He has good natural talents, a good mind, a good attitude, the willingness to work hard, and good values.

But he fills up his spare moments by surfing the Internet or engaging in similar amusements. There’s nothing terribly wrong with that, one could argue. He finishes the tasks he’s assigned. He works extra hours when asked. He doesn’t complain.

But for him — and his future — it’s a shame. Because each of those spare moments presents an opportunity for him to move himself forward. Each is a chance for him to learn something new, refine a skill, or make a new contact.

Whether he realizes it or not, he is competing against others who are about his age, have similar skills, and earn similar incomes. From the perspective of his employer and future employers, his value will grow or diminish relative to the rest of these people.

To the degree that he can exceed them, he will become more valuable and his income and his opportunities will expand. If he slips behind — and he surely will if he gives up too many of his spare moments to fooling around — he will gradually be thought of as just ordinary and, eventually, expendable.

We are all busy. We all have multiple responsibilities. But success is a result of your behavior. And the way you act when you have spare time is a crucial part of it.

Every 15 minutes invested in your future is a deposit that will grow and compound over time. It may not seem like a big deal now — whether you spend that time surfing the Internet or updating your Rolodex — but in the long run, it will make all the difference in the world.

“Jon Herring’s take on the food pyramid needs to be pumped for all it is worth — maybe a new pyramid, strongly backed and disseminated widely — until it gets recognition and the old pyramids are permanently toppled.”

NB

——————————————–Highly Recommended———————————————

Do Achievers Waste Time Surfing the Web? – Of course not! They realize that every minute of every day is precious. Any minute wasted on trivial activities robs you of the opportunity to work toward your most previous goals. Bob Cox understands this. He’s the master of his time and he can teach you to be the master of yours. Find out how…

You are watching your kid play soccer. The goalie makes a spectacular stop. It triggers an idea about how to get your secretary to keep people from interrupting you in the morning. It’s the kind of idea that would make your life a little better if you could just remember it.

Instead of a pad of paper, I use 3 x 5 index cards that I keep in a small leather case. And I take BK’s idea one step further. I not only have a blank card on which to jot down my random thoughts, I have four additional cards on which I list my yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily goals.

I review my cards each morning and consult them whenever I have a spare moment. And it really is helpful.

Why not try it and see what happens? I think you’ll be surprised by how much more “on top of things” you’ll be in just a few days.

“A positive contribution.”

“I’ve been a fan and admirer since reading Automatic Wealth in the winter of 2006 while I was in military service. It guided me when I really had no idea of what my next step was. Mr. Masterson, your ideas have made a positive contribution to every part of my life.”

MW
Taipei, Taiwan

——————————————–Highly Recommended——————————————–

Need Help With Your Offer? – Bob Bly just gave you a great example of how the right offer can totally turn your sales around. But if you are having trouble figuring out how to apply that lesson to your business, ETR can help. In the Internet Cash Generator, Bob walks you through this and every other step of creating your own profitable Internet business. Find out all about it here.

When I mentioned this in a recent teleseminar, one of the callers asked if I could be more specific. He wanted to know why money loves speed.

Before I answer that, let me say that this is not just true about money. It’s true in all areas of life. I don’t recall ever succeeding at something because I got there last.

• If you want to buy tickets from a scalper for a big game that’s sold out, get there first. Tickets love speed.

• If you want a job that you just found out about, get there first. Jobs love speed.

• If you want to win the guy or gal who has your heart pounding, get there first. Guys and gals love speed.

• If you want to get the investment property that just came on the market, get there first. Investment properties love speed.

And so on. Because success, in general, loves speed.

So, why does success love speed? The answer is to be found in the dictionary. Action is defined as “the causation of change.” Whatever result you want, it’s a change from what you now have. By definition, then, a change has to take place for you to get from your present status to that result.

Following are some of the more important reasons why I believe action begets results.

1. When you do too much planning, there’s a tendency to think of one reason after another why what you’re contemplating won’t work.

