This video is so extremely powerful that I almost want to keep it for myself … but since a great friend shared it with me, I want to share it with you. Watch the whole thing and take notes!

WHY are you doing what you do? What drives you? What’s your purpose?

Until you determine your inner WHY… your CORE VALUES… forget the how, and especially the what. Find your inspiration first … then work towards creating a plan around it and executing that plan.

I realize that some people might find this post somewhat controversial – but bear with me. I am posing a challenge to all native born American citizens – especially those in lower middle class families and upward on the economic scale. If you want to achieve more, to get what you want and want what you have, try taking an immigrant’s perspective to life.

If nothing else, it will help you gain a much deeper appreciation for your current circumstances – and at best it may give you a drive to succeed like never before, and the fuel to overcome your perceived obstacles.

Imagine this… you come from a country where you are not allowed to start your own business because free enterprise is not allowed. You have to wait two hours in line just to buy bread – or worse, you can’t buy bread.

Imagine you are a woman in country where the religious laws prevent you from choosing where to go, what to wear, how to live your life … that you are essentially the property of a man.

Imagine living in a land where no matter how smart and educated you, how hard you work, and how much potential you have … there is just simply NO opportunity for you to get ahead.

There is no “what’s for dinner tonight?” .. you are happy if there is a nutritious dinner. There is certainly no “what’s on TV?” Your family has no car, much less a car for each family member.

Imagine that the government and law enforcement does nothing to serve and protect you, but does everything to exploit you. Even the information you are allowed to see is blatantly censored to prevent you from seeing the world and thinking independently.

And imagine you come to a land where you can read, hear, and say what you want freely, with no threat of prosecution. A land where you can work in whatever occupation you want or start your own business. A land that holds freedom and equality as some of its greatest values. An economy and society where you can design whatever kind of life you want … where your greatest limitations to success and prosperity will always be within you, not outside of you.

Did you know that an immigrant is 4 times more likely to become a millionaire than an American born citizen?

I honestly attribute most of my natural ambition to the fact that I was born in Russia… I am so grateful for being fortunate enough to have come to the US at such a young age and most of my drive comes from the hunger to make the most out of this opportunity.

I know that had I stayed in Russia, my path in life would have been dramatically different.

From what I have seen and heard in my environment growing up, it seems that a lot of Americans can benefit greatly from understanding this perspective.

Be grateful for the opportunity you have here to design whatever kind of life you want.

Stop Making Excuses

Be Grateful For What You Have

Take Advantage of Your Opportunities

You could have been born anywhere … open your eyes and look at the environment around you. The food on your table, the roof over your head, the library down the street with millions of dollars of free knowledge, the employment and business opportunities … remember that most people in the world would kill to have what you have.

Don’t take it for granted. Take action. Set goals. Have a vision. Design your life. Hustle.

Appreciate what you have, and work relentlessly towards what you want.

Edit: I just wanted to add this video by Nido Qubein to build on my post…

This is reposted from my new site at FreedomPassionPurpose.com

“We always have time enough,
if we will but use it aright.”
- Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Are you familiar with the 80/20 Rule? If not – get familiar.

It is a life changing concept that 80% of people (ironically) completely overlook in managing their time and prioritizing (if they manage and prioritize at all!)

What is the 80/20 Rule?

The 80/20 Rule (also known as the “Pareto Principle” after its founder) is a concept that states that 20% of the input creates 80% of the output, and the other 80% of the input creates 20% of the output.

20% of the people in a given economy earn 80% of the money.

20% of the customers make up for 80% of the revenue.

20% of the sales people generate 80% of the sales.

How Does This Apply To Your Life?

It’s usually close to impossible to get everything done in the time that it needs to get done, especially for anyone with significant goals and aspirations.

The 80/20 Rule applies directly to how you manage your time… 20% of your activity will produce 80% of your results.

What does that mean? That means that if you have a to do list of 10 things… there are probably 1 or 2 of those things that matter more than the other 8 or so put together.

Most people do the little things first and put off those 1 or 2 important things until … sometimes never.

This is why so many people are busy all day running around like chickens with their heads cut off, but never really getting much done, moving forward, or feeling satisfied with their accomplishments.

Resist The Temptation To Clear Up Small Things First

Remember that your daily activities are largely habitual … that means that what you do today is largely the result of behavioral patterns that you have established over the years. If you usually do small things first and the get the easy things out of the way before getting to the big important tasks, you will continue this pattern … and ultimately you will not get much done.

