20 Successful Habits I Learned Working For Two Billionaires (Part 2)

In Part 1, we looked at general lessons I learned working for billionaires Oprah Winfrey and Enver Yucel. In Part 2, I continue with deeper insight into successful habits – specifically for business-minded readers seeking to understand how extraordinarily successful people reach the top of their fields.

It’s my honor to share with you Part 2 of successful habits I learned working for two billionaires:

1) Recognize the Value of Simple Ideas

Oprah, Enver, and most of the world’s billionaires got rich not from a complex idea, but from a very simple one. Sure, there are several who do something technical – like create complex hedge funds. But most billionaires figure out how to take something we all like to do, simplify it, and bring more value to the bottom line. So, next time someone asks you to invest in a lemonade stand, don’t dismiss it so easily :-).

2) Be Patiently Impatient

Billionaires realize nothing happens overnight. As a matter of fact, it takes most billionaires decades to become successful. While patience is used for their long-term goals, I’ve witnessed deadlines for day-to-day, short-term goals articulated by my former bosses as “due yesterday.” Being nimble and having the ability to deliver faster than your competitors is what often makes the difference between success and failure. . Think about Oprah often beating a competing TV network to a coveted interview, or Enver launching a school in a country before anyone else. Don’t play with time. 

3) Be Gritty

Ask any 10 people to describe Oprah and Enver, and I bet words like “tenacious” and “relentless” top the lists. Billionaires don’t let obstacles or pitfalls keep them from achieving their goals. Just because you fail 100 times, doesn’t mean you can’t succeed on the 101st try . The key is not just having the stomach for failure, but having the strength to face what feels like an endless amount of resistance… and still move forward.

4) Develop Great Oratory Skills

I’ve never seen better live speakers than my previous bosses. Coincidence? I think not. If you can’t articulate your ideas and your vision (in a compelling way) you can’t galvanize the support required to make things happen. This concept was underscored in a recent interview I did with one of the word’s leading public speaking experts, Marshawn Evans. She stated, “the more effectively you speak, the higher your chances of career success.” 

5) Grow Thick, Armor-Plated Skin

The higher your heights, the greater number of detractors you will have AND the sharper their attacks will be.This is a basic truth for everyone, but literally watching thousands of people hurl insults at my bosses (without impact) made me realize they possessed an extraordinary layer of emotional resilience. I recall when we filmed the opening scene of Lovetown U.S.A. (and Oprah arrives on a Naval vessel), while thousands cheered, hundreds complained (and ridiculed) her for wasting tax dollars by using a military vehicle.  Developing a “shield” is critical . First Lady Michelle Obama said it best: “never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. And so, when I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don’t invest any energy in them, because I know who I am.”

6) Connect with People Outside Your Community

Your ability to be of influence within your community is directly related to your ability to make connections outside of your community.  The technical phrase for this is called “bridging structural holes,” and is eloquently written about in this research by professor Ronald Burt. Both Oprah and Enver possess tremendous bridging capital. They spend a disproportionate amount of their time gathering information from communities of people outside of their core (different age groups, different social class, different ethnicity, different education levels, different careers, etc) and then they share that information within their community. This is where their ability to influence and have power comes from.

7) Over-Communicate Your Message

It’s not just about speaking loudly, it’s about speaking often.  I learned this from my favorite professor at the illustrious McDonough School of Business (shout out: Hoya Saxas!). He floated this concept in class one day and it stuck with me. Don’t make people guess or assume, make sure your community understands your message, precisely. Given the abundance of content produced in today’s world, this concept has taken on even more relevance (Note: more content is published in 48-hours now than was published from the beginning of time until 2003. Amazing, right?!). Watch Oprah or Enver closely when they speak for a short or extended period of time. Their format is always the same. They begin by: telling you what they’re going to tell you, then they tell you, then they summarize by telling you what you just heard. We live in a noisy landscape and repetition, repetition, repetition is necessary.

8) Learn to Laugh at Yourself

Most of us know from experience that having a sense of humor about things can make life a little easier. And, there’s science to back that up: being able to laugh at yourself may be a sign of an optimistic personality and it might even improve your mood. Humor has also been identified as a possible factor in the development of personal resilience. “If you can laugh at yourself, you can forgive yourself,”  says Rev. Susan Sparks. “And if you can forgive yourself, you can forgive others.” You can’t go more than 2 minutes in a conversation with either Oprah or Enver without them smiling and belting out a laugh (typically at their expense).

9) Be Great at One Thing, First

By focusing on one passion or strength, you can actually be more innovative. The deeper understanding you gain by doing one thing opens up creative new ideas. Ironically, limitations can lead to liberation.  As I mentioned in Part 1, billionaires like Oprah and Enver aren’t necessarily great at many things, but they’re damn good at (at least) one.

