The Miracle of Personal Development by Jim Rohn

One day my mentor Mr.  Shoaff said, "Jim, if you want to be wealthy and happy, learn this lesson  well: Learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job."

Since that time I've  been working on my own personal development. And I must admit that this has  been the most challenging assignment of all. This business of personal  development lasts a lifetime.

You see, what you  become is far more important than what you get. The important question to ask  on the job is not, "What am I getting?" Instead, you should ask,  "What am I becoming?" Getting and becoming are like Siamese twins:  What you become directly influences what you get. Think of it this way: Most of  what you have today you have attracted by becoming the person you are today.

I've also found that  income rarely exceeds personal development. Sometimes income takes a lucky  jump, but unless you learn to handle the responsibilities that come with it, it  will usually shrink back to the amount you can handle.

If someone hands you  a million dollars, you'd better hurry up and become a millionaire. A very rich  man once said, "If you took all the money in the world and divided it  equally among everybody, it would soon be back in the same pockets it was  before."

It is hard to keep  that which has not been obtained through personal development.

So here's the great  axiom of life:

To have more than  you've got, become more than you are.

This is where you  should focus most of your attention. Otherwise, you just might have to contend  with the axiom of not changing, which is:

Unless you change how  you are, you'll always have what you've got.

—Jim Rohn

The 8 Items on a Leader’s To-Do List by John C Maxwell

As a successful leader, you must do eight things:

1. Find your own personal strength zone.
A successful leader is a person who knows what they do well and does it, but they also know what their people know well and help them practice it.

2. Help others find their strength zone.
What is their special ability? You can’t make others good at something you are bad at. You can only increase a person’s giftedness by helping them answer important questions of themselves. What is their temperament? What is their passion? What choices are they making in their life? Help them with these things and there’s no limit to how much someone can improve in these areas.

3. Help them define success.
Success is hugely subjective. Knowing your purpose in life, growing to your maximum potential or sowing seeds that benefit others are all great definitions of success.

4. Help them understand how to be successful.
The secret of our success is determined by our daily agenda. Decision-making is important and the management of the decision-making is even more important. Do the right thing today to be in a good place for tomorrow.

5. Teach and practice the four pillars of success.
• Relationships
• Attitude/Tenacity
• Leadership/Influencing people
• Equipping and developing other people

6. Teach your team the 20/80 principle, or the Pareto principle.
Within this, prioritize life. What is required of me? What gives the greatest return? What give me the greatest reward? When these three line up, then life becomes wonderful.

7. Provide resources for them.
There are only three times when people change. When they’ve heard enough that they have to change; they learn enough that they want to change; or receive enough that they are able to change. Put those resources of change in their hand.

8. Require them to reproduce themselves.
They have to teach someone else what they learn. Don’t spend valuable time with people who want to consume but not share. Share the knowledge. Share the wealth.

Is It A Work At Home Job Or A Home Business?

With the current economy as it is, many people, such as yourself, are searching for the perfect opportunity….to be able to do from the comfort of your home! I will tell you that nothing can compare to working at home!

What I want to share with you today, is the differences between working a home based job and a home career. Years ago, when I began my search, I did not realize there was a difference. Many people don’t. So I want to shorten your learning curve today, by explaining the differences to you, so that you understand and can make an educated decision.

Lets start with the terminology: work at home job and home business opportunity. They are both ways to work at home, and fantastic in their own right, however, they are not the same. Some people think they are interchangeable, but they really each have their own characteristics. They are often  cause for someone to getting involved in a work at home opportunity they do not understand. Many people mistake a home business for a work at home job and are disappointed they have to handle so much work or that they are not guaranteed paychecks on a steady basis. Others get a work at home job and are not happy at having someone give them work to do and a set schedule. That is why it is important for anyone wanting to work at home to understand the difference between the two.

So let’s compare the differences….

A work at home job is much like a job outside the home. You will have a boss to report to and will be given work and often have a schedule to follow that is set by the company. You are an employee of said company. While most work at home jobs do not hire on people as employees, they are still basically working in the role of an employee.  Most work at home positions are as an independent contractor, which basically means the company does not withhold taxes and do not have to guarantee work for the person.  Many of these companies have long intricate hiring processes.  They will have many applicants to compete with because there are not that many companies that hire employees to work from home. Often times, purchases must be made for items prior to even being considered. Some companies re-imburse you, some do not. These companies most likely will complete a background check and require a headset, landline, printer/fax/copier, no distractions and so forth. Then if you have children, you may face the additional expense of still daycare or a babysitter because you cannot have any background noises or distractions for most of the positions companies offer.  With a work from home job, there is still no security and no freedom. You can be fired or laid off at anytime. The worst of all is that, with a work at home job and even a traditional job outside the home, you are trading your valuable time for money.

A home business is just like any other business.  You are responsible for every aspect of the business.  A home business owner can work with a company and sell their goods or offer their services, so they do not have to worry about products and in some cases orders.  They are Independent Contractors and issued 1099s instead of W-2s.  This shows the IRS that they are not employees and are able to receive all the tax advantages that regular business owners receive.  This means that you would be able to write off portions of your mortgage/rent, phone bill, cell phone bill, gas, electric, car mileage, office supplies, advertising and so much more.  The main difference to a home business is that you are not given work to do. You are responsible for managing your business.  You will not have a boss to report to, quotas to meet, or a set schedule to work.  Most companies that you start a home business with will send you a commission check; whether it be daily, weekly, and/or monthly. If you are not working with a company and it’s your own company then you’d handle your own pay. When you are your own boss, you are in control of the income that you make.  You can give yourself a raise when you want too!  You have the ability to build financial freedom.  A tax-deductible monetary investment is normally required. Often there is a low monthly tax-deductible overhead cost, to maintain what the company provides to you, for you to use to operate your own business.

You are in charge of IF you are Motivated or not!

First thing, one must understand is that it is not the job of anyone else to motivate YOU! It is YOUR job to become motivated to get the result you want in your life! Whether it be working from home, marriage, relationships with others, a job, etc. You are the one that controls how you see what is in front of you.

What eye glasses do you have on? In other words, do you have your negative glasses on today which allows you to see everything in a negative way through those particular glasses? Or do you have your positive glasses on today, which allows you to see everything in a positive way through those pair of glasses? Or do you have NO glasses on today that just puts you in bed or watching TV?

What Motivates you? What makes you want to get out of bed every morning? I am not talking about the things you HAVE to get out of the bed in the morning. I am talking about what makes you happy to get out of bed?

This is HUGE! If you do not know then you need to make a list of things that DO make you happy or WILL make you happy if you were motivated to do so.

Here are some examples:

God-Family-Friend relations. Financial Freedom-Becoming debt free-Securing your retirement. Becoming the best you want to be in a hobby like golfing, crafting, singing, dancing, football, etc.

When you make a list of the things that you want to become more motivated in make sure that the list is tangible. This means that you can reach your goal. Reset your goal when completed.

An example: Financial

GOAL-I want to become a high income earner in 
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Motivation (WHY) My “WHY” is to secure my future and my children