Your Customers Buy with Their Heart

Everytime I walk pass Starbucks, I can't help but always people reading, relaxing, chit chatting. The vibe is always good, no wonder people enjoy hanging around there. I feel happy when I am there too.

If you are in business, many will agree one of the most important things is people don't just buy with their head, they buy most of the time with their heart. The competition in today's marketplace is not for customer's money but for their emotion.Touch the people you serve and they will be back for more. Engage their emotions and they will become your most die hard fans.

Quoting from neurologist Donald Calne "The essential difference between emotion and reason is that emotion leads to action while reason leads to conclusions." 1 key take away I would believe is Human beings moved when their emotions are moved.

How does having the latest Iphone make you feel? How does having a branded Chanel Bag make you feel? You get the point?People go where they are cared for, special and good, People buy from a place of emotional engagement. Seems obvious? Not many put it in good use.

Have You Start Reading Obituaries?

I have start to become more philosophical these days, as I realised time is ticking by so fast...I am less willing to waste my time, less willing to listen to negative people. I am even less willing to miss an opportunity to be loving, champion another human being, get closer to my dreams, or have some genuine fun. And...I started reading obituaries too. 

When I read of the lives others have lived , I am offered clues on whats most important in life. I realised that obituaries of lives well lived often share certain consistent pattern. 

• Family
• Friendship
• Contribution to community 
• Taking calculated risk 
• Kindness through small, simple acts 
• Love

The greatest of all i read speaks of being close to loved ones and of the impact the deceased had on the world around them. 

Leading a beautiful life, I always ask the kinds of questions that will provoke me to think deeply ad connect with what matters most. One of the dominant traits of so many of the extraordinary people I know is the discipline of bring more reflective than most of us. So ask profound questions. Good questions lead to excellent answers and greater clarity. And greater clarity is the DNA of authentic success and personal greatness. 

There are 5 questions that I hope will cause you to go deep and become more philosophical about what truly counts in your life. Most people don't discover how to love until it's time to die. By then it's too late...Start writing your answers down in journal, ask yourself on a daily basis and get yourself align!

• Did I Dream Big Enough?
• Did I Live Fully to the Extend of What I am Capable of?
• Did I Learn to Let Go of Those Thinking that Does not Support Me?
• Did I Love Well?
• Did I Leave the Earth a Better Place?

I hope the answers you arrive at will help you live with more passion and joy. Clarity does precede success. You can't hit a target you can't even see. And we are really not here that long, if you think about it. We'll all be dust before you know it! So live and maximise your potential now!

True Innovator.

True Innovator has a mantra they belief in...The enemy of best is good. They are constantly getting to make things better. What others call impossible they see as probable. They live out of their imaginations. They live to challenge the commonly accepted. They assume nothing. They see no limits. To them, everything is possible.

If you want to be a leader, I have a simple suggestion: Just keep innovating. Innovate at work. Innovate at home. Innovate in your relationships. Innovate in the way you see your life and innovate the way you see the world. To become stagnant is the beginning of death. Growth, Evolution and Reinvention sustain life. Sure it can be scary. But wouldn't you rather feel your fear than play small in life?

Of course, while you innovate and refuse to be bound by the chains of complacency, there will have chances that we will still fail. Not every risk we take and not everything will work out as planned. I mean that's just life. Failure is the essential to success and the more we stretch, the further we will growth. Failure is a gift. It has been so helpful to me. It took me closer to my dreams, equipped me with more knowledge and toughened me so much that i will be prepared. Success and Failure go hand in hand, like a business partner.

Companies that don't innovate wont survive, so the key is driving this innovation. The lesson is especially important when things are going well. Though it doesn't make sense but successfully company needs to me twice as innovative as their competitors to ensure they stays at the top. Leaders that don't innovate are displaced by those willing to take risks.

So go to work each day and refuse to do the same thing you did yesterday. Keep challenging yourself to think better, do better and be better. Shake things up a bit and confront your limitations. Refuse to in mediocre, stand up for whats best and commit to being great in all you do. And then you will realise how great you have become!  

Let's Get Up Early?

I was reading on the internet when I bump into this article. This is an awesome article about waking up early and how it impacts productivity, thus success.  

