Jim Rohn Archives - Isucceedbook.com

time management: Facebook is one of the best kept secrets of time management

Expert Perspective

May 152013

Reading time: 4 – 7 minutes

“Time management is the best kept secret of the rich.”

That’s what my mentor, Jim Rohn, used to say.

A lot of people make the mistake of saying, “If I had more time…” when the fact of the matter is there is no more time.

24 hours. 1440 minutes. That’s it. No more, no less.

What separates the people that do from the people that don’t is how they invest their time.

Most people never give time a second thought. I know I didn’t.

I can’t count the amount of hours I used to spend just doing nothing…sigh, the mistakes we make when we are young.

Thankfully I was set straight before it was too late and now I do everything I can in my power to share ideas that make a difference in people’s lives.

Language study secrets, management tips, marketing ideas, investing, time management and even shopping advice for people’s next camera or computer.

I know that there are three things we must invest wisely:

Money (naturally)
Time
Effort

Unfortunately a great deal of people fail to ever learn how to invest these wisely and pay the price later on.

I could spend hours talking about investing but that’s reserved for my other site devoted to my other passion, finance. (*I’ll be updating the videos here within the next few weeks, so if you haven’t had a chance to check the present videos out please do so)

But today I’m here to talk about time management; a critical component of success which is why an entire chapter was devoted to it in my book, iSucceed.

Now a lot of people will disagree with me when I say that Facebook will save you time. Most people would say that it eats up your time.

The truth is Facebook can do either.

It’s really up to you.

For most people, I agree with the latter statement. With games, friends posts and all sorts of options it’s easy to spend hours there without getting anything done.

However, that’s not how I use it.

I use it as a tool to reduce my workload by leveraging its incredible power.

Here’s a few ways I use FB to save me time.

Sharing pics with your friends
Information gathering tool
Saves me reading the news.
Networking (on speed)

Let me explain. First off, sharing pictures on Facebook saves me attaching them individually in emails to my friends. I post them, they check them. Having my friends in my newsfeed allows me to share in my friends’ achievements, see their adventures and offer advice in their times of need.

It really is true, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Now for those of you concerned about privacy and not wanting to share pictures with the public, that’s easy. You can create groups with who to share what.

I do recommend creating a group just for family and friends for those special moments.

Tracking down information is a cinch – just join fanpages sharing information that you’re interested. Follow people you know have the information you’re looking for. Let them do the work for you and share the best of what they find.

There’s also no need to read Yahoo News! I remember hearing about the bombing in Norway via FB because a friend was just a few hundred feet away from the blast.

Remember, if it’s newsworthy it’ll pop up sooner or later on yr newsfeed. Someone will say something about the big events going on in the world. Count on it.

Let your friends become your news filter.

Then there’s networking. This is what social media is all about.

Now it’s easier than ever to reach out and touch people (no literally). The concept of 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon (a game people used to play for fun linking famous actors and actresses through Kevin Bacon) has been replaced today with 2 Degrees of FB.

It’s simply amazing how easy it is to get in touch with stars in every profession. Email is so yesterday, today it’s all about FB.

I must admit that when I heard Mark Zuckerberg declare email was “dead,” I laughed.

The notion was so absurd to me at the time because email was such a big part of my life and the lifeblood of any business. Today I see things quite differently.

I must admit that I do most of my communication through FB.

My emails have dropped by more than half.

FB messaging is short and sweet.

In the end, Facebook is merely a tool. It can be your best kept secret or your most addictive habit. That, I leave up to you.

Adrian Shepherd

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success tools: choosing the right weapon to go into battle

Success Tools

May 102013

Reading time: 6 – 9 minutes

Life is war…

I’m speaking metaphorically naturally but it is true that we must fight for what we want in life.

The woman of our dreams, the job we seek, the credentials we desire, success, money, fame…none of these just fall out of the sky. We must fight for them.

The other day I came across this post by Jeffrey Gitomer, the preeminent sales guy, entitled “A Dozen Books to Own and Read – at Least Once.”

After reading his list I was inspired to come up with my own dozen.

I have talked about some of my favorite novels and self-help books on here from time to time but I thought it worth writing a new list that I would say are “must-reads” for anyone going into battle in business in the 21st century.

How to Win Friends and Influence People
The 4 Hour Work Week
The Magic of Thinking Big
Lessons of History
Animal Farm
Atlas Shrugged
Living an Inspired Life
He Who Thinks He Can
Prophecy
Conversations with Millionaires
Scientific Advertising
The Compound Effect

Many of the books on the list fall into the self-development category because we can all use a good kick in the pants every now and then, but let me explain why I choose each book on this list.

