M a n a gin g You r Tim e By: Br ia n Tr a cy

Perhaps t he great est single problem t hat people have t oday is “ t im e povert y.” Working people have t oo m uch t o do and t oo lit t le t im e for t heir personal lives. Most people feel overwhelm ed wit h responsibilit ies and act ivit ies, and t he harder t hey work, t he furt her behind t hey feel. This sense of being on a never- ending t readm ill can cause you t o fall int o t he react ive/ responsive m ode of living. I nst ead of clearly deciding w hat you w ant t o do, you cont inually react t o w hat is happening around you. Pret t y soon you lose all sense of cont rol. You feel t hat your life is running you, rat her t han you running your life.

On a regular basis, you have t o st and back and t ake st ock of yourself and what you’re doing. You have t o st op t he clock and do som e serious t hinking about who you are and where you are going. You have t o evaluat e your act ivit ies in t he light of what is really im port ant t o you. You m ust m ast er your t im e rat her t han becom ing a slave t o t he const ant flow of event s and dem ands on your t im e. And you m ust organize your life t o achieve balance, harm ony, and inner peace.

Taking act ion wit hout t hinking is t he cause of every failure. Your abilit y t o t hink is t he m ost valuable t rait t hat you possess. I f you im prove t he qualit y of your t hinking, you im prove t he qualit y of your life  som et im es im m ediat ely.

Tim e is your m ost precious resource. I t is t he m ost valuable t hing you have. I t is perishable, it is irreplaceable, and it cannot be saved. I t can only be reallocat ed from act ivit ies of lower value t o act ivit ies of higher value. All work requires t im e. And t im e is absolut ely essent ial for t he im port ant relat ionships in your life. The very act of t aking a m om ent t o t hink about your t im e before you spend it will begin t o im prove your personal t im e m anagem ent im m ediat ely.

I used t o t hink t hat t im e m anagem ent w as only a business t ool, like a calculat or or a cellular t elephone. I t w as som et hing t hat you used so t hat you could get m ore done in a short er period of t im e and event ually be paid m ore m oney. Then I learned t hat t im e m anagem ent is not a peripheral act ivit y or skill. I t is t he core skill upon which everyt hing else in life depends.

I n your w ork or business life, t here are so m any dem ands on your t im e from ot her people t hat very lit t le of your t im e is yours t o use as you choose. However, at hom e and in your personal life you can exert a t rem endous am ount of cont rol over how you use your t im e. And it is in t his area t hat I want t o focus.

Personal t im e m anagem ent begins w it h you. I t begins w it h your t hinking t hrough what is really im port ant t o you in life. And it only m akes sense if you organize it around specific t hings t hat you w ant t o accom plish. You need t o set goals in t hree m aj or areas of your life. First , you need fam ily and personal goals. These are t he reasons why you get up in t he m orning, why you work hard and upgrade your skills, why you worry about m oney and som et im es feel frust rat ed by t he dem ands on your t im e.

What are your personal and fam ily goals, bot h t angible and int angible? A t angible fam ily goal could be a bigger house, a bet t er car, a larger t elevision set , a vacat ion, or anyt hing else t hat cost s m oney. An int angible goal w ould be t o build a higher qualit y relat ionship w it h your spouse and children, t o spend m ore t im e w it h your fam ily going for w alks or reading books. Achieving t hese fam ily and personal goals are t he real essence of t im e m anagem ent , and it s m aj or purpose.

The second area of goals are your business and career goals. These are t he “ how” goals, t he m eans by w hich you achieve your personal, “ why” goals. How can you achieve t he level of incom e t hat will enable you t o fulfill your fam ily goals? How can you develop t he skills and abilit ies t o st ay ahead of t he curve in your career? Business and career goals are absolut ely essent ial, especially when balanced wit h fam ily and personal goals.

The t hird t ype of goals are your personal developm ent goals. Rem em ber, you can’t achieve m uch m ore on t he out side t han what you have achieved on t he inside. Your out er life will be a reflect ion of your inner life. I f you wish t o achieve wort hwhile t hings in your personal and your career life, you m ust becom e a w ort hw hile person in your own self- developm ent . You m ust build yourself if you want t o build your life. Perhaps t he great est secret of success is t hat you can becom e anyt hing you really w ant t o becom e t o achieve any goal t hat you really w ant t o achieve. But in order t o do it , you m ust go t o work on yourself and never st op.

Once you have a list of your personal and fam ily goals, your business and career goals, and your self- developm ent goals, you can t hen organize t he list by priorit y. This brings us t o t he difference bet w een priorit ies and post eriorit ies. I n order t o get your personal t im e under cont rol, you m ust decide very clearly upon your priorit ies. You m ust decide on t he m ost im port ant t hings t hat you could possible be doing t o give yourself t he sam e am ount of happiness, sat isfact ion, and j oy in life. But at t he sam e t im e, you m ust est ablish post eriorit ies as w ell. Just as priorit ies are t hings t hat you do m ore of and sooner, post eriorit ies are t hings t hat you do less of and lat er.

The fact is, your calendar is full. You have no spare t im e. Your t im e is ext rem ely valuable. Therefore, for you t o do anyt hing new, you will have t o st op doing som et hing old. I n order t o get int o som et hing, you will have t o get out of som et hing else. I n order t o pick som et hing up, you will have t o put som et hing down. Before you m ake any new com m it m ent of your t im e, you m ust firm ly decide what act ivit ies you are going t o discont inue in your personal life.

I f you w ant t o spend m ore t im e w it h your fam ily, for exam ple, you m ust decide w hat act ivit ies you current ly engage in t hat are prevent ing you from doing so.

A principle of t im e m anagem ent says t hat hard t im e pushes out soft t im e. This m eans t hat hard t im e, such as working, will push out soft t im e, such as t he t im e you spend w it h your fam ily. I f you don’t get your w ork done at t he office because you don’t use your t im e well, you alm ost invariably have t o rob t hat t im e from your fam ily. As a result , because your fam ily is im port ant t o you, you find yourself in a values conflict . You feel st ressed and irrit able. You feel a t rem endous am ount of pressure. You know in your heart t hat you should be spending m ore t im e w it h t he im port ant people in your life, but because you didn’t get your w ork done, you have t o fulfill t hose responsibilit ies before you can spend t im e wit h your spouse and children.

