Dear Student,

We hope you found last month's newsletter both interesting and informative. Our hope in creating this newsletter is to provide you with the resources to enhance your Prosper experience. It is important to us that you are up-to-date on any developments within the company and that you are informed of helpful tips and products to further you on your road to prosperity.

We'd like to inform you of some exciting changes in our Success Center. Since its launch in June 2004 all students have had access to an online repository of program information called "The Success Center".

With the growth of this system, we began to recognize the great value within it. Students have found it useful and many use it daily to enroll in our program and maximize their study time through its resources. However, over time we realized that we could add even more value and make it even easier for our students to use. In the past three months the entire coaching and development team worked very hard at putting together a new user interface. This new interface incorporates ease of use and new exciting features for students to use.

Prosper is a company that recognizes how technology can add more value and provide better education. These tools and systems have and will continue to impact your success. Please take some time to better acquaint yourself with the updated Success Center.

In this newsletter, we invite you to explore your area(s) of study, while taking a moment to learn more about other areas, if you wish.

Sincerely,

Your friends at Prosper, Inc.

Becoming Your Own Great Motivator

Throughout Prosper, Inc. we will present specific strategies for self-improvement. So we'll begin by looking at a key factor that determines whether self-improvement can even take place in your life. That factor is your own motivation. For many, a lack of motivation is the only thing that truly gets in the way of accomplishing their goals and achieving their grand visions. By achieving an attitude that keeps you looking forward toward your vision, you have removed that barrier, giving yourself the chance to truly achieve.

For that reason, managing your motivation is the most important key to success. It will change your entire approach to life. When your motivation remains high, you face problems enthusiastically, instead of procrastinating or becoming depressed about them. Being motivated means putting yourself out there instead of hanging back and wondering. It means that every failure has value - a learning experience you can apply to your next attempt, until you succeed.

With the right motivation, you'll find more meaning in your work. You'll find great reward in your accomplishments. You'll face your day-to-day challenges with confidence, and snap back after defeats. Also, your motivation will rub off on other people as they find themselves being inspired by your example.

The benefits of staying motivated are clear. But how is motivation managed? Too often it is easy to fall back on old habits and thoughts that take the wind out of our sails. The key, then, is to change our thoughts and actions, adopting a new approach to our everyday life - and it can be done. When you think about it, the effort of consciously changing our attitude is one of the things that set humankind apart from the animal kingdom. So use your innate ability to make a difference in yourself - and then make a difference in the rest of the world.

Here are some of the essential "how-tos" of building and maintaining motivation. Take time to practice and master these principles, and not only will your goals become reachable, but your life will become better in every way.

1. Fear nothing but fear.

   Fear is a great deterrent for completing projects - a mindset that threatens to kill an idea or goal before it is even attempted.

   It's important to discover the source of your distaste for a task. At face value, your response may be, "I don't enjoy doing this, and I just do not want to do it."

   However, this is a secondary response emotion. If you think harder, your real answer might be more like, "I did this when I was a child and failed. I don't want the same thing to happen again." Now consider if that answer is truly rational. When you were a child, you weren't nearly as capable or mature as you are today-and those fears of inadequacy are probably based on outdated, inaccurate situations. Most fears that cause us to procrastinate and avoid doing things are irrational in nature. When you determine your true reason for avoiding a task, re-program yourself with positive thoughts, such as:

   "I enjoy this and am capable of succeeding."

   "This is actually very fun - and it's not as hard as it used to be."

   "I will accomplish this, and then enjoy the feeling of success."

2. Change your environment.

   Sometimes your environment can dampen your motivation in much the same way a cloudy day can dampen your spirits. You may dread sitting down in your office to make follow-up calls because your office is messy, dim or depressing. In this case, a simple cleaning can work wonders. When you clean up the clutter, install adequate lighting, add some uplifting decorations, and generally make your office a place you enjoy, it's easy to find an excuse to get to work in there.

3. Release the pressure.

   Pressure can be a two-edged blade. It can serve to increase your motivation, boost your productivity and cause you to think smarter. Sometimes, however, the pressure can become so great that it can paralyze your actions. You may feel motivated to finish a task, but you can't mentally force yourself to get a grasp on the situation. This is when pressure must be handled with care.

