Ken Poirot's Blog - Posts Tagged "goal"
IMPORTANT: My most important epiphany and message for others...
Epiphany: What Makes Someone Successful?
I had an epiphany last night that will transform your life...
I discovered the most important reason some people are successful and some people are not successful.
There is one fundamental difference, one simple distinction between the most important, successful leaders and historical figures in the world compared to the average person...one common characteristic that made them successful.
The good news is...once you have the answer, you will be well on your path to achieving the success in life you dream about.
Additionally, this answer is simple to implement and act upon. I will walk you through that step, taking action, later here in this blog.
I am even willing to say, this is the one piece of information that will be the reason you finally find success in life, once you take action on it.
Additional 1.5 Years of Thought
It has been almost a year since I published (almost 1.5 years since I completed writing), Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement.
Mentor Me was written to provide a real-world, practical (not just theoretical like so many books) guide for people to take positive action in life. It delivers tools to help people achieve their definition of ultimate success, in a concise, easy-to-read, and easy-to-implement package.
Many deeper themes are also written into Mentor Me in order to stimulate profound thoughts about life...some of these themes are subtle and some are not-so-subtle.
Within its pages are the mindset, exercises, and useful tools to help people on their journey to fulfill their Greatest Achievement (GA).
The Thought Process to The Answer
First a few questions, then I will provide the answer to what makes someone successful.
You deserve to have the answer and to achieve the success you dream of in life.
I will ask you for something in return...share this blog and this information with others.
Please help someone else achieve their dreams and their definition of success in life.
My Question for You
Who are you and what is most important to you in life?
In other words, how do you define yourself and your life?
This seems like a very fundamental question. Yet, if I asked you this question in person right now, could you communicate your answer succinctly and effectively?
Try it right now. Please write down...how do you define yourself and your life?
I am guessing you are just like most of the people to whom I have posed that question...you are struggling with a concise definition of you.
The Answer
Having a deep-rooted knowledge, conviction, and belief of yourself, who you are and what is important to you, is the fundamental basis of focusing your life for success.
This is the biggest difference between those who are successful in life and those who are not.
Think of the most successful person you know...either someone personally or someone you admire; a contemporary or someone from history.
Think of the qualities that person exhibits or exhibited in history. They have a "presence" when they enter a room. People are naturally attracted to them, want to follow them, and to be a part of their lives. Why?
...because this person knows who they are, they can define themselves, and concisely, effectively communicate that definition to others.
They have a direction in life and people want to follow them because it is our human nature to want to be a part of something bigger than us.
We all want to be in the presence of success, greatness, and inspirational leadership. It is our innate constitution to want to achieve, or be a part of something remarkable, earth-shattering, and truly great.
Everyone wants to have a greater purpose in life. Exceptional, charismatic leaders exude confidence and attract followers who believe in them. Their followers believe they will be taken to a place of greatest achievement in life, well above what they could have achieved on their own.
It all starts with defining yourself, having a solid, foundational belief in who you are, what is important to you, and the ability to communicate that effectively to others.
Once you can define yourself, radiate the confidence and belief in who you are, where you are going in life, and concisely, effectively communicate this to others...people will follow you and help you achieve your definition of success.
The X Factor
Last night I realized, that is the difference between great leaders throughout history and the rest of the population.
Some call it the "X Factor." Yet, to my knowledge, no one has succinctly defined the "X Factor" and told you how to construct your own "X Factor"...until today.
Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Alexander the Great, George Washington, Mohatma Gahndi, Mother Teresa, Jesus Christ, etc... all the great and historically relevant leaders in the world:
If you asked any of them, they could answer that question, how do you define yourself and your life?
Any one of them could readily define themselves, radiate confidence in their belief of that definition, and concisely communicate that definition effectively to others.
Deliberately I used diverse names from varied backgrounds, such as, innovative business leaders, nation or empire builders, names synonymous with peace and love, and religious leaders in my example above to make a point...you define you.
Whatever defines you and is most important to you is up to you.
Your definition may be with respect to your profession, your business, your community, your family, your religion, etc...
...it can be anything as long as it is yours and you define it. Your definition of you and your purpose of being is yours to decide and yours alone, which leads me to my next point:
Define Yourself; Do Not Let Others Define You
Once you have constructed your definition of you, you believe it with conviction, and you can communicate it effectively to others...then nothing anyone else says can truly harm you.
Your definition of you is like a suit of armor protecting you in the battles of every day life.
Once you have this deep-rooted belief and understanding of who you are and what is most important to you, then anything anyone else says to you outside of this definition cannot penetrate the emotional armor you have donned.
Anything anyone says will bounce off and be discarded by your conscious and subconscious mind if it is not congruent, or in alignment with, your deep-rooted conviction of your definition of you.
As I wrote in Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement, there is constructive and destructive criticism.
When you have a firm belief and definition of yourself, you can easily shrug off any destructive criticism of you, with the true knowledge and belief it is not accurate, or worthy of a second thought from you.
Your definition of you is like an impenetrable tank, protecting you every second of each day from words of jealousy, hatred, bullying, or abuse.
You Will Be Unstoppable In Achieving Success
By establishing your definition of you, you will attract people to you who will reinforce your positive self image.
People will want to help, nurture, and follow you, while you ward off and repel those who want to harm you, or feed you destructive criticism.
Furthermore, your definition of you will provide you the confidence, direction, and focus in life to achieve your greatest accomplishments.
It will be the guiding principal for your life, directing you to success and making course corrections to your targeted goals like an unstoppable, guided missile.
