The 10 Keys to Personal Power

Brian Tracey

Key 1: Clarity

“Have vision. Determine what you want to be, do or have in life. Have a sense of direction and know where you’re going. If you do not have clear specific goals in life, you are doomed forever to work for others who do.”

Reflection: To have clarity means you are aware of knowing what you want and your ambition to succeed in life. When you determine what you want in life you have to make sure it is something that is going to give you success, money, and overall give you a happy life. When someone has vision, and has something to push them it pushes them to see the clarity of what they want to do with their lives. No one wants to be bossed around and treated horrible by an owner, CEO, or a business owner so that is why we strive for the best. To have clarity in life means that you know what you are doing and you know where you are headed towards life. If you do not have ambition or do not have goals no one is going to have them for you nor are they entitled so it is good to have a motivation to push someone. In this world no one is going to give you anything so it is always good to have a mission in mind and the clarity of what you want because if you don’t want something you’ve got nothing.

Key 2: Competence
“If you commit to excellence, opportunities will always come your way. The harder you work, the better you get.”

Reflection: Competence is key to being a successful person and having excellence in the choice of work. When you work hard, and play hard great things happen because you will become more successful, and it means you are having success happen. When you are competent it means you are doing everything right and doing it the right way. This also means that you have the hunger and the power to become successful and have a good life. To have competence means that if you play hard, work hard and do everything to become successful, secure a bright future, and make sure that you are making a lot of money the better you get at it. When someone is competent that is the type of people anyone wants to work with because they get their stuff done without whining or complaining and they make it happen. When someone commits to excellence they are doing it for a reason and that reason is because most of people know what it is to be broke, or to struggle and that is what motivates to be competent and always stay on top of the game.

Key 3: Concentration

“Make the best use of your time. Ask yourself “is this the best use of my time?” before you start anything.”

Reflection: To be concentrated and be focused means that you are a diligent, hardworking person. Being concentrated means that you take your work serious and that you do not waste time and work on what you have to work. Being a diligent person means to be concentrated because you are focusing on what you have to do to become successful and get by whatever it is you are doing. Making good use of your time is beneficial because you are focusing on the most important things, and handling what is most important than focusing on things that are not as important. To be concentrated does not take a lot it just takes commitment and hard work because at the end of the day hard work does pay off and you gain skills, success, and other things you think you are not capable of gaining.  Concentration is not hard when you are focusing on the right thing, if you focus on the wrong thing it is a waste of time because you will not gain anything out of it. A quality of a good student is commitment and concentration because everyone wants someone that can easily focus on just one thing, give their undivided attention to it and finish the task. 

Key 4: Common Sense

“Act well your part; there all honor lies.”

Alexander Pope

Reflection: Sometimes we have the ability to really make a simple situation much more complicated than it has to be. Whereas if we slowed things down a bit and used some common sense everything would appear different to us. Common sense is everywhere everyone has it, it is just in the manner that they apply it into their daily lives.

Key 5: Creativity

“Except the fact that every human being is genius, the hallmark of creativity is asking questions. The people who are most creative ask the most questions.

Reflection: Being creative is a skill everyone has, but others can do it better than others. To be creative means that you can come up with brilliant ideas and that you can make something out of nothing. Everyone has creativity but it all depends on how far the person wants to go with it and what they want to make with it. Creativity is a way where a lot of people express themselves in different forms and shapes. The mind is capable of creating many different things with knowledge and imagination so there cannot be a way for someone to say they are not creative. Every individual is creative in their own way and some are more creative than others and that is perfectly fine. An individual cannot say they are not creative because they would be lying, everyone is creative and everyone has it in them. 

Key 7: Consistency

“Dependable, steady predictable work is always superior to fast spurts of work.”

Reflection: To be consistent is something everyone looks for in a person as a skill and overall as something they take seriously. To be consistent means that your production of work stays the same the quality does not decrease or increase and that you can stay at a constant rate with everything. An individual not only has to be consistent with their quality of work but just in general with their life. If you cannot be consistent and keep up with life or its demands how can you go through living life the right way. To be consistent means that you can be dependent because it means that you get stuff done and finish it at a certain pace and it also means that you are efficient in not only your work ethic but life itself. Being consistent not only in the work setting but in relationships, with family, and with friends can also help improve it.

Key 8: Commitment

“No success is possible without commitment. The ability to commit yourself whole heartily is the basis of achieving all success.”

“Become totally absorbed in your work. Be totally committed.”

Reflection; Commitment is a good starting foundation everyone wants in a person and if you do not have it why bother even working with other people. Commitment to me is not just staying on your grind but also committing to not just work but also committing to relationships, family, friends, and so on. Commitment is an important part of a relationship and without it you have nothing so it is very crucial to stay committed and to not do any empty promises. To me commitment is important because if you cannot commit then why even bother. When it comes to relationships people always want their partners to be committed and to be faithful because without that how can a relationship work. All in all commitment is important to many people and those who do stay committed get awarded for it in the long run with nothing but good positive things.

