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The 10 Best Personal Development Books?

Saturday, May 11th, 2013

By Robin Sharma
Author of the #1 International Bestseller “The Leader Who Had No Title”

Greetings from New York City.

Just did a light run through Soho (exercising FIRST thing in the morning has been such a game-changer). You owe it to yourself to try it for 7 days.

Now I’m settled into creative mode. Great Colombian coffee. Book-filled room. Fresh flowers. (Another tip: your environment dramatically influences your creativity).

So, I wanted to share some more good information with you in my ongoing OBSESSION to help you Lead Without a Title + build out a life THAT MAKES HISTORY.

I’m often asked which books are most transformational for people like us who want to do fantastic work and lead our best lives.

So here are 10 of the best. Read them. Share them. Study them. LIVE them…

Jonathan Livingston Seagull. By Richard Bach.

With lines like: “Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation,” this book will move you deeply. I re-read it in Thailand. Still amazingly good.
Think and Grow Rich. By Napoleon Hill.

Fantastic book. Not so much about financial wealth as it is about the making of a rich life. You’ll learn how important it is to have a burning desire (this galvanizes your focus and causes the release of your creativity) + the imperative of setting clear goals + the value of “a mastermind alliance”. This book truly changed my life when I was starting out as a self-published author with nothing but a dream in my hands. Times were tough. This book got me through.
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. By–well, Marcus Aurelius.

Marcus Aurelius was a warrior—who then became a Roman emperor. He wrote his lessons on greatness and a life well lived during a multi-year military campaign. Someone got his notes. And put it into this book. I go back to this book often. It strengthens my character. And resolve to help more people.
Steve Jobs. By Walter Isaacson.

One of the best books I’ve ever read. Period.
Long Walk To Freedom. By Nelson Mandela.

Nelson Mandela’s one of my heroes. Noble. Courageous. Focused. A visionary. If I could be 1/100 of who he is, I’d be overjoyed. This is his autobiography. You’ll walk with him through his days as a lawyer, his time as a disruptor, his prison years and his period as the positional leader of South Africa.
Stop Acting Rich. By Thomas Stanley.

Thomas Stanley became famous for “The Millionaire Next Door”. But this book–not so well known–is exceptional. He explains the concept of “The Glittering Rich”, shares how too many of us live beyond our means and how to create true financial freedom. Like most of the books I read, I listened to it.
As You Think. By James Allen.

Maybe 10 times. That’s at least how many times I’ve read this book. And like all great books, it seems better+wiser and deeper every time I read it. Of course, the book hasn’t changed. Just my ability to grasp the information. And understand the concepts. This book is all about the power of your daily thinking. And how it drives your life’s behavior. As you know so well: your behavior shows us your beliefs. And this awesome book will inspire you to build new ones.
The Magic of Thinking Big. By David Schwartz.

Uber-practical. Tons of value. Great concepts, like “Go Through Life First-Class.” Every student, teammate and human being should read this book (along with “How To Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie–that work should also be on my list. True.).
Talent is Overrated. By Geoff Colvin.

Read this one a few years ago. Changed the way I viewed Genius. Confirms a lot of the work of exceptional performance researchers like the famed Anders Ericsson that talent is less about natural gifts and far more about devotion to a skill, relentless practice and patience. Another superb audiobook.
Spark. By John Ratey.

One of the best books I’ve read in years. I’m on my 3rd reading. Shares the latest (and so fascinating) research on how exercise transforms the brain, our performance, our productivity and even builds a new type of brain that is excellent at resisting stress. Please do your life a giant favor. And read this book. Today!

Ok. So there you go. Some of my favorite books. Go study them. And use them.

Please remember, ideas–flawlessly translated into reality are the keys to breathtaking success. And you becoming more of who you truly are.

Oh–and definitely make some time each day to read. Small little advances in your knowledge base lead to quantum improvements in your performance over time.

Thanks for making the time to read my posts. I work hard to make them valuable for you. So we get you to your best. Sooner versus later.

Be great. And dream even bigger. The world needs you to shine.

Speak soon,

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Snap up your seat now.

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Posted in Business, Entrepreneurship, Focus, Ideas and Inspiration, Leadership, Learning, Personal Development, Recommended, Uncategorized | 53 Comments »

JK Rowling’s Secret Success Weapon

Friday, May 3rd, 2013

By Robin Sharma
Author of the #1 International Bestseller “The Leader Who Had No Title”

I know you’re all about Mastery. And Excellence. And crafting an iconic life. Along with doing things most people call impossible. For this, I applaud you.

