While many folks are looking for the nitty-gritty details and the “blue print” or the “formula” for success others are busy working toward success. What’s their Secret? They got started.

If you approached anyone in the “shiny new object crowd” with information on “how to get started” most would give you the typical response of “I’ve heard that before – please tell me something new!”

FYI: The Shiny New Object Crowd – Always looking for the next new thing (which is not that bad) but never implements anything. Further, they get upset when you remind them of principles that have been around and working for a while.

Let’s face it, there are many ways to “get started” and they may be the problem.

Because there are so many ways to get something started the choice of what to do first usually holds people up.

What you need is a “get started system” for certain areas of your life, career and business.

This system might be different for everyone. The truth is there’s really no “cookie-cutter” get started system.

The best thing to do is think about recent projects you started with success. Then, dissect what made those starts better than others.

If you need an example here’s my “start system” for a book project.

My goal is to write one or two books per year (maybe more).

The truth is I get tons of ideas for books. This is sorta a blessing and a curse at the same time.

Anyway…

If the idea really strikes me I write it down. I write it in my “goal/to do list” book or I send an email to myself.

Next, I revisit the idea during some quiet time. During my revisit the idea for the book is either going to move forward or be canned. Most get canned.

On rare occasion when a book idea makes the cut. The first step is to think of the title. This is a little backwards and most titles are changed. But I see this step as key to keeping the momentum. If I can get excited about the title that’s a good thing.

Now it’s time to open a word doc and save it. After this step I’llgo through things I’ve written in the past pertaining to the topic.

Then, I’ll outline the main points which can then turn into chapters.

Next it’s time to bring the previously written material into the new word doc.

What you end up with at this stage is a big mess and maybe an hour or two invested in the idea.

The mess is important because it gives you something to clean up. Something to work on.

The fact is getting started with a little “something” is better than “nothing.”

Think about how this simple “get started system” can be applied to what you’re working on. (Or should I say not working on.) Better yet, come up with your own “get started system” and get things moving,

I am not a “stress expert.”

Even though I do drink a fair amount of Coffee I consider myself a fairly relaxed person.

Stress is just not something I get into

But here’s a major cause of stress. Ready?

Leaving your decisions hanging.

It’s sad to see people who have been “thinking about” doing something for months and even years.

Even though making a decision does not guarantee any action or follow through it’s still the first step on the way to taking action.

Once the decision has been made you can then begin the process of identifying the steps for bringing the end result of the decision to life. But no decision equals no first steps. End of story.

Hesitation on making a decision is a sign of low confidence.

I’m not gonna bring out the “Drug Store Psychology” here but it’s true. Hesitation is a delay due to uncertainty or fear. And that screams lack of confidence.

Some people get over the hesitation to make a decision by choosing “to do nothing.”

You’ve heard that before right?

Maybe you’re in sales and someone tells you. “Well, Sam, glad you called back. We’ve decided to do nothing for now.”

Sometimes the “do nothing action” does make sense. After all, not every opportunity is right for you and should be pursued. Other times it’s just a cop-out. It’s still a lack of confidence usually because the “do nothing” person either fears the change that will come with the decision or doesn’t trust in their ability to follow through.

The fact is you will eventually feel better once you move from Hesitation Hill to Decision Valley. And if that decision is followed by massive action. Look out! Here you come!

You’ve got that list of resolutions and intentions or you’re really close to finishing it up.

No doubt a few items are left over from last year.

Personally, my list for this year consists of a bunch of ambitions and goals that have been carried over for the last couple of years.

Does that mean I have failed? NO! It just means I’m still working toward the goal.

Most people give up to easy or change course at the first sign of challenge. So if you catch yourself carrying over a few wants and desires from last year, don’t worry about it. Keep working toward them.

Some stuff has got to go.

There are certain things on your last that can be crossed off. Either, you’ll decide to get them done quickly or you’ll take an ax to them.

A few of your projects can be delegated. If something has been hanging around for a while as “almost complete” but you just can’t make the time to get it done find someone else who would gladly help you. Yes, you might have to pay them.

Once you delegate a few of your goals to someone else and take an ax to a couple more – you’ll free your mind to focus on what’s most important to you.

Over the past month I’ve sent out several emails that had a “Happy Holidays” message in them somewhere.

My habit of wishing people in my business circles “Happy Holidays!” is something I’ve been doing since the late 90′s. It started because I had a business located in Philadelphia. Our clients and customers were made of people who celebrated – Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, Festivas and more. So even though we put up a Christmas tree and we decorated our place anything printed and sent to customers had the “Happy Holidays” message on it.

Fast forward. The folks on my different email lists come from diverse backgrounds, have different beliefs and even come from different parts of the world.

So the “Happy Holidays” thing is just an attempt the be sensitive.

