A Little Equation that Creates Big Results

A Little Equation that Creates Big Results by Chris Widener "The purpose of man is in action not thought." - Thomas Carlyle Often people will ask me how I get so much done in my life. They wonder at how I am able to accomplish so many things. The answer is found not in what a great person I am, but in an equation I came up with a few years ago and remind myself of on almost a daily basis. And when I live this equation out, it produces big results. What people don't seem to grasp is that this equation will work for anybody! Anyone can see results in their life if they will live it out! This little equation, when it is understood, and acted upon, is perhaps the most powerful equation there is in regard to long-term achievement and accomplishment. Yet, this is not a complex equation. In fact, it is rather simple. So what is it? Your short-term actions multiplied by time equals your long-term accomplishments. If you want to see change in your life, see big results, the first thing you must do is change your current actions. Otherwise the old saying becomes a reality: "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got!" But if we change our actions, we will see different results! Most people want to accomplish a lot in their lives. Yet very few actually do. Why is this? It is because what they believe will equal their long-term accomplishments are wrong. Here are some of the things that people believe will create great accomplishments for them: Beliefs Vision Big dreams Ideas Ideals Values Desire The truth is that while these things are very important, they are not enough in and of themselves. We need to have the above underlying all that we do, but we need to actually do something! And this is where most people stop. We need to take action on our dreams and beliefs every day. Here are some examples of how this works. Who loses the pounds? The one who knows all about the benefits of exercise or the one who walks 3 miles a day? Who retires early? The one who dreams of a house on the beach, or the one who invests $300 a month? Who writes books? The one who desires to become a best-selling author, or the one who gets up early and writes for half an hour a day? Who has the best marital relationship? The one who knows how much spending time with their spouse can improve their relationship, or the one who sits down and talks with their spouse every night? Who makes the most sales? The one who believes they can become a great salesperson, or the one who makes 10 sales calls a day? I think you get the point. When it all comes down to it, we must act upon our vision, beliefs, and ideals or we won't see them come to fruition. I see too many people who know what is right, but don't ever do anything about it. Imagine what a difference we could make in our own lives and the lives of others if we would simply begin to act upon on our beliefs! When I get to the end of my life, I want to know that I have done all that I can to make this world a better place and to enhance the lives of those around me. I want to know that I gave it my best shot. And I am sure that you do to. I remember reading an interview with an author who has written numerous books that have sold in the tens of millions. They asked him how he did it. His answer was that he got up every morning before anyone else in his family and wrote, long hand, with a pencil, for an hour. Then he quit and went about his day. But his short-term actions piled up. 7 hours a week. 30 hours a month. 365 hours a year. After a while, he had lots of books! Some questions as we leave: What long-term accomplishments do you want to see come to pass? What short-term actions will you need to do over time to see them come to pass? What will you do today to begin seeing your dreams come true? What will you do this week to see them come true? You can have an awesome future, filled with great achievements and results if you begin today to take action and make it a reality! One more time, so you can plug it in, memorize it, and live it. Your short-term actions multiplied by time equals your long-term accomplishments. Chris Widener

Dare to Dream Again

Dare to Dream Again by Chris Widener

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." Teddy Roosevelt

Do you remember when you were a child and no dream seemed too big? Some of us thought we would walk on the moon; some dreamed of riding with Roy Rogers; others imagined stepping to the plate in a big-league game. Every one of us, when we were young, had a common trait - we were dreamers. The world hadn't gotten to us yet to show us that we couldn't possibly achieve what our hearts longed for. And we were yet still years from realizing that in some cases we weren't built for achieving our dream (I realized about my junior year of high school that I was too short and to slow to play professional basketball -- the dreamer is always the last to know).

Eventually we started to let our dreams die. People began to tell us that we couldn't do the things we wanted. It was impossible. Responsible people don't pursue their dreams. Settle down, get a job, be dependable. Take care of business, live the mundane, be content.

Do you know what I say to that? Hooey!

It is time to dream again!

