7 Keys To Success In The Marketplace

WRITTEN BY HAROLD HERRING. .

Websters Dictionary defines success as:
outcome, result
Successful outcome is something that follows as a result or consequence
According to Webster..marketplace is defined as
an open square or place in a town where markets or public sales are held or the everyday world
Lets talk about the marketplace of life..the things well discuss can apply on your job.your
business or as the definition says: the everyday world.
If you want to be a lawyeryou study law.
If you want to be a doctor or a nurse.you study medicine.
If you want to be a teacheryou study education.
If you want to be a hair stylist.you study cosmetology.
If you want to be successful.you study the secrets of success. The greatest success book ever
written is the Bible.
God doesnt have a problem with wealth.we do.
God doesnt have a problem with success..we do.
The only limitation to our success is self-imposed and its roughly six inches wide.
Take your fingers and put them to your head beside each ear.
We place limitations on ourselves. limits based on our past experience.
Let me show you what I mean.
Proverbs 4:23 in the New Living Translation says:
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
Proverbs 4:23 in the King James Version says:
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
The word issues is a real estate term and it means:
the borders, the parameters.
Your heart sets the borders of your life.
The outside circumstances dont set the borders of your life; its whats in your heart that sets the
borders.
Our borders are set by our past experience. Whats in your heart depends on what you saw, heard
and experienced as a child.
I remember the first time I heard preaching about being financial prosperity and God blessing
people.I heard Dr. Fred Price say that God wants you blessed and not broke.
When youve been broke thats the kind of preaching you like to hear..but while the teaching
excited me.I was hesitate to accept itbecause he had crossed a border I had in my heart.
I grew up in a wonderful church that taught four thingsget saved, miss hell, go to heaven and have
a mansion in the sky.
The prevailing thought in that denomination was some people are going to be rich, some people are
going to be poor and theres nothing you can do about it.

If you want to be successful then youre going to have to expand the borders of your mind.. . .past all
current limitations.
You cannot walk in the victory God has for you until you expand those borders.
There is no limitation on how expanded those borders can become. You can keep pushing them back
further and further because as much as you can imagine, based on the Word of God, God can do it
through your life. So, we need to move those borders.
How do we do that?
Romans 12:2 says:
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye
may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The Message Bible translation of Romans 12:1-2 says:
So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary lifeyour sleeping,
eating, going-to-work, and walking-around lifeand place it before God as an offering. Embracing
what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your
culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed
from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the
culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of
you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Lets go a little deeper in Verse 2.the Word says,be not conformed to this world.
The word conformed there in the Phillips translation means pressed into the mold.
Dont let the world. . .press you into its mold.
Conform means to be made into an image.
The Bible talks about being conformed to the image of Christ. We want to be more and more like Him.
He says dont let the world conform you, dont be conformed by the world. Dont let the world press
you into its mold.
What kind of mold are we talking about?
Setting the borders.
We set the borders of what we can do based on what we have done or we set the borders of what
we can do based on what someone else has done or what we have been taught in the past.
One of my favorite phrases in the Bible is, And it came to pass.
Whatever it isthat adversely came your wayit didnt come to stay. It is from the enemy, it came to
pass. So let it go!
Abraham Maslow said:
The story of the human race is the story of men and women selling themselves short.
You are where you are today because you have chosen to be there.
If you are content with what you have doneyou will never be famous for what you will do.
If youre not where youd like to be in life.chances are theres something you dont know
yet.cause if you did.you wouldnt be where youre at.
Your success in life. . .in the marketplace can grow only to the extent that you do.thats
why the renewing of your mind is so important.expanding your borders creating success in your
life.
Here are seven keys to obtaining success in the marketplace.
ACTION IDEA #1

IF YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL.YOU NEED TO INCREASE YOUR VALUE.

