to make a more effective decision. In your eyes, problems are simply gifts wrapped in toilet paper. They might not look very appealing on the outside, however when you take upon your shoulders the task of unwrapping that toilet paper you soon get a taste of all the wonders that are hidden within.

In order to focus on solutions, you must learn to ask better and more effective questions on a daily basis.

Goes the Extra Mile

Going the Extra Mile means doing more than you initially planned in order to help others, to move beyond your present circumstances or to simply make the most use of the opportunities that have been presented to you.

Going the Extra Mile also means moving beyond your present abilities, beyond your current capacity, expectations and beyond what you ever thought was possible.

Focused on What Want

When you only focus on what you want to Do, Be, Have and Achieve than you will sooner or later end up attaining your goals and objectives. It’s like a mathematical formula of sorts. Simply focus on ONLY what you Want and eventually what you Want will become your reality without questions. However, most people can’t seem to do this because of Self-Limiting Beliefs, Habits and a weak Self-Concept.

Takes Intelligent Risks

Taking Intelligent Risks means weighing up all of the pros and cons of a decision before taking decisive action. This requires good Critical Thinking and Forward Thinking Skills.

Relishes Challenges

A person who is primed for success absolutely Relishes the Challenges that life throws their way. Without Challenges and Problems there is no excitement, and without excitement there is no fulfillment.

Learns from Adversity, Mistakes & Others

When you take action towards the attainment of your goals and objectives, you will naturally come across obstacles and setback along the way. By taking time to learn from these experiences will help you to develop the necessary momentum to achieve your objectives far more quickly. Furthermore, taking time in advance to learn from the mistakes that others have made, will save you from making the same mistakes, and will enable you to make more effective decisions towards the attainment of your goals.

Seeks Excellence

Excellence is not something you Do but rather something you Become over time. A person who is destined for Greatness naturally endeavors to perform at their highest level, and at their peak potential each and every day. They seek to attain levels of Excellence that others have yet to achieve, and they desire to live up to the highest standards that they set themselves each and every day.

Always Growing

A person who is on the path to greatness experiences each day as an opportunity to Grow and become more than they were the day before. They will grow by moving beyond the obstacles that stand in their way, grow by learning from the people they interact with every day, and grow from seemingly the most irrelevant experiences that help to mold their personalities like clay.

Seeks Measurable Progress

Unless we measure the progress we are making towards the outcomes we desire to experience in our lives, than we consequently will fail to identify areas of improvement that we could take advantage of that would help us achieve our goals and objectives far more rapidly.

Keeps Promises to Self

There are many people out there who wholeheartedly believe that they have kept every promise they have ever made. However, little do they realize that it’s the promises to themselves which they haven’t kept that are hurting them the most.

When you keep seemingly insignificant promises to yourself, you effectively create a surge of energy that strengthens your Belief Systems, encourages the development of New Habits, and effective transforms your Self-Concept.

A quote by the wonderful author Stuart Wilde that has stuck with me for many years says it in 4 words:

My Word… My Law!

Proactively Action Oriented

Being Proactively Action Oriented means avoiding the pitfalls of Procrastination. It means that you take action each and every day that moves you towards the attainment of your goals and objectives - no matter how significant or insignificant those actions might be. As long as they are moving you forward in the right direction, than you are progressively moving closer to your targets.

Takes Full Responsibility for Life Decisions

Finally, and maybe most importantly, unless you take Full Responsibility for your Life Decisions, Behaviors and Actions, than you will simply fail to capitalize on the OPPORTUNE PROBLEMS that your decisions, behaviors and actions create.

Remember that a Problem is only a Gift wrapped in Toilet Paper that has Opportunities hidden within

The MasterMind Matrix Connection

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The Indispensable Qualities of Success presented within this post and within the accompanying Mind Map only scratch the surface of the Psychology of Achievement.

You may very well over time begin cultivating many of the Success Qualities listed here, however unless you really take the time to understand the interconnections between your thoughts, emotions, beliefs, values and other psychological factors, than you will probably never realize your full potential.

The greatest obstacle to the achievement of success in life is Personal Self-Sabotage. This is when we think, decide and behave in a specific way that directly or indirectly sabotages the progress we are trying to make towards the achievement of our goals and objectives. Understanding how these factors come about and how they connect to different aspects of our psychology is fundamentally critical in helping us overcome these silent saboteurs. And this is where the MasterMind Matrix comes into play.

Take a Journey through the MasterMind Matrix to learn more.

Final Thoughts

It has been said that Success is more of a Journey rather than a Final Destination. This couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to cultivating the Indispensable Qualities of Success presented here. However, don’t expect that you will wake up tomorrow and suddenly transform your life overnight by adopting all of these qualities into your psychology. Unfortunately life doesn’t work that way.

We are all Creatures of Habit that have taken weeks, months, years and even decades to develop and become who we are today. These habits do not suddenly change overnight. However, they do change over time if we actually take the time to consciously transform them with purpose and disciplined action.

To do this, begin by printing out this IQ Matrix Mind Map and select 1 or 2 qualities each week that you will progressively take time to condition into your psychology. However, don’t just select these qualities, actually take the time to draw up a Plan of Action or better yet a Mind Map presenting you with at least a handful of ideas that will help you adopt these qualities into your psychology as you go about your day.

Finally, remember to be patient with yourself. Nothing ever good happens when we rush head first into things that we are not familiar with

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any further queries or questions, or would like to share your experiences about this topic, than please do so in the comments section below.

Finally, please download this Free IQ Matrix Mind Map from the IQ Matrix Shop.      

If you ask people what they believe is the one Key to Success, they will most likely present you with very different answers. Some will say that learning how to expand your Comfort Zone is the Key to Success. Others will tell you that developing your Strengths and overcoming your Weaknesses is all you need to do. Yet there will be others who will state that you must Model the Psychology of successful people, or Develop your Intuition to help guide you towards your destination. Then there will be the very few that will whisper into your ear and say that you must take charge of your Meta-Programs because within them lies the cause of your daily decisions and actions. These are all no doubt very valid reasons for success, and ignoring any one of these areas could potentially be disastrous to the achievement of your life ambitions.

We would like to announce the release of 3 New Premium IQ Matrix Mind Maps that will help you to expand your comfort zone, analyze your personal strengths and weaknesses, model the psychology of successful people, develop your intuition and take control of the software that directs your daily decisions and actions. These new IQ Matrix Mind Maps focus on the following subject areas:

• Expanding Your Comfort Zone
• Analyzing Your Strengths & Weaknesses
• Modeling the Qualities of Successful People
• Developing Your Intuition
• Meta-Programs: The Software Behind Your Decisions & Actions

Below we present a short description of each IQ Matrix. Detailed posts about each of these topics will be written up at a later time.

