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We sont out five books a day to reviewers and other potential opinion molders. We gave newspapers and magazines fie reprint nghts to our stories. We offered fratvatoral seminars ta all ofthe people sesporsicie for ling out books, In shor, we asked what our bessling his shoul! be and we put ther ints acton As 2 result, ‘we have so ity milion books te date wore. “The uouble i, most people wont ask, Instead, they come up withallsor excuses They oo busy. they rationale tht succes people woul have time foe then ad Rowe do you tnd these people anyway? Success people area standing on every sucet comer waiting to be inlerviewed hace emer ea sy That means you eed 0 fe resoureil and come ap with ways to find where these Sete peple Work, ve. nd ang out Mae game Have fun. to wont i! (in chapter 3, whic focuses om the habia Building Exelnt Relationship, ysl discover how tafind and contact success mentors) eres mer way to sty sc poop: Read their sulobiographies and biographies There ave hundreds of them These are wondefl true sos packed wih ews, ta the books aren you local bray aol okstores, Rea Se every month and youl in moe inten 984 an many unten coune oul lle, “th. be ale for ope lvson documenta tha fst seccesl prope Another hab the the of shave developed Tseng to moana and eduaondl adap when tr hing walking or exergy Tent utp for thr imu each dye dys ek, en ys youl have been exposed to oe en aed of se ad sell lormaton- This hat hat los al of be sce people we Know have developed Hsten to suites {Torsome of he es see ou sous Cade on page 303) (ur friend Jim Rohn says, “If you read one book every sonth about your industry. iy ten years youl have read 120 books. That will put you in the top 1 percent of your fee.” Conversely as Jim wisely notes, "All the books you haven't read won't help you!” Check out specialty stores that sell videos andl cassette tapes featuting top personal development Urainers and business leaders. All Ubi terrific information 's out there waiting for you. So feast am it, and watch your fwareness soar. Pretty soon, if you apply what you learn, your come wil soar to. DEVELOP THE HABIT OF CHANGING YOUR HABITS. People who are rich in every sense ofthe word understand that life i learning experience, It never stops. Leatn 40 constanly rele your habis. Thee always another level 10 reach for, no matter how gad you are right now: When you Constantly sive to improve, you build characte. You become mire as person, and you have more wo offer. Hs an exeting Journey that ultimately leads to fulilment and prosperity Unruly sometimes we learn the lessons the hard way. Les: Have you evr experinced dry tonne? te no fa, and {good exampie ol how bod habits er make your fe mise, (On consutaxon wth my doctor it became evant that ny sulleting onginsted from poor eating habits. The consequence fray showed! up in the frm of several large sono twas decided that a thotypey was the best way 10 remove than Thess lee technique that ony takes about ‘anhour and normally the patent ul racovers na few daysTHE POWER OF FOCUS Prior to thie | had booked a special fatherand son weckorc in Toronto, My san had just tuned nine and had never been there before. Ou favorite football team wae playing i the ‘atonal championship final plus tha Loe Anges Kings, hy Son’ favorite hockey team, were in town as well. We planned 10 fy out on Saturday morning, My lthetyesy w= ‘on Tuesday of the same week. which | igueed gave me lots time to recuperate beter he fight Honover, on Friday afternoon, ater severe bout of renal cole and thiae days of excrocating pan, dulled only by regular marphine shots, my surprise tp with my son wos evaporating before my eyes. More consoquences! Forunately at the lost minute my doctor docidod | as ft enough #9 vavel and signed me out ofthe hospital “The weekend wos spectacular Our foatbal {oar won, we watched a great hockey game, and my son and | have ‘memaries we wil treasure fora Metime. And! almost lost that wonderful opportunty because of my bad habis. Tam now highly motivated to avoid future kidney stone. problems, I rink ten glasses of water every day and {choose not to eat certain stone forming foods Its 2 small ‘rice to pay. And my new habitshove successully kept ma outof rouble, 30 fr The point of this sory st illustate how he will aways give you consequences related to your actions, So before you Cinhark ona specific course, Iook ahead. Are you ereating tegative consequences or potential rewards? Be clear in yout thinking, Do some research. Ask questions before you start any new habits. IF you do this, youl enjoy more of ifes pleasures, tv not be seaming fr morphine till yout pin! Now that you understand how habits wally work and how tw idenify them, lets conchade with the most importaot art how to permanently change your habits The Successful HABITS Formula This is a step-by-step method to help you create better habits, Ie works because ifs simple. You dont need ‘complicated strategies. This template can be applied 10 any area of your life, business oF personal. Wapphied ‘consistent i will help you achieve everything you want, There are thrce fundamental step: 1. CLEARLY IDENTIFY YOUR BAD ‘OR UNPRODUCTIVE HABITS [es important that yo really thik about the fare consequences of your bad habits, These may not Show up tomorrow next week or nest mth The ea impact cou be years sway. When yon Took at your tinproducive behavior ome day at time, Hy not Tooke so Bd. The smoker sis, “Whats Te cps xy? eps ne ela Fn not whveng ad caging Tomer the days acute an pen years ae the dato lice the Xa ae conelsive Consider this your smoke tem egrets dy Kr twenty yas thas seventy-three thor egaetes 90m think seventy-three howsand cares could ave an pack om your hung! Of couse! ina, the consequences cat ie daily Se when you examine your om bod habits, consider the longterm impicstons. Be totaly honest. Yur fe may be at sak,2. DEFINE YOUR NEW SUCCESSFUL HABIT Usually this is jus the opposite of your bad habit. tn the smokers example would be "Stop Smoking. What re you sly ping to do? To motte yoursel Think abou all the benefits and rewands for adopting Your new siccessal habit, This helps you ereate 2 {lear picture of what this new habit will do for you ‘he more vividly you describe the benefits, the more likely you are to take action. 3. CREATE A THREE-PART ACTION PLAN This is where the rubber meets the road. in the smoking example there are several options, Read hove to-stop-smoking literature. Start hypnosis therapy Substitute something else when the desire fora cigarette arises, Place abet with a fiend to keep you accountable Sart a fresh air exercise program. Use a notine patch treatment Stay away from other smokers. The important thing is to make a clecision about which specific actions ‘you are going to implement You must take action. Start with one habit that you really want to change. Focus on your three immediate action steps and pat them into practice. Do it now Remember, nothing will change until you do. CONCLUSION So now you know how habits really work and how to, ‘deatify your bad ones. tn addition, you have a proven: formula that will jump-start your new successfal habits. This will work equally well o improve your business habits as well as those in your personal life, We strongly encourage you to complete the Action, Steps as described at the end of this chapter, Only when you commit to working through this Successful Habits Formula in writing will the true benelits become clear Just keeping information in your head is short lived. We want you to experience a transformation— fn your results, and in your Mfestyle. The next chapter will build on this strong foundation, 1s all about {ocusing your power Expect some major brealahroughs.ACTION STEPS WS... People IM to Interview The Successful Habits Formula A. Successful People | Want to Interview Moke a st of people you respact whe hive akeady done exiemely well Set 2 goal ta invite each of them to breakfast, oF lunch Or book an appointment at their office, Remember to take 2 notebook ora tape rcorder with you to capture thei best idea 8. The Successful Habits Formula Look at the folowing exams, Theve ate the sectons—A, Band C nsection A dine the habit that holding you back. Be spect ‘Then consider tha consequences i you ke@p on repeating this Dbehowior Every scion you take has consequences. Bad habite (negative behavion produce negative consequences. Successful habis (postive behavior produce bene and revarcs. In section B, deline your auecesstul new habst_ Usualy all you need 10 do here wie the apposite af what you had in section A. Ifyour bad habit was No savings for the future, your new habit could be Save 10 poreort of senting ! earn In section C, lst the thee action steps you wil take to "uth your new habit into realty. Be epectc Pick start date and thon get going A, Hable That Holding Me Back No savings investments forthe future~-spending allof my income Unable te stop working in retirement years, no Feadom oF choie, pavers, B. Succoafl New Habit Invest 1 percent of Debt ree, choose my own covery dolla ern estye, ots of ime of, financial independence, “Thee-Step Action Plan to Jump-Start My New Habit 1. Find an excellent financial planner to help me design 3 ong term game plan 2. Setup a antl atomatc deduction investment account. 3. Make a ist of where the money goes and aiminate unnecessary spending Star Date: Monday, March 5‘A. Habit That I Holding Me Back Allowing distractions and Interuptions eoughout the day at work B, Succesall New Habit Fire personal asetant taszeen phone cal, Sndhelp with paperork Print aks ever corre, les tine lor money making es, ncreared stress, onger werchous,educed miy te ‘Able to complete projets, ‘mare time formeney-maeng ett reduced stern, more energy, eter balance athome. ‘Tinwe-Step Action Plan ts JumpStart My Now Habit 1. White up an ideal job descrintion, 2. Advertise, interview and select the best candidat. 3. Train thoroughly Start Date: Tuesday June 6 (On a separate shoot use the same format to record your own habits and action plans. DO IT NOW! y OUR WABiTs Wilt DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE You've completed the frst step—good effort!Focusing STRATEGY “2 It’s Not Hocus-Pocus, It’s All About Focus “| NEVER COULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT THE HABITS OF PUNCTUALITY, ORDER AND DILIGENCE... THE DETERMINATION TO CONCENTRATE MYSELF (ON ONE SUBJECT AT A TIME.” Charles Dickeas The entrepreneur's dilemma. If you own your ovn business, orate planning to tn the near future, be aware ofthe Entrepreneurs Dilemma {You can also adapt this f you're in management ‘or any sort of supervisory role.) Heres the scenario: You have this great ides for selling a new product fr providing a unique service, You visualize doing it better than everyame else, and of course you're going to-make lots of money. italy, the main purpose of a business is (0 find rnew customers and t9 keep the ones you aleealy have Second, to make a fair profit. At the start, many small Tusiness ventures are undercapitalized. Consequenty the entrepreneur wears several hats, especially in the first year, and puts in long days and nights, with not rch time for relaxing. However, is an exciting time, Pring dene together, secing potential ellents and Iinpreving the product line or service ‘Aza foudaton ts bul, people and systems are put sn plac wo erate stably. Gradually dhe enteprenett becomes more involved in day-to-day administrate dies, Paperwork nceises and wat sated cut 38 cxctingwestre becomes a day moun, with ac ‘more ime spent puitng ot hire, handling people problems, nx challenges and monthly cso Does this sound lamilar to you? Well, yore not alone nour combined seventy nine yar f business perience, hs avery common ston. The ima is compouniled because many enteprencurs (and tage) ae contol. They nd diel le go, toallow other people wo carry the lad Delegton not their sizength, and ofcourse they are emotionally tached to their business. Aral, hey created ‘weaned it and nurened They anderstand every deta Id in heir minds nobly ee and ese tnpora ‘very tas aswel as they can This fe the ulimate Catch-22. There ate more toe, but you cant gt fo them becsise youre stuck think, “Maybe if | work harder and take 4 me tmanagement course, I can handle everything” THis sont help. Working harder and longer ots wil bie sentence: You must invest most of your time very weak doing what you do best, and lat others do what they do best Thats sin nushellCARTS WHISK BROOMS ‘Cars one of those people who looked tthe hod the was dealt and began playing the cards ‘cus on those ates you do iia and fom hich Foc oe ny, yn don yo pcs eters levels an nate erst Noto plesse Seruie our bilan aves give you ene, beep YU ee an ee you up to chase ove new opprtniies, Bat Soste pay ong how be ah has Taig youthc touve ihr wont pst apes Laer in we eee er youll nd su speiesly Tow to del with those ‘none and get therm ol yo back Focus on Your NATURAL Talents Tes casa mporat hat you understand ths. T help you st the plete ett take look atthe world of oek ad oll music TE Rulling Stones ane one of she most profile and ending rotKcando bands i soy. To date the carer has spanned ‘iim forty years: Mick hugger and his three friends are now well into their fillies and stll performing to sold-out stadiums around the world, You may aot ike their musi, bit lus hard 1 deny their success, Lets go behind the scenes jst hefare their concent begins The stage is set. cook over t60 bundled people to bald this ‘mammoth structure several stories tall and half the length of foothll field. A convoy of more than twenty semi required (o haul it from the last location. Two private planes jet the key people, including the band, berween cities, 18 a huge operation. Their 1904 world tour earned more than $80 million profit so its obviously worth the efor! A limousine pulls up back of the stage. The four band members step out and wait expectantly lor their cue eal They exhibit a hint of nervousness mised with excitement as seventy-thousand people erupt into a deafening toar when their names ate announced, The Stones walk on stage and pick up their instruments. For the next two ours th perform brilliantly, sending their legions of fans home happy and satislied. Alter the final encore they wave good-bye, step into the waiting limousine and exit the stadium Thhey are masters at applying the habit of Priority Focus, That means they only do the things they are brilliant at— recording and performing on stage—period. Notice this. After the initial planning, they don't get involved with hauling, ‘equipment, figuring out the complex itinerary setting up the stage or doing the hundreds of ether tasks that need 10 be periormed eflciently to make the tour a smooth operation, and ultimately profitable. Other skilled people look after the uals. The Stones simply concenteate on what they do best singing and perfor Theres a great message here for you, dear reader, and its this: When yeu focus most of your time and energy doing the things you are truly brillant at, you eventually reap big rewards. This is « fundamental truth, And its extieal to yout future suecess.PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE Less ake oka few other camp Spr ged tie tvery champion ate forse 98 is be hee uae iene and conta eines them wo am evechiher eel of Peformance No matter which sport you choose. the Big Repeal have one thing in common. They spend most of {Eelam focusing om thir sengs, the things sey ate Minurally good a, ery Tinie tne fs wasted on unproductive wae nd they peace, proce, practic often several Sours everyday, hong thet ls herbal sperstat Michael Jordan made hundreds of jum shows per dy, every day, no mailer whal. George Best srTttne word gests sneer sare fa the sacs, ofen hed Tong after tester payers had fnwshed taining Gekegeltnt hs great assets were his feet. He would Te ae bls at varying ctances Kom the goal posts and prac Hs scoring toh ime afer cme. As rest he was Mfnchenter United's top goal scorer for six conseeatve ‘tne thi typeof daspine that vests Bane Nomce How thes wp performer spend very ite tne on thelr weaknesses Many’ of our school systems could learn frm this-Oten, cen ate tld to focus om the weaker ‘Metts and mot spend so much time onthe ones they do Sela the radonae es develop abroad level of ermpetency many subject instead of focusing on afew. Wrong! AS Rodney coath Dan Selva al yo spend woo ral tie king om your weskneses a you end up with is ala of Sang sakes" Ths doco pve you acompelise edge SIRE arpa or poston you tobe wea TJs keeps average im facts an absolte sul 0 Your tee Ws span okay diferente your aes fh trom your weakest. ou are probably good at ot of thing tren cnn in sees Others you are competent a ana You are hones there are some things jo ae tually toes Adin’ On a cle of one ta ten you could pot your ente fang of lent; one being your weakest and ten beng your tno bint Al your biggest rewards in fe wil come om spending the eat majority of our time i the aco that stoves tenon our kr sce To clesny define your areas of biliace, ask yourself a fw gts, Wha oy efoto Sindy or preparation? And what yon do Ghat ater People find difeutr They marvel your ably and ean come close to matching i. What opportunities exis tays Imarkeipace fr your seas af Billanes? What could you Crate ing your ange lens? Discover YOUR BRILLIANCE We are all blessed with a few God-given talents. 4 big part of your hfe is discovering what these ar, then uuising nd applying them to the best of your ability. The discovery process takes years for many people, and some never teuly rasp what their greatest talents are. Consequently. thelr lives ate less fulllling. These people tend to struggle because they spend most of their time in jobs or businesses not suited to their strengths. [0 like trying to force a square peg into around hole. It doesnt work, and it causes a fot of sitess od frustration Jim Carrey the comedian and movie sar who now corals twenty million dollars of more pet picture, has a unique talent He can twist and contort his face and body into the most ‘unusual positions. At times i looks like hes made of rubbersn wenger, be spent hours every day practicing in Font SAC dor ie ats teatied that ke was brant at hin pesonations an! this bose Bis ay routine om threo cst Say changes long she a td. Aone aan yas tes he fev of confidence rn donee he was oo comnced of i comedic snes anc Kept perastng etl he as nally flere aa tea move eed Ae Wear Pet Det. Ths Ma oppor wb tally bere The move Beco «hg ce an Lube i onthe path rete, Nati, i he cay stags of is ase Be soit ay eins dana le Hs supreme Li tty Te ema st»son be ms SERaTNSS sur ot daly pace eventual pa of ine 2 proved his focus wing vsuaetion. He wrote ae Ek for twenty milion dallas "Fer Sersess Mamata ded and hep tin his pocket. When une wee ae at oa quid ooking Lm Angles seat nla mone sine Then ed ee he heck an tvat hs pesming gond Torre ners) canister gears hr e sige dea for tee lon Fae ig The Mak The ane? Ain ent othe ove tech onthe chet he ep ors log in spoke He eons Mabe ta pat of your every plan a perce drama fm productsity and see Awe a prt snes shat wl make ths as re al ag cay your ung talents called Ite Porky Focus Workshop. and foiled on poke ery pe absutly eer about what reall ges 00 Beaneseat apie eck hs ely check usual sry a yo Ra you make hs al he actties YOU oar workin apical we Junto ths a up dh tta score Between en antseaytne faces ory Tr es ake a eis aii aur i cont oy thing cach wk and Be tas focused. Even twey actives fr oo many. ol be seated reins po raps ands any people are tn shock when they see how much of thee week agmented. “Overwble” “out of contd” sd “sewed ot ate pial pases we heat a. However, Completing the Froniy Focus Workshop atthe tad of Uns ‘Super good staring poin. At east youl Know where Sour tine rely goes I yo fave touble member al he hig you do another igo of dng oo much you can eae a tume-log. Simply record everything you do at fifteen-minuce Inert Keppler or ove days and youl Rave speracerate record. takes Te dcp, ty id well ora eto This wl lay ‘demonstrate how you are investing or wasting your time. ‘ter empl the Priory Fatus Worchop the nest ep soit ter digs you are Banta dong Tn your snes Rete the denon of bran? These sacs jo do floes tat give you ener. and that roduc the grees rele and income fr your bustnes, By the way You ae mo ely involved wih income genemting ais, whe? Anal ae they cing bilan job of Hot you pc need sake ie mae dc ne eae heres the nex important question Ina ypc week, what perestage of your tne do you spend om our Bi sh Beal os On harap sen 604070 peco af yu ne being sed prob thesis mom for mprovemen, at ou cel iin hs 80990 percent Rementer. Jour btm your areas of brilliance. " = YOUR LEVEL OF BRILLIANCE WILL DETERMINE THE SIZE OF YOUR OPPORTUNITIES IN LIFE“The next step ist lok at yout origina st of weekly activities and select three things you dont like doing, resist doing for are just no good st. Theres no shame in admituing you hhave a few weaknesses. The most common answers here ate paperwork, bookkeeping, seting up appointments or doing, follow-up calls, All the litle details that bring a project 10 completion are usually found on this lst, OF course these need to be done, but not necessarily by you Have you noticed how these activities tend to drain your ‘energy instead of expanding 12 If his s trae for you, wake up! When you keep on doing work that you detest, you need to remind yourself that this is fuue. As well-known speaker Rosita Perez explains: "When the horse 1s dead, get off!” Stop flogging yoursell. There are other options. Are You a STARTER or a Finisher? This is a good time to consider why you like doing cersin things and not others, Ask yourself this question: Am Ta starter fr afinisher? You probably do oth toa degre, But what do you {do more often? If you are a starter, you enjoy creating new projets, products and ideas that make Uhings work beter. The frouble sith starters is that they arent very good at finishing All those little details we talked about earlier? Thats boring srull for starters. Most enirepreneuts are great starters But afer they get the ball rolling they tend to leave 1 and go om to Something new And what they often leave in their wake 1s a zmess. Other people ae then required 19 clean tall up. They are Called finishers. Finishers love taking projects to completion ‘Often they arent good at initacing the project (starters do that best), however, they are great at organizing what needs to be done and ensuring thatthe duals are handled effectively So identify yourself. Knowing what your natural tendencies are 's relly helpful If you're a stares, you ean release the guilt you have about never getting things finished. Here’ the key Find a Driliant fisher wo handle the deals, and berween you lot more projects wil be initiated and completed Lets give you a practical example. This book youte reading suarted out as an idea. Getting the book written —oullining the chaplers, developing the eontent and having it all flow properly—is essentially the starter’ job. Each of the three oauthors played an importa role inthis. However, to produce « finished product—including editing, printing, publishing and establishing distribution channels—required a lot of othet people who ate great finishers, Without them the original text would be collecting dust somewhere for yeats. Sa heres the next important question for you to consider: Who else could do the tasks you don enjoy doing? for expe sa dont enjoy dig th ook, 29 exelent bole Io dnt ny setup apointmens, have am experienced telemarketer ot tentketng service be so Yu dw Hee sing, or"otvtng” people? Maye yu need 3 great sales manager who can rer, tin and Iack teal te sles team every week Max de Ite ou Use be serie ofan oustanding specials ‘Now Before you tt thinker allo al these peopke— ail ost too much hi gain How much ime il you tee up by fli dlgaing the work you done dng ithe i place? Fuhr yout dees or youl sige. You at Plan to hse this thelp in prada, oF consider cone the wor ot using preime secs to keep our overhead low (ne ofa lent wha hv hoe ed buses fond ‘Wedneay mornings tod her bok” The sme parson thn leaned her Home ithe altermoon, She relly enjoyed both Iypesof work, always dda pest job. and twas costlectveIf You're Feeling SWAMPED, Get Help! LEARN TO LET GO OF THE “STUFF” IN YOUR LIFE Lr you're in a situation where your business és expanding and your role in the company requires you 10 focus better, a great Yay to Iandle the expanded workload isto hice a personal (Ssistans Il you find the right person, your life will dramatically ‘Ghamge for the better, guaranteed. So lets take «closer look at this hey strategy: Fits, a personal assistant isnot a receptionist, fccreity someone whose duties you share wih feo or three biher people. A true personal assistant is someone who i> totally dedicated to you. He or she is brillant at doing the tasks you dont like t0 da, oF shouldnt be doing in the first place, The main role ofthis person isto free you up from Sir of the mundane jobs and stulf chat clutter up your week ‘Their role isto protect you so thar you can focus entirely om your most brilliant activities “The careful selection of this key person is critieal to your foture health Select the right person and your life wall become i lot simpler, your stress levels will noticeably diminish and {oul havea lot more fun. Seleet the wrong person and you will Diy compotind your current problems. Here ate few tips: Fitst, make alist of ll the asks you want your asistant to be 100 percent responsible for. Most of these Je the activities you want 49 discard from your own weekly list. When you interview, have the top three applicants complete a personal profile evaluation, There are several good tones on the market. (See Resource Guide, page 303.) ea ea ple ade pf hela eo you stat your section campaiga. Run profiles on Jour ( three interviews and compare these to the Kea candidate ple, Usually the person who the closest match wo your {a profile waldo dhe bt job O couse, you mst take into Account other factors, such ay lttude. honesty. Integy ‘previous track record and s0 on. ° Be cael otto select someone just lke you. Remember, yow want this person to compleinent your skill Hiring Someone with the same likes and disives a yoursell wil probably create igger mess. "couple of eter pons worth noting: you ate controler, sn no wn eggs nly sna at tou surrender to your personal asta! Before you panic {bout the word surener take a closer look Contolers Typeally haves mind that sts nobody can do these tags aswell asthey can. That may be tue However, what If your Asstant could do these tasks 75 percent aswell inal? With proper tsining and good communication every week, your well-chosen assistant will eventually do these activities 2 well as yu, and wl outperform you in many of them, 50 five up the need for total combats holding yon back {lecfully surrender wo someone with better orgenzational Abily and pason for Tookng ater the deta \.Just in case you're stll hanging on to the notion that you ‘ean do ital, sk yourself, "How much am I worth per how?” TT yom have never taken the ime to do this, do it mow: Check fot the chart below How Much Are You Really Worth? ‘Yourleame — Inesma Per Hour Your ines — Income er Heir 000 si srz0000 0 ‘0000 x0 130000 us ss | 5 ‘sano 0 0000 0 sisoa00 5 70000 ss stan $0 soon sto 170000 ss soon sie 8p 000 so ste.o00 so 190000 6 11000 45 S000 sion Hopefully your dll igre hgh. Then why are you running trou dong low-income actives? Give them up! ast commer on personal asians Kis abe yperative chat you schedule tne each dy or atlas once a week (0 shee your apna wi yur pono tant CGmmusica really great relationships fll pais simply a lack of Eommuricaton, Make sure yur asian Knows what you ‘eam to spend your cme on , ‘Also llow reasonable te for your new “partner” to team your sts Inte the he pepe yo want spend time with. St up screening enethods wth Jour ass that rect yo ho al he part dations and imeraptions, s0 you ean focus on what you do best. Be open to all input 1d feedback, Often, your assistant will create better ways tw organize your oflice. Rejoice ifthis happens—you've found steal winner, "Now lt consider how yout can implement the habit of Pronty Focus into your personal life, sa you have more time to relax wih family and friends, ar enjoy particular hobby or sport No matter where you live, keeping a home in frst-. Name the three most important activities that you don't like to do or are weak at doing, ‘Who could de these for you? F What one time-consuming activity are you going to say “No” to or delegate right away? What immediate benefit will result from this decision?