Some people define themselves through their profession, career, family, relationships, affiliation with groups, church, religion, etc... your definition is completely individualized and it will encompass all that is most important to you.
So how do you physically, concisely, and effectively do this? How do you define yourself and your life? How do you write this down in a way that is easily communicated to others?
Define You: The IBT Model
Last night I came up with a model, or framework, to help people define themselves, write it down, and concisely, effectively communicate this definition to others; I call it the IBT Model.
Write down on a piece of paper the following three words, leaving space between them so you can fill in the blanks.
Write:
I
By
Through
Then think about how you will define you and what is most important to you:
"I" is who you are.
"By" states how you accomplish who you are and your life purpose in relation to you.
"Through" states what medium you use to accomplish your life purpose.
So take some time right now, think about you, your life, and what is most important to you.
As I wrote in Mentor Me, "Something magical happens when we put down what we want on a piece of paper, verbalize it, visualize it, define it, and allow ourselves to experience it…We can program ourselves to have it!"
Your Definition of You in Writing
Write it down, believe it with conviction, and communicate it effectively to others.
I will share what I wrote last night as my definition of me as an example:
"I help people define and achieve their definition of success by providing information, motivation, and inspiration through writing books and coaching."
The people I help can be friends, family, a member of a group I am affiliated with, someone in my community, etc...anyone. It is an all encompassing definition of me.
In order to easily share this with others, I created a photo quote which is located here:
https://www.goodreads.com/photo/autho...
Once you write down your definition of you, refer to it each day. It will be the guiding force for your life, your being, and drive you toward success.
Having this written statement, your deeply-rooted definition of you, is the difference between the greatest leaders and historical figures of all time versus the average person.
You now have the foundation to truly achieve your definition of success.
Help Others and Continue Your Journey
Share this blog with others, help them define themselves, and take the next step...map out your blueprint to achieve your dreams.
In Mentor Me, I assemble the exercises and tools to help people define and achieve their lifelong goal(s), their Greatest Achievement (GA).
After all, you have seen my definition of me:
"I help people define and achieve their definition of success by providing information, motivation, and inspiration through writing books and coaching."
Now that you have your definition of you, pick up a copy of Mentor Me and continue your journey:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPGM28C
Continue on your path to achieving your definition of success...your Greatest Achievement (GA).
Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement
Ken Poirot
Warmly,
Ken Poirot
I had an epiphany last night that will transform your life...
I discovered the most important reason some people are successful and some people are not successful.
There is one fundamental difference, one simple distinction between the most important, successful leaders and historical figures in the world compared to the average person...one common characteristic that made them successful.
The good news is...once you have the answer, you will be well on your path to achieving the success in life you dream about.
Additionally, this answer is simple to implement and act upon. I will walk you through that step, taking action, later here in this blog.
I am even willing to say, this is the one piece of information that will be the reason you finally find success in life, once you take action on it.
Additional 1.5 Years of Thought
It has been almost a year since I published (almost 1.5 years since I completed writing), Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement.
Mentor Me was written to provide a real-world, practical (not just theoretical like so many books) guide for people to take positive action in life. It delivers tools to help people achieve their definition of ultimate success, in a concise, easy-to-read, and easy-to-implement package.
Many deeper themes are also written into Mentor Me in order to stimulate profound thoughts about life...some of these themes are subtle and some are not-so-subtle.
Within its pages are the mindset, exercises, and useful tools to help people on their journey to fulfill their Greatest Achievement (GA).
The Thought Process to The Answer
First a few questions, then I will provide the answer to what makes someone successful.
You deserve to have the answer and to achieve the success you dream of in life.
I will ask you for something in return...share this blog and this information with others.
Please help someone else achieve their dreams and their definition of success in life.
My Question for You
Who are you and what is most important to you in life?
In other words, how do you define yourself and your life?
This seems like a very fundamental question. Yet, if I asked you this question in person right now, could you communicate your answer succinctly and effectively?
Try it right now. Please write down...how do you define yourself and your life?
I am guessing you are just like most of the people to whom I have posed that question...you are struggling with a concise definition of you.
The Answer
Having a deep-rooted knowledge, conviction, and belief of yourself, who you are and what is important to you, is the fundamental basis of focusing your life for success.
This is the biggest difference between those who are successful in life and those who are not.
Think of the most successful person you know...either someone personally or someone you admire; a contemporary or someone from history.
Think of the qualities that person exhibits or exhibited in history. They have a "presence" when they enter a room. People are naturally attracted to them, want to follow them, and to be a part of their lives. Why?
...because this person knows who they are, they can define themselves, and concisely, effectively communicate that definition to others.
They have a direction in life and people want to follow them because it is our human nature to want to be a part of something bigger than us.
We all want to be in the presence of success, greatness, and inspirational leadership. It is our innate constitution to want to achieve, or be a part of something remarkable, earth-shattering, and truly great.
Everyone wants to have a greater purpose in life. Exceptional, charismatic leaders exude confidence and attract followers who believe in them. Their followers believe they will be taken to a place of greatest achievement in life, well above what they could have achieved on their own.
It all starts with defining yourself, having a solid, foundational belief in who you are, what is important to you, and the ability to communicate that effectively to others.
Once you can define yourself, radiate the confidence and belief in who you are, where you are going in life, and concisely, effectively communicate this to others...people will follow you and help you achieve your definition of success.
The X Factor
Last night I realized, that is the difference between great leaders throughout history and the rest of the population.
