Think and Grow Rich

Chapter 19 Careful Planning: The Specific Process of Turning Desires into Actions (4)
28. Selfishness and vanity.These qualities are like a red light signal that lights up, warning people to stay away.Both of these are fatal factors that hinder success.

29. Guess, not think.Most people are too careless or too lazy to bother searching for facts for thought.They like to act on guesswork or hasty "conclusions."

30. Lack of capital.This is a common reason first-time entrepreneurs fail.Without sufficient capital reserves as a backing, it is impossible to withstand the blow of failure, survive in adversity, and it is impossible to make achievements.

31. You can also list the reasons for your own failure experience not mentioned above.

These thirty main reasons for failure reflect the tragedy of life. Those who have tried hard but failed have truly tasted the tragedy of life.

If you can guide people who are familiar with yourself and understand yourself to examine these failure factors together and compare them with your own situation one by one, you will benefit a lot.It will also help if you look at yourself against the above alone.Most people are not able to fully see themselves from the perspective of others, and you may be one of them.

The ancients said: "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you can win a hundred battles!" If you want to sell your product successfully, you must understand this commodity.The same goes for selling yourself.You should know your weaknesses in detail so that you can do a good job of repairing them or discarding them altogether; you should also know your strengths so that you can focus more on them when you sell yourself.Only through accurate analysis can people fully understand themselves.

A young man's ignorant self-ignorance is shown when he sells himself to the manager of a well-known company and applies for a job.At first, he made a good impression on the manager, and things went well until the manager asked him what salary he expected.He replied that there was no set number (indicating that there was no clear target).The manager went on to say, "We won't be able to confirm your salary until after a week of probation."

The job seeker replied: "I can't accept such a decision, because I will get more salary than I am now."

Before negotiating a raise in your current position or seeking a new position, you must determine that you are worth more than what you are currently being paid.

It's one thing to want money, anyone wants more, but it's another thing entirely if you're worth that much!Many people mistakenly believe that what they ask for is their own worth.In fact, your financial needs or expectations have nothing to do with a person's own worth.Your worth is solely determined by your ability to provide service or to inspire others to provide service.

Self-analysis
An annual self-analysis is as important as an annual inventory of merchandise in the process of effectively marketing your personal services.Also, the annual analysis should show that people are reducing weaknesses and adding strengths.On the road of life, a person either progresses, stays put, or regresses.Of course, our goal should be continuous improvement.The annual self-analysis can show whether you have made progress, and if so, by how much; it can also show whether you have regressed.Selling self-service effectively requires you to keep moving, even if the pace is extremely slow.

At the end of each year, you should conduct self-analysis and evaluation, so that based on the analysis results, you can add the content that needs improvement to the improvement plan for the new year.Perform self-analysis by asking yourself the following questions, and check your answers with the help of others, so that you can see yourself more fully through the eyes of others to ensure the accuracy of your answers.

Self Analysis Test Questions

1. Have I achieved the goals I set this year? (You should set a clear annual goal as part of your big life goals)

2. Am I providing the best service I can?Or, can I improve this service?

3. Am I providing the most service I can afford?
4. Have I maintained a harmonious state of mind at work?
5. Am I allowing the habit of procrastination to reduce productivity?If so, to what extent?
6. Has my personality improved?How was it improved?
7. Did I follow through with my plan from beginning to end?
8. Have I made decisive and clear decisions at all times?

9. Am I letting one or more of the six fears reduce my productivity?
10. Am I overly cautious, or not cautious enough?

11. Do I maintain a harmonious and happy relationship with my colleagues?If it's not that pleasant, is it all on me, or part of it?
12. Am I wasting energy by not focusing enough?

13. Can I face all problems with tolerance?
14. In what ways have I improved my service capabilities?

15. Which habit of mine have I indulged in?
16. Have I displayed a selfish side, either publicly or privately?
17. Will my behavior towards my colleagues earn their respect?

