Failure does NOT have to be final

Failure does NOT have to be final

Quitting is final; improving and learning goes on forever. Failing our way to success is a truism. Failure is only final when we quit. We will be attempted to quit anything worthwhile pursuing. Quitters never win and winners never quit. 

Why do so many people fail and then quit? The chief reason dabblers fail and quit is that they do not have a clear purpose, vision, and mission to get their goals and dreams in life. Now more than ever, we are bombarded with one liners and messages of instant success. This microwave thinking is poisoning our minds and leading to final failures. It doesn't have to be that way. 

Success is simple and predictable, but it is not easy. Success only comes to those that are willing to do the hard work, the smart work, and to let the time compound their small victories into massive success. Success requires mental fitness and fortitude to endure what the average person is not willing to endure. Never forget that if you follow the crowd, if you do what the average person does, by following the crowd, you will get what they get, and that is not much, a survival state at best. 

One of the greatest businessmen of the last century, Sam Walton, is the perfect role model for us to learn from. Sam swam against the current. He found out where the competition was going and ran the other way, and boy he ran fast. No wonder he built what became the largest company in the world.

Let’s take a closer look at why winners win.

1.    Information.

Winners place great value in getting the right information.

Winners are always in search of better information from better sources.

Winners get their information from the right sources, other proven winners.

2.    Thinking

Winners learn proper thinking from those that think correctly.

Winners develop their correct thinking by plugging in the right information.

Winners know how critical it is to make the right decisions and stay the course.

3.    Advice

Winners value and follow the advice from their mentors.

Winners place urgency in the right learning and application of learning.

Winners get advice from those that have the results they are looking for.

4.    Process

Winners follow a proven and duplicatable process.

Winners develop the right habits that compound over time.

Winners consistently follow the pursuit of their goals and dreams.

5.    Practice

Winners have laser focus on improving the right skills.

Winners know that practicing the right skills leads to excellence.

Winners master their craft by relentlessly practicing the right skills.

6.    Adversity

Winners expect and deal with adversity head on.

Winners have strong mental fitness to deal with a negative world.

Winners swim against the current long enough until the current turns in their favor.

7.    System

Winners know the power of leveraging the correct system.

Winners become champions by mastering the right routines.

Winners know that the magic is in the system, not in themselves.

Winners know the compounding effect produced by the right system.

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets.          

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana

Author of the book Priceless, Co-author of the book Follow to Lead

"Those that take swift action will always leave those that don't breathing the dust"

"The future belongs to those who can see and pursue opportunities before they are obvious"

“Managers influence numbers, leaders influence people by inspiring them to pursue excellence”

WHY I NEED TO INVEST IN MYSELF?

WHY I NEED TO INVEST IN MYSELF?

We don’t lack time and/or money, we lack priorities

We don’t lack intelligence, we lack is faith

Correct thinking: Believe>See>Do>Improve>Succeed

Faulty thinking: Succeed>Improve>Do>See>Believe

Why aren’t we listening to Warren Buffet, the greatest investor of all time? Buffet said - the more we learn the more we earn. Playing defense is not enough to win the game of life; we must learn to play offense and the rules of the game. What is not explicit in this simple truth is the why, what, how, who, where, and when of learning. 

Learning for the sake of learning does not contribute to our earnings. The big difference maker in the game starts with why – the learning must be intentional, deliberate and purposeful, leading to the application of knowledge. The problem with the information age is the excess of useless information.  What – getting the right information from the right sources, from those who have the results in life we are looking for. What – what community of learners can I belong to so I can be part of the right mastermind group? Now more than ever we must play in a great team. How – the how always comes after the why; the multiple ways of learning. As Henry Ford said, those who know how will work for those who know why. Who – who do I need to become? Be>Do>Have, not Have>Do>Be. The world will tell you go the wrong way. We must rise above the average if we want a shot to play and win the game. Where – where can I find a proven system filled with practical and applicable tools, principles, methods and techniques to live they life I have always wanted? Just like Buffet’s holding period for a financial investment, when or how long to learn, is forever, so start now. 

