Category: Personal Development & Growth


Millionaire Habit 5: Do what you love.

Filed Under: Entreprenuership & Business, Personal Development & Growth, Work & Employment by apprentice — 8 Comments
May 20, 2009

Hello people, I hope you are enjoying this series on the 9 habits of Millionaires. Lets continue.

Habit 5: Do what you love

All successful people in this world have one thing in common. They do what they love.

In Uganda, most of us are looking for shortcuts to getting money and we’re constantly looking for the right business or career path that will get us there. For a while I recall that IT was considered the choice career and then it was Procurement so that people could be on tender boards and eat “enjawulo”.

Let me make this clear, you can never be successful unless you wake up everyday excited & full of passion for the work your going to do. People who love what they do don’t even see it as work. They enjoy themselves tremendously and eat, sleep, breathe what they do. As a result, they become the absolute best at what they do. They are walking encyclopedias about their particular field.

In any industry/ profession there will always be a minority who earn millions and the rest of the majority who earn just enough to get by. Why? Because those who earn the millions absolutely love what they do while the rest of us simply do it because that’s what you studied or it’s where you were told the money is.  There is no perfect millionaire career path. Whatever it is you choose, you can be a millionaire. You simply have to be absolutely 12o% committed to being the best in that particular field. And you can only do so in something that you love doing.

Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the world because of his intense love for the game and his obsessive commitment to practice and improvement. The same was true for Michael Jordan. He wasn’t the most gifted basketball player. Infact, he was rejected from his high school team the first time he tried. But his love for the game and commitment to training made him a legend. Steven Speilberg loves making movies, Tom Clancy loves writing about all things military, Museveni loves to rule :)

Realise one thing about all these people is despite the fortunes they’ve amassed, they still continue working. That’s because for them, it’s not about the money per se; its about their passion and being the absolute best at what they do. They love what they do so much, they would do it for free!

If you’re wondering why you aren’t successful, why you aren’t motivated or focused, the reason is very simple. You’re not doing what you love. Find what you love. We have been taught by our parents that in order to be successful, you gotta find a good job and work real hard for 30years. Simply put,

go to school > work hard > make enough money > do what you’ve always wanted

but the millionaire principle is

find what you love > become real good at it > make tons of money > continue doing what you love.

Again, it really doesn’t matter what it is you love. It maybe technology, sports, clothes, cooking, baby sitting, writing, nsenene, gonja, whatever.You can be a millionaire doing anything you choose as long as you’re the best in the business.

So let us ask ourselves the following questions:

  1. What do I love to do? What would I do even if I’m not getting paid?
  2. If time, money, resources were not an issue, what would you be doing on a daily basis?
  3. Who are the people who have made a fortune around my passion?

Answer these questions and get serious about making your fortune doing what you love. Next up, Habit 6:Acting with Integrity

Shalom

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Millionaire Habit 4: Delayed Gratification

Filed Under: Entreprenuership & Business, Personal Development & Growth by apprentice — 6 Comments
May 18, 2009

Greetings dear bloggers and what a short weekend it was. Before I get into this session, let me first send a shout out to my bro the RogueKing whose blog is finally back online after a brief hiatus. So welcome back man, we missed you.

Now, we continue in our series the 9 habits of Millionaires. So far we’ve looked at the habit of giving more than expected, of being proactive and of taking 100% responsibility. As we come halfway in this series I’d be most glad to hear your personal opinions on each habit and how you may or may not challenged in implementing them. So, lets move on shall we.

Habit 4: Delayed Gratification.

Gratification, what a word! Almost conjures up images of sordid carnal pleasure. Well that’s really what it is. Most of us prefer instant gratification which is enjoying right now and to hell with waiting for future benefits. As a result, we spend so much more than we ever invest. By spending on that new car, new flat screen tv, exorbitant rental house or even chips & chicken, we get our instant gratification. But when it comes to saving, investing in land, stocks or even books & training we feel like “Oh Gosh, do we have to?”

 People who want instant gratification will always look for quick and easy ways of making money rather than building a sustainable business that adds value to customers. They tend to cut corners on quality add deliver shoddy products to save money and boost short term profits. As a result, their profits rarely last and they will soon go out of business. A very typical Ugandan trait, I have observed.

