REPLICATE YOUR SUCCESS

Read about a client who developed a wonderful business
model. I won't give away the kernel of his amazing system,
but I will describe the principles that make it work.
1.  His business has a very low start-up cost. Most
professionals are surprised at the high costs of equipping
an office and launching a new business, and start out
under-capitalized. The client developed a business that can
be set up for around $20,000, so he can afford to do it
right and create momentum from the very beginning.
2.  His products are low cost, quickly consumed, and
standardized. In other words, he makes lots of repeat
sales. Think McDonald's restaurants, gas stations, or donut
shops. His customers appreciate the predictability and
reliability, and when they need more, they come back and
make repeat purchases. The cost of sales goes down, while
volume and profits go up. Good system!
3.  Finally, because the business is modular, he can easily
duplicate himself.  Once the bugs are worked out, he can
either establish more offices and hire people to run them,
or franchise the idea, or follow a number of other plans. 
The key is duplication.
Unless you can duplicate yourself, no matter how well you
are paid and how fancy your title, you are basically
working for wages. A surgeon may earn thousands of dollars
per hour, but she only gets paid when she operates. 
To increase your earnings, duplicate yourself. Find a way
to "modularize" (is that a word?) your business model and
let other people make money helping you make money. You
really can't do it all yourself!

YOUR SYSTEMS FOR SUCCESS

Success is all about consistently achieving your most
desired results. And, in the long-run, success depends on
the balance between chaos and order in your life. The more
order, structure, discipline and routine in your life, and
the more focused you are on your goals, the more likely you
will be successful. Chaos, on the other hand, is the enemy
of success!
In America, we are seeing this in the political campaigns.
Some candidates never seem to get organized. Their message
and their schedules are undisciplined, and they exit early.
Contrast that with the choreographed organization, planning
and precision of Pope Francis' visit this week. Success
comes from organization and effective systems!
Or another example. No one competes in the Olympics by
accident. Olympic athletes train and prepare every day for
years. They work with the best coaches and study the
techniques of the best competitors. They use computer
animation, slow-motion photography, and endless hours of
practice to get the smallest details just right.
I recently read a case-study about "structural precision"
at the Olympic Games. The dining facilities in the Olympic
Village are one example. Every day, they prepare thousands
of meals precisely tailored to each individual athlete's
specifications. Some athletes want more protein, some more
carbs. Others focus on specific nutrients, while others
need 10,000 calories a day to stay strong! Success at the
Olympic level depends on systems to get every detail right,
for every single competitor, every single day.
Chaos is the enemy of success.
To achieve your goals, you need systems that are as
complete and well-designed as you can make them.
Every researcher, every manufacturing process, every
successful sales presentation requires organization. Every
attorney has a strategy and a system for winning her case.
Every doctor follows a precise process to get an accurate
diagnosis.
And yet we live in a society that values spontaneity and
impulse gratification. I suspect all human beings are drawn
to "bright shiny objects." We love the new and the novel.
We are easily distracted. As the poet wrote, "the best laid
plans of mice and men go oft astray."
Many of us actively resist self-discipline and order in our
lives. We want to adjust our schedule on a moment's notice.
There's a sense of excitement in our daily surprises. As
much as we want success, we also want to be "free" and
spontaneous, and that's wonderful. But it comes at a price.
Highly successful people develop and follow effective
systems. Would you want your doctor easily distracted or
being spontaneous in the middle of surgery? I don't think
so!
I encourage you to develop a system that works for you,
your personality, and in your circumstances. You must have
a system! It must help you focus. It must help you be clear
about your goals and consistent in your actions. It must
help you be productive and avoid repeating mistakes.
I've studied many types of systems over the years, and I
encourage you to experiment. But you can't afford to
experiment endlessly! Don't claim you are "searching for
the best system" when in fact you are avoiding the
structure and routine of systems altogether. Find a "good
enough" system and put it to work!

