In
1922, Albert Einstein was in Tokyo when he learned that he was going to be
awarded the Nobel Prize. Out of cash, his “tip” to a bellboy at his hotel was a
handwritten note, which he told would be worth more than a tip someday…it was.
At a recent auction that note went for $1.3 million. What was in that note? His
recipe for success, “A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the
pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness.”
Many
who are probably wealthier than you (Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, etc.) have
defined success differently. True, they have great wealth, but they have also
come to understand that a successful life is one of balance – of passion for the work you do, of taking time to
self-reflect, of giving back, and of building relationships. Through the years,
I have learned a few things about getting to success. Maybe I will never be a
billionaire or even a multi-millionaire, but I know now I will always be
financially well off and a happier person because of a few behaviors I have
learned.
Here are the six
behaviors that you will want to think about:
1. Get Off
Autopilot
Think
about your daily routine. We get up, go through the same morning preparation
for work, and then go about that work in almost robotic fashion. We commute to
work or we sit down in our home office, as I do, and begin the same daily grind
that consumes at least 8 hours of our time.
My
epiphany came from a single experience. I had a late afternoon meeting with a
client and, as I was walking to my car, I passed a concert hall where a gospel
group was performing. I could go home and hammer out the details of the
contract or I could take an hour or so and have a new experience.
Something
drove me through those doors. What I discovered was not religion, but passion.
I didn’t make huge life changes, but what I did do is reflect on what I felt passionate about.
2. Talk Less,
Listen More
Sometimes
we are not really listening to what other people are saying. I was so bad at
this that I could not even remember the names of people being introduced to me
in meetings. It took a simple half-day workshop on communication to make me see
the error in my ways.
I
have changed a bad habit. When I am introduced, I repeat the individual’s name
in my response (it helps me remember that name); I ask a question rather than
launch into “talk.” What this change has accomplished, I cannot place on a
graph or chart. However, I can say that when I listen rather than talk, I build
business relationships that result in contracts.
“Most
people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent
to reply.” – Stephen R. Covey
3. Moderation in
All Things
This
has come from ancient Greek philosophy and it holds true today. The operative
word here is balance, in work, in play, in diet, and in relationships. When you
lead a balanced life of all things in moderation, you are actually more
interesting to be around. You have more general knowledge; you have more things
to talk about.
People
come to enjoy you more, and you can relate to their interests too. If you are
obsessed with football, for example, and watch every televised game, follow the
rankings, etc., you will have little else to talk about. When you meet with a
potential customer, client, or even in a job interview, what else can you talk
about?
4. Positivity
If
you have never read Norman Vincent Peale’s book, The Power of Positive
Thinking, read it now or pick up other contemporary books on the matter.
Here is the point: Our thoughts control our actions. Your mood controls
everything from your physical posture, your projection of confidence and
enthusiasm, and your approach to others.
It’s
hard sometimes, but one thing I have done is this: I have a sign on my fridge
door – “Gratitude.” I see it every morning, and it reminds me to list, in my
head, all of the things that I have to be grateful for, including the skills
and talents I have. Try it… it works.
“Keep
your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.” – Helen Keller
5. Learn
Something New Every Day
We
cannot become stagnant, it makes us less interesting to others and narrows our
horizons. The most prominent successful people state that you have to set aside
time for self-improvement every single day.
What
do you do for self-improvement? You learn something new. It may be about
another successful person or a great new business idea; it may be a new skill
you pick up from a class; it may be time spent reflecting on yourself and
gaining more insight into how you can get better at what you do.
Give yourself one hour a day for learning – read, think, journal – or any combination of activities.
6. Read Case Studies
Want to get better in your
career field? Dig in and do case study research. Whether these are stories of
individual successes in your business niche or company successes through new
ideas and unique practices, you can gain powerful ideas that you can either
emulate or that will stimulate some creative thought within you about actions
you can take.
There is no magic formula for
success, but successful people do have some things in common. They exude positivity, they have passion and enthusiasm for
their work, they have found a good balance between work and life, they continue
to learn new things, and they get off autopilot. Implement some of these
behaviors and see how it changes your life.
Kindly Note : All ideas and materials presented herein are for informational and educational purposes only, and is not intended for commercial or trading purposes. Neither does it mean to misguide anyone. Kindly make informed decisions on your own risk. Neither livettcelearn.blogspot.in website nor any of its owner shall be liable for any errors or delays in the content or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
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