When I’m writing a book – say I’m going to write a parenting book. I’ll go out and buy the 100 top parenting books and I will read those, not so I can copy them for sure.
I looked at the fact that people were in such financial trouble I said well people are broke because they want to be.
The premise, to me, is the most important thing that you have to know going in. It’s the problem as you see it. So I write down the problem as I see it. That is the premise for my book.
I think shorter books are going to become more and more of the trend. So I don’t think you have to write big, big, long books.
I think it’s more helpful to keep your books sort of a singular focus. Get it said, get it said well, fascinate people with your words and then write another book.
I’ve been very, very successful at building probably the most recognizable, physically recognizable brand in personal development.
If you’re selling information – and I have a lot of friends who write a lot of bestselling books and they’re selling information. They don’t need to have a picture on the cover at all because they are not important. They’re secondary to their information. To me, the information is secondary to me.
People don’t give a damn about you and they don’t give a damn about your story and they don’t give a damn about your content. They only give a damn that you, your content, your story can bring value to them.
No matter what I’m talking about, I can involve you into the story where you think it’s you doing it. You’re living it. I can remind you of things that went on in your life so you go, man I had that happen to me. I’ve been there. I’ve done that.
The constant need to make everyone else happy at the cost of your own happiness will destroy you.
Get in control. Live your life the way you want to live it. Don’t have the money to do that? Remind yourself that your condition is your own damn fault and then commit and constantly recommit yourself to having the money to live any way you want to live.
No one ever wrote down a plan to be fat, broke, stupid, lazy, unhappy, and mediocre. Those are the things that happen to you when you don’t have a plan.
If you are a good person who does good things when you have only a little, then you will be a good person who does even more good things when you have a lot.
Your time, energy, and money always go to what’s important to you.
Do what you said you would do, when you said you would do it, the way you said you would do it.
What it takes that most people aren’t willing to give is work. Hard work. Work on yourself, work on your life, and working while you are at work.
Anger can be a very healthy emotion when used to motivate yourself into positive action. Get angry and fight back. Yep, I said fight. You are in a battle. You need to steel your confidence with anger. Be angry that you messed up. Be angry that you didn’t keep your word. Get mad at yourself for all your mistakes. Get sad, get mad, and then get on with it.
That’s your problem! No list. We are going to fix that now. Make a list of what is important to you. Write down everything that really matters to you.
Your situation will improve right after YOU improve.
I made a deal that I would spend money on only one thing: getting smarter. I bought books. I would skip a meal and skip watching television, but I wouldn’t skip an investment in my brain.
Leave God out of your mess and go look in the mirror instead.