The truth is I honestly don’t strive for political correctness all the time. Many of my clients know my views on certain aspects of life and some (not all) share similar views. And anyone who tunes in to my radio show can easily hear my Libertarian side and hear my take on politically and socially charged issues. But I am sensitive and I RESPECT everyone’s view on things.

The goal to be sensitive is on the same road as being politically correct. And sometimes being politically correct may not serve you.

There’s the old saying: “If you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything” and I guess it’s up to you if you’ll make it loud and clear what you stand for. Common sense and good judgment will help you here.

Back to not being politically correct.

Even though I won’t change my annual “Happy Holidays” communication to people on my email list – it did become obvious recently that no matter how much you try to censor yourself or be sensitive to others – you’re still gonna piss someone off.

Here’s an example of an email I got back from one of my lists’ free subscribers…

“just for the record, i dont celebrate holidays. Holidays i go for to relax. i celebrate Christmas and easter. I appreciate all other religious celebrations and call them by their proper names. Im getting annoyed with emails saying happy holidays…….. get it right as you insult me more calling them holidays.”

My reply was – “Merry Christmas!”

The anonymity of the internet gives people beer muscles doesn’t it?

This was certainly a first in all the years I’ve been saying “Happy Holidays!”

But I guess the debate on this is more charged these days than it was in year’s past.

It’s up to you to decide what works for you.

I don’t say Happy Holidays because I’m a bleeding-heart progressive liberal. Like a good portion of America I’m distancing myself from any political affiliation the next time my voter registration is due.

Put me in the party of sensitive and respectful.

Develop a Sense of Urgency

A sense of urgency is not based on fear. It’s not based on making hasty decisions. It’s about understanding the world moves fast. It’s about knowing most think the world is willing to stand around and wait. Since most don’t get it – your sense of urgency becomes an asset. The sense of urgency is what I call… “The Sixth Sense of Success.”

Set Ambitious Deadlines

Let’s assume everyone in your life who relies on you for anything wants what they want from you – NOW! Sound crazy? It’s not far-fetched. People are demanding. So why not let yourself be the most demanding… with you?

Let go of Waste

Hanging on to old ways of doing things or systems that just aren’t productive anymore will equal a ton of waste. Many companies that struggle in economic downturns are usually carrying a lot of waste in the form of advertising that’s not working or operational procedures that are inefficient and outdated.

Value for Value

Take some time to analyze your relationships. Are they based on a fair exchange of value? If not, you might consider changing the “status” of the relationship.

Get Savvy about Selling

In some circles “selling” has become a dirty word. But the truth is nothing happens until somebody sells something. You’ve got a lot tools you can use to make the process of ethical persuasion easier. Of course, things can be made easier without being easy. Nothing worthwhile is easy. The tools at your finger tips are social media and the internet. OH, and don’t forget good old-fashioned education to make yourself savvier!

Keep it Simple

To move quickly and reach all of your goals a little faster why not adapt an attitude of simplicity? Make your communication simple. Stream-line your systems. Simplify your schedule.

Assume the Worst

Assuming the Worst is How The World Got The iPhone

It was 2005. The iPod was kicking butt. It accounted for almost half of Apple’s sales. Thinking defensively and assuming the worst – would set in motion the smartphone that changed the world.

The assumption was that cell phones would eventually have the ability to store music. If that happened, the sales of iPods would take a hit. The original idea was to merge the technology of the iPod with a cell phone. It didn’t go well because Apple teamed up with Motorola and the two just couldn’t make it work. Long-story short – they ditched Motorola and two years later the iPhone was born.

Take action on some of these ideas and get things moving this year. Good Luck!

Am I talking about being phony?

No.

Just talking about exhibiting certain qualities and maybe even skills in certain situations. Skills you usually don’t display or don’t think you possess.

I’ll give you an example…

The truth is I am not the most “organized” person. If you saw my office you’d agree. Filing systems and me do not get along. I have book shelves, but I really like keeping certain books and information within reach.

Before I continue please know. I don’t flake out on things. My days are very regimented and things in my business are in pretty good order.

OK, with that out of the way we can move on…

So if you looked at my desk your assumption would be that I was disorganized. And to a point you’d be correct.

But the other day it was clear to me how dangerous it is to label yourself (or anyone else).

I showed up for a speaking engagement the other day. I always show up early. After a few “odds and ends” I asked the meeting planner if he had my introduction. He mentioned to me he had to print it. I said, don’t worry about it and handed him the one I keep in my bag.

His comment to me was… “Mike, you might be one of the most organized speakers we have ever worked with.”

Now, I may not have the neatest desk out of any of the speakers he has ever worked with but I’ll take most organized title any day of the week.

The thing is you can adapt any quality you need to adapt for certain situations that demand your peak performance. And you can leave certain “bad habits” in their cages.

