First Things First

Time has to be the most precious commodity in existence. We all have it but we can not buy more of it. It is finite for us mortal beings. It marks a pace and dictates when we sleep, and when we wake. It doesn't care how old you are or how much money you have it simply continues into tomorrow without hesitation.

Our time, like grains of sand grasped firmly in our hands, keeps slipping away. It gradually reminds us that we will soon be no more.

That is why we must be good stewards of it. We can't manage time since we don't control it, but we can manage what we do in the time we have, and We can certainly say that we "spend" or exchange time. Our goal should be to exchange it for valuable, long-lasting returns.

Don't be idle
The greatest waste is simply not doing anything.
Plan for tomorrow
Without a plan we tend to wander and drift to activities that do not produce but instead fill our time with non beneficial entertainment.
Plan activities in the case of eventualities
There are always hiccups in our plans. Murphy will always try to derail our purpose but if you already have a backup plan you needn't worry about the eventualities that will inevitably appear.
Stick to the plan
It seems redundant but as we walk through the day there will be distractions and other things we will identify as important. If we alter our plan for those things we may not finish what we planed to do. Instead add the activity to the end of the day's list and if you can't get to it then add it as one of the activities for tomorrow.
Say what you mean and mean what you say
You will waste more time in the long run if you beat around the bush. Be clear and to the point. Remember that being kind doesn't mean you have to lie.
Forgive all offenses
I don't have time to get into it but holding on to of fences will eat you up inside and will reduce the amount of time you have on Earth. Don't cut your life short. FORGIVE. If you don't want to be around that person that is fine but don't carry a grudge.
Love your neighbor
What we do that is intangible is greater than what we can see or touch. When you love those around you you are investing in your future. Just as the person that holds a grudge will cut his life short, a person who will love his neighbor will increase his life and the quality of it.
Give something away once a day
This is another principle that is very important to follow. When we stop giving we become stagnate. Our creativity, and forward momentum will slow to a stop.
Daily write in a journal
This is for your review, and re-planning. Life has a way of recycling problems or difficult situations. The journal will serve as a guide to keep you from doing the same mistakes twice. It is also a great way to help your children avoid the same mistakes we committed.
Do what you can today
Do not put something off to tomorrow if it can be done today. This procrastination is a sign of fear. Search it out and eliminate fear from your life.
Invest in yourself
You are the greatest investment you could ever take care of. You can not depreciate, be lost, be stolen, and the more you take care of yourself the more you will live successfully. Take good note of your three areas. Spirit, Mind, and Body. Invest in each every day. You won't be disappointed.
Eliminate all clutter
Don't manage it. Don't push it off. Eliminate it. Constantly going through stacks of stuff will only waste your time.
Hire someone to do any mundane repetitive work
Not all of us are at this point but when you can, get someone to do the mundane work. The following are mundane activities: addressing letters, finding people by phone, writing letters, organizing your files, sorting your notes, driving the car, preparing the meals, cleaning the house, washing the clothes, ironing the clothes etc. Anything that is repetitive and requires no mental problem solving is mundane.

If you will follow the above suggestions you will be far on your way to enjoying all of life's wonders.

Here is a rule remember, "Quality time spent with people has a greater return than spent elsewhere"

Give And It Shall Be Given To You

Give and it shall be given to you. This principle will change your life. The average person who enters into the sales arena is looking for the buyer, right? The sales person hones his skills by learning his product and how it is better than the rest in the market, he knows the cost benefit ratio and can argue it in his sleep, and his closing is seamless leaving no room for the buyer to wiggle out. He is ready for the “no” even anxious for it, because that will eventually lead to a “yes”. But although a positive attitude is a must and a complete working knowledge of your product is crucial, a sales person built up with these ideas alone will get at the most (drum roll please) One sale.

