Don’t just sit around and wish for luck; instead, become the type of person who has the skills and abilities to do amazing things.
You have the potential to become the type of person who does extremely influential work. Your work has the potential to solve pressing problems, improve people’s lives, and gain the attention of influential people who will share your work not for your benefit, but for theirs! Sharing your work makes them look good because it is so good.
You have complete control over the quality of who you are as a person and the work you do. However, you cannot wish for it to happen. You must evolve into the type of person who naturally attracts the success you desire.
Here’s how it’s done:
Invest at least 10% of your earnings in yourself.
You rarely pay attention if you don’t have to pay for it.
The majority of people prefer free items. But when you get something for free, you rarely value it. You almost never take it seriously.
How much money do you put into yourself?
How loyal are you to yourself?
You don’t have any skin in the game of your own life if you don’t invest in yourself.
If you are not invested in your business, you are unlikely to produce high-quality results.
If you aren’t invested in your relationships, you are probably more concerned with what you can get than with what you can give.
When it comes to self-improvement, investing 10% of your income in yourself will yield a 100X or greater return. For every dollar spent on education, skills, and relationships, you will receive at least $100 in return.
If you want to excel at something, you must surround yourself with the right mentors. Anything you ever do well will be the result of excellent mentoring. If you’re bad at something, it’s because you haven’t received good mentoring in that area.
The most rewarding mentorships are those in which you pay your mentor. Often, the more you pay, the better the relationship because you’ll take it much more seriously. You won’t be focusing solely on that relationship. You will not merely be a consumer. Instead, you’ll be invested, and as a result, you’ll pay closer attention. You’ll be more concerned. You’ll be more reflective and engaged. Failure will have more serious consequences.
I spent $3,000 to hire a successful author to help me write my first book proposal. That $3,000 only bought me about four or five hours of his time. But in four or five hours, he taught me everything I needed to know to write an outstanding book proposal. He provided me with resources that significantly improved and accelerated my process. With his assistance, I was able to secure a literary agent and, eventually, a six-figure book contract.
I’m confident that if I had been too concerned about the $3,000, I would still not have written a book proposal. At most, I’d have written a dreadful one. Because I would not have been as motivated or invested, I would have been far more likely to put off necessary action.
Even if you don’t have much money, you can probably afford to buy a book. How much do you spend on entertainment, clothing, and food? It’s all about priorities.
Only when you invest in something do you have the motivation to see it through.
Aside from mentorships, you should invest in education programmes such as online courses and books, as well as quality products that will help you eat and sleep better.
Your level of success is generally directly proportional to your level of investment. If you’re not getting the results you want, it’s because you’re not investing enough.
Your first and most important investment must be in yourself.
Your identity determines:
• the quality of your marriage
• the type of parent you’ll be
• the standard of work you will produce
• the level of happiness you will experience.
- Invest at least 80% of your “free” time in learning.
The majority of people are consumers rather than creators.
They go to work to get paid, not to make a difference.
Most people waste their time when left to their own devices. Only by investing your time will you see a return on your investment.
Almost every second spent on social media is spent time. You can’t go back in time. Rather than improving your future, it actually made it worse. Every consumed moment, like bad food, makes you worse off. Every moment you invest benefits you.
Entertainment is fine, but only when it is an investment in your relationships or in yourself. If that entertainment continues to yield returns in the future, you’ll know it was a good investment. Positive memories, transformational learning, or strengthened relationships are examples of this.
Still, life isn’t just about having fun. Education is also important. And, while both are necessary, education will provide far greater returns in the long run.
The most successful people in the world are voracious learners. They are difficult readers. They understand that what they know influences how well they perceive the world. They understand that what they know determines the quality of their relationships and the quality of their work.
How can you expect to create high-value work if you are constantly consuming junk media? Your input is translated directly into your output. Garbage goes in, garbage goes out.
Work to learn, not to make money.
“Work to learn, not to earn, when you’re young.” — Robert Kiyosaki
A large portion of your “working” time, like a large portion of your “downtime,” should be spent learning.
People who are wealthy and content work to learn. People who are unsuccessful and unhappy work primarily for monetary gain.
Only 20% of your energy should be spent on doing actual work. The remainder of your time should be spent learning, improving yourself, and relaxing.
You will continue to improve and become more capable by “sharpening your saw.” As a result, as you devote more time to becoming a better thinker, communicator, and practitioner of your craft, the quality of your work will improve. You’ll eventually be able to charge exorbitant fees for your work because no one else can do it like you.
When you prioritise learning and recovery, you will be in a deep flow state during your working hours. You will not be distracted, as most people are when working. You’re either completely on or completely off. Working allows you to accomplish more in a few hours than most people do in a few days.
