Dear Success Seeker,

No doubt there have been times in your life when you felt like you were 'in the flow'. When gamblers experience a winning streak they say they are 'on a roll'. Athletes and performers call it 'being in the zone'. As a coach I call it 'riding a wave of success'. These are all the same - times when you feel momentum as if you are being carried along by a favorable current.

You've no doubt experienced the opposite, too. A string of misfortune when everything seems to be falling apart and it feels like you are fighting your way upstream.

You may consider these situations involve good or bad luck but you have more control over them than you might think. If you pay attention there are actions you can take to create, increase and sustain a wave of success or diminish and end a losing streak.

Let's start with the positive. How do you initiate, expand or extend a run of good fortune?

You start by paying attention. Recall a time from the past when you were on a roll and reconnect with how it felt in your body. Most likely the wave gave you a sense of momentum, optimism and invincibility. You can use that feeling to boost an existing wave of success or even create a new one.

When you get good news or notice something favorable, interpret it as a sign that things are going your way. Welcome it into your life and feel the wave building. Celebrate this new wave of success and embrace the thrill of you increasing momentum. We are all surrounded with blessings and positive occurrences all the time but our negative attitudes and expectations can block us from seeing them. To change the tide, start noticing the positive occurrences that are happening for you.

Now expand the scope of your attention. Any time you notice or hear of something positive happening in the world, embrace it and feel your momentum increase. When you are riding a wave of success avoid negative thoughts and feelings. Dwelling on negativity will quickly snuff out your wave. By all means be aware if what is going on around you but don't allow the media, gossip or your own pessimistic attitude to pull you down.

If you are experiencing a losing streak, the key to eliminating it is to take what is happening in stride without blaming others or yourself. Instead of catastrophizing, keep things in perspective. The fastest way to turn things around is to focus on what you have and what is working.

Another factor that makes a genuine difference in both positive and negative circumstances is gratitude. If you identify and celebrate things you are grateful for when you are riding a wave of success, the wave is likely to expand and last longer. If things are going badly for you, the fastest way to turn things around is to be grateful for what you already have.

I'm not suggesting that you be a Pollyanna and block anything that is negative. What I am pointing out is that the momentum you have in your life, whether it is positive or negative, is largely created by your thinking - and you can control what you think about. When Harv Eker and I were business partners he used to say, "Where attention goes, energy flows and results show." By all means acknowledge the negative but don't wallow in it. When you consciously focus on positive thoughts it really does make a difference.

This may all sound weird and magical to you but I am sharing this based on real world experience. Whether you believe in the metaphysical realm or not, the fact is that in life we get what we focus on and expect. It's not that bad things can't happen when you are feeling good; obviously they can. But when times are challenging, focusing on the positive elements turns things around faster. And when things are going your way, gratitude and celebration will further increase your wave of success.

To your success!

Andrew Barber-Starkey, Master Certified Coach
Founder and President, ProCoach Success System