For things to get better, you must get better.

Every great success is the result of hundreds and even thousands of little efforts that no one ever sees or appreciates. The interesting fact is that the law of probabilities determines your success as much as anything else. The more that you do the things that other successful people do, over and over, the more probable it is that you will get the success that successful people enjoy. It is not a miracle. It is not luck; it is merely law, the law of probabilities.

Interestingly enough, when it comes to success, achievement, and wealth creation, nature has no favorites. Nature doesn’t really care. Nature is neutral. Nature operates on the iron law of the universe, the law of cause and effect. If you put in the causes, you will eventually get out the effects. And if you don’t, you won’t.

Perhaps the most important mental law I have ever discovered is the law of correspondence. This law says that your outer world is a mirror-image reflection of your inner world. If you want to change anything in your outer world, your health, relationships, income or success of any kind, you must first begin by changing yourself on the inside.

They say that everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. Everyone wants to be successful, but very few people want to put in the many months and years of hard work necessary to achieve it. But you cannot accomplish something on the outside that you have not prepared yourself for on the inside. That is why we say that, “To achieve something that you have never achieved before, you must become someone that you have never been before.”

We are living in a turbulent and challenging world today. And if anything, the achievement of the success you desire will be more difficult and challenging in the months and years ahead than it has ever been before. You need everything possible going for you if you are going to survive and thrive in the “new reality” in which we live today.

The most important quality of successful people is “action-orientation.” When they hear an idea or get an opportunity, they move fast. They develop a “sense of urgency.” They are constantly in motion. They are proactive rather than passive. As a result, they take and keep complete control of their destiny.

You must do the same. Each time you get an idea for an action you can take, implement it immediately. Don’t delay. Don’t procrastinate. Don’t put it off until another day, or until everything is “just right.” Your future destiny is in your hands, and you can step on the accelerator of your potential and accomplish more in the weeks and months ahead than most people will accomplish in many years.

by Brian Tracy

Do You Have a Mission Statement?

I first learned about mission statements when I took a class from Stephen R. Covey in college at BYU back in the late 80’s.

Several people have asked about my personal mission statement recently and I have three; personal, family and business.

Our family mission statement is the broadest of the three, so I’ll share it below. It is specific to our family, but I hope it can help you as you look for ideas in developing your own mission statements.

This mission statement builder will help you start right now: http://www.franklincovey.com/msb

Hasson Family Mission Statement

The mission of our family is to achieve happiness in this life and prepare for Exaltation as an Eternal family.

We will accomplish this with unconditional love and gratitude for each other. We respect one another with our words and actions allowing us to live in peace and harmony.

Our home provides a place of order, kindness, trust, understanding, safety and individual responsibility.

We have an appreciation for diversity among family members and others – for their thoughts, experiences, and individual talents.

We value time together where we comfort one another, pray, build self worth and work together, in an environment filled with encouragement, patience, honesty and fun.

We are committed to lifelong learning and continuous improvement. We strive for optimal physical and mental health. We enjoy serving others.

We will be guided by principles of the restored gospel, including faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, love of our Heavenly Father and family and obedience to the commandments.

The Time to Act
by Jim Rohn

Engaging in genuine discipline requires you develop the ability to take action. You don't need to be hasty if it isn't required, but you don't want to lose much time either. Here's the time to act: when the idea is hot and the emotion is strong.

Let's say you would like to build your library. If that is a strong desire for you, what you've got to do is get the first book. Then get the second book. Then get the third book. Take action as soon as possible, before the feeling passes and before the idea dims. If you don't, here's what happens:

You Fall Prey to The Law of Diminishing Intent

We intend to take action when the idea strikes us. We intend to do something when the emotion is high. But if we don't translate that intention into action fairly soon, the urgency starts to diminish. A month from now the passion is cold. A year from now it can't be found.

So take action. Set up a discipline when the emotions are high and the idea is strong, clear, and powerful. If somebody talks about good health and you're motivated by it, you need to get a book on nutrition. Get the book before the idea passes, before the emotion gets cold. Begin the process. Get down on the floor and do some push-ups. You've got to take action; otherwise the wisdom is wasted.

The emotion soon passes unless you apply it to a disciplined activity. Discipline enables you to capture the emotion and the wisdom and translate them into action. The key is to increase your motivation by quickly setting up the disciplines. By doing so, you've started a whole new life process.

Here is the greatest value of discipline: self-worth, also known as self-esteem. Many people who are teaching self-esteem these days don't connect it to discipline. But once we sense the least lack of discipline within ourselves, it starts to erode our psyche. One of the greatest temptations is to just ease up a little bit. Instead of doing your best, you allow yourself to do just a little less than your best. Sure enough, you've started in the slightest way to decrease your sense of self-worth.

There is a problem with even a little bit of neglect. Neglect starts as an infection. If you don't take care of it, it becomes a disease. And one neglect leads to another. Worst of all, when neglect starts, it diminishes our self-worth...

Once this has happened, how can you regain your self-respect? All you have to do is act now!Start with the smallest discipline that corresponds to your own philosophy. Make the commitment: "I will discipline myself to achieve my goals so that in the years ahead I can celebrate my successes."

To Your Success,

Jim Rohn