New York Tim Peer os and USA Today Perea ae TOR Oe amas eC) BU ety eet aC eraennit ss What They Want? Pemete ears ae ey cn Chicken Soup for the Soul Series Jack Canfield Mark Victor Hansen Read The Power fl FOCUS HOW TO HIT YOUR BUSINESS, PERSONAL AND FINANCIAL TARGETS TUES o) RO oN or en od by the worlds most Focus will help you achieve i of practical odes casy-ts-inmplement Act ily enrich your most important re at you'll learn, Ho SNOOS & JOMOg rer Pattee tg ere een : 7 ALN il COTS aeIsa caN ‘Romero fo re You Can Always Judge a Book by the Company It Keeps. Read What These Top Achievers Are Saying About The Power of Focus. 1 you only read one bok this wales The Power of Focus shold be i Harvey Mackay auch, Swim sid the Sharks “The Power of Focus is absolutely wondetful and is sure to make an impact on the business word for generations to come” Ken Blanchard conuthor, The One-Minute Manager “A powerful, practical book that will inspire you w@ achieve your dreams, ‘Barbara De Angelis, Ph.D, ‘thor. Real Moments Tie most successful viduals and companies use proven sjstems—The Power of Favus will ea you how to do the same.” Vie Conant president, Nightingale-Conant Your ability to focus isthe most important success skill you can ever develap, This hook shows you how t0 develop this skill in every pur Sf your fe Hs outstanding Brian Tracy ingernational seminar leader, consultant and estslling authorYou can be successful at anything i hall he usual time by learning how to get focused and remain focused, and this book will show you how: The Power of Focus should be a business bible for anyone just staring out as well as those area established wh want to masimie their productivity sed income. Town eleven Mexican testaueants, YOU want the whole enchilada tra this hook Tom Harken author, The Milsmaies Secret, Horatio Alger Award recipient ‘Many people dont focus very wel. Thats the season they ultimately end up broke and csilusoned This book will change all that Jim Rohn Amesca’ foremost business philosopher ‘This book will help your career go faster and furher whike bringing you greater happiness and success in your personal life Somers White present, Somers White Company, wemanional management an financial constae For the frst ime, a book outlines in simple, ess: to-nderstaud and usable terms, ene of the most powerful yet overlooked principles that can help 1ura anyone inte a money magnet. A must-read ifyou want be a cash-generating machine Kevin Trudeau founder Shop America An important book for anyone who wants to sueceed in anything! Outlines the master shill for achieving goals and realiing dreams. Tot only got ba swt of it but thew enjoyed reading i. Robert Kriegel suthor. Aint Broke Beak IT! commentator. NERS Marketplace progeamn “This book can help anyone, in any profession, to make quantum leaps in personal, spiritual and vocational growth.” Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins "he Jewish Center, F mn, New Jersey 4 clea, simple roadmap that shows you how to focus om the vial few, ater than the wil many: Dr Tony Alessandra aor, The Platinum Rule “The Power of Focus shows you how to define your path and staet working your plan. Its an amazing compendium; inspiring as well a5 practical Jim Turney Former NEL referee 1m this chaotic world, i all tao easy for focus to become blurred. Tor anyone brave enough to sy, I want to be a beter person, this book offers a sel-help method w discard those old habits which hold you back and to develop, instead, the new habits which promise successful change. To remain a5 You fare denies who you can be Life is what you make of sand Achieving fll potential isan everyday choice. The Power of Focus ‘Shows you how to chose nothing. bur the best!” Larry Jones present and founder, Feed The Children Use this hook as you would a bridge to get from one shce to the ether. I you are stack om the side of Thece to get ready at will help you ets ‘over to owt to go. For me, the ‘Ah Hi was the connection between habits ancl foes. The Power (of Focus wil put yous absolutely om target! Rosita Peres, CPAE esident, Creative Living Programs, Inc“The topic of focus ts one that until now has been overlooked. Everyone in husiness can bent by studying and implementing these stateies Richard Carlson author, Dont Seat the Smal Sta audit all smal sul The strongest lenses in the worl! might give you perfec tert wha you see Ths bk, ke tose lees ml se you that undetstanding Jim Cathean, CSP, CPAE author. Rel Selig pest president, Natal peers Asoc ‘Great practical advice! In this age of constant information the ability 10 focus and weed out distractions is imperative J. Fuqua, (CEO, The Fuqua Companies “The essence of personal power is captured in this unique ‘must-read hook Focus an the content and questions. Yow will bbe amply rewarded Eileen MeDargh thor, Work fv a Living and Still e Prec to Lie A teemenulous book packed with ifinite wisdom.” Charlie “Tremendous” jones author, Lifes Tremendows Cameras, binoculars, mroscopes—theit functionality, and Performance begin and end with focus. This book clearly and passionately applies focus tothe boardroom, locket roo family room. The Power of Focus bas changed my entie ie Dan Clark ‘international speaker, consultant, bestselling author “A great step by-ste ation plan that wl help you get eveything _ ‘Ted Nicholas author, Magic Won That Bring You Riches These acliimed authors have brought the world 9 fantastic new book, thts certain to bring the power of focus to each of tas we enter an exciting new eenrary Wyland renowned murine fe anist “Clear, concise instructions for a beter le Michael Gerber author, The EM youre struggling with de presue,Hnaacal presses, or wat to create an excellen bance in your We, read this feokemand hen do what tsa” George Thomson, CFP regon manager investors Group A powerful and inspiring book that youll want to tead again and again. The Power of Focus is 4 treasure trove of principles, methods, concepts tips, techniques, and ideas that sil change your Ile: Whatever other sel help books you may read ‘in your lifetime, make this one your top priority.” Scott DeGarmo former editor-in-chief and publisher, Succes and Working a Home magazines “the pwc of cus ng yor ie wil ote yon Bese tes sal cy weo od ony sto ht tccnulyccmpoord your ie imo n msc Bey is Book mcd and ge sa tober 6. len“To become truly suecessful, you must learn to focus. Make sure yor read this book. Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE tutor Get Whar Yo Wire ] Pst president, National Speakers Association MESO n wenn! The Power of Focus to all my clients. The topic 's one of the most important for everyone in business. The information is clear. informative, al will benetit every ame whe implements it Eldon Fadwards ‘owner, Inco Business Sales you are im sales or service, this hook will change your lie Doug Wead special assistant to the president i the Bush Winte House ‘This isthe est hook ever writen on focus, targeting, and developing succesful habits. Keep it close far leq rlercnce Wsareal winner” Nido R. Qube chairman, Creative Services ne “Without focus, its hard to build a successful business This book is an effective road map that will really keep youu con track” Paul Orfatea chairperson and founder, Kiko’, In 1 have watched the life of a friend of mine transform and flourish, She has followed there focusing strategies for personal growth and success for four years. This i not theory —this ts date At changed her life and i will change yours!” Lance IL K.Secretan Auhor, Reclaiming Higher Gr The Power of FOCUS Jack Canfield Mark Victor Hansen Les Hewitt Deerfield Reach, Florida sewn et onlinecomJack To the teachers who have taught me the most about The Posse of Focus principles W Clement Stowe, Dilly. Sharp, Lacy Hall, Dob Resnik. Martha Crampton, ack Gibb, Ken Blanchard, Nathaniel Branden, Siewar Emery, Tim Piering, Tracy Goss, Marshall Thurber, Russell Bishop, [ob Proctor, Berard Dokrmann, Mark Viele Hansen, Les Hew ice Palos, Doug Krusee, Martin Rate, Michael Geter, ‘Armand Bytion, Mart Glenn, and Ron Seolasten Conlon bean ate i th The ay Caps, ‘nel to vote cera eh Call, Mar ior Hae, ria Mark seh Saar To Flisabeth and Melanie: tener Novae te The Fotuce ts in safe han ss56 2775200) {© 2000 fac Cand, Mash Vor Hanna Les Hew Les. Al hs eeseoed, Pn i he United Sates of A eon eerie toy frm ob ay Soo Scns, ele pees ee ibe. are te Be of my Me ine maou thesia ermsson ofthe pee * ‘ier dese amd mies egy by Gal Proc, (408) 236-98 aCONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Foreword The Purpose OF This Book: What’ In It For You Focusing Sreatecy "1 Your Habits Will Determine Your Future ‘successful people have successl habits How Habits Really Worle How to dently Bad Habits How to Change Bad Habits ‘The Successfol Habits Formula Action Steps Saceessful People { Want to Intersew The Suceessful Habits Formula Focusing Steatecy *2 IW Not Hocus-Pocus, IS All About Focus Build om your strengths, nat your weaknesses. Focus on Your Natural Talents Are You a Staster or a Finisher? You're Feeling Swamped, Get Help! The 4D Solution Boundtes of Brilliance The Power of No Setting New flonuaries Action Steps The Priority Focus Workshop 4 2B 26 x0 2 0 45 46 a7 30 34= Focustve Steatroy "3 Do You See The Big Picture? Designing your erytal-clear future Developing Unusual Clarity The Purpose of Goals The Tap-10 Goals Checklist Your Maser Plan Action Steps Your Personal Master Plan The Achievers Facusing System, Focusing Sreatecy 4 Creating Optimum Balance More money, more time off The BrAlert System Blueprint, Action, Learning. Exercise, Relaxation, Thinking Action Steps The B-Al Ineckpoint System Focusine Srmarecy *5 Building Excelent Relationships ‘our entry into the ig leagues the Double Spiral Say "No" to Ton People The Three Big Quests Core Clients snd the Double Win ‘Then Som How to Find Great Meniors Mastermind Gronps Action Steps “The Dsl Sia Boiling Your Fores Developing Mentor Relaionships 59 ol 2 3 8 9% ” 10 121 126. 128 130 136 139) 143, Focusine STRATEGY *6 The Confidence Factor Eliminating far and worry. Resolving Unfinished Business The Road to Freedom Paradigea The Twenty-Five-Cent Challenge Forgive and Forget A Winning Atitude Six Confidence-Building Strategies Check Out Your Faith Factor ‘What to Do I You Hit a Shimmp Action Steps Resolving Unfinished Business Focusing SrRateGy *7 Ask For What You Want ‘A seven-point system to help you prosper. Ask and Receive Sever Says to Boost Your Business, Simply by Asking How to Ask Action Steps Asking for What You Want FOCUSING STRATEGY *8 Consistent Persistence Success is often just around the corner. The Benefits of Consistency Enibrace Your Greatest Power The Consistency Circle The Double-A Formula The Integrity Factor Action Steps The Integnty Factor 158 160 12 167 169 i 74 a7 182 185 186 203 208Focusing StRaTEGY Taking Decisive Action Proven systems for ereatng wealth, Six Good Reasons Active Decision-Making. The TA-DA Formula The Problem Solver Lets Talk About Money Action Steps The Problem Solver ‘The Habit of Financial Certainty Focusing Stratecy "10 Living On Purpose ‘Making your if simple again Finding Your Purpose The Marathon of Hope Tine Key Points : Discovering Your Purpose Statement of Purpose Developing Your Purpose Personal Growth and Level of Being Make a Stop List Action Steps Discovering and Living Your Purpose Fivat Worps Ws Your Life... Accept The Challenge! “Tu ACHIEVERS COACHING PROGRAM Success Stories, Workshops, Lieensing Opportunities RESOURCE GUIDE AND REFERENCES AnOUT THE AUTHORS 296 299 303 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book has taken thice years o write and many people encouraged ts during the entie process. There were tines wren i seed ike we'd never got through Ht However, with persistence