Details matter. And I’m going to tell you later to get the critical details right. Because one incorrect setting can stop a web page from loading, precluding ANYTHING from happening. But winning in life, love, and business, BEGINS with the BIG PICTURE and NEVER FORGET IT.
No Marketing Plan on Paper = Failed Business
No Relationship Plan on Paper = Failed Relationship
No Life Plan on Paper ….
And it all begins TODAY.
You get the BIG PICTURE FIRST. When you look at how people screw themselves up in life, love and business, one thing immediately stands out…every single time…people get focused on the wrong things, specifically little things, things that barely matter.
Here’s The Big Picture Tactic of Achievement:
After you have those plans on paper, it’s time to IMPLEMENT.
Do the most important project(s) first each day. The hardest, biggest, most complex, most frustrating, difficult, emotionally draining, irritating…yep…that’s the stuff…do it first and second and, finish it. Get it off the table or desk and OUT OF THE WAY. Then do the smaller and/or much easier stuff when you have LESS energy. You will take away the dread of each day if you do this.
Most people do the opposite and this is the reason that those “most people” achieve almost nothing.
Now…12 life creating ways to win life.
1. Focus on the Big Picture
People get wrapped up in the details when they often don’t need to. As you make your way toward achieving, you will be challenged with big obstacles as well as small obstacles. Do not allow little stuff that is not important to clutter your mind and monopolize your time.
This is your mission, your journey.
2. Keep a Journal
As you move toward to achievement, you need to be able to see you are actually DOING the process that includes accomplishments along the way. This is critical. You can go weeks or months before making money in a business. You can go years before getting all that you want out of life, so make sure you WRITE DOWN what you’re going to do this week and then write down what you actually did so you KNOW you are DOING what is required to WIN YOUR GAME that you have CREATED.
Start a journal and track every thing you have conquered. When you feel discouraged or frustrated, reflect on what you have achieved, and rejuvenate yourself. Nothing makes you feel better about yourself than looking at the track record of time after time beating the odds, overcoming obstacles and MAKING THINGS HAPPEN.
Make a record of it. Then you won’t have to remember if it really happened or not. It did. You were amazing. You can replicate. No problem. It doesn’t matter if you got paid today, it matters if you did what you said you would do. Now you’ll know forever.
3. Rewards
I reward myself in advance. I block out 5 – 10 hours to watch a few TV shows I know I will want to watch each week. Football, Survivor, Ozark, The 100, Blindspot, Big Bang Theory. I do this BEFORE I plan my projects and attend to the details. I work hard and I enjoy letting someone entertain me when I’m done taking care of the world.
When children do something great, parents will reward them with something nice, whether a kind word of encouragement or a new toy. When people do well in their job, they get raises or better, bonuses at the end of the year. As you surpass your milestones, reward yourself. Treat yourself to something nice – reward yourself for a job well done.
Surprise: Planning your rewards turns out to generate more HAPPINESS than being SPONTANEOUS. The research is crystal. Put it in the plan and then reward yourself as PLANNED. See how much better you feel in six weeks.
4. Make the Best of Each Day
Try to live every day as though it matters…because it does. Make the most of every day and accomplish something. Even if it is something small, every small step can add up to a huge success in the end.
I just got an email from a fan saying that the store is configured incorrectly and that data could be at risk. Essentially this means we need a new certificate for the website. It’s an irritation I’ll take care of tomorrow because I’m writing for you today. If I don’t make any money in the store today I couldn’t care less. If you don’t read this, I care more than you could guess.
5. Make the Process an Adventure
You should look at every aspect of your journey as a fascinating adventure. I don’t like (I abhor) sitting on airplanes, waiting in lines at immigration, getting searched at security. BUT, remember that everything that happens could end up in a story and life is built around great little stories…
If something interesting isn’t happening, I’ll often go make something happen because we remember the little things. If those memories are “adventurous,” you see yourself as being a little more interesting, exciting, ….adventurous and this allows you to evolve into a more fascinating person….. When you think of your childhood years, you loved investigating the unknown. Anticipate the excitement of each accomplishment – make it a real adventure.
6. Don’t Neglect Stuff
The store does need to have that certificate updated. Tomorrow is labor day. A Monday. We do our business on Monday. But the host is closed tomorrow…so I will do WHAT CAN BE DONE today and tomorrow and get worried and angry later. It does me no good to have those emotions today. I’ll save them for Tuesday.
