It’s true. I really am a simple guy. I believe that everything it takes to become more successful either personally or professionally is simple. Idiot simple, in fact.
Want to lose weight? Eat less – exercise more. Simple.
Want more money? Earn more – spend less. Simple.
Want to be more successful? Stop doing the things that keep you from being successful. Again, simple.
I could take that basic idea and attack every single area of your personal or business life. There is nothing complicated about success. We make it complicated. We even want it to be complicated. The reason we want it to be complicated is that believing success is complicated gives us a reason not to be successful – after all, it’s complicated!!!!! Stop believing all that complicated crap and come over to my side where life is much simpler. Come over to my way of thinking where money is easy, success is simple and where every problem you have can be solved with simple solutions.
Before you start to disagree with me about how simple life is, please notice what I am saying. I am using the word SIMPLE. Never have I used the word EASY. I do not believe there is anything EASY about being successful. Easy is much different than simple.
Is it a simple thing to eat less? Absolutlely. Is it easy to do? No.
Is it a simple concept to exercise more? Sure! Is it easy to do? Not at all.
It’s HARD to eat less and exercise more. I know! I try to do it every day and it’s HARD for me to do and I know it’s hard for you to do too! But I also know it’s simple.
I never kid around when it comes to telling people that success is hard work. I know it is because I have worked hard my whole life. Still do. I do things right now that my buddies of similar stature in the business would never do. I am not too good to work hard. I go to my big seminars where I have a full staff of people packing and unpacking books and other products and I am right there with them. Lifting, carrying, packing and unpacking and selling stuff just like they do. Do I have to? No. Then why do I? Because there is work to be done and I’m not too good to do it.
Every aspect of success requires hard work. I recently did a big Wealth Seminar with a major seminar company where one of the guys on the program had a booth that displayed the headline, “The QUICK and EASY Way To Become a Millionaire.” He was selling a program that cost thousands of dollars and I knew it was all total BS. I knew he was preying on the fears of the crowd to take their money. What he was doing certainly wasn’t illegal or maybe even unethical or immoral by most people’s standards. But what he was doing just wasn’t right by my personal standards. I went on stage and told people to be careful of anyone who promises that being a millionaire is quick and easy. I know lots of millionaires and everyone of them would agree with me that becoming a millionaire is always slow and hard. I also told them that I knew the others speakers at the conference would sell ten times more product than I did because they were promising the crowd that they could all become millionaires and I wasn’t. The other guys said ANYONE could become a millionaire and that it wasn’t hard at all. Those are lies and I told the crowd that. I knew that few would buy my products because I wasn’t going to kiss their butts and promise something that wasn’t true. Not just anyone can become a millionaire. Why? Because few will work hard enough to make it happen. I was right, each of these guys sold hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of their products and I sold about a tenth of that. One of the speakers came up to me at the end and said I was pretty rough on the other speakers saying what I said. I told him I couldn’t sleep at night promising people something that I knew they couldn’t actually make happen. I told him I was just out to tell people the truth whether anyone liked it or not. He asked me how much I sold and he told me he sold twenty times that much. He was proud. I thought he should have been ashamed. The people who bought my stuff actually got some value and some truth.
That’s what I am always going to do. I promise you that I will never try to sell you an idea that you can’t make happen with some hard work. I won’t price gouge you and take advantage of anyone’s fears. I will offer you a whole lot of value at a decent price and I’ll openly tell you that I am going to make a little dough along the way. I think it’s fair if I sell you a good product at a fair price that I make some money too. I won’t lie and say it’s easy. I won’t blow smoke up your skirt and tell you that having a positive attitude will fix your problems. I will always tell you my version of the truth. My version is simple and involves lots and lots of hard work. Did I mention hard work? Again – it is always going to take hard work!
That’s why many people don’t like what I have to say. Yeah, I know, who could possibly not love every word, right? Believe it or not, it’s true. People don’t like what I have to say because I promise hard work is the key to changing your life. Hard work is never going to sell like positive attitude.
So there you go. A simple guy with simple solutions to all of life’s problems and a promise that you have to work your butt off to make it happen.
Let me summarize my simple principles of success for you right now:
Your life is your own damn fault.
Take responsibility for it.
Learn what you need to do to fix it.
Take action on what you’ve learned.
Know that hard work on the right things is the key to changing your results.
Enjoy the results.
(This article was originally printed in the Truth Be Told, Larry’s member’s only ezine. All original material each month with a video, 3 audios, a new Larry article and an interview or article from one of Larry’s buddies.)
People Are Idiots And I Can Prove It: The Ten Ways You Are Sabotaging Yourself and How To Overcome Them is a New York Times Bestseller! Thanks to all for your help. If you have not purchased the book yet, this would be a great time to do it!
Hi Larry,
My name is Chris and I just finished reading both this blog, as well as your book, “You’re Broke Because You Want To Be.” I found the book to be an excellent starting point for me and where I want to be in life. See, I am a new dad with a little girl whom turns 1 next month. My wife and I have decided to clear away all of our debts and have started to “plan.” Something that we never really sat down to do before. Sure, we would say things like, “Yeah I want a new house in 5 years” or something to that extent, but we never really sat and solidified things. After having read your book I have a lot of direction in which I would like to take in my life, but I think I may have screwed up to some extent. I have a couple questions for you that I would love your take on if you would be willing to answer them for me.