   Make an effort to diminish the tension in order to work effectively. Maybe it means changing a deadline. It could mean approaching the task by breaking it into smaller, bite-sized steps. Or taking time out to clear your mind through exercise. Or simply just relaxing and looking at the situation objectively.

4. Find a role model.

   Personal success and continued enthusiasm for your own path can be found in identifying people who are successful in the things that are important to you. Get to know these people by studying their attitudes and behaviors. When you have a living or concrete example of a successful individual, you can emulate that person, incorporating their habits and techniques toward your own success.

   You might also look at people you do not wish to become, and identify their negative habits. This can help you avoid lessons harder learned through personal experience.

   It can be interesting to make a list of your friends and family, and then analyze their individual qualities and habits. Your model for success may lie not in the actions of a single person, but in the positive traits of all the people you interact with.

   Your coach is a great resource for finding a role model. Not only is your coach an expert in his or her field. They are also someone who can inspire you to accomplish new things and attempt new challenges. Tell your coach your goals and dreams. Share with them where you want to go. When you become discouraged, your coach can remind you of your strengths and the benefits of sticking with it.

5. Avoid the negative.

   What you say is truly a reflection of who you are. Recent research indicates that 75% of most people's daily conversation is negative. Whether we are aware of it or not, this negative language affects our attitudes and even our personality - and our negative comments only tend to hurt ourselves. In our words and in our body language, we need to communicate in a positive manner all the time.

Here are some examples of turning negative comments into positive communication:

"Problem" becomes an "opportunity."

"Failure" becomes a "learning experience."

"I have to" becomes "I choose to."

"There's nothing I can do" becomes "Let's look at the alternatives."

"That's just the way I am" becomes "I choose a different approach."

"He makes me so mad" becomes "I control my own feelings."

6. Work it out with a workout.

   According to a Gallup survey, those who took up exercise recently reported:

   • 66% - a more relaxed life
   • 62% - a new surge of energy
   • 55% - less stress
   • 51% - better looks
   • 46% - more confidence
   • 45% - better love life
   • 44% - greater job satisfaction
   • 37% - more creativity on their jobs

   The next time you find yourself lacking motivation, work it out with a workout. As little as fifteen minutes three times a week can have profound effects.

7. Take risks

   Everyone instinctively prefers to be comfortable. We live in our comforts zones, avoiding risky situations - and the potential to fail. That safety may feel warm and cozy, but achieving great things requires the mastery of your changing life and stepping outside your comfort zone.

   Start small, one step at a time. Take a different approach, or try a small task you're unfamiliar with. Maybe it means simply taking different routes to work. Then, start taking larger steps out of your comfort zone. If it feels uncomfortable, then you're doing it right! You'll find that the more you do it, the more that feeling of the unknown will seem natural, and you will see an increase in your motivation and opportunities that you never before considered.

8. Dress to impress.

   Looking good may seem only skin-deep, but it's a reflection of who we are, and where we place our values. When we look our best, we not only make an impression on those around us, but we also impress ourselves. True achievers know that looking good translates into feeling good.

   It's easy to distinguish motivated individuals from unmotivated ones simply by observing their appearance and movement. The motivated move forward with confidence and energy.

9. Help others.

   Have you noticed that the people you admire the most are those who show genuine concern for other people? Emulate that behavior, and develop an obsession to help others. Assist them without expecting a reward or recognition. And, importantly, keep your good deed a secret.

You know how good deeds are supposed to come back to benefit you? It's true. First, there's great satisfaction in knowing you helped make someone else's life better. Second, because you didn't seek honors for your efforts, word will get around about your accomplishments, leading to unexpected riches and opportunities. In fact, one of the best ways to begin networking is by volunteering at charitable organizations. Finally, you will gain a new confidence in knowing that you can make a difference. By helping others, great achievers find motivation and meaning.

Once you've mastered the art of staying motivated, there's truly no limit to what you can achieve. Your personal drive to achieve is a god-given talent that can set you apart from the billions of others without the vision or motivation to achieve what you set your sights on. Financial success - and success in every other aspect of life - is only a mindset away.