Never go to the gym again!

Are you tired of going to the gym? Paying your dues every month just to go stand in line and wait for the piece of equipment you want. Finally its your turn to lay on the bench and you wonder to yourself, how many strands of DNA am I laying in?

If so, your not the only one. Check out this email I recently got from Mark.

Hey man, my school gym closes early n Im tired of going to the commercial gym during peak hours. Im wondering what basic equipment I would need to get an effective workout at home?

Thanks bro,
Mark 

The good news is, you really don't need much to get a killer training session done in the comfort of your garage or basement. Hell, I've even seen a guy deadlift 500 pounds in a spare bedroom! Below are my essentials for anyone looking to start training at home.

1. Barbell and plates. Buy used to keep the cost down, watch craigslist or local garage sales. Most sets come with around 300 lbs of total weight, but you can get as much or as little as you'd like. A good rule is try to get the equivalent to your own weight. i.e. if you weigh 180 lbs try to get at least 180 lbs worth of weights.


2. Pull up bar. Anything strong enough to support your own weight. You can use the rafters in your basement or garage really. Or look at getting a door mounted pull up bar, or a stand alone tower. Pull ups get you strong.

Those two things are really all you need to get strong at home. But for the sake of this article I will round out my top 5.

3. Jump Rope.  There is a reason you always see boxers and MMA fighters using jump ropes in their training. It adds a certain level of explosiveness that is otherwise hard to get. They take up zero space and are cheap.

4. Heavy Hands. OK so this is a nickname the guys at my training facility came up with. Heavy hands can be anything that is heavy and you can carry in your hands/arms for things like farmers walks. At my gym we use buckets full of dirt, heavy dumbells/Olympic plates, kegs or stones.

Last year my buddy and I did some landscaping for a company. We got to keep some huge boulders and they got cheap manual labor. Anyways, those rocks must weigh 75 lbs each and are very diverse tools. If rocks aren't an option, run down to your home improvement store and grab a couple of 5 gallons buckets, fill 'em up with dirt and just carry them around. Farmers walks (or even holds) are a great movement and will add great muscular endurance to your whole body.

5. Foam Roller / Lacrosse Ball. Recovery work sucks, I'll be the first to admit that. It hurts, its time consuming and its boring as hell. And often when you are training at home it can be easily skipped. But don't let it happen! This shit is damn important, because in the long run it won't matter how much you can squat, press and deadlift if your to fucked up to enjoy yourself. So please guys, get them both and use them at least 3x per week. Take care of your body and it will take care of you.


Got questions? Leave a comment below or shoot me an email!

Caleb

Why we quit and what we can about it.

Hi everyone, I hear all too often "I need someone to workout with." I hate hearing those words. As a fitness professional all I hear when someone says that is; I don't have the motivation to get off my ass unless someone is forcing me too.

Well I'm sorry to break it to you, but that's not how shit works. If you cannot find the drive from inside, you wont be able to find the drive from the outside either. You have to desire the change and have it manifest from your own self. Having a gym buddy is great, but you still have to have intrinsic motivation to keep going. I don't care how great of a gym partner you might find, they cannot keep you motivated. You have to keep you motivated.  

You may be thinking, yeah that sounds great, but how? The truth is, you have to find a fitness program that works for you. You will never stick to a routine if you do not enjoy it. This advice is worth gold in both fitness programs and diet routines. Find something that makes you excited and go after it. 

I'll use a personal example. I fucking hate running. Anything beyond 1.5 miles feels like a marathon to me. Therefor to choose running as a way to get fit would be virtual health suicide for me. Several things would happen if I decided to choose a program that I hated doing: First I would last about 4 days before I got fed up and burned out. If I pushed it much past this breaking point my form and technique would start going to shit and I would be at risk for injury. I wouldn't enjoy the process so I would just want to get it over with. Second after my fifth day when I decided I was done, I would lose all motivation to begin something new and probably drowned out my defeat with an unholy amount of chocolate cake. 

The same is true for diets. Do not start a diet that is to extreme for your goals. Another personal example. I really don't enjoy eating meat. However this didn't stop me from trying the paleo thing out a few years back... Yeah, colossal failure. Despite eating clean and training hard, my body did not process the change well and my cholesterol sky rocketed. Despite being a great diet, it just wasn't right for me.