Each IQ Matrix is available as a Free pdf Download, Premium pdf Download or as a Laminated or Non-laminated Wall Poster available in A3 or A2 paper sizes from the IQ Matrix Shop.

Expanding Your Comfort Zone

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Breaking free of our Comfort Zones can be one of life’s most difficult challenges. This Comfort Zone IQ Matrix Mind Map presents a step-by-step process that will enable you to break-free of your Comfort Zone and step onto a path that will take you towards the achievement of your goals and objectives.

Here is a quick break down of each branch of this IQ Matrix:

Comfort Zone Analysis

Breaks down the fundamental aspects of a Comfort Zone and identifies the pitfalls and opportunities that can result when you step outside, or retract back into your Comfort Zone on a daily basis.

The Process of Constriction

Delves into the limiting emotions, behaviors, habits and other factors that will keep you stuck within your Comfort Zone for extended periods at a time. Unless you proactively take the time to remove these limitations from your reality, than you will suffer the consequences of a life full of regrets.

The Process of Expansion

Presents you with several key questions that will enable you to develop the necessary clarity to step outside of your Comfort Zone. Additionally, this section takes you through the stages of Comfort Zone Expansion and identifies the choices and decisions you should be making along the way.

Strategies for Expanding Your Comfort Zone

Presents both Personal and Interpersonal strategies you can immediately utilize in order to help you step outside your Comfort Zone and onto a path that will enable you to achieve your lifelong goals and objectives.

Stick with these principles, memorize them and incorporate them into your habitual patterns of behavior, and you will progressively develop the necessary courage, knowledge and experience to help you step outside your Comfort Zone and into the realm of great opportunity and lifelong rewards.

Visit the IQ Matrix Shop for more.

Analyzing Your Strengths & Weaknesses

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The Strength and Weakness IQ Matrix Mind Map will help you to identify your Strengths while overcoming the Weaknesses that are preventing you from making progress towards the achievement of your goals and objectives.

Here is a quick break down of each branch of this IQ Matrix:

Assessing Your Strengths

Breaks down the process of Strength Identification step-by-step, thusly enabling you to pinpoint behaviors, characteristics, talents, skills and learned knowledge you can effectively utilize to move you forward towards the achievement of your goals and objectives.

Assessing Your Weaknesses

Takes you through a Weakness Assessment Process that identifies your Weaknesses, helps you overcome them, and enables you to better manage your Weaknesses as you move forward towards the achievement of your goals and objectives.

Mastering Life Skills

Presents a thought provoking list of questions and other strategies that will help you identify the Life Skills you need to achieve the outcomes you desire to experience in your life.

Stick with these principles, memorize them and incorporate into your life on a daily basis, and you will progressively overcome the Weaknesses that are limiting your actions, while at the same time cultivating and growing the Strengths that are required to achieve whatever it is you want in life.

Visit the IQ Matrix Shop for more.

Modeling the Qualities of Success

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The Basic Modeling Strategy IQ Matrix Mind Map takes you through a step-by-step process showing you exactly what you need to do in order to Model and cultivate the qualities, characteristics, beliefs and more of the most successful people in the world.

Here is a quick break down of each branch of this IQ Matrix:

Defining Psychological Modeling

Defines the process of Psychological Modeling and discusses the fundamental areas that we must identify and assess if we desire to model someone else’s psychological patterns of behavior.

Social Analysis

Presents a set of insightful and thought-provoking questions that will enable you to Model the social aspects of a person’s life.

External Analysis

Presents a set of insightful and thought-provoking questions that will enable you to Model a person’s external psychological behavior.

Internal Analysis

Presents a set of insightful and thought-provoking questions that will enable you to Model a person’s internal psychological patterns.

Stick with these principles, memorize them and incorporate them as you Model the people you admire and respect, and you will progressively develop the internal characteristics and external qualities that are required to achieve the success you desire to experience in your life.

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Developing Your Intuition

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This Intuition IQ Matrix Mind Map will show you step-by-step how to develop and cultivate your Intuition in order to enable you to make better and more effective decisions throughout your day.

Here is a quick break down of each branch of this IQ Matrix:

Your Intuition

Defines Intuition in a way that removes the mystical elements usually surrounding this Psychological Human Ability. Additionally this branch presents several benefits of Intuition that will help improve the quality of your life.

Capturing Intuitive Thoughts

Presents many practical ideas and insightful triggers that will enable you to pick up the intuitive thoughts that life sends your way on a daily basis.

Intuitive Process

Breaks down the Process of tapping into your Intuition within 5 simple yet very effective steps.

Intuitive Self-Sabotage

Identifies several Self-Sabotaging patterns that will prevent you from recognizing the Intuitive Thoughts that life brings your way.

Stick with these principles, memorize them and incorporate them into your daily patterns of behavior, and you will progressively develop the necessary Insight and Awareness to effectively identify the Intuitive Thoughts, opportunities and circumstances that are coming your way.

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Taking Charge of Your Meta-Programs

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Meta-Programs are unconscious habitual directives coming from your brain that influence patterns of behavior and determine your daily decisions and actions. They effectively delete and distort your experience of reality, thusly affecting your psychology at a profoundly deep level of awareness.

Here is a quick break down of each branch of this IQ Matrix:

What Are Meta-Programs?

Breaks down, defines and analyzes the impact that Meta-Programs have over our lives. There are 51 Meta-Programs in total. However, this IQ Matrix Mind Map only covers 5 of the most important Meta-Programs that influence our daily decisions and actions.

Frame of Reference SORT

People can be classified as an Internal or External SORT. This segment of the IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down the traits and the process of decision making that define the people who fall into this Meta-Program classification. Additionally this segment presents effective strategies you can immediately apply in order to influence the decision making and behavior of these individuals.

Self or Other SORT

People can be classified as a Self or Other SORT. This segment of the IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down the traits and the process of decision making that define the people who fall into this Meta-Program classification. Additionally this segment presents effective strategies you can immediately apply in order to influence the decision making and behavior of these individuals.

Match or Mismatch SORT

People can be classified as a Matcher or Mismatcher SORT. This segment of the IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down the traits and the process of decision making that define the people who fall into this Meta-Program classification. Additionally this segment presents effective strategies you can immediately apply in order to influence the decision making and behavior of these individuals.

Action SORT

People can be classified as an Active or Reflective SORT. This segment of the IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down the traits and the process of decision making that define the people who fall into this Meta-Program classification. Additionally this segment presents effective strategies you can immediately apply in order to influence the decision making and behavior of these individuals.