Some call it the "X Factor." Yet, to my knowledge, no one has succinctly defined the "X Factor" and told you how to construct your own "X Factor"...until today.
Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Alexander the Great, George Washington, Mohatma Gahndi, Mother Teresa, Jesus Christ, etc... all the great and historically relevant leaders in the world:
If you asked any of them, they could answer that question, how do you define yourself and your life?
Any one of them could readily define themselves, radiate confidence in their belief of that definition, and concisely communicate that definition effectively to others.
Deliberately I used diverse names from varied backgrounds, such as, innovative business leaders, nation or empire builders, names synonymous with peace and love, and religious leaders in my example above to make a point...you define you.
Whatever defines you and is most important to you is up to you.
Your definition may be with respect to your profession, your business, your community, your family, your religion, etc...
...it can be anything as long as it is yours and you define it. Your definition of you and your purpose of being is yours to decide and yours alone, which leads me to my next point:
Define Yourself; Do Not Let Others Define You
Once you have constructed your definition of you, you believe it with conviction, and you can communicate it effectively to others...then nothing anyone else says can truly harm you.
Your definition of you is like a suit of armor protecting you in the battles of every day life.
Once you have this deep-rooted belief and understanding of who you are and what is most important to you, then anything anyone else says to you outside of this definition cannot penetrate the emotional armor you have donned.
Anything anyone says will bounce off and be discarded by your conscious and subconscious mind if it is not congruent, or in alignment with, your deep-rooted conviction of your definition of you.
As I wrote in Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement, there is constructive and destructive criticism.
When you have a firm belief and definition of yourself, you can easily shrug off any destructive criticism of you, with the true knowledge and belief it is not accurate, or worthy of a second thought from you.
Your definition of you is like an impenetrable tank, protecting you every second of each day from words of jealousy, hatred, bullying, or abuse.
You Will Be Unstoppable In Achieving Success
By establishing your definition of you, you will attract people to you who will reinforce your positive self image.
People will want to help, nurture, and follow you, while you ward off and repel those who want to harm you, or feed you destructive criticism.
Furthermore, your definition of you will provide you the confidence, direction, and focus in life to achieve your greatest accomplishments.
It will be the guiding principal for your life, directing you to success and making course corrections to your targeted goals like an unstoppable, guided missile.
Some people define themselves through their profession, career, family, relationships, affiliation with groups, church, religion, etc... your definition is completely individualized and it will encompass all that is most important to you.
So how do you physically, concisely, and effectively do this? How do you define yourself and your life? How do you write this down in a way that is easily communicated to others?
Define You: The IBT Model
Last night I came up with a model, or framework, to help people define themselves, write it down, and concisely, effectively communicate this definition to others; I call it the IBT Model.
Write down on a piece of paper the following three words, leaving space between them so you can fill in the blanks.
Write:
I
By
Through
Then think about how you will define you and what is most important to you:
"I" is who you are.
"By" states how you accomplish who you are and your life purpose in relation to you.
"Through" states what medium you use to accomplish your life purpose.
So take some time right now, think about you, your life, and what is most important to you.
As I wrote in Mentor Me, "Something magical happens when we put down what we want on a piece of paper, verbalize it, visualize it, define it, and allow ourselves to experience it…We can program ourselves to have it!"
Your Definition of You in Writing
Write it down, believe it with conviction, and communicate it effectively to others.
I will share what I wrote last night as my definition of me as an example:
"I help people define and achieve their definition of success by providing information, motivation, and inspiration through writing books and coaching."
The people I help can be friends, family, a member of a group I am affiliated with, someone in my community, etc...anyone. It is an all encompassing definition of me.
In order to easily share this with others, I created a photo quote which is located here:
https://www.goodreads.com/photo/autho...
Once you write down your definition of you, refer to it each day. It will be the guiding force for your life, your being, and drive you toward success.
Having this written statement, your deeply-rooted definition of you, is the difference between the greatest leaders and historical figures of all time versus the average person.
You now have the foundation to truly achieve your definition of success.
Help Others and Continue Your Journey
Share this blog with others, help them define themselves, and take the next step...map out your blueprint to achieve your dreams.
In Mentor Me, I assemble the exercises and tools to help people define and achieve their lifelong goal(s), their Greatest Achievement (GA).
After all, you have seen my definition of me:
"I help people define and achieve their definition of success by providing information, motivation, and inspiration through writing books and coaching."
Now that you have your definition of you, pick up a copy of Mentor Me and continue your journey:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPGM28C
Continue on your path to achieving your definition of success...your Greatest Achievement (GA).
Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement
Ken Poirot
Warmly,
Ken Poirot
Memorial Day: Lessons from Soldiers, D-Day, and Success...
Have the Courage to Take Action
How many of us are paralyzed by fear?
The fear of the unknown, the fear of failure, or the fear of getting hurt in relationships, just to name a few fears many people experience.
The result of fear: if we succumb to it and allow it to dictate the direction of our lives, then we are guaranteed to never achieve our dreams.
Taking action requires courage: the courage to commit to a goal or dream. The courage to plan for success and follow that plan. The courage to overcome obstacles along the way to success and repel any naysayers we may encounter along the way. The courage to overcome the inertia in our lives caused by the fear of failure or the fear of getting hurt.
The amazing thing about taking action to achieve your dreams is the reaction from others. You will encounter people along the way who will tell you that you can never achieve your dreams. Or even worse, you may encounter those who try to tear you down or undermine your efforts on the road to achievement.
As I wrote in Mentor Me, "The same people who told you what you can and cannot do are only saying that because they gave up on their dreams."
