Have you ever wondered what it will be like when death comes calling for you?

I hadn’t… that  is, until I was told….

“YOU ARE DYING!”

Those three words will completely change your life.  I don’t want you to wait until you hear those words to change your life.  I hope you’ll embrace the life you’ve been given, and make the most of each moment.

I wrote a short manifesto (just under a 1,000 words) that I hope will encourage you to truly live the life you’ve been given.

Grab your copy of Confessions of a Dying Man.

If it the manifesto helps you..I have two simple requests:

1. Share your feedback in the comments below, or write me directly.

2. Share it with others.  If you believe this manifesto will encourage your friends and family to live their life to the fullest, please share it with them.

In this post, I have the privilege of giving you a glimpse inside the life of someone who has successfully used visioning to completely change his life’s direction.  Now he is using his passion to help others do the same.  I’d like to introduce you to Tito Philips, Jr.

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Q – Who is Tito Philips, Jr.? And what is Naijapreneur?

I’m an unusual Nigerian that is passionately MAD – Making A Difference! A People, Business & Life developer. I write, speak, coach, train & consult on how people, businesses & lives can be SIGNIFICANT – different [unique] & making a difference [useful]. The CEO of MADphilips, an unusual company dedicated to the development of people, businesses and lives. Naijapreneur is my blog where I write about business and entrepreneurship to help unusual entrepreneurs learn how to build SIGNIFICANT, or extra-ordinary, businesses that profit from purpose by changing the world!

Q-What is visioning?

Vision is a picture of a preferable future. It is a thing you create with your imagination and then make visible plans on how to achieve it. Vision involves the painting of a better life for yourself and deciding to do all that you can to bring it to pass. Vision is of your own making; your role is that of a manufacturer creating a finished product; in this case, a preferable future, a better tomorrow. It’s not by force; it’s a choice. It entails making a choice to pursue the preferred life of your choice. It’s not the same as purpose.

Purpose is not a picture that you paint; it’s a call that must be obeyed or answered. It’s not a thing you create; it’s a thing created for you and deposited in you. Purpose is not within your power to create; it’s a thing you discover by asking your Maker.  Purpose is your destiny; it is a matter of intention.  And intention is not a matter of choice, but a matter of source. The intention of a thing is not in the hand of the invention (the thing), but in the hand of the inventor (the maker of the thing). You cannot know the purpose (intention) of a thing by asking the thing (invention), but rather by asking the maker of the thing (inventor).

God is our Creator and thus the only source of our purpose or intention. It’s only the inventor of a thing that can accurately define and explain the intended use, or purpose, of that thing. Purpose lies in our source and not in our choice. What does this mean? Purpose is something hidden deep within us by the Creator from our very beginning. It is a treasure that is to be discovered. You don’t alter it or choose it; it’s discovered and thus chooses you. We must therefore make a choice to follow or submit to what we have discovered about ourselves. Since we never made ourselves, we can only search within ourselves to discover what the Maker hid in us. Hence, our task as humans is to discover what it is that we carry within us individually.

Purpose is not the same as a vision, for it’s bigger than a vision. Vision is only an instrument of fulfilling purpose. If purpose is the spirit, vision is the body. Purpose is the end, and vision a means to an end. Purpose is seeing life from God’s perspective; vision is seeing life from man’s perspective. We as humans have visions; God as our Maker gives us purpose. Why? So that our vision (picture of a preferred future) can be in alignment with our purpose (what we were originally created to do).  Purpose is how the Creator (inventor) sees the life of the creature (invention), while vision is how the creature sees its own life.

Purpose is the reason why the creature exists – the essence of existence. Vision is the dream of the creature – the quest for fulfillment. Purpose is designed from above but discovered here on earth; vision is designed here by man from inside. Purpose is your intended life; vision is your preferred life. One was ordained long before you were made; the other you strive to attain after you are made. Purpose is what you are here to do, your destiny; vision is how badly you want to do what you are here to do, your legacy.  Purpose is the essence of existence; vision the extent of your existence.  Purpose is what brought you to existence. You don’t exist to choose your purpose; you exist for a purpose. It’s because there was a need that you were created, as a solution to that need. You are a solution to an existing problem. You don’t question purpose; you submit to and obey purpose. No creature questions the intentions of the Creator. Your job on earth is to find and follow your purpose. Conclusively, purpose is the intent of the Creator, and it is to be obeyed and followed.

However, choosing your vision is totally up to you. It’s your responsibility to align your vision with your purpose. Vision has to do with how far you want to carry out your purpose. Vision is a question of size – to what extent do you want to follow and carry out your purpose? How far do you want to go in the direction of your purpose? Vision is painting a picture of how you want to fulfill your purpose. It’s how you see yourself fulfilling your purpose. If purpose is destiny – the end, then vision is legacy – the means to the end. Your vision should lead you to fulfill your purpose. The secret and balance of the two is using your life according to God’s perspective and creating a vision that conforms to that perspective.

Q-How has visioning impacted your life?

Vision has impacted my life greatly as it has helped me to aspire for more from life. Without my vision of becoming the greatest living authority on SIGNIFICANCE –the art of being different [unusual uniqueness] and making a difference [unusual usefulness] – by 2020, my life would have traveled a different path.

Here’s my story – the origin of MADphilips.

My unusual journey into the world of entrepreneurship began in 2005 when in my quest for survival I almost sabotaged my purpose in life. I was heading down a destructive path very quickly. What was this path? I was once an online scam artist! In my country, Nigeria, this is popularly known as “Yahoo! – Yahoo!.” How does this work? Through the internet, relationships are initiated and built between a man and a woman over a certain period of time with the intention of being together as lovers in the near future. One person out of both parties, usually the one being scammed [the maga] is completely honest, innocent and ignorant of the nefarious intentions of the other person [the scammer]. The whole objective of the scam artist [scammer] is to siphon as much money as possible from the one being scammed all the while leveraging on the emotions of love, romance and sex. The real identity of the scammer is usually hidden because a phony name, gender, nationality, location, story and even pictures are being used all through the period of interaction.  The scammer can assume any gender, male or female, depending on the availability of pictures.