OUR DAILY JUMP-START

Several weeks ago, I left the lights on in my SUV attending
a meeting and afterward I needed a "jump start" to

get home. Fortunately, a friend was parked next to me, we
both had jumper cables in our vehicles, and it only took a
moment to get started and be on my way.
If only the "dead batteries" in other areas of life could
be "jump started" as easily!
We all have days, or weeks, and sometimes longer periods
where we just can't "get going." How many of us joke about
needing our cup of coffee to start the day? Or our morning
run? But sometimes we have goals or projects that are truly
important to us, and yet we don't do them. We
procrastinate. We sigh or shrug our shoulders, we attend
meetings or spend time "planning." Anything except getting
to work and getting things done.
I believe there are two wonderful tools that can over-come
that kind of deadly procrastination.
The first is to re-focus on the REASONS we want to do
something. One of my mentors, Jim Rohn, used to say that
"reasons come first, ways come second." What he meant is
that when we have enough GOOD REASONS to do something, we
will always find a "way" to get it done.
Nothing motivates me like reviewing the names and faces of
my clients. Knowing WHO will benefit from my work gets me
going! Remembering WHY we are working together gets me
excited and drives me all day long.
Countless people have told me that looking at their
sleeping children has motivated them to work a bit harder,
a bit smarter or a bit longer. Many people keep pictures of
their dream homes or other goals on their desks to remind
them of the REASONS WHY they work so hard.
The second key is to have a powerful "morning ritual" to
get you up and going each day. We are creatures of habit
and I believe it is vital to have a positive routine that
you follow EVERY MORNING.
Am an early riser, I look at the stars or the sunrise.
I think about my day. I visualize my schedule and the
opportunities ahead. I always end by listing a set of
three specific, actionable projects for the day.
Now, that particular set of rituals helps me, but I think
the most important thing is that you HAVE A RITUAL.
No matter what your goal or dream in life, the key is to
take the DAILY ACTIONS that are required to "get there."
Day by day, we need to get up, get going and do the things,
large or small to move forward, and the key is a daily
"jump start."
Develop rituals that get you up, get you focused and get
you going. Maybe its prayer or meditation, or exercise, or
breakfast with the kids. Maybe it's reading or a cold
shower, but develop your own personal "jump start" and use
it every single day to move you toward your most important
goals.
I am convinced that great achievements do NOT necessarily
require extraordinary people or unusual talent or "luck",
but great achievement DOES require that we do our work
faithfully, day by day.
Here is a great truth:  Inch by inch, day by day, step by
step, ANYTHING is possible. Develop a "daily jump-start"
and do your work, every day.

BACK-OFFICE EXCELLENCE

This week I read an MBA case-study about a company that was
increasing sales and gross revenues by over 60% a year, but
managed to go bankrupt. The problem? They weren't keeping
an eye on costs, or to put it another way, no one was
watching the store.
Most entrepreneurs love to focus on "sales."
Understandably, we love our products and we love our
customers, and the temptation is to measure "success" based
on what are often called "top-line" numbers.
If we sold 100 units last year, and sales increase to 500
units this year, surely we are doing much better, right?
Unfortunately, the answer is, "Not always."
Every business must monitor the actual profitability of the
enterprise. Whether you are a single entrepreneur (perhaps
a sales rep or solo professional) or own a small business
or run a huge multinational, the principle is always the
same. Increased sales are nice; increased PROFITS are
better.
Profits are what you get to keep, and the only way to
measure how much you are actually making is to track the
numbers. There are many number of accounting systems and
packages available. The key is to work with a good
accountant and find the best (and simplest) system that
will truly give you all the information you need to manage
wisely.
Too many small business owners neglect the "paper work."
They tend to do the minimum of meeting payroll and
balancing the checkbook, and leave other "details" for
"later." That can lead to disaster!
Business owners have many jobs, including providing
leadership, innovation and sales, but one of your most
important (and most-often neglected) is to track the
numbers. Your job is not done until the paperwork is
complete!
Track the numbers. They are your key to profits and wealth!

WANT YOUR KID TO BE A BILLIONAIRE? TEACH THEM THESE 7 THINGS

If you want your children to be able create great wealth, and to keep from being destroyed by it, then you need to instil in them the right mindset as early as possible.