Thanks for listening, keep up the great work – I’m off to buy the new book.
Regards,
Chris
“I can accept failure, I can’t accept not trying” – Michael Jordan
Hello Larry,
I agree. I think that we have a tendency to seek out gurus who will validate the complexity of our situation so we can escape responsibility for creating the mess in the first place.
I am in a fix right now because I failed to handle something simple, and problems that easily could have been avoided followed. A simple solution will get me out of it. Not easy, but simple and deliberate steps will put this mess behind me in short order. There will be a few head slapping moments as I dig myself out of this process. What was I thinking?
There are simple, but not easy, things in life that we have to do:
1. Show up
2. Listen
3. Pay attention
4. Contribute
5. Keep commitments
6. Tell the truth
I am buying your new book today.
Hello Larry,
Just finished reading your book People are Idiots. Excellent job. I must say I have the highest respect for you. I finally found someone who has the same beliefs and morals, and ethics that I was brought up with. As far as people being idiots, I have told my friends for years that people are just plain stupid, all you have to do is watch the news or look around and I rest my case. Side note: You committed me to reading more books which is a difficult undertaking and major commitment. Your are the only set of books that I have read in years. Hope to meet you some day.
Dennis
Larry,
Once again you’ve hit the nail on the head. You’ve said it before, but I don’t mind being reminded of it a time or two.
SIMPLE ain’t always EASY. But it’ll get the job done and done right, most of the time.
Cheers and congrats on launching the latest book, heading out to get it today.
Coach Joe
Larry,
I had the pleasure of meeting you in Nashville some 5 or so years ago and, since that time, have taken advantage of reading all of your books. I just completed “Idiots” and found it to be the quintessential Winget with one caveat: You have been able to put all you’ve been espousing over these years into a simple, blunt self-help guide. You are right on with the 6 principles above and, for all of us, it is a matter of one’s desire to “Get it Done!”.
I’m pleased to see that “Idiots” has made the NY Times Bestseller List. I only wish I had a signed copy from the Guru of Simplicity!
Larry,
Thanks for not kissing butts. As for those instant millionaire believers, P.T. Barnum said it best “There’s a sucker born every minute!”
I’m buying your new book today. As always, love your candor!
Stephanie
Larry,
Keep shooting straight, the world has enough Pee Wee Herman leaders and motivational speakers. People have had their ears tickled long enough and now need their toes stepped on.
Bob Wagner
Hi Larry… love the above post… I hate all that hype and crap, especially all that internet crap where all you got to do is set up a web site and watch the dollars pour in!! Keep telling it like it is… met your wife at the San Diego wine festival and we had a ball… say hello for me…
yours,
david_pierson@hotmail.com
As someone who has spent many dollers on schemes its nice to actuelly just be told the truth. I will say that after reading your books although I will confess that I have not read your newest one but its on my list. The things you write about is some of the hardest things to actuelly put into action for alot of people, there comfortable in there own misery and they have not the courage or the stamina to rise above it. I love to hear what you have to say and I agree that people need to simplify and start living there life to the fullest, always stay honest.
sara
Thank You larry.
And I nearly forgot – thank you so much for the free book you sent because I bought your book in the first week.
So many other authors only offer e-books – you however are the real deal and consequently send a real, hardcover book. Impressive.
You have proven to me that you’re a man of your word – a rare bird indeed in this day and age – and if you say you could fix America, I believe you!
Thanks again,
Jacqui
Hi Larry,
many thanks for your Books!! One of my credit to the banks is in the past thanks
to “You are broke because you want to be”.
I reread all your books constantly and your blog too.
This kick ass approach is my favorite!!
Have passion to read your new book,
Keep kick us please!!!!
Magda
I agree with everything you say, Larry.
The idea that anyone can become a millionaire reminded of a story my long-ago piano teacher told me.
She had started playing the piano when she was 4; at the time of this conversation, she was 72. Anyway, she said that often after people heard her play, they would come up and say that they wished they could play like her.
Her response?
No you don’t! If you did, you would be taking piano lessons, studying the piano–you would actually be playing the piano!
If you want to do something, like play the piano or become a millionaire, you must take steps to achieve that. Work like hell.
Just thinking, or wishing, or hoping to do something or become somthing doesn’t make it happen.
People have to work at what that want to achieve, and work hard.
Keep up the good work, Larry!
Hello Mr. Larry Winget,
Congratulations on making the New York Time Best Sellers
Great Book that’s all I can say about “People Are Idiots And I Can Prove It” You get to the point. No BS just the truth. I wanna thank you for the extra book you sent me. You are a man who keeps his promises. I believe that’s why you are so successful. You are a great man who only wants the best for all of us.
Congratulations once again
Ohhh!! and thank you for the autograph too
Christian
Hi Larry
Totally agreed with your thoughts. Life is already too complicated not to make things simple in the every day life…..I am doing that – learn more form Edward De Bonno – and no doubt I live better, happier, and believe me even more succesfull in my profesisonal and personal life.
Keep up…you do a great job around!
Ailson
Larry,
Friend of mine said take a look at your site and evaluate what I saw. Well, I have to say