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The Power of Clarity

Brian Tracy
Find Your Focal Point,
Maximize Your Income,
and Minimize Your Effort
Guidebook
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Unlock Your Full Potential ..........................................
........................................................7
Chapter 2: Double Your Productivity ............................................
......................................................11
Chapter 3: Simplify Your Life ..................................................
............................................................15
Chapter 4: Tap Into Your Most Precious Resource ................................
............................................19
Chapter 5: Practice Personal Strategic Planning.................................
...............................................23
Chapter 6: Supercharge Your Business and Career ................................
...........................................29
Chapter 7: Improve Your Family and Personal Life................................
...........................................35
Chapter 8: Achieve Complete Financial Independence..............................
........................................45
Chapter 9: Enjoy Superb All-Around Health and Fitness ..........................
........................................51
Chapter 10: Become Everything You Are Capable of Becoming.......................
................................55
Chapter 11: Make a Difference In Your Community.................................
.........................................61
Chapter 12: Spiritual Development and Inner Peace...............................
..........................................65
Additional Resources ...........................................................
...................................................................70
Appendix A: List of Values .....................................................
...............................................................72
Brian Tracy s The Power of Clarity Guidebook
Welcome to Brian Tracy s The Power of Clarity personal development program. This g
uidebook
has been created to aid you in clarifying what success looks like to you and how
you can create
the kind of life that you want. Brian gives you countless tools in this powerful
new audio series
that aid you in assessing, redirecting, and implementing new strategies to make
your life simpler,
more abundant, and much more rewarding.
To achieve the maximum benefits from this program and guidebook, listen to each
audio session
at least twice, ideally three times, and then work on the corresponding chapter.
Listening to the
audio session several times allows it to sink into your subconscious as you make
more and more
discoveries each time that you listen. Be sure to keep a paper and pen handy as
you are listening
to the program, and be prepared to stop the program when you hear an idea or tec
hnique that
particularly appeals to you. Think about that idea in connection with your situa

tion, your work,

your lifestyle; then prepare a plan to act upon it in the days ahead. Whenever p
ossible, give yourself
a deadline, and be committed to following through on that deadline. Without impl
ementing
any of the action steps that you have mapped out for yourself, this program simp
ly becomes an
exercise in listening. In order to gain the full benefits that this valuable pro
gram has to offer you,
make the decision here and now to work through this program and act upon your in
sights and
strategies, and you will achieve the kind of results in your life that you ve neve
r thought possible!
Chapter 1: Unlock Your Full Potential
Every great man has become great, every successful man has succeeded,
in proportion as he has confined his powers to one particular channel.
(Orison Swett Marden)
SUMMARY
You can dramatically improve the overall quality of your life far faster than yo
u might think possible.
All that is really required is the desire to change, the decision to take action
, the discipline
to practice the new behaviors you have decided upon, and the determination to pe
rsist until you
get the results you want.
Using the application of Zero Based Thinking in any given activity, you might ask
yourself,
Knowing what I now know, if I were not now doing this, would I start it up again
today?
Applying this question to every area of your life, you can then decide to do mor
e of some things,
less of other things, and to either start doing certain things or stop other act
ivities altogether. In
order to be successful at using this strategy, you must be able to stand back, a
nalyze your life,
make specific decisions, and then follow through on those decisions. By finding
a way to do fewer
things of higher value and discontinue activities of lower value, you can vastly
improve the quality
of your life in every area in a very short time.
You now have the potential to double your income and double your time off. In th
is new Age of
the Knowledge Worker, you are rewarded for your accomplishments, not activities.
You are paid
on outcomes, rather than the number of hours you work. If you can double your va
lue, then you
can double your income. How? By identifying the things you do that contribute th
e greatest value
to yourself and your company. By applying the 80/20 Rule (20% of your activities
can account for
80% or more of the value of your work), you can resolve to spend more of your ti
me doing more
of the tasks that contribute the greatest value.
Make a commitment to yourself to take complete responsibility for all aspects of
your life. Doing
so creates a feeling of personal power and thrusts you into a mindset in which y
ou can make the
necessary changes to create a sense of balance and achievement in your life, des
pite any external

stimuli. Being personally responsible for your life puts you in the driver s seat.
The next step, then,
is to see yourself as the self-employed entrepreneur, the head of your own perso
nal company. Your
personal company can increase its bottom-line profits in three ways:
i) By increasing its sales and revenue
ii) By decreasing its costs, holding sales and revenue constant
iii) By doing something else altogether, where one or both of i) and ii) are pos
sible
It is important to note that when you observe yourself engaging in any activity,
you become more
conscious and aware of that activity, and you do it better. In the Focal Point P
rocess, you learn
how to identify the most vital actions and behaviors in each area and to conscio
usly focus on
these areas; then you will perform better and better. You will develop in the ef
ficiency curve
whereand be able to do a job better and better in a shorter span of time.
Brian introduces the Grand SLAM Formula in this process as being made up of four
parts:
Simplification Simplify all that you do. Stop doing as many things of low value
as possible.
Leverage (Your strengths and abilities.) Seven forms of leverage: Other People s
Knowledge, Other People s Energy, Other People s Money, Other People s
Successes, Other People s Failures, Other People s Ideas, and Other People s
Contacts.
Acceleration Look for ways to do things faster for the key people and customers
in your
life.
Multiplication Organize and work with people who have skills and abilities that
are complementary
to your own.
To have more time with your family, you must make a commitment to particular tim
es off, and
keep that commitment. You must learn to work effectively in the office, taking c
are not to allow
social time to get in the way of your productivity.
There are six key steps to double your income and double your time off:
i) Identify those few tasks that contribute the greatest value to your work.
ii) Identify routine tasks and activities that consume much time and contribute
little to
your long-term goals.
iii) Use the Grand SLAM Formula to dramatically increase your output and your re
sults.
iv) Decide to take at least one day off each week to spend with family/personal
pursuits.
v) Once comfortable with one day, expand your time off to a full weekend. Begin
to schedule
three-day vacations every three months, then eventually every two months.
vi) Start today to pay closer attention to the things you do, being more conscio
us and aware
of yourself and your actions.
SELF-ASSESSMENT
1. Do you currently feel that every aspect of your life is balanced and in order
? If not, write
down the areas in your life that you feel need to be reevaluated (work life, hea
lth, family,
vacation time, free time, finances, etc.), in the space provided below.

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8
2. Taking your evaluation one step further, for each area you have noted above,
ask the question,
Knowing what I now know, if I were not now doing this, would I start it up again
today?
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3. Identify the things you do that contribute the greatest value to yourself and
your company.
List them in the space provided below.
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4. Identify the activities in the bottom 80%, tasks that contribute very little
value to yourself
and your company. List them in the space provided below.
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5. Are there any areas in your life in which you see yourself as powerless and a
victim of some
external force (situation, individual)? If so, list any such areas in the space
provided below.
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ACTION-STEPS
6. Based on your findings in questions 1 and 2 above, what activities would you
choose not to
start up again today? How can you get out of the situation(s), and how fast? Wri
te out an
action plan to do so in the space provided below.
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7. After identifying the bottom 80% of tasks, resolve to downsize, delegate, and
eliminate as
many of them as possible, and as quickly as you can. In the space provided below
, create a
strategic plan and deadline for implementing those strategies.
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8. Viewing yourself as the entrepreneur of your own company, and given the tools
that Brian
has provided, how can you increase your profits while also increasing your perso
nal time
off? Write out a strategic plan in the space provided below.
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Chapter 2: Double Your Productivity
The first requisite of success is to apply your physical and
mental energies to one problem without growing weary.
(Thomas Edison)
SUMMARY
To double your productivity, you simply Perform more and more tasks of higher val

ue and delegate,
delay, outsource, and eliminate tasks of lower value. First determine what is to be
done;
then focus on how and when. The five questions you must ask yourself regularly if yo
u want
to perform at your very best are:
i) What am I trying to do? (Define the ideal outcome or goal you are striving fo
r.)
ii) How am I trying to do it? (Make sure it s the best way to achieve your goal.)
iii) What are my assumptions? (About the market, actions and motivations of othe
rs, outcome
of future events)
iv) What if my assumptions were wrong? (Question your most cherished assumptions
.)
v) What would I have to do differently if my key assumptions were wrong? (Altern
atives,
other options on how you could go about achieving the same results.)
Clarity and flexibility in achieving your goals are crucial. With the fierce com
petition that exists in
business in the 21st century, you have to be willing to be open and receptive to
trying new methods
and techniques. To achieve clarity in your goal setting, your goals must be spec
ific, measurable,
believable, achievable, written out, and time bounded. You then must have clear,
written plans
of action. Separate the urgent from the important and use the ABCDE Method when
planning
your goals:
An A task is something that is important.
A B task is something that you should do.
A C task is something that would be nice to do.
A D task is anything that you could delegate to someone else.
An E task is something that you can eliminate altogether.
The three questions for high productivity are:
i) What are my highest-value activities?
ii) Why am I on the payroll? (What exactly have I been hired to accomplish, in
measurable results?)
iii) What is the most valuable use of my time right now?
The seven keys to higher productivity are:
i) Work longer hours
ii) Work harder at what you do
iii) Work faster
iv) Work in higher-value activities
v) Do things you are better at
vi) Bunch your tasks
vii) Simplify your work
Competing with yourself to fulfill a job in record time is an excellent method o
f improving your
productivity and focusing on the work at hand. Effective time management is also
an essential
element in achieving your goals as well as in acquiring a greater sense of selfrespect.
SELF-ASSESSMENT
1. Do you believe that you have clarity and flexibility in achieving your curren
t goals? If not, in
what areas do you lack clarity? In what areas do you lack flexibility? Note them
in the space
provided below.

