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Saturday, March 30, 2013

Poorly Educated But Incredibly Successful People

Education is important—there’s no denying that fact. For the most part, the more schooling you receive, the more successful you will be in your chosen path. In general, people who drop out or receive minimal education are probably headed toward a long, torturous career slinging burgers at a fast food joint. That’s the common perception, at least. But here are ten famously successful people who stand as exceptions to the rule:

1.John D. Rockefeller----Billionaire


Before becoming possibly the richest man in history (taking inflation into account), John Rockefeller was the lowly son of a dodgy con artist and high-school student in suburban Cleveland, Ohio. Although he had some education, by the time he was sixteen, Rockefeller decided it was time to shirk school and begin a career—with the goal of earning $100,000 in his lifetime.

It’s pretty safe to say that he accomplished that mission and then some. Rockefeller made his mark in the oil industry, starting Standard Oil and ultimately creating a monopoly on the entire industry. By 1902, Rockefeller was worth $200 million, and before his death he would amass a fortune of more than one billion dollars. And high school was supposed to be important. . . .

2. Horace Greeley---Journalist and Congressman


Unless you’re a big fan of journalism history, there’s a pretty solid chance you’ve never heard of Horace Greeley, except maybe a fleeting mention here or there. Born in New Hampshire in the early nineteenth century, Greeley would go on to become one of the most influential newspaper men in American history. He also became a Congressman and—I nearly forgot to mention—one of the founding members of the Republican Party.

Greeley did this all without any formal education to speak of. By the age of fifteen, he had already left home to take an apprenticeship with a printer in Vermont. By the time he was twenty he had moved to New York City and begun working for The New Yorker and the New York Tribune. It was his work with the Tribune that made him famous, and he would actually go on to help found a town in Colorado that bears his name. To this day, he is thought of as one of the most influential journalists in history.

3.John Glenn---Astronaut


During the tense space race of the 1950s and 1960s, one man emerged as the face of the American attempt to beat the Soviets into space and, ultimately, to the moon. That man was John Glenn: he became a war hero and one of the most famous astronauts in history, despite being a college dropout. Glenn attended Muskingum College, where he studied science, but when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor he dropped out in order to fight in World War II.

4.Steve Jobs--Apple Co-Founder

There have been many great thinkers of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, and some of them have done incredible things without ever having finished college. Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg spring to mind. But perhaps the most influential technological mind of the past century has been Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple.

Jobs and Steve Wozniak created the first successful personal computers, and over the years helped introduce numerous revolutionary products such as the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. And Jobs did this after attending college for only six months. 

Incidentally, Jobs was adopted, and the stipulation set forth by his birth mother only agreed to give him up to Paul and Clara Jobs when they agreed that they would make sure he attended college. Well, mission partly accomplished.

5.Mark Twain--Author and Wit



Arguably the most beloved American writer and humorist in history, Mark Twain gained fame after creating the classic characters of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. In fact, his Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is considered by many to be “the great American novel.” Not bad for a guy who had only a minimal formal education, and who was already in the midst of an apprenticeship at the age of eleven.

When Twain was eighteen, he worked as a printer in cities such as New York, Philadelphia, and St. Louis, while spending his evenings in the public libraries. That’s as close to a formal education as Twain would come, as he read everything he could get his hands on before becoming, of all things, a steamboat pilot. He continued working in that capacity until the Civil War broke out, and after a brief stint in the Confederate army, he began to travel across the country, writing all the while. Twain serves as clear proof that wit simply cannot be taught.

6.Henry Ford---Industrialist and Entrepreneur


In American history, few people have embodied the notion of the self-made man more than Henry Ford—the man who is best-remembered for almost single-handedly creating the US automobile industry. Ford had a limited formal education, having been born on a farm outside of Detroit, where he worked with a father who believed his son would someday take to running the farm himself.

Instead, Ford left home at the age of seventeen and became an apprentice with a machinist in Detroit—a career path he would ultimately take to another level on his way to becoming a wildly rich and successful industrialist. Despite having next to no real education, Ford created the mechanized assembly line—and it wasn’t long before Detroit gained the nickname of the Motor City because of his incredible work.

7.William Shakespeare--Poet and Playwright


Now one of the most famous names in history, William Shakespeare produced some of the best-loved works the world has ever known, from Romeo and Juliet to Macbeth. But not much is known about Shakespeare’s early life; in fact, there are not even any records that suggest he ever received much by way of a formal education.

