"Well Done Is Better Then Well Said"

The title to this post is attributed to Ben Franklin.  Considered by many to be the greatest of all the Founding Fathers (of the United States), Franklin was diverse in his achievements throughout his life.  He was a printer, inventor, statesman, and author.  Many of the ideas he presented are still in use today.  In addition, the last two centuries have witnessed thousands of people studying his life to garner glimpses of what made him so successful.  Part of this is going to apply to the personal revolution we are now waging.

Action Not Words

I will start by stating that it is actions that you take, not the words you speak, which are important.  Other judge us by the tasks that we perform.  The world is littered with people who were well-meaning but lacked the necessary resolve to act.  Action is the one thing that differentiates people.

The Law of Attraction deals with taking an idea and manifesting it in the physical form.  While I will agree with the concept that everything starts as an idea, the truth of the matter that it takes action to move something from the invisible to the visible world.  This is the step that many miss.  I believe many fail because they mistakenly believe that things will magically transform from their mind into some type of physical form.  Without action, this is not possible.

Another area that people get tripped up is in matching their actions with their words.  Go into any bar and you will hear the drunken braggarts boasting about all they will accomplish.  Make a note of it while returning to the same bar 3 or 6 months from now.  Do you know what you will see?  The same people sitting on the same bar stools talking about doing the same things.  Here is a group of people who excel at verbalizing their ideas but lack at acting upon them.  Therefore, they accomplish nothing.

One resolution that you need to make is to have your words match your actions.  If you are one who continually says you will do something only to fail in that endeavor, then you need to change immediately.  You present focus needs to be to do whatever you state you will do.  That is what someone with good character does.  Regardless of what the activity is, no matter how insignificant, get it done.  You reputation and integrity are on the line.

Becoming A Task Master

Inactivity is death.  People spend way too much time basically doing nothing.  We live in an age where we expect others to entertain us.  This is the MTV generation.  Everything is sent to us digitally while we sit on our rumps taking it all in.  Our televisions have hundreds of channels broadcasting everything under the sun 24 hours a day.  The average person spend 5+ hours a day looking at this device in an effort to escape from what is his/her life.  All this time, one is inactive.

You goal is to be a Task Master.   Simply put, you need to have the ability to do.  Above, I mentioned that it is imperative that you do what you say you will do.  Now, I am going to go one step further: it is crucial that you do what you think.  If an idea pops into your head, you do it.  People always err on the side of inactivity.  It is time to develop the habit of "getting things done".

We all make promises to ourselves.  However, the easiest person for me to break a promise to is myself.  How many times have you "told" yourself that you would do something only to not do it.  No more.  It is time that you follow through.  If you think it, you can do it.  No matter how menial the task, get it done.  If you are not able to keep your promises to yourself on the small stuff, how can you expect to do it on the larger things?  The truth is you will not.

Many state that it is crucial to do the most important things first.  I do not subscribe to this theory for the simple fact that the majority of people just need to do something.  They are so conditioned for inactivity that it permeates every part of their life.  While I will grant there are actions that offer more benefit than others, the best thing to do is to get started.  I want everyone to do whatever task is in front of them regardless of the importance.  This is what becoming a Task Master is all about.  Eventually you can distinguish between the value of particular actions.  But, for now, as Nike says, just do it.

One final thought.  People, including myself stress the value of planning.  One would not wage a revolution without a plan.  To attack without any forethought is a strategy which leads to annihilation.  Therefore, you must spend time planning your life.  However, to me, planning is an activity.  When one engages in this behavior he or she is not sitting around idly.  Instead, a concrete task is being tended to.  That being said, a plan is ever evolving.  It is not something that is developed once.  One needs to focus upon it while making appropriate changes on a regular basis.  For this reason, get busy.  Take action.  Do what is in front of you.  As your plan develops, other actions will arise.  In the intern, strive for "well done".


