Secrets Of Success (61-100) By Robin Sharma

61. Become an adventurer. Revitalize your spirit and sense of playfulness. Become a kid
again. Once every few months, plan to enjoy a new, thrilling activity such as white water
rafting, scuba diving, windsurfing, rockclimbing, joining a martial arts club, sailing, deep
sea fishing or camping. This will keep your life in perspective, bring you closer to those
you share the activity with and keep you feeling invigorated and young.

62. Spend time with Nature. Natural settings have a powerful effect on your senses which in
turn will lead to a sense of renewal, refreshment and peacefulness. Peak performers
through the ages have understood the importance of getting back to Nature. Start camping
or simply taking quiet walks in the forest. Rest by a sparkling stream. Cultivate your own
little garden which will serve as your personal oasis in the middle of a crowded city. By
cultivating a friendship with Nature, you will quickly find more serenity, contentment
and richness in your life.

63. Recall the wise saying "mens sana in corpore sano" which means in a sound body rests a
sound mind. Never neglect the body which is intimately connected to the mind. This is
your temple. Feed it the finest fuels, exercise daily and care for it as you would your
prized possession - because it is.

64. Be so strong that nothing interferes with your peace of mind. A well-known boxer was
once unhappy. When asked why, he said that he had allowed himself to think a negative
thought. Curb your desires and stay centered and focused - it gets easier with practice.
You truly cannot afford the luxury of even one negative thought.

65. Do not eat three hours before sleep. This allows for smoother digestion and a more restful
sleep. For deeper, more renewing sleep, remember that a daily dose of exercise promotes
good sleep as does a period of relaxation an hour before bed. Also do not bring work to
bed with you or think about anything which might agitate you. Ease yourself into sleep
like a baby being sung a soft, soothing lullaby. And finally, as Leonardo da Vinci said: "a
well-spent day brings happy sleep."

66. Be careful about your reputation. If it is good it will take you to the highest of heights.
But once tarnished, it will be difficult to retrieve. Always reflect on your course of action.
Never do anything you wouldn't be proud to tell your mother about. Have fun always but
temper it with common sense and prudence.


67. Find mentors to model who will guide you in your progress. The mistakes of the world
have all been made once before - why shouldn't you have the benefit of the experience of
others? Find someone who has both courage and consideration for others, someone who
is therefore mature. Your mentor must have only your best interests in mind and should
be sufficiently senior to offer you good guidance on the subjects you seek assistance
with. Everyone needs to feel appreciated and even the busiest of executives will find time
to assist a person who respects them and values their advice.

68. Make a list of all your weaknesses. A truly confident and enlightened person will note a
weakness and seek to methodically improve. Bear in mind that even the greatest and most
powerful people have weaknesses. Some are better than others in hiding them. On the
other hand, get to know your best qualities and cultivate them.

69. Never complain. Be known as a positive, strong, energetic and enthusiastic person.
Someone who complains, is cynical and always looks for the negative in everything, will
scare people away and rarely will succeed at anything. From a purely psychological
viewpoint, things are always created twice: once in the mind and then in reality. Focus on
the positive. Be so mentally tough that nothing takes you off your planned course to
success. Visualize and firmly believe in what you want. It will most certainly come true.


70. Overlook the weaknesses of your friends. If you look for flaws you will most surely find
them. Be mature enough to ignore the petty failings of others and see the good that each
one inherently possesses. We can learn from everyone. Everyone has a story to tell, a
joke to share and a lesson to learn. Open your mind to this and you will learn a
tremendous amount. Friends are so very important to a happy existence - especially those
who have shared many experiences and laughs with you. Work hard to make friendships,
and all your relationships for that matter, stronger and richer. Call your friends, buy them
small gifts of books or other items you believe they might enjoy. The "law of the farm"
applies to relationships as well as to the rest of life - you reap what you sow and to have
great friends you must first be one.


71. Be kind, considerate and courteous. But also be shrewd and know when to be tough and
courageous. This is the mark of a well-defined character and you will surely command
respect. It is most useful to read books on friendliness and enhancing relationships by
being a good listener, showing others sincere appreciation and refining other interpersonal
skills. But, to truly succeed, one must also recognize that worldly wisdom and
shrewdness are essential skills to foster. Become an expert in human psychology and be
able to read the essence of people. Never be taken advantage of and be aware of the
politics around you. Stay above petty gossiping and office politics but appreciate that
they indeed exist and know what goes on behind your back. Every great leader does.