Scholars have suggested that he may have attended the King’s New School, but they also believe—based on some of his writings—that he did not attend school past the age of thirteen. It’s pretty astonishing that a man credited with inventing more than 1700 words was, by all accounts, a middle school drop out.

8. Winston Churchill --Statesman and War Leader


One of the most towering political figures of the twentieth century, a famous wit—and, frankly, a quote machine—Winston Churchill was born into aristocracy. It should therefore come as no surprise that he rose through the ranks to eventually lead the United Kingdom to victory during World War II. What probably does come as a surprise—or at least would, if he wasn’t included on a list with this title—is that he achieved this with a limited education.

Churchill, coming from such a good family, was given access to the best education available. That didn’t mean he was any good at it, of course. Churchill found education difficult and did very poorly in school, often being punished for his dismal academic record. His military service was also hindered by his poor performance. He had to apply three times to the Royal Military College, and was only accepted after applying for the cavalry rather than infantry because the grade requirements were lower and it didn’t involve math. In fairness, though, no one likes math.

10. Abraham Lincoln -US President


Perhaps the most popular US president in history, and a guy who, contrary to popular belief, did not fight vampires, Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth man to lead the USA. He guided the nation through perhaps its most troubling time. But the man who made the Gettysburg Address and effectively ended slavery in the USA—though not through his crippled Emancipation Proclamation—was not even well-educated.

Honest Abe was more or less entirely self-educated, though at an early age he actually had a reputation of being lazy. This did not stop him from starting down a career in politics in his early twenties, and being admitted to the bar after teaching himself the law in his free time. It seems that Lincoln was a political prodigy. And if the stories about him are true, he basically pulled this off through reading by candlelight in his little wood cabin.

11.Albert Einstein-- Physicist


Yes: the man whose name now equates to “genius”; who published more than 300 scientific papers; the man behind E=MC2; the man who came up with the theory of relativity; and the man who won a Nobel prize—was in fact a high school dropout. He attempted to get into university, but initially failed the entrance exams.

Einstein eventually made it into college and earned a degree, of course, because men of his staggering intellect always find a way in the end. But the simple fact of the matter is that the greatest mind of the twentieth century was in fact a high school dropout.


Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Take Back Your Life in Ten Steps by Tony Schwartz


Tony Schwartz

(Tony Schwartz is the president and CEO of The Energy Project and the author of Be Excellent at Anything.  Schwartz is also a best-selling author and professional speaker with more than 30 years of experience in writing about and working with leaders and organizations to effect change)


You're smart, hard-working and good at what you do, but the truth is you also too often feel your life is just a relentless set of demands you have to meet, and too rarely a source of satisfaction. You long to feel more in control of your days, but the reality is you're frequently racing just to keep up.

This is the story I hear over and over at every level in organizations, from first line managers all the way up to CEOs in large companies. I'm convinced it doesn't have to be this way, and that the solution has to do with deeply embedding a series of simple practices into your life.

I have ten in mind, but it's not realistic to add them all at once, assuming there are a number you don't currently do. Instead, I hope to lead you on a journey in which you add them one at a time, sequentially, over the coming months. You don't have to do all of them for your life to work really well, and even small changes will often deliver disproportionately large results. At the same time, it's likely that the more of these you eventually add, the better and more in charge of your life you'll feel.


The suggestions are in order from the most basic and fundamental, to the highest level.

1. Get sufficient sleep every night. Sleep is often the single most undervalued behavior in our lives and the one with the most immediate power to improve our experience in every waking moment. If you sleep in the 6-6½ hour range, like the average American, just one more hour of sleep a night will leave you feeling more physically energized, emotionally resilient, and mentally clear.

2. Move more. It's not only good for your heart's health, but also for your mental health. Do some form of exercise that significantly raises your heart rate for 30 minutes at least four times a week and move frequently during the day.

3. Eat less, more often. Food is fuel. Lean proteins and complex carbohydrates are high-octane fuel. You're best off when you keep feeding your internal furnace in small doses throughout the day, beginning with breakfast.

4. Renew more. Human beings aren't designed to work continuously. We're meant instead to move between spending and renewing energy. Ideally, take a break every 90 minutes, even if only to spend a minute or two breathing deeply.

5. Invest in those you love. The greatest gift you can give is your absorbed attention. Better to be fully present with someone for an hour than physically present, but distracted, for multiple hours.