Millionaires on the other hand, are in the habit of delaying their personal gratification for a future time when they can very easily afford it many times over. They prefer to invest their money in things and ventures that will make them more money in the future. If a millionaire got 1,000,000 shillings, he would find something that could in future turn that into 2million or 4million or more. Yes, even spending it on a good course or training in business, personal development or just buying books would result in multiple returns for the millionaire. If I gave it you right now, I’m sure investing it would be the last thing on your mind. You’d be paying off debts, buying rims for your car, taking a month off from work to lounge or some other form of instant gratification.(No offense:)

Millionaires invest far more than they spend. They know that with patience, their money will multiply into a fortune in the future. According to the New York Times Bestseller, The Millionaire Next Door, most millionaires are actually extremely frugal, i.e. they spend very little on personal luxuries and pleasures. They will rather buy a suit of 250,000/= and invest 750,000/= unlike most of us who would just dash for the 1M Vialli Suit and matching cufflinks! That’s not to say millionaires are cheapskates, they just don’t waste their resources.

Millionaires never take shortcuts in business. They look at always giving the best value to their customers, even if it means earning less at present. They know that by building their reputation, it will lead to huge profit streams in the future.

So my dear readers, to be a millionaire, you need to learn to put off the now and invest your resources wisely and reap the rewards in the future. I close this session with a story that best eschews what I’m talking about. I was once with a friend and we observed and elderly Indian man driving an S-Class Mercedes Benz. To be honest, I was shocked cause it’s not a sight you see very often or even expect to given the rep Indians have for being frugal. I remarked to my friend and he told me something I’ll never forget. He said that by the time you see an Indian drive such a car, just be sure that he can afford ten of them.

Moral; a true millionaire doesn’t blow money they don’t have but rather only a small portion of their net worth. So next time your going to waste money on yet another pair of shoes you’ll only wear once, why not but a good personal development book that will multiply you as a person for the rest of your life?

Next habit number 5: Do what you love

Shalom

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Millionaire habit 3: Take 100% Responsibility

Filed Under: Entreprenuership & Business, Personal Development & Growth by apprentice — 5 Comments
May 15, 2009

Ok, moving on to the next critical habit in the series 9 habits of Millionaires. So far we’ve looked at habit 1: Always exceed expectations and habit 2: Be proactive. Today lets look at one of my personal favorites. This doesn’t apply only to Millionaires but to all of us. In order to live well and live truly, we must practice the following;

Habit 3: Take 100% Responsbility

If there is one habit that we all absolutely need to get in life, it is certainly this one. Taking 100% Responsibility for our lives is absolutely key for being successful. It basically says, whatever I am in life, wherever I am In life, whatever I do in life, is simply because I’e chosen so. To put it more bluntly, the results in your life are absolutely your fault. You choose to be average or excellent, you choose to be married or single, you choose to ignorant or educated. You even choose to be poor or rich. 

Millionaires know this very well. It ties back to our last habit of being Proactive. Sadly the majority of us prefer to blame everyone and everything else for their current position in life. No money, no time, poor background, no education or whatever. You may say I didn’t choose to be born in a poor family. True, but you can choose if your going to remain poor. You say, I didn’t choose to be married to a spouse who later became abusive. True, but you can choose to stay in that relationship and be abused. 

Everything in our lives is a result of a concious or unconcious decision on our part. If you choose to disregard this, then you have made a choice and your life will always be dependent on your unconcious choices and other peoples choices. You cannot go around blaming everyone and everything else for your circumstances and expect to be a millionaire.  Take 100% responsibility. 

Millionaires realise that if they don’t take responsibility, then they are at the mercy of othersor circumstance and therefore are powerless to do anything about. Millionaires believe that they alone are responsible for their wealth and results in life and that they have complete power to change their lives by changing their strategies and actions. When you do the same,take 100% responsibility and get rid of all the excuses and accept that your life is a result of the choices you’ve made so far, then you will be free to become the wealthy person you dream of being.

This applies in all areas of your life, not just your career or finances. Everything, your relationships, your faith, your health. You are responsible in one way or another. So step up and do what must be done.

