How to Become an Extraordinary Human Being

BIG IDEAS AND PRACTICAL TOOLS TO LIVE YOUR GREATEST LIFE

ROBIN SHARMA

INTRODUCTION FROM ROBIN SHARMA How to Become an Extraordinary Human Being is a compilation of the most popular, powerful and practical articles Ive written. Many of our clients have used the ideas and tactics you are about to learn to become world-class leaders, businesspeople and human beings. Simply said: the information you are about to read works if you let it. The themes will repeat themselves because all success comes down to the fundamentals: building relationships, showing leadership and personal responsibility, caring for your health, being excellent and taking calculated risks. I know you will use the ideas in this book not only to shine in your career and life but to do your part to make our world a better place. A percentage of each e-Book sold will go to The Robin Sharma Foundation for Children to help underprivileged kids grow into leaders. Keep Shining,

How to Become an Extraordinary Human Being Big Ideas and Practical Tools to Live Your Greatest Life
How to Become a Star at Work All I Learned About Life I Learned From Skiing The Deep Value of Daily Conversations Claim Your Destiny Work as a Platform for Personal Greatness Best Practices for Elite Health 10 Things Authentic Leaders Do Self-Leadership through Self-Renewal 7 Rules for the Rewarding Life The Gym Teaches Leadership The Heart of Leadership Leadership through Work-Life Balance The Single Most Powerful Way to Change another Human Being The Integrity Gap Best Practices for Great Relationships The Power of Personal Regeneration Be a Leader through Action Stress Mastery in Changing Times 9 Ways to get the Best from Yourself 7 Steps to a Stronger Team How to Stay Focused & Inspired in Tough Times Managing the New Technology Achieving Professional & Personal Balance Time Tips for Top Salespeople 7 Success Strategies to Keep Your Resolutions Self-Discipline Spirituality in the Boardroom 7 Ways to Stay Motivated on your Job Search Live Simply Success through Creativity Timeless Lessons in Character Power Are you so Busy Making a Living that you have Forgotten how to Live? 8 Ways to Beat the Monday Morning Work Blues 6 Lessons to Balance Work & Family How to Achieve all Your Goals and Multiply Your Success 8 Ways to Simplify Your Life & Have More Fun How to Love the Job You Hate 1 3 6 8 9 11 12 14 16 19 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 33 35 37 40 41 43 44 46 47 50 52 53 55 57 60 61 63 64 66 67

HOW TO BECOME A STAR AT WORK The only way you will ever truly succeed in this new knowledge-based economy is to become a star at work, that is, an individual who stands far above the crowd and one who is totally unique in a world where most people are trying to be more alike. The moment you make a deep commitment to becoming a star at work and burning all your bridges to the person that you once were, your life will change in an unmistakable way. The day you decide to start acting like the person you were destined to become is the day that you begin to tap into the wellspring of human talents that will lead you to your own form of personal greatness. These are not the simple musings of yet another professional thinker spouting hackneyed euphemisms in the hope that one day someone will take note. These are the hard, cold facts of life - and they have been so for hundreds of years. And to deny them and continue living a life of complacency is to abandon your duty to do something special with your life. As Ashley Montagu observed: "The deepest personal defeat suffered by human beings is constituted by the difference between what one was capable of becoming and what one has in fact become." To become a star at work and to start seizing some of the matchless opportunities that are out there in what I believe to be the most exciting time in the history of humanity, you first need to make the decision to raise the standards that you will work and live by. Commit to living by a benchmark far higher than anyone would have the right to expect from you. Take a good hard look at the way you spend your days and ask yourself whether your agenda reflects your priorities. If there is an incongruity between the activities you invest your energies in and the values you hope to live by, you have a problem and need to make some immediate course corrections. For example, if your goal is to have a meaningful and rewarding work experience but you devote your days spinning your wheels on mundane tasks that never advance your professional goals, you need to refocus yourself on the things that truly count. If a rich and happy family experience is high on your list of life priorities but you have not been to your son's soccer game in a year and you cannot remember the last time you sat down to do homework with your daughter, you need to sharpen your pencil and rework your schedule. The facts never lie and the activities of your schedule will ultimately reflect the quality of your life. The next step in becoming a star at work is to dedicate yourself to becoming "a person of action". In life there are three types of people. First are those that make things happen. Second are those that watch things happen. And third are those people who wake up one day, at the end of their lives, and ask "What Happened?" Today, make a firm decision to join the first group - the group of human beings who have decided that life is a gift and every day is a new opportunity to learn, grow and contribute. As you go through this day, look for opportunities to bring a sense of excellence and mastery to your work. What little thing could you do over the next few hours to build relationships at work or make your clients say "Wow"? What mental attitudes could you adopt to reframe what is negative into positive and rekindle that enthusiasm that you had when you were just a kid? What simple gestures of decency could you do to show your teammates that you care and are committed to showing

