Dear Readers:

Are you a starter or a finisher? Ideally, you should be both, but most people fall into the "starter" category and end up staying there. Unlike in sports, this is not a good position to play in life because by being a starter and not a finisher you never reach your potential for greatness. Starters have enthusiasm, but lack persistence. They dream about the outcome, but never devise an organized plan to achieve the end in mind. They stumble and fall and never get up. They don't push onward or upward because the struggle appears too great. If any of these descriptions apply to you, then surely you are destined to stay on the failure side of the river of life that Dr. Hill describes. Only through personal initiative backed by fearless persistence will you cross over to the success side of the river.

Many people sign up for our courses and indicate that they want to complete the three step curriculum towards Leader Certification, but few finish the process. What happens to most is that life intervenes and they drop out when it is easier to quit than to persist. Money, time, personal hardships, etc., are all offered as "legitimate" excuses for incompletion, but in reality the lack of personal initiative is the root cause. Life happens to every single one of us, but those who succeed have the conviction of their dreams plus the fortitude to work towards them. Glory requires guts.

Dr. Hill states: "The mind that has been made to receive, attracts that which it needs, just as a magnet attracts steel filings." In order to receive you must be open to making a start, and once that channel is open because you have made a start your mind will attract the means and methods needed to complete whatever task you set before yourself.

The key to unlocking the door to success is personal initiative followed by sustained action coupled with persistence. Without a motive and a customized plan to achieve it, you will remain a "starter" in life. Begin today with a desire to complete something, anything, that you want to achieve and right here and now write out a step-by-step plan to accomplish it. This is the most important part of the process, because once the directions are defined for your journey, all you have to do is begin the trip one step at a time. And, in no time you will be a "finisher" and have crossed over to the success side of the river of life and not swept away with the current distractions that life places in everyone's path.

Be Your Very Best Always,
Judy Williamson

The 7 Secrets Revealed…

Everyone wants a phenomenal life, yet few seem to be truly satisfied with all aspects of their lives. L.I.F.E. stands for Living In Freedom Everyday. Not just the wonderful freedom we enjoy in this country, but the freedom we can have in our hearts, and in our minds. The freedom of knowing that we are doing what we are called to do in life. The freedom that comes from knowing we are making a difference. 

When I started my first business out of the trunk of my car 27 years ago, I never imagined it would turn into a multi-million dollar enterprise and that I would be working with the world’s top business authors and trainers. Now, my first published book is being released. 

This is especially surprising since I grew up on welfare. There were 7 kids crammed into a teeny-tiny 600 square foot shack. The roof was so bad that every time it rained, we had to get out all the pots and pans to catch the leaks! My mother somehow fed us on a hundred dollars a month from the welfare department. And building a business from scratch with no experience wasn’t easy either. 

Here are 7 secrets I have been blessed to learn about L.I.F.E. and business… 

Secret #1: It’s a PHENOMENAL Life

In the classic film It’s a Wonderful Life, Jimmy Stewart’s bank had all but collapsed and he was on the verge of jumping off a bridge to end his life. Little did he know that he had a guardian angel assigned to him and many wonderful people that loved him. He also found that he had made a huge difference in the lives of others.

Like Jimmy Stewart, the first step is to realize that your life has value and you don’t have to live by circumstances. Have an attitude of gratitude and know that you can make a difference and that your life has meaning.

 And understand that you can live the life you are called to live. You must develop a compelling VISION for your life. A vision so strong that it creates a burning desire in your heart to pursue it with phenomenal passion. If you don’t have that, you won’t do the things you need to do to have a phenomenal life. Create a vision of the kind of person you want to BE, the things you want to DO, and the things you want to HAVE (not just material things). Keep that dream in front of you every day.

 Secret # 2: Think and Grow Phenomenally Successful

Over a century ago, a man by the name of Napoleon Hill published a book titled Think and Grow Rich. Hill studied 500 of the most successful people in the country and found that the biggest difference is how they think.  

 My friend John Maxwell, the #1 leadership expert in the world also confirms this. What controls your mind controls your life. Many years ago I was part of a small group of small business owners that met weekly. They complained about the economy and moaned about how customers wouldn’t pay them a decent price. Some of them laughed at me because I was wearing a sport coat, a tie and a positive attitude.

They actually laughed at me and said “who do you think you are, Zig Ziglar or somebody?”. I did not know Zig Ziglar then, but I am now Ziglar’s exclusive small business coach. Little did they know they were speaking prophecy 

It is vitally important what you think about yourself, what you believe you can do, and what kind of live you think you can have and deserve. Zig says “you are what you are and where you are because of what you put into your mind. You can change what you are and where you are by what you put into your mind”.

 Secret #3: How to Make Phenomenal Money

Bringing up the subject of money triggers all sorts of weird emotions. Everyone seems to want more of it, but can’t stand those who have it! The fact is that the business you are currently in is the best vehicle you could possibly have to reach your dreams. The profit margins are great. The investment is comparatively small, and you can go out and get business right now, today without investing a dime.

So, how much is “phenomenal” money? And how much money should you have?  You should have the amount of money that is required for you to fulfill your life goals and dreams. If you don’t have a dream and you don’t have clearly defined goals, you won’t make the money you need to make. The amount of money you make will be by accident, and most likely won’t be enough

Secret #4: Systems of a Phenomenal Business

 I have written extensively on this subject for a decade-and-a-half. If you are a business owner, do you remember why you went into business for yourself? Was it to make a lot of money? Or was it to be your own boss – to chart your own course – to have a little more “free time”? Yeah right! The brutal reality of most small business owners life is you feel like a slave to the business, there’s very little family time, your mind is consumed 24/7 and you feel like you have a “job” rather than a business. Your day is consumed putting out “brushfires”.

 Have you ever felt that way?

Secret #5: Your Phenomenal Body

 A few years ago, night after night I would repeat the same routine. Famished from a busy day that started with too much Starbucks coffee and no breakfast, I would consume everything I could find in the refrigerator.

Overweight and lethargic, I became desperate enough to change. I consulted a certified nutritionist who began to paint a very bleak picture of my future. I learned that I would most likely end up like so many Americans – shuffling around with a myriad of diseases – surviving on medication. All because of an unhealthy diet that could have been avoided.

And THAT, my friend, is NOT very phenomenal! The result of getting a VISION of being healthy and following the eating plan was a loss of 50 pounds! I then began to exercise and became very fit. Outside of a sickness out of your control, you CAN become fit. You simply must get desperate enough, or inspired enough to do it.   

Secret #6: Phenomenal Relationships 

At a dinner celebrating my wife’s parents’50th anniversary, someone asked them what their secret of a long marriage was. They looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Like an excited schoolboy who knew the answer, I piped up with “I know, I know!.” I had been watching them all these years and realized they were simply unselfish.

Today, our problem in America is that we’re selfish. We want others to change and conform to our specifications of what the relationship should look like. I don’t know about you, but I have realized that you can’t change anyone. When you try, the result is a broken relationship or you tolerate the other person rather than having the kind of loving relationship you should have.

It could be that the other person may never change, but would you agree that if you change, there is much more of a chance of them changing? If you are waiting for someone else to be or do something before you are all you need to be, you have already lost the battle. Let go of the ego, forgive and be the one to build healthy relationships.  

All of life is about relationships. I have been blessed to have a lot of support over the years. My book is dedicated to my wife who has stood by me for over 27 years. My son loves me and I love him. This does not happen by accident.

Secret # 7: I AM Phenomenal, So Are You!

