Online Business Clarity: Here’s the Secret…

todd brownby Todd Brown

Because of what I read yesterday, I finally committed to do something many mentors have been telling me to do for some time now.

Our very own Rich Schefren does it and has been preaching its benefits to me for at least 2 years. Michael Masterson of Agora recommends it and has also been a long-time fan. Even my wife has been egging me on to get started.

What am I talking about?

Daily writing in a journal.

Many high-performance entrepreneurs swear by the increased clarity they receive from daily thinking and writing within a personal journal.

Thoughts about business, AHA moments, weekly reflection, brainstorming, success reviews, and anything else that’s on your mind are all great topics or categories you can journal about.

But, if you’re at all like me, sitting down to a blank page that’s awaiting your deepest thoughts and desires can often be a bit daunting. So much so for me that I’ve chronically delayed getting started. Until yesterday, that is.

I was sitting outside by the pool at the hotel I’m staying at here in Orlando enjoying a nice robusto. I was flipping through 55-pages of personal notes Rich Schefren shared with me from his read of a very deep, very profound, and very thought-provoking book about success and psychology.

Page after page I continued to notice an enormous number of questions being posed by the author. His purpose: to help readers get deeper and deeper clarity on who they are, what they want, and where they want to go with their lives.

And that’s when it struck me…

I could just use the questions posed by this author as the jumping-off point for my journal entries. I could simply tackle one question each day… and this way… I would never have to worry about sitting down to a blank page. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do as soon as I return from my trip.

If you’d like to give it a try along with me, below are some of the first questions I’m going to tackle:

* How do I define personal success?

* How would I describe a life well-lived?

* What is my vision for my life?

* What were the most successful moments in my life?

* What were the biggest failures I’ve experienced? (Describe the lessons I learned)

* What do I really value about my life?

* If I knew I couldn’t fail, what would I attempt to do?

* Who is the real me?

* What am I most grateful for?

* What am I really talented at?

* What relationships in my life do I value the most?

* How much success do I believe is possible for me?

* What are the most unhelpful, limiting beliefs holding me back?

* How do I measure success?

* How can I make today a success?

* Who do I want to be?

* What is it that makes me happy?

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Comments:
  • scott

    Great post! I have found that clarity is what separates mediocre, diffused activity, breathless as it may be, from powerful, focused production. What was the book that he was reading?

  • http://www.Omniopolis.com Jay Koebele

    Well said. We are bombarded with messages at work and home 24/7. To really connect with ourselves it is important to take time out of our day, whether that is 20 minutes, 10 minutes, whatever, to detach from the chaos of our lives and ultimately become a better person in the process, not for others, but for ourselves.

    A nice article to read to end the work week. Thank you for sharing.

  • http://www.writersbusinessacademy.info Dan

    This is a good idea. I started journaling 2 months ago. At first I started on paper but quickly moved to a digital recorder. This allows me to play back my journals in the car and think more about what I had to say the day before.

  • http://www.surefirebusinessstrategies.com/blog/ Paul Cooley

    Once again Todd, great job!

    This is something I really need to get better at and keeping it all organized. I have pages of notes, but not very well organized. So thank you for the reminder to do it right!

  • Bik

    Does anyone here know where we can get Rich’s and Jays summary call….

    Rich gave us the address: http://www.extraordinaryminds.com/s/summary.php

    and it is unfortunately not there!!

    Todd can you help me out!

    Thanks,

    Bik

  • http://www.mynetmarketingland.com Franck Silvestre

    I have a personal diary for business only. This literally changed my online business. It helped me to go from making money to have a real Internet business. and it’s just the beginning.

    It’s pretty powerful.

    Franck

  • http://www.NicolaCairncross.com Nicola Cairncross

    Dear Todd

    Great tip, as I struggle with the idea of a blank page and so I’ve never really got started with daily journalling.

    However, since 1999 I HAVE written a weekly ezine section called originally “Diary Of A Seaside Landlady” and more recently “Note From Nicola” which went out religiously and also got archived (so turned into an early form of blog).

    However, as my business The Money Gym has grown, and I’ve taken on business partners, the personal / reflective element of that section has been toned down somewhat! I used to bare all but when you have others to consider, you have to be a bit more circumspect LOL.

    So personal / business journalling might be a good thing to start now.

