The

Success
Principles
Your 30-Day Journey
From Where You Are to
Where You Want to Be

Jack Canfield
and

Janet Switzer

Success Is a Journey!

What Do People Say Who Have Traveled With Us?

Jack Canfield doesnt just give you hype. His

down-to-earth style made it easy for our associates
to relate and follow through. We have seen a
tremendous increase in our associates commissions,
as well as their attitude and self-esteem.
John Assaraf, RE/MAX of Indiana

Our group truly enjoyed your presentation. I

understand most of our folks gave you a #1, our
highest rating, on the evaluation sheets. You did a
super job.
James J. Westervelt, Vice President
ITT Hartford

You would have been thrilled to attend our

recognition banquet Saturday night. Five of the
[salespeople] inducted into the Presidents Circle, our
top managers and consultants, recalled your
presentation last year and how it gave them the vision
and strategies to achieve their success.
John Zucker, VP Mktg
DONCASTER, A Tanner Company

You lead participants on a journey of selfdiscovery that is fascinating and fun while being solidly
founded on research and experience. Your handouts
are eminently useful.
M.A. Armour, Director of Meeting Services
International Credit Association

At all levels, there is new confidence and

commitment. District and Branch managers and their
staffs are taking risks, making decisions, pushing
through fears, asking for what they need, and are
working better as a team.
Elliott Brown, Regional Vice President,
Citicorp
We couldnt have reacted more positively to your
message. Our group has been through experiences that
left us feeling splintered and war-weary. For the first
time in a long time, people began expressing hope again
that we can accomplish even our loftiest goals.
Jill Miller, Corporate Marketing Director
Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation
A Johnson & Johnson Company
The Ten Steps to Success are proving to be very
valuable tools for our staff. Thank you for generating
such excitement, improving our associates feelings
of self-worth and for presenting so many lessons in a
very short period of time.
D.A. Garrett, Human Resources
General Electric Capital Corporation
Without exception, the feedback could not have
been more positive. People are speaking about the
lasting impact you had on them...your sincerity
and enthusiasm, and how these qualities made the
subject matter come to life and have a realism and
relevance to their everyday lives.
Patrick OSullivan, Director, Sales Training
Westec Security, Inc.

Your powerful presentation influenced even the

most staunch, hard core nay sayers. You have a
great ability to teach and I was most impressed with
your style. You had a tremendous influence on our
employees, and that type of impact is worth paying
for.
P.S. Downs, Minnesota Power
The response was unanimous: You were
completely on target and had obviously done your
homework and been responsive to what we needed
you to focus on at our convention. The topics...very
effectively supported and reinforced the rest of the
agenda. Your material was perfect...One Director
of Corporate Stores said, Jack should be a given at
every convention. That says it all!
Marla Rosner, Vice President,
SUPERCUTS
Im making major changes in all areas of my life
as a direct result of the skills I learned. The safe
environment you created allowed me to stretch in ways
I never would have thought possible. My business
skills and interactions are enhanced... and my personal
life is opening widely.
Linda Claire, Director, International Admin
Neutrogena Corporation
I have been able to awaken and utilize my talents
like never before. I have not only helped people change
their lives, but I have changed my own as well. Each
new week brings exciting opportunities. Thank you
for all your guidance, encouragement and friendship.
Todd McNally, Monogram Bank

For me, the training provided an opportunity to

look at how Ive been working in my organization
and to consider options for changing my style, intent
and behavior. My goal is to take the skills and integrate
them into my presentations.
Judith Schuster, Training & Development
SmithKline Laboratories
Fantastic and Ability to communicate with
warmth and understanding were just some of the
comments that were given after your program. I will
highly recommend your program to anyone...it was
so relevant and offered participants outstanding takehome value.
Lola Green, Seminar Chairperson
Young Presidents Organization
Members were riveted to your instructions. They
were intrigued by your insightfulness in working with
couples...They were moved to tears and to standing
ovations. You were humble, vulnerable, human,
humorous, witty, playful, outrageous, flexible and
totally present.
Raymond Aaron, Director
The Millionaire Club
My growth in relationships has been phenomenal.
I am able to take action to make things happen in my
life. I feel so blessed to have been able to experience
Self-Esteem 101 and realize the benefits daily. My
self-imposed barriers go down with much less effort
now.

TomAbbott,St.Louis

One of the best programs we have ever seen at

Honda. This is a wonderful program for people,
managers, trainers... anyone. It brings together many
disciplines, technologies and approaches that helped
reinforce energy.
Dominic Cirincione
Manager, Training & Development
American Honda Corporation
[Your program] may well have been one major
factor in an attitude upswing within my reporting
people. Nine out of ten have participated in the
program in the past eighteen months.
Abbot Knowles, Manager
New England Telephone
I was struggling to find a vehicle that would help
my people focus on what we really wanted and give us
the tools to achieve those goals. People emerged from

the training powerful [and] goal-oriented...with renewed

respect for themselves and their co-workers. STAR
gave us a dynamic message and the tools to continue
applying the concepts long after the programs end.
Diana Clark, District Sales Manager, AT&T
A shot of Jack Canfield is just what we need
occasionally to remind us how truly wonderful it is to
be human beings. My personal and professional life
is enriched because of your tapes. Theyre
magnificent!
Didge Pearson, Senior Mgr, Membership
Assn for Information & Image Mgmt
I have found the tapes to be very effective in
helping to slowly and solidly change my life. Not in
the slapdash overnight explosion other selfempowerment experts promise, but in a more
consistent and effective way that I feel growing inside
me everyday.
Marie Jones, California
Janet Switzer is one of the best minds on the planet
with a unique talent for producing profits I can bank.
Shes easily made me hundreds of thousands of
dollars with her simple strategies. I know she does
the same for companies in all sorts of industries. She
can do the same or more for you.
Mark Victor Hansen
co-author of the New York Times #1
bestselling book series Chicken Soup for the
Soul
Janet Switzer is the genius of choice for lots of
very smart companies across the country. Shell find
a way to bring in the money when everyone else has
failedshe understands budgets, risks, people and
the bottom line. If you can get her to put you on her
schedule, consider yourself luckybut dont call her
unless youre serious about making money.
Macrae Ross
independent growth and management
strategist
I once saw Janet produce a highly specific and
fully articulated strategy within eight minutes of
meeting a business owner and hearing about his
business. In just 40 minutes at my office, Janet
provided me with an entire and fully integrated Jack
Canfield doesnt just give you hype. His down-toearth style made it easy for our associates to relate
and follow through. We have seen a tremendous
increase in our associates commissions, as well as
their attitude and self-esteem.
John Assaraf, RE/MAX of Indianan

Copyright 2004 by Jack Canfield and Janet Switzer

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise
without the written permission of the co-authors.
Disclaimer: This manual and accompanying audio program is designed to provide information about the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that
the publisher and co-author(s) are not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If legal or other expert assistance is required, the services
of a competent professional should be sought.
It is not the purpose of this manual or of the accompanying audio program and/or seminar to provide and reprint all the information that is otherwise available to the author
and/or publisher, but to complement, amplify, supplement and direct you to other information and texts readily available. You are urged to read all the available material,
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Every effort has been made to make this manual and the accompanying audio program and/or seminar as complete and as accurate as possible. However, there may be
mistakes both typographical and in content. Therefore, this text should be used only as general guide and not as the ultimate source of information. Furthermore, this
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The purpose of this manual is to educate and entertain. The author(s) and/or publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect
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If you do not wish to be bound by the above, you may return this publication to the seller for a full refund.

The tradename The Success Principles, its associated logo and trade dress are trademarks belonging to Jack Canfield and Janet Switzer.
Chicken Soup for the Soul is a registered trademark of John T. Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. Audio portion recorded at Master Tracks,
Santa Barbara, California, www.mastertracks.net. Music written and performed by Douglas McKenna 2003 Douglas McKenna.
[email protected].

Publisher: The Canfield Training Group

P.O. Box 30880
Santa Barbara, CA 93130
(805) 563-2935
fax (805) 563-2945
www.jackcanfield.com

Media Contact:

Success Network International

107 North Reino Road #415
Newbury Park, CA 91320 U.S.A.
(805) 499-9400 fax (805) 499-9470
www.thesuccessprinciples.com
[email protected]

Introduction

One of the greatest myths in this world isthat

were entitled to live a great life.That somehow,
somewheresomeoneis required to fill our lives
with continual happiness, enticing career options,
empowering family time and blissful personal relationships simply because we exist on this planet. We
expect these thingsand when they dont show up,
for many of us at least, its someone elses fault.
But perhaps the greatest truth in this world
and the one lesson we hope this program will help
you learn over and over againis that theres only
one person responsible for the life you enjoy here.
That person is YOU.

our clients, our spouse, the weather, the economy,

our astrological chart, our lack of good golf clubs
anyone or anything we can pin the blame on. We
never want to look at where the real problem is
ourself.
There is a wonderful story that is told about a
man who is out walking one night and comes upon a
man down on his knees looking for something under
a street lamp. The passerby inquires as to what the
other man is looking for. He answers that he is looking for his lost key. The man offers to help and gets
down on his knees and searches for the key. After
an hour of fruitless searching, he says to the man,
Weve looked everywhere for it and we have not
found it. Are you sure that you lost it here? The
other man replies, No, I lost it in my house, but
there is more light out here under the a streetlamp.

If you want to be successful, you have to take

100% responsibility for everything you experience
in your life. From the level of your achievements to
the results you produce, to the quality of your relaHow many times do you look for the answers
tionships to the state of your health and physical fitto your problems outside yourself, when the answer
nesseven responsibility for your feelings, your inlies within? It is you who creates the quality of the
come, your debts...everything!
life you lead and the results you produce. No one
else!
This is not easy.

Choose Now to Make a Change

In fact, most of us have been conditioned to
blame something outside of ourselves for the parts
Our final admonition to you as you start down
of our life we dont like. We blame our parents, our
your path to future success, is that you have control
bosses, our teachers, our friends, our co-workers,
over just three things in your lifethe thoughts you

think, the images you visualize and the actions you producing the more that you are seeking in life,
take. How you make the most of them determines the more would have already shown up. If you
the outcomes you experience in life.
want something different, youre going to have to
do something different!
If you dont like what you are producing and
While this audio program will give you the stratexperiencing, choose now to change your responses.
Change your negative thoughts to positive ones. egies and principles that are proven to help you acChange what you daydream about. If you dont like quire the success-filled life you want, ultimately, you
the way people treat you, say something about it or are the one who will execute these strategies and
spend your time with different people.
incorporate these principles into your everyday life
If you keep doing what youve always done,
The day you begin to do that is the day your
youll keep getting what youve always gotten. In life will begin to change for the better!
fact, if what you are currently doing was capable of

Take 100% Responsibility for

Your Life With E+R=O

Successful people know that how they reBob Resnick, one of Jacks
spond
can mean the difference between advanceearliestmentors,teaches a simple, yet powerful formula we believe should be the primary rule guiding ment and riches or regret about what could have
been. In fact, one of the greatest differences beyour successful life:
tween successful people and those who would merely
like to be, is how they respond to the opportunities
E+R=O
in their life.
Event + Response = Outcome
How often have you reacted with fear or I
cant when opportunity knocks? Have you walked
Stated succinctly, every outcome we experi- away from a life-changing opportunity? Or worse,
ence in life is a direct result of how we respond to did you fail to recognize and respond to opportunity
an individual event that occurs.
that actually appeared as a crisis or other disaster?
Sometimes that event is an unexpected opportunity that shows up. Other times, its a crisis
we didnt see coming. But in any case, its just the Event:
way things arethe existential reality of our life.
So how can we create the best possible outcome in relation to an event we have no control Response:
over? By taking responsibility and changing the
way we respond to that event. Take a look at these
two examples:
Outcome:
Event:

You are given a $1,000 bonus.

Response:

You spend it on a weekend trip.

Outcome:

You are broke.

Event:

You are given a $1,000 bonus.

Response

You invest it in your mutual fund.

Outcome:

You have an increased net worth.

Can you see how your response and your response alone can significantly improve your life, or
alternatively, keep you exactly where you are today?

Take a look:
Your co-workers continually miss
deadlines, forcing you to work late
to bring projects in on time.
You grumble to your wife, but say
nothing to you co-workers or boss.
You end up working late most nights
straining your marriage and family
relationship.

Event:

Your co-workers continually miss

eadlines, forcing you to work late
to bring projects in on time.

Response:

You investigate ways to streamline

the process, then quietly present
your better plan to the boss.

Outcome:

Your boss creates a special job title

for you, sight on projects, which leads
to increased responsibility, a yearend bonus and an increase in salary.

The truth is...when confronted with a negative

event, successful people look for ways to transform
that negative into an opportunity for achievement and
greater success.
They simply respond differently.
Do You Blame Events
for Your Outcomes?

what theyre really saying is, I know things could

be better. I have a point of reference of something
better which I prefer. I know the difference between that ideal and the situation Im in now. But
Im not willing to risk creating that other, more desirable scenario.
Its simply easier and
less risky to complain.

