Personal Baseline:
Now that we’ve gone through and assessed what your financial baselines are, we’re going to delve a little bit into your personal baseline for a while.
So what is a Personal Baseline anyway?
This is what you bring to the table in terms of your personal strengths and weaknesses. Are you healthy? Are you strong? Are you happy? Are you crazy?
Go ahead and seriously think about how healthy or strong you are in each of the following areas of your life and what you bring to a new business venture. Be brutally honest here, as if you aren’t this will come back to haunt you. It *always* does. And then have 2-4 of your best friends do the same critical analysis of you and see what their responses are and how they relate to yours. Again, a score of 1 represents a critical weakness needing immediate corrective action and possible deal-breaker, and a score of 100 represents in the top percentile of the world or better.
Physical Strength
Physical Health
Physical Stamina/Endurance
Mental Health
Personal Energy Levels
Happiness
Risk Affinity
Family Relationships
Personal Relationships
Pet Relationships
Education
Primary Life Experiences
Secondary Life Experiences
Primary Career Experiences
Secondary Career Experiences
Where are your weak points here? Is your marriage or relationship a little shaky? Would it survive you working a lot of overtime hours over the next year to accomplish your dreams?
Do you have young children at home? Will they be a distraction or an asset?
Are you currently happy and full of energy or somewhat depressed and nervous, shy of taking on any kind of risk at all?
Do you have a friend who needs you to help them through a rough patch? Do you have friends who want to help you succeed?
Do you have the will and endurance to go the distance in a time-sensitive environment? Do you need a more quiet and contemplative environment and pace in order to be productive?
Do you have an academic expertise in your chosen subject matter? Do you have extensive practical experience? Is this something so new that no one else has any more expertise on the subject than you do?
Do you have the physical strength to do the job? Some jobs/projects require physical strength and stamina – firemen, acrobats, landscaping, construction, etc.
Did you learn what you know of this business at work or through life experiences? Was it hands on learning, or academic? Do you have all three that apply, giving you an extra advantage by being so well rounded?
Are you currently suffering any health factors that could become a serious problem? How are you treating them or preparing to minimize their impact? Do you have adequate insurance? Is there someone who can step in for you if you became ill at a time critical point?
What are your Personal strengths and weaknesses? Because these also play a huge role in whatever you decide to do to chase your dreams. They impact the how, the when, and the why of each of your decisions both for your business and for your life, so they are critical not just in the decision of what to do, but what tools you need to do them, or do them better.
Having huge areas of strength here will be of unmistakable value to anyone who possesses them, and any weak points here will need to be addressed and covered off before you get too far down the road or any one of them could conceivably lead to serious, even critical problems.
I’ve raised the subject, now you need to delve into your reality and really hammer out some serious answers here. Then take this Baseline and compare it to your other baselines again. What synergies do you see? What elements from one baseline complement elements from the others? And what about your weaknesses? How do they fit into the picture? Do you see any patterns emerging? Any ideas fomenting?
Dig deep, compare and contrast, and at the end of the day realize that these baselines don’t judge you, they offer you insights and are some of the best self-help tools money can buy without having had to spend a dime.
So get cracking, figure things out and check back with me and the Race to 2010.
Play with what your strengths are and smile at all the ‘wicked-cool’ things you can do with them now that you see them in black and white (or multi-colour if you’re filling this out in crayon.)
Y’all come back now, ya hear?
Showing posts with label The Millionaires Race to 2010. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Millionaires Race to 2010. Show all posts
09 July, 2009
Available Credit Baseline
Available Credit Baseline:
Ok – so we’ve talked about what you owe, now we’re going to spend a little time discussing what you could owe.
Optimally we’re hoping that you won’t need or want to owe anything to get whatever project you want to start off the ground. It would not be realistic or comprehensive enough for me to address everything else in terms of what your strengths and weaknesses are if I didn’t also address this subject too.
You will probably need some kind of credit at some point in this process. Whether it is to facilitate cash flow, or to qualify for transaction processing services, or to rent facilities and offices, or for any other relevant business purposes, you’ll probably need some kind of credit.
Some people have unique access to large pools of credit regardless of their personal credit rating. Whether through family or social sources, this access to extraordinary credit is a resource that is available to some, and perhaps to you, and should not be discounted out of hand. Credit can be a very powerful resource if used correctly, so it deserves a lot of respect.
Others are in a credit trap where their personal credit sources are as dry as the desert or as maxed out as a Michael Bay movie is with big bangs.
Then there is the subject of having access to investors, the sale of shares, bonds, or other investment plans to address. The opportunity to raise funds from sources other than your personal bank account would give you access to resources beyond your current means, and allow you to reach ever higher for the brass ring.
