John Assaraf : Reinventing the Entrepreneur

I get asked a lot about time off and how I manage to take so much of it to play.

Many years ago one of my mentors taught me that the human body is like a multi-billion dollar racehorse. If you owned that horse, how much time off would you give it in between races?

The answer seems simple enough, but somehow we get caught up in the stress of day-to-day life and we forget to rest. And I mean really rest!

I know that putting in 18-hour days is not uncommon for me because I love what I do. I am sure that you also just go, go, go… all the time between work, parenting, friends, exercise, problems, etc.

One of the best practices that I took on many years ago is what I call my six weeks on, one week off routines. Here’s how it goes… I play full out for six weeks, then full off for one week.

This gives me the chance to really unwind and do zip, nada, nothing. I get a chance to totally rejuvenate, and what I’ve found is that I am so ready to get back to creation once I am truly rested, that I am ten times more productive.

I used to feel that if “I just push a little longer, I’ll get more done”, but the truth is that the quality of my work was not up to my highest standard.

As a matter of fact, I’ve been working seven days a week now for weeks, preparing for my TV and radio tour and I’m feeling very overwhelmed with the loads of stuff that need to get done.

So guess what I’m going to do right now? I’m going to go to the gym and NOT think about all that I have to do and I’m going to give myself a mental break even though I have piles of “stuff” that have to get done.

I’m going to get out of the “I’m supposed to do this now” thinking and give myself a mental break.

What is your release mechanism and plan for rejuvenating your body and soul?

We all need to take care of ourselves. And creating a regular system is the best way to refresh ourselves.

I’ve also gotten into the habit of having a two-hour massage once a week, and it allows me to have someone “do” for me instead of me always being the one who “does”.

Choose an activity or ritual and create a plan that allows you to really get the physical and mental rest you need. You’ll find that you’ll reduce stress and be much more productive than ever before!

And while you’re at it, remember to create a great day!

John

Professional athletes and other highly successful people use the power of visualization technique on a regular basis. Why? Results of a 20-year study of the effects of visualization on results revealed an amazing discovery. Humans see pictures on the screen of the mind when thoughts are being processed; i.e. when they think of things.

For example, if a person, let’s say, George, stopped doing what he was doing right now, closed his eyes and thought of his car. What would he see? Is it the word CAR that pops up on the screen of his mind or a visual image?

Mentally, here’s what is actually happening…

George is accessing a memory from his mind that was instilled while he was first learning what a “car” is. Then specifically, his present car popped up. He didn’t always know it was called a car.

Similarly, other humans associate names with images or other forms of stimuli as a way to refer back to them in the mind. And here’s an example of why this simple talent is so important.

Let’s go back to George for a moment. When he goes to find his car after he’s been at a shopping mall, all he is focusing on is finding the image that he has inside his head for his car. He quickly scans the parking lot and with lightning speed eliminates all other cars until he finds the familiar one that he is focused on.

With this example in mind, here is a behind-the-scenes look at how to use visualization to achieve any goal.

Visualize an outcome you want over and over again to build ‘cells of recognition’ in your memory bank, just like you may have had with a car or other learned object when you were younger. This serves in the following two ways.

First: you become consciously and acutely aware of everything that can help you achieve the visualized outcome that you desire. (Just like looking for a car). You quickly scan over anything that is not in tune with that image.

When you continuously focus on an image in your mind, every cell in your body is involved in that image and you vibrate and resonate with everything that is in harmony with that frequency both on a physical and non-physical level. This frequency moves you towards, and moves everything that is needed towards you, for the manifestation of the desired image.

Second: you impress an idea into the subconscious part of you, it eventually becomes ‘fixed’ and you automatically attract and move towards that which you desire.

The reason athletes practice visualization is because they want to condition their mind in such a way that the body automatically behaves the way they want it to without effort. It is the only way to become ‘unconsciously competent’.

The same is true for highly successful people. If they visualize the success they want over and over again, eventually their bodies will automatically do whatever it must to make the image a physical reality.

The outside world is a mirror image of the inside and hidden mental world. Unfortunately, very few people have really taken the time to learn this side of their personality. And that is unfortunate because this is the part that is so powerful.

To visualize is to direct unseen energy into an orderly vibration and that is what is needed to manifest desires of the inner self. Desires must first be created in thoughts and then they are created in ‘ real life’. Humans are the sum of what they think about and focus on most.

If you want to learn more about visualization and a host of other great tools to achieve your goals- listen to my free “Having it All” audio at http://www.JohnAssaraf.com/hia.htm.

“Scientists can finally prove what Buddhists have sworn by for centuries – mediation really does sharpen and clear the brain,” reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

The article, published July 9, details research at the Flinders Medial Centre’s Centre for Neuroscience, in which scientists measured the electrical activity of the brain in a group of people as they moved from simple eye-closed resting through the five stages of meditation as defined in Buddhist teachings.

Not surprisingly, the study found that spending time in the alpha brainwave state improves concentration and alertness.

Read the complete story here.

If you want to become wealthy, there’s nothing like running your own business to get there. But there are some big misconceptions about what it takes to really succeed with your own business. Among them:

• You need to be lucky.
• You have to work really, really hard,
• You must be born with the right DNA.

