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Here is an interview with Jim Rohn, Denis Waitley and Chris Widener - March 5, 2009

Denis Waitley is a productivity consultant on human achievement and the best-selling author of Seeds of Greatness. Waitley has coached astronauts, Super Bowl champions and Olympic athletes.

Jim Rohn is a legendary motivational speaker and business philosopher. He has numerous best-selling audio programs and books, including The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle.

Chris Widener is a radio host, motivational speaker and the best-selling author of The Angel Inside and The Art of Influence.

Q. What are some small changes I can make in my life that could result in big changes for my financial future?

Denis Waitley: When you receive your paycheck, automatically take 10 percent of the total and put it into a savings account. Remember, unless you pay your future first, you may not be able to afford to keep the lights on when it arrives. After you have made a deposit into your future savings, use the remainder of your paycheck for survival needs first: home, food, function, transportation. Use any extra money, above survival, to create a cash emergency fund that should be equal to six months of survival costs without an income.

Jim Rohn: You’ve got to have a plan for your finances! Let me share with you one of the simple principles taught to me. It’s called the 70/30 plan, and here’s how it works: With the money you make after taxes, make it your goal to live on 70 percent of that income. The remaining 30 percent is allocated in this way: 10 percent goes to charity. 10 percent goes to what I call capital investment – the part you can use to create wealth. This is the money you can use to buy, fix, manufacture or sell. The key is to engage in commerce, even if it is only on a part-time basis. Let your imagination roam – take a look at the skills you’ve developed at work, through your hobbies or something you enjoy doing in your spare time – the possibilities are endless.

And the final 10 percent goes to your savings. This is such a powerful part of your wealth plan. If you’ve ever engaged in the practice of saving money, then you’ve learned it is a wonderful tool for creating peace of mind, even if the amounts are small to begin with. There is something that happens mentally when you know that you’re saving money, knowing you’ve got a reserve built up for the “winters” that occur in everyone’s life now and then.

Now, let me say this, the 70/30 plan might not be something you can achieve right away, but remember my first suggestion: It’s the plan that counts, not the amount. So if you can only start with 97 percent and 3 percent, then start there. If you start there, eventually you can make the shift and end up at 70/30 or even better – it’s your plan!

Chris Widener: One of the principles I teach is that your short-term tasks multiplied by time equals your long-term accomplishments. This works perfectly for wealth-building. Make the following actions repeatedly over a long period of time, and watch your wealth grow!

1. Get out of debt. Eliminate all of your debt, beginning with your credit cards that have the highest interest rates first, and then be ruthless about debt.
2. Invest. Everybody should invest in ownership opportunities such as real estate, stocks and businesses. The key is to be diverse in your investments to eliminate any big exposure to failure in any one area.
3. Protect yourself. Sit down with a financial advisor and find out what kinds of insurance needs you have. Many people earn a lot of money and then see it quickly disappear because of an untimely or unfortunate event.

Q. What is the best balance to strike between taking risks to growing my business and playing it safe?

Denis Waitley:

1. Challenge your assumptions about risk-taking. Interview successful entrepreneurs or read their biographies. Learn how they size up risks, how they measure the upside and the downside, and how they inform their intuitions on decisions involving risks.
2. You don’t have to take the full risk all at once. You can turn an avocation into your vocation gradually by test marketing your ideas on a limited basis. Take baby steps until your learn to walk on your own.
3. Don’t take a risk until you’ve established a firm goal. Ask yourself: What do I want to achieve by taking this risk? Is this risk really necessary? Can I stand the downside? After you’ve satisfied yourself that your timing seems right, launch your idea.
4. You don’t need to assume all the risk yourself. Partners, investors and lenders can share the risk with you. And the people you recruit for your business venture share the risk with you by betting that their efforts will be rewarded in the future.
5. Be prepared to sell your ideas to an indifferent world. Don’t expect others to be excited or turned-on by your new ideas. They won’t be, unless what you are doing solves their problem or creates an opportunity for them. Even then, they still won’t be until you convince them of the benefits and that you have the credibility to succeed.
6. Expect the heat and resistance, and persevere. The heat may come from your peers, the media, your friends and even from your own family. Expect it, but don’t let it stop you. Size up the resistance. Anticipate where the strongest criticism will come from. And be prepared and flexible enough to overcome objections to your approach.