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2. Do you consider yourself highly organized? Do you currently have a method for
prioritization
in completing the important activities in your life? If not, what areas require
more attention
and higher prioritization? List them in the space provided below.
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3. Ask yourself the three questions for high productivity. Write down the respon
ses in the space
provided below.
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ACTION-STEPS
4. Every day for the next week, make a list of every single step of the task, or
of your day,
before you begin it. Work from a list, using the ABCDE Method, setting prioritie
s, and thinking
them through before you begin. Each day take note of the difference in the effec
tiveness
of your day, recording your accomplishments.
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5. Compete against yourself to see how much you can get done of high value each
day. Set
schedules and deadlines to race against. Keep track of the outcomes in the space
provided
below.
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6. Take 20 minutes to visualize yourself in your ideal future, putting an X on the
specific image
of yourself that you like the most. What is it that you really want to accomplis
h? What are
your specific goals and objectives for your work and your personal life? What ad
ditional
knowledge and skills will you re q u i reto double your productivity and perf o
rm at your best?
What habits and behaviors would be most helpful to develop to increase your prod
uctivity?
Focus on developing the habits of result orientation, concentration, discipline,
and persistence.
What daily activities should you practice to assure that you perf o rm at your v
ery best? What
action commitments are you going to make as a result of what you have just learn
ed? List
them in the space provided below.
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7. Are you effective in the area of time management? If not, what action-steps c
an you take to
develop your time management skills? Write an action plan in the space provided
below.
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Chapter 3: Simplify Your Life

It is a simple task to make things complex,
but a complex task to make them simple.
(Meyer s Law)
SUMMARY
In this chapter, Brian introduces the Law of Complexity, which states, The level
of complexity of
any task is equal to the square of the number of different steps in the task. It
can be defined as
the potential for increased costs, increased time, and/or increased mistakes, and
explains why
and how you can dramatically simplify your life by continually looking for ways
to reduce the
number of steps necessary to complete any task.
The Seven R s of simplification are listed as:
i) Rethinking (Stand back and ask yourself, Could there be a better way? )
ii) Reevaluating (Deal with a situation based on the way it really is today.)
iii) Reorganizing (Assure a greater level of outputs from the same quantity/qual
ity inputs.)
iv) Restructuring (Channel more of your time, energy, money, and resources into
top 20%
activities that generate most of the revenue and the greater profits.)
v) Reengineering (Look for newer, better, faster, cheaper, and easier ways to do
tasks.)
The six steps to reengineering are:
a) Consolidate several tasks into one single task.
b) Assign several tasks to a single person, rather than many.
c) Outsource particular tasks to specialists in the area.
d) Delegate tasks to other people or departments.
e) Eliminate certain unnecessary tasks altogether.
f) Change the order in which tasks are done, reducing bottlenecks.
vi) Reinventing (Recreate yourself completely every 6 to 12 months.)
vii) Regaining control (Set new goals and plans, and commit yourself to action.)
In the Focal Point Process, one of the first steps to simplifying your life is t
o determine what your
values are. From that perspective you can then visualize your ideal future, dete
rmine your goals,
and subsequently create your ideal future.
Learning to simplify your life is key in making your ideals a reality. Brian lis
ts the Six Steps to
Simplifying your daily life as:
i) Clean up the clutter in your life.
ii) Go through stacks of reading material and begin throwing things away.
iii) Increase breathing space in your life, creating periods of silence and rela
xation.
iv) Go through your car, closet and garage, getting rid of everything that is ob
solete,
unnecessary, out of fashion, or irreparable.
v) Practice solitude on a daily basis, taking 30 to 60 minutes to quiet your min
d.
vi) Make a specific commitment to do something, based on your findings in this c
hapter.
SELF-ASSESSMENT
1. Do you currently carry out any tasks that involve several processes or indivi
duals? If so, list
them below using the Law of Complexity formula to uncover how complicated you ha
ve

made the transaction. Write out any findings, and the corresponding formula, in
the space
provided below.
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2. What are your values? What is important to you regarding your professional, p
ersonal, and
family life? (Some values might be peace, simplicity, tranquility, contentment,
satisfaction,
happiness, love, and joy.) Select five values that are most important to you, or
ganize them by
priority, and list them in the space provided below.
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3. Ask yourself, If I only had six months to live, how would I change my life? Wha
t would you
do more of or less of? What would you start or stop doing? What would you get in
to or out
of? How would you spend your time, and whom would you spend it with? Write out y
our
findings in the space provided below.
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4. If you were financially independent, what activities in your life would you d
iscontinue altogether?
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ACTION-STEPS
5. Making use of the Seven R s, go through each task you have noted from question
1 above,
and find concrete ways of improving your current overcomplex tasks. Write out yo
ur solutions
and action plans in the space provided below.
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6. Based on your list in question 2, create a vision for yourself as if your lif
e were ideal in every
way sometime in the future. Imagine that you have no limitations and that you co
uld design
your ideal lifestyle and ideal calendar. What would they look like? Describe the
m in the
space provided below.
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7. Having gained clarity on your values and your ideal future vision, now set sp
ecific goals to
simplify your life. Choose solid alternatives and then make firm decisions to ca
rry them out.
Do this exerc i s e with at least three areas of your life. Note your changes an
d commitments
in the space provided below.
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8. Based on your assessment in question 3 above, what steps could you take immed
iately to
simplify your life and increase your levels of peace and happiness? Write them o
ut in the
space provided below.
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9. During the next six weeks, go through each of the Six Steps to Simplifying Yo
ur Life, a n d
take the time to implement each of the steps. Record any of your experiences in
the space provided
below.
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Chapter 4: Tap Into Your Most Precious Resource
Success is focusing the full power of all you are on
what you have a burning desire to achieve.
(Wilfred A. Peterson)
SUMMARY
Your most precious resource is your mind. Your ability to think, plan, decide, a
nd take action is
the most powerful force for good in your life. Taking the power of the mind one
step further,
Brian learned, in his own personal breakthrough, that the most important applica
tion of the Law
of Cause and Effect is Thoughts are causes and conditions are effects. In other wo
rds, your
thoughts create the conditions in your life, and you become what you think about
most of the
time. Successful people think about what they want and how to get it, optimism b
eing key to their
success.
Creating an optimistic mindset is key in affecting your immune system, general p
hysical, mental
and spiritual health, and well-being. Optimism is key in the Focal Point Process
. Making optimism
more abundant in your thinking involves conscious practice, and eventually it wi
ll become
habit as it overrides your pessimistic thoughts. Brian stresses that each day, h
aving future orientation,
vision, idealization, routine daily testing, and thinking about your goals all a
id you in becoming

a more positive, confident, and optimistic person. Based on this principle, Bria
n created a
seven part Mental Fitness Program that introduces attitudinal changes that can g
et you on the
road to a more positive outlook:
i) Future orientation (All great leaders have vision and idealization in which t
hey can continually
imagine the perfect outcome to all situations.)
ii) Goal orientation (Think about your goals
as opposed to your problems
and how
you can achieve them.)
The Seven Steps to Goal Setting that Brian introduces are:
a) Decide exactly what you want, in each area of your life.
b) Write it down clearly and specifically.
c) Set a deadline for your goal, and if necessary set sub-deadlines.
d) Make a list of everything you will have to do to achieve your goal.
e) Organize your list into a plan.
f) Take action on your plan immediately.
g) Resolve to do something every day that moves you toward your major goal.
iii) Excellence orientation (Becoming very good at what you do.)
iv) Result orientation (Constantly planning and setting priorities on your most
important
tasks.) Answering these four questions constantly throughout your day creates th
e attitude
necessary for result orientation:
What are my highest-value activities?
What are my key result areas?
What can I and only I do, that, if done well, will make a real difference to my
company?
What is the most valuable use of my time?
v) Solution orientation (Think about the solution rather than the problem.)
vi) Growth orientation (Learn and practice new ideas, insights, and techniques.)
Invest at least 3% of your income back into yourself for the rest of your life,
and you
will have great results. The three keys to growth orientation are:
a) Read one hour or more each day in your chosen field.
b) Listen to audio programs in your car or while exercising.
c) Attend every course and seminar that you can find.
vii) Action orientation (Resolve to develop a sense of urgency in your work.)
SELF-ASSESSMENT
1. If your life were perfect five years from now, what would it look like?
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2. What one skill, if you developed and did it in an excellent fashion, would he
lp you the most
in your career?
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3. Answer the following result orientation questions:

