Kevin Donaldson Gives Tips on Rebuilding Yourself from the Ground Up
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Why are some of us more resilient than others? Failure can break the spirits of most men… but a few manage to bounce back far stronger than before.
I’m privileged to belong to the latter group. Here are some of the catastrophes and failures I’ve lived through so far:
- One of my brothers was shot and killed when I was 10.
- I failed third grade three times.
- I got kicked out of college four times.
- I got my girlfriend pregnant – we went through a messy divorce four years later.
- It took me 7 grueling years to gain custody of my child.
- It took me dozens of interviews to get my first job, only to get laid off soon after the company I worked for got bought.
- My first business venture failed and plunged me into $1.2 million in debt, forcing me to declare bankruptcy.
But I didn’t give up. I hustled.
Today, I’ve made back all the money I’ve lost. I’m the founder and CEO of my own mastermind company. I’m the author of an Amazon.com bestseller, and I’m in the process of writing more.
My big message: Failure may be a page or even a chapter in your life… but it’s NOT the book of your life.
You’ve not finished writing your story yet!
If you’re in the process of picking yourself up and dusting yourself off, I’d like to share with you the six biggest “rebuilding rules” of my life.
May they help you reach success and happiness the same way they helped me!
Rebuilding Rule #1:
Set A Goal, But Keep It To Yourself
A lot of us tell our friends and family (and Facebook and Twitter) about our goals, hoping that the people in our lives would keep us accountable and lend us support. Big mistake – more often, telling others about your goals in life will do two things:
(1) Give you a false sense of confidence and security when people support you
(2) Demoralize you when other people criticize or disagree with your goal
My advice? Set a goal, write it down, read it everyday, but shh – keep it to yourself. You don’t need a “co-signer” for your dreams.
Set it, write it, read it, then go find a corner somewhere to get it done.
Rebuilding Rule #2:
Cut Off Whatever Binds You To Failure
List down all your distractions, all your addictions, all your hang-ups, and all your toxic relationships. Then cut them out of your life so you can finally move forward.
Rebuilding Rule #3:
Outwork Everyone Else
You may not be the smartest, or the fastest, or the most talented. But you CAN work the hardest. As the saying goes, “Hard work beats talent when talent refuses to work hard.”
You don’t need to be the best to be successful. You just need to work the hardest.
Rebuilding Rule #4:
Don’t Put More On Your Plate – Just Chew Faster
Yes, work your hardest – but don’t burn yourself out by putting too much on your plate. Instead, just take what’s on your plate right now, and chew as fast as you can.
In other words, don’t heap too much work on yourself. Just learn how to do your work faster. That’s the secret to getting more work done in less time.
Rebuilding Rule #5:
Educate Yourself On The Side
Reading is the multiplier of success. Reading instantly gives you access to a treasure trove of wisdom and experience laid out by those who have gone before you, especially those who have already walked the road you’re walking on right now.
Take time to read books everyday. It makes the hard work easier, and the slow pace faster.
And perhaps most importantly:
Rebuilding Rule #6:
Just Win The Day
So many of us make the mistake of focusing too much on the future that we end up letting the day slip away. If you keep losing the day’s battles, you’ll never win the war!
Stop thinking of the past, and stop worrying about the future. Just win the day. Achieve the goals you set for every single day, and you’ll rebuild your life in a few short years.
I’ve personally rebuilt my life from the ground up in less than three years. But I’m not quite done yet – now, my goal is to help other people rebuild their own lives, using their challenges into the stuff that builds their dreams.
Hopefully, my 6 “rebuilding rules” will do just that for you.
Thank man
Gonna work on it!!
thank you man
My pleasure! 🙂
Wow. Your article spoke to me, and am a women! Truly inspiring! Thank you for writing this.
My Please, Michboo!!! All my work is universal, the keys to success in life is the same for everyone! Thank You for reading, commenting and giving feedback, I appreciate it!!! 🙂
Very inspiring read! As the old saying goes, “what doesn’t kill you, will make you stronger.” Great job Kevin… you are truly blessed!
~ R
Thanks for reading and leaving feedback, Ralph!!!! You are 10000% right, my experiences gave me an opportunity to use my faith!!! Thank You!!!