Every entrepreneur had to learn how to be effective at what he was trying to accomplish — and practice being effective until it became a habit.

I don’t talk about it much, but before I opened my chain of hypnosis centers, I traveled all over the world, learning from the best neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and hypnosis teachers. I was certified in NLP by Richard Bandler himself, the creator of NLP. I studied with Robert Dilts, Michael Hall, and every other big name out there.

I am telling you this because I want you to know that when I share something I know about learning new skills, you can pretty much bet it is based on a concept I was taught by a master.

Today, I want to share an NLP learning model with you. Once you understand the model, you can leverage it to establish new skills rapidly.

First, I’ll explain the model. Then, I’ll give you examples to make it easier to understand. And then, I’ll show you how to use it to make yourself more effective at any skill you’ve chosen to pursue.

The 4 Stages of Learning a New Skill

Stage 1. Unconscious Incompetence. This is when you don’t know how to do it, and you don’t even know that you don’t know.

Stage 2. Conscious Incompetence. This is when you know what you don’t know, and you begin to work on learning it.

Stage 3. Conscious Competence. This is when you know what you need to know — and you can do it. But it takes all of your concentration.

Stage 4. Unconscious Competence. This is when you can perform the skill without even thinking about it. It’s now a habit.

Okay. Now let me give you two examples of how this works.

Learning the alphabet…

Stage 1. When you were very young, you didn’t even know that there were 26 letters in the alphabet. You didn’t know what you didn’t know. Hence, you were unconsciously incompetent.

Stage 2. You learned that there was such a thing as an alphabet, and that it had 26 letters, but you didn’t know them all. You knew what you didn’t know. Hence, you were consciously incompetent.

Stage 3. You finally learned all the letters. So you knew what you needed to know. But in order to write a word, you had to really concentrate on each letter. Hence, you were consciously competent.

Stage 4. Now, you can write words without even thinking about it. Hence, you are unconsciously competent.

Just to make sure you really get it, let’s look at another example.

Driving a car…

Stage 1. There was a time when you had no idea of what was involved in driving a car. Hence, you were unconsciously incompetent.

Stage 2. You started to learn about driving. You read the book. Your parents explained what they were doing while they were driving. You asked questions and got answers. You gave it a try — with Mom or Dad in the car — and realized you still had a lot to learn. You were consciously incompetent.

Stage 3. After a lot of practice, you could drive. But you had to really concentrate on what you were doing. You were consciously competent.

Stage 4. By now, you’ve driven so much that it’s become automatic. You no longer have to think about what to do, you just do it. You are an unconsciously competent driver.

But… are you unconsciously competent at parallel parking?

Most people are not. They haven’t parallel parked enough. They are consciously competent at it — meaning they can parallel park. But first they have to turn down the radio, stop talking, and focus.

What all this has to do with the achievement of your goals…

The parallel parking example illustrates that when you are working on developing the skills you need to achieve your goals, simply being effective from time to time won’t help you fully establish the habit.

To become unconsciously competent at those skills, you must recognize which stage you are at — and then understand what you need to do to move to the next stage.

More than likely, there are still a few areas where you are unconsciously competent — things you simply don’t know you don’t know.

So your job right now is to become cognizant of what you need to know to achieve your main goal.

That will help you transition to Stage 2.

In Stage 2, you will start to learn what you need to know to be effective.

In Stage 3, you will apply your newfound knowledge. But you must do it consciously, consistently, and often.

Before long, you will pass on to Stage 4: unconscious competence. At that point, you will be effective by habit, performing the skills that ensure your success without even thinking about it.

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Early to Rise’s $500,000+ Gamble

We’re betting on your success at ETR’s Information Marketing Bootcamp next week. In fact, we’ll “see you and we’ll raise you”!

You see, we’ve put the 12 gurus we’ve invited “on the spot.”

If you don’t learn from them how you could make at least your first $10,000 in revenue with your online business by May 2010… we’re going to give you back your entrance fee AND give you another $1,000 for your trouble.

A pretty face? A televised car chase? The smell of baking cookies wafting through the room?

It doesn’t take much.

And what holds your attention?

That’s not so easy, is it? It takes something that has a more direct impact on your life. Satellite images of a hurricane bearing down on your town, for example. Or watching your children play.

After all, a hurricane could hurt your family, your neighbors, and your friends. And you have an emotional investment in your children. Anything that involves them matters to you.

The things that capture our attention are often not enough to hold our attention. As a marketer, this is an important concept for you to understand.

Take the TV ads that run during the Super Bowl. They can make you look. But they won’t necessarily make you buy. We remember the ads, but we don’t always remember the products being pitched.

No purchases are guaranteed, yet companies take a gamble and spend millions on those ads. Why do they do it? In part because of the free media attention they are sure to attract. That attention makes future purchases possible. Without it, there is no hope. And they get that attention by making their ads interesting — not only interesting, but exciting and fun.

In many ways, attention drives our economy. And in this, the Attention Age, your sales message must first be interesting enough to warrant attention.

But to hold attention, it had better be something more. Not necessarily exciting and fun — but certainly immediate, compelling, useful, and relevant for your target audience.

In other words, it has to be about them. Not about you, your company, or your product.

If you can communicate your message in a way that makes a direct emotional connection with your prospective customers, you will get their attention — keep their attention — and succeed.

