Grow The Good

Self-Made Millionaires are not smarter or better than you. They have just discovered these secrets and used them to become wealthy. You can do it too.

Here is secret #14:

DISCIPLINE YOURSELF. Fill your life with activities and people that make you grow. Discard activities that have negative results in your life.

Shirley says:

Oooh... this is a hard one. I bet if I did just this one thing I'd be amazed at the way my life would improve!

Deliver!

Self-Made Millionaires are not smarter or better than you. They have just discovered these secrets and used them to become wealthy. You can do it too.

Here is secret #13:

DELIVER MORE THAN YOUR CUSTOMER EXPECTS. This builds loyalty and repeat business. It feels good too.

Here's where my mind goes with this one:

Have you noticed "more bang for your buck" doesn't happen much anymore? I open a box of cereal and it's already half empty... same with a can of coffee... or just about anything else that's prepackaged - I'm paying more and receiving less. A thousand years ago (well maybe not quite that long) when you pulled up in a gas station someone came out, pumped your gas, cleaned your windshield, and you didn't even have to get out of the car at all... Doctors made house calls, and the milkman delivered milk to your front door. Actual people answered the phone when you called a business.

Service used to be really important. Now? I'm not so sure. Maybe all you have to do is spend a bunch of money on marketing strategies and deliver as little as possible when it comes to actual products and services, and all the while money is being made, lots of it... so how does that fit into the above secret for making millions?

If I opened a gas station complete with gas station attendents who pumped your gas and cleaned your windshield, would I go broke? If I made cereal and actually filled the boxes all the way up with it, would my business fail? I wonder... is all this grasping greed a symptom of what's wrong with our economy? and what would happen if it stopped? And more importantly, how do I contribute to it? What do I do that is grasping and greedy? Where do I hold back when I could be generous and open handed?

That being said, I do like this concept,it resonates with me. And, in my experience, it does feel good to give more. We also talked about this when we did the Science of Getting Rich. here's a link to that post: How Riches Come To You.

Anyone else want to put their two cents in?

Priorities

Self-Made Millionaires are not smarter or better than you. They have just discovered these secrets and used them to become wealthy. You can do it too.

Here is secret #12:

PRIORITIZE YOUR LIFE. Do what's most important first.

Notes from Shirley:

You mean not do the easiest most fun thing first? Not do the most distracting least important thing first? You mean not do ANYTHING and I do mean anything you can think of to avoid doing that most important thing first instead of last or not at all?

Yowsers! I'll have to change my whole life!

Anyone else have anything to say about this? What is your most important thing today? Have you started on it yet? Well? What are you waiting for?

Be Strong

Self-Made Millionaires are not smarter or better than you. They have just discovered these secrets and used them to become wealthy. You can do it too.

Here is secret #11:

STAY PHYSICALLY FIT. Strong minds create strong bodies. Weak bodies are the result of weak minds. Your physical and mental health are the core of your success in life.

And this is what I think:

I'm not sure this is true. I'm pretty strong minded - and not very physically fit - at least not anymore. On the other hand, I do think that when you have the discipline to eat right and exercise it bleeds into everything else you do and pretty soon you have your shit together and your life is on track.

What about you guys? Anyone have thoughts or ideas on the subject of fitness of the body vs fitness of the mind and how it fits into prosperity and making millions?

Opportunity Knocks

Self-Made Millionaires are not smarter or better than you. They have just discovered these secrets and used them to become wealthy. You can do it too.

Here is secret #10:

PREPARE FOR OPPORTUNITY. It will knock. Will you be ready?

Shirley says:

Didn't we do a project on this? Yes... here's the link: Opening Up. I think I'm going to go back and revisit those posts and see what looks helpful because in my life this is one of the areas where I tend to get messed up. Opportunity knocks - and I say, "Hang on... I'll be there in a minute." while I run around crazy trying to get it together enough to say OK come on in.

What do you guys think? Are you ready for opportunity? If not, what's needed? How do you get ready for the opportunities you ask for?

Knowing

Self-Made Millionaires are not smarter or better than you. They have just discovered these secrets and used them to become wealthy. You can do it too.

Here is secret #9:

KNOW YOUR BUSINESS FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. That's your job.

Notes from Shirley:

This one is kind of scary to me... I don't really have a "job" or a "business" that I'm trying to work my way up in. I have big dreams and big ideas, and I don't even know what the "business" of them even is. I guess this is where the study and improve yourself might come into play?

