Responsibility - What It Is and What It's Not
By Valery Satterwhite
A client of mine, let's call her Susan, called last week and was very excited! She was absolutely jubilant! I asked her what happened that she was so thrilled about. Her response was surprising at first. But, the Universe does work in miraculous ways. You'll see how as you read this story.What was her response to what she was so happy about!?!"My husband forgot my birthday!"And, yes, she was very happy about this event.I was taken aback for a moment for this was not the response I was expecting. I asked her to explain how his 'forgetting her birthday' made her so happy.She responded that very soon after the initial realization, and 'upset', that her husband forgot her birthday, she thought about our many conversations about 'responsibility'. So, instead of empowering and listening to her Inner Critic, playing into the drama of the upset, she simply asked herself, "What did I do, consciously or unconsciously, to cause this event to happen?"
She decided to empower and check in with her Inner Wizard. Yay!And the answer to that question became crystal clear to her.She knew that her husband, while wonderful in many ways, was terrible at remembering dates. He'd forget his own birthday if you didn't remind him. So, instead of reminding him ahead of time, Susan simply said nothing to see if he would remember her birthday -- knowing that there was a good chance he'd forget the date.She set herself up for this upset to happen. What was her motivation? After some consideration, Susan realized that his forgetting her birthday would validate and empower her Inner Critic. The Inner Critic, after all, loves to be right. Susan's Inner Critic always minimized her worthiness and ability to be loved. Her husband forgetting her birthday would prove to herself that she was right to think the way she did about herself -- that she was not worthy and no man could ever truly love her.Do you see a Victim in this story?Yes, the empowered Inner Critic holds you hostage as a Victim to the drama it serves up to 'be right'.However, by taking ownership of her responsibility to the forgotten birthday, Susan had an epiphany that blew the limiting belief out of her age-old 'story' about herself that ran her life. Once she realized the role she played in the forgotten birthday event, Susan also knew, with certainty, that she [and she alone] manifested the events in her life. If she changed how she thought, her life would change -- in dramatic and miraculous ways.No more Victim!This realization empowered her and gave her serenity. She felt a major shift within her that gave her the knowing-ness that she was, indeed, worthy and loved. Worthiness and loveable-ness comes from self, first and foremost. Once you value your own worth and love yourself, you no longer set yourself up to be invalidated.(That 'shift', by the way, is the reconnection with and empowerment of the Inner Wizard.)Of course, Susan's husband felt terrible about forgetting her birthday, and they had a long conversation -- one of the best they've had in years. It was open and honest, with both revealing thoughts they've had over the years. They learned more about each other in that conversation than in any other conversation they had during their marriage. It brought them much closer together.And there will no longer be any forgotten birthdays! The date is clearly marked in the calendar for many years to come.And so, Susan was very delighted over this 'upsetting' experience. Letting go of the power her Inner Critic held over her was the greatest birthday gift she could have given herself.So, whenever something 'upsetting' occurs in your life, ask yourself the same question: "What did I do, consciously or unconsciously, to cause this event to happen?" Then empower and listen to your Inner Wizard for guidance. You might be amazed at the answer.Below is the definition of responsibility that I gave to Susan and live my life by. I know it will serve you well. It's not an easy lesson. But once learned, it is powerful and liberating at the same time. You become the Deliberate Creator of your life and circumstance.You experience life consciously through your Inner Wizard -- the alchemist who can turn your dreams into reality!Definition of ResponsibilityResponsibility starts with the willingness to experience your self as cause. It starts with the willingness to have the experience of your self as cause in the matter.Each individual has substantial or total responsibility for the events and circumstances that befall them in their life. Responsibility starts with the willingness to acknowledge that you are cause in the matter.It starts with the willingness to deal with a situation from and with the point of view that you are the source of what you are, what you do, and what you have. This point of view extends to include even what is done to you and ultimately what another does to another.Responsibility is not fault, praise, blame, shame or guilt. All these include judgments and evaluations of good and bad, right and wrong, or better and worse. They are not responsibility as they are all beyond a simple acknowledgement that you are cause in your own experience. - W. Erhard
Thursday, May 28, 2009
It pays to be nice
It Pays to Be Nice
By Bud Bilanich
In my work as an executive coach, I have found that interpersonally competent people share at least three things in common.
1. Interpersonally competent people are self-aware. They understand themselves, and as a result they understand others.
2. Interpersonally competent people build solid, long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with the people in their lives.
3. Interpersonally competent people are able to resolve conflicts with a minimal amount of problems and upset to relationships.
In this article, I'd like to focus on relationships. To begin, I'd like to share a story about the importance of relationships.
A few months ago, I had a meeting with a potential client. I have known this guy for about 20 years. He was a new HR rep at the company where I worked prior to starting my consulting and coaching business. Now, he is a senior HR person with that same company, and I am an executive coach.
A few weeks previous, we had a chance meeting. I followed up and asked if I could have a few minutes of his time to tell him what I've been doing recently. He said "sure."
As we were chatting, he said something that really hit home. "When I was a young guy here, a lot of the people at your level didn't pay a lot of attention to me. That wasn't true of you. You were nice to me. I can remember you asking me if I'd like to go to lunch or dinner a few times. I was never able to make it, but I really appreciated you asking. Quite frankly, that's the whole reason you're here now. You treated me well many years ago when you didn't have to."
I told him that I really didn't remember those things. He said, "I do, and they meant a lot to me."
There is a common sense point here. Interpersonal competence comes from within. Build relationships and treat people well because it's the right thing to do -- not because you have something to gain from it. People can spot a phony a mile away.
Here are some thoughts to help you become more interpersonally competent. If you use them, you will be able to build strong, lasting relationships with the people around you.
* Work hard at relating well with all kinds of people. People who are different from you might make you feel uncomfortable at first. However, they also have the potential for teaching you something you didn't know.
* Listen well and demonstrate your understanding of others' points of view. Ask questions if you don't understand; repeat your understanding to make sure you got it right.
* Be a consensus builder. If you focus on where you agree with another person, you'll find that it will be easier to resolve differences and come to agreement.
* Learn how to relate to all kinds of people. Focus on building mutually beneficial relationships.
* Put others at ease. Be diplomatic and tactful.
* Be warm, pleasant and gracious, and sensitive to the interpersonal needs and anxieties of others.
* Be receptive to feedback.
* Take a deep breath when you are angry. Don't blow up. Present your side of things in a measured tone of voice.
* Take responsibility for your feelings. Don't blame others if you are unhappy.
* Be easy to get to know. Share your feelings. Be open about your personal beliefs.
* Be attentive to the needs of others. Listen actively. Set a goal of listening twice as much as you speak.
* Avoid judging and criticizing and preparing your response while the other person is speaking. Instead, focus on understanding what they are saying, and the emotions behind what they are saying.
* Show others the respect they deserve as human beings -- listen to them and do your best to put yourself in their shoes. Respond to the feelings they share with you before responding with facts.
* Be humble, not a know-it-all. Apologize when you're at fault. Give people credit when they are correct.
* Speak only when you have something to add to the conversation. Don't make comments just to hear yourself speak. Don't state the obvious.
* Look people in the eye when you are speaking with them. Ask questions to clarify things that are not clear to you.
* Acknowledge other people for their contributions and talents. Everyone likes to hear nice things about themselves.
The common sense point here is simple, and a little Zen-like. People can spot a phony. So don't just act in an interpersonally competent manner. Be interpersonally competent. Treat people with respect. Engage them. Listen to what they have to say. Avoid being judgmental and overly critical.
By Bud Bilanich
In my work as an executive coach, I have found that interpersonally competent people share at least three things in common.
1. Interpersonally competent people are self-aware. They understand themselves, and as a result they understand others.
2. Interpersonally competent people build solid, long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with the people in their lives.
3. Interpersonally competent people are able to resolve conflicts with a minimal amount of problems and upset to relationships.
In this article, I'd like to focus on relationships. To begin, I'd like to share a story about the importance of relationships.
A few months ago, I had a meeting with a potential client. I have known this guy for about 20 years. He was a new HR rep at the company where I worked prior to starting my consulting and coaching business. Now, he is a senior HR person with that same company, and I am an executive coach.
A few weeks previous, we had a chance meeting. I followed up and asked if I could have a few minutes of his time to tell him what I've been doing recently. He said "sure."
As we were chatting, he said something that really hit home. "When I was a young guy here, a lot of the people at your level didn't pay a lot of attention to me. That wasn't true of you. You were nice to me. I can remember you asking me if I'd like to go to lunch or dinner a few times. I was never able to make it, but I really appreciated you asking. Quite frankly, that's the whole reason you're here now. You treated me well many years ago when you didn't have to."
I told him that I really didn't remember those things. He said, "I do, and they meant a lot to me."
There is a common sense point here. Interpersonal competence comes from within. Build relationships and treat people well because it's the right thing to do -- not because you have something to gain from it. People can spot a phony a mile away.
Here are some thoughts to help you become more interpersonally competent. If you use them, you will be able to build strong, lasting relationships with the people around you.
* Work hard at relating well with all kinds of people. People who are different from you might make you feel uncomfortable at first. However, they also have the potential for teaching you something you didn't know.
* Listen well and demonstrate your understanding of others' points of view. Ask questions if you don't understand; repeat your understanding to make sure you got it right.
* Be a consensus builder. If you focus on where you agree with another person, you'll find that it will be easier to resolve differences and come to agreement.
* Learn how to relate to all kinds of people. Focus on building mutually beneficial relationships.
* Put others at ease. Be diplomatic and tactful.
* Be warm, pleasant and gracious, and sensitive to the interpersonal needs and anxieties of others.
* Be receptive to feedback.
* Take a deep breath when you are angry. Don't blow up. Present your side of things in a measured tone of voice.
* Take responsibility for your feelings. Don't blame others if you are unhappy.
* Be easy to get to know. Share your feelings. Be open about your personal beliefs.
* Be attentive to the needs of others. Listen actively. Set a goal of listening twice as much as you speak.
* Avoid judging and criticizing and preparing your response while the other person is speaking. Instead, focus on understanding what they are saying, and the emotions behind what they are saying.
* Show others the respect they deserve as human beings -- listen to them and do your best to put yourself in their shoes. Respond to the feelings they share with you before responding with facts.
* Be humble, not a know-it-all. Apologize when you're at fault. Give people credit when they are correct.
* Speak only when you have something to add to the conversation. Don't make comments just to hear yourself speak. Don't state the obvious.
* Look people in the eye when you are speaking with them. Ask questions to clarify things that are not clear to you.
* Acknowledge other people for their contributions and talents. Everyone likes to hear nice things about themselves.
The common sense point here is simple, and a little Zen-like. People can spot a phony. So don't just act in an interpersonally competent manner. Be interpersonally competent. Treat people with respect. Engage them. Listen to what they have to say. Avoid being judgmental and overly critical.
Persistence
Persistence
By Bob Proctor
If you were to choose just one part of your personality to develop that would virtually guarantee your success, I'd like to suggest that you place persistence at the top of your list.
Napoleon Hill, in his classic "Think and Grow Rich," felt so strongly about this subject, he devoted an entire chapter to it. Hill suggested, "There may be no heroic connotation to the word persistence but the quality is to your character what carbon is to steel."
Think about it. If you took a quick mental walk down memory lane and reviewed some of your accomplishments in the past -- large and small -- you would have to agree that persistence played an important role in your success.
Napoleon Hill studied many of the world's most successful people. He pointed out that the only quality he could find in Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, or a host of other notable greats, that he could not find in everyone else was persistence. What I found even more intriguing was the fact that Hill made comment of the fact that these individuals were often misunderstood to be ruthless or cold-blooded and that this misconception grew out of their habit of following through in all of their plans with persistence.
It's both interesting and sadly amusing to me that, as a society, we would be quick to criticize people for realizing they had an unshakeable power within them and were capable of overcoming any obstacle outside of them. This power would ultimately move them toward a greater chance of achieving any goal they set for themselves!
Milt Campbell is a good friend of mine. He and I have shared many hours together...discussing the very topic of persistence. Milt was a Decathlete in the Olympic Games held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. His goal was to capture gold for the U.S. Unfortunately, another fierce competitor who had taken home the gold four years previously in London wasn't satisfied with one gold. Bob Mathias wanted two. Milt had to settle for silver. That did not deter Milt one bit. He had formed the habit of persistence, and four years later in Melbourne, Australia, Milt won the gold medal, earning him the title of the greatest athlete in the world.
On numerous occasions, Milt has said, "There were many guys in school who were far better athletes than me, but they quit." I can recount story after story about individuals who overcame obstacles so great, but only did so because they dared persist. These individuals are no different than you and I.
Ultimately persistence becomes a way of life, but that is not where it begins. To develop the mental strength -- persistence -- you must first want something. You have to WANT something so much that it becomes a heated desire... a passion in your belly. You must fall in love with that idea. Yes, literally fall in love with the idea and magnetize yourself to every part of the idea. At that point, persistence will be virtually automatic.
Persistence is a subject I have studied all of my adult life, and I can tell you one thing I know for certain: very few people ever, mentally or verbally, say to themselves... this is what I really want, and I am prepared to give my life for it, and thus, they never develop the persistence to achieve it.
Persistence is a unique mental strength, a strength that is essential to comb at the fierce power of the repeated rejections and numerous other obstacles that sit in waiting and are all part of winning in a fast-moving, ever-changing world. As Napoleon Hill found out, there are hundreds of highly successful men and women who have cut a path for others to follow, while leaving their mark on the scrolls of history... and every one of these great individuals was persistent. In many cases, it was the only quality that separated them from everyone else.
It is generally believed that a lack of persistence is a consequence of a weak willpower. That is not true. A person could have a highly evolved willpower and still lack the persistence required to keep moving forward in life. In more cases than not, if a person lacks persistence, they do not have a goal that is worthy of them, a desirable goal that excites them to their very core.
Though willpower is important in moving a person toward their goal, if there is ever a war between the will and the imagination, the imagination will win every time. What that means is: you're powered by desire and fuelled by the dream you hold. Once you start to use your imagination to help you build a bigger picture of your dream, to define and refine it until you get it just right in your mind, the emotion that is triggered by that desire far outweighs any force that may be caused by sheer will alone. I am not suggesting the will does not have to be developed; it does. It must become highly developed in order to direct you toward the image with which you are emotionally involved.
Your intellectual factors hold the potential for enormous good when they are properly employed. However, you must remember that everything has an opposite, and any of your intellectual factors can turn, without warning, into destructive lethal enemies when they are directed toward results that are not wanted. It is easy to find individuals who are persistently doing what they don't want to do and achieving results that they do not want. A lack of persistence is not their problem; that person is persisting to their own detriment. Ignorance and paradigms are the enemy that we must defeat. Everyone is persistent. Our objective must be to put persistence to work for us rather than against us.
Vision and desire have to be the focus of your attention if you're going to develop persistence into the great ally it can become.
Another excellent example of persistence was demonstrated when, in 1953, a beekeeper from Auckland, N.Z., Edmund Hillary, and his native guide, Tenzing Norgay, became the first two people to climb Mt. Everest and return, after having tried and failed the two previous years.
Hillary had two obvious character strengths that took him to the very top -- vision and desire. Even despite the seemingly insurmountable challenges, he had no trouble persisting with the strenuous acts that were required because every act was hooked into the image of him standing on top of the mountain. They were expressed because of his persistence, but he was persistent because he was emotionally involved with the image. Without persistence, all his skills would have meant nothing.
Persistence is an expression of the mental strength that is essential in almost every profession, where repeated rejection and obstacles are part of a daily routine.
In closing, let me give you four relatively simple steps that will help you to turn persistence into a habit. These steps can be followed by virtually anyone.
1. Have a clearly defined goal. The goal must be something you are emotionally involved with, something you want very much. (In the beginning, you may not even believe that you can accomplish it -- the belief will come.)
2. Have a clearly established plan that you can begin working on immediately. (Your plan will very likely only cover the first and possibly the second stage of the journey to your goal. As you begin executing your plan, other steps required to complete your journey will be revealed at the right time.)
3. Make an irrevocable decision to reject any and all negative suggestions that come from friends, relatives, or neighbors. Do not give any conscious attention to conditions or circumstances that appear to indicate the goal cannot be accomplished.
4. Establish a mastermind group of one or more people who will encourage, support, and assist you wherever possible.
What do you dream of doing with your life? Do it. Begin right now and never quit. There is greatness in you. Let it out. Be persistent.
By Bob Proctor
If you were to choose just one part of your personality to develop that would virtually guarantee your success, I'd like to suggest that you place persistence at the top of your list.
Napoleon Hill, in his classic "Think and Grow Rich," felt so strongly about this subject, he devoted an entire chapter to it. Hill suggested, "There may be no heroic connotation to the word persistence but the quality is to your character what carbon is to steel."
Think about it. If you took a quick mental walk down memory lane and reviewed some of your accomplishments in the past -- large and small -- you would have to agree that persistence played an important role in your success.
Napoleon Hill studied many of the world's most successful people. He pointed out that the only quality he could find in Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, or a host of other notable greats, that he could not find in everyone else was persistence. What I found even more intriguing was the fact that Hill made comment of the fact that these individuals were often misunderstood to be ruthless or cold-blooded and that this misconception grew out of their habit of following through in all of their plans with persistence.
