It is the promise of spring that as we sow, so shall we also reap. Faith further provides to us an irrevocable law decreed in heaven, which assures that for every disciplined human effort, we will receive a multiple reward. For each cup planted, a bushel reaped; for every good idea given to another, many shall be given to us in return. For every demonstrated act of faith, a multiplicity of the rewards; and for every act of love given, a life of love in return.”
—Jim Rohn
In past years, as I traveled around the country and world lecturing, one of the most frequently asked questions was about what I expect to happen over the next 6–12 months and-or even years. Well, I’m no expert, but I can share with you my thoughts. Whether it is preparing for the next few months or the next several years, I still believe there are overriding principals that we should follow and be led by. So I’d like to devote my message this week and next to my view of the period of history we’re in now and how it relates to words I wrote almost 30 years ago in my book, The Seasons of Life. Forgive me in advance if I sound a bit philosophical, but as you know by now, I do believe your philosophy is critical to your life’s success.
Life is about constant, predictable patterns of change. For the 6,000 years of recorded history, as humans have entered this world, received parental instruction, classroom instruction, and gathered the experience of life, many have set for themselves ambitious goals and dreamed lofty dreams. As the wheel of life continues its constant turning, all human emotions appear, disappear, and appear once again.
A major challenge faced by us all is that we must learn to experience the changing of life’s cycles without being changed by them, to make a constant and conscious effort to improve ourselves in the face of changing circumstances.
That is why I believe in the power and value of attitude. As I read, ponder and speculate about people, their deeds and their destiny, I become more deeply convinced that it is our natural destiny to grow, to succeed, to prosper and to find happiness while we are here.
By our attitude, we decide to read or not to read. By our attitude, we decide to try or to give up. By our attitude, we blame ourselves for our failure or we blame others. Our attitude determines whether we tell the truth or lie, act or procrastinate, advance or recede, and by our own attitude, we, and we alone, actually decide whether to succeed or fail.
How incredibly unique that a God who would create the complex and immense universe would create the human race, and give to those humans the free choice that would permit them to select their own achievement or their own destruction.
This strange but all-knowing God gave to us a delicately balanced sphere called Earth. On it, he placed the intelligent human, who would either develop it or destroy it. How terribly fascinating that a God would leave both projects—Earth as well as humans—unfinished! Across the rivers and streams, he built no bridges; he left the pictures unpainted, the songs unsung, the books unwritten and space unexplored. For the accomplishment of those things, God created the unfinished human who, within his heart and mind, had the capacity to do all these things and more, depending upon his own choice.
Attitude determines choice, and choice determines results. All that we are and all that we can become has indeed been left unto us. For as long as you continue to draw breath, you have the chance to complete the work in and for the Earth and for yourself that God has begun for you. In the cycles and seasons of life, attitude is everything!
So let’s begin our discussion of the four seasons. I’ll start by making two comments. First, life and business are like the changing seasons. That’s one of the best ways to illustrate life: It’s like the seasons that change. Second, you cannot change the seasons, but you can change yourself.
Now, with those two key phrases in mind, let’s look at what I consider to be the first major lesson in life to learn, and that is how to handle the winters. They come regularly, right after autumn. Some are long, some are short, some are difficult, some are easy, but they always come right after autumn. That is never going to change.
There are all kinds of winters—the “winter” when you can’t figure it out, the “winter” when everything seems to go haywire. There are economic winters, social winters and personal winters.
Wintertime can bring disappointment, and disappointment is common to all of us. So you must learn how to handle the winters. You must learn how to handle difficulty; it always comes after opportunity. You must learn to handle recessions; they come right after expansions. That isn’t going to change.
The big question is, What do you do about winters? You can’t get rid of January simply by tearing it off the calendar. But here is what you can do: You can get stronger; you can get wiser; and you can get better. Remember that trio of words: stronger, wiser, better. The winters won’t change, but you can.
Before I understood this, I used to wish it were summer when it was winter. When things were difficult, I used to wish they were easy. I didn’t know any better. Then Mr. Shoaff gave me the answer from a part of his very unique philosophy when he said, “Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better. Don’t wish for fewer problems; wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge; wish for more wisdom.”
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Best,
Andy Rodie
9/12/2010
T. Harv Eker: The Three Keys to a Thriving Personal Economy
We’re in the midst of the worst global economic downturn in decades. Do you see a problem or an opportunity? If you had a millionaire mind, you’d say, “Neither! I see a million opportunities!”
Contrary to popular belief, there are still tons of opportunities to be found, so long as you’re looking in the right places. Business opportunities abound, but you may have to change your mindset in order to achieve success. The key to prosperity is how you choose to approach and react to the current environment.
Even for the most optimistic among us, it’s hard not to lose hope when the media tells us that we’re in a depression. Where is the motivation to succeed, much less to excel? Why, all of a sudden, does the target of becoming wealthy seem to be completely out of reach for the average person?
The truth is, it’s not. In any economy, good or bad, there are people who make money and people who lose money. This dynamic doesn’t just disappear when things get a little tough. The real question is, which economy is struggling—the general economy or your personal economy?
Think about it: You have your own views on life, your own belief systems, standards and results. You look at things differently than anyone else—why wouldn’t you have an equally unique economy? Everyone has his or her own economy.
There are three elements to be aware of to ensure that your personal economy does well, regardless of how the majority fares: mindset, cash flow and streamlined business.
Set yourself up for success by creating a mindset that focuses on opportunities instead of problems. What you focus on expands, so if you want to have more opportunities, focus on opportunities. Don’t get hung up on obstacles, barriers or all the bad news you see in the media.
Change your thinking and look at things from the other side: As stock prices decline and property values plummet, everything is on sale. If you bought stocks or real estate two or three years ago, you almost certainly paid a premium. Today, everything, from real estate to the stock market, is on sale, and these are sales you don’t want to miss.
When this current economic meltdown began, Warren Buffett, one of the richest men in the world, said, “This is the day I’ve been waiting for the last 10 years.”
"There are three elements to be aware of to ensure that your personal economy does well, regardless of how the majority fares: mindset, cash flow and streamlined business"
The law of duality states that what goes up must come down. Eventually, what is on sale now will rise and prices will go back up, which makes today’s climate a great place to invest for the future. A lot of people are losing money right now because everything they sell is at a loss. But look at the flipside: If a seller is taking a loss, the buyer is getting a discount.
Warren Buffett has also been quoted saying that when everyone is greedy, you should be fearful, and when everyone is fearful, you should be greedy. True to his word, while so many others are frozen with fear, he’s taken $10 billion and put it into just two companies: Goldman Sachs and General Electric. I’m not telling you to rush out and do the same, but I will tell you that that’s how someone with a millionaire mind operates.
Now let’s look at cash fl ow. If you are looking at investing, you fi rst need to arm yourself with a sound understanding of investment principles and strategies. Avoid going strictly for asset appreciation, and look instead at creating positive cash flow. Interested in stocks? Find ones offering the prospect of excellent dividends. Considering real estate? Look at commercial options, such as buying part of a plaza or small retail mall with strong tenants who serve necessities.
When investing in real estate for cash fl ow, whether the value of the real estate goes up or down has little effect, because the goal isn’t to sell it, at least not in the short term. It doesn’t matter if the property appreciates $1 or $5 million or if it goes down $3 million. If the tenants pay their rent, that all-important revenue comes in every month.
We’ve looked at mindset and investments—now let’s talk streamlined business. It’s never a bad idea to start your own business—as long as you do your homework, follow your heart and commit yourself 100 percent to the challenge. Be mindful of the kind of business you’re operating. If your market includes high net worth individuals and you have an expensive product, you’ll probably be OK. Most of the people I know who have a high net worth aren’t overly affected by this downturn; in fact, they’re the ones buying what everyone else is selling.
Another relatively safe type of business is one that caters to people’s needs. Remember that your business is competing with people’s disposable income. As people have less disposable income and lose confidence, they quite naturally focus on necessities, not luxuries. For example, people still need to eat, but they might not go out to restaurants as often as they did a couple of years ago.
Take this as an opportunity to set your business up to be failproof. Be flexible—trim the fat off your business and make it run in a way that will allow you not only to survive, but to perform well even if revenue decreases.
The most important thing is to stay positive—focus on increasing your sales, and, if worse comes to worst, you will have set yourself up to survive. If, for example, your revenue decreases by 40 percent, then you will need to cut your expenses by 40 percent or more, if possible. The result is that your business will become more efficient, more viable and more sustainable in the long run.
Success is all about attitude, knowledge and the willingness to learn and grow. Set yourself up to prosper by taking an objective look at your business, your investments and your mindset, and make the changes that are necessary for you. Look for opportunities, and get involved with people who are doing well; model these people and make it a point to study their thought processes and habits. Think rich! If you change your mindset and build one that supports your success, your personal economy won’t have a choice: It will have to thrive.
T. Harv Eker is an author, success trainer, and founder and president of Peak Potentials Training. His books include the No. 1 New York Times Best-Seller Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, and his international bestseller, SpeedWealth. Eker also offers the Millionaire Mind Intensive, a three-day seminar that helps people take control of their minds and nurture self-empowering thoughts.
Best,
Andy Rodie
Contrary to popular belief, there are still tons of opportunities to be found, so long as you’re looking in the right places. Business opportunities abound, but you may have to change your mindset in order to achieve success. The key to prosperity is how you choose to approach and react to the current environment.
Even for the most optimistic among us, it’s hard not to lose hope when the media tells us that we’re in a depression. Where is the motivation to succeed, much less to excel? Why, all of a sudden, does the target of becoming wealthy seem to be completely out of reach for the average person?
The truth is, it’s not. In any economy, good or bad, there are people who make money and people who lose money. This dynamic doesn’t just disappear when things get a little tough. The real question is, which economy is struggling—the general economy or your personal economy?
Think about it: You have your own views on life, your own belief systems, standards and results. You look at things differently than anyone else—why wouldn’t you have an equally unique economy? Everyone has his or her own economy.
There are three elements to be aware of to ensure that your personal economy does well, regardless of how the majority fares: mindset, cash flow and streamlined business.
Set yourself up for success by creating a mindset that focuses on opportunities instead of problems. What you focus on expands, so if you want to have more opportunities, focus on opportunities. Don’t get hung up on obstacles, barriers or all the bad news you see in the media.
Change your thinking and look at things from the other side: As stock prices decline and property values plummet, everything is on sale. If you bought stocks or real estate two or three years ago, you almost certainly paid a premium. Today, everything, from real estate to the stock market, is on sale, and these are sales you don’t want to miss.
When this current economic meltdown began, Warren Buffett, one of the richest men in the world, said, “This is the day I’ve been waiting for the last 10 years.”
