A Simple Idea from a Billionaire

It's simple and powerful.

The philosophy of successful people is often easy to understand.

The more I look at how successful people got that way, the more I realize how straightforward they think.

For example, consider these comments from Mark Cuban, billionaire, mercurial owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and star of the reality TV series "The Benefactor."

When asked the key to recognizing opportunity, he sites doing one's homework as the most important factor.

"The hard part is doing the homework to know if the idea could work in an industry," he says. "Then doing the preparation to be able to execute on the idea."

He admits that he does not have original ideas. He combines existing ideas in unique ways that no one else is doing. Of course, he knows no one else is doing it because he has thoroughly studied his industry.

He says that the characteristics of an entrepreneur are willingness to learn, focus, ability to absorb information, and no illusions about competitors' desire to overtake you.

Cuban says that when he set the goal to retire at 35, he studied everything he could find about business and the industries that interested him. He actually considered any job as a paid opportunity to learn more about a business.

He advises entrepreneurs to learn as much about their businesses as possible and never take shortcuts. Over and over again, he emphasizes homework, superior knowledge, the drive to learn, and the need to get to work.

Nothing complicated in this philosophy, is there?

Anyone could adopt his ideas and do well at anything.

Regardless of your dream, if you do your homework, you greatly enhance your odds of success.

Do yourself a favor. Do your homework.

It's simple and insures success.

And you can be your own benefactor.

What Makes A Champion

Imagine for a moment that you are a champion. You are the best in your town. No, you are the best in your country. How does that make you feel? Good yeah? You are a champion. What are you the champion of? What is your major strength? Are you a good leader? A good strategist. A great tactician. A team builder perhaps. A great listener. Perhaps you have the ability to develop and grow the skills of others. Whatever it is, you have the talent to become a champion. All you need to do is to understand what it is that makes a champion. In this article we are going to introduce you to a new awareness. We are going to open up your mind to the invisible world of what makes a champion.

Personally, we think there are four major criteria that make a champion. You probably know what they are: Talent, courage, tenacity and mind set. You have each of them but do you use them?

Guess what! You have the talent to become a champion. But first it is a case of identifying what your talent is. It is easy if you have a talent for running, swimming, cycling, football or any sporting talent but we are talking of a talent that is not readily identifiable but can make you into a champion...

Stop for a moment. We want you to take a little time and think about your own talents and qualities. Just let your mind roll back and list all your achievements. All the things never mind how big or small that YOU consider to be an achievement in your life.

Now review your list. Can you see a pattern?

Listen to yourself!

What do you feel is important to you. Be honest.

What are you good at?

What do you like doing?

Are YOU competitive?

Does your pattern and your inside voice show you, you get your kicks from helping others; being useful to society or does money motivate you?

Now you are sure you have talent. Perhaps there is a natural energy about you. A way in which others naturally listen to what you have to say. Perhaps it is an ability to make others follow you. Perhaps you are naturally persistent. You find others naturally do what you suggested. Perhaps you have natural courage. Perhaps it is a talent that is easily recognizable like painting, drawing, playing football or whatever.

Whatever it is you are now able to identify your key core skills, your talents. The skills that you use when you are functioning at your full potential.

But there is a long road between identifying your talents and being a champion. If you want to be a champion you need to harness other talents. Those that have been on idle or haven't been used at all because you are totally preoccupied with a certain way of living. Those that have, for whatever reason, been pushed into the background and forgotten. In our experience, people often sabotage their own efforts. They are aware they have special skills, abilities and qualities but they keep them turned off most of the time. They go through life only make effort when they want to make effort. Then and only then do they fully utilize their hidden talents. At that time, and that time only, are they at their most alert.

Think for a moment and list your hidden, natural talents that you know exist but are not being fully used.

The point is now you have written down and accepted both your hidden and surface skills, abilities and qualities do you have the courage to use them to reach your full potential. Do you have the courage to succeed?

Do you have the courage to accept that there is a different life out there for you? A life where you are a champion. A person who lives or wants to live to their full potential.

The Reasons Why We Fear Success

In the book, The SHOCKwealth System?, it is discussed that there are four fears that must be overcome in order to experience true success. One of those fears is the fear of success itself. The Fear Of Success is the self-sabotaging fear.

Have you ever come close to actualizing a goal that you have put forth--- only to walk away from it or sabotage it when it appeared that victory was finally near?

The fear of success is what I refer to as ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts) and WORMS (Deep seated, unconscious beliefs and fears that act like computer viruses) in the Principles outlined in the SHOCKphilosophy?. You may fear spiritual enlightenment; successful relationships, success in finances, success in health and so on. Regardless of what kind of success you fear, it's an insidious fear virus that must be dealt with as pervasively as the fear itself.

Do you recognize these ANTs?:

? Mo money, mo problems

? I won't know how to manage all of that money

? My parents or grandparents had money and they are miserable because of it

? I don't have the education to be rich

? God, my religion says that I should be poor and live below my means

I'm sure you can add to the list. Here are a few more reasons why we fear success in life?