Consider Starbucks. They didn’t invent coffee. They made coffee culture “cool.”

Starbucks founder Howard Shultz doesn’t really care if we like the taste of his coffee. He wants us to enjoy the sights, the smells, the sounds, the ambiance, and the emotions that come with the Starbucks experience.

Shultz envisioned Starbucks as a “people place,” not as a coffee shop. It’s a place where “tall” means “small,” where “grande” means “medium,” and “venti” means “large.” There is something about the lexicon that makes us feel like we are members of a club. (With club locations seemingly on every street corner.)

It’s a paradox: An “exclusive” club where everyone is welcome.

Starbucks captures our attention and holds it. Customers may learn to like — even love — the coffee. But they come back to Starbucks for the culture. It’s an Attention Age success story.

Apple is another attention-getter with a passionate following. Think about it: Have you ever been around an Apple enthusiast for five minutes without hearing them mention that they are, indeed, an Apple enthusiast?

Apple has what I call the “T-shirt factor.” People are such fans of the company and its products that they want to put the Apple logo on their T-shirts, their computers, their cars… you name it. The brand evokes loyalty because Apple makes their consumers feel like part of a winning team.

The most successful companies, like Starbucks and Apple, develop an innovative culture that serves as the basis for an emotional connection with consumers. As a result, the company, its products, and its people become an attention conduit for its sales message.

You can do it, too. The question is: If 100,000 potential customers were brought to the “doorstep” of your website right now — how would you capture and hold their attention?

P.S. You can develop your own Starbucks experience with your online business and replicate the passion of Apple’s fan base. It’s just one of the strategies you’ll learn at this year’s Info-Marketing Bootcamp. I’d like to invite to join me — and a dozen other top Internet marketing experts — as we reveal the keys to online success. Find out how we are thriving… while other ventures are floundering.

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More wealth, health, and wisdom from Masterson…

No matter how high you boost your income, you won’t get rich unless you spend less than you make. For it is the money we save, not the money we make, that determines our wealth.

Mike Tyson is a great example. He must have earned several hundred million dollars during his career. But by the end of it, he was deeply in debt. He was so far in debt, in fact, he had to make a deal with his new “handlers” that turned him into an indentured servant — performing like a puppet to earn back some of what he owed.

But it’s not just Tyson and his ilk that have trouble saving money. For many (if not most) high-income earners, the desire to spend is always two steps ahead of the ability to earn. If you fall into that trap, you will have the accoutrements of wealth but never its most valuable benefits: financial peace of mind and the freedom to stop working.

Today, I want to give you one powerful trick that will give you a wealth builder’s mind-set. (It may very well transform the moneymaking side of your personality entirely.)

* First, take out a sheet of paper and tally up the value of everything you have and everything you owe. Highlight your net worth. Keep that in mind.

* Now make yourself a promise that you will increase your net worth every month.

That is a very simple promise, but it is one that few people ever make. They may promise themselves that they’ll earn more money. But as I said, that is not nearly as important as having more money.

* Recalculate your net worth on a monthly basis. Again, few people do this. They may do it once a year, but once a year is not enough.

Before I developed this little system, I had been increasing my income by 20 percent to 100 percent for several years. But at the end of each year, I was shocked to find that my net worth hadn’t grown at all. I had all sorts of “toys” in my house and garage. But they were depreciating assets. They were helping me get poorer, not richer. I was making bad spending decisions.

When I switched to calculating my net worth every month, my spending decisions changed almost immediately. I became much more conservative about investing in stocks, for example. And I began refusing to go into little businesses that I knew had very little chance of success.

I also lost my appetite for expensive toys. I started selling all those fancy cars I didn’t have time to drive. And I quashed the idea of buying a boat.

At the end of the very first month, I was several thousand dollars richer than I was the month before. At the end of the first year, my net worth was higher by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

And it’s been getting higher and higher ever since.

Counting your money may seem to be an unseemly activity. You probably don’t want to tell people you are doing it. But it will remind you of the progress you’re making — and that will give you the determination to continue.

Ultimately, it will make spending less than you earn, and, thus, wealth building, automatic. And that means your future security will be guaranteed.

Total Health Breakthrough’s Editor Melanie Segala blasted cardio exercise — especially long-distance running — in her latest “Undercover.” She advocates Dr. Al Sears’s PACE program, instead, as a way to lose weight and feel great — without endless workouts that punish your body.

Some readers, especially dedicated marathon runners, were upset. They accused her of bias — even outright lying about the dangers of cardio.

It’s understandable.

What Dr. Sears is saying is that all those hours of cardio they are doing is making them less healthy and more susceptible to heart attack.

And I’m convinced Dr. Sears is right about this. I’ve been in the health publishing business for more than 20 years, and I’ve never met a doctor who is as serious about his research as Dr. Sears. Plus, it makes sense to me that cardio is bad for you. It feels bad. And people who do long-distance and/or long-duration exercise tend to have that fat/skinny look — light bodyweight but very little muscle.

It’s a fact that long-distance runners have a higher chance of dying from heart attacks than sedentary people. And there are countless surveys that demonstrate the superiority of interval training over endurance.

PACE is a big step up from interval training. It’s an amazingly effective way to lose fat, build muscles, and — most important — strengthen your heart and lungs.

Since I began the PACE program, I have lost about 20 pounds of fat and have the strength and stamina of the 20-year-olds I wrestle with. More important — I’ve had my lungs tested recently. And they are getting “younger.” I have the lungs, according to the test results, of a 24-year-old.

