Whether you work for a Fortune 500 company, in Human Resources or simply own a small business, the measure of your success is equivalent to your decisions, performance and self-belief. Whilst admiring the likes of the Alan Sugars of this world, struggling professionals fall into the trap of believing that there is an element of luck, intelligence or large injections of capital which separates them from the high achievers. This could not be any further from the truth. It is simply a matter of tweaking the thinking process and approaching business with positivity, enthusiasm and determination.

Look at a professional who is confident, chatty and passionate and you have all of the ingredients for success. These are the type of people who could almost pass for being big-headed or having an over inflated ego but these are the ones who are aware that running a business is nothing more than a series of events which are either viewed internally as positive or negative. Your own internal representation of what is going on in your business world will define what you personally believe is your reality.

With this focus in mind, it is vital that your thoughts and feelings towards success is changed so as the reality is more positive and uplifting. By recognising and controlling your internal dialogue, you become master of your emotions instead of your emotions becoming master of you. This means that no matter how difficult the past has been, you can re-program the mind to change your business path right now.

Make it a point to disregard all negative self-talk and replace it with positive chatter. Sabotage phrases such as "she makes me so mad" or "he really hurt my feelings" as they are very disheartening and sap any form of power. This kind of talk substitutes confidence for weakness as it convinces the mind that other peoples actions or events which unfold control you. Whereas, in fact, you are the one who is responsible for how events or people make you feel.

How many times have you felt ashamed or embarrassed by something that you have said or done in front of others? When you beat yourself up over things which are now in the past you are actually saying that you care more about other people than you do about yourself. So talk to yourself with the respect that you so rightly deserve and ban such phrases as "I wish that I hadn't" or "I wish I could have done that" or even "I am not clever, pretty, strong enough to do that" or even "I am too old".

Do not allow yourself to indulge in any thoughts of regret, hurt or frustration and ensure that you only talk about such situations with positive dialogue so as you emotions, physical being and mood is constantly uplifted.

Another way of virtually beating yourself up is to use sentences which start with "why". For example, "Why does he always make me feel so small?" or "Why can't I be as intelligent as her?" So stop talking the talk and wishing that you were like other people.

People who respect themselves know that they deserve only the best and will not allow a negative thought to enter their head. They only see the good in whatever opportunities that come their way. By exuding passion, confidence and positivity into everything that they do, they set out to create their desired results and accomplish their goals.

Do not be afraid to take risks. The ones who always come out on top are those who are prepared to go with a gut feeling or take a risk. These are the ones who go where angels fear to tread and experiment with ideas to see if they will work. They are adventurous and prefer to try things out rather than play it safe and sit on the fence. It means looking at a situation objectively to see if it is time for change even though the company may have ran successfully for many years. The world is constantly changing which means that business is constantly changing too. As a result, professionals have to be prepared to try the unexpected in order to achieve the results that they desire.

"I will do that soon". The most successful business people act now rather than later. If you believe something should be done, it needs to be done now or better still yesterday. The top professionals are constantly thrashing around ideas and acting upon them. They do not wait for tomorrow because they know that someone else will likely come up with the same game plan and pip them at the post. The successors of this world recognise a good idea and start to implement it immediately.

A top performer is a performer and not a dreamer. A successful business person will be prepared to take risks because mistakes will be viewed as learning curves rather than failures. These are the people who become restless if the company is not constantly thriving. They know that if they want their business to stay on top, there is no room for doubt and no time for putting off things until tomorrow.

You can become better and better and better...yes, it's true. The top business people in this world do not settle for being good, they are constantly aiming to improve. As the world shifts and changes, so must business which means constantly looking for ways that the company can become better tomorrow than it was today. Once again, this involves passionate ideas for the company, enthusiasm and the self-belief that it will continue to grow with the times.

Lose your fear of the unknown. Innovators look forward to the unexpected and welcome it with open arms. They see an opportunity, implement it and wait for the unexpected to raise its head. Being successful means going with an idea and being prepared to act on impulse when diversions take place. It means being able to step up or down a gear according to a change in situation and marvel at a challenge with a calm head. This means embracing challenges as a normal part of everyday life and not a curse. When you accept change as being normal you become normal and act normal. If change makes you break out in a cold sweat, you are in effect, a square peg in a round hole!

Strut your stuff. Exuding confidence is a good thing. Many will comment that those who are puffed up with pride will swiftly fall. However, the most successful people in business are the ones who display quiet confidence. They beaver away in the background ensuring that the business is run with extreme proficiency, they perform well under pressure and never fail to deliver the results which were expected of them. On the surface they will appear to be relaxed and graceful, whilst under the surface they may be paddling like crazy!

From now on, make it a rule to never look at the top 1% of performers as being overly intelligent, financially gifted or just plain lucky. Lord Alan Sugar is a typical example of someone who viewed every situation as a challenge and opportunity to thrive.