Prioritizing is a big part of working more and making less. Most people are bombarded with things to do every day. They find themselves moving quickly from one task to the next, from that task to another, all day long. When you’re in that kind of cycle, it’s hard to really get going on any one thing. Your mind is jumping from one thing to the next.

You have to tackle the meaningful things first. Prioritize your tasks by ranking them in terms of importance. I know all tasks seem important. But all tasks are not important. Important tasks are those that impact your goals. If not doing the task causes little or no impact, it’s not important. Knowing the difference is key to working less and making more.

                                       

I recently got a call from a guy named Gary who wanted to hire a coach. Now, by most people’s standards, Gary was already very successful. He owned a home in a very affluent neighborhood, and drove a luxury car. Gary could basically afford anything he wanted. So what was his problem? Something was missing. He didn’t have enough time to do the things he wanted to do, or hang out with the people he enjoyed. He wanted a solution. Fast.

So I asked Gary what he wanted in life. Silence. When I asked again, I got a reluctant, “Isn’t that what I’m paying you to find out?”

Work Less, Make More is a great solution for those who know what they want out of life. But if you’re one of those people who has no idea what you want, this system isn’t going to work.

Let’s compare it to taking a trip from Point A to Point B. Let’s say Point B is, oh, Hawaii. You know you want to get to Hawaii, now you just have to figure out the best way to get there. Are you going to make it to Hawaii? Barring unforeseen circumstances beyond your control, the answer is yes.

Now let’s say you don’t know what your destination is. You aren’t happy with your current destination, and you know you want to go somewhere better. You just don’t know where. What are your chances of ending up in Hawaii? Not so good. You have just as good a chance of ending up in Detroit.

In order to get where you want to go—regardless of whether we are talking about work or life in general—you need to have vision. Before we go any further, I want to make sure you understand the difference between a vision and a goal. A vision is a mental picture of where how you would like your life to be, while a goal is an action that will allow you to realize your vision.

A vision is specific and can be measured. It is not a general statement, like “I want financial freedom.” A vision would run more along the lines of, “I want to make $100,000 this year working four days a week.”

Defining your vision is essential if you want the Work Less, Make More program to succeed. What does your ideal life look like? What is your vision for you? Creating a vision might be the most important step in the Work Less, Make More process.

How do you know if you have hit upon the right vision? You’ll know. The right vision will stir passion in your soul. It will excite you, and motivate you to move forward to where you want to be. And you’ll be willing to do whatever it takes to get there.

Like the old saying goes, “If you don’t know where you are headed, you probably won’t get there.”

                                       

If you’re already a Success Circle Member, I want to give you a sneak preview of the information that you will be receiving shortly in your mailbox.

http://www.successcirclemonthly.com

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INSIDE YOUR MAY 2009 SUCCESS CIRCLE INTERVIEW:

Million Dollar Networking, with Andrea Nierenberg

Recently, I interviewed Andrea Nierenberg. Andrea is the founder and president of The Nierenberg Group, an innovative communications consulting firm that The Wall Street Journal calls a “networking success story.” With a stellar 25 years as a leader in sales and marketing, Andrea is an in-demand business expert, both at home and around the globe. Her company partners with the world’s leading businesses in diversified industries throughout the world.  

In addition, Andrea is the author of three best-selling books — Nonstop Networking: How to Improve Your Life, Luck and Career; Million Dollar Networking: The Sure Way to Find Grow and Keep Your Business; and Savvy Networking: 118 Fast and Effective Tips for Business Success. Andrea also speaks around the globe and her travels have taken her to companies and conferences across the United States, Asia, Europe and Africa.  

What impact does networking have on your business and life? Are you ready to become a masterful, million-dollar networker? Then watch your mailbox, because your package will be arriving soon.

Here’s some of what you’ll learn:

- The one thing you must do to network effectively

- The biggest mistakes to avoid when networking (these can make or break your relationships!)

- What not to do with your business card (Don’t miss this one!)

- The latest phenomenon in networking (and how to take advantage of it)

Here’s an excerpt from our interview:

“I think they first have to sit down and figure out their goals and their plans. I think that they have to think about the industries or the areas that they want to get more involved in—whether it’s a new job or for a lot of people it’s building business—and trying to figure out where there some of their new prospects or clients may lie. And then really sitting down and doing some homework. Thinking about how do you want to develop your plan of action. Are you going go to events?  Are you going to write articles? Are you going to be visible somehow in your industry? Or things like that. And just like you would put down any kind of a marketing or a business plan, you almost have to think strategically about how you want to spend your time in the networking, when you’re asked to actually get where their job or business. And I think one of the other things is that you have to make sure that you always remember to ask people that you know to give you advice, but not to be upset if they’re too busy or they can’t.”  

