1© Brian Tracy. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Brian Tracy.

Introduction

“I have always found that if I move with 75 percent or more of the facts, I usually never regret it. It’s the guys who wait to have everything perfect that drive you crazy.” (Lee Iacocca)

You have greater powers and abilities within you, right now, than you have ever used before. There is a saying in the South: “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight,

but the size of the fight in the dog.”

Some people have strong, deep, powerful personalities, and others are weak and ineffective. One of your most important personal goals must be to develop the inner strength of character that marks you as a serious, important person to everyone who meets you and who does business with you.

By developing a higher degree of personal power, you will feel better about yourself and you will do better at everything you attempt. In this lesson, you learn how high-achieving men and women develop and maintain high levels of personal power in everything they do. In this lesson you will learn:

■ How to deal with the accelerating rate of change

■ How high achievers think differently from low achievers

■ How to develop your special talents and abilities

■ Reasons to accept complete responsibility for your life

■ How to concentrate single-mindedly on one thing at a time

Five Keys to Personal Power

PersonalGrowth Strategies

2© Brian Tracy. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Brian Tracy.

What Do You Already Know?

Test your knowledge by attempting to answer the questions below.

1. Why is this period being called the “Golden Age” of mankind?

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2. What is the one essential requirement for all improvement in your life?

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3. How is it that high achievers think differently from low achievers?

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4. What is the key to dreaming big dreams for yourself and your life?

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3© Brian Tracy. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Brian Tracy.

5. What are your unique talents and abilities?

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6. How can you determine what it is that you are ideally suited to do?

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7. If you were personally responsible for every aspect of your life, what would you do differently?

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4© Brian Tracy. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Brian Tracy.

Five Keys to Personal Power

1. There are more opportunities today for the creative minority than have ever existed in all of human history.

a) We are entering the “Golden Age” of mankind;

b) More fortunes are being made today than ever before;

c) There are more opportunities for success today than have ever existed.

21Our primary need is for greater self-confidence in the face of the accelerating rate of change around us.

a) All improvement requires change;

b) We must not allow ourselves to get stuck in a comfort zone;

c) We must have the confidence to move boldly ahead in the direction of opportunities.

3. High achievers think better and differently than low achievers most of the time.

a) You become what you think about, most of the time;

b) Think about what you want and refuse to think about what you don’t want;

c) Keep your thoughts on where you’re going, rather than where you’re coming from.

5© Brian Tracy. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Brian Tracy.

4. The first key to personal power is for you to dream big dreams.

a) Imagine that you have no limitations on what you can accomplish;

b) Make out a dream list and write down everything that you possibly want in your life;

c) Decide what’s right before you decide what’s possible;

d) Decide what you really want before you think about the obstacles to getting it;

e) Practice “back from the future” thinking — project forward and then look back to the present moment;

f) Practice “blue sky” thinking — let your mind float freely;

g) Imagine you fell asleep for five years, and when you woke up every part of your life was perfect. What would it look like?

h) Clarity about your dreams and ideals is a key to your success;

i) Feed your mind continually with positive pictures of yourself living and performing at your best.

5. The second key to personal power is for you to develop your special talents and abilities.

a) You have unique abilities that make you different from anyone else who has ever lived;

b) What do you most enjoy doing?

c) What did you most enjoying doing between the ages of seven and fourteen?

6© Brian Tracy. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Brian Tracy.

d) What things are easy for you, which are more difficult for others?

e) If you won a million dollars in cash tomorrow, what would you choose to do for the rest of your life?

f) What gives you your greatest feeling of importance?

6. The third key to personal power is for you to do what you love to do.

a) Motivation requires motive; what is yours?

b) The key adult responsibility is for you to decide what you love to do more than anything else;

c) Your level of attention, interest and absorption is the key indicator of what you most love to do;

d) Once you have discovered your great love, commit to excellence. Resolve to be the best!

7. The fourth key to personal power is for you to accept 100 percent responsibility for every part of your life.

a) Remember, no one is coming to the rescue;

b) You are the President of your own career, and your own life;

c) Keep saying, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me;”

d) Refuse to make excuses, to criticize or to blame anyone for anything.

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8. Single-minded concentration is the fifth key to personal power.

a) All great successes are preceded by extended periods of intense concentration;

b) Set accurate priorities for your tasks and always work on the most important activities first;

c) Keep asking yourself, “What is the most valuable use of my time right now?”

d) Practice single-handling with every task. Once you start on your top priority task, stay with it until it’s 100 percent complete;

e) Single-minded concentration is a main source of energy, enthusiasm and self-esteem.

9. The secret to personal power is that you act your way into feeling far more often than you feel your way into acting.

a) Dream big dreams and think of how you can make them come true;

b) Develop your natural talents and abilities throughout your life;

c) Do what you love to do and commit to becoming excellent at it;

d) Accept 100 percent responsibility for your situation and for everything that you become;

e) Concentrate single-mindedly on the most valuable use of your time.

Your greatest joy and satisfaction in life will result from being the person you will become while you are in the pursuit of other goals. You must resolve to become an outstanding human being in every respect. You do this by practicing the five principles of personal power every single day.

8© Brian Tracy. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Brian Tracy.

Action Exercises

1. What are the three greatest opportunities that exist in your current business, organization or career?

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2. ________________________________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________________________________

2. What three things could you do to start taking advantage of the opportunities and possibilities in your world?

1. ________________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________________________________

3. If it is true that you “become what you think about,” what three things should you think and talk about most of the time?

1. ________________________________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________

9© Brian Tracy. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Brian Tracy.

4. If you had no limitations on what you could accomplish, what goals would you set for yourself?

1. ________________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________

5. What talents and abilities do you have that are responsible for your success in life and work up to now?

1. ________________________________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________________________________

6. Which aspects of your current work do you most enjoy?

1. ________________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________________________________

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7. As the new President of your own personal services corporation, what changes would you make immediately?

1. ________________________________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________

8. What is the three most valuable and important things you could be doing to get the most out of yourself and your life?

1. ________________________________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________

What one thing are you going to do differently, starting immediately, as the result of what you have learned in this lesson?

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