and a heen focus isfy complete. We want To acknowledge creryone who pardcipaed for thelr fp and suppor, without which this project would never tae een finshed ran Heit you are pila of strength To pu up with al the irastatios, czy deadlines, and last-minute reviews equed incredible forte heal thank you Jenifer and Andrew Hew, shank you for your encouragement, feedback and crete ten. You ar ping Dan Sullivan thank ye or your tremendous leadership che world of Bisinesecosching, and for being a powerful snflienee and mentor Thank you fim Rol, George Ada, Paiticta Fripp, Foren, David MeNally Lance Seren, Somers White Rosita Pees, Danny Cox, Valerie Motse, Peter Daniels, Richard Flint and many other great teachers (00 ‘merous to mention, for your combined wisdom and gidance ver the ft item eae “Tam Brethaupt for allowing your excelent book, Take Ins Jaand Lone The os of Pessoal Slingo site the completion of this one. Gall Pocack. you area eve ‘amin Thnk yin for our toa dedtion and meron im ahs projet Your creativity an expertise in layout ext find cover design is oustanding. Thanks to Rod Chapman svhose editing sills have produced a serie product. We Sho acknomedge Georgina Forrest and shirley Faherty at Achievers forthe wonderlal typing and re-yping job, trace conslering the sont neal er they ginalhad to work from, To Elverina Laba for her enthusiasm and sales effort while Les was “absent.” ‘special cheer forall our chents in The Achievers Coaching, Program who implemented these strategies, and proved they really work. Thanks also to the 1998 graduating class at Jack Canfield’s Facifvating Skills Seminar—your enthusiasm and encouragement wis greatly appreciated. “To Philip Keers and Ken Johnston, who carry the torch into the future, you ave uly wonderful partners. To everyone at Jacks office, a wonderful team whose synergy created momentum for muy of our deadlines to be met. Special thanks to Deborah Hatchell for your calming influence and Imallant communication ability when things were particularly hectic. To Nancy Mitchell Auto for coordinating the exacting task of obtaining permissions with Shirley Flaherty. Shirley your tenacity and persistence ensured we male out deadlines, Great job! Thanks to Ro Miller, “the switchboard queen,” for your warmth and help with those endless phone calls. To Veronica Romero who made sure the readers’ manuscripts went futon time, and more importantly, came back on time? Teresa Esparza for your wonderful positive aniuude and willingness to help. Chris Smith, thank you for your muscle testing beliance "To Rabin Yerian and Leslie Forbes Riskin, two ack-room players whase high level of kill ane! commitment made sure All the dewils were expertly handled. Thanks, Paty Auber. for your keem insights and marketing knowledge, Your drive and energy make things happen. ‘Our gratitude also goes to Inga Mahoney and Christopher Canfield for allowing Jack to focus on the work and help rnaintan that llimportanthalanceerween business aa fan To the two people who have the most fecus of anyone, anyswhere, Elsabeth and Melanie Hansen, To Patty Hansen for being an integral player in the day-10 day operations and decision-making process. A big shank you to Laure Rush at Marks fice for beng scram eflecve go-berween and ensring thse imprint Conference calls were scheduled ano rcheled) Thr to verpn t Hel Cmts ou pblise foray superting the project and euring tha pri tnddsrbuuon deahines wor bandied sooty To Feer Vegan. Torr sand and Tery Burke for ping togeber and leading sch a wonder tan ‘spelt yon to hte Belen a Alison Jans or suing us tough th maze of et nd apd pom tb evey request To Kin Wess an Lay Geto or ein sp the publi elton tem and w Kelly Marga opening ay domo enance sales “hanks o hick Bas for easing up the il anes Tear hank all those igent people on ur ede panel who fo ie to dgeat, perse and analyze oa de Kama Alton: Bary spe, Eileen McDangh, David Mealy Philip Keer. Ren Johoston, Tin DreTaupt, Ralph Puen, Steve Casha Bll Cows, Joan P Gar Wal Hes Keats acts, Tom psn ean Kanan Andy Kelis Jahn ken, rhe Pte and te Water Your ebuck and tc beter poles 2 specal tanks to Fred Angelis who mae a idee anaes ofeed many exellent wartng eas "Ne als acknowledge the many example ad sos rosie diet and ety by frends and cents. Desuseo he scope and draion of tis poet we may have neglected 0 tmetion thers who helped alongs ways, ese cee Wats prodigy be ay flo scare mage orp Hag ean ccanteibution and helped createFocusing STRATEGY ‘1 Your Habits Will Determine Your Future “11'S SO HARD WHEN CONTEMPLATED IN ADVANCE, AND SO EASY WHEN YOU DO IT.” tober M.Pusig Brent Vouri knew he was going to die. The severe asthmatic attack had deteriorated into adult respiratory distress syndrome. To put t simply his lungs had completly seized, just like «car engine when it finally rans out of of. The last thing he remembered that night was the hospital floor rushing up to meet kim, then, touat blackness. The coma lasted for fen days, during whieh time his weight dropped by forty pours. When he finally awoke, he was imable to speak for another ‘so weeks, That was good, because for the first time in yeast gave him ume to think, Why, a aly ewemty years Df age, had his hie almost evaporated? The doctors bad done a miraculous jab keeping him alive, when others thought he had no chance for survival Brea reflected deeply. The asthe had been a part of his lie since birth, He was well known at th hospital after numerous visits to stabilize his condition,2 Despite having lots of energy as a child, he was never able to participate in any physical acuviies lke other kids, such as Skating or hockey. ALage ten, his parents, clivoreed and all of his pent-up frustrations finally boiled lover The next few years were a continuous downward spiral lading to drugs, aleohol abuse and a smoking Fait that consiamed thirty cigarettes per day He dda finish school and sulessly drt