Paying the PRICE to Become a CHAMPION

 

In my last blog post, I explained what sets SAL apart from other personal development programs on the market.  Today’s email sheds further light on these important distinctions.   

 

After a leader has formulated an intelligent plan that respects Natural Law, HARD WORK becomes the indispensable variable in achieving results and obtaining success.  When it comes to being the BEST—or more importantly, your BEST—there is simply no substitute under the sun for good old-fashioned sweat equity.

 

All of the world’s most accomplished geniuses understand this principle, which was perhaps best articulated by that incomparable inventor Thomas Edison, who quipped that: “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” 

 

Regardless of raw talent or access to capital and other resources, TRUE CHAMPIONS are always the ones who want victory the most and are willing to work the hardest to be victorious.  They demonstrate their determination through an undeviating commitment to the goal—and more importantly, to the process that leads to the goal.  They are consistent, persistent, and unrelenting.  They are also always learning and tweaking their approach along the way.  Most importantly, they do not merely persist until a major roadblock crosses their pathway.  They persist until they succeed—come what may. 

 

They NEVER, ever, EVER GIVE UP.

 

Champions comprehend the price tag attached to authentic growth, achievement, and victory.  Consequently, they do not cut corners in their efforts to succeed.  They diligently adhere to the “Law of the Farm” (Stephen Covey) and “Do not Skip any Steps” (Michael Jordan) in the process.  They also recognize that in the long-run, losing is part of winning.  Therefore, they are not afraid to lose.  Recognizing that the only true failure is to give up on a worthwhile endeavor, their biggest fear is that they will fail to try or put in the necessary effort.  In the inspiring words of basketball’s GOAT, Michael Jordan:

 

“I have missed over 9,000 shots in my career.  I have lost over 300 games.  Twenty-six (26) times I was trusted to take the game-winning shot—and missed.  I have failed over and over and over again in my life; and that is why I succeed.”   

 

Champions put in the time required to achieve greatness.  You are probably familiar with the “10,000-hour rule” made famous by Malcolm Gladwell’s bestselling book, Outliers.  Champions understand this rule and earnestly seek to put in whatever time is required to succeed at the highest levels. 

 

I know from my own experience the veracity and vitality of the “10,000-hour Rule.”  Regardless of any raw talents or natural proclivities I may possess, I know for certain that there is no substitute for the approximately 20,000 hours I have invested in writing, speaking, and teaching over the course of the past 30 years of my education and career.

 

This point was confirmed by a piece of feedback I received from a fellow writer back in 2014.  This writer had reviewed the first edition of the SAL textbook, which was self-published in 2006 and targeted a high school audience.  After reviewing some of my blog posts eight (8) years later, she emailed me and said, “Jordan: I just had to write and tell you that your writing is about 10,000 times better than it used to be.”  It was interesting how she employed the number 10,000 in her compliment.  While certainly hyperbolic, she made her point both clearly and symbolically. 

 

Why had my writing improved so much over the course of those eight (8) years?  Because I had been working diligently on the skill and had spent thousands of additional hours studying, practicing, and teaching the art and science of written composition over the course of those eight years.  I had paid the price to become an elite professional in my field.  That was over six (6) years ago, and I have spent several thousand additional hours writing since 2014. 

 

One of the most significant variables that sets the SAL Textbooks apart from other personal development books is that it was not written just once.  Instead, it was written and published SIX (6) times over the course of 14 years—in 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2019.  Not only did my own writing vastly improve over that time period, but I also got the input, feedback, and observations of many others who were able to spot things I missed, and otherwise assist me in a variety of areas that greatly improved the overall product.  As such, you can imagine the extent to which the 2019 version has improved upon the 2006 edition.

 

Why?    

 

Answer:  Time, effort, sacrifice, growth, maturity, and consultation with others.

 

It's simple in theory; but the actual time must be invested to realize real results.  The price must always be paid for authentic and significant success in school, sports, or life.  

 

There is no other way!

 

The beauty of the SAL Textbooks is that unlike most self-help or personal development material or programs, it invites students to not merely read or review the material in an attempt to get temporarily “pumped up.”  Instead, it challenges students to REALLY STUDY it over extended periods of time in a committed effort to put in the time to become a TRUE CHAMPION.

