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“The happiest people in the world are those who feel absolutely terrific about themselves, and this is the natural outgrowth of accepting total responsibility for every part of their life.” ~ Brian Tracy

I have been reading Success Magazine for a couple years now, and have heard the name Brian Tracy referred to frequently. He has dedicated his life to the training and development of individuals and companies, and strives to help others achieve their personal and business goals. He is the author of over 45 books, including “Maximum Achievement: Strategies and Skills That Will Unlock Your Hidden Powers to Succeed”, “The 21 Success Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires: How to Achieve Financial Independence Faster and Easier Than You Ever Thought Possible”, and “Goals!: How To Get Everything You Want—Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible”.

The latest Success Magazine issue had a great article on Mr. Tracy, and has really opened my eyes to what a great mentor he could be. It talks about being a student of success and achievement, embracing accountability, and the importance of having a clear goal. Most importantly, for me, was that the magazine article previewed an except from Brian Tracy’s newest book “No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline”. In this excerpt, Mr. Tracy asks the following three questions:

1) What would it take for me to be perfectly happy?
2) In what situations in my life, and with whom, am I not perfectly happy?
3) In looking over my life, where and when have I been the happiest? Where was I, with whom was I, and what was I doing?

I recently took the time to answer these questions for myself and the exercise has helped solidify what areas of my life I want to focus more on, and what areas of my life I need to develop an “exit strategy” for so that I can move on from them. Too often we get bogged down with what we feel we “should” be doing, and don’t spend enough time on what we “want” to be doing. Sometimes one responsibility is one too many, and it ends up draining us more that anything else. We need to move away from these activities and focus on what really brings passion to our lives.

I suggest taking the time to answer these three questions for yourself. It will only really take half an hour of your time, but will help focus where you want your energies to be spent.

Also, spend more time with Brian Tracy. Here are some links that will be of some assistance:

Success Article

Wikipedia

Brian Tracy Blog

Brian Tracy on YouTube

Brian Tracy Quotes

Brian Tracy Books

Who else loves Brian Tracy? What books have you read of his? What are your thoughts?

Thank you for visiting.

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“There is some one thing that you can do better than anyone else in the world.” ~ Napoleon Hill

One of the greatest teachers of all time for personal development is Napoleon Hill. The author of the classic book “Think and Grow Rich” studied the habits of the world’s most successful people for over 20 years, notably Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Charles Schwab, just to name a few. Napoleon Hill, through his years of research and writing, inspired a nation, and he has become one of my greatest teachers.

Napoleon Hill wrote two books that were fairly similar in nature – “The Laws of Success” and “Think and Grow Rich”. The former was the result of Mr. Hill’s twenty-plus years of researching successful men and women. The latter was the condensed, less intimidating version. In both books, chapter one introduces us to the benefits of choosing a definite purpose for our lives. Mr. Hill also calls this a ‘burning desire’ or ‘definite chief aim’. Whichever way you put it, it’s obvious that he feels the first step in achieving success in life is by choosing that one thing that we can concentrate all of our unique and individual efforts on. I know in this day and age it is difficult to choose just one thing, but take a moment to think about how many tasks you have on the go right now. Do you feel scattered or do you feel like you are making headway on the right path? Too many ideas, too many paths, too many commitments will leave you spinning your wheels. Choosing a definite purpose in life, a definite path, a definite vision, will keep you focused and allow you to draw boundaries around your time and commitments.

While no one but yourself can choose your definite purpose, there are a few key steps to consider while choosing that purpose and taking the next steps:

Burning Desire / Definite Purpose

“Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.”

What do you love to do? What do you love to think about? Now, have you ever heard of the Law of Attraction? The Law of Attraction refers to the idea that thoughts influence chance. Napoleon Hill argues that once you find your definite purpose and make that your dominating thought as you move about this earth, it will saturate into your subconscious and become a magnet for attracting all things associated. Sound intense? It should. The good news is that this burning desire will be what YOU want more than anything in the world. It will be your passion, and because of that, focusing on it won’t be so difficult. So think about what you love to do, then start thinking about all the ways that you can integrate that into your daily life. Pretty soon, thanks to the law of attraction, the world around you will start giving you more of what you want most.