18. Are my judgments and decisions based on guesswork or accurate thinking and analysis?
19. Am I following the habit of scheduling my time and planning my expenses and income in advance?Am I being too conservative in these regards?
20. How much time do I spend on futile efforts that could have been spent on more meaningful things?
21. How can I rearrange my time and change my habits to be more productive in the coming year?
22. Do I feel guilty for doing something that upsets my conscience?
23. In which aspects have I provided more and better services beyond my duties?

24. Am I being unfair to others?If so, in what ways is it unfair?

25. If I am my future client, am I satisfied with the service I get?

26. Is the career I choose suitable for me?If not, why?
27. Is my client satisfied with me?If not satisfied, what is the reason?
28. According to the law of success, what level am I currently at? (Be fair and honest in your evaluation, and when you're done, have someone who dares to judge you accurately check it out.)
After reading and thoroughly understanding the contents of this chapter, perhaps you are ready to develop a practical personal service sales plan.This chapter will detail each of the principles necessary to develop a personal service sales plan, including the key qualities of a leader, the most common reasons why leaders fail, industry areas with great leadership opportunities, the main reasons for failure in various industries, and Important questions to ask yourself in your analysis.The reason this is detailed and accurate is because it is what anyone who is going to start building wealth by selling personal services needs to know.Those who have lost their wealth or are just beginning to accumulate it can only create it by providing personal services.Therefore, it is necessary for them to have all the information in order to maximize returns in exchange for personal services.

The content presented in this chapter will be invaluable to those seeking leadership positions in any industry, and even more so to self-promoters looking for managerial positions in business and industry.

Fully understanding and mastering all the information covered here will help you better sell your personal services and will also help you improve your analytical and judgmental skills.This information is invaluable to personnel directors, human resources managers and other managers responsible for recruiting, selecting employees and maintaining management efficiency.If you still have doubts in your mind, take out a pen and paper and answer the 28 self-analysis questions to prove its reliability.

Find opportunities and ways to get rich
Now that we have analyzed the principles of accumulating wealth, it is natural to ask, "Where can I find the proper opportunity to apply these principles?" Well, let us now take a closer look at what America has to offer to those who desire what.

First, let us all remember that we live in a place where every law-abiding resident enjoys freedom of thought and movement unlike anywhere else in the world.Yet most of us don't think about the virtues of this freedom.We have never compared our unlimited freedom to other countries that have curtailed the freedom of their people.Here we have freedom of thought, freedom to choose and enjoy education, freedom of religion, freedom of politics, freedom of choice in business, profession or occupation, freedom to hoard and own any property without interference, freedom to choose where to live, The freedom to marry, the freedom to equal opportunity for all races, the freedom to travel interstate, the freedom to choose different foods, the freedom to strive for whatever stage of life we ​​are prepared for, even preparing for the presidency .

We also have other forms of freedom, but these interpretations are only the corner of the sky that a frog in a well can see, and there are many opportunities in a wider field.Whether you were born in the United States or immigrated from abroad, the advantages of these freedoms are obvious, because the United States is the only country that guarantees the same rights to all citizens, and any resident can enjoy a variety and a wide range of freedoms!

Next, let us count some of the boons that broad liberty has brought us.Taking a single ordinary family in the United States as an example (referring to a family with an average income), the benefits that each family member receives from this fertile land are summarized as follows:

1. Food.After freedom of thought and action comes the three basic needs of human life: food, clothing and shelter.Because American freedom is everywhere, the average family can choose food from all over the world at their doorstep, at prices that are not beyond their means.

A family of two living in the center of Times Square, New York, far away from food production, after carefully counting the cost of breakfast, came to the following amazing results:
Food Variety Breakfast Table Expenses

florida grape juice 2
Kansas Farm Breakfast Cereal 2
Chinese Tea 2
Bananas in South Africa 2.5
Kansas Farm Bread Toast 1
Fresh Country Eggs from Utah 7
Cuban or Utah sugar 0.5
New England Cream and Cheese 3
A total of 20 yuan

Food is not difficult to come by in this country, and a family of two can enjoy a delicious breakfast with everything they want at a low price!Take a closer look, this breakfast table seems to be magic, bringing together food from different places such as China, South Africa, Utah, Kansas, New England, etc., waiting for the owner to enjoy in the most crowded core area in the United States , and its cost is so low that any cheap laborer can afford it.

