Thirty five years ago, Richard Nelson Bolles, in his then groundbreaking book,posed a question that defined an entire era:

“What Color is Your Parachute?”Today, there is an even more important question begging to be answered:

“What Color is Your Performance?”Why is this question so critical?

Because your very life depends on it.

We are now in a perform or perish, results-driven, globaleconomy. To survive this hyper-competitive environment, you must abandon tired old tactics, and developsmart new strategies for getting andstaying ahead of your competition—whoever, or wherever it may be.

It doesn’t matter if the competi-tion is in the next cubical... next build-ing... next state... or in a country a world away. You have to be seen as aresults-driven contender—to be recog-nized as the single most VALUABLEperson for the job in the world. That’sreal career power!

Put simply, you have to outsmart,out-hustle and out-perform your peers,every step of the way.

Do this, and you will find last-ing success. Don’t, and you’ll be

left behind.

Full Spectrum Career Power is aboutpower: The power to rapidly accelerateyour career, and to take it to newheights and vistas. It’s about the powerto overcome circumstances and self-imposed limitations—to move youfaster in the direction of your dreamsand goals.

Full Spectrum Career Power offerspowerful new insights into the factorscurrently driving your performance.

Our purpose in writing this bookis to help you create, expand andunleash an awesome force-multiplier inyour life—to give you the power toachieve results beyond expectations.Personally and professionally.

Starting right now.

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FULL SPECTRUMCAREER POWERHow the Color of your PerformanceAffects the Color of your Parachute.

A field guide for surviving, eventhriving, in a Results-driven Economy

by

Eric R. Haas &Kent C. Madson

Publisher’s Notes

Full Spectrum Career Power is published by ThinkTQ, Inc. under license from theauthors. All Rights Reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright law, and exceptfor brief reviews, no portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into aretrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical,photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the express written permission of ThinkTQ,Incorporated.

The Time Prism,™ Nine to Five ScreenGEMS,™ TQ,™ Engage The Time Prism,™TQ SMART,™ Think Full Spectrum™ and Intelligent ScreenSaver Training System™ areTrademarks of ThinkTQ, Inc. These Trademarks are used subject to license agreementsbetween ThinkTQ, Inc. and the authors.

All other Trademarks by their respective owners. Other books, quotations andpublications referenced, and the authors mentioned, are used for illustrative purposes only anddo not represent an endorsement, implied or otherwise, by these authors, their estates orpublishers.

Cover design, graphics and layout by Spark Studios, Boulder, Colorado.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Information is on file with the publisher.

For more information, please eMail: Marketing@ThinkTQ.com

ThinkTQ.com

Post Office Box 18899

Boulder, Colorado 80308

© Copyright 2004-2008 by Eric R. Haas and Kent C. Madson

All Rights Reserved.

Table of Contents

Full Spectrum Career Power

Author Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Dedication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Opening Remarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Chapter One: Full Spectrum Career Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Chapter Two: The Formula for Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Chapter Three: In Search of The Gold Standard of Performance Excellence . . . . . . 39

Chapter Four: Discovering The Color of Your Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Attitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Set Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Make Plans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Prioritize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Synergize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Organize. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Optimize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Act Now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Chapter Five: What’s Next? How to Improve the Color of your Performance . . . 235

Special Offers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257

PDF Edition Guided Tour:

The Fastest and Easiest Way to Get an Overview of This Book.

A guided tour of the author’s highlights and notes.

In this PDF eBook, we have highlighted several passages to give you a fast overview ofthe key concepts, ideas and recommendations contained herein.

To move from passage to passage, simply click on the highlighted area, and you will betaken to the next highlighted page.

Technical Note.

To use this feature, Acrobat must be set to the Single Page View. To do this, simply goto the VIEW menu and select Single Page.

Depending on the version of Acrobat you are using, you may, or may not have access tothis feature. In the event you don’t, simply use your scroll bar to scroll down to the nexthighlighted passage.

To try this feature, click on the highlighted text below. You should be be taken to bookPage 2, which is page 5 in the PDF file:

Full Spectrum Career Power is not a job-hunters guide, designed to help peoplefind their next job, but rather, a resourceto help people from every walk of lifepower up their career potential bybecoming more VALUABLE... not justmore productive. Our goal is to help yousee what you need to do differently tostand out from your peers, by helpingyou differentiate yourself based on yourpower to produce tangible results.

Dedication:

To EVERYONE who feels powerless to change their direction.

Full Spectrum Career Power is dedicatedto people who know they must improvethe effectiveness of their performance—people only too aware that it has becomea perform-or-perish, results-driven, globaleconomy, and who need to sharpen theircompetitive edge—but just don’t knowhow... or where to start.

Full Spectrum Career Power is not a job-hunters guide, designed to help peoplefind their next job, but rather, a resourceto help people from every walk of lifepower up their career potential bybecoming more VALUABLE... not justmore productive. Our goal is to help yousee what you need to do differently tostand out from your peers, by helping youdifferentiate yourself based on yourpower to produce tangible results.

Author Notes:

About our motivational style.

Full Spectrum Career Power has been written by an entire team of people, working onvarious aspects of Project Time Prism and Project TQ, over the past 8 years. This book is justone element in a complete system designed to help people work smarter, compete smarter andlive the life they love.

Principal writing and storytelling has been penned by me, Eric R. Haas, with the ableassistance of my business partner, Kent C. Madson. So, when you see the word “I, ”please readit in my voice. When you see the word “WE,” this means Kent, I, and the collective of ahundred different people that was required to bring you the wisdom found within these pages.

Because I am a very positive and enthusiastic person, you will find what most editorsconsider an excessive use of exclamation points—and long dashes to emphasize a point! Thisis intentional.

My job is to educate you... to motivate you... to challenge you... to prompt you to changeboth your point of view—and your viewpoint. Kent and I want you to break out of your“business as usual” thinking, and take positive steps to become a powerful “New You!” If wesound a bit too “rah-rah,” please forgive us.

We are passionate about this discipline. We want to help you, and know we can. If weseem a little too pushy, please remember—THAT’S OUR JOB!

We also realize that you are looking for specific answers to some rather complex issues.In clear, and unambiguous language, we will answer two of your biggest questions:

1. What EXACTLY is holding me back from maximum CAREER POWER?

2. What SPECIFICALLY must I do to IMPROVE it?

When you put this book down, you will have your answers. We promise.

In the interest of simplicity, we have also tried to eliminate the massive details that seemto weigh down more “professorial” books, and get straight to the point. You will not findendless references, examples and outside expert opinions to slow you down. If you want toknow more about many of the economic concepts I am writing about, simply do a GoogleSearch and follow those links to your heart’s content!

Full Spectrum Career Power is also gated in approach. You do not have to read every word,cover to cover, to get tremendous benefit from this book. If you simply want to see how wellyou match up to the Gold Standard of Performance Excellence, start your journey withChapter 4: DISCOVERY. If you want to know more about the nuts and bolts of Full SpectrumCareer Power, start with Chapter 1: POWER.

Finally, Full Spectrum Career Power has been written with the eye towards the future. It ispart of an entire series of training products that are instantly available to you at our website:ThinkTQ.com. Enjoy!

F U L L S P E C T R U M C A R E E R P O W E R1 2

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Current Thoughts and Observations.

Why this book is critical to your career survival and advancement.

Thirty five years ago, Richard Nelson Bolles, in his book of the same title, posed aninteresting question—a question that defined an entire era:

“What Color is Your Parachute?”

Today, there is an even more important question begging to be answered:

“What Color is Your Performance?”

Why is this question so important? Because the color of your performance not onlyaffects your career potential and the color of your parachute—it affects everything you willever be, do or have in life. It is that important.

A Promise.

This book is designed to give you an entirely different view of your personal performance,from a fresh new perspective. By the end of this easy-to-read book, you will know, withcomplete confidence, what’s currently driving your successes and failures.

You will see what you are doing right, what you are doing wrong, and what you will needto do differently to achieve results beyond expectation—to become the success you trulydesire—both personally and professionally.

Further, we will not only answer this all-important question, we will give you the toolsto crank up your performance a notch or two—giving you the Color Power to immediatelyimprove your Career Power. This, we unconditionally promise:

You will have the ANSWER and the TOOLS to reinvent your career.

3

Sage Wisdom...

“Do not wait; the time will

never be ‘just right.’ Start

where you stand, and work

with whatever tools you may

have at your command, and

better tools will be found as

you go along.”

—Napoleon Hill

F I R S T !2008 Opening Remarks.

R e a d T h i s

F U L L S P E C T R U M C A R E E R P O W E R 4

Directly or indirectly, these issues will cause you pain.

Here is our short list of key changes that are causing a torrent of cascading problems forpeople in every walk of life:

1) Increased global competition. The cheap dollar and the U.S. Trade Deficit hasguaranteed a ten-year run of hyper-competition in virtually every industry.

2) Accelerated mergers and acquisitions. Two companies merging means greatereconomies of scale. Read that, fewer jobs. See Oracle and PeopleSoft... BankOne andChase... the entire Telecom industry... HP and Compaq... the list grows daily.

3) Bankruptcies of large (United, K-Mart, Enron, MCI, Global Crossing) and smallcompanies alike. The trend of using bankruptcy as a competitive strategy is onlygoing to get worse. The net affect is fewer people, with fewer high-paying jobs.

4) Market consolidations. The natural forces of economic change are happening at afaster pace than ever before in history. This means entire industries are evaporatingbefore our very eyes. Look at what PriceLine and Expedia have done to travelagencies. Look at what the internet has done to call centers. Look at the virtualextinction of the long-distance phone market or even to phone companies that usewire! (How so 5 years ago.) Result: Fewer high paying jobs... and a continuous floodof major layoffs. Market consolidations are very messy.

5) Downsizing and right-sizing. Companies of every nature are vastly more productivethan they have been at any time in history. Automation means that fewer, lower-cost people can produce more with less.

6) Salary reductions, benefit give-backs and raises that don’t even match the rate ofinflation. Results: People are actually losing ground when it comes to real income.

7) Underfunded pension plans and highly speculative profit-sharing programs. Somepeople are going to get very rich, while the average guy picks up the tab.

8) Outsourcing, off-shoring and the continued forces of disintermediation. The fact is,there is someone, somewhere, who will do your job as well as you do, for far lessmoney. The globalization of work is wreaking havoc. You are affected. Believe it.

Yes, the next 5 years are going to be tougher, not easier.

In short, we will see the further loss of jobs in entire industries... a significant increase inthe poverty level... fewer jobs paying more money... more jobs paying less money... reducedinflation-adjusted incomes... capped or reduced benefits... and reduced job security—at everylevel, within every organization.

“Periods of tranquility are seldom prolific of creative

achievement. Mankind has to be stirred up.”

— Alfred North Whitehead

A Warning.

The next 4 pages are filled with gloom and doom, followed by 250 pages of HOPE. Eventhough you may know that times are tough, and getting tougher by the minute, we ask thatyou refresh your commitment to your career by engaging in this short reality check.

We begin our 2008 Opening Remarks with a dour warning. Today, like no time in therecent past, you and I are operating in a highly unforgiving, results-driven, global economy.

For you to survive in this climate, you must adopt an entirely new mindset. To thrive,you must develop a “fight-back attitude”—to proactively position yourself for the long, toughbattle ahead: The battle for career survival and personal prosperity.

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the

things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So

throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch

the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

— Mark Twain

You must develop the power to fight back.

If you want to rise to the top of your chosen profession, you can. But you will need tolook at your career potential from an entirely new perspective: POWER.

The fact is, you are no longer just fighting the competition, but fighting for your verysurvival. As we say in Chapter 1, it’s not that times are changing, it’s that times have changed.To get ahead, you not only need to do things differently, you need to do different things.

Foremost is to start thinking STRATEGICALLY about your career—not justTACTICALLY. More about this in a moment.

Who or what are you fighting back against?

You are fighting back against an entire laundry list of accelerating global changes—changes that are redefining the very nature of work. This list is not hidden. It is highly visible,published each day in newspapers, magazines, on websites, on TV and radio.

The magnitude of these changes is staggering—the numbers are mind-boggling. Wewon’t bore you with the statistics, but rather, invite your attention to the big picture. (If youwant numbers, just Google each item on the list. You’ll quickly see what we see.)

While you might not yet realize it, these changes are directly affecting you, in ways youcannot yet begin to imagine. Worse, the trend is irreversible.

No question, these ARE the good old days. You can choose to fight for your future, orgive in to circumstances. However, twenty years from now when you look back on today,remember this: You had a choice as to how your future would unfold.

F U L L S P E C T R U M C A R E E R P O W E R5 6

How do you fight back?

First off, there is nothing you, or anyone else can do to stop or reverse these trends. Thesemega-trends have already gained critical mass and are accelerating.

It is hopeless to fight the trends. You have to fight the system. You can take advantageof the opportunities these changes are creating by improving your career tactics, anddeveloping an entirely new career strategy. Otherwise, you are fighting a losing battle.

Tactics vs. Strategy.

As we said earlier, Full Spectrum Career Power is not a tactical book on finding your nextjob. Nor is it a resource to help you with the minutia of fluidly moving from one career toanother. This book will not:

• Help improve your interviewing skills...

• Teach you how to write a superior cover letter...

• Show you how to rework your résumé and get it greater exposure...

• Help you find a new job by honing your networking skills...

• Tell you how to ask for a raise, negotiate compensation, or anything of the kind...

• Give you various techniques for getting in front of the right people...

• Help you determine what you are going to be when you grow up.

Obviously, these are all things you need to be doing to get your career moving in theright direction. Given the nature of the economy, we highly recommend that you do all ofthese—and more—if you want to fight, and win, the battle for a career that is both financiallyand emotionally rewarding. An excellent starting point would be to get a current copy ofWhat Color is Your Parachute, and pursue these tactics with the zeal of a renegade crusader.

“No steam or gas ever drives anything until it is confined. No

Niagara is ever turned into light and power until it is tunneled.

No life ever grows until it is focused, dedicated, disciplined.”

— Harry Emerson Fosdick

Now, Let’s Talk Strategy.

To survive, even thrive, in this results-driven economy, you must learn to think beyondtactics, and develop a fresh new strategy for getting and staying ahead of the pack.

In a RESULTS-DRIVEN ECONOMY, you have but one option: Produce better RESULTSthan your competition. And as we say in Chapter 1, it doesn’t matter if your competition isin the next cubical... next office... next building... next city... next state... or in a country aworld away. You have to find a way to be seen as a results-driven contender.

If not, your career potential is in serious doubt.

“What’s my strategy,” you ask?

Simply produce better RESULTS—and do it FASTER than you ever have in the past.How? In the broadest terms possible, your career strategy is to:

• Out smart...

• Out hustle...

• Out perform...

• Out communicate...

• Out lead...

• Out produce...

• And out think the competition...every step of the way.

In short, you must perform such that you not only

meet, but exceed rapidly growing expectations. Do

this, and you will succeed brilliantly. Don’t, and

you will suffer the heartbreak of failure, both

personally and professionally.

Which gets us back to our original question:

“What Color is Your Performance?”Over the next 250 pages you will learn the answer to this all-important question. You

will see where your performance is strong and vibrant, and where it is weak and faded. Youwill see, in living color, exactly what’s holding you back from producing superior results.

In the end, you will not only have your answer, but know exactly what you’ll need to doto take your career to the next level. You will know, with great precision, what you will needto do to not only survive, but thrive in this results-driven, global economy.

You will gain Full Spectrum Career Power!

“Being stuck is a position few of us like. We want something

new but cannot let go of the old—old ideas, beliefs, habits,

even thoughts. We are out of contact with our own genius.

Sometimes we know we are stuck; sometimes we don't. In

both cases we have to DO something.”

— Inga Teekens

F U L L S P E C T R U M C A R E E R P O W E R7 8

How The Color of Your Performance Affects The Color of Your Parachute.

A guide to surviving—indeed thriving—in a RESULTS-driven, global economy.

It’s not that times are changing. It’s that times have changed.

You can sense it. You can feel it. You can see it.

Pick up any newspaper. Turn on any news program. The message is the same.

Today, the world is a starkly different place than at any point in human history. Noquestion, the past few years of stock market turbulence... massive layoffs... mega-mergers...corporate bankruptcies... reorganizations/restructurings... job outsourcing... the events of9/11... the rise of an internet-driven, global economy... are all highly visible indicators thatthe rate of change in our lives is accelerating—at a rate that can’t even be calculated—let alonebe controlled. Remember the old adage, “The only constant is change”? Change is no longer aconstant. Change is increasingly variable.

Once you accept this fact, everything going on in the world, the economy, your careerand life will make perfect sense. No, it is not possible to control the changes going on. Yes,it is possible to seize the ever-present opportunities that arise from the chaos change creates.When the new takes the place of the old, there are always boundless opportunities. Thequestion is, do you have the power to SEE them? Do you have the power to SEIZE them?

This book is about power. The power to rapidly accelerate your career—to take it to newheights and vistas. It’s about the power to overcome circumstances and self-imposedlimitations—to move you faster in the direction of your dreams.

Our purpose in writing Full Spectrum Career Power is to help you create, expand andunleash an awesome force-multiplier in your life—to give you the power to achieve resultsbeyond expectation—personally and professionally. Starting right now.

“Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.”

— Karen Kaiser Clark

3

Sage Wisdom...

“ God grant me the

serenity to accept the

things I cannot change,

the courage to change

the things I can, and

the wisdom to know

the difference.”

—Reinhold Niebuhr

P OW E RFull Spectrum Career Power.

Po w e r

C A R E E R P O W E R 10

Never before in human history have we had such incredible power, freedom andopportunity... together with such fast-moving global competition. We have moved beyondthe industrial revolution... blown through the information revolution... and are at thebeginning of an entirely new economic reality. We are at the cusp of a revolution in the waypeople live and work. Global competition is changing our lives—for better and worse—andthere’s simply no stopping it.

If you are not prepared for the rough-and-tumble ride ahead, this is going to be a timein your life you will soon want to forget. It can, and will, get worse for people who fail torecognize that the handwriting on the wall has indeed been put there for them.

The opposite is equally true. It is the best of times—if you can clearly differentiateyourself from the herd—and consistently meet growing expectations. Opportunity aboundsfor people capable of taking full advantage of social and business change.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the

most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”

— Charles Darwin

Perform or perish.

No question, it has become a perform or perish, results-driven, global economy. It is nolonger a “survival of the fittest” model that drives your successes and failures, but rather, a“survival of the fastest” new world order. To get and stay ahead, you simply must producebetter results—and do it faster than you ever dreamed possible. No, I am not telling youanything new here. But, I do want to cover this base before moving on.

You can earn more money... have the career of choice... and achieve your goals... sooner,rather than later. You can become recognized as the top-gun in your field. You can put yourcareer-track on the promotion fast-track and attain the financial security you desire.

Yes, you can have it all. Maybe not all at the same time, but you can live the life youlove—and leave a legacy that will live longer still. But you will have to out-work, out-smart,out-hustle and out-perform your competition every step of the way. Because “good enough”,no longer is. The natural law of economic disintermediation has seen to that!

Disintermediation?

Disintermediation is a “high-falutin” word that economists love to use. It describes theflight of resources from a high-cost to low-cost business structure, or a low-yielding to a high-yielding investment—such as moving from a Certificate of Deposit to a Mutual Fund—to geta higher rate of return. It is what they mean when they talk about the “flight of capital” outof Japan to the U.S., or vice versa. It is also used to describe shifts in world employment andtrade patterns by eliminating the “intermediaries”—the middlemen in the supply chain.

What Color is your Parachute?

You do have a parachute, don’t you? Is it gold, sliver, bronze or tin? Is it one of those cool,multi-colored, beautifully-emblazoned canopies used for hang-gliding? Or, is it more of atattered old rag that you wouldn’t want to jump off the porch with, let alone out of a plane?

The term “Golden Parachute” has become synonymous with rising to the top of yourprofession and retiring rich—or at least well-off enough for you to live life on your own terms:to go where you want, when you want, how you want and with whom you want.

In his best-selling book, “What Color is Your Parachute?” (first penned some thirty five yearsago), Richard Bolles described the need for a parachute when he needed to bail out of his careeras an Episcopal Priest, and move on to other pursuits because his church was suddenly closed.Interestingly, the book is not about parachutes—of any color, texture or construction for thatmatter—but rather, a fabulous resource for job hunters and career changers.

Over the years, the notion of a Golden Parachute has expanded from a simple device tocushion your fall when jumping from one career to another, to a well-defined statement fromthe Internal Revenue Service that governs how you are to report income from a deployedchute! The definition, in part, reads:

A clause in an executive's employment contract specifying that he/she willreceive large benefits in the event that the company is acquired and theexecutive's employment is terminated. These benefits can take the form ofseverance pay, a bonus, stock options, or a combination thereof...

My definition of a Golden Parachute is slightly different: The freedom to fluidly movefrom opportunity to opportunity with little or no financial risk... to jump at a moment’snotice... without fear of losing life, limb or suffering debilitating setbacks. If you know youhave the wind beneath your wings, you have the freedom to fly as high as you want.

What Color is your Performance?

Like What Color is Your Parachute, this book is not really about parachutes. It’s not a jobhunters guide or a resource for finding a rewarding career. It is, however, about COLORS—the colors within your performance spectrum—and how they not only affect the color of yourparachute, but every aspect of your life. It’s a resource for finding the hidden potential withinyourself—and transforming that potential into pure, results-producing, personal power.

We will not help you find your next job. We will, however, get you in shape for career-changing opportunities. Our goal is to prepare you to take full advantage of the incredibleopportunities ahead, and to easily leap over the hurdles of a relentless and significantly morecompetitive global economy. By helping you produce RESULTS beyond expectations.

The Results Revolution.

If Charles Dickens was writing this page, he would almost certainly begin it with: “It wasthe worst of times. It was the best of times.” It is!

F U L L S P E C T R U M C A R E E R P O W E R11 12

I know everyone has an opinion on this, and in most cases, a highly charged one at that.Again, I would prefer not to moralize the issue, but rather make sure you fully understandwhat’s happening. You might not like it. It might not be in your best interest, right now.These changes may be wreaking havoc on your entire life. I’m sorry. But here’s some advice:move on. Rather than getting mad about it, or allowing your feelings to get in the way of theopportunity at hand... get over it... and get on with it.

You can’t control the global economy. Even Bill Gates and Warren Buffet can’t controlthe global economy. All you can do is change the way you see and take advantage of theendless opportunities at hand. The good news is, you can change YOU, and that will be morethan enough for you to prosper in these turbulent times.

“No one can persuade another to change. Each of

us guards a gate of change that can only be opened

from the inside. We cannot open the gate of another,

either by argument or emotional appeal.”

— Marilyn Ferguson

The fundamental rules of the road haven’t

changed—but they are being strictly enforced!

The simple truth is that employment and commerce are supply and demand propositionsthat are won or lost based on VALUE. If you are perceived to be the HIGH VALUE, LOWCOST producer, all things remaining equal, you will always win. However, if you areperceived to be the HIGH COST, LOW VALUE choice, you will be the big-time loser in thiseconomy.

In fact, there is one, and only one strategy for surviving the changes immediately ahead:Improve your personal Price-to-Value Ratio (PVR). You will not only survive in this economy,but thrive, if you continuously grow your PVR.

Put simply, you must become increasingly more VALUABLE, not just more productive.In a moment, I will tell you HOW. But first permit me to explain WHY.

The Productivity Paradox.

Before moving on, I would like to offer an observation on the economics behind thisresults-driven, global economy. Contrary to popular opinion, just becoming more productive isnot the solution to improving your career options—only a good step in the right direction.

We are going through a period in time when productivity increases are rattling therafters! Everyone has become more productive. Everyone is expected to become moreproductive still. Organizations of every nature, in every nook and cranny on the planet, havethrown trillions of dollars at improving productivity. The big news?

Disintermediation is usually the result of market transparency, when buyers becomeaware of the pricing and availability of competing products and services, all the way up anddown the supply chain. As a result, buyers bypass the wholesalers and retailers in order to buydirectly from the manufacturer, thereby paying less, and eliminating the middleman.

Disintermediation has also become a popular buzz word used to describe how internet-based businesses use the World Wide Web to sell products directly to customers rather thangoing through traditional retail channels. Again, by eliminating middlemen, companies candevelop entirely new markets and sell their products cheaper and faster.

The internet has revolutionized the way products and services are bought and sold.Disintermediation is the driving force behind this revolution. Only now are we beginning torealize the full force and effect of this natural, economic phenomenon on our daily lives.

We conveniently buy cheap airline tickets online—bypassing the local travel agency. Weget a deal... a travel agent goes belly-up. We effortlessly book hotel rooms on the net ratherthan using an 800 number... bypassing a MCI call center in Colorado... which ultimately leadsto 4,500 people receiving pink-slips. We purchase luggage at eBags... buy watches on eBay...all with the hope of getting the absolute best deal possible.

These dynamic changes are happening all over the world, causing major shifts in entireindustries. Ultimately, this causes some industries, and companies within them, to grow andprosper—and others to recede and die off. The cumulative effect of these billions-upon-billions of transactions is to fuel a growing, global economy, not cripple it.

Today, the media is filled with horror stories about outsourcing programmers, financialanalysts and customer service jobs to India because the internet has made distance and globalcommunication a non-issue. So, there is a flight of jobs out of Boulder to Bangalor.

Let’s not moralize the issue.

This is not a good or bad thing. There is no great moral principle at work here.Disintermediation is just an economic reality that you must learn to deal with—indeed totake advantage of—and make work for you.

Actually, none of this is NEW. These changes have been going on for thousands of years...all the way back to ancient Greece and Rome... and Egypt before that. It’s just that in recentyears, these changes have become highly visible—and are accelerating before our very eyes.What used to take years is now taking days. What used to take days now takes nanoseconds.

Over the long haul, this is healthy. It is the natural process of death in one industry andthe birth of ten new ones. Disintermediation is the big engine that fuels expansionary growthon a global level. Which is a good thing.

But growth from the process of “creative destruction” can be painful—excruciatinglypainful—in the short term. Especially if it is your company that’s affected... or yourcommunity that is in melt-down... or your job being “right-sized” out of existence.

F U L L S P E C T R U M C A R E E R P O W E R13 14

From our point of view, this is just one step below gloom-and-doom thinking. Thesesurveys are projecting people’s opinions based on the assumption that they are not going tochange—and that if they continue down the same path that they have been traveling allalong—they will ultimately get where they are going. Big whoop!

Yes, if you do not change direction, you will end up where you are headed.

So, change direction! There’s no need to head down the path to a dead-end future anymore than you need to settle for a life of failed hopes and dreams.

“Sounds great, but how do I actually become more VALUABLE,” you ask? There’s a shortanswer to this question, as well as a much longer one. The long answer is fully covered inChapter 4.

The short answer can be explained in just 3 bullet points. To become more VALUABLE:

• Consistently produce greater RESULTS...

• By continuously improving your PERFORMANCE...

• By increasing your STRENGTHS and eliminating your WEAKNESSES.

Put simply, in a perform-or-perish, global economy, you must consistently perform betterthan those around you. No big surprise here, right? The world is highly competitive, so youhave to compete smarter and harder than the people around you—or around the world for thatmatter. In a word, you must constantly elevate your PVR: Price-to-Value Ratio.

Today, the objective is to maintain such a high personal PVR, that you are seen as thebest choice, maybe even the only choice, for the opportunity at hand... whatever thatopportunity might be. Because the global landscape has changed so radically, you need tomake absolutely certain that you are seen as the BEST BUY on the planet, when it comes todoing whatever it is you actually do.

“Our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but

to get ahead of ourselves—to break our own records,

to outstrip our yesterday by our today.”

— Stewart B. Johnson

It doesn’t matter a lick if you are the CEO of a multinational corporation... the VP ofOperations... a Salesperson... a Department Manager... a Cashier... or the sole employee in a 1-horse, dog-and-pony show... you will ultimately get PAID what you’re worth—if you canclearly DEMONSTRATE your worth.

How do you demonstrate your true worth? By adding VALUE to whatever opportunityyou are given, of course. This means being seen as the best of the bunch... a real keeper... atotal team player... a woman who knows how to get things done... the man who turned thecompany around... the guy who made the single sale that made the company’s numbers for

Becoming more productive is making your job less secure. Hence the paradox.

This item from the May 1, 2004 issue of Fortune Magazine makes the point perfectly. (Myguess is that this article will be as on-point twenty years from now as it is today!)

“The problem for workers—though obviously good news for the economy in general—is that every year many of the jobs just aren’t needed any longer. It’s been happening fordecades and will keep happening for decades more. We all know it, but with presidentialcandidates talking earnest nonsense, most of which gets reported uncritically in the general-interest media, it’s easy to forget how overwhelming the trend is.

For example, in 1990, America had 169,000

steelworkers. Just 11 years later, in 2001, we were

down to 88,000, a vertiginous 48% drop. Yet

even though 81,000 jobs disappeared, the

remaining workers produced 17% more steel.

It’s the same story in industry after industry: We keep producing more with less.

In U.S. manufacturing overall, total sales rocketed from $2.8 trillion in 1990 to $4.3trillion in 2001. The population grew, and the labor force grew. Yet total manufacturingemployment fell 7%. U.S. manufacturing employment overall peaked in June 1979 and hasbeen headed downhill ever since. It won’t be going back up.”

Rising productivity means that MORE work can be done with FEWER people.

Again, this is good news. And even if you don’t think it is, there’s not a darned thing youcan do about it. It’s a trend—no, an economic reality—that you must learn to deal with:directly and decisively.

If you want to move beyond your current circumstances, you must learn to think welloutside the box, and look at your performance from a fresh new perspective. Which of course,is why you’re reading this book! The last thing Kent and I want to do is pump you up withhalf-truths and hype... that by becoming more productive and effective you can guarantee thatGolden Parachute—and the solid-gold lifestyle that goes with it.

Yes, you must become more productive than your competition. You must get MOREdone, in LESS time. Unfortunately, that’s not all there is to it.

Our message: Become more VALUABLE—not just more productive.

Without question, the fundamental changes going on in the global economy are beingreflected back into your life. In survey after survey, people say they feel less confident in thefuture... less confident that they will be able to retire on their own terms... less confident thatthey will find a career that is both financially and emotionally rewarding. Even though theyare vastly more productive than at any point in human history.

F U L L S P E C T R U M C A R E E R P O W E R15 16

Differentiate or Die.

You have to become NOTICEABLY GOOD at something—by developing a richportfolio of skills that puts distance between you and your peers. This means maintaining alevel of performance that makes you truly stand out from the pack. If you don’t, expect pain.

Peters’ view of the future is dead-on-point to ours: The only job security you have is basedon how well you differentiate yourself from your peers. Because the revolution that hasdecimated “blue collar” occupations for the past 30 years is now happening to the “whitecollar” crowd—your only hope is to stand apart from your peers in every way possible.

Tom predicts that within the next 10-15 years, 90% of all white collar jobs will beeliminated, consolidated, reorganized or redefined beyond recognition. This may not besetting off alarms for you—but it should—especially if you fit his definition of “CubicalSlave.” The vast majority of ALL jobs in America are white collar jobs. The revolutionary shiftof these jobs to other parts of the world—where they can be done better, cheaper, faster or atall—should raise the hackles on the back of your neck.

Sometime in the next few years, your company, industry

and job will be at risk. In all probability, your job may well

be eliminated. The question is, will you be able to react to

the changes faster than your peers? Is your performance

different “enough” to guarantee that you will rise as

industries and occupations fall? Will you follow Charles

Darwin’s advice and become a survivor—simply by being

better able to adapt to the changes now occurring?

The impact of this revolution on the way we work, where we work and how we earn ourdaily bread is just now being felt in industry after industry—occupation after occupation. Thetrend is irreversible. Indeed, it is accelerating and morphing into problems and opportunitieswe have little power to comprehend, let alone control.

Yes, the handwriting is on the wall: Differentiate yourself or die. Consistently improvethe effectiveness of your performance—making sure you stand out—and your star will rise.Don’t, and the the next few years are going to be a lot tougher than you can imagine.

Real value vs. perceived value.

No question, the key to success in a results-driven economy is to differentiate yourselffrom the crowd... to take charge of your career by becoming its CEO. This meansdistinguishing yourself as someone who gets RESULTS!

the quarter... the department head who managed to reduce costs 50% while growing sales30%... the young woman on the phone who’s smile was so infectious that she got yournumber... one salesperson into the hunt ahead of your top 3 competitors... the programmerwho figured out a new way to triple your web server’s capacity, with less hardware... the listgoes on.

Yes, to distinguish yourself in this economy, you have to

add value. Add more value, you become worth more.

Add exceptional value and you quickly rise to the top.

Become more valuable by being SEEN as highly valuable.

You distinguish yourself by standing out from the herd. You become the “Purple Cow”Seth Godin wrote about in his fabulous book by the same name. (If you’re in any form ofmarketing/self-promotion and haven’t had a chance to read this book—add it to your Must-Read List, today!)

While on the subject of must-read books, pick up a copy of Tom Peters’ Brand You 50.Some people will find this book hard to get through, but it has a wonderful perspective onwhat’s required to succeed in today’s tough-as-nails, business environment. If you can getbeyond the gratuitous foul language, rants and screaming typography, this book is a real gem.(But of course, this is what his seminars and speaking gigs are all about, so if you like himlive, this “experience” may be the next best thing!)

Pay close attention to his advice on becoming the CEO of your own career... to take backcontrol of your life by becoming a “Performing Artist”... by recognizing that yourperformance matters... and that you are judged by your last project, production orperformance.

The central thesis of Brand You 50 is that your performance is everything. To survive theseturbulent times, you must “Transform yourself into a BRAND that shouts distinction,commitment and passion.” (Like Jordan, Elway, Oprah or Stewart.)

In the most simplistic of terms, if your performance doesn’t consistently scream outoriginality, quality and results, you are dead in the water. Good is always at the mercy ofbetter, because best is the enemy of good.

“He who stops being better

stops being good.”

— Oliver Cromwell

F U L L S P E C T R U M C A R E E R P O W E R17 18

Think about it. No one wants a to buy a drill, yet Black and Decker sells millions ofthem. Why? People want HOLES. They buy a drill to get a hole.

When you look at the product behind the product—or the promise behind the service—you can quickly see that there are few—if any—simple value propositions. Black and Deckerdifferentiates their product line not only on price, but style, color, feel, size, availability,packaging, warranty, and a whole host of other designed-in attributes. Black and Deckermakes it EASY for people to SEE the benefits, and unique VALUE proposition, of choosingtheir products over Dewalt or Hitachi. That’s the idea. It’s marketing warfare at its best.

This thinking applies equally to your career. Especially to your career. Here’s a truth forwhich there are no exceptions:

Employers do not want employees—they want what they

believe a given employee will do for them—now and in

the future. Employers are buying a promise... a promise of

what an employee says he or she will contribute to the

organization. Over time, this promise will be kept, or it

won’t. If the promise is not kept, you’re history.

Having employed thousands of people over the years, I can attest to this truth. Want aGolden Parachute? No problem: Under Promise—Over Deliver. At every point in your career.

It doesn’t matter if you have been on the job for years, or are in a starter position. Findout precisely what’s expected of you in that particular job, and deliver so much value it makesyour co-workers CRAZY—but makes your bosses WILD with excitement.

Your job behind the job is to make absolutely certain that your boss’s BOSS knows thatthe smartest thing they ever did was to hire YOU! When other people start saying “We gotthe bargain of the century when we hired you... I wish we had 10 more people like you...,”you have distinguished yourself as someone who is truly VALUABLE... a real keeper.

On the other hand, if your boss is constantly on your case, or grumbling about yourperformance, you are differentiating yourself alright—but not in a particularly favorable light.If you ever overhear the boss say something like, “Just why the hell do we have to give so-and-so three warnings before terminating that moron?” you are clearly standing OUT, but aremore on your way out than you are on your way up!

I don’t want to “guild the lily” here, but I can’t leave this point without your completeand total buy-in. It’s your extended PVR that matters most to employers, clients, and customers.Your extended PVR is your real value + your perceived value to others. Think about it.

You can produce exceptional results, but if no one knows it... attributes them to you... orrecognizes your contributions—it’s NOT their fault—it’s yours! You can have the greatestPVR in the world, but if you don’t show people how you are different, you are on the fast trackto oblivion.

No, if you want to thrive in a results-driven, global economy, you are going to have tolearn to produce significantly better RESULTS than you have in the past—and do it in far lessTIME. There is no “other” other way.

This may be a good spot to point out something I’ve been implying, but not saying inso many words over the last few pages. While it is true that you have to differentiate yourselfbased on VALUE, there are many facets to the value proposition—some of which are obvious;some of which are well-hidden.

In the minds of your customers or your employer, the PERCEIVED differences in yourperformance may, in fact, be more important than your ACTUAL differences. At least initially.

Over time, however, you will be judged on your actual results, not on the hype thatsupports your image. With that said, there is an important principle that you can use to morecompletely differentiate yourself—to help you stand out with even greater distinction.

Marketing is based on the simple principle of perceived value. In truth, people do notbuy products or services—they buy what they expect the product will do for them... or theimplied promise behind the service. If you want to read a wonderful book on marketing thathas some of the best career advice you will ever receive, pick up a copy of Henry Beckwith’sMarketing the Invisible. Regardless of your occupation, it will show you how to positionyourself, so your customers/employer understand what a great deal they are getting byemploying you!

“Time in America is shrinking. Companies have

downsized their staffs and up-sized the workloads

of all the survivors. These people need shortcuts

every waking minute of their lives.”

— Henry Beckwith

Perception is EVERYTHING: What’s real vs. what you THINK is real.

As Beckwith so succinctly points out, consumers buy the perception of how a product willWORK... delivering the benefits we expect when we make the decision to purchase it. Thisapplies to everything: movies, fast food, beer, cars, computers, video games, clothing,housing—virtually everything we buy. It also drives our employment relationships and career path.

A quick quiz. What are men buying when they see the beautiful Coors Twins on one ofthose NFL commercials? Beer in a can—or something else? What is it that women areactually buying when they see another woman walking up the stairs touting an Adult HappyMeal from McDonalds? A boxed lunch—or something beyond the obvious? What is it yourkids/grandkids want when they see MJ wearing those cool shoes? Do they want shoes—or dothey want to FLY?!

F U L L S P E C T R U M C A R E E R P O W E R19 20

Case in point.

Which of these two people would you want on your team? In your department? RunningR & D? Pitching the big sale? Managing your retirement plan? Deploying your computernetwork? Writing your policies and procedures? Calling the shots?

A. Someone who is frequently Drained, Directionless, Pessimistic, Vague, Rash,Scattered, Critical, Haphazard, Distracted and Hesitant? Or...

B. Someone who is Energetic, Passionate, Enthusiastic, Self-directed, Focused,Supportive, Systematic, Timely and Proactive?

There are just 10 words describing either person. There are just 10 words that distinguishthe one from the other. Which has an outstanding future in a results-driven economy? Whichwill get the big break, when it comes time to move from Team Leader to DepartmentManager? Which will get the nod from management to pursue a highly risky developmentstrategy? Which of the two will move rapidly beyond the job they are currently doing—jumping to an entirely different career path—taking their God-given talents and acquiredskills to a brand new opportunity? To start the next Yahoo!, Google, Apple or Dell?

Which person is already on the list of people to lose in the next reorganization? Whichof the two already has 2 of the 3 “mandatory write-ups”? Which has the power to move fromthe job at hand, to a career-changing opportunity? Which will have to explain to anyonewilling to listen why life is so hard... so unfair... so outright miserable?

“When the archer misses the mark, he turns and

looks for the fault within himself. Failure to hit

the bull's eye is never the fault of the target. To

improve your aim—improve yourself.”

— Gilbert Arland

You be the judge.

Who would you invest time and money in? If you were calling the shots, what would youdo with someone who consistently fails to live up to expectations—who breaks their promisesto management... their fellow employees... to themselves?

Yes, I am asking you to sit in judgement... to compare one person’s performance againstanother. Frequent performance reviews, both formally and informally, are the rule in a results-driven economy. And they should be embraced, not feared.

These “Results Reviews” happen every single day... in the break room... in meetings...over drinks... on golf outings... in every phone conversation. The simple truth is that yourperformance is being evaluated—continuously. Your power to produce results is being

When you can positively answer the question, “What are people getting when they getme?” you are well on your way to core differentiation. When it becomes obvious that youconsistently produce exceptional results—at half the cost of others... or with greaterconsistency... or with fewer hassles—AND THEY KNOW IT—your star will rise.

You will be given more money... better benefits...

bigger opportunities and greater freedom.

If not, then it’s time to switch jobs, careers and books! If this is your case, DEFINITELYdust off your copy of What Color is My Parachute—or get a fresh new edition—with fresh newideas on finding a position that truly values your VALUE!

Again, evaluating your performance is not just up to others to mystically figure out. It’sup to you to make certain that you are performing at, or near the top, of your calling.

“Change and growth take place when a person

has risked himself and dares to become involved

with experimenting with his own life.”

— Herbert A. Otto

If you are producing results beyond expectation, it’s up to you to make certain your chainof command “gets it!” If you are consistently producing exceptional results—and you are notbeing recognized accordingly—you have a PR problem friend, not a PVR problem.

The truth is that people of every gender, race and education rise from starter positions totop-flight opportunities every day. They distinguish themselves, get recognized, and move onand move up. Military occupations are a perfect example of this. Think: Colin Powell.

There are many paths that will take you to the top, or anywhere you want to go for thatmatter. The key to real differentiation is to make absolutely certain that you not only STANDOUT, but stand out based on your ability to consistently produce powerful RESULTS.

Beware. Your performance is highly visible.

Remember, lots of people stand out. How many people do you know who areunmotivated, haphazard, inconsistent, and chronic complainers? These people really standout, don’t they? They are highly visible, if not vocal.

They have differentiated themselves. Unfortunately, people with these characteristicsdon’t have a “snowball’s chance” of making the trip to the top—or anywhere near it.

How you are seen by others has a great impact on your career potential. How you areperceived by your employer is what ultimately determines the size of your paycheck,parachute and your future.

F U L L S P E C T R U M C A R E E R P O W E R21 22

Don’t confuse EFFORT with RESULTS.

In today’s results-driven, global economy, people pay for results, not effort. You, I andevery business in America—indeed, the entire world—now has the option of receivingmaximum value for every dollar spent... or we can find someone else to deliver that productor service. This is creating a complete and total realignment of the way we work and the waywe live.

Remember Tom Peters statement that 90% of the jobs we have today will either beeliminated or redefined beyond recognition? I humbly disagree

His estimate of this tidal change on employment, job security and income is LOW.

Virtually EVERY job in America is at stake, directly or indirectly. I could give you athousand examples, but there’s no reason to bore you by repeating what you’re hearing onCNN or reading in Business Week, The Wall Street Journal or USA Today. This sea change isaffecting every job, at every level. And the reality is, it’s only just beginning.

Moving Forward.

Now that you have a clear understanding for what we see ahead, the issue becomes, howto take advantage of this results-driven, global economy and become wildly successful—bothpersonally and professionally.

In Chapter 2, you will see that there is indeed a formula for success, a repeatablemethodology for becoming the success you truly desire. All you need to do is work theformula and the formula will work for you!

“For a person to build a rich and rewarding life for

himself, there are certain qualities and bits of knowledge

that he needs to acquire. There are also things, harmful

attitudes, superstitions, and emotions that he needs to chip

away. A person needs to chip away everything that doesn't

look like the person he or she most wants to become.”

— Earl Nightingale

measured—daily. You are constantly being subjected to a spoken and unspoken, review ofyour performance. Just remember, in both the formal and informal settings, you have todifferentiate yourself. To stand apart—by standing for clear and tangible results.

By the way. This isn’t something new. Performance differentiation has been taking placefrom the time you entered first grade and moved on through college. And it doesn’t stop whenyou get a degree. In fact, it becomes even more intense.

It certainly becomes more important—because the

stakes are higher. Your paycheck is at stake... your

raise is in jeopardy... that big promotion you have

been counting on hangs in the balance.

When you realize that you are in constant competition for attention, and that every job—at every level—is being critically scrutinized, you soon realize that your organization’s fate,and your destiny are inextricably linked.

Global economics affects your life far more than you realize. The ebbs and flow within aresults-driven economy rise and fall like waves on the ocean—powerful, constantly changingin intensity and force. You can choose to ride the crest of the wave, or be dragged under.

A personal note.

I am not an economist. While I personally find economics interesting, it is called the“dismal science” for a reason: It’s just not fascinating to ordinary folks. I understand.

Because this book is about rapidly expanding your career power, I felt it important tobriefly explain WHY you need to perform better... WHY you need to differentiate yourself...from a much broader perspective than you might have previously considered.

I am not a gloom and doom, the sky-is-falling, reactionary. Nonetheless, there is aDRAGON at your door. Its name is DISINTERMEDIATION.

This dragon is not merely knocking. It is beating your door down.

Please consider what I have been telling you in the broadest terms possible. Either youremployer becomes the High Value, Low Cost provider of goods and services, or YOUR job isat risk. In every organization, large and small, every single person needs to be operating at, ornear the top, of his or her performance potential. This is especially important if you are self-employed or an independent contractor.

Just one person, not pulling his or her weight, can have a devastating effect on the entireorganization. Why? Because of Rule # 1 of business:

You can’t pass your inefficiencies on to your

customers. They simply won’t pay it.

F U L L S P E C T R U M C A R E E R P O W E R23 24

About TQ and why it’s important.

Why your TQ is critical to career survival and advancement.

In Chapter 1, we raised some interesting questions: How well do you stand out from yourpeers? How do you differentiate yourself in this results-driven, global economy?

How you answer these questions will determine if your career track is on the fast-tracktowards success, or quickly moving you away from it.

Clearly, to become successful, both personally and professionally, you must live and dieon your results—not your laurels.

If you learn to do this, you will thrive. If not, even your survival is in doubt.

In this Chapter, you will see that there is a simple formula for success. All you need todo is work the formula, and you will achieve success beyond your grandest expectations.

“Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads

and empty hearts can do that.”

— Norman Vincent Peale

Armed with this formula, you can slay the dragon pounding down your door. By makingsure that you are continuously working the formula, you can, and will, take your career in newdirections and onto new heights.

It is a simple formula with huge implications

for your career, your family and your life.

3

Sage Wisdom...

“ Trust yourself. Create the

kind of self that you will be

happy to live with all your life.

Make the most of yourself by

fanning the tiny, inner sparks

of possibility into flames of

achievement.”

—Foster C. Mcclellen

SUCCESSThe TQ Formula for Success.

S u c c e s s

F U L L S P E C T R U M C A R E E R P O W E R 26

But in a strange, and almost fatalistic way, that car was the start of my real career. Andwhy I am writing Full Spectrum Career Power today.

Maybe its the same these days, I don’t know. But way back in the Dark Ages at BowlingGreen State University, we were not permitted to graduate until we went on three jobinterviews. Even though I was continuing on with my MBA, the “powers that be” thought itwas imperative that all students, that meant ME, learned how to find a job once theygraduated.

I tried everything possible to get out of this requirement. But alas, it was not to be.

The Placement Office found me three companies looking for outstanding people in theToledo area. I went on my first interview, and found it mildly entertaining.

My second interview was hysterical! Great people, selling God-only-knows-what. I nevercould put my finger on what they did there. The problem was, neither could they! While funpeople to be around, I really didn’t get the idea the company had any staying power!

My third interview quite literally changed my life. It was with a giant chemical companylooking for manufacturing talent. I met the plant manager, who took the time to really showoff his operation. After the initial chit-chat, he took me on what was supposed to be a two-hour plant tour, but lasted well into the early evening.

I was impressed with the complexity of the business, the scale of the operation and theincredible scope of thinking required to administer the beast. Yes, I was VERY impressed. Icould go far in a company like this I thought.

When the formal interview was concluded, and I got the required signature on myplacement form, the plant’s HR director escorted me out the gate to where my car was parked.He was a jovial man of maybe 50-55. He had worked his way up from grunt labor tomanagement over 25 years. I remember his face to this day. Kind. Giving. Wonderfullyexpressive.

As we turned the corner, he looked at me and said, “WOW! Look at that car! What Iwould give to just go for a ride in a beauty like that. That’s a rich man’s car.”

Feeling a bit arrogant I said something like, “Ok... let’s go... it’s mine!” He stopped deadin his tracks, and I froze in mine. “What do you mean, that’s your car?”

“It is,” I said. “Just bought it a few months ago. Paid cash for it.”

To this day I will never forget the look on his face. Amazement maybe. A little envy.Anger. I can’t really put a handle on it.

