Let's begin with FIVE painfully obvious truths:
Truth #1 - Successful people have successful habits.
Truth #2 - Unsuccessful people have unsuccessful habits.
Truth #3 - Habits are behavior, and behavior never lies.
Truth #4 - Your habits determine your past, present and future.
Truth #5 - If you want change in your life, you must change your
habits.
NOW, let's do a simple fill in the blank exercise to determine how
well your current habits are serving you.
Here's a health related example with two possible answers:
- My health, exercise and eating habits have...turned me into a
firm, energetic and unstoppable powerhouse.
- My health, exercise and eating habits have...turned me into a
flabby, lethargic and unmotivated person.
Now, take a few moments to answer these questions regarding your
habits.
1. My savings and spending habits have...
2. My sales and marketing habits have...
3. My relationship habits have...
4. My parenting habits have...
5. My time management habits have...
6. My demonstrated leadership habits have...
7. My communication habits have...
8. My work habits have...
So, how did you do?
Are your habits helping or hurting your performance?
The one true path to success and happiness in life is to change
your behavior by replacing your bad habits with positive habits
that move you in the direction that you want.
It's easy for me to say that if you keep doing what you've been
doing, you'll keep getting what you've been getting, so change your
behavior.
And that's exactly what I'm going to tell you to do--just change!
Here are some great ideas to change your self image;
5 Ways To Improved Self Image;
1. Dress
The way you dress is a reflection of your self-image. For a higher self image, choose clothing that is positive, clean, and purposeful. I'm not saying you always have to wear the most expensive suit or dress you can afford. But your attitude about what you wear and how you wear it is critical. If you are going to be taken seriously you need to dress seriously. There is a tool that has been around for over 150 years called an iron, learn how to use it. (Men) Learn how to press dress shirts, if you can afford dry-cleaning on your dress shirts, get them pressed with medium starch. (Too much starch will wear them out quickly)
This isn't a lesson on how to wash your clothing, however, keep yourself fresh and remember, perception is reality. Take yourself seriously in the area of fashion. Stay in tune with what professionals are wearing. You don't need to spend a fortune to be up to speed with the latest trends. But make sure and spend some time to make improvements. Trust me, your self-image will thank you dearly.
2. Personal Health
Exercise produces endorphins which are proven to create a positive mood. Physical exercise also strengthens your self-image and confidence. Don't get confused, your self-image doesn't exist from having the perfect body. Self-Image should come from one and one source only, your creator. However, our creator also gave you a body to be a good steward of, and it's your responsibility to honor that. Take responsibility when it comes to your diet and personal hygiene, it will show others that they can impart trust to you in many other areas including business and relationships.
I can only speak for the guys in this area, but long hair covering the face psychologically tells others that you are trying to hide something. Do everyone a favor and clip the nose hairs and kill the unibrow. I'm not trying to convert the manly men into the typical metro-sexual here, just helping you land a date. It is no secret, every human being has bad breath, unfortunately not every human seems to know it. Get in the know, get at least 3 types of breath fresheners and carry them with you religiously.
Smell good but don't go swimming in cologne or perfume. There is a difference between smelling good and causing people to choke. A nice smelling aftershave for men and a light touch of cologne on the wrists should do the trick. Ladies, do your thing, I'm sure something similar applies!
3. Association
I don't like overcomplicating this topic. It's simple, if you want to learn about yourself, study your friends. The friends with higher standards in life will raise the standards in yours. Here is a simple equation for measuring income related association: Take the top 10 people you spend the most time with, average out their incomes and that is the most amount of money you will ever make as long as you continue to spend the most time with those 10 people.
Don't be afraid to drop the friends that are dragging you down in life. Don't fool yourself, sometimes you have to look at the facts and ask yourself if that group or friend is really an asset to your self-image or a liability? A true friend is a person or group that makes you feel better about yourself when you leave than before you arrived.
4. Positive Talk
One of the secrets to a good self-image is how you talk about yourself. The words we speak are a reflection of what is in our heart, what is in our heart is a reflection of what we think and what we think is a reflection of what we allow ourselves to listen to and watch. Here's a tip, cut off the negative music and the negative talking heads on T.V. and start listening to uplifting music and reading self-development books. You'll not only think differently, and feel differently, but it will completely change the way you talk which will raise your self-image in ways I cannot explain.
5. Purpose or "A Plan"
It's hard to have a high self-image if you don't have a dream. Get a dream, build your dream, chase your dream. Develop a purpose and a goal, set out a plan of attack, then pursue it relentlessly until the job is done. The people I've met with the highest self-image know whose they are and what they have been called to do through the dreams that have been planted deep inside their soul. Light yourself on fire and the world will come to watch you burn (not literally of course!). I hope you've read this with an open mind, if you haven't, go open it up and come back to read it again. Trust me, your self-image will thank you dearly.
Your Coach,
Bill
For Success;
Knowing is not enough,you must apply;willing is not enough,you must do.
Bill Kerr
Director of Lifestyle Operations
home(705)322-0987
cell (705)796-6255
www.bestnbiz.com
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Sunday, May 30, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Personal Branding
Are You the Next Betty White?
What Betty White can teach us about consistency and personal branding
Betty White hosted Saturday Night Live earlier this month. She is 88 years old. Her reputation as a comedic actress who consistently delivers a punch line with impeccable timing has made her an audience favorite for decades - from The Mary Tyler Moore Show to The Golden Girls and countless other roles.
While keeping us laughing, Betty White was also keeping her brand intact. We know what to expect from her and she never disappoints. Facebook campaign notwithstanding, she earned that spot on SNL. What is your brand earning you these days?
If the truth be known, you don't own your brand. Your stakeholders own your brand because it's what others think of you and how they describe you that define it.
Your brand is the sum of every experience others have had with you. It is what others say about you behind closed doors. A combination of your personality, your performance, your values and what you do (or don't do) consistently can create either the brand of your dreams or of your nightmares.
You've heard me say that your brand is everything you do and don't do well in your business. Don't kid yourself; you are being judged by the last experience someone had with you, from an unexpected meeting in the office to a formal client dinner. If you've honored your word, delivered on your promise and communicated a consistent message, then you are reinforcing a positive brand that others want to work with. However, if you give others a reason to mistrust you or question your intentions; then you've got a brand that will require serious damage control.
And the only thing harder than building your brand is repairing it. Just ask Tiger Woods.
You may not have control over your brand, but you do have influence. To capitalize on your influence, you must manage the perception of your brand.
Honor consistency
One of the most important ways to manage the perception of your brand is by being consistent.
I see executives who treat their colleagues one way, their direct reports another way and their board of directors completely differently. Have you ever worked with someone like that? People who do this are sometimes described as being good at "managing up" but it is rarely a compliment. What they are really doing is damaging their brand.
When someone observes you treating someone else differently, the first seed of mistrust is sewn. They immediately start to wonder which one is the real you. You quickly become a brand they cannot trust. And you can't build loyalty without trust.
A cautionary tale
Several years back, Howard got an opportunity to create a new division in his utilities company. His dream was to be named president of the division when the project was completed. He had a year to do this and was given 80 employees to help with the launch. Howard worked around the clock and completed the project successfully in only eight months. But he did not get the promotion. He was devastated. The CEO apologized but said: "Howard, I had no choice but to appoint another person to head this division. Everyone has refused to work with you ever again."
Howard may have thought he was "managing up" by pleasing his superiors with an early launch, but he failed to be consistent when he did not treat those who reported to him as well.
Look at the cost of doing the work you do
Always honor your authentic brand, but also manage the experiences others have of you. Being inclusive and recognizing the contributions of others go a long way toward building loyalty and trust.
The best approach is to be your best with everyone, even on the days when you don't feel like it. Anyone who has ever worked with an erratic boss or colleague knows that when someone is unpredictable, his or her brand is diluted. Their behavior on a bad day chips away at the brand they may have been building on their good days.
