STRETCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE

Transcription

1 MODULE #3 STRETCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE In this session you will learn to: Stretch for the Ultimate in every life aspect: - Career and Business - Personal Growth - Health - Home & Family Life - Spiritual Enlightenment - Social Responsibilities Leverage your strengths Stand out from the crowd using the Law of Contrast Grow beyond your current ability Clearly identify your opportunities Earn a raise

2 Session Summary Introduction Debbie Fields, the entrepreneur who built Mrs. Fields Cookies, once said Good enough never is. She told Greg Reid that, very early on, she made herself a promise that she would only use the very best ingredients and that she would never settle for less than perfection. Her story is one of the best illustrations of Stretching for the Ultimate. Although she could have easily given a boost to her profit margins by using lesser ingredients, by lowering her standards of what makes a great cookie, and by giving to any number of other business demands, she chose instead to build a cookie empire on settling for nothing less than the best. The Stretch for the Ultimate principle isn t new. It has been described as going the extra mile, also called the eternal law by the great Transcendentalists of the nineteenth century. Emerson described some of its effects in the Law of Compensation essay: Every excess causes a defect; every defect an excess. Every sweet hath its sour; every evil its good. Every faculty which is a receiver of pleasure has an equal penalty put on its abuse. It is to answer for its moderation with its life. For every grain of wit there is a grain of folly. For every thing you have missed, you have gained something else; and for every thing you gain, you lose something. If riches increase, they are increased that use them. If the gatherer gathers too much, nature takes out of the man what she puts into his chest; swells the estate, but kills the owner Every act rewards itself, or, in other words, integrates itself, in a twofold manner; first, in the thing, or in real nature; and secondly, in the circumstance, or in apparent nature Life invests itself with inevitable conditions, which the unwise seek to dodge, which one and another brags that he does not know 3-2 Module 3 - Stretch for the Ultimate

3 Greg learned, in part from Debbie Fields, that you can achieve your greatest success through adversity. Through his personal experience with publishers and others, he learned that one should not presume to receive the highest compensation. By working harder than what he was paid for, and by foregoing some compensation, Greg opened himself up to countless opportunities. Stretching for the Ultimate and The Laws One of the most important laws that affects your ultimate success is the Law of Compensation. Napoleon Hill studied this law and its effects in some detail. Hill also studied and described the Law of Increasing Returns. Through this research, Hill discovered that Stretching for the Ultimate, going beyond what is truly required, can be the spark needed to jump-start the Law of Increasing Returns. In essence, the quantity and the quality of service will revisit you tenfold; the greater quality you put out there, the more you can expect to receive in return. The increased return does not always manifest itself in dollars, and it may not come back to you right away. But you may notice the returns in more subtle ways. You may notice new and better opportunities, a promotion that you weren t expecting or you may experience higher self-esteem. Directly opposing this is the Law of Diminishing Returns. If you offer service less than your best, of if you offer service greater than expected but do so with an unwilling heart and with a negative attitude, this law may manifest itself in a variety of negative effects. You will receive less than what your work was worth, you may get nothing back at all, or, what comes back to you may do so with a much more expensive price tag than you were expecting. Always respect the Law of Nature; it is very efficient. Nature will not let you or any other living creature receive something for nothing. On the bright side, this natural law can guarantee that you will receive rewards beyond your imagination when you Stretch for the Ultimate. In most careers and business relationships, you must give as much service as you are paid for to keep your job or to maintain that income. Your employer pays Module 3 - Stretch for the Ultimate 3-3