Think of it t his way. Every m inut e you wast e during t he waking day is t im e t hat your fam ily will ult im at ely be deprived of. So concent rat e on working when you are at w ork so t hat you can concent rat e on your fam ily w hen you are at hom e.

There are t hree key quest ions t hat you can ask yourself cont inually t o keep your personal life in balance. The first quest ion is, “ What is really im port ant t o m e?” Whenever you find yourself w it h t oo m uch t o do and t oo lit t le t im e, st op and ask yourself, “ What is it t hat is really im port ant for m e t o do in t his sit uat ion?” Then, m ake sure t hat w hat you are doing is t he answer t o t hat quest ion.

The second quest ion is, “ What are m y highest value act ivit ies?” I n your personal life, t his m eans, “ What are t he t hings t hat I do t hat give m e t he great est pleasure and sat isfact ion? Of all t he t hings t hat I could be doing at any one t im e, w hat are t he t hings t hat I could do t o add t he great est value t o m y life?”

And t he final quest ion for you t o ask over and over again is, “ What is t he m ost valuable use of m y t im e right now ?” Since you can only do one t hing at a t im e, you m ust const ant ly organize you life so t hat you are doing one t hing, t he m ost im port ant t hing, at every m om ent .

Personal t im e m anagem ent enables you t o choose w hat t o do first , w hat t o do second, and w hat not t o do at all. I t enables you t o organize every aspect of your life so t hat you can get t he great est j oy, happiness, and sat isfact ion out of everyt hing you do.

Se t t in g Pr ior it ie s

By: Brian Tracy

I n 1970, sociologist Dr. Edward Banfield of Harvard Universit y wrot e a book ent it led The Unheavenly Cit y. He described one of t he m ost profound st udies on success and priorit y set t ing ever conduct ed.

Banfield’s goal w as t o find out how and w hy som e people becam e financially independent during t he course of t heir w orking lifet im es. He st art ed off convinced t hat t he answer t o t his quest ion w ould be found in fact ors such as fam ily background, educat ion, int elligence, influent ial cont act s, or som e ot her concret e fact or. What he finally discovered was t hat t he m aj or reason for success in life was a part icular at t it ude of m ind.

Banfield called t his at t it ude “ long t im e perspect ive.” He said t hat m en and w om en who were t he m ost successful in life and t he m ost likely t o m ove up econom ically w ere t hose w ho t ook t he fut ure int o considerat ion w it h every decision t hey m ade in t he present . He found t hat t he longer t he period of t im e a person t ook int o considerat ion w hile planning and act ing, t he m ore likely it w as t hat he w ould achieve great ly during his career.

For exam ple, one of t he reasons your fam ily doct or is am ong t he m ost respect ed people in Am erica is because he or she invest ed m any years of hard work and st udy t o finally earn t he right t o pract ice m edicine. Aft er universit y courses, int ernship, residency and pract ical t raining, a doct or m ay be m ore t han 30 years old before he or she is capable of earning a good living. But from t hat point onw ard, t hese m en For exam ple, one of t he reasons your fam ily doct or is am ong t he m ost respect ed people in Am erica is because he or she invest ed m any years of hard work and st udy t o finally earn t he right t o pract ice m edicine. Aft er universit y courses, int ernship, residency and pract ical t raining, a doct or m ay be m ore t han 30 years old before he or she is capable of earning a good living. But from t hat point onw ard, t hese m en

The essent ial key t o success in set t ing priorit ies is having a long t im e perspect ive. You can t ell how im port ant som et hing is t oday by m easuring it s pot ent ial fut ure im pact on your life.

For exam ple, if you com e hom e from w ork at night and choose t o play w it h your children or spend t im e w it h your spouse, rat her t han w at ch TV or read t he paper, you have a long t im e perspect ive. You know t hat invest ing t im e in t he healt h and happiness of your children and your spouse is a very valuable, high- priorit y use of t im e.

I f you t ake addit ional courses in t he evening t o upgrade your skills and m ake yourself m ore valuable t o your em ployer, you’re act ing wit h a long t im e perspect ive. Learning som et hing pract ical and useful can have a long- t erm effect on your career.

The key word, t hen, t o keep in m ind when you’re set t ing priorit ies is sacrifice. Set t ing priorit ies usually requires sacrificing present enj oym ent for fut ure enj oym ent .

I t requires giving up a short - t erm pleasure in t he present in order t o enj oy a far great er and m ore subst ant ial pleasure in t he fut ure.

Econom ist s say t hat t he inabilit y t o delay grat ificat ion—t hat is, t he nat ural t endency of individuals t o spend everyt hing t hey earn plus a lit t le bit m ore, and t he m ind- set of doing what is fun, easy and enj oyable—is t he prim ary cause of econom ic and personal failure in life. On t he ot her hand, disciplining yourself t o do what you know is right and im port ant , alt hough difficult , is t he highroad t o pride, self- est eem and personal sat isfact ion.

So set t ing priorit ies begins w it h your deciding w hat you w ant m ost in life and t hen organizing your t im e and act ivit ies so t hat everyt hing you do is t he m ost valuable use of your t im e in achieving t hose obj ect ives.

Wit h your larger, long- t erm priorit ies in order, you can m uch m ore easily decide upon your short - t erm priorit ies.

You can say t hat t he process of set t ing short - t erm priorit ies begins w it h a pad of paper and a pen. Whenever you feel overw helm ed by t oo m any t hings t o do and t oo lit t le t im e in w hich t o do t hem , sit dow n, t ake a deep breat h, and list all t hose t asks you need t o accom plish. Alt hough t here is never enough t im e t o do everyt hing, t here is alw ays enough t im e t o do t he m ost im port ant t hings, and t o st ay w it h t hem unt il t hey are done right .

Pet er Drucker once said, “ Efficiency is doing t hings right , but effect iveness is doing t he right t hings.” And t his requires t hought .