Treat everyone with respect. Manage up, sideways and down. You never know who will find themselves in a position to promote or defend your brand in the future. If you treat others better than they ever expected, your brand will be strengthened - like a good cup of coffee.
Learn from The Four Seasons
In the last year, I have had the privilege to work with the Four Seasons Hotel. I always wondered what made this chain so successful. It didn't take long to find out once I learned more about their leader, Isadore (Issie) Sharp. He launched his company, The Four Seasons, in 1961 with a 125-room motor hotel in Toronto. Today, there are 140 hotels in more than 40 countries. His chain is considered the most profitable as well as the highest rated luxury hotels in the world.
When asked the reason for the success of the Four Seasons, Issie Sharp was quoted as saying that his culture is simply based on the golden rule - "to treat others as you wish to be treated" He said, "A lot of companies talk about having a culture, but we knew we had to walk the talk if we expected it to thrive in our hotels."
He honors the 3 C's rule of branding:
Be clear
- Issie knew from the beginning what the Four Seasons would stand for and he consistently reinforced this same message year after year. The Four Seasons does not try to capture every market. They focus on offering upscale accommodations with consistent superior service.
Be consistent
- The Golden Rule (the values) applies to not just the guests but his employees. It's the credo and cornerstone for the Four Seasons culture and empowers staff to make their own discretionary decisions to reinforce this standard of excellence to guests.
Be Constant
- This relates to an unstoppable commitment and focus on superior service which has enabled The Four Seasons to be distinctive and enjoy their competitive advantage.
So how does this relate to you? Do people know what you stand for? Are you clear, consistent and constant? Can others depend on you and are you delivering superior service? Are you creating good will with all those people you come into contact with?
Or are you stretching yourself to be all things to all people? Are you diluting your reputation for the sake of staying employed or in good stead with the board?
Be like Betty
Remember that everything matters when you're promoting your brand. Everything you do and everything you choose not to do will communicate the value and character of your brand. Every email, every encounter and every presentation counts.
There are no shortcuts to building and sustaining your brand. It's an investment that takes time and must be built on consistency, credibility and meaningful relationships. It's an investment in you, a unique brand that deserves to be recognized. It's an investment that you cannot afford to ignore.
Whether you are 18 or 88, being known for doing what you do best and doing it consistently will have positive consequences you can't even imagine today.
I doubt Betty White imagined acting in 20 films, appearing in over 80 different television programs, winning six Emmy awards or becoming the oldest person to host Saturday Night Live when she began her career. She just started by doing what she did well and doing it consistently.
You never know. You just might be ready for prime time.
For Success;
Knowing is not enough,you must apply;willing is not enough,you must do.
Bill Kerr
Director of Lifestyle Operations
home(705)322-0987
cell (705)796-6255
www.bestnbiz.com
What Betty White can teach us about consistency and personal branding
Betty White hosted Saturday Night Live earlier this month. She is 88 years old. Her reputation as a comedic actress who consistently delivers a punch line with impeccable timing has made her an audience favorite for decades - from The Mary Tyler Moore Show to The Golden Girls and countless other roles.
While keeping us laughing, Betty White was also keeping her brand intact. We know what to expect from her and she never disappoints. Facebook campaign notwithstanding, she earned that spot on SNL. What is your brand earning you these days?
If the truth be known, you don't own your brand. Your stakeholders own your brand because it's what others think of you and how they describe you that define it.
Your brand is the sum of every experience others have had with you. It is what others say about you behind closed doors. A combination of your personality, your performance, your values and what you do (or don't do) consistently can create either the brand of your dreams or of your nightmares.
You've heard me say that your brand is everything you do and don't do well in your business. Don't kid yourself; you are being judged by the last experience someone had with you, from an unexpected meeting in the office to a formal client dinner. If you've honored your word, delivered on your promise and communicated a consistent message, then you are reinforcing a positive brand that others want to work with. However, if you give others a reason to mistrust you or question your intentions; then you've got a brand that will require serious damage control.
And the only thing harder than building your brand is repairing it. Just ask Tiger Woods.
You may not have control over your brand, but you do have influence. To capitalize on your influence, you must manage the perception of your brand.
Honor consistency
One of the most important ways to manage the perception of your brand is by being consistent.
I see executives who treat their colleagues one way, their direct reports another way and their board of directors completely differently. Have you ever worked with someone like that? People who do this are sometimes described as being good at "managing up" but it is rarely a compliment. What they are really doing is damaging their brand.
When someone observes you treating someone else differently, the first seed of mistrust is sewn. They immediately start to wonder which one is the real you. You quickly become a brand they cannot trust. And you can't build loyalty without trust.
A cautionary tale
Several years back, Howard got an opportunity to create a new division in his utilities company. His dream was to be named president of the division when the project was completed. He had a year to do this and was given 80 employees to help with the launch. Howard worked around the clock and completed the project successfully in only eight months. But he did not get the promotion. He was devastated. The CEO apologized but said: "Howard, I had no choice but to appoint another person to head this division. Everyone has refused to work with you ever again."
Howard may have thought he was "managing up" by pleasing his superiors with an early launch, but he failed to be consistent when he did not treat those who reported to him as well.
Look at the cost of doing the work you do
Always honor your authentic brand, but also manage the experiences others have of you. Being inclusive and recognizing the contributions of others go a long way toward building loyalty and trust.
The best approach is to be your best with everyone, even on the days when you don't feel like it. Anyone who has ever worked with an erratic boss or colleague knows that when someone is unpredictable, his or her brand is diluted. Their behavior on a bad day chips away at the brand they may have been building on their good days.
Treat everyone with respect. Manage up, sideways and down. You never know who will find themselves in a position to promote or defend your brand in the future. If you treat others better than they ever expected, your brand will be strengthened - like a good cup of coffee.
Learn from The Four Seasons
In the last year, I have had the privilege to work with the Four Seasons Hotel. I always wondered what made this chain so successful. It didn't take long to find out once I learned more about their leader, Isadore (Issie) Sharp. He launched his company, The Four Seasons, in 1961 with a 125-room motor hotel in Toronto. Today, there are 140 hotels in more than 40 countries. His chain is considered the most profitable as well as the highest rated luxury hotels in the world.
When asked the reason for the success of the Four Seasons, Issie Sharp was quoted as saying that his culture is simply based on the golden rule - "to treat others as you wish to be treated" He said, "A lot of companies talk about having a culture, but we knew we had to walk the talk if we expected it to thrive in our hotels."
He honors the 3 C's rule of branding:
Be clear
- Issie knew from the beginning what the Four Seasons would stand for and he consistently reinforced this same message year after year. The Four Seasons does not try to capture every market. They focus on offering upscale accommodations with consistent superior service.
Be consistent
- The Golden Rule (the values) applies to not just the guests but his employees. It's the credo and cornerstone for the Four Seasons culture and empowers staff to make their own discretionary decisions to reinforce this standard of excellence to guests.
Be Constant
- This relates to an unstoppable commitment and focus on superior service which has enabled The Four Seasons to be distinctive and enjoy their competitive advantage.
So how does this relate to you? Do people know what you stand for? Are you clear, consistent and constant? Can others depend on you and are you delivering superior service? Are you creating good will with all those people you come into contact with?
Or are you stretching yourself to be all things to all people? Are you diluting your reputation for the sake of staying employed or in good stead with the board?
Be like Betty
Remember that everything matters when you're promoting your brand. Everything you do and everything you choose not to do will communicate the value and character of your brand. Every email, every encounter and every presentation counts.
There are no shortcuts to building and sustaining your brand. It's an investment that takes time and must be built on consistency, credibility and meaningful relationships. It's an investment in you, a unique brand that deserves to be recognized. It's an investment that you cannot afford to ignore.
Whether you are 18 or 88, being known for doing what you do best and doing it consistently will have positive consequences you can't even imagine today.
I doubt Betty White imagined acting in 20 films, appearing in over 80 different television programs, winning six Emmy awards or becoming the oldest person to host Saturday Night Live when she began her career. She just started by doing what she did well and doing it consistently.