The resource of personal credit sources and business investment sources all come with fundamentally the same problems – nothing is free.
By that I mean so much more than just whatever the credit terms are. Sure I believe banks and credit card companies deserve their profits, but that’s not what I mean.
Credit is a slippery slope. It is entirely too easy to have a level of credit debt that you can handle under normal circumstances but that suddenly and completely wipes you out when emergency or unusual circumstances strike.
More emphatically, these days it is becoming more and more regular for those circumstances to have nothing to do with you or your credit worthiness but on the lending institution to be able to stay in business themselves.
In an environment where banks and lending institutions are failing or receiving bailouts to cover off for appalling unparalleled mismanagement and extraordinarily poor risk management, basic credit can be a very dangerous thing as it can be recalled at any time should your institution sell off your account to another institution, be purchased by another bank, or go bankrupt, or in some cases, simply change policies.
Where even applying for credit can have an impact on your insurance rates, it’s critical to make sure that whatever credit you have you treat with unusual care and discretion.
Pay extraordinary attention to the fine print. Whatever it says will be used against you in the future, and you can count on that.
In reality, this particular piece isn’t going to tell you *how* to get credit or *what* to do with it, but it’s here to make you account for the total amount of credit you can reasonably call on if you need it.
Here are some of the areas of credit you can look at if needed. I am *absolutely NOT* recommending you to use any of them, but you should be aware of them and how to access them if needed.
In this baseline the rule of thumb will be like this: Rate how much money or purchasing power you believe you would be able raise from each source of credit on a rating of 1-100 where 1 represents the idea that just asking the question will result in a Bernie Madoff-like audit and investigation and a rating of 100 means you can get credit to purchase major brand name retail chains with a low down payment just on your good name.
Ready? Here we go:
Pay Day Loans:
Credit Cards:
Personal Loans:
Personal Line of Credit:
Business line of Credit:
Mortgages:
Home Equity Loans:
Car Title Loans:
Construction Loans:
Small Business Loans:
Regional Business Start-Up Loans:
Government Loans/Grants:
Other Business Grants:
Private Investment:
Public Investment:
Bonds:
Private Stock Sale:
Financial Advances:
Supplier Advances (Suppliers may be willing to let you have product on spec.):
Insurance Loans (Many insurance policies allow you to borrow against the policy):
Retirement Savings Loans (same as insurance loans):
Industry Specific Loans:
Family Loans:
Ability to get Co-Signed Loans:
Other Loans:
Total Credit Capacity:
Obviously that’s not an all-inclusive list, but it should remind you of a variety of credit and investment options that you can use to raise funding for your venture.
Again, I’m positively *not* recommending any of them – buying on credit is what we’re trying to get successful enough to avoid having to do, but you may encounter a need for it at some point on this project.
Sometimes credit offers you an opportunity to leverage a number of other bonuses if used correctly. Frequent flier miles, cash rebates, interest free periods, tax rebates/deductions, and numerous other incentives exist for various credit options. All of those bonuses exist on the statistical likelihood that you will sooner or later slip up and get charged an additional fee for something or to reward referral business. In other words, the credit companies are betting against you making your payments on time, and statistically they are proven right far more often than not. Just something to keep in mind.
I’ll get into credit strategies some other time, for now it’s just worth seeing what your credit strength is today and to compare it against your credit strength a year from now.
So take a good look at what your credit options are – see what the clauses are on your credit cards, what your interest rates are, what your service fees are, what your credit rating is, see copies of your credit reports from all of the major reporting agencies. Basically, get familiar with what your real ability to get credit is.
It also helps to know what’s on your credit file with the reporting agencies because this information is often looked up by prospective employers when you’re applying for a new job as part of a comprehensive background check. Take the time to fix any errors that you see, and keep an eye out for suspicious transactions that could be telltale signs of identity theft or erroneous reporting.
And when you’ve done all of that you’ll know exactly where you stand on your credit, and that’s a pretty good thing to know.
Until next time,
C./
Ok – so we’ve talked about what you owe, now we’re going to spend a little time discussing what you could owe.
Optimally we’re hoping that you won’t need or want to owe anything to get whatever project you want to start off the ground. It would not be realistic or comprehensive enough for me to address everything else in terms of what your strengths and weaknesses are if I didn’t also address this subject too.
You will probably need some kind of credit at some point in this process. Whether it is to facilitate cash flow, or to qualify for transaction processing services, or to rent facilities and offices, or for any other relevant business purposes, you’ll probably need some kind of credit.
Some people have unique access to large pools of credit regardless of their personal credit rating. Whether through family or social sources, this access to extraordinary credit is a resource that is available to some, and perhaps to you, and should not be discounted out of hand. Credit can be a very powerful resource if used correctly, so it deserves a lot of respect.
