Two easy ways to invest in a profitable future
We’ve all heard our mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, grandparents and others lament, “If I’d just bought that IBM (insert their popular choice) stock when it was $2.00/share, we’d all be worth millions today.” Well, there are stocks available today that will be the IBM’s of tomorrow, however the same problem exists today that existed for your grandfather. How do you determine which stocks will perform best over time?
In order to determine which stock will be a great investment you must invest in learning about the future potential of your stock candidates. This is not an article about “how to pick a great performing stock”. But it is an article about investments. So here are a couple of great investment tips.
1. Invest in your education
I can hear all the back buttons clicking right now. I know, no one has the time or money to return to college. I’m not saying that you must return to college or that you even need to. What I am saying is, “your success in whatever you attempt is based on your competency and not your diploma.”
True education is measured by how well you think.
- Are you able to look at a project or concept and see the potential? Can you weigh the upside vs. the downside? What problems can you foresee? Is your mind already formulating options? I have a friend who is a master industrial electrician. When he gets called to a breakdown, he begins running through a mental checklist of potential causes and their effects, before he ever gets to the job. He usually has the issue repaired in his mind before he even touches the machine. He has great vision and his analytical ability is excellent, far above most people. However, he does not have a four-year degree. This does not and has not handicapped him. In fact he is currently involved in a project with me that has tremendous financial potential and I am honored that he chose to be involved in our venture.
- Do you recognize opportunity? I am sure that if your grandparents had recognized the true value and knew for a fact that IBM stock would be a continual blue-chipper, then they would have found the money to purchase as much stock as possible. The ability to recognize an opportunity can be cultivated and increased. As you expose yourself to more (through learning) you become aware of more opportunities. If you had asked me six months ago about a blog, I would have asked you what you were talking about. I knew what one was, but I did not envision myself writing or participating in one. In fact, I did not see how I would even need to. I now realize that need is not the issue, it is more a desire to be heard and understood. The point is that exposure to a new idea or concept leads to ways to use or leverage those ideas and concepts.
- Can you spot the flaws or downside? Most people can, but a select can look at a project or idea and seeing the problems, design, devise and develop solutions for the issues at hand. These select few can then take these solutions and implement them, creating a profitable situation.
- Are you a great planner? Some people are natural coordinators. They can take the idea for a situation or event and in their minds eye, see how to make it workable for all involved. Think wedding planners. Think event planners. Think of any person, who has brought together a group of people for the purpose of attaining a goal. Egos are difficult to work with, but these planners “make it happen”. I don’t think they teach this talent in college. Do you have it?
- Can you find the answers? Henry Ford said that he did not need to know trivial details, he had people who worked for him that could find out anything that he needed to know. By the way, Henry Ford’s formal education ended in grammar school. Your mind should not be a warehouse of facts, but an organ of active thinking.
It is your ability to think that determines your level of competency. Anything that improves or increases your thinking ability is education. Invest in your future by developing your most important tool, your mind.
2. Invest in Idea Starters
Idea starters feed and nourish your mind. They give you constructive material to think and ponder on.
- Read books on areas that interest you. Read books that stimulate your thinking. A good novel is O.K. now and then, but they seldom inspire increased thinking capacity. Self-help, self-growth, business, science, technology and trends are all categories of books that can and will stimulate your abilities.
- Listen to audio books. Form a co-op group where everyone in the group purchases an audio book, listens to it then trades it to someone else in the group. The amount of time that you spend in your automobile is staggering. Use this time to your advantage. Think of it as your university on wheels. The wealth of information available in audio format is tremendous.
- Magazines are a fantastic source of what is currently on the cutting edge. Find out how the current movers and shakers are changing our world. Profound thought thrives on profound input. Topical reading might provoke you to have a world-altering idea.
- Explore new web sites and blogs. I stumbled across “The Art of the Start” by Guy Kawaski recently and it really stirred my passion. As you must know, the internet is the great information universe. You are only limited by the amount of time you can connect and the speed of your connection. New thoughts and ideas are being created and discussed by the millions right now.