So I wanted to share a great story with you…

All she ever wanted to do was write. But few believed in her.

She ended up as a single mom. Collecting social benefits checks–just to get food onto the table. For her and her child.

On a trip from Manchester to London in 1990, her train was delayed. And an idea burst into her imagination. About a boy who didn’t know what he was.

She called this kid Harry Potter. And she wrote about his adventures.”

12 publishers rejected the book. A small house called Bloomsbury Press eventually agreed to publish it. But even then, the author was told “you’ll never make any money on children’s books.”

Yet, the book caught fire. Touched the hearts of millions. Inspired a new generation to read.

Of course, the woman is JK Rowling.

And she’s sold 400,000,000 books. And built a fortune of $800,000,000.

From an idea. About a young wizard. With a brave heart.

Her secret “weapon”?…

… JK Rowling DIDN’T LISTEN TO THE DOUBTS OF HER CRITICS.

“For some to love you, some must loathe you,” she brilliantly observed.

And she’s right. All visionaries are initially ridiculed before they are revered.

All enormously successful people first meet with rejection, resistance and yes, sometimes outright hatred. Criticism truly is the price of greatness. And you really need to be so invested in your dream + abilities + passion that ABSOLUTELY NOTHING will knock you off your game.

So be strong. Go for world-class. And when you get knocked down, dust yourself off, and stay true to your loftiest visions. In the end, you’ll be grateful you did.

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Sending you all green lights! So you get your boldest (and most audacious) dreams done. You know this: Life’s just too short to play small.

My very best, as always,

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Posted in Entrepreneurship, Ideas and Inspiration, Leadership, Learning, Personal Development, Uncategorized | 8 Comments »

62 Tips to Get Unstuck in 2013

Tuesday, January 8th, 2013

I’m amped to do everything in my power to help you kickstart 2013 strong so you install superb habits of the mind, body and behavior.

Today is all about 62 quick, actionable and unforgettable tips that will move you to break free of old patterns, stop being the victim and leap into high gear to get your giant goals done.

62 Fast Tips to Get UnStuck
By Robin Sharma
Author of the #1 Bestseller “The Leader Who Had No Title”

Believe in your vision and gifts when no one else believes in your vision and gifts.
Start your day with 20 minutes of exercise.
Make excellence your way of being (versus a once in a while event).
Be on time (bonus points: be early).
Be a celebrator of other’s talents versus a critic.
Stop watching TV. (Bonus points: sell your tv and invest the cash in learning and self-education).
Finish what you start.
Remember that your diet affects your moods so eat like an athlete.
Spend an hour a day without stimulation (no phone+no FaceBook+no noise).
Release the energy vampires from your life. They are destroying your performance.
Write in a journal every morning. And record gratitude every night.
Do work that scares you (if you’re not uncomfortable often, you’re not growing very much).
Make the choice to let go of your past. It’s dusty history. And polluting your future.
Commit to being “Mozart-Level Good” at your work.
Smile more (and tell your face).
Do a collage filled with images of your ideal life. Look at it once a day for focus and inspiration.
Plan your week on a schedule (clarity is the DNA of mastery).
Stop gossiping (average people love gossip; exceptional people adore ideas).
Read “As You Think”.
Read “The Go-Getter”.
Don’t just parent your kids–develop them.
Remember that victims are frightened by change. And leaders grow inspired by it.
Start taking daily supplements to stay in peak health.
Clean out any form of “victimspeak” in your vocabulary and start running the language of leadership and possibility.
Do a nature walk at least once a week. It’ll renew you (you can’t inspire others if you’re depleted yourself).
Take on projects no one else will take on. Set goals no one else will do.
Do something that makes you feel uncomfortable at least once every 7 days.
Say “sorry” when you know you should say “sorry”.
Say “please” and “thank you” a lot.
Remember that to double your income, triple your investment in learning, coaching and self-education.
Dream big but start now.
Achieve 5 little goals each day (“The Daily 5 Concept” I shared in “The Leader Who Had No Title” that has transformed the lives of so many). In 12 months this habit will produce 1850 little goals–which will amount to a massive transformation.
Write handwritten thank you notes to your customers, teammates and family members.
Be slow to criticize and fast to praise.
Read Walter Isaacson’s amazing biography on Steve Jobs.
Give your customers 10X the value they pay for (“The 10X Value Obsession”).
Use the first 90 minutes of your work day only on value-creating activities (versus checking email or surfing the Net).
Breathe.
Keep your promises.
Remember that ordinary people talk about their goals. Leaders get them done. With speed.
Watch the inspirational documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”.
Know that a problem only becomes a problem when you choose to see it as a problem.
Brain tattoo the fact that all work is a chance to change the world.
Watch the amazing movie “The Intouchables”.
Remember that every person you meet has a story to tell, a lesson to teach and a dream to do.
Risk being rejected. All of the great ones do.
Spend more time in art galleries. Art inspires, stimulates creativity and pushes boundaries.
Read a book a week, invest in a course every month and attend a workshop every quarter.
Remember that you empower what you complain about.
Get to know yourself. The main reason we procrastinate on our goals is not because of external conditions; we procrastinate due to our internal beliefs. And the thing is they are stuck so deep that we don’t even know they exist. But once you do, everything changes.
Read “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”.
Know your values. And then have the guts to live them–no matter what the crowd thinks and how the herd lives.
Become the fittest person you know.
Become the strongest person you know.
Become the kindest person you know.
Know your “Big 5″–the 5 goals you absolutely must achieve by December 31 to make this year your best yet (I teach my entire goal-achieving process, my advanced techniques on unleashing confidence and how to go from being stuck to living a life you adore in my online program “Your Absolute Best Year Yet”).
Know that potential unexpressed turns to pain.
Build a strong family foundation while you grow your ideal career.
Stop being selfish.
Give your life to a project bigger than yourself.
Be thankful for your talents.
Stand for iconic. Go for legendary. And make history.

