Be a Game-Changer

By Darren Hardy of Success magazine

STOP playing the game.

Change the game.

Bringing your shade of vanilla to the market is no longer acceptable. You are going to have to add some chili pepper or foie gras (seriously, try Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream in San Francisco).

Be a game-changer.. and win big

Today everyone can be an entrepreneur.

But to win - win big, that is - you can’t just join the game that has been running for 20 years… heck, not even the last five.

You have to disrupt the game.

You have to innovate, create and change the game entirely.

The über-successful achievers on SUCCESS magazine covers are game-changers. They didn’t join the status quo; they disrupted it - big time.

Consider our three latest cover entrepreneurs - Gary Vaynerchuk, Tony Hsieh and Ryan Seacrest. They all achieved their extraordinary successes because they saw the game and changed it.

Today’s entrepreneur must ask herself or himself the all-important question, What would it take for me to be a game-changer in my industry?

Ask yourself, What would it take for me to be a game-changer in my industry?

Here are five key ways you can stop playing the game and start changing it:

• Solution. Start with what people want. Don’t invent something no one cares about. You have to add value where pain or a need exists. Then change the game by providing the solution (e.g., Netflix vs. Blockbuster, Starbucks vs. Folgers, Pandora vs. radio).

• Process. How can your method of sourcing, manufacturing, designing, engineering or delivery change the game in your industry (Dell Direct vs. retail, Amazon vs. bookstores, green builders and designers vs. traditional ones, Tesla’s high-performance electric cars vs. other vehicles)?

• Communication. Can the way you interact with your clients change the game? Can you humanize your contact and connection with your market (Zappos, Southwest Airlines, Seacrest’s tweets to more than 12   million followers)?

• Marketing and message. Can you be a “white knight” to your industry or society (TOMS shoes, Starbucks, Warby Parker, Kenneth Cole, Dove)? Can you be clever enough to game-change the conversation in the marketplace (Ben & Jerry’s, Old Spice, Hyundai)?

• Technology. Being first to adopt sweeping new technologies can also make you a game-changer: mobile wallet, mobile applications, social media, tablet computing, real-time Internet, streaming video, virtual malls/shopping, 3-D printing, Big Data, etc.

Oh, and for those who already are game-changers in their industries, it’s best that you change your own game before it changes on you.

Apple is a great example. The company’s iPod was a game-changer for personal music devices. But the game has changed on the iPod. Sales have fallen dramatically as it was disrupted by… the smartphone.

Apple isn’t reeling from waning iPod sales, though—the company’s iPhone set the standard for the disrupting new device, and iPhone profits far exceed revenue lost on iPods.

It’s best to self-disrupt if you want to stay in the game.

I don’t want to let you off easy here. I really want to encourage, prod and push you to think about how you can be the game changer in your industry.

Again, it’s likely that if you don’t initiate and lead the change, someone else will and the marketplace might be pulled right from underneath your feet.

Article source: http://tiny.cc/jkrvbx

Failing To Succeed

Posted by John Lee of YourBestYouEver.net

WHEN you're struggling to achieve a particular goal - no matter how large or small - it's easy to assume that the 'great and good' of the world had no such problems.

They had all the courage, intelligence, ability and confidence anyone could possibly need to breeze through to their ultimate objective with consummate ease, didn't they?

Of course not. In fact some of the greatest and most respected people in history faced terrible disadvantages and seemingly insurmountable hurdles on their way to success.

Featured  in the video you can access below - by the team at Flickspire.com - are just a handful, including Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Oprah Winfrey, Sigmund Freud and even Albert Einstein.

If you're struggling at all yourself, take a look at the recording, which is just a few minutes' long. It will surprise, inspire and uplift you, and hopefully give you the courage to carry on.

Click here now: http://tiny.cc/ia4rbx

Wisdom From Women Who Made Things Happen

Posted by John Lee of YourBestYouEver.net

THIS free video from the team at Flickspire.com recently fell into my email inbox, courtest of Dr Robert Anthony, and I found it so inspiring that I simply had to share it.