Once you have list ed your t asks, ask yourself t his quest ion: “ I f I were t o be called out of t ow n for a m ont h, and I could finish only one t hing on t his list , w hich one t hing w ould it be?” Think it t hrough, and circle t hat one it em on your list . Then ask yourself: “ I f I could do only one m ore t hing before I w as called out of t ow n for a m ont h, w hat w ould it be?” This t hen becom es t he second t hing you circle on your list .

Perform t his exercise five or six t im es unt il you have sort ed out t he highest priorit ies on your list . Then num ber each according t o it s im port ance. Wit h t hese priorit ies, you are now ready t o begin working effect ively t oward t he achievem ent of your m aj or goals.

An ot h er popu lar m et h od for set t in g pr ior it ies on y ou r list , on ce y ou h av e det er m in ed y ou r m aj or goals or obj ect iv es, is t h e A- B- C- D- E m et h od. You place on e of t h ose let t er s in t h e m ar gin befor e each of t h e t ask s on y ou r list .

“ A” st ands for “ very im port ant ; m ust do; severe negat ive consequences if not com plet ed.”

“ B” st ands for “ im port ant ; should do; but not as im port ant as m y ‘A’ t asks, and only m inor negat ive consequences if not com plet ed.”

“ C” st ands for “ nice t o do; but not as im port ant as ‘A’ or ‘B,’ and no negat ive consequences for not com plet ing.”

“ D” st ands for “ delegat e, or assign t o som eone else who can do t he t ask in m y place.”

“ E” st ands for “ elim inat e, whenever possible.”

When you use t he A- B- C- D- E m et hod, you can very easily sort out w hat is im port ant and unim port ant . This t hen will focus your t im e and at t ent ion on t hose it em s on your list t hat are m ost essent ial for you t o do.

Once you can clearly see t he one or t w o t hings t hat you should be doing, above all ot hers, j ust say no t o all diversions and dist ract ions and focus single- m indedly on accom plishing t hose priorit ies.

Much st ress t hat people experience in t heir work lives com es from working on low- priorit y t asks. The am azing t hing is t hat as soon as you st art working on your highest - value act ivit y, all your st ress disappears. You begin t o feel a cont inuous st ream of energy and ent husiasm . As you w ork t ow ard t he com plet ion of som et hing t hat is really im port ant , you feel an increased sense of personal value and inner sat isfact ion. You experience a sensat ion of self- m ast ery and self- cont rol. You feel calm , confident and capable.

Here are six ideas t hat you can use, every day, t o help you set priorit ies and t o keep you working at your best :

1. Take t he t im e t o be clear about your goals and obj ect ives so t hat t he priorit ies you set are m oving you in t he direct ion of som et hing t hat is of value t o you. Rem em ber t hat m any people scram ble frant ically t o clim b t he ladder of success, only t o find t hat it is leaning against t he wrong building.

2. Develop a long t im e perspect ive and work on t hose t hings in t he present t hat can have t he great est posit ive im pact on your fut ure. Maint ain your balance in life by set t ing priorit ies in t he areas of your healt h, your personal relat ionships and your financial goals.

3. Make t he com m it m ent t o im prove t hose aspect s of your life t hat are m ost im port ant t o you. I f you’re in sales, learn how t o be an excellent salesperson. I f you’re

a parent , learn how t o be an out st anding m ot her or fat her. The power is always on t he side of t he person wit h t he best pract ical knowledge.

4. Be sure t o t ake t he t im e t o do your work right t he first t im e. The fewer m ist akes you m ake, t he less t im e you will wast e going back and doing it over.

5. Rem em ber t hat what count s is not t he am ount of t im e t hat you put in overall; rat her, it ’s t he am ount of t im e t hat you spend working on high- priorit y t asks. You will always be paid for t he result s t hat you obt ain, not m erely t he hours t hat you spend on t he j ob.

6. Underst and t hat t he m ost im port ant fact or in set t ing priorit ies is your abilit y t o m ake wise choices. You are always free t o choose t o engage in one act ivit y or anot her. You m ay choose a higher- value act ivit y or a lower- value act ivit y, but once you have chosen, you m ust accept t he consequences of your choice.

Resolve t oday t o set clear priorit ies in every area of your life, and always choose t he act ivit ies t hat will assure you t he great est healt h, happiness and prosperit y in t he long t erm . The long t erm com es soon enough, and every sacrifice t hat you m ake t oday will be rewarded wit h com pound int erest in t he great fut ure t hat lies ahead for you.

Th e Pow e r of Ch a r ism a

By: Brian Tracy

Webst er’s Nint h New Collegiat e Dict ionary defines charism a as “ a personal m agic of leadership arousing special popular loyalt y or ent husiasm for a public figure.”

Charism a is also t hat special qualit y of m agnet ism t hat each person has and t hat each person uses t o a cert ain degree. You have a special charism a t o t he people who look up t o you, who respect and adm ire you  t he m em bers of your fam ily and your friends and coworkers. Whenever and wherever a person feels a posit ive em ot ion t oward anot her, he im bues t hat person wit h charism a, or at t ract iveness.

I n t rying t o explain charism a, som e people speak of an “ aura.” This aura is a light t hat is invisible t o m ost people, but not t o everyone, and t hat radiat es out from a person and affect s t he people around t hat person in a posit ive or negat ive way. The halo around t he heads of saint s and m yst ics in m any religious paint ings was t he art ist ’s at t em pt t o depict t he light t hat people report ed seeing around t he heads of t hese m en and wom en when t hey were speaking or praying, or in an int ense em ot ional st at e.

You also have an aura around you t hat m ost people cannot see but t hat is t here, nevert heless. This aura affect s t he way people react and respond t o you, eit her posit ively or negat ively. There is a lot t hat you can do, and a lot of good reasons for you t o do it , t o cont rol t his aura and m ake it work in your best int erest s.