6. Give thanks. We're far quicker to notice what's wrong in our lives than we are what's right. At least once a week, hand write and mail a note of appreciation to someone who deserves it, telling the person precisely what you're grateful for.

7. Do the most important thing first. Early in the morning, you're likely to have the most energy, and the fewest distractions. Start your workday by focusing without interruption, for 60 to 90 minutes, on the most important and/or challenging task you can accomplish that day.

8. Practice reflection. We're so preoccupied with the urgent that we rarely take time to think about what it is we're doing. Set aside 15 to 30 minutes at the end of each work day (or in the evening) to reflect quietly and without interruption on what you learned that day, and what your highest priorities are for the following day.

9. Keep learning. Our brains work better if we challenge them, and life becomes more interesting when we do. Reading books is a simple and surefire way to learn and grow, but so is building a daily practice around learning a new language, a sport, a musical instrument, or around how to write code, fix a car, or draw.

10. Give back. Take at least one hour a week to put your own needs aside and devote that time instead to adding value to the world at large. One hour a week is very little time, but it's a start — and it's also more than most of us regularly give.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

20 Diet tips for Busy Executives


Being over stressed and under-rested, and thinking that there are a few simple steps that can be followed to stay healthy, brings to mind Cecile B DeMille’s famous quip: “It is impossible for us to break the law. We can only break ourselves against the law.”

Experts agree that the key to healthy eating is the time-tested advice of balance, variety and moderation. In short, this means eating a wide variety of foods without getting too many calories, or too much of any one nutrient.

If you know someone – or, you are one of those busy executives – whose life circumstances are such that you just do not have the “luxury” of getting adequate physical and emotional rest on a regular basis, please consider sharing the following 20 diet tips [better still - practice them!]:
  1. Find out how many calories you need

    It is not as easy as it sounds, but it is very important for an individual to know his/her caloric requirement [approx 1,800 calories/day] – on the basis of which reduction in calories for weight loss, weight management, or weight gain, can be pursued. Speak to a dietician or nutritionist who can help you decide on what suits your needs best.
  2. Be a fan of fruits and vegetables

    Fruits and vegetables are packed with beneficial fibre, vitamins, and anti-oxidants. They fill up your stomach quickly, so you feel full just as quickly. They are also low in calories and help to keep your calorie count low. Take at least 3-4 servings of fruit and 4-5 servings of vegetables each day. Snack on apples, melons, peaches, carrots, or green and red pepper strips. Don’t forget juices – or, a glass of fruit or vegetable juice.
  3. Watch for portion-size

    Eat moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it’s easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy. One serving of pasta means 1/2 cup of cooked pasta. However, most restaurants serve a pasta dish with 4 servings of pasta! You do not need to finish and clean off the plate every time. You can simply ask to take home the leftover.
  4. Do not skip meals

    Eating small frequent meals helps to balance your calorie intake throughout the day and also keeps your blood sugar level balanced. Instead of eating three big meals, try to eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day.
  5. Eat your breakfast

    “Breaking the fast” from the prior evening is crucial for sustained mental work. The brain’s sole source of energy is glucose, and it has no storage reserves. Eating breakfast has been shown to improve overall attitude, increase concentration and problem-solving ability. In addition, studies show those who eat breakfast typically consume fewer calories and fat compared to those who do not start their day off with a healthy meal. If you aren’t used to eating something in the morning, grab something light like a yogurt and a piece of fruit, or a bowl of oatmeal. Avoid heavy breakfasts – skip high fat meat, deep fried snacks like samosa, batata wada. Choose oatmeal, 100 per cent fruit juice, milk, yogurt, fresh fruit, or high fibre cereal for a great breakfast.
  6. Take time for balanced lunch

    Yes, for the busy executive many of your lunches are often something you grabbed out of the pantry and snacked on while working at the computer. Not only is it important to take a break during the day, it is crucial to take time to eat. When you eat at the computer, it becomes unconscious eating. You aren’t paying attention to how much of that food item you are eating and this, in turn, is a quick way to gain weight. It becomes impossible to be conscious of feeling “full” when your mind if focused on work, and not your body. Take some time for yourself to eat a balanced meal during the day. Include some protein, whole grains, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. This will help you to improve your energy and focus during the day as well as keep your weight where you want it.
  7. Go for wholesome fresh foods

    If possible, purchase fresh foods and avoid package [processed] and convenient foods such as fast-food. Packaged and convenient foods are often high in sodium and fat content. Many people are amazed that they can easily lose weight by packing a home-cooked lunch to work instead of eating out.
  8. Reduce, don’t eliminate certain foods

    Most people eat for pleasure as well as nutrition. Everyone has his or her favourite treats. Simply allow yourself a little indulgence, but watch out for the frequency and the quantity. Having a small treat once in a while can be rewarding to your weight loss experience. Cutting too much of your favourite treats usually leads to an early relapse.

