This post is an excerpt from my free eBook. You can get the rest of the book by clicking here.

I Always Wondered Why Somebody Didn’t Do Something About That, Then I Realized I Was Somebody.

There are too many people that sit back and provide observations on the world. They watch television acting as arm chair commentators on the news, the state of society and politics. They take to newspaper op eds, comment on blogs or stand on their Facebook or Twitter soapbox to give their opinion of how things should be. Very few do more than comment and complain.

But occasionally there are those who recognize they are “somebody” and they can do something. Like Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus who is credited with creating the microfinance loan revolution. His idea, give smaller low interest loans to groups of individuals in the poorest places in the world, was the beginning of the rise in emerging nations. He gave people the small boost they needed to start ventures and escape the struggles poverty.

Muhammad Yunus is just one person, with an idea, that changed the world. You have that ability. You can be somebody with an idea that makes a difference. You can do something.

Question: What project or goal are you working on right now? Leave your comments below or by clicking here

To read the rest of this free eBook click here or enter your email in the box above. If you like this post please share with your friends.

Now, there are three names that you do not normally see together. When I sat down to write this post I wanted to talk about a group of people that were very different but also successful. It is easy to see the differences in this group, a country singer, a professional golfer and a business titan, but if we take a closer look, all three did the same things to reach the pinnacle of their success. They focused. Or as Rich Dad, Poor Dad’s Robert Kiyosaki teaches Follow One Course Until Success. Let’s take a look at each of our examples.

George Strait– known as “the King of Country”. George has 60 number-one hits, giving him more number one songs than any other artist. He is also one of the best selling artist of all time with over 100 Million records sold.  George is the only artist in history to have a top ten hit every year for 30 years. In the music industry there are very few artists that can compare to the popularity and success of George Strait. But he was not an overnight success. He entered the music scene in high school when he started a rock and roll garage band playing Beatles covers. He spent 4 years in the United States Army and performed in a US Army sponsored band. After his 4 year tour with the army he entered college and received a degree in agriculture. During his college years he played in honky-tonks and bars at night while managing his family’s Texas based cattle ranch during the day. It wasn’t until 10 years after enrolling in the US Army that he signed his first recording contract and released his first single. What does it take to amass the records and awards he has received? He consistently worked to improve his skill in a steady manner. He focused.

Jack Nicklaus– Jack is often referred to as the most accomplished golfer of all time. In his 25 year career he won a total of 18 major championships. He also finished second or third place another 27 times. What that equates to is 45% of the time during his career he finished in the top three. What a tremendous record. How did he do it? He focused on major championships (The Master’s Tournament, the US Open, The Open Championship and the PGA Championship). He prepared himself to win majors and was selective in his participation in non-major events. He was busy working with coaches and hitting countless balls at the range. He consistently worked to improve his skill in a steady manner. He focused.

Warren Buffett– Warren is widely considered the most successful investor of the 20^th century, starting his own investment fund in 1956. In less than six years he became a millionaire and would later hold the title of “World’s Richest Man”. His investment style has not changed in over 60 years of practice. He is a value investor, buying securities that appear significantly undervalued based on an analysis of their fundamentals. He has been consistent in his strategy even when he faced criticism for missing opportunities that many considered easy decisions. The most famous example is Warren’s decision not to participate in technology investments because he did not understand the underlying company (i.e. though being personal friends with Bill Gates, Warren missed Microsoft’s major market move in the late 90’s). Today he is the world’s third wealthiest Billionaire because he consistently worked to improve his skill in a steady manner. He focused.

The one trait that these 3 very successful industry leaders have is they focus. They found their niche and passion and they worked tirelessly to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to set them apart and give them a competitive edge. Have you found your passion? Are you working without distraction towards completion? If you consistently work to improve your skill in a steady manner, in other words “focus”, you can achieve high level success in your industry.

Question: Do you have an example of following one course until success (focus)? Leave your comments below or by clicking here.

If you enjoyed reading this post please share with your friends. You can read more, including my newest eBook “13 Life Lessons” by signing up here.

This post is an excerpt from my free eBook. You can get the rest of the book by clicking here.

