In normal conversations when we use the word “balance,” we tend to think of balance being an even distribution. And in many cases, this is correct.
But when it comes to your life or your business or career, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.
I want you to say this phrase out loud: “Balance means equal attention given to both or to all…” Then I want you to say it again and REMOVE the word “equal” because having equal attention in ALL things cannot and DOES NOT work in anyone’s life… including yours.
So if balance doesn’t work in equal proportions, then how does it work?
Well, last week in our lesson we talked a lot about the 80/20 rule or the Pareto principle. It says 20% of your activities will create 80% of your results. Which means that 80% of what you do is wasted as far as the results you want are concerned. Watch this video to learn more about it.
So what do you do?
The first thing you must do is prioritize. You have to say, “What do I do that is productive, makes money and gives me joy?” The reality is most of our time is usually spent on frivolous, crappy stuff that doesn’t create real results.
Sometimes if I’m not careful, I can be on my emails for four hours because I’m curious and think, “What does this financial letter say? What does this other guy say? What’s all of that about? What does he want over here?” I then catch myself and notice four hours have gone by when I could have finished the emails I needed to do in 20 minutes.
That’s life. You have to discipline yourself to be productive.
So how do you do this effectively? I want you to think about dividing a piece of paper into two sides, a left side and a right side.
Most of our students are involved in business, work, career, or something where money or business is involved, so we’re going to put money/business on the left-hand side of the paper. On the right side, we’re going to put the rest of life. You might be thinking that that’s unbalanced, but it’s not.
Let’s take the money and business side. I’m going to give you a big secret right now that not too many people know. I call it “The Big Kahuna.” The big kahuna means the “big thing.”
“The Big Kahuna” Creates Greatness In Your Life
In your money and your business, what is the one big thing you can do that will have the most impactful effect and will create the biggest results?
It’s the ONE thing — not the ten things, five things, four, three or two things.
What is the ONE thing that you could do that would have the biggest effect on your money and your business or your career?
For my situation, since I’ve been fortunate enough to do enormously well on my book, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, that book brought me a lot of clients and business from all over the world. The book has sold over 2 million copies now in 43 languages.
So “The Big Kahuna” for me that would have the greatest impact would be writing another best-selling book, and that would be huge compared to everything else that I do on a day-to-day basis.
How much time would I spend on that?
50% percent of all of my business time would go into my Big Kahuna.
This may come as a shock to some of you reading this right now. But let me ask you this…
Do you want greatness or do you want mediocrity?
Do you want wealth or do you want to earn a living? If you want wealth, you have to work on the Big Kahuna and make it happen.
That’s what will create greatness in your life.
For the right side of the paper (the rest of your life), how long in a relationship does it take to have dinner with your family and have a nice sit-down dinner? It takes an hour a day. How long does it take to read a book to your kids and spend quality time with them? It can take an hour or less. How long does it take to work out? It takes half of an hour to an hour. You DO have time for everything else and that’s the bottom line.
Okay what’s an example of a big kahuna for someone else who is in business?
I can tell you right now that 99% of every business problem lies in marketing and sales.
If you are a great marketer, chances are you’ll make great money. If you’re a lousy marketer, chances are you’ll make lousy money.
I can tell you with absolute certainty that the most essential skill I have is the skill of marketing, and 99% of the time, that’s my big kahuna.
In my experience most people who are underachieving are not spending enough time on marketing. The reason is because they either don’t like it (very common) or they don’t know exactly what to do to make it work.
Which is why we created our web class, The 500 Million Dollar Secret, to teach you exactly how to become a master at marketing…
… To show you what common mistakes most people make and how you can avoid them.
… And to give you an opportunity to know exactly what I do in my own business to predict success.
Click here to reserve your seat.
If marketing is not your big kahuna, then what is? How do you divide up your time to create success in your life and your business or career? Leave a comment below and share your story with us!
For Your Freedom,
When it comes to wealth and success, there are only a few rules and principles that you need to follow consistently in order to succeed.
