There is one truth about life…
No matter how many books you read, how many audio lectures you listens to, how many DVD programs you watch or how many mentors you have…you can always use a little more help.
Or at least that’s what I believe.
As each of us is different, with different backgrounds and in different situations what one speaker has to say may have more impact on us than another. That’s why I’m constantly looking for new material to fill my mind and when I come across someone who really speaks to me I make it a habit to gather as much of their material as I can.
In chapter two of my book, iSucceed, I talk about three such men that I consider to have had the most impact on my lives outside of my parents and friends.
Since writing my book, I have had the pleasure of being introduced to many other speakers who also take up a sizable amount of space on my iPhone but when it comes to the sheer amount of material available I’d have to say that you’d be hard pressed to find anyone with more material on how to succeed that the man I’d like to introduce today.
His name is Brian Tracy and he has been a rock in the self-development industry for over 20 years.
He has programs on management, sales and self-improvement that are consider among the best out there and I’d have to agree. He has done his homework and honed his skills and one would be amiss to leave him off your study list.
Probably best of all is his ideas are practical and easy to implement which is why I consider him a must-study speaker.
The other day I came across an article which talked about 11 essential tips on living a successful life from Brian Tracy so I thought I’d share them with you today and give you my own take on each of them.
- Change your self image.
- Create helpful habits.
- Focus on what is useful.
- Set clear goals. And write them down.
- Ask yourself helpful questions.
- Luck is predictable.
- Focus on the activities that brings you results.
- Realize that you have to pay the price.
- Keep going.
- Make a decision. Any decision. Just do something.
- Take responsibility for your life.
This is as good a list as any to get to work on when it comes to success.
When it comes to our self-image, we must understand that we all act out of an understanding of who we are. The happier we are with who we are, the more productive we will be which is why Brian Tracy talks about the importance of positive self talk. It may sound rather hokey but there have been thousands of hours of research devoted to this very topic which have proven it to be true. As the saying goes, “Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.”
Habits rule 90% of our daily lives. From the time we wake up to the moment our head hits the pillow much of what we do is pretty much automatic.
But automatic doesn’t necessarily mean good. In fact, pretty much all of us have some habits that are preventing us from being as productive as we could be. Unfortunately, the only way to get rid of bad habits is to create good ones. That means a concerted effort to change, something many of us dread.
What we must always remember is that our habits are either taking us in the right direction or the wrong direction. Extrapolate your habits 10 years out and if you don’t like what you see, change.
Focusing is something that many of us in the modern world have lost track of. There are tens of things constantly vying for our attention, unfortunately, it is only when we focus on one (or two) of them that we can actually get them done with any efficiency. It’s always quality, not quantity that matters.
Clear goals are what separates most successful people from those who just bounce around from here to there. Clear goals link in with the 10th item on the list which is making decisions. The clearer our goals, the easier it is to make a decision about to do. A lack of a clear vision as to what you are striving to do translates into a lack of ability to make decisions. And each moment spend wondering what to do, is a moment you can’t get back.
Helpful questions are something that Tony Robbins talks about at great length as they can be very destructive asking themselves questions such as “Why can’t I lose weight?” Immediately our minds go to work on finding answers such as “Because you’re a loser,” which as you can imagine is extremely detrimental in building up confidence to take action to the negative situations we’re in.
Paying the price is simple: you can either enjoy today or enjoy tomorrow but you can’t enjoy both. Most people sacrifice long-term gain for short-term pleasure.
Why? Because it’s easier. It’s more fun and it gives us immediate satisfaction, something we all crave. But in life we cannot avoid payment. The question is do we want to pay now or later. It is a tough choice to make but an important one to consider.
Persistence is something that is talked about time and time again by every motivational speaker as well as pretty much every successful person. There are ups and downs…it is hard but there are only two choices: keep going or give up. Most people choose the latter, which is why most people don’t fail to achieve great success.
The final item on the list is taking responsibility for your own life. This sounds simple but as we have seen from the fallout of the financial crisis, which continues to unfold, most people have placed their lives in the hands of their employer and/or the government.
At present 107 million people in the US alone rely on government welfare and another 46 million seniors collect Medicaid. This tells me one simple fact; that people have forgotten that we should all take responsibility to prepare for the future.
Life is what you make of it. If you choose to spend all your money today, don’t be surprised that you have none tomorrow.
To end this I’d like to share a quote with you not from Brian Tracy but from one of the wealthiest women alive, Gine Reinhart, who said, ” There is no monopoly on becoming a millionaire.”
I’m sure Brian Tracy would agree.
Adrian Shepherd