Others are in a credit trap where their personal credit sources are as dry as the desert or as maxed out as a Michael Bay movie is with big bangs.
Then there is the subject of having access to investors, the sale of shares, bonds, or other investment plans to address. The opportunity to raise funds from sources other than your personal bank account would give you access to resources beyond your current means, and allow you to reach ever higher for the brass ring.
The resource of personal credit sources and business investment sources all come with fundamentally the same problems – nothing is free.
By that I mean so much more than just whatever the credit terms are. Sure I believe banks and credit card companies deserve their profits, but that’s not what I mean.
Credit is a slippery slope. It is entirely too easy to have a level of credit debt that you can handle under normal circumstances but that suddenly and completely wipes you out when emergency or unusual circumstances strike.
More emphatically, these days it is becoming more and more regular for those circumstances to have nothing to do with you or your credit worthiness but on the lending institution to be able to stay in business themselves.
In an environment where banks and lending institutions are failing or receiving bailouts to cover off for appalling unparalleled mismanagement and extraordinarily poor risk management, basic credit can be a very dangerous thing as it can be recalled at any time should your institution sell off your account to another institution, be purchased by another bank, or go bankrupt, or in some cases, simply change policies.
Where even applying for credit can have an impact on your insurance rates, it’s critical to make sure that whatever credit you have you treat with unusual care and discretion.
Pay extraordinary attention to the fine print. Whatever it says will be used against you in the future, and you can count on that.
In reality, this particular piece isn’t going to tell you *how* to get credit or *what* to do with it, but it’s here to make you account for the total amount of credit you can reasonably call on if you need it.
Here are some of the areas of credit you can look at if needed. I am *absolutely NOT* recommending you to use any of them, but you should be aware of them and how to access them if needed.
In this baseline the rule of thumb will be like this: Rate how much money or purchasing power you believe you would be able raise from each source of credit on a rating of 1-100 where 1 represents the idea that just asking the question will result in a Bernie Madoff-like audit and investigation and a rating of 100 means you can get credit to purchase major brand name retail chains with a low down payment just on your good name.
Ready? Here we go:
Pay Day Loans:
Credit Cards:
Personal Loans:
Personal Line of Credit:
Business line of Credit:
Mortgages:
Home Equity Loans:
Car Title Loans:
Construction Loans:
Small Business Loans:
Regional Business Start-Up Loans:
Government Loans/Grants:
Other Business Grants:
Private Investment:
Public Investment:
Bonds:
Private Stock Sale:
Financial Advances:
Supplier Advances (Suppliers may be willing to let you have product on spec.):
Insurance Loans (Many insurance policies allow you to borrow against the policy):
Retirement Savings Loans (same as insurance loans):
Industry Specific Loans:
Family Loans:
Ability to get Co-Signed Loans:
Other Loans:
Total Credit Capacity:
Obviously that’s not an all-inclusive list, but it should remind you of a variety of credit and investment options that you can use to raise funding for your venture.
Again, I’m positively *not* recommending any of them – buying on credit is what we’re trying to get successful enough to avoid having to do, but you may encounter a need for it at some point on this project.
Sometimes credit offers you an opportunity to leverage a number of other bonuses if used correctly. Frequent flier miles, cash rebates, interest free periods, tax rebates/deductions, and numerous other incentives exist for various credit options. All of those bonuses exist on the statistical likelihood that you will sooner or later slip up and get charged an additional fee for something or to reward referral business. In other words, the credit companies are betting against you making your payments on time, and statistically they are proven right far more often than not. Just something to keep in mind.
I’ll get into credit strategies some other time, for now it’s just worth seeing what your credit strength is today and to compare it against your credit strength a year from now.
So take a good look at what your credit options are – see what the clauses are on your credit cards, what your interest rates are, what your service fees are, what your credit rating is, see copies of your credit reports from all of the major reporting agencies. Basically, get familiar with what your real ability to get credit is.
It also helps to know what’s on your credit file with the reporting agencies because this information is often looked up by prospective employers when you’re applying for a new job as part of a comprehensive background check. Take the time to fix any errors that you see, and keep an eye out for suspicious transactions that could be telltale signs of identity theft or erroneous reporting.
And when you’ve done all of that you’ll know exactly where you stand on your credit, and that’s a pretty good thing to know.
Until next time,
C./
07 July, 2009
What Does Hope Mean To You?
Today is a unique day. It’s my first day of blogging after the whole Canada Day/Independence Day celebration week. It’s also a day when I’ve started to do a lot of work on getting some of my projects completed and ready for publishing. It’s also a day when I have accumulated a lot of work for a series of blogs that will be coming to you over the next few days. It’s also a day when I am starting to seriously promote this blog site and the Millionaires’ Race to 2010 that’s starting this September.
