How to Become an

Extraordinary Human Being

BIG IDEAS AND PRACTICAL TOOLS TO LIVE YOUR GREATEST LIFE

ROBIN SHARMA
INTRODUCTION FROM ROBIN SHARMA

How to Become an Extraordinary Human Being is a compilation of the most popular, powerful
and practical articles Ive written. Many of our clients have used the ideas and tactics you are
about to learn to become world-class leaders, businesspeople and human beings. Simply said:
the information you are about to read works if you let it.

The themes will repeat themselves because all success comes down to the fundamentals:
building relationships, showing leadership and personal responsibility, caring for your health,
being excellent and taking calculated risks.

I know you will use the ideas in this book not only to shine in your career and life but to do
your part to make our world a better place. A percentage of each e-Book sold will go to The
Robin Sharma Foundation for Children to help underprivileged kids grow into leaders.

Keep Shining,
How to Become an Extraordinary Human Being
Big Ideas and Practical Tools to Live Your Greatest Life

How to Become a Star at Work 1

All I Learned About Life I Learned From Skiing 3
The Deep Value of Daily Conversations 6
Claim Your Destiny 8
Work as a Platform for Personal Greatness 9
Best Practices for Elite Health 11
10 Things Authentic Leaders Do 12
Self-Leadership through Self-Renewal 14
7 Rules for the Rewarding Life 16
The Gym Teaches Leadership 19
The Heart of Leadership 20
Leadership through Work-Life Balance 22
The Single Most Powerful Way to Change another Human Being 24
The Integrity Gap 26
Best Practices for Great Relationships 28
The Power of Personal Regeneration 30
Be a Leader through Action 32
Stress Mastery in Changing Times 33
9 Ways to get the Best from Yourself 35
7 Steps to a Stronger Team 37
How to Stay Focused & Inspired in Tough Times 40
Managing the New Technology 41
Achieving Professional & Personal Balance 43
Time Tips for Top Salespeople 44
7 Success Strategies to Keep Your Resolutions 46
Self-Discipline 47
Spirituality in the Boardroom 50
7 Ways to Stay Motivated on your Job Search 52
Live Simply 53
Success through Creativity 55
Timeless Lessons in Character Power 57
Are you so Busy Making a Living that you have Forgotten how to Live? 60
8 Ways to Beat the Monday Morning Work Blues 61
6 Lessons to Balance Work & Family 63
How to Achieve all Your Goals and Multiply Your Success 64
8 Ways to Simplify Your Life & Have More Fun 66
How to Love the Job You Hate 67
HOW TO BECOME A STAR AT WORK

The only way you will ever truly succeed in this new knowledge-based economy is to
become a star at work, that is, an individual who stands far above the crowd and one who is
totally unique in a world where most people are trying to be more alike. The moment you
make a deep commitment to becoming a star at work and burning all your bridges to the
person that you once were, your life will change in an unmistakable way. The day you decide
to start acting like the person you were destined to become is the day that you begin to tap
into the wellspring of human talents that will lead you to your own form of personal
greatness. These are not the simple musings of yet another professional thinker spouting
hackneyed euphemisms in the hope that one day someone will take note. These are the hard,
cold facts of life - and they have been so for hundreds of years. And to deny them and
continue living a life of complacency is to abandon your duty to do something special with
your life. As Ashley Montagu observed: "The deepest personal defeat suffered by human
beings is constituted by the difference between what one was capable of becoming and what
one has in fact become."

To become a star at work and to start seizing some of the matchless opportunities that are
out there in what I believe to be the most exciting time in the history of humanity, you first
need to make the decision to raise the standards that you will work and live by. Commit to
living by a benchmark far higher than anyone would have the right to expect from you. Take
a good hard look at the way you spend your days and ask yourself whether your agenda
reflects your priorities. If there is an incongruity between the activities you invest your
energies in and the values you hope to live by, you have a problem and need to make some
immediate course corrections. For example, if your goal is to have a meaningful and
rewarding work experience but you devote your days spinning your wheels on mundane
tasks that never advance your professional goals, you need to refocus yourself on the things
that truly count. If a rich and happy family experience is high on your list of life priorities but
you have not been to your son's soccer game in a year and you cannot remember the last
time you sat down to do homework with your daughter, you need to sharpen your pencil
and rework your schedule. The facts never lie and the activities of your schedule will
ultimately reflect the quality of your life.

The next step in becoming a star at work is to dedicate yourself to becoming "a person of
action". In life there are three types of people. First are those that make things happen.
Second are those that watch things happen. And third are those people who wake up one
day, at the end of their lives, and ask "What Happened?" Today, make a firm decision to join
the first group - the group of human beings who have decided that life is a gift and every day
is a new opportunity to learn, grow and contribute. As you go through this day, look for
opportunities to bring a sense of excellence and mastery to your work. What little thing
could you do over the next few hours to build relationships at work or make your clients say
"Wow"? What mental attitudes could you adopt to reframe what is negative into positive and
rekindle that enthusiasm that you had when you were just a kid? What simple gestures of
decency could you do to show your teammates that you care and are committed to showing

1 robinsharma.com
leadership in a world where real leaders are few and far between? As I wrote in my latest
book Who Will Cry When You Die?: "The smallest of actions is always better than the noblest
intentions," and today is your chance to make a difference. "There's nothing really difficult if
only you begin. Some people contemplate a task until it looms so big it seems impossible but
I just begin and it gets done somehow. There would be no coral islands if the first bug sat
down and began to wonder how the job was to be done," noted John Shaw Billings.

