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Inside Trump University -------------------------------------------------------------------------------This Issue: Focus on Your Goals But Remain FlexibleIssue 18Avoid Fixed Patterns by Donald J. Trump Just recently I attended the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles because The Apprentice was nominated for best reality show. I was also asked to sing the Green Acres theme song with Megan Mullally, dressed in overalls, a straw hat and holding a pitchfork. This was a bit out of my realm, but I said okay. I knew it could be fun, even though Im no Elvis or Pavarotti. The point, however, is that, throughout that performance, my focus was on The Apprentice, a show I both star in and co-produce. I was flexible enough to accept a singing assignment, even though singing is not my forte. I ended up winning the talent category for the night, and everyone had a good time in the process. If I hadnt been flexible, or at least a good sport, that would not have happened. Dont let opportunities pass you by because of your own inflexibility. I often say that its important to be obstinate, to be stubborn, to be tough. Im not changing my mind about that when I say that you also have to know when ease up a little and relax, while staying focused on the big picture. Flexible is the opposite of stiff. Ever hear someone call someone else a "stiff"? We all know what that implies. Dont be a stiff. Be flexible instead. Be able to stay focused without becoming rigid in your thinking or your actions. Accepting a fixed pattern places limits on you and your future. You hear a lot lately about the danger of becoming too secure in your comfort zones. The one way to avoid that complacency is to do something different to broaden your experiences. People who move out of their own comfort zones usually achieve something unusual. Welcome that challenge, and youll be inviting some changes into your life and business. There are more ways to achieve than you might think. Some of us dont always have a straight shot at success. It can take a circuitous route that may not make sense to anyone, but all the threads are there to make a strong fabric. I remember someone explaining how a tapestry, from the back, looks like a bunch of knots going nowhere, but when you look at it from the other side, you can see a beautiful pattern. Page 1

Untitled Sometimes we just see the knots in our lives and not the pattern in process, or the finished work. Maybe thats better, unless your lifes work is over (in which case youre probably not reading this anyway). I had been approached to do several reality shows, but I wasnt interested in the concept at first. I could have just brushed off Mark Burnetts initial approach to me, thinking that I probably wouldnt like his idea any more than the others I had heard. But I remained open, listened to him, and realized that I actually liked his idea. I remained flexible when I had every reason to close up and save myself some time and aggravation. Im certainly glad I kept an open mind and a positive attitude. Keep yourself available for pleasant surprises, while minding your daily routine. Another thing to keep in mind, while remaining focused on the task at hand, is that there are events we cannot control. Natural catastrophes, terrorist attacks, and wars happen. Dont be so rigid that you can be broken. Its wiser to be pliable. Keep your equilibrium by being aware of the positives along with the negatives, and be adaptable enough to adjust to what comes along. When I was building the now-famous Trump Tower back in the early 80s, I wanted to name it Tiffany Tower because it is adjacent to Tiffanys on Fifth Avenue. A friend asked me why I was going to name my building after a famous jewelry store when in fact it was my building. It was a good point, so I changed the name. Now Trump Tower is a famous site in its own right in New York City. It pays to listen and to be willing to change your mind. Life is unpredictable, the world is unpredictable, and theres no reason our goals should keep us from changing and growing along with it. Focus on the evolving world and you will keep in touch with whats happening now. Dont limit yourself! Realize that goals are not fixed patterns, act accordingly, and your versatility will serve you well. Good luck! Donald J. Trump is Chairman of Trump University. Be a Chameleon: Today's Top Achievers Redefine their Goals and Themselves Every Day by Barry Lenson During the last century, many people were able to achieve great success by chasing just one goal. Henry Ford got a lot of mileage out of his dream to sell an affordable car to every average American. H. L. Hunt, at one time the richest man in the world, drilled for oil. When you look at todays most successful people, you see that a lot has changed. People like Steve Jobs at Apple and Jeff Bezos at Amazon.com are always pursuing new goals. Jobs, for example, has morphed from a computer maker to a developer of digital entertainment devices and Internet services. Todays top achievers are chameleons who defy easy definition. But when you stop to think about it, doesnt it make a lot of sense to reevaluate your goals often? After all, when you were starting out in life, you had a beginners view of the world. Now that you are on your way to success, your expanding knowledge will help you set goals that are wiser and more in step with the changes taking place in the world. The problem is that for some of us, setting aside our cherished dreams can feel a lot like self-betrayal. I had a friend in college whose childhood dream was to be a physician. When he started having trouble in his pre-med classes, he had to go through an intensely painful process of finding something new to pursue. Today he is a thriving investment banker. The fact is, reinventing your goals almost always brings new accomplishments. Look at Martina Navratilova (http://www.tennisfame.org/enshrinees/navratilova.html). Her first big dream was to become the top woman singles player in the world. She did that with an intensity that blew opponents out of her path. Then, in her forties, she decided to reinforce her position as one of the top doubles players in the Page 2

