In This Edition
1. Dedication and Excellence
2. Dreams and Persistence
3. Six Steps to Eliminating Clutter in Your Life
4. Enjoy the Journey
5. Recommended Reading
6. Quotes
Dedication and Excellence
22 year old Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association is widely acknowledged as one of the great young players in the game today, earning millions of dollars, and with the world at his feet. And yet, last summer, in the off season, when he could have been off on vacation doing many other things and resting on his laurels, Kobe decided to stay in L.A. and work out every single day in the gym. But he didn’t just work out, he disciplined himself to practice 2,000 jump shots, (yes that is 2000!!!) every single day.
He did not have to do subject himself or his body to that, but that was his commitment to excellence, because he wanted to push himself to be the best HE could be. Anybody who watched Kobe this past season knows that his going the extra mile paid off. He was instrumental in his team winning their second consecutive NBA championship.
You don’t have to be a big time star basketball player to be focused on dedication and excellence. Think of areas in your own life where you could go that extra mile, where you could push yourself to be the best that you can be.
The true question is, are you willing to make the sacrifices necessary? are you willing to pay the price for excellence? Excellence is achievable for all of us, but we must be willing to commit 100% to it.
Dreams and Persistence
26 years ago four young friends from the same Dublin High School in Ireland got together and decided to form a rock band. Their dream was not just to form another rock band, it was to become the biggest band in the world. They made a pact with each other, these four young friends, that they would persist until they accomplished their goal. This was a bold statement for these young lads at the start of their prime.
Today, 26 years later, U2 has sold well over 100 million records, can sell out huge stadiums around the world and is widely recognized in their industry, by fans and peers alike, as being the biggest rock band in the world today.
I recently heard U2 interviewed in Toronto Canada, where I live, and what impressed me about them is that they remain true to their roots. They have remained as unaffected as one can be by their incredible success and the lifestyle and trappings that brings. When I heard Bono, the lead singer and the most outspoken of the band members, talk about their humble beginnings, I could hear choking in his voice, the pride he felt when talking about their struggles and the people who believed in them when they started out.
U2 refused to compromise their convictions, and in this day and age of rock star superstars and egos, they have stayed very down to earth, very proud of their Irish heritage, and true to their roots and their fans. They did not sell out, move way from their home land. On the contrary, they continue to live in Ireland and invest in that country’s remarkable growth and prosperity and to speak out on what they believe in.
- What dreams do you have?
- What are your hopes and aspirations?
- What drives you? Pushes you?
Never discount your dreams, but remember, having a dream is not enough. Dreams are only thoughts, and will stay that way unless…
You have a plan, courage, belief, passion, discipline, commitment and persistence to turn your dream into action, reality and ultimate success.
Six Steps to Eliminating Clutter in Your Life
What gets in our way to success? What slows down our progress? I know that for me, it is frequently the clutter that magically accumulates around me. As such, allow me to give you some tips to eliminating this clutter that have worked for me.
1. Take 30 minutes every night, by yourself, in peace and quiet to plan your tomorrow. No interruptions or excuses. Write down what you want to do. Spend a few minutes cleaning up your work environment. Don’t leave things lying around. Find a place for everything. If you can’t find a place, maybe it is something that doesn’t need a place or its place is the trash.
2. Don’t put off anything you can possibly do today until tomorrow, no matter what. Promise yourself that.
3. If working from an office or desk, keep it clean, neat and tidy. Anything you don’t truly need, discipline yourself to let it go, throw it away. I know this can be hard sometimes. But let go of it. Life will go on. Trust me. File the rest neatly and quickly.
4. Reduce large projects into smaller manageable tasks. Don’t take on more than you can handle in the time allotted, but what you do commit to, finish. You will feel an incredible sense of accomplishment from this.
5. Always assign deadlines to what ever you commit to. I believe that this is the single most important factor to eliminating clutter from your life.
6. Finally, if all else fails, don’t beat yourself up about it. Some solutions may be to invest in one of the many good software products on the market, or hire an expert to come in and coach you, or pull this list out and start again. It will be a worthwhile investment.
Good Luck
Enjoy the Journey
How many times have you gotten to where you wanted to be, but didn’t take time to enjoy the journey, the ride. We are often so preoccupied on the destination, or so busy worrying about all the things that will probably never happen to us, that we forget the fun we could have getting there sometimes. This includes an actual trip, accomplishing our tasks, achieving our goals.
We so often think in terms of what we are going to get out of reaching our destination, achieving the goal, or accomplishing the task, when the true learning, meaning, and the satisfaction is in the process of getting there.
The journey of life for most of us is not always easy. We have to make choices and sacrifices. We experience failure and defeat on the way to success.
I believe that if we think of our journey as an experience, we can learn so much. Too many people are simply trying to “get through the day”. Why not try getting the most from the day, enjoying every moment. Remember, time is our most precious commodity. As Abby Hoffman said, “Tomorrow is not promised.”
Enjoy your journey.
Recommended Reading
Six Pillars of Self Esteem by Nathaniel Branden
In this powerful and provocative book, Dr. Branden introduces the six pillars of self-esteem, including six action packed practices for daily living. You will find out a lot about yourself as well as brilliant insights into human nature. A fascinating read.
Living the Simple Life by Elaine St. James
Elaine St. James gives her readers 100 ways to live a simpler life. I found this a delightful book, very light reading, but packed with great thoughts, ideas and wisdom for surviving and thriving in our modern, fast-paced world.
How to Master the Art of Selling by Tom Hopkins
Tom Hopkins is widely recognized as America’s #1 Sales Trainer. His down to earth style and approach is refreshing to all who have seen or heard Tom live. His writing style is just the same. You do not have to be a “sales professional” to benefit from this book; we all have to sell ourselves or our ideas at some time. Everybody can benefit from Tom’s experience, wisdom, and success.
Quotes
“The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in luck, or chance, or through the help of others. It is in yourself alone.” Orson Swett Marsden
“You can learn little from victory,
You can learn everything from defeat.” Christy Mathewson
“Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom.” Jim Rohn
Copyright
Permission is granted to reproduce this newsletter in whole or in part provided the following byline below appears along with the article and that a copy is sent to me after publication. Thank you: To check previous issues for publication, please go to www.cmarcus.com and click on articles/newsletters.
Charles Marcus is an international motivational speaker. To subscribe to his FREE success newsletter, please send an email to subscribe@cmarcus.com. An electronic copy will be sent out to you every month. For more information on how Charles, his book and his programs can benefit your organization or group, please call 905-847-2323. Toll-Free in North America at 1-800-837-0629, or visit his website: www.cmarcus.com.