My belief is you’ll apply all the success traits you can muster to activities and situations you’re passionate about. Situations where you know and believe 100% is called for.

That’s why you must never let yourself or anyone else “label you.” .

In some circles – the idea of spending most days on the boat or goofing off is “advertised” as “the good life.”

Most pitchmen or pitch-women will bloviate the virtues of “lots of play” and “little work.” Naturally, whatever success secret they are selling gives them the ability to work for just a few hours here and there, yet command massive amounts of money so they can live day to day totally carefree.

In 2007, the book, “The 4 Hour Work Week” became a bestseller – yes partly because of its great title. (Had it been called “Effective Time Management & Staying Focused” it would not have sold as many copies). But the true success of the book came about because Tm Ferris hustled to market the book. The book was excellent and because he did such an amazing job of ensuring its success – many lives were changed.

But…

I feel bad for the people who take the title to heart. I feel bad for people who really believe any claim of “minimal work” and “maximum pay.” I also feel bad for the many smart, driven and determined people who think “they should be working less” and as a result feel guilty about it.

Yes, maybe after some hard and smart work for a while, or even a short while you can you take it easy. But never from the start. Laws of nature demand that time and effort be put into any endeavor you plan to make succeed.

I read an article about Martha Stewart. It was sort of a “day in the life” type article. Before I get to the details – a question: Do you think Martha Stewart can be off somewhere taking it easy? Of course she could! But here’s how her day went…

Up at 5AM, followed by an intense workout. In her office by 8:30AM. The rest of the day was filled with work. Meetings, emails, filming for her TV show. That evening she made an appearance with Sigourney Weaver at an event.  She was home and ready for bed by 12:30AM. OH, she did a little work before bed.

Now, I doubt her schedule is that grueling everyday – but I would also bet she works a lot more than four hours on any day. I’d bet she does a few things work related on the weekend and maybe on vacation too.

Am I advocating that you get up at 5AM and work until 12:30AM every day. NO way. As matter of fact, my body requires a minimum of six hours of sleep so it wouldn’t work for me. I would certainly not condone the all work and no play thing either.

But I am tired of success driven people feeling guilty about working. Don’t! And don’t listen to the critics either. Do what you feel you have to do to achieve the goals you want to achieve. And don’t buy the “work-less snake oil.” End of story.

You must play both defense and offense at the same time. There are no breaks, no intermissions, no half-time shows or timeouts. The game is always on.

So what’s offense and what’s defense? Hard to say really. It’s not as clear as it is with sports. The only way I can put it is like this…

It’s wise to move ahead and be aggressive and go for the points. Just remember to remain aware and have your guard up as you’re in motion.

Defense doesn’t get enough credit.

I remember training for a few months with a boxing coach. As we hit the targets and did some light sparring he would constantly say… “Defense wins games.” I wouldn’t go as far as saying defense is the key to business and personal success by itself, but it surely plays a huge role.

I recently wrote an article called: “Assume the worst and make it pay off.” Assuming the worst is often confused with negative thinking. Defensive thinking is confused with pessimism. Far from it. I can prove it…

Here’s how Steve Jobs assumed the worst, thought defensively and made it pay off…

I really enjoyed Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson. It’s an amazing book and you should grab it. So many lessons to learned from Jobs.

He assumed the worst when he first started his career. He had a feeling he would die young. That feeling was some of the fuel for his amazing accomplishments. He knew he did not have much time. Relatively speaking, all of us really don’t have much time.

Assuming the Worst is How The World Got The iPhone

It was 2005. The iPod was kicking butt. It accounted for almost half of Apple’s sales. Thinking defensively and assuming the worst – would set in motion the smartphone that changed the world.

The assumption was that cell phones would eventually have the ability to store music. If that happened, the sales of iPods would take a hit. The original idea was to merge the technology of the iPod with a cell phone. It didn’t go well because Apple teamed up with Motorola and the two just couldn’t make it work.

Apple ditches Motorola.

Jobs was always pushing to combine hardware, software and design into all of Apple’s products. There was a secret project underway already. Apple was working on a tablet computer (what we now know as the iPad). Long story short, they realized what they were working on would also be the foundation for their new phone. So the iPhone was born. It was born out of defensive thinking. It was born out of assuming the worst.

So think defensively! It’s OK, no matter how much grief your “positive thinking, head in the sand,” friends give you. Assume the worst because you never know what it could lead to.

I’m also thankful for my brothers, my friends, clients, customers, readers, colleagues, networking partners and suppliers. Even though it’s not said enough I’m thankful for my business partner, Elsa and the team we have which continues to help us grow and get things done.

While this is a week of thanks, my guess is being thankful all the time is something we can all work on. The truth is you really do get more of what you’re thankful for. So why not be thankful all the time?