It's both interesting and sadly amusing to me that, as a society, we would be quick to criticize people for realizing they had an unshakeable power within them and were capable of overcoming any obstacle outside of them. This power would ultimately move them toward a greater chance of achieving any goal they set for themselves!
Milt Campbell is a good friend of mine. He and I have shared many hours together...discussing the very topic of persistence. Milt was a Decathlete in the Olympic Games held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. His goal was to capture gold for the U.S. Unfortunately, another fierce competitor who had taken home the gold four years previously in London wasn't satisfied with one gold. Bob Mathias wanted two. Milt had to settle for silver. That did not deter Milt one bit. He had formed the habit of persistence, and four years later in Melbourne, Australia, Milt won the gold medal, earning him the title of the greatest athlete in the world.
On numerous occasions, Milt has said, "There were many guys in school who were far better athletes than me, but they quit." I can recount story after story about individuals who overcame obstacles so great, but only did so because they dared persist. These individuals are no different than you and I.
Ultimately persistence becomes a way of life, but that is not where it begins. To develop the mental strength -- persistence -- you must first want something. You have to WANT something so much that it becomes a heated desire... a passion in your belly. You must fall in love with that idea. Yes, literally fall in love with the idea and magnetize yourself to every part of the idea. At that point, persistence will be virtually automatic.
Persistence is a subject I have studied all of my adult life, and I can tell you one thing I know for certain: very few people ever, mentally or verbally, say to themselves... this is what I really want, and I am prepared to give my life for it, and thus, they never develop the persistence to achieve it.
Persistence is a unique mental strength, a strength that is essential to comb at the fierce power of the repeated rejections and numerous other obstacles that sit in waiting and are all part of winning in a fast-moving, ever-changing world. As Napoleon Hill found out, there are hundreds of highly successful men and women who have cut a path for others to follow, while leaving their mark on the scrolls of history... and every one of these great individuals was persistent. In many cases, it was the only quality that separated them from everyone else.
It is generally believed that a lack of persistence is a consequence of a weak willpower. That is not true. A person could have a highly evolved willpower and still lack the persistence required to keep moving forward in life. In more cases than not, if a person lacks persistence, they do not have a goal that is worthy of them, a desirable goal that excites them to their very core.
Though willpower is important in moving a person toward their goal, if there is ever a war between the will and the imagination, the imagination will win every time. What that means is: you're powered by desire and fuelled by the dream you hold. Once you start to use your imagination to help you build a bigger picture of your dream, to define and refine it until you get it just right in your mind, the emotion that is triggered by that desire far outweighs any force that may be caused by sheer will alone. I am not suggesting the will does not have to be developed; it does. It must become highly developed in order to direct you toward the image with which you are emotionally involved.
Your intellectual factors hold the potential for enormous good when they are properly employed. However, you must remember that everything has an opposite, and any of your intellectual factors can turn, without warning, into destructive lethal enemies when they are directed toward results that are not wanted. It is easy to find individuals who are persistently doing what they don't want to do and achieving results that they do not want. A lack of persistence is not their problem; that person is persisting to their own detriment. Ignorance and paradigms are the enemy that we must defeat. Everyone is persistent. Our objective must be to put persistence to work for us rather than against us.
Vision and desire have to be the focus of your attention if you're going to develop persistence into the great ally it can become.
Another excellent example of persistence was demonstrated when, in 1953, a beekeeper from Auckland, N.Z., Edmund Hillary, and his native guide, Tenzing Norgay, became the first two people to climb Mt. Everest and return, after having tried and failed the two previous years.
Hillary had two obvious character strengths that took him to the very top -- vision and desire. Even despite the seemingly insurmountable challenges, he had no trouble persisting with the strenuous acts that were required because every act was hooked into the image of him standing on top of the mountain. They were expressed because of his persistence, but he was persistent because he was emotionally involved with the image. Without persistence, all his skills would have meant nothing.
Persistence is an expression of the mental strength that is essential in almost every profession, where repeated rejection and obstacles are part of a daily routine.
In closing, let me give you four relatively simple steps that will help you to turn persistence into a habit. These steps can be followed by virtually anyone.
1. Have a clearly defined goal. The goal must be something you are emotionally involved with, something you want very much. (In the beginning, you may not even believe that you can accomplish it -- the belief will come.)
2. Have a clearly established plan that you can begin working on immediately. (Your plan will very likely only cover the first and possibly the second stage of the journey to your goal. As you begin executing your plan, other steps required to complete your journey will be revealed at the right time.)
3. Make an irrevocable decision to reject any and all negative suggestions that come from friends, relatives, or neighbors. Do not give any conscious attention to conditions or circumstances that appear to indicate the goal cannot be accomplished.
4. Establish a mastermind group of one or more people who will encourage, support, and assist you wherever possible.
What do you dream of doing with your life? Do it. Begin right now and never quit. There is greatness in you. Let it out. Be persistent.
12.5 principles of client retention
12.5 Principles of Client Retention
by Jeffrey Gitomer
To serve Clients, a set of principles must be established, so that the policies can be delivered in a positive (Client retaining) manner. Oh, that. Train on principles before you even dream of opening your policy book.
Principle 1. Your Client is your paycheck.
Principle Action: The more you work for the Client's success, the more you will earn.
Principle 2. Your attitude (the way you dedicate yourself to the way you think) determines the degree of excellence of service you will perform.
Principle Action: Read about positive attitude for 15 minutes each morning. Create and deliver positive first words. Do whatever it takes to maintain your positive attitude.
Principle 3. Clients call, contact or visit for one reason -- they need HELP.
Principle Action: Know why your Clients call, and the BEST way to respond to each need.
Principle 4. The value of a Client is 20 times his annual sales volume.
Principle Action: Every Client contact is an opportunity to earn the next sale. Be your best on every Client interaction.
Principle 5. A Client ready to repeat his purchase is a powerful business advantage.
Principle Action: Substitute relationship building strategies for sales techniques. Stay in front of your
Client in times of 'non-sale' as much as you do in times of 'sale.'
Principle 6. Client satisfaction is worthless. Satisfaction is no longer the acceptable standard of
Client service. Client loyalty is the new standard.
Principle Action: Understand what makes YOU loyal, and deploy those actions towards Clients.
Principle 7. Word of mouth advertising is 50 times more powerful than advertising.
Principle Action: Write about things that help Clients, speak at trade shows and business functions -- get in front of people who can say "yes" to you, and deliver value first.
Principle 8. When you're done speaking with a Client or the transaction is over, that's when they START talking.
Principle Action: Start positive, end positive, and put positive in the middle.
Principle 9. Your friendliness and willingness to help is in direct proportion to your success.
Principle Action: Start friendly, end friendly, and put friendly in the middle.
Principle 10. Company policy is written in terms of the company not the Client. It tells you what you can't do for a Client -- not what you can do.
Principle Action: When faced with a policy situation, start out by saying? 'In order to be fair to everyone...'
Principle 11. Service is a feeling. You know what it is when you get it -- so give back the same thing -- or more.
Principle Action: Remember how you felt the last time you got great service? Give that to your Clients. Every day.
Principle 12. The secret to success of Client service is -- start with YES.
Principle Action: Start your response with? 'The best way to get that done is...' or 'The easiest (fastest) way to do that is...'
Principle 12.5 The Client's PERCEPTION of good or bad service is the measure of your success or failure.
Principle Action: Master the elements of service that the Client considers most important. How do you find out what they are? You ask them (duh). How do you master them? You work at being your best every day.
by Jeffrey Gitomer
To serve Clients, a set of principles must be established, so that the policies can be delivered in a positive (Client retaining) manner. Oh, that. Train on principles before you even dream of opening your policy book.
Principle 1. Your Client is your paycheck.
Principle Action: The more you work for the Client's success, the more you will earn.
Principle 2. Your attitude (the way you dedicate yourself to the way you think) determines the degree of excellence of service you will perform.
Principle Action: Read about positive attitude for 15 minutes each morning. Create and deliver positive first words. Do whatever it takes to maintain your positive attitude.
Principle 3. Clients call, contact or visit for one reason -- they need HELP.
Principle Action: Know why your Clients call, and the BEST way to respond to each need.
Principle 4. The value of a Client is 20 times his annual sales volume.
Principle Action: Every Client contact is an opportunity to earn the next sale. Be your best on every Client interaction.
Principle 5. A Client ready to repeat his purchase is a powerful business advantage.
Principle Action: Substitute relationship building strategies for sales techniques. Stay in front of your
Client in times of 'non-sale' as much as you do in times of 'sale.'
Principle 6. Client satisfaction is worthless. Satisfaction is no longer the acceptable standard of
Client service. Client loyalty is the new standard.
Principle Action: Understand what makes YOU loyal, and deploy those actions towards Clients.
Principle 7. Word of mouth advertising is 50 times more powerful than advertising.
Principle Action: Write about things that help Clients, speak at trade shows and business functions -- get in front of people who can say "yes" to you, and deliver value first.
Principle 8. When you're done speaking with a Client or the transaction is over, that's when they START talking.
Principle Action: Start positive, end positive, and put positive in the middle.
Principle 9. Your friendliness and willingness to help is in direct proportion to your success.
Principle Action: Start friendly, end friendly, and put friendly in the middle.
Principle 10. Company policy is written in terms of the company not the Client. It tells you what you can't do for a Client -- not what you can do.
Principle Action: When faced with a policy situation, start out by saying? 'In order to be fair to everyone...'
Principle 11. Service is a feeling. You know what it is when you get it -- so give back the same thing -- or more.
Principle Action: Remember how you felt the last time you got great service? Give that to your Clients. Every day.
Principle 12. The secret to success of Client service is -- start with YES.
Principle Action: Start your response with? 'The best way to get that done is...' or 'The easiest (fastest) way to do that is...'
Principle 12.5 The Client's PERCEPTION of good or bad service is the measure of your success or failure.
Principle Action: Master the elements of service that the Client considers most important. How do you find out what they are? You ask them (duh). How do you master them? You work at being your best every day.
Plan your action and act your paln
Plan Your Action... Then Put Action to Your Plan!
Every day, every week, and every month will take you closer to your goals IF you are planning your action and then putting action to your plan. These three steps will help you reach your goals:
Step One: MONTHLY PLANNING-- Reserve one hour at the end of each month to plan for the coming month. (This can be a quick review if you plan in 90-day cycles.)-- Survey your goals for the year/quarter and your progress on them.-- Break goals and projects down into steps you can accomplish each week.-- Designate specific due dates for completing these interim steps.-- If what you plan will take several months, divide it into steps so that you can accomplish a little each month.
Step Two: WEEKLY PLANNING-- Set aside half an hour every Friday afternoon or Monday morning to plan for the upcoming week.-- Look over the goals you've set for the week, and consider any additional tasks that you need to accomplish.-- Divide tasks planned into steps, and choose a day to work on each step.-- Make note of previously scheduled meetings and appointments.-- Be sure that your weekly routine includes activities that are directly related to your goals.
Step Three: DAILY PLANNING-- At the beginning of each day, review your progress on yesterday's work, and note any pending items.-- Spend a few minutes deciding what tasks to work on today.-- Order the day's tasks by priority level with "must do" items first.-- If possible, schedule items that will require more concentration for the time of day that you work best.-- Leave roughly 20 percent of your time unscheduled to make room for new items, delays, etc.--
If appropriate, start with your top-priority item and work on it as long as you can or until it's completed.
Once you've tackled your #1 job, move on to the next highest priority on your list.
When you put daily action to your plan, your goals will quickly come to pass!
Every day, every week, and every month will take you closer to your goals IF you are planning your action and then putting action to your plan. These three steps will help you reach your goals:
Step One: MONTHLY PLANNING-- Reserve one hour at the end of each month to plan for the coming month. (This can be a quick review if you plan in 90-day cycles.)-- Survey your goals for the year/quarter and your progress on them.-- Break goals and projects down into steps you can accomplish each week.-- Designate specific due dates for completing these interim steps.-- If what you plan will take several months, divide it into steps so that you can accomplish a little each month.
Step Two: WEEKLY PLANNING-- Set aside half an hour every Friday afternoon or Monday morning to plan for the upcoming week.-- Look over the goals you've set for the week, and consider any additional tasks that you need to accomplish.-- Divide tasks planned into steps, and choose a day to work on each step.-- Make note of previously scheduled meetings and appointments.-- Be sure that your weekly routine includes activities that are directly related to your goals.
Step Three: DAILY PLANNING-- At the beginning of each day, review your progress on yesterday's work, and note any pending items.-- Spend a few minutes deciding what tasks to work on today.-- Order the day's tasks by priority level with "must do" items first.-- If possible, schedule items that will require more concentration for the time of day that you work best.-- Leave roughly 20 percent of your time unscheduled to make room for new items, delays, etc.--
If appropriate, start with your top-priority item and work on it as long as you can or until it's completed.
Once you've tackled your #1 job, move on to the next highest priority on your list.
When you put daily action to your plan, your goals will quickly come to pass!
Turn Nothing into something
how to Turn Nothing Into Something
by Jim Rohn
Have you ever wondered how to turn nothing into something?
First, in order to turn nothing into something, you've got to start with some ideas and imagination. Now, it might be hard to call ideas and imagination nothing; but how tangible are those ideas? That is a bit of a mystery. I don't believe that ideas that can be turned into a hotel, ideas that can be turned into an enterprise, ideas that can be turned into a new vaccine or ideas that can be turned into some miracle product, should be called nothing. But tangibly, you have nothing. Interesting! Think of it, ideas that become so powerful in your mind and in your consciousness that they seem real to you even before they become tangible. Imagination that is so strong, you can actually see it.
When I built my first home for my family in Idaho all those years ago, before I started construction, I would take my friends and associates out to the vacant property and give them a tour of the house. Is that possible? Is it possible to take someone on a tour through an imaginary house? And the answer is, "Yes, of course." "Here is the 3 car garage," I used to say, and my friends would look and say, "Yes, this garage will hold 3 cars." I could really make it "live". I would take them on a tour throughout the house… "Here is the fireplace, and look, this side is brick and the other side is stone." I could make it so real… "Follow me through the rest of the house. Take a look through the picture window here in the kitchen, isn't the view great?" One day, I made the house so real that one of my friends bumped his elbow on the fireplace. I mean, it was that real.
So, the first step of turning nothing into something is to imagine the possibilities. Imagine All of the possibilities. One of the reasons for seminars, sermons, lyrics from songs and testimonials of others is to give us an idea of the possibilities; to help us imagine and to see the potential.
Now here is the second step for turning nothing into something, you must Believe that what you imagine IS possible for you. Testimonials like, "If I can do it, you can do it." often become a support to our belief. And we start believing. First we imagine it's possible. Second, we start to believe that what's possible is possible for us.
We might also believe because of our own testimonial. Here is what your testimonial might say, "If I did it once, I can do it again. If it happened for me before, it could very well happen again." So we believe not only the testimonials of others who say, "If I can do it, you can do it. If I can change, you can change. If I can start with nothing, you can start with nothing. If I can turn it all around, you can turn it all around." Then we also have the support of our own testimonial, if we've accomplished something before. "If we did it once, we can do it again. If we did it last year, we can do it this year." So those two things together are very powerful. Now, we do not have actual substance yet, although it is very close.
Again, step one is to imagine the possibilities. Step two is to imagine that what is possible is possible for you. Here is what we call step two - faith to believe. In fact, one writer said this, "Faith is substance." An interesting word: "substance", the powerful ability to believe in the possibilities that are possible for you. If you have faith to believe… that faith is substance, substance meaning "a piece of the real." Now it's not "the real", it's not this podium, but it is so powerful that it is very close to being real and so the writer said, "The faith is a piece of, the substance of". He then goes on to call it evidence, substance and evidence. It is difficult to call substance and evidence "nothing". It is nothing in the sense that it cannot be seen except with the inner eye. You can't get a hold of it because it isn't YET tangible. But it is possible to turn nothing, especially ideas and imaginations, into something if you believe that it is now possible for you. That substance and evidence becomes so powerful that it can now be turned into reality.
So the first step is to imagine what is possible, the second is to have the faith to believe that what is possible is possible for you. And now the third step is to that you go to work to make it real. You go to work to make it a hotel. You go to work to make it an enterprise. You go to work and make it good health. You go to work and make it an association. You go to work and make it a good marriage. You go to work and make it a movement; you make it tangible. You make it viable. You breathe life into it and then you construct it. That is such a unique and powerful ability for all of us human beings. Put this to work and start the miracle process today!
Jim Rohn
by Jim Rohn
Have you ever wondered how to turn nothing into something?
First, in order to turn nothing into something, you've got to start with some ideas and imagination. Now, it might be hard to call ideas and imagination nothing; but how tangible are those ideas? That is a bit of a mystery. I don't believe that ideas that can be turned into a hotel, ideas that can be turned into an enterprise, ideas that can be turned into a new vaccine or ideas that can be turned into some miracle product, should be called nothing. But tangibly, you have nothing. Interesting! Think of it, ideas that become so powerful in your mind and in your consciousness that they seem real to you even before they become tangible. Imagination that is so strong, you can actually see it.
