GPS for Success

GPS for Success

by Barry A. Franklin
Released May 2022
Publisher(s): Productivity Press
ISBN: 9781000579406

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Book description

Next to food and clothing, achieving personal and professional success is rated at the very top of the hierarchical order of human needs. Everybody wants to be somebody! In this ultimate success book that includes timeless information for generations to come, the author has meticulously chronicled proven skills, strategies and secrets that, if regularly followed, will empower the reader to live the life that they imagine. Just like your car’s or phone’s GPS, these life navigation skills can get you from where you are to where you want to go in your career. In addition, critically important knowledge and abilities, including job interviewing, must-know people skills, writing, and public speaking, are covered. In this book, the author has scoured the world’s literature on these topics and interviewed highly successful people to provide one-stop shopping regarding the most proven and practical recommendations for future career success. He has also peppered the text with personal experiences and motivational/inspirational success stories, as well as testimonials/sage advice/quotes from the world’s most successful people --past and present.

The key objectives of this book are to:

  • Highlight the foundational factors underlying future career success: love what you do; realize that your behaviors largely determine your luck in life; emphasize that highly successful people take 100% responsibility for their actions and destiny; and that the secret to success involves the selfless serving of others. The rewards return—through a boomerang effect.
  • Provide specific examples and inspirational stories highlighting 10 critical behavioral skills for success. These include: look for the good in people and situations; how to activate the law of attraction; establish goals in writing ("if it’s not on paper, it’s vapor"); take action (#1 success characteristic); know that persistence pays; ask for things you want; enhance your speaking, writing, and interviewing skills; why it’s important to work with and learn from people you want to emulate; the essence of superb people skills (e.g., integrity, making others feel important); and to regularly apply the law of sow and reap.
  • Detail complementary approaches, tactics, and perspectives that can help you achieve your breakthrough (major) life goals. These include: time management skills and the 80/20 rule; looking for greener pastures; showcasing your talents (visibility → opportunities); committing to never-ending improvements in performance, service (or products); embracing discipline/focus/sacrifice; routinely exceeding people’s expectations; striving for greater rewards; and seeing an ocean of opportunities before you. In aggregate, these yield BIG rewards in life.
  • Provide a potpourri of related topics, including unlooked-for opportunities; leadership and bringing out the best in those around you; avoiding overcautiousness; volunteering (raising your hand); reframing future commitments; the power (and magic) of an unexpected thank you note; and the disproportionate dividends and good karma that result from giving back and mentoring others.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Endorsements
  3. Half-Title
  4. Title
  5. Copyright
  6. Dedication
  7. Contents
  8. Foreword (Mark Sanborn)
  9. A Favorite Story
  10. Preface
  11. Acknowledgments
  12. About the Author
  13. SECTION I A Roadmap for Success
    1. Chapter 1 My Journey: Inquisitive, Driven, and Goal-Oriented
      1. Carpe Diem
    2. Chapter 2 Your Journey: Love, Luck, Responsibility, and Serving Others
      1. Love What You Do
      2. Make Your Own Luck
      3. Take Responsibility for Your Life
      4. Focus on Serving Others: The Rewards Will Come
  14. SECTION II Steps for Success
    1. Chapter 3 Be an Optimist: Look for the “Good” in People and Situations
    2. Chapter 4 Be Passionate: Believe, Act, Achieve
      1. The Power of Visualization and the Law of Attraction
      2. A Sub 4-Minute Mile? The Story of Roger Bannister
      3. The Phelps Phenomenon
      4. Jim Carrey’s Climb up the Ladder: A Remarkable Coincidence?
      5. A Lifesaver? The Story of Louis Pasteur
      6. Eighteen Holes in his Mind: The Power of Visualization
      7. Examples of the Law of Attraction in My Life
      8. Use Daily Visualization to Accelerate Goal Achievement
    3. Chapter 5 Be a Goal Setter: Program Your GPS
      1. The Magic of Goal Setting
      2. The Harvard Business School Study on Goal Setting
      3. The 7 Steps to Setting S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goals