- Form a Mastermind group. This idea was first espoused by Andrew Carnegie, recorded by Napolean Hill and adopted by nearly every successful person since. Basically, you get a group of people together for regular meetings to discuss ideas of interest. Ideally, the more successful the group members, the better your group and results will be. These are no-holds-barred meetings meant to discuss the proliferation and implementation of the ideas of the group’s members.
An investment in your education is an investment in your future. Don’t assume that there are no avenues available for you to increase your thinking capacity. I’ve listed several and most are free. Take advantage, start today.
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Two keys to continual personal growth and development
It takes the average person between sixteen and twenty-five years to reach their full physical stature. Yes, some people do grow that long. All along the way, we are continually looking forward to the day when we are “all grown up.”
Our bodies reach a condition of full growth due to the programming of our DNA. Beyond this, we can do a little (develop our muscles or eat too much) to enhance our physical state.
Our minds are a different story. The growth and development of our minds does not have to stop. Sadly, many don’t understand or care that having continual growth requires their active participation. I’ve heard people brag, “I can’t even remember the last book that I read.” What a shame when you consider that this is a self-defeating and self-limiting philosophy.
You are paid for what you know
Each year, at their annual wage reviews, people automatically expect to have their pay rate increased. How do you justify this expectation?
- What new skills or knowledge have you acquired since the your last review to justify your expectation of a pay increase?
- Do you realize that as technology advances, your knowledge-base becomes obsolete? In other words, it makes very little difference how many machines that you can operate or repair, if those machines have been replaced with new technology.
- At the very least, you must learn at a pace that keeps up with the technology of your field.
People are shocked
Many people are shocked that I would endorse this idea, but that’s how business works. It’s all about costs and profitability. Dollars, dollars, dollars – it’s a “what have you done for me lately” world. In fact a better question might be directed at you and ask, “Why should you get to keep your job at your current pay rate, when a fresh graduate can be trained to do your job for less money?”
Yes, I did go there – but only to make a point. It is in your best interest to pursue an active program of intellectual growth and development. You literally “cannot afford” to stagnate in today’s rapidly escalating age of technological advancements. If you don’t get busy, then you will be left behind – just like the dinosaurs, your career will soon be extinct.
Two keys to continual growth and development
1. Challenge yourself – ultimately, it’s up to you. No one is going to make you do anything – but you can bet the “new” guy is doing all he/she can to advance and you are in his/her way. Don’t make it easy for your company to replace you.
- Find out what areas you are expected to be proficient in.
- Find out what areas of knowledge are most needed ( whether this is your field or not – it’s called diversification or insurance )
- Find out how and where you can acquire additional training. Many companies offer a host of options.
- Many companies will subsidize your training and continued education, especially if they can see a direct relationship to your current job or possible future responsibilities.
- Volunteer for more responsibility. This will put the “monkey on your back” to have to acquire additional skills.
2. Never allow yourself to become satisfied with your current state.
- If you’re not growing then you are dying.
- Someone is looking to get a piece of your pie. You may have been the best in the past, but today is a new day (and a new opportunity). If you slack up in your performance, then some new, young, gung-ho, “I’m climbing to the top” over-achiever will be glad to add your responsibilities to his. You are just an obstacle on his way to the top, and when you slow down – he’ll catch you.
- Try to relate to a professional athlete. Once you reach the top, you can’t rest because there is a fresh crop of new guys every year. Stay on top of your game – Make Growth and Development a Priority.
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Success is complicated - but it’s not hard
I consider myself to be successful. I have:
- a very nice, custom home
- a medium sized horse farm
- a loving and supportive wife
- two daughters who adore their daddy
- a couple of rapidly growing businesses
What makes my level of success extraordinary? Nothing. Absolutely nothing! As I look back at the steps I’ve taken to arrive at my current position, I’ve come to realize that everything that I’ve done, could have been done by anyone.
Why then have I been able to reach this current level of success while others who are fully capable of enjoying the same success, have not? This bothers me, so I’ve been analyzing the reasons that produce the difference.
