Living An Exceptional Life by Jim Rohn (Video)

5 Unlikely Motivators for Entrepreneurial Success

None of these entrepreneurs' stories started out well. And that's exactly what drove them to exceed all expectations.

Where does success in business really come from?

Many successful entrepreneurs I know seem to be the product of a good education and favorable circumstances.

Others have tenacity, drive, or passion. Or all three.

But some people find success because they're deeply motivated by something else. The people in the stories below certainly have tenacity, drive, and passion, but their real motivation came from unlikely situations. In fact, many others would have failed--and have--when handed the obstacles these people experienced.

Rather than getting bogged down, these five people used negative and sometimes traumatic situations as motivation to succeed in business.

Illness

Marten deVlieger was found at an early age to have cystic fibrosis, a degenerative and incurable disease that affects the entire body, but especially the lungs. "Life with cystic fibrosis is a constant challenge," deVlieger said. "Most of us have been told since birth that we won't live past the age of 2, 10, 21... and yet we hear of those rare ones living past the now average CF life expectancy of 42 and think, That could be me." 

For that to be him, though, deVlieger knew he would need technology and remedies greater than those available at the time to help him cope. He told me of his mother's staying home to rub and thump his back for hours each day, to combat the fluid buildup inherent to CF.

DeVlieger dreamed of independence, though. He wanted to fly a helicopter and so, as a teen, began combing through a local garbage dump in search of scrap metal and parts he would use to construct a crude, heavy chest device to mirror the traditional technique of loosening mucus in CF patients. His first iteration was too bulky and left him covered in bruises. However, the ChestMaster5000 had been born.

Over the next several years, deVlieger persevered and worked out his design flaws. He sought advisory and PR support, a huge step that helped him earn funding, and media coverage was critical. Also, he realized he needed to master scale; deVlieger took the device to a contract manufacturing firm that specialized in medical devices, which helped get the device where it needed to be, from a technical and regulatory standpoint.

DeVlieger's invention has been featured on the front page in the Globe and Mail, at MedGadget and QMed, in the U.K.'s Daily Mail, and in assorted national broadcast news features. France2 produced a documentary about his device.

"There is no choice but to persevere, against the odds, and accept that hardships and fear will be constant companions, yet every single day deeply appreciating that you have been given another day to fight the fight, and enjoying (almost) every minute of it. Isn't that what entrepreneurship is all about?"

Disrespect

Dan Nainan wasn't a popular child--in fact, he was bullied primarily because of his mixed Indian and Japanese heritage. "On the first day I moved to a new area and was in a new school," he said, "they started calling me 'chink'...and I'm not even Chinese.

"I foresaw for myself a terrible and lonely future with no girlfriend. Of course, I didn't go to the prom; at that time, it was unthinkable."

As often happens to the unpopular kid, Nainan went on to a successful career--he was a senior engineer with Intel, traveling the world with chairman Andy Grove, doing technical demonstrations at events. 

However, the byproduct of years of torment by classmates was this: Nainan was incredibly nervous about speaking in front of people.

So he took a comedy class to help him get over his stage fright. In a bizarre turn of events, "the comedy kind of took off..." he says. That's an understatement.

He has performed at the Democratic National Convention, three presidential inaugural events, a TED Conference, and for celebrities including Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Steve Wozniak. Nainan has been in an Apple commercial and performed with Carrot Top and Penn & Teller. Yes, his comedy career "kind of" took off.

So how does one go from bullied child to tech geek to successful stage presence? Nainan attributes it to all those emotions he felt as a kid. It's "the desire to show people that you are worthy," he says.

 

Guilt

Andrew Bauer shouldn't feel guilty about the financial burden his family experienced as he was growing up, but he does. That's the funny thing about guilt--it doesn't have to make sense.

However, it can drive people to accomplish great things.

In his early childhood, Bauer, who was born mentally disabled, participated in a health care program to rehabilitate his brain. The bills eventually put his family in an insurmountable situation financially.

This guilt weighed heavily on Bauer's mind; he was determined not to be a burden but also to help his family move past its untenable financial issues. Recently, he created Freedom Wallet, the world's first leather wallet with GPS tracking technology, for Royce Leather, the family's business.

Bauer told me, "I have been very blessed to have the support of my family, no matter how bad things got from being handicapped. I work hard for the company every single day to make up for the times that I was a financial burden."

 

Fear

Few things are as terrifying as realizing you're about to be a first-time parent. Discovering you have a potentially terminal illness might be one.