What are my highest-value activities?
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What are my key result areas?
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What can I and only I do, that, if done well, will make a real difference to my
company?
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What is the most valuable use of my time?
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ACTION-STEPS
4. Develop a dream list. Write down everything you would like to have in your li
fe and work
sometime in the future, as if your goals were guaranteed. If married, sit down w
ith your
spouse and create this list. You could pose the question, What would we do, how w
ould we
change our lives, if we won ten million dollars, tax-free, tomorrow?
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5. Have you focused on your future learning? Are you enrolled in any classes, re
ading any
books, or doing any research in an area of interest? If not, map out a plan for
at least three
action-steps toward your personal/professional growth.
Step 1:
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Step 2:
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Step 3:
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6. Is there any particular area of your professional or personal life where you
have been procrastinating
and have not yet taken the necessary action to get the job done? In the space
provided below, list three things that you will commit to getting done within th
e next three
weeks.
Action-Item 1:
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Action-Item 2:
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Action-Item 3:
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Chapter 5: Practice Personal Strategic Planning
Nothing can add more power to your life than concentrating
all your energies on a limited set of targets.
(Nido Qubein)
SUMMARY
Your ability to think, plan, decide, and take action determines the entire cours
e of your life. The
better you become in each area, the better each part of your life will be and th
e faster you will
achieve your goals. Personal strategic planning is the tool you use to get from
wherever you are to
wherever you want to go. Personal strategic planning is a systematic way of thin
king and acting.
It is therefore learnable.
Strategic planning and thinking saves you an enormous amount of time and money.
By thinking
through the key questions and concepts of your strategy, you very quickly find y
ourself doing

more and more of the most important tasks that can move you toward your key goal
s. At the
same time, you do fewer and fewer of those things that are not particularly help
ful.
The purpose of corporate strategic planning is to increase return on equity. Equ
ity is defined as the
actual amount of shareholder money invested and working in the enterprise. The a
im of strategic
planning in business is to re o rganize and re s t ru c t u re the activities of
the corporation so as to
achieve a higher quality and quantity of outputs relative to inputs, and in turn
increase financial
results.
Personal strategic planning is very similar. However, instead of return on equit
y, personal strategic
planning is aimed at increasing your return on energy. Put another way, it is to
increase your
return on life. Your personal equity, on the other hand, is measured in terms of
your own human
capital and is composed of the mental, emotional, and physical energies you have
to invest in your
career.
Most human activities follow what is called the Sigmoid Curve. This curve is lik
e the letter S
lying on its side. Every new endeavor begins at the high point of the S on the lef
t, declines downward
as it goes through a learning phase, rises upward as it goes through the growth
phase, levels
off at the top, and then goes into decline. In this program, the Sigmoid Curve a
pplies to product
and service cycles, personal and professional relationships, careers, and corpor
ation life cycles.
There are seven key questions in strategic planning, both for yourself and for y
our business. These
are questions that you need to ask and answer, over and over throughout your car
eer:
i) What business am I in? (Define your business in terms of what you do for your
customer
or for your company.)
ii) What business will I be in if things continue the way they are today? (If I
do not change,
what will I be doing one year, two years, and five years from today?)
iii) Who is my customer? (Whom do you have to satisfy in order to survive and th
rive in
your career?)
iv) What is it that I do especially well? (What is your area of excellence, your
area of superiority?
What is your personal competitive advantage relative to the other people in
your field?)
v) What are the 10% to 20% of my activities that could account for 80% to 90% of
my
results? (What are the tasks that you do today that yield the very highest retur
ns and
rewards relative to the cost and effort of performing those activities?)
vi) What are the critical constraints on my ability to achieve my goals? (From w
here you are
today and the result that you want tomorrow, at what step is the constraint or c
hokepoint?)
vii) What specific action or actions am I going to take immediately, based on my
answers to

these
questions?
The Focal Point Process divides your life into seven areas: Business and Career,
Family and
Personal Life, Money and Investments, Health and Fitness, Personal Growth and De
velopment,
Social and Community Activities, Spiritual Development and Inner Peace. Within e
ach of these
areas are seven steps to follow in order to reach fulfillment. These seven steps
comprise a system
of personal strategic planning that enables you to determine where to the put th
e X in each part
of your life. They are the following:
i) Values Clarification (What are the values, virtues, qualities, and traits tha
t are most
important to you in each area of your life?)
ii) Vision (If your life were perfect in this area five years from today, what w
ould it look
like?)
iii) Goals (What specific goals must you achieve in order to fulfill your ideal
future vision
in that area?)
iv) Knowledge and Skills (In what areas will you have to excel in the future in
order to
achieve your goals and fulfill your vision?)
v) Habits (What specific habits of thought and action will you need in order to
become
the person who is capable of achieving the goals that you have set for yourself?
)
vi) Daily Activities (What specific activities will you have to engage in each d
ay to assure
that you become the person you want to become and achieve the goals you want to
achieve?)
vii) Actions (What specific action or actions are you going to take immediately
to begin
realizing your ideal future vision?)
The Law of Correspondence says that your outer world will always be a reflection
of your inner
world. To change anything in your outer world, you must begin by changing what i
s going on in
your inner world.
SELF-ASSESSMENT
1. Identify where each part of your life is today on the Sigmoid Curve. Are you
in Phase One,
the Learning Phase? Are you in Phase Two, the Growth Phase? Or are you in Phase
Three, the
Decline Phase? In each of the following areas, note what phase you are in and gi
ve yourself a
grade on satisfaction, on a scale of one to ten, with one being the lowest and t
en being the
highest:
Business and Career: ___________________________________________________________
_______
Family and Personal Life:_______________________________________________________
_______
Money and Investments:__________________________________________________________
_____
Health and Fitness: ____________________________________________________________
_______

Personal Growth and Development: _______________________________________________

_____
Social and Community Activities: _______________________________________________
_______
Spiritual Development and Inner Peace: _________________________________________
_______
2. If you could wave a magic wand and have whatever you wished for, in any part
of your life,
what would it be?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
3. If you could design your perfect lifestyle, day in and day out, what would it
look like?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
4. If you could create your perfect calendar, how would you spend each day, each
week, each
month, and each year?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
5. How would you change your life if you received one million dollars cash, taxfree, today?
What would be the first thing that you would do?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
6. What parts of your work do you enjoy the most and do the best? Where do you e
xcel? What
sorts of activities make you the happiest?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______

7. What would you do, how would you spend your time, if you learned only today t
hat you had
six months left to live?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
8. What one great thing would you dare to dream if you knew you could not fail?
If you were
absolutely guaranteed of success in any one goal, small or large, short-term or
long-term,
what would it be?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
ACTION-STEPS
9. Having assessed your current status in each of the following areas in questio
n 1, now take
the time to clarify what you really want in each area and what action-steps you
need to take
to get there. Write down any insights or ideas in the space provided below.
Business and Career:
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Family and Personal Life:
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Money and Investments:
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______

________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Health and Fitness:
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Personal Growth and Development:
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Social and Community Activities:
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Spiritual Development and Inner Peace:
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Chapter 6: Supercharge Your Business and Career
You can do anything you wish to do, have anything
you wish to have, be anything you wish to be.
(Robert Collier)
SUMMARY
The world of business has vastly changed from the one or two jobs that would be
sustained for a
lifetime. That was characteristic of the past. Individuals are becoming Free Agen
ts or architects
of their own careers. They will likely have several jobs and work in various bus
iness environments.

