Performance & Success Advice Blog Post # 15 - Achieve YOUR Full Potential!

It is certainly funny how life works.  Just the other night while I was in New Orleans, I made friends with Lloyd, the night manager at the hotel I stayed in.  We ended up talking about our goals in life, leading me to tell him about my blog and the Collegiate Performance Magazine.

I told him that my goal is to become a professional speaker, a business coach and consultant, to publish the book I am writing, and to film the reality TV show I am writing.  Likewise, he told me about his goals.  Lloyd was my first inspiration for writing this blog post since we spoke about what was keeping him from reaching his goals or Achieving HIS Full Potential. 

Life works in miraculous ways.  The second motivation of why it was imperative for me to create this post was revealed to me while driving from New Orleans to Tulsa yesterday as I was listening to podcasts by people I like.  This one in particular by Scott Smith of the Daily Boost called “How to Achieve Your Full Potential,” ironically was exactly about what Lloyd and I had talked about – our own Human Potential.

We all have goals, dreams and aspirations.  In this podcast, Scott speaks on why some are successful in achieving theirs and why others are not.  Those that are not yet successful all have one thing in common – constraints, or things that hold them back.  

To successfully achieve your ultimate goals, dreams and aspirations one must:

1. Recognize what your constraints are
2. Remove your constraints so you can move forward
3. Move forwards to Achieve YOUR Full Potential!

You can achieve anything and everything you set your mind to.  Don’t take it from me; go listen to Scott’s podcast to hear it first hand!  He ends the podcast powerfully by saying - “You have all the potential in the world.  You have some hope that believes you can get there.  You have the faith that it’s within you right?  You have that.  You have the frustration that says you have all this potential. If you can only remove the constraints, your on your way!” 

My constraint was the full-time commitment that my college education demanded of me, which diverted my focus, time, and effort away from growing my business.  On August 8^th, I graduated with my Bachelors of Science in Marketing and a concentration in Sales eliminating my constraint. 

I am now moving forwards to Achieving MY Full Potential.  There is nothing holding me back.  I have embarked on my journey with my compass pointing me daily towards Achieving MY Full Potential. 

What is holding you back?

Listen to Scott’s podcast on iTunes called “How to Achieve Your Full Potential!”  Invest in yourself!  Don’t let anything stop you and Achieve YOUR Full Potential!

Questions?  Comments?  Blog with me!

Performance & Success Advice Blog Post # 14 - The Time is NOW

This past Saturday my whole life changed when I graduated with my Bachelor's of Science in Marketing and a concentration in Sales.  

Being a full-time student for four straight years, that full-time "job" is now over.  The time is NOW for my entrepreneurial career to take over that slot.  I can now devote my full focus to the growth and success of my future.

After graduation, my plan is to move out West to pursue several different ventures.  Naturally, this means that I have to pack up everything.  As I was packing, I found this little notebook I wrote in after my first Tony Robbins seminar, "Unleash the Power Within" (UPW) when I was 14.

I'll share what is inside the notebook, which inspired me again when I read it, after I share my simple intention for this blog post.

The time is NOW!  The phrase itself says a lot.  If there is ever something in your life you want to do, do it.  If there is ever something in your life you want to achieve, achieve it.  Fix your mind on the goals that drive you, commit to them unreservedly, and you will see results!

Here is a personal example of why the time is NOW:

I was 14 when I went to my first UPW.  There I started networking and learning things that adults 30, 40, and 50 plus years old who saw me there were compelled to run up to me and exclaim, "you don't know how lucky you are to be learning this at your age...I wish I learned this when I was younger."

Being there and being open to learning and trying something new worked out well for me.  I was invited to pioneer the very first Discovery Camp UPW for teens from all around the world. Here I stayed and worked at the University of California, San Diego for 6 days with a group of about 10 kids as the Assistant Trainer to the Anthony Robbins Foundation's Trainer.  Not only did I enjoy working with my group of kids, helping them derive the same meaning out of the seminar as I had, but I was also invited to be one of few assistant trainers at the next Discovery Camp in Orlando.

