10 Powerful Habits of The Ultra Successful

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“Successful people are simply those with successful habits” – Brian Tracy

We often run through life, envious of all the people who “made it”. Not being able to recognize exactly why they are where they are in life. We’re confused as to what trickery or black magic these people have applied in their life that has enabled them to rise to the top of their industry. Unfortunately we’re never able to distill this “special ingredient” or “secret” that has kept us in doubts for so long. Eventually it can even drive us to the brink of insanity But I’d say we’re searching for the wrong things.. How so?

• What’s the one thing that made him so much money?
• What’s the one thing that allowed him to have so many friends?
• What’s the single source of his great health?
• …

We’re primarily focused on certain events whilst almost every (if not all) successful aspects we recognize in a person is the sum of different processes. These processes are basically different habits that have been built up over time which have compounded in the results they’re experiencing in their life. I call this habit-stacking Habit-what? ——————————————————————————–

What Is Habit Stacking?

Habit stacking is the process of incrementally (meaning gradually) implementing new, empowering habits in your day-to-day life. These daily, high-leverage tasks will “stack up” over time which will in turn improve what I call your “success-level” For illustrative purposes, here’s fancy infographic I made;   The quantity and quality of every success habit performed, will define the altitude of your success-level. I’ve seen this pattern recurring in many different successful people I’ve observed the past years. People like Warren Buffet, Anthony Robbins, Elon Musk, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Owen Cook and many more. The people who obviously “have their stuff together” The stacking of these habits creates an immense amount of control over their life and therefore yields the compounding results they have acquired.
By analyzing and defining their different habits, I’ve compiled a list of what I believe are the 10 most potent habits to implement in your life.

Ten Essential Success Habits

(Speed) Learning

I’ve seen this habit recurring time and time again. The wealthiest people of the world are avid learners. In an interview , Warren Buffet and Bill Gates were asked if they could have one superpower in the world, what would it be? They both argued that being the worlds fastest reader would be HUGE Why is it so effective?
Reading allows us to skip (partially) the process of trial and error by simulating the future in our mind, based on the knowledge we’ve acquired from other peoples’ mistakes. Why make your own when you can learn so much from others?
It allows us to “stand on the shoulders of giants” by acquiring information that enables us to avoid many failures.
How to start? Start by reading 15 pages every day (non-fiction)

Visualization

Often in life we harbor dis-empowering thoughts in our head;

• I’m not good enough
• I’m not good with women
• I don’t deserve to be rich
• I’m not able to lose any weight
• …

These are all perfect examples of limiting beliefs that become self-fulfilling prophecies and basically rob ourselves of everything we want out of life. People are not limited to these perceptions and are actually able to change these for the better (however, not many realize they can do this) How you perceive yourself and your surroundings literally sets the boundaries of your individual accomplishment. It basically defines what you can and cannot do. This is a social theorem defined by W.I Thomas and D.S. Thomas;

“People react not only to the situations they are in, but also, and often primarily, to the way they perceive the situations and to the meaning they assign to these perceptions. Therefore, their behavior is determined in part by their perception and the meaning they ascribe to the situations they are in, rather than by the situations themselves. Once people convince themselves that a situation really has a certain meaning, regardless of whether it actually does, they will take very real actions in consequence.”

So what should I do? Improve your self-image and your image of the world and likewise will your accomplishments grow to greater heights. The way I do this is by writing down how I want to perceive myself and visualize in detail how I will act in certain situations. Repetition is key! Eventually it will become real. This might sound like the black magic I referred to earlier, but it goes much deeper than that. You could argue that this is yet another pseudo-scientific trick to justify positive thinking but I personally believe (from several experiences and observations) that this “trick” works.
How to start? Read books like “Psycho-Cybernetics” by Maxwell Maltz, “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill and “As A Man Thinketh” by James Allen (FREE DOWNLOAD)

Exercise & Diet

Our body is probably the single most important investment we can make in our life. And the only one we’re 100% convinced off that we’re always going to need it. Yet I see so many people gulping down fast-food, copious amounts of alcohol and neglecting any form of exercise. Everything you operate needs maintenance from time to time. You can compare your body to driving a car. If you don’t take care of your car, guess what’s going to happen? Buy a new one? Nope, game over buddy!
How to start? Make sure you get the recommended physical activity every day (if you can do more, do so!). Do this first thing in the morning and just get it over with. The consequences are far more detrimental.