Lawrence Polsky learned both of these things in one night.

One January night in 2000, he learned that his wife was pregnant--right after his doctor told Polsky he had a tumor. The doctor recommended surgery. Polsky decided on a different approach. He began researching how others had overcome major life challenges and noticed similarities in how they implemented positive changes in their lives. He decided to do the same.

"Fifty percent of the protocol I used to get well involved creating a positive mind--that was part of it," he says. "But also, spending time every week reflecting on my life choices, my beliefs, my dreams, my attitudes. And spending time every day having fun. This purposeful reflection and focus helped get my mind in shape to succeed."

Polsky told his doctor the night before his scheduled surgery he was canceling it. The doctor, he says, was outraged--yet Polsky felt peaceful. "My extended family were scared. My wife and I were feeling positive. 

That choice, which no one other than my wife supported, marked the beginning of a new, more positive life for me. I finally felt brave enough to follow my intuition despite strong opposition," he says.

Polsky won his battle with cancer and decided that with his new perspective, education, and practical experience, he had something valuable to share.

He and a colleague co-founded PeopleNRG, a consulting firm focused on helping organizations successfully implement change. They have since written best-selling books and now travel the world educating leaders from Minnesota to Mumbai, Chicago to China, on how to get their teams unstuck, move past their fears, and implement change.

 

Defeat

Jake Weatherly, now the founder of a leading ID-verification technology company, had his eye on the World Cup circuit when a crash during a training run terminated his hopes of a professional skiing career. 

After a summer spent recovering from the surgery to insert a rod in his shoulder and contemplating his options, Weatherly left college, headed west, and ended up in Oregon's Silicon Forest, in an apartment he'd rented unseen.

An adrenaline junkie from an early age, he soon found another outlet for his energies. Weatherly returned to school and went to work part time at Palo Alto Software, where he was mentored by CEO and veteran entrepreneur Tim Berry.

That was the moment at which he knew things were going to change for the better, Weatherly said. Just a month after arriving in Oregon, "I was off and running, building a career in the world of technology, software, and entrepreneurship at a very young age when the Internet was just taking shape," he said. He founded SheerID and in just three years, he built his brand into a leading provider of verification technology with clients such as Costco, Karen Kane, Spotify, and Foot Locker.

Weatherly said his success today has everything to do with his earlier hopes and defeat. "Characteristics like honesty, competitive drive, enthusiasm, and determination are universal--not contextual," he said. "The same drive that fuels you to turn in the best time on a giant slalom course to bring your team to victory can also be applied to building a company, building a career, and being a fierce competitor in life." 

Source: http://www.inc.com/larry-kim/5-powerful-yet-unlikely-motivators-for-entrepreneurial-success.html

Turn Inspiration Into Action

How many times have you read a great article, or had an idea, or wanted to make a change … but then didn’t?

It’s one of the biggest frustrations for people who read this site: people blame themselves for not implementing a plan to change habits.

It takes a switch in gears.

I remember a boatload of times when I’ve been really inspired by something, but then didn’t take action. I wanted to run a marathon, do a triathlon, write a book, start a blog, lose weight, get out of debt, start waking early, simplify my life. But I didn’t actually do anything about it.

I was busy. I was tired. I had other things to do. But those were just excuses.

I learned a few things that worked for me, and within a year or so, I’d done all those things I mentioned above. I took action and made them happen. The excuses got beat.

Here’s what works for me:

1. Tell someone you’re going to do it. If you just think it in your head, you’re not committed. It won’t happen. Start by getting up and telling someone near you, right now. Or email someone.
2. Now carve out time. Lots of people actually do step 1 but not this step. You have to make the time. Even if it’s just 10 minutes a day — when will you do it? After what part of your regular routine? Even if you don’t have a routine, there are things you do every day: wake up, maybe shower and/or brush your teeth, eat breakfast or lunch, open your computer, get off work or school, go to bed, etc. Put it on your calendar, right away.
3. Start as small as you can. Most people make the mistake of overcommitting, because they’re so inspired. But you’re less likely to succeed if you say that you’re going to work out an hour a day, or learn a new skill for 2 hours a day. Even 30 minutes a day is too much. Start with 10. Or 5. Or 2, if you’re really busy. You have time for 2 minutes a day.
4. Really commit. The biggest reason most people fail is they’re not really committed. You tell someone, and you think you’re committed, but you’re not. If you’re really committed, write it on your blog (or start one). Post it on Facebook or Twitter. Tell 100 people about it. Put money on it. Say that you’ll sing in public if you fail. Make people hold you accountable.
5. Have reminders. It’s easy to forget when you start out. If you want to go for a 10-minute run after you wake up, you need something to make sure you don’t forget: put your running shoes next to your bed or in your doorway, laid out with running clothes. Or sleep in your running clothes. Put up a big sign somewhere you won’t miss it. Use sticky notes, stuck to your computer. Computer and phone reminders are good too.
6. At the moment when you want to avoid it, pause. There will be a moment (or a bunch of moments) when you think, “Oh, I’ll do it tomorrow.” That’s the moment you have to not let pass idly by. Stop yourself, and just sit there for a moment, not going on your computer, just turning inward. What are you afraid of? What’s stopping you? There is a discomfort you’re trying to avoid. Instead, smile, and start. Do it and enjoy it in the moment. You’ll love it. 

