Posted by Grant on March 20, 2008 – 1:13 pm
I recently wrote a blog about “How To Become An Overnight Success.” The nutshell of it is this: it’s not possible.
Nothing Beats Hard Work.
How do I know? I guess part of it is because I’m self-employed! Nobody hands me a paycheck each week. I only get a paycheck if I make it happen myself.
So again, you can look for the shortcuts and try to find the magic formula or the latest get rich quick scheme but success comes from just bucking up and making it happen yourself.
I guess part of the reason I’m writing this is because I’m starting to see the fruits of my own labor. As someone who has started a business and is trying to generate various bookings as a speaker, nothing happens unless I make it happen. I work very hard at what I do and as a result the bookings are starting to come in. But the truth is, most of them have come as a result of me knocking on someone else’s door, not the other way around.
If you want something in life, the magic formula lies within yourself and your ability to make it happen. Because regardless of what your goal or dream is, the secret comes down to how hard are you willing to work at it?
Nothing Beats Hard Work. Period.
Posted by Grant on March 18, 2008 – 1:00 pm
I came across this site, www.globalrichlist.com, and was amazed at what I learned. Put in what you make each year and it will tell you where you rank in terms of wealth across the entire world.
Are you working part time at McDonalds and pulling in a “measly” $5,000 a year? Congrats…you’re in the top 15% of the world’s richest people!
Pretty crazy huh?
I guess life isn’t too bad after all huh?
Posted by Grant on March 15, 2008 – 10:09 am
Yesterday I had a completely random encounter with one of the greatest baseball players of all time! The whole thing was really surreal but it was so cool!
Let me preface all this by saying I’m a big baseball fan and am a diehard St. Louis Cardinals fan.
So I’m on my lunch break during the seminar I’m teaching and I go down to the hotel restaurant to place a to-go order. I order my sandwich and am waiting at the bar when the bartender asks me if I’m a baseball fan. I said I was and she pointed me to the older gentleman that had just walked in the restaurant.
It was Stan “The Man” Musial!
In case you’re not a baseball fan, Stan Musial is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He won the MVP 3 times, played in 24 All Star games, and is in several top 10 lists for career stats. He’s 87 years old and I didn’t want to bother him so I walked up and introduced myself, shook his hand, and walked off.
The guy is a legend. And he just happened to be in the restaurant as I was waiting for my turkey sandwich…what a cool experience!
Posted by Grant on March 15, 2008 – 9:55 am
If you follow the news at all, then it would be difficult to miss out on the scandal involving the now former governor of New York. It’s a sad, sad deal and there’s really no winner in this whole drama.
But it raises a question that we should all ask ourselves when we’re in potentially compromising situations.
Is it worth it?
I’ll bet you anything that if you were to ask Eliot Spitzer if his outings with various prostitutes were worth it, he wouldn’t have to think twice about it. The answer would be NO.
But of course we usually don’t think about how this will affect me after the fact. While it’s such a sad deal for Spitzer and his family, his poor decisions are no different than most of our stupid choices. We do something that feels good in the moment, not taking the time to think through the consequences that will come tomorrow.
So next time you’re faced with the decision that may seem fun today but may cost you more than you realize, just ask yourself:
Is It Worth It?
Posted by Grant on March 14, 2008 – 7:22 am
I’m sitting in my hotel in St. Louis getting ready to start another full day seminar that I’m teaching. But thankfully after we’re done today, I get to hit the road and head home. I figured in the last 17 days, I’ve slept in 6 different hotels in 6 different cities for a total of 13 nights in hotel beds! That’s a little crazy so I’m definitely looking forward to sleeping in my own bed for a while.
And of course I can’t wait to see my girls!
Posted by Grant on March 13, 2008 – 6:43 am
Sorry for misleading you…
I don’t know how to tell you to become an overnight success.
Why?
Because it’s not possible.
We live in a culture where everyone is looking for the magic pill, the secret formula, or the silver bullet. But it doesn’t work like that. There isn’t a magic pill to make you lose weight. If you want to lose weight, eat less and exercise more. If you want to be successful with money, quit looking for the next “get rich quick scheme” and start working with a passion.
Success is incremental.
The decision to succeed isn’t a one-time choice but it’s a daily decision you have to make.
Success happens one inch at a time.
So quit looking for the magic potion…it doesn’t exist.
Posted by Grant on March 10, 2008 – 8:10 pm
Let me throw out a random, completely hypothetical situation and you tell me how you would handle it:
You’re on a road trip and you stop at a gas station to use the bathroom. As you are walking into said gas station, you notice a van of teenagers in the parking lot, perhaps a youth group of some form. So you walk in and you see a long line of teenage girls waiting to use the bathroom. Keep in mind, it is only girls in line…no guys. So you move over to create a “line” in front of the guy’s bathroom which is currently in use. You of course seeing it’s in use assume it’s a teenage guy from said youth group.
So needless to say, you’re surprised when a teenage girl walks out of the guy’s bathroom.
This of course leaves you in a precarious situation. Do you:
A. Go to the back of the line and let the girl’s continue to use the guy’s restroom until it is your turn.
B. Go ahead and just use the guy’s restroom since you are naturally the only guy in line.
C. Get in line and use the girl’s restroom since apparently it makes no difference which you use.
D. Get back in your car and drive down the road to another gas station.
I chose a modified “B” when I was in this situation today. I felt it was my turn to use the guy’s bathroom but to be polite, I asked permission.
That’s correct.
I asked permission to use the guy’s bathroom when there were no guys in line.
It’s a sad, sad world we live in…
Posted by Grant on March 8, 2008 – 9:35 am
I’ve been gone the last five nights speaking around the state and was extremely happy to get home last night! It was a very full week and I’ve got another full week coming up but at least it’s good to be home for a few days.
Last night we ate pizza, watched some TV, and Syd fell asleep on me on the couch…it was a great night!
Posted by Grant on March 6, 2008 – 9:39 pm
Smoking is nasty…
The unfortunate thing about staying at a casino is that everywhere you go smells like one giant ashtray. By the end of the seminar I was teaching today, I had a massive headache and my throat hurt from all the smoke.
On top of that, I counted 6 ashtrays in the men’s bathroom including one at the children’s urinal! I know it’s a habit that can start when people are young but come on! Can people really not wait to finish their cigarette while using the bathroom?
I don’t get it…
Posted by Grant on March 6, 2008 – 9:34 pm
I had a brief lunch break today during my seminar and as I explored my options, I found myself in a familiar place looking for nutritional goodness.
The Buffet was Back.
It was only $9.99 for lunch and I couldn’t resist. I gave in and the buffet won.
Buffet – 2 / Baldwin - 0