Necessity or Possibility SORT

People can be classified as a Necessity or Possibility SORT. This segment of the IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down the traits and the process of decision making that define the people who fall into this Meta-Program classification. Additionally this segment presents effective strategies you can immediately apply in order to influence the decision making and behavior of these individuals.

Stick with these principles, memorize them and incorporate your understanding of these fundamental aspects of your Psychology into your daily decisions and actions, and you will progressively begin taking greater control over the hidden patterns of your mind, which will in turn enable you to achieve your goals and objectives with less struggle and greater clarity of thought.

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Unlocking the MasterMind Matrix

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These 5 IQ Matrix Mind Maps are critical additions that help expand important components of the MasterMind Matrix Chart.

Over the coming months we will continue unlocking additional segments of the MasterMind Matrix within individual IQ Matrix Mind Maps - helping to provide you with the most comprehensive Visual Thinking and Self-Improvement tool for Personal Transformation.

To find out how to get your hands on the MasterMind Matrix, please visit the IQ Matrix Shop.

IQ Matrix Lifetime Membership

For those IQ Matrix Blog Readers who have purchased an IQ Matrix Lifetime Membership, you gain instant access to these new IQ Matrix Mind Maps via Your Account Page.

The IQ Matrix Lifetime Membership gives you instant access to all current and future IQ Matrix Mind Maps Poster pdf downloads (including the MasterMind Matrix) the moment they are released to the public at the IQ Matrix Shop.

Purchasing the IQ Matrix Lifetime Membership will help support the ongoing development of IQ Matrix Mind Map Posters in the years to come - providing you with a comprehensive Self-Improvement Reference Library to help transform your life and keep you on track towards the attainment of your goals and objectives.

The Law of Control states that we feel good about ourselves to the degree to which we feel that we are in control of our own lives. When we are physically, mentally and emotionally controlling the changes in our lives, than this naturally leads to greater achievement, emotional satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment. Uncontrolled change on the other hand leads to stress, anxiety, frustration and misery - all of which signifies that our mind is undisciplined and lacking order and structure.

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Introduction

The Law of Control states that we feel good about ourselves to the degree to which we feel that we are in control of our own lives. When we are physically, mentally and emotionally controlling the changes in our lives, than this naturally leads to greater achievement, emotional satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment. Uncontrolled change on the other hand leads to stress, anxiety, frustration and misery - all of which signifies that our minds are undisciplined and lacking order and structure.

This IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down the Law of Control and how it applies to our lives from a variety of angles and perspectives.

• The 1st Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map delves into the meaning behind the Law of Control and the impact that it has on our lives.
• The 2nd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map analyzes the benefits and drawbacks of the two types of control that influence our lives.
• The 3rd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map presents several strategies and self-analysis questions that will enable you to gain a greater sense of clarity about your life, and subsequently allow you to seize back conscious control over your decisions, behaviors and ultimate destiny.

The Law of Control

The 1st Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map delves into the meaning behind the Law of Control and the impact that it has on our lives.

Your Degree of Control Determines…

The degree of physical and psychological control that we feel we have over our lives at any given moment in time essentially determines how feel around certain people, how feel on a daily basis, how we feel under specific circumstances and conditions, and the types of emotions we tend to experience consistently.

Your Level of Control

When it comes to our ability to control our life and circumstances, there are essentially two levels of control that we can become habitually accustomed to:

High Level of Control

Under certain conditions, people and circumstances we can experience a High Level of Control.

Having a sense of a High Level of Control naturally leads to the experience of positive emotions, and it signifies that our lives are controlled by us (Internal Locus of Control), and not by outside circumstances or people.

Low Level of Control

Under certain conditions, people and circumstances we can experience a Low Level of Control.

Having a sense of a Low Level of Control naturally leads to the experience of negative emotions, and it signifies that our lives are controlled by external circumstances and people (External Locus of Control), and not by ourselves.

The Importance of Controlled Change

When we learn to effectively take Real or Imagined control over the changing conditions and circumstances of our lives, than this naturally leads to lower levels of stress, higher levels of performance and a greater sense of overall achievement and confidence in our personal abilities.

Types of Control

The 2nd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map analyzes the benefits and drawbacks of the two types of control that influence our lives.

When We Lack Control

When we feel that we are lacking control over events, people, circumstances and the emotion we tend to experience on a consistent basis, than this naturally affects us in limiting and negative ways.

Here are the drawbacks of this type of control:

High Levels of Procrastination & more

When we feel that we are lacking control over our lives and circumstances, our bodies naturally begin to panic. This state of hesitancy raises our levels of stress, anxiety and overall ability to think effectively under these emotional conditions. Moreover, all of this naturally leads to higher levels of procrastination, as we feel somewhat unable to effectively deal with the circumstances of our lives, and as such we tend to do nothing about it, and as a result procrastination ensues.

Limiting & Negative Emotions

Sensing a lack of control over our lives can also lead to many other limiting emotions such as frustration, disappointment, overwhelm, guilt and anger.

Whenever you are experiencing these emotions, it simply means that at that very moment you are feeling as though you are not in control of your life. As such, you will continue to experience these emotions up until the moment when you feel that you have gained back some semblance of control over yourself, your life or your circumstances.

Ineffective Choices & Decisions

As we become overwhelmed by all the above mentioned negative emotions and limiting behaviors, is it really surprising that we naturally begin to make ineffective choices and decisions on a daily basis?

Our Choices and Decisions are a reflection of our state-of-mind and of our ability to effectively predict the outcomes of our lives before they occur. If we feel that we are lacking a sense of control over our lives, people or circumstances, than this will naturally breed a sense of hesitancy and fear, which brings up thoughts of an uncertain future leading to indecision and the vicious cycle of procrastination.

When We Maintain Control

When we feel that we are maintaining control over events, people, circumstances and the emotions that we tend to experience on a consistent basis, than this naturally affects us in empowering and positive ways.

Here are the benefits of this type of control:

Productive Emotions

When you experience a sense of control, you naturally feel good about yourself, your life and the circumstances you find yourself in. This therefore attracts positive and empowering emotions into your experience, which likewise adds to your Clarity of Thought.

Greater Clarity of Thought

When you experience a sense of control, you are able to think without stress, anxiety and a plethora of other above mentioned emotions that clutter your thoughts with negative outcomes.

Effective Choices & Decisions

When you experience a sense of control, you experience positive emotions and Clarity of Thought, which allows you to make better and more effective choices and decisions about your life and circumstances.

High Levels of Motivation

When you experience a sense of control, you naturally believe that your choices and decisions will lead to the outcomes you desire to bring forth into your life. This therefore raises your levels of motivation and inspires you to take positive action.

Inspired & Proactive Action

As a consequence of all the above, you take inspired and proactive action, thusly bringing forth into your reality the goals and objectives you have set yourself to achieve.