Abraham Lincoln said:
If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, Id spend seven sharpening my axe.
How do you sharpen your ax?
Do we spend more time on our bodies. . .brushing our teeth, taking a bath or shower, fixing our hair,
putting on deodorant & perfume and other such products than we do dressing our mind?
The average man haircut costs $20 with the tip. . .maybe once a month or every six weeks. The
average woman will spend $40 to $80 a month based on what they have done to their hair.
How much do we spend dressing our minds?
Our personal library reveals the depth of our respect for money and success.
On a monthly basis we will spend probably at least $300 on auto payments; $130 on gas; and $8001,300 on an apartment or mortgage.
Now look at your checkbook. How much did you invest in books and CDs?
How much did you spend on Cable TV with rental movies and other upgrades?
We need to ask ourselves each day:
What can I do today to feed my mind more of the thoughts, words, people and pictures
that are consistent with the very best person I can be.
Do we give 30/60 minutes each day to reading the Bible (first) and then other books that motivate
us?
Are you taking notes and underlining thoughts you want to remember and act on?
If you read 60 minutes each day you should complete about one book per week.
The average American reads less than one book per year.
One book a week means you will read 52 books this year.
Earning a PhD from major university requires the reading and synthesis into a dissertation of 40 to 50
books.
Learn from church services, events, seminars and ralliesthat move you outside of your comfort
zone
Someone once said:
If you are not continually learning and upgrading your skills.somewhere, someone else is, and
when you meet that person in the competitive marketplace you will lose.
Heres the bottom----I mean bottom line..Jesus was always improving Himself . . . should we
do any less?
Luke 2:52 says:
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
And one more thing.Jesus began each day with proper preparation.
Mark 1:35 says:
And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary
place, and there prayed.
ACTION IDEA # 2
STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND BLAMING EVERYBODY ELSE.
I want you to get a hold of this truth.the world doesnt owe you a living.all it owes you is an
opportunity.If you want to get paid more, then make yourself more valuable.

My boss doesnt pay me enough. Then find another job. Its probably not your bosss fault
anyway. Even if he doesnt pay you enough, thats still no excuse. .not being paid enough is
oftentimes a cop-out for not doing the job you were hired to do.
Heres a fact, you will never get to the next level until you fix the level youre ons. Heres
the good news.if you can fix your finances at your current level, you will be able to fix them at any
level.
Making one excuse will only lead to the next excuse. Quit making excuses. We can blame everybody
else for our situation as long as we want to, but it wont help or solve the problem.
If you messed up, fess up, get up and move on.
ACTION IDEA #3
ASSOCIATE WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
Hang around with the right kind of folks.
Dont drink coffee with the person just because they are sitting in the break room. Dont go to lunch
with the person who happens to be closest to the door.
You are a living magnet; you attract into your life, the people, ideas and circumstances that
harmonize with your dominant thoughts.
You can learn from others..Jesus did..Yes,Jesus learned from others.
Luke 2:46 says:
And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the
doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
Jesus also encouraged everyone around Him including His staff to learn everything they
could about their jobs.
2 Timothy 2:15 in the Amplified Bible says:
Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a
workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly
handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.
ACTION IDEA #4
YOU GOTTA KNOW WHERE YOURE GOINGIF YOU EVER WANT TO GET THERE.
If you want to be successful then you must have goals.
For some people a long term goal is the movie they plan to see this weekend
or whether they will eat at Cracker Barrel, Dennys or Ihop for breakfast on Saturday.
For some people, their long term goal is just making it through the day.
I vividly remember a lady who came up to me in a meeting and rather sanctimoniously said: I dont
believe in goal setting. . .its worldly.
I resisted the temptation to laugh so I inquired if I might ask her a couple of questions. She said yes.
I asked if she was a Christian? She not only said yes, she told me she was saved, sanctified and filled
with the Holy Ghost.
I asked her why she got saved? She immediately replied it was so she could go to heaven.
I smiled and asked. . .so if youre not going to heaven today. . .but at some time in the future when
Jesus returns. . .then heaven is your goal?
She didnt seem very happy with my series of questions at first. . .then she smiled, Youre right, I
believe in goal setting.
Jesus understood the necessity of goals.

