IT'S TIME TO FOCUS ON YOU - Jim Rohn Motivation

I'll never forget that day there I was sitting at my small kitchen table in my one room apartment staring at a pile of bills I couldn't pay 25 years old broke discouraged and embarrassed the kind of broke where you look in your wallet and the moths fly out you ever been there I had all the usual excuses lined up like soldiers ready for battle the economy wasn't great my job didn't pay enough I wasn't born into the right family you see I had mastered the art of explaining why success was for other people oh I

could give you a seminar on why things weren't working out but then something extraordinary happened a mentor mine successful beyond my wildest dreams at the time sat me down for coffee I was ready with my usual Litany of excuses but before I could start he asked me one simple question that stopped me dead in my tracks he looked me straight in the eyes and said Son what Paul who have you been focusing on I stammered what do you mean well he said taking a slow sip of his coffee while you've been watching what everyone else

is doing counting their success analyzing their luck and explaining why you can't who's been working on you that that question hit me like a ton of bricks in that moment I realized I had spent more time focused on what was happening to me than what was happening in me and that ladies and gentlemen was the day everything began to change you see here's what I've discovered after all these years most people live in what throw called quiet desperation do you know why because they're waiting waiting for their ship to come in waiting for conditions to

be perfect waiting for someone to come save them but let me tell you something profound while they're waiting life is passing them by now here's the fascinating thing about success and failure both leave Clues and the biggest clue I've discovered is this successful people look in the mirror when they face problems while unsuccessful people look out the window let that sink in for a moment when things go wrong and they will that's just part of life you have two choices you can either say why is this happening to me or you can ask what is

this this trying to teach me the difference between these two questions is worth a fortune let me share something that changed my life forever I used to blame everything outside of me for my lack of progress the weather the taxes the government my employer I had a list longer than my arm but then my mentor taught me this Priceless Philosophy for things to change you have to change for things to get better you have to get better you see personal accountability isn't a burden and it's a blessing it's the key that unlocks the door to

everything you want in life when you take full responsibility for your life something magical happens you move from being a victim to being the architect of your future your life today is nothing more than a reflection of your past choices every penny in your bank account every relationship you have every skill you possess or lack it's all a result of choices you made or didn't make the good news is if you don't like what you see in that reflection you can start making different choices today I remember when this really hit home for me I

was complaining about my income and um my mentor said something I'll never forget he said uh the marketplace pays for value and it pays exactly what you're worth ouch that's stung um but then he added the good news is you can become worth more ladies and gentlemen that's the miracle of personal uh development your your circumstances can change dramatically not by hoping not by wishing but by focusing on the person in the mirror start asking yourself better questions how can I as become more valuable how can I serve more how can I grow because here's

the truth you don't get paid for the hour you get paid for the value you bring to the hour you don't get paid for having a good attitude but it's the good attitude that will help you learn grow and become more valuable the mirror moment comes when you finally understand that the only person who can change your life is staring right back at you let me tell you about the four Corners that hold up the house of success you see most people focus on just one area of their life and wonder why things still feel

off Balan it's like trying to sit on a three-legged chair it might work for a while but eventually you're going to tip over first let's talk about your mind your mind is like a garden and here's what's fascinating about Gardens they don't care what you plant they don't care what you plant they'll grow whatever you put in there plant tomatoes you get tomatoes plant weeds you get weeds the soil doesn't judge your mind works the same way every day your planting seeds the books you read the thoughts you think the people you listen to these

are all seeds some people wonder why their Garden is full of weeds when they haven't planted anything worthwhile in years you know what I tell my students don't wish it was easier wish you were better don't wish for fewer problems wish for more wisdom why because when you grow everything in your life grows with you now let's talk about your health the engine that drives everything else it amazes me how some people will take better care of their car than their body they wouldn't dream of putting the wrong fuel in their car but they'll put

anything in their mouth here's the truth you can't enjoy your wealth if you don't have your health your body is the only place you have to live take care of it energy is the key to All Good Things without good health you're playing life's game with a handicap the third corner is your relationships want to know something fascinating your relationships are perfect mirrors they reflect exactly who you you are if you want better relationships become a better person want to attract different people become different success is not a solo sport the quality of your life