When I built my first home for my family in Idaho all those years ago, before I started construction, I would take my friends and associates out to the vacant property and give them a tour of the house. Is that possible? Is it possible to take someone on a tour through an imaginary house? And the answer is, "Yes, of course." "Here is the 3 car garage," I used to say, and my friends would look and say, "Yes, this garage will hold 3 cars." I could really make it "live". I would take them on a tour throughout the house… "Here is the fireplace, and look, this side is brick and the other side is stone." I could make it so real… "Follow me through the rest of the house. Take a look through the picture window here in the kitchen, isn't the view great?" One day, I made the house so real that one of my friends bumped his elbow on the fireplace. I mean, it was that real.
So, the first step of turning nothing into something is to imagine the possibilities. Imagine All of the possibilities. One of the reasons for seminars, sermons, lyrics from songs and testimonials of others is to give us an idea of the possibilities; to help us imagine and to see the potential.
Now here is the second step for turning nothing into something, you must Believe that what you imagine IS possible for you. Testimonials like, "If I can do it, you can do it." often become a support to our belief. And we start believing. First we imagine it's possible. Second, we start to believe that what's possible is possible for us.
We might also believe because of our own testimonial. Here is what your testimonial might say, "If I did it once, I can do it again. If it happened for me before, it could very well happen again." So we believe not only the testimonials of others who say, "If I can do it, you can do it. If I can change, you can change. If I can start with nothing, you can start with nothing. If I can turn it all around, you can turn it all around." Then we also have the support of our own testimonial, if we've accomplished something before. "If we did it once, we can do it again. If we did it last year, we can do it this year." So those two things together are very powerful. Now, we do not have actual substance yet, although it is very close.
Again, step one is to imagine the possibilities. Step two is to imagine that what is possible is possible for you. Here is what we call step two - faith to believe. In fact, one writer said this, "Faith is substance." An interesting word: "substance", the powerful ability to believe in the possibilities that are possible for you. If you have faith to believe… that faith is substance, substance meaning "a piece of the real." Now it's not "the real", it's not this podium, but it is so powerful that it is very close to being real and so the writer said, "The faith is a piece of, the substance of". He then goes on to call it evidence, substance and evidence. It is difficult to call substance and evidence "nothing". It is nothing in the sense that it cannot be seen except with the inner eye. You can't get a hold of it because it isn't YET tangible. But it is possible to turn nothing, especially ideas and imaginations, into something if you believe that it is now possible for you. That substance and evidence becomes so powerful that it can now be turned into reality.
So the first step is to imagine what is possible, the second is to have the faith to believe that what is possible is possible for you. And now the third step is to that you go to work to make it real. You go to work to make it a hotel. You go to work to make it an enterprise. You go to work and make it good health. You go to work and make it an association. You go to work and make it a good marriage. You go to work and make it a movement; you make it tangible. You make it viable. You breathe life into it and then you construct it. That is such a unique and powerful ability for all of us human beings. Put this to work and start the miracle process today!
Jim Rohn
Self esteem
SELF-ESTEEM
"If you have real internal value, you don't need a loud, expensive imitation." -- Denis Waitley
"Total, unconditional acceptance of yourself is the first step in building a positive self-image." -- Nido Qubein
"The most influential person who will talk to you all day is you, so you should be very careful about what you say to you!" -- Zig Ziglar
"Don't worry about impressing others, impress yourself. Who are you trying to please, anyway?" -- Mark McKeon
SELF-LIMITING BELIEFS
"Self pity is our worst enemy, and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in the world." -- Helen Keller
"When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself." -- Wayne Dyer
"There is no reason to ever quit... unless of course you had no plans to ever succeed... that is called ‘Delusional Success´" -- Doug Firebaugh
"Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional." -- Roger Crawford
SELF-TALK
"We become what we think about." -- Denis Waitley
"Doubt is most often the source of our powerlessness. To doubt is to be faithless, to be without hope or belief. When we doubt, our self-talk sound like this: 'I don't think I can. I don't think I will.' …To doubt is to have faith in the worst possible outcome. It is to believe in the perverseness of the universe, that even if I do well, something I don't know about will get in the way, sabotage me, or get me in the end." -- Blaine Lee
"To build your confidence, repeat over and over, ‘I feel happy! I feel healthy! I feel terrific!´" -- Brian Tracy
"If your sunshine wants far outstrip your cold morning desire, have a talk with yourself. Then have a lot more talks with yourself. Convince number one that you can succeed--and you will succeed. If you don't believe in you, why should anyone else?" -- Tom Hopkins
"If you have real internal value, you don't need a loud, expensive imitation." -- Denis Waitley
"Total, unconditional acceptance of yourself is the first step in building a positive self-image." -- Nido Qubein
"The most influential person who will talk to you all day is you, so you should be very careful about what you say to you!" -- Zig Ziglar
"Don't worry about impressing others, impress yourself. Who are you trying to please, anyway?" -- Mark McKeon
SELF-LIMITING BELIEFS
"Self pity is our worst enemy, and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in the world." -- Helen Keller
"When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself." -- Wayne Dyer
"There is no reason to ever quit... unless of course you had no plans to ever succeed... that is called ‘Delusional Success´" -- Doug Firebaugh
"Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional." -- Roger Crawford
SELF-TALK
"We become what we think about." -- Denis Waitley
"Doubt is most often the source of our powerlessness. To doubt is to be faithless, to be without hope or belief. When we doubt, our self-talk sound like this: 'I don't think I can. I don't think I will.' …To doubt is to have faith in the worst possible outcome. It is to believe in the perverseness of the universe, that even if I do well, something I don't know about will get in the way, sabotage me, or get me in the end." -- Blaine Lee
"To build your confidence, repeat over and over, ‘I feel happy! I feel healthy! I feel terrific!´" -- Brian Tracy
"If your sunshine wants far outstrip your cold morning desire, have a talk with yourself. Then have a lot more talks with yourself. Convince number one that you can succeed--and you will succeed. If you don't believe in you, why should anyone else?" -- Tom Hopkins
Lifelong Learning
Lifelong Learning:
by Connie Podesta
In today's business climate, no one's job is completely secure. While your specific job may be necessary today, that does not mean it will be necessary tomorrow. As the future workplace continues to evolve, many employees who don't consistently update their skills and industry knowledge often find themselves out of a job. This doesn't have to happen to you. When you take the steps to understand and anticipate future and industry trends that could ultimately change the nature of your job, you take the first step to lifelong learning.
The fact is that jobs in almost every industry are being totally revamped in order for organizations to remain competitive. Are you aware of the trends, ideas, innovations and advancements in your field that might bring about serious change in your organization this year? In five years? How will these trends affect your job? What is your future going to look like? If you want to stay employed, you must know what will be expected of you down the road. What skills do you have that will be obsolete? What skills will be needed that you don't have yet?
All the knowledge we have today will represent only 1% of the knowledge that will be available in 2050. In other words, we can never stop learning. There will always be more to know. And the more you know, the better chance you have of staying employed. How have you responded to technological changes, as well as all of the other changes that are going on in the workplace? Do you accept new responsibilities and challenges and see them as opportunities to increase your value to your employer? Before you get left behind with inadequate skills, use the following suggestions to help you identify ways to enhance your current skills.
1. Identify Skills that are of Value to Your CompanyTo assess your value to your organization, you must be aware of the skills you possess that help make you a valuable employee. Analyzing your skills objectively is the place to start. First, determine what you are good at doing and then take an honest look at how many other employees in your department or your organization possess the same or similar skills. Some organizations place a high value on specialists who are very good at one thing, while others value more generalized knowledge across a wider spectrum. To remain employable, it's important to know where your organization places greater emphasis. If you are not aware of your strengths and their value to your organization, it is probable that you aren't using them to their greatest advantage. Even if you are aware of your strengths, start expanding your level of expertise and learn new skills to increase your value.
In addition to self-assessment, it's important to also get feedback from your manager or supervisor. When asking for an evaluation, perception is the name of the game. You can have all the right motives, justify your behavior, and defend your attitude to the hilt. However, if your boss, co-workers, colleagues, and customers perceive you as apathetic, irritable, argumentative, or impatient, then that is their reality. You need to address their comments not by tirelessly defending your actions, but by working to understand what it is you say and do that creates this perception in other people's minds. While it takes great confidence, even courage, to ask for honest feedback, it's the first step to assessing your skills and seeing where you need to make improvement.
2. Keep Your Skills Up to DateEven if your skills are of current value to your organization, you must be prepared for the future. The vast majority of people who lost their jobs due to downsizing or cutbacks revealed that they knew of the possibility that their jobs might be eliminated-even months in advance. Nevertheless, they did not go back to school, network, or train for another job in their own organization, or look into the possibilities of other employment or of starting their own business. Most did not even have an updated resume when they received the bad news. What about you? Are you preparing for the possibility that your job many be eliminated in the future?
What new skills do you need to acquire, and which of your current skills need enhancement? Perhaps you could develop your computer skills, enroll in a class or attend a seminar, learn better people skills, become a better problem solver, or improve your writing skills. The list of possibilities is endless. Most people, however, are working longer hours than ever before and the thought of going back to school at night or taking a class on the weekend may be something you don't want to think about. But the thought of being unemployed may be even more staggering.
Once you determine the skills you need, arrange to get that training in a way that is the least disruptive to your life. You'll find that there is a wide variety of options to meet your training and educational needs. An additional benefit is the opportunity to meet and learn from other people if you will only step outside your comfort zone to get to know them at training sessions and workshops. It's amazing that in today's rapidly changing job market there are still employees who feel that they have no need to learn anything new. This is not the time to demonstrate a lack of interest in learning anything new-not when a commitment to learning is so necessary in order to stay employed.
3. Find a Mentor and Learn from a ProA mentor is a wise and trusted teacher or guide who can help to ensure your future employability. Having a mentor is another way to sharpen your skills and acquire new ones. You may have thought that someone you admire is far too busy to have time for you. In fact, many people are willing to share their knowledge and experience with those who want to learn.
Unfortunately, many employees never ask for help or advice. They believe that asking for help will pinpoint them as being inept at their job. Nothing could be further from the truth. When you seek help from a mentor, you show that you want to discuss ideas, support others, and work as a team. It shows upper management that you take your job seriously and want to continually improve.
Many employees find mentors in their own organizations who contribute to the success of their careers. No matter what field you're in or how much you know, there are people who can teach you something more. Make sure you take advantage of any opportunities you have to learn from the pros in your business or profession. It's an important part of your commitment to lifelong learning.
The Final StepsAbove all else, be sure to stay current with all industry trends. You can do this by reading professional magazines and trade journals that relate to your business. In addition to reading, network, ask questions, and attend in-service training programs to determine how you fit into the big picture. If you don't see your job as a part of that big picture-as part of the future of your business and your organization-learn what you can do to change that. Make sure you join business associations and attend conferences. They provide the opportunity to meet your competition firsthand, see what the latest trends are, and make new friends. Granted, committing to lifelong learning requires time and dedication. And while you may think you don't have the time to implement all these ideas, if you want to stay employed, you need to make the time for lifelong learning. It's the only way to ensure lifelong employment.
-- Connie Podesta
by Connie Podesta
In today's business climate, no one's job is completely secure. While your specific job may be necessary today, that does not mean it will be necessary tomorrow. As the future workplace continues to evolve, many employees who don't consistently update their skills and industry knowledge often find themselves out of a job. This doesn't have to happen to you. When you take the steps to understand and anticipate future and industry trends that could ultimately change the nature of your job, you take the first step to lifelong learning.
The fact is that jobs in almost every industry are being totally revamped in order for organizations to remain competitive. Are you aware of the trends, ideas, innovations and advancements in your field that might bring about serious change in your organization this year? In five years? How will these trends affect your job? What is your future going to look like? If you want to stay employed, you must know what will be expected of you down the road. What skills do you have that will be obsolete? What skills will be needed that you don't have yet?
All the knowledge we have today will represent only 1% of the knowledge that will be available in 2050. In other words, we can never stop learning. There will always be more to know. And the more you know, the better chance you have of staying employed. How have you responded to technological changes, as well as all of the other changes that are going on in the workplace? Do you accept new responsibilities and challenges and see them as opportunities to increase your value to your employer? Before you get left behind with inadequate skills, use the following suggestions to help you identify ways to enhance your current skills.
1. Identify Skills that are of Value to Your CompanyTo assess your value to your organization, you must be aware of the skills you possess that help make you a valuable employee. Analyzing your skills objectively is the place to start. First, determine what you are good at doing and then take an honest look at how many other employees in your department or your organization possess the same or similar skills. Some organizations place a high value on specialists who are very good at one thing, while others value more generalized knowledge across a wider spectrum. To remain employable, it's important to know where your organization places greater emphasis. If you are not aware of your strengths and their value to your organization, it is probable that you aren't using them to their greatest advantage. Even if you are aware of your strengths, start expanding your level of expertise and learn new skills to increase your value.
In addition to self-assessment, it's important to also get feedback from your manager or supervisor. When asking for an evaluation, perception is the name of the game. You can have all the right motives, justify your behavior, and defend your attitude to the hilt. However, if your boss, co-workers, colleagues, and customers perceive you as apathetic, irritable, argumentative, or impatient, then that is their reality. You need to address their comments not by tirelessly defending your actions, but by working to understand what it is you say and do that creates this perception in other people's minds. While it takes great confidence, even courage, to ask for honest feedback, it's the first step to assessing your skills and seeing where you need to make improvement.
2. Keep Your Skills Up to DateEven if your skills are of current value to your organization, you must be prepared for the future. The vast majority of people who lost their jobs due to downsizing or cutbacks revealed that they knew of the possibility that their jobs might be eliminated-even months in advance. Nevertheless, they did not go back to school, network, or train for another job in their own organization, or look into the possibilities of other employment or of starting their own business. Most did not even have an updated resume when they received the bad news. What about you? Are you preparing for the possibility that your job many be eliminated in the future?
What new skills do you need to acquire, and which of your current skills need enhancement? Perhaps you could develop your computer skills, enroll in a class or attend a seminar, learn better people skills, become a better problem solver, or improve your writing skills. The list of possibilities is endless. Most people, however, are working longer hours than ever before and the thought of going back to school at night or taking a class on the weekend may be something you don't want to think about. But the thought of being unemployed may be even more staggering.
Once you determine the skills you need, arrange to get that training in a way that is the least disruptive to your life. You'll find that there is a wide variety of options to meet your training and educational needs. An additional benefit is the opportunity to meet and learn from other people if you will only step outside your comfort zone to get to know them at training sessions and workshops. It's amazing that in today's rapidly changing job market there are still employees who feel that they have no need to learn anything new. This is not the time to demonstrate a lack of interest in learning anything new-not when a commitment to learning is so necessary in order to stay employed.
3. Find a Mentor and Learn from a ProA mentor is a wise and trusted teacher or guide who can help to ensure your future employability. Having a mentor is another way to sharpen your skills and acquire new ones. You may have thought that someone you admire is far too busy to have time for you. In fact, many people are willing to share their knowledge and experience with those who want to learn.
Unfortunately, many employees never ask for help or advice. They believe that asking for help will pinpoint them as being inept at their job. Nothing could be further from the truth. When you seek help from a mentor, you show that you want to discuss ideas, support others, and work as a team. It shows upper management that you take your job seriously and want to continually improve.
Many employees find mentors in their own organizations who contribute to the success of their careers. No matter what field you're in or how much you know, there are people who can teach you something more. Make sure you take advantage of any opportunities you have to learn from the pros in your business or profession. It's an important part of your commitment to lifelong learning.
The Final StepsAbove all else, be sure to stay current with all industry trends. You can do this by reading professional magazines and trade journals that relate to your business. In addition to reading, network, ask questions, and attend in-service training programs to determine how you fit into the big picture. If you don't see your job as a part of that big picture-as part of the future of your business and your organization-learn what you can do to change that. Make sure you join business associations and attend conferences. They provide the opportunity to meet your competition firsthand, see what the latest trends are, and make new friends. Granted, committing to lifelong learning requires time and dedication. And while you may think you don't have the time to implement all these ideas, if you want to stay employed, you need to make the time for lifelong learning. It's the only way to ensure lifelong employment.
-- Connie Podesta
Congruent Goals
Trying to implant a goal that is incongruent with the self-image is like trying to plant grain by dropping seeds on rock hard bone-dry ground.
This happens when a person tries to make a goal that they are not.
No one can consistently out perform his or her self-image. No one can long overcome it with willpower. No one can sneak past it and perform in an incongruent manner.
The bottom line is that you cannot 'do' things without 'being' the kind of person who does those things.
You must 'be' to 'do.'
Dr. Maxwell Maltz
This happens when a person tries to make a goal that they are not.
No one can consistently out perform his or her self-image. No one can long overcome it with willpower. No one can sneak past it and perform in an incongruent manner.
The bottom line is that you cannot 'do' things without 'being' the kind of person who does those things.
You must 'be' to 'do.'
Dr. Maxwell Maltz
Making Goals count in 2009
Making Your Goals Count in 2009
by Jim Rohn
As we enter into this New Year we all tend to have a heightened sense of the opportunities and possibilities that 2009 can bring. The need for goal-setting becomes more obvious and clear. And the great thing about goal-setting is you can keep it as simple or get as elaborate as you would like. In fact, we have dedicated one month in the One-Year Success Plan solely to the subject of goal-setting and have over 125-pages in the One-Year Plan workbook of exercises on this subject. Space and time won't allow that here, but below are some abbreviated points on goal-setting for the New Year.
I've often said the major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it. What it makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get. That is why goals are so powerful - they are part of the fabric that makes up our lives. And goal-setting is where we create our goals.