What I’ve come to understand is that the difference in success and mediocrity is due to the complications involved. Enjoying a successful life is complicated – not difficult. This is an important difference.
For example, suppose that you have a “great” idea (regular people like you and I have “great” ideas all the time) – what do you do next? Instead of diving right in and doing some research to gage the viability of their “great” idea, most people will:
- think of all the reasons that it won’t work.
- “I just don’t know where to start” – It doesn’t matter where you start, just start. Get on the internet or go to the local library and find out if there is something similar that is available. If there is, then determine how it is different than your idea. What can you do to make it better? Doing is better than not doing – DO SOMETHING!
- “I just don’t have the time” – Why not? Think of how silly that sounds, “I just don’t have the time to be successful”. What you really mean is that you won’t make the time to DO the things that are necessary for your idea to become a reality.
- “I’m not sure that I can do it” – Here’s a clue, no one is absolutely sure of anything, except death. Do you want to still be wondering “if you could have done it” on your death bed? I can’t think of anything more depressing.
- “I don’t have the skills needed” – If you are “smart” enough to have a great idea, then you are fully qualified to develop your great idea and make it a reality.
- “I’m just not the business type” – So what. You can become whatever it is that you need to be. The problem is that the need has never been so great as to force you to become what you can be. YOU must rise to the occasion. YOU must get out of your comfort zone. YOU must do something differently is you want to achieve different results.
- “What do I do first?” – Anything but not everything. Break your dream down into steps or processes, then break these down even further. You don’t have to do everything today – but you do need to do something each day that contributes to the achievement of your dream. When you sit down to eat, you don’t say, “There’s no way that I can fit all that food in my mouth at one time.” You begin to eat by taking one bite at a time. Over the course of your meal, you will consume what you need to sustain your body. Just concentrate on “one bite at a time”.
- translated, this means that it is easier to do nothing and be average than to do a little more and enjoy an extraordinary life.
- nothing about success is hard when you break it down into logical steps and processes. If you don’t do this, then it looks like an un-doable mountain, that is just too big and difficult for “little ole me” to attempt.
Okay, I think I’ve gotten it figured out:
- It’s complicated to become successful (ie – there are a lot of steps that must be take) but not hard ( doing the individual steps are not difficult).
- Being successful requires “doing”.
- It’s easier to do nothing and be average.
MEDIOCRITY IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!!!
4 simple ways to deliver great customer service
Whatever happened to keeping your commitments? What’s wrong with people? Don’t you realize that if you say that you are going to do something, then all logic says that there will be someone waiting for you and depending on you to perform as you have promised?
I am continually amazed with the lack of respect ( and that is what it is ) people demonstrate by not following-up and delivering as they have indicated they would. Has this practice become so commonplace that others expect this to occur and therefore overlook it?
If you are one of those people who doesn’t keep your commitments, then sooner or later there is going to be some “young gun” who comes along and realizes that what people really want is great customer service – then you are going to have to learn to hustle.
Here are a few hints:
- Don’t promise anything that you know you cannot deliver. Don’t tell me that you will email me some needed info or quotes later today and expect tomorrow to be just as good. It’s not. If I asked for them today, then I need them today – tomorrow is not the same thing. If it happens more than once, then I start looking at your competition and I will definitely shop my needs around. Don’t believe that the lowest price will keep my business – it won’t! Keeping your word will.
- If it’s important, then write it down. I forgot is not a valid excuse for not living up to your commitments. Don’t be naive enough to think that you will remember what was said – you won’t! Write it down, make notes and review them! This alone will make you more productive than the vast majority of back-slapping, “I’ll deliver the world” salesmen.
- Under-promise and over-deliver. If you tell me that you will deliver something next week and then are able to deliver this week, then I notice (and so does everyone else) and I appreciate it. In fact, I am likely to tell my friends and associates about what a great service you provide. But the opposite is also true.
- Keep your commitment to yourself. You didn’t go into business to “just get by”. You didn’t become a salesman to be average. You began with a commitment to yourself to be and do your best. If you want to be the best, then do the best. It’s really very simple. And believe me when I say that if you improve just a little, then you will have the rest of the pack beaten, easily.