will be determined by the quality of your relationships some people tell me but you don't understand I have difficult people in my life and I say become so valuable that difficult people cannot afford to stay in your life uh finally let's talk about your finances uh the report card of your habits uh money is an interesting thing it's not the most important thing but it affects everything that is important your bank account is nothing more than a reflection of your philosophy about life poor people have poor habits average people have average habits and successful people

they have successful habits here's what's fascinating about money it's such an excellent reporter it tells you exactly how much value you've brought to the marketplace don't like the report don't argue with the reporter change the news increase your value learn more skills solve bigger problems these four corners work together when you understand financial principles you can debate control and decide when you understand financial principles you can take advantage of those opportunities but here's the key you can't neglect any of them you can't be physically fit but emotionally bankrupt you can't be financially wealthy but spiritually

poor you can't uh have a million dooll dream with a minimum AG work ethic the good news is you don't have to work on all of them at once start with one corner make it strong then move to the next small improvements in each area create massive changes in your life remember success is neither magical nor mysterious success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals your foundation determines how high you can build so I ask you how strong are your Corners which one needs attention today because once you strengthen your foundation everything else

becomes possible you know what's fascinating about human nature we have this incredible tendency to look everywhere except where the answer lies within ourselves I call it the disease of external focus and it's epidemic in our society today let me tell you what I hear all the time people say the economy is bad really then how come some people are doing exceptionally well in the same economy you see the economy isn't bad for everyone it's only bad for those who don't understand how economies work while some people are crying about the economy others are finding opportunities

the same wind blows on us all the difference is not the wind it's the set of your sale here's something even more dangerous the comparison trap some people spend their whole lives watching others measuring their happiness against someone else's success they see somebody driving a nice car and think must be nice they see someone with a beautiful home and say they got lucky let me tell you something profound you will never win a race looking in someone else's Lane and oh the excuses excuses are the nails used to build the house of failure every time

you make an excuse you give away your power I'm too old I'm too young I don't have the education I don't have the money I don't have the time these aren't reasons they're excuses and every excuse you make becomes a brick in the wall between you and your dream but here's the biggest tragedy of all living someone else's life some people spend 40 years climbing the ladder of success only to realize it was leaning against the wrong building they chose their career because their parents wanted it they live in a certain neighborhood because that's what

Society expects they drive certain cars because that's what their peers approve of what a price to pay trading your dreams for acceptance trading your potential for approval trading your authentic self for an artificial image that doesn't even belong to you you know what the most expensive real estate in the world is the graveyard because buried there are countless dreams that were never pursued books that were never written businesses that were never started love that was never expressed all because people were too busy living someone else's life instead of their own here's the truth there will

always be economy there will always be um uh uh competition there will all always be uh obstacles but none of these are the real problem the real problem is giving them power over your life by focusing on them instead of focusing on you stop asking why them and start asking why not me stop saying if only things were different and start saying let me make a difference stop waiting for for the right conditions and start creating the right conditions now let me share something powerful with you about success success is not something you pursue success

is something you attract by the person you become and becoming happens through discipline through daily rituals through the small choices you make when nobody's watching you see everybody wants to be successful but here's what separates the winners from the wishers it's what you do between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. that makes the difference not what you say you're going to do someday most people major in minor things they're busy being busy but they're not busy being productive they have yearly goals but poor daily habits let me tell you something fascinating about success success doesn't care

about your intentions success only cares about your actions you can't go to the bank and make a deposit with good intentions the bank only takes actual money life works the same way it pays off in results not in intentions here's the miracle of daily discipline life will pay pay any price you ask of it want to be wealthy pay the price want to be healthy pay the price want to be skilled pay the price but here's the key you have to pay the price daily not occasionally success is not a Sprint it's a marathon it's

not an event it's a habit let me give you an example uh reading just 10 pages of a good book every day means you'll read about 3,000 650 pages in a year that's about 18 good books do this for 5 years and you've read 90 books now how different would your life be after absorbing the wisdom from 90 good books the difference would be profound but most people won't do it why because they can't see the results after day one after day two after day three this is the miracle of Compound Effect small all smart