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Not yet a Success Circle Member?

Not receiving the Success Circle Interview Series in your mailbox each month?

That’s easy to fix. And you can even test drive two FREE months…starting with the Andrea Nierenberg interview!

Click here for all the details:

http://www.successcirclemonthly.com

                                       

We all have certain beliefs when it comes to success. The question is, are these beliefs helping us, or hindering us?

Early in my career, I adopted the belief that “in order to get what you want in life you have to work really hard to get it. You are going to have to put in long hours, and sometimes your personal relationships will suffer. You may have to give up hobbies and interests, and you’ll probably be working when your friends are out enjoying themselves and having fun. But in the end you’ll be successful.”

At the time, it never occurred to me that these were fictitious stories that I had been telling myself. I had certain beliefs about success, and those beliefs were based on my past experiences, as well as what people told me.

And that’s normal. You too probably have certain beliefs when it comes to your life and work that you’ve carried with you from your earlier years. But while some beliefs help you to do your best, others hold you back from moving forward in your life.

If you’re like a lot of people, you probably think that you’re going to have to suffer for success. Put in years of 80-hour weeks. Sacrifice time with your family and friends. After all, this is what the gurus tell us on television, and it’s what we read in their books. Success, many of us believe, can only be achieved if you motivate and push yourself to do things that you really don’t want to do. Is this your belief about success?

If it is, you are probably going to resist my Work Less, Make More program. When all is said and done, you’ll feel that you aren’t suffering quite enough to be successful. You’ll wonder where the pain is, and you’ll start to question whether this program really works.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that the old beliefs about success don’t work. They do. It’s just that you’ll end up paying a pretty big price for that success. You’ll have to make huge sacrifices. If the sacrifices are too great, you may start to question your own definition of success. I see that all the time. People have wildly successful businesses, but they aren’t successful in the other parts of their life that truly matter. That’s not my definition of success. Is it yours?

If you really want to learn how to work less and make more, you’re going to have to change your perceptions about success. Unless you change your beliefs about success, the type of success I’m talking about will never be within your grasp.

The good news is you can change your thinking. The choice is yours to create new beliefs, leaving old beliefs where they belong—in the past. Change your beliefs and you’ll change your life. It’s that simple.

Last weekend, my daughter Carly and I enjoyed a “magic moment” together.

“What’s a magic moment?” you ask? For me, it’s a special experience with someone close to me that I will remember for the rest of my life.

A magic moment can be big, like our family vacation last summer in Europe. We visited Germany, Austria, and France. It was a truly special time for our family.

But it doesn’t have to be big. My oldest daughter Abby and I once enjoyed a snack together in our living room at 2:00 in the morning. Abby’s eyes light up every time she tells the story of how I woke her up that night for our special time together.

In case you don’t know this about me already, I am a big college football fan. And I’m an even bigger fan of University of Michigan Wolverines. Last Saturday, Carly and I traveled to South Bend, Indiana for the Michigan-Notre Dame game.

If you follow college football, you know that Notre Dame won the game. If you follow closely, you may know that Carly and I sat in the pouring rain for much of the second half. We couldn’t have gotten more wet had we jumped into a swimming pool with our clothes on!

And yet, the experience was grand. Carly and I will never forget the rainy drive to and from South Bend. We’ll remember stopping at Applebee’s for lunch, and eating licorice and Sour Patches in the rain at the game.

Oh sure, we’ll remember the disappointing loss, too. But I’m much better today about not allowing the outcome of the game to determine whether or not I have fun. Carly didn’t really care about the game, anyway.

For her, the day was about creating a magic moment with her Daddy. And for me, it was about creating a magic moment with my daughter.

Moral: Create and enjoy magic moments with the important people in your life.

                   

What does Michael Jordan have to do with working less and making more? Lots. Michael Jordan is a good example of what happens when you focus on and maximize your talents and strengths. He’s also a good example of what happens when you don’t maximize your strengths and talents.