However, if you don’t get good guidance and end up taking incorrect actions, you’ll find yourself struggling to reach the level of wealth and success that you desire.
So T. Harv Eker wanted to do something special for you and share his best tips that he’s learned over the course of 30+ years in business, bringing in over 500 million dollars in revenue.
Watch the video below to learn T. Harv Eker's top 10 tips for wealth and success. They worked for him and if you follow them closely, they can work for you too.
Enjoy!
1. Take Ownership Of Your Life — You Create Your Success, Mediocrity or Financial Failure
So many of us spend our lives waiting for our “big break.” We think that if we just put our heads down, work hard, and do the right things, eventually someone will hand over the keys to our success.
If you want to create real success in your life, you need to believe that you are the one creating your own life. And on the flip side, that you are the one who creates any mediocrity or financial struggle.
It may sound harsh — but if you look at it the right way, it’s actually empowering. Because if you’re the one responsible for your own failure…
Then you’re also capable of changing your life for the better.
This is how wealthy people see the world, and it’s one of the reasons for their success. Most middle class and broke people see things very differently Instead of consciously creating their lives — they see life as something that “happens” to them, instead of “for” them.
So before you try to do anything else, it’s time to take control.
When you believe that you can create the life that you desire, rather than waiting for good things to happen to you, you’ll be putting yourself on the fast track to wealth and success.
2. If You Want To Change The Fruits, First Change The Roots
This may not make a lot of sense at first, but picture a tree in an orchard. Any kind of fruit will do. This tree you’re imagining represents your life.
In life, all of our actions will eventually have some kind of result – in other words, your tree will someday bear fruit. But what kind of fruit? Will it be juicy, crispy, and sweet? Or will the fruits of your labor be disappointing and bitter?
Most of us would like the juicy, sweet fruit – the successful results. So, if you want a tree to produce more and better fruit, what do you do?
You go back to the roots.
You can’t change the fruit that’s already been produced, but you can make tomorrow’s fruit sweeter. You nurture the parts hidden under the ground, knowing that eventually your efforts will affect the entire system of the plant.
Life is the same way. If you aren’t getting the results you want, it’s important to make sure you’re focusing on the real problem, not the end result. Focus on the invisible in order to change the visible.
3. Be Willing To Be Uncomfortable
The truth is, most people have trouble stepping outside their comfort zone. When we hit a roadblock or an obstacle, we assume that we’re doing something wrong.
But nothing could be further from the truth.
Instead of retreating back to old, familiar territory, try taking a different approach:
If you’re feeling uncomfortable, challenged, or discouraged – that means you’re growing.
Even if it doesn’t feel like you’re making progress, the fact that you’re moving outside your comfort zone means you’re moving forward.
Many of us envision success as a straight line, a road from point ‘a’ to point ‘b’. But in reality, the road to success is filled with unexpected twists and turns. Being able to accept and adapt to them is one of the major factors in actually achieving any big goal in life.
So the next time you feel lost, or confused, or just a little out of your depth, remember: it’s actually a good thing to try things that make you uncomfortable.
4. What You Focus On Expands
Have you ever met the kind of person who can’t seem to stop complaining about everything that’s wrong with their life?
You probably have. Did that person seem happy — or did they seem absolutely miserable?
It’s an unconscious trap we all fall into sometimes, but it’s a habit you must break if you want to reach your goals in life. And here’s why:
When you are complaining or negative, what are you focusing on — what’s right in your life or what’s wrong in your life?
What’s wrong in your life.
So if what you focuses on expands then what are you going to get more of in your life?
What’s wrong in your life.
So instead of looking for reasons why everything is wrong, commit to looking at what’s right.
By really focusing on your goals in a new and more dedicated way, you’ll find new roads opening up that you never would have noticed before.
5. Your Word Must Become Law
It’s time to be honest, and the answer to this question may make you cringe. But how often do you start projects and never finish them?
