Brian Tracy Business & Career Coach

by Kathy McCabe, Special to AOL Coaches

For Brian Tracy, the process of setting goals and constantly keeping them in mind is the key to professional or personal success. In his book, 'Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life,' Tracy explores the power of the mind to create almost every aspect of life. "The great summary statement of all religions, all philosophies, metaphysics, psychology, and success is this: You become what you think about most of the time," he writes.

Tracy walks readers through creating a "five-year fantasy," asking us to imagine everything from what kind of car we will drive in five years to how much money we will have in the bank. He explains how the biggest obstacle to this fantasy life is "self-limiting beliefs," but idealization and future orientation can overcome this.

For Tracy, the power of achievement lies within the subconscious mind. He writes, "Your subconscious mind functions best with clear goals, specific tasks, deliberate measures and firm deadlines." He tells readers they absolutely must establish benchmarks or measures in order to hit their targets on schedule.

Commitment, completion and closure determine peak performance in achieving goals. Everyone who reads Tracy’s book and writes down his or her answers to the thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter should finish reading with a list of clear goals in hand and a good idea of how to achieve them. It's the kind of book readers come back to again and again for a nugget of inspiration or to get back on track.

1. Buy 'Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life'