10) Know a Higher Power

Developing a relationship with a Higher Power will provide you with guidance for making decisions and solving problems. When you connect with a higher power, you can draw upon greater wisdom to help you resolve your problems.  I find it fascinating in my analysis of Oprah and Enver, that while they practice different religions, they possess an unwavering faith. I believe that faith is why they strive to have a positive impact on people and society, value integrity and hold high ethical standards for themselves and their organizations.

I sincerely hope Parts 1 and 2 of 20 Successful Habits have helped and will continue to help you blaze your own trail of accomplishments. Putting these things to work in my life has yielded not only more success than I ever dreamed, but more happiness and fulfillment, as well. If you’re ready to learn even more about making your dreams a reality, read this. And remember, dreams don’t work unless you do! 

Source

http://paulcbrunson.com/2014/02/20-successful-habits-learned-working-two-billionaires-part-2/

3 Powerful Life Lessons From the Multi Millionaire “Tim Ferriss”

Image Credit: Shopify

Tim Ferriss (if you’re not familiar with his work) is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best selling author, an angel investor in companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Uber, and Evernote, a blogging/podcasting extraordinaire with more than 1 million monthly visitors to his site, and the first American to hold a Guinness World Record in tango.

He’s one of the only people in the world whose other accomplishments completely dwarf the fact that he’s a Princeton alumnus.

But aside from his laundry list of achievements, Tim is also the world’s leading authority on Lifestyle Design.

What exactly is that? An entirely new and rapidly growing category of blogs, businesses and books focused on challenging traditional assumptions and living a richer life.

In his debut novel, The 4-Hour Workweek, Ferriss begs the question: Why should you have to wait until you’ve worked 40+ years and you’re 65 years-old to start traveling, spending quality time with friends and family, and taking up new hobbies?

Why not live the life you want right now? Why not enjoy every waking moment to the fullest?

Ferris firmly believes in turning the traditional American retirement plan upside down. And rather than deferring all your happiness to the future (65+ years old), he presents the case for us to streamline our lives,build our own business, find joy, travel the world and be passionate today.

As we gear up for the New Year with resolutions and goal setting on our mind, it may be time to revisit a few of the powerful life lessons embedded in his timeless classic, The 4-Hour Workweek.

By applying Ferriss’s philosophies to our next-year’s goals, we’re certain to kick start the year off right and catapult ourselves to greater levels of success.

So let’s dive right in and begin designing the lives we want, TODAY, using these potent principles.

1. 80/20 your way to success

Otherwise known as Pareto’s Law, the 80/20 rule says that 80 percent of the results for any given activitycome from just 20 percent of the inputs. This is the foundation for many of Ferriss’ guiding tenants. One example of the rule in action for entrepreneurs is 80 percent of your business’s revenue typically comes from just 20 percent of your client/customer base.

Ferriss argues that you should eliminate the 80 percent of things you’re doing that aren’t yielding significant results. And instead you should focus exclusively on the 20 percent of activities that are. In doing so, you free up A TON of your time to focus on duplicating those actions/clients/processes that yield high returns. The 80/20 rule works in the opposite way as well.

Normally, you’ll see that 80 percent of your problems in business or in life come from just 20 percent of the people and clients you interact with.

Remove the 20 percent, and the majority of your problems disappear. Especially as we gear up for the New Year and new goals this principle can be very powerful in terms of showing us the best areas to focus on for maximum results.

However, 80/20 isn’t set in stone; it’s simply a starting point for your analysis. Sometimes you’ll find the ratio to be even higher at 90/10 or even 99/1. Whatever the case, you can channel your energy and stop wasting time on fruitless goals with this in your arsenal.

2. Never underestimate the impact of time and mobility on your happiness

A lot people (especially us entrepreneurial types) like to think that money alone will make us happier. Even if we intellectually know that money by itself doesn’t lead to happiness, we still have a tendency—year after year—to make higher income one of our top goals.

This can be very powerful and beneficial, IF done the right way. But for most of us, we just arbitrarily pick an income goal that’s higher than the last year. Instead, we should be picking an income or revenue goal that allows to do the things we want with our lives.

What does that mean? Here’s an example: Let’s say we run an online merchandising business that typically profits $100,000 per year. At that level, let’s say the owner spends 30 hours per week on the business and has time to take three, 2-week vacations throughout the year. The business stays running and automated just fine. However, what most people would do in this situation is raise the goal above $100,000 in profit to $200,000 in profit. Now, instead of 30 hours per week, let’s say the owner spends 80 hours per week on the business (more time acquiring new clients, dealing with customers, and processing orders) and has ZERO time for a vacation.

Which life would you prefer? If we truly look at it, the person making $200K is poorer in terms of time and mobility than the person making $100K. Now am I saying you shouldn’t be ambitious and raise your goals?Absolutely not! But what you MUST always do is consider WHY you want the goals your setting. If your income is going to provide a certain lifestyle for you, but achieving that level of income doesn’t allow you ANY free time, should you really have that goal? We must always remember that being in control of our own time and destiny is essential to long-term happiness, and understanding this is crucial for setting your next year’s goals.