"There are three elements to be aware of to ensure that your personal economy does well, regardless of how the majority fares: mindset, cash flow and streamlined business"
The law of duality states that what goes up must come down. Eventually, what is on sale now will rise and prices will go back up, which makes today’s climate a great place to invest for the future. A lot of people are losing money right now because everything they sell is at a loss. But look at the flipside: If a seller is taking a loss, the buyer is getting a discount.
Warren Buffett has also been quoted saying that when everyone is greedy, you should be fearful, and when everyone is fearful, you should be greedy. True to his word, while so many others are frozen with fear, he’s taken $10 billion and put it into just two companies: Goldman Sachs and General Electric. I’m not telling you to rush out and do the same, but I will tell you that that’s how someone with a millionaire mind operates.
Now let’s look at cash fl ow. If you are looking at investing, you fi rst need to arm yourself with a sound understanding of investment principles and strategies. Avoid going strictly for asset appreciation, and look instead at creating positive cash flow. Interested in stocks? Find ones offering the prospect of excellent dividends. Considering real estate? Look at commercial options, such as buying part of a plaza or small retail mall with strong tenants who serve necessities.
When investing in real estate for cash fl ow, whether the value of the real estate goes up or down has little effect, because the goal isn’t to sell it, at least not in the short term. It doesn’t matter if the property appreciates $1 or $5 million or if it goes down $3 million. If the tenants pay their rent, that all-important revenue comes in every month.
We’ve looked at mindset and investments—now let’s talk streamlined business. It’s never a bad idea to start your own business—as long as you do your homework, follow your heart and commit yourself 100 percent to the challenge. Be mindful of the kind of business you’re operating. If your market includes high net worth individuals and you have an expensive product, you’ll probably be OK. Most of the people I know who have a high net worth aren’t overly affected by this downturn; in fact, they’re the ones buying what everyone else is selling.
Another relatively safe type of business is one that caters to people’s needs. Remember that your business is competing with people’s disposable income. As people have less disposable income and lose confidence, they quite naturally focus on necessities, not luxuries. For example, people still need to eat, but they might not go out to restaurants as often as they did a couple of years ago.
Take this as an opportunity to set your business up to be failproof. Be flexible—trim the fat off your business and make it run in a way that will allow you not only to survive, but to perform well even if revenue decreases.
The most important thing is to stay positive—focus on increasing your sales, and, if worse comes to worst, you will have set yourself up to survive. If, for example, your revenue decreases by 40 percent, then you will need to cut your expenses by 40 percent or more, if possible. The result is that your business will become more efficient, more viable and more sustainable in the long run.
Success is all about attitude, knowledge and the willingness to learn and grow. Set yourself up to prosper by taking an objective look at your business, your investments and your mindset, and make the changes that are necessary for you. Look for opportunities, and get involved with people who are doing well; model these people and make it a point to study their thought processes and habits. Think rich! If you change your mindset and build one that supports your success, your personal economy won’t have a choice: It will have to thrive.
T. Harv Eker is an author, success trainer, and founder and president of Peak Potentials Training. His books include the No. 1 New York Times Best-Seller Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, and his international bestseller, SpeedWealth. Eker also offers the Millionaire Mind Intensive, a three-day seminar that helps people take control of their minds and nurture self-empowering thoughts.
Best,
Andy Rodie
9/05/2010
Top 10 Reasons for Entrepreneurial Success
A great article by Jay Goltz
I really have only one indulgence. I bought an expensive convertible a few years ago. It is not a midlife crisis car; I would call it a midlife celebration car. It is not red. It was a prerecession purchase.
In any case, I was driving to work one recent morning, sitting at a stoplight when a car pulled up next to me and the young man behind the wheel rolled down his window. He shouted over, “How can I be successful like you?”
I sensed he was serious. I appreciated his moxie, and I wanted to give him a great answer. I also knew that I had between five and 10 seconds for the pearls of wisdom to be hatched and delivered. I didn’t panic. I went with my two favorite standbys: make sure your customers are happy and make sure your employees are with the program. The light changed. He seemed pleased with his stoplight counseling. He thanked me, and we both drove off.
But I started thinking: Is that the best I could do? Did I give him enough to get him on his way? Should I have mentioned the “work hard and follow your passion” mantra? No. He certainly has heard that before. Still, I wished I’d had another chance. I feared this would haunt me forever — or at least until lunch. And then, voila! We were at the next stoplight, and he was again next to me, again with his window and mind open. Rebound. I get another shot!
He told me he was graduating from DePaul University, and he wanted to know what else I had for him. By this point, I’d realized that I couldn’t give him the secret to business success in 10 seconds. That would take at least a minute, but I was not prepared. It is an excellent question that requires some thought. I told him I’d post an answer on this blog. So, to you DePaul graduate with moxie, here is what I believe are the most important success factors in business:
1. Look for opportunities to do something better than just about everyone else.
2. Accept risk as a necessary evil. It makes for much less competition.
3. Act responsibly to customers, employees and vendors.
4. Goals aren’t enough. You need a plan. You need to execute the plan.
5. You need to fix the plan as you go. Learn from your mistakes. Most people don’t.
6. Do not reinvent the wheel. Learn from others — join a business group.
7. Make sure the math works. I know plenty of people who work hard and follow their passion but the math doesn’t work. If the math doesn’t work, neither does the business.
8. Make sure that every employee understands and works toward the mission.
9. There are going to be difficult times and you need to be resilient; whining is a waste of time.
10. There will be sacrifices. Work to find a balance so that you don’t become a financially successful loser. It’s not about the income, it’s about the outcome.
That’s my Top 10 list. I’m sure there are more. What do you think is missing?
Jay Goltz owns five small businesses in Chicago.
Best,
Andy
I really have only one indulgence. I bought an expensive convertible a few years ago. It is not a midlife crisis car; I would call it a midlife celebration car. It is not red. It was a prerecession purchase.
In any case, I was driving to work one recent morning, sitting at a stoplight when a car pulled up next to me and the young man behind the wheel rolled down his window. He shouted over, “How can I be successful like you?”
I sensed he was serious. I appreciated his moxie, and I wanted to give him a great answer. I also knew that I had between five and 10 seconds for the pearls of wisdom to be hatched and delivered. I didn’t panic. I went with my two favorite standbys: make sure your customers are happy and make sure your employees are with the program. The light changed. He seemed pleased with his stoplight counseling. He thanked me, and we both drove off.
But I started thinking: Is that the best I could do? Did I give him enough to get him on his way? Should I have mentioned the “work hard and follow your passion” mantra? No. He certainly has heard that before. Still, I wished I’d had another chance. I feared this would haunt me forever — or at least until lunch. And then, voila! We were at the next stoplight, and he was again next to me, again with his window and mind open. Rebound. I get another shot!
He told me he was graduating from DePaul University, and he wanted to know what else I had for him. By this point, I’d realized that I couldn’t give him the secret to business success in 10 seconds. That would take at least a minute, but I was not prepared. It is an excellent question that requires some thought. I told him I’d post an answer on this blog. So, to you DePaul graduate with moxie, here is what I believe are the most important success factors in business:
1. Look for opportunities to do something better than just about everyone else.
2. Accept risk as a necessary evil. It makes for much less competition.
3. Act responsibly to customers, employees and vendors.
4. Goals aren’t enough. You need a plan. You need to execute the plan.
5. You need to fix the plan as you go. Learn from your mistakes. Most people don’t.
6. Do not reinvent the wheel. Learn from others — join a business group.
7. Make sure the math works. I know plenty of people who work hard and follow their passion but the math doesn’t work. If the math doesn’t work, neither does the business.
8. Make sure that every employee understands and works toward the mission.
9. There are going to be difficult times and you need to be resilient; whining is a waste of time.
10. There will be sacrifices. Work to find a balance so that you don’t become a financially successful loser. It’s not about the income, it’s about the outcome.
That’s my Top 10 list. I’m sure there are more. What do you think is missing?
Jay Goltz owns five small businesses in Chicago.
Best,
Andy
9/01/2010
The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
Do you want success?
More success than you have now?
And even more success than you ever imagined possible?
That is what this book is about.
Achieving it.
No gimmicks. No hyperbole.
Finally, just the truth on what it takes to earn success.
As publisher of SUCCESS magazine, author Darren Hardy has heard it all, seen it all, and tried most of it. This book reveals the core principles that drive success. The Compound Effect contains the essence of what every superachiever needs to know, practice, and master to obtain extraordinary success. Inside you will find strategies on:
How to win—every time! The No. 1 strategy to achieve any goal and triumph over any competitor, even if they’re smarter, more talented or more experienced.
Eradicating your bad habits (some you might be unaware of!) that are derailing your progress.
Painlessly installing the few key disciplines required for major breakthroughs.
The real, lasting keys to motivation—how to get yourself to do things you don't feel like doing.
Capturing the elusive, awesome force of momentum. Catch this, and you'll be unstoppable.
The acceleration secrets of superachievers. Do they have an unfair advantage? Yes they do, and now you can too!
If you’re serious about living an extraordinary life, use the power of The Compound Effect to create the success you desire. Begin your journey today!
Audio clips from the compound effect by Darren Hardy.
Website:http://www.darrenhardy.com/
http://darrenhardy.success.com/
http://www.twitter.com/DARRENHARDY
http://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenhardy
http://www.success.com/bestyearever
http://video.success.com/category/media/
Best,
Andy Rodie
More success than you have now?
And even more success than you ever imagined possible?
That is what this book is about.
Achieving it.
No gimmicks. No hyperbole.
Finally, just the truth on what it takes to earn success.
As publisher of SUCCESS magazine, author Darren Hardy has heard it all, seen it all, and tried most of it. This book reveals the core principles that drive success. The Compound Effect contains the essence of what every superachiever needs to know, practice, and master to obtain extraordinary success. Inside you will find strategies on:
How to win—every time! The No. 1 strategy to achieve any goal and triumph over any competitor, even if they’re smarter, more talented or more experienced.
Eradicating your bad habits (some you might be unaware of!) that are derailing your progress.
Painlessly installing the few key disciplines required for major breakthroughs.
The real, lasting keys to motivation—how to get yourself to do things you don't feel like doing.
Capturing the elusive, awesome force of momentum. Catch this, and you'll be unstoppable.
The acceleration secrets of superachievers. Do they have an unfair advantage? Yes they do, and now you can too!
If you’re serious about living an extraordinary life, use the power of The Compound Effect to create the success you desire. Begin your journey today!
Audio clips from the compound effect by Darren Hardy.