Many of the reasons you come up with may be correct. But the important thing is that it doesn’t matter. Why? Because, as you move forward, circumstances continually change — and those changes often render irrelevant many of the concerns you may have had before taking action. In other words, don’t try to figure out steps two, three, and four before taking step one.

The legendary Joe Karbo once told me that he ran his first ad for The Lazy Man’s Way to Riches (a million-copy seller) before he even began to write the book! In fact, he told me that the ad he wrote served as an outline for the book itself. Talk about going against conventional wisdom…

2. When you procrastinate, you tend to lose your enthusiasm.

Homeostasis — the tendency to live with existing conditions and avoid change — sets in. You get comfortable with the way things are and allow your great idea to fade into the comfort zone of oblivion. But when you take action, your creative juices flow faster, your resourcefulness kicks into high gear, and the things, people, and circumstances you need to accomplish your objectives are drawn to you almost like magic. As a result, your motivation to succeed becomes elevated.

This is not hocus-pocus. I’ve done it enough times to be able to assure you that it really works.

3. Even though changing circumstances often negate many initial concerns you may have had, they can also place new obstacles in your path.

If you wait too long before taking action, the opportunity may become less and less appealing to you as those obstacles start to make their appearance. I wrote about this danger in my book To Be or Not to Be Intimidated? under the auspices of the Fiddle Theory. The Fiddle Theory states: “The longer you fiddle around with a deal, the greater the odds that it will never close.”

Time is your ally when you take action, but time is a two-sided coin. If you hesitate or procrastinate, time becomes your worst enemy. As a general rule, I assume that if I take action, perceived problems will tend to disappear  and that the more I hesitate, the more time there is for new obstacles to make their appearance.

4. Perhaps the most important reason of all for taking action now is that time is finite.

No matter how proficient you are, you can only accomplish so much in a lifetime. Every second that’s wasted reduces the totality of what you can accomplish by one second. Some people maintain that a constant feeling of urgency to accomplish more is stressful, but I find the opposite to be true. I feel more stress when I procrastinate — when I’m not doing what I know I should be doing. There’s not a worse feeling in the world than to be conscious of the fact that your finite supply of time is ticking away while you focus on straightening your desk drawer.

Of course, nothing in life is perfect. There will be times when moving too fast can end up hurting you. But, on balance, the empirical evidence derived from my own experience has convinced me that what I gain from moving fast far outweighs the losses I may incur as a result of too little planning.

That being the case, when you fall — and you will fall — simply pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and take more action. Success could care less about mistakes. Success loves action — and human motivation leads to action.

[Ed. Note: To learn how to survive and prosper during the turbulent years ahead, check out Robert Ringer's powerful audio series Succeeding in a World of Chaos. And be sure to sign up for a FREE subscription to his one-of-a-kind e-letter A Voice of Sanity in an Insane World.]

————————————-Highly Recommended —————————————-

Ready to Get Started on Your Business? – With the Internet Money Club, you’ll greatly reduce your learning curve. Even if you know nothing about doing business online, IMC will get you up to speed — and making money — in a matter of months. Find out more here…

How did Mokwa handle it? He made it his goal to get the number below 100. And he transmitted that monumental challenge to the head of the homicide unit by writing the number “99″ on a piece of paper and handing it to him. The message was simple but clear. And the following year, the toll plunged to 69.

As this example illustrates, you don’t have to make a goal less ambitious to get it accomplished. Sometimes, all you have to do is make it simpler.

Prior to Chief Mokwa’s simple challenge, a dozen efforts had been made over a period of 20 years to lower the city’s homicide rate. But by forgetting about who was going to do what and how each step would be accomplished — by allowing the homicide unit to figure all that out — Mokwa did what nobody else was able to do.

That’s one reason simple goals are so powerful. Instead of attempting to sort out all the details at the outset, you break through inertia by deciding on what you want to accomplish and immediately start working on it. Ready. Fire. Aim. You handle the details as the need arises.

Another reason simple goals are so powerful is that they are easy to understand — for you and anyone else involved in their execution. Simple goals make decision-making easy. You need only ask yourself, “Which choice is more likely to get me closer to my objective?” Nine times out of 10, this will give you the right answer.