However, if you choose to consciously break this pattern, you can form a new one: work on big things first! If you can get yourself to consistently accomplish the important (not just urgent) things on your list first, you will eventually develop the habitual pattern of doing big things first. You will start to move forward. You will feel satisfied with your accomplishments. You will set greater goals for yourself, knowing you can accomplish them.

Activity For Today

Make your “to-do list” for today… List your key goals, activities, projects, and responsibilities today.

Determine which 20% of these tasks you feel could represent about 80% of your results for the day. Highlight these tasks.

Resolve to do these tasks first, even if that is all you accomplish all day today. Do this again tomorrow, and the next day.

For even better results, make your list and pick your activities for the next day the night before. Make a habit of this. You will be surprised how much more you are getting done, in less time, and how much more freedom you begin to experience in your life.

Remember, the goal of activity is to be productive, not just busy. Get things done, so that you can spend your time and energy on more important values.

—————————————————————————————-
For more great Time Management tips, pick up Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy

Reposted from my new site at FreedomPassionPurpose.com

How many times have you heard someone (or yourself) say…

“I’m gonna change my life!”

“I’m going to lose a bunch of weight!”

“I’m going to get rich!”

… Especially right around New Year’s?

And then what happens … they change. Drastically. For about a week. Maybe two.

What happens next? They go back to the same routine – or worse, they give up on change altogether and slump down even lower than before, because they lose hope in themselves and the possibilities of life.

Why does this happen?

There are many answers … here is the best I’ve been able to come up with:

People attempt to make drastic changes and life changing resolutions and are rarely able to do so because they are unable drastically and immediately change the behavioral patterns that drive them to live the way they live.

Life isn’t like the movies…

What I mean is … a movie starts and ends within about two hours, with a entire plot in between, where the characters usually change and grow significantly, go from rags to riches, nobody to superstar, lonely to happily married … all within those two hours. We live in a microwave society, and we expect things to happen NOW.

That’s why so many infomercials make fortunes selling “Lose Weight Now” programs.

That’s why so many Internet marketers make a killing selling “Get Rich Quick” programs.

And ultimately, that’s why athletes turn to steroids, the finance industry turns to greed, and why so many people end up giving up on their dreams and aspirations…

If there is a day that turns your life around, it’s the day that you decide to change your patterns, your philosophy, and start acting on that decision.

The Slight Edge Concept

The Slight Edge Concept is a personal development philosophy that essentially claims that it is the daily disciplines, NOT the quantum leaps or decisions that really change your life.

Want to get smarter? Read 10 pages a day. That equals about two dozen books per year. 20+ pages per day = about a book per week. 1 hour of audio material in the car per day = 1 or 2 audiobooks per week. Over the course of a few years, you can have a PhD like education and knowledge-based without the tuition bill.

Want to get healthier? It’s not about the few weeks at the beginning of the year where you go to the gym for two hours per day. It’s about the 30 minutes of cardio every day. The 50 pushups and sit ups every morning.

Want to lose weight? Again, it’s not about the hours at the gym daily or cutting your calories in half. It’s not about dropping a pound a day and starving yourself. It’s about the slight adjustments in your diet. The daily additional exercise. All of this adds up exponentially to a healthier lifestyle, lost pounds, and more energy and vibrancy in your life.

Want to get wealthier? Try saving an additional $10 per day … that’s $300 per month … that’s $3600 per year … do that for a few years and tack on a reasonable interest rate, and you’re on your way! Start young, and you won’t find yourself broke at 40. David Bach talks about this concept that he calls the LATTE factor in his best-selling book, Automatic Millionaire.

Disclaimer: For those of you that are extreme … that can do extraordinary things under extreme pressure and thrive in extreme circumstances … go for it. If you have an extreme personality, you just might be able to go for broke to get rich. While I personally support both the “extreme” philosophy (especially in entrepreneurship) and the Slight Edge Concept … I believe it takes a particular type of psychology and hardcore DNA to make this work (personal development gurus like Kevin Lehmann and Tony Robbins may happily disagree on this – I do have a ton of respect for those that can accomplish “breakthroughs” or “extreme measures”). But even for the extreme folks out there, the Slight Edge Concept can be life changing if applied to extreme actions – just make sure you don’t burn out!

Create the Life You Want

Never forget your ultimate vision. Your own defined life of Freedom, Passion, and Purpose … just make sure you don’t get so lost in the vision that you forget that TODAY is the day to create that life. Take actions, implement the daily disciplines. Do the same tomorrow. And the next day.

Before you know it, you will have the life you want. Gary Vaynerchuck teaches that patience along with passion will be the fuel to create the life you want.