“Where’d you get the money, if I might ask?” he asked.

“Made it selling clocks and watches in the dorm,” I replied.

“I don’t think we covered compensation inside,” he said. “Just how much are youcurrently earning?”

I knew right there, standing in the middle of that black-topped parking lot, that my jobprospects were suddenly doomed. I had made a fatal mistake.

A mistake that changed my destiny. Or at least pushed me towards where I was supposedto be headed in the first place. Who can say?

As you have probably deduced by now, Full Spectrum Career Power is not a biography,memoir, or anything of the kind. It is not a book of “case studies” or interesting stories abouthow ordinary people worked their way from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of success.

What’s next?

This book is all about you, and what you will need to do differently to outsmart, out-hustle, out-perform and out-produce the competition—weather the competition is in the nextcubical... next office... next building... next city... next state... or in a country a world away.

Yes, this is all about what you need to do NEXT... not what someone else did or didn’tdo. With that said, I would like to share just one story with you. It has a point that is asgermane today as it was when it actually happened.

I think that once you understand my background, you will understand why I am writingthis chapter on success, and why I so fervently believe in the message.

A 60’s flashback!

Like most people who came from a humble background in the 60’s, getting a goodeducation was dream #1—not just for me—but for my entire family. However, our family hadlittle but love to invest in my formal education. If I was going to get a sheepskin, I wouldhave to learn how to round up sheep!

After exhausting the usual sources of college money—grants, loans, scholarships, and theendless letter-writing campaigns for a buck or two from the family—I decided to start myown business to augment my meager campus existence. (The normal jobs such as waiter, clerk,etc., were out of the question, as I was totally unsuited for that kind of work, or so I thought!)

Having no idea what kind of business I could make a go of, I replied to an ad from a mailorder company promising to show me how to become an importer and exporter—and “makea small fortune in my spare time.”

This sounded PERFECT! I had lots of spare time—and wanted to be rich. So I naivelysent my $39.95 for the package of materials, waited patiently until it arrived, and thenpounced on the opportunity to become a “major player in the global marketplace.” (I believethat was their promise behind the package.)

At 19, this all seemed so possible. Crazy, but so very possible!

Long story short. I started importing clocks and watches from Switzerland, and made abundle (by college standards) selling them door to door in the dorms. Within a year or so, Ihad a dozen students taking orders for me at Bowling Green State University, University ofToledo and Ohio State.

The concept was simple: pay $5 for a nice watch that retailed for $40 in a store, and sellit for $20 to a student as a Valentine, Mother’s Day or birthday gift. Everybody was happy!

Especially me. I impressed my professors with my outstanding business acumen—notjust in class—but by going out and buying a new 4-door Lincoln Continental convertible...the exact same car President John F. Kennedy drove.

Talk about differentiating yourself from your peers! Read that, standing out like a sorethumb on campus.

F U L L S P E C T R U M C A R E E R P O W E R27 28

One by one, he went though his list of gripes, almost as if he had written them down,and put them in some kind of emotional order by level of frustration:

He was invisible. No one paid him a lick of attention.

He felt marginalized. His bosses and co-workers had stopped even paying him lip-service.

He was trapped. Each day he walked across the parking lot, he saw a prison, not a plant.

He had lost his voice. It was bad enough to not be seen, but no one would listen to him.

His life had been crushed by the unbearable weight of the machine rolling over hisdreams. He was powerless to move, let alone run away from the machine devouring hishopes... his career... indeed, his life.

Mostly, he was just powerless. The last thirty years had dissipated all his power, and therewas no way for him to charge it up again.

Somewhere along the line, he just stopped trying... just stopped caring. He had beenpassed over for promotion so many times he couldn’t count. Always a different reason: youngerguys... he didn’t play golf... wasn’t good at small talk... didn’t play tennis... wasn’t tallenough... couldn’t afford to dress the part... you name it.

Everytime I brought up something positive that I thought might work for him, theanswer was always the same: Tried that... didn’t work. After a couple of times through thatdrill, I learned to just quietly listen—without comment or offering constructive advice—advice that wasn’t even wanted... especially from a 21 year-old still in school.

As he spoke, his face became more and more expressionless, tight—as if each word wasbecoming more and more painful to get out. When he talked about all the lost opportunities,the cost to his family, and their disappointment in his career, his eyes teared up, and his handsstarted to shake. I sat there in stone silence, not knowing what to say or do.

Almost as abruptly as this one-sided conversation started, it stopped. After a few minutesof deafening silence, he composed himself, opened the door to leave... but stopped mid-way.“It could have been different you know. If I would have continued on with my education, itcould have been different,” he said in a halting, almost whisper of a voice. “Had I grown alittle faster, it all would have been different... hell, I would have been different.”

“I hate where I am right now... but who’s fault is that, son? John’s? Tommy’s? Nope. Igot nobody to blame but me. I got me in this mess. I guess it’s gotta be me who gets meunstuck.”

He started to smile a bit. A forced smile... you know, that game-face that has to come outin the end. I smiled back and said that I understood.

I didn’t of course. There was no way for me to understand what this man was goingthrough.

He got out of my car, shook my hand and wished me well. As I pulled out of the parkinglot and onto the street, I stopped and turned around. There, walking through the security gatewas a man I never wanted to become... head hung low... shoulders slumped over. A pitifulsight if there ever was one—the image indelibly etched into my subconscious.

We walked up to the car, I got in and rolled the top down. He walked around the front,ran his hand over the Continental’s star-burst, hood ornament and got into the seat beside me.He seemed pensive, a bit moody.

“How much?” he quietly asked. “Pardon me?” I replied. “How much did you earn lastyear?” he asked in an almost perplexed voice.

“Actually, I don’t really know—maybe $60 or 70 grand, the numbers aren’t all in yet.” Ioffered. “Next year I hope to do more, but who knows.”

What I didn’t realize, and couldn’t have known, is that

this man had spent most of his working life going in and

out of that parking lot, walking through the main gate—

investing the only life he had to live—pursuing a career

he absolutely hated. Worse, he felt powerless to change

anything about his life, his direction or his circumstances.

“That’s more than the plant manager makes.” he said. “That’s four times what I earnedlast year... putting up with unions, OSHA, upper management... all the crap a guy like youhasn’t even read about in those lofty textbooks they give you over at the university.”

He was disenchanted. No, bitter would be a better choice of words. According to his sideof the story, he busted his hump working for the company, pulling out all the stops, and hadreached the peak of his career path and income potential. There was nowhere for him to go,and he was really angry about it. Perceived or not, he was at a dead stop.

One hour that changed everything.

Maybe the smartest thing I ever did in my entire life—then and now—was to sit thereand listen to what this man had to say for the next hour or so. I not only got an earful, butthe inside “scoop” on what it was like to work in, what appeared to me at the time, a facilitythat was barely one step above a Communist Gulag.

“No, son. If I had it to do over again, I would open me a little bait shop on the Maumeeand sell worms! That would be a better life than what I have right now.” he allowed.

As we sat there talking, like long-lost friends that somehow managed to get separated ina time-warp, this old man was going one-to-one with a young buck half his age. It was almostlike watching a movie with a series of flashbacks—where one guy is passing his knowledgeback to the future... hoping to alter the present, so his past would somehow be radicallychanged.

This man wanted a new future so badly it was killing him.

F U L L S P E C T R U M C A R E E R P O W E R29 30

So, I followed his advice. I completed my course work, but dropped-out to turn my Master’sThesis into an actual company. Today, that company has grown to a $150 million business, andis the world’s largest producer of accessories for the manufactured housing industry. I havefounded, bought and sold a dozen different businesses in fields as far ranging as finance...manufacturing... computer software development... and now, internet publishing.

Over the years, I have hired, fired, promoted, laid-off, elevated, demoted and worked withthousands of people. I am not recommending my career path to anyone. It is however, MY career path.

The moral of this story? The purpose of these last six pages?

That I am eminently qualified to give you career advice? Yes, but that’s not it.

That Fate steps in when you expect it least? Maybe, but no.

That rounding up sheep is a good career choice? A solid choice, no doubt!

How about the obvious: You have only ONE life to live. That you can rise to whateverlevel makes you happy in life, if you simply increase your power to produce tangible results.

Perform as if your very life depends on it. It does.

Yes, I am well-qualified to deliver this message: Perform as if your very life depends onit. It does. I wish I would have been able to articulate this 35 years ago. I might have beenable to help that man with no name, who stands to this day as a constant reminder of mycareer choices.

I can’t do anything about his career path. But I can help you. Right here, right now.

If you want to succeed beyond your wildest

dreams, produce results well beyond expectations.

If you want to radically improve your career

options, the most important word you will ever

learn is RESULTS.

You have probably noticed that this book is written more from an employer’s, rather thanemployee’s point of view. That is because I have had to sit on the boss’s side of the desk myentire career, evaluating the performance of my people, teams, suppliers and customers. I havehad to sit through grueling board meetings, where my directors were evaluating the resultsproduced on my watch. I’d love to tell you that my career path has been smooth. But I can’t.

No, you are taking advice from a sinner here, not a saint! I have fought and won... foughtand lost... but I have won far more than I have lost. This is the real-deal—not ivory towersmoke, mirrors and theories.

I would NEVER let this happen to me.

If this is what a job does to a man—robs his hopes and dreams—then I knew that thislife wasn’t for me. I felt his hopelessness. Somehow, I completely connected with his pain anddesperation. Maybe the problem was with him. Maybe it was with the company. Maybe it wasjust the way it was.

But one thing was certain, that would not be my future. That would not be me at 55.

On the drive back to campus, I analyzed what had just transpired from a dozen differentangles. I really couldn’t put my finger on a “why.” As hard as I tried, I couldn’t really see howhe got trapped, running in place for so many years.

Could this happen to me, I wondered? How can I avoid it. What were the warning signsand alarms. Why didn’t he recognize them?

Was this all his fault, or did he somehow miss the signs pointing out the door to a biggerposition and new opportunities? I had lots of questions. But no real answers.

I often wonder what happened when he went to work the following day. Did he forgetwhat just happened, and suck it up, being the good employee he was? Venting to a completestranger can be very therapeutic. Maybe all it took for him to right his little boat was toevaluate his circumstances through the eyes and ears of a kid half his age.

My hope was that he walked into the big man’s office the next morning—and as thewhistle blew, give his notice—proclaiming some kind of personal declaration ofindependence... to pursue the opportunities associated with being Bait King on The Maumee.

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs

even through checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor

spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in

gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat”

— Theodore Roosevelt

From that moment on, my career path was clear. I would do anything to avoid the horrors of“corporate life.” Maybe this man scared the be-jesus out of me. Or just drew the obvious to myattention. Working for the man just wasn’t for me.

So, how did I put bread on the table all these years? I earned it, of course. But my career pathhas been anything but normal! Lot’s of ups and downs. Fun. Exhilarating. Challenging.

I am one of those fortunate guys you read about who had several great mentors in graduateschool—fabulous teachers that required more of me than I ever would of myself. Tough.Demanding. Understanding. Rock-solid.

The man I credit with kicking me out of the nest, and moving me onto the battlefield, is Dr.Raymond Barker who was head of the Division of Business Research for the university, while Iwas completing my MBA. We became close friends. He knew I had no interest in becoming an“organization man” and encouraged me to follow the “quick-or-the-dead” life of an entrepreneur.

F U L L S P E C T R U M C A R E E R P O W E R31 32

More Results—Less Time.

Produce more Results in less Time and you’ll become more successful. When your TQrises, you actually get the Results you expect—not the Results “Fate” is willing to give you.

Produce fewer Results and you become less successful. Generate fewer Results, you’repushed towards failure.

No Results, no paycheck. No Results, no career. No Results, no hope.

Your TQ is what causes success over Time.

Success is not measured by best intentions or by

how close you come to achieving your Personal

Best. Success is not conditioned by how hard you

try... or how much effort you expend... or how

much you want it. Success is dependent upon the

Results you actually get in the Time you have.

The simplicity of this formula is obvious. In order to become the success you desire,simply produce better Results—and do it in less Time.

Work the formula: you either get the Results you expect, or you don’t—you eitherproduce them in the Time expected—or you don’t. For example:

High TQ Performance

• Doubled sales this quarter.

• Increased profitability 300% this year.

• Took kids to park twice this week.

• Have $2 million in hand for retirement.

• Increased market share this month.

• Launched 6 new products in the last year.

• Moved into dream home today.

Low TQ Performance

• Sales fell by 12% this quarter.

• Profits evaporated—net loss this year.

• Broke promises with kids—maybe take next week.

• Lived hand-to-mouth right up to retirement.

• Watched competitors eat our lunch this month.

• Development a mess—repositioned aging products.

• Dreams on hold—awaiting further instructions.

The formula for success.

Over the years, I have come to understand the pain and frustration of failed hopes anddreams... up close and personal. I have also experienced a life of tremendous good fortune andsuccess. In truth, you can’t have one without the other.

What you can do, is stack the deck in your favor—so you have far more successes thanfailures. Far more results, with far fewer regrets.

When I tell you that your career depends on the RESULTS you produce—please listen.When I tell you that your family lives on the RESULTS you produce—listen harder. When Itell you that time judges you by the RESULTS you produce—pay very close attention.

The closer you come to truly understanding this, the closer you are to living the life ofyour dreams, rather than living a life filled with regrets and failed expectations.

In a results-driven, global economy, you are judged by the results you actually producein the time you have. If you want to rise to the top of your field, you must stand apart fromyour peers... by letting your results do the talking for you.

Yes, over time I have found that there is a formula for success. It is a powerful equationthat reflects how well you are performing at any point in time.

Your Time Quotient.

Your Time Quotient™ (TQ) is a measurement of the Actions you take to produce theResults you get over Time. TQ measures how smart you ACT, not how smart you are.

TQ doesn’t reflect your basic cognitive intelligence (IQ,) or your emotional intelligence(EQ). For purposes of this discussion, assume your IQ and EQ are good enough—because theyare. You’re reading this page. That means you’re smart enough to achieve anything you wantin life. Take this as a given: it’s not your IQ that’s holding you back.

We don’t want to get into a long-winded discussion about IQ or EQ here. Suffice it tosay that, with billions of IQ tests administered, the “experts” are still divided on what IQmeans and what, if anything, it predicts.

You’d think there would be some direct link between your IQ and Success. There isn’t,so “forgiddaboudit!”

Why TQ Matters.

Given your intellectual and emotional makeup—whatever it is—you are still responsiblefor creating the life you want. This means producing Results. The Results you produce overyour lifetime is how your success will ultimately be measured, not by any score.

TQ Results™

Time=

F U L L S P E C T R U M C A R E E R P O W E R33 34

Why Compare your performance to the TQ Gold Standard?

The TQ Gold Standard is just that—a very high, baseline standard of personal andprofessional excellence. There are three reasons to see how well you measure up to thisstandard:

1. CURIOSITY. You want greater career power, right? That’s a given—since you arereading a book entitled Full Spectrum Career Power. So you are probably curious aboutwhere you stand vis-a-vis others. You might not feel the need to do anythingdifferent right now, but you just might find the comparison an interesting andmotivational first step on your journey down the path to self-improvement.

2. COMPETITION. As I said in Chapter 1, this economy is becoming increasinglymore competitive... increasingly more unforgiving. To compete smarter, you simplymust produce better RESULTS—and you have to do it faster than your peers. Bycomparing what you are currently doing, to what you should be doing, you can seewhat you need to do to fill in the gaps between your EXPECTED results... and theresults you are ACTUALLY producing.

3. CHANGE. This, by far, is the best reason to hold your performance up to the mantelof personal and professional excellence. You want to change, moving from where youare right now, to where you know you belong. MOVEMENT TAKES POWER. Thedifference between the power you now have vs. what you will need, is the changethat is required to propel you to new-found challenges and opportunities.

“We must become the change we want to see.”

— Mahatma Gandhi

The power to become a New You.

The objective of this book is to help you produce better RESULTS... toDIFFERENTIATE yourself... to immediately boost your Personal Value Ratio. This meansimproving your TQ... to become NOTICEABLY GREAT at producing rock-solid results.

When you do, you will supercharge your career, and move it onto an entirely differentplane. Not to mention, taking your life in an entirely different direction. You will not onlybecome the “Purple Cow” or horse of a “different color” in your field, but will become a majorforce of personal change in your organization.

In What Color is Your Parachute, Richard Bolles makes a valuable point about yourtransferable skills, how to find them, and how to present them to others. He points out that“the higher your transferable skills, the more freedom you will have on the job”... and “thehigher your transferable skills, the less competition you will face.”

In a way, your TQ is a measurement of your transferable skills—the basic skills you taketo your next task... your next phone call... your next meeting... your next presentation... yournext trip... your next project... your next letter... or your next product launch. The morepower you have, the better you perform—and the higher you can fly.

TQ is the Gold Standard of Performance Excellence.

A fresh new way of looking at the effectiveness of your performance.

If TQ is the formula for success in a results-driven, perform-or-perish, global economy—and it is—the question becomes, are you capable of achieving results beyond expectation... orare you spinning your wheels, confusing EFFORT with RESULTS?

What’s your TQ? How would you know?

As you will learn in the next Chapter, we created a simple, yet highly effectivemethodology for systematically evaluating your power to produce tangible results. By holdingyour performance up to the TQ Gold Standard, you will begin a process that will producepowerful internal changes, both personally and professionally. You will discover exactly whatyou need to do differently to become a powerful “New You.”

“People never improve unless they look to some

standard or example higher or better than themselves.”

— Tryon Edwards

Performance Insight Leads to Performance Improvement.

People have a difficult time seeing themselves as they actually are—and theirperformance as it really is. (This means you and me!)

In the blur of the day, people fail to see the hidden forces holding them back fromproducing the results they want. By helping you see the positives and negatives driving yourperformance, the TQ Gold Standard will open your eyes to your true potential.

The result of this systematic identification and

isolation of performance negatives is INSIGHT.

The result of the transformation of these negatives

into positives is greater personal POWER. Power

that will propel your career to new heights.

F U L L S P E C T R U M C A R E E R P O W E R35 36

want out of life... to help you noticeably STAND OUT as a key player in this results-driveneconomy. All so you can produce RESULTS beyond expectations.

The key to differentiating yourself is simple when you think about it:

• Discover what you are doing RIGHT—and do more of that.

• Discover what you are doing WRONG—and do less of that.

• Discover exactly what you need to do DIFFERENTLY—to produce better results.

By looking at your performance—as it is right now—you will SEE your strengths andweaknesses in a whole new light. You will SEE the positives moving you towards the successyou want. You will SEE the negatives robbing your life of its true vitality and potential—holding you back from the success you so richly deserve.

Yes, the TQ Gold Standard is a high standard. But it not an impossible standard.

The good news is that you are already taking most, if not all the actions required for GoldStandard performance... a Solid-Gold Career... and a 99.9999% pure, Solid-Gold lifestyle.

All you will need to do is perform these actions a bit more consistently.

So the question becomes, how well do you think you are performing right now? Howwell are you producing Results over Time? What Color is Your Performance?

What’s your TQ?

Please take a moment to think about this question? On a scale of 1 to 100, how well doyou feel you are currently producing Results over Time? #_______

How accurate is your perception of your performance?

This is not a rhetorical question. In a results-driven, global economy, this may very wellbe the single most important question you will ever ask yourself.

Fortunately, we have developed a simple-to-use, new tool that helps you cut through theblur of your daily performance—to help you actually SEE how well you are producing results.

It’s Called a Time Prism

In the next chapter, you will learn more about the TQ Gold Standard and how (and why)we developed The Time Prism.

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of

preparation, hard work, learning from failure.”

— Colin Powell

Better skills equal greater freedom.

Bolles points out an important truth: the higher your skills, the more freedom you willhave on the job. In this, he is understating the point. The higher your skills, the more freedomyou will have in every aspect of your life.

“We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we

wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves.

If what we are now has been the result of our own past

actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to

be in future can be produced by our present actions;

so we have to know how to act.”

— Swami Vivekananda

The best reason for change? Your life depends on it.

People with lower-level skills have little, if any, control over their working lives. They areTOLD where to stand... when to sit... what to say... how to say it... when to arrive... when toleave... when to take their breaks. The list goes on.

Unfortunately, life away from work is equally limited: Old cars... small house... hugefinancial stress... living from paycheck to paycheck. Worry consumes your dreams.

As your performance improves, so does your

working life: More money, greater freedom, greater

responsibility and greater discretion on how you

spend your time. Overall, your life becomes a

richer expression of your dreams.

In addition, when you rise to the top of your performance potential, your personalfreedom expands, your career options explode and you unleash the power to make your everydream a reality. Money is not a problem. You live in the home of your dreams. You travelwhen, where and how you wish. You have plenty of free time to devote to friends, family andyour community.

In short, you have real power.

By comparing yourself to the TQ Gold Standard, you will not only see where you stand,but you will be given the insight to completely reinvent your life. Over the next few pages,you will learn why Kent and I personally invested millions of dollars in creating an entirelynew, wonderfully simple way of helping you see what’s standing between you and what you

F U L L S P E C T R U M C A R E E R P O W E R37 38

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In Search Of:

The Gold Standard of Performance Excellence.

No question, every author of weight will tell you that you must perform better—and doit now—or suffer some rather unpleasant consequences. So, how are we different?

We’re going to show you HOW to do it—in Full Spectrum detail!

In this Chapter, you will learn about the genesis of the TQ Gold Standard, and why it’simportant to you. You will learn the origin of Full Spectrum thinking, and how you can turnup the 10 Colors of your performance—instantly and automatically.

As you will soon discover, the TQ Gold Standard is comprised of 10 simple actions ineach of 10 broad areas of your performance. It is the Gold Standard, not because WE say it is,it’s the Gold Standard because it’s the final distillation of the combined thinking of 3,500years of discussion about performance excellence—from Aristotle and Plato, to Covey andPeters, all the way down to Haas and Madson!

By first understanding the discovery process we went through to bring you The TimePrism and TQ Gold Standard, you will then be well-prepared to take the next step: To discoverhow you personally match up to this standard—and precisely what you will need to dodifferently to reinvent your life... to quickly become the “New You” you desire, bothpersonally and professionally.

“The ideas I stand for are not mine. I borrowed them

from Socrates. I swiped them from Chesterfield. I stole

them from Jesus. And I put them in a book. If you

don’t like their rules, whose would you use?”

— Dale Carnegie

3

Sage Wisdom...

“Excellence is a better teacher

than mediocrity. The lessons

of the ordinary are everywhere.

Truly profound and original

insights are to be found only in

studying the exemplary.”

—Warren Bennis

SOLID GOLDPersonal and Professional Performance.

solid gold

I N S E A R C H O F A G O L D S T A N D A R D 40

Our initial premise was that existing self-help training products lacked the ongoingsupport and personal reinforcement needed to be successful. You go to the seminar, read thebooks, listen to the tapes and what happens next? You start to forget!

Because out of sight is out of mind.

You put these materials away, up on the shelf where all those great ideas sit, out ofsight—out of mind. At best, you might improve your skills for awhile, but then you start toforget. How quickly you forget is determined entirely by how often you review the material.

The science behind this phenomenon is called the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve. Putsuccinctly, you will forget about 66% of what you learn in the first 24 hours—and some 90%over two weeks. However, with reinforcement and repetition, if the information is there for aday... it’s there to stay.

A quick lesson in forgetting.

Psychologists have been interested in learning and forgetting since the early days of thediscipline. The researcher who pioneered the field, Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850-1909),formulated a way to assess “pure” learning—that is, learning free of meaning—and the rateat which people forget.

Ebbinghaus discovered that when we acquire a new idea, much of our forgetting occursright away. He found the rate to be highly predictable, and completely dependent uponrepetition and reinforcement.

He found that a significant amount of information is forgotten within twenty minutes oflearning it; OVER HALF OF THE MATERIAL LEARNED IS FORGOTTEN WITHINAN HOUR. Although we forget almost two thirds of what we learn within a day, retentiondoes not decline much beyond 10% over time.

Therein lies tremendous hope... and a terrific business opportunity, I thought. If wecould help people more easily remember what they just learned, we could apply our systemto virtually every book ever written—from college text books to every book on the New YorkTimes list of best-sellers.

The story behind Full Spectrum Thinking.

Before we get into the exquisite details of Full Spectrum, Gold Standard personalperformance, please allow me to digress a bit—to give you a little background on what wedid, and more importantly, why. Once you understand the genesis of TQ and The Time Prism,you will have a much greater appreciation for the true import of these new tools for personaland professional reinvention. As important, you will understand the context, and body ofwork, within which TQ sits.

For the past 25 years, I have been a successful software developer/publisher. In early 1995,my company decided to create a new generation of training software that would transform apersonal computer into a persistent, yet patient “coach”—a coach that would mentor you inthe skills needed to move your career into high gear.

The original idea was to develop a highly efficient, database-driven screensaver thatwould put the “timeless wisdom” of the ages in front of you—all day long—so you wouldbecome smarter just by watching your monitor. By design, this software would take the bestideas on achieving superior results—from the best brains in the world—and inject them ontoyour screen so you could put them into your life.

What could be easier?! (Yes, I know this sounds naive, but geeks have an entirelydifferent way of thinking!)

You see—you act. The ultimate in condition—response!

Your computer goes to sleep... up comes our Intelligent ScreenSaver Training System™

displaying a continuous flow of great ideas, do-its, affirmations and motivational insights. YouSEE a great idea... then you DO a great idea!

With this target in mind, we turned loose 20 review editors for a year, to go out andactually “find” the timeless wisdom of the ages so we could display it. At the time, we weren’tlooking for the “Holy Grail” of success—just simple ideas to incrementally improve yourperformance—by putting them in front of you all day long.

The emphasis of this project was on the word SIMPLE. From a database of the “best ofthe best” ideas derived from an extensive collection of the most popular books on a givensubject, we would quickly key-note the most useful ideas and turn them into a collection ofscreensavers for PCs.

Our goal was to have 5 different original titles—published within the first six months—on subjects ranging from leadership skills, selling skills, communication skills, etc. The initialbudget for doing the R&D and system-level programming was less than a half million dollars.

A sweet project with lots of bucks rolling in fast, we thought. Under no circumstancesdid we intend to master a subject as broad and inherently complex as personal performance.

But, revolutions do seem to happen while

you’re busy doing something else!

I N S E A R C H O F A G O L D S T A N D A R D41 42

From gems of wisdom to working wisdom: The long way around the barn.

“So, why did the R&D for a simple screensaver take 4 years longer than expected and costfive times budget?” you ask. Now, there’s a great question. I wish there was a simple answer!

Only after digesting a ceiling-high stack of “expert” opinions on time management andpersonal success, did we find that the subject matter covered something much deeper, andvastly more complicated than we ever anticipated.

For starters, developing better time management skills is not as simple as reminding youto organize your work and make better use of your time. It’s not just a matter of learning afew new techniques or doing a bunch of “tips and tricks.”

Instead, improving personal performance is about the power to make dreams come true...sooner, rather than later. It requires engaging in a process of continuous self-measurement,self-evaluation and self-renewal.

It means unleashing a results revolution in your life, by revolutionizing the way you see,think and act. Thus, Project ScreenGEMS quickly went from developing a screensaver thatwould remind you of the “hidden secrets of the ages,” to a full-blown quest to discover whatit takes to achieve superior results in every aspect of your life.

The best of the best—extracted, condensed and distilled.

Determined to uncover the “hidden secrets” of achieving performance excellence, webought armloads of books and started the research/distillation phase. In retrospect, our ideawas simple in theory:

1) READ what a given author had to say about a specific idea.

2) HIGHLIGHT interesting passages from his or her book, and extract the working meaning of those ideas.

3) ASSIGN a “category” code to each idea so that similar ideas from multiple sources could be condensed, consolidated and reviewed as a group.

4) REWRITE those key ideas from scratch as simple “DO ITs” for on-screen presentation.

Initially, we had no idea how many different categories would arise from this “knowledgedistillation” process, nor how many different books we would have to research to get the bigpicture. However, what we did know was that we wanted a COMPLETE PICTURE—onethat included ALL the tips, techniques and secrets to superior, results-driven personalperformance.

Who has the answers?

We started down this road of intellectual discovery by reading the top 10 books onsuccess, time management and personal growth. We figured that since tens of millions ofpeople—from corporate moguls to sole breadwinners—had already “bought-in” to what theseauthors were “selling,” a common thread of pragmatic advice would naturally emerge.

The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve is important for two reasons:

• The blue curve (top) shows that after JUST ONE REVIEW, you can expect torecall about two thirds of new information for several weeks—even more if it is“meaningful” and related to what you are doing. With multiple reviews, recall isvirtually permanent.

• The red curve (bottom) shows how much you can expect to FORGET withoutreview. Numerous experiments and studies have shown that, typically, YOU WILLFORGET ABOUT 80% OF NEW MATERIAL IN 2 WEEKS—if you do notreview or incorporate those ideas into your daily activities.

Herein lies a significant problem waiting to be solved.

Since there’s no way to make books leap off the shelf, open themselves up to the rightpage and start reading to you, there’s no practical way to remind you of what you need toknow—when you need to know it. And without staged repetition, you forget what you’ve justlearned, so, what’s the point in learning it in the first place?!

Upon reflection, we thought we had discovered a major phenomenon: The reason peopleweren’t getting maximum benefit from the world’s best-selling personal productivity books,tapes and seminars was GRAVITY! Think about it.

Books and tapes are great sources of information, but they just don’t work the way we aspeople need them to. Their covers remain tightly closed until we apply the force to pick themup and search out the right passages.

Regardless of how well-written, concise or inspired, all these materials suffer the samefate. The force of gravity keeps all that productivity-enhancing knowledge firmly in place—out of reach and out of touch.

Antigravity Software... Yes, that’s what we need!

Our mission was now clear. All we had to do to help people become more productive wasto overcome the most powerful force in the universe, and move these ideas off the shelf andinto their lives. No problem. We’re software Gurus. We can easily solve this problem, or sowe thought.

Right down to our corporate DNA, we initially believed a simple little screensaver wasthe missing link between reading, learning and actually doing what all these booksrecommended. With this hot new software, you wouldn’t even have to remember toremember!

You would learn this fabulous material while you were busy doing something else—either in the heat of the battle... or the lull in the action. In “Geek Speak,” it was perfect.

Yes, we were wild with excitement over the prospect of being the first people to actuallyconquer the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve, not to mention, make a quick return on a smallinvestment.

Wow, were we ever wrong.

I N S E A R C H O F A G O L D S T A N D A R D43 44

As we continued this intensive review, we made two important observations. First, wediscovered that each book contained hundreds of real gems of wisdom for becoming moreeffective, productive and successful. Combined, these books produced an almost unlimitedwealth of great ideas. However, when comparing each book’s core ideas to the master codingchart our staff had developed, no ONE book covered the ENTIRE spectrum of ideas claimedby this collective of authors as essential for maximum performance.

Second, we realized we were missing a solid, unifying principle to tie all of theseindependent ideas together into a synergistic system—a system that would take the entirespectrum of performance ideas and yield a power greater than the sum of its parts.

We had expected—given the reputations, resources and personal experience of the 100-plus different authors reviewed—that at least one would have combined his or her ideas intoa unified theory. We had hoped to find someone who had already created a comprehensiveoverview for all the principles, tips and techniques associated with top-flight personal andprofessional performance. (Had we been able to START with such a checklist, we would havesaved ourselves beaucoup bucks and shaved three years off our development cycle!)

However, each book appeared to take its own prescribed view of “fixing a given problem.”It was as if everyone was treating personal performance as a one-dimensional discipline, inwhat we all know to be a four-dimensional world. In the end—their philosophies, theologiesor personal revelations either got in the way of, or were being confused with, the concretemandates and methodologies we were seeking.

It takes a full spectrum approach.

The more books we read, the more it became clear to us that these books weren’t wrongin their approach—they were just somewhat incomplete. Each title fell short of the mark by notaddressing performance issues that other authors deemed to be absolutely critical todeveloping superior results. As important, if not more so, none fully acknowledged theinfluence that one element of personal performance has on the others.

As we dug deeper, this observation became far more important to us than the actual keyideas we were collecting. Since we needed to codify all this random information for instantaccess, we continued to expand our coding table from about 150 different idea categories, toalmost 400 unique elements at the high-water mark. (By increasing “granularity” and puttingeach idea into a separate “container,” we could then see how each interacted and impacted theothers—what we would later dub an “optical chain reaction.”)

As an example, if you permit your physical energy level to drop... it has a negative affecton your attitude... which decreases your believability in achieving your goals... which closesoff the options within your plans... which limits your ability to take action.

Because we cross-coded each idea at the action level, we could instantly see how it notonly affected performance directly, but indirectly as well. The benefit of doing it this waymeant that a person could look up a word like procrastination, and get a few tips onimproving his or her energy level—as that might be the root-cause of his or her inaction!

We were eager to determine which of these best-selling authors had the answers everyonewas seeking—or at least enough of the answers to spark and sustain our belief in their keyconcepts. Would all these authorities agree on the process of becoming highly effective, orwould there be divergent and contradictory points of view?

For example, would 3 different authors tell you

that the path to true productivity is having a

clean desk, while 7 others say “don’t sweat a

clean desk”—if you like messes, “just pile it as

high as it will go... and keep on going!”

Fortunately, we found few such polarized views. In general, the authors usually agreed onwhat it means to be efficient, effective and productive. Since most of these authors did agree,only the net differences between the authors mattered to us at first.

Coding the incredible number of redundant ideas was a simple process. Ideas that werecommon to every book were grouped together; ideas emphasized by some but not all authorswere lumped together; and ideas that represented the novel and unique were handledseparately. In some cases, we just keynoted a sentence or two from a select paragraph, while inother instances, we highlighted entire pages of a given book.

Fodder for the Knowledge Juicer.

We then had our editors condense each highlighted entry into what they believed werethe core ideas within that entry, and pass it along to another editor for a second review. (Thisway, three different sets of eyes had the opportunity to look at what was being processed, andagree that, yes, this is an important idea that deserves replication.)

Finally, we rewrote each key idea for instant on-screen communication, gave it a codenumber and entered it into a universal database we dubbed “The Knowledge Juicer!” Thus,every good idea anybody ever came up with had the opportunity to naturally rise to the top.

After summarizing the first 10 books, with 30 or 40 left on our “short list,” an obviousquestion begged to be answered. With hundreds of millions of these books in print, whyweren’t we already a nation of healthy, wealthy and well-adjusted superachievers?

If the ideas we were harvesting from these books were so great—and they are—whyweren’t we already a nation of contented billionaires? Why, we wondered, weren’t the millionsof readers of these books better able to utilize this information and make the leap from ideato action—from theory to actual personal success?

Why can’t people connect this information with their actions?

I N S E A R C H O F A G O L D S T A N D A R D45 46

Your three wants can be as self-serving and narcissistic as you’d like, or as spiritual,humanitarian and charitable as your heart will permit. The point is, these three categories ofhuman desire contain an infinite range of personal possibilities—it’s up to you to decide whichones to pursue and the balance given to each. While we’re on this subject, it might beinsightful for you to take out your pen, and write down a few things you do want out of lifebefore moving on:

Me: _________________________________________________________Others: _________________________________________________________Money: _________________________________________________________

Fact: It’s your Personal Performance that determines whether

you’ll achieve some, most or all of these three wants in your life.

The one other thing most of these books had in common was their extensive collectionof wonderfully-inspiring anecdotes on personal success. We found hundreds of real-worldexamples about how ordinary people achieved extraordinary success while overcoming allkinds of setbacks.

After being exposed to such a wide spectrum of real life experiences, we arrived at onevery basic and undeniable conclusion about success that would guide the rest of our work.

It’s not your IQ. It’s not your environment, your workplace, your education, your family,your age, your looks, your resources or any lack thereof. Rather, it is how well you perform atany point in time that makes the greatest difference in getting what you want, doing whatyou want and becoming the person you want to become.

Based on our mile-high stack of research, we concluded that your ability to performsuccessfully depends on just three essential groupings.

1) WHO you are: your physical strength, stamina and ENERGY level; what you standfor—your values, principles, visions and MISSION for each of the roles you play;and your ATTITUDE—your personal self-image, how you look at life, thebelievability in your capabilities and other internal motivators.

2) WHAT you do: your ability to SET GOALS and turn your dreams into crystal-cleartargets; your ability to MAKE PLANS to support your goals; and your ability tomake the right choices when PRIORITIZING what you focus on and where you willspend your time.

3) HOW you do it: how well you leverage your results by SYNERGIZING with otherpeople; how well you ORGANIZE your activities to eliminate redundant andunnecessary steps; how well you make OPTIMUM use of your time; and how welland how often you actually take ACTION to make things happen.

Not just one, but all three of these intrinsic divisions of your performance directly affectsyour ability to produce everything you want out of life. All three must be be fully empoweredand in equilateral balance to support your dream-achieving abilities.

All these books did have ONE thing in common.

Since we were initially researching the field of general self-help materials, (rather thansales, negotiating skills, etc.), it is not surprising that we did find a common thread runningthroughout each title. Regardless of which elements each book did or did not include, the onething they ALL had in common was that each promised to help you get more of what youwant out of life.

After reading and categorizing ten to fifteen thousand pages from our initial selection oftitles, we concluded that there are just three basic wants in life which, if you followed theircelebrated advice, these authors would deliver:

1) More time for YOU: to read, write, become more spiritual, fish, sleep, relax, playwith your kids/grandkids, teach/learn, ski, hunt, golf, hobbies or travel the worldmaking “Kodak Memories.” No question, everybody wants more time for what theywant to do. Because time is so precious, making each minute matter is a big deal—something to be pursued with zest and zeal!

2) More time for OTHERS: your kids/grandkids, spouse, family, friends, church,customers, clients, community, volunteering, etc. Everybody wants to contribute tothe lives of others—to give back at least as much as they get, usually more. Wantingto be with and serve others is one of the greatest “wants” in life.

3) More MONEY and other tangible rewards: financial security, rapid careergrowth, cash, stocks, options, cars, houses, boats, land, planes, hobby stuff, trophies,etc. Everybody wants to accumulate “things,” from diploma’s and certificates ofappreciation to all the high-tech or high-touch toys money can buy, to great artcollections. Perhaps the desire for worldly rewards is the most common “want” of all.

Graphically, the relationship between these three wants and the time available to deliverthem can be represented as follows:

A quick aside.

You might feel the above observation unfairly or ridiculously reduces all the activities ofhumanity to just three broad categories. That’s OK. We understand. We know this point isinfinitely debatable and some people might see it as obviously selfish and materialistic. BUT,dear reader, it’s up to you to supply YOUR wants.

Time

OTHE

RS $$$

YOU

I N S E A R C H O F A G O L D S T A N D A R D47 48

Obviously, depending on just one or two of these groups of ideas for improving personalperformance, to the exclusion of the others, would be an exercise in futility. For example, youcould go to every goal-setting seminar that travels through town and become a virtual expertin goal setting. But to actually achieve your goals depends on your mastery of all the othergroups of ideas we were collecting as well.

What good is a goal if you never create a realistic plan to carry it out? What’s the chanceof success if you don’t have the can-do attitude and self-confidence that you will do whateverit takes to execute the plan? How valuable is it to set goals when you frequently spend yourprecious time on urgencies of little or no value?

How high will you set your goals if you don’t develop the skills to work with and throughothers to help you attain them? No, maybe it’s NOT your ability to set goals that’s holdingyou back from living large. Maybe it’s something else. So you continue to search.

Let’s say you then conclude that, if only you were better organized, you could get a lotmore done, and life would then be sweet. To address this concern, you buy “How To Become anOrganized Freak in Five Days or Less. Let Our Multiple Methods Manage Your Mess!”

In all likelihood, this hypothetical book would be filled with excellent ideas onorganizing your life and work—complete with 422 checklists and 331 specific do-its. Willyou put most of these ideas FOR action INTO action?

If history repeats itself, probably not.

Why? Because getting and staying organized is part of a much wider spectrum of issueswithin your performance. Do you truly believe your results will be better, merely bycompleting checklists? Do you have a goal that’s inspiring enough to go to the trouble ofimplementing these new organizational procedures?

Will you prioritize the time in your “already too busy” schedule to actually get aroundto creating these new systems? Do you have the physical energy, regardless of the time of day,to maintain the routines necessary to STAY organized after you GET organized?

Any one of these other issues may be the reason

you’re not already organized. Poor organization

may be a symptom of deeper problems, rather than

a root-cause. Just how helpful is it to become

better organized when you may have stronger

forces working against you—well before you

even start to become an “Organized Freak”?

Think about it. Just how productive can you be if the “WHO in you” is doing great, butthe “WHAT you’re doing” and “HOW you’re doing it” is lacking? What would that looklike? Something like the first triangle, right?

Let’s say you are in fabulous shape, have tremendous passion for what you do—and a kick-butt attitude that just won’t quit! But, you lack clear goals, have unrealistic plans, andfrequently find yourself chasing after one urgency after another. Worse, how you do things isa real mess: disorganized, haphazard, always running late... you get the picture! No question,the overall level of your performance is limited, even though “WHO” in you is a perfect 10.

Clearly, when any one of the “legs” of your performance triangle gets shorter, the areainside it—your total level of performance—DIMINISHES. It should be just as obvious thatyour productivity, power and dream-achieving capabilities INCREASE each time you extenda leg. The same person with clear goals, rock-solid plans, relentless focus, intense people-power, outstanding organizational and time management skills... would not only be action-oriented, he or she would be living their life as a true action adventure. Right? No question.

Now, look at the difference between the area within the two triangles—both with theexact same “Who” line. Who’s bigger? Who’s more powerful? Who wins in the end? Maybethis is what people mean when they say they want to get a “leg-up” on the competition!

Intertwined, Interrelated and interdependent.

Yes, with 25,000 pages of research under our belt, we concluded that people couldinstantly become more productive, effective and successful if they just paid a bit moreattention to the interaction and intersection of their Who, What and How lines. The questionto be answered then was how to actually make it happen?

By breaking down our rapidly expanding list of personal growth and self-help books intotheir most elemental core ideas, and then reassembling them into a brand new coding table,it became obvious that not only were all these categories of ideas ESSENTIAL for success, theywere also DIRECTLY RELATED to each other. And because they were all interrelated, it wasequally obvious to us that to achieve maximum personal productivity, you would have tocontinuously master each category of ideas—NOT just a couple of “key” ones.

PersonalPerformance

WHAT HOW

WHO

PersonalPerformance

WHAT HOW

WHO

I N S E A R C H O F A G O L D S T A N D A R D49 50

From our perspective, this was the ultimate

“Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” question.

We became insanely determined to not limit our research to a series of separate, isolatedperformance issues, but rather, to continue to include the ENTIRE spectrum of ideas foundin ALL of the books we read. Because we were now on a quest for pure knowledge, we evenexpanded our list to include books on business strategy and tactics, corporate andorganizational management techniques, and psychological “treatise”—books full of detailedstatistics which purported to tell us what makes people tick.

Are you starting to understand why we were so embarrassingly over-budget and stilldidn’t have a product shipping?! This is NOT how other software companies would do it.

They would have declared the project complete when it hit budget, and released Version1 with 101 fabulous ideas, 233 known “anomalies” and 1,288 unknown “features.”

Our style is a bit different. Like a fine wine,

we release no software before its time!

We had become absolutely, unconditionally committed to knowing exactly what it takes tohelp people to become more successful. Instead of a series of 5 different screensaver titles, wewould have just one, and it would be the definitive work on super-charging personalperformance.

So it came to be that, a few months after the third birthday of Project ScreenGEMS, ourteam had read, re-read, highlighted, extracted, keynoted, rewritten, edited and distilled over35,000 pages from the top 150 books authored by the world’s experts on achieving superiorresults. Throw in another 100,000 pages or so of web research, and you start to get the ideathat this was no longer a simple software development project.

This project had shifted from product development into a true quest.

After years of intensive, extensive and expensive research, we had accumulated some4,715 unique ideas that, in one way or another, directly contribute to a person’s success. Fromsimple “Do It” styled books to the more complex “Strategic Management” books—our codingtable had grown to hundreds of elements.

The big revelation?

To become the success you desire, all you have to

do are these 4,715 simple things the “experts”

recommend. Everything else is a mere detail!

So, to restate the obvious: It’s your overall performance that determines what you get outof life—and when you get it. As we have been saying for the last four pages, it’s thecombination of WHO you are as a person... WHAT you do... and HOW you do things... thatgoverns how much time you’ll have for yourself... for others... and how many rewards you’llreceive in life before the Grim Reaper or Old Croaker pays you that untimely visit.

This is real basic! To become a bigger person; learn new skills to improve what you do.Master the fine art of getting better results in less time; and you’ll grow into an entirely “NewYou”. It’s what 50 different authors were calling “personal growth” without explicitlyshowing us how it works.

Here’s how we saw what they were saying...

Your Personal Growth Curve

You can't FIX it if you don't know what to FIX.

As the reading and coding process expanded to fill our every waking moments, it becameobvious that there were a tremendous number of elemental, cause-and-effect relationshipswhich had to be unraveled before we could wrap this project up. We were developing anenormous database of ideas for action, but we had yet to find a way of helping people decidewhich actions to take, or when they needed to take them.

Clearly, there is no way to know WHICH element of your performance requires a “fix”until you become aware of ALL the elements currently driving your performance. Further,before you can take meaningful action, you must first understand how the full spectrum ofthese elements work together to create success out of the actions you ultimately DO take.

WHA

TO

ther

s

HOW$$$

WHO

You

WHA

TO

ther

s

HOW$$$

WHO

You

WHA

TO

ther

s

HOW$$$

WHO

You

Your performance determines what you get from and give to life.As you grow the WHO, WHAT and HOW of your performance, you

become a “New You”... and your RESULTS grow with you.

Thus, you become wildly successful!

Huge Results

Limited Results

I N S E A R C H O F A G O L D S T A N D A R D51 52

We found tons of really useful information, most of which was cloaked in the usualbuzzwords and slick cliches:

• When you have your health, you have everything.• Attitude is everything.• Winning is everything.• Think win/win.• Information is power.• Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.• Make a plan, work your plan.• Money can’t buy happiness.• Ignorance is bliss.• Follow your bliss.• Success happens when preparation meets opportunity.• Success is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.• Only the strong survive.• All you need is love.

You get the point. You read the books and come away with a warm-fuzzy experience thateverything will work out fine as long as you buy into the philosophy, stay inspired andsomehow learn to live the cliches.

As our simple little software project took on real-world complexity, we sometimes wentinto information overload trying to reconcile these authors’ differing points of view. While notlosing our confidence in the material—or our ability to create an absolutely fabulous softwareproduct—we did start to question the conventional wisdom.

For example:

• Which is it? Is ATTITUDE “everything” or is WINNING actually “everything”?Or is your HEALTH really “everything”?

• If WINNING actually is “everything,” does it happen automatically whenwe learn to THINK WIN/WIN?

• If success is 99% Perspiration, then does “Perspiration happen when preparation meets opportunity?”

• If “Ignorance is bliss,” and you should “Follow your bliss,” does thatmean we’re supposed to follow our IGNORANCE?

You could spend a lifetime trying to reconcile the hype. But why bother? Buzzwords andcliches are fun, but are of little value when the “rubber hits the road” in life.

“Wow! Only 4,700 things I need to do to achieve my dreams?

Give me a break,” you’re thinking? Not even remotely close to “doable,” is it?!

Had anyone ever attempted this type of compilation before, we wondered? Had anyoneever developed a comprehensive compendium on personal success skills?

If not, we knew why. It’s outrageously time-consuming and extremely expensive.

While money can’t buy happiness, it can pay

for a large staff to study the problem!

Which is why it took three years and cost us over a million dollars—just to get to thisstage! In attempting to glean the secret gems of wisdom hidden within the covers of theseesteemed books, our editorial perspective became focused on two major themes:

• First: Make sure we include the entire spectrum of elements which affect people’sability to produce results. We knew we couldn’t short-cut the “knowledgedistillation” process by conveniently leaving out any major category of ideas. If wehad, we would be giving you only part of the whole, potentially leaving out thatONE crucial element that’s been holding you back the most. Worse, you wouldn’teven know it!

• Second: Find a unifying principle which would bring all of these related conceptsand great ideas together, making it easy for people to incorporate them into theirlives. To be of greatest use, we knew we had to find a memorable way of organizingthis huge collection of information into one coherent, easily-accessible body ofknowledge. We had to develop a system which would first help you accuratelydiagnose what was holding you back from achieving the results you want, and thendeliver the relevant, life-changing ideas that would provide an immediate cure.