You never know. You just might be ready for prime time.
For Success;
Knowing is not enough,you must apply;willing is not enough,you must do.
Bill Kerr
Director of Lifestyle Operations
home(705)322-0987
cell (705)796-6255
www.bestnbiz.com
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
5 Ways To Improved Self Image.
5 Ways To Improve Your Self Image.
1. Dress
The way you dress is a reflection of your self-image. For a higher self image, choose clothing that is positive, clean, and purposeful. I'm not saying you always have to wear the most expensive suit or dress you can afford. But your attitude about what you wear and how you wear it is critical. If you are going to be taken seriously you need to dress seriously. There is a tool that has been around for over 150 years called an iron, learn how to use it. (Men) Learn how to press dress shirts, if you can afford dry-cleaning on your dress shirts, get them pressed with medium starch. (Too much starch will wear them out quickly)
This isn't a lesson on how to wash your clothing, however, keep yourself fresh and remember, perception is reality. Take yourself seriously in the area of fashion. Stay in tune with what professionals are wearing. You don't need to spend a fortune to be up to speed with the latest trends. But make sure and spend some time to make improvements. Trust me, your self-image will thank you dearly.
2. Personal Health
Exercise produces endorphins which are proven to create a positive mood. Physical exercise also strengthens your self-image and confidence. Don't get confused, your self-image doesn't exist from having the perfect body. Self-Image should come from one and one source only, your creator. However, our creator also gave you a body to be a good steward of, and it's your responsibility to honor that. Take responsibility when it comes to your diet and personal hygiene, it will show others that they can impart trust to you in many other areas including business and relationships.
I can only speak for the guys in this area, but long hair covering the face psychologically tells others that you are trying to hide something. Do everyone a favor and clip the nose hairs and kill the unibrow. I'm not trying to convert the manly men into the typical metro-sexual here, just helping you land a date. It is no secret, every human being has bad breath, unfortunately not every human seems to know it. Get in the know, get at least 3 types of breath fresheners and carry them with you religiously.
Smell good but don't go swimming in cologne or perfume. There is a difference between smelling good and causing people to choke. A nice smelling aftershave for men and a light touch of cologne on the wrists should do the trick. Ladies, do your thing, I'm sure something similar applies!
3. Association
I don't like overcomplicating this topic. It's simple, if you want to learn about yourself, study your friends. The friends with higher standards in life will raise the standards in yours. Here is a simple equation for measuring income related association: Take the top 10 people you spend the most time with, average out their incomes and that is the most amount of money you will ever make as long as you continue to spend the most time with those 10 people.
Don't be afraid to drop the friends that are dragging you down in life. Don't fool yourself, sometimes you have to look at the facts and ask yourself if that group or friend is really an asset to your self-image or a liability? A true friend is a person or group that makes you feel better about yourself when you leave than before you arrived.
4. Positive Talk
One of the secrets to a good self-image is how you talk about yourself. The words we speak are a reflection of what is in our heart, what is in our heart is a reflection of what we think and what we think is a reflection of what we allow ourselves to listen to and watch. Here's a tip, cut off the negative music and the negative talking heads on T.V. and start listening to uplifting music and reading self-development books. You'll not only think differently, and feel differently, but it will completely change the way you talk which will raise your self-image in ways I cannot explain.
5. Purpose or "A Plan"
It's hard to have a high self-image if you don't have a dream. Get a dream, build your dream, chase your dream. Develop a purpose and a goal, set out a plan of attack, then pursue it relentlessly until the job is done. The people I've met with the highest self-image know whose they are and what they have been called to do through the dreams that have been planted deep inside their soul. Light yourself on fire and the world will come to watch you burn (not literally of course!). I hope you've read this with an open mind, if you haven't, go open it up and come back to read it again. Trust me, your self-image will thank you dearly.
Your Coach,
Bill Kerr
1. Dress
The way you dress is a reflection of your self-image. For a higher self image, choose clothing that is positive, clean, and purposeful. I'm not saying you always have to wear the most expensive suit or dress you can afford. But your attitude about what you wear and how you wear it is critical. If you are going to be taken seriously you need to dress seriously. There is a tool that has been around for over 150 years called an iron, learn how to use it. (Men) Learn how to press dress shirts, if you can afford dry-cleaning on your dress shirts, get them pressed with medium starch. (Too much starch will wear them out quickly)
This isn't a lesson on how to wash your clothing, however, keep yourself fresh and remember, perception is reality. Take yourself seriously in the area of fashion. Stay in tune with what professionals are wearing. You don't need to spend a fortune to be up to speed with the latest trends. But make sure and spend some time to make improvements. Trust me, your self-image will thank you dearly.
2. Personal Health
Exercise produces endorphins which are proven to create a positive mood. Physical exercise also strengthens your self-image and confidence. Don't get confused, your self-image doesn't exist from having the perfect body. Self-Image should come from one and one source only, your creator. However, our creator also gave you a body to be a good steward of, and it's your responsibility to honor that. Take responsibility when it comes to your diet and personal hygiene, it will show others that they can impart trust to you in many other areas including business and relationships.
I can only speak for the guys in this area, but long hair covering the face psychologically tells others that you are trying to hide something. Do everyone a favor and clip the nose hairs and kill the unibrow. I'm not trying to convert the manly men into the typical metro-sexual here, just helping you land a date. It is no secret, every human being has bad breath, unfortunately not every human seems to know it. Get in the know, get at least 3 types of breath fresheners and carry them with you religiously.
Smell good but don't go swimming in cologne or perfume. There is a difference between smelling good and causing people to choke. A nice smelling aftershave for men and a light touch of cologne on the wrists should do the trick. Ladies, do your thing, I'm sure something similar applies!
3. Association
I don't like overcomplicating this topic. It's simple, if you want to learn about yourself, study your friends. The friends with higher standards in life will raise the standards in yours. Here is a simple equation for measuring income related association: Take the top 10 people you spend the most time with, average out their incomes and that is the most amount of money you will ever make as long as you continue to spend the most time with those 10 people.
Don't be afraid to drop the friends that are dragging you down in life. Don't fool yourself, sometimes you have to look at the facts and ask yourself if that group or friend is really an asset to your self-image or a liability? A true friend is a person or group that makes you feel better about yourself when you leave than before you arrived.
4. Positive Talk
One of the secrets to a good self-image is how you talk about yourself. The words we speak are a reflection of what is in our heart, what is in our heart is a reflection of what we think and what we think is a reflection of what we allow ourselves to listen to and watch. Here's a tip, cut off the negative music and the negative talking heads on T.V. and start listening to uplifting music and reading self-development books. You'll not only think differently, and feel differently, but it will completely change the way you talk which will raise your self-image in ways I cannot explain.
5. Purpose or "A Plan"
It's hard to have a high self-image if you don't have a dream. Get a dream, build your dream, chase your dream. Develop a purpose and a goal, set out a plan of attack, then pursue it relentlessly until the job is done. The people I've met with the highest self-image know whose they are and what they have been called to do through the dreams that have been planted deep inside their soul. Light yourself on fire and the world will come to watch you burn (not literally of course!). I hope you've read this with an open mind, if you haven't, go open it up and come back to read it again. Trust me, your self-image will thank you dearly.
Your Coach,
Bill Kerr
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
3 Ingredients To Increase Productivity.
1. Respect your time and respect the time of others.
There is an extremely valuable object we have in life, once it has passed we never get it back, it is called time. You must understand time first before you give it a set value. Time is one of the most precious things we have in our lives. We never know when our time is up and we don't have an unlimited amount of it on Earth. How do you plan on spending it? The tragedy is most people go through life not having a dream or pursuing anything with real purpose. Your level of respect for time will expose who you are and where you are going in life. When you realize how valuable every second in life is you will start to place that same value on the time of others.