BUT…when things are small and do not appear on MY BROWSER, to have a major impact on the big picture, you must ensure you follow through and complete your tasks, because on everyone else’s BROWSER is a PROBLEM. Once something is broken it NEVER gets better. It just leaks more and more and eventually it either breaks or floods. Doesn’t matter what it is… Those little things can quickly add up to a big mess if not taken care of in a timely and efficient manner. Get it fixed as fast as immediately let’s you get it fixed!
7. Offer Recognition, Praise and Thanks
Dan Ariely did the Bionicle experiments that revealed that people will build lots of these little dudes so long as there is someone there to see them be built. And then when there is no one there to see it they build fewer. Other research shows HUMANS MUST KNOW that what they are doing is BEING SEEN by someone who MATTERS. This was my biggest failing for years. I simply needed to hear that something was done and I’d move on. Now I go look, say “wow, nice” AND THEN MOVE ON. People need to know YOU SAW IT.
If you have people helping you out, whether on a volunteer basis or a full-time employee, always offer praise and thanks. These people are an important part of your success and by providing praise and support; in return, they will show dedication and work hard to help you reach your goal.
People don’t work as much as you think, for money, they work more for recognition and appreciation. There are dozens of people that constantly send me articles, stats and so forth about the kind of things you read in Coffee. About half the time I haven’t seen the information. About 10% of the time, what someone sends me is a true gold nugget. Saying “THANK YOU” makes it clear I appreciate their taking the time, and reminds me how important others are in my life.
Here’s you next Mega-Tactic:
8. Accomplish Daily Projects
Don’t think of ANYTHING that is a project for the day as a daily goal. Think of it as a, “Will have done before I call it a night, period.” That’s a project that will be completed, BEFORE you go to bed. Before you eat….
You need to set and accomplish your projects/priorities each day. Whatever the task is, get it done. In addition to keeping the process for achievement on track, it will help you to feel like you are making accomplishments, pushing you closer and closer to the REASON you are doing all these smaller daily projects.
If it needs to get done, it WILL get done before I go to bed. Adopt this life maxim. Once you develop this little “life rule” (You go to bed when your project is done), you develop the tendency to… just about always achieve and dramatically increase productivity.
Setting goals is meaningless. Accomplishing outcomes is your thermometer.
9. Repositioning and Reflection
On occasion, reflect on what you have accomplished as well as your open milestones and ensure you are still heading in the right or BETTER direction. Repositioning and REINVENTING along the way is perfectly normal, wise, and to be expected. You may have been struggling with something specific. Rather than continue battling this issue, reflect on what has not been working, and reposition yourself so if possible, you may not have to keep battling the same things repeatedly.
Never think you are tied for life to a failed idea. You can reinvent and begin again as soon as is realistic. It IS OK.
10. Accept Responsibility
Ultimately, you and you alone are responsible for your achievement. If you want “it” to work need to know now that “it” NEVER works. YOU work. And when you work, you eventually win. While you will have help in many instances, the bottom line is that you are responsible.
You need to be surrounded by the right people, working with the right help, going about things in the right way. It is you that will make the choices and therefore, your responsibility to make the best decisions possible. In other words, your desire for success must always be greater than any obstacle that stands in your way.
11. Stop Using Bad Debt
Here’s a simple rule for life: If it isn’t tax deductible, pay cash. This is so easy. Invest money in products/services that will help you make your life better. That’s tax deductible. Charge it if you like.
I have more
airline points than most cities have people. All those “miles” are 100% tax deductible, BUT if it isn’t deductible, either don’t spend it; or don’t charge it.
My rule is “Can I write it off?” If the answer is “Yes,” I don’t mind because the government is picking up HALF the tab. But if the answer is “No,” then there has to be an uncanny reason as to why the credit card is in hand…
I spend a lot of money every year and it’s fine but mis-spending is stupid. Don’t replicate your stupid spending mistakes. You blew it once, move along.
Purchases, on average, should be in alignment with your life, business and love plans and if they aren’t, then why are you making the expenditure?
12. Read
Stay current on the industry news that you are in. Read at least one of The Financial Times or The Economist (two publications NOT created in the USA) so you have a frame of YOUR world through the EYES of someone far away.
I get a lot of news online, just like you do. I also subscribe to newspapers where I see things THAT I DID NOT SEARCH FOR but are IMPORTANT!