Self-Analysis & Transformation

The 3rd Branch of this IQ Matrix Mind Map presents several strategies and self-analysis questions that will enable you to gain a greater sense of clarity about your life, and subsequently allow you to seize back conscious control over your decisions, behaviors and ultimate destiny.

Self-Analysis Questions

Here are several self-analysis questions that will help you to gather the necessary information and resources you need in order to take back control over your life and circumstances.

Life Areas You Control

What areas of my life do I control?

Life Areas You Semi-Control

What areas of my life do I partly control?

How can I enhance my control within these areas? Socially, physically and emotionally?

Life Areas You Don’t Control

What areas of my life don’t I control?

How can I gain control over these areas?

What am I unable to control?

How can I let go of the need to control these areas?

How can I learn to accept that not everything can be controlled all of the time?

Transformational Strategies

The following discussion focuses on outlining some effective strategies you can utilize in order to gain back the control you desire to have over yourself, your life and the circumstances you find yourself in every single day.

If you take the time and effort to implement even some of these suggestions, you will undoubtedly develop the necessary frame-of-mind and willpower to control the outcomes within your reality.

Cultivate the Qualities of Control

There are certain personal qualities and attributes that if cultivated in the right manner and in the correct quantities will naturally enable you to gain back control over your life and circumstances.

Present Moment Awareness

At any moment in time when we are suddenly feeling that we cannot control our life, events or circumstances, it helps to focus on the Present Moment. Once there, you soon realize that within the Present Moment you can begin by controlling your breath, the movement of your body, hands, legs, etc. Soon afterwards you realize that you can also control how you talk to yourself, your thoughts and subsequently the emotions you are experiencing in the moment. Consequently, you begin asking better and more effective questions, which enables you to make better decisions about the current predicaments you are facing, leading to an unusual Clarity of Thought and Proactive Action.

Just remember that control ALWAYS starts and ends in the Present Moment.

Persistence

No matter how little control you have in the present moment, it always helps to cultivate the quality of Persistence. If you persist long and hard enough in creative ways, than the odds will eventually be stacked in your favor - enabling you to gain some semblance of control, which will lead to ever greater levels of control as long as you keep persisting and moving forward in a creative manner towards your goals and objectives.

Patience

At times experiencing a lack of control has to do with nothing more than bad timing. During moments such as this it is important to let yourself go, to disassociate yourself from your experience, and wait the storm out patiently. Additionally, all the while as the storm is brewing around you, keep your senses primed to spot opportunities that may arise. The moment an opportunity arises, is the moment you have an opportunity to get back in the game one small step at a time.

Foresight

Foresight is the ability to see beyond your present circumstances, and into a future of potential pitfalls and/or opportunities.

By thinking ahead in an open-minded manner, you will develop the necessary foresight in order to determine the best course of action you should be taking in the next moment, thusly enabling you to take back control over your present circumstances a slice at a time.

Focused Attention

When we are lacking control, it is very easy to become overwhelmed in the moment, and as a result we naturally tend to blur out the obvious answers that we are looking for.

Cultivating Focused Attention means that you are attending to the microcosm of details that make up your current predicament. It is after all within these ‘details’ that ideas are born, and it’s within these ‘details’ that you will find the necessary answers and solutions to help you take back control over your current life condition and circumstances.

Discipline

Cultivating discipline will enable you to become better aware of what is required to take back control over your present circumstances.

Discipline helps us to stay at a task longer; to spot the details that normally would be out of range of our senses; and it provides us with a greater Clarity of Thought, allowing for proactive action and the development of a deep sense of conviction about the task at hand.

Humor

When you are able to humor yourself about your current predicament or about your uncanny lack of control over your life circumstances, you effectively detach yourself from your experience, and associate yourself with the possibilities of finding an effective solution that will help you gain some semblance of control as you move forward towards your desired outcomes.

Create Productive Time Schedules

By taking the time to organize your time, you are effectively giving yourself the ability to control how you spend your time, where you spend your time, and how long you spend it. That by itself enables you a great deal of control over the events and circumstances of your life.

Additionally, by being disciplined and sticking to your time schedules - no matter how events or circumstances change around you, - will keep you within that Zone of Control, thusly enabling for greater Clarity of Thought and proactive action in the midst of turmoil.

Create Empowering Goals & Objectives

Just by setting empowering life goals and daily objectives, naturally provides us with a sense of control over our lives.

When we work towards achieving an outcome, we naturally work from a place of control where we know our outcomes and understand what we must do to get them. That by itself will provide you with a greater Clarity of Thought enabling you to make better and more effective decisions about the predicaments that confront you on a daily basis.

Create Contingency Plans

The moments when we tend to lose a sense of control over our life and circumstances, are the moments that surprise us unexpectedly without prior warning.

These unexpected events cause great distress because we simply did not prepare for them before we took our current course of action. As a result we hesitate or feel powerless when moving forward, and thusly lack the necessary Clarity of Thought to overcome these unexpected setbacks.

In order to overcome these types of instances, we must take the time to develop effective contingency plans if things don’t go as we expect. This can take some time and effort. However, you could save a lot of time by asking yourself:

What consequences could potentially result from this course of action?

How will these consequences impact my state-of-mind and circumstances?

How will I take control of these consequences in an effective and efficient manner?

Accept Change Wholeheartedly

For many people Change can be a positive and enlightening experience. However, for other people - and under different conditions - Change can also mean a loss of a sense of control over certain aspects of their lives.

Many times over we must simply accept that change is inevitable, unavoidable and unpredictable. In such instances we must learn to appreciate this change for what it is, instead of trying to resist it with all our strength.

Change occurs because our energies are no longer aligned with our habitual patterns of behavior. As a result our circumstances change, our life conditions become somewhat foreign to us, and we lose that sense of control, certainty and familiarity. When this occurs, it is important to just accept things as they are and take notice of the opportunities that have suddenly become available to you.

Change does not signify an ending, but rather New Beginnings.

Develop Real or Imagined Control

If you are unable to develop Actual Control over the events and circumstances in your life, than simply Fake It!

Close your eyes and imagine yourself being in control of the events and circumstances that are causing you distress. Close your eyes and really think about it…

If I had unlimited resources, how would I resolve this predicament?

If I had NO Limitations, how would I gain control over my current circumstances?

You may actually find that by imagining Being In Control, will actually provide you with that missing creative spark that will enable you to gain the Clarity of Thought to take control over your life circumstances.

Let Go of What Can’t Control

When all else fails just simply Let Go of what you can’t control.

There is no point in hanging onto and stressing about something that you cannot influence or control yourself. Just Let it Go, and move on with your life.

