6 Easy-to-Steal Rituals of Extremely Successful People

1.  Do the work… practice, practice, practice your craft!

Sure you can be good with a little effort.  You can be really good with a little more effort.  But you can’t be great, at anything, unless you put in an incredible amount of focused effort for a set amount of time every day.  It’s as simple as that.  Scratch the surface of any successful person with incredible skills and you’ll find someone who has put thousands of hours of effort into developing those skills.  There are no shortcuts in life.  There are no overnight successes.  Almost everyone has heard about the 10,000 hours principle, which states that it takes roughly 10,000 hours to completely master a complex skill, yet despite sound evidence, so few follow it… except extremely successful people of course.

Whatever you decide to do, do it well.  Do it so well that when others see you do it, they enjoy it so much that they want to come back and see you do it again… and they also want to bring their friends along so they can show them how incredible you are at doing what you do.

2.  Build trust by standing behind every one of your promises.

If you say you’re going to do something, DO IT!  If you say you’re going to be somewhere, BE THERE!  If you say you feel something, MEAN IT!  If you can’t, won’t, and don’t, then DON’T LIE.  It’s always better to tell people the truth up front.  Don’t play games with people’s heads and hearts.  Don’t tell half-truths and expect people to trust you when the full truth comes out; half-truths are no better than lies.

Regardless of the business you’re in – selling products to consumers, or selling hours for dollars – the only question you have to ask yourself is:  “Do they trust me enough to believe what I’m promising to deliver?”  Without this trust, you have zero, zilch, nada.  If your target market knows you and they’re still not buying what you’re offering, they simply don’t trust you as much as you would hope.  Earn their trust, and the rest of the puzzle pieces will be easy to arrange.

3.  Focus more on less.

Having too many choices interferes with decision-making.  Here in the 21st century, where information moves at the speed of light and opportunities for innovation seem endless, we have an abundant array of choices when it comes to designing our lives and careers.  But sadly, an abundance of choice often leads to indecision, confusion, and inaction.

Several business and marketing studies have shown that the more product choices a consumer is faced with, the less products they typically buy.  After all, narrowing down the best product from a pool of three choices is certainly a lot easier than narrowing down the best product from a pool of three hundred.  If the purchasing decision is tough to make, most people will just give up.

So if you’re selling a product line, keep it simple.  And if you’re trying to make a decision about something in your life, don’t waste all your timeevaluating every last detail of every possible option.  Choose something you think will work and give it a shot.  If it doesn’t work out, choose something else and keep pressing forward.  Focus more on less, and do your very best.

4.  Only use quality tools.

While we’re on the topic of focusing more on less, make sure the only tools you’re using are the only ones you truly need.  There’s no point in keeping low quality tools around.  For instance, trying to cut through a thick piece of fresh lumber with an old, dull handsaw would be a pretty foolish endeavor.  You would have to work extremely hard to make the even the slightest impact.  This very same principle applies to everything in life.

Don’t let inefficiency defeat you.  If the tools in your toolbox don’t fit the requirements of the job, find someone who has the right tools and barter with them, hire them, invite them into the process of what you’re trying to achieve.  Possessing the right tools (and skills) can easily shrink a mountainous task into a miniscule molehill.  With a good idea, determination, and the right tools, almost anything is possible.

5.  Spend quality time with quality people.

You are the average of the people you spend the most time with.  And that’s why it’s not always where you are in life, but who you have by your side that matters most.  Some people drain you and others provide soul food.  So be sure to get in the company of those who feed your spirit, and give the gift of your absence to those who do not appreciate your presence.  There’s no need to rush into a relationship you are unsure of, or socialize with those who hold you back.

Spend more time with nice people who are smart, driven and open-minded about personal growth and opportunity.  Use websites like meetup.com to search for local community groups of people with similar passions and goals.  These people are out there.

The bottom line is that relationships should help you, not hurt you.  Surround yourself with people who reflect the person you want to be.  Choose friends who you are proud to know, people you admire, people who care about you and respect you – people who make your day a little brighter simply by being in it.  Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the energy and hope out of you. 