Why? Here are just a few reasons:

* Avoid regret. The facts are in, and someday we will all lie on our deathbed looking back through the history of our lives. We will undoubtedly think about what we wished we had done or accomplished. I for one don't want to regret what could have been, what should have been. So I am deciding today to pursue my dreams.

* The world needs people like you to dream of something great and then to pursue it with all of your heart. Maybe you belong to a business, school or organization that started out with good intentions but has settled into the same ol' same ol'. Shake them up and remind them of how they could really help people if only they would dream!

* Personal and family fulfillment. One of the things that happens when we stop pursuing our dreams is that a little piece of us dies and we become disheartened, if only in that area of our lives. Stepping up and pursuing your dream rekindles that passion and zeal that everyone has the capacity for and lets us experience fulfillment. Having a purpose puts the zip in our step and the zing in our emotions!

* Making the world a better place. All of the great accomplishments that have ever happened began with a person who had a dream. Somebody rebuffed the naysayers and said to himself or herself, "This can be done, and I am the one who will do it." And in many instances they changed the world for the better. It isn't just the Martin Luther King's and the J.F.K's either. Think of all the people we have never heard of who have started things large and small that help people world-wide every day.

* Leaving a legacy. How will your children remember you? As one who sought all that life had to offer, using your gifts and talents to their fullest extent, leading the family with a zest for life, or as an overweight couch potato who could have been? Our children need to see that we dream; that we search for something better. They in turn will do the same!

So where do we start?

Here are some ideas:

* Reconnect with your dream. Set aside some time to let yourself dream. What have you placed on the backburner in order to live the status quo? Settle on one or two dreams that you can and will pursue. Don't come up with too many. That will only deter you further.

* Decide that you will do it. This may seem elementary but many people never decide and commit fully to their dream. They simply keep "thinking" about it. Tell others that you are going to do it. This puts you on the record as to what you are dreaming about. It makes you accountable. It will help you do it if for no other reason than to avoid embarrassment!

* Develop a step-by-step plan. This is absolutely essential. You must sit down and write out a few things:

* A timeline. How long will it take to the end?

* Action steps. Point-by-point what you will do and when you will do them.

* Resources you will need to draw from. What will it take? Who will need to be involved for help or advice?

* An evaluation tool. You need to evaluate from time to time whether you are progressing or not.

* A celebration. Yep, when you are done you should already have planned what you will do to celebrate. Make it big!

I have found that there is no better time than now. So, set aside some time today to get started on your dream. Follow the action plan and set your sights for the top of the mountain! You will be glad you did!

Here's to putting your dreams into action -- let the excitement propel you forward!
Chris Widener

Be a Person Who Practices Non-Situational Integrity

Be a Person Who Practices Non-Situational Integrity by Dr. Denis Waitley

Integrity, a standard of personal morality and ethics, is not relative to the situation you happen to find yourself in and doesn't sell out to expediency. Its short supply is getting even shorter, but without it, leadership is a façade. Learning to see through exteriors is a critical development in the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Sadly, most people continue to be taken in by big talk and media popularity, flashy or bizarre looks, and expensive possessions. They move through most of their years convinced that the externals are what count, and are thus doomed to live shallow lives. Men and women who rely on their looks or status to feel good about themselves inevitably do everything they can to enhance the impression they make – and do correspondingly little to develop their inner value and personal growth. The paradox is that the people who try hardest to impress are often the least impressive. Puffing to appear powerful is an attempt to hide insecurity.

In the Roman Empires' final corrupt years, status was conveyed by the number of carved statues of the gods displayed in people's courtyards. As in every business, the Roman statue industry had good and bad sculptors and merchants. As the empire became ever more greedy and narcissistic, the bad got away with as much as they could. Sculptors became adept at using wax to hide cracks and chips in marble and most people couldn't discern the difference in quality.

