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Book Summary Notes 

Maximum Achievement

“The system you are about to learn can change your life." 

"This book contains a unique synthesis of ideas, methods, and techniques brought together in one place for the first time. The individual components, however, are not new; they have been learned and relearned throughout all the ages of man. These principles and practices have been tested and proven by millions of men and women, and all great success is based on them."

"By integrating these ideas and methods into your daily life, you will feel happier, healthier, and more self-confident. You will experience a greater sense of power, purpose and self-direction. You will be more positive, more focused and more able to achieve your goals. You will get along better with the important people in your life. You’ll be more successful in your career and you will feel wonderful about yourself."

"You will learn how to unlock the great untapped reserves of potential that lie deep within you. By practicing the exercises you will get results out of all proportion to the effort you put in. You will propel your whole life onto a highroad of success, achievement, and greater happiness than perhaps you’ve ever known.”

Nothing new here..  But that's good?

This book is based on timeless advice, guidance and methods..

The only thing new here is the patented Brian Tracy spin!

But I think that's GREAT!  Because new advice often doesn't last..

Often we would be better served to learn from principles and practices tested for millions of years! 

There is certainly a lot of new science out there on habits, goals, planning and achievement in general!

But while the science, technology and people may have changed it's really all the same!

Time tested principles and exercises..  That's what we're learning today! 

Masterpiece

“You must start with your ideal, your vision of a perfect future."  

"You begin unlocking your inner powers by lifting up your eyes and ‘seeing’ your life exactly as if it were already perfect in every respect.

"Your first job is to create a blueprint, a clear picture of where you are going and what it will look like when you get there. This image will then serve as an organizing principle, a guide, a benchmark, against which you can measure and compare everything you do in the process of turning it into your reality."

"Defining the seven ingredients of success gives you a series of targets to aim at. When you define your life in ideal terms, when you have the courage to decide exactly what you want, you begin."

Want to create a masterpiece life?

First we need to start with an ideal!

• What does that life look like for you?
• Create a blueprint: something to organize around!
• Without this ideal, your masterpiece might look more like a Jackson Pollock painting.

Not bad on canvas!  A little messy for a life..

The Seven Ingredients of Success:

• 1. Peace of Mind. 
• 2. Health and Energy. 
• 3. Loving Relationships. 
• 4. Financial Freedom. 
• 5. Worthy Goals and Ideals. 
• 6. Self-Knowledge and Self-Awareness. 
• 7. Personal Fulfillment. 

How about you? What does your ideal in each of these areas look like?  Write it down!

Substitute

“This is one of the most important mental laws. It is an extension of the Law of Control." 

"It states that your conscious mind can hold only one thought at a time, and that you can substitute one thought for another. This ‘crowding out’ principle allows you to deliberately replace a negative thought with a positive thought."

"In so doing, you take control of your emotional life. This law is your key to happiness, to a positive mental attitude and to personal liberation. It can change your relationships, your conversations and the predominant content of your conscious mind. Many people have told me this law alone has changed their lives."

"Your conscious mind is never empty; it is always occupied with something. By using the Law of Substitution, you can replace any negative or fearful thought that may be troubling you. You can deliberately substitute a positive thought in its place.”

The mind can only hold one thought at a time..

This may seem like a limitation!

• However, as Brian points out here that's actually an advantage..  
• If you've got a positive thought in your head you can't also hold a negative one..

However it also works vice versa..

• If you're holding onto a negative thought about a person, situation or yourself.. 
• There is no room for positive thoughts or emotions!

So what can we do?

• Step One: Awareness of your thoughts.
• Step Two: Turn negative to positive. 
• Step Three: REPEAT moment to moment.

Diamonds

“The merchant picked up the stone and said, ‘This is a diamond of great price and value.’" 

"The new farmer was skeptical, but the merchant insisted that he show him where he had found the diamond. They went out on the farm to where the farmer had been watering the donkey, and as they looked around, they found another diamond, and another, and another. It turned out that the whole farm was covered with acres of diamonds. The old farmer had gone off into Africa seeking for diamonds without ever looking under his own feet."

"The moral of this story was that the old farmer did not realize that the diamonds do not look like diamonds in their rough form. They simply look like rocks to an uneducated eye."

"A diamond must be cut, faceted, polished and set before it looks like the kind of diamond that you see in the jewelry stores. Likewise, your acres of diamonds probably lie right under your own feet. But they are usually disguised as hard work. ‘Opportunities come dressed in work clothes.’"

"Your acres of diamonds probably lie in your own talents, your interests, your education, your background and experience, your industry, your city, your contacts. Your acres of diamonds probably lie right under your own feet if you will take the time to recognize them and then go to work on them.”