Two Crabs in a Bucket
There are two types of people in this world: those who will support you in your goals and dreams, and those who won't (including those who may even attempt to block or sabotage your efforts).
It is important to surround yourself with people who will give you positive support and cheer you on. Equally important is to separate yourself from those who try to beat you down, hold you back, or undermine you in life.
There is an old adage about crabs in a bucket that illustrates this point.
As the story goes, if you put one crab in a bucket it will easily crawl out.
...but, if you put two crabs in a bucket, the second crab will clamp its claw(s) onto the leg(s) of the crab attempting to crawl out of the bucket. Therefore, the second crab will actively hinder the first crab from escaping the bucket.
The end result is neither crab will be able to crawl out of the bucket.
"Crawling out of the bucket" is a metaphor for getting ahead in life, or achieving your goals and dreams.
The moral of the story: rid your life of any crab(s) who might hold you back and/or keep you from getting out of your bucket (achieving your goals and dreams).
Soldiers Exemplify Taking Action in the Face of Fear
So why do some people take action even though they experience fear, while others are so paralyzed by fear they quit or do not take action in the first place?
...or a better question, how can someone learn to take action in the face of experiencing fear?
I believe the answer to this question is best exemplified by the courage of our soldiers while encountering severe opposition and the real specter of death.
Soldiers come from every cross section of our society and they are taught to take action in the face of fear. They learn to control their panic in war situations which would prevent most people from moving forward; soldiers make decision/take action in circumstances which the average person would be paralyzed by extreme fear into quitting or inaction.
The good news then is this: the average person can learn to take action in spite of fear.
In other words, this is a behavior we can all acquire...the ability to take action in the face of fear!
The D-Day Invasion
First, I would like to take a moment to commemorate and remember all the soldiers, veterans, and our current, active military personnel this Memorial Day. All of these individuals are heroes in my mind.
Anyone who serves our country and is willing to give their life for the United States deserves our thanks and respect.
Likewise, any soldier who has fallen in battle should be honored for giving the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.
I am using just one example of the heroism of our soldiers here, the D-Day Invasion, because it is an illustration for which most of us have studied or have a powerful visualization due to all the photos taken of this particular battle.
One cannot imagine the fear and terror soldiers engaged in the D-Day Invasion must have felt while riding in their transport ships to the shores of Normandy, France.
Listening to the seemingly infinite rounds of machine gun fire hitting the ramps of their transport ships, while waiting for those same ramps to be lowered to the sea, guaranteeing death to those stationed in the front of their ships.
As the ramps came down, rows of soldiers were struck and killed before they could even take one step into the ocean.
Soldiers behind them had to crawl over their wounded, dead, and bleeding buddies in order to get into the sea. Then push forward onto the beaches targeted by more machine gun fire, bombs, booby traps, and razor wire.
Sheer chaos and almost certain death enveloped these soldiers in the fog of war, smoke, explosions, and the screams of the fallen. Yet, through all this horror, the pieces of friends and fellow soldiers surrounding them, they still moved forward.
What we forget is, with all the planning that went into the D-Day Invasion and the 160,000 troops that took part in this operation: success was not guaranteed.
The price was high as more than 9,000 Allied soldiers died during this mission.
How can the average person develop courage?
So how can the average person be transformed into an heroic and courageous soldier?
Our soldiers had the courage to take action, to be brave in the face of the unfathomable hell that greeted them on the beaches of Normandy. Against all odds, almost impossible to imagine circumstances, and sheer terror, our soldiers showed unimaginable courage.
What can we learn from our soldiers and their heroism? What can we learn from their courage and how can we use their example to change our lives?
We can break this down into three steps the average person can use to overcome fear and take action in their lives, namely:
1) Commit to the Mission/Commit to No Return (Vision)
2) Implement Training and Practice (Planning)
3) Manifest Belief and Expectation (Execution)
Have Vision and Commit to "Death Ground"
It starts with having a vision and committing 100% to the achievement of that vision no matter what obstacles are encountered.
As General Dwight D Eisenhower said about the D-Day Invasion, "We will accept nothing less than full victory.” This same commitment was communicated throughout the ranks to every soldier under General Eisenhower's command.
This vision and commitment of our leaders/generals to the D-Day Invasion put 100% of those 160,000 troops into harms way with the only acceptable outcome: full victory (the outcome could have been complete annihilation or failure).
Looking back at the invasion it is easy to forget since we were victorious: the outcome could have been much different.
Heading into that day, no one could guarantee victory...failure and the complete loss of all 160,000 troops was one possible result of the D-Day Invasion.
Another illustration of complete commitment was written by Sun Tzu in The Art of War. He wrote of this complete commitment to moving forward and no return as creating "death ground." This "death ground" is defined as a place where an army is backed up against some geographical feature like a mountain, a river, ocean, or a forest which offers no possible escape route.
Per Sun Tzu, without a way to retreat (a complete commitment to move forward) an army fights with double or triple the spirit compared to combat on open terrain, precisely because death is viscerally present. The soldier has no choice except fight ferociously to live or die!
Sun Tzu advocated deliberately stationing soldiers on "death ground" to give them an edge of desperation which transforms people to fight like they never have before.
Our generals undoubtedly studied Sun Tzu and used this principal in the Normandy invasion. Our soldiers were shipped to the shores of Normandy and had no alternative for escape.
There was nowhere to hide in the waves of the sea where our soldiers were sitting targets for German bombs and machine guns. They were placed on "death ground" and they had no choice but to fight their way forward just for a chance to live.