Statues began to weep or melt under the scrutiny of sunlight or heat in foyers. For statues of authentic fine quality, carved by reputable artists, people had to go to the artisan marketplace in the Roman Quad and look for booths with signs declaring sine cera, which translates in English to mean, without wax. We, too, look for the real thing in friends, products, and services. In people, we value sincerity, from the words, sine cera, more than almost any other virtue. We expect it from our leaders, which we are not getting in our political, media, business and sports' heroes for the most part. We must demand it of ourselves.

Integrity that strengthens an inner value system is the real human bottom line. Commitment to a life of integrity in every situation demonstrates that your word is more valuable than a surety bond. It means you don't base your decisions on being politically correct. You do what's right, not fashionable. You know that truth is absolute, not a device for manipulating others. And you win in the long run, when the stakes are highest. If I were writing a single commandment for leadership it would be, "You shall conduct yourself in such a manner as to set an example worthy of imitation by your children and subordinates." In simpler terms, if they shouldn't be doing it, neither should you. I told my kids, "clean up your room," and they inspected the condition of my garage. I told them that honesty was our family's greatest virtue, and they commented on the radar detector I had installed in my car. When I told them about the vices of drinking and wild parties, they watched from the upstairs balcony, the way our guests behaved at our adult functions.

It's too bad some of our political and business leaders don't understand that "What you are speaks so loudly that no one really pays attention to what you say." But it is even more true that if what you are matches what you say, your life will speak forcefully indeed.

It's hardly a secret that learning ethical standards begins at home. A child's first inklings of a sense of right and wrong come from almost imperceptible signals received long before he or she reaches the age of rational thought about morality. Maybe you´re asking yourself what kind of model you are for future generations, remembering that people are either honest or dishonest, that integrity is all or nothing, and that children can't be fooled in such basic matters. They learn by example.

To remind myself of my responsibility to live without wax, with sincerity and integrity, I took the liberty of re-writing Edgar A. Guest's poem, "Sermons We See" to apply to setting an example as a real winner for my children and grandchildren.

I'd rather watch a winner, than hear one any day. I'd rather have one walk with me, than merely show the way. The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear. Fine counsel is confusing, but example's always clear. And the best of all the coaches are the ones who live their deeds. For to see the truth in action is what everybody needs. I can soon learn how to do it, if you'll let me see it done. I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run. And the lectures you deliver may be very wise and true. But, I'd rather get my lessons by observing what you do. For I may misunderstand you and the high advice you give. But there's no misunderstanding how you act and how you live. I'd rather watch a winner, than hear one any day.

Hey, politician, business leader, motion picture producer, television actor, rock star, sports star. Hey mom, hey dad. Don't tell me how to live. Show me by your actions. You're my role models.

Action Idea: When you talk to others, beginning right now, don't try to impress them by talking about your accomplishments. Let your actions speak for you. Ask more questions.

-- Denis Waitley

The Key to Taking Control

The Key to Taking Control
By: Brian Tracy

Set Priorities
Stress management requires that you take complete control over the activities of your daily life. This means that you plan your day, set priorities and work on high value tasks. The indispensable key to time management is concentration, the ability to focus single-mindedly on one thing, the most important thing, and to stay with it until it is 100% complete.

Create Chunks of Time
This is not only the hardest challenge that a manager faces, but the ability to concentrate single-mindedly is probably the most rare single ability in the workplace. Most of our important tasks take large chunks of time. We need to plan and organize our days in such a way that we allocate these chunks of time so that we can do the jobs upon which our success depends.

A Burst of Energy
The wonderful thing about setting priorities and concentrating single-mindedly is that, the very minute that you do these two things, you will begin to feel a tremendous sense of control and well-being. As you work progressively toward the accomplishment of your most important tasks, you will feel a flow of energy and enthusiasm. As you finish something that is relevant and significant to your company and to yourself, you get a burst of energy. Your self-esteem improves. You feel good about yourself. You have a wonderful sense of making measurable progress toward greater successful in your career. You feel like you are making a difference.

On the other hand, working on small tasks or low priority items simply causes you to feel more and more stress. Even if you finish a dozen or a hundred of these minor and irrelevant low value tasks, you get no feeling of enjoyment or accomplishment.

