Marcel Legros - Play the Game of Life

“Oops, I forgot to pick up the milk, and sign the permission slip for my son’s field trip!”

Why do we forget the little things? Simple - you only remember what is emotionally important to you.

Unless you’re already financially free or self-employed, I’ll bet you’ve been late to work at least once this year. What if I said; “Come to work at 4 am every morning for a year. If you’re on time every day, I’ll give you a million dollars?” I’m positive that 100% of you would show up on time every day. A million dollars is far more emotionally important to you than getting your beauty sleep. Your actions are always a reflection of what you value; they are driven by the emotional payoff you receive.

Emotion is a Magic Button

As I was writing this, Seth Godin wrote a great article on exactly this subject. His blog entry, “Two kinds of “don’t know” hits the nail right on the head. You can try to learn any skill you want, but if it’s not important to you, you will not retain it. Accounting may possibly be the most dull subject on the face of the earth to me. My brain naturally turns off when I look at balance sheets and ledgers, but I’ve talked myself into learning the subject because I want to become wealthy and successful in business. If you find something difficult to learn, the obstacle isn’t intelligence, it’s emotion. To learn a new skill, you need to ask why you want to learn it, then visualize your rewards for learning it. Create a scrapbook filled with pictures of the rewards you want and dream about. Asking why, is really asking ‘what’s in it for me?’ Discover the why, and you’ll master any subject you put your mind to.

People Love the Sound of their Own Name

Make a habit of remembering people’s names because when you do, it sends a signal to that other person that they are important to you. How often have you run into someone from your distant past only to come up blank when you try to remember their name? This type of recall is one of the most overlooked skills in life but also one of the most powerful. When you first meet someone, always repeat their name back: “Your name is Walter? Hi Walter! How are you doing?” After I meet him, I write his name in my day-timer. This technique is easy and it helps me remember my customers’ names permanently. My customers and my friends are important to me, so the least I can do is remember who they are! It’s amazing how people respond when you pay attention to the little things, like the sound of their own name.