So often, we hear from people who start new programs, who set goals for themselves, and then never follow through.
Finishing what you start is more important than you might think, and it comes down to one word: integrity.
And that doesn’t just mean in terms of being honest with yourself (although that’s important).
It also means being whole and complete as a person.
When you don’t keep your word to yourself, it feels bad. When you don’t complete what you set out to do, it can shake your confidence and make you feel like there’s no real path to your goals.
It’s easy to get stuck in a loop of bad habits and turn this into a self-reinforcing cycle if you’re not careful.
On the other hand, when you do whatever it takes to keep your word to yourself, that confidence will spill over into every area of your life.
It’s a simple matter of self-discipline. It will take some practice and hard work, but in the end, it’s the only way to reach the goals you set for yourself. This is one of the major ways you can own your life and take control of your own success.
6. Be A Great Money Manager
Do you have a system for managing your money?
If you aren’t making as much as you’d like yet, it may seem easy to write the idea off. To tell yourself you’ll think about it later when you have extra money to budget.
But if you don’t take control of managing your income now, what will you do when you achieve the success you want?
If you have a poor habit of managing your money then there is a good chance you’ll still have a bad habit no matter how rich and successful you get.
The answer is to first build the habit no matter how much money you earn because money management is one of the biggest differences between rich people and most middle class and broke people.
7. Stop Focusing On The Money, Focus On Solving Problems
A big problem I see with struggling business owners, entrepreneurs, professionals and people transitioning from a job to owning their own business is that they are fixated only on themselves.
Do I know enough? Will it work? Will I make enough money? Will they like me? And it goes on and on.
However, this is the wrong approach. Stop focusing on yourself and start focusing on others.
Making money isn’t complicated. People will pay for something that solves a problem for them. It’s that simple.
So you need to shift your focus to being what Harv calls a “problem solver.”
How can you best help people?
Money is a result of helping others and providing value to their life.
Think about your life right now. What are you paying for that is helping you solve problems in your life?
To get rich you need to help a lot of people solve a problem, that’s the key to success.
8. Model Rich And Successful People
How many of us grew up with millionaires in our lives we could use as role models for success? Not too many, right?
The sad fact is that most of us just haven’t seen what it takes to be rich and successful in life. We can’t go to mom and dad and ask them for advice on how to become a millionaire because most of our parents aren’t millionaires… so how would they know?
Instead, it’s imperative to find people who are rich and successful – and study them to learn how they got there.
You don’t have to meet these role models face-to-face to use this strategy.
You just need to do your homework. Read their books and watch interviews they’ve done. Find out what you can about their past through biographies and news stories. Learn what their lives were like when they were at the same point in their journey that you are now.
And then… do what they did. Model their approach.
9. Have No limits On Your Income
If you have a job, you have a limit on your income. You automatically have a ceiling on what you can earn.
If you want to get rich, you must get rid of all limits on your income.
In most cases that means starting a business.
However, a big mistake people make is when they start a business, they are the business. They are the ones who are solely responsible for the business succeeding or failing. Most small businesses and professionals are setup in a way that gives the owner such a vital role that without them present, the business is unable to function.
That kind of setup is a mistake. And that’s the reason why so many small businesses remain small or unfortunately fail.
To be truly successful, your business needs to be able to run without you having a hand in every little thing. If you can step back and allow the systems you develop to run your business for you, even better!
Once you step back and allow your business to run without you, there are no limits to the income you can earn.
Think about it – most jobs are based on an hourly rate, a salary, or a commission. That means you can only earn as much as you’re able to work.
But when you step back and let your systems do the work for you, suddenly the number of hours in the day will no longer hold you back.
10. Never Stop Learning — If You're Not Learning, You're Automatically Dying
Finally, don’t make the mistake of thinking that once you’ve achieved a goal, you know everything there is to know! The most successful people in the world are committed to continuing to learn and grow.