—_—_— TPE WOT HOCUS Pocus, IT's ALL ABOUT FOCUS YOUR HABITS wit DeTERWiNE YOUR FUTURE Your momentum is picking yp—on to number three. FOCUSING STRATEGY ‘3 Do You See The Big Picture? ‘THE LIFE WHICH IS UNEXAMINED IS NOT WORTH LIVING.” Peter Daniels is an unusual man whose life reads ike & Horatio Algor story Boon In Australia his parents were third-generation wellite recipients used 10 being poor. Peer attended clementary school in Adelaide. Because of a learning clsabily; he found it dificult to understand and assemble wort. Consequently he was labeled stupid by teachers who were either too busy ar didn't care enough to Find out why he struggled. One teacher in particule, Miss Phillips, would make Peter stand in front ofthe clas where she would berate him with, “Peter Daniel, ‘youre a bad boy and youl aver amount to anything,” Of course this did nothing for his selEesteem, Ax a result, he failed every grade in school, One of his earliest career choices was to become a bricklayer. A few years later, married with a young family, he decided to go into business for himself. The first venture failed miserably and he was broke within4 year. Undaunted, he saw another opportunity and ‘channeled his energy into making ita success. A similar Fate awaited him: he was broke within eighteen months. ‘With stely determination to overcome these setbacks, Peter again launched himsell into the eompestive world of business, only to end up broke fora third time. He now had the unbelievable wack record of going broke three times within five years, Most people would give up at this point, Not Peter Daniels His attic was, “Tm Kaning and I havent made he same mistake twice. This fs excellent experience” Asking his wife Robena to support him one more time, he decided to sell residential and commercial teal estate, One skill Peter had honed ever the years was his abiliy to persuade. He was a naturally good promoter, Much of this came from the necessity t0 eal with a constant stream of creditors who wanted payment, During the next ten years the name Peter Daniels became synonymous with residential and ‘commercial ral estate, Through careful selection and astute negotiation he accumulated a portfolio worth sever million dos Today Peter Daniels isan internationally acclaimed businessman who has created successful ventures in many countries around the world, His friends include royalty, heads of state, andl the leading movers and shakers ofthe commenial world. He sls a pilanthropst who i passionate about helping others, and whose ‘generosity has funded many Christian endeavors, When asked what wrned his life from tiple Indebtedness to unprecedented success, he replied, T scheduled time to think, I fact Leserve one day a week on my calendar just to think, All of my greatest les, opportunities and money-making ventures started with the days T took off to think. L used to lock myself away in my den with strict instructions to my Family that under no cieomstances was Ito be disurbed.” The same strategy worked for Einstein who actually did his pondering ina special thinking chair. ‘Andi transformed the hfe of Per Daniels from sewol falure to multimillionaire By the way, Peter has now written several bestselling books, one of which was titled Miss Philips, You Were Wrong! reminder to his old teacher not to give up too quickly on her students. Developing Unusual CLARITY ‘Aer reson why Peter Danis enjoys cominuous succes, is his ably to erete exching piers ofthe fare. Most people dont have a lee pte of what they want, At bests fas What aboot you? Do you schedule time regularly to think about your beer futore You mays, I okay for Peer Danes, bu could reve ind day each week to think. ned a extra day just to keep up with ny present commitment. "Well could you start wth five minates pi gradually il itto an hour? Wouldnt that be 4 good use of your time, spending sty minutes each week creating an exciting pice aT your future? Most people spend more time planning a twosnesk vacation than they do desgring thee le, eect ther final fate. Tres promise Ifyou make the effort to develop the habit of unusual clarity, the payoll for you dawn the road wll be temendovs. Whether your deste isto be debt fre, financially independent. enjoy more time off for fun‘or build wonderful loving relationships, you can achieve all of this, and more, if you have 2 crystal-clear picture ‘ol what you want In the next few pages. you'll discover a comprehensive strategy that will ive you a “big sereen” picture of the years ahead. In the following chapters you'l also learn how to strengthen and support this furure vision through the use of weekly game plans, Mastermind Groups and specific mentors. In fact, youll develop a solid fortress of support that will render you impenetrable to negativity and doubt So lets get star BY THE WAY, HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT KIDS HAVE UNUSUAL CLARITY? HERE'S SOME PROOF: Cp aes ote wi four girs atthe same time.” —Age nine “tye learned that jos whe get my CG) wombewsy tie, Mom aie me dean ep Age thirteen “Ave leamed that you cant hide apiece of broceol in a glass of Age seven Sunce: vend Leaman Ps Oy acon rows The Purpose of GOALS. ‘Are you a conscious goabseter? Ifyou ate, great, However, pleast read the inforuation we are about to shure. Chances fre youl bene fom the reinforcement, plts this expanded ‘som af setting goals may give you new insights iyou dont consciously set goals, tha is, you dont plan con paper or set targets forthe weeks, months and years head, then pay very close attention to this information, I an dramatically improve you ie Fist, what isthe definition ofa goal? I you'e not cleat on this, you may get demafed before you start. We've heard bs of answers over the years. Here one of he best A GOAL 15 THE ONGOING PURSUIT OF A WORTHY OBJECTIVE UNTIL ACCOMPLISHED Consider the individual words that mike up ths sentence “Ongong” meas ia proces, ase gas ke une “Pur indieses a chase maybe involved, There wl ely be some Ofstacles ain ures to overcome. "Worthy" sbows ta te hace wl be wordifilethat thea big enough ewan tthe tnd wo endure te tough mes “Unt scomiped upgess youl db weer tales o gi he ob done: Not always ey Bats yon wan eho oan compen Sciing ad aching gas soe ofthe swags to mes your es progress and create anus lary, Consider the ntcratine st ding along sles, hoping atone daygood fortune wil fll into your lap with Title or no elfort om your pat Wake up! You've gor more chance of finding a grain ‘of sugar on a sind beac, The Top-10 Goals CHECKLIST Talk show host David Letterman has wacky top-10 lists that people actually pay money for. Heres 2 list that has a Tot more value—a checklist 19 make sure youre using 2 successful framework to set goals. Its like « smorgasbord So pick out what seems to ft you best and use i 1. Your most important goals must be yours. This sounds obvious. However, a common mistake made by ‘thousands of people across the eauntry isto allow their main goals to be designed by someone else. This could be the {company you work for. your industry, your boss, your bank ‘oF mlorigage company, or your eines and neighbors, In our workshops, we teach people to ask themselves the «question, “What do I really want?” At the end of one ofthese sessions a man came up to us and said, "I'm a dentist [only ‘went into this profession ecatise my mother wanted me to. 1 hated it. One day I drilled through the side of « patients mouth and ended up having to pay him $475,000, Here’ the point: When you let other people or society determine your definition of success, you're sabotaging your Tauure. So pat a stop co that right away. Think about this for a moment. The media has one of the strongest influences on you when it comes to making, decisions. And most people buy into it daily bv fac, if you live in a Inirly large eity you are bombarded with a least twenty-seven hundred advertising messages every day: There are constant radio and TV commercials, plus billboaeds, newspapers and magazines contributing to this onslaught. (Our thinking is consciously and subliainally being influenced non-stop. The media defines success asthe clothes we wear, the cars we drive, the homes we lve in and the vacations we take. Depending on how your measure up in these categories, you're branded a success ora lailare ‘Do yous want more evidence? What on the front of most popular magazines? A cover gisomeone whose glamorous Figure and hairstyle ate perfect, with not a wrinkle in sight. Or a male hunk whose muscular torso wasn't formed by merely working out five minutes a day on an Ab-Roller. Whats the message? Ifyou dont Took like this you're a failure. fst ‘ny wonder thac many teenagers struggle with eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia, when society's peer pressure doesnt tolerate anyone who’ remotely out of shape or who has average looks, This is ridiculous! Decide now to create your definition of success and stop worrying about what the rest ofthe world thinks, For years, Sam Walton, the fourier of Wal-Mast, currently the kangest and most successful retail store chain is history, enjoyed Adiving an old Ford pickup truck even though he was one of the wealthiest men inthe country When asked wiry he didnt Urive a vehicle better suited to his position, he'd reply “Well, 1 ost ike my old rick” So forget about image and set goals that ace right for you And by the way, if you really want 10 drive a luxury car, oF live ina beautiful home or create an exciting Mestyle, go for 11 ust make sure that iS what you want, and that youre {doing it for the tight reasons, 2. Your goals must be meaningful. Well-known speaker Chale “Tremendous” Jones recalls the ly days of his carver like chi "Lremember when 1 was struggling to get my buisness off the ground. There were long, rights atthe office when Tel take my jacket off, rll it up tomake a pillow and grab afew hours sleep on my desk ” Charlies goals were so meamingll that he did whatever i took co help his business grow. I that meant spending afew nights sleeping, an the office, so be it. Thats toual commitment, a crucial ‘ingredient if you want 10 become the best you cane. In his eal thieves, Charhe went on to build an insurance brokerage that produced more than $100 million per year in revenue “And that was back in the early 196s, when $100 milion as still Tot of money! (Have You noticed that big company revenues are now measured in billions?) ‘When you prepare to write down your furure goals, ask yourself, “Whats really important to me? What the purpose ff doing this? What am 1 prepared to give up to make this happen?” This thinking process sill increase your clarity Its critically important that you do this, Your reasons for charting a new course of action are what give you the drive and enespy to get up la the moming, even on the days you lon’ fee ike it ‘Ase yourself, "What are the rewards and benefits for this new discipline?” Focus on the exciting new lifestyle you can ‘enjoy by committing yourself now to consistent action, I this doesnt get your adrenaline pumping, visualize the alternative Ifyou just keep on doing the same things that you've always done, what will your lisse be ike five years fom now ten years from now, twenty yeas from now? What words will, describe your future financial pictute if you don't make any ‘changes? Wiha about your health, relavionships and the amount ‘of time you have off for fun? Will you be enjoying a fot more Freer or stil be working too many hours a week? AVOID THE “IF ONLY" SYNDROME Master philosopher jim Rohn astutely observes that there are "840 major pains in life, One isthe pain of disipine, the other isthe pin of regret, Dsciphine weighs ounces, but rgset weighs tons when you allow your life o drift along unfulfilled. You lon want to look back years later, saying, “I only 1 had taken that business opportunity; if only 1 had saved and invested regularly; if only [hud spent more time with my fariy: only had taken care of my health..." Remember, its your choioe [Ulumately: you are responsible for every cholee you make, so ‘choose wisels: Commit yourself nov to creating goals that wil ‘guarantee your fuure freedom and success, 3. Your goals must be specific and measurable. Heres where most people lose it. Is one of the main reasons individuals never achieve what they're eapable of. They never accurately define what they want, Vague generalizations and wishy-washy statements aren good enough. Far example, someone says, “My goal isto be financially independent.” what «does that eeally mean? For some people financial independence is having $50 mifion saved and invested, For others its eaming $100,000 a year. For somone else its being debt-lzee. What ist for you? Whats your mumber? If this is an important ‘goal for you, take the time now to figure it out Your definition of happiness requites the same scrutiny Just ‘wanting more time with my family,” doesn't cut it. How rch time, when, how often, what wall you do with it, with Whom? Here are three words that will help you tremendously Bee more specific. LES: ‘One of our cients in The Achievers Coaching Program indicated nis gol for bettarhealin wa to start axereaing Vo was teeing sluggith and wantec mora anergy. “Stot exercising’ is a very poor definition of tis goat's 120‘general Theres na way ta measure it. So we said, “Be mote specie." He added, "| want to exercise shitty ‘nates 2 day, four mes a weok-" Guess what we raid next? You're right, "Be more specific.” By repeating this question several times his health gosl was redefined a fallow: To exerciee for thity minutes @ day, four times a weak, Monday, Wednesday, Fiday and Saturday ftom 7 £4, to 7.30 a0. His routine consists of ten minutes stretching and twenty minutes on his exercte bike. What difference! Now we can easily trad is progress. we show up ot the scheduled times to observe, he wil either be doing what he says, oF nat Now het accountable for resus eee she point: When you set «gol, hallnge yourself with the words, “Be more specific” Keep repeating this untll your foal i crystal-clear and measurable. By doing this. youl ramatally increase your chance of achieving he desired ea REMEMBER, A GOAL WITHOUT A NUMBER Is JUST A SLOGAN Tes important that you have a system for measuring your progress. The Achievers Focusing System is # unique game plan we use that wall make this easy for you. ks laid out in tal inthe Aetion Steps a the end of this chapter 4. Your goals must be flexible. Why is this important? There are a couple of reasons, Fis, you don’ want to design a system that is so rigid and cast in| Stone that you feel suffocated by it, For example, f you design an exercise program for better health, you may want to vary the times during the week and the type of exereis, so it doesnt get boring. An experienced personal fitness coach can help you customize « progsara that fan, has lots of variety and still guarantees the results you want Here’ the second reason: A flexible plan allows you the Ireedom 10 change course if a genuine opportunity comes along that is so good you'd be crazy not to pursue it, A word fof caution here. This doesnt mean you start chasing after every idea that comes by your door Enteepreneurs ae famous for geting distracted and losing their focus. Remember, you dont need to be involved with every nev idea—just focusing fon one or two can make you happy and wealthy. | “Dyer early ontavere It ‘ ‘5. Your goals must be challenging and exciting. Many business owners seems to “plateau” few yeats alter the start of « new venture, They lose the early excitement that ‘sas originally fueled by uncertainty and the risks involved toit their product or service into the marketplace. They become operators and administrators and much of the work seems repetitive and uninspiring ‘When you set goals that are exciting and challengi acquire an edge that prevents you from setting into a life of boredom, To-do this you must force yourself to jump out ‘of your comfort zone. This might be a little scary because you never know for sure if youl land on your feet. Heres 3 ‘good reason to push yoursell—you will abvays lean more about Tie and your capacity to succeed when you ate uncomfortable Often when your back Is up against the wall of fear, the greatest breakthroughs oecu, Sohn Goddard, the famous explorer and adventurer the man Reader’ Digest calls “the real Indiana Jones,” ts x sonderful role model for this concept, At the tender age of fifteen he sat down and made a list of 127 challenging lifetime goals he wanted to accomplish, Here are 2 few of them: Explore eight of| the worlds major rivers inchading the Nile, dhe Amazon and the Congo; climb sixteen of the highest mountains meluding ‘Mount Fvetest, Motnt Kenya and the Matterhorn: learn to ly 4 plane, circumnavigate the globe (he done this four times) visit the North and South Poles; read the Bible from cover to cover; play the flute and violin: and study primitive cultures an tovelve countries including Borneo, the Sudan and Brazil. By the time he turned fifty he had successfully completed more than one hundred of the goals on his lis. ‘When asked what caused him to create this fascinating list, inthe fist place, he replied, “Two reasons. Fist Las fed up ‘vith adults telling me what 10 de and what not to do with ny life, Second, Ididat wane tobe fifty years old and realize [hadi really accomplished anything.” stk a chyna orig abt fh. Gl acpi he You may not want to challenge yourself the way John Goddard has done, but don't settle for medioerity: Think big. Create goals that get you so excited you can haedly Sleep at night Life has a lot to offer—why shoulda't you ‘enjoy your fair share? 6. Your goals must be in alignment with your values. Synergy and flow ate two words that describe any process moving effortlessly forward to completion. When your goals are in synch with your core values, the mechanism) for this harmony is set in motion. What are your core values? Anything you feel stongly about that resonates at a deeper level of your being These are fundamental belies that are ‘well-developed and have molded your character for years. Honesty and integrity for example. CYou can make your own list on page 84.) When you do something that contradicts these vales, your intuition, oF gut feeling, will serve as a reminder that something ism right. Suppose you owed a lot of money and there fs incredible pressure on you w repay the loan. In fact, the situation is almost unbearable. One day a friend approaches you and says, “Tve figured out a way for us to make some essy money, All we nced to do is rob the bank! The biggest monthly Aeposis are being made tomorra, Ive gota foolpred! plan— swell be tn and out of there in twenty minutes.” You now have an interesting dilemma. On the one hand, your desire 10 case your financial concerns is strong and getting your hands fon that much money may be very appealing. However, i your honesty value is stronger than your desite for the ‘money, you wont rob the bank because you know it not the right thing to do, ‘And even if your "Iriend” di a super sales job and actoaly convinced you to go ahead with the heist, afterwards you'd be churning inside. That's your honesty factor reacting “The guilt would haunt you ForeverWhen you harness your core values to postive, exciting purposeful goals, decision-making becomes easy. There # no Internal conflict holding you back—this creates an energy sige that will propel you to much higher levels of suecess 7. Your goals must be well balanced. If you had to live your life over again, what would you do aifferenily? When people in their eighties are asked this question, they never say, “Td spend more time athe office, Or Til go to more board meetings 'No, instead they clearly indicate they'd travel more, spend more time with their family and have alot mone fun. So when ‘you're setting goals make sure you include areas that give you! time to relax and enjoy the finer things in life. Working. yours toa standsull every week is a surefire way 10 create Jpurmovt and il health. Lifes too short to miss the good stl, In chapter 4, Optimum Balance, you'l discover an excellent strategy that will make it easy for you co enjoy a well-balanced lifestyle, ‘Your goals must be realistic. At first tis sounds contradictory to the previous comments about thinking big, However, 2 measure of ality will ensue that you get better resus, Where most people are unrealistic about thei goals is in determining the amount of time i wil take to achieve them, Make point of remembering this sentence: THERE ARE NO SUCH THINGS AS UNREALISTIC GOALS, ONLY UNREALISTIC TIME FRAMES If you're earning thirty-thousand dollars a year and your goal isto bearmillonsire in tne moms has delintely unweit ‘When it comes to new business ventures, a good rule of Xhumb isto double the time you think i lake for the inal star-up. Usally there are gl holds, goverment ‘ape tiancing challenges and a munud uf other Unngs that end to stow ou down Somes people se gs that ae pure amas. you four fet tll you probably will never play profestonal InsetbalSo'by all means think big and create an exeng pte ofthe future, Just make sure your plan iit feed $n hat you allowa resonable amount of time wo get there 9. Your goals must ineude contribution. Theres 2 wellknown Site phrase hn says, “Whatever man svat he wll abe ap (Galatans 9.2) Ths fandanetal rth seems you had out god thins and Thatsa prey good ded et Unfrtnay any people who stv for stcex—sually dete as money a hye the bow, Ther jot no inn oe omega Simpiy pt they a lars na ger Andou alway taking, You will eventually lose out me longa Contribution can take many forms, You ean give your time: your expertise and you can, of course, give financially: So make ita part of your ongoing goals program. And de i ‘unconditionally: Don expect a payback immediately. That will come in due course, often in the most unexpected ways 10. Your goals need to be supported. ‘This last part of your goals checklist is controversial. There ate three points of view. Some people advocate telling, the whole world about what they ate going to do. They rauonlice that it makes them more aecountable, Ls pretty hatd toJback down when the world is watching to see if youll really do what you said, There’ a lot of pressure when you choose this strategy, and certain individuals thrive on it Dr Robert H. Schuller isa good example. He told the world he was going to build a beautiful Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, a a cost of more than twenty milion dolas, Many observers laughed and scoffed at his dea and said he couldnt do i. He went ahead and did it anyway—the Crystal Cathedral was dedicated debt-free. The cost) fst under thirty tnllion dollars ‘One of Schaller’ comments said it all “I think when you have big dreams you attract other big dreamers.” And he di. In fac, several people donated more than one million dollars ‘each to help the praject succeed. eres the second option. Set your own goals, keep them 10 yourself and get on with the job. Actions speak louder thn ‘words, and youl surprise a lot of people: “Your strategic pla, brant n concept and ‘magnificent im execution, isn working” Third, and this may be the wisest strategy, selectively share your dreams with a few people you trist. These ane carefully chosen proactive individuals who will support and encourage you when the going gets tough, And if you have big plans youll need their help, because you are bound to run lato a Few roadblocks along the wa. Your Master PLAN [Now that we have lid the groundwork, eto get started on your own masterplan This the exciting parstly Ereating your eter fete, and the clay to go with Tis is your big picture, There are six major steps. We sugaest you read through ll six frst and then se time aide to irplement each stategy. Use the Action Steps a the end of the chapter as a gui. Steps five and sx wil be deat within reste etl in chapters and 5 1. Review the Top-10 Goals Checklist. Use this checklist as your frame of reference whem you sit down to ereate your actual goals. it will help you design a cenystal-clear pire, Ibis summarized on page 8 2. Go for the gusto—101 goals. To get your juices flowing, make a ist of 101 things you want to accomplish in the next ten yeats. Have fun with this, and ‘open your mind to all the possibilities. Create a childlske enthusiasm—do not place any restrictions on your thinking, Be specific and personalize your list by starting each sentence with “I am” of “Twill” For example—"I am taking @ six week vacation in Europe,” of “Iwill save or invest 10 percent of my net income every month,” To help you, here area few important questions o help you focusME powen oF Focus + What do I want to do? + What do T want to have? 4+ Where do I want to go? + What contribution do L want to make? 4+ What do I want to become? “What clo I want to learn? + Who do I want to spend my time with? + How much do I ant wears, save and invest? + How much time do I want off for fun? + What wil do to create optimum health? To ensure that you enjoy excellent balance in your ie, choose some goals in each ofthe following aneas—career and business Financla, fun time, health and fess, relationships, personal and conteibution, plas any others that are of special sgrifieanc, PRIORITIZING YOUR LIST Now that you have stretched your imagination, the next step is to priontize, Take « look at each of your 101 goals and determine a realistic ume frre for accomplishmer ‘Write a number beside each goal—one, three years This will give you a general framework 10 work from. In his great book, The On-Purpose Person, author Kevin. W. McCandhy deseribes an excellent technique to help you prioritise ‘He calls the tournament draw This is a format se for al, fonts of competitions from spelling ees to tennis tournaments to the Super Bowl playoffs, Prioritize your choices by making eparate draw sheets for your one-year, three-year, five-yeat andl ten-year goals THE MAIN DRAW List each of your one-year goals on the left-hand side of the shee Make the day sheet ig ena oaccommoae filo te hems on your Ust~antees neyo or stout Hes deep. (Wea sarang ou wl nc owe tha ight one-year ala) This the preimiary dr Row you decee sp tn Da oc he apa on, el My, 8, remo Naive hip red 1m oaTHe powen oF Focus which goals are most importa; that, hich ones will Inve on the ment found Repeat this process unl you end Spr heute Ths ane mo vere ot in Draw Agi, you must selec which af hese eight ae more Ipanema thro to the tl wane. Tis wl tyr singe most Important pry To blp You dec, fo wth gu feeling, Tour inion ts ately rang. Te Stl sysem forces you to choose eat most meaning tofou and what les inporsane. You cam, 0 course ‘Sample te les important goss ter a 904 wish. Now rept ths for you tes ve and ten-yeae pol. We know tiara ees and tency vision is ofien mee dificult to Creme However, well wor tke extn effort Those yeas stb pon you fser than you think! Make sure you a Test have a thie yea pan Theres one eer up. Beore you prints, write down che moat porta ressn that You want to acempish ach trol and he bg benef jou il eee upon compton ‘O se'mertoned betes, bg enon re the deving ore tha heey you poise when te pone gets tug 1S gd tse of our ane to leary ent your rests bore you ‘Se ihn ensure tht your Morn rave pal tele the mom important ones on You St 3, Create a Picture Goals Book. To improve your focus on the new lifestyle you want, ct fa pieture book of your most important goals. This is an Enjoyable process a te whale ica om Tuna lage photo llarn and start collecting pices. or cso in pu so hn ey Ldn rgd et some el Brosh and tout hese four pictures afte aratons you want se. 03C4faiy {eatin pace a old heading st the to ofthe page tha read. "Tam eying the-wec hiya Cdn. Egan che the date yo wan 0B. ‘ou can divide your Piture Geals Hook into lifestyle sections, Make sure you include all the areas we mentioned in step 2 (Our frend Glenna Salsbury consistently uses this strategy with reat suecess. Earlier in er carer, Glenna was a single mother with three young daughters, a house payment, a car payment and a need to rekindle some dreams. Here’ her story ‘One evening, 1 atended a seminar on the 1x ¥ Principle. (Imagination mixed with Vividness becomes Reality) The speaker pointed out that the mand thinks tn pictures, notin words. And as we vividly picture ‘our mincls what We desir, st will ecome a reality. This concept steuck a chord of creativity in my heart 1 knew the biblical truth that the Lord gives ls the desires of our hear’ (Psalm 37:4) and that as ‘man thinketh in bis hear, so is he’ (Proverbs 237), Twas determined to take my seriten list of desites and turn it into pictures. So T cut up old raagazines: ed the ‘desires of my i attractive photo album and sited expectant My pictures were specific. They included 1, A woman 1 wedding gown and a good-looking man in 3 ixedo. 