How to Surpass the Best in Your Field
Issue #2045
- WEALTHY: With 359 ETFs - how do you choose? (Rick Pendergraft)
- HEALTHY: A popular drink that’s ruining the benefits of fruit (Dr. Al Sears)
- WISE: David Joseph Schwartz on self-improvement
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- Don’t let this classic fatal flaw foil your chances for success (Michael Masterson)
- How to become the president of your personal company (Brian Tracy)
- It’s Good to Know… about China’s population
- Add "palaver" to your vocabulary
Take a 5-Day “Summer Vacation” With Early to Rise
This could be the one you’ve been waiting for…
This July, we’re going to take a small group of ETR readers and work alongside them to build a fully operating Internet business - the whole shebang, from soup to nuts - in an intensive, 5-day, web business-building program better than anything we’ve ever done before.
You’re going to walk in with nothing - no product, no marketing skills, no technical know-how - and you’ll walk out with your own online business.
Best part? You can pick your new business from an area of interest you know and/or love. We’ll get you up and running with everything you need: domain name, running website, search engine submissions… the works.
Most importantly, you’ll wind up with an online business designed to throw off profits for years to come. And once you’ve been through this program, you can copy the plan as often as you like. The only limit to how high you can go is your own imagination… and your motivation to succeed.
Will it take some time? Of course. We’re not interested in giving you hype about overnight millions. Will it take work? Certainly. Anything of value requires effort.
But if you spend five days of your summer vacation with us this July, you might not have to worry about vacations at all in the future… because you’ll be well on your way to having the freedom to do as you please, where you please, whenever you please.
Sound good? Okay, then let’s get going!
Find out how easy it is to join us and get all the details here.
- Patrick Coffey
Take Advantage of the ETF Craze
By Rick Pendergraft
Just last year, 156 Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) were created - bringing the total number to 359. And there are 150 more in line for approval. This means you have more choices than ever. But with so many choices come some problems.
About 40 percent of all ETFs have no record to speak of. You could look at the index a new ETF follows - but many of those indexes are pretty new themselves. They were created for the sole purpose of providing something for the new ETF to track. What’s more, most of the new ETFs specialize in one of the latest hot sectors - like microcaps, emerging markets, industrial materials, and financials. And what was red-hot last year could be this year’s fallen angel.
ETFs make wonderful investments. They can diversify a portfolio in an instant. But you need to be careful. Much more than last year at this time, you’re probably going to want to get some expert advice to help you wade through the ever-growing universe of ETFs.
[Ed. Note: Learn more about the best ETFs for your money with Rick Pendergraft’s new service, the ETF Options Trader.]
"It is well to respect the leader. Learn from him. Observe him. Study him. But don’t worship him. Believe you can surpass. Believe you can go beyond."
David Joseph Schwartz
How to Surpass the Best in Your Field
By Michael Masterson
It’s always good to get a compliment.
When I rewrote the lead for a promotion that GX, a successful copywriter, had been paid to write for one of my clients earlier this week, I felt good about my revision. The sales copy GX had sent in was standard, run-of-the-mill professional palaver. My take on it felt fresh and strong. It was better.
But when I sent it back to my client, I was worried that GX might not like the fact that I had changed it so much. Perhaps he would feel slighted and reject it. We couldn’t force him to accept my changes. If he insisted on going with his original submission, my client would be in an awkward position: She could risk offending a potentially good source of future copy… or she could mail what we both believed was weaker copy and suffer the economic consequences.
Luckily, she didn’t have to make that choice. After reading my new lead (along with my suggestions on how to finish out the rest of the package), GX wrote:
"I thought: ‘Why couldn’t I write it like that?’… but then I realized that’s why MM is so successful. I’m honored that he took the time to do it… I appreciate the effort… my challenge now is to make the rest as strong as MM’s contribution… make us all proud."
This story has two morals.
The first is about ego and its opposite - i.e., humility. The greatest challenges we face in life are obstacles that reside inside of us. When it comes to learning a complicated skill like writing (copywriting, editorial writing, writing for blogs, e-zines, books, etc.), the one thing that will keep you from learning it quickly is hubris.