    In your opinion, is it important to write manually every day, in a physical diary, or can it be done online? The reason I ask is that I’m a fast typist (so the stream of thoughts from brain to page via fingers is easy) and a painfully slow writer nowadays!

    Enjoying your postings btw.

    Nicola Cairncross

  • Henry

    Todd, do you think there’s any critical difference between penning your AHA moments on paper compared to typing thoughts out on the Word processor ?

  • Eric Janssen

    hi Todd,

    Great post. Do you mind sharing which book Rich was reading/refering to?

    Greetz, Eric

  • http://www.aaefx.com Brian Andrews

    Success Intelligence” by Robert Holden, Ph.D.?

  • Jose

    Great Post! I believe the name of the book is “Success Intelligence” by Robert Holden

  • Tom Ogden

    Hi Todd.

    The book is Success Intelligence by Robert Holden

  • http://josephratliff.com Joseph Ratliff

    Success Intelligence by Robert Holden

  • Arthur

    Interesting book.. but your challenge depends upon email deliverability.

    Success Intelligence – Robert Holden Ph.D.

  • http://www.larklandmorley.com Larkland

    This sounds like the book “Strategic Acceleration” by Tony Jeary.

  • Wilma

    The book that you are referring to is:

    Success Intelligence: Timeless Wisdom for a Manic Society by Robert Holden

  • http://stlouiscareersonline.com Tim

    Todd, I don’t know the name of the book, but thanks for prodding us in this way. I learned today that Jim Rohn passed away. For any that knew of him, he was a person that powerfully and positively impacted millions of people through his life. He always encouraged the use of writing in a journal daily, and spoke much of the benefits of such a practice.

    Gotta go, I’m looking for a notebook to start with. :)

  • Maxx

    Tony Jeary’s book borrows too much from other books like Brian Tracy’s “Focal Point”. Brian has been teaching those principles in Jeary’s book for 20+ yrs. & they’re verbatim.

  • http://www.tndi.net Bob Jenner

    Looks a whole lot like the principals in
    “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill
    to me. Truly, one of the best success books ever written.
    Every successful person I have ever read recommends it,
    and so do I!.

    Bob

  • http://www.UntangleYourTime.com Nahyan

    Book sounds great.

    @Tim – thanks for the info. I remember he was ill for a while but didn’t know he passed away today.

    He truly has been very influential and I’ve benefited greatly from his seminars. I’m gona check his site out and read more about it.

  • http://www.UntangleYourTime.com Nahyan

    @Tim – thanks for the info. I remember he was ill for a while but didn’t know he passed away today.

    He truly has been very influential and I’ve benefited greatly from his seminars. I’m gona check his site out and read more about it.

    ps. I forgot about the reply button, so I have another comment box below too…just ignore that

  • Tanji Navie

    success and Pychology

  • Anthony

    Hi Todd…

    Great thoughtful post. I think the book you refer to is ‘Success Intelligence’ by Dr Robert Holden. It was (first) published in the U.K. I believe, in 2005, although there is a new American Edition – which is possibly the one you are reading:)

    Cheers
    Anthony

  • http://www.hightrustspeaking.com Perry Lai

    @Tim

    I appreciate the news about Jim Rohn…

    I knew he wasn’t well, but I thought he was gonna live through a 100. Seriously.

    I remember the black leather cover gold trimmed pages journal I bought from his company. That started me dreaming.

    From a school delinquent to a teacher to a seminar speaker, I could not have done it without first penning down – Professional Speaker Dec 2009 – on the first page of the journal.

    The fact that I achieved it in 2009 shows that Jim’s wisdom is classic. Timeless. Rest in peace Jim. Thanks to your legacy, my son will learn from you too.

    Perry
    Singapore

  • http://friendfeed.com/alexkitingan Alexander

    The book is “Success Intelligence” by Robert Holden PhD. originally published in great Britain in 2005 by Hodder & Stoughton

  • http://www.TheProfitWizard.com The Profit Wizard

    The book sounds a lot like Tony Robbins stuff… I would have guessed Unlimited Power (although maybe Awaken the Giant Within).

    However fundamental questions like that show up in all good self improvment books. Certainly Brian Tracy asks the same questions in his Psychology of Success program.

