Issue #2527
- WEALTHY: 6 steps to becoming a top-level worker (Michael Masterson)
- HEALTHY: Better health – in just 3 minutes (Craig Ballantyne)
- WISE: Napoleon Hill on refusing to quit
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- Hot dogs, insults, and a marketing lesson (Yanik Silver)
- The power of white space (Suzanne Richardson)
- It’s Good to Know… the truth behind “iffy” food items
- Add “microcosm” to your vocabulary
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“Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.”
Napoleon Hill
How to Change Your Work Habits and Become a Success Machine
Throughout the year, I’ve been providing you with a blueprint for changing your life. So far, we’ve covered the difference between goals, objectives, and tasks… and how to structure a plan for success.]
You may be motivated to get to work on your plan, but worried because you have never been able to work as hard as you know you will need to. You’ve made resolutions before. And you’ve even started to make improvements. But you have been distracted by problems and unexpected events. And you have stopped.
That’s the big problem you face now. How can you make sure you keep on working?
The following story, which dates back 40 years, explains how I did it.
How I Became an “A” Student
Near the end of my senior year of high school, Mrs. Bigsley, the career counselor, called me into her office.
“I’ve been looking at your grades and your aptitude tests and your conduct reports,” she said, thumbing through a stack of papers.
I waited expectantly. Mrs. Bigsley was the person in charge of getting students into good colleges and universities. “Maybe she’s seen the potential I have,” I thought. “Maybe she is going to help me get into an Ivy League school.”
She put the stack of paper down on her desk and looked up at me.
”In all my years of teaching, I have never seen such a complete waste of DNA,” she said. “Your parents are college teachers, are they not?”
I admitted they were.
“And your two elder siblings were ‘A’ students?”
“Yes, but…”
“And they went to top universities on scholarship?”
“Yes, but…”
“I’ve talked to Mrs. Crow, your homeroom teacher. And Mr. Dean and Dr. Mackel, too. They all say the same thing. You will never amount to anything that has anything to do with reading, writing, or math. Your grades support their opinion.”
“But…”
”Your performance in high school indicates only one career choice as far as I can see: enlisting in the Army. I think you should talk to a recruiting officer. As soon as possible.”
I tried once more to protest, but Mrs. Bigsley – and apparently Mrs. Crow and Dr. Mackel and Mr. Dean – had come to a fixed decision. I was a complete and utter failure as a student.
It was the low point of my academic life. It was humiliating. I felt nearly defeated.
But Mrs. Bigsley’s low assessment of me made me mad. I stewed about it that night and woke up the next morning with a completely new frame of mind.
I decided I would no longer be a screw-up. From that moment on, I was going to be a good student.
I started immediately by enrolling at the local community college. (If you have a beating heart, they accepted you.) Then I planned my summer. When I wasn’t working, I would spend every waking hour reading and preparing for the classes I’d be taking.
Each day, I felt better about myself. I was learning what I should have learned in high school. Day by day, I was making progress.
Still, I was afraid that when I started classes I might revert to my bad habits. To make that scenario less likely, I found a “nerd” to share an apartment with and refused to sign up for any sports or pledge any fraternities. I also told my friends that I would be “out of touch” for at least a year. I explained my goals to them and asked them to respect me by leaving me alone until the following summer.
What I was doing, I realize now, was making a radical personality change. I was changing the way I thought about myself – not by thinking positive thoughts but by taking specific actions that made me feel like a good student.
When college began in September, I sat in the front row of every class, something I’d never done in high school.
I made it a point to always do at least 50 percent more than I was asked to do. If the assignment was to write a 500-word essay on religion, I’d write 750 words and include a glossary of impressive sources. If the assignment was to read King Lear by the following week, I’d read it twice. And then I’d go to the library and read critical essays about the play so I’d be aware of all the major interpretations.
I raised my hand every time a question was asked. And I turned in extra work, even when it would get me no extra credit.
In short, I turned myself into a full-blown hardworking, overachieving, ass-kissing “A” level student… and I made sure my instructors, and my fellow students, saw me that way.
In the beginning, other students in my classes did as much work as I did. But as the weeks went by, many of them started slipping. Each time one of them fell behind, I was motivated to work even harder. And I was thrilled when I got those early test scores back. I had never before understood how good it could feel to get an A or B+.