For 15 years, Starbucks President Michelle Gaas has set her alarm for 4:30 a.m. to go running. Gretchen Ruben, popular author of The Happiness Project (Harper Perennial, 2011) wakes up at 6 a.m. and works for an hour before her family rises. Time-management expert Laura Vanderkam highlights what makes mornings special and how we can use them more efficiently in her book What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast. Here are a few benefits to getting out of bed earlier. 

You are less likely to get distracted in the morning. An entrepreneur's day fills up fast. If you wait until the afternoon or evening to do something meaningful for yourself such as exercising or reading, you’re likely to push it off the to-do list altogether. “There are going to be reasons why you can't tackle a personal priority at 4 p.m. -- things have a lot less likelihood of coming up at 6 a.m.," says Vanderkam.

You have more willpower early in the day. Even if you aren't a morning person, you may have more willpower in the early hours than later in the day. "Willpower is like a muscle [that] becomes fatigued with over-use," says Vanderkam. During the course of the day as you're dealing with difficult people, making decisions and battling traffic, you use up your willpower, leaving you feeling depleted toward the end of the day.

Mornings give you the opportunity to set a positive tone for the day. If you've ever slept in past your alarm clock or forgotten your kids' lunches on the counter, you know that starting off the day with a failure can bring down your mood and affect your productivity at work. Vanderkam says waking up earlier allows you to start the day with a victory and set the tone for a happier and more productive day.

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If the thought of waking up at sunrise makes you cringe, Vanderkam recommends these four steps to transform even a habitual night owl into a morning person.

1. Keep a time journal. Vanderkam says one of the reasons people say they don't like mornings is that they stay up too late. She recommends keeping a time journal for a week to show where you may be using your time inefficiently. Vanderkam finds when many self-professed night owls look at their time journals, they often find they aren't spending their evening hours productively or doing anything particularly enjoyable.

2. Imagine your perfect morning. Imagine what you would do if you had an extra hour in the day. Would you exercise? Read the newspaper rather than simply skimming the headlines? "[Getting up earlier] isn't about punishing yourself. You will not get out of bed if you don’t have a good reason to do it," says Vanderkam.

3. Plan your morning. Once you have decided what you want to do with your extra time, plan how to execute it, and set as much up as possible the night before. For example, if you want to exercise in the morning, lay out your clothes the night before, or gather the ingredients for your breakfast.

4. Build the habit slowly. Vanderkam says you will likely hit the snooze button and sleep in if you try to switch your habits drastically. So instead of setting your alarm for 5 a.m. when you normally get up at 7: 30 a.m. set the alarm for 10 minutes earlier each day. To make sure you don't lose sleep, go to bed 10 minutes earlier each night. If you have trouble hitting the sack on time, set a bedtime alarm.

Having seen all this, Let's get ourselves to wake up early now!

I Want The Best, How About You?

One of the habits I consistently observed within those star performers and extraordinary leaders are their commitment to world class. They drive the highest quality class, live in the best house and wear the finest clothes. Their philosophy generally seems to be " I stand for being the best so it only make sense that I should invest in the best." And they held the belief even before they are successful.

Greatness is a state of mind. You need to believe in your potential and power before you can bring them to life. You need to feel like you are extraordinary before you can become extraordinary. I call this "emotional blueprinting" To see spectacular results in your external life, you have to emotionally create a blueprint of your vision within your inner life.

One of the best way I have discovered to achieve this feeling is to ensure that you surround yourself with the highest level. I remember reading a book years ago, written by Al Koran, called Bring out the magic in your mind. One of the ideas that stayed with me is : In order to be successful, it's important to go where the successful people are. Even if you have on $10, go have a coffee at the best restaurant in your city. His point? Your surrounding shape the way you feel. And the way you feel drives what you do. Feel world class and you behave world class.

Invest in the best. Buy the highest quality goods you can possibly afford. Better to buy one superb pair of shoe than three cheap ones. "Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten." When I just started out, I took part of my first pay check and invest in a great watch. It wasn't a rolex or cartier but it was a good one. My thinking was that it would last for years, make me feel successful while I wore it and actually end up saving me money because it would rarely need repairs. One of my friends who always looked for the cheapest deal laughed at me. But I turned out to be right. He changed 6 watches along the way, and mine is still working great!

