Three key words to remember: weigh, count and measure. Now why weigh, count and measure? To see what your results are from your activity, your attitude and your philosophy. If you find that the results are not to your liking there are only three places to look. Your philosophy needs to be fine-tuned; your attitude needs to be strengthened or your disciplines need extra skill. But that's it. Activity, attitude and philosophy create results.
Now on results I teach that life expects you to make measurable progress in reasonable time. But, you must be reasonable with time. You can't say to someone every five minutes, how are you doing now? That's too soon to ask for a count. Guy says, "I haven't left the building yet, give me a break!" Now you can't wait five years - that's too long. Too many things can go wrong waiting too long for a count to see how you're doing.
Here are some good time frames:
Number one - at the end of the day. You can't let more than a day go by without looking at some things and making progress. Old Testament says - if you are angry; try to solve it before the sun goes down. Don't carry anger for another day. It may be too heavy to carry. If you try to carry it for a week, it may drop you to your knees. So some things you must get done in a day.
Here's the next one - a week. We ask for an accounting of the week so we can issue the pay. And whatever you've got coming that's what you get; when the week is over. Now in business there are two things to check in the course of the week. Your activity count and your productivity count. Because activity leads to productivity we need to count both to see how we're doing.
My mentor taught me that success is a numbers game and very early he started asking me my numbers. He asked, "How many books have you read in the last ninety days?" I said, "Zero"; he said, "Not a good number." He said, "How many classes have you attended in the last six months to improve your skills?" And I said, "Zero." He said, "Not a good number." Then he said, "In the last six years that you've been working, how much money have you saved and invested?" I said, "Zero" and he said, "Not a good number." Then here's what he said, "Mr. Rohn, if these numbers don't change your life won't change. "But" he said, "If you'll start improving these numbers then perhaps you'll start to see everything change for you."
Success and results are a numbers game. John joins this little sales company. He's supposed to make 10 calls the first week just to get acquainted with the territory. So on Friday we call him in and say what? "How many calls?" He says, "Well." You say, "John, 'well' won't fit in the little box here. I need a number." Now he starts with a story. And you say, "John, the reason I made this little box so small is so a story won't fit. All I need is a number because if you give us the number we're so brilliant around here we could guess the story." It's the numbers that count. Making measurable progress in reasonable time.
Here's the best accounting. The accounting you make of yourself. Don't wait for the government to do it; don't wait for the company to do it. But you've got to add up some of your own numbers and ask, "Am I making the progress I want and will it take me where I want to go now and in the future?" You be the judge!
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
THE "BEN FRANKLIN METHOD" FOR WINNING PEOPLE OVER by Bob Burg
So often in this ezine we talk about giving before getting, and that is certainly a very important aspect of helping a person to feel comfortable with you, and want to do for you. Whether in social relationships or sales, being the first to reach out is an extremely effective human relations strategy, as well as just a generally nice way to be. But we learn from one of America's more well-known founders, Benjamin Franklin, how taking the opposite approach can have excellent results as well.
In his book, "Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and Other Writings", the inventor, statesman, and diplomat tells of an incident with a man who opposed his being re-chosen as Clerk of the General Assembly of the Pennsylvania House. Although he did manage to keep the office, Ben knew that this person, whom he described as "a gentleman of fortune and education with talents that were likely to give him, in time, great influence in the House," could be trouble later on. He aimed to insure that didn't happen by making, of an enemy, a friend.
Let's let Ben tell us how he did it:
"I did not, however, aim at gaining his favour by paying any servile respect to him, but after some time took this other method. Having heard that he had in his library a certain very scarce and curious book, I wrote a note to him expressing my desire of perusing that book and requesting he would do me the favour of lending it to me for a few days. He sent it immediately - and I returned it in about a week with another note expressing strongly my sense of the favour. When we next met in the House, he spoke to me (which he had never done before), and with great civility. And he ever afterwards manifested a readiness to serve me on all occasions, so that we became great friends, and our friendship continued to his death.
"This is another instance of the truth of an old maxim I had learned, which says, 'He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another than he whom you yourself have obliged.' And it shows how much more profitable it is prudently to remove, than to resent, return, and continue inimical proceedings."