The power is yours.  Carpe Diem! - "Sieze the Day!"  The reason that the time is NOW is because if not now, when?  Ask yourself what do you want and start working towards it TODAY!

I blog about this because I am passionate about it and I want you to be too.  Join me on my journey towards success!

Questions?  Comments?  Blog with me!

As promised, here are some notes from my notebook:

Communication is 7% the words you choose, 38% your tone of voice, & 55% your physiology.

On focus and belief:

1. What you focus on you find
2. What you focus on seems real
3. What you focus on grows
4. What you focus on you become

Quotes:

• "A winner never never quits and a quitter never wins"
• "With great power comes great responsibility"
• "Forgiveness is letting go of the hope for a better past"
• "The only thing that's keeping you from getting what you want is the story you keep telling"
• "Life will pay whatever price you ask of it"

Notes on Incantations:

Incantation - A phrase said repeatedly to reach a result

Ex. The Little Engine That Could - "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..."

Notes on Asking/Receiving:

• Give before you receive (to reach their needs)
• Ask someone who can give
• Ask specifically
• Ask until you get it by changing your approach
• Ask with certainty

Performance & Success Advice Blog Post # 13 - Success is Paid in Advance

One of my mentors, Dr. Jeff Magee, gave me some wise advice not long ago. He said, "Success is Paid in Advance."

As I make the transition this Saturday from college student to full time business professional, this piece of advice has never resonated more strongly...allow me to share with you why.

I am an ambitious young professional with many goals in sight. My goal is to help others become successful through business coaching, consulting, writing, speaking and more. You may be wondering, "how is a 21 year old recent college graduate going to achieve these grandiose goals?"

It is this very question that inspired me to write this blog post entitled "Success is Paid in Advance."

The answer to that question in my mind is simple. I do not plan on becoming any one of these things overnight. I am aware that success is paid in advance, thus I am prepared for the long journey and hard work ahead of me.

Success is a journey of self-discovery. It is crucial to realize this to prepare yourself to work harder then you ever have before, longer hours then you ever have before, and to pay your dues for the sake of learning and experience.

As we near graduation and eventually graduate, we all experience the same streams of thoughts flowing through our minds. Most of these thoughts surround the question, "what am I going to do now?" This is the moment we have been working towards our entire lives! Many expect to graduate and get a job paying a nice salary...but largely, this is not the case. Don't be discouraged if you are not one of those few! Remember that determination, commitment, consistency, passion, a desire to succeed, positivity and hard work are what breeds success.

The take away from this lesson is this:

On our journey for success, we all need to...

1. Decide what it is that you want to do/become
   
2. Write down the goals and steps you must achieve to get there
3. Commit yourself unreservedly to attaining these goals
4. Prepare for the journey ahead of you...remember "Success is Paid in Advance!"
5. Be willing to work hard and give it your all
6. Stay Positive and HAVE FUN!!!

One of the best ways to stay on top of your goals is to lock onto your target. Once you write down the goals you must achieve to get there, create a daily action plan of actions and do a little every day! Please view my blog post entitled "The Power of Doing A Little Everyday" to see why this works so well!

Questions? Comments? Please blog with me!

Performance & Success Advice Blog Post # 12 - Get "It" Done!

As I type this blog post, this topic is one that is painfully relevant.  Since my last post, I have been jotting down ideas for my future posts. There was, however, one missing element.  I never took the time to actually sit down and Get "It" Done.

When I look at the phrase "Get "It" Done," I see two distinct definitions:

Get "It" Done-

1. Taking the necessary action (and time) to see "it" through
2. Doing everything within your power to ensure you accomplish whatever "it" is you need

We all practice definition #1 in our lives as we accomplish our goals and objectives.  It is definition #2 that I strive to achieve in my daily life.  