Till next time when we look at Habit 4: Delayed Gratification (another one that most people will hate:) God bless

Shalom

There are two primary choices in life; to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them. Denis Waitley

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The 2nd Millionaire Habit: Being Proactive

Filed Under: Entreprenuership & Business, Personal Development & Growth by apprentice — 8 Comments
May 13, 2009

Shalom good people, on my last post, I started a series on the 9 habits of millionaires. We looked at the first habit which is “Always exceed expectations”. Today we continue learning these powerful yet simple habits that will elevate our lives. So…

Habit 2: Be Proactive

To be proactive simply means to take the initiative and plan for a desired outcome or make things happen. Proactive is the opposite of reactive. Reactive means waiting for things to happen and then responding to them. In order to be a millionaire, you must be the kind of person that makes things happen. Millionaires don’t wait around for opportunities to hit them like water thrown carelessly out of a kazigo doorway. Millionaires actively seek opportunity and if they can’t find them, they create their own.

Most of us unfortunately are too reactive. We sit around whining, complaining and waiting for something to happen or for God to drop everything we want in our laps. How many times have you heard statements like these; When the government reduces taxes, I’ll start that business. Or when my kids finish school, then i’ll be able to make real savings? How about,when my boss leaves the company, then I’ll get that promotion? I’ll become rich when the ecomony becomes better.

Do you see the inherant problem with this attitude? It gives away all your power to succeed to forces completely outside of your control. What happens when your kids rebound infinitely,or your boss never leaves or the government just keeps on increasing taxes-like they are doing?

Being Reactive stagnates and kills you while being Proactive puts you in a position of power and choice. Millionaires don’t have to put everything onhold till circumstances are right. Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m rich because the economy is doing great?” Think about that one abit. To be a Millionaire means by it’s very essence you have to choose to be one and take actions to be one. You don’t just accidentally become one! Well atleast not 99% of people and odds are that you like most of us, don’t have millionaire ancestors to inherit from :)

So good people, be proactive and change your life. The next habit we’ll be looking at is Habit 3: Taking 100% Responsibility. I believe this is one habit that most people will probably have great difficulty dealing with but we’ll see.

Till next time.

“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.” 
George Bernard Shaw, “Mrs. Warren’s Profession” (1893) act II

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The 9 Habits to make you a Millionaire

Filed Under: Entreprenuership & Business, Personal Development & Growth by apprentice — 9 Comments
May 11, 2009

Greetings good people,

it’s yet another beautiful week starting off with monday morning rains. Getting out of bed was particularly painfull today but seeing as I have chosen to be one of the 5% of the worlds population-you know, the chaps that hold almost 80% of the worlds wealth-I had to get up and slog my way in the rain and jam to work.

I thought that I might share with you the 9habits of successful people as outlined by Adam Khoo in his ebook of the same name. We all want to be prosperous, having the beach house, the rolls royce and the freedom to never worry about being broke again but how exactly should we live and think in order to get there? Well without a doubt there are certain qualities that we MUST forster inorder to succeed. Over the next few posts, I will share with you my understanding of these 9 gems which I know will intrigue you so stay put.

Now without further adue;

Habit 1: Always Exceed Expectations

Yep thats right. The first thing you gotta do is always do more than is expected of you. Doesn’t sound like fun I know, who wants to do more than they really need to? Strangely, even Jesus spoke of this one when He said..”If some asks for your coat, give him your shirt too. If someone asks you to walk a mile with him, walk two” True millionaires have this hard wired in their nature. Millionaires, do more, read more, learn more, save more, invest more, risk more and believe more than the rest of us. Thats why they are millionaires and we aren’t. Atleast not yet anyways.

To illustrate the point; if you asked a true millionaire to cut the grass in your compound, they would not just cut the grass but  collect it, dispose of it, trim the hedges, water the flowers and even put fertilizer and landscape for you :) Millionaires go the extra mile and give more value than is asked of them. Typically, this is a hard one for most of us. We prefer to do the absolute least in order to get by. We work just enough on our jobs not to get fired. Sad but true. Before grumbling about a raise that was denied to you, how much value have you added to your employer?

In order to be millionaires, we must learn to give much more than what we’re asked. When you are given 100,000 to do a job and and you do a job worth 300,000, guess who’s going to get repeat business, great reputation and referalls as well as command a 300k fee to the next person? But most of us will actually give 20k worth of value and get a bad rep in the process, losing out on any further business.