“Thank you for Michael’s article on Goldman Sachs. They, along with the big banks in this country, have been part of the problem for a long time, and why we are in this current economic and financial mess.”

John Fagan

———————————————Highly Recommended——————————————

Ready to Sell?

In his book Ready, Fire, Aim, Michael Masterson reveals how to develop quality products — that the market wants — and sell them. And it’s not about coming up with “the next big thing.” That is a recipe for disaster, Michael says. Find out more here…

The professor picks up a box that contains large rocks, each one about four inches in diameter, and pours them into the bucket. The stones reach the top of the bucket, and he asks the student if it is full.

“It is,” the student replies.

The professor takes another box, this one containing stones about one inch in diameter, and pours them over the rocks in the bucket. The smaller stones fill in the spaces between the rocks. Again, he asks the student if the bucket is full.

The student looks and says, “It is.”

The professor then pours in the contents of a third box, this one containing small pebbles. Again, the student looks in and agrees that the bucket is full.

Finally, the professor pours a box of sand on top of the rocks, stones, and pebbles. And once more, for the fourth time, the student has to acknowledge that the bucket is full.

“The lesson,” the professor tells the student, “is to do the most important thing first, and each lesser thing in order of its priority. In this way, you will be able to fill up your life four times, instead of just once. If you do the unimportant things first, you’ll be filling your bucket with sand… and there won’t be room for anything else.”

“I am grateful that I receive ETR in my inbox every day. It is always chock full of inspiration. Thank you to Michael Masterson and all the writers who contribute little juicy tidbits.

“Every day I feel a little closer to the success that I know is inside me, and ETR helps me feel that way.”

Teri Thomas
Chicago, IL

———————————————Highly Recommended———————————————

There’s No Need to Buy Gold and Bury It in Your Backyard…

You don’t need to buy a single ounce of gold to make money in the gold market. If gold goes nowhere, you should still make money. If precious metals continue to rise (even slowly), you could make a fortune. And if the metals soar? Let’s just say your grandchildren will be thanking you… Discover the secret behind this “No-Gold Gold Rush” right here.

Here’s a better way: Teach your best employees what you know. And then teach them how to teach it to new employees.

This not only frees up your valuable time, it establishes an automatic mentoring system. And that provides additional benefits:

• Every new employee has someone with experience to turn to for advice.

• The mentor feels responsible for the new employee’s performance — and they both learn that responsibility is best when shared.

• For a while at least, a separate pair of eyes will be carefully reviewing the work of every new employee. This should result in fewer mistakes that will need to be fixed later.

• The mentor will probably rise to a higher level of commitment and dedication to the business. He’ll take himself and his job more seriously.

“You hit the nail on the head.”

“I enjoy reading Early to Rise each morning, as I am getting started (early) on my day. Each issue has inspiration and thoughtful content that I really enjoy. However, the Thanksgiving Day issue was one of your best! You hit the nail on the head with the big and little things we all have to be thankful for. I don’t think any of us spend enough of our energies on expressing gratitude to others. Our culture certainly doesn’t seem to hold such things in very high regard anymore. It is about time that changed.

“Thanks for the daily dose of inspiration and sharing. Keep it coming!”

Alan Kisling
Atlanta, GA

———————————————-Advertisement———————————————–

“This year, I claimed $134,408 on my income tax return — all from copywriting!” – What do a retired engineer, a ballroom dance instructor, and a grocery store clerk have in common? They all made more money than they ever had before within months of finding out they could write sales letters. And they did it while working less than they ever had before. Hear their amazing stories here…

• The chance to profit when the business profits

• The experience of suffering when the business loses money

• The chance to see how the bottom line is actually produced — how, for example, revenues and expenses translate into profits

• The experience of raising money, either by borrowing it or by selling stock

• The chance to read financial statements, including P&L numbers and balance sheets

Most attempts to include employees offer them only one or two of these opportunities to learn, at best. And that’s fine as far as it goes. But if you want more from your people, it seems logical to assume that you have to give more to them. And I’m not just talking about financial incentives.