Because your priorities are clear, you’re well-rested, and your mind is stimulated, your time is well spent.
- Don’t learn for the sake of entertainment; instead, learn to add more value.
“The key to success is not excessive expertise, but the ability to apply it; knowledge is worthless unless it is put to use.” — Max Lukominskyi
There are a million things you could learn in our media and information age. However, if that knowledge is not immediately applied, it becomes superficial.
Information and knowledge are not the same thing.
Knowledge and wisdom are also not the same thing.
It takes wisdom to know what to learn, why you should learn it, and when you should learn it.
You won’t learn with the intensity required to maximise your knowledge unless you’re invested.
Unless you understand the value of your time, you won’t be able to ignore almost everything while learning what will yield the highest return.
When you learn something, you should be able to apply what you’ve learned. Far too many people nowadays read books simply to say they’ve read a lot of books. You are consuming and wasting your time if you are not applying what you are learning.
Invest at least 10% of your income in vehicles that will generate additional income.
True wealth is created by a small number of people.
Even those with substantial incomes are not truly wealthy. Most people’s lifestyles correspond to their earnings. They consume more when they produce more. In fact, the majority of people earn money solely to consume.
Few people make enough money to invest.
Consider your business to be only half of your income equation. You have a business that generates income. Then you have your investment vehicle to multiply your earnings.
How well you manage your money, like anything else, is determined by how well you are mentored. Invest in education and mentoring if you want to be a financial genius.
20 years ago was the best time to plant a tree. The most advantageous time to begin investing was also in the past. Don’t wallow in regret if you haven’t started yet. Tomorrow does not exist for those who do nothing today.
Begin right now. Get some education. Make a vehicle, or several vehicles, in which you put at least 10% of your income. Your investment vehicle may eventually begin to generate more profits for you than your actual business.
Compound interest does exist. You’ll be fine if you put 10% of your income into investments over a long enough period of time. Unlike the majority of high earners, you will be able to stop working whenever you want because your money will provide you with more than enough to live on.
Change your focus from getting to giving.
“The world rewards givers and punishes takers.” — Joe Polish
Most people are only concerned with what they can gain from life.
Me, me, and I.
However, as you become more consciously aware of your surroundings, your desire will shift from receiving to giving.
You’ll realise that giving is far more satisfying than receiving. Furthermore, you will be motivated by a cause in which you strongly believe.
When your motivation is to give, you will frequently gain insights into how to improve your relationships. Random ideas will arise in your mind to send “Thank you” notes to various people.
You’ll have more ideas for how to improve the lives and businesses of others.
You’ll begin to contribute more, which will lead to a plethora of new opportunities and deeper relationships. People will grow to love and respect you. Your work will be inspired and impactful because it will be motivated by a higher cause.
Recognize how reliant you are on other people.
Just because your primary motivation is to give does not preclude you from seeking assistance.
In reality, you are constantly seeking and receiving assistance.
The truth is that everyone is highly reliant on others to do what they do. However, it takes wisdom and humility to openly admit that dependence. Instead of viewing it as a weakness, consider it a strength.
Aside from acknowledging your reliance, constantly express your gratitude to the people in your life. That which you value appreciates. Relationships are assets that can and should expand and improve over time.
Your relationships will suffer if you do not appreciate and give to them. All relationships are like bank accounts, and if one person is constantly depositing and the other person is constantly withdrawing, the resources will eventually run out.
In such cases, 1+1 = less than 2.
In contrast, in healthy and synergistic relationships, 1+1 = far more than 2. When two people continually give and receive, the relational bank account grows and expands, providing a variety of intended and unintended benefits.
I was recently at the gym with my brother, for example. He was struggling mentally at the start of the workout. He wasn’t boosting my energy or making my workout more effective than if I were alone. Instead, he was sucking my energy and making me work harder than if I were alone.
When I made him aware of what was going on, he immediately changed his emotional posture. He recognised how much his mood was affecting me. His motivation shifted away from consuming an experience and toward creating something amazing.
Our collective mental state improved, and we entered group flow. Our workout evolved into something far superior to anything I could have devised on my own. Not only that, but we started having inspired conversations. This resulted in brilliant insights and connections relevant to the book I’m working on.
The fantastic workout was the intended result of our collaboration. Unintended consequences provided the inspiration for my book. This is only possible if both parties actively give and receive from the relationship. Where both are more concerned with creating than with consuming. Where both parties are primarily motivated by the desire to see the other succeed.
To achieve 10X or 100X goals, form win-win strategic partnerships.