2. Bouduets of lowers. 3. An island in the sparkling blue Canbbean. 4 College diplomas for my ails, 5. A woman vice president of s company. (1 was ‘working for a company that had no female officers | wanted to be the first woman vice presidemt.) 6. 8 rmortar-board hat—representing my desire to earn & masters degree from Fuller Theological Seminary so that I could influence others spistoaly Fight seeks later I was driving down a California freeway. While | was admiring a beauiul real and white car next 10 mine, the driver looked at we and sniled smiled hack, The next thing L knew, he was following ime, [pretended to ignore him, but he followed me forfifieen miles, Almost scared me to death! 1 drove for afew mote mies, he drove afew more mies. parked, he parked. and eventually ! married him! ‘Aer our first date, Jim sent me a dozen roses. We dated for about two years. Every Monday, he sent Ine a red tose and love note. Before we marred, Jim Said ‘ve found the perfect place for our honeymoon "St Johns Island in the Carlbbean 1 di) not confess the truth about my picture book until Jim and 1 were moving into our new home, whieh I had also pictured Inthe album. ‘soon ater, L became vie present of human resources, in the company where L worked, Afier completing my masters degre, was one ofthe first women admitted ‘asa doctoral candidate at Fuller Seminary. Not only diel ry daughters earn college degrees, but they created their own photo albums, and have seen God at work in their own lives through this principe This sounds lke a fairy tale, but at is absolutely true. Since then, Jim and I have made many pleture books. Ive discovered there are no impossible dreams you eally can have the desires of your hear Sout; Chichen Sapo Sou Today, Glenna Salsbury 15 one of the top professional speakers inthe coubtry and & former president of the National Speakers Association "The clearer and move specific your pictures ae, the more likely yen are to stay focused on ther, and trac the ress you a Eoibe creative. Explore different says to reinforce your visio, A Pete Gals Bok ia prea way f tar In chapter 4, Creating Optinum Balance, youll learn how to develop a specific action pln that wil ansforr your pictures nwo reality Before we get to tht, though, here are the three reaming strategies to Help you create unusual larity 4, Use an Ideas Book. This is simply a notebook where you jot down your day-to: ay observations and insights, Its a posverful tool to expand, your awaceness. Did you ever have a big idea in the midlle of the night? You sit suaight up in bed and your mind is racing Usually. you only have a few seconds to capture that aden before you lose i, oF your body says, "Go back to sleep, ts three oclock im the morning!” In fat, you may drift back to sleep, wake up hours later and have completely forgotten what your great idea was, A BRILLIANT IDEA WITHOUT ACTION 1S LIKE MARK McGWIRE PLAYING BASEBALL WITHOUT A BATE: Tiss why an teas Book i so valuable. By recording your best howahs nig yo ever ed fo ey on your mens Youcan review your Keasany tine you want Use fur book fo business teas sales dps, presentation skills, money-making projets, quotes you have read or stores that will help you Explain something beter Js keep yo eats and ees open «xery day an listen to your wn meition Tor example, yu ve st fished eat sls presentation where everthing went exactly ay planed al you cose big deal, capure tin your Ideas Bock, What did you sy hat worked so ell? Maybe you asked a specific question that romped the haying decison or gave ater explanation a Your benefits an sevices. Replay the presentation in your tind write dows what worked Ws abo beneficial to tape-record your presentation. Invite sorncane wh jos ely respect ogo ove wth yom andthe{he roeROF FOCUS you ean brainstorm how to improve it. Keep practicing, Movie ake Robin Willams averages thirty takes per scene, anil hot ihe and the director are sailed with his performance ‘Did you ever stiew up a important presentation? Thats also ‘good time to open your Leas Book and record what you did Gero, You might underline i in red ank and add, “Never sy this again!" tn both examples, by writing down your thoughts (Shale they ate fresh in your mind, you reinforce what worked Siu what didnt work, This gives you incredible clay. Heres another valuable suggestion for your book. First thing in the morning, for ten minutes, record your feelings. ‘Works to describe feelings include ansious. sad, happy. excited bored, angry enthusiastic, frustrated, energized. Write inthe present tence as if you ate having a conversation with yours Use I” language: "1 am feeling anscious today because my (daughter is driving on her own for the first ume,” or feel teneted because Tm staring a new job this morning.” When Sout consistently get ia touch with your felings you are more yonnected to everyday situations and more adware of whats really going on in your lie. 5. Visualize think, reflect and review. The power of visualization {s often seen in sports. Olympic athletes mentally ra the event in dheir minds several times ust before they perform. They totally foes on a postive result “Olympic pold medalist Mark Tewksbury, the Canadian who won the 260-meter backstroke swim at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, actually stood on the winners podium on the eve af the race and visualized a come-from- Pehind winning performance. He heard the roar of the crowd ould sce where his family was siting inthe stanls and saw Jhimscll uivimphantly accepting the gold. medal, The next day Fhe swam the race exacty as imagine and won by a fingertip! Remember. if you copy the techniques of champions you too cam hecome a champion, Use your positive imagination to create these winning pictures ‘The sharper these images are and the more intense you feel, the more likely you ate to create the desited result. 15 a powerful process. In chapter 4, Creating Optimum Balance {youll learn how to thiak at a deeper level and ow to reflect, and review your progress every day. All of these techniques help to produce unusual clarity; one that will give you & distinct edge in the marketplace 6. Develop mentors and Mastermind Groups Another anal way Wo ensure major improves your products and vision ito eat thea of people “tho fave vs experience in aeas where you need he mos il hen ou Sra yo wth ty nen team of experts our leamng curve ines apy Ver tem ple thine. pan, you dar to edie youl ap the rewards dow the rad The emai 0 hur everything out yourself wing ial and error hs aslow wy to me read emse you ru into many oudocks Alsracons. On the oter hand, culvatng advice and ‘tom om specie menos propels you to ate ess ZA Mastermin! Group const of fur toa people who inet repay o share eas and suppon eich ee, Thee tre poweril lanes, They ae designed to foster Long inn aon: Yul ecm al hoor thi chapter 3 Bang Exel Relators [Now that you have a complete framework to create your long-term goals, here the final piece of the puzzle—we call inthe Achievers Focusing System, ‘The Achievers Focusing System This simple but highly ellective focusing method makes it eay for you to measure progress sind stay on rack. 1S used by al of foe most suecessfl clients. Essentially it breaks your goals into seven categories and forces you (o enjoy an eacellent balance;You can decide the time frame for achieving these results A taio-momth cycle good. Is not wo far away. yet it ges you “enough time 10 set some meaning targets. “The seven goal categories areas follows: FINANC BUSINESSCAREER 1 PUN TIME! HEALTH AND FITNESS RELATIONSHIPS PERSONAL CONTRIBUTION When you dedicate « portion of your time to accomplishing ‘one significant goal in etch ofthese areas every sity days, you vnll start enjoying what most people are desperately steiving, For—balanee. And with balance comes peace of mind. All the details of this are laid out in the Action Steps at the end ofthis chapter The Achievers Focusing System isthe backbone fof your overall game plan, Initially it may seem a bit unrealistic tw complete seven goals im sixty days, but wath practice you can do it. Start with small inerements and gradually increase the size of your goals, When you sian this process it more important to create seven mini-victories for yourself chan to set your tiggets 100 high. To keep these in the forefront of your mind, review them daily. Most people don’ do this. tn fact, most people dont even have an action plan for their goals Be smarter and give yourself a jump on the compet 1 wil payoff handsomely. CONCLUSION Like all successful habi ‘ung cant takes eflort andl daly dsciphine. Remember, ‘san ongoing process. The key points are: 1. Use the Top-10 Goals Checklist as a framework. 2. Design a master plan to prioritize your goals 3. Create a Picture Goals Book 4. Usean Ideas Book, 5. Visualize, think, reflect and review (Chapter 4 will cover these in devat) (6. Develop unique mentor and Mastermind Group alliances. (We will show you hove im chap 5) 7. Use the Achievers Focusing Systera to measure weekly progress. DO TIS AND YOU'LL HAVE EXCEPTIONAL CLARITY, GUARANTEED! Myo feng bit overwhelmed right now dont worry Thats quite normal. Take one step a atime. Schedule sufficient time to work through each of these strategies Commit to geting started. Take the fist step. Then locus ‘on accomplishing your short-term goals. Creating a successful future takes energy, effort and concentrated thinking. That’ the reason most penple don't do However, by deciding (0 read this hock you have taken the fist stop to rise above the crowd, Accept the challengs. Focus. The rewards will be worth i, Make the elon now! 5. developing the habit ofACTION STEPS Your Personal Master Plan The Achievers Below isa complete review to help you implement your personal "big picture” Master Pan as well as your shar-term action “To maximtee your results, we strangly recommend that you chedhle 3 oust one ful day t0.d0 ths Top-10 Goals Checklist ‘Te maximize your results remember your goals must be: 1. Yous ‘6 nakarment wth your core aos 2. Meenings 7 Wall batnced LIST YOUR CORE VALUES BELOW: 9g, Honesty, integrity living a inn philosophy, superioncing joy and lve Your 101 Goat To da ths use your awn notebaok. Before writing out your lit of all the things you wart te accomplish, tun back to step two on page 7 Reed through this section again Jst dewn youl thoughts tothe questions. This wil help you develop a kameverk Take ar much tre as you need Than make your actual ist of 107 Goals. New, priortize your hat by using = Tournament Dray sheet ‘mil tothe one on page 75 ‘Your Personal Master Plan Use the sample worksheet on page 86 asa guide. Enlarge this 35 necessary depending on the number of goals you have in each 27a. Make sure you complete the reasons and benefits column ‘our veasons ae the sivng force behind your goals. Alo, eect» pectic completion date. We use The Essenal Goal framework Ssoven kay afeas that create an excellent balanced lacy. if you Sant, you can acs ether areas hat are of sac significance to you sea Smia shee for your the yea, ve year and ten year goal Create aPleture Goals Book Roviow stop three (Page 76) The key here is to have fun and to be ‘roatve. The more mpact your pictures have the beter Choose ‘hes that ate bg bold and brightly colores. H ena ot your goa = toown abard few car vist the lca dealership ane have» peure taken with youin the dwar seat, One af our male dents wanted to Rove a ne ehysique, 2 he ext out picture ofan thet, lopped iftne head and replaced eth» cutout ati own hess! Use an Ideas Book Reviaw step four (Page 79). You can select anything tom a simple notebook to an elaborate engrave journal There ate panty 19 Choose from check your Inca stationery store ‘Number each page frat already numbered. When the book is almost finshed, you may want to create an index atthe back, telhelp you find specie entries later, Develop the habit of apturng your best ideas, thoughts and insights Ths “Dear Diary” Use & fr busines strategies, money-making ideas, stories that ilustrate a point, marketing concepts and whatever fs9 you think isimporant Ifyou enjoy structure, create tabs for Specific topics, The mast important thing, however ito tain Yyoulsello start wring. Start hs wankNoun@iinos 1 ssaniia @ HLTH CN eee srost unonevomoah att ¢ ssanisng 9 ua38v9 ees AWIONWNa Je wo 18640| nok 1 aeayjoN su ©8915 s]205 JDK aUO 10} ENE ROLES NW1d YSLSVW TVNOSUAd AW“The Achiavers Focusing System This isthe weoky gare plas that ensures you hi the ager targets listed in your longterm Maser Plan. The categories are iersical. Refer to the sample sheets on pages 90-91, The fist stap sta wie osm your single most mpartart goal in each of the seven area, Remember, be spect. 1. FINANCIAL—this is vce into total income and he amount of rmaney you wart to save or invest during this time. you af paving down debt, you can also coed the mount hee 2. BUSINESS/CAREER—you wil probably complete several business geal inthis te ram. However, eles the one that wl help you progress most and focus on thi, Maybe is 9 sales target, oF a ow projector jin verte ring for rng) a key person, 53. FUN TIMEI-thi i your gol for time off, totaly away om wrk Record the numberof days ard remomber, you done t 4 HEALTH AND FITNESS —there are thee major cormpenents to concider here—physical, mental and spa. What wl ou do 10 Improve your eral health? Consider avers, nurtoral hat, rewknowledge an! spiral avarenes 5. RELATIONSHIPS—yhat one important relationship vill you wore tn during this penod of ime? Maybe mote time wth 2 family member, a mentor,or key employee or lent. Obvausly you wll interact with lot of people every wook, However, just focus on Signiiearly expanding one of those relatorshies {5 PERSONAL —this is a wide-open choice involing something that gives you personal satisfaction, le might include buying something, developing a new skill ke playing guitar oF planning a special vacation 7 CONTRIBUTION are you going to cantrbute back to society during this time? Peshops te 2 financial contribution 1 your Favorite charity ot church organization. Maybe youl contribute your tme ta the commonty or local spore team. or "impiyhelp someone ou by being alin iene ‘When you have writen aut your seven major goals shit you focus to the week ahead we eal t The Seven Day Focus, Heres how i ‘works tthe begrning of each week select the the moet meorant things you want to accomplish. Be sure to choc aches that move you toward he completion of our seven major goal For example, your heath and fitness goal i to Set up & new exercise progam, the fat stop might be to on a nese ub. your major relationship goals 10 spend more time wth your eden on the waokends, you fist step could be scheduling ten your wey planner If your overall business goal i to reach a specie sales Youme, you might target a cerain number of apesinments inthe next seven dys to got you of toa good san OF course you will be doing other things every week in your tosiness ane persona fe. This acon plan wil help you oous onthe most important actiitis. Make sure you momtor your progres, Whatever gots measured gets done! Ifs fun checking of yout ist -22ch week, and twill Bost your confidence as you get closer to reaching your bigger targets. We highly recommend having 3 focusing partner to keep you accountable for your results, Tis could be a business colleague wha woul also ery using the Achievers Focusing System, Phone your partner atthe beginning ofthe week and share your three most important activities. Seven days later discuss your results, victories and challenges. and stat the process for the following wask. By sugparting and challenging each other you ate less likely to procrastinate during the week. There is an expectation when you reconnect that prograss has baen made You can also crsate some incentives for each ather that wil stimulate you to stay focused. Far example, one of our cents ‘an avid skier She had booked» cay af at her favorite resort 0 & Feward for achieving her weekly goel Ae ar addes incentive, She did not complete her tee most imporent objectives, she promised to give her ski pasues to hor focusing partner Another ‘lient said he would phone his biggest competitor and give him three het business leads he did not finish his qoal forthe weak That was al the motivation he needed!aoe ease -skep Kyouu 40 Axis ‘owes, own porso6Eng Nownarino> aon fe Soar meee anes) a | Oe ees) SalvsNOLLWI38 cote pe | tua ei aT eoeawnioraros Seer HuwaH ase iE oct iawuL Nn “Ronn oani se ay mOIRE aes Stacie a WALSAS DONISNDO4 SYSAaIHIV SALCONSISTENT PERSISTENCE ) BUILDING EXCELLENT RELATIO' TREATING OPTIMUM BALANCE ‘DO YOU SEE THE BiG PicTURE? ) FS Not Hocus Focus, rs ait ABOUT FOCUS y YOUR HABITS wis DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE You've built a solid foundation —well done! FocusinG STRATEGY “4 Creating Optimum Balance WHEN YOU WORK, WORK, AND WHEN You PLAY, PLAY, DON'T GET THE TWO MIXED UR” Gorry is a design architect, and he's bury Asa partner in his business he works long hours. Every smoming he’ up eatly—no later than 6.4 Breaktatis2 ‘up of coffee consumed hurriedly in the car. Occasionally hhe manages a sticky doughmat to go with Jane, his wife, also works full-time, so their two cluldren, Paul, four and Sarah, two. ate dropped off at ddayeare center. Gerry doesnt see his kids very often, He has already elt forthe olice hefore they get wp. and its usually alter 7:30 est, when he returns home, By then they are usually asleep. Even on weekend the business costumes a ot of Gerry's ime. Theres abays something more w be done at the ofc and when Jane chastises him for “living” there, he bundles up the paperwork. and brings i home, usually to burn the midnight oil for a few hous ater © Gerry’ kids have a vane is asleep. X way of comamunicating with brim. They leave litle picisres oF Post-t notes on his bathroom mire: Gery fels gully when he sees themstuck there, especialy when he reads the ones that sty how much they miss him. But what ean he do? The business is ata critical point, After three years of long. hhouts, he and Wis two partners are initiaing & major ‘expansion, Being the junior partner, much ofthe extra ‘wor falls on his shoulders, [Even with two incomes, money is ight, Jane wants to take the kids to Disneyland! but with no budget for savings, this ist likely to happen soon. Do you relate at al to this family scene? I Booming more and sore comoon, a people tugge to create a eathy alance between their career, personal and family ives, Often the greater pressure are on women, who work ul ie bulding a Ehret and ae still expected to cook, clan and somehow cae tmowt ofthe children esd at the ime ine I fat these ‘multiple presure have become one ofthe biggest reasons for livre and family breakdown toda How longcan Ger Jane Sarah and Paul continue withthe “ships passing sn the routine? Eventually something as to give. wil probably be sooner than ater UW you have any stress or concern about the quality of We you curently enjoy. then sly this chapter arty the ext few pages you wil find answers to your concems. More important, we wl share with you a unique system that wil guarantee you a heathy, welLhalanced este There @ Fetter way Being stuck ke Gery is no way to ive. So lle along. Read and reread the following information, and be prepared to make changes irs, lt us emphasize that some people relly do enjoy crvimnim hlane inthe daly Ues, Here one ample Tet fumes ae Join and Jenifer Like Gerry in he presiows soy John thiry-eight years old. Hes en happily married to Jennifer for hen years, They have thee childeen, David three, Joanne, seven, ane Charlene, nine, John also works hard in his own electrical contracting company, which be stared six years ago. Unlike Gerry John and bis family enjoy annual vacations, In fact, they take six weeks off for fun every year ‘Both John and Jennifer had parents with steong values and undoubredly this infuenced them growing up. One of these values was an excellent work ethic: “If you are going 10 do a job, do it to the best af your ability" Another was the value of saving and investing money. By the time they married, both had savings plan in place, and they maximized thet jo savings potential during those early years to create a wel diversified porolio. With the help ofa carefully chosen financial adviser, thei investment plan is now worth 10 hundred Thousand dollars. They also have an education fund set up that will eventually pay for thir childrens college expenses. At work, John has a fistclass personal assistant who allows hrs to focus on what he does best. Consequently he does not {ge caught up in unnecessary paperwork oF become distracted by peaple who could waste valuable chunks of his tine. Because ofthis ability tobe well-onganized, he enjoys most weekends ff Although ke starts the day early, John is rarely home later than 6 2, allowing him special time with his family ‘At the beginning of each new year, jin and Jenifer it dows and plan their personal and fly goals, This inches scheduling specie tme fer vacations, inluding one major holiday together 64 farmland sin-breals for thee or four cays for Joke an Jennifer, with no kids, Twice a year John enjoys a long weekend ‘vay with his Mastermind Group to gol. Jennifer also plans @ few st tips with a group of women friends. REMEMBER, IF YOU WANT 4 DIFFERENT RESULT Do Something DifferentThrough self-discipline and good advice, john and Jennifer hove created a healthy balance in their lives. They have not succumbed to the workaholic syndrome that strains so many relationships. And John has no guilt about taking time off His attide is, “T work hard and smart at my business, so 1 deserve my time for fun.” Asa result, he ereatesa high income That, combined with their habit of consistent investing, minimizes any financial pressure. Interestingly; John and his family are not consumption oriented. They dont spend alot of money on typical consumer goods. Instead they prefer to save for memorable vacations. Their kids don' get everything they ask for, but they don’ suffer either. John is more than happy Living his fouryear-old ear, unbike Gerry, who prelers 2 new rode! every other year, even though he tally can flor it Tis 5 eure \dusT Yo a> Me— When you look atthe Hilestyles of John and Geers, where do you fr in? 1 not difficult 10 figure out who has the healthier IMesiyle. Now, you may not rua your own business oF be in the same age group. You may not even be married or have a family. ThatS not the point. The question here i: “Do you enjoy a health, well-balanced lifestyle, doing work that you love, and that gives you an excellent financial rewrn and allows you to have significant time ofl to pursue your other Interests?” The answer is either *Yes® or “Na.” The B-Alert SYSTEM It your answer “No,” we ae now gong to give you a system mt wil keep you focused and balance Even if you anewered “Yes this unique osc will lente your awacnes toa new level Is ciled The B-ALERT System for Optimom Balance ‘With this system, you will he more alert everyday to those sublepresures that can so xi posh you of age yx check the wo lin he onary sche ey ‘nil sing imelgene, on gard consis, rd prepare” ‘nin, beng atthe recy everyday ad ang tigre wil keep you mindful of your priorities and your state of Balance When you ae truly alert you are more conscious of svhat i going on, What isthe opposite of ale Mindless, Snprepated. conscious, off gut and stupa I you ha hove, which side of the scale would you choose 19st on— dlercor unprepared and stupid? You hve the eotce, and you cam exercise everyday, Seeing alertness over the negative option isan abwvious choice, Why then if ivan easy choice tir make, do mon people hang out on the opposite side of the wale? The ruth old habs de hard fe meomfonble tormake change, and