Sometimes things do have a way of working themselves out. And if they don’t, than at least you are not stressing about that Storm raging outside. If you can’t control the Storm, than what’s the point of stressing about it? Just let things go

Control Your Mind

Finally, the one thing that We ALWAYS Control no matter what is going on around us is our Mind.

You are always capable - maybe not always willing but certainly capable - of controlling your thoughts, attitude, self-talk and the subsequent emotions you experience as a result.

No matter what is going on around you, there is never an excuse not to begin by taking control of your own mind. To do this, simply start by thinking and talking only about what you want to Do, Be, Have and Achieve. Who knows, you may actually find that all your answers lie within

Final Thoughts

Our need for Certainty and Control is no doubt a primary driving force of Human Development. It’s something that has shaped the course of evolution, and it is undoubtedly something that will continue to shape each and everyone of our lives for all eternity. However having said that, we must also keep in mind that we are not really talking about External Control, but rather Internal Control - the control you have over your thoughts, self-talk, attitude and beliefs. It is after all this Internal Control that has the power and influence to shape your life choices, decisions, actions and ultimate destiny.

Finally, please download this Free IQ Matrix Mind Map from the IQ Matrix Shop.

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any further queries or questions, or would like to share your experiences about this topic, than please do so in the comments section below.

Knowing how to make Effective Decisions and drawing up a solid Plan of Action are two critical components of success that many of us are consciously aware of. Mastering these two skills can significantly enhance our progress, effectiveness and efficiency throughout the day. There is however a silent killer that can make all our hard work count for very little. This silent killer influences who we are, what we do, and how we behave on a daily basis.

We would like to announce the release of 3 New Premium IQ Matrix Mind Maps that will help you to make more effective decisions, draw  up solid plans of action, and avoid the negative influences in your life. These new IQ Matrix Mind Maps focus on the following subject areas:

• Effective Decision Making
• Drawing Up Plan of Action
• Perceptual Influence

Below we present a short description of each IQ Matrix. Detailed posts about each of these topics will be written up at a later time.

Each IQ Matrix is available as a Free pdf Download, Premium pdf Download or as a Laminated or Non-laminated Wall Poster available in A3 or A2 paper sizes from the IQ Matrix Shop.

Effective Decision Making

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Learning how to make Effective Decisions will enable you greater clarity, freedom of choice and consequently minimize the length of time it takes you to achieve your outcomes and the mistakes you potentially make along the way.

Here is a quick break down of each branch of this IQ Matrix:

Decision Making

Breaks down and defines the decision making process; outlines the barriers to effective decision making, and discusses the influential forces that guide our decisions on a daily basis.

Making Effective Decisions

Presents you with a simple formula for effective decision making and discusses the impact that good decisions can have on your life, habits and circumstances.

Decisions Making Process

Delves into the 6 Step Decision Making Process that will enable you to clearly clarify what you want, and consequently take the best course of action.

Decision Making Tips

Discusses the Do’s and Don’ts of effective decision making - helping you develop a greater sense of control over your life.

Stick with these principles, memorize them and incorporate them into your daily habits of decision making, and you will progressively develop the required set of skills that will save you time, energy and money, while minimizing the mistakes that are usually made when deciding upon a course of action.

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Drawing Up Plan of Action

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Knowing how to draw up an Effective Plan of Action is usually the missing ingredient that will keep you from achieving the outcomes you desire to experience in your life.

Here is a quick break down of each branch of this IQ Matrix:

Components of Effective Planning

Breaks down some critical things you must consider when drawing up an effective plan of action for your goals and objectives.

Clarifying Your Goals

Without clear cut goals and objectives, our plans would never get off the ground. This branch therefore helps you to effectively question your goals, ensuring that they are consistently aligned with who you are, and with the resources you have on hand.

Knowing Your Outcome

As we set forth with our plans we usually fail to consider the greater impact that they will have on our lives and others. Consequently this branch takes you through an Ecological Analysis and a Future Pacing technique that will enable you to get a clear-cut understanding of the impact that your goals have on circumstances and the people in your life.

Effective Planning Tips

Discusses several high impact planning tips and techniques that will direct your attention on what is most important when it comes to writing up effective plans of action.

Stick with these principles, memorize them and incorporate them into your daily planning regime, and you will progressively become a proficient planner who critically understands what it takes to achieve the outcomes you desire to experience in your life.

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Perceptual Influence

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Perceptual Influencers are life transforming persuasive forces that shape our daily thoughts, beliefs, values, emotions, decisions and actions at a mostly unconscious level of awareness.

Here is a quick break down of each branch of this IQ Matrix:

Influence Types

Presents a list of the different types of Perceptual Influencers that shape our lives on a daily basis.

Influence of Peers

Discusses the impact and consequences of Peer Group Influence and how this impacts every aspect of our lives and mental health on a daily basis.

Peer Group Selection

Delves into the process of effective Peer Group selection criteria. Sharing your life with the right group of peers, will instantly transform your destiny.

Overcoming Influence

Breaks down the process of how to overcome the influential forces that are currently dictating your every thought, decision and action. Additionally, this branch delves into several transformational strategies and presents a handful of questions that will help you to better clarify the impact that others have over your life.

Stick with these principles, memorize them and incorporate them into your daily habitual patterns, and you will progressively develop the right frame of mind, courage and willpower to overcome the negative perceptual influencers within your life.

Visit the IQ Matrix Shop for more.

Unlocking the MasterMind Matrix

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These 3 IQ Matrix Mind Maps are critical additions that help expand important components of the MasterMind Matrix Chart.

Over the coming months we will continue unlocking additional segments of the MasterMind Matrix within individual IQ Matrix Mind Maps - helping to provide you with the most comprehensive Visual Thinking and Self-Improvement tool for Personal Transformation.

To find out how to get your hands on the MasterMind Matrix, please visit the IQ Matrix Shop.

IQ Matrix Lifetime Membership

For those IQ Matrix Blog Readers who have purchased an IQ Matrix Lifetime Membership, you gain instant access to these new IQ Matrix Mind Maps via Your Account Page.

The IQ Matrix Lifetime Membership gives you instant access to all current and future IQ Matrix Mind Maps Poster pdf downloads (including the MasterMind Matrix) the moment they are released to the public at the IQ Matrix Shop.

Purchasing the IQ Matrix Lifetime Membership will help support the ongoing development of IQ Matrix Mind Map Posters in the years to come - providing you with a comprehensive Self-Improvement Reference Library to help transform your life and keep you on track towards the attainment of your goals and objectives.

Are you the type of person who feels that “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, at the worst possible time, all of the time, without fail, when you least expect it?” If that sounds like you, than you are living under the influence of Murphy’s Law. Many people will naturally interpret this law as a pessimistic view of life. In fact, they couldn’t be further from the truth. Murphy’s Law is built upon the solid principles of Forward Thinking - preparing effective contingency plans that will help ward off possible setbacks and minimize the negative impact of the challenges that lay before you.