Action Exercises
Now, here are two ideas you can use immediately to concentrate single mindedly on the highest value use of your time.

First, analyze your work before you begin and then ask yourself, “What one thing, if I did it quickly and well, would have the greatest impact on my work?” Whatever it is, go to work on that one item immediately.

Second, once you have begun on a high value task, discipline yourself by repeating over and over, “Back to work, back to work, back to work!” This will keep you focused and on track until you finish the job.

Take a Turn at Tenacious

Take a Turn at Tenacious! By Chris Widener

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." -- Calvin Coolidge

I have worked with many successful people; people who have achieved the kinds of lives they have dreamed about. I have also worked with many people who are not anywhere near where they want to be in life. Many times those who are not successful resent those who are and believe that somehow success was handed to those who have achieved much.

What I have found however is that actually the reverse is true. Those who have achieved much have worked much HARDER than those who are not successful. You wouldn't believe the stories of struggle that I hear from those who now appear to on "top of the heap." Yes, they are successful, but no, it wasn't handed to them! And I find that most of the unsuccessful people who come to me actually haven't been tenacious at all. I find that with many of the people I speak to who complain about their lack of success simply haven't persevered and been tenacious. When I ask them questions I usually get excuses. Yes, there are exceptions on both sides, but I find this to be almost universally true.

If you are one who finds yourself dreaming of a better life, or looking at someone who "has it made," I would ask you to take a long, deep look inward and at your life to find whether or not you have actually been tenacious in pursuit of your dreams. How long have you gone for it? Many people who achieve much go for YEARS before they achieve what their hearts long for? How hard have you gone for it? Most people who achieve much have given up much. They have sacrificed much. They strive valiantly for what it is that resides deep in their dreams. They just plain ol' work hard!

So what are the principles of tenacity? What do you need to know in order to take your turn at the tenacious? Here are some thoughts to start your fire and get you going!

1. Sometimes you just have to outlast the others.

"Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go." -- William Feather

I have found that many people start on their dreams but most never finish. Then those who stop resent those who make it. The truth is that most people who become successful have simply mastered the art of keeping on keeping on! I myself can remember early on in my career when I would get discouraged and I literally said to myself, "One more week. Just give it one more week." Quite frankly, this is what got me through a couple of years of my work early on. I hung on as others let go.

It is easy to get disheartened. Ask those who have achieved success if they ever got disheartened and you will find some of the most amazing stories you have ever heard. Give it a try: Go to the most successful person you know and ask them if they ever thought about quitting. Ask them how they kept on going. You will be amazed at what you hear.

2. Sometimes you just have to hold on at the end.

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." -- Franklin Roosevelt

I wonder how many people have quit just as they would have begun their entrance into success? Sure there are many who quit at the first sign of hard work, but what about those who, after the tenth time of trial then give up, just as fate would have seen them go through one last hurdle and then into the promised land? How many people were on their last hurdle and decided not to jump? How many people had just one more mountain pass to go? Or just one more river to cross?

Of course we will never know, but certainly some of the people who quit are doing so on what would have been their last trial, right?

So what does this mean for you? For me it means I do not quit because I would hate to find out later that all I needed was just one last effort and I would have achieved my goal. What if it isn't my last trial? That's okay because as long as I keep going, eventually I will get to my last trial, I will overcome it, and I will enter the Winner's Circle.

3. Sometimes the most beautiful results come from dull things under pressure.

"Diamonds are nothing more than chunks of coal that stuck to their jobs." -- Malcolm Forbes

If coal wasn't an inanimate object it would certainly scream, "Stop! I want out!" But that coal, when facing incredible pressure, is turned into one of earth's most precious possessions. Ugly, dirty old coal is transformed into beautiful diamonds.

Instead of looking at pressure and trials as the reason to quit, get tenacious and see them as the very thing that will make your life the beautiful thing that you desire it to be. See it as your opportunity to learn, to grow, and to be transformed. See these trials as the very things that will enable you to have the life that dream of!