    Choose skim or low-fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat such as flank steak. This can reduce your fat intake significantly. If you love fried chicken, you don’t have to give it up. Just eat it less often. When dining out, share it with a friend; ask for a take-home bag, or a smaller portion.
  9. Understand food claims and labels

    A product labelled with a fat-free claim does not mean that it is low in calories. Similarly, a product labelled as low-sugar or low-carb does not mean it is low in fat or calories. Always read the nutrition label on the packaging, or ask an expert.
  10. Watch for sugary drinks and relinquish caffeine

    Juices, pop, cream and sugar in your coffee or tea all add up. Opt for drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water a day. In addition to providing hydration to your body, it will also help you feel full.

    Starting your day off with a pot of coffee is not exactly a balanced breakfast, but it is likely the most common. People are more dependent than ever on caffeine to provide them a “perk” of energy. The downside is that’s all it is providing – a quick perk. 

    The reality is caffeine gives you small bursts of energy and then you crash to an energy low which leaves you to need even more. Caffeine also pulls fluid from your cells, which can cause mild dehydration and contributes to the three o’clock slump. Symptoms of mild dehydration are: fatigue, lack of concentration, irritability, anxiety, and mild headache. hmm, sounds familiar? Stick to one caffeinated beverage a day and work on drinking more water
  11. Keep a food journal

    Writing a daily food journal helps you pin-point your eating pattern and enable you to easily modify it.
  12. Exercise

    Most authorities recommend 30-40 minutes of physical activity a day to stay healthy. Also, try adding weight-bearing exercises at least two times a week. This will help burn some of the unwanted calories.
  13. Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods

    You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily food selection should include bread and other whole-grain products, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, poultry, fish, and other protein foods. How much you should eat depends on your calorie needs. Speak to a dietitian or nutritionist for individualised needs.
  14. Go for the grain

    Nutrition experts recommend 6-11 daily servings of grains, including bread, rice, cereal and pasta. To reach this goal, you can include plenty of grain-based snacks that are low in fat and calories, like crackers, pretzels, and fat-free flavoured rice cakes.
  15. Balance your food choices over time

    Not every food has to be “perfect.” When eating a food high in fat, salt or sugar, select other foods that are low in these ingredients. If you miss out on any food group one day, make up for it the next. Your food choices over several days should fit together into a healthy pattern.
  16. Know your diet pitfalls

    To improve your eating habits, you first have to know what’s wrong with them. Write down everything you eat for three days. Check your list with the rest of these 20 tips. Do you add a lot of butter, creamy sauces or salad dressings? Rather than eliminating these foods, just cut back your portions. Are you getting enough fruits and vegetables? If not, you may be missing out on vital nutrients.
  17. Make changes gradually

    Just as there are no “miracle foods,” or easy answers to a healthy diet, don’t expect to totally revamp your eating habits overnight. Changing too much, too soon, can get in the way of success. Begin to remedy excesses or deficiencies with modest changes that can add up to positive, life-long eating habits. For instance, if you don’t like the taste of skim milk, try low-fat. Eventually, you may find you like skim, too.
  18. Remember, foods are not good or bad

    Select foods based on your total eating patterns, not whether any individual food is “good” or “bad.” Don’t feel guilty if you love foods such as apple pie, potato chips, candy bars, or ice-cream. Eat them in moderation, and choose other foods to provide the balance and variety that are vital to good health.
  19. Don’t forget dairy

    Include snacks from milk, yogurt and cheese group. To help meet your daily calcium requirements, choose two to three servings of dairy products each day. Snack on low-fat yogurt, or have a low-fat or skim milk shake.
  20. Start small

In addition to this, check your height and weight. Or, use a chart to see if you are overweight for your height. Your body mass index [BMI] is the weight in kilogram divided by the height in meter-squared: remember, it should be below 25.



Courtesy:  

SUSHILA Sharangdhar

Sushila Sharangdhar, a registered dietician, is Director, HEAL [Health Education and Lifestyle management]. She also teaches in corporate-based workshops for lifestyle management. She lives in Mumbai.


