Visualize Success – And It Can Be Yours!

At one point in my life I had a horrible case of the “why bothers.” I couldn’t get my engine running, let alone rolling to its destination. Then I ran into an old friend, Chad, who told me to set some goals.

“You’re not listening,” I informed him. “Goals won’t help – I have no energy! I can’t do anything.”

Chad promised that committing goals to paper would supply me with plenty of energy and enthusiasm to reach my objectives.

“Just try it,” he said.

This is the time of year when resolutions are made and broken. But don’t sell the practice short. Experts in motivation and achievement claim that setting a goal, imagining how it would look and feel to reach that goal, then putting a plan into action to reach that goal – are the three hottest tickets to your success.


Setting Goals
“A goal is something that a person wishes to achieve,” says Gary Glasscock, authority in goal-setting and visualization techniques and owner of a life coaching business called Manifesting Your Life. “What you hold your focus on is what you will receive, especially if you look at that goal as already achieved. It will draw the goal to you.”

Glasscock has seen this principle at work in his life as an increase in income, client base and referrals. Plus he has seen clients establish a great deal of success.

“Life does not go according to plan if you don’t have a plan,” says Gary Blair, the Goals Guy and President of the GoalsGuy Learning Systems in Tampa, Florida. “A goal is created three times. First as a mental picture. Second, when written down to add clarity and dimension. And third, when you take action toward its achievement.”

Richard E. Williams, a former member of the Positive Picker Toastmasters Club near Cleveland, Ohio, agrees. As a business professional, he sets financial, physical and career goals.

“I thought I was already a very accomplished presenter before joining Toastmasters,” he says. “I was surprised to learn that I had some serious refining to do to reach the professional presenter level. I achieved my presentation goals due to the goal-setting work I had done up to that point.”

As a result, Williams became an advisor for presentation skills with the national governing body for the sport of bowling and helped start a Toastmasters club at the organization’s headquarters.

A goal is an objective; it’s something to aim for. There’s a saying that you won’t hit the target until you know what you’re shooting at. Goals drive us in the direction of the dream that most often occupies our thinking.

Bill Brown, President of the Rancho Speech Masters club in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, uses goals to win speaking competitions. His preparation includes learning what is expected at each level of competition. For instance, one of his objectives was to listen to a member who would compete against him.

He uses feedback from others to fine-tune his speech, constantly changing it to meet the demands of higher-level contests. “I ask myself how I can be more expressive, use body language to better make a point and use greater vocal variety,” he says. And as a result of his diligence, Brown won both the division and district contests.

There are as many different ways to approach setting goals as there are people who make them. But certain points are central to most of these techniques:

• Be clear and specific. Beware of vague goals, like “to become a better person” or “lose weight.” Both are good objectives but offer little direction; they don’t answer the question, How?
• Make them measurable. Lose how much weight and by when?
• Set a time limit. “You must hold yourself accountable to deadlines and adjust tasks accordingly,” says Blair. “Slipping deadlines is a symptom of poor execution and a lack of discipline.”
• Break projects down into small, more manageable units. Rather than setting a goal of losing 30 pounds, make one for losing five pounds this month.
• Establish stepping-stone goals. In order to lose five pounds, you can aim for walking 20 minutes three times a week or eating five helpings of fruits and vegetables a day.
• Write them down. Most experts consider this a crucial step. Writing your ambitions down makes them real and keeps them in your mind longer. Plus it establishes a commitment to yourself.
• Post goals around the house. Experts suggest displaying Post-it notes or other signs around the house – perhaps on your computer monitor or on the bathroom mirror.

Practicing Visualization
It’s been said that golfer Jack Nicklaus never took a shot before first picturing it in his mind. This technique brought him six green jackets for his (six) wins at the Masters Tournament, one of the most prestigious golf events.

Visualization is being used more and more in competitive sports. For example, Olympic gymnasts spend hours each day visualizing their perfect performances.

This practice involves picturing the outcome, emotion or object that you desire. It enhances motivation, direction and commitment. On a neurological level, the brain doesn’t differentiate between an actual and an imagined experience. Picturing images causes some level of physical sensation, leading to muscular responses. It’s not only the brain that has a memory; the muscles do as well.