I am sick and tired of empty promises. Tell me what you can do, when you can do it and then do it! That’s all that you have to do to deliver exceptional customer service.
True success has nothing to do with money
To most people, success is understood in financial terms.
- What does it take to become financially independent or wealthy?
- Is it worth the effort or time necessary?
- What level of net worth is considered successful?
- How long will it take?
I am guilty of writing quite a bit about the financial aspects of success but in reality, success encompasses our whole lives.
- Business/Financial
- Spiritual
- Emotional/Mental
- Friends/Family
- Physical
Today, my family and I spent a few hours at a museum of natural history. We looked at the exhibits, discussed the size of dinosaurs, attempted to answer quite a few difficult questions and saw a wonderful IMAX movie about our endangered coral reefs.
Two little girls had a great time expanding their minds while mommy and daddy had a great time watching them grow and develop intellectually. I could literally see their eyes sparkle when they realized what the message was trying to convey or when they understood a new concept.
I didn’t even have a business-related thought until my wife and I had them both tucked in. Then it struck me as I came downstairs - what a successful day. I should write an article about it.
Definition of success for today
Today, my definition of success is:
- setting aside special and uninterrupted time with my family
- watching the growth and development of two young minds
- listening to the excitement of each new discovery that my girls made
- enjoying the company of my best friend who is also my wife
- making time to share quality time with my family
Real and true success transcends all things financial. The financial aspect simply provides the means to enjoy true success in a variety of ways. The important thing is that you have someone to enjoy the wealth with.
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Self questions: thought-food for a more productive day and life
Devote a few minutes each day to asking yourself these simple questions.
1. What task can I perform today, that will have the greatest positive impact on my production today?
There is always “one” task, duty, or responsibility that when completed will have the largest positive impact on your performance. It is up to you to determine what that task is and then to perform it first and quickly. We seldom do this, because this task is usually more difficult and time-consuming.
The difference between achieving greatness and remaining in mediocrity rests on your ability to determine which responsibilities are the most important and then your drive to get busy doing them.
2. How can I do a better job today?
The question is not “Can I do a better job today?”, because we all know that we can improve daily. It is up to you to determine “how” you can perform better and then “do it”.
If you are having difficulties in discovering how you can do a better job, then ask a colleague, boss or subordinate. Someone will enlighten you.
3. What can I do to motivate and encourage my fellow workers, subordinates or employees?
Is it a smile at the right time? Is it an encouraging word? Is it the offer of help? It is up to you to find the right key for the right individual or situation and then use that key to reveal that person’s potential to them.
Someone is watching you, make it worth their time – be remarkable in all that you do!
4. What special favor can I do for my customers?
People do business with people they like. Do your customers like you? Why? Do you show them that you appreciate their patronage? It is your business, if you expect it to grow, you must fertilize it. Fertilize it with special attention to those who make it a success, your customers/clients.
5. How can I increase my efficiency?
Can I combine two similar tasks? Can I delegate some of my responsibilities? Don’t be busy, be productive.
6. How can I add value to others?
Do I tell others of their worth to me and my organization? Statistics prove that people favor a kind and encouraging word more than increased pay. Employees like to know and be told that their efforts are appreciated. You can never say “thank you” too often. Do you ever get tired of hearing it?
Write these questions down and periodically go over them. Keep a running tally of how you are doing throughout the day. Over time, this process will become a habit that you will be grateful you developed.
7. What can I do today that will make me more valuable?
What will you do to promote your growth and development? Will you read and study some aspect of your business/job? Will you dig in to some completely foreign technology in hopes of diversifying your talents? Will you exercise today?
Answer some of these questions positively everyday and you will grow and develop beyond your wildest imagination!
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5 traits of success
Do you ever wonder why some of the people you know have had a great deal of success in their lives while you languish in mediocrity? Why do some people succeed? What are the qualities that distinguish successful people (around 3-5%) from the rest of the pack?
1. Successful individuals have exceptionally strong faith in themselves, their abilities, their prospects and their ability to learn.