Website:http://www.darrenhardy.com/
http://darrenhardy.success.com/
http://www.twitter.com/DARRENHARDY
http://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenhardy
http://www.success.com/bestyearever
http://video.success.com/category/media/
TCE Audio Clip #4 from Darren Hardy on Vimeo.
TCE Audio Clip #1: Introduction from Darren Hardy on Vimeo.
TCE Audio Clip #2 from Darren Hardy on Vimeo.
TCE Audio Clip #3 from Darren Hardy on Vimeo.
Best,
Andy Rodie
6/09/2010
New Reality TV show for entrepreneurs
Check the trailer for the new reality Tv show for entrepreneurs.
Watch it all go down as 8 entrepreneurs move to California, risking it all for just one vision.
Best,
Andy Rodie
Watch it all go down as 8 entrepreneurs move to California, risking it all for just one vision.
Best,
Andy Rodie
How to Raise Capital: The #1 Skill of an Entrepreneur
Please share thoughts on this video by Robert Kiyoski
Best,
Andy Rodie
Best,
Andy Rodie
5/10/2010
Getting Knocked Down - Darren Hardy
Another great post by Darren Hardy from Success Magazine.
We all get knocked down from time to time—it’s part of what makes life interesting… always keeping us alert and on our toes.
I recently shared a perspective in a keynote presentation I did that helped reshape my view of obstacles and life’s difficulties; this might help you too…
My wife’s best friend has a friend whose husband, I am embarrassed to say, I envied. He had the life I wanted. We are close in age and both came from the Bay Area of San Francisco.
After several failed businesses, he started an electronics store called “Jacks.” The stores were relatively successful and were bought out for a good sum. He then invested that money into commercial real estate in the San Diego Valley, before the boom. He ended up owning several buildings that made him tens of millions, maybe hundreds of millions.
We would go to his parties at the home he custom built in Rancho Santa Fe (one of the richest ZIP codes in the county). The home, estate really, was more than 10,000 square feet on an amazing piece of sprawling land and it was designed in just the style I love.
His cars were amazing and he also had a yacht in the harbor and a private plane. He was also a good-looking guy and had a beautiful family he adored and who adored him. He was warm, friendly and always the life of the party. I wanted his life. In my head (privately, of course) I would wish I was Gary Boyd.
A year and a half ago he had a cough that became increasingly worse. When he went to the doctor he was diagnosed with throat cancer. He never smoked, lived relatively healthy—it was completely unexpected. He had finally arrived, was living the life he never could have imagined, and then this.
His family had to watch him slowly and painfully wither away until he finally died seven months ago.
Now, every day I say, thank God I am not Gary Boyd.
Here is the point: No matter what obstacle I encounter now, no matter what setback I experience, I have a whole new perspective on just how “catastrophic” the situation really is. If I take a risk and am embarrassed, if I call someone and they reject me, if I lose a bunch of money in an investment, if I wreck my car, lose my house (not that I have!), no matter what obstacle comes my way, I say, “At least I am not Gary Boyd.”
Point is, as long as you are on the right side of the dirt, no obstacle really matters.
We all experience failure, setbacks, disappointments and obstacles. And yes it hurts, and that is okay. We are human. Rejection, failure and letdowns hurt humans. It’s part of the deal.
Now the difference is how long you let it keep you down.
Here is the evolution I have gone through and recommend for you. What used to bum me out for 2 weeks I eventually whittled down to 2 days. Then I got it down to 2 hours and then 20 minutes. Now when I am knocked down, I give myself about 2 minutes to sulk and then I brush myself off and get back on the horse. I also look to replace the experience with something positive. I never allow myself to end the session or day with a defeat. I will keep working until I can gain some kind of victory.
So it’s okay to get knocked down; its even good for you—it’s the beginning of growth. And it’s okay that it smarts a bit. And it’s okay to give yourself some recovery time. Now just try and reduce the time it knocks you out. And get over the idea that life sucks for you. Remember, you are not Gary Boyd.
What do you do when you get knocked down? What do you do to lick your wounds and get yourself back on the horse? Share your tips in the comments below.
Best,
Andy Rodie
We all get knocked down from time to time—it’s part of what makes life interesting… always keeping us alert and on our toes.
I recently shared a perspective in a keynote presentation I did that helped reshape my view of obstacles and life’s difficulties; this might help you too…
My wife’s best friend has a friend whose husband, I am embarrassed to say, I envied. He had the life I wanted. We are close in age and both came from the Bay Area of San Francisco.
After several failed businesses, he started an electronics store called “Jacks.” The stores were relatively successful and were bought out for a good sum. He then invested that money into commercial real estate in the San Diego Valley, before the boom. He ended up owning several buildings that made him tens of millions, maybe hundreds of millions.
We would go to his parties at the home he custom built in Rancho Santa Fe (one of the richest ZIP codes in the county). The home, estate really, was more than 10,000 square feet on an amazing piece of sprawling land and it was designed in just the style I love.
His cars were amazing and he also had a yacht in the harbor and a private plane. He was also a good-looking guy and had a beautiful family he adored and who adored him. He was warm, friendly and always the life of the party. I wanted his life. In my head (privately, of course) I would wish I was Gary Boyd.
A year and a half ago he had a cough that became increasingly worse. When he went to the doctor he was diagnosed with throat cancer. He never smoked, lived relatively healthy—it was completely unexpected. He had finally arrived, was living the life he never could have imagined, and then this.
His family had to watch him slowly and painfully wither away until he finally died seven months ago.
Now, every day I say, thank God I am not Gary Boyd.
Here is the point: No matter what obstacle I encounter now, no matter what setback I experience, I have a whole new perspective on just how “catastrophic” the situation really is. If I take a risk and am embarrassed, if I call someone and they reject me, if I lose a bunch of money in an investment, if I wreck my car, lose my house (not that I have!), no matter what obstacle comes my way, I say, “At least I am not Gary Boyd.”
Point is, as long as you are on the right side of the dirt, no obstacle really matters.
We all experience failure, setbacks, disappointments and obstacles. And yes it hurts, and that is okay. We are human. Rejection, failure and letdowns hurt humans. It’s part of the deal.
Now the difference is how long you let it keep you down.
Here is the evolution I have gone through and recommend for you. What used to bum me out for 2 weeks I eventually whittled down to 2 days. Then I got it down to 2 hours and then 20 minutes. Now when I am knocked down, I give myself about 2 minutes to sulk and then I brush myself off and get back on the horse. I also look to replace the experience with something positive. I never allow myself to end the session or day with a defeat. I will keep working until I can gain some kind of victory.
So it’s okay to get knocked down; its even good for you—it’s the beginning of growth. And it’s okay that it smarts a bit. And it’s okay to give yourself some recovery time. Now just try and reduce the time it knocks you out. And get over the idea that life sucks for you. Remember, you are not Gary Boyd.
What do you do when you get knocked down? What do you do to lick your wounds and get yourself back on the horse? Share your tips in the comments below.
Best,
Andy Rodie
4/22/2010
How to stay insanely focused on anything.
Always on the prowl for new and inspiring information, I discovered this blog www.fromthebottomup.com by Hulbert lee. Great blog and I will be sharing a few post from it in the next few weeks. If you can't wait please check it out at www.fromthebottonup.com.
There are 24 hours, or 1440 minutes, or 84,000 seconds in a day. How much of that time do you spend focusing on what needs to get done? I believe that focus is one of the most important concepts in achieving any type of goal. I’m sure you’ve heard that to stay focused on something, you should write down a plan, follow a schedule, check off the tasks that you have completed, and so on.
Although these are some good tips, I see focus somewhat differently. Focus, to me, means being conscious of your thoughts at all times. Your mind is sort of like a “thought slate.” Whenever I’m conscious of my thoughts, I’m aware that either I am thinking about nothing, many random thoughts are going through my mind, or there is only one set of focused thought(s) that are going through my mind.
I believe that to stay insanely focused, you must be completely focused of your thoughts at all times. By doing this, you’ll be in a moment or mental process where nothing else around you can bother you.
This however, is a very hard thing for many people to do.
I ’m still not a master of it yet. It’s hard to stay in this conscious phase of mind for a long time, but I’m getting better and better at it, and whenever I implement this strategy, I feel like nothing outside of my mind can bother me, allowing me to get anything I want done really quickly and efficiently.
The longer I can implement this focus, the more I can get done. So I wonder what if you could stay conscious of your thoughts 24 hours a day.
If you had this power, you would be more alert, you would view things different, your state of life would completely change, and you would be able to get anything done two, three, four, five, maybe ten times faster than you normally do. It definitely feels different to be in a stage where you are always conscious of your thoughts.
But due to human nature, we let other emotions and feelings influence our thoughts. And once we lose conscious of our thoughts, and start drifting into other thoughts that are unproductive, then we lose our focus and return back to a state of a weak, lazy mindset rather the move towards developing a strong, disciplined mindset.
To prevent this from happening, I’ve figured out some ways that can help you maintain your focus and use it to a full advantage.
Don’t Allow Other Emotions, Feelings, and Thoughts Bother You
The first thing you need to be aware of is blocking out anything that may take down your conscious awareness.
Think of your conscious as two walls. Between these two walls are your thoughts. Anything that is outside of these two walls is trying to get in and invade your thoughts.
Your walls are rather weak starting out and can be easily broken through stronger forces such as things that produce high emotions, feelings, and thoughts. These things can be as subtle as just sitting on your chair, not be conscious of your thoughts, and letting your mind drift into space.
Other things can distract you depending on what type of mood you’re in, from other people talking, the music from the radio, the television being on, or any your five senses of touching, seeing, hearing, tasting, and smelling.
When you’re focusing on doing a task, whether it is boring or not, if that thought does not provide you with a high level of feelings, then it’s going to be harder to be conscious of it, and as a result, can be easily remove by other higher feelings, such as the ones that can be produced by any of the actions listed above.
If this happens, your initial focused thoughts will be completely replaced by other non-productive thoughts. This is the essence of procrastination or failing to get things done once your “walls” are broken.
Thus, not only is it a good idea to work in a place where other feelings and thoughts cannot distract you from your focused state, but you have to consciously block out these temptations that will subconsciously come at you, each time by putting up a new and stronger wall.
In the beginning it will be hard, but to help you from maintaining better focus, be conscious of your very moment. What is going on? What are you thinking about?
Then, when you subconsciously start think of something that isn’t related to what you’re supposed to be doing, do your best to catch yourself immediately. The more conscious you are of this habit, the stronger your walls will be at blocking out temptations and the easier it will become for you to work at a steady flow of pace.
Lack of Energy
If you’re at your full energy level, you will always be able to be conscious of your thoughts and block out other feelings, emotions, and thoughts. People take their state of energy for granted.