Set aside time in your life (and money in your budget) to invest in programs that will teach you something new each day. You’ve probably heard the saying that “knowledge is power” – take it to heart!
So, now that you’ve read Harv’s top tips for wealth and success, what comes next?
Well, that depends… are you ready to learn some more advanced strategies and principles that will make you rich.
If so, then we want to invite you to join us for Harv’s 500 Million Dollar Secret FREE web class to learn how you can take control of your life, create extreme wealth for yourself, and reach the level success you’ve always dreamed of.
Go ahead and click here to register for a class time that works for you.
Hope to see you there!
Getting rich and becoming financially free is a dream, but sadly not a reality for the majority of people.
If you don’t follow the right formula to study, learn and model the right people, you could be struggling financially your entire life.
However, with the right tools, knowledge, attitude, and unwavering amount of “whatever it takes” action, getting rich and becoming financially free are a lot closer than you may think.
The infographic below is a collection of some of my favorite “millionaire mindset” principles and sayings that will challenge the way you think about money, wealth, and success, so you can create the life you’ve always wanted.
Unnecessarily, 95% of people never reach financial freedom… I’m going to show you exactly how you can beat the odds with some simple principles to make powerful shifts in your mindset.
Read the infographic or download it as a PDF below to fastrack your financial freedom.
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Want to discover exactly how T. Harv Eker and others trained by him became financially free, and how you can become free too?
Then watch the encore of T. Harv Eker’s free signature web class, The Fastrack To Freedom: 8 Critical Elements To Becoming Financially Free Quickly
Click here to reserve your seat now and pick a time that works best for you!
Now tell us what you think. What other principles, quotes, or sayings challenge the way you think about money, success, and wealth? What quotes or sayings inspire you to live a life of true financial freedom?
For Your Freedom,
Whether it’s climbing Mt. Everest or any other challenging mountain it’s not safe to scale it alone.
The potential for danger is high; and like most journeys in life, having someone with you who’s been there before and who has your back — to guide you, encourage you to climb higher, and to warn you of any roadblocks or dangers — is critical to your success.
Guides make all mountaintops attainable. And the same goes for success and building wealth.
Having guides, coaches, or teachers to help you climb that mountain of financial freedom is one of the most important principles to guarantee your life success.
Learn And Model From Others Who Have Succeeded Before You
What does “model” mean?
It means to emulate or follow someone else’s method.
If you were to climb Mt. Everest, would you try finding your own way up the whole mountain on your own? Or would you maybe get an experienced guide to show you the way and lead you up the mountain?
I think you’d get a guide, yes? Why? Because otherwise you’d be dead.
It’s really simple. It’s no different when it comes to success in any field of endeavor. Why on earth would you try to figure everything out on your own when you can learn from others who have succeeded before you?
That is one of the best things about the network marketing industry, for example.
In what other business would other people who sell the same product as you, actually do whatever they can to help you? It would never happen. People selling the same stuff as you would usually never help you.
Yet there are tons of people in the network marketing industry earning $20,000, $50,000, $100,000 or more per month.
Why isn’t everybody earning that kind of money in other industries?
It’s simple. They’re not willing to learn and follow the method to earn that kind of money, to be rich and financially free.
Why? Because they have to do it their way.
I’m not saying copy every blink the person who teaches you makes. But when climbing Mt. Everest, the difference between stepping directly in your sherpa’s footprint and 12 inches outside of it could be the difference between life and death.
I want to remind you of something I tell all of my students:
Your way has gotten you exactly where you are. I’m not saying that that’s bad, but it may not be all that fantastic either.
If you want something different, you’re going to need a new and different way. Your way doesn’t work like that.
You have to be willing to follow your teacher’s guidance to the letter and do it exactly the way that they tell you to do so.
You do that for a certain amount of time, then you can do it your way.
How much time do you try it their way? It’s simple. Until you’re rich! When you’re rich, then do it your own way. Until then, you do it the way of the person who is successful ahead of you.
