One Percent Living™ — Forget the Others, Impress You

Last week, I was working in the quiet of an out-of-the-way hotel suite, keeping an eye on TSN (Canada’s ESPN), and preparing for my keynote address the following morning. On TSN, a member of the Calgary Stampeders (a team in the Canadian Football League) was asked exactly what propels his impressive achievement in the sport. He answered, “I really like doing what others say I can’t do.”

Now, on how many occasions have we painted the town red after accomplishing a feat that someone else believed and voiced that we could not get done? Perhaps, you’re like me and can fill a legal pad with the off-putting declarations. Let’s be straightforward – it actually is rewarding to achieve an ambition that others inform you can’t be completed – particularly, by you. Earning an advanced degree, building and selling a booming enterprise, or writing and selling tens of thousands of copies of the book inside of you – well, it feels fantastic to silently appreciate that you were right after all.

However, let’s reflect on a more elite level – an E1™ level. Isn’t it “spot on” that we have a propensity to be harder on ourselves than others are on us? And how often do we glance over our personal and professional shoulders and speculate about what the Jones next door are doing or thinking?

Forget the Jones. Disregard what the others suppose or declare. Focus on – and work toward – that which impresses you. You.

Take a moment to delineate success as you perceive it. In your mind, what makes your family thriving? In your estimation, what outside relationships should you cherish and cultivate most? As you see it, what do you actually want to undertake – or not – professionally? In your distinctive state of affairs, what’s factual financial security, success, or freedom? Now, outline success in the additional areas of life and work toward that which matters most to you.

In every section, what would impress you – only you – if you set and accomplished a goal in that part of your world this year? Some may dispute that impressing only ourselves is, by nature and description, selfish. I have the same opinion. But, if our selfish evaluation of our particularized world includes the people, issues, and beliefs most prized by us – we are working toward our own commendable cause, not the attitudes, judgments, and displeasures pushed upon us by others. As a replacement for thinking and acting like the masses, we imagine, originate, determine, and achieve success in our own eyes.

One percent thinking is not for everyone. One percent efforts are not for all. One percent results are not for each and every one. If we forget about the benefit that comes from achieving what others deem impracticable and, in its place, work in the direction of that which each of us – independently – believes is viable, One Percent Living™ is within reach. Most of all, it’s flat out impressive – in the manners that stand for that which is most worthy to you.

 

E1 Living™ — October 2009

Where we are, and where we will be in life is a straight result of our decisions. It’s not chance, luck, or timing – it’s what we decided to do, or not do, that put us in the place we are today. Want that place to get better? To change? Here are ten actions you can take – right now – to move closer to the E1™ life waiting for you.