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Introduction

Are you the type of person who feels that “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, at the worst possible time, all of the time, without fail, when you least expect it?” If that sounds like you, than you are living under the influence of Murphy’s Law. Many people will naturally interpret this law as a pessimistic view of life. In fact, they couldn’t be further from the truth. Murphy’s Law is built upon the solid principles of Forward Thinking - preparing effective contingency plans that will help ward off possible setbacks and minimize the negative impact of the challenges that lay before you.

So who was Murphy? Is he a real person or just a figment of a cultural imagination?

This IQ Matrix Mind Map breaks down Murphy’s Law and twists it in a positive light - allowing us to take advantage of these laws to help us better prepare for the unexpected setbacks, problems and challenges that life throws our way.

As you read these laws, stay alert to the possibilities and opportunities that they awaken within you as you interact with the outside world.

The greater our capacity to think clearly about our circumstances, and spot things that otherwise we would have ignored; the greater the likelihood that we can turn disaster into potential rewards that will serve us as we move into the future.

Anything Can Go Wrong!

Anything that can or cannot go wrong, will go wrong, and is your fault.

Taking personal responsibility for our life and circumstances is one of the fundamental keys to success. We must own up to our mistakes and take the blame for our predicament no matter how unfortunate circumstances may have panned out. When we do this, we will be better able to foresee possible obstacles and challenges that lay ahead of us as we move towards the attainment of our goals and objectives.

Anything that you do or don’t expect will go wrong, and will be worse than expected.

We must always expect the unexpected, or at the very least prepare contingency plans for unfortunate circumstances, time delays, or for what seems to be nothing more than rotten bad luck.

If we are personally finding it difficult to expect the unexpected, than we would be wise to ask others for their opinions and perspectives. Sometimes the most unexpected people might be able to shed some light into the darkest corners of our world.

Anything that doesn’t go wrong, won’t last and creates even bigger problems.

The moment we feel that we have successfully avoided a catastrophe, is the moment that the whole world can cave in on us without a moment’s notice. As an individual, we always have a very limited perspective of the impact that our behaviors, decisions and actions have on the world around us. What initially might seem like a gift, may in fact turn out to be your worst nightmare. To avoid these circumstances, we must always be alert to the potential negative impact that supposedly positive decisions, behaviours and actions can have on others, circumstances and the world around us.

Anything that you try fixing will take longer than expected and cost more than you initially thought.

Whenever we undertake a task it is very easy to approach it from a limited perspective - meaning that we don’t have all the information that is required to get the job done to the best of our ability or to the standards that are expected. This essentially comes down to the questions we ask ourselves before the task is undertaken. The more thought-provoking the questions, the greater their capacity to expand our understanding of the situation, and the more likely we are to predict the potential time and cost of the tasks that we undertake throughout our day.

Anything left to itself will go from bad to worse.

How many times have you thought to yourself that “If I ignore this problem, it may just go away and resolve all by itself itself.”

• Maybe other people will take care of it for you?
• Maybe circumstances will miraculously change?
• Or maybe luck will favor the ignorant?

There are just too many “maybes” within this scenario. The bottom line is, that if you are not in direct control of something, than it is likely to get out of control very quickly and in unexpected ways. Consequently, in such instances it is best to resolve the problem as best you can, or at the very least keep the problem close to you in order to progressively influence it towards a satisfactory outcome over an extended period of time.

Anything worth doing has already been done.

We live in a world of ideas, of motivated, creative individuals who - as a unit - are progressively and rapidly moving the world forward technologically, entrepreneurially, physically and emotionally. A supposedly great idea that you have today, may in fact be in the stages of development on the other side of the world. A wonderful thought that you have today may unknowingly be rewarding a 14 year old kid with financial abundance.

Don’t assume that your business idea is unique, or that it hasn’t been done before. Assume instead that it has been recycled over and over again, and that you must now twist it in such a creative, ingenious way that it will become far more than what it is today, beyond what you ever expected.

If you don’t stretch yourself and your imagination, you will never really know what you are capable of.

Nothing Ever Goes Right!

Nothing is as easy as it looks.

Under most circumstances, we don’t have all the required information on hand to clearly identify what is involved in completing a task or project successfully. The reason for this is either we don’t have the experience, haven’t asked the right questions, or simply fail to grasp the complexity of the task at hand. In order to avoid these pitfalls we would be wise to seek out relevant information, to ask others for clarification and assistance, and to question the things that we would normally deem to be irrelevant to the situation and task at hand.

Nothing is as worthwhile as it seems.

When our imaginations and emotions lock on an object or opportunity, they become an all-consuming force that puts Rose Colored Glasses onto our eyes, and raises our expectations beyond the realities of life. In such instances we see things not as they are, but rather what we wish them to be. Yet, the reality of life is that things are not always as they seem, and what might at times seem like a golden opportunity, ends up being nothing more than mud in the hand.

Consequently we learn that opportunities are not always all that we imagine, and certainly not what others make them out to be. And as a result we critically question and examine everything meticulously before jumping to unjustified conclusions about life, circumstances, opportunities and others.

Nothing is ever perfect.

From our limited personal perspective it is easy to imagine that things are perfect. Yet, little do we realize that from another perspective there are real concerns and problems that we just don’t see because we fail to open ourselves to alternative views and angles of the situation or circumstance that we find ourselves in. What may initially seem as a flawless plan, can quickly turn on its head; and what might look fresh on the outside may in fact have been rotting away from the inside for days on end.

Unless we ask the right questions and become aware of the possibilities that nothing is ever perfect, than we will remain ignorant to the bacteria that is feeding off of our skin.

Nothing is created equal.

There is nothing equal in this world. People are not born equal, companies do not have equal opportunity, and nothing ever seems fair. They are the realities of life that we must accept and live with. Only through acceptance will we begin to understand how to take advantage of this law for our own personal benefit.

Nothing is created equal is in fact an EFFECT of a CAUSE that stems from the choices and decisions we make on a daily basis.

Nothing may be created equal, however the quality of our choices and daily decisions can and will level the playing field; and at other times provide us with an advantage over others if utilized to their fullest capacity. Therefore don’t discount the effect that small choices can have on the scales that balance the opportunities and problems that confront you on a daily basis.

Nothing has a straightforward solution.

We as human beings are creatures of habit who look for the quickest possible path towards the destination we are aiming for. We therefore usually jump to quick conclusions and assume that there is always a straightforward solution to the problems in our lives. In some instances this might be true, however in most cases we quickly underestimate what is required to overcome the obstacles and challenges that confront us, and as a result we wilt under the pressure of false expectations, and give up hope before hope ever had a chance to force us to think critically and creatively about the problems that confront our lives.