Of course, responding differently means you

And its certainly easier than responding the
must give up blaming the event itself. This is very
way successful people do. If successful people dont
difficult. Our conditioning has trained us that when
like the situation they find themselves in, they either:
something doesnt work, we blame what happened
rather than our reaction to it: the traffic that made
(a)
work to make it better, or
you late for an important meeting, the bounced check
(b)
they leave and go somewhere else.
that made your husband mad, your parents who still
treat you like youre 12, the company take-over that
The truth is...for as fast as our society moves
eliminated your job.
today, things are likely to change anyway. Left alone,
bad situations often get worse. But you can do
Does this sound familiar?
something to change them if youre willing to take
If only my boss would give me enough time 100% responsibility for your life. Its up to you to
to do the job...If only my husband understood what do something different.
Im trying to do with the kids...If only the kids would
clean up their rooms...If only we had a better
Do You Ignore the Yellow Alerts?
economy...If only they would stop such-and-such...I
Most people are surprised to hear that theyre
would feel better.
usually notified in advance about the negative
Stop blaming and complaining!
events that occur in their lives. Like the yellow
Understand that the Es (the events) arent re- alerts in the old Star Trek television series, you responsible for the Os (the outcomes) you experi- ceive advance warnings in the form of tell-tale
signs, comments from others, gut instinct, your intuence in life.
ition that warn you of impending doom and give
you time to prevent disaster from happening.
Complaining Simply Means You
Know Theres Something Better
You have time to change your response (R) in
the E+R=O equation.
Complaining about the Events wont help you
change your outcomes, either.
You can act, as successful people do facing facts squarely, doing the uncomfortable and takIsnt it interesting that many people who stay
ing steps to change the outcome. Successful people
in bad situations never complain. Why? They simdont wait for disaster to occur, and then blame
ply dont know any better. They dont know that
something or someone else for their problems. They
things could be better.
respond in time. They prevent things from going too
But complainers know exactly whats avail- far.
able to them.
Life Becomes Much Easier
In fact, when you hear someone complain,
Once you begin responding decisively to sig-

nals and events as they occur, life becomes much for outcomes that are both good and bad.
easier. The feelings of hopelessness and lack of
When you confront a guy in a bar who is twice
control go away. You start seeing two kinds of imyour size and say to him, Youre ugly! then find
proved outcomes both internal and external.
yourself in the hospital with a broken jaw its
Old internal dialogs like: I feel like a victim. I easy to see you created that outcome.
feel used. Only bad things happen to me, are transBut what about those outcomes that are more
formed into, I feel better. Im in control. I can
difficult to see?
make things happen.
Lets say you work late every night. You come
External outcomes like, Nobody comes to our
home tired and burned out. You eat dinner in a stustore. We missed our quarterly goals. People are
por, then sit down to watch television. You are too
complaining the new product doesnt work, betired and stressed out to do anything else like go
come outcomes like: I have more money in the
for a walk or play with the kids. This goes on for
bank. I lead the division in sales. Our product is
years. Your wife asks you to talk to her. Later,
flying off the shelves.
you say. Three years from now you come home to
Eventually, as you respond regularly to these an empty house and a find note that shes left you
yellow alerts, you begin to see events without need- and taken the kids.
ing these advance warnings. You begin to anticipate
You created that one, too!
problems.
Of course, in this kind of situation, its easy to
And, you mature in your thinking.
gloss over the obvious with self-righteous arguments
Finally, you can accept the fact that you are like, I was working hard to make a better life for
the one who has created the way things are. You my family. Im entitled to watch a ball game every
took the actions, you thought the thoughts, you cre- now and then. I was a good provider, wasnt I?
ated the feelings and you made the choices that got
But perhaps the worst outcomes are those we
you to where you are now.
simply allow to happen, whether through inaction,
You are the one who ate the food. You are the neglect or unspoken agreement.
one who stayed in that job that you hate. You are
You didnt sign the petition when it came in the
the one who married him. You are the one who
mail, and now theres a microwave tower in your
wanted kids. You are the one who abandoned your
neighborhood. You didnt demand counseling the
dream. You are the one who ignored your intuition.
first time he hit you, and now the abuse has gotten
You are the one who decided to go it alone. You
worse. You didnt follow through on your threat to
are the one who decided you were damaged goods.
take away privileges, and now the kids rooms look
You are the one who trusted him.
like a war zone. You didnt go back to school, and
And, come to think of it, youre the one who now you are being passed over for a promotion.
said yes to the dogs, too.
You didnt demand an audit, and now your partner
has disappeared with the money. You didnt leave
It was you!
when you saw the drugs, and now you are in jail.
You Either Create It or
When you allow outcomes like these to hapAllow It to Happen
pen, be aware that you are not a victim. In fact, you
You alone have the power to make something can safely take credit for standing passively by and
happen in your life, whether you actively create it or letting it happen. You didnt say anything, make a
passively allow it to happen or continue. This goes demand, say no, or leave.

Like the yellow alerts we talked about before, Foreman once said,
there were signs that you chose to ignore.
Winners are those people who make a habit
You didnt acknowledge the alert or act upon of doing the things losers are uncomfortable doit because that would have required you to do some- ing.
thing uncomfortable. Whether its confronting your
Dont fail to respond to a yellow alert because
spouse or speaking up in a staff meeting or leaving
its easier, more convenient, less uncomfortable, less
the premises, you are the only one who can respond
confrontational, keeps the peace, doesnt require
to a yellow alert while there is still time to change it,
taking risks, or confirms your low self-image. Take
reverse it or save it.
action! Dont allow negative outcomes to be your
My good friend, former Congressman Ed fate.

The Early Years: Age _______ to Age _______

SuccessesIAchieved:
1.

2.

3.

SuccessLessonsILearned(useadditionalsheetsifnecessary):

How Would You Respond Differently?

The following scenarios include inappropriate responses and undesirable outcomes. How would you
respond differently in order to change the outcome?
Poor Response / Undesirable Outcome
Event:

Your boss dumps last-minute projects on you.

Response:

You stay late to finish them 2-3 nights a week.

Outcome:

Your family life suffers and your wife is furious.

Your Response / More Desirable Outcome

Event:

Your boss dumps last-minute projects on

you.

Your Response:

You discuss the problem with your boss,

offer solutions and now ask early in the day
about any deadlines.

Better Outcome: You feel more in control in the workplace,

get home on time and your family relationships improve. Your teenagers rage problem diminishes and hes doing better in
school. You have time to share in household
duties now so your wife is less resentful and
more loving and supportive.
Event:

The house remodeler says permits arent needed.

Response:

You believe him even though youre not sure.

Outcome:

The electrical wiring was poorly done, not

inspectedand now youre paying even more
money to have it re-done because the lights dont
work.

Event:

You now get 500 cable channels with DSS.

Response:

You spend your entire evening channel-surfing.

Outcome:

You mindlessly eat snacks after dinner and balloon to 230 lbs. Following your lead, the kids
watch, too, instead of doing their homework. You
end up yelling at them and their schoolwork suffers for lack of concentration and help from you.

Event:

You lose your job and now the creditors are calling.
You ignore the calls and letters and dont
investigateoptions for reducing your payment or
negotiating better terms.

Response:

Outcome:

Your credit rating is ruined, you have 4 judgments

against you and now that you just got a new job,
theyre garnishing your wages and causing you
embarrassment with your new boss.

Event:
Response:

A friend approaches you with a business idea.

Even though the business sounds wonderful, you
let your husband tell you its too good to be true,
so you dont even investigate. You tell your friend
no.
Your friends idea was sound, the business took
off and now shes quitting her lackluster job because shes making $9,000 a month. Youre still
stuck in a job you hate, so youre jealous and
harbor resentment about your friends success.

Outcome:

Event:

The house remodeler says permits arent needed.

Your Response:
Better Outcome:

Event:

You now get 500 cable channels with DSS.

Your Response:
Better Outcome:

Event:

You lose your job and now the creditors are

calling.

Your Response:
Better Outcome:

Event:
Your Response:
Better Outcome:

A friend approaches you with a business

idea.

Success Is a Learned Behavior

One of our favorite stories is about a mess like this, eventually you have to clean it up.
afamousresearch scientist who had made several So, how would you like to do that? We could use a
towel, sponge or mop. Which do you prefer?
veryimportant medical breakthroughs.
He was being interviewed by a newspaper
reporter who asked him why he thought he was able
to succeed so much more than the average person,
to be so much more creative than the average person? In other words, what set him so far apart from
others?
He responded that, in his opinion, it all came
from a lesson his mother taught him when he was
two years old. Hed been trying to take a bottle of
milk out of the refrigerator, when he lost his grip and
spilled the entire contents on the kitchen floor. His
mother, instead of scolding him, said, What a wonderful mess youve made! Ive rarely seen such a
huge puddle of milk. Well, the damage is already
done. Would you like to get down and play in the
milk before we clean it up?

After they were finished cleaning up the milk,

she said, What we have here is a failed experiment
in how to carry a big bottle of milk with two tiny
hands. Lets go out in the backyard, fill the bottle
with water and see if you can discover a way to
carry it without dropping it. And they did.
What a wonderful lesson!
The scientist then remarked it was at that moment he knew he didnt have to be afraid to make
mistakes. Instead, he learned that mistakes were
just opportunities for learning something new
which after all, is what scientific experiments are all
about.

That bottle of spilled milk led to a lifetime of

learning experiences experiences that were the
building blocks of a lifetime of world-renowned sucIndeed, he did. And, after a few minutes, his
cesses and medical breakthroughs!
mother continued, You know, whenever you make

Taking Inventory of Your Life Successes: What Milk Have You Spilled?
try new things, when we move outside our
What did you learn each time you achieved
something new? How did you have to stretch in comfort zone, and when we make new contacts that
your ability? In other words, what skills did you ac- can help us in our journey.
quire, what techniques did you learn, and what relaThe more you acknowledge that you are suctionships did you form that helped you achieve sigcessful (and the more you acknowledge what you
nificant successes in your life?
already know), the better prepared youll be to benWell be inventorying your lifes successes in efit from the success training youll experience in this
just a moment, but as you do, remember that suc- workbook. Lets start working on your success
now!
cess is a learned behavior. We succeed when we

To start the process of taking inventory: Di- to 15 years, 16 to 30 years and 31 to 45 years.
vide your life into three parts for example, if you Then list three successes for each time frame and
are 45 years old today, your three parts would be 0 list what you learned as you achieved that success.

TheEarlyYears:Age_______toAge_______
SuccessesIAchieved

SuccessLessonsILearned

(useadditionalsheetsifnecessary)

1.

2.

3.

The Middle Years: Age _______ to Age _______

SuccessesIAchieved
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

SuccessLessonsILearned(useadditionalsheetsifnecessary)

The Most Recent Years: Age _______ to Age _______

SuccessesIAchieved
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

SuccessLessonsILearned(useadditionalsheetsifnecessary)

Now lets take a look at the next five years...your

immediate future which well be working on over the next
30 days. What do you want to accomplish? What would
you like to achieve? Quickly jot down what comes to mind

immediately. In future days, well be building on these

thoughts with step-by-step strategies for developing and
achieving these specific goals!

The Next Five Years

Successes I Will Achieve
Resources

What Knowledge, Skills, Habits, Self-Disciplines, Relationships and

Will I Need to Develop to Achieve These Successes (use additional sheets

1. ______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

if necessary)

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

6. ______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

7. ______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

8. ______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

9. ______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

10. _____________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Discover Your Unique Purpose: What

Were You Put on This Earth To Do?

Janet and I discovered long ago what we were

put on this earth to do. We determined our purpose
in life, our "right livelihood." We discovered how to
inject passion and determination into every activity
we undertake. And we learned how purpose can
bring an aspect of fun and fulfillment to virtually everything we do.

Surprisingly, some of the greatest names in history have had some of the simplest personal mission
statements. Titans of industry, leaders of major world
governments, entertainment giants have all had a
definitive life purpose that drives their daily actions,
helping them create great successes and positively
impact generations of people.

Now we'd like to help uncover the same seTake Thomas Edison, for example: His stated
cret for you.
mission was to create inventions that people
needed, that people would pay for and that would
You see, without a purpose in life, it's easy to
be profitable. Imagine having that mission stateget side-tracked on your life's journey. It's easy to
ment as a road map to guide your daily actions! If
wander and drift, accomplishing little.
an activity didn't fit that formula, you wouldn't work
But with a purpose, everything in life seems to on it. Period. If something was getting you off track
fall into place. To be "on purpose" means you're in life, you'd be able to recognize its short-comings
doing what you love to do, doing what you're good before spending too much time, energy or resources
at and accomplishing what's important to you. When on it. If something didn't fit all the criteria, you'd move
you are on purpose, the people, resources and op- on to the next thing that did. See the kind of focus a
portunities you need naturally gravitate toward you. stated purpose or mission statement can give you?
The world benefits, too.
Let's look at other historical figures that have
With a life purposecarefully developed and had a stated purpose that guides their actions and
clearly statedyou suddenly have a basis for mak- energy:
ing all your major life decisions, for setting a lifetime's
John F. Kennedy: To put a man on the moon
worth of goals and for pursuing one activity or goal
in this decade.
versus another.
Andrew Carnegie, American steel industrialNot only will thinking about and pursuing your
ist, founder of the public library system, and at one
life purpose get you to where you want to be, it will
time the richest man in the world: To spend the first
make the journey more enjoyable!
half of my life making as much money as I can
In this chapter, you'll learn that your greatest and the second half giving it away.
challenge will be to discover and use your natural
Stanley Mason, inventor of the Band-Aid, distalents, resources and abilities to their highest and
posable diapers and other consumable consumer
best usefor youyour familyand the world.
products: Create one invention a year that will
Let's get started now!
generate $10 million a year in royalties forever.
What's In a Mission Statement?
Jack Canfield: To inspire and empower
The Life Purpose of Some of History's
people to live their higest vision in a context of
Greatest Names
love and joy.

Finding Your Personal Life Purpose:

The "Why" Behind Everything You'll Do

But how does purpose differ from goals or

action plans?

Have you ever written down your life purpose?

Purpose is the "why" the reason you creIf not, ask yourself this question: If I were provided
ate the goals you create and pursue the activities
with everything I wanted and needed to release
you do. It's the reason you strive to achieve the
my full potential and achieve my highest vision,
results you're looking for.
what would my purpose be?
Goals are merely the "what" you'll accomplish
Finding your purpose is really discovering what
and action plans are simply the "how" you'll accomyou were put on this Earth to do. Your purpose can
plish those goals. Without purpose as the compass,
tell you what to accomplish, for whom, how to acgoals and action plans are meaningless.
complish it and in what time frame. When you discover your purpose, life flows effortlessly. OpporTo determine your life's purpose to develop
tunity seems to fall in your lap. Resources and rela- it in crystal-clear words that are compelling to you
tionships find you easily. Small successes build upon and others take time now to complete the exerone another to create unstoppable momentum.
cises that follow. Then, finish by writing your own
heartfelt personal mission statement.

Life Purpose Exercise

1. List two of your unique personal qualities, such as enthusiasm and creativity.
_______________________________________

____________________________________

2. List one or two ways you enjoy expressing those qualities when interacting with others, such as to support and to inspire.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Assume the world is perfect right now. What does this world look like? How is everyone interacting with everyone
else? What does it feel like? This is a statement, in present tense, describing the ultimate condition, the perfect
world as you see it and feel it. Remember a perfect world is a fun place to be. For example: Everyone is freely
expressing their own unique talents. Everyone is working in harmony. Everyone is expressing love.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Combine the three prior subdivisions of this paragraph into a single statement.
Example: My purpose is to use my creativity and enthusiasm to support and inspire others to freely express their
talents in a harmonious and loving way.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
There are several ways to approach defining your purpose. We learned this version of the life purpose exercise from
Arnold M. Patent. You can reach Arnold Patent at 28172 Via Chabas, Mission Viejo, CA 92692. (949) 770-7769.
www.arnoldpatent.com.