 

Bottom Line: The ART and SCIENCE of becoming a CHAMPION requires diligent STUDY over long-periods of time.

 

That’s just the way things are. 

 

Of all the subjects taught in our high schools and universities, where is the most important class of all?  You know, the one that teaches students how to effectively navigate LIFE ITSELF?  Where is the course that trains young men and women to think critically about the leadership and direction of their own lives?  Among the countless subject offerings in our nation’s many colleges, why are the weightier matters of character, conduct, conscience, and leadership so routinely flouted in favor of a whole menagerie of fringe topics that do very little (if they do anything at all) to improve student’s lives—and empower them to positively and productively influence the greater community and world beyond? 

 

For those who intuitively recognize the self-evident reality that such courses ought to be just as important as reading, writing, and arithmetic, a comprehensive course on LIFE—and its leadership—finally exists.  Self-Action Leadership, Volumes I & II, serve as the Textbooks for this course.

Click HERE to buy your copy of the SAL Textbooks today.

Check out previous versions of the SAL Textbooks below (2006, 2013, and 2015, respectively).  We've come a long way since 2006!  The 2007 version was entitled "Leaders for Life" and was set to go to print by a publisher who dishonestly reneged on our signed contract.  Such is life.  Lesson learned: never work with that guy again.  The 2012 version was my doctoral dissertation.  

   

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Tune in NEXT Wednesday for another article on a Self-Action Leadership related topic.  

And if you liked this blog post, please share it with your family, friends, colleagues, and students—and encourage them to sign up to receive future articles for FREE every Wednesday.

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What Sets SAL apart from Everything Else?

What sets Self-Action Leadership (SAL) apart from all other options on the market—past or present?


The answer is simple: COMPREHENSIVENESS and long-term RESULTS.


SAL is about far more than getting motivated, setting goals, improving performance, or even winning a game or championship—although it serves as an umbrella that secures and protects all of those things as well.

SAL is about an individual's holistic development. It's about empowering individuals to make a quantum leap in their ability to use their own minds and hearts to become better, smarter, and more caring, capable, and accomplished people than they previously were.

Just as importantly, SAL is about getting onto a personal life-pathway that will lead to desirable long-term results in one's personal life and career. For as all highly successful leaders understand, the true measure of one's success and legacy is not merely degrees, promotions, fame, money, or personal achievements. It is about the kind of influence you have on others—in conjunction with the family you build, the true friends you acquire, and the impact you have on your community, state, nation, and world. 

As I developed the SAL Theory & Model over the past two decades, many people have wondered (and some have even vocally queried) why I chose to break the cardinal rules of personal development coursework (and marketing) in the 21st century. In other words, why did I write two long, black-and-white textbooks that are heavier on substance than they are on style, color, and seeming sell-ability.

The answer is simple: authentic people—like YOU—want authentic solutions to the very real and perplexing problems and dilemmas they face in life. And the reality is that the ONLY authentic solution to personal development and other self-leadership snafus involve careful learning, diligent study, and then consistent and persistent application of true principles over time.

There is no other way!

Deep down, I think we all intuitively know this is true. Unfortunately, we are often too ignorant (sometimes intentionally) and lethargic (or even lazy) to pursue authentic pathways to real results. Why? Because real results are usually difficult to achieve. It's so much easier (in the short-run) to just hide from our problems and pretend they don't really exist.

Put another way, the reason I consciously chose to develop a seemingly 18th, 19th, or 20th century solution for the 21st century is because the principles and practices that lead to long-term success have not changed one iota in the past 6, sixty, 600, or even 6,000 years. While different authors have come up with a cornucopia of creative ways and means of packaging parts and portions of this TRUE FORMULA over the years, the fact is that no one has ever assembled a holistic, secular, and academically-based theory and model that covers the full-spectrum of both the art and science of personal development.

Until now that is... because that's what SAL offers!

In other words, SAL provides infinitely more than a "pep talk," "motivational speech," or even a "30/60/90-day success program." Rather, SAL offers a veritable lifelong guidebook for successfully navigating life itself as a human being. If such a guidebook were in fact to exist—and the principles and practices it outlined actually worked when followed—wouldn't you want it to have 1,300 pages as opposed to 1.3, thirteen, or 130?