Source: http://zenhabits.net/act/

75 Affirmations for Self Improvement

 

In psychology, there is a saying that “neurons that fire together wire together.” 

So the more we practice having certain thoughts or beliefs that serve our success, happiness, and well-being – the more naturally those thoughts and beliefs will play themselves out in our everyday lives.

Affirmations are one great way to develop these new thought patterns and make them become second-nature. They are simple positive statements that we repeat to ourselves inside our minds.

Every morning you can practice repeating positive affirmations to yourself with a clear and focused mind. And over time, these beliefs begin to take root inside your brain.

This article provides 75 different affirmations geared toward self improvement. Try to find the affirmations that “click” with you the most – or use this list as inspiration to create your own unique affirmations.

I highly recommend creating a document titled “Positive Affirmations” and starting a collection of your own. I find it can be a very positive resource to draw from when you need an extra boost. 

You can start by choosing 5-7 affirmations from my personal list below.

Here are 75 affirmations for self improvement:

1. Everyday, in every way, I am getting better and better. 

2. Every failure can be a learning experience.
3. Live in the present moment.
4. I create value in other peoples’ lives.
5. I am always changing.
6. I am worthy of positive relationships in my life.
7. I wish the best for everyone.
8. I learn something new everyday.
9. I am genuinely interested in other people.
10. I have many strengths.
11. I don’t worry about the things I can’t control.
12. Listening to my emotions can help guide me to make better decisions.
13. My anxiety is motivation to change or improve.
14. I can overcome obstacles in my life.
15. I am a positive role model to others.
16. I will try something different today.
17. Stepping outside of my comfort zone is necessary for growth.
18. People are generally good.
19. I forgive anyone who has hurt me in the past.
20. I have a rich and supportive social circle.
21. What doesn’t kill me only makes me stronger.
22. My past is one big learning experience.
23. I must be the change I wish to see in the world.
24. I will try to be more understanding of others.
25. Depression is just a stepping stone.
26. This too shall pass.
27. I can find happiness in every moment.
28. I’m a proactive problem-solver.
29. When I open my mind and senses, I’m much more creative.
30. I can create my own positive energy.
31. When people get to know me, they really like me.
32. Just do it.
33. I can see the bigger picture.
34. I see money as a useful tool for helping myself and others.
35. I take small steps everyday to be more healthy.
36. I’m dedicated to my passions in life.
37. I have the resources to take care of my family.
38. My negative emotions can serve a positive function.
39. I determine the meaning of my life.
40. Every decision I make helps shape my destiny.
41. No risk, no reward.
42. I remain focused on what matters.
43. I participate in life, I don’t wait for it to happen.
44. I will be more conscious when acting and making decisions.
45. I can think rationally and intelligently.
46. I’m dedicated to self improvement.
47. I treat others with kindness and respect.
48. If I want something I’ve never had, I must do something I’ve never done.
49. I know when to relax and not take life so seriously.
50. Nature doesn’t hurry, yet all is accomplished.
51. I can accept criticism without taking it personally.
52. I love and accept my body.
53. When I love myself, I allow others to love me too.
54. Most of the limitations in my life are fictional.
55. I narrate the story of my life.
56. I exude purpose and joy.
57. All is well, right here, right now.
58. Today, I open my mind to the endless opportunities surrounding me.
59. I am grateful for the people in my life.
60. I am my own best friend.
61. I can find balance in my life.
62. I am mindful of my health and well-being.
63. I exercise freedom in all aspects of my life.
64. I know when to trust my intuition.
65. I can gain knowledge in anything if I’m willing to learn.
66. I strive to achieve my goals and values in life.
67. I can only give happiness to others once I have found happiness in myself.
68. I’m optimistic about the future.
69. I have all the material luxury I need.
70. I’m thankful for everything in my life.
71. I’m interconnected with everything in the universe.
72. I’m productive in achieving what I want in life.
73. Small changes on a daily basis lead to big changes over time.
74. Most of the time there is nothing to fear.
75. When life gets tough, I can persist.