Implement Training and Practice: Planning
So how can you take the average person who becomes a soldier and turn them into a hero who takes action in the face of fear?
For our soldiers it comes down to their training and practice. The constant drills, basic training, and live fire exercises. Getting used to the feel, sounds, sights, and smells of battle. The smoke, explosions, machine gun fire, and even the screams associated with the fallen.
These drills also expose soldiers to the mental, emotional, and physical stress of fatigue and adrenaline experienced in combat. They are designed as a total assault on the senses while teaching soldiers to maintain discipline, follow orders, control their actions, and press on while experiencing fear.
This training and practice helps to condition our soldiers for the terror they will experience in war. In other words, they undergo a great deal of planning for combat.
What we can learn from this is to plan for the fulfillment of our goals and dreams. Whatever your craft, practicing your craft, and training your skills for success are necessary. Also necessary is maintaining the control and discipline to follow the plan through the mental, physical, and emotional stresses along the way.
Above and beyond this practice and exercise, making a written plan (which also strengthens your commitment to that plan) is crucial for success. Additionally, pursuit of any goal or dream requires a total cohesive physical, mental, and spiritual vision and commitment to its achievement; never taking your eyes off the target and continually focusing (and refocusing) your thoughts on the achievement of that vision.
This is why I dedicated various chapters of Mentor Me to information/exercises designed to commit mentally, physically, and emotionally to creating a blueprint for goal achievement, as well as providing tools for garnering support on the path to success.
It is also why these same chapters are constructed to solidify the belief and expectation of success.
Manifest Belief and Expectation: Execution
As stated in the Bible, Matthew 17:20, "Jesus said to them, Because of your unbelief: for truly I say to you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you."
The above passage is typically summarized as "With faith you can move mountains." When you have a deep-rooted faith (belief) and expectation of success, you are much more likely to achieve success.
Dwight D Eisenhower, our leaders, Allied generals, and our soldiers were all 100% committed to the vision of success of the D-Day Invasion. They trained, exercised, and planned for victory. Additionally, they believed in the mission and they expected to succeed.
This belief and expectation permeated all who executed this plan, from the leaders at the top down to the foot soldiers who carried out the invasion. All executed this D-Day Invasion plan with a deep-rooted vision, commitment, belief, and expectation of "full victory."
These were the thoughts I had when I penned the phrase, "Take Action: Success is not guaranteed but inaction will guaranty failure." For this reason, I purposefully chose a famous photo from the D-Day Invasion to illustrate this quote, which can be seen here at the link below:
https://www.goodreads.com/photo/autho...
Remember the sacrifice of our soldiers and fallen heroes today, this Memorial Day. Also remember to take action to achieve your goals and dreams on the way to transforming your life. Yes, taking action cannot guarantee success...but inaction will guaranty failure.
Remember, you can acquire the ability to take action to achieve your goals and dreams, even if you experience fear, by following these three steps:
1) Commit to the Mission/Commit to No Return (Vision)
2) Implement Training and Practice (Planning)
3) Manifest Belief and Expectation (Execution)
Have the courage to take action and live your life to the fullest in pursuit of your goals and dreams!
Have a great Memorial Day!
Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement
Ken Poirot
Warmly,
Ken Poirot
How many of us are paralyzed by fear?
The fear of the unknown, the fear of failure, or the fear of getting hurt in relationships, just to name a few fears many people experience.
The result of fear: if we succumb to it and allow it to dictate the direction of our lives, then we are guaranteed to never achieve our dreams.
Taking action requires courage: the courage to commit to a goal or dream. The courage to plan for success and follow that plan. The courage to overcome obstacles along the way to success and repel any naysayers we may encounter along the way. The courage to overcome the inertia in our lives caused by the fear of failure or the fear of getting hurt.
The amazing thing about taking action to achieve your dreams is the reaction from others. You will encounter people along the way who will tell you that you can never achieve your dreams. Or even worse, you may encounter those who try to tear you down or undermine your efforts on the road to achievement.
As I wrote in Mentor Me, "The same people who told you what you can and cannot do are only saying that because they gave up on their dreams."
Two Crabs in a Bucket
There are two types of people in this world: those who will support you in your goals and dreams, and those who won't (including those who may even attempt to block or sabotage your efforts).
It is important to surround yourself with people who will give you positive support and cheer you on. Equally important is to separate yourself from those who try to beat you down, hold you back, or undermine you in life.
There is an old adage about crabs in a bucket that illustrates this point.
As the story goes, if you put one crab in a bucket it will easily crawl out.
...but, if you put two crabs in a bucket, the second crab will clamp its claw(s) onto the leg(s) of the crab attempting to crawl out of the bucket. Therefore, the second crab will actively hinder the first crab from escaping the bucket.
The end result is neither crab will be able to crawl out of the bucket.
"Crawling out of the bucket" is a metaphor for getting ahead in life, or achieving your goals and dreams.
The moral of the story: rid your life of any crab(s) who might hold you back and/or keep you from getting out of your bucket (achieving your goals and dreams).
Soldiers Exemplify Taking Action in the Face of Fear
So why do some people take action even though they experience fear, while others are so paralyzed by fear they quit or do not take action in the first place?
...or a better question, how can someone learn to take action in the face of experiencing fear?
I believe the answer to this question is best exemplified by the courage of our soldiers while encountering severe opposition and the real specter of death.
Soldiers come from every cross section of our society and they are taught to take action in the face of fear. They learn to control their panic in war situations which would prevent most people from moving forward; soldiers make decision/take action in circumstances which the average person would be paralyzed by extreme fear into quitting or inaction.
