Millions or Perfection: Can You Have Both?

A lot of people know about the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle. It says that 20 percent of your actions account for 80 percent of your results.

Now in my world, I’ve found this doesn’t apply to just time management and productivity. It applies to the people in your life, your surroundings, and what you believe.

I am around high-end folks who have found success and many are multi-millionaires. I figured they all knew the universal laws and understood the game of success. But I was noticing that some did better than others. I wanted to know why and started looking for “success clues.”

Now many people believe that there are only “secrets” for success. These secrets are believed to be hidden and mysterious. You have to dig for them. Although I can tell you, many are right out in the open.

Slow down and these clues are easier to spot. You’ll find them by studying successful people. It can be as simple as noticing how they dress, or whether they’re on time, or reading their blog.

I’ve been a marketer for all my business life, and I’m often telling people to sell their product as the “magic pill.” The media has really trained us to look for the magic pill that will easily solve our problems.

I was listening to fellow co-author Dan S. Kennedy (of the Ultimate Success Secret) the other day. He was saying that every cycle or two there is a hot-selling weight-loss supplement. It’s the ultimate magic pill!… You can have cheesecake. You simply just sprinkle on this magic fairy dust, and you’ll lose weight!

But what I’ve found is that really successful people aren’t looking for the magic pill. They know that being successful requires work, education, and commitment.

Read any billionaire’s autobiography and you’ll see this.

I used to think everyone should be like me… entrepreneurial, driven, and up at 5 a.m. Since then, however, I’ve learned a lot about personality types. We all have different strengths and weaknesses that make us who we are. Generally, the engineer is more methodical. The sales person is more of a people person.

I had a former partner who was an expert in personality tests. I learned a lot about “introverted types” vs. “extroverted types” and “feeling types” vs. “thinking types.”

I discovered “my” personality type, according to the tests. But later I saw how this self-labeling was putting me into a box. It was becoming a crutch, often allowing me to claim that I couldn’t do an activity because I was a certain type of personality.

Be careful about comparing your personality to the successful people you want to model. Maybe they may be very outgoing and you’re not. It doesn’t mean they can’t be your role models, even if you aren’t exactly alike. You’ll create your own path.

One thing I’ve found is the value of imperfection. The person who seemed most unlikely to succeed can surprise everyone and become a millionaire.

A person who I admire is real estate legend Robert Shemin, author of How Come That Idiot’s Rich and I’m Not? He is incredibly successful and speaks before thousands on stages with Donald Trump and Tony Robbins. Part of his story is being the class clown in school. He had dyslexia, but no one knew it at the time.

Shemin taught me that you don’t have to be perfect.

I recently made a spelling error in an offer I put online. That embarrassed me a little, but I still made sales and got over it.

One thing I’ve learned is that sometimes you have to let it go.

Being able to sell is one of the pillars of success. Not a sales person? Couldn’t even try?

I believe most people think of the “pushy car salesman” when they first think of sales. We’ve probably all dealt with a pushy car salesman at one time or another. It’s not a good experience and makes selling seem bad.

Now when you married your spouse, he or she must have liked you. So in a sense, you sold yourself on your sweetheart. Have you ever recommended a movie to friends? That’s selling… you sold them on seeing it.

The most successful people in life are great at sales. They’re either selling their ideas, a product, their company, or themselves. They are masters of being persuasive and convincing.

Another success clue is productivity. As Jim Rohn says, follow a successful person for a day and you’ll be amazed at how productive they are.

Follow a billionaire and you’ll see how their days are completely scripted. Their focus is on productivity and interruptions not happening. Not just anybody can reach them because everything goes through the secretary or gatekeeper.

But one last word about success clues. While I truly believe they are easy to see, when you’re on the hunt, ultimately, it’s up to you to control your own destiny and chart your own course.

You are what you create. But people see you as what you sell.