Extraordinary - Derek Miyano

Ordinary
to
Extraordinary
DEREK MIYANO
WITH JOHN MOSQUEDA
Summit Publishers
____________________
Las Vegas, Nevada
Ordinary to Extraordinary
Copyright ©2007
By Derek Miyano with John Mosqueda
ISBN 978-1-60461-836-5
Summit Publishers
3551 Callahan Ave.
Las Vegas, NV 89120
All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording
or otherwise, without the prior written permission
of the publisher.
E-mail Derek Miyano at [email protected]
E-mail John Mosqueda at [email protected]
To order books call 702-315-6100
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter
One
WORKING TO SURVIVE
1
Two
HOW A BURDEN BECAME A GIFT
9
Three
SIX PATHS TO OUTRAGEOUS “LUCK”
16
Four
SIX MORE PATHS TO OUTRAGEOUS
“LUCK”
22
Five
CAN WEALTH AND HUMILITY COEXIST?
33
Six
THE KING OF ALL INVESTMENTS
42
Seven
THE POWER OF LEVERAGE
51
Eight
DOUBLING YOUR DOLLAR
60
Nine
YOUR BULLS-EYE TARGETS
70
Ten
SALESMAN OR CON MAN?
80
Eleven
THE INTEGRATED LIFE
87
Twelve
THE ULTIMATE GIFT
99
Recommended Reading
107
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my gratitude to some very special men and
women who have been kind enough to offer me their insight,
encouragement, friendship and love. Apart from them, I would never
have experienced the blessings that have filled my cup to overflowing.
I will always be thankful for my Mom, who passed away in 2006.
She showed me unconditional love and support, and set an amazing
example of hard work and stamina. God bless you, Mom.
As for my Dad, he gave me this very valuable piece of advice: In
business, you’re never too early – but you can be too late. He was so
right about that, and I want to thank him.
I continue to appreciate the lasting contributions of my childhood
baseball coaches, Coach Kiwano and Coach Hiwatashi. Though it’s
been many years, I can still hear their helpful words of instruction. They
taught me to be a team player, to take practice as seriously as the actual
games, and to lead by example.
I’m indebted to Ken Sandefur and Garry Hobbs. When I was at
AT&T, they gave me the opportunity to become an Account Executive
despite the fact that I did not have an MBA degree.
I’d like to extend my appreciation to Jimmy Dague at Century 21
Aadvantage Gold. He was my first broker. He not only showed me that
he had great knowledge of the industry, but that he believed in my skills
and my goals.
I’m grateful for my two partners in real estate – Gabriel Harvey
and Alfred Oliva. Because of their support, I’m able to accomplish more
than I ever imagined. I have no doubt that, together, we’re going to the
top and beyond.
I want to thank Donna Kozai, our office manager who makes it
possible for me to invest the hours than I need to work with the sales
staff. Her competence in administrative detail also frees me to spend
valuable amounts of time with the agents, enabling me to have a larger
impact on the business.
I owe a great deal of thanks to Tippy and Mike Lawter, who in
their own right could and should be writing their own book. In my mind,
whenever I think of talent, friendship and loyalty, their names are always
present, maybe because they themselves are a present.
Everyone needs a personal trainer, so to speak – someone who
shares similar goals, and can nudge and even push you to do better. In
my life, this person is David Timoteo, CPA. This book is as much him
as it is me.
I appreciate Shawn Downing, President of Sales – Success
International, whose positive (and unsolicited) comments gave me the
confidence to take “the next step.” He was the valuable inspiration and
mentor that I needed at the time.
Finally, and last but not least, I am more than grateful for my wife,
Kazue Miyano. Without you I could not exist and would not succeed.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support, your patience,
your understanding – and your belief in me. You are my biggest
supporter, and I honestly cannot begin to thank you enough.
INTRODUCTION
I consider myself to be an ordinary guy.
Yet I’ve been able to achieve goals that, to most people,
would seem extraordinary. And if I didn’t believe that ordinary
folks could accomplish extraordinary
things, I would not be taking the time to
“God must love the
share my story with you.
common man,
I believe wholeheartedly in what I’m
about to tell you. But most importantly, I
because he made so
believe in you.
many of them.”
Maybe you view yourself as an
average person. You don’t have the IQ of
a genius. You weren’t anywhere near the top of your graduating
class in high school or college. Maybe you didn’t go to college at
all, or, if you did attend, you never completed your degree. (I
went to college for several years but never graduated.)