thee never seems to eno tne Seaver dong tthe old way. reer though the Tong tem consequences may be diastows. When i comes to enjoying am excelent balance in ther lives, most people ate hull Snprepard. easily caught off gad, and ot vey snare' discover what your reality is. We're going your daily behavior in deual, using the aevonym B-ALERT. These six letters add up toa powerful formula that will help you create a well-halanceal day: Repeat the process seven times and you'll have a well-halanced week, Persevere for just four weeks and you'll have a great month. Make ita habic every month, and before you know it you'll have & lecrfic year, with a lot more ime off, and a lot mote money 1 go with i As you go through each of the six steps, monitor your emotions. Be aware of any resistance you feel, Think, about the reasons for this potential resistance. Lewting go ol any mental blocks will assist you tremendously in creating your new habit of Optimum Balance. EVERY WELL-BUILT HOUSE STARTED WITH 8 DEFINITE PLAN IN THE FORM OF BLUEPRINTS. Napoleon Ht Bs for Blueprint This is how you prepare for the day. You do prepare, don't you? A blueprint is simply a map for the day. I helps you prioritize the important tasks on your agenda. To illustrate this, imagine a tall, beautiful building sm a major city has stunning architecture. There's marble and glass everywhere with opulent details to complement the wnique design, Before the frst stone was laid, a detailed blueprint was prepared and approved. The owners of the building didnt say to the contractor, "Weld like a big, tall building with lots of glass and marble—here’ the mone: See what you can throw together for us.” No, every last detal was meticulously planned and clearly visualized in advance. If you ask a printer to print a brochure, you must approve the blueline hefore the job is put on che press. This allows rng ma ate ‘you to carefull go over everything before the work is started just in case there ate any errors or omissions, Its the last ‘heck before action is taken, These are wo options for preparing your bluepriat for the day Either do it the night before, or early in the morning before your day has started. You only need ten to fifteen minutes to da this, Recent reseatch indicates that if you create your blueprint the night before, rather than in the morning, your unconscious mind will actually work during the night figuring out how to fulfill your next day’ plan, ic, preparing the best sales presentation, handling potential objections, or solving any conflicts or problems that need to be addressed. Soil you can, take time etch evening to plan for the next day and review ‘your plan before bediime, This review should focus on your ‘most important activities, such as whom you will meet with and the purpose and objective ofeach appointment, Set specifi time limits for your appointments. Also go aver what projects ‘must be worked on, and determine if you have reserved ‘mou time to deal with ther, [US important to have your own blueprint recording system This could be a standard daily journal or dime planner, oF you tay prefer an electronic organizer or computer software program to create your bluepriat Just choose a systexn that ‘works well for you, For best cesuls keep it imple. Customize itt sit your own style, Have you ever observed people who are notin the habit of designing a blueprint for the day? You'll find a few io most sales organizations. They tend to hang around the colfee pot frst thing in the morning, And for many’ ofthese non- planners first thing” is sometime alter 9 44, Socializing and reviewing the newspaper are high on their agenda. Perhaps the fist sales call happens arosnd 11 aM. s0 you ean imagine ow productive the rest oftheir day is likely to beA well-planned blueprint allows you to take change of the day. You're in control from the start, preferably early. This gives you 3 tremendous feeling of confidence andl you are Tikely to get lot more accomplished. ‘THE ONE THING THAT SEPARATES WINNERS FROM LOSERS 1S, WINNERS TAKE ACTION! Anthony Rob As for Aetion You'll notice the leter A is larger than all of the other Ieters in the B-ALERT acronym. This is no accident, When it comes to reviewing your results, the amount ef action you pt into your day will dieetly determine your score, Please notice there is a major difference between being busy and taking specific, well-planned action. You ean have s busy day with rothing to show fort You didnt move closer to accomplishing Your most important goals. The day just seemed to evaporate Maybe you were dealing with tle emergencies ot you allowed yourself to be interrupted too many times. As we mentioned: Im chapter 3, Do You See The Big Picture? its beter to invest ‘your time in what you do best. Concentrate on the activites that produce the greatest results for you. Set limits on what you will and will not do, Delegate effectively, and he alert, to stepping outside your boundaries, In chapter 9, Taking Decisive Action, well show you some great steategies chat will help you eliminate procrastination, anal become highly proactive. One last comment: When you ate on vacation or having. a day off for fun, your action is simply to enjoy yourself ns not necessary to feview goals or do anything related to business In fat, to properly re-energize, ts essential to relax 100 percent, Rememer: You deserve tm of, sa take Ht rene mem ee THERE ARE ESSENTIALLY TWO THINGS THAT WILL MAKE YOU WISERTHE BOOKS YOU READ AND THE PEOPLE YOU MEET — Charles “Tremenous" Jones Lis for Learning Another feature of a well-balanced day is taking time to expand your knowledge. This doesnt require several houts of Stely: There are many ways to lear a the day wnfolds. ll that is required is that you be curious. Your level af euresty about hose life and business really work wil go a Tong way towards helping you become wealthy. So lers look at some learning options. You can learn from hooks, tapes, videos and wellselected media. As mensioned earlier, develop the habit of reading at least twenty to thiny minates in the morning Tes a great way to stat your day Wht should you read? Anything that i stimalating, challenging ‘or gives you an edge in your industry or profesion. Thete ate lots to choose from, for example, eeading a few short stories from our Chicken Soup for the Saul series only takes a few ‘minutes as you eat breakfast, Biographies and autobiographies are particularly inspiring, Reading them will give you an extra hhoost of positive energy. Whatever you do, avoid digesting any negative portions of the newspapers. Loading ap on ws, murders riots and disasters wil only drain your enengy before the day fas heguin—not » goed! plan “Thoxssnds of books reveal the ves of interesting and succes people, fram sports stars and celebrities to adventurers, ‘entrepreneurs and great leaders. There isa wealth of ideas in these volumes waiting to be absorbed by anyone with a litle curiosity and a desire todo beter. You don even have 10 pay for it. This vast storchouse of knowledge is available at ost libraries acsoss the country: And of course there’ the Internet at your fingertips, Many of the best hooks ear nowbe obtained in summary form, Instead of taking a wee a month to read, you can extract all the highlights and most important points. OF course, raake sure that whoever is doing the summary is highly credible, (See the Resource Guide for our recommended reading lst, plus some other reat resources.) ‘One last comment on reading, Consider taking a good speed-reading course. [will dramatically reduce the amount of time you currently spend on reading, Like everything, else, it kes practice to become proficient, but hy now you ready understand that ‘Watch for special documentaries on TY, and ongoing sesies like Biography on A & E, The Learning Channel, Discovery Channel, the History Channel and PBS Television all offer ‘excelent programming, You can even lesen alot from movies and powerful dramas that have an impact on you, not just, intellectually but emotionally When we're in toueh with our emotions we acquire deeper insights and understanding. And remember, its okay to shed afew teaes now and the, LEARNING FROM EVERY SOURCE ‘We mentioned this earlier but its worth winfrcing. Did you know that you could gain the equivalent of u universe diploma jst by driving to ad from work every day? Heres how Instead of listening to some ray dsc jockey om the ratio ora lot of negative news tom your car no a earning enter Audiotapes ate ane of the mi. proctive ays to Expand your awerenens Tuning in for twenty minutes acy sulle you over one handed hours per year fo Teatn more Anuhen sou apply what you ean. youl ats move There are thon ol tps to coef Most bookstores sell east versions ofthe hesseling Business and personal development hooks. You canals rent books on tape thrush specialty self-help stoves, as well as excellent videos on a wide range of topics, These are often presented by some of the greatest speakers in the world. (See our Resource Gide for more dewils.) Also learn from yourself. You can gain a Tot from your everyday experiences, How did you overcome your last challenge? Every time you take a risk or move cut of your ‘comfort zone, you have a great opportunity to learn more bout yourself and your capacity. More about this under the Teer Tip our B-ALERT system Lear from others, You cat learn alot more by observing, aand studying other people, What do wealthy people do? iow did they become rich? Why do some people steugale throughout their lives? Why are only a small percentage ‘of people financially independent? Why do some people have wonderful, loving relationships? Using other peoples ‘experience as a yardstick fr Learning wil help you tremens [Al you need to do is keep your eats and eyes open, ancl ask ‘few questions, JACK: ly conducted a sales motivation seminar for a Caitoria-based apticn lens manalacturing company There were shout 00 salespeople m attendance. | asked members ofthe audience to raise thei hands they knew tho the top twa or thrae producers inthe company were [Almost every hand went up. | hen asked them 10 1318@ thei hands they had ever approached any of those two) for three people to atk ther what ther secrets of success loere. Not one hard went up. What 9 tagedy ths = We Silkrow the people wha ate success, bin we are afaid to approach them and ask them fr information, direction and guidance. Dont let the fear of rejection stop you om asking, The worst thing that could happen is they fvoulen tall you Yau'd end up mot knoveng what they now. You akeady don't know that they know, £0 cant get any worse, can 17 So take the rik. Ask!Make habit of this, Here's another idea: Pluck up the courage and invite ascessul person out 10 lunch every monih~someone you relly respect and admire. Drag the Tunch out the more courses the beter Ask questions. Yul tncosera gold mine of information, and bred in there may be some real nuggets of wisdom that can transform your brsines, financial afar or persona He ot that posible? OF course. But ost people wom do this. Thee mich 100 busy to stop and lear fom wiser, mote experienced people That jst magnfics the opportunity for you JACK: Eatyin his career my stepfather who wos one of NCR top salespeople, made shabitof aking the top producer an ‘managers out fora drink and asking them questions about how they got into the business, and for their advice on hows he gould do better job. All ts advice paid of He ceventualy became president of NCR Bras By the way; your day esning doesn need! 1 be completly ife-changing or on a megsscale often the litle details chat make aileron Constant fine tuning isthe tue path tow so lars ie every ay aR We wore carving our skis back to the cat after enjoying a {ull day onthe slopes, With afar distance to walk, was having dificulty supporting my skis. One of my fronds pointed 0 the female sk sastuctor mont of us, eorlesly Earrying her equipment. I noticed she had the centr portion of her sks perched on her right shoulder, and her ight hand was draped laosely over the fron! end, providing excellent balance. We copied her technique, what 2 aiference! Hardly anyone elee was using this Simple methoe!they were all struggling as we had beer, ‘Te moral ofthe story is that fe teaches you something everyday if you jst keep your eyes open and are conscious ‘Sf what going an around you ‘Ciarles “Tremendous Jones was eight when he said, *There ste essentially two things that will make you wiser the books you read and the people you meet.” Make sure you do both Tnaddiion, the rapes you listen to and the personal coaching you receive will playa prominent role If you really want to ise to the top, invest one hour of your day to learn more about yourself and your industry Developing this single habit can make you # world expert within five years. Remember, the use of knowledge is power. And powerful people atract great opportunities. This takes self-discipline, but wont the rewards be worth it? HAVING ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD ISN'T MUCH GOOD IF YOU CAN HARDLY GET OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING TO ENJOY IT Author Unknown Es for Exercise Now dont heave a big sigh and say, “Oh nol” Please read rough this section carefully. 1 wall he extremely worthwhile Most people don't like the thought of doing any form of regular exercise, and thar a big mistake. Heres the important |qucstion, Do you want to be rich én health? Again the answer fs "Yes” or "No”—not, “Il think sbout it ‘Touday the business of fitness and health is exploding, WS a ‘multiblliondollar industry. And the eason is that people are finally understanding there isa direct benefit to looking ater their physical bodies, You will probably live longer More importantly, you will enjoy greater vitality, and yourquality of ie willbe substantially beter: Lets face st, what’ the point of earning alot of money if you dont have opumun Inealth to enjoy tam you later years? Wood that be sad? Creating an excellent balance in your bie means you dont treat your health lightly. A Ine daily exercise is part of the prescription, Heres the good news, You don't need to rnin marathons or work out in the gym for three hours every day, About twenty minutes is all you need, And there are todo Do you remember George Burns, the famous comedian who lived a great life to the ripe old age of one hundeed? In his nineties, George still enjoyed going out with women much younger than himself. A friend once asked him, “George, why dont you go out with women more your own age?" With a twinkle in his eye he quickly responded, “There ent any!” George had a tremendous vitality for if, In a -vealing interview with Barbara Walters, he was asked about his secret for longevity. He mentioned he'd alvays done & lide stretching every day, usually about fifteen minutes. This was his long-term habit Thetes a elue for you, The older see get the less flexible we become, especialy if we stop exercising, There are lots of good stretching routines. Any chopractor, physiotherapist or fitness facility wil be able 16 help you, or you can pick wp a book at the Kbrary. You ell notice the diflerence in your mobility sn a couple of weeks, especially if you are over Forty years old (One of the easiest ways to exercise fs to enjoy a brisk wall, I you just take fifteen minutes and walk around the block a few times, your body will tank you. Note this: If you take a fony- five-minute walk four times a week, you ean lose up to righteen pounds over the course of a year, without dieting Walking has other benefits. Ie gets you out in the fresh air and provides an opportunity to expand communications and relationships. Walle with your spouse, a family member tora friend, To achieve the best results, exercise lor thirty ing mem tne minutes a day including stretching, Play a sport, do aerobics, jog, use an exercise bike or treadmill, join a faness club or ‘Gesign your own routine. Exercise does not need to be boring. There are a multitude cof ways to create variety If this is sometbing new for you, tunderstand one thing—Kike any habit, twill be dificult at ube san. Seta thirty’ goal Do whatever i takes to get through ths critical thme period. Have a no-exeeptions policy and gise yourself a reward for not missing a single day: Here's the [poarantee: You will fel muck bewer atthe end of titty das. Remember, dont overdo it in these early stages. If you have a ‘medical eondition, check with your physician first LE you ave still not convinced, here a list of eight specie benefits you will receive from a regular exereise program: + Exercising improves your sleeping habits + Exercising increases your enengy levels 4+ Exercising relieves stress and anxiety + Exercising protects you against injury 4+ Exercising promotes a bealthy posture + Exetesing relieves digestive disorders + Exercising enhances your selFimage + Evercsing expands your longevity With this multitude of benefits, why wouldn't you want Years age | started a dally exercie routine, Tike toda this fire thing inthe metring It starts wth fives minutes of stetching, fallowed by a twenty five-minute run, and Shother ton minutes of etching This now ingrained as2 habit eis just par of what | do every dey: When I fist started, my body would acke and Id be gasping for breath, but gradually | have increosed my capacity and ow | genuinely ejay geting aut inthe fresh at Rafe, ‘our golden retriever, accompanies me, £0 'm able to completo another of my duties at the same time, | seo se this time mental to give thanks ard tellect on my prota forthe ay. We have cold winters in Calgary. Sometimes the temperature drops lower than wonty degrees below zens Thats cold! Some people have asked. “You don't run in those temperatures, do you? And the ancwer is, ‘OF course!” | derive so much benelit rom my daly tun that fT ddn® go out, it would bother me psychologically for the rest ofthe day Is easy to acd afew entra loyers ‘of eothing to ensure tat I stay warm. When 'm tavoing | dont pac alot in my suitcase, That gives me an excllet ‘opportunity to be creative Instead of vunning outs, i {og around the habwaysin the hotl or use the wrongs perkng loti an exercise facility ant avilable. Thor's ainays 2 way. The point you discover something Pot improves your li, keep doing. The rewards fer cutawigh the early discomfor. Stick with it unt your new mabe, become part of your everday behav A couple of final thoughts om good hncalth, Make ita study Find out more about the unique metabolism you have and how to optimize the magnificent vehicle you have been sven. Even people with so-called disabilities can enjoy a healthy physical dimension in their lives. Have you ever watched a one-legged skier come down the slopes, alten moze graceully and as fst as those people with two legs? Its amazing. And of course these skiers dott regard themselves as handicapped. They just figured out another way to Perform with the aid of a specially designed short ski Also, sudy nutrition, There’ fou to learn, Your hody responds best to certain food combinations, Enlist the help of an expertenced nuionist or naturopath. You'll increase your knowledge a el as yur energy levels i youre strupaling with the self-discipline to initiate a god cuntne progr, Reva way ou. Hire personal Hines net ae you accountable Asalways do your homework Find out who the best person ls in your ara Talk to afew Giteenttsiners and slet the one who rely understands Your station. This person can design a rogram js for yo ‘Well take you off ra couple of ay A good wrainer will vary the type of exercises so you dont become bored. This is money well spent, and 1 costs alt less than you may think. You well be taught the proper technique when you exerese, so that you derive masta Benet, Most incorrectly people who make up their own programs exercise Leatning from a professional will accelerate your progress.Your body ts the physical vehicle you have been given to move atound in, Dont neglect it oF se may grind toa halt Tike a car thats never been serviced. You could end up on the Serap heap of life as. burned-out observer, instead af enjoying the fut of hing in the drivers seat ts your choice. The message is simple. If you want to he rielt in health, ea right and exercise By the way, in case you're wondering. we havent forgotten the importance of mental and spiritual health. Thats coming ‘ap in chapter 6, The Confidence Factor, (O11, TO BE FREE FROM THE STIFLING PRESSURES OF LIFE—TO REST, A PEACEFUL SLUMBER THAT WILL REJUVENATE MY SOUL Ris for Relaxing This is the time 10 recharge your hatteries during the day Years ago, people thought the computer would allow us to enjoy more time off for fn, Wed be on the golf course three days a week while allthis new technology would handle the workload! atthe office. What a jokel In most cases people sn husiness now work even longer hours than before. The workload is greater and hecause of downsizing, support his heen significantly reduced Do you get physically tired during your average workday? 1 yout do, is there a particular time that you seem (0 Sag? LE you are an early riser (5:30 4. bo 6:30 8.80), your sag lime is probably around 1-30 eat. to 3 em. you don eat Dreaklast, i may hit you earles. Some people forty them selves with siv or seven cups of coffee during the day 10 overcome the loss of energy. This may lead to caffeine addiction, hypertension and other side effects that cerainly ‘wont help you relax Heres an excellent way to preserve your energy s0 you can enjoy 9 prodictive day: Take a nap! We call a TPM—that stands for Twenty-live Peaceful Mines, In warm climates. =| Siesta fs a normal part of the day; When you were a young child, your mother probably put you down for a nap alter lunch. As an adolt, why not do the same? Its good for you. And you wan't be so cranky later in the day. Now in case you're thinking, “Are yout nits? I dant have enough time as in is withour snoozing my afternoon away: And besides, where can {take twenty-five minutes with people all round rm? I dont have a bed or a couch inthe office. Do you expect ine to lie on the floor?” Exactly! Les: Everyone in our ofc sented to take a TPM every day. put a note on my office door that simply says TPM. Ths means Do Net Distub, Then avin the hgts of, remove iy shows, ancl loosen my shit and ti. take a pillow that | Koes in one of the cupboards and stretch out on the foo Pror to that lunplug the phone and put on sme relaxing Dockgiound music seta timer for went five minutes, take a couple of cleansing breaths, clase my eyos arch telax There are ro intertuptions. My personal arsstant owe the routine, 38 do the rest of my safle wonder “This minisiesta reuwenates my energy. | can stay focused and productive wel nto the evening, instead of eolapsing fn the sofa, never to st again untl bectime. This wats fenergy allows me 1 enjoy eal quality time wth my far 1 you don have a office, got creative. Relax in Your car ‘nse youre aveing om snes, yu may need to shit ‘he time someoa, but yea stil find way 0 few minutes to res, And you own the business, dont be a cinosaue The oi, only-on-yourow-time towne i really outdated. The mes progressive and potable organizationsrealize that a highly productive workforce & not achieved by pushing people unt they drop from exhaustion. This does’ -mean you need to loser your performance standards. is sirmply recogpizing that high productivity requires le of ener Another of our clients, Ralph Puertas, is presidemt of Zep Manufacturing Company in Canada. He keeps a recliner in his office for sel-rejuvenation, and encourages his other ‘managers to take TPMs when necessiry. “TPMs are a great way’ to boost your energy into overdrive Hf you have a family: another important ume to consider a TPM is the so-called cross-over time, when you arrive home from the office. Your mind is stil buzzing with business and you haven't unwound from the tensions of the day, and suddenly the kids are unleashed op you. Ifyou can plan a TPM for yourself before you switch rales, it will give you 4 chance to catch your breath, relax and be mentally ready te focus om the family. To enhance this, consider relaxing your favorite music. Whatever method you choose, good communication is required to make this elective Looking at the bigger relaxation picture, how much time ‘off do you take cach week? And how many weeks per year do you schedule for fun? Fist lets define what time off is you plan to take one day’ all per week, make sre its a fll twenty-four hours, We eall it fra-time, That means for the entire twenty-four hour period you de absalutely nothing related to business, Not ane phone call, or opening a single fle forever a few minutes, May businesspeople are confused about time off, especially entreprencurs, To thers a day olf means packing their cellular phone around, answering, incoming business calls and making a few of their own ‘must he available ts their passionate excuse They have fax machine or email at home s0 they can monilor urgent messages. most of whieh, of course, aren urgent at al Here’ the point: I you have worked long, had hens all week, you deserve a break to re-enenpize. Wall you be more rejuvenated if you take a complete break for twenty-four hhours versus grabbing an hour or wo whenever you can? Unquestionably, a complete break serves you better. This is cllfcult for many businesspeople to grasp. They mentally tear themselves apart with guilt, For example, a father ‘is taking his son to a swimming lesson on Saturday and he’ thinking, “I should be at the office finishing that project And when he’ at the office on the weekend ke feels guilty about neglecting his son, because he promised 10 take him to the football game, This ongoing cycle of guile increases sess levels and frustation, When work wins the batle over 1g fun-time with your family, relationships polarize + long-term consequences include burnout, divorce health problems. To avoid any potential rifts, schedule your family time every week. At the beginning of the year, decide when you want to ake maja breaks and reserve these on your calendar, You can select thre: 1 seven-day getaways, oF wow thee week vacations —whatever works best for you. And if you're ‘hott @ postion to do ths right now, make sure you have at least one day off per week, and set a goal to increase your lume off next year. The important thing is to develop the habit of creating real time for total relaxation, Whed you return from a week off, well-rested and relreshed, you will be rome creative, beter focused and more productive, One of our colleagues has worked with thousands of highly suevessiul entrepreneurs during the last qwenty years. He has observed that the more time off these people take, the TO MAXIMIZE YOUR PROGRESS Take Regular Breaks To Re-Energizemore money they make. He has proven this with the growth of his own company. Every month he takes one week off A long as he gets out of the city, he doesnt really etre where he goes. He doesnt make ealls to the ollie, and he doesn't take cals either. Even though he takes three months annual vacation the business his achieved oustanding growth every year for the