"Everybody is playing it safe, because they think that’s the smart thing to do. But in today’s new economy, playing it safe is the riskiest thing you can do. The people who create prosperity in the new economy will be in front of the trends, anticipating them instead of naively reacting to what happened yesterday."
- Risky is the New Safe, page 9
"It’s ironic that many people hate discipline because discipline creates freedom."- Risky is the New Safe, page 107
How often have we heard that pithy saying “the harder I work, the luckier I get”? Well it’s true in a sense. Talk to most successful people and you will hear a story of working long hours and sacrifice, something that unsuccessful people are reluctant to do. But the point that most people miss is that successful people don’t just work hard, they work smart. Now let’s go into this in finer detail…what does work smart actually mean? It means being focused on productive activities that will generate the most beneficial outcome in the shortest space of time.
It means practicing self-discipline and self-restraint where necessary i.e. “You give up some things you want to get the things you really want”.
So let’s look at an example of an entrepreneur starting their own business. Like most start-ups, there are a dozen things that one has to do in any given day. This is where working smart is most important. The successful entrepreneur will discipline himself/herself to focus on the tasks that need to be done that day and not allow himself/herself to be distracted until these tasks have been completed. This is how success is achieved. One step at a time. And yes, the only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.
"Your energy and vitality are a result of the choices you make."- Risky is the New Safe, page 108
The food you eat, the rest you take, the thoughts you think and the amount of exercise you take all play a major role in whether you are adding or subtracting from your energy bank.
Eat junk food…
Don’t get enough sleep…
Worry, jealousy, envy, unforgiveness…
Skip the gym and become a couch potato…
Do all the above over a sustained period and watch what happens to your energy levels.
I guarantee it will not be pretty!
Gage writes, “When you control your body and thoughts you will be calm, collected, and have the energy to tackle any challenge you face”.
"The greatest gift you could ever give anyone is telling them the truth and being real for them. And the greatest gift you can receive from those closest to you is the same consideration."- Risky is the New Safe, page 110
So how does this apply in the area of discipline?
Without the right support group around you, it’s very easy to slip back into old non-productive habits that do not serve you.
In addition, entrepreneurs by definition are high achievers with healthy egos.
Left to their own devices, the ego may become unbalanced and delusions of grandeur may develop.
This is where developing a support group who will check you when you are going off track becomes vitally important.
If you look at the lives of tortured artistic geniuses like Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston, you will find that they surrounded themselves with people who enabled them rather than people who were strong enough to tell them the truth.
So start that Mastermind group with five or six people who you trust and watch the magic unfold.
It’s fair to say that we are living in some of the most exciting times in history.
Randy Gage is classic American rags to riches story. A high school dropout, Randy rose from a jail cell as a teen to become a successful multi-millionaire. He is the author on nine international bestsellers that have been translated into 25 languages. He is best known for “Risky Is the New Safe,” a thought-provoking look at how the accelerating speed of change is creating chaos and disruption – and thus great opportunities to become wealthy. “Risky” appeared on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists.