Luke 2:49 says:

And He said unto themI must be about my Fathers business.
Jesus knew what happened to people without goals.
Matthew 15:14 says:
if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
Jesus was focused on His goals.
Luke 19:10 says:
For the Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost.
Jesus didnt let what others thought deter Him from His goals.
John 1:11-12 says:
He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave
he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.
Jesus never let rejection keep Him from fulfilling His goals.
Matthew 10:14 says:
And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city,
shake off the dust of your feet.
Are you convinced you need goals? If you dont have them. . .dont fret. . .just get them.
Vince Lombardi.Forrest Gump
When it comes to goals. . .you visualize, feel, touch, taste, see and live them.
Charles Schwab visited a millionaire once---Schwab told him he would give him a system that would
change his managerial leadershipthe millionaire told Schwab if he did, hed pay him $1 million.
Next day, Schwab gave him a sheet of paper folded overit contained three points.
1. Make a List.2. Put the priorities in order.3. Do the list.
The millionaire crumpled the paperA million dollars for that?
Schwab said, I told you Id give you the greatest secret of management ever written.
Theres proof for the three points.
Several years back USA Today gave out the following statistics about people who had set New Years
Resolutions the year before. 4% of the people who made the resolutions put them in writingnone of
the others followed through46% of those who put them in writing and followed through achieved
the resolutions.
Napoleon Hill, What is the average number of times a person tries to achieve a new goal before they
give up?
Less than one.
Get a spiral notebook where you can keep goalsfor the rest of your life.
Most people who teach about goalstell you to think about your goals each day.
Dont think of your goals, think from your goals.
ACTION IDEA # 5
LEARN TO INCREASE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY BY 1000%.
If you work on yourself continually, you can increase your productivity, performance and output by
1/10th of 1% (1/1000th) each working day. Does that seem impossible?
1/10th of 1% each day translates into approximately of 1% each week.

 of 1% each week translates into 2% per month.

2% improvement per month translates into about 26% improvement in productivity, performance and
output each year.
Almost anybody can increase productivity, performance and output by 26% each year.
An improvement of 26% each year, compounded per years, means you will double your productivity,
performance and output in 2.7 years.
Over the course of 10 years by improving yourself by 1/1000th per day (1/10th of 1%) 26% per year,
you will increase your productivity, performance and rewards by 1,004%.
ACTION IDEA #6
BUILD VALUE IN WHAT YOU DO.
Legion
Make a list of all the things you do on your job over the course of a month.
Dont be concerned about how long the list is.
Now you must ask the key question. If you could only do one thing on your list all day long, which
one activity would contribute the greatest value to your company?
Once you identify it.
Identify # 2
Identify # 3
These three items will account for 90% of all the value you contribute to your company.
Everything else should be delegated or outsourced.
Stephen Covey who wrote the 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People said: Always keep the main thing
the main thing.
ACTION IDEA #7
ITS TIME TO TAN
Im smiling as Im typing this, Im not suggesting you head to the tanning booth or the lounge chair
outside.
When I say T.A.N.. . .I mean, TAKE ACTION NOW.
Robert DeVincenzo
Why should you want to be successful in the everyday world? Because thats what Jesus wants for
your life.
Jesus knew His Boss rewarded service.
Matthew 25:20-21 in the Amplified Bible says:
he who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, Master, you
entrusted to me five talents; see, here I gained five talents more.
His master said unto him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You
have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much.
Jesus recognized members of His leadership team that did good work.
Ephesians 2:10 in the New Living Translation says:
For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good
things he planned for us long ago.
Jesus believed in reward motivation for others.
Rev. 22:12 in the New Living Translation says:

See, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, to repay all according to their deeds.
Less we think our rewards are only eternal consider the words of Mark 10:30 in the Amplified Bible
which says:
Who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this timehouses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands, with persecutionsand in the age to come, eternal life.
Gods desire is for you to experience success in the marketplace NOW.
One more thing. . .
Write this next statement down.
The only way you lose is if you quit.
Personalize it.
The only way <<Your Name>> loses is if <<he/she>> quits.
Jesus taught that you should never give up.
Matthew 10:22 in the New American Standard Bible says:
And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end
who will be saved.
Jesus never gave up.
Luke 18:1 in the New Living Translation says:
One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them
that they must never give up.
Jesus never gave up and neither should we.