The good news then is this: the average person can learn to take action in spite of fear.
In other words, this is a behavior we can all acquire...the ability to take action in the face of fear!
The D-Day Invasion
First, I would like to take a moment to commemorate and remember all the soldiers, veterans, and our current, active military personnel this Memorial Day. All of these individuals are heroes in my mind.
Anyone who serves our country and is willing to give their life for the United States deserves our thanks and respect.
Likewise, any soldier who has fallen in battle should be honored for giving the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.
I am using just one example of the heroism of our soldiers here, the D-Day Invasion, because it is an illustration for which most of us have studied or have a powerful visualization due to all the photos taken of this particular battle.
One cannot imagine the fear and terror soldiers engaged in the D-Day Invasion must have felt while riding in their transport ships to the shores of Normandy, France.
Listening to the seemingly infinite rounds of machine gun fire hitting the ramps of their transport ships, while waiting for those same ramps to be lowered to the sea, guaranteeing death to those stationed in the front of their ships.
As the ramps came down, rows of soldiers were struck and killed before they could even take one step into the ocean.
Soldiers behind them had to crawl over their wounded, dead, and bleeding buddies in order to get into the sea. Then push forward onto the beaches targeted by more machine gun fire, bombs, booby traps, and razor wire.
Sheer chaos and almost certain death enveloped these soldiers in the fog of war, smoke, explosions, and the screams of the fallen. Yet, through all this horror, the pieces of friends and fellow soldiers surrounding them, they still moved forward.
What we forget is, with all the planning that went into the D-Day Invasion and the 160,000 troops that took part in this operation: success was not guaranteed.
The price was high as more than 9,000 Allied soldiers died during this mission.
How can the average person develop courage?
So how can the average person be transformed into an heroic and courageous soldier?
Our soldiers had the courage to take action, to be brave in the face of the unfathomable hell that greeted them on the beaches of Normandy. Against all odds, almost impossible to imagine circumstances, and sheer terror, our soldiers showed unimaginable courage.
What can we learn from our soldiers and their heroism? What can we learn from their courage and how can we use their example to change our lives?
We can break this down into three steps the average person can use to overcome fear and take action in their lives, namely:
1) Commit to the Mission/Commit to No Return (Vision)
2) Implement Training and Practice (Planning)
3) Manifest Belief and Expectation (Execution)
Have Vision and Commit to "Death Ground"
It starts with having a vision and committing 100% to the achievement of that vision no matter what obstacles are encountered.
As General Dwight D Eisenhower said about the D-Day Invasion, "We will accept nothing less than full victory.” This same commitment was communicated throughout the ranks to every soldier under General Eisenhower's command.
This vision and commitment of our leaders/generals to the D-Day Invasion put 100% of those 160,000 troops into harms way with the only acceptable outcome: full victory (the outcome could have been complete annihilation or failure).
Looking back at the invasion it is easy to forget since we were victorious: the outcome could have been much different.
Heading into that day, no one could guarantee victory...failure and the complete loss of all 160,000 troops was one possible result of the D-Day Invasion.
Another illustration of complete commitment was written by Sun Tzu in The Art of War. He wrote of this complete commitment to moving forward and no return as creating "death ground." This "death ground" is defined as a place where an army is backed up against some geographical feature like a mountain, a river, ocean, or a forest which offers no possible escape route.
Per Sun Tzu, without a way to retreat (a complete commitment to move forward) an army fights with double or triple the spirit compared to combat on open terrain, precisely because death is viscerally present. The soldier has no choice except fight ferociously to live or die!
Sun Tzu advocated deliberately stationing soldiers on "death ground" to give them an edge of desperation which transforms people to fight like they never have before.
Our generals undoubtedly studied Sun Tzu and used this principal in the Normandy invasion. Our soldiers were shipped to the shores of Normandy and had no alternative for escape.
There was nowhere to hide in the waves of the sea where our soldiers were sitting targets for German bombs and machine guns. They were placed on "death ground" and they had no choice but to fight their way forward just for a chance to live.
Implement Training and Practice: Planning
So how can you take the average person who becomes a soldier and turn them into a hero who takes action in the face of fear?
For our soldiers it comes down to their training and practice. The constant drills, basic training, and live fire exercises. Getting used to the feel, sounds, sights, and smells of battle. The smoke, explosions, machine gun fire, and even the screams associated with the fallen.
These drills also expose soldiers to the mental, emotional, and physical stress of fatigue and adrenaline experienced in combat. They are designed as a total assault on the senses while teaching soldiers to maintain discipline, follow orders, control their actions, and press on while experiencing fear.
This training and practice helps to condition our soldiers for the terror they will experience in war. In other words, they undergo a great deal of planning for combat.
What we can learn from this is to plan for the fulfillment of our goals and dreams. Whatever your craft, practicing your craft, and training your skills for success are necessary. Also necessary is maintaining the control and discipline to follow the plan through the mental, physical, and emotional stresses along the way.
Above and beyond this practice and exercise, making a written plan (which also strengthens your commitment to that plan) is crucial for success. Additionally, pursuit of any goal or dream requires a total cohesive physical, mental, and spiritual vision and commitment to its achievement; never taking your eyes off the target and continually focusing (and refocusing) your thoughts on the achievement of that vision.
This is why I dedicated various chapters of Mentor Me to information/exercises designed to commit mentally, physically, and emotionally to creating a blueprint for goal achievement, as well as providing tools for garnering support on the path to success.