Ways to show you respect other peoples time:
a. When you call someone always start by asking if now is a good time for them to talk before starting your conversation.
b. When you are spending time with people, use your ears more than your mouth.
c. Let people know you value their time by telling them.
d. Always leave 5 minutes before they want you to. Who wants to be the guest that people are wishing they had left so they can do other things?
2. The more you value your time the higher your self-image will be.
This is simple, when you respect your time you will not let other people determine your schedule. The most successful people I know have a definite major purpose in life and are extremely good at planning their calendar. They will not let outside influences detour their mission to serve the people that they have been called to add value to. Distractions will lower your self-esteem because it will weaken your mission in life. Having priorities lets people know you value your time and are intentional about getting things done. Do not let time control you, learn how to control it and people will want to know what you know. Don't allow people to pull you in so many directions that you get spread so thin and are emotionally drained. Be useful to others by having a definite major purpose and a plan. Your self-image will go up and people will admire you for having a direction and focus.
Ways to control your time:
1. Learn how to say "no" and not feel bad about it. You cannot be a leader and also be a "yes man", when you know your purpose you will understand that you cannot please everyones requests.
2. Plan your day everyday. Have a meeting with your spouse, yourself, or your closest business partners every morning to plan the day. Then execute it.
3. Write a major definite purpose. To find out more about this I highly suggest you read "Think & Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill.
3. Consider the Slight Edge Philosophy.
Time will either promote you or demote you depending on how you use it everyday. The habits we consistently partake in everyday will have long-term positive or negative effects whether we like it or not. The least understood part of this fact is that these seemingly small daily habits are both easy to do and easy not to do. It all begins with small quality decisions backed by small commitments and over a long period of time these will have compound effects in good or bad ways. You choose!
The Slight Edge Philosophy.
IN THE PROCESS OF LEARNING HOW TO WALK, you probably spent more time failing than you did succeeding. But did you ever have the thought of quitting? Did you ever tell yourself, "I'm not cut out for walking-guess I'll crawl for the rest of my life?" No, of course you didn't. So, why do you do that now?
What's different today with any goal you want and desire you have for accomplishing anything? When did you lose the ability to make a goal, go for it, and get it? How come you don't do what you did when you were one or two years old?
The answer is alarming, yet simple:
Somewhere along the way in your life, you became unwilling to take baby steps. You lost faith in the universal truth that the simple little disciplines done again and again over time would move the mightiest mountains.
Shakespeare said "to climb steep hills requires slow pace at first," but now you put your trust in achieving breakthroughs...making quantum leaps ...instant this, instant that...hitting the lottery. You began a habit of settling for less, just because more was so far out of your reach. You forgot about the most proven, powerful success philosophy on Earth - "The Slight Edge."
WINNING IS ALWAYS A MATTER OF SLIGHT EDGE. Who can forget that moving moment of triumph in the '94 Olympics when American speed-skater Dan Jansen at last overcame years of discouragement, disappointment, and frustration to finally win the gold medal in the 1000 meters, setting a world record of one minute, 12.43 seconds?
Do you know by how much of a margin Jansen won? Do you know what the difference was between the winning world record gold medal and the virtual oblivion of second place?
Twenty-nine hundredths of a second! That's a very Slight Edge!
No matter where you look, no matter in what area of accomplishment, life, work, or play-the difference between winning and losing, between going down in the record books as first and best...or not at all-the gap that separates success and failure is always measured as ... THE SLIGHT EDGE.
And the best news of all is that it's not just the winning goal that's THE SLIGHT EDGE. The Slight Edge is the process itself that all winners use to achieve their goals.
A PENNY A DAY, DOUBLED FOR A MONTH... If you were offered $1,000,000 (one million dollars) right now, or a penny a day, doubled each day, for one month, which would you choose? Unless you've read this illustration before, like most people, you'll probably choose the right-now million. But you'd be making the wrong choice. One penny, doubled every day for a month adds up to $10,737,418...and 24cents. Compound interest. Leverage. Doubling. Geometric growth. It all adds up-and that's YOUR SLIGHT EDGE.
With THE SLIGHT EDGE, time is on your side. What if you gave yourself five years to become twice the person you are today: to earn twice the income, have twice the personal relationships and contacts, make twice the impact on the world, enjoy twice the quality of life? Could you do it? How would you do it?! Ask yourself honestly, "If I doubled my efforts ...if I had twice as much time...if I became twice as smart.. if I worked twice as hard as I do today ...could I really become twice as productive as I am right now? No, you couldn't, and you know it. But wait! There is a way to become two, three, four, and more times as productive as you are today. THE SLIGHT EDGE.
IF YOU WERE TO IMPROVE just .003 each day- that's only 3/10 of one percent, a very Slight Edge-and you kept that up for the next five years, here's what would happen to you:
The first year, you would improve 100 percent (you would already be twice what you are today The second, you would improve 200 percent. The third year, 400 percent. And the fourth, 800 percent. And by the end of year five-by simply improving 3/10 of one percent each day-you will have magnified your value, your skills, and the results you accomplished 1,600 percent. That's 22 times more than you are today.
Just 3/10 of one percent per day-and that's NOT compounded. That's just adding on 3/10 of one percent each day. That's the awesome power of The Slight Edge. If all of this is so, then why isn't everybody using The Slight Edge? We are. All the time. Everyone. The Slight Edge is always operating. It never stops. It's either working FOR you or AGAINST you. And that's up to you. It's your choice.
THE SLIGHT EDGE IS EASY TO DO-and it is easy not to do. Now, I'm defining EASY here as simply "something you can do." The Slight Edge philosophy is based on doing things that are easy-little disciplines, which, done consistently over time, add up to the biggest accomplishments. The problem is that all those things that are easy to do are just as easy not to do. Why is something easy not to do? Because if you don't do it, it won't kill you today. But, that simple, seemingly insignificant error in judgment, compounded over time, will kill you, destroy you, ruin your chances for success, and demolish your dreams. You can count on it.
Take, for example, the health issue of fat and cholesterol in your diet. Would you say that it's a good idea to eat at least a pound and a half of butter each day? How about drinking a quart of saturated oil? "Hey, my cholesterol's way down to 200-got to get it up above 300." Crazy, right? Sure it is-but millions and millions of people are doing it every day. Why? We know what's good for us: fresh fruit and vegetables, complex carbohydrates like whole grains, unsaturated fats and oils, fish and chicken instead of beef. So why do we keep digging our graves with our teeth? It's easy to eat well-right? It's easy not to-right? And when you eat that hamburger, you won't die, will you? No, of course not. But that simple error in judgment compounded over time will ruin the quality of your life and eventually take you out of your life forever!
If you ate that hamburger and you had a heart attack-would you ever eat another one? No way! Eating a hamburger won't kill you today, but compound all those greasy, dead-animal patties over 10 or 20 years-as many as 5,000 of them!-and one day your clogged-up, stressed- out, overworked ol' heart just quits! It's not the one hamburger, it's the thousands! That one hamburger is just a simple, little error in judgment. But compounded over time, it can and will destroy you. It's easy to do! It's easy not to do! Either way, The Slight Edge is at work and at play. You've got to choose which way to go with The Slight Edge. And here is what makes doing the right thing such a hard choice for most people-
THE ODDS ARE NOT IN YOUR FAVOR!
DID YOU KNOW that only five percent of people succeed and 95 percent of the people fail, no matter what realm of life or work you're looking at. It's true. Just one out of 20 people will ever achieve their goals in life. That's how the numbers crunch out; it's just the way it is. Back in the early 1950s, the Hartford Insurance Company did a survey of 100 brand new college graduates-all approximately 25 years old. They asked them this question:
"Will you achieve your financial goals within your working lives-within 40 years?" Every single one of them answered, "Yes!" Forty years later, in the early 1990s, the Hartford went back and checked out what had happened to all those now-65-years-old people. Here's what they found:
One was wealthy, Four were financially secure, Six were still working, 35 were dead, and 54 were "dead broke," having $200 or less left to spend each month after paying off their bills.
