In this Edition
1. Leading a World Class Life
2. Finding That Extra Hour
3. Quotes
4. Recommended Reading
Leading a World Class Life
If you want to lead a world class life, guess what? You have to become a world class person first. The big question is, how? Here are six things to consider on your journey to World Class.
1. Give of your time to others. Challenge yourself in every aspect and opportunity in life to come from a mindset of serving and helping others.
2. Surround yourself with incredibly supportive people, people you would classify as world class. Create your own “dream team” and, for those of you who have heard me speak or read my book you will know what I mean when I say, stay away from the “dream stealers;” those people who would bring you down. Stay away from these negative influences, they are toxic.
3. Become a student of success and excellence in every form. Read books on excellence, watch those people you feel demonstrate world class behavior and learn from what they do. Take a look at what you have done in a day and determine how you could be more “excellent” and try the new behavior tomorrow.
4. Practice what you preach. You can’t have it both ways. If you want to lead a world class life, be prepared to stand up for what you believe in, to stand out from the crowd, to take risks, to get out of your comfort zone, and to go after your goals.
5. Focus on action. People who lead world class lives do not waste their time by making excuses or blaming other people when things do not always go right. They get on with it. They are leaders and are action focused at all times.
6. Be real. One thing all people who lead truly world class lives have in common is that they are world class people. They are authentic, sincere, kind, giving and they have incredible integrity.
Take a moment now to define your world-class life. What do you stand for, and how do you demonstrate this? Now start practicing and living a world class life every day…
Finding that Extra Hour
Have you ever noticed how often we complain about not having time to get some things done? Amazingly, however, when we really want to do something we seem to be able to find the time. Some might call it balance, time management, changing the way you do things. It is really not rocket science; it is about simply setting priorities and taking action.
I recently made the decision to start exercising again and get back in shape. Like most people I am busy, in fact these days I am very busy. It would have been easy to say to myself, “I just do not have the time,” however, when I make a decision about something like this, I am committed.
To get started, I did research to identify how to achieve my fitness goals. I took into account my lifestyle and my personal style and concluded that for me this commitment involved hiring a personal trainer to work with me twice a week. After the first session this professional advised me as to what additional work would be required to achieve my goals. The recommendation was for me to find six hours in a week to commit to my fitness and well being. Interestingly, up to now at least, I have been able to find that extra hour a day to work out.
Here are a couple of ways that I have been able to find that extra time to achieve my fitness goal. Maybe it will work for you in finding that extra time to achieve an important goal for you, whatever that goal may be.
1. Get a real focus on what it is you want to do. Create that vision for yourself of what it will look like when you achieve it. For me, it will be a lifetime commitment, but it involves health and stamina.
2. Look at your schedule and find out what time is best for you. My best time to work out is early in the morning. My wife and kids are still sleeping, I am fresh and I can do my workout or see my trainer without disturbing anyone in our household.
3. Do not procrastinate and just do it! It may be hard for the first few days, but in the end it will become part of your daily routine.
4. Stay focused, and celebrate your successes.
Good luck and remember it does not have to be one hour, why not start with 30 or 45 minutes…but just start scheduling some time for the goal you have set.
QUOTES
This is one of the best quotes I personally have ever heard:
A typical day for me at the office begins by asking myself. “What is impossible that I am going to do today?”
Daniel Lamarre, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cirques de Soleil
In an interview in Fast Company magazine
(What an incredible challenge to set for yourself every day! Why not try it and see what it does for you. The impossible does not need to be that big and you do not have to be in an office to make the impossible become true)
“We must not let our past, however glorious, get in the way of our future”
Charles Handy
“People do not care about what is important to you. They care about what is important to them”
Charles M. Marcus
RECOMMENDED READING (OR IN THIS CASE LISTENING)
For a change in this newsletter a lot of you have asked me what type of music I am listening to right now. The 3 CD’s I am playing most in my car at present are:
X and Y by Coldplay
Coldplay is quickly becoming one of the most popular group’s in the world today. I enjoy their music and was a fan way before it became fashionable.
Il Divo
This band is made up of four young men from around the world. Songs are in Spanish and English. The melody and voices are very relaxing. Wonderful music.
It’s Been Decided by Stuart Knight
I came across this group of talented performers at an event I did a presentation at recently. The songs are powerful and the words meaningful.
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
