The highest reward for a man’s toil is not what he gets
for it, but what he becomes by it.
—John Ruskin, poet, artist, and social thinker
Kitty and I celebrate our successes with many trips to places like Las Vegas.
You’ve now reached the fourth and final phase of My 13 Rules—reenergize. This is Rule #13, where you take time out and reward yourself. It’s the final leg on your climb to the top of the mountain. When I talk about rewarding yourself, I don’t mean just giving yourself a pat on the back for a job well done with a trip to Vegas. I’m talking about making sure that your engine doesn’t overheat because you didn’t give it a rest. This is your time to cool down, slow down, and enjoy life.
Whenever I watch Olympic-class sporting events, I especially admire seeing the distance-event athletes in action. The marathons they compete in are the ones that really put the inner strengths and endurance of competitors to the test the most (and that’s right up Joe Girard’s alley). You really see who has what it takes to go the distance. Whether they’re swimmers, runners, or cross-country skiers, one thing they all have in common, besides being highly motivated, is smarts—a keen sense for knowing how to balance and pace themselves to make sure they finish, and finish as strong as they possibly can. They know when to go all out. But like a jockey and a racehorse, they also know when to hold back. This same idea is true of how you work. If you don’t take time out to reenergize, you’ll eventually burn yourself out. What good is that? Well, here’s the temptation.
Quite often you’ll see someone “get on a roll” and they just can’t stop. Things just seem to fall in place for them. They’re afraid to stop—they’re “in the flow” or “in the groove,” as we say. They’re making money. Or maybe they’re a hit on the social scene. Whatever. All they want to do is to keep going and going until they finally run out of gas—until what? They drop dead?
If we’re talking about work, and maybe you in particular, pretty soon you find yourself putting in 10–12 hours a day. Your family has practically forgotten who you are. You’re on a runaway stagecoach, and you can’t get off. I know. I was on that runaway stagecoach myself. As I mentioned earlier, in an odd sort of way, success almost killed me. My success was taking a toll on my health until I finally got smart and got help. That’s when I hired those two guys to come work exclusively for me. I rewarded myself by using my head. You must take the time to reenergize your engine.
The Reward You Give Yourself
There probably isn’t a better feeling than that moment of personal triumph. Victory is finally in your grasp. You’ve just won the battle. You’ve closed the deal. You’ve met your goals. When everything seemed like all was lost, you knuckled down and stayed the course to come out on top. Or maybe he “popped the big question to you,” or she just said “yes” to your proposal. Whatever it is—YOU’RE THE BIG WINNER TODAY! As they say at McDonald’s, “You deserve a break today.” So take one! REWARD YOURSELF! “Okay. What should I do?” you ask.
Rewards and success are all relative. I mentioned earlier that as my success grew and I exceeded my goals (which was most of the time), my wife and I rewarded ourselves with trips to Las Vegas for nice long weekends, usually every month. It was a great way to spend some personal time together, relax, and celebrate our successes. We’d often stay at the Dunes, one of Las Vegas’s premier hotels in those days. We had a ball back then, and today we still make frequent trips to Vegas to take in the shows, the energy, and the excitement of The Strip. Now maybe that’s not your thing. Maybe you’d like a quiet weekend in a log cabin up north. Or perhaps golf, fishing, or boating is what you like to do. Maybe you’re an artist or a concert-goer. Whatever it is, make it special, and do it with someone who is special in your life. Celebrate the moment. You deserve it!
When I first got started, though, those kinds of rewards were just out of the question. It took me some time to get back on my feet after some of the earlier financial disasters I experienced. Whenever I made a few extra bucks, I was just happy to see my family feel a little bit of security for the first time. Perhaps a new dress for my wife or a new pair of shoes for my kids was all I could manage at first. I was just happy to see the smiles on their faces and love we all felt as my confidence began to grow. I think I’ll remember those days of “small rewards” more than the bigger ones that came later.
You may be in the same situation I was in. Be patient. It’ll get better. Trust me. Most of all, trust yourself.
You have to decide what’s important and what you can afford. A good rule of thumb is to make sure you remember to put some of your reward away for a rainy day. It’ll come as sure as night follows day. It’s just the way life is. Someone will need some unexpected dental work. You may have a leak in your roof or basement. Or maybe a car needs fixing. Whatever it is, try to stash some of that success away in the bank. Take the pressure off yourself and plan ahead. That’s the smart play.