So, where’s the beef?

Like us, you’ve probably read many of the same books, listened to the same tapes andmaybe even attended the same seminars. Great stuff! Interesting, involving and trulyentertaining.

But, beyond the endless series of cliches and turbocharged motivational hype, where’s the“beef”—the lasting, life-changing transformational shifts in performance we all hoped for?Where are the precise, step-by-step instructions for making a permanent change in your life?

Cliche Overload.

With a dedicated, highly-motivated staff of readers, writers and editors, we condensedand distilled more books on developing superior time and life management skills than you’dever want to buy—or have the time to read!

I N S E A R C H O F A G O L D S T A N D A R D53 54

Our new calling in life: Behavioral Modification Specialists!

When you get right down to it, self-help authors (Kent and I now included) are in thebehavioral modification business. And even though changing human behavior is one of themost difficult things to do, we fully expect you to latch onto one of our ideas and run with it.Instead of just going through the motions, we truly want you to experience our ideas up closeand personal. That, of course, is the dream of every author worth his or her salt.

The problem is, no one does all 1,288 “productivity-enhancing, performance-maximizing key ideas” every day. How could you? When could you?

Clearly, this is NOT the way it works. People don’t sit down each morning with a list ofgreat ideas for improving their performance, and just DO them all day long.

100 million overworked underachievers in America.

“This is not possible,” we thought. “We’ve just spent the better part of three years andsome really serious bucks to discover the reason that there are 100 million overworkedunderachievers in America is that they just don’t do enough of this stuff!”

Clearly, there was a huge gap between the massive number of great ideas available andpeople’s ability to integrate this information into their lives. There had to be a better way.

Ultimately, defying gravity isn’t enough.

The research was done, the great ideas were all in place and the software was defyinggravity—flawlessly—automatically dispensing tons of fabulous advice. But, all this STILLwasn’t enough for us to guarantee the permanent change in people’s performance potentialwhich we knew was possible.

We also knew that the thousands of ideas we condensed and rewrote were great, and ourslick new software was a natural-born winner. Other companies might have been tempted torelease this computerized skill builder, but we couldn’t.

As good as it was, it still wasn’t enough for us to

GUARANTEE your success. We were still missing the

unifying theory that would both help you diagnose

what you needed to do differently—and deliver the

training to help you immediately perform better.

Ultimately, Kent and I decided that we would have a tool that we could unconditionallyguarantee to help people achieve superior results, or we would simply scrap this huge body ofresearch, fold up our tent, write it off—and go do something else.

Successful people are “CLUELESS.” But we mean that in a nice way!

By the time we had keynoted our 80th book, we determined there were quite literallythousands of things successful people do everyday—most of the time without having a CLUEthey were even doing them. Obviously, their success didn’t come from living a life ofbuzzwords or cliches.

Out of this vast body of life experiences, home-grown success stories and interestinganecdotes, there was no measurable way of replicating any single author’s success and nospecific methodologies that would take you from where you are now to where you want to go.

“So what?” you might say to yourself. “These books make great reading. They’reeducational and motivational. They’re fun.

“What more do I need?” Indeed.

The answer is, you need a TOOL to help you incorporate this new-found knowledge intoyour daily actions—a tool that will help you learn, remember and master these skills—thevery kind of tool we were creating with our screensaver training system.

Do This, Do That. Do This, Do That.

By the time we had completed our comprehensive review of what all these other authorshad to say, our staff had reduced the 4,715 specific mandates for success down to just 1,288of the best ideas for “what to do right now”—accompanied by some 6,440 integratingquestions to ask yourself—each designed to help you incorporate these powerful ideas intoyour life—and another 2,576 engaging “warm-ups” and “wrap-ups.”

Each of these elements was written to shift your perspective, give you additional insightinto what’s holding you back, and directly lead you to superior performance. This enormouscollection of training segments could now be combined into an almost infinite array ofdifferent individual sets of performance instructions—memory hooks, helpful tips andtechniques, and specific things you can do to get off the dime and power-up your performance.

And now, in this corner, weighing in at eight pounds, three ounces!

Without question, if we all remembered to DO every one of the great ideas found on the35,000 pages that these other celebrated, educated and weighty* authors suggest, we wouldbe better off. Right? (*The box containing all our research weighed in at 84 pounds, 9 ounces!)

Without question, if each of us could somehow integrate the 1,288 ideas for action andthe 8-lbs., 3-oz. of intellectual condensation our staff created, we would become superstars.Right?

I N S E A R C H O F A G O L D S T A N D A R D55 56

While I sat looking out across my desk at the shifting colors on the Flatirons, I startedto sketch a picture on a page from my day planner in front of me.

The image I drew was a line of light emanating from the sun, shooting through a prismto become a full spectrum of colors washing over the mountains below. “A full spectrum ofcolors out of nowhere, instantly and automatically, just by shining a beam of light into aprism. Cool!” I mused silently to myself. “A prism to separate the blur of our performanceinto elements we can actually SEE and do something about!”

All of a sudden, I realized that I had just captured the essence of all our research andproduct development up to this point. We had wanted to make people more productive byhelping them learn, remember and master the skills necessary for superior, results-basedperformance. Learn a FACT, we thought, and you’ll DO better.

But that’s NOT the way it works. We were approaching it BACKWARDS.

Instead, to become more productive, we must first look at the entire spectrum of ourperformance by breaking it down into its elemental components—just like what a prism doesto light. Then, we must look at each element as a separate, but integral part of ourperformance spectrum.

What we had been working on for almost three years (and didn’t realize it, of course) wasa performance prism, where each color stands for a different element critical to your personalproductivity! Intellectually, it was a short leap from a Performance Prism to the Time Prism—a tool that automatically generates the colors of prismatic performance—to help people shinebrightly all the time.

The Prism Principle™

Coincidentally, a few weeks before this “inspired revelation,” we had reviewed the age-old favorite The Peter Principle—Why Things Always Go Wrong. I remembered reading thisbook 10 years earlier and had to laugh at its central premise—a witty, but pessimisticobservation about our ultimate fate of rising to our maximum level of incompetence.

Funny? Yes. Reality? Not really. Terribly negative? You bet. Not a lot of hope in thatlittle book.

A real life epiphany!

The word epiphany comes from ancient Greek and means appearance, manifestation orrevelation. It was originally used to describe the joy and excitement of a visit to one’s hometown by a king or person of royalty.

My definition of an epiphany is a little different: It’s that moment of realization whenawareness becomes knowing—when all of the puzzle-pieces suddenly fall into place to revealthe picture hidden amongst the parts. No matter how you define it, EPIPHANY is probablythe best word to explain how the Time Prism was discovered.

I’m an early riser—very early. My office at the time was a short, 26-step commute fromthe master bedroom, up to my suite of offices on the second level, so I’m normally up and atmy desk well before the sun has the audacity to finally present itself.

The morning of May 26th.

It was the morning of May 26, 1998 when I had inadvertently slept in later than normaland was chomping at the bit to get my day going. Running up the stairs two at a time, I wasstopped cold by the most breathtaking sunrise I had ever seen!

In Boulder, we have some unusual rock outcroppings known as the Flatirons—a majestic,inspiring backdrop for everything we do here. Sometimes I just like to sit and look at them.In their own way, they offer a focal point of inspiration and calm that is hard to explain toanyone who hasn’t seen them.

That morning they were aglow, shimmering as if there was a soft beacon shining on amountain of pure gold. The sky was ablaze with a combination of reds, blues, greens, violetsand purples. The wispy, almost web-like clouds radiated a silvery cast of pink and amber. Itseemed as if every hue and shade of every color I had ever seen was suddenly projected ontothe morning sky. Looking east from my rooftop balcony, I watched the sun rise just above thehorizon when it exploded and fanned out into the most unbelievable array of colors. It lookedlike an aurora borealis moving in slow motion—a huge kaleidoscope projected onto abackdrop of mountains and clouds.

The sensation was stunning. I had never experienced such a surreal rush of colors in myentire life. I was awestruck and time had suddenly stopped. In my mind’s eye, the sights,feelings and emotions were all captured for posterity in that instant.

Almost as quickly as it started, it began to fade away. As more of the light of dayencroached upon the midnight blue of the western sky, full daylight created a harsh contrastto what I had just seen. “Stop!” I thought to myself. I wanted that amazing visual effect tolast forever.

The experience was over. I turned to go back into my office when it hit me smackbetween the eyes. Life is not a “black and white” or “shades of gray” experience. Instead, it’ssupposed to be lived in full color—by TAKING THE FULL SPECTRUM VIEW OFEVERYTHING WE DO! In that instant, that precious moment of realization, I hadexperienced the joy and happiness of “Full Spectrum” insight.

I N S E A R C H O F A G O L D S T A N D A R D57 58

How many colors are there in a Time Prism?

A few month’s before my wonderful full spectrum epiphany, we had consolidated ourentire coding chart down to ten basic groups, under which all our other research was indexedand classified. No matter how many times we tried to reorganize, reduce or expand thesemajor groups, we always came up with the same ten.

Just so you know, we spent a lot of time trying to get everything neatly packaged intothe 7 Colors of Success... or the 7 Secrets to a Full Color life... because marketing researchshowed that people like the magic number 7! Unfortunately, we couldn’t shoe-horn our 10main performance drivers into 7—or any other number for that matter.

Each of the ten categories into which we had coded their respective key concepts covered a distinctly different element of performance, and could not be merged into any of theother nine. And any additional topic groups we created were ultimately determined to be onlysubsets of these first ten.

Thus, these ten comprehensive groups were judged to be absolutely unique and criticalto personal success. No question, if any one is missing, a person’s ability to produce resultsdrops precipitously!

Ten—of course!

It was now obvious. The Time Prism radiated exactly ten colors, and when held up to theblurry light of personal performance, these ten colors would fall out naturally into their ownprismatic order—from red to yellow to green to violet.

The natural beauty of the Time Prism is that it displays not just one, but the entirespectrum of elements essential for making things happen. This Full Spectrum of colors is thecomplete condensation of, and an instant index into, what all the other authors wereultimately trying to get at in their individual books.

The Time Prism database was like having an entire library of highly personal,immediately-useful information available at the click of a button. Information that wouldquickly help you move from where you are right now, to where you want to go.

EnergyMission

AttitudeSet Goals

Make PlansPrioritize

SynergizeOrganize

OptimizeAct Now

I was patting myself on the back for having stumbled onto The Time Prism when Ideclared, “We need a Prism Principle to counteract the negativity found in the PeterPrinciple.” Something positive, proactive and hopeful—and a lot more useful!

As I sat and reflected a little more about what had just transpired, I wondered how manycolors a prism actually generated and what they were. I wondered how rainbows were formedand why. (This is what both geeks and marketing types do for kicks!)

I did a quick lookup. Very interesting!

Rainbows on Demand.

Rainbows are actually circles in the sky, and are always made up of the six primary colors:Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Violet. They are formed when tiny droplets of watercreate a prismatic effect by refracting light when the sun is 42º off the horizon. Doublerainbows occur when the sun’s angle is at 52º to the horizon.

“Wow, a PRISMATIC effect!” I shouted out loud. “I like it—we can now help peoplegenerate their own rainbows on demand!”

More important than the technical specifications for a rainbow was the observation thatliterature is replete with rainbow references because they symbolize HOPE and PROMISE.From the Holy Bible to D. H. Lawrence, who used the spirit of the rainbow throughout hisworks, the colors of the rainbow always evoke happiness and joy.

“That’s what we want to generate,” I thought. “Hope, joy and the promise of makingdreams come true.” Why else would anybody want to improve their performance—let aloneachieve maximum personal productivity—unless there were things they wanted, but haven’tyet achieved?

It was only 5:30 in the morning, but I was too excited to wait. I had to get Kent on thephone. But before I called, I finished my roughly-drawn sketch with the following statementthat would unify the thousands of key ideas we had already collected:

People instantly and automatically rise to their maximum

productivity potential when they engage in Full Color—

Full Spectrum Performance.

This was it—a Time Prism! In one moment of inspiration, our quest for a unifyingconcept, tool and perfect teaching metaphor was over. This was the organizational andthematic missing link we always knew was there, but was hiding just outside our field of vision.

Our developmental journey was almost complete.

I N S E A R C H O F A G O L D S T A N D A R D59 60

The 100 Factors of Performance Excellence

From 4,715 ideas down to 10 simple actions for each of your 10 Colors..

I know it seems like we digressed for an eternity. I am supposed to be telling you aboutthe TQ Gold Standard of Performance Excellence. Actually, I just did.

For you to believe that we have discovered a “Gold Standard,” I felt it necessary to explainprecisely how we arrived at the standard. Otherwise, you might just dismiss TQ as yet anothergreat idea, but never get around to improving your TQ. Obviously, that’s not our desire!

We not only want you to believe in TQ, but actually boost yours by 20 points!

Remember when I said that the index we were creating was ultimately more importantthan all the great ideas we were coding under it? It’s true.

With the research behind us, and each idea securely nesting in a multilevel, cross-codedrelational database, we could finally condense the entirety down to the 10 unique, broadcategories (the Colors) below which these thousands of ideas could instantly be referenced. Inreality, this was a major hurdle, in and of itself.

To do this, we needed to reduce our initial 400-element coding table down to the bare-bones essentials. Thus, over the final 6-8 months of development, our chart went from 400categories... to 300 points of reference... then 250.. then 125... right down to the 100 positiveactions we now call our Gold Standard of Performance Excellence.

In the final cut, if 12 different authorities said that frequent exercise contributedpositively to a person’s performance—and they had 20 or 30 ideas for why and how—wecoded those ideas into the ENERGY Color code first—and further sub-coded it into a groupthat promoted the thesis that EXERCISE caused your energy to go up.

If 18 different authors said it was important to have written goals... or used a specificmethodology to prioritize a To-Do list... or mandated using an agenda for every meeting... wecross-coded those ideas to a unique Color code—and then to specific sub-levels within thatparticular Color.

At the lowest level then, we had an IDEA, that prompted an ACTION, that improved aCOLOR, that lead directly to the SUCCESS you desire. For simplicity purposes, we referredto these trigger actions as On/Off switches that made a given color burn brighter.

Imagine these switches controlling a string of 100 lasers pointed at the moon. One-by-one, when you flip the switch, each laser turns on, resulting in an increasingly-brighter beamof light. With enough power, you can shine your light on the spot Neil Armstrong left whenhe took that one giant step for mankind. It works exactly the same with your performance.

When your Factor Action “switches” are turned ON, you perform better... because youhave more POWER. When they are turned OFF, your performance suffers… because you haveless POWER. Want Full Spectrum Career Power? Turn MORE of your Factor Switches ON.

BE, DO, HAVE. It’s the natural order of things.

In one instantaneous display, the 10 colors of the Time Prism account for everything youwill ever be, do or have in life. Why? Because everything you’ll ever get out of life dependsentirely on your full spectrum of thoughts... connected to your actions... connected to yourresults... and ultimately reconnected back to your thoughts.

This, of course, is the pure essence of working smarter—actually becoming a littlesmarter today than you were yesterday—but not as smart as you’ll be tomorrow. No question,the intensity of your performance—minute by minute, day-by-day—is determined by howstrong and vibrant each of your 10 colors are burning at any point in time.

Want more free time? Want more money? Want to accelerate your career? Want to retirerich? Our advice is always the same: Keep each of your 10 Colors burning brightly...

1. Keep your physical ENERGY level high...

2. Heighten your sense of purpose and MISSION...

3. Maintain a positive ATTITUDE...

4. SET GOALS with clarity and precision...

5. MAKE PLANS to support your goals...

6. PRIORITIZE and focus on what’s most important...

7. SYNERGIZE and build strong teams...

8. Get and stay ORGANIZED...

9. OPTIMIZE your precious time...

10. ACT NOW to make things happen.

These 10 Colors have the power to change everything about your life—yourrelationships, your family, your income and your career. Improve these 10 colors, and you willimprove every aspect of your life—now and in the future.

These 10 colors incorporate every aspect of WHO you are, WHAT you do and HOWyou do things. Yes, these 10 colors are the means that make it possible for you to achieve allof your dreams and goals—sooner rather than later—or maybe never.

So, what controls the brightness of each color?

The simple answer: 10 On/Off switches we call Factor Actions. To see how smart you areworking at any point in time... to see how much power you have available to produce theresults you want... to see how well you are performing throughout the day—all you have todo is check the setting of your Factor On/Off switches!

In a heartbeat, you will not only SEE how much power you have, you’ll SEE exactly whatneeds to be turned on to maximize your performance effectiveness. This is real insight into thedynamics of your performance—insight that will power your career to new heights!

I N S E A R C H O F A G O L D S T A N D A R D61 62

Put simply, if you take the Factor Action, the Color gets brighter. If you don’t, the Colorgets weaker. Ultimately, these 10 unique database-coding categories for each Color wererewritten—yet again—as 10 easy-to-understand questions that read like personalaffirmations.

If you read the affirmation as a Positive, you are saying that “Yes, I do this.” If you readit and realize that “No I don’t,” you have just found a performance shortfall.

For example, an affirmation like “I write down all my goals in specific, measurable detailwith declared target dates,” (Set Goals Factor 4e) has but one answer. Either you can say “Yes,I do this consistently”—or you can’t.

Whenever you can consistently answer Yes, your ability to Set Goals improves, simplybecause you are taking an action (writing down your goals) to improve it. So, when this switchis turned ON, your Set Goals Color burns brighter.

An affirmation like “I always speak in a positive, powerful, and uplifting manner,”(Attitude Factor 3h) covers an entirely different aspect of your performance. When you cansay Yes, your Attitude improves—right? So, when this particular switch is turned ON, yourAttitude Color glows brighter.

Why?

Why does your Attitude improve—even slightly—when you perform this Factor? Onthe surface, you might say that you did something—you took the designated Factor Action—to improve your Attitude Color, so your attitude improved overall. You would be right!

Obviously, when you choose to speak in a positive, powerful and uplifting manner—rather than a negative, weak and critical manner—there’s an immediate difference in yourperformance. Your voice changes. Your mood changes. You might get a little more excited—become a little more responsive to people around you. In reality, this particular Factor changesyour physiology as well as your “attitude” in general.

You employed a skill that instantly displaced a Negative from your performance!

It takes SKILL to achieve performance excellence. Remember how, on page 22, wepointed out the difference between two people: One who had all POSITIVES driving theirperformance, and the other all NEGATIVES. This is why.

Successful people simply employ better Factor skills—and employ them morefrequently—which is what puts those Positives into his or her performance in the first place.

Let’s look at another example of this attitude-related “timeless advice” and see what youthink. What techniques would a Motivational Coach like Dennis Waitley, Pat Rileyor Anthony Robbins recommend to spur inner motivation?

I’d like to say that finding the TQ Gold Standard happened by divine inspiration oroutright MAGIC, but this process was a huge amount of time-consuming, and very expensiveWORK! After thousands of man-hours of editing, writing, coding, processing, re-editing,rewriting, recoding and reprocessing—we ultimately arrived at the 10 completely uniqueColor categories—and just 10 “switches” that drive the intensity of those Colors.

In the end, 4,715 Key Ideas were “crystallized” into

the 100 Factors of Performance Excellence.

Think of the end product as 10 different books with 10 different chapters—each withhundreds of interrelated and interdependent ideas, thousands of questions to ask yourself, andclear advice on how to improve a specific area of your performance.

Thus, the timeless wisdom of the ages, amazing

truths, and sage advice all locked inside some

35,000 pages—within 150 different books

sitting up on our shelves—was finally united into

one Time Prism with 10 Colors, and the 100

Factor Actions that make up the Gold Standard of

Performance Excellence!

Which were ultimately rewritten into 100 Personal Affirmations

that drive the intensity and effectiveness of your performance.

The result of four years’ worth of work was an incredible database of ideas to help youbecome more successful. Each idea by itself, had the unique power to inspire you toACTION... to improve your performance and increase your potential for success. But, as itturns out, the true importance in this work product was not in the ideas themselves—it wasin the structure of the underlying Factor Actions.

Only after we had created the 10 broad color categories—and the 10 specific actionsubcategories that directly supported each category—could we see the relationship between“doing” the subcategory (Factor) and the “outer category” (Color) growing more powerful.

I N S E A R C H O F A G O L D S T A N D A R D63 64

You can SEE this ripple-effect in your performance...

When you speak in a Positive, Powerful and

Uplifting manner, your performance might—

in that instant—be described as Motivational,

Encouraging, Uplifting and Inspirational. No one,

not even your harshest critic, would see you as

Disparaging, Discouraging or Degrading—not

WHILE you are speaking in a positive tone of voice.

Let’s look at another example. What would “Goals Gurus” like Zig Ziglar, KenBlanchard or Tom Peters advise you to do to reach the pinnacle of “One Minute Excellence?”

Maybe...

4e Write down all your goals in specific, measurable detailwith declared target dates.

4g Share your goals with others for mutual accomplishment.

4h Set a whole series of related daily, weekly and long-term goals, complete with starting times and completion dates.

4j Take an action step toward the attainment of at least one goal every day.

5d Write your plans with defined steps that lead to specific, major objectives.

5e Integrate the steps of your plans into your schedule every day.

Consider the impact.

If 14 of the world’s leading experts on personal and professional performance came to yourhouse and gathered around your dining room table—and then, one-by-one, advised you in nouncertain terms to WRITE your goals down—and then create WRITTEN plans to supportthose goals—would there be any question that Factors 4e and 5e are not just a couple of goodideas—but rather, mandates for becoming truly successful? Of course not!

What occurs when you follow this advice?

Think about what actually happens when you employ a Factor Action such as 4e: “I writedown all my goals in specific, measurable detail with declared target dates.” This is one ofthose Factors that—every time you do it—makes you instantly more powerful. Why?

Because when you do, your Set Goals Color improves immediately—simply because youswitched this Factor from Off to On. How?

How about...

3c Spend your time visualizing tremendously-rewarding successesinstead of picturing failure.

3d Maintain a positive expectation for every action you take.

3e Look for the best in every situation, and the opportunity in every problem.

3h Always speak in a positive, powerful and uplifting manner.

3i Persist with passion until you succeed at whatever you do.

Do you or don’t you?

Clearly, these five Factor Actions are key to a positive and proactive attitude. If you justtook these five actions a bit more frequently, wouldn’t your life be better? How much of thisadvice do you accept as “gospel,” and how much do you believe is merely motivational“hoopla?” Think about it.

If you had an opportunity to sit down with these experts, would you follow their advice—or toss it out as irrelevant to your particular circumstances?

❑ Great Advice. ❑ Hoopla. ❑ Completely irrelevant to my circumstances.

There’s More to the Story Just below the surface.

Think about what happens when you choose to speak in a powerful and uplifting way.Something amazing occurs.

We noticed that, even though you may not have actually mastered the Factor—you cansimply CHOOSE to do it—and in that moment—receive the same benefits as if you had beendoing it all along. The beauty of most, if not all of the TQ Factor Actions, is that you can startdoing them right now—and from this point on—experience a dramatic improvement inperformance.

For example, a skill like Factor 3h (above) gives you an instant power boost whenever youchoose to employ it. Right? No question.

The first, and most immediate effect is that you inject a positive characteristic likeOptimism into your performance. Since you can’t be both optimistic and pessimistic at thesame time—the negative (Pessimistic) is instantly displaced.

By logical extension then—simply by choosing to employ Factor 3h—a whole stream ofPositives ENTER your performance—and a stream of Negatives EXIT your performance.This is a huge concept that explains a great deal about the day-to-day dynamics of yourperformance. When you take any positive action, you not only have MORE positives drivingyour performance—you have FEWER negatives. This dynamic process creates a true force-multiplier throughout the rest of your performance—a multiplier that creates a chain reactionthat gives you greater power overall. (You will learn more about this in Chapter 4.)

I N S E A R C H O F A G O L D S T A N D A R D65 66

Wouldn’t your career take on a new dimension if you took their advice? Wouldn’t youhave substantially more career power if you took these 6 Factor Actions more frequently?Wouldn’t you be on a fast-track, career track? Beyond that, what would your retirementpackage look like? Without a doubt, pure GOLD.

Yes, 100 Factors Switched On—at every point in time—

is the objective of Full Spectrum Career Power.

Can you even begin to imagine what your performance would be like if you were doingALL 100 Factors consistently? If you mastered all 100 Factors—and employed themreligiously—you would be seen as a paragon of personal and professionalEXCELLENCE.

“For what is the best choice, for each

individual is the highest it is possible for

him to achieve.”

— Aristotle

Summary.

The TQ Gold Standard is comprised of 10 simple actions in each of the 10 broad areas ofyour performance. It is the Gold Standard, not just because WE say it is, it’s the GoldStandard because it’s the final distillation of the combined thinking of 3,500 years ofdiscussion about performance excellence—from Aristotle and Plato... to Covey and Peters...and another 150 of the world’s smartest authors in between!

If you had the time, money and curiosity, you would have done the same thing Kent andI did: Methodically categorize and index the best of the best ideas, condense and distill themdown to 100 simple ACTIONS.

Put simply...

Each of the 100 Factors of Gold Standard

performance represents the absolute best advice

you can get for instantly improving your personal

performance. If you believe that these are “good

ideas,” then all you have to do is make sure you DO

them as consistently and frequently as possible.

Now that you understand how we created the TQ Gold Standard,

let’s discover how well you measure up to it!

When you do this Factor, you are not “just setting

goals.” You are telling yourself what you want—and by

when. By writing your goals down, you are making

sure you won’t forget them. By making them specific

and measurable, you’ll know what you’re actually

working towards. By grabbing your calendar—and

thinking through the time issues surrounding those

goals—you are writing out your future—dictating the

deadlines and creating the urgency for the actions that

will ultimately make each goal a reality.

No longer are your goals “vague.” Rather, you

have turned them into “explicit” targets.

Bingo! Because you took ACTION to do Factor 4e, you instantly put Explicit into yourperformance (a Positive) and forced Vague out (a Negative.)

Again, you became more POWERFUL—simply because you have one more Positive—and one less Negative—driving your performance. You became incrementally moreSUCCESSFUL because you became more Explicit and less Vague about your goals. And, as abonus, other Positives started to flood your performance—simply because you declared whatyou want and by when.

To the outside observer, you would be seen as self-directed, focused, practical, precise anda little more detail-oriented—simply because you wrote your goals into your calendar!

Not too shabby for doing just one Factor.

Let’s go through one final example so you can see how doing each Factor Action addssubstantial power to your overall performance. How would “organizational thinkers” likePeter Drucker, Michael LeBoeuf or Edwin Bliss advise you to improve your efficiency,effectiveness and productivity? For starters, they would doubtlessly tell you to...

7g Delegate as much as possible, and communicate your expectations clearly.

10c Break down complex tasks into immediately doable steps.

10h Continue until you reach some stage of completion before leaving any task or project.

8a Create systems to help automate your most productive activities.

8j Keep your work area organized to support and assist you in maximizing results.

9d Simplify your day by eliminating anything that’s no longer of interest or value to you.

I N S E A R C H O F A G O L D S T A N D A R D67 68

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How to Become A New You.

Recognition. Reflection. Reinvention.

Now that you understand the origin of the TQ Gold Standard of Performance Excellence,the next step in your journey towards reinvention and self-differentiation is to see how wellyou match up to it. This journey is guaranteed to help you see YOU in a whole new light.

In this Chapter, you will not only see how you stack up to the TQ Gold Standard, butdiscover something new and wonderful about yourself, your career and your future. Mainly,you’ll discover that you do not have to live with failed hopes, dreams and expectations... andthat you don’t have to put up with performance limitations that are holding you back fromthe life you want—either personally or professionally.

By looking at your performance in a whole new light, you will discover that you canquickly and easily eliminate the obstacles and bottlenecks holding your career back. You willdiscover that it won’t take years to reinvent your life... that finding the success you desire isas simple as taking a few more actions—a bit more consistently.

To make your journey fun, informative and highly enlightening, we have separated the“New You” discovery process around three simple themes: RECOGNITION of what you arecurrently doing... REFLECTION upon how your actions and inactions are shaping yourfuture... and a step-by-step approach to REINVENTING your performance.

Dedicate yourself to becoming the best at what you do.

Ultimately, you will discover what you are doing right—so you can do more of that...what you are doing wrong—so you can do less of that... and precisely what you need to dodifferently to produce significantly better results. You will see, in wonderful detail, whatyou’re not doing, that you should be doing, to achieve the success you desire.

“A discovery is said to be an accident

meeting a prepared mind.”

— Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

3

Sage Wisdom...

“ To me, success is the peace of

mind that comes from knowing

that you have achieved your

very best under challenging

circumstances. To grow as a

person, you must continuously

raise your expectations. To

achieve success then, you must

seize the moment and execute

beyond expectation.”

—E. R. Haas, CEO

DISCOVERYYour Full Spectrum Performance Review.

Discovery

W H A T ’ S H O L D I N G Y O U B A C K ? 70

A few additional thoughts and instructions

for your journey to personal reinvention.

On the following pages are the 10 Colors and 100 Factor Actions that make up the TQGold Standard of Performance Excellence. Since these 10 Colors, and their supporting FactorActions, are so critical to your ultimate success, please take your time as you read these 160pages. (While 160 pages may sound like a lot, this is a big improvement over the 35,000-pluspages we had to wade through to bring you this little book. Right?!)

First, read through each Color explanation.

By recognizing and better understanding how each Color impacts your performance, youwill quickly discover if a given Color is causing you problems... an area of your performancethat’s standing between you and what you want: More time... more money... faster careeradvancement... you choose. Or, you might just find that this Color is already strong andvibrant—a major driver of your success. If so, great!

Either way, as you begin to understand how a given Color influences your performance,you will begin to see how it, in turn, affects your entire life. Please pay close attention to thecontrasts between Strong and Vibrant Color power, and what happens when it is Weak andFaded. Because we want you to connect this information to your particular circumstances, wecreated a fairly “black and white” contrast between people with strong vs. weak Colors. Thisis not intended to be an “if the shoe fits” portrayal of your current performance.

What we are hoping to do is draw out of you a response that, yes, this is hitting home,and I now need to take corrective action... or, no, this is not really a problem for me. If we canget you to turn on your “bright bulb” and help you see the positives and negatives drivingyour successes and failures right now, we will have achieved our #1 objective.

Next, take inventory...

Think of the 10-point list of affirmations for each color as a checklist of actions you areeither taking or not. Again, this is not a pass or fail test. All we want you to do is to look atyour life... then look at the list... and decide if you can honestly answer, “Yes, I do that.” Webelieve that the first step to reinvention is a clear recognition of which part of you is doingjust fine... and which part needs to be “fiddled” with! (There’s no point in fixing what’s notbroken. But if it is, “why not start now” is our philosophy!)

Review the pros and cons of taking the suggested action.

Following each four-page Color introduction are the 10 Factor Actions that drive theintensity of that particular Color. Once you understand why the Color is important, and howit affects your success potential, the next step is to see how a given Factor Action contributesto the underlying positives and negatives driving your Color power.

100 Points of Light...

In the last Chapter, I made the statement that your power to produce tangible results isdependent upon how brightly your 10 Colors are burning... which is entirely dependent uponhow many of your Factor Actions are switched ON. Without question, 100 Factors switchedON is vastly preferable to 100 Factors switched OFF—the result of which will becomeevident over the next few pages!

Put succinctly, if you want to achieve greater results, you must apply greater power tomake it happen. This means discovering how many of your Factor Switches are usually turnedOn, and how many are frequently in the Off position. It is no more complicated than that.

Now, here’s some GOOD news!

In some fashion, you are probably already performing most, if not all of these 100 actions.All you need to do is take them with greater frequency and consistency.

From millions of data points at ThinkTQ.com, (where you can test your TQ in real-time),we have found that the vast majority (70%+) of people rate their 100 Factor Actions relativelylow—but virtually no one rates them zero. This means that a large segment of the populationbelieves they are taking these actions—sometimes. These are, doubtlessly, the same people whobelieve that Someday is the eighth day in the week, and wonder why their Someday dreamsare no closer to being realized today, than when they were dreamed up ten years ago.

What do you need to do differently?

The principal objective of this chapter is to help you understand the importance of eachColor to your overall performance, and help you determine exactly what you need to dodifferently to improve it: Either a little... or a lot.

Please remember that this is a DISCOVERY process for you, and should not be seen as aTEST of what you are doing right or wrong. By comparing yourself to the TQ Gold Standard,you are seeing how you CURRENTLY measure up to a very high standard. This is a giantfirst step towards improving your performance, both personally and professionally.

To make your discovery fun, illuminating and informative, we have “gated” thepresentation of each Color into a compact, 16-page “dissertation”—complete with a simplechecklist for you to answer. This experience is designed to open your eyes to the importanceof each Color to your performance, and help you see which actions you are consistently takingto promote the intensity of a given Color.

NOTE: This not a comprehensive TEST of your performance effectiveness. If that is whatyou are looking for, go to ThinkTQ.com/Book and purchase a personal, made-to-order copyof The Power of TQ and 10 Choices of Intentional Excellence.

This revolutionary new book is the “big brother” to Full Spectrum Career Power. Take theFull TQ Test, and you will get a comprehensive, 172 page Factor-by-Factor evaluation of theforces driving your successes and failures.

W H A T ’ S H O L D I N G Y O U B A C K ?71 72

This might be a good time to give you some really GREAT news!

Before you embark on your journey to discover the New You within yourself, here’s atidbit that should help sustain you through what might become some “rough waters.” In theend, you will not only find the New You within yourself—but the means for unleashing it!

Remember that fabulous training software I was describing earlier in Chapter 3: TheScreenSaver Training System™. We actually COMPLETED it!!!

Ultimately, it worked exactly like we hoped: You dial up an area of your performance, andit helps you improve it... instantly and automatically... by giving you on-point ideas for actionthat you can put into play all day long!

While it did take us a lot longer, and cost a bundle more than expected, the extra effortand expense was worthwhile. The software is now called Mastering The Time Prism.

But we didn’t stop there.

We created an entire system to help you move your Someday Dreams off the page andinto your life. Quickly. Easily.

Because the entire TQ System is based on our Time Prism metaphor, you simply selectone Color of your performance that needs to be improved, and we give you all the information,motivation, inspiration and hard facts you need to improve it.

So, as you go through each Color, don’t worry

about HOW you are going to move it up.

The important thing to realize is how a given Color, and its underlying 10 FactorActions, is affecting your life. Once you go through this discovery process, you will not onlyknow what you need to do differently, you will be given the tools to make it happen.

In a way, you are going through the discovery process much the same as Michelangelodid when he sculpted David. To find the NEW YOU, you will simply chip away at the OLDYOU!

Relax.

Take your time.

Have Fun.

Michelangelo Buonarotti said of his David:

“I looked into the stone and saw him there,

and just chipped away everything else.”

Think of these pages as a mirror.

The purpose of these 10 Factor pages is to help you see yourself in a different light—andto zero in on specific issues that may be causing you unnecessary frustration and grief. Here,you might want to take careful note of what we have to say—on both sides of the fence.

For each Factor Action, there is a short explanation of the Factor’s importance, a recitationof what generally happens to your performance if you don’t take the action suggested, how youare seen when you do perform it, and a list of TQ Positives and Negatives. If you can actuallySEE yourself in these pages, then you have made HUGE progress! The idea is toRECOGNIZE if this single action could be holding you back.

Please do not zip through theses pages just to get to the end. Invest a little time on eachpage, thinking about what we are actually saying, and about how taking, or not taking thisaction affects your career... your family... your finances... and your life. At the end of each pagewe ask you to once again confirm that you are performing this Gold Standard action—and theFactor Switch is usually turned ON—lighting up that element of your performance.

The end point...

First and foremost, this is a process of personal discovery. It’s a REFLECTION processdesigned to start you thinking about how different your life would be right now, if only youhad been consistently taking these Gold Standard actions all along.

Following each set of 10 Factor pages is a Quick TQ Color Review of what you justexperienced. Once again, we ask the question: Is this Color contributing to your success—orholding you back from it?

This short pause between Colors is intended to give you time for reflection beforecontinuing. Please take a moment to look at your life as it stands right now, in context to howbrightly that particular Color is currently burning. Then see if you get the connectionbetween where you are right now... where you want to go... and the 10 Factor Actions thatdetermine the intensity of that Color.

If you KNOW a Color is holding you back—or recognize a Factor Action within it thatis decimating your success potential—simply MARK it—and continue. We will help youwith the “reinvention process” once you have completed your Full Spectrum PerformanceReview.

What we hope you will find during this introspective journey is a baseline assessment ofwhat you are CURRENTLY doing—versus what you know you SHOULD be doing. Onceyou know what’s standing between you and what you want, you can quickly take action toeliminate it. Until then, you are simply running in circles, confusing effort with results.

Your future is waiting...

The point is, your future is waiting for you, indeed begging you to take these actions withgreater consistency and frequency. When you do, you will start to make your dreams cometrue—faster than you can even begin to imagine. In other words, you will automaticallyREINVENT yourself—becoming the New You that you desire!

W H A T ’ S H O L D I N G Y O U B A C K ?73 74

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About Your ENERGY Color.The Quick Big Picture.

ENERGY is the 1st color in the Time Prism Performance Spectrum because the simpletruth is, there are no dead peak performers. For even minimal performance, you have to be,act and feel alive. If you don’t have the energy to do whatever it takes, you’ll never performup to your true potential.

Even knowing what to do and how to do it makes no difference unless you have theenergy to actually perform. And, to perform at the peak of your ability—to get everythingyou want out of every minute you have—requires a continuous commitment to a high energylevel throughout your entire day. Any reduction in personal energy translates directly intoreduced productivity.

To maintain an ideal level of peak performance, you must continuously commit to yourhealth and fitness. After all, if your body fails, you’re out of the game for the duration.Committing to peak power also demands that you control, pace and renew your energy on acontinuous basis. You simply can’t start each morning with your battery charged, run it downall day long and expect to recharge it at night. Instead, peak performance requires you torecharge your energy throughout the day—every day.

The key is to rid your life of energy drainers, and replace them with energy gainers. Thismeans you must ruthlessly eliminate anything that zaps your energy and produces zip inreturn. It means that you must always be on the lookout for and repeat the things thatrecharge you.

It’s not complicated, and yes, you can have it all. But you’ll have to commit to the 24-hour day and the 7-day week. To get the most out of life, you need the physical power to begoing strong at 8:00 in the evening, as well as 10:00 in the morning.

Remember, there are only 1440 minutes in a day. Subtract 440 for sleep and “harddown-time” and you’re left with just 1000 Prime Minutes from which all your hopes, dreamsand expectations will be realized. Since the day’s over when it’s over, and nobody gets moretime, all 1000 of your Prime Minutes must be energized to produce maximum results. Bypaying close attention to your nutrition, exercise and a proper balance between work and play,you can create and maintain the power necessary to keep going strong all day long.

3

TQ Truth #1

Peak Performance requires

high ENERGY and

a continuous commitment

to your health and fitness.

You will automatically

get more performance out

of every minute in your day,

when you put more energy

into every minute you have.

ENERGYCommit to Peak Power.

energy�

ENERGY

S T O P F O O L I N G — S T A R T F U E L I N G Y O U R S E L F ! 76

Check off the Factor Actions for which you can consistently say YES...

1a ____ I keep a close watch on my energy level to gauge how it’s affecting my performance.

1b ____ I consistently eliminate energy drainers in my life and replace them with energy gainers.

1c ____ I exercise for a planned amount of time, on a frequent and regular basis.

1d ____ I control my energy level with proper nutrition rather than fool myself with quick-fixes.

1e ____ I track what I eat and drink, and observe how it affects my performance afterwards.

1f ____ I stop worry from dragging down my energy by immediately taking a positive action to resolve the concern.

1g ____ I maintain my energy level by taking breaks to get up and stretch, or have a small nutritious snack.

1h ____ I sit straight, stand tall, breathe deeply and move about energetically.

1i ____ I act cheerfully and look for ways to add more fun to whatever I do.

1j ____ I recharge and renew myself by taking time off for play and relaxation.

# _____ YES Responses

The 10 Factor Actions Explained �

“Are you truly commited to peak personal

power?”

Now, Ask Yourself This:

Is your Energy Color contributing to your success—or holding you back from it?

How’s your energy level right now? Be honest. Could it be you just don’t have thephysical stamina to achieve the results you expect? Are the drainers taking their toll, and thegainers few and far between? Are you frequently burned out, stressed out and “running onempty?”

When your Energy Color is Strong & Vibrant...

Each moment is a concentrated burst of attention and action. You power through anycomplication with ease because you have the reserves to do whatever it takes to succeed.Keeping in top physical condition gets a lot of attention and is regularly scheduled onto yourcalendar. Opportunity is measured not by the effort required, but by how much you’ll receivewhen you’re done. You believe that life can be pumped up, embraced and celebrated.

However, when your Energy Color is Weak & Faded...

You may be here but you don’t want to be, and procrastination is your first response toany challenge. You’re easily frustrated when things don’t go as planned, and even minorproblems become major pains. Health is an issue only when it becomes a problem, which itoften does. Opportunities are measured by how much effort they will take to accomplish. Youbelieve that making it through to the end of the day is the best you can hope for.

The contrast is stunning.

People with a high physical and mental energy level are seen as Lively, Energetic, Strong,Steady, Dynamic and Cheerful. They have the raw, results-producing personal power toadvance their careers to new heights... simply because they put more energy into every task.

People with a low energy level are seen as Drained, Tired, Erratic, Stressed, Run-down,Lethargic and Gloomy. Not surprisingly, they rarely get the opportunity to distinguishthemselves. Because they are frequently dead on their feet, their career is dead in the water.

This single Color, perhaps more than any other, is highly visible to others, and directlyaffects every other aspect of your performance. No question, it is a major driver of personalsuccess.

the defining questionfor E N E R GY is…

�ENERGY

R U N N I N G O N E M P T Y ?77 78

I consistently eliminate energy drainers in my lifeand replace them with energy gainers.

Some things boost your energy level, while others drain it. You need to know which iswhich. What drains your energy? Worry, medical or dental concerns, work piled on yourdesk, not enough sleep, diet, unfinished tasks, negative people, angry coworkers... anythingelse?

Once identified, take action to eliminate these drainers and replace them with energygainers: Exercise, high energy foods, more sleep, medical attention, friendly faces—anythingthat makes you perform better and increases your energy level rather than depletes it.

Have you mastered Factor Action 1B?

A NO means you're someone whose energy can be spent, well before the day is done.Youstart out with high expectations for what you want to accomplish, but too frequently, yourbest intentions slowly fade as the energy drainers take their toll.

Jobs are left half done because you don't have the energy to complete them. Phone callsare deferred until later because you're not "up to the call," and personal issues stay unresolvedlonger than they should. Your day is shot well before it's over, and you rarely have the "leftover" energy to devote to friends and family.

TQ Negatives: Drained Weary Unmotivated

A YES means you actively seek out the cause of physical and mental burn-out—and youeliminate it—well before it takes a toll on your performance. You have the endurance to beyour best, all day long, and can keep going when everyone else is ready to quit.

You have the power to plow through obstacles and setbacks without undue strain, andstill have the energy to enjoy family, friends and recreational activities.

TQ Positives: Energetic Refreshed Motivated Enlivened Invigorated

By staying ahead of the energy curve,you get more out of every minute in

your day, because you put moreenergy into every minute you have.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

1bI keep a close watch on my energy level to gauge

how it’s affecting my performance.Nothing is more critical to strong personal performance than your energy level. It

impacts every aspect of your ability to produce results. By paying close attention to yourpersonal energy, you can observe the impact it has over your performance.

You can't do your best when you're not at your best. Just by being aware of how yourbody runs, you’re better prepared to correct minor performance drains before they becomemajor performance pains.

Have you mastered Factor Action 1A?

A NO means you find yourself burned out well before you realize it... and don't knowwhy. It suggests you seriously underestimate the connection between your energy level andthe level of your performance.

You may do okay from day to day, but your performance varies dramatically—and you'renever sure why. You miss the simple connection between your personal energy level and yourlevel of performance.

There are times when you don't consider your energy level until it's too late. By then,you have to coast over to the side of the road with an empty tank—short of your desireddestination. Way short of what a productive day could have been.

TQ Negatives: Fatigued Inconsistent Tired

A YES means you're always looking for a serious performance edge, and the first placeyou look is to your energy level. You’ve learned through experience that there's nothing morecritical to performance than a high level of personal energy. You've also discovered that if youdon’t have the energy to keep going when you need to, you'll give less than your best andmay even quit before you're finished.

Therefore, you’re always monitoring your energy level so that you can adjust as necessaryto keep it as high as possible.

TQ Positives: Lively Steady Energetic

You keep your productivity high bykeeping one eye on your energy gauge

and the other on your goals.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

1a

�ENERGY

S T O P F O O L I N G — S T A R T F U E L I N G Y O U R S E L F !79 80

I control my energy level with proper nutrition ratherthan fool myself with quick-fixes.

The food you eat can either fuel you all day long, or fool you with a quick power surge.You need energy for the entire day—not just the next few hours. Does what you eat or drinkkeep you going strong, or do you have a big slump afterwards? Get off the energy rollercoaster, by staying away from the "quick-fixes."

Keep your energy level steady with small nutritious snacks throughout the day.Remember the "Food Pyramid?" According to recent studies, it's STILL the best advice onwhat your body needs to be at its best.

Have you mastered Factor Action 1D?

A NO means there are too many hours in the day when you are simply running on fumes,and suggests you are someone whose energy level is far from level. You live on an energyroller-coaster and trick yourself into thinking that the quick-fixes you eat and drink areexactly what you need at the time. Worse, you sacrifice your long-term energy level for whatyou hope is an immediate improvement.

However, these habits rarely give you the staying power to perform at your best. It's notunusual to find long periods in your day when you lose motivation, and even the smallest taskseems like too much effort

TQ Negatives: Erratic Inconsistent Moody Unhealthy Tired

A YES means you are someone who has the endurance to be your best all day long. Youunderstand that to complete each of your goals before the day is over, you need a constantsupply of energy. You don't use quick-fixes to get through the next hour, but eat nutritiousfoods that carry you throughout the day.

You have the foresight and self-control to choose the snacks and beverages that willproduce the greatest staying power over the longest period of time. This allows you tomaintain a strong, constant energy level without the roller coaster effect of sugar, simplecarbohydrates and caffeine.

TQ Positives: Steady Consistent Sustained Self-controlled Healthy

Your diet provides a strong, steadysupply of energy all day long.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

1dI exercise for a planned amount of time,

on a frequent and regular basis.A regular exercise routine guarantees higher energy, an improved mental state, weight

control, increased stamina, improved health and reduced stress. What else do you need toknow? Your personal performance depends on it—so get on it. Make your energy programfun and rewarding. Schedule it into your day planner.

Because it has such a positive impact on every aspect of your performance, regularexercise is the single most important personal appointment you can make. Do it daily!

Have you mastered Factor Action 1C?

A NO means you spend too much time dead on your feet and dead in the water. Itsuggests you are someone who doesn't get the connection between sweat and success.

You know that exercise increases your energy level, reduces stress and improves yourattitude. But you haven't made an exercise regimen a high priority and lack the dedicationto make it a regular part of your life.

Without regular exercise you lack the endurance to move your goals down the path tocompletion. Because there's only a limited number of hours when you are "actively in thegame," there's a big imbalance between what you want out of life and what you get out of it.

TQ Negatives: Tired Lethargic Unhealthy Sluggish Lifeless

A YES means you are committed to a strong sense of physical well-being and make yourappointments to exercise as important as anything else you do. You have the commitmentand willingness to spend time and effort now, in exchange for increased energy, reduced stressand greater enjoyment all day long.

Your energy level is consistently higher than those who don’t exercise, and you nevermiss out on an opportunity because you're too "just tired!"

TQ Positives: Strong Fit Healthy Lively Vigorous

Regular exercise produces the muscletone that sets the mental tone for

everything you do.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

1c

�ENERGY

S T O P F O O L I N G — S T A R T F U E L I N G Y O U R S E L F !81 82

I stop worry from dragging down my energy by immediately taking a positive action to resolve the concern.

Worry wastes time, steals energy and prevents you from accomplishing your goals.There's no reason to worry about something you can't fix. There's also no reason to worryabout something you can fix.

If you find yourself constantly stressed over money, friends, health issues, your children,people at work or your circumstances—STOP IT! Identify the exact cause of your concern,and transform that worry into a positive action to resolve the concern.

Have you mastered Factor Action 1F?

A NO means you do nothing but sit and worry and end up mentally burned andphysically exhausted... and suggests you're often a victim of your worries.