For this definition to hold true, you must recognize where your individual locus of control falls.  We are all accountable for our own actions.  Likewise, we all have the potential to do everything we dream of.  In order to achieve our dreams and goals, you need to be willing to take your life into your own hands, taking accountability for the things that you really want.

locus of control- One's belief about what causes the good and bad results in their life

• External - The degree to which you associate your fate, fortune, failures (and successes) to external factors as opposed to internal factors.  [Ex. Blaming tardiness on bad traffic (traffic being the external factor)]
• Internal - The degree to which you associate your fate, fortune, failure (and successes) to internal factors as opposed to external factors [Ex. Taking accountability for the poor grade you received on an exam for not studying harder (you not putting forth enough effort to study being the internal factor)]

*TIP* - Develop a winning attitude and an internal locus of control!  Together, this will allow you to hold yourself accountable for your results (positive or negative), ultimately achieving greater levels of success.

Here is a real life example that I find amusing of how to take control of your life and Get "It" Done!  As of a couple weeks ago, I had only a few weeks left of one Marketing Strategies class until I graduate with a Bachelor's of Science in Marketing and a concentration in Sales.  All that I needed to do was pass the class with a C or higher.  This week in particular, I had an extra case of "Senior-itis."  Instead of studying or reading the Harvard Case for the exam, I only skimmed through it once.  When I got my grade, the result, of a 68% on the exam, I knew precisely what internal factor caused this.  I realized that in just a few short weeks if I didn't get a C or better in the class I would not graduate.  I knew what I had to do...take control and Get "It" Done!  What did I do?  I prepared extensively for the next test by reading the Harvard Case several times, highlighting the important information, and talking about the case until I was confident I knew the material.  The result - I was the only person in the entire class to get a perfect score on the test, so the professor gave me 107%.  Today, I have a 98% average in the class and will graduate with the Dean's List Honors.

The moral of the story is simple.  I was not happy with my result - the 68%.  The "it" that needed to get done - graduate!  My locus of control - Internal, since I knew my lack of preparation was the cause.  What I did - own up to my mistake, laugh about it, and buckle down to do everything in my power to ensure that I graduate.

This is no secret.  Like Nike says..."Just do it."  Take control, do what you've gotta do, and Get "It" Done!

Do you procrastinate?  We all do...learn how to use active procrastination to get done what you need to, and put off the things that are not so important in Eat That Frog!

Questions?  Comments?  Blog with me!

Performance & Success Advice Blog Post # 11 - Invest in Yourself!

The inspiration behind this post is the Young Investors meeting I attended tonight at UCF thanks to my friend Doug Markovitz.

Here are some of the investment topics Doug moderated tonight:

• Hedging Against Inflation
  
• World Currency Trading (and how to use Forex.com)
  
• Investing in Healthcare (and Obama's Healthcare reform plan)
  
• Emerging Growth Companies

Doug read my Performance & Success Advice Blog, and asked if I would mind speaking about a few things in the meeting.

After going through the agenda of the meeting, Doug gave me the floor to say a few words.  The overall message I wanted to send was the need to harness the power we all have as individuals.

I found one of Mark Victor Hansen's tweets the other day to be very profound, so I brought the quote in to share with the group.  "Your state of mind creates your state of results."

My interpretation of that quote is that your attitude, your mental clarity, and how sharp your mind is will determine your success.

I shared another quote with the group that I found to be motivational by Howard Thurman: "Don't ask what the world needs.  Ask what makes you come alive and go do it.  Because the world needs people who have come alive."

I summed everything up by explaining the need to invest in the most viable investment out there - YOU!  Invest the time in yourself to find the things that make you come alive.  Discover your passion.  And once you do, invest in yourself more to sharpen your attitude and your mind!

I ended with one final quote by Dr. Wayne Dyer:  "Act as if everything you desire is already here...treat yourself as if you already are who you'd like to become."

By Investing in Yourself, you will arm yourself with the tools and resources, (image, attitude, a sharp mind, etc.) that will foster success in all areas of your life.

The most successful people in the world invest in themselves.  Do you?

Invest in Yourself by signing up for the Collegiate Performance Magazine and blogging with me here on my Performance & Success Advice Blog!  

The Collegiate Performance Magazine is a publication where the youngest, most successful individuals in the world contribute their "How-to" knowledge in easily digestible, 500 word or less articles.  