A principle of energy is that energy of a certain quality or vibration tends to attract energy of a similar quality or vibration. This is why successful thoughts manifest success in our lives. According to books such as Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain, and The Secret by Ronda Byrne, we attract into our lives whatever we think about the most, believe in fiercely, expect to occur and envision most vividly.

So when a golfer visualizes making a putt from the rough, the muscles and nervous system react to the mental images of correct golf technique. Toastmaster Richard Williams applies the same techniques to coaching bowling. “Using visualization prior to performance in a sports activity allows the athlete to practice in his mind. I encourage the athletes to surround themselves with the cues of the competition environment; to take in sights, sounds and smell to experience a deeper, more effective visualization than trying to do it in a surrounding that is nothing like competition.”


"As long as you are willing to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes,
no one will be able to prevent you from reaching your goals."


A bowler might visualize feeling confident and comfortable, excited about an upcoming win, feeling his fingers gripping the dense material of the ball lying cool in his hands, balls thundering down the alleys next to him, taking his regular number of steps to the line and allowing the ball to glide off his fingers, humming down the lane and mowing down all of the pins.

“This is process visualization,” Williams says, “and is essential to continued success, as it builds muscle memory that is necessary for consistent physical performance. I also encourage the use of outcome visualization. It serves as a motivator to work hard to achieve the outcome that is important to them.”

Outcomes can include a sun-bleached beach after spending months completing a project, the warm feeling of satisfaction from a job well done, or a celebratory lunch.

“For years we have been hearing how important visualization is from trainers and motivational speakers,” Glasscock says. Now we know how it works. It keeps us focused, in-tune with what we hope for. There’s an old saying, Where attention goes, energy flows.”

When you first begin to practice mental imaging, you may feel somewhat awkward and silly – and likely to disbelieve in its benefits. But it can be considered a mild form of practice in which you work out problems by thinking through to their solutions. Keep in mind what international motivational speaker Denis Waitley says, “If you get it right in drill; you’ll get it right in life.” Imaging positive outcomes is one way to reach success.

Here are some steps to visualization:

• Close your eyes and picture the mental images of your goal vividly and precisely.
• Use the senses to engulf yourself in the visualization
– Sight – What do you see around you? What colors are present?
Which grab and hold your attention?
– Hearing – What sounds are you hearing? Are there sounds that appear suddenly,
others appearing later? Are these sounds appealing or not?
– Smell – Are there smells that strike you, pleasant or unpleasant?
How do the odors affect you?
– Taste – Is there anything to taste? Are you eating or drinking?
Do you have some lingering taste in your mouth?
– Feel – What do things feel like? How do the clothes you’re wearing feel on your skin?
What does the air feel like? Is it cool, dry, breezy?
• Picture movement – your movements, things outside of you in motion. Quick motion is better,
although subtle movements might catch attention.
• Employ your emotions.
– In your mind celebrate how you would feel reaching this goal.
– Allow yourself to experience the completion of your victories – picture joyful elation,
wide smiling and perhaps, jumping up and down.


Taking Action
Goals and visualizations fade away without action.

“In order to receive a victorious outcome, perseverance is the only option,” Blair says. “As long as you are willing to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes, no one will be able to prevent you from reaching your goal.”

After Chad taught me to set goals, I considered the outcomes of his goals. What I learned from his experience convinced me that the process of goal-setting and visualization might work for me, too.

Later I learned that Chad came from an alcoholic home where he was either ignored – or punished severely. He saw the future as a way to get out of the house. When it happened, he didn’t know what to do or where to go. He moved from one friend’s house to another, at times begging on the streets.

Sitting on the stoop of a liquor store one morning, Chad met a clean-cut stranger who sat down with him. Just before Chad got up to move, this man told him about goals.

“I looked at him as quizzically as you looked at me when I mentioned goals,” Chad said. “I thought, me? Set goals? But I set one – to graduate from high school. Then I set another, to get a job. Then I really got down to this goal business; I even added visualization.

Today Chad owns a string of print shops, has three happy and healthy kids and a model marriage. He says he owes his success to the skill of goal-setting and the practice of visualization.


Judi Bailey is a writer in Lakewood, Ohio, and a frequent contributor to this magazine. Reach her at author48@cox.net.