The bottom line; find things that you enjoy doing. In both fitness routines and nutritional plans. If you do not enjoy it, don't do it. You won't stick with it and could end up hurting yourself in the process. 

If you need some pointers on different routines or nutrition then drop me a note. I am always willing to answer questions.  

Caleb 

Fail First

You cannot build a house without a solid foundation. Well, you can but that would be a terrible and costly mistake. It won't last, and eventually it will crumble and collapse. Unfortunately, most people build their lives without a solid foundation. They just say fuck it and go for what is available at the time. This is evident in all faculties of their lifestyle. Their finances suck, they work jobs that blow, they have zero ambition, goal or purpose in the gym, they eat garbage. Hell even most marriages are built on sand.

My advice to you; run far away from this reality. Build your life from the ground up, lay a solid foundation, and start implementing the changes now that will grow you as a person throughout the years. I would rather fail trying, than never fail because I never tried in the first place. In the end the only person who truly fails in life is the person who doesn't get off their ass and try. Fail, fail and fail more.

So whether you want to turn your finances around, get that new job or relationship, or start making real gains in the gym, it all starts with taking the first step. It doesn't matter how long the journey is, we all start somewhere.

The bottom line is; get start today. Do something that will bring you closer to your end goal.

Top Five FAQ's

Alright, as promised I have compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions about health, fitness and lifestyle. Thank you for all of the messages on my twitter about this subject. Below are the most frequently asked questions I get. Please use this for what it is, my opinion on these subjects.

Seek proper medical advice before making any changes, it's not an option. 

1: How do I lose weight on my belly or arms? 
The truth to this is, you really cannot spot reduce fat. The best, and most effective way to ditch that flabby skin is to attack the whole body at once. Start an exercise routine that does not singly target the spot, but instead works multiple muscle groups. By doing this, you will start looking better in all areas. Besides no one wants to have a double chin with six pack abs.

Keep in mind, the definition of insanity is; doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Meaning don't go to the gym and spend hours on the elliptical or treadmill and then wonder why you are not improving. Take the time to change up your routine. Take advantage of other opportunities offered and step outside your comfort zone.

2: What supplements do you/should I take? 
Supplements can be a great TOOL to help you get what your diet is lacking. That being said, supplements are just that, supplements to what you are already doing. Do not ever let someone tell you that a certain supplement will cover you in all areas while you eat junk and train like a turtle.

Supplements that I would recommend or take myself really depend on what the fitness goal is. Supp's for people trying to lose weight are going to vary greatly from those people trying to gain weight.

My list of no BS supplements are:

• Quality Whey Protein
• Creatine Monohydrate 
• Omega 3-6-9 blends  
• Quality Probiotic 
• Digestive Enzyme  

That's it. There are plenty of other really good supplements out there to help with certain conditions, but unless you are deficient in a certain area then don't overload your system with useless supplements. Some of these include but are not limited too: 

• Pre Workouts 
• Multi Vitamins

Both can help in certain situations but are generally not needed. 

3: What diet is the best? 

Simple answer. None. 

Why? 

Because people in general view diets as short term plans to lose weight. In reality most people do not need to lose weight but they need to gain muscle. Also, the association of diets and short term goals suck. Once you decide you want to lose weight, get healthy, gain muscle, or whatever your fitness goal is, it is not a short term thing. It is going to take a complete lifestyle change. A diet is better than eating junk, but I think most people get lost in what one to follow.

My advice, seek out a well rounded nutritionist and have them help you. They are worth the price tag and can probably solve more of the worlds health problems than a traditional medical doctor. The most important factor is finding a diet plan that you enjoy and can follow without making too many sacrifices. For example, if you love eating meat, then do not try to go on some vegetarian diet. The same is true for people who don't eat meat, don't let someone tell you to eat nothing but meat and vegetables. Find what fuels your body operates best on and choose a type of diet that fits you.

Obviously, don't go to extremes. I  love cookies, but that doesn't mean that my body runs more efficiently on them then it would on a well balanced diets of whole foods. 