Those good feelings motivated me to push even harder. With each passing week, the distance between me and the other “good” students widened. And by the time freshman year was over, I saw myself as a completely different person. I was no longer the funny screw-up I’d been in high school. I’d changed into the “Teacher’s Pet” who sat in the front and had the right answer to every question.
Once my image of myself changed, my motivation became permanent. I was among the best two or three students in every class. I was going to keep that position, no matter how much work it took.
I maintained an “A” average for two years and easily got into City University – a tougher school – where I continued to perform as I had become used to performing. Two years later, I graduated magna cum laude. Two years after that, I graduated at the top of my class at the University of Michigan. And later, at Catholic University, I received honors on my doctorate work.
To become the hardworking person you must become, here is what you should do:
1. Get up early, and give your day a jumpstart by doing something meaningful… first thing.
2. Work as late as you have to.
3. Do at least 50 percent more than what is asked of you.
4. Volunteer for challenging assignments.
5. Educate yourself on the side.
6. Become better than anyone else at the essential skills you need to accomplish your goal.
Becoming top dog takes a lot of extra time, so you’ll have to make significant sacrifices. If you are like most people, your biggest distractions will be television, the Internet, friends, and family. Get rid of your TV. Limit your “recreational” use of the Internet to one hour a day. And let your friends and family members know that you won’t be able to spend much time with them in the foreseeable future.
Work like mad until you’ve become number one in your class, job, or outside interest. When that happens – and it shouldn’t take more than six months – you’ll feel great about yourself. And once you experience that feeling, you’ll never have to worry about motivation again.
Well… almost never. Everyone needs a motivational recharge once in a while. But after the first time, you’ll understand exactly what you have to do to get yourself going again.
[Ed. Note: With Michael Masterson's six steps to turning yourself into a success machine, you now know what it will take to make a positive change in your life. For three more simple but powerful success secrets that can help you accomplish your goals, pick up your free report here.
As a special thank you to our best customers, Michael has started a new VIP service in which he gives insider business-building advice usually reserved for his private clients - a twice-weekly newsletter called Ready Fire Aim: The Michael Masterson Dispatch. If you have bought an ETR product or attended a conference and are not receiving Ready Fire Aim, please let us know by sending an e-mail to Michael@ETRfeedback.com.]
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This program is like getting a Ph.D. in persuasion. You have nothing to lose by taking a quick look at the details right now.
An Important Marketing Lesson From a Hot Dog Stand
By Yanik Silver
While in Chicago few weeks ago, I stumbled across a marketing lesson in the strangest of places: the Wiener’s Circle in Lincoln Park.
Wiener’s Circle is a hot dog stand that’s normal during the day but gets wild at night. It’s utter chaos. The gals behind the counter harass and crack jokes at their customers’ expense. Give it to them, and they’ll give it right back five times as hard. I couldn’t stop laughing. If you don’t know what to expect, you’ll be shocked by what you hear. (Look them up on Yelp.com or YouTube.com for the scoop.)
The BIG marketing lesson, here, is about creating a truly unique experience for your customers. Do so, and you’ll inspire word-of-mouth about your business that will attract people from far and wide.
There are hundreds of hot dog stands in Chicago, but several people told me that I had to check out this one. Yes, the hot dogs at Wiener’s Circle are good – but not better than some others I’ve had. But the craziness… now that’s worth the trip.
What are you doing to get people talking about your business?
[Ed. Note: As master Internet marketer Yanik Silver (www.MaverickBusinessInsider.com) says, giving your customers a unique experience can really get the buzz going about what you have to offer. Word-of-mouth isn't the only way to get people excited about your business. Discover 12 profit-boosting strategies right here.]
ETR Insider Report: The Simplest Way to Make Your Writing More Readable
You can make your writing twice as readable – and, therefore, twice as powerful – by taking advantage of one amazingly simple little secret. It will take you about 30 seconds to learn. And it will help you for the rest of your writing life.
Simply use more white space.
Charlie Byrne, ETR’s Associate Publisher, demonstrated how this “trick” works just the other day.