If you always think that Nothing Ever Has a Straightforward Solution, than you will always discover creative pathways to the toughest challenges in your life.

Problems Always Exist!

Aways smile because tomorrow will be worse.

It is said that the person who smiles first has the last laugh.

Life is in fact a journey of unexpected twists, of continuous problems and obstacles that divert us off the beaten track. The simple act of smiling will allow us to get through these challenges with a greater clarity of thought, and enable us to rise through the emotional setbacks that overwhelm the many who never see past the clouds and fog that blocks their sight.

You are different. You understand that life is meant to test your willpower, to test your resolve and capacity to think under incredible amounts of emotional pressure - as a result you smile with a sparkle in your eye, fully knowing that you are ready for the worst that is yet to come.

Always several things will go wrong at the same and worst possible time.

It is said that the only certainties of life are death and taxes. Additionally, you can add to that list that life will always throw you a curve ball when you least expect it and effectively collapse the domino tower you were building so meticulously for so many years. All that work for nothing, and now you must begin once again and build the tower from the bottom up.

To avoid these circumstances you must identify possible scenarios, minimize the possible side-effects and develop contingency plans if the worst case scenarios were to come to fruition today.

Always every solution breeds new problems.

The moment we think of a brilliant new idea that will finally resolve a problem, is the moment we become too emotionally involved within the circumstances, and therefore fail to critically examine the solution from a variety of angles and perspectives.

Being unable to fully grasp and understand the effects that a solution can have long-term, short-term, on us, the world and on our relationship with others, can in fact cause further problems in unforeseeable ways. Ideally a solution must feel good, be good for us, good for others and serve the greater good. If it doesn’t than it will probably cause more problems than it is worth.

Always whatever you want you can’t have.

What we want we can’t have because WANTING something is an act of desperation that stems from lack rather than from plenty. All of this comes back to the Universal Law of Magnetic Attraction which shows us how it’s not so much the WANTING that gets us what we want, but rather the intention behind the thought of HAVING something that attracts into our life the desires we would like to bring to fruition.

Always whatever you can have you don’t want.

What we want we can’t have, and yet what we have we don’t want… How does that work? If you know, please share within the comments!!!

Always everything takes longer than expected.

It is said that time contracts and expands in accordance with our expectations x 2. What this means is that however long you expect something to take, it will usually take at least twice as long to complete than you initially expected. This is due to a simple lack of experience and Forward Thinking that fails to take into account all the possible interconnecting pieces that culminate to form the end result that you are wanting to bring to fruition.

The solution lies in asking more effective questions, chunking down the task that you need to complete into distinctively small components, and preparing contingency plans for possible setbacks that may confront you along your journey.

Always everything goes wrong all at once.

There is always the possibility that things will go wrong all at once. As a result you must prepare the necessary resources, tools and information you will need in order to minimize or better yet, overcome the scenarios that could unfold.

If you fail to prepare, than you are planning to fail.

You will Always find something in the last place you look.

If you always find something in the last place you look, than you might be better off to look for it beginning in the last place you would have decided to look in the first place

There is Always another problem around the corner.

Let’s be honest and just get down to the hard truth here…

It is said that life is like a box of chocolates, and that you just don’t know what you’re going to get. Yes, there is some truth here, however it’s not entirely true. We actually do know what we are going to get. You see, what they don’t tell you is that every chocolate has a special caramel filling that’s enriched with a substance known as a PROBLEM - in other words an Opportunity to grow and become more than what you are today. Additionally the problem provides you with an opportunity to expand your understanding of your world, to stretch your limits and test your resolve.

And when we finally eat that last piece of chocolate from that beautiful chocolate box of life, we smile, and grab another box out of the draw filled with further caramel fillings enriched with problems, obstacles, and challenges that make life well worth living.

Yes, there is always another problem hiding around every corner. However, it’s not about the problem, it’s rather what you do with it, how you approach it, what you learn from it, and what that problem makes of you. Nothing else matters in the end.

Whenever Something Can’t, it Will!

Whenever everything is going right, than something is wrong. Additionally, whenever things are going well you have overlooked something.

It is very easy for us to become somewhat complacent when things are progressing as we had planned and prepared for. We naturally relax, lay back and expect that nothing will change. Yet, little do we know, that beyond our awareness, yet still within our physical control, there is something stirring in the background. It is something that we don’t expect, something we actually might have overlooked. And it is this something that will throw you off balance when you least expect it.

The solution lies in developing thorough checklists that prepare you for the task at hand - making sure that you haven’t overlooked something that is critical to the project’s success. Additionally you should consider preparing a maintenance checklist that is ticked off during the task or project and takes into account as many possible scenarios as you can think of that may require your attention.

In most cases that which we don’t expect can hurt us in the end. However, what we don’t expect, isn’t usually something that we can’t influence or control if we expected it in the first place. It therefore all culminates in effective Forward Thinking and the planning and maintenance tactics you utilize before and throughout a task or project.

Whenever things seem too good to be true, they probably are.

People will always try and entice us with wonderful things. In fact, these people will make a great deal of effort in order to convince us that what they have is exactly what we need and will help us overcome all our problems and attain the life we desire to live. These are no doubt wonderful promises that at first seem too good to be true. However, when our emotions get involved within these kinds of interactions, funny things begin to happen and we naturally reject our critical thinking mind and jump into situations head first without a second thought.

In more cases than not, whatever seems too good to be true, is probably too good to be true, and may in fact cause you more problems than it is worth or at the very least leave you disappointed that you wasted your time in the first place. In such scenarios, do your research, speak with a variety of people, seek different opinions and perspectives, and above all else, make an educated decision.

Whenever something was supposed to happen, it won’t.

Do you tend to worry and stress all of the time? Maybe you are one of those people who always expect the worst from every situation? Well, how about you begin expecting in advance that something you expect may not in fact transpire when and how you expect it. Wouldn’t that put an interesting twist on your worries and concerns?

The same is obviously true in reverse. Many times when we expect positive outcomes, they will tend not to come to fruition when or in what capacity we expect them. This simply means that the timing wasn’t right, that you overlooked something, or simply missed the train as it passed through the train station. Either way it all comes down to good planning and meticulous concentration.

Whenever life seems at its worst, it gets worse.

Imagine yourself paddling vigorously down a river. You’re bobbing up and down, almost crashing into rocks, and scraping through by the skin of your neck. “This is really tough work” you think to yourself, and you can’t imagine it could get any worse, when all of a sudden you spot a waterfall in front of you, and a few moments later fall over the edge.

This is a perfect example of life getting worse with every stroke.

