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success principles: what’s in store for us in 2012

Jan 042012

Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes

Achieving our dreams is never easy.

The past few years have not been easy for me. I lost money in a pyramid scheme, got burned in a business deal, saw some of my stocks plummet and said goodbye to a good friend.

At the same time I welcomed my son into the world, I built up my business, wrote a book, created this site, built a small house, and studied, studied, studied.

These are stark reminders that life is full of both positives and negatives, both inside and out.

But these experiences have helped lay a foundation for the next 3 years which I believe will be some of the most exciting in our lives.

Note: I did not say easy, I said exciting.

I also said our, not mine.

It doesn’t take a genius to see that we are all facing incredible challenges.

Time’s man of the year in 2011 was “The Protestor.”

Starting in Tunesia in Dec 2010, the world saw incredible events unfold from the Middle East to Japan and Britain to the US.

Things seem to have cooled down as of late but I believe this is just the opening act.

Today’s world is so much more interconnected than the one I grew up in. And while I realize most people glaze over when people discuss economics I do believe that we should all take the time to understand just what is happening around us.

It just so happens that a lot of what has happened as of late and will happen in the years to come is linked to money and economics.

Only time will tell if I’m proven right and part of me wishes I were wrong but all I do is look at the facts.

Here are some disturbing facts to consider:

No fiat currency has ever survived.
14.1% of people in the US are now on food stamps.
The derivatives market is somewhere between 600 trillion and 1.4 quadrillion.
7 billion people now live on earth, within the next 30 years we will add another 3.
The strength of the yen is causing major companies to move their operations overseas.
Europe has announced numerous plans to solve their debt crisis.

Here are just a few of my comments regarding these points.

Where are these 3 billion people going to live?
What is a quadrillion?
And why does Europe keep coming up with a new plan?

So with us facing so many grave questions just what is the answer? I mean what power do we have to change these?

Let’s get one thing straight – what happens in the world will happen. Very few of us have the power to change what is going to be.

What all of us have is the power to change ourselves.

And by changing ourselves we can change what happens to us. Jack Canfield came up with a simple formula that I believe sums things up nicely. His formula was:

E + R = O which stands for EVENT + RESPONSE = OUTCOME.

We can’t change what happens but we can change how we respond to it. And that’s where we put our knowledge to use.

As my mentor Jim Rohn said, “Life change doesn’t begin with motivation. Life change begins with education,” which is why I encourage all of us to educate ourselves in things that will make a major difference in our lives.

It’s never too late to start. My real business and financial education started just 5 years ago despite having run my own business for 10.

And 2012 is the year that I will start putting all that knowledge to work as I intend to offer coaching calls, audio programs and seminars in the weeks to come.

Until now I have chosen to educate passively but now it’s time to get serious.

Regardless of whether you choose to take your education to the next level with me or not, I do hope you will choose to educate yourself by books, audio lectures and DVDs. There is a wealth of knowledge out there just waiting for you.

Change is coming whether we like it or not. The best we can do is to be prepared for it.

Oh, and in case anyone is wondering, you’ll still be able to get a dose of knowledge dropped on you via this blog. Woohoo.

Adrian Shepherd

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success principles: learn to adapt like a child to succeed in the 21st century

Expert Perspective

Dec 132011

Reading time: 4 – 7 minutes

Change brings with it uncertainty.

Over the past 30 years we have undergone incredible change. So much so that I hardly recognize the world I live in.

Growing up I remember that our vacations were limited to a 4 hour radius from our house in Stoke-on-Trent in England.

We had one phone and it was in the kitchen.

We had one TV and a whopping 4 channels.

For me change came slightly earlier than most. My parents told me in 1982 that we were moving overseas to somewhere called the Philippines.

I had no idea where that was nor what it was like but I was 8. I didn’t know much.

Little did I know my parents knew next to nothing about it either.

The library in the nearby town had a grand total of 2 whole books that mentioned it.

It didn’t really hit me that I was doing something different till I went to my farewell ceremony at my elementary school.

The entire school was there…honoring me…I felt like an astronaut heading off to the moon.

I must admit that while I had some good friends back then I wasn’t a fan of the school. Still, that day I felt like a king.

From the moment I left England I learnt firsthand just how different the world is and how different people think.