You may not see results tomorrow. In fact, I can tell you with confidence that you won’t. You probably won’t see any significant results the next day or next week either. The Slight Edge Concept is not a microwave. You have to have faith in the process, so that you won’t give up before you see results. Trust me – if you stick with the daily disciplines, they will eventually become part of your natural behavioral patterns. And those disciplines and patterns will eventually create your life – so choose them wisely.

This article may awaken some people in our microwave society – while others may completely disagree with it. I welcome comments on both sides!

If you are already consciously using the Slight Edge Concept in your life … share your story in the comments below. If you need more clarification, never hesitate to contact me directly.

Also, remember to pick up The Slight Edge: The Secret to a Successful Life by Jeff Olson … where he outlines this philosophy it great detail.

(I reposted this from my new site at www.FreedomPassionPurpose.com … enjoy!)

This blog is entirely dedicated to help you create a life of Freedom, Passion, and Purpose… but what the hell does that mean?

The truth is … those words, those values, those principles … can mean something entirely different to each and every person. I encourage you to create your own definition of a life of Freedom, Passion, and Purpose and pursue it vigorously.

To get you started, I will give you my definitions…

Freedom

What is personal freedom? It’s living life on your own terms. Breaking away from the financial, religious, political, and cultural restrictions and limitations that hold us back from living our lives the way we truly desire. This includes financial freedom to walk away from the chains of bills and liabilities… but also from materialistic desires. This includes breaking out of the prisons of organized religious to pursue an individual and unique spiritual path. It can mean going against the grain culturally, rather than giving into society’s ever-changing values.

More importantly, it means tearing ourselves apart from the greatest prison of all: our ego. Let go of self-doubt and self-pity… let go of prejudice and judgment… let go of the need for recognition. Release the negative emotions which poison our lives. The thirst for competition. The hunger for revenge.

No force will imprison you so much as your own ego. The moment you let go of what other people think of you, you will feel immeasurably lighter… more free.

Living a life of Freedom means living life on your own terms.

Passion

While this is seemingly the most obvious, I find it the hardest to describe in words. Living a life of Passion means living your passion… doing what you love. Everyone has their own unique passion, their own gift to themselves and world. Some people are passionate about dogs. Others are passionate about marketing. I am extremely passionate about personal development, especially in youth. Others are passionate about wine!

Take advice from the section on Freedom here and let go of your ego and of what others may think. Look deep within yourself. Think of what you love. Discovering your passion is the greatest gift that you can give yourself and the world.

It will allow you to climb to heights that you cannot imagine without it. Most importantly, discovering and living your passion will allow you to live a life of happiness.

To me, living a life of Passion means to only pursue projects and goals which bring that special fire to my belly. Which drive me and excite me. Which energize me to dream and act upon that dream.

Living a life of passion means doing what you love and loving what you do. It means living with a fire in your belly. Always.

After being boxed in for a lifetime, it can be difficult to find your true passion… fortunately there are many exercises out there which you can do to help you discover your passion. I will have many of them available on this blog soon for you.

Purpose

In a society driven by largely by egotistical and materialistic ambitions, this is unfortunately one of the most overlooked principles in designing our lives.

Living a life of Purpose is to live beyond ourselves. Find a purpose – a cause, a mission. Something that we can contribute in our time on Earth. The key here is that our mission must be a cause… something outside ourselves, greater than ourselves, whether it be the environment, humanity, God, animals…

To some, a Life of Purpose may mean to save the environment by creating oil independent countries. To others it can be as simple as raising a good family and bringing up children with unique gifts and goals.

After some deep introspection, meditation, and some exercises out of Robert Staub’s book 7 Acts of Courage, I have discovered and decided that my purpose is to empower others to improve their own lives and the world. And this is what I hope to do here with this blog, while simultaneously living my passion and working towards financial freedom.

Decide For Yourself

Take some time with yourself in deep introspection. Think of what each of these principles means to you…

What does living a life of Freedom mean to you?

What does living a life of Passion mean to you?

What does living a life of Purpose mean to you?

Once you come up with your definitions. Think deeper: What is my passion? What is my purpose? How can I create the life I envision?

I look forward to hearing your story… please feel free to share your meanings and your vision in the comments below. You never know, you just might inspire someone to change their life.

I can’t believe someone actually made this song and video … I am claiming this as my official theme song! And I’m sure I’m not being original with that claim. Enjoy…

So my company is having a commercial contest… the winner gets an iPad! Please watch and share my commercial below on how to make the Best Tasting Martini on Earth … the more views I get the closer I get to an iPad. Thank you all!