As the title the suggests, it features age-old wisdom from some of the greatest women the world has ever seen, like Helen Keller, Maya Angelou, Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Amelia Earhart, Indira Gandhi and Lucille Ball.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Just click on the following link to be taken to the original recording: http://www.flickspire.com/m/LittleeInc/Wisdom

The 'Skill' of Self Confidence

Posted by John Lee of YourBestYouEver.net

I have to admit, I've never considered self-confidence a 'skill'. For me, it's always been a character trait that some people have in abundance, while others don't.

Dr Ivan Joseph, speaking at TED in the US

As a youngster, I always fell into the latter category. I was seen as 'a little bit shy'... my older sister being the 'more outgoing one'.

That will no doubt strike a chord with many people and it's one of those throwaway comments you hear as a child that ultimately shapes your thinking and development.

The passage of years and life experience have changed my view somewhat, but to hear self-confidence described as something that can be 'trained into a person' was still very intriguing.

And it's just one of the subjects covered by athletic director and head soccer coach at Ryerson University, Dr. Ivan Joseph, in the lively video presentation you can access below.

Filmed at TED in the US, Dr Joseph explains how he successfully 'trained' self-confidence into a Colombian goalkeeper, who now plays top-level soccer, and how anyone can develop the 'skill' simply and effectively.

He also covers subjects such as:

* The vital nature of persistence

* The threat of unhelpful self-talk

* How to combat negativity and nip it in the bud

* How to build self-confidence in others

Dr Joseph is clearly passionate about what he does and delivers his talk with enthusiasm, humor and a great sense of fun. Click on the link below to tbe taken to the original recording.

http://youtu.be/w-HYZv6HzAs

How to Stop Procrastinating - The 15-Minute Method

By Remez Sasson

IS it possible to break the habit of procrastination?

It is so easy and requires no effort to procrastinate, to put off tasks that we don’t feel like doing.

Why do we procrastinate? There are several reasons why this happens:

1. We might not know how to start the task. 
   
2. The task might be big and intimidating.
3. We might not have the necessary knowledge and information for the task.
4. We don’t like the task.
5. We feel we don’t have the energy and the patience for the task.
6. We are preoccupied with other matters.

These reasons, make us to put off big and important tasks, as well as small tasks.

Continuously procrastinating over tasks can have severe long-term effects on your future, work, and relationships.

This means that it is of the utmost importance for everyone to learn to stop procrastinating.

How to stop procrastinating?

There are various ways to tackle the problem of procrastination. One of my favorite techniques is to practice willpower and self-discipline exercises.

I have written a lot about this subject, including a book titled, ‘Strengthen Your Willpower and Self-Discipline’.

The possession of these skills enables you, not only to overcome procrastination, but also to overcome laziness and other negative habits, as well as become more assertive and confident.

A method you might have read about elsewhere is ‘The 15 Minute Method’. It is a simple and powerful method, if you have problems getting started on different activities and put them off.

Some people have problems starting on tasks - not sure where to begin - especially when the task is too big.

Others, have a lot of trouble tackling uncomfortable situations, and therefore, put it off.

The 15-minutes method is a good solution to the problem

1. All you do is to promise yourself to work on a task for 15 minutes, no longer.
2. Once you have devoted those 15 minutes you can take a break or do something you enjoy.
3. You need to be completely focused on your task during those 15 minutes. Don’t do anything else, and don’t let anything distract you.
4. To make it even easier, clear your mind of other tasks, take a deep breath, and set a timer for 15 minutes.

As you can see, it is an easy way to break procrastination. You just go to work for 15 minutes, and therefore, big tasks don’t seem formidable and intimidating anymore. You know you are going to work at this task for just 15 minutes, and this makes you feel more at ease.

This helps you get rid of the reasons for procrastinating.

You can use this method when studying, reading, cleaning the house, your cupboard or your basement. You can use it when you mow the grass, clean your yard, cook, and for a lot other tasks, big or small.

If you want to become truly proficient at time management and overcome the habit of procrastination, I suggest you join “The Time Management Expert Course”. It has a whole section on how to conquer procrastination, and teaches a complete system on how to best manage your time.