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Decision Time

You are at the point now where it is decision time.  What are you doing to do?  How are you going to proceed from this point forward?  In what areas of your life are you going to wage your own personal revolution?  The time is now.

Things Are Getting Dire

I make this statement on a couple of different levels.  Anyone who turns on one of the cable news channels or reads the paper realizes how bad things are economically.  Personally, we all know at least one person who was adversely affected by this economic crhttp://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9142749039560757753#editor/target=post;postID=5756714970572353493isis over the last 5 years.  Consider the fact that Europe is close to plunging into a recession, China is slowing, jobs are not returning, businesses are broke, people are not spending money, and we have a recipe for prolonged economic paralysis.  Taken to the individual level, this makes things extremely difficult.

While the macro picture is terrible, many people also have lives that are completely underwhelming.  Individuals are at a point where they are in jeopardy of missing out on their entire existence.  Alcohol and drug use are at all time highs.  The obesity rates in most Western countries is approaching epidemic levels.  Divorce rates are such where more than 1 out of 2 marriages ends.  Prescriptions for anti-depressants are being written by the millions because people cannot cope with what is going on.  The economic situation only adds to a multitude of woes that many were already suffering.

All this adds up to a dire situation.

Start A Revolution

We see revolutions take place in many third world nations.  Today, in the 21st century, we see governments overthrown by the people because of massive discontent.  While most regimes were extremely oppressive, the fact is that discontent is at the core of this.  People reach a point where the incompetence of the leadership is no longer tolerated.  Therefore, the enemy is identified and plans are established to remove them.  Egypt is a country which recently went through this.

You might ask why I use the term "revolution" and what this has to do with your life?  It is simple.  A revolution is a series of radical actions designed to achieve a desired end in which the participants have no ability to turn back.  When a revolution is staged, failure is not an option.  Those who are at the core of this movement are playing with their lives.  It is a life or death decision.  If it fails, execution is the result.  Courage and conviction are crucial elements within each person.

Therefore, it is time for you to start a revolution on your life.  There is no turning back and you are making a decision which has life or death consequences.  When you decide to move forward, you are opting to get on the path of living.  However, if you hold back and do what you always have, slow death is certain to arise.  Most people are allowing each day to pass away.  Their lives are nothing more than years of emptiness.  Fear, procrastination, laziness, insecurity, and a host of other negative beliefs ensure compliance with the status quo.  Sadly, for most, this means a lack of fulfillment.  Life is a stage that these people endure until death takes place.

Identify Your Number 1 Enemy

In the revolutionary situation I mentioned before, it is fairly simple for the participants to identify their enemy.  The existing regime is at the top of the hit list.  Under these circumstances, the desired outcome is the complete removal from power.  Anyone can see this is fairly obvious.

However, in your life, what is your #1 enemy.  Unlike the aforementioned circumstance, this is not as obvious.  We can often identify the power that controls a government.  Yet few of us can identify what is controlling our lives.  Uncovering this will allow us to take a life or death approach to resolving this problem.

So, what is your number 1 enemy?  For many, it is procrastination.  For others, it is a lack of self control.  Still others battle laziness on a regular basis.  Understanding what is at the helm of your life is of paramount importance.

A way to uncover this is to ask yourself, "what about my life do I hate the most".  Hatred is a powerful emotion which can reveal a great deal about what is going on.  Those with the ability to hate have tremendous potential because this emotion is driven by passion.  While it is presently in a negative form, passion is necessary for all great accomplishment.  Consider our revolutionaries entering into warfare.  Apathetic is not a word we would use to describe them.  Yet many people are apathetic about their lives.  They lack passion in any regard.  Hatred shows there is some passion there.  Utilize this for your advantage.

Hence, what do you hate most about your life?  This is your number 1 enemy.  Identify it and resolve to conquer it.  That is what success is all about.  It is decision time now.  You cannot put off things any longer (perhaps procrastination is your #1 enemy).  Life is spiraling out of control downward and you need the resolve to stop this plunge.  Everything starts in the mind.  Putting this off any longer is not possible.