Five out of 100 had become successful. That's only one out of 20. Why? What was missing for those 95 others? The answer has to do with GRAVITY-and the downward pull of life. REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE in the fourth grade? It was expected that you'd graduate and go on to fifth grade, wasn't it? Your teachers, your parents, and all your classmates expected you to graduate. The whole system was geared to you moving from fourth, to fifth, to sixth grade and so on.
But what if nobody cared whether or not you graduated? What if the entire educational system, our society, and culture had absolutely no interest or expectation that kids would ever graduate to fifth grade? Would you have done it? If the structure were not in place for children to learn all the fourth grade stuff and pass the test, graduating and moving up to the new challenges of fifth grade, only five percent of us would ever do it! Ask yourself this question: Where is the expectation and the structure to support me in being a success in my life and work? The alarming fact is that outside of our formal system of education, which most experts believe to be fatally flawed anyway, there is no expectation and no structure for your success-none. We get what we expect-and only five percent of us ever expects to win and keep on expecting that. Plus, we have no structure, no system to support us succeeding in life. Isn't that heavy? Well, life is heavy. And it's heavy because the predominant force in life is gravity and it's always pulling us DOWN. It pulls 19 out of 20 people DOWN.
The Slight Edge is a success system ANYONE can use to break free of the downward pull of life and become the best you can be. Here's how you can make it work for you- FIRST, DON'T GO "WHERE THE ACTION IS!" Here's a chart you've probably seen before:
ACTIONS > RESULTS> QUALITY OF LIFE
Your ACTIONS create your RESULTS, which in turn create the QUALITY OF LIFE you live and enjoy. Simple, powerful, and true. The problem is, your actions are not the source of your problem. That's why diets don't work. You see, there's another side to the equation, and that's the place where your actions come from.
Take a look at this:
ATTITUDE > Actions > Results > Quality of Life
Your actions are created by your attitudes-but attitudes aren't the heart of the matter, either. There is one thing more fundamental and essential ...Your Philosophy. Your philosophy is your paradigm of the way life is, how life works (or doesn't), and what's the best way to live your life. Simply put, there's nothing more fundamental than your philosophy. Frank Lloyd Wright said this:
No stream rises higher than its source. Whatever man might build could never express or reflect more than he was... He could record neither more nor less than he had learned of life when the buildings were built... His philosophy, true or false, is there.
Your philosophy is the source of your failure or success. And the philosophy I recommend you adopt is The Slight Edge.
PHILOSOPHY > Attitude > Actions > Results > Quality of Life
WHAT DO YOU THINK is the key that unlocks The Slight Edge?
"The key is knowledge." To a point, that's correct. But there's more. Educating yourself is the critical ingredient in The Slight Edge philosophy. You must acquire the knowledge you need to master any subject, and pursuit that will contribute to your personal and professional growth and development.
There are three ways for you to get this knowledge:
1) Studied Knowledge
2) Activity Knowledge
3) Modeled Knowledge
STUDIED KNOWLEDGE. Books, tapes, seminars, training; read, listen, and attend everything you can; then, read, listen, and attend some more...study. READ 20 PAGES OF AN INSPIRING, INFORMATION - RICH BOOK EVERY DAY. Pick books that make a contribution to your goals. You're either building someone else's dream or building your own. When you read romance, mystery, or detective novels, whose dream are you building-yours, or the author's and publisher's? When you read Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich-a book that took 20 years to write, that interviews the richest and most successful men and women in the world and reveals their 13 success secrets-whose dream are you building? Read 20 pages per day of an empowering book. Is that easy to do? Sure. And that simple discipline compounded over time, like a penny doubled daily for a month, will send you to the top! Is it easy not to do? SURE. And if you don't do it, will you destroy your life and work today? No way. But that simple error in judgment, compounded over time, will pull you down and take you out of your life!
Listen to a self-improvement audio for 45 minutes every day.
ACTIVITY KNOWLEDGE. Life is not a spectator sport-fish or cut bait. Lead, follow, or get out of the way. And life is not a result, either. Life is not the goal-it's the PROCESS. The road to success is always under construction. Marx was wrong: Life is both the ends and the means. Emerson said, "Do the thing and you'll have the power." You can't just go get the power and then do the thing. The only way to have the power is to do it, just do it. People constantly ask me for the key to success. "What's the one thing I can do to guarantee my success?" My answer is always the same: Be here- actively immersed in the process-one year from now. That's the right answer-don't you agree? It's The Slight Edge answer. Commit to the process. The process is THE SLIGHT EDGE. Is it easy to do?... Is it easy not to do?
Meet 5 new people every day!
2 pqv yeses every week.
MODELED KNOWLEDGE. Did you know that your income will tend to be the average of your ten best friends' incomes? (If having more income is a goal of yours, either get new friends or raise the income of the friends you have now!) If you want to raise the quality of your life, hang out with people who have been there and done that. If you want to be a great public speaker, hang out with great speakers. If you want to be a success in business, hang around successful business people. If you want to be a terrific parent, spend lots of time with men and women who have mastered parenting. Do you know why birds of a feather flock together? Because they're all going in the same direction. They share a common vision. If you're after a goal-any goal-go find the people who have achieved that goal, or who are well along the path to attaining that goal, and be with them, hang out with them, camp on their doorstep. It's called the Law of Association. It's a Law because it always works. The first commandment of The Slight Edge:
Thou shalt educate thyself.
Is it easy to do? Is it easy not to do? And if you don't do it, will you fail today? But that simple error in judgment, compounded over time, will ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, GUARANTEE YOUR FAILURE! LEARNING TO LEARN is committing to the process. The Slight Edge is the process.
"The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn." -Carl Rogers Freedom
To make The Slight Edge work for you, you must learn how to learn.
Alvin Toffler, author of Future Shock, wrote:
"Learning is an approach, both to knowledge and to life, that emphasizes human initiative. It encompasses the acquisition and practice of new methodologies, new skills, new attitudes, and new values necessary to live in a world of change. Learning is a process of preparing to deal with new situations."
Clearly, we live in a world of change. Constant change. Rapid change. Today, we accomplish in five years what our grandparents and parents took 50 years to do. And everything's getting faster! Learning to learn is a mandatory for success today-and especially for tomorrow. Learning to learn is committing to the process. The Slight Edge is the process. Learning to learn is a choice. You make that choice moment to moment-not just once and then you're done with it for the rest of your life. Each new moment will present you with a new choice. Choose to read 20 pages a day-and you'll have to make that choice every day. Choose to model and associate with winners-and you'll have to make that choice every day as well. You have to choose to make The Slight Edge work for you-moment to moment.
IS IT EASY TO DO?
IS IT EASY NOT TO DO?
There is an extremely valuable object we have in life, once it has passed we never get it back, it is called time. You must understand time first before you give it a set value. Time is one of the most precious things we have in our lives. We never know when our time is up and we don't have an unlimited amount of it on Earth. How do you plan on spending it? The tragedy is most people go through life not having a dream or pursuing anything with real purpose. Your level of respect for time will expose who you are and where you are going in life. When you realize how valuable every second in life is you will start to place that same value on the time of others.
Ways to show you respect other peoples time:
a. When you call someone always start by asking if now is a good time for them to talk before starting your conversation.
b. When you are spending time with people, use your ears more than your mouth.
c. Let people know you value their time by telling them.
d. Always leave 5 minutes before they want you to. Who wants to be the guest that people are wishing they had left so they can do other things?
2. The more you value your time the higher your self-image will be.
This is simple, when you respect your time you will not let other people determine your schedule. The most successful people I know have a definite major purpose in life and are extremely good at planning their calendar. They will not let outside influences detour their mission to serve the people that they have been called to add value to. Distractions will lower your self-esteem because it will weaken your mission in life. Having priorities lets people know you value your time and are intentional about getting things done. Do not let time control you, learn how to control it and people will want to know what you know. Don't allow people to pull you in so many directions that you get spread so thin and are emotionally drained. Be useful to others by having a definite major purpose and a plan. Your self-image will go up and people will admire you for having a direction and focus.
