Kevin & Jackie Freiberg Wisdom for Tough Times

Best selling authors Kevin & Jackie Freiberg are enemies of "business-as-usual." And, never in my lifetime...and likely yours...has there been a better time to adopt a strong aversion to business-as-usual.

With so many of the norms of business and finance being tipped on their head by this economic decline, it is illogical for anyone to be pursuing a "business-as-usual" approach. Yet, I see so many companies and so many individuals making relatively small tweaks to their strategy and tactics.

In their latest book, Boom - 7 Choices for Blowing the Doors Off Business-as-Usual, the Freibergs advocate that individuals make a conscious choice to make a difference in their work by making the right choices...choices that blow-up business as usual.

So what about you? Are you motoring through the emerging tough times largely doing the things you did in good times?

Other than cutting back on expenditures, what substantive changes have you made to your personal strategies and tactics?

And, if you are an executive or business owner, what changes have you made to your business strategies and tactics?

If you are tweaking, rather than quickly reinventing, then it is highly unlikely that you will be one who prospers in this servere dowturn.

Coming Tomorrow: The exceptional wisdom of John Wyland, the renowned marine life artist. You can read the entire series of Lessons from the Masters by starting here.

Jack Canfield Wisdom for Tough Times

One of my favorite writers and speakers is Jack Canfield. Co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Souls series, Jack can always be counted on for very pragmatic advice on how to improve one's performance, in any situation.

Jack's most recent book, The Success Principles, is one of my all time favorite books on success. Published three years ago, this book is as relevant for tough times as for the more favorable times that existed when the book first came out.

Jack's thesis is that there are time proven principles for personal success, which if followed, will inevitably lead to success. As he likes to remind us

"The principles always work if you work the principles."

Jack Canfield is not suggesting that doing the same thing things you did in good times will work in tough times. It is the principles that will work, not all the strategies and tactics that may have been sucessful in the past. Changed times require changed strategies and changed tactics.

Are you working the success principles (either Jack's 64 or your own), or have you let the tough times throw you off your game?

Coming Tomorrow: The exceptional wisdom of Kevin & Jackie Freiberg. You can read the entire series of Lessons from the Masters by starting here.

Tony Robbins Wisdom for Tough Times

When it comes to having the right attitude for tough times, Tony Robbins is one of the people who quickly comes to mind. For over 30 years, Tony has been teaching people how to use fears to empower us, rather than freeze us.

There is a fine interview with Tony Robbins in the January 2009 issue of Success magazine.

I have learned a lot from Tony over the years. But, by far the most lasting wisdom from Tony Robbins, for me, has been his reminder of the importance of "massive action." Tony is long on advocating having the right set of beliefs. But, he is passionate about the importance of "massive action" both for physiological reasons and for the results that come from such actions.

Have the tough times got you curled up in fear, or have you dramatically increased your productive actions?

Do you have yourself in the best physical and mental condition of your life so you can sustain the level of activity required to prosper in tough times?

If you are employed, have you stepped up the amount of value creating activity you are putting out for your employer?

If you are unemployed, are you really, really working hard to get re-employed?