The final chapter is about Spiritual things. Your view of God has an incredible impact on how you live as a human being. What you think about who God is or isn’t directly corresponds to what you DO each and every day and how you treat others. You were created to be phenomenal. After all, as the old saying goes, “God don’t make no junk!”.

How to Be Indispensable

By Jonathan Fields

I was recently talking to a COO at a public company about our comparative experiences hiring people. Him, on a giant scale. Me, on a micro-scale. And, what became clear to both of us was...

Scale aside...

There is a single quality that is so rare, when you find someone who has it, you'll do pretty much anything to bring that person on board and keep them happy.

And, the thing is, some people cultivate it naturally. But, others, once they realize it's power, may be able to build it into who they are and how they operate. So, what do we look for?

What is that single quality that makes someone precious and indispensable?

Beyond intelligence, loyalty, kindness, respect, discipline, pride, passion and compassion, it's...

..the ability to create.

Sounds so simple. But truth is, the vast majority of people spend their lives learning how to follow then execute other peoples' game plans. Fitting their skills, abilities and mindsets into the predefined responsibilities and tasks required by a predefined job. And, that's fine. We need people like that in the world. If that's you and you work with pride and add value and that makes you happy, rock on.

But, know too that you regardless of how "hard" you work, you will very likely never be toward the top of the "gotta keep 'em" food chain. Not because you're bad at what you do, not because you don't add value. Not because those around you don't like or even love you. But because there will always be a sea of people lined up to take your job who can do what you do in a similar enough way to make your boss, partner, colleague or collaborator happy.

For every creator, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of operators.

Which is why, when you're a creator, everything changes. Rather than being the one people ask to carry out a plan, people look to you to create a plan. To solve a problem, to innovate a new idea, product, service or campaign, to see opportunities where everyone else sees barriers, to blaze a new trail rather than follow a well grooved one.

And, the thing is, most often it's not about radical departures from the norm or Earth-shattering breakthroughs.

What I'm talking about is the ability to create solutions on a daily basis. To understand we're at point A and we need to get to point B, then tap your creative/problem-solving juices to conjure the best possible way to get there. As someone who's steering the ship, that ability is immensely more valuable to me than someone who needs to be told every step from A to B (provided I also have skilled Operators in the pipeline). Because it frees up my own creative juices to focus on other projects, while trusting in another's ability to figure out how to get done what needs to get done.

Truth be told, though, there's one person who's even more valuable than the pure creator/problem-solver.

And, that's the Creator-Operator–the individual who can not only create anew, solve problems and map out innovative pathways, but also possesses the ability to execute, to bring those plans to life. People who can do both are extraordinarily rare finds, because creation and implementation are very different processes and almost always inhabit different brains and bodies, too. Most peoples' minds just don't function well on both levels. Which is why those folks tend to rise quickly up the ranks and often become entrepreneurs.

Can You Handle Your Success?

By Marie Forleo

A few years ago I was in the middle of a yoga class and things went all willy-nilly. I broke into a cold sweat, my head began to throb and I was moments away from tossing my cookies. Yoga class had never felt like that before. What was wrong with me?

Turns out, it was the early warning signs of illness, leaving me bedridden for seven days. Of course, this seriously impeded me in the productivity department.

I was up to my earrings with work on my B-school program as well as enjoying opportunities from all corners of the planet. Things were outrageously good for me. But I needed to be performing at the top of my game. Every hour mattered. Getting sick was not a part of the plan.

I tried to self-diagnose via the web (a terrible thing to do by the way). Was it salmonella? A ten foot long tapeworm-demon? A life-threatening illness and my days were numbered?

Of course my friends were trying to diagnose me too. The bets were on that I was pregnant.

Nope, I didn't need to pee on a stick to know that diagnosis was bogus. But I still couldn't figure out what was wrong. Lucky for me, I have some pretty intuitive friends. One of them told me this:

Marie, I really think the doctor's test results will come back negative. It's definitely an Upper Limit Problem. You're going through some major growth right now and I'll bet this is just part of you busting through your Upper Limits and increasing your capacity for success.

My fiancé quietly reminded me that I had been going non-stop and that I severely needed a break. He was right (nothing new there).

What is an "Upper Limit Problem"?

An Upper Limit Problem (ULP) is a concept outlined in Gay Hendrick's book, The Big Leap.

The idea is this: each of us possesses an internal thermometer for how much success, wealth, love, happiness and intimacy we let ourselves experience. That is our upper limit setting; it's our success comfort zone.

When we exceed our internal thermostat by achieving a serious win, it blows the mercury through the roof and metaphorically pops our head off. Something negative sideswipes the goodness: we break an ankle, fry our computer, get involved in family drama, overeat, overspend and get sick. We apply the brakes to our success through the dirty little game of self-sabotage.

Why do we let this happen? Because it will bring us down to our normal range of capacity where we can cozy up with our security blanket.

And it doesn't stop there. We think that happiness comes when we are winning: a great relationship, a better job, a bigger paycheck. The sad reality is that for all our huge milestones (and even the little ones), a stampede of negative emotions and actions can dismantle our progress.

Have you ever felt like you don't deserve something? Have you ever believed that something is too good to be true and it can all vanish with one false move?

That is pretty standard fare of an Upper Limit Problem, which is just a negative reaction to positive change.

Spoiler alert: dealing with our ULP can significantly expand our capacity for palpable and lasting personal success while maintaining loving relationships.

This is fantastic news! By calling out the vampires that suck the life from our wins, we can up our ante but not undermine the gains we make along the way.

My friend was right, I was experiencing unbelievable growth. I was excited about the success of B-School and I had succeeded in booking all my dream speakers for my Rich Happy & Hot Live event and had even partnered with Donna Karen's Urban Zen in NYC. Things were amazing.

I didn't just bump into my Upper Limit; I smashed it with a sledgehammer. I was unstoppable – almost – until I spent a week in bed.

Why we need to understand our Upper Limit Problem:

• So we don't mistakenly label ourselves as flawed or broken or, worse yet, "not good enough" to handle a big jump in success or happiness.
• So we can harness life-changing breakthroughs that actually linger and provide real traction to build on.
• So our relationships with our partners (and others) don't suffer or dissolve.
• So we can check our ego and victim, "why does this always happen to me" BS at the door.

Look, no one escapes this dialogue so don't feel weak, bad or alone if any of this strikes a pain point. Everyone on the planet experiences Upper Limit Problems at some point. Thankfully for us they are easy to diffuse when you have the right tools and a willingness to overcome them.

Remember that moving through your Upper Limit setting isn't a onetime quick fix. If you're committed to continually expanding your levels of wealth, love and happiness then strap in for the ride baby.

How I rose above my Upper Limit Problem:

I acknowledged my tolerance for how good I was willing to have my life be. If I wanted to shoot for the moon, can I actually handle my own success?

I also came to grips with how amazing my life was at that point. At the exact point where I was – not in the future when I wrapped my next big deal. That meant treating people and events in my sphere with all the love, respect and honor that I could muster.

I told my family how much I loved them. I let myself be grateful for the money currently in my bank account. I thought about the roof over my head and the bounty of food on my menu and the amazing clients that I had worked with.

I acknowledged my abundance in a real way and I verbalized this to the people around me.

Then I gave myself a permission slip to chill out. I released myself from the guilt of non-productivity. No computer time, no work: just me and Haagen-Dazs and back-to-back episodes of Mad Men for three days. It was a step in the right direction of figuring out how to live inside my life with more ease.

Funnily enough, the moment I stopped beating myself up for being unproductive and sick, I went into speed recovery mode and was "strong like bull" in no time.