Energy is like a rechargeable battery. Every second that passes by, your energy level drops. Once it gets to zero, your body will tell your mind to shut down making it almost impossible to block out other feelings and thoughts, no matter how disciplined you think your mind is.
When you are tired, your body wants to go to sleep and your thoughts want to wander freely. Being completely conscious of your thoughts would be the opposite of dreaming. You want to be at the part of the spectrum where you have the most energy to be in control of your thoughts, not being at the part of the spectrum where you have no energy and your thoughts are running loose.
Being tired drags you down to that spectrum.
But many people take this for granted because being energy conscious is not a big deal to them. A person with full energy would have a huge advantage over a person with a lack of energy because even if a person with full energy is having trouble focusing, they still have the potential to do so, rather than letting something physical like tiredness influence their thought process.
So make it a must to get enough energy throughout the day, whether it’s getting enough sleep during the night, hydrating yourself with water, or providing your body with nutritious food, because being “thought conscious” also heavily relies being “energy conscious.”
Focusing on One Thought at a Time
When you learn to block other thoughts, emotions, and feelings that distract you and have a full set of energy, you need to learn how to create what thoughts you are having in the moment.
Do this simply by having a thought in your head or the process of doing so.
One example is already having a visual image in your mind, such as seeing yourself with a slimmer, fitter body or the thought of successfully approaching someone and talking to someone new.
Another example is focusing on the material that is already presented to you. This is like reading a book, doing math problems, or reviewing paperwork.
Then there is focusing on creating material. This is when your mind is blank and when you’re in the process of creating a thought. Doing this may be harder for people that lack imaginative skill because you start out by focusing on nothing.
The key here is to insert thoughts that may lead you to your desired outcome and throw away thoughts that don’t. But never allow unproductive thoughts and feelings to tempt you and distract you from your focus.
So, if you’re having trouble focusing, first start with one visual image in your head (any thought you want), be conscious of it, and keep it there.
Changing Thoughts at Will
Depending on what you need to get done, most of the times you’ll need to change through multiple thoughts while not doing much “action.” This requires more effort than having one thought in your head and doing lots of action like having the thought of a sculpted body while your stretching, running on the treadmill, then doing sit ups.
Something like this would be easier to do than doing a little bit of action, such as typing or writing, but constantly needing to going through multiple thoughts in a period of time. It’s a hard thing to do to have to separate thoughts at the same time in your “thought slate” or between your “two walls.”
If you were studying for a math test, having the visual picture of getting an A on the test along with focusing on the actual problems itself, would divide your focus in half. That’s why it’s important to have thoughts in your mind, but be able to change different thoughts at will.
Our brain naturally processes hundreds and hundreds of thoughts per day. You need to learn to keep the ones that you need and quickly discard the ones you don’t need.
Think of it like using a remote to change the channel. Be able to have a thought in place, but also be able to switch them quickly like switching a channel. As you are focusing on your thoughts, be conscious of them.
Whenever you are thinking, ask yourself what it is exactly that you are thinking about. When you answer that question, ask yourself if that thought is productive. If not, discard it.
When you’re focusing on searching for answers, sometimes your mind will come up with no thoughts and that’s okay.
As long as you repeat the process of using the thoughts you need when one comes up, and then discarding the ones you don’t need, then you will get things done faster.
Following Through
Following through is basically following your thoughts with the actions of your thoughts. If your actions are congruent with your thoughts then not only are you using focus, but you are now applying focus to use on productivity.
So ask yourself, are your actions congruent with your thoughts?
For example, you are thinking about checking something in the online dictionary but when you go online, you immediately check your mail. Your thought and actions are incongruent, and if you are conscious of this, you will be able to catch yourself while doing so.
You probably do this many times a day. I know I do.
That’s why you should try to limit yourself of these mistakes. The more you can follow through your actions with your thoughts, the easier you will be able to get work done at an efficient rate.
When you’re conscious of your thoughts, when you’re in the moment, and you follow through, your actions will be able to just flow like water.
Time is Irrelevant
If you’re truly focused on whatever it is that you need to get done, time shouldn’t even be part of your thoughts. Yes, time management is important but it should be the least of your priorities.
Most of the times, people have really stressful schedules. They use all their focus and obsess about time. This just harms them because their focus is on time, rather than on whatever it is that needs to be done.
Time can be a negative factor when dealing with focus.
Too much time given to finish a task and you won’t even focus. Too little time to finish a task, then you’ll focus part of your thoughts on time, rather than the task.
Time doesn’t care when your thoughts are drifting away; it just continues to move on.
Don’t let the feelings or thought of time break through your two walls; instead, continue to be conscious of the things you need to get done.
Letting Your Mind Rest
To be conscious of your thoughts all the time takes a high amount effort, energy, and self-discipline. When starting out, you may not be able to maintain focus for that long.
Let your mind rest longer between your focused states. It’s important not to fry your brain by constantly being conscious of your thoughts, but give your brain a “treat” by giving it short breaks where it can freely wander to whatever you want.
When you do this long enough, those “breaks” will actually be more meaningful to you.
Most people allow their minds to rest and wander freely throughout the entire day.
But if this time is limited, then something as simple as these thought breaks will be something to looking forward to during the day. Also, you’ll look forward to going to sleep and dreaming as this will be the biggest state where your mind can rest.
Once you’re done letting your mind breathe and relax, you can then go back to your focused state of consciousness again.
In conclusion, there are many good mindset techniques out there and focus is among the most vital of them all. If you are consciously aware of your thoughts at all times, not only you will get stuff done quicker and more efficiently, but your state of mind will seen from a totally different perspective. It’s a hard process to start at first, but if you keep practicing at it, you’ll soon be able to master how to be conscious of your every thought and have a deeper ability to stay insanely focused on anything you want.
Best,
Andy Rodie
There are 24 hours, or 1440 minutes, or 84,000 seconds in a day. How much of that time do you spend focusing on what needs to get done? I believe that focus is one of the most important concepts in achieving any type of goal. I’m sure you’ve heard that to stay focused on something, you should write down a plan, follow a schedule, check off the tasks that you have completed, and so on.
Although these are some good tips, I see focus somewhat differently. Focus, to me, means being conscious of your thoughts at all times. Your mind is sort of like a “thought slate.” Whenever I’m conscious of my thoughts, I’m aware that either I am thinking about nothing, many random thoughts are going through my mind, or there is only one set of focused thought(s) that are going through my mind.
I believe that to stay insanely focused, you must be completely focused of your thoughts at all times. By doing this, you’ll be in a moment or mental process where nothing else around you can bother you.
This however, is a very hard thing for many people to do.
I ’m still not a master of it yet. It’s hard to stay in this conscious phase of mind for a long time, but I’m getting better and better at it, and whenever I implement this strategy, I feel like nothing outside of my mind can bother me, allowing me to get anything I want done really quickly and efficiently.
The longer I can implement this focus, the more I can get done. So I wonder what if you could stay conscious of your thoughts 24 hours a day.
If you had this power, you would be more alert, you would view things different, your state of life would completely change, and you would be able to get anything done two, three, four, five, maybe ten times faster than you normally do. It definitely feels different to be in a stage where you are always conscious of your thoughts.
But due to human nature, we let other emotions and feelings influence our thoughts. And once we lose conscious of our thoughts, and start drifting into other thoughts that are unproductive, then we lose our focus and return back to a state of a weak, lazy mindset rather the move towards developing a strong, disciplined mindset.
To prevent this from happening, I’ve figured out some ways that can help you maintain your focus and use it to a full advantage.
Don’t Allow Other Emotions, Feelings, and Thoughts Bother You
The first thing you need to be aware of is blocking out anything that may take down your conscious awareness.
Think of your conscious as two walls. Between these two walls are your thoughts. Anything that is outside of these two walls is trying to get in and invade your thoughts.
Your walls are rather weak starting out and can be easily broken through stronger forces such as things that produce high emotions, feelings, and thoughts. These things can be as subtle as just sitting on your chair, not be conscious of your thoughts, and letting your mind drift into space.
Other things can distract you depending on what type of mood you’re in, from other people talking, the music from the radio, the television being on, or any your five senses of touching, seeing, hearing, tasting, and smelling.
When you’re focusing on doing a task, whether it is boring or not, if that thought does not provide you with a high level of feelings, then it’s going to be harder to be conscious of it, and as a result, can be easily remove by other higher feelings, such as the ones that can be produced by any of the actions listed above.
If this happens, your initial focused thoughts will be completely replaced by other non-productive thoughts. This is the essence of procrastination or failing to get things done once your “walls” are broken.
Thus, not only is it a good idea to work in a place where other feelings and thoughts cannot distract you from your focused state, but you have to consciously block out these temptations that will subconsciously come at you, each time by putting up a new and stronger wall.
In the beginning it will be hard, but to help you from maintaining better focus, be conscious of your very moment. What is going on? What are you thinking about?
Then, when you subconsciously start think of something that isn’t related to what you’re supposed to be doing, do your best to catch yourself immediately. The more conscious you are of this habit, the stronger your walls will be at blocking out temptations and the easier it will become for you to work at a steady flow of pace.
Lack of Energy
If you’re at your full energy level, you will always be able to be conscious of your thoughts and block out other feelings, emotions, and thoughts. People take their state of energy for granted.
Energy is like a rechargeable battery. Every second that passes by, your energy level drops. Once it gets to zero, your body will tell your mind to shut down making it almost impossible to block out other feelings and thoughts, no matter how disciplined you think your mind is.
When you are tired, your body wants to go to sleep and your thoughts want to wander freely. Being completely conscious of your thoughts would be the opposite of dreaming. You want to be at the part of the spectrum where you have the most energy to be in control of your thoughts, not being at the part of the spectrum where you have no energy and your thoughts are running loose.
Being tired drags you down to that spectrum.
But many people take this for granted because being energy conscious is not a big deal to them. A person with full energy would have a huge advantage over a person with a lack of energy because even if a person with full energy is having trouble focusing, they still have the potential to do so, rather than letting something physical like tiredness influence their thought process.
So make it a must to get enough energy throughout the day, whether it’s getting enough sleep during the night, hydrating yourself with water, or providing your body with nutritious food, because being “thought conscious” also heavily relies being “energy conscious.”
Focusing on One Thought at a Time
When you learn to block other thoughts, emotions, and feelings that distract you and have a full set of energy, you need to learn how to create what thoughts you are having in the moment.
Do this simply by having a thought in your head or the process of doing so.
One example is already having a visual image in your mind, such as seeing yourself with a slimmer, fitter body or the thought of successfully approaching someone and talking to someone new.