4: I want to start getting in shape but I don't know where to begin?

Start by visiting your doctor. Make sure you can handle making in big changes in your life. Then start anywhere. Find something that keeps you active that you enjoy doing, and do it. This could be walking with the dog, swimming, weight training, yoga, boxing or any other physical activity that gets you moving. The most important part is to get moving. Everything will fall into place the more experience you give it. Think about the sports or games you used to play when you were younger, then find something that mirrors those activities and get involved. 

I had a client that thought she was doomed to get back in shape because she could not stick with any routine that a trainer made for her. Spending sometime with her I found out more about her past and found she used to play soccer in school and loved it. It didn't take me long to get her back out onto the field for a friendly match. Before she knew it she regained that same passion she once had. This reduced the stress of trying so hard to lose weight, and voila the weight start flying off of her. Amazing what a little bit of love and passion for something can do. Long story short, not only did she start losing weight and feeling better, she also became more interested in improving herself physically and all of a sudden the weight room wasn't the most boring thing for her. She started to actually enjoy lifting weights because it improved her soccer game. 

Find something you love and do it more often. 

5: Are personal trainers worth it? 

Yes and no. Do your homework on who you are considering. Interview them like you are the CEO of a company. If you think about it, you are the CEO of your body. Ask yourself the follow questions:

• Does the perspective trainer have a passion for helping people like me? Or are they just in it to make a buck. 

There are some great trainers out there that truly have a passion for what they do and there is some shitheads who just want to make money and spend their day in the gym. This is usually evident by the enthusiasm that they have. They should be eager to help you, excited for you, listen to you and help you attain your fitness goals. Trainers should not require any long term commitments. Try to find someone who is willing to go month-to-month. No one likes getting locked into a contract and paying for something we don't use. 

• What type of education, certifications or experience does the trainer have? 

I know education is not everything. There are some kickass smart people that do not have college degrees and fancy abbreviations after their name. However, knowing a little bit about the trainers background is very helpful. Typically someone with a degree in a related health field is going to have more general knowledge of how the body operates than someone who attended a weekend seminar. Ask for referrals or references. If you are looking to improve in a certain area find out the experience the trainer has in that area. If you are looking to run your first 5k a bodybuilder trainer might not be the best fit for your training.  

Look for a trainer that fits your personality traits. You have to work with someone you like and will get along with. Otherwise it will take all of the fun out of the experience and you will find yourself either not showing up and wasting your money, or dreading the time you are going to have to spend with them. 

Been to long...

Hello all you fit freaks! I have to say that I am truly sorry for not updating this blog since last September. I have been incredibly busy the last seven months. Now, I am not one for excuses so I wont make any. Starting now I will post at a minimum weekly. 

I have been getting a lot of direct messages on my Twitter asking fitness and lifestyle related questions. As a trainer I normally charge for answering these type of questions, but I feel it is part of my civil duty to help YOU live a better life.

That being said; next week I will be posting a FAQ post where I answer some of the most common questions I get asked. If you have anything you want answered tweet me or leave a comment below.  

Enough rambling... 

Train hard and stay safe.

Caleb Burzan

22 August 2013

"You're successful when you like who and what you are. Success includes achievement… while 
choosing and directing your own activities. It means enjoying intimate relationships and loving what you do in life." - Kekich Credo #7

Warm Up: 

10 minute ROM drills
5-10 minute foam roll/deep breathing/stretch

Prep Phase: 

yoga

Strength: 

rest

Conditioning: 

choose sport:

run: 5k

swim: 500 yd

bike: 13.1M

Supplemental Work: 

recovery work

3x15
push ups
GHD sit ups
back extensions
bench press (light weight)
kb swings (light weight)

24 July 2013

Strength: 

8x2 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls 7 @ 115#, 1 @ 125#

100 Push Ups

Max Plank Hold (5:11)

Stamina:

10M Bike, 45 minutes

Prep Phase (BW):

Tabata:

Push Ups
Plank Holds
Jump Ropes
Squats

23 July 2013

Strength:

5x5 Deadlift
205, 215, 225, 255, 225

3x10 Floor Press @ 135#

Stamina:

15-10-5

GHD Sit Ups
Back Extensions
KB Swings @ 35#
Ring Dips

Prep Phase (BW):

20m AMRAP

25 Mountain Climbers
20 Flutter Kicks
15 Jumping Jacks
10 Dips
200m Run

22 July 2013

Thought For The Day

Strength: 

5x3 Front Squats (135#), (155#), (175#), (165#), (165#)

then,

Stamina:

100 Air Squats
2x25 Goblet Squats (35#)
3x10 DB Thrusters (20#)
3 Perimeter (100m) Farmers Carry (45#)
2x25 Ab wheel roll outs
100 Russian Twists (35#)


Prep Phase (BW)

4 rounds:

Run 400m
20x elevated feet push ups
15x squats
10x burpees

15 July 2013

AM:

21-15-9

Deadlifts, @ 225 lbs
Hand Stand Push Ups

PM:

Power Cleans

5 @ 135, 185 (fail), 165, 175, 185 (PR!)

10 July 2013

Deadlift 8x2 (135, 155, 225, 225., 275, 255, 255, 225)

Team Effort:

100 Bodyblasters

(do as many as you can before tagging your teammate in)

Powerful Message - Game Changer

This video will change your life! Everyone needs to watch this, daily!

Ray Lewis Quotes

“Every day of my life, I’m trying to find a different way to get better.”

“Nobody’s as serious about health and fitness as me, and staying fit is my top priority.”

“What makes you grind?  You have to always be chasing something.”

“In any war, you put your back to mine, I put my back to yours, and let’s do what we gotta do.”

“You’ve got to go out and show them that I’m a different creature now, then I was five minutes ago, cause I’m pissed off for greatness. Cause if you ain’t pissed off for greatness, that just means you’re okay with being mediocre.”

“My pain is my badge of honor.”

“The greatest opportunity in the world is found here today… We already know what yesterday has got for us. It’s already gone. Tomorrow, too far away. What about right now!”

“I prepare so no one can take what is mine, no one can replace my mind, my heart.”

“You take five fingers. Individually, I can pin any one of them, but if I pin them together (makes a fist), it’s damn near impossible to turn this around.”

“You have to get back to being kids again.  You can’t never get tired.  I have something burning inside me.  I am a kid all over again.”

“The day you think you can beat me, show me.  Then move on to the next challenge.”

“All I know is grind.”

“In any war who pulls their general out? No one.”

“I figured something out.  And it is no secret what I figured out.  Whatever the majority of people were doing, I found myself doing the opposite.  I wanted to chase something great.”

To be the best and stay there, sweat is necessary.”

“If tomorrow wasn’t promised, what would you give for today?”

“I ride my bicycle all the time. There’s one thing about my bicycle. I’m riding, I’m riding, I’m riding. And no matter how tired I start to get, it’s never about this pedal I’m pedaling, it’s about the next pedal, and if you can get to that next one, your bike will keep moving.”

“When something goes wrong, smile, cause there’s always a next play.”

“Don’t waste talent.  No matter what you do, don’t waste talent.”

“The hardest thing to do is work hard when no one is watching.”

“Walter (Payton) and Jerry (Rice) had their hills, never being comfortable, with just good enough.”

“Wins and losses come a dime a dozen. But effort? Nobody can judge that. Because effort is between you and you.”

“You gotta be hungry for it.  You’ve got to put everything you got on it.  EVERYTHING!  Every second.  You have to be the first one in line.  That’s how leaders are born.”

“I’m older, of course I’m older, that’s the beauty of it. Sixteen years plus. Different level of wisdom, different level of understanding, different level of punishment. I want to live loooong after my records have fallen, long after my rings have tarnished.”

“Do whatever you got to do to make sure you chase your legacy every second of your life.”

“We get one opportunity in life, one chance at life to do whatever you’re going to do, and lay your foundation and make whatever mark you’re going to make. Whatever legacy you’re going to leave; leave your legacy!”

“The only way to defeat pain is to recognize pain exists.”

“What’s the difference between you and the man sitting beside you?  It’s 1%.  In my business, only 1% makes it. If everyone had the same dream, only 1 will make it from this crowd.  Who will be that one?”