It is also why these same chapters are constructed to solidify the belief and expectation of success.
Manifest Belief and Expectation: Execution
As stated in the Bible, Matthew 17:20, "Jesus said to them, Because of your unbelief: for truly I say to you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you."
The above passage is typically summarized as "With faith you can move mountains." When you have a deep-rooted faith (belief) and expectation of success, you are much more likely to achieve success.
Dwight D Eisenhower, our leaders, Allied generals, and our soldiers were all 100% committed to the vision of success of the D-Day Invasion. They trained, exercised, and planned for victory. Additionally, they believed in the mission and they expected to succeed.
This belief and expectation permeated all who executed this plan, from the leaders at the top down to the foot soldiers who carried out the invasion. All executed this D-Day Invasion plan with a deep-rooted vision, commitment, belief, and expectation of "full victory."
These were the thoughts I had when I penned the phrase, "Take Action: Success is not guaranteed but inaction will guaranty failure." For this reason, I purposefully chose a famous photo from the D-Day Invasion to illustrate this quote, which can be seen here at the link below:
https://www.goodreads.com/photo/autho...
Remember the sacrifice of our soldiers and fallen heroes today, this Memorial Day. Also remember to take action to achieve your goals and dreams on the way to transforming your life. Yes, taking action cannot guarantee success...but inaction will guaranty failure.
Remember, you can acquire the ability to take action to achieve your goals and dreams, even if you experience fear, by following these three steps:
1) Commit to the Mission/Commit to No Return (Vision)
2) Implement Training and Practice (Planning)
3) Manifest Belief and Expectation (Execution)
Have the courage to take action and live your life to the fullest in pursuit of your goals and dreams!
Have a great Memorial Day!
Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement
Ken Poirot
Warmly,
Ken Poirot
The Three Keys to Success...
The Three Keys to Success in Mentor Me
I discovered a pattern while working with (and studying) successful people throughout my lifetime, including almost twenty years in the financial services industry.
This pattern revealed successful people use a common core skill set in order to obtain success. In addition, I realized this information could be assembled, taught, and learned.
I call this core skill set: the three keys to success.
So what are these three keys to success and how can you use them to transform your life?
Success is unlocked by the proper implementation of these three keys :
1) Goal Setting
2) Time Management
3) Life Skills
The following graphic summarizes this concept:
https://www.goodreads.com/photo/autho...
Properly use these three keys and anyone can transform their life!
Specifically, the benefits are the following:
- Goal Setting helps people get focused
- Time Management helps people be focused
- Life Skills help people stay focused
With this in mind, Mentor Me methodically walks readers through utilizing these three critical keys in order to create their definition of success.
Over the years I read a myriad of books on these topics, many of which seemed condescending, painfully boring, and/or theoretical. For these reasons, Mentor Me favors a different approach.
It has been described by readers as conversational, interactive, and fun, even with some "smile moments" thrown in for good measure.
Additionally, Mentor Me is designed so readers will benefit as they finish and implement each section of the book, producing an immediate, positive impact on their lives!
Goal Setting: Get Focused
Goal Setting is the first key to achieving success. It is important to define and structure goals, but to do so starting with a completely open mind.
As I wrote in Mentor Me, "Let's face it, the more time we have lived in this world, often the more jaded we become. Remember what life was like before someone ever told you, 'No...you can't?""
"...Children know no limits or boundaries. It is only through society and others telling us what we can and cannot do, what we can and cannot achieve, what we can or cannot accomplish in life, that we shrink or compress our beliefs in what we can achieve.
Ask yourself, what really changed in you from that time in your life, your childhood, when you knew no boundaries or limits? What changed in you when you were a child who dreamed and fantasized about the life you wanted someday?
You will find nothing changed except your beliefs, most likely due to what others and society told you. The only thing that really changed was your belief in yourself and what you believed you could do with your life."
"...It is time to believe again, to believe in yourself and the truth.
You have no boundaries in what you can achieve. "
For this reason, Mentor Me is designed to expand horizons once again, opening readers minds to the realization they are in control of their lives and therefore, their ultimate success.
Chapter I is a guide through this thought process, to help readers get focused by covering how to:
- Start with no structure –“…dream BIG like a child.”
- Visualize the life they want (their Greatest Achievement)
- Add structure to define goals (Elements of a goal, SMART)
Time Management: Be Focused
Mentor Me demonstrates how to directly use time management (be focused) in order to achieve the specific goals readers target for themselves.
It also covers time management in a novel way, using time-tested, real-world strategies, including one exclusively devised by me.
In chapter II, readers set up their blueprint to achieve their own definition of success by learning to:
- Focus their Time (T) and Energy (E) with their goals in mind
- Set up a weekly calendar to move one step closer to goal achievement
- Schedule most important activities ("Big Rocks") first
- Avoid burnout (“High Impact and Low Impact Days Strategy")
Life Skills: Stay Focused
Finally, I realized in addition to the first two keys to success, the most successful people have better-developed life skills than the average person.
These highly-developed life skills help successful people stay focused on their quest to achieve their goals.
This section of Mentor Me contains the tools necessary to stay on track, beginning with a chapter titled, "Understanding Personality Styles."
A deeper understanding of one's own personality style, as well as how one can best relate to other people, is a fundamental building block to help gain and keep others' support on the road to success.
Chapter III includes a personality style quiz and information that readers (and a professional reviewer) have said is one of the most beneficial (and fun) chapters of the book.