You can burn a lot of energy as you sit and picture the most unfavorable things that couldhappen—thereby draining your energy level. As you focus on "worst case" scenarios, you robyourself of the energy and motivation needed to take action. This leaves you with little energyto actually resolve the problem.

What's more, these overriding concerns keep you from completing your other tasks. Thisleads to a negative spiral of additional stress stealing away more energy.

TQ Negatives: Stressed Overwhelmed Worried Debilitated Drained

A YES means you never play the victim to your worries. By focusing on the actions youcan take, rather than the negative conditions of the problem, you maintain your momentumeven when besieged with negative situations.

Everyone has reasons to worry, but you’re able to work through your concerns withoutwasting precious energy before correcting or improving the situation. Once resolved, yourenergy level actually increases due to positive feelings that come from correcting a badsituation.

TQ Positives: Revitalized Enlivened Proactive Recharged Empowered

Worries never drain your positiveenergy for long because you stop

worry dead in its track.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

1fI track what I eat and drink and observe how

it affects my performance afterwards.Your body chemistry is unique. You may react differently to some foods than other

people do. How do you know if what you're eating is right for you? Simply test different dietsand find out for yourself! Keep a log of everything you eat and drink, then see how you feelafterwards.

By recording your reactions, you'll be able to see the relationship between what you eatand how you perform. Once this step is taken, you can make permanent changes in your dietto optimize your personal energy level.

Have you mastered Factor Action 1E?

A NO means valuable opportunities and precious time slip away when your energy levelsinks and you don't know why. It suggests you are someone who doesn't connect eatingpatterns with productivity patterns.

You tend to be more concerned with temporary gratification than with long termsuccess. You eat whatever you want—with little consideration for the short or long-termconsequences. You've managed to get by thus far with how you eat and drink, and see noreason to give your diet a lot of thought.

You think it's only natural to feel tired after you eat. You may be tempted to follow arecommended diet, but rarely follow through long enough to determine if it is actually theright program for your unique body chemistry.

TQ Negatives: Sluggish Depleted Tired Unhealthy Inconsistent

A YES means you know how to fuel for maximum performance. You believe your healthand energy are critical to achieving the life you want. Therefore, you do whatever you can toincrease your ability to perform.

This includes monitoring what you eat and seeing how you feel afterwards. Armed withthis personal discovery, you customize your diet to produce the greatest energy level over thelongest period of time. Not only do you know what the right foods are for you, you also knowwhat time of day is the best time to eat them.

TQ Positives: Invigorated Replenished Energized Steady

Your food choices are a powerful tool forkeeping you at the top of your game.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

1e

�ENERGY

S T O P F O O L I N G — S T A R T F U E L I N G Y O U R S E L F !83 84

I sit straight, stand tall, breathe deeplyand move about energetically.

There's a direct connection between your physiology and your energy level. Wheneveryour body movements become lethargic or your posture begins to slump, you automaticallyslow down—both mentally and physically. Assume a powerful, self-assured position, andyou’ll instantly feel more energetic. Move about quickly, and your enthusiasm naturallyincreases. Take deep breaths to get oxygen into your system and life to your spirits. Stand tall,and gain the confidence to proceed.

Have you mastered Factor Action 1H?

A NO means your physiology drags you down from the minute you wake up. It suggestsyour body's working against you, instead of for you.

Your handshake is weak; your shoulders are slumped; your eyes are downcast and yoursighs are heard down the hall. Your speech drags out in a slow, quiet monotone. Your shallowbreaths give you just enough oxygen to survive. You slouch when you sit, making it evenmore difficult to breathe—to say nothing of getting up. And you wonder why it's so hard toget started on your next task?

TQ Negatives: Lethargic Unenthused Dejected Tired Gloomy

A YES means you are someone whose physical appearances projects power and spirit.Nothing gives a stronger signal of confidence than the energetic style you present to others.When you feel energetic, it's obvious by the way you carry yourself—how you stand, how youwalk and in your gestures as you speak.

Whenever you don't feel energetic, you know you can immediately increase your energylevel by assuming a stronger posture. You act and become more energetic by standing taller,walking faster or increasing your rate of speech.

TQ Positives: Dynamic Animated Vivacious Enthusiastic Spirited

You're a perpetual motion machine—perpetually full of energy.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

1hI maintain my energy level by taking breaks to get

up and stretch, or have a small snack.Working for long periods without a break is counter-productive. Pace yourself. Take a

five-minute break every hour: stand up, run in place, lift weights, stretch. Take ten deepbreaths. Eat a nutritious snack. Drink a large glass of water. Take a short walk. Switch froma mental task to a physical one or vice versa. Then, go back to work energized and recharged.

Have you mastered Factor Action 1G?

A NO means you hit your top speed early in the day... but it's all downhill from there!It suggests you only have two speeds: "flat out" and "burned out."

You may be so completion-driven that you've never found a way to pace yourself.Unfortunately you often forget that you're going to need a high energy level later in the day.While you may get a lot done initially, later your production drops dramatically.

Even when mid morning and mid afternoon slumps are crying out for attention, youignore them. When this happens, it's harder to gear back up than it would have been tomaintain your energy level.

A YES means you are committed to producing fifty-five minutes of high qualityperformance for every hour in your day. Professional athletes take time-outs to recharge andregroup. So do you. You know that you can only be at your best for so long before you needto take a break.

TQ Negatives: Run-down Depleted Drained Burned-out Dull

Aware that you can only go as far as your body will take you, you give it regular tune-ups with periodic stretches, walks and nutritious snacks. You also use this time to giveyourself a "mental break" to keep burn-out from seeping into your performance and depletingyour productivity.

TQ Positives: Recharged Energized Rejuvenated Invigorated Relaxed

Your average speed climbs to the topfast, and stays there all day long.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

1g

�ENERGY

S T O P F O O L I N G — S T A R T F U E L I N G Y O U R S E L F !85 86

I recharge and renew myself by taking time off for play and relaxation.

Everyone has a point of diminishing returns. An important component of beingenergetic is learning how to prioritize time to let go, relax and get recharged. Manage stressand boost your energy level by taking some valuable time off. The more you play while awayfrom work, the better you perform when you return.

Have you mastered Factor Action 1J?

A NO means you need a vacation. You work long hours with no time off and it's startingto show. Your performance is steady but uninspired and ineffective.

Because you've forgotten how to unwind, it takes longer to relax. Grinding it out istaking its toll on your personal life.

TQ Negatives: Depleted Deteriorated Burned-Out Drained Exhausted

A YES means you’re just as capable of committing 100% to your time off as to your timeon. Your time away from work is treated as a valuable investment. In fact, the time you spendrelaxing and playing actually increases your desire to improve your productivity at work.

By taking time for hobbies, sports, travel and personal relationships, you gain experienceand confidence that carries over into your professional life.

TQ Positives: Rejuvenated Renewed Relaxed Invigorated Enlivened

You're highly productive—personally andprofessionally—because you take time to

Recharge, Re-energize and Recommit.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

1jI act cheerfully and look for ways to

add more fun to whatever I do.It’s easier to be energetic when you're cheerful than when you're gloomy. An

entertaining, playful and humorous atmosphere always generates positive energy. Giveyourself something to look forward to by incorporating fun activities into your schedule.

Take pleasure in completing even the smallest tasks. Smile, and you'll instantly feel morecheerful and energetic. Dreaded tasks become easier when you approach them with a lighterattitude. Remember, change your attitude, change your latitude!

Have you mastered Factor Action 1I?

A NO means everything appears to be much more effort than it's worth when you'regloomy. It suggests you tend to live life as though it's a chore that must be finished.

Somewhere along the way, you learned to respond to life with a serious tone and nowyou're stuck being serious most of the time. You tend to view everything as either an effortor an obligation.

You rarely take the time to celebrate your successes. People welcome your presence andexpertise, but rarely go out of their way to include you.

Although you can always be counted on to produce what's required, you lack the abilityto inspire others when things get difficult.

TQ Negatives: Gloomy Pessimistic Begrudging Grave Sober

A YES means you live life as though it's an adventure to be enjoyed. People enjoyworking with you and miss you when you’re gone. You try your best to avoid undue worryand consistently maintain a playful attitude while completing even the hardest task.

You’re capable of getting through the difficult times, without undue stress, because youfocus on the reward rather than the effort. By maintaining the right perspective, you're ableto keep everyone's spirits up even when a project becomes more work than expected.

TQ Positives: Cheerful Upbeat High-spirited Light-hearted Playful

Everything comes easier when youmaintain a cheerful attitude.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

1i

�ENERGY

S T O P F O O L I N G — S T A R T F U E L I N G Y O U R S E L F !87 88

How Committed to Peak Personal Power are You?

Is your Energy Color contributing to your success—or holding you back from it?

Please take a moment to pause and reflect before you continue. Consider what you justlearned about the 10 Factor Actions that drive the intensity of your Energy Color.

Did anything jump out at you as you read the TQ Positives and Negatives? Did you getthe connection between taking a given action and your power to produce better results? Howmany Factor Actions do you consistently take:_____?

What if all 10 of your ENERGY Factors were switched on—all the time?

Look at your life as it stands right now—both personally and professionally. Answersilently, or pen your response right on this page. Is your physical and mental energy levelconsistently high enough to give you the strength and stamina to stay at the top of yourgame—every single day?

Think about it. How much energy does your job consume? How much will you need tomeet or exceed your expectations for the next 6 months... at work... at home... and all yourother commitments? Not to just talk the talk—but to walk the walk—and really strut yourstuff?

Do you have the energy you're going to need—right now—to fight your way throughall the up’s and down’s on the way to your number 1 career goal this year? Could it be thatthe number 1 obstacle to your success is your personal energy level?

Would more power from this COLOR give

you greater CAREER POWER ?Be honest: ___ Yes or ___No?

Sage Wisdom...

“The higher your energy level

the more efficient your body.

The more efficient your body,

the better you feel and the

more you will use your talent

to produce outstanding

results.” —Anthony Robbins

ENERGYA Quick TQ Color Review.

energy�

ENERGY

S T O P F O O L I N G — S T A R T F U E L I N G Y O U R S E L F ! 90

About Your MISSION Color

The Quick Big Picture

MISSION is the 2nd color in the Time Prism Performance Spectrum because until youknow what’s most important, you’re spending the only life you have on things that simplydon’t matter. Lacking direction and purpose, you’re powerless to make a real difference in yourlife. However, all self-imposed limitations are removed when your heart and mind are focusedon the same thing. You’re always the most productive when you tap into the infinite powergenerated by “working from your heart,” fulfilling a clearly defined mission.

Sounds great, “but how?” you ask?

Start by searching your heart for the personal attributes, qualities or emotions like love,contribution, integrity or freedom that mean the most to you. These are the core values thatyou know will bring you the greatest satisfaction in return for a life well lived.

Now, write a succinct, personal mission statement that promises who you’ll be and whatyou’ll do to live these values all the time. This mission statement will be your personal codeof conduct, leading you directly to the qualities and feelings you want to experience the mostin everything you do. By living this new code of conduct, all the decisions, conditions androles in your life become clear and powerful expressions of this newly-defined self you’vepurposely created.

Next, create an ideal vision for each of your major interests and for each of the roles youplay in life. Roles are the separate hats you wear such as dad, engineer, soccer coach, volunteeror spiritual traveler. A vision is a highly-compelling, mental image of an ideal outcome.

Now, expand your personal mission to include the part you will play and the specificactions you will take to achieve each of these visions. By creating a compelling vision,declaring who you will be and identifying the contribution you will make, you give direction,power and purpose to every task and every moment in your day. Stated simply, your missionis to live your most important values as you make a real difference in the world by achievingvaluable goals each day, everyday, rather than sometime, someday. This is what it means to“Live what’s most important.”

29

TQ Truth #2

Your MISSION, integrated

with your vision and your

values, dictates what’s

most important in your life.

You are naturally the most

productive when you’re

working from your heart—

investing the only life you

have in what you care about

the most.

MISSIONLive What’s Most Important.

missionMISSION�

S TO P P U R S U I N G T H I N G S T H AT D O N ’ T M AT T E R — S TA RT P U R S U I N G T H I N G S T H AT D O ! 92

Check off the Factor Actions for which you can consistently say YES...

2a ____ I have a written list of the most important, heartfelt values that I want toexperience in my life.

2b ____ I have a personal mission statement that promises how I will live these values as my code of conduct for everything I do.

2c ____ I’m willing to trade the only life I have in pursuit of my personal mission.

2d ____ I have a current list of the most important interests and roles in my life.

2e ____ I have a highly compelling vision of how the perfect world would look for each of my interests and roles.

2f ____ I can describe each of my visions in clear and colorful detail.

2g ____ I can clearly articulate the qualities I will portray and the part I will contribute to make each of my dreams come true.

2h ____ I make daily decisions based upon my values, vision, and mission.

2i ____ I reinvent myself as I grow by revising my list of values and redefining my vision of a “perfect” life.

2j _____ I live each day as a testament to what I’ve declared to be most important in life.

# _____ YES ResponsesThe 10 Factor Actions Explained �

“How often do you live

what’s most important?”

Now, Ask Yourself This:

Does your Mission Color contribute to your success—or hold you back from it?

How’s your sense of purpose and mission at this very point in time? Are you living thelife you love, or are you drifting aimlessly with no special vision? Look at where you’respending your time. Could it be that what you’re doing is inconsistent with what you valuemost? Or are you on a true mission—passionately working from your heart?

When your Mission Color is strong and vibrant...

You’re focused on specific lifetime visions, and each day brings new opportunities tomake your dreams come true. You can articulate exactly what you want to get from—andwhat you expect to give to—each role in your life. You find ways to make a difference withyour time and your life in a pursuit higher than your own personal interests. Decisions areeasy, because your mission always clarifies what’s most important. You believe life is full ofmeaning and purpose, meant to be lived to its fullest.

However, if your Mission Color is weak or faded...

You know you could accomplish really great things, if you only knew what they were.You’re not sure why you’re acting out the different roles in your life. Nothing seems to matter,and you wonder why nothing ever comes your way. Big decisions are always difficult becauseyou’ve never determined what’s more important than anything else. You believe life has littleinherent meaning, and even less purpose.

The contrast is stunning.

People with a strong sense of purpose are seen as Passionate, Decisive, Devoted, Inspired,Driven, Conscientious and Empowering. They have the inner-power to advance their careersto new heights... simply because they put more heart into every project and task.

People with a low sense of mission are seen as Aimless, Directionless, Apathetic, Empty,Half-hearted, Indefinite and Hazy. Not surprisingly, they rarely get the opportunity todistinguish themselves because they lack vision, motivation and direction. (Would you wantsomeone with poor vision leading you? No, I didn’t think so!)

This single Color is the key to living your dreams, as it gives life to every other aspect ofyour performance. No question, it is a major driver of personal and career success.

the defining questionfor M I S S I O N is…

MISSION�

W O R K I N G F R O M Y O U R H E A R T ? 9493

I have a personal mission statement that promises how I will "live what I value" as my code of conduct for everything I do.

In the trials and chaos of modern life, you need a set of standards to help guide youthrough the good times and the bad. The highest and most beneficial set of rules is the oneyou establish for the ideal way that you want to live.

Once you have a list of your most important values, commit to a personal missionstatement that declares how you will live what you value. The most basic mission statementis simply this: "I will live a life of... (insert your list of values here)... every day of my life."

Have you mastered Factor Action 2B?

A NO means you have no clear guidance for the individual choices you make every day.It suggests you're not exactly sure what you stand for.

As a result, you are often undecided and easily stressed when trying to make decisionsabout your future. You're never 100% sure what you can count on—and that includesyourself. Your personal character is never in question, but you are frequently confused aboutwhat is the right thing to do.

Prioritizing where you should invest your time and resources is not easy. With no clearcode of conduct, you may disregard your true values for easier, more immediate rewards.

TQ Negatives: Direction-less Undetermined Uncommitted Ambiguous

A YES means that whenever you are in doubt, you can recite a personal pledge for howyou will live your values. Your mission statement is your guiding light that keeps you on thepath to your dreams.

Not only have you identified what’s most important to you, you've also taken the nextstep. You've promised to focus your life on those things that bring the greatest satisfaction.

TQ Positives: Self-Governed Decisive Idealistic Clear Conscientious

Your life is determined by yourchoices rather than circumstances.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

2bI have a written list of the most important, heartfelt

values that I want to experience in life.A short list of values is all you need to design a well-lived life. Your values are those

ideals such as freedom, beauty, honor, love, wisdom, family or adventure that are moreimportant to you than anything else.

A condensed list of values gives clarity to your life and establishes your ideal standards.It's your best guide to personal and professional satisfaction. Put your list of personal valuesin writing and commit it to memory. Then commit your life to living your values.

Have you mastered Factor Action 2A?

A NO means you'll never excel until you connect your actions to something you trulyvalue, and suggests you are someone without a strong cause or sense of purpose and direction.

You have a nagging feeling that whatever you're trying to achieve right now, isn't quiteit. You may be getting by, but you don't feel fully invested in your work—and deep down,you lack heart and ambition. You want your achievements to mean something, but you'renot sure what.

Without the peace of mind that comes from knowing precisely what you want—youmay feel restless, burned out or stressed out.

TQ Negatives: Aimless Apathetic Unfulfilled Dissatisfied Empty

A YES means you have clearly identified those things that bring you the greatest senseof accomplishment and satisfaction. You may have always known what you value most, oryou may have discovered it over the years through trial and error.

Either way, you now have a clearly defined list of core personal values that mean moreto you than anything else. This list is your target for what you have defined as living the"perfect" life. Your life has meaning and purpose, because you are in constant pursuit of whatyou value most.

TQ Positives: Purposeful Passionate Rewarded Satisfied Meaningful

In life and in work, the greatest resultsbegin with passionate desires.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

2a

MISSION�

S T A R T P U R S U I N G T H I N G S T H A T D O ! 96S T O P P U R S U I N G T H I N G S T H A T D O N ’ T M A T T E R —95

I have a current list of the most importantinterests and roles in my life.

Roles are the various parts you play in every area of your life. Every major interest androle in your life deserves your attention. Sustained success comes from nurturing and caringfor each and every role—not just one or two.

You track your income and expenses, why not track your heart's desire? Each of yourmost important interests and roles deserves a dream, a goal, a plan and a series of actions. Keepa list for each one so you can track its current status and the value it adds to your life.

Have you mastered Factor Action 2D?

A NO means important parts of your life are neglected and sometimes sacrificed whenthey don't get the attention they deserve. It suggests you may be someone who frequentlyloses sight of your major interests and roles.

You may think that it is unnecessary to write out a list—yet you realize that there areinterests and important roles constantly omitted from your schedule each week. Your lack ofattention to "forgotten" roles may be hurting you more than you realize. By losing sight ofmajor interests, you lose valuable parts of your life.

TQ Negatives: Neglectful Imbalanced Unfulfilled Unsatisfied

A YES means you care enough about your major interests to keep them current. Withthe constant daily hustle and the demands on your time, you know that "out of sight is outof mind."

Therefore, desiring to fully enjoy your interests and not neglect any of your roles, you'vecreated a written checklist to monitor the status of each on a regular basis.

TQ Positives: Well-Rounded Balanced Fulfilled Giving

All the important aspects of your lifeare kept visible and up to date.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

2dI’m willing to trade the only life I have in

pursuit of my personal mission.When you are working toward an ideal that comes from the heart, you are naturally

motivated and driven to do your best. A thoughtfully created, highly desirable personalmission is guaranteed to make you focused, powerful and productive.

Act from your deepest values, and they will provide you with direction and satisfaction.Connect and recommit to your mission everyday. If you don’t, you're trading the only life youhave for things that simply don’t matter.

Have you mastered Factor Action 2C?

A NO means you are in a constant state of flux... uncommitted and inconsistent, andsuggests you are someone who lacks the commitment to stand behind what you believe.

There are times when you lack direction, and it's hard to commit to any one priority.You know you're capable of accomplishing great things, but lose focus and lack motivation.Your life feels hollow at times—even after completing a major project. It may seem thatyou're trading the only life you have for small successes here and there.

TQ Negatives: Half-Hearted Unfocused Unfulfilled PurposelessDissatisfied

A YES means you are spending most of your time on things that actually matter to you.It suggests that not only do you have a mission statement, you live it twenty-four hours aday, seven days a week.

Your dedication to your personal mission is evident in everything you do. Nothing candivert you from your ideals. Far from a sacrifice, your defined mission doesn't limit youropportunities. Instead, it's the perfect tool to help you build your life exactly the way youwant to live.

TQ Positives: Passionate Dedicated Satisfied Devoted Rewarded

You are focused, powerful and productive—happily creating your ideal life.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

2c

MISSION�

S T A R T P U R S U I N G T H I N G S T H A T D O ! 98S T O P P U R S U I N G T H I N G S T H A T D O N ’ T M A T T E R —97

I can describe each of my visions in clear and colorful detail.

The act of creation starts with defining something that does not yet exist. There's no waya vague or ill-defined dream can ever become a reality. It needs real-world specifications beforeyou can create it. Until you identify at least some of the details of your vision, you can't evenget started.

Fill in your visions with as many colorful, glorious lavish and highly compelling detailsas possible. Once you develop a vivid picture of your vision, it's much easier to see how toachieve it.

Have you mastered Factor Action 2F?

A NO means you can't be highly productive and work toward an ill-defined dream atthe same time. It suggests that although there are things you want, they are still too vagueand ill-defined to describe to others.

There are things you wish for, but haven't filled in the details with real-world examples.Why should you? Your subconscious is smarter than that. It won't let you get carried awayabout something you don't believe will happen.

So, while you may wish for better things, you tend to stop short of drawing an actualblueprint for what you want. Unfortunately, without these details for a "better life," it'simpossible to build one.

TQ Negatives: Uncreative Ambiguous Indefinite Hazy

A YES means you are someone who can see a precise picture of your vision in your"mind's eye" and describe it clearly to others. Not only do you know what you want, you canvisualize the details of the who, when and where that brings your vision to life. You can alsosee how and where it will affect the other areas of your life.

With this highly compelling detail as your guide, it's easy to stay focused on your long-term dreams. You make fewer detours and mistakes than others and achieve your dreamssooner rather than later.

TQ Positives: Creative Precise Focused Explicit

You can go directly from a dream tospecific goals, because you can visualize

exactly what you want to create.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

2fI have a highly-compelling vision of how the perfect world

would look for each of my interests and roles.A vision is a picture of the perfect future you want to create. The more compelling and

desirable the vision, the greater will be your enthusiasm and motivation for achieving it.Visions connected to core personal values generate the greatest source of power, passion andpurpose. Go after all that life has to offer by creating the most valuable, ideal, desirable andadmirable vision possible for each area of your life.

Have you mastered Factor Action 2E?

A NO means that with no compelling vision in place, you are uninspired by your goalsand indifferent about your results. It suggests your roles and results happen TO you, insteadof being created BY you.

You may have a tough time coming up with a single goal—to say nothing of a highlycompelling vision. With no ideal outcome in sight, you tend to minimize your involvementand half heartedly do whatever seems necessary to keep you in the role. Most of your goalsare created to avoid the negative instead of gain the positive. As a result, the more yousucceed in getting away from what you dislike, the less motivated you are to continue.

TQ Negatives: Uninspired Unmotivated Detached Indifferent Listless

A YES means you have a strong desire to achieve the most ideal outcome possible inevery area of your life. With a highly desirable vision for each of your interests, you have anobvious reason and a dedicated purpose for being in each of your roles.

Your actions are exceptionally rewarding as you pursue your vision of the ideal life. Hardwork is never a hardship because you’re willing to go the extra mile to achieve the perfectoutcome.

TQ Positives: Inspired Motivated Enthusiastic Eager Driven

You are highly motivated andinspired to do whatever it takes to

achieve your ideal life.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

2e

MISSION�

S T A R T P U R S U I N G T H I N G S T H A T D O ! 100S T O P P U R S U I N G T H I N G S T H A T D O N ’ T M A T T E R —99

I make daily decisions based upon myvalues, vision and mission.

Your fundamental values and principles are the core elements that determine if a decisionis the right one for you or not. Your values should be your reference and your guide for everyaction you take and every decision you make.

The only decision you need to make is to live your values. Once you do, your list of valueswill automatically make the right decisions for you.

Have you mastered Factor Action 2H?

A NO means you may be someone who acts from impulse—regardless of your values orlong-term visions. With no strong values or vision to show you the way, decisions for what todo or how to behave are frequently difficult.

At times, you tend to go in whatever direction the moment pulls you. Until youabsolutely commit to your values, they'll do little to help you make the right decisions. Thetruth is, until you consistently live what you claim are your values, you don't have any.

TQ Negatives: Arbitrary Impulsive Unmindful Misguided Stressed

A YES means you are someone who compares your response in every situation to yourvalues, visions and mission before proceeding. This skill has simplified your decision makingprocess and removed the stress that comes from conflicting choices. That’s not to say yourdecisions are always easy.

However, by determining exactly what you want and who you will be, you have theunique advantage of always knowing what's right, even when decisions are difficult.

TQ Positives: Principle-Based Deliberate Judicious Visionary Conscientious

You have a strong and clear foundationfrom which to make all decisions.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

2hI can clearly articulate the qualities I will portray and the part I

will contribute to make each of my dreams come true.Every role—every part you play—deserves its own dedicated mission. Define what’s

most important to you in each role and make that your mission for the role. Nothing is morepowerful than clearly identifying the contribution you will make to guarantee that each oneof your visions come true.

When you promise yourself, "This is who I will be and what I will do," you define thecharacteristics and the actions that will make the greatest difference in each of your roles.

Have you mastered Factor Action 2G?

A NO suggests you may be someone who doesn't fully understand why your dreamsdon't come true. You may talk about your dreams and spend time thinking about how lifewould be if they were realized.

But you fail to clearly identify the qualities you'll portray and what you'll do to makethem come true. As a result, your dreams may be no closer to becoming real than they wereseveral years ago.

TQ Negatives: Passive Uncommitted Unaccountable Unrealistic

A YES means you believe that the best way to make a dream come true is to go out thereand make it happen. Therefore, you always look for the most valuable part you can play toachieve the dream.

You then define the expectation for the role and develop a specific plan of action to carryout these expectations. You also examine whether or not you can commit to thecharacteristics required to complete the role... well before you proceed.

TQ Positives: Committed Responsible Pro-active Accountable

You take an active role to guaranteethat your dreams come true.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

2g

MISSION�

S T A R T P U R S U I N G T H I N G S T H A T D O ! 102S T O P P U R S U I N G T H I N G S T H A T D O N ’ T M A T T E R —101

I live each day as a testament to what I’vedeclared to be most important in life.

A testament is something that provides tangible proof. The actions you take and theresults you produce are living proof of what's most important to you. The only evidence ofwhether you value something is if you make it a part of your life.

There's no getting around this. For you to live your values, they have to show upsomewhere other than a framed mission statement on the wall. They deserve to be a part ofthe legacy of results you leave behind at the end of each day.

Have you mastered Factor Action 2J?

A NO means you are someone who fails to walk your talk. If asked to review your day,you may not be able to come up with even one concrete example of what you claim is mostimportant to you.

Whenever you're not living what you value most, you lose a chance to make your day asproductive and beneficial as possible. When there is a lack of physical proof, it's time to goback and recommit to what you believe. If it's not expressed daily, it doesn't exist.

TQ Negatives: Hypocritical Uncommitted Faithless Lackadaisical

A YES means that there's no mystery about what you stand for and where you're headed.Your values are obvious to anyone who knows you. If asked, they could describe what’s mostimportant to you simply by observing the way you live.

Your values are reflected in your words, actions and results. Your life is your proof—thephysical demonstration of what you value the most—and your values can be seen ineverything you do.

TQ Positives: Devoted Committed Inspired Dedicated Authentic

Every day is an opportunity to livewhat you love.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

2jI reinvent myself as I grow by revising my list of values

and redefining my vision of a "perfect" life.Life is a constant evolution of preferred ideals. If your life is on track—and you'll know

it by the way you feel—stay committed and on course. But, if you're not satisfied living yourcurrent list of values or pursuing your current visions, revise them. Make certain that whatyou value actually delivers what you want.

If you don’t like who you are, or where you’re going, change your path. It’s okay tochange your mind—especially when the change is an improvement.

Have you mastered Factor Action 2I?

A NO means that your values and visions tend to fade away and suggests you may beexactly the same person you were ten years ago.

Life changes. Circumstances change. Your roles change. People come and go. When youdon't continuously confirm or redefine what you want, your values and visions tend to fadefrom view or get pulled off track.

Once this occurs, your commitment to those values and visions tends to slip away aswell. This is the first visible sign of the downward spiral of personal decline.

TQ Negatives: Declining Unchanging Stagnating Stale Stuck

A YES means you give yourself permission to shed old characteristics in order to growinto new and improved ones. You're not the same person you were ten years ago.

You're better. Your aim is higher. Times change and you are constantly redefining thedesired target for what you want out of life. Your roles change, and as they do, you constantlyredefine the part you will play and the ideal outcome you will produce in each role.

TQ Positives: Evolving Improving Growing Maturing Expanding

You continue to grow and evolve asyou work toward new ideals.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

2i

MISSION�

S T A R T P U R S U I N G T H I N G S T H A T D O ! 104S T O P P U R S U I N G T H I N G S T H A T D O N ’ T M A T T E R —103

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Do You Truly LIVE What You Value Most?

Does your Mission Color contribute to your success—or hold you back from it?

Please take a moment to pause and reflect before you continue. Consider what you justlearned about the 10 Factor Actions that drive the intensity of your Mission Color.

Did anything jump out at you as you read the TQ Positives and Negatives? Did you getthe connection between taking a given action and your power to produce better results? Howmany Factor Actions do you consistently take:_____?

What if all 10 of your MISSION Factors were switched on—all the time?

Look at your life as it stands right now—both personally and professionally. Doyou consistently put enough passion, purpose and inspiration in your life... your job...your family... your community—every single day?

Are your 5-year goals clearly aligned with your core personal values? Do youconsistently live what’s most important to you? On a scale of 1 to 10, how much ofyour heart is in your current job? If you're not satisfied with the life you have, whatwould your mission need to be so you could truly live the life you love?

Until you are unconditionally dedicated to something you value, you're stuck performinghalf-hearted activities on things of little meaning. Alternatively, you are always the mostproductive when you are energetically working from your heart—passionately striving toachieve your mission in life. Could it be that the number 1 obstacle to your success is yoursense of purpose and mission? Put simply...

Would more power from this COLOR give

you greater CAREER POWER ?Be honest: ___ Yes or ___No?

29

Sage Wisdom...

“To change one's

character, you must

start with the heart.”—anon

MISSIONA Quick TQ Color Review.

missionMISSION�

S TO P P U R S U I N G T H I N G S T H AT D O N ’ T M AT T E R — S TA RT P U R S U I N G T H I N G S T H AT D O ! 106

About Your ATTITUDE Color

The Quick Big Picture.

ATTITUDE is the 3rd color in the Time Prism Performance Spectrum because, eventhough you may have a passion for what’s most important, until you also believe that you canmake a real difference in your life and those around you, nothing’s going to happen. Nothingis produced, nor even attempted until you believe in yourself enough to transform yourpassion into action. To reach maximum productivity, your body, heart and mind must allenthusiastically say “YES!”

Whether you transform your passion into action or not is a delicate balance between yourexpectation of success and your resignation to failure. If you are convinced that your actionswill never succeed, or if you expect the reward will be less than the risk of failure, you simplywon’t try. The greater the resignation that your efforts will fail and/or the smaller the expectedreward, the less willing you are to act.

At best, you proceed cautiously—with minimum effort—so you don’t waste too muchtime or energy on something that’s not going to succeed anyway. This becomes the self-fulfilling prophecy of turning gloom into doom.

But when you believe you can control your future success, and you expect your actions will pay off in highly rewarding results, you automatically proceed with enthusiasm anddetermination. The higher your prediction of success and the larger you perceive theanticipated reward, the greater will be your desire to take action. Positively andenthusiastically, you take the next step—motivated and empowered to advance every task,project or goal.

Your winning attitude is at its highest level when you believe you can make a realdifference, and you promise yourself you’ll do whatever it takes to succeed. “I can, I will, andwon’t it be great when I do!” becomes your mantra. This positive expectation that you willsucceed and the anticipation of how great it will feel when you do, energizes all your actions.This willingness to take action gives you the greatest power over any situation, and transformsthe potential of your passion into the sheer power that comes from taking action.

ATTITUDETransform Your Passion Into Action.

attitude

TQ Truth #3

A winning ATTITUDE

energizes your mission,

transforming raw potential

into sheer power. Everyone

has the same 24 hours of

productivity potential. A

positive attitude determines

how many Possibilities

you’ll transform into

Opportunities with yours.

ATTITUDE�

S T O P D W E L L I N G O N T H E N E G A T I V I T I E S — S TA R T E N E R G I Z I N G T H E P O S S I B I L I T I E S ! 108

Check off the Factor Actions for which you can consistently say YES...

3a ____ I take full responsibility for how my day turns out.

3b ____ I’m confident that I can succeed at whatever I do, as long as I simply take the right actions.

3c ____ I spend my time visualizing tremendously rewarding successes instead of picturing failure.

3d ____ I maintain a positive expectation for every action I take.

3e ____ I look for the best in every situation, and the opportunity in every problem.

3f ____ I focus more of my time on seeking solutions rather than staying absorbed in the problem.

3g ____ I see myself as someone who is capable, enthusiastic and committed.

3h ____ I always speak in a positive, powerful and uplifting manner.

3i ____ I persist with passion until I succeed at whatever I do.

3j ____ I embrace change, and love to learn and grow from new ideas and experiences.

# _____ YES Responses

The 10 Factor Actions Explained �

“How often do you transform

your passion into action?”

Now, Ask Yourself This:

Does your Attitude Color contribute to your success—or hold you back from it?

Look at your attitude right now. Could it be you never perform up to your true potentialbecause you never truly expect to succeed? Be honest. Are you putting your heart and soulinto your actions expecting huge rewards—or are you just being an old “No-it-all?”

When your Attitude Color is strong and vibrant...

You feel in charge of life and ask what more can you do to make it better. Success is nevera matter of “if,” only a matter of “when,” and that means soon. You first know that anythingis possible—then you figure out how. You can’t wait until tomorrow because you keep gettingbetter every day. You believe the glass is half full, but only temporarily, because you’ve gotyour order in for more, and you’re busy getting bigger glasses.

However, when your Attitude color is weak or faded...

You don’t expect to succeed so you’re defeated before you even start. You look forward inresignation, and backwards in regret. You always find more reasons why something won’twork than how it can. You’re convinced that you’re never going to get any better than youare right now. You believe that the glass is half empty but only temporarily, because you’regoing to have even less after some evaporates.

The contrast is stunning.

People with a great attitude are seen as Enthusiastic, Optimistic, Bold, Pro-active andUnstoppable. They have the self-confidence to keep their careers running in high gear...simply because they think they CAN and DO!

People with a poor, self-defeating attitude are seen as Negative, Critical, Pessimistic,Cynical and Doubtful. They make it difficult on themselves and those around them—makingit impossible for them to see the ever-present opportunities—both in their careers and in theirhome-life.

This single Color is responsible for your outlook on life—and colors every other aspect ofyour performance. No question, it is a major driver of personal and career success.

the defining questionfor AT T I T U D E is…

ATTITUDE�

B E I N G A “ N O - I T - A L L ” ? 110109

I’m confident that I can succeed at whatever I do,as long as I simply take the right actions.

Success is the direct result of taking the right actions, the right way, at the right time forthe right reasons. Understand this and you can take on anything with confidence. Justdiscover what the right actions are and do them. Your success isn't limited by past mistakesbut by your willingness to take the right actions right now!

If you have no confidence in your ability, you won't even try. But, if you're committedto do whatever it takes until you get it right—you will eagerly proceed with the confidenceto succeed.

Have you mastered Factor Action 3B?

A NO means there are things you want, but you hesitate to try because you fear failuremore than you expect success. It suggests you are someone who tends to fear failure and avoidsthe pain of doing things wrong.

A lack of confidence, and a fear of failure, prevents you from proceeding—more timesthan you'd like. You find it hard to take action when there's no guarantee of success. It's evenworse when you've never done something before. This lack of confidence holds you back fromsmall things like initiating conversations with strangers—to large decisions like careerchanges. And day-by-day, you simply give up on things you want—because you have nobelief in your ability to achieve them.

TQ Negatives: Doubtful Hesitant Pessimistic Insecure Skeptical

A YES means you approach every situation with the expection that you will ultimatelyfind the right things to do and then do them. An endless series of possibilities opens up, whenyou are confident you can achieve anything you desire.

This is not simplistic, blind faith that things will always work out. Instead, it’s a beliefgained from a history of trying new things and staying with them until you succeed. Evenwhen you don’t know if you’ll succeed, you still take action in pursuit of what you wantbecause you're sure you'll figure it out eventually—one way or the other.

TQ Positives: Confident Self-Assured Optimistic Bold Self-Reliant

You have the confidence to go afteranything and everything you want.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

3bI take full responsibility for how my day turns out.

You are responsible for where you are right now. This doesn't mean you causedeverything that's happened to you prior to this point in time. But in each moment, you canchoose how you're going to react and what you are going to do from now on. If your attitude,actions or situations are not what you want, take charge and change them.

Don't be a victim of your circumstance. By taking full responsibility for your actions,you retain the power to make the best of your circumstances—before the day is done.

Have you mastered Factor Action 3A?

A NO means you relinquish all power to make a difference when you give up personalresponsibility and suggests you are someone who surrenders easily to your currentcircumstances.

You are willing to push forward when things go well, but then pull back during difficulttimes. By focusing on a negative situation, or the power others have over you, you forfeit yourpower to initiate an improvement to the status quo. Rather than pursue new options, yougenerally stop to criticize and complain.

You seek out people who will agree that it's something or someone else's fault—andthere's nothing that can be done about it. Each day, you become the victim.

TQ Negatives: Irresponsible Powerless Unaccountable Passive Cynical

A YES means you take charge of your day, and waste little time complaining to otherswhen things don’t go as planned. You power through the best and worst of circumstances.You take full responsibility for where you are at each moment and for what you're going todo next.

Rarely do you stay stuck in a bad situation. Instead, you stay focused on your goals, anddo whatever you can to keep moving in the right direction.

TQ Positives: Responsible Empowered Accountable Self-Determined

If there's something you want, you don'twait for fate. You make it happen.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

3a

ATTITUDE�

S T A R T E N E R G I Z I N G T H E P O S S I B I L I T I E S ! 112S T O P D W E L L I N G O N T H E N E G A T I V I T I E S — 111

I maintain a positive expectationfor every action I take.

This factor is the core building block of a positive attitude. You cannot have a positiveattitude in general, and a negative expectation for the individual things you do. It's all ornothing. A positive attitude depends on having an optimistic expectation for every task, everyrole, every meeting, every errand... every day.

No one has a positive attitude all the time. However, once you notice yours beginningto slip, you can stop the negative spiral and create a positive expectation for the very nextthing you do.

Have you mastered Factor Action 3D?

A NO means you allow fear to rule when you believe you'll fail and suggests your firstresponse to a problem is to hesitate because you anticipate trouble ahead.

You tend to get less done because your actions are restricted by the "inevitability" offailure. This causes you to stop and worry, rather than focus on the desired results. Your to-do list is often sabotaged when you get to a difficult task, because you tend to switch to lessdifficult or less productive tasks instead.

TQ Negatives: Negative Hesitant Doubtful Pessimistic Afraid

A YES means your first response is to expect success rather than predict failure. Youbegin everything you do with the belief that you will complete it successfully—somehow,someway.

Eagerly anticipating success, you are motivated to do your very best at every task youattempt. When you find yourself being too negative, you correct your outlook with a new,more positive perspective for the very next action taken.

TQ Positives: Positive Pro-Active Confident Optimistic Determined

Your day is a continuous seriesof "Yes-I-Can's."

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

3dI spend time visualizing tremendously rewarding

successes instead of picturing failure.Your motivation to take action increases automatically when you imagine how great it

will feel when you succeed. The bigger, brighter, more immediate and more personal youcan imagine the payoff, the greater your desire to pursue your goals. When you picturefailure, you lose motivation to proceed. You focus on avoiding mistakes, rather than strivingto do your best.

Have you mastered Factor Action 3C?

A NO means failure is always in the back of your mind, scaring you away from takingactions. It suggests you are someone who tends to predict failure and then live in fear thatyour prediction comes true.

You only achieve a fraction of what you could, because all you tend to see are the thingsthat could go wrong—before you even begin. It's difficult for you to stay motivated towardbig goals when all you see are the problems and pitfalls.

You find it hard to take future steps, because you are relatively certain they're bound forfailure. This means you give up too often when things get too rough.

TQ Negatives: Discouraged Fearful Doubtful Dejected Gloomy

A YES means you focus on fulfilling your prophecy of success. With your sights fixedon exactly what you want, you stay motivated to continue.

Inspired by a beautiful dream, you maintain interest and internal drive... even whenthings don’t go well. With your eye on the prize, you keep hope alive—for yourself and thosearound you—as you conquer the inevitable detours on the way to your desired destination.

TQ Positives: Enthusiastic Eager Inspired Motivated Hopeful

You leap at every opportunity toachieve your goals.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

3c

ATTITUDE�

S T A R T E N E R G I Z I N G T H E P O S S I B I L I T I E S ! 114S T O P D W E L L I N G O N T H E N E G A T I V I T I E S — 113

I focus more of my time on seeking solutions ratherthan staying absorbed in the problem.

You will always be more productive when you focus on what you can do rather than onwhat you can't do. Keeping problems in perspective is essential to solving them and movingon. Remember to differentiate between what you can and can't control.

Focus your time and energy on those things that you have control over. Don’t live withproblems. Decide on the best course of action as soon as possible, and get the problem behindyou.

Have you mastered Factor Action 3F?

A NO means you stay stuck in problems, obsessed by what's gone wrong, and react as ifevery problem is bigger than you. You are inclined to take problems personally and freelyassign blame.

This leads to an endless stream of criticism and shame for errors. You react as if problemsare going to last forever. You can stay awake all night running the same problem through yourhead—visualizing the same negative outcome. By only focusing on the negatives, you areincapable of redirecting your thoughts to a plausable positive solution.

TQ Negatives: Indecisive Overwhelmed Defeated Stymied Incapacitated

A YES means you are someone who believes a problem is only temporary until you canfigure out a solution. You stay focused on what you want—then make the necessaryadjustments to ensure your desired outcome will be achieved.

You spend little time assigning guilt for problems that arise—whether your fault orsomeone else's. Instead, you seek a solution to the problem and try to prevent it fromhappening again. This allows you to maintain a positive momentum even when youencounter obstacles and delays.

TQ Positives: Unstoppable Undaunted Indomitable Proactive Responsive

You handle problems quickly andeffectively and then move on.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

3eI look for the best in every situation, and

the opportunity in every problem.There are facts and then there's your interpretation of the facts. The actions you take and

the results you produce are completely dependent on how you see the facts. You can focus onthe best in every situation or you can focus on the worst.

There's a problem in every opportunity and an opportunity in every problem. Interpretthe facts negatively and you're left with little power and few opportunities. Change yourpoint of view and you're empowered to create the best results—no matter the circumstance.

Have you mastered Factor Action 3E?

A NO means you are someone who has few "opportunity" skills for getting through thetough times. You don't look for the silver linings during hard times. Instead, you tend to seewhat's wrong rather than what's right.

Your first reaction is to judge people and situations from a negative or criticalperspective. It takes you a long time to get over setbacks and rejections. When taken to theextreme, you see life as one big problem that you have to suffer through. When you do notfirst succeed, you usually just give up.

TQ Negatives: Pessimistic Critical Depressed Cynical Gloomy

A YES means that even in the middle of everything going wrong and nothing goingright, you continue to search for the best you can salvage from the situation. Even whenyou're unhappy with the current conditions, you remain committed to doing your best—regardless of the circumstances.

Focused on making the most of every situation, you rise above the obvious"imperfections" and redefine a new goal for what you believe you can produce. When youdon't succeed, you see it as a learning experience and a new opportunity to move forward.

TQ Positives: Optimistic Hopeful Courageous Upbeat

A mistake or a setback is a chanceto do better the next time.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

3e

ATTITUDE�

S T A R T E N E R G I Z I N G T H E P O S S I B I L I T I E S ! 116S T O P D W E L L I N G O N T H E N E G A T I V I T I E S — 115

I speak in a positive, powerful and uplifting manner.

Your speech is a direct link to your emotions. Change one and you’ll change the other.Your internal "self-talk" determines your expectations and governs the way you act.

If you want to think and feel more powerful, then learn to speak in a way that reflectspositive and powerful feelings. You cannot speak in a negative manner and productively focuson what needs to get done at the same time.

Have you mastered Factor Action 3H?

A NO means conditions rarely improve as a result of what you say or how you say it, andsuggests you are someone who walks around in a cloud of gloom.

Your most common discussions focus on fearful concerns rather than enthusiasm for thefuture. When speaking with others, a criticism comes up in conversation more quickly thana compliment.

As a matter of fact, it's uncommon for you to even give compliments. You know yourspeech has a direct effect on others, but it's rare that you overcome your negative feelings toa point where you can inspire others to overcome theirs.

TQ Negatives: Critical Disparaging Discouraging Degrading Suppressed

A YES means you are an inspiration to everyone you meet. Your upbeat conversationswith others are a natural expression of your optimistic attitude. Even when you feel less thancheerful, you know you can increase your own enthusiasm by expressing a more positiveattitude both in what you say and how you say it.

Fully aware of the impact the tone has on others, you take care in presenting a positiveimpression. This skill is one of the qualities that makes you an inspiring leader and fun to bearound.

TQ Positives: Motivational Encouraging Uplifting Inspirational

People are inspired and gainconfidence when they hear you speak.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

3hI see myself as someone who is capable,

enthusiastic and committed.Your internal identity controls all of your actions and reactions. If you think of yourself

as capable, enthusiastic and committed, you will act with confidence and determination.

There is no preordained way you must think of yourself. You are not born with beliefs;you acquire them. You have the power to redefine your identity any way you want. So,substitute positive characteristics for negative ones, and start living those from now on.

Have you mastered Factor Action 3G?

A NO means a poor self-image has held you back for far too long, and suggests you aresomeone who is constantly worried that you're not going to make the grade.

An underlying concern that you're just not "good enough" prevents you from expectingmore from your performance. Your inclination is to describe yourself by your liabilities ratherthan by assets. You have little expectation that you will ever improve.

Your goals are generally limited by what you know you can do. Even your body languagereveals a lack of confidence and reduced expectations.

TQ Negatives: Insecure Skeptical Intimidated Worried Unworthy

A YES means you are someone who would refer to yourself as a "can-do" kind of person.You’re not foolish enough to think you can do everything, but you have a strong belief in theabilities you do have.

You also believe that you have the potential to achieve more than ever before. Thispositive self-image gives you the confidence to set inspiring goals and the internal belief thatyou will actually accomplish them.

TQ Positives: Self-Assured Confident Strong-Willed Enthusiastic

Your belief in yourself gives you theconfidence to proceed rather than recede.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

3g

ATTITUDE�

S T A R T E N E R G I Z I N G T H E P O S S I B I L I T I E S ! 118S T O P D W E L L I N G O N T H E N E G A T I V I T I E S — 117

I embrace change, and love to learn and growfrom new ideas and experiences.

There are no limits to who you can become. The only constant is change, and the onlyway to keep up with change is to accept it as an opportunity to improve. The more you learnand grow, the more productive and effective you’ll become.

Keep expanding your possibilities by being open and receptive to new ideas. If you're notconstantly improving your learning power, you’re falling farther behind—and your earningpower may be falling even faster.

Have you mastered Factor Action 3J?

A NO means you're history. It suggests you are someone who believes it would be betterif you never had to change.

Change is not a good thing. It only causes confusion and disrupts your current routines.You may not be completely satisfied with your existing abilities, but you can depend onthem. You avoid trying new things, because you don't like making mistakes. In fact, you hateto make mistakes.

They make you feel guilty, inadequate and embarrassed. Anything that could lead tofailure is to be avoided like the plague. Besides, changing takes a lot of work, and you justdon't think it's worth the effort.

TQ Negatives: Conventional Stubborn Rigid Declining Stagnate

A YES means you are someone who can't wait until tomorrow because you keep gettingbetter every day. You’re happy to refer to yourself as a "work in progress."