If you have a family, let them all share in the fruits of your labor. After all, they are the reason you do whatever it is you do. They should be your reason for being. If they are, you have a loving family. Take them out for a day at a local amusement park, or maybe a ballgame, or perhaps it’s a night out on the town with your spouse. They’ll return the favor to you over and over by providing you with all the motivation you’ll ever need to continue to grow your success in the future.
If you reward yourself with things you can see in your home, like a big TV, some new furniture, or even a second new car in your driveway, they serve as constant reminders to you and your family of your achievements. In turn, they also become your motivators to reenergize yourself to continue your successful growth pattern. I can remember buying our first large television, doing some remodeling to our home, and eventually even receiving a top-of-the-line Airstream motor home for my professional services. I also remember how good I felt seeing my family well-dressed because of my efforts.
Whenever I would see these rewards around my home, not only did they tell me I was doing a good job, they reminded me over and over how I did it: following My 13 Rules. That is precisely how it happened. No secrets. Just doing the basics better than anyone else! That’ll make you feel like a million bucks every time.
Personal success also brings other rewards, the satisfaction of which almost goes beyond what words can describe.
The Reward You Give Others
Perhaps the greatest reward of all is sharing your good fortune with others—the gift of giving. For a guy who grew up with practically nothing, this one is especially close to home for me. While it’s nice to receive tangible rewards for your achievements, especially like cash so you can buy things for yourself and your family, it’s also a very special experience to be able to give something back, to share your rewards with those less fortunate. That is a feeling that has to be experienced to be fully understood and appreciated, especially when you can see it in the eyes and smiles of others you have touched.
It must have been quite a few years after I left home and started working on my own that I was finally able to enjoy some of the rewards of independence and hard work. I really first saw it in the way my young family responded when I finally got my head above water and had a few bucks to actually surprise them with some things they weren’t expecting that they really needed. For me, charity really did begin at home. It brings a tear to my eye to this very day.
Even when I think back to my own childhood, I try never to forget that there are a lot of people out there who are so much worse off than I ever was. Probably because of that, my most favorite charity is the Save the Children Foundation. They provide food, education, and medical care to needy children all over the world. Nothing makes me feel better about giving than giving to that organization.
To this day, I donate copies of my books to many prisons all over the country free of charge. There are forgotten people in there who, in many cases, have little or no hope of ever amounting to anything in life. If I can help some of them turn their attitude machines around and get focused in the right direction, I might be able to provide just the spark they need to get their lives in order and on track in preparation for the day they walk out of there as free men and women. And I’m very gratified to have received several testimonials over the years from prisoners who said, “Thanks, Joe. You turned my life around.”
One year I decided to give my entire speaking engagement fee at Oral Roberts University as a contribution to the new school tower the university was constructing. I wanted those kids to know the importance of sharing their time, talent, and treasures with others in this world while they were still in their learning years. If I could impact even a handful of them, they, in turn, would impact others. I saw it as Girard’s Law of 250 (see Chapter 9, “Stay in Touch”) doing something really special for the community. I think I got back more than I ever gave that day.
Listen, I’m not telling you all this because I think I’m some kind of special philanthropist or because I’m on a fundraising campaign here to send you on a guilt trip if you don’t part with some of your cash from time to time. I am on an awareness campaign, though. If you haven’t figured it out by now, this whole book is about awareness.
HERE’S THE AWARENESS LESSON: I’m not the richest man on earth, but I have more than most. And because of that, I believe in giving something back—giving to those who have less. In your case too, I’m sure there are those who have less than you. Think about it.
What are the top three organizations or people in this world that command your highest respect and admiration for what they do for others? Who is special? Who are you willing to help? Start somewhere. Pick one and make a commitment to share something, even if it’s small at first.
Don’t ever forget where you came from. Once you become successful, you must always remember that you too started somewhere. And for most of us, that’s at the bottom of the mountain. For me, I was practically one step out of the gutter. I’ll never forget where I came from.
Sadly, many people do forget their roots. They become intoxicated with their success. They hoard their wealth and share nothing. That’s what people will remember about them. What a legacy to leave behind.
Sharing your reward doesn’t necessarily mean giving only money. Sometimes it means sharing your time with someone special or in need. Maybe it’s a personal relationship that needs reenergizing that’s been a little bit neglected. When you have the opportunity to mend a fence, make sure you do it. The gift of your time can be as special and precious as anything.
Perhaps the gift you give is simply listening. It means you are sensitive and care about someone or something more than just yourself. Nurture those special relationships by holding them firmly but gently in the grasp of your hand. Don’t choke or squeeze them to death. Give them room to breathe. They know you’re nearby if you’re needed. Why is this so important?