Actually, none of the above are necessarily true. You can create you own luck by making the right decisions; you can hire others to do the hard work; and it doesn’t matter who you are, if you follow certain predictable processes and strategies, you can lead your company to success, regardless of what business you are in. I’ve seen it many times!

If you are serious about creating wealth for yourself, starting a business is the way to do it. And if you have an idea for a business, or you’ve already started one and aren’t sure what to do next, then you don’t want to miss the OneCoach Fundamentals Workshop, Aug. 4 and 5 in La Jolla, CA.

I’m going to be leading this event, and I can’t wait to share with you all that I’ve learned about how to quickly build your business so that you can make the money you want.

Here are more details, register now and I’ll see you there!

John

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.

It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see.”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its richness and savored its aroma.

The daughter then asked, “What does it mean, mother?”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water. Each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

“Which are you?” she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?”

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get even better and change the situation around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can’t go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you’re the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

There’s an excellent, in-depth interview on About.com with my friend Murray Smith and myself about entrepreneurship and running your own business. You can listen to the full audio or read the transcript and highlights. Here is the interview’s introduction:

John Assaraf and Murray Smith are two of America’s top serial entrepreneurs and founders of the business coaching firm OneCoach. The following is a transcript of an interview with them covering many facets of entrepreneurship, especially mindset and attitude, as well as some of their personal experiences and the lessons they’ve learned.

Click here to go to the interview.

This interview provides great insight for anyone interested in running your own business. If you’re a small-business owner, you have to attend my Fundamentals Workshop in August. I’ll be showing step-by-step techniques for attracting more clients, growing your business, and making more money. Click here to learn more about this must-see event.

To your success!

John

Have you ever asked yourself what your highest income producing activity is?

If you’re like most people you probably go about your day-to-day business never really thinking about the moment to moment activities that consume your day.

I’d like to walk you through an exercise that has helped me and my clients really stay focused on earning their highest possible revenue per hour.

Let’s assume that we each start with 365 days in a year. If we take away the following:

• Weekends- 104 days
• 5 major USA holidays
• 2 weeks of vacation
• Personal religious holidays – (average 3)

That leaves each one of us with approximately 238 days in order to earn the income we desire. Of course we can add or delete days based on our own schedule and desires. If you multiply these 238 days times an average of 10 working hours per day, you are dealing with 2,380 hours of real work time for the year. So let’s do some math. If your yearly income goals are as follows…

• $25k = you must be earning an average of $10.50 every hour of work
• $50K = $21 per hour
• $100k = $42 per hour
• $250k = $105 per hour
• $1 M = $420 per hour
• $5 M = $2100 per hour
• $10 M = $4200 per hour

In order to earn the income per year that you really want, you absolutely must be doing activities every hour that line up with this chart. If you catch yourself doing anything that isn’t your absolute highest producing income activity all the time, you are in effect making it much harder to achieve your desired financial goals. In other words:

Which activity or activities generate your highest producing income?

Consider these:

1. What are you spending your time doing?
2. Are you focused on the real moneymakers or the real time wasters?
3. Are you making it easy for yourself to be a high-income earner or are you doing the things that can be done by someone whose income goal or ability is less than yours?

When you start to look at each hour this way, you’ll stop doing the small stuff and you’ll start doing the real high producing stuff that yields results. Just look at your most recent 3-5 days and count the number of hours you spent really making the big bucks vs all the stuff that creeps up on all of us.

What you discover will amaze you!

To You Having It All,

John

P.S. If you’re a business owner and one of your goals is to achieve your financial goals, then you have to attend my business workshop coming up in August. Click here to learn more. I hope to see you there!

I often get asked how does one determine what they really want in their life, or as I like to put it… determining what is your life worth trading for?

Too many people ask themselves if they are worthy of their goals or don’t feel they deserve to achieve success at a higher level, yet I believe that every human being has the birthright to enjoy success in every area. You are no exception.

I have found that sometimes it’s good to make a list of all the things that are not acceptable to you in your life now or in the future.

For example:

It’s not acceptable for me to struggle every month financially.

It’s not acceptable for me to be overweight by more than ____________.

It’s not acceptable for me to not save money monthly.

It’s not acceptable for me to have a business that is not providing me with an abundant lifestyle.

I think you get the drift. Once you have a list of what is not acceptable to you in the various areas of your life, take the time to create a list of the polar opposite of that to get the things you do want. This will give you some direction and now you can start to create a plan for achieving it.

For example:

I want and expect an abundance of money.

I want and expect to be totally healthy and in shape.

I want and expect to save ______ monthly.

I want and expect my business to generate enough money to live the lifestyle I choose.

This little exercise will get you focused on the things that will fulfill your life.

If you are serious about achieving all your goals, check out my Having It All program at http://www.JohnAssaraf.com/hia.htm

John

P.S. If you’re a business owner and one of your goals is to grow your business, then you have to attend my business workshop coming up in August. Click here to learn more. I hope to see you there!

I am sure that by now you have heard of quantum physics and maybe you have even read some of the latest research that is pretty amazing

I found a cute little video that is worth watching as they do site actual research that I have known about for sometime.

Our thoughts do matter and yes, we are all connected. Watch it and have a laugh. And remember…it’s your choice to create a great life.

http://www.istheforcereal.com