We all have things we’re really good at doing. And most of us aren’t just limited to one thing. Chances are, you’re probably brilliant at many different things. But there’s a difference between being brilliant at something, and loving something. When you focus on something you’re brilliant at, you’re using your strengths and talents in the best possible way. When you focus on something you love doing, you have a lot of fun but aren’t really using your strengths and talents in the best way possible.

Let’s get back to Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan is an amazing basketball player, so good that people were willing to pay him millions of dollars a year to play. And chances are Michael Jordan was born to play basketball. There was something in him that, when correctly nurtured, allowed him to be the greatest. He had a gift. And while all his hard work certainly shouldn’t be undermined—it’s that hard work that helped him hone his sport and become the greatest instead of just a good player—I could spend three times as much time on the basketball court as Michael Jordan and not even come close to being as good as he is. It’s not that I’m a bad basketball player. I just wouldn’t call it one of my gifts. So Michael Jordan is a good example of someone who recognized his gift, honed it, and as a result enjoyed great success.

Okay, so why is Michael Jordan also a good example of what happens when you don’t maximize your strengths and talents? Well, you may remember that at one time Michael Jordan decided to focus on professional baseball. Michael loved baseball and was having a lot of fun, but he wasn’t exactly brilliant at it. And while he was focused on baseball, he wasn’t able to focus on basketball. He wasn’t maximizing his strengths and talents.

Be smart about designing your life around your strengths and talents. Your strengths and talents are your allies when it comes to working less and making more. Focus on what you do best—at what you shine at—and success will come easy. Just look at Michael Jordan.

                   

There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who make things happen, and those who make excuses. And you can’t be both. Which means that—no matter how focused you are on making your goals a reality, no matter how much time and money you invest, no matter how many books you read and seminars you attend—you’re never going to be successful unless you stop making excuses and start taking responsibility for the situation you’re in.

I don’t mean to be harsh. I know some obstacles seem insurmountable, and over the years I’ve heard just about every excuse imaginable. Some of the excuses I hear over and over are:

“I don’t have the right education.”

“I don’t have enough money to get started.”

“I don’t have enough time.”

“I don’t have the skills and talents.”

“I’m not rich enough, famous enough, or good looking enough.”

Okay, you get my point. But lots of people have faced much tougher obstacles and have still gone on to succeed. It’s not your education or lack of money. It’s not that you don’t have time, skills, or talent. It’s not the economy’s fault. It’s not your boss’s fault. It’s not your grandmother’s fault. Do you see where I’m going here? No matter who you are—and regardless of your situation—there’s only one thing blocking your success.

You.

I know, that’s a tough thing to accept. It’s much easier to blame your lack of success on someone else. But guess what? You can’t.

If you really want to Work Less, Make More, you need to take responsibility for the way things are in your life. Why? Because when it comes down right down to it, you are the only one who has the power to change these things.

Many people don’t even attempt their goals because of one excuse or another. They say things like:

“It’s more important for me to spend time with my family right now.”

“I’m working long hours as it is and just don’t have the time.”

“I’m not in a position to take a risk right now.”

These sound like pretty good excuses, right? But here’s the deal. You’ve got to start somewhere. If you sit around waiting for the perfect time to get going, chances are you’ll never work less and make more. Because there is no perfect time. Or, let me reframe that. The perfect time is right now.

At the end of the day, would you rather have more success, or would you rather have a whole pile of excuses? The choice is yours. If you are not exactly where you want to be, stop making excuses. Take some responsibility, and good things will happen.

The 2008 Summer Olympics gets under way today in Beijing, China. Approximately 10,500 athletes will compete in 28 sports. 

I love the Olympics. The competition. The struggle. The triumph. The battle that participants have fought along the road to Beijing. 

While I enjoy the athletic competition of the Olympics, the greater effect on me is the inspiration I get from watching the Olympics. These athletes have focused for years on getting to these games—single-minded focus on the achievement of a very specific goal. 

Here’s my question for you: What could you accomplish if you focused like that? 

Although you might not want to focus quite that intently, it’s certainly interesting to think about the possibilities. Why not let these 2008 Summer Olympics inspire you in one or more areas of your life? 

So pick an area. What do you want to be, do, or have? Write down one significant goal you want to achieve before a certain date (the end of the year, before your next birthday, one year from today, etc.).  What’s one thing you can do this week to make it happen? What will you need to do next week? Next month? 

Create an action plan—your “Roadmap to the Olympics.” For additional inspiration, think about your goal as your watching the Olympics over the next couple weeks.

To learn more, visit the official site at http://en.beijing2008.cn.