The Power of Choice

by Bo Bennett, DTM

Where we are today is a result of choices we have made in our past. Choices as minor as what to have for breakfast to choosing what we want to do for a living. Each of us was born with the gift of free will and we have the right to choose our destiny by a series of lifelong decisions. Accept responsibility for who you are and where you are today and understand that with the exception of some external forces, you are where you are because of the choices you have made.

What about choices like going to work? You may be saying, "I have a family to support and I cannot choose to skip work. If I skip work, I get fired." The fact is, you choose not to skip work and keep your job. The choice of skipping work is yours and you must accept the consequences of each of your decisions. Even in the extreme situation that someone has a gun to your head, you have the choice to do what they request, or get shot. Choice is always present and always yours.

What about the person who gets hit by a bus? He obviously did not choose to get hit by a bus, but providing he is still alive, he can certainly choose how he responds to the situation. He can spend the rest of his days focusing on "why me?" and how unfortunate he is, or make millions writing the best seller "Life After Being Hit by a Bus" and help others who happened to get whacked by a Greyhound while picking up a penny on the highway. Although we cannot always choose what happens to us or around us, we can choose how we deal with it.

A successful person understands this concept well and understands that her choices make her who she is today. She does not use the negative statement "I HAVE to" but rather "I WANT to". Having to do something makes you subconsciously believe that you have no choice in the situation, which is rarely ever true. Once you truly understand that you choose to do something rather than have to do it, your attitude becomes positive and you see the benefits rather than focusing on the negative.

Other people will respect you for your candor when being more truthful with a statement such as, "I prefer to". The words "I have to" are often used as a defense mechanism and used as an excuse not to do something. Understand that you have a choice in the matter and be savvy enough to avoid the words "I have to". Those with whom you communicate will respect you more for it.

Remembering and Using People's Names

by Bo Bennett, DTM

It has been said that a person's name is the most important word in the world to that person. Using a person's name in conversation is one of the best ways to build rapport. Sounds good, but if you are like most people, the names of people you meet go in one ear and out the other. So step one is remembering the name.

Many memory experts believe that we all have perfect memories. We are capable of remembering just about any detail from our lives no matter how far back and how specific. The challenge is recalling the information from our memory.

There are dozens of techniques for remembering names; some work for some people and some do not. For this reason, I am listing many of them for you to choose the one that works best for you. You may want to adapt a few techniques rather than just one. For example, use a visual technique for those you meet face to face, and when they tell you the names of their children, use an association technique to associate the person you met with their children's names. The key again is to use what works best for you.

Here are some steps that should all be followed each time you meet someone:

1) LISTEN AND PAY ATTENTION TO THE NAME. So obvious, yet so overlooked. Pay attention to the name when it is given to you and make sure you can recall it 5 seconds later. If you can, you are halfway to putting this name in your long-term memory.

2) Repeat immediately. The first sentence out of your mouth after hearing a name should include that name. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Jennie". Use this instead of "Jennie, it is nice to meet you" because saying the person's name right after they say it is often a mindless automated response that does very little, if anything, toward helping you remember the name.

3) Repeat often. Be careful with this one. You do not want to sound like a psycho, or worse a pushy salesperson, by overdoing it. However, people love to hear their own name and this technique will keep your listener interested in what you have to say.

4) End the conversation with their name. This is the best way to end any conversation. "Jennie, it was great meeting you". This not only once more sinks their name into your memory, but says to the person that you have cared enough to remember their name.

5) Comment on and/or ask questions about the name. "Jennie, have you always been called Jennie or do people call you Jen as well?" or "Do you spell Jennie with a 'y' or 'ie'?" If it is a unique name, ask about its origin or say that it is a beautiful name (if you really think it is).

6) Review. After the conversation is over with the person, review their name and face in your mind several times. Do this frequently over the next 24 hours. As you get better with steps 1-5, this step will become less important.

Memory is linked to your senses and emotions. As you incorporate more emotion and more of your senses into remembering a name, the name will become more difficult to forget.

Now here are some techniques used to remember names:

1) Face association. Examine a person's face discreetly when you are introduced. Try to find an unusual feature, whether ears, hairline, forehead, eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, chin, complexion, etc. Create an association between that characteristic, the face, and the name in your mind. The association may be to associate the person with someone you know with the same name, or may be to associate a rhyme or image from the name with the person's face or defining feature.

