THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF PERFORMACE (By Zig Ziglar)

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Much of success is about performance. It’s about what we do and what we are able to inspire others to do. There are some simple performance principles I have learned in my life, and I want to share them with you.
They really bring success, and what it takes to be successful, into sharp focus. They are also the basis for developing and maintaining an expectation of success.

The Five Principles of Performance:

1. We generally get from ourselves and others what we expect. It is a huge fact that you will either live up or down to your own expectations. If you expect to lose, you will. If you expect to be average, you will be average.

If you expect to feel bad, you probably will. If you expect to feel great, nothing will slow you down. And what is true for you is true for others. Your expectations for others will become what they deliver and achieve. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

2. The difference between good and excellent companies is training. The only thing worse than training employees and losing them is to not train them and keep them! A football team would not be very successful if they did not train, practice, and prepare for their opponents. When you think of training as practice and preparation, it makes you wonder how businesses survive that do not make significant training investments in their people.

Actually, companies that do not train their people and invest in their ability don’t last. They operate from a competitive disadvantage and are eventually gobbled up and defeated in the marketplace. If you want to improve and move from good to excellent, a good training strategy will be the key to success.

3. You find what you look for in life. If you look for the good things in life, you will find them. If you look for opportunities to grow and prosper, you will find them. If you look for positive, enthusiastic friends and associates who will support you, you will find them.

On the other hand, if you look for ways to cheat, you will cheat. If you look for ways to justify leaving your spouse, you will find them. If you look for justifiable reasons to hold a grudge against another person, you will find those, too. It is a natural tendency of us all to look for things that will justify what we think we need or want.

If you are not living by the foundation stones of honesty, character, integrity, faith, love, and loyalty, you will be drawn to seeking selfish gratification, and that leads to misery and unfulfilled dreams. Whatever you have will never be enough. Always look for the good and for ways to help others.

4. Never make a promise without a plan. Far too many people make promises they can never keep. They may have the best intentions in the world to keep their promise, but if they have not made a plan to keep it, they will not be able to do it.

Business leaders who make promises to their employees will not honor them if they do not create a plan on how the promises will be kept. If you make a future commitment, you must understand and be willing to do whatever it takes to complete that commitment.

One of the reasons marriage commitments fail so frequently is because the husband and wife do not understand what it takes to have a great marriage. They do not plan for or understand the sacrifices each must make for the other to enable a long-lasting relationship.

5. Happiness, joy, and gratitude are universal if we know what to look for. I believe you can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want. All people want happiness and joy in their life, but you have to know what produces real happiness and how to do the things that produce it.
The moment you begin to worry about the things you want and the things you don’t have in life is the moment you will lose your gratitude for what you actually have. If you are ungrateful, you will never be satisfied or content or joyful about your life. The greatest source of happiness is the ability to be grateful at all times.

The Right Attitude…

Obviously, the right attitude to expect the best in your life is a positive attitude. But I want to be very clear that the kind of positive attitude I describe is not one that is contrived or falsely manufactured to impress or manipulate others.

The positive attitude I talk about is one that you are filled with, and when you are jostled, it just spills out! What I’m saying is that a genuine positive attitude is part of who you are at your core.

If you have a bad attitude, it is a reflection of who you are, as well. It’s a “heart condition,” and to get rid of that bad attitude, you need a change of heart. I would be remiss if I did not encourage you by saying that God is the most amazing heart surgeon available to us all. He does not just repair a bad heart; He can give you a new one that your body will not reject.

The new heart He provides will produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in your life. When you have those characteristics and qualities in your life, you will be rightfully positioned to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are truly born to win.

Don’t Believe Everything You Hear – Now IS a Great Time to Buy!

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A question that comes across many homeowners’ minds these days is “Is this a good time to buy or should I sit tight and wait the market out?” and the answer is a loud and clear “YES! Buy now.”  The reasons are out there and no matter what the experts in some markets may be reporting, the truth is that if you can afford it – you ought to go for it.  If you are qualified to get a loan at the great rates that are available these days and understand the value of investing now, reaping benefits later – now is better than ever.

Low, Low Rates

Yes, we have all been talking about the low interest rates, so it is no secret that you can get interest rates that are nearly as much as a 30-year low.  When you couple that with the fact that as Americans buying in the American real estate market (unlike other places where loan terms are much shorter) have the benefit of locking in the rate for a thirty-year term, it makes even better sense to buy now.  When the market bounces back, and it will, your home will be worth more and the low, low rate you locked in will not be going anywhere, which means your return on investment is even greater.  Veteran real estate investors are cashing in on this amazing opportunity these days, with many homeowners who can afford it, buying secondary and vacation homes that they then put on rent.

Lots of Room to Breathe

Obviously it is largely a buyers’ market these days, especially when you consider all the opportunities out there and how easy it is to get into a home that, just 7 or 8 years ago would have cost the same price you are able to lock in today.  Since the inventory is higher, there are a greater number of distress sales by owners who are opting for short sales or banks who have foreclosed properties.  What this means for you, as a buyer, is that you have plenty of choices out there.  Not only that, but when you do find a home that is appealing and within your budget, chances are the seller will be more than willing to accommodate your offer and even offer extras like to sweeten the deal.  These days homeowners who are desperate to sell have been known to throw in things like Home Builder’s Association fees, home inspection costs and even paying for taxes for that first year.

The Powers That Be Are On Your Side

When you factor in the interest rates available these days, the number of distressed homes that are on the market (no matter how unfortunate it may be for some, those homes do need to sell after all) and the extras that are out there, that is enough to convince anyone even remotely considering becoming a new homeowner.  But there are even more reasons to take the plunge and move out of your existing home or rental into a your own, bigger and better abode.  Even though the first-time homebuyer tax credit has expired there are still incentives to buy – and a great resource to find out what is out there is here.  

What You Want Is Out There Waiting

Since it IS a buyers’ market these days, there is a plethora of choices out there too.  You will find more home, for less money and chances are with more of the amenities and features that you are looking for as well.  Depending on which area of the country you live in and further, how small or large the county you are looking to buy a home in is, you will come across a limited number of homes that fit the bill exactly in terms of your price range.  The good news is that those homes will likely be there for you as a choice, regardless of whether the prices go up or down in the market.

It’s a phenomenal time to buy real estate in today’s market.  Even though it is still a good time for sellers in the sense that there ARE people out there looking to buy, it is a FAR better time to buy a property these days – for a number of reasons.