Rants & Ravings, From Me to You.

How do you define success? Is it through material things like cars, homes, money, etc? How about by the amount of time or freedom that you have? Some people may describe success as being able to do what they want, when they want to do it. My point is that defining success is up to the individual, one that can only be measured by you.

However, In order to define it, you need to think about it, and then lay out a plan for accomplishing it. Success very rarely happens overnight, so be prepared to work hard for it. In order to prepare yourself for success, you need to be able to describe your idea in person and that only happens when you document it on paper! Documenting your idea of success is the first step to accomplishing it. It forces you to really sit down and think about it. It also gives you a roadmap to constantly go back and view your original idea of success. This in turn enables you to either re-evaluate your current definition of success or continue along your journey to create it.

Remember, every successful endeavor has started from a thought. Our thoughts are powerful; most of us do not realize the power of our thoughts, and we need to cultivate them like crops. The better you are at this, the more successful you will be.  You constantly hear that action speaks louder than words, and I agree. However, action stems from thoughts, and it is those thoughts that you need to give precedence and credence.

You give precedence to a thought by capturing it. I never go anywhere without having something to capture my thoughts. I keep a moleskin notebook in my car, another in my bag, and I always carry my I-pod touch wherever I go (I know, I know, just get the I phone already). These items enable me to document any passing thoughts and observations so that I can act upon them. You can’t afford to miss an opportunity.

Every week you need to take some time for yourself and review your notes, sometimes an original observation makes no sense at the time. However, six months later it may fit into a plan that comes out of thin air. I highly recommend the podcast for Internet Business Mastery, Jay and Sterling do a great job at helping you figure out how you define success, plan out a lifestyle design and find your definite major purpose. You can check it out by clicking on the link along the right side of the page titled free audio course.

Good luck, let me know how you do.

Everywhere you look, it’s the economy this, the economy that. Well, for those of you that may have done things the right way over the last say five or ten years. Then you’re the lucky ones that still have a job. Let’s face it things are rough all over right? Or, are they? Let me ask you, have you taken the last few years and invested in yourself? Do you expand your knowledge base by reading and researching subjects that may be foreign to you? Do you try to keep a positive attitude by surrounding yourself with family and people that support, love and respect you? If so, congratulations you should be commended, because you my friend are a select few. Most people say that they want to improve themselves. But, how many get up off the couch and do it? I will tell you, not enough.

As things get tougher in this economy the best will rise to the top. Those best I speak about don’t do a job for a paycheck but for knowledge, experience and mostly for themselves. They know that they don’t have to come in early or stay late, work through breaks and have a basic understanding of various subjects. No, no, no, the paycheck doesn’t come into this equation. Because let’s face it, not many bosses today know how to motivate the troops. So, you had better be prepared to motivate yourself in both your professional and personal lives.

Take charge of yourself, if you didn’t do it five years ago, start now. What’s holding you back? Do you believe in the saying “Can’t teach old dogs new tricks?” Baloney, you’re not a dog; you are a human, part of a race that put a man on the moon. You my friend need to change your mind set. The hard part about this is that only you can do it. You have to be the one to motivate yourself; you have to be the one to that makes a conscience decision to succeed. Can you do it? Sure you can! How you might ask, first, let’s stay positive. Do whatever you have to do to keep a positive outlook, I know it’s hard but with constant reinforcement, you will succeed.

Now, you may not feel that you don’t have much to be positive about right now. The mortgage may be late, the credit card companies are calling, and you may even feel less of a man or woman because you lost your job. I promise, that if you continue to lament on these things and wait each week for the unemployment check to arrive. You will surely have one thing, a poor attitude because in your mindset, life isn’t fair. Well as the Rolling Stones once sang and what I love to tell my kids is, “you can’t always get want you want, but if you try real hard, you’ll get what you need!” If you let the negative emotions continue to super-cede the positive ones, you will eventually make yourself sick.

How do you change your mindset? Surround yourself with positive people. If you do still have a job, look around, who are the people that are always complaining about the company or the boss? How about the ones that are always gossiping? Stay away! They are a cancer, and they will suck the life out of you. Next time that person starts to spew the negative, politely excuse yourself. Go to the bathroom, your car, the roof; take a walk, who cares, just run like heck! Earl Nightingale once said that “You become the five people you surround yourself with on a daily basis.” It’s unfortunate but true. Do you think that Bill Gates or Donald Trump surround themselves with negative people. No way, so why would you?

Secondly, begin investing in you by reading and listening to positive ideas. Books like Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” has sold over thirty million copies. Dale Carnegie’s “How to win friends and influence people” can be reserved at your local library for free, don’t like to read get the audio book. Listen in your car before a job interview, burn it to your I-pod and listen while exercising. There are millions of these types of books, some good, others bad.