Goal-setting is powerful, partly because it provides focus. It shapes our dreams. It gives us the ability to hone in on the exact actions we need to perform to achieve everything we desire in life. Goals are GREAT because they cause us to stretch and grow in ways that we never have before. In order to reach our goals we must become better. We must change and grow.
Also, goals provide long-term vision in our lives. We all need lots of powerful, long-range goals to help us get past short-term obstacles. Life is designed in such a way that we look long-term and live short-term. We dream for the future and live in the present. Unfortunately, the present can produce many difficult obstacles. But fortunately, the more powerful our goals (because they are inspiring and believable) the more we will be able to act on them in the short-term and guarantee that they will actually come to pass!
So, let's take a closer look at the topic of goal-setting and see how we can make it forceful as well as practical. What are the key aspects to learn and remember when studying and writing our goals?
1. Evaluation and Reflection. The only way we can reasonably decide what we want in the future and how we will get there is to first know where we are right now and what our level of satisfaction is for where we are in life. So first take some time and think through and write down your current situation, then ask this question on each key point - is that okay?
The purpose of evaluation is two-fold. First, it gives you an objective way to look at your accomplishments and your pursuit of the vision you have for your life. Secondly, it is to show you where you are so you can determine where you need to go. In other words, it gives you a baseline from which to work.
I would strongly encourage you to take a couple of hours this week to evaluate and reflect. At the beginning of this month we encourage you to see where you are and write it down so that as the months progress and you continue a regular time of evaluation and reflection, you will see just how much ground you will be gaining - and that will be exciting!
2. What are Your Dreams and Goals? These are the dreams and goals that are born out of your own heart and mind. These are the goals that are unique to you and come from who you were created to be and gifted to become. So second, make a list of all the things you desire for the future.
One of the amazing things we have been given as humans is the unquenchable desire to have dreams of a better life, and the ability to establish goals to live out those dreams. Think of it: We can look deep within our hearts and dream of a better situation for ourselves and our families; dream of better financial lives and better emotional or physical lives; certainly dream of better spiritual lives. But what makes this even more powerful is that we have also been given the ability to not only dream but to pursue those dreams and not just pursue them, but the cognitive ability to actually lay out a plan and strategies (setting goals) to achieve those dreams. Powerful!
What are your dreams and goals? This isn't what you already have or what you have done, but what you want. Have you ever really sat down and thought through your life values and decided what you really want? Have you ever taken the time to truly reflect, to listen quietly to your heart, to see what dreams live within you? Your dreams are there. Everyone has them. They may live right on the surface, or they may be buried deep from years of others telling you they were foolish, but they are there.
So how do we know what our dreams are? This is an interesting process and it relates primarily to the art of listening. This is not listening to others; it is listening to yourself. If we listen to others, we hear their plans and dreams (and many will try to put their plans and dreams on us). If we listen to others, we can never be fulfilled. We will only chase elusive dreams that are not rooted deep within us. No, we must listen to our own hearts.
Here are some practical steps/thoughts on hearing from our hearts on what our dreams are:
Take time to be quiet. This is something that we don't do enough in this busy world of ours. We rush, rush, rush, and we are constantly listening to noise all around us. The human heart was meant for times of quiet, to peer deep within. It is when we do this that our hearts are set free to soar and take flight on the wings of our own dreams! Schedule some quiet "dream time" this week. No other people. No cell phone. No computer. Just you, a pad, a pen, and your thoughts.
Think about what really thrills you. When you are quiet, think about those things that really get your blood moving. What would you LOVE to do, either for fun or for a living? What would you love to accomplish? What would you try if you were guaranteed to succeed? What big thoughts move your heart into a state of excitement and joy? When you answer these questions you will feel GREAT and you will be in the "dream zone." It is only when we get to this point that we experience what OUR dreams are!
Write down all of your dreams as you have them. Don't think of any as too outlandish or foolish - remember, you're dreaming! Let the thoughts fly and take careful record.
Now, prioritize those dreams. Which are most important? Which are most feasible? Which would you love to do the most? Put them in the order in which you will actually try to attain them. Remember, we are always moving toward action, not just dreaming.
3. S.M.A.R.T. Goals. S.M.A.R.T. means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive.
I really like this acronym S.M.A.R.T., because we want to be smart when we set our goals. We want to intelligently decide what our goals will be so that we can actually accomplish them. We want to set the goals that our heart conceives, our minds believe and that our bodies will carry out. Let's take a closer look at each of the components of S.M.A.R.T. goals:
Specific: Goals are no place to waffle. They are no place to be vague. Ambiguous goals produce ambiguous results. Incomplete goals produce incomplete futures.
Measurable: Always set goals that are measurable. I would say "specifically measurable" to take into account our principle of being specific as well.
Attainable: One of the detrimental things that many people do - and they do it with good intentions - is to set goals that are so high they are unattainable.
Realistic: The root word of realistic is "real." A goal has to be something that we can reasonably make "real" or a "reality" in our lives. There are some goals that simply are not realistic. You have to be able to say, even if it is a tremendously stretching goal, that yes, indeed, it is entirely realistic -- that you could make it. You may even have to say that it will take x, y, and z to do it, but if those happen, then it can be done. This is in no way to say it shouldn't be a big goal, but it must be realistic.
Time: Every goal should have a time frame attached to it. I think that life itself is much more productive if there is a time frame connected to it. Could you imagine how much procrastination there would be on earth if people never died? We would never get "around to it." We could always put it off. One of the powerful aspects of a great goal is that it has an end, a time in which you are shooting to accomplish it. You start working on it because you know there is an end. As time goes by you work on it because you don't want to get behind. As it approaches, you work diligently because you want to meet the deadline. You may even have to break down a big goal into different parts of measurement and time frames. That is okay. Set smaller goals and work them out in their own time. A S.M.A.R.T. goal has a timeline.
4. Accountability (A contract with yourself or someone else). When someone knows what your goals are, they hold you accountable by asking you to "give an account" of where you are in the process of achieving that goal. Accountability puts some teeth into the process. If a goal is set and only one person knows it, does it really have any power? Many times, no. At the very least, it isn't as powerful as if you have one or more other people who can hold you accountable to your goal.
So: Evaluate/Reflect; Decide What You Want; Be S.M.A.R.T.; Have Accountability. When you put these 4 key pieces together, you are putting yourself in a position of power that will catapult you toward achieving your goals.
Let's Do Something Remarkable in 2009!
-- Jim Rohn
by Jim Rohn
As we enter into this New Year we all tend to have a heightened sense of the opportunities and possibilities that 2009 can bring. The need for goal-setting becomes more obvious and clear. And the great thing about goal-setting is you can keep it as simple or get as elaborate as you would like. In fact, we have dedicated one month in the One-Year Success Plan solely to the subject of goal-setting and have over 125-pages in the One-Year Plan workbook of exercises on this subject. Space and time won't allow that here, but below are some abbreviated points on goal-setting for the New Year.
I've often said the major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it. What it makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get. That is why goals are so powerful - they are part of the fabric that makes up our lives. And goal-setting is where we create our goals.
Goal-setting is powerful, partly because it provides focus. It shapes our dreams. It gives us the ability to hone in on the exact actions we need to perform to achieve everything we desire in life. Goals are GREAT because they cause us to stretch and grow in ways that we never have before. In order to reach our goals we must become better. We must change and grow.
Also, goals provide long-term vision in our lives. We all need lots of powerful, long-range goals to help us get past short-term obstacles. Life is designed in such a way that we look long-term and live short-term. We dream for the future and live in the present. Unfortunately, the present can produce many difficult obstacles. But fortunately, the more powerful our goals (because they are inspiring and believable) the more we will be able to act on them in the short-term and guarantee that they will actually come to pass!
So, let's take a closer look at the topic of goal-setting and see how we can make it forceful as well as practical. What are the key aspects to learn and remember when studying and writing our goals?
1. Evaluation and Reflection. The only way we can reasonably decide what we want in the future and how we will get there is to first know where we are right now and what our level of satisfaction is for where we are in life. So first take some time and think through and write down your current situation, then ask this question on each key point - is that okay?
The purpose of evaluation is two-fold. First, it gives you an objective way to look at your accomplishments and your pursuit of the vision you have for your life. Secondly, it is to show you where you are so you can determine where you need to go. In other words, it gives you a baseline from which to work.
I would strongly encourage you to take a couple of hours this week to evaluate and reflect. At the beginning of this month we encourage you to see where you are and write it down so that as the months progress and you continue a regular time of evaluation and reflection, you will see just how much ground you will be gaining - and that will be exciting!
2. What are Your Dreams and Goals? These are the dreams and goals that are born out of your own heart and mind. These are the goals that are unique to you and come from who you were created to be and gifted to become. So second, make a list of all the things you desire for the future.
One of the amazing things we have been given as humans is the unquenchable desire to have dreams of a better life, and the ability to establish goals to live out those dreams. Think of it: We can look deep within our hearts and dream of a better situation for ourselves and our families; dream of better financial lives and better emotional or physical lives; certainly dream of better spiritual lives. But what makes this even more powerful is that we have also been given the ability to not only dream but to pursue those dreams and not just pursue them, but the cognitive ability to actually lay out a plan and strategies (setting goals) to achieve those dreams. Powerful!
What are your dreams and goals? This isn't what you already have or what you have done, but what you want. Have you ever really sat down and thought through your life values and decided what you really want? Have you ever taken the time to truly reflect, to listen quietly to your heart, to see what dreams live within you? Your dreams are there. Everyone has them. They may live right on the surface, or they may be buried deep from years of others telling you they were foolish, but they are there.
So how do we know what our dreams are? This is an interesting process and it relates primarily to the art of listening. This is not listening to others; it is listening to yourself. If we listen to others, we hear their plans and dreams (and many will try to put their plans and dreams on us). If we listen to others, we can never be fulfilled. We will only chase elusive dreams that are not rooted deep within us. No, we must listen to our own hearts.
Here are some practical steps/thoughts on hearing from our hearts on what our dreams are:
Take time to be quiet. This is something that we don't do enough in this busy world of ours. We rush, rush, rush, and we are constantly listening to noise all around us. The human heart was meant for times of quiet, to peer deep within. It is when we do this that our hearts are set free to soar and take flight on the wings of our own dreams! Schedule some quiet "dream time" this week. No other people. No cell phone. No computer. Just you, a pad, a pen, and your thoughts.
Think about what really thrills you. When you are quiet, think about those things that really get your blood moving. What would you LOVE to do, either for fun or for a living? What would you love to accomplish? What would you try if you were guaranteed to succeed? What big thoughts move your heart into a state of excitement and joy? When you answer these questions you will feel GREAT and you will be in the "dream zone." It is only when we get to this point that we experience what OUR dreams are!
Write down all of your dreams as you have them. Don't think of any as too outlandish or foolish - remember, you're dreaming! Let the thoughts fly and take careful record.
Now, prioritize those dreams. Which are most important? Which are most feasible? Which would you love to do the most? Put them in the order in which you will actually try to attain them. Remember, we are always moving toward action, not just dreaming.
3. S.M.A.R.T. Goals. S.M.A.R.T. means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive.
I really like this acronym S.M.A.R.T., because we want to be smart when we set our goals. We want to intelligently decide what our goals will be so that we can actually accomplish them. We want to set the goals that our heart conceives, our minds believe and that our bodies will carry out. Let's take a closer look at each of the components of S.M.A.R.T. goals:
Specific: Goals are no place to waffle. They are no place to be vague. Ambiguous goals produce ambiguous results. Incomplete goals produce incomplete futures.
Measurable: Always set goals that are measurable. I would say "specifically measurable" to take into account our principle of being specific as well.
Attainable: One of the detrimental things that many people do - and they do it with good intentions - is to set goals that are so high they are unattainable.
Realistic: The root word of realistic is "real." A goal has to be something that we can reasonably make "real" or a "reality" in our lives. There are some goals that simply are not realistic. You have to be able to say, even if it is a tremendously stretching goal, that yes, indeed, it is entirely realistic -- that you could make it. You may even have to say that it will take x, y, and z to do it, but if those happen, then it can be done. This is in no way to say it shouldn't be a big goal, but it must be realistic.
Time: Every goal should have a time frame attached to it. I think that life itself is much more productive if there is a time frame connected to it. Could you imagine how much procrastination there would be on earth if people never died? We would never get "around to it." We could always put it off. One of the powerful aspects of a great goal is that it has an end, a time in which you are shooting to accomplish it. You start working on it because you know there is an end. As time goes by you work on it because you don't want to get behind. As it approaches, you work diligently because you want to meet the deadline. You may even have to break down a big goal into different parts of measurement and time frames. That is okay. Set smaller goals and work them out in their own time. A S.M.A.R.T. goal has a timeline.
4. Accountability (A contract with yourself or someone else). When someone knows what your goals are, they hold you accountable by asking you to "give an account" of where you are in the process of achieving that goal. Accountability puts some teeth into the process. If a goal is set and only one person knows it, does it really have any power? Many times, no. At the very least, it isn't as powerful as if you have one or more other people who can hold you accountable to your goal.
So: Evaluate/Reflect; Decide What You Want; Be S.M.A.R.T.; Have Accountability. When you put these 4 key pieces together, you are putting yourself in a position of power that will catapult you toward achieving your goals.
Let's Do Something Remarkable in 2009!
-- Jim Rohn
Nine things More important than money
Personal Development - Nine Things More Important than Capital
by Jim Rohn
When starting any enterprise or business, whether it is full-time or part-time, we all know the value of having plenty of capital (money). But I bet we both know or at least have heard of people who started with no capital who went on to make fortunes. How? You may ask.
Well, I believe there are actually some things that are more valuable than capital that can lead to your entrepreneurial success. Let me give you the list.
1. Time.
Time is more valuable than capital. The time you set aside not to be wasted, not to be given away. Time you set aside to be invested in an enterprise that brings value to the marketplace with the hope of making a profit. Now we have capital time.
How valuable is time? Time properly invested is worth a fortune. Time wasted can be devastation. Time invested can perform miracles, so you invest your time.
2. Desperation.
I have a friend Lydia, whose first major investment in her new enterprise was desperation. She said, "My kids are hungry, I gotta make this work. If this doesn't work, what will I do?" So she invested $1 in her enterprise selling a product she believed in. The $1 was to buy a few fliers so she could make a sale at retail, collect the money and then buy the product wholesale to deliver back to the customer.
My friend Bill Bailey went to Chicago as a teenager after he got out of high school. And the first job he got was as a night janitor. Someone said, "Bill, why would you settle for night janitor?" He said, "Malnutrition." You work at whatever you can possibly get when you get hungry. You go to work somewhere -- night janitor, it doesn't matter where it is. Years later, now Bill is a recipient of the Horatio Alger award, rich and powerful and one of the great examples of lifestyle that I know. But, his first job -- night janitor. Desperation can be a powerful incentive. When you say - I must.
3. Determination.
Determination says I will. First Lydia said, "I must find a customer." Desperation. Second, she said, "I will find someone before this first day is over." Sure enough, she found someone. She said, "If it works once, it will work again." But then the next person said, "No." Now what must you invest?
4. Courage.
Courage is more valuable than capital. If you've only got $1 and a lot of courage, I'm telling you, you've got a good future ahead of you. Courage in spite of the circumstances. Humans can do the most incredible things no matter what happens. Haven't we heard the stories? There are some recent ones from Kosovo that are some of the most classic, unbelievable stories of being in the depths of hell and finally making it out. It's humans. You can't sell humans short. Courage in spite of, not because of, but in spite of. Now once Lydia has made 3 or 4 sales and gotten going, here's what now takes over.
5. Ambition.
"Wow! If I can sell 3, I can sell 33. If I can sell 33, I can sell 103." Wow. Lydia is now dazzled by her own dreams of the future.
6. Faith.
Now she begins to believe she's got a good product. This is probably a good company. And she then starts to believe in herself. Lydia, single mother, 2 kids, no job. "My gosh, I'm going to pull it off!" Her self-esteem starts to soar. These are investments that are unmatched. Money can't touch it. What if you had a million dollars and no faith? You'd be poor. You wouldn't be rich. Now here is the next one, the reason why she's a millionaire today.
7. Ingenuity.
Putting your brains to work. Probably up until now, you've put about 1/10 of your brainpower to work. What if you employed the other 9/10? You can't believe what can happen. Humans can come up with the most intriguing things to do. Ingenuity. What's ingenuity worth? A fortune. It is more valuable than money. All you need is a $1 and plenty of ingenuity. Figuring out a way to make it work, make it work, make it work.
8. Heart and Soul.
What is a substitute for heart and soul? It's not money. Money can't buy heart and soul. Heart and soul is more valuable than a million dollars. A million dollars without heart and soul, you have no life. You are ineffective. But, heart and soul is like the unseen magic that moves people, moves people to buy, moves people to make decisions, moves people to act, moves people to respond.
9. Personality.
You've just got to spruce up and sharpen up your own personality. You've got plenty of personality. Just get it developed to where it is effective every day, it's effective no matter who you talk to - whether it is a child or whether it is a business person - whether it is a rich person or a poor person. A unique personality that is at home anywhere. One of my mentors, Bill Bailey, taught me, "You've got to learn to be just as comfortable, Mr. Rohn, whether it is in a little shack in Kentucky having a beer and watching the fights with Winfred, my old friend or in a Georgian mansion in Washington, DC as the Senator's guest." Move with ease whether it is with the rich or whether it is with the poor. And it makes no difference to you who is rich or who is poor. A chance to have a unique relationship with whomever. The kind of personality that's comfortable. The kind of personality that's not bent out of shape.