But don’t take my word for it. Check it out yourself.

The more time you put into anything, the faster success will come to you. That’s one of the reasons I believe — as Ben Franklin did — that the most important thing you can do to advance your career is get to work early each morning. The extra time gives you a tremendous advantage over everyone you compete against. Plus, disciplining yourself to do something most people are not willing to do will pay off in just about every area of your life.

Be at your desk tomorrow morning an hour earlier than everyone else — and everything else will follow: the brilliant moneymaking ideas, the careful planning, the diligent follow-through, and the attention to detail.

Start with the easiest thing. Set your alarm. Drag yourself out of bed. Take a shower. Roll into the office. Have a cup of coffee. And start working. I promise that you’ll have an immediate and definite sense that you are on your way.

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“I hope your article puts a fire under some people’s butts.”

“I completely appreciated your comments about no excuses for being unemployed. I was laid off in February of this year. I devoted about 60 hours a week to finding a new job. I combed every search engine I could find, called every contact I could think of, tailored my resume and cover letter to match the requirements of each position for which I applied, and sent a minimum of 10 resumes a day. In less than a month, I landed the job I have now, which is a million times better than the one I lost.

“I hope your article puts a fire under some people’s butts and helps them to understand that if you’ve lost a job, you get about a day to feel sorry for yourself and then need to face the challenge of getting a new one. It is a challenge and it is hard work, but chances are you’ll wind up in a better place.”

Brace Ford
Ellicott City, MD

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I’m going to let you in on a little secret: It’s a lot easier to make money when you’re passionate about what you’re doing.

How many people are locked into a job they can’t stand, only because they get a steady paycheck and benefits? I’m willing to bet there are quite a few.

You don’t have to be one of them.

The career you chose obviously once sparked an interest in you … even if it was only because you deemed it a profitable venture. The profit potential of any career is, of course, important. But how you arrive at those profits is up to you.

For example, I love Internet marketing. I love everything about it — the strategies, the tactics, the implementation. Everything.

Plus, I’ve had a successful track record of launching and running new businesses.

On top of that, I’m constantly searching for new and better ways to grow a business.

So when I made the decision to develop a business that would give me the autonomy to spend more time with my family and friends, I went with the one thing I knew I could “hang my hat on” and pursue with a passion — helping others do the same.

Needless to say, it was the right choice.

I urge you to find those same strengths and passions in yourself. Then seek out ways to build a business around them.

Remember, success is not just about the numbers. It’s not all about how much you can cut from your company’s expenses or how fat your bank account grows over time.

Think about the people behind non-profit organizations.

They usually work for less money than their corporate peers, so you know they have to love what they’re doing. They might have a trait you don’t yet possess … the ability to define their success by how much they get to follow their passions and realize their dreams.

How fulfilled are you?

Do you dread going to work every day?

Do you find yourself wanting to call in sick because you can’t stand thinking about the work you have to do?

If so, you have to make passion part of your routine.

That means taking command of your future by starting your own business.

I’m not saying you’ll be able to meet every task associated with being an entrepreneur with enthusiasm. You may not like packaging and shipping or printing out invoices, for example. It may be a pain to source service providers.

But you can come into work every day and be excited about what you’re about to accomplish.

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More than $2 trillion in business is conducted through this channel every year. That’s billions every month … millions every week … through your phone, TV, computer, and mailbox. If you don’t understand how this channel works, it is invisible to you. But once you “get it,” you become an insider and can start profiting from this huge flow of spending. The profit opportunities are enormous. All you need to do is get your “foot in the door.”

—

And because you’re the one in charge, you’ll be able to delegate most of the tasks that weigh you down and focus your attention and time on those that give you satisfaction.

By transmitting your enthusiasm to your employees, you will make that the driving force behind your company’s success. You’ll also be able to create an ideal work environment — not only for your employees but for yourself. That might mean working on a “nonstandard” work schedule. Maybe from 5:00 p.m. to 1:00 in the morning so you can spend time with your young children during the day. Or working from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. so you can pursue other interests in the afternoon and evening.

Which brings me to another question …

Is there something you’ve been wanting to do that’s been impossible because of your current job and work schedule?

Let’s say there’s a cause you care deeply about — and you’d like to actively support it. As the owner of your own business, you could use some of the time you’ve freed up with your “nonstandard” work schedule to do some volunteering. Or you could have your business sponsor a charitable event. That way, you’d not only be earning your living by doing something you love … you’d be giving to others at the same time.

When you find ways to love what you do, success — yours and that of the people around you — will come naturally.

When you love the work you do, you’ll have a positive attitude. That will help you accomplish more in every aspect of your life.

And don’t be afraid to show off your passion. Because your energy and enthusiasm will inspire everyone around you to fuel their own success.

So let me ask you this again: Are you passionate about what you do? Or just passionate about the money you make?

What you work hard for should be something you believe in — something that will create a better life for you and your family. Maybe even the world.

It that doesn’t describe what you’re doing now … it’s time to make a change.

P.S. Ready to match your passion with a profitable business? At Early to Rise’s upcoming Info-Marketing Bootcamp, I’ll show you how to get the most out of your life and career, along with plenty of practical techniques for starting and growing your own online business. I’ll be joined by a dozen experts in social media, search engine marketing, copywriting, and more. Find out more about Bootcamp here.