At the same time, the rate of change, growth, and expanding opportunity in the b
usiness
world has never been greater.
You can no longer rely on a corporation to take care of you and accept responsib
ility for your
long-term success in your work life. You must think and act for yourself. Your p
rimary responsibility
is to design your future the way you want it to be.
The Focal Point Process, as it applies to your work, helps you to identify exact
ly what is most
important to you. The key elements of the Focal Point Process are:
i) Values clarification (Enables you to determine the principles that are import
ant to you.)
ii) Project forward and develop a clear vision of your ideal work life five year
s in the future
iii) Develop a mission for your career (Enables you to create an ideal descripti
on of what you
want to accomplish in your career in the years ahead. It is both achievable and
measurable.)
iv) Determine your purpose (Flows from your values, your vision, and your missio
n.)
v) Set goals for your career (Creates the measurable objectives that you must at
tain in
order
to fulfill your mission and purpose and realize your vision. Your goals must be
clear,
written
and specific, believable and achievable, accompanied by written plans and schedu
les for
their accomplishment, and include perf o rmance measures, or benchmarks, to be
worked on every day.)
vi) Upgrade your knowledge and skills continually (The four keys to success in m
aking
yourself more valuable are: 1. specialization 2. differentiation 3. segmentation
, and 4.
concentration.)
vii) Develop winning habits
viii) Develop a daily activity schedule
ix) Have an action commitment
x) No limit thinking
There are no limits to what you can accomplish if you develop absolute clarity a
bout who you are
and what you want, and then throw your whole heart into doing your job better th
an anyone else.
This commitment will open up doors of opportunity for you that will make your fu
ture unlimited.
SELF-ASSESSMENT
1. What are your values? What do you believe in? What do you stand for? What wil
l you not
stand for? What are your innermost convictions and your organizing principles?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
2. Review the list of values in Appendix A of this book and select the three to

five values that

most represent what you believe to be right and good and true about your work an
d your
business. Some values you might choose for your career could be integrity, depen
dability,
quality, excellence, hard work, and customer service. Examine your current behav
ior to determine
how consistent it is with the values you espouse. Decide how you will behave in
the
future to assure that your actions are more consistent with the values that you
consider to be
the most important.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
3. Select the one value that you feel is more important than any other single va
lue in your work
life. Make this your focal point for your behavior and decision-making. Resolve
to live consistent
with this value in everything you say or do. Never allow an exception. Let this
value
be your guiding light so that, years from now, people will still speak about you
and this value
in the same sentence.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
4. Imagine that five years from now, everything was perfect and your work life w
as ideal in
every way. Your vision, of course, must be consistent with your values. Answer t
hese questions:
1. What would your ideal job or position look like?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
2. What would you be doing most of the time?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
3. How much would you be earning?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
4. What kind of people would you be working with?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________

______
5. What level of responsibility would you have?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
6. What kind of company or industry would you be working in?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
7. How would your colleagues and co-workers think and talk about you?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
5. Based on your current behavior, if re s e a rchers were to ask your co-worker
s what they thought
your values, vision, mission, and purpose were, what do you think they would say
in response?
How do you think other people think and talk about you when you are not there? H
ow do the
people who work with you and deal with you on a daily basis assess the quality o
f your character
and the kind of values you live by? In the space provided below, write out what
you anticipate
would be said.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
6. Specialization refers to your ability to specialize and channel your talents
and abilities into a
vital area that is of measurable importance and value to your company and to you
r customers.
Your selection of an area of specialization is a critical determinant of your lo
ng-term
success. What is your area of specialization?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
7. Differentiation is how you set yourself apart from others on the basis of you
r superior performance
in one or more areas. Your ability to differentiate yourself on the basis of hig
hquality
work is probably the single most important focal point of your career. Just as a
company
must have an area of excellence or competitive advantage to survive and thrive,
you
must have one or more as well. What is it?
________________________________________________________________________________

______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
8. Segmentation refers to the ability to determine the individuals and organizat
ions in your
work life that can most benefit, the fastest, from your excellent performance in
a particular
area. Proper segmentation requires that you define your most important customer
clearly
and then resolve to satisfy that particular customer better than anyone else. De
fine your
most important customer in the space provided below.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
9. Concentration refers to your ability to focus single-mindedly on serving your
specific market
segment with products and services that are absolutely excellent for that indivi
dual or organization.
Choose three key individuals or organizations that you service. Are your
services/products the very best for them? List possible improvements in the spac
e provided
below.
Client 1:
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Client 2:
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Client 3:
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
10. Some of the habits of highly effective people are punctuality, good time man

agement, self-discipline,
single-minded concentration, task completion, and t h o u g h t f u l n e s s. W
hat specific habits of
thought and action can help you the most to perf o rm at your best and to become
excellent in
your chosen field?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
ACTION-STEPS
11. Your mission statement describes the difference that you intend to make in t
he world as the
result of who you are and what you do. Explain its value offering, both personal
ly and as a
business. Create a mission statement.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
12. For the next week, select the one activity that you could do each day that w
ould be the most
helpful to you in achieving your most important goal. List the activity in the s
pace provided
below. Be sure to continue this process on a daily basis.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Chapter 7: Improve Your Family and Personal Life
No success in public life can compensate
for failure in the home.
(Benjamin Disraeli)
SUMMARY
A great deal of your happiness in life will come from good relationships with ot
her people
in
your family, your personal life, and your work. The Focal Point Process requires
that you think
through who you are and what is important to you with regard to other people. In
your relationships,
begin to focus on:
i) Expressing your values (They are always expressed in your behaviors, especial
ly when
you are under pressure or exposed to temptation. When you are tired, irritable,
stressed, afraid, or at a low point in your life, you often say and do things th
at are completely

unexpected. You often express values and beliefs that you did not know you
had.)
ii) Deciding what your vision is for your family (What possibilities do you see
for your family?)
iii) Creating a family mission statement to guide and direct yourself and your f
amily s
behavior toward each other (A mission statement is a very useful tool.)
iv) Setting goals for your family life (Decide specifically what you really want
to achieve for
your family. You can set both tangible goals [homes, cars, bicycles, boats, clot
hes, and
other physical objects] and intangible goals [time with your family, vacations,
walks,
quality of life, health, the security of your home, and the well-being of each p
erson] for
your family and your relationships.)
v) Dedicating yourself to continuous learning (What are the additional skills th
at you will
need to improve the quality of your family life? What subjects do you need to ma
ster
so that you improve your relationships with the individual members of your famil
y?)
vi) Developing and strengthening your habits (Think through and identify the hab
its and
behaviors that will help you to enrich and improve the quality of your family li
fe.)
The Seven Rules for Relationships that Brian emphasizes are:
i) Remember what is truly important in your life. Put your family and relationsh
ips ahead
of all else. Make the needs of your family members the top priorities of your li
fe.
ii) When you work, work all the time you work. Do not waste time. Remember, any
time
that you waste at work must eventually be taken away from your family when you
bring work home.
iii) The Law of Relationships says that there are two types of time in your life
. There is work
time, which is measured by results and productivity, and there is family time, w
hich is
measured in terms of love and contentment. The law is this: It is quality of tim
e at
work that counts, and quantity of time at home that matters. At home, you need l
ong,
unbroken periods of quantity time to build and maintain high-quality relationshi
ps.
iv) The Law of the Excluded Alternative says that, Doing one thing means not doin
g something
else. If you are watching television, reading the newspaper, or working on your
computer, you cannot be spending time with the members of your family.
v) Deliberately create chunks of time with the members of your family. Create 30
-, 60- and
90-minute blocks of time in which you can interact one-on-one and face-to-face.
vi) Plan in advance for family vacations. Schedule them completely. Pay for them
in full.
Make the payments nonrefundable if possible. Then discipline yourself to take th
e time
away, no matter what happens.
vii) Remember that to do more of one thing, you must do less of another. To spen
d more time
with your family, you must do less of something else. Because of the 80/20 Rule,

much
of what you do each day is of low value or no value. The time you spend with you
r
family, however, is the highest value of all.
Do the action-steps that are listed below. Take action immediately to improve th
e quality of your
family life. Then, do something every day to move yourself toward the most impor
tant family and
relationship goals you have set for yourself. When you dedicate yourself to crea
ting and maintaining
a wonderful family life, the quality of every other area of your life will impro
ve.
SELF-ASSESSMENT
1. What are your values with regard to your family and other important people in
your life?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
2. What do you stand for in your relationships?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
3. What do you believe is proper behavior in your treatment of others?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
4. What do you feel is most important in the character and behavior of both your
self and others
when dealing with other people?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
5. Select three to five values from Appendix A in the back of this book. Some va
lues that you
might choose to guide your relationships could be love, patience, kindness, sinc
erity, dependability,
forgiveness, respect, and encouragement. List them, in the space provided below.
________________________________________________________________________________
______

