Use Your Personal Getting Shit Done Power

Everybody has power. Most people either don’t realize it, or don’t take advantage of it, or choose (for some weak reason) not to use it. What’s yours?

The purpose of this book is to give you clarity, vision, incentive, encouragement, and examples of your productivity power and your personal power in ways you can put into action and become happier, more successful, and have a few more bucks in your pocket. BUT I CANNOT MAKE YOU TAKE ACTION. That’s up to you.

Here is a great list of your personal powers. Read them twice and make a short list of the ones you believe can help you the most IN YOUR PRESENT SITUATION. But note that these powers are for you to use forever and not just for today.

1. The power of a positive attitude. Attitude is a HUGE part of your life and requires a positive attitude as fundamental and foundational to success.

2.The power of daily attitude actions. These are actions that you take both in your favor and in the favor of others. They’re not just positive; they’re powerful. Attitude actions create productivity actions.

3. The power of belief. Belief in who you work for, what you’re doing, your ability to differentiate yourself from your co-workers and your competitor, and belief in yourself create the four cornerstones that enable your belief to be transferred to others.

4. The power of self-confidence. The power of self-confidence comes from thinking about past wins, and thinking about past accomplishments. Those thoughts become your inner confidence builder and manifest themselves in the self-confident appearance.

5. The power of thinking YES! The difference between thinking you can and thinking you cannot, will determine outcome and fate. KEY: Think yes to get yes.

6. The power of keeping conversational control. Most people have very little idea about what it takes to keep control of a conversation. The answer is in one word: ASK. When you ask, you’re in control of the conversation. When someone asks you, you have given up control. Control keeps you on the path to getting what you want or need. Want more control? Easy! Ask more questions.

7. The power of preparation. Most people make the fatal mistake of only preparing in terms of themselves, when in fact, the other person only cares about him or herself. They want ideas, value, and answers – not your canned rhetoric or slide show. They want to know how THEY win. Why not spend twice as much time preparing in terms of the other person? UNBREAKABLE RULE OF SUCCESS: Preparation determines outcome.

8. The power of creativity. Creativity is a science, and you can learn it. It’s based on the perspective from which you see things. And once you begin to see things a little bit differently than others, you’ll become more creative. Others are interested in why and how you’re different from the rest. Creativity makes it evident. Start by reading a book on it.

9. The power of being memorable. For years I have said, “Find something personal. Do something memorable.” It’s all about a random act of kindness that has a direct emotional trigger to the heart of the other person. Whatever it is, it must relate to them and their passion. Whatever it is, it has to have a WOW impact.

10. The power of value. My mantra is, “Give value first.” That way the other person forms an impression of you that’s both positive and powerful. The more value you provide, the more powerful you will become, the more you will achieve, and the more success you will have. And just so we understand the word value, it’s preceded by the word “perceived.” If the other person perceives value, then it is.

11. The power of relatable example. Please don’t tell me how something works. Rather, tell me how someone else is using it and winning right now as a result of it. Show me social proof. Show me the 5’s.

12. The power of truth. It’s sad I have to write about this. The elusiveness of truth has caused more business deals and more relationships to be lost to lack of truth than to basic honesty. Truth starts with you.

13. The power of trust. Trust is built slowly over time by taking consistent, value-based actions. Trust is lost in a minute by inconsistency, taking inappropriate actions, telling untruths, or failure to deliver as promised.

14. The power of service. The power of service is realized through actions, not phony statements or advertisements. There is no power in telling me how great your service is, there is total power in delivering it, and there is HUGE power in having your customers or someone else talk about it, brag about it, on social media.

15. The power of a relationship. Real relationships mean there is no hesitancy in telling the truth or being the best you can be for others. Relationships are based on mutual value provided, mutual loyalty exchanged, likeability, truth, and trust built slowly over time. Take a moment right now and list the ten people that fall into this category. If there are less than ten, your power isn’t close to what it could be.

16. The power of loyalty. Who are you loyal to? A team? A school? A family? A spouse? A job? A brand? A product? A company? And who is loyal to you? Loyalty is not just an action, a piece of clothing or some words – loyalty is a feeling and a virtue. It’s passion, word of mouth and word of mouse. In case of family, loyalty is a blessing. I define loyal customers two ways: will a customer do business with me again and will they refer someone to me. Many customers may never be satisfied, but they continue to do business with you. That’s loyalty. Repeat business and unsolicited referrals are the report card that everything else in the relationship is excellent. Keep in mind that loyal customers are also your most profitable customers. If you are looking for examples of loyalty, look no further than your parents or your dog.

17. The power of your reputation and social brand. Social media AND Google presence is no longer an option. And the most powerful part of it is the fact that your friends, family, customers, and people all over the world can interact with you online, one-on-one. They have access to your Facebook page. They can tweet about you with a hashtag. They can post a video about how great you are on YouTube. Social media can make you a fortune or cost you a fortune. It all depends on what you write, what you post, the way you respond, and the speed of your response. Facebook is now the largest country in the world. Become a value-based citizen.