A new writing assistant had drawn up a chapter-by-chapter summary of Michael Masterson’s book Ready, Fire, Aim. She’d done a good job with the content, but it was next to impossible to read. That’s because she stuck everything into big, blocky paragraphs. %%track {http://web-purchases.com/700SRFA/E700J910/?o=[messageid]&u=[memberid]&l=[urlid]} -name {edmen-RFA-E700J910}%%
“I can’t believe how often I see this from would-be writers and copywriters,” Charlie told us. “My brain immediately says, ‘Nah, sorry. Looks like too much work to read this. Next?’”
So he copied the writing assistant’s summary into a new document… and added a few paragraph breaks.
Ta da! It was suddenly easy on the eyes and much more inviting to read.
[Ed. Note: Writing well is one of the most valuable skills you can learn. And if you master one type of writing - copywriting - you can persuade and influence others... sell more for clients who hire you (and command top dollar)... start your own business... and much more. Get all the secrets behind mastering this skill right here.]
Can You Walk for 3 Minutes?
Nothing happens fast enough these days. Lights stay red too long. Pizza takes too long to get delivered. And television commercial breaks are getting longer and longer. So when researchers discovered that 10 minutes of walking done three times per day could improve your health, it’s not surprising that people demanded results in even less time.
Well, now researchers from the UK have found that shorter bouts of brisk walking reduce postprandial plasma triacylglycerol (the level of fat in your blood after you eat) and resting blood pressure in healthy young men. And this will probably work even better for out of shape folks who have a few extra years – and inches – under their belts.
The subjects did 10 3-minute bouts of fast walking in one session and one 30-minute bout of fast walking in another session, both after eating a high-fat meal. And the results were the same. The 10 short walks and the one long walk reduced post-meal triacylglerol levels by 16 percent compared to the control session (where they did no exercise after the meal). Both forms of exercise also reduced systolic blood pressure by 6-7 percent compared to the control.
So get your butt off the couch as much as possible and move it. Even short little speed-walks, when they add up, can help your heart.
[Ed. Note: Keeping yourself healthy doesn't have to be difficult or even time-consuming. Simply making healthier lifestyle choices - like taking a brisk walk after your high-protein, low-carb meal - can help you stay fit and lean. For more easy-to-implement ideas about how to live longer and feel better, click here.
Looking for exercise that is enjoyable and can help you lose weight? Try fitness expert Craig Ballantyne's Turbulence Training exercise program.]
It’s Good to Know: The Truth Behind “Iffy” Food Items
Moldy bread? Well, you just have to throw it out. But what about foods that are within their expiration date but look a little “off.” Are they safe to eat? Here are few examples that you’ve probably run across. They’re still edible – though you might choose to pass anyway after reading the explanations:
• Green spots on potato chips are not mold – just chlorophyll, which some potatoes produce in an attempt to sprout.
• The “rainbow oil slick” on a piece of deli ham is simply a thin layer of fat.
• That tooth-chipping chunk in sausage is probably not a bone chip. It’s more likely to be a piece of tendon or ligament that hardened during the cooking process.
(Source: Men’s Fitness)
== Highly Recommended ==
An Almost Magical Switch That Could Put All Your Dreams Within Reach
We’re all born with two things: The same 24 hours in the day. And the same opportunity to make our dreams come true.
I firmly believe that each and every person on this planet has a “success switch” somewhere deep inside them.
And all you have to do to accomplish your longest-held dreams is to flip that success switch to the “on” position.
Word to the Wise: Microcosm
A “microcosm” – from the Greek for “small world” – is a smaller, representative system that’s analogous to a larger system.
Example (as used by James S. Fishkin in The Voice of the People):
“There is a classic Jimmy Stewart movie, Magic Town, about ‘Grandview,’ a small town in the Midwest that is a perfect statistical microcosm of the United States, a place where the citizens’ opinions match perfectly with Gallup polls of the entire nation.”
[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.]
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2008
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A GOOD ARTICLE. A CHANGE TO READ ONE THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE A SUBSCRIPTION BEFORE SENDING INFORMATION
i love you message that advice me on things to do as a youth.
please continue to send me more messages to advice in my educational pursue.
Craig,
Thanks so much for the advice. I like working out, but I don’t like working out for long periods of time.
This will help to remind me that my workout doesn’t have to work, that it can actually be fun.
Would love for you to follow up on this. I’m a big fan of martial arts type workouts like kickboxing, and I was wondering if that would have the same results.
Thanks, Jinger Jarrett