We have all heard the saying that “it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission”. To become great you have to take risks and do things others are unwilling to do. When Jeff Bezos started his online bookstore, Amazon, most told him he was crazy, “that will never work.” Walt Disney had similar experiences. Every great entrepreneur and leader has had to make decisions that were questioned. What made them successful was knowing when to adjust, adapt, expand and eliminate, blocking out the naysayers.

When I first started my business, I shared my ideas with a few close friends. The typical response was “why”? I have a secure job that provides a nice life for my family. I take vacation time and can watch television or go out with friends. Starting a business took money and time and made it so that I wasn’t able to do as much. This is often the case when starting new endeavors. Your excitement causes those closest to you to reflect on their lives. They may feel threatened or jealous and subconsciously try to drag you down.

When you feel something strongly and have committed yourself, you have the permission to go after it. To do something great you must follow your heart- give yourself permission to be great.

Question: What project or goal are you working on right now? Leave your comments below or by clicking here

To read the rest of this free eBook click here or enter your email in the box above. If you like this post please share with your friends.

Today I listened to Matthew McConaughey’s acceptance speech from the 2014 Oscars. He won Best Actor for his role in Dallas Buyers Club. After thanking all the important people in his life, his wife, kids, parents etc., he thanked his hero.

If you didn’t see the Oscars you might wonder “who is this hero”?

McConaughey goes on to tell a story. When he was 15 a respected mentor asked him who he admired, “Who is your hero”? Recognizing this as an important question young McConaughey requests a couple of weeks to think about it. Two weeks later his mentor asks again “who is your hero”? This time he had an answer,

“It’s me in 10 years.”

Ten years later, now age 25, the same mentor approaches him again and asks “So, are you a hero”? McConaughey’s response was perfect, “not even close! No, no no.” She asked “why”? “Because my hero is me at 35… every day, every week, every month and every year of my life, my hero’s always 10 years away. I’m never gonna be my hero. I’m not gonna attain that; I know I’m not. And that’s just fine with me, because that keeps me with somebody to keep on chasin’.”

Who is your hero?

Do you have a vision of your future self that you daily seek to become? Goal setting is an important part to becoming your “hero self”. Goals should be set just a little beyond your reach; far enough that they are challenging to attain but reasonable enough to keep you focused and pursuing completion.

When setting goals I recommend looking into the future 5 years and asking yourself “what needs to happen in the next 5 years for me to become the person I want to become?” Once you have that target in mind, break those long term goals into yearly goals. “What needs to happen in the next year for me to be on track to hit my 5 year objective? Then break them down further into quarterly, monthly and weekly objectives. Finally you get down to the level where you can wake up every morning and motivate yourself to do that 1 thing that will put you on track towards fulfilling your 5 year vision.

When setting goals I recommend following the SMART formula:

S- Specific- Make sure you specify exactly what you are going to achieve. Waking up early might seem like a good goal but “wake up at 5:15am” makes it specific.

M- Measurable- Make sure that each goal you set has a measurable outcome. I think “being happy” is a good life philosophy but to make it measureable try something like “give my spouse 5 (sincere) compliments today”.

A- Achievable- I’d really like to play in the NHL next season but setting that as a goal might not be realistic. A better step is to set incremental achievable outcomes “score 3 goals this season on my recreational hockey team”.

R- Relevant- If your 5 year achievement is to finish writing your first book, setting a goal to run 10 miles a week might not be the most relevant course of action. Registering for a creative writing class at the community college, however, might be.

T- Timely- Set a time frame. You can write great SMAR goals but if you don’t give yourself a deadline to shoot for, procrastination will keep you from finishing.

My hero is me in 5 years. I really look up to that guy. He has it pretty put together. I think I can become that guy if I put my mind to it and work towards my goals. My SMART goals.

Goal #1: Record and publish 17 30-minute podcast episodes for Family Before Fortune by December 31st, 2014
S- 30-minute podcast episodes – Specific check
M- 17 – Measurable check
A- 1 a week starting September 4th – Achievable check
R- In 5 years I want Family Before Fortune to be a well-known brand, podcasting will help – Relevant check
T- by December 31st, 2014 – Timely check

Question: What SMART goal will help you become your hero? Leave your comments below or by clicking here.

If you haven’t read my new eBook 13 Life Lessons you can get a copy free by clicking here.

Image courtesy of AKARAKINGDOM/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net