Q. I want to give back more to the people in my life who matter most: my family and friends. What are some everyday ways to give back?

Jim Rohn: I think one person caring about another represents life’s greatest value.

Your relationships must be cultivated like a garden. Time, effort and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep the relationship flourishing and growing.

One of the ways you can give back is by having a serving heart. My good friend Zig Ziglar says, “You can have everything you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want out of life.” The concept he is talking about is having a heart and life that is focused on serving other people. Look for simple ways to help and serve those you care about; sometimes it could be as simple as helping unload the groceries or offering to wash the dishes after the other person cooked.

Another way is by simply being friendly. I think that we sometimes forget to be friendly to those we’re closest to because of familiarity, but being friendly can cushion the bumpy ride we sometimes experience in our relationships. Cheerfulness goes a long way toward building lasting relationships. So cheer up, put on a smile, have kind words to say to others, treat your family and friends with a great deal of friendliness, and you will see your relationships improve.

Next, be loyal. Loyalty is a commitment to another person. Sadly, loyalty is often a missing element in many relationships today. We need a higher level of “stick-to-it-iveness”! This kind of loyalty will take our relationships to a much deeper level. What a powerful and secure feeling, knowing that you have a relationship with someone who is loyal to you and you to them. The knowledge that neither of you is going anywhere, even when things get tough. Wow, how powerful!

And, finally, plan and do things that are fun! All good relationships have some element of fun. Fun brings enjoyment to the relationship, and that is important. I think that often this key element can be easily forgotten or neglected in our relationships with our family and spouse. The fun things we initially did in a new relationship, after a while, can be taken for granted or simply fall by the wayside, and we stop creating the fun and joy. So remember to consciously craft fun situations and moments; they are the glue that hold our memories together and make our lives sweet.

Chris Widener: Life isn’t about getting, but giving. And the most fulfilling thing in life is giving ourselves to those we love. Here are some thoughts on giving back to those we love and care for:

Take the time to do so. We live in such a fast-paced, busy world that, often, the biggest problem we have is just taking the time we need to give to others. Be disciplined in your time management, and make sure that you are spending time on the people you care for.

Give to them in ways that matter to them, not just what you think would be good. Gary Chapman’s book "The Five Love Languages" explains that we give to others best when we give to them according to what they value most. The Five Love Languages are: words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service and physical touch. Find out which ways your friends and family enjoy, and then give to them in that way. Just taking the time to find out which way they receive love will be an act of giving in itself.

Do it every day. Make a goal to give to people each and every day. Decide that every day you will serve at least five people or more, if you can. You can even make a game of it and set goals for helping others each day.

Giving doesn’t have to be in a big way. Many small acts of giving can be better than one big gift. Make sure that you make giving a part of your life rather than just something you do on special occasions.

© SUCCESS Magazine, 2009 at SuccessMagazine.com

Click here for a FREE ezine from the late Jim Rohn who died on 6 December 2009

Visit Personal Development in the 21st Century .

Goal Setting

"Life is what happens to you while you are planning it".

Whenever you see anything worthwhile being done anywhere, it has to be because someone is behind it with a passion, a belief and a goal! Just imagine any country winning a successful bid to host the Olympics without a goal and detailed planning.

Likewise in your personal life and business, goal setting can make the difference between mediocrity or excellence and accomplishment.

I recommend setting goals for most everything you do in life: business goals, financial goals, health goals, personal goals, etc.

Most people just go with the flow and take the life they are dealt. Others make plans and go through life with blinkers on to overcome the obstacles that try to steal their dreams. Which type are you?

Be Specific and Know Your Reasons

Many people set the wrong goals. They are too vague. For example, "I want to make $10,000 a month." That is good but don't we all?

The real question is, "Why?"

Money will not motivate most people for very long. You will likely soon grow tired of chasing 'money'. There needs to be a stronger motivator. Look deeper at why you want to make a lot of money and you will find your true motivation.

Here are some specific reasons you might want to make a lot of money:
- To spend more time with your family.
- A new home, kitchen, furniture or other material item.
- Travel to a specific place.
- Buy someone you love something special.
- A swimming pool, pilates studio or exercise gym for personal use.
- To buy training or follow courses.
- Charity donations.
- To pay for preventative health therapy.
- Maybe it is because you do not want to ever have to work for someone else again.