Join “The Time Management Expert Course”.

Article source: http://tiny.cc/uhv0ax

How to Take Back Complete Control of Your Life and Results - Jack Canfield's Success Tip #1

Posted by John Lee of YourBestYouEver.net

IT must be one of the biggest and most frequent questions we ask ourselves when trying to build a better, more satisfying life.

Especially when we see people around us who seem to achieve and obtain everything they want with consummate ease.

So, "How do I take full control of my life and get the results that I really want?"

Well, creator of the 'Chicken Soup For The Soul' series and star of movies such as 'The Secret' – Jack Canfield – has some answers.

And in this, the first of a series of short videos, he presents his first tip for success.

Among the subjects he covers are:

* One of the main reasons people fail to achieve... and it's probably not what you think

* The potential we all have inside of us to create the life we desire and how we can begin to apply it

* What high achievers do differently to most other people

* The three vital faculties that we use – consciously or unconsciously – to shape our life experience, good or bad.

As you would expect from Jack, there's no flowery nonsense or confusing jargon. Just good, plain common sense.

Take a look. Click here now:

http://youtu.be/RLd9ImAmIzk

The Law of the Garbage Truck!

By David J. Pollay (and courtesy of Bob Proctor's 'Insight of the Day' service)

HOW often do you let other people’s nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day?

Unless you’re the Terminator, you’re probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of your success is how quickly you can refocus on what’s important in your life. 

Do you dump your garbage on other people?

Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. And I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here’s what happened.

I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, the car skidded, the tires squealed, and at the very last moment our car stopped just one inch from the other car’s back-end.

I couldn’t believe it. But then I couldn’t believe what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us.

How do I know? Ask any New Yorker... some words in New York come with a special face. And he even threw in a one finger salute! I couldn’t believe it!

But then here’s what really blew me away. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, “Why did you just do that!? This guy could have killed us!”

And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck®.”

He said: “Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment.

"As their garbage piles up, they look for a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you. So when someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally.

"Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Believe me. You’ll be happier.”

So I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the street?

It was then that I said, “I don’t want their garbage and I’m not going to spread it anymore.”

I began to see Garbage Trucks. Like in the movie “The Sixth Sense,” the little boy said, “I see Dead People.” Well now “I see Garbage Trucks.” I see the load they’re carrying. I see them coming to dump it. 

And like my taxi driver, I don’t take it personally. I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

One of my favorite football players of all time was Walter Payton.

Every day on the football field, after being tackled, he would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground. He never dwelled on a hit. Payton was ready to make the next play his best.

Over the years the best players from around the world in every sport have played this way.

Muhammad Ali, Nadia Comaneci, Bjorn Borg, Chris Evert, Michael Jordan, Jackie Robinson, and Pele are just some of those players.

And the most inspiring leaders have lived this way: Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King.

See, Roy Baumeister, a psychology researcher from Florida State University, found in his extensive research that you remember bad things more often than good things in your life.

You store the bad memories more easily, and you recall them more frequently.

So the odds are against you when a Garbage Truck comes your way. But when you follow The Law of the Garbage Truck®, you take back control of your life. You make room for the good by letting go of the bad.

The best leaders know that they have to be ready for their next meeting. The best sales people know that they have to be ready for their next client.

And the best parents know that they have to be ready to greet their children with hugs and kisses, no matter how many garbage trucks they might have faced that day.

All of us know that we have to be fully present, and at our best for the people we care about. The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their lives.

What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by? Here’s my bet: You’ll be happier.

David J. Pollay

David J. Pollay is an acclaimed speaker and the creator and author of the international phenomenon, The Law of the Garbage Truck.

You can find his best-selling book, The Law of the Garbage Truck: How to Stop People from Dumping On You by clicking here. 

Visit David online at www.davidpollay.com

Reprinted with permission from the author, Copyright David J. Pollay.