Don’t be a smarty pants and say, “I know better. It’s my life, this works better.”
Well… I’ll say it again: Your way has gotten you exactly where you are. Are you happy with that?
Now I want to share with you one more bonus principle that radically changed my life and I believe it will do the same for you.
Rich And Financially Free People Admire Other Rich And Financially Free People
I want to share with you a philosophy that changed my life.
It comes from Huna, an ancient Hawaiian philosophy of life:
“Bless that which you want.”
If you see a beautiful car, bless that car and the owner of that car…
If you see a beautiful house, bless that house and the person who owns the house…
If you see somebody with a wonderful, amazing business, bless that business and that person…
Why? Because anything that you negate, you can never have.
It doesn’t mean don’t be uncritical of the principles of the rich and successful folks you admire, but even then, there’s no room for jealousy.
The more you can learn to admire their achievements, the more you will spiritually be open to learning how they did it.
So when you find a teacher, a coach, or a person in a field of area doing really well that you relate to…
- Learn and model from them
- Admire them
- Follow their lead and don’t veer from it until you’ve made it to the top!
Want to discover exactly how T. Harv Eker and others trained by him became financially free, and how you can become free too?
Then watch the encore of T. Harv Eker’s free signature web class, The Fastrack To Freedom: 8 Critical Elements To Becoming Financially Free Quickly
Click here to reserve your seat now and pick a time that works best for you!
Now, tell us what you think. Who were the teachers or mentors in your life that changed your life? What were some of the most important lessons you learned from them? Share your insights. We want to hear from you!
For Your Freedom,
Think back to a time in your past—five, 10, 15, or even 20 years ago. Maybe you envisioned a happy future making more money, having more fun, a family of your own, or living in a bigger place than you did previously.
Few things turn out perfectly, but chances are that at least one area of your life saw some growth and improvement. The standards of a 30 or 40-something-year-old adult are going to be necessarily different than those of a late teenager. In that sense, most of us have undergone economic, personal, and career upgrades, even if you might be disappointed with the outcome thus far.
All life on this planet goes through seasons. We’ll experience spring-like blooms, the reaping of summer, the preparations of fall, and the chill and severity that winter brings. These cycles affect us individually and globally. Overall, the world is experiencing something akin to a severe economic winter.
However, if we can remember that we’ve all experienced times of growth and improvement in our individual lives after a period of lack and want, we can re-adjust back to a mindset that focuses on a future we can look forward to again. That starts with accepting and embracing the now.
By far, the toughest cycle we’ll experience are our “winter times,” whether it’s cold outside or not. Even the grasshopper needs to be told by the Ant to prepare for winter, so the old story goes. The other seasons are easier if not more enjoyable.
As tough as things can seem during harsh times, winter provides opportunity to recover and start planning for the next spring ahead—the same kind of spring that gave us relief before and will bring us relief again.
You can do this by defining what you want to create. Be specific. Sometimes luck helps, but there’s no way to get what you want until you’ve defined what that is, and, just as important, why you want it. Your motivations will steer you through any winter storm.
Also, taking inventory. List those attributes that enhance the quality of your life right here and now—family, friends, the network of colleagues who might help you take that next step; resources that are helping you economically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. You might be surprised at just how many resources are at your disposal.
Lastly, be grateful. For every “negative” thing that may be happening to you, someone else is undergoing more pressing challenges. Gratitude has a way of dispelling fear, anxiety, and a self-defeating attitude. You can’t focus on what you don’t have when you’re grateful for what you do have. How we progress through the seasons isn’t based on what we don’t have, or what we might’ve done or not done in the past. It’s about how we use what we do have now, sowing seeds of growth that we can reap later.
Winters can seem to go on forever, but they don’t. Somewhere, right now, someone is enjoying summer. That’s as true for the world as it is in our individual lives. When in winter, use this time to re-focus, heal, enjoy your blessings, and start planning your next spring now.