Understand that both ways work (giving first and getting first); it's just a matter of judging the method that will work best depending upon both the situation and the other person involved. Either way, what Ben said in his final sentence makes a whole lot of sense. To paraphrase: We're better off making a friend than keeping an enemy.
Have an awesome WINNING WITHOUT INTIMIDATION week!
Note: never disrespect to the kindness a person have given to you, you may need more from them than you anticipate :D
THE BILLIONAIRE'S STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS by Brian Tracy
The key principle of success discovered by the world's richest man and how you can use it in your own life.
John Paul Getty became the richest man in the world by practicing a few basic principles of risk-taking and reward throughout his life.
In this newsletter you will learn his key insight to risk reduction and success and how you can apply it to any decision you have to make. You learn a series of additional ideas that can help you to make better decisions and reduce the risks associated with success.
How To Assess A Decision
Whenever John Paul Getty was considering a business decision, he would ask, "What's the worst possible thing that could happen in this situation?"
Then, when he was clear about the worst possible outcome, he focused all his attention on making sure that it didn't happen.
You should apply this technique to every risk situation or investment you ever make.
The Billionaire's Strategy for Success
Remember Murphy's Law: "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." There are several secondary laws to Murphy's Law, such as "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible time" and "Of all the things that can go wrong, the most expensive thing will go wrong at the worst possible time."
Another sub law is "Everything takes longer than your best calculation." In advising businesspeople, I suggest that they take their very best estimate of break-even for any business venture and then triple it to arrive at a more realistic number. Whenever businesspeople follow this advice, they are amazed to find that, in spite of their best initial calculations, it indeed takes about three times longer than they thought it would to start making money.
Always Add A Fudge Factor
Another sub-law is "Everything costs more than you can possibly anticipate in advance." In minimizing risk in any venture, always add a "fudge factor" to account for the degree of uncertainty. Whenever I do a business plan, I always add 20 percent to the total of all costs that I can identify, to come up with the probable cost. Anything less than this, whether in business or your personal life, is likely to be an exercise in self-delusion and open you up for some unhappy surprises.
Once you have identified the worst possible things that could go wrong, make a list of everything that you could do to offset these negative factors. Engage in what is called "crisis anticipation." Look down the road, into the future, and imagine every possible crisis that could arise as the result of changing external circumstances.
Be Intensely Realistic
Men and women who have achieved a high level of success are intensely realistic. They do not put their trust in luck. They carefully calculate every possible risk, and then think about what they would do should it occur. They always have a backup plan in case things do not go as they wish them to. They have a "Plan B" and options to that plan that take all kinds of variables into consideration.
Do The Things You Fear
One of the very best ways to develop your ability to take intelligent risks is to consciously and deliberately do the things you fear, one step at a time.
A very good way to overcome the fear of risk taking is to set clear, written, measurable goals for yourself, and then to review those goals regularly.
When you have clear goals and plans, and you continually work on them and evaluate your progress each day, you will see what you're doing right and how you could improve your performance. You'll feel more competent and capable and better about yourself. You'll become more thoughtful and reflective and willing to take on even greater challenges. You'll feel like the "master of your fate and the captain of your soul." And your likelihood of success will become greater and greater.
Action Exercises
Now, here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, take any worry situation in your life today and ask, "What is the worst possible thing that could happen?" Then go to work to make sure it doesn't occur.
Second, look into the future in your life and determine the worst things that could happen. Engage in "crisis anticipation" regularly and continually be taking steps to guard against them.
Third, work from clear, written goals and detailed plans. Review them regularly. Consider alternatives and always look for ways to increase the likelihood of your success.
Note: well, I am not 100% on the author this time, but on some cases, he got a strong points which may have a wisdom in it. so i just publish it here for you to judge. don't shoot the messanger :D
John Paul Getty became the richest man in the world by practicing a few basic principles of risk-taking and reward throughout his life.
In this newsletter you will learn his key insight to risk reduction and success and how you can apply it to any decision you have to make. You learn a series of additional ideas that can help you to make better decisions and reduce the risks associated with success.