If you’re like me, you’re one of those people who would
never have been voted “Most Likely to Succeed” in your senior
year of high school. Growing up, you didn’t stand out in any
particular way. No one told you that you would someday turn
out to be a great novelist, astronaut, scientist or wealthy business
person. You’re exactly who Abraham Lincoln had in mind when
he said, “God must love the common man, because He made so
many of them.”
Yet, though you’re very much a common woman or man –
as I am – your heart is somehow gripped by extraordinary goals
that you can’t seem to shake. You have dreams – big dreams –
that refuse to go away. But the problem is, you’re not quite sure
how to achieve those goals and dreams. You’re looking for
some how-to information that will help you excel beyond the
levels that you’re accustomed to. You want very much to
provide the kind of lifestyle that your family and you deserve.
You even hope to experience what some have called “the true
wealth of life” – which is to give back to humanity, to give to
charity.
A Work in Progress
Now, I don’t see myself as having “arrived.” I’m still a
work in progress. And often, right about the time that I start
getting too far ahead of myself, I see or hear something that puts
my feet back on solid ground. That’s just fine with me, because
I’ve learned that it’s always best for me to be humble and
unassuming: when I’m with family and friends – and when I’m
doing business.
I’m reminded of one of the “Peanuts” comic strips. Charlie
Brown holds up his hands in front of his friend Lucy and says,
“These are hands that may someday accomplish
I know in my
great things. These are hands which may
heart that I’m someday do marvelous works. They may build
an ordinary
mighty bridges, or heal the sick, or hit home
person.
runs, or write soul-stirring novels. These are the
hands that may someday change the course of
destiny.” To which Lucy replies, “They’ve got jelly on them.”
Lots of times in my life, I’ve gotten jelly on my hands. And
dirt. And grease. Not to mention plenty of sweat. As I said
earlier, I know in my heart that I’m an ordinary person. I was
raised poor. My parents never owned real estate. They gave my
sister, brothers and me virtually no money. (Sometimes I
wonder…of all that they ever gave to their children, could this
have been the truest and most useful gift that they handed down
to us?) Growing up, I didn’t have any connections with wellplaced individuals. Without status, and without any special
privileges, I was no different than anyone else. I had no
particular advantages over others.
The amazing thing, though, is that ordinary people really
can attain extraordinary success. Not only that, they can remain
down-to-earth at the same time, which is probably extraordinary
in itself, considering that the acquisition of money sometimes
changes people, and not for the best.
As of the writing of this book, I am 50 years old. I’ve been
working since I was six. I could retire comfortably right now if I
wanted to. My net worth is in the millions of dollars. If I did
nothing else, my net worth would be somewhere between $20
and $30 million by the time I reach my early 60s.
Average yet Ambitious
If you think of yourself as average, but you have
extraordinary goals that keep surfacing in your mind again and
again, year after year, this book is for you. My hope is that, once
you read this book, your life will never be the same. My
objective is to offer a road map that any one of us can follow.
Yes, that includes you!
In talking to you about my life, I will share personal stories
that will help you understand some of the
My objective is to
experiences that have shaped my thinking
offer a road map that
and molded my character. I will pass on
any one of us can
valuable tips and ideas that have enabled
follow. Yes, that
me to succeed in business. I will also
includes you!
teach you an investment formula which I
put together on my own, and which works
extremely well for me. It will pay off for
you, too, if you follow its basic precepts.
I’ve been in sales for 38 years. For the last ten years, I’ve
been active in real estate. Three years ago, I became a broker
and owner of a Century 21 office in Las Vegas. For the longest
time, I’ve gotten many requests to write a book on sales.
Just the other day, for example, an acquaintance of mine
asked me, “Derek, is there some way you can teach other people
what you’ve learned so that they can become financially secure?”
Then he teased me with this question: “You can’t keep all that
information to yourself, can you?”
And my answer is, No, I really shouldn’t. Not any longer,
anyway – and not after hearing so many similar requests from
folks representing a wide variety of backgrounds. Not a week
goes by that someone doesn’t suggest I should pass on what I
know.
So finally, I decided that this would be the year I write my
book.
One final note in trying to explain to you where my heart
really is. Because I don’t feel as if I’m above anybody, I don’t
have the need to talk about my money, or about how fortunate
I’ve been in the business world. I’m about staying humble
because I don’t believe that money in itself can give you class.
Thinking about Others
Class has more to do with who we are as people. Class is about
having good character and good manners, about holding the
door open for others, about being able to say “thank you.”