      4. The Ivy Lee Method for Peak Productivity
        1. What Are Your Top Six “To Dos” For Tomorrow?
      5. A Jar, Some Rocks, and a Lesson on Prioritizing
      6. First Things First
      7. The “Value” of Making Lists in Activating Your Subconscious Mind
    4. Chapter 6 Be Proactive: Just Do It!
      1. An Insightful Conversation Atop an Iceberg
      2. Curing Procrastination by Overcoming Inertia: Start the Job!
      3. “Just Do It”: The Arthur L. Williams, Jr. Motto
      4. Tommy Hopkins—A Sales Legend
      5. The Ultimate Success Secret?
      6. The Curious Link Between Early Poverty and Subsequent Wealth
      7. The Lobster and the Rock: An Example Not to Emulate
        1. Epilogue
    5. Chapter 7 Be Persistent: Overcoming Setbacks That Line the Road to Success
      1. “Spurs’ Title is a Testament to Persistence”
      2. Strategies to Maintain and Enhance Persistence to Achieve Your Goals
      3. 12 Quotes on Why Persistence Is Critical for Success
    6. Chapter 8 Be Someone Who Asks for What You Want: Reject Rejection
      1. Ask Questions to Avoid Arguments
      2. Ask for the Compensation You Deserve
      3. Ask for the Sale or Donation—Then Stop Talking
      4. Ask for Things You Want: The Magic of a Face-to-Face Meeting
      5. Reject Rejection: Transforming a “No” into “Yes”
      6. Your Future “Ask Plan”: A Prototype to Emulate
      7. Want to Double Your Yearly Sales and Income?
        1. Double Your Number of Calls
    7. Chapter 9 Be a Communicator: Speaking, Writing, and Interviewing
      1. To Earn More, You Need to Learn More
      2. Presentations and Public Speaking
        1. Distractors: What Is the Audience Thinking About?
      3. What Are the Keys to a Captivating PowerPoint Presentation?
        1. Build Slides
        2. Examples of Alliteration
      4. Improve Your Writing Skills
      5. Top 10 Reasons to Develop Extraordinary Speaking and Writing Skills
      6. Interviewing: Practice Pearls
      7. “Top 32” Common (and Unconventional) Job Interview Questions (Be Prepared)
      8. Unconventional Job Interview Questions—Be Prepared!
    8. Chapter 10 Be a Connector: The Power of Positive Associations, Collaborations, and Relationships
      1. Surround Yourself with “Stars”
      2. Find a Master to Light Your Candle
      3. Consider a Student Internship Experience
      4. Encircle Yourself with the Best and Brightest
      5. The Magic of Organizational Membership: A Higher Calling?
      6. Top 10 Reasons to Be a Member of a Professional Association(s)
      7. Use Collaboration to Exponentially Increase Your Productivity
      8. Mentoring Pays Boomerang Dividends
      9. The Clydesdale Teamwork Analogy
    9. Chapter 11 Be a People Person: A Crash Course and Self-Help Guide
      1. People Skills: The Sweet 16
      2. Life Happiness: Self-Assessment Scale
        1. Rating Scale
        2. Five Statements
        3. Overall Score for Happiness and Life Satisfaction
      3. There is a LAST time for everything.
    10. Chapter 12 Be Willing to Pay the Price: The Law of Sow and Reap
      1. Hard Work versus Talent as Requisites for Success?
      2. Culture and Achievement
      3. The Law of Sow and Reap
      4. Overcoming Inertia: “The Master Word”
  15. SECTION III Additional Strategies and Tactics for Success
    1. Chapter 13 Be Driven: Don’t Leave Any Stone Unturned
      1. Time Management: Applying the 80/20 Rule to Accomplish More
      2. Looking for Greener Pastures? Proceed with Caution
      3. Showcasing Your Talents: Visibility → Opportunities
      4. Commit to Never-Ending Improvement
      5. Use Discipline to Relentlessly Pursue Your Goals
      6. Routinely Exceed People’s Expectations
      7. Strive for Greater Rewards
      8. See an Ocean of Opportunities
    2. Chapter 14 Be a Finisher: Final Thoughts on Aligning Yourself with Destiny and Good Fortune
      1. Additional Inspirational Stories/Insights
      2. Unlooked-for Opportunities
      3. Leadership: Great Leaders Are Catalysts
      4. Avoid Overcautiousness—Just Do It!
      5. Volunteer Requested? Raise Your Hand!
      6. Reframing Future Commitments: Avoid Regret
      7. The Power of an Acknowledgment Note
      8. Service Pays Dividends: Give Back!
      9. My Commencement Address: An Unexpected Surprise
      10. The Condensed “Franklin GPS for Success” Formula
      11. A Parting Challenge for You
  16. SECTION IV Appendices
    1. Appendix A: Memorable Success Quotes
    2. Appendix B: Additional Success Resources
  17. Index

Product information

  • Title: GPS for Success
  • Author(s): Barry A. Franklin
  • Release date: May 2022
  • Publisher(s): Productivity Press
  • ISBN: 9781000579406