6.  Study, rehearse, and get super comfortable with the art of selling.

About a year ago Marc and I interviewed ten extremely successful business owners and CEOs for a side-project we were working on.  We asked them to name the one skill they felt contributed the most to their success.  Every one of them, in there own words, said: the ability to sell themselves, their ideas, and what they had to offer.

Keep in mind “selling” in its truest sense isn’t an act of manipulating, pressuring, or being deceitful.  Selling is explaining the logic and benefits of a decision or point of view.  Selling is convincing other people to work directly with YOU.  Selling is overcoming concerns and roadblocks, and calming other people’s unwarranted fears.  Selling is one of the principal foundations of both business and personal success.  It’s about knowing how to negotiate, how to deal with a  “no” when you receive one, how to maintain confidence and self-esteem in the face of rejection, and how to communicate openly, honestly, and effectively with a wide range of people so that you can build long-term relationships that garner long-term trust.

When you truly believe in your idea, or your business, or yourself, then you don’t need to have an enormous ego or an overly extroverted personality.  You don’t need to “sell” in the traditional sense.  You just need to communicate your point of view clearly, cordially, and confidently.

25 Things You Should Never Stop Doing for Yourself

1. Never stop stretching and improving yourself. – Always dream and shoot higher than you think is possible.  Do not bother trying to be better than your peers or predecessors.  Try to be better than you ever knew YOU could be.
2. Never stop listening to your own inner voice. – The unhappiest folks are those who care the most about what everyone else thinks – those who let everyone else drown out their own inner voice.  So stand strong beside yourself.  There’s great freedom in leaving others to their opinions.
3. Never stop walking comfortably in your own shoes. – If you don’t follow the path others want you to follow they might become irritated.  Don’t worry about it.  Let them be.  It’s their problem, not yours.  So many people seem to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but have no clue how to lead their own.  So focus on your inner callings and keep paving your own path.  Remember that it is more useful to be aware of a single strength or weakness in yourself than to be aware of a thousand strengths and weaknesses in others.
4. Never stop working through your fears.– Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.  So don’t let fear decide your future.  In the end, you can be comfortable or courageous, but not both at once.
5. Never stop being a little unrealistic. – To be successful, you have to be a little unrealistic.  You have to believe that something totally different than what has happened for an eternity CAN happen starting now.  Think about it.  Being realistic doesn’t change anything – being unrealistic does.  Doesn’t it seem a bit unrealistic to be able to use a mobile phone to instantly research any topic imaginable, watch movies, get perfect driving directions to anywhere you want to go, and see your friends face-to-face no matter where in the world you are?  Fortunately a small group of computer scientists didn’t think so.
6. Never stop doing what needs to be done.– You were born to be a success.  Although to be successful, you must plan to be, prepare to be, expect to be, and work to be, every day.
7. Never stop embracing your struggles. – After each struggle you once faced in the past was overcome, you grew stronger and more able to meet the ones you face today.  Likewise, the struggles you face today are preparing you for the challenges of tomorrow.  As this process of growth takes place, remember that there are no mistakes.  The events that arise as you journey forward, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary steps in order to learn what you need to know to reach the places you’ve chosen to go.
8. Never stop being willing to make mistakes. – Making mistakes is far more productive than never moving.  You can learn great things from your mistakes when you aren’t busy avoiding or denying them.  And no matter how bad of a mistake you make, there comes a time when you have to stop thinking about it and move on.  No regrets in life – just lessons that show you the way forward.
9. Never stop getting back up. – The strongest and most accomplished people are not those who always win, but those who refuse to give up even after they lose.  You might think you’re not good enough, but you’ll surprise yourself if you keep trying.  What defines us is how well we rise after falling.  At the end of the day, to win, all you have to do is get up one more time than you fall down.
10. Never stop making the best of it. – When you lose something, don’t think of it as a loss, but as a gift that lightens your load so you can better travel the path that was meant for you.
11. Never stop ignoring the naysayers. – When someone undermines your dreams, predicts your doom, or criticizes you in any way, remember, they’re telling you their story, not yours.
12. Never stop taking small steps forward. – The moment you give up is the moment you let someone else win.  So keep going.  You don’t have to have it all figured out to move forward.
13. Never stop giving yourself a chance to soar to new heights. – You’ll never be able to fly if you hold on to what holds you back.  So respect yourself enough to walk away from what no longer grows you.
14. Never stop smiling. – When you lose your smile, you lose your footing.  So be determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation you may find yourself.  For you will eventually learn that the greater part of your happiness or unhappiness is determined not by your specific circumstances, but by your attitude and outlook.
15. Never stop thinking positive. – Thoughts are power.  They create and destroy.  What is possible is everything.  What you do is up to you.  Look around and you will see that almost your entire life has been born out of your thoughts.  Know this, and plant your seeds accordingly.  You can change your mind at any moment.  So go ahead.  Change it right now.
16. Never stop laughing at yourself and your life situations. – All self-misery has its roots in self-pity, and all self-pity is rooted in taking life too seriously.  If you take everything too seriously, especially yourself, you’ll wind up fearing every new step you take.  Loosen up and laugh it off if you can – especially when things don’t go as planned.  People with a good sense of humor have a better sense of life.  You grow up the day you have your first real laugh at yourself and your circumstances.
17. Never stop appreciating the life you’re living right now. – Stop rushing.  Breathe.  Be where you are.  You’re where you’re supposed to be at this very moment.  Every experience and step is necessary.
18. Never stop indulging in life’s little daily joys. – Notice what you love, not what you hate.  Smile more.  Happiness is enjoying the small things in life, all while chasing after the big ones.
19. Never stop spreading your kindness. – How you make others feel about themselves, says a whole lot about you.  So treat people right.  Kindness IS a gift you can afford to give.
20. Never stop giving what you can. – Exercise your talents to give back.  Do so whenever you can, because you can.  And when you get tired, remember all those people who can’t do what you can do.  Think about what they would be willing to give to have the abilities you have right now – a simple gift you take for granted.  Then strive harder just for them.  And know that there are others out there with different gifts who are doing the same for you.
21. Never stop giving your important relationships a fair chance. – It’s impossible to find someone who will never hurt you, so go for ones worth the pain.  And remember, without a little pain, joy wouldn’t feel so good.
22. Never stop doing little things for your own happiness. – Remember, happiness comes from your own choices and actions.  Waiting for someone else to make you happy is the best way to be sad.
23. Never stop opening your mind to new perspectives. – Don’t hate what you don’t understand.  Give things a fair chance.  Your mind is like a parachute; it doesn’t work unless it’s open.
24. Never stop evolving. – Just because you liked something at one point in time doesn’t mean you’re required to always like it.  You can change your mind.  You don’t have to pretend to like something as an act of loyalty to who you are as a person, based on who you once were.  To be sincerely loyal to yourself is to allow yourself the freedom to change.  The only thing you ever are for sure is unsure, and this means you’re growing, and not stagnant or imprisoned by old ways of thinking.
25. Never stop writing your own story, your own way. – When writing the story of your life, never, ever let someone else hold the pen.  Make conscious choices every day that align your actions with your values and ambitions.  Because the way you live each day is a sentence in the story of your life.  Each day you make a choice as to whether the sentence ends with a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point.