Class doesn’t mean your clothes have to be expensive, but
it does mean that your clothes are clean and you’re wellgroomed. It means that at a group meal, you wait until everyone
is served before you begin to eat. But above all, class, I think,
means that you’re willing to share what you have with others.
And that includes your knowledge.
Whenever we share what works for us, and people are
helped, it is then, and only then, that we experience purpose and
fulfillment.
Henry Thoreau, American author and philosopher of the
Nineteenth Century, once described “the art of living” as the
“highest of the arts.” He said that the people who practice this
“highest of arts” are not artists in the usual sense of being
painters, sculptors, writers or musicians.
Whenever we share
Instead, they are the ones who, through
what works for us,
the noble character of their lives,
and people are
contribute to what playwright Myles
helped, it is then,
Connolly called “the quality of the day.”
and only then, that
And so, beyond any other goal of
mine, it is the art of living that captivates we experience
my heart and takes hold of my attention. purpose and
No, I’m not suggesting that I’m
fulfillment.
anywhere near the summit of that
mountain peak. But I am trying my best to contribute to the
quality of the day. And I would love it if this book finds its way
into the hands of men and women who feel the same way that I
do.
1
____
WORKING TO SURVIVE
I mentioned earlier that the best “gift” my Mom and Dad
may have given their children was that they didn’t hand us cash
the way that many parents routinely do nowadays.
It’s easy to figure out why they didn’t give us money. The
truth is, they couldn’t. Their gift to us was probably not by
design but by circumstances, since we were poor throughout my
childhood. Still, I will always be grateful to my Mom and Dad
for doing their best to provide for their six children. They
taught us the value of a consistent work ethic. Without their
example, I doubt that I’d work as hard as I do.
My Mom passed away last year, yet I can still see the steady
determination etched on her face as vividly as ever. She worked
in the home and out of the home. She tended to her
responsibilities without complaining, and she is the greatest
example of stamina that I have ever known.
As for my Dad, he currently resides in Guam. Though in
his 70s, he continues to work by teaching piano.
I grew up in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. As you know,
the cost of living in Hawaii is unmercifully high. Most families
live under the weight of extreme financial pressure. For a family
of eight like us, that was especially true.
1
My parents had five sons and a daughter. We slept two
kids to a bed. Throughout my childhood, one of my brothers
and I slept head to toe.
We lived in a tiny house that sat on stilts. It was the oldest
house in the neighborhood. That old shack got so run down
that we eventually had to pack up and go because it became a
safety hazard. All you had to do was look at it to know that it
was unfit for habitation.
Fortunately for my family and me, we got out of there just
in time.
A short time after we left, with the place still vacant (thank
God!), the stilts snapped during a terrible storm. The house
came crashing down the hillside. Moments later, all that was left
was an awful, massive pile of broken boards, shattered glass and
splinters. I shudder to think of what would have happened to
my family if we had been inside that little old house the night it
was destroyed.
We Were Family People
I guess that part of my childhood story is a little dramatic –
kind of like a demolition scene in a movie.
I have good memories The rest of my childhood, though, was
anything but dramatic. A good portion of it
of my childhood. I
was more of a struggle to survive than
remember that we
were closely connected anything else.
Now, it’s not my intention to arouse
to each other. We
sympathy or to tell you how bad things were
were family people.
when I was growing up, because the truth is,
I have good memories of my childhood. I had plenty of happy
times, and I honestly don’t have any lingering issues to sort
2
through, at least not that I’m aware of. I remember that we were
closely connected to one another. We were family people.
Was there a primary reason for this? I think so. To
keep our heads above water, we all knew that we would either
have to swim together – or sink together. Led by my parents, we
chose to swim.
I started doing my part to help my family when I was a
small boy. Little did I realize I was beginning a journey that
would help me develop a foundation of personal character. That
foundation, I’m convinced, is what has sustained me throughout
my most productive years in business. When it comes to having
discovered the value of a work ethic, I received my most
powerful impressions throughout my childhood, teenage years
and finally, as a young man in my early twenties.
Those impressions centered on the importance of being
productive by practicing good habits on a consistent basis.
It’s clear to me now that those habits were preparing me
for success. At the time, though, I couldn’t really see how all of
the lessons that I’d learned could possibly fit together into a
single pattern. Slowly but surely, though, the blueprint for my
future was coming together.
Seized by Great Goals
Then almost suddenly and dramatically, when I was about
24, I found that I wanted to accomplish great
My hunger for
goals. I had grown to that point over the
success was the
course of time, and it wasn’t by accident. My
hunger for success was the culmination of a
culmination of a
process that had been underway for years.
process that had
Had I not learned how valuable honest,
been underway
simple labor can be – and the importance of
for years.
