12 Rules of Success

Apple CEO, Steven Paul Jobs shares his success secrets in three short stories told to Stanford graduating class.

Dropping out of Reed college after 6 months, Steve Jobs couch surfs, returns coke bottles for money and is fed by the Hare Krishnas, then drops in on a caligraphy course and co-founds Apple Computer

Speaking at the 2005 Stanford University Commencement Graduation Ceremony in Palo Alto, California,  Steve Jobs shares his 12 Rules of Success:

1. Do what you love to do. Find your true passion. Do what you love to do a make a difference!

2. Be different. Think different. Act different!.

3. Do your best. Do your best at every job. Hire good people with passion for excellence.

4. Make SWOT analysis. Make a list of strengths and weaknesses of yourself and your company on a piece of paper. Get rid of bad people.

5. Be entrepreneurial. Look for the next big thing. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

6. Start small, think big. Take a handful of simple things to begin with, and then progress to more complex ones.

7. Strive to become a market leader. Be the first, and make it an industry standard.

8. Focus on the outcome. Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.

9. Ask for feedback. Ask for feedback from people with diverse backgrounds. Focus on those who will use your product, listen to your customers first.

10. Innovate. Innovation distinguishes a leader from a follower. Concentrate on really important creations and radical innovations. Hire people who want to make the best things in the world.

11. Learn from failures. Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly and move on.

12. Learn continually. Cross-pollinate ideas with others both within and outside your company. Learn from customers, competitors and partners. Learn to criticize your enemies openly, but honestly.

Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition…

Watch the YouTube Video of  Steve Jobs’ 2005 address to the Stanford, Palo Alto, graduating class:

Simple Steps To Self-Actualization

Problems can never be avoided and sadly, they can get the better of us. As much as we would like to pull our hair out and wail like a child, we keep all the anger bottled deep down inside. Then, we try to move forward and mask the issues with a calm facade. We all know that this is the last thing we should do.

Stress is everywhere and we cannot live our entire adult lives like children, free of cares and worries. As we enter into the real world and live our lives as adults should, we will encounter things that we may not always like, we will meet people that we may not take to, or we miss out on the fun simply because we have to take care of other needs first. Whatever the reason is, it’s not too difficult to find a reason to frown.

What most of us take for granted are the good things that we encounter as we move forward with our lives. We’re simply so preoccupied with the bad things that we often forget to look at the good. We count all our misfortunes; keep track of all our failures.

We need to remember what we live for, lest we become bitter human beings. Avoiding problems is all very well in theory, but many of us have worries that we simply can’t resolve, and statistics reveal that one in every twenty people suffer from panic attacks.

The idea here is not to attain permanent happiness. We all know that we will stumble along the way as we learn life’s lessons. What we need is a simple strategy to deal with the issues that we face so that by the end of the day we can still give ourselves a pat on the back and say that we are proud of ourselves and happy with our lives, despite all the negativity happening around us.

Here are just three things to keep in mind should we feel overwhelmed at everything happening to us:

1. Avoid situations that aggravate anger – this is a classic case of fight or flight. If we see ourselves heading towards a dark corner of the street, we simply have to turn around and take another route. Unfortunately, not every situation offers us a way out. When we have to deal with a difficult boss or a stubborn colleague, we cannot always solve the situation by going the other way. The best solution to this is to have something that helps soothe our nerves – a stress ball, some exercise, a few minutes to ourselves, or anything that gets us to shift our momentary unease.

2. Reprogram your mind – there are several books in leading bookstores that offer us guidelines. Advice and exercises from experts like Anthony Robbins and David Neagle have provided reassurance and help for many people.

3. Think positive – as simple as this sounds, the task can be daunting. It’s especially difficult when we come face to face with something that we simply do not like. The trick here is to exercise our minds. It is only through practice that we can perfect this skill.

In the end, we have to know that we’ll survive. Life isn’t always about winning.  As Les Brown reminds us, most of the time it’s about getting up when we’re down. It’s the ability to continue and move forward as we go through life’s processes. Know that problems don’t kill us. We are in control of things of our destiny, and if we let these inconveniences get in the way, then we definitely will lose. We always have a choice, and we should always choose to be good to ourselves.

Best of Success!