Give us your thoughts on life’s “seasons,” whether they apply to your personal or professional lives. Where are you in your life’s cycle? How do you navigate your seasons? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Each and every one of your comments is meaningful and valuable.
Happy Holidays!
For Your Freedom,
Think back to those times in your life that proved to be pivotal moments in your growth as a person. Maybe it had to do with your finances, or your spirituality, or something you were trying to accomplish or overcome.
How did you learn how to get to where you wanted to be? Where did you learn what you needed to know? Who did you learn from, or was it all trial and error?
Lots of people start down their path toward whatever success means to them, not having any clue as to how tough that road can be. If they did have a clue in the beginning, a good number would say, “No thanks, I’ll stay ‘comfortable’ over here.” It’s almost like telling the universe you don’t want any good luck—those unexpected things that you hear about happening to other people that changes their lives in ways they couldn’t have imagined. Chance favors the prepared and courageous mind—those who are unafraid to take risks.
The outcomes of those risks partly reflect the knowledge that went into those decisions and actions, and that too reflects where that knowledge came from. When it comes down to it, few who have reached extraordinary levels of success in a given area did so because they learned everything they needed to learn on their own. Even the Buddha followed several mentors before moving beyond them to reach Nirvana.
I believe that life is always giving us turning points big and small—opportunities to change how we see things, change how we go about reaching our goals—especially when the way we’ve been going about it isn’t getting us any closer to the objective. It can be something as simple as the friend who casually mentions the name of an author who they think would be of value to you at that time in your life—or it could be the direct advice of a trusted someone when you have an important decision to make.
So take note when a good friend drops an observation about a question or issue you’re considering. There’s that little voice sometimes in the back of our head that might discredit what others see about ourselves or our situations that we’re not seeing.
You might think you don’t need to hear it, but we all know about our own thoughts sometimes, yes? They’re not always supportive. Just because you think, “I have this under control—I don’t need to hear anybody else’s perspective” does not make it true. It’s quite often the opposite.
So it’s up to you to choose a perspective of where you are today, not where you were yesterday. You don’t know where you are today until you show up. Come from the present moment, be in the present moment, and then choose to see how you can utilize the guidance that I believe life is giving us all the time. Ask the universe for guidance, and you will receive it. You never know which “today” could provide your life’s next turning point.
What do you think? How have seemingly inconsequential encounters changed your life, or your perspective? For better or worse? Was the presence of a mentor involved? What did you learn from this? Share your thoughts and opinions with our community, you never know whose life you may be changing!
For Your Freedom,
Many of you know I embrace Buddhist wisdom as part of spiritual knowledge and growth. These kinds of things are choices we make for ourselves hopefully because we find this knowledge relevant and helpful to our lives. Many spiritual philosophies share similar teachings that could be just as true for people from completely different cultures.
That’s the beauty of the Oneness that most of them point toward, whatever different words one wants to use to describe it. We’re all together, all energy; all one thing. We just think we’re separate.
If we’re going to strive for spiritual growth, we have to be willing to put concepts into practice in our everyday lives, in all relationships with all people. You can’t separate your “spiritual life” from your “work life.” They’re both your life!
In the same vein, you can’t separate money and happiness. You can try, but you won’t live a very happy life.
How you’re going to make your money has to reflect your spiritual truth as if you were attending a spiritual ceremony. The physical, material world is simply a printout of what’s going on inside us. To think any different is to fall into the illusion of separation.
So before you find the right job, business, or relationship, you have to find the right you! It’s about matching what you do with who you are. Then you get the right knowledge and the right way for you to become more prosperous and happier.
I realize there are some people who disagree with spiritual concepts, or maybe are just uncomfortable with the topic. That’s okay. We don’t have to go deep or New Agey with this. Finding the Right You is as simple as this: JOY. What are those things you do that give you absolute joy?
Joy is a clue from the heart, not to be confused with pleasure. When you evoke the feeling of joy, you are tapping into your higher nature, your truest self, and the source of your full power, your full creativity, your full wisdom. Then you’re generating passion.