4 you based on an agreed upon value. This is the same in any profession including doctors, lawyers, musicians and artists. Each person must perform a service before the client pays for it. As a consumer, when you pay for an item, it is up to the merchant or vendor to deliver the agreed upon quality and quantity for the price you pay. There are those who are dishonest and lazy and they are always trying to tip the scales of this equation in their favor. They prefer to get something for nothing and are drawn to situations and people where this is more likely to occur. They try to bypass nature s law, often with disastrous results. You may recall the lessons of Aesop s fable: If you collect more for your labor than the value you put into it, although you may enjoy instant, short-lived gratification, you will ultimately kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Becoming Indispensable One of the greatest benefits of Stretching for the Ultimate is that you can become indispensable, in life and in business. The more indispensable you become, and the more people who feel that way about you, the greater and the more secure your position in the world will be. When you deliver more than you have promised, and you do so with a positive attitude and with sincerity, you out-perform the competition. As the people in your world come to depend upon you, and continue to receive so much more from you than you promised, they owe you a small debt. If they tried to replace you, your product, your service or your work, they would have to pay a much greater price to receive the same value. You create a very secure place for yourself in their world. 3-4 Module 3 - Stretch for the Ultimate

5 Stretching for the Ultimate and Andrew Carnegie All the material riches I possess and every business advantage I enjoy, I attribute to my having followed this habit (Stretching for the Ultimate). - Andrew Carnegie When Carnegie was very young, he studied at night to learn how to operate a telegraph key. He did not receive payment for this, nor had anyone asked him to do it. This extra effort on his part caught the eye of a division superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad who immediately made Carnegie his operator and clerk. Early one morning, before anyone else was there, Carnegie arrived at the railroad office to discover that a trainwreck had caused a large traffic jam. At that time, everything and everyone relied on the railroad so this was a huge problem. The dispatcher was frantically trying to reach the superintendent so Mr. Carnegie took the message. Carnegie tried to reach the superintendent at home but he had already left for the office. This left Mr. Carnegie in a very precarious position. Making the wrong move now could cost him his chances to future promotions. But Carnegie knew that if he did nothing, his career would also be ruined. His relationship with the superintendent was strong enough that Carnegie felt like he could safely assume what action his boss would take. Even with that knowledge, he knew that one of the most strict rules of the railroad was to never assume authority without permission. Time was not on his side, so Carnegie assumed the risk, made the decision, and in his boss s name, issued the orders that rerouted traffic and fixed the jam. Although his actions had resolved the issue, he also knew that he had put his job, as well as that of his supervisor, on the line. He wrote the report of what had happened, attached his letter of resignation, and placed both on the superintendent s desk. He thought that it would help to alleviate any pressure that his superintendent felt from his superiors. A few hours later Carnegie received his letter back and written across the page was RESIGNATION REFUSED. No other explanation. A few days later he had an Module 3 - Stretch for the Ultimate 3-5

6 impactful conversation with his boss who said, There are two types of people who never get far in life. One cannot do what they are told, and the other can do nothing else. Years later when Carnegie was gathering capital to start his steel business, his division superintendent from Pennsylvania Railroad was instrumental in convincing other investors that their money would be safe under Carnegie s management. He offered the traffic jam railroad story as part of his proof that Carnegie could handle huge responsibility. How Stretching for the Ultimate Affects Relationships You never know how far reaching the positive results will be when you begin practicing the Stretching for the Ultimate principle. Much like a single drop of water into a pond can send ripples far and wide across the surface, a single, simple event may prove to be a pivotal point that completely changes your destiny. As Greg personally discovered, most successful people throughout history were involved in long and loving relationships. As challenges and hardships arise, these relationships serve as a firm foundation upon which you may draw strength and comfort. Greg could draw from his own experience and realize that only when he was genuinely focused on other people and discovered his true passion and life s purpose, was he able to give fully and without hesitation. He made his purpose larger than himself and became a better person for it. Imagine the universe as a giant scale. When you engage in Stretching for the Ultimate, you are essentially tipping the scale in your favor although you may not notice it immediately. However, eventually the scale will need to balance the other way. Those who complain and think negatively ask, Why should I do more than I am paid to do? Those who are more wise understand the natural order of things and think of it as a blessing; they are willing to pay the price. Stretching for the Ultimate stimulates action and is one of the most important things you can do. You may recall that action is one of the final multipliers 3-6 Module 3 - Stretch for the Ultimate