For anyone looking for simple, applicable concepts that can be implemented almost immediately (that work just as well at the office and at home) you can’t go wrong with How to Win Friends and Influence People. It’s a great place to start.

The 4 Hour Work Week is a new addition to my best books’ list. To me it’s a critical book for anyone working in today’s environment. Whether we want to accept it or not, the rules of business have changed and this book will help you get the most out of those changes.

David Schwartz’s classic, The Magic of Thinking Big, is all about the importance of going for it. It’s hard to walk away from this book and not feel inspired to go out and chase your dreams.

Lessons of History is what I consider the best history book ever written. It’s short and so well thought out. I have never read three-page chapters so filled with knowledge. And the best thing about it is it links everything together. This book is one of the three books that actually laid the foundation for my financial seminar though I didn’t realize it at the time.

It’s an absolute mystery to me why no history teacher ever introduced this to me.

Animal Farm is one of the two novels to make the cut. It was the first book I ever read that I thought got it right. Its premise is simple, clever and helps explain a lot about the world. It’s one of those books that you won’t be able to put it down after the second chapter.

Atlas Shrugged is, in my humble opinion, the finest novel ever written (and Ayn Rand’s masterpiece) but it also one of the longest. This is a book for the serious student, and an absolutely incredible read. 10/10.

Living an Inspired Life was written by my mentor, Jim Rohn, and the man who got me started on this journey of self-improvement. It’s a great read and a book you’ll want to come back to time and time again. A timeless classic.

And speaking of classics, no success library would be complete without He Who Thinks He Can by Orison Swett Marden. Written way back in 1908 you’ll no doubt find some parts slightly funny but it’s amazing to see just how little we have changed, in spite of the fact that our society as a whole has undergone such incredible change over the past 100 years. It will also give you great respect for great minds of the past.

While Robert Kiyosaki is known best for Rich Dad, Poor Dad (another great book for many people looking to get started) but I went with Prophecy for this list. Kiyosaki met with a lot of backlash for this book and reading it today I have no doubt many people would say he was way off with his predictions. But from what I have studied, I can say it’s still early days and much of what he talks about could yet come to pass. Considering the economic situation we find ourselves in today, I feel this is a book not to be missed.

Conversations with Millionaires is a great little book that is just that. Interviews done with nine incredible individuals put together in one book. Very easy read and many powerful ideas to be had from this little gem.

When one wants to study marketing one book that is mentioned time and time again is Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins. It, along with a few others, is the book that many marketers consider the holy grail (much like Think and Grow Rich is the book most people attribute to their success to). Though it may be a book on advertising, it has incredible insight into the human mind and how it ticks.

I started the list with a simple, yet powerful book. So I felt it only fitting to end it with one as well. The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy is nothing earth-shattering, but actually just a single idea. However, applied properly and continually will lead to incredible results no matter if you are a marketer, an athlete, a CEO, a doctor, a teacher, a lawyer or an entrepreneur.

What books didn’t make the cut this time?

Think and Grow Rich – simply because it’s not the easiest book to read and the ideas contained within it will take more thought than the books above.
Awaken the Giant Within — most people will be too intimidated to start this incredible book.
The Success Principles – ditto.
iSucceed – didn’t want to toot my own horn.

So there you have it. Some great books that are worth their weight in gold…if applied.

Remember, it’s not good enough just to get the books. Or even read them.

It’s the application of the ideas contained within them that will change your life, and maybe even the world.

Get reading.

Adrian Shepherd

ps. I wholeheartedly agree with Gitomer that there are some essential non-book materials that should be on everyone’s list. In no particular order, here are just a few to look into: The Art of Exceptional Living, (CDs) by Jim Rohn, The Black Swan of Cairo by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Zig Ziglar’s How to Stay Motivated (CDs), Brendon Burchard’s Expert Academy (if you can get your hands on it), and Piranha Marketing by Joe Polish (CDs).

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parenting: the greatest lessons we can teach our children

Parenting

Apr 242013

Reading time: 5 – 8 minutes

My son drives me nuts…

But he’s one of the reasons I do what I do.

For the past 6 years I have been working hard to learn everything I can about success and finance which eventually led me to studying things such as marketing, time management and copywriting.

Each book I read, each audio program I get through and each DVD training program has its own file on my computer.

Part of it’s for me, because I believe in striving to be the best as only my best will help me achieve the goals I have set for myself.

The other part is for my son, because one day I know I’ll be gone.

Teaching is in my blood and I have gathered a collection of material that will serve him just as well 20 years from now as it has me because most of it deals with fundamental concepts.

Little does he know what awaits him.

