A Lesson On Mastering the Lesson

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”

—Frederick Douglass

Do you find that you struggle with the same things over and over again? If so, you haven’t mastered the lesson in the struggle.

You probably already know that in life, lessons repeat themselves until you…

Smart People vs. Wise People

Smart people learn from their mistakes; wise people learn from the mistakes of others. Learning from the mistakes and experiences of others will greatly accelerate your progress. It will also save you a boatload of time and money.

Suggested Reading:A Lesson on Mastering the Lesson

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget #1: Write and Succeed

Have you ever heard the story about the guy who was trying to build a skyscraper, but he didn’t have any plans or blueprints? I can tell you right now that you have never heard that story.

Why?

Because is it doesn’t exist!

Nobody would try to build a building like that without planning it out in writing…first. Even if someone could build it without using blueprints, it would still be much simpler if things were planned out on paper. It works the same way for you and building your life.

You tend to accomplish a lot more when you put your goals, ideas, plans, and the necessary action steps in writing. Write and succeed.

Whether digitally or by hand, write down you goals, ideas, and plans.

Million-Dollar Question: 
How soon are you going to put your goals, ideas, plans,
and the necessary action steps in writing?

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Do you really believe you have a greater chance of success when you write things down? Why or why not?

2. Write down one of your main goals. What is the next action step you can take on that goal? How soon are you going to do the action step? (HINT: “Today” would be an awesome answer.)

3. What are some of the excuses people use for not writing down their goals, ideas, and action plans? How do YOU avoid those kinds of excuses?

4. What tool(s) do you like to use for keeping track of your actions steps? (To-do list, calendar, phone, journal, etc.) What makes it/them effective for you?

5. If you had to teach a class on the importance of writing down your goals, ideas, and plans, what would your main point be? What makes your point so important?

Additional Reading: 3 Keys To Help Young People Track Progress On Goals

Q & A: Public Speaking Tips Pt. 2

continued from part 1

Be Brief

Recently, I was the keynote speaker at a welcome back dinner for the African-American Cultural Center at the University of Connecticut.

I was supposed to deliver a 90 minute talk, but the students were so engaged and had me so fired up that before we realized it, an hour and 45 minutes had gone by!

You might be thinking, “Al, an hour and 45 minutes is not brief. That’s a long time.”

Actually, it depends on the context. That’s the interesting thing about time; two hours can seem like ten minutes or ten minutes can seem like two hours.

Have you ever been stuck listening to a lack-luster speaker? Have you ever been trapped in a mind-numbing lecture or boring conversation? Ten minutes of this torture is excruciatingly painful, right? The point is:

Q & A: Public Speaking Tips Pt. 1

Q: As a motivational speaker and thought leader, do you have any suggestions or experience that you want to share? I understand that practice makes perfect. Do you have specific tips for improving public speaking? —Yue L., School of Management, Syracuse University

Million-Dollar Networking Questions

Click here for a free pdf version.

Strong professional relationships are resources that can give you a competitive advantage in the 21st Century and one of the best ways to build professional relationships is via networking.

“But what do you say (or talk about) when you first meet someone?”

“What do you say (or do) when there’s a lull in the conversation?”

My response to both questions is the same.

Delayed Gratification – The Lost Art