Fall in love with learning and applying what you learn and you can reap a 100 fold return on the investment in yourself. How can you find a financial investment that will be a 100 bagger during your lifetime? The more we know from the application of knowledge, the greater our capability to solve problems and the better our chance to outscore the competitors. Applied knowledge compounds faster than money. The future belongs to the voracious practical learners and doers. Now, more than ever before, the future belongs to the self-learners, the self-educated entrepreneurs. The marketplace rewards results coming from the right set of skills and not the right diplomas and certificates that so many people are still chasing. Start looking forward, through your windshield, instead of looking through your rear-view mirror, so you too can see a brighter future ahead. Start playing offense in the game of life. Stop getting advice from your past and start getting advice from your future if you want to live that life you have always wanted.

Let me give you a perspective on why I decided a decade ago to invest heavily in myself. I have said here before about investing three times more time and money to feed my brain than spending them into feeding my stomach. Let me break MYSELF into 42 powerful questions. At first these questions will be greater than your answers. Take the most important step, the first step, and answer the first question today. Then, answer one question per day and in 42 days you will be a different, better you. If you are an overachiever, go ahead and answer all the questions. Be patient as you dig in deep into yourself. Perfection kills production. Perfection is another word for procrastination. The exercise will introduce you to you. 

Keep in mind you don’t want balance in your life; you want abundance. Abundance only comes from mastering the offense in the game. Build yourself and your success will come. Prepare and your chance will come. Don’t dwell or spend too much time in your past, dwell and focus instead on your future. The exercise will help start decluttering the things that are distracting you. Answer these questions and you will start your transformation journey immediately. This will put some pressure on you and self-imposed pressure is good. Self-imposed pressure will lead to some drama and it will stir your emotions. Stirring emotions stir your soul and lead to massive action. Stop being a spectator in life and start leading you. Spectator pay and leaders get paid.  Warning!!! Thinking will be required. And, you will be criticized for going against the grain. True wealth follows excellence; it always has, it always will. Only the disciplined are free! May 217 be your best year yet!

1.      M = ME

Who am I?

What is my identity?

Why I need to believe in myself?

Why do I deserve to be successful?

Why do I need to grow and evolve?

Why do I need to learn from others?

Why do I need to become a better me?

2.      Y = YES

What do I want to have in my live?

What do I see for myself in 5-10 years?

What human being do I need to become?

What is the legacy I need to leave behind?

Why do I need to commit to my own vision?

Why do I need to say YES to my dreams and my purpose?

Why do I need to say YES to self-knowledge and self-education?

3.      S = SERVE

How can I be a role model to others?

Why do I need to serve other people?

Why do I need to care about other people?

Why do I need to be productive and positive?

Why do I need to become a great public speaker?

Why do I need to become a better communicator?

What is the value of me being a master communicator?

4.      E = EXECUTE

What do I need to practice?

When do I feel most energized?

Why do I need to get into action?

Why do I need to produce results?

How can I be effective at prioritizing?

Why do I need to be a problem solver?

Why do I need to pay attention to my scorecard?

                       

5.      L = LEAD

What do I know about leadership?

Why is my character so important?

What does leadership mean to me?

What do I bring to the table as a leader?

When do I the leader achieve the best results?

Why do I need to build relationships with people?

Why do I always need to work on my foundational qualities?

6.      F = FOCUS

Why do I need to be consistent?

Why do I need to have laser focus?

Why do I need a sense of urgency?

Why do I need to master self-discipline?

Why do I need to practice the right tasks?

Why do I need to be tenacious and persistent?

Why do I need to PDCA (plan, do, check, adjust)?

                       

I cannot change others but I can change MYSELF and that is way more than good enough! Let me know how you enjoyed the exercise.

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets.          

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana

Author of the book Priceless, Co-author of the book Follow to Lead

"The future belongs to those who can see and pursue opportunities before they are obvious."

"Those that take swift action will always leave those that don't breathing the dust."