Check it out:

I appreciate the support!

I was inspired this morning and wanted to share some important recommendations with you…

Here are the books:
Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion by Gary Vaynerchuck

The Slight Edge: Secret to a Successful Life by Jeff Olson

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9 – 5, Live Anywhere, and Join The New Rich by Timothy Ferris

Today I was inspired to share a framed piece of paper that sits in front of my desk, that I read daily for personal inspiration … it helps me focus on my purpose and throw aside all the day’s distractions.

A good friend and business partner, Allan Edwards, gave me this almost a year ago. With the rest of our core team, we signed the Resolutions together…

Here it is:

Unstoppable Resolutions

• I am devoted to my purpose.
• I am following my heart’s passion.
• I believe in myself and my ideas.
• I am preparing daily for the fulfillment of my dream.
• I am building a team for support and to ask for help.
• When obstacles come, I seek creative solutions.
• No matter how long it takes, or how difficult the task may be, I will persevere until I achieve my purpose.

I am unstoppable!

X_____________________ Date________________

Copy and paste this page and print it out for yourself. Read it daily in your pursuit of a life of purpose.

Ok, I realize that that is a pretty dramatic title and a bold claim. But I have heard way too many excuses lately on why they don’t engross themselves in self-education and personal development, even if they really want to, even if they know it has the power to change their lives.

Disclaimer here: Most people actually don’t know that it has the power to change their lives dramatically over time, and never make the conscious choice to pursue a path of self-education and personal development.

If you are one of these people, take this quote to heart, by a man that has lived one of the most incredible lives and has empowered countless millions to improve their own lives and the world around them:

“Formal-education will make you a living. Self-education will make you a fortune.” – Jim Rohn

And that fortune is not just financial … it includes all elements of life, including personal happiness, relationships, influence, contribution, and more.

The Excuses

Why don’t most people change their lives with self-education. Here are the excuses I’ve heard most often…

1. Don’t have the Time (education takes time!)
   
2. Don’t have the Money (education takes money!)
   

Aren’t those the excuses for pretty much everything? Aren’t they the excuses for NOT having enough time and enough money? We won’t go into what the real start of this what-came-first-chicken-or-egg cycle, but I will offer you a practical solution to immediately overcome both of these excuses.

Ready? It’s a lot simpler than most think… yet so overlooked by too many.

Audiobooks in the car!

According to a recent survey, the average American spends 2.5 hours each day in their car! 2.5 hours per day! That’s 17.5 hours per week… 910 hours per year… that’s approximately 10% of your total time, of your life, spent commuting.

What do most people invest this valuable time in? Listening to music, sports radio, commercials and the like, while generally being frustrated and complaining about the traffic, or worrying about how they’re going to be late to work.

The average audiobook is about 5 hours… if you take a break sometimes or get longer books, you can realistically average 3 audiobooks per week. 12 per month. 144 per year.

In the time that you are already using you can read up to 150 books per year on personal development, time management, leadership, relationship, financial planning, spirituality, parenting, health and fitness, and the list goes on and on. You can completely change your life through this kind of education.

Problem: Audiobooks cost money! (At 3 books a week, that’s a lot of money…)

Solution: Library Cards are FREE! You can take out an endless supply of audiobooks for FREE from your local library… yet only about 3% of Americans have a library card.

By the time you run out of free books, you will be wealthier than you imagined from the education you’ve gotten, and buying new books won’t be a problem.

One more excuse…

“I don’t spend 2.5 hours in my car per day!” … Well, you probably spend at least half an hour per day in your car, which can still get you about a book a week. You can also listen to audiobooks while you do other activities, like doing the dishes and cleaning your house. Keep your mind busy learning while your hands are busy working, and both will be more enjoyable and productive.

My story… since I got introduced to my first personal development audio CD by Jim Rohn and listened to it in my car, my life has never been the same. I was 19 then, and just over 2 years later I have listened to and read hundreds of books that have dramatically and positively transformed every facet of my life, and will continue to mold my future and help me empower many others. I go to college now, and I get just as much or more education driving to school and back than I do in my actual lectures. The education in my car is free, while the college tuition is tens of thousands of dollars per year.

Please… students, parents, entrepreneurs, employees, kids … go get yourself a library card TODAY and check out your first few books. Once you start on this path, your life will NEVER be the same again! And it won’t cost you tens of thousands of dollars or extra semesters spent in classrooms.

Yours in the Pursuit of Freedom, Passion, and Purpose…

Dmitriy Kozlov

PS – check out my Reading List (still developing this page) for some recommendations to get you started…