Good Reminders When You’ve Had a Bad Day

1.  YOU are okay.  You are just a little stronger now.

Having a bad day?  It’s okay.  YOU are okay.  But now you’re a little stronger than you were yesterday.

Put your hand on your heart.  Feel that?  That’s called ‘a purpose.  You’re here today for a reason.  Don’t give up and don’t give in.  And above all, don’t let one or two dark clouds cover the entire sky.  The sun is always shining on some part of your life.  Sometimes you just have to forget how you feel, remember what you deserve, and keep pushing forward.

Keep in mind that we’ve all made mistakes.  We’ve all made absolute fools of ourselves.  We’ve let people take advantage of us, and we’ve accepted way less than we deserve.  And sometimes, we too have given others way less than they deserve.  Sometimes we let our priorities and our boundaries get ravished by the chaos of the day.  But if you think about it, we’ve learned a lot from our bad choices, and even though there are some things we can never recover, and people who will never be sorry, we now know better for next time.  We now have more power to shape our future.

2.  You are far more capable than you think.

You have to remember that you are incredibly capable of handling great challenges.  But when times are good, and everything is comfortably in order, it can be easy to become complacent and forget how skillful and resourceful you are capable of being.  Unanticipated troubles are necessary evils that push you forward; because the troubles will eventually end, but the lessons and growth you gain from them will last a lifetime.