This is YOUR time. Now’s YOUR moment. Let’s do this! :)

Your fan,

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Posted in Entrepreneurship, Focus, Ideas and Inspiration, Leadership | 230 Comments »

The 50 Business + Life Lessons 2012 Taught Me

Saturday, December 29th, 2012

2012′s coming to a close. It was a hard year for people behaving as victims. And a superb year for people like you showing up as leaders (and world-builders).

I’m in reflection mode as I review the past 12 months, record what I learned in my journal and set precise and clear goals+plans for 2013.

I wanted to share 50 of my best lessons learned (or reinforced) from 2012. So here you go:

Hard work is a force multiplier.
Don’t participate in recessions.
Exercising for 20 minutes first thing in the morning is a game-changer.
If you’re not innovating daily, you’re on the path to obsolescence.
If you want an A-Level company, you can’t afford to hire B-Level players.
Procrastination is an escape mechanism for people scared to do their best work.
Give your customers 10X the value they expect and they’ll tell everyone they know about you.
Don’t do it if you’re not having fun.
If you’re not scared a lot you’re not growing very much.
Invest the time to create great social media content and your base will go global + viral.
There’s never been a better time to be a social entrepreneur.
It’s never been easier to be of service to a large amount of people (and few things are as rewarding).
When no one else believes in your vision, you absolutely must stay true to your vision. (Have the guts to stay in the game far longer than makes any sense).
The quickest way to build a superb business is to quickly develop the leadership potential of every teammate.
A job is only a job if you choose to see your work as a job. All work is a noble sport. (The reality is all work is a chance to express your genius–and to inspire the world).
People are craving transparency+authenticity and community. Give it to them.
Creativity comes in seasons. There’s a time to harvest your ideas. And there’s a time to let the field sit fallow. (I’ve been working on integrating this lesson for years).
Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax (When you relax, your brain shifts into alpha state–the time when million-dollar ideas present themselves).
Change is hard at the beginning, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end. (And without change, there is no progress).
Someone’s going to win in your space. Why not you?
10X the size of your dreams because if you don’t, you’ll wish you did.
Pursue excellence versus chasing perfection.
Celebrate small wins and you’ll unleash a huge amount of momentum and positive energy.
Learn for an hour a day, no matter what. That’s not a waste of work time. It’s a brilliant use of your work time because you’re paid to know more than anyone who has ever done your job.
Why go for good at what you do when you can stand for iconic?
Transform your fitness and you’ll transform your business.
Delete victimspeak from your languaging. No more "I can’t" and "It’s not possible" and "It’s so hard." More "I will" and "This is awesome" and "What’s the opportunity here?"
If you inspire one person each day, you’re day hasn’t been a waste. It’s been a blessing.
Living in the past is disrespecting your future.
Build an amazing career but enjoy your lifestyle along the way. What’s the point of becoming a business legend but a failed human being.
Look people in the eyes when you talk to them. Smile at people when you see them. Say "please" to respect them. And "thank you" to appreciate them.
Don’t be on time–Be early.
The person who tries to do everything achieves nothing. Focus. Focus. Focus.
Spend the first 90 minutes of your work day on real work versus fake work. (Another game-changing tactic that served me so very well in 2012).
Spend time in silence each day. You’ll never do Jay-Z level work if you’re overstimulated by technology.
Goal-setting is mission-critical. (Review your Big 5, quarterly goals and daily goals constantly).
Your daily behavior broadcasts your truest beliefs.
To have the results only 5% of businesspeople have, have the guts to do what only 5% of businesspeople are willing to do.
World-class begins when you think you’ve done a great job but know you can do a better job.
Remember that your greatest gift is so much stronger than your deepest fear.
Everyone’s in Human Resources. And we are all paid to develop the talents of the people we work with.
Mediocrity is a mindset. Avoid the mental viruses of negative people.
Be the most honest person you know. It generally takes 30 years to build a fantastic reputation. And 30 seconds to lose it by a single silly move.
Become a lion–not a sheep.
People are always willing to pay for the best.
The more devoted you become to serving others, the more your career begins to build itself.
Problems come to test your commitment to your goals, hopes and dreams.
As you become more successful, get more hungry.
Join Traffic University. Use every possible moment in the car to upgrade your skills, polish your gifts and elevate your mindset.
Use your life to make the world a better place.