Accountability/Responsibility

When I was a Personal Trainer, I had a fellow trainer who used to tell me that he didn't want to become too successful or rich. In fact, he said, 'I just want to be comfortable.' Whatever the hell that means. He continued to explain to me why he didn't want wealth and success in life. 'I don't want to become too rich or successful because that is when people start coming after you.'

I thought about what he said and he is partially right. As Dr. John F. Demartini once said, "Life doesn't become easier, it only becomes more accountable." You've heard the phrase, "To whom much is given, much is required?" That is a fact and this is why the SHOCKphilosophy & the SHOCKprocess? is liberating so many lives. It gives you a tool or a weapon against the counter-thoughts/beliefs toward your desired level of success.

What if you had a process that could quickly identify the type of fear you have toward success and began the process of neutralizing that fear or finding how that fear serves your higher good and best interest?

With wealth, success, happiness and just being highly competent at anything, creates an accountability and responsibility to be the best that you can be at what you wish to be. Learning how to harness the power of the fear of success rather than run away from it requires a process, a SHOCKprocess. But, once you understand that fear is and always will be your best friend, you are no longer hindered by fear you are forever liberating from fear.

The Fear of the Unknown

We fear success because we have never been successful at that which we wish to become successful, so there is an inherent fear of the unknown or the 'What if.'

If I asked you to go into a darkened room where you could not see your hand before your face and you didn't know if there were ceilings or floors but you heard the sound of a growling tiger ? what would you feel? What if I told you that in this room are billions of combinations that can make you instantly rich, improve your health, rekindle your current relationship or help you find the love of your life ? what would you do? Would you go it this room and at least check it out?

Would you take the chance? Most people would not and this is the essence of the Fear Of Success. As I discuss in the SHOCKphilosophy? most people have ANTs, or Automatic Negative Thoughts that automatically hinder them and talk them out of their greatness and potential for success, wealth and happiness.

By identifying what your individual, unconscious fear looks like, you will be able to transcend repeat failure and trends in your life.

The Fear of Public Scrutiny/Resentment

Yes, it is true; poor-minded people hate rich-minded people. Notice I said, 'poor-minded.' Not all poor people hate the rich and wealthy, but if you haven't been watching the news lately, you may have noticed that it is an all out war on those who have publicly announced their wealth.

If you are a Celebrity, a successful Entrepreneur, a noted Author on wealth, or have become so rich in business that it has garnered media attention, you will more than likely be put on public display to defend your so-called, 'SHOCKwealth?.'

The message that the media sends out to the masses is, 'Don't get too big or rich for your britches, or we will come after you and expose your innermost turmoil to the public.' This dynamic creates and breeds a WORM; that causes us to fear success at the public level. There was even a Rap Song made famous by P Diddy and Biggie Smalls called, 'Mo Money, Mo Problems.'

Do you have the fear of success? Would you like to know how to identify and neutralize this deep seated fear/belief? Check out the SHOCKphilosophy?, and signup for the next SHOCKprocess? Focus Group to truly begin to identify and neutralize your WORMS and ANTs ? the fear of success.

Tools for Constructing the Road to Success

Too many times in the pursuit of our dreams, we loose sight of the total picture and instead settle on a small piece of it. A job, any job, whether it is in the conventional job market or any one of a number of work from home ventures all require the same thing - people of vision.

Vision sees the entire portrait, balanced, controlled, and proportionate while focus concentrates solely on one aspect of the portrait. Don't misunderstand, having focus is not a bad thing as long as it doesn't loose sight of vision.

In building your road to success you must take several things into account if you want your road to remain stable and strong. These are;

Objectives:

Ask yourself the following questions. Why do you want to go into business? Where do you want to be in 3 months, 6 months and 1 year? What will it take to get you there? Do you believe in what you're selling? Think about these and write down your answers. They will be the foundation upon which the rest of your business goals will be built.

Knowledge Base:

What we want to know here is how well you know your subject. Are you familiar with the products or services you will be representing? Do you have immediate access to training materials and technical support if you need it? Do you know where to get the materials and training? Have you researched your subject? As you are going to build these roads to success for yourself approach this part of your learning curve with a child like appetite for knowledge. You can never have enough tools! Just make sure they're the one's you need for the task at hand.

Using Your Resources:

A good manager regardless of industry knows his people. He knows their strengths and their weaknesses and will use these resources appropriately in helping his team achieve a particular goal. That same manager if he's true to himself, will also recognize his own weaknesses and strengths and surround himself with knowledgeable people that will offset or compliment the team.

Motivation:

You have to realistically find out what drives or motivates you towards success. For each one of us it will be something different. Maybe you're looking for financial freedom, extra time to enjoy life or perhaps you've just had enough of the rat race. Whatever your reasons, write them down and keep them somewhere so you can see them. If you're looking at a new car or house, cut out their picture and put them on your "wish" board so you can see what you're working towards.