You are proud of who you are, but at the same time, you eagerly look for ways to improveyour life—both personally and professionally. You’re aware that lifes' demands are constantlychanging, and you accept the need to change with them. You see change as a catalyst forgrowth and an opportunity to achieve more than ever before.

TQ Positives: Progressive Growing Flexible Daring Improving

You are constantly expanding your skills,acquiring new ways to become moresuccessful in every area of your life.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

3jI persist with passion until I succeed at whatever I do.

Setting a goal is never enough. To reach your goal, you must continue to take whateveractions are necessary until you finally succeed. While success is never guaranteed, if you don'tpersevere to the end, you will never succeed.

Of all the skills to master, determination and persistence are two of the greatest. You canhave a perfect game plan, but if you lack persistence, you may as well forfeit before you evenstart to play.

Have you mastered Factor Action 3I?

A NO means you sabotage your present and future success by stopping short ofaccomplishing what you want. It suggests you are someone who lacks the personalcommitment to see your projects through to completion.

You may start projects, but your passion diminishes well before they're completed.There's always a good explanation—and no shortage of rationalizations—why many projectsnever get accomplished. Each time you abandon a goal before it has been completed, you giveup a little more of what you have the right to expect. Ultimately, you will lose all faith inyour ability to achieve the life you want.

TQ Negatives: Capricious Undependable Unfocused InattentiveInconsistent

A YES means people can count on you to see every project through to the end. Nomatter how large or small the goal, you stay focused until you achieve what you want. You’reable to do this, not by the burden of a promised obligation, but by keeping your sights onthe value of the goal.

By keeping the desired outcome constantly in view, you stay motivated to do whateverit takes—as long as it takes—to achieve what you want. Each goal you accomplish rewardsyour determination and reinforces your willingness to persist on future projects.

TQ Positives: Persistent Tenacious Self-Motivated Perseverant Passionate

You consistently finish everything youstart—from small personal projects to

major career goals.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

3i

ATTITUDE�

S T A R T E N E R G I Z I N G T H E P O S S I B I L I T I E S ! 120S T O P D W E L L I N G O N T H E N E G A T I V I T I E S — 119

Do You Transform Your Passion Into Action?

Does your Attitude Color contribute to your success—or hold you back from it?

Please take a moment to pause and reflect before you continue. Consider what you justlearned about the 10 Factor Actions that drive the intensity of your Attitude Color.

Did anything jump out at you as you read the TQ Positives and Negatives? Did you getthe connection between taking a given action and your power to produce better results? Howmany Factor Actions do you consistently take:_____?

What if all 10 of your ATTITUDE Factors were switched on—all the time?

Write down your #1, 5-year goal:____________________________. Now, read it outloud—enthusiastically! Do you really believe you have what it takes to achieve it? If you don'tabsolutely, unconditionally believe you can accomplish this goal, how bright does yourAttitude Color need to burn for you to stay motivated throughout the next 5 years of trialsand tribulations? What would it need to be for you to create even bigger goals—and vastlygreater expectations of future accomplishment?

No question, if you're not excited about your future—or if you don't believe you're goingto succeed anyway—you won't even bother trying. However, when you are focused onpositive expectations, you'll commit whole-heartedly to doing whatever it takes to succeed.Could it be the number 1 obstacle to your success is your attitude? Put simply...

Would more power from this COLOR give

you greater CAREER POWER ?Be honest: ___ Yes or ___No?

ATTITUDEA Quick TQ Color Review.

attitude

Sage Wisdom...

“Positive thinking

will let you do

everything better

than negative

thinking will.”—Zig Ziglar

ATTITUDE�

S T O P D W E L L I N G O N T H E N E G A T I V I T I E S — S TA R T E N E R G I Z I N G T H E P O S S I B I L I T I E S ! 122

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About Your SET GOALS Color

The Quick Big Picture.

SET GOALS is the 4th color in the Time Prism Performance Spectrum because you can’tmake the leap from here to your vision, all in one jump. You can’t just “do” a vision. You needspecific, tangible targets to give you immediate direction, which will lead thereafter to evengreater destinations.

Clarity and precision are critical because fuzzy, poorly defined goals give you nothingspecific to aim at. And small, individual goals fail to have the power to ignite your passion,or to inspire others to follow your vision. On the other hand, you are most productive whenyou’re attacking a huge vision, aiming at specific, mission-based goals with the diligence andfollow-through they deserve.

Goals are the milestones by which reality finds its way to your dream. Whenever you canspecifically communicate what you want, you’re more than halfway to getting it.

By identifying your values, vision and mission, you’ve determined what’s most importantto you. Now, when you picture how your ideal world would look, and what it will take tomake it real, you can identify specific, concrete milestones along the road to your dreams.

The more clearly and precisely you describe these targets, the easier it is to focus on themeans for their attainment. These specific milestones then become your most vivid, powerfuland inspiring goals—because they’re in direct alignment with what you value most.

Remember, the difference between a dream and a goal is a date. Goals are “Absolute WillBe’s” and “By When’s,” when you become 100% personally responsible for making themcome true. There’s nothing more critical to your long-term productivity than setting specificgoals, and then holding yourself accountable for each and every one of them.

If dreams are born from imagination, then goals are born from a promise. Knowing this,set your goals with great care, because when you set them, you are promising yourself exactlywhat you expect to get out of life.

81

TQ Truth #4

When you set specific

GOALS you target future

accomplishments with

precision and clarity. The

first step in getting

“everything” you want is

to specify exactly what

“everything” is.

SETGOALSTurn Your Dreams Into Targets.

set goalsSET GOALS

�

S T O P C O N F U S I N G A D R E A M W I T H A G O A L — S T A R T T A R G E T I N G ! 124

Check off the Factor Actions for which you can consistently say YES...

4a ____ I make all my dreams real by first identifying and then focusing on specific, tangible targets for what I want.

4b ____ I have at least one clearly defined goal for every major interest and role in my life.

4c ____ I set my goals so they are directly aligned with my life’s mission.

4d ____ I create goals high enough to ignite my spirit and inspire me to take action.

4e ____ I write down all my goals in specific, measurable detail with declared target dates.

4f ____ I’m absolutely committed to hitting each of my targets.

4g ____ I share my goals with others for mutual accomplishment.

4h ____ I set a whole series of related daily, weekly and long-term goals, complete with starting times and completion dates.

4i ____ I take time every day to imagine how terrific it will feel when my goals are actually realized.

4j _____ I take an action step toward the attainment of at least one goal every day.

# _____ YES ResponsesThe 10 Factor Actions Explained �

“How often do you turn your

dreams into targets?”

Now, Ask Yourself This:

Does your Set Goals Color contribute to your success—or hold you back from it?

How brightly is your Set Goals Color burning right now? Be honest. Could it be thatyou’re not getting the results you want, simply because you’ve never defined what results toexpect? Are you just dreaming of some kind of success—or do you really know what youwant... and when you expect to achieve it?

When your Set Goals Color is strong and vibrant...

Your future is bright and positive because you know precisely what you want and why.You have clear targets to focus on and to guide each day’s actions and commitments. Yourdays and weeks build upon each other in a straight line, aiming towards new destinations evengreater than the last. You never want for anything because you put everything into what youwant. You believe that life is incredible because you are setting and achieving incredible goals.

However, when your Set Goals Color is weak and faded...

Your future is hazy and ill-defined, and you only wish for things to be different. Havingno clear destination, you’re often all dressed up with nowhere to go. You may have dailysuccesses, but lack real progress in any one direction. You never live up to your full potentialbecause there’s never anything important enough for you to give 100%. You believe that lifecould be better, but you’re just not sure how.

The contrast is stunning.

People with the ability to turn their dreams and visions into crystal-clear objectives areseen as Self-directed, Passionate, Explicit, Determined and Ambitious. They know what theywant, can express it to others, and have the power to amass entire teams to pursue it.

People who fail to set clear goals are seen as Vague, Wishful, Nebulous and Uninspiring.Since they can’t articulate what they want, when they want it or who they need to help themget it, they fail to produce the results expected. (Actually, they have no idea what is expected!)

Your Set Goals Color is the pivot-point for turning your hopes, dreams, vision andmission into reality. It serves as the bridge between what you want out of life, and your abilityto produce it. No question, your ability to set crystal-clear goals is a key driver of personaland career success.

the defining questionfor S E T G O A L S is…

SET GOALS�

K N O W W H A T Y O U W A N T ? 126125

I have at least one clearly defined goal for everymajor interest and role in my life.

Creating an ideal life, where all of your roles are completely fulfilled, starts with settingclear goals for each role. The key to achieving goals is creating clear expectations for the role.If you never define what you expect, you will only get what life gives you—and that may bea whole lot less than what you actually want.

Why leave things to chance? Every major interest and role in your life deserves its ownseries of goals. Clearly defined goals for each of your roles provides a rewarding direction andan ever-present purpose for each area of your life.

Have you mastered Factor Action 4B?

A NO means there are roles in your life that have no purpose or direction. It suggeststhere are areas of your life that are undervalued and underutilized.

You may have specific goals for your career but other roles run a distant second when itcomes to identifying specifics. Although you want each role to be as successful as possible,without an ideal outcome clearly in mind, you have no guidance for how to proceed orsucceed.

Without specific goals for each of your roles—sooner or later—those roles will sufferfrom neglect, or disappear altogether.

TQ Negatives: Unfulfilled Uninspired Imbalanced Undirected Unmindful

A YES means you are someone whose entire life has meaning because you set and achieverewarding goals for all of your roles. This applies to everything you do—your career, family,finances and all other major interests.

These prime goals give guidance and purpose for all your actions. Focused on specific andrewarding targets, you are motivated to make the most of every minute. This is true whetheryou’re drafting a proposal at work or doing volunteer work for your favorite charity.

TQ Positives: Fulfilled Dedicated Well-Rounded Purposeful Balanced

There is a desirable goal and a confirmedpurpose for each of your roles.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

4bI make all my dreams real by first identifying and then focusing on specific, tangible targets for what I want.

You’ll never make a dream real until you have something specific to aim at. There is noway you can plan for—to say nothing of work toward in general—a "better life." You can,however, stipulate a list of conditions that would define a better life. Each of those items canthen be made into a precise target you can aim for and immediately begin to work toward.

So, dream your dreams, then identify specific examples in the real world that bestrepresent the desired qualities of your dream. Once you do this, you'll be well on your wayto creating the life you want.

Have you mastered Factor Action 4A?

A NO means your dreams don't have a "snowball's" chance of becoming real. It suggestsyou are only a dreamer.

Perhaps you can't get more specific about your dreams because you don't believe theyare attainable. It's safer to think of them in gross generalizations with no more than a"someday" as a deadline date.

Unfortunately, with no specific long-term goals fixed in "space and time," your career,relationships and other major interests lack clear direction. Regrettably, goals that lackbelievability, details or dates remain wisps of smoke—with nothing firm to grasp.

TQ Negatives: Wishful Nebulous Passive Vague Ambiguous

A YES means you have the power to be both a dreamer and a doer. You have the faiththat you can make things happen if you want them badly enough. This gives you theconfidence to go beyond wishful thinking and identify exactly what you want in real-worldterms.

With a specific target in sight, you are able to map a course of action to the desireddestination. Once a goal is identified, you find it easy to commit to your activities becauseyour time and effort are spent on reaching tangible targets rather than vague, sometime inthe future dreams.

TQ Positives: Realistic Precise Proactive Self-Directed Rational

You have do-able dreams because youhave something specific to work toward.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

4a

SET GOALS�

S T A R T T A R G E T I N G ! 128S T O P C O N F U S I N G A D R E A M W I T H A G O A L —127

I create goals high enough to ignite my spiritand inspire me to take action.

If you’re not inspired every day, you need new goals. The higher the goal, the more it willexcite and motivate you. Plan big. Why set mediocre, minimally acceptable goals when youcould set ones that will change your life? Or the world?!

Life’s greatest satisfaction comes from attaining goals that you once believed were beyondreach. If most of your goals are forgotten before they’re achieved, you clearly need to createmore exciting, more stimulating, more intoxicating, more adventurous, more ambitious andmore heart-felt goals.

Have you mastered Factor Action 4D?

A NO means you are someone who is pursuing mundane goals. You may be intelligentand highly trained. You may have a wonderful personality.

But until you have inspiring dreams, you're never going to have the desire to fully ulitizeyour skills, talent and education. The mundane is just not worth the effort. Instead, you willcontinue to engage in uninspired performances and struggle to stay motivated. It's difficultto be highly motivated when there's little reward for achieving your goals—and little cost offailing.

TQ Negatives: Unmotivated Indifferent Bored Uninspired Listless

A YES means you feel inspired to work toward your goals every day. You are committedto your daily activities and your motivation and enthusiasm are an inspiration to others.

With your eyes focused on a big dream, problems and obstacles never stop you fromachieving your objectives. You push through the bottlenecks that slow you down andpersistently build bridges over any chasms that stand between you and your destination.

TQ Positives: Motivated Inspired Bold Ambitious Adventurous

You get more out of life because you'reinspired, challenged and committed to

achieving highly desirable goals.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

4dI set my goals so they are directly aligned with my life’s mission.

Your most powerful and inspiring goals are those that are directly aligned with what youvalue most. Goals that are aligned with your life's mission are those that bring an idealpersonal vision closer to reality. Mission-based goals deliver the greatest sense of pride andsatisfaction, once accomplished.

You can only do so much in the time you have. Therefore, as you establish your goals,put them to the test: How connected are they to what you value most? If they're not—changethem or choose more "value-able" goals.

Have you mastered Factor Action 4C?

A NO means your goals lack the purpose and the power to shift your “inner drive” intooverdrive. It suggests you are someone who may choose any goal just to have one.

Perhaps you've never determined what your most important values are. As a result, youhave no compelling personal mission guiding your on-going efforts.

Many times, you lose sight of what's important, and chase after things of less value, butmore immediate gratification. If and when those goals are achieved, they rarely build uponone another—and tend to be far less fulfilling than you had originially hoped.

TQ Negatives: Disillusioned Uncommitted Inconsistent Conflicted

A YES means you consistently set goals that come directly from your heart. You knowthat each goal achieved brings you one step closer to what you truly want. The goals youachieve are extremely satisfying because they align perfectly with your highest and mostdesired values.

You are proud of what you do and committed to be the best. Focused on specific targetsand highly "value-able" destinations, you are capable of maintaining a strong commitmentto each goal—even when reaching it is more difficult than expected.

TQ Positives: Satisfied Passionate Determined Enthusiastic Genuine

Your goals are forged of fire and passion,resulting in white-hot commitment.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

4c

SET GOALS�

S T A R T T A R G E T I N G ! 130S T O P C O N F U S I N G A D R E A M W I T H A G O A L —129

I’m absolutely committed to hitting each of my targets.

The best predictor of success is your degree of commitment to your goals. Whenever youset a goal, write out why you’re committed to accomplishing it. The "why" is far moreimportant than the "how."

Make sure each of your goals is worthy of the time and effort necessary to achieve it.Then, make sure each of your goals is getting the absolute unconditional commitment itdeserves. Commitment—sheer passion and will power—can help overcome any deficiency intime, money or education.

Have you mastered Factor Action 4F?

A NO to 4f suggests you have no compelling reason to achieve the goals you set. Surethere's a payoff for each of your current goals, but it won't be a huge loss if you don't reachthem in time. Your goals may be so unrealistic that you don't really believe they areattainable. Your goals may have been set from a desire to be like someone else, but they arenot what you value the most. Your goals may have been delegated to you.

Regardless of the reason, there are times when you question whether your goals are worththe time, stress and effort they are costing you.

TQ Negatives: Ambivalent Lackadaisical Doubtful Reluctant Hesitant

A YES means you are absolutely committed to achieving your goals. You can prove thisby adding up the amount of time actually spent on each one. Each receives the attention itdeserves, and significant progress is made towards its attainment.

You never complain about the amount of time spent in achieving these goals because thedesire for the final outcome justifies the effort required to accomplish them. This rarecommitment helps you persist with passion until each goal is reached—regardless of howhigh or long-term it may be.

TQ Positives: Wholehearted Determined Dedicated Passionate Eager

You have a high probability of achievingyour goals—regardless of their size.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

4fI write down all my goals in specific measurable

detail with declared target dates.Writing down exactly what you want and by what date, is the first step to success. If you

won't commit to writing them down, you’ll never do what it takes to reach your goals.Writing your goals in exquisite detail helps define them in your mind and provides the exactspecifications for what you want to accomplish.

The more desirable qualities you add to the goal, the greater will be your satisfactionwhen you succeed. Be sure to write SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realisticand Tangible—and don't forget a target date.

Have you mastered Factor Action 4E?

A NO means you need to take more time to better define your goals and pencil theminto your calendar. Lacking the commitment to be more precise, your goals are really nothingmore than ambiguous possibilities.

With no specific targets in sight, it's impossible to determine what you need to do next.When you fail to commit to a deadline in your calendar, some goals inevitably get cast asidefor other things. And given that life in general—and everyone you work with in particular—always has some kind of time-critical deadlines, your "non-urgent," "non-defined" goals tendto get pushed off your schedule forever.

TQ Negatives: Vague Uncertain Uncommitted Impractical Ambiguous

A YES means you have defined exactly what you want, and know when to expect it. Thisis proven by the fact that you took the first step and wrote down a detailed list of goals andentered specific deadlines into your calendar.

By identifying what you want in precise, written detail, you're well on your way tocompleting the plans needed to achieve them. This combination of written goals and writtenplans dramatically increases your probability of success.

TQ Positives: Explicit Focused Practical Precise Detailed

You have a clearly identified destinationand an expected date of arrival.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

4e

SET GOALS�

S T A R T T A R G E T I N G ! 132S T O P C O N F U S I N G A D R E A M W I T H A G O A L —131

I set a whole series of related daily, weekly and long-term goals, complete with starting times and completion dates.

A series of goals that build on each other is far more powerful than the same number ofrandom goals. First, start by setting a highly compelling destination. Then set all theintermediary goals that will lead you to this desired location.

By setting a series of concrete objectives, you gain a long-term perspective and a higherpurpose for each daily goal. Once set, your enthusiasm, self-esteem and satisfaction willincrease every time you achieve an objective toward the final long-term goal.

Have you mastered Factor Action 4H?

A NO means there's nothing but unknown time and territory between you and yourgoals. You may have a highly desired goal in mind. You know what needs to get done today—just to keep up.

But there are only uncharted areas between where you are now, and where you ultimatelywant to go. Without a series of clearly identified objectives—complete with scheduleddeadlines in your calendar—you have little direction, and no urgency for taking actiontowards the achievement of your goal.

TQ Negatives: Haphazard Shortsighted Uncommitted Aimless Unprepared

A YES means you are a person who can see where you’re going and knows when youexpect to get there. You know exactly where you’re going next.

You stay focused on the importance of each task because you have the bigger picture inmind. Your long range objectives set the stage for daily goals and motivates you to make themost of each passing hour.

There is celebration and satisfaction at the end of each week as you chart your progressalong a defined series of desirable milestones.

TQ Positives: Methodical Practical Deliberate Systematic

Each goal you reach leadsdirectly to an even bigger one.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

4hI share my goals with others for mutual accomplishment.

Nothing is more powerful than a team of people all focused on the same goal. Dare toshare your dreams with others! A shared goal is an extremely powerful force and a sharedcause virtually guarantees success—especially when your goal benefits a greater number ofpeople. The motivation and commitment to that goal will increase proportionately.

When you align your goal with the goals of others, you dramatically improve theprobability of each person's success through combined efforts, expertise and support.

Have you mastered Factor Action 4G?

A NO means your results are limited by what you can do alone. It suggests you see theworld as more competitive than cooperative.

On some level, you may believe that there are only a limited number of winners. Yournatural way of looking at goals may be to only see how they will benefit you. If so, this limitsyour potential.

By not sharing your goals with others, you are blind to the assistance, expertise andresources that others could provide. This means the goals you usually set are restricted towhat you can do by yourself, with the inherent limitations of time and talent you currentlypossess.

TQ Negatives: Self-Serving Competitive Uncommunicative Reticent Isolated

A YES means you naturally join forces with others to work toward a common goal. Byassembling a team of people all focused on the same goal, you are better equipped toovercome the inevitable obstacles that come your way.

You do this through cooperation and a common commitment to a mutually desiredoutcome. Sharing a goal with others gives you a multitude of reasons for doing whatever ittakes to make sure your dream is made real.

TQ Positives: Generous Collaborative Supportive Giving Cooperative

By teaming up with others, youaccomplish goals you could never

hope to reach by yourself.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

4g

SET GOALS�

S T A R T T A R G E T I N G ! 134S T O P C O N F U S I N G A D R E A M W I T H A G O A L —133

I take an action step toward the attainment of at least one goal every day.

A goal is something beyond where you are. If you want to get from here to your goal,you must take the steps required to get there. It's not going to come to you. Obvious? Youbet! But if this is so obvious, why do so many people set goals, then never take the actionsrequired to achieve them?

Goals don't happen on their own. If you want the goal, you have to do the work. Thismeans taking the steps necessary to get there—every single day.

Have you mastered Factor Action 4J?

A NO means you are someone who can let weeks go by without making any real progresson your goals. There are too many days when your goals are sacrificed to other demands thatseem more important, or more urgent.

This makes it impossible to accurately predict when you will accomplish your goals—because you have no idea how much time you'll have available to dedicate to them. Youbecome discouraged each time a deadline comes and goes. With no real progress in sight, yourgoals become less believable as the days, weeks and months roll by.

TQ Negatives: Lackadaisical Uncommitted Neglectful Stagnant

A YES means your commitment to your goals shows up in your actions—every singleday. You are satisfied and proud at the end of the day because you know that you've madeprogress— however large or small—on the things that mean the most to you.

By taking a daily step toward your goals, regardless of the other demands on your time,you are continually rewarded knowing that your life is moving in the right direction. Thesedaily accomplishments motivate you to continue, and you gain momentum as you check offobjectives—one by one.

TQ Positives: Diligent Persistent Gratified Vigilant Industrious

You can point with pride to eachday's progress toward your most

cherished goals.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

4jI take time every day to imagine how terrific it will

feel when my goals are actually realized.It's easier to commit to a goal when you're emotionally attached to it! The more you stay

in touch with the rewarding experience and positive feelings of each goal, the more motivatedand committed you'll be to continue the pursuit.

Each time you get in touch with the emotional benefits your goals will produce, you'llfeel enthused to continue—regardless of the distance to the goal. Celebrate your goals everyday. Anticipation is half the fun and all the motivation for getting there.

Have you mastered Factor Action 4I?

A NO means you are someone who can easily forget why you're working so hard. Theoriginal passion that made your dreams so attractive tends to dissipate a little each day.

You fail to reconnect to the positive anticipation of your desired goals. Once you losetouch with the benefits of accomplishing your goals, there's little left to justify the hard workstill remaining to achieve them.

Days become disheartening rather than rewarding, and eventually, the compellingpicture of your goals simply fades away. Without heart in the battle, the war is lost before it'seven begun.

TQ Negatives: Detached Unmotivated Uninvolved DisinterestedDispassionate

A YES means you are someone who remains emotionally and physically committed toyour goals. By recreating the positive feelings associated with your desired success, you stayconnected to your dreams and motivated to continue the journey.

The frustration of the daily grind, and the inevitable problems that arise, are kept incheck by the anticipated feelings of joy and pride you'll feel when your goal is realized. Theseexpectations help you maintain a positive attitude and a strong determination to keep goingwhen times get tough—when anyone else would give up.

TQ Positives: Excited Motivated Determined Energized Committed

You stay in touch with the benefits ofyour goals, so there's lots of passion to

justify the effort still remaining.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

4i

SET GOALS�

S T A R T T A R G E T I N G ! 136S T O P C O N F U S I N G A D R E A M W I T H A G O A L —135

Sage Wisdom...

“To be successful,

you must decide

exactly what you

want to accomplish,

then resolve to

pay the price

to get it.”—Bunker Hunt

SETGOALSA Quick TQ Color Review.

set goalsDo You Turn Your Dreams Into Targets?

Does your Set Goals Color contribute to your success—or hold you back from it?

Please take a moment to pause and reflect before you continue. Consider what you justlearned about the 10 Factor Actions that drive the intensity of your Set Goals Color.

Did anything jump out at you as you read the TQ Positives and Negatives? Did you getthe connection between taking a given action and your power to produce better results? Howmany Factor Actions do you consistently take:_____?

What if all 10 of your SET GOALS Factors were switched on—all the time?

Think about your top personal, career and financial goals for a moment. Are theycompelling enough to inspire you to achieve your best—all the time? Are they inspiringenough to share with others? What will it take to turn all of your dreams into specificmilestones with declared deadlines for arriving at them?

The real question is, do you consistently target what you want out of life? Remember,it's impossible to be efficient, effective or productive when you don't know where you wantto go—or what you’re going do when you get there. On the other hand, you are the mostproductive when you’ve identified a series of clearly defined objectives and unconditionallycommit to a specific date for their achievement. Is the number 1 obstacle to your success yourability to turn dreams and visions into crystal-clear goals? Put simply...

Would more power from this COLOR give

you greater CAREER POWER ?Be honest: ___ Yes or ___No?

SET GOALS�

S T O P C O N F U S I N G A D R E A M W I T H A G O A L — S T A R T T A R G E T I N G ! 138

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About Your MAKE PLANS Color:

The Quick Big Picture.

MAKE PLANS is the 5th color in the Time Prism Performance Spectrum because a goalwithout a plan is merely a wish without a hope. Once you’ve set a specific goal, you mustimmediately develop a detailed plan for its accomplishment. You are most productive when you prepare ahead of time for exactly how and when you’re going to take each and everystep—before you actually take them. When you eliminate wasted steps, your productivityinstantly and automatically soars!

A plan is simply a map which details the precise outline of steps necessary to get fromwhere you are to where you’re going, as quickly and easily as possible. When you map futuresteps, you think things through, starting at the end and working backwards, or from top tobottom, taking it one step at a time. A successful plan, however, requires you to anchor it inboth directions with what comes first, what comes last, and lots of “What comes next?” inbetween. It needs to be only as elaborate as required to lead you from Point A to Point B whiletaking the fewest possible steps.

Making detailed plans is where dreams are snared and fantasies are caught. When youtake the time to think ahead, any project—regardless of how complex or difficult—becomesnothing more than a series of future steps leading to a desired objective. These objectives,when completed, will then take you anywhere you want to go.

Don’t forget! Once a plan is created, it still remains to be completed. To achieve yourgoals, you must commit to your plan with focus and purpose. Each step outlined in youraction plan must be completed. By scheduling an actual step of your plan into a specific day,you create the pressure and the opportunity to take that step toward its successful completion.

The place and time where your To Do List and your schedule meet is the magical pointwhere your goal becomes an action, and a part of your dream is achieved.

TQ Truth #5

You map the shortest

route from conception to

realization of your goals

when you MAKE detailed

PLANS. Every goal is

accomplished in the

shortest time possible when

you eliminate wasted steps

by planning ahead.

Map Future Steps.MAKE PLANS

make plansMAKE PLANS

�

S T O P W I S H I N G F O R A W A Y — S T A R T M A P P I N G T H E R O U T E ! 140

Check off the Factor Actions for which you can consistently say YES...

5a ____ I have a written action plan for each of my major goals.

5b ____ I visualize the process for each new project from beginning to end, well before I start.

5c ____ I review my options to make an informed decision before finalizing any plan.

5d ____ I write my plans with defined steps that lead to specific, major objectives.

5e ____ I integrate the steps of my plans into my schedule every day.

5f ____ I plan every day from my Master List, to my To Do List, to my Schedule... to Done.

5g ____ I block out time in my schedule to focus on my top priorities for each day.

5h ____ I schedule my day around my most productive time periods.

5i ____ I always plan at least one step ahead of where I am at any point in time.

5j ____ I work my plans until I succeed or I find a better way.

# _____ YES ResponsesThe 10 Factor Actions Explained �

“How well do you plan ahead

and map future steps?”

Now, Ask Yourself This:

Does your Make Plans Color contribute to your success—or hold you back from it?

Do you pause and prepare before plunging ahead? Outlining the steps of a plan makesany goal more “real”, and dramatically increases the probability of its accomplishment. Couldit be you’re not getting the results you want because you’ve never created a decent plan forgetting them? Are you lost somewhere in the details or are you just plain lost?

When your Make Plans Color is strong and vibrant...

You’re in control over what gets done and when. Events unfold as predicted, accordingto your well-defined plan. You know you can get anywhere by simply following the rightmap, and each day accomplishes a specific step on the journey to your next objective. Youbelieve that the future is in your control, and you are busy mapping future steps to an ideallife.

However, when your Make Plans color is weak or faded...

You have no control over your day. Circumstances and demands happen to you, not byyou. You rush into projects, but soon become permanently waylaid by unexpected roadblocks.You have many places you’d like to go, but no clue how to get there. Each day resembles thelast as you move in random directions for no specific reason. You believe that the future is outof your control, and that you’re better off getting by, one day at a time.

The contrast is stunning.

People with the ability to turn their goals into rock-solid plans are seen as Disciplined,Prepared, Methodical, Prescient, Through and Deliberate. Because they have a plan to getback to when knocked off track, they are always on the fast track to success.

People who fail to make plans to support their goals are seen as Rash, Unprepared,Impetuous, Impulsive and Reckless. Since they have poor planning skills, they are not onlyheld back from fast-track promotions, their home-life is a train-wreck waiting to happen!

No question, your ability to make realistic, well-grounded and bold plans is a key driverof personal and career success. Master this Color and you take a great deal of uncertainity outof your life... your career... and your future!

the defining question for M A K E P L A N S is…

MAKE PLANS�

L O S T I N T H E D E T A I L S O R J U S T P L A I N L O S T ? 142141

I visualize the process for each new project from beginning to end, well before I start.

By thinking through each project—both forward and backward—you can visualize theproper sequence of events required to achieve each major objective. You can also prevent time-consuming mistakes by eliminating unnecessary steps and include others that will be moreproductive.

When you can see what you're going to do before you start, you can remove the potentialbottlenecks to your progress before they have a chance to hold you back.

Have you mastered Factor Action 5B?

A NO means you're often forced to take two steps back for every three steps forward...and suggests you are someone who impulsively dives into a project before making a plan.

You can get started quickly on any new project, but there are times when you quicklyreach a dead end. This tendency to push ahead on whatever you're doing—without firstthinking things through—means you can complete steps D, E and F before you even realizethat step C is critical to a successful outcome.

As a result, you are constantly redoing your work to correct for mistakes. Projects takelonger than expected, and the end results are often far less than desired.

TQ Negatives: Rash Careless Uninformed Shortsighted Impetuous

A YES means you save time and trouble by planning ahead before you begin. The timeyou spend thinking through what you're going to do—before you actually do it—dramatically simplifies the work you do later.

Rather than attack a project head-on, you take time to visualize the process before youbegin so that you can do it right the first time. By seeing in advance that step C is a criticalstep and has to be done before steps D, E and F, you’re able to complete the entire process inthe most efficient and productive way possible.

TQ Positives: Foresightful Prudent Efficient Thorough Systematic

You complete your projects faster becauseyou make fewer obvious mistakes.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

5bI have a written action plan for each of my major goals.

A goal without a plan is merely a wish without a hope. There is no way you canaccomplish something if you don't know how to proceed. Written plans are the essentialinstructions for how to get from where you are to where you want to go.

A plan is simply a detailed map outlining the steps to accomplish your goal as quicklyand easily as possible. At a minimum, it includes a complete list of objectives andrequirements organized in their appropriate chronological order.

Have you mastered Factor Action 5A?

A NO means many of your most cherished goals are begging for better plans. It suggestsyou are someone whose goals often remain nothing but illusive wishes.

You rarely make the progress you'd like. It may not be from lack of effort. You areworking hard but too much time is spent on activities that prove to be of little benefit.Lacking specific instructions, you have neither a clear direction for what to do next, nor anyway to chart your progress.

Sure, some goals are being achieved by trial and error—but many aren't—and more aretaking far longer to achieve than they should.

TQ Negatives: Shortsighted Unprepared Uninformed Haphazard Uncertain

A YES means you have big goals and big plans to match. You’re inspired enough to havegoals and methodical enough to develop written plans. With a detailed plan in hand, you’realready halfway there.

You’ve overcome the fear and uncertainty of not knowing what to do, and you have aclear set of directives with an excellent chance of success. With a detailed written plan inhand, you proceed confidently toward all of your goals.

TQ Positives: Well-Planned Well-Prepared Informed Logical Methodical

You have realistic goals, becauseyou have real plans.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

MAKE PLANS�

5a

S T A R T M A P P I N G T H E R O U T E ! 144S T O P W I S H I N G F O R A W A Y —143

I write my plans with defined steps thatlead to specific, major objectives.

Every goal—regardless of how complex or difficult—is nothing more than a series ofsteps that must be completed along a path, one objective to another. A written plan alsoprovides the step-by-step instructions for the actions that must be taken and the resourcesthat must be available to reach each objective. With a clear set of instructions, you can goanywhere and achieve anything you want—one "do-able" step at a time.

Have you mastered Factor Action 5D?

A NO means it takes a lot longer to get where you want to go because you haven'tprepared a detailed map in advance. It suggests you may know where you want to go but youhave no idea how to proceed.

Your progress toward each of your goals is slower than you'd like. By not thinkingthrough the best route in advance, you are often delayed as you stop to reconsider the nextmove.

This "making-it-up-on-the-fly" routine causes you to take numerous wrong turns, andforces you to retrace many of your steps. Every time you feel lost, you lose a little of the hopethat you'll ultimately succeed—and any hope that you'll actually arrive on time.

TQ Negatives: Uncertain Indefinite Haphazard Unprepared Careless

A YES means you are well-prepared and highly productive at whatever you set out to do.You are capable of reaching almost any destination you desire, because you have the ability towrite a specific set of instructions for how to get there.

With a carefully crafted plan, you take on things that others would consider impossible.Your confidence to proceed comes from your skill at identifying the do-able steps to get fromone major objective to another. With a fully detailed map in hand, the key to your success isfollowing your own instructions for completing each task.

TQ Positives: Detailed Thorough Deliberate Methodical Well-Prepared

Your most difficult goal is simplifiedto a series of single steps.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

5dI review my options to make an informed

decision before finalizing any plan.Your first idea may not always be the best idea. Nonetheless, it's the only one you act on

when you fail to come up with alternatives. You minimize mistakes and create better resultsby considering your options in advance. Explore additional possibilities before you reach aconclusion. Consider other perspectives; consult expert opinions; test your options and do alittle research.

Life’s too short and money's too scarce. So, think it through, ask for help and learn tomake better decisions by finding better options.

Have you mastered Factor Action 5C?

A NO means you produce less than ideal results because you fail to investigate youroptions and alternatives. You hesitate to seek advice from peers, and rarely call on experts whohave the experience needed.

Instead, you tend to operate from habit, shoot from the hip and go with the first solutionfound. Only after you complete your work, do you step back and take a fresh look. Only thendo you discover that what you just finished—is far less than what you could have done—with some "informed alternatives."

TQ Negatives: Narrow-Minded Uninformed Habit-Driven Impulsive Reckless

A YES means you are intelligent enough to create a plan and smart enough to knowthere may be better alternatives. You begin your plan of action by identifying the most idealoutcome—not just an acceptable one.

To do this, you ask the advice of others and investigate alternative directions, methodsor suggestions before committing to a single plan of action. Once you have carefullyconsidered the pros and cons, you immediately proceed with the option that gives you thegreatest possibility of success.

TQ Positives: Well-Informed Conscientious Open-Minded Resourceful

You achieve better results by choosingthe best alternatives.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

MAKE PLANS�

5c

S T A R T M A P P I N G T H E R O U T E ! 146S T O P W I S H I N G F O R A W A Y —145

I plan every day from my Master List, to my To-Do List, to my Schedule... to done.

Maximum personal productivity is entirely dependent upon how quickly you can gofrom a concept to a completion. To be as productive as possible, you must have an organizedsystem for keeping track of all your data, dates, numbers, people, goals, plans and to-do's.

You need a single system that helps plan this entire flow of detail from idea toimplementation to completion in the least amount of time—without losing anythingthrough the cracks—or driving you crazy in the process.

Have you mastered Factor Action 5F?

A NO means things get lost, misplaced, delayed and forgotten. It also suggests there's"no method to your madness."

Your list of things to do is often chaotic, disorganized and rarely complete. Notes andreminders tend to be scattered everywhere, and you have to check for appointments in two orthree different places.

With no comprehensive process in place, you lack both the far-sighted vision of what youwant to get done, and the near-sighted view of what needs to be done now. Each day issomewhere between busy and frantic—and you wonder if you're really making any progressat all.

TQ Negatives: Chaotic Scattered Unfocused Disorganized Reactive

A YES means you're highly organized and very productive. You’re a master at checkingoff tasks one by one, and never lose track of important details. You have instant access to allthe dates and details in your immediate future and a single list that contains all the thingsyou want to get done.

Your calendar provides a clear view of your short and long-term goals. Each morningbegins with a careful review and a systematic selection of the items you will complete thatday. Each day ends with the satisfaction that a multitude of tasks have been completed andmajor progress has been made.

TQ Positives: Competent Systematic Focused Organized Prepared

You have a simple, yet thorough,system for planning all your tasks.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

5fI integrate the steps of my plans into

my schedule every day.The steps in your plan never schedule themselves. They don't automatically show up as

the next thing to do. If you want to move your plans ahead, write each action step as anappointment in your calendar and dedicate an appropriate amount of time to get it done. Ifyou don't reserve the time in advance, everything else in your life will fill up the availabletime slots, and your plans will never get completed.

Have you mastered Factor Action 5E?

A NO means each time you fail to schedule a step, your plans fall further behind. Itsuggests you are someone who struggles to find the time to actually work your plans.

While your plans may look beautiful on paper—fully detailed and in precisechronological order—they are nothing more than good intentions when you fail to give themthe time required to be completed. You may delude yourself into believing that you will getto them sometime soon.

However, without designating a specific time, each step has to compete with all otherdeadlines. This means your plans take longer than expected—and force you to push back thedeadlines for achieving your goals.

TQ Negatives: Noncommittal Reactive Delayed Passive Delusional

A YES means you're serious about completing your plans and committed to achievingyour goals. You know that you will never magically find the time if you don’t create it.

Therefore, you schedule every plan directly into your calendar as a part of the planningprocess. By setting an appointment for each step, you guarantee that plans get the time theydeserve. You get started on time and make diligent progress on every plan created. You takepride in your ability to get things done at their appointed time—every time.

TQ Positives: Dedicated Proactive Self-Determined Diligent Organized

Every plan created is given specifictimes for its step-by-step completion.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

MAKE PLANS�

5e

S T A R T M A P P I N G T H E R O U T E ! 148S T O P W I S H I N G F O R A W A Y —147

I schedule my day around my most productive time periods.

No one is at their best all the time. Study your daily performance and discover when youtend to be the most and least productive. Schedule your top priorities for when you are at yourmental and physical peak, and assign the rest for less energetic periods.

Don’t try to take on your toughest tasks when you’re only capable of running at halfspeed. And don't waste your prime hours on your least productive chores.

Have you mastered Factor Action 5H?

A NO means you’re not in the right time frame or frame of mind for the task at hand.It suggests there are too many times when you just don't feel like doing what's next on yourschedule. Your schedule is in constant conflict between what you're supposed to do and whatyou feel like doing.

Even when you have the option to schedule your own work, you fail to consider personalenergy cycles. For example, you might zoom through minor routines with energy to spare,but then burn out before getting to your more important tasks.

TQ Negatives: Ineffective Inconsistent Unproductive Unrealistic Reactive

A YES means you are careful to match your activities to your personal energy and workstyles. You schedule your most demanding tasks for times when you are more energetic andyour least demanding tasks for those times when your energy is low.

Matching your energy and moods to your tasks allows you to be at your best when youneed it the most. This allows you to "go with the flow" and achieve maximum productivity—all day long.

TQ Positives: Optimized Practical Effective Functional Realistic

You’re in the game and at your bestwhen it counts the most.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

5hI block out time in my schedule to

focus on my top priority for each day.The only way to guarantee there will be enough time to complete your top priorities of

the day is to block out a sufficient amount of time for them in advance. Do this before youschedule anything else.

If you don't, your schedule will fill up with low payoff activities, and there won't be timeleft for the most rewarding ones. After you've reserved time for top priorities, you can fill inthe time remaining with less important activities.

Have you mastered Factor Action 5G?

A NO means your most productive tasks rarely get the time they deserve. It suggestsyou are someone who can get to the end of the week with limited or no progress madetowards the attainment of your goals. Time and circumstances dictate how much action youtake on your top priorities each day. Every item on your to-do list, regardless of priority, isgiven as much time as needed to get completed—one after another.

Too often, an entire day is filled with minimally productive tasks, daily demands andconstant interruptions. Only at the end of the day do you realize there's no time left for yourtop priority—the most important item to complete that day.

TQ Negatives: Delayed Frustrated Misguided Disorganized

A YES means you tend to make steady progress on your top priorities—every week. Youcontinuously identify the projects and activities that will have the greatest impact on eacharea of your life. You then take control of your time and projects by planning ahead andreserving blocks of time exclusively for completing those objectives.

Before you start each day, you review your schedule again and dedicate additional blocksof time to additional priorities of the day.

TQ Positives: Productive Focused Rewarded Effective Deliberate

Your most productive tasks are given thetime they deserve before the day is done.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

MAKE PLANS�

5g

S T A R T M A P P I N G T H E R O U T E ! 150S T O P W I S H I N G F O R A W A Y —149

I work my plans until I succeed or find a better way.

The best plan in the world is useless until it's put into action. How well you followthrough with your plans ultimately determines your success. You only make things happenwhen you act on your plans and see them through to the end. Master this skill, and theachievement of any goal is just a written plan away.

Have you mastered Factor Action 5J?

A NO means your plans fail, because you fail to work your plans. It suggests you aresomeone who has a long list of plans that have never been completed. Many plans never getoff the ground, because you haven't even taken the first step.

Others are in varying stages of completion—because you have either deviated from youroriginal goal—or are no longer following your current plan. Few of your plans achieve theoutcome you originally predicted—and with only limited success as your reward—you losethe motivation to draft new ones.

TQ Negatives: Unreliable Distracted Undisciplined Unpredictable

A YES means you are a person who can be counted on to complete your plans. You'resomeone who sets a goal, makes a plan and then actually works the plan.

You're methodical with a high bias toward taking action. You continuously find a wayto take the right action steps and the right way to proceed. When you hit road blocks, youpersevere until you find a way over, under, through or around the obstacle.

TQ Positives: Determined Industrious Successful Competent Adaptable

Your plans succeed because youdiligently pursue each to completion.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

5jI plan at least one step ahead of where I am at any point in time.

You are always more productive when you are prepared for your next step before you takeit. Planning your next move is a continuous process of looking up from what you're doingand what you'll need when you get there. When you think ahead, you can adjust what you'redoing now to help you get there in the least amount of time and effort.

Have you mastered Factor Action 5I?

A NO means there are days when your progress is anything but a straight line. Itsuggests you complete your tasks one at a time without thinking about your next move.

Your progress is rarely a straight line. Instead, it might be better described as a series ofrandom actions in divergent directions. You are often forced to backtrack and redo what youjust completed—because you didn't foresee how it would affect your next move. By failingto plan ahead, you are less efficient and prepared for what to do next. You run in circles—alot!

TQ Negatives: Unprepared Shortsighted Inefficient Wasteful Late

A YES means your day is a continuous string of actions that all go in the right direction.You've developed the skill of pausing while completing your current task, to look up andplan your next activity. When you think through what lies ahead, you always see it as anongoing series of actions that follow one another.

This foresight helps you arrange your steps in the most logical order and predict whatyou'll need for each one. You're extremely efficient with your time, because while you'refinishing one task, you're also preparing for the next.

TQ Positives: Prepared Skillful Productive Foresightful Efficient

You're always prepared for what's next.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

MAKE PLANS�

5i

S T A R T M A P P I N G T H E R O U T E ! 152S T O P W I S H I N G F O R A W A Y —151

How Well Do You Map Future Steps?

Does your Make Plans Color contribute to your success—or hold you back from it?

Please take a moment to pause and reflect before you continue. Consider what you justlearned about the 10 Factors that drive the intensity of your Make Plans Color.

Did anything jump out at you as you read the TQ Positives and Negatives? Did you getthe connection between taking a given action and your power to produce better results? Howmany Factor Actions do you consistently take:_____?

What if all 10 of your MAKE PLANS Factors were switched on—all the time?

Look at your life as it stands right now. Do you consistently develop clear, realistic andworkable plans—each and every day? Do these plans give you sufficient power to make eachday the most effective and productive possible?

How skillfully must you plan to attain the results you expect from each goal you set... toexceed every expectation you have for living the life you want? On a scale of 1—10, how highwould your Make Plans Color have to be to guarantee the successful attainment of yourNumber One, 1-Year Goal... in less than a year?

Is the number 1 obstacle to your long-term success your ability to turn dreams andvisions into crystal-clear goals... and then make the rock-solid plans necessary to pursue them?

Would more power from this COLOR give

you greater CAREER POWER ?Be honest: ___ Yes or ___No?

154

Sage Wisdom...

“Spectacular

achievement is

always preceded

by spectacular

preparation.”

—The ReverendRobert H. Schuller

A Quick TQ Color Review.MAKE PLANS

make plansMAKE PLANS

�

S T O P W I S H I N G F O R A W A Y — S T A R T M A P P I N G T H E R O U T E ! 154

IIFF YYOUOU DONDON’’TT LIKELIKE READINGREADING

ONON SCREENSCREEN, F, FULLULL SSPECTRUMPECTRUM

CCAREERAREER PPOOWERWER ISIS AAVVAILABLEAILABLE

ININ AA PRINTEDPRINTED EDITIONEDITION WWITHITH

CD ACD AUDIOUDIO AATT

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CCLICKLICK HHEREERE......

IIFF YYOUOU DONDON’’TT LIKELIKE READINGREADING

ONON SCREENSCREEN, F, FULLULL SSPECTRUMPECTRUM

CCAREERAREER PPOOWERWER ISIS AAVVAILABLEAILABLE

ININ AA PRINTEDPRINTED EDITIONEDITION WWITHITH

CD ACD AUDIOUDIO AATT

TTHINKHINKTQ.TQ.COMCOM/FSCP/FSCP

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About Your PRIORITIZE Color:

The Quick Big Picture.

PRIORITIZE is the 6th color in the Time Prism Performance Spectrum because eventhough you want to complete every step of every plan, you can’t complete them all at the sametime. Achieving maximum personal productivity means making conscious choices, decidingwhat can be done now and what can wait, and having the self discipline to eliminateeverything else temporarily so you can focus on what’s most important now.

A lot of time and energy is wasted when you focus on things that really don’t mattersimply because they’re more urgent, leaving what’s most dear unattended. The key is to knowexactly what you want, and which role is most important to you at any point in time. Sinceyour values, vision and mission ultimately determine the priority for each of your goals,ranking competing choices becomes natural. How? Simply compare your core values to eachgoal you’re trying to resolve. If Goal 1 contains more key values than Goal 2 at a given pointin time, it must, by definition be more important than Goal 2. The point is that your valuesmust always be the final criteria for what’s more important than something else. While thismay sound simplistic, it works. In fact, the list of values you created when drafting yourmission statement is the most important list you can carry, because it ensures that you’llalways choose between what matters most and what doesn’t. Choosing is what it means toprioritize.

When you make a conscious decision that some goals are more important than others(i.e., contain more of your core values), you automatically begin to focus on those that are boththe most important and rewarding. Only after you’ve ranked your visions and goals in orderof importance can you determine exactly which action plan and related tasks will get most ofyour time and attention today. Once you’ve identified what’s most important at the moment,simply select the #1 item within that choice that will have the highest payoff for your efforts.When you determine in advance where the greatest reward will be for the time you spend,you are prioritizing your tasks, not on the urgency of the day, but on what will profoundlyhelp you achieve your most valuable goals. By focusing on priority #1 first, you control thecourse and events of your day and will automatically become more productive, completingmore high-payoff A’s, and fewer B’s and C’s.

PRIORITIZETQ Truth #6

When you PRIORITIZE all

your actions, you’ll stay

focused on the most

important and rewarding

goals. You achieve maximum

productivity by making

the right choices. The goals

that are both important

and rewarding deserve

to be focused on first.

Focus on #1 First.

prioritizePRIORITIZE

�

S TO P C O N F U S I N G T H E U R G E N T W I T H T H E I M P O R TA N T — S TA R T R A N K I N G R E W A R D S ! 156

Check off the Factor Actions for which you can consistently say YES...

