IT'S TIME TO TRANSFORM YOUR WORLD

Most people know the story of the ancient Greek mathematician, Archimedes, who said, “If I had a lever long enough and a place to stand, I could move the world!” Imagine that! A simple lever, nothing very complicated or hard to build. Just a long stick or pole. And a place to stand, even a rock or piece of ground would do—IF you understood and applied the principle involved.
I love that story!
So many of us want to improve our world. Particularly during these past months of recession and economic uncertainty, it’s clear how eager we are for things to get better! Many people believe that in our last election, President Obama tapped into a profound desire for “change” to make life better. We are a restless people who want a better life and a better world.
As for specifics, some of us are focused on income and want to “work less and make more.” Some of us are eager for time with family or for greater peace of mind. Some think primarily in term s of their investments and retirement, or changes in our health care system. Some long for “peace on earth” while others simply want a better job, or any job at all.
Well, I have good news! All of this is possible and getting started is relatively simple. Not easy, perhaps. But simple.
Archimedes captured the principle of leverage. Big changes always start with small, simple principles applied in powerful ways. The good news is that it works the same way in our own lives, and we can start today. There is no need to wait for Congress to pass health care reform. Or for the politicians to negotiate peace, or for the global economy to recover.We can take powerful, leveraged actions in our own lives that take effect today.
How? It begins with understanding and applying powerful, basic principles.
1. Order is better than chaos. Too many of us have allowed small bits of chaos to enter and grow in our liv es. Whether it’s credit card debt that weighs us down, or tangled relationships that cause stress, or a messy house that discourages us, we live with too much chaos. Order and routine beat chaos every time. Following basic rules of behavior and using systems to manage our lives are powerful principles that can be leveraged to change everything! Many of us think routine is boring. We value “spontaneity” and enjoy lots of “variety” in our lives. But trust me, order beats chaos every time.
2. Simple is better than complicated. Too many of us allow our lives to become far too complicated. We have too many commitments. We’ve made too many promises. We “have to” participate in too many activities, groups and “networking opportunities.” When too much becomes too much, simplify! Transforming your world sometimes starts by simply saying NO more often. Such a simple, powerful word! Leverage the principle of saying NO to organize and transform your world.
3. Clarity is power. Too many of us are fuzzy about the things we want or value in our lives. The ancient truth that “clarity is power” can be leveraged to get enormous power over our priorities, our time, our energy and our peace of mind. Too often, we want too many things, even things that contradict each other. We end up confused. We get anxious and we make mistakes. Instead, get clear about the things that are actually important and go after them! Let the rest alone! When you’re clear about your values, the world responds with clarity and things get much simpler. Claim your personal power! Get clear.
4. Goals are good. Human beings are goal-seeking creatures. We are constantly working to get more of what we want and less of what annoys or hurts us. The problem is that too often, too many of us refuse to choose. Set goals! Choose the things you want and develop plans, strategies, budgets and rules to get them. Then go for your (few) goals with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all the energy, skill and effort you can muster. “You can have anything you want in life, but not everything you might desire.” Choose goals wisely. Prioritize them. And make them happen. Goals are good.
Mahatma Gandhi once suggested, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” There is wisdom and power in that! Change always begins in the heart, one person at a time. Change always begins with “me.” Simplify. Seek order and use the power of leverage in your life. Go for what you truly want and let the other temptations, distractions, invitations and confusions go hang! To transform the world, start now. Start today.