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More wealth, health, and wisdom from Masterson …

Sometimes it pays to know a bit of history. Listen to this:

The first video on YouTube was posted in April 2005. Since then, YouTube has grown exponentially. These days, 20 hours of video are being uploaded every minute.

In other words, if the major networks (NBC, CBS, and ABC) broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 60 years, they wouldn’t put out as much content as YouTube puts up in 60 days.

That growth has created a great deal of interest in social media from the business community. Just about everybody and his brother are looking to capitalize on the opportunity.

But I am not rushing forward. I am going to sit back and observe. If I see something I like, I’ll move in.

Social media may well have applications for my business. But I’m almost positive they will never be primary benefits. I can see these sites for testimonials and interviews. But I can’t see them as a mainstream technique for selling products to new customers. And that, as they say, is where the rubber meets the road.

When my homocysteine levels were a bit high a few years ago, Dr. Sears recommended folic acid to bring them down.

Studies had shown, he said, that high homocysteine levels increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. In fact, they are a better indicator than high cholesterol.

I started taking folic acid and it worked. So I’ve been taking it ever since.

Now there is new information about its benefits. A study reported just last week in Total Health Breakthroughs showed that folic acid reduces blood pressure and improves blood flow to the legs. (Decreased blood flow occurs when the arteries become clogged with fatty deposits.) Test subjects were given 400 mcg per day. Improvements were seen in only 16 weeks.

You can get folic acid from cow’s liver, spinach, and black-eyed peas. But for maximum benefit, Dr. Sears recommends taking a high-quality natural supplement.

In a recent essay, Bob Bly identified 12 “truths that govern the freelance writing profession today.”

I was not surprised to agree with all 12. When a master speaks — and Bob is a master copywriter — I pay attention.

Three of them that can apply to almost any entrepreneurial activity:

1. When there is a lot of competition in a market, it becomes a buyer’s market. That puts downward pressure on the prices you can charge.

2. But much of that competition is weak or mediocre. You can improve your chances of success by providing a better product or service.

3. The scarcer something is, the more you can charge for it. Therefore, another good strategy for making more money is to focus on subjects/products/services that most others avoid.

If you’d like to see all 12 of Bob’s “truths,” go here.

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Need instructions for fixing a flat tire … a copy of War and Peace … a map of the Paris Metro? You can find all of it — and so much more — online.

But the sheer amount of information can be overwhelming. Much of it is useless. And sometimes finding what you need can be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

People have never been so well informed … yet, so confused.

Lots of entrepreneurs go around thinking “Access to information is what separates the winners from the losers.” And “The smartest person in the room should be the most successful.” Not true. If it were, whoever bought the most “how-to” products or read the most books would be the richest. And we both know how ridiculous that is.

That’s not to say getting the right information isn’t important. But it’s only a tool. When it comes to being successful in business, there are a few easily overlooked factors that are absolutely vital.

So, what are these deciding factors?

1. Being Action-Oriented

Taking action is the main difference between the super-successful and the wannabes. When successful entrepreneurs get good information, they act on it — as soon as they can. Wannabes simply absorb information and, at their best, react to it.

The reason so many wannabes don’t take action is because they are paralyzed by the prospect of failure. Add to that their mistaken belief that the next information nugget they come across could make the difference between success and failure, and it becomes obvious why “waiting” for it has them stuck.

If they press on, they become more confused by conflicting facts. At the same time, they become increasingly frustrated that they still haven’t found the magic they’re seeking.

If that sounds like you, here’s my advice: Stay focused!

Take a deep breath and ask yourself, “What do I have to get done today to further my success?” Not tomorrow or next week or even next month. Today! Not “What do I have to learn?” but “What do I have to DO?!?”

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It’s easy to lose your focus on today when you are thinking about tomorrow. And it’s tempting to believe that the next pearl of wisdom you come across is going to make all the difference. But it won’t. You’ll never reach the level of success you crave without taking the specific DAILY steps that get you there.

It’s pretty straightforward. To build a successful business, you have to train your brain to crystallize a future vision, break it into small details, and organize those details into daily tasks. After that, all you need is the courage to commit to the completion of those daily tasks — despite any obstacles that get in your way.

Sounds easy enough, right? So what will sabotage your success? Fear! Fear is your enemy. That little voice whispering “What if it doesn’t work? What if I’m wrong?”

Look, some self-doubt is natural. But when it prevents you from achieving the success you deserve, it’s a problem. Which leads me to the next crucial success factor …

2. Rising Above Your Fears and Doubts

You have to get far enough above your doubts to keep going, or you’re doomed. What works for me is to get lost in the project at hand. It works for me, and it’ll work for you. Just throw yourself so deeply into what needs to be done that you forget about your fears. Every successful business owner learns how to do this. What makes it easier is knowing that experience will always be your best teacher.

You are going to make mistakes. We all do. Even the Intels, Microsofts, and Googles of the world mis-step from time to time. Building a successful company is complex, and there are always things beyond your control.

The trick is to learn from your mistakes. Just do your best to limit your risk. Keep trying. Learn what works. And don’t torture yourself when you take a wrong turn. Just acknowledge it … and change your approach.

