50 Business & Life Lessons for 2013

Have you ever heard of Robin Sharma and Sharma Leadership International Inc. (SLI)? Here is someone who quit his job as a lawyer, self-published a book at a Kinko's copy shop (his mother edited it), and stored 2000 copies in his kitchen. His second book "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" was also originally self-published until former Harper Collins president Ed Carson discovered Robin in a bookstore.

The book, and the series that followed, have become one of the world's most successful publishing franchises. Robin Sharma is now a globally celebrated author of 11 international bestselling books on leadership. An independent survey of over 22,000 businesspeople ranked Robin in "The Top 5" of the world's leadership gurus along with Jack Welch, Jim Collins and John Maxwell.

How incredible our world would be if people would spend less time being self-absorbed and looking for handouts and more time in self-improvement and becoming altruistic, becoming part of the solution instead of being part of the problem.

I would like to share 50 Businesses & Life lessons for 2013 that will serve entrepreneurs, business owners and everyone well for the rest of this year. Pay if forward whenever you can by helping others succeed. 

1. Hard work is a force multiplier.
2. Don’t participate in recessions.
3. Exercising for 20 minutes first thing in the morning is a game-changer.
4. If you’re not innovating daily, you’re on the path to obsolescence.
5. If you want an A-Level company, you can’t afford to hire B-Level players.
6. Procrastination is an escape mechanism for people scared to do their best work.
7. Give your customers 10X the value they expect and they’ll tell everyone they know about you.
8. Don’t do it if you’re not having fun.
9. If you’re not scared a lot you’re not growing very much.
10. Invest the time to create great social media content and your base will go global + viral.
11. There’s never been a better time to be a social entrepreneur.
12. It’s never been easier to be of service to a large amount of people (and few things are as rewarding).
13. When no one else believes in your vision, you absolutely must stay true to your vision. (Have the guts to stay in the game far longer than makes any sense).
14. The quickest way to build a superb business is to quickly develop the leadership potential of every teammate.
15. A job is only a job if you choose to see your work as a job. All work is a noble sport. (The reality is all work is a chance to express your genius–and to inspire the world).
16. People are craving transparency, authenticity and community. Give it to them.
17. Creativity comes in seasons. There’s a time to harvest your ideas. And there’s a time to let the field sit fallow. (I’ve been working on integrating this lesson for years).
18. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax (When you relax, your brain shifts into alpha state–the time when million-dollar ideas present themselves).
19. Change is hard at the beginning, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end. (And without change, there is no progress).
20. Someone’s going to win in your space. Why not you?
21. 10X the size of your dreams because if you don’t, you’ll wish you did.
22. Pursue excellence versus chasing perfection.
23. Celebrate small wins and you’ll unleash a huge amount of momentum and positive energy.
24. Learn for an hour a day, no matter what. That’s not a waste of work time. It’s a brilliant use of your work time because you’re paid to know more than anyone who has ever done your job.
25. Why go for good at what you do when you can stand for iconic?
26. Transform your fitness and you’ll transform your business.
27. Delete victim-speak from your language. No more "I can’t" and "It’s not possible" and "It’s so hard." More "I will" and "This is awesome" and "What’s the opportunity here?"
28. If you inspire one person each day, you’re day hasn’t been a waste. It’s been a blessing.
29. Living in the past is disrespecting your future.
30. Build an amazing career but enjoy your lifestyle along the way. What’s the point of becoming a business legend but a failed human being?
31. Look people in the eyes when you talk to them. Smile at people when you see them. Say "please" to respect them. And "thank you" to appreciate them.
32. Don’t be on time–Be early.
33. The person who tries to do everything achieves nothing. Focus. Focus. Focus.
34. Spend the first 90 minutes of your work day on real work versus fake work. (Another game-changing tactic that served me so very well in 2012).
35. Spend time in silence each day. You’ll never do Jay-Z level work if you’re overstimulated by technology.
36. Goal-setting is mission-critical. (Review your Big 5, quarterly goals and daily goals constantly).
37. Your daily behavior broadcasts your truest beliefs.
38. To have the results only 5% of businesspeople have, have the guts to do what only 5% of businesspeople are willing to do.
39. World-class begins when you think you’ve done a great job but know you can do a better job.
40. Remember that your greatest gift is so much stronger than your deepest fear.
41. Everyone’s in Human Resources. And we are all paid to develop the talents of the people we work with.
42. Mediocrity is a mindset. Avoid the mental viruses of negative people.
43. Be the most honest person you know. It generally takes 30 years to build a fantastic reputation. And 30 seconds to lose it by a single silly move.
44. Become a lion–not a sheep.
45. People are always willing to pay for the best.
46. The more devoted you become to serving others, the more your career begins to build itself.
47. Problems come to test your commitment to your goals, hopes and dreams.
48. As you become more successful, get more hungry.
49. Join Traffic University. Use every possible moment in the car to upgrade your skills, polish your gifts and elevate your mindset.
50. Use your life to make the world a better place.

 For more information about Robin Sharma, visit his Web site RobinSharma.com.