Secrets Of Success [The 4-Hour Workweek Journal]

For those of you who do know know about TED, I highly recommend you visit their site. TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) started in 1984 as a conference bringing together remarkable and fascinating thinkers to exchange their ideas on technology, entertainment, and design. TED Speakers are challenged to give the talk of their lives in under 20 minutes.

I have subscribed to many of their podcast feeds. I have got into the habit of watching the talks on my iPod as an alternative to television when I want to relax, yet at the same time be educated.

Richard St. John, a marketing guru, spent over 10 years interviewing successful people to understand what makes them successful. His findings resulted in 8 to Be Great: The 8 Traits that Lead to Great Success. At TED, he gave a fabulous 3 minute summary of this eight-fold path. What I learned from the talk is that successful people are characterized by the following traits:

• Passion: Do what you do for love not money.
• Work: Work hard at what you do, but have fun doing it.
• Good: Get good at what you do - practice, practice, practice.
• Focus: Focus on one thing (reminds me of single-tasking).
• Push: Push away shyness and self doubt.
• Serve: Serve others something of value.
• Ideas: Observe, listen and ask questions.
• Persist: Persist through all the CRAP (Criticism, Rejection, Assholes, Pressure)!

I highly encourage you to watch the talk for yourself (conveniently accessible immediately below) - a mere three minute investment of your time!

Odds & Ends

You may have noticed some modifications to the site. Over time, all things evolve. Since starting this blog, I have realized that The 4-Hour Work Week is only one of the many blueprints for lifestyle change that I want to discuss. It, in fact, compliments a lot of other material I have read, followed, discovered, or applied over the years. I often find value for myself in many lifestyle philosophies and schools of thought. While I am still on a quest for a four hour work week and committed to documenting my progress here (I am therefore retaining The 4-Hour Workweek Journal as the blog’s subtitle), I am finding and applying other bits of wisdom along the way - from the more mundane (like how to organize my stuff) to the sublime (such as the attributes of great leaders).

Thus, I have decided to rename the blog. Sutra is a Sanskrit word that means a thread that holds things together. Metaphorically, a sutra refers to a collection of aphorisms, or rules in the form of a manual. One could say that life sutra means a manual on the discipline of life. Life Sutra is my attempt to find and compile “rules of life”. Specifically, to discover how one lives fully while working more efficiently and effectively. I want to share what I learn with you, and I hope you will continue to do the same through your comments and feedback!

Original post here: Brick

5 February 2008 | Videos, success | Comments