Success Principles by Aaron Rashkin
Success Principle #1
Have you ever watched a Triple Crown Horse Race? If so, one thing you may have noticed is that rarely ever does the winning horse win by a mile. Instead, it is typically neck and neck all the way from
start to finish, especially in those big money races where millions of dollars are on the line.
Therefore, Success Principle #1 states that...
"Participants always play to the level of their competition."
It is true of horses and it is even more true of people. So, with whom are you running? With whom are you surrounding yourself? To whom are you listening and watching as you build and grow yourself and your business? Your answer will ultimately determine how well you fare in the game of business, the game of success, and the game of life.
So, be sure to surround yourself with people who are more successful than you are. Remember, if 9 out of 10 of your closest friends are losers, it is just a matter of time before you become #10. Be sure to communicate regularly with a successful model, a mentor, and a coach who has created results
in an area in which you wish to succeed. Even create a "mastermind" group, to keep each other accountable, share ideas, and receive feedback. This way, when you play to the level of your competition, you will be playing in a new arena, with better players and competitors who will help you UP your game. Remember, water seeks its own level and the higher you climb on the ladder of success, the more you will want to surround yourself with others of like mind, who are also on their way, To The Top! Get to it; start making new friends, contacts, and alliances with people who are destined for their OWN greatness!
Success Principle #2
Success Principle #2 is something that I have observed in every top producer and income earner I have ever met. It goes along the lines of, "Either pay now, or you will pay later."
Truth is, either way, you WILL pay. Moreover, what you pay for is exactly what you will get. The higher the stakes, the higher the price you will have to pay to earn them. Famous Speaker Jim Rohn says, "Do whatever you have to do as quickly as you can, so you can do whatever you WANT to do, for as long as you can." You see, successful people do the things TODAY, that others will not do, so that successful people can do the things TOMORROW, that others CANNOT do. It is not a matter of whether or not you will pay, but WHEN you will pay. Either you can take care of your finances now, or they will take care of YOU later. If you only play when the odds are against you, you will find that you are always just "getting by.” And... you will also find that you are consistently going from a state of chaos to a state of temporary "survival.” This is a life of mediocrity. I know because I used to live it. However, when I learned Success Principle #2, everything began to come together and make more sense. Therefore, Success Principle #2 is this..."You must be a Four Quarter Player,” not a "4th QUARTER Player". You must always be "on,” even when you are "off.” When I was not speaking to people, late at night for example, I would read books, listen to CDs, and invest in myself, by reviewing what I did that day and what I was committed to doing the next day. I cut out the TV, quit hanging out with people who were not committed to transformation, and I would limit the time with those who were whiners and complainers. I chose to play in a bigger game, all the time, constantly looking for solutions, creating marketing ideas, and then implementing them into my daily routine. Remember, it is not what you do that counts towards your best success; it is what you do DAILY! Be a "Four Quarter Player." There is no other way to succeed.
Success Principle #3
I was told by one of my first mentors, that unless I was ok with skipping a meal from time to time, while getting my business off the ground, that I really wasn't paying the full price for success! I was also told that if I couldn't get used to eating quickly, between making and taking phone calls, that I wasn't truly putting the pedal to the metal. Truth is, I have done both. In addition, this is because I learned many years ago, that 90% of getting what you want is knowing exactly what you have to
give up, to get it. And YES! This is Success Principle #3. I repeat...Success Principle #3 is...90% of getting what you want, is knowing what you have to give up, to get it! Whether it is skipping a meal to get a deal done, eating quickly, economizing your budget with $.99 Fast Food Specials, giving up TV, spending time with the wrong people. Being lazy, smoking, drinking, stuffing yourself at the dinner table, reading the newspaper, watching CNN, (constantly negative news), it doesn't matter. The list of things YOU must give up to succeed far beyond what you have ever experienced, does exist. Only YOU know what you must give up, in order to get what you want. Matter of fact, if you wrote down all the habits you have that you KNOW keep you from success, I bet you are more aware of them than you think. Therefore, the key then, is to be sure you stop yourself from doing the things that take you backward, away from your dreams and goals and replace them with the things you know are going to
bring you closer to them. Do this over time and you will see just how simple reaching your goals and living your dreams can be. It is the Slight Edge Principle and it is either working for you, or against you.
You choose. Do not wait. Make your list of things to give up, so that you can get on the path to having everything you want. Do not wait. Do it today. Make your list. Take care of it. Or...your bad habits will take care of YOU! Go make something BIG happen.
Success Principle #4
Knowledge alone is not power. It is applied knowledge that is power. You must not only read my messages, but apply the information in them. Does success happen over night? No, but the choice to
succeed happens in a mere moment. Little did I know that success is not going to be a payoff, but a process. And in this process, Success Principle #4 couldn't be more apparent. This Principle is based on this sentence: "Adversity does not just build character; it reveals it." How you handle yourself during challenge is one of the most important ingredients in the formula for success. Remember, how you do anything is also how you do...everything! The key then to Success Principle #4, is not to get attached to any one set of circumstances or conditions, good or bad, but to the process itself. You see, you are going to have many ups and many downs while you are becoming successful. You will experience the highs of success and the lows of what you may think are failure. Peaks and Valleys, all the time, ups, downs, wins, losses, and in-betweens. The key is to find the silver lining in every cloud; learn to
make lemonade out of lemons, and when you lose, DON'T LOSE THE LESSON! The MOST important lesson, is that you understand that success is just one failure after another, day in and day out, learning
from your mistakes and never losing sight of your goals. If you want to make it to the top faster than ever, then DOUBLE your rate of failure. YES! Failure is just as much a part of the equation as is success, so the more you do it and learn from it, the more successful you are going to be. By learning to discipline your disappointments and maintaining a consistent energy, win or lose, you will find that each experience will contribute to your overall wisdom, which in turn, will set you free over time and create the biggest successes of your life. Therefore, Success Principle #4 is this: "Learn to Discipline Your Disappointments." It will make the journey more enjoyable, the ride much smoother, and YOU much more successful.
Success Principle #5
"Succcesful people do what others find boring or uncomfortable." This principle is all about TAKING ACTION. And 99% of the time, I'm referring to the #1 skill you will ever act on to develop your career as a marketer. It's called Prospecting. Not just talking about it or thinking about it, but actually doing it.
Not just being a spectator, but being a player. Getting IN the game, getting your uniform dirty, and getting banged around and bruised up as a result of committing to your success, by Prospecting. You see, successful people create such a stir around them by Prospecting, that they forget about the little "cares" that don't serve them. I call this "Block & Focus". They block out distractions, (like other people's opinions), and focus only on Revenue Producing Activity. Prospecting. Sorting. Uncovering people's needs, strengths and goals, and pairing them up with a solution to their problems. This is the key to your success. Talking to new people all the time. It's the lifeblood of your business. Learn to do what others won't, so you can have what others can't. By learning to Prospect, you will be learning to lead, influence, and develop. You lead, influence and develop YOURSELF first, then others will follow.
But you must learn how to do it and do it effectively, because if you cannot prospect, you will struggle forever. Remember, in your business, there is no shallow end. It's sink or swim and the sooner you learn how to prospect, the sooner you will be on the path towards great success in your enterprise.