Therefore, spend some time today asking yourself this question.  Do it numerous times.  Isolate your answer.  Come up with something that is clear and concise.  With clarity comes power.  Once you can identify your enemy, then the battle can begin.  In coming weeks we will develop strategies to with this war.  This is just the first step.  Do it now.


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Success over Ego

Ego is something that we all deal with. Naturally, the ego is crucial for our survival as a person. Without it, we would not eat to sustain ourselves. Therefore, the ego is a necessary part of our human makeup. However, it is easy for this mechanism that is designed for preservation get out of kilter. When this happens, a person suffers in ways that are unimaginable to the uninformed.

Cockiness

We have all seen the person who is so proud of him or herself. This is a person who suffers from an overinflated ego. We often term this person as "cocky". He or she has a false belief about the abilities that are possessed. Often this person believes that nobody can be as good as he or she. Whatever someone else is or does, this person is better. Truly, we have a person without any faults or weaknesses. Whatever occurs, this person is in a class above everyone else.

Of course, to excel in this arena, one must be adept at playing the blame game. Since perfection, or as close to it as humanly is possible, is a part of this person's makeup, when something goes wrong, it is always someone else at fault. At the same time, our model of excellence is incapable of learning because all information is already possessed. A person of this ilk loses one of the most valuable teaching tools in the world: personal mistakes. Success can elude cocky people for this one simple reason.

"I Am A Loser"

There is another side to the cocky coin and that is the "I am a loser" viewpoint. While the cocky person believes him or herself superior to everyone, a person who suffers from this believes the exact opposite. Instead of superiority, inferiority to everyone is the viewpoint. While the cocky person is the best, our lovable loser is the worst.

Make no mistake, this is another example of a warped ego. People who have poor self esteem tend to inflate their worthlessness. Like the cocky person, this is just as delusional. Reality is that few are the best and even less are the worst. Trying to get to either extreme is an example of the ego at work.

Staying Within Yourself

If you watch professional athletes, you will realize that they approach their craft in a manner that fits their abilities. These people get in trouble when they try to be like others which does not fit them. For example, some basketball players are able to operate in a "high flying, athletic manner". Others are "blue collar" types who do the dirty work like rebounding and diving for lose balls. Each of these individuals knows what he or she brings to the team.

People with ego problems look at themselves through unclear glasses. Because their self perception is so askew, they cannot adequately size up what they are able to do. Therefore, it is crucial that someone step in to compensate for the weaknesses.

Using our two examples, we see how this will affect success. A poor self esteem is exhibited by both parties even though one is showing it. When someone has to tell you how great he or she is, that person believes deep down that he/she has little worth. Those who truly feel worthy do not have to advertise it to everyone. So, the ego interferes with the ability to succeed.

A person who is the "worst" is unwilling to try anything new. If he or she is put in this position, failure ensues because the mind is already made up. It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy when one has pre-determined that he or she will fail. This person, due to an inadequate self esteem, does not approach those areas where success will ensue.

At the same time, our cocky individual will be involved in everything. There is nothing this person cannot accomplish. Of course, any practical minded person knows this is an impossibility. Nobody can be good at everything. There simply is not enough time in the day to become adept at all things. Knowledge is usually a trade-off in proportion to time invested. Since there is only so much we can focus upon, there is only so much we will be adept at. Yet our arrogant friend finds it impossible to stay within him or herself.

Success requires interaction with others. There are people who are ideally suited for every task. While there are tasks that you are exceptional at, there are also ones which you fail miserably. This is part of being a human being. A successful person knows when to forge ahead utilizing his or her talents and when to step back and let someone else take the reigns. This is where success is put ahead of ego. For example, in the medical field, it is not uncommon for terrific doctors to defer to a specialist. Here, the first person puts his/her ego on hold for the benefit of the patient. Successful people in all walks of life do this.