from one parttime job to the text. Even though his healt was Steady getting worse, he chose 1 ignore it—until that fateful night sehen his body said “no more” With time to reflect, he came to this all-important conclusion: "L Tbrought this on myself through years of making bad choices." His new resolve was, "Never agin, I want life Brent gradually became stronger and was eventually released from the hospital. Soon afte, he mapped out 3 positive game plan to improve his lie. First he eared ina fitness program, One of his initial goals was t win a “Thin for completing twelve sessions. He dil it. Three years later he was teaching aerobics. The momentum twas building, Five years after that be competed in the National Aerobics Championships. Along the way he decided to further his education—first, completing his high school diploma and then suecesally working his way through universe Next, he and a fiend sted their own manufacturing basiness, Typhoon Sportswear Lid. (iiewtyphoonsports vwearcom), specializing in producing apparel for retail chains, Stating with only four employees, the company recently celebrated ts fifteenth anniversary Tosky ts 2 multimillion dollar emerprise with sixty-six people and an international dstrbution network supplying high-profile clients such as Nike. By deciding 1 make Detter choices and create beter habits, Brent Vouri rammed his ile aound-—Iron yesterday 210 10 cx hero! lan that an inspiring story? Here's what’ importane Life doesnt just happen to you. its all about choices and how you respond to every situation. IF yout the habit of cootinually making bad choices, disaster often occurs. Your everyday choices ultimately determine whether out end up living with abundance or living in poverty: However, life never completely closes the daor to epportuniy ‘Gansistent choles lay the foundation for your habits, as youl find out in the next few pages. And your habits play a major role in how your future Unfolds, This includes the habits you display to the business world every day, as well a the variety of behaviors that show up in your personal lle. Throughout this book, youl find strateles that can be applied to hath work and home. Yous ob i to review all of them and implement the ‘ones that will give you the greatest rewards. By the way all of these strategies work equally well for men and women. They are not gender specific I'you haven noticed, ane of the most ‘excting developments in the marketplace today is the rapid ‘growth of women entrepreneurs. In this chapter, weve laid ont the most important elements bout habits. Fist youtl discover how habits really work. Then Youll learn how to identify ad habits and how to change thes This wall allow you to check out your awn specifi habits and dlvermine which ones are unproductive. Finally, we'l show you 4 unigue Successful Habits Formula, « simple but powedul Strategy that wall help you transform your bad habits into succesful habits Using this technique will ensure that you stay Facused on what works, instead of what doesmt work SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE HAVE SUCCESSFUL HABITS Unsuccessful People Don't!How HABITS Really Work YOUR HABITS WILL DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE ‘Woot is habit? Simply stated, a habit something you do so often it econves easy. In other words, its a behavior that you keep repeating, H you persist at developing a new behavior ‘eventually i becomes automatic. For example, if you learn to drive a car with a standard earshift, the fist few lessons are usually interesting. One of the big challenges is figuring out how to synchronize the claich and accelerator pedals so you have nice, smooth gear change. Ifyou release the elutch too quickly; the car stalls. If you press down too hard on the accelerator without releas the clutch, the engine roars but you don't go anywhere. Sometimes the car jumps down the street like a kangarco. ‘surging and stopping a8 the new dewer struggles with the pedals. However, with practice, the gear change eventually becomes smooth and you doo' think ahout it anymore. Les: We ae all creatures of habit Whon | dive hore fom oy fice every day. there are rine alc hts along the route Giten tget home and don emember any of the lights [elke im uncorsious aI cive, Hy fa ak me to make 1 detour to pick up something on the way home, ts not tincorman ferme ttl forget becauce ve promrarmed nyse ake the same way hore everynight The great news is that you can reprogram yourself any time you choose to do so. Hf youtte struggling financially, this 15 fmportant to knw! Lets say you want to be financially independent Doesnt it imake sense to check your money-making habits? Are you in the habit of paying yourself frst every month? Do you consistently sive and invest at least 10 percent of your income? The answer is either "yes" or “no.” Immediately you ean see if you are roving in the right direction. The key word heze i consistent. That means every month, And every month is a good habit. Most people dabble when it comes to growing their money. They are very inconsistent. Suppose you start a savings and investment program. For the frst six months you diligently put your 10 percent away according to plan. Then something happens. Yo borrow the wney 10 take a yacation, and you tell yourself you'll make st tp in the next few months, OF course you dant—and your financial independence program is stalled before it even gets olf the ground? By the ay, do you know how easy it to become financially secure? Starting at age eighteen if you invest one hundred dollars per month compounding annually ten percent, you will have more than $1,1 million wicked sway at age siaty-five, Even if you dont start until you are fory years old, theres hope, although it wil ake moze tha dally dollar todo i. This is called 4 m0 exceptions policy. tn other words, you commit w your beuter fnaneial fase every single