________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
6. If the members of your family were interviewed and asked about how you truly
felt about
themselves, what would they say? In the space provided below, take the time to w
rite out
what you believe each member would say.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
7. From the way you treat them most of the time, what would your family members
conclude
about your fundamental values toward them? Write out your expected response in t
he space
provided below.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
8. Project five years forward into the future. With your family values clear, de
fine your ideal
perfect vision for your family. Imagine that your family life is perfect in ever
y way. Write a
response to each of these questions in the spaces provided below:
What would it look like?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
How would you feel about yourself and them?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
What would you be doing each day?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______

________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
How would the members of your family be living their lives?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
9. What would be your perfect family lifestyle? If you could design a lifestyle
that was perfect
in every way, what would it look like?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
10. What kind of a life and home environment do you want to provide or create fo
r your family?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
11. What kind of experiences do you want to enjoy with your family? Imagine that
you have no
limitations. Imagine that you could do anything at all with the members of your
family.
What would you want to do differently from today?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
12. What sort of items would you like to obtain for your family? What kind of ma
terial benefits
would you like to provide for them?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
13. How much time, how many days and weeks, would you like to spend with your fa
mily each

year, on long weekends and longer vacations?

________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
14. What kind of a relationship would you like to have with each member of your
family?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
15. What sort of education or opportunities do you want to provide for your chil
dren?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
16. If you were financially independent today, what changes would you make in yo
ur family life?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
17. What one great thing would you dare to dream for your family if you were abs
olutely guaranteed
of success?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
ACTION-STEPS
18. Create a family mission statement to guide and direct you and your family s be
havior toward
each other. It should be discussed, agreed upon, and shared by every member of y
our family.
You should then repeat and reaffirm this mission statement on a regular basis.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________

______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
19. Select a focal point, a single repeated action or behavior, which you can pr
actice consistently
to demonstrate your commitment to the mission statement. This could be the pract
ice of
patience, listening, encouragement, or unconditional love. By emphasizing this b
ehavior, you
assure that the other values are adhered to and the mission statement is followe
d. What
could this behavior be for you and your family?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
20. Some of the tangible critical success factors you might use are the followin
g:
What is the current size and layout of your home? Are you happy with this? Would
you
like to change it or improve it in some way? If so, how?
How satisfied are you with the general finances of your family? What improvement
s
would you like to make in the months and years ahead?
How secure is your family with regard to insurance? Do you have sufficient life
insurance?
Health insurance? Accident insurance? Car insurance? Disability insurance? What
changes or additions should you make?
How prepared are you for education and college expenses for your children? How m
uch
will you need? What actions should you take today to start making proper provisi
on for
them?
Are you happy with the other material components of your life
your car, your fur
niture,
your clothes, and your appliances? What would you like to change, improve, or
have more of?
Based on the above probing questions, list some tangible goals for your family i
n the space
provided below.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______

21. Some of the intangible critical success factors you might use are the follow
ing:
How many minutes or hours do you spend daily with your spouse or partner? How
much time would you like to spend? How much time should you spend?
How many minutes do you spend daily with each of your children? How much time
would you like to spend?
How many days do you take off with your family each week?
How many weekends away do you take with your spouse each year?
How many vacation weeks do you take with your family each year?
How often do you have dinner with your entire family?
How do you start each day with your family?
What would you really like to have in your family life that you do not currently
have?
What grade would you give yourself on the quality of your communications with yo
ur
family members? What kind of a grade would they give you?
If your family life were ideal in every respect, how would it be different from
today?
Based on the above probing questions, list some intangible goals for your family
in the space
provided below.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
22. Determine what you really want in each of the above areas. Set each of them
as a goal, make
a plan, and go to work on your plan. Set standards or measures for each goal and
then compare
your progress against these measures on a regular basis. You can begin to track
your
progress in the space provided below.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
23. Sit down with the members of your family and ask them the following four que
stions:
Is there anything that I am doing today that you would like to me to do more of?
________________________________________________________________________________

______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Is there anything that I am doing that you would like me to do less of?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Is there anything that I am not doing that you would like me to start doing from
now on?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Is there anything that I am doing that you would like me to stop doing altogethe
r?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Chapter 8: Achieve Complete Financial Independence
Thought is the original source of all wealth, all success, all material gain,
all great discoveries and inventions, and of all achievement."
(Claude M. Bristol)
SUMMARY
One of your primary responsibilities to yourself and to the people in your life
is for you to achieve
financial independence, to reach the point where you never have to worry about m
oney again. It
is
really quite simple to become a self-made millionaire. If you saved $100 per mon
th every year,
from
the ages of 20 to 65, and you invested that money in a well-managed mutual fund
in the American
stock market, you would earn an average of 10.8% per annum on your investment. A
t that rate,
you would have more than $1,200,000 when you retired.
Why is it then that everybody does not become a self-made millionaire over the c
ourse of his or
her working lifetime? There are three primary reasons: First, it never occurs to
them that it is possible.
As a result, they give up before they start. Second, if it does somehow occur to

them that it
is possible, they never make a firm, unequivocal decision to save and invest reg
ularly. Third, if it
does occur to them, and they do make such a decision, they procrastinate. They p
ut off the beginning
of a saving and investment program until it is too late.
The key followed by the most successful people is to have a long-term perspectiv
e. They develop a
long-term horizon, planning years into the future. They then organize their acti
vities in such a
way
that everything they do is consistent with the long-term goals they want to achi
eve. The reason
that people do not achieve financial independence is because, although it is a g
oal, it is not a primary
goal. It is only when you take the goal of financial independence and move it ri
ght up to the
top of your
hierarchy of values that you begin to get your financial life under control.
In order to set yourself on the right financial path, you need to focus on the f
ollowing directives:
i) Determine your financial values (Your financial values are the critical drive
rs and determinants
of everything you do with regard to money.)
ii) Admire, respect, and look up to people who have achieved financial success (
This is
because you always move in the direction of that which you most admire and respe
ct.)
iii) Set clear financial goals (You should have four financial goals: First, ear
n as much as
you can. Second, spend as little as you can. Third, save and invest as much as p
ossible.
And fourth, protect yourself against unexpected reversals and lawsuits.)
iv) Learn what you need to learn (What skills and abilities will you have to dev
elop to earn
the very highest income possible for you, and eventually achieve financial indep
endence?)
v) Break Parkinson s Law, Expenditures invariably rise to meet income. (Refuse to al
low
your expenditures to increase at the same rate that your income increases.)
vi) Learn money skills (Identify the specific skills that you will need to devel
op to achieve
financial independence.)
vii) Develop the habits that will make you wealthy.
Pay yourself first.
Invest a specific amount every month, year in and year out.
Develop the habit of frugality.
Enjoy the very act of saving and investing.
viii) Do something every day. The four activities that you should engage in ever
y single day
to guarantee that you achieve financial independence are:
i) Carefully evaluate expenditures before you make them. Delay them if possible.
ii) Set clear goals and targets for the amounts that you intend to earn and keep
.
Measure your results against these targets every week and every month.
iii) Set it as a goal to reduce your monthly costs of living by as much as you c
an as
quickly as possible.
iv) Take every opportunity that you possibly can to increase your value, to incr
ease

your earning ability. Look for ways to upgrade your knowledge and skills.
Concentrate on getting better at those activities that contribute the greatest v
alue
to yourself and your company. Become totally focused on making more and saving
more every single day.
Be sure to take immediate action on your plans. Each step you take, no matter ho
w small, gets
you closer to your goals and aspirations.
SELF-ASSESSMENT
1. What are your personal values with regard to money? What does money really me
an to you?
What do you think about people who are financially successful? What is your atti
tude
toward wealth and affluence? Especially, what is your self-concept with regard t
o your ability
to become financially successful yourself?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
2. For most people, money means freedom, one of the highest of all human values.
Freedom is a
powerful driving force that has determined the course of history. Is this one of
your values?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
3. Some of the values associated with money are security, independence, success,
status, adventure,
and even love, especially the love and respect of others. What are your values w
ith regard
to money?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
4. If you have negative values with regard to money, these values can sabotage y
ou throughout
your entire life. For example, if you think that having money is somehow wrong,
or that people
who are financially successful are somehow evil or dishonest, you will create a
force field
of negative energy around yourself that drives financial success away from you,
no matter
how hard you work to achieve it. Do you have any such negative values? If so, li
st them in
the space provided below.
________________________________________________________________________________