Truth be told, there are two types of pain in life: pain that hurts you, and pain that grows you.  But when you learn from a difficult experience, they are one and the same.  Strength doesn’t come from what you can do.  It comes from overcoming the things you could not do before.  Tough situations build strong, successful people.  So no matter how much it hurts now, you have to hold your head up, grit your teeth, and take another step.  Don’t waste time complaining.  In the end, persistence and determination speak loud enough.  Focus diligently through your struggles.  Work hard in silence, and let your success be your noise.

3.  The struggle is the path, and it leads to better days.

Will the road ahead always be easy?  Not at all.  But will it be worth your while?  Absolutely.  Because the struggle is not found on the path, it is the path, and it leads to better days.  When the day is really dark, it can be hard to see the light, but you have to try.  True strength comes when you have so much to cry and complain about, but you prefer to smile and appreciate your life instead.  There are blessings hidden in every struggle you face, but you have to be willing to open your heart and mind to see them.  You can’t force things to happen.  You will only drive yourself crazy trying.  At some point you have to let go and let what’s meant to be, BE.

In the end, loving your life is about trusting your intuition, taking chances, losing and finding happiness, cherishing the memories, and learning through experience.  It’s a long-term journey.  You have to stop worrying, wondering, and doubting every step of the way.  Laugh at the confusion, live consciously in the moment, and enjoy your life as it unfolds – struggles and all.  You might not end up exactly where you intended to go, but you will eventually arrive precisely where you need to be.

4.  Taking the next step is always worth it.

And that’s why the best thing you can do is to keep going.  Don’t be afraid to get back up – to try again, to love again, to live again, and to dream again.  Don’t let a hard lesson harden your heart.  Life’s best lessons are often learned at the worst times and from the worst mistakes.  There will be times when it seems like everything that could possibly go wrong is going wrong.  And you might feel like you will be stuck in this rut forever, but you won’t.  When you feel like quitting, remember that sometimes things have to go very wrong before they can be right.  Sometimes you have to go through the worst, to arrive at your best.

Yes, life is tough, but you are tougher.  Find the strength to laugh every day.  Find the courage to feel different, yet beautiful.  Find it in your heart to make others smile too.  Don’t stress over things you can’t change.  Live simply.  Love generously.  Speak truthfully.  Work diligently.  And even if you fall short, keep going.  Keep growing.

Awake every morning and do your best to follow this simple daily TO-DO list: Think positively.  Eat healthy.  Exercise today.  Worry less.  Work hard.  Laugh often.  Sleep well.  And then rewind and repeat…  

5 Ways to Stop Treating Yourself Today

1.  Stop holding yourself back from living TODAY. – Sadly, only a tiny percentage of the people in this world will actually experience their lives today.  So many of us will be stuck on another day, another time and place that troubled us and caused us to spiritually stumble, and thus miss out on life as we’re living it.  Realize this and pull it together.  Do not allow your spirit to be softened or your happiness to be limited by a time and place you cannot get back or a day that does not yet exist.  Live today!

2.  Stop looking outside yourself. – The problem is that when you think you have to LOOK for things in life like love, meaning, and inspiration, the LOOKING implies that these things are somehow hiding behind some bushes somewhere, just waiting to be discovered.  But that’s not the case.  In life you have to CREATE your own love, define your own meaning, and harbor your own inspiration.  This process starts on the inside, not somewhere else.  Much of this can be accomplished simply by staying true to your values, pursuing your passions, learning more today than you knew yesterday, and helping others smile as you go. 

3.  Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen.  Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story.  If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.

4.  Stop letting negative people drain you. – You might think being alone makes you lonely, but that’s not entirely true.  Being surrounded by the wrong people is the loneliest place in the world.  Before you diagnose yourself as an unhappy person, first be sure that you are not simply surrounded by negative people constantly trying to bring you down to their level.

5.  Stop stalling and being lazy with your goals. – You can’t build a good reputation or a successful way of life based on what you could do or might do someday.  The quality of your life is in direct proportion to your commitment to get things done, regardless of your chosen path.  So don’t sit there and say, “Somebody should really do something about that someday.”  BE that somebody, and make TODAY the day.