I also had a ringside seat at the 1986 revolution there and again in Thailand in 1992.

Though I left Thailand that year I continue to go back as my parents decided to make Thailand their home and have seen it undergo incredible changes in a very short period of time.

Today the changes that are happening in front of our eyes is simply amazing.

We see economic changes, technological changes, social changes (2011 saw an incredible wave of uprisings in the Middle East and now it is taking root in Europe), changes of all sorts.

In today’s world it really is “adapt or die.”

My father couldn’t adapt to the new system that was introduced for a variety of reasons so he went the way of the dinosaurs – extinct.

I believe it was Keith Cunningham who said that in today’s world “adaptability” is the key element of success.

Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon have maneuvered the waves of change well and have benefited well from adapting to what consumers want.

The other day when my son and I went to the park together, I was amazed to see how fast a three-year old can adapt to his environment.

We had never been to that particular park before and there were quite a few inclines and a variety of ways to reach the top of the slides. There were ropes, rocky paths, small wooden steps.

I must admit I was slightly concerned watching him run off as nearly all the other kids were 5 and up or under the age of 2.

The older kids ran around not missing a beat so my son followed suit but nearly fell flat on his face a few times.

And yet, in less than 30 minutes, he had adapted.

But he couldn’t have done this if I had always been there holding his hand.

I knew the best thing for him was for him to learn on his own.

Today many parents with their children, and managers with their staff, feel they have to watch their every move in order to prevent the inevitable falls.

This does not teach us to adapt, it teaches us dependence.

In life or in business dependence is for the most part not what is needed.

We need people to face the challenges head on even if it ends in failure.

Speaking as a manager and a parent, I much prefer it when someone tries solve a problem first rather than always coming to me to solve it for them.

If you’re one of those people who always has to be in control may I suggest the following actions.

Prevent yourself from stepping in too soon – sometimes people will surprise you.
While having an open-door policy, set times that you are unavailable – this will force people to act on their own during these times.
Be patient – Rome wasn’t built in a day. Don’t expect things to change overnight but in time they will.
Delegate more – See what people can do. If they can achieve 80% of your skill level then most of the time this is good enough. All you have to do is the final check or adjustment.
Have training sessions, not meetings. Training sessions help improve people’s skills, 90% of meetings are a big waste of time.

Change comes fast and furious these days. Those who learn to adapt quickly will reap the benefits.

Stay ahead of the curve or face extinction.

Adrian Shepherd

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success principles: everything changed when I understood these 7 principles

Expert Perspective

Nov 162011

Reading time: 6 – 9 minutes

Most of us mosey along though life. We wake up each morning head off to work and return each evening.

We can’t wait for the weekend as it’s our time and a reprieve from our work week.

Some put a little money aside every month and save up for that big screen TV we’ve always wanted. Others just swipe the magic card and believe they’ll be able to pay it off later.

We eagerly await our holidays so that we can escape to some exotic location or take the family to Disneyland.

Yes, most of the time we put in the time at work simply so we can enjoy our free time.

I used to do just that. I ventured out on my own when I was 26 and found out that being self-employed isn’t all that glamorous.

But the one thing about being your own boss is that it teaches you to grow up quickly.

I learned to face facts. One simple one being that if I ate out each night I’d be broke so I started to cook at home.

I also learned real quick that if my business failed then it was because of one reason, and one reason only – I wasn’t working hard at it.

Tough lessons maybe but good lessons to learn. Still, I wish I had learnt them vicariously through books or friends rather than having to learn the hard way just how tough life can be and how a once comfortable life can become uncomfortable quite quickly if we’re not careful.

But I kept working at it and now my business basically runs itself.

That allowed me to expand my horizons and here I am.

In June of this year I became a published author (soon available on the Kindle) and have continued working hard to set things up for the future.

In many ways I feel like I’m 26 again – new challenges, new goals, and a whole lot of excitement.

But the turning point wasn’t when I decided to open my own business nor was it when I survived the tsunami of 2004 (although I must admit that I think about from time to time). Nor was it when I married my wife or became a father both of which have changed my life immensely.

No, my turning point came when I went into business with a partner. Now that one year together taught me one simple thing – that I didn’t have all the answers.