You may be worried about sharing financial information with your employees. You may think it is a waste of time or puts your business in jeopardy. I haven’t found either of these two things to be true. Experience has shown me that most employees have naive and often cynical ideas about how profits are made. And the more they know about what’s really going on, the more loyal they become.

———————————————-Highly Recommended ——————————————–

When was the last time you slept (uninterrupted) for 8 straight hours?

Dr. Jim LaValle (known as the “Doctor’s Doctor” because of his packed educational lectures to physicians) has just released a report with the secrets of how to get back to sleeping straight through the night… without drugs… in just 14 days.

In it, you’ll discover:

• How to eliminate the #1 reason why you toss and turn for hours (Your spouse will thank you, too!)

• Tested psychological “tricks” that are guaranteed to knock you out cold

• How to “burn off” the hormones that are keeping you wide awake at night (and half asleep during the day)

If you’re ready to sleep like a baby all night… and wake up bursting with energy… click here for your report.

“She is pretty, and that’s why she was promoted.”

Or…

“His uncle owns the business, and that’s the only reason he was able to get a job here.”

Or…

“They keep taking credit for my ideas and holding me back.”

Sadly, a victim attitude comes all too easily to individuals who are looking to others to rescue them. There is nothing wrong with seeking input when you are working on a difficult project. But this is completely different.

Avoid the gossip and drama generated by the self-styled “victims” in your office, or these time stealers will keep you from achieving your goals. The best way I have found to deal with it is to:

• Divert the conversation.
• Talk only about positives.
• Limit your encounters with those individuals.

Believe me, if you don’t encourage the conversation they will leave you be and find someone else to listen.

“I will certainly try that next time.”

Carla Ashdown
Hastings, UK

——————————————-Highly Recommended——————————————–

Ready for More Bob Cox? – Bob has mentored and coached thousands in his own unique brand of goal achieving — including four billionaires. And he has dozens of success techniques he wants to share with you. Find out more…

Here’s a better way: Teach your best employees what you know. And then teach them how to teach it to new employees.

This not only frees up your valuable time, it establishes an automatic mentoring system. And that provides additional benefits:

• Every new employee has someone with experience to turn to for advice.

• The mentor feels responsible for the new employee’s performance — and they both learn that responsibility is best when shared.

• For a while at least, a separate pair of eyes will be carefully reviewing the work of every new employee. This should result in fewer mistakes that will need to be fixed later.

• The mentor will probably rise to a higher level of commitment and dedication to the business. He’ll take himself and his job more seriously.

“You hit the nail on the head.”

“I enjoy reading Early to Rise each morning, as I am getting started (early) on my day. Each issue has inspiration and thoughtful content that I really enjoy. However, the Thanksgiving Day issue was one of your best! You hit the nail on the head with the big and little things we all have to be thankful for. I don’t think any of us spend enough of our energies on expressing gratitude to others. Our culture certainly doesn’t seem to hold such things in very high regard anymore. It is about time that changed.

“Thanks for the daily dose of inspiration and sharing. Keep it coming!”

Alan Kisling
Atlanta, GA

——————————-Advertisement—————————-

“This year, I claimed $134,408 on my income tax return — all from copywriting!” – What do a retired engineer, a ballroom dance instructor, and a grocery store clerk have in common? They all made more money than they ever had before within months of finding out they could write sales letters. And they did it while working less than they ever had before. Hear their amazing stories here…

If raw fear isn’t enough to get you started, here’s one final, desperate step you can take.

Withdraw a week’s pay from the bank. Then give it to a trusted friend or colleague. His instructions: “Burn this money (or give it to charity — whichever pains you more) if I don’t finish the job by Friday.”

If this motivates you to finish, reward your money handler by using $100 of the money to take him to a nice lunch.

And don’t forget — put the rest back in the bank.

———————————————Highly Recommended ———————————————-

Having Trouble Getting Motivated? - It happens to all of us. But if procrastination becomes a habit — you’re doomed! Success mentor Bob Cox has proven strategies that will break your procrastination habits for good. Let him show you how… plus lots more…