day. Its what separates the people who have from the people who don’ have. Gn chapter 8, Taking Decisive Action, youl learn lot more about wealth creation.) Lets look at another situation. maintaining excellent heath 's high on your list of prions, exercising three times a woek Imay be the minimum standaed to keep you in shape A No. [Exceptions Poliey means you wil maintain this exereise habit matter what happens, because you vale the lg term benefits People who dahible at change will quit alter a few weeks or months, And they usually have a long ht af excuses why i“didnt work out for them. IF you want to distance yourself from the masses and enjoy a unique lifestyle, understand this your habits will determine your future. iis that important. Remember, successful people don’ ditt to the top. It takes focused action, personal discipline and lots of energy every day to make things happen. The habits you develop from this day forward will ultimately determine hhow your fiture works out. Rich oF poor. Healthy oF unhealthy Fullilled or unfulfilled, Happy er unhappy. 1's your choice so choose wisely. YOUR HABITS WILL DETERMINE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE Many people today are concerned about heir lifestyle Pheuas Her“ looking for «beter quay fhe or 1 5 rant to simplify my fe” are now commonplace. Te seems the headlong rush for maternal success and all the 1a ta sovcatled successful ie are not enongh, To be cul Heb {eludes not only financial freedom, ut developing ich trennghl elanshi enriching. your health. and enjoying, Th Balance bevween your carer a your persona ite The noursment of your own spt or soa as an ee seqtement This ie te explore al expare ta ne {nding process The more you learn abot yoursell—how Son think how you fet, eat yon toe purpose Is and how Son want to lieth moe yur fe wl ow Thstead of ust working hard every week, you wl be mpake Fetter hoes based on sation and tnstinetvely ang the ight thing to d,s higher evel awareness that detenmes your dai ply of hap 10, Living, Om Parpine well show you a unique sytem That wil make Allo ths possible for you. Hea very excting wa) 10 Ive THE RESULTS OF YOUR BAD HABITS USUALLY DON'T SHOW UP UNTIL MUCH LATER IN LIFE Please maite sine you ae realy alert bufore you teal the net few paragraphs. If save nt, go splask some cold water on your face se you wil not miss he imporaanceof cis fundamental concep Many people today live thir lives for immediate gratification, They buy things they cant veally afl and put off payment as far down the road as possible. Cars, furniture, appliances, entertainment systems, or the lest “toy” just 10 name a lew People in the babi of doing this havea sense of playing catch-up all the time. Theres always another payment next mond. This often results in working longer hours or taking an additional job just to make ends meet, cteating even mote sites, faken to an extreme, if your expenses constantly exceed your income, you will have an ullumate outcome, I called bankruptcy! When you develop a chronic had habit life will ‘eventually give you consequences, And you may not like the consequences. Here's what you need to teally understand Life will sll ge you the consequences, Whether you like i ‘or not ist the iste. The fact is if you hesp on doing things n way you will always get a predictable result. Negative habits breed negative consequences. Successful habits ‘ereate positive rewards. Thats just the way lifes, Les loka foe examples yo wat enjoy ogy yon mist have healthy hats, Practicing good matetion txerising and studying longevity play a major ole ete The really? Most ofthe population inthe Western world vee, unerexersd and undermurted. How woud yo expla that? Again, its a veforhe moment attewh ue or no thought gen to ature consequences. Then a tong lst when comes to hath Hee ae couple—woring fourcen hous per day sven days a week wl lead o eventual tnumout When yout eating fst fod or jk oad the a as adaly hai, the combinion of sess and hgh cholesterol produces a much pester Fisk of Beart attacks and stokes These ae liczeateingconeuence, et nay oop nore the obvious anal mer along. daunted bythe fc tha 2 jr css ay helactine comer Took at relaonshipe, Maeage te ouble, wih sos 3D percent ending up in cvnce If you ate the abi of Staning your most portant reaionetipn of Une, energy Whe i comes wo monty, yout fd abs may Tea yo te a neverending oele of wark in your later eas, when you'd fuer be enjoying more eof for fa ‘Now here same realy gad news YOU CAN TURN NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES INTO FOSITIVE REWARDS Simply By Changing Your Habits Now. DEVELOPING SUCCESSFUL HABITS TAKES TIME How long does it take to change a habit? ‘The most common anowers to this question are, about twenty-one days,” or “three to four weeks.” This is probably tue for making, small adjustments in your behavior. Heres personal example Les: remember losing my keys on a regular basis At the end of the day Id park the cai tho garage, march ito the house and toss my hays aryatora they happened te land, Later Fl be going 2ut t a meeting and, of couse, une to fing the keys As the teasue hunt for my keys tOok bce, mi sr love would noticeably merase, and ater the kaye were fly found, rush off 19 my mating twenty lve minutes late ‘ening an ate tht would net be described as peste “The solution to this recuing problem ae sre. On day Inala block of wood to be wal acing the gage door Ithad twobooks on t and. large bel that sai, hye The nest evening | same home, srade past my new parking spot forthe kys, and tossed them in rome remote comer f the room, Why? Because thats whet Fd always done. It took me almost thrty days of forcing melt to hang them on the wall before ry bran got the message: I quess we're doing something diferent ro,” and a new habit was rally formed. | novo oes my keys arya, ut 'Utook a considerable efor to retrain msl Wits iascinaings