How To Assess A Decision
Whenever John Paul Getty was considering a business decision, he would ask, "What's the worst possible thing that could happen in this situation?"
Then, when he was clear about the worst possible outcome, he focused all his attention on making sure that it didn't happen.
You should apply this technique to every risk situation or investment you ever make.
The Billionaire's Strategy for Success
Remember Murphy's Law: "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." There are several secondary laws to Murphy's Law, such as "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible time" and "Of all the things that can go wrong, the most expensive thing will go wrong at the worst possible time."
Another sub law is "Everything takes longer than your best calculation." In advising businesspeople, I suggest that they take their very best estimate of break-even for any business venture and then triple it to arrive at a more realistic number. Whenever businesspeople follow this advice, they are amazed to find that, in spite of their best initial calculations, it indeed takes about three times longer than they thought it would to start making money.
Always Add A Fudge Factor
Another sub-law is "Everything costs more than you can possibly anticipate in advance." In minimizing risk in any venture, always add a "fudge factor" to account for the degree of uncertainty. Whenever I do a business plan, I always add 20 percent to the total of all costs that I can identify, to come up with the probable cost. Anything less than this, whether in business or your personal life, is likely to be an exercise in self-delusion and open you up for some unhappy surprises.
Once you have identified the worst possible things that could go wrong, make a list of everything that you could do to offset these negative factors. Engage in what is called "crisis anticipation." Look down the road, into the future, and imagine every possible crisis that could arise as the result of changing external circumstances.
Be Intensely Realistic
Men and women who have achieved a high level of success are intensely realistic. They do not put their trust in luck. They carefully calculate every possible risk, and then think about what they would do should it occur. They always have a backup plan in case things do not go as they wish them to. They have a "Plan B" and options to that plan that take all kinds of variables into consideration.
Do The Things You Fear
One of the very best ways to develop your ability to take intelligent risks is to consciously and deliberately do the things you fear, one step at a time.
A very good way to overcome the fear of risk taking is to set clear, written, measurable goals for yourself, and then to review those goals regularly.
When you have clear goals and plans, and you continually work on them and evaluate your progress each day, you will see what you're doing right and how you could improve your performance. You'll feel more competent and capable and better about yourself. You'll become more thoughtful and reflective and willing to take on even greater challenges. You'll feel like the "master of your fate and the captain of your soul." And your likelihood of success will become greater and greater.
Action Exercises
Now, here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, take any worry situation in your life today and ask, "What is the worst possible thing that could happen?" Then go to work to make sure it doesn't occur.
Second, look into the future in your life and determine the worst things that could happen. Engage in "crisis anticipation" regularly and continually be taking steps to guard against them.
Third, work from clear, written goals and detailed plans. Review them regularly. Consider alternatives and always look for ways to increase the likelihood of your success.
Note: well, I am not 100% on the author this time, but on some cases, he got a strong points which may have a wisdom in it. so i just publish it here for you to judge. don't shoot the messanger :D
ABANDONMENT IS TREMENDOUS by Charlie "Tremendous" Jones
There just isn't time to do all you want to do and all that you need do. It is easy for us to teach abandonment to others, but the leader knows the price of abandonment, beginning with his own thought processes.
What do you think about? Let's go a step further, what do you talk about? Someone once said that little people talk about things, medium sized people talk about people, and big people talk about ideas. Which kind of people do you like to be around?
How are your reading habits; how many books have your read this year, how many are you reading now, how many of the ideas you've received from the books have you shared? The power of a single book at the right time in a life is unlimited.
The leader leads the way, showing that leaders are readers. You should not only keep a flow of books for yourself, but give them away. Paperbacks are inexpensive and popular. I share a book list that points out the books that have been the most influential of my life.
The leader is constantly learning to abandon the things that come naturally, like DISCOURAGEMENT. Discouragement is, without a doubt, the most expensive luxury we can afford. When I become wealthy, I plan to get discouraged for a week at a time, but I can't afford but a few minutes a day right now. Most people I know must really be wealthy now, for all the discouragement they seem to be enjoying. Sometimes I'm asked if I ever get discouraged, and I reply, "Yes, often." But I never let anyone know about it, because if I allow you to know how discouraged I am, you'll become discouraged, you'll discourage me more than I am, and I can't hardly stand how much I have now. So abandon discouragement and all the other attitude killers as you become the leader you are meant to be!