And since we are talking about mistakes … do you know what’s at the root of most of the mistakes you’ll make? I see it over and over again. And practically everyone who struggles in business is guilty of it. It’s this …

For some strange reason, people want to make things more complicated than they need to be. It’s as if they are fascinated by the overly complex. So, instead of keeping things simple, they burden themselves with too much to do and too little time to do any of it right. Which leads me to …

3. Avoiding the “Stupidity Tax” by Keeping Things as Simple as You Can

The “stupidity tax” is easily avoidable. But, for some reason, almost everyone trying to make a success of an online business seems to walk right into it.

Here’s an example of how this flawed approach plays out …

Instead of picking one way to drive traffic to your website, mastering it, and then moving on — you do the opposite. You want to learn about pay-per-click advertising, search engine optimization, affiliate marketing, and every other method under the sun. All at the same time, and without developing any level of expertise in any of it.

Yet, the most successful online businesses I know concentrate on one method at a time. Agora Inc., for example, focused primarily on pay-per-click advertising to get to its first $50 million in online sales. My company focused on joint venture/affiliate launches — and in nine months, we did over $7 million in sales.

When you pursue multiple directions in your business, you end up making very little progress. And it doesn’t matter how smart you are or how hard you work, because you are spread way too thin.

With an Internet business, this mistake can really kill you. Here’s why: In online marketing, your results are directly related to how your skills stack up against those of your competitors. If your competition is better than you at using Google AdWords, for example, they’ll pay less than you to get traffic to their website and will convert more of it to sales. If they’re better at search engine optimization, they’ll rank higher than you. If they’re better at affiliate marketing — converting better, selling more — they’ll be able to pay their affiliates more, and lock you out of the market.

It doesn’t work this way with an offline business. You don’t pay more if your ad or commercial sucks. You might not get as many responses as your competitors — but you’re not locked out. And you’re not forced into paying the “stupidity tax.”

Isolate the fewest activities you can be successful with. Then knock them off, one at a time. Don’t make the mistake of trying to do too much and, thus, marginalize your results. As Confucius said, “Man who chases two rabbits catches neither.”

If you follow my advice, you’ll get to take back quite a bit of the time you’re currently wasting by trying to learn too much about too many marketing tactics at once. Plus, you’ll get back the time you’re wasting by trying to execute strategies with a superficial level of knowledge. What you do with your newfound free time leads us to our fourth and final success component …

4. Knowing Where the Money Is

It takes time to know your market. But it’s time you must invest if you’re serious about your business’s success.

The first step is quite simply to open your eyes and look at what’s going on around you. You need to keep your finger on the pulse of your market to know what’s “hot.” But that’s only half the equation. The second step is to do your best to understand WHY it’s hot. Until you understand your market at a deeper level, you’ll keep scratching your head and wondering why you are making less than your “dumb” counterparts.

The good news is that once you get it — once you fully understand the psychology of your market — your results will improve immediately. From promotional e-mails to pay-per-click ads, your results will multiply, because you’ll know your prospects better than any of your competitors do.

So there you have it.

If you’ve ever wondered why you make less than others even though you are smarter than they are, now you know. And it’s up to you to change that. Are you going to keep plodding along in frustration? Or are you going to embrace the four elements of business success that I shared with you here and decide that, once and for all, you are going to do what it takes?

Only time will tell …

P.S. Taking action is the only way your Internet business will go from dream to reality. At Early to Rise’s Info-Marketing Bootcamp this November, I — and a dozen other experts in Internet marketing, social media, copywriting, search engine optimization, and more — will help you do just that. We’ll remove your fears, help you determine the hottest niches, barrel through trial and error, and, most important, teach you how to become action-oriented. You can find out all about Bootcamp here.

The businesses I’ve coached have done over $500 million every year — piling up more than $1 billion in sales every two years. Visit my blog to learn how to streamline your business while skyrocketing profits.

— Highly Recommended—

Increase Your Wealth by Managing Risk like the Pros Do - You can’t take all the risk out of investing. But you can take much of it away. More importantly, you can remove the worst aspects of risk – those that cause fear and result in bad investment decisions. ETR’S own Charles Newcastle has developed a quick and simple four-step “risk reduction” strategy that could bring you 132%+ gains in a matter of weeks. Read more…

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More from Masterson…

The Almighty Dollar?

Investor’s Daily Edge Investment Director Bob Irish has a great suggestion for protecting your wealth from the falling U.S. dollar.

The dollar has lost more than 90 percent of its value since 1913. That’s when the Federal Reserve Bank was created, notes Bob. Since 1987, it’s lost 50 percent. That’s the year Alan Greenspan came on board.

Bob expects this downtrend to continue.

Based on that, his advice is to look into bond plays, select dividend stocks, and hard assets. That includes gold, silver, oil, and the companies that pull these natural resources out of the ground.

And he’s got just the man to help you. Investor’s Daily Edge natural resource expert Dr. Russell McDougal identifies the best of the best companies in this sector. In the last year, 15 out of 17 of his recommendations have been profitable. His readers have seen gains as high as 241 percent.

Diet Soda Makes You Fat

Avoid sodas … even diet sodas, says Total Health Breakthroughs Editor Melanie Segala.

They will make you fat. And they lead to other health problems.

A recent study showed that drinking just one can of diet soda a day increased the risk of metabolic syndrome by 34 percent. (Metabolic syndrome is a condition that leads to diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic diseases.) That’s almost 10 percent higher than the risk associated with a diet of fried foods, says Melanie.