So I started reading, then listening, then watching and slowly I started to see the big picture.

And along the way I have come across 7 principles that help me become who I am today.

Things aren’t going to change
Education at school is the bare minimum
Seek out the right people
Avoid the wrong people
Investing is the key to wealth
Stop being average
Time is limited

Let me explain. Despite the incredible growth and change that is going on all around us, we are still human and therefore make mistakes and let our emotions get the best of us. Greed will always be around. As will death, disease and pain.

The economy will get better for some, but not for others. Life has its inevitable ups and downs.

So if things aren’t going to change then the question we must ask ourselves is how can we do better? The answer is easy and my mentor said it best, “For things to change, you must change.”

That revolutionized my thinking. Through study we can become stronger, better and wiser. Which is number two on my list. Most people go to school, head off to college then head out into the world hoping to score a job of a lifetime.

The reality is this – today there are people in developing countries willing to work harder for less money. College used to give us a competitive edge – no longer.

No, what school does today is give us a foundation to build upon. You must figure out a way to differentiate yourself from the pack as school just doesn’t cut it anymore.

Which brings me to number three – learning from experts in your chosen fields. Get an internship (for free) and get to know people, be willing to go the extra mile and you might very well find yourself employed come graduation because of your work ethic.

Instead attend seminars, listen to lectures and read books because I assure you most people won’t. (if you’re reading this post then you’re in good shape)

But getting to know the right people isn’t always easy but a good first step is my number four. By avoiding the wrong people you give yourself more time to spend with good people.

The wrong people will waste your time, break promises they make, and pull you away from your dreams.

Number five is understanding that there are many ways to get rich but if you want to get rich while you’re young you must be willing to invest and you must be willing to take some risks.

As the saying goes, “No pain, no gain.”

Number six links back to schooling. Being average means you will get an average life. Personally I don’t want to live an average life but rather an amazing one. So if being average gets me average results then to achieve amazing results I must be amazing.

Only you can decide whether you want to be amazing or average. I chose the later.

The final principle I have discovered is something we all know but never give a second thought. We all know that one day we will be six feet under but that doesn’t stop most of us from throwing away much of our lives playing computers games, watching TV shows, and just hanging out with friends.

And while I do admit to indulging in those activities from time to time, they come after everything else is done.

One day some people will wake up and realize how many opportunities they have let slip through their fingers.

Don’t let that be you. Make today a good day. Make it special.

Time, like love, is often under-appreciated until it’s gone. Start appreciating it.

For me, everything changed when I started living by these principles. I hope you find them as valuable as I have.

Adrian Shepherd

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success mistakes: new technology can come with a steep learning curve but it’s worth it

success mistakes

Oct 152011

Reading time: 5 – 8 minutes

I am the proud owner of the iPhone 4GS. And just in the nick of time. My iPhone 3G which I purchased two years ago was on its last legs.

I must have dropped the thing about 30 times and had to replace my cover because my first one got so damaged.

So yesterday morning I headed over to the local electronic store to pick up my white beauty.

Then, like with any new computer or cell phone, I had to import all the necessary data and adjust the various settings.

That only took 3 hours.

And guess what? I’m still not done.

To make matters worse when I tried to update my iPad it just went haywire. Great…just what I needed?! More things to fix.

I’ve got two computers on the fritz, my iPad is not updating and I can’t get my new iPhone working properly. And these things are meant to make our lives easier?

Computers, cell phones, tablets and the Internet have made our lives more convenient but there is always an investment that needs to be made.

Upgrading tools means we must take the time to upgrade our own skills.

And with knowledge doubling at the rate of every 18 months we must stay every vigilant otherwise we will soon find ourselves dazed and confused.

Now I know there are those people out there who are technophobes but even they have a cell phone close at hand and use email regularly – my mother is one such lady.

She’s in her 70s now but admitted to me that without having access to the Internet and her emails she can’t get things done. And this from a lady who only started using the Internet as a means of keeping in touch with her son, me, at the age of 67.

I respect her for taking the time to learn because it allows us to keep in constant contact with one another.

What amazes me is how many young people are still in denial about the use of technology in their lives. They know everyone’s using Facebook but either don’t bother signing up for it, or if they do, barely comment or share things with their friends.