72. Create your image as a highly competent, strong, disciplined, calm and decent individual.
Find that crucial balance between working on the image that you project to the rest of the
world and your inner character. Create a sense of mystery about yourself as the truly wise
never show their hand. Do not tell everyone everything about yourself, your strategies
and your aspirations. The successful citizens of this world think thrice before they speak
because a word uttered can never be retrieved. Make things look easy and people will say
you are naturally gifted. Speak only good things and people will flock to you. Never
speak ill of others and all will know you will not malign them behind their backs. Build
your character and live a highly principled life.


73. Familiarity breeds contempt is a very good rule. The stars remain far above the Earth.
You must keep a distance from all but your closest of relations. Once people see
everything of a leader he loses his aura and with it the authority and mystique he may
have created. For example, Ronald Reagan was known to many as an excellent leader. He
carefully cultivated his image of a folksy, considerate politician who kept the interests of
the United States first and foremost in his mind. At gatherings of world leaders, he
commanded attention and respect in his dark suits, surrounded by the trappings of power
such as political aides, security officers and a convoy of limousines. As soon as he
appeared, thoughts of authority and power came to our minds. Did you ever see the
President with his shirt off swimming at his pool? How about in his dressing gown after
waking up after one of his long sleeps, hair tousled and beard grown? Reagan's handlers
never allowed such glimpses because they detract from the perception of authority. The
American nation was not exposed to these sights. In the Clinton Era things changed and
you saw the President eating Big Macs and wearing baseball caps with a full business
suit. Whilst these scenes may be endearing to the public, there is little doubt that
President Clinton was more familiar to us, merely another one of us and, unlike the stars
above, much closer to the ground.

74. Learn to organize your time. It is incorrect to say that by becoming a meticulous time
manager and living by a carefully defined schedule you become rigid and nonspontaneous.
Rather, proper organization allows one to accomplish those goals which are
truly important as well as enjoy leisure time. Good time management offers more time
for fun and relaxation - not less. These important periods are scheduled into the week just
like other commitments which may appear more pressing. Neither are sacrificed. Also,
discipline yourself and stop wasting time on all those immediate and pressing but
unimportant tasks (i.e., the ringing phones) and concentrate on the activities that are truly
meaningful to your life's mission. Such activities include time for self-renewal and
reflection, time forging relationships built on trust and mutual respect, time for physical
fitness, time to read and think deeply and time serving others in your community.

75. Keep well-informed about current events, the latest books and popular trends. Many peak
performers read five or six papers a day. You don't have to read every story of every
paper. Know what to focus on, what to pass by and what to clip out and read at another
time (many successful people scan scores of magazines and papers, clipping out articles
of interest; these articles go into a file folder which can be read in your down time).
Knowledge is power. Whether you are an entrepreneur, a corporate leader or someone
leading a family, you can profoundly change your life and the lives of those around you
with a single idea. Just ask Gates, Edison and Bell.

76. When choosing your life partner, remember that this is the most important decision of
your lifetime. The marriage relationship offers 90% of all your support, happiness and
fulfillment so choose it wisely. Consider qualities such as affection, sense of humor,
intelligence, integrity, maturity, temperament, compatibility and that indescribable
characteristic of chemistry. If these are present, your relationship stands an excellent
chance of great success. Move slowly and let no one press you into an uncomfortable
decision.

77. Never discuss your personal development activities with anyone. Your strategies for
expanding your mind and spirit are your own. Others might not understand the value of
personal-mastery and, further, will take away your credit when you meet with success by
saying that you relied on techniques. Keep these self-development activities to yourself.


78. Schedule relaxation time into your week and be ruthless in protecting it. You would not
schedule another activity into the time planned for an important meeting with the
president of your company or your best client so why would you put off a period to invest
in yourself? We must have time for ourselves to reflect, unwind and recharge our
batteries. These are the renewal activities that allow us to maintain peak performance and
are exceptionally valuable periods.

79. 83% of our sensory input comes from our eyes. To truly concentrate on something, shut
your eyes and you will remove much distraction.

80. Be the master of your will but the servant of your conscience.

81. Develop the wonderful habit of a daily swim. It will promote excellent health, keep you
relaxed and concentrated, lean and trim. Swimming is not stressful on the body, provides
a great workout for the lungs and requires little time to do effectively. Remember that in
a fit body resides a fit mind.

82. People who are doing good today are ensuring their happiness for tomorrow.

83. The key to successful time management is doing what you planned to do when you
planned to do it. Keep your mind fully on the task at hand. Only then will you achieve all
your goals and have time for the things that matter most. Although it is imperative to be
flexible (a bow too tightly strung will soon break), following your planned schedule
requires no more than simple discipline.

84. An excellent visualization technique: if you are worrying about something, picture the
words of your worry on a piece of paper. Now ignite a match to the paper and watch the
worry dissipate into flames. Bruce Lee, the great martial arts master employed this
mental control device regularly.