Source: http://www.theemotionmachine.com/75-affirmations-for-personal-development

5 keys to an Awesome Life by Anthony Robbins (Video)

12 Things Successful People Do Before Breakfast

The “Golden Hour”

Successful people often talk about the “Golden Hour”, which is the first hour after you wake up in the morning. 
According to this article from the National Institutes of Health, while we are asleep, our brains are hard at work de-cluttering and detoxifying themselves. This means that our brains are at their best right after we wake up, when they’re squeaky-clean from the night’s mental hygiene activities. 

Successful people have discovered that the “Golden Hour” is the best time of day to prepare ourselves mentally, physically and spiritually for the upcoming day.

The 21-Day Mental Diet

Technically I’m not “successful” yet…but I figured, if I ACT like a successful person, sooner or later I’ll BE a successful person, and in the meantime, I’ll FEEL like a successful person. Which, since none of these practices cost anything except some discipline and a couple hours of sleep, is pretty much a win-win, if you ask me.

It was while I was looking up “how successful people think” that I stumbled onto Brian Tracy’s 21-Day Mental Diet. And guess what? It includes several of the practices mentioned in articles on what successful people do before breakfast. Imagine that! I am currently on day seven of this mental diet, and let me tell you, doing these has really brought a new sense of focus and productivity to my days — which is a tough thing to do when one doesn’t have regular office hours.

Here’s a quick rundown of what you do on this mental diet:

1. Wake up early – Most top executives get up in the morning at 6:00 AM — at the latest! I get up around 5:00 AM most days.

2. Exercise –  While Brian Tracy suggests doing any physical exercise before mental exercise, I usually have to wait until later in the day to do any physical exercise because of schedule limitations.

3. Read motivational, inspirational or educational material for 30-60 minutes. Personally, I love the Abraham-Hicks material, which really gets my mind and spirit soaring for the day. Other favorites include the books by Wallace D. Wattles, (The Science of Getting Rich) or any of the other New Thought authors. There is a tremendous wealth of free reading material available in the public domain. If you like audio books, look to librivox.org, or for visual reading, check out http://newthoughtlibrary.com/

4. Write down your top 10-15 life goals. There is tremendous power in the act of writing, so yes, actually get out a pen and a notebook (What are those?) and physically write these down. Really. Just thinking about it doesn’t cut it. Use first-person, present-tense language: “I am making ___ dollars a year; I weigh ___ pounds; I drive a ___ car, I have ___ friends”, and so on. And don’t look back at your goals from the day before. By the way, this is a LOT of fun!

5. Write down everything you need to do that day. Again, yes, use a real pen and a notebook. Seriously. Organize this list according to priority, starting with the one thing you most want to get done that day.

6. Begin immediately to work on the biggest, most important task of the day. If you can finish this project while your mind is still fresh, it won’t loom over you and worry you for the rest of the day.

Throughout the day, but not necessarily before breakfast:

• Listen to educational audio programs while driving
• Pick up the pace between activities

Other Things That Successful People Do Before Breakfast

These are practices that aren’t part of Brian Tracy’s 21-Day Mental Diet, but are part of the morning routine of many successful people:

7. Write down things they’re grateful for. This is a favorite of mine. Two years ago, I started writing a “Daily Ten” of things that I was thankful for, liked, made me smile and so on.

8. Meditate. Another personal favorite, and if I can’t squeeze it in before breakfast, I do my best to fit it in another time during the day.

9. Work on a personal passion project. It is very easy to let what we love slip to the last item on our priority list, where it gets put off…and put off…and put off. I know — I never seem to get around to practicing violin!

10. Spend quality time with family/connect with spouses. My husband and I usually sit and talk over our plans for the day over morning coffee while we’re petting the dogs.

11. Network with coworkers, clients, or friends over coffee.  Early morning or breakfast meetings tend to be more productive in the mornings–because guess what? Everyone else’s brain is clearer, too!