What are you searching for that you might already have access too?

This story has been around for a long time..

• Farmer goes out to search for diamonds in a foreign land..
• Dies a tragic death without having found them..
• New farmer who bought his land discovers that there were acres of diamonds under his feet!

Why has this story stuck around so long?

• I believe it's because it rings true to so many of us.. 
• How many times have you moved on to a new venture because the old one wasn't working out?
• Did you really commit to that first venture?  Did you truly explore all the opportunity you had?

I have really struggled with this in the past..

• After started 2 successful businesses I got bored with them and moved onto something else..
• I often wonder what my life would be like had I just continued to work that first business.. 
• Not that I'm looking back and wishing I didn't make the change..  But I do think commitment to the first business would have been a better option!
• The acres of diamonds story is true in my life.. How about you?

7 Questions

“Whatever you wrote as an answer to any of these questions, including the question, ‘What one great thing would you dare to dream if you knew you could not fail?’ you can be, have, or do." 

"The very fact that you could write it means that you can achieve it. Once you’ve identified what it is you want, the only question you have to answer is, ‘Do I want it badly enough, and am I willing to pay the price?’"

"Take a few minutes to write out your answers to each of these seven questions. Once you have your answers on paper, go over them and select just one as your major definite purpose in life right now.”

Seven questions that can change your life:

1. What are your five most important values in life?

2. What are your three most important goals in life, right now?

3. What would you do, how would you spend your time, if you learned that today you had only six months to live?

4. What would you do if you won a million dollars cash, tax free, in the lottery tomorrow?

5. What have you always wanted to do, but been afraid to attempt?

6. What do you most enjoy doing? What gives you your greatest feeling of self-esteem and personal satisfaction?

7. What one great thing would you dare to dream if you knew you could not fail?

Take 30 seconds and answer these questions here..  

• Brian tells us that a 30 second response is often as accurate as a 30 minute one..  
• Fill out this mind map, make a voice not or a video on each question!
• The answers to these questions can be a guiding light for you in life.

Excusitis

“Here’s a simple way to test your excuses." 

"Ask yourself: ‘Is there anyone, anywhere with my problem or limitation who has succeeded in spite of it?’"

"If the answer is ‘yes,’ you know that your excuse is not valid. It is not a legitimate reason for your failure to make progress. What one person has done, someone else can do as well." 

"The disease of ‘excusitis,’ the inflammation of the excuse-making gland, is invariably fatal to success. If you have it, resolve to get over it right away before it sabotages all your hopes for great success.”

Do you fall prey to excusitis?

The definition might be something like:

• The act of constantly coming up with reasons why you can't do something..
• This disease has a one hundred percent mortality rate of sucess!

How do we overcome it?

• One way is to find 'role models' or people who have already done what you're looking to do!
• I love this exercise!  When you're trying to do something find someone who's done it before.
• Whether it's a coach, peer or an online mentor knowing someone has done it is HUGE!

The 'Has it Been Done?' Rule:

• Has someone else done what you're looking to do?
• Someone with your same background, challenges and opportunities?
• How about someone with more difficulties than you?
• This rule states that if it's been done then it is possible!

Love

“Love is the beginning and the end." 

"Your purpose in life is to become a totally loving person. Life is a study of attention. It is a matter of priorities, of choice. Your life is what you make it by the priorities you set and the things you choose to focus your attention upon. Your job is to live joyously, and this is only possible by filling your mind with thoughts of love, compassion and forgiveness."

"Only one life that soon is past; Only what’s done with love will last."

"This is the secret of the ages, the true foundation of all human greatness. It is the core value and the most essential unifying principle of truly exceptional people. And the most wonderful thing about love is that you can fill your life with it by deciding to do so. The choice is yours. It always has been. I wish you luck. I wish you success and happiness. And above all, I wish you love.”

Love leads to greatness in everything..

This might seem backwards!

• Often we see high achievers as people without emotion just willing to do what it takes to get it done!
• Love can be seen as something that 'gets in the way' of success or distract us..

But why does it lead to greatness?

Greatness is going to require sacrifice.. 

Long hours, dedication, hard work and risk are all barrier to entry in any arena!

How can we be sure we're willing to face up to that each day?  Love.

• Love for your family
• Love for your clients
• Love for the greater good
• Love for your creativity

The most important type of love..

• Self Love and Self Compassion!
• This book has a lot of techniques and practices for you to use..  
• They will all be more effective if you're able to practice self compassion first!

Instead of beating yourself up when you're not able to live up to your ideal..  

How quickly can you show self compassion and dust yourself off ready for the next moment?