choices repeated every day compound into incredible results but you have to understand the same is true for poor choices missing one workout won't make you out of shape eating one poor meal won't make you unhealthy reading one good book won't make you successful it's what you do consistently that creates your life so here's how you create your personal development plan first decide what you want be specific vague goals produce vague results second list the skills you need to achieve it success leaves Clues what skills do the successful people in your field have third create your

daily ritual what must you do every day to move toward your goal remember this formula your life always moves in the direction of your strongest thoughts and habits want to know where you'll be in five years look at your daily routine your daily routine is like a train track the track determines the destination you can't put your train on a track to Chicago and expect to end up in Miami here's another key start small but start now don't try to change everything at once pick one ritual maybe it's reading maybe it's exercise maybe it's making

three business calls every morning master that one ritual until it becomes as automatic as brushing your teeth the greatest time to plant a tree was 20 years ago the second greatest time is today the same is true for your personal development yes the best time to start was years ago but the second best time is right now and please understand this motivation alone is not enough motivation is what gets you started habit is what keeps you going that's why you need disciplines not just desires disciplines weigh ounces but regret weighs tons the pain of discipline

is temporary but the pain of regret is permanent your future is being created by what you do today not by what you're going to do someday the question isn't what do I want to achieve the real question is who do I need to become to achieve what I want let me share with you the five areas that can transform your life forever these aren't just skills they're tools of transformation Master these and you'll Master Your Destiny first let's talk about time management you know what's interesting about time we all have the same amount 24 hours

each day the difference in people's lives is not the time they have it's how they use that time some people kill time while others invest it here's a sobering thought time is more valuable than money you can get more money but you cannot get more time when you waste time you're wasting your life when you master time you master Master life don't tell me you don't have enough time you have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller Michelangelo Mother Teresa Leonardo da Vinci and Albert Einstein time management is

really life management either you run the day or the day runs you uh uh next let's discuss skill development uh you're your income rarely exceeds your personal development you want to earn more learn more the marketplace pays for value and value comes from skills here's the magic skills are learnable you weren't born knowing how to walk how to talk how to read you learn these things and you can learn whatever new skills you need for Success the question isn't whether you can learn the question is whether you're willing to learn some people say well I'm

not good at that and I say yet you're not good at that yet remember everyone who's good at something was once bad at it the only difference they decided to get better now let's talk about something even more fundamental character building skills will make you money buta character will make you successful your character is your foundation you can have all the skills in the world but without character you'll eventually self-destruct character is doing the right thing when nobody's watching it's being honest when dishonesty might pay more it's keeping promises to yourself fourth on our list

is goal setting your personal navigation system life is like a journey and goals are your destination without goals you're not navigating you're just drifting but here's what's fascinating about goals they do more than just point you in the right direction they pull you toward them they give you energy they create enthusiasm the key to goal setting is writing them down something magical happens when you write down a goal it moves from being a wish to becoming a commitment written goal are like magnets they pull you toward them Unwritten goals are like clouds they float around

in your mind with no power finally let's talk about financial literacy most people work all their lives for money but they never learn about money that's like playing chess without learning the rules money is not everything but it affects everything financial literacy is isn't just about making money it's about keeping money growing money and using money as a tool rather than being used by it here's what's interesting about money it's a subject like like mathematics like science like history and like any subject it can be learned most people never study it then wonder why they

struggle financially they know the price of everything but the value you of nothing these five areas work together time management gives you the space to develop skills skills increase your market value character ensures your success is sustainable goals direct your energy financial literacy helps you keep and grow what you earn but here's the key you don't have to master them all at once start with one maybe time management is your weakest link fine start there Master it then move to the next remember you don't have to be great to start but you have to start

to be great and please understand this master in these areas doesn't happen overnight it's not an event it's a process the goal is progress not Perfection are you better this year than last year are you growing are you learning that's what matters now let me give you something powerful something that can transform your life in the next 90 days why 90 days because a year is too long to wait and 30 days isn't long enough to create lasting change 90 days is perfect long enough to see Real Results short enough to stay excited here's what