Melanie recommends purified water. For a little flavor, add orange or lemon slices … even raspberries. You can even try a splash of natural fruit juice. If you crave sweetness, try stevia. It’s a natural calorie-free sweetener that you can find in any health food store.

— Highly Recommended—

Nobody’s Going to Visit Your Online Business… Unless You Give Them a Reason - Everybody and his uncle has a website these days. But 99% of them aren’t making any money. The first in gaining Internet wealth is getting people to visit your site. Until now that have a very difficult task. But thanks to a technique you already use every day – but don’t recognize the potential of – you can attract thousands of “primed to buy” visitors. And it’s totally free. That’s ZERO marketing expenses. Read more…

It’s like everything they touch turns to gold. And it doesn’t matter if it’s in their business or their personal life, they just seem to have luck on their side all the time.

I can add myself to that list. Because I consider myself to be EXTREMELY lucky.

I’ve built an eight-figure business, married the woman of my dreams, and have two beautiful daughters who are healthy and happy.

And along the way, I’ve had lots of lucky breaks – things that just sort of “happened” and ultimately made me become more successful. But I just didn’t wait around for luck to find me. I went out looking for it.

Here are three things that have always helped me increase my luck:

1. Get out there. I’ve found that luck stems mostly from opportunities, and the more you put yourself in front of others, the more opportunities you’ll have. So don’t be an introvert. Meet new people. Shake their hands. Look them in the eye and find out more about them. This will increase your luck exponentially.

2. Go with your gut. I can’t count how many times I’ve made an important decision based on a gut feeling and it’s turned out to be the right one. So follow your instincts and go with what you feel is correct. More often than not, you’ll see your luck increase.

3. Grab the silver lining. The most successful people I know don’t wallow in misery when their luck goes sour. They find something positive in the situation and focus on that. And guess what? They always turn their fortunes completely around very quickly. You can do the same.

Those are a few of the strategies I use to bring more luck into my life. Apply them to your life… and watch your own fortunes rise.

[Ed. Note: Rich Schefren - one of the world's best small-business strategists - knows a thing or two about what it takes to be successful. The businesses he coaches have done over $500 million every year - piling up more than $1 billion in sales every two years. Visit his blog to learn how to streamline your business while skyrocketing profits.

For more strategies and techniques for "making" your own luck, check out the Early to Rise Total Success Achievement program. Success mentor Bob Cox will help you achieve all you want in life - in just minutes a day.]

Okay, okay. You probably think ol’ Rich has fallen off his rocker this time, but hear me out…

Because there’s a whole lot of wisdom in that one line from the Carpenters’ 1970 smash hit. And it has absolutely nothing to do with birds suddenly appearing every time you are near.

Let me explain…

Ask anyone who works with me at Strategic Profits and they’ll tell you I’m a pretty private person. I like to come in, focus on my work, and keep my personal business… well, personal.

But over the last year or so, I’ve been slowly cracking the door open and letting everyone have a peek at my life outside the office. And there’s a reason for that.

Back when I was first dipping my toes into the Internet marketing waters, I attended a copywriting seminar hosted by none other than the great John Carlton.

John’s legendary in this business, generating multiple millions of dollars with his masterfully crafted sales pieces. In fact, many consider him one of the greatest copywriters living today.

And I was enraptured by John’s teachings. His breakthrough ideas on writing sales copy were instrumental in my initial success online, and from time to time I still I refer to the notes I took during that seminar whenever I need a copywriting boost.

For instance, about a year ago…

I was in the office working on some copy, and I quickly glanced at those seminar notes to get a kick-start.

What I got was a kick all right – a kick in the HEAD!

These are the exact words that popped out at me in all caps and yellow highlighting:

YOU ARE MAKING A HUGE MISTAKE IF YOU ARE NOT PERSONALIZING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

Ever had an epiphany?

I did. I suddenly realized how closed and impersonal I had become in my sales copy, and how I had alienated many of my readers because of it.

I realized that, no matter how I may feel or think, in order to become a trusted advisor to my prospects and customers I needed to open up about myself, about my family, and about my life outside of Strategic Profits. And if I opened the curtain a little, they would most likely respond very positively.

In other words, John Carlton reached out from that sheet of paper, slapped me upside the head, and said: “Yo, Schefren… take a lesson from Karen Carpenter. They long to be ‘close to you.’ So LET ‘EM!”

I made a vow right then and there that I was going to create a stronger bond with my audience.

So I started focusing more on empathizing with them, understanding their situations, feelings, and motives. I dug deep to find out what kept them up at night… what gnawed at their very core… and how my products could help solve that problem.

Then I immersed myself into their conversations. I studied the forums and social networking sites they frequented. I made note of the buzzwords they tossed out. I wanted to learn the language they spoke so I could talk to them more effectively on their level.

Finally, I just tried to be myself. I know that sounds overly simplistic, but it’s so crucial. Because we all know people who tried to be someone else. And they failed miserably because there was no truth or integrity in anything they said. So I let my personality shine through a lot more, making a point of telling my readers about the little things – not just the big things – that affect how I live, work, and play.

And guess what? The response was AMAZING! Our subscriber rates went through the roof, we saw significant increases in sales, and my “likeability” factor was suddenly off the charts. All because of this shift in my copy.