“All failed companies have one thing in common: they failed to avoid competition.” — Peter Thiel
The majority of people prefer competition to collaboration.
Collaboration is far superior to competition.
The focus of competition is on oneself. It’s also low-level thinking because what you can do on your own is limited.
People who are competing are working hard. They are more concerned with winning than with finding real solutions.
When your thinking expands, you realise you can do so much more with other people. Collaboration allows for the formation of connections that would not have been possible otherwise.
You have exceptional skills and knowledge in your field. Other people in various fields have skills and knowledge that are completely outside of your current awareness. These people have assets that you do not.
If you want to achieve 10X or 100X the results of others in your field, you must form strategic “win-win” partnerships. This usually occurs when you devise a strategy in which your skill sets and assets merge with the skill sets and assets of another person.
What you excel at, another person may struggle with. What you find difficult, others can excel at.
Who can you collaborate with to expedite your process?
Who has assets and resources that you lack?
What could you do to assist these people?
What kinds of collaborations could you form to help you achieve your goals faster and help them achieve theirs faster?
When you work with others, 1+1 equals more than two. The whole differs from the sum of its parts.
This is how transformation takes place. Only those who work together will experience true transformation. People who only work well on their own have a limited worldview and agenda.
When you join forces with others, your ideas and goals shift. They grow in size and strength. They become unlike anything you could ever create on your own.
The only way to have these kinds of collaborations is to think long term. You must be committed and have a stake in the game. It cannot be a transaction. This cannot be for that. It must be about something much more profound. When it is, you will have far more integrity in your work. You’ll express more gratitude. You will always do the right thing, even if it is difficult and uncomfortable.
Avoid looking for transactional relationships. Only long-term transformational relationships should be pursued.
Set 10X goals and confront your fears.
Examine your current objectives.
Why is that your definition of “success”?
Why is that your goal?
What would happen if you 10Xed that target in all seriousness?
What if, instead of earning $3,000 per month, you aimed for $30,000 per month?
Is that even conceivable?
Of course it’s a possibility. Several people are doing it.
The only thing that separates them from you is their education, relationships, and strategy.
When you set a 10X goal, you must think about your daily behaviours in a completely different way. You must become more serious in all aspects of your life. Limiting thinking and consumptive distractions must be avoided.
Setting a 10X goal for yourself will be one of the most beneficial things you’ve ever done for yourself. This goal should be set while you are at your best. You reach a peak state by doing something powerful, such as exercising, learning, or visiting a unique location, such as a foreign country. You can even reach a peak state by surrounding yourself with people who inspire you to be the best version of yourself.
Only you know what causes you to be at your most passionate. So, do whatever it takes to get there, and then write down your objectives. Declare what you intend to do. Then write that goal down and visualise yourself achieving it every day until it becomes a reality.
Don’t deviate from the natural flow of ideas that follows when thinking about this goal.
You can’t 10X your results by thinking and acting the same way you’ve always done. As a result, while thinking about your goal, you’ll get ideas about what you need to do in order to achieve that goal.
You probably don’t know what you don’t know. So you’ll need to start seriously educating yourself about how you might be able to achieve your goal. You’ll need to be more confident in your work. You’ll have to produce more and fail more. Over and over again, in fact. Quantity is frequently the quickest way to quality.
Not only that, but when you consider your 10X goal, you may come up with ideas that scare you. When you do work that makes you nervous, you cross a line that most people never cross. Scary work is often extremely profitable and valuable.
Improve Your Marketing Skills
Marketing is essentially applied psychology.
It is about connecting with people, convincing them, and assisting them.
Many people believe that marketing is evil or immoral.
Many “artists” do not learn marketing because they do not want to “sell out,” preferring to keep their work pure.
Academics aren’t any better. Their work is inaccessible to the average person.
Marketing is simply making your work easier to find and use.
People aren’t going to appear out of nowhere and buy your wares.
People aren’t going to appear out of nowhere and read your work.
Even now: how did you end up on this page? Consider the article’s title. I could have just as easily titled it “Successful Advice.”
Would you have clicked on that article, though?
Most likely not.
But you chose this one.
Why did you choose this one?
How did you get all the way down here?
Consider the experience.
Marketing is the “how” to whatever you are doing.
Most people are unsuccessful because they either fear or avoid marketing. Most people are bad teachers for the same reason. They are more concerned with content than with its delivery and design.
But how you deliver it is just as important, if not more so, than what you’re doing or why you’re doing it.
You may have discovered a cancer cure. However, if you don’t market it effectively, you’ll never get your cure out there.
You could have the world’s most important message or story, but no one will see it unless you intelligently promote and package it.