This price also includes all federal, state and country taxes!It should also be noted here that politicians did not mention this tax issue when canvassing votes for voters, because ordinary people have always been burdened with heavy taxes.

2. Residence.The family lives in a warm and comfortable apartment with heating in winter and air conditioning in summer, electric lights for lighting, and gas for cooking. All expenses are about $65 a month.In a small city, or in a sparsely populated part of the United States, such an apartment would probably only cost around $20 a month.

The bread and toast they eat for breakfast can be baked in an electric oven, which costs a few dollars; the apartment needs to be vacuumed, which also costs electricity.There is 24-hour hot and cold water supply in the kitchen and bathroom, and food can be stored in the refrigerator.Just by plugging some handy gadgets into permanent wall outlets, wives can curl their hair and do laundry; while husbands can shave with electric razors.They don't need to spend too much money, just turn on the radio or TV, and they can listen to and watch entertainment programs from all over the world at any time.There are many other amenities in the apartment, and the ones described above give us a clear idea of ​​the full freedom that Americans enjoy. (This is by no means political or economic propaganda.)
3. Clothes.Anywhere in the United States, women can look comfortable and well-groomed without spending more than $200 a year on clothing; men may spend slightly less on clothing.

Only the three necessities of life, food, shelter, and clothing, have been mentioned above.Ordinary citizens only need to work no more than 8 hours a day to get other more rights and advantages, and even own a family car.With a car, we can go around and go wherever we want at a very low cost.The average American also has the right to property security that people in other countries do not enjoy.People can deposit excess money in the bank, and if the bank fails, they can also enjoy national policy protection.If an American wants to travel abroad, he can go wherever he wants without a passport or a visa.Moreover, as long as his financial situation permits, he can take trains, cars, planes, cruise ships and other means of transportation at will.And in Germany, the Soviet Union, Italy and Europe, and some other countries in the East, it is impossible to travel everywhere with so much freedom and so little cost.

Provides the "miracle" of happiness

We often hear politicians preaching the freedom of Americans when they beg for votes, but we rarely hear them spend time and energy analyzing the source and nature of this "freedom".With no ulterior motives, no expression of resentment, no ulterior purpose, I just had the privilege of frankly analyzing this mysterious, abstract, and vastly misunderstood "something" that empowers every American citizen More favors, more opportunities to accumulate wealth, more freedom, far surpassing other countries.

I have the right to analyze the source and nature of this invisible force, because for 25 years I have known many of the people who organized it, and many who are currently maintaining it.

Capital is the mysterious benefactor that benefits mankind!Capital does not simply refer to money, but refers more to various groups of well-organized and extraordinary intelligence, whose members are good at formulating plans and methods for the effective use of money for the public interest and self-interest.

These groups involve various fields, including scientists, educators, chemists, inventors, business analysts, advertisers, transportation experts, accountants, lawyers, doctors and other professionals with professional knowledge in various fields of industry and commerce.They take the lead in trying new things in various fields and take the lead in opening up new paths.They support the growth of universities, hospitals, and public schools, they build good new roads, they publish newspapers, they finance governments, and they care for most of those who contribute to human progress.In short, capitalists are the brains of human civilization, since they supply the entire machinery of education, enlightenment, and human progress.

Money is a dangerous thing if it is not controlled by the mind.Only when money is used correctly can it make an important contribution to human progress.The simple breakfast described here could not have been delivered to some place in New York so cheaply, or at any reasonable price, if organized capital had not been poured into machinery, shipping, railroads, and trained manipulators of vast quantities of equipment. family dining table.

(End of this chapter)