I f you’re in sales, t his aura, reflect ing your level of charism a, can have a m aj or im pact on t he way your prospect s and cust om ers t reat you and deal wit h you. Top salespeople seem t o be far m ore successful t han t he average salespeople in get t ing along wit h t heir cust om ers. t hey’re always m ore welcom e, m ore posit ively received and I f you’re in sales, t his aura, reflect ing your level of charism a, can have a m aj or im pact on t he way your prospect s and cust om ers t reat you and deal wit h you. Top salespeople seem t o be far m ore successful t han t he average salespeople in get t ing along wit h t heir cust om ers. t hey’re always m ore welcom e, m ore posit ively received and

I f you’re in business, developing great er charism a can help you t rem endously in working wit h your st aff, your suppliers, your bankers, your cust om ers and everyone else upon whom you depend for your success. People seem nat urally drawn t o t hose who possess charism a. They want t o help t hem and support t hem . When you have charism a, people will open doors for you and bring you opport unit ies t hat ot herwise would not have been available t o you.

I n your personal relat ionships, t he qualit y of charism a can m ake your life m ore j oyous, happier. People will nat urally want t o be around you. Mem bers of your fam ily and your friends will be far happier in your com pany, and you will have a great er influence on t hem , causing t hem t o feel bet t er about t hem selves and t o do bet t er at t he im port ant t hings in t heir lives.

There is a close associat ion bet ween personal charism a and success in life. Probably

85 percent of your success and happiness will com e from your relat ionships and int eract ions wit h ot hers. The m ore posit ively ot hers respond t o you, t he easier it will be for you t o get t he t hings you want .

I n essence, when we discuss charism a, we are t alking about t he law of at t ract ion. This law has been st at ed in m any different ways down t hrough t he cent uries, but it basically says t hat you inevit ably at t ract int o your life t he people and circum st ances t hat harm onize wit h your dom inant t hought s.

I n a sense, you are a living m agnet , and you are const ant ly radiat ing t hought waves, like a radio st at ion radiat es sound waves, t hat are picked up by ot her people. Your t hought s, int ensified by your em ot ions, as radio waves are int ensified by elect ric im pulses, go out from you and are picked up by anyone who is t uned in t o a sim ilar wavelengt h. You t hen at t ract int o your life people, ideas, opport unit ies, resources, circum st ances and anyt hing else t hat is consist ent wit h your dom inant fram e of m ind.

The law of at t ract ion also explains how you can build up your levels of charism a so t hat you can have a great er and m ore posit ive im pact on t he people whose cooperat ion, support and affect ion you desire.

The crit ical t hing t o rem em ber about charism a is t hat it is largely based on percept ion. I t is based on what people t hink about you. I t is not so m uch realit y as it is what people perceive you t o be. For exam ple, one person can creat e charism a in anot her person by speaking in glowing t erm s about t hat person t o a t hird part y. I f you believe t hat you are about t o m eet an out st anding and im port ant person, t hat person will t end t o have charism a for you.

One of t he m ost charism at ic people in t he world t oday is Mot her Teresa of Calcut t a.

I n a physical sense, she is a quiet , elderly, frail wom an in poor healt h, and she wears a m odest nun’s habit . She m ight be ignored by a person passing her on t he st reet , were it not for t he t rem endous charism a she has developed and for t he fact t hat her appearance is so well- known t o so m any people as a result .

I f som eone t old you t hat he was going t o int roduce you t o a brilliant , self- m ade m illionaire who was very quiet and unassum ing about his success, you would alm ost nat urally im bue t hat person wit h charism a, and in his presence, you would not act t he sam e as you would if you had been t old not hing at all. Charism a begins largely in t he m ind of t he beholder.

Of course, last ing charism a depends m ore upon t he person you really are t han upon j ust t he t hings you do. Nevert heless, you can build t he percept ion of charism a for yourself by ut ilizing t he 10 great powers of personalit y t hat seem t o have a m aj or im pact on t he way t hat people t hink and feel about you.

The first of t hese powers is t he power of purpose. Men and wom en wit h charism a and personal m agnet ism alm ost invariably have a clear vision of who t hey are, of where t hey’re going and of what t hey’re t rying t o achieve. Leaders in sales and m anagem ent have a vision of what t hey’re t rying t o creat e and why t hey’re doing what t hey’re doing. They’re focused on accom plishing som e great purpose. They’re decisive about every aspect of t heir lives. They know exact ly what t hey want and what t hey have t o do t o get it . They plan t heir work and work t heir plan.

I n m ore t han 3,300 st udies of leadership, in every book and art icle ever writ t en on leadership, t he qualit y of purpose, or vision, was one of t he few qualit ies t hat was consist ent ly used in describing leaders.

You can increase your charism a and t he m agnet ism of your personalit y by set t ing clear goals for yourself, m aking plans t o achieve t hem , and working on your plans wit h discipline and det erm inat ion every day. The whole world seem s t o m ove aside for t he person who knows exact ly where he is going. I n fact , t he clearer you are about your purposes and goals, t he m ore likely people will be t o at t ribut e ot her posit ive qualit ies t o you. They will see you, or perceive you, as being a bet t er and m ore adm irable hum an being. And when you have clear goals, you begin at t ract ing t o yourself t he people and opport unit ies necessary t o m ake t hose goals a realit y.

The second personalit y power is self- confidence. Men and wom en wit h charism a have an int ense belief in t hem selves and in what t hey are doing. They are usually calm , cool and com posed about t hem selves and t heir work. Your level of self- confidence is oft en dem onst rat ed in your courage, your willingness t o do what ever is necessary t o achieve

a purpose t hat you believe in.

People are nat urally at t ract ed t o t hose who exude a sense of self- confidence, t hose who have an unshakable belief in t heir abilit y t o rise above circum st ances t o at t ain t heir goals.

One of t he ways you dem onst rat e self- confidence is by assum ing t hat people nat urally like you and accept you and want t o do business wit h you. For exam ple, one of t he m ost powerful ways t o close a sale is sim ply t o assum e t hat t he prospect has decided t o purchase t he product or service, and t hen go on t o wrap up t he det ails. One of t he best ways t o achieve success in your relat ionships is t o assum e t hat people nat urally enj oy your com pany and want t o be around you, and t hen proceed on t hat basis. The very act of behaving in a self- confident m anner will generat e personal charism a in t he eyes of ot hers.