2) Substitution. Take a person's name and substitute objects that you can visualize with that name. Then associate those objects with the person somehow. For example, "Murphy" can be substituted with "Murphy's oil soap". Visualize the person pouring the soap all over them while dancing the jig. Why dancing the jig? The more outrageous you make the visualization, the better it will stick to memory. Just try not to laugh when making the association, especially if the person is in the process of telling you they have just been fired.
3) Paint their name on their forehead. OK, not literally, but in your imagination. Use your favorite color paint and clearly see each letter as you paint it. If you are standing closer than a few feet from the person, do not look directly at their forehead but rather between their eyes.

4) Association with someone you know. Associate the person you meet with someone you know or know of with the same name. Then visualize the person you know in the same situation as the person you have met. For example, if you meet a "Will" picture your Uncle Will (assuming you have an Uncle Will) standing there, in that same spot. To make the association stronger, visualize your uncle Will doing something that he is known for doing - like his loud drunken laugh.

If you forget the person's name at any time during the conversation, THIS IS THE TIME TO ASK. Do not be embarrassed to say something such as, "Forgive me but I've forgotten your name..." or "I am sorry, what was your name again?" Remember that most people forget names. Those who make it a point to humble themselves and ask for a name again are seen as someone who cares about learning the name.

The more you do this, the more second nature it will become and remembering names will be an automatic process for you. Using names in conversation will take you a long way in building and maintaining rapport, as well as helping others to both remember you and like you. You will soon find that remembering names becomes a game and it is really quite fun, not to mention one of the best skills that anyone can possess!

Believe in Yourself

by Bo Bennett, DTM

I have a great idea for a reality TV show. We begin with 10 people who are successful in their fields, but not famous or even well-known. Dress them up in clothing a homeless person would wear, give them a new identity and a history of nothing more than a grade school formal education and a series of odd jobs, then drop each one of our "participants" off in a major US city. The goal is to a) stay in the game and not quit and b) to acquire as much wealth as possible by the end of the season (about 3 months). The rules are that the participants cannot reveal their true identity and they cannot accept help from anyone they know in their real lives. What an awesome show that would be. We would witness the human spirit in action as well as characteristics and qualities of truly successful individuals. How would you do as a participant on that show?

There are so many people who appear to be successful and happy, who are financially well off, yet live in a constant state of fear. This is the fear of financial loss, which is almost universal to all those who are new to wealth. What if I lose my job? What if the market crashes? What if my business fails? All of these "what ifs" conjure up unpleasant thoughts for just about everybody; but those who believe in themselves, in their abilities, talents, and determination, do not fear these potential unfortunate events. A common characteristic among successful people is their knowing that if they lost everything financially, in time they would get it all back and more.

Unless you are a lottery winner or an heir/heiress to a fortune, you have earned what you now have. You must believe that your success is not due to random luck, but is a result of the circumstances that you have created, or at least influenced in the past. Those who fall down and don't get back up are the ones who lack the self-confidence and belief that they are the reason for their success, and if needed, can do it all again.

Donald Trump is a man who proved that success is not in what you have, but in who you are. Here is a man with enough belief in himself to come back from being $900 million dollars in debt to net worth of over a billion dollars in a relatively short period of time. When disaster struck Donald, he did not resign himself to flipping burgers to "make ends meet". His strong self-image and belief in himself allowed him to get right back on top.

Fortunately, very few of us will ever be put to the test of such drastic misfortune. Your belief in yourself is like a no-cost insurance policy that will keep you from fear of financial loss and allow to you enjoy what you have earned. Your talent, abilities, determination, and your other characteristics have gotten you where you are today. Believe in yourself and enjoy success.

A Starter Guide To Self Improvement

Submitted By: John Edmond

Staying calm, composed and maintaining strong self esteem in today's tough environment can be difficult but is not impossible if you follow a few simple guidelines. Here are 6 tips you can use as a starter guide to self improvement.

Everything and everyone else around you can affect your self esteem. Other people can deliberately or inadvertently damage your self image. Unchecked people and circumstances can ultimately destroy your self esteem and pull you down in ways you won't even notice. Don't let these influences get the best of you. But what should you avoid?