And lastly, let's not forget charisma and sophistication. Charisma with a touch of humility. This entire list is more valuable than money. With one dollar and the list I just gave you, the world is yours. It belongs to you, whatever piece of it you desire whatever development you wish for your life. I've given you the secret. Capital. The kind of capital that is more valuable than money and that can secure your future and fortune. Remember that you lack not the resources.
To Your Success,Jim Rohn
by Jim Rohn
When starting any enterprise or business, whether it is full-time or part-time, we all know the value of having plenty of capital (money). But I bet we both know or at least have heard of people who started with no capital who went on to make fortunes. How? You may ask.
Well, I believe there are actually some things that are more valuable than capital that can lead to your entrepreneurial success. Let me give you the list.
1. Time.
Time is more valuable than capital. The time you set aside not to be wasted, not to be given away. Time you set aside to be invested in an enterprise that brings value to the marketplace with the hope of making a profit. Now we have capital time.
How valuable is time? Time properly invested is worth a fortune. Time wasted can be devastation. Time invested can perform miracles, so you invest your time.
2. Desperation.
I have a friend Lydia, whose first major investment in her new enterprise was desperation. She said, "My kids are hungry, I gotta make this work. If this doesn't work, what will I do?" So she invested $1 in her enterprise selling a product she believed in. The $1 was to buy a few fliers so she could make a sale at retail, collect the money and then buy the product wholesale to deliver back to the customer.
My friend Bill Bailey went to Chicago as a teenager after he got out of high school. And the first job he got was as a night janitor. Someone said, "Bill, why would you settle for night janitor?" He said, "Malnutrition." You work at whatever you can possibly get when you get hungry. You go to work somewhere -- night janitor, it doesn't matter where it is. Years later, now Bill is a recipient of the Horatio Alger award, rich and powerful and one of the great examples of lifestyle that I know. But, his first job -- night janitor. Desperation can be a powerful incentive. When you say - I must.
3. Determination.
Determination says I will. First Lydia said, "I must find a customer." Desperation. Second, she said, "I will find someone before this first day is over." Sure enough, she found someone. She said, "If it works once, it will work again." But then the next person said, "No." Now what must you invest?
4. Courage.
Courage is more valuable than capital. If you've only got $1 and a lot of courage, I'm telling you, you've got a good future ahead of you. Courage in spite of the circumstances. Humans can do the most incredible things no matter what happens. Haven't we heard the stories? There are some recent ones from Kosovo that are some of the most classic, unbelievable stories of being in the depths of hell and finally making it out. It's humans. You can't sell humans short. Courage in spite of, not because of, but in spite of. Now once Lydia has made 3 or 4 sales and gotten going, here's what now takes over.
5. Ambition.
"Wow! If I can sell 3, I can sell 33. If I can sell 33, I can sell 103." Wow. Lydia is now dazzled by her own dreams of the future.
6. Faith.
Now she begins to believe she's got a good product. This is probably a good company. And she then starts to believe in herself. Lydia, single mother, 2 kids, no job. "My gosh, I'm going to pull it off!" Her self-esteem starts to soar. These are investments that are unmatched. Money can't touch it. What if you had a million dollars and no faith? You'd be poor. You wouldn't be rich. Now here is the next one, the reason why she's a millionaire today.
7. Ingenuity.
Putting your brains to work. Probably up until now, you've put about 1/10 of your brainpower to work. What if you employed the other 9/10? You can't believe what can happen. Humans can come up with the most intriguing things to do. Ingenuity. What's ingenuity worth? A fortune. It is more valuable than money. All you need is a $1 and plenty of ingenuity. Figuring out a way to make it work, make it work, make it work.
8. Heart and Soul.
What is a substitute for heart and soul? It's not money. Money can't buy heart and soul. Heart and soul is more valuable than a million dollars. A million dollars without heart and soul, you have no life. You are ineffective. But, heart and soul is like the unseen magic that moves people, moves people to buy, moves people to make decisions, moves people to act, moves people to respond.
9. Personality.
You've just got to spruce up and sharpen up your own personality. You've got plenty of personality. Just get it developed to where it is effective every day, it's effective no matter who you talk to - whether it is a child or whether it is a business person - whether it is a rich person or a poor person. A unique personality that is at home anywhere. One of my mentors, Bill Bailey, taught me, "You've got to learn to be just as comfortable, Mr. Rohn, whether it is in a little shack in Kentucky having a beer and watching the fights with Winfred, my old friend or in a Georgian mansion in Washington, DC as the Senator's guest." Move with ease whether it is with the rich or whether it is with the poor. And it makes no difference to you who is rich or who is poor. A chance to have a unique relationship with whomever. The kind of personality that's comfortable. The kind of personality that's not bent out of shape.
And lastly, let's not forget charisma and sophistication. Charisma with a touch of humility. This entire list is more valuable than money. With one dollar and the list I just gave you, the world is yours. It belongs to you, whatever piece of it you desire whatever development you wish for your life. I've given you the secret. Capital. The kind of capital that is more valuable than money and that can secure your future and fortune. Remember that you lack not the resources.
To Your Success,Jim Rohn
Personal philosophy
Personal Philosophy
by Jim Rohn
Economic disaster begins with a philosophy of doing less and wanting more.
If you want to amend your errors, you must begin by amending your philosophy.
The only thing worse than not reading a book in the last ninety days is not reading a book in the last ninety days and thinking that it doesn't matter.
Your personal philosophy is the greatest determining factor in how your life works out.
Initial response illustrates a great deal about someone's personal philosophy.
Only human beings can reorder their lives any day they choose by refining their philosophy.
The key factor that will determine your financial future is not the economy; the key factor is your philosophy.
Don't borrow someone else's plan. Develop your own philosophy and it will lead you to unique places.
If you learn to set a good sail, the wind that blows will always take you to the dreams you want, the income you want, and the treasures of mind, purse, and soul you want.
Your philosophy determines whether you will go for the disciplines or continue the errors.
Philosophy is the sum total of all that you know and what you decide is valuable.
by Jim Rohn
Economic disaster begins with a philosophy of doing less and wanting more.
If you want to amend your errors, you must begin by amending your philosophy.
The only thing worse than not reading a book in the last ninety days is not reading a book in the last ninety days and thinking that it doesn't matter.
Your personal philosophy is the greatest determining factor in how your life works out.
Initial response illustrates a great deal about someone's personal philosophy.
Only human beings can reorder their lives any day they choose by refining their philosophy.
The key factor that will determine your financial future is not the economy; the key factor is your philosophy.
Don't borrow someone else's plan. Develop your own philosophy and it will lead you to unique places.
If you learn to set a good sail, the wind that blows will always take you to the dreams you want, the income you want, and the treasures of mind, purse, and soul you want.
Your philosophy determines whether you will go for the disciplines or continue the errors.
Philosophy is the sum total of all that you know and what you decide is valuable.
Resolve and Risk taking
RESOLVE
"People do not lack strength; they lack will." -- Victor Hugo
"To think we are able is almost to be so; to determine upon attainment is frequently attainment itself; earnest resolution has often seemed to have about it almost a savor of omnipotence." -- Samuel Smiles
"Success and failure comes in pairs. Either you have a pair of aces called ‘Resolve and Undenied'... or a pair of jokers called ‘Wishing and Won't-ing'... your hand to play." -- Doug Firebaugh
"Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind." -- Leonardo da Vinci
RESULTS
"The content of your thoughts and personal beliefs can be proven by a single indicator – your current results." -- James A. Ray
"The reward of a thing well done is to have done it." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a loser." -- Lou Holtz
"The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools." -- Herbert Spencer
RISK-TAKING
"The person who will risk nothing does nothing, has nothing, is nothing. Only a person who risks becomes truly free." -- Denis Waitley
"Dare to risk public criticism." -- Mary Kay Ash
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain
"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt." -- William Shakespeare
"People do not lack strength; they lack will." -- Victor Hugo
"To think we are able is almost to be so; to determine upon attainment is frequently attainment itself; earnest resolution has often seemed to have about it almost a savor of omnipotence." -- Samuel Smiles
"Success and failure comes in pairs. Either you have a pair of aces called ‘Resolve and Undenied'... or a pair of jokers called ‘Wishing and Won't-ing'... your hand to play." -- Doug Firebaugh
"Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind." -- Leonardo da Vinci
RESULTS
"The content of your thoughts and personal beliefs can be proven by a single indicator – your current results." -- James A. Ray
"The reward of a thing well done is to have done it." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a loser." -- Lou Holtz
"The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools." -- Herbert Spencer
RISK-TAKING
"The person who will risk nothing does nothing, has nothing, is nothing. Only a person who risks becomes truly free." -- Denis Waitley
"Dare to risk public criticism." -- Mary Kay Ash
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain
"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt." -- William Shakespeare
Set up a learning centre
Set Up a Learning Resource at Home and at Your Place of Business with Both Personal and Professional Development Materials
by Denis Waitley
Every office conference, lunch, exercise, and recreation room should be filled with personal enrichment materials including videos, audios, books, magazines, newsletters, software, TV and internet programming.
Convert a special area of your home into a learning center, especially if you have children. The trend globally is to combine a coffee house like Starbucks, with bookstores like Barnes and Noble, to create a relaxing learning environment. In the twenty-first century, gaining knowledge will blend into our lives as part of our leisure time. There are several ways to create more of an ongoing learning environment at your place of business. Many companies are providing TV and internet access to personal development programming, asking employees to volunteer to read a specific trade or business magazine and clip or scan articles relevant to the organization. Regular e-mail dispersals are also popular.
In today's fast-forward, knowledge-based world, if you're not moving ahead you are falling behind.
Action Idea: Make two files in your computer: one for personal development and one for professional development. Download MP3 files, articles and e-mails that educate and inspire you in these files. You also can scan articles from magazines into these files. Look at these files at least once per week.
Also subscribe to internet based or TV based personal development programming, purchase CDs, DVDs and books for your personal and professional development library.
by Denis Waitley
Every office conference, lunch, exercise, and recreation room should be filled with personal enrichment materials including videos, audios, books, magazines, newsletters, software, TV and internet programming.
Convert a special area of your home into a learning center, especially if you have children. The trend globally is to combine a coffee house like Starbucks, with bookstores like Barnes and Noble, to create a relaxing learning environment. In the twenty-first century, gaining knowledge will blend into our lives as part of our leisure time. There are several ways to create more of an ongoing learning environment at your place of business. Many companies are providing TV and internet access to personal development programming, asking employees to volunteer to read a specific trade or business magazine and clip or scan articles relevant to the organization. Regular e-mail dispersals are also popular.
In today's fast-forward, knowledge-based world, if you're not moving ahead you are falling behind.
Action Idea: Make two files in your computer: one for personal development and one for professional development. Download MP3 files, articles and e-mails that educate and inspire you in these files. You also can scan articles from magazines into these files. Look at these files at least once per week.
Also subscribe to internet based or TV based personal development programming, purchase CDs, DVDs and books for your personal and professional development library.
Questions to ask for the best of 2009
Questions to Ask Yourself for Your Best Year Ever in 2009
If you're serious about having your best year ever in 2009, TODAY is the best time to start. I do suggest you take some time to sit down with these questions
Think about your answers. Challenge yourself. Write them down. Them go to work!It's quite simple: if you want to be better in 2009, you need to make some changes. Start now.
What are you going to do to improve your industry and product knowledge in 2009?
How many inactive customers will you revive and turn into regular customers again? What do you need to do to make that happen?
What will you do to ensure you're protecting your best customers, and adding more value to the relationships? How will you sell even more to them?
How many new customers will you bring on this year?
How do you plan to do that, specifically?
What will you do to improve your physical health in 2009?
What, specifically, are your sales and production goals for 2009? How does that break down into quarterly and monthly goals?
How much more money will you make in 2009? How will that happen? What will you need to do, today, to take the first steps in that direction?
What will you need to do to increase THAT number by an additional 10%?
What are you going to do every day to keep your attitude at a high level?
How much time are you going to spend, daily, to improve your own sales skills? What will you do?
How many referrals did you get in 2009? How will you get them? From whom? What will you do to turn them into sales?
In which areas will you improve your personal, family, and spiritual life?
How are you going to maximize the use of your time?
Where will you cut out the time-wasters in each day?
What have you been putting off that you will take care of within the next two weeks?
Who can you help to feel special every day?
What challenge, wish or desire--that you've never attempted before--will you finally achieve in 2009?
How will you do that? Why?
Where are you going to write all of this down so you can review and revise your plans regularly?
What will it LOOK like when you accomplish everything you've just been thinking about?
How good will it FEEL?
What will it SOUND like when you achieve these things?
Why COULDN'T you do all of this?
Any answer to that last one is not a reason, but rather a self-imposed limitation, excuse, or lack of desire or effort. The biggest deterrent to success looks us in the mirror every day.
I don't know about you, but I've gotta go--I'm not done yet working on my own answers.
Now, go out and plan to have, no, COMMIT to ... ... YOUR BEST YEAR EVER IN 2009!
If you're serious about having your best year ever in 2009, TODAY is the best time to start. I do suggest you take some time to sit down with these questions
Think about your answers. Challenge yourself. Write them down. Them go to work!It's quite simple: if you want to be better in 2009, you need to make some changes. Start now.
What are you going to do to improve your industry and product knowledge in 2009?
How many inactive customers will you revive and turn into regular customers again? What do you need to do to make that happen?
What will you do to ensure you're protecting your best customers, and adding more value to the relationships? How will you sell even more to them?
How many new customers will you bring on this year?
How do you plan to do that, specifically?
What will you do to improve your physical health in 2009?
What, specifically, are your sales and production goals for 2009? How does that break down into quarterly and monthly goals?
How much more money will you make in 2009? How will that happen? What will you need to do, today, to take the first steps in that direction?
What will you need to do to increase THAT number by an additional 10%?
What are you going to do every day to keep your attitude at a high level?
How much time are you going to spend, daily, to improve your own sales skills? What will you do?
How many referrals did you get in 2009? How will you get them? From whom? What will you do to turn them into sales?
In which areas will you improve your personal, family, and spiritual life?
How are you going to maximize the use of your time?
Where will you cut out the time-wasters in each day?
What have you been putting off that you will take care of within the next two weeks?
Who can you help to feel special every day?
What challenge, wish or desire--that you've never attempted before--will you finally achieve in 2009?
How will you do that? Why?
Where are you going to write all of this down so you can review and revise your plans regularly?
What will it LOOK like when you accomplish everything you've just been thinking about?
How good will it FEEL?
What will it SOUND like when you achieve these things?
Why COULDN'T you do all of this?
Any answer to that last one is not a reason, but rather a self-imposed limitation, excuse, or lack of desire or effort. The biggest deterrent to success looks us in the mirror every day.
I don't know about you, but I've gotta go--I'm not done yet working on my own answers.
Now, go out and plan to have, no, COMMIT to ... ... YOUR BEST YEAR EVER IN 2009!
Read the right Books
Read The Right Books
by Vic Johnson
“People are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound.’ - As A Man Thinketh
We spend thousands of dollars a year for clothing, cosmetics and other items to change or improve our outward appearance but very little money or time to change our inward condition. Many people easily spend an hour a day brushing, flossing, bathing, and shaving the outside, but find every reason in the world not to spend even a few minutes a day improving the inside.
How do you apply what you learn from As A Man Thinketh? Since it is our thoughts that determine the life we will have, you must focus on doing those things that will change your thoughts, and nothing is more effective at changing your thoughts than reading the right books.
I first read As A Man Thinketh because of Charlie “Tremendous’ Jones. I had attended a seminar where he spoke and he had a table set up at the seminar where, among other things, he offered a huge discount on a big bundle of various personal development and self-help books. I bought the big bundle because I'm a sucker for a “good deal.’ As it turned out, it was one of the best deals of my life, because several years later, when I finally got around to reading the little book, As A Man Thinketh literally changed my life.
Here is what Charlie Jones wrote in the Forward to the book that I purchased: “You are today the same you'll be in five years from now, except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read. The people you meet can't always be with you, but what you read in books can remain with you a lifetime. How often we hear of individuals who began a new era in their lives from the reading of a single book.’
Why not start a new habit today? Spend just fifteen minutes every day before going to bed or upon rising, and read from a personal development book or biography of someone you admire. At the end of the year you will have read about 12 books – at the end of five years about 60 books!! Through your changed thoughts you will have become much more like the “vision you enthrone in your heart.’
As English writer Aldous Huxley observed, “Every person who knows how to read has it in his power to magnify himself, to multiply the ways in which he exists, to make his life full, significant, and interesting.’
And that's worth thinking about.
Vic Johnson
by Vic Johnson
“People are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound.’ - As A Man Thinketh
We spend thousands of dollars a year for clothing, cosmetics and other items to change or improve our outward appearance but very little money or time to change our inward condition. Many people easily spend an hour a day brushing, flossing, bathing, and shaving the outside, but find every reason in the world not to spend even a few minutes a day improving the inside.
How do you apply what you learn from As A Man Thinketh? Since it is our thoughts that determine the life we will have, you must focus on doing those things that will change your thoughts, and nothing is more effective at changing your thoughts than reading the right books.