But it’s more than that, really.
I mentioned that Glenn Beck has been working on his 9/12 Project with the idea of bringing together people from all political perspectives to work together to find consensus and solutions to our biggest social and political challenges. Regardless of your personal politics, the idea that we can work together from a grass roots basis to do what we know the current slate of politicians of all parties won’t offers me real hope on the political and social side of things.
As I have started to introduce the Race to people I meet I am getting a lot more hope as well because I am finding a lot of fellow citizens who want to work together to build economic hope in spite of what the bureaucrats and politicians are throwing at us and telling us to swallow.
And what is so important to me is that this hope is being fueled not by nice words, friendly faces, and idealistic speeches, but by people making real connections to do real things in the real world with real consequences and real impacts.
The more I am working on getting this Race underweigh, the more I am convinced that everyday people can overcome the worst economic challenges our countries have seen in 100 years, and that we can do it individually and collectively all at the same time. It just needs a spark.
Like the way we came together after the global famine in the 80’s, the farm disaster of the 80’s, 9/11, Katrina, the Tsunami, and other disasters, we can come together now and make a significant, lasting impact on the economies of our continent and, in turn, the world.
It may sound trite, but the world is a mess. We are a mess. And, yes, We Are the World. One by one we make a difference. One by one we join together to solve these problems, but we don’t stand alone. We stand united.
We stand united against tyranny. We stand united against injustice. And we stand united against suffering. But we also stand for something too.
We stand for Democracy. We stand for fairness and equal opportunity. We stand for the right to do the best we can with what we have. We stand for ethics in business. We stand for personal and corporate responsibility.
We stand for something.
Whether social, political, economic, or any other issues are the ones that drive you, I diffidently suggest that the best way to address them is to find one of these social projects, like The Millionaires’ Race to 2010 or the 9/12 Project, or any other opportunity out there, and help your fellow citizens bring your country back from the brink of disaster and raise it up in the kind of hope that can be quantified, measured, and finally believed in.
But it’s more than that, really.
I mentioned that Glenn Beck has been working on his 9/12 Project with the idea of bringing together people from all political perspectives to work together to find consensus and solutions to our biggest social and political challenges. Regardless of your personal politics, the idea that we can work together from a grass roots basis to do what we know the current slate of politicians of all parties won’t offers me real hope on the political and social side of things.
As I have started to introduce the Race to people I meet I am getting a lot more hope as well because I am finding a lot of fellow citizens who want to work together to build economic hope in spite of what the bureaucrats and politicians are throwing at us and telling us to swallow.
And what is so important to me is that this hope is being fueled not by nice words, friendly faces, and idealistic speeches, but by people making real connections to do real things in the real world with real consequences and real impacts.
The more I am working on getting this Race underweigh, the more I am convinced that everyday people can overcome the worst economic challenges our countries have seen in 100 years, and that we can do it individually and collectively all at the same time. It just needs a spark.
Like the way we came together after the global famine in the 80’s, the farm disaster of the 80’s, 9/11, Katrina, the Tsunami, and other disasters, we can come together now and make a significant, lasting impact on the economies of our continent and, in turn, the world.
It may sound trite, but the world is a mess. We are a mess. And, yes, We Are the World. One by one we make a difference. One by one we join together to solve these problems, but we don’t stand alone. We stand united.
We stand united against tyranny. We stand united against injustice. And we stand united against suffering. But we also stand for something too.
We stand for Democracy. We stand for fairness and equal opportunity. We stand for the right to do the best we can with what we have. We stand for ethics in business. We stand for personal and corporate responsibility.
We stand for something.
Whether social, political, economic, or any other issues are the ones that drive you, I diffidently suggest that the best way to address them is to find one of these social projects, like The Millionaires’ Race to 2010 or the 9/12 Project, or any other opportunity out there, and help your fellow citizens bring your country back from the brink of disaster and raise it up in the kind of hope that can be quantified, measured, and finally believed in.
15 June, 2009
Race to 2010- Building an Idea
Race to 2010 – Building An Idea, Part 1.
For those of you who haven’t heard, I’m launching a race to prosperity for anyone in Canada or the US who wants to join in- this will be the evolution of the biggest number of new millionaires in either country, all from normal, honest, responsible, and profitably managed revenues.
No MLMs, scams, Ponzi-schemes or other things that avoid reality – we’re going to make money the old fashioned way. By earning it.
Now everyone I know is happy enough to hear that, but the ultimate question is *how*? If it was so easy, everyone would be rich, right?