Being cognisant of my success "comfort zone" has been a huge leg up for me when it comes to turning up my own success thermostat.

Now I do it more often with less fear of getting burned. And that tastes sweet.

4 Ways You Can Avoid – or Recover From – Burnout

By Yanik Silver

Nearly every successful person I know has grappled with burnout. I've personally gone through it and come out the other side several times. I did it by using these four techniques:

1. Truly disconnect.

In today's business world, we are constantly tethered to our BlackBerries and "always-on" connections. As a result, when we truly disconnect from time to time, the effect is almost magical.

By "disconnecting," I mean being totally out of touch with work.

On a recent trip to Baja, for example, I did something that might seem a bit over the top: I "black holed" all my e-mails during that week. Everyone who e-mailed me got an automatic response letting them know who to contact for help or support while I was gone, and asking them to e-mail me again after my return if they still needed me. Then their e-mail was deleted.

Most businesspeople are scared to death to do this, worrying that they might miss something incredibly urgent. Then they come back from vacation and are even more stressed out than they were before they left, because they've got 2,313 e-mails sitting in their inbox.

If you just sorta disconnect instead of completely disconnect, there's always a tiny voice in the back of your head replaying, over and over again: "Wow! I wonder how much e-mail I'll have to catch up on? I wonder what's going on back at the office?" You've got to totally cut this off to free up more "Psychic RAM" in your head.

2. Refocus on your successes.

Many times, the feeling of burnout occurs because things are NOT going "right." Keeping in mind that "right" is a relative term (and I believe everything ends up the way it should be, no matter what), the way to overcome this form of burnout is to change your focus.

Focusing your energy on what's wrong only creates an endless spiral of more and more negativity. Instead, take out a piece of paper and start making a list of every "victory" you've had during this year, this quarter, this month, or this day. When you do that, selective perception kicks in... and you'll see that there is significantly more good than bad going on.

3. Set a major goal that you cannot achieve on your own.

I admit, I've only just started doing this. But I can already see how it leads to a powerful change of direction, intention, and motivation. And that can get anyone out of a funk.

I'm talking about setting what Jim Collins and Jerry Porras call a "Big Hairy Audacious Goal" or BHAG – a concept they introduced in their book Built to Last. This is the kind of goal that rallies the troops and gets them to transcend what they themselves thought was possible. One famous example is Microsoft's original goal of "A computer on every desk and in every home."

Our company's 2020 BEHAG is three-fold:

• Motivate, inspire, and educate 1,000,000 young entrepreneurs to start their own ventures.
• "Maverick-ize" 1,000,000 successful entrepreneurs to buy into the philosophy of making more, having more fun, and giving more.
• Have 1,000,000 cumulative items checked off entrepreneurs' BIG life lists.

And the ultimate goal is to change the way business is played. To me that means bringing more fun into business and never doing things the same way they've been done.

4. Get back to the fun.

Think back to when you were a kid – to the things that got you really jazzed and excited. What did you like to do? For me, it was playing sports, drawing, and making people laugh. That's why I still play ice hockey and beach volleyball. Why I've taken art classes and stand-up comedy classes. I make sure I incorporate activities into my life that give me enjoyment by making them a priority.

How many times have you heard yourself saying, "I'd love to ___ BUT I can't because I'm too busy." That's total B.S. What you're really saying is that you have not made that activity enough of a priority in your life. Or that you feel guilty about having fun.

For most entrepreneurs, work is our default setting unless we have something else scheduled. Don't settle for enjoying life only when you can squeeze it in between business. Put fun activities, rewarding experiences, and exceptional adventures on your calendar and protect them like you would any other appointment.

As Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz say in their book The Power of Full Engagement, "The richer and deeper the source of emotional recovery, the more we refill our reserves and the more resilient we become."

Give all four of the above ideas a try when you're feeling burned out or when you're trying to break free. They've worked for me – and they'll work for you too.

Ruled by Habits by Napoleon Hill Cosmic habitforce controls all human relationships and determines whether an individual will be a success or a failure in his life work. For nature uses this law as a medium by which every living thing is forced to take on and become a part of the environment in which it lives and moves daily. All of us are ruled by habits. They are accepted by us because of repeated thoughts and experiences. Therefore, we can control our earthly destiny to the extent that we control our thoughts. As we have seen, our thought habits, our mental attitude, are the one and only thing over which each individual has the right of complete control. You create patterns of thought by repeating certain ideas, or behavior, and the law of cosmic habitforce takes over those patterns and makes them more or less permanent (depending upon the intensity with which they are repeated or practiced) unless or until you consciously rearrange them. Man is the only living creature equipped with the power of choice through which he may establish his own thought and behavior patterns, or habits, or break them and rearrange them at will. But while the Creator has given man the privilege of controlling his thought, He has also subjected man to the law of cosmic habitforce through which his thought habits must invariable clothe themselves in their physical likeness and equivalent. Cosmic habitforce does not dictate what thoughts a man must express, but it takes over whatever he does think and do, and sees to it that man's thoughts and actions go on to fulfill the measure of their creation. If a man's dominating thoughts are of poverty, the law translates these thoughts into physical terms of misery and want. But if a man's dominating thoughts are of happiness and contentment, peace of mind and material wealth, the law transforms them into their physical counterpart. Man builds the pattern through his dominating thoughts, while the law of cosmic habitforce casts the mold according to the patterns man develops.

The Importance of Coaching

By Dr. John Berardi

In the past, my default position, when butting up against a challenge or coming face to face with a problem, had been: "everyone out of my way, I'll figure this out myself."

Whether it was a relationship issue, a health issue, a business issue, or even a problem with my car, I figured I had enough intellectual firepower to tackle the issue. I'd buy some books, search Google, learn everything I needed to know, and then go about trying to fix my issue.

Yes, it feels empowering and righteous to be a do-it-yourself kind of person.

After all, I consider myself a pretty intelligent guy. I've earned a host of University degrees (including a PhD). I score in the top percentile on most intelligence tests. I run a successful and thriving company, one that does meaningful work. And I'm generally seen as the go-to guy for family and friends when it comes to solving problems.

However, this idea that I'm a "really smart guy" sometimes gets in my way. It's also distracting, inefficient, and...well...not-so-smart.

I was reminded of this mission critical lesson the other day. I was running errands and returned home to find my home computer network broken down. Since my wife and I work from home offices, that's a pretty big problem.

Being a "smart guy", naturally, I'd set up my own home computer network. So, when I found it broken down, I began a "troubleshooting" process.

(I put troubleshooting in quotes for a reason. Having no formal training in network set-up or administration, I don't really know what the heck I'm doing. So, what I call troubleshooting, others might call, stumbling around blindly in the dark).

I spent about an hour fiddling with settings and made some small improvements. But the network was still busted. And, based on previous experience, it'd likely take me hours (or more) to get this sorted out.

Fortunately, as I was just about to make a classic mistake and dig into this process, my wife and 2-year-old daughter knocked on my office door. It was quittin' time for the day and they wanted to go to the park.

So, instead of ham-fistedly hacking my way though the network process, I called a local network technician I trust. (Someone who's actually trained in the process). She came right over. I took my family to the park.

When we got back, she was gone and the network was fixed. And, not only was it fixed, it was working better than ever before, with more features and capabilities that would make our lives and our work easier.

I called her for a debriefing. Apparently, it took her only 30 minutes to fix the problem and enhance the network. (Remember, I'd already wasted 1 hour on the issue without resolving it).

I asked her to walk me through what she did. And, of course, her fix was something that would have never occurred to me. Even though I've set up networks and home offices in every house I've lived in for the last 15 years.

