Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, which includes 40 New York Times bestsellers, puts everything he knows about success in this jam-packed book.
67 principles in 565 pages in a size 10 font.
If you are not planning to read the book, but want to capture Canfield’s principles, this is what I call chicken soup for the successful soul: a timeless and bite-sized wisdom that feeds our soul while we hustle, build, and go about our lives.
No. 1 Take 100% responsibility for your life
No excuses, victim mentality or blaming.
Your life is in your hands. Period.
No. 2 Be clear why you’re here
What is your purpose?
What is your WHY for doing what you are doing?
No.3 Decide what you want
Make an “I want” list.
Make a list of the 20 things you love to do.
Then see which ones you can make a living from.
No 4. Believe it’s possible
“ Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can.”
Richard Bach
No. 5. Believe in yourself
The ancient sage Hilel famously said:
“If I am not for me, who will be for me? And when I am for myself alone, what am I? And if not now, then when.”
No. 6. Use the law of attraction
“We become what we think about all day long.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Law of attraction 101:
- Ask for what you want.
- Believe that you will get it.
- Take action.
- Be ready to receive it with gratitude and appreciation.
No 7. Unleash the power of goal setting
What are you planning to accomplish?
Write it down in detail.
No. 8. Chunk it down
Once you know what your goal is.
Break it down into small steps.
Take action on the first step.
Rinse and repeat until you reach your goal.
No 9. Success leaves clues
Who did what you are trying to do? Learn from them.
No 10. Release the brakes
Get out of your comfort zone.
We talk to ourselves all day. Most of it is negative.
Change your self-talk with positive affirmations.
No. 11 See what you want, get what you see
Who would have thought daydreaming is actually productive?
Visualization, daydreaming, and vision boards help you to keep seeing what you want right in front of you.
No. 12 Act as if
It sounds silly, but apparently it works.
No. 13 Take action
“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”
Abraham Lincoln
As Thomas Edison said, “Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.”
No. 14 Lean into it
Just start, create momentum and keep going.
No. 15 Experience your fear and do it anyway
“ I have lived a long life and had many troubles, most of which never happened.”
Mark Twain
No. 16 Be willing to pay the price
There is a price to pay for everything. If you want it bad enough, be willing to pay the price for it.
There are no guarantees, and no refunds are available. You have to go all in.
No. 17 Ask!
If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.
No. 18 It’s ok to be rejected
Say next and keep going.
No. 19 Use feedback to your advantage
“ Feedback is the breakfast of champions.”
Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
No. 20 Commit to getting better and better
No. 21 Measure what you want to achieve
Keep track. Write it down. Moving forward even an inch in the right direction is better than stagnation.
No. 22 Never give up
Most businesses fail in the first 5 years. Don’t give up if you don’t want to be part of those statistics.
No. 23 The rule of 5
Do five things that will move you closer to your goal.
No. 24 Go the extra mile
Go the extra mile. It is rarely crowded over there.
No. 25 Surround yourself with successful people
You become the combination of the people you spend the most time with. Choose wisely.
No. 26 Celebrate your successes
Write it down, display your success photos and symbols.
When I look at my diploma and graduation photo, it reminds me that I can do hard things.
Here is my story about how I earned a BA without a high school diploma, while going through a divorce and raising four children.
No. 27 Keep your eye on the prize
Review your goals and dreams before going to bed. Your subconscious mind will work extra hard to make your dreams a reality.
No. 28 Finish what you started
Incomplete tasks drain mental energy and inner peace.
No. 29 Let go of the past to embrace the future
Forgive and forget, and focus on the present.
No. 30 Face what isn’t working
“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.”
Aldous Huxley
No. 31 Embrace change
One thing is certain.
Things will change. Embrace it.
No. 32 Transform your inner critic into your inner coach
“Don’t believe everything you hear – even in your own mind.”
Daniel Amen, MD
No. 33 Transcend your limiting beliefs
Make a list of your limiting beliefs that you want to change, and turn them around.
For example, “I have to do everything myself. It’s a sign of weakness to ask for help.”
Turn around to, “It’s okay to ask for help, I am worthy of receiving all the support I need.”
No.34 Develop four new success habits a year
Choose four things to work on every quarter of the year, instead of being inspired ( do we even mean it?) by a whole long list of New Year’s resolutions that never get done.
No. 35 The no exception rule
Being committed to your goal 100% of the time is very different than being committed 99% of the time.
No. 36 Learn more to earn more
Keep learning. Always.
No. 37 Stay motivated
“Of course, motivation is not permanent. But then neither is bathing, but it is something you should do on a regular basis.”
Zig Ziglar
No. 38 Fuel your success with passion and enthusiasm
Love passionately what you do, your product, your mission, whatever it is.
If you don’t believe it, who will?
No. 39 Stay focused on what you’re good at
Delegate everything else
No. 40 Redefine time
You can’t recycle time. Use it wisely.
No. 41 Your team is priceless
Choose wisely.
No. 42 Say no
20% of your activities/actions bring you the most results
Focus on the 20 and ignore the 80.
No. 43 Become a leader
Hold yourself accountable, recognize your strengths and weaknesses, have a clear vision, listen actively, and inspire others to become leaders in their own right.
No. 44 Find a mentor and learn from others who have done what you want to do
No. 45 Hire a personal coach
No. 46 Cultivate a small group of like-minded people who will push, advise and motivate you to reach success
No. 47 Stop, reflect, and trust your intuition
We all want to be unstoppable. But pausing for a minute to make sure we are going in the right direction can prove crucial to our success journey.
No. 48 Actually listen
No. 49 Heart talk
To resolve conflicts, use this technique.
Everyone sits in a circle and takes turns talking while holding an object (a stuffed heart is a good idea). Everyone else listens until it’s their turn. After the object has made its first round and everyone has spoken, pass the object around again. Whoever has something to add to the conversation can share it on their turn. If someone doesn’t have anything to add, they say pass. The Heart talk is over when nobody has anything to add.
Everyone leaves feeling heard.
No. 50 The truth is your best bet
“When in doubt, tell the truth”.
Mark Twain
No. 51 Your words have power – speak with impeccability
No. 52 When in doubt, check it out
Don’t assume, ask questions.
No. 53 Appreciation goes a long way
Discover people’s love language, and nobody will feel underappreciated around you.
No. 54 Keep your agreements
No. 55 Be a class act
Live by your own standards.
Maintain grace under pressure.
Be an example.
Be compassionate and inclusive.
Always act with integrity.
No. 56 Develop a healthy mindset about money
There’s a lot to say about this, and many books to suggest on the topic. One that comes to mind is “The Psychology of Money” by Morgan Housel, and I’m looking forward to reading “The Art of Spending Money” by the same author.
No. 57 You get what you focus on
No. 58 Pay yourself first
Invest every month.
“Compound interest is the eighth natural wonder of the world and the most powerful thing I have encountered.”
Albert Einstein
No. 59 Master your spending
Stop borrowing money.
Be relentless about paying debt.
Think long and hard if you really need a student loan.
No. 60 To spend more, first make more.
No. 61 Give more to get more
It sounds counterintuitive, but it is true as it is cheese. You get more when you give more.
No. 62 Find a way to serve
“It is one of the beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
No. 63 Master the technology you need
No. 64 Develop your online persona
No. 65 Use social media to your advantage
No. 66 Use the power of crowdfunding
No. 67 Connect with people who can help you expand
I know this was a lot to absorb. You can use the Rule of 5 and choose to embrace 5 principles you feel will help you the most. Alternatively, you can start with one of them and build from there.
Whatever you decide to do, I hope you keep going and keep growing.