Hubris is Aristotle’s term for excessive, blinding pride. It is the fatal flaw that foiled many tragic heroes in literature, from Oedipus to King Lear to Captain Ahab. When writers believe - or desperately want to believe (which is sometimes worse) - that their writing is above reproach, they cannot possibly get better.
And what is true for writers is equally true for musicians, tennis players, salsa dancers, sumo wrestlers, and skateboarders. Those who are willing to say "I can do better" do better. Those who say "I am the greatest" soon take a tumble.
What you want in your career is the confidence that follows accomplishment, not the pride that precedes a fall.
When I saw the note that GX wrote, I was mildly flattered by the compliment. But what really made me happy was his willingness to agree that my copy was better… and challenge himself to write better copy himself.
So that’s the first lesson: No matter how good you are at what you do, there’s someone out there who can teach you something.
Think about your strongest skill - the talent or capability that is most important to the achievement of your main goal. Now ask: "Am I willing to acknowledge that there are people in my universe who are better at this?"
If you can confidently accept the limitations of your strongest skill, there is no limit to how far you can develop it.
And now we come to the second moral of this story: The only good way to improve a skill is to practice it. Reading about it is certainly helpful. Talking about it with people who are experts may work too. But no amount of reading and talking will do nearly as much as regular, focused practice.
And that’s what GX should know about his future as a copywriter. If he continues to practice his craft - while taking advantage of everything he can learn from more experienced and skillful copywriters - the likelihood that he will be great one day is better than 99 percent.
I am certain of that. Why? Because I have seen it happen. I have worked with more than a dozen copywriters over the years who have moved from bad to pretty good (and GX is pretty good)… and then from pretty good to very good… and then from very good to better than the best. All it takes is practice.
With practice and a willingness to keep learning, GX will almost certainly surpass some of the best copywriters in the business. It is just a matter of time.
Here’s something else that GX should consider: Human beings are designed to get better through practice. Everything we ever learn to do - from walking to talking to writing concertos - gets better through practice. Practice makes our fingers move faster, our hearts beat stronger, our brains think smarter. What is it that Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods talk about when they talk about their careers? It’s not that they were gifted with extraordinary natural talent. It’s that they work harder than their competitors.
And here’s one final thought on the matter: Nothing in nature stays the same. If you are not getting better, you are surely getting worse.
That is how I feel about submission wrestling. I don’t worry about the fact that I have no natural talent for it. I don’t sweat the fact that I’m 56 years old and most of the guys I wrestle are less than half my age. I don’t worry about my past mistakes or my present ineptitude. I just focus on getting better.
I know for sure that if I keep at it, I’ll keep improving. So far, that has proven to be true.
When I started actively training in Jiu Jitsu about five years ago, I wasn’t very good at all. Most of the guys I trained with were much better than I was. Some of them still are. But I have caught up to others. And even surpassed a few. What did I do? Nothing but acknowledge that I had room to grow… and keep practicing.
I worked out three, four, or five hours a week. Week after week, month after month, year after year, I kept at it. And now, at my ripe old age, I’m better than I have ever been.
If you ever feel that you are not as good as you want to be, remember these little lessons:
- It is good to accept your limits. If you felt any other way, it would be hard to get better.
- Humility is a strength you should cultivate.
- Confidence will come to you when you deserve it.
- Avoid boastfulness and pride, because they will slow you down.
And most important: Practice with conscious attention, and eventually you will surpass even those you most admire.
[Ed. Note: Learn how to build your own Internet business at ETR’s upcoming 5 Days in July Internet Conference. You’ll walk in with nothing - no product, no marketing skills, no technical know-how - and you’ll walk out with your own online business. If you even think you might be interested in this opportunity, you must sign-up for the Five Days in July Conference today.]
Leveraged Profits From ETFs!
Turn each $2,000 into $40,460… $5,000 into $101,150… Each $10,000 into $202,300!
In as little as four days! Act now!
Write Your Own Check!
by Brian Tracy
Would you like to make more money? Well, go to the nearest mirror and negotiate with your boss. The person in the mirror is the one who determines how much you will earn. You are the president of your personal company.
As the president of your personal company, you are in charge of every activity of your business. You are in charge of sales, marketing, production, quality control, distribution, and administration. You are in charge of your own training department, constantly working on yourself to increase the value of what you do so you can charge more for it in the marketplace. You are in charge of every aspect of your life, both personal and professional.