So, what's the point?

Well, think of this story as an anti-do-it-yourself parable. I know, just saying that feels wrong to me. As an entrepreneur, I'm highly inclined toward do-it-yourself.

Yet, I've also learned that trying to do everything myself, even though I'm capable and "smart," often distracts me from the most important things in my life.

Personally, these important things are my family, my own health and fitness, and my professional goals. They form my own "holy trinity" of meaning. And, in saying yes to anything else, I'm saying no to one of those things, if even for just a little while.

But that's just at the best of times. (I'm lucky as my family, friends, and colleagues are willing to forgive me little diversions from the path).

At the worst of times, trying to do things myself can lead to massive inefficiencies, wasted effort, and tremendous frustration. I've seen this in other people too.

One of my closest friends – honestly, the most intelligent guy I've ever met – is a guy who'd struggled with "relationship issues" his entire dating life. Being a fellow entrepreneur and "smart guy" he figured he could think his way through these issues with that big brain of his. Never worked.

However, after getting some relationship coaching/counseling, he became a different guy. He ended up meeting the type of woman he'd always dreamed about being with. And he's happily married to her today.

As a cool bonus, that coaching spilled out into other areas of his life, and other relationships too. Nowadays, he's more calm, centered, and has a keen perspective that he never had in the past.

We've often discussed how important that coaching and direction really was for him. And, with 100% confidence, he tells me that the counseling didn't just speed up his development. Rather, it took him to a place he'd never have gotten without guidance. His logical, "left-brained", intelligence was killing this kind of progress.

In essence, being smart was the problem.

I see this all the time in the nutrition coaching business. My company runs the world's largest nutrition coaching company. And, every day, really smart people come to us with their hands up in the air.

They've tried to get in shape, or improve their blood markers, on their own. And, although they've made some progress, it just feels too hard to sustain within the context of their lives. Plus, they often want more progress and simply can't make it happen on their own.

This sounds familiar to me. It's the networking problem all over again. Or the relationship problem. Smart people trying to figure things out on their own when help is just a phone call away.

In the end, here's the point I'm trying to make.

Smart people – precisely because they're smart – often think that they can single-handedly solve all their own problems by using their innate intelligence. As a result, they're slow to ask for help and even slower to get coaching.

I totally get it. I was one of those guys for a long time. Thankfully, I'm not any more. I've learned that the smartest thing one can do is to drop the hero act and get some coaching.

It's not just about speeding up the learning process. It's about freeing up your time to say yes to the really important things in your life and no to everything else.

I Dare You

By Susan Fujii

When you were a child did you ever accept a dare from a friend? Or play the famous game "Truth or Dare"? I still remember sweating it out when it came to be my turn, wondering which would be worse:

Squirming uncomfortably in my chair while someone asked me a truly embarrassing question that I did not want to answer (and I'm a terrible liar so that was never an option for me - everything I feel and think is written all over my face), or being forced to summon the courage to do something physical that was probably even more embarrassing!

I can still remember my heart beating wildly and my extreme nervousness just before I had to choose. It was terrifying!

But I also remember the absolute thrill of having successfully completed a dare, the adrenaline rush, the appreciation of my friends, and the burst of confidence (and sheer relief!) that came with succeeding.

Daring is not just for silly childhood and teenage games. On the contrary, the most successful leaders and investors in the world are the most daring people of all.

Who immediately comes to mind when you think of the world's most successful leaders and investors?

Maybe Warren Buffett, George Soros, Jim Rogers, John Paulson, all billionaire investing legends?

Or Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Jesus, Martin Luther King, Jr., all inarguably strong leaders able to touch millions of people's hearts and lives?

And what do these successful investors and leaders have in common?

That's right, every single one of them lived a daring life. They dared to challenge the status quo and fight for what they believed in.

Warren Buffett didn't look around at his peers and say to himself, "Well, they're all buying dot com technology stocks, I guess I will, too". Instead, he is well known for sticking to the courage of his convictions and going against the grain when "everyone" else was participating in the crazy dot-com mania.

Likewise, Gandhi didn't look around at his countrymen and say, "Well, I'm sure someone else will take care of those pesky British; I think I'll have another loaf of bread." No, he too stuck to the courage of his convictions and continuously stood up for what he believed in, freeing the entire country of India in the process.

What does it mean to dare?

The dictionary tells us that 'dare' is defined as a verb meaning, "to have the courage to do something", and as a noun meaning, "a challenge, esp. to prove courage".

And that is exactly it, to dare is to summon your courage so that it is stronger than your fear and to take action in spite of not knowing the outcome.

When you think about it, this is exactly what successful leaders and investors do.

Leaders summon their courage, take calculated chances, and continually live outside of their comfort zone. Leaders by their very definition are not followers.

Successful investors – and leaders – are daring. They consistently summon the courage of their convictions to go against the herd. They have the guts to buy when everyone else is selling and to sell when everyone else is piling in.

When was the last time someone dared you to do something? I would hazard a guess that it's been awhile, maybe even as far back as grade school, or possibly college, depending on your peer group.

If someone dared you to make a million dollars, would you try it? Would you even attempt to do it? What if someone dared you to make just an extra $1000 in one month, would you do it? Would you at least try to do it? What if someone dared you to learn and make just one new investment or trade before the end of the next quarter in an entirely new asset class, would you do it?

I hope so!

It seems that as we "grow up", somewhere along the way our lives become filled with responsibilities and with all of the things we feel we "must" do, instead of with the things we feel "inspired" to do or "dare" to do or "dream" to do.

We settle in, watch the nightly news, faithfully contribute to our 401k's, talk about the stock market with our co-workers and neighbors, and tend to the responsibilities of everyday life. Rarely do we dare to do anything different or to challenge the status quo.

Daring becomes a forgotten game of childhood, something relegated only to our memories.

But this is a mistake!

In order to be a successful investor, you must dare. Dare to live your life differently from your co-workers, dare to go against the grain of herd mentality, dare to take a chance and to try new ways of doing things, dare to take a stand on issues that are important to you, and most importantly, dare to be different and to challenge the status quo.

In investing, daring to be different is known as being a contrarian.

Contrarian investors are those lucky few who realized in 1999 that "irrational exuberance" meant that you should sell all of your technology stocks at the top of the market (or who like Warren Buffett never entered that frothy market at all).

Contrarian investors had the courage and the guts to stay out of the amped up housing market in 2004 - 2006 when "everyone" seemed to be successfully flipping houses and making a killing in real estate.

Contrarian investors dared to buy gold and silver back in 2002 - 2003, when most people thought they were crazy.

Contrarian investors today wisely question the herd mentality of systematically contributing to their 401k's and "hoping" that it will be enough for the future. They seek out alternative investments and viewpoints, challenge the status quo, and always think for themselves.

But what about you? Do you want to live an inspiring, daring life? Do you remember the exciting feeling of playing that game of "I Dare You"?

If so, then I have a challenge for you...

I Dare You to become a contrarian, to buy when no one's interested, and to sell when everyone wants in. Go on contributing to your 401k if you must, but seek out new investment ideas and always think for yourself.

I Dare You to become a business owner or entrepreneur rather than or in addition to an employee, to reap the bountiful rewards of owning your own business, including time freedom, no income ceiling, control over your circumstances, control over your taxes, control over your life, and so much more.

I Dare You to become a leader, not a follower. I dare you to stand for something, make your life be about something, to mean something to the world and stand up for what you believe in. Search for your purpose, live from your soul, love from your heart, and inspire others to do the same. The world needs good leaders; the world needs you now more than ever.