3
taking all of my work seriously – I wouldn’t have come to the
place where I wanted to launch out with ambition.
Nature has a beautiful way of illustrating this type of
growth process. Take the Chinese bamboo tree, for instance.
The seed is planted, watered and fertilized, and for the first four
years there is no visible growth. But during the fifth year, the
Chinese bamboo grows a staggering ninety feet in only six
weeks.
Now, did the tree really take five years to begin growing?
Not at all. Although growth was not visible, the root system
experienced tremendous development during those first four
years. This made it possible for the tree to realize its potential
and become the sort of tree that God intended it to be.
For many years, my root system was being nourished. I
would have to say that a key ingredient was my growing
acceptance of – and appreciation for – the power of the work
ethic.
The people who were most responsible for supplying me
with this priceless education were my parents, two of my
baseball coaches in little league and high school, and one of my
uncles. The rest of this chapter, I will talk about some of the
things that they taught me about the value of work.
Ever Chop up a Fish Head?
As I mentioned, for a family of eight, and in an area with a
ridiculously high cost of living, times were always tough. Money
was always tight. It seemed as if we never had quite enough
money to meet our basic necessities. Fortunately, we received a
bit of help along the way.
Some of our relatives had a little grocery store. They’d give
us old fruits and vegetables that they were unable to sell, and
4
we’d cut off the parts that were rotting. This was one of my
many routine chores. Growing up, my siblings and I were
fortunate enough to be able to eat a healthy
Money was always amount of fruits and vegetables. First,
tight. Fortunately, though, we’d put in a fair bit of work to
we received a bit of make them edible.
And actually, cutting up rotten apples
help along the way.
and tomatoes wasn’t so bad – compared to
chopping up fish heads!
If smelling and handling rotten fruits and vegetables sounds
unpleasant to you, try walking around with the smell of mahimahi on your six-year-old hands every day! I suppose you’re
probably wondering what I’m referring to, exactly. I’m talking
about eating to survive…about doing what we had to do.
My family knew some fishermen. These men would catch
tuna, mahi-mahi and marlin. After cutting up the filets, they’d
let us have the fish heads.
And that’s where my family would get right to work.
To get the meat from a fish head, you have to chop it up
completely into a bunch of tiny pieces. Most of the meat is right
around the cheeks and the skull. When you take apart a fish
head, you labor to get every chunk or sliver of meat that you can,
no matter how small.
But wait, the tale gets better. (If your stomach’s had
enough, do yourself a kindness by skipping the two paragraphs
that follow this one. On the other hand, if you’re the sort of
person who enjoys collecting weird stories, or you simply have
an interest in learning how different my childhood was from
your own, keep reading.)
My parents taught us to carefully remove the eyeballs. We
had to make sure that they remained intact. My Mom and Dad
5
would even try to make us feel better about this culinary exercise
by exclaiming, “Ooh, that’s the best part!”
(Question: How do you cook a fish eye? Answer: By boiling it.
Trust me, I know.) By the way, in case you’re wondering…yes, I
still dine on fish. Long ago, however, I made it a point to stop
eating anything above a fish’s “shoulders”!
When we were done chopping up the heads and setting
aside the small mounds of meat and eyeballs, we’d dig holes in
the ground and bury the hollowed-out scraps that were left, piles
and piles of them. It was all a necessary part of the work detail.
It had to be done exactly that way. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,
I guess. That’s better than having to breathe in the unmistakable
fragrance of “essence of rotting fish head.” Also, we were well
aware that the neighbors wouldn’t have cared much for the
fumes, either.
Helping Out at Age Six
My Dad ran an appliance and electronics store. Mostly, we
sold washers, dryers, refrigerators, TVs and stereos. Overall, our
profits were modest and my father poured everything that he
made back into the business. After all was said and done, there
was very little left over for the family.
I started working for my father when I was six. I scrubbed
toilets, picked up trash and ran errands. As things would turn
out, I ended up working for the family business until the age of
25. By the time I moved on, I had done just about everything I
could possible do at the store – from cleaning, to running
deliveries, to unloading and stocking merchandise in the
warehouse, to doing inventory, to helping with the books, to
making sales.
6
When it came to working in the family business, I
understood early on that you don’t just do the things that you
want to do. You do something because it has to get done. End of
story.