Here are 7 more things you can do over the next 10 days to become a star at work:

1. Take your hero to lunch. Find someone who has created the kind of professional
and personal life that you want and have the courage to take them out to lunch. If
there is an author you admire and she lives in your city, pick up the phone and ask
for a meeting. If you just read an inspiring article about someone who had turned
adversity into advantage and you know you can learn from him, send out an e-mail
and open up the lines of communication. In this new knowledge economy, the
person who learns the most wins. Learn from heroes.

2. Set "learning goals." Most wise performers on the playing field of business set
career, financial and personal goals but few set specific learning goals. For this year, I
have set clear objectives as to how many books I will read, how many seminars I will
attend and how many personal growth retreats I will visit. I also try and set a daily
learning quota of three new things every day to keep me stimulated and excited
about my work as a professional speaker and leadership coach.

3. Become indispensable. While working at a major league legal firm after I had
completed law school, I asked one of the senior partners what one had to do in
order to become successful at this firm. His response has never left me and has been
exceedingly helpful. "Robin," he said, "the real secret of success is to be so good at
what you do that this firm will not be able to run without you. Be so good at what
you do that you are the first person that we all think of when we need advice. Be so
good at what you do that you become indispensable. Then your success will be
assured." So my challenge to you is this: pick your best three talents - 3 core
competencies that you have that truly make you special - and then commit to
refining them over the coming twelve months until they set you apart from the
crowd. Make a personal vow that you will become so good at your professional craft
that you become indispensable to your team and to your organization as a whole.
Then watch your career soar.

4. Make time to think. It is a strange paradox of the frenzied age that we live in that
we have become so busy that we do not even have time to think about the things
that we are so busy about. We spend our days on projects that need to get done and
in meetings that need to be attended. We spend our evenings with people we need to
meet and doing activities that need to be completed. But let me ask you: when was
the last time you went for a solitary walk in the woods and deeply reflected on the
way you are working and living? When was the last time you took a few hours to gain

2 robinsharma.com
 some real clarity into where you want to be professional and personally five years
from now? Henry David Thoreau said: "It is not enough to be busy, so are the ants.
The question is what are you so busy with?" Carve out at least one hour every week
for some serious reflection, introspection and self-examination so that you will keep
learning from your weeks.

5. Start a reading group at work. If you want to be a leader, you must first become a
reader. Knowing how to read and not doing so puts you in precisely the same
position as someone who cannot read. We live in an age where ideas - not bricks and
mortar - are the currency of success. One idea, well executed, can transform your
team, your culture and your entire organization. One idea, read in a single book, can
reshape your thinking processes, transform your character or renew your health.
Here's the thing: you just don't know which book contains that one idea that will
revolutionize your life. But believe me, it is out there. And it is waiting for you. Read
daily and ensure those around you do the same. The company that learns together
stays together.

6. Look like a star. Get serious about physical mastery. Commit to being in peak
shape so you increase your energy levels and enhance your stamina. Rekindle that
healthy glow that comes from running or swimming or going for a brisk walk at
lunch. And make the time to dress and conduct yourself in a way that conveys your
commitment to excellence, not only in business but in life.

7. Think contribution. We all have a deep human hunger to be a part of something

larger than ourselves. We all carry within us a core craving to do something
important in our work lives and know that, at the end of the day, our energies have
been invested in activities that have added value to the world and made a difference
in people's lives. Begin to see the higher meaning of the work that you are doing and
stay focused on adding value to others. As the 13th Century philosopher Rumi said:
"When you are dead, seek for your resting place not in the earth but in the hearts of
men."

ALL I LEARNED ABOUT LIFE I LEARNED FROM SKIING

I have rekindled my boyhood passion for skiing. My children as well as my brother, who has
become a huge fan of the sport, are the cause of this - and I cannot thank them enough. I
had forgotten how it feels to ski down a mountain on a gorgeous sunny day, inhaling the
crisp, clean air as flakes of powder snow dance by me. As you know if youve read The Saint,
The Surfer & The CEO or any of my books, communing with nature is one of my favorite
things to do. And I have realized yet again, that communing with nature with two boards
"strapped" to my feet is a great way to go. My brother actually said that "skiing is a spiritual
experience". I completely agree: as I ski, I feel at one with the larger world around me and

3 robinsharma.com
engage in "the flow" that holds me in the present moment. Im not concerned about any
worldly issues or any petty thoughts. Instead, as I make my way down the mountain, my sole
focus is on whats present before me and the experience I am enjoying.