6a ____ I prioritize my life by choosing what’s most important rather than what’s most urgent.

6b ____ I preview all my goals and choose the most important ones to focus on each week.

6c ____ I focus my attention on the role which I can influence the most at that moment in time.

6d ____ I concentrate my time on the activities that produce the greatest rewards in each of my roles.

6e ____ I purposely find ways to spend more time each day on what’s most important to me.

6f ____ I give every one of my roles the attention it deserves to keep a healthy balance in my life.

6g ____ I prioritize my daily list of things to do by what’s most important and rewarding—well before I start.

6h ____ I focus on my #1 priority of the day first, and complete it as soon as possible.

6i _____ I handle urgencies as required without losing focus on my preplanned priorities.

6j _____ I never skip over an item on my priority list simply because I don’t feel like doing it.

# _____ YES Responses

The 10 Factor Actions Explained �

“How often do you focus

on your#1 Priority?”

Now, Ask Yourself This:

Does your Prioritize Color contribute to your success—or hold you back from it?

Look at where you are spending your time in a new light. Be honest. Do you make realchoices? Do you rank these choices? Do you even know if what you are doing is Important ormerely Urgent? The key is to constantly monitor your actions to be sure you are investingyour precious time in the role that is most important right now. The next choice is to selectthe activity within that role that will have the highest payoff, thereby moving you closer toyour goals within that role—ever faster.

When your Prioritize Color is strong and vibrant...

You understand that what’s most important should always come first, and therefore, youalways focus on what’s most important right now. Your efforts are highly rewarding becauseyou invest your time on those activities with the highest payoff. You are always on purposeand enjoying the moment, because you’ve determined in advance that this is exactly what youshould be doing, right now. You believe that what’s most important should never be sacrificedfor what’s merely urgent.

However, when your Prioritize color is weak and faded...

What’s most important on your list always takes a back seat to what’s most urgent. Youspend time only on what is the easiest or most pressing, regardless of its value. You are foreverrunning at full throttle, but your rewards never match your efforts. You are constantlyfrustrated and feeling guilty because there’s always something else you should be doing. Youbelieve there will never be enough time for what you want to do, because there’s alwayssomething more urgent.

The contrast is stunning.

People with the ability to maintain focus on their top priorities are seen as Discerning,Purposeful, Deliberate and Accountable. They get promoted.

People who frequently confuse the urgent with the important are seen as Scattered,Reactive, Inconsistent and Impulsive. They get demoted.

No question, the ability to remain focused on top priorities quickly separates peoplewith great potential—from those who know how to capitalize on their potential. In the work-place, this Color, perhaps more than any other, is the key to rapid advancement.

the defining questionfor P R I O R I T I Z E is…

PRIORITIZE�

I S T H I S I M P O R T A N T O R M E R E L Y U R G E N T ? 158157

I preview all my goals and choose the mostimportant ones to focus on each week.

You can't work on all of your goals at the same time. However, you can remainaccountable to all of them by reviewing each one at least once a week.

Compare how important and time-sensitive each goal is to the others. Then make adeliberate choice for what you will work on and what must wait until later. By proactivelyselecting your most important objectives, you establish priorities for the week and a clearpurpose for your next seven days.

Have you mastered Factor Action 6B?

A NO means that many important areas of your life never get the attention they deserve.It suggests you are too busy reacting to immediate demands to focus on what you really want.

There was the book you were going to write, the garden you were going to plant and thenew sales territory you were going to open. But who can think of these things when there'sso much to be done right now? Weeks fly by in a flash, and they all begin to look the same.With a short sighted, day-by-day view on what needs to get done next, you rarely find theextra time to work on those special projects—and entire parts of your life disappear from view.

TQ Negatives: Habitual Unthinking Negligent Impulsive Unaccountable

A YES means you are someone who never loses sight of what you want to accomplisheach week. By periodically reviewing the goals for every area of your life, you make sure thatnone vanish from view or suffer from lack of attention.

You know that you can't work on all of your goals simultaneously. Therefore, you selectthose that win out in both priority and urgency for the week. Realizing that each of your othergoals are clamoring for their turn next, you are highly motivated to complete this week's goalsso that you can move other long term goals closer into view.

TQ Positives: Selective Deliberate Focused Dedicated Accountable

You have a self-initiated purpose anda goal for each week.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

6bI prioritize my life by choosing what’s mostimportant rather than what’s most urgent.

When you prioritize your life, you determine where your time will produce the mostrewarding and satisfying results. Base these priorities on your personal list of values, goalsand commitments. Urgency is a quality given to something requiring immediateattention—regardless of its relative value.

You can spend years chasing down one urgency after another, or focus on priorities andensure that what's most important to you actually shows up in your life. By choosingpriorities over urgencies, you stop reacting to circumstances and create a life of power andpurpose.

Have you mastered Factor Action 6A?

A NO means what’s most important and dearest to your heart gets sacrificed to moreurgent concerns. It suggests you are someone who can lose sight of what's most important.

Your life is often not as satisfying as you would like. Urgencies tend to rule your day,and it may feel like there's never enough time to do the things that are the most meaningfulto you.

Long-term goals are consistently delayed, as you attend to more urgent demands in yourlife. You also tend to put off your favorite dreams indefinitely, while chasing down easier ormore immediate payoffs.

TQ Negatives: Reactive Unguided Uninspired Unfulfilled Dissatisfied

A YES means that you prioritize your life based on things that mean the most to you.You consistently make the right choices between what's urgent and what's most important.You apply your life's priorities to every situation—from how you're going to spend the day,to those crucial decisions that determine your future.

Sometimes you choose to put what you value most on hold while responding to moredemanding events. Yet, even then, you make sure time is not diverted so long that it doesany permanent harm to your highest priorities.

TQ Positives: Self-Directed Fulfilled Satisfied Purposeful Meaningful

Your performance and your resultsare gratifying and fulfilling.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

6a

PRIORITIZE�

S T A R T R A N K I N G R E W A R D S ! 160S T O P C O N F U S I N G T H E U R G E N T W I T H T H E I M P O R T A N T — 159

I concentrate my time on the activities thatproduce the greatest rewards in each of my roles.

Some of your activities produce greater rewards than others. When you focus more ofyour time on those activities with the highest return for your time, you naturally becomemore productive.

After identifying the activities that will make the greatest impact, concentrate your timeand energy on them. Remember the 80/20 rule. When you focus all your time on the 20%of the actions that produce 80% of the rewards, you'll multiply your results five-fold!

Have you mastered Factor Action 6D?

A NO means you waste precious time on things that produce only minimal returns. Itsuggests you do a lot of "busy" work.

You can stay busy, but never consider which activity delivers the greatest reward.Without judging your rewards vs. effort, you take on tasks equally, and justify your timespent believing they're all important.

This means that you reduce productivity and effectiveness every time you choose tospend time on low-priority tasks instead of activities that produce greater rewards.

TQ Negatives: Efforts-based Unproductive Inconsistent Ineffective

A YES means you trade your time for highly rewarding results. You are naturallyproductive, because you first identify then focus on the most rewarding activities in each ofyour roles.

You accomplish major objectives every day by spending most of your time on thoseactions that produce the greatest payoff.

You choose to work on the most rewarding activities first and look for ways to do moreof them before spending time on less valuable priorities.

TQ Positives: Results-oriented Impactful Rewarded Effective Profitable

You never confuse effort with results.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

6dI focus my attention on the role which I caninfluence the most at that moment in time.

Roles are the parts you play in the different areas of your life. A role includes a specificidentity, unique responsibilities and a defined relationship with others. How you act andwhat you do are always dependent on which role you're in at the time. The key is to knowwhich role you are playing and confirm that it's the right one at that moment.

Have you mastered Factor Action 6C?

A NO means you are much less effective when your attention is on a role that isunrelated to your immediate situation. It suggests there are times when the role you'replaying is not the most productive at the time.

You have important obligations within each of your roles—and you're stressed when youcan't get to one, because you are spending time on another. This concern for issues outsideyour current role makes it hard to focus on the task at hand.

It also means that opportunities are lost when you are preoccupied by a role that is totallyunrelated to your current sales call, religious service, your child's story about her day at schoolor your Saturday night date.

TQ Negatives: Inappropriate Ineffective Preoccupied Stressed Out-Of-Touch

A YES means you stay focused and highly productive. You always know which roleyou're in, and you've confirmed that it's the right one for that situation. For example, you'rean attentive parent at home and a dedicated employee at work.

Knowing that you can only be in one role at a time, you maximize your efforts byfocusing on what you can do best right now. Sometimes this review causes you to switch toa more appropriate role.

Other times, it confirms you are doing exactly what you should be doing and reducesthe stress and guilt that you should be doing something else instead.

TQ Positives: Appropriate Effective In-Tune Focused Attentive

When the curtains go up, you're in the rightrole at the right time for the right play.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

6c

PRIORITIZE�

S T A R T R A N K I N G R E W A R D S ! 162S T O P C O N F U S I N G T H E U R G E N T W I T H T H E I M P O R T A N T — 161

I give every one of my roles the attention itdeserves to keep a healthy balance in my life.

Like a top spinning out of control, a life without balance will sooner or later crash. Ahealthy balance means that all the areas of your life—your family, friends, career, health,personal time—receive the attention they deserve.

You can't ignore a role and feel that it's fulfilled at the same time. On the other hand,the success you achieve in any one role can increase the enthusiasm and enjoyment for thetime spent in all the others.

Have you mastered Factor Action 6F?

A NO means that you are someone who may neglect significant roles in your life. Youmay find it easiest to spend all of your time on the role where you are the most successful. Oryou may be consumed by a desire to achieve a specific goal.

In the meantime the other roles you play—actor, tourist, parent, CEO—are beingsacrificed to the limited number of roles you focus on at any point in time.

TQ Negatives: Imbalanced One-Sided Neglectful Unhealthy

A YES means you look forward to spending as much time as you can in each of your roles.You have a strong reason and desire to be in each of your current roles and feel satisfied thatthey are all receiving enough time and attention. You have a compelling goal for each area ofyour life, and you're committed to being the best you can be in each one.

TQ Positives: Balanced Well-Rounded Healthy Attentive

You make all of your life your life's work.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

6fI purposely find ways to spend more time each

day on what’s most important to me.You will never magically have more time for what you want. If you want to spend more

time on what's most important to you, you have to make the time. You must apply all ofyour skills to reclaim some of the time from the other demands in your life. It really comesdown to this, "How important is this?" You need to learn every trick in the book to help youspend more time on what's most important to you.

Have you mastered Factor Action 6E?

A NO means you can take delayed gratification to the extreme. You allow your day tobe dictated TO you, instead of created BY you. You write required appointments on yourcalendar, but rarely enter deadlines for your goals.

Instead, you wait and hope that someday you'll have more time to get started. Of courseyour dreams, goals and personal projects are important to you, but there's just not enoughhours in a day to get to them. Your life is less rewarding than it could be, simply because youburn time on things that have little inherent value to you.

TQ Negatives: Frustrated Unfulfilled Dispassionate Dissatisfied

A YES means you are headed in the right direction; spending more time each day onwhat you feel is most important. You monitor your activities to make sure you have enoughtime for your top priorities.

You remain responsible to existing obligations, while at the same time you implementspecific plans that give you more time for things you value most. Your life is more rewarding,because you are spending more time on those things that matter the most to you.

TQ Positives: Gratified Fulfilled Growing Satisfied Rewarded

Every day takes you closerto living your ideal life.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

6e

PRIORITIZE�

S T A R T R A N K I N G R E W A R D S ! 164S T O P C O N F U S I N G T H E U R G E N T W I T H T H E I M P O R T A N T — 163

I focus on my #1 priority of the day first,and complete it as soon as possible.

Nothing increases your progress more than completing your most productive, mostrewarding task of the day. Once you have prioritized your to-do list, focus on your #1 itemfirst. Do it first or schedule it for a time that provides the best chance of its completion.

When you perform your tasks by rank of importance, you spend time on those items youpredict will be the most valuable—before giving away your limited time to less importanttasks.

Have you mastered Factor Action 6H?

A NO means you waste time on minor tasks that would have been more productivelyspent on major ones. It also suggests you may never get to your # 1 priority because you easilyget diverted by minor tasks instead.

There are times when you don't identify which of your tasks is your most rewarding ofthe day. Many times, it takes you longer than expected to finish tasks previously started—before you even get to start on your # 1 priority. There are other times when you don't feellike doing your # 1 priority first, and choose other tasks to complete instead.

Many times, your number one never gets done at all. You feel cheated, because you tradedthe only day of its kind on things of limited value to you.

TQ Negatives: Unfocused Lackadaisical Misguided Diverted Scattered

A YES means you are someone whose #1 responsibility is to make sure your #1 prioritygets done every day. If you can't do it first, you make sure that everything is in place to do itlater.

You may have a long list of items that need to be completed. However, regardless of whatelse does or doesn't get done, you finish each day satisfied that your number one objective wasachieved. Your momentum builds with each day's progress, and your confidence grows everytime you accomplish your #1 objective.

TQ Positives: Focused Pragmatic Proactive Diligent Practical

Every day is a profitable investmentof time, because your largest payoff

gets cashed in first.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

6hI prioritize my daily list of things to do by what’s most

important and rewarding—well before I start.A prioritized list of things to do is your best guide for where you should spend your

time. Unfortunately, you don't always have time to complete everything on your to-do list.Some of your projects have more value than others.

Therefore, before you start your day, rank your entire list by the relative value of eachitem. If there are any tasks still remaining at the end of the day, they should be the leastimportant ones—not the most important.

Have you mastered Factor Action 6G?

A NO means your to-do list is only a reminder system and offers no insight for whereyou could be the most productive. It suggests you are someone who doesn't know what'simportant—and confuses effort with results.

You start most days with nothing but a mental review of what needs to be done. Youthen rush to do the easiest task, or the one that appears to be the most urgent. You stay busyall day, but rarely feel truly productive. A great day for you is when you check off a long listof items and meet most of your deadlines—regardless of their inherent value.

TQ Negatives: Impulsive Reactive Ineffective Flighty Unprepared

A YES means you are someone who prioritizes your actions well before you take them.It suggest that you know what your goals are for the week and how much time is availablefor each one.

Before plunging into your first task, you proactively plan your day by prioritizing all ofthe things that you want to get done. It's a simple skill that takes little time each morning.When you're done, you know the relative importance of every item on your list and where tostart to be most productive that day.

TQ Positives: Predetermined Discerning Productive Self-Directed Effective

You know exactly where your timewill be the most productive.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

6g

PRIORITIZE�

S T A R T R A N K I N G R E W A R D S ! 166S T O P C O N F U S I N G T H E U R G E N T W I T H T H E I M P O R T A N T — 165

I don't skip over an item on my priority listsimply because I don’t feel like doing it.

The next item on your prioritized list of things to do needs to be completed or itwouldn't be on your list. Don't go around it. You waste time and energy when you avoiddoing what you know you should do.

Arrange items on your to–do list in order of importance, then start at the top and workdown. Make it a rule: Never purposely skip an item just because you don’t feel like doing it.

Have you mastered Factor Action 6J?

A NO means important but difficult tasks are delayed, and the best of plans are put offindefinitely. It suggests you are someone who can talk yourself out of doing just aboutanything. There may be an excellent reason why the next item on your to-do list should becompleted—but you can come up with more reasons why it's better to put it off.

It's always easier to do a different task that takes less effort or less courage. The problemis, you miss opportunities when you don't pursue that important task, or waste time on lessvaluable ones.

TQ Negatives: Reluctant Doubtful Hesitant Undisciplined Conflicted

A YES means you are someone who is incredibly powerful. You consistently do whateveris next on your priority list, regardless of how much you want to avoid it. You know it needsto get done, and waste no time hiding behind less productive tasks.

You take on each task as a personal challenge to see if you can get it done as well and asquickly as possible. You stay focused on the desired outcome, instead of the effort required—and pride yourself in being able to do just about anything for the right cause.

TQ Positives: Disciplined Dedicated Courageous Self-Controlled Motivated

If there's anything you want done, youwrite it down on your list of things todo. Then you do it. That's true power.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

6jI handle urgencies as required without

losing focus on my preplanned priorities.Urgencies are a fact of life. There will always be emergencies that demand your

attention. The key is to handle them without getting pulled off course from your preplannedpriorities. You are never the most productive when you are continuously enmeshed in lowvalue, time consuming urgencies.

Time spent improving your systems and planning ahead to prevent urgent demands, isa wiser investment than time spent administering emergency relief.

Have you mastered Factor Action 6I?

A NO means you are a slave to time wasting, priority busting, energy depletingurgencies. It suggests you allow your urgencies to be more important than your priorities.You find it hard to get back to your original priorities whenever an urgency interrupts you.

You have the mistaken belief that just because something is demanding, it's moreimportant, and you don't stop to consider if the urgency actually deserves your attention. Itmay not even occur to you to try to prevent these recurring demands from interrupting youin the future.

TQ Negatives: Diverted Reactive Stressed Distracted Disrupted

A YES means you can take what life throws at you, and still stay focused on what youwant to accomplish. With a list of daily priorities firmly in place, you take care of urgenciesquickly and immediately get back on track.

You respond to demands and interruptions without losing touch with your plans andpriorities. Understanding that urgencies disrupt plans, you are constantly looking ahead. Youdo whatever you can to make sure all your bases are covered so you won't be pulled away byan emergency.

TQ Positives: Preemptive Responsive Committed Focused Flexible

Urgencies are resolved without takingover your daily priorities.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

6i

PRIORITIZE�

S T A R T R A N K I N G R E W A R D S ! 168S T O P C O N F U S I N G T H E U R G E N T W I T H T H E I M P O R T A N T — 167

How Well Do You Focus on The Important?

Does your Prioritize Color contribute to your success—or hold you back from it?

Please take a moment to pause and reflect before you continue. Consider what you justlearned about the 10 Factors that drive the intensity of your Prioritize Color.

Did anything jump out at you as you read the TQ Positives and Negatives? Did you getthe connection between taking a given action and your power to produce better results? Howmany Factor Actions do you consistently take:_____?

What if all 10 of your PRIORITIZE Factors were switched on—all the time?

Maximum personal effectiveness, efficiency and productivity is achieved by choosing themost important and rewarding items to be focused on first—and identifying those that can,and should be put off until later. The big question for this Color is, do you frequently findyourself going in five different directions at the same time—making little realforward progress on your dreams, goals and plans?

Now that you’ve read the Prioritize Factor Actions, which best describes why you can becompletely exhausted at the end of the day—and you still never seem to spend time on what’smost important to you? Could it be that the number 1 obstacle to your long-term success isyour ability to consistently prioritize your actions? Put simply...

Would more power from this COLOR give

you greater CAREER POWER ?Be honest: ___ Yes or ___No?

PRIORITIZESage Wisdom...

“In truth, people can

generally make time

for what they choose

to do; it is not really

the time but the will

that is lacking.”

—Sir John Lubbock

A Quick TQ Color Review.

prioritizePRIORITIZE

�

S TO P C O N F U S I N G T H E U R G E N T W I T H T H E I M P O R TA N T — S TA R T R A N K I N G R E W A R D S ! 170

IIFF YYOUOU DONDON’’TT LIKELIKE READINGREADING

ONON SCREENSCREEN, F, FULLULL SSPECTRUMPECTRUM

CCAREERAREER PPOOWERWER ISIS AAVVAILABLEAILABLE

ININ AA PRINTEDPRINTED EDITIONEDITION WWITHITH

CD ACD AUDIOUDIO AATT

TTHINKHINKTQ.TQ.COMCOM/FSCP/FSCP

CCLICKLICK HHEREERE......

About Your SYNERGIZE Color:

The Quick Big Picture.

SYNERGIZE is the 7th color in the Time Prism Performance Spectrum because onceyour 24-hour day is filled up, the only way you can become more productive, increase thequality of your results, or reduce the time required for accomplishing your goals is throughthe participation and contribution of other people. When you team up with others, timeinvested in leading, managing and training pays back in compounded effectiveness. Thisteam effort immediately gives you leverage over time and multiplies personal results.

With a big enough lever, you can move the world—and some people do! The quantity and quality of your results improve dramatically when you seek the assistance of others. When you combine your time and talents with those of others—by adding to each other and not simply depending on each other—the synergistic results are far greater than the sum of theseparate contributions.

When you include everyone on your team, everyone always wins. It’s always easier towork with people instead of against them. When you see the world as one team and investyour time looking for ways where you can each be beneficial to the other, progress andcooperation can be made with a mutual benefit for everyone. These benefits spread out likecircles on a pond each time you add a member to your team who makes a new contribution.This is true regardless if you’re an employee, supervisor, owner, subcontractor or the presidentand cleanup crew of a one-person company.

Now DREAM BIG, and bring everyone with you! Once you’ve identified what youwant, the fastest and easiest way to succeed is with the cooperation and assistance of others.Great dreams are never accomplished alone. Never.

There are incredibly talented people who are ready, willing and able to help turn yourdreams into reality. They need only your vision, your direction and your appreciation.Together, there is nothing you can’t do.

159

SYNERGIZETQ Truth #7

When you SYNERGIZE

by working through

others, you gain leverage

and compound your

effectiveness. You will

instantly become more

productive when you

find ways to help others

help themselves—by

helping you.

Find Someone To Help.

synergizeSYNERGIZE

�

STOP THE I NSANITY OF TRYI NG TO BE AN ARMY OF ONE — START LEVE RAGI NG YOUR TIME! 172

Check off the Factor Actions for which you can consistently say YES...

7a ____ I believe life is a team sport where each player can make a valuable contribution to the whole.

7b ____ I treat everyone as a valuable member of one of my teams, and encourage a true sense of cooperation among us.

7c ____ I lead by example and inspire others to share my visions and join my parades.

7d ____ I coach and support others to get their work done as well and as quickly as possible.

7e ____ I enthusiastically look for other people to help me improve or complete my projects.

7f _____ I do whatever I can to make it easier for others to help me.

7g ____ I delegate as much as possible and communicate my expectations clearly.

7h ____ I show appreciation for the efforts of others, and praise them when they do the right thing.

7i ____ I prepare for and participate in meetings to ensure they produce maximum results.

7j ____ I communicate clearly with others, and consistently reach mutual understanding.

# _____ YES Responses

The 10 Factor Actions Explained �

“How often do you find others

to support and help you?”

Now, Ask Yourself This:

Does your Synergize Color contribute to your success—or hold you back from it?

There’s an endless number of people available to move your projects ahead, once you seewhich part they can be motivated to play. To get help, you must simply find creative waysto encourage, support and reward others so they’ll be more willing, able and successful inhelping you. Could it be you’re not getting the results you want because you’re trying to doeverything yourself? Be honest. Wouldn’t it be better if you had the assistance, support andexpertise of others? Or are you foolishly trying to be an Army of One?”

When your Synergize Color is strong and vibrant...

You accomplish major projects by enrolling teams of people who share your goals andvision. Everyone you meet becomes a new member of your team with whom you can workand share common goals. You clearly understand what other people have to say and theyunderstand you. Your time coaching, managing and delegating returns huge dividends incompounded results. You believe anything is possible by simply getting the right team ofpeople all focused on the same goal.

When your Synergy color is weak or faded...

Nothing gets done if you don’t do it. Everyone you deal with seems to be more of ahindrance than a help. There’s a lot of confusion over what was said, and you’re sure no oneunderstands plain English anymore. You know if you want it done right, you’d better do ityourself. You believe that what’s possible is limited by how much you, personally, can getdone in a day.

The contrast is stunning.

People with the ability to build strong teams and create powerful interpersonal leverageare seen as Supportive, Empathetic, Inspiring, Cooperative and Charismatic. They get all thebreaks... simply because they make them.

People with poor “people skills” are seen as Contentious, Egotistical, Judgmental,Critical and Antagonistic. Because of this, they not only drive people away from them, theydrive career-building opportunities away as well.

No question, this Color may be the single most important driver of career success—ifnot success in every area of your life. After all, if you can’t get others to help you, just howsuccessful are you?

the defining question for S Y N E R G I Z E is…

SYNERGIZE�

T R Y I N G T O B E A N A R M Y O F O N E ? 174173

I treat everyone as a valuable member of one of my teams,and encourage a true sense of cooperation among us.

Life is so much easier when you approach it as if you're all on the same team. Whateverthe circumstance, whether you're at a dinner party or giving a sales presentation, find a wayto see yourself and everyone else as a team.

Look for similarities instead of differences. Find out what each person's goal is for eachsituation. Then encourage cooperation by discovering ways you can be of mutual benefit toeach other.

Have you mastered Factor Action 7B?

A NO means everything is harder than necessary when you work against people insteadof with them. Itsuggests you are someone who only cares that you win.

You may see the entire world as competition—and it's you versus everyone else. You maybe afraid that they'll beat you—if you don't beat them first. Long-term relationships rarelytake precedence over short-term benefits.

Everyday is another battle against the world. When you see everyone as your adversary,it's no surprise that you see so few people who are ready and willing to help you improve orcomplete your projects.

TQ Negatives: Antagonistic Contentious Uncooperative Aloof Independent

A YES means you consistently look for ways where other people benefit from our teaminteractions. You strive for cooperation and never insist on a "I-win-you-lose" outcome.

You try to see everyone from the perspective that you are on the same team. This helpsyou make consistent progress as you "team-up" with others for mutual gains.

TQ Positives: Cooperative Appreciative Supportive Helpful

By cooperating with others,agreements are made, friendships are

formed and contracts are signed.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

7bI believe life is a team sport where each playercan make a valuable contribution to the whole.

No one can do it all. No one knows it all. We all need each other's help. There is so muchto be gained from the knowledge, experience and unique perspectives that others can bringto your projects. Discover the unique talents of everyone you meet, and respect each personfor what they have to offer. Never take the benefit or value of the other person for granted.

Have you mastered Factor Action 7A?

A NO means that you fail to appreciate the inherent value of others. Your normaltendency is to generalize the degree of importance of other people based on preconceivednotions of who you think they are, or what they can do for you.

He's "just" an employee in a different department. She's "just" a new customer whodoesn't know what she wants. This biased opinion causes you to be blind to the real valueeach person contributes—and limits the true potential of what you could do together.

TQ Negatives: Judgmental Narrow-Minded Inconsiderate Arrogant

A YES means you believe that every person, including yourself, is valuable. Just as youcan't be an expert in all areas, you realize that others have unique areas of strengths.

Therefore, you believe that each person you meet has true value. You also believe thatthe secret to Synergy—the most valuable and productive thing you can do—is to discoverwhat each person can contribute and then find a way to share and increase this value together.

TQ Positives: Respectful Perceptive Grateful Tolerant Empathetic

You bring out the best in everyone,and together, you create more than

you ever could alone.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

SYNERGIZE�

7a

S T A R T L E V E R A G I N G Y O U R T I M E ! 176S T O P T H E I N S A N I T Y O F T R Y I N G T O B E A N A R M Y O F O N E —175

I coach and support others to get their workdone as well, and as quickly as possible.

Your primary responsibility when managing others, is to do whatever you can to helpthem accomplish their tasks to the best of their abilities. Your productivity is not measuredby how much you can get done in a day, but by how much the team accomplishes as a whole.

You must learn how to coach and support co-workers without taking on theirresponsibilities. No one learns if you do their work for them. Create an environment whereeveryone's performance is raised to their highest potential and mutual goals are achieved.

Have you mastered Factor Action 7D?

A NO means your team members fail to live up to their potential—and so do you. Itsuggests you are someone who makes high demands on others—and then waits to see whathappens.

This applies to your relationships with your family and friends as much as it does to yourco-workers. Your "requests" may come across as "unrealistic demands." Or, you clearly tellpeople what you want, but then you offer them no feedback or support along the way.

Whether you do this out of ignorance, inexperience or insecurity, you fail to understandthat to get more from others, you have to give more.

TQ Negatives: Unsupportive Critical Demanding Distrustful Condemning

A YES means you believe one of your responsibilities is to help others succeed.Therefore, you consistently support and empower others to achieve their best. You helpothers most by inspiring them to be at their best all the time.

You create this inspiration with sincere praise for things done well and with honestcritical feedback that identifies and reinforces preferred alternatives. Your genuine interest inthe progress of others is evident, and you love the pride and satisfaction felt when otherssucceed as a direct result of your influence.

TQ Positives: Supportive Empowering Encouraging Nurturing Caring

Your support and care earns therespect and loyalty of team members

as they excel at what they do.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

7dI lead by example and inspire others to

share my visions and join my parade.To be an inspirational leader, you must first be inspired by and absolutely committed to

an ideal dream. Whatever the cause, you'll never attract anyone else's interest if it doesn'tinspire you first.

To be an effective leader, you must learn how to share your vision with others in a waythat helps them commit whole-heartedly to the same dream. Inspire others and there'snothing you can't do. Lead by example; share the dream; commit to the cost; and keep hopealive.

Have you mastered Factor Action 7C?

A NO means your limited vision fails to inspire others.It also suggests you are someonewho underestimates the impact you have on others.

You may believe that you have a personal mission—and that only you can accomplishit. You may mistakenly believe that your personal mission is a solo race—with no benefit toor effect on anyone else. Both of these beliefs limit your potential. Both restrict the unlimitedpossibilities that would be available if others could be inspired to join in, and benefit from,what you're trying to accomplish.

TQ Negatives: Uninspiring Self-Centered Unimaginative Reserved

A YES means you do everything possible to inspire others in a positive way. You do yourbest to live your life as a model that others would choose to follow. You have inspiring visionsand strive toward high ideals.

You are capable of achieving huge goals by motivating an army of people to contributetheir time and talents, hearts and souls to the same ideal dream. When this happens, they arehappy to do whatever needs to be done, because they too are swept up in the excitement ofachieving the same mission as you.

TQ Positives: Charismatic Inspiring Visionary Authentic Dynamic

Your enthusiasm and commitment inspiresothers to contribute their time and talents

to the same inspirational goal.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

SYNERGIZE�

7c

S T A R T L E V E R A G I N G Y O U R T I M E ! 178S T O P T H E I N S A N I T Y O F T R Y I N G T O B E A N A R M Y O F O N E —177

I do whatever I can to make it easierfor others to help me.

It’s your responsibility to make it as easy and fun as possible for others to help you. Whenyou do, more people will show up. In addition, when you make it easy for them to help oncethey arrive, they can provide more assistance than if you make it difficult.

First, be clear about what you need, and clearly articulate your requests. Then identifyand eliminate any barriers that may prevent others from doing their best to help you.

Have you mastered Factor Action 7F?

A NO means people rarely volunteer to help—and almost no one helps you more thanonce. It suggests you are someone who never really gets the help you expect or need. It couldbe that you never ask the right people—or that when the right people DO show up—nothinggets done because you are so poorly organized.

You may ask for too much, or maybe you don't clearly articulate what you want. Perhapsyou always wait until the last minute to ask.

Or maybe you never make people feel like you appreciate their assistance. The only thingyou know for sure is that fewer and fewer people are now showing up when asked.

TQ Negatives: Thoughtless Unappreciative Discourteous Inconsiderate

A YES means you are someone who understands that people helping people is a two-waystreet. You believe that your best chance of getting the help you need is by doing everythingpossible to make it easier for others to help. This begins with the obvious task of identifyingwho could help and recruiting them.

When you do, you're enthusiastic and your requests are clear. You provide all requiredmaterials in advance; you're well-organized when they arrive; and you always show yourappreciation for everything they do.

TQ Positives: Thoughtful Considerate Generous Responsible Enthusiastic

You get a lot of valuable help everytime you need it.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

7fI enthusiastically look for other people tohelp me improve or complete my projects.

There are many talented people out there who are ready, willing and able to contributeto your goals and projects. All you have to do is ask! All they need is your vision, directionand appreciation. Stop trying to be an army of one! Call in an expert. Collaborate with others.

You’ll be surprised at how much easier it is to accomplish your goals with the assistanceof the right people. You’ll get more done, the end product will be of a higher quality andyou'll have more fun in the process.

Have you mastered Factor Action 7E?

A NO means your results are restricted entirely to the time and talent that you alonepossess. It suggests you are someone whose natural tendency is to do it all yourself rather thanask for help.

There are many reasons why you don't ask for help. You may be too embarrassed. Youmay not entrust work to others because you think that no one can do it as well as you. Youmay feel you have nothing to offer in return.

You don't ask, because you were brought up to be self-sufficient. You're afraid someonewill steal your idea, or worse, they'll hate it. Each reason produces the same result; you'restuck doing everything yourself.

A YES means you are someone who is always on the hunt for others to help improve yourplans. You tend to focus on the big picture—the ideal outcome of what you are trying toaccomplish.

TQ Negatives: Individualistic Distrustful Self-Conscious Cynical

This outcome is far more important to you than micro-managing the whole projectyourself. To ensure that your end result is as perfect as possible, you pursue anyone with theavailable time, expertise or talents required. You tend to be a superb team leader whogenuinely appreciates and rewards others who contribute their time and effort to yourprojects.

TQ Positives: Collaborative Resourceful Captivating Exuberant Outgoing

By recruiting others, any goal becomespossible once you get the right team together.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

SYNERGIZE�

7e

S T A R T L E V E R A G I N G Y O U R T I M E ! 180S T O P T H E I N S A N I T Y O F T R Y I N G T O B E A N A R M Y O F O N E —179

I show appreciation for the efforts of others,and praise them when they do the right thing.

People are automatically more productive when they feel that their efforts are sincerelyappreciated. Praise is a small gift that pays off in huge returns. Master this factor and yourwhole world will change.

Let others know that you appreciate their efforts. Demonstrate your gratitude in privateand in public. Give credit when something goes right, and don't forget to reward thevictories—large and small.

Have you mastered Factor Action 7H?

A NO means the only two things you share with others are straight facts and criticism—and neither is all that motivating. There is no doubt that criticism can be a very effectivemotivator to the right person, at the right time—but you can only beat up people for so longbefore they give up.

Placing little value on the contributions of the other team members, will cost you teamwork. And you won't become a leader until you truly value the contributions others maketoward your success—and publicly reward them for their efforts.

TQ Negatives: Ungrateful Reserved Critical Insensitive Stingy

A YES means you are grateful for the contributions others make to your projects andgoals. You have experienced how motivating it is to receive praise, and you have seen thedramatic improvement in the spirits and efforts of those you praise.

Therefore, you take every opportunity to show appreciation for others and reward themfor their efforts. Beyond material rewards, your greatest motivational gift is sincere interest inthe personal progress of each member on your team.

TQ Positives: Appreciative Demonstrative Sincere MotivationalEncouraging

Your demonstrations of appreciationencourage others to do their best.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

7hI delegate as much as possible and

communicate my expectations clearly.Delegation done poorly is worse than doing everything yourself. However, you can

multiply your productivity by becoming an expert at delegating authority and resources toothers. By issuing a clear request, and receiving a committment from another, you canleverage time and accomplish more than you ever could on your own. The secret is to reacha mutual agreement on exactly what needs to get done, by when and by whom.

Have you mastered Factor Action 7G?

A NO means you are someone who most often ends up doing everything yourself. As aresult, your accomplishments are limited by what you—and only you—can do on your own.

Often, you don't take time to evaluate what could be delegated. Even when projects aredelegated, they tend to lack the specificity or support required to be the success you desire.

TQ Negatives: Withholding Vague Distrustful Limiting Micro-managing

A YES means you are someone who has mastered the skill of getting exactly what yourequest. You focus on what you do best and always look to delegate entire projects to otherswho can do them faster or better. You understand delegation is a skill that requires clearlycommunicated expectations.

By mastering this skill, you multiply the number of results produced each day. This skillapplies equally to raising responsible, productive children and raising the productivity andperformance level of your entire organization!

TQ Positives: Empowering Explicit Supportive Prolific Trusting

You get a ton of work done byhanding it off to others who do it right

the first time.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

SYNERGIZE�

7g

S T A R T L E V E R A G I N G Y O U R T I M E ! 182S T O P T H E I N S A N I T Y O F T R Y I N G T O B E A N A R M Y O F O N E —181

I communicate clearly with others, andconsistently reach mutual understanding.

The exchange of ideas from one person to another has never been an exact science. Youmay never understand the other person completely. Neither can you automatically expectothers to understand all of the background and meaning behind the ideas you try tocommunicate.

Don't presume that you know what the other person is thinking. Stop the mutualmystification and get it right the first time. Assume you don't know. Ask. Listen. Clarify.Reach agreement.

Have you mastered Factor Action 7J?

A NO means you make critical mistakes, because you have no idea what the other personis really thinking. It suggests you are often mistaken about what others are saying—simplybecause you fail to communicate your thoughts clearly.

Many of your relationships are filled with frustration and confusion. Misunderstandingresults from failing to confirm and clarify incoming and outgoing messages. This results inbad feelings, mistakes and time lost.

You are absolutely certain no one speaks "Plain English" any more—and what peoplehear, is not even close to what you say!

TQ Negatives: Confusing Imprecise Misunderstood CluelessUncommunicative

A YES means you communicate clearly and always clarify what others want from you.It’s partially a personality trait and it’s partially the effort you give to get things right. Yougain greater insight each time you communicate. You're committed to not only hearing whatothers say but understanding them.

When you offer your ideas to others, you double-check to make sure they trulyunderstand. Your motto is: When in doubt ask and listen!

TQ Positives: Articulate Exacting Observant Empathetic Attentive

Your skill at listening attentively and speakingclearly helps you reach a mutual understanding

for how you can help each other.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

7jI prepare for and participate in meetings to

ensure they produce maximum results.Meetings can either be very valuable and highly productive or a complete waste of time.

It all depends on the attitude and the preparation of everyone in the meeting. The key to asuccessful meeting is a highly focused agenda, advanced preparation, a skilled moderator andfollow up afterwards on items requested and promises made.

Have you mastered Factor Action 7I?

A NO means you are someone who expects very little from the meetings you attend. Yourarely take the time to prepare properly for the meetings you lead, or the ones you attend.Instead, you prefer to wing it—and see what direction the meeting goes.

Without a solid agenda, your meetings range from brainstorming gone wild tounproductive whining sessions. Personal opinions are offered in abundance, while hard-core,researched facts are scarce. Few specific requests are presented—and even fewer promises aremade.

TQ Negatives: Non-participative Unprepared Inconsiderate Haphazard

A YES means you expect to achieve significant progress from every meeting. Youprepare for meetings in advance to achieve the greatest progress possible in the limited timeyou have together.

This applies to your company meetings, team meetings, family dinners and doctor visits.The time you spend together is on time, point and purpose. Your meetings are successful atreaching agreed upon courses of action, for immediate implemention.

TQ Positives: Contributive Prepared Collaborative ConsiderateResponsible

Your meetings are a valuable use oftime and highly productive.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

SYNERGIZE�

7i

S T A R T L E V E R A G I N G Y O U R T I M E ! 184S T O P T H E I N S A N I T Y O F T R Y I N G T O B E A N A R M Y O F O N E —183

How Well Do You Create Powerful Interpersonal Synergy?

Does your Synergize Color contribute to your success—or hold you back from it?

Please take a moment to pause and reflect before you continue. Consider what you justlearned about the 10 Factors that drive the intensity of your Synergize Color.

Did anything jump out at you as you read the TQ Positives and Negatives? Did you getthe connection between taking a given action and your power to produce better results? Howmany Factor Actions do you consistently take:_____?

What if all 10 of your SYNERGIZE Factors were switched on—all the time?

The big question for this Color is simply this: Is your “people power” consistently highenough to find the help you need—whenever and where ever you need it?

Let’s put this Color in perspective. Think about all the work required to achieve your topthree goals this year. Now add in all the minutia you’ll have to plow through daily. Do youcurrently have the teams in place to make this happen? What does your Synergize Color needto look like to consistently transform your goals from a struggle to success? How many of yourfuture expectations can only be accomplished with people leverage—and the combinedassistance of entire teams synergistically focused on achieving the results you want?

Could it be that the number 1 obstacle to your long-term success is your ability to buildthe teams necessary to guarantee exceptional results—personally and professionally?

Would more power from this COLOR give

you greater CAREER POWER ?Be honest: ___ Yes or ___No?

159

SYNERGIZESage Wisdom...

“Alone we can do

so little; together

we can do so much.”

—Helen Keller

A Quick TQ Review.

synergizeSYNERGIZE

�

STOP THE I NSANITY OF TRYI NG TO BE AN ARMY OF ONE — START LEVE RAGI NG YOUR TIME! 186

IIFF YYOUOU DONDON’’TT LIKELIKE READINGREADING

ONON SCREENSCREEN, F, FULLULL SSPECTRUMPECTRUM

CCAREERAREER PPOOWERWER ISIS AAVVAILABLEAILABLE

ININ AA PRINTEDPRINTED EDITIONEDITION WWITHITH

CD ACD AUDIOUDIO AATT

TTHINKHINKTQ.TQ.COMCOM/FSCP/FSCP

CCLICKLICK HHEREERE......

About Your ORGANIZE Color:

The Quick Big Picture.

ORGANIZE is the 8th color in the Time Prism Performance Spectrum because afterleveraging your results through others, automating your tasks is the most productive thingyou can do. To get everything you want requires you to be as productive and as efficient aspossible with the limited time and energy you have. And even though you may be busier thanever before, you may be simply doing things the hard way, or worse, just spinning your wheelsand going nowhere. Being busy, by itself, has no correlation to how productive you are.

You may have huge, well planned goals and the staff to achieve them, but there’s no wayto get the massive results you want without automation. Organizing your work, automatingyour tasks and creating systems allow you to complete massive amounts of work and gainextra time for more desirable activities.

By automating repetitive tasks, you increase the number of tasks you can complete in anygiven time. You also decrease the amount of time it takes to do any one thing. Therefore,investments made in creating systems to minimize your time and energy on future tasks willpay back in increased productivity and efficiency every time thereafter.

Systems and routines will also increase the number of high-payoff activities you canperform in any given day. Once you’ve determined which 20% of your efforts returns 80% ofyour results, create routines that make it easy to spend your time on those high valueactivities.

Eliminate the waste from haste by getting and staying organized. The minutes in yourday are productive only when you are moving in a forward motion, and not lost backtrackingor starting over every time a new project begins. So design your work area to assist incompleting your tasks, without the waste of looking for lost papers or materials. Createsystems and checklists to ensure that any project or task will be performed smoothly and asquickly as possible, without forgetting any important steps. And finally, automate tasks assoon as possible, so that they are completed as efficiently as possible, with the least time andeffort on your part. Invisible, automatic action is what you’re shooting for.

185

ORGANIZETQ Truth #8

Maximum productivity

and personal efficiency

occur when you ORGANIZE

and automate repetitive

tasks. You will always get

more done with less effort,

in less time, when you

develop systems to do the

work for you.

Automate & Conquer.

organizeORGANIZE

�

S T O P C O N F U S I N G E F F O R T W I T H R E S U L T S — S T A R T A U T O M A T I N G ! 188

Check off the Factor Actions for which you can consistently say YES...

8a ____ I create systems to help automate my most productive activities.

8b ____ I minimize mistakes by following checklists for important and repeated procedures.

8c ____ I automate my processes whenever possible to complete more tasks in less time.

8d ____ I use efficient routines to complete recurrent tasks as quickly as possible.

8e ____ I save steps by batching similar tasks that can be done at the same time.

8f ____ I stay up to date and on time with all my paperwork.

8g ____ I create a separate folder for each new person, project or role.

8h ____ I organize my papers and materials so they are easily accessible.

8i _____ I’m constantly improving my systems to make them more productive.

8j ____ I keep my work area organized to support and assist me in maximizing results.

# _____ YES Responses

The 10 Factor Actions Explained �

“How often do you automate

and conquer?”

Now, Ask Yourself This:

Does your Organize Color contribute to your success—or hold you back from it?

The fact is, your individual tasks are part of a larger process, a process that can beaccomplished most efficiently by a planned, streamlined system. Look at your various systemsand procedures in a new light. Be honest. Could it be that your lack of organization is makingeverything more difficult than it should be? Are you expending lots of effort and getting fewresults? Do you feel like you’re just “fighting the system”?

When your Organize Color is strong and vibrant...

You are capable of massive action, having automated systems to complete any number ofrepetitious tasks successfully. Your paperwork is systematically processed on time, as requiredto complete every project. Nothing is forgotten because you’ve developed an automatic reviewprocess for completing all tasks successfully. There’s a place for everything and everything isin its place. You believe in staying organized because your systems are purposely designed tofree up your time for more creative and rewarding activities.

When your Organize Color is weak or faded...

You are so buried in minutia that you’ve elevated disorganization and distraction to anart form. There’s always a permanent pile of paperwork to be completed, and key componentsconsistently turn up missing at the last minute. You’re not sure where anything is, and you’renot even sure when you saw it last. You believe you are much too creative to be constrictedby a system or a routine.

The contrast is stunning.

Highly organized people are seen as Systematic, Meticulous, Efficient, Prolific, Ingeniousand highly PRODUCTIVE. They get massive amounts of work done, with fewer hassles andin far less time—thus, they produce better results overall. Their paychecks RISE.

Disorganized people are seen as Haphazard, Chaotic, Erratic, Careless, Inept, Forgetful,Undisciplined, Inefficient and highly UNPRODUCTIVE. Because they work hard fightingthe system, instead of using it to their advantage, everything takes longer, costs more, andends up being one hellacious tooth-pull. Because they trip over their self-imposedinefficiencies, they torpedo their own success. Their paychecks FALL... like a rock!

Enough said?

the defining question for O R G A N I Z E is…

ORGANIZE

�

F I G H T I N G T H E S Y S T E M ? 190189

I minimize mistakes by following checklistsfor important and repeated procedures.

Everybody makes mistakes. That’s okay, but repeating the same kind of mistakes is not.Checklists are lifesavers when it comes to getting everything done correctly the first time.Ever gone camping without matches? Taken a sales order without turning it in? Held ameeting, but forgot to inform a key participant?

Checklists are easy to create and simple to complete. Just make a list of all of the crucialelements that must be completed to be successful. Next, work your way down through thelist.

Have you mastered Factor Action 8B?

A NO means you can make huge, stupid mistakes when you don't follow short, simplechecklists. It suggests you are someone who believes it's easier to just "wing it" than live yourlife by any list.

You may think of yourself as a big-picture kind of person—too creative to write down alist of the steps (and stuff) needed to complete important projects. Maybe you are a little over-confident because you routinely perform the task at hand—so you don't feel the need to checka list before proceeding. But like a pilot who doesn't "bother" with a take-off check list—sooner or later—you crash and burn.

TQ Negatives: Careless Haphazard Forgetful Inefficient Inept

A YES means you avoid last-minute surprises and rarely repeat the same mistake twice.While it takes a lot of discipline to complete each checklist, you’ve learned that it can be theperfect tool to keep you away from embarrassing and costly situations.

By using a checklist, you rarely reach an important event without having exactly whatyou need close at hand. You employ this skill for everything from grocery lists to the preciseseries of steps followed after receiving a new sales lead.

TQ Positives: Thorough Methodical Conscientious Competent Efficient

With a checklist in hand, you get itdone right the first time—every time.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

8bI create systems to help automate my

most productive activities.Every activity is a series of steps that must be completed correctly to be successful.

Systemize your success. Identify the critical steps required to complete your most productiveand rewarding activities.

Then, create a "well-oiled machine" to automatically crank out the rewards for you.Systemize those steps through technology, checklists, delegation or by enrolling additionalteam members, and you will be successful more often. Automate this Factor and you'lldouble, triple or even quadruple your productivity.

Have you mastered Factor Action 8A?

A NO suggests you've never quite figured out how to systemize success and put it onautopilot. If questioned, you could probably list the activities that produce your greatestrewards. But lacking the systems to properly support you, you don't get to do them asoften—or as well—as you'd like.

Consequently, you work hard to overcome your inherent lack of "system smarts," anderroneously confuse personal effort with optimum results.

TQ Negatives: Struggling Hindered Delayed Haphazard Erratic

A YES means you focus most of your time on activities that produce the greatest returnfor your time. You design and install entire systems that create more opportunities for you tobe successful.

Your secret is to utilize the best tools and technology to automate all the tasks thatproduce those high payoff activities from beginning to end. You also create teams of peoplewho are committed to increasing the number of times you get to do what you do best.

TQ Positives: Systematic Streamlined Automated Prolific Productive

You hit more home runs, becauseyou get to bat more often.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

ORGANIZE

�

8a

S T A R T A U T O M A T I N G ! 192S T O P C O N F U S I N G E F F O R T W I T H R E S U L T S — 191

I use efficient routines to complete recurrenttasks as quickly as possible.