When he enters elementary school his real education will begin with a good dose of Jim Rohn, Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, Brendon Burchard, Joe Polish and many others.

Sure the the world will have changed a great deal, but what drives us will not.

Technology will have taken the next step forward, social media will undoubtedly have evolved and we will understand more about life and the universe than anyone could have ever imagined. However, we will still be driven by the same desires we’ve had for thousands of years.

The other day my client and I got to talking about education and I explained how I disagreed with pretty much the entire system in the manner it’s taught today.

We went back and forth discussing different topics related to education for about 20 minutes and then I decided to ask them a question that popped into my head: “What is the most value thing we can teach our children?”

It is a question that every parent should be asking themselves. Sadly too many parents leave the teaching up to the schools.

Being an educator myself I fully support a child going to school, but I also know that what children learn at school is not as important as what they learn from their family.

The following list is what came out of the conversation I had with my client.

The greatest things we can teach our children:

To always ask why. (Don’t merely accept what others tell you. If you understand the why everything else becomes clear)
The ability to judge right from wrong and to judge things for yourself.
To stand up for yourself, to have courage to fight for what you believe in.
To listen to others.
To love themselves & others.
To trust those who earn your trust.
To lend a helping hand but to help yourself first. (“Enlightened self-interest” as Jim Rohn called it)
To laugh.
To understand the important of learning. (4 key things to learn young – karate, swimming as they might save your life, language & abacus)
The importance of reading.
A TV is not a replacement for mommy or daddy but it is a great learning tool.
To think for themselves.

I have heard Brian Tracy say that loving your child is the single greatest thing you can do for your children especially the first five years of their life.

So I think love comes first. Laughter a close second in my book.

Life inevitably has its ups and downs.

Laughter is what keeps you going even when times are tough.

I can’t count how many times I’ve been down on my luck for whatever reason, but I could always find something to laugh about.

Heck, even in the emergency center after the tsunami, in the middle of all that sadness there were times to laugh.

Laughter is invigorating. It’s contagious. And most important, it’s good for us.

But love and laughter are sort of givens in my book. Teaching your child to think for themselves, on the other hand, that’s no mean feat.

Recently I have come up with a way to (hopefully) teach my son to do just that.

When something happens, before I explain what someone did, or why they did it, I ask him to think about why it happened.

A while back my son did something that he shouldn’t have. I responded by getting angry.

As I had shouted at him, he cried but I immediately lowered my voice and told him to stop crying. Then I asked him a question – “Why am I angry?”

He said it was because he did something bad.

I agreed but then I asked him what he did…and, more importantly, why it was bad?

The first part was easy enough but what impressed me was he was able to explain why it was bad.

Getting angry is easy, that comes as second nature to us all but when it comes to children we shouldn’t end it there. They often times don’t know any better, that’s where we come in.

It’s a parent’s job to help them understand life; not simply provide for them or, as is common today, to be their best friend.

The great thing about having children is they teach you as much about life as you do to them.

I’m all for teaching children math, science, foreign languages, art and other school subjects, but we should never forget what’s really important in life and remember that the fundamentals of life need to be taught as well.

Adrian Shepherd

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success principles: all we need is a pen and a piece of paper to design our lives

Expert Perspective

Apr 182013

Reading time: 5 – 8 minutes

Youth…

The word alone creates many different images in our mind. Images of hope, strength, health, and speed. It is also associated with words such as inexperience, foolhardy, and naive.

I must admit that each day when I see my four-year-old son run off to play with his friends at school that I am quite envious.

Not a care in the world.

He lives life with reckless abandonment because he doesn’t know any better.

Half courageous, half silly, all fun.

That’s what life should be for a child – fun.

There’s only one problem, one day my son will wake up and find himself a man.

Life really is that fast.

It feels like just yesterday that I was back in the Philippines enjoying crystal clear waters with my mother and father.

As a child we have our whole lives ahead of us; uncharted waters, unlimited potential, all that is needed is guidance.

These days I’m honored to help young minds grow.

At present I help a quite a few clients who still aren’t old enough to drink. It’s quite a rush.

Being placed in a position to mold young minds is something I cherish because I know that our future lies with them.

The other day I sat across from one such mind. Listening to her talk about her daily life a simple concept occurred to me.

I stood up and walked over to the whiteboard, grabbed a marker and wrote the words “TODAY” in big bold letters.

Underneath that I put a bunch of little circles going straight down.

Then I asked her to tell me a list of the things she does on a regular basis.

She told me a few things, then I added a few more myself to prove a point.