What about you guys? Is this helpful at all to you? What does it look like when put up against your big dreams and ideas?

Being Helpful

Self-Made Millionaires are not smarter or better than you. They have just discovered these secrets and used them to become wealthy. You can do it too.

Here is secret #8:

SEE YOUR WORK AS SERVICE. Helping others will grow your business.

Here's what I think:

I think this is true up to a point. But doesn't it depend on what your dream actually is? If you are an artist, and your big dream is to create big art - I'm not sure how that translates into helping others.

(hmmm....)
This is me thinking that one through....

I suppose you could vision it as a way to help others see the world differently... and that would maybe fit. Mostly, I think my art helps me... does that count? I suppose you could think of art as service to the creative spirit that flows within...

I dunno. What do you think? Does your big dream involve any form of service? Is it enough to be serving your own greater good? Is it enough that you are serving your creator by fully utilizing your talents and abilities? Ideas anyone?

Improve Yourself

Self-Made Millionaires are not smarter or better than you. They have just discovered these secrets and used them to become wealthy. You can do it too.

Here is secret #7:

COMMIT TO CONSTANT NEVER-ENDING IMPROVEMENT. Every day be searching for how you can learn more.

My thoughts:

I'm totally on board with this one. As a matter of fact, I probably get carried away with it on a regular basis, and have even been known to use it as an excuse to totally avoid actually "doing" anything.

What do you guys think? Is there something you could learn about right now that would further your big dream? Are there books at the library? websites? classes? something anything that would give you some know how that would be helpful in getting that big dream off the ground and into reality?

Work Hard

Self-Made Millionaires are not smarter or better than you. They have just discovered these secrets and used them to become wealthy. You can do it too.

Here is secret #6:

ESTABLISH A HEALTHY WORK ETHIC. Make taking action your best friend.

Here's what I think:

Absolutely! I am sure this is true. And at the same time, all work and no play... well... who can do that? So there needs to be also time structured in for fun, rest, rejuvenation, relaxation, and just plain goofing off. And what happens to me is that the goofing off part gets to be way more fun than the work part and pretty soon the work part starts to feel like pressure and I get anxious about what I'm NOT doing and then the resistance sets in and those ridiculously long bouts of freecell begin to occur.

I think in one of our projects somewhere along the line, it said that to start a new enterprise it requires about 3 hours of work a day on that one new thing. And where, I wonder, are those 3 hours going to come from? On the other hand, it doesn't have to be "all or nothing" I think a person could actually make good progress committing to just 1 hour a day... even 20 minutes (depending on what it is you want to accomplish).

And what do you guys think? Are you already hard at work? Are you working so hard at spinning your wheels that you aren't getting anywhere? Or maybe you're stuck in TV land, or Facebook world, or Majong mania? How does one find a balance? Driven committed people get a lot done - yes - but do you really want to be one of them? Are you one already? Speak to me people! I'm really curious to know what your thoughts are on this one.

Mastermind

Self-Made Millionaires are not smarter or better than you. They have just discovered these secrets and used them to become wealthy. You can do it too.

Here is secret #5:


CREATE A MASTERMIND GROUP. Have a regular meeting with others who are committed to building great lives. Share what you're up to and support each other.

Notes from Shirley:

I love masterminding. The very first prosperity project was held monthly here in the KC area, and it was centered around a mastermind followed by some sort of creative exercise in prosperity. We had a really great group and it was so powerful. Eventually we each went our separate ways - and I'd love to get something like that started again!

We did a 30 day mastermind here at the Prosperity Project, and if you're interested, or want to refresh your memory, you can take a look at our 30 day Mastermind and our mastermind script. You might also want to read about how the mastermind process works, and what the general guidelines are. I also found, and posted a short history of mastermind groups.

The secret to a good mastermind group is to have one person who is in charge of keeping it moving so that it doesn't turn into a 3 hour blab session. And the second thing that is really helpful is to have rules and guidelines for your group, make a a print out of these "rules" and read them aloud as a group or individually before each session.

So, what do you think, guys? Is this something you think you might do? If you do decide to create a mastermind group, I'd love it if you'd post a little bit about it here. Your insights and input may be invaluable to someone who is just playing around with the idea but not really acting on it.