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leadership in a world where real leaders are few and far between? As I wrote in my latest book Who Will Cry When You Die?: "The smallest of actions is always better than the noblest intentions," and today is your chance to make a difference. "There's nothing really difficult if only you begin. Some people contemplate a task until it looms so big it seems impossible but I just begin and it gets done somehow. There would be no coral islands if the first bug sat down and began to wonder how the job was to be done," noted John Shaw Billings. Here are 7 more things you can do over the next 10 days to become a star at work: 1. Take your hero to lunch. Find someone who has created the kind of professional and personal life that you want and have the courage to take them out to lunch. If there is an author you admire and she lives in your city, pick up the phone and ask for a meeting. If you just read an inspiring article about someone who had turned adversity into advantage and you know you can learn from him, send out an e-mail and open up the lines of communication. In this new knowledge economy, the person who learns the most wins. Learn from heroes. 2. Set "learning goals." Most wise performers on the playing field of business set career, financial and personal goals but few set specific learning goals. For this year, I have set clear objectives as to how many books I will read, how many seminars I will attend and how many personal growth retreats I will visit. I also try and set a daily learning quota of three new things every day to keep me stimulated and excited about my work as a professional speaker and leadership coach. 3. Become indispensable. While working at a major league legal firm after I had completed law school, I asked one of the senior partners what one had to do in order to become successful at this firm. His response has never left me and has been exceedingly helpful. "Robin," he said, "the real secret of success is to be so good at what you do that this firm will not be able to run without you. Be so good at what you do that you are the first person that we all think of when we need advice. Be so good at what you do that you become indispensable. Then your success will be assured." So my challenge to you is this: pick your best three talents - 3 core competencies that you have that truly make you special - and then commit to refining them over the coming twelve months until they set you apart from the crowd. Make a personal vow that you will become so good at your professional craft that you become indispensable to your team and to your organization as a whole. Then watch your career soar. 4. Make time to think. It is a strange paradox of the frenzied age that we live in that we have become so busy that we do not even have time to think about the things that we are so busy about. We spend our days on projects that need to get done and in meetings that need to be attended. We spend our evenings with people we need to meet and doing activities that need to be completed. But let me ask you: when was the last time you went for a solitary walk in the woods and deeply reflected on the way you are working and living? When was the last time you took a few hours to gain

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some real clarity into where you want to be professional and personally five years from now? Henry David Thoreau said: "It is not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is what are you so busy with?" Carve out at least one hour every week for some serious reflection, introspection and self-examination so that you will keep learning from your weeks. 5. Start a reading group at work. If you want to be a leader, you must first become a reader. Knowing how to read and not doing so puts you in precisely the same position as someone who cannot read. We live in an age where ideas - not bricks and mortar - are the currency of success. One idea, well executed, can transform your team, your culture and your entire organization. One idea, read in a single book, can reshape your thinking processes, transform your character or renew your health. Here's the thing: you just don't know which book contains that one idea that will revolutionize your life. But believe me, it is out there. And it is waiting for you. Read daily and ensure those around you do the same. The company that learns together stays together. 6. Look like a star. Get serious about physical mastery. Commit to being in peak shape so you increase your energy levels and enhance your stamina. Rekindle that healthy glow that comes from running or swimming or going for a brisk walk at lunch. And make the time to dress and conduct yourself in a way that conveys your commitment to excellence, not only in business but in life. 7. Think contribution. We all have a deep human hunger to be a part of something larger than ourselves. We all carry within us a core craving to do something important in our work lives and know that, at the end of the day, our energies have been invested in activities that have added value to the world and made a difference in people's lives. Begin to see the higher meaning of the work that you are doing and stay focused on adding value to others. As the 13th Century philosopher Rumi said: "When you are dead, seek for your resting place not in the earth but in the hearts of men."

ALL I LEARNED ABOUT LIFE I LEARNED FROM SKIING I have rekindled my boyhood passion for skiing. My children as well as my brother, who has become a huge fan of the sport, are the cause of this - and I cannot thank them enough. I had forgotten how it feels to ski down a mountain on a gorgeous sunny day, inhaling the crisp, clean air as flakes of powder snow dance by me. As you know if youve read The Saint, The Surfer & The CEO or any of my books, communing with nature is one of my favorite things to do. And I have realized yet again, that communing with nature with two boards "strapped" to my feet is a great way to go. My brother actually said that "skiing is a spiritual experience". I completely agree: as I ski, I feel at one with the larger world around me and