So to earn millions, you must get in the habit of giving millions worth of work. Go the extra mile.

Look out for the next post which will have Habit 2: Be Proactive

Shalom

“Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye give to others, it shall be measured to you again.” Jesus Christ, The Master

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For all those who are looking to see the rest of the habits, here they are neatly listed and linked for your easy access.


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Oh my God, I am mediocre!

Filed Under: Personal Development & Growth, Work & Employment by apprentice — 5 Comments
January 30, 2009

Last night I was in need of great motivation so I picked up one of my favorite motivational preachers, Joel Osteen’s “Your best life now” for a boost. As I read the chapter on living with excellence and integrity, I was so convicted by the Holy Spirit that I, the Apprentice was living in real mediocrity!

I was stunned, horrified and totally ashamed. Me? Mediocre? How?

Well in very many simple ways. You see, Joel was saying that when we as christians go around driving dirty cars, dressing dishevely, consistently getting to work late, spending hours of our employers time surfing & blogging(not you guys ofcourse), giving our very least-just enough not to get fired, constantly complaining and excuse finding; then we are living in utmost mediocrity and shaming our God.

I am guilty of all these things to one extent or another. Joel goes onto to point out that as long as we keep doing this, God will never promote us. As the Lord said, “if you are faithful in the least, you will be given even more to handle” I’ve been crying for promotion, more money, more time, more opportunity, more vision and yet, I see now I’ve been doing so miserably with what I’ve got now that there’s no chance God would trust me with more.

Well, a change has to be made. This just won’t do. I can’t live with myself as a mediocre person. I despise mediocrity. It just won’t do. So help me God a change is on the way. I’m ashamed that there are many people out there who regard me as a sluggard, mediocre. The very words sting my soul. I thank El Elyon for pointing out how I had slipped into this life.

People, be mindful. Mediocrity has a way of invading your life ever so subtly, especially here in UG where its the accepted way of life. Don’t give in.

Live Excellently. Live with Integrity. God has promised He will richly reward us if we do.

Shalom

“This is beneath your dignity.  You were created to house the fullness of God.” Father John Sergiev

Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door.Ralph Waldo Emerson

The secret of joy in work is contained in one word – excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.Pearl S. Buck

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No more mondays & theme squeemish

Filed Under: Life in General, Personal Development & Growth by apprentice — 4 Comments
January 19, 2009

I hate mondays. Don’t you? Who ever invented Mondays? Who’s brilliant idea was it anyway? It took me an hour of boston legal style litigation in my head just to get outta bed this morning. Danny Krane never loses much to my annoyance today. I just wanted to stay in my warm bed, have my wife to stay in as well and…PG13 blogging doesn’t allow me to continue with that train of thought.

But lets be honest, even though statistically, 85% of heart attacks occur on Mondays, there really isn’t anything wrong with the day itself. It’s just another ambiguous time cycle we use to organise. The real problem is that the vast majority of us, 95% or so, hate the work we do; hence after a weekend of rest from the complaining & whining, Monday is a rude wake up call that we have to go back to that drudgery of a life we call our careers.

Wisdom says, that in order to truly be successful, we need to do what we love and get paid for it; meaning whether it’s friday, sunday or monday, we will love getting up and facing the day with passion and excitement. The real trick here is finding what you love and making a living outta of it? I personally love sleeping in late, so i’m still trying to figure that one out.

Anyways, you can get rid of monday blues by getting rid of that deadend boring thing you call your job and discover your passion. Quit your day jobs bloggers! 

In other news, the monday blues have forced me to do something to shake up my system into functioning. So i changed my theme. It’s very black, strong and eloquent. A tribute to cousin Barry on his inaguration as presidente of americas. Black power people.

Shalom

What work I have done I have done because it has been play. If it had been work I shouldn’t have done it. Who was it who said, “Blessed is the man who has found his work”? Whoever it was he had the right idea in his mind. Mark you, he says his work–not somebody else’s work. The work that is really a man’s own work is play and not work at all. Cursed is the man who has found some other man’s work and cannot lose it. When we talk about the great workers of the world we really mean the great players of the world. The fellows who groan and sweat under the weary load of toil that they bear never can hope to do anything great. How can they when their souls are in a ferment of revolt against the employment of their hands and brains? The product of slavery, intellectual or physical, can never be great. MARK TWAIN

 

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The "Best" Test by Chris Widener

Filed Under: Personal Development & Growth by apprentice — 3 Comments
October 10, 2008

In true spirit of pursuing excellence and growth, i thought i’d share this little something from Chris Widener a motivational and personal development speaker.I’d encourage you to sign up for his weekly ezine. I hope this engages the warp drive in all of you to grow way beyond the life your living now.