I first read As A Man Thinketh because of Charlie “Tremendous’ Jones. I had attended a seminar where he spoke and he had a table set up at the seminar where, among other things, he offered a huge discount on a big bundle of various personal development and self-help books. I bought the big bundle because I'm a sucker for a “good deal.’ As it turned out, it was one of the best deals of my life, because several years later, when I finally got around to reading the little book, As A Man Thinketh literally changed my life.
Here is what Charlie Jones wrote in the Forward to the book that I purchased: “You are today the same you'll be in five years from now, except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read. The people you meet can't always be with you, but what you read in books can remain with you a lifetime. How often we hear of individuals who began a new era in their lives from the reading of a single book.’
Why not start a new habit today? Spend just fifteen minutes every day before going to bed or upon rising, and read from a personal development book or biography of someone you admire. At the end of the year you will have read about 12 books – at the end of five years about 60 books!! Through your changed thoughts you will have become much more like the “vision you enthrone in your heart.’
As English writer Aldous Huxley observed, “Every person who knows how to read has it in his power to magnify himself, to multiply the ways in which he exists, to make his life full, significant, and interesting.’
And that's worth thinking about.
Vic Johnson
Keeping a Journal
Personal Development - Keeping a Journal
If you're serious about becoming a wealthy, powerful, sophisticated, healthy, influential, cultured and unique individual, keep a journal. Don't trust your memory. When you listen to something valuable, write it down. When you come across something important, write it down.
I used to take notes on pieces of paper and torn-off corners and backs of old envelopes. I wrote ideas on restaurant placemats. On long sheets, narrow sheets and little sheets and pieces of paper thrown in a drawer. Then I found out that the best way to organize those ideas is to keep a journal. I've been keeping these journals since the age of twenty-five. The discipline makes up a valuable part of my learning, and the journals are a valuable part of my library.
I am a buyer of blank books. Kids find it interesting that I would buy a blank book. They say, "Twenty-six dollars for a blank book! Why would you pay that?" The reason I pay twenty-six dollars is to challenge myself to find something worth twenty-six dollars to put in there. All my journals are private, but if you ever got a hold of one of them, you wouldn't have to look very far to discover it is worth more than twenty-six dollars.
I must admit, if you got a glimpse of my journals, you'd have to say that I am a serious student. I'm not just committed to my craft, I'm committed to life, committed to learning new concepts and skills. I want to see what I can do with seed, soil, sunshine and rain to turn them into the building blocks of a productive life.
Keeping a journal is so important. I call it one of the three treasures to leave behind for the next generation. In fact, future generations will find these three treasures far more valuable than your furniture.
The first treasure is your pictures. Take a lot of pictures. Don't be lazy in capturing the event. How long does it take to capture the event? A fraction of a second. How long does it take to miss the event? A fraction of a second. So don't miss the pictures. When you're gone, they'll keep the memories alive.
The second treasure is your library. This is the library that taught you, that instructed you, that helped you defend your ideals. It helped you develop a philosophy. It helped you become wealthy, powerful, healthy, sophisticated, and unique. It may have helped you conquer some disease. It may have helped you conquer poverty. It may have caused you to walk away from the ghetto. Your library, the books that instructed you, fed your mind and fed your soul, is one of the greatest gifts you can leave behind.
The third treasure is your journals: the ideas that you picked up, the information that you meticulously gathered. But of the three, journal writing is one of the greatest indications that you're a serious student. Taking pictures, that is pretty easy. Buying a book at a book store, that's pretty easy. It is a little more challenging to be a student of your own life, your own future, your own destiny. Take the time to keep notes and to keep a journal. You'll be so glad you did. What a treasure to leave behind when you go. What a treasure to enjoy today!
To Your Success, Joy and Peace,Jim Rohn
If you're serious about becoming a wealthy, powerful, sophisticated, healthy, influential, cultured and unique individual, keep a journal. Don't trust your memory. When you listen to something valuable, write it down. When you come across something important, write it down.
I used to take notes on pieces of paper and torn-off corners and backs of old envelopes. I wrote ideas on restaurant placemats. On long sheets, narrow sheets and little sheets and pieces of paper thrown in a drawer. Then I found out that the best way to organize those ideas is to keep a journal. I've been keeping these journals since the age of twenty-five. The discipline makes up a valuable part of my learning, and the journals are a valuable part of my library.
I am a buyer of blank books. Kids find it interesting that I would buy a blank book. They say, "Twenty-six dollars for a blank book! Why would you pay that?" The reason I pay twenty-six dollars is to challenge myself to find something worth twenty-six dollars to put in there. All my journals are private, but if you ever got a hold of one of them, you wouldn't have to look very far to discover it is worth more than twenty-six dollars.
I must admit, if you got a glimpse of my journals, you'd have to say that I am a serious student. I'm not just committed to my craft, I'm committed to life, committed to learning new concepts and skills. I want to see what I can do with seed, soil, sunshine and rain to turn them into the building blocks of a productive life.
Keeping a journal is so important. I call it one of the three treasures to leave behind for the next generation. In fact, future generations will find these three treasures far more valuable than your furniture.
The first treasure is your pictures. Take a lot of pictures. Don't be lazy in capturing the event. How long does it take to capture the event? A fraction of a second. How long does it take to miss the event? A fraction of a second. So don't miss the pictures. When you're gone, they'll keep the memories alive.
The second treasure is your library. This is the library that taught you, that instructed you, that helped you defend your ideals. It helped you develop a philosophy. It helped you become wealthy, powerful, healthy, sophisticated, and unique. It may have helped you conquer some disease. It may have helped you conquer poverty. It may have caused you to walk away from the ghetto. Your library, the books that instructed you, fed your mind and fed your soul, is one of the greatest gifts you can leave behind.
The third treasure is your journals: the ideas that you picked up, the information that you meticulously gathered. But of the three, journal writing is one of the greatest indications that you're a serious student. Taking pictures, that is pretty easy. Buying a book at a book store, that's pretty easy. It is a little more challenging to be a student of your own life, your own future, your own destiny. Take the time to keep notes and to keep a journal. You'll be so glad you did. What a treasure to leave behind when you go. What a treasure to enjoy today!
To Your Success, Joy and Peace,Jim Rohn
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Personal Development - Keeping a Journal
If you're serious about becoming a wealthy, powerful, sophisticated, healthy, influential, cultured and unique individual, keep a journal. Don't trust your memory. When you listen to something valuable, write it down. When you come across something important, write it down.
I used to take notes on pieces of paper and torn-off corners and backs of old envelopes. I wrote ideas on restaurant placemats. On long sheets, narrow sheets and little sheets and pieces of paper thrown in a drawer. Then I found out that the best way to organize those ideas is to keep a journal. I've been keeping these journals since the age of twenty-five. The discipline makes up a valuable part of my learning, and the journals are a valuable part of my library.
I am a buyer of blank books. Kids find it interesting that I would buy a blank book. They say, "Twenty-six dollars for a blank book! Why would you pay that?" The reason I pay twenty-six dollars is to challenge myself to find something worth twenty-six dollars to put in there. All my journals are private, but if you ever got a hold of one of them, you wouldn't have to look very far to discover it is worth more than twenty-six dollars.
I must admit, if you got a glimpse of my journals, you'd have to say that I am a serious student. I'm not just committed to my craft, I'm committed to life, committed to learning new concepts and skills. I want to see what I can do with seed, soil, sunshine and rain to turn them into the building blocks of a productive life.
Keeping a journal is so important. I call it one of the three treasures to leave behind for the next generation. In fact, future generations will find these three treasures far more valuable than your furniture.
The first treasure is your pictures. Take a lot of pictures. Don't be lazy in capturing the event. How long does it take to capture the event? A fraction of a second. How long does it take to miss the event? A fraction of a second. So don't miss the pictures. When you're gone, they'll keep the memories alive.
The second treasure is your library. This is the library that taught you, that instructed you, that helped you defend your ideals. It helped you develop a philosophy. It helped you become wealthy, powerful, healthy, sophisticated, and unique. It may have helped you conquer some disease. It may have helped you conquer poverty. It may have caused you to walk away from the ghetto. Your library, the books that instructed you, fed your mind and fed your soul, is one of the greatest gifts you can leave behind.
The third treasure is your journals: the ideas that you picked up, the information that you meticulously gathered. But of the three, journal writing is one of the greatest indications that you're a serious student. Taking pictures, that is pretty easy. Buying a book at a book store, that's pretty easy. It is a little more challenging to be a student of your own life, your own future, your own destiny. Take the time to keep notes and to keep a journal. You'll be so glad you did. What a treasure to leave behind when you go. What a treasure to enjoy today!
To Your Success, Joy and Peace,Jim Rohn
If you're serious about becoming a wealthy, powerful, sophisticated, healthy, influential, cultured and unique individual, keep a journal. Don't trust your memory. When you listen to something valuable, write it down. When you come across something important, write it down.
I used to take notes on pieces of paper and torn-off corners and backs of old envelopes. I wrote ideas on restaurant placemats. On long sheets, narrow sheets and little sheets and pieces of paper thrown in a drawer. Then I found out that the best way to organize those ideas is to keep a journal. I've been keeping these journals since the age of twenty-five. The discipline makes up a valuable part of my learning, and the journals are a valuable part of my library.
I am a buyer of blank books. Kids find it interesting that I would buy a blank book. They say, "Twenty-six dollars for a blank book! Why would you pay that?" The reason I pay twenty-six dollars is to challenge myself to find something worth twenty-six dollars to put in there. All my journals are private, but if you ever got a hold of one of them, you wouldn't have to look very far to discover it is worth more than twenty-six dollars.
I must admit, if you got a glimpse of my journals, you'd have to say that I am a serious student. I'm not just committed to my craft, I'm committed to life, committed to learning new concepts and skills. I want to see what I can do with seed, soil, sunshine and rain to turn them into the building blocks of a productive life.
Keeping a journal is so important. I call it one of the three treasures to leave behind for the next generation. In fact, future generations will find these three treasures far more valuable than your furniture.
The first treasure is your pictures. Take a lot of pictures. Don't be lazy in capturing the event. How long does it take to capture the event? A fraction of a second. How long does it take to miss the event? A fraction of a second. So don't miss the pictures. When you're gone, they'll keep the memories alive.
The second treasure is your library. This is the library that taught you, that instructed you, that helped you defend your ideals. It helped you develop a philosophy. It helped you become wealthy, powerful, healthy, sophisticated, and unique. It may have helped you conquer some disease. It may have helped you conquer poverty. It may have caused you to walk away from the ghetto. Your library, the books that instructed you, fed your mind and fed your soul, is one of the greatest gifts you can leave behind.
The third treasure is your journals: the ideas that you picked up, the information that you meticulously gathered. But of the three, journal writing is one of the greatest indications that you're a serious student. Taking pictures, that is pretty easy. Buying a book at a book store, that's pretty easy. It is a little more challenging to be a student of your own life, your own future, your own destiny. Take the time to keep notes and to keep a journal. You'll be so glad you did. What a treasure to leave behind when you go. What a treasure to enjoy today!
To Your Success, Joy and Peace,Jim Rohn
How to Liberate the Hero in You
By Dr. Annette Colby, RD
One of the great things about the movies is that the hero always manages to lift up from life's troubles. While the rest of us mere mortals would curl up in a dark corner, the hero commits fully to the journey ahead and finds a way to restore the world's balance.
If we look closely at the making of a hero, we notice that initially the hero is reluctant to take on the challenge because of personal fears or insecurities. For a short time, the hero faces doubt and perhaps even a momentary meltdown. The hero may panic or break down in a fit of despair or passing hopelessness.
But that's just in the short-term. Overall, the hero doesn't check out for the rest of the movie until the bad things go away. The hero doesn't give up and run to the nearest fast food restaurant to escape from life in a double cheeseburger and fries. And the hero doesn't permanently give up and drown in a bottle of whiskey.
Our hero eventually takes a deep breath, accepts the situation, and steps up to the challenge. A transformation occurs as the character faces a situation that demands some kind of change. Our hero is able to let go of a particular mindset, and propel into action to overcome adversity.
That's why we love movies. We identify with the vulnerability of the character as he initially shies away from an overwhelming challenge. Then our hearts surge with excitement as we watch the character dig deep within to discover loyalty and commitment to the cause. We feel positive emotional energy as we watch the hero face the challenge with integrity, determination, and persistence. Movie heroes show us that it is possible to be vulnerable yet courageous. It is possible to face our problems while maintaining faith and commitment throughout the journey.
Life is an Action Movie
Luckily, most of us will not ever face the extreme situations portrayed in movies. Life is generally much more ordinary and routine. However, we all experience challenges, misfortune, and hardship that demand we grow beyond our current abilities. These changes require that we step beyond our comfort circles and explore new avenues of self-expression.
Are you the confident hero of your own life, leading yourself compassionately and decisively -- not only when things are smooth, but especially when the going gets tough?
Look closely at your self-leadership personality as you face the challenges and goals most important to you. How do you solve problems? How do you respond to pressure? How do you interact with yourself when facing difficulty? What motivates you to stay focused to achieve your goal to great success?
To become a confident heroic leader of your own life, follow this empowering checklist:
1) Identify and accept your fear or challenge. Dedicate yourself to achieving a successful outcome, no matter what monsters you may face along the way.
2) Identify the mindset or qualities you wish you had -- courage, persistence, optimism, faith, belief in yourself, resourcefulness, inspiration, etc.
3) See the challenge as a situation providing many, many opportunities to develop more of the qualities you wish to posses.
4) Appoint yourself in charge of making decisions related to your goal, cause, or overall desired outcome.
5) Use your imagination to identify the single next step you can take to face your fear or challenge.
6) Take action to move you forward into a positive outcome -- but do so in a manner that allows your courage, love of self, or faith to expand.
There's a hero that is always with you, when you are in joy, in pain, or in fear. That hero is your spirit of hope, imagination, and persistence -- and that hero lies within you. Follow the tips above and release your hidden inner hero!
By Dr. Annette Colby, RD
One of the great things about the movies is that the hero always manages to lift up from life's troubles. While the rest of us mere mortals would curl up in a dark corner, the hero commits fully to the journey ahead and finds a way to restore the world's balance.
If we look closely at the making of a hero, we notice that initially the hero is reluctant to take on the challenge because of personal fears or insecurities. For a short time, the hero faces doubt and perhaps even a momentary meltdown. The hero may panic or break down in a fit of despair or passing hopelessness.
But that's just in the short-term. Overall, the hero doesn't check out for the rest of the movie until the bad things go away. The hero doesn't give up and run to the nearest fast food restaurant to escape from life in a double cheeseburger and fries. And the hero doesn't permanently give up and drown in a bottle of whiskey.
Our hero eventually takes a deep breath, accepts the situation, and steps up to the challenge. A transformation occurs as the character faces a situation that demands some kind of change. Our hero is able to let go of a particular mindset, and propel into action to overcome adversity.
That's why we love movies. We identify with the vulnerability of the character as he initially shies away from an overwhelming challenge. Then our hearts surge with excitement as we watch the character dig deep within to discover loyalty and commitment to the cause. We feel positive emotional energy as we watch the hero face the challenge with integrity, determination, and persistence. Movie heroes show us that it is possible to be vulnerable yet courageous. It is possible to face our problems while maintaining faith and commitment throughout the journey.
Life is an Action Movie
Luckily, most of us will not ever face the extreme situations portrayed in movies. Life is generally much more ordinary and routine. However, we all experience challenges, misfortune, and hardship that demand we grow beyond our current abilities. These changes require that we step beyond our comfort circles and explore new avenues of self-expression.
Are you the confident hero of your own life, leading yourself compassionately and decisively -- not only when things are smooth, but especially when the going gets tough?
Look closely at your self-leadership personality as you face the challenges and goals most important to you. How do you solve problems? How do you respond to pressure? How do you interact with yourself when facing difficulty? What motivates you to stay focused to achieve your goal to great success?
To become a confident heroic leader of your own life, follow this empowering checklist:
1) Identify and accept your fear or challenge. Dedicate yourself to achieving a successful outcome, no matter what monsters you may face along the way.
2) Identify the mindset or qualities you wish you had -- courage, persistence, optimism, faith, belief in yourself, resourcefulness, inspiration, etc.
3) See the challenge as a situation providing many, many opportunities to develop more of the qualities you wish to posses.
4) Appoint yourself in charge of making decisions related to your goal, cause, or overall desired outcome.
5) Use your imagination to identify the single next step you can take to face your fear or challenge.
6) Take action to move you forward into a positive outcome -- but do so in a manner that allows your courage, love of self, or faith to expand.
There's a hero that is always with you, when you are in joy, in pain, or in fear. That hero is your spirit of hope, imagination, and persistence -- and that hero lies within you. Follow the tips above and release your hidden inner hero!