Now, here’s something you can do, starting immediately, to put this idea into action:
On the first day of each month, take out your checkbook and write a check for the amount of money you want to earn that month. Date it for the last day of the month. Make it payable to yourself. Sign it. Then, for the rest of the month, concentrate on figuring out how you are going to make payroll… just like a company president.
By making the decision to think of yourself not as an employee but as the president of your own organization, you have made the critical decision to become the primary creative force in your own life. You no longer see yourself as a victim or a passive recipient of what happens in the economy. You are an active agent. You are in charge.
Go out into the workplace and make your own life and your own living. Sell your services to the highest bidder and deliver the very best services possible. Instead of waiting for things to happen, or hoping that things will happen, make things happen.
[Ed. Note: Brian Tracy, one of America’s leading authorities on the development of human potential and personal effectiveness, is one of 17 experts featured in ETR’s Info-Marketing Bootcamp DVD Library. Order your copy now.]
Do Smoothies Pack on the Pounds?
By Al Sears, MD
You may think smoothies are a healthy alternative to soda. After all, smoothies are just fruit in a blender. What could be wrong with that?
A lot, it turns out.
First, because of their growing popularity, you can buy smoothies just about anywhere - including your local grocery store. And that means most of them are highly processed. That kind of processing destroys many of the beneficial ingredients in whole fruits, including fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins.
Second, a recent study found that a single serving of a popular smoothie contained over five teaspoons of sugar, beating out a can of Coke. Some smoothie makers even add artificial sweeteners - high-fructose corn syrup, in particular - further reducing the health benefits.
Finally, when you blend fruit, you dramatically increase the rate at which your body can absorb the sugar. And that can pack on the pounds. Even a healthy apple takes on the fast-sugar characteristics of a soda (which means it enters your bloodstream just as quickly) when you pulverize it.
If you’re looking for a cool, refreshing drink that won’t add inches to your waistline, combine freshly squeezed lemons, oranges, or grapefruit with ice water. If you need to sweeten it up, try stevia extract. It’s one of the few sugar substitutes that’s not toxic or linked to side effects.
[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears, a practicing physician and the author of The Doctor’s Heart Cure, is a leading authority on longevity, physical fitness, and heart health.]
Reader: Feedback: "To date, I have lost 24 pounds."
"I have enjoyed every aspect of ETR for a couple of years now, and my business is on the verge of exploding. I am a real estate investor, and your information from people like Dave Lindahl and Justin Ford has been invaluable.
"I also want to mention that I started a new workout routine on December 29, 2006 based on Michael Masterson’s workout. To date, I have lost 24 pounds, and everyone sees a huge difference in my shape and size. Michael’s system works great. I love it, and thank you."
- Jon Rickey
Mukilteo, WA
[Ed. Note: How has reading ETR helped you - maybe even changed your life? Send your comments to ReaderFeedback@gmail.com. Include your name and hometown… and we may print your e-mail in a future issue.]
It’s Good to Know: About China’s Population
The Chinese government’s efforts to control population growth are in danger as couples increasingly ignore strict family planning laws. Since the 1970s, these laws have limited urban couples to one child and rural couples to two.
According to government officials, the nouveau riche in the cities don’t mind paying the resulting fines - and in the countryside, farming families routinely break the rules in order to keep having sons to help with the work.
(Source: Associated Press)
Do You Need To Start Out Small?
If you don’t have an Internet business yet, or if your company is smaller than $1 million then you need something different… something that lets you start off small.
One man I know turned $10 into over $500,000. How’s that for starting small!
Let me show you how to get a similar Internet income stream running for almost nothing.
- Patrick Coffey
Word to the Wise: Palaver
"Palaver" (puh-LAVE-ur) - From the Latin for "speech" - is idle chatter, sometimes intended to flatter or cajole.
Example (as I used it today): "The sales copy GX had sent in was standard, run-of-the-mill professional palaver. My take on it felt fresh and strong. It was better."
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker … build your self-confidence and intellect … increase your attractiveness to others … just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR’s new Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Michael Masterson
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2007