Meeting Victoria

Precisely on July 2, 2005 I met a 40-year-old woman via a Yahoo chat room.  Her name is Victoria S. Jaime. She is an American who lived in Sacramento, California with three kids; Saulomon [male, 13 years old then], Petrapilar [Petra for short, female, 7 years old then] and Enereo [a special needs child; he was 4 years old then]. At that time she was working with Silicon Graphics International [SGI]. I was using the phony name “Timmy Thomas,” a phony age of 31 years, a phony location South Africa and using a phony Yahoo ID “teeblackstone” while in reality I was only just turning 21 years on the 25th of that same month of July we met. We became friends, very close friends from the moment we got to talking and it didn’t take us long to bond eventually as lovers. Just for the record, what I felt for her was absolutely real.  If you asked me, I would say everything about us was just so darn unusual.

To cut the long story short, our love for each other grew so strong that she sent me $1500 in August for a computer engineering course I previously had in mind to enroll for but couldn’t due to lack of funds. She called it an investment. We planned to see each other physically in September during my so-called visit from South Africa to see my mother who was living in Nigeria. This was when I couldn’t take it anymore. Meeting physically was against the rules of the game. There wasn’t supposed to be any physical meeting between the two parties involved, because one party was real [the maga] while the other wasn’t [the scammer]. Normally, following the rules of the game, this was supposed to be my exit point. But I did the unusual.

I quit the game!

I came clean and told her the whole truth. During one of our phone conversations, she made a statement that she was always fond of saying, “Tim, you always sound so much older and talk so much wiser than your age. You sound like you are 60!” Right there and then, I seized the opportunity and told her my real age, name, and everything else there was to confess. For about 3 hours, we were both on the phone crying and asking ourselves, why? She was so brokenhearted. I had to tell her the whole truth because I couldn’t stand not meeting her in person. Deep down inside me, I desperately wanted to meet her in person; even now, I still do!

Her impact on my life!

In case you are wondering why I was so keen on meeting her, here’s the truth; this woman Victoria S. Jaime literally changed my life! She is responsible for my rebirth, because she pointed out to me my role here on earth [my purpose]. In her very own words, she said to me,

“Tim, in all of my years, experience and education on earth, I have never had anyone, not even my teachers at the Dale Carnegie Institute, speak to me like you do. Their words never had as much impact on me as yours. Tim, your words are your wealth. That is all you need to be everything you dream in life!”

Those words gave my life a new meaning. They made me realize that I didn’t have to continue with being a scam artist anymore since I had something SIGNIFICANT to offer the world. Why go ahead with a false identity when my real identity still spoke out loudly from beneath the false identity? There was no need to be someone else when I could do the world a greater good being myself. I made a promise to myself to give this new life she had pointed out to me a chance. With the money she sent me, I refused to go for the computer engineering course she had given me the money for. Rather, I asked her permission to go for a 3- week leadership development program I had recently seen advertised at my church. She agreed and so I began the program in September. During the course of the program, I bought as many personal and business development books as possible. I also paid for and attended as many personal and business development seminars, workshops and conferences as possible. I have never stopped, nor looked back ever since.

That’s how I became who I am today – MADphilips. To always remember and commit to my just-found purpose in life, I added the acronym ‘MAD’ which stands for Making A Difference to my surname ‘Philips’ and registered it as my company name. The name stands as a reminder to me all the time of how I escaped the trap of survival and how I must help as many people and businesses as I can do the same. Today, MADphilips is fast becoming a Nigerian brand with a global appeal that is helping people and businesses become dissatisfied with SURVIVAL and showing them how to make the crucial, life-changing transition from survival to significance. I started the blog “naijapreneur!” to teach businesses and entrepreneurs how to be SIGNIFICANT because I have also seen how businesses that focus on survival [making a living] end up as mediocre. Having witnessed personally what focusing on survival can do to destroy one’s destiny in life, I am currently working on another blog iLIVE4CHANGE that will teach people how to say “No” to the trap of survival and make the transition to live a life of significance.  And finally, to help more lives become SIGNIFICANT, I intend to build a humanitarian organization called Helpers Of Destiny [HOD] to give hope to many less privileged kids of underdeveloped nations. She knows about this; we even planned on building it together.

The End and another Beginning…

Today, 6 years later, I am still online, but no longer as a scammer [teeblackstone], but as a blogger [MADphilips]. I’m no longer using my gift with words for deception but for inspiration. Today when I speak at events, I still get the same feedback I got from Victoria, “Your words are powerful; how do you know all  this and talk so deep at such a young age?” My answer is usually the same – PURPOSE. We are all but instruments in the hands of the Almighty. If, as a scammer, my gift with words was recognized in spite of all the deception, then I leave you with the greatest truth on earth -

“Your purpose can never be HIDDEN, no matter how far astray you might have gone!”

To read the full story, click here….

Q-How has visioning impacted your business?

For me, the greatest impact of visioning on my business is the clear sense of purpose it gives to our entire operation. These days as entrepreneurs, it has become increasingly difficult to really explain with clarity what our business is about, as there are many ‘me too’ businesses out there. But through visioning, I have been able to set my company apart and stand for something very tangible in the minds of my target customers. Visioning is how we chose an unusual business name – MADphilips. It is the single most distinguishing factor of our business. It is the philosophy that drives all that we do.  Our business is SIGNIFICANCE – being different and making a difference. Visioning helped us define our business.

Q-With all the tasks and responsibilities entrepreneurs face, should they invest their time in visioning?

Absolutely!

-Why?

As an entrepreneur, you are never too busy to look into the future. If you do not deliberately create the time to look into the future by creating a compelling vision for yourself and your company, there is no way you will survive long. You see, the business world is very competitive and the companies that don’t have a clear vision of where they are headed are easily eaten up alive by those competitors who do. When you don’t have a vision, every destination becomes your bus stop. Every customer becomes a prospect. Every project becomes a sale. Every applicant becomes an employee. In short, without vision, your company, product or services will be just like that of others, with no differentiation.