What about you? Is your copy stiff, stale, and lacking in personality? Are you pulling your prospects and customers “close to you” with your e-mails, sales letters, and blog posts? Or are you pushing them further away?

Because in the words of John Carlton himself, “Good copywriting is like sitting down, cracking a beer, and shooting the sh**.” I don’t know how to put it any better.

If you can integrate this mindset into your copy, you’ll create a stronger bond with your prospects, customers, and subscribers. As a result, you’ll make LOTS more money (and get a lot more enjoyment out of being a copywriter).

[Ed. Note: Rich Schefren - one of the world's best small-business strategists - knows a thing or two about what it takes to be successful. The businesses he coaches have done over $500 million every year - piling up more than $1 billion in sales every two years. Visit his blog to learn how to streamline your business while skyrocketing profits.

The ability to write strong, persuasive sales copy is the key to building trust with your prospects and converting them into paying customers. You can learn how to do it from Gene Schwartz, one of the world's best copywriters. Get the details here. ]

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A sense of urgency.

Successful entrepreneurs look at practically every moment of every day as a challenge -and they attack it accordingly. This need for achievement motivates them to turn their ideas into action.

On the other end of the spectrum are “passive” entrepreneurs. They live every day pursuing their dreams safely, never taking risks or pushing the envelope, and hoping something good will happen.

I’m not just talking out of my keister here. I’m a living, breathing example of a former passive personality.

It wasn’t until a mentor shook me from the doldrums and forced me to take that first step into the unknown that I started to see some serious results.

Why? Because successful people act from a sense of urgency.

So today, I want you to do exactly what I did. Ditch the passive nature and begin looking at your dreams with a SENSE OF URGENCY.

Tell yourself, “Today, I’m going to make a change and act from a sense of urgency. And these are the first two actions I’m going to take…”

[Ed. Note: Rich Schefren - one of the world's best small-business strategists - knows a thing or two about what it takes to be successful. The businesses he coaches have done over $500 million every year - piling up more than $1 billion in sales every two years. Visit his blog to learn how to streamline your business while skyrocketing profits.

The ability to sell is another trait shared by successful entrepreneurs. If you don't know how to sell, you're LOSING money. It's time to amp up your selling skills. You can learn how to do it from Gene Schwartz, one of the world's best copywriters. Get the details here.]

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The alarm clock didn’t go off. The modem isn’t working. The milk has spoiled.

And yet, with those challenges come opportunities…

You awake to sunshine streaming through a window. You enjoy reading a newspaper instead of quickly scanning news online. You drink your coffee black, and realize you like it better that way.

What if you could turn all your business challenges into opportunities, too?

It’s possible, because I do it every day.

Here’s the secret: Focus attention on the daily tasks that will lead to success.

Before you make your coffee… Before you butter your toast… Before you drop the kids off at school or complete any part of your morning routine, ask yourself this question about your business goals: “What am I trying to accomplish?” More specifically, “What am I trying to accomplish today?”

It’s a short question, but it packs a big punch.

Let’s say, for example, that (like many of my coaching clients) the idea of having a successful online business is enormously attractive to you. Not only does it sound cool to say “entrepreneur,” it gives you the potential to make lots of money without spending much upfront. Yet, the same low-cost barriers to entry for an online business can mean a low probability of profit if you can’t address the question: “What am I really trying to accomplish with this business?”

Whatever your goals, whatever your talents, you have to give this question your full attention every day. Anything less will lead you in the wrong direction – closer to frustration and further from your goals.

So, ask yourself again: “What am I trying to accomplish?” And continue to ask this question every day, several times a day, to maintain your focus.

Many wannabe online entrepreneurs struggle with this question. It’s not because they lack confidence. It’s not because they are trying to be evasive. It’s simply because – no matter how long they have been thinking about building an online business – they just haven’t given the question sufficient, serious thought.

What are you trying to accomplish with your online business?

If you choose to give your attention to something that will become your livelihood, you should certainly know what you hope to accomplish with it, right?

Think about companies like Starbucks and Apple. Their corporate and critical successes are due to passion, customer service, and paying attention to the right things.

You have to find those same magic seeds for your online business.

Without a well-researched and well-executed plan for growth, you stand little chance of succeeding as an online entrepreneur in a world of competitors.

Remember, the Internet is not located on a street corner. It’s located on the World Wide Web. Your competitors may be anywhere on the globe. Are you ready to compete with them and win?

Do you know what you want to accomplish long-term? Just as important, do you know what you have to accomplish on a daily basis to reach that goal? Do you know what you have to accomplish today?

If you’re struggling for answers, here are some techniques you can use to focus your attention on the right things – the things that will translate into success for your online business.

Prioritize.

Learn how to organize your tasks in a way that aligns with your goals. For instance, Michael Masterson uses daily task lists to help him plan out his time.

Determine really clear short-term goals.

Long-term goals are great, but short-term goals give you a “scorecard” to make sure you are completing the important things that will keep you moving forward.

Professor Richard Wiseman – leader of a yearlong study on goal setting – found that people have a better chance of reaching a major goal if they break it down into smaller short-term objectives. So instead of a big, broad goal like “I’ll write a novel this year,” you might plan to write five pages of the novel every week.

Upgrade your ability to deal with information.

Take a speed-reading course. Discover new methods of research and study. Become informationally efficient. Check out my article “Getting Smarter” for more ways to amp up your brainpower.