Actually it is reasonably easy, but it does take a few things to accomplish, and we’re going to deal with those over the next few blogs, but we’re starting today with the first thing that makes or breaks the whole deal – and that’s matching the right opportunity with the right person.
Think of it this way: you’ve seen American Idol, right? How many perfectly good singers have been ousted from that competition because they picked the wrong song for their voice and talent level? I mean you like their singing and all, but seriously, the wrong song can make almost any singer sound like William Hung on a bad day.
The same identical thing applies to revenues and business opportunities. If it isn’t the right market, or the right timing, or the right thing for you then it would be a lousy match destined for failure. So Key #1 is to select your condiments wisely.
Some people have an absolute knack for picking the right things for them. Others just stumble into the right opportunity at the right time. But for those of us involved in this project we need to get it right the first time so we can get the best head-start we can.
So how do we do it? How do we figure out which opportunity is right for each of us? How do we find opportunities to select from at all?
Good questions. Here are some of the answers…
First off you need to decide a few things like are you comfortable being your own boss? Do you work better alone or in groups/teams? What are your most marketable skills or talents? And most importantly, what are you NOT good at or most want to NOT want to do yourself.
If looking after taxes is not your forte, for example, and you are petrified of doing them and can’t look a solid number in the punctuation marks then you need to recruit some talent that can help. These can be paid staffers, they can be companies you hire to look after the details, they can be involved via a variety of other arrangements too but at the end of the day you do need to keep an eye on whatever they produce to make sure you’re neither being ripped off nor paying for inferior quality work. The quality of the work and its’ value to you are the things you need to weigh in determining which talents and expertise you need to support you on this journey.
Now obviously we’re not yet at the point of picking out employees or companies or partners to help us as we haven’t figured out the products or projects involved yet either, but you do need to start thinking about it because this kind of thing will help you to focus on the kind of project that best suits your work/lifestyle by helping you find compatibilities between what you want to do, and what’s available in your pool of opportunities.
So let’s say you’re doing this seriously and you get out a sheet of paper, a pen, and maybe a few hi-lighters or coloured pens to underline things as we get to them. I’ll suggest some skills and you see if they are things you think you’re reasonably good at. Go ahead and give yourself a rating from 1-100 for each one. If you think you’re particularly good, swing that number closer to the 100 range. If you think that this is something that only with divine assistance could you master at all, then you might aim closer to the 1 range. If you know nothing about it at all, feel free to give yourself a ‘0’ or a N/A (Not Applicable) if you have a skin sensitivity to low numbers. (It also wouldn’t hurt to have 3 or more of your friends rate what they believe your abilities or skill levels are at these things to give yourself an idea of whether your perception of your abilities is justified or how well your friends know about your talents):
Writing:
Researching:
Math:
Science:
Acrobatics:
Mechanics:
Carpentry:
Plumbing:
Electrical Work:
Carving:
Drawing:
Drafting:
Painting:
Landscaping:
Gardening:
Cooking:
Mixology:
Sewing:
Shopping:
Cleaning:
Organizing:
Typing:
Graphic Design:
Interior Decorating:
Comedy:
Poetry:
Sports:
Philosophy:
History:
Acting:
Video Editing:
Animation:
Accounting:
Tax Planning
Photography:
Economics:
Audio Editing/Recording:
DJ-ing:
Computer Programming:
Electronics Assembly/Repair:
Training/Education (of others):
Public Speaking:
Motivating Others:
Event/Party Planning:
Crafting:
Identifying and Coordinating Colours:
Performing Music:
Writing Music:
Journalism:
Politics:
Media Analysis:
Foreign Languages:
Engineering:
Physical Therapy:
Nutrition:
Travel:
Animal Training:
Animal Riding:
Juggling:
Escapology:
Magic Tricks:
Massage:
Group Coordination:
Project Management:
Money Management:
Sales:
Psychology:
Trivia:
Security:
Locksmithing:
Martial Arts:
Yoga:
Coaching:
Game Design:
Animal Training:
Industrial Design:
Architecture:
Masonry:
Chemistry:
Astronomy:
Brewing (Wine, beer, sodas, spirits, etc.):
Transcription:
Travel Planning:
Marketing:
Physics:
Personal Beautification (cosmetics/hair care, etc.):
Product Development:
Professional Networking:
Negotiation:
Law:
Charm:
Wisdom:
Common Sense:
Take a few minutes to review the results and see how those skills and talents you have the highest scores in fit together. Think about it over the next few days and let your mind wander about how to combine each of your skills to do different things. Any surprising results? Can you see any patterns? See anything that jumps out at you as a potential idea? Anything come to mind from one of your friends’ suggestions? Are there any skills you think you can improve on quickly that would combine well with other skills you already score highly at?