Q-What’s your process for visioning?

Like I said in my definition of vision, it is critical you first find a sense of purpose for your life. Purpose is your greater reason for living beyond survival. Passion, that thing which you enjoy doing and naturally excel at, is the source of your purpose. Because it comes with you from birth, your purpose was defined by the Creator. You cannot choose your passion either; no one says to himself/herself, “This is what I want to enjoy doing.” We all must submit to our passion; it is a force that consumes and inspires our life work. Once you can tell what your passion is, purpose is the contribution you want to make on earth using that passion.

Vision becomes clearer when you have found purpose. It becomes the extent to which you want to fulfill purpose. Vision is how far you want to go in the direction of your purpose.

So here it is:

Passion -> Purpose -> Vision

Q-Would you mind sharing your vision for your business and life?

My life’s vision:
“To be the greatest living authority on SIGNIFICANCE – the art of being different [unusual uniqueness] and making a difference [unusual usefulness].”   

My business vision:
“To be the global leader and authority on SIGNIFICANCE.”

Q-Anything else we should know about visioning and/or Tito Philips, Jr.?

I have written a FREE manifesto titled “The Entrepreneur’s Journey.” It is an ebook on how entrepreneurs can build SIGNIFICANT companies that change the world and profit from purpose. Click here to get your own copy FREE.

Lamborghini has Ferrari.

Batman has the Joker.

Democrats have the Republicans.

Coke has Pepsi.

Whom do you have?

You need a nemesis!  Sure, you may be just starting out.  Sure, you may have plenty of battles to fight without having to worry about a nemesis. BUT… a nemesis can catapult you towards success (yep, even if you lose the battle).  There are five reasons you need to find a nemesis:

Having a Nemesis – Forces You To Stand For Something

Mac stands for clean, simple design.  Mac stands for easy user interface.  Mac stands for artists, designers, musicians, and creative folks.  Sure, I could go into more specifics but you get the point… they stand for things that other competitors don’t.

Standing for something gives people an idea of whether or not they should be “on your side.”  The problem is that it’s easy to stand for a lot of different things, which makes it difficult for people to determine if they should join your side.  And this is why it’s also important to stand against something.

Having a Nemesis – Forces You To Stand In Opposition To Something

The Republican Party stands in opposition to abortion.  The Democratic Party is Pro-Choice.  On the other hand, the Democratic party is in opposition to tax cuts for the wealthiest, while the Republicans support lower taxes across the board. Each of these stances makes it easier for you to decide if you’re a Democrat or a Republican.

Regardless of your business (or your niche) you’re going to face a fierce battle from your competition.  As you become more successful, the battles waged by your competitors will become more fierce, and they’ll start accusing you of things that may not be true.  So go ahead, be brave and draw your line in the sand and take a stand against something (or maybe many things).

Having a Nemesis – Gives Your Critics Permission (and something specific) To Criticize

Once you draw your line in the sand it gives your critics permission to criticize you.  They’re going to criticize you anyway, but by taking a stand both for and against certain things, you’re forcing your critics to focus on the things you stand for and the things you stand against.

Having a Nemesis – Allows Your Followers To Defend You

Which do you like better, Lamborghini or Ferrari?  For me, I’ve always been infatuated with Lamborghinis. When I was a child I had a huge poster of a Lamborghini Countach hanging on my wall, and ever since I’ve been a defender of Lamborghini.  When someone says Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin, or any other brand is better than Lamborghini, I will defend and argue on behalf of Lamborghini.  The funny thing is, I’ve never driven or even ridden in a Lamborghini, but yet, I’m convinced they make the best supercars in the world.

To me, Lamborghini stands for speed, style, passion, and success.  Sure, the others stand for certain things, but they’re not as good as Lamborghini.  When you stand for certain things (whether real or perceived) you give your followers something to defend.

Having a Nemesis – Allows You To Engage Your Audience

What good would Batman be if it weren’t for The Joker?  What good would Robin Hood be if it weren’t for the Sheriff of Nottingham?  What good is your business if you don’t have something to fight for, and something to fight against? Sure, you can exist without the fight, but the fight is what people enjoy watching and participating in.

In our world of ever-shrinking attention spans, it’s more important than ever to engage your audience.  To give them something to talk about, and to participate in.  Think about Tom’s Shoes.  Did the world really need another shoe company?  Nope, the world would have kept on spinning just fine without Tom’s.

Blake Mycoskie, founder of Tom’s Shoes, took a stand.  He made a commitment that for every pair of shoes he sold, he would donate an identical pair to needy children in Africa (and elsewhere).  His “line in the sand” revolutionized the shoe industry and made him very wealthy.  His “giving” approach has drawn its fair share of critics… but has also catapulted him toward success.

Conclusion

If you’re gonna succeed, you’re gonna need a nemesis.  If you don’t already have one, decide exactly what you’re going to stand for and what you’re going to stand against, and your nemesis will appear.

“You know you have arrived when your critics do.”  – Unknown

Prior to reading Ari’s book, A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Building a Great Business, I thought visioning was some “crazy” new-age meditation technique.  Boy was I wrong!

Over the past 18 months, my life and business have drastically improved thanks to Ari’s strategic approach to visioning.

In this post I was going to attempt to explain the specific steps required for creating your own vision, but couldn’t seem to do the process justice.  So, I contacted Ari and asked if I could use an excerpt from his book on the specific steps, to which he graciously agreed.

So, here is Ari:

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In a previous article, Why and How Visioning Works, I wrote about how the process of visioning which, as we define it at Zingerman’s, is a picture of the success of a project at a particular time in the future. I noted that a vision isn’t a strategic plan—which is the map to where we want to go. A vision is the actual destination. It’s a vivid description of what “success” looks and feels like for us—what we are able to achieve, and the effect it has on our staff. The results of practicing visioning for many years have been remarkable on both a professional and personal level. It’s helped us create a success that may not have been possible without the vision.