12. Read the news. Find out the problems in the world so that we can figure out ways to solve them!

Do you know other things successful people do before breakfast? Please share in the comments section.


Source: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/12-things-you-didnt-know-successful-people-before-breakfast.html

How Motivation Works: Overcoming Inertia and Keeping Momentum

Motivation is a psychological process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behavior.

It begins with a particular goal in mind that we want to fulfill, then follows with the actions needed to make that goal into a tangible reality.

A goal can be anything we want to achieve: happiness, relationships, money, health, education, or whatever.
And whether we recognize it or not, we all have certain goals in life, even if they aren’t things we would normally consider “goals.”

This is because every action has an intention behind it. We feel a desire for something, then we take action to make it happen – even something as simple as feeling thirsty and grabbing a glass of water is a goal-oriented behavior.

This article gives you a mechanistic breakdown of how motivation works and things to keep in mind when pursuing long-term goals.

Overcoming inertia
An object at rest remains at rest unless acted upon by a force. This is just as true for physics as it is for psychology and motivation.

Our lives often remain stagnant – with the same routines, habits, and patterns – unless we apply some force to make a change.

There are two main types of “force” that can change our daily patterns:

• Intrinsic force – Force that comes from enjoyment of an activity and exists within the individual rather than relying on external pressures.


• Extrinsic force – Force that comes from seeking a reward or avoiding punishment (common examples: money, grades, social pressure, etc.)

Both types of force can be very useful.

We can tap into intrinsic force by discovering our most important values and passions in life. Often it is easier to find motivation to do an activity if it resonates with you at a core level.

And we can use extrinsic force by changing our habit loops. This means using external rewards to drive us toward new behaviors. For example, you may reward yourself after going to the gym by giving yourself an hour of freetime to watch your favorite TV shows.

You can really maximize your motivation by using both of these forces – that means identifying what really matters to you, but also building a system that gives you that extra push when your motivation may be running low.

All you need is the smallest amount of force to get you started. Once you overcome that initial inertia, you’ve taken a huge step forward. Now you just need to keep walking.

Keeping momentum
Once an object is in motion, it will stay in motion unless another force acts upon it.

So motivation isn’t just about getting yourself moving, but keeping your momentum despite all the other forces or friction that may be slowing you down and holding you back from reaching your full potential.

On any path toward your goals, you’re going to face some drawbacks, obstacles, and failures. This is the friction in your life that you’ll need to work through if you really want to succeed.

Here are key things you can do to keep your momentum:

• Notice the daily victories. – Keep your motivation high by paying attention to the small victories you have on a daily basis. Progress toward your goals always happens one step at a time, there’s no overnight success.


• Reframe obstacles as guidelines. – Many of the obstacles in your life don’t have to be seen as friction, but experiences that can be learned from to help improve yourself. Ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?”


• Try new things and stay curious. – Always be willing to try new things to keep your mind fresh and stimulated. If you get too familiar with the same activities, then your motivation is going to grow stale. Keep things interesting.


• Cultivate a long-term mindset. – Individuals who master their motivation think about the effects of their actions far into the future. They see the bigger picture, and they are in it for long-term growth, not just short-term gain.


• Be patient and relax. – Motivation is just as much about knowing when to take a step back as it is about knowing when to take a leap forward. Sometimes to keep your momentum you need to give yourself time to relax and rejuvenate.

A lot of motivation is just about keeping the right mindset. If you’re someone who has a lot of trouble finding motivation in your everyday life, you probably need to do some work on your attitude before you can start seeing success. 


Source:http://www.theemotionmachine.com/the-psychology-of-motivation-overcoming-inertia-and-keeping-momentum

45 Life Lessons, Written by a 90 year Old

 

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short not to enjoy it.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Don’t buy stuff you don’t need.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for things that matter.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye… But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful.  Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to be happy.  But it’s all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over-prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words, ‘In five years, will this matter?’

27. Always choose Life.

28. Forgive but don’t forget.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give Time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you think you need.

42. The best is yet to come…

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

Source: http://kangalex.com/post/31729006624/45-life-lessons-written-by-a-90-year-old

25 Wise, Inspiring Steve Jobs Quotes That’ll Make You Want To Change The World

 

• Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

• I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.

• When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.

• Things don’t have to change the world to be important.

• If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.

• You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

• No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

• Details matter, it’s worth waiting to get it right.

• That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.

• If you don’t love something, you’re not going to go the extra mile, work the extra weekend, challenge the status quo as much.

• You’ve baked a really lovely cake, but then you’ve used dog shit for frosting.

