It’s not what you know… it’s what you do with what you know that makes the difference. Success is nothing more than doing the “right” things, at the right time, consistently. How do you know what the right things are?
One of my friends just shut down his business this week. And it’s okay. He had come to the conclusion that he was investing his time engaged in the wrong activities. He knew that he could count on experts like me to turn his business around, but he finally had to admit that even if his business was running on “all 8 cylinders,” he still wouldn’t be happy. It wouldn’t serve the things, or principles, that he valued most. He asked me to help him build a business that would serve those values best. What’s the lesson here?
You’ve probably all heard the cliché defining failure as climbing to the top of the ladder, “only to find it leaning against the wrong wall.” Just because you build something, or “climb to the top” of something, or even accomplish something as simple as attracting one more customer or making one more sale, doesn’t mean that you’ll profit from it. Not unless certain fundamentals are addressed
1) Get Clear on What You VALUE most.
Why are you doing what you’re doing? Why are you building this business? What do you value most?
For example, some of my values include family, financial freedom, and service. These values, along with seven others constitute my “standard” against which I evaluate all activities. Because of this, I’m able to choose the best activities that help me to serve those values. For example, if I’m presented with an opportunity that doesn’t allow me to ultimately enjoy more quality time with my family, I will move on to a better choice that does.
I think the Rotary Club’s “standard” is a great example of getting clear on what you value most, the “Four Way Test.” The test, has been translated into more than 100 languages (and is recited all over the world at the beginning of a Rotary Club meeting). And no one can argue with the great things that Rotary has done for communities around the world. It even seems, at times, that the members of that club could move mountains. The “Test” asks the following questions:
Of the things we think, say or do…
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
What are the values that you “test” your business performance and opportunities against? Are your most important values being served by the activities that you engage in? If those values are being served, then you are experiencing incredible joy when engaged in your work. You can’t wait to get up and “get to work” every morning. If those values aren’t being served, well then you dread your work.
2) Get Clear On What YOUR TIME is Worth.
I love the quote
“If you don’t establish what your time is worth, you leave it to others to decide what your time is worth.”
Most people will compensate you with as little as they can get away with. After all, their first responsibility is to see to the needs of their family, right? When you get clear on what your personal time value is, you make it easier to communicate that value to others. Not only that, but you make it easier to choose who you want to do business with. And yes, Virginia, you do get to choose who you do business with. Additionally, when you get clear on your time value, you have another standard to measure your potential activities against. The activities that match your accurate time value, would be the “high value” activities of your life.
If you struggle with getting clear on your time value, a Coach can help you recognize many qualities, skills and characteristics that you possess even help you improve them. These are all assets of real value to the customers that you want to work with, the customers who value you the most.
EDITOR’S NOTE: We have a simple “Time Value Calculator” that we will e-mail to you, free of charge. Request it at CoachFrits@gmail.com
3. Get Clear On What YOUR SUCCESS Looks Like.
You’ve probably all heard the story of the American businessman attending a business convention on the coast in Mexico. Bored with his meetings, he decided to take off his shoes, roll up his pant legs, and take a stroll on the beach. On his walk, he came upon a Mexican fisherman coming in with his day’s catch.
Eyeing the bounty in the fisherman’s boat, the businessman complimented the fisherman on his catch, and asked what he would do with the fish. ”Oh, I will take them home, cook them for my family, and give the rest to friends. After a good meal, I will play with my kids, lay in my hammock, talk with my wife, and enjoy life” answered the fisherman.
Upon which the businessman suggested that the fisherman sell some of the fish, save the money and buy another boat. “What would I do then?” asked the fisherman. “You’ll catch more fish, leaving more to sell. That will give you more money until you have bought a fleet of boats. You’ll catch enough fish to sell to hotels and restaurants, and build a cannery to sell fish north of the border. You’ll build a multi-million dollar business.”
“What would I do with that?” asked the fisherman.
“You would sell the business, and be a very wealthy man” was the businessman’s reply.
“What would I do with all of that money?" asked the fisherman again.
“Well, then you could spend time with your family, enjoy life.” the businessman answered, as the fisherman stared at him, dumbfounded with the businessman’s lack of understanding, before walking off with his catch.
The fisherman knew what he wanted, and knew how to achieve it, without going through unnecessary efforts, that would only serve to complicate life. He knew what success looked like in his life. He recognized that he had already achieved that success. To paraphrase a question often asked today, “Do you want the trappings of success, or do you want to be happy?” If you don't know what your success looks like, before you begin looking for it, you might just walk right past it. Like many wealthy people I've known throughout my life, you'll be on a lifelong quest of chasing "it," without knowing what "it" really is. That's a life of unending dissatisfaction.