7 because it affects everything. Stretching for the Ultimate is an active principle; its very nature requires you to take action. You must do something about it, you cannot simply agree with it internally or in your mind. You must do something above and beyond what you are expected to do in order to fulfill this principle. When you do, the Law of Compensation naturally follows your actions and you will experience something positive. The Profound Yet Subtle Benefits of Stretching for the Ultimate If you have ever met someone who spends their spare time offering greater and better service to others you may realize that there is no way to hold them down; their spirit is unbreakable. These individuals are at the top of life. They climb to the top of the profession, organization or industry as naturally as a cork rises to the top of water. Many people overlook one of the most basic benefits of Stretching for the Ultimate - that it builds the good will of other people. There are two ways of gaining the good will of others. One is to focus on consistently creating and building upon authentic and valuable relationships with the people with whom you do business. As Warren Buffet says, It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you ll do things differently. But what if you want good will right now but you honestly don t have the time to wait ten, fifteen or even twenty years to build it? There is a way to get good will immediately. You have the option of swapping favors with people who have built up good will. You can borrow their good will, even if only temporarily. You give them something that you have that they want in exchange for use of their good will. It is human nature to translate thoughts into material things. We have the right of control over our thoughts and have become self-determining. Through exercising Module 3 - Stretch for the Ultimate 3-7

8 these gifts, we are able to access the Infinite Intelligence that the universe offers. Not only that, but through Stretching for the Ultimate, you can attract favorable attention of those who have available opportunities. As mentioned earlier, Stretching for the Ultimate helps you become indispensable in all of your relationships which, in turn, enables you to require more than average compensation for your services. It has been argued that there is no such thing as a truly indispensable person but for our use, we define that term as someone who is so necessary for the proper function of an organization, business or industry that it would take several people to try to replace him or her. The only way for you to command more than average compensation from a client or group is to be come indispensable to them. You have to make yourself so useful and so priceless to the industry that it would be difficult, if not impossible to replace you. The very idea of trying to find a single person, or a group of people, to fill your position is a painful and expensive process for that group or client. Yet another subtle benefit of Stretching for the Ultimate is that it develops the path that leads you to your mental and physical growth. This applies to a variety of services - developing greater ability and skill in your chosen career or industry, developing stronger business sense, becoming a better parent or spouse, etc. Stretching for the Ultimate allows you to practice self-discipline but on terms that are self-defined. You not only have greater control over yourself, but you also get to express your freedom, both of which are strong advantages in life. Every time you do something in an effort to exceed your previous behavior, you experience growth. No matter what the task, do it with the intention of exceeding your expectations and creating more positive results than you ever have before. You may experience disappointment if you don t succeed every time, if you fall short of your greatest expectations, but if you always begin the task with the clear intention of doing it better than you have before, you will still experience profound fulfillment in the journey itself. 3-8 Module 3 - Stretch for the Ultimate

9 Stretching for the Ultimate is a healthy state of mind and it will ultimately cause you to surpass yourself many times over. In times of economic duress, it can protect you against layoffs because most employers will do whatever is necessary to keep an employee that consistently Stretches for the Ultimate and provides greater results for the company. Stretching for the Ultimate puts you in the spotlight and allows you to bask in the benefits of the Law of Contrast which is very important for self-promotion and in setting yourself apart from the crowd. We are always comparing ourselves to others - sometimes unconsciously - and we have a tendency to notice something or someone that is a little different. Therefore, it is the natural tendency for an employer to take more notice of you if you are offering services greater in quality and quantity than that for which you are being paid. You will stand out in bold contrast and in a positive light. You can also develop a positive and pleasing attitude by adopting a cheerful and willing attitude when performing services above and beyond what you are being paid to do. This is among the more important traits of a pleasing personality. Look around you in your professional and persona life. When a person has a Pleasing Personality, they can compel nearly anyone to behave toward them the way they most prefer. They do this by implementing one of the oldest rules in the book, the Golden Rule. They treat the other person the way they wish to be treated themselves. If a person does not respond immediately, a person with a Pleasing Personality doesn t give up until they have tried several times. Generally, that persistence is rewarded with success. Personal Initiative Another important benefit of Stretching for the Ultimate is that you can more easily develop your capacity for what Napoleon Hill called Personal Initiative. Without it, Hill declared, no one may attain or acquire economic freedom. Personal Initiative is the most outstanding trait of your average American citizen and it is something upon which this nation was built. Module 3 - Stretch for the Ultimate 3-9