The list looked something like this:

Saving money
Studying two hours a day
Watching movies
Dancing
Working part-time
Smoking (this is one I added)

I then asked her to look into her future. I started out by asking her how her life would change next week from doing each activity.

The answer was, unsurprisingly, “Not much.”

And she’s right, so what if you save $20 bucks this week, spend 10 hours studying something, or even smoking a few packs of cigarettes. It’s not going to have much effect on anything.

If we were to look at our entire life on a line over an 80-year period then a week would be a mere blip.

Then I asked her the same question only changing the time period. Instead of a week, I asked her how her life would change if she continued these activities for 20 years.

Hopefully you already know the answer.

We started with the first thing on the list – saving money. She told me that if she continued doing that for 20 years she might be able to buy a car or put a down payment down on a house. Good answer.

Studying two hours a day she’d likely have a good paying job. Another good answer.

Watching movies, well…not much to say here except that she’d know a lot of movies.

Then I asked her about smoking, she told me she might have trouble with her health. Maybe even cancer. A tad extreme but it’s possible.

The point is all we need do to see our future is look at our todays.

There’s only one problem, the good stuff is so much harder to do than the bad.

I mean, it’s easier to watch two hours of TV than to study a foreign language for 20 minutes.

Saving money is harder than spending it, but only one of them makes you rich.

Studying, saving, exercising…those are tough. Amazingly it is activities like these that are the leading cause of the deadly disease known as excusitis, which I was first made aware of in the fabulous book The Magic of Thinking Big by Dr. David Schwartz.

Jim Rohn was right when he said, “It’s easy to keep bad habits, it’s easy not to develop the disciplines, it’s easy not to do.”

The disciples of life aren’t easy, but they are worth it.

It’s easy to see but too often we choose to ignore the facts which is why making a list of activities that you do day in and day out can be so effective.

Once you’ve gotten them down on paper it’s there for you to see in black and white.

No more excuses.

You are responsible for your future. You design it purposely, or haphazardly…but you will create it one way or the other.

20 years will pass as sure as night follows day.

The only question is, where will you arrive?

Adrian Shepherd

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success principles: living through interesting times

Expert Perspective

Mar 282013

Reading time: 5 – 8 minutes

A lot can happen in two weeks…

Two weeks ago few people outside of Europe had ever heard of the small island of Cyprus.

Today, it has taken center stage of the financial world.

A population of roughly a million people and a bailout of what is considered pocket change (10 billion euros) in today’s economics and people are waiting on edge to see what the fallout effect will be to the actions taken by the European Central Bank.

A democratic country confiscating part of their own citizens’ money to stabilize their banking system.

I never thought I’d see the day.

You may have heard me say it before but since the Internet blasted off back in the 90s the world has been undergoing incredible rapid change and we, as a civilization, are struggling to keep up.

The Internet has turned the world upside-down. It has evened the playing field.

Today everybody knows everything. Anyone with a smartphone has instant access to news halfway across the globe.

Countries like India, China and Russia which were pretty much non-existent just 20 years ago are beginning to shift the balance of power from West to East. We can all feel it.

I wonder what the world will be like in the years to come but I feel it’s a pretty safe bet that:

Our financial system is about to change
The education system is in desperate need of change
Our governmental system needs an overhaul
Technology will continue to revolutionize how we do everything

Now those are some pretty big statements but I stand by them. I have spent 5 years studying finance and have come to the conclusion that Lehman Brothers was a turning point which is why I set out to create a seminar to help educate people on what is to come – www.financialfutureseminar.com.

I also know that education is the key to succeed in the changing world.

We can no longer rest on our laurels.

Today you either keep up, or go the way of the dinosaurs.

Sadly, I feel that most people are not prepared for the changes that are coming our way which is why I created this site; to share ideas that will make a difference.

I’ve been an educator for going on 23 years now and believe I have a duty to my clients to prepare them as best I can.

I started out as an English teacher but now teach ideas to inspire using English.

As the great Jim Rohn often said at the beginning of his presentations, “A combination of things I hope you’ll find here today, ideas plus inspiration…” That’s what this site is all about.

All I want to do is do my part.

School used to prepare us for the workforce but while the world is undergoing incredible change, our education system is still plodding along as if nothing has changed.

One day, in the near future, people are going to begin asking questions as to the validity of the manner in which we study, in fact, it’s already begun.

Here in Japan, Tokyo University, the country’s leading college has begun to see the importance of requiring students learn how to not simply read and write English but rather actually being able to use it as a daily tool.

I applaud the change but wonder what took them so long.

The fact is our governments and schools have gotten so big that change is a four-letter word. And teachers who have only one skill to their name should be worried.