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engage in "the flow" that holds me in the present moment. Im not concerned about any worldly issues or any petty thoughts. Instead, as I make my way down the mountain, my sole focus is on whats present before me and the experience I am enjoying. Ive also realized how many life lessons can be understood from skiing. Here are a few that have surfaced for me: 1. We grow on the tough runs. I could spend weeks and months on the simple runs where my form is strong and my confidence is high. But, as in life, we only grow through the challenges that we are presented with. On the simple runs, there is little growth because there is no room to stretch ourselves. We are playing within our comfort zones. To advance, we need to have the awareness that the "tougher stuff" is what brings us out of our comfort zones and into the areas of growth, learning and testing. Im sure you will agree with me that, in life as well, we evolve as human beings when we experience our trials and tribulations. Adversity and challenging experiences introduce us to who we truly are and shape our character. They test us and cause us to go deep. And in doing so, we expand and become higher versions of our higher visions. 2. Integrating what you have learned takes time. I am a true believer in the value of coaching. In my own life, I have enlisted a series of coaches for specific areas that I am committed to improving in. For example, I have a nutrition coach as well as an exercise coach. I deeply believe that any investment in coaching is money well spent. You learn from the best. You significantly decrease your learning curve. And you see results quickly. In keeping with this philosophy, though I am a relatively strong skier, I have engaged the services of an expert ski instructor. During our lessons, I often find myself overwhelmed and even confused. This is because he is addressing so many areas in need of improvement over a short period of time. For example, in one lesson alone, he coached me to carve more with my outer ski, to shift my weight to the center more regularly, and to improve my form. Trying to focus on so many different things was very difficult for me and moved into a state of overwhelm both during the lesson and shortly afterwards. As the hours of that day and the subsequent day on the hill progressed, something fascinating happened: I noticed that with the passage of time, his instructions started to integrate gently. On one run I would integrate one of his ideas. I would play with that idea until it felt comfortable. Then I would move to his next idea. It was almost an organic process where his teachings moved into my practice of skiing as I gave it time to become part of who I was, as a skier. I have found that life is a lot like this. When there is a new skill for us to learn, whether this is becoming a leader in a new job or leaning how to open your heart in an intimate relationship, you may be overwhelmed at first by all the new learning and growth that is going on. Our human tendency is to run away from this kind of confusion as it brings stress and uncertainty. However, I encourage you to commit to the process and understand that confusion always gives way to understanding. In other words, if you stay with the process of learning, all the confusion and complexity brought about by the new information you are learning

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will most certainly fall into a state where you have integrated the new information, understand it and - even more importantly - live it as if it was second nature (without any of the previous stress, with the feeling of high confidence and with a sense of serenity). 3. There is no better moment than the present one you are experiencing. As I suggested above, skiing almost forces me to be fully present to the experience. Our human nature is to worry about the past and be consumed by the future. It is very difficult for us to be fully engaged in the present. We worry about uncertain careers or past difficulties or financial concerns or relationship challenges. We live in a world where our minds are full of seemingly endless chatter and we rarely savor the beauty of being fully engaged in what we are doing. The great masters all understand one thing: to glimpse your greatness, you must be fully focused and deeply centered on what you are doing at any given time. This is when you are most alive. When skiing a difficult run, if my mind wanders, the mountain teaches me a fast lesson and a fall comes swiftly. So I have learned to concentrate on what I am doing and in doing so, experience that state that we are all seeking: happiness. 4. Awareness precedes change. As I wrote in my book Leadership Wisdom From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: The 8 Rituals of Visionary Leaders, you will never be able to improve on a weakness that you do not pay any attention to and are not even aware of. The path to mastery of any skill is as follows: we start at a place of unconscious incompetence, meaning, we dont know what we do not know. With a little practice and coaching, we then move to a place of conscious incompetence. In other words, we begin to pay attention to what we are doing wrong and make some course corrections. Yet, at this level we are still at a level of incompetence. As we progress and deepen our commitment, we rise to a level of conscious competence. In other words, we know what to do and we are generally competent at doing it. The highest skill - the level of mastery - is when we become unconsciously competent. In skiing, it would be illustrated by behavior where the skier expertly moves down the mountain without even giving a thought to what he is doing. This process also applies to the journey of life. So many people in our world today do not pay attention to their lives. They do not learn from their lives. They are so consumed by the little things that they do not have any awareness of what needs to be improved and what new choices need to be made. I do not say this with any judgment but simply as an observation of what I believe is the truth. Yet, as we commit to deepening ourselves (as any good leader does), we begin to move from a level of unconscious incompetence in the way we conduct our lives to a way of conscious incompetence. We begin to see how we might be mistreating people or not caring for our inner worlds or not developing our careers or not making the time to enjoy the process of our extraordinary lives. As we continue this inner work and reflection, we start to change our behaviors and make higher choices in terms of the way we live. We then rise to the level of conscious competence. And as we keep following through on our commitments and paying more attention to stretching ourselves by trying new things and thinking new thoughts, we may arrive at the highest level of

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