If you haven’t read about this concept before I strongly recommend you read the the previous article to understand the benefits of this process. This article focuses on the actual writing of the vision with steps for getting it down quickly and effectively.

Step 1: Pick Your Topic

Visioning is appropriate for projects of all sizes and every budget. We use it for creating goals for a project that will be done in five months, a dinner special that will be on the menu at 5 p.m. or big business changes that we want to achieve in five years.

Step 2: Pick the Time Frame

Most organizational visions will be somewhere between two and ten years out. Five is a fairly typical place to start. But if you are wanting to start with a smaller project, the time frame can be one week or six months.

Step 3: Quickly List Achievements

Think about the work you’re embarking on and quickly list past, positive achievements that seem related to it. Don’t spend more than ten minutes on this, you can always add more. The idea is to create a base of positive energy on which you can build success. The more people put their energy into the positive, the more likely we are to attain greatness in the visions of the future we’re engaged in creating.

Step 4: Rules for Writing the Vision

Give yourself somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes to complete the first draft. While writing a vision is hugely important, don’t let its perceived weight work against you. The results will be great regardless.

You can compose your vision in any style you like, but I want to emphasize the importance of putting the word “draft” on your document. Unless you’re writing a vision for a shift that starts in a few minutes, what you’re working on is going to get revised as you gather input from others. That said, there are a few rules to follow that really do work. If you find yourself rolling your eyes at them, I can relate because I did the same once upon a time. But I’ve done this so many times now that I can tell you flat out—if you use these, the whole thing works way better.

A) Go for something great.

The work here is about writing visions of greatness—if we don’t describe something special in the first draft, it’s not likely to get more inspiring later. Put something wild out there—I like to think about John Kennedy’s call to go to the moon; that was out there. If the early draft isn’t kind of scaring you a bit (or at least won’t scare the practical minded amongst your peer group) then you probably haven’t pushed yourself or let out your true desires.

B) Write from the heart.

A vision of greatness is about your passion and hopes for the future. If you’re the one writing it, it’s about what you believe in, what gets you excited. Even if it includes things that others have said you couldn’t or shouldn’t do.

C) Send yourself to the future.

This may sound silly, but from having done visioning work a few thousand times, I can tell you that it’s essential—write as if you’ve achieved your goal already. For example, if you’re writing a vision of a wedding you’re catering this Saturday, you might start out with: “It’s a few minutes before midnight on Saturday night. The bride and groom just headed for home, the rest of the family members are lingering. Everyone is tired, but feeling really good about the event . . .” Again, this may seem strange, but it is critical. You are always writing “we have” or &l>dquo;we are,” not “we will.”

D) Write very quickly.

In my experience, the visions that we’ve written quickly have turned out the best. So start writing. Don’t wait until the stars are perfectly aligned.

E) Use the “hot pen” technique.

Once you start writing, keep writing for 15 minutes regardless of what you’re saying or how silly or smart it might seem. Keep the pen or keys on the keyboard moving and don’t stop to self-edit. My own experience is that sometimes the most important/insightful elements of the vision are the ones that I almost didn’t write down.

F) Don’t be afraid to get personal.

Blend both personal and professional goals so that you arrive at one holistic vision or two visions (one personal and one for the organization) that are compatible and mutually supportive. If you’re running the business it makes sense that you build your passions into what you write. If you want to teach, put that in the vision. Weave in what you want to do, what gets you excited, motivated.

Step 5: Write the First Draft of the Vision

With all of those rules in mind, put down a vision draft. (See an example of a small project vision in the sidebar.) We usually start by writing: “It’s (fill in the date you’ve chosen above). I’m about to head out for the evening. There are so many great things that are going on that make it clear that our long-term vision has come to be the reality that we hoped and believed it would back when we wrote it.” Start listing what they are and just keep going until your time is up. Then put the draft aside for several days. (Obviously if you have to get it done sooner, adjust the time frame appropriately.)

Step 6: Review and Redraft

Read the statement from start to finish. My experience is that 80 or 90 percent of what I put down in that first scary rendition is right on track, but I can still work on both the content and the language. As you read through it, keep in the back of your mind: Does it sound inspiring? Do you get more excited when you’re reading it? Note that in this context, “excited” does not preclude anxiety about how to actually implement it. For some of us, the two almost always go together!

How specific should you get in your writing? Very. Don’t just say, “I want to be wealthy,” give an actual salary number or savings amount. Use a sales number that’s meaningful rather than just saying, “I want high profits.” If it is a personal goal, say, “I’m spending two weeks traveling with my kids,” rather than, “I’m spending more time with my children.” If necessary you can have up to four redrafts, but that’s the most I’d recommend.

If you aren’t the sole decision-maker, it is critical to make sure that all of the key people are on board with the vision. Without that alignment, it’s almost impossible to move forward effectively. One technique we use is to set a topic and time frame for the vision and then have each of the partners in the group draft their own vision. Once that is done, we compare the written vision drafts, combine common themes and move forward.

Step 7: Get Input from Advisors

This is when you ask people whose opinion you value to review the draft. The idea is to keep improving it and get clarity on what you mean and what it says. You can start by asking more supportive readers and then later move to more challenging ones. Remember, at this stage, most input can be helpful although you aren’t obligated to use everything that is offered up.

Step 8: Get Going!

It’s time to move forward and share the vision with everyone that will be involved in implementing it. Having a vision of greatness in writing certainly doesn’t guarantee success, nor does not having a written vision mean you’re doomed to failure. But a vision sets us up to work together toward a shared, inspiring, attainable (if also challenging) positive picture of the future.

Take it from someone who came at this all with a fair degree of skepticism and uncertainty, and resisted doing it for many years—in the end, it’s worth the effort. It’s a way more inspiring way to do business and it’s a heck of a lot more fun.

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I too was skeptical at first.  But since beginning the visioning process our business revenues have increased by over 340%.  And I attribute the vast majority of that growth to the visioning process.

Visioning isn’t a complicated, or difficult process.  It just requires some time and commitment from you.  Give it a try.  Your life and business will thank you!