Know Yourself / Study Others

“If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self.”

It is a never-ending process to get to know yourself. It takes time and effort and concentration….and time (did I say that already?). It is also a never-ending process to get to know others and to study their behaviors so that you can start to recognize what works and what doesn’t work, both to apply to your own life and to your interactions with the outside world. Some things you can study include posture, tone of voice, eye movements, and the use of words or language someone uses. All it takes is awareness. Start paying attention to your own behaviors, then start observing others. Apply what you like and get rid of what you don’t. The key is to continue growing, continue pushing forward, continue improving yourself.

Keep an Open Mind

“Edison failed 10,000 times before he made the electric light. Do not be discouraged if you fail a few times.”

In the words of Napoleon Hill, stagnant minds breed fear. Great minds are always gathering new ideas and contemplating how to use those ideas for the betterment of the world. Keep your mind open to all the great ideas out there. Listen to them, don’t block them out. Don’t judge them by their covers, but sit with them, let them marinate. Recognize great ideas put forth by others, and allow yourself the creativity to work through your own ideas. Also, don’t be afraid to fail. In order to be successful you have to take chances, put yourself out there. You may not succeed the first time, or the second, or the 9,999th time, but as “they” say – if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Organize Yourself

“First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.”

On your way to success there are many things to be organized, including facts, knowledge, and effort (as a start). What’s that disney movie with the dog that always gets distracted by the squirrel? You know the one? He could be having a full-on doggy conversation, but as soon as he sees a squirrel he forgets everything else. Life is like this if we don’t keep ourselves organized. How many thoughts run through your mind in a minute? What you were thinking about 30 seconds ago could be completely different from what you are thinking about now. With so much information overload going on, we need to keep ourselves organized. Especially when it comes to our definite purpose. We need to keep track of what books we want to read, what we have already read, which speakers we should listen to, which websites to visit, how to start doing what we want to do, how to sustain it, how to get paid for doing it, etc. Without organization, again, we will be spinning our wheels. And there’s no time for that when our purpose is on the line.

Take Action

“Any idea, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought.”

Make your definite purpose your hobby. Think, breath, act with your purpose in mind persistently, unyieldingly. Decide what you want, organize your thoughts and plans, and put it all into motion. Maybe one step at a time, maybe a baby step at a time, it doesn’t matter. Just take the step, then the next one. Set goals and keep track. Soon you will be on your way to living the life you have always wanted for yourself because you found your purpose and lived to achieve it.

“It is always your next move.” ~ Napoleon Hill

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Do you ever wonder what you can really do to make things happen for yourself? According to one of the many good points in the book “How to Succeed in Anything by Really Trying” by Lyman MacInnis (copyright 2008), “reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body…It’s not knowledge that’s power; it’s the application of knowledge that provides the power, which contributes to success.” Knowledge and study are the keys to expanding your mind and skills, which then opens the door to many personal and professional opportunities. Let me now share with you five key areas where Lyman MacInnis offers up advice on how to develop important skills that will benefit you for life in his book “How to Success in Anything by Really Trying”.

Learn how to Listen – Too often we approach conversations as a competition. We want to make sure that our opinion is heard, but unfortunately this comes at the expense of really listening to the other person or people taking part in the conversation. One way that we can work on being genuine and present in a conversation is to listen for intent and understanding. When someone is talking, listen to what they are saying. Don’t just be waiting until a break in the action so that you can add your two cents. Also, keep eye contact and don’t interrupt.  These two bad habits will get you on the fast track to hurt feelings or a reputation that you don’t really care. Another way to listen is not with your ears, but with your eyes. Observe body language and facial expressions. If you’re paying attention, you will be able to empathize with how that person feels and really be able to be there for them. Working on becoming a good listener will build relationships and show others that you can be trusted.

Develop Communication Skills – Not only is listening important, but so is the ability to write, converse, and speak in public. Writing skills are important for getting your point across in a clear and concise manner, especially in the workplace. Be human, be specific, be positive. With hundreds of emails coming at people every day, becoming an effective writer will set your emails apart. Other skills to work on are being able to hold a conversation with just a few people or to speak in front of a larger audience. The experts say that learning to speak in front of large groups is one of the best ways to boost your confidence in all situations. Just remember these key ideas when speaking in public – be excited, know your topic, rehearse, and keep it simple. If you need practice with this, seek out the closest Toastmasters Club in your area.