that after cwenty-one to thy experiences with a new habit ts hander not to do it than w do it Belore you can change a habit you need to fast check bow Tong you have owned it I you have been doing something repented foc tiny years you may not beable to et go fit ina few shor weeks, Acknowledge the fact that a deeply entenched habitFOREWORD The Purpose Of This Book: What's In It For You “The individual who wants to reach the top in business must appreciate the might of the force of habit—and ‘must understand that practices are ‘what create habits. He must be quick to break those habits that can break him —and hasten to adopt those practices that will become the habits that help him. achieve the success he desires” Pau Geny Dear Reader, (or potenti reader, if you'e still browsing) Our ongoing research clearly indicates that three of the biggest challenges facing business people today are: time pressures, financial pressures, and the struggle 10 maintain a healthy balance between work snd hoe For many people the pace of life is too hectic, like heing on ‘treadmill that just wont stop. Stress levels are at an allxime high. There’ a growing need for people in business to be sore well-ounded io order to avoid becoming burned-out workaholies who have litle time for family and friends and the finer things in Me. Many also curry @ uemendlous burden ‘of guilt that adds even more stress, Thats no ay to lve! Is this something you can celate to? The Power of Focus will help you in many ways. And the Ihenefis apply whether you ate a CEO, vice president, raanager, supervisor, salesperson, entrepreneur, consultant, the owner ‘ofa professional practice or homte-hased business. Here’s Our GUARANTEE: Ir you study and gradually implement the strategies we are abo to share, sol not only it your business, personal and Rrancil targets constey youl far exceed the results you are curenty experiencing, Specifically. wel show yor how to focus on yur strengis, so that you ean maximize sour income, and a the same tne enjoy eather, happy, welbhalanced ese in addon, youl lea how to build stronger foundation forthe future based on a ite ssed technique ealed Unusual Carty On cp ofthat, youl discover how to create financial peace of mind using proven methods from sevesal malt rnillionaites, Theres also a smorgasbord of ideas to help. hurt and enrich your most portant relationships, ‘The reason we are s0 confident that the ideas in this book will work for you is because they have already worked for us and thousands of our clients, The three of us have seventy-nine yeats of combined business experience. This i rea: wworld experience. I's heen earned by making lots of mistakes, as well as by focusing on doing some things extremely well Well share some of our most important personal breakthroughs with you and tell you the way it really is instead of givingthas long roots. 1 lke trying to sever a mulistranded fiber that hiss mole itself, aver time, into 2 single powerful rope ies very hard to break, Long-time staokers know how dificult itis 1 break the nicotine habit. Many never do, despite the ‘overwhelming evidence that proves smoking ean significantly shorten your life expectancy. ‘4s wel, people with a Tong history of Tow self-esteem wont transform themselves into highly eonfident individuals, ready to ake on the world, in twenty-one days. It may take year oF more to develop positive belief systems. These important {tansitions ean affect both your professional and personal ie “Another factor about changing babits is che potential for slipping hack into your old pattems. This can happen shen Sires levels nse or an unexpected erss occurs. The mew habit ‘may not be sion enough to resist these cneumstancs, and more time, energy and effort wil be required. To ensure consistency fstronauts use a checklist for every single procelure to ensuce the same results every time. You can create a similar failsafe system, It just takes practice. And iS well worth the effor, 5 youl see shortly. ‘Mmagine if you only changed four habits every year Five years from now you would have twenty postive new habits, Now heres the thing-would twenty positive new habits make a ulffeence in your reslts? OF course, Twenty successful habits ‘can bring you all the money you want or need, sonderful loving relationships, a healthier and more energized physical body pls al sorts of new opportunities And what If you ereated tro than four new habits every yeae? Think of the possibilities! Up 10 90 PERCENT OF OUR NORMAL BEHAVIOR IS BASED ON HABITS As mestoned erie, many of oue daly axis are spy routines. From te ee you ge up inthe morning ntl yo reve at night there are hundreds of things you do the same fray These include the way yo des, get edly for the eat Breaks, ead the newspaper, trash your tet, dive 1 the sic, get peopl, arange your desk st wp appouments Sorc on prot atend meetings answer he phone and x0 om I you've been doing dese same avis fo yea you ave 9 of fri ened habits. They involve every are of you ie inching your work, fri, income, helt, relatonshpe pd tmamy more. The sum cou of these habit determines how Youre operates. Simply sated hiss yur normal behaeoe ‘As creatures of habit, weae very predictable In many ways this is god beease others may view i a elabl,depencable and consistent, (It interesting to note that people who are very Ipreicable also havea hath ai ol nconseny" Tlowever, with too much routine, complacency sts in and life becomes boring. We ste for ss than we ae capable of infact many ofthe acts that makeup ou everyday ora iekavior are performed wnconsetously—vithout thinking Heres the pint, You everyday normal behavior has oto mathe resus in your ies youre not happy with these “sul, samething has a ehange QUALITY IS NOT AN ACT. IT IS 4 HABIT.you vague theres and philosophies. This will help you avoid much of the trial and ervor in fe and save you a lot of time feneigy and