One of the most powerful lessons that I
I understood early
learned in the workplace took place a short
on that you don’t
time after I began helping my Dad. He told
just do the things
that you want to do. me to clean the toilet one day and I
immediately started grumbling. He
You do something
responded to my bad attitude by telling me,
because it has to be
“Listen, Derek, I’ll just clean the toilet
done.
myself.” He got busy cleaning it and I stood
there watching, taken aback. I didn’t know what to say. Then
he added, “I want you, and everybody else who works for me, to
know that if the owner can clean the toilet, everybody can clean
the toilet.”
Our Necessary Livelihood
It’s been said that people who have character know how to
make themselves do the things that they don’t really want to do.
The more I spent time with him in the store, the more I
found out that this wasn’t just a job – it was my family’s income.
It was our necessary livelihood.
This applied to other things that I did when I was growing
up. For example, when I went fishing, I had to remember why I
was fishing. There’s a world of difference between fishing for
fun and fishing to feed your family. When you’re fishing to
survive – when you’re working to eke out a living – you can’t
help but develop more focus and intensity.
As I took on more responsibility in my father’s store, I
found myself becoming attentive to crucial details. I cared
7
about what I was doing. In time, I dedicated myself to not only
helping my family survive, but to maybe even doing better than
that.
I became responsible for accounting and inventory. I had
to know exactly what was coming in and what was going out.
I took our displays in the store seriously. Did they appear
interesting? Were they pleasing to the eye? When the customers
came into the store, did they see any messes, or was everything
in order? Was the merchandise free of dust? In thinking this
way, I learned the importance of presentation. And I discovered
that when it comes to presentation, you have to keep working at
it. Why? Because, as we all know, competition is serious
business.
On the most basic level, our work is a matter of survival.
But in time, it can and should become something more.
The work that you and I do should rise to the level of art
and passion. Because we spend so much time working, I believe
our labor should spring forth from a deep desire to experience
the extraordinary. Is that too much to ask for? I honestly don’t
think so.
8
2
____
HOW A BURDEN BECAME A GIFT
Details matter.
In my realty office, we have a beautiful conference room.
Everything that graces this room was handpicked with care.
Attention was paid to detail. For example, if anyone should
happen to push one of the chairs against the table, you won’t
hear a sound. That’s because of the size, style and quality of the
chair. Some chairs make a noise when they make contact with a
table. I did my best to eliminate harsh sounds and distractions in
the room because this is where my clients have to think carefully
about important, life-changing decisions.
When you care about something, you really work at it.
All of this goes back to what I learned while growing up. I
took pride in what I owned, even if it wasn’t much. I took
care of my toys, my clothes, my fishing rods. I wanted my
things to stay in great condition and to last me a long time. I
wanted to make the most of the little that I had.
I’m constantly
This thinking has stayed with me and
searching for
carried over into my business practices. I’m
more prudent
constantly searching for more prudent ways,
and artful ways
more artful ways, to do business.
to do business
And I want the people who work with me
to feel the same way that I do. It really doesn’t
matter whether they’re just starting out and earning entry-level
pay, or whether they’ve been with me for a while and have done
well for themselves. What matters is that they are learning and
practicing qualities that will benefit them for the rest of their
lives.
9
Intelligence is not Enough
Intelligence is a God-given attribute, but intelligence in
itself is not enough. You have to put a lot of hard work into
what you are trying to accomplish. More than anyone else, my
parents taught me this, through their encouraging words and
their wonderful example of perseverance and consistency.
Then there were my baseball coaches in little league and
high school. I never knew their first names. I had too much
respect for them to have even wanted to ask. To my teammates
and me, they were Coach Kiwano and Coach Hiwatashi.
They taught me that my performance in practice should be
no less focused than my performance in the actual games. I was
to run hard, play hard and hustle on the field at all times. They
didn’t want anybody on the team to have letdowns or lapses
when it came time to play.
Sure, baseball was meant for kids. And the game is
supposed to be fun. But Coach Kiwano and Coach
Hiwatashi believed that it wasn’t any fun to play without good
preparation. It wasn’t fun to play before family and friends
without having put in the time that was needed to perform. We
may have been kids, but they believed that
Preparation
organized sports provided young people with
means learning
fundamentals and the opportunity to learn valuable life skills.
For them, preparation meant learning the
executing them
fundamentals and executing them properly.
properly.
They made it clear to us that none of this
could be achieved apart from hard work.
For instance, as a 10-year-old, I can remember being afraid
of having to face the best pitchers in the league. By best, I’m
talking about boys who threw the hardest and were able to break
10
off a good curveball. The thought of getting hit by a wicked
fastball scared me. And when I saw a nasty curve, I had the urge
to bail out of the batter’s box. A well-thrown breaking pitch
looks as if it’s going to hit you, then it turns and bends toward
the catcher’s mitt.