As a buyer I have left many a sales room or conference unsure of what just happened. The typical situation is as follows: upon entering the room or met by the salesperson I’m overwhelmed with information on the product or service. Every question is answered and filled out to minute detail. The Salesperson gently guides me down the path of my needs while tactfully showing me how the product will meet them while serving me breakfast with a smile. I may or may not purchase the product or service but one thing is for sure, all I am interested in is the product. After I purchase or receive the product I never look back. The salesperson becomes a blip in my memory and quickly fades away.

But on occasion I have had the pleasure of actually meeting a salesperson. In fact they don’t seem like salespeople at all. It wasn’t until the end of the conversation, as he was drawing up the papers, did I realize I had bought something. They don’t bore you with details but in that short period of time you feel like you actually know them and they are genuinely interested in you. When you leave them you remember them and even though you don’t purchase the product you will call them up again for advice, or another product. These rare individuals make multiple sales over a period of time. Their repeat clients propel them to win prizes and awards for their seemingly amazing ability to sell.

But the secret is in the giving. From the moment they awake they are more interested in satisfying the client/buyer than in making the sale.

I remember the old black and white movie named Miracle on 34th Street about a nice old man who claims to be Santa Claus. He is hired by the department store Macy’s to play the role of the Jolly ol’ elf but when the children that come and visit him ask for toys that Macy’s doesn’t carry he doesn’t try to “sell” them something else, he tells the parents where to find them. He puts into practice the principle of giving. The other Macy’s employees are shocked and then amazed to see how the principle actually makes Macy’s more revenue in the long run.

Do you want to live successful, then live to give.

3 Steps to Success

I realize that this isn't what most of us what to hear. It would be more palatable to say success is who you know and the money in your pocket. Success is written in the stars or whispered to you by a lady leaning over a crystal ball. But that simply isn't the truth, although it is convenient. It allows us to pin our losses on other people or circumstances. I am sure we have all heard comments such as,

"I can't get a job there because I don't know anyone in the business." Or "If only I had -write in a sum of money- I would be happy."

It would seem, by those comments, that Success is based on many variables all of which are out of our grasp or control.

In reality, Success is defined as "the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors." (Dictionary.com) Success requires that we do our part. We must step out of the ordinary and commit ourselves to an action or a purpose. Imagine an athlete getting ready to run a race and he quits prematurely citing a lack of friends that could support him. Wouldn't that be silly? On the contrary, the athlete trains, his body and his mind prior to the race. And when the gun goes off he has committed himself to win, even before he has crossed the finish line.

What I see here are the three steps to success.

1. Preparation
2. Commitment
3. Action.
   
   Preparation The Athlete doesn't appear on the track the day of the race. He has invested months or years prior to the race. He has prepared Mind, Spirit, and Body. (I'll write about that in a later article.)
   
   Commitment The Athlete has determined in his mind that there is no other outcome than victory. Have you leaned on a piece of furniture and have it collapse under you? If you had any less than all your weight on the furniture you could have helped stop your fall. But if all your whole weight were placed on the piece there was no way you weren't going to hit the floor. That's called commitment. It's called putting all your eggs in one basket, jumping in with two feet, eating the whole enchilada. It is the recipe for failure and for amazing success. A farmer when he sows his field doesn't sow half of his seed or even 80% of his seed. He sows all of his seed. That is what makes for a successful farm.
   
   The third step is Action. The Athlete has to leave the blocks. When that gun goes off he must put his preparation and commitment to the test. Imagine the Wright brothers getting the materials, alienating friends and family to build something that didn't fit within the concepts of reality at the time and leaving the plane in the warehouse. Can you see them now, sitting together looking at the plane and toasting to each other..."That's a great plane." "I know it will fly." "How great is that...we built the world's first airplane." then closing the door so that the plane wouldn't get damaged. NO! it took action to place those boys' invention on the map and change the world.
   
   They had to risk it all and actually fly it in order to be successful.

Your success is based on whatever it is in your life that you are willing to risk it all for.

Success Online and In your Life