Finding Purpose in Your Career: Are You Where You Need to Be?
Why do I have the job I have? _________________________________________________________________
What purpose or higher good am I serving?________________________________________________________
Who does my work serve?____________________________________________________________________
Do those people need what I provide?
could easily do without it.

Yes, absolutely!

Maybe. I sometimes wonder.

Not really. They

What do they do with what I provide?____________________________________________________________

Do they, in turn, help others with what I give them? ____________________________________________________
Could I provide it differently, in a way that would better enable people to pass on the benefits? ____________________
Is there integrity in what I do for a living? _________ In what way? ______________________________________
Is integrity lacking in what I do for a living? _________ In what way? ______________________________________
If I could be doing anything I wanted to do, assured that all my living expenses and material needs and desires would
Yes, absolutely! No, I'd leave tomorrow.
somehow be fulfilled, would I be working at this job?
If not, how can I alter this job and make it into something I can be passionate about? __________________________
If this job ultimately isn't for me, how will I start transitioning into something new? _____________________________
Are there any negative aspects to my work?

No

Can I change any negative aspects?

Yes

No

Yes Am I the source for that? _______________________

How? ___________________________________________

Can I achieve my purpose only in this job? _________________________________________________________

How else can I achieve my purpose, if not in this job? __________________________________________________
Can I stay in this job and achieve my higher purpose?

Yes

No If yes, how? If no, why not? _______________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If I could wake up every morning, excited to face the day and eager to get to work, what would a day like this look like?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Finding Purpose in Your Marriage or Committed Relationship:

Are You More "On Purpose" as Two?
When you first met your spouse or partner, what activities were you both passionately interested in? ______________
What goals for your future did you both share? _____________________________________________________
Did you ever write down those goals?

Yes

No If not, when will you do so? _________________________

How have you pursued or met those? _____________________________________________________________

What vision did you originally have for your relationship? _____________________________________________
How could the two of you better support each other in reaching your full potential as individuals? __________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Finding Purpose in Your Family Relationships: What Were You Put on This Earth to Do?
Are you still close to your parents?
family?
Yes
No

Yes

No Your grandparents?

Yes

No

Other seniors in your

What's the most important reason you stay in touch with these seniors?__________________________________
Do you participate in frequent family activities with these "seniors"?
Do you have children?

Yes

Yes

No What kind? _______________

No

What are the most important lessons you'll teach them in your lifetime? ___________________________________
What's the greatest hope or aspiration you have for their future? _________________________________________
How important to you is that future? _____________________________________________________________
What steps do you regularly take to support that future? ______________________________________________
Does your family, including your children, support the activities or pursuits that interest you most? _______________
In what way do they support you? ______________________________________________________________
Does your family regularly participate in any activity that serves a goal or group of people outside your immediate
household?
Yes

No

If yes, what is it? _____________________________________________________________

How did you get involved in this activity? _________________________________________________________

Would your family like to participate in any activity that serves a goal or group of people outside your immediate
household?
Yes
No If so, what _________________________________________________________
What might each family member do to support that desire or effort? _______________________________________
Have you all committed to that plan by writing it down on paper?

Yes

No If not, when will you do so?___

What specifically would you expect your efforts to accomplish? _________________________________________

Finding Purpose in Your Civic Activities: Does Your Calling Shine Through?
Are you active in organized civic groups?
Club(s)
NoNone.

YesService Organization(s)

YesSocial Club(s)

YesHobby

What is your reason for joining and staying active? ___________________________________________________

What satisfaction or enjoyment do you get out of these groups? __________________________________________
Do any of your groups serve others as a regular activity or stated goal? _____________________________________
Do you participate in those activities? _____________________________________________________________
Have you taken on leadership roles in these groups? _________ In what way? ______________________________
How do these groups serve to further your career or personal goals, even if they just provide relaxation time? _______
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Has meeting other members led to good things happening in your life outside club activities?
No, I wish it would.

Yes, absolutely!

What kinds of surprising benefits have resulted from your club associations? ________________________________
What other groups might you join that would further your life goals? ______________________________________

Finding Purpose as an Individual: What's the Best Use of Your Time, Talent and Passion?
What are your best talents? ____________________________________________________________________
Are you using those talents every day?

Yes, absolutely! In what ways_________________________________

Not really. I could do better. In what ways? _______________________

If the world at-large could benefit from your talents, how would they benefit? ________________________________
How would they access your talent? ______________________________________________________________
How might you make your talent more available to the world? ___________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What takes up the majority of your time now? ________________________________________________________
What would be a better use of your time? ___________________________________________________________
How can you change your schedule so you have more time for this better use? _______________________________

Putting It All Together: Defining Your Purpose

Now it's time to put your thoughts together into a single statement that summarizes who you are and what you
are doing herea single statement that explains what gives you zest for livingwhat gives you a sense of joy,
creativity and spontaneity that enables you to live every day more passionately than the last. Determining
what provides you with enthusiasm, excitement and fulfillment will help you develop a purpose for your life
one that not only satisfies you personally, but serves the world, too. Complete the statements below to give you
the clues you need to write your personal statement of purpose.
Whether in my career or in my private life, the activity I am most passionate about and have been most
passionate about over time is_________________________________________________________
The reason I'm so passionate about this activity is ___________________________________________
I could pursue this activity full-time if I ___________________________________________________
I could thrive in my family and committed relationships, while at the same time pursuing this activity if I
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This activity serves others in that it _________________________________________________
When I daydream, the life I visualize for myself includes __________________________________
When I'm at the end of my life, I hope to look back on my life and be satisfied that I accomplished...
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I know I will have led a life of meaning if I _________________________________________________
Now combine all your thoughts above into the single statement below a statement that explains a life pursuit
you can be passionate about and dedicated to long-terma statement that explains what drives you, what
keeps you enthusiastic and what brings you fulfillment. That's the definition of a powerful life purpose!
The best use of my productive time, heartfelt effort and passionate dedication is to
________________________________________________________________________________

Decide What You Want:

Chances Are It Wants You!

One of the most amazing phenomenon youll

ever experience as you incorporate The Success
Principles into your daily life is the unexpected phone
call, the windfall financial benefit or the uncanny new
acquaintance that brings you exactly what you want
or need in order to achieve your loftiest goals
almost as if it were planned.

personally important to younot those you believe

should be important or those you believe the world
expects you to valuebut whats truly important to
you from the deepest place in your heart.

Theres a very powerful technique for helping

you define your goals in vivid, colorful and compelling detail. But before using this technique to write
down your goalsbefore defining the compelling
life you want for yourself, you first must know what
your priorites are. Priorities are wants that are

Unfortunately, the sad reality for most people

is they simply arent honest with themselves. If they
were, they would realize their want tos are almost always bigger than their shoulds. Back when
Janet was 25 years old and still working for other
people, her companys Vice President asked her

Once you know your wants, you must also

determine your core values. What kinds of activities and priorities are in alignment with your integPerhaps its the Universe, rewarding your new rity? Which are outside your acceptable limits?
goal-setting activity and take-action attitude by harThink about it. You might want all the riches
nessing all the forces at its disposal. Or perhaps
and material wealth that could come from selling ilyouve worked hard and have grown yourself to
legal drugs, but you might find it very difficult to conthe point where youre finally ready to receive a
vince your mind and body of your enthusiasm, esbenefit which had been waiting in the wings all along.
pecially if breaking the law and contributing to broBut more probably, as researchers have now ken lives went against your basic values. In fact,
come to believe, it may simply be a matter of your engaging in an activity you dont agree with often
subconscience focusing on and recognizing oppor- causes low self-esteem, depression, despondency,
tunity when it arrives.
even anger. So be sure that what you want matches
your values and your life purpose.
Whatever the explanation, the reality is that
what you want, wants you. Your goals, desires
and needs are patiently waiting to gravitate toward
Dont Live Someone Elses Dream
you, once you decide what you truly want.
Be certain, too, that what you want isnt
Of course, the main reason why most people
someone elses version of what you should want.
dont get what they want is they havent decided
what that want is. They havent defined their goals
Jack once met an anesthesiologist who made
exactly in clear and compelling detail. After made $350,000 a year, but whose real dream was to
all, how else can your mind know where to begin work on cars. He had wanted to be a mechanic, but
looking, seeing and hearing if you dont give it spe- he knew his mother wouldnt approve. Jacks solucific and detailed goals to achieve?
tion? Give yourself permission to buy a bunch of
cars and then work on them on the weekends. What
the anesthesiologist wanted in his heart didnt match
Clarify Your Vision and Your Values
his picture of what he thought he should be.

what she really wanted. She replied, If I said I

wanted to be President of the company, youd tell
me I shouldnt aim so high! But less than a month
later, Janet was promoted and given management of
the companys flagship product, which also happened to be Americas top-selling software program
in its category.
Make an I Wants List

Being very astute, this gal created a little magazine called Soap Opera Digest. Every week, she
watched all the soap operas, cataloged the plots and
wrote up little summaries, so that if a viewer missed
their soap operas that week, they would know who
got divorced from whom, who finally married the
doctor, and so on. Now, this woman makes a fortune watching and publishing information about soap
operas.

See how its possible to make a great living

One of the easiest ways to begin determining doing what you want to do? You simply have to be
what you truly want is to ask a friend to help you willing to risk it.
make an I Wants list. Have the friend continually
ask, What do you want? What do you want? for
10-15 minutes, while jotting down your answers.
Visualize What You Want
Youll find the first wants arent all that profound.
Have a friend read this exercise to you or auIn fact, most people usually hear themselves saying,
dio-record it and then listen back to it with your
I want a Mercedes. I want a big house on the
eyes closed. Pause about one minute between each
ocean. And so on. But by the end of the 15-minute
of the seven categories
exercise, the real you begins to speak: I want people
to love me. I want to express myself. I want to make
Begin by listening to some relaxing music and
a difference. I want to feel powerfulwants that sitting quietly in a comfortable environment.
are true expressions of your core values.
Then, begin visualizing your ideal life exactly
as if you are living it.
Is Making a Living Stopping You?

1. First, visualize your financial situation. How

much money do you have in your savings, how much
Of course, what often stops people from exdo you make in income? What is your net worth?
pressing their true desire, is they dont think they
How is your cash flow? NextWhat does your
can make a living doing what they love to do.
home look like? Where is it? What color are the
What I love to do is hang out and talk with walls? Are there paintings hanging in the rooms?
people, you might say.
What do they look like? Walk through your perfect
house visually, using your minds eye.
Well, Oprah Winfrey makes a living hanging
out talking with people. And Jacks friend Diane
At this point, dont worry about how youll
Brause, who is an international tour director, makes get that house. Dont sabotage yorself by saying, I
a living hanging out talking with people in some of cant live in Malibu because I dont make enough
the most exciting cities in the world.
money. Once you give your minds eye the picture, your mind will solve the not enough money
A woman once told Jack her favorite thing to
challenge.
do was to watch soap operas. How can I make a
living watching soap operas? she asked. Fortunately,
Simply be honest with yourself about what you
she discovered lots of other people loved watching truly want. Continue visualizing your perfect home.
soap operas, too, but often missed their favorite Next, visualize what kind of car you are driving.
shows because they also had to go to work.
2. Next, visualize your career. What are you

7. Move on to the community you live in, the

doing in your career? Where are you working? Who
community
youve chosen. Its ideal, isnt it? What
are you working with? What kind of clients do you
have? What is your compensation like? Is it your does it look like? What kinds of community activities take place there? What about your charitable
own business?
work? What do you do to help others and make a
3. Then, focus on your free time, your recredifference? How often every week do you particiation time. What are you doing with your family and
pate in these activities? Who are you helping?
friends in the free time youve created for yourself?
Write these things in the worksheet on the
What hobbies are you pursuing? What kinds of vanext
two
pages, as you visualize them.
cations do you take?
4. Next, visualize your body and your physical health, your emotional and spiritual life. Are you
free and open, relaxed, perseverent, in an ecstatic
state of bliss all day long. What does that look like?
5. Then move on to visualizing your relationships with your family and friends. What is your relationship with your family like? Who are your
friends? What are the quality of your relationships
with friends? What do those friendships feel like?
Are they loving, supportive, empowering? Could they
be better?
6. What about your own personal growth?
Do you see yourself going back to school, taking
training, seeking therapy for a past hurt or growing
spiritually?

Share Your Vision for Maximum Impact

Then, finally, share your vision with somebody.
This can be very uncomfortable. In fact, most people
say, I cant share that! Its too personal. Its too
crazy. People will think Im flaky. But the truth is
half the people you talk to will want the very same
thing. Everyone wants material wealth, loving relationships, supportive family and friends and time to
help make a difference in our world. But too few of
us readily admit it. Sharing your vision helps your
subconscious mind become accountable to make it
happen.

Take a look at the examples below, then write your own visualized goals in the blanks provided.

What I WantSpecifically
FINANCIAL GOALS
1.
2.
3.

Why I Want It

Date I
Achieved It

(income, savings & investments, debt reduction, credit)

By December 31, 2004, I will be earning $10,000 a month net pre-tax income.
By June 30, 2007, I will make the last mortgage payment on the house.
On September 1, 2004, I will begin saving $85/mo. for Matts college tuition.

1.
2.
3.

So Abby can quit her job and stay home with Matt.
To be debt-free after 15 years of credit slavery.
To give Matt the best start for his future career.

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

CAREER / BUSINESS GOALS (new job, self-employed, sales volume)

1.
2.
3.

I will start my own restaurant consulting business by September 1, 2003.

I will develop at least ten clients for the business by December 31, 2003.
I will find a financial partner to invest at least $500,000 by June 30, 2004.

1.
2.
3.

I want to be free to earn as much as possible.

I want to develop a stable income quickly.
I want to expand, but only using outside resources.

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

FREE TIME / FAMILY TIME

1.
2.
3.