Tremendously,
Charles "T" Jones
What do you think about? Let's go a step further, what do you talk about? Someone once said that little people talk about things, medium sized people talk about people, and big people talk about ideas. Which kind of people do you like to be around?
How are your reading habits; how many books have your read this year, how many are you reading now, how many of the ideas you've received from the books have you shared? The power of a single book at the right time in a life is unlimited.
The leader leads the way, showing that leaders are readers. You should not only keep a flow of books for yourself, but give them away. Paperbacks are inexpensive and popular. I share a book list that points out the books that have been the most influential of my life.
The leader is constantly learning to abandon the things that come naturally, like DISCOURAGEMENT. Discouragement is, without a doubt, the most expensive luxury we can afford. When I become wealthy, I plan to get discouraged for a week at a time, but I can't afford but a few minutes a day right now. Most people I know must really be wealthy now, for all the discouragement they seem to be enjoying. Sometimes I'm asked if I ever get discouraged, and I reply, "Yes, often." But I never let anyone know about it, because if I allow you to know how discouraged I am, you'll become discouraged, you'll discourage me more than I am, and I can't hardly stand how much I have now. So abandon discouragement and all the other attitude killers as you become the leader you are meant to be!
Tremendously,
Charles "T" Jones
Monday, August 15, 2005
WE GOT PROBLEMS by Ron White
One of my friends is in the Navy. He recently shared a story with me that I thought had implications for the business world. The story he relayed was of a uniform inspection.
A few days before an upcoming inspection, he found a cover (or hat) that is normally white but this one was light blue. It was obviously a gag and being sold in the store on base. He bought it and then placed it in his locker. On the day of the inspection, he was getting ready with a friend and he opened up his locker and acted surprised. He said, "Oh No!" His friend could sense the distress in his voice and urgently asked, "What's wrong?"
Without saying a word, my friend pulled the light blue hat out of his locker and held it up. The sailor he was playing the joke on instantly stated, "We got problems." My friend did his best to contain his laughter and let the prank go on as long as he could.
What is the lesson here? What did the sailor say when he thought his fellow sailor was about to fail the inspection? He said, "WE got problems." Not, "YOU got problems." You see, this sailor saw a problem in his unit as his problem.
John Maxwell tells us that if we have been with a company for longer than one year every problem in our department is our problem. Don't sit around and wait for problems to be solved because it isn't currently your problem. I assure you of this, if you allow problems to go unchecked because you believe it is not under your job description, eventually the problem will grow and it will become your problem. At this point, solving the problem is going to be a greater challenge.
Remember...It is about team work. If your co-worker has a problem then..."We got problems."
A few days before an upcoming inspection, he found a cover (or hat) that is normally white but this one was light blue. It was obviously a gag and being sold in the store on base. He bought it and then placed it in his locker. On the day of the inspection, he was getting ready with a friend and he opened up his locker and acted surprised. He said, "Oh No!" His friend could sense the distress in his voice and urgently asked, "What's wrong?"
Without saying a word, my friend pulled the light blue hat out of his locker and held it up. The sailor he was playing the joke on instantly stated, "We got problems." My friend did his best to contain his laughter and let the prank go on as long as he could.
What is the lesson here? What did the sailor say when he thought his fellow sailor was about to fail the inspection? He said, "WE got problems." Not, "YOU got problems." You see, this sailor saw a problem in his unit as his problem.
John Maxwell tells us that if we have been with a company for longer than one year every problem in our department is our problem. Don't sit around and wait for problems to be solved because it isn't currently your problem. I assure you of this, if you allow problems to go unchecked because you believe it is not under your job description, eventually the problem will grow and it will become your problem. At this point, solving the problem is going to be a greater challenge.
Remember...It is about team work. If your co-worker has a problem then..."We got problems."
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