Goodreads
The book in 3 sentences:
- Fake it till you make it.
- Take control of your life, stop complaining, help others achieve success, have an optimistic growth mindset and be ready to fail.
Quotes that stood out:
Whether you think you can or think you can't, you are right.
-Henry Ford
One person with a commitment is worth more than 100 people who have merely an interest.
-Mary Crowley
If you are going through hell, then keep going. Don't stop.
-Winston Churchill
Repeat anything often enough and it will start becoming you.
-Tom Hopkins
Courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it.
-Nelson Mandela
Ideas:
Your Window Of Perception
You see the world through your window of perception. This window often gets smudged by your experiences, the opinions of society, the views of the people you associate with, etc.
The first thing you have to do to begin on your path to success is to clean this window and see the world as it is. By cleaning up your prejudices and bias, you will be open to ideas, opportunities, and life.
Your Thoughts Shape You
We become what we think about all day. What we think plays a vital role in shaping our opinions and actions. Our brains are marvellous. If you strongly think you want something, you will eventually get it!
This isn’t philosophical woo woo. There is an actual effect called Frequency Bias or The Baader-Maenhoff effect. If you think a lot about something, you will notice more things about it and increase your overall opportunities by being more perceptive.
Picture Your Success
Throughout history, people who have achieved great things have often admitted that they have already pictured themselves being successful. Already imagining how it would be when you are successful increases your odds of achieving it.
But keep in mind only wishful thinking is not enough. You have to use your visualisation to push you through hard times while you keep moving forward.
Commitment
Now that you have pictured your success and set a clear goal, it is time to commit to it and focus on your method on how to achieve your goal.
Focus on small steps, stay committed and show up every day.
Turn Your Problems Into Opportunities
If you went through a tragedy, move on and work hard to achieve something you always wanted. So that when you look back at your tragedy, you will know that it had to happen for you to be in the place you are now.
Most successful people have gone through hard times in their lives. It is almost as if the pain is necessary to forge great people.
Mind Your Words
Mind what you say all day. Choose your words very carefully. If you keep saying all day that “you are bad at maths”, you will never be able to learn it and always stay bad at it.
I’m not telling you to lie about it and boast that you know everything, but be careful how you frame your words. Instead of saying you are bad at something, you can say you are new to it or trying to learn.
Be Cheerful
If somebody asks you how you are and you do not feel great, don’t say “I am exhausted” or “I have given up”. This gives a negative vibe that will make you feel even worse and will also make the person who asked feel dull.
You don’t have to fake happiness, but you can try to be more energetic. As energy is contagious, this will make people around you feel better and make them like to associate more with you.
Stop Complaining
Nobody wants to hear about your aches and pains except for a few close friends. Even those close friends will get tired of you if you keep complaining.
Instead of focusing on your problems all the time, you can think about what you can do about your concerns and start working on them. Always remember that there are people who are worse off than you. So don’t take things for granted and be grateful for what you have.
Stay Away From Cynics And Pessimists
We all have that one person who always tells you how your new year’s resolution will fail or how your new business idea is not practical. Please stay away from them.
Constructive criticism is good. You should definitely pay heed to actual problems in your plan or idea. But some people always start by saying how you will fail when you tell them about your goals. While breaking relations is generally bad, you should consider spending less time with such people.
Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
If you want to be successful, you have to get used to being slightly uncomfortable.
Conquer your fear. Start slowly by doing something even if you are afraid of it. Gradually you will overcome that fear. But don’t let it be your new comfort zone. Always keep pushing yourself to new limits.
Be Prepared To Fail
Walt Disney was fired from his job. Colonel Sanders started KFC at age 65 after failing his whole life. Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, J K Rowling, you name it, almost every successful person has seen failure at some point in their lives.
If you know how to ride a bicycle, you know that learning only happens by failing. So be prepared to fail in your journey towards a successful life.
Building A Network
If you carefully look at successful people, you will notice that they usually get more opportunities and more insights about businesses. They are not simply luckier. The key to getting more opportunities is to have a good network of great people.
And the key to building a good network is to help others achieve their goals and prove yourself to be a helpful asset in the network.