1 : A Negative Work Environment

Beware of a "dog eat dog" environment where everyone else is fighting just to get ahead. This is where non-appreciative people usually thrive and working extra is expected and not rewarded. In this environment no one will appreciate your contributions even if you miss lunch, dinner, and stay at work late into the night. Unless you are very fortunate most of the time you will work too hard with no help from others around you. This type of atmosphere will ruin your self esteem. This is not just healthy competition, at its worst it is brutal and very damaging.

2: Other Peoples Behaviour

Bulldozers, brown nosers, gossipmongers, whiners, backstabbers, snipers, people walking wounded, controllers, naggers, complainers, exploders, patronizers, sluffers - whatever you want to call them, all have one thing in common - an overriding desire to prosper at the expense of others. Avoid them and do not be tempted to join them. They may get some short term advantage with their behaviour but deep down most are very insecure, unhappy and ashamed of their behaviour. For most their self esteem disappeared a long time ago. Seeing someone like this prosper is sickening but do not join them - you are better than that!

3: A Changing Environment

In today's fast moving society it is difficult if not impossible to avoid change. Changes challenge our paradigms and tests our flexibility, adaptability and alter the way we think. Changes can make your life difficult and may cause stress but, if it's inevitable, you must accept it, don't fight it and in time find ways to improve your life. Try to manage change and try to avoid multiple changes at the same time. If a particular change can't be avoided welcome it. Change will be with us forever, we must learn to live with it.

4: Past Experience

We all carry "baggage" - past experiences which have moulded us to who we are today, but some people live in their past experiences - usually something that hurt and still hurts. It's okay to cry out when you experience pain but don't let pain dominate your life as it will transform itself into fears and phobias. If something painful happens, or has happened to you, find a way to minimise the effects. Discuss it with a friend, a family member or a professional if necessary and move on. Don't let it continue to dominate your life and dictate your future actions. Because something bad has happened doesn't mean it will happen again. Learn what you can from any bad experience and move on.

5: Negative World View

The television news is full of doom and gloom and it is true that around the world there are many people suffering war, famine or other natural or man-made disasters. Whilst I do not suggest you should not care and do nothing, remember that there are many beautiful positive things happening too. Don't wrap yourself up with all the negative aspects around the world. Learn to look for beauty too for, in building self esteem, we must learn how to be positive in a negative world.

6: Determination Theory

Are we a product of our biological inherited characteristics (nature) or a result of the influences we absorb throughout out lives (nurture)? I believe how we are is due to a mixture of both nurture and nature and as a result our behavioural traits are not fixed. Whilst it is true that some things are dictated by genetics (for example race, color and many inherited conditions) your environment and the people in your life have a major effect on your behaviour. You are your own person, you have your own identity and make your own choices. The characteristics your mother or father display are not your destiny. Learn from other people's experience, so you don't suffer the same mistakes.

Are some people are born leaders or positive thinkers? I don't believe so. Being positive, and staying positive is a choice. Building self esteem and drawing on positive experiences for self improvement is a choice, not a rule or a talent. No-one will come to you and give you permission to build your self esteem and improve your self. It is in your control.

It can be hard to keep positive, especially when others and circumstances seem to be conspiring to pull you down. You need to protect yourself and give yourself a chance to stay positive. Improving your self esteem gives you that protection.

One way to stay positive is to minimise your exposure to harmful influences while using affirmations to boost the positive influences in your life. Constantly reminding yourself of the good things in your life will keep the impact of negative influences to a minimum.

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Inspiration from Henry Ford

by Bo Bennett, DTM

Henry Ford (1863 - 1947) was the founder, vice-president, and chief engineer of the Ford Motor Company.

Success is age independent. Henry Ford constructed his first steam engine at the age of 15.

Success is not formal education. Ford's formal education was limited to what is rumored to be about three years.

Success is fueled by failure. After two unsuccessful attempts to establish a company to manufacture automobiles, the Ford Motor Company was incorporated in 1903 with Henry Ford as vice-president and chief engineer.

Success is problem solving. By early 1914, Ford's innovative assembly line had resulted in a monthly labor turnover of 40 to 60 percent in his factory, largely because of the unpleasant monotony of assembly-line work and repeated increases in the production quotas assigned to workers. Ford met this difficulty by doubling the daily wage to $5 and shaving one hour off the workday.

Success is overcoming competition. In 1905, there were 50 start-up companies a year trying to get into the auto business, and Ford succeeded.