Most importantly, I Dare You to discover your unique brilliance and share it with the world.

"I Dare You, who think life is humdrum, to become involved. I dare you who are weak to be strong; you who are dull to be sparkling; you who are slaves to be kings. I Dare You, whoever you are, to share with others the fruits of your daring. Catch a passion for helping others and a richer life will come back to you!" - William H. Danforth, I Dare You!

Overcoming Fear of Failure

By Craig Ballantyne

Last year, right around this time, I failed to reach a major goal. In fact, a year has gone by and to be frank, I STILL haven't made that much progress on it.

But I keep trying. I'm NOT giving up on this thing.

Let me tell you a little more about it, because when you hear my story and about how I've dealt with the failure, it will give you the inspiration you need to take action.

After all, I know that fear of failure is one of the biggest factors holding you back from success. So many readers told me this in the Early to Rise surveys you have filled out.

Common responses included...

"I need to overcome the fear and inertia of getting started."

"I have a fear of my product not being good enough even though I know the content is solid. It's all about fear. I have been reading about this stuff for 5 years but I'm terrified."

"How do I break through the fear of failure to get moving?"

So much fear...and to be honest, I was surprised.

After all, what are you really scared of?

Failing?

Who cares, I do that all the time and then I tell my email list of 90,000 people ALL about it.

Let me explain one of my biggest failures, the one that has dogged me for over a year.

For weeks I had been telling my fitness readers about my Turbulence Training Certification. I truly believed that I could convince 50 personal trainers to join my mission of helping 1 Million men and women transform their lives.

I put that out there in several emails, a 20-minute video on TurbulenceTrainingCertification (go ahead, watch it, it means a lot to me), my life's vision, and several other pieces of content, all sent to my 90,000-plus readers and 9,700 Facebook Fans.

Everyone knew my goal.

And I failed to reach it.

By the end of the week, I had only 25 trainers join me. I missed my goal by 50%. Some would call that a failure.

And some of those folks would even be happy to hear it.

So let the haters hate.

Let the Schadenfreude begin.

Let the doubters rejoice.

I don't care.

I don't care what other people think and I quickly re-framed my failure to the reality that this was still a fantastic result.

Twenty-five trainers have joined my mission. Five of them have gone to massive results in their business in the last year. One of them, Mike Whitfield, has become a bona fide superstar in the fitness industry. Ten years ago I would never have imagined that other trainers would believe in me so much.

Now I'm twice as motivated and inspired to work harder on my mission, and to help those 25 trainers who have put their faith in me.

I haven't failed.

Instead, I simply shot for the stars and landed on the moon, right?

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark." – Michaelangelo

So you have two choices...

1) You can sit at home, paralyzed by the fear of failure, worried that what...that someone, somewhere on the Internet, someone that you'll never ever meet, will laugh at you?

Scared that your obnoxious brother-in-law who already thinks you're a failure will now have "proof" that you are?

Whatever it is you fear, your first option is to let it kill your hopes and dreams, do nothing, and never know what could have been.

or...

2) You can give up your excuses, you can banish your fear of failure, you can stop caring about what others think of you, and you can take action on your dreams.

Listen, critics will always find something wrong with you.

There are "hate sites" devoted to Mother Theresa, for crying out loud.

If people hate her, there's going to be someone who hates you.

Get over it.

Lose the fear of failure.

Pardon me. Lose your SELFISH fear of failure, because for every day that you selfishly protect your ego behind the veil of inaction, someone with REAL problems sits at home without your solution.

So they suffer...

..but at least no one thinks you're a failure, right?

Yeah, right.

Let me give you a little dose of reality on that front, my friend. Allow me to share with you a little of my trademarked politically incorrect truth...

..plenty of people already think you're a failure.

That's human nature. Not everyone loves you.

I know. Shock! Horror!

But it doesn't matter what those people think.

You need to GET OVER IT.

It's time for you to give it up, to crush your fear of failure, and change the world for the better.

Or forever remain unfulfilled.

It's your choice.

You can't be afraid to try new things and possibly fail. Only by "Failing Forward", will we breakthrough and learn new things about ourselves that allow us to reach new levels. Failure isn't bad. Failure isn't final. No matter how BIG of a failure you have to deal with, you can always RISE up and overcome it - and even become STRONGER because of it. So never, ever, EVER give up.

You know what I suggest.

Fail forward fast.

The You Factor Part 1: Act
By Joshua Boswell

There is a very dangerous myth being peddled by far too many gurus and sages out there.

It is sexy and enticing. It appeals to every ounce of greed and indulgence within each of us. And, it is exploited shamelessly to extract large sums of money from your wallet and leave you without rewards of any kind.

Today, I'm going to expose this myth... and begin to give you the remedy. You will feel liberated and happy and powerful when we are done.

Here is the myth:

Failure is not your fault. It is the fault of the system you are using.

If you just had a better system, you would already be successful.

(And, oh, by-the-way, I'm selling the perfect system.)

The reason why this myth is so effective at getting you and I to buy new systems and programs is that there is a very powerful, partial-truth embedded in it.

The true part is this: With the right system and or program, you can avoid many pitfalls and dangers. It is like a map. It helps you see the fastest, most effective way to travel. It helps to remove the learning curve and can help you be more profitable faster.

This is all very, very good. It's true, the better your system, the better your odds of success can be.

Why This Half-Truth Hurts So Many People

But, it is only half of the story.

The other half - the part that failure is not your fault - is what kills the vast majority of entrepreneurs and keeps them from having any kind of real success.

This thought implies that you are useless and not really important in the equation. It suggests that the only important part is the system you're using. Alternately, it can also suggest that you are already perfect, know it all, and don't need to change anything to enjoy success. Just add system and - PRESTO! - you're successful.

Even deeper, it implies that you are a victim of the circumstances around you. The scary part about being a victim of circumstances is that once a victim, always a victim, because circumstances will always be there.

Here's the Liberating Truth

The most wonderful truth in the world is this:

You - and you alone - are the creator of your success.

Systems and gurus are just tools. They are not "done for you" programs, as most of them purport to be.

Circumstances and unexpected problems in life happen to all of us. But, none of them have the power to stop us from having success if we choose to have success in our life. You have the right and power as a human being to control your response to circumstances.

You are not the pawn of a guru... you might have to make some changes... and you are not the victim of circumstances.

If you are not a victim of circumstances, then clearly you are the master of your fate. Because of this, life can be anything you wish it to be. Anything.

If you are ignorant to the laws of success and happiness... and you know it... then, happy day! You can learn and grow and become because you are receptive to the wisdom and insights of others.

Introducing the "You Factor"

The antidote for this kind of thinking is what I call the "You Factor."

It basically states that the most important element of your success is YOU.

I know it sounds so simple and obvious, but most entrepreneurial hopefuls don't really understand this... or maybe they don't want to believe it. Whatever the case, they don't live congruent with the truth.

They think a certain system or mentor or circumstance is the thing that will really make them successful.

But that is not true.

You - and you alone - are the only power, influence, secret, or system that will make your life the rich, wonderful existence you always dreamed of having.

You are the most important factor.

But, there is one challenge to this fact... you may not fully realize it yet.

Three Aspects of the "You Factor"

There are three ways in which you are the most important factor.

Today, I'm going to talk about one of them. I will share the other two with you over the next two weeks.

My objective is to prove to you that YOU are the most important factor... and really, you have everything you need to create any lifestyle you'd like.

First, you are the most important factor because humans are beings that act and are not acted upon.

Think about this for a minute.

You are designed to act... and not be acted upon.

Consider a tree for a minute.

