Perfectionism vs. Success

“Bob,” my partners and business associates would often say to me, “you are a great detail guy. We love your reports. We can always count on you to strive for perfection.” I wore those words the way a proud war veteran wears his medals. But the truth is, those “medals” were a millstone around my…

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Work Can Be an Adventure?

Life affords each of us an opportunity for adventure every day. Often, it is simply a matter of embracing the opportunity to advance a goal. Here’s an example of what I mean… For years, I traveled through the entire state of Florida by car for business. As you can imagine, driving to appointments became less…

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Are You Holding Yourself Captive?

Did you know that elephants are trained to stay where they are by tying a rope around one of their massive legs and attaching it to a peg in the ground? Can the peg and rope really hold back an elephant? Absolutely not! Then why does it work? Because elephants grow up believing it will.…

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Do You Step Up or Back Down?

Let me ask you: Have you ever made a decision that didn’t work as planned? Has anyone ever let you down? Has recent economic news put a damper on your perspective? It may be painful to bring those things to mind, but I’m asking you to do it for a good reason. Because life brings…

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Four Common Time Obstacles

Time is limited (we do, after all, have 24 hours in a day), so it’s not uncommon to feel apprehensive as the minutes tick away. Many people let that apprehension overwhelm them, which puts their success at risk. That’s why, today, I want to talk about four common time obstacles. And I want to show…

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False Indicators of Success

There are three emotional levels most everyone experiences during their journey through setting and achieving their important life goals:

1. THE HIGH
2. THE LOW
3. THE PLATEAU

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The Little Bang Success Technique

According to the “Big Bang Theory,” the universe was created by a sudden, massive explosion. And many people approach goal setting the same way. They set an ambitious goal and expect it to come to fruition immediately.

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Make Your Promises Honestly

Building a solid reputation (in business or personally) requires diligent and consistent action. It can blow up in an instant. No matter your past accomplishments, one unfortunate incident can ruin it all. And it doesn’t take a major incident to call your integrity into question. Breaking a promise — small or large — is dishonorable…

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What Do You Want Your Life to Look Like?

During my early business career, I was a terrific insurance salesman. Every year, I would sell more and more. Every year, I would accumulate more and more. Every year, I would send my wife, Karin, and her mother on fabulous trips I won by exceeding sales goals. Karin and Doe went to Lake Tahoe, Hawaii,…

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Second Impressions Count

When I finally decided to do something about my dream of becoming a pilot several years ago, the first thing I did was look for a flight school. There are a limited number in my area. I went down to the closest one to check it out. They seemed legitimate, and had quite a few…

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