MEN THAT WILL SUCCEED 7: They Plan

After the little - but thoughtful - aside that I posted the other day, I believe we're ready to move on with the 8th in our series of thoughts about SUCCESS-MINDED PEOPLE. Today, it's about planning...

‘Praying without planning is playing without knowing’ - David O. Oyedepo

Planning simply means taking a good look at what you want to achieve and deciding how to go about it. Jesus called it ‘counting the cost’ when HE talked about a man wanting to build a tower or a king wanting to go to war.* Failure to do this results in ridiculous failure.

You probably have heard it said before that he that fails to plan plans to fail. Nobody consciously plans to fail but numerous people do it unconsciously when they make no plans for definite achievements. Only planners can achieve.

Big things happen when you do the little things right. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind seems to be blowing in the right direction. You are not an animal so you are not expected to live on mere instincts. Lay out definite plans of what you want to achieve. If you don’t know what you want then you have to manage with whatever you get.

People with plans are always prepared. They are always ready. They are always doing something positive. They are never caught unawares. And they hardly miss opportunities. That’s the only legal reason today why the rich are getting richer.

‘Order – let all your things have their place; let each part of your business have its time’ - Benjamin Franklin



* See the Holy Bible - Luke 14: 28-32

Just an aside: WHO REALLY MATTERS

The following piece is helping me to redefine success...

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America Contest.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

6 . Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.





How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.






Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with



Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.




Pass this on to those people who have made a difference in your life.


"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today.
It's already tomorrow in Australia "
(Charles Schultz)

That was the way it came into my inbox today...pass it on...and exactly that I'm doin' here...that piece really did touch me...I'm sure it'll touch you too...

MEN THAT WILL SUCCEED 6: They Think

"What you picture in your mind your mind will go to work to accomplish. When you change your picture you automatically change your performance. You cannot consistently act in a manner that is inconsistent with the way you think " - Zig Ziglar

The greatest asset that God has given to mortal man is the ability to think; the power of the mind; the power to imagine; the power to envision. Michael LeBoeuf called it the greatest moneymaker in the world; and I call it the greatest asset of any man. Listen, whatever investment you make in your mind is not too much. Its power is so awesome that it can do almost anything. Yet, this is what some people neglect.

Do you think at all? Plans are born of thoughts. Inventions are born of thoughts. Ideas are born of thoughts. If you can’t think you can’t make it. Money comes to those who think. Success is not far from the thinker. Take time off each day to THINK. Think through on every problem. Creativity is all about seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no else has thought. Exercise your mind. Use your mind.

A note of warning, though. Be wary of what you think about. Watch what you allow your mind to picture. In short, THINK RIGHT. Your mind is like a fertile field. If no useful seeds are sown therein it invariably becomes overgrown with weeds. “Our best friends and our worst enemies are the thoughts we have …” (Dr. Frank Crane)

Thoughts lead on to purposes

Purposes go forth into action

Actions form habits

Habits decide character

And character fixes our destiny

- Tryon Edwards