The History of Mastermind Groups

Mastermind groups have been around since the beginning of time: the founding fathers of the United States were essentially a mastermind group; likewise Jesus and his disciples. The Greek king, Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) had a group of advisors as have most world leaders in history; these groups of advisors can be considered mastermind groups.

You may have heard of Benjamin Franklin’s Junto. (Junto is a Spanish word which means “council.”) Ben Franklin, an individual committed to self-improvement, in 1727 founded a discussion group called the Junto that evolved into the American Philosophical Association and helped establish the first U.S. lending library as well as an academy that evolved into the University of Pennsylvania. The Junto was essentially a mastermind group.

Andrew Carnegie, one of the most famous leaders of industry of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and a Scottish immigrant who became the richest man in the world, believed participating in a mastermind group to be an essential ingredient for success.

Most often we hear the name of Napoleon Hill associated with mastermind groups. While Hill clearly didn’t invent the idea, he can certainly be given credit for promoting the concept of a mastermind alliance. Napoleon Hill was an American author, one of the first to write on the topic known today as personal development. In 1928, Hill published a study course called The Law of Success, based on his interviews (at the suggestion of Andrew Carnegie) over the course of 20 years with some of the country’s most successful men. One of the lessons contained within The Law of Success is… you guessed it… a mastermind group. Nine years later, Hill continued to expound on the topic of the mastermind alliance in his best-selling classic, Think and Grow Rich.

A Mastermind is a unique concept
that leverages the collective power of the group,
creating a Third Mind.

~Napoleon Hill

One could argue that the modern day Alcoholics Anonymous is a type of mastermind group. AA was founded in 1935 and today has more than 2 million members worldwide. PT Barnum, the great showman, went to a mastermind group; author Tom Peters touts the idea in his book, In Search of Excellence.

Zig Ziglar said “You can get everything in life you want, if you’ll just help others get what they want.”

Love It or Leave It

Self-Made Millionaires are not smarter or better than you. They have just discovered these secrets and used them to become wealthy. You can do it too.

Here is secret #4:

LOVE WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING NOW.

If you don't love it, leave it. By saying no to doing work just for money, you are magnetizing work to you that you can love.

So this is what I think about this one:

Geez that sounds so good. Permission to say no to stuff I don't love. I've been trying to do that my whole life. But somehow, I always end up trapped in jobs that I don't love. And right now, if I left the job I currently have, I'd be in really severe financial trouble. No money for food, no money for gas, no money for electricity, etc... And I can't think of a single job I could actually go out right now and do that I would love AND that would bring me enough money to survive on. And we're talking survival here - not a life of luxury - not even middle class living - we're talking subsistence living on the edge of homelessness.

And it occurs to me that this is my "all or nothing" thinking in action. Maybe it's possible to make a gradual and well considered move from what you don't love into what you do. So. How does one go about making that transition? If I can figure out this one thing, this particular project will have been a rousing success.

And as I'm writing this, I realize that I am already doing it... Yowsers! How cool is that? I have been taking steps in that direction. I've even got a kind of a plan. So... maybe all that is required is patience and action. And by action I don't mean running around like a chicken with your head cut off, I mean action towards a goal, actually working to make that big dream come true.. you know, the big dream we are working on getting a clear picture of... the one we are taking charge of... being responsible for... that one.

So, how about it guys? Have you got your big dream well visualized yet? What is that big dream? I've got mine posted at Shirley Twofeathers. I'd love to see yours. Oh, and, I wonder if there's anything in the project on "Creating Work You Love" that would help us out here.

Own It

Self-Made Millionaires are not smarter or better than you. They have just discovered these secrets and used them to become wealthy. You can do it too.

Here is secret #3:

THINK AND ACT LIKE YOU'RE THE OWNER OF A BUSINESS,
THE BUSINESS OF EVERYTHING YOU DO.

Even if you work for someone else, you're attitude will plant seeds for your independent greatness to grow.

My thoughts:

This one is interesting. So... how does the owner of a business act? I know some business owners I would never want to emulate... I've been the owner of a business, and I'm not sure my "business owner" activities were all that great. And having tried and fizzled out - how could I ever trust myself again?

I suppose I could learn from my mistakes... let me see... what were they? Trying to do everything alone - that was the biggest thing. Which led to burn out, and the stress of the constant pressure of having it all rest on me. I'm really not a very good boss of me. I expect way too much and I'm mean!