Reality, for good or ill, is highly subjective. The things you're taught and the experiences you have profoundly shape the way you view the world, and your perception of what is and isn't possible. In so many ways nurture truly trumps nature, and so the things you teach your children well and truly matter.
Preparing your children to create and manage great wealth won't be easy, but the right mental toolbox can give them a massive advantage. If you want your children to be truly wealthy, they're going to need a mental framework that goes far beyond the education an average child receives.
While far from exhaustive, these 7 things will provide a rock solid foundation for your kids:
1. Financial Literacy--While this one should go without saying, you need to teach your children about the intricacies of money right from the start. From basic principles like interest and public markets, to more advanced topics like holding companies and other asset protection strategies, their financial education should be both broad and deep.
If this isn't your forte, never fear. People like Thomas J. Stanley, Robert Kiyosaki, Charles Munger, and even Tony Robbins have done an excellent job covering these things thoroughly and intelligently.
2. A Love of Learning--I've yet to meet a wealthy person who wasn't well read and intensely curious. While some elements of this may be innate, you can foster a love of learning by introducing your children to new places and ideas (both of which books can easily satisfy), and by answering their questions thoughtfully.
Never resort to answering a question with "just because" when you could make it a teaching opportunity instead. If you can't answer a question, go search for the answer together. If your children learn that questions are met with answers or the pursuit of answers instead of dead ends, they will be infinitely more likely to remain curious, and curiosity is at the heart of a love of learning.
3. Systems Thinking--Very little in life is black and white, and understanding the intricacies of business, society, and life in general is extremely helpful in the pursuit of wealth. Help your children to become strategists, people capable of seeing how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together, because those are the people who tend to achieve the greatest success.
Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Leonardo da Vinci; history remembers strategists for a reason. Introducing your children to chess or brain teasers at an early age can help immensely with this (IQ isn't set in stone, and can be positively influenced with the right mental training.)
4. Risk Taking--Your brains evolved in an era when your day-to-day physical safety was the most important thing to focus on, so you're all wired for a healthy dose of fear and risk aversion. But if you want your kids to become truly great, they're going to have to overcome their fears and almost certainly take significant risks.
The real trick is teaching them to walk the line between smart risks and foolish ones, in a world where that line is often blurry. In my experience, the best antidote to fear is mindfulness and an analytical mind. Teach your kids to live in the moment, and when they feel non-life threatening fear, to pick it apart and make decisions based on analysis instead of animal instinct.
5. Employer > Employee--When it comes to billionaires, I know of no exceptions to this rule. You simply don't become a billionaire by being "just" an employee. If you're a billionaire, you were either a founder, a co-founder (whether in title or function), or a inheritor.
As noted author Nassim Taleb says, "The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary." Your most valuable asset is time, and wealth comes from leveraging your time wisely and valuing highly. As an employee, someone else is always going to be making multiples on your time, leaving you with a fraction of your true value, so teach your kids to make multiples on their own time without the middleman.
6. Add Value at Scale--The bigger the problem, and the more people it impacts, the larger the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Facebook, Amazon, Walmart, take your pick; the wealthiest people on the planet tend to have founded the companies that impact the largest number of people.
To become a billionaire, you need to add value to a large number of people. Pick a big problem, something that seems impossible, and tackle that. Nothing is impossible, unless you perceive it as such.
7. Money is a Tool--Never, ever let your children forget this: money is a means to an end, not the end itself. It is a tool to be used by you, but like all tools it can be either beneficial or destructive. Help your children to understand what they want from life, and how money might help or hinder that desire. I believe the reason that so many wealthy people seem to crash and burn is this: they acquire money without a clear end in mind, and without mentally preparing for the responsibility that comes with it, and are thus overwhelmed by it.
I could probably add 100 more things to this list, but this is a solid foundation. If you teach your kids these 7 principles, they will be vastly ahead of their peers in the game of life.

BETTER STRATEGIES GET BETTER RESULTS

As long-time readers know, I am passionate about
helping people reach their goals and create the life they
truly want. I am not as concerned that we all have big
houses or drive fancy cars, because each us of has our own
definition of the good life.
I am passionate about developing tools (and providing
coaching) that helps thousands of people create and live
the life they truly want, and I am frustrated that more of
us don't achieve that rather simple, ordinary level of
success.
Very few people define "the good life" in terms that are
unique or difficult to achieve. Most of us want healthy,
happy families, and enough money to be comfortable and
secure. We want to travel or perhaps have a second home in
the mountains or at the beach. Whatever your dreams, most
of us want the ordinary things that millions of people have
already achieved.
And for most of us, these things are tantalizing close.
People around us achieve them every day. So it's
particularly frustrating, even disheartening, that many of
us are no closer to our dreams today than we were a year
ago. What's going on?
The problem is that many of us are using ineffective
strategies. We work hard, but make little progress. I
believe it was Peter Drucker who said that the ultimate
failure is doing very efficiently that which ought not be
done at all!
Similarly, Stephen Covey talks about climbing the ladder of
success, only to find that it’s leaning against the wrong
wall!  (Hint: Don’t do that to yourself!)
What are your strategies for reaching your goals? Do you
have a carefully designed, well-thought-out strategy, or
are you going along day to day, working hard and hoping for
the best?
Highly successful people work from a plan. They create a
strategy or road-map, and follow it to their ultimate goal.
Every morning, they know what their most important tasks
are for the day. They know what they will do next week, and
they can tell you where they will be a year from now. They
have a strategy and a plan!
It's often been said that even five minutes of planning can
save hours of wasted effort, and I think that's true.
"Those who fail to plan are planning to fail."
If your definition of "the good life" is something
thousands of other people have already achieved, and you
are not making adequate progress toward it, review your
strategies. Something’s missing or you’ve gotten lost in
the swamp of everyday distractions. If you’re working hard
and not getting the results you deserve, STOP! Step back,
re-calculate. You need a better plan!
Highly successful people do certain things, and for the
most part, they are simple, ordinary things that we can all
copy. Here's a short list:
1.  They have the courage to choose specific, concrete
goals. They know they cannot do or have or achieve
everything, so they make choices.
2.  They focus on personal development first, external
achievement second. They know that to have more, they must
first become more.
3.  They learn from experts. They study and use techniques
that have worked for others, even if at first they seem
difficult or uncomfortable.
4.  They take time to plan and have the discipline to
follow their plan to completion. They are not easily
distracted and they never give up.
5.  They work smart. If they aren't getting the results
they anticipated, they consult and review and devise a
better plan. Never keep hitting your head against a brick
wall!

