18
2016How to Avoid the “Plan A or Nothing” Mentality
Perfectionism is the great killer of the good. Successful people learn to roll with the punches. People who insist on things going their way in every case (Plan A) will be continually frustrated and feel like failures. If Plan A equals happiness, you will be unhappy about 90 percent of the time, and frightened of becoming unhappy the other 10 percent. Learning to embrace change…
22
20163 Killer Secrets of the Truly Successful Person
It’s human nature to desire success without effort. But unless you have a big inheritance (or, a mask and a gun), that probably won’t happen. The ancient biblical proverb says, “The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.” Following are three ideas you may find helpful: 1) The most successful people put out the most effort. While the…
15
2016What I Learned From the Beach Boys
I still remember a conversation with Al Jardine of the Beach Boys. By this time, the Beach Boys had been in the entertainment business for decades. The group had produced scores of hit records and sold-out concerts. If any group in America had the right to rest on its laurels, it would be these guys. Yet, I remember how introspectively Al answered my question when…
9
2016Successful People Are Mentally Ambidextrous
“Great, so, what does that mean?” you ask. Do you remember that kid in grade school who could write equally well with either her right or left hand? She was said to be ambidextrous. In a similar way, most successful people learn to work from both their right and left-brains. We’re told that there are two groups of people: right-brained thinkers (those who are primarily artistic,…
6
2016Successful People Focus On Their Strengths More Than Their Weaknesses
At first blush, this sounds like a no-brainer. However, most people do not follow this fundamental principle. Studies show that more than 85 percent of people believe the key to success is based on fixing their weaknesses. While fixing problems is important, no person or organization will fully succeed until it learns to maximize its strengths. This isn’t news for most major corporations. Corporate types…
5
2016An Important Key to Success…
The key is not to wait for the right mood, the perfect opportunity, or the most desirable circumstance. The key is to start doing the right thing right now. Don’t do the right thing because you get stroked, get the raise, or get it reported in the news. Do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.
5
2016There’s Always Only One Best Way to Do Anything.
Jack Welch, retired General Electric CEO, says, “If you don’t have a competitive advantage, don’t compete.” There may be five, ten, or even fifty different ways to accomplish a task. But there is always only one best way to do anything. Successful people are those people who find the best way to do something, then repeat that process over and over and over again. In…