• The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again — less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

• Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.

• If you keep your eye on the profit, you’re going to skimp on the product. But if you focus on making really great products, then the profits will follow.

• Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

• I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.

• Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.

• We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?

• But innovation comes from people meeting up in the hallways or calling each other at 10:30 at night with a new idea, or because they realized something that shoots holes in how we’ve been thinking about a problem.

• If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.

• Let’s go invent tomorrow instead of worrying about what happened yesterday.

• Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while.

• Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.

• Here’s to the crazy ones — the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things. They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.

• Stay hungry. Stay foolish. 

Source: http://thoughtcatalog.com/christopher-hudspeth/2013/08/25-wise-inspiring-steve-job-quotes-thatll-make-you-want-to-change-the-world/

5 Winning Habits Of Successful People – Do You Have Them All?

Successful people and winners fascinate me. I always wonder what makes them so different from others. Therefore, I read books about successful people and try to observe what are the winning habits that they have. Here are the five of them that I have discovered.

1. They have an end in mind

You feel lost when you do not have a destination to move towards. People who achieved great success have an end in mind. They know what they want and they commit themselves to achieve it. 

When you have a goal, you have something to focus on. If you do not have a goal, you will be wandering around feeling lost. Having an end in mind can help guide you towards your destination.
 

2. Have a reason

Having an end in mind is only one part of the story. Winners have a reason behind their goals. They know their purpose behind achieving their goals.

The journey towards your goals is full of obstacles. Most people gave up half way because they lack reasons behind their goals. However, those who have strong reasons behind their goals have higher chances to move past those obstacles.

The likelihood of giving up is drastically higher if you do not have reasons behind your goals. If you have a goal to lose 20 lbs but lack reasons behind it, you will find it hard to achieve this goal. However, if you have a strong reason such as you want to lose 20 lbs in 3 months time because you want to look your best during your wedding ceremony, the likelihood of losing weight is much higher.

When you have a compelling reason to support your goals, you drastically increase the possibility of achieving it.

 

3. Have a support group

It is easy to give up when you are alone on this journey. Form a support or mastermind group to help you along the way.

To form your own support group, find like-minded people who want to achieve similar goals. Keep your group small with only two to six people. You need to choose your members carefully. Choose members who are positive, goal oriented and are pursuing similar goals to yours.

If you do not know where you can find your own support group, try out MeetUp.com or related forums to what you are doing (fitness forums, personal development forums etc).

 

4. They are particular about how they spend their time

If you do not know how you spend your time, you will waste most of your time away. Time is one of our most precious resources. You can waste your money and still manage to earn it back but there isn’t any way for you to get back your time if you waste it away.

You have to be aware of how you spent your time. If you want to achieve your goals but you are spending 70 percent of your time watching TV and hanging out with friends, most likely you will not reach your goals.

Keep a time log. There are many mobile and web-based applications that can help you track where you are spending your time. Rescue Time is a great web-based app that can help you track what you are doing on the computer and how much time you spent on each different site.

Use your preferred time log to get a clear picture of how you are spending your time and make the necessary adjustments. If you are serious about changing your life and achieving your goals, spend more time on the essential tasks instead of time wasters.

 

5. Try fast, fail fast, keep trying and never give up

It is hard to hit the target with your first try. This is why winners try fast, fail fast, keep trying and never give up. There are many things that you don’t know how to do it and trial and error is one of the ways to help you pick up new stuff.

You can learn faster by trying faster and failing more times in a shorter period. You learn at a slower pace when you are too slow to take action. When you take action to try fast, you will learn at a faster rate and know what things work and what don’t.

You can make the necessary adjustments along the way to make things right and move closer to your goals. If you are slow to take action, you jeopardize the whole process and slow down your progress.

You may face many frustrations during your learning process. However, don’t give up. Keep on trying out new ideas that you had picked up. Keep doing those that work and kick away ideas that don’t work.

There is a short cut to this process. Get yourself a mentor or a coach. Whether you want to lose weight or start your own online business, a mentor who has been there can help you move faster towards your goal.

Since they had already reached where you want to be, they will know about the challenges that you will face and what will work for you. Borrow their knowledge and you will achieve your goals in a much shorter amount of time.

If you decide to make a difference to your life, I challenge you to take action now. Start planning for your goals. Make this year your best year ever. Will you take up the challenge?

Source: http://www.lifeoptimizer.org/2011/02/10/winning-habits-of-successful-people/