Key 9: Courage
“The fear of failure is the single reason for failure in life.”

Reflection: To have courage to do something takes a lot of pride, and overall it takes the persons chances in either succeeding or failing. To have the courage to do something takes immense power because not only may the person be risking something but they are also putting their effort in it. To fail is peoples fear because it does not feel good and it can set someone back from reaching or accomplishing something they wanted to do. To have courage to do something is a big step in someone’s life because you do not know the outcome of it and whether or not it will be positive or negative. The fear of failure is something that keeps people from doing different things and striving to the top which is not good, and that is when courage comes in to overpower the negativity and to fill someone with hope and opportunity.

Key 10: Confidence

“You only get confidence by doing things over and over again.”

Reflection: It’s something we all have, but with various levels. It’s what makes the difference between closing a deal and waiting for a call back. It’s what makes the difference between achieving your dream and living a static life. Confidence is key – we’ve all heard it. When you’re confident, you feel good. You think big, you’re positive, and you emit envious vibes. People want to know more about you, how you became that way. They become intrigued.  Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every aspect of our lives, yet so many people struggle to find it. Sadly, this can be a vicious circle: people who lack self-confidence can find it difficult to become successful. After all, most people are reluctant to back a project that's being pitched by someone who was nervous, fumbling, and overly apologetic. On the other hand, you might be persuaded by someone who speaks clearly, who holds his or her head high, who answers questions assuredly, and who readily admits when he or she does not know something. Confident people inspire confidence in others: their audience, their peers, their bosses, their customers, and their friends. And gaining the confidence of others is one of the key ways in which a self-confident person finds success.

Reflection

The ten keys to personal power is definitely something influential and something very useful to fulfill a long, happy life, they can benefit you by helping you feel better about yourself, making the right decisions, and most importantly living life the right way and the way it should be lived. Out of the ten keys little by little I am applying all of them because I do want to achieve all the keys in the ten powers and it is something important to follow if you do want to live a good life. I will incorporate the keys into my life planning by pushing myself, and thinking positive.

The Six Attitudes of High Achievers

John R. Noe

1.         Make no small plans

2.       Reflection: Always making small plans in other words is limiting yourself to your resources, and what you are capable of doing. Making small plans means that you aren’t really trying to gain everything you are capable of gaining in making everything big and going after what you want. If people would really want to achieve greatly they would expand their plans and reach out to the people known in the area they want to excel in. Making big plans means that you are ambitious and really want to make something out of yourself and that you are not afraid of anything that may be thrown in your way. Of course there will be obstacles someone will have to face in order to achieve and succeed, but if you keep a positive mind anything is possible if you just believe. There is many ways someone can keep from making small plans and making them into big plans. One way is by expanding deals that are proposed to you and not turning them down because it can lead to bigger and better things. If you’re turning down something that can impact your life greatly then you are already failing and closing opened doors that are filled with nothing but opportunity. Success is everything, and that is what most people strive for here in America, but there always has to be a laid out foundation that you know can help you make bigger plans instead of small plans. If someone prepares themselves the right way, they study, they work hard, and overall they show ambition in their work ethic then making small plans will never be in their agenda because they know what they want. Without want you have nothing, and without nothing, you are nothing, so ambition is key in any circumstance.

3.       Quote: “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” – Helen Keller

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5.       What I will do to apply this and master this step in life is be ambitious, positive, and never turn down any beneficial deals or ideas thrown at me because those deals and ideas can be the beginning of something bigger, and success. 

2.  Attitude: “Do what they fear”.

1. Reflection: In many ways this quote makes me put things in perspective from having an education, to taking advantage of all the opportunities. One most feared thing ever, is having the poor become more educated, and more aware of what is going on in the real world. This is a fear because now people are aware of the truth, and you can’t hide it anymore from the public because of the knowledge they know. The lack of knowledge is something upper headed officials can use on someone that isn’t as educated as them to cause fear, and nothing but malicious things. People that want to maintain the world as how it used to be where as the poor were the slaves, and are afraid that if they start finding out the truth it can affect their plans and what they had in mind for the future of the world, or country. Keeping people ignorant has been a used tactic through the beginning of time, and till then it’s still useful.

Power is the thing people want, but what the rich fear from the poor. Through entertainment everyone is kept ignorant and have no clue what is going in the real world. What most people have to do is advocate and let the other people know that what the government is doing to keep them from being smart is wrong and it’s a way to destroy the poor. People are ignorant because that’s how they are raised and from seeing their parents act how they act is going to rub off on them and for the many generations to come after them if nothing is changed. No one wants to be a slave to the rich one percent that has almost all of America’s money in their hands. It is unfair, it’s disgusting, and overall it’s offending. It’s offending because most upper-class people thing that the poor are illiterate and ridiculous but that is not the case. We the poor people need to stand up to the upper-class and show them what they have feared for most of their lives.