Instead of focusing on time and effort, concentrate on results.
Dan Sullivan, founder of the exclusive entrepreneurial coaching platform Strategic Coach, distinguishes between the “Time-and-Effort Economy” and the “Results Economy.”
You are focused on being busy if you are in the time and effort economy. You truly believe that the amount of time and effort you put into something is commendable. In the results economy, on the other hand, you are only concerned with achieving a specific result.
The bottom line is what matters, so finding the most efficient way to get there becomes critical. This is a significant distinction between entrepreneurs and employees. As Sullivan puts it:
Entrepreneurs have crossed “the risk line,” transitioning from the “Time-and-Effort Economy” to the “Results Economy,” where there is no guaranteed income and no one writing them a paycheck every two weeks. They thrive on their ability to create opportunity by providing value to their clients. Sometimes they – and you – will put in a lot of time and effort and get nothing in return. Other times, they put in little time and effort and achieve great results. Entrepreneurs must always focus on results or there will be no revenue. Guess what if you work for an entrepreneur! This also applies to you. Though you most likely have a guaranteed income, it’s critical to understand that the business you work in exists within The Results Economy, even if you’re somewhat shielded from seeing it. I say this not to make you feel insecure, but to demonstrate how to succeed in this environment: maximise your results while minimising the time and effort required to obtain them.
Most people do not think in terms of outcomes because their livelihood is based on a paycheck. However, shifting your focus from how little you can do to how much you can do changes the way you work.
You begin to learn how to accomplish more in less time. You accept more responsibility. You alter your surroundings. You also realise how critical sleep and rest are to achieving the best results possible. As a result, you start taking more and more time off to rest.
When you devote 80 percent of your energy to rest and self-improvement, you have plenty of fodder and a razor-sharp saw to use when you’re working.
You think ten times bigger than everyone else. You’re working under tight deadlines and intense pressure. You can push yourself to the limit while working because you spend so much time resting and preparing.
Alter Your Environments Frequently
The environments in which you work should reflect the work you do.
Performing multiple types of work in the same environment is inefficient. But it happens all the time. They sit in the same chair and mentally switch from one task to the next.
A far better approach is to group your activities and carry them out in a relevant environment.
When I write a blog post, for example, I work in a quiet library with no distractions. I write a lot because my environment encourages quality writing and because I knew I’d be writing that day. Writing two to five blog posts in one sitting is easier than writing one post at a time.
Ari Meisel, an author and entrepreneur, groups his activities and switches between environments to match his work. On podcasting days, he goes to a studio and records five podcast episodes in a single session.
On other days, he spends the entire day in meetings or taking phone calls. He does this work at a friend’s apartment because it is a more interesting environment.
He also writes a lot, which he does at the Soho House in New York City because it is a quiet environment with a bad internet connection. Because he has poor reception, he is unable to surf the web or use his phone.
Define the terms “wealth” and “success” for yourself.
Money is not the only measure of success and wealth.
There are many people who have money but little “capital” in other areas of their lives.
Obviously, money is very important. It solves a variety of issues. It accelerates processes.
Money, on the other hand, is a tool. It’s merely a means to an end. Money is simply a tool for doing more work for those who are doing work they truly believe in.
- Take a firm stance; it will become your brand.
To be successful, you must have faith in something.
You must take a position.
Every successful person or brand has a clear why. People don’t buy what you sell; they buy why you sell it, as Simon Sinek explains in his book, Start With Why.
Apple is an excellent example. They define and share their core values rather than explaining the technicalities of their products in all of their marketing. They believe that technology should be both simple to use and appealing.
You must truly believe in something if you want to be compelling and interesting. You must take a firm stance. This stand will become your brand. It becomes your brand. It becomes a means of distinguishing yourself from others.
You stand out when you have a clear position and brand. You are no longer in a state of neutrality. You have a strong belief in something and are fighting for a specific change.
People will either love you or hate you as a result. That’s exactly what you want. You have nothing to say if you are lukewarm. Lukewarm implies that you are attempting to please everyone.
The riches are found in niches. Your audience is your niche. They are a small group of people who support the position you are attempting to take. They are your missionaries.
Your message, marketing, and products will be terrible if you try to appeal to everyone. You won’t understand why, and no one else will either. As a result, you’ll be average like everyone else, and your work will be unremarkable.
Only people who take firm positions excel at marketing. They care enough about their message to spread it. They understand that the how is as important as the what and why.
Conclusion
Are you doing the following 14 things?
How aggressively are you carrying them out?
Do you aspire to be a multimillionaire?
Are you willing to think and act on a larger scale?
You can do it.