I am in no way encouraging a senseless addiction to material things. All I am saying is that if you are serious about standing for the best. Rewarding yourself with the good things sends a message to the deepest and highest part of you. One that say I am worth it and I deserve it. It will inspire you to reach even higher, work even harder and be even better. To anyone who says that our self worth should be so strong that high quality goods won't affect how we feel, I respectfully suggest that such a statement misses the reality of human nature. Every one of us like nice things, they appeal to our senses just like a beautiful sunset, magnificent mountain.

The best investment we can have is to be the best. You might not agree but I owe you the truth. My tastes are simple, I just want the best, how about you?

Leadership

Leadership and success begins on the extra mile. Leadership is shown when a salesperson makes an extra calls at the end of the day, because it is the right thing to do. Leadership is shown by the manager who finishes a report that has taken the very best from him, then goes back to it a little later to polish and improve it even more.

Leadership is shown by a team that delivers on their value promise to a customer and then digs even deeper to wow them. Leadership is shown by human being who fights the urge to stay under the covers on a cold day and throws on her running shoes to pound the pavement.

Those among us who craft extraordinary careers and spectacular lives are those who spend most of their time giving their best out on the extra mile. Ordinary people don't spend much time on the extra mile. But who ever said you were ordinary?

Have You Give Yet?

They have a saying, give and you shall receive! How true is that. If there is something you always wanted to have, give and be ready to receive.

If you want more credit for all you do and who you are? Be the one who gives credit to others. Spread it like wildfire. Give away what you desire most. This create a space in the minds and hearts of all those around you to give more credit.

If you want people to be more understanding? Be more understanding yourself and give that out. Want more loyalty? Be the most loyal person you ever know. Want more love?  Give more love and watch what happens

I believe the universe place us here for a purpose. The purpose is all within us and it is up to us to achieve it. Most people just get in their own way and sabotage their success. They let their fears keep them from greatness. They let their limitations become their chains. They become their worst enemies. To get all that life wants for you, apply what I call the boomerang effect - Give that you want most and see it come back. It's a gorgeous life that is in store for you. Just go out and get it!

Success as being Significance.

Many people believe that there's something wrong with aiming to be really successful. While some people put down productive achievement. While the rest snicker at go-getters who set their goals and then devote themselves to realising them. I have heard it a lot these days, the suggestion that if you strive for success, you must not be all that concerned with making a difference and being significant. It's almost as if being a go-getter is incompatible with being compassionate, socially conscious and a good person. This is so nonsense.

I would rather think an extraordinary life contains both success and significant. The essence of life is balance. Without success, I have a sense that the best part of you will feel hollow. Part of what makes us human is the hunger to realise our greatest gifts and to live life fully. We were built to be great. And high achievement is simply a reflection of creativity in action. The more worthwhile things you are doing, the more of your natural creativity you are unleashing.

Success is a creative act. It's also one of the best routes to fulfillment, if blended with a healthy respect for work life balance. I have found that few things feel as great as the feeling I get when I complete something worthwhile. Doing important things promotes happiness. Success awakens joy.

Without significance, I believe that we will feel that we have walked the planet in vain. Success alone, without feeling that you have made a meaningful contribution, will leave the heart feeling empty.

There's nothing wrong with being an elite performer and taking the steps to become remarkable success in this world. But while you chase success, I urge you to stay devoted to elevating the lives you touch and leaving your world better than you found it. That's the significance piece. With both, you'll discover your greatest life!

The Power of Focus

There's a great power in focusing on what you want. This may seems like such an obvious statement, yet most of us miss it. Dreams can come true. You can get to a place called Extraordinary in your career. You can find love deeper than you have ever imagined. You can realise world class vitality and find lasting fulfilment. But you need to focus. The person who tries to do everything accomplishes nothing. Most people try to be all things to everyone. And so they end up nothing to anyone. Confucius nailed the point: " Person who chases two rabbits catches neither."

What you focus on grows. What you concentrate on is what you see more in your life. Think about that line. Focus on financial mastery and you'll see your economic life improve.

Focus on being more loving and your relationship will improve. Focus on your physical dimension by exercising and following a superb diet and your health will improve. Focus. Focus. Focus. That's what the best of the best do. Tunnel vision around their biggest TO DO. They stick to their knitting rather than scattering their brilliance. A few months ago I read about a billionaire interview. They asked him what was the single best thing he did to get to his financial mastery. "I made this goal my sole reference point," came his reply.

