Learn To Be Lazy To Be Successful

Photo by Michele Westmorland

That's right, the title of the article is correct. You have to learn to be lazy to be successful.

I don't mean the kind of lazy where you just sit around or lie around all day on your couch and watch TV or play video games. Being lazy here means to be lazy from doing hard physical work. Because for you to succeed you need to be more of a hard thinker than a hard worker.

I'm not saying that hard work is not necessary, it is also important. But hard work alone won't make you successful. Just ask the millions of people who work very hard, but are somehow not getting ahead in their careers or business. Now take a look at the successful people. Yes they may work hard, but not nearly as hard as you'd think.

The difference between average people and successful people is that successful people work smart. They focus on the most important task at hand and just delegate the rest to other people.

Have you heard of the 80/20 rule? It's also known as the Pareto Principle wherein 80% of the results we want comes from only 20% of what we do. In short, in everything that we do in our business or career, only 20% of it will bring about majority of the results that we want. 

Think about it, among the things that you normally do in a day, which among them actually provide them with the results that you desire? Yes you can say that everything you do is important. Perhaps, but which among them actually bring about the results that you really want?

Try not to do everything yourself, focus only on what is important, then just delegate the rest to others. It's not being lazy if you delegate work, you're just working smart. And that's what you need to be successful.

Focus On What Is Right Instead Of Focusing On What Is Wrong

Photos by Wavebreak Media Ltd

• 1+1 = 2
• 2+2 = 4
• 3+3 = 5
• 4+4 = 8

What do you notice about the 4 bullet points above?

I'm sure most of you would say that the third bullet point (3+3=5) is wrong. That is true, but did you also notice that the bullet points above have 3 right answers?

One of the things that most (if not all) people do unconsciously is to focus on what is wrong. They tend to look for the bad thing or the negative or what went wrong in their lives, the people they meet, their relationship, their career or business, and so on. "I live in an old and small house," "my wife doesn't cook for me," "my job is hard," "I made a mistake on a project," and so on.

I am guilty of that as well. One of the reasons why I've changed jobs so often is that I always find something that I don't like in my current job. It could be the company, the policy, the job itself, the people, or whatever negative thing that I see. So I'm always looking for a new job in a new company with new people, to get ahead and increase my salary and also to get away from something that I didn't like.

I never appreciated the benefits or the right things that I was getting at in my jobs. Looking back at all of it now, the positives and the right things always outweigh whatever negative or wrong things I see or experience. I don't regret the choices that I made, because I'm happy where I am right now. However, I probably would have done things differently if everything happened today, with what I know now. At least this can be  reminder for me to be more appreciative and focus on what is right.

Friends, if you want to be truly blessed in your life, then you should focus on the good and right things that has happened or is happening in your life right now. Doing this will give you a more positive outlook in life, thus attracting more good things to happen. Use the negative or wrong things that has happened in your life as a learning experience. See what you could have done differently or how you could have reacted differently. Learn what you can from these wrong things, then move on and don't dwell on them anymore.

If you focus on what is wrong, you'll just attract more of it in your life. But if you focus on what is right, then you'll attract more right things. As Oprah Winfrey puts it, "Be thankful for what you have, you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never have enough.

Put Love In What You Do So You May Prosper

Photo by Corbis

I'd like to share a passage that Bro. Bo shared. It's in Deuteronomy 29-91, "Therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do."

What this passage means is that if we do the covenant, we will be able to prosper in anything that we do.And what is the core covenant? It is actually love. So to translate, the message simply means that if we put love in anything that we do, we will prosper.

Do you love what you do? If you want to prosper you should. You see whenever you put love in your business, people will notice it. They will feel it and they will get attracted to it. Once people feel the love in your work, they'll want to come back because they feel good about your products or service. They feel your love, they feel that they are getting more than what they paid for.

This is also true for employees. If you put love in any project that you do, your boss will notice it. Because if you love what you do, you'll make sure that you'll do a good job on it and deliver on more than what is asked of you.

Just look at Steve Jobs. Why do you think Apple flourished under his watch? Aside from being a creative genius, it's because he loved what he was doing. He made sure that the products and service he would provide is of excellent quality, thus people gravitate towards the products that his company made.

If you can't put love in what you do, then why do it in the first place?

I'd like to end with a quote from Steve Jobs about loving what you do. "And the only way to do great work is to love what you do."

Don't Be Cheap, Improve Yourself

Photo by Matelly

Do you want to achieve quantum growth in your life? Then you need to have mentors who can teach you and guide you to achieve your quantum growth.

Mentors doesn't have to instantly be people who you meet a couple of times a week guiding you and teaching you what you need to do. Mentors can come in the form of books, audio books, video courses, newsletters, online courses, seminars or conferences of successful people. By buying their books, audio and online courses or by attending their seminars and conferences, you start learning from them through the things they teach in their seminars, books and conferences.