(days off, trips, hobbies, special events)

Starting January 1, 2004, I will take off 3 weeks in May and 3 weeks in October.
Susan, Matt and I will go on a first-class Kenya safari in October 2004.
I will register for ground school August 15, 2003 and get my private pilots license
by August 31, 2005.

1.
2.
3.

I have missed too much of Matts childhood.

Susan and I both enjoy nature and exotic locales.
Its always been my dream to pilot my own plane.

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

What I WantSpecifically

Why I Want It

Date I
Achieved It

HEALTH / APPEARANCE GOALS (lose weight, feel younger, eat better)

1.
2.
3.

I will be at my ideal weight of 178 pounds by November 1, 2003.

I will consult a holistic doctor about nutrition and lifestyle by June 1, 2003.
I will complete my laser eye surgery procedure by September 30, 2003.

1.
2.
3.

I will need to eat better and work out to reach 178.

I have concerns about circulation and longevity.
I look better and feel more confident without glasses.

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

RELATIONSHIP GOALS

1.
2.
3.

(family, mentors, business alliances, staff, civic)

I will re-establish communication with my brother by September 19, 2003.
I will approach Don Richardson September 9, 2003 about providing referrals.
I will begin holding staff trainings every week starting on July 15, 2003.

1.
2.
3.

Making up will help me bring closure to Dads death.

This will help the business grow in reputation.
This will empower the staff and lessen my stress.

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

PERSONAL GROWTH

1.
2.
3.

(education, spiritual growth, therapy, training)

I will enroll December 3, 2003 & complete the Mens Basics course at church.
I will attend the September 23, 2003 one-day training on negotiating skills.
I will begin yoga four times a week commencing on July 17, 2003.

1.
2.
3.

I have missed the spiritual guidance of male friends.

I would like to be more confident when negotiating.
I believe I will feel more relaxed.

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

1.
2.
3.

(charitable giving, church tithes, mentoring)

I will work up to regularly tithing a full 10% of my gross income by Jan 6, 2004.
I will volunteer mentor at least one young entrepreneur starting Fall Semester.
I will initiate a company-wide charitable matching program by Dec. 1, 2004.

1.
2.
3.

I believe tithing helps me receive back ten-fold.

I wish I had had a veteran entrepreneur help me.
I believe matching gifts boost employee loyalty.

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

___________________________________________________

_________________________________

_________

Visualize Your Way to Success:

Create Compelling Pictures in Your Mind

our bodies when we worry? We tense up, disrupt

our normal breathing, and psycho-physically prepare ourselves for failure. Instead, learn to use
positive visualization to prepare yourself for success. As you do you will transform the energy
1. Visualization will activate the creative powthat supports your worrying into fuel for makers of the subconscious mind.
ing your dreams come true.
2. Visualization will program the reticular actiMichael Gelb and Tony Buzan
vating system in your brain to open up the doors of
perception to notice resources that were always there
but were previously unnoticed. It focuses the brain.
Imaginations everything. It is the preview
of
lifes
coming attractions.
3. Visualization will magnetize and attract to you
the people, resources, and opportunities that you
Albert Einstein
will need to achieve your goal.
Visualization may be the most underutilized
success tool that you possess. It can greatly accelerate the achievement of any success in three powerful ways.

This is simply how the brain works. None of

us were ever taught this in school. However, in the
last 25 years, sports psychologists and peak performance experts have been popularizing the power
of visualization. Almost all Olympic and professional
athletes employ the power of visualization.
I never hit a shot, not even in practice,
without having a very sharp, in-focus
picture of it in my head.
Jack Nicklaus, professional golfer

Here is an excerpt from the forthcoming

Chicken Soup for the Athletes Soul in which
Olympic gold medalist Peter Vidmar describes his
use of visualization in his successful pursuit of the
gold:
To keep us focused on our Olympic goal, we
began ending our workouts by visualizing our dream.
We visualized ourselves actually competing in the
Olympics and achieving our dream by practicing
what we thought would be the ultimate gymnastics
scenario.

Id say, Okay, Tim, lets imagine its the mens

I visualized every step of the 400-meter race gymnastics team finals of the Olympic Games. The
United States team is on its last event of the night,
until I saw every stride I would take.
which just happens to be the high bar. The last two
Lee Evans, 1968 Olympic Gold Medalist
guys up for the United States are Tim Daggett and
Peter Vidmar. Our team is neck-and-neck with the
Peoples Republic of China, the reigning world
Most of us visualize on a daily basis, but
champions, and we have to perform our routines
we often do it unconsciously and in a negative
perfectly to win the Olympic team gold medal.
fashion. It is called worrying. What happens to

At that point wed each be thinking, Yeah,

right. Were never going to be neck-and-neck
with those guys. They were number one at the
Budapest world championships while our team
didnt even win a medal. Its never going to happen.
feel?

But what if it did happen? How would we

Wed close our eyes and, in this empty gym at

the end of a long day, wed visualize an Olympic
arena with 13,000 people in the seats and another
200 million watching live on television. Then wed
practice our routines. First, Id be the announcer.
Id cup my hands around my mouth, and say, Next
up, from the United States of America, Tim Daggett.
Then Tim would go through his routine as if it were
the real thing.
Then Tim would go over to the corner of the
gym, cup his hands around his mouth, and in his best
announcer-voice say, Next up, from the United
States of America, Peter Vidmar.
Then it was my turn. In my mind I had one
chance to perfectly perform my routine in order for
our team to win the gold medal. If I didnt, wed
lose.

lic of China. We had to perform our high bar routines perfectly to win the gold medal.
I looked at Coach Mako, my coach for the
past twelve years. As focused as ever, he simply
said, OK, Peter, lets go. You know what to do.
Youve done it a thousand times, just like every day
back in the gym. Lets just do it one more time and
lets go home. Youre prepared.
He was right. I planned for this moment and
visualized it hundreds of times. I was prepared to
perform my routine. Rather than seeing myself actually standing in the Olympic arena with 13,000
people in the stands and 200 million watching on
television, in my mind I pictured myself back in the
UCLA gym at the end of the day with two people
left in the gym.
When the announcer said, From the United
States of America, Peter Vidmar, I imagined it was
my buddy Tim Daggett saying it. When the green
light came on indicating it was time for the routine I
imagined that it wasnt really a green light, but that it
was Tim shouting green light! And when I raised
my hand toward the superior judge from East Germany in my mind I was signaling my coach just like I
had signaled him every day at the end of hundreds
of workouts. In the gym, I always visualized I was
at the Olympic finals. At the Olympic finals, I visualized I was back in the gym.

Tim would shout out green light and Id look

at the superior judge, who was usually our coach
Mako. Id raise my hand and hed raise his right
I turned, faced the bar, jumped up and grabbed
back. Then Id turn, face the bar, grab hold, and
on. I began the same routine I had visualized and
begin my routine.
practiced day after day in the gym. I was in memory
Well, a funny thing happened on July 31st, mode, going yet again where Id already gone hun1984.
dreds of times. I quickly made it past the risky double
release move that had harpooned my chances at the
It was the Olympic Games, mens gymnastics
world championships. I moved smoothly through
team finals in Pauley Pavilion on the UCLA campus.
the rest of my routine and landed a solid dismount
The 13,000 seats were all filled and a television auwhere I anxiously waited for my score from the
dience in excess of 200 million around the world
judges.
tuned in. The United States team was on its last
event of the night, the high bar. The last two guys up
With a deep voice the announcement came
for the United States just happened to be Tim Daggett through the speaker, The score for Peter Vidmar is
and Peter Vidmar. And just as we visualized, our 9.95. Yes. I shouted. I did it! The crowd
team was neck-and-neck with the Peoples Repub- cheered loudly as my teammates and I celebrated

our victory.

seven key areas of your Personal Master Plan.

Thirty minutes later we were standing on the

Olympic Medal platform in the Olympic arena with
13,000 people in the stands and over 200 million
watching on television, while the gold medals were
officially draped around our necks. Tim, myself, and
our teammates stood proudly wearing our gold medals as the national anthem played and the American
flag was raised to the top of the arena. It was a
moment we visualized and practiced hundreds of
times in the gym. Only this time, it was for real.

We suggest that you write each of your goals

and objectives for the yearas well as any longer
term goals like financial independence and a vacation home in Hawaiion a separate 3x5 index card.
Then, each morning when you arise and each night
before you go to bed, read through the cards, pausing after each one to close your eyes and recreate
the visual image in your mind of that completed goal.
Continue through the cards until you have visualized
each goal as complete and fulfilled. The whole process will take about 5 minutes.

The Process for Visualizing Your Future

If you are in the habit of meditating, you can

do this after meditating for maximum benefit.

The process of visualizing for success is really

This daily practice of visualizing your goals as
quite simple. All you need to do is close your eyes
already complete will keep your subconscious mind
and visualize your goals and objectives as already
focused on the realization of your goals. And just
complete.
like the guidance system on one of the smart bombs
If one of your goals is to own a nice house on used in the military, it will keep you on track until
the lake, then simply close your eyes and see your- you manifest the result.
self walking through the exact house you would like
to own. Fill in all of the details. What does the exteAdding Sounds and Feelings
rior look like? How is it landscaped? What kind of
to the Pictures
view does it have? What does the living room,
kitchen, master bedroom, dining room, family room
To add extra fuel and motivational power to
and den look like? How is it furnished? Go from
the visualization process, you can add the sensory
room to room and fill in all of the details. Is there a
modalities of auditory and kinesthetic to the visual.
workshop, sewing room, cabana, guest-house, pool
This multiplies the effect many times over. You do
or spa?
this by imagining what sounds you would be hearing
Make the images as clear and as bright as and what emotions and bodily sensations you would
possible. Take the time to use the power of your be feeling if you had already achieved the goal.
creative mind to create vivid images of your goal.
For example, if you were imagining you dream
The first time you create the image it will take house on the ocean, you might add in the sound of
a few minutes to fill in all the details. After that, each the surf lapping at the shore outside your home, the
time you revisit the image, it will only take a few sound of your kids playing on the beach, the sound
seconds to call up all of the images you have already of the cue ball hitting another ball on your billiards
created. It is more like looking at a video or a set of table, the sound of your home theater system and
slides that you have already taken and developed. the sound of your spouses voice thanking you for
being such a good provider.
Repeat this process for every goal that you
Then add in the feelings of pride of ownership,
have. Refer to the goals you listed on pages 23 and
24 of this workbookas well as any other short- satisfaction at having achieved your goal, and the
term objectives and long-term goals you have in the feeling of the sun on your face as you sit on your

deck or the feeling of the warmth of the water as want to write yourself a check for $1,000,000 or
you sit in your hot tub looking out over the ocean at create a bank statement that shows your bank aca beautiful sunset.
count or your stock portfolio with a $1,000,000
balance.
What If I Dont See Anything When I
Visualize?
Some people are what psychologists refer to
as eidetic visualizers. When they close their eyes,
they see everything in bright, clear, 3D, technicolor
images. Most of us, however, are non-eidetic visualizers. That means we dont really see an image as
much as we just think it. That is perfectly okay. It
still works just as well if you are just thinking it
rather than actually seeing it. You need to still do
the visualization exercise twice a day every day. You
will be getting the same benefit as those people who
claim to actually see the image. Dont worry about
it-just do it!

If your goal is to have your book be #1 on the

New York Times best-seller list, you might want to
photocopy the best-seller list, white out the current
#1 book, and type your books title in its place. Or
you might want to use your computer to create a
newspaper article declaring you the best-selling author of the year.
If your working on reaching your ideal weight,
you can use your computer to create a picture of
your head on someone elses body that represents
your ideal body weight or shape.

Once you have created these images, you can

place themone to a pagein a 3-ring binder that
you review every day. Or you could make a dream
boarda collage of all these images on a bulletin
If you are, like most of us, a non-eidetic visuboard, wall, or refrigerator doorsomewhere where
alizer, you will find the next technique to be espeyou will see them every day.
cially helpful.
When NASA was working on putting a man
on the moon, they had a huge picture of the moon
External Pictures
covering the entire wall of their main construction
area. Everyone was clear on the goal, and they
You can also use external pictures, images and
reached that goal two years ahead of schedule!
symbols to keep your conscious and subconscious
mind focused on your goals. For example, if one of
your goals is to own a new Lexus LS-430, you can
Action Steps to Take
take your camera down to your local Lexus dealer.
Ask a salesperson to take a picture of you leaning
1. Create a set of 3x5 index cards with one
up against your dream car, or even better, sitting goal written on each card.
behind the wheel of the car waving out of the drivers
2. Set aside 5 minutes twice a day to review
side window.
the cards and visualize each goal as already comIf your goal is to visit Paris, go down to your plete.
travel agent and get a poster of the Eiffel Tower.
3. Find or create a picture that represents or
Then cut out a picture of you and place it at the base
symbolizes each of your completed goals. Place these
of the Eiffel Tower as if it were a photograph taken
images on the pages of a three-ring binder that you
of you in Paris. Jack did this with a picture of the
review every day, or place them on a bulletin board,
Sydney opera house, and within a year he was in
wall or refrigerator where you will see them every
Sydney, Australia standing in front of it.
day.
If your goal is to be a millionaire, you might

Stay Focused with the Total Focus

Process: Whats the Best Leverage of
Your Time and Talent?

We believe you have inside of you a unique

ability or area of brilliance some one thing you
love to do and do so well, you hardly feel like charging people for it. Its effortless for you and a whole
lot of fun. And if you could make money doing it,
youd make it your lifetimes work.

wanted projects so difficult for most people?

Surprisingly, most people are afraid of looking
wasteful or of being judged as above everyone or
of feeling out of control or of spending money. Deepdown, they simply dont want to let go.