You can find the original story by clicking here - http://tiny.cc/Garbage

3 Ways Risk Taking Makes You A Better Person

– By Jessica Sweet

WHEN was the last time you did something that was outside your comfort zone?

I’m willing to bet, if you’re like most people, your life has fallen into a predictable – if uncomfortable – routine.  

Take a risk... and become a better person!

Little changes for you, and though you’re not quite happy with where your life is right now, you’re hesitant to inflict any more pain on yourself, so you don’t rock the boat.

Because you’ve been looking at risk taking as simply an opportunity to do something that scares you – and that doesn’t really seem very appealing. But actually, risk taking can make you into a better person.

(Reasonably) comfortably numb is a choice, but if you’re ready for something better in your life, you have to be ready to live on the edge and take a risk.

And of course, those risks often look like the very thing we don’t want to face. Our exact demon – the thing that haunts us – is the thing we must face before we can truly grow into that larger version of ourselves.

Having a better life means not only holding our breath and taking a plunge by saying ‘yes’ to opportunities that scare us, but it also means living on the edge and taking risks by facing our deepest darkest fears head on.

Risk taking means getting up close and personal with the big, bad boys of our innermost selves and staring them down, shining a light where we’ve been afraid to go before.

Here’s why:

Three Reasons Risk Taking Makes You A Better Person

1. Everything you want for yourself is on the other side of your comfort zone.

Once you really understand yourself and what’s been holding you back psychologically, you’re much more able to have compassion for yourself, set yourself up for success, and move through the emotions so you can expand your comfort zone and grow.

But it’s about more than just pushing past the limits of your comfort zone. It’s about understanding why those limits are there to begin with, and pushing through, not by white-knuckling, but through deep understanding of your own psychology.

2. You are only ready for what’s on the other side of your comfort zone once you’ve grown through the problems and done the work it’s taken you to get there.

Only then are you strong enough to handle what’s there. Before then, the challenges would be overwhelming.

Remember, those challenges are in the form of your biggest “demons”. So if you’re someone who has always had trouble standing up for what you’ve wanted in life, after doing work in that area, you’ll be faced with a bigger challenges that you can now handle.

3. You become a force for change in the world.

Instead of being stagnant, you’re moving forward and doing things in your life that inspire you and others.

You’re able to handle things that confront you and instead of shying away in fear you’re facing it, confident that you can handle it – because you’ve handled it before. You can take on new challenges with confidence.

Is Risk Taking For You?

It all starts by looking within and seeing the boundaries of your comfort zone, and being willing to take a step outside of them.

Once you start moving outside your comfort zone, you can start to embrace a bigger life, become a more evolved person, and become a force for change in the world.

Sometimes our comfort zone has become so comfortable and familiar, we have difficulty even recognizing what it is.

Here’s your challenge: Is there something in your life you want or you wish was different?

Maybe you want a promotion, but don’t really believe you deserve it or could handle a bigger job.

Maybe you’d love to attract a perfect partner, but somehow feel inadequate.

Or maybe you’d love to start a business this year, but you lack the self-confidence.

You get the idea. Next, take the following steps:

Whatever your belief is,

1. Identify it, and then

2. Look at the limiting beliefs and feelings around it. Examine those. Try to understand what they are and where they came from.

3. Next, what you would have to believe instead to start moving toward what you want in your life?

For now, that’s it.

There’s a lot more that can be done with these beliefs and ideas, including looking at why we hold onto these beliefs, what feels safe about them, what’s risky about letting them go, etc.

But for now, go through the steps outlined above and see what shifts for you.

If you are ready to expand your comfort zone and for a little healthy risk taking, go ahead and share this article on social media and help your fellow traveler to grow!

Article source: http://tiny.cc/p00k9w

3 Simple Ways To Combat Fear Of Failure

By Dr. Lin Wilder

EACH of us falls victim to it; there are no exceptions. Think for just a moment about the very long list - beginning with the most perfect man ever born.

This post is not intended to make light of the debilitating effects of fear and of anxiety; rather to suggest some old fashioned methods of dealing with the natural consequences of taking risks with our jobs, careers and reputations.