Passion creates energy, and energy creates enthusiasm. It’s very contagious. When you are passionate about what you do, it comes through! Will people want what you’ve got? Yes and yes! Mostly because of the energy transfer, that’s it!
The most important thing about your business, whatever vehicle is appropriate for you, is you have to frickin’ believe in it to where you would shout it from the top of the roof to everybody, every minute of every day! If you can’t do that, you don’t believe in what you do enough—and ultimately, you don’t believe in yourself. You’re not being your “Right You”.
When you find something that you really believe in and get it into your subconscious, the obstacles that block you seem more like minor interruptions compared to the passion of operating from your true Self.
Unless you are passionate about what you do, it is very difficult for you to be successful or happy. Right livelihood comes down to finding work that matches who you are.
Tell us your experiences with finding your “Right You.” Have you truly found your “Right You” yet in your life? What was the turning point that made you realize you weren’t being the real you? What was the transformation like? Share your thoughts and comments with our community, your feedback is very valuable!
For Your Freedom,
Whatever's coming at us in life – is it happening because we somehow deserve it? Did we ask for it?
Sometimes it’s our blueprints that limit what the Universe brings into our lives. People unconsciously punish themselves over something that happened a long time ago but they haven’t forgiven themselves. Or they feel guilty about actually getting what they want. Sometimes there’s a part of us that feels like we don’t deserve more.
Other times, things happen out of nowhere; extreme challenges hit us out of the blue, and if we’re honest with ourselves, there’s a part of us that will ask, however briefly, “What did I do to deserve this?”
How we think about what we get in life—the meanings we attach to events and circumstances—will impact the quality of our lives. So it doesn’t pay to give too much credit to the Universe when things go right, nor too much blame when things go wrong and we don’t get what we want.
Success starts with us and our attitudes—and we’re grateful when the Universe gives us a nudge in the right direction.
We have the power to ask for and get what we want. People who are successful at it are considered “smooth-talkers,” with just a hint of resentment behind that tag, as if they’re just lucky to be born with the gift of gab.
There does seem to be some people that are better at it than others, but the power of persuasion is a learnable skill. If a kid in a marketplace can do it, for heaven’s sake so can you!
Most people, though, either go into a negotiation assuming that they’re going to get raked, and either don’t bother trying to negotiate out of fear or talk themselves out of getting the deal they want by not believing they can get it or deserve it.
That’s actually a big thing for a lot of people—the belief that getting what they want must mean that they’re taking something away from someone else. Of course that’s not true—the best negations are win-win scenarios.
In business and in life, ask for what you want! What’s the worst that could happen? The other person says no? So what if they do? People are so afraid of receiving “no” into their lives they don’t even try.
The best negotiating tool is the truth. Let the other person know how you’re feeling. The idea of good negotiations is to work together so you both get what you want and you both feel good and you feel the deal is fair.
When you ask someone, “What do you want?” they’ll usually tell you what they want. When you ask, “What do you think is fair?” they’ll usually tell you what they think is fair and balance your part of the equation.
Don’t get attached to the whole thing, and it’s actually a lot of fun. There’s a feeling of success that builds confidence once you become good at it, but there’s also a sense of fulfillment when you actually get what you deserve.
And as the saying goes, you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you can negotiate. Let the Universe sort the rest out for you.
Tell us your experiences with stepping outside your comfort zone to get what you want. Was it a business experience? A personal experience? We want to hear from you!
After the initial enthusiasm over new years resolutions for 2013 dwindles, keeping motivated, committed and moving toward accomplishing those goals is often tough. For many of us, our resolutions slowly vanish from our daily thoughts and actions and we wind up creating those same EXACT resolutions the following year.
So what’s the secret formula to staying on track with your new years resolutions?
Taking ACTION and staying CONSISTENT! To hell if conditions aren’t perfect, or if this circumstance isn’t quite ideal or that person isn’t following through the way they said they would. We’ve got to take all these principles learned throughout the years and put them into action.