Ways to control your time:
1. Learn how to say "no" and not feel bad about it. You cannot be a leader and also be a "yes man", when you know your purpose you will understand that you cannot please everyones requests.
2. Plan your day everyday. Have a meeting with your spouse, yourself, or your closest business partners every morning to plan the day. Then execute it.
3. Write a major definite purpose. To find out more about this I highly suggest you read "Think & Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill.
3. Consider the Slight Edge Philosophy.
Time will either promote you or demote you depending on how you use it everyday. The habits we consistently partake in everyday will have long-term positive or negative effects whether we like it or not. The least understood part of this fact is that these seemingly small daily habits are both easy to do and easy not to do. It all begins with small quality decisions backed by small commitments and over a long period of time these will have compound effects in good or bad ways. You choose!
The Slight Edge Philosophy.
IN THE PROCESS OF LEARNING HOW TO WALK, you probably spent more time failing than you did succeeding. But did you ever have the thought of quitting? Did you ever tell yourself, "I'm not cut out for walking-guess I'll crawl for the rest of my life?" No, of course you didn't. So, why do you do that now?
What's different today with any goal you want and desire you have for accomplishing anything? When did you lose the ability to make a goal, go for it, and get it? How come you don't do what you did when you were one or two years old?
The answer is alarming, yet simple:
Somewhere along the way in your life, you became unwilling to take baby steps. You lost faith in the universal truth that the simple little disciplines done again and again over time would move the mightiest mountains.
Shakespeare said "to climb steep hills requires slow pace at first," but now you put your trust in achieving breakthroughs...making quantum leaps ...instant this, instant that...hitting the lottery. You began a habit of settling for less, just because more was so far out of your reach. You forgot about the most proven, powerful success philosophy on Earth - "The Slight Edge."
WINNING IS ALWAYS A MATTER OF SLIGHT EDGE. Who can forget that moving moment of triumph in the '94 Olympics when American speed-skater Dan Jansen at last overcame years of discouragement, disappointment, and frustration to finally win the gold medal in the 1000 meters, setting a world record of one minute, 12.43 seconds?
Do you know by how much of a margin Jansen won? Do you know what the difference was between the winning world record gold medal and the virtual oblivion of second place?
Twenty-nine hundredths of a second! That's a very Slight Edge!
No matter where you look, no matter in what area of accomplishment, life, work, or play-the difference between winning and losing, between going down in the record books as first and best...or not at all-the gap that separates success and failure is always measured as ... THE SLIGHT EDGE.
And the best news of all is that it's not just the winning goal that's THE SLIGHT EDGE. The Slight Edge is the process itself that all winners use to achieve their goals.
A PENNY A DAY, DOUBLED FOR A MONTH... If you were offered $1,000,000 (one million dollars) right now, or a penny a day, doubled each day, for one month, which would you choose? Unless you've read this illustration before, like most people, you'll probably choose the right-now million. But you'd be making the wrong choice. One penny, doubled every day for a month adds up to $10,737,418...and 24cents. Compound interest. Leverage. Doubling. Geometric growth. It all adds up-and that's YOUR SLIGHT EDGE.
With THE SLIGHT EDGE, time is on your side. What if you gave yourself five years to become twice the person you are today: to earn twice the income, have twice the personal relationships and contacts, make twice the impact on the world, enjoy twice the quality of life? Could you do it? How would you do it?! Ask yourself honestly, "If I doubled my efforts ...if I had twice as much time...if I became twice as smart.. if I worked twice as hard as I do today ...could I really become twice as productive as I am right now? No, you couldn't, and you know it. But wait! There is a way to become two, three, four, and more times as productive as you are today. THE SLIGHT EDGE.
IF YOU WERE TO IMPROVE just .003 each day- that's only 3/10 of one percent, a very Slight Edge-and you kept that up for the next five years, here's what would happen to you:
The first year, you would improve 100 percent (you would already be twice what you are today The second, you would improve 200 percent. The third year, 400 percent. And the fourth, 800 percent. And by the end of year five-by simply improving 3/10 of one percent each day-you will have magnified your value, your skills, and the results you accomplished 1,600 percent. That's 22 times more than you are today.
Just 3/10 of one percent per day-and that's NOT compounded. That's just adding on 3/10 of one percent each day. That's the awesome power of The Slight Edge. If all of this is so, then why isn't everybody using The Slight Edge? We are. All the time. Everyone. The Slight Edge is always operating. It never stops. It's either working FOR you or AGAINST you. And that's up to you. It's your choice.
THE SLIGHT EDGE IS EASY TO DO-and it is easy not to do. Now, I'm defining EASY here as simply "something you can do." The Slight Edge philosophy is based on doing things that are easy-little disciplines, which, done consistently over time, add up to the biggest accomplishments. The problem is that all those things that are easy to do are just as easy not to do. Why is something easy not to do? Because if you don't do it, it won't kill you today. But, that simple, seemingly insignificant error in judgment, compounded over time, will kill you, destroy you, ruin your chances for success, and demolish your dreams. You can count on it.
Take, for example, the health issue of fat and cholesterol in your diet. Would you say that it's a good idea to eat at least a pound and a half of butter each day? How about drinking a quart of saturated oil? "Hey, my cholesterol's way down to 200-got to get it up above 300." Crazy, right? Sure it is-but millions and millions of people are doing it every day. Why? We know what's good for us: fresh fruit and vegetables, complex carbohydrates like whole grains, unsaturated fats and oils, fish and chicken instead of beef. So why do we keep digging our graves with our teeth? It's easy to eat well-right? It's easy not to-right? And when you eat that hamburger, you won't die, will you? No, of course not. But that simple error in judgment compounded over time will ruin the quality of your life and eventually take you out of your life forever!
If you ate that hamburger and you had a heart attack-would you ever eat another one? No way! Eating a hamburger won't kill you today, but compound all those greasy, dead-animal patties over 10 or 20 years-as many as 5,000 of them!-and one day your clogged-up, stressed- out, overworked ol' heart just quits! It's not the one hamburger, it's the thousands! That one hamburger is just a simple, little error in judgment. But compounded over time, it can and will destroy you. It's easy to do! It's easy not to do! Either way, The Slight Edge is at work and at play. You've got to choose which way to go with The Slight Edge. And here is what makes doing the right thing such a hard choice for most people-
THE ODDS ARE NOT IN YOUR FAVOR!
DID YOU KNOW that only five percent of people succeed and 95 percent of the people fail, no matter what realm of life or work you're looking at. It's true. Just one out of 20 people will ever achieve their goals in life. That's how the numbers crunch out; it's just the way it is. Back in the early 1950s, the Hartford Insurance Company did a survey of 100 brand new college graduates-all approximately 25 years old. They asked them this question:
"Will you achieve your financial goals within your working lives-within 40 years?" Every single one of them answered, "Yes!" Forty years later, in the early 1990s, the Hartford went back and checked out what had happened to all those now-65-years-old people. Here's what they found:
One was wealthy, Four were financially secure, Six were still working, 35 were dead, and 54 were "dead broke," having $200 or less left to spend each month after paying off their bills.
Five out of 100 had become successful. That's only one out of 20. Why? What was missing for those 95 others? The answer has to do with GRAVITY-and the downward pull of life. REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE in the fourth grade? It was expected that you'd graduate and go on to fifth grade, wasn't it? Your teachers, your parents, and all your classmates expected you to graduate. The whole system was geared to you moving from fourth, to fifth, to sixth grade and so on.