If you’re looking to make 2012 your best year ever, you need to study and learn from both the successes and failures of others. So here are 12 blogs you can learn from in 2012:

 Seth Godin

– was ranked the #1 marketing blog on AdAge Power 150 in 2009 and is still going strong. He has written thirteen bestselling books and has been called “America’s Greatest Marketer” by American Way Magazine. Why wouldn’t you want to read his weekly posts and apply his wisdom to your business plan?

Quick Sprout

– Neil Patel is a self-made SEO expert with advice on many aspects of business and marketing. He is the co-founder of two successful internet companies, has helped corporations like Amazon and AOL, and was named a top blogger by Technorati by the time he was 21! Ask Neil a question on a post in his blog, and he’ll respond to you personally!

 Copyblogger

– provides invaluable information about how to successfully market your business online. CEO Brian Clark has perfected his online marketing model which culminated into this blog, offering advice and solutions to growing businesses through social media and online marketing. With multiple “top blog” or “top blogger” awards over the six years Copyblogger has been online, you can’t go wrong following these nuggets of wisdom.

 Dan Ariely

- Dan’s demonstration of behavioral economics offers life lessons that teach you not only how people think, but also how you can apply this to successful marketing. In following his quirky blog, you can begin to understand the incomprehensible behaviors that make us human, and how they can be used in economics and business as well as day-to-day life.

 The Art of Non-Conformity

– Chris Guillebeau chronicles his unconventional ideas about life, travel, and entrepreneurship, and reveals how the work you are doing can be enjoyable and meaningful. His lessons on development and planning are taken from real-world experiences and can be applied to your personal and professional life.

Marie Forleo

– tells it like it is, with humor and high heels. She has helped women all over the world with their businesses and lives. Although she is dedicated to empowering women to succeed in all aspects of success and well-being, her advice can be useful to anyone looking for some down-to-earth insights.

 Derek Sivers

– fills his blog with interesting tidbits from the life lessons he has learned as an international entrepreneur. His 2011 book, Anything You Want, chronicles his “accidental” success and failures and teaches every entrepreneur how to succeed by following your passion. His past experiences as a musician and clown have translated to success as an entrepreneur and programmer, demonstrating that you never know how the past will affect your future, or how your choices in the present moment can lead to the lessons you will later apply to something you never even dreamed of.

 Four Hour Workweek

– Tim Ferriss is the best-selling author of The Four Hour Workweek and The Four Hour Body and is a self-made entrepreneur. People all over the world follow his advice for a healthier, happier, and more successful life. He was one of Forbes Magazine’s “Names You Need to Know in 2011.” His philosophies have provided a guide for entrepreneurs worldwide and show how to maximize output without overdoing yourself.

 WorkShifting

– is a concept that has become increasingly popular as the world has become dominated by mobile technology. With businesses honing their international skills and technology becoming more efficient for travel with each updated version released, it seems clear that the work one could only accomplish behind the office desk 20 years ago can now be accomplished practically anywhere. Today, an entrepreneur can track his business and send emails from coffee shops, home, airports, even at the beach or in a car. This blog explores the shift of the typical “workplace” perspective to how entrepreneurs everywhere can maximize their time wherever they find themselves.

 Zen Habits

– Written by Leo Babauta, this blog contains articles on simplicity, motivation, living in the moment, goals, happiness, and many other topics that everyone can appreciate improving in their own lives. For entrepreneurs, life can be driven by many things at once and it can be difficult to find balance and serenity within that. “Zen Habits is about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives. It’s about clearing the clutter so we can focus on what’s important, create something amazing, and find happiness.”

 Productivity 501

– regularly posts tips and tricks to help you increase your personal productivity. Whether at work, at home, or in between, would it not be helpful to be more effective and efficient at completing tasks and projects? Mark Shead has dedicated himself to a blog that is designed to help you do exactly that.

 GTD Times

– is a blog dedicated to Getting Things Done! David Allen and his company publish their latest tips, strategies, and reviews of ways to make GTD work for you. The ultimate goal of the GTD work-life management system is to help everyone live “happier, healthier, and more successful lives.”

Bonus!!!

Because we’re still celebrating the New Year at Ugly Mug with hopes of getting more accomplished than ever before, I’m giving you one more great blog to follow. Have a Happy and Productive 2012!

 Duct Tape Marketing

– does just what you’re thinking. Like duct tape, it delivers simple, real-world strategies that are cost effective. Its author John Jantsch has been called “The World’s Most Practical Small Business Expert” and offers simple, solid advice for all your marketing needs.

I’m going to make a prediction about what your life will look like just after the ball drops and the clock strikes 12.  Your life will look like a culmination of the past 365 days you will have just spent. I realize that sounds very contrived, but the truth is, you’ve been given 365 days to spend.  The great news is you get to choose how you’re going to spend each day. The only choice you don’t get is to save a day; you have to spend each one.

Are you investing each day you’ve been given?  Are you squandering each one? Regardless of your choice, the day is gone - never to be found again.

Making the Most of Each Day

 ”If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” - Steve Jobs

What’s the secret to making the most of each day?  Sorry to disappoint and let you down, but I don’t know the answer.  One thing I know is that Zig Ziglar is right – you can’t be a wandering generality; you have to be a meaningful specific.  You have to be intentional about where you’re going.  You have to have a Vision, because if you don’t, you’ll end up squandering your days.

Visioning vs. Goal Setting

I’ve been to dozens of courses and seminars and read dozens of books about success, and the vast majority focus on goal setting, and never mention the power of, nor the word, visioning.  Over the past few years I’ve discovered the power of visioning in my own life and business.

Unlike most “goals” programs or systems, the vision mapping process helps you imagine what your life and business will look like as though you had already achieved the successes you want.  Visioning is about placing yourself at a future date (not through time travel, or some magical seance) and looking around at what your successful life and business look like, and then working backward and creating a plan of action to get you to that place.

Most goals programs start by looking at the weaknesses and shortcomings in your life or business and then selecting the areas you’d like to improve.  They then build a plan to help you work toward your goals.