5 WAYS TO BE A BETTER TEAM MANAGER AT WORK

Looking for the most effective ways to become a better team manager? I can help you. It’s not easy to be a good team manager since you have more responsibilities and you should always inspire and encourage your team to work better. Your team’s performance depends mostly on you. Leading a team isn’t as difficult as you may think, though. The main rule to follow is to avoid being too bossy and too friendly. You need to be a great professional and a role model for your colleagues. Here are a few tricks to become a better team manager at work.

1. Set a good example

Just because you’ve got that promotion doesn’t mean you have more power and you can relax. You should work like your team does. The key word here is a team, which means you should work together. If you have a difficult project to accomplish, don’t just sit around waiting for your colleagues to accomplish it. Suggest your ideas, listen to the ideas of your colleagues, and do your best to help your team to accomplish a successful project on time. Speaking about time, make sure to come to work on time each day. Motivate your team to do the same. If you come in at noon, criticize the work of your team and then leave at 4 or 5 pm, you will never become a successful team manager. Follow the rules you apply to your team, and they will definitely respect you and will want to work with you down the road.

2. Motivate your team

No one wants to be stuck in a position. Motivate your team members to work better to get a promotion. Inspire them to improve their career path and help them reach their career goals. One of the best ways to motivate your team to work better is to have individual meetings where you can talk about person’s weaknesses and strengths, and find the most effective way to boost their productivity. Try to encourage your team members to learn something new each day. Unfortunately, most managers don’t provide their team members with a better career path. It’s a bad mistake that you should avoid making.

3. Recognize accomplishments

I can’t understand why it’s so hard for a boss or manager to recognize their employees’ accomplishments and simply to say “Well done” at least once in a while. From personal experience I can say that most bosses avoid rewarding their employees because they don’t even try to see a good job. They have lots of remarks, tell you that you don’t do anything and you will never get a promotion. It’s unfair and frustrating, especially if you work like a horse the whole day and sometimes evening. If you are a team manager, make sure you don’t make the same mistake. If your team member did a fantastic job, tell them that they did well. Your team will respect you and they will never tell that you are a bad manager.

4. Have a happy hour

Whether your company provides budget for a happy hour or not, it’s a good idea to have a happy hour at least once a week. Being a successful team manager isn’t about job only. You should also know about your team member’s lives, their interests, hobbies and traits. A happy hour is a wonderful opportunity to know your team better, spend a great time together and build team camaraderie.

5. Admit your mistakes

Many people have trouble admitting their mistakes, especially bosses and managers. They will always find thousands of ways to prove that you are wrong and you don’t do your job well. However, no one is perfect and every person in this world makes mistakes. We should learn to admit them. Leave your ego at home and don’t be afraid to tell your team members that it’s your mistake. You might not be better than your team, so why not respect each other and learn from mistakes together? Your team will become more experienced and successful if they have a good and wise team manager.

Although you, as a team manager, can have a huge set of unique skills, great knowledge of the field and more power, it doesn’t mean that your colleagues are worse than you. They might not be as smart as you, but you can always help them to be better team members. After all, when the team is successful, their manager is successful as well. Remember, you are the leader and role model for your team. You need to find a smart way to motivate them work better and reach their career goals. What are your secrets of being a successful team manager?