This is your first Baseline, your Skills Baseline. Keep this page handy for the next year or so – I assure you that you’ll want to see how this changes over the next year. In fact, if you stick with us over the coming year, I pretty much guarantee you’ll see big changes on that sheet when you take it again next year.
We’re going to do a few other Baselines over the next few weeks or so to round out the picture of total resources you have at your disposal to start this Race to financial independence. We’re going to look at your Resources Baseline, your Professional Network Baseline, your Personal Network Baseline, your Financial Liabilities Baseline, your Personal Liabilities Baseline, your Risk Tolerance Baseline, your Health Baseline, your Time Management Baseline, your Creativity Baseline, your Problem Solving Baseline, and anything else that occurs to me that might help you to get a solid foundation for making this the most successful year of your life…so far.
And if you want to, feel free to send me a copy of your results at theciguy@ymail.com. Whatever insights I have at this point I’ll be happy to share, and that’s true for all registered participants going forward. Again, this thing doesn’t officially start until September 1st, but you, my wonderful devoted readers, are getting a head start, so sign up, send in, and get cracking.
But for now I leave you tonight to finish working on your Skills Baseline. We both have some homework to do and some dreams to fulfill.
For those of you who haven’t heard, I’m launching a race to prosperity for anyone in Canada or the US who wants to join in- this will be the evolution of the biggest number of new millionaires in either country, all from normal, honest, responsible, and profitably managed revenues.
No MLMs, scams, Ponzi-schemes or other things that avoid reality – we’re going to make money the old fashioned way. By earning it.
Now everyone I know is happy enough to hear that, but the ultimate question is *how*? If it was so easy, everyone would be rich, right?
Actually it is reasonably easy, but it does take a few things to accomplish, and we’re going to deal with those over the next few blogs, but we’re starting today with the first thing that makes or breaks the whole deal – and that’s matching the right opportunity with the right person.
Think of it this way: you’ve seen American Idol, right? How many perfectly good singers have been ousted from that competition because they picked the wrong song for their voice and talent level? I mean you like their singing and all, but seriously, the wrong song can make almost any singer sound like William Hung on a bad day.
The same identical thing applies to revenues and business opportunities. If it isn’t the right market, or the right timing, or the right thing for you then it would be a lousy match destined for failure. So Key #1 is to select your condiments wisely.
Some people have an absolute knack for picking the right things for them. Others just stumble into the right opportunity at the right time. But for those of us involved in this project we need to get it right the first time so we can get the best head-start we can.
So how do we do it? How do we figure out which opportunity is right for each of us? How do we find opportunities to select from at all?
Good questions. Here are some of the answers…
First off you need to decide a few things like are you comfortable being your own boss? Do you work better alone or in groups/teams? What are your most marketable skills or talents? And most importantly, what are you NOT good at or most want to NOT want to do yourself.
If looking after taxes is not your forte, for example, and you are petrified of doing them and can’t look a solid number in the punctuation marks then you need to recruit some talent that can help. These can be paid staffers, they can be companies you hire to look after the details, they can be involved via a variety of other arrangements too but at the end of the day you do need to keep an eye on whatever they produce to make sure you’re neither being ripped off nor paying for inferior quality work. The quality of the work and its’ value to you are the things you need to weigh in determining which talents and expertise you need to support you on this journey.
Now obviously we’re not yet at the point of picking out employees or companies or partners to help us as we haven’t figured out the products or projects involved yet either, but you do need to start thinking about it because this kind of thing will help you to focus on the kind of project that best suits your work/lifestyle by helping you find compatibilities between what you want to do, and what’s available in your pool of opportunities.