But what if nobody cared whether or not you graduated? What if the entire educational system, our society, and culture had absolutely no interest or expectation that kids would ever graduate to fifth grade? Would you have done it? If the structure were not in place for children to learn all the fourth grade stuff and pass the test, graduating and moving up to the new challenges of fifth grade, only five percent of us would ever do it! Ask yourself this question: Where is the expectation and the structure to support me in being a success in my life and work? The alarming fact is that outside of our formal system of education, which most experts believe to be fatally flawed anyway, there is no expectation and no structure for your success-none. We get what we expect-and only five percent of us ever expects to win and keep on expecting that. Plus, we have no structure, no system to support us succeeding in life. Isn't that heavy? Well, life is heavy. And it's heavy because the predominant force in life is gravity and it's always pulling us DOWN. It pulls 19 out of 20 people DOWN.
The Slight Edge is a success system ANYONE can use to break free of the downward pull of life and become the best you can be. Here's how you can make it work for you- FIRST, DON'T GO "WHERE THE ACTION IS!" Here's a chart you've probably seen before:
ACTIONS > RESULTS> QUALITY OF LIFE
Your ACTIONS create your RESULTS, which in turn create the QUALITY OF LIFE you live and enjoy. Simple, powerful, and true. The problem is, your actions are not the source of your problem. That's why diets don't work. You see, there's another side to the equation, and that's the place where your actions come from.
Take a look at this:
ATTITUDE > Actions > Results > Quality of Life
Your actions are created by your attitudes-but attitudes aren't the heart of the matter, either. There is one thing more fundamental and essential ...Your Philosophy. Your philosophy is your paradigm of the way life is, how life works (or doesn't), and what's the best way to live your life. Simply put, there's nothing more fundamental than your philosophy. Frank Lloyd Wright said this:
No stream rises higher than its source. Whatever man might build could never express or reflect more than he was... He could record neither more nor less than he had learned of life when the buildings were built... His philosophy, true or false, is there.
Your philosophy is the source of your failure or success. And the philosophy I recommend you adopt is The Slight Edge.
PHILOSOPHY > Attitude > Actions > Results > Quality of Life
WHAT DO YOU THINK is the key that unlocks The Slight Edge?
"The key is knowledge." To a point, that's correct. But there's more. Educating yourself is the critical ingredient in The Slight Edge philosophy. You must acquire the knowledge you need to master any subject, and pursuit that will contribute to your personal and professional growth and development.
There are three ways for you to get this knowledge:
1) Studied Knowledge
2) Activity Knowledge
3) Modeled Knowledge
STUDIED KNOWLEDGE. Books, tapes, seminars, training; read, listen, and attend everything you can; then, read, listen, and attend some more...study. READ 20 PAGES OF AN INSPIRING, INFORMATION - RICH BOOK EVERY DAY. Pick books that make a contribution to your goals. You're either building someone else's dream or building your own. When you read romance, mystery, or detective novels, whose dream are you building-yours, or the author's and publisher's? When you read Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich-a book that took 20 years to write, that interviews the richest and most successful men and women in the world and reveals their 13 success secrets-whose dream are you building? Read 20 pages per day of an empowering book. Is that easy to do? Sure. And that simple discipline compounded over time, like a penny doubled daily for a month, will send you to the top! Is it easy not to do? SURE. And if you don't do it, will you destroy your life and work today? No way. But that simple error in judgment, compounded over time, will pull you down and take you out of your life!
Listen to a self-improvement audio for 45 minutes every day.
ACTIVITY KNOWLEDGE. Life is not a spectator sport-fish or cut bait. Lead, follow, or get out of the way. And life is not a result, either. Life is not the goal-it's the PROCESS. The road to success is always under construction. Marx was wrong: Life is both the ends and the means. Emerson said, "Do the thing and you'll have the power." You can't just go get the power and then do the thing. The only way to have the power is to do it, just do it. People constantly ask me for the key to success. "What's the one thing I can do to guarantee my success?" My answer is always the same: Be here- actively immersed in the process-one year from now. That's the right answer-don't you agree? It's The Slight Edge answer. Commit to the process. The process is THE SLIGHT EDGE. Is it easy to do?... Is it easy not to do?
Meet 5 new people every day!
2 pqv yeses every week.
MODELED KNOWLEDGE. Did you know that your income will tend to be the average of your ten best friends' incomes? (If having more income is a goal of yours, either get new friends or raise the income of the friends you have now!) If you want to raise the quality of your life, hang out with people who have been there and done that. If you want to be a great public speaker, hang out with great speakers. If you want to be a success in business, hang around successful business people. If you want to be a terrific parent, spend lots of time with men and women who have mastered parenting. Do you know why birds of a feather flock together? Because they're all going in the same direction. They share a common vision. If you're after a goal-any goal-go find the people who have achieved that goal, or who are well along the path to attaining that goal, and be with them, hang out with them, camp on their doorstep. It's called the Law of Association. It's a Law because it always works. The first commandment of The Slight Edge:
Thou shalt educate thyself.
Is it easy to do? Is it easy not to do? And if you don't do it, will you fail today? But that simple error in judgment, compounded over time, will ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, GUARANTEE YOUR FAILURE! LEARNING TO LEARN is committing to the process. The Slight Edge is the process.
"The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn." -Carl Rogers Freedom
To make The Slight Edge work for you, you must learn how to learn.
Alvin Toffler, author of Future Shock, wrote:
"Learning is an approach, both to knowledge and to life, that emphasizes human initiative. It encompasses the acquisition and practice of new methodologies, new skills, new attitudes, and new values necessary to live in a world of change. Learning is a process of preparing to deal with new situations."
Clearly, we live in a world of change. Constant change. Rapid change. Today, we accomplish in five years what our grandparents and parents took 50 years to do. And everything's getting faster! Learning to learn is a mandatory for success today-and especially for tomorrow. Learning to learn is committing to the process. The Slight Edge is the process. Learning to learn is a choice. You make that choice moment to moment-not just once and then you're done with it for the rest of your life. Each new moment will present you with a new choice. Choose to read 20 pages a day-and you'll have to make that choice every day. Choose to model and associate with winners-and you'll have to make that choice every day as well. You have to choose to make The Slight Edge work for you-moment to moment.
IS IT EASY TO DO?
IS IT EASY NOT TO DO?
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Why Some People Have All The Luck!
Why Some People Have All the Luck
By Professor Richard Wiseman, University of Hertfordshire
Why do some people get all the luck while others never get the breaks they deserve?
A psychologist says he has discovered the answer. His study in his own words:--
Ten years ago, I set out to examine luck. I wanted to know why some people are always in the right place at the right time, while others consistently experience ill fortune. I placed advertisements in national newspapers asking for people who felt consistently lucky or unlucky to contact me.
Hundreds of extraordinary men and women volunteered for my research and over the years, I have interviewed them, monitored their lives and had them take part in experiments.
The results reveal that although these people have almost no insight into the causes of their luck, their thoughts and behavior are responsible for much of their good and bad fortune. Take the case of seemingly chance opportunities. Lucky people consistently encounter such opportunities, whereas unlucky people do not.
I carried out a simple experiment to discover whether this was due to differences in their ability to spot such opportunities. I gave both lucky and unlucky people a newspaper, and asked them to look through it and tell me how many photographs were inside. I had secretly placed a large message halfway through the newspaper saying: "Tell the experimenter you have seen this and win $50."
This message took up half of the page and was written in type that was more than two inches high. It was staring everyone straight in the face, but the unlucky people tended to miss it and the lucky people tended to spot it.
Unlucky people are generally more tense than lucky people, and this anxiety disrupts their ability to notice the unexpected.
As a result, they miss opportunities because they are too focused on looking for something else. They go to parties' intent on finding their perfect partner and so miss opportunities to make good friends. They look through newspapers determined to find certain types of job advertisements and miss other types of jobs.
Lucky people are more relaxed and open, and therefore see what is there rather than just what they are looking for. My research eventually revealed that lucky people generate good fortune via four principles. They are skilled at creating and noticing chance opportunities, make lucky decisions by listening to their intuition, create self-fulfilling prophesies via positive expectations, and adopt a resilient attitude that transforms bad luck into good.
Towards the end of the work, I wondered whether these principles could be used to create good luck. I asked a group of volunteers to spend a month carrying out exercises designed to help them think and behave like a lucky person.
