Posts by Mark Morgan Ford
Cynicism Is Only Good With Beer And Peanuts
“I was going to buy a copy of ‘The Power of Positive Thinking,’ and then I thought: What the hell good would that do?” – Ronnie Shakes If you want to become company president or make your own business grow, you have to be strong and positive. Smart people are often tempted to criticize the…
Read MoreDon’t Let Perfect Ruin Good
There are all kinds of ways to give in to the fear of failure. But of those I’ve known, the cleverest is to desire perfection.
Read MoreGet A Realistic View Of Your Productivity
Successful people are usually those that spend most of their time in productive pastimes. From least productive to most productive, there are four types of activity: 1. Destructive: fighting, drinking, suing, being angry, etc. 2. Fun but wasteful: watching television, reading fiction, shopping, drinking late 3. Knowledge building: learning almost anything 4. Wealth building: (I’m…
Read MoreLife After 50: You’re Never Too Old To Succeed
Some say that life begins at 50. But if you are older than that, take inspiration from friends and these other oldsters who accomplished more after 70.
Read MoreScheduling Stress Breaks
If you work as hard as I do, you will be forever on the verge of a nervous breakdown unless you do something about it. One of the best things you can do is schedule at least two (and preferably three or four) stress breaks every working day. A stress break is not a stress…
Read MoreThe Ultimate Organizer — A Records Locator
“We are all, it seems, saving ourselves for the Senior Prom. But many of us forget that somewhere along the way we must learn to dance.” – Alan Harrington (Life in the Crystal Palace, 1959) If you got run over by a bus tomorrow, would your next of kin know where all your papers are?…
Read MoreRemember Every Upcoming Event…Forever
“Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us.” – Oscar Wilde (The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895) Heres a trick that will help you remember all the important dates in your life. Start using it today and youll never forget another date. Get yourself a perpetual calendar. One that has dates,…
Read More“Good Health” as One of Your Life Goals
“The sense of wellbeing! Its often with us / when we are young, but then its not noticed; / and by the time one has grown to consciousness / It comes less often.” – T.S. Eliot When you figured out your life goals, you pondered (or should have) the importance of good health. Staying healthy…
Read MoreHow To Make Your Children and Employees Expect More But Produce Less
In response to Message #188 (“You Want to Be a Success? Dont Underestimate the Importance of Education”), ES wrote, “Your ETR is EXACTLY what I’ve been saying for years. Unfortunately, I was one of the people who helped create this unfortunate mess — I was a teacher in the early 60s and passionately believed all…
Read MoreThe Best Way to Surpass Your Peers and Rise To The Top Of Any Business
What’s the best way to surpass your peers and outdo your competitors? Work harder than they do. If that sounds daunting, consider this: Most people dont work very hard. Some people spend their time doing as little as they possibly can. Most do stay busy, but they are not always very productive. They write long…
Read MoreHow to Encourage Loyalty
In business, if not in all of life, there is no more important virtue than loyalty. Courage and conviction are critical to making progress by yourself, but the moment you enter into any kind of collaborative effort — and virtually all businesses are collaborative — you are in a world where loyalty rules. Loyalty is…
Read MoreHere’s To The Doers
“Many strokes overthrow the tallest oaks.” – John Lyly Entrepreneurs have big ideas, grandiose ambitions, and endless options. Line up10 of them against a wall and youll have a truckload of “what ifs” but only a pocketful of “how tos.” “Dont bother me with the small strokes,” they like to say. “Im a Big Idea…
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