Goals programs tend to take several individual pieces and then place them all together in one “goals program.”  On the other hand, visioning begins at a future point in your life.  When done correctly, visioning is a very holistic approach.  It reveals what your life will look like in all areas (personal, family, business, spiritual, etc.).

You Gotta Have a Vision

Visioning can be applied to anything you’re working on.

Once I’ve spent time reflecting and answering questions about the past year, I transition and begin the Vision Mapping Process for the next year.  It’s during this time that I draw my road map for the next 12 months.

By far, the best book I’ve read on visioning is A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Building a Great Business by Ari Weinzweig.  If you own a business, or are thinking about starting a business, you need this book.  (Over the past 10 years I’ve read over 300 business-related books, and without question this is one of the 10 best.)

So What is Visioning?

Visioning begins by figuring out what you want success to look like at a particular point in the future, then working backward to the present.  Visioning allows you to create an ideal destination.  Visioning helps keep you focused and prevents you from getting overwhelmed by the problems and discouragement that will be prevalent on your journey toward success.

“Without a clear picture of where we’re heading, about the only chance we have of being successful is just that… chance.”  -  Ari Weinzweig

If you want to transform your life and your business with visioning this year, you need to pick up a copy of Ari’s book.  In it Ari provides the visioning “formula” they’ve used at Zingerman’s for the past 30 years.  You may be wondering if visioning has paid off for them?  With a little investigation, you’ll discover that visioning enabled them to start a small deli in 1982 (on the wrong end of town no less) and grow it into a $36,000,000 per year conglomerate of food-related businesses.

Part of the formula for successfully utilizing visioning in your life and in your business is to insure you’re using the right ingredients.  There are four characteristics or ingredients that Ari identifies as essential to creating an effective vision:

Your Vision Must Be Inspiring

People want to be a part of something special, something bigger than themselves.  Your vision should inspire you and the others that it will affect and impact.  Your vision should stretch you.  It needs to push you to the edge of what you believe is or will be possible.  Ari says, “If there’s no chance of falling short, we’re not stretching enough.  Some people may be willing to settle for mediocrity, but second-rate certainly isn’t very inspiring.  We need to challenge ourselves, to create something that sets us on the path to creating something unique.”

Your Vision Must Be Strategically Sound

“If we write a vision and it sounds great but we don’t have even a slight chance of getting there, then what we’ve got isn’t a vision of greatness but a great fantasy.  Good for getting people excited; not so good for paying the bills.  To be effective a vision also has to have some measurable components that we can use to assess our success.” – Ari 

You can’t be vague with your vision.  Simply saying we will be the “best” isn’t strategically sound, because you can’t measure and determine if you’ve reached your vision.  You also  shouldn’t set your vision outside of who you are, and your skills and talents.  For example, if you filed for bankruptcy yesterday it’s not a strategically sound vision to say you’ll become a multimillionaire within 30 days.  There’s a fine line between stretching yourself, and being unrealistic.

Your Vision Should Be Documented

Writing your vision on paper gives it tremendous power.  Putting it on paper gives your vision a life of its own.  It’s this step that most people skip.  But skipping this step destroys the power of visioning.  Here’s what Ari says about writing down your vision:

“I’ve learned that most folks will find a few hundred very good reasons not to get around to putting their vision into writing.  I totally understand.  Doing visioning work is scary: other people might criticize what we’ve committed to attaining; there are never any guarantees of success; we could fall short or even fail altogether.  … Putting a long-term vision in writing insures that we’re a lot more likely to stick to it when we run into the inevitable resistance.” 

Your Vision Must Be Communicated

Ari explains the importance of communicating your vision better than I could:

“I hate to even say it, but you know it’s true.  A great vision that no one but you knows about isn’t going to be very effective.  So once you’ve gone and decided on your organizational vision of greatness, you really ought to tell people what it is. 

Let me take that one step further: just telling them about it isn’t really enough.  What we have to actually do is actively sell that vision to our organization.  Just as the products on our shelves never sell themselves, neither will a vision sell itself to our staff – no matter how inspiring or strategically insightful it is.  It has to actually and actively be sold.“

Although Ari is talking about the importance of communicating your vision to your organization, the same applies to your personal vision.  Communicating your vision to your friends and family helps hold you accountable and forces you to defend and justify your vision.

Conclusion

So, how about you?  You ready to stop dreaming about success and start achieving it?  Having “visions” of success without creating a plan to reach them is nothing more than daydreaming.  Remember, the ball is going to drop when the clock strikes 12… and 2012 will end. Will your life look like what you had hoped and dreamed?

To make 2012 your best year, start your visioning today.  Not sure what to do next?  Okay, that’s a valid excuse, but it won’t be after you click this link.  Why?  Because just on the other side of that link, Ari’s going to provide you with eight specific steps for starting your visioning process.

You can keep making excuses and run the risk of 2012 ending as “just another year,” or you can click this link and let Ari guide you through the visioning process.  The choice is yours!

Have a question or comment about visioning?  Leave it in the comments below.

But not you!

You’re taking action. You’re getting things done. You’re honing your skills. You’re gonna make 2012 your best year! Right?

“I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.” -  Abraham Lincoln

What’s Your Learning Plan?

It’s one thing to say that you’re going to make 2012 your best year ever, but it’s another to spend the time required to put a plan of action together. Growth isn’t easy; it involves some pain and discomfort, but in the end the rewards are worth far more than the cost.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to rely on “luck” or happenstance for my success. This year I’m going to be very deliberate about sharpening my skills. Last December I spent time identifying my strengths and weaknesses, and then I developed a learning plan for the upcoming year.

You may already have a learning or growth plan in place for yourself and your business, but if not, you’re welcome to come along with me for the journey. I’ve identified 12 core skills that I’m going to work on during 2012 – and what do you know, there just happen to be 12 months in 2012. If my math is correct, that works out to honing one skill per month, making this learning plan very doable, regardless of how hectic your schedule.