“Before I lead any other man into anything I’m willing to take the hard falls myself but also come back and share the pains that came from it.”

“Will you be remembered, how would you be remembered, why wouldn’t you fight for the greatest achievement ever?”

“Success is one thing, impact is another”

“Don’t let your alarm clock, be the only reason you wake up.”

8 Jan 2013

I know the Navy Seal philosophy is No Easy Day, and I couldn't agree more with that statement. Not only when referring to physical fitness but also in every other aspect of life. Personal, Family, Business there should be no easy days, always seek out challenge and improvements. Every day get better. So I will refer to today as a "light" day.

Today's Training

20 min Yoga session

Snatch (light) 7x1 (low: 55# - high 105#)

10 Min foam roll/recovery



"People will do almost anything to stay in their comfort zones. If you want to accomplish anything, get out of your comfort zone. Strive to increase order and discipline in your life. Discipline usually means doing the opposite of what you feel like doing. The easy roads to discipline are…

· Setting deadlines
· Discovering & doing what you do best & what’s important & enjoyable to you
· Focusing on habits by replacing your bad habits and thought patterns, one-by-one,
  over time, with good habits and thought patterns"

- #1 Kekich Credos

Kekich Credo's

Kekich's Credo

July 7, 1978 started as just another day for Dave Kekich. He was working out in the gym… without a care in the world. The next day, he found himself staring at a hospital room ceiling, connected to machines, unable to move anything below his arms.

In the twinkling of an eye, this long distance running, weight lifting, exercise fanatic became a spinal cord injured cripple. He spent the next 15 months on a round the World odyssey, looking for a cure that didn’t exist—and finally came back home to Pennsylvania. He spent the next 19 years raising money for paralysis research, with one main goal: to walk again.

You can learn a lot from Dave Kekich. And here's your chance...Dave's 100 Credos in their entirety:

1. People will do almost anything to stay in their comfort zones. If you want to accomplish anything, get out of your comfort zone. Strive to increase order and discipline in your life. Discipline usually means doing the opposite of what you feel like doing. The easy roads to discipline are 1) setting deadlines, 2) discovering and doing what you do best and what's important and enjoyable to you and 3) focusing on habits by replacing your bad habits and thought patterns, one-by-one, over time, with good habits and thought patterns.

2. Cherish time, your most valuable resource. You can never make up the time you lose. It's the most important value for any productive happy individual and is the only limitation to all accomplishment. To waste time is to waste your life. The most important choices you'll ever make are how you use your time.

3. Think carefully before making any offers, commitments or promises, no matter how seemingly trivial. These are all contracts and must be honored. These also include self-resolutions.

4. Real regrets only come from not doing your best. All else is out of your control. You're measured by results only. Trade excuses and "trying" for results, and expect half-hearted results from half-hearted efforts. Do more than is expected of you. Life's easy when you live it the hard way... and hard if you try to live it the easy way.

5. Always show gratitude when earned, monetarily when possible.

6. Produce for wealth creation and accumulation. Invest profits for wealth preservation and growth. Produce more than you consume and save a minimum of 20% of all earnings. Pay yourself first.

7. You're successful when you like who and what you are. Success includes achievement… while choosing and directing your own activities. It means enjoying intimate relationships and loving what you do in life.

8. Learn from the giants.

9. A little caution avoids great regrets. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Keep fully insured physically and materially and keep hedged emotionally. Insurance is not for sale when you need it.

10. Learn the other side's needs, offer as little information as possible, never underestimate your opposition, and never show weakness when negotiating.

11. Never enter into nor invest in a business without a solid, well-researched and well thought-out written plan. Execute the plan with passion and precision. Plan and manage your life the same way.

12. Success comes quickly to those whom develop great powers of intense sustained concentration. The first rule is to get involved by asking focused questions.

13. Protect your downside. The upside will take care of itself. Cut your losses short - and let your profits run. This takes tremendous discipline.

14. The primary purpose of business is to create and keep customers. Marketing and innovation produce results. All other business functions are costs. Prospecting and increasing the average value and frequency of sales are the bedrock of marketing and business.