What to Do When You Don't Know What to Do
By Jim M. Allen
In his poem "The Road Not Taken," Robert Frost compares life to a road in the woods.... Some paths are clear and smooth; others are bumpy and filled with obstacles. While Frost's poem encourages us to be bold, to take risks, and to explore the unknown, the truth of the matter is that no matter which road you choose, the time will come when you get stuck. Some problem will come along that is outside your realm of experience, or a situation will be so surprising, so startling, that you just won't know what to do. When you don't know what to do, it's very easy to end up in a "Now what?" rut... that is, a very non-productive cycle of asking "Now what?" over and over and over because the only answer you have is "I don't know." If this is familiar to you, I encourage you to escape the "Now what?" rut by considering the following: 1. It's O.K. Not to KnowMany people get stuck right off the bat by beating themselves up for not having an immediate answer or for not foreseeing each and every problem they encounter. Nobody can know everything, and nobody can foresee everything, so don't spend a lot of time on this. 2. Pause, Don't StopTake time to reflect on the situation at hand, to discover what the real problem is and what possible solutions might resolve it. But don't spend so much time thinking things over that you lose momentum. So pause, but don't stop, and press on with what you need to do. (Remember your science lessons: Bodies at rest tend to stay at rest...) 3. Do What You'd Do if You DID Know What to DoWhenever someone tells me, "I don't know what to do," I ask them what they would do if they did know what to do. It seems like a silly question, but most of the time I find that they can answer the question! Sometimes we are so focused on the problem that we lose sight of the fact that we really do know a solution to it. Asking this question pushes us to focus on solving things.4. Do Anything
There are times when you really, truly just don't have a clue about what to do. In these cases, doing anything is better than doing nothing. So, guess... go to lunch... turn left... flip a coin... Taking some action not only keeps you moving, it changes your perspective on the problem and helps you stay motivated. If what you've chosen to do is not the exact right thing to do, you'll find out soon enough and can change courses then. Of course, you may very well be correct, so you'll still be on track. Regardless, in most cases, doing something is far better (and more productive) than doing nothing at all.5. Get Help
One of the most difficult things to do is admitting that we don't have all the answers ourselves, but as I've already pointed out, one person can't have all the answers. Just because you don't have the answer, though, doesn't mean that no one has an answer. Seek out possible solutions from people you know. Go to you family, your friends, your co-workers, or your personal success coach. Get their input, try on some of their ideas... you may find one that fits! (And even if you don't, you'll feel better knowing that you spent your time and effort productively.)So, when the going gets stuck, and you find yourself in a "Now what?" rut, keep these ideas in mind! Getting going may be difficult, but it doesn't have to be impossible... and "not knowing what to do" doesn't have to be the end of the road for your success goals.
By Jim M. Allen
In his poem "The Road Not Taken," Robert Frost compares life to a road in the woods.... Some paths are clear and smooth; others are bumpy and filled with obstacles. While Frost's poem encourages us to be bold, to take risks, and to explore the unknown, the truth of the matter is that no matter which road you choose, the time will come when you get stuck. Some problem will come along that is outside your realm of experience, or a situation will be so surprising, so startling, that you just won't know what to do. When you don't know what to do, it's very easy to end up in a "Now what?" rut... that is, a very non-productive cycle of asking "Now what?" over and over and over because the only answer you have is "I don't know." If this is familiar to you, I encourage you to escape the "Now what?" rut by considering the following: 1. It's O.K. Not to KnowMany people get stuck right off the bat by beating themselves up for not having an immediate answer or for not foreseeing each and every problem they encounter. Nobody can know everything, and nobody can foresee everything, so don't spend a lot of time on this. 2. Pause, Don't StopTake time to reflect on the situation at hand, to discover what the real problem is and what possible solutions might resolve it. But don't spend so much time thinking things over that you lose momentum. So pause, but don't stop, and press on with what you need to do. (Remember your science lessons: Bodies at rest tend to stay at rest...) 3. Do What You'd Do if You DID Know What to DoWhenever someone tells me, "I don't know what to do," I ask them what they would do if they did know what to do. It seems like a silly question, but most of the time I find that they can answer the question! Sometimes we are so focused on the problem that we lose sight of the fact that we really do know a solution to it. Asking this question pushes us to focus on solving things.4. Do Anything
There are times when you really, truly just don't have a clue about what to do. In these cases, doing anything is better than doing nothing. So, guess... go to lunch... turn left... flip a coin... Taking some action not only keeps you moving, it changes your perspective on the problem and helps you stay motivated. If what you've chosen to do is not the exact right thing to do, you'll find out soon enough and can change courses then. Of course, you may very well be correct, so you'll still be on track. Regardless, in most cases, doing something is far better (and more productive) than doing nothing at all.5. Get Help
One of the most difficult things to do is admitting that we don't have all the answers ourselves, but as I've already pointed out, one person can't have all the answers. Just because you don't have the answer, though, doesn't mean that no one has an answer. Seek out possible solutions from people you know. Go to you family, your friends, your co-workers, or your personal success coach. Get their input, try on some of their ideas... you may find one that fits! (And even if you don't, you'll feel better knowing that you spent your time and effort productively.)So, when the going gets stuck, and you find yourself in a "Now what?" rut, keep these ideas in mind! Getting going may be difficult, but it doesn't have to be impossible... and "not knowing what to do" doesn't have to be the end of the road for your success goals.
REFLECTION
"We should learn, by reflection on the misfortunes of others, that there is nothing singular in those which befall ourselves." -- Thomas Fitzosborne
"At the end of each day, you should play back the tapes of your performance. The results should either applaud you or prod you." -- Jim Rohn
"All of us are watchers -- of television, of time clocks, of traffic on the freeway -- but few are observers. Everyone is looking, not many are seeing." -- Peter M. Leschak
"Evaluation of the past is the first step toward vision for the future." -- Chris Widener
RELATIONSHIPS
"Misfortune reveals those who are not really friends." -- Denis Waitley
"Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these." -- Susan B. Anthony
"You can have everything in life you want if you'll just help enough other people to get what they want!" -- Zig Ziglar
"Friends are made by many acts...and lost by only one." -- Harvey Mackay
REPUTATION
"Be beautiful if you can, wise if you want to... But be respected -- that is essential." -- Anna Gould
"You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do." -- Henry Ford
"Accuracy builds credibility." -- Jim Rohn
"Live your life in every way to earn and keep the respect of the people you respect." -- Brian Tracy
"The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes." Winston Churchill
"We should learn, by reflection on the misfortunes of others, that there is nothing singular in those which befall ourselves." -- Thomas Fitzosborne
"At the end of each day, you should play back the tapes of your performance. The results should either applaud you or prod you." -- Jim Rohn
"All of us are watchers -- of television, of time clocks, of traffic on the freeway -- but few are observers. Everyone is looking, not many are seeing." -- Peter M. Leschak
"Evaluation of the past is the first step toward vision for the future." -- Chris Widener
RELATIONSHIPS
"Misfortune reveals those who are not really friends." -- Denis Waitley
"Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these." -- Susan B. Anthony
"You can have everything in life you want if you'll just help enough other people to get what they want!" -- Zig Ziglar
"Friends are made by many acts...and lost by only one." -- Harvey Mackay
REPUTATION
"Be beautiful if you can, wise if you want to... But be respected -- that is essential." -- Anna Gould
"You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do." -- Henry Ford
"Accuracy builds credibility." -- Jim Rohn
"Live your life in every way to earn and keep the respect of the people you respect." -- Brian Tracy
"The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes." Winston Churchill
Establishing Dreams and Goals
by Jim Rohn
One of the amazing things we have been given as humans is the unquenchable desire to have dreams of a better life, and the ability to establish goals to live out those dreams. Think of it: We can look deep within our hearts and dream of a better situation for ourselves and our families; dream of better financial lives and better emotional or physical lives; certainly dream of better spiritual lives. But what makes this even more powerful is that we have also been given the ability to not only dream but to pursue those dreams and not only to pursue them, but the cognitive ability to actually lay out a plan and strategies (setting goals) to achieve those dreams. Powerful! And that is what we will discuss here: How to dream dreams and establish goals to get those dreams.
What are your dreams and goals? This isn't what you already have or what you have done, but what you want. Have you ever really sat down and thought through your life values and decided what you really want? Have you ever taken the time to truly reflect, to listen quietly to your heart, to see what dreams live within you? Your dreams are there. Everyone has them. They may live right on the surface, or they may be buried deep from years of others telling you they were foolish, but they are there.
So how do we know what our dreams are? This is an interesting process and it relates primarily to the art of listening. This is not listening to others; it is listening to yourself. If we listen to others, we hear their plans and dreams (and many will try to put their plans and dreams on us). If we listen to others, we can never be fulfilled. We will only chase elusive dreams that are not rooted deep within us. No, we must listen to our own hearts.
Let's take a look at some practical steps/thoughts on hearing from our hearts on what our dreams are:
Take time to be quiet. This is something that we don't do enough in this busy world of ours. We rush, rush, rush, and we are constantly listening to noise all around us. The human heart was meant for times of quiet, to peer deep within. It is when we do this that our hearts are set free to soar and take flight on the wings of our own dreams! Schedule some quiet "dream time" this week. No other people. No cell phone. No computer. Just you, a pad, a pen, and your thoughts.
Think about what really thrills you. When you are quiet, think about those things that really get your blood moving. What would you LOVE to do, either for fun or for a living? What would you love to accomplish? What would you try if you were guaranteed to succeed? What big thoughts move your heart into a state of excitement and joy? When you answer these questions you, will feel great and you will be in the "dream zone." It is only when we get to this point that we experience what our dreams are!
Write down all of your dreams as you have them. Don't think of any as too outlandish or foolish - remember, you're dreaming! Let the thoughts fly and take careful record.
Now, prioritize those dreams. Which are most important? Which are most feasible? Which would you love to do the most? Put them in the order in which you will actually try to attain them. Remember, we are always moving toward action, not just dreaming.
Here is the big picture: Life is too short to not pursue your dreams. Someday your life will near its end and all you will be able to do is look backwards. You can reflect with joy or regret. Those who dream, who set goals and act on them to live out their dreams are those who live lives of joy and have a sense of peace when they near the end of their lives. They have finished well, for themselves and for their families.
Remember: These are the dreams and goals that are born out of your heart and mind. These are the goals that are unique to you and come from who you were created to be and gifted to become. Your specific goals are what you want to attain because they are what will make your life joyful and bring your family's life into congruence with what you want it to be.
Jim Rohn
by Jim Rohn
One of the amazing things we have been given as humans is the unquenchable desire to have dreams of a better life, and the ability to establish goals to live out those dreams. Think of it: We can look deep within our hearts and dream of a better situation for ourselves and our families; dream of better financial lives and better emotional or physical lives; certainly dream of better spiritual lives. But what makes this even more powerful is that we have also been given the ability to not only dream but to pursue those dreams and not only to pursue them, but the cognitive ability to actually lay out a plan and strategies (setting goals) to achieve those dreams. Powerful! And that is what we will discuss here: How to dream dreams and establish goals to get those dreams.
What are your dreams and goals? This isn't what you already have or what you have done, but what you want. Have you ever really sat down and thought through your life values and decided what you really want? Have you ever taken the time to truly reflect, to listen quietly to your heart, to see what dreams live within you? Your dreams are there. Everyone has them. They may live right on the surface, or they may be buried deep from years of others telling you they were foolish, but they are there.
So how do we know what our dreams are? This is an interesting process and it relates primarily to the art of listening. This is not listening to others; it is listening to yourself. If we listen to others, we hear their plans and dreams (and many will try to put their plans and dreams on us). If we listen to others, we can never be fulfilled. We will only chase elusive dreams that are not rooted deep within us. No, we must listen to our own hearts.
Let's take a look at some practical steps/thoughts on hearing from our hearts on what our dreams are:
Take time to be quiet. This is something that we don't do enough in this busy world of ours. We rush, rush, rush, and we are constantly listening to noise all around us. The human heart was meant for times of quiet, to peer deep within. It is when we do this that our hearts are set free to soar and take flight on the wings of our own dreams! Schedule some quiet "dream time" this week. No other people. No cell phone. No computer. Just you, a pad, a pen, and your thoughts.
Think about what really thrills you. When you are quiet, think about those things that really get your blood moving. What would you LOVE to do, either for fun or for a living? What would you love to accomplish? What would you try if you were guaranteed to succeed? What big thoughts move your heart into a state of excitement and joy? When you answer these questions you, will feel great and you will be in the "dream zone." It is only when we get to this point that we experience what our dreams are!
Write down all of your dreams as you have them. Don't think of any as too outlandish or foolish - remember, you're dreaming! Let the thoughts fly and take careful record.
Now, prioritize those dreams. Which are most important? Which are most feasible? Which would you love to do the most? Put them in the order in which you will actually try to attain them. Remember, we are always moving toward action, not just dreaming.
Here is the big picture: Life is too short to not pursue your dreams. Someday your life will near its end and all you will be able to do is look backwards. You can reflect with joy or regret. Those who dream, who set goals and act on them to live out their dreams are those who live lives of joy and have a sense of peace when they near the end of their lives. They have finished well, for themselves and for their families.
Remember: These are the dreams and goals that are born out of your heart and mind. These are the goals that are unique to you and come from who you were created to be and gifted to become. Your specific goals are what you want to attain because they are what will make your life joyful and bring your family's life into congruence with what you want it to be.
Jim Rohn
An Accumulation of Riches
by Brian Tracy
Little Things Mean a Lot One of the greatest success principles of all is called the Law of Accumulation. This law says that everything great and worthwhile in human life is an accumulation of hundreds and sometimes thousands of tiny efforts and sacrifices that nobody ever sees or appreciates. It says that everything accumulates over time. That you have to put in many, many, many tiny efforts that nobody sees or appreciates before you achieve anything worthwhile. It's like a snowball. A snowball starts very small, but it grows as it adds millions and millions of tiny snowflakes and continues to grow as it gathers momentum.
Learn What You Need to Learn There are three areas where the law of accumulation is important. The first is in the area of knowledge. Your body of knowledge is a result of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of small pieces of information.
Any person with a large knowledge base has spent thousands of hours building that knowledge base one piece at a time. And what you see when you meet the individual is an expert in his or her field, with that high level of knowledge that makes him very valuable in the marketplace.
Save Your Money The second area where the Law of accumulation works is with regard to money. Every large fortune is an accumulation of hundreds and thousands of small amounts of money, and the place to start is to take any amount of money that you can right now and begin to save it. When you begin to save money, it sets up a force field of energy and it triggers the law of attraction. As a result you begin to attract to you even more bits of money to add to your savings.
Attract Riches Into Your Life And I've spoken to many, many successful people and they've told me the same story. That as soon as you start to put savings aside, it starts to attract into your life and into your work all the money that you need to achieve your goals. The reason why most people retire poor is they never put the initial savings aside to start with.
Get the Experience You Need The third area where the law of accumulation applies is in the area of experience. You'll find that successful people in any field are those who have far more experience in that field than the average. And there is nothing that replaces experience. Whether it's in business or entrepreneurship or management or parenting or selling or anything else. Many people do not take the risks that are necessary to move out of their comfort zone because they're afraid it won't work out.
Everything Counts But the fact is that until you move out of the comfort zone and get the experience from making the mistakes, it's not possible for you to grow and become capable of earning the kind of money that you desire. Now here's the key to the law of accumulation. It says that everything counts. Everything that you do counts. The biggest mistake that people make is they think that only what they want to count, counts. That when you read a book, when you listen to an audio program, when you go to a course, when you go to bed early and you get up early and you work, it all counts. And it's all going on the plus side of your ledger.
Use Your Time Well But when you watch television, waste time, hang out, fool around and so on, all of that counts, as well, and it's going on the negative side. A person who has a great life, by the law of accumulation, is a person who's accumulated far more credits on the credit side than debits on the debit side. And here's an important point. If what you are doing is not moving you towards your goals, then it's moving you away from your goals. Nothing is neutral. Everything that you're doing is either moving you toward the things that you want to accomplish in life, the person you want to be, the wealth you want to accumulate, or it's moving you away. Everything counts. The law of accumulation says that everything counts.
Action Exercises First, begin today to build your knowledge base in the subject that can be most helpful to you in achieving financial independence. Whether it takes a week, a month or a year to become thoroughly knowledgeable, it doesn't matter. Just get started today.
Second, get as much experience as you can in your chosen field. Start a little earlier, work a little harder and stay a little later. Take risks and try every different way you can think of to achieve your goal. This experience is invaluable and it accumulates over time.
by Brian Tracy
Little Things Mean a Lot One of the greatest success principles of all is called the Law of Accumulation. This law says that everything great and worthwhile in human life is an accumulation of hundreds and sometimes thousands of tiny efforts and sacrifices that nobody ever sees or appreciates. It says that everything accumulates over time. That you have to put in many, many, many tiny efforts that nobody sees or appreciates before you achieve anything worthwhile. It's like a snowball. A snowball starts very small, but it grows as it adds millions and millions of tiny snowflakes and continues to grow as it gathers momentum.
Learn What You Need to Learn There are three areas where the law of accumulation is important. The first is in the area of knowledge. Your body of knowledge is a result of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of small pieces of information.
Any person with a large knowledge base has spent thousands of hours building that knowledge base one piece at a time. And what you see when you meet the individual is an expert in his or her field, with that high level of knowledge that makes him very valuable in the marketplace.
Save Your Money The second area where the Law of accumulation works is with regard to money. Every large fortune is an accumulation of hundreds and thousands of small amounts of money, and the place to start is to take any amount of money that you can right now and begin to save it. When you begin to save money, it sets up a force field of energy and it triggers the law of attraction. As a result you begin to attract to you even more bits of money to add to your savings.