Brilliant Idea that works!

Here's a brilliant idea that has worked brilliantly for many people. "If you want to be more happier, do more of the things that make you happy." I know that seems like an obvious point - but its not.

After we leave the wonder years of childhood, most of us stop doing the things that make our hearts sing. Someone told me recently that when he was young, he used to love to take solo rides on his bicycle. "I stopped doing that when we had kids and work demands took over. Life got busier. But those moments out on the bike came from some of the best days of my life."

Another one, a phenomenally successful entrepenuer, shared that his passion used to be playing his drums in a rock band. "Those were incredible times. Then I started my business and it began to consume me. I miss playing music. I'd lose myself in it.

Here's your to do: Make a list of your 10 Greatest Passions, 10 activities that fill your heart with joy and remind you of how good life can be. And then, over the coming 10 weeks, inject one of those pursuits into your weekly schedule.

Powerful thought; "The things that get scheduled are the things that get get done." Until you schedule something, it's only a concept - and extraordinary people don't build remarkable lives on concept. They build their greatness on action and near flawless execution around their deliverables. They get things done.

This 10 week program works. When you get back to doing those things that lifted your spirit and sent you soaring, you reconnect with that state of happiness that you may have lost. And part of the purpose of life is to be happy. Really Happy!

Let's start failing!

I failed like most people. I fail all the time. I have failures in relationships. I have failures in life. I used to wonder why this happened. I used to play poor me and suffer from the dreaded disease of victim.

Now I get it! I have been stumbling towards my best life. Failure is the price of greatness. Failure is an essential ingredient for a high achievement. As innovation guru David Kelley wrote "Fail faster. Succeed sooner"

We can't win without leaving our safety zone and taking some calculated risks. No risk, no reward. And more risks we take in the pursuit of our dreams, the more we are going to fail. Thats for sure.

Too many among us live in what I call the safe harbour of the known. Same breakfast for 20 years. Same drive to work for 20 years. Same conversation for 20 years. Same thinking for 20 years. I have no judgement on that kind of life. If it makes you happy, that's great. But I don't know of anyone who is happy living that.

If you keep doing what you have been doing, you will keep getting what you have been getting. Einstein defined insanity as doing the same things over and again but expecting different results. Yet, most people rule their lives that way. True joy comes when you put some skin in the game and take some chances. Yes, you will start to experience more failure. but guess what? Success also starts to pay more visit.

Failure is just part of the process of getting to world class. "Screw-ups are the mark of excellence" said management consultant Tom Peters. The best companies on the planet have failed more than the average ones.

The most successful people on the planet have failed more than the ordinary ones. To me, the only failure is the failure to try and dream and dare. The real risk lies in riskless living. Mark Twain made the point perfectly when he observed " Twenty years from now on you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did."

So go ahead, stretch today. Ask for the best table in your favourite resturant. Ask for an upgrade to first class on your next flight. Ask your teammate at work for more understanding. Ask you sweetheart at home for more love. Do it. I dare you. And remember, you can't win a game that you don't even play!

Your Schedule and You!

Theres an old phrase that says : Action speaks louder than work. You can say that your primary value involves putting your family first, but if time with family is not all over the schedule, well then the truth of the matter is that your family life isn't your priority.

You can say that being in a world class physical condition is another top value but if there isn't five or six workouts etched into your weekly schedule, then the reality to be confronted is that your health just isn't as important as you profess it to be.

You can argue that self development is an essential pursuit to you because the better you are, the more effective you'll be. Show me your schedule and you will discover the truth.

There can be no authentic success and lasting happiness if your daily schedule is misaligned with your deepest values. That's a big idea that has been so helpful to so many of the people out there.

If there is a gap between what you do and who you are, you are out of integrity. I call it - The Integrity Gap. The greater the difference between your daily commitments and your deepest values, the less your life will work. Why? Because you are not walking your talk. Because your video is not congruent with your audio.  Because you are committing the crime of self betrayal. Worst crime of all. And the witness that lives within the deepest part of you - your conscience - sees it.

Your schedule is the best barometer or what you really truly value and believe to be important. Too many people talk a good talk. But talk is cheap. Less talk and do more. Show me your schedule and 1'll show you what your priorities are...

The Seven Forms of Wealth

Wealth is not about having all the money in the world nor the top money generating machine. This are the core areas in our life when achieved makes us the richest person on earth. There are seven elements that we want to raise them to world class levels before we call ourself rich!