Skills to Improve in 2012

Visioning

This skill ties into the management aspects of your business and provides a standard against which to measure your progress. Without visioning, you lack a sense of specific purpose, and it becomes difficult to create definite action steps.  Visioning can, if implemented, completely revolutionize your business (and life).

Time Management

As a self-employer, you don’t have a boss telling you what to work on, when to be in the office, and how much time you should be dedicating to each task. As such, you’d better be sure you know how to manage yourself efficiently. Time management is a key skill to continue to develop for any successful business person, whether or not they are self-employed.

Copywriting

Copywriting is an important element of sales and marketing, specifically the skills involved in wording your message in a way that compels your audience to take action of some sort. It is the art of using words and ideas to promote a specific product or idea in such a way that your audience is moved to take the desired action. As an entrepreneur you are more than likely going to be “selling” a product, service, idea, or even yourself on a regular basis. While you can hope that the product speaks for itself adequately, and that the whole world would fall as much in love with it as you are, you will probably get better results if you are able to effectively sell it to them through the power of words.

Sales

It is probably the foundation of your work. Selling a product or service in return for some measure of profitable exchange is the basis of entrepreneurship, and the margin of profit is often the most tangible measure of success for any business person. Sales are the manifestation of a company’s output, and you are (or should be) selling yourself, your product, or your service every day to potential buyers. By honing your sales skills this year, you may find yourself even more successful in 2012.

Marketing

While Sales and Marketing often go hand-in-hand, they are in fact different means of reaching the same goal. While sales skills target individual customers who you hope will buy into your product, marketing involves attracting more potential customers so that you can then sell them on it. Any successful entrepreneur will look for new and inventive ways to market their product. For example, if you can catch a potential client’s eye as they walk past your (virtual or literal) storefront, you have successfully facilitated an opportunity to present your sales pitch to them, thus increasing the chance that you will be able to interest them into buying your product, idea, or service. Alternatively, humans gravitate towards the familiar, so if a potential client has already heard of you or your product, their mind is immediately going to be more receptive to what you have to tell them about it than someone hearing about it for the first time.

Customer Service

Today’s society has grown very familiar with the idea of customer service and it has become the expectation and rule rather than the sign of an exceptional business. Customers expect you to bend over backwards to make your product or service fit their wants or needs, and providing great customer service can make the difference between getting customers to return and refer you to friends, family, and coworkers, or them forgetting your company.

Leadership

As an entrepreneur, you must be able to inspire confidence in potential investors or clients that your ideas or product are valuable, and that you have the means and ability to execute your business plan. Leading partners, employees, and clients successfully through your vision and services will determine the growth of your business.

Financial Management

Your ability to plan, direct, monitor, organize, and control the financial aspect of your business can be used to coordinate and achieve your financial goals. In managing your finances, you can keep track of how your business is operating and monitor your monetary successes and failures over time.

Positioning/Branding

What sets your services or product apart from what is already on the market? How do your clients identify with your company specifically? Your brand is the specific image that people think of when they think of you, or your product. Establishing a “personality” for your business will help clients identify with you and seek out your services above someone else who may offer something similar.

Creative Thinking

Your creative thinking skills are useful in most of the other skills listed here. How you market, brand, and sell your product must be shaped by some creative vision that distinguishes your product or service as specifically your own. This is your opportunity to make your own rules and build your own enterprise.

Price Strategy

This is the process of deciding how to price your product or service in the most profitable way. Pricing a product too high could mean losing customers, pricing it too low could mean a loss of profit. The way you price your product or services affects how people see its value, and developing an effective price strategy is an important tool in maximizing your profit.

Public Speaking

As an entrepreneur, you simply cannot work inside your own bubble. Each part of the entrepreneurial process is about getting your message out there and successfully convincing someone else that they should heed your call to action. So honing your skills in sharing that message is a must.

Conclusion

An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. ~Author unknown, commonly attributed to Benjamin Franklin

Are you going to invest your time and resources in 2012 to gaining more knowledge? If so, I challenge you to tag along in the learning adventure with me. Each month during 2012 I will blog about the skill that I’m working on, and provide you with resources and tools to help you do the same.

You in?

If so, enter your name and email address in the boxes below, and each month I’ll send you tips, strategies, and exclusive interviews with experts on the topic of the month.

Don’t be afraid to charge people.

Don’t be afraid to value yourself.

Make decisions quickly.

Take calculated risks.

Get out of your comfort zone.

Don’t ignore perception.

Don’t ignore the frame.

Image is very important.

Don’t ignore relationships.

Don’t expect quick success.

Work, Work, Work, Work, Work, Work, Rest

Fail early, learn, fail again.

Ask for help.

Accept help.

Laugh at yourself.

Give a lot.

Keep a lot.

Pray a lot.

Read a lot.

Rinse & Repeat.

——————–

Leave a comment with a few of the lessons you’re learning.

I feel like I made significant progress in 2011… but at the same time I still feel so far from where I dreamed - and hoped – I would be by this point in my life.  Do you know that feeling?

I’ve been really pushing myself over the past three years.  Trying to force myself outside of my comfort zone.  Trying to go the extra mile.  Trying to escape The Dip.  Trying to please everyone.  Trying not to fail.  Trying to succeed.   Trying to keep a positive outlook.  Trying not to give up.  Trying to stay outside my comfort zone.  Trying, Trying, Trying…. I’m getting tired just thinking about all the trying.

There’s no doubt that all the “trying” is paying off, but that doesn’t make it any less tiring.  Our business revenues grew by over 300% during the past 12 months.  We built over 20 new websites during 2011.  Launched over a dozen marketing campaigns.  Our website and blog traffic are both at all-time highs.  And we’ve picked up new clients from around the world.

BUT….

It’s not as far as I thought I/we would be.  I know, I know, that makes me seem really ungrateful for all the successes I had during 2011, but I promise… I really am grateful.  But, at the same time I long for more! I often question if I’m on the right path.

It’s the uncertainty of the path that bothers me.  I can handle failure (okay, I still whine and complain about it, but I can handle it).  I can handle long hours.  I can handle being tired.  I can handle being uncomfortable.