Success is doing what you feel in your gut is right, despite public opinion. The Wall Street Journal called Ford's daily wage increase plan "an economic crime," and critics everywhere heaped "Fordism" with equal scorn.

Success is seeking out those who can help you with your goals. In 1903, Ford found twelve people willing to invest a total of $28,000 in another motor company. Ford was then able to begin production of the Model A car. The car sold well and the company flourished and by 1907 the profits reached $1,100,000. In 1909, Ford made the decision to manufacture only one type of car, the Model T, which changed automotive history forever.

[Sources: http://www.hfmgv.org, http://www.biography.com]

# 1 Skill Employers Are Looking For

What Is The Number One Skill Employers Are Looking For?

just finished reading Alan Greenspan's book: The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World. It is an exceptional read and is really two books in one. The first part of the book is about his life from humble beginnings up to his retirement as the Fed Chairman in 2006. The second part of the book is about his thoughts on the economies of the world and where they are potentially headed and why.

Alan Greenspan is a strong believer in the capitalistic system rather than central planning (ex. the old Russia system). This is because with hard work, proper study and focus, people can be prosperous in a capitalistic system.

The final chapter of the book was extremely enjoyable to read. It is called the Delphic Future and projects possible futures for the US and the world in general. One enlightening paragraph says:

Quote: A dysfunctional U.S. elementary and secondary education system has failed to prepare our students sufficiently rapidly to prevent a shortage of skilled workers and a surfeit of lesser-skilled ones, expanding the pay gap between the two groups. Unless Americas education system can raise skill levels as quickly as technology requires, skilled workers will continue to earn greater wage increases, leading to ever more disturbing extremes of income concentration. End of quote.

On the other side of the coin Greenspan says:

Quote: It is not accident that human beings persevere and advance in the face of adversity. Adaptation is in our nature, a fact that leads me to be deeply optimistic about our future.

What do we take away from this? The simple answer is that each of us must choose our own future and that future will affect our collective future!

To create a great future we need a clear path to travel. The difficulty of choosing that path is increased because of ever expanding options in everything we do. In a highly stimulating environment it is too easy to spin our wheels. How do we choose a path that improves our life both individually and collectively? Fortunately there is hope.

The message is clear. Those who will succeed and prosper in the coming years will have the following skills and backgrounds:

These skills can be boiled down to one skill. It is a major skill that we all need to be successful in whatever career we choose. That skill is also: The #1 Skill Employers are Looking for.

• Decision making
• Knowledge
• Schooling
• Experience
• Reasoning
• Intuition
• Common Sense
• Confidence

The skill is powerful, transferable to any field, and has made countless people enormously successful and prosperous through the ages. If you learn to use it well you can become extremely successful in your professional and personal life.

My next series of Blogs (They will posted in the next month. If you cant wait, please go to my website: chuckclayton.com) will provide you with the name of that skill, why it is our most powerful strength and what learning it can do for you. It will also teach you some of the key elements of that skill!

There is nothing more uncommon than common sense!

~ Frank Lloyd Wright

Greenspan, Alan. The Age of Turbulence Adventures in a New World (New York: The Penguin Press 2007)

Copyright © 2008, Chuck Clayton, All Rights Reserved<

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chuck_Clayton

Bo Bennett reveals the secrets of success

Interview with Bo Bennett, by Brian Feinblum

Bo , you made millions of dollars off of an Internet venture -- and kept most of it. That's a dual feat! What did you do and how did you do it? I think your real question is, “What did you do and how can I do it?” I recognized a need and filled it. It was early 1995 and a friend of mine just introduced me to the Internet. I was immediately amazed and excited about its potential. For the next several months I would try desperately to get a website, but I would end up only getting conned, scammed, and ripped-off. I finally did find an honest company that I leased a web server from, but I ran into some more trouble--in order to have a web site I needed to be a technical wizard. So I became one. Just about 6 months later, I had created a web hosting company for the "average business user" that used my own web-based software to create a website and configure e-mail. Seven years later I sold the company for 20 million dollars.

Money aside, why do you consider yourself an expert on success? I have spend much of my childhood and all of my adult life answering the question, "What makes some people succeed where most people just live mediocre lives?" This question has prompted me to study the lives of many successful individuals, study many different philosophies, and learn all I can about success. However, my own pursuit of success has taught me the most.