Others, potentially you, have simply fallen into

Successful people believe this, too. Thats why
the habit of doing everything themselves. Its too
they put their unique brilliance first. They focus on it.
time-consuming to explain to someone, you say. I
And they delegate everything else.
can do it better myself anyway. But can you?
Compare that to the rest of the world who
goes through life doing everything, even those tasks
Determine What Youre Brilliant
theyre bad at or that could be done cheaper, better
AtThen Delegate Everything Else
and faster by someone else. They cant find the
time to focus on their area of brilliance because they
The following exercise is designed to help you
fail to delegate even the most menial of tasks.
determine your areas of profound expertise and
When you delegate the grunt work the those areas you really should be delegating to oththings you hate doing or those tasks that are so pain- ers. Keep in mind that youre looking for the one,
ful, you end up putting them off you get to con- two or three activities that bring you the most money,
centrate on what you love to do. You free up your that bring you the most enjoyment and that you could
time...youre more productive. And you get to en- spend all day doing for free, but you are so good at,
youre paid handsomely by everyone who needs
joy life more.
access to your unique abilities.
So why is delegating routine tasks and unStart with the box below.
Start by listing all those activities that occupy your timewhether theyre business-related, personal or related to
your civic organizations or volunteer work. List even small tasks such as confirmation phone calls or Xeroxing.
1. _______________________________________

10. ___________________________________

2. _______________________________________

11. ___________________________________

3. _______________________________________

12. ___________________________________

4. _______________________________________

13. ___________________________________

5. _______________________________________

14. ___________________________________

6. _______________________________________

15. ___________________________________

7. _______________________________________

16. ___________________________________

8. _______________________________________

17. ___________________________________

9. _______________________________________

18. ___________________________________

Next, choose from the previous list those 1-3 things that you are brilliant at, things that very few other
people can do as well as you:
1. ________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name the three activities from the previous list that generate the most income for you or your company:
1. ________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Identify any individual activities that appear in both boxes above. In other words, list activities that you are
brilliant at and that generate the most income for you or your company. This is the activity or area of
expertise where youll want to focus the most time and energy:
1. ________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name any toxic tasks from the list on page 30 that you especially dislike doing or that take too much of
your time activities you would gladly delegate to someone else if you could. Youll be transferring these
tasks to the Complete Delegation Exercise on the next page:
1. _____________________________________________

10. ____________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________

11. ____________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________

12. ____________________________________________

4. _____________________________________________

13. ____________________________________________

5. _____________________________________________

14. ____________________________________________

6. _____________________________________________

15. ____________________________________________

7. _____________________________________________

16. ____________________________________________

8. _____________________________________________

17. ____________________________________________

9. _____________________________________________

18. ____________________________________________

The Compelete Delegation Exercise

Why would you want to waste your time writing listings, doing lead generation, placing lock boxes,
If youre a professional earning $75 per hour and
and making videos of the property when you could
you pay a neighborhood boy $10 an hour to cut the
have a staff of assistants doing all that and freeing
grass, you save the effort of doing it yourself on the
you up to do more closing? Instead of doing just
weekend and gain one extra hour when you could profit
one deal a month, you could be doing a deal a week
by $65. Of course, while one hour doesnt seem like
because you delegated the less profitable activities.
much, multiply that by 52 weekends a year and you
discover youve gained 52 hours a year at $65 per
One of the strategies Jack routinely teaches in
hour or an extra $3,380 in potential earnings.
his seminars is called Complete Delegation. It simply means that you delegate a task once and comSimilarly, if youre a real estate agent, you need
pletely, rather than delegating it each time it needs to
to list houses, gather information for the multiple listbe done.
ing, attend open houses, do showings, put keys in
lock boxes, write offers and make appointments.
Identify your Area of Brilliance in the gray box
And, if youre lucky, you eventually get to close on the previous page, then use the chart below to
delegate other tasks in order to free up time to focus
somebody.
on what you love to do.
But lets say that youre the best closer on the
planet.
# from
Page 28

Task To Be
Delegated

Delegate
To Whom?

Hours Now $ Value of What Will You Do With the Hours Date Youll When
Available Those Hours?
You Just Made Available?
Delegate? Delegated

Create a Mastermind Group:

Help Is Just a Phone Call Away

One of the most powerful tools ever used by

successful peoplewhether the worlds richest industrialists from the early 20th Century or todays
modern icons of businessis called the mastermind
group. Napoleon Hill first talked about mastermind groups in his classic book Think and Grow
Rich. And its the one concept people most reference when they credit any one thing with helping
them become a millionaire.
Andrew Carnegie had a mastermind group. So
did Henry Ford. In fact, Ford would mastermind
with brilliant thinkers like Thomas Edison, Harvey
Firestone and others in a group they held at their
winter mansions in Coral Gables, Florida.

A mastermind alliance is built of two

or more minds working actively
together in perfect harmony toward a
common definite object.
napoleon hill
you have to do it by yourself,
but you cant do it alone.
martin rutte

thought of as the web of overhead cable that links

bumper cars to their energy source. While you may
be a single bumper car, you have a cable going up
that connects you to that greater source of energy
which provides the power you need to move forward.

They knew, as millions of others have discovIn short, mastermind is both that power comered since, that a mastermind group can focus spe- ing to us from abovefrom the God forcebut
cial energy on your effortin the form of knowl- also that power which comes to us from each other.
edge, resources and spiritual energy, too.
Together, we know more and can focus more energy than any one of us can alone.
While you must always do the work of becoming a great success, a mastermind group can How to Assemble a Mastermind Group
harness and maximize the spiritual focus behind
Choose people who are already where youd
your success. Its this spiritual aspect that Napolike to be could probably get the major real estate
leon Hill wrote about extensively. In fact, he said
developer in town. You could probably get a busithat if we are in tune with THE mastermindthat is,
ness owner. You could probably get the publisher
God, the Universal Power or whatever term you
of the local newspaper.
use for the all-powerful life force, we have significantly more positive energy available to uspower
But you wont know until you ask.
that can be focused on our success.
Start with your list and work down. Maybe
For Christians, the mastermind force that is youll end up with a local columnist instead of the
concentrated in mastermind groups is Christ him- publisher someone who might be a lot more helpful
self, as described in this Scripture:
to you in the long-run.
For where two or three are gathered toIf your goals are centered around a specific
gether in my name, there am I in the midst of subject like starting a new business or investing
them.
money, you might start a mastermind group centered
around entrepreneurship or investments. You can
Matthew 18:20 (KJV)
always launch a general mastermind group plus a
For others, the Universal Force could be second mastermind group centered around a cer-

tain topic area where you invite people from the same
field.

Conducting a Mastermind Meeting

Ideally, each mastermind meeting should be

conducted weekly or every other week, for one hour,
in person, with all members of the group in attenNew Thoughts, New People,
dance. Meetings can also be conducted over the
New Resources
phone. But each meeting should follow the proven
Of course, the ideal mastermind group brings format described below for insuring each particitogether people from different professional arenas pant stays involved and gets their needs met.
people that are above you and who can introYour group should also assign someone to be
duce you to a network of people you normally
the Timekeepereither the same person each seswouldnt have access to.
sion or rotating the task amongst the participants.
While the benefits of masterminding with The Timekeeper insures each portion of the meeting
people outside your field may not seem obvious now, gets its allotted time, and insures that all members
the truth is we all tend to get stuck in our own field adhere to their pre-approved time to speak.
of expertise, doing things the same way everyone
We recommend that for the first few meetings,
else in our industry does. But when you assemble
each member gets the entire hour to familiarize the
people from different industries and professions, you
others with his or her situation, needs and chalget lots of different perspectives on the same sublengeswhile the other members brainstorm ways
ject.
they can support that person. During later meetings,
Henry Ford was an assembly-line expert. participants each get a small amount of time to upThomas Edison was an inventor. Harvey Firestone date the others, ask for help and get feedback.
was a corporate management genius. So their masUse the following outline for your meetings.
termind group brought together diverse talent that
could lend different perspectives to one anothers
Step #1: Ask for Spiritual Guidance By
challenges, whether they were legal, financial or huDelivering an Invocation
man related.
Ideally, mastermind meetings should start with
Jacks first mastermind group included a request for the group to be filled and surrounded
Chicken Soup for the Soul co-author Mark Victor with powerful spiritual energy. Members can trade
Hansen, relationship expert Barbara De Angelis, a off delivering the invocation. Using whatever spiriformer editor of Playboy Magazine, real-estate tual belief structure the reader has, they ask the Unimogul John Assaraf and others.
versal Force to assist the group with each others
needs.
Each one had different perceptions and life
experiences that the entire group benefitted from.
A sample invocation that asks God or that
higher power to be present might be:
Whats the Ideal Size for a Mastermind
Group?
We ask now to be filled and surrounded with
light, and our hearts be open to receive guidance
The ideal size of a mastermind group is 5-6
from the higher power.
people. If it is too much smaller, it loses its dynamics. If it is bigger, it gets unwieldymeetings take
longer, some needs go unmet and personal sharing
Step #2: Share Whats New and Good
is minimized.
A good way to bond with others in the group

and keep esteem and excitement high is to each share discourse.

a success story. Even small successes achieved since
Everyone deserves equal time and equal guidthe last meeting give others in the group the feeling
ance. Its the Timekeepers job to insure this.
that this process is working. Its something I need
to stay involved with.
Step #3: Negotiate for Time
While the normal weekly time allotment might
be 10 minutes per person, say that one participant
needs extra time during this weeks session to discuss a particularly difficult situation. During Step #3,
they ask for the amount of extra time they think theyll
need. Others in the group may have their own challenges that week and need extra time, too. Still others may decide to give up their time entirely, as they
do not have anything to discuss. Using the Timekeeper as referee, each member negotiates for the
amount of time they think theyll need.

Step #4: Individual Members Speak

While the Group Listens and
Brainstorms Solutions
What kind of discussions can you expect during a mastermind meeting? I need contacts. I need
referrals. Im lost at this new aspect of my business. Im looking for an expert to help me develop this idea. I need you to open your Rolodex.
I need to raise $10,000.
After the allotted time of explanation, discussion and brainstorming, the Timekeeper says,
Done! and the group moves on to the next
members needs.

During the negotiating step, youll often hear

Discussions can be personal, professionalit
comments like:
doesnt matter. As long as everyone is getting value,
theyll stay involved with the group. As long as
I just lost my assistant and my receptionist
youre giving value, everyone will want you to be
yesterday and I need time to talk about that.
there.
Well, my Mom died this week and I need
Youll find that groups tend to go through
help processing that.
phases. They start out fairly business-like, but as
I want to read you this new proposal Ive people get to know each other and begin to delve
written and get your feedback on it.
into personal challenges like My sons a heroin addict or My wife and I are having problems, they
Well, I need to find a printing company in
take on a special personal bond. You and the other
the Far East and I dont know the first thing
members can use the group any way you want.
about how to find one.
So members negotiate for time. Once the negotiation process is complete and everyone agrees
Step #5: Make a Commitment to Stretch
to the schedule, the meeting begins in earnest. And
Once members have had their time to present,
the Timekeeper keeps everyone on time and on fodiscuss, brainstorm and gain feedback, the Timecus.
keeper asks each member in turn to commit verBut be aware: If the Timekeeper is not dili- bally to something they wouldnt normally commit
gent about keeping members on track, some mem- to if they werent part of the group.
bers wont get their needs met and the group will
The commitment needs to be a stretch.
risk losing them as participants. Still othersthe
dominators or needy typesmay hog the time or
It could be a result of what they heard from
turn their brainstorming responses into a personal the group that day: OK, Im going to make three

calls to hire a new salesperson or Im going to call

John Deerfield at Consolidated and pitch my new
product.

Step #7: Be Accountable

When members assemble the very next week,

each member needs to share something related to
This commitment insures everyone is continu- the goal they set at the previous meeting. Did each
ally moving forward, which is the true benefit of a member take action? Did they achieve their goal?
mastermind group.
Youll find the real value in mastermind groups
is often the accountability factorother members
checking up on you to make sure you meet your
Step #6: End With Gratitude
stated commitments. Of course, most people are
Your group might end with a group prayer ex- more productive when they have a stated deadline.
pressing gratitude. Or you might go around the table The reality is if you know youre going to be asked
with each member saying one thing they appreciate next week about the commitment you made today,
about another person in the group.
youll take steps to accomplish it by next weeks
deadline. Its one way to insure youll accomplish a
lot more.

Mastermind Group Planning Sheet

Name of Mastermind Group Im Planning _____________________________________________________
My Personal Goals and Objectives for PlanningThis Group _______________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
List 12 People You Will Call to Join the Group. (ranked in order of preference) Stop calling after the first 6 who join:
1. ________________________________________ 7. _____________________________________
2. ________________________________________ 8. _____________________________________
3. ________________________________________ 9. _____________________________________
4. ________________________________________ 10. ____________________________________
5. ________________________________________ 11. ____________________________________
6. ________________________________________ 12. ____________________________________
My script for pitching the Mastermind Group:
Example: Hi, John. My name is Jennifer Bentley. Im a software developer with a new product for AS/400 systems that
helps e-commerce companies handle multiple billings and subscriptions. Though Im just starting out, Ive gotten some
interest from a number of people in forming a mastermind group that would help all of us access new resources and
discover new solutions and perspectives that we probably havent thought of before. I especially wanted you to be in the
group. I believe youd get a lot of value out of it and Im not sure that you have your own mastermind group yet. Can
I put you down on my list? The group would meet every other week to brainstorm on each others challenges. We can
do it in person, or the group might decide to meet by phone instead. If you could have 5-6 other prominent CEOs
working on your companys challenges or even your personal ones, would that be something you would set aside an hour
a week for? Jim McCutcheon has already agreed to be involved. Im not sure if you know him.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Accountability Partners
Instead of a mastermind group, you might
choose to work with a mastermind partner. The
two of you could agree to a set of goals that each is
working toward and agree to talk regularly by phone
to hold each other accountable for meeting deadlines, accomplishing goals and making progress.

ner might agree to make a call for you, give you a

contact name, e-mail you some information theyve
already collected on that subject or other helpful
tasks.

Then, every week, you agree to call each other

to make sure your partner has followed through.
You can also pitch your partner on your lat- Knowing that youll be reporting to someone often
est idea, saying Heres what Im thinking. Whats provides the motivation to get the job done. This is
your opinion. How would you proceed? You part- an especially useful relationship to develop if youre
independent and work from home.

Practice The Rule of Five:

What Steps Will You Take?