Therefore, the next time you find yourself mired in failure, ask yourself, "am I putting my ego ahead of my success?". You will be surprised how often the answer is yes.
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Listing Your Way To Success

A list is a tremendous tool in the assisting of increased productivity. It is no uncommon to see someone walking around aimlessly because he or she does not know what to do next. How much time do you think is lost because a person of this ilk has no clue what the next step is? Estimates certainly will conclude that tens of thousands of man hours are lost annually because of this simple concept.

Writing up a list helps in a few different ways. When done before hand, it helps to clarify one's thinking and instill in him or her what needs to be accomplished. At the same time, one gets a visual representation of the actions that require attention. While there are many different ways of going about this, the important factor is to have an idea throughout the day of you are going to do.

Procrastination is something that many people battle. People can naturally fall into the mindset of not doing anything. A list assists helps combat this because the next action is plain to see. Of course, one might still put it off but the likelihood is diminished if it is written down. Trust me when I tell you that it is easy to ignore something that is an abstract idea somewhere.

One final note about list: many experts will state that it is best to write all actions on a piece of paper and then number them in order of importance. This ensures that one focuses his or her attention on what provides the most benefit. I agree with this in theory. However, since most people have a problem with taking any action at all, I find that simply writing the actions down and starting on them is helpful. The crucial idea is to get moving. Altering the order things are done in can be implemented at a later date.

If you are suffering from inertia and have difficulty taking action, here is an exercise to help you get started. Pull out a piece of paper and make a list of 5 simple actions you need to take. Write them down without thought to how important they are. The idea is to create a list of things that can be completed rather easily. Once you have the 5 actions, go do them. Do the first and do not stop until it is crossed off. After that, do the same thing with the second. Follow this until you complete the entire list. You will notice how this simple exercise enabled you to increase your productivity dramatically.

It is amazing the power we have when we focus.
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Applying What You Know

I am always astonished whenever I see a doctor smoking cigarettes. If there is one profession you would think should have a 0% smoking rate, it would be the physicians. These people are intimately knowledgeable about the dangers of smoking. They deal personally with the disorders that this habit creates. Yet, there is a percentage of them that still engages in it.

The same is true for people in the medical community who are overweight. We all know that hypertension, diabetes, and other ailments are directly linked to excessive weight. Again, we have an entire profession who sees the results on a daily basis. However, there is a large percentage of the individuals in this fields who are heavy. In short, they are putting themselves at risk.

My intention is not to pick on the medical community as much as to emphasize how people do not do what they know. The application of knowledge is what leads to success. Long term good health is a result of a series of steps taken over a long period of time. Proper diet, exercise, and the elimination of bad habits (such as smoking or excessive drinking) are fundamentals in achieving this end. The medical community is well aware of this yet many fail to apply it to their lives. Instead, they make up excuses or ignore the problem altogether. Either way, the end result is the same.

This idea is expanded to all areas of life. How many times have you read a book about a particular subject and thought "these are some good ideas, I will have to try them". Did you? If you are like most, months or years later, that book is collecting dust on a shelf with the knowledge wasted through lack of application. Here we know something yet refuse to do it.

The situation gets worse when we have first hand experience about the benefits of something but fail to continue to do it. We see this in the business world where people followed a particular set of steps to create success then stop doing it. For example, many people have an investment plan that generates above average returns. However, instead of following this path, the person decides to do something different in hopes of achieving more. While this can be a good thing if more knowledge was attained, in many instances it is simply a case of the person ceasing the application of what is known.

So, my challenge to you is to apply all you know to your life. If you are over the age of 30, you acquired a great deal of experience. Live is a wonderful teacher is we are willing to apply the lessons it offers. In every area of life, you can find a blueprint for success. Decide what you want, get the blueprint, and apply the knowledge garnered from that research. It is that simple. As you can see, the first two steps are worthless unless you follow it up with the application of knowledge.