Monday, March 18, 2013

10 Surprising Uses For Potatoes




Do you know that you have many other choices for what to do with your potato? Check these out these unusual options:

1.  Create A Decorative Stamp

This is a fun activity to do with children. Instead of paying $5 or more for a rubber stamp, try cutting a potato in half widthwise. Carve a design on one half. Then start stamping as you would with a wooden version, using a stamp pad.

2.  Clean Up The Silverware

What to do if you’re out of silver polish? Boil a few potatoes in water, just as if you were going to eat them. Remove them from the water and save them for another use. Put your silverware in the remaining water and leave it there for about an hour. Then remove the silverware and wash. No more tarnished silver!

3.  Remove Rust

Cut open a raw potato and rub it on a rusted area: the acid in the potato’s juice will dissolve the rust, while the skin of the potato should remove it. For extra effectiveness on tough jobs, add a little soap or salt. Use it on pans in the kitchen or on surfaces like your bathroom sink or tools.

4. Shine Your Shoes

In addition to cleaning tarnished silver and rusty pans, potatoes can also be used to clean up your shoes. If you have shoes that just don’t seem to take a shine anymore, try cutting a potato in half and rubbing those old shoes with the raw potato.  After that, polish them; they should come out nice and shiny.

5. Lose Those Puffy Eyes

Don’t you hate it when you wake up in the morning and see puffy eyes staring back at you?  Bring on the potatoes and see the difference.  Lie down again and apply slices of raw, cold potatoes to your eyes for up to ten minutes to make that puffiness go away.

6. Keep Your Goggles Clear

And while we’re on eyes, here’s a trick for keeping your ski goggles clear so that you can see where you’re going. Rub raw potato over your goggles before you hit the ski lift, and you should have no problem avoiding the people, rocks and trees on your way down.

7.  Make Vodka

You've probably been thinking about this one, since potatoes are well known as one of the main ingredients of vodka. 

8.  Heal Yourself

According to potato experts, potato juice may be a very effective treatment for certain ailments: it can aid in the healing process for sprains, sciatica, heartburn and bruises, as well as alleviate pain caused by ulcers and flush out toxins in the body. Just put cleaned potatoes with their skins on into the juicer. To make it more palatable, you might want to add other veggies.

9.  Make A Hot Or Cold Compress

Potatoes retain heat and cold well, so next time you need a hot compress, why not boil a potato, wrap it up in a clean cloth, and apply it to those aching muscles. For a cold compress, refrigerate the boiled potato.

10.  Desalinate Your Soup

When you taste that soup you’re preparing and discover it’s really salty, here’s a way to fix it. Cut a few uncooked potatoes into large chunks and add them to the soup while it’s still on the stove. After about 10 minutes, remove them and the excess salt they have absorbed. 

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

New Norms for Credit Cards :Reserve Bank of India



All new debit and credit cards to be issued only for domestic usage unless international use is specifically sought by the customer.


Reserve Bank of India (RBI) vide Circular dated 28.02.2013 on “Security and Risk Mitigation Measures for Electronic Payment Transactions” has directed banks to put in place the following safety measures for Credit and Debit Card Transactions :

• All new debit and credit cards to be issued only for domestic usage unless international use is specifically sought by the customer. Such cards enabling international usage will have to be essentially EMV Chip and Pin enabled. (By June 30, 2013).

                                   Sample of EMV Chip and PIN enabled card

• Issuing banks should convert all existing Magstripe cards to EMV Chip card for all customers who have used their cards internationally at least once (for/through e-commerce/ATM/POS) (By June 30, 2013).


Backside of Existing Megastrip card(Sample)

• All the active Magstripe international cards issued by banks should have threshold limit for international usage. The threshold should be determined by the banks based on the risk profile of the customer and accepted by the customer (By June 30,2013).

• Banks should ensure that the terminals installed at the merchants for capturing card payments (including the double swipe terminals used) should be certified for PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry – Data Security Standards) and PA-DSS (Payment Applications – Data Security Standards) (By June 30,2013).

• Bank should frame rules based on the transaction pattern of the usage of cards by the customers in coordination with the authorized card payment networks for arresting fraud (By June 30, 2013).

• Banks should ensure that all acquiring infrastructure that is currently operational on IP (internet protocol) based solutions are mandatorily made to go through PCI-DSS and PA-DSS certification. This should include acquirers, processors/aggregators and large merchants (By June 30, 2013).