1. Let the good thoughts roll. For this moment, stop thinking about all of the “weaknesses” you’re supposed to be working on. All gain begins with accepting yourself: you are who you are. Make the most of you. Make a record of ten things you love about yourself. Each time you have an unconstructive, fix-that-weakness contemplation; substitute it with an affirmative thought from your list.
2. Get crystal clear. What, precisely, are you going to complete this morning? Today? This week? Now, stop planning for an instant. Until we master what we will do – accurately – in the present, we have no business planning for the future. How, specifically, do today’s and this week’s accomplishments fit into your monthly goals? You can achieve clarity on your life goals by first deciding what you will get done in the next several hours.
3. Stack your deck. List your three highest proficiencies and assess whether you are putting them to work for you. If you’re fantastic at sales, are you selling rather than managing? If you’re terrific with numbers, are you analyzing rather than shuffling files? If you’re the innovative one at your company, are you creatively destroying your business or competing for limited market share?
4. Be a control freak. Are there areas in life that you have let slide? Family? Health? Occupation? Wealth creation? Once you identify which aspect needs work, write out a single task for taking back control. Send your kids a text message that pizza is being delivered at 530 PM – be there! Enjoy fresh fruit instead of ice cream for dessert. Write an article for your industry’s leading magazine. Send half of this year’s raise straight to your 401(k).
5. Be extraordinary. Think of your best five clients. Do you know what they yearn for and could do with? Have you asked them? Can you help them pull it off? Write down the ways your business can help your clients prevail; update your clients of how you can help them; and, go get it done. Your extraordinary actions will go beyond your competitor’s run-of-the-mill dealings.
6. Do more by doing less. There is a huge difference between being busy and being productive. Have you ever worked one of those twelve-hour workdays and wondered, “What have I really done today?” Many distractions and few actions of discipline are typically to blame. What do you need to start doing? Send calls to voice mail for part of a day. Dare yourself to check email three times each day – over morning coffee, after lunch, and as you plan tomorrow. Hold meetings for decision-making only; leave the updates to Facebook and Twitter for the end of the day; and, spend less time on FarmVille and more time on what moves you onward.
7. Succeed on your terms, not others. Have you ever thought about success in life based on your description of success? What others want from us and what we want from ourselves are, characteristically, contrasting. This leads to dissatisfaction and tension. So, define success yourself and be gutsy enough to go get it. Skip “Guys Night Out,” record the game on your DVR, and roast S’mores out back with your family. Save money, borrow wisely, and focus on creating added cash flow rather than the most you can borrow. Eat right, exercise more, and look years younger. In short, look at how the majority classify success and run as far away from that description as you can. You’ll find that it’s tough to do what no one else will, but effortless to benefit from what no one else can.
8. Do some good in your community. A few years ago, my wife’s MOMS Club held a food drive to support our local Settlement House. I helped to deliver the food and necessaries to Settlement House. Unloading the goods, I looked at man with a daughter the same age as mine. The only genuine, fundamental difference between him and me? He needed a hand in life and I was helping to lend him and his family that hand. I found my cause for good in my neck-of-the-woods and committed considerable resources to aid, rather than a bunch of $10 checks to help an assortment of causes. Where can you and your business blessings make a giant difference in your community?
9. Be a model for your kids. Our kids observe – and model – us more directly than we believe. I learned this when Jayne, my wife, informed me that Molly, our daughter, has just finished lecturing “the damned cat.” Point taken, lesson learned. If we want our kids to be attracted to learning, they should see us reading books. If we want our kids to show consideration for others, we should advise them to get their ding-dong ditching finished before 830 PM. If we want our kids to appreciate that romance still exists in our marriage, we should hire sitters and enjoy a needed night out.
10. Spend time with your real friends. In excellent times, real friends rejoice with you. In hard-hitting times, real friends chip in where they’re needed. Odds are, you have three authentic friends – the ones who see you pleased, gloomy, enjoyable, angry, certain, and concerned. They still love you and what you add to their life. Call those three friends today; get together with them this month.

E1™ Living – Let Your Mind Lead for a While

The six inches sandwiched between your ears may very well be the most valuable section of real estate on the planet. For when it comes to really living an elite – E1™ — life, the substance of your success exists in your mind before it ever makes its approach to dreams, goals, strategies, plans, and actions. Below, are ten measures you can take without delay to assent to your mind guiding you on a passageway to E1™ living.

1. Feed your mind. It’s been said that you can tell a lot about a person by the books he reads, or doesn’t read for that matter. What books are on your nightstand? On your desk at work? For me, it’s Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and Chasing the Rabbit by Steven Spear, respectively. To lead a successful E1™ life, you need to be teachable. A key element is the motivation to continue learning about the world where we live, lived, and will live.
   