So let’s say you’re doing this seriously and you get out a sheet of paper, a pen, and maybe a few hi-lighters or coloured pens to underline things as we get to them. I’ll suggest some skills and you see if they are things you think you’re reasonably good at. Go ahead and give yourself a rating from 1-100 for each one. If you think you’re particularly good, swing that number closer to the 100 range. If you think that this is something that only with divine assistance could you master at all, then you might aim closer to the 1 range. If you know nothing about it at all, feel free to give yourself a ‘0’ or a N/A (Not Applicable) if you have a skin sensitivity to low numbers. (It also wouldn’t hurt to have 3 or more of your friends rate what they believe your abilities or skill levels are at these things to give yourself an idea of whether your perception of your abilities is justified or how well your friends know about your talents):
Writing:
Researching:
Math:
Science:
Acrobatics:
Mechanics:
Carpentry:
Plumbing:
Electrical Work:
Carving:
Drawing:
Drafting:
Painting:
Landscaping:
Gardening:
Cooking:
Mixology:
Sewing:
Shopping:
Cleaning:
Organizing:
Typing:
Graphic Design:
Interior Decorating:
Comedy:
Poetry:
Sports:
Philosophy:
History:
Acting:
Video Editing:
Animation:
Accounting:
Tax Planning
Photography:
Economics:
Audio Editing/Recording:
DJ-ing:
Computer Programming:
Electronics Assembly/Repair:
Training/Education (of others):
Public Speaking:
Motivating Others:
Event/Party Planning:
Crafting:
Identifying and Coordinating Colours:
Performing Music:
Writing Music:
Journalism:
Politics:
Media Analysis:
Foreign Languages:
Engineering:
Physical Therapy:
Nutrition:
Travel:
Animal Training:
Animal Riding:
Juggling:
Escapology:
Magic Tricks:
Massage:
Group Coordination:
Project Management:
Money Management:
Sales:
Psychology:
Trivia:
Security:
Locksmithing:
Martial Arts:
Yoga:
Coaching:
Game Design:
Animal Training:
Industrial Design:
Architecture:
Masonry:
Chemistry:
Astronomy:
Brewing (Wine, beer, sodas, spirits, etc.):
Transcription:
Travel Planning:
Marketing:
Physics:
Personal Beautification (cosmetics/hair care, etc.):
Product Development:
Professional Networking:
Negotiation:
Law:
Charm:
Wisdom:
Common Sense:
Take a few minutes to review the results and see how those skills and talents you have the highest scores in fit together. Think about it over the next few days and let your mind wander about how to combine each of your skills to do different things. Any surprising results? Can you see any patterns? See anything that jumps out at you as a potential idea? Anything come to mind from one of your friends’ suggestions? Are there any skills you think you can improve on quickly that would combine well with other skills you already score highly at?
This is your first Baseline, your Skills Baseline. Keep this page handy for the next year or so – I assure you that you’ll want to see how this changes over the next year. In fact, if you stick with us over the coming year, I pretty much guarantee you’ll see big changes on that sheet when you take it again next year.
We’re going to do a few other Baselines over the next few weeks or so to round out the picture of total resources you have at your disposal to start this Race to financial independence. We’re going to look at your Resources Baseline, your Professional Network Baseline, your Personal Network Baseline, your Financial Liabilities Baseline, your Personal Liabilities Baseline, your Risk Tolerance Baseline, your Health Baseline, your Time Management Baseline, your Creativity Baseline, your Problem Solving Baseline, and anything else that occurs to me that might help you to get a solid foundation for making this the most successful year of your life…so far.
And if you want to, feel free to send me a copy of your results at theciguy@ymail.com. Whatever insights I have at this point I’ll be happy to share, and that’s true for all registered participants going forward. Again, this thing doesn’t officially start until September 1st, but you, my wonderful devoted readers, are getting a head start, so sign up, send in, and get cracking.
But for now I leave you tonight to finish working on your Skills Baseline. We both have some homework to do and some dreams to fulfill.
07 June, 2009
The Millionaires' Race to 2010...
The Millionaires Race to 2010!
Ok… So rather than have it buried under the main story, this week this IS the main story. I’m getting so excited about this; I could just about explode into cascading fireworks all on my own.
Ok…for those of you who missed it, last week I announced the Millionaires Race to 2010. This is a project I’m starting to be able to help as many people in the US and Canada become millionaires as possible by September 1st, 2010.
This isn’t just an exercise in mass greed and depravity – it’s an effort to generate prosperity across both countries in a time when prosperity seems out of reach, debts seem insurmountable, national and business policies seem hell-bent to bankrupt us all of every generation, and foreign players are gaining ground on being purveyors of the true American Dream. This is to generate hundreds, maybe thousands of new businesses and jobs around the continent in some of the toughest economic times this country and the global economy have faced in the last hundred years.
So how exactly is this going to take place? That’s the point of tonight’s blog.
Each week I’m going to blog at least once about the Race, giving you updates about how it’s going, how far the participants are getting, what the resources we’re discovering are, new business models and plans that you can use to get started to fuel your own ideas, and so on.
This Race is going to be a whole toolkit on how to really, really, make honest money doing something worthwhile. I’m not making any recommendations to join any multi-level marketing groups, buying into franchises, investing in Madoff-like Ponzi schemes, investing in tax avoidance scams, or any of the other drivel and nonsense you find percolating over every website.
What you are going to find here will be real, honest to goodness business plans submitted by me or to me for your benefit. No one from the Chris George report is going to be making any money from anything you do by joining the Race (unless we partner with you on some specific project, of course)
As everyone gets on board and encounters some great resources for building revenues or cutting costs, we’re going to add those resources to our discussion.