Computers are pretty much a requirement for nearly every job these days and yet most teenagers I know barely know to use anything other than Word and the Internet.

I was talking to some kids the other day and I asked them what browser they used and they had no idea!

New technology brings with it a learning curve. That means time, energy and a little frustration.

Some people just cross their fingers and close their eyes hoping that it’s just a bad dream and that when they wake up things will be just the way they were. They hope against hope that they won’t need to learn it. They stick with older technology as it gets the job done.

The mistake is not trying to keep up with all the change that is going on can be disastrous long term.

There will come a time when old technology becomes obsolete and whether we like it or not we are forced to make the move.

The problem is that we are five steps behind and have to play catch up. And by the time we have caught up, everyone has moved on.

So what can we do? The sheer volume of information prevents any of us from learning them so we must pick and choose.

Forget trying to do all the social media sites – do one, but do it regularly till you get the hang of it. And be sure you go with an industry leader so there is little chance of them going under.

Now I know what you’re saying, “But I don’t need Facebook.”

You probably said the same thing about 7 years ago regarding a cell phone.

Nowadays it’s hard to live without one.

Times change, technology changes, and you can either fight it (and lose) or go with the flow.

Learning new things can be tough at first but if we keep going them we will be rewarded for our efforts.

That is as true with technology as it is with learning a language, photography, magic, music, investing, golf or any other endeavor.

Going from the known (what we are comfortable with) to the unknown (what we don’t know) is unnerving, frustrating and sometimes even painful.

But by devoting a small amount of time each day or each week, in time, we will learn. And the more we learn, the easier it gets and the more useful it becomes.

In my parents’ generation we could afford to take it easy but with the speed of change as it is today there is no time to dilly-dally around.

Get started today.

Don’t wait till tomorrow and find you wake up a dinosaur and close to extinction.

Accept that change is here, and do something about it.

Adrian Shepherd

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success principles: change

Business Philosophy

Oct 252010

Reading time: 3 – 5 minutes

For those of you who have read my book iSucceed or read my bio you’ll know that I run my own English school here in Japan.

But for the past two years I have invested a considerable amount of time into my writing.

As you can see the result of which is my book but what you might not know is that I have also kept numerous files of ideas for future books, programs, and projects.

I have files for

Ideas – at present 350+ pages filled with observations and tips
Business – 100 pages of sales, marketing and negotiation
Quotes – 1200 quotes that personally inspire me
Education – a collection of techniques, games and tricks
Titles – 150+ that I might choose to use at a later time
And many more

And all this has happened in the past two years.

I shudder to think what I would have amassed had I started in my twenties and can only wonder how much I will have accomplished by the time I hit 60.

Why do I bring this up? Because I’ve changed.

Ask my students, my friends and especially my wife and you’re likely to hear the same thing – Adrian’s different.

Notice I say different, not better, because that depends on who you talk to.

Some people might like who I’m becoming while others liked me just the way I was.

As we find ourselves changing we get torn between who we once were and who we are becoming.

It’s tough to let go of the past. Our habits, our work and yes, even our friends.

Most people find it too hard and end up back where they started.

The key to change is keep asking yourself one simple thing – what do I really want?

Either your goal is something that you will do whatever it takes for, or it isn’t.

If it isn’t, then you’ll soon find yourself finding reasons why you shouldn’t keep going.

A strong enough “why” will overcome any “how” that you come across.

The “hows” are the techniques, the tactics and the tools to accomplish our goals.

The “whys” are the reasons you are doing what you are doing. The “whys” keep you going.

I often tell my students that the hardest thing in life is not choosing between good or bad but rather between good and great.

Good is comfortable, great takes effort. Good is easier, great is harder.

Most people who are happy in their lives are living a good life.

They’re not willing to risk what they have to get the great.

And there’s nothing wrong with that as long as they are truly happy.

But for those of us that desire more out of life we realize that good just isn’t good enough.

I’m not sure how you came across my blog; maybe a friend said you should check it out, maybe you read iSucceed and wanted to find out more, maybe it was just pure chance.

Whatever the reason I encourage you to think carefully about just what you want out of life and if you truly do want to make a change to go for your dreams and success.

You will not regret it.

Adrian Shepherd

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