Why did you write Year To Success in the one lesson-per-day format? People can't wait a year for it to happen, can they? They can. Whether they want to or not is a different story. I would like to paraphrase a rejection letter I received from a respectable, well-known publisher when I submitted my book, Year To Success

“Dear Mr.Bennett, …we ultimately decided that your book does not tell people how to be successful in a few clear steps. We feel that this is what our readers want.”

I will admit, it would be nice if success were all about doing A, B, and C, but it does not work that way. If it did, 95% of the population would consider themselves successful, not just 5%. Most books on success sacrifice content for marketability; they are edited to appeal to the population’s desire for instant gratification. Year To Success is different—very different. Not only is the book jam-packed with content, its one article a day format allows the reader to properly reflect on the information and actually retain the information.

You say the chief reason people do not ask for the things that they want is fear. Why is that? Fear is a powerful force. People do not ask for things they want for three primary reasons: the fear of rejection, the fear of failure, and believe it or not, the fear of success. People develop these fears over time usually as a result of false associations. The key eliminating these fears is getting straight on the facts that are associated with these fears.

If you had to narrow it down, what are the five key attributes one must possess for a life of success? That is a tough question for me because it goes against my success philosophy: there are not just a few quick attributes to success. Having said that, however, I do believe that some are more important than others. I like the three P’s (I know you asked for five, but…): perseverance, positive mental attitude, and passion. Possess those qualities, have a good idea, and put my general success formula to work (education + inspiration + action) and your chances of succeeding are greatly increased.

How did you go about selecting the 52 people featured in the book (for inspiration) -- from Ben Franklin, Oprah, Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld, to Mary Kay, Eleanor Roosevelt, Rockefeller and Einstein? These are some of the people who have inspired me the most. I will admit, there are many more, but I felt it important to “mix it up” with people who have succeeded in all walks of life. The people I have included have demonstrated several of the principles of success contained within my book. Their stories are not only inspiring, but very entertaining as well.

Many people have ideas for creating wealth -- but fail to act on them. Why do you believe this happens? There is only one reason: they do not really believe in their idea or their own abilities. It is that simple. Think about it… if you had an idea that you were 100% sure would lead you to wealth, wouldn’t you take action? When you truly believe in your idea, little things like lack of time, lack of money, and lack of a solid plan don’t matter much. Those “details” are eventually worked out.

Bo, part of success is about staying healthy, as you highlight in your book. But how have you gone your whole life without ever having a glass of wine, a cup of coffee or a drag on a cigarette? Health does have much to do with it, but the real reason is the associations I made early on in life. I associate alcohol with a painful childhood, cigarettes with the inability to breathe, and coffee with terrible breath. No matter how hard the advertising agencies try to get me to associate happy, healthy, and beautiful people with booze, I just can’t make the connection. We all crave “highs” of some kind. I firmly believe that when we deny our bodies artificial highs we are forced to find natural highs. For me, one of the greatest natural highs is success.

You point out that the words we use make all the difference to how others perceive us? How so? Ummm… like, listen dude, words are really, really, really, important. If I used those words, do you think you would really want to read my book? Right or wrong, others judge us based on many factors, one being the words we use. Using the right words at the right time is considered effective communication, which is one of the key characteristics of a successful individual.

Why do people fail to set goals and identify a specific purpose to rally around? Once again it comes down to belief. Many people don’t believe that goal-setting is important. When it comes to their life, they “play it by ear.” which may be a fine way to vacation, but a terrible way to live life. Once people understand how planning, and more important, taking action, will bring them significantly closer to success, they will no longer fail to set goals.

Your formula for success is education plus inspiration plus action. Can you elaborate please? Success at anything in life is dependent on those three “ingredients.” You must provide yourself with enough information. Year To Success contains over 200 “educational” articles on principles of success. You must keep inspired. Without inspiration, dreams die as quickly as they are formed. Year To Success is full of inspiration; in the daily articles, in the quotes, and in the success biographies. Finally, you must take action. Without action, nothing is accomplished. Year To Success provides readers with action steps based on the day’s reading. Education plus inspiration plus action is what success, and Year To Success, is all about.