The t hird power you can develop is ent husiasm . The m ore excit ed you are about accom plishing som et hing t hat is im port ant t o you, t he m ore excit ed ot hers will be The t hird power you can develop is ent husiasm . The m ore excit ed you are about accom plishing som et hing t hat is im port ant t o you, t he m ore excit ed ot hers will be

The fourt h personalit y power t hat you can develop is expert ise, or com pet ence. The m ore knowledgeable you are perceived t o be in your field, t he m ore charism a you will have am ong t hose who respect and adm ire t hat knowledge because of t he im pact it can have on t heir lives. This is also t he power of excellence, of being recognized by ot hers as an out st anding perform er in your field. Men and wom en who do t heir j obs ext rem ely well and who are recognized for t he qualit y of t heir work are t hose who nat urally at t ract t he help and support of ot hers. They have charism a.

The fift h power of personalit y t hat gives you charism a in t he eyes of ot hers is t horough preparat ion, det ailed preparat ion, prior t o undert aking any significant t ask. Whet her you are calling on a prospect , m eet ing wit h your boss, giving a public t alk or m aking any ot her kind of present at ion, when you are well- prepared, it becom es clear t o everyone. The careers of m any young people are put ont o t he fast t rack as a result of t heir com ing t o an im port ant m eet ing aft er having done all t heir hom ework.

Whet her it t akes you hours or even days, if an upcom ing m eet ing or int eract ion is im port ant , t ake t he t im e t o get on t op of your subj ect . Be so t horoughly prepared t hat not hing can faze you. Think t hrough and consider every possibilit y and every ram ificat ion. Oft en, t his effort t o be fully prepared will do m ore t o generat e t he respect of ot hers t han anyt hing else you can do.

Rem em ber t hat t he power is always on t he side of t he person who has done t he m ost preparat ion and has t he best not es. Everyt hing count s. Leave not hing t o chance. When you do som et hing relat ed t o your work or career, t ake t he t im e t o do it right  in advance.

The sixt h power t hat gives you charism a is self- reliance, or self- responsibilit y. The m ost successful m en and wom en in Am erica are int ensely self- reliant . They look t o t hem selves for t he answers t o t heir quest ions and problem s. They never com plain, and t hey never explain. They t ake com plet e ownership of proj ect s. They volunt eer for dut ies and st ep forward and accept account abilit y when t hings go wrong.

An am azing facet of hum an nat ure is t hat when you behave in a com plet ely self- reliant m anner, ot hers will oft en be eager t o help you achieve your goals. But if you seem t o need t he help and support of ot hers, people will avoid you or do everyt hing possible not t o get involved wit h you.

One of t he m ost adm irable qualit ies of leaders, which lends a person charism a in t he percept ion of ot hers, is t he capacit y t o st ep forward and t ake charge. The leader accept s com plet e responsibilit y for get t ing t he j ob done, wit hout m aking excuses and blam ing anyone. When you becom e com plet ely self- reliant , you experience a t rem endous sense of cont rol and power t hat enhances your feeling of well- being and t hat generat es t he charism a t hat is so im port ant t o you in at t ract ing t he help of ot hers.

The sevent h personalit y power is im age. There is bot h int erpersonal im age and int rapersonal im age. I nt rapersonal im age, or self- im age, is t he way you see yourself and t hink about yourself in any sit uat ion. This self- im age has an inordinat e im pact on The sevent h personalit y power is im age. There is bot h int erpersonal im age and int rapersonal im age. I nt rapersonal im age, or self- im age, is t he way you see yourself and t hink about yourself in any sit uat ion. This self- im age has an inordinat e im pact on

The ot her t ype of im age is int erpersonal. This is t he im age or appearance t hat you convey t o ot hers. The way you look on t he out side has an inordinat e im pact on t he way people t reat you and respond t o you. Successful m en and wom en are very aware of how t hey are com ing across t o ot hers. They t ake a good deal of t im e t o t hink t hrough every aspect of t heir ext ernal appearance t o assure t hat it is helping t hem rat her t han hurt ing t hem .

Rem em ber t hat everyt hing count s. I f an elem ent of your im age is not building your charism a and your respect in t he eyes of anot her person, it is lowering your charism a and your respect . Not hing is neut ral. Everyt hing is t aken int o t he equat ion. Everyt hing count s.

The t hree prim ary fact ors in personal appearance are clot hes, groom ing and accessories. Select your clot hes wit h care. Before you go t o an im port ant m eet ing, st and in front of t he m irror and ask yourself, “ Do I look like one of t he best people in m y field?” I f you don’t feel t hat you look like one of t he best people in your business, go back t o t he closet and change.

Look at t he m ost successful people in your area of endeavor. What do t hey wear? How do t hey dress? How do t hey wear t heir hair? What kind of accessories do t hey use? Pat t ern yourself aft er t he winners in your field, t he people who already have personal m agnet ism and charism a. I f you do what t hey do, over and over, you will event ually get t he sam e result s t hat t hey get .

The eight h form of personal power is charact er, or int egrit y. Men and wom en who possess t he kind of charism a t hat arouses t he ent husiast ic support of ot hers are invariably m en and wom en wit h high values and principles. They are ext rem ely realist ic and honest wit h t hem selves and ot hers. They have very clear ideals, and t hey cont inually aspire t o live up t o t he highest t hat is in t hem . They speak well of people, and t hey guard t heir conversat ion, knowing t hat everyt hing t hat t hey say is being rem em bered and recorded. They are aware t hat everyt hing t hey do is cont ribut ing t o t he form at ion of t heir percept ion by ot hers. Everyt hing about t heir charact er is adding t o or det ract ing from t heir level of charism a.

When you t hink of t he m ost im port ant m en and wom en of any t im e, you t hink of m en and wom en who aspired t o great ness and who had high values for t hem selves and high expect at ions of ot hers. When you m ake t he decision t o act consist ent wit h t he highest principles t hat you know, you begin t o develop charism a. You begin t o becom e t he kind of person ot hers adm ire and respect and want t o em ulat e. You begin t o at t ract int o your life t he help and support and encouragem ent of t he kind of people you adm ire. You act ivat e t he law of at t ract ion in t he very best way.

The nint h power of personalit y is self- discipline, or self- m ast ery. Men and wom en of charism a are highly cont rolled. They have a t rem endous sense of inner calm and out er resolve. They are well- organized, and t hey dem onst rat e willpower and det erm inat ion in everyt hing t hey do.

