I had the good fortune of attending a talk by world-renowned speaker and author, Jack Canfield, who co-created the widely successful Chicken Soup for the Soul Series with Mark Victor Hansen. Over 80 million copies of the Chicken Soup series have sold world-wide, and both Jack and Mark entered the Guinness Book of World Records for having 7 New York Times Bestsellers all in the SAME day!
Mr. Canfield was speaking in Toronto promoting his new book, "The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be." Needless to say, he is highly qualified to speak on this topic. Mr. Canfield charges organizations thousands of dollars to hear him speak, so I consider it a great privilege that he has given me special permission to share my notes with you based on his lecture. This is my summary of his talk, and instead of the usual article format, it’s a potpourri of stuff highlighting some of his key principles. (We may think we already know all this stuff, but there are some real gems here that will serve to remind and reinforce to us what’s really important in that journey we call success).
WHEN YOU HEAR “NO” SAY “NEXT”
Mark and Jack were rejected by 144 publishers. Even their agent returned the book
saying he couldn’t sell it. They heard all kinds of excuses like, “Chicken Soup was too nicey, nicey, and that no one would want to read it.” Every time they heard the word ‘no,’ they said ‘next.’ And they asked a very important question: “What would it take to say YES?” The publisher responded with saying they needed to know, with certainty, that they could sell 20,000 copies. Now Mark and Jack had a target to work with.
INVEST 10% TO 20% OF WHAT YOU EARN
Albert Einstein once said that compounding interest was the 8th wonder of the world. Make a regular 10% to 20% deduction from your paycheck and invest it. $150 a month invested at a 6% return would yield you a $280,000 return in only ten years. Not bad! Go do it!
APPROACH YOUR MARKET DIRECTLY AND “ASK”
A Lexus auto dealership was facing a crisis situation where their sales were flat and beginning to decline. Nothing was working including expensive ads in radio, TV, and print. Finally, they decided to go direct to their target market audience by visiting country clubs, golf clubs, and upscale establishments, and asking members if they would like to test-drive a Lexus. Their sales increased by 65% as a result.
Ask yourself if there’s a product or service you offer that your main target market can ‘test-drive’? For example, in my case, I could ask influential people, opinion molders, and media personalities to ‘test-drive’ a copy of my book,
Psychology of the Hero Soul. In your case, it could be getting upscale residents to sample your gourmet cookies.
STOP SETTLING FOR LESS THAN WHAT YOU WANT.
Say: “my needs are as important as your needs.”
TAKE 100% RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LIFE AND YOUR RESULTS.
Stop blaming and complaining. It takes power away from you. Know that you have full responsibility to create your future and you are where you are today because of your thoughts, actions, and reactions/interpretations to outside events.
NEGATIVE ATTITUDE ALWAYS LOSES TO A POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT.
Your mind is a road map. You have to show it where you are now and where you expect to end up. “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” [Alice in Wonderland]
GET A BHAG: BIG HAIRY AUDACIOUS GOAL! (Pronounced bee-hag)
In deciding what you want, don’t short change yourself – think BIG! It takes just as much time to think big as it does to think small. People wanna play with you if you’ve got big aspirations. Create a break-through goal for yourself and do 5 things everyday that will help get you closer to that goal. Remember, the purpose of achieving goals is to achieve mastery. It’s about who you become in achieving them. Write your goal on the back of your business card and carry it in your wallet to remind yourself everyday.
For example, Jack Canfield’s goal is “to positively impact one billion lives through inspirational tapes, CDs, books, training seminars, etc.”
BE CLEAR ‘WHY’ YOU ARE HERE AND WHAT’S YOUR PURPOSE.
E+R=O EVENTS + RESPONSES = OUTCOME.
Our responses to events that affect us will eventually determine our outcome. In other words, you can see the glass half-empty or half-full.
CREATE AN IRRITATION LIST
Write down all the things that have been bugging you for some time (the missing button on your shirt, the rip in the sofa, the chipping paint on the wall, the messy desk, etc.) and just take a day or two fix it. Throw out old stuff you haven’t used in years and make space for the new.
WHO DO YOU ENVY AND WHY?
Write down a list of who you envy and why? Jack Canfield used to envy Kenny Rogers because he had famous sports celebrities over for bbq’s. Canfield realized he was envious because he was missing ‘guy-time’ (time with the boys) so he created his own social functions where he could play football and do guy stuff with the guys.
CREATE AN “I WANT LIST” OR “101 GOALS LIST”
Write down at least 30 things you’d like to do, have, and be. Commit to accomplishing 3 a year.
VISION EXERCISE
Visualize what would it look like, sound like, and feel like to have all your deepest desires in the 7 key areas of your life (finances, social, things, contribution, relationships, romance, career, health, etc.). Vividly imagine these, making the sounds clear and the colors vivid. You are in a sense creating some dissatisfaction or cognitive dissonance with your current situation and that which you desire, causing a gap that your subconscious mind will want to close or narrow.
SCHEDULE WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO DO FOR THE NEXT DAY THE NIGHT BEFORE, USUALLY THE LAST 45 MINUTES BEFORE YOU GO TO BED. This is a great way to save time, stay focused, and get your subconscious mind to start thinking, while you’re sleeping, about the accomplishments and activities for the next day.
WHO DO YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH?
According to Jim Rohn, you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.
INTERNET VS. INNERNET
Your innernet is more powerful than the internet. Think of an emotionally charged thought as broadcasting an email to everyone in the world. Broadcast your desires, send out a mental image of what you want to the world. See what you want, and you’ll get what you see. We attract what matches our vibrational energy.
CREATE A VISION BOARD
For example, get your picture taken sitting in your dream car or standing in your dream home, and paste those pictures on a board where you can see them everyday.
ACT AS IF. EXPECT TO WIN. VISUALIZE YOUR GOALS AS ALREADY COMPLETE.
CREATE A ‘MONTH OF MAGIC’
Visualize and act on what you want for 30 days without any complaining. It usually takes 30 days to change a habit. Create 4 new empowering habits a year.
ASK FOR FEEDBACK
It’s important to ask for feedback. Ask: “On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate my product/service? What would it take to make it a 10?”
And on that note, on a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate my Blog? What would it take to make it a 10? :)
The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, by Jack Canfield, can be ordered from
http://www.amazon.com/ and is available in bookstores. Visit
http://www.thesuccessprinciples.com/ or
http://www.jackcanfield.com/ for more information on the book or Mr. Canfield’s work.
Sharif Khan
www.HeroSoul.comSpeaker, Coach, Author of Psychology of the Hero Soul
Delivering Inspirational Keynotes and Leadership Seminars that Energize, Educate, and Empower audiences to unleash their inner hero and live their highest life
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