These individuals exude confidence which is sometimes mistaken for cockiness. And it may be cockiness, but the reality is that this trait alone will do more to guarantee success than all the other traits combined. These individuals are not deterred by what they don’t know because they realize that they can learn.
Successful people understand that their minds are better used for thinking than as a warehouse for facts. They are not hindered by complications because they know how and where to find solutions. Henry Ford said that he was not interested in miscellaneous facts because the ability to know how to get information was a more important use for the mind. In effect, they are not stopped by obstacles because they will not allow anything to come between them and their goals.
2. Successful individuals have definite goals.
Ask any successful person what they are working on, and you will likely get more information than you really wanted. These people are not wandering through life. They have goals and they have formulated plans for attaining their goals. Successful individuals have definite goals.
They know where they want to go and what they want to accomplish with their lives. These goals are not mere dreams that occupy their thoughts and hopes. These are tangible, written expressions of their dreams. If a goal is not written down, then it is not a goal, but a dream. In order to translate your dream from the realm of imagination to the world of possibility, you must record it in tangible, written form. Post your goal where you can see it continually. Carry it with you in your wallet or purse and look at it often throughout the day.
3. Successful individuals have the ability to focus.
Successful people are a lot like pit-bulls. They grab on to something and they don’t let go until they are satisfied. They are able to look at a plan or an objective and dissect from it the one thing that is most important to the success of the project at the present moment. Then, they concentrate and focus all of their attention and energy on this one important task until it has been accomplished. Having completed the most important task first, they move on to the next most important task and continue as before until all is completed.
Contrast this with the other 95% of the population that cannot concentrate long enough to finish a thirty minute sitcom without changing the channel to see what else is on. Decide what is important to you and then develop a plan for attaining your goals. Having done this, focus your energy on the one thing that is most important in attaining your goal. Then move to the next most important thing.
4. Successful individuals work hard.
Successful people know that anything worth having is worth working for and they are committed to doing whatever is necessary. Their motto could be: W. I. N. - Whatever Is Necessary; educating themselves, working long hours, coordinating efforts, brokering deals, negotiating terms, developing distribution and inventory systems, selling themselves and their business, they do it all and they do it willingly. Because they know that it all depends on them - the buck stops here. No work = No pay!
5 . Successful individuals have no fear.
Successful people aren’t afraid of what other people think about them. Their self-worth is not determined by others, so whatever Uncle Bob or Aunt Susie think about their current business venture has no merit. They are not afraid that someone might think their questions are stupid, because every successful person knows it is better to operate with all the facts.
Successful people are not afraid of failure because a failure does not define them. To them, failure is an outcome or an event. And they use these failures as educational tools to increase the chances of future success. Successful people are not afraid of success because they know it is their destiny.
Optimize your child’s future by encouraging creativity now
Creativity is a highly valued trait. We love artists, designers, inventors and manipulators of the business world. The ability to take an abstract idea and from that create a tangible work of art, building, rehabilitation device or a new business model takes creativity and ingenuity. Have you ever stopped to consider that we all have the ability to create. And be very good at it.
As a child you believed that you could be or do anything when “you grew up”, so you pretended to do and be what you wanted. No one pretended to be a factory worker, secretary, accountant or garbage man. Not that there is anything wrong with any of these occupations. My point is that at some point along the way our creativity was stifled and conformity was espoused.
I had the opportunity to witness the beginning of the destruction of a child’s creative nature yesterday. My family and I were in a maternity store (my wife is expecting our third) and toward the back, they had a small Lego table set up. You remember – you could build anything with Legos.
Anyway, my wife and girls went into the dressing room to try on some clothes and I was watching four kids, ranging in age from 3 to 9, play at the table. Soon, the father ( I assume ) came back to check on them. The oldest, a boy, said, “Look Dad” and pointed to his creation. To which the father replied, “What is it?” The son said, “I don’t know” and the father smirked, “That’s what I thought”, and then walked off.
I was shocked to say the least and felt bad for the boy. What an ass that father was! Children need and want our endorsement and approval. They thirst for it. If we don’t show them our attention and acceptance when they are creating these “small wonders”, then later they are going to create large disasters in order to at least get our attention.