Fear is real. When taken over by fear, our reactions vary. But frequently, we freeze, just like a deer caught in our headlights, because she has been blinded by the intense glare of the light. She stands immobile, seemingly waiting to be killed.

The process in us is not all that different from that deer and the most common response to that surge of neurochemicals - which cause hearts to race, throats to constrict and dry, pupils to widen, breathing to accelerate and stomach acid to pour into our gut - is panic so severe that we behave just like that deer in the headlights; paralysis takes over, for an instant or for a lifetime.

1. The very first step in mitigating our fear is to recognize it.

Admit it to ourselves, perhaps to another, if talking it out will help. It's essential, I have learned, to select very carefully those whom we decide to trust when these moments of bone shattering anxiety and terror hit.

In this medicalized culture we live in, all too often, we take our fears to a professional who, more often than not, prescribes a psychoactive drug. Will the drug deal with the fear?

Will the drug help us understand what is causing it, will the drug cure us of the fear?

No, no and no.

What the drug will do is to alter our thinking ability, diminish our awareness and slow our responses. And after a period of time, begin an addiction to the drug.

Be careful taking those things that are prescribed by a well meaning doctor - they can do harm.

2. Once we have admitted the fear, invite it to take a chair in our mind so that we can ponder what lies beneath it. Admittedly this sounds a bit Zen, but it's important.

Here is why: we need to isolate the fear - pin it down and decide exactly what we are afraid of... is it embarrassment, loss of job, customer or career? Or is it failing an exam or failing in our new business?

Or is it one of the biggest ones: fear of what other people say. What will they think?

3. And then act - take action.

Most combat veterans will tell you that he or she is always terrified before the mission. As the rest of us are before an exam or before a speech.

Once we have dug down deep to identify what our real fear is, then we can take the steps to provide the best chance of success whether it is to study, get to work on that article or book, getting started is the very best antidote to fear of failure.

It is amazing how quickly the apprehension dissipates and excitement takes over.

Over and over, we read and see that most of us regret not what we did even if we failed but what we did not do: Don't join them.

Dr Lin Wilder

Lin Wilder, Dr PH is a former hospital director; now full-time internet marketer, trainer and author.

If you liked this article, Lin suggests her latest E-Book, now available at Amazon.

Go here: http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Starting-Business-The-Fundamentals-ebook/dp/B00D5FOLNY

Lin can be contacted at lin@linwilder.com. Her website is lleads.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8251156

10 Signs That You Aren't Living Consciously

By Alice Hive

SUCCESS in life is often hard to measure.

Although with some things, it's pretty easy (for example your weight or the money that's on your bank account), with the more important things it's often a little more difficult.

How do you measure how consciously you're living your life?

I haven't found a good scale for measuring that. However, I think there are many signs that can teach you when you're being unconscious. Here are the most common:

1. You complain

When something isn't the way you want it to be, this is your strategy: you complain. Most of the time you complain to people who can't change anything in your situation.

You complain to your best friend about your girlfriend, you complain to your girlfriend about your job. Often times you complain about the same things over and over again.

You also complain about abstract things and give them the blame for something: For example you blame the job market for the fact that you have no job. Or you blame the economy for your bad financial situation.

Or you blame your partner for your miserable sex life. Or you blame your university for your bad social life.

2. You don't question limiting perspectives

We all have limiting perspectives which stop us from making progress. For example, the perspective "I'm bad at talking to strangers" will very likely prevent you from talking to strangers in the first place.

Limiting beliefs act as self-fulfilling prophecy. If you think you're not very talented with money, you will keep making bad money choice.

Another example: the belief, "I can't be happy when I'm not in a relationship" will keep you unhappy while you're single - because why even look for ways to be happy when you "know" you can't be happy anyway?

Conscious people question those limiting perspectives when they become aware of them. That way they can dissolve those beliefs and install more productive ones.

If you're unconscious, you might not become aware of your limiting perspectives in the first place. However, even when you do you will not question them.

You will see your perspectives as a given, or even as a reasonable conclusion about the world.

