| I've just sent an email to my mailing list based on Stuart | | | | choices which matter. The little day by day disciplines |
| Goldsmith's 'Seven Secrets of The Millionaires.' I don't | | | | which build into an inexorable force propelling you |
| know how they felt after reading the message it | | | | towards success and wealth. After a lifetime of |
| contained but it impressed me so much that I felt I | | | | always choosing the easy option, the lazy way out, the |
| must immediately write an article about it. | | | | least amount of work, the mediocre will have the |
| Stuart Goldsmith is a British multi-millionaire who moved | | | | temerity to call you 'lucky.' They will then demand 'their' |
| from being in debt to becoming one of the rich people | | | | share of your wealth - the wealth you built by |
| through his direct mail business. He also wrote a brilliant | | | | numerous small daily disciplines, each one requiring you |
| news letter. Some of his ideas may not be new but | | | | to forgo immediate gratification of your desires. |
| they are expressed in a powerful way and deserve to | | | | If anyone ever accuses you of being 'lucky' just reply: |
| be read again and again. The key idea in this article is | | | | "You're right. And you know what? The harder I |
| one of them | | | | worked, the luckier I got." Whilst your friends are |
| In Chapter One of his classic book, Stuart demolishes | | | | watching soap operas or down the pub, you will be |
| the idea that millionaires are lucky; instead they have | | | | working late nights, forgoing instant pleasure, striving to |
| become rich by making thousands of small decisions in | | | | create new values, new products, new ideas which will |
| which they chose to get the job done rather than not | | | | move mankind forward." |
| to get it done. They chose action rather than inaction: | | | | I was going to add several comments to Stuart's |
| "Most people believe that wealth is a lottery, that cards | | | | words but I think he has said it so well that I will only |
| were shuffled and then randomly dealt and some | | | | add one or two comments. Nor am I infringing his |
| received an Ace, whilst others received a Two or a | | | | copyright since I was an attendee in 2002 at one of |
| Three and some get the Joker. They further believe | | | | his 'retirement' seminars when he generously handed |
| that this is just luck - like the lottery, and so those lucky | | | | over licences to his info products to the attendees. |
| people with Aces should be willing to hand over a | | | | In the passage above, he has provided a very |
| portion of their wealth to those unlucky people with | | | | effective guide or measuring tool to help us choose |
| lower cards. | | | | the best decisions minute by minute. Choosing action |
| Closer examination reveals a different truth, and one | | | | over inaction may seem stunningly obvious but the |
| which is unpalatable to the general public. It is not a | | | | results of not choosing action only show up gradually |
| truth they wish to hear. The truth is that with a few | | | | and so it helps to have some one like Stuart point out |
| exceptions, the wealth creators were not dealt Aces | | | | the power of the thousands of chances we get to |
| randomly by fate. They worked at their success by | | | | choose to get the job done rather than not get it done. |
| making correct choices on a minute by minute, day by | | | | We all need to do our 'homework' on a regular basis. |
| day basis. Let me explain. | | | | Not getting it done may seem to have no effect on |
| Everything you are and have today is the exact | | | | our lives at the time but later on we'll suffer the |
| summation of countless thousands of little choices and | | | | consequences. I have chosen to read emails rather |
| decisions you made from the day you were first | | | | than mow the lawn for weeks. The back garden has |
| consciously able to make such choices. And stating it | | | | suffered and will take a long time to mow. |
| simply, those choices were mainly between action and | | | | This is no big deal but other choices could mean the |
| inaction. Or putting it another way, between action and | | | | difference between riches and poverty. A choice to |
| laziness. I'm not talking big, life-changing decisions here. | | | | take action and check out your investments more |
| I'm talking about tens of thousands of day by day, | | | | carefully could save you losing thousands if you have |
| minute by minute choices like "shall I get up or lie in bed | | | | invested in another Enron. On the other hand daily |
| for another half hour?" "Should I read another chapter | | | | choices to save money could keep you out of debt. |
| of that textbook or go for a beer instead?" "Should I | | | | On reflection, we can be grateful that we are able to |
| try a little harder to get this job right, or just turn it out in | | | | make these daily, minute by minute choices. Our lives, |
| a sloppy fashion?" | | | | in all their glorious or inglorious details, are in our own |
| Thousands upon thousands of little things going right | | | | hands. We can act or not act. Luck has nothing to do |
| back to school days when you decided between | | | | with it! The next time you are hesitating about making |
| completing a homework assignment or watching TV | | | | that phone call or leaving it till tomorrow, just pick up |
| instead. | | | | the phone and make the call. Choose action over |
| As Jim Rohn says, "Everything matters." It is the small | | | | inaction. Choose action over laziness. |