Many have said that the difference is in the actions we take. I agree. Those who succeed take actions that are in stark contrast to those who do not. Success is nothing more than finding out what needs to be done and doing it. This is why life needs to be a continual learning experience. If we are to attain great heights, we must apply the knowledge that is in our heads for our benefit. Do not allow fear, laziness, or insecurity to hinder you. Just do what you know and you will be a whole lot better off.
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The Mental Side of Success

What is the most important aspect of your life? When you look at the different areas, mental, emotional, physical, and financial, what strikes you as being at the top of the list in terms of importance? While the answers will vary, the truth is health is the most crucial thing in your life. Without your health, everything else is lessened. For example, many pursue money throughout their lives only to find, when their physical condition deteriorates, that they wish they had taken "better care of themselves". At the same time, many find that even the greatest riches in the world cannot buy one more time. Steve Jobs is an example. He might have been worth $3 billion but he is still dead in his early 50s. All the financial success meant little at the end since he lost decades due to illness.

That being said, when we look at success, what do you think is most important? Obviously, if you read the title, you know that the mental side of things is the answer. Everything else stems from this. Life is first created in the mind and then manifested in the physical world. In other words, everything starts with an idea.

When we look at the world around us, we see many people who are weak. When it comes to their mental conditioning, their ability to excel is seriously hindered. Alcoholism, drug abuse, hours spent watching television, lack of common sense, and emotional chaos are all signs that people have not conquered their mind. In fact, they allow it to run free without a single restraint. Left to its own devices, the mind will completely destroy a person's life. No success will ever result.

I will offer up an example that really drives home how forceful mental strength is. Stories written by prisoners of war exemplify the tools necessary for success in this environment. Here is a situation where people were malnourished to the point where they were nothing more than skin on bones. At the same time, in many instances, they suffered extreme physical and psychological abuse. In short, everything was taken away from them. So, why did some survive while others perished. Certainly the abuse of the captors did have an impact in many instances. However, there are numerous stories about people who "decided" they were going to survive the ordeal (Victor Frankl is one such person). Their success was derived first by their mental state.

When we discuss factors for success, we often cover topics such as determination, persistence, focus, and commitment. Notice where all these activities occur: in the mind. They are mental states which one is free to choose to adopt or not. Being disciplined is nothing more than a mental state where one decides to do what is required at that moment. Nothing happens until the proper state is achieved in the mind.

Consider the way people approach weight loss. We live in an obese society. Today there are more overweight people as a percentage of the population than at any other time in our history. One does not have to travel far to find someone who is "on a diet". How many people do you know who have said they were going to lose weight only to remain the same (or worse lose it only to gain it back). Each of us knows multiple people who fit into this category.

So, the question arises why did they not experience success in this area? It is simple: they chose not to. Their mind allowed them to fail. They did not adopt and maintain the mental state to succeed. Somewhere along the line, the urge hit to "cheat" on their program for weight loss. As you can see, this is a mental decision. At the same time, the option to skip a workout resides in the same place. Everything that is done, or not done, is decided upon mentally. It is these decisions that allow failure to occur.

Tony Robbins has stated that a true decision is nothing more than cutting off any other possibility. This means, in this example, that if one decides to lose 50 pounds, there is no other possible outcome. Everything will be done because the person has mentally determined this is how it will be. All action will align with this mindset to, eventually, produce the result. If Victor Frankl, among others, can use this technique to survive hellish conditions, then one can apply it to everyday situations which are not life and death. Success is a result of mental deciding to succeed.

The world rewards those who are mentally conditioned to succeed. Even those who excel utilizing their bodies are mental giants. Take athletes as an example. Many will say they succeed because of superior natural talent. Sure, that is part of it. However, do not overlook all the hours put into training to get their bodies in that shape. It takes mental discipline to exercise and eat properly to operate at a world class level (anyone on the yoyo diet plan understands how tough it is). These people face the same challenges as everyone else. The idea of cheesecake or potato chips is just as appealing to them. Yet they pass on them because it is not part of their curriculum for success.