Goal Setting (In Writing)

Writing down your goals has been proven time and time again that they can make a huge impact on your life altogether! A study about goal setting at Harvard University in the book “What They Don’t Teach You in the Harvard Business School” by Mark McCormack discovered the following truth about goal-setting and performance;

“Only three percent of the graduates had written goals and plans; 13 percent had goals, but they were not in writing; and a whopping 84 percent had no specific goals at all. Ten years later, the members of the class were interviewed again, and the findings, while somewhat predictable, were nonetheless astonishing. The 13 percent of the class who had goals were earning, on average, twice as much as the 84 percent who had no goals at all. And what about the three percent who had clear, written goals? They were earning, on average, ten times as much as the other 97 percent put together.”

The truth is simply this; without goals you don’t have any direction in life and nothing really tangible to work towards. Result? You get nowhere. Pretty obvious stuff, right?
How to start? Set some goals! Here’s how I do it.

Planning & Prioritization

Do the most important things first. This is such a simple concept talked about by many high-achievers. I’ve read about this in “The One Thing” by Gary Keller, “The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey and “Think And Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill What they all basically say is that you should find your one, most important focus for every single day (aligned with the goals you’ve set out for yourself) and consequently annihilate that goal in the morning until it is finished – everything else is a distraction. Simple, yet not easy.
How to start? Find your one, most important task for the day and execute accordingly. Also set a time limit on these goals, so you don’t get stuck in saying things like; “I’m done at x hour” or “my work gets done when it’s done.” Limitations create urgency. Urgency gets things done.

Money Management

Another big pillar in success is shifting from the consumer mentality into the investor mentality. See your little dollars as seeds. By spending your hard-earned money in a smart way you’ll be able to grow your investments into bigger pay-offs over time

• Don’t buy ridiculously overpriced smartphones
• Don’t amass great amounts of debt
• Don’t live above your means
• …

Basic stuff like that makes a huge difference over time.
How to start? Read some great books on financial beliefs and money management like “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” By Robert T. Kiyosaki, “The Millionaire Fastlane” by MJ Demarco and “The Intelligent Investor” by Benjamin Graham.

Waking Up Early

Our time on earth is limited. With our average life expectancy of 78.6 years (as of 2014) we spent 25 years of that sleeping! Tai Lopez (who became a self-made millionaire in his 20′s) says that we only have 50 000 valuable hours to really dedicate to doing our greatest work. The rest of the time is spend in disability, sickness, sleeping, old age, young age and so-forth.
Imagine that I give you a check of $50 000 in the beginning of your life, how scarcely would you spend those dollars?
How to start? Start waking-up an hour earlier everyday! That’s 365 hours extra a year which equals more than two weeks! What are you waiting for? Tick-tock.

Build On Strength

We’re all born with our unique sets of strengths and talents yet we rarely develop those to our natural capacities. We fall into the trap of believing the “you can be anything you want” fairy-tale that has been fed to us by our surroundings. The truth (IMO) is this: We can only perform optimally from strength. Talent and investment serve as amplifiers for your achievement level. TALENT X INVESTMENT = STRENGTH Investment can be self-generated whilst raw talent is incredibly difficult to add.

While it may be possible, with a considerable amount of work, to add talent where little exists, our research suggests that this may not be the best use of your time – Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Tom Rath

My take on strengths is the following; Build your life on what you’re good at, but improve your weaknesses to the degree that they don’t hold you back.
How to start? A great way to get started and gain some priceless self-knowledge is by taking the personality test at 16Personalities.com. I found the results disturbingly accurate yet amazingly insightful.

Networking & Social Skills

Many successful people are not where they are solely because of their many skills and talents (which they have) but because they made themselves known to others. Ever heard the statement; It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know? In terms of success this certainly rings true. Mostly it’s not you that rises trough the ranks by your own effort. People rise to success by others lifting them up.
Additionally, by surrounding yourself with these “high-achievers” your own performance level will be increased. This is because the people we see regularly set the standard for what is appropriate and therefore we’ll adjust to that environment.
How to start? Read some books on basic social skills like “How To Win Friends And Influence People” by Dale Carnegie and get some great resources on networking! One website I’d definitely recommend is SmartBusinessRevolution.com by John Concoran (he has a GREAT free ebook).

Character

And last but certainly not least important: Character! By setting for ourselves a certain standard for acceptable behavior, we’re able to connect with other people on a genuine level. Things like; being honest, keeping secrets, having integrity, not cheating, not stealing and so-forth. People automatically want to connect with the ones who don’t have hidden agendas and are pure of heart. Immorality breaks relationships.
How to start? Write down for yourself a certain set of rules (a code of conduct) you will live by that will lead to a successful life (whatever that means to you). Be sure to include the essentials like integrity, honesty, responsibility and so-forth. Read these values when you get out of bed and live accordingly.