You see, my friends, the real magic of the SAL material comes to life as individuals commit to carefully reading and studying the SAL Manuals on a daily basis over an extended period of time, thus allowing the principles to seep deep into their minds and hearts, thereby taking root into their very souls. Add to this a committed daily practice and application of the principles, and you begin to see—over time—remarkable and unprecedented transformations of an individual's personal and professional capacity and performance.  

While professional training and mentoring can and should facilitate this process, the real magic occurs as a person immerses oneself in the material and then begins to think deeply and critically about how the principles apply to him or her in a relevant, practical manner. Followed up by committed and diligent action, this method is failure-proof.

Growing up, my father taught me that that nothing in life worth having comes fast or easy. You and I both know that Dad's words to me are TRUE. If you want to be the BEST at something—or more importantly, your best as a human being—there is only one true pathway that leads to that objective. That journey involves PAYING THE PRICE that authentic accomplishment and long-term success demands.

A generation ago, Dr. Stephen R. Covey noted that we live in a world where far too many of us are overly prone to embrace "quick-fix" and "band-aid" approaches and solutions to our problems. It's even worse in our present generation, where many people—and even many leaders—too often seek to solve decades- or even centuries-old problems in a single 140-character Tweet!

While "quick-fix" and "band-aid" approaches to problem-solving may mask the pain of those problems in the short-run, we all know that in the long-run, there is only one way to solve problems. As M. Scott Peck once quipped, "The only way to solve a problem is to solve it." That sounds simple enough in theory; but in actual practice, solving deep problems is rarely quick or easy.

But it can be done!

SAL teaches you the hows to achieve the kind of real and authentic personal problem solving and inner growth that leads to outward success. I am here to give you the opportunity to change, grow, and become consummately successful—over time—by following those true principles upon which long-term change, growth, and success are predicated. And just imagine what these kind of individual character transformations would do to YOUR own personal and professional victories down the road?

When it comes to getting things done, there is never a better time than the PRESENT. Yes, budgets are tight right now and everything else is extra difficult as we continue slogging through this once-in-a-century pandemic. Yet, I have discovered in my own life and career that no matter what your circumstances may be, there is almost always enough time and/or money to do what you really want to do—if you want to do it badly enough. Furthermore, could there be a better time to invest in your own personal and professional development? Indeed, the time may very well be perfect for YOU to begin undertaking an initiative of this nature.  

How badly do you want to see your life, or the lives of your subordinates or students absolutely transformed through an immersion in Self-Action Leadership principles and practices? 

When YOU decide you want it badly enough, click HERE to procure your own copy of Self-Action Leadership, Volumes 1 & II.  

Sincerely—and with RESPECT,

-Dr. JJ

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Cleaning Up America One Quiet, Noble Act at a Time: A Self-Action Leadership Example from the Floors of Costco

Yesterday, my wife, son, and I went to Costco for lunch (Costco makes my favorite pizza!). After finishing my food, I sat staring off into the distance when I noticed a little boy drop his drink on the floor. In the worst possible timing, his father swung his foot around right as the cup hit the ground, causing the drink’s contents to not just spill, but to spray all over the smooth, concrete floor.

Sadly, the father’s response was not proactive, but reactionary, whereby he forthwith began to scold his son’s careless action that led to the embarrassing mess that now lay before them. Hanging his head in shame, the young boy covered his face with his hands as his father—who made no moves to clean up the mess—continued to stealthily communicate his disapproval of his son's carelessness.

Enter Jordan. No, not me; I remained a passive side-observer of the unfolding scene. The Jordan I speak of was a teenage Costco employee, complete with Costco name tag, uniform, apron, and food preparation hair net.

Armed with a roll of paper towels, Jordan leapt proactively to the scene and began cleaning up the mess. And boy did he clean up the mess! By the time he was done, there was not the slightest drop or streak of liquid remaining. All the while, the father of the little boy continued to stand idly by reactively watching Jordan work.

As Jordan was mopping up the last few drops of spilled drink, an elderly man walked by with pizza in one hand and his paper cup in the other. Losing his balance slightly, the man squeezed the top of his full cup, causing the upper contents of his drink to spill all over the floor, making another mess to cover half again the space of the sizable spill Jordan had just finished fixing.