If you’re not prepared to face pitching like that, you’re not
ready to perform in front of others. That’s what I meant when I
said that my coaches didn’t think it was fun to merely show up
and play, as some well-intentioned adults seem to imagine.
“Why not let kids be kids?” they lament. “Can’t they just go out
there and have fun?”
The Value of Preparation
Fortunately for me and my teammates, Coach Kiwano and
Coach Hiwatashi knew better. They realized that even little
leaguers have to be ready to play. And they did their best to
make sure we were ready to go on game day.
Because of my fear of tough pitching, they made me take
extra batting practice, and lots of it. They
Hard work and
came at me with hard pitches. They fired off attention to detail
one breaking ball after another. They kept
make a big
talking to me about staying in the batter’s box difference in the
and not backing away. They told me I could
quality of product
do it.
that we put out.
I didn’t believe them at first. But the
more they worked with me, the more confident I became. And
after awhile, I stopped being afraid altogether. I could face any
pitcher. I could take my best shot without fear or distraction.
It’s amazing how these kinds of experiences have a way of
carrying over into so many other aspects of your life, and
eventually, into your future years as an adult. To this day I still
11
hear the voices of my two childhood coaches. In a manner of
speaking, these men keep encouraging me to perform with
complete focus and determination. They continue to remind me
that hard work and attention to detail make a big difference in
the quality of product that we put out.
Finally, as I think about how I acquired a strong work ethic
– and developed a hunger to do more than simply survive – I am
mindful of the influence of my favorite uncle, “Uncle Mulligan.”
In 1981, when I was 24, my Dad’s business dwindled down
to nothing. He had been struggling for quite awhile. Eventually,
things got so bad for him that he had to close up shop. It was
hard for all of us to accept, but we knew that we had to get on
with the more important business of survival.
A Major Turning Point
It was at that time that my Uncle Mulligan, a mason
contractor, offered me a job. Going to work for my uncle was a
major turning point in my life. While under his employ, I very
quickly began to set major goals.
No, he didn’t set me up in a nice, cushy job. He hired me
as a mason tender, which is a nice way of saying “gofer.”
Being in that role was humbling, yet it also proved to be a
fantastic blessing. It gave me instant – and massively huge –
motivation to want something better for myself. I realized very
quickly that I wanted to be the head and not the tail.
I remember one week in particular. We happened to be
short on help, and I was assigned more physical work than usual.
Day after day, I lifted bags of concrete from a truck and dropped
them onto a wheelbarrow. Then I pushed wheelbarrow load
after wheelbarrow load to a building site. My shoulders and
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arms throbbed with pain and my hands were so stiff I could
barely move my fingers.
At one point, Uncle Mulligan took a few moments to walk
beside me and share some words of encouragement. I guess he
read my mind. “Derek,” he said, “Work hard “Work hard but
– but work smart. Prove yourself, and good
work smart. Prove
things will happen.” As he spoke, I was
yourself, and good
sweating profusely while trying to steady
things will happen.”
three hundred pounds of concrete along a
bumpy path. Meanwhile, Uncle Mulligan held a ten-ounce
clipboard in one hand and a tall iced tea in the other.
Though his words were few and simple, they helped to
mold my life in a dramatic way. I listened to him because I
realized he knew what he was talking about. I took his advice to
heart and set a goal of becoming a contractor. I went back to
college to study drafting so that I could learn to read blueprints.
That way, I could become an estimator for my uncle – and
eventually launch out on my own as a contractor.
Taking Full Responsibility
I dove into my studies with enthusiasm. Then, without
warning, there was a concrete strike and my uncle had to lay me
off. I was forced to find other work in a different field, which
slowly but surely took me away from construction. But my time
with my uncle had served a valuable purpose in my life and
future. He had taught me well.
He had shown me that I needed to strive for personal
advancement. I needed to take full responsibility for achieving
the success that others just dream about. It wasn’t going to be
handed to me – I had to earn it by working hard, working smart
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and proving myself over the long haul. Just the way Uncle
Mulligan had done it.
No, I hadn’t gotten anywhere yet. But I was bursting with
enthusiasm and determination, and was willing to give my all to
succeed. In terms of wanting to achieve lofty goals, I had taken
a quantum leap from my days of humble work in my father’s
store.
Looking back at my years in the family business, I can see
that my experiences there helped me to develop the skills and
values that put me on the launching pad, so to speak. Did that
training carry a high price tag? Without a doubt.