past eleven years We're not suggesting that you duplicate this steategy Just make sure that you enjoy regolar ime off to replenish your energy and lower your level of stress, And please do 1 without guilt Lifes too shart to constantly worry about everything. I really is okay to have some fu, Ir YOU REALIZED HOW POWERFUL YOUR THOUGHTS ARE, YOU WOULD NEVER THINK A NEGATIVE THOUGHT. Peace igen Tis for Thinking Yes, we know you are already thinking most of the day However. this 16 a different Kind of thinking. Its called relleciive thinking, As mentioned before, if you want to have unusual casity about achat t= working and what is not working, in your life, schedule ime for reflective thinking. This #8 the final part of your B-ALERT system that will help you create an excellent balance every day. Heres how it works. At the end ‘of your workday, or just before you go to bed, take a few minutes to take a mental snapshot ofthe day. Regard each day as 2 mini-movie with you as the star, How did you do? Rerun the tape and take ancther Took. What dic you do well? Are there any adjustments you could have macle to create # etter result? Focus daily on the progress you made. He sett to any Orme en shortcomings, but dont beat yourself up. Learn from your inistakes, Ae ll, tomorow is new day, another opportunity to perform better, Make reflection a dtly habit Wt only takes afew minutes, and it will make you stronger and wiser in the ‘weeks and months ahead At first, the B-ALERT system for optimum balance may appear averwhelming. One of our clients actually thought he had to do everything i sequence—start withthe liter B and ‘end wath T. No, no, no! It alot mote flexible than that. You ‘ull find that this unique system des not take Tot of extra lime, Tn fat, cteating a blueprint will save you time, because you have a clear picture of your priorities. By focusing on ‘your most importan: activites during the day, you will be more productive and achieve greater results. Learning may take thin’ minutes if you choose to read or listen to & personal development tape. However, you ean combine this with your exercise time, Be creative, On the other hand, experiential learning doesnt take any time at all 1's simply what you observe every day as you go ahout your business, This time to telas and rellet isan opportunity to replenish your energy and expand your elantyCONCLUSION Consider this all-important question: Would you enjoy eter balance in your fe if you had a clear blueprint for the day, were able to stay focused on Your most mporant Actes, masimized your enemy and clarigy wih ile eerie and ellie thinking nd hac! some time olf for far? The answer is obvious, Of course you would! ‘So make the efor now: Use our BALERT checkpoint system, (See Action Steps.) This sa daily reminder that will keep you on track. Just photocopy it and attach ‘10 each page of your planner Or inconporae inte your computer or electronic organizer. And remember, excelent halance will greatly enrich your mind, body and Spirit, nor to mention your most imporant relationships and your bank account ACTION STEPS vo The B-Alert Checkpoint System ‘The B-ALERT Checkpoint Syster This isa simple way to monitor your progress. It only takes 2 minute to check. At the end of each day ask yourself if you Completed all sx ports of the BALERT system. Far example, ‘i you had you bluaprint erganizad, put a’check mak hyough the letter & I you spant the greater part of the dey working fon your most important acta, check tho leter A. Repeat ths forthe remaining letters. Be honest with your evaluati ‘ou will notice pattems developing each wack that wil highlight what you a doing right, and what needs 10 be cowccted. Use @ ‘2a pen to cco the laters where your performance i lacking For example, if you plan to do thrty minutes of exercise every ay, and you notice the liter E has fve red eles drawn around tin the st week, you nec! to make some changes! As abnays, te into this new habit, Dont be too hard on yourself at the at. The mora you practice, the better results you wil hav.B-ALERT: A PROVEN SYSTEM FOR CREATING ‘OPTIMUM BALANCE Blueprint My svateg plan fo the day Pron, appointments, projects Review the night before or mary morning Action Concentrate onthe most important activites that will mave you towards accomplishing your sity-day goals Learning Expand your knowledge through reading, cassettes, vdeo, Exercise Resonergize for thirty minutes Relaxation Elminsto lly stress, Nop, mectate stan tom se, laity Think Take time to reflect on the day, Review goals, visualize, develop new ideas, use a journal Track your progress every week Set up your oun simple recording char, a8 the example Below At the endl sf eaen aay take 9 your score, Crcle ary Mon [ves [wed | thur [fa [sa [Sin velvelvelve|velvs lve val @lvalvalvalval va vifvel Olvifertvr dy ©lve| ©] ©]ve] @lve velvelvelyri[vri[velve vtlvtieriertyr ler CREATING OPTIMUM BALANCE ) DO YOU SEE THE BIG PICTURE? ) IT's NOT HOCUS POCUS. I's ALL ABOUT FOCUS YOUR HABITS wi. DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE ‘Almost halfway there—stay focused!FocusinG STRATEGY °5 Building Excellent Relationships “SOME PEOPLE ENTER OUR LIVES AND LEAVE ALMOST INSTANTLY, OTHERS STAY, AND FORGE SUCH AN IMPRESSION ON OUR HEART AND SOUL, WE ARF CHANGED FOREVER.” Author Usknowe les: ‘At the time, my mother was eighty:five, She Ined alone in Baliast, Northern leland, and had sillrod a boat stock My father hod passed aoay sicaen years Before, and being ‘he only chi inte farm wae conceimad My tgget feat was not knowing how serous the stuator realy was, Arch fingin Canada, twas not hat eay forme to cammate Fer hesth deteriorates My goed fend Dens, who wotked atthe local hoptl Bela kept me informed with regular phone cals, Honmver he anc hi emily were lsving Fors holdayn Cyprus fey days and they were exoted about the tip. “The nest phane call was one | wil always remember Ik was Denis. The good news was, my mother wae being releseed from the hospitsl—but she was silvery weak He said, ‘Tim canceling out Wp to Cyprus, Boone bie wmf, who isa registered nurse) and | would [ko to have your rum say wth us until she has fully recovered, Then you! nr shes getting proper care and attention.” elt lump in'my threat, Tears welled up in my eyes andl couldnt speak fora moment. He asked, “Are you al ght? “es, |vepliad. “I don't know what te 23)!" ov \shelmed!” His closing comment was, “Think noting oF & Thats what Fens efor, ei? (Our relationship moved to another level aa that Is 2 ‘wonder Feaing to have special people in your ie wh can fenvch and noursh you in many dfarant ways. Infact when | Your Ee is almost up on tis planet and you te doing a te feflectan on how tal worked out youl probably emembar the relationships you cultvated and the unique memories and experiences sociated with those people, especial {your family and Fiend, Rarely do people it thai old age ‘sh they had spent more time at the ofce In this chapter, youll discover several power strategies shat sl ense that you enjoy outstanding relationships in teoth your personal and professional i. Building excellent relationships ta habit atd produces wonderfl rewards The Double SPIRAL Reotionships cam be very fragile. Many marriages dont survive, families are broken up and offen kids ate raised trth nly one parent to support them, What causes these ‘elaionships wo lll apart when there is s0-much joy and love atthe Beginning? Us lal look at your Hea a spiral. Sometines you ae ‘nan Upward Spa. Tuts when things are going wel, your Confidence high and ie e rewarding Your most mpotant relonships ae healthy and fowrshing. The opposite the{ings start to unravel, lack ‘of communication occurs, stress increases and life becomes 4 constant struggle. Relationships are polarized during. the Downward Spica Nature gives us dramatic versions of these spirals. A. tornad isa powerful example. Spiraling down from the sky, these dark funnels hit the ground sucking up everything 0 their path with devastating results. The Michael Crichton Steven Spielberg movie Twister provided a close-up view of these awesome spirals atthe incredible energy they coma, Another example of a Downward Spiral is whitlpool. On the outer edge of the whirlpool the water doesn't look two dangerous, Ifyou are not aware of the powerlullorces at the ‘center, however, you can be pulled down very quickly Downward Spinal This is wh UNDERSTANDING THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL Ler’ look at how the Downward Spiral shows wp in ral le To clearly understand the potential impact this can have on your current and foture relationships, think of a relationship you have heen involved in that didn't work out, You need to re-create in your mind all the steps that caused this relationship to fll apart, Visualize cleaely what happened. Go back as far as you can ancl relive it, What as the first thing that happened? What happened after that? Then what happened? To understand the Tull impact of this, be sure te complete the Action Steps atthe end ofthis chapter Recording, cach individual step of your Downward Spiral all the way to the lowest point wil help you snderstand the pattern Fr example, ina marriage the hushand becomes selfcentered and doesnt help around the house anymore. He spends mote lume atthe ofice, leaving early in the morning before the kis ace up and arriving home late in the evening. Commuricaton {limited to business and finances. Maybe money is tight and there isnt enough a caver the mortgage, car payments, chiens dance lesons and dental bills, Gradually the tension auld up, arguments occur more often and each partner blames the other for the situation they are in. The Downward Spiral is now ining momentum, just like being drawn into the center ofthe \whitlpoo. Either, or both, may seck solace by drinking, going ‘out with the oys (or girl), gambling, or, im the worst cases, abusing each other physically and memully. At this point, the relationship has been sucked dry and the Dosrvsard Spial is a its lowest point. Separation often occurs, ending in divore and another family is placed on the broken-home list, a statisti that seems to be growing analy ‘When you carefully reflect on what causes relationships to fall apart, you cam take steps to heal them, Fen if the relationship is post saving, youl be better prepared forthe next fone, and able to prevent the same pattern from mateilizing Awareness is always the first step to progress, You cat aso tuse this spital technique to review your most important bhasiness relationships, Heres comamion scenario: Two people form a partnership. They have a great idea for «4 new product of service and they pour a lot of time and cncapy into their exciting new venture. Because they're so dusy making things happen, no legal partnership document was ever prepared or signed, They are good friends and they intend to do that dovn the toad. Also, there are no clear job descriptions or methods for compensation and profit sharing. Fastforward this picture a few years. The partnership is now struggling because one person is a controller and wont all his patiner to make any deesions without his permission Finances ate tight and theres weekly hickering about the way eouies should he spent. One person wants to reinvest their nings in the company so iC ean grow, whereas the other hhas & pay-me-first attitude. Gradwally the rest of the staff are pulled into the conflict and (wo distinetve political ‘camps emerge. A crisis develops and one partner wants outof the business, but there is no shotgun clause, and of course no agreement that would make this easy: The partners both dig their heel in and finaly they setup thelr own legal teams. Te bate is on, Often the atiorneys end up with most of the money, the business collapses andl eo more people are heard to proclaim, “Partnerships never work.” Yes, the Downward Spiral ean be equally devastating in the corporate world. Here’ a up: I'you are currently in a business arrangement with one of more partners, af are considering one in the Future always plan your exit strategy firs, before you get too involved, Make sure its im writing. And beware of emotional attachments. The undisputed fuet that your new partner is 4 nice gu, or your best friend, is no zeason wo sidestep a writen agreement, Lack of foresight and preparation ruins moze businesses today than anything else ‘Now that youve looked closely at how the Downseard Spiral can show wp in your ile, Tear from it Because we are creatures of habit, theresa good chance that you will repeat the stme behavior in your next important relationship. Realy understand hs. 16 eritealy important for your furure healt and wealth I you find yourself going into the same Downward Spiral, immediately take a mental time-out. Interrupt the pattern ‘with clear thinking and decide to make positive adjustments Changing your behavior isthe enly way you will ges differe result. Here’ how: Use a new template. That i, superimpose fan Upward Spiral for excellent relationships on top of your Downward Spica, the one that got you into'so much trouble UNDERSTANDING THE UPWARD SPIRAL Lets analyze how this Upward Spiral works so you ean reap the rewards quickly. Repeat the process as before, except this time you are going to focus on a relationship that you _gracully nourished, expanded and enriched, until it blossomed ‘nto wonderful longterm friendship or business relationship. Go back in your mind and replay all the significant things that happened from the me you first met until the relationship fully matured. Most people dont do this, so you will enjoy a temendous advantage in the marketplace when you develop amaccurate blueprint that you ean duplicate may times in the future. Powerful relationships ensire powerful results Here’ a positive example to help you, .. . Dave owns an engineering business. He aclapts ideas from clients and helps them create new products. Innovative design ard efficient workmanship are Dave's areas of brilliance. Over the past twenty-two years he has honed these skills to a high level Along the way, hes also earned how to treat people proper! He has a loyal customer base and pays attention to simple tings like returning phone ealls promptly and following, theough with his chents requests When a new client approached him one day with an ‘dea for 2 rubber extrusion product, he was happy w help The young man had big visions, He dreamed of his own ‘napufacturing fully that would supply some of the worlds largest users of his unique product. Dave provided his expertise and made subtle changes 10 the prototype. These refinements made i less costly 19 make and more robust. This new alliance between the young entrepreneur and the experienced engineer blossomed over the next few years into an enjoyable, mutually rewarding friendship. Each in his own way helped the other to higher levels of creativity and Productivity: Eventually the young entrepreneurs dream was realized. Because of his larger vision and persistence, he secured several exclusive multimillion dollar contracts, All slong le stayed in touch with Dave for advice As his business grew, so did Daves. One day, reflecting ton his incredible suceess, he made an important phone call that would encich their special relationsbap even furtherHe offered Dave a percentage of all his future profits. It ws his way of saying, “Thank you for believing m me, for helping. me get started an for pushing me through the tough times.” All excellent relationships have starting point Otten the frst few interacsions are not memorable. However, you soon develop ‘8 good feling about the other person. Maybe it his integrity, fethusiasm, positive atutude, or jus that he does what he says tne is going to do, bond develops, and each new step strengthens the union futher, making it more and more special Do you get the picture? When you review in detail how you developed your best relationships, it provides @ unigue process for ereating bigger and bewer future relationships. Knowing, what works and what doesn't work will help you avekd costly mistakes that create a Downward Spiral The good! news is, you can apply this template for excellent relationships to any area of your Mie, Ie works for personal and family relationships as well as fr profesional and business alliances, Develop the habit of constantly reviewing your Double Spirals—use them to protect you from any negative downward pull, and to etide you into the postive world of truly special and loving selationships. Say “No” to TOXIC People Belore we move on, please heed this important advice— avoid toxic people! Unfortunately: there are a few people fut there who see the world as ane big problem, and in their eyes you're part of it, You know the type. No matter how well things ate going, chey foeus on the oitpicking litle hegative details. And they do i constantly. WS 2 habit that totally destroys relationships. One blast of negative encngy from their lips ean erase that smile on your face permanently These people are poisonous to your heath, You need a long. range antenna to keep them outside your boundaries ata times. You may be thinking at this point, “Easier said than done Do you mean if my friend, who I've known for years, is always complaining about his ob and how awful things are financially, and nobody wants to help him out, that t should just turn and walk away when he talks Uke this?” No—ran! As fas as you ean, and as lar as you can. His constant negatiity| ‘sill drain the life out of you Now please understand, we're not ulling about someone who has a genuine challenge and needs real help. We're referring to those chronic whiners who take great pleasure on dumping all their negative garbage on your plate at every opportunity. They aso inform you, witha not-so-subtle cynicism, that you can't do this and you ean't do that, especially when you have a really great idea, They deligh bursting your positive bubble, It's the highlig day. Dont pat up with it anymore, HereS where the real power is Is always your choice. You can choose the type of people you wait in your lie. And you tan choose to pursue new opportunities. Maybe you just need to make some better choiees 1s that simple. TH it means letting, 4 few people go, well, youll get over it Infact, take 4 close lok now at your present relationships. If someone is dragging you down all the time, make a decision, Let go al move on of their things my success mentor, W Clement do as to make a list of my fend Then he directed me to put the latter W nest to each person who nourished me and encouraged ma to be fgF2a1— people who were postive, optimistic, solution criented, and had a can-do atitude. Next he asked me ne letter T beside every person wha was tosepeople wha were negative, whined, complained, put Bown other people and their deeams, and who were encrally pessimistic in their outlook. Then he asked me to stop spending time with the people who had 2 Text to their names. This is one lesson you must Team surround yourself with positve people. Mr. Stone taught me thet you become lke the people you hang but wth Ifyou want to be successful, you must hans ‘ut th suceesstal people The Three Big QUESTIONS Now that you've had a chance to understand your Double Spiral, and an opportunity to clean house regarding the negative people in your life, heres another great strategy that veil benefit you immensely 1 called the Three Big Questions. Business mogul Warren Bullet is one of the best-known and most succes investors in the world today. His company, Bershire Hathaway, has prown from a few private lems with modest holdings ton mtilion-dllar enterprise ir be famous or cel tls a or etn in longterm opportunities, He rarely alls ls stock ater thorough nals ofthe numbers, expect the compans Balance sect tf tes rio hk ing he spends considerable tine mecting key people inthe emanating to kro how they ram the usines, He observes ther plilosophy fra how they tat the sal suppers and lets. When this ts completed, Bulfet sake himell three questions acetone key people "Do ike then? Det ust them? Dt espe he aig ct aie Ifany one ofthese questions results in a *No," the deal is of Ie doesnt mater how good the numbers look, or the potential for growth. These three simple, poswerfal questions are the foundation lor Warren Bullets eatonships. Adopt them as your ‘own, They will ultimately determine bow rich you become. ‘few years ago, Bulfet was the wealthiest man in America, Me recently relinquished this tite to Bil Gates, founder of Microsoft I's interesting to tote that despite the age gp, these two phenomenally successful entrepreneurs are close friends, Who you hang around with dors make a difference The next ume you are about to enter into an important business or personal relationship with people you don't know very well, de your homework first. Look for clues that demonstrate their integrity, honesty and experience. Watch hhow they treat other people. Little details will offer big insights: Are they in the habit of saying “Please” and “Thank you,” especially to people in service postions, such as waiters and waitresses, hellhops and cab drivers? Are they down-te earth with others, or do they have a need to impress people? Take sullicient time to digest their overall behavior before you make a commitment. And always refer tothe Thre Big, (Questions. Pay attention to your intuition. That gut feeling will guide you. Don’ let your heat rule your head. When we are 100 emotionally involved, we olten make had decisions Give yourself ime to think before rushing sn any elaconship, Look at this another way: Why would yous choose to build relationships with people you dont trust, dont respect or don't like? Going alead when your instinct is telling You not to tsa formula for disappointment or even disaster. There are lots of excellent people out there 10 enjoy your valuable time with. So whether its marriage, a business pares or hiring a sales team, choosing the right people is critically smportant to your future health and wealth Choose carefullyCore Clients and THE DOUBLE WIN “The nen te in developing the habit of Excellent Relaonships is luring to nourish your most vaable relationships fo a ‘win atmosphere lw has been anton and spoken about the philosophy of win-win, In our experience: most of ft is jut surface talk Win-win fy essently philosophy of tow you lve your Hf. In sness, win-win means having 4 genine concer for the other pers tht sey wi smh astyou do. whether iba sale, employee comract, negotaton or bate alae Sadly the atitude of many people in business hasbeen 10 and every Ist cent out of every situation. These socalled fuera aces cause a lack of trust mcm, questionable ftes ands high Teel of ansiety inthe marketplace. The test windose, On the other hand, win-win doesnt mean tiving the farm away everytime you make a deal. Thats lone tin, with the oer person receiving too much, which would ventaly pt you ot of basins Theres ako another category cledlotlose. This happens when both parties are too tbo o 00 epost reste & Sonning solution, ‘common exampe is coractnepoistions between managenent and unions a salemate occurs, te ‘ult may belong dawnt se where not ely wine in your persona ie, win-win fs the foundation for warm, loving relaconships. hv husband wanting to crete win for his wile and family es willing to pitch sh chal share of hoosehod des and help with the Catacurricalaractviies especially when bis wie is also svorking full ine. Win win ie wile ving solid sept to Ter husband as he stives to build new business or tt anew carer and i willing to acept a few sacifces along the way: Win-win is giving to your community, being an oustanding neighbor and being less sell-centered. For win win to really work, you must practice i every day: This takes lume, and challenges you to make a serios commitinent to building these important alliances Now let's look at another crucial element in growing. your business—building excellent Core Clont Relationships. Your core clients are people atthe heart of your business, They buy from you consistently and are « main source of revenue They are also happy to provide excellent referrals for new ‘business, because they genuinely love your products and service Amzingly, many people today dont even know who their ccove clients are. Core cliemts are your passport to future srowth. Unfortunately these important relationships ae often taken for granted. The attiuude is, "He alseays orders wo thousand units every month, We need to foci new business NOT EVERY DEAL 18 WORTH SAVING [New business is important. Staying ln touch with your best clients is more important. Its lot more difteult to find new customers than itis 10 keep and serve your old customers, Also, be aware of the time you spend on peaple wha are peripheral clients, The word peripheral ss worth noting, Ie means at the outer edge, unimportant or not worth mentioning. Another term # dispensable. Do you have any Peripheral clients in your business? If you're aot sure, heres how you ean spot them. They commonly take a lot of your time and energy and give you very hile business in return Sometimes they give you no business at all. Dut they wil ‘question you on every litle devil, and the place unreasonable demands on your time. OF course, you may nt want 40 ‘urn any business away ftom your door. Bul what is # costing you in time and energy to dabble in minor results? Some Aeals just arent worth the effort,Lets look back o your core ells, Theres one ec clement you need understand bout these people, Tow dont ver nant to Toe thems Hees thei garston wmack Teal ine do yo send with our mot nponant cote hens?” Thists worth nadjing Our ecu ides hm very hue ume w located (6 core ctemts. Consequenty these Ielationships never mature to thet fall penal, On the Potton nha ears tof money squandered. ‘ow tht you how who these mporamt peopl are psy moe atenfon to them, The longterm renatl ae Well Srorth the effort our busines wf incease ad yl Ininimize the hiktitoe! af losing any ofthese top lens ‘orl Gret is the national sales director for a succesful organisation called Companys Coming that speciallzes in scing cookbooks. To dae: Companys Coniag his sd tauren milion hooks, One of arts core cients places toner anual for ane milion della worth of Books To service thi lent, Lon and her account representative Be arc onca jer ea ees cutee Mforishops, she was challenged 0 expand ths eatonship te Tr uragiagosat i Eee nie es canta «anew level. Accepting the challenge, she brought her in-house team together and held a special brainstorming session that, lasted five hours. The sole purpose of this meeting was 10 conn up wath ideas that would be helpful for thei cre client When they made their next sales presentation, ma ‘of these new ideas were included, To Further enrich their Felationship, Lori spent extra time with the client to socialize ‘of rushing hack w her office. The result? An order for 20 pervent more cookbooks. More importanly. new level of appreciation and trust was established that will ensure a long-term, wi onship. Mote than anything, this ‘wil Keep predatory competitors at bay. Now lets take a look at your most important