Third, stay busy. Sitting on the couch watching television never got anyone anywhere. Volunteer at your kid’s school for the day; call the local chamber of commerce, or habitat for humanity. Doing these things not only make you feel good, but you get to be around other positive people. Talk to those people, make friends. You never know who you may be speaking with, be respectful and don’t complain. Successful people do for others, they like to give back and share. So, that guy you’re cleaning up with may just be your next ticket to a new life. Friends help friends, they buy from each other, and they recommend each other for jobs. You think you might have an advantage in a job interview if the guy already has seen your work ethic?

Lastly, be prepared. For what? Anything! Successful people prepare for the worst and plan for the best. Investing in yourself is one form of preparation, and this enables you to succeed. Another is staying alert for opportunities and having the guts the seize them. Let me give you an example; someone once told me this golden story of being prepared. A networking group that this individual had been associated with had a mandate that all new members would need to give a presentation at their first meeting. This presentation gave a background of the individual and their business. This was before laptops became popular and the presentation was being done on slides via an overhead projector that had been provided by the meeting place. Halfway through the presentation, the overheads bulb burns out and at this point they all pretty much thought the presentation was over. But, to every one’s surprise, the new member reached into his pocket and pulled out screw driver and new bulb. In about ten minutes was back and ready to finish. That’s preparation!

Do you want to be the person that shows up for work at 9:00 am because that is when the day starts, or are you the person that gets in at 7:30 am or stays up a few hours late when the kids go to bed to prepare for the next day? Who do you think gets further? Some people refer to the second guy as a kiss up or brown nose. But, I would put my money on the second guy any day of the week. He’s the person that will still be employed at the next round of lay-offs. In fact, he’s the guy that even if laid off, probably already has a network of contacts that he can tap to find a new opportunity quicker and faster than anyone else.

So, stop your whining and complaining. You are the only one to blame for your circumstances. Every decision you have made in your life brought you to where you are now. Education doesn’t stop at high school or college. Those years prepare you for continuing your own education afterwards. Get off the couch, expand your knowledge base and improve your attitude! Self discipline and motivation are what you need, and it starts with you. Tell me your success stories; I would love to share them with others.

Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life - Thich Nhat Hanh

• Recommended on a Blog post by Timothy Ferriss, this came at the right time in my life and reinforced my belief that if you open yourself up to positive aspects of life, good things will happen.

Man’s Search for Meaning - Vikto Frankel

• Frankel’s story of living through the Nazi death camps, very moving and thought provoking.

The Last Lecture – Randy Pausch, Jeffery Zaslow

• Pausch amazed me with his outlook on life in the face of death. He was a brilliant man, and I am thankful that he shared his thoughts with the entire world. I believe that he changed more people than he ever knew.

Sex Money Kiss (Gene Simmons Family Jewels)

• This man is a master at marketing, he shows it in this book. However, one suggestion, listen to the audio version his wit is amazing and entertaining.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen Covey

• 1st business book I ever read, I didn’t really understand or believe it until I read it again ten years later.

Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill

• I still read this book at least two times per year. I tell everyone I meet to read this book, it is amazing, especially since it was published so long ago!

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money-That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not! – Robert T. Kiyosaki & Sharon L. Lechter

• I don’t know if it was suppose to teach me the values of time management, but it did. Especially when it comes to analyzing a business function and whether I should spend money or do it myself.

The E-Myth Revisited – Michael Gerber

• This made me a believer in procedure lists. I use them continually in everything I do.

The 4-Hour work Week – Timothy Ferriss

• I like to call this book my Bible! One day when I meet Tim, I am going to buy him a glass of red wine to thank him properly. This book got me off my butt and lit the entrepreneurial spirit inside of me. I think everyone should read this and I highly recommend.

The Success Principles – Jack Canfield

• My first encounter with positive thinking and how your thoughts affect the outcome of many things in your life and what you do.

Getting Things Done – David Allen

• Although I don’t care for Allen’s paper based system. This book enabled me to become a better organized individual and in turn helped me become a better manager and business owner. I was able to take the principles in this book and apply them to my own electronic system.

Why Him? Why Her?: Finding Real Love By Understanding Your Personality Type – Janet Fisher

• Extremely interesting book on personality types. I highly recommend it.

• Purple Cow – Seth Godin
• Unleashing the Ideavirus – Seth Godin
• The 100 Best Business Books of All Time – Jack Covert & Todd Sattersten

I read and listen to about fifty books a year. Depending on my mood, I may be reading fiction, biography’s or two of my favorites, business and self improvement. As an avid reader, I am constantly searching for new and interesting books. Recently, It was suggested that I should read Seth Godin. As I perused the books in the the business section for this new author suggestion, I was lucky enough to pick up his newest novel titled “Tribes”. Now, my friends, you can now add one more person to Seth’s tribe. This book touched a nerve that continues to resonate to this minute. Whenever I read, I have a handy highlighter and notebook with me at all times. I truly believe that if you want to be successful, you need to learn from everything you read. This is the system that I set up for myself, it may not work for you, but you need to find a system. In this age of constant information overload, you need to write the important things down to remember them.

