95% of the human population lives life by default.

Most people never do anything to make themselves or their situations better intentionally.

They do (sometimes) improve and grow over time, but —

It’s not because there was any strategy or plan behind it
Their growth and improvement is random, based on environmental factors which they don’t control
That growth stops somewhere around their early 20s, never to resume

You may know some people who fit the description. Hell, maybe I’m describing you right now. The good news: There are some simple strategies you can start using today that will put you ahead of the 95%, just due to your conscious use of them.

Even better news: You can start using these strategies immediately, from the seat you’re in right now, and put yourself in the 5 percent.

Review Your Goals/Vision Daily

Where are you going in life?

What do you want to do?

What material possessions do you want to have?

What experiences do you want to have?

What type of person do you want to become?

You should have answers to all the above — and you need to be reviewing these answers daily to remind yourself of them. The Mental Workbook exists strictly for this purpose.

Goals are your navigation system, the GPS that lends direction and purpose to your thoughts, words and actions. People who don’t have goals, the 95%, can be quite active and always busy, but without a map or destination — without an outcome — they expend a lot of energy with no results to show for it.

Daily Consumption Of Personal Development

I define personal development as any material one consumes for the purpose of making yourself better and more valuable. This includes certain podcasts, books, seminars, articles, even conversations (with the right people).

To be in the top 5%, personal development needs to be part of your daily life.

Think of someone you know who’s in great physical shape. How often does this person exercise?

A person who makes a lot of money — how often are they taking action to, or strategizing about, making money?

A great writer writes every day. A painter paints daily. A professional musician writes and records new music every day.

If you want to make yourself better and more valuable — to your company, to your relationships, to your customers or audience, to society at large — it needs to be a daily discipline. It’s not just something you do when you’re motivated, or when things aren’t working for you and you realize a change is necessary. It’s a part of your lifestyle. That’s why the Work On Your Game Podcast is every day.

Whatever format you choose — a book, podcast, conversation, YouTube video, or something else — commit to consistent effort if you expect consistent results.

Recognize And Replace Negative Thoughts

Successful people think differently from unsuccessful people.

Do you agree with that statement? You should.

And while successful thinking is more than simply “thinking good thoughts,” positive thinking is its starting point.

Consider the following.

Successful people focus on solutions, while unsuccessful people focus on problems.

Successful people know a lot about what they want, while unsuccessful people become experts on what they don’t want.

Successful people emphasize what can be done, while unsuccessful people only think of what they can’t do.

What’s the basis of all of these truths? Positivity. A can-do attitude. Thinking how can I? instead of I can’t.

I once heard the unscientific ratio of it taking 17 positive thoughts to cancel out even one negative thought. We can’t measure that, but think about your own life: How quickly does one negative idea douse the fire of a string of positive thoughts? Build the discipline to catch yourself entertaining a negative thought or soaking in your own negative energy, and “cancel” it with your own positive energy. It would help to have a list of personal achievements to refer to — that’s also in The Mental Workbook.

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The 95% where people who live by default end up by default. You don’t have to be part of the 95%. You don’t have to be average. You can live the life that many people can only imagine, and many others can’t even bring themselves to fantasize about.

It all starts with yourself.

Get The Mental Workbook [Digital Physical Audio] and build the life you want from the inside-out.

Also see:

How To Make Your Name or Brand Stand Out
How To Keep Asking
You Aren’t Even A Fan Of Yourself

Your Choices Will Choose You