Therefore, to succeed, you need to take control of your mind. Too many of us allow fear to run our daily lives while operating in a haphazard undisciplined way. Success is really a simple thing to achieve. Today, we have blueprints in all areas of life. If you want to be physically fit, there are thousands of websites packed with valuable plans how to achieve it. Financial success is the same way. We can learn how to excel in any area of life if we follow the steps. Sales is a prime example of a field where success is a step-by-step process. So is the stock market, real estate, and another other business endeavor. If you want to bake a cake, it is best to follow the instructions. Life is that way also. Everything always breaks down to the basics. So why don't most people succeed? In my estimation it is because they simply fail to decide to.

Consider this premise as you go throughout your day. How are you allowing your mind to take control in a negative way? Are there things you should be doing yet you are focusing you attention elsewhere (i.e. ignoring)? Is this a mark of a disciplined, mentally strong person? Remember, everything is first created in the mind. Success occurs here...everything else is just rote action repeated until the desired outcome is achieved.
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Pure Concentration

Here is a simple exercise that will increase the results you get drastically. The next activity you do, whatever it may be, give it 110% pure concentration. No matter how simple or complex the task, focus your attention solely on the activity that is in front of you. Do not allow yourself to be distracted. If you can develop this habit, you will be ahead of 95% of the people out there.

We live in a world where distractions are an ever present part of our day. Decades ago, when one was working, for example, the only way to be interrupted was if someone walked in or if the phone rang. Today, that is no longer the case. We have phones that not only ring, but there are text messages, mobile instant messaging programs, and internet access. At the same time, computers have a variety of things that can steal our focus away from what we are doing. How many times were you writing something only to have the automatic update window pop open on you? We all experienced that more than we care to remember.

People today are in the habit of allowing themselves to be easily distracted. It is a habit that we seamlessly fell into. As technologies become more prevalent, we are seeing this situation worsen. However, this goes in direct opposition to a basic component of success. To be truly successful in most endeavors, our complete attention is required. A wandering mind cannot tap into the natural power that exists when it is scattered. This is something we prove repeatedly. Consider the amount of time that is wasted in the average person's life because he or she does not know what to do next. We see this situation worsened when one has to go back and fix an error that was caused by lack of attention.

The mind cannot focus upon two things at one time. Many buy into the myth of multi-tasking. Productivity studies have proven that multi-tasking only serves to decrease output. It is simple to understand when you ponder how the mind works. Since we can only focus upon one thing at a time, trying to do two things simultaneously means that one task is not getting the proper attention. Which brings me back to the original point in this post: it is crucial that we develop the habit of focusing exclusively upon what we are doing at any given moment. This simple (but not easy) act will increase your productivity instantly.

For centuries people have written about the power of living in the present moment. While many associate this with spirituality, I find that this is where we find life. Nothing is occurring but what is taking place right now. The past is memory and the future is but a dream. Our existence is right here. However, while we find it natural for our bodies to be here, the mind operates differently. It is not bound by physical laws. Therefore, we must instill the discipline to concentrate on the present.

Try this simple exercise and see how you do with it. If you are like most, you will find it impossible to do. Pure concentration is a skill that most lack. It can be developed but does not come naturally. Therefore, use a simple activity like washing the dinner or cleaning the counter. Notice how often your mind wanders while doing these activities. While it might seem counterproductive to focus upon a task that is so simple, the benefit comes from the habit you create. Remember, the process of focusing exclusively on the dishes is the same as you apply to a report for work. And, if you are distracted while doing the dishes, bet the ranch the same will occur when you are writing your report. Remember, habits of the mind do not change with the situation. They remain the same until we consciously decide to change them.
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