I have to admit that, as a child, it wasn’t always easy for me
to work as much as I did. At times, I felt
I have to admit
embarrassed when my friends saw me doing
that, as a child,
menial labor. They’d drive by the store and see
it wasn’t always
me sweeping the parking lot. Or I’d have to
easy for me to
make deliveries to their homes. I knew that I
work as much as
was working because I was poor, and it was
I did.
difficult for me to look my friends in the eye
whenever I went into their homes to deliver and set up a
product. They didn’t have to work, yet I had to work.
A Beautiful Gift
There were moments when it all seemed like a horrible
lesson, but later on in life, I came to see that the sum of all of my
toil added up to one great learning experience. And I know that
I am a better person for it.
I am reminded of the “Fable of the Birds,” which is a story
about the earliest days of Creation. All the newly-made animals
are walking around discovering what it’s like to be alive. All
except the birds. They are sulking because God has given them
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a heavy burden that He’d given no other animal – those
awkward appendages on their shoulders.
God must be punishing them somehow. Why did they
have to carry these things around, making it hard to walk?
“Why?” they asked. “Why us?”
Finally, two or three of the more adventurous birds begin
to move their appendages. They begin to flutter them, and soon
they discover that the very thing they had regarded as a burden
actually made it possible for them to fly. And no other animal
could fly. The “burden” turned out to be a beautiful gift.
Maybe that kind of explains what happened to me.
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3
____
SIX PATHS TO
OUTRAGEOUS “LUCK”
And speaking of the “luck” that the value of work will
bring you…
The purpose of this chapter is to list some of the specific
things that you can do to sharpen and intensify your work ethic
– habits that have helped me accomplish many of my dreams.
The more you practice these habits, the more likely it is that
you will master them. Without
You’re probably aware of
mastering good habits, it is impossible to Earl Nightingale’s
succeed on a consistent basis. Develop a definition of luck: “Luck
mastery of the right habits and you will
is when preparedness meets
succeed in virtually everything that you
opportunity.” I believe
do.
that Nightingale is right.
Let bad habits rule you, or even
I also believe that it takes
sneak in occasionally, and you will be
a lot of work to be
dismayed by the results. It’s been said
prepared.
that success favors a prepared mind.
You’re probably aware of Earl Nightingale’s definition of luck:
“Luck is when preparedness meets opportunity.” I believe that
Nightingale is right. I also believe that it takes a lot of work to
be prepared.
For that reason, I like to say that we spell luck this way:
W-O-R-K.
Here are six paths that have led me toward becoming an
outrageously “lucky” person:
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Path 1: Make Every Day Count
At the end of each day, you should be able to say that
you’ve accomplished something. Too many people go to
“work” just so they can draw a paycheck, and
Too many people
that’s too bad.
got to “work” just
There were so many ways to get
so they can draw a
important things done. Did you do a random
paycheck, and
act of kindness? Did you improve your
that’s too bad.
education somehow? Did you start, maybe
even finish, a task that you’ve been putting off? Did you take
the time to write down plans for a project that requires your
attention?
Make sure that the things you are doing today mean
something. Remember the old saying…inch by inch is a cinch.
Path 2: Start Early
There are those for whom the day basically begins at noon.
By then, half the day’s gone. My day starts at 6 a.m.
One of the best things about rising early is that I get to
concentrate on what I’m doing without any distractions. The
phone isn’t ringing, I haven’t started meeting with anyone yet,
and there are no interruptions. The two or so hours that I have
to myself often enable me to accomplish twice what it would take
me after the office opens.
The dividends are significant. One extra hour each
morning translates into twenty extra hours a month. If you
make $20 an hour, you’ll make $400 more a month and $4,800
more a year.
But there’s a lot more than money at stake here. What if
you decided to use the extra hour for family time? The
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additional 240 hours per year add up to the equivalent of a
month-and-a-half of work.
How’d you like to spend one-and-a-half more months with
your loved ones each year? The early start
How’d you like to
gives you added flexibility later in the day,
spend one-and aenabling you to adapt your schedule
half more months
accordingly.
with your loved
If you’d like to get up sooner each day,
ones each year?
begin slowly, by waking just 15 to 30 minutes
earlier than usual. Get used to this for a few days, then cut back
another 15 minutes. Make gradual changes until you get to the
wake-up time that you’ve set as your goal. To develop this new
habit, you’ll probably have to get to bed earlier. The idea of
beginning your day early is so simple – yet it is so lifechanging…once you actually put it into practice.