A routine is a series of actions that are done in the same way and at the same time—everytime. When a rountine is repeated enough times, it becomes an automatic habit.

Following a properly designed routine guarantees that important tasks are completedcorrectly and without fail. Create a standardized procedure for performing all of yourrecurrent tasks and they will become automatic and effortless. Make it a habit to do the rightthing the right way—every time, and you'll make a habit of being more successful.

Have you mastered Factor Action 8D?

A NO means your actions can be random, impulsive and unpredictable. It suggests youare someone who can be inconsistent in completing recurrent tasks, responsibilities andduties.

Because you fail to follow carefully prepared routines that define the right way to achievethe desired result, you waste time compensating for neglected, forgotten, overlooked orignored elements of those activities. As a result, urgencies are created that often demand yourimmediate attention—urgencies that pull you away from higher payoff activities.

TQ Negatives: Inconsistent Sporadic Haphazard Undisciplined Inefficient

A YES means you habitually repeat the right actions at the right times. Every morningafter your walk, your coffee perks while you shower. Then you sit down for ten minutes ofplanning time.

Far from being a slave to your routines, you create enjoyable and productive habits toguarantee the automatic completion of important tasks.

By keeping to a routine, critical tasks are never put off nor forgotten in your hectic anddemanding day. Your routines reduce mistakes, stress and time required to complete any taskcorrectly.

TQ Positives: Procedural Systematic Consistent Disciplined Orderly

Your efficient routines guaranteepositive results.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

8dI automate my processes whenever possible

to complete more tasks in less time.The greater the number of tasks you complete in a given period of time, the more

productive you are. Whenever you automate your repetitive tasks—by creating systems andprocesses or through new tools and technology—you increase the number of tasks you cancomplete. Any investment made in time, effort, money or resources to automate yourrecurrent tasks will pay back in increased productivity and efficiency every time thereafter.

Have you mastered Factor Action 8C?

A NO means your productivity is restricted to how fast you can complete each task—one at a time. It suggests you are someone who finds it hard to make the investment inautomation now, in return for greater efficiency later.

Maybe it's not your nature to search for creative ways to automate your tasks. Or, youmight simply lack the motivation. You know it takes too long to finish some tasks, but inthe "heat of the battle," you're not willing to take the time to streamline your systems.

You're often stressed by the demands on your time, and because there is only so muchthat you can get done each day, your actual result rarely meet or exceed expectations.

TQ Negatives: Overloaded Repetitive Slow Hindered Inefficient

A YES means your automated tasks make you a super star of efficiency. You can processa large number of details and tasks in a single day without going into meltdown.

You consistently analyze what you do—regardless how large or small—to look for waysto automate each step. This automation helps complete all tasks correctly and frees up timeto devote to more enjoyable and rewarding activities.

TQ Positives: Automated Procedural Ingenious Efficient Streamlined

Once you become automatedrepetitive tasks get done efficiently

and automatically.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

ORGANIZE

�

8c

S T A R T A U T O M A T I N G ! 194S T O P C O N F U S I N G E F F O R T W I T H R E S U L T S — 193

I stay up to date and on timewith all my paperwork.

Paperwork (a.k.a. letters, faxes, bills, invoices, travel receipts, proposals, budgets—allthat stuff that crosses your work area) has to be completed. It has a purpose and a benefit.

So organize it once and conquer it forever! Create a system. Handle each item only once,then make a decision. Sign it, send it on, file it or do whatever is needed to complete itproductively with the least time and effort on your part.

Have you mastered Factor Action 8F?

A NO means paperwork takes longer to complete and causes more long-term sufferingthan necessary. It suggests you may believe that anything is more productive and enjoyablethan paperwork.

Even the thought of paperwork may drive you crazy—and your first decision is to put ifoff. You are a master at "getting ready to get ready." You review each piece numerous times,then organize them into new stacks. These stacks continue to grow from additional notices,repeated requests and required written explanations for why things weren't done the first timeyou touched it.

TQ Negatives: Tardy Indecisive Undisciplined Procrastinating Avoiding

A YES means your efficient processing of paperwork is one of your best organizationaltools. You have taken the upper hand and transformed paperwork into "paperfun." Youproactively created organizational systems to conquer each and every item.

Your ability to organize and process paperwork with minimal effort allows you to enjoythe freedom of moving on to more productive activities. Regardless if it's the I.R.S., S.S.,Medicare or Medicade, insurance forms, credit cards—your life is impacted by paperwork.You've conquered it—IT hasn't conquered you!

TQ Positives: Prompt Procedural Diligent Timely Systematic

Paperwork is completed in a smooth andefficient manner without burden or delay.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

8fI save steps by batching similar tasks that

can be done at the same time.Life's tasks are much easier to complete when you stop, plan ahead and batch similar

activities together. You eliminate repetition and minimize effort when you group similartasks to be done at the same time.

Write down the tasks you perform every day, the ones you do once a week, and those youcomplete once a month. Combine similar activities into their own specific time periods andcomplete them all at once—instead of one at a time.

Have you mastered Factor Action 8E?

A NO means you are someone who takes on each task as it presents itself. When failingto group tasks together, your days consist of backtracking and duplication of effort.

You make six trips to the same store in two days, you go back and forth to the fax orcopy machine all day long—then have the audacity to complain that there are never enoughhours in the day! This waste of time increases your stress level, and decreases the amount oftime available for more productive activities.

TQ Negatives: Inefficient Impractical Repetitive Scattered Disorganized

A YES means that your recurrent tasks are systematically completed in batches. Insteadof being tempted to do whatever appears next, you ignore this impulse by planning aheadand grouping similar activities together.

This may be as simple as paying your bills once a month, putting off a trip to the northend of town until you have more errands to run in that direction or buying all office suppliesat the same time. This skill helps you get more done at one time than if you did eachindividual task separately.

TQ Positives: Practical Efficient Organized Logical Well-Planned

You save time by doing five similarthings at one time, instead of each

one... at five different times.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

ORGANIZE

�

8e

S T A R T A U T O M A T I N G ! 196S T O P C O N F U S I N G E F F O R T W I T H R E S U L T S — 195

I organize my papers and materialsso they are easily accessible.

If you take the time to organize your storage systems once, you'll reap the time-savingbenefits for years to come. Remember, things are filed to facilitate their easy retrieval. Stopthe frustration that comes when you can't find what you put away.

Take the time to organize the contents of your files every time you open them. Arrangeyour files by how often you use them. Keep the files most often used, closest to you. Keepyour computer directories updated and organized. Make sure your filing systems are intuitiveand easy to remember.

Have you mastered Factor Action 8H?

A NO means you waste valuable time and end up looking pretty darned inept when youcan't find what you put away. It suggests you are often frustrated—wasting valuable timeretrieving information or materials.

When looking for a file, you can only guess at which stack it's in. There are times whenyou do your best to just guess, because it takes too long to gather the factual information.

It's not that you don't religiously save all your computer files, but your system fornaming them is random at best, and they're saved with similar names in the same folder. Ohit's frustrating all right. And sometimes you call it something worse than that!

TQ Negatives: Disorganized Delayed Scattered Confused

A YES means you store your files in an efficient manner that is designed for quick andeasy retrieval. Your clients' files have yellow dots and they can be found in the yellow folderwithin an arm's reach. Your payable invoices are kept in blue files, receivables in green files,and they're organized by date.

Your computer files are easily accessible because they are stored in logical, easy-to-remember locations. You're so organized, you would like to personally shake the hand of theperson who came up with the alphabetical system. What an incredibly brilliant idea!

TQ Positives: Organized Streamlined Proficient Efficient Automated

Everything is right at your fingertipswhen you need it.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

8hI create a separate folder for each new

person, project or role.Create a unique place for everything, and you’ll always know where to find it. It takes

less time to put something away than it does to look for it. Create a file—a folder, a database,a labeled shoe box, a filing cabinet, a separate drawer, a duffel bag, a tool box—for everyperson, project, vendor, role or client.

This will give you one convenient place to locate all relevant materials later. Keep itsimple. Keep it separate.

Have you mastered Factor Action 8G?

A NO means that, on average, you spend 20 minutes a day—122 hours a year—searching for something you've misplaced. You are often on to something new before youtake the time to put things away.

Then valuable time is wasted tracking down all the missing pieces—like a client's cellphone number, automobile and travel receipts needed to finish your taxes or the little screwsyou took out last week that hold the doohicky to the thingamajig to make your printer work.Not only are YOU frustrated—but you frustrate the "living stuffin" out of others as well!

TQ Negatives: Disorderly Messy Careless Chaotic Wasteful Frustrated

A YES means you know where to find everything. Now that you organize all yourmaterials in separate containers, you're proud of how easily you can find exactly what youneed when you need it. It takes a few seconds to put things away, but this saves time laterwhen retrieving it.

This skill has become so routine that you have to remind yourself to be more patientwith others who are always missing one thing or another.

TQ Positives: Orderly Expedient Tidy Systematic Practical

You waste no time locating importantpieces of information.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

ORGANIZE

�

8g

S T A R T A U T O M A T I N G ! 198S T O P C O N F U S I N G E F F O R T W I T H R E S U L T S — 197

I keep my work area organized to supportand assist me in maximizing results.

You’ll never approach maximum productivity in a disorganized workspace. Make sureyour work environment supports and assists you, rather than detracts and resists you. Keep itclean, orderly and well stocked.

Invest in the best equipment and furnishings you can afford and keep them in topcondition. Remove anything that impedes your ability to be at your best. Add anything thatimproves your attitude or productivity.

Have You Mastered Factor Action 8j?

A NO to 8j suggests you are someone who produces less than ideal results because youwork in less than ideal conditions. Everything is a little more of a hassle than it should be.The fax machine is always pulling more than one page through at a time.

You never have the right files in your briefcase when you need them. You can't get to, oreven see, the top of your desk because of the piles. You can get discouraged before you evenstart, and are easily frustrated by your inability to perform up to your best.

TQ Negatives: Disheveled Unprofessional Chaotic UncomfortableAggravated

A YES means you enjoy your work area. Your desk, computer, briefcase, phone system—even the trunk of your car—are all organized to help you be efficient and productive. Yourwork area is bright, clean, spacious and comfortable.

There is a place for everything and everything is in its place. Your supplies are wellstocked and your equipment is well maintained. You can get started on anythingimmediately, because there is nothing holding you back.

TQ Positives: Meticulous Impeccable Orderly Comfortable Organized

Your work area improves yourattitude and supports your efforts.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

8jI’m constantly improving my systems

to make them more productive.It’s always better to choose a change, than to be forced into making one. When things

are going smoothly, take the time to review your systems, equipment and processes.

Look for new options and better alternatives. Get creative. Read the trade journals andfind out how the best in your business create and use their systems. Look at your work fromthe perspective of your customer, supplier or competitor. You can always find a more efficient,productive or enjoyable way to complete your work.

Have you mastered Factor Action 8I?

A NO means your systems and standards may no longer be acceptable compared to thecompetition. It suggests you are someone who is falling behind the pack.

Your old system developed years ago is not perfect, but it's still good enough. Youremember to call most people back. All of your correspondence gets completed eventually.Clients usually get the information they need. You believe that change isn't always that great.In fact, sometimes it can be a real nightmare.

Remember the time you put that new voice mail system on your phone line and had tolearn all those new commands? What a pain.

TQ Negatives: Outdated Declining Stagnant Outmoded Obsolete

A YES means you are constantly experimenting by implementing new ideas. You mayalready lead the pack in efficiency. However, the benefits you've gained by being moreproductive with your current systems motivates you to improve these systems even more.You understand that to be more successful, you don't necessarily have to work any harder—you just have to work smarter.

You are on the constant lookout for any new system, method, technique, technology,tool, consultant or training that can help you gain an edge. Once discovered, you waste notime implementing the new idea.

TQ Positives: Innovative Progressive Creative Growing Up-To-Date

You are constantly improving andgetting better results.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

ORGANIZE

�

8i

S T A R T A U T O M A T I N G ! 200S T O P C O N F U S I N G E F F O R T W I T H R E S U L T S — 199

How Well Organized Are You?

Does your Organize Color contribute to your success—or hold you back from it?

Please take a moment to pause and reflect before you continue. Consider what you justlearned about the 10 Factors that drive the intensity of your Organize Color.

Did anything jump out at you as you read the TQ Positives and Negatives? Did you getthe connection between taking a given action and your power to produce better results? Howmany Factor Actions do you consistently take:_____?

What if all 10 of your ORGANIZE Factors were switched on—all the time?

A truth for which there is no exception: You’ll never get far by wasting time fixingmistakes, looking for lost materials or starting over every time you repeat the same activity.Instead, by being systematic, you purposely organize activities for maximum efficiency—andautomate procedures to complete massive amounts of work—in less time and effort.

Do you currently have the systems in place to virtually conquer every detail necessary toachieve next week's #1 goal—in the least amount of time, hassles and effort—with nomistakes?

Given all the “stuff” you need to get done, what level of organization will you need tonot only beat current expectations, but confidently set expectations well beyond anything youhave ever attempted? Could it be that the number 1 obstacle to your long-term success is yourability to get and stay organized? Put simply...

Would more power from this COLOR give

you greater CAREER POWER ?Be honest: ___ Yes or ___No?

185

Sage Wisdom...

“There is nothing

more frightful

than ignorance

in action.”

—Johann Von Goethe

ORGANIZEA Quick TQ Color Review.

organizeORGANIZE

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S T O P C O N F U S I N G E F F O R T W I T H R E S U L T S — S T A R T A U T O M A T I N G ! 202

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STOP WA STI NG TI M E WISH I NG FO R MO R E TI M E — START MAK I NG EACH M I N UTE MATTE R! 204

About Your OPTIMIZE Color:

The Quick Big Picture.

OPTIMIZE is the 9th color in the Time Prism Performance Spectrum because the truthis, you already have all the time there is. There are exactly 1440 minutes in a day, no more,no less. If you’re going to get anything accomplished today, these are the 1440 minutes youhave to work with.

Your time can be wasted away in distractions, interruptions and preoccupations, or it canbe put to its highest and best use. Time doesn’t care one way or the other. Its job is to countdown the minutes—it will do this ruthlessly, with or without any progress made toward yourgoals today. You can be a victim of this passage of time, or you can invest each minute inpursuit of your most important goals.

Have a grand day, every day!

If you subtract 440 minutes each day for sleeping, you’re left with 1000 prime minutesfrom which to create your future, each day. Assign a value to these minutes: a dollar a minuteyields a grand a day. Too low? How about $10.00 a minute—or even $100? The clergy valueminutes in souls lost or saved; athletes convert minutes into points; authors value minutes bywords written.

You be the judge of exactly what each of your minutes is worth. Rejoice when you havea grand day... weep when you’ve lost even one precious moment.

When you value each minute, your day becomes priceless. By identifying what’s mostimportant, you already know where you value your time—for yourself, your friends, yourfamily, your career or your financial goals.

If you want to get more of what you want from every minute, you must stop indulgingin activities that waste your time and start making every minute matter. Identify multipletasks you can accomplish simultaneously, reduce the interruptions and distractions in yourday, and stay focused on the goal. If you want to make every minute count, you must start bymaking the most of this one.

TQ Truth #9

When you make every

minute count, you will

OPTIMIZE your limited time

and multiply your results.

You will automatically get

more done in the same

day when you put more of

your precious minutes to

work for you.

OPTIMIZEMake Every Minute Count.

optimize�

OPTIMIZE

W A S T I N G T I M E W A I T I N G ? 206

Check off the Factor Actions for which you can consistently say YES...

9a ____ I value every precious minute in the day.

9b ____ I make my minutes matter by eliminating time wasters whenever I find them.

9c ____ I say “No” to some things to have more time to concentrate on others.

9d ____ I simplify my day by eliminating anything that’s no longer of interest or value to me.

9e ____ I respect other people’s time, and create systems which help them to respect mine.

9f ____ I stay focused on my tasks by preventing unimportant interruptions.

9g ____ I remove all distractions that divert me from my intended task.

9h ____ I set aside preoccupations by scheduling them into a more appropriate time.

9i _____ I look for ways to double my results by completing two things at the same time.

9j ____ I periodically record my time and activities to review and improve the use of my time.

# _____ YES Responses

The 10 Factor Actions Explained �

“How well do you actually make

your minutes matter?”

Now, Ask Yourself This:

Does your Optimize Color contribute to your success—or hold you back from it?

This minute—this day—is only going to come once. On its own, it will quietly slipaway. Managed properly, however, it can fulfill the chance of a lifetime.

Are you making the best possible use of your time. Be honest. What exactly are yougetting in trade for the time you are spending? Are you investing these minutes in profitableand pleasurable pursuits, or are you simply wasting time waiting for the future to arrive?

When your Optimize Color is strong and vibrant...

Each minute of your day is put to its highest and best use. Work is designed to minimizeinterruptions, and you quickly dispense with all distractions. You understand that to havetime for what you want, you may have to say “no” to something else. You consistently findconvenient ways to complete two things at the same time, reaping multiple rewards for asingle effort. You believe every minute is uniquely precious and should be counted on formaximum value.

However, when your Optimize Color is weak or faded...

You are simply a victim of time. You end each day wondering where your time went.You are continuously interrupted and easily pulled off course by outside distractions. You say“yes” to everything, and “no” to nothing. Only later do you ever discover that you could haveeasily done two things at the same time. You believe that time is an endless resource, and“someday soon” is soon enough.

The contrast is stunning.

People with strong time management skills are seen as Decisive, Vigilant, Focused,Pragmatic, Discerning and highly EFFECTIVE. They get more done, produce better resultsand earn more—simply because they have learned how to make time work for them.

People with poor clock management skills are seen as Distracted, Preoccupied, Over-committed, Undisiplined, Wasteful, Lackadaisical, Slothful and highly INEFFECTIVE.These people get less done, produce fewer results and sit around complaining about how fasttime is moving—and why they don’t have enough of it.

The messsage is clear. If you want successs faster—make every minute matter now!

the defining question for O P T I M I Z E is…

�OPTIMIZE

205

I make my minutes matter by eliminatingtime wasters whenever I find them.

There are only 1440 minutes a day to spend on everything you want to get done. Therewill never be more, no matter how great the desire or need. Time doesn't care how it is used.It moves on regardless of how much progress you make from each passing minute.

You can invest your time in important pursuits, achieving desirable personal rewards. Oryou can squander the opportunity of a lifetime by wasting the time you have.

Have you mastered Factor Action 9B?

A NO means precious gems of time are wasted with little to show in return.It alsosuggests you are someone who spends time with little regard to what you get in trade.

You rarely consider if you're making the best use of your time. You tend to rate yourproductivity based on the amount of time spent—rather than the results accomplished—andare rarely motivated to initiate time-saving measures. This means you can easily becomedistracted by even the most casual time-wasting diversions.

TQ Negatives: Wasteful Unmotivated Lackadaisical Slothful AimlessDistracted

A YES means you assess your personal productivity based on results produced rather thanhours spent. You continuously monitor where your time is being spent to determine if it isbeing invested wisely.

You preview your day before you begin, and purge any to-do's that have only marginalvalue. You stop activities that have minimal benefit and eliminate any routine, habit orprocedure that takes more time than it's worth.

TQ Positives: Industrious Focused Pragmatic Productive Ambitious

Your time is very rewarding becauseyou eliminate everything that isn't.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

9bI value every precious minute in the day.

Time is the most precious gift of all. Ask anyone facing a serious accident or illness, oranyone minutes away from an important deadline. Ask any parent watching their little girlor boy all grown up and graduating from high school.

You must learn how to become accountable for every minute in your day, because eachday spent, is a day gone forever. Concentrate your time on those things that produce thegreatest reward and satisfaction to you.

Have you mastered Factor Action 9A?

A NO means huge chunks of time are lost forever because you fail to value every preciousminute in your day. It suggests you are someone who takes time for granted.

It is only too common for your day to be over well before you realize it. You have troublepointing to any progress from last week, and have no idea if your time was spent wisely ornot.

Entire days can be wasted on activities of only minimal interest or value to you.Opportunities are lost, because you think you can get to them tomorrow—or you're alwaysscrambling to complete projects at the last minute. On occasion, you are struck by theprecious value of time, but the feeling is gone before the day is over. And you're too soonold—and too late smart.

TQ Negatives: Unmindful Unconscious Inattentive Unaccountable Wasteful

A YES means you are someone who reaps the greatest value possible from every passingminute. Realizing that when it's over, it's over, you’re always aware of how much time is lefton the game clock.

This awareness of the fleeting passage of time keeps you accountable for each minute inyour day.

Because you are committed to your roles and focused on compelling goals, you clearlyknow where to spend your time. This helps you put every hour to its highest and best use.

TQ Positives: Vigilant Accountable Watchful Focused Responsible

You get a greater return on your timewhen you squeeze maximum value

out of every minute.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

9a

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I simplify my day by eliminating anything that’sno longer of interest or value to me.

You can simplify your life by removing things that have lost their value to you. Discoverwhat matters most and then focus on that.

Look to your values. Anything that’s not in direct alignment can be "simplified" out ofyour life. This gives you more time to focus on what's important. Scrutinize the items on yourschedule and delete anything that is no longer rewarding. Eliminate any activities you nolonger enjoy or that are no longer of value.

Have you mastered Factor Action 9D?

A NO means you waste irreplaceable time on things you no longer value. It suggests youare someone who is too tolerant of things that are more trouble than they're worth.

You go through daily routines, but few activities bring the satisfaction they once did.You may do a lot of things that don't interest you, only because you feel obligated tosomething or someone else.

You simply may do a lot of things from habit, rarely considering whether or not you stillget value from them. If you thought about it, you might discover a whole host of things thatyou spend more time maintaining than actually enjoying.

TQ Negatives: Uninterested Uninspired Resentful overwhelmed

A Yes means you are someone who has little tolerance for anything that is more troublethan it's worth. You stop participating in activities when they no longer produce the valuethey once provided.

You constantly review your master list of things to do and filter out projects that are nolonger of interest. You regularly review where you spend your time, so you can determine ifit is worthy of your attention.

TQ Positives: Engaged Decisive Rewarded Interested single-minded

Your time is spent on things that aretruly rewarding to you.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

9dI say "No" to some things to have more

time to concentrate on others.One of your most effective time management skills is the ability to say "no." Courteously

and judiciously, of course. You can't do it all and do it well. There's no such thing asunlimited resources.

Having big goals for the use of your time increases your motivation to say "no" to lessvaluable distractions. You can push your limits, but to be the most productive possible, knowwhen enough is enough.

Have you mastered Factor Action 9C?

A NO means that, when you're spread too thin, you can't give your best to anything. Itsuggests you are someone who is constantly on the run—just trying to keep up. Yourcalendar is filled with a host of unrelated activities. You've never learned to say NO to new"opportunities" or requests from others.

You do your best to juggle your commitments—and frequently measure your success byjust showing up—even if you're not fully prepared. You know you could do better—ifONLY you had more time. There is always something else you should be doing—and thestress associated with trying to get everything done—never seems to go away.

TQ Negatives: Over-committed Scattered Ineffective Indiscriminate

A YES means you are someone who guards your limited time and dedicates it to whatyou want to accomplish the most. With only 24 hours in a day, you know there isn't time todo it all. It's not that you don't want to. However, you've learned that you can’t be at yourbest when you are pulled in too many directions at the same time.

You know which of your roles are most important and keep your immediate and long-term goals in sight at all times. With these values in mind, you choose to give up somethings—as desirable as they may be—to devote more time to what’s most important to you.

TQ Positives: Concentrated Judicious Focused Thorough Discerning

By focusing on fewer projects, youhave more time to improve orcomplete the ones remaining.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

9c

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I stay focused on my tasks by preventingunimportant interruptions.

You’re the one who decides how your time is spent. When you allow outside forces tokeep you from completing the task at hand, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Does a day like this ever happen to you? A great start, then—interruptions—back toplans—interruptions—waylaid plans—frustration-day’s over—time’s up. Look at your goalsand stay focused. Reach an agreement on the priority of any task discussed. Uncontrolledinterruptions can steal your entire day, if you let them.

Have you mastered Factor Action 9F?

A NO means you get less and less done every time you're interrupted. It suggestsinterruptions consistently frustrate your attempts to adhere to your schedule.

Interruptions can waste an entire day—when nothing on your list gets started—much lessfinished. Your door is always open to visitors, so you can easily be pulled off track fromyour intended objective. Sometimes the diversions are simply more fun than your currenttask. Sometimes your priorities are sacrificed to someone else's needs. Sometimes, it's justpoor planning. Sometimes there's no good excuse.

TQ Negatives: Disrupted Delayed Distracted Frustrated Harassed

A YES means you’re someone who refuses to be interrupted so you can concentrate onmore important tasks. Your first task of the day is establishing a specific set of objectives. Yoursecond task is clearing your time in advance by thinking through all the things that othersmay need from you.

You provide the information or materials to them in advance so you won’t be interruptedlater. This gives you more time to concentrate, and wastes less energy responding to inter-ruptions. It helps you complete top priorities without the stress and frustration of beingconstantly pulled off track.

TQ Positives: Uninterrupted Concentrated Orderly Focused Proactive

You get more done, because you preventinterruptions before they even get started.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

9fI respect other people’s time, and create systems

which help them to respect mine.Time spent with others can be highly productive or extremely wasteful depending on

how you use this time together. Be honest. In any given day, who wastes whose time themost? Create systems for others to respect your time and you, theirs.

When possible, take requests and questions from others in batches and do the same forthem. Show your respect for other people's time during phone calls, appointments andmeetings by being prepared and punctual. Value other's time and they will value yours.

Have you mastered Factor Action 9E?

A NO suggests your time spent with others can be disruptive and inefficient. Your poorplanning and disorganization wastes everyone's time. For example, you may have to maketwo callbacks to get information you could have obtained during the first call.

You rarely take steps to prevent the incoming barrage of phone calls. The repeatedrequests that interrupt your day cause you to either reluntantly accept the sacrifice made intime lost—or worse—openly resent the time you have to give to others.

TQ Negatives: Inconsiderate Disorganized Distracted Inefficient

A YES means you are very productive with the time you spend with others. You’re awarethere is only a limited amount of time to accomplish everything. Knowing this, you treattime as a valuable asset and maximize the time you spend with others.

Respectful of the fact that everyone else is also pressed for time, you minimize anydistractions from their work. You have communicated timesaving procedures that guideothers on how to make the best use of your collective time. This gives you more time to focuson your own projects.

TQ Positives: Considerate Respectful Efficient Proactive Courteous

You save everyone's valuable time by beingwell-planned, on-point and on-time.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

9e

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I set aside preoccupations by schedulingthem into a more appropriate time.

You can only think about one thing at a time. That one thing should be the mostappropriate subject for your current circumstances. Preoccupations—thinking aboutsomething other than the task at hand—can waste a lot of your time.

Remove any concerns or competing thoughts by scheduling them to an appropriatetime. Set an appointment for the earliest time possible to dedicate the time and attentionrequired to resolve the concern or explore the desirable options presented by a newopportunity.

Have you mastered Factor Action 9H?

A NO means your preoccupations can prevent you from making any further progress. Itsuggests you are someone who can let worries or daydreams delay your current taskindefinitely.

You find it difficult to put off a concern until later no matter how inappropriate it maybe to your current circumstances. Instead, you allow it to consume your attention until it'sresolved. These preoccupations prevent you from taking action on your current tasks ormaking other decisions. Even the smallest of tasks tend to be put off until you can think yourway through this particular situation.

TQ Negatives: Preoccupied Distracted Obsessed Irresponsible Inattentive

A YES means you are able to "compartmentalize" your thinking. To maximize yourproductivity, you do your best to concentrate on the task at hand. Even though there may beother issues clamoring for attention, you find a way to put them on hold to focus on what'sin front of you.

This prevents distractions from consuming all of your time. To help stay on point, youimmediately schedule a specific time for later when you can devote 100% of your attentionto resolve the problem or chase after that new idea that promises to be a great opportunity.

TQ Positives: Attentive Self-Controlled Concentrated Single-Minded

By staying focused on the task at hand,your priorities are not sabatoged by

distracting preoccupations.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

9hI remove all distractions that divert me

from my intended task.A distraction is anything that diverts your attention from your current objective. It can

be as obvious as blaring music in your work area, or as insidious as that small but persistentpain in your lower back. It can be a desirable social distraction, or personal distraction of yourown making. Whatever the cause, understand that your current task is going to suffer aserious delay if you don't eliminate the distraction.

Have you mastered Factor Action 9G?

A NO means tasks are delayed and suffer from a lack of attention to detail when youcan't stay focused. It suggests you are someone who will let other things keep you from yourintended task.

Sometimes it's everyone else's fault—their phone calls, their demands, or just theirdesire to talk. Sometimes the fault lies in your environment—overheard conversations, thetelevision in the other room or the clutter on your desk.

You can even distract yourself with diversions such as surfing the internet or running outon non-urgent errands. With so much going on, it's impossible to stay focused long enoughto get anything done.

TQ Negatives: Distracted Inattentive Diverted Weak-Willed

A YES means you are motivated to complete your tasks to the best of your ability andin the least amount of time. Once you start a task or project, you stay focused and avoiddistractions. A project will progress. A goal will be achieved. This desire to finish your tasksas efficiently as possible motivates you to remove distractions from your objective.

TQ Positives: Single-Minded Results-Based Timely On-Target

By removing distractions, you can concentrateon the task at hand and complete it as

well and as quickly as possible.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

9g

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S T A R T M A K I N G E A C H M I N U T E M A T T E R ! 214S T O P W A S T I N G T I M E W I S H I N G F O R M O R E T I M E — 213

I periodically record my time and activitiesto review and improve the use of my time.

It's hard to think back and determine if you used your time well or not. Your evaluationwill be too fuzzy and subjective to be reliable. However, an accurately kept time log will showyou exactly how you spent your time—and if it was a profitable investment or a dead expense.

You can count the hours, review your results and see what you really got in trade. Onceyou know where you receive the greatest return, you can invest your time wisely. When yousee where your time is wasted, you can learn to be more effective.

Have you mastered Factor Action 9J?

A NO means you can't improve the use of your time because you have no idea where itwent. As you look back on your week, it's all a blur. You may have been running so hard youhad no extra time to write down what you just did.

Days pass and weeks get marked off your calendar. Unfortunately, the progress towardyour goals is not nearly as certain as the marking of time, and you look back wondering whereit all went. You know you have to become more productive with the use of your time, buthave no idea what to change.

TQ Negatives: Unaccountable Heedless Uninformed Careless Inattentive

A YES means you value your time so much that you spend a little of it tracking how it'sspent. Since you can't create more hours in a day, your conclusion is to learn how to makebetter use of the time you have.

By habitually recording the use of your time, you can review your activities to see whereyou are productive and where improvements can be made. This takes almost no time tocomplete and provides a wealth of information for how to increase your productivity.

TQ Positives: Accountable Mindful Informed Evaluative Observant

You have the specific information youneed to gain more rewards in return

for your time spent.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

9jI look for ways to double my results by

completing two things at the same time.You don’t have to double your speed to double your productivity. Instead, you can

increase your results by combining complimentary tasks, projects or roles. Plan ahead andlook for ways to maximize your time.

Before you proceed, see if there is anything else you could do—simultaneously. Whenyou find a way to do two things in the same time period, you achieve twice the results—withno extra effort.

Have you mastered Factor Action 9I?

A NO means it takes you twice as long to complete the same two activities when youdo them one at a time. It suggests you haven't yet learned how to maximize your time.

You tend to think in terms of "What is the one thing that needs to get done now?" Yourarely look for ways to combine activities and projects. For example, it may not occur to youthat you could spend more time with your son by volunteering together at your favoritecharity—or that you could find a business client who likes to play chess as often as you do.

TQ Negatives: Myopic Inefficient Linear Short-Sighted Wasteful

A YES means you are motivated to discover how you can conveniently complete twothings instead of just one. The secret to your productivity is not running around at twice thespeed of everyone else. Instead, you actually get more done by slowing down.

Before you begin any task, you ask, "What else can I accomplish while I'm doing this?"You read your trade journals while flying on a business trip. You pitch your new proposal totwo additional prospects on the same trip and finish writing all your thank you letters onyour flight home.

TQ Positives: Prolific Productive Efficient Economical Creative

You double your productivity when you findways to do two things at the same time.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

9i

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S T A R T M A K I N G E A C H M I N U T E M A T T E R ! 216S T O P W A S T I N G T I M E W I S H I N G F O R M O R E T I M E — 215

STOP WA STI NG TI M E WISH I NG FO R MO R E TI M E — START MAK I NG EACH M I N UTE MATTE R! 218

How Well Do You Make Your Minutes Matter?

Does your Optimize Color contribute to your success—or hold you back from it?

Please take a moment to pause and reflect before you continue. Consider what you justlearned about the 10 Factors that drive the intensity of your Optimize Color.

Did anything jump out at you as you read the TQ Positives and Negatives? Did you getthe connection between taking a given action and your power to produce better results? Howmany Factor Actions do you consistently take:_____?

What if all 10 of your OPTIMIZE Factors were switched on—all the time?

Take a hard look at what’s going on in your life—both at home and at work. Do youconsistently harvest maximum value from each of your precious minutes? Are youconsistently producing the greatest value possible from every hour you spend?

How high will your Optimize Color need to be to get everything you want done—indeed, to guarantee that current expectations are delivered on time? What would this Color’sintensity need to be for you to have the peace of mind that everything is running like clock-work—and what you expect to happen, is in fact happening?

Look back over the Optimize TQ Positives and Negatives. Which word most commonlysummarizes your choices when it comes to wasting your most limited resource? Perhapsdistracted... preoccupied... diverted? Which best describes why your day is over before yourtasks are done? Could it be that the number 1 obstacle to your long-term success is yourability to manage the clock?

Would more power from this COLOR give

you greater CAREER POWER ?Be honest: ___ Yes or ___No?

OPTIMIZESome Expert Advice...

“Know the true value of

time; snatch, seize, and

enjoy every moment of it.

No idleness; no laziness; no

procrastination; never put

off till tomorrow what you

can do today.”

—Lord Chesterfield

A Quick TQ Color Review.

optimize�

OPTIMIZE

IIFF YYOUOU DONDON’’TT LIKELIKE READINGREADING

ONON SCREENSCREEN, F, FULLULL SSPECTRUMPECTRUM

CCAREERAREER PPOOWERWER ISIS AAVVAILABLEAILABLE

ININ AA PRINTEDPRINTED EDITIONEDITION WWITHITH

CD ACD AUDIOUDIO AATT

TTHINKHINKTQ.TQ.COMCOM/FSCP/FSCP

CCLICKLICK HHEREERE......

S T O P G E T T I N G R E A D Y T O G E T R E A D Y — S T A R T T H E A C T I O N N O W ! 220

About Your ACT NOW Color:

The Quick Big Picture.

ACT NOW is the 10th color in the Time Prism Performance Spectrum because nothinggets done without first getting started. Don’t let time pass you by! Until you stop living yourlife on hold—nothing is going to happen. It’s time to make your life story an actionadventure. You have the energy, you know your mission and believe you can make adifference. You’ve set specific goals, created plans for their achievement, prioritized your listand found additional people to help. You’ve organized and automated your systems andremoved all other distractions. Now it’s time to act.

The question is, in the end, will you have done everything you wanted to do? Will youhave all the adventures and all the toys you’ve ever dreamed of? Will you have the financialresources to rest easy? Will you have made a difference in other people’s lives? Will you behappy?

Your dreams are waiting—begging you to please act now! If not now, when? Only youhave the power to turn your dreams into reality. In this present moment you either act or youdon’t. Your dreams will be realized or they won’t. You either move forward, or your potentialfor maximum success stays forever frozen in time. Now is the time to break out the laserbeam, ignite your goals and light up the picture of your life!

Take even a tiny step; make one call. Select one item on your To Do List you can completebefore lunch. Anything. The more action you take, the easier it gets. Action, specific andtargeted, leads to more action. To master the present and to master the future, you must makeit happen.

Knowledge is NOT power. Knowledge in action is power. Having the best information,incredibly well-organized and at your fingertips means nothing if it’s not put to use. Only bytaking action on this information—time and time again—will you ever produce themomentum to propel you to greater accomplishments.

There’s no magic to this. Only by doing and improving can you master anything. Startsomewhere, then keep it going one step at a time until you get what you want. When youmaster doing, having comes automatically. It is the natural order of things.

TQ Truth #10

You must ACT NOW to

make things happen and

stop living your life on hold.

Nothing ever gets done

until you get it started,

and then take the actions

necessary to keep

things moving.

ACTNOWMake It Happen.

act now�

ACT NOW

R E S U L T S W A I T I N G O N H O L D ? 222

Check off the Factor Actions for which you can consistently say YES...

10a ____ I take immediate action on whatever’s next without procrastinating.

10b ____ I use clever and imaginative ways to get started on difficult tasks or projects.

10c ____ I break down complex tasks into immediately “do-able” steps.

10d ____ I use fear as a call to action, and act without delay to reduce the threat.

10e ____ I complete unpleasant but necessary tasks as soon as possible.

10f ____ I apply new ideas as soon as possible, and repeat them until mastered.

10g ____ I take some action to test or implement new plans as soon as they’re proposed.

10h ____ I continue until I reach some stage of completion before leaving any task or project.

10i ____ I keep the momentum going until I finish each project I start.

10j ____ I consistently seize the day to make my life an action adventure.

# _____ YES Responses

The 10 Factor Actions Explained �

“How often do you take bold

action to make things

happen?”

Now, Ask Yourself This:

Does your Act Now Color contribute to your success—or hold you back from it?

No question, you need take action to create the life you want. Any way you look at it,life is an adventure. You’re going to win some and you’re going to lose some. But you’ve gotto be in the game to play. And the truth is, you’ll never win if you don’t play. This only leavesthe question, “Why not now?”

When your Act Now Color is strong and vibrant...

You are making things happen. You can’t wait to get started on each new task. Youeliminate worry and fear by immediately taking every action possible to minimize loss, andgain a superior advantage. You immediately put into action any plan that promises to get youwhat you want. Both your success and your failures are seen as beneficial steps that move youforward to the next opportunity. Eagerly accepting every new challenge, you believe life is adaring adventure, just waiting to be explored.

However, when your Act Now Color is weak or faded...

You are simply a victim of time. Hesitation rules; you’d rather wait and see, than do anddiscover. The fear of the unknown always stops you dead in your tracks. Despite all your hopesand dreams, very little of your plans and goals ever gets accomplished. Your regretsoutnumber your results, and lost opportunities limit your future. You believe that life’s meantto be endured rather than engaged, out-waited rather than outwitted.

The contrast is stunning.

People who take bold action are seen as Dynamic, Committed, Resourceful, Courageous,Eager, Confident, Pro-active and Confident. Their careers are on the fast track to success. Theyput their inner-drive into over-drive to make their lives the action adventure they desire.

On the other hand, people who frequently “wait to see what happens” are seen asHesitant, Timid, Fearful, Apprehensive, Evasive, Indecisive, Weak-willed, and Over-analytical. Their careers are stuck in a rut. They only wish for better results, rather than pursuethem with all their heart. In the end they become old and cynical... not old and successful.

You can live life to the fullest. You can live your hopes and dreams. You can achieve yourgoals. You can realize your grandest plans. You can build powerful teams to lead you and yourcompany to greatness. Simply take action. Yes, now.

the defining question for A C T N O W is…

�ACT NOW

221

I use clever and imaginative ways to getstarted on difficult tasks or projects.

There is no greater reward than accomplishing a difficult task. However, you can'tcomplete a project if it never gets started. The habit of delaying a big project can take amillion clever forms, but so can taking immediate action.

Instead of putting things off, find clever and imaginative ways to get startedsomewhere—anywhere—even for a few minutes. Take some action to get the ball rolling inthe right direction.

Have you mastered Factor Action 10B?

A NO means you will never make significant progress in your career until you can handleany project that comes your way. It suggests you have trouble getting started on difficultprojects. Too often when faced with a daunting project, you find it hard to start. You tend tofocus on the time, effort and the difficulty involved.

Unfortunately, while you are convincing yourself why it will be so hard to get started,you fail to argue the alternative. It may not occur to you to: Get more information; Ask foradvice; Brainstorm possibilities; Invite others to help; Make a written plan; Do a little eachday; Delegate parts to others; Organize your materials; Or find a way to make it a little morefun!

TQ Negatives: Intimidated Uncertain Apprehensive Unresourceful Hesitant

A YES means you're someone who loves a challenge and invents clever ways to getstarted. Knowing the difficulty of the task at hand, you immediately attempt some kind ofprogress as soon as possible—even when you have no idea how it will turn out. Youbrainstorm different directions to get started and explore any options available.

With every small bite into the project, you make some kind of progress. You build a littlemore momentum, gain additional information and begin to develop the final action plan forhow to complete the entire project.

TQ Positives: Resourceful Creative Proactive Self-Initiated Ingenious

The more difficult the task, the sooneryou start, the sooner it's done.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

10bI take immediate action on whatever’s

next without procrastinating.Personal power is measured by how fast you can take an idea and make it a reality. The

more actions you perform, the more productive you will be. Until an action is taken, nothingchanges and nothing is produced.

Think in terms of consequences. If you choose to delay an action, what will you gain?What will it cost you? When you act without delay, you immediately increase productivityand accelerate success.

Have you mastered Factor Action 10A?

A NO means every time you procrastinate, you waste valuable time and miss a chanceto move ahead. It suggests you are someone who spends as much time and effort avoidingwork as others who get everything done. With a motto of "but what if…" you pause beforetaking action.

Too often a brief pause becomes a pregnant pause that gives birth to an internalargument that keeps you from taking any action at all. Whenever you "over-analyze" andspend too much time preparing to get ready, you waste valuable time and energy that couldbe used to move your plans ahead instead.

TQ Negatives: Procrastinating Hesitant Unmotivated Lazy Timid

A YES means you are someone who would rather take action and make things happen,than sit around and worry about what could happen. Your motto is "Carpe diem—seize theday." As soon as you realize something needs to get done, you act without hesitation.

Once you have created a prioritized to-do list, you start at the top and don't stop untilevery item is checked off. By combining this skill with the ability to target valuableobjectives and create detailed plans, you've become so productive it's a little bit scary. But,isn't it fun?

TQ Positives: Action-oriented Dynamic Industrious Prolific Spontaneous

Perpetually taking the Right Actions producesan amazing number of Right Results.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

�ACT NOW

10a

S T A R T T H E A C T I O N N O W ! 224S T O P G E T T I N G R E A D Y T O G E T R E A D Y —223

I use fear as a call to action, and actwithout delay to reduce the threat.

When you are stopped by fear, you almost always fail. Every type of fear—physical,emotional or social—has the beneficial purpose of protecting you from harm. However, thisdoes not mean you must always stop.

Remember this: thought directs action. Confirm the value of your goal and theappropriateness of your actions, then consciously choose to focus on more productivethoughts. Master this and you can act in spite of your fear and continue toward your desiredgoals.

Have you mastered Factor Action 10D?

A NO means you are robbed of personal power until the cause of the fear goes away andsuggests you are someone who does more fretting than fixing. Progress stops when you areconfronted with a fearful situation.

Lacking the personal strategies to keep going in spite of the fear, you tend to avoid thesituation rather than resolve it. It's easier to skirt the issue, delay the conversation or divertyourself with unrelated tasks. Unfortunately, these strategies never really improve yoursituation, and you remain a victim to the fear for as long as it exists.

TQ Negatives: Fearful Intimidated Paralyzed Evasive Diverted

A YES means you are a person whose answer to a fearful situation is to take immediateaction. Rather than sit and worry, you do whatever you can to resolve or reduce the threat.You change your focus from what you fear, to what you can do.

You gather information, seek expert opinions, change direction, increase efforts, sharpenskills and make a better plan. You know it's important to get help when needed, shore updefenses and take any other action necessary to improve the situation.

TQ Positives: Courageous Committed Undaunted Proactive Determined

You gain immediate power over yourfears by taking a positive action.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

10dI break down complex tasks into

immediately "do-able" steps.You will always produce better results when you break large tasks into a sequence of

immediately "do-able" actions. When seen in their entirety, complex procedures appear toooverwhelming. Yet, even the most complicated task is only a sequence of smaller, "do-able"steps that can be taken one at a time. Isolate the individual steps and begin them right away.

Have you mastered Factor Action 10C?

A NO means you can be stopped by procedures that appear to be too overwhelming andsuggests you may have trouble taking action on complex projects. You may become easilyconfused by complex tasks and the apparent difficulty in achieving them.

By only seeing the big picture—in all its complexity—you tend to lose confidence inyour ability to accomplish such a formidable endeavor. Instead of breaking these tasks intoindividual steps, you remain mystified by the entire process—and delay indefinitely fromtaking that all important first step.

TQ Negatives: Overwhelmed Mystified Doubtful Confused Uncertain

A YES means you are someone who gains immediate control over complex tasks byseeing them as a series of simple steps. Rather than focus on the complexity, you break eachtask down into its most basic parts and get started right away.

This process gives you the confidence to take on the impossible, because you know thatsuccess is as simple as completing one "do-able" step at a time.

TQ Positives: Self-Initiated Systematic Adept Industrious Knowledgeable

By reducing a complex task to a seriesof simple steps, you can go from

overwhelmed to full speed ahead.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

�ACT NOW

10c

S T A R T T H E A C T I O N N O W ! 226S T O P G E T T I N G R E A D Y T O G E T R E A D Y —225

I apply new ideas as soon as possible,and repeat them until mastered.

You have to implement great ideas or they will never make a difference. If you want tochange an old habit, you must replace it with a new one.

If you want to become more skillful, you have to practice the skill. The more often youput new ideas into action, the more adept you’ll become at making them your own.

Have you mastered Factor Action 10F?

A NO suggests you are someone who lacks the interest or the discipline to do what ittakes to improve yourself. Your bookshelves may be full of great books—the latest business,self-help and motivational best sellers.

You may attend all the seminars. You might even ask for advice and seek the counsel ofothers you respect. But too often, it ends there. Nothing changes.

There are times when you don't even implement one of the good ideas you wrote down.You know you could do better, but never make it a priority to practice what you learn.

TQ Negatives: Resistant Complacent Skeptical Cynical Unmotivated

A YES means you are constantly improving—first by learning, then by doing. Knowingthat ideas by themselves have no value until they are put into action, you implement a newidea as soon as you learn it.

You practice it, teach it, try it this way—then that way and see how many times you cando it in a day. You reward yourself for adopting it into your routine, and it quickly becomesone more skill that you can employ to become more successful.

TQ Positives: Eager Aggressive Optimistic Accomplished Confident

You implement better ideas andproduce better results every day.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

10fI complete unpleasant but necessary

tasks as soon as possible.There are few things as empowering as completing an unpleasant task. When confronted

with a distressing task, complete it immediately instead of wasting time avoiding it.

This relieves your concerns and frees you to move on to more productive activities. If youknow something must be done eventually, get started immediately. Do it right, and get it offyour back for good.

Have you mastered Factor Action 10E?

A NO means you're distracted, worried and wasting time avoiding the inevitable untilthe unpleasant task is completed. Itsuggests you are someone who lets unpleasant tasks lingerand weigh on your mind.

The same undesirable task keeps moving from today's to-do list to tomorrow's—anddrains your energy every time you think about it. This worry drags your other activities downas well. Regretably, you rarely understand the true cost of these delays, and suffer far longerthan necessary.

TQ Negatives: Evasive Weak-Willed Stressed Worried Conflicted

A YES means you are someone who overcomes your own internal resistance andcompletes unpleasant tasks and moves forward. You now have the knowledge that it'sconquered and completed.

Once you get the "unpleasantness" behind, you are rewarded with a release of new energyand enthusiasm that you apply toward the next thing you do.

TQ Positives: Undaunted Diligent Self-Controlled Disciplined Relieved

Unpleasant tasks are completedand you are free to move on.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

�ACT NOW

10e

S T A R T T H E A C T I O N N O W ! 228S T O P G E T T I N G R E A D Y T O G E T R E A D Y —227

I continue until I reach some stage ofcompletion before leaving any task or project.

It's easier to make progress in whole steps than half steps. Always complete some part ofeach phone call, meeting, task or project before you move on. This helps you establish at leastsome measurement of progress.

Every completion, regardless of size, rewards you with a sense of accomplishment andfrees you to proceed to the next task. It also provides you with a clean starting point whenyou come back. Each stage completed becomes a positive whole step—moving you further inthe right direction.

Have you mastered Factor Action 10H?