• Banks should move towards real time fraud monitoring system at the earliest.

• Banks should provide easier methods (like SMS) for the customer to block his card and get a confirmation to that effect after blocking the card.

• Banks should move towards a system that facilitates implementation of additional facilitates implementation of additional factor of authentication for cards issued in India and used internationally (transactions acquired by banks located abroad).

After discussions with Banks, the RBI had issued the above guidelines vide Circular dated 28.02.2013 on “Security and Risk Mitigation Measures for Electronic Payment Transactions”.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Eight Things Remarkably Successful People Do


   
The most successful people in business work differently. See what they do and why it works.
Very good article written by Jehh Haden for Inc Magazine


1. They don't create back-up plans. 

Back-up plans can help you sleep easier at night. Back-up plans can also create an easy out when times get tough. 

You'll work a lot harder and a lot longer if your primary plan simply has to work because there is no other option. Total commitment--without a safety net--will spur you to work harder than you ever imagined possible. 

If somehow the worst does happen (and the "worst" is never as bad as you think) trust that you will find a way to rebound. As long as you keep working hard and keep learning from your mistakes, you always will. 

2. They do the work... 

You can be good with a little effort. You can be really good with a little more effort. 

But you can't be great--at anything--unless you put in an incredible amount of focused effort. 

Scratch the surface of any person with rare skills and you'll find a person who has put thousands of hours of effort into developing those skills. 

There are no shortcuts. There are no overnight successes. Everyone has heard about the 10,000 hours principle but no one follows it... except remarkably successful people. 

So start doing the work now. Time is wasting. 

3. ...and they work a lot more. 

Forget the Sheryl Sandberg "I leave every day at 5:30" stories. I'm sure she does. But she's not you. 

Every extremely successful entrepreneur I know (personally) works more hours than the average person--a lot more. They have long lists of things they want to get done. So they have to put in lots of time. 

Better yet, they want to put in lots of time. 

If you don't embrace a workload others would consider crazy then your goal doesn't mean that much to you--or it's not particularly difficult to achieve. Either way you won't be remarkably successful. 

4. They avoid the crowds. 

Conventional wisdom yields conventional results. Joining the crowd--no matter how trendy the crowd or "hot" the opportunity--is a recipe for mediocrity. 

Remarkably successful people habitually do what other people won't do. They go where others won't go because there's a lot less competition and a much greater chance for success. 

5. They start at the end... 

Average success is often based on setting average goals. 

Decide what you really want: to be the best, the fastest, the cheapest, the biggest, whatever. Aim for the ultimate. Decide where you want to end up. That is your goal. 

Then you can work backwards and lay out every step along the way. 

Never start small where goals are concerned. You'll make better decisions--and find it much easier to work a lot harder--when your ultimate goal is ultimate success. 

6. ... and they don't stop there. 

Achieving a goal--no matter how huge--isn't the finish line for highly successful people. Achieving one huge goal just creates a launching pad for achieving another huge goal. 

Maybe you want to create a $100 million business; once you do you can leverage your contacts and influence to create a charitable foundation for a cause you believe in. Then your business and humanitarian success can create a platform for speaking, writing, and thought leadership. Then... 

The process of becoming remarkably successful in one field will give you the skills and network to be remarkably successful in many other fields. 

Remarkably successful people don't try to win just one race. They expect and plan to win a number of subsequent races. 

7. They sell. 

I once asked a number of business owners and CEOs to name the one skill they felt contributed the most to their success. Each said the ability to sell. 

Keep in mind selling isn't manipulating, pressuring, or cajoling. Selling is explaining the logic and benefits of a decision or position. Selling is convincing other people to work with you. Selling is overcoming objections and roadblocks. 

Selling is the foundation of business and personal success: knowing how to negotiate, to deal with "no," to maintain confidence and self-esteem in the face of rejection, to communicate effectively with a wide range of people, to build long-term relationships... 

When you truly believe in your idea, or your company, or yourself then you don't need to have a huge ego or a huge personality. You don't need to "sell." 

You just need to communicate. 

8. They are never too proud. 


  • To admit they made a mistake. 
  • To say they are sorry. 
  • To have big dreams. 
  • To admit they owe their success to others. 
  • To poke fun at themselves. 
  • To ask for help. 
  • To fail. 
  • And to try again