15. If it's not proprietary, it won't work. Pay only on performance. Proprietary interest is one of the most powerful forces ever known. Whatever you reinforce or reward, you get more of.

16. Competence starts with guaranteeing your work.

17. Life operates in reverse action to entropy. Therefore the universe is hostile to life. Progress is a continued effort to swim against the stream.

18. Find out what works, and then do more of it. Focus first on doing the right things, and then on doing things right by mastering details. A few basic moves produce most results and income.

19. Use leverage with ideas (the ability to generalize is the key to intellectual leverage), work, money, time and people. To maximize profits, replicate yourself. Earning potentials become geometric rather than linear.

20. Rationalizations are generally convenient evasions of reality and are used as excuses for dishonest behavior, mistakes and/or laziness.

21. Always have lofty explicit goals and visualize them intensely. Assume the attitude that if you don't reach your goals, you will literally die! This type of gun-to-your-head forced focus... survival pressure mindset, no matter how briefly used, stimulates your mind, forces you to use your time effectively... and illuminates new ways of getting things done.

22. The value of any service you have to offer diminishes rapidly once it's provided. Protect your compensation before performing.

23. Incalculable effort and hardship over countless generations evolved into the life, values and happiness we take for granted today. Every day should be a celebration of existence. You are a masterpiece of life and should feel and appreciate this all the way down to your bones. Aspire to create, achieve and build onto the great value momentum taking place all around you.

24. Enthusiasm covers many deficiencies - and will make others want to associate with you.

25. Working for someone else gives you little chance to make a fortune. By owning your own business, you only have to be good to become wealthy.

26. Religiously nourish your body with proper nutrition, exercise, recreation, sleep and relaxation techniques.

27. The choice to exert integrated effort or to default to camouflaged laziness is the key choice that determines your character, competence and future. That critical choice must be made continually - throughout life. The most meaningful thing to live for is reaching your full potential.

28. Keep an active mind, and continue to grow intellectually. You either grow or regress. Nothing stands still.

29. Most accomplishment (and problem avoidance) is built on clear persuasive communication. That includes knowing each other's definitions, careful listening, thinking before talking, focused questioning and observing your feedback. Become a communications expert.

30. Power comes from stripping away appearances and seeing things as they really are. Socialism appeals to psychological and intellectual weaklings. Identify and replace all external authorities with internal strength and competence. Take full control of, and responsibility for, your conscious mind and every aspect of your life. Being incompetent or dependent in any part of your life or business opens you up to sloppiness, manipulation and irrationality.

31. If there is not a conscious struggle to be honest in difficult situations, you are probably being dishonest. Characters aren't really tested until things aren't going well or until the stakes are high.

32. Do not compromise if you are right. Hold your ground, show no fear, ask for what you want, and the opposition will usually agree.

33. If the situation is not right in the long term, walk away from it. Maintain a long term outlook in all endeavors. Live like you don't have much time left... but plan as if you'll live for centuries.

34. Invest only after strict and complete due diligence. Don't allow yourself to be rushed. Make
important decisions carefully, consider your gut feelings... then pull the trigger.

35. Stress kills. No matter how painful in the short-term, remove all chronically stressful situations, environments and people from your life.

36. Keep your overhead to a minimum. Rely more on brains, wit and talent... and less on money.

37. Business is the highest evolution of consciousness and morality. The essences of business are: honesty, effort, responsibility, integration, creativity, objectivity, long-range planning, intensity, effectiveness, discipline, thought and control. Business is life on all levels at all times.

38. That which is most satisfying is that which is earned. Anything received free of charge is seldom valued. You can't get something for (from) nothing. The price is too high.

39. By adhering to a strong honest philosophy, you will remain guiltless, blameless, independent and maintain control over your life. Without a sound philosophy, your life will eventually crumble.

40. No dream is too big. It takes almost the same amount of time and energy to manage tiny projects or businesses as it does to manage massive ones... and the massive ones carry with them - proportional rewards.

41. There is no such thing as "just a little theft" or "just a little dishonesty".

42. Lead by example.

43. Take full responsibility for your actions or lack of action. He who errs must pay. This is an easy concept to grasp from the recipient's end.