Within the life skills chapters, readers learn how to:
- Better understand themselves and relate/communicate more effectively with others
- Absorb new information in less time
- Motivate themselves and others
- Cope with life’s unexpected Situations
- Handle conflict and inspire others
Mentor Me is written to keep readers coming back, referring to it as a helpful guide.
For those readers who are searching for more profound themes, many of these have also been woven into the fabric of Mentor Me.
Some of these themes are subtle while some are not so subtle.
This is truly a book readers can enjoy over and over again on many different levels.
Find out why some have called Mentor Me, "revolutionary" and why it has been quoted around the world!
Enjoy the practicality of the three keys to success, how to use them to transform your life, and the book's deeper themes in pursuit of your goals.
Pick up your copy of Mentor Me here today:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPGM28C
Use the three keys to success, based upon a lifetime of work, delivered with practical, real-world experience, packaged concisely into Mentor Me, and live your dreams!
Warmly,
Ken Poirot
Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement
Ken Poirot
I discovered a pattern while working with (and studying) successful people throughout my lifetime, including almost twenty years in the financial services industry.
This pattern revealed successful people use a common core skill set in order to obtain success. In addition, I realized this information could be assembled, taught, and learned.
I call this core skill set: the three keys to success.
So what are these three keys to success and how can you use them to transform your life?
Success is unlocked by the proper implementation of these three keys :
1) Goal Setting
2) Time Management
3) Life Skills
The following graphic summarizes this concept:
https://www.goodreads.com/photo/autho...
Properly use these three keys and anyone can transform their life!
Specifically, the benefits are the following:
- Goal Setting helps people get focused
- Time Management helps people be focused
- Life Skills help people stay focused
With this in mind, Mentor Me methodically walks readers through utilizing these three critical keys in order to create their definition of success.
Over the years I read a myriad of books on these topics, many of which seemed condescending, painfully boring, and/or theoretical. For these reasons, Mentor Me favors a different approach.
It has been described by readers as conversational, interactive, and fun, even with some "smile moments" thrown in for good measure.
Additionally, Mentor Me is designed so readers will benefit as they finish and implement each section of the book, producing an immediate, positive impact on their lives!
Goal Setting: Get Focused
Goal Setting is the first key to achieving success. It is important to define and structure goals, but to do so starting with a completely open mind.
As I wrote in Mentor Me, "Let's face it, the more time we have lived in this world, often the more jaded we become. Remember what life was like before someone ever told you, 'No...you can't?""
"...Children know no limits or boundaries. It is only through society and others telling us what we can and cannot do, what we can and cannot achieve, what we can or cannot accomplish in life, that we shrink or compress our beliefs in what we can achieve.
Ask yourself, what really changed in you from that time in your life, your childhood, when you knew no boundaries or limits? What changed in you when you were a child who dreamed and fantasized about the life you wanted someday?
You will find nothing changed except your beliefs, most likely due to what others and society told you. The only thing that really changed was your belief in yourself and what you believed you could do with your life."
"...It is time to believe again, to believe in yourself and the truth.
You have no boundaries in what you can achieve. "
For this reason, Mentor Me is designed to expand horizons once again, opening readers minds to the realization they are in control of their lives and therefore, their ultimate success.
Chapter I is a guide through this thought process, to help readers get focused by covering how to:
- Start with no structure –“…dream BIG like a child.”
- Visualize the life they want (their Greatest Achievement)
- Add structure to define goals (Elements of a goal, SMART)
Time Management: Be Focused
Mentor Me demonstrates how to directly use time management (be focused) in order to achieve the specific goals readers target for themselves.
It also covers time management in a novel way, using time-tested, real-world strategies, including one exclusively devised by me.
In chapter II, readers set up their blueprint to achieve their own definition of success by learning to:
- Focus their Time (T) and Energy (E) with their goals in mind
- Set up a weekly calendar to move one step closer to goal achievement
- Schedule most important activities ("Big Rocks") first
- Avoid burnout (“High Impact and Low Impact Days Strategy")
Life Skills: Stay Focused
Finally, I realized in addition to the first two keys to success, the most successful people have better-developed life skills than the average person.
These highly-developed life skills help successful people stay focused on their quest to achieve their goals.
This section of Mentor Me contains the tools necessary to stay on track, beginning with a chapter titled, "Understanding Personality Styles."
A deeper understanding of one's own personality style, as well as how one can best relate to other people, is a fundamental building block to help gain and keep others' support on the road to success.
Chapter III includes a personality style quiz and information that readers (and a professional reviewer) have said is one of the most beneficial (and fun) chapters of the book.
Within the life skills chapters, readers learn how to:
- Better understand themselves and relate/communicate more effectively with others
- Absorb new information in less time
- Motivate themselves and others
- Cope with life’s unexpected Situations
- Handle conflict and inspire others
Mentor Me is written to keep readers coming back, referring to it as a helpful guide.
For those readers who are searching for more profound themes, many of these have also been woven into the fabric of Mentor Me.
Some of these themes are subtle while some are not so subtle.
This is truly a book readers can enjoy over and over again on many different levels.
Find out why some have called Mentor Me, "revolutionary" and why it has been quoted around the world!
Enjoy the practicality of the three keys to success, how to use them to transform your life, and the book's deeper themes in pursuit of your goals.
Pick up your copy of Mentor Me here today:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPGM28C
Use the three keys to success, based upon a lifetime of work, delivered with practical, real-world experience, packaged concisely into Mentor Me, and live your dreams!
Warmly,
Ken Poirot
Mentor Me: GA=T+E—A Formula to Fulfill Your Greatest Achievement
Ken Poirot