In the end, I believe we will be rewarded not because of the number of “sales” we made but because of the number of faces we were able to put a smile on besides our own. Think about that.
A Critical Difference
It was the great French writer and philosopher Voltaire who once said, “Rest is a good thing. But boredom is its brother.” He was cautioning against falling into the trap of DOING NOTHING. In my opinion, if boredom is the brother of rest, then laziness must be his twin sister. Don’t confuse rewarding yourself by relaxing and enjoying some time off with being lazy! The difference here is huge. If you’ve worked hard to achieve your goals, then you deserve everything that recognizes that effort.
There are some people, though, who haven’t accomplished a damn thing in their lives, yet all they ever seem to do is “reward” themselves. We had a lot of them in our business: extra-long lunches, leaving work early, heading to the bars with the other losers in the “dope ring.” The reality is these are the flunkies in life whose only accomplishment is to deny their families of any opportunity to experience the joys of a quality home, a quality education for their kids, proper health care, and a secure financial future—all denied to the people who were counting on them because of their selfish laziness. And wasted time is something you can never recover.
I was always troubled by people like that. On the one hand, I almost wanted to cheer them on because each one of them represented one less person I had to compete with to provide for my own family. Yet on the other hand, I recognized the sad reality that somewhere out there were families who were being denied something that month because of the lack of work ethic I saw around me and in other many retail businesses. In my book, that’s not just laziness; that’s not just failing to live up to your responsibilities and obligations as a spouse or parent. That’s Cheating with a CAPITAL “C.” The only reward that’s being enjoyed is the one being stolen away from a deserving family member.
Here’s what gets me. When you stop to figure out how much time and energy is wasted trying to scheme up anything possible under the sun to avoid thinking, planning, or any hard work of any kind—always looking for the “easy way out”—you probably could have spent the same amount of time doing it the right way in the first place. Let’s face it: even the most conniving person around has to stop and figure out how he or she is going to hide the fact that they’re really doing absolutely nothing at all at work, all day, every day. I hope that’s not you. I mean, sooner or later someone is bound to catch on to the idea that you’re dead weight where you work and everyone is carrying YOU. In fact, YOU’RE AS GOOD AS DEAD. YOU WILL BE FIRED. And, as always, your family will take the hit (again) for you.
Indeed, reenergizing and taking time out for a job well done is a very different proposition than doing nothing at all from the time you crawl out of bed every day of your life. That is the best definition of misery I’ve ever seen.
Don’t “Dance” on the Mountaintop Too Long
Remember, rewarding yourself is about reenergizing. As I said in Chapter 1, “If you dance too much at the top, you might slip and come crashing down to the bottom.” Keep it balanced. Savor the moment, but be ready to get going again. There will always be more mountains to climb. But by all means, enjoy your reward.
I took my play time very seriously and very personally. First of all, I never went anywhere without my wife. When we planned our time off, I didn’t want to hear from anybody about anything. I didn’t check the office to see who called. I didn’t have my mail forwarded. When it was time for me to reenergize, I didn’t want anything to interfere with the quality time I had set aside for that. Period. Everything was put on hold. Why was I so insistent on that? Anyone who knew me knew that when I got back to the office the day after a vacation or trip, WATCH OUT!
They would witness a recharged, reenergized JOE GIRARD “on a full tank of gas” as he broke into the front door of that showroom, ON FIRE and ready to take on the world unlike anything they’d ever seen before! That’s why.
Everyone knew when I was back in town. I had come down from the top of the mountain, and I was ready to go. That’s the way I played the game! I never sat on my reward. The moment I got back on the front lines, I was all business again. It was as though I never left. When you recharge a flashlight with a brand new battery, it shines brighter than ever. To do that, though, you have to turn the flashlight off for a moment so you can replace the old batteries with new ones. That’s exactly how I operated. It was a routine that became part of my life. While we had a few lazy people around the office, the funny thing is, because of my work ethic and commitment to hard work, I probably actually had more really truly relaxing and fun time in a year than they did. The difference was I didn’t cheat. I EARNED MY REWARD.
Life’s Reward
We’ve been talking a lot about short-term goals and rewards that give you the opportunity to recognize your achievements and provide a chance to reenergize as you work your way through the year. But what about something more long term? How about a lifetime reward for achieving what you set out to do in your career? Now that sounds like a plan to me. Although I never really retired (and never will) since I’m still very active giving presentations and motivational speeches all over the world, I think I can safely say that I have rewarded my wife and myself with a pretty nice standard of living. I set my goal of doing that a long time ago and I achieved it, so I have every intention of enjoying it, and I do.