44. An hour of effective, precise, hard, disciplined - and integrated thinking can be worth a month of hard work. Thinking is the very essence of, and the most difficult thing to do in business and in life. Empire builders spend hour-after-hour on mental work... while others party. If you're not consciously aware of putting forth the effort to exert self-guided integrated thinking... if you don't act beyond your feelings and instead take the path of least resistance, then you give in to laziness, make bad decisions and no longer control your life. The most powerful way to do this is to insulate yourself from all distractions. Then write a problem or goal on a sheet of paper and force yourself to come up with at least 20 ways to solve your problem or reach your goal. The last solutions are the toughest and are usually the most life changing. Make this exercise a life-long habit.

45. Out-think, out-innovate and out-hustle the competition, and vividly visualize yourself as winning before entering into every deal or competitive situation. Maintain a blood-smelling, fighter pilot life-or-death attitude when any deal gets near to a close.

46. First impressions are lasting impressions. Put your best foot forward. People treat you like you teach them to treat you. A success key is positioning yourself at the top of their agenda.

47. The right thing is usually not the easy thing to do. You may sacrifice popularity for rightness, but you'll lose self-esteem for wrongness. Don't be afraid to say "no".

48. If someone lies to you once, he'll lie to you a thousand times. Lying is for thieves and cowards.

49. Have strict and total respect for other people's property.

50. Producing results is more important than proving you're right. To get things done, try to understand others' frames of references, points of view, needs and wants. Then determine what is honest, fair, effective and rational... and act accordingly.

51. Long term success is built on credibility and on establishing enduring loving relationships with quality people based on mutually earned trust. Cut all ties with dishonest, negative or lazy people, and associate with people who share your values. You become whom you associate with.

52. Outside of yourself, you control nothing… but you can manage anything. Don't be preoccupied with things over which you have no control, and don't take things personally.

53. Spend more time working "on" your business than "in" your business.

54. Don't enter into a business relationship with anyone unknown to you without being furnished with references dating back at least 10 years. If he doesn't have good enduring relationships, stay away. Check all representations on which you will rely made by everyone.

55. Enjoy life. Treat it as an adventure. Care passionately about the outcome, but keep it in perspective. Things are seldom as bleak as they seem when they are going wrong - or as good as they seem when they are going well. Lighten up. You'll live longer.

56. Identify exactly what it is you want. This takes a lot of thought. Then don't let anything stand in your way of getting it.

57. You can get any job done through the sheer force of will when combined with uncompromising integrity and competence. Strong leadership is the key.

58. You are responsible for exactly who, what and where you are in life. That will be just as true this time next year. Situations aren't important. How you react to them is. You have to play it where it lies.

59. The foundation of achievement is intense desire. The world's highest achievers have the highest levels of dissatisfaction. Those with the lowest levels are the failures. The best way to build desire is to make resolute choices for the future.

60. Integrate every aspect of your life (body, mind, spirit, relationships, business) and each within itself. Integrating means understanding and digesting a process... and seeing relationships among seemingly unrelated phenomena. It's a sign of innovative genius.

61. Never be deceptive when trying to achieve a personal gain. Shortchanging others results in loss of self-esteem.

62. If your purpose of life is security, you will be a failure. Security is the lowest form of happiness.

63. Never enter into a contract unless all parties benefit. But no partnership is ever 50/50. There will always be inequities.

64. Review the basics of your profession at least once per year.

65. Bitterness, jealousy and anger empower your enemies and enslave you. Negative thinking results in the destruction of property. It is anti-property, therefore anti-capitalistic and anti-life. It also erodes your health. Forgive, learn your lessons, and get on with your life.

66. Most people spend 90% of their time on what they're not best at and what they don't like doing - and only 10% of their time on their best and most enjoyable ability. Geniuses delegate the 90%... and spend all their time on their "unique ability".

67. High self-esteem can only come from moral productivity and achievement.

68. There are an infinite number of new opportunities. Actively seek them out, and position yourself to recognize and take advantage of them.

69. The best way to have good ideas is to have lots of ideas. But there is no such thing as a good idea unless it is developed and utilized. Ditto for prospects.

