If you are open to new ideas and want to make your company a fun place to work, check this book out.  It’s a fun read.  You may not want to implement all Semler’s ideas, but just a couple could make your workplace more enjoyable.  The Seven-Day Weekend concept is about flexibility.  Time flexibility, career choice flexibility, decision-making flexibility.  Semler begins with the premise that employees are adults.  As adults they are capable of more responsibility than they are given in most organizations.

I can buy much of what he says in this book IF:

1.  You truly do hire adults…responsible people willing to use their brains.

2.  You lay out objectives and goals of the job clearly.

At any rate, pick this book up at your library and start reading.  You’ll know part way into the first chapter if it’s for you.

1.  A Positive Mental Attitude

2.  Definiteness of Purpose

3.  Going the extra mile

4.  Accurate thinking

5.  Self-discipline

6.  The master mind

7.  Applied faith

8.  A pleasing personality

9.  Personal initiative

10.  Enthusiasm

11.  Controlled attention

12.  Teamwork

13.  Learning from defeat

14.  Creative vision

15.  Budgeting time and money

16.  Maintaining sound physical and mental health

17.  Using cosmic habit force (universal law)

Success Through a PMA is a really helpful book…although I wouldn’t mind seeing a shorter list.  What 5 principles from this or any other list would you consider to be most essential?

Dilip says “Becoming the person you ought to be is a spiritual journey that will last as long as you live.”  I’ve certainly found that to be true in my experience.

My favorite section of The Path of the Genie is Dilip’s encouragement to figure out your gifts and fulfillment in life.  He ends Part III with these Five Action Steps For Self-Discovery:

1.  Know God–you are a spiritual being having a human experience.

2. Understand what gives you bliss–happiness and fulfillment.

3. Discover your gifts–what you do easily and naturally.

4. Work on becoming the person you ought to be–values driven.  Also, emulate role models in the areas you wish to improve.

5. Build you life around your true identity, your calling, and your gifts–even small steps to get started will help you feel more fulfilled.

I know Dilip through Toastmasters.  He has lived–and is living–the journey he writes about.  If you get the chance to hear him speak, make sure you do.  You won’t be disappointed.

• In order to inspire teamwork, you must be filled with enthusiasm.
• Many people achieve little in life simply because they never decide to achieve something.
• Following someone who has achieved what you want to achieve is the simplest and quickest way to get where you want to be.
• We can have as much wealth as we are willing to work to create.

This book may not be the first time you hear truths like this, but can anyone be reminded too often?

The 8 Attributes are:

1. Responsibility
2. Creator
3. Independence
4. Humility
5. Honesty
6. Optimism
7. Vision
8. Persistence

I definitely recommend 8 Attributes of Great Achievers.  Get it from Amazon or Tremendous Life Books.

Gary Vaynerchuk epitomizes passion.  If you’ve never seen Gary, watch this interview on Fox Business.  The Fox interview is not Gary at his most passionate, but it’s great information and he doesn’t cuss at all in that interview.  If cussing doesn’t bother you, watch some of Gary’s other videos on http://garyvaynerchuk.com.  The concepts are brilliant and may change the way you look at business, marketing, and even sales.  The internet has allowed a low cost of entry into business if you’re willing to hustle and put in sweat equity.

Crush It is not written by the most creative writer.  HOWEVER, Gary Vee’s passion comes through and he provides valuable insight that is easy to digest.  Well worth the 20 bucks.

In The Art of Influence, Chris once again weaves an enjoyable, fast-moving story.  This time, he takes us through four principles of influence.

Four Golden Rules of Influence:

Live a life of Undivided Integrity

Always demonstrate a Positive Attitude

Consider other people’s interests as more important than your own

Don’t settle for anything less than Excellence

I highly recommend this quick read.

The book starts off with:

“Congratulations!  Today is your day.  You’re off to Great Places!  You’re off and away!”

From there we are treated to a series of encouragements even through some difficult circumstances.  It’s the kind of motivation we all need sometimes…does it matter that it comes in the form of cartoon characters?

“Today is your day!  Your mountain is waiting.  So…get on your way!“

100 Ways to Motivate Yourself

• “Create a vision of who you want to be, and then live into that vision as if it were already true.”  –Arnold Schwarzeneggar
• “The only thing over which you have complete control is your own mental attitude.” –Napoleon Hill
• One hour of planning saves three hours of execution.
• “Fear kills more people than death.” –General George Patton
• “Make each day your masterpiece.” –John Wooden’s father
• Advertise to yourself.  Posting pictures of your goals in various places that you’ll see them frequently.

Other books by Steve Chandler:

100 Ways to Create Wealth

The Small Business Millionaire

enTourage eDGe

This week I attended a Tools Of Change(TOC) Conference in NYC.  The conference was about the future of publishing.  At this conference I saw several tools that could change book and magazine reading significantly.  Qualcomm will be introducing a new ereading device that displays vivid colors yet sips battery juice very slowly.  Ray Kurzweil demoed an ereader software he’s been working on in partnership with Baker & Taylor.  The software is called Blio and combines text, audio, embedded videos, and more in an interactive platform.  And by now you’ve heard about Apple’s iPad.

The most exciting thing to me was a dual screen ereader/netbook type device called enTourage eDGe.  So far I haven’t been too impressed by the Kindle and all the similar ereaders.  The Edge is different from the other readers on the market.  The left side is a touch screen ereader that you can highlight and make notes in.  The right side is basically a netbook.  You can check your email, surf the web, or tweet about the book you’re reading.  If you click a link on the left side (the book), the link opens on the right side where you will see the video, definition, map, or any other helpful tool that was linked in the document.  Meanwhile, the left side hasn’t changed so you still have your place.

I’ve ordered the enTourage eDGe.  I’ll write a longer blog after I’ve had a chance to spend some time with my new gadget.

18:24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly.

4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom.  And in all your getting, get understanding.

3:16  Length of days is in [wisdom's] right hand, in her left riches and honor.

18:22  He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.