Another example is focusing on the material that is already presented to you. This is like reading a book, doing math problems, or reviewing paperwork.
Then there is focusing on creating material. This is when your mind is blank and when you’re in the process of creating a thought. Doing this may be harder for people that lack imaginative skill because you start out by focusing on nothing.
The key here is to insert thoughts that may lead you to your desired outcome and throw away thoughts that don’t. But never allow unproductive thoughts and feelings to tempt you and distract you from your focus.
So, if you’re having trouble focusing, first start with one visual image in your head (any thought you want), be conscious of it, and keep it there.
Changing Thoughts at Will
Depending on what you need to get done, most of the times you’ll need to change through multiple thoughts while not doing much “action.” This requires more effort than having one thought in your head and doing lots of action like having the thought of a sculpted body while your stretching, running on the treadmill, then doing sit ups.
Something like this would be easier to do than doing a little bit of action, such as typing or writing, but constantly needing to going through multiple thoughts in a period of time. It’s a hard thing to do to have to separate thoughts at the same time in your “thought slate” or between your “two walls.”
If you were studying for a math test, having the visual picture of getting an A on the test along with focusing on the actual problems itself, would divide your focus in half. That’s why it’s important to have thoughts in your mind, but be able to change different thoughts at will.
Our brain naturally processes hundreds and hundreds of thoughts per day. You need to learn to keep the ones that you need and quickly discard the ones you don’t need.
Think of it like using a remote to change the channel. Be able to have a thought in place, but also be able to switch them quickly like switching a channel. As you are focusing on your thoughts, be conscious of them.
Whenever you are thinking, ask yourself what it is exactly that you are thinking about. When you answer that question, ask yourself if that thought is productive. If not, discard it.
When you’re focusing on searching for answers, sometimes your mind will come up with no thoughts and that’s okay.
As long as you repeat the process of using the thoughts you need when one comes up, and then discarding the ones you don’t need, then you will get things done faster.
Following Through
Following through is basically following your thoughts with the actions of your thoughts. If your actions are congruent with your thoughts then not only are you using focus, but you are now applying focus to use on productivity.
So ask yourself, are your actions congruent with your thoughts?
For example, you are thinking about checking something in the online dictionary but when you go online, you immediately check your mail. Your thought and actions are incongruent, and if you are conscious of this, you will be able to catch yourself while doing so.
You probably do this many times a day. I know I do.
That’s why you should try to limit yourself of these mistakes. The more you can follow through your actions with your thoughts, the easier you will be able to get work done at an efficient rate.
When you’re conscious of your thoughts, when you’re in the moment, and you follow through, your actions will be able to just flow like water.
Time is Irrelevant
If you’re truly focused on whatever it is that you need to get done, time shouldn’t even be part of your thoughts. Yes, time management is important but it should be the least of your priorities.
Most of the times, people have really stressful schedules. They use all their focus and obsess about time. This just harms them because their focus is on time, rather than on whatever it is that needs to be done.
Time can be a negative factor when dealing with focus.
Too much time given to finish a task and you won’t even focus. Too little time to finish a task, then you’ll focus part of your thoughts on time, rather than the task.
Time doesn’t care when your thoughts are drifting away; it just continues to move on.
Don’t let the feelings or thought of time break through your two walls; instead, continue to be conscious of the things you need to get done.
Letting Your Mind Rest
To be conscious of your thoughts all the time takes a high amount effort, energy, and self-discipline. When starting out, you may not be able to maintain focus for that long.
Let your mind rest longer between your focused states. It’s important not to fry your brain by constantly being conscious of your thoughts, but give your brain a “treat” by giving it short breaks where it can freely wander to whatever you want.
When you do this long enough, those “breaks” will actually be more meaningful to you.
Most people allow their minds to rest and wander freely throughout the entire day.
But if this time is limited, then something as simple as these thought breaks will be something to looking forward to during the day. Also, you’ll look forward to going to sleep and dreaming as this will be the biggest state where your mind can rest.
Once you’re done letting your mind breathe and relax, you can then go back to your focused state of consciousness again.
In conclusion, there are many good mindset techniques out there and focus is among the most vital of them all. If you are consciously aware of your thoughts at all times, not only you will get stuff done quicker and more efficiently, but your state of mind will seen from a totally different perspective. It’s a hard process to start at first, but if you keep practicing at it, you’ll soon be able to master how to be conscious of your every thought and have a deeper ability to stay insanely focused on anything you want.
Best,
Andy Rodie
4/20/2010
4/09/2010
Behind every problem there is a bigger you in the waiting (only if you believe it)
If you think having more money means you’ll have fewer problems, then think twice about wanting to be a millionaire. Problems and obstacles don’t stop, you just get a new set of them.
Wealth and poverty aren’t distinguishable when it comes to problems, or, as I like to think of them, challenges. There are times when challenges are considerate, significant, and maybe even scary, and there are other times when we’re really just making a mountain out of a molehill.
Whether it’s over-coming a mountain of debt or making tough investment choices, it could seem daunting to take on these decisions and commit to following through.
Really, though, we all need to thank our lucky stars for mountains that seem to be in our way. Why, because I’m a glutton for punishment? No, because personally it was the only way for me to find out for myself one of the most important ideas most millionaires share in common—you have to be bigger than any problem you can ever face.
In other words, you have to think big! That’s so easy to hear, and nod your head, and say, “Well, yeah, of course.” Understanding it, knowing it, and living it, though, are different.
The truth is few people “think” big and even fewer “play” big. Why? Because “big” often means big responsibilities, big hassles and big problems. They look at that “bigness” and shrink. They’re smaller than their problems. They back away from challenges. Ironically, they back themselves into the biggest problem of all … being broke, or close to it.
The secret to success is to grow yourself so you’re bigger than any problem.
Imagine a “Level 2” person looking at a “Level 5” problem. Does this problem appear to be big or small? From a Level 2 perspective, a Level 5 problem would seem HUGE. How would it look to, say, a “Level 8” person? The same problem would seem small. To a “Level 10” person? NO problem at all. It’s just an everyday occurrence, like brushing your teeth.
It’s not a special skill that separates rich from poor, but a simple yet profound understanding—if you’re breathing, you will always have situations that aren’t perfect. Therefore, the size of the problem is never the problem. It’s always the size of you!
The bigger problems you can handle; the bigger business you can handle; the bigger responsibilities you can handle, the more customers you can handle, and the more money and wealth you can handle. Your income can only grow to the extent that you do!
So here’s your exercise this time:
Commit to growing yourself. This month, do not avoid problems and or complain about problems. Don’t let them bother you. In fact, don’t even call them problems; refer to them as “challenges” or “situations”.
Let go of the emotion and drama you create when you don’t get what you want. Just stay present and handle one situation at a time with an open mind and an open heart. Trust yourself and in the universe that everything will work out in the end.
I want to hear from you, so make sure you leave a comment and tell me your thoughts on this post. And after you do the exercise, let me know how it worked for you. Your feedback is valuable and others can learn from your experiences.
T. Harv Ecker
Best,
Andy Rodie
Wealth and poverty aren’t distinguishable when it comes to problems, or, as I like to think of them, challenges. There are times when challenges are considerate, significant, and maybe even scary, and there are other times when we’re really just making a mountain out of a molehill.
Whether it’s over-coming a mountain of debt or making tough investment choices, it could seem daunting to take on these decisions and commit to following through.
Really, though, we all need to thank our lucky stars for mountains that seem to be in our way. Why, because I’m a glutton for punishment? No, because personally it was the only way for me to find out for myself one of the most important ideas most millionaires share in common—you have to be bigger than any problem you can ever face.
In other words, you have to think big! That’s so easy to hear, and nod your head, and say, “Well, yeah, of course.” Understanding it, knowing it, and living it, though, are different.
The truth is few people “think” big and even fewer “play” big. Why? Because “big” often means big responsibilities, big hassles and big problems. They look at that “bigness” and shrink. They’re smaller than their problems. They back away from challenges. Ironically, they back themselves into the biggest problem of all … being broke, or close to it.
The secret to success is to grow yourself so you’re bigger than any problem.
Imagine a “Level 2” person looking at a “Level 5” problem. Does this problem appear to be big or small? From a Level 2 perspective, a Level 5 problem would seem HUGE. How would it look to, say, a “Level 8” person? The same problem would seem small. To a “Level 10” person? NO problem at all. It’s just an everyday occurrence, like brushing your teeth.
It’s not a special skill that separates rich from poor, but a simple yet profound understanding—if you’re breathing, you will always have situations that aren’t perfect. Therefore, the size of the problem is never the problem. It’s always the size of you!
The bigger problems you can handle; the bigger business you can handle; the bigger responsibilities you can handle, the more customers you can handle, and the more money and wealth you can handle. Your income can only grow to the extent that you do!
So here’s your exercise this time:
Commit to growing yourself. This month, do not avoid problems and or complain about problems. Don’t let them bother you. In fact, don’t even call them problems; refer to them as “challenges” or “situations”.
Let go of the emotion and drama you create when you don’t get what you want. Just stay present and handle one situation at a time with an open mind and an open heart. Trust yourself and in the universe that everything will work out in the end.
I want to hear from you, so make sure you leave a comment and tell me your thoughts on this post. And after you do the exercise, let me know how it worked for you. Your feedback is valuable and others can learn from your experiences.
T. Harv Ecker
Best,
Andy Rodie
4/06/2010
TEXTAREA_ID
4/05/2010
Gurbaksh Chahal motivational speech, BCA Philadelphia
A motivational speech by Gurbaksh Chahal given in Philadelphia at the Business Club of America. Performed November 14th, 2008.
Enjoy.
Best,
Andy Rodie
Enjoy.
Best,
Andy Rodie
The four emotions that can lead to change by Jim Rohn
Emotions are the most powerful forces inside us. Under the power of emotions, human beings can perform the most heroic (as well as barbaric) acts. To a great degree, civilization itself can be defined as the intelligent channeling of human emotion. Emotions are fuel and the mind is the pilot, which together propel the ship of civilized progress.
Which emotions cause people to act? There are four basic ones; each, or a combination of several, can trigger the most incredible activity. The day that you allow these emotions to fuel your desire is the day you’ll turn your life around.
Disgust
One does not usually equate the word “disgust” with positive action. And yet properly channeled, disgust can change a person’s life. The person who feels disgusted has reached a point of no return. He or she is ready to throw down the gauntlet at life and say, “I’ve had it!” That’s what I said after many humiliating experiences at age 25. I said, “I don’t want to live like this anymore. I’ve had it with being broke. I’ve had it with being embarrassed, and I’ve had it with lying.”