Be Great in Social Situations – Do we see a trend yet? Learning how to talk to people is important. It’s a great way to learn new things, it’s a great way to get to know new people, and it’s a great way to make the most of your professional network. One key to improving your conversation skills is to learn to ask questions and listen. When drawing a blank, draw on the five W’s – Who, What, When, Where, Why. People love to talk about themselves. Especially to someone who is actively listening and taking a genuine interest in what they are saying. Another thing to remember in conversation is to let other people contribute, even if you know the answer or have an opinion. Say less than you know and let others speak. Add value where you can, but make sure you’re not dominating the conversation.

Learn how to Make Decisions – This one is tough. When your brain is overloaded with information, how do you make the best decision? According to Mr. MacInnis, the best thing to do is to gather information and don’t rush your decision. If you need to make a rushed decision, always say no. It’s easier to overturn a “no” than it is to overturn a “yes”. Also, use neutral emotions. Don’t make a decision when you are angry, humiliated, or even enthusiastic about something. In the end, don’t over-complicate and don’t fear error. We learn the most from the mistakes we make, so if you made the wrong decision just make sure to learn from it and move on. The next time you will have that additional knowledge to make a better decision.

Evolve – In order to survive and in order to succeed, we need to evolve. The times are a’changin’ and we need to change with them. It’s the survival of the most adaptable. Don’t be resistant to change. Go with it and see where it takes you. Usually where you end up is a lot better than where you would have been if you would have refused to change and evolve.

So, would I recommend reading “How to Succeed in Anything by Really Trying” by Lyman MacInnis? I definitely would. His points are well laid out, and if you’re tight on time, he summarizes every chapter at the end with his key ideas. If you are one of those people who are always looking to improve, Mr. MacInnis touches on a lot of different areas that are applicable to our every day lives. After all, refusing to expand our knowledge and change puts a limit on what we can achieve. “Putting a limit on what you will do inevitably puts a limit on what you can do, so never put limits on trying new things or on doing old things in new ways.”

Read the book and let me know what you think. Thanks for visiting.

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“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” ~ William Penn

Everyone is given 24 hours in a day. Usually eight of those hours are for sleep, eight are for work, and eight are for you time (or family time). Just like your bank accounts, learning to budget your time is key to reducing stress and achieving your goals. It’s not about time management, it’s about self-management. You have a choice for how you spend your time. The key is finding what works best for you when it comes to planning out your days.

“Ordinary people think merely of spending time. Great people think of using it.” ~ Author Unknown

If you’re looking for some tips on how to plan your days, I have six great ones listed below for making the most of the hours given to you:

1) Time is wasted in minutes, not hours. Make the most of all the time you have, even if it’s just a minute here and there.

2) You can’t do everything, but you can do something. Make sure you keep clear in your mind what is important / not important and urgent / not urgent. Tasks that seem to be urgent, may not necessarily be important. “First Things First” by Stephen Covey dives into this theory, and shows you how you can categorize your important and / or urgent tasks.

3) Make a To-Do list – Plan & Prioritize. Another one of Stephen Covey’s key ideas is all about prioritizing your to-do list, but first you need to plan it out. This means making a list somewhere. Whether it be in your daily planning journal, your blackberry, your Google Calendar, or in a fun web app like TeuxDeux.com, write it down! Put all your tasks in front of you, then go to work on prioritizing what you need to tackle each day.

4) Be Realistic. I know each of us think we are super human and can get ten sizable tasks done each day, but guess what, sometimes that just isn’t possible. Sometimes we have tasks that will take up a big chunk of our day. Or sometimes we get distracted by more urgent tasks that come up out of the blue. When you are planning your day be realistic. Otherwise you will just end up frustrated at the end of it when you are looking at your ten tasks and only three have been completed.

5) Make a decision – Get it Done, Delegate, or Ditch. In other words, don’t procrastinate. When a task comes to you, decide which one of these three things you are going to do with it and make it happen. Don’t let yourself get bogged down in “I’ll look at that tomorrow”.