It comes from a seed that falls from another tree. It has no control over where it is planted. Wind, water, chance, man, and other factors all determine where it falls. Once it begins to grow, it can do little else than grow. It cannot move. It cannot protect itself. It cannot think, feel, reason, or associate. It just is.

Or what about a dog or a cat? They can get about and make some kinds of decisions, but in the end, the lives of most animals are defined by environment, their owners, and their instincts. They are acted upon and have little say in the matter.

You, as a human being, are different. You define environment. You define circumstances. You invent. You create. You react and respond.

You Are a Creature of Power

Because you are a creature of power, you live with a formidable truth: Nothing will happen in your journey toward success until you make it happen.

And, everything can and will happen when you make it happen.

It is time for you to act and stop being acted upon. Discontinue thinking you are a victim. Set aside thoughts of not having enough time, money, energy, support, systems, insights, secrets, friends, or ideal circumstances.

Pick up the challenge to be a creator. Assume the role of CEO of your life. Determine to act today and build a personal empire of your choosing.

You will not know it all. You will not have all the answers. You will not be a genius and make all the right decisions. You will not know all the secrets.

But, that does not matter. You are a being of power - a creator that is proactive in solving problems.

If you don't have it... find it. If you don't know it... learn it. If you can't do it... find someone that can.

Take action! Do something!

You... and you alone... are the single most important secret weapon in your success because you can act.

You Can Conquer All Obstacles

On May 23, 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay, became the first men to successfully reach the summit of Mt. Everest and live to tell about it.

It was not his first attempt to conquer the world's highest peak. This was the ninth British expedition. Many died in those previous attempts. They were bitter failures for Hillary.

There is a legendary story of Hillary attending a dinner after one of his failed ascension attempts. The dining hall they were in was situated at the base of the mountain and had a large window that looked up toward Everest.

With a clenched fist raised to his immovable enemy, Hillary declared, "You beat us once. You beat us twice - and more. But you will not beat us forever, because we can grow and you can't."

So it is in your life.

Yes, there are problems in life. Yes, circumstances will thwart your progress. Technologies will change. Marketing ideas will evolve. You will find yourself in a labyrinth of confusing options and ideas.

But, none of this matters. It doesn't matter because you can grow and change and adapt. You can act.

Systems and gurus and secrets are not the answer. They are tools.

You - and you alone - are the answer to your success because you are the one that will take action. There is no "done for you" success system in business or life. It's an inside job.

7 Ways to Spot a True Sense of Urgency

1) A Winning Team: With a strong sense of urgency, people quickly identify critical issues and form strong teams that are committed to ambitious change even when those members are already working hard.

2) Vision and Strategies: Strong and committed teams organize the effort to find smart strategies and envision long-term outcomes when dealing with essential issues, even when the best strategies are hard to pin down.

3) Communication: High urgency teams inherently feel a need to persistently communicate the vision and strategies to the appropriate people to get them on board and generate still more urgency.

4) Empowerment: Those with a strong sense of urgency empower others who are dedicated to making a vision a reality by removing obstruction in their path.

5) Short-Term Wins: High urgency teams celebrate short-term victories and make them visible to the entire organization.

6) Never Give Up: After minor and/or great success, teams with a true sense of urgency never let their team slip back to complacent inertia. Instead they expand the effort and strive for improvement.

7) Making It Stick: Teams with a true sense of urgency feel duty-bound to find ways to make sure any change sticks by incorporating that change into the structure, the systems, and – most importantly – the culture.

Here is the truly amazing thing: Working with a sense of urgency actually requires less energy than complacency. And the rewards are ten-fold.

Finding and Using your Unique Abilities

By Craig Ballantyne

Have you ever found yourself working on something you enjoy only to look up at the clock and be shocked to see that an hour, two hours, or even longer has passed?

If so, then you might have stumbled upon to your unique ability. This is something that you can do better than everyone else and often with greater ease, as well. Plus, it's something that you love to do it. And today, we're going to show you how to turn your unique ability into the secret ingredient in your success formula.

When you are looking to start out in business, you need to 'get to know yourself'. After all, you are, for the first time, relying on nobody but yourself for your income. You won't have an employer to give you the security of a paycheck for turning up on time and doing what you are told.

But that's good news.

As an entrepreneur, there will be no appraisal system, other than what you apply to your own work. It is down to you to know your strengths and weaknesses, and down to you to play on the good and improve on the bad.

Let's take a look at how important it is to know your ultimate strengths – unique abilities, and how you can identify and use them.

Some people have a natural sense of where their key talents lie, and what they can do or offer that is special, unique even. For others, it can be a surprise to learn that they even have unique abilities, let alone what they are. This is because so often, we don't notice that the things that come naturally or easily to us, or which we've been doing for a very long time, are actually difficult for other people, or valuable in business.

Just as it is important to know the selling points of what you are offering, it is important to know what your own key strengths are so you can optimize everything you do.

Whatever it is for you, there's got to be something that first of all you're better at than most people, that your experience has helped you become even better at and really polish your skills in, and that you really, really enjoy.

When you think about all that stuff, that's what you want to use to get into your Internet business or your side business or your passion business. By doing this you will not only help your chances of success, but you will also find that you really can have a business that you love doing and that makes you money.

Start your "unique ability search" by thinking about what you're good at and what you do a lot, and what you have experience in. Next, narrow that down a little bit into what you have that is different from other people. Think outside of the box when it comes to experience, too. Work experience that you'd put on a résumé is far from being everything in business. Experience you may have in your family life can be just as useful, such as conflict resolution or leadership.

What is it that you really, really enjoy? What do you find most satisfying and rewarding in your professional life? I know a highly successful businessman who really, really enjoys strategic thinking. He loves identifying opportunity and identifying how he can capitalize on opportunity. How he can find a problem and solve it. That is what really gets him going when it comes to his working life, and so as a result he is brilliant at it. If you love a certain aspect of your work, whether it is networking, writing, creative planning, marketing, or just about anything, then you are likely to be strong in that area.

Finally, don't forget about what is it that gets you into the flow, as we discussed at the start of today's message. What is it that you can do for three hours and think, "Oh my goodness, I thought only 45 minutes had gone by."

If there's a thing that you do that gets you into what people call flow or "the zone", where you're operating at a great speed with amazing productivity and creativity, what is it? One of the key benefits of running your own business is that you can work when it's right for you, so if you have your best ideas late at night or write best first thing in the morning, you need to know this so you can work out a routine that gets the best out of your talents.

When seeking out your unique ability, remember that for a lot of people, it is often something that you dismiss as not being important, or not being that big of a deal.

If someone compliments you and says, "Hey, you're great with numbers. I've never seen anybody track these numbers and find hidden opportunities in them like you," this could be the identification of your unique ability. As ETR Publisher, Matt Smith, likes to tell our coaching clients, "The activity that you dismiss as being easy is probably your unique ability. People tend to discount the abilities that they are good at."

Think about positive feedback you've had in the past, or the things people come to you for in your personal life. Are you the person your friends get to check over their cover letters when they apply for jobs? Are you the person people go to if they don't understand how to do their taxes? Or are you a practical sort they ask for help if something breaks at home?

Chances are there is something your friends and contacts know you are the best at, that you think is nothing. So whatever it is, whether you have charisma that nobody else has, whether you're a great speaker, whether you're a great salesman, whatever you think is probably not a big deal, because you've been doing it for so long or because you had some natural talent with it, that's probably going to be your unique ability.

It is important to think about this, and appraise yourself as others see you in terms of what you can offer that others can't. The exercise will help you because when you get your unique ability then you focus on harnessing the power of it and you leverage your talents so that you get more done.