These things are motivating. Suddenly, we see that it is not the money we are after, but the freedom and opportunities the money can provide. So change the goal from "I want $10,000 a month..." to "I must have $10,000 a month to..."

Write Your Goals Down

Sit down and brainstorm. Write down ALL the things you want out of life. Develop a DESIRE to achieve the goals. The desire must be intense. How do you intensify desire? Sit down and write out all the benefits and advantages of achieving your goals. Once the list goes between 50 and 100 your goal becomes unstoppable.

If you do not write your goals down, they are just wishes and not goals. If they are just wishes, they are subject to being overturned or waylaid by life's events. If they are goals, they are subject to your efforts. Write them down and be specific.

Identify Your Plan

Is there anything you need to achieve your plan eg specific training, knowledge, skills, mentoring, books, money for investment, etc? Are there any obstacles you need to overcome? If so, how? Do you need to enroll someone else into your plan?

Set Deadlines

Set a time deadline for each goal. Achieving one goal may be necessary before going on to another. Apply the salami technique: peel off one slice, achieve that then go on to the next layer.

Make Your Goals Public

Tell your friends. Write a blog entry. Send a letter to yourself and ask someone to post it to you on a specific date by which you expect to have achieved the goal.

Changing Your Goals

Certainly your goals may change over time. That is not a problem, as long as they are not changing because you are giving up on them. Sometimes it is smart to change goals and sometimes the truth is that you are quitting. If you change your goals, make sure it is for the right reason. You might need a contingency plan B or even C.

"The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail."
- Napoleon Hill.

Your goal might be to achieve a top 1000 place in a major marathon. So you only achieve place 1003. You failed or did you? Surely you achieved more than sitting at home on the couch watching the marathon.

“When things don't go exactly as planned, remember there's no such thing as perfect. What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals”.
- Zig Ziglar

Now See the Goal Achieved

Create a clear mental picture of the goal achieved. See, feel, touch, hear, smell the situation. Make a dream board if it is a tangible item. Find out how others have felt when they achieved such a goal.

© Antonia Stuart-James 2007

Antonia Stuart-James is an English Hypnotherapist in Belgium helping people to make positive change.

Quote

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing. That is why we recommend it daily."

- Zig Ziglar

Zig Ziglar is one of the teachers featured at Success University, the top on-line success training resource.

Positive and Negative Expressions

Two people can experience the same situation but react in a totally different way. The reaction determines whether it becomes a negative or a positive experience and the hold it will have over our mood and thoughts for the rest of the day, sometimes longer, perhaps a memory for life.

Often the way we react to an experience is determined by the language used as we all interpret language differently. The way we use language, in particular our choice of expressions, reflects our personality and beliefs.

Examples of negative expressions:
“I won’t get that job, I never get what I want.”
“No matter how hard I try, I never get anywhere.”
“I always make the wrong decision.”
“I’ve put my foot in it again.”
“I’m no good at anything.”
“I never win anything.”
“It always happens to me.”

Such thoughts mirror a pessimistic outlook on life, one in which life is against us. A conviction that nothing ever goes right, no matter how hard we try.

Or we can adopt and maintain an optimistic outlook with a definite feeling that no matter what happens everything is for the best.

Examples of positive expressions:
“Every cloud has a silver lining.”
“If a door closes, somewhere a window opens.”
“Whatever happens it will be for the best.”
“Patience is bitter, but it bears a sweet fruit.” (Islamic)
“There is a light at the end of every tunnel.”
“Never look a gift horse in the mouth.”
“Think big.”
“Today is the first day of the rest of our lives.” (American Indian - anon)
“Where there’s a will there’s a way.”
“If you don’t at first succeed, try, try again.”
“Impossible is nothing.” (Adidas)

We need to be in total control of these forces.
Control is achieved by replacing:
all negative ideas with positive ideas
negative thoughts with positive thoughts
negative speech with positive speech
negative attitudes with positive attitudes
negative emotions with positive emotions.

“Positive thinking won't let you do anything but it will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.” - Zig Ziglar

© Antonia Stuart-James 2007