The very act of being well- organized, of having clear obj ect ives and of having set clear priorit ies on your act ivit ies before beginning, gives you a sense of discipline and The very act of being well- organized, of having clear obj ect ives and of having set clear priorit ies on your act ivit ies before beginning, gives you a sense of discipline and

Men and wom en who achieve leadership posit ions, who develop t he percept ion of charism a in ot hers, are invariably t hose who possess indom it able willpower and t he abilit y t o persist in a good cause unt il success is achieved. The m ore you persist when t he going get s rough, t he m ore self- discipline and resolve you develop, and t he m ore charism a you t end t o have.

The t ent h power t hat you can develop, which underlies all of t he ot her powers t hat lead t o charism a, is result - orient at ion. I n t he final analysis, people ascribe charism a t o t hose m en and wom en who t hey feel can m ost enable t hem t o achieve im port ant goals or obj ect ives.

We develop great percept ions of t hose m en and wom en we can count on t o help us achieve what is im port ant t o us. Men and wom en who m ake great sales, or who est ablish adm irable sales records, develop charism a in t he m inds and heart s of t heir coworkers and superiors. They are spoken about in t he m ost posit ive way. Men and wom en who are responsible for com panies or depart m ent s t hat achieve high levels of profit abilit y also develop charism a. They develop what is called t he “ halo effect .” They are perceived by ot hers t o be ext raordinary m en and wom en who are capable of great t hings. Their short com ings are oft en overlooked, while t heir st rong point s are overem phasized. They becom e charism at ic.

Charism a act ually com es from working on yourself. I t com es from liking and accept ing yourself uncondit ionally as you do and say t he specific t hings t hat develop wit hin you a powerful, charism at ic personalit y.

When you set clear goals and becom e det erm ined and purposeful, backing t hose goals wit h unshakable self- confidence, you develop charism a. When you are ent husiast ic and excit ed about what you are doing, when you are t ot ally com m it t ed t o achieving som et hing wort hwhile, you radiat e charism a. When you t ake t he t im e t o st udy and becom e an expert at what you do, and t hen prepare t horoughly for any opport unit y t o use your knowledge, skill or experience, t he percept ion t hat ot hers have of you goes st raight up. When you t ake com plet e responsibilit y and accept ownership, wit hout m aking excuses or blam ing ot hers, you experience a sense of cont rol t hat leads t o t he personal power t hat is t he foundat ion of charism a. When you look like a winner in every respect , when you have t he kind of ext ernal im age t hat ot hers adm ire, you build your charism a. When you develop your charact er by set t ing high st andards and t hen disciplining yourself t o live consist ent wit h t he highest principles you know, you becom e t he kind of person who is adm ired and respect ed everywhere. You becom e t he kind of person who radiat es charism a t o ot hers. Finally, when you concent rat e your energies on achieving t he result s t hat you have been hired t o accom plish, t he result s t hat ot hers expect of you, you develop t he reput at ion for perform ance and achievem ent t hat inevit ably leads t o t he percept ion of charism a.

You can develop t he kind of charism a t hat opens doors for you by going t o work on yourself, consist ent ly and persist ent ly, and becom ing t he kind of person everyone can adm ire and look up t o. That ’s what charism a is all about .

Th e Pow e r of Posit ive Se lf- Ta lk

By: Brian Tracy

Perhaps t he m ost pow erful influence on your at t it ude and personalit y is w hat you say t o yourself, and believe. I t is not w hat happens t o you, but how you respond int ernally t o what happens t o you, t hat det erm ines your t hought s and felling and, ult im at ely, your act ions. By cont rolling your inner dialogue, or “ self- t alk,” you can begin t o assert cont rol over every ot her dim ension of your life.

Your self- t alk  t he w ords t hat you use t o describe w hat is happening t o you, and t o discuss how you feel about ext ernal event s  det erm ines t he qualit y and t one of your em ot ional life. When you see t hings posit ively and const ruct ively and look for t he good in each sit uat ion and each person, you have a t endency t o rem ain nat urally posit ive and opt im ist ic. Since t he qualit y of your life is det erm ined by how you feel, m om ent t o m om ent , one of your m ost im port ant goals should be t o use every psychological t echnique available t o keep yourself t hinking about w hat you w ant and t o keep your m ind off of what you don’t want , or what you fear.

Arnold Toynbee, t he hist orian, developed w hat he called t he “ challenge- response t heory” of hist ory. I n st udying t he rise and fall of 20 m aj or world civilizat ions, Toynbee concluded t hat each civilizat ion st art ed out as a sm all group of people — as

a village, as a t ribe or in t he case of t he Mongol em pire, as j ust t hree people who had survived t he dest ruct ion of t heir sm all com m unit y.

Toynbee concluded t hat each of t hese sm all groups faced ext ernal challenges, such as host ile t ribes. I n order t o survive, m uch less t hrive, t hese sm all groups had t o reorganize t hem selves t o deal posit ively and const ruct ively w it h t hese challenges.

By m eet ing each of t hese challenges successfully, t he village or t ribe would grow. Even great er challenges w ould be t riggered as a result . And if t his group of people cont inued t o m eet each challenge by draw ing upon it s resources and w inning out , it w ould cont inue t o grow unt il ult im at ely it becam e a nat ion- st at e and t hen a civilizat ion covering a large geographical area.

Toynbee looked at t he 21 great civilizat ions of hum an hist ory, ending wit h t he Am erican civilizat ion, and concluded t hat t hese civilizat ions began t o decline and fall apart when t heir cit izens and leaders lost t he will or abilit y t o rise t o t he inevit able ext ernal challenges occasioned by t heir very size and power.

Toynbee’s t heory of civilizat ions can be applicable t o our life as well.

You are cont inually faced wit h challenges and difficult ies, wit h problem s and disappoint m ent s, wit h t em porary set backs and defeat s. They are an unavoidable and inevit able part of being hum an. But , as you draw upon your resources t o respond effect ively t o each challenge, you grow and becom e a st ronger and bet t er person. I n fact , w it hout t hose set backs, you could not have learned w hat you needed t o know and developed t he qualit ies of your charact er t o where t hey are t oday.