With the goal of getting Chicken Soup for the

Once you break down your goal into bite-sized
Soul
to
the top of the New York Times bestseller
pieces, you can begin accomplishing the small tasks
list, it meant having 5 radio interviews, or sending
youve determined will lead to achieving your goal.
out 5 review copies to editors who might review the
But be aware: Preparing to move forward isnt
book, or calling 5 Network Marketing companies
the same as taking action itself.
and asking them to buy the book as a motivational
In other words, preparation, research, planning, tool for their salespeople, or giving a seminar to at
getting it perfectthese are all areas where people least 5 people and selling the book in the back of
the room. On some days we would simply send out
get bogged down in the take action process.
5 free copies to people listed in The Celebrity AdHeres a story from Jack that illustrates this point:
dress Bookpeople like Harrison Ford, Barbara
Striesand, Paul McCartney, Steven Spielberg and
Sidney Poitier. As a result of that one activity, I ended
When Mark Victor Hansen and I published
up meeting Sidney Poitier (at his request), and we
the first Chicken Soup for the Soul book, we were
later learned that the producer of the television show
so eager and committed to making it a bestseller.
Touched by an Angel required all of the people
We asked 15 best-selling authors ranging from John
working on the show to read Chicken Soup for the
Gray (Men Are from Mars, Women Are from VeSoul to put them in the right frame of mind.
nus) and Barbara DeAngelis (Making Love Work)
We made phone calls to people who could
to Ken Blanchard (The One Minute Manager) and
Scott Peck (The Road Less Traveled) for their guid- review the book, we wrote press releases, we called
ance and advice. We received a ton of valuable in- into talk shows (some at 3:00 in the morning), we
formation about what to do and how to do it. Then gave away free copies at our talks, we sent them to
we visited with book publishing and marketing guru ministers to use as a source of talks for their serDan Poynter, who gave us even more great infor- mons, we gave free Chicken Soup for the Soul
mation. Then we bought and read John Kremers talks at churches, we did book signings at any book1001 Ways to Market Your Books. After all of that store that would have us, we asked businesses to
we were overwhelmed with possibilities. To tell the make bulk purchases for their employees, we got
truth, we became a little crazy. We didnt know the book into the PXs on military bases, we asked
where to start, plus we both had our speaking and our fellow speakers to sell the book at their talks,
we asked seminar companies to put it in their cataseminar businesses to run.
logs, we bought a directory of catalogs and asked
We sought the advice of Ron Scolastico, a
all the appropriate ones to carry it, we visited gift
wonderful teacher and guide, who told us, If you
shops and card shops and asked them to carry the
would go every day to a very large tree and take 5
bookwe even got gas stations, bakeries and resswings at it with a very sharp ax, eventually, no mattaurants to sell the book. It was a lot of efforta
ter how large the tree, it would have to come down.
minimum of 5 things a day, every day, day in and
How very simple and how very true! Out of that we
day outfor over two years.
developed what we have called The Rule of 5.
Was it worth it? Yes! That very first Chicken
This simply means that every day we do 5 specific
Soup for the Soul book eventually went on to sell
things that will move our goal toward completion.

They need to complete the Mind-Mapping exover 8 million copies in 39 languages. At a $1.20
ercise
in Chapter 13 (this is available in the full
royalty per book, it made Mark and I rich.
version of Success Principles) and talk to an exDid it happen overnight? No! We did not make pert in those areas.
the best-seller lists until over a year after the book
Take buying a house in Hawaii, for example:
came outa year! But it was the sustained effort of
The Rule of 5 for over two years that led to the You have to find out where the best locations are,
successone action at a time, one book at a time, decide which island, find out how much homes cost
one reader at a time. But slowly, over time, each there, determine how much money youll need to
reader told another reader, and eventually, like a save, where you can get your financing, where youll
slow-building chain letter, the word was spread and get your furniture, how expensive that isand on
the book became a huge successwhat Time maga- and on. Then you can begin taking these steps5
zine called the publishing phenomenon of the de- a day until you achieve your goal.
cade. It was less of a publishing phenomenon and
more of a phenomenon of unending persistent efTake Time to Plan How Youll
fort. Thousands of individual activities that all added
up to one large success.
Practice the Rule of 5
What might you accomplish if you were to do
a little bitfive thingsevery day for the next 40
years toward the accomplishment of your goal? If
you wrote 5 pages a day, that would be a total of
73,000 pages of text or about 243 books. If you
invested $5.00 a day 6% interest, at the end of 40
years youd have amassed a small fortune of
$305,357.

While he didnt call it the Rule of 5, a seminar

leader once said that, in order to arrive at the life of
your dreams, you simply (1) make a wish-list of the
activities, finances and lifestyle youll be enjoying once
you get there(2) break down each wish on the list
into the steps youll need to take to achieve it(3)
choose a number of those steps to achieve each week
or month or year, and(4) achieve them.

A lot of people tell us their dream is to own a

Try that formulawhat we call the Rule of 5
house in Hawaii or buy a yacht. While were ex- for achieving the life of your dreamsor for achieving
cited for them, we also have to ask them to get clear virtually any impressive goal youve set for yourself.
about all of the steps theyll have to take to get there.

List Below the Goals You Made on Pages 24 and 25

1.

________________________________________________________________________________

2.

________________________________________________________________________________

3.

________________________________________________________________________________

4.

________________________________________________________________________________

5.

________________________________________________________________________________

6.

________________________________________________________________________________

7.

________________________________________________________________________________

8.

________________________________________________________________________________

9.

________________________________________________________________________________

10. ________________________________________________________________________________
11. ________________________________________________________________________________
12. ________________________________________________________________________________
13. ________________________________________________________________________________
14. ________________________________________________________________________________
15. ________________________________________________________________________________
16. ________________________________________________________________________________
17. ________________________________________________________________________________
18. ________________________________________________________________________________
19. _______________________________________________________________________________
20. _______________________________________________________________________________
21. _______________________________________________________________________________

(Xerox a copy of this blank sheet before completing this exercise for each one of your goals.)

List a Goal from the chart on page 40: _______________________________________

Steps Needed to Accomplish This Goal

Date Youll Accomplish This Step

a. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

b. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

c. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

d. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

e. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

f. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

g. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

h. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

i. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

j. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

k. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

l. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

m. ________________________________________________________

| _______________________

n. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

o. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

p. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

q. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

r. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

s. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

t. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

u. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

v. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

w._________________________________________________________

| _______________________

x. _________________________________________________________

|_______________________

y. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

z. _________________________________________________________

| _______________________

Repeat this process for the other goals you set for yourself on page 40!

Ask for Feedback:

Are You Moving in the Right Direction?

As you travel down your path to success

from discovering your purpose to visualizing your
perfect life to setting big goals and taking decisive
actionfeedback will become a frequent companion on your journey.
Every time you take a step, youll get back
information about whether that was the right thing to
do. Youll get data, advice, help, suggestions, directions, even criticism that will help you constantly
adjust and move forward, while continually enhancing your knowledge, abilities, attitudes and relationships.

On-Course, Off-Course,
On-Course, Off-Course
When Jack conducts trainings in self-esteem
and peak performance, one of the most illustrative
exercises is one that actually shows participants what
its like to take action. A volunteer acts as the Goal,
while Jack zig-zags his way toward it from the opposite end of the room. The Goal is responsible for
providing constant feedbackwhen Jack walks
straight at the Goal, the volunteer exclaims, On
course! When Jack veers away from the Goal, Off
course! is the reply.

Youll discover that not every action you take

is one that will produce a result. In fact, some acNotice we didnt say Jack is criticized, riditions will take you absolutely nowhere. Other acculed embarrassed or penalized for veering offtions will catapult you forward. Still others will actucourse. He simply hears information that helps him
ally divert you from your goal.
re-direct himself toward the goal and arrive at his
But be assured that feedback is a necessary destination.
and welcome aide to achieving your goals and beDoes Jack eventually get to his goal? Yes.
coming a more confident, successful person.
Is he on-course or off-course most of the time?
All Actions Are Really Experiments
Remember the E+R=O equation in Chapter
1? We learned we can create more desirable outcomes (O) simply by responding (R) appropriately
to the events (E) that occur in our lives.

Who cares.
Is the feedback helpful to him? Absolutely.
So feedback is simply information.
Perhaps its easier to think of feedback as the
guidance system on an airplane. The planes computer constantly takes in data and automatically adjusts the controls and other guidance systems. When
you drive your car, your arms are never absolutely
steady. In fact, youre constantly making tiny adjustments to your steering at all times.

But how do you know which responses will

deliver the best possible outcomes? The answer is
you dont. At least not at first. And until you amass
a body of proven responses you know will create
the outcomes you want, its actually better in the
beginning if you treat every step you take as a new
Feedback is no different. Its just a mechaand exciting experiment. Take action and see if that
nism to help you adjustand get to the goal a whole
action produces the new, more desirable outcome.
lot faster.
Listen to the feedback you get.

clear about what they want. If they wanted all their

goals equally passionately, they wouldnt give feedWhy We Need Feedback
back a second thought. It would be just one more
In his book, The One-Minute Manager, Ken step in accomplishing what they truly want.
Blanchard tells us that life is a lot like bowling. If we
That means that, once you decide what you
roll the ball down the lane but it rolls underneath a
truly want, accomplishing it is just a matter of taking
blanket, we cant see the outcome of the ball hitting
action and responding to the feedback.
the pins. We know something happened, because
we can hear the noise of the falling pins. But the
game becomes boring because we cant see how
Listen, Listen, Listen
well were doing.
Feedback comes to us in various forms. It might
The truth is humans are teleological mechacome verbally from a colleague. Or it might be a
nisms. Were goal-seeking organisms. Its part of
letter from the government. It might be the bank reour nature to want to succeed. We need feedback.
fusing your loan. Or it could be a special opportuNever seeing where the ball goes, never getting innity that comes your way because of a specific step
formation, is simply contrary to our nature.
you took.
Be Careful What You Wish For
Did you ever wonder why, despite all the feedback and external assistance we get, some of our
goals just dont get met?
In his book, The DNA of Success, Jack Zufelt
tells us that most people accomplish only about 2
out of every 10 goals they set.

Whatever it is, its important to listen to the

feedback. Simply take a stepand listen. Take another step and listen. If you hear off coursetake
a step in a direction you believe may be oncourseand listen. Listen externally to what others
may be telling you, but also listen internally to what
your body, your feelings and your instincts may be
telling you.

Is your mind and body saying Im happy, I

So what is it about those two goals thats dif- like this, This is the right job for me, Im weary,
ferent from the other eight?
Im emotionally drained, I dont like this as much
as I thought, I dont have a good feeling about
The two goals they achieve are typically the
that guy?
two goals they really want. And theyre willing to do
whatever it takes to accomplish themincluding
Whatever feedback you get, dont ignore the
accepting and responding appropriately to feedback. yellow alerts. Never go against your gut. If it
They dont care if they look stupid, have to work doesnt feel right to you, it probably isnt.
extra hard, get criticized or anything elsetheyre
Ask for Feedback
totally passionate about accomplishing that goal.
As valuable as feedback is, the truth is, most
Weve all seen an example of the lazy neighpeople dont ask for it. They dont solicit feedbor boy who one day decides he wants a skateback. In fact, they often go out of their way to avoid
board. Suddenly, hes cutting the neighbors grass,
it.
saving his money and selling lemonade. When hes
earned all the money he needs, he buys his skateWhy?
board and turns back into that lazy kid next door.
Because most people are afraid to hear feedThe problem is most people never get really back. Theyre afraid of feeling stupid. Theyre afraid

word of their faults will get out. Unfortunately, evIt could be over the past week, two months,
erybody usually knows your failings already.
the length of your stay, the two weeks of your honeymoonwhatever it might be, the basic question
If youre a teacher in school and the kids sneer,
asks What has been your experience using this
Oh, you got Mrs. Smith. Shes mean. Youre gonna
product or service? How have we met your
hate her, you can rest assured everyone else is talking
needs? Is our relationship what you expected?
about you. If youre not getting along with your
wife, you can be sure shes talking to her sister, her
mother, the next-door neighbor, her co-worker
For any answer less than 10, follow-up with,
everybody but the person who needs to knowher
husband.
We often dont give others feedback for fear
of their response. Similarly, we dont ask people for
feedback for fear of what well hear.

What would it take to make it a 10?

Of course, you may not choose to act on their

The problem is, if we dont get the feedback,
comments, given other priorities in your life, but at
we cant change. If we dont have new information,
least youll know what it would take for the other
we cant make the corrections we need to get closer
person to experience a 10 in your mutual relationto our goal.
ship. This is critically important with children,
Thats why its so critical to become dis- spouses, clients, managers and key customers. But
passionately neutral to feedback.
dont avoid asking the question simply because
youre afriad youll score less than 10. While you
Some writers, for example, are exceedingly
may think the answer is a critical commentary on
neutral first-draft writers. They simply get words on
you, be aware that its just data.
paper that can be reviewed for feedback.
Non-neutral writers, on the other hand, are so
afraid to show people their workfor fear of the
feedback theyre going to getthey end up writing
nothing at all.

How to Solicit Feedback

You can ask for feedback in person, by mail,

by survey, by phone call, by randomly calling your
Personal growth courses can help you get neu- customers or by putting a card in each hotel room.
tral. But so can practicethat is, repeatedly taking
Jack discontinued using a printer who later
action and carefully listening to feedback.
called and said, I noticed you havent used me for
printing lately. What would it take to start giving me
your printing business again?
The Most Valuable Question of All Time
Jack replied, Lower pices, on-time turnOne of the most powerful questions weve ever
around and pick-up and delivery. If you can guarused for soliciting feedback is,
antee me those three things, Ill give you a small
portion of my printing and try you again. Eventually, the printer won back most of Jacks printing
On a scale of 1 to 10, what has been the
because he beat other peoples prices, picked up
quality of our relationship over the past period
and delivered, finished on-time and the quality was
of time?
acceptable.
Janet knows of a CEO who took over a floun-

dering business, andinstead of generating new done, simply ask, What would have to happen in
accounts as everyone expectedspent his first 6 order for you to ____________?
months on the job calling former customers and reLets say youre not allowed to change your
capturing their business.
airline ticket, but you approach the ticket counter
anyway and ask, What would have to happen in
order for you to change this ticket?
What Would Have to Happen
Its impossible to change it, they might anMarcia Martin, an executive coach and comswer.
munications consultant, uses a similar technique for
eliciting feedback that leads instantly to the result
Yes, but if it were possible, what would have
she is seeking.
to happen? you reply. Be persistent. Youd be surprised how often you get the assistance you need.
Stated plainly, whenever you want something

Ask for Feedback Exercise

To help you ask for feedback more effectively, complete the grid below for each of the projects, opportunities, relationships
and situations youre involved in. Decide if youll ask via letters, phone calls, surveys or personal contact.
What Feedback Do I Need to Ask for That Im Not Asking for Now?
Example: Will this work? Is it sellable? How do I add more value? Is it missing something?
Where can I take it from here? How can I improve before taking the next step?