The 21st century I believe will center around four things:

Languages
Adaptability
Multiple Skills
Technology

In years past one skill was enough, in today’s world a single technological innovation can render people obsolete almost overnight. Machines that cost less, less trouble to deal with, more accurate and companies don’t have to worry about healthcare benefits.

I wonder if that by the time my son grows up, physical universities will no longer be the first choice for high school graduates instead opting for online lessons from the best teachers in the world (much like what Amazon did to bookstores) or small specialty schools with one single focus.

All this change might scare some people but if you’re reading this then you’re not “some” people.

You are someone who values education and is dedicated to the craft of learning.

Most people would rather spend the evening watching “Dancing with the Stars” than read a good book. Most people believe that once they finish school, they are done with learning. Most people would rather ignore what is happening right in front of them than face facts that something is different.

But the fact is change is coming.

Change has always been there but unlike generations before us in which change took decades, today it takes years.

And here’s the good news, there is still time…the question is whether you will take the time to prepare or wait for change to arrive.

Most people will choose the later.

I’m not and I hope you won’t either.

Yes, we are most certainly living through interesting times.

Adrian Shepherd

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success principles: inspiration comes in the strangest forms

Expert Perspective

Feb 272013

Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes

Life change comes in one of two forms; inspiration…or desperation.

Or at least that’s what my mentor, Jim Rohn, said.

The sad part of life is that most people turn on automatic pilot on Monday morning then come Friday evening and turn it off.

Very few people live the lives they set out to live.

Somewhere along the line they set aside their hopes and dreams and resigned themselves to the fact that maybe their present situation is all they are capable of.

Maybe it was a passing comment from a friend, a harmless quip from a person they respect or maybe even from someone in their own family.

And that’s that.

I suppose that was me.

For most of my adult life, I didn’t really have any idea of what life had in store for me.

I was an English teacher, and that was that.

After all, I was good at it.

One skill, rather limited…but I had a comfortable life, loved sharing my knowledge with students and led pretty much stress-free life (once I got my school going).

And then, in the blink of an eye everything changed.

For me, it came in the form of a tsunami of all things.

Crazy as it sounds not a day has gone by that I don’t think back to that fateful moment when I was given a second chance at life.

It happened…that is a fact, but how I chose to use it was up to me.

Viktor Frankl, the famous author of Man’s Search For Meaning, lived through some of the most nightmarish events in human history having survived the concentration camps in Nazi Germany.

He said, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

And my choice was to do more with the time I had.

Since that time I have had numerous setbacks come my way and each time they have made me stronger, but only because I chose to let them affect me in that manner.

A failed business venture – inspired me to get serious about my business education
A mentor told me I was wasting my time in trying to write a book – inspired me to write my book and create this website
My father lost close to a quarter of a million dollars and almost wiped him out – inspired me to learn finance and create the Financial Future Seminar

My mentor was right; inspiration and desperation.

Quitting is the easy way out. I’m not a quitter…I’m a fighter.

Today I’m not the man I was 8 years ago. I’ve studied, I’ve listened, I’ve taken chances and I’ve grown.

No longer just a teacher, today I have added multiple skills to my resume:

Success principles
Writing
Time Management
Finance
Magic (I still am pretty good)

An English teacher (who was one of the laziest people in high school) self-taught himself magic, business, finance and success principles.

If I can do it, I’m telling you, I know you can do it.

Over these past 8 years I’ve learned a lot about life and about myself.

I’ve learned that life happens; good and bad.

The question isn’t how can we prevent the bad from happening…the bad comes in one form or another. The question is – what are we going to do about what comes our way?

Just like the ant prepares for winter in the warm weather, we too must use the good times to prepare for the bad.

And when winter comes, we must remember that it won’t last forever. Spring will come soon enough and with it new opportunities. We must use the dark times to prepare ourselves to take advantage of what awaits us when the light appears.

Inspiration comes in many forms…sometimes in the form of an opportunity, sometimes disguised as a problem.

The rest is up to us.

Me, I’m going to take what life gives me and run with it.

I hope you do the same.

Adrian Shepherd

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success mistakes: ignoring numbers is a big mistake in both business and in life

success mistakes

Feb 202013

Reading time: 5 – 8 minutes

Sometimes people hate me …

It’s not because I’m not a nice guy, I am.

But I’m a number’s guy.

The older you get, the more you realize how life is all made up of numbers.

That doesn’t mean they are always right…but they are helpful in predicting outcomes whether it’s in business, with relationships or even our health.

It’s hard for us to swallow sometimes.

I mean to think that despite our free will, we are all somewhat linked to a random percentage is hard to take.