BUT….

I can’t handle uncertainty. 

I don’t want all my “trying” to be in vain.  No one wants to get to the end of their path only to discover it’s not the destination they had hoped for.  That is one failure I don’t want to have to face.

Midway through 2009, my uncertainty and fear were at an all-time high.  I wanted to pour my heart into Ugly Mug Marketing, but I wasn’t sure it was part of the “right path.”  While I was working I was doubting whether it was part of the path.  And when not working I was wondering if I should be.  It was a vicious cycle.

It’s this uncertainty and fear of being on the “wrong path” that caused me to look for ways to minimize the risk and fear, and hopefully determine if I was on the right path.  I stumbled upon Chris Guillebeau’s post about how to conduct your own personal review.  The simplicity of what he outlined caused me to be skeptical about the results, but I didn’t have much to lose, so I started working through the process.

Despite the fact that I didn’t take the process very seriously that first year, that first annual review helped me gain clarity and significantly reduce my fear.  Now each December I spend several days reflecting on the past year and asking myself a few challenging questions.  These questions really help me gain clarity about where I’ve been, and they help me determine if I’m still on the right path.  Here are the questions I start with:

What went well during the past year?

What went wrong during the past year?

What did I achieve during the past year?

Am I happy and satisfied with my achievements?

What prevented me from achieving more?

What three things do I wish I had done during the past year?

What is one thing I wish I had stopped doing during the past year?

What skills did I improve or expand on last year? 

Is my life in balance? If not, what can I do to immediately bring more balance?

Did I get out of my comfort zone on a regular basis? 

What two things did I learn that I can apply this coming year?

Avoid the Temptation

Don’t do it.  I know that you answered most of those questions as you read them, and you may be thinking,  ”I’ve done my part,” but trust me, that isn’t enough.   You need to schedule time to physically write out your answers – nope, not type.  The process of writing helps your brain interpret and process your answers differently than typing.

Schedule time now… your future depends on it!

How do you stay on the path toward success?  Have any tips or techniques?  If so, please share them in the comments below.

He understands what it means to be larger than life, and in some respects he could be considered a celebrity.

I don’t know exactly when my first interaction with him occurred, but it had to be close to 10 years ago.

He’s not an overpowering figure.  He’s actually stands somewhere just over 5′ tall and can’t weigh more than 100 lbs.  But this doesn’t diminish his ability to get, and command, the attention of all who are in sight.

Over the years, I’ve gotten to know him – probably as well as any of his “audience” has.  And I’ve learned a lot from him, by observing what he says, what he does, and the way in which he goes about doing it.

Please allow me to introduce you to Mr. Lee.

The first time I saw Mr. Lee he was wearing a police badge, talking into his watch, while attempting to direct traffic.  It was a sight to be seen for sure – especially considering he’s in no way associated with any law enforcement department.

Depending on the day – and his mood – the first words he says to you may vary….

BUT….

The last words he says to you have been (and I suspect will always be), “You got any spare change?”

You see, Mr. Lee is a hustler.  His mission is to solicit money from people… and from all appearances he appears to be very successful at it.

After 10 years of watching Mr. Lee in action, I’ve been amazed to observe his business acumen.  I’d like to share a few fundamentals I’ve learned from watching Mr. Lee:

Don’t Scare Your Prospects

Think about the times you’ve been approached and asked for money.  The person approaching you probably intimidated you, and honestly, probably scared you a little.  Well, Mr. Lee is really good at minimizing the fear his prospects could face.

He always dresses well.  Mr. Lee usually wears a suit.  Sure, he likes to accessorize it in ways that most people wouldn’t – like wearing a sombrero, or some other ridiculous hat.  His small physical stature also helps prevent him from scaring people.

It’s All About the Approach

Mr. Lee is a master at disarming people while he is approaching them.  He’s great at using “ice breakers” – which he will vary based on whom he is approaching.  He understands that people who like (and know) you are more willing to do business with you (or in his case – give him money).

Be Honest

If you’ve ever been asked for money from someone, they likely attempted to use a story to try and convince you to give to them.  Usually something similar to: “My mother is in the hospital in X city, and I’m on my way from Y city to go see her… and my car ran out of gas… and I don’t have any money.  Could you spare a few dollars?”

I’ve never once heard Mr. Lee use any of the common “asking for money” stories.  After his “ice breaker” he’ll then simply ask, “You got any spare change?”  No stories.  No lies.  He simply “asks for the order.”

Be Thankful

If you give Mr. Lee any money, regardless of how little, he lets you know that he’s thankful.  He verbally acknowledges your gift with a “Thank you,” and he also acknowledges your gift with his eyes.  Even if you only give him a few cents, he’ll open his hand with the money and look down in wide-eyed amazement at your gift.

Be Courteous

Even if you don’t give Mr. Lee any money, he still thanks you.  He understands what Dale Carnegie taught – “People will forget what you say; they’ll even forget what you do, but they’ll NEVER forget how you made them feel.”  Mr. Lee doesn’t make you feel badly for not giving him money, and I suspect it has something to do with the next lesson:

Be Consistent

Mr. Lee is consistent.  Almost every day, at almost the exact same time, Mr. Lee comes by to ask for money.

Be Entertaining

Depending on the day and his mood, you may find Mr. Lee doing any of the following: singing, dancing, arguing with himself, “reading” a magazine upside down, directing traffic, scribbling in his notebook, playing a guitar (not just any guitar, but a guitar with only 3 strings).

Mr. Lee is smart; he knows if his prospects are bored they’ll simply ignore him.  By getting people to watch and laugh, he breaks the ice and warms the prospects up for his most important question… “You got any spare change on you?”

Conclusion

There are business lessons all around you to be learned.  I’ve been privileged for the past 10 years to watch one of the true masters of hustling change from people.  I’ve watched.  I’ve made notes.  I’ve implemented.  And my life is better because of Mr. Lee.

What unexpected people and places can you observe and learn from?  Leave a comment and share the most unusual place you’ve learned a business lesson.