Who Do I Need to Ask?

Customers; clients;
industry experts; vendors;
other practitioners

When Will I Ask?

By June 30th.
At national
convention

How Will I Ask?

Phone calls; personal
contact at convention.

10

Respond to Feedback:
Adjusting Your Success Roadmap

Asking for feedback is really only the first part neglected to file the correct forms with the county,
of the equation. Once you receive feedback, you wouldnt you want someone to tell you?
have to be willing to respond to it. You have to be
In cases like these, negative feedback can be
willling to change if you want a result.
very beneficial. Its how you respond that makes all
It doesnt mean you have to act upon all of the the difference.
feedback you hear. In fact, you may simply decide
When Jack conducts his On-Course, Offyou dont want your intended result after all. SomeCourse seminar exercise with the volunteer at the
times, you get so much feedback to the contrary,
other end of the room, he sometimes asks, Why
you abandon your approach altogether in favor of
arent you saying anything?
re-thinking the original goal or strategy.
The volunteer replies, Because you havent
Asking for feedback, then responding, gets
moved yet. If you dont move, I cant give you
you closer to your goal. The trouble is many people
feedback.
arent willing or able to listen to feedback and get
So Lesson #1 is that, in order to get feedback,
on with what works. Their ego gets in the way. Or
their emotions do. They might hear negative feed- you have to take action. You have to take that first
step. It may not be the right thing, but at least its a
back that immobilizes them.
start. Perhaps you make your first sales call and reBut the reality is, often negative feedback is
ally mess it up. As youre leaving the prospects
extremely beneficial.
office, you say to yourself, Boy, I shouldnt have
said that. I should have said this instead. And I
certainly shouldnt have kept quiet then. I should
Ask Yourself These Questions
have told them aboutand so on. Thats feedHave you ever had negative feedback that was back.
useful? If you only got positive feedback might that
Dont beat yourself up over itjust let it in.
be a disadvantage?
Could you accept that positive feedback is
Ways of Responding to
good because it tells you youre on-course, but that
Feedback That Dont Work
negative feedback might also be good since it merely
tells you youre off-course? If you knew you were
While there are many ways you can respond
doing something that wasnt working, wouldnt negato feedback, some responses simply dont work:
tive feedback make it easier to adjust your plans
(1) Over-Emotionalize the Feedback.
and move forward?
Sometimes during the seminar exercise, as Jack is
If you are considering moving to another state
walking toward the Goal, he hears Off-course! so
to take a new job, but suddenly hear that your inmany times, he breaks down, sobbing, I cant take
tended employer is on the brink of bankruptcy,
it anymore. This is too hard. Youre so mean to me.
wouldnt you look at that negative feedback as benYoure so negative. I give up!
eficial?
How many times have you received negative
And if you started a home-based business, but

feedback and simply gone to pieces over it?

way or the highway, they say. Take it from me, I

know best.

Its easier not to overly emotionalize what you

hear, if you remember that feedback is simply inforThe sad thing is, feedback could significantly
mation. Think of it as correctional guidance instead. transform these folks lives, if only they would listen.
Like the airplane in the previous chapter or the steer(4) Be Above the Feedback. People who
ing wheel in your car.
believe they are always right are often too good to
(2) Get Mad at Feedback Thats Useful. listen to feedback. They know better. And because
As Jack once again begins moving toward the other they believe theyre above the feedbackoften
end of the room in the seminar exercise, the volun- because of its sourcethey miss out on the benefits
teer might say Off-course, off-course! causing Jack of hearing feedback and applying it appropriately.
to reply, Nag, nag, nag. All you ever do is say
critical things. Youre so negative. Why cant you
ever say anything positive?
How to Step Away From the Emotional
Aspect of Hearing Feedback About Yourself
Well, how many times have you gotten mad at
the source of feedback that was genuinely useful?
One way to step away from any potential emotional pain of hearing feedback about yourself is to
Most people know about the two kinds of
mentally remove yourself from the conversation.
feedbackpositive and negative. But there are also
Imagine theyre not talking to you. View the feedtwo other kinds of feedback: Internal and external.
back almost as if youre observing a conversation
You get feedback from your outside world between a customer and their dry cleaner, a student
which might say, Hey, your business is great. Were and his teacher, and so on. The authority figure in
beating a path to your door. Everyone wants to your pretended scene is simply providing informasign up for your program. Thats positive external tion (feedback), while the other person is receiving
feedback.
it as helpful data. Dont take it personally.
Negative external feedback, on the other hand,
is when you open your business and nobody comes.
Maybe you opened in a bad neighborhood, dont
advertise, charge high prices, have poor lighting,
dont have enough parking, or whatever. So you
need to get feedback from people, asking, Why
didnt you come? What would encourage you to
shop here? While the feedback you get may be
negative, it will certainly be feedback you can use.

In his book, The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, Don Miguel Ruiz
details the four life strategies taught by the Toltec
shamans of Mexico. One of the agreements is to
never take anything personally. By taking things personally, Ruiz teaches, we actually get in the way of
the Universal Power moving us toward our ultimate
and best destiny. If we get out of the way and simply
see feedback as data, we work with the Universe
as it helps move us where we want to go.

(3) Dont Listen to the Feedback. Imagine

putting your fingers in your ears and determinedly
walking off-course. The Goal in our seminar exerThink of Feedback As Beneficial
cise might be saying Off-course, off-course but
you cant hear anything because your fingers are in
One of the best-selling weight loss books ever
your ears.
published was a book called Thin Thighs in 30
Days. Whats so illustrative about it, is that it was
Not listening to feedback is many peoples
developed solely using feedback. The author, Wendy
response. They dont want to hear anything anyone
Stehling, worked in an advertising agency but hated
has to say. Theyre right, they know it all. Its my
her job. She wanted to start her own agency but

didnt have the money to do so. She knew she would

So what did she do? She wrote a book called
need about $100,000, so she began asking, Whats Thin Thighs in 30 Days and released it April 15th.
the quickest way to raise $100,000?
By June, she had her $100,000. All because she
asked the markeplace what it wanted and responded
Sell a book, said the feedback.
to the feedback by giving it to them.
She decided if she had a book that could sell
Virginia Satir was probably the most success100,000 copies in 90 days, she could make $1 per
ful and famous family therapist that ever lived. She
book and raise the $100,000. But what kind of
wrote a book for parents called Peoplemaking.
book would 100,000 people want? Well, what are
the best-selling books in America, she asked?
Virginia was once hired by the Michigan State
Department of Social Services to provide a proWeight loss books, said the feedback.
posal on how to revamp and restructure the DeYes, but how would I distinguish myself as an partment of Social Services so it would work betexpert? she asked.
ter. Sixty days later she provided the Department
with a 150-page report which they said was the most
Ask other women, said the feedback.
amazing piece of work they had ever seen. This is
So, she went out to the marketplace and asked, brilliant! they gushed, How did you come up with
If you could lose weight in only one part of your all these ideas?
body, what part would you choose? The overShe replied, Oh, I just went out to all the sowhelming response from women was My thighs.
cial workers in your system and asked them what it
When would you want to lose it? she asked.
would take for the system to work better.
Around April or May in time for swimsuit
Feedback is a good thing. But you have to
season, said the feedback.
respond.

Meet Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield is the founder and co-creator of the New York
Times #1 best-selling book series Chicken Soup for the Soul.
With more than 55 titles in print and over 80 million copies sold
in 39 languages, Jack is a world-renowned expert at warming hearts
and changing lives.
But behind the empire Time Magazine called the publishing phenomenon of the decade is Americas leading expert in creating peak
performance for entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, managers, sales
professionals, corporate employees and educators. Jack Canfield
knows how to accelerate the personal achievement and career fulfillment of workgroups and individuals everywhere. He is a compelling,
empowering and compassionate coach who has helped hundreds of
thousands of individuals achieve their dreams. Jacks latest success
resource, The Power of Focus: How to Hit Your Business, Personal and Financial Targets With Absolute Certainty (co-authored
with Les Hewitt and Mark Victor Hansen), contains powerful strategies and techniques designed to double your income and double your
time off in less than three years!
Jacks background includes a BA from Harvard University, a
Masters degree in Psychological Education from the University of
Massachusetts and an Honorary Doctorate in Human Behavior from
the University of Santa Monica. For the past 30 years, he has been a
psychotherapist, an educational consultant, and a leading authority in
the areas of self-esteem, achievement motivation and peak performance.
Jack has appeared on over 200 television shows including Oprah,
20/20, Inside Edition, The Today Show, Fox and Friends, The
CBS Evening News, The NBC Nightly News, Eye to Eye, CNNs
Talk Back Live!, PBS, QVC and many others.
Jack is the founder of The Canfield Training Institute of Santa
Barbara, California. His distinguished clients include Virgin Records,

Meet Janet Switzer

From her first job as campaign coordinator for a Member of
Congress at age 19 to building an international publishing company
with over $10 million in assets by age 29, Janet Switzer epitomizes
the personal achievement and professional accomplishment that comes
from applying these proven principles of success.
Today, shes the marketing genius and business growth expert
of choice for some of the worlds top success gurus: peak performance expert Jack Canfield, master motivator Mark Victor Hansen,
marketing icon Jay Abraham, Internet income expert Yanik Silver and
Jesus CEO author Laurie Beth Jones, among others. Additionally,
Janets counseled more than 50,000 companies and entrepreneurs
worldwide in leveraging their intangibles and information assets for
untold millions in potential windfall revenue: Xircom (acquired by Intel),
Chicken Soup for the Soul, Genoa Technology, California Family
Business Institute, $300 million newsletter giant Phillips Publishing,
Liberty League International, LifeTools UK, Biz University Canada,
Integrity Church International, affinity travel leader Vantage Travel,
Profit Advisors Inc. and Habitat for Humanity, among others.
Janet is a nationally-recognized keynote speaker and Founder
and Editor of Leading Experts magazine as well as a contributing
expert to Mentors Magazine and numerous newswires and press syndicates. She regularly speaks to thousands of entrepreneurs, independent sales professionals, corporate employees and industry association members on the principles of success and income generation.
Additionally, she helps achievers who are experts in their field attain
worldwide status and million-dollar incomes by building publishing
empires around their business strategies, training concepts, industry
expertise and unique market posture. Her multi-media short-course
How Experts Build Empires: The Step-By-Step System for Turning Your Expertise Into Super-Lucrative Profit Centers is the
industrys definitive work on the subject of developing and marketing
information products.
Janet makes her home in Thousand Oaks, California where she
belongs to Calvary Community Church and works with young people
as a local 4-H Club project leader a role shes enjoyed for nearly
20 years.
To bring Janet to speak at your next event, call (805) 4999400 or visit www.janetswitzer.com. To subscribe to Leading
Experts magazine, visit www.leadingexpertsinternational.com.

If becoming successful was as easy as reading a book,

youd already be a millionaire.

At my 7-day success training, youll

learn the inside secrets of the most
successful people on the planet...
and leave with a simple step-by-step system for creating
all the success you want!
Look at
what some
recent course
participants
said...
The man that flew to
California to take your
seminar got left behind, and
a new and better man flew
home. Long live the new me!
Jack, you changed my life and
Ill never forget that.
-Cliff Suttle, Speaker
and Winners Coach
Soon after attending one
of Jacks workshops, I made
22% of my 365 day salary in
just 2 days. Opportunities are
flying at me because of the
Maximum Confidence I have
due to Jacks teachings.
Scott Schilling,
President, Schilling Sales
& Marketing Inc.
I came home with a
renewed vision and passion to
dream big! The first thing I did
was finish my incompletes.
I was putting off calling two
major prospects for fear of
losing a deal. I called them and

Anyone can share success secrets with you,

but this unique experience guarantees youll
learn how to apply them to your own life. And
thats the only proven way to make positive
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Dear Friend:
Id like to ask a very small favor of
you. Turn off the TV and get rid of any dis- Meet Jack Canfield,
tractions (even if it means sending your co-author of the
spouse and kids out for an ice cream cone bestselling Chicken
Soup for the Soul
or something). Because, if youll give me your books
full, undivided attention for just a few minutes, Ill tell you about a simple way to dramatically change your life...
forever. And then, Im going to give you an opportunity to make what will
surely turn out to be one of the most important decisions of your life. Yes,
its a bold statement, but Ive got the track record to back it up. You
probably know me from my Chicken Soup for the Soul books, but
before we published the first one of them, I owned a training company
with offices in five cities, and taught everyone from executives and CEOs
of Fortune 500 companies to average people like you and me how to be
happier, more successful and more fulfilled in their lives.
In fact, some people say Ive created more millionaires than any
other success teacher alive today. Is it true? I dont know, but I do know
that many of my students reach levels of success theyd never dreamed
of before.
And I know why, too.
Its because Ive developed a talent (and a fool-proof system complete with hands-on exercises) for making absolutely sure students

 I left a lot of baggage in

Palm Springs and gained a
clearer picture of my purpose.
I can do, be or have anything.
I can dream and see clearly
what I have manifested thus
far. My life is a miracle and a
gift.
Laura Fenamore,
Golden Gate
International, San Rafael,
CA
Jackafter attending
your 7-day seminar, within 3
months I launched a new
career traveling the world and
doing what I love! How can I
ever thank you enough?
Mike Foster, Foster
Institute, Dallas, TX
I
have
literally
transformed my life! By using
the skills that Jack teaches in
my daily life, my dreams are
now my reality and this is only
the beginning.
Teresa Huggins,
Leaders for Life, Clinton,
NY
The most amazing thing
for me is that I , who never
liked to get up and speak, who
avoided advocacy in my
career as a lawyer because I
didnt want to speak in court
or to groups of people, have
now done a number of
motivational presentations
speaking to groups ranging
from 15-50 and am enjoying
every minute of it! I find it
very rewarding that so many
people enjoy the presentations
and seem to get such a lot out
of it.
Thank you for putting on
this wonderful life changing
course.
Stephanie Kosky

master the materialbefore they leave the training.