Attract Riches Into Your Life And I've spoken to many, many successful people and they've told me the same story. That as soon as you start to put savings aside, it starts to attract into your life and into your work all the money that you need to achieve your goals. The reason why most people retire poor is they never put the initial savings aside to start with.
Get the Experience You Need The third area where the law of accumulation applies is in the area of experience. You'll find that successful people in any field are those who have far more experience in that field than the average. And there is nothing that replaces experience. Whether it's in business or entrepreneurship or management or parenting or selling or anything else. Many people do not take the risks that are necessary to move out of their comfort zone because they're afraid it won't work out.
Everything Counts But the fact is that until you move out of the comfort zone and get the experience from making the mistakes, it's not possible for you to grow and become capable of earning the kind of money that you desire. Now here's the key to the law of accumulation. It says that everything counts. Everything that you do counts. The biggest mistake that people make is they think that only what they want to count, counts. That when you read a book, when you listen to an audio program, when you go to a course, when you go to bed early and you get up early and you work, it all counts. And it's all going on the plus side of your ledger.
Use Your Time Well But when you watch television, waste time, hang out, fool around and so on, all of that counts, as well, and it's going on the negative side. A person who has a great life, by the law of accumulation, is a person who's accumulated far more credits on the credit side than debits on the debit side. And here's an important point. If what you are doing is not moving you towards your goals, then it's moving you away from your goals. Nothing is neutral. Everything that you're doing is either moving you toward the things that you want to accomplish in life, the person you want to be, the wealth you want to accumulate, or it's moving you away. Everything counts. The law of accumulation says that everything counts.
Action Exercises First, begin today to build your knowledge base in the subject that can be most helpful to you in achieving financial independence. Whether it takes a week, a month or a year to become thoroughly knowledgeable, it doesn't matter. Just get started today.
Second, get as much experience as you can in your chosen field. Start a little earlier, work a little harder and stay a little later. Take risks and try every different way you can think of to achieve your goal. This experience is invaluable and it accumulates over time.
Personal Development - Thriving Through the Holidays
by Jim Rohn
The holidays are upon us; a time of celebration and joy. I love the last days of November through the beginning of the New Year. The pure magic of the holidays is something that I anticipate and enjoy each and every year.
For some though, the holidays have lost the joy and excitement they at other times have had. The pace of life has grown so fast - much faster than those first holidays I remember in my life - that some people don't enjoy the times they get to spend with their family and friends during what is supposed to be days filled with joy and peace.
Why is that? Probably a lot can be laid at the feet of how fast paced our times are, but that isn't all.
I believe our holiday times should be wonderful and filled with lasting and enjoyable moments and memories. So how can we ensure that we come out of the holidays in January with great memories of the past month? Here are six thoughts that will help you experience the holidays the way they were intended to be experienced:
1. Be Temperate. Holidays can be days of excess for many -- too much food, too many cookies and treats. Too much chocolate, schedules that are too busy. One thing that will help you enjoy the holidays is to be temperate. Enjoy the food. Enjoy the treats. Enjoy the busy schedule of activities and parties. But also be disciplined enough to know when to hold back, when to say, "No". When we go overboard we regret it and loose the opportunity to fully experience that moment. But when we enjoy a little and refrain from going too far, then we can enjoy all that little piece of time has to offer.
2. Lower Your Expectations. Much of the frustration people experience from the holidays is from setting their expectations too high. They expect too much from friends or family, and when they don't get what they want, they get frustrated. They expect presents to be perfect and when they aren't, they get frustrated or disappointed. Instead of having huge expectations this holiday season, just take it as it comes and enjoy what you can. And this brings me to my next point.
3. Enjoy What You Can and Ignore the Rest. This holiday season, go with an attitude of knowing that things will be what they will be. You can't control other people or their actions. If a family member pushes the limits of your patience, ignore that and instead focus on how much you can enjoy the time you have with other family members. If things don't go perfectly - which they won't - then enjoy what you can and let the rest slide. You will feel a lot better about life if you can take all things a little easier.
4. Stay Out of Debt. Debt is a killer. It will steal your enjoyment of life. Be sure to stay within your financial boundaries this holiday season. The last thing you want is to start the New Year with a deeper burden financially. Know where you are financially and stay within those limits. You don't have to impress anyone, just buy gifts that you can afford and express your heartfelt feeling in the giving of the gift.
5. Take Time for Yourself. Be sure that no matter how busy you get, that you take time for yourself. Take time to read. Take a long bath if that relaxes you. Take a walk. Spend some time of quiet in front of a fire. Don't rush through the holidays and sap all of your energy. Your mind and body need to be reenergized, so be sure to take time to do so.
6. Focus on Your Spiritual Life. Ultimately, no matter what tradition you come from, the holidays are historically days in which we focus on the spiritual. Men and women are created with a natural draw toward spiritual life. However, our culture today tends to stay away from a focus on the spiritual, and that has even crept into our holidays. Be sure to place an emphasis on building your spiritual life and growing in that area. This will help keep you grounded and able to deal with anything that may come your way.
Friends, we are coming to the end of another year. I have enjoyed this year immensely! This time of year is another chance to remember the important truths of life and to enjoy time with dear friends and family.
May you experience the very best this holiday season and move into January better than ever!
by Jim Rohn
The holidays are upon us; a time of celebration and joy. I love the last days of November through the beginning of the New Year. The pure magic of the holidays is something that I anticipate and enjoy each and every year.
For some though, the holidays have lost the joy and excitement they at other times have had. The pace of life has grown so fast - much faster than those first holidays I remember in my life - that some people don't enjoy the times they get to spend with their family and friends during what is supposed to be days filled with joy and peace.
Why is that? Probably a lot can be laid at the feet of how fast paced our times are, but that isn't all.
I believe our holiday times should be wonderful and filled with lasting and enjoyable moments and memories. So how can we ensure that we come out of the holidays in January with great memories of the past month? Here are six thoughts that will help you experience the holidays the way they were intended to be experienced:
1. Be Temperate. Holidays can be days of excess for many -- too much food, too many cookies and treats. Too much chocolate, schedules that are too busy. One thing that will help you enjoy the holidays is to be temperate. Enjoy the food. Enjoy the treats. Enjoy the busy schedule of activities and parties. But also be disciplined enough to know when to hold back, when to say, "No". When we go overboard we regret it and loose the opportunity to fully experience that moment. But when we enjoy a little and refrain from going too far, then we can enjoy all that little piece of time has to offer.
2. Lower Your Expectations. Much of the frustration people experience from the holidays is from setting their expectations too high. They expect too much from friends or family, and when they don't get what they want, they get frustrated. They expect presents to be perfect and when they aren't, they get frustrated or disappointed. Instead of having huge expectations this holiday season, just take it as it comes and enjoy what you can. And this brings me to my next point.
3. Enjoy What You Can and Ignore the Rest. This holiday season, go with an attitude of knowing that things will be what they will be. You can't control other people or their actions. If a family member pushes the limits of your patience, ignore that and instead focus on how much you can enjoy the time you have with other family members. If things don't go perfectly - which they won't - then enjoy what you can and let the rest slide. You will feel a lot better about life if you can take all things a little easier.
4. Stay Out of Debt. Debt is a killer. It will steal your enjoyment of life. Be sure to stay within your financial boundaries this holiday season. The last thing you want is to start the New Year with a deeper burden financially. Know where you are financially and stay within those limits. You don't have to impress anyone, just buy gifts that you can afford and express your heartfelt feeling in the giving of the gift.
5. Take Time for Yourself. Be sure that no matter how busy you get, that you take time for yourself. Take time to read. Take a long bath if that relaxes you. Take a walk. Spend some time of quiet in front of a fire. Don't rush through the holidays and sap all of your energy. Your mind and body need to be reenergized, so be sure to take time to do so.
6. Focus on Your Spiritual Life. Ultimately, no matter what tradition you come from, the holidays are historically days in which we focus on the spiritual. Men and women are created with a natural draw toward spiritual life. However, our culture today tends to stay away from a focus on the spiritual, and that has even crept into our holidays. Be sure to place an emphasis on building your spiritual life and growing in that area. This will help keep you grounded and able to deal with anything that may come your way.
Friends, we are coming to the end of another year. I have enjoyed this year immensely! This time of year is another chance to remember the important truths of life and to enjoy time with dear friends and family.
May you experience the very best this holiday season and move into January better than ever!
Don’t Stress~Manifest!Truly, just stop and think about this and while you’re at it take a big, deep breath.When is the last time you worried about something and that helped the situation in any way? Imagine turning the blender on with the lid off -- this is what you do with your energy every time you stress out about something. You totally dissipate the power you have to consciously create what you would rather have.If you think stress is out of your control, consider this. You know how your spouse or best friend gets really stressed out over certain issues and you don’t? You are able to help shift their perspective because you just don’t “get it,” not like they do. Thank God!On the other hand, there are issues that push your buttons that completely wouldn’t faze someone else. This is because stress is a learned response. Just becoming aware of this can help you recognize that maybe what’s creating your distress isn’t really worth giving your energy to…What if instead you chose to focus your precious life force on what you want to create? Instead of worrying about how you are going to pay for something, every time you have enough to pay for anything and I mean anything, use that as an opportunity to feel as much appreciation as you can that you have enough to buy that or pay for that. While you’re at it, instead of feeling resentful about the cost of something, what is it about that expense that you can feel grateful for? A warm home? A family vacation you took while the kids were still young enough to actually enjoy spending family time together (ex. credit card debt). Cultivate gratitude.The more you focus on gratitude, the more you will have to feel grateful for and affirming “enough"..."always enough" is far more empowering than focusing on a specific number. When you are in this feel good place its prime time for dreaming about something you would like to create or manifest that you don’t already have. Vividly visualizing this while imagining you already have it and feeling truly grateful for having that is what will bring this into your reality. More than anything outside of yourself, your own inner resistance will slow down the process of achieving any goal. Inner resistance can show up in many forms -- doubt, unworthiness, longing because you’ve never had it before…Notice where you have a “kink in the hose” and as you clear those “kinks” and open your channels to receive manifesting will get easier and easier. One day you’ll find yourself living a life of beauty, abundance and joy and feeling grateful for every precious moment you get to feel fully alive, joyfully, playfully, creating your life.
Entrepreneurs Can Be Unreasonable
By Dan BodreauAnyone starting a business will encounter speed bumps along the way. There are always plenty of reasons not to start a business, but entrepreneurs push past the obstacles and do it anyway. That's because they defy the restraints of rationality and instead choose to be "unreasonable."Here are a few of the challenges that life might toss into the path of a fledgling business.1. Bad Economy. No matter how tough the economy gets, people still need to eat, drink and live; which means there are always opportunities to serve. If you believe in the old adage of "buy-low-sell-high" the depths of an economic dip should be the best time to start a business. When the economy gets ugly, entrepreneurs get unreasonable.2. Lack of money. It's hard to stay enthusiastic about starting a business while struggling to pay for food, shelter and clothing. Yet owning a successful business is the best way to get beyond basic survival worries. If poverty is holding you back, perhaps you just need to get unreasonable and start your business anyway.3. Raising a family. The first few years of childrearing will seriously reduce the amount of time and energy available for building a business. Recently I visited an amazing home-based retail store, owned by a mother of two pre-school children. The mother built the business while managing two pregnancies and raising two infants. That's just plain unreasonable, yet she did it anyway.4. Divorce. There's nothing quite like a prolonged marital breakup to throw a kink into a business plan. It'll drain your time and nuke your bank account. Yet, entrepreneurs will usually find ways to redirect some energy toward starting a business.5. Burnout. This is the most deceptive roadblock of all, because it quietly erodes our ability to reason. Like slowly boiled frogs, we are unaware of the problem until it's too late and we're cooked. If life and work are wearing you to a frazzle, you may have to get unreasonable to make the needed changes to your environment.6. Self-limiting beliefs. Do you hold yourself back with limiting or negative thoughts? Something within the entrepreneur enables her to keep her eyes on the prize, and to focus on the business no matter what obstacles block the path. Absolutely unreasonable.7. Good Economy. When faced with the perceived uncertainty of owning a business, a lot of rational people will opt instead for a job – which creates the illusion of security… until it comes to an end. Yet some businesses are best started when the economy is booming. Or is that just unreasonable?If you wait for government to solve your problems, or for the economic stars to line up perfectly, or to win the lottery, or for life to remove all barriers from your path - you likely never will start that dream business. Businesses thrive not because entrepreneurs have perfect lives, but because they choose to build their enterprises while wading chest deep in the river of life.You can start your business today wherever you are, with whatever you have, right now. It might be a matter of choosing to be unreasonable and simply getting on with your plan.
By Dan BodreauAnyone starting a business will encounter speed bumps along the way. There are always plenty of reasons not to start a business, but entrepreneurs push past the obstacles and do it anyway. That's because they defy the restraints of rationality and instead choose to be "unreasonable."Here are a few of the challenges that life might toss into the path of a fledgling business.1. Bad Economy. No matter how tough the economy gets, people still need to eat, drink and live; which means there are always opportunities to serve. If you believe in the old adage of "buy-low-sell-high" the depths of an economic dip should be the best time to start a business. When the economy gets ugly, entrepreneurs get unreasonable.2. Lack of money. It's hard to stay enthusiastic about starting a business while struggling to pay for food, shelter and clothing. Yet owning a successful business is the best way to get beyond basic survival worries. If poverty is holding you back, perhaps you just need to get unreasonable and start your business anyway.3. Raising a family. The first few years of childrearing will seriously reduce the amount of time and energy available for building a business. Recently I visited an amazing home-based retail store, owned by a mother of two pre-school children. The mother built the business while managing two pregnancies and raising two infants. That's just plain unreasonable, yet she did it anyway.4. Divorce. There's nothing quite like a prolonged marital breakup to throw a kink into a business plan. It'll drain your time and nuke your bank account. Yet, entrepreneurs will usually find ways to redirect some energy toward starting a business.5. Burnout. This is the most deceptive roadblock of all, because it quietly erodes our ability to reason. Like slowly boiled frogs, we are unaware of the problem until it's too late and we're cooked. If life and work are wearing you to a frazzle, you may have to get unreasonable to make the needed changes to your environment.6. Self-limiting beliefs. Do you hold yourself back with limiting or negative thoughts? Something within the entrepreneur enables her to keep her eyes on the prize, and to focus on the business no matter what obstacles block the path. Absolutely unreasonable.7. Good Economy. When faced with the perceived uncertainty of owning a business, a lot of rational people will opt instead for a job – which creates the illusion of security… until it comes to an end. Yet some businesses are best started when the economy is booming. Or is that just unreasonable?If you wait for government to solve your problems, or for the economic stars to line up perfectly, or to win the lottery, or for life to remove all barriers from your path - you likely never will start that dream business. Businesses thrive not because entrepreneurs have perfect lives, but because they choose to build their enterprises while wading chest deep in the river of life.You can start your business today wherever you are, with whatever you have, right now. It might be a matter of choosing to be unreasonable and simply getting on with your plan.
PROBLEM SOLVING
"The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem." -- Theodore Rubin
"Problems are good, not bad. Welcome them and become the solution. When you have solved enough problems, people will thank you." -- Mark Victor Hansen
"Discovery of a solution consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different." -- Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
"Mountains DO Move. . . One Stone at a Time." -- Rick Beneteau
PROCRASTINATION
"Some people procrastinate so much that all they can do is run around like firefighters all day -- putting out fires that should not have gotten started in the first place." -- Nido Qubein
"Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday." -- Don Marquis
"A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault." -- Cardinal Newman
"Some people procrastinate so much that all they can do is run around like firefighters all day -- putting out fires that should not have gotten started in the first place." -- Nido Qubein
PRODUCTIVITY
"You can always find reasons to work. There will always be one more thing to do. But when people don't take time out, they stop being productive. They stop being happy, and that affects the morale of everyone around them." -- Carisa Bianchi
"I make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes." -- Sara Teasdale
"Productivity is determined not by work... but by EFFECTIVE actions disguised as work." -- Doug Firebaugh
"One should guard against preaching to young people success in the customary form as the main aim in life. The most important motive for work in school and in life is pleasure in work, pleasure in its result, and the knowledge of the value of the result to the community." -- Albert Einstein
"The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem." -- Theodore Rubin
"Problems are good, not bad. Welcome them and become the solution. When you have solved enough problems, people will thank you." -- Mark Victor Hansen
"Discovery of a solution consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different." -- Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
"Mountains DO Move. . . One Stone at a Time." -- Rick Beneteau
PROCRASTINATION
"Some people procrastinate so much that all they can do is run around like firefighters all day -- putting out fires that should not have gotten started in the first place." -- Nido Qubein
"Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday." -- Don Marquis
"A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault." -- Cardinal Newman
"Some people procrastinate so much that all they can do is run around like firefighters all day -- putting out fires that should not have gotten started in the first place." -- Nido Qubein
PRODUCTIVITY
"You can always find reasons to work. There will always be one more thing to do. But when people don't take time out, they stop being productive. They stop being happy, and that affects the morale of everyone around them." -- Carisa Bianchi
"I make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes." -- Sara Teasdale
"Productivity is determined not by work... but by EFFECTIVE actions disguised as work." -- Doug Firebaugh
"One should guard against preaching to young people success in the customary form as the main aim in life. The most important motive for work in school and in life is pleasure in work, pleasure in its result, and the knowledge of the value of the result to the community." -- Albert Einstein
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