Quotes of the Week
"We become what we repeatedly do." -- Aristotle
"You are what you think about all day long." -- Dr. Robert Schuller
"Change your thoughts and you change your world." -- Norman Vincent Peale
"The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind!"
-- William J ames

THE LAW OF ADVANCE PLANNING

The best salespeople prepare thoroughly before every call. This principle is so simple that it is often overlooked. The hallmark of the true professional is thorough preparation, reviewing every detail, before every sales meeting. The very best salespeople are those who review their presentations and study the details of their products and their sales materials repeatedly prior to every new sales contact.
The Customer's Situation
The salesperson with the best knowledge of the customer's real situation will be the one most likely to make the sale. The more time you take to thoroughly understand your prospective customer and your prospective customer's situation, the more likely you will be in a position to sell at the critical moment.
Sales Professionals Plan their questions in Advance
There is a direct relationship between the quality of the problem focused questions that you ask a customer and the likelihood of a sale taking place. The only way of assuring that your questions are clear and penetrating is by writing them out, word for word, in advance. Some of the most successful salespeople who have ever lived have been "question experts."
Notes
The power is on the side of the salesperson with the best notes. Plan your sales-call objectives thoroughly in advance of meeting the client. Write down and itemize exactly what you hope to accomplish in this visit. After the call, quickly write down everything that was said. Don't trust it to memory. Remember the Chinese saying, "The palest ink lasts longer than the finest memory." Prior to every sales call, and no matter how many times you have visited this same customer, take a few minutes to review the customer's file, the customer's situation, and your own notes on what has taken place in the past. You'll be amazed at how impressive you sound when you go into a sales interview having just reviewed the customer's file a few minutes before. And customers always know if you have done your homework.
Prior to Closing a Sale
The top salespeople in every field prepare exhaustively prior to selling, prior to their presentations, and prior to closing. They think everything through in advance. And they leave nothing to chance. Remember, it's the details that make the difference. The salesperson who has taken the greatest amount of time to acquaint himself or herself with the most specific needs of the customer is the one who builds the highest level of trust and the best sales relationship. Thorough preparation is the essential precondition for successful selling.

THE ECONOMY OF GOING FIRST CLASS

This week, I was reminded again of how often entrepreneurs try to build a business while running on "empty" in terms of money, time, energy or creativity.
Specifically, I get calls every week from people who would love to hire a coach "but I can't afford it." Whether it’s not hiring the coach they need or some other investment, often they are literally starving their businesses to death!
Contrast that with successful business leaders who look back with pride that "the first thing I did was invest in…(fill in the blank)." Whether you need a personal assistant, a web designer, an accountant, or more sales staff, you CANNOT AFFORD to cheat your business.
If y ou or your business need support, make the investment! Maybe you need a housekeeper or better day-care for your children. Maybe you need a personal coach, or someone to clean up at night. Whatever it is, never limit your business with foolish "economies." My grandmother called it being "penny wise and pound foolish."
Here are two examples from my own business:
*** Normally, I fly economy like everyone else. But, whenever I have to do a presentation or public event the same day as my flight, I ALWAYS fly first class if it's available. It makes a huge difference! I arrive rested, refreshed and much more productive. It doesn't "cost" – it pays.
*** Similarly, this week we did another up-grade on our computers and wireless network. Ken Almett does a wonderful job for us and what he charges is nothing compared to the freedom, confidence and productivity we get as a result. The ROI (Return on Investment) is immediate and dramatic.
In your business, always go first class! (Not a bad idea for your personal life as well!) If your performance and results are lacking, find the problem and fix it. If you need a coach, get one!