Once you've identified your unique ability, you need to protect and foster it just like you do with your magic time. In fact, you'll need to focus on your unique ability talents during your magic time to get maximum results.

You need to build your work and schedule around protecting your most important talents and time. Do this by delegating the stuff that gets in the way of you being able to spend time on your unique ability, and maximizing the time spent doing what you do best.

Criticism is the Price of Success

By Michael Masterson

One of the most surprising and disappointing things about reaching an important goal is that many people won't share your happiness when they hear about it. Some will even criticize your achievement.

This has happened to me a lot in my success-driven life. The criticism always hurts – but it hurts less now than it did when I was younger. Moreover, I've learned to profit from it. You can too.

What's important, I've found, is not the criticism itself but how I react to it. Praise motivates me to do more of what I'm doing. Criticism – which used to make me want to quit – spurs me to examine what I'm doing and see if I can do it better.

Here's an example. This happened after I published an article in my Ready, Fire, Aim newsletter about the economy. Two of my most esteemed colleagues read it, didn't like it, and chastised me for bad writing. That set me aback. I consider myself to be a pretty good writer, but they made me wonder if I was really just a shallow-minded pundit of mediocrity.

After doubting myself for a few days, I set to the task of profiting from their comments. I reread what they said and made notes on those points I thought were valid. I circulated my notes to Jason, Suzanne, and Judith, my editors. That began an ongoing discussion about how we could improve Ready, Fire, Aim. And we came up with a few good ideas.

I then wrote to my two friends who were nice enough to honestly critique my article. I thanked them for helping me make the newsletter better. And I meant it.

In What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful, Marshall Goldsmith talks about how important feedback is to success:

"Feedback is very useful for telling us 'where we are.' Without feedback... we couldn't have results. We couldn't keep score. We wouldn't know if we were getting better or worse. Just as salespeople need feedback on what's selling and leaders need feedback on how they are perceived by their subordinates, we all need feedback to see where we are, where we need to go, and to measure our progress."

Goldsmith acknowledges that negative feedback "can be employed by others to reinforce our feelings of failure, or at least remind us of them – and our reaction is rarely positive." Worst of all, negative feedback can sometimes shut us down. "We close ranks, turn into our shell, and shut the world out."

When Goldsmith was a child, his mother told him he had no mechanical skills. He went through high school believing that, and, when he was 18, scored at the bottom of the entire nation in a test given by the U.S. Army.

A few years later, a professor persuaded him to take another look at his mechanical abilities. That's when he realized his mother was wrong, and he was "just living out the expectations [he] had chosen to believe."

So that might be the first thing to say about profiting from criticism. Recognize that a negative comment about you or your abilities cannot damage you unless you let it.

Goldsmith says that he wasted years, convinced that he was mechanically inept. But he didn't blame his mother. He blamed himself. "I was the one who kept telling myself, 'You can't do this!' I realized that as long as I kept saying that, it was going to be true."

Here are some useful techniques for profiting from criticism.

1. Remember that criticism is the price of success.

As writer Elbert Hubbard said, "Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing." So if you do something, you're going to be subject to criticism. Presidents get criticized. Clint Eastwood gets criticized. Even Mother Theresa was criticized. The more success you have, the more criticism you will engender. Some of it will be helpful. Most of it will be useless. But don't be afraid of it. It won't kill you. It will only make you stronger.

2. Dump your failure-support group.

This group includes jealous friends, professional enemies, and habitual critics. These people get their kicks from kicking you when you are up. They want you to be down where they are. Don't go there. Just ignore them.

3. If you can't ignore your critics, frame your responses strategically.

Sometimes, you won't be able to ignore your critics – if, for example the criticism is coming from your boss or your family. That's when you need to stay calm and respond strategically.

In Self-Esteem, Matthew McKay and Patrick Fanning recommend a technique they call "clouding." "Clouding involves a token agreement with a critic. It is used when criticism is neither constructive nor accurate. When you use clouding to deal with criticism, you are saying to the critic, 'Yes, some of what is on your screen is on my screen.' But to yourself you add, 'And some isn't.' You 'cloud' by agreeing in part, probability, or principle."

Agreeing in part – finding one part of your critic's comments to agree with or acknowledge.

The Criticism: You're not reliable. You forget to pick up the kids, you let the bills pile up until we could lose the roof over our heads, and I can't ever count on you to be there when I need you.

Your Response: You're certainly right that I did forget to pick up the kids last week after their swimming lesson.

Agreeing in probability – acknowledging that there's a possibility your critic could be right. The chances may be a million to one against it, but you can truthfully say, "It's possible you're right."

The Criticism: Starting a business now is a terrible idea. The economy is in the crapper, and you're just wasting time and money.

Your Response: Yes, it's possible that my business won't work out.

Agreeing in principle – acknowledging the logic of your critic's argument, but not necessarily agreeing with his assumptions. This clouding technique uses the conditional "if/then" format.

The Criticism: You're really taking a chance by claiming all these deductions you don't have receipts for. The IRS is cracking down. You're just asking for an audit. It's stupid to try to save a few bucks and bring them down on you like a pack of bloodhounds.

Your Response: You're right. If I take the deductions, I'll be attracting more attention to myself. And if I get audited, it will be a real hassle.

4. Take helpful criticism seriously.

Helpful criticism is sometimes harsh but it's always well intended. It's not hard to identify it. The hard thing is to accept that it is helpful and use it to improve yourself.

In Succeed for Yourself: Unlock Your Potential for Success and Happiness, Richard Denny says, "Constructive criticism is not negative, so be enthusiastic about it. Remember, you are very fortunate if you receive it. Encourage others to offer constructive criticism."

5. Thank your critics.

I make it a habit to send a personal "thank you" to anyone whose criticism has helped me do better work.

6. Solicit criticism – from people you respect – while there is plenty of time to make changes.

One of the most successful publishers I know does this regularly. When considering the launch of a new product, he sends a memo to a small group of more experienced publishers explaining his concept and asking them to poke holes in it.

By getting their criticism early, he doesn't feel its sting. After all, it's not his baby that is being criticized. It's just an idea. And ideas, as we all know, are not worth anything until they are put into action.

Another benefit – and this is a big one – is that it saves him time and frustration. By getting input on an idea before he's done a lot of work on it, it is much easier for him to make changes.

6 Ways to Acquire New Customers via Social Media

6 Ways to Acquire New Customers via Social Media

Selective Hearing And Social Media

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 12:43 PM PD

We’re all familiar with the term ‘selective hearing’. It essentially means you only hear what you want to hear. This means that anyone choosing to apply this concept to their lives has a sort of filter  blocking out the things that might annoy them, offend them or, even worse, bore them. This idea has been applied to every form of communication that has ever existed, and guess what???

Selective Hearing Applies To Social Media!

For the most part this isn’t literal in social media which is why I want to make a slight amendment to the term and call it “Selective Processing”. Your fans and customers are selectively choosing which messages they will process and they’re basing their decisions off more than just the content you’re providing.
There is very little original content online. What I mean by that is there will always be a similar blog post or tweet or Facebook update to yours, so your mission is to break through all of the selective processing filters people have up. Here are a few ways to do that.
1. Rely on visual obscurity  - Don’t default to generic stock photos. Make connections between your content and the visual you use but don’t be obvious about it. If you show someone what they expect to see they will skip right over you.
2. Brush up on your non-regional diction – There are a million ways to say almost anything so don’t just regurgitate a popular title to share an article. Come up with a unique combination of words to present your content in a more appealing way. Go for puns, alliteration and any other grammatical tools you can think of to really CRAFT your messages.
3. Be brutally honest -  This is a little tricky because people who don’t agree with your opinion might look right over you, or they might take the time to respond. Some people are scared about being confronted on social media but I recommend embracing a little confrontation from time to time. Maintain your civility, of course, and make solid points. Don’t ever tell someone that their opinion is wrong but don’t be afraid to stand by your opinions. These are sometimes the conversations that attract the most attention and inspire the most engagement.