The problem for most people is that these things cost money. They find it expensive to spend on books, seminars or online courses that will teach them valuable lessons and insights that can exponentially increase their development and help them succeed and achieve their goals. Most people just look for free seminars to attend or free books to read for their development.

I was like this before. I never put too much value in my own development, always thinking that I can gain my development through the things that I'll be experiencing as I move forward. It was only when I wanted to change the path that I was walking in that I decided to purchase books and attend seminars.

I was amazed at the things that I learned and how it helped speed up and increase the growth of my development. Like Bo Sanchez's Wealth Summit that attended in 2012. I learned a lot of stuff there, as well as met a lot of like-minded people. The things that I learned there have been a great contributor in my journey to achieve my dreams and goals.

Friends don't be cheap on yourself. It's ok to spend money on these things. Remember, you're number one asset is yourself. So it is very important for you to keep on improving yourself and increase your knowledge and wisdom.

Freebies are ok, and it will also help in your development. The problem though is that, most people don't put too much value in something that they receive for free. You most likely won't listen too much in a seminar that you're able to attend for free. Same with books, video courses or online courses that you receive for free. But if you pay for them, you'll surely make sure that you'll get your money worth by learning everything that you can.

Successful people never stop learning (even if it will cost them a lot of money), that's why they continue to be successful.

So don't be cheap on yourself. To achieve quantum growth, you have to keep on learning and improving. Even if it means spending for it.

How To Be Awesome

3 Ways on How to Be Awesome

Be Awesome

Photo by Raphye Alexius

Have you ever been to a store or establishment where the employees there are not very accommodating? They aren't smiling, they're not approaching you, they're just talking to their co-workers and when you call for them they point finger as to who should be entertaining you? Then after buying their product, you realize that you bought something that isn't even worth near what you paid for it.

That kind of store or business comprises 10% of businesses all over the world. You can classify them under the Awful Business.

How about a store or business where everybody's pleasant. The nearest employee approaches you and ask if you need any assistance? Then assists you in any way they can or waits for you to ask or inquire about something while you check out their wares? Then thanks you after and you can see that the product you bought is of good quality.

You can classify that under Average Business, where it comprises 80% of businesses all over the world.

Then there are stores that as you enter their establishment, employees there happily approach you and greet you with a smile. They already anticipate what you will be asking or inquiring about so they guide you to it and tell you what you need and want to know. They do more than what is asked from them, always going the extra mile just to serve you and make sure you have a very wonderful experience.Then after purchasing the product, you feel more than satisfied and see that what you got is worth more than what you paid for.

These businesses are the Awesome Business, and they comprise 10% of businesses all over the world.

Among the three (3) categories, which business or employee (if you are employed) will succeed the most? Of course it's the Awesome one.

Friends, one secret to a successful career or business is to be awesome. To provide exceptional service and do more than what is asked or required of you. By being awesome, you will stand out in a good way. People will remember you and they will like you. If they like you, they are more than likely to go out of their way to come and get you or visit your store again.

No one likes awful and average are a dime a dozen. So for you to stand out, you need to be awesome.

Material Possession Doesn't Provide True Happiness

Photo by Camdiluv

We live in a world where wealth and richness is defined by the number of possessions that you have. The more possessions you have, the richer you are. That's why a lot of people dream of owning a big house, lots of cars, jewelries, vacations homes, etc. People work hard so that they can provide for their family and be able to afford the finer things that life has to offer.

If you ask people around as to their reason for working or wanting to earn more, they'd tell you its to pay for their debts, provide for their family and to be able to afford the good things that life has to offer. Just look at lottery winners, the first thing they always do after winning is to buy a big home and luxurious cars.

True being able to afford luxuries and the finer things that life has to offer will make anyone feel happy. But that happiness is short-lived and is actually deceiving. 

There's a limit to the happiness that material possessions provide. Once that limit is reached, the happiness level goes down as you acquire more possessions. Why? It's because the more possessions you have, the more stress you will experience. More possessions means you'll have more expenses. Taking care of a house costs money; and the bigger the house, the more money it will cost to take care of it. Same goes with luxury cars, jewelries, vacation homes, etc. Yes it's feels good to have these luxurious items. But these luxurious items also cost more to take care of as compared to regular items.

More possessions also means you have more items to insure, to protect it from unwanted accidents happening to it. And the valuable the item that you need to insure, the more expensive the cost of the insurance will be.

Happiness through material possessions are also deceiving. Because after acquiring your new big house and new luxury car, you will always find an even bigger house and a more luxurious vehicle that you'd want to acquire. You wouldn't experience the satisfaction of contentment as there will always be something that is bigger, more expensive and better that you'll want to acquire out there. Like if you buy a luxurious car right now, after a month you'll suddenly be bored and would want to acquire something that is even more luxurious and has more features.

Remember that material possessions only provide you with temporary happiness. True happiness can be found through the relationship that you have with the most important people in your life (more on this in future posts). These relationships are what really matter and are the ones that will truly bring you happiness.