Inner Wealth
This means a positive mindset, high self respect, internal peace and a strong spiritual connection.

Physical Wealth
Health is Wealth! Whats the point of getting to a great place in your career if you get sick doing it? Why be the best businessperson in the hospital ward? Why be the richest person in the graveyard?

Family and Social Wealth
when your family life is happy, you will perform better at work. No one gets to the end of their life and regrets making their family their first priority. Related to this is the imperative of forging deep connections with friends and members of your personal community (including mentors, role models and trusted advisors)

Career Wealth
Actualising your highest potential by reaching for your best in your career is incredibly important. Getting to greatness in your profession brings a feeling of satisfaction on a job well done. It helps you make your mark. Being world class in your work is so good for your self-respect.

Economic Wealth
Yes, Money is important. Not the most important thing in life but very important. It absolutely makes life easier and better. Money allows you to live in a nice home, take beautiful vacations and provide well for those you love.

Adventure Wealth
To be fulfilled, each of us needs mystery in our lives. Challenge is necessary for happiness. The human brain craves novelt. And we are creative beings so we need to be creative constantly if we hope to feel joy. Lots of adventure is an essential element of authentic wealth.

Impact Wealth
Perhaps the deepest longing of the human heart is to live for something greater than itself. Each of us craves to be significant. To make a difference. To know that the world has somehow been better because we have walked the planet.

I invite you to focus on each element if you want to experience true wealth. Money alone does not define being wealthy. There are many rich people who are unhappy and unsuccessfuly as human beings. By focusing on elevating all seven of these areas to world class levels, you will not only shine ever so brightly for all those around you but also contentment that lasts.

Always be Better and Doing Better!

I always have a keen interest in business; business that is accomplished and successfully run. For all the business, they seems to have a common secret. I mean, they must all be doing the same things, that why they can be so successful.

I was seating in a coffeeshop having my prawn noodle one day. Seating with me was a coffeeshop uncle enjoying his Kopi - O. For those who don't know what is Kopi - O, its Black coffee. No sugar nor Creamer.

Back to the topic, he looked at me and say "Son, you know why wealth can never last 3 generations?" Confused by his sudden question, I replied, No. Why? He say "Because the second and third generation can never go through what the first generation does. This motivation, determination, courage and all the trial and testing to ensure that this business system will work.

I nod with agreement, he continued " I always believe in getting better and doing better. I will never accept myself to settle in mediocrity."

Ok, I replied giving him the blurred look wondering why is he telling me all these and thinking who is he. Some big boss in some company or what?

He carried on, " There is 4 principles I always held true to me. They served me well my whole life. I learned it from my mother, she was the most amazing people i ever known. And I miss her a lot!"

"Sorry to hear about it, drink some coffee, you feel better" feeling lost now. "it's ok. I need to go back office soon. But before i do, I would like to share with you my 4 principles."

Improve - Always be getting and doing better. Never Settle for mediocrity.

Observe - Talk to the people you work with. Really listen to them. And keep your eyes on the business. Because you can expect only that which you inspect.

Connect - Be really good to people. Treat your customers with respect. Give them good value. Be caring and deal with any complaints fast.

Adapt - Conditions change. Competition grows. Uncertainty is the new normal. Stay fast. stay flexible. Stay Nimble.

Like a student listening attentively to the master,

Learn More and Earn More!

A Simple Idea to move to your next level : To earn more you must learn more. The compensation you receive from your employer will be determined by the value you add. The more you know, the more valuable you become. To earn more, learn more. Out read your competition. Out study them. Out-improve them. Out suceed them.

"Become Indispensable!"

Awareness precedes choice which precedes results. As you learn what the best do, you will develop new awareness. With better awareness, you will make better choices. And with better choices, you are certain to see better results. Investing in learning and getting your skills to world class is the smartest investment you'll ever make. Master your craft and you'll get to greatness.

Some of the busiest people I know read or listen to CDs or do online training for at least an hour a day. A lot of people are too busy being busy. Shift from being busy to getting results.

Take the first step today. Rather than watching TV tonight, make the time to read. Learn what the superstars in your profession do to stay on top. Learn how to create greater wellness in your life. Learn how to master your time. Learn how to live your highest life!