  • http://twitter.com/LoydLarue Loyd La Rue

    Success Intelligence by Robert Holden PH. D.

    Ok I know I wasn’t first;but then again I may not be last…

    note of the day: “Never give up” on learning. You are required
    to learn something everyday…to have success.

    Loyd La Rue

  • Patrick

    Here’s the link to the Amazon page, for those who want to check it out:

    Robert Holden
    Success Intelligence: Essential Lessons and Practices from the World’s Leading Coaching Program on Authentic Success

    http://www.amazon.com/Success-Intelligence-Essential-Practices-Authentic/dp/140192171X

    I just bought a hardback copy used, from Better World Books, a company that supports literacy around the world

  • Stephen Voight

    Robert Holden PH.D. …Success Intelligence.

  • http://www.netmoneyreview.com Joan Miller

    Hi Todd,
    Thank you for your thoughtful post. I’ve recently started to keep a journal and you’ve given more incentive to keep going. Thanks.

  • Rick

    Robert Holden book title Success Intelligence

  • http://Www.jbmlogic.com John

    Hi great post, success intelligence by Robert Holden not the first nor last. I like the questions it will help me progress.
    Thanks
    John

  • http://evanbeckonline.com Evan Beck

    Todd-
    I have just listened to an old podcast with Rich in a call for the Alex Jeffreys marketing course. It too was largely based on “clarity”.

    Most of the call was about planning your business, which is also a big part of what Alex teaches.

    Also, the idea that if you design your business systems so you can step away vs. just creating a job that sucks your time.

    Thanks

  • http://www.seosimplicity.com.au Gordon

    Sitting down and asking yourself these sorts of questions can be both enlightening and confronting. It is hard work but the rewards are there to be had.

  • Mike

    Ultimate Power by Tony Robbins

  • http://www.1000quotes.com Penny

    The tile of the book is”Success Intelligence” by Robert Holden. I think the questions were found in the chapter on Inner Dialogue if my memory is correct.

  • http://www.77successtraits.com Mark Foo | 77SuccessTraits.com

    Thanks, Todd! These are great self-reflection questions anyone should start asking themselves. I’ll be adding these to my list of ‘Life’s Most Empowering Questions’.

    Cheers~

    Mark

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  • Todd

    Kudos to those of you who submitted the answer – Success Intelligence by Robert Holden.

    Even though I said the first person gets Rich’s 54-pages of notes… each of you who already submitted the correct answer will be getting a copy.

    Keep your eyes peeled for an email from Janine with your PDF.

    Enjoy,
    Todd

    PS – I’m curious… how did you figure it out??

  • ER

    Oh shoot ! I want a copy of the PDF also! Am I too late ? ?

    Success Intelligence by Robert Holden.

    Have pity on a poor guy in Iowa that’s in a blizzard ! (Only 14″ of snow here)

  • http://www.IainBuchanan.me Iain Buchanan

    Hey Todd,

    This is a fantastic idea!!! I too can struggle with the thought of a blank page – but with your genius idea, that’s now a thing of the past and means I can start journaling properly!

    Also answering them one question a day means that the same questions can be asked further down the road for a direct comparison and we can see how much we’ve improved, and how far we’ve come, since the previous time the question was asked.

    Thanks very much for a great idea!

    Iain.

  • http://www.vancesova.com Vance Sova

    Hi Todd,

    I’m glad that you found a way to overcome your resistance to writing a journal.

    I’ve been struggling with this for months now, ever since I realized having a journal may be helpful.

    I do make some entries here and there but it would be more appropriate to call my journal a monthly.

    For me it’s not so much struggling with the empty page as it is an excuse that I can do something more important with the time I’d spend journaling.

    I know it’s an invalid excuse so I’ll be dropping it and doing what I know I should. Today. Even if I have to write only one sentence inside the journal.

    Vance

  • http://www.zoombits.co.uk/ink toner

    Hi…
    That is a nice post indeed. I liked your way of presenting the ideas. Good job. Keep it up!

  • http://www.terrydean.org Jose Anajero

    I still consider myself a beginner in internet marketing. I have been reading the works of some successful internet marketers. I listed the ones whom I find clear thinkers and I found that many of them share common faith. Well, it’s just my personal observation. But I think one’s spirituality contributes to clarity of thinking.

    Thanks Todd for this interesting post.

    Jose