Trials will surely come. Life will get hard. You will want to quit.

Then you will have a choice: Will you give up? Or will you take your turn at tenacious. The choice you make will determine much of the rest of your life.

My advice? Take your turn at tenacious. You will become stronger and you will end up living the life you dream of!

Chris Widener

The Practice of Discipline

The Practice of Discipline
By: Brian Tracy

Discipline yourself to do what you know you need to do to be the very best in your field. Perhaps the best definition of self discipline is this: "Self discipline is the ability to make yourself do what you should do when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not."

It is easy to do something when you feel like it. It's when you don't feel like it and you force yourself to do it anyway that you move your life and career onto the fast track.

What decisions do you need to make today in order to start moving toward the top of your field? Whatever it is, either to get in or get out, make a decision today and then get started. This single act alone can change the whole direction of your life.

Seven Steps to Success
There is a powerful seven step formula that you can use to set and achieve your goals for the rest of your life. Every single successful person uses this formula or some variation of this formula to achieve vastly more than the average person. And so can you. Here it is:

Decide What You Want
Step number one, decide exactly what it is you want in each part of your life. Become a "meaningful specific" rather than a "wandering generality."

Write it Down
Second, write it down, clearly and in detail. Always think on paper. A goal that is not in writing is not a goal at all. It is merely a wish and it has no energy behind it.

Set A Deadline
Third, set a deadline for your goal. A deadline acts as a "forcing system" in your subconscious mind. It motivates you to do the things necessary to make your goal come true. If it is a big enough goal, set sub-deadlines as well. Don't leave this to chance.

Make A List
Fourth, make a list of everything that you can think of that you are going to have to do to achieve your goal. When you think of new tasks and activities, write them on your list until your list is complete.

Organize Your List
Fifth, organize your list into a plan. Decide what you will have to do first and what you will have to do second. Decide what is more important and what is less important. And then write out your plan on paper, the same way you would develop a blueprint to build your dream house.

Take Action
The sixth step is for you to take action on your plan. Do something. Do anything. But get busy. Get going.

Do Something Every Day
Do something every single day that moves you in the direction of your most important goal at the moment. Develop the discipline of doing something 365 days each year that is moving you forward. You will be absolutely astonished at how much you accomplish when you utilize this formula in your life every single day.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do to put these ideas into action immediately.

First, decide exactly what you want, write it down with a deadline, make a plan and take action - on at least one goal - today!

Second, determine the price you will have to pay to achieve this goal and then get busy paying that price - whatever it is.

The Forbidden Book of Getting What You Want

---------------------------------------------------

*** Book Excerpt: The Forbidden Book of Getting What You Want: Make the World Your Banquet Starting With a Simmering Broth of Ambition – By JK Ellis ***

---------------------------------------------------

* Becoming a Force of Nature

There are people who live their lives as if they were a force of nature. They seem to always get what they desire and be unaffected by the events around them. Around these people others make it a rule to follow them or get out of their way. These "forces of nature" can be violent and demanding, or seductive and compelling, or both. They often personify an energy. This energy may be specific or undefined in nature.

An example is the fictional Darth Vader who personifies an energy of sheer will.

A living example of this type of persona is Playboy magazine founder, Hugh Hefner, who is the personification of the power of hedonistic fulfillment and Eros.

Napoleon Bonaparte, Salvador Dali, Gambino crime boss John Gotti, and former president Bill Clinton are others to name a few. Not all of these "forces of nature" seek fame. Many aspire only to live their lives as they wish.

Have you ever met someone who lives life as if they are force of nature?

When you've taken the opportunity to speak with them, what you'll learn is that they can tell you exactly what they are going to accomplish. They will tell you this with a calm and unshakable sense of certainty. They may even seem as if they have already accomplished it or as if they have seen the future and have come back to tell you what will happen.

Because they have thought so thoroughly about what they want and how they want to live as they go after it, unforeseen events are rare and of little consequence.

The worst thing an unforeseen event might do is delay the inevitable attainment of their goal.