Much of your abilit y t o succeed com es from t he way you deal wit h life. One of t he charact erist ics of superior m en and wom en is t hat t hey recognize t he inevit abilit y Much of your abilit y t o succeed com es from t he way you deal wit h life. One of t he charact erist ics of superior m en and wom en is t hat t hey recognize t he inevit abilit y

Dr. Mart in Seligm an of t he Universit y of Pennsylvania has w rit t en a fascinat ing book based on his 25 years of research int o t his subj ect . I t ’s t it led Learned Opt im ism . I n t his book, Dr. Seligm an explains t he basic response pat t erns of bot h posit ive and negat ive people. As a result of his m any years of work in cognit ive t herapy, and t he use of exhaust ive t est ing, he finds, quit e sim ply, t hat opt im ist ic people t end t o int erpret event s in such a w ay t hat t hey keep t heir m inds posit ive and t heir em ot ions under cont rol.

Opt im ist s develop t he habit of t alking t o t hem selves in const ruct ive w ays. Whenever t hey experience an adversit y, t hey im m ediat ely describe it t o t hem selves in such a way t hat it loses it s abilit y t o t rigger negat ive em ot ions and feelings of helplessness.

Dr. Seligm an says t hat are t hree basic differences in t he react ions of opt im ist s and pessim ist s. The first difference is t hat t he opt im ist sees a set back as t em porary, while t he pessim ist sees it as perm anent . The opt im ist sees an unfort unat e event , such as an order t hat falls t hrough or a sales call t hat fails, as a t em porary event , som et hing t hat is lim it ed in t im e and t hat has no real im pact on t he fut ure. The pessim ist , on t he ot her hand, sees negat ive event s as perm anent , as part of life and dest iny.

For exam ple, let ’s say t hat t he opt im ist ic salesperson m akes 10 calls on likely prospect s, and every one of t hose calls is unsuccessful. The opt im ist sim ply int erpret s t his as a t em porary event and a m at t er of averages or probabilit ies. The opt im ist concludes t hat , w it h every t em porary failure, he is m oving closer t o t he prospect who will t urn int o a sale. The opt im ist dism isses t he event and goes on cheerfully t o t he 11t h and 12t h prospect s.

The pessim ist sees t he sam e sit uat ion different ly. The pessim ist has a t endency t o conclude t hat 10 unsuccessful sales calls is an indicat ion t hat t he econom y is t errible and t hat t here is no m arket for his product . The pessim ist generalizes and begins t o see t he sit uat ion and his career as hopeless. While t he opt im ist j ust shrugs it off and get s on w it h t he next call, t he pessim ist becom es discouraged and loses heart and ent husiasm for t he hard w ork of prospect ing.

The second difference bet w een t he opt im ist and t he pessim ist is t hat t he opt im ist sees difficult ies as specific, while t he pessim ist sees t hem as pervasive. This m eans t hat w hen t hings go w rong for t he opt im ist , he looks at t he event as an isolat ed incident largely disconnect ed from ot her t hings t hat are going on in his life.

For exam ple, if som et hing you w ere count ing on failed t o m at erialize and you int erpret ed it t o yourself as being an unfort unat e event , but som et hing t hat happens in t he course of life and business, you w ould be react ing like an opt im ist . The pessim ist , on t he ot her hand, sees disappoint m ent s as being pervasive. That is, t o him t hey are indicat ions of a problem or short com ing t hat pervades every area of life.

I f a pessim ist w orked hard t o put t oget her a business deal and it collapsed, he w ould t end t o assum e t hat t he deal did not w ork out w as because t he product or t he I f a pessim ist w orked hard t o put t oget her a business deal and it collapsed, he w ould t end t o assum e t hat t he deal did not w ork out w as because t he product or t he

The t hird difference bet w een opt im ist s and pessim ist s is t hat opt im ist s see event s as ext ernal, w hile pessim ist s int erpret event s as personal. When t hings go w rong, t he opt im ist will t end t o see t he set back as result from ext ernal fact ors over which one has lit t le cont rol.

I f t he opt im ist is cut off in t raffic, for exam ple, inst ead of get t ing angry or upset ,

he will sim ply downgrade t he im port ance of t he event by saying som et hing like, “ oh, well, I guess t hat person is j ust having a bad day.”

The pessim ist has a t endency t o t ake everyt hing personally. I f t he pessim ist is cut off in t raffic, he will react as t hough t he ot her driver has deliberat ely act ed t o upset and frust rat e him . The pessim ist will becom e angry and negat ive and want t o st rike out and get even. Oft en, he will honk his horn or yell at t he ot her driver.

There is a nat ural t endency in all of us t o react em ot ionally when our expect at ions are frust rat ed in any w ay. When som et hing w e w ant ed and hoped for fails t o m at erialize, w e feel a t em porary sense of disappoint m ent and unhappiness. We feel disillusioned. We react as t hough we have been punched in t he “ em ot ional solar plexus” .

The opt im ist ic person, however, soon m oves beyond t his disappoint m ent . He responds quickly t o t he adverse event and int erpret s it as being t em porary, specific and ext ernal t o him self. The opt im ist t akes full cont rol of his inner dialogue and count ers t he negat ive feelings by im m ediat ely refram ing t he event so t hat it appear posit ive in som e way.

Napoleon Hill, who, prior t o writ ing his best - selling books on success, int erviewed 500 of t he m ost successful people in Am erica, concluded t hat “ Cont ained w it hin a set back or disappoint m ent is t he seed of an equal or great er advant age or benefit .” And t his is one of t he great secret s of success.

Since your conscious m ind can hold only one t hought at a t im e, eit her posit ive or negat ive, if you deliberat ely choose a posit ive t hought t o dwell upon, you keep your m ind opt im ist ic and your em ot ions posit ive. Since your t hought s and feelings det erm ine your act ions, you will t end t o be a m ore const ruct ive person, and you will m ove m uch m ore rapidly t oward t he goals t hat you have chosen.