2. Set a strategy for your marriage or significant relationship. With a little planning, you can assemble an award-winning enterprise in your marriage. Write down one word that describes what you would like from your marriage. Have your spouse do the same. Compare notes. Talk about differences. Find similarities. See eye to eye on what you both believe is your mission. Now, set some substantial goals based on your united mission. Jayne and I completed this assignment and developed 13 action items that carry out our marriage mission.
3. Make a surprise date with your family. This week, be thankful for your family and reallocate your priorities. You’ll be taken back how much they detect that you’ve thought ahead and broken the mold on their behalf. Go ahead and keep your standing Saturday movie matinee. Stay true to the rituals that make your family only one of its kind. But, stir it up once. Announce that you’ll be home early for lunch – and stay home to swim all afternoon. Get up earlier on Sunday and let your family awaken to the aroma of your famous pancakes and center-cut bacon. Toilet paper Grandma’s house, but clean it up for her the next morning.
4. Remove yourself from toxic relationships. Do you have friends where your exchanges seem to end up in unconstructive territory – disapproval, hearsay, and disagreeable about life instead of seeking solutions? Do you feel like the world is a less significant place when you leave their company? It might be high time to disassociate. It’s all right to remain acquaintances and share the infrequent chitchat; however, these people are not adding to your development in life. As an alternative…
5. Hang around people you want to be more like. If you’re endeavoring to develop your business, are you mixing with those who have developed businesses? If you’re striving to add some balance in your life, are you associating with those who, undoubtedly, have the sense of balance you seek? I’ve always understood that if I encircle myself with like-minded people, at my ambition level or above, I’ll be inspired (or irritated) to progress. If I connect with non-E1™ thinkers who would rather discuss than do – it’s only a matter of time before I slide down that slippery slope called Run of the Mill.
6. Take a shot at a task you’re avoiding. What remains of your tasks for the day, week, month, or year that you’ve evaded in order to complete the easier, less agonizing, responsibilities? Of course, you know that the job you’ve avoided is one that can lead to greater success. “But, it’s so risky…I might flub the sales call…I was up so late last night…My heart will be in it tomorrow.” Stop. Now. Whatever your excuses, get rid of them for one day. Make the investment. Pick up the phone. Remind yourself that those who will not do can never take pleasure in the payback given to those who get up and do.
7. For one day, stick to a list. You know what you need to do. You know how to prioritize what you need to do. Just make the list and finish the priorities. Finish # 1. Move on to # 2. Finish # 2. Move on to # 3. You get the picture. Send your phone calls to voice mail for an hour. Check email three times each day (and turn off that electronic notification that you have a new email). Stay off the Internet. Your Facebook post can wait and you don’t need to know what your Facebook friends had for dinner, saw at the movies, or scored on the “Which Celebrity are You?” quiz. I take this line of attack every day and find myself with “new” readily available hours every week.
8. Prove your internal chatter wrong. Oh, the stuff we tell ourselves: we need more experience; no one will buy; I’m too old; I’ll never afford it; and, the list goes on. Quit listening to all of that self-defeating babble in your head. Single out one ambition you have wanted to achieve, but allowed defeating thoughts to disrupt you. Take one step toward your goal. The chatter volume will drop off. Take another step. It’s getting quieter. Take another. Before long, you’re where you want to be and moving toward the next level.
9. When lightning strikes, write it down. Every day, we have ideas or thoughts that can better a process, patch up a problem, or add happiness to someone’s day. Too often, we “make a mental note” and later have a “mental freeze.” Keep a record of your ideas and anything that makes you pause throughout your day. Put a notebook in your pocket to summarize your compilation of ideas for later discovery. Or just tap your thoughts into the “Notes” feature of your smart phone device. Later, you’ll be able to turn your “a-ha” moments into actions that bring value to your business and life.
10. Perfect your pitch. Come up with a list of ways your product or service benefits your customer. How do you add to their top line revenue? How do you help keep expenses at bay? How do you boost market share? How do you build superior public awareness? The more you recognize the value your business provides – and the innovative insight you have along the way – the greater your sales, service and profits become.

E1™ Four-Year Old Pays No Attention to Conventional Wisdom

Warning! This is an E1™ Proud Daddy post. One that is capable of instantaneously helping you realize your goals at a pace more rapidly than your fiercest competitors, external influences, and The Other 99 Percent (TO99) believe is, in due course, achievable.

My exquisite wife, Jayne, home schools our four-year old daughter, Molly. Early, last year, Jayne – with poise – approached me about the thought of home schooling Molly through the second grade, a timeline that coincides with our plans to build a home closer to a breathtaking college preparatory school we wish for Molly to attend. Being the Libertarian-minded, Cato-loving, Reason-reading, competition-and-choice fellow that I am, I whole-heartedly was of the same mind with Jayne’s splendid aspiration. On balance, Jayne has the desire, skills, and discipline to succeed in anything she puts her mind, choices, and actions to. E1™ preschool, here we come.

Fast forward one year later – this morning to be precise. Molly eagerly knocked at my office door and I could distinguish she was awfully thrilled and geared up to show something to me. As I welcomed her into my office, she excitedly put on view her completion certificate for the Spectrum Reading Workbook – Grade K. Simply put, Molly is two years to the lead of where she should be – if we accept as true what other, outside forces determine where one should be. Since we are E1™ thinkers and doers, I appreciate that you don’t bestow any credibility to what TO99 tell you is up to standard.

Jayne, Molly, and I joyfully celebrated, high-fived, chanted, ran about the house, skipped on the tile, had a glass of milk, scared the cats, and heaps of other four-year old antics (and several of my own 41-year old antics, too). As I proudly sauntered back into my office and closed the door, I intrinsically became conscious that one of the countless reasons Molly did so well was because no one told her where she should be or what she could do. Jayne and I allowed Molly to pursue her interests, provided her encouragement, endowed her with support, invested in resources, and observed the consequences of success that appeared.

Oh, believe me; the unconstructive forces of Suburbia sought for Molly to believe in where those off-putting influences thought she should be. I have collided with too many people who clumsily rely on another entity to exclusively cultivate their child’s intellect. Why, even in my mailbox, I received a pre-school advertising leaflet boldly boasting of a summer curriculum that would cover nine letters in the alphabet (A through I) over three months. Nine letters. Our 26-letter alphabet. Three months. I even became aware of a pre-school dropout who was “so over preschool” that she needed a multi-month escape, yet she cannot write her first name. In each set of circumstances, outside forces – powerful ones, too – dictated one’s limits. This runs contrary to every trace of E1™ thinking. This frame of mind and fruitless practice results in nothing close to E1™ outcomes.