Stephan

Our lives are made of opportunities and challenges, often in unequal measure…

We know that life is not always a walk in the park, so to speak. Problems come in two forms: ones that are easy to solve and ones that look nearly impossible to overcome. It’s simple to say that life is sweet when we are able to overcome a difficult situation. When things start to go against us, we forget about our basic beliefs and let situations like these affect our overall outlook.

The secret to a happy life is in being optimistic; to always see the glass as half-full. The tricky part comes when we encounter roadblocks along the way. It takes a lot of practice to become a positive person, but once we do become that kind of person, we will live happier lives. Remember, happiness is not a state of mind that can be achieved with just a snap of our fingers. Happiness is a positive choice we make and it is the attitude we need to inculcate in ourselves every single day.

If you need to take some time off to become the kind of person that oozes out confidence and that brings warmth to everyone, then by all means, do so. Take a step back and reevaluate your life if you must. If the work you do makes you an angry person, then maybe it’s high time that you rethink your career path.

Strive for happiness with the following steps listed below:

1. Write down the things that make you happy – make an inventory of all your dreams, ask yourself how you can achieve them, and start working on them now. The tendency to procrastinate is what gets you into trouble. The longer you sulk, then the bigger the problems become.

2. Have a healthy outlet for your anger – you need to let your frustrations out. Talk to someone if you must or go to the gym to pump out those happy hormones. Studies show that people who exercise are more readily able to find solutions to their problems.

3. Have a support system – with great friends and a caring family, the burden doesn’t have to entirely rest on your shoulders.

4. Be thankful for what you have – you know, “when life gives you lemons, open a lemonade stand”. Life may not be all that you want it to be, but you also need to know that you have other talents and resources at your disposal as well. Face the problem head on and see the good that comes out of it.

5. Communicate with the Infinite – believing in a higher power has gotten many people out of even the toughest of situations. The idea that there is something out there looking out for everyone is sometimes enough for people to continue on and pursue their goals.

Being too hard on yourself can sometimes keep you from victory. What stops you from pursuing your path to happiness? If it’s because you just don’t believe in yourself that much, then you need to know that mistakes can only slow you down. You can still move on after you slip-up because at least then you’ll know what you shouldn’t do. It’s not how many times you fall that counts, but the number of times you got up despite the hard fall.

Best of Success,

Stephan

p.s. Check out this great DVD from Mrs. Brown’s baby boy,  Les Brown Live – Step Into Your Greatness

Consider these clues…

A sport coach’s job is to develop strategies for his or her team, guide the team in practicing the strategies, implement the strategies during opposition, and win the game.  A life coach performs the same functions in this game we call life.  This article will give you six key signs that you might benefit from partnering with a life coach.

1. You have no goals.

Goal setting is an important first step in realizing any life dream or aspiration.  Without goals, your path is subject to the uncertain winds of everyday circumstances.  Life coaches understand the importance of goals and are trained and available to help you chart your course and encourage you along the way.

2. You’re experiencing movement without progress.

Most people will admit that their lives are busy.  However, for many, there is little to show for this constant state of flurry.  Life coaches can help in this area.  They can help you create a plan that allows you to focus your energy on your goals and things that matter most in your life.

3. You don’t feel motivated to do anything.

Motivation is a complex and constantly changing psychological construct.  A person can be highly motivated one day and feel completely unengaged the next.  This is where life coaches can be really helpful.  Motivation, in a sense, is their job.  Who doesn’t need a cheerleader every now and again?

4. You feel like small fish in a big pond.

Everyone is significant and valuable whether they believe it or not.  Life coaches, by virtue of their chosen profession, are interested in you and what you have to offer to your family, your community, and even the world.

5. You have multiple competing priorities and seemingly not enough hours in the day to address them.

If you’ve ever thought that you could benefit from a having personal clone, then you’re probably in this predicament.  Let’s face it.  There are a lot of things that need to get accomplished in a single day and sometimes it seems that there just isn’t enough time.  Life coaches are experts at helping people strike a happy and harmonious life balance.

6. You’ve experienced a life-altering personal situation.

Life brings about change.  It is an evitable part of living.  However, major life events such as death and divorce can sometimes leave a person feeling completely helpless and uncertain about the future.  Life coaches can offer the compassion, guidance, and stability that is critical during these rough times.

If you find yourself in any of the situations above, you don’t have to figure it all out on your own.  Contact a life coach and get the support and guidance that you need to move forward in life.

Best of Success,

Stephan