Earl Nightingale was an American radio personality, author, and speaker. If you heard him speak, you might recognize his deep, calming, authoritative voice from somewhere – he did more than 7,000 radio recordings in his lifetime.
Called the “Dean of Personal Development,” he was one of the pillars of personal development as it applied to work and business. There’s a lot to learn from the teachings of Earl Nightingale, but personally, I hold three of his lessons close to my heart. Here they are:
Lesson #1: There Are No Bad Businesses
Earl Nightingale once said (paraphrased): “There are no bad businesses – only businessmen who can’t see the opportunities.” To me, this simply means that opportunity is everywhere, falling like rain from the sky. You just need to train yourself how to spot them.
Your ability to spot opportunities is like a muscle. You’ll need to exercise it to get the most out of it. The more you train your mind, the more easily you spot opportunities, and the more successful you’ll be in life.
So how do you train your mind? Earl also had an answer for that…
Lesson #2: Exercise Your Mind For An Hour A Day
Earl recommended that you spend one hour a day, at least five days a week, to exercise your mind. You’d sit down for the hour, get a sheet of paper, write your big goal at the top, and then write 20 ideas below it – ideas that might help you achieve your goal more quickly and easily.
Earl also said that even one idea is okay, but 20 is ideal, because most of the ideas you’ll come up with probably won’t work. But among the 20, you’re bound to find a gem or two that will work for you.
Following this exercise to the letter means you’ll train yourself to come up with 100 ideas a week. What’s more, this simple hourly ritual will add six-and-a-half 40-hour workweeks to your schedule – which is a HUGE advantage if you’re trying to break away from competition and get ahead in your industry.
And lastly:
Lesson #3: Become Irreplaceable
Earl once told the story of a captain and his ship. The ship was sinking, and he needed to jettison some of the loose weight to stay afloat and keep sailing. Earl then asked: “What should the captain throw overboard – the cargo, or the crew?”
Naturally, the answer is the cargo. As valuable as they might be, they’re still not as valuable as the crew, who are vital to ship’s operation and survival.
In your business or organization, you’ll want to be part of the crew, not the cargo. You’ll want to be irreplaceable and vital to your team’s survival, instead of being dispensable and replaceable.
How to become irreplaceable depends on the business or organization you’re in, but start now: Are you irreplaceable? And if not, what do you need to do to BECOME irreplaceable?
I hope these lessons will help you in your growth as a man and an entrepreneur as they have helped me.
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Photo / YouTube : Evan Carmichael