This post is not a disapproving fume in opposition to the public or private educational structure. It’s an annoyed tirade critical of the limitations placed upon us at an early age; a practice of restrictions and boundaries that can steer our accepted wisdom through life.

Notify ten of your relatives, neighbors, or colleagues what you unquestionably aim to pull off in the next five years. Heck, enlighten them with what you intend to accomplish in the next year. Observe how hurriedly your plans and aspirations are censured, devalued, and even scoffed at. No matter what you are seeking to achieve, it will promptly be noticeable from other’s world view. It becomes apparent that your E1™ world view has zero in common with their world view. And many will tell you what they want you to believe about hopes, endeavors, and accomplishment. And it’s not E1™. Thoughtfully pay no attention to everything they pronounce, recommend, or put forward. Their assistance will not give you E1™ results.

In its place, think as if you are the only one capable of determining how great you can be and how much you can accomplish. For all intents and purposes, you are.

Because of Molly’s success today, I changed my seven-year business growth timeframe to six years. Same results that I seek out, just a year before I assumed I could achieve them. Why? Frankly, no one is telling me that I can’t, shouldn’t or won’t.

And no one ever will. You?

Elite thinking. Elite choices. Elite actions. Elite results. That’s E1™.

 

If “Its and Buts” Were Candy and Nuts, What a Christmas We’d Have!

If you’re like me, you’ve heard – maybe made – oodles of excuses. And, naturally, from those with honorary degrees in platitudes, we find out:

• “You’re either winning or you’re whining.”
• “Get rid of your stinking thinking.”
• “Second place is first place for losers.”
• And the list goes on and on and on.

Whatever. Losing is advantageous for winning. Failure is a magnificent instructor on the road to triumph. What we discover and complete with the schooling we get from failing is most crucial. It’s a key ingredient in E1™ thinking.

During unsure times, many of us have a tendency to hark back to better times and contemplate, “How did I get myself into this jam? Where did I go wrong? How could I have been so stupid?” We sense, more intensely, our overlooked chances and letdowns in a mode of final verdict. Regret – the common sense that things could have turned out enhanced if only we made different selections – becomes insidious. We flounder in it and never move forward. And occasionally, it’s one step forward and two steps back.

However, guilt does not have to be a tearing-of-the-clothes-self-flagellating passion. As an alternative, it can be rather helpful and constructive. New research from the Universities of Victoria and Illinois explains that most of us hold regret in high honor. Of all the harmful emotions, regret was acknowledged as the most appreciated for the reason that it helps us make sense of life’s events and take care of what went wide of the mark.

In plain English: We can choose to learn from our mistakes.

Regret is hardwired into human biology, highlighting its significance in conduct. Developments in imaging of the mind demonstrate that when we feel remorse, a piece of the brain involved in both logic and feeling—the frontal cortex—becomes full of life. Emotion is in high gear at this moment. In truth, this part of neuroscience also informs us that education almost certainly works best when there is a concentrated poignant factor to it, so it could be that regret boosts our capability to gain knowledge from this occurrence.

In plain English: We pursue and learn from that which grabs our attention.

After-the-fact favoritism can initiate an unsightly preconceived notion here. What we should have completed, forever and a day seems more obvious in retrospect. As the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard put it, “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” Og Mandino, in The Greatest Secret in the World, wrote:

“Can sand flow upward in the hourglass? Will the sun rise where it sets and set where it rises? Can I relive the errors of yesterday and right them? Can I call back yesterday’s wounds and make them whole? Can I become younger than yesterday? Can I take back the evil that was spoken, the blows that were struck, and the pain that was caused? No. Yesterday is buried forever and I will think of it no more.”

In plain English: What happened – happened – now, move on.

Let’s decide to make use of regret to upgrade our decision-making. Instead of chewing over what might have been, let what happened point the way. The regret we may well sense from a blunt re-examination of our decision-making need not chip away at our poise. To a certain extent, it can help us prioritize our relationships, business ventures, healthiness, and wealth strategies. Instead of picking out less uncertain opportunities that we are least prone to apologize for, let’s opt for the one that will take full advantage of our probability of attaining levelheaded aspirations.

In plain English: Take well-planned and calculated risks.

There is not anything innately erroneous with having misgivings. It is making excuses, for those qualms, that keeps us from growing. Choose to be different. Choose to learn from disappointment. Choose to prevail from reservations. It’s an elite choice that leads us to elite results.

Elite thinking. Elite choices. Elite actions. Elite results. That’s E1™.