Path 3: Review Your Goals Early
This is not the easiest thing to do. On occasion, I find
myself neglecting this habit. The problem with failing to review
your goals is that you can very quickly get off track. Going over
your goals puts you right back on course.
This exercise also helps you to persevere in the face of
hardships, obstacles, family obligations and any number of other
challenges.
Now, think about the word “review” for a moment. It
breaks down into two parts – re, and view. The first part means
“again.” The second part is defined as “taking a look.” To keep
reviewing something means that you look at it again, and again,
and again.
A daily review of goals is a must when it comes to
maintaining your focus. Otherwise, before you know it, your
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ducks will scatter in every direction, you’ll lose sight of your
objectives – and you’ll become disoriented. You have a much
better chance of aiming at your ducks when they’re flying in
formation.
Path 4: Do All of Your Homework
As a student in school, I didn’t always do all of my
homework. Over the years, I’ve come to realize how bad that
habit can be.
Some time back, my wife and I took a vacation to Cabo San
Lucas. We went in August. Let me tell you, that trip wasn’t
nearly what we had expected. The reason? We went during the
wrong time of year! The humidity was at its peak, and we wilted
for an entire week.
I tried to put a positive spin on things by coming up with
this motto: “Embrace the humidity, enjoy the perspiration.” My
mind was fine with that…but my body refused to fall in line.
Anyway, had I done my homework, I would have known
that the best time to go to Cabo is no later than June or
sometime after October.
The importance of doing one’s homework applies, of
course, to both pleasure and business. In business, when you
step in front of your clients, bosses or
Professional people
colleagues, you must be prepared.
know whether you’ve
Professional people know whether you’ve
come to the table with come to the table with your all of your
all of your homework homework completed. Winging it just
completed
won’t cut it in today’s highly competitive
business arena.
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Path 5: Always Be Prepared
This goes hand-in-hand with my previous point. The
difference here is, you can do all of your homework – you can
know all of the information – but if your report is not ready, or
if you’ve rushed out of the office and left your laptop on your
desk, you’re not prepared.
Let me give you an example of how critical this detail can
be. Recently, a salesperson showed up in my conference room
to give a presentation. My colleagues were all seated, awaiting
the start of the meeting. She was planning to do PowerPoint,
and wanted me to connect her computer to our big screen TV.
Our equipment is state-of-the-art and has more inputs than the
average monitor. As she stood there holding a tangled mass of
cords and adapters in her hands, it was clear that it would take
more than a little while to sort out the mess.
“I’m really sorry,” I told her, “but the meeting starts in one
minute. You’ll just have to do your best.” Obviously upset, she
proceeded to put on a presentation that limped along on one leg
when it should have breezed by smoothly on two legs. She had
put in a lot of time to offer us her best sales pitch, but when the
time came, she wasn’t able to deliver.
The members of my team had their own schedules, and
there was no way I was able to delay the meeting that day. Had I
been the person who had to give the presentation, I would have
stopped by the conference room earlier in the week, taken the
time to learn the hookups and tested out the equipment to make
sure that everything was ready to go.
Path 6: Never Say Quit, Never Say Tired
My first year in little league baseball, because I couldn’t hit
the ball very well, I wanted to quit. But my coaches made me
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take extra batting practice. The following year, I led the team in
extra-base hits – doubles, triples and home runs. I became
captain and was named to the all-star team.
At the same time, I learned how disappointing the flip side
of the coin can be. At the end of baseball season, my coaches
urged me to come out for Pop Warner football. I wanted to
play linebacker; they put me on the offensive line instead.
I was growing up in a time when, generally, kids didn’t tell
coaches what position they preferred to play. I didn’t care for
being an offensive lineman and so, after several practices, I quit
the team. And here’s the strange part: this very same cycle
repeated itself for four years!
Some of the players would see me in school and say,
“Miyano, you quitter.” Those words always left me feeling
discouraged.
To this day, I regret not having played football as a boy. I
truly wish I had stuck it out. That’s just
I can’t feel good about
one reason why I’m so determined not to
myself if I know that
give up whenever I know that I’m
I’m thinking and
supposed to persevere in a certain area of
acting like a quitter.
my life. That’s why I hang in there when I
start losing interest in a project or proposal. I can’t feel good
about myself if I know that I’m thinking and acting like a quitter.
Sometimes I sail through important tasks. Other times it
seems as if I’m plodding. Regardless, I tell myself to persevere.
Through perseverance, I’m able to accomplish goal after goal –
year after year.
In the next chapter, I’d like to talk about more of the paths
that guide my life on a daily basis.
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