Yes, productive feelings of disgust come when a person says, “Enough is enough.”
The “guy” has finally had it with mediocrity. He’s had it with those awful sick feelings of fear, pain and humiliation. He then decides he is “not going to live like this anymore.” Look out! This could be the day that turns a life around. Call it what you will: the “I’ve had it” day, the “never again” day, the “enough’s enough” day. Whatever you call it, it’s powerful! There is nothing so life-changing as gut-wrenching disgust!
Decision
Most of us need to be pushed to the wall to make decisions. And once we reach this point, we have to deal with the conflicting emotions that come with making them. We have reached a fork in the road. Now this fork can be a two-prong, three-prong, or even a four-prong fork. No wonder that decision-making can create knots in stomachs, keep us awake in the middle of the night, or make us break out in a cold sweat.
Making life-changing decisions can be likened to internal civil war. Conflicting armies of emotions, each with its own arsenal of reasons, battle each other for supremacy of our minds. And our resulting decisions, whether bold or timid, well thought out or impulsive, can either set the course of action or blind it.
I don’t have much advice to give you about decision-making except this: Whatever you do, don’t camp at the fork in the road. Decide. It’s far better to make a wrong decision than to not make one at all. Each of us must confront our emotional turmoil and sort out our feelings.
Desire
How does one gain desire? I don’t think I can answer this directly because there are many ways. But I do know two things about desire:
A. It comes from the inside not the outside.
B. It can be triggered by outside forces.
Almost anything can trigger desire. It’s a matter of timing as much as preparation. It might be a song that tugs at the heart. It might be a memorable sermon. It might be a movie, a conversation with a friend, a confrontation with the enemy, or a bitter experience. Even a book or an article such as this one can trigger the inner mechanism that will make some people say, “I want it now!”
Therefore, while searching for your “hot button” of pure, raw desire, welcome into your life each positive experience. Don’t erect a wall to protect you from experiencing life. The same wall that keeps out your disappointment also keeps out the sunlight of enriching experiences. So let life touch you. The next touch could be the one that turns your life around.
Resolve
Resolve says, “I will.” These two words are among the most potent in the English language. I WILL. Benjamin Disraeli, the great British statesman, once said, “Nothing can resist a human will that will stake even its existence on the extent of its purpose.” In other words, when someone resolves to “do or die,” nothing can stop him.
The mountain climber says, “I will climb the mountain. They’ve told me it’s too high, it’s too far, it’s too steep, it’s too rocky, it’s too difficult. But it’s my mountain. I will climb it. You’ll soon see me waving from the top or you’ll never see me, because unless I reach the peak, I’m not coming back.” Who can argue with such resolve?
When confronted with such iron-will determination, I can see Time, Fate and Circumstance calling a hasty conference and deciding, “We might as well let him have his dream. He’s said he’s going to get there or die trying.”
The best definition for “resolve” I’ve ever heard came from a schoolgirl in Foster City, California. As is my custom, I was lecturing about success to a group of bright kids at a junior high school. I asked, “Who can tell me what ‘resolve’ means?” Several hands went up, and I did get some pretty good definitions. But the last was the best. A shy girl from the back of the room got up and said with quiet intensity, “I think resolve means promising yourself you will never give up.” That’s it! That’s the best definition I’ve ever heard: PROMISE YOURSELF YOU’LL NEVER GIVE UP.
Think about it! How long should a baby try to learn how to walk? How long would you give the average baby before you say, “That’s it, you’ve had your chance”? You say that’s crazy? Of course it is. Any mother would say, “My baby is going to keep trying until he learns how to walk!” No wonder everyone walks.
There is a vital lesson in this. Ask yourself, “How long am I going to work to make my dreams come true?” I suggest you answer, “As long as it takes.” That’s what these four emotions are all about.
From the late great Jim Rohn.
Best,
Andy Rodie
Which emotions cause people to act? There are four basic ones; each, or a combination of several, can trigger the most incredible activity. The day that you allow these emotions to fuel your desire is the day you’ll turn your life around.
Disgust
One does not usually equate the word “disgust” with positive action. And yet properly channeled, disgust can change a person’s life. The person who feels disgusted has reached a point of no return. He or she is ready to throw down the gauntlet at life and say, “I’ve had it!” That’s what I said after many humiliating experiences at age 25. I said, “I don’t want to live like this anymore. I’ve had it with being broke. I’ve had it with being embarrassed, and I’ve had it with lying.”
Yes, productive feelings of disgust come when a person says, “Enough is enough.”
The “guy” has finally had it with mediocrity. He’s had it with those awful sick feelings of fear, pain and humiliation. He then decides he is “not going to live like this anymore.” Look out! This could be the day that turns a life around. Call it what you will: the “I’ve had it” day, the “never again” day, the “enough’s enough” day. Whatever you call it, it’s powerful! There is nothing so life-changing as gut-wrenching disgust!
Decision
Most of us need to be pushed to the wall to make decisions. And once we reach this point, we have to deal with the conflicting emotions that come with making them. We have reached a fork in the road. Now this fork can be a two-prong, three-prong, or even a four-prong fork. No wonder that decision-making can create knots in stomachs, keep us awake in the middle of the night, or make us break out in a cold sweat.
Making life-changing decisions can be likened to internal civil war. Conflicting armies of emotions, each with its own arsenal of reasons, battle each other for supremacy of our minds. And our resulting decisions, whether bold or timid, well thought out or impulsive, can either set the course of action or blind it.
I don’t have much advice to give you about decision-making except this: Whatever you do, don’t camp at the fork in the road. Decide. It’s far better to make a wrong decision than to not make one at all. Each of us must confront our emotional turmoil and sort out our feelings.
Desire
How does one gain desire? I don’t think I can answer this directly because there are many ways. But I do know two things about desire:
A. It comes from the inside not the outside.
B. It can be triggered by outside forces.
Almost anything can trigger desire. It’s a matter of timing as much as preparation. It might be a song that tugs at the heart. It might be a memorable sermon. It might be a movie, a conversation with a friend, a confrontation with the enemy, or a bitter experience. Even a book or an article such as this one can trigger the inner mechanism that will make some people say, “I want it now!”
Therefore, while searching for your “hot button” of pure, raw desire, welcome into your life each positive experience. Don’t erect a wall to protect you from experiencing life. The same wall that keeps out your disappointment also keeps out the sunlight of enriching experiences. So let life touch you. The next touch could be the one that turns your life around.
Resolve
Resolve says, “I will.” These two words are among the most potent in the English language. I WILL. Benjamin Disraeli, the great British statesman, once said, “Nothing can resist a human will that will stake even its existence on the extent of its purpose.” In other words, when someone resolves to “do or die,” nothing can stop him.
The mountain climber says, “I will climb the mountain. They’ve told me it’s too high, it’s too far, it’s too steep, it’s too rocky, it’s too difficult. But it’s my mountain. I will climb it. You’ll soon see me waving from the top or you’ll never see me, because unless I reach the peak, I’m not coming back.” Who can argue with such resolve?
When confronted with such iron-will determination, I can see Time, Fate and Circumstance calling a hasty conference and deciding, “We might as well let him have his dream. He’s said he’s going to get there or die trying.”
The best definition for “resolve” I’ve ever heard came from a schoolgirl in Foster City, California. As is my custom, I was lecturing about success to a group of bright kids at a junior high school. I asked, “Who can tell me what ‘resolve’ means?” Several hands went up, and I did get some pretty good definitions. But the last was the best. A shy girl from the back of the room got up and said with quiet intensity, “I think resolve means promising yourself you will never give up.” That’s it! That’s the best definition I’ve ever heard: PROMISE YOURSELF YOU’LL NEVER GIVE UP.
Think about it! How long should a baby try to learn how to walk? How long would you give the average baby before you say, “That’s it, you’ve had your chance”? You say that’s crazy? Of course it is. Any mother would say, “My baby is going to keep trying until he learns how to walk!” No wonder everyone walks.
There is a vital lesson in this. Ask yourself, “How long am I going to work to make my dreams come true?” I suggest you answer, “As long as it takes.” That’s what these four emotions are all about.
From the late great Jim Rohn.
Best,
Andy Rodie
4/04/2010
The Dream by Gurbaksh Chahal
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
The Dream by Gurbaksh Chahal
View more presentations from Jaspal Singh.
4/02/2010
3 tips if you want to launch your own startup
A friend of mine came and visited yesterday and asked what would be my 3 tips if I had only 3 tips to give to someone starting a business in the Internet space these days
Best,
Andy Rodie
Best,
Andy Rodie
3/29/2010
Six tips to make your ideas happen
Another great post from Marelisa Fabrega. Please check her blog at
http://abundance-blog.marelisa-online.com/
“If you want your idea to succeed, you’ll have to take the offensive. So, you become a Warrior and take your idea into action.”
– Roger von Oech, “A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative”
Ideas are plentiful. However, ideas that are seen through to completion are an entirely different story. Most ideas end up in the idea graveyard, surrounded by countless good intentions and one-day-I-will dreams. Focus, determination, organization, and productivity will determine whether an idea will ever become reality. Below you’ll find six tips to help you make your ideas happen.
Choose One Idea to Work On – Avoid the Idea Avalanche
Avoid the idea avalanche, or the creative person’s tendency to jump from idea-to-idea without getting much done. Stephen Pierce defines the idea avalanche as: “The mental condition whereby ideas come to you in such abundance that you have trouble keeping up with all of them.” It’s basically about having a great idea, then having an even better one three days later, and moving on to yet another fabulous idea the day after that.
The net result of the idea avalanche is that you never see any of your ideas through to completion. The solution to the idea avalanche is to choose one idea to focus on, to the exclusion of all other ideas.
An idea in and of itself is basically worthless; this is true even of brilliant ideas. The idea needs to be coupled with execution in order to become valuable. Derek Silvers explains that ideas are just a multiplier of execution. He describes it as follows:
AWFUL IDEA = -1
WEAK IDEA = 1
SO-SO IDEA = 5
GOOD IDEA = 10
GREAT IDEA = 15
BRILLIANT IDEA = 20
NO EXECUTION = $1
WEAK EXECUTION = $1000
SO-SO- EXECUTION = $10,000
GOOD EXECUTION = $100,000
GREAT EXECUTION = $1,000,000
BRILLIANT EXECUTION = $10,000,000
To create a business you need to multiply the value of the idea by the manner of its execution.
Keep an Idea Journal
Every time a new idea pops into your head, resist the urge to drop the idea you’re currently working on to pursue the new venture. Instead, create a system for storing all of your ideas so that you can act on them at a later date. This system can consist of having a notebook or moleskin in which you jot down ideas, creating a word document on your computer which you can easily open as new ideas emerge, or you can even write your ideas down on index cards and keep them in an index card file (as Maya does). You can also consider keeping your ideas in your swipe file, which I wrote about here and in a guest post published over at “Write to Done”.