I would like to share a few gems from Mr. Godin’s wisdom in Tribes: 

Pg 41 – “The organizations of the future are filled with smart, fast, flexible people on a mission. The thing is, that requires leadership. If you don’t have a time-tested manual, you can’t manage your way through this. In unstable times, growth comes from leaders who create change and engage their organization, instead of from managers who push their employees to do more for less.”

Pg 69 – “Almost all the growth that’s available to you exists when you aren’t like most people and when you work hard to appeal to folks who aren’t most people.”

Pg 138 – “People don’t believe what you tell them. They rarely believe what you show them. They often believe what their friends tell them. They always believe what they tell themselves.”

I think I got more out of this relatively small book about leadership now and in the future then anything else I have read in the last two years. If you have not read this novel yet, do yourself and your career a favor and pick it up. Don’t just read it and place it on the shelf, that would be a waste. Put the practices into place in your own career, that’s exactly what I have done with this blog. For months now I have been on the fence about creating it, afraid that people wouldn’t care what I had to say, or that I might make a mistake. If Tribes taught me anything, it taught me to throw myself out there and let the tribe decide. So, here you go world, I want to help you by sharing the interesting things that I come across. Maybe you will find it interesting, maybe you will not. I guess the Tribe will decide.

So, can you imagine my delight when I picked up my weekly Time magazine and found that Mr. Godin contributed to a story about the future of work. His dead on analysis reinforced my thought process on the future of mine and probably every one’s job. I suggest all of you out there thinking you don’t have to take charge of your own career and education read this carefully. You can find the Time article here: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1898024_1898023_1898077,00.html I have also included the last few paragraphs below.

“In order to understand what your workplace is going to be like in five or 10 years, you need to think about what your work is going to be like. Here’s a clue: employers no longer need to pay you to drive to a building to sit and type. In fact, under pressure from an uncertain economy, bosses are discovering that there are a lot of reasons not to pay you to drive to a central location or even to pay you at all. And when work gets auctioned off to the lowest bidder, your job gets a lot more stressful. 

The job of the future will have very little to do with processing words or numbers (the Internet can do that now). Nor will we need many people to act as placeholders, errand runners or receptionists. Instead, there’s going to be a huge focus on finding the essential people and outsourcing the rest.  

So, are you essential? Most of the best jobs will be for people who manage customers, who organize fans, who do digital community management. We’ll continue to need brilliant designers, energetic brainstormers and rigorous lab technicians. More and more, though, the need to actually show up at an office that consists of an anonymous hallway and a farm of cubicles or closed doors is just going to fade away. It’s too expensive, and it’s too slow. I’d rather send you a file at the end of my day (when you’re in a very different time zone) and have the information returned to my desktop when I wake up tomorrow. We may never meet, but we’re both doing essential work. 

When you do come in to work, your boss will know. If anything can be measured, it will be measured. The boss will know when you log in, what you type, what you access. Not just the boss but also your team. Internet technology makes working as a team, synchronized to a shared goal, easier and more productive than ever. But as in a three-legged-race, you’ll instantly know when a teammate is struggling, because that will slow you down as well. Some people will embrace this new high-stress, high-speed, high-flexibility way of work. We’ll go from a few days alone at home, maintaining the status quo, to urgent team sessions, sometimes in person, often online. It will make some people yearn for jobs like those in the old days, when we fought traffic, sat in a cube, typed memos, took a long lunch and then sat in traffic again.

The only reason to go to work, I think, is to do work. It’s too expensive a trip if all you want to do is hang out. Work will mean managing a tribe, creating a movement and operating in teams to change the world. Anything less is going to be outsourced to someone a lot cheaper and a lot less privileged than you or me.” 

OK people. What are you waiting for? A golden invitation? It’s not coming. You need to take stock of yourself and where you are heading in the future, because if it hasn’t hit you yet, it will. The writing is on the wall and your job and lively hood are in jeopardy. Maybe not now, or in a year from now, but it will come. The question is, are you going to be ready for it. I can tell you I will. Mr. Godin’s word’s have propelled me into living my dream and helping others to live theirs.

So, hopefully you will come along for the ride as part of my tribe. Through this blog and other endeavours, I want to share and collaborate with any and all whom wish it. I want to help others achieve the life they envision living and as a community, I feel we can accomplish this together. Why do I feel that I can help people with this? Because I want too, and if someone is dedicated, they will succeed! I think people will help like minded individuals, without keeping a scorecard or worrying what they get in return. I am convinced that the return with be worth the investment.

Thanks Seth Godin. I hope to return the favor in the future.