18. The power of proof. When you make statements or claims about yourself, it’s bragging. When someone else says the SAME THING about you, it’s proof. Proof is a reputation builder, proof is a sales tool, and proof reinforces the belief of everyone in your network that you are who you say you are, and you do what you say you’ll do.

19. The power and joy of rejection. It’s amazing what you can learn when someone says no to you. Much more than when someone says yes. In both cases, you need to understand “why” the yes or the no occurred. Celebrate the no the same way you celebrate the yes. It will help you understand why and ultimately get to more yeses. The power of rejection, and learning from it, is the foundation for your resilience and your success.

20. The power, joy, and celebration of victory. YES attitude! When you complete a task. When you get what you want. When you win a game. When you achieve or acquire what you’re hoping for. YOU FEEL GREAT – CELEBRATE IT. When you’re in sales, nothing feels better than making one. The power comes one minute after the celebration. AND when you achieve or win, that’s the PERFECT time to start planning and achieving the next task, working on the next project, or making the next sale. Most people stop after one victory. Big mistake. Your assertiveness and achievement power are in high gear, your belief system is in higher gear, and your attitude, your YES Attitude!, is in highest gear. Once you learn that the best time to achieve something is right after you have achieved something, you’re on the path to genuine success and fulfillment. That’s what getting shit done is all about.

20.5 The power of opportunity. The most important realization in life is the opportunity you give to yourself. You do not have a job. You have an opportunity. An opportunity to earn while you’re learning. An opportunity to earn based on your results. And an opportunity to grow without limits. If you look at your present position as an opportunity, then all barriers and all negatives will fall by the wayside as you challenge yourself to be your best, regardless of your circumstance, regardless of your boss, regardless of the marketplace, and regardless of any obstacle that is in your way. I challenge you to take full advantage of your opportunities.

NOTE WELL: These powers do not act alone. Rather, they act in harmony with one another. One power will not put you over the top. It’s important to know them all, and it is equally important to execute them all at their highest level.

Productivity and achievement are lifetime projects, not just “to do” lists. Personal powers stay with you for a lifetime of productivity and success.

Jeffrey Gitomer

Free GitBit…MORE POWER: I have created a page of ideas to get your attitude rolling in the right direction. You can’t start the achievement process without a YES! Attitude. If you’d like the list, go to www.gitomer.com and enter the words ATTITUDE STARTERS in the GitBit box.

AA for the twenty-first century: Achievement Actions.

June 2019 marked the start of my 26th year of writing. Every day. New thoughts, ideas, and strategies – every day. More than a million words.

“How do you do it?” someone asked me. “I have no idea – paying attention to what’s around me, hard work, and help from above. I love what I do, and…” Yikes! Now I’m looking for a pen and paper as fast as I can because this answer is the seed for another blog post – in fact, this lesson.

Where do the ideas come from? They just show up – casual conversation, asking questions, observing people’s actions, and general living – everyday experiences. My job as a writer is to capture ideas, and expand on them from my experience. No magic – just awareness, the ability to see past the event, and the desire to “do.”

Where do all those ideas come from?

Well, as I thought about my answer, the list became clearer. So did the root of the process. I’m an achiever. I didn’t start out that way. I learned to achieve, AND as I grew up, I realized that I wanted to achieve. Still do – more than ever.

“Jeffrey, pay attention!”

Probably the most valuable lesson offered to me in school. But at the time I got it, I was either misbehaving, embarrassed, angry, or somewhere else in my mind – daydreaming. Too bad for me.

Here is a list of the 22.5 elements, concepts, actions, thoughts and philosophies that have allowed me to achieve. The questions at the end of each element are designed for one purpose – to make you think about where you are on YOUR path to achieve… YOUR path to get shit done…

How to Achieve

(Check the boxes that apply to you.)

1. Love it or leave it. Life’s too short not to love what you do. And hating what you do blocks all chance for success. If you love it, you will love to work at it. If you hate what you do, you will make every excuse in the universe why everything else in the world is wrong except you. Do you love it?

2. Remove destructive thought patterns if you want to move ahead. The biggest barriers to achievements are the ones you set in front of yourself. Think “how to” instead of “I can’t.” How do you think?

3. Prolong the thrill of last minute work. It seems that lots of work gets done “at the last minute.” Some people lament it, some revel in it. I revel. You? Are you frazzled when you hurry or do you revel in it?

4. Set appointments for your success. Use your calendar to write the date you will achieve by. The best appointment you can make is with yourself. Not just an appointment to START – an appointment to COMPLETE. Take a look at your calendar right now. How many appointments have you made to yourself? ANSWER: Not enough.

5. Create one “success environment.” A place where only positive things happen. A room. A desk. A chair. Have one space in your life where you take achievement actions. Do you have a success space?