85. Compartmentalize your worry. Set aside a certain amount of time to ponder over a
problem and map out an effective plan of attack and your options. Once this is done, have
the mental fortitude not to come back to the problem and go over it again and again. The
human mind is a strange creature - things we want to forget keep coming back and those
things we want to remember are not there when we want them. But the mind is similar to
a muscle and the more you flex it the stronger it will become. Make it your servant. Feed
it only the best nutrition and information. It will serve you well and perform magic if you
believe in it.

86. Peak performers are physically relaxed and mentally engaged.

87. To be at your performance peak mentally, your body must be loose physically and
relaxed. It is now beyond dispute that there is a mind-body connection and when the body
is supple, free from tension, the mind is clear, calm and focused as well. This is why yoga
is such a beneficial activity. It keeps the body relaxed so that the mind can follow. Basic
stretching for 15 minutes a day is also an excellent way to release tension that builds up
as a result of our life in this highly complex and fast moving, but wonderful world. Try
having a massage or power lounging in a Jacuzzi. Relax the body and you relax the mind.

88. Prepare a detailed financial plan for the next few years and follow it. Seek out financial
advice if you need it. A powerful strategy for financial mastery is also a simple one: save
10% of all you make for long-term growth (take this off the pay cheque before you have
a chance to spend it). If you can invest $200 a month for the next 30 years at an annual
return rate of 15%, you will end up with $1.4 million dollars. Being wise with your
money is one of the very best investments to make. Financial security leads to personal
freedom.

89. Readers are leaders. U.S. President Bill Clinton read more than 300 books during his
short time at Oxford University. Some top performers read a book a day. Seek out
knowledge and information. We have truly entered the age of massive information and
those who are proactive can use this to their advantage. The more you know, the less you
fear.

90. Get into the excellent habit of reading something positive and inspirational before you go
to bed and as soon as you awake in the morning. You will soon note the benefits as these
thoughts will be supporting you throughout the day.

91. Make it one of your goals to develop a dynamic, charismatic personality. Such a quality
is something each one of us has the potential to develop but few do. President Kennedy
was a sickly youth but rose above his physical problems to be the most charismatic and
exciting political figure in the history of the United States. Start off small. Take a Dale
Carnegie course on public speaking. Go to the library where you will find books on the
fine art of conversation and personal grooming. Learn three clean and witty jokes and get
in the habit of socializing. You will have fun and build a lasting network of friends and
associates.

92. On the subject of conversation, a Chinese proverb states as follows: "a single
conversation across the table with a wise man is worth a month's study of books." Seek
out the wise and learn from them. They are just waiting for that small spark of interest to
tell you all that you need to know.


93. Lao-Tzu prized three essential qualities for a person of greatness: "the first is gentleness;
the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before
others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting
yourself before others and you can become a leader among men."

94. "When you cannot make up your mind which of two evenly balanced courses of action
you should take - choose the bolder," said W. J. Slim. There is no substitute for courage
and though the chance of stubbing your toe increases the more you walk, it is always
better than going nowhere by standing still. Take chances, take smart risks and you will
meet with success beyond your dreams.

95. Become your spouse's number one supporter, the one who is always there supporting and
fueling hopes and dreams. Develop together and march confidently through the world as
an army of two.

96. Think of three people who can provide you with inspiration, motivation and support for
your goals and aspirations. Plan to meet with each one of them over the next few weeks.
Listen enthusiastically to them and brainstorm with them. Map out a strategy and take
their wise counsel.

97. Make every one of your days a true masterpiece. Remember the old saying: "it's not who
you think you are that holds you back but what you think you're not."

98. Just as valuable energy is wasted by spending time on activities that are of no value,
energy can be wasted on loose thinking. Imagine that your mind has an energy measure
of 1000 watts at its disposal. Each time your mind wanders off the project at hand, to a
nagging worry, to all the things to do by the end of the day, 100 watts is lost. Quite soon
the entire energy supply is gone. This is the nature of the mind. Fail to discipline it and
your energy levels will be depleted and your accomplishments will be minimal. Control it
and you will see great things happening. You will feel more powerful and achieve
difficult tasks with ease. The 19th century philosopher Henri Frederic Amiel summed it
up nicely: "for purposes of action, nothing is more useful than narrowness of thought
combined with energy of will."

99. It has been rightly said that "you sow an action, you reap a habit. You sow a habit, you
reap a character. You sow a character, you reap a destiny." The essence of a person is his
character - make yours unique, unblemished and strong. Do not say you will do anything
unless you will indeed do it. Speak the truth and measure your words wisely. Be humble,
straightforward and peaceful.

100. Remember the overriding law of nature: positive overcomes the negative.