This can become another one of those “Duh, Harv” moments. “Of course you have to take action and stay consistent.” But are these two principles that most people follow and really live by?
That’s exactly where a lot of people get stuck and give up on their goals, even those with greater awareness and knowledge. You know you want to work out, need to get into better shape for the sake of generating more energy to work your mission. But what step is often the hardest to take? It’s not the goal you set nor the resolution you create for yourself. It’s the first step that's the hardest!
Sometimes getting the ball rolling can feel like pushing a boulder uphill, metaphorically speaking. You need to build the next muscle and final spiritual muscle that separates the successful from those still waiting at the gate: momentum.
Momentum is that force that makes it easier for someone who’s successful to do what’s right than to do what’s wrong. Momentum is that process of getting that snowball moving. The hardest part about working out is getting to the gym. Once you get there, it’s not that hard to do.
When you’re in motion, that’s when things begin to line up, not before (that goes for you perfectionist!). A body in motion will remain in motion and a body at rest will remain at rest. What do we want to do? Get into motion! Once you’re there, it gets easier. We already know that. Now we need to just do it.
What in your life do you need to get started and adjust as you go? What have you been waiting for? What’s the fear? Is that true or did you just make it up?
For 2013, I challenge you to set smaller, incremental goals for yourself to gain momentum, and then adjust those goals as you go. Don’t forget to celebrate EVERY goal accomplished, no matter how small.
Now we want to hear from you! What changes will you make in 2013 to get the ball rolling and really gain some momentum for the best year of your life? Share your plans in the comments below and let our online community support you and give you ideas to move you in the right direction!
Happy New Year!
It’s one of the most basic questions ever: What do you and 99% of the population want most?
Most people will say “More money.” Specifically, we want to be rich. Who wouldn’t? If you’re rich, you really don’t have much to worry about, except maybe what to do with all that money, or maybe what to do with that “distant cousin” you never knew, who all of a sudden shows up when they find out you’ve got some money. Still, that’s a problem most people will gladly accept.
More money means material comforts, and doing what you want when you want without having to answer to anybody. No bosses, no deadlines, no evaluations—being in charge of your own life. Since this is so apparent … why are we even talking about it?
Because sometimes, the obvious is so obvious that we miss the bigger picture. When we talk about wanting to be rich, what are we really talking about; money, or freedom?
There’s a pretty big difference between the two, no? Does having more money absolutely mean having more freedom, or security, or even peace of mind? Not necessarily. Being rich certainly provides material convenience, but you and I know there are plenty of rich people out there who are completely miserable. Sometimes they miss the whole point of being rich—i.e. freedom and happiness. Instead, they work even more than some middle class people, who struggle just as hard, because some rich folks think they have to work harder in order to stay rich and “free.” Can you believe that?!
So in the end, what are we really after? What do we really want?
What we’re really seeking is a feeling that we associate with being rich. The house we want can give us a sense of comfort. The car we want can heighten a feeling of importance. Travel and toys can bring excitement and stave off boredom. But you don’t have to wait to be rich in order to have these things or experience the feelings of freedom and happiness.
The goal isn’t to get rich in order to be free. Let’s turn that around! Get freedom first, and then being rich becomes icing on the cake.
How do we get free now? Financially speaking, you do this by creating passive income vehicles—some to build, some to buy—letting those streams gather momentum over a few years, reaping the rewards, then doing more of this with other passive income structures. This way, you get the material wealth that gives you tangible freedom from having to worry about working—one of the basic goals of our desire to be rich—and if you really know what it is you really want, you get the happiness part of it as well.
Freedom is only as good as the results of your true intentions. In other words, keep the endgame in mind. We’re not getting rich to be free. We want to be free and then enjoy the benefits of being rich. This is not something we have to wait for to arrive in the future. There’s no freedom in waiting. Freedom starts now.