Essence

I know this can be a lot to take in and therefore I highly recommend building up each habit until it has become a natural part of your day-to-day routine. (don’t take on more than one at a time – two at max) New research shows that the formation of a new habit can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days (66 on average). So consistency is key here. Start with small steps and slowly build them up. Notice also that almost all the habits I’ve mentioned above are short-term sacrifices that will result in long-term benefits.
By overcoming forms of instant gratification like cheating, watching tv, splurging money, binge-eating and whatnot we set ourselves up for a great future. Delayed gratification is your ticket to success! (Which doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to enjoy life – within reason ) Anyway, that’s all I have to say on success habits for today. I hope I’ve been able to spike your curiosity to try out a new habit (or improve the quality/quantity of an old one) So, that leaves me with just one more question;

Courtsey of Simon Somlai http://addicted2success.com/success-advice/10-powerful-habits-of-the-ultra-successful/

Strategic Manager Kyle Heads to LA for Business Training!

Strategic Manager Kyle Heads to LA for Business Training!

This week Taylor Made Marketing’s Strategic Manager; Kyle Clark will be heading to Los Angeles, California for Business Building Blocks management training. Kyle will be able to learn more on what it takes to run a successful business and network with other manager’s in our organization.  It is a great opportunity for Kyle as he is getting ready to open and run Taylor Made Marketing’s expansion of their newest location.  Kyle has been working very hard and feels honored for such a great opportunity.  Kyle goes to say “never wait for the perfect moment, take the moment and make it perfect.” Everyone here at Taylor Made Marketing wishes Kyle the best of luck and hopes he is able to deal with his fear of flying.  

4 Ways to Make A Great First Impression On Anyone

You only get one chance to make a great first impression.

No one will remember you, or pay you much attention if your first impression is so unmemorable. But there are many different ways to make sure you make a powerful, memorable first impression, and we’re going to look at four of the most effective methods.

1. Design your elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is how you describe what you do for a living in a short amount of time, usually about thirty seconds. It’s called an elevator pitch because 30 seconds is the amount of time you will normally have to wait for an elevator. During that time it’s important that you can sum up what you do and how you do it. This is also useful in social situations when meeting people for the first time.
If you network with other business people, then along with your business card this is the most important way of getting your message across.

When starting a new business your main marketing tool is….YOU!  By meeting people and speaking to them you are going to spread awareness of your business. When I first started working for myself, I had never heard of an elevator pitch or a 30 second story.

If someone asked me what I did I would undermine the importance of my business and be quite vague. This was because I was afraid of what other people would think and also because I hadn’t developed enough confidence in myself.

You don’t have to be starting or own your own business to benefit from having an elevator pitch. Write a thirty second script that you would say to someone when you meet them for the first time. Learning this off by heart can help you make a really good first impression. It’s very important that you deliver it with confidence as you won’t be saying it again to that particular person.

Since I developed my elevator pitch I have stopped sabotaging myself through introductions where I appeared nervous and lacking self-belief. Knowing my elevator speech well allows me to introduce myself with confidence and clarity and describe concisely what I do. You have to look as if you believe in yourself, and sound as if you believe in yourself, to enable others to believe in you too! You need to make it easy for them to connect with you.

2. Speak for Yourself

Sometimes you will be introduced to someone and the person who is making the introduction will do all the talking. If you are anxious or nervous then it is much easier to just stand there, smile and say Hi. In my own experience, I found that people don’t remember you if you don’t say anything and let the other person do all the talking. Speak for yourself.

After you have been introduced, make an effort to engage with that person with a question, for example, ‘do you come to these functions regularly?’ or give them some information about yourself. Try to ask open questions, beginning with ‘how do you….’ or ‘what do you feel about….’ When you really can’t think of anything to say, find something in common, or if you  know a little about them, then use it to your advantage, for example ’Jim tells me you were born in Hawaii, what was growing up there like?’

Remember, most people love to talk about themselves!

3. Treat Everyone Like The Gatekeeper To Your Destiny

Joel Osteen, the American preacher and speaker, says that you should treat everyone like the gatekeeper to your destiny. What he means by this is that everyone you meet has the potential to change your life immeasurably and help you get to where you want to be. This is why it is vitally important to treat everyone the same and introduce yourself to as many people as possible, as you never know who will change your life for the better.

I recently met an old family friend whom I had not seen in many years. He did not recognise me and in the past I would have let my anxiety get the better of me and not said hello. These days, I am a lot more confident than I used to be, so I introduced myself and then used my elevator pitch to tell him what I am doing now.

I would have been happy with just the process of introducing myself and using my elevator pitch but the outcome of that chance meeting has been amazing and has provided me with huge opportunities. That is what I’ve found from introducing yourself well and using your elevator pitch. People will think of ways in which they can help you.