I hope these 50 ideas have helped you. And I so hope I’ve been of service to you in your business and personal life this year. I enthusiastically wish you and those closest to you an even better year ahead. Let’s make it wow.

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How to Become a Merchant of Wow

Friday, December 14th, 2012

The Transcript of How to Become a Merchant of Wow

Hi, I’m here on the magnificent island paradise of Mauritius. It’s a gorgeous day. We’re ending out the tour, and I wanted to take you through some quick ideas on customer experience, actually, being a merchant-of-wow in the work that you do, based on where I am right now. I’m at a place called Shanti. It’s a resort. It’s from the Nira resorts here in Mauritius. I’m on this island paradise. Mauritius is just magnificent. I mean, just check out the surf over there and the food and the people and the culture and the beauty. On this resort everything is just OAD (obsessive attention to details). They want to get every little thing right.

I was talking to the general manager when I came in and he said, “It’s the little things that make the big experience.” I think one of the things I want to show you is… They told me when I checked in, because I was sort of blown away by a number of the little details and the culture of this property. I asked, “How do you get it done? How come everyone is so amazing, for example, in terms of treating the guests with such care?” One of the things they showed me… Hopefully, we’re going to get this on the video, but this is the uniform that a lot of the people who work here wear. You won’t believe this, but literally stitched right into the collar of the uniform – I hope you can see that – but it says, “Guest is God”. Some of their core values are stitched actually into the shirt so when you put on the shirt every morning, you remember the core values. Is that not unbelievable?

Look, inside one of the areas of the shirt “perfection”. Let’s see where else. Okay, you know what? This is incredible. If you look inside as you put on your sleeve, you see the word – everyone of us needs to see this every day. Look at that, “passion”. Remember that. Let’s see what’s on the inside of… Oh, look at this. The pocket, the pocket of the shirt the word, you see that? I hope you can, “trust” and then the other sleeve is what we’re all about, what leadership is all about, which is “service”.

Oh, I just want to show you one more thing. All the employees carry this little booklet, and it’s so well done, and in the booklet – you can see it right here. In the booklet, the key values that they want to live by and think by and brain tattoo into their mind set so they do genius level work in front of their customers every day are right in this booklet. Here are some of the things. Number one – I thought this was great – guests arrive as residents, leave as friends and return as family. Is that not amazing? How about this? Number three, the answer is yes; now tell me the question. What an incredible mind set for a hotel or for any business? When the customer asks the question or before the customer even asks the question, the answer is yes. Now tell me what you want. Phenomenal mind set. Number five, core value number five. Perfection is a passion for the details. Number seven is great. The culinary art is sacred. And then, finally, we are devoted, number ten, we are devoted to pleasure for our guests.

From beautiful Mauritius, some ideas and some innovation. Was that shirt idea not incredible? The bottom line is great customer experiences and great organizations don’t happen by luck, they happen by all of these little innovative ideas executed on with mono-maniacal perfection.

Thanks a lot from Mauritius. Bye-bye.

Robin Sharma