FSS Newsletter :: August 2003

Quote of the Month
Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain -- and most fools do.
Dale Carnegie

Sailing the Seven C's of Success

After having studied top achievers and peak performers over the past 25
years, I've concluded that these unique men and women, have in most cases,
mastered what I call the Seven C's of Success.

1. Clarity - Eighty percent of success comes from being clear on who you
are, what you believe in and what you want. Keep your focus on what it is
that you want to achieve.

2. Competence - You can't climb to the next rung on the ladder until you
are excellent at what you do now. Focus your efforts on mastering what you
are doing now. Whatever it is that you are employed at right now, be the
best one that you can possibly be.

3. Constraints - Eighty percent of all obstacles to success come from
within. Find out what is constraining in you or your company and deal with
it. Many people construct their own walls around themselves with negative
thought. Knock through the negatives and tear down the walls.

4. Concentration - The ability to focus on one thing single-mindedly and
see it through until it's done takes more character than anything else.
Don't let distractions and bumps in the road knock you off course. View
your failures as simply temporary setbacks and keep your focus and
concentration on your ultimate goal.

5. Creativity - Flood your life with ideas from many sources. Creativity
needs to be exercised like a muscle, if you don't use it you'll lose it. Be
willing to think "outside the box" so to speak. You don't have to do things
the same old way that you‚ve always done them, especially if those methods
aren‚t producing the desired results. As Dr. Phil likes to say, "How is
that working for you?"

6. Courage - Most in demand and least in supply, courage is the willingness
to do the things you know are right in spite of who or what may be affected
by your decisions. Develop your own positive set of core values and
maintain the courage to live your life without compromising them.

7. Continuous Learning - Read, at the very least, one book a month to keep
yourself ahead of the competition. And just as you eat and bathe, organize
your time so you spend 30 minutes a day exploring e-mail, sending messages,
going through web sites, because like exercise, it's the only way you can
keep on top of information and technology. If you get away from it, you'll
lose your competitive edge.