Ive also realized how many life lessons can be understood from skiing. Here are a few that
have surfaced for me:

1. We grow on the tough runs. I could spend weeks and months on the simple runs
where my form is strong and my confidence is high. But, as in life, we only grow
through the challenges that we are presented with. On the simple runs, there is little
growth because there is no room to stretch ourselves. We are playing within our
comfort zones. To advance, we need to have the awareness that the "tougher stuff"
is what brings us out of our comfort zones and into the areas of growth, learning and
testing. Im sure you will agree with me that, in life as well, we evolve as human
beings when we experience our trials and tribulations. Adversity and challenging
experiences introduce us to who we truly are and shape our character. They test us
and cause us to go deep. And in doing so, we expand and become higher versions of
our higher visions.

2. Integrating what you have learned takes time. I am a true believer in the value of
coaching. In my own life, I have enlisted a series of coaches for specific areas that I
am committed to improving in. For example, I have a nutrition coach as well as an
exercise coach. I deeply believe that any investment in coaching is money well spent.
You learn from the best. You significantly decrease your learning curve. And you see
results quickly. In keeping with this philosophy, though I am a relatively strong skier,
I have engaged the services of an expert ski instructor. During our lessons, I often
find myself overwhelmed and even confused. This is because he is addressing so
many areas in need of improvement over a short period of time. For example, in one
lesson alone, he coached me to carve more with my outer ski, to shift my weight to
the center more regularly, and to improve my form. Trying to focus on so many
different things was very difficult for me and moved into a state of overwhelm both
during the lesson and shortly afterwards. As the hours of that day and the
subsequent day on the hill progressed, something fascinating happened: I noticed
that with the passage of time, his instructions started to integrate gently. On one run
I would integrate one of his ideas. I would play with that idea until it felt
comfortable. Then I would move to his next idea. It was almost an organic process
where his teachings moved into my practice of skiing as I gave it time to become
part of who I was, as a skier. I have found that life is a lot like this. When there is a
new skill for us to learn, whether this is becoming a leader in a new job or leaning
how to open your heart in an intimate relationship, you may be overwhelmed at first
by all the new learning and growth that is going on. Our human tendency is to run
away from this kind of confusion as it brings stress and uncertainty. However, I
encourage you to commit to the process and understand that confusion always gives
way to understanding. In other words, if you stay with the process of learning, all the
confusion and complexity brought about by the new information you are learning

4 robinsharma.com
 will most certainly fall into a state where you have integrated the new information,
understand it and - even more importantly - live it as if it was second nature (without
any of the previous stress, with the feeling of high confidence and with a sense of
serenity).

3. There is no better moment than the present one you are experiencing. As I
suggested above, skiing almost forces me to be fully present to the experience. Our
human nature is to worry about the past and be consumed by the future. It is very
difficult for us to be fully engaged in the present. We worry about uncertain careers
or past difficulties or financial concerns or relationship challenges. We live in a world
where our minds are full of seemingly endless chatter and we rarely savor the beauty
of being fully engaged in what we are doing. The great masters all understand one
thing: to glimpse your greatness, you must be fully focused and deeply centered on
what you are doing at any given time. This is when you are most alive. When skiing a
difficult run, if my mind wanders, the mountain teaches me a fast lesson and a fall
comes swiftly. So I have learned to concentrate on what I am doing and in doing so,
experience that state that we are all seeking: happiness.

4. Awareness precedes change. As I wrote in my book Leadership Wisdom From The

Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: The 8 Rituals of Visionary Leaders, you will never be able to
improve on a weakness that you do not pay any attention to and are not even aware
of. The path to mastery of any skill is as follows: we start at a place of unconscious
incompetence, meaning, we dont know what we do not know. With a little practice
and coaching, we then move to a place of conscious incompetence. In other words,
we begin to pay attention to what we are doing wrong and make some course
corrections. Yet, at this level we are still at a level of incompetence. As we progress
and deepen our commitment, we rise to a level of conscious competence. In other
words, we know what to do and we are generally competent at doing it. The highest
skill - the level of mastery - is when we become unconsciously competent. In skiing,
it would be illustrated by behavior where the skier expertly moves down the
mountain without even giving a thought to what he is doing. This process also
applies to the journey of life. So many people in our world today do not pay
attention to their lives. They do not learn from their lives. They are so consumed by
the little things that they do not have any awareness of what needs to be improved
and what new choices need to be made. I do not say this with any judgment but
simply as an observation of what I believe is the truth. Yet, as we commit to
deepening ourselves (as any good leader does), we begin to move from a level of
unconscious incompetence in the way we conduct our lives to a way of conscious
incompetence. We begin to see how we might be mistreating people or not caring
for our inner worlds or not developing our careers or not making the time to enjoy
the process of our extraordinary lives. As we continue this inner work and reflection,
we start to change our behaviors and make higher choices in terms of the way we
live. We then rise to the level of conscious competence. And as we keep following
through on our commitments and paying more attention to stretching ourselves by
trying new things and thinking new thoughts, we may arrive at the highest level of

5 robinsharma.com