Something most are NOT thankful for…

Are you thankful for the mistakes you’ve made?

At first, the answer might be… “No Way!, Why would I be thankful for mistakes?” Or maybe you’re thinking… “Yeah, you just said, you get more of what you’re thankful – so why the heck would I want more mistakes?” I guess you’d be right if you just looked at the mistakes and didn’t dig deeper.

It’s the deeper part of the mistake that you should be thankful for. The deeper part of the mistake is the lessons and wisdom buried inside it. It’s what you learn after the dust of the mistake has settled and you can think clearly again. It’s the “take-away” that makes you stronger.

You’re not being thankful for the mistake – you’re being thankful for the wisdom. The wisdom stays with you.

You must also be thankful for wisdom you get from others…

Getting wisdom from others is another thing to be thankful for. Maybe you got the wisdom from a book, an audio, or a seminar. But wisdom can come from anyone willing to give you some. If you’re paying attention – you’ll have it forever.

When I was twenty-four and running my biz in Philly I got a ton of wisdom from everyone I interacted with. One time really stands out for me…

He was a Baptist preacher and he really looked the part. He was charismatic, well-dressed and drove a late model Cadillac Devile with gold seal white-wall tires. At first glance, he was almost intimidating. But once you got to know him his passion and mission was infectious.

He parted some wisdom on me that I’ll never forget…

Even though I did not intend to be, I was a little arrogant when I was in my twenties. Don’t get me wrong, I was easy to get along with. For me it was a weird internal arrogance. Even though I did not project it to the world it held me back. In my own mind I really thought I had it all figured out. Which is why, I really did not understand the wisdom he gave me at the time. Maybe he knew what was going on inside my head.

It went something like…

“The vast majority of people in their twenties, no matter how successful they are, are all clueless to some extent. But the truth is you’re going to make mistakes. As you get older you can take the mistakes of your twenties and apply them to your thirties. You’ll make mistakes the rest of your life too. You can do the same thing with each passing decade. If you take the wisdom and apply it to your life, you’ll constantly grow and improve. You’ll never figure it all out and that’s a good thing because when you understand you will never really figure it out – you’ll constantly gain wisdom.”

So be thankful for the mistakes you made last week and last decade. The wisdom can serve you!

Do you believe the whole meta-physical argument about being ready to make a change when the stars are aligned and the the “universe” says: “you’re ready!” ?

You either want the change more than you want to remain in your current situation or you don’t.

If you say you want to change but then take no action you really don’t want to change. Is it really that simple? What do you think?

Upwardly mobile people are always getting new input in the form of new knowledge and information. This new input can fuel the fire of change or plant the seed of starting down the path of making a change.

Here’s a personal example then we’ll talk business…

What if someone realizes a particular habit or way of life is causing them to gain weight? If they learn a new (to them) idea for staying fit and because of this input they start down a path of “change” this is an example of mental input affecting physical reality.

For many years I operated a business that kept me on my feet and forced me to remain active without thinking about it. When my life changed and I made a transition to a new business that did not keep me active physically active I started to pack on the pounds.

At just twenty-nine I ended up with a “spar-tire.” It was depressing. I had been physically fit since my early teens and now I had blubber around my waist. What did I do? Two simple things really…

1. I cut out most sweets. Three times per week I’d eat a do-nut or piece of cake with my mid morning coffee. I replaced that bad habit. I eat fruit as a mid-morning snack now.

2. Next I learned that multiple “exercise” sessions during the course of the day do wonders to burn fat and keep your metabolism fired up. Maybe I “knew this already.” But there’s a difference between knowing and doing. In the the past I only needed to “workout” once per day to keep fit. But my new “less physically active work” demanded I add another exercise session. So I tacked on another thirty to sixty minutes of moderate exercise without sacrificing work or family time. How? I just figured it out because I wanted to get rid of and keep off the spar tire more than I wanted to make excuses.

   I’m happy to report I’ve held my weight steady at 190 for two years and I currently feel (and look) better than I did in my mid twenties.

I have more examples, but I figured that’d be the easiest one to start with.

So what about you?

Whether business or personal – is there a change you want to make?

In my internet marketing business I come across business owners who know they need to make a change to their overall web strategy. Some know their websites are crying to be updated because they are communicating a poor message to their best prospects. Some know how now is the time to add a “mobile website” because of the increased traffic from mobile devises.

Sadly… Not all take action. They are more comfortable leaving things the way they are even though they know what they gotta do.

If you know you have to make a change and you are resisting it – are you just not ready in the grand scheme of the universe? I doubt it.

No matter what it is…

Getting rid of and keeping off a spar tire like me or making an improvement in your business… Gather some knowledge – take some action – you know what you gotta do – so just get moving.