amnecessary tess How to Get the Most Out of Tis Book. Pease note I yon are looking for « mage “quick-fix” formals you wont find ic here. In our experience, theres no such thing Te takes a teal commitment to create postive transformation Tats why more than 90 percent of people who attend shor term seminars see no improvement in their lives. They dont take the time to implement what they learn and all of their owes usually end up collecting dust. ‘Our primary goal has been to make this information so compelling it will galvanize you to take immediate action. This book is userfriendly—its really easy to read. Youll even find cartoons along the way that make fun ‘Every chapter consists ofa variety of strategies and techniques enhanced by aneedotes and inspiring stores. The frst three chapters lay the foundavion. Each subsequent chapier introduces fa mew set of strategies centered around « specific habit that will help you to focus and perform better. Individual, these habits are vitally important to your future success. In combination, they create a veritable fortress that will ensure you enjoy life to the fullest. At the end of each chapter you will find a series of “Action Steps. These are designed 19 facilitate your progress. I is ‘essential that you follow through and complete these if you ‘want to enjoy a higher level of prosper. You can initiate them tone at atime. Use this book a a continuous work-in-progress that you can refer to over and over agin ‘we strongly suggest Ua you havea highlighter marker or pen and notepad beside you as you read. Use these fo immediatly ‘apr the ideas that have the greatest impact. Remember, ts al about focus. The main reason most people struggle professionally and personally is simply lack of focus. “They procrastinate or allow thy and interrupte elves to be easily distracted "Now you have the opportunity t be different The only jnarpose of this book ts to inspire yout fo tle sction, Thats it, pure and simple, Theres a treasury of wisdom i the pages ahead. So lets get started. Use The Power of Focus to guarantee your better future, And may your ie be truly ‘niche in he proces. Sincerely PS. I you are the ovener of a business and are planning for rap growth ip the nest fe years, buy a copy of this book for ‘everyone on yout team, The momentum created by implementing these fusing strategies together wil ensue that you reach your targets mach sooner than anuipateONCE A NEW HABIT 15 WELL-DEVELOPED, IT BECOMES YOUR NEW NORMAL BEHAVIOR “Thus is great news By superimposing a new behavior 08 top AT gourprenent behavior, you can eeate an entirely eW #2 Sy eing Mags. This new normal behavior then Becomes Shar nek standard of peformance and prodcsvity tm other Moe yout simpy stam replacing your old bad abits with ow sucessful habits For example, if you always show up late for meetings. your sins levels are probably high and you feel unprepared. To improve this; make a commitment that you wil ares ter mies ‘aly for every appointment during the next four weeks. If you fseipline yourself to complete this process, you will naice two things: 1. The first week orto will be tough, In fac, yout may nced to give yourself a few mental pep talks just to keep yourself om trac, 2. The more often you show up on time, the easier ihecomes. Then one day it becomes normal Fbchavior ts like being re-programmed, And soul discover that the benefits ofthe new program far outsegh the results of the old one By systematically improving one behavior at a time you can dramatically improve your overall ifestyle. This includes ‘our health, income, relationships and time off for fon. MARK fave fendi ist changed svn ou ating te oy ur fre so ho hemes ed ond vormeig.ha tow energy and lacked seo a ib cat on my desdd te age. tae along procs on rate os of setae: With th hap av excelent eaionst Sd apanoral it vanes remade ucorglete uno Te nageed caning, tr no wublecvting deers sa rer porto a re ln roe minim anergy He ha spear for anes Inds condencestsatine bh Ir other people can mak cope can make significant changes, why not you? weer mothing wil charge wat 34 de Embrace change a « postive catalyst One that wl give you more freedom and peace of rind “ IF YOU KEEP ON DOING WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS DONE You'll Keep On Getting What You've Abeays GotHow to IDENTIFY Bad Habits BE AWARE OF THE HABITS THAT ARE NOT WORKING FOR YOU [Many of our habits, patterns, idiosyncrasies and quirks ace invisible, causing renowned author Oliver Wendell Holmes t0 ‘observe, "We all need an education in the obvious.” So let lok moe closely at the habits that are holding yout hack. You ate probably conscious of a few right aay. Here are some common tones we have received fom client in our workshops, + Not returning phone calls on ime + Being late for mecings and appointments + Poor communication between colleagues and stl + Alack of clay abost expected outcomes, ‘mot targets, goals, te 4+ Notallowing enough evel time for outside appointments + Notatending o paperwork quickly and efficient + Hanaling the mail more than ance + Alloing ils to gowns, resulting In interest pera, + Not following up consistently on overdue receivables + Taking instead of soning Fonerting someones name stay seconds (ot less) ale being introduced ‘Hing the snooze alarm several times in the morning before getting cut of bed ‘Working long days with no exerise or regula reas, ‘Not sprang enough time with your eildren Having fastfood meals program Monday 10 Eid. Eating at regular times ofthe day Leaving home in the morning without hugging your wife, husband, children anor dog Taking work home with you, Soci ton mut on the telephone Making reservations atthe Last minute (westaurant, travel plans heat, concerts) ‘Not fllowing shnough on meas promised, ‘with other peopl’ requests Not taking enough time off for fun and family free! "Having your cellphone onal the time Answering the telephone during family meshes Controlling every decision, especially the small sul yo need t et 20 of Procrastnating on everything from filing taxes ang out your garage[Now check youre out by making a lst ofall the habits that {ep you unproductive. Block off an hour or more so you ean relly think eough this process. And plan it so you wont be interrupted. 