It’s a fact that someone we know, over the course of our life, will be the victim of a violent crime, that 50% of marriages end in divorce and only a handful of your friends will live to see their 80th birthday.

Let’s take a look at some interesting numbers:

Approximately 1 out of 4 injuries to major athletes involve the wrist and, or the hand.
The Chinese bamboo tree only sprouts in the 5th year in which it grows 80 feet in just one season.
Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
In America, each year 1,125,000 students drop out of college each year.
Roughly speaking, losing something makes you twice as miserable as gaining the same thing makes you happy.
50 per cent of your overall sense of happiness is genetically determined, and so cannot be altered.
Another 10 per cent is attributable to general circumstances (educational level, income, whether you are married or single, etc.) that are difficult to change.
The best news is that the remaining 40 per cent is derived from your day-to-day behavior and the way you think about yourself and others.
One in seven Americans can’t locate the U.S. on a map.
An estimated 1.17 million deaths occur each year worldwide due to road accidents
In 1950, only 7% of Americans dyed their hair, now 75% do.
The world has been at peace only 8% of the time over the last 3,500 years.
The average American kid catches 6 colds a year, the average kid in daycare catches 10.
Nearly 6% of all marriage proposals are made over the telephone.
Ice covers about 15% of the earth.
Most babies are born in August and September.

Humans like to believe they are in control of their destiny, and in many ways we are. However, we live in society with lots of moving parts and when one object comes up against another object a mini-chain-reaction is started.

I’ve always considered myself a good cyclist.

I started late (13?!) and have ridden most of my adult life. I love it.

The freedom, the wind whipping through your hair (I used to have some I swear), zipping past cars stuck in traffic and getting a good workout in the process.

But despite my years of experience riding on some of the craziest roads in the world I still have accidents…of which my only error was being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Just a month after I escaped death in the tsunami, I ran straight into another bicycle because they didn’t look when they left their office.

BANG, CRASH!!!!

Next thing I knew I was lying on the sidewalk, unable to move my arm.

The other person, fine.

Pretty much anything can and will happen, it’s just a question of when and where.

I was reminded of this when I read a FB post the other day of a fellow ISBer (International School of Bangkok).

Sadly, she became yet another statistic. One who lost her life before her 40th birthday at the hands of a random stranger.

A stark reminder that on this planet we are at the mercy of the numbers.

“Some do, some don’t. 3 do, 7 don’t.” That’s what my mentor, Jim Rohn, used to say and I’ve found it to be true.

But the same concept can be applied to investing, studying, preparation, dietary habits, exercise and pretty much everything you can think of – there’s a number that applies in one way or another.

So if all life can be broken down into numbers, what does this mean to us?

It means we must play the odds.

Think of life (and business) as the great casino.

And just like winning in Vegas we must do our best to place the odds in our favor. How do we do that?

Here’s my 4-step formula to beat the house.

Don’t gamble.
Learn the odds
Position ourselves to win by studying the game
Stick to the plan

Simple right?! Not quite. Unfortunately, emotions do get the better of us.

Greed causes us to make bad decisions. So do rashness, ignorance and laziness.

But that doesn’t mean we should stop.

The dice are in our hands, and we just have to do our best to win.

Unfortunately there are times when even our best efforts, we lose.

Sometimes it’s bad luck, sometimes someone else beats us to it…whatever the reason we can’t give up hope. We just have to brush ourselves off and get back up.

It’s corny advice but it’s true.

The only time we are truly defeated is when we give up.

And that we are in control of.

Years ago I would have said, “May the Gods look down on you,” but I have learnt that we do play a part.

Today I prefer to refer to the line, “God helps those who help themselves.”

In other words, if you do your best (and I really mean your best) then you have a shot at winning.

Good luck,

Adrian Shepherd

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success principles: what 12 pieces of advice are the easiest to implement that have the biggest effect on success

Expert Perspective

Jan 312013

Reading time: 5 – 8 minutes

Feedback…

It’s something we all need. As parents, as workers, as children, as bosses, as doctors…feedback helps us know where we stand.

Unfortunately many people avoid feedback because it usually comes in the form of criticism, something many of us have trouble taking.

Too many of us (I’ve been there) look at feedback as some sort of poison pill, when nothing could be further from the truth.

One of my favorite quotes was found in great book, The Starbucks Experience, which said, “Don’t mind criticism. If it is untrue, disregard it; if unfair, keep from irritation; if it is ignorant, smile; if it is justified, it is not criticism – learn from it.”

Criticism is just one form of feedback which gives us the opportunity to improve.

Which brings me to today’s post.