Five Steps to Creating a Balanced Life

By MaryEllen Tribby

It was a simple business call. My colleague – "Larry" – had invited me to speak to his mastermind group on a teleconference later in the week. Nothing out of the ordinary. But my sister-in-law's mouth was hanging wide open.

"I can't believe he called you at 9:00 at night! Don't you think that is totally inappropriate?", Nancy asked.

Larry wanted me to speak to his mastermind group about accelerating their businesses' growth via multi-channel marketing. Given the fact that his attendee list included people like Tony Hsieh, Tony Robbins, and John Carlton – people I personally considered my mentors – I was honored to accept.

When I tried explaining this to my sister-in-law, she just waved her hand and said, "In my day, when you left the office at 5:00, you were done until 9:00 the next morning."

I thought about dropping the subject, but I couldn't resist the challenge.

She opted for early retirement about six years ago – but I asked her if, during her working years, she'd ever left the office to pick up a sick kid from school, go to a dentist appointment, or meet the cable man at her house.

When she begrudgingly nodded her head yes, I knew I had her attention. And I hope I have yours as well. If you think that your work life exists only between 9:00 and 5:00... and that your home and social life exists only between 5:00 and 9:00, you need to make a change.

I recommend that you resolve, right here and now, to make your life better, more rewarding, and more balanced. And I'm going to help you do it.

Who am I to talk about balance? Well, I'm a happily married mother of three who runs a business (with 38 employees), and a foundation, and is heavily involved in her kids school and sporting activities. Over the past few years, I've gotten pretty good at managing all the different aspects of my life in a way that makes me feel happy and proud.

The very first step to creating a happier, healthier lifestyle is to realize that "9:00 to 5:00" no longer applies. By giving yourself the flexibility to do business at all hours of the day or night, you are actually better able to enjoy both your work and your family even more.

This may sound counter-intuitive but by taking the following five simple steps, you will be able to break free of the 9:00 to 5:00 shackles.

Creating Balance Step One: Define what a balanced life means to you.

Many people think that having a balanced life means spending the same number of hours on work as you do on personal activities. This is a big mistake, because most of the time it's not realistic.

To define what will work for you, you need to take into consideration that life is constantly changing. And the right balance for you today may not be the right balance for you tomorrow or next week or next month, because over time your priorities change.

Creating Balance Step Two: Create Boundaries

Some people may agree with my sister-in-law that receiving a business call at 9:00 at night is inappropriate. But the way I look at it is that Larry is someone who is good for my organization and good for my career. Besides, when I met him at a conference earlier this year, he asked me for the best way to reach me. I gave him my e-mail address and my cell number. So why shouldn't he call?

And keep in mind that I made the decision to take his call that night – I created the boundary. It happened to be a good time to talk. However, if he'd made the call 90 minutes earlier – when I was doing homework with the kids – I would have let it go to voice mail and called him back when it was convenient for me.

Later that week, I was the keynote speaker on the mastermind teleconference Larry had invited me to. Many of the attendees learned a great deal. In fact, I got several e-mails from attendees saying they'd purchased Changing the Channel, the book on multi-channel marketing that I co-authored with Michael Masterson. Others called or e-mailed to ask if they could promote the book to their in-house list.

Had I adopted the attitude that I would do business only from 9:00 to 5:00, I may have lost out on a wonderful opportunity that proved to be valuable both to my company and to me personally.

Because I advocate balance, I support the efforts my team members make in striving for balance in their own lives. Some of them work in the evening and/or on the weekends. So I have no problem with it if they need to leave to take care of something personal. I truly believe that your accomplishments aren't dependent on how much time you spend in the office.

Creating Balance Step Three: Learn how to say "No."

No one wants to say no to their boss, their spouse, their employees, their friends, or their kids. But to achieve balance, you are going to have to do it once in a while.

We all have the same 24 hours in a day. And we cannot possibly do everything that we want to do AND everything that everyone else wants us to do. So a big part of leading a more balanced life is to cut down on unnecessary tasks and protect your priorities.

When requests or conflicts are set before you, ask yourself: "Is this going to give me a feeling of accomplishment and a feeling of happiness?"

Years ago, a good friend of mine – "Rita" – wanted my husband and me to meet her new boyfriend. He was "the one" as she put it. So we made dinner plans for the following evening.

But when our two-month-old baby Delanie woke up in the morning, with a fever, I called Rita and apologized, but told her we would have to cancel. I just did not feel right about leaving the baby with a sitter.

Rita was irate. She said I was overreacting, and asked how I could possibly feel that way given that Delanie was our third child.

As I held Delanie though the day and night, I knew I had made the right decision. But I was saddened by Rita's anger – and her anger lasted for weeks.

Then, about five weeks after the infamous missed dinner, Rita called to say that "the one" had dumped her. This time it was her turn to apologize, saying that now she realized I had made the right decision.

Social decisions are one thing, but work decisions can be more difficult. You must learn that sometimes you have to choose your family, your health, or even your social life over work. And you'll also have to make some hard decisions to put work first.

For instance, I take my health seriously. A few months ago, a doctor's appointment conflicted with a last-minute visit from one of the industry's top marketing minds. The only chance I had to see him was during the time I'd reserved for my appointment. Since I wasn't sick and the appointment was for a simple check up, I didn't think twice about rescheduling.

Creating Balance Step Four: Keep a journal.

The only way to make your life better is to understand what you're doing, what's working, and what isn't. And there are far too many things going on in our lives to try to keep it all in our heads.

So keep a journal. Write down what you spend time on – everything from the meetings you attend to how many times you go to the gym.

Keeping a journal will help you see if you are spending your time in the most productive way – and it will make you accountable for your actions. It will help you accomplish your professional and personal goals, and will make you proud of those accomplishments.

Creating Balance Step Five: Understand that you're not a superhero.

Having a balanced life means being realistic. Realistic about the fact that some things are just not going to get done. And you have to be okay with that.

When my husband and I got married 15 year ago, we both had busy careers. But we still enjoyed spending time decorating and upgrading our home with art and new furniture. After a busy day, we loved coming home to our immaculate sanctuary.

Well... once we had kids, things started looking a lot different. Instead of the beautiful vase I picked up in Mexico on the coffee table – there was a stuffed Elmo.

Soon our Tiffany picture frames were replaced by toy trains. And many days, while we're making dinner, the kids have all the pots and pans on the floor.

But instead of spending my time cleaning up and trying to make my house look perfect, I would much rather play with the kids, banging on the pots and pans with them and playing with trains.

There are always things out of place in my house – but that is exactly the way it should be. Because when I come home to my family, I absolutely have a feeling of great accomplishment and happiness!

This goes for work, too. You may have a dozen projects on your plate, and only so much time to complete them. Don't get down on yourself for re-prioritizing one of them so you can spend more time on marketing, or so you can care for your ailing grandmother, or so you can spend an hour at the gym.

Following the other guidelines I've recommended – figuring out what kind of balance is right for you, creating boundaries, picking priorities, and knowing what's working and what isn't – will help you feel confident that your accomplishments are enough... even if you have more goals you want to achieve.