Some time ago, I spoke to a group of salespeople in Kansas City as they kicked off their new team. It was exciting to see them get excited about making a difference through their work.

The topic they assigned me was “Simply the Best.” So as I prepared, I asked myself, “What characteristics would help someone pass the “Best” test? That is, what are the characteristics of those who become the “best” at what they do? Here are the thoughts I shared with them:

The Best are Optimists. You can’t get to the top if you don’t think that there is a top or if you think you can’t make it. One characteristic of those who reach the peak is that they always believe that things can get better or be done better. This pushes them on to be their best.

The Best have Vision. They can see ahead of the pack. Their eyes aren’t locked into the here and now. They see the bright future and what things will look like when they reach their destiny. While working hard for today, they live for the future! They do what Stephen Covey calls begin with the end in mind.

The Best Relentlessly Pursue Excellence. The status quo is not for them. They want to be the best and experience the best. And that means giving their best. They go the extra mile so that in everything they do, in everything they say and think, they are striving for excellence.

The Best have a Life Long Habit of Personal Growth. They don’t want to stay at the level they are at. They want to grow in their work, their intellect, their spirituality, their relationships, and in every area of their life. And they discipline themselves to put themselves in situations wherein they grow. Personal growth doesn’t “just happen.” You choose to grow. I always suggest what Zig Ziglar does and that is to enroll in “Automobile University.” Whenever you are driving around, listen to a personal or professional growth tape or CD. Over the long run you will grow. Also, read more. The old saying is true: Leaders are readers. So are those who pass the “Best” test.

The Best Understand that They will be Pushed by the Competition – and They Welcome It. Like the lead runner in the race who has someone on his heels, the best know that the competition is right behind them. They love it though because they know that the competition keeps them from becoming lazy and resting on their laurels. Instead, the competition pushes them to go faster and to achieve more – to remain the best by forging ahead.

The Best have a Quest for Leadership. Someone has to lead – it may as well be the best! Those who attain it get there because they want to. They want to lead and help make a difference. And they want to be equipped with the skills necessary to lead others on to a better place.

The Best Leave a Legacy. They aren’t in it just for themselves, though they will surely reap the rewards of being the best. Rather, the build things that last beyond themselves, things that can be enjoyed by others as well.

The Best are Adept at the Two Most Important Pieces of Time and Personal Management: Prioritize and Execute. Just like weight loss boils down to eat right and exercise, personal management boils down to prioritize and execute. First, prioritize your activities. The important stuff goes on the top. Then, execute: do them. The best have habits and discipline that get them to the top by doing the best things and doing them first.

The Best Focus on Building Relationships. Success does not come alone. Everyone who achieves much does it with the help of countless others. How do the Best get others to help them? They treat them right. They embrace them and help them. People become the best because they help other people, and people like them.

The Best Make no Excuses. When they fail they admit it and move on. They get back up and do it right the next time. They let their actions speak loader than their words. They stand tall and do the right thing the next time. No excuses, just results.

The Best Understand that the Good is the Enemy of the Best. Yes, they could say, “this is good.” But that would mean they have settled for less than the best. Many people think that good is good. Good is not good. Good is the enemy because it keeps us from the best. Choose your side: the good or the best. The Best choose, you guessed it, the Best.

The Best Dare to Dream. While others live the mundane and settle into a life they never bargained for, a rut, the Best dream of a better life. And then they take the risks necessary to achieve their dreams. They live by Teddy Roosevelt’s quote: Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs though checkered by failure, then to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the grey twilit that knows neither victory nor defeat.

Want to be the best at what you do?  Take inventory on the above characteristics and then start moving to bring your life in line with the characteristics of the “best.” Then when you get to the top you will know that you have passed the “Best” test.

You are Made for Success!
Chris Widener

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