Answer the following question…
If you had complete success, what would your life look like; where would you be; who would you be with, and what would you be doing? As in the story of the fisherman, you may discover that you already have everything that you desire.
So you say you’re already clear on these 3 critical issues? Or you’re committed to getting clear on them, and you want to know what’s next? You admit that your challenge is taking the action that is needed to achieve your vision of success?
Here’s good news. You don’t need more will power. All you need to do is to “reprogram” your mind. When your computer stops working efficiently, you don’t just throw it away, do you? You will probably upgrade some components like the hard drive or the memory, much like a good Coach can help you to upgrade your skills. But you will probably also “reformat” the hard drive (erase the stuff that’s slowing the computer down), and then install a new operating system. And a good Coach can help you do that as well.
ANCHORING TECHNIQUE
Tony Robbins (I recommend all of his books to you; great investments), teaches that we do things for one of two reasons: 1) avoidance of pain, or 2) pursuit of pleasure. If you’re avoiding something, it is generally because you perceive great pain in the doing, and/or great joy in the not doing. Rather than try to “muscle” your way through the pain, why not change the way you think and find great pain in the not doing and great pleasure in the doing? This is one of the ways we allow success to be as easy as it can be.
One other note; the “success image” that you’ll develop will come into physical reality for you. The first time I used this technique (in my 20’s), my success image involved a 20’ Christmas tree in the foyer of a grand home. I enjoyed that 20’ Christmas tree in that exact foyer, just as I had “experienced” it in my anchoring, about 20 years ahead of schedule.
First take the time to create the ultimate “failure image.” It must be painful and believable. Since I could never imagine myself in jail, my failure image consists of me in a very bad nursing home. I’m in a wheelchair with a food tray clipped in, in front of me. I can feel the tray digging into my forearms. I can feel the blanket bunching up underneath me. I can smell the fact that I’ve been wearing the same pajamas for three days now. I can hear the sounds of a bad nursing home, smell the smells, and taste the “blandness” of the food. For your image to work, you have to have enough detail to be able to experience all of the senses. The mind is a powerful thing. If the mind experiences something in detail, it’s as if it really happened.
Now, take the time to create the ultimate success experience. You should have already accomplished that in the exercise above. For me now, it involves standing on the veranda of my home on the beach in Sunset. Wrapped in the arms of my beautiful wife, enjoying the setting sun, the smell of the ocean, the light breeze and the dolphins swimming by... (I’ll spare you the rest of the details, but your image must be in complete detail). For your image to work, you have to have enough detail to be able to experience all of the senses. See it, touch it, smell it, hear it, taste it. Schedule your “high value” activities. When you find yourself “avoiding” any activity, or are reluctant to engage in it at the exact appointed time, follow this exercise…
1. Place a rubber band around one of your wrists beforehand (if you're right handed, I recommend putting the rubber band on your left wrist). Imagine a screen to your left, 15 degrees above the horizon. "See" yourself avoiding the activity. Experience the “failure” image fully, feel the pain of it. See a stop sign in your mind’s eye and say “Stop,” either quietly or out loud, then snap the rubber band against your wrist. Repeat this cycle a second time.
2. Now imagine a screen to your right, 15 degrees above the horizon. Then see yourself engaged in the activity, in a positive way. Watch this movie in bright colors, you and others smiling. Then experience your success image (notice I said EXPERIENCE, not ENVISION, meaning engage all of your senses), in full detail. Then snap your fingers, or clap your hands. Repeat the process a second time. Eventually, all you’ll need to do is snap your fingers or clap your hands and you’ll be in the state that allows you to act with confidence and joy. We refer to this as “Immediate Performance.” A professional in any endeavor must perform to their highest level when required, regardless of how they feel, emotionally or physically. This is how to accomplish this consistently.
So, what are you doing now? Are you sitting there thinking, “Hmmm, good stuff?” Are you making plans to try this out? Or, are you making a difference in your life, the lives of your family and your customers by already doing something with what you’ve just read?
It’s not what you know… it’s what you do with what you know that makes the difference. Success is nothing more than doing the right things, at the right time, consistently. A great way to know what the right things are, is to hire a Professional Business Coach. Or, order a copy of “How To Market Your Crap When The Economy Is In the Toilet at by emailing me at CoachFrits@gmail.com. Or request to get on the early release list for my new book “Just Give Me 5 Minutes.”