Untitled world. Most tennis players would not be able to set aside the ego gratification of being the worlds top singles player and move into doubles, which doesnt command public admiration in quite the same way, but Navratilova did it joyfully. And when she is finished with her doubles career, I bet she will be chasing new goals, too. Dr. Kenneth Ruge wrote a book called Where Do I Go From Here? about the challenges you face when you try to move your life in a new direction. He says that when it comes to changing goals, your own ego is usually the biggest obstacle you face. You wont quit a dead-end job and start your own company because you are afraid of what people will say, or you wont pursue your dream job because your old commuting friends just wont understand why you made a life change. Ruge says you need to get past those imaginary fear dialogues to reach your goals. When you move toward your dreams, you will find out who your real friends are. They will be rooting for you. Another important step is to consider whether the world is still waiting for you to reach the goals you have set for yourself. If you are still chasing a two-year-old dream to launch an Internet store, for example, be sure to do a market analysis to see whether the idea is still as promising as it seemed before. The world is changing fast. To keep moving toward success, you cant be a one-note Johnny. You need to be a chameleon instead. In medieval times, alchemists believed that if they threw a chameleon into a fire, it could not be harmed. (Guess they didnt have a lot of chameleons around to experiment on.) Nonetheless, its an image that takes on new meaning today. People who can change, and change often, are most likely to triumph in todays red-hot competitive world. Barry Lenson is Executive Editor at Trump University. Different Paths, One Destination by Adam Eisenstat Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal. --Friedrich Nietzsche There are many paths to a single goal. There are those, however, who confuse a path with the goal. A goal is a destination, while a path is the means to get there. The water in a raging river has only one goal--to reach the sea. Whatever obstacles block its path will be overcome in one way or another. If the course carved out by the proceeding flow dams up, the river doesn't stop. It seeks and finds another course. With all goals, you should remain flexible until you reach your destination. Your goal may be to make a lot of money. You might think that the best way for you to achieve that goal is to become a pop star. But what happens when stardom eludes you? You need to be flexible and change your approach. Perhaps there is a different path that will work better for you. Stay committed to your goal, but be creative about achieving it. Chances are, if you carefully examine your decision to become, say, an engineer, you'll uncover key values, which can be satisfied even if you have to change your course. You may value the prestige and income associated with being an engineer, but you might lack the math skills. By reevaluating your goal, you may discover a profession that doesn't require the same level of math as engineering, but which may, in fact, offer an even greater level of prestige and income potential. Assuming that the new field matches your interests at least as well as engineering, you can change your path in pursuit of a new career and still reach your goal. While your situation will undoubtedly be more complex than this example, the principle remains the same. The underlying goal is more important than the path. Ask yourself: What are the key values underlying your goal? Can you think of more than one way of achieving your goal? Page 3

Untitled Changing your path is never easy. Once you think you know where you're going and how to get there, the last thing you want is to encounter an impassable obstacle between you and your dreams. Going through the taxing process of personal assessment, goal clarification, and career research is draining. You may feel like you're compromising your dreams, but if you focus on the underlying goal, you'll discover that you can guide yourself through the confusion of change onto an even better path to achieving personal success. The French philosopher Henri Bergson said, "To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating one's self endlessly." Change can't be avoided, and plans must remain flexible. Being focused on your goals is vital to success. When change brings chaos or distress into your life, reexamine your goals. Reframe the confusion and try to look at it as an opportunity to grow. You will endure. In fact, you may very well emerge from the time of transition with a more clearly defined goal and a better plan for realizing your dream. Adam Eisenstat is Director of Communications at Trump University. Previous IssueNext IssueInside Trump University Home About TrumpU Instructors Philosophy Success Stories Trump Insider Newsletter Course Catalog Store Privacy Policy FAQ Contact Us Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter LinkedIn LinkedIn YouTube YouTube Copyright 2010 Trump UHACKER SAFE certified sites prevent over 99.9% of hacker crime.

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