personal relationships, These inelude family and Iriends, mentors, spiritual advisers and anyone who is special in your life putside the business world. Again, think carefully about who {qualifies 10 be on this unique list of core people. Then write down their names, If you are tempted to skip over this exercise, stop! Procrastination is your greatest enemy: Dont put off your berter future, Do each step as soon as you finish reading this chapter, Remember, this book is a work in progres, By the time you finish it you will have hick-started many of these exciting new habits. Your life wall be richer and eminently more sausfying “Take a close look at this list and review the amount of time you spend with these people. Is it sulficiemt? Do you tenjoy quality time, of just a tex seconds on the telephone? Who else do you spend your personal time with? Ate they robbing you of time that would be bewter spent developing, your core relationships? If you answered "Yes" to this last question, what are you going to do about 1"? Maybe ats time to say “No” to those people who distract you every day. Theyre not on your most-important-people bist, so why ate they stealing your time? Prom now on, protect your fstily time and personal time. Be polite but firmWe briefly mentioned win-win as it relates tothe people 4a your life. 1 important ro really understand what this means. Restselling author Stephen Covey provides a good analogy Fe says you should treat your most important relationships like a bank account. For example, the more deposits you make in your core relationships’ bank aecoum, the stronger these associations become. In the process you became more saluable wo these people ‘Norinally, money is what you deposit atthe bank. However, with your core relationships you can make a variety of deposit, ‘With your core clients in business, you will probably oler special services and all those litle extras that define you as tunique. These may include golf outings, dinners or special tips. Other healthy deposits mchade allocating time to shave ‘eas or advising how to handle certain challenges, Mayhe you consistently provide good referrals 10 expand their business. Sometimes i's making them aware of a great book, or lasing, an article about their favorite pastime or hobby. You could also connect them to people who have # unique service oF product. The more you know about the people on your core Client list and core personal list the more you ca help therm, And the true spirit of win-win means that you male these deposits unconditionally In other words, don't give to get something bick Just experience te sheet joy of giving TH you dont already have one, create an information fle for every one of your core clients and core personal relationships, Find out everything you ean about these individuals. Include their likes and dishkes, favorite restaurants, birthdays, sniversares, kids ames, fvorste hobbies. sports and pastimes Business gury Harvey MaeKay, owner of the MacKay Envelope Corporation in Minnesota, calls his information Ile the MacKay 66, because there are sixty-six questions ‘that bis sales team asks to gain an in-depth knowledge of every important client. Most people dont keep files Ise ths hrecause they are not really serious about win-win. It takes ‘considerable time and effort to cultivate highly successful Doing Eli eee relationships. t means that you will often be required 10 g0 the extra mie, This way of living gradually becomes your new normal behavior. You do witht thinking, When win win behavior becomes truly embedded in your everyday life, the Moodgates of opportunity will open wp for you like newer hefore. You will indeed be richer for it, and we don't just mean inal Les Heres a humorous story about winin. Two Wish laborers, Big Paddy and Wee Jimmy, had just won the lottery They wore ich 10 the tune of fixe milion dollars each Having cashed ther winnings the previous day they were eager to celebrate. The happy par wore strolling downtoan, sill amazed st the good fortune, when they So a sh ancchip shop. Big Paddy 93," famshed— Tors have a lovely fish supper and 2 big dine o ween done" 53 n they wont Big Paddy wearing his green ‘duneer cap and Wee Jimmy stilin he black rlpber work boots. By thaw appearance, people would rever have ‘quested they had milions in the bank, Big Pack pai for the fish and chips and thay both savored every lat be. Their appetites satisied, they continued walking and 3 faw minutes later carne acroas 4 Rolls Royce dealership. Wee Jimmy gasped when he sav the lnurious automebiles. “I've always fantasized about owning 4 Rolls" he whispered Lets rake a look," laughed Big Paddy, holding the showroom daor open for his iang-tme frend. Inside, Wee Jimmy's gaze fixed on a beautiful silver gray car that ‘leamed irom kant to toa “Paddy, would't you love to have ca lke this? he exclaimed ‘That would be grand, Peay agined Wee Jimmy turned to the immaculately otred sales manager and stked, °Si how much ths taut car?” The sigur answer did't deter him for a moment‘Okay" he grinned. “i take two—one for me, end one for my hiand here" Then he turned to Big Paddy and sat, "Put your wallet away, Pay, Il. get the ears. You pad forthe Sch and chipa!™ . And Then SOME Yes, winswin isa grea way to live, and true fiendships are hard to come by Vale the ones you hase and do whatever it takes to make the even ier Heres perl tes that ‘ull makeiteasy scaled the And Then Some techni Let's say you want to expand an important personal iclaionship with your husband or wife yo ae not mare ou ean apply ths technique to almost any meaninghol Telatonship. so adapt it accordingly Infact, pick someone oud keto enjoy # deeper leve of friendship wth To show Sou how iework, wel se the hushand and wife example Tinagine Ws the end of the week, and David the good hushand has arrived home fom work, Hs eqaly good wile Dianne has dinner ready. and they both enjoy an excel toed. David compliments her and then poses the lelowing {question “Diane. on a scale of one t tem Come being pete fa ten being wonder, how would you ate my performace asa hushand during the lst eck” This serous question Dianne reflec fora moment and says, Ti ive you an it David accepts the answer wothout comment and asks the And Then Some question “What would Thave needed vo do tomas haten?™ ‘anne answers, “Well I would have relly appreciated you helping Joh with hs homework on Wednesdy. 1 was under pressure to beat ny computer cls by 7 fat and Tel Uy Teasing withowt him being looked after propery. Also: you promised to repair he tp inthe bathroom thie week, 1 sill ripping. 1 really ke it fixed, please.” David simply says, ‘Thank you, be more attentive next vine.” Then the roles are reversed. When Dianne asks David 10 rive her a score out of ten, David awards her a nine. Nove ies her opportunity to ask the And Then Some question “How could 1 have scored a ten?” David gives her sincere [eedback, “You were great, but there was one litle thing. Remember you promised 10 tape the football game for me when | was away Monday and Tuesdy? T know it just shipped your mind, but I was Tooking, forward to watching the highlights when I got home 1 was ceally disappointed.” Dianne listens, offers an apalogy and makes a commitment (0 record requests like this 18 her daly planner. Before you say, “That sounds great, but it would never work for me.” stop and think. You right, very few people use the And Then Some technique, and even fewer do it on a ‘weekly basis. The most commen excuses are, “Tia 100 busy” “Thats silly” or “Get real, my husband (or wile, oF friend) ‘would never agree 10 that.” BE TOTALLY OPEN TO FEEDBACK Here's what these well-worn excuses are really saying My partner and I are not open w feedback, because our relationship has not matured to that level.” Regularly giving and receiving honest feedback is one ofthe hest ways to entich your marmage, friendship of business relationships. ts the hallmark of Kua beings who hve a high level of awareness and a unique sensitivity to the needs of others, Because of this maturity they enjoy honest, open and fulfilling alliances wath the most important people in theit tives, You can also use this technique with your children and other family members. You Kids wil tell you the ral tory—they dont pull any punches!by asking afew simple questions every week, you car Tear more about yourself from people who eare enough to give you honest feedback. Instead of becoming detensive like most people, accept the information asa gift It will help you. Ihecomme more genuine and trustworthy. ‘And Then Some means you are willing to lear more, do mote, and put more into the relationship because its Important to you. In the process, both parties are rewarded and strengthened, Consider the benefits of applying the ‘And Then Some technique in your professional life. If you ‘own the company, you could ask your Key people, "On a scale of one 1 ten, how do you rate me as a boss? What can Tao to become betier-—to rate a ten?” Managers could do the some with their sales or administiative teams. What about your core clients? Here’ a great opportunity to understand 3 strengths and weaknesses of your business, and hew to tmprove those areas that are not performing well. Remember, your core clients may also include suppliers, oF your outside Support tea, Uf this technique is new to you, the first few attempts ‘may be awkward of uncomfortable. Thats normal. An habit takes alot of practice and perseverance belore i finally clicks, Hearing the truth from people you respect and lose also takes some getting used to. Sometimes the truth hurts: you may need to swallow your pride a few thnes in order co enjoy the future henelits, One other note here—if you are siving critical feedback, always do this sn private, On the other hand, give praise in public. People feed and c ‘well-deserved recogoition of any kind. Simply stated, criticize In private; praise in public. REMEMBER, FOR THINGS TO CHANGE You've Got To Change. How to Find Great MENTORS Surrounding yourself with well-chosen mentors can ramaticlly change your ie. A mentor is someone with vast tapericce oF unsque talents, who willing to share ideas ‘sth you om 4 regolar bi tou, as he mente the teciptent {this great information, have-atesponsibiity to uve I ‘rsely By furthering your career and financial stats or by fchancing your personal or family fe, Its lke a teacher SNuden rons, except that you have he bene of one- mane excrng. And te ig hans stat you normaly dont pay forthe lessons What adel! Heres a proven thre-step method to help you enjoy the considerable advantages of mentorship 1. Identify the target. Select one specie tea of your le that you want to improve Phere may he several, but for the purpose of getting started, choose only one. Here are afew ideas—growsing your business, sales, marketing, hiring excellent people, preparing financial statements, learning new technology, ent strategies, accumulating wealth eliminating deb, eating and exeretsing for optimum health, being an excellent parent, or doing ellecuive presentations, 2. Select your mentor candidates. Think about someone who is exceptionally experienced or talented in the area you have selected for improvement. Ie could be someone you know personally oF it could be a Jeader in yout industry Maybe its someone who is recognized as. top authority on this topic—a well-known writer, speaker fr celebrity: Whoever itis, make suee he ot she has a proven track record and is tuly successful3. Create your strategic plan. I you dont already knove the whereabouts of your proposed ‘mentor, how are you going to locate this unique individual, and when you do, how will you make contact? The first, thing to realize is that you are prohably never more than six people away Irom anyone you want to mect, including your new mentor. Thats exciting to kaow—teat it ike jgame. There may be six doors you need to open before you Fhave all the infcrmation you need. Who could open the firs, door for you? Proceed from there, and keep asking. Youll bbe surprised how quickly the other doors open up once yor pur the word out ‘ou may be looking at the name of your proposed mentor and second-guessing yourself with thoughts like, “I dont ‘even know this person and she certainly desnt know me. And if she did, she probably wouldn' give me any of her valuable time.” Stop right there! The following story is hig proof that finding and contacting mentors is well win your capabilities. es: ‘One of or core cents s @ young man who owns 2 smal trucking business, end he was Koon to expand. Alter attending out Achievers workshop on mentorship, he Selected one ofthe majr players inthe Wucking incusty to be his new mentor This man had started and built 9 huge business over the yeas, and was widely respected ‘by hs peers and compettrs ‘Dur cient, Neil, lacated the head office in Texas. He sade several phone calls and eventually was connected to this successful businessman. (We'l tell you wha to say whan you make a call Ike this na few minutes, #0 ‘be patient) Nail wae litle nervous, but he suimmaned up the courage to ask. The successful businessman 2ereed ta spend twenty minutes every marth with Nel on the telephone, sharing his experience and best ideas True to his ward, this arrangement was cared out, and one day Neil ceived an interesting offer His new. found montor invtod him down to Toxas fot lve days to study every aspect of his business, He could be 2 fy fon the wall talk to the stall and observe firsthand ‘shy the company had prospered (Ofcourse Nel didnt hesitate, The raul? Not only wie he able to expand his Business io many profitable ways his relationship matured to anather level Instead af mentormentee assaciation, a growing friendship developed. In addition, he was able to share some of his town successful strategies that were not being practicad by hie mentor, Over time, a true win-win relationship formed) ani Neifs confidence grew along wih his pratt I: att stared with that ene phone call So lets analyze how you can enjoy similar success The mest important thing to be sincere Sineerty goes a ong way im helping you get ‘shat you sant i ile. Heres ohat Ne said when be fist got hough on the telephone, “Hello, Mr. Johratos (not act fume), iy name is Nell We havent mit yet, And 1 know youre a busy man, so TIL be bch | own » small tracking hhusiness. Over the years you have done a fantastic jab. brlding your business iota ne of the largest companies tn our mdustry. Pm sure you had some real challenges ‘shen you were fist starting out, Well fm sl im those early Stages rvng to figure everything oat. Mr. Johnston, t would realy appreciate wif you seould consider hein my mentor Mit that would mean fs spending ten minutes on the phone with me once a month, 301 could ask you afew questions Ta really appreciate it, Would you be ope to that? ‘When yet ask that closing question, the answer will usually be "Yes oF "No His Yes, contol your excitement and ask another question. “When would be a good time to Sal yo inthe nest few week?” Then confirm aspecific tine for your fest mentor meeting Follow wp witha Bandwitien “thank you note rightIfthe answer is "No." politely thane the person for bis time. Depending on how flew the refusal was, you could ask iF would be okay’ to call back at 2 more convenient ume to reconsider your request, Otherwise move 10 plan Beall the next person on your list. Lets review the key elements in the phone call. First, get right to the point. Busy people appreciate this. Dont socialize. Stick to a well-prepared scrip using a relaxed conversational tone. Ie only takes a minute. Abo, i imponant to control the conversation, Say sehat you want to say, ask che closing, question and then shut up. At this point, you allow your potential new mentor to speak. If you follow this sequence, your success ratio will be high, Heres why: First of all. when you ask someone to be a mentor, itis the ultimate compliment, Second, they are rarely asked. And if you do it with total sincerity, having reminded them of their own talier challenges, you wil often receive a positive response Belore you make the call, i's useful co have as much information as possible. Ask the company to send you any promotional material they have, including the most recent annual Tepor. Remember, you can have several mentors. You can select people or any area of your lie that you want to improve. They may liven another city oF country, or they may be hall an hours drive away. So get started and have fun. These unique relationships can dramauically accelerate your progress. In and error is one say to gain experience, but its hard work Figuring everything out on your own, Tapping imo other people's successful formulas and adapting their ideas is a ot Smarter. ts usually who you know that opens up the doors for bigger and etter opportunities, Treat bike a "eonnect-the- ists” game. Successful people ate well-connected. Simply follow their moves. To help you funher, you will find a sep by-step Action Plan for Developing Mentor Relationships at the end ofthis chapter hing th ete Mentor relationships are one-on-one, similar to that of a tutor and student, Another unique way to accelerate your growth is to set up a Mastermind Group alliance. Like ‘mentoring, it will add a whole new dimension to your lie that wall be a powerful source ol support and strength, MASTERMIND Groups ‘A Manermind Groups the nae imple. eres a meting of the minds, The origins go bac along way. Ancient Greek such as Socrates, enjyed ively debate and at 10 share thei ideas and Insights. Our concept of 4 Mistennind Group ideally made up of fie or sx people ‘rho want to develop excellent long-term ratonshipe, The Primary purpose of the group i a esti suppor Tor each Sther emotionally, personally and professionally Tt also provides «unique forum for sharing Wess and information #5 Sells discussing memingul topics and everyday challenges 1 yo selec the right people, this wonderful sppom system canbe enjoyed for any yrs There ae Tour main ation steps tha concept into reality for you help turn this 1. Solect the right people For best interaction, you shoul Hinit your group 10 six people; live others and yourself, You don't need to select ‘everyone atthe same time. You may siart with one oF wo and ‘gradually build up toa fall complement. Remember, the fest eam member may be the hardest t find, But doo let that stop yous. Whom should you choose? That’ the big question, Here are a few guidelines to help you. Choose peuple who Ukely co cteate synergy—ambiious, open-minded, goal: foiented individuals who have a postive outlook and bring ahealthy, positive energy to each discussion. You don't want ‘bunch of whiners who ave looking fora regular opportunity to dump all oftheir negative garbage. 1s also beneficial to include people who have ral experience and success in business, or who have overcome challenging personal situations. In your selection process, decide if vs Important to have people from diferent industries oF not. For example, you tay not sant five salespeople in the group. & blend of different experiences and backgrounds will add Alepth and variety to your meetings Consider whether yout want a mixed group, oF an all-male or all-female group. Also, what age group do you prefer? A Jnroader age group with men ancl women included adds 2 dilfeeen perspective and a wider range of opinion. If you'd tather have a narrower focus, then select people ofthe same ender close to your own age. ts entirely up to you. But do he this selection process serious thought. US vitally important te the success of your group. 2. Everyone must make a commitment. A Mastermind Group is designed as a long-term support system, 1s not for people who ate casual, You know the type They show up when they fel lke it or theres nothing else on their schedule tha day, Explain this clearly to each candidate ‘You alo want agreement atthe sar on a termination policy If ‘ie person nit fitting in, for whatever teaso. is important for {you to have a process that handles this. You dont want to end {up with the “bad apple in the barrel” syndrome, where one controlling or negative individual dominates the entice group process, A democratic vote within ninety days of your opening necting fs an easy way to avoid any early disruption. You ean also implement this couse of action a any ature date The level of connnitment sl determine how suecessul your Mastermind Group hecomes. Commitment requires regular attendance, willuagness to participate each time you meet, and anv agreement to keep confidential anything that is shared in nevi eons the group, This cade of confidemiahity is extremely important In our experience i takes several months belore people really emerge it a setting like this, especially men. Theres all that ‘macho image stall to get over Watmen are generally mach mone ‘open to sharing. their rue thoughts and feclings The real benefits occur only when there ts a high level of uwust within the entire group. The environment you create should be a sale place, where absolutely anything can be shared with no concer about indiscretion. 3. Dacide when, where, how often and for how long you ‘Tao to three hours every month is @ good rule of thumb, or you can meet more frequently if you want. Some people Dreier an early-morning breaklast in a relaxing, well-appointed Tocation, Others would rather meet in uhe evening when the business day is over. Again, its up 10 you. Some key points are: Choose a location sshere you will not be interrupted by phones, faxes or other people. Make ita rule to turn fff cellular phones when you ate together. Dont treat your Mastermind Group like a typical office meeting, This is special time with special people, so maximize the opportunity te focus om the issues at aed, 4. What will you talk about? Good question! What you dont want is a couple of hows chi-chatting shout the local news and weather. High-energy achievers won't waste theie time 18 this fashion, Hece ate a ew suggestions: Elect # chaizperson whose main role 1s 10 keep the conversation flowing, and to allow everyone equal time. Sian each mecting with a briel comment [rom everyone ahout the best thing that happened since the last meeting This will get things off to a positive start. Then ask «wo questions: “What's happening in your business hile tor job),” and “What happening in your personal hfe!” Go around the table one person at a ime, This process alone might take up the entire mecting And thats okay. It giesyou an opportunity to learn more about each other. Another good question is, “What's your greatest challenge at this fume?” Also, discuss and support each other's individval goals. Inspire everyone to achieve what they want. Encourage them to think big and introduce them to people whe can accelerate their progress. Sometimes you may want to have a speeial topic on the agenda, Is also a good ides to reserve time for someone who hnas a particular need—a financial crisis or health problem that needs to be addressed. These situations are what really bonds your Mastermind Group, Take the opportunity to hholp in whatever way you eam to resolve the issue. IE an “urgent situation arises, you can always call a special meeting tw handle it quickly. tes: ‘Our Mastermind Group is made up of five people. Each person owns his own business, encompassing five ‘Sierent incusties. As of hi writing the grous has been eating for fourteen years. We dont socialize a lot ‘utuide ofthe monthly meatings, Duing our assacation feveryore has faced 3 variety of eificltios ans enjoyed Signticant achievements, Subjects for discussion hove Covered wise range of topics inching eutrent business challenges and opportunities: how to ereate high-impact presentations; where to find venture capital, and how to fire a key employee. We have also faced marriage difficulties, problems with teenage chien, health sues, francial ees and major career changes Several of our netings have been emotional wih tears shed openly We now enjoy a wonderful bond and the richness of rowing that when angone needs help, four people will bbe ready and willng 20 provide immediate assistance. Thats a very power! postion to be in. was datincely worth al the tme and eter, MAKING YOURSELF BULLETPROOF Now we want to share with you another important building. block in developing the habit of Excellent Relationships, 1 called Building Your Own Fortress. Mentors and Mastermind Groups provide a teretie foundation, The definition of a fortress isa structure that is impregnable. sanctuary ar «place of efuge. Within a fortess you are protected from the storns of business and life. Mere’ how you can build one 1s like building a championship football or hockey team, Each player has 2 roe to play, and the team is only a good as lus weakest memiet. The team is molded by the coach He or Tue Fortress Your Unique Total Support System Use the following catagories to guide you in the building of your Fortress. These are nat ranked in any specific order of importance 1 The Fay nt 7. Penonal Mastering Group 2 Specie Mentors nd Coace, «Pats Development Lan 5 Heath and ness Taam Spit. 4. es Supp Temi 10. Ota Seager 5. Busines Suppor Teamifavin) 1. The Sancta. 15 Core Chants.she is at the center ofthe action. The combination of uniguely sifted team players and a coach who can ereate and implement 2 stccessfl game plan produces triumphant winners Consider yourself as the coach. Two major questions you need 10 address at this point in your life are, “Who is om my team?” and "Do they perform at the level I require 10 achieve my dreams and goals?” Make sure you do the Action Steps They wil help you discover who deserves 1 stay on your teat and who you nced to replace. This i all about setting very high standirds so that you can enjoy a ifesyle that gives yout total feeclom, ongoing prosperity and a unique sense of worth. When you need help, yeu have the best people to Assist you, This isan ongoing process, not a quick fx Heres how it works: Take a close look at your important relavomshipe—the people who support and help you throught bbsineseatecr the year Separate thet ina fo main eae and personal, Make @ list of these important people. In your Irisnesscareer ls, examples would include your banker aye, accountant, bookkeeper, x specialist, suppliers, financial adviser, management staf, sales team, administrauve stall, personal assistant and secretaryeceptionist. In the personal ‘tegor: the range is nuch broader: doctor, chimpracto, med specialist, massage/physiotherapist, personal fitness trainer, nutrionist denis, dermatologist, nancial consullam, hrs, ciry cleaner. plumber, electrician, travel agent, realtor. insurance agent, car dealer, tallor, gardener, home help, babysitter and anyone else whose expertise you might need Obviously you dont interact with all of these people every week. The question is, when you do require their help, do they consistently do a brilliant job for you? Sonetines the person yout select doesnt do very goer! job. To avond this, take time to check the person’ history Brillant people do brillant work They do itom time and they do it consistently: They make you feel goed inthe process, and they charge afar price. These ate people you can akways rely on to get the job done right How many dont deserve 19 be on your performance is not good enough? Be totally honest. How any gaps are there on your team? This is easy to determine These are the times you rush to the Yellow Pages oping 10 find someone atthe last minute, Often the person you scict doesnt do a very good joh because you didn’ have thme to check his background, From now on, dn make decisions “on the run” And dont tolerate sloppy workmanship, tardiness, exorbitant pricing, and any sort of hassle that creates more siress in your be, You dont need that. Ask your fendl for references. Do your homework. Do the research. Be patient, and gradually surround yourself with a first-class team of people who will make am because their your life joylal snl rich eyond measute. Start right away ‘oul be amazed at how this wll ransform your relationshipsCONCLUSION Alan Hobson and Jame Clarke are 1wo exciting youn _advenrurepreneurs.” They coined this name wo describe their love for combining adventure and business. One of he highest mountain in the world, In 1991, their veam’s theie shared goals was to climb Mount Everest first arterapt to teach the summit failed. In 1908 they went back again, This time the team sas smaller. ‘One member. Joha Metsatc, reached! 