Now I want to work side-by-side with you.
I hope youll join me August 7th - 14th in Las Vegas for my comprehensive 7-day success training. I guarantee it will be a life-changing event
for you.
You dont have to want to be rich to attend this event. Though its
great to have financial abundance, success is much more than money.
Its having peace of mind, doing what you love, making a difference
and sharing your blessings with others, being challenged and excited by
what you do, and making a good living doing it.
In this 7- day event, Ill cover every aspect of how to be a success
in life.
Youll learn...

How successful people think and how to change your own thinking and behavior so you can get the same results they do.

The common reasons why people have difficultiesthe same difficulties youve probably hadand how you can easily avoid or overcome them.

Why success seems to come automatically to some people

(youve likely known some of them yourself), and how, with a
few changes, you can attract the same level of success.

Whats been holding you backand how to immediately overcome

and blast right through it.

What you really want, and how to motivate yourself to get

started, keep going, andmost importantly complete what
you start, so you actually get the rewards you want.

About what things in your past that have created subconscious roadblocks to your success.

How to use a very powerful technique to actually go back in

your mind and heal those old wounds so they never hold you
back again. (This single technique, alone, will create a huge
shift in your life, and make everything else you do, for the rest
of your life, easier.)

The real power of visualization and how to use it to get what you
want in life. Dont worry if youve tried it before and couldnt seem
to make it work, Ill show you exactly how to do it, based on the
latest research, in a way that guarantees it will work for you.

My proven ways to find and attract all the resources you need

 This seminar has made

a big difference in my daily
life.
Sara Leopold
Chatsworth, New South
Wales, Australia
This is the best
presentation of content and
processes I have ever
experienced ...you have an
uncanny and beautiful way of
combining the best of all
worlds.
Barbara Faurot,
Teacher
These
wonderful
exercises assisted me to
redirect my goals and set my
course back to personal
power.
Bob Janis, Former U.S.
Triathlon Champion, San
Diego, California
This seminar empowers,
inspires and enlivens. It is truly
state-of-the-art personal
effectiveness training. You
offer support, clarity and a
brand of tough love that
really work!
Steven Fearing,
Psychotherapist
My hat is off to you for
the loving and empowering
work you are doing.
Rae Ann Levy, The
Walt Disney Company
Today, my marriage is
stronger than ever and I have
turned a dream into a reality.
I now have a speaking and
consulting business which is
second to none. Thank you for
allowing me to achieve my
dream. More importantly, my
kids thank you for the new
Dad they have.
Nigel Risner,
Professional Speakers
Association, London,

to achieve what you want.

All about the power of mastermind groups and how to get nearly
anyone you want to happily join your group and take an active interest in helping you get what you want.

How successful people deal with setbacks, failures, and defeats. Once you learn this secret, youll not only be able to
deal with adversity, youll take any adversity and turn it into
an equal or greater benefit.

How bad habits, negative thoughts, procrastination, lack of motivation hold you back and how to solve all of these problems once and
for all so they never come back to haunt you.

And a whole lot moreremember, were going to spend 7-full days

working shoulder to shoulder!
To tell you the truth, I cant think of a single important aspect of
personal success and happiness that we wont cover.
And, as an extra bonus, Im bringing in a few friends (absolute giants in the personal growth and success fields) who will share even more
amazing tips and techniques with you.
My amazing cast of co-stars...
Bill Harris, Director of Centerpointe
Research Institute and Author of Thresholds
of the Mind.
As creator of The Holosync Solution and
the Life Principles Integration Process, Bill will
help you Accelerate your mental, emotional, and
spiritual growth...and positively change your
life...in ways that will absolutely astound you.
Hale Dwoskin, President and CEO of
Sedona Training Associates and author of
The Sedona Method.
Think about it. If you FEEL powerful, then
you act powerful. If you feel sad, then you act
sad. Your feelings define how you operate in the
world. And, unless you change those feelings,
you are going to act as you have always acted
and you will produce the results youve always
produced.

Soul. I left an impossible

marriage, bought a house, and
achieved my lifelong dream of
traveling to Israel. Next
Saturday, another dream will
come true. Ive been invited
to address the student nurses
in Maryland at their annual
conventionperhaps the
beginning of the speaking
career Ive wanted for so
long.
Susan Goldberg,
Haverstraw, NY

Fran Hewitt - Author, The Power of

Focus for Women
Let go of limiting behavior and destructive
belief systems.
Discover, and celebrate, your unique talents
and strengths.
Eliminate worry, guilt, and resentment.
Build a rock-solid foundation for healthy selfesteem

The seminar proved to

be life changing. To make a
short story long, I am actually
now living my dream instead
of merely dreaming. For many
years I have dreamed of living
in a large ranch home on
acreage around water. One
year ago this week I fulfilled
the dream. Now owning a
7,000 sq. ft. home on 3 acres,
much privacy, incredible
landscaping and a 5 acre lake
validates the awakening. I
started my own business,
Positive Impact ... I now
realize things are falling into
place. Im exactly where I
need to be and am doing what
is truly my passion. Quite
successfully.
Judie Sinclair,
Kendallwood Health
Care, St. Joseph, MO

Focus on your strengths and eliminate

everything that is holding you back.
Change bad habits into habits that will make
you debt free and wealthy.
Create an excellent balance between work
and family life -without guilt!

As you stated, I have

tripled my income. It really
can be done! And I have more
free time to do the things that
I feel passionate about! So
one year later, Im a
confirmed believer of your
teachings and principles and
am well on my way to
becoming the person I was

Les Hewitt - co-author of the International

bestseller, The Power of Focus

Jana Stanfield, Nashville Singer and

Songwriter
Reflecting her background as a television
news reporter, songwriter, humorist and
entertainer, Jana Stanfields Keynote Concerts
are multi-dimensional. She combines laughter,
wisdom, and her million-selling songs into an
interactive experience that generates positive
action.

Rudy Ruettiger - The inspiration behind

the movie Rudy, the Notre Dame Football
story
Today, a highly sought after motivational
speaker, Rudy entertains international audiences
with a unique, passionate, and heartfelt style of
communicating that comes from his personal
experiences of adversity and triumph. His
captivating personality and powerful message of
YES I CAN stays with his audiences forever.

 Upon returning from the

seminar I was inspired to start
my own speaking company
for young adults and I have
since spoken to over 1,500
kids. I speak of personal
definitions of success and the
importance of balance in ones
life using my experiences as
an Olympic coach and
nationally
competitive
whitewater slalom racer. I
continue to compete and
speak and they complement
one another nicely.
Corey Nielsen,
Olympic Whitewater
Coach, Durango, CO
I thought the seminar
was wonderful!!! This was a
totally new experience for me
and one I hope to have again.
I am 55 years old. While I am
happy, my life has not felt
complete because I have
several things I want to do but
have been unable to find
enough hours in the day to
accomplish. The seminar got
me thinking of ways I can
change things by giving up
some of the responsibilities on
our ranch that I do not enjoy
and using that time to pursue
paths I have wanted to
follow. I realize that teaching
can occur in any age group.
Betty Jo Chauvet,
Chauvet Ranch Co.
An 11 on a scale from
1 to 10.
Jack Wolf, President,
Associated Consultants,
Bradenton, FL

Understand this...
My 7-day success training is NOT just another feel-good experience where you leave with a high but realize a few weeks later that nothing has really changed.
Now lets talk about the investment it takes for you to join me...
Actually there are two investments youll be required to make. One
is actually quite easyits the financial one. And Ill address it in a minute.
The other is the personal investment. Its the one that will make the
biggest impact in your life.
Please dont confuse my training with one of those magic pills.
You know what I mean... the type of thing where you just take the pill (or
attend a training) and wake up the next morning a whole new you...better
looking... slimmer... smarter...and suddenly rich!
Oh, dont worry, you will get dramatic results. I absolutely guarantee it. But youre going to have to put some effort into it. Youve got to go
home and actually apply what youll learn in Las Vegas.
Sure, itll take some work. But if you put even a modest amount of
effort into it, the results will absolutely astound you.
MY IRON-CLAD, NO-RISK GUARANTEE!
If, after attending the entire event, you dont think it was the best
experience of your life, that it gave you everything you need to create the
life youve always wanted, or in any other way you arent totally satisfied,
just say so before you leave, and Ill refund your entire tuition. No hassle,
no pressure. Look, I cant think of a more risk free opportunity. Im going
to work personally with you for seven full days. Ill share with you all of
my most powerful success secrets, techniques, systems, and my 30 year
track record of results generating experience. And, you can attend the
entire training and still get all your money back if youre not 100% blown
away. What could be fairer than that?
Okay, now lets talk about
the financial investment...
It normally takes a $3,500 investment to attend my 7-day Las Vegas Success Training. And frankly, I know in my heart that it would be a
terrific bargain at twice that.
But then, I had a chat with my friend, Bill Harris (hes the founder of
Centerpointe Research Institute and youll meet and learn something quite
valuable from him in Vegas).
Anyway, during that conversation he convinced me that it was more
important to me to remove any financial barrier standing in your way of

attending than for me to make a few extra bucks.

So we reduced the
price even further.
In fact, we lowered your investment, by $1,505.00 to only $1,995.
Thats right, you can work side-by-side with me for a full intensive week of training for the small
investment of only $1,995.
If youre wondering why I didnt make the investment even smaller, the answer is for the same reason
good parents require their children to work for what they want rather than just giving it to themso theyll
value and respect what they get.
Over the years, Ive given out more than my fair share of free advice. Ive shared my techniques and
methods with people I meet on airplanes, at my local grocery store, my gas station, etc.
And often, I run into the same people weeks, months, sometimes years later and in virtually every case,
they havent done a single thing to change their lives. They havent taken advantage of a single thing Id
shared with them.
But, when I run into people who have invested in themselves and attended my training, I nearly always
notice a big difference.
Theyre smiling ear-to-ear as they tell
me about all their recent successes.
The only difference between them and the people Id helped for free is the value they put on that help.
When you give people free (or nearly free) advice, thats exactly the value they put on it.
Now to some of you, that $1,995 may still may seem like a lot. If money is tight, anything seems like a
lot. But its really a pittance when you consider the change it will make in your life.
If youre sitting there wanting to attend, but arent sure about the cost, consider what it will cost if you
dont attend, in lost opportunities and might-have-beens.
If you decide that its simply too high a price to pay, look at it this way...
If you dont do anything different, your life will probably be about the same five years from now, ten
years from now, twenty years from now. Thats what happens to the vast majority of people.
Life passes them by
because theyre afraid to act.
So imagine yourself 5 years from now and looking back to today. Are you going say, Gee, Im glad I
didnt invest a few bucks in myself to change my life back then. Im so much happier with what I spent that
$33 a month on.?
Thats right. If you look at this investment over a period of only 5 years, its about $33 a month...$33
a month to change your lifeforever.
This, right now, is a moment of truth for you. As Yogi Berra said, When you come to a fork in the road,
take it. This is that fork in the road. But unlike many forks in the road, this one is totally risk free, and 100%
guaranteed to be the right decision.
If you really want to take control of your life, and change your current results to happiness, financial

success, a sense of accomplishment, the ability to help others, and a real sense of purpose and satisfaction in your lifewell, that possibility is right here, right now.
Just for fun, imagine what it would be like to have enough money to never deny yourself, or your family,
anything you want or need. Imagine having the additional resources you can use to, quite literally save or
dramatically improve someone elses life.
Finally, imagine what it would be like to know that whatever happens, you have, inside of you, everything you need to succeed in anything you do.
All of this is truly possible for you, no matter
who you are and no matter what your
past or present circumstances.
For the cost of a couple of coffee drinks, or a hamburger once a month, you can totally change the
direction of your life.
To reserve your spot in this seven day live event with me and all the other great presenters, just fill out
the easy online registration form, below. Or, you can call 1-800-237-8336 x10 and ask for Jesse.
This event has an absolute upper limit to how many can attend. There are only 400 seats, and theyre
filling up fast.
Nearly 25,000 people are participating in my series of teleseminars during which I describe and make
available my Las Vegas event. If only 2% of them decide to attend, the event will be sold out.
spot.

If you want what this seminar will give you, and I assume you do, please dont wait to reserve your
Youve taken the first step in living your dreams. Do keep going, and please dont let anything stop you.

Ive done everything I can think of to motivate you to be at this event. Now its up to you to make a
decision. I hope youll decide in favor of you.
For hotel and schedule info and to fill out the easy online registration form, go to
http://www.jackcanfieldtrainings.com/vegas
Or call 800-237-8336 x10,
Or, complete and mail or fax the order form on the next page.
Heres where it all happens...Las Vegas Hilton Hotel3000 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109.To
reserve a room, call 1-800-732-7117Room rates are $89 per night single or double occupancy, August 715. Call before July 7 to receive the conference rate. It is possible the rooms will sell out before July 7, so
reserve your room today. Request rooms for the Living Your Highest Vision Seminar. Each reservation
requires one nights deposit (with credit card). Deposit is non-refundable if not cancelled 72 hours prior to
arrival.
Program Schedule
The event starts on Saturday, August 7th, with an optional (no extra cost), evening session with Nashville singer, songwriter Jana Stanfield from 8:00-9:00 PM

Sunday-Friday, (August 8th-13th) well run from 9:00 AM-6:00 PM

Saturday, (August 14th), well run from 9:00 AM-5:00 PM and have a reception and celebration
dinner at 7:00 PM
(All start and ending times are approximate)
I look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas. Be well.

Mail & Fax Order Form

Jack Canfields
7-Day Success Training
August 7-14, 2004
In Las Vegas, Nevada

Fax it to:
Or mail it to:

Please print and complete this form and...

805-563-2945
Jack Canfield Trainings
P.O. Box 30880
Santa Barbara, CA 93130

YES, Jack. I want to participate in this amazing event. I look forward to working with you and
learning how to take advantage of al your success secrets.
I understand my participation is covered by your Iron-Clad Risk Free Guarantee which says... If,
after attending the entire event, you dont think it was the best experience of your life, that it gave you
everything you need to create the life youve always wanted, or in any other way you arent totally
satisfied, just say so before you leave, and I'll refund your entire tuition. No hassle, no pressure.

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