Another excerpt from my latest book, Simple Realities (The pathway to happiness and success), which is now available at Amazon.com and on Kindle.
He was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. You never knew what to expect from him. He’d be perfectly charming and effective in front of people, and then the next time he’d be an insufferable, arrogant jerk. This inconsistency was holding back his career. He had a large family, I think six kids -- all pretty young at the time. Finally, one day as we were going into an important meeting I said to him, “Act as if your kids were in the room.” From that moment on there were no problems with his performance.
Do what you’re capable of and you’ll astound everyone -- including yourself.
Not doing something right increases the odds of doing something wrong.
We judge ourselves by what we think we can do, others judge us by what we actually do.
It isn’t how many things we do that counts; it’s how many things we do well.
The three basic types of people: those who make things happen; those who watch things happen; and, those who wonder what happened.
When all is said and done, there’s usually more said than done.
Doing things isn’t always the same as getting things done.
Putting a limit on what you will do, puts a limit on what you can do.
What you do will count more than what you know.
Thoughts aren’t equivalent to action; people get paid for using their brains, not for having them.
How you start isn’t as important as how you finish.
Master carpenters measure twice and saw once.
Sugar doesn’t make the coffee sweet; it’s the stirring.
Becoming number one is easier than staying number one.
No one would have blamed Columbus for turning back, but then no one would have remembered him either.
The best preparation for tomorrow is the best performance of today’s duties.
Looking is one thing, seeing is something else.
Nothing adds more to the pleasure of relaxation than doing things when they are supposed to be done.
Long-term, consistent effort always pays off in some way.
Between the big things we can’t do and the little things we won’t do, reside the dangers of doing nothing.
You can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do.
A green thumb alone won’t make a good garden; you also need brown knees.
Results are more important than methods.
If it’s uphill you’re on the right road.
The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is the little “extra.”
The problem with doing something halfway is that the other half may be more important.
Archers hit their targets partly by pulling and partly by letting go.
If you’re going nowhere, and don’t do something about it, you’ll get there.
The person rowing a boat is usually too busy to rock it.
The person who thinks it can’t be done shouldn’t interrupt the person doing it.
If you don’t take the turn in the road, it may become the end of the road.
Trust only people in whom you have confidence
How you handle a situation may be more important than the situation itself.
There’s a big difference between being tired and being lazy.
Know who you should know before you need to know them.
You usually end up paying a higher price for doing something half-heartedly than you would for doing it properly.
About the only thing worse than hanging on too long is letting go too soon.
Poker may be 90% luck, but you still need the 10% that’s skill.
Full attention to detail will always be rewarded.
Always question numbers that don’t add up.
You can’t row a boat in two directions at the same time.
It’s fine to think globally, but you have to live locally.
Jumping into a muddy puddle makes it muddier.
Sometimes you have to make history to avoid being history.
If you put your best foot forward at least it won’t be in your mouth.
Too many people will say or do anything as long as they’re being paid for it.
Improving what you have is better than yearning for what you don’t.
Think like a person of action and act like a person of thought.
The deepest human craving is for appreciation; never pass up an opportunity to show it.
When you’re unsure about what to wear, dress just a little better than you think the occasion calls for.
When you come across something that defies the law of averages, always look for the reason.
Mistrust those who think everything is good, those who think everything is bad, and those who are indifferent to everything.
You don’t find yourself, you create yourself.
You may get a big surprise by reading the small print, but you might get a bigger surprise if you don’t.
When you almost know everything you need to know, you’re not ready, you’re just almost ready.
You can’t play cards you don’t have.
The quality of the effort is sometimes more important than the result.
How a talent is used is more important than what it is.
Never strike back from a position of weakness.