Harvey, Jason - Achieve Anything In Just One Year - Be Inspired Daily to Live Your Dreams and Accomplish Your Goals

DAY

44

“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”

— Leonardo da Vinci

Just when you thought you were done with all of that talk about action, here it is again. You can’t escape it! It is the main ingredient for success, so you will continue to be nudged toward doing. The wonderful thing about action is it’s not hard. It requires a tiny bit of bravery to put one foot forward and get moving, but that’s it. You don’t have to study to get into action. You just have to do it.

Marion’s doctor told her that her diabetes was becoming worrisome, and she really needed to lose weight and change her eating habits if she wanted to live a happier and healthier life. Marion listened intently to the doctor and was willing to make a change.

She bought a library full of self-help books to help her lose weight. She read them all and studied the pros and cons of each in preparation to make a change in her life. She did so much to prepare for change that she was practically an expert on nutrition and exercise, but Marion was still fifty pounds overweight, and her blood sugar levels were out of control.

Knowledge and willingness do not mean much if they are not followed by action. Do you find yourself in an endless cycle of preparation today? It’s time to break out of it and start doing. You will learn so much more by taking action.

Your assignment is to write down three ways you can take action today, and then actually do those three things. Don’t prepare; don’t wait until you’re willing; just do them.

DAY

45

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

— Maya Angelou

How do you make people feel? Have you considered that? It is so important to be a positive influence on others. You can create an entire string of success by lifting others up and applauding their accomplishments and acknowledging their talents and good deeds.

Think of how many times you have noticed something good about someone else and neglected to acknowledge it. You know how wonderful it feels when someone pays you a compliment or congratulates you on a job well done. Do the same for others and see what happens.

Find ways to bring out the best in people around you. Concentrate on someone other than yourself for awhile. This is not a contest. Thinking of someone else will not put you behind on the road to success. It does not diminish your own talents. Spend some time concentrating on how the people around you feel. How can you help them feel better? What can you do to bring them success?

Your actions create a ripple effect that influences how others feel. Consider how people feel as a result of the things you do. Do you make people feel happy and safe and loved? Do you make others feel comfortable? Or do you worry people and leave them feeling like they are on pins and needles around you? Do you have a calming influence on others, or are you more like a tornado that tears through their lives?

Your assignment today is to observe how you make others feel.

DAY

46

“A person’s faults are largely what make him or her likable.”

— Anne Lamott

It’s hard to be perfect. Thank goodness it’s not a requirement for success. In fact, one of the unifying factors of humanity is our faults. We all have flaws, and the person who is aware of that and can laugh about it is much more likable than one who tries to appear perfect.

What are your faults? Do you know? Your assignment today is to make a list of your character defects. Be as honest as possible. You can start with the seven deadly sins as a guideline. They are lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. Every single one of us probably touches on each of these sins at some level.

You do not need to be exhaustive in your list of faults. The object of this lesson is not to throw you into a deep depression. It is simply an exercise in awareness. It is important to be aware of your blunders so that you can work on them, but it is also important to note that we all have faults. We are all fallible. We are the same in that respect. No one is free of flaws. Everyone has some difficulty to overcome.

You can achieve success by dealing with your shortcomings and having a sense of humor about life when you fail. How boring it would be to be perfect. There would be nothing to work on! Find the humor in your faults, but never stop working to overcome them. We all gain a bit of comfort in knowing that nobody is perfect. You can help others feel better by admitting your faults and dealing with them rather than attempting to give the impression of perfection.

DAY

47

“In a Nutshell: Six Ways to Make People Like You—

Principle 1: Become genuinely interested in other people.

Principle 2: Smile.

Principle 3: Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.

Principle 4: Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.

Principle 5: Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.

Principle 6: Make the other person feel important—and do it sincerely.”

— Dale Carnegie

A couple of days ago, your assignment was to observe how you make others feel. What did you discover? Maybe you found out some pretty embarrassing facts about how you treat people. You might even have realized that people in general annoy you. You are not a people person, and you have no intention of becoming one.

If that is even remotely the case, it is time to readjust your thinking. You need people, and people need you. So get over yourself and start reaching out. Today you have a chance to put some principles into practice that will help you concentrate on others and help them feel great.

It is important for you to be genuinely interested in helping others and listening to their points of view if you want to have any chance of achieving success for yourself. You cannot know how rewarding it is to care about others until you make it a consistent part of your daily life. Your assignment today is to put Dale Carnegie’s principles to work. Forget about yourself for awhile and take a real interest in the people around you. Start with people you see every day. Do you even know the names of your neighbors? You can’t fake this task through half-hearted efforts at sincerity. You must be authentic.

DAY

48

“I can honestly say that I was never affected by the question of the success of an undertaking. If I felt it was the right thing to do, I was for it regardless of the possible outcome.”

— Golda Meir

It is impossible to predict whether or not a particular undertaking will be successful. So how do you choose which goals to strive for? Golda Meir has a terrific rule to go by: Ask yourself which one is the right thing to do.

There are many ways in which you can measure achievement. Happiness, influence, money, charity, and love are just a few ways in which you can evaluate your success. But the evaluation usually comes after the endeavor. You want to develop a clear sense of direction long before you look back on your choices. How do you know that you are on the road to success?