Sign-Up TODAY using the promo code College and you will receive a FREE month and the lifetime benefit of a 50% discount!

*TIP* - Some ways I invest in myself are:

• Listening to podcasts
  
• Reading books, magazines, newspapers, etc.
• Modeling and learning from other successful people
• Networking & Marketing YOU
• My Professional Image
• My Health & Fitness
• My Self-Discipline
• My Positive Attitude

Performance & Success Advice Blog Post # 10 - "I Admire and Model Rich and Successful People"

This statement, "I admire and model rich and successful people," is one of my business philosophies.  The reason I decided to blog about this today though, is because today (and last night) I was re-inspired about this passion of mine.

As the publisher of the Collegiate Performance Magazine, it is my duty, pleasure, and passion to seek out the youngest, most successful people in the world to first learn from them and then share their knowledge and success stories with the world. 

One successful entrepreneur I have connected with recently is Louis Lautman, the Founder of the Young Entrepreneur Society and the Executive Producer of the The YES Movie.

I mentioned that today (and last night) I was re-inspired and here is why:

I had lunch with Louis today who is a successful author, speaker, entrepreneur and producer.  He has already accomplished much of what I am working to become.  While sitting at lunch, I asked him about how he became a speaker and something beautiful happened.  He told me how!

There is something so powerful about learning what people have done.  If it has worked for them, they must have done something right!  

Bringing it back to our lunch today, he was telling me about how there are so many existing strategies that people are already using to become successful. While telling me his story of becoming a speaker, there is one thing I want to make special mention of.  At his first full time job after graduation in professional sales at 20, he worked in New York for a telecommunications firm.  In the office, a board hung with each salesman's results and their corresponding rank.  Louis noticed that there was a large gap between the top performing salesmen and those coming close after (the Pareto Principle at work).

Instead of only taking the advice that the lower ranked salesmen offered him, he made a conscious effort to seek out those top performing salesmen.  He asked them for their advice, shadowed them on sales calls, and modeled their selling style.  What do you think happened next?  Louis followed in their footsteps, becoming one of the top selling salesmen.

Coincidence?  I think not...

*TIP* - The key is to find out a strategy that worked for someone that has done something similar to what you are doing, and model it!

Last night, while watching The YES Movie, I was also re-inspired.  In this movie, Louis travels around the world and interviews many incredibly successful people.  For that hour and a half last night, I learned from many well-known successful people, I learned about (and from) many successful people I have not heard of, and I was re-motivated to continue my quest for knowledge.

I leave you today with two question that will hopefully inspire you to take action:

 

I told you about some of the successful people I have been learning from.  Who have you learned from lately?

I left lunch today with several names of successful people to research and several books to buy and read.  The next book on my list is Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.  What's next on your list?

Questions?  Comments?  Blog with me!

Performance & Success Advice Blog Post # 9 - The Importance of Reading

I haven't always been a reader.  Since becoming an entrepreneur and a salesman, reading has become a mandatory part of my life, as it should be in yours.

Here is an example of how it plays out for me. As a 21 year old entrepreneur, my goal is to learn from highly successful people as a means to improve and grow on my skills.  With only 2 years of hands-on business experience, the most time and cost-effective way for me to learn is to study what other successful people have learned from their years of experience.

The bottom line is this - by reading from successful people, it allows you to learn from their experience thus shortening the learning curve for you!

One of my role models, Brian Tracy, sums it up really well in his Performance Magazine article entitled "The Discipline of Reading."  He says, "Remember, it may take an author ten to twenty years to learn his subject and years to write a book on it.  You probably are getting the results of twenty-five years of effort by one of the smartest people in your field."

*TIP* Many other successful professionals have advised me personally to take on speed reading and Brian Tracy even suggests this in the above article.  Many of them, including Brian Tracy, have recommended the Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics program (found below).

We are all familiar with Sir Francis Bacon's famous quote "Knowledge is power."  If knowledge is the fuel for our mind, reading is what fuels our mind with knowledge!

What have you read lately?

Questions?  Comments?  Blog with me!