Dramatic results! These exercises helped them spot chance opportunities, listen to their intuition, expect to be lucky, and be more resilient to bad luck. One month later, the volunteers returned and described what had happened. The results were dramatic: 80% of people were now happier, more satisfied with their lives and, perhaps most important of all, luckier.
The lucky people had become even luckier and the unlucky had become lucky.
Finally, I had found the elusive "luck factor".
Here are Professor Wiseman's four top tips for becoming lucky:
1) Listen to your gut instincts - they are normally right
2) Be open to new experiences and breaking your normal routine
3) Spend a few moments each day remembering things that went well
4) Visualize yourself being lucky before an important meeting or telephone call.
The happiest people in the world are not those who have no problems, but those who learn to live with things!!!
By Professor Richard Wiseman, University of Hertfordshire
Why do some people get all the luck while others never get the breaks they deserve?
A psychologist says he has discovered the answer. His study in his own words:--
Ten years ago, I set out to examine luck. I wanted to know why some people are always in the right place at the right time, while others consistently experience ill fortune. I placed advertisements in national newspapers asking for people who felt consistently lucky or unlucky to contact me.
Hundreds of extraordinary men and women volunteered for my research and over the years, I have interviewed them, monitored their lives and had them take part in experiments.
The results reveal that although these people have almost no insight into the causes of their luck, their thoughts and behavior are responsible for much of their good and bad fortune. Take the case of seemingly chance opportunities. Lucky people consistently encounter such opportunities, whereas unlucky people do not.
I carried out a simple experiment to discover whether this was due to differences in their ability to spot such opportunities. I gave both lucky and unlucky people a newspaper, and asked them to look through it and tell me how many photographs were inside. I had secretly placed a large message halfway through the newspaper saying: "Tell the experimenter you have seen this and win $50."
This message took up half of the page and was written in type that was more than two inches high. It was staring everyone straight in the face, but the unlucky people tended to miss it and the lucky people tended to spot it.
Unlucky people are generally more tense than lucky people, and this anxiety disrupts their ability to notice the unexpected.
As a result, they miss opportunities because they are too focused on looking for something else. They go to parties' intent on finding their perfect partner and so miss opportunities to make good friends. They look through newspapers determined to find certain types of job advertisements and miss other types of jobs.
Lucky people are more relaxed and open, and therefore see what is there rather than just what they are looking for. My research eventually revealed that lucky people generate good fortune via four principles. They are skilled at creating and noticing chance opportunities, make lucky decisions by listening to their intuition, create self-fulfilling prophesies via positive expectations, and adopt a resilient attitude that transforms bad luck into good.
Towards the end of the work, I wondered whether these principles could be used to create good luck. I asked a group of volunteers to spend a month carrying out exercises designed to help them think and behave like a lucky person.
Dramatic results! These exercises helped them spot chance opportunities, listen to their intuition, expect to be lucky, and be more resilient to bad luck. One month later, the volunteers returned and described what had happened. The results were dramatic: 80% of people were now happier, more satisfied with their lives and, perhaps most important of all, luckier.
The lucky people had become even luckier and the unlucky had become lucky.
Finally, I had found the elusive "luck factor".
Here are Professor Wiseman's four top tips for becoming lucky:
1) Listen to your gut instincts - they are normally right
2) Be open to new experiences and breaking your normal routine
3) Spend a few moments each day remembering things that went well
4) Visualize yourself being lucky before an important meeting or telephone call.
The happiest people in the world are not those who have no problems, but those who learn to live with things!!!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Comfort Zone Misconceptions.
Comfort Zone Misconceptions;
Have you ever found yourself believing that you can’t go forward so long as you feel fear?
The thing about fear is that we perceive it as a barbed wire barrier that we should always respect and never climb over. Although this is true of some fears, like heights or sharks (and we may want to avoid those), other fears, such as the fear of new challenges, will inevitably keep us from reaching our potential.
The only way to step out of your comfort zone is to face your fears along the way, until you do, they will always be there. And in order to do this, we must take up courage. You may have heard it said before but it deems worth repeating that courage is not the absence of fear; rather it is choosing to act in spite of it. You could say, without fear, you can’t have genuine courage.
The incredible thing about acting in fear is that in doing so you discover that fear doesn’t have to stop you. You may even find that what you thought were limits are actually more like starting points.
From-Bruce Wilkinson, The Dream Giver;
There’s nothing the matter with wanting to be comfortable. But ultimately, Dreams are to help someone else. Comfort is to help yourself.
WOW! Essentially what the author is telling us is that when we avoid our dream, when we dismiss our path, settle for less or just plain get comfortable, we are actually denying others of a better life too. Think about it. When you are pursuing a dream you are doing a multitude of great things to and for others. For example: Suppose your dream is to become the best artist you can be, world renowned, successful and affluent in the process. Here are just a few things you would be blessing others with along the way:
1. New and beautiful artwork for others homes and offices.
2. Inspiration and guidance to others coming up behind you (remember in breaking down barriers you are creating a path to be followed and passing the baton to others with your dream).
3. Financial blessings to others in need. (It’s hard to be a financial help from your couch).
4. A smile to those who see you living your dream, if you are happy others around you will find it hard not to be as well; attitudes are contagious.
5. a legacy to leave your children. I for one truly want my children to look at my life one day and be amazed, inspired and learn through my example to live life fully.
When you sacrifice your dream for a life of “comfort” you are in fact being selfish. Do not deny others their dreams and happiness simply because you are battling feeling of fear, complacency or doubt. Your comfort zone can turn into a prison if you let it. You see, every Dream is initially way beyond your abilities and experience, that that is what makes them dreams.
I know the best artist is out of most of our grasps but we have in our hand a vehicle equally if not more rewarding to the world.
Bill
Have you ever found yourself believing that you can’t go forward so long as you feel fear?
The thing about fear is that we perceive it as a barbed wire barrier that we should always respect and never climb over. Although this is true of some fears, like heights or sharks (and we may want to avoid those), other fears, such as the fear of new challenges, will inevitably keep us from reaching our potential.
The only way to step out of your comfort zone is to face your fears along the way, until you do, they will always be there. And in order to do this, we must take up courage. You may have heard it said before but it deems worth repeating that courage is not the absence of fear; rather it is choosing to act in spite of it. You could say, without fear, you can’t have genuine courage.
The incredible thing about acting in fear is that in doing so you discover that fear doesn’t have to stop you. You may even find that what you thought were limits are actually more like starting points.
From-Bruce Wilkinson, The Dream Giver;
There’s nothing the matter with wanting to be comfortable. But ultimately, Dreams are to help someone else. Comfort is to help yourself.
WOW! Essentially what the author is telling us is that when we avoid our dream, when we dismiss our path, settle for less or just plain get comfortable, we are actually denying others of a better life too. Think about it. When you are pursuing a dream you are doing a multitude of great things to and for others. For example: Suppose your dream is to become the best artist you can be, world renowned, successful and affluent in the process. Here are just a few things you would be blessing others with along the way:
1. New and beautiful artwork for others homes and offices.
2. Inspiration and guidance to others coming up behind you (remember in breaking down barriers you are creating a path to be followed and passing the baton to others with your dream).
3. Financial blessings to others in need. (It’s hard to be a financial help from your couch).
4. A smile to those who see you living your dream, if you are happy others around you will find it hard not to be as well; attitudes are contagious.
5. a legacy to leave your children. I for one truly want my children to look at my life one day and be amazed, inspired and learn through my example to live life fully.
When you sacrifice your dream for a life of “comfort” you are in fact being selfish. Do not deny others their dreams and happiness simply because you are battling feeling of fear, complacency or doubt. Your comfort zone can turn into a prison if you let it. You see, every Dream is initially way beyond your abilities and experience, that that is what makes them dreams.
I know the best artist is out of most of our grasps but we have in our hand a vehicle equally if not more rewarding to the world.
Bill
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