I t all com es down t o t he way you t alk t o yourself on a regular basis. I n our courses of problem solving and decisions m aking, we encourage people t o respond t o problem s by changing t heir language from negat ive t o posit ive. I nst ead of using t he word problem , we encourage people t o use t he word sit uat ion. You see, a problem is som et hing t hat you deal w it h. The event is t he sam e. I t ’s t he w ay you int erpret t he event t o yourself t hat m akes it sound and appear com plet ely different .

Even bet t er t han sit uat ion is t he word challenge. Whenever you have a difficult y, im m ediat ely refram e it and choose t o view it as a challenge. Rat her t han saying, “ I have a problem ,” say, “ I have an int erest ing challenge facing m e.” The word challenge is inherent ly posit ive. I t is som et hing t hat you rise t o t hat m akes you Even bet t er t han sit uat ion is t he word challenge. Whenever you have a difficult y, im m ediat ely refram e it and choose t o view it as a challenge. Rat her t han saying, “ I have a problem ,” say, “ I have an int erest ing challenge facing m e.” The word challenge is inherent ly posit ive. I t is som et hing t hat you rise t o t hat m akes you

The best of all possible words is t he word opport unit y. When you are faced wit h a difficult y of any kind, inst ead of saying, “ I have a problem ,” you can say, “ I am faced w it h an unexpect ed opport unit y.” And if you concent rat e your pow ers on finding out what t hat opport unit y is—even if it is only a valuable lesson—you will cert ainly find it . As t he parable says, “ Seek and ye shall find, for all who seek find it .”

One of m y favorit e affirm at ive st at em ent s, which I use t o deal wit h any unexpect ed difficult y, is t his: “ Every sit uat ion is a posit ive sit uat ion if viewed as an opport unit y for growt h and self- m ast ery. Whenever som et hing goes w rong, im m ediat ely neut ralize it s negat ive power by quickly recit ing t his st at em ent .

I f you are in sales, and your m et hod of prospect ing is not generat ing t he result s t hat you desire, you can view it as an opport unit y for growt h and self- m ast ery. The adversit y you are facing m ay be m eant t o indicat e t o you t hat t here is a bet t er way t o approach t his t ask. Perhaps you should be prospect ing in a different place, or w it h different people, or using a different script or a different m et hod. Perhaps your difficult y is sim ply part of t he process of developing t he persist ence and t enacit y t hat you need t o becom e successful in any kind of m arket . The difference bet ween t he w inner and t he loser is t hat t he w inner faces and deals w it h t he adversit y const ruct ively, while t he loser allows t he adversit y t o overwhelm him .

The hallm ark of t he fully m at ure, fully funct ioning, self- act ualizing personalit y is t he abilit y t o be obj ect ive and unem ot ional when caught up in t he inevit able st orm s of daily life. The superior person has t he abilit y t o cont inue t alking t o him self in a posit ive and opt im ist ic w ay, keeping his m ind calm , clear and com plet ely under cont rol. The m at ure personalit y is m ore relaxed and aware and capable of int erpret ing event s m ore realist ically and less em ot ionally t han is t he im m at ure personalit y. As a result , t he m at ure person exert s a far great er sense of cont rol and influence over his environm ent , and is far less likely t o be angry, upset , or dist ract ed.

The st art ing point in t he process of becom ing a highly effect ive person is t o m onit or and cont rol your self- t alk every m inut e of t he day. Keep your t hought s and your words posit ive and consist ent wit h your goals, and keep your m ind focused on w hat you w ant t o do and t he person you w ant t o be.

Here are five ideas you can use t o help you t o be a m ore posit ive and opt im ist ic person:

First , resolve in advance t hat no m at t er what happens, you will not allow it t o get you down. You will respond in a const ruct ive way. You will t ake a deep breat h, relax and look for w hat ever good t he sit uat ion m y cont ain. When you m ake t his decision in advance, you m ent ally prepare yourself so t hat you are not knocked off balance when t hings go wrong, as t hey inevit ably will.

Second, neut ralize any negat ive t hought s or em ot ions by speaking t o yourself posit ively all t he t im e. Say t hings like, “ I feel healt hy! I feel happy! I feel t errific! ” As you go about your j ob, say t o yourself, I like m yself, and I love m y work! ” Say t hings like, “ Today is a great day; it ’s wonderful t o be alive! ” According t o t he law of expression, what ever is expressed is im pressed. What ever you say t o yourself or Second, neut ralize any negat ive t hought s or em ot ions by speaking t o yourself posit ively all t he t im e. Say t hings like, “ I feel healt hy! I feel happy! I feel t errific! ” As you go about your j ob, say t o yourself, I like m yself, and I love m y work! ” Say t hings like, “ Today is a great day; it ’s wonderful t o be alive! ” According t o t he law of expression, what ever is expressed is im pressed. What ever you say t o yourself or

Third, look upon t he inevit able set backs t hat you face as being t em porary, specific and ext ernal. View t he negat ive sit uat ions as a single event t hat is not connect ed t o ot her pot ent ial event s and t hat is caused largely by ext ernal fact ors over which you can have lit t le cont rol. Sim ply refuse t o see t he event as being in any way perm anent , pervasive or indicat ive of personal incom pet ence of inabilit y.

Fourt h, rem em ber t hat it is im possible t o learn and grow and becom e a successful person wit hout adversit y and difficult ies. You m ust cont end wit h and rise above t hem in order t o becom e a bet t er person. Welcom e each difficult y by saying, “ That ’s good! ” and t hen look int o t he sit uat ion t o find t he good in it .

Finally, keep your t hought s on your goals and dream s, on t he person you are working t oward becom ing. When t hings go wrong t em porarily, respond by saying t o yourself, “ I believe in t he perfect out com e of every sit uat ion in m y life.” Resolve t o

be cheerful and pleasant , and resist every t em pt at ion t ow ard negat ivit y and disappoint m ent . View a disappoint m ent as an opport unit y t o grow st ronger, and about it t o yourself and ot hers in a posit ive and opt im ist ic way.

When you pract ice posit ive self- t alk, and keep your words and your m ent al pict ures consist ent w it h your goals and dream s, t here is not hing t hat can st op you from being t he success you are m eant t o be.

M a n a gin g You r Tim e By: Br ia n Tr a cy