What’s your objective for your business?

• Do you want to become the best Internet business coach?
• Are you hoping to sell self-help books online?
• Have you discovered a way to feed the masses and end world hunger?

Once you know what you want to accomplish, you can focus your attention on setting the short-term goals that will get you there. And it all starts by asking yourself  “What am I trying to accomplish today?”

[Ed. Note: If you're going to be successful in 2009, you need to make Rich's suggestions a part of your day-to-day life. Of course, you may need a little extra help to get moving and keep yourself motivated. Get year-round success strategies, motivational resources, and goal-achieving tools right here.

Rich Schefren - one of the world's best small-business strategists - knows a thing or two about what it takes to be successful online. His businesses have done over $500 million every year - piling up more than $1 billion in sales every two years. Visit his blog to learn how to streamline your business while skyrocketing profits.] 

Unfortunately, the vast majority of people and companies don’t learn enough from their mistakes or their accomplishments. It’s like they’re simply plugging along with their heads down – like Bill Murray’s character, Phil Connors, in the hilarious movie Groundhog Day. But instead of repeating the same day over and again, they repeat the same outlook, approach, and strategies.

Look, no matter how good or bad your results, you can always do better. Yet the single biggest key to improving both performance and results is ignored by almost everybody. If you want to be at the top of your game, you absolutely must learn from what has already happened. I am going to share with you how I do it. Follow my lead, and you can make 2009 your very best year (so far).

All you need to do is answer five questions. If you’re serious about your success, you should do this today! Ready, set, go…

Question 1: What were your greatest accomplishments in 2008?

Even if 2008 was the worst year of your life, odds are, if you look hard enough, there’s something somewhere to be proud of. If 2008 was a great year for you, that makes answering this question even easier.

After you’ve listed all your accomplishments, go back to them. This time through, identify several takeaways for each one – what you learned from or were reminded of by it.

Question 2: What were your biggest disappointments in 2008?

Practically every company and individual resists analyzing their mistakes. That’s a shame, because this is where the best learning comes from.

No matter how well everything is going, we all make mistakes. The trick here is to examine what preceded them, what you could have done differently, and how you can prevent making the same mistakes in the future. Even though 2008 was the best year of my life (so far), I still had my share of disappointments, both personally and professionally. I won’t bore you with the details.

As you did with your accomplishments in 2008, list your biggest disappointments – and then identify several takeaways for each one.

Question 3: How did you limit yourself last year, and how can you remove those limits in 2009?

Were there certain actions you took or didn’t take that came back to haunt you? You need to bring these self-defeating actions to the surface, shine light on them, and, most important, determine what you must do differently to make sure you don’t limit yourself the same way all over again. Here are just a few of mine…

• Not reviewing my goals daily

• Not sticking to a daily sleep schedule

• Hoping things would work out well in a few situations where my gut told me not to

Once again, make a list and identify the takeaways. For example, one of the self-defeating actions on my list was not reviewing my goals on a daily basis (even though I know better). And when I don’t review my goals daily, I get sucked into what’s currently happening and distracted from what’s most important. That caused me to miss the mark on a few goals I had set for myself in 2008. The takeaway: I’m determined not to make the same mistake in 2009.

Question 4: What did you learn from your answers to the first three questions?

This is where it gets interesting. Remember, the purpose of this exercise is not simply to know yourself and your business better but to actually to use what you learn to make certain that 2009 trumps 2008.

What are your main takeaways from the first three questions? What do you now know about yourself or your business that you didn’t realize or weren’t thinking about before? Here are two random nuggets from my complete list of 62…

• Creating products, programs, and free material to help entrepreneurs and their businesses grow consistently gives me my greatest feeling of accomplishment. Therefore, I need to spend time daily on creating these materials and not let the fast growth of our business – Strategic Profits – pull me too far away from what I do best.

• For Strategic Profits to positively impact even more small-business owners, we have to religiously stick to our schedule of introducing new front-end products. We cannot allow ourselves to deviate from the schedule, no matter how well things are going, because client acquisition is the lifeblood of any business.

You should shoot for as many takeaways as possible, because it’s here that the rubber meets the road. It’s these takeaways that’ll practically guarantee that 2009 will be the best year of your life.

Of course, it’s not enough to just make your list (although that, by itself, will get you partway there). You still need to take this information and USE IT!

And that’s where our final question comes in…

Question 5: How can you use this information to make 2009 your best year yet?

The idea is to take everything that surfaced in your answer to Question 4 and build it in to your schedule, your interactions, your management style, and so on. For example, I’ve already scheduled on my calendar two hours a day of content creation and 10 minutes every morning to review my goals. Plus, I’ve slotted a weekly 20-minute appointment with myself to surface and then analyze whatever concerns I have.

There’s lots more on my list – but you get the point. And besides, what’s important here is not what I am going to do to make 2009 great for me… it’s what you are going to do to make 2009 great for you.

[Ed. Note: Making 2009 the best year of your life starts with answering the 5 simple questions Rich Schefren recommends. But you may need a little extra help to get moving and keep yourself motivated. Get year-round success strategies, motivational resources, and goal-achieving tools right here.

Rich Schefren, known in marketing circles as "The Guru's Guru," is an online business exploder whose clients rake in more than $500 million every year - piling up more than $1 billion in sales every two years. Visit his blog to learn how to streamline your business while skyrocketing profits.]

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