What's More Valuable Than Money?

"You possess as much of this precious commodity as the richest person in the world and yet you may not realize how wealthy you are."

Yes, time is the one thing we all possess in equal measure. You and I both have 24 hours a day, just like every other living person. We will never have any more time in a given day than anyone else.

Q: What's the one thing you CANNOT do with your time that you can do with money?

A: Save it for future use!

The constant question: Is what I’m doing now the best use of my time in living and creating the lifestyle I want for myself and those closest to me?

Precious moments of time can be found by taking a time inventory for a day. Are you using your drive/exercise time effectively by listening to education material? Can you get reading, or other work, done while sitting in those long, boring meetings?

Many of the greatest accomplishments of humanity have occurred through the use of the precious moments of time that are overlooked by most people. Make sure you're using even the "few minutes" you have here and there each day.

You see, TIME really is much more valuable than money. Make sure you spend your time wisely!

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Post inspired by the Ultimate Success Program and Og Mandino's University of Success.

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Stop Being a Procrastinator...Now!

"Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy."

Which thought do you tend to have: "Never put off till tomorrow, that which you can do today" or "Never do today, what you can put off till tomorrow"?

If you have a better life, it's because you did something to make it better. Just wishing and hoping never accomplishes anything.

It's more important to do what you say than to say what you will do. To be effective you must learn to manage yourself and the time you have been given.

By getting things done, you develop a great sense of accomplishment and want to get even more done. Here are some techniques to eliminating procrastination from your life:

• Live 5 minutes at a time. What will you accomplish in the next 5 minutes?

• Schedule a specific time to work on a designated task you've been putting off. 15 minutes of work on a specific task usually gives you the momentum you need to accomplish it.

• Take one thing you need to get done and break it down into 3 steps; take the first step now.

• Ask yourself if you are doing what you would be doing if you only had 6 months to live.

• Eliminate words like "hope," "wish," and "maybe" from your vocabulary. Substitute new words of action like "will," "ensure," and "make" instead.

Live by these words, DO IT NOW! Remember these 3 powerful words from a previous lesson?

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Post inspired by the Ultimate Success Program and Og Mandino's University of Success.

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Do It Now!

A Proven Method to Eliminate Bad Habits

"Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones."

Throughout your lifetime you have established many habits. Some of them are good and some are not so good. This article is about how to replace more of the bad ones with more of the good ones.

Remember, if you sow an act you reap a habit. If you sow a habit you reap a character. If you sow a character you reap a destiny.

Ben Franklin's secret to his self-improvement was to focus on each virtue he wanted to acquire and make incremental improvements by noticing his behavior each day. He focused on one virtue each week. Listed below are the 13 virtues he settled on.

1. Temperance - Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

2. Silence - Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

3. Order - Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

4. Resolution - Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

5. Frugality - Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

6. Industry - Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

7. Sincerity - Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

8. Justice - Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

9. Moderation - Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

10. Cleanliness - Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.

11. Tranquility - Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

12. Chastity - Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.

13. Humility - imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Commit yourself to using Ben Franklin's method four times over the course of the next year (52 weeks) and then once a year thereafter to keep on track throughout your lifetime.

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Post inspired by the Ultimate Success Program and Og Mandino's University of Success.

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One Thing That Can Make the Difference Between Quitting and Persevering

"No matter how carefully you plan your goals they will never be more than pipe dreams unless you pursue them with gusto."

What's the big difference between the person who perseveres and the person who quits?

Enthusiasm!

The Greek heritage of the word enthusiasm literally means "God within you". No one has ever succeeded without being enthusiastic, full of spirit, hope and action.

Enthusiasm creates the emotional charge that can help you overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges and obstacles. Use enthusiasm to achieve your goals, eliminate undesirable habits, engage in thinking and planning, and develop a positive mental attitude.

NOTE: a motivational secret weapon for self-starting is the powerful 3-word phrase DO IT NOW! Say this to yourself and then immediately get into action (or annotate specifically when you will do it).

If you want to feel enthusiastic, act enthusiastically. This is not the same as "fake it until you make it". Remember that your feelings follow your actions. Be enthusiastic!

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Post inspired by the Ultimate Success Program and Og Mandino's University of Success.

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