If you want to set a long-term goal for yourself that has a special lifetime achievement reward at the end of your career for yourself, I think that’s great. Maybe it’s a home in a tropical climate. Or perhaps world traveling is your thing. Whatever it is, get that reward in front of your face early on, and set your sights on achieving it just as though it were a sales objective or a special assignment you’re taking on. Quite frankly, I can’t think of a more important project than that one. Can you?
Get excited about this! Look forward to it just like when you were a kid counting down the days till Christmas. Dangle this reward in front of your eyes every day. Put a reminder or a picture on your desk, in your car, or wherever you work. Never lose sight of it. The reason you want a long-term reward like that as an incentive is because when that day comes, you’ll be making the biggest change in your life since you learned how to walk. It’s finally time to cash in your chips for the good life.
Now you can swing in your hammock, at a night club, or with your golf clubs—it’s your choice! You’ve earned it. Take a deep breath and give a big smile because you’re loved, respected, and fulfilled. My 13 Rules have put you ON TOP OF THE WORLD!
The Ultimate Reward
In the final analysis, perhaps the most gratifying personal experience and ultimate reward of all is simply knowing that you did your very best. And that’s really all one can ask of oneself. Doing all that you could possibly do has enabled you to provide the very most you could for yourself, your family, and other important people and causes in your life.
President Calvin Coolidge probably said it best when he said something like, “There is nothing more common than unsuccessful people with talent, genius, and education. Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.” Thank you, Mr. President. I couldn’t agree more. I’ll use myself as a good example. I never thought I was particularly smart or talented. As far as education goes, I never even finished high school. But I am successful because I NEVER STOPPED TRYING. I never gave up on myself. I WAS PERSISTENT. I was DETERMINED TO SUCCEED—AND I DID! As I’ve said, over and over again, to thousands of people all over the world—“IF I CAN DO IT, ANYONE CAN!”
Have you ever said to yourself or to your spouse, “What ever happened to our old friends Jack Jones and Jane Smith? It seemed like nothing could stop the success train they were on. We never hear a thing about them. It’s like they vanished into thin air.”
Believe it or not, there are actually lots of people like that out there, in all fields, who enjoyed some success but somehow never even came close to accomplishing what they could have.
There were mountains they had the talent to conquer but didn’t. There were lives and people they had the resources to touch but didn’t. There were goals that were easily within the grasp of their capabilities but were left in the distance on the road just ahead. They never lived up to any of their expectations because, at some point, they decided to take the path of laziness and idleness. They decided they’d had enough. They didn’t want to expend any more energy on anything. For all intents and purposes, their lives were over. They just drifted into the alleys of life as the rest of the world raced by, empty lives filled with the regrets of what could have been. Failure has never been defined more clearly for me than that.
By comparison, people of lesser talents and natural abilities who give it everything they have to be successful often surpass these so-called “fast-trackers” in both achievement and in living life to the fullest. Yes, it means giving 150 percent. Anyone can give just 100 percent. It means accomplishing what you set out to do or possibly even exceeding your expectations of what you could do. Now that’s sweet. It’s even sweeter when you exceed the expectations other people have of you.
When I give motivational presentations or get feedback from my books, nothing gives me greater satisfaction than knowing I reached or touched someone in such a way that they’re now energized to turn their lives around and become something they never dreamed possible—and all because I had an opportunity to get my message in front of them. How do I know when I’ve “reached” someone? They tell me.
You were inspirational! You really connected … a
positive impact!
Harvard Business School
Girard captures the essence of rising to the top.
Mary Kay Cosmetics
Loved Joe’s enthusiastic, catching style!
General Electric
An absolute “TURN-ON” … bar none!
PPG Industries
Joe will empower you to become tomorrow’s
entrepreneurial legend.
Avis Rent-A-Car
We definitely overachieved our objective!
IBM
Joe Girard is something special!
Newsweek
YOU ARE TRULY #1!
John Deere & Co.
My friends, rewards like those are the priceless gifts in life that make it all worthwhile. Yes, it’s great to be NUMBER ONE. But there’s something even more important than that. It’s not so much about some day being the best as it is about always being the very best that you can be. If you can manage to do that, you’re a winner every day. That is the ultimate reward.