70. For maximum profits, identify and market universal needs, wants and trends. Creating desire, satisfying needs and wants and replacing problems with creative innovations are the essence of profit generation.

71. To maximize opportunities, seek and master the complicated. The major solutions you find will be surprisingly simple, and the competition is minimal.

72. Always have options. Options are a primary source of power. Power also comes from stripping away appearances and seeing things as they really are.

73. Nothing wins more often than superior preparation. Genius is usually preparation.

74. Patience is profitable. Achievement comes from the sum of consistent small efforts, repeated daily.

75. Persistence is a sure path to success with quality activities. Never, ever, ever give up.

76. "I will do this" is the only attitude that works. "I'll try" or "I think" doesn't work.

77. Always work on increasing the size of the pie, rather than just your portion.

78. Rewards are rare without risks, but take only carefully calculated risks. Make sure the odds are on your side.

79. The "how" you get it (with integrity) is more important than the "what".

80. Be explicit and semantically precise in all communications, agreements and dealings. Summarize and write down important discussions... and make sure all sides agree. Putting agreements in writing avoids misunderstandings. Memories are fallible, and death is inevitable (so far).

81. The best way to get started is to get started. Life rewards action... not reaction. Wait for nothing. Attack life. Don't plan to death or ask for permission... but act now... and apologize later.

82. Question everything. Don't believe it's true or right just because it's conventional. Strip all limits from your imagination on every deal and look for an unconventional creative opportunity in every mistake, crisis or problem. Be flexible, and be willing to turn on a dime when advantageous.

83. Have fun. The single key to a successful happy life is finding a vocation you enjoy - one that excites you the most.

84. Nobody gets old by surprise.

85. When it's a matter of producing or starving, people don't starve.

86. You get what you expect, not what you want. Fill your life with positive expectations. Demand the best. Attitude and desire contribute to 90% of your achievement. Anyone can learn the physical mechanics.

87. The surest way to accomplish your business goals is making service to others your primary goal. The key to success is adding value to others' lives.

88. The source of lasting happiness can never come from outside yourself through consuming values - but only from within yourself by creating values. Producing more than you consume is the only justification for existence.

89. Unattended problems will not go away, but will usually get worse. Anticipate and avoid problems - or meet them head on at the outset. Overcome fear by attacking it.

90. Find an excuse to laugh every chance you get, especially when you least feel like it.

91. When someone makes a big issue about his honesty or achievements, he is probably dishonest or a failure.

92. Put the magic power of compound interest to work with every available dollar.

93. The best investment you will ever make is your steady increase of knowledge. Invest in yourself. Thirty minutes of study per day eventually makes you an expert in any subject - but only if you apply that knowledge. Study alone is no substitute for experience. Education is always painfully slow.

94. For each important action you take, ask yourself if you would be embarrassed if it were published. It takes a lifetime of effort to build a good reputation but only a moment of stupidity to destroy it.

95. You are exactly what you believe and think about all day long. Constantly monitor your thoughts.

96. Skepticism is a key to rational thinking. Be especially skeptical of your own cherished beliefs. You might be wrong... and things change.

97. Anxiety is usually caused by lack of control, organization, preparation and action.

98. The first rule of sharpening your mind is to be an alert and sensitive observer. Assume nothing. If it can't be observed, it's not true. Never act on blind faith. Whenever something sounds too good to be true, it almost always is. Refuse to be swayed by emotion when it conflicts with reason. Observation is the genesis of all knowledge and progress... and is the first and last step of every thinking man's tool - The Scientific Method. All science and most progress is built on the Scientific Method (most non-scientists use it by accident). The steps are:

1) OBSERVATION. Gathering and rationally organizing facts. This is where most people fail.
2) INDUCTIVE REASONING. Forming a hypothesis - or a generalization of facts held to be true.
3) EXTRAPOLATION. Making a projection or prediction based on the hypothesis in areas you didn't yet observe.
4) OBSERVATION. A test for the hypothesis to see if it works.

99. Experience is not what happens to you. It's what you do with what happens to you. It takes a wise man to learn from his own mistakes... and a genius to learn and profit from the mistakes and experiences of others.

100. The purpose of life is to delay, avoid and eventually reverse death.