Help you children develop and nurture their creativity by:
- paying attention to them now – one day instead of “look at me daddy” it’s going to be “can I borrow the car.”
- encourage them – provide books, games and activities that encourage mind development.
- participate with their development – it shows that you care and that you believe in them.
- don’t bitch and moan when they make a mess – take note of their project and then explain cleaning up.
Is your child going to be the next great artist, designer, inventor, web designer or will he/she be shackled to a minimum wage existence. You have more control than you realize.
Your network: the vast, ignored and untapped resource
There is a great commercial on television from a wireless service provider that touts the benefits of having their network standing behind you, where-ever you go. It’s a great concept – having a large network of people, who are at your disposal, to provide you with any help for any problem that you may encounter.
The commercial appeals to all of us, because subconsciously we understand that there is indeed a vast but often ignored and overlooked source of:
- information
- talent
- help and assistance
- potential financial funding
- advice
- ideas
- contacts
…at your disposal. It is your network. It is the people that you know plus all the people they know and so forth. Read more
Expand your mind and fulfil your destiny
Our mind controls our body. Everyone knows this. Our mind also controls our future. Fewer people will acknowledge this, but the extent to which you develop and use your mind will determine your destiny.
If it is your desire to attain a new job or position, you must develop the skills necessary to perform this new initiative. This requires that we use our minds to access and accumulate information that can be translated into knowledge. How can we do this?
- Return to school. This option is not viable for everyone because of family, financial obligations, logistics and time issues, but it is a very good way to extend your current skill level as well as develop the needed new skills. Many universities offer nighttime classes and some offer mini semesters of condensed material during summer. Check into the options that may be available to you.
- Let school come to you. Online learning has become accepted and is widely available. This may help you with your family obligations and logistics, but the dedication of your time and the expense will not go away. However, there is a web site that does offer free access. Free-ed.net offers an extensive list of courses that may help you increase your knowledge base and prepare you for a step up the career ladder or develop new skills to take you in an entirely new direction. If course accreditation is required, then this site may not help. Otherwise, this option is worth a look!
- Read. Though it is an old-fashioned method, it works and can be cost effective if you don’t mind shopping for used books. Used book stores, flea markets, second hand shops - the options are endless and cheap. If you have the ability to discipline yourself to devoting a specified amount of uninterrupted time to daily reading then the results will truly amaze you. By reading one hour each day, you will have read more in one year and devoted more time to study than is required for 2 or 3 college courses. Give it a try.
- Listen. Not as cheap, but really convenient. Listen to self-help / personal-growth cds in your car while driving or on your mp3 player while doing manual tasks. The number of books available in audio form is mind-boggling. Most of the time, these audio books are entertaining and easy to listen to. Plus, you can listen to them over and over. A really good option for people who don’t enjoy reading.
- Find a mentor. There are many people who are willing to devote their time in your quest for knowledge. Find someone that has the skills you desire or has attained the success level that you desire and ask them to help you. You will be giving a compliment to that person by asking and most of the time that is all it takes. Ask, you shall receive. But if they say, “no”, you haven’t lost anything. Go to the next person who could help you. Helpful hint: If you know someone who is retired, ask them, but prepare to be astounded by their accumulated knowledge.
Expanding your mind is not hard but it does take discipline and dedication. The following are some things that can hinder you.
- Television. Brain candy. This is your mind on mush. As a society, we waste huge amounts of time sitting, eating and drooling ourselves into oblivion. Get out from in front of the TV so you are not living life vicariously. At least cut back on TV. You can free up a lot of learning time here.
- Sleep. Do you really need to sleep late just because you have a day off? Can you get up a half hour earlier? Try it. You’ll be amazed by how much you get accomplished.
- Socializing. Look at the people with whom you are spending time socializing. Do you look up to any of them? Do you wish to have their level of success? Probably not. You do become like the people you congregate with. It’s a fact, so start “rubbing elbows” with the people that you admire.
Expand your mind and expand your possibilities. You can and do control your destiny.
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