Read everything that matters. If it doesn’t have a bibliography, it is fiction. Fiction is for fun when time permits. Fiction is GREAT. I love fiction. And when my research is done, I go straight to Greg Iles or James Rollins or Matthew Riley or whoever…but FIRST, read material that is going to REALLY help you. Take one afternoon and just start reading all the articles at www.kevinhogan.com . You will get through about 10% of what is there and your jaw will drop at what you take notes on….
Read current trends, company failures or successes, new ideas; whatever information you can find. For example, if you have decided to open a retail store (which by the way is a really dumb idea right now) and have a great idea and a real passion for your goal, read about that specific type of store, location, potential revenue, downfalls, everything. This information will be a part of your business plan and is crucial.
Scary Truth
I can watch you for a day and guess within a couple thousand dollars how much you will earn in the next 12 months.
People’s habits tell you all you need to know.
Switching from bad habits to good ones is not as easy as it sounds. In fact, less than 20% of people ever develop good habits for life or business. Dare to be different and succeed. Establish rituals, routines and habits that you do every day without fail. That will turn around the most lost ship…the most off course plane…anyone’s life…
Be REAL
People wanting to be successful often want overnight results. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen.
Do an analysis to determine a realistic amount of time it will take to reach your outcomes. And when you estimate, OVER ESTIMATE… As you go through your Plan, you may find times that dates have to adjusted but even if there are changes, keep it realistic. Otherwise, you will become frustrated and quit!
Don’t play the, “I can do anything in life game.” You can’t. You aren’t going to beat Tiger Woods at golf…or anything else he’s good at… or Michael Jordan at basketball. Get real. Get focused. Earn 100,000 annually before you earn 500,000 before 1,000,000.
Talk About It
Talking about your projects not only keeps their fruition in the front of your mind but also keeps up your excitement level. In addition, it adds in an element of accountability.
Think about it, you go around telling everyone that you are going to be a masseuse, those people are going to be expecting, and anxious to see you succeed. By talking about your work, you are creating a motivational system – a system of accountability.
This is a KEY POINT. Tell the world what you are going to do so you have an enormous amount of leverage to actually DO what you talk about!
I’ve identified 12 of the life patterns which cause us to trip up – and make the same mistakes again and again. To discover which of the 12 patterns you have been the victim of and how to eliminate self-sabotage in your life (or those of your clients) you can pick up the CD program and workbook, LIFESTORMS: The Paradox of Overcoming Self Sabotage to Achieve Love, Power, Money and Happiness.
Lifestorms: 12 Obstacles to Achievement: The Paradox of Overcoming Self Sabotage to Achieve Love, Power, Money and Happiness.
by Kevin Hogan
3 CDs in this program – and it comes with a BIG WORKBOOK! And now, get a free Lifestorms DVD presentation with your order!
Discover why life often brings you exactly what you don’t want…and how self sabotage can hide around every corner. Some people have guessed at the bizarre nature of self sabotage. Guess no more. Self sabotage is very real in everyone’s life. It is completely devastating and 100% resolvable!
- Do you ever know you should start on a project but don’t?
- Do you have projects that you have started but never finished?
- Do you ever say the one wrong thing at the wrong time?
- Have you ever had things going well in life only to have everything blow up in a day?
- Have you tried to be so careful not to make a mistake that you were shocked when you made a truly costly one?
- Have you ever promised yourself to stay out of trouble in some way only to find yourself in the same trouble or worse again?
Now you can discover your own life patterns so you can eliminate unconscious self sabotage immediately. This program will break the heavy chains that hold you from your dreams and your goals.
This program is the first program ever made public that shows you how to identify specific self sabotaging behaviors and negative life patterns. Better? You can ultimately erase those life patterns and rewrite new “schemas” into your brain that will allow you to meet your goals and experience fulfilling relationships.
Here is what you will learn:
- How to identify which of the 12 negative life patterns you live.
- How to find the triggers of the lifestorms that you just can’t believe you experience.
- How to change the self sabotage into success, happiness or something productive.
- How to remove almost all obstacles between you and your goals.
- How to understand those around you so you don’t push their buttons.
- How to predict your behavior and that of others.
- How to actually achieve your goals so they are more than just a dream.
No one anywhere has ever put such a program on CD. There is not one person anywhere who can’t utilize every minute of this insightful information. These three CD’s are packed with the most powerful tools for getting past life’s roadblocks and personal sabotage ever imagined. Anyone can utilize this information and I personally guarantee that if you follow the instructions you will not experience self sabotaging behavior anymore. Your goals become reality at speeds faster than you ever imagined.
Learn More About Lifestorms or to order