28,500 feet but count continue because he developed severe pulmonary edema. Only 641 feet short of the summit, he had 16 tom back. A major reseue was required to bring him down the mountain safely, as he dct have the strength to descend om his own, This required a total tear eort ‘with everyone contributing their unique talents. Other mountaineers were recruited from differ teams on the mountain 102858 Finally im 1997, having learned from their previous two experiences, ‘an and Jamie took on Everest for the third time. They both made the summit, # truly magnificent achievement. They sad, Th was relationships that made eur expeeiences on Everest what they were ven if you didnt summit, you sil had the good tes, ‘you stil had the good feelings, despite the hardships Paling har emg You come out of i alive, looking to do more with those people. On an expedition, we share our lives together. We pretty much know everything there is w know aout eal other. (One of the reasons Alan and Jamie finally achieved vieory was that they surrounded themselves with brilliant teams of people. These teams inchided professional expedition omganizer, a fund: ising team, 4 suppost team, a route-fixing team and 2 suramit team. Without this unique “Fortes” the expedition ‘would not have succeeded. But with these teams supporting them, Alan and Jamie were able to focus totally on prep for the climb, themselves physically and mentally Make a devision today 10 build « fortess around, you. Seleet only the best people. There are many to choose from. Remember, life is all about building and enjoying great relationships. You deserve fair share! 1 takes confidence to assert youself and seek out excellent people, You'l learn all about this Important habit in the next chapter PROSPERITY IN LIFE IS DERIVED MORE FROM WHO YOU KNOW, NOT WHAT YOU KNOW.ACTION STEPS ___ The Double Spiral Building Your Fortress Developing Mentor Relationships Make sure you complete these exercises. If you ski thom, youre probably not serious about developing Felationships. on’ sll yourself short. Make the effort» loon about yourself and the impact you have on other people. 1. The Double Spiral FAILED RELATIONSHIPS—Mentally resis a signieat lationship that didnt work out Stenting at number one, int each stop the erocess hat caused he lationship to fal apart. Be specie EXCELLENT RELATIONSHIPS —Mantal ret one of your greatest relationships. Starting at sumer one, identify each step in the process that caused ths excellent elationshe to expand, 2. Identifying Core Clients \Wirte down the names of your ten most important business ‘eatonshps, Those are the people who bring you most of your sales Sand income. They love your products and sewce, They give you ‘repeat business and are hapey to refer you. (Note: you ae 8 rmarager or sypenisar the team of pecele you lek afer would be part of your cote cient It) Pleae take aufclent tne To think aboot ths. These people ae the bung lack te your eter ture Treat thamwell The mest mponant people are your coe cients The word are ears atthe cantor the heart or exence of anything value ‘Now rcord how much time you spend with each of these people 19 typical month, What dors this tell you? What adjustments Soyou need ts maka?Se er NL ce eee sessouyeom pue syi6iDEVELOPING MENTOR RELATIONSHIPS What specific areas of expertise do you want to improve? 1. Check the most important 1 Expanding My Business Q) Developing Strategic Allances DD Solerand Marketing) Eliminating Debt D HeathendFitness Oy New Technology BD Hing Excelent People O} Parenting 1B Balanced ilesisle 1 Other 1D Financial Statages —O) Other ee Communication Skil 2. Ust the top three areas of expertise you want to improve, and name twe possible mentors for each. 3. From the ist above, select the most important area you want ‘to work on right away, and your number-one prefered mentor 4. Take a blank sheet of paper and, using the example on page 14, create your own script for your frst contact. Practice on the phone with friend. Rework this unt it begins to flow. Now Pick a Time and Date and Make the Cal you erable oss oe gen a may, beep cling si BUREN EXCELLeNT RELATIONSTre CREATING OPTIMUM BALANCE ) DO YOU SEE THE BIG PICTURE? ) TES NOTNGCUS-POCUS, IT's ALL ABOUT FOCUS Youn wasits wit DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE You made it—now keep going!FocusinG STRATEGY °6 The Confidence Factor “EXPERIENCE TELLS YOU WHAT TO DOs CONFIDENCE ALLOWS YOU TO BO IT.” In 1999, South African President Nelson Mandela celebrated his eightieth birthday, For almost rwenty-six of those years, he was confined toa prison cell because of his outspoken views about spartheid. During this time, Mandela confidence must have been severely tested: Te is a tnibute to his fa and conviction that he ultimately triumphed andl went fon ta be elected to his country’ highest office Confidence is a habit that can be honed and strengthened every day: During this process you will be challenged by fear, worry and uncertainty. These clemenis constitute the ebb and flow of fife. W's 2 constant struggle, a mental battlefield that must hhe won sf your leis to be filled with abundance To start, carefully read the words spoken by Nelson Mandela at his inaugural spect. This is a man who aecepied the challenge ave won. Digest each sentence slowly. Use them as a foundation for your (Our deepest fear is nov that we ave inadequate, (Our deepest fear is that se are poserful beyond measure Gis cur light, nor our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am tt be brillant, gongrous talented and fabulous? Actual, who are we not ta be? Yow area child of Ged Your playing small doesn serve the world Theres nothing enlightened about shrinking so that ‘ther people wont feel insecure around you, We were horn ro make manifest he glory of Got tha is within as Tes not jus in some of us, sn everyone And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously ive other people permission todo the same ‘As we are liberated from our own fears, Cau presence automaticaly Mberates others. a spech, 109) ‘This chapter contains many practical stategies that will boost your confidence to an alltime high tis moran tha you wie these on a dally basis. Confidence isthe allmportant factor you red to protect yoursel from the slings ad arrows of nevi In the absence of confidence, fear and sorry take contol. Progress held in eheck and moment gril to halt So et tackle this essential habit with gsto and a conunitment to stamp out the negative forees onee and forall. Fist, you need to clean up any unfinished business that’s holding you back. Make that your starting pointResolving Unfinished BUSINESS Unjinished busines is term deseribing all of the messes in your life that you haven't dealt with, You may be struggling ‘with legal, financial, relationship, organizational, health oF career messes, to aame just a few: When you allow these 10 build up, they can overwhelm you. The reason many people wont deal with this unfinished business 4s feat. Fear breeds doubt, and doubs leads 10 loss of confidence. tsa vicious cycle I left unchecked, a downward spiral begins and is ‘Soom gaining momeniuan. Suddenly fe ts out of contol, This ‘excess baggage is like a dead weight around your neck, It ean bring you to a standsull, ‘The result isa tremendous drain on your encegy, Some people have accumulated so much unfinished business over ‘he years, fees like they'te pulling an clephant along behind thom, There are uhree ways to handle this 1. You can play the denial game. Some people pretend isnt really happening. For example, 3 naan worrying about his debt-load refuses to look at the real numbers in the hope that they will somehow disappeae. Rather than change a habits, sch as spending more than he makes, he finds it easier t9 live in fantasy world. Denial usually results in major consequences af the variety you wont like 2. You can go into limbo. Life sort of stops and you tread water, You dont al back, but you dont make any progress either, ICS Irusteating, and of Course the unfinished business is still there waiting to be ‘dealt with later. Being i limbo keeps you stuck 3. You can confront the issue head on. This seems like the obvious course of action, yet many people choose the previous two options, Why? We usually ont like confrontation—its uncomfortable and theres & certain amount of risk invalved. Sometimes it cat be painful and may not work out the way you want it to, Here’ a phease that will help you: Step into your fear. Most of the time far only exists in our mind. Our imagination is powerful. Small issues often get blown ont of proportion, and we create mental pictures that are ridiculous when ‘compared the facts, friend in Arizona, George Addai, told us about a firelighter who attended one of bis self knowledge workshops. He said, “Freefighters deal sith lear every time they prepare to enier « burning building. Just hofore they go into action they experience ft the uncertaintyof oot knowing if they'll survive or not. An incredible transformation takes place as soon as they go inside the bauilding, They Ievally step into the fear, and because they do, the fear disappears, They are 100 percent in the present ‘moment, They ate then able te concentrate on lighting the fire, evacuating people and doing all the things they were trained to do. By confronting their fea, they can focus on the ‘immediate situation and get the job doe. “Another important factor is the energy you consume when you live in fear You ean aflord to ave all that vitality botled up. It restricts your capaetty If you want 0 gain confidence, aveelerate your progress and restore your energy to maximum levels, you mast camfromt your fears. Make a decision now to deal with your unfinished business once and for al, Give it your best shot Put it behind you, and move on, ‘Make this a habit. Be aware that unfinished business is an ongoing reality. Every week something will happen that needs to he resolved. Don't allow these things to fester, Handle them promptly, with confidence. Your life will become refreshingly simple and uncluttered when you do, The Road to Freedom PARADIGM ‘We just mentioned Arizona businessman George Adda, who has created unique personal development training programs for riore than twenty years, One of the sirongest components in these warkshops ts The Road to Freedom Paradigm. Addairs philosophy is; Everything you want is on the other side of fear. fo overcome feat you must have faith in the outcome. In fact, i usually takes a leap of faith to bridge the gap between fear and confidence. Someone who snderstands the significance fof this De Robert H. Schuler, pastor of the Crystal Cathedral In Garden Grove, California, He says— Faith is often called a “leap.” Faiths leaping across the gaps Dexween the hrosen and the unknown, the proven and the unproven, the actual and the posible the grasp and the reach Ther is always a chasm between where you are and where you are going—by falth make the Tea forwand! What les ahead? Tomorrow? Next week? Neat month? Nest year? Beyond this life? Believe in faith Believe in God! Believe in tomorrows! Take the leap of faith! Scxvch ting Yow ath ion Tey So how cat you overcome these fears and uncertainties and start developing the habit of confidence? There are te inital steps: resolve your unfinished business and identify your deeper fears. Look at The Road to Freedom Paradigin graphic on page 164. Notice the big garbage ean Full of your unfinished business. Our Action Step called Resolving, Unfinished Business, will show you how to get rid of i. This Important exercise will help you create a practical sokution that wil bring your unfinished business to closure. Make @ commitment 10 follow throwgh, so you can experience that wonderful positive energy and sense of relic. Just releasing the guilt is well worth the elfor,[Now take another look at the Wall of Feat below: In order to break through this major obstacle, you nerd to clearly identify your feats. Here area couple of suagestions. Schedule some {quiet time to Sink Is important that you are not interrupted Ask yourself chs fundamental question: What do I really lear? THE ROAD TO FREEDOM. PARADIGM Keep repeating this question to yourself, sarying ti you wish ‘What do [fear anost? What do T Tear inthe futuee? What da t Fear right now? Write dovsn sets. Keep adding to your list and be apen to whatever cemes up. The most meaningful answers may not surlace right away. You may guin more Insights from this exerese by having tse fend ask you the questions. He or she ca eeeord them while you sit quietly thinking wih your eyes closed, Before you discount this activity as hokey or silly take 9 moment to consider the henefits, The best way te really understand how and why you sabotage your results to kn yourself better. Refletive thinking gives you clarity. Its a wise choice. Dont be like the majority of people who sidestep the real isues and end up later feeling desperate and unfelilled Once you have clearly identiied your fears, you have a tremendous advantage. Now yout can design strategies to topple them whenever they show up. Address each fear with the question, What can Fo fo overcome this? By doing so. you are preparing yourself in advance, ust like professional speakers prepare a speech, by creating an outline of the key points. When you have a strategie plan to counteract yout fear, you sow the seeds of confidenee and ceriainty Sell-knowledge is the key. Make it abit to Tear more about yourself; how you think, feel, react and behave. Below you will find a list of common fears ad specific strates to lveecame them. Makea nate f the ones you eelate to most. Common fears Strategie plan to counteract fear Losing your jo about the Rturo Dying‘Common fears Strategic plan to counteract fear Making major Ti en per—oes hema Secsons SSSR Rejection Deyipietneonatysonay yeaa Confiet So ey hor Ignorence/Lack france at asain ey Sinomiedge Sica ath Setoreraeetmstn Losing your family Public speaking Success © eet (One of our clients has a goal to he a professional singer. She has a wonderful voice and specializes in country-and-westem music, Until recently, she had only performed for friends and local coramunity groups. Then one day a real opportunity rnved, Diane was offered ten-minute spot ina major concer thar was coming to town Wher the big night arrived, she stood backstage, tembling atthe though of singing in front of ten thousand people. Her heart was pounding, and she was imagining everything that ould go wrong. Maybe she would forget the words, a hee ‘mouth would be so dry she coulda sing at ll Finally a few minutes before her curtain call, she steadied herself. Quietly’ she repeated these words over and over agi.“ can do this, lean do this, Lean do this!” By focusing on the belief that she would perform well, and by eliminating her negative fear thoughts, the fear melted away: Upon finishing, she received thunderous ovation, prool that her initial Feats were totally unjustified ‘Confidence is requited atthe height of your fear. Is one of ies greatest challenges. Aecepr it with a new resolve to do ‘well, no matier what siuation you ae facing, The Twenty-Five-Cent CHALLENGE ‘Qir fend Wayne Teskey has a Mastermind Group consisting ct four other busines frends, They area dynamic bunch of enurepreneurs who meet monthly to share ideas and ler Support to each other. AL one meeting they agreed that Ie had lost some of is challenge. Their businesses were doing sell but they needed a new stimulus, They came up with at ilea that would ies their confidence snd cause them 10 stretch out of ther all-too-fiiar comfort ones.‘The plan was to My from Edmonton, their home city, to Toronto, more than three thousand miles away, of & one-way ticket with only twenty-five cents in their pockets. Upon landing they eal had 10 figare oot how vo get Back hore with no credit cards, no checks and no friends to help them out. To make it more imteresting, they agreed to tse at Teast three mades of tarspor, in other words one person was able to arrange a flight home, part of the journey had to nelade ewe ‘ther forms of trasportation—tain, bus, car, ieyee aon foot ‘Also, they cou not tell anyone the nature ofthese challenge Picture yoursel io this situation. What sould you da? vould obviously require ereatvity innovation, courage and a strong belie in your ability as well as money, to successfully inake the trip ack home Unknown co this madeap group, a friend had alerted the Jocal media in Edmonton as well aS major radio stations and newspapers. Upon arrival in Toronto, they were met at the alrpon by several photographers and reporters, all inzigued by this unique adventure, Now there was real presse to perform! took most of the group about a week to get home, and everyone accomplished his goal. There were some interesting, stories. One person took the long route by hitching rides Stoposers included Minneapolis, whee he worked as a croupier inaeasino, He came hack with more than sever hale doles Theo ofthe ether members talked their way into staying at one of Toronto’ nest hotels at ne charge. Others found odd jobs, EVERYTHING YOU WANT IS ON THE (OTHER SIDE OF FEAR ‘Wayne fad fan on the steet asking well-heeled businessmen, *Do you have any money that you dont plan on spending today?” If the answer was “Yes,” hed continue with a big smile, Cat {have some of it please?” Some people actually paid up! Back in Edmonton, the story gained front-page coverage. 1 Get, the group created more publicity Uhan many expensive advertising campaigns, The “Masterminds,” as they were now llectonacely known, unanimously agreed hat the tip ws one of their all-time greatest learning experiences, They discovered that no matter how litle they bad, it was possble to not onl survive, but to prosper. Confidence levels soared and their twwenty-five-cent challenge cteated bigger and better business ‘opportunities in the months that followed, Forgive and FORGET ‘You have an incredible capacity and ability to overcome lifes ‘greatest challenges. Embrace this eeality, anl use ithe next time a crisis occurs. In faet, celebrate the opportunity perlotm ata higher level. When you break through the wal ‘of fear, the rewards are many’ You will enjoy peace of mind and the ability to dream and design an exciting future without being shackled by worry and guilt. When you continually clear up your unfinished busines, life becomes simple and uncluttered. This gives you a surge of new energy. All ofthis breeds comfdenes. Is ential that you understand ‘one thing—conlidence grows by doing, not by thinking, Only setion produces results. As Sheryl Ceow sings, “A ehange will, «lo you good.” To produce a different result, you need 10 change something, It all starts with you Until you change, nothing else will change. Procrastination is aone-say'ticket 10 staying stuck, Isan excuse not to performHere’ big point about uainised busines. You realy nee ogra this, ty focused. To elease yourself all trom the bageage ofthe past, you must lear to ogo, Read it again: You must learn to forgive, There ate two sides to tht, Fst, you need to forgive the people whe ohrased You in the patt—parents, ends, raves ot teachers. In fae, anyone who undermined ot abused your confidence ‘eel: physically or mentally No matter how tavmtie the experience, tobe fee you ist forgive them This may not be easy, it ts essen if you want ¥ have peace ‘rind anda happier faa How do you do his? Write a leer, make a phone cal havea fieetolace conversion, whatever kes, ut is of paramount Importance that you sele the sue Witla our Jost let go and move on, Second, forgive youre silence forever those negative “houghs of ult The past bist You wil never be ale to charge Ieread accep the lat that whatever you id. your Cholees were based on your lvl of knowledge ad avatenese atthe ime. The sume goes fr your parents Bont Blame them for your upbringing—‘they dd what they aid based on thelr cietnstance, ble systems and parenting abi Tok a the word foenes. Inthe center ae four Tete give Theres the elu, You mast give toe fe. The bigest gt You have To llr lve: Remernbe, you cant gre wa fou dont aay ave Ifyou don hve love wih yu, ow an yout ge? Te sturs mith forging yursell You mist move Jost the “ts not my al" and the Poor me” syadomes, oF en never enjoy veal love m yor het. This kes a special tape of awareness Hs lving sts higher level. To do this ttlecivelyrequnes detaching youre! om the past events of You, so you cam be fief ive hot eonions “Too many people never It the rel person within them come alive Consequently they ve dormant and unfuied fxitence: Instead of gloriously sttching and challenging themes to eal they ce, they de nthe every everyday stuff of life, You ean be different! Make a decision now to remove yourself from this futility and explore the wnique talents you've been given, They are within you, just waiting to be let loose. Release your fears Forgive those who need to be forgiven, and be confident in the knowledge that you can have what yout want by taking one step ata time, making one decision Ata time and accomplishing one result Xt atime, One of the most wonderful stories about forgiveness and love started many years ago in the Vietnarn War. Journalist Patricia CCisholim recalls the story in Macleans magazine: Nine-year-old Phan Thi kim Phuc was fleeing her village when American bombs intended for miliary installations started exploding all around her She recalls, “Right away. | know my clothes are harming, everything, and I saw my hand, my arm burning,” But then she started to run, desperate to exape the cirle offre There sas, she says, "No more thinking” Just overwhelming fear, and later searing heat, She had terrible injuries to her buck, where great swaths of skin were destroyed by th a thickener that turns gasoline into a jelly-ike concn Sticks to surfaces, including skin, as it burns. At the scene photographer Nick Ut rushed her to nearby hospital, where she stayed for fourteen months, enduring many operations Nick’ deamatic photograph, which won him a Pulitzer Prize, captares the agony of the moment Now living in. Canada after years of rehabilitation and adjustment to Western life, Kim has displayed a remarkable ‘capacity to forgive. In the fall of 1996, she participated ia & Veteran's Day ceremony at the Vietnam War Memorial inv Washingcon D.C. There, she had an unanticipated and motional mecting with Capt, John Plummer, the man who ordered South Vietnamese pilots to make the fateful alt strike on her village, As the two sat side by side, smiling and holding hands, was clear that Kimy bore him nothing, tbat goodwill In ths respect Kim is rare. Many people would live with resentment and hate that would consume themfor years. She has chosen to avoid reflecting on the war.“ never do sorrow like that,” she says, “To feel a trace of bitterness, even deep inside, is to0 tiring, too heavy Instead, Kim decided 19 move forward. She is now happily married and has a young son to nurture, Undoubtedly her ability to love and forgive has accelerated her progress, ‘The terrar of wat—Phan Th Kim Phuc eft flees from bombing a Usually we dont think about confidence as 8 habit, Often we look at other people who seem to be enjoying lle to the fullest, and wish we had been born with the same genes, While i's true that certain individuals seem to be rmore outgoing than others, confidence can be developed And having confidence doesnt mean that you need to be jumping up and down every single day with oll-the-scale positive energy. Some of the most confident and successful people we know have « quiet inner strength that is rarely expressed in gregarious fashion. Essentially, confidence ‘evolves from combining & positive auitude with positive action, Both of these involve the power of choice. Every day Yyou can make a conscious choice to think more positively. And you can also choose to take positive action oF not. There 1s a direct fink hetween your attitude and the choices you ultimately make. AWi inning ATTITUDE Atsinude has a lot to do with your success and your ability ta {Ret what you want. As you are probably aware, atwtude ean change quickly. In fact, every day your attitude is severely tested. One of the greatest examples of losing confidence ‘occurred at the 1996 Masters Golf Tournament in. Augusta, Georgia, Australian Greg Norman, a premier goller and one ‘ol the favorites to win the championship, had performed nian At the end of che third day. he was six stds aba ois nearest rival, and with only one more round remaining, [Norman seemed a cast-iron certainty to wear the famous green jacket presented to the winner an Sunday afternoon, All he needed was an average perlormance to secare the win, Inexplicably however, his game collapsed during the fn round, Within twenty-four hours his six-steoke lead evaporated and. he ended up losing by live strokes to Nick Faldo, who had gel chipped asa at Normans seemingly insurraountable lead, Indeed, it was Faldo’ persistence and confidence that eventually caused the upset Infact, Faldo has made a habit of coming from behind to win, having won back-to-back Masters (1989-90) in simila fashion,As the final round progressed, Greg Norman's auitude noticeably deteriorated. The confident stride seen the day before changed to shumped shoulders, and a blank expression appeared in his eyes as he saw his long-time dream wo become Master’ champion disappearing, His plummeting downward spiral was a poigrant reminder of how fickle cconfidence can be. Strong and positive one dy. in total fisarray the next, To combat this, let look at some practical strategies that will help boost your confidence Six Confidence-Building STRATEGIES 1. Every day remind yourself that you did some things wel Instead of dwelling on what didnt work or the tasks you didn't finish, focus on what you did accomplish. Dont ‘minimize these, Use your B-ALERT daily habit to clarify this. Give yoursell a mental pep talk at the beginning and end ol the day. Coach yoursell just like you would help someone else wo overcome a challenge 2, Read inspiring biographies and autobiographies. ‘We want to reinforce this one more time. Read books, articles and magazines. Build a fle of those stories that inspire you tnost. Record special TY documentaries. Listen to tapes oF swatch videos, Go to the movies—there area lot of great stories fut there. Find out about people who started with nothing for who had devastating setbacks, and still found a way to win, Remember, your capacity far exceeds your current level of performance, Life without challenges is an illusion, Accept the fact that you wall have ups and downs, just lke everyone else. Your confidence grows when you actively tke ‘on the challenges of lfe. You wor't win them all, bt with the right attitude you'l win more than enough, 3. Be thankful. No matter how bad your circumstances may be, theres probably someone worse off than you. If you doubt this, volunteer your time ina acute-care bums ward at the children’s hospital. Put things into perspective, Think of al che things land people) you take for granted that are not available in other counti. Most of your problems will pale in comparison when you take a mental srapshot of al she Benet you enjoy every day.4. Bulld excellent support around you. IF you need a boost, refresh your memory by reviewing chapter 3, Building Excellent Relationships. 