When the unforeseen occurs, they have a plan on how they will respond. That is the depth of their self-understanding.

Anyone who is within the presence of these rare people will feel both a soothing calmness and an unstoppable force emanating from their character.

Upon first evaluation, one might conclude that these living monoliths of achievement are motivated by endless ambition, but that would be inaccurate. Rather, they are moved by an unshakable sense of destiny.

While these people appear human in every way, they seem to move through the world more like a force of nature in and of themselves. Life is an adventure, and their goals and accomplishments are landmarks and milestones of their journey. They view success and failure with an unwavering detachment.

Their intent is so firm that all they know is their goal will be accomplished. Time is of no consequence to them because, like a god looking down from Mount Olympus, eventually all will transpire as they have laid it out and neither the winds, the waters, nor the wills of man can stop them.

They make their achievements seem easy and cause us to ask, "Why shouldn't I be able to do what they do?"

This is the life YOU could live; all you must do is choose it.

* Your Outward Appearance

This section is not about dressing for success because even an idiot can do that. This is about your presentation as a person and how you move and interact with those around you.

The first advice is simple: Move as if you have a purpose. Moving as if you have a purpose means moving as if you are not just pulled though space but also through time. You are being pulled in the direction of your goals.

This is important for two reasons. The first is you do have a purpose, and even though you may never discuss it outwardly, it is through your purposeful actions and movements that others will take note and either assist you or move out of your way.

The second reason is more subtle and internal. When you move as if you have a purpose, you are intentionally affecting your physiology. Any actor trained in "method acting" will tell you that if you do enough outward expressions of an emotional state, you will begin to feel that emotional state take hold of you.

Moving with a purpose will strengthen every aspect of your purpose.

During the early part of the last century, a young reporter was instructed to visit Mohandas Gandhi at a hospice for the dying in India and ask to observe Gandhi as he went about his daily routine. What he observed seemed unapparent at first but quickly became obvious. Gandhi moved as if he was being pulled by some greater force. That force was his sense of purpose.

* Create a Mythology

One way to strengthen your sense of purpose is to create a mythology that describes your life and then live to fulfill it.

Many people have created their personal mythology from thin air and have often been revealed as frauds. To avoid this, remember that almost every good hero of mythical greatness begins with a humble origin. This holds true in the stories from the biblical Moses to the fictional Luke Skywalker. Start your mythology where you are at and build on it. By asking yourself, "What would the very best me do?" you can direct your course with acts that seem as though you are pulled in the direction of your greater purpose.

* Your Internal State Of Mind

There is a constant force that is created when we have a goal and make a plan to go after it. The force is that not everything will go our way, the difference between what we plan and what actually occurs. This is often referred to as "Friction." This Friction is a constant component of life; we plan one thing grandiose, and some unforeseen event stalls our progress.

Friction is not an enemy but a natural element which, like the weather, we can sometimes predict but seldom control. Fighting the friction of life is as futile as fighting a hurricane, so instead, let it become your teacher as you become it's most dutiful student.

What it teaches is the endless value of flexibility and being able to adapt to changing situations. There will always be friction; therefore, there will always be lessons to learn.

Friction cannot be pleaded with or manipulated. Friction is as cold and uncaring as the winter sea, but it can be a teacher as wise as Aristotle.

To become a Force of Nature, you must abandon whatever doubt you have, whether or not we each deserve to have what we deeply want. What is proposed is that you should get what you want -- if you know in precise detail what you want, if you know in precise detail the steps to getting it, if you are absolutely willing to do each step, and if you are flexible enough to embrace and adapt to the friction of life.

About the Author:

JK Ellis is a writer and occasional public speaker. He writes on the topic of mind control and has published two book on the subject: "Perfected Mind Control - The Unauthorized Black Book of Hypnotic Mind Control" and "Mind Control 101 - How To Influence the Thoughts and Actions of Others Without Them Knowing or Caring." Because of the controversial nature of his work, he seeks to maintain his anonymity and make very rare public appearances.