3. Quote:  "Never be afraid to sit a while and think." - Lorraine Hansberry

3. Are Willing To Prepare

1. Reflection: If you’re willing to prepare and plan then that is an advantage because normally people won’t do that. People would just like to go through the day, and not plan what they have in mind for the day. Being willing to prepare yourself is being responsible, and organized with your life in general. If people take time out of their day to prepare themselves it is because they want to be ready for whatever comes their way, and they want to be able to take on anything. Being prepared for life just in general says a lot because if you took the time to do whatever you had to do to get ready it means you were serious about it.

In everyday life, people always take measures to prepare for events or for whatever the case is. One example is studying the night before for a test you have the next day in class. Another example is getting ready for college by researching what they have available, and visiting their campus. There is many ways to prepare yourself for life in general; it all depends on how you did it and what it took for you to do it.

2. Quote: “There are no right and wrong ways to work in this business, but there are some basic common-sense practices. Work very, very hard and always be prepared; never give up; and once you get the job, give them more than they ever expected: - Shine!” – Jimmy Smits.

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4. What I will do to apply this attitude is get more organized with my life, and be more responsible. 

4. Are willing to risk failure

1. Reflection: Being perfect is inevitable, and in the course of a life time, someone will have to be willing to risk failure. Failure is something most people go through depending on their actions, and it’s a possibility that they will fail. Failing is an option in many areas, there is not one person who did not fail in an experiment, a study, or overall any little thing. People shouldn’t fear failure because there will come a time where it will happen, and it might not be stopped. Failing comes in all forms, and it is up to someone to keep themselves from failing and making a mistake.

Even though it is impossible for someone to fail, everything comes with trial and error; nothing becomes perfect out of the ordinary. Everything that has evolved to be what it is today has come from a form that wasn’t as perfect. For instance smart phones have been tested on and have been in the trial and error process so it can perform accurate and with a good consistency. Ever technological thing on earth has been through a process of failure so then people can analyze it and make it be better and accurate.  All in all failure is inevitable and we should just take it as it is.

2. Quote: “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” – Muhammad Ali

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4. In order for me to apply this attitude it will all come in the course of my life and my decision, only god knows when I will fail and when I succeed.

5. Are teachable

1. Reflection: If you’re someone that is teachable and willing to learn something every single day then you are great. Not many people are willing to learn because they have it handed to them and they get a free education. In the other hand, many kids in other parts of the world don’t get the privilege so whoever is up to learn something and are teachable it’s a good thing.  If you’re teachable then you’re capable of succeeding and wiping out competition. Everything in this world is competition; if you’re up for the challenge then it shouldn’t be a problem.  Being teachable should also be taken as a privilege because many others are born with disabilities that keep them from getting access to that privilege, it should definitely be something someone should be grateful for. 

Being teachable should be looked as a sense that it is solely a privilege and that cannot be denied. Being teachable means that you have the hunger to learn and expand your knowledge. When it comes to education it shouldn’t be taken as something for the moment, it should be taken and thought of as for the future. An education is a pathway to someone’s future and it can greatly affect someone if they are not taking that privilege serious and are not concentrating. Overall being teachable is a good thing depending on what you are choosing to focus on. If it is something that is negative and won’t make your future brighter you are just wasting your time.

2 Quote: “What I believe is that all clear-minded people should remain two things throughout their lifetimes: Curious and teachable.” – Roger Ebert

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4. to apply this attitude I will dominate the privilege to be teachable and make something out of it and prove everyone wrong that ever doubted me. I will not take the easy way out because then that means I haven’t learned and I didn’t master this the right way, To struggle and be successful that’s the key, hard work pays off, easy work will lead you nowhere.

6. Have Heart

1. Reflection: For someone to have a heart and me compassionate is something really special in a person’s character. Having a heart can make someone stand out in a sea of people and can make them look good. On the other hand, people that don’t have a heart are considered to be more negative, and don’t look at the bright side of things, and always have bad thoughts blocking their mind.  Having heart is something good because it is something god made us with and we are born with it so ewe can’t really say no one has heart. In addition to have heart means you’re more on the generous side and are always on the lookout for others and love people no matter what.

To have heart can mean something different to individuals because they do not think like you. For instance, to have heart means to me helping others in the time of need and giving back. Another example is always being kind and generous to other people even if they are not nice to you. To have heart also means that you thank god every day and have him in your thoughts daily and you love and praise him as he is the one that brought you to the world. All in all, having heart is something every human does its just up to us to show our compassion, and show our heart.

2. Quote: “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.” – Steve Jobs.

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4. I will master this new attitude by being more compassion, and doing everything with my heart.