5. Push yourself to accomplish short-term goals. Theres no greater way to uill confidence chan geting things done. Create an environment of accomplishment every week Focus on your three most important targets. Every day do something that moves you closer to finishing a project, closing, {sale or expanding a relationship. Dont allow yourself to be distracted or interrupted. By doing so you'l eliminate the feckings of gullt and failure. Take one siral step ata time Make sure your goals ate realistic. Self-tejection ean shatter your confidence, so dont beat yourself up when everything, doesnt come together as planned. Be flexible. And when sthets say "No" 10 you, dont take it personally. Accept the Tact that you need to lose sometimes before you can wi, 6. Do something for yourself every week. Find a way to celebrate your weekly accomplishments. Dont you deserve it? you said "No," go back to step one and start aga, THE ROAD TO CONFIDENCE IS PAVED. WITH WEEKLY VICTORIES. Learn To Applaud Them. Check Out Your FAITH FACTOR Recent studies show that happiness i cleuly elated co ur level of confidence. Many people ae slso finding solace and ‘unreserved joy in a suong spistual connection. George Gall ‘whose family pioneered surveys probing peoples atstudes, has focused is work inceeasngly on eligion. “T've always wanted to see surveys that probe beneath the surface of lie Gallup said. “We've learned a great deal about the breadth ‘of religion, but not about dhe depth of religion, Were now trying to explore that moe. He-said initial studies of this “depth dimension” have discovered that the most commited (13 percent of believers) are mang the happiest, most charitable, tolerant and ethical people. “Theyre a breed apart from the test of the population third of the population now operates ia a variety of sonal, shared-interestgeoups, 6 percent church-related Thats quite a phenomenal finding IS ¥ery mportant in or foagiented society” According wo Gallup, i such smal, numa groups, people are nding themselves, nding each other and finding Gad Gallup said modern times have confronted people with a Trewern amray of problems.” including disappointment wth materi asa measure oi sccess. “Isa fale ofthe American dream, i yous will KS not only discouragement at the flue of the material world, but disenetantment with Iestyles Loneliness. factor, Were acutely lonely. Were seaiching for meaningl relationshipsWhat to Do If You HIT A SLUMP 1. Recognize you are in one. Take time out to rethink, re-energize and refocus. Talk to the people who support you hest—your mentors, friends and family. 2. Remind yourself of a major accomplishment. Select a notable victory that made you feel great. Replay & vividly in your mind. Talk about it. Laok at photos, achievement plagues oF thank-you leters. Keep a Suecess Log a scrapbook of your most positive memories, Understand that you have talent. You've proved it before, and you cao do so again le was very romantic when we fist got ‘martiad, ut you know how they change.” 3. Get back to basics ‘One of the main reasons for a stoppage in cesults is that you're not practicing the fundamentals. Bo a main reality ‘check. Are you doing the easy things instead of activites that suarantee you results? Take a break if you're physically or mentally drained. Recapture your energy before you stat up again, Understand that you can work your way out of Life is fll of eycles, They dont last forever, so take it ome day at & ass” Gradually the |As we stated before, lamous adventurer and explorer John Goxldard is one of the world’ greatest goal-setters. He has accomplished more in bis own lifetime than twenty people ‘would have achieved collectively. When questioned about hhow he overcomes roadblocks, he replied, “Wher 1 get stuck, [restart myself by focusing on one goal {can finish in the next seven days—something simple. | doa't think about anything clse—that usually stants my momentum again, WHEN YOU THINK YOU CAN'T. Revisit A Former TriumphCONCLUSION The habit of confidence is a vital component in your everyday quest t0 enjoy continuous suecess, Like the other important pieces of the puzzle, itis invisible Love, faith, honesty and integrity are all invisible when you attempt to define thers individually So is confidence, Heres an example, Ac the time ofthis writing, Elvis Stoiko was already 4a three-time men’s world ligure-skating champion, and an Olympic silver medalist. In his early twenties, he id reached the pinnacle of a sport that is not ‘only demanding, but laced with controvers politics, Usually you must wait your tum before being accepted {nwo the upper tanks. Elvis is unique, He skates a different program, one that incorporates I's mattial ants expertise on the ice He is a refreshing talent. Like every other top athlete he trains hard and practices relentlessly When asked. hat the nuinberone reason for his outstanding success was, he paused for a moment 10 think, and then simply said, “t believe im myself, Yes, thats weve in mysell Confidence—its the glue that holds everything together,» habit forged from many sourees. You now have a multiude of ways to inerease your level of faith in yourself. Relish the challenge, Review these strategies carelully, Make sure you complete all of ‘he Action Steps that follow, then start putting them into use, one ata time. Practice. Male ita d sy habit When you do, it won't he long before you are creating your own lst of outsianding successes.ACTION STEPS Resolving Unfinished Business Moke lst ofthe issues that you want resohed. White down at leas tree. Then mite down a speciic way to rescke each one Whats your acvan plan? Define it © y, decide on the date you ove going to have thi completed. Then get states Unfinished business | currently want to bring to clos Relationship sus, franca egal busines heath, physical cxgprizeon of, home, garage, et) Specific benefit for resolving this unfinished business Deserbe how you wil feel. Date for competionTHE CONFIDENCE FACTOR ) BUILDING EXCELLENT RELATIONSHIPS CREATING OPTIMUM BALANCE ) DO YOU SEE THE BIG PICTURE? ) IE NOT HGCUS-FOCUS, IT's ALL ABOUT FOCUS YOUR HAGITs wit DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE We're confident you'll finish the last four—go for it! FocusInG STRATEGY “7 Ask For What You Want “IF THERE 15 SOMETHING TO GAIN AND NOTHING TO LOSE BY ASKING, BY ALL MEANS ASK Av. Clement Stone Jonathan is eleven years ald, and loves musi. He is exceptionally talented on soprano saxophone and also likes to compose. One das; maybe he'll play in a famous philbatmonic orchestra and eventially became the conductor. Awesome! Right now, Jonathan's biggest goal isto earn ennigh money to buy a new saxophone and a keyboard 10 ‘compose on. When youte eleven is hard to find good paving jb, especly when school takes up most of the work: Jonathan, however, i determined. He really wants the new instruments. Every Saturday he goes down tothe local food market and stands near one of the main cenrance doors. He sets up a music stand and takes a ‘larinet from at old case. In font of hin he places a han writen sign, and then he stars to play. His sign reads MY NAME IS JONATHAN AND I'M ELEVEN YEARS OLD. I'M EARNING MONEY TO BUY A SOPRANO SAXOPHONE AND A KEYBOARD, CAN YOU HELP? THANK YOU VERY MUCH!Beside the sgn i a plastic comiainer and a personal requests lst Jonathan has discovered # magic formula Wt called asking, and he doing what most people wont do—hes taking action As Jonathan skilllly plays a selection of well-known tunes the money rolls in. A dllar trom a passing businessman, ity cents from a young gil, five dollars from a well-dressed. gnindmother At this ate i wont be Tong before jonathan’ goal becomes reality By using a isle creavity and summoning up the courage to ask for help, hes found a unique way t0 get what he swants, With this type of gutsy determination, who ‘would bet om bim not achieving his greater musial ambitions? Not us, that’ for sure. Ask and RECEIVE ts been around for along, long time, this git called asking In fat, one of lifes fundamental truths states, Ask and you shal receive, Isn\ that simple? OF course i is, And kids are the asters, The forrmul sustlly to ask ntl they get what they swat Asaduts, we seem w lose our ability co ask We come Up swith all sorts of excuses and reasons to avoid any possibilty of rejection. Kids havent been programmed like that. They really believe they can have anything they ask lor, whether its a lilty-foot swimming pool or a chocolate icecream cone. Heres what you need to understand: The world responds to those who ask. If you are not moving closer to what you want, you probably arent doing enough asking. Fortunately. te future abundance there are many ways to 25k. In the next few pages you will lear a variety of asking strategies that will guarame you tremendous success, These ae powerful For business a5 well as your own personal life Here’ a useful acronym to remind you about asking: Avwavs Stk KNowLence some people say knowledge s power. Not tet The use of howled 6 power Thats someting to imprint is your mind forever When you ask, you eam receive al eso information eas, staves, names of people with nluence and, yes, even romney: There are many good reasons to ask and the rewards are substantial. So why do people stumble when they have an ‘opportnity o ask? Essentially ther are thrve reasons. 1. They have a belief system that says it's not right to ask. 2. They lack confidence. 3. They fear rejection. (For an in-depth look at how to overcome personal barriers toasking, read The Aladdin Factor. See Resource Gade ) Old, deep-seated beliet systems can paralyze you. The Bible says, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall fin, Jock and it shall be opened unto you.” That comes from a pretty high avthority, ome that has far more power than some outdated belief system you may have inherited years ago as a child, If this deseribes you, then youll need to do some analysis of your limiting belief systems, Get help. Talk to a ‘usted friend, adviser oF counselor. Work through it. Realize there are other ways to view life and circumstances, Make 1 change in how you see things and what you really value Let go of all that old stuff Its clogging up your foture and strangling your ability to ask Remember the second reason? Yes, its that self-defcati ‘old confidence trait we discussed in the last chapter, Lack of confidence will definitely stunt your desite 19 ask, Agabn MSall about breaking old barriers, Trust yourselt. Take a step forward, Ask anyiay: The worst youll hear is “No,” which brings up the third reason—rejection, When you get & negative response, are you any worse off? Not rally unless you take it personally—which is the number-one reason people ear rejection. Some people cant handle their ‘emotions, even though the word “na” was never intended as 4 personal pat-dowes So how do you rate in the asking stakes? Ate any of these three negative forces playing havoc with your opportunity to get ahtead? If they are, this is where yeu must start Ins called whing the leap of faith. And thar means releasing, old beliels, feling good about yourself and understanding that life isn't perlect—i"s normal to experience a lot of roadblocks along the way Loc, ue oon WAKE THE RULES, ORLY WORK HERE. FANT SERVE Yeo unre You sm! Seven Ways to Boost Your Business, SIMPLY BY ASKING Here are seven big ways 1 ensure that your business becomes more profitable. Do these, and your revenues will soar, To 2 with this, do the Aetion Steps called Seven Ways to Boost Your Business, 1. Atk for information. To win potential new clients, you fist need to know what their ccrtent challenges are, what they want to aecomplish and how they plan 10 do it Only then can you proceed 1 demonstrate the advantages of your unique product or service. I amazing hhow so many people get this simple process screwed up Salespeople are notarious for ignoring, this essential part of the presentation, They often have dollar signs in their eyes, usa tha their main focus is on lightening your walle, We call them dinosaurs, Heres a better way: Fist, suspend your own self-interest. This is critical, Focus am sincerely helping the person sith whom you are meesing. Ask questions, staring with the words who, why, what, where when and how to obtainall she informacion you need, This is called the discovery process. Teal lawyers are experts at this, In discovery, they are allowed 10 ask virwsally any question that will help them prepare their case. They dont rely on guesswork. Only when they are armed with the facts of the case can they make a ‘compelling defense or prosecution in cour. Its the sane an business Only when you truly understand and appreciate the needs of the people you meet can yeu flfer a solution. And if everything fits, the solution for them will he your product or service.There ace two important questions to ask in the discovery process, Fis, “What is your single biggest challenge at this time?” We have found this question isa great way to develop rapport. Here's the key: You must show genuine interest ‘when you ask. Ifyou sound like a cliche out of some ancient sales manual, you will experience resistance. When the person answers, listen earefully and asle another question, fone that will give you more information. Repeat this process tuntl you have explored this topic as fully as you need to, We call it peeling the onion, Fach time you ask 3 new question, you peel away another layer Removing move layers eventually leads you tothe core ofthe issue. Often thats where the most important information lies, ut i takes skill uestioning t0| luncover it. A good marriage counselor or psychotherapist uses the same technique to discover what hes behind a dysfunctional relationship, or acute depression. So practice asking simple. direct questions. Be attentive. Listen well, and learn to read hetween the lines. Remember, the real issues are usally below the surface, The second important question to open up the conversation 's, What are some of your most important goals and objectives in the next few years?” IF you think people wont answer a question like that, think again. If you have developed good rapport in the fist ten minutes, suspended your desire to make a sale, and demonstrated a sineere interest in their business, ‘people will ell you alot more than you think Les Its amaring-—ton minutes after maeting a business one or manager for the frst time. when | ask the gos question they often stand up and say “Let me clase my joor’ Then thay open thei hearts, ts le they were ‘waiting for someone ta come along who was wifng ist, 20 they could unload same of the heavy burdens of their business ard personal fe. Naver underestimate the poser of well-chosen questions and an abity fo iston ‘One other tip when you ate asking for information, Don't interrogate people with a constant barrage of hottom-line questions. ly between your questions make a few comments share an idea or oller a helplul suggestion. Relate to what the other person is saying, and then gently ask your nest question, The more you can relate. the more coralortable and relaxed your prospect will hecome, This develops that ‘magic ingredient called crust, When you establish teust, the door of opportunity swings wide open aad you are welcomed in with open arms. Eventually this leads to big checks. You ca also practice this type of asking in your personal life, with family and friends, The rewards are equally substantial ia “You hit him up for milion bucks 1 ak him for five bucks and he thin he's geting 3 deal2. Ask for business. Here’ an amazing statistic: Aer doing « complete presentation about the benefits of their product or service, more than (60 percent of the time salespeople never ask for the order Thats @ bad habit, one that could ulumately put you on the bsiness scrap heap. I you need help with this, ks are your best role models As young Jonathan demonstrated, they are naturally gifted salespeople. Here’ more proof: We're playing goll on a hot sunny July afternoon. The tee-off area at the stxth Kole is lose wo a perimeter fence. On the other side ofthe wire mesh a six-year-old gil is sitting at a small wooden table. On the table ate (wo big plastic jugs, one filed with teed tea, the other with lemonade. As our foursome waits forthe players heal to finish the hole, the litle gel asks, "Would you lke a nice cool drink while you're waiting?” She stands there holding a plastic cup in one hand and wearing a great big smile, Her name is Melanie. NS hot and wet all thirty, so we wall over to the fence, ‘Would you prefer iced tea of lemomade?” she asks, Afier we make our seleetions, she pours the drinks, holds out her hhand and says, “Thats fifty-five cents each, please.” We pass four one-dollar bills throug the wie mesh, When she ha the cash carefully tucked away in a litle money pouch, she passes the drinks through a hole in the fence and says, “Have 1 nice day” None of us receives any change! And who's going, to complain? Afterall, shes worth the 45 percent up with a presentation like that, ALWAYS ASK FOR BUSINESS, Aways, How often do you think she asks? You'te right. Every time someone shows up at the siath tee. This litle entrepreneur didn't have a ten-week sales training course—she did 1 ‘naturally Consider her briliantstrategy—a lesson in business we can all benefit from. First, she picked an excellent location. She also provided a valuable service on a hot day. ‘Would you prefer iced tea or lemonade?” proves she knew the importance of choice. And her confidence lactor was so high that she felt it wasnt necessary to give change, Like Melanie, you must always ask a closing question to secure the business, Dont walle, or talk around it, or ever worse, wait for your prospect to ask you. Hete are a few cexampies that have worked well fr us “Would you like to give ita ty?” This is a no-pressure, none theeatening type of question, If you have given an effective presentation loaded with value and benefits, most people wll think, “What have 1 got lose? Tamight as well tryst” Whee selling oar coaching programs and seminars, we ask directly, “Would you like o attend the next program?” Another direct way of asking isto say sincerely, “May I please have your Inusiness” Well-known consultant armey Zick adds # touch of Imumor. He suggests if you'te really stuck, just say, "Do you wanna buy one?” The point is, just ask. Algo, note that your closing question s designed to produce a "Yes" of "No answer, Unlike your earlier questions in the discavery process, where you simply want more information. If successful speakers ad renters can do this, why ean’ you? It obviously works. 3. Ask for written endorsements. ‘Wellwritten, results-oriented testimonials from highly respected people ace powerful. They solidify the quality of your work and leverage you asa person who has integeity, is rustworthy and who gets the job done on tim. Heres what’ fascinating-—most people in husiness don't do this: Tha gives you a great opporinity to jump ahead! of your ‘competition. All you need to do s ask. When isthe best Lime?Right after you have provided excellent service, completed a major project under budget, gone the extra mile to help out fo any other Ume you've made your customer really happy Under these circumstances, people will be glad to praise your ellorts, Heres how to doit Simply ask if your customer would be willing to give you a testimonial about the value of your product or service, plus any other helpful comments. To make it easy, we suggest tht you ask a few questions on the phone, and take good notes, Ask {your client to clearly deseribe the benefits. Probe for specific results that were achieved because of your work For example, a sales tainer who bas just completed a three month program with the entre sales organization ofa rapidly rowing company could ask, “What results have you noticed in the las sixty days?” The sales manager might reply “Since you shared your ideas with us, our total sales volume has jumped 35 percent computed o the previous few month. This san excellent, specific, measurable result, Stay away from _general stamens like, “I wis avery good program—everyone really enjoyed i” This type of statement has Ite impact cn the reader. But if you have sles team dha needs help and you read about 35 percent increase in sles, youre more Wey to think, “Thats what were looking for: If it works for them, it could worl for us, too—how da I contact this sales trainer?” ‘When you have finished your mini interview on the phone, offer to write the testimonial yoursell. This will save your cfienis time, This importa for wo weasons. Fs, removes ny pressure from your client, He or she may not be very skilled aL writing powerlul testimonials, and it cime-consuming Second, you have an opportunity to craft the Teter in a way that prodivces maximum impact, Ifyou are not great aL rit hire a profesional —is well wor it. When you have completed this, fax the testimonial back to your client for approval. Then have it typed on thei leterhead and signed, Make a habit of colleting great testimonials. Put hen in a three-ring binder and leave ion acoflee table in the reception atea of your office, or fame the best ones and hang them on & ‘wall where everyone can read them. Use a highlighter pen 10 draw attention to the most portant comments. All of your promotional literature should have at least three excellent testimonials prominently featured. "Another good option isto take the most powerful sentences from ten ehilerent testimonials and place these on one page along with the names of your clients. Even better, include a ‘mall head-and shoulders photograph of each client. 1f your product is easy 10 photograph, like a ear or fuenicure, create an action photograph. For example, your new customer sitting in the car or showing olf their beautiful dining room table, Visuals have great impact ENLIST HIGHLY CREDIBLE PEOPLE Ir yom have «few comments from local wel-known people chances ie you prospecs il eeogrize them ad be imped. Heres another important aspect of writen endorsements Include «Tew people who are pers in your industry. The now established they are, the beer For example, the fist few pages otis book contain comment from superstars n the rang industry and top business achievers, Didnt they influence you jas hie? You can aso group your testimonials into spcicctegvies I your product or service has several henefits, place cach ofthese under separate headings such av excellent serve, price, quality, product knowledge and on-time deliver. Va prospect is concen about ane atea in pail. yon can show several testimonials that prove you are wonder in that capacityThese ae simple sires that wil bring you alot more business So take advantage, and from now on make a commitment 19 ask for high-impact testimonials 4. Ask for top-quality referrals. Just about everyone in business knows the importance of referrals. Simply put, is the easiest, least-expensive way of ensuring your growth and success in the marketplace However, here’ the reality: la our experience, only one aut of ten companies has a system for gathering referrals. How do you explain thar? ‘Well its the same old story—bad habits, plus that recurring theme you've heen reading about—fear of rejection. In chapter 5, Building Excellent Relavionships, we talked shout the importance of developing core clients. These are the people who will gladly give you referrals because you treat ther so well So why aren’ you asking all of them fr referrals Mayhe you dont believe the benefits yet, Here an example that will persuade you to think again: Helen an expert financial planer: fn ft, she is consistendly lw the top 5 percent of the swo thoussind representatives who make up her companys sales team. Over the years, Helen has built «foundation of core clients. Her target marker is peaple in the filty- to sixty-yearold age group who have at least two hundred thousand dollars im their investment portfolios. Heres one way she boosted her business recently: She invited hher core clients to attend a Saturday morring breakfast at a nearby hotel. The savitation informed them that they would hear some important snformation about new government regulations, which could affect dheir future prosperiy: Included in the invitation was a request for each core client to bring three or four friends who were similarly qualified The result? A total of ninety 180 people showed up for breaks, many of whom were guests. The breakfast cost eight dollars pet person, which Helen vos happy 1 pany Alter er fry five-minute talk, many of these guests requested more information. This ‘med into ten new cleats, and twenty-two thousand dollars sn commissions for Helen. Not bad mornings work! Asall tp businesspeople know asking for qualified teerral is an important part of an overall marketing strategy I «habit {tht will dramatically increase your income Like any other habit, ‘trequines that you do t often, Then eventually i becomes easy Obtaining good referrals is not limited to your core clients, although they provide the distinct advantage of opening, doors for you that otherwise might remain closed. Opportuitics exist, every day: When you meet a new prospect who doesnt need of ‘want your producto service, you can sill sk if he might know someone who does. What have you got to lose? The worst thing that can happen i that he ray say *No You really arent any worse off And often hell say, "AS-a matter of fat, Ido know someomte who might be interested inthis.” les: [Thad an appointment with the owner af a realestate