Try it out for yourself, and you will see more and more people will want to help you. Enthusiasm is infectious and people want to be a part of your success. You will also realise that there may be ways in which you can help other people and you might even be the gatekeeper to their destiny!

4. Body Language and Attitude

These are common sense tips that you probably already know but are easy to forget about and not to put into practice. Body posture is very important when you meet someone. The human brain will pick up many signals subconsciously from a meeting in a split second to help it form an opinion of you. You want to make sure you are giving off as many positive signals as possible.

Standing up straight is the most basic but the most important. When you stand up straight with your shoulders back you are giving the signal that you are confident in yourself. You also need to speak clearly and purposefully.

Your introduction and elevator pitch will have no impact if you mumble and look at the person’s shoes or over their shoulder. Always look people in the eyes. If you find this difficult then look at people’s eyebrows as they will think you are looking into their eyes. Make sure you smile throughout your meeting. Happiness and enthusiasm are infectious and attractive.

If you are anxious or nervous then meeting people may be difficult for you. It will help you immensely to control your breathing. Take slow deep breaths, this will help you to remain calm and be confident. Say to yourself “I’m calm and relaxed; I want to share who I am and what I do with others”.

If you believe in yourself and seem confident, enthusiastic and genuinely interested in the other person, then you will make a great first impression. Some people may not like you for reasons that are beyond your control, perhaps you remind them of someone or they are just simply having a bad day. If you have negative responses, don’t let this affect you. You are only in control of your own actions and thoughts. The outcomes of your meetings are out of your control so focus on the process!
The majority of the first meetings will be great and you will begin to attract new people into your life who want to help you and be friends with you.

If you have business cards then it’s best to carry them around with you everywhere you go as you never know who you could meet. Having a case is important to keep them in good condition. I’m not suggesting you give them out like confetti to everyone, but it’s important to have some to hand to give to the people who are interested or you think could make a difference to your business.
If you find introducing yourself difficult or you want to improve your first impression then a great way to do it is to practice. Go to a place where you can introduce yourself to someone. A networking event is a great place to meet lots of new people.

If you haven’t got an event coming up soon, practice by introducing yourself to the person serving you in the supermarket, in the bookstore, your neighbour, etc. You will learn something from every interaction especially the ones that are less than perfect.

I hope these tips will enable you to be your authentic, positive, confident self when meeting people and make memorable impressions at every opportunity.

Taylor Made Marketing March Madness Bracket Competition!

Winner of the Taylor Made Marketing March Madness Bracket Competition!

Taylor Made Marketing hosted a Bracket Competition for the NCAA March Madness tournament.  The winner of the competition received half of the pot and got to pick a charity for the other half to be donated to.   

Congratulations to Kyle for winning the Taylor Made Marketing NCAA Bracket Competition and we’re excited to put the other half of the winnings towards the National Breast Cancer Foundation!!

We wanted to find out a little bit more about Kyle and here his tricks to being the winner so we asked him a few questions:

Where do you live now? Lawrenceville, NJ

What University did you attend?  East Carolina University

What’s your Favorite Sports Team? Atlanta Braves

What’s your favorite food?  Vodka Rig 

What do you enjoy most about working at Taylor Made?  I enjoy the close knit feel of the office and the camaraderie that we exhibit on a daily basis.

What have you learned since working at Taylor Made Marketing?  I’ve learned how to not only grow as a person but also help others grow as well.

If you had to describe working at Taylor Made what would it be? Invigorating 

How did you choose your March Madness bracket?  Picking upsets, mostly luck though.

Why did you have Louisville going all the way?  Call it a “sixth sense”, Honestly, I thought they were the best team all season!

What made you choose the National Breast Cancer Foundation to contribute the other half of the bracket winnings to?  It’s a terrible disease that has affected many people in my life including family members.

Taylor Made Marketing Management Attends Kick Off Conference

Taylor Made Marketing Management Attends Kick Off Conference

A handful of Taylor Made Marketing’s management team attended the annual kick off conference at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta, Georgia, at the end of February, for networking, leadership workshops, awards, and bonuses.

Every year Taylor Made Marketing’s team looks forward to attending the annual kick off conference.  This year's meeting took place at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta during the end of February.

The weekend conference brought together the best and brightest leaders in our business to learn, network, and share goals.  Our human resource department particularly enjoyed the many breakout workshops where they had the opportunity to interact with top human resource individuals and recruiters.  Our managers’ favorite part of the weekend was the bonuses and awards that were handed out to last year's top performers.

President Austin Taylor comments, “Not only was it great to learn and develop new strategies, but getting the opportunity to network and create relationships with top performers in our industry was the best part of the trip!”

The Taylor Made crew is now excited to bring back the great lessons and meetings that got in Atlanta to New Jersey and make 2013 even better than 2012!