Last week a subscriber sent me a message asking me a question that I have asked myself on numerous occasions: “If someone were to follow 10 or 12 pieces of advice religiously, what 10 pieces of advice would result in the most fundamental success generating results?”

Excellent question.

Step into any bookstore you’ll find tons of books claiming they have the answers to wealth and fortune, health and happiness or the fastest way to master anything.

In the self-development industry all the gurus claim to have THE secret to success.

But there is no ONE formula.

We are as different as the stars themselves and because of our different environments, upbringing, financial status and personal problems, what works for one person might not work for the next.

I’ve listened to all the greats; Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Zig Ziglar, John Maxwell, Brendon Burchard, Jim Rohn, Keith Cunningham, Robert Kiyosaki and so many more and what I’ve found is that despite their different approaches to success the same concepts keep coming up over and over.

I’ve written up copious notes on all their work whether it’s a lecture, a DVD training or a how-to book.

The task my subscriber presented me was an interesting one, but I wanted to take things a step further and make sure they are all easy to implement.

Here is what I came up with:

Get around successful people (aka Mastermind), option 2: read their books, watch their presentations (Ever heard the expression, “Garbage in, garbage out.” Well, a computer is only as good as the commands we give it. The same thing for us, by feeding our mind with good ideas, good stories and good people, there is a high probability that good will come out.)
Analyze your strengths then go to work on them (don’t focus on your weaknesses, outsource them to the best of your ability. We hire a lawyer who knows his stuff, we could care less that he doesn’t know anything about marketing…approach yourself the same way: people hire you for what? work on being the best THAT you can be.)
Chunking (watch TV & do Yoga /eat lunch and read a good book…otherwise known as killing two birds with one stone.)
Plan your day the night before (time management 101)
Don’t accept “Can’t” (Never give up.)
Create good quality products (Too many choices today, if you have poor quality products, the marketplace will punish you.)
Give first, ask later (Today’s environment is all about FREE first…and then later, after the relationship is built, people will buy.)
Ask lots of questions (If you don’t know, ask…LISTEN.)
Say “No” (Best way to free up time, we all NEED free time available to take advantage of opportunities that come along. Think of a cup, if it’s full, you can’t put anything more in it.)
Measure your results and be willing to change (Adaptability is crucial in today’s world.)
Remove or limit interaction with things bringing negativity into your lives (Stress is the greatest killer of dreams and health. By limiting or removing stress from our lives, our productivity will soar.)
Start now (and I mean, right now…every day wasted is one you cannot get back.)

Now these seem simplistic but I assure you nearly every thought leader, productivity expert and success coach touches on these to ensure people are on solid footing.

When it comes to time management, marketing, sales, or wealth creation they each have their own top 10 secrets but from listening to and studying from the experts above I assure you that most of them touch on these 12 concepts in one way or another because they know that our level of success is often defined by how strong our foundation is.

One thing I did not mention in this list is the concept of health.

It is worth remembering that we can only be as good as our body lets us be.

As my mentor, Jim Rohn, once said, “Some people don’t do well because they don’t feel well.”

A healthy diet, lots of water and exercise is crucial to keep our body running like a well oiled machine.

Will this satisfy my subscriber? I’m not sure as they are somewhat simple but I’ve found that in life sometimes the simplest things are the most important…and often overlooked.

Just in case, I’ll put on my thinking cap and try and come up with a list for the top strategies in the areas of study I do but that’ll take some time. So stay posted.

For now, get to work on these twelve. You’ll be surprised how hard they are to do day in and day out.

Good luck.

Adrian Shepherd

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success secrets: success, as defined by 14 mega-successful books, in 10 words or less

Expert Perspective

Jan 292013

Reading time: 3 – 5 minutes

Sometimes less is more…

I have been studying success and finance for close to 6 years.

At first my focus was on success, today it’s finance.

But whether I’m reading a book on time management, listening to a financial expert’s podcast, watching a seminar on copywriting or reading up on marketing strategies what I have found is that many of the same concepts appear.

And no matter how long a presentation or book may be, the underlying concept behind them can usually be summed up in a few words.

In school, teachers often teach us that more is better but I remember one college professor telling us that in his class no assignment could be longer than 4 pages.

His reasoning, if we were writing more than 4 pages we were wasting his time.

He wanted to present our thoughts and ideas concisely…and it was tougher than I thought.

Writing a few thousand pages on the history of the world is easy.

There’s no lack of information out there.

But try condense 6000 years into just 100 pages, now that takes skill.

So today I thought I’d stay along these lines.

No philosophical concepts. No funny stories. Short and sweet.

So here goes…success, as defined by 14 mega-successful books, in 10 words or less.

Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People – LISTEN. Buy people a drink and ask lots of questions.
Jim Rohn’s The 5 Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle- Whatever you sow, you reap.
Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich – We become what we think about.
Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Build once, sell hundreds of time.
Brian Tracy’s Focal Point – Knowledge is valuable.
Robert Kiyosaki’s Cashflow Quadrant – Systems are everything in business, just look at McDonald’s.
Steven Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Self-mastery. Teamwork. Balance.
Kim Kiyosaki’s Rich Woman – Don’t rely on a man for your success.
John Maxwell’s The Difference Maker – Attitude is everything.
George Clayson’s The Richest Man in Babylon – Get out of debt. Divide your investments into 2 groups (passive and active).
Joseph Michelli’s The Starbucks Experience – People are willing to pay more for a quality experience.
Joe Montana’s The Winning Spirit – Even the best of us need help sometimes.
Timothy Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Work-Week – In today’s world, outsource every task you can.
David Schwartz’s The Magic of Thinking Big – Dream BIG then take actions to achieve them.

These are all great books and well worth adding to your library.

At a cost of less than $20, I honestly can’t think of a better investment in ourselves.

I find it interesting that people today are willing to invest upwards of $100,000 for a college education but question whether a book is worth a measly $20.

Textbooks, $70 no problem…but a book that we can borrow from the library, hmmm…

In the end, a book is only as valuable as we make it.

Buy it, read it, and finally, apply it…that’s where the magic is.

Adrian Shepherd

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success principles: go where the expectations are high…

Expert Perspective

Dec 112012

Reading time: 4 – 7 minutes

Competition…

It exists whether we’re in school, at the office, with friends and even at home.

We’re constantly comparing ourselves to those around us.

It’s part of our make-up.

My son’s 4 and loves winning.

Winning excites us. It gets us pumped. I don’t care if you’re 4 or 40, it feels good to achieve something, to know you beat someone.

But as we get older we begin to understand our own limitations.

We learn what we can, and cannot, do.

I used to think I was fast.

Why? Because among my neighborhood friends it wasn’t even close.

Then came sports day and I was ever so confident and wow…I was left in the dirt.

I still remember I came in dead last. I could hardly believe it.

Needless to say, I gave up my aspirations to be a sprinter that very day.

Could I have gotten faster? No doubt.

Could I have beaten them? Quite possibly.

But that day I saw kids with real talent and felt that maybe my future lay elsewhere.

The thing is, regardless of where we are, we tend to compare ourselves to those closest to us which can give us a distorted view of reality.

And we do this with everything; our finances, our relationships, our health, our achievements, even our stories.

We like to outdo those around us.

The problem is that we shouldn’t be competing with those around us but rather:

Ourselves
People who are better than us

I’ve said it before but if we simply strive to be better today than we were yesterday then in 10 years there’s no telling how good we could become.

And one of the fastest ways to achieve this is to get around people who have succeeded in doing what we want to achieve.

Here’s my simple formula

Find out where the people you want to get to know are
Compliment them on their ability
Show interest in them by asking questions (people love to talk about themselves)
Ask a small question about how you might improve
Thank them kindly for their help
Let them know if you can be of any help to them to let you know

Let’s apply it to a simple situation. Say you want to become a better rock climber.

Phase 1: Go to the places where rock climbers hang out (gyms, rock climbing locations).
Phase 2: Strike up a conversation with some of the best climbers saying how impressed you were with how effortlessly they make it seem.
Phase 3: How long they have been at it? How did they become so good?
Phase 4: Do they have any suggestions for a beginner like yourself?

The final two phases should be pretty cut and dry.

Above all, be sincere.

This simple formula works wonders. It’s amazing how few people utilize it.

Here in Japan I’m constantly meeting students who study English and yet so few ever bother to approach me. Their ability remains dormant. What are they doing? Saving it for a rainy day?

We get better by using our skills and the best feedback we can get is from those people who are “experts.”

Now some people think they can monopolize other’s time…big mistake, we’re all busy and while many people are happy to help to a certain extent we must be careful how far we push it.

However most people are happy to give anyone a few minutes of their time.

I know I am.

I love that people take the time to ask when so few do. I appreciate people trying to learn.

Now it won’t work for everyone. Some people are jerks but they’re the minority.

You’ll be surprised just how much time people will be willing to give you out of their busy schedule if you’re just sincere.

So whatever it is you want…get around people who have it.

Listen, take notes, watch how they conduct themselves. As my mentor, Jim Rohn, used to say, “Success leaves clues.”

How right he was, and by spending time with successful people you’ll be amazed how many they’ll leave behind.

Adrian Shepherd

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