3. Always push yourself outside your comfort zone.

Throughout the 4-Hour Workweek, Ferriss lists Comfort Challenges at the end of nearly every chapter.

These challenges range from walking up and getting a guy or girl’s phone number to testing your skills in negotiation at flea markets.

Why did Tim choose to scatter these throughout his book? He summarizes the answer in this quote:

“Success can be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations you’re willing to have.”

Essentially, he’s saying get outside your comfort zone and keep pushing yourself. That’s how 26 out of 27 publishers turned down Ferriss’ idea before he finally got his book published—he kept pushing past doubt and his comfort zone. And when his book launched, it became an instant best seller.

Ferriss’ message for entrepreneurs is you have to get outside your comfort zones and develop socially so you can effectively present and sell your ideas and concepts. But more importantly, the key to a rich life is connecting with people and forging lasting friendships. To do that you have to know how to talk to anyone, with confidence and be persuasive. If your 2015 goals don’t include an element of that, you should revisit and refine them until they do.

Crush it in 2015! And if you haven’t already pick up a copy of The 4-Hour Workweek or any other of Tim Ferriss’ masterpieces.

Source

http://addicted2success.com/success-advice/3-powerful-life-lessons-from-the-multi-millionaire-tim-ferriss/

10 Major Differences Between The Successful & The Very Successful

There’s no denying that successful people are hard workers. They’re often the ones who put in the long hours, do the jobs that no one else wants to do and hustle until they get rewarded for it.

However, successful people should not be confused with very successful people.

Some people are simply more successful than others. This success often comes from lifestyle choices and habits they’ve picked up over the years, while other reasons stem from the way they prioritize their lives.

It’s clear how these 10 major lifestyle choices serve to differentiate the successful from the very successful.
 

The Very Successful…

1. Commit to Their Ever-Evolving Goals

The most significant difference between the successful and the very successful is the nature of their commitment. Successful people often pursue their goals with an unwavering, iron-willed perseverance.

The very successful are equally as committed, but they recognize that their goals are constantly evolving. What you thought you wanted when you were a startup entrepreneur may be entirely different from what you want when you’re the CEO of a successful company. And that’s okay.

2. Say No, More Than They Say Yes

Successful people may agree to do everything, but very successful people are much more selective with their choices.

Very successful people see the value behind their time, and will choose what they do accordingly. They don’t haphazardly say no, but rather eliminate nonessential activities or actions that won’t help them achieve their goals.

3. Get Joy From Their Jobs

Though clichéd, the idea of loving what you do does hold merit.

If you’re committed to achieving a goal, you need to really want it. While you can’t avoid doing some things you don’t enjoy, very successful people get to where they are because they genuinely enjoy their jobs. You won’t hear the very successful bemoaning work-life balance, because their work is an essential part of their life.

4. Separate Work from Play

At the same time, very successful people know the importance of having down time. Many studies have already shown that working without taking a break can be detrimental to your health and your career.

Very successful people see this down time as essential. For example, taking a walk outside or reading a book can help boost their creativity and give them more ideas for future projects.

5. They Challenge Themselves to Learn More

Complacency is antithetical to success.

For the very successful, a day is wasted if they haven’t learned anything new. This doesn’t necessarily mean formal learning – some of the most innovative people don’t even have a bachelor’s degree. Rather, they’re constantly reading, learning from others around them and also learning from their own mistakes.
 

6. They Are Excellent Listeners

You don’t necessarily need to be the first person to answer a question in order to be very successful.

Very successful people will listen to the people around them, perhaps to bounce off ideas or –­ more importantly – to listen to what isn’t being said.

7. They Welcome Criticism

In addition to being excellent listeners, very successful people not only listen to criticism, they welcome it with open arms.

Abraham Lincoln once said, “He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.” Hearing only good things might make you feel better, but it won’t do much to help you grow and achieve your goals. Sometimes, you have to hear the criticisms to be able to make it to where you want to go.

8. They Take Care of Themselves

If you’re a very successful person, you know that you are the only person who can achieve the goals you have.

Very successful people have internalized this and know the importance of taking care of themselves. Among the very successful, you’ll find devout proponents of meditation, sleep, and reading.

9. They Focus On Themselves, Not the Competition

Keeping up with the Joneses is still a recurring theme for many people and companies. They focus on what the competition is doing and try to one-up them.

A very successful person isn’t worried about what the competition is doing – he’s worried about what he is doing. He’s thinking about what he can do better.

10. They Have Confidence in Themselves

If you’re going to achieve your goals, you have to be confident that what you’re doing is right. Very successful people don’t have time to be self-conscious. If you want to be very successful, you have to believe in yourself – after all, if you can’t believe in yourself, why should anyone else?

Very successful people are self-driven and don’t hold themselves back with excuses. They learn from their mistakes and aim to be the best they can be.

Source

http://addicted2success.com/success-advice/10-major-differences-between-the-successful-the-very-successful/