Get Smart!

1. Embrace Long-Time Perspective for Success

"Those who do not plan for the future cannot have one."

Future orientation is key to success. Successful people are intensely future-oriented, thinking about the future most of the time. This long-term perspective sharpens your decision-making and dramatically improves the quality of your short-term choices.

To develop a long-time perspective:

• Practice "back from the future" thinking
• Imagine your perfect life in 5 years
• Ask yourself what needs to happen to create that future
• Take the first step towards your goals
• Do something every day that moves you closer to your objectives

By thinking long-term, you become what you think about, increasing the likelihood of greater success in the future.

2. Practice Slow Thinking for Better Decision-Making

"Thinking is the hardest work of all, which is why most people avoid it at all costs."

Deliberate thinking is crucial for making important decisions. In many areas of our lives, slow thinking is necessary, and even essential, if we are to make the right long-term decisions that yield the consequences we desire.

To practice slow thinking:

• Put as long a gap as possible between the stimulus and the response
• Use the "Seventy-Two Hour Rule" for major decisions
• Write down every detail of the problem or decision
• Buy yourself as much time as possible before making important choices
• Apply the GOSPA model: Goals, Objectives, Strategies, Priorities, and Actions

Remember, the longer you take to make an important decision, the better that decision will be in almost every case.

3. Become Informed to Make Wise Choices

"Facts don't lie."

Due diligence is critical in decision-making. The biggest mistakes we make are those where we commit time, money, and resources without having done sufficient homework. The best decisions we make are almost invariably based on having acquired complete knowledge of the issue before we act.

To become better informed:

• Think on paper and make a list of all the information you need
• Talk to other people and seek advice from those with experience
• Hire experts when necessary
• Do extensive research using various sources
• Solicit opinions from everyone who might have relevant knowledge
• Use the scientific method to test hypotheses
• Be willing to fail and learn from your mistakes

Remember, nothing replaces experience in a fast-moving, rapidly changing business or industry.

4. Set Clear Goals to Unleash Your Potential

"Success is goals, and all else is commentary."

Goal-setting is crucial for achieving success. Only about three percent of people have clear, specific, written goals and plans that they work on each day. These top achievers earn and acquire, on average, ten times as much as the bottom 97 percent put together.

To set effective goals:

1. Decide exactly what you want
2. Write it down
3. Set a deadline
4. Make a list of everything you need to do to achieve your goal
5. Organize the list into a plan
6. Take action immediately
7. Do something every day that moves you toward your goal

By setting clear goals, you program your mental GPS, which then functions like a guided missile to move you directly toward your target.

5. Focus on Results, Not Just Activities

"Work all the time you work."

Result orientation is key to productivity. Top people spend more and more time doing things of higher value, while average people spend much or most of their time on activities of lower value or no value at all.

To become more result-oriented:

• Ask yourself, "What is the most valuable use of my time right now?"
• Create a daily to-do list and prioritize tasks using the ABCDE method
• Identify your "big three" tasks that account for 90% of your value contribution
• Practice the "30-Day Rule" for hiring decisions
• Use the Law of Three to determine your most important activities
• Overcome procrastination by breaking tasks into smaller parts

Remember, the true measure of how successful you are is the results you get, not just the activities you engage in.

6. Cultivate Positive Thinking for Happiness and Achievement

"I am responsible!"

Positive thinking is essential for happiness and success. The main obstacle between each person and the happiness they desire is negative emotions. By eliminating negative emotions, you become a fully functioning person capable of fulfilling your full potential.

To develop positive thinking:

• Accept 100% responsibility for everything in your life
• Practice forgiveness to free yourself from negative emotions
• Use the magic words "I am responsible" to cancel negative thoughts
• Look for the good in every person and situation
• Refuse to think or talk about things that make you angry or upset
• Issue a blanket pardon to everyone who has ever hurt you

Remember, you become what you think about most of the time, so focus on positive thoughts and outcomes.

7. Develop Flexibility in Thinking and Strategy

"The answers have changed."

Adaptability is crucial in a rapidly changing world. The most important quality required for success in the twenty-first century is flexibility - the ability to rapidly react and respond to the accelerating rate of change in all areas.

To develop flexible thinking:

• Practice zero-based thinking by questioning your current strategies
• Be willing to admit when you're wrong or have made a mistake
• Change your mind when presented with new information
• Reevaluate your business model regularly
• Apply the Seven Rs: Rethinking, Reevaluating, Reorganizing, Restructuring, Reengineering, Reinventing, and Regaining control
• Be open to new ideas and methods to get better results

Remember, survival goes not to the strongest or smartest, but to the one most adaptable to change.

8. Harness Creative Thinking to Solve Problems

"Creative ideas come from connecting the dots in a different way."

Creative problem-solving is a valuable skill in business and life. Your ability to solve problems and make decisions is the true measure of your intelligence and creativity.

To enhance creative thinking:

• Define the problem clearly and consider multiple perspectives
• Use the systematic problem-solving method
• Apply the Principle of Constraints to identify limiting factors
• Practice "What-if" thinking to explore new possibilities
• Use the CANEI principle: Continuous and Never-Ending Improvement
• Minimize distractions to focus on creative solutions
• Apply the process of innovation to continually improve

Remember, there is no such thing as failure, only feedback. Use setbacks as opportunities to learn and innovate.

9. Adopt Entrepreneurial Thinking for Business Success

"Chief Sales Officer"

Customer-centric thinking is at the core of entrepreneurial success. Entrepreneurial thinkers are always focused on the customer, continually seeking new, different, better, faster, and cheaper ways to serve them and give them more of what they really want and need.

To develop entrepreneurial thinking:

• Define your business in terms of how you serve your customers
• Identify your ideal customer and what they consider value
• Determine your area of excellence or competitive advantage
• Regularly review and evaluate your business model
• Think about sales and customer service all the time
• Be willing to question and change your current strategies
• Accept high levels of responsibility for results

Remember, your ability to think like an entrepreneur rather than an employee will do more to liberate your full potential in your career than any other single factor.

10. Think Like the Rich to Become Wealthy

"Compounding is the most powerful force in the universe."

Wealth mindset is crucial for financial success. To be wealthy on the outside, you must think like a rich person on the inside. There is no other way.

To develop a wealthy mindset:

• Decide to become wealthy and take action
• Overcome fears of failure and criticism
• Continuously learn and upgrade your skills
• Persist in the face of setbacks and challenges
• Develop a wealthy self-concept through exposure to successful people
• Focus on wealth creation by solving problems for others
• Adopt rich habits and think "mink" in every area of your life

Remember, by thinking and acting like wealthy people do, you can achieve the same results they do. Your outer world will be a reflection of your inner world.

Last updated: January 24, 2025