10 Personal Initiative means doing whatever needs to be done without being asked to do it; this is the self-starter principle. Personal Initiative means doing the thing that needs to be done without being told to do it. This is the self-starter principle that causes things to happen. Don t wait for something to happen; ignite the spark of Personal Initiative and make them happen. When you offer extra service, make certain that the quality is good, the quantity is abundant, and your attitude is positive but not unrealistically hopeful. Ensure that your efforts are well met and not wasted on an unreceptive audience. Stretching for the Ultimate gives you the right to ask for promotions and additional pay. Consider this - as long as you only do what you are now paid to do, you have no reason to expect greater compensation and no evidence to back up your request. Promotions are generally awarded to those individuals who have worked to earn them. In order to keep your job you have to perform, at a minimum, those tasks for which you were hired. But you have the opportunity to offer above and beyond service as a means of creating a reservoir of good will which entitles you to higher pay and a better position. If you never take the time to Stretch for the Ultimate, how can you justify asking your employer for a raise or a promotion? Greater Confidence Stretching for the Ultimate creates greater self-confidence and puts you in closer harmony with your own conscience. Sometimes, the person you really need to develop a relationship with is yourself. Take an honest look at yourself in a mirror. Talk to that reflected image about your Finish Line and your goals. Explain to that person that you are choosing to adopt this new strategy of Stretching for the Ultimate with the right mental attitude. Being on good terms with your own conscience comes with benefits as well. There 3-10 Module 3 - Stretch for the Ultimate

11 is no better way to create this strong bond than by Stretching for the Ultimate in everything you do. You will find that you really don t have to worry about the person who enjoys the extra service. Stretching for the Ultimate helps you overcome the destructive habit of procrastination. It helps you work toward and develop your Finish Line. It gives you focus and direction because you are speaking, thinking, acting and moving with congruency and clarity. Most people eat, sleep and keep a job but do not move with purpose and vision. They re unable to find a clear way out of the daily rat race and they lack focus. By clearly defining their personal Finish Line, and by rendering better and greater service, they could set the ultimate wages that life would be compelled to pay. Module 3 - Stretch for the Ultimate 3-11

12 Discuss with your mentor which of the following assignments would best suit your needs, progress, and development: Stretching for the Ultimate in each life aspect: - Career and Business - Personal Growth - Health - Home and Family Life - Spiritual Enlightenment - Social Responsibilities Leverage your strengths Stand out from the crowd utilizing the Law of Contrast Grow beyond your current ability Clearly identify your opportunities Earn a raise 3-12 Module 3 - Stretch for the Ultimate

13 Stretching for the Ultimate applies to all aspects of your life. In this exercise, apply the principle of Stretching for the Ultimate to your Career and/or Business. Brainstorm 3 ways that you could Stretch for the Ultimate: 1. STRETCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE: Your Career & Business Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate 3-13

14 STRETCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE: Your Career & Business Now choose which of the 3 you brainstormed you would like to focus on this week. List what you will do each day to Stretch for the Ultimate. My focus: Day 1: Day 2: Day 3: Day 4: Day 5: Day 6: Day 7: 3-14 Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate

15 Stretching for the Ultimate applies to all aspects of your life. In this exercise, apply the principle of Stretching for the Ultimate to your Personal Growth. Brainstorm 3 ways that you could Stretch for the Ultimate: 1. STRETCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE: personal growth Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate 3-15

16 STRETCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE: Your PERSONAL GROWTH Now choose which of the 3 you brainstormed you would like to focus on this week. List what you will do each day to Stretch for the Ultimate. My focus: Day 1: Day 2: Day 3: Day 4: Day 5: Day 6: Day 7: 3-16 Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate

17 Stretching for the Ultimate applies to all aspects of your life. In this exercise, apply the principle of Stretching for the Ultimate to your Health. Brainstorm 3 ways that you could Stretch for the Ultimate: 1. STRETCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE: your health Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate 3-17

18 STRETCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE: your health Now choose which of the 3 you brainstormed you would like to focus on this week. List what you will do each day to Stretch for the Ultimate. My focus: Day 1: Day 2: Day 3: Day 4: Day 5: Day 6: Day 7: 3-18 Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate

19 Stretching for the Ultimate applies to all aspects of your life. In this exercise, apply the principle of Stretching for the Ultimate to your Home and Family Life. Brainstorm 3 ways that you could Stretch for the Ultimate: 1. STRETCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE: home & family life Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate 3-19

20 STRETCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE: home & family life Now choose which of the 3 you brainstormed you would like to focus on this week. List what you will do each day to Stretch for the Ultimate. My focus: Day 1: Day 2: Day 3: Day 4: Day 5: Day 6: Day 7: 3-20 Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate

21 Stretching for the Ultimate applies to all aspects of your life. In this exercise, apply the principle of Stretching for the Ultimate to your Spiritual Enlightenment. Brainstorm 3 ways that you could Stretch for the Ultimate: 1. STRETCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE: spiritual enlightenment Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate 3-21

22 STRETCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE: spiritual enlightenment Now choose which of the 3 you brainstormed you would like to focus on this week. List what you will do each day to Stretch for the Ultimate. My focus: Day 1: Day 2: Day 3: Day 4: Day 5: Day 6: Day 7: 3-22 Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate

23 Stretching for the Ultimate applies to all aspects of your life. In this exercise, apply the principle of Stretching for the Ultimate to your Social Responsibilities. Brainstorm 3 ways that you could Stretch for the Ultimate: 1. STRETCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE: social responsibilities Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate 3-23

24 STRETCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE: social responsibilities Now choose which of the 3 you brainstormed you would like to focus on this week. List what you will do each day to Stretch for the Ultimate. My focus: Day 1: Day 2: Day 3: Day 4: Day 5: Day 6: Day 7: 3-24 Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate

25 Leverage Strengths List five things you do exceptionally well: Title Describe Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate 3-25

26 standing apart: law of contrast Based on the things you listed in the last worksheet, describe how you stand out or surpass other people with your strengths: Title How You Stand Out Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate

27 pushing beyond your current ability Determine a way to do each of those five things even better: Title How to do even better? Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate 3-27

28 identify your opportunities List five things in any aspect of your life that you neglect because you don t feel naturally gifted or able. Title Describe why you avoid: Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate

29 leverage your opportunities Determine a way to do each of the five things (you listed in the previous worksheet) better. Title What action can you take? Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate 3-29

30 earn a raise Describe your top five duties as an employee: Activity Describe Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate

31 earn a raise (continued) In what way could you do each of the five things (you listed in the previous worksheet) better. Activity How could you do it better? Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate 3-31

32 earn a raise (continued) What activity would have the greatest impact on your business, industry, department, or team and why? Which ones would naturally get attention from supervisors without alienating your peers? What promises could you make to your boss or supervisor and then exceed (without sacrificing your job performance in other areas)? 3-32 Module 3- Stretch for the Ultimate