______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
5. What is your vision with regard to money and to your financial future? Imagin
e that your
financial life is perfect in every respect. Create a clear mental picture of you
r financial future
as if your every financial dream had been realized. Describe what it looks like.
Projecting forward five years:
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Ten years:
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Twenty years:
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
6. How much would you like to be worth when you retire or stop working? What kin
d of
lifestyle would you like to have at that time?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
7. How much will you have to save and invest every month, every year, to reach y
our long-term
financial goals?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
8. Imagine that you have finally achieved a net worth of $10 million. What would
you do, how
would you change your life if you were completely independent financially? Make
up a
dream list of every single thing you would want in your life, tangible and intan

gible, if you
had all the money you would ever need.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
ACTION-STEPS
9. What action-steps can you take to change any negative values that you have ab
out money?
For example, could you find a mentor who is financially successful to meet with
on a regular
basis? For every negative value, write at least two action-steps that you could
take.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
10. Questions for Creating Your Financial Future:
1. How much do you want to earn this year? Next year? In five years?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
2. What is your plan to earn these amounts of money?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
3. How much do you want to be worth when you retire?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
4. How much will you have to save each year to achieve your financial goal?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
5. What is your plan to acquire that amount of money? What do you need to do fir
st?
What do you need to do second?
________________________________________________________________________________
______

________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
6. What do you need to do every day, every week, every month, in order to achiev
e your
long-term financial goals?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
7. Where do you draw the X in your financial life? What is your focal point?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
11. Calculate your financial net worth today. Add up all of your assets at marke
t value and then
subtract all of your debts and liabilities.
1. What amounts do you currently save and invest each month?
2. What percentage of your income do you put away?
3. What are your monthly costs of living?
4. What are your annual costs of living?
5. How many years have you been working and how much, on average, have you manag
ed
to accumulate each year?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
12. In the space provided below, determine how much money you will need each mon
th, each
year, to live comfortably, and then calculate how long you could sustain your cu
rrent lifestyle
on your current savings. This is called your run rate or your burn rate. This is a c
alculation
of how long you can survive with what you have accumulated up to now. This is th
e best
measure of your overall financial health.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Chapter 9: Enjoy Superb All-Around Health and Fitness
Thoughts lead on to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions form habits;

habits decide character; and character fixes our destiny."

(Tryon Edwards)
SUMMARY
Your future intentions, your long-term visions and goals, have an inordinate imp
act on your present
decisions and actions. One of the smartest things you can do right now is to sim
ply stop doing
anything that may interfere with your living a long, healthy life. Remember that
there are only
four ways to change. You can do more of some things. You can do less of other th
ings. You can
start doing something that you have not done before. You can stop doing somethin
g that is not
particularly helpful to you or to achieving your goals.
To map a health and fitness plan, you should:
i) Clarify your values in this area.
ii) Create a long-term vision for your health.
iii) Make out a dream list.
iv) Set goals for your health and fitness.
v) Learn the keys to superb health and fitness.
vi) Develop the habits you need for lifelong health and fitness.
The Seven Secrets of Superb Health are:
i) Proper weight
ii) Proper diet
iii) Proper exercise
iv) Proper rest and relaxation
v) Proper nutritional and dietary supplement
vi) No smoking
vii) Moderate to no alcohol consumption
Establish a daily routine. Put health and fitness into your daily agenda, the sa
me as you would an
appointment with an important client. Put other activities aside and put off low
er-value tasks so
that you have more time to take excellent care of yourself. This is one area whe
re you should
never procrastinate or delay.
SELF-ASSESSMENT
1. What are your values with regard to physical fitness and well-being? How impo
rtant is physical
health to you? Rate it on a scale from 1 to 10 in the space provided below.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
2. Some of the values associated with health and fitness are happiness, energy,
beauty, discipline,
self-control, personal mastery, persistence, and fitness. Which of these values
most appeal to
you? Select three to five values from the values in Appendix A, and then organiz
e them in
your own personal order of priority in the space provided below.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________

______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
3. Do a complete analysis of yourself at the current time. Be perfectly honest w
ith yourself.
Create a baseline that you can compare your progress against. Answer the followi
ng questions:
1. How much do you weigh?_______________________________________________________
_
2. How many hours per night do you sleep?_______________________________________
___
3. What is your waist size? ____________________________________________________
_____
4. How often do you exercise each week? ________________________________________
____
5. How many minutes do you exercise?____________________________________________
__
6. How much do you eat? ________________________________________________________
__
7. How healthy and nutritious is your diet? ____________________________________
______
8. How much alcohol do you drink daily and weekly?______________________________
___
9. What time do you go to bed at night? ________________________________________
_____
10. What time do you get up in the morning? ____________________________________
_____
11. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your health overall? ________________
________
4. Describe your perfect self and lifestyle in terms of health and fitness.
How much would you weigh?_______________________________________________________
___
How much would you exercise?____________________________________________________
____
How many hours per night would you sleep?_______________________________________
_____
What time would you go to bed and what time would you get up? __________________
______
What sort of physical activities would you engage in on a regular basis?________
___________
If your physical life were perfect in every respect, what would you be doing and
how would
you
be doing it? ___________________________________________________________________
_______
ACTION-STEPS
5. What is your long-term vision for your health? Project forward five or ten ye
ars into the
future. If your health were perfect in every respect, what would you look like?
How would
you feel?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______

________________________________________________________________________________
______
6. Set specific goals for your desired levels of physical fitness, health, and w
ell-being. Based on
your self-analysis in question 3, set goals in each area for one month from now,
six months
from now, and one year from now. Record those goals in the space provided below.
1 Month 6 Months 1 Year
1. How much do you weigh? ________________________________
2. How many hours per night do you sleep? ________________________________
3. What is your waist size? ________________________________
4. How often do you exercise each week? ________________________________
5. How many minutes do you exercise? ________________________________
6. How much do you eat? ________________________________
7. How healthy and nutritious is your diet? ________________________________
8. How much alcohol do you drink daily and weekly? _____________________________
___
9. What time do you go to bed at night? ________________________________
10. What time do you get up in the morning? ________________________________
11. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your
health overall? ________________________________
7. Any one of the above measures can be the focal point for your goal of achievi
ng superb levels
of health and fitness. Where do you put the X in your life? (Brian s was waist size)
.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
8. Decide upon the daily activities that you are going to engage in to achieve a
nd maintain high
levels of physical health and well-being. Write them down; make a schedule and a
plan.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Chapter 10: Become Everything You Are Capable of Becoming
The potential of the average person is like a huge ocean unsailed,
a new continent unexplored, a world of possibilities waiting
to be released and channeled toward some great good.
(Brian Tracy)
SUMMARY
Successful people are usually those who have learned the cause-and-effect relati
onships between
what they wanted and how to get it. They then repeated what other successful peo
ple did in a particular
area until they got the same results.
There are no limits except the limits you place on yourself. To achieve more in

your outer world,

you must go to work on your inner world, on developing yourself. If you were to
use only a small
additional percentage of your inborn capabilities, you could achieve much greate
r results.
i) Be clear about your values (To realize your full potential for personal and p
rofessional
growth and development, begin with your values as they apply to your own abiliti
es.)
ii) Decide upon your vision (Create a long-term personal growth vision for yoursel
f.)
iii) Take immediate action on at least one item in your plan to get the process
started
(Resolve to do something daily until you are successful in that area. Never stop
working
on yourself until you become the kind of person you would ideally most like to b
e.)
iv) Set specific measures on each of your goals (If your goal is to excel in you
r field, determine
how you will be able to know when you have achieved it.)
v) Develop the habits of success (Select the specific habits and behaviors you w
ill need to
practice daily to become the person you want to become. These could be the habit
s of
clarity, planning, thoroughness, studiousness, hard work, determination, and per
sistence.)
vi) Every day, and every hour of every day, you have to practice self-discipline
.
There are seven disciplines that you must develop if you want to achieve all tha
t is possible:
i) Daily goal setting (Every morning, take three to five minutes to write out yo
ur top ten
goals in the present tense. This will program them deep into your subconscious m
ind.)
ii) Daily planning and organizing (Take a few minutes each day, preferably the n
ight
before, to plan out every activity of the coming day. Always think on paper and
work
from a list. This is one of the key disciplines for high performance.)
iii) Daily priority setting (The essence of all time, personal, and life managem
ent is contained
in your ability to set the proper priorities on the use of your time.)
iv) Daily concentration on your highest-value activities (Your ability to work s
ingle-mindedly
on your most important task will contribute greatly to your success.)
v) Daily exercise and proper nutrition (Your health is more important than anyth
ing else.
By disciplining yourself to exercise regularly and to eat carefully, you will as
sure yourself
the highest levels of health and fitness throughout life.)
vi) Daily learning and growth (Your mind is like a muscle. If you don t use it, yo
u lose it.
Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field.)
vii) Taking time daily for the important people and relationships in your life.
Based on the Law of Incremental Improvement, Brian created the 1000% Formula. It
is a simple,
practical, proven self-development formula that you can use to double your incom
e in the years
ahead. Simply increase your overall productivity, performance, and output by 1/1
000th (one-tenth