I want not you to do starting today take out a piece of paper not your phone not your computer a piece of paper this is a contract with yourself and we're going to make it simple but powerful first write down one habit you're going to stop just one maybe it's making excuses maybe it's procrastination maybe it's negative thinking write it down be specific then write down one habit you're going to start maybe it's reading for 30 minutes every morning maybe it's exercise in maybe it's making those important calls first thing every day now here's where

most people go wrong they try to change everything at once don't do that pick one negative Habit to eliminate and one positive Habit to create that's it but here's the key you must do it every day for 90 days no excuses no exceptions next write down your standards not your goals your standards goals are about the future standards are about right now what will you no longer accept in your life what will you no longer tolerate from yourself write it down make it real now here's the accountability system every night before you go to bed

take two minutes to write down what you did that day to honor your commitment every morning when you wake up Take 2 minutes to read your contract this isn't complicated but it is powerful remember this accountability is the glue that ties commitment to results find someone who cares about you enough to ask you the tough questions tell them about your 90-day contract ask them to check on your progress not to judge you but to support you here's what's going to happen the first 30 days will be hard hard your old habits will fight to stay

alive the second 30 days will be challenging but easier the final 30 days that's when the magic happens that's when your new habits start to become automatic don't wish for an easy challenge wish for the strength to face a worthy challenge don't wish for fewer problems wish for more wisdom don't wish for smaller responsibilities wish wish for greater abilities the next 90 days are going to pass whether you take this challenge or not 3 months from now you can be exactly where you are right now or you can be on your way to becoming who

you're capable of being the choice is yours the time is now make this contract with yourself take this challenge invest these 90 days in becoming more than you are right now because here's the truth in 90 days you can completely revolutionize your life but you must start now not tomorrow not next week not when conditions are perfect now the question isn't whether this will work the question is will you work will you make the commitment will you take the challenge the next move is yours uh think about this uh every great achievement in human history

started with a single decision uh every Fortune every breakthrough every transformation uh it began when someone just like you decided that enough was enough uh they decided that average wasn't acceptable anymore they decided that their past would no longer dictate their future you know what fascinates me about human potential is Limitless but here's the Paradox most people live their entire lives using only a fraction of their capabilities they're like a supercomputer running a simple calculator program they're like a rocket ship being used as a paper weight some of you are sitting here thinking I've tried

before yes you've tried but trying isn't the same as committing when you try you give yourself an Escape Route when you commit you burn the bridges behind you you leave yourself no choice but to succeed I remember talking to a gentleman who told me he'd been trying to quit smoking for 20 years I asked him sir how long does it take to quit smoking he looked confused the answer is simple it takes a second just one second to decide but that decision must be backed by commitment your life right now your relationships your health your

bank account your achievements they're all perfect perfect reflections of your past commitments don't like what you see then it's time to make different commitments you see most people overestimate what they can do in a year and underestimate what they can do in a decade but here's the secret the decade is made made up of 90day chunks Master these quarters and you master your life this 90-day challenge isn't just about changing what you do it's about changing who you are because here's a fundamental truth everything in your life gets better when you get better your income

doesn't grow until you grow your relationships don't improve improve until you improve your life doesn't change until you change some of you are thinking but I'm too old reallyy let me tell you something you're going to be older anyway the question is will you be better Colonel Sanders started Kentucky Fried Chicken at 65 Grandma Moses started painting at 76 you're not too old and you're not too young you're exactly where you need to be to start others are thinking but the economy stop right there the the economy isn't your problem if it were everybody would

be failing but they're not some people are thriving right now in this economy what's the difference they focused on what they could control you've got to understand something life never gets easier you just get better problems don't disappear you just become better at handling them challenges don't go away you just become stronger at facing them this contract you're about to write with yourself it's not just words on paper it's a declaration of independence for mediocrity it's your personal declaration of war against average it's your Line in the Sand saying from this day forward I will

not settle for less than I can be look at your hands everything thing you want is within your reach but you got to reach you've got to stretch you've got to grow nobody's going to do it for you nobody can do it for you but here's the good news nobody can stop you either the next 90 days of your life are going to pass whether you take this challenge or not the the sun will rise and set 90 more times the question is when those 90 days are over will you be different will you be

better um will you be stronger will you be closer to your dreams um the power is in your hands right now not tomorrow not next week right now in this moment with that piece of paper and that pen with that commitment waiting to be made with that future waiting to be created