Cultivate a Sense of Urgency – Change the World or Go Home
In order to turn your idea into reality you need to act from a sense of urgency. Feel the urgency to get things done, to make your idea take shape and become tangible. You can put off executing your ideas to another day, but that mentality will lead to endless procrastination. Instead of delaying the next task on your action plan for a couple of days, act as if it’s urgent, even if it isn’t. Put some pressure on yourself by making the decision to tackle the actions that need to be taken to make your idea a reality, now.
The desire to see your idea become reality must be so strong that you’re willing to make sacrifices of time and energy to make it happen. Unless you have a burning desire to see things through to completion, you will be tempted to quit. Hugh McLeod from the Gapingvoid explains that in 2006 he posted a cartoon on his blog of a blue monster which he designed with some of his friends who worked at Microsoft in mind.
The cartoon was meant to represent the culture that he had observed among Microsoft employees, a culture of “change the world or go home”. The idea of the blue monster took off, and soon lots of Microsoft employees had blue monster posters hanging in their office, were wearing blue monster t-shirts, or had a blue monster on the back of their business cards. Create a blue monster for yourself; something that symbolizes or represents your burning desire to execute your idea.
Create a Massive Action Plan
All projects can be accomplished by taking a series of small steps that build on one another. Create a list of everything you can think of that you could possibly do in order to turn your idea into reality. Keep asking yourself: “What else could I do?”, “And then what?”, “What’s the next step after that?”, and so on until you have a long list of actions you can start to take. Then look at each of the steps you wrote down and ask yourself if that step can be broken down into smaller, more manageable pieces. Proceed to decide on an immediate next step and act on it. Every day chose three actions you can take to execute your idea, write them down on an index card or in your daily planner, and carry out those steps.
Become an Organization and Productivity Ninja
As I mentioned in the first paragraph of this article, your productivity and your level of organization are two of the elements that will determine whether your idea ever sees the light of day, or whether it languishes within the confines of your idea journal. Start collecting and applying organization and productivity tips as if your life depended on it. Here are two tidbits to get you started:
Parkinson’s Law
Parkinson’s Law dictates that a task will expand in time and seeming complexity depending on the time you set aside for it. Go through each subtask on your action plan and estimate how long it’s going to take you to complete each one based on historical data—that is, the amount of time that it’s taken you to complete that activity in the past. If you’re tackling an activity for the first time, simply make the best estimate you can as to how long it will take you to complete it. Once you’ve determined a length of time for each subtask, keep an egg timer next to you to help you stick to the allotted time.
Identify Time Wasters
Time wasters are those “filler” activities that keep you busy but don’t really move you toward achieving your desired outcomes. They can include: checking your email every fifteen minutes, checking your blog’s visitor statistics once an hour, shuffling papers, doing things others could do, taking an excessively long time in preparation, and so on. Identify these activities and replace them with focused action that moves you toward achieving your goal.
Accountability
In order to execute your idea you need to find a method for holding yourself accountable. This could be making a public commitment on your blog, finding a mentor who tracks your progress, joining a support group where you all hold each other accountable for turning your ideas into reality, and so on.
You can even consider joining JourneyPage which is a goal support system. Basically, every day members log in and input their three most important outcomes for the day; your friends or your accountability partner can access the data that you input in order to help keep you accountable. In fact, you can even put money in an escrow account which is returned to you only if you meet your weekly goals.
Conclusion
The execution stage is a vital part of the creativity process. I hope that the six tips explained above will help you turn your ideas into action. Remember, ideas without action are worthless.
By Marelisa Fabrega.
Best,
Andy Rodie.
http://abundance-blog.marelisa-online.com/
“If you want your idea to succeed, you’ll have to take the offensive. So, you become a Warrior and take your idea into action.”
– Roger von Oech, “A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative”
Ideas are plentiful. However, ideas that are seen through to completion are an entirely different story. Most ideas end up in the idea graveyard, surrounded by countless good intentions and one-day-I-will dreams. Focus, determination, organization, and productivity will determine whether an idea will ever become reality. Below you’ll find six tips to help you make your ideas happen.
Choose One Idea to Work On – Avoid the Idea Avalanche
Avoid the idea avalanche, or the creative person’s tendency to jump from idea-to-idea without getting much done. Stephen Pierce defines the idea avalanche as: “The mental condition whereby ideas come to you in such abundance that you have trouble keeping up with all of them.” It’s basically about having a great idea, then having an even better one three days later, and moving on to yet another fabulous idea the day after that.
The net result of the idea avalanche is that you never see any of your ideas through to completion. The solution to the idea avalanche is to choose one idea to focus on, to the exclusion of all other ideas.
An idea in and of itself is basically worthless; this is true even of brilliant ideas. The idea needs to be coupled with execution in order to become valuable. Derek Silvers explains that ideas are just a multiplier of execution. He describes it as follows:
AWFUL IDEA = -1
WEAK IDEA = 1
SO-SO IDEA = 5
GOOD IDEA = 10
GREAT IDEA = 15
BRILLIANT IDEA = 20
NO EXECUTION = $1
WEAK EXECUTION = $1000
SO-SO- EXECUTION = $10,000
GOOD EXECUTION = $100,000
GREAT EXECUTION = $1,000,000
BRILLIANT EXECUTION = $10,000,000
To create a business you need to multiply the value of the idea by the manner of its execution.
Keep an Idea Journal
Every time a new idea pops into your head, resist the urge to drop the idea you’re currently working on to pursue the new venture. Instead, create a system for storing all of your ideas so that you can act on them at a later date. This system can consist of having a notebook or moleskin in which you jot down ideas, creating a word document on your computer which you can easily open as new ideas emerge, or you can even write your ideas down on index cards and keep them in an index card file (as Maya does). You can also consider keeping your ideas in your swipe file, which I wrote about here and in a guest post published over at “Write to Done”.
Cultivate a Sense of Urgency – Change the World or Go Home
In order to turn your idea into reality you need to act from a sense of urgency. Feel the urgency to get things done, to make your idea take shape and become tangible. You can put off executing your ideas to another day, but that mentality will lead to endless procrastination. Instead of delaying the next task on your action plan for a couple of days, act as if it’s urgent, even if it isn’t. Put some pressure on yourself by making the decision to tackle the actions that need to be taken to make your idea a reality, now.
The desire to see your idea become reality must be so strong that you’re willing to make sacrifices of time and energy to make it happen. Unless you have a burning desire to see things through to completion, you will be tempted to quit. Hugh McLeod from the Gapingvoid explains that in 2006 he posted a cartoon on his blog of a blue monster which he designed with some of his friends who worked at Microsoft in mind.
The cartoon was meant to represent the culture that he had observed among Microsoft employees, a culture of “change the world or go home”. The idea of the blue monster took off, and soon lots of Microsoft employees had blue monster posters hanging in their office, were wearing blue monster t-shirts, or had a blue monster on the back of their business cards. Create a blue monster for yourself; something that symbolizes or represents your burning desire to execute your idea.
Create a Massive Action Plan
All projects can be accomplished by taking a series of small steps that build on one another. Create a list of everything you can think of that you could possibly do in order to turn your idea into reality. Keep asking yourself: “What else could I do?”, “And then what?”, “What’s the next step after that?”, and so on until you have a long list of actions you can start to take. Then look at each of the steps you wrote down and ask yourself if that step can be broken down into smaller, more manageable pieces. Proceed to decide on an immediate next step and act on it. Every day chose three actions you can take to execute your idea, write them down on an index card or in your daily planner, and carry out those steps.
Become an Organization and Productivity Ninja
As I mentioned in the first paragraph of this article, your productivity and your level of organization are two of the elements that will determine whether your idea ever sees the light of day, or whether it languishes within the confines of your idea journal. Start collecting and applying organization and productivity tips as if your life depended on it. Here are two tidbits to get you started:
Parkinson’s Law
Parkinson’s Law dictates that a task will expand in time and seeming complexity depending on the time you set aside for it. Go through each subtask on your action plan and estimate how long it’s going to take you to complete each one based on historical data—that is, the amount of time that it’s taken you to complete that activity in the past. If you’re tackling an activity for the first time, simply make the best estimate you can as to how long it will take you to complete it. Once you’ve determined a length of time for each subtask, keep an egg timer next to you to help you stick to the allotted time.
Identify Time Wasters
Time wasters are those “filler” activities that keep you busy but don’t really move you toward achieving your desired outcomes. They can include: checking your email every fifteen minutes, checking your blog’s visitor statistics once an hour, shuffling papers, doing things others could do, taking an excessively long time in preparation, and so on. Identify these activities and replace them with focused action that moves you toward achieving your goal.
Accountability
In order to execute your idea you need to find a method for holding yourself accountable. This could be making a public commitment on your blog, finding a mentor who tracks your progress, joining a support group where you all hold each other accountable for turning your ideas into reality, and so on.
You can even consider joining JourneyPage which is a goal support system. Basically, every day members log in and input their three most important outcomes for the day; your friends or your accountability partner can access the data that you input in order to help keep you accountable. In fact, you can even put money in an escrow account which is returned to you only if you meet your weekly goals.
Conclusion
The execution stage is a vital part of the creativity process. I hope that the six tips explained above will help you turn your ideas into action. Remember, ideas without action are worthless.
By Marelisa Fabrega.
Best,
Andy Rodie.
The 7 habits of highly successful people: Habit 1 by Marelisa.
Got this post from one of my favorite blogs I love to read, happy to share with my friends. Check out Marelisa's blog at http://abundance-blog.marelisa-online.com/
Enjoy the post.
In his No. 1 bestseller, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, Stephen R. Covey presents a holistic approach for solving both personal and professional problems. The seeds for this book were planted in the mid-1970’s as Covey reviewed 200 years of success literature as part of a doctoral program. These are the seven habits:
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Habit 4: Think Win/win
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
Habit 6: Synergize
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
The seven habits move us through three stages or paradigms:
1. Dependence: This is the paradigm under which we’re born, relying upon others to take care of us. Some people never completely move out of the dependence stage.
2. Independence: This is the paradigm under which we can make our own decisions and take care of ourselves. The first three habits that Covey presents focus on achieving self-mastery, that is, on moving from being dependent to being independent.
3. Interdependence: Once we’ve achieved independence we can go on to interdependence, which is the paradigm under which we cooperate with others to achieve something greater than we could achieve on our own. Habits 4, 5, and 6 are about achieving interdependence.