You literally crash to the very bottom of the waterfall, yet miraculously survive the fall. You think that it just couldn’t get any worse, when all of a sudden your paddle hits you in the head with a big thump.

At this stage most people give up, feel sorry for themselves and don’t try anything meaningful ever again. However, little do they realize that they have fallen into another river, a New Beginning of sorts that is calm, serene and flowing gracefully through a beautiful tropical forest filled with wonderful riches and opportunities. If they only realized that life could be this way, than it most certainly could.

Whenever life seems at its worst, it does get worse; that is unless you are able to see beyond the fog and down the corridor where opportunities await.

Whenever you are good at something, you will always screw it up.

Complacency is the mother of all problems. Whenever we believe that we are good at something we naturally relax and happen to overlook critical aspects that need our constant attention and energy. And as a result we screw things up and end up with problems that we never knew existed.

To overcome such scenarios we must approach each task as a novice - a beginner of sorts who has many unanswered questions. From here we must develop a thorough checklist and plan that we can follow meticulously during the project or task to ensure that nothing gets overlooked or accidentally ignored. In this way we will minimize screw-ups and maximize our skills and talents.

Whenever you try pleasing everyone, nobody will like you.

Everyone is different and unique in their own right. We all have experienced a different psychological path through life, and as a result we have developed a variety of ways of interpreting our world. Consequently we also developed unique ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ which means that we won’t always like what others like and vice-versa. Additionally, this means that you cannot please everyone all of the time, and when you try pleasing everyone you will naturally end up pleasing no-one because there is no middle line - there is no balance.

Life is simply black and white, and the middle line is only an illusion that we think exists. Therefore your solution is to do your very best to please the majority of the population with what you have to offer, and throw everybody else out of consideration.

Everyone is Better than You!

Everyone has dreams that will never be fulfilled.

Humans are natural dreamers. We dream of a better life, we dream of perfect health, we dream of more wealth, and above-all-else we dream of the experience of pleasure over pain. However, dreams are exactly what they are; just dreams. They are not goals, objectives, tasks, projects, etc. They are just dreams, resting within our heads making us feel all wonderful and tingly inside.

Don’t get me wrong, it is wonderful to have big dreams, however dreams will never become reality unless we turn them into goals, objectives, tasks and projects. Therefore if right now you have a dream that is giving you wonderful tingly feelings in your body, than the truth of the matter is that it will never become YOUR REALITY unless it gets taken out of the Realm of Fantasy and into the Realm of Clarity and Action.

Everyone has tasks that will never get done.

Let us be honest with ourselves… it is not possible to complete everything when you have 50 things on your To Do List.

Given the unpredictable nature of human beings, the unexpected realities of life, and the undeniable effect that a chain reaction of circumstances can have on your time, energy, money and resources - you quickly realize that you have tasks that will just never get done.

This is a simple case of overwhelming ourselves with too much Busyness and not enough Substance.

The solution is simple. Prepare a list of the 5 to 7 most important things that you must do today, and only do those things. Don’t worry about the other tasks. Just get the big rocks out of the way and life will provide you with the oxygen you need to keep moving forward. Additionally, it will be worth your while to learn to schedule your time sensibly, to plan for interruptions, and create contingency plans for unexpected emergencies.

Everyone has goals that are beyond them.

Having big goals is a wonderful thing. However, most of us will never attain these goals because we simply fail to realize that we need to build steps to reach them.

Just imagine having a big goal dangling up in the sky 50 meters over your head. How will you reach this goal? How will you soar up into the air and take possession of this object?

The key lies in setting consistent objectives that will enable you to build ever bigger stepping stones helping you to climb progressively higher towards your goal.

Objectives are like mini-goals that you work on to achieve on a daily and weekly basis. Once an objective has been attained, you effectively take one step closer towards your outcome and the attainment of your goal.

Everyone has plans that are never successful.

Planning is an art form. If you rush your plans, than you could very well be creating more problems than is worth your time, energy, effort and money. And for that reason everyone has plans that are never successful.

The solution lies in undertaking a meticulous planning regime where you take into account all possible scenarios you have to deal with, resources you have on hand, and outcomes that you might be confronted with if things don’t go as expected. Only by undertaking a process such as this will you successfully develop the confidence to see your plans through to the very end.

Everyone is better than you at something.

On the surface this may indeed seem rather depressing. However, below the surface this is an opportunity in disguise.

Life is all about relationship building. Additionally it is about leveraging other people’s skills, talents and abilities in order to create Win / Win scenarios that will enable the both of you to benefit from the relationship. You must therefore become aware of other people’s abilities and have the Forward Thinking skills to identify how their abilities can be best utilized to help you get what you want most in life.

In the end, nobody can do everything by themselves. That’s why we build companies, organizations, clubs and team. Everything is a team effort. And leveraging off other people’s skills, talents and abilities is just another interpretation of Darwin’s Survival of the Fittest.

Everyone believes in something false and unproven.

Our beliefs are deeply ingrained into our psyche from the youngest age. We developed these beliefs based on our understanding of the world at the time. Whether our understanding was correct or false did not matter. All that mattered was that it made sense to us, and as a result we came to believe what we believe today - whether true or false.

There are many false beliefs that are rather insignificant and can’t really hurt us psychologically. However, there are other beliefs that are malicious and may very well be influencing every fragment of our lives in very negative and unpredictable ways.

We must learn to identify these false beliefs, and then transform them into new and empowering convictions that will move us forward in rapid succession towards our life goals and objectives.

Everyone always knows what you don’t.

Have you ever stepped out of the bathroom and wondered why others are smirking at you??? Well… if you are a female, than you probably tucked your skirt into your underwear; and if you are a male, your zipper is probably undone

Since everyone always know what you don’t, doesn’t it make sense to pick their brains from time to time and learn from their experience? Life could become so much simpler and so much more fun

Final Thoughts

Murphy’s Law is a law about life, about the importance of Forward Thinking, and about shifting our perspective about the ’so called’ negative circumstances that life throws our way over and over again.

From another angle, Murphy’s Law is about spotting the opportunities, and the seeds within every problem that we must cultivate and grow into positive outcomes every time we take up a new challenge. And finally, Murphy’s Law is about you. About your approach to life, and about turning the so called ‘lemons’ into a refreshing glasses of lemonade. In the end, it’s up to you. Murphy’s Law can either work for you or against you.

Which path do you choose?

To learn more about Murphy’s Laws please visit the Murphy’s Laws Site which showcases many variations of Murphy’s Law within different contexts and settings.

Finally, please download this Free IQ Matrix Mind Map from the IQ Matrix Shop.

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any further queries or questions, or would like to share your experiences about this topic, than please do so in the comments section below.