of 1%) over the next 24 hours. By setting goals and priorities and by focusing o
n higher-value
activities, anyone could increase his or her overall productivity and performanc
e by 1/1000th over
the next 24 hours. If you become one-tenth of 1% more productive each day, five
days per week,
after one week you will be one-half of 1% more productive (0.1% x 5 = 0.5%). Aft
er four weeks,
you will be 2% more productive (4 x 0.5% = 2%). After fifty-two weeks, you will
be 26% more productive.
The compounding effect of new knowledge and skill begins to work at this point.
Every improvement
in any part of your work will have an effect on other parts of your work at the
same time. As
you become better at managing your time, you will become more productive with yo
ur customers
and clients. As you become more productive with your customers and clients, you
will become
more competent and effective in other parts of your business. Each improvement w
ill lead to
other improvements. By becoming 26% more productive over the course of a year, a
nd continuing
to improve by one-tenth of 1% per day, five days a week, you will actually doubl
e your overall productivity,
performance, and output in 2.7 years. If you continue learning, growing, and bec
oming
more effective and efficient, a 26% improvement per year, compounded over ten ye
ars, will result
in an increase of 1004% in your overall productivity in one decade. By improving
your overall performance
by 1004%, your income will eventually rise to match the value of your contributi
on.
Here are the seven steps in the 1000% Formula that will guarantee that you becom
e at least onetenth
of 1% better daily (26% better each year):
i) Arise two hours before your first appointment and read for one hour in your f
ield.
ii) Rewrite and review your major goals each day before you start off.
iii) Plan every day in advance. Make a list of everything that you have to do th
e night
before, before you end your workday, or before you go to bed.
iv) Concentrate on the most valuable use of your time. Select the one task that
can have the
greatest positive impact, and begin on that task first thing in the morning.
v) Listen to educational audio programs in your car. Turn your car into a mobile
classroom,
a university on wheels.
vi) Ask two questions after every experience. 1) What did I do right? and 2) Wha
t would I do
differently?
vii) Treat everyone you meet like a million-dollar customer. Treat the people yo
u work with
the same way you would treat a valuable customer of your firm.
SELF-ASSESSMENT
1. Some values that you might select with regard to your personal growth are exc
ellence, selfactualization,
intelligence, skillfulness, achievement, and personal mastery. What is your fund
amental
value?

________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
2. Project forward five or ten years and imagine that you are developed fully in
every important
part of your life. Idealize and see yourself as outstanding in every respect. Wh
at do you see?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
ACTION-STEPS
3. Create a long-term vision for yourself. What level of skill or ability would
you have in your
field?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
What level of status and prestige would you have attained as the result of your
superb performance
at what you do?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
What kind of work would you be doing and at what level would you be doing this w
ork?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
How would you think and feel about yourself as the result of being one of the ve
ry best in
what you do?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______

________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
If you had no limitations at all, what would be your vision for how you would de
velop yourself
in the months and years ahead?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
4. In the space provided below, write down ten goals that you would like to achi
eve in the area
of personal and professional development. Write in the present tense, exactly as
if you were
already the person you intend to be.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
5. Review this list of ten goals and select the one goal that would have the gre
atest positive
impact on your life and on your career. Write that goal in the space provided be
low.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
6. Make a list of everything that you will have to do to achieve personal excell
ence in the above
area. Organize your list into a plan, setting priorities and schedules. Gather a
ny resources
(books, materials, equipment, etc.) you will need to work on your goal.
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
7. In the space provided, answer the following key questions regarding your futu
re goals:
What additional knowledge do you need to be the best in your field?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______

________________________________________________________________________________
______
What additional skills must you acquire to do your work in an excellent fashion?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
What subjects do you need to study and become conversant with?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
What skills can you improve that will help you the most in your work or career?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
What are the key result areas of your job? What must you absolutely, positively
be excellent
at doing to lead your field?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
What are your core competencies today, and what new competencies will you have t
o develop
to excel in your field in the future?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
What is your plan to excel in each of these areas?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
What is your plan to acquire these critical skills?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
Chapter 11: Make a Difference In Your Community
The best thing about giving of ourselves is that what we get is always
better than what we give. The reaction is greater than the action.
(Orison Swett Marden)

SUMMARY
One of the most important questions you ever ask and answer is this, What kind of
a difference
do I want to make with my life?
Most famous men and women have one thing in common: a sense of destiny. Througho
ut history,
men and women who have left a real mark on their societies have believed that th
eir lives had a
special meaning and that they were put on this earth to do some great thing that
would benefit
mankind. The one factor that these people all have in common seems to be passion
. They are often
willing to suffer tremendous privation and make incredible sacrifices to promote
their ideals. They
believe deeply in the rightness and goodness of what they stand for and are will
ing to go great distances
to promote their causes.
In leaving a legacy, and making a difference with your life in your community, b
egin with your
values. These may be spiritual values, economic values, social values, personal
values, human values,
or any values at all that you consider important and relevant to the human condi
tion. Each of
us needs to be able to rise above ourselves, to get out of ourselves, and to put
our hearts into
doing something that makes a difference in the world and in the lives of others.
i) Determine your vision of a perfect world (Look around you in your society. Th
ere are
many nonprofit organizations aimed at achieving a variety of social goals that n
eed
your help.)
ii) Set specific goals for your contribution (What are your goals for the type a
nd level of
contribution that you want to make to your society?)
iii) Be a wise and knowledgeable giver (You should also investigate before you c
ontribute
your time or your funds to any worthy cause.)
iv) Identify the specific habits that you would have if you wanted to make a sig
nificant contribution
to your society.
v) Define your contribution in terms of specific activities (One of the great se
crets of success
is for you to always do what you love to do. It is for you to find something tha
t fascinates
you and attracts you. It is for you to then put your whole heart into doing what
ever
that is extremely well.)
vi) Back your good intentions with action (Decide today to make a specific actio
n commitment,
to do something that makes a difference.)
SELF-ASSESSMENT
1. What do you want to be famous for? How do you want people to think about you
and talk
about you when you are gone?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______

________________________________________________________________________________
______
2. What do you want to do that will benefit and improve the lives of other peopl
e while you are
here on this earth, and afterwards?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
3. You may be motivated by love, compassion, freedom, God, kindness, sympathy, c
ourage, or
generosity. What moves you emotionally to give of yourself and your resources?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
4. Look at your community and your nation.
What causes, organizations, movements, or schools of belief are you attracted to
?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
What kind of a contribution would you like to make with your life?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
If you were extraordinarily wealthy, what causes would you contribute to? What c
hanges
would you like to see in your society that would be beneficial to other people?
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
________________________________________________________________________________
______
5. What is your passion? What problems or needs in your society do you really ca
re about?
What sort of issues do you find yourself discussing, arguing, and debating? In w
hat areas do
you have strong feelings about what should be done or should not be done?
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6. If the world were ideal in an area of great concern to you, what would it loo
k like? Imagine

that you could wave a magic wand and bring about the perfect situation. What wou
ld it look
like?
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7. If you had an unlimited amount of money, what would you want to do or achieve
with that
money in terms of improving your society or your community? How would you measur
e success?
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ACTION-STEPS
8. What habits might you develop (self-discipline, self-denial, diligence, wisdo
m, foresight,
patience, and humility) to fulfill your contributory desires? List them in the s
pace provided
below.
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9. What steps can you take to build the above habits in yourself?
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10. What are the daily activities that you would engage in if you wanted to make
a contribution
to worthy causes? List them in the space provided below, and write out an implem
entation
date for each.
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______
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______
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11. What would you do regularly to assure that you were making a genuine differe
nce in the
quality of your community? Would you be attending meetings? Making telephone cal
ls?