Brass Tacks:

Finally, if we're going to put this all together we need to learn how to lead. But before we can do that, we need to learn how to follow first. Great leaders, people in authority, business owners and Entrepreneurs all need to learn how to temper their judgment with wisdom. We can learn a lot from people just by using our senses. Take a moment to stand back, listen, observe. By doing so, you are literally guaranteeing your success.

Keeping The Road On Terra Firma:

A final thought on keeping your "Road" on solid ground. You've got your objectives identified, your resources have come together nicely and everything is starting to gel ? at the end of your day you need to ask; would I hire myself? If you have trouble answering that, start over again with the basics and re-examine your motivations and your goals. Be honest with yourself then move on. The road will have bumps. That's to be expected. Don't let these bog you down ? use them to your advantage! If you think about it, that's the beauty of a mistake, it can be your best friend or worst enemy depending upon how you approach it.

Business Ethics:

I couldn't let this article go without mentioning business ethics ? a trait that seems to be sorely misunderstood, often abused, and seldom used. If you don't possess a strong business ethic, in the end you will be found out and your credibility will be forever damaged. Too many times ethics are driven by politics within an office atmosphere to the point where the mission statement is just that ? a statement and nothing more.

To many times I have sat in on meetings that either discussed rules, company ethics or customer service. I have also attended several seminars in which these themes were quite prevalent. What always amazed me however is that the "new" and "improved" ways of attracting customers or quality associates to your business were the same things that were in practice over 30 years ago! Someone tried to re-invent the wheel, re-packaged it in something shiny and is selling it to you as the cure for all your business woes.

Above all else, always remember that regardless of your business or station in life, you are a consumer and as such you should have a pretty good idea of your likes and dislikes.

While the statement "honesty is the best policy" is nothing new, my grandfather telling me it was always easier to tell the truth because a lie would always have to be remembered so it could be told over and over again, is new ? not to me, but to others.

Something will have to drive you to the front away from the pack! What will it be? Each of use must choose those attributes and find the combination that will work but we must never loose sight of our goals or "sell" our souls to achieve them.

Regardless of what you may think, you can not teach someone Honor, Integrity, Loyalty or Truthfulness. They either have it or they don't. Remember, while you can lead a horse to water, you can't make him drink however, you can make him thirsty!

Why Success is a Science

My studies of the highly successful prove that they continually achieve their results by doing "certain things in a certain way." I have also found that "like causes produce like effects." Therefore, if you and I consistently employ the same thought processes and actions of these highly-successful individuals, we must produce the same results. This is why success is an absolute science. If you apply the principles (thoughts and actions) of peak performers, you will accelerate your sales and life results far beyond your current level of achievement. Put it to the test.

In his best-selling book, Psychocybernetics, Dr. Maxwell Multz talks about our daily actions being the direct result of our habits. Since your actions are the cause of your results, it is fair to assume that your habits are what ultimately create the results you obtain. Habits are the things you and I do naturally and automatically, without thinking. These habits have been conditioned at a very early age and are now collected in our unconscious mind. According to Multz, if you want to change your results, you must begin to form new habits. In other words, you must change the things you do automatically.

Your current thinking regarding your abilities, your product and your industry is habitual -- and we call that programming. This programming is buried in your unconscious mind, and it drives your behavior on a daily basis.

These programs, or mindset, came from outside sources and we often accept them without question. Many times our mindset contains lack and limitation because a parent, teacher, coach, or another person we respected wanted to protect us from disappointment. They told us to "be realistic," "don't expect too much," "life is hard" and many other disempowering beliefs. The moment you accept their programs, they drive your behavior and often limit your results. Following are the first steps in building the habits of a top sales performer. Habits that will drive massive action and create incredible results!
# Set a clear and measurable goal.

Make it one that you are excited about accomplishing. The human spirit will not invest itself in mediocrity -- so if you want to succeed in overcoming limiting habits, your goal must create passion! As you set your goal, two things are important: it must be specific and measurable. Write "I am making $70,000" versus "I want to make more money." When your goal is measurable you will know exactly when it is accomplished.

# Write your goal in the present tense.

This will cause you to fully associate to the achievement of your goal. Your unconscious mind is totally deductive, and therefore, it accepts anything that your conscious mind gives it without question. Consequently, correct phrasing is imperative. Write your goal as "I am so happy that I earn a minimum of $70,000 per year" versus "I want to earn $70,000 per year." Write your goal as if you already have it right now.

# Write your goal every single day, carry it with you everywhere you go, and read it as often as possible.

Remember, you are developing habits of the highly successful -- new ways of thinking and acting. Therefore, if you get tired, or you find yourself thinking this step is redundant, realize that it has taken years to create your current programming and it will take concentrated effort for it to be replaced.

# Take action and make daily decisions with your goal in mind.

In other words, ask yourself the question "What decision would I make right now or what action would I take right now as a $70,000 income earner?" When you answer the question -- act! If you act based upon your current status you will continue to create your current results. Any time you experience frustration with these action steps, realize that it is caused by your old programming trying to push you back into old behaviors. The mark of a master is the person who has the ability to give themself a command -- and then follow it!

Commit to these 4 steps for 30 days. I promise it will make a positive impact on your sales and life results.