1 a worthy execise and willbe You a stong foundation for improving your eels ia the yeas ahead. In fac, these al habits, oF obstacles to your goal, really 2et a a springboard o your future succes. Unt you ay understand whats holding you back, is diel o create more productive hats The Sacessful Habits Formal atthe end of hs chapter ‘will show you a practical way to tansform your bad habits tmxo succesful states. “Another way to identify your unproductive behavior i o ask for feedhcle, Tall to people you respect and aire, who know you well Ask them what they observe about your bed habits. Look fr consistency Mf you ta to ten people and eight of them say you never rewura phone calls oh time, pay astention. Remember this—your outward behavior i the truth, whereas your inner perception of your behavior i often an ilusion. IEyow are open to good honest feedback, you can make adjustments quickly and chninate ha habits pernanenly ‘YOUR HABITS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS ARE A PRODUCT OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT This is an extremely important insight, Understand that the people you hang around with and the environment you lie fn strongly influence what you do, A person brought up in ‘negative envizonment, continually subjected to physical or verhal abuse, has #alilerent view of the world than a child reared in a searm, loving. al supportive family Theitarinudes and levels of sel-estcem are different Abusive environments folten produce feelings of unworthiness and lack of ontienee, wot wo mention fear, This nega ied into adult life, ean produce al sorts of unproductive habits including drug addiction, eriminal aeuvity and an inability to mold a steady career path Peer pressure als plays # negative oF positive tole. H you hang around people who ate always complaining about how bad everything is, you may start believing what they say On ve belief system, if ca the other hand, iTyou surround yourself with people who are strong an postive, you're more likely to see a word full of opportunity and adventure Im his excellent book, NLP: The New Art and Science of Getting What You Wa, author Harry Alder explains further: Even small changes at the rot level of belie wil pradace amazing changes in behavior and performance. This seen more starkly in children than in adults, ss they are more sensitive to suggestion andl changing belie. So, for ‘example, i children believe they are pood ata sport, or 4 particular subject, they will actually perform hetter The bewter performance will fel the enhanced! sell belief and they will goon to excel Ina few rare eases person might have an overriding selftbetief that says Tim no good at anything.” and this will have a very damaging elect on anything they xy to accomplish —aF they bother to try. BOL is far more ommn to havea mistuce of sell-beiels, soxne of hich ate positive or “empowering” and some of which are rnegative or “disempawering,” A man might have # very low sell-image in carver terms and not see hams, for ‘example, as being 2 good “manager” oF “boss” or leader", The stme person, however, might see hinsll 36 “natural” at sport, socializing, or in some hobby a ppstime. Jus as commonly na Work situation, a woman might se herself highly in rms of professional ability —bring able wo do the job well technically—but be farfrom happy about handling the “office polities” side of her career Or vice versa, So we cach have a range of sellbliels, covering the many facets of our work, social and domestic life: and we need to be specific when. ilenifying, those that affect wlaat we achieve. We need to replace disempowering ones with empowering ones Even sf you wete unfortunate enough to have a severely disudsantaged background, you can still make changes. And icmay only take one person to help you make the transition ‘An excellent coach, teacher, therapist, mentor oF positive role model can dramatically impact your future. The only prerequisite is that you must commit to change. When you fre ready 19 do 50, the right people wail start showing up to help you, In our experience, that well-known saying, “When the pupil is ready the teacher appears.” s true. Harman i ne longer apart of lovable systom, How to CHANGE Bad Habits STUDY THE HaBITs OF SUCCESSFUL ROLE MODELS As mentioned before, successol people have developed succesful habis. Learn to observe shat those habits are Shy successful people. As well-known business philosopher Jim Rahn sp, "They leave ccs” What ifyou were to intersew one successful person every month? Take hin or er out to resist o lunch and ask lots of good questions abot thet disciplines tines and habits What do ty cea? What ls and association do they ben a? How do they sched hee time? Ifyou listen well and take good notes, youll have « trealth of powerful ideas in a very short time. And i your Teauest is Sincere, rly sucresfl people ave happy to share ther eas. They enjoy the opportunity to be a coach people svho ave genuinely terested raproving ther es JACK AND MARK: \ihon we finished writing the frst Chickon Soup for the Soul book, we asked all of the besteeling authors we know—Barbara De Angelis, John Gray, Ken Blanchard, Harvey Mackay, Harold Bloomlild, Wayne Dyer and Seart Peck—what specific suategies would be required to atzure that our Book would become a bestellen Al of these people were generous with their ideas and ther insights, We cid exerting we ere fle Wie me hast of doing @ minimum of one redo interview 9 day, seven days © week, fortwo yous, We rettined ou own publiost