Undaunted, Jordan unflinchingly turned his full attention and energy toward the second mess with the same passion, enthusiasm, focus, and dedication as he had the first spill. As I sat watching all this (I could have helped myself, but was busy holding my toddler son on my lap), I became so impressed with Jordan, that after he had finished his work, I called him over to where I was sitting. After commending him for his fine cleaning job, I asked him if I could take his picture and include it in a blog I planned to write and publish about his simple, yet heroic actions. I also asked him for his e-mail address so I could send him a copy of my article after it was published.

Very professionally, he explained I could not take his picture because he was representing Costco in an official uniform, and would have to get permission from his supervisors to do so. Not wanting to embarrass him (I think he was already a bit weirded out by my unorthodox requests), I did not press the issue any further. I was, however, further impressed by his humble reply to my offer. He simply said: “It’s okay; I don’t do what I do for credit or attention. I am just doing my job.” Then he modestly added, “Thanks, though.”

While I am probably publishing this at Jordan’s chagrin, and while I do not have a picture of this fine young man to accompany the piece as I would have liked, I could not keep from doing what I could to honor the simple, yet spectacular, actions of this extraordinary, ordinary [1] young self-action leader. Thank you, Jordan, for your example of what SAL means in the most common of circumstances, and for proceeding honorably in your work without seeking for any credit or public adulation for your good works.

In a sense, it is sad that such a simple act of "doing one's job" came across to me as being so unusual--even spectacular. It is a sign of how relatively rare such actions often are in this world. It often seems a diminishing few individuals exhibit the kind of stellar Self-Action Leadership that Jordan did during his shift at Costco yesterday.

I remember a few years ago spilling something on the floor of an In-N-Out fast food restaurant. Maybe it is just my OCD, but it is unthinkable for me to make such a blunder without taking responsibility for my mistake. Grabbing a handful of napkins, I proceeded to clean up the mess I had made. An older gentlemen, who, unbeknownst to me, had noticed my actions, remarked to me with a wistful sense of sadness, "Wow, it is rare these days to see someone actually clean up after themselves." His comment made me feel sad.

Costco needs more employees like Jordan. Schools and organizations everywhere need more Costco Jordans. Conroe needs more Costco Jordans. Texas needs more Costco Jordans. The other 49 States in America needs more Costco Jordans. The World needs more Costco Jordans. And just to be clear, I’m not talking about myself, but this young Costco employee, although this Jordan—imperfect though I am—does try to be the best self-action leader I can be. And at day’s end, that is all I ask of me—and it is all I ask of YOU.

From the floors of Costco to Costco's executive suites in Seattle, we need more self-action leaders. From the trenches of Iraq and Afghanistan to the plush offices of Generals and Admirals in Washington, we need more self-action leaders. From the high rises of Manhattan to the back alleys of Brooklyn, we need more self-action leaders. From children on the playground to principles and professors in classrooms and administrative offices, we need more self-action leaders. From the local voting booth to Governor's mansions, Capitol Hill, the Oval Office—and everywhere in between—we need more self-action leaders, and we need them badly.

Learn a lesson from and be inspired by Jordan, the young man who, on his hands and knees, and without fanfare or tips, cleaned up a floor in Costco that needed cleaning, and did it with the same energy and professionalism that I'll bet Costco's CEO -- W. Craig Jelinek -- expects of himself and his entire executive team in Issaquah, Washington.

Invest this same kind of energy and quality in their work--no matter what that work might be--and to perform it as if you were composing some masterful piece of literature, creating some genius piece of art, or designing some state-of-the art physical structure. Jordan is a young man who is destined for greater things. Here is truly a young man who has embraced the challenge laid down for all humanity by the great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote potery. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well.’"

About the Author 

Dr. Jordan R. Jensen

Dr. Jordan Jensen is the Founder & CEO of Freedom Focused and the author of the groundbreaking new book, Self-Action Leadership: The Key to Personal, Professional, & Global Freedom.  He has trained business professionals in 47 U.S. States and Territories, 5 Provinces of Canada, and 9 Counties of Great Britain on a wide variety of soft-skill topics including leadership, self-leadership, management, time management, goal setting, strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, and a variety of communication skills. To learn more about Dr. Jensen and how his company, Freedom Focused, can assist you in achieving your organizational potential, visit www.freedomfocused.com

To buy Jordan's new book, click HERE.

[1] Rice, C. (2010). Extraordinary, Ordinary People.