A NO means you can put in an exhausting day and still have no specific progress to showfor your efforts. There are days when you don't finish anything you start.

You run at full speed in a million directions, and at the end of the day you can't point toany definitive progress. Everything you touched feels like it is in a state of disarray. On dayslike this, there is little satisfaction in your work, and even less motivation to continue.

When you return the next day, you're forced to start all over because nothing wascompleted the day before.

TQ Negatives: Scattered Unfocused Chaotic Indecisive Frustrated

A YES means you are someone who is constantly moving things ahead, one step at atime. By consistently reaching some stage of progress before moving on, you gain momentumand end each task with a positive feeling of achievement.

Loose ends are tied up, materials are put away and notes are made regarding the progressyou've made. When you return, you have a well-defined starting point and immediatelybegin on the next stage of the project.

At the end of the day, you can point with pride to the specific progress made, and feelsatisfied that your time was well spent

TQ Positives: Completion-Driven Deliberate Steady Methodical

You make some amount of progresson everything you touch.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

10hI take some action to test or implement new

plans as soon as they’re proposed.Making a plan is never enough. You must take action. You can modify your plan as you

go, but success depends on your ability to put your plans into action!

Stop getting ready to get ready. Success is a combination of both inspiration andexperimentation. Don’t wait until the last detail has been determined. Start by putting yourplans into action immediately. Test. Observe. Correct. Repeat until you succeed.

Have you mastered Factor Action 10G?

A NO means you may never get to the action part of your plan.You continually delayimplementing a plan because you're not sure which direction will guarantee success.

You can deliberate the possible outcomes for days on end, and never make any realprogress. You spend hours trying to arrive at your best guess, but never think to test yourtheories, and let the real world tell you which is correct.

TQ Negatives: Over-Analytical Indecisive Doubtful Tentative Reluctant

A YES means you take some action on the same day your plan is created. Youimmediately test each element of a proposed plan in the real world rather than stay stuck ina closed loop of trying to guess how things will turn out.

This avoids hours of theoretical debate about what may or may not happen. The resultsof your tests confirms the right direction to go, or it shows you where to correct your coursebefore committing too much time to something that is bound to fail.

TQ Positives: Proactive Enterprising Experimental Resourceful Reassured

Your plans are successful, becausethey're first tested, then perfected.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

�ACT NOW

10g

S T A R T T H E A C T I O N N O W ! 230S T O P G E T T I N G R E A D Y T O G E T R E A D Y —229

I consistently seize the day to makemy life an action adventure.

To achieve your dreams, you must act. You are the only one who has the power totransform your dreams into a reality. Take bold action today. You could be a perfect ten on allthe other nine colors, but if you’re not action-oriented, perfection in all those other colors ismeaningless.

The whole purpose of the other 99 Factors comes down to this one. This is the Factorthat makes life worth living. Until you stop putting your life on hold—nothing is going tochange. Make your life an action adventure—starting today!

Have you mastered Factor Action 10J?

A NO means too many Regrets are showing up in your life—and suggests you arewilling to put off your heart's desires indefinitely. Each day you fail to take powerful actionis less than the ideal it could have (or should have) been.

Each day not lived to the brim is less than ideal. Each day that doesn't get you closer toachieving your most cherished goals is less than ideal. Each day you fail to make the world abetter place—however small—is less than ideal. String enough of these "less than ideal days"together and you have traded the only life you have for things that simply don't matter.

TQ Negatives: Regretful Resigned Discouraged Cynical Alienated

A YES means you are living the life of your dreams. You can consistently look back onwhat you did each day and say, "Now that was a GRAND day!"

You are living your most important values and achieving inspiring goals—every singleday. Your dreams are being realized at this very moment, and you can't wait until tomorrowto get back in the game.

TQ Positives: Adventurous Bold Fulfilled Grateful Enthusiastic

A life of All Results with No Regrets.

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

10jI keep the momentum going until I

finish each project I start.If a project was worth starting, it deserves to be completed. Don't lose your momentum.

Make some progress on every plan started. You've already put forth some of the effort; nowcomplete it so you can reap the rewards. Success builds success. Find all those half-finishedprojects lying around and finish them one by one.

Have you mastered Factor Action 10I?

A NO suggests you are someone who typically loses interest, focus or faith before youget to the end of a project. What is it with all these unfinished projects?

You get started; you make progress; but then—they never get done. You move on tosomething else instead. Is it a lack of interest—or is there nothing left but the hardest parts?Do you lack confidence—or are you afraid of success?

Whatever the cause, it may be easier or more fun to go on to the next thing. It's notnecessarily more rewarding—but it is easier at the moment.

TQ Negatives: Undependable Capricious Uninspired Lackadaisical

A YES means you can be counted on to finish each project you start. You are committedto seeing things through to the end and determined to give each project your daily attentionand effort.

You feel pride in the completion of every project and rewarded by every goal achieved.With only a few projects currently incomplete, you're free to set new goals—knowing thatyou have the time and the ability to devote to them immediately.

TQ Positives: Tenacious Competent Prolific Persistent Proud

Projects get completed. Goals are reached.Rewards are collected. You are Happy!

Confirmation: I consistently perform this Factor Action: ❏ Yes ❏ No

�ACT NOW

10i

S T A R T T H E A C T I O N N O W ! 232S T O P G E T T I N G R E A D Y T O G E T R E A D Y —231

How Often Do You Take Bold Action?

Does your Act Now Color contribute to your success—or hold you back from it?

Please take a moment to pause and reflect before you continue. Consider what you justlearned about the 10 Factors that drive the intensity of your Act Now Color.

Did anything jump out at you as you read the TQ Positives and Negatives? Did you getthe connection between taking a given action and your power to produce better results? Howmany Factor Actions do you consistently take:_____?

What if all 10 of your ACT NOW Factors were switched on—all the time?

For your final TQ Color Review, think back on everything you just learned about FullSpectrum Power, from your Energy, Mission and Attitude... to your ability to Set Goals, MakePlans and Prioritize your activities... to your ability to create team-building Synergy and tostay Organized and Optimize your time. These 9 Colors must now be energized with action.

In the end, there’s only one question to answer: Is your life the action adventure you wantit to be? If not, why not? Do you consistently take enough action to produce all the thingsyou want to give to others? Do you take enough action to put your career on fast-forward?

Again, look back over the TQ Positives/Negatives. Which word most frequentlydescribes your inner resistance to stepping up, speaking out or pushing forward? Which bestdescribes what you’re feeling when you’re stopped cold in your tracks? Which best describeswhy you miss perfect opportunities—because you're too slow to act? Would your careerbenefit by your becoming a bold “action-figure”? How intense will this Color need to be tounconditionally guarantee that you will actually live your dreams? Put simply...

Would more power from this COLOR give

you greater CAREER POWER ?Be honest: ___ Yes or ___No?

Sage Wisdom...

“Boldness has

genius, power

and magic in it.

Begin it now.”

—Goethe

ACTNOWA Quick TQ Color Review.

act now�

ACT NOW

S T O P G E T T I N G R E A D Y T O G E T R E A D Y — S T A R T T H E A C T I O N N O W ! 234

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I N T E N T I O N A L E X C E L L E N C E — T H E P O W E R T O C H A N G E Y O U R L I F E ! 236

The Proverbial “Fork in the Road.”

Are your Colors bright enough to produce the success you desire?

From Chapter 1 on, the message has been consistent: Differentiate yourself based on yourperformance. Learn to produce exceptional Results over Time and you will transform yourcareer and your life. Keep your 10 Colors burning brightly, and you will succeed brilliantly.

The fact is, what you have or have not accomplished up to this point in your life hasmeaning only in perspective. If you have been a big success—that’s great! Our advice is tokeep honing your skills—continuously engaging in the intentional pursuit of excellence.

If you have experienced a past of failed expectations—there’s hope. Your mandate forfuture action is identical to the person who has a successive string of past successes: keephoning your skills—continuously engaging in the intentional pursuit of excellence.

Take the Road Less Traveled.

Right now you are at a crossroad. In one direction is a path taken by many... a path thatprovides little in return. The only advantage in taking this path is that nothing is required ofyou. Unfortunately, this is a crowded path, a path that ultimately leads to a life of half-heartedattempts, frustration and regrets. Your career suffers. Your family suffers.

However, the road less traveled asks you to accept a challenge—a challenge that requiresyou to achieve the best that you can possibly be. This road requires you to grow—physically,emotionally, spiritually and professionally. This road has amazing vistas, and the potential totake you everywhere you want to go.

It leads to a life of Results, not Regrets.

“Destiny is not a matter of chance. It is

a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be

waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.”

— William Jennings Bryant

Sage Wisdom...

“There are countless ways

of attaining greatness, but

any road to reaching one’s

maximum potential must be

built on a bedrock of respect

for the individual, a commit-

ment to excellence, and a

rejection of mediocrity.”

—Buck Rodgers, IBM

NEXT?The Intentional Pursuit of Excellence.

What’s

You’re now at the intersection of Intentional Excellence and Status Quo.

You have a choice between Intentional Excellence and two other words: Status Quo. Ifyou commit to Intentional Excellence, you will become wildly successful. If you choose theStatus Quo—then sooner or later—like cancer invading your body—the negatives in yourperformance will take their toll on your dreams, your aspirations and your expectations.

This we know with absolute certainty.

So, what’s next? Actually, you have already done the hard work! What’s next is a simplematter of looking at your individual Colors and answering the question we raised earlier.

What Color Is Your Performance?

Simply go back through each of your 10 Colors and write the number of “Yes’s” yourecorded. Then, answer Yes or No if you believe a given Color is causing you problems—andwhen turned up, would give you a powerful edge, personally and professionally.

Are You Usually... Is This Color a Problem?

ENERGY #____ / 10 Energetic? ❏ Yes ❏ No

MISSION #____ / 10 Passionate? ❏ Yes ❏ No

ATTITUDE #____ / 10 Enthusiastic? ❏ Yes ❏ No

SET GOALS #____ / 10 Self-directed? ❏ Yes ❏ No

MAKE PLANS #____ / 10 Prepared? ❏ Yes ❏ No

PRIORITIZE #____ / 10 Focused? ❏ Yes ❏ No

SYNERGIZE #____ / 10 Supportive? ❏ Yes ❏ No

ORGANIZE #____ / 10 Systematic? ❏ Yes ❏ No

OPTIMIZE #____ / 10 Timely? ❏ Yes ❏ No

ACT NOW #____ / 10 Proactive? ❏ Yes ❏ No

Total #_____

90 - 100: TQ Gold 70 - 79: TQ Bronze

80 - 89: TQ Silver 69 & Less: TQ Hopeful

Is the Color of Your Performance Solid Gold?

Is it more or less than you expected?

EnergyMission

AttitudeSet Goals

Make PlansPrioritize

SynergizeOrganize

OptimizeAct Now

Intentional Excellence:

Two words that will transform your life—the key to achieving the success you desire.

In Chapter 1, I made the observation that it’s not that times are changing; its that timeshave changed... and that in a results-driven economy, good enough no longer is. No question.To meet or exceed growing expectations, especially in this perform-or-perish, globaleconomy, you will have to produce far better results than you ever have in the past.

Yes, times have changed. And, yes, you must change with the times. Which, of course,was the whole point of your going through the 10 Colors of Gold Standard performance: Tohelp you SEE what you need to do differently to better differentiate yourself from the herd.

When we started down this road to performance enlightenment, we promised that wewould not only help you see the forces holding you back from producing significantly betterresults—we would help you eliminate them. Indeed, we promised to give you a simple toolfor turning performance negatives into powerful positives—transforming your successpotential into success reality.

It’s now time for us to make good on that promise!

As you have learned, there is a formula for success—a repeatable process wherein successhappens in the choices you make and the actions you take. Take a successive series of positiveactions and, over time, you will produce greater RESULTS in less TIME. You will becomesuccessful. Fail to take positive actions and, over time, you will experience failed expectations.

It is no more complicated than this. Keep your 10 Colors burning brightly. Each day,take action to become more Energetic, Passionate, Enthusiastic, Self-directed, Prepared,Focused, Supportive, Systematic, Timely and Proactive. When you do, you will quicklytransform your hopes and dreams into exceptional results.

The difference between a life of results or regrets is

an unconditional commitment to excellence.

You might feel a bit overwhelmed right now. Comparing your performance to the GoldStandard of Performance Excellence is daunting. But then, it’s supposed to be. This is aprocess designed to make you think hard about your performance, your future and what youexpect to get out of the only life you have to live.

Over time, you will come to understand that the dynamic forces holding you back caneasily be overcome. In this Chapter, you have the opportunity to start down the path toperformance excellence. All it requires from you is the desire—and commitment—to be thebest that you can be. We’ll help you with the rest.

“If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there

today. Simply stop doing less than excellent work.”

— Thomas Watson, Founder IBMT H E P O W E R T O C H A N G E Y O U R L I F E ! 238I N T E N T I O N A L E X C E L L E N C E — 237

The Definition of Rock Bottom Performance.

Now, let’s contrast Solid Gold Performance with the other end of the spectrum: A scoreof 10-20. What does that look like? It’s not pretty:

• A person who’s ENERGY level is so low, that they are constantly burned out,stressed out and running on empty. They get little done each day, simply becausethey don’t have the energy to see things through. They are not only dead on theirfeet, their career is dead in the water.

• Someone who has a poor sense of MISSION and direction. These people have littleforward movement in their lives, because they are aimless, apathetic and lethargic.Why? They have no clue what’s more important than something else, so they spendmost of their time wishing and waiting... rather than planning and doing.

• Someone who has a terrible, self-defeating ATTITUDE that not only sees the glassas half empty, but cracked as well. With no positive expectation of success, theycreate the self-fulfilling prophecy of failure—in every thought they think and everyword they speak—every chance they get.

• Someone who has no clear GOALS... no PLANS to reach them... nor any ability toremain focused on key PRIORITIES. Thus, they are constantly consumed by a seriesof self-inflicted urgencies that they unintentionally create each day.

• Someone who has few team-building skills, or lacks the ability to create inter-personal SYNERGY with others. Thus, they are doomed to doing everything bythemselves, incapable of getting work done through others.

• Someone who has raised DISORGANIZATION to an art form., and has no abilityto OPTIMIZE their time. Thus, they spend their time confusing effort with results,making little use of their most precious resource: Time.

• Someone who takes little ACTION because they permit fear, uncertainty and doubtto rob them of their future. Because they have no clear mission... no clear goals... noworkable plans... no focus on the important... no one to help them... they live theirlives in a disorganized mess... and make poor use of their time... taking positive andproactive action is the furthest thing from their collective minds. Hesitancy rules.

Clearly, these are the Whiners, not the Winners.

Is it possible that there are people out there that actually rate themselves this low? Sure.

By and large, these people are living hand-to-mouth, with no real direction in their lives.They are doing the “best they can,” because they haven’t made the commitment to doingbetter—pushing out of their comfort-zones—to put themselves into the competitive fracaseach day. Unfortunately, you see them in every walk of life.

Again, would you want someone like this in charge of your future? Would you want themfor your boss?

Would you want to be seen in this light? Would you want to be described this way?

What’s THIS performance worth? That’s right, not much!

What Color Is Your Performance?

Solid Gold, or Something Else?

You now have the answer we promised way up front, when we asked, “What Color isYour Performance?” Did you gain insight from this new perspective on your performance?

Or, are you a bit overwhelmed and concerned? If you’re not a Gold, Silver or Bronzecandidate at this moment, don’t worry. This is where it all gets interesting.

Because your Color Power makes up your Career Power—and your Career Powerdetermines the “Color of your Parachute”—not to mention the Color of your paycheck, yourfinancial future, and your lifestyle—this conversation is very important. Now, let’s put thisentire discussion in proper perspective.

The Definition of Solid Gold Performance.

What does a score of 90-100 actually mean? What does it look like? Is it possible thatthere are people out there that actually rate themselves this high? Sure.

By and large, these are the superstars within any profession: sports, business, education,entertainment, government, science, military, the professions and the arts. Here’s how theirperformance—in the fewest words possible—would be described:

• A high ENERGY person dedicated to achieving the MISSION, with atremendously positive, enthusiastic and proactive ATTITUDE.

• A person with crystal-clear GOALS that are directly aligned with their values,together with rock-solid PLANS for attaining them, coupled with the ability tofocus on top PRIORITIES—rather than permitting valuable time and resources tobe depleted on less valuable and rewarding activities.

• A person who creates force-multiplying leverage by building strong teams throughpowerful interpersonal SYNERGY... has mastered the art of getting and stayingORGANIZED... makes OPTIMUM use of their time... and immediatelyovercomes fear, uncertainty and doubt to take bold ACTION.

If your performance could be described this way, you would not only qualify for a GoldenParachute, you’d be given a set of Golden Handcuffs as well—because no one would wantyou to leave! A man or woman with these 10 positive characteristics is virtually unstoppable.

Wouldn’t you want someone like this leading your organization? Wouldn’t you wantyour boss to have these characteristics? Wouldn’t you want to be described in these terms?

A critical point before moving forward...

Remember, most job reviews are informal. They happen in the lunch rooms... atconferences... after meetings... in conversations between co-workers at every level. Becauseyou are constantly being judged, reviewed and evaluated—if by no one other than yourpeers—how brightly your performance shines determines how brightly your career shines.Thus, the Color of your performance is not only visible, it is critical to survival.

T H E P O W E R T O C H A N G E Y O U R L I F E ! 240I N T E N T I O N A L E X C E L L E N C E — 239

Gold? Silver? Bronze? Lead?

These labels are not terribly important. A more important question is: “What Color doesmy Career Power have to be to achieve all my goals—both personally and professionally?”

This is where Color Power turns into Career Power.

The logic is simple: To rise to the top of your career, you must produce better RESULTS.To produce better results, you must PERFORM better. To perform better, you must keep yourten COLORS burning brightly. Thus, greater Color Power equals greater Career Power.

To help you better see the dynamics and interrelationships between each of your 10 Colors,we created a systematic process of evaluating each Color, the Factor Actions that drive it, anda charting system that helps you see how your strengths and weaknesses combine to produceyour overall performance. This chart gives you a very interesting view of your power.

Graphically, a person’s Color Power is represented in the following three charts.

Consider Bob...

Good Attitude and people power (Synergy.) But, his other Colors are so low, they willhold him back until he commits to dramatic improvement.

With a chart like this, how do others see Bob? A few strengths, but lots of negatives:Drained, directionless, scattered, unfocused and haphazard immediately come to mind.

Career Power: Poor, at best.

NOTE: To create a custom chart of your Color Power go to: ThinkTQ.com/Actual, signin, and take the 100-Question TQ Test. The questions are the same as you have just beenthrough, so this should only take you a few minutes to do. Once completed, you will receivea Personal Color Chart, together with a brief assessment of each of your ten Colors. (Thisvaluable service is free to readers of Full Spectrum Career Power.)

Since one of the main purposes of this book is to make you think about your performancefrom a fresh new perspective—where you now stand, and what you need to do differently—I have contrasted Solid Gold vs. Dumpster-diving performance in a very harsh light. If I havemade you a bit uneasy, I am sorry. But that’s my job: To help you move from where you arenow, to where you want to go.

One Color or Ten?

So, you might be asking yourself right now, “In the end, after all is said and done, areyou telling me that the Color of my performance is one Color or is it ten?” The answer myfriend is “Yes” and ‘Yes.”

To further explain, let’s go back to where we started with the Time Prism. As you havejust experienced, the Time Prism takes your personal performance and separates it into 10Colors. However, no one Color operates on its own without some influence from the othernine showing up as well.

Therefore, all 10 of these Colors combine to produce the outward appearance and finallevel of your overall performance. It’s the frequency and quality of actions that you take, ordon’t take, that determine your own unique TQ Color Power, whether that radiates TQ Gold,Silver, Bronze, Copper, or dull and boring Lead!

What Label Do You Choose?

It is only natural for us to want to summarize or reduce our overall observation ofsomeone’s performance down to a single assessment. We do this all the time as we observeour co-workers, bosses and competitors. Summing up someone else’s abilities, we customarilyuse very loose labels like, a top-notch realtor, a first-rate accountant, a fireball of an accountexecutive, a real “mover and shaker” in the industry.

As such, these labels are useful in quickly defining an associate’s or competitor’s skills—especially in comparison to someone else who is “a well-meaning person with poor peopleskills.” But, on the other hand, these labels are not overly useful in trying to duplicate awinning ability to get the results you desire.

Want proof? Well, just for today, go out and try to be “top-notch” or “first-rate.” Let’ssee how well you can do “fireball” or give your best impression of “moving and shaking!”

Instead, when you can look more precisely at the exact actions that a successful persontakes, and then duplicate those same powerful actions, you, too, can be the success that yousee in the Gold Superstars within your own arena.

Thus, it is the overall intensity of each Color within your own Full Spectrum of Colors,and the relationship between these 10 Colors, that matters most—not a single score thatsuggests whether you are a “medal contender” or not.

The truth is, you show up as a very individual color that is uniquely yours. It is uniquein the combination and intensity of Colors that shine from your actions or inactions, andthese Colors produce a personal performance that is different from any other. In allprobability, your personal Color shines through somewhere between Hopeful and Pure Gold.

T H E P O W E R T O C H A N G E Y O U R L I F E ! 242I N T E N T I O N A L E X C E L L E N C E — 241

Finally, Let’s Look at Barbara’s Chart.

Here is a woman of true power. It not only shows up in her CHART, but radiatesbrilliantly throughout her entire LIFE.

Barbara is a highly-energetic, passionate, self-directed woman with a positive andproactive attitude. She not only has crystal-clear goals and rock-solid plans, but has theinherent people-power to realize them.

She has incredible team-building skills, because she is a highly-focused, time sensitiveaction-oriented leader. She shines with the multi-faceted brilliance of an investment-gradediamond.

What else do we see in Barbara’s chart? The list of positive characteristics is almostendless: Strong, fit, enthusiastic, optimistic, persuasive, responsible, accountable, dedicated,efficient, systematic, fearless, dynamic, focused, understanding, compassionate, andconsiderate. We could go on for pages!

How can we see all this? How can we make this conclusion? Easy. Look at her Colors.

Based on her Color Chart we can clearly SEE that she takes the actions necessary to PUTthese characteristics into her performance—every single day of the year.

Career Power: Solid Gold!

Isn’t Barbara the kind of person every company on Earth is looking for—even in hardtimes? Isn’t this the profile of someone who doesn’t fear corporate restructurings, mergers,acquisitions, or the inevitable outsourcing that is happening globally?

Yes, this is the profile of a person who knows what she wants... is willing to work hardto get it... and has the raw, results-producing, personal power to not only meet herexpectations... but greatly exceed them.

Career Potential: Unlimited!

Now, let’s look at John’s Color Power and Career Potential...

What do we see here? Fairly good distribution of Colors, nicely balanced out at the 50-60 mark.

Can you see John’s strengths? It’s easy.

Good Energy level, great Attitude, solid goals and plans, fine people skills and a desirefor systematic organization.

Can you instantly spot what’s holding John back from being a real player? Again, it’seasy. Just look at his array of Colors.

Career Power: Good, but...

His lack of Mission creates a problem with his ability to Prioritize his activities, becausehe has not yet determined what is more important to him than something else. This alsoshows up in his inability to take the Actions necessary to make things happen. Thus, Johnwould be seen as person with real potential to an organization—but lacking the vision to bean action-oriented leader in his own right.

An Interesting Observation.

When looking at John’s chart, the red Balance Line is out to the 50% mark. This linereflects the relationship between all ten Colors and John’s overall power level. However, thereis another “reality” check that must be taken into consideration: Just how powerful can he bewith a poor sense of MISSION and direction?

In a way, John’s good Colors are being dragged down by his poor Colors. Think aboutit. What is nine times zero? Zero, right? The fastest way for John to improve is to quicklyimprove this ONE Color (Mission,) and suddenly, the OTHER Colors take on greater poweras well. For John to become a serious contender in a results-driven economy, he has toimprove his weak Colors, or simply watch his career options fade from sight.

Career Potential: Good, but...

T H E P O W E R T O C H A N G E Y O U R L I F E ! 244I N T E N T I O N A L E X C E L L E N C E — 243

Or, what about someone in the construction trades? By its nature, success inconstruction requires strong skills to Prioritize and Plan out the work to be done, and theOrganizational Color to get the right building component in the right place, at the righttime. But what if this person’s Energy Color just isn’t what it was back when he entered thetrade, and every task is now more work to perform than it was back in his younger days? Noquestion, less ENERGY means a smaller paycheck.

What kind of Color Power does it take to move up from tradesman to foreman, manageror owner? A high Synergy Color to effectively direct other workers and cooperate with othertrades? A strong sense of Mission and clear Goals to take on the next project? An ability toOptimize their time and make every hour on the job site count? Can someone succeedwithout these additional Colors burning their brightest as well? Highly doubtful. Does thisapply to manufacturing, engineering, computer programming? Of course it does.

Minimal Color Power produces minimal Career

Power. Maximum Color Power produces maximum

Career Power, which delivers the maximum Career

Potential. There is no “other” other way.

For no one else is the need for Full Spectrum Color Power more important than for theself-employed, small business owners, or anyone else who is stuck wearing all the hats in thecompany. Why? Because there is rarely anyone around to pick up the slack when their weakColors are failing to perform up to the task. A self-employed individual has to “be all and doall.” If their weak Colors are holding them back from producing the results they need tosucceed, then they absolutely must turn those Colors up, or regretfully fail in the process.

Keeping every Color burning its brightest is not just a call for “personal improvement,”it is a “business critical process.” If you are to have any hope for true success in your profession,you have no alternative but to keep each of your 10 Colors burning at, or near the top of GoldStandard performance.

Remember, you are not just competing with the person in the next cubical, department,building, city or state for recognition. You are competing against people across the world.Your Color Power must be VISIBLY better than your competition for you to succeed.

“The only true measure of success is the ratio between

what we might have done and what we might have been

on the one hand, and the thing we have made and the

things we have made of ourselves on the other.”

— H.G. Wells

Increased Color Power Equals Increased Career Power.

Reviewing thousands of Color Charts like the ones you’ve just seen for Bob, John andBarbara confirms the obvious. Those who are the most successful in their careers, are the oneswho have Color Charts that are completely filled in—from top to bottom and from left toright. On the other hand, those who admit to struggling and who are the most dissatisfiedwith their current lot in life, are the ones with very low Color scores and dramatic gaps inintensity—where some Colors don’t even show up at all.

Without question, there is a direct relationship between a person’s Color Power, theirCareer Power and ultimately, their Career Potential. This is true for every profession oroccupation: From the coffee shop clerk to the President of the United States.

It only makes sense. The brighter your Color Power, the greater will be your ability toget your next project or goal funded, managed and completed successfully. It doesn’t matterif your goal is to take on Congress, or the hard-headed manager who doesn’t like the idea ofbooking a live musician at the shop so you can sell more coffee each night.

Career Power and Color Power from an occupational perspective.

It’s so obvious, we don’t even question it. Would you recommend a Harvard-trainedgynecologist to your sister... if he has no passion for actually seeing patients? Would you hirea graphic artist with “20 years experience” who has a pessimistic attitude? Of course not!

Who is most likely to get moved up to management: The chemist who just never quitedelivers on his promises, or the one whose Act Now Color is so vibrant, that he delivers thenew formula before it’s even asked for?

It is impossible to go from good to great in your career without the support of a FullSpectrum of Colors. After all, just how effective would a minister or rabbi be if she is a highlyempathetic 10 in Synergy... but a 2 in Energy... a 3 in Organize... a 3 in Optimize... and a 2for Act Now? Think about it.

What is her Career Potential, if her Career Power is made up of a superb ability tocommunicate—but only when she feels up to the task, is not distracted with otherpreoccupations, and finally gets around to making that call to the family in need of comfort—but can’t find the phone number?! Would you want this person in charge of your spiritualneeds? Would you feel that you could depend on her? Doubtful. Career potential? Doomed.

Think about the average person you know in sales. Whether it be real estate, insurance,cars or computers, the typical salesperson has strong Energy, Attitude and Synergy Colors.Right? Active, enthusiastic and a strong ability to develop a close relationship with thecustomer. Undoubtedly, these Colors drive their Career Power, and their Career Potential.Want to be more successful in sales? Increase these three Colors even more.

But what else do you customarily see with salespeople? Those that are only average arethe ones who are weak in their other Colors: Few specific Goals, no Plans, poor Priorities and,of course, no Organizational systems. It’s impossible to go from being a good salesperson toa great salesperson without improving these other Colors to the level required to generate andmanage an increased number of sales.

I N T E N T I O N A L E X C E L L E N C E — 245 T H E P O W E R T O C H A N G E Y O U R L I F E ! 246

It gets better!

Yes, “performance expansion” is the key to personal growth. In fact, just a small shift inany one area of your performance gives you an exponential increase in personal power. How?

As I said before, all 10 Colors within your performance spectrum are completelyintertwined, interrelated and interdependent. When you turn up any ONE Color, youpower-up the intensity of each of the other NINE as well. Without your having to doanything else. This is what actually causes your performance to expand from mediocre toexcellent—quite literally, in a heartbeat.

Full Spectrum Power.

To help clarify this idea, let’s zoom in and look at the dynamic relationship between eachof your 10 Colors. By understanding the nature of this process, you will not only see how FullSpectrum Power works, but you will also see how easily you can make it work for you!

There are two similar, but different views of Full Spectrum Power: The one to manyrelationship... what we’ve dubbed the Full Spectrum Color Burst; and the many to manyrelationship... what we call triggering an Optical Chain Reaction.

The Full Spectrum Color Burst.

This concept is easy to understand, as you can easily see it in your life. We call it a one tomany relationship, because when you improve just one area of your performance, it affectsmany other areas—all at the same time.

Let’s say something happens that causes your ATTITUDE to improve, even slightly.What happens to the rest of your Colors? What happens to your performance?

In all cases, a small shift in your attitude causes your other Colors to instantly growbrighter as well. Because your ATTITUDE becomes more positive, your ENERGY improves...your sense of MISSION and purpose improves... your GOALS seem more achievable... yourPLANS are more doable... you radiate more confidence, so people are more likely to help you,causing your SYNERGY Color to also improve.

Thus, you have more POWER overall, because each of

your 10 Colors are now burning brighter.

Of course, the opposite is also true. A poor ATTITUDE causes your ENERGY level tosink... to lose faith in your MISSION... to question your GOALS and PLANS. Your SYNERGYColor sinks, because, who wants to help a whiny old “No-it-all”?!

Now, stop and take a moment to reflect.Think about your Color Scores. Think about what you have just read. Think about Bob,

John and Barbara’s charts. Now, think about what your life would be like if you were a perfect10—right now—for all 10 of your Colors.

What If...

What if you never found yourself walking down the dark side of the path: Drained,Directionless, Pessimistic, Vague, Rash, Scattered, Critical, Haphazard, Distracted orHesitant—but rather, a perfect 10 for each Color—most of the time? What could youaccomplish if you were consistently Energetic, Passionate, Enthusiastic, Self-directed,Focused, Supportive, Systematic, Timely and Proactive?

How valuable would you be? What kind of

paycheck and parachute would you have then?

With Solid-Gold performance, you’d not only

have a solid-gold watch when you retire... you’d

have a solid-gold lifestyle right up to the day you

depart this lovely planet!

The difference to your career, your life and your family would be nothing short ofmiraculous. The opportunities you would have would be nothing short of world-changing.Your three wants in life would be fully realized: With more Time for you... more Time forothers... and more Rewards than you can begin to imagine. Without question, you wouldinstantly grow the Who, What and How legs of your performance, greatly enhancing yourpersonal effectiveness and productivity.

Your Personal Growth Curve would go through the roof!

The Old You The New YouT H E P O W E R T O C H A N G E Y O U R L I F E ! 248I N T E N T I O N A L E X C E L L E N C E — 247

WHA

TO

ther

s

HOW$$$

WHO

You

WHA

TO

ther

s

HOW$$$

WHO

You

EnergeticPassionate

EnthusiasticSelf-directed

PreparedFocused

SupportiveSystematic

TimelyProactive

A small

shift in

Attitude

Instantly

expands the

intensity of

ALL Colors

in your

performance

spectrum.

How the Optical Chain Reaction works: Up close and personal!

To illustrate the process, here’s what will happen when you commit to improving yourpower to take swift action—to become exceptionally Proactive:

• When you take immediate action to turn up your ACT NOW Color, you preventfear, uncertainty and doubt from stealing your valuable energy, so your ENERGYColor becomes even brighter. Because you are more Proactive, you are also moreEnergetic.

• Now that you have more energy to devote to living what’s most important to you,your MISSION Color becomes even brighter. Because you are more Energetic, youare also more Passionate.

• Now that you’re better connected to your mission, you put more of your heart intoeverything you do, so your ATTITUDE Color glows even brighter. Because you aremore Passionate, you are also more Enthusiastic.

• Now that you persist with passion in everything you do, you truly believe you canachieve any goal you set, so your SET GOALS Color burns even brighter. Becauseyou are more Enthusiastic, you are also more Self-directed.

• Now that you turn your dreams and visions into specific goals, you establish theprecise destinations required for effectively mapping future steps. So, your MAKEPLANS Color burns brighter. Because you are more Self-directed, you are also moreDetail-oriented.

• Now that you have detailed the steps in your plans, you can identify the mostimportant ones to focus on first. So your PRIORITIZE Color becomes even brighter.Because you are more Detail-oriented, you are also more Focused.

• Now that you have the power to focus on what’s most rewarding, you leverage yourtime better by finding others to help you achieve your goals. Your SYNERGIZEColor radiates with brilliance and power. Because you are more Focused, you are alsomore Synergistic.

• Now that you have an entire team assembled to help you achieve your goals, itbecomes imperative that you organize your activities for maximum efficiency. Soyour ORGANIZE Color burns hotter. Because you are more Synergistic, you are alsomore Systematic.

• Now that you systematically organize your activities, you get more value out of everyminute in your day. So your OPTIMIZE Color takes on a brilliant aura. Because youare more Systematic, you are also more Time-sensitive.

• And when you’re committed to making every minute count, you stop wasting time onthings that simply don’t matter, and jump at the chance to take positive actionsooner—rather than later. Now, all 10 Colors are causing your ACT NOW COLORTO GLOW BRIGHTER STILL—which sends the ripples out even further!

All this from turning up just ONE Color!

One color triggers a powerful chain reaction.

In addition to the Full Spectrum Color Burst of power you can expect from a shift in anyone Color, you instantly trigger an entire Optical Chain Reaction—a domino effect ofcompounded power—that radiates through every aspect of your performance.

We call this an Optical Chain Reaction because it works exactly like setting off athermonuclear explosion within your performance. Because it has a many to many relationshipon your 10 Colors, the affect an Optical Chain Reaction has on your performance is nothingshort of mind-boggling! Once any given Color reaches critical mass—BOOM—you instantlyhave massive amounts of power to apply to your career... your family... your entire life!

The way this works is pure simplicity: Every burst in Color, either positive or negative,sends out a ripple effect that adds or subtracts power to each Color in its path. For example,a small increase in your Act Now Color gives your Energy Color a boost... which boosts yourMission Color... which further boosts your Attitude Color... which further expands your SetGoals Color... which... you get the idea!

Because this chain reaction works in all directions equally, like a pebble tossed into apond, the ripple effect radiates waves of power throughout every aspect of your performance.This effect is what explains why looking at any one area of your performance, to the exclusionof others, is pointless.

Why? The reason you may fail to take swift action might be that your ENERGY levelis so low that procrastination is the only viable option for the challenges you face. Or, that thereal reason you fail to take bold action, is that your GOALS are so poorly defined, that there’ssimply no point in taking action—because you don’t know WHAT to do..

T H E P O W E R T O C H A N G E Y O U R L I F E ! 250I N T E N T I O N A L E X C E L L E N C E — 249

A small

shift in

your Act

Now Color

Causes an Optical

Chain Reaction...

making each Color

burn brighter...

causing your

performance to

rapidly expand...

instantly giving you

the power to

produce greater

results... which

drives your career

to new heights!

Which takes us back to the problem we originally set out to solve!

There is a huge difference between seeing whatneeds to be done, and remembering to actually do it!As you will recall from Chapter 3, it takes far morethan good intentions to conquer the EbbinghausForgetting Curve.

In fact, once you put this book up on the shelf—where it will sit, out-of-sight, out-of-mind—youwill forget virtually everything you just learned here... in 2 weeks or less. Guaranteed.

Yes, it’s easy to start out with the best of intentions. But it’s also human nature to getwaylaid by old habits and life’s endless distractions and preoccupations. One thing is certain.

There’s no way you can reinvent yourself by yourself!

If you could have, you would have. It may be difficult for you to accept, but it’s true. Weall need help in changing lifelong habits and negative traits that have been with us forever.

You have invested a significant amount of time and energy going through the last 200pages or so. Now, you have an easy choice.

You can close this book and put it up on the shelf with the rest of your “goodintentions”—and do nothing different. Or, you can make the smarter choice and commit toimproving your performance—one Color... one Action... one Day at a time.

Where can you get help?

There are two ways to get the help you need: One hard; one easy. The hard way first.

You can do what our development team did—buy hundreds of books on personal successand start reading them. Listen to the supporting tapes. Go to the seminars.

You can also take out a 3x5 card, a crayon and write in bright bold letters “Smile!” ifyou think that will give you more enthusiasm for your work. You can hire a personal coach...and put together a support network to keep you on track every week. You can find differentways to remember this material, but if you want to accelerate your success, you absolutelymust remain committed to improving the effectiveness of your performance. Daily.

Or, improve your performance at ThinkTQ.com/CareerPower

If you want to improve your career potential, earn more money, and achieve your mostcherished goals, all at the same time, simply visit THINKTQ.COM today.

ThinkTQ.com is the EASY WAY to stay committed and remain connected. Ourwebsite contains a treasure-trove of resources designed to train you to produce results wellbeyond expectation. With tens of thousands of ideas for action, time management resources,tests and assessments, and countless other tools available at the click of a button, you canimmediately find what you need to excel.

FYI: As a reader of Full Spectrum Career Power, you are entitled to receive a one-yearsubscription to our Daily Lessons in Excellence Training program at no cost. Just register!

So, what will it take to produce Full Spectrum Power in YOUR life?

With this immense boost in personal power, you’re living the life of your dreams. Youknow this, because you can’t wait to get started on each new goal—and you immediately takebold action on any plan that promises to get you closer to your heart’s desire.

From just one Color, you now believe that life is an action adventure—just waiting tobe embraced and explored. No question. Any improvement in a single Color affects your fullpalette of colors from which you paint your dreams onto the canvas of life.

Can you even begin to imagine how much power you would have if you turned up eachof your 10 Colors? There’s no need to imagine it. Let’s do it!

Choose A Color—Either a dominant strength or limiting weakness.

Go to Page 238, and look at your array of Colors. Which Color, when burning brighter,will produce the biggest change in your life right now? Choose it.

To turn up the intensity of that Color, our advice is always the same: Simply select asingle Factor Action from the chosen Color and—JUST DO IT—and do it as often aspossible! Go back to the Color you just chose. Select just one Factor Action that you feel willmake the greatest difference on your performance right now. Write it down here:

I promise to DO Factor ___ every chance I get!

Now, make a personal commitment to integrate this one action into your performanceas frequently as possible until it becomes a habit—a consistent and automatic part of yourlife. Each time you take this one positive action, that Color will improve and you will achievea growing series of positive results that will contribute to the final success you desire most.Smarter actions, performed consistently, one at a time, will, in fact, transform your entire life.

Becoming a New You.

By selecting a single Factor, you have taken the first step down the road to GoldStandard personal performance. Now all that remains is for you to just do it… just do thatone positive Factor Action with greater consistency and frequency.

Depending on the Factor you chose, it can be quick and easy: Just write your goals ontoyour calendar... just communicate with greater clarity... just focus on the important and leavethe rest to later... just look for the best in every situation and the opportunity in everyproblem.

No question, the actions themselves are basic “Do It’s.” However, if they were all thateasy, you would already be doing them, right? They would already be ingrained in yourperformance, right? No question.

Performance excellence requires a constant repetition of positive actions performedcorrectly, before they can ever become a perfected skill. There’s no possible way to fix a Factoror a Color once and consider it fixed for life.

The 100 Gold Standard Factors are actions that must be repeated every day until theybecome automatic. Mastered. Habitualized.

T H E P O W E R T O C H A N G E Y O U R L I F E ! 252I N T E N T I O N A L E X C E L L E N C E — 251

Turn up your chosen Color. Start Today.

What we recommend is nothing less than what is required. We said it before, but it’sworth repeating. Intentional Excellence is not a destination. It’s a journey. One that must betraveled every day. No question, it takes practice, repetition, reinforcement and commitmentto produce significantly better results. Not to mention a reminder system that will help youbefore you forget to remember!

For you to achieve your dreams and goals, you must remain committed to yourperformance, each and every day for the rest of your life. The good news is, there’s a simple,push-button process you can use to make it happen!

As a reader of Full Spectrum Career Power, you may receive a complimentary ColorWorkshop of your choice. Regardless of which Color you selected, we have a 1-hour audio CD,complete with a 64-page, self-paced workbook containing 180 powerful ideas for action thatwill transform your performance from lackluster—to brilliant! Use the Discount Code onPage 258, and you’ll only be asked to pay a small shipping and handling charge.

One last thought.

The key to differentiating yourself is simple when you think about it:

• Discover what you are doing RIGHT—and do more of that...

• Discover what you are doing WRONG—and do less of that...

• Discover exactly what you need to do DIFFERENTLY—to produce better results.

A Daily Commitment to Intentional Excellence isn’t difficult!

Rather than add time, trouble or burden to your current workload, taking action toimprove your 10 Colors will save you time and effort. Seriously, does it take any more effortto be Supportive and offer a co-worker a note of encouragement—than it does to be Critical?No. In the end, does it really take any more time to keep your tools and materialsOrganized—than it does to look for a missing one? Of course not. Does it take any more timeto Focus on your prioritized list of activities—rather than to Impulsively do the first thingthat comes to mind? The answer is a definite “NO!” Nor does it take any more energy to beEnthusiastic than it does to whine, complain and wallow in the Pessimistic belief that thingsare never going to work out for you.

The surprising insight is that it doesn't take any more effort

to be successful than mediocre. In fact, it takes LESS!

It doesn't take any more time to succeed than fail. It doesn't

take any more time out of your day to be rich than poor.

All it takes is for you to make smarter choices—and take

smarter actions as you move through time.

Thank You!

I sincerely believe that, once you have had time to digest what we have been explainingto you over the last 250 pages, you will discover something wonderful and exciting aboutyourself. By looking at the 10 Colors of your performance, as they stand now, you can see whatyou need to do differently to unleash your full potential—to become all that you can be. (Yesthis is corny... perhaps even trite. But nonetheless, it’s gospel.)

What Kent, I and our entire development team have learned from developing thetechnology behind TQ—and writing Full Spectrum Career Power—is that you do not have tosettle for pitiful results when you can actually live the life of your dreams.

You can, in this moment, start to fill in the missing colors in your paint-by-numbersdreams. You can eliminate what’s holding you back from attaining personal and professionalexcellence. You can become an “A+” performer in your career. You can achieve all of yourgoals sooner, rather than later—starting right now.

You can, not only, survive this results-driven

economy, but actually thrive. You can, not only,

give your career a nudge in the right direction, but

take it to entirely new heights.

Yes, your potential is unlimited. You only need to unleash it.

Your opportunity is boundless. You only need to pursue it.

The future is waiting for you to change it... to make theworld a better place... just because of you.

Thank you for permitting us to share our ideas with you.

We wish you God-speed on your journey towards

becoming the New You, you desire.

“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation.

We do not act rightly because we have virtue or

excellence, but we rather have those because we have

acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

— Aristotle

T H E P O W E R T O C H A N G E Y O U R L I F E ! 254I N T E N T I O N A L E X C E L L E N C E — 253

T H E P O W E R T O C H A N G E Y O U R L I F E ! 256I N T E N T I O N A L E X C E L L E N C E — 255

Management Epilogue.

If you are in any form of management, from Team Leader... to Department Head... toVP... to CEO, please take a moment to consider one last thought. It may help you not onlyrise to the top in your career, but make your job a whole lot easier—and far more enjoyable!

People, at every level within an organization, are looking for positive feedback on theirjob performance. They look forward to job reviews, hoping that they have progressed enoughto be considered for greater pay, greater responsibility and advancement.

“ The productivity of work is not the responsibility of the

worker but of the manager.”

— Peter F. Drucker

When you think about it, there are always two separate reviews going on at the sametime: The person’s JOB skills, and the person’s PERFORMANCE skills.

Of course, these are inextricably linked.

Most people have a good idea of what is required of them on the job. They know theyhave to make more calls... produce more sales... debug more lines of code... whatever isrequired to get their job done. However, their perception of their personal PERFORMANCEis another matter. Rarely, if ever, do people actually see themselves are they are.

Again, we know this with absolute certainty!

With tens of millions of data points at ThinkTQ.com, we can make this statementwithout hesitation or equivocation: People do NOT understand what personal performanceactually MEANS. It’s all fuzzy and jumbled up in the back of their minds. They confuse jobskills with their underlying performance skills and characteristics.

So, when you are discussing what personal performance means, use TQ as your base leveldefinition. It’s easy.

At their initial orientation or their next performance

review, just hand them a copy of this book and tell them

that this is how you define results-producing personal

power. It’s the kindest, most empowering single thing

you will do as a manager. Helping people improve not

only helps them, it makes you a great leader!

S T A R T M A K I N G E A C H M I N U T E M A T T E R ! 258S T O P W A S T I N G T I M E W I S H I N G F O R M O R E T I M E —257

FREE FREE TTQ Q WWorkorkshop Cershop Certifictificaatete

Start producing better results NOW!

As a reader of Full Spectrum Career Power, you are entitled to receive:

• 1 Free Personal Workshop/Audio CD of your choice. Choose from Setting

Goals, Making Plans, Time Management, Getting Organized, Improved

Attitude... and more!

• Free access to TQ assessment and training tools.

• Free access to all our TQ Tests.

• Free access to our exclusive Dreams, Goals and Plans Center.

All we ask is that you pay our standard $6.95 Shipping and Handling fee todeliver your Audio CD and various printed materials to you.

If you haven’t already, simply register to make your selection. Be sure to usethe following link and Discount Code on the payment screen:

www.ThinkTQ.com/WORKSHOPS

Discount Code: WSFREE

$50 Off S$50 Off Syysstem Certem Certifictificaatete

Save $50 on The Full Power of TQ Systemwhen you order with this code!

To rapidly improve the effectiveness of your performance,we highly recommend that you order the Full Power of TQ

System, normally $199.95—a combined savings of over $500if each component is ordered separately. This Certificateentitles you to take an additional $50 off the Full System price.

The Full Power of TQ System contains 16 different modulesthat all work together to train you to achieve RESULTS beyondexpectation. Order today with confidence. Your satisfaction isbacked by our unconditional, 100% money back guarantee!

Redeem Your Certificate Now.

Go to THINKTQ.COM/SYSTEM. Follow the order prompts.Enter CAREERPOWER50 as the Coupon/Discount Code onthe payment page. We will take an additional $50 off your FullSystem purchase. Pricing subject to change without notice.

E X P E C T M O R E — E X E C U T E B E T T E R©2004-2005 ThinkTQ, Inc.

E X P E C T M O R E — E X E C U T E B E T T E R©2004-2005 ThinkTQ, Inc.

S T A R T M A K I N G E A C H M I N U T E M A T T E R ! 260S T O P W A S T I N G T I M E W I S H I N G F O R M O R E T I M E —259

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• 10,000 unique training sequences, each color-coded to the 10 Colors,and 100 key Factor Actions that drive your performance.

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www.ThinkTQ.com/PRISM

Order, and on the payment screen,enter Discount Code:

CPSS20

SaSavve 15% on Additional Ce 15% on Additional Copopiesies

Of Full Spectrum Career Power.

Want to help others fast-track their career track? Want to train youremployees to produce exceptional results?

Simply order additional copies of Full Spectrum Career Power online, andyou will receive quantity pricing.

Quantity Discount

2-4 Copies 5% Off

5-9 Copies 10% Off

10 or more 15% Off

Note: Prices and discounts subject to change without notice. To orderone or a thousand copies, go to:

www.ThinkTQ.com/FSCP

E X P E C T M O R E — E X E C U T E B E T T E R©2004-2005 ThinkTQ, Inc.

E X P E C T M O R E — E X E C U T E B E T T E R©2004-2005 ThinkTQ, Inc.