THE JOY OF GOING TOO FAR

Many people have observed that the only way to have more, earn more, or do more is to first “become more.” I’ve always had a conflicted relationship with that advice.
On the one hand, none of us will ever be one bit “more” than we are right now. We each have, and have always had all the tools, brains, creativity, drive, talent, and resources we need to be fully human. We wil l never be even a tiny bit “more” than we are right now. So, one part of me objects to the idea that we can “become more.”
There are far too many people telling us we are somehow inadequate or less than we “should” be. I reject that! Advertisements are always telling us that to be happy or sexy or rich or powerful (or younger—I love that one!) we should buy their product, join their campaign, or learn some new skill.
On the other hand. There is great truth in the idea that very few of us ever develop all the potential that lives within us. I’ve always had a dread of dying “with my music still inside me.” I hate the idea that fear or laziness or being “too busy” may keep me from exploring my world and living to the full.
One of my value s is to end my life by looking God in the face and being able to honestly say, “I did it all. I used all the talent, explored all the opportunities, experienced all the richness life had to offer.” I’ve always shared Henry Thoreau’s fear that he might die “and discover that I had never truly lived.”
Life is to be lived! We know we’re alive because we’re growing, deciding, trying, learning, exploring and yes, making mistakes. We know we’re fulfilling life’s promise by using the talents God gave us. Imagine the insult to life, to God, of “hiding our talents” or being shy about them! Rather, I suspect we honor life and God by “showing off.” We honor life by doing stuff, by reaching further, by dancing wildly, by singing (yes, even off-key) and exploring our world. There is something God-like and uniquely human about audacity. Even the “sin” of hubris, the arrogance of going much too far, has a joy that I like. Better to try too much, to reach too far, to dare the impossible than to sit quietly, waiting for death.
I’m convinced that few, if any, of us are ever fully alive, fully human, in the sense of being and doing all we are capable of. To me, that's a terrifying, sad and tragic thought.
At the same time, I understand the fear that holds us back. No one likes to fail or be embarrassed. No one enjoys the pain of trying, only to be ridiculed or laughed at if it doesn’t work out as we hoped.
But here’s a huge secret: Only those who risk going “too far” ever discover the joy of knowing how far they can go! And here’s a deadly corollary: Those who laugh the quickest and loudest at our “arrogance” are those held most tightly in the grip of fear.
Neil Armstrong went “too far”—all the way to the moon and back. Lewis and Clark went “too far”—all the way to the Pacific ocean and back. Maggie Thatcher and Golda Meir went “too far”—and became the heads of their respective countries. Amelia Earhart regularly went “too far”—and in the end she died, but what a life she lived!
Whatever else you do with your life, be sure to stretch your wings. Regularly, go “too far.” Live until you die. Try stuff. Push the limits, take risks, express your opinions and show the world your true colors. The world is not hungering for “average” or “safe!” We need all the greatness we can get! Show us what you can do.
If you wish, start small. Here are some suggestions:
1. Read more. In particular, read something you would normally ignore or something you’re sure you’ll disagree with. Read history or a comic book, science or one of the great novels. Just read. Learn something n ew.
2. Watch better television. Anyone can watch silly comedies or cop shows. But why bother?! Rent a documentary or something controversial. Watch a cooking show, or history, or science or some “talking heads” arguing politics. Let them make you mad. Let them make you think. And above all, argue back!
3. Eat something strange. Try a new restaurant you’re sure you “won’t like.” Or, how about worshiping with a friend who practices a different faith? How about learning a new language or attending a cultural festival? You won’t die, and you might discover something about yourself.
4. Be a beginner. Try a hobby or sport you’ve never tried. Sign up for a class on a topic you’ve never considered and see what happens. Try sky-diving or square dancing or take that computer class. I double-dare you!
5. Do lunch. Invite someone you’ve never met to lunch, preferably someone who’s very successful in a field you know nothing about. Ask questions, then listen. What’s it going to cost? A few bucks? And you were going to have lunch anyway, so see what you can learn. You might gain a friend, or even a new career!
Happiness is partly about becoming all we can be. Happiness and joy are connected to discovery, exploration and daring. If you can, buy a ticket on the space shuttle, but if you prefer to start smaller, start smaller. But start. And keep on going.

Quotes of the Week
"Courage is doing what you are afraid to do. There can be no courage without fear. -- P. Hayes
"Every man dies. Not every man truly lives." -- Braveheart
Entrepreneurship is a state of mind, a can-do attitude, a capacity to focus on a vision and work toward it.” -- Barry Rogstad
"In each of us are places where we have never gone. Only by pressing the limits do you ever find them. " -- Dr. Joyce Brothers