Why did you wait over 20 years to write Year To Success? I have always had a problem with the teachers who taught students about "the business world" when they themselves have never made it in the business world. Likewise, I question the speakers who speak about success and wealth who have only become successful and wealthy by getting people to pay them for talking about it. From the time I graduated college, it has taken me 9 years to put the theories, concepts and convictions I had to the test. After what would be considered my first major business success, I still was not convinced and wanted to rule out luck and good timing. It was not until I had created my second multi-million dollar company using the principles in these 366 days that I was able to honestly share these ideas with others, and be confident that they work.

How do you define success? How much money is enough? Success is something that is very personal to each one of us. My definition of success actually takes up about three pages, but in short, it consists of living a healthy life, with strong personal and professional relationships, while doing what I love doing best, and being financially free, or living a life free from financial obligations and concerns. As long as I can keep finding ways to put my money to good use, I can always use more. But more money will not add to my success past the amount needed to maintain my financial freedom.

You emphasize that health plays a crucial role in success -- but do people really follow this advice considering most of America is overweight, tired, stressed, medicated and addicted to some kind of substance? No, most people do not follow that advice. For most people, the desire for instant gratification is greater than the desire to live a long, healthy, successful life. This desire for instant gratification is perhaps our greatest weakness as humans. True success is only possible when one puts long-term goals ahead of short-term desires. Year To Success covers this topic throughout the full year.

You advocate creating a "dream collage." What's that? Images are more powerful than words alone. Goals are great, and important to success, but think of a dream collage as pictures of your goals. It is amazing how much my dream collage of 10 years ago resembles my life today. It has pictures of a family, nice cars, great house, summer home, winter home, exercise room with a wilderness theme, etc. These images constantly inspired me and reminded me why I must succeed. Even today, I keep pictures of some of my goals on my desk, to look at every day.

Can you share with us your process for setting goals? I can, if you read day 92 in my book. I have taken the best of the best and developed my own process for setting goals. I am not being secretive by not sharing details; the process is just very detailed and requires careful explanation. I can, however, share what I believe to be the most important factor in goal setting—taking daily action. People underestimate the power of taking small, daily actions toward the attainment of their goals. Without daily action (not weekly or monthly), goals are often put on the back burner, many times indefinitely.

You identify perseverance and determination as the characteristic shared by all successful people throughout history. Tell us about this principle. If you study the life of any successful individual, you will see that perseverance was a key factor to their success. I have yet to come across an individual that did not show perseverance. People who don’t want success badly enough give up when things become “uncomfortable” for them. Those who persevere find more discomfort in not succeeding than in failing.

You make a lot of pop-culture references and analogies, alluding to movies such as The Jerk, The Shining, and Naked Gun. In order for the next generation to learn success principles, do we need to look to Hollywood and entertainment for examples and reference points? I love movies. I would make a horrible movie critic because I find entertainment in just about every movie I see. Hollywood is notorious for releasing movies that “corrupt young minds,” but I never seen them that way. As a “success-minded” individual, I relate every movie I see to success. Movies do make great examples when discussing success, but they are certainly not needed. I believe they keep my book entertaining and lively. If I were a classic novel buff, perhaps I would reference those. But I am not, so I don’t.

Why do you say that competition is good? If you have ever eaten lunch at the only place to eat lunch in town, or rented a car from the only car rental place within 100 miles, or remember a time when there was only one phone company, you have most likely experienced for yourself why competition is good. Competition in business causes businesses to be their best, giving the best service and producing the best product. Personal competition, as in students competing for the highest grades, causes people to be their best. In short, competition brings out the best in people, businesses, and a society.

You have an entry in Year To Success on how one can face his or her weaknesses. Easier said than done? What isn’t easier said then done? Actually, facing a weakness is not the hard part; it’s identifying the weakness that is the real challenge for most people. Most people are under the impression that to face a weakness means to overcome it—that is not necessarily the case. Henry Ford was uneducated. Bill Gates was a college drop out. Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke but a few words of English coming to this country. Helen Keller was unable to see, hear or speak at all. Abraham Lincoln was belligerent. John D. Rockefeller almost killed himself with worry. John F. Kennedy was too young and George Foreman was too old. Despite these weaknesses, each of these successful people either overcame, avoided, or compensated for their weaknesses and eventually became extremely successful.