I wonder if it would be good to find a successful and happy business owner to emulate? Or, am I over-thinking this concept ... could it be as simple as having a "take charge" attitude? Or maybe... it's about taking responsibility. Being active vs reactive. Stepping up instead of stepping down.

Actually, this reminds me of a quote from the series OZ:

"You made your bed, now lie in it." Anybody wanna tell me what the fuck that means? You're gonna go to the trouble of making up your bed, smoothing out the sheets, fluffing up the pillows, just to ruin it all by lying down. The phrase should be, "You laid in your bed, now make it." Point being, you got to be responsible for your actions. Responsible.

~Augustus Hill

So what do you guys think? How is this useful? Am I on the right track? Totally out in left field? What? And what about you? How does this secret strike you? I'd love to hear your two cents!

Take A Picture

Self-Made Millionaires are not smarter or better than you. They have just discovered these secrets and used them to become wealthy. You can do it too.

Secret #2:

CREATE A SPECIFIC PICTURE OF WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
The more specific you are the more likely you are to get there.

My thoughts on this one:

This makes so much sense, and on the surface it seems easy to do. But when push comes to shove, it's not that simple. Our lives are not straightforward vision boards or well thought out nicely worded essays. This isn't the movies or a novel. Real life is messy and busy, we have more than our fair share of distractions and disappointments.

For me, keeping a clear picture of where I'm headed is kind of like... well... Sometimes I think it's like trying to keep your hands clean when you live in a swamp with 10 children and there's nothing but mud everywhere. Other times it's like trying to make sure your hair doesn't get out of place while riding in a convertable with the top down, going 80 miles an hour. It's so easy for that clear picture to get warped and torn...

So what's the answer? Anyone have any ideas? Let's see if we can get a good list going of all the different ways there are to create and maintain a clear picture of where we want to go.

Big Dreams

Self-Made Millionaires are not smarter or better than you. They have just discovered these secrets and used them to become wealthy. You can do it too.

Here is secret #1:

DREAM BIG DREAMS. Thinking Big will change your life.

My thoughts on this subject are as follows:

It occurs to me that I never truly allow myself to dream big. Yes, I have big ideas about who I want to be in the world and what I want to have - but when it comes to what I want to actually do - the dream shrinks considerably. I start thinking in terms of what I don't want. I don't want to have to work, I don't want to have to drive in wintry weather, I don't want to be tied down, I don't want to be obligated to this or that... etc. And it turns into this long list of what I don't want.

So, I'm thinking, what do I actually want to do? What excites me? What fulfills me? What big exciting thing could I be flinging myself into that would actually pay my bills and bring me the freedom to be the coolest, funnest, most interesting version of me?

And when I do think those big thoughts about what I might be doing if only I could, when the dream begins to get really spectacular, I get nervous and scared, and immediately back off... What if I can't pull it off? What if I'm not good enough, young enough, smart enough? What if I can't measure up?

So, what are your thoughts? What is your experience? What are your big dreams? And are you allowing yourself to think those grand thoughts? Or do you sell yourself short? What about self sabotage? Do you do that too? Or do you have people around you who function in that capacity?

I'd love to hear what you guys have to say about this - because - frankly, I'm thinking I need all the help I can get!

How to be a millionaire!

Our project starts tomorrow, and I thought it might be fun to give the first secret away right off the bat, before we even start.

And so, from Steve Martin (on Saturday Night Live) we have the answer to the age-old question “How can I be a millionaire?” Are you guys ready for it?

Here ya go:

“First… get a million dollars.”

Oh, and guess what? I found a million dollars - well, not actually in person, but I did find a picture of it. I thought it might be good to know what one million dollars in cash actually looks like, since that's what we'll be working on getting. Anyway, here's the picture:

Wanna Be A Millionaire?

Well guys, it's been two months and I'm finally ready to get going with another project. I happened onto a website tonight, and found the 21 secrets of self made millionaires, and I think it will make for a great project. Since our projects usually last for 30 days, I looked around and guess what? I found the 7 secrets of millionaires. Not only that, but I also found 10 tips for becoming a millionaire. So we have 30 days of secrets to share, plus tips! We can talk about, mull over, and possibly even act on each one in succession every day for 30 days.

So... is anyone up for it? Wanna try it those secrets on for size and see how they fit? I'd love to have some company along for the ride... And I'm curious too. Curious to see if I can actually incorporate any of those secrets into my life... wondering if any of them actually work, or if it's mostly hype.