The seventh and last habit is one of renewal and continual improvement.
This post focuses on habit 1: be proactive.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Habit 1
Your life doesn’t just happen; it’s being created by you. Highly effective people choose how they want to feel and decide how they will act in every situation; they don’t simply react to circumstances or to what other people say or do. Covey explains that between a stimulus and a response there’s a gap–imagine pressing a “pause” button–and in that gap we can actively choose how we will respond to anything life throws at us.
Mindfulness
Being proactive is related to mindfulness: You need to be aware of yourself and of your surroundings so that you can act in ways that serve you well, instead of mindlessly allowing past programming, others, and outside circumstances to control your responses. Ask yourself the following questions to help you determine whether you’re living mindfully and are being proactive:
Do you question any beliefs you have which may be holding you back?
Do you blindly believe what others tell you, or do you go see for yourself?
Do you simply accept that this is the way in which things are done, or do you question whether there’s a better way to do things?
Are you willing to reassess the lens through which you look at the world?
See Yourself As a Creator
In addition, highly effective people see themselves as being creators of their lives, instead of identifying themselves as victims of external conditions. If they’re negatively impacted by an external event they focus on those things which are within their Circle of Influence –those things over which they have control–instead of worrying about things they can do nothing about.
David Emerald refers to this same principle of moving from a Victim Orientation to a Creator Orientation in “The Power of Ted”. As David explains, a Creator knows that he/she always has a choice, regardless of circumstances. At the very least, a person can choose their attitude in any given situation.
The Language of the Proactive Person
The mindset of a proactive person is “I am responsible for me, and I can choose.” The language used by a proactive person is the following:
Let’s look for alternatives.
What do I want to happen?
What baby steps can I take to begin moving toward what I want?
How did I either create this situation or allow it to happen?
How can I get the money so that I can launch this project?
I choose to . . .
I will . . .
Are You Proactive?
Here are some more questions you can ask yourself in order to test how proactive you are:
Do you take responsibility for your life, or do you blame other people or outside circumstances for what happens to you?
Where do you stand in the continuum between being highly reactive and being highly proactive?
Do you worry about conditions over which you have little or no control? Or do you focus your time and energy on those things which you can control?
Do you allow others to make choices or decisions for you?
Do you ask for what you want, or do you expect others to magically know what you need?
Do you take action to make things happen, or do you wait for others to act?
Are you waiting for someone’s permission before you act?
If you try to achieve something you want and you fail, do you give up, or do you start looking for a different approach?
Are you full of excuses which explain why you can’t accomplish this or that?
Ways to Expand Your Circle of Influence
There are many things you can do in order to expand your circle of influence. Here are five of them:
1. Go out and meet new people; grow your network. The more people you know who have a favorable impression of you, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to find someone who can pull some strings or put in a good word for you when you need it.
2. Educate yourself. For example, if you’re experiencing financial difficulties, read all you can on how to get out of debt. The more you know, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to come up with a solution to any problem you may be facing.
3. Try to turn a negative into a positive. Look for ways in which limitations can enhance your creativity. Problems can force you to look at a situation from a completely different angle, which can allow you to notice opportunities you would have missed otherwise. Scarcity can force you to focus your efforts on what is truly important.
4. Work on yourself instead of focusing on outside conditions. Focus on being instead of doing.
5. Create a diagram of all the resources that are available to you. This can include financial resources, skills, knowledge, family, friends, and anything else you can think of. Now ask yourself what are the most effective ways in which you can tap into each of these resources.
Conclusion
Covey explains that the first habit is the foundation for all the other habits. If you don’t take responsibility for yourself and for your actions, and if you’re not willing to take on the role of Creator, the other six habits make little sense. In future blog posts I’ll be elaborating on the other habits in Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”.
Best,
Andy Rodie
Enjoy the post.
In his No. 1 bestseller, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, Stephen R. Covey presents a holistic approach for solving both personal and professional problems. The seeds for this book were planted in the mid-1970’s as Covey reviewed 200 years of success literature as part of a doctoral program. These are the seven habits:
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Habit 4: Think Win/win
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
Habit 6: Synergize
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
The seven habits move us through three stages or paradigms:
1. Dependence: This is the paradigm under which we’re born, relying upon others to take care of us. Some people never completely move out of the dependence stage.
2. Independence: This is the paradigm under which we can make our own decisions and take care of ourselves. The first three habits that Covey presents focus on achieving self-mastery, that is, on moving from being dependent to being independent.
3. Interdependence: Once we’ve achieved independence we can go on to interdependence, which is the paradigm under which we cooperate with others to achieve something greater than we could achieve on our own. Habits 4, 5, and 6 are about achieving interdependence.
The seventh and last habit is one of renewal and continual improvement.
This post focuses on habit 1: be proactive.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Habit 1
Your life doesn’t just happen; it’s being created by you. Highly effective people choose how they want to feel and decide how they will act in every situation; they don’t simply react to circumstances or to what other people say or do. Covey explains that between a stimulus and a response there’s a gap–imagine pressing a “pause” button–and in that gap we can actively choose how we will respond to anything life throws at us.
Mindfulness
Being proactive is related to mindfulness: You need to be aware of yourself and of your surroundings so that you can act in ways that serve you well, instead of mindlessly allowing past programming, others, and outside circumstances to control your responses. Ask yourself the following questions to help you determine whether you’re living mindfully and are being proactive:
Do you question any beliefs you have which may be holding you back?
Do you blindly believe what others tell you, or do you go see for yourself?
Do you simply accept that this is the way in which things are done, or do you question whether there’s a better way to do things?
Are you willing to reassess the lens through which you look at the world?
See Yourself As a Creator
In addition, highly effective people see themselves as being creators of their lives, instead of identifying themselves as victims of external conditions. If they’re negatively impacted by an external event they focus on those things which are within their Circle of Influence –those things over which they have control–instead of worrying about things they can do nothing about.
David Emerald refers to this same principle of moving from a Victim Orientation to a Creator Orientation in “The Power of Ted”. As David explains, a Creator knows that he/she always has a choice, regardless of circumstances. At the very least, a person can choose their attitude in any given situation.
The Language of the Proactive Person
The mindset of a proactive person is “I am responsible for me, and I can choose.” The language used by a proactive person is the following:
Let’s look for alternatives.
What do I want to happen?
What baby steps can I take to begin moving toward what I want?
How did I either create this situation or allow it to happen?
How can I get the money so that I can launch this project?
I choose to . . .
I will . . .
Are You Proactive?
Here are some more questions you can ask yourself in order to test how proactive you are:
Do you take responsibility for your life, or do you blame other people or outside circumstances for what happens to you?
Where do you stand in the continuum between being highly reactive and being highly proactive?
Do you worry about conditions over which you have little or no control? Or do you focus your time and energy on those things which you can control?
Do you allow others to make choices or decisions for you?
Do you ask for what you want, or do you expect others to magically know what you need?
Do you take action to make things happen, or do you wait for others to act?
Are you waiting for someone’s permission before you act?
If you try to achieve something you want and you fail, do you give up, or do you start looking for a different approach?
Are you full of excuses which explain why you can’t accomplish this or that?
Ways to Expand Your Circle of Influence
There are many things you can do in order to expand your circle of influence. Here are five of them:
1. Go out and meet new people; grow your network. The more people you know who have a favorable impression of you, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to find someone who can pull some strings or put in a good word for you when you need it.
2. Educate yourself. For example, if you’re experiencing financial difficulties, read all you can on how to get out of debt. The more you know, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to come up with a solution to any problem you may be facing.
3. Try to turn a negative into a positive. Look for ways in which limitations can enhance your creativity. Problems can force you to look at a situation from a completely different angle, which can allow you to notice opportunities you would have missed otherwise. Scarcity can force you to focus your efforts on what is truly important.
4. Work on yourself instead of focusing on outside conditions. Focus on being instead of doing.
5. Create a diagram of all the resources that are available to you. This can include financial resources, skills, knowledge, family, friends, and anything else you can think of. Now ask yourself what are the most effective ways in which you can tap into each of these resources.
Conclusion
Covey explains that the first habit is the foundation for all the other habits. If you don’t take responsibility for yourself and for your actions, and if you’re not willing to take on the role of Creator, the other six habits make little sense. In future blog posts I’ll be elaborating on the other habits in Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”.
Best,
Andy Rodie
2/22/2010
No fears and $1 billion empire
Two brothers and a great success story. Making it big in business. Here they are.
Best,
Andy Rodie
Best,
Andy Rodie
2/16/2010
Darren Hardy’s Final Keynote at Jim Rohn Tribute Event
A tribute to the late Jim Rohn by Darren Hardy.
On Saturday, February 6th, 2010 1,300 people attended a special tribute to celebrate the life and legacy of the renown leader and business philosopher, Mr. Jim Rohn
Darren Hardy’s Final Keynote at Jim Rohn Tribute Event
Best,
Andy Rodie
On Saturday, February 6th, 2010 1,300 people attended a special tribute to celebrate the life and legacy of the renown leader and business philosopher, Mr. Jim Rohn
Darren Hardy’s Final Keynote at Jim Rohn Tribute Event
Best,
Andy Rodie
1/25/2010
Forgive and feel the strength
Weakness in another person can be contagious. One very good way to catch that weakness for yourself is with resentment.
And the best way to avoid taking on the weakness of others is with forgiveness. Forgiveness frees you to be strong and to look forward.
What others may have said or done or failed to do cannot be changed now. What you can do now is to begin moving beyond the pain with sincere forgiveness.
With forgiveness, you are no longer a victim. With forgiveness, you take control of your own destiny.
Forgiveness does not mean that you support or endorse what happened. Forgiveness means that you are bigger than what happened, and confident enough to move on past it.
Forgive, and stop poisoning your own life with the past transgressions of others. Forgive, and feel the strength of your own integrity.
-- Ralph Marston
Best,
Andy Rodie
Read more: http://greatday.com/motivate/100108.html#ixzz0dckHCfru
And the best way to avoid taking on the weakness of others is with forgiveness. Forgiveness frees you to be strong and to look forward.
What others may have said or done or failed to do cannot be changed now. What you can do now is to begin moving beyond the pain with sincere forgiveness.
With forgiveness, you are no longer a victim. With forgiveness, you take control of your own destiny.
Forgiveness does not mean that you support or endorse what happened. Forgiveness means that you are bigger than what happened, and confident enough to move on past it.
Forgive, and stop poisoning your own life with the past transgressions of others. Forgive, and feel the strength of your own integrity.
-- Ralph Marston
Best,
Andy Rodie
Read more: http://greatday.com/motivate/100108.html#ixzz0dckHCfru
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