Writing letters? Serving on church or community boards or committees? Write out

at least
one weekly activity you would do, along with an action plan, in the space provid
ed below.
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Chapter 12: Spiritual Development and Inner Peace
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;
what is essential is invisible to the eye.
(Antoine de Saint-Exupry)
SUMMARY
There seems to be, within each person, a desire to connect with something higher
and greater
than himself or herself. This inner drive seems to arise naturally and normally,
often without any
guidance or instruction. The great mystics and spiritual teachers of human histo
ry are those who
have emerged to teach people how they can best satisfy this spiritual craving.
The highest human good is, and always has been, peace of mind. In fact, you can
measure the success
of your life at any given time by your level of happiness and peace of mind, by
how good you
feel about yourself and your world.
In spiritual development, there are a series of simple principles that all relig
ious traditions seem
to have in common:
i) There is a God who loves us, who knows us, who understands us, and who wants
the
very best for us.
ii) The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Someone
once wrote, There may be a better principle for human living than the Golden Rule
,
but no one has yet discovered it.
iii) The Universal Maxim, best articulated by Emmanuel Kant, who said, Live your li
fe
as though your every act were to become a universal law.
Intuition is one of the greatest gifts of mankind. Every great thinker has been
amazed at this wonderful
power. The more you listen to your inner voice, the louder and clearer it become
s in guiding
you to make the right decisions in each area of your life.
One of the great spiritual practices is that of solitude and contemplation. Most
people have never
tried the practice of solitude in their entire lives. Yet it is an extraordinari
ly positive experience.
i) Discipline yourself to live your life in harmony with your most important spi
ritual values
ii) Clarify your vision (Think back over the happiest moments of your life. What
was going
on? Who were you with? What were you doing?)
iii) Determine your goals
iv) Develop new habits (What habits and behaviors do you need to develop to beco

me a
happier person and to enjoy greater peace of mind in everything you do?)
v) Determine your daily activities (Identify the daily activities that you could
begin practicing
to increase your levels of spiritual development and inner peace.)
vi) Take action toward your goals
vii) Make a specific action commitment (Decide upon one step that you are going
to take
today to begin moving toward higher levels of spiritual development and peace of
mind.)
Perhaps the most important spiritual principle of all is for you to develop an u
nshakable trust in
the universe and in the goodness of God, or of a greater power. Often our greate
st difficulties can
produce the greatest spiritual gifts in our lives. Look for the valuable lesson
in every difficulty.
Have complete faith that there is a divine intelligence that cares about you and
that is guiding
your path, every step of the way. When you begin practicing this way of thinking
, you will be
amazed at the wonderful things that will happen in your life.
Spiritual development and peace of mind are the highest of all human goods and b
enefits.
Spiritual development enhances your life and fills you with joy and satisfaction
. It makes you
happy and gives you tremendous pleasure. Best of all, it is available to you and
to everyone at no
cost.
Developing spiritually and enjoying peace of mind simply requires that you live
in truth with
yourself and with everyone around you. Spiritual development requires that you t
rust in the universe
to guide and direct your path. Spiritual development requires that you take time
each day to
sit quietly by yourself and to listen for the small voice within. Spiritual deve
lopment requires that
you follow the guidance of your intuition and believe absolutely that everything
is working out for
the best.
When you begin to live in truth with yourself and others, and trust to your inne
r voice, you will
probably never make another mistake. You will make your life into something trul
y wonderful
and inspiring. And it s completely up to you.
SELF-ASSESSMENT
1. Here are four questions that you can ask and answer for yourself on a regular
basis. They
will help you incorporate the Universal Maxim into your life:
What kind of a world would my world be, if everyone in it were just like me?
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What kind of a country would my country be, if everyone in it were just like me?
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______
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What kind of a company would my company be, if everyone in it were just like me?
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What kind of a family would my family be, if everyone in it were just like me?
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2. What are your values with regard to spiritual development? Do you believe in
the values of
peace, joy, love, compassion, forgiveness, self-control, faith, hope, happiness,
and personal fulfillment?
Select the values that you consider to be most important from Appendix A at the
end of this book. Organize your values by priority, from what is most important
to you all
the way through to what is least important. Put an X on your most important value
and
then begin to think about how you could express this value more often in your wo
rds and
actions.
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______
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______
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ACTION-STEPS
3. What is your vision for yourself and your life if you had complete peace of m
ind? If your
inner life were perfect in every way, and you were completely happy and fulfille
d, how would
you be living your life?
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______
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______
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______

4. What should your focal point be? What one change or decision could you make t
hat would
move you more rapidly to a higher level of spiritual and inner development, a hi
gher level of
happiness and peace?
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______
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______
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5. Practice zero-based thinking. Look at your life and ask yourself if there is
anything that you
are doing that, knowing what you now know, you wouldn t get into again today?
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Is there any relationship, personal or business, that you wouldn t get into again
today if you
had to do it over?
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______
Is there any part of your business, any product, service, process, or activity t
hat you would
not start up again today, knowing what you now know?
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______
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______
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______
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______
Is there any investment or drain on your time, emotion, energy, or money that yo
u would not
get into again today if you had to do it over, knowing what you now know?
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______
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6. What are your goals for spiritual and inner development?
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______

________________________________________________________________________________
______
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______
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______
7. What specific, measurable steps can you take to achieve higher levels of happ
iness and personal
satisfaction? What can you do today to eliminate the people, forces, and influen
ces in
your life that are disrupting your happiness and peace of mind?
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______
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______
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______
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______
8. Whatever you do, anything that you repeat, over and over again, will eventual
ly become a
new habit. What are the specific activities that you would like to develop into
habit?
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______
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______
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SEVEN RULES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Here are seven rules for success in the 21st century. These are some of the most
important ideas
Brian Tracy has learned in more than 30 years of studying successful people:
Rule Number One: Your life only gets better when you get better.
Rule Number Two: It does not matter where you are coming from; all that matters
is where
you are going.
Rule Number Three: Anything worth doing well is worth doing poorly at first.
Rule Number Four: You are only as free as your options, the well-developed alter
natives you
have available to you.
Rule Number Five: Within every problem or difficulty you experience, there is th
e seed of an
equal or greater advantage or benefit.
Rule Number Six: You can learn anything you need to learn to achieve any goal yo
u can set
for yourself.
Rule Number Seven: The only real limits on what you can do or be are the limits
you accept in
your own mind.
LIST OF VALUES
Accuracy
Achievement
Adaptability
Adventure
Affection

Alertness
Ambition
Assertiveness
Authenticity
Beauty
Boldness
Broad-mindedness
Calmness
Capability
Care
Career
Clear-thinking
Compassion
Competence
Confidence
Conscientiousness
Consideration
Contentment
Contribution
Cooperation
Courage
Creativity
Customer service
Dependability
Determination
Diligence
Discipline
Dynamism
Education
Effectiveness
Energy
Encouragement
Enjoyment
Enterprise
Enthusiasm
Excellence
Faith
Fitness
Flexibility
Focus
Foresight
Forgiveness
Freedom
Friendliness
Fulfillment
Generosity
Gentleness
Generosity
God
Good attitude
Good balance
Growth
Good humor
Hard work
Happiness
Health
Helpfulness
Honesty
Hope
Humility

Imagination
Impartiality
Independence
Innovation
Integrity
Intelligence
Joviality
Joyfulness
Kindness
Knowledge
Leadership
Learning
Love
Loyalty
Maturity
Method
Meticulousness
Modesty
Naturalness
Nurturance
Optimism
Organization
Originality
Patience
Peace
Perseverance
Personal mastery
Persistence
Playfulness
Pleasantness
Politeness
Possessiveness
Practicality
Precision
Professionalism
Progress
Prosperity
Punctuality
Purposefulness
Quality
Quickness
Resourcefulness
Respect
Responsibility
Satisfaction
Security
Self-actualization
Self-control
Self-denial
Sensibility
Simplicity
Sincerity
Skillfulness
Sociability
Specialness
Status
Strength
Success
Sympathy
Tact

Talent
Teamwork
Thankfulness
Thoroughness
Tolerance
Tranquility
Trustworthiness
Understanding
Uniqueness
Value
Versatility
Victory
Vigor
Warmth
Willpower
Wisdom
Wit
Youthfulness
Zeal