3. You need to be right

You believe that there's one true perspective to life and maybe even only one true way to live your life: the "right way".

You believe for example that everybody should eat meat (or not eat meat) or that everybody should believe in God (or not).

In discussions you will always need to be right. You will rather try to convince someone of your opinion than trying to understand the other person's perspective.

Generally you don't see a lot of value in other people's opinions, if they're opposed to yours.

4. You keep doing things that bring you pain

We all do things that bring us pain sometimes. When you're unconscious you've probably made a habit out of that.

You go to your job every day although you hate it, you stay in your relationship although it doesn't meet your needs, you keep saying 'yes' to things you find painful.

5. You don't do some things because you're afraid of what other people might think of you

You keep smoking because your smoker friends might look down on you when you stop. You don't quit your job because you're afraid that your family doesn't approve.

You hide your spiritual side because you're boyfriend believes spirituality is bullshit.

6. Your life stays the same and patterns are repeating

Are you still living the same life as three months ago/six months ago/one year ago/two years ago/five years ago... ?

Do you still have the same friends? Do you still have the same social network? Do you still earn the same amount of money?

Do you still have the same eating habits? Do you still have the same problems? Do you still have the same goals? Do you still spend your day like you did back then?

The lives of unconscious people rarely change. And if they do, they often change in a negative direction (less money, bigger health issues, unsatisfying relationships, more trouble and worry... ).

7. You've settled for compromise

You think you can't have it all anyway - so you settle for less. On a scale from 1 - 10 (1 = horrible, 10 = awesome) your life almost never gets past 7. Often it's lower, though.

You've gone for an "okay" relationship, for an "okay" job and for "okay" friends, instead of looking for an "awesome" in all those areas.

8. You have a lot of prejudices

You judge people before you get to know them (you think the woman in the short skirt is either a slut or just stupid).

Or you judge activities before you've tried them out (you say you don't like sports but the only sport you know is gym class).

If you keep your mind closed about new things, you stay unconscious. Prejudices will prevent you from meeting new people, finding new places and doing new things - and thus will make you stay stuck.

9. You're never motivated

You're not motivated to get up in the morning. You're not motivated to go to your job or to work on your projects. You're not motivated to meet your friends.

You're not motivated to leave the house. You're not motivated to do anything productive.

Unconscious people live lives that are neither inspiring nor motivating, which is why they have a hard time to do anything at all - as long as they don't feel obligated to do something.

Unconscious people may very well be able to get up and go to work each day but they will have a hard time to get up and work on their own projects, for example.

10. You live like most people from your milieu and age group

You live the life you learned to live. Either from your family, your school or early friend circles. If people in your age group and your milieu are married, you're married, too.

If they're going to college, you're going to college, too. If they're interested in alternative movies, you're interested in them, too. If they like partying, you like partying, too.

---------------------

None of these signs can clearly indicate whether you're living consciously or unconsciously. The big difference between the two lifestyles is this:

When you live consciously you live in a way that is headed towards the goals you chose consciously. When you live unconsciously you live in a way that is headed towards the goals and expectations you're adapted to.

Usually, there are some life areas where we are more conscious and other areas where we are less conscious.

Maybe you're really conscious about your food choices but at the same time you cling to a lot of unconscious relationship patterns.

The first step is awareness. The more you become aware of your unconscious choices and patterns, the more likely you will be able to break them.

You can literally become more conscious every day. Start questioning your behavior more. Stop believing in what you always believed. Start leaving your comfort zone and doing things differently.

Becoming more conscious is a process. A good way to become more conscious is to befriend and get inspired by people who live consciously.

You will get lots of ideas from them, if you're open-minded. If you don't find people like that in real life, look around online.

Go to personal development websites, self-help forums and conscious living groups on Facebook. Read books from personal development authors. Get input.

Soon you will have enough inspirations to start your own more conscious lifestyle, which will be way more fun than your old life.

Also, don't forget to read my article about conscious living to learn more about it!

However, becoming conscious is like taking the red pill. You can't un-take it.

Find more articles about self-help on followtheredqueen.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7340855