As time goes by and those involved get further into the project, we’ll try and get some key experts to write in guest blogs on things like practical tips for keeping more of the money you make, debt management, charitable contributions, etc.
We’ll also get some blogs and comments from key suppliers you may want to chat with who can help you get certain parts of your ideas off the ground. No these won’t be endorsements, per se, but often times one of the hardest things for people trying to make money is to find those resources in terms of suppliers or coaches who can help them make things happen.
Successful people are never islands unto themselves. They are all capable of certain amounts and qualities of individual accomplishment, but in order to get and stay competitive they all rely on teams of experts, specialists, and helpers to get them ready for the fight. I’m going to try and bring you the best people, companies, organizations, and coaches out there to try and get you the best team of supporters I can find to help make what you’re doing as successful as I can.
This blog will be your coordination center for all those who want to help you be successful, and in turn we hope that you will be as free with any resources and help you encounter on your path to success that your fellow participants could benefit from by letting us know. Tell us what wonderful news you get; tell us when someone does you a favour that really saves the day and what led up to it. Tell us where you had your challenges and your victories, so others can avoid the pitfalls easier and help you with the challenges you’ll be facing down the road as well.
Getting started is easy – post a comment, send me an email, let me know you want to be a part of this great revolution in the North American economy and then stay tuned, because as the days and weeks go by you will see more and more concrete things you can do to get ready to start taking your own fortunes into your hands and making the world a more prosperous place.
And the grand prize? You may just be one of the continent’s newest self-made millionaires this time next year.
Ok… So rather than have it buried under the main story, this week this IS the main story. I’m getting so excited about this; I could just about explode into cascading fireworks all on my own.
Ok…for those of you who missed it, last week I announced the Millionaires Race to 2010. This is a project I’m starting to be able to help as many people in the US and Canada become millionaires as possible by September 1st, 2010.
This isn’t just an exercise in mass greed and depravity – it’s an effort to generate prosperity across both countries in a time when prosperity seems out of reach, debts seem insurmountable, national and business policies seem hell-bent to bankrupt us all of every generation, and foreign players are gaining ground on being purveyors of the true American Dream. This is to generate hundreds, maybe thousands of new businesses and jobs around the continent in some of the toughest economic times this country and the global economy have faced in the last hundred years.
So how exactly is this going to take place? That’s the point of tonight’s blog.
Each week I’m going to blog at least once about the Race, giving you updates about how it’s going, how far the participants are getting, what the resources we’re discovering are, new business models and plans that you can use to get started to fuel your own ideas, and so on.
This Race is going to be a whole toolkit on how to really, really, make honest money doing something worthwhile. I’m not making any recommendations to join any multi-level marketing groups, buying into franchises, investing in Madoff-like Ponzi schemes, investing in tax avoidance scams, or any of the other drivel and nonsense you find percolating over every website.
What you are going to find here will be real, honest to goodness business plans submitted by me or to me for your benefit. No one from the Chris George report is going to be making any money from anything you do by joining the Race (unless we partner with you on some specific project, of course)
As everyone gets on board and encounters some great resources for building revenues or cutting costs, we’re going to add those resources to our discussion.
As time goes by and those involved get further into the project, we’ll try and get some key experts to write in guest blogs on things like practical tips for keeping more of the money you make, debt management, charitable contributions, etc.
We’ll also get some blogs and comments from key suppliers you may want to chat with who can help you get certain parts of your ideas off the ground. No these won’t be endorsements, per se, but often times one of the hardest things for people trying to make money is to find those resources in terms of suppliers or coaches who can help them make things happen.
Successful people are never islands unto themselves. They are all capable of certain amounts and qualities of individual accomplishment, but in order to get and stay competitive they all rely on teams of experts, specialists, and helpers to get them ready for the fight. I’m going to try and bring you the best people, companies, organizations, and coaches out there to try and get you the best team of supporters I can find to help make what you’re doing as successful as I can.
This blog will be your coordination center for all those who want to help you be successful, and in turn we hope that you will be as free with any resources and help you encounter on your path to success that your fellow participants could benefit from by letting us know. Tell us what wonderful news you get; tell us when someone does you a favour that really saves the day and what led up to it. Tell us where you had your challenges and your victories, so others can avoid the pitfalls easier and help you with the challenges you’ll be facing down the road as well.
Getting started is easy – post a comment, send me an email, let me know you want to be a part of this great revolution in the North American economy and then stay tuned, because as the days and weeks go by you will see more and more concrete things you can do to get ready to start taking your own fortunes into your hands and making the world a more prosperous place.
And the grand prize? You may just be one of the continent’s newest self-made millionaires this time next year.
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