6. Be aware of time. Too many people are “too busy” to achieve. The definition for “too busy” is “lame excuse.” Limping with a time shortage? Operate on yourself – surgically remove your television remote. That will free up hours. Unless you happen to be one of the fortunate few that earns money by watching television reruns. Are you spending time or investing time? How much time do you INVEST in yourself?

7. Be passionate in your endeavors. The passion for achievement is contagious, you light your own fire – and will draw more support from others by passing your fire to them. Is your passion evident to you and others?

8. Want to be the best. Develop a personal mission that transcends your corporate mission. Know what you are working for, and why you are working for it. And resolve that money is NOT the goal. BEST is the goal.

9. Find cheerleaders. It’s easier and more fun when the crowd is behind you rooting for you to make it. There are many people who want you to achieve. Find your cheerleaders, then earn their cheers.

10. Find mentors who have already done it, earn their respect, and heed their advice. I have been blessed with mentors. My dad leads the list. But others have played a major role with simple wisdom that is easy to miss if you’re not listening. The great Earl Pertnoy said, “Antennas up at all times.” In order to capture an opportunity – first you gotta see it. My antennas are always up – yours? And the great Mel Green, who one day told me his secret of success, “Hard work makes luck.” And since that day, I’ve been working as hard as I can, and luckier than anyone can imagine. Mentors take pleasure in watching and helping you succeed. They inspire you to act at a higher level. Who is inspiring you?

11. Risk it. A major element of achieving is risk. You have heard it said, “No risk, no reward.” I disagree. I say, “No risk, no nothing.” In order to succeed, you must take risks. Achievers risk. Do you?

12. Fall on your face. Risk can lead to failure. Failure is good. And a necessary learning tool of achievement. Have you failed enough?

13. Hang around other doers. People who “do” inspire others to achieve. People who watch television don’t. What did you watch last night? What did you achieve last night?

14. Read about achievement. Study achievement and other successful achievers. Know their top qualities and rate them against yours. The student factor is a critical part of your expertise. To achieve, you must strive to be a notch ahead of everyone else. Who are you ahead of?

15. Ignore nay-sayers, idiots, and zealots. And there are a lot of them. People who will try to discourage you, or try to get you to become a non-achiever like they are. It’s easy to spot these people – they’re drunk on the weekends. Want another beer – or would you prefer a large glass of success? (HINT: Begin to learn the difference between beer and champagne.)

16. Want it bad. This can best be described as the “burning desire” factor. Look at the people in your life that are “on fire.” You call them “achievers.” They want it, and they want it bad. In me, there is always an inside fire blazing. How hot are you?

17. Be aware of (and be ready for) divine intervention. You have a guardian angel. She is looking to see if you’re working hard and paying attention. She will present you with opportunities. It’s not about praying, it’s about working your butt off, and being a good person. AND, it’s about being positive, so that when the gift arrives, you recognize it. Do you believe?

18. Start today. It’s real easy to make an excuse to yourself. Putting off achievement is the easiest way to fail. What are you putting off? Why?

19. The BIGGEST secret is: the daily dose of achievement. Take small achievement steps EVERY DAY. I write every day for an hour. In 26 years, I have 1,200 columns, 250 new column ideas, 2,500 seminars, and 16 published books. Books are 90,000 words. I don’t write books. I just write 1,000 words a week for my column – the book just shows up. Have you broken down big achievements into small pieces?

20. Feeding on past achievement. There is strength in the confidence bred by past achievement. Build on past success. What have you achieved so far?

21. Finish what you start, even if your ass falls off. The habit of completion is one of the hardest to attain. That’s why so few people are achievers. Be known as a reliable person who gets the job done. Quit much?

22. Plan to celebrate the same day you achieve. Reward yourself when you win – and don’t be stingy. Celebrate big – it’s you, baby.

22.5 Think YES. You have a choice in the way you think. Becoming a “yes” thinker will lead to auto-achievement. “You become what you think about.” (Earl Nightingale) It’s amazing to me how many people think and talk in terms of NO. How do you think? How do you talk?

You have already had the best lesson of your life in the book, The Little Engine That Could. It has been providing the first lesson of positive attitude and achievement since it was written in 1937. Go buy a copy.

The passion of today and the uncertainty of tomorrow keep my fire lit on “achievement level.” I am a 73-year old orphan. I became one in 1998. The gears inside my soul were put in permanent overdrive.

• I have eliminated as much crap from my life as I can.
• I don’t complain about my fate – I love my fate.
• I value my time.
• I believe in myself.
• I have fun at what I do.
• And I work at it every day – without fail.

I study positive attitude. I am more positive about my attitude today than I was yesterday – and it’s been that way every day for the past 46 years. The commitment to building a positive attitude is the same as the commitment to achievement – daily.

Excuse me, I gotta go floss my teeth – if I could only floss my hair.