6) Complete one task each day that you don’t want to do, and tackle it in the morning. We all have those tasks that we know we need to do, but for whatever reason we just don’t want to do them. Maybe it’s making a dentist appointment, or maybe it’s calling that difficult customer. Whatever it is, make a goal to get it done early in the day. That way you can carry on with the rest of your day doing the things you don’t dread.

“If you want to make good use of your time, you’ve got to know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got.” ~ Lee Iacocca

Keeping these six steps in mind, try to budget a few hours each week to working on your goals. Even if it’s just a couple hours a week, that’s better than nothing. In addition to this, sometimes doing nothing is the right thing to do. If you are always on the go, make sure you give yourself time to relax, meditate, or kick back and read a book. Those moments will give you more energy than you’d expect to refocus and take on the other tasks of the day.

A special thanks to the book “How to Succeed in Anything by Really Trying” by Lyman MacInnis (copyright 2008) for providing the framework of these ideas.

Please share your time-management / self-management comments or questions. I would love to hear from you.

“Take care of the minutes and the hours will take care of themselves.” ~ Lord Chesterfield

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How many of you have goals, or even tasks, that you have been thinking about for months / years and have not yet been able to accomplish them? Do you have all these ideas of things you want to do, but just haven’t gotten around to doing them? Well, I hate to tell you this, but none of us have unlimited time here on earth, so you better get busy. There are few things that are better than accomplishing a goal. Especially if it’s something you have been thinking about for a long time. This is something that I feel is very important for each and every human being. That sense of accomplishment will raise your happiness and self-confidence, which will then affect your relationships and other areas of your life. So what have you been waiting for? Let me share with you five steps that I think are important for doing that one thing you have always wanted to do.

1. Write it down & Review often
   The first step for any goal should be to put it in writing. When you do this, you are able to clarify what it is you really want to accomplish. You may even find that you are writing several drafts of your goal to make sure it really captures what you want. On the other hand, it may be simple, like “paint the fence”. Whatever it is, write it down in a place where you can refer to it often. This could be in a journal or maybe one a cue card that you put on your fridge. Just make sure you can look at it often to remind yourself of your goal. 
2. Tell someone about it
   When you tell someone about your goal you make it real. We can have all sorts of ideas and goals floating around our head, but as soon as you tell someone about it you are now accountable for making it happen. This may sound or feel scary sometimes, but believe me when I say this is the best thing you can do. In a good situation, the person or people you share your goals with will help enable you to reach them. Most importantly, however, is the fact that you have let the world know this is what you want. Now go and get it. 
3. Do your research
   This may not apply to more spontaneous people, but as the saying goes “When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Whatever your goal is, do your research on how to make it happen. If you’ve always wanted to take a cooking class, research who offers these classes and when. If you want to climb Mount Everest, start reading books and websites from people who have already done it. There is a lot of information out there; all it takes is for you to look. Also, make sure you write down your findings. That way you can refer back to it easily for the next step. 
4. Make a plan
   Okay, so now you’ve written down your goal, you’ve told someone about it, you’ve research what it will take to do it, now what about the kids? What about the dog or cat? What about that commitment you have this night or that night? Sometimes there are things in our life that we will have to plan for, but that’s okay. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, or maybe to sometimes say no. Planning will set you up for success. 
5. Commit!
   You’ve done your research and you’ve made a plan. Now here is the most important step – Commit! Register for that class. Book that trip. Buy that domain name for your website. Sign up for that race. Whatever it is, take the all important step to commit your money (if need be), or time and get that confirmed date for making your goal happen. Although having to pay for something is a great motivator, the most important thing about this step is that mentally you now have a point in time to either look forward to or work towards. Without this step, the planning and researching phase can go on for months or years, and potentially will never happen. Commit yourself to your goal! There’s no better feeling than the sense of accomplishment when that date rolls around and you know you are about to achieve something you have always wanted.

Any questions? If you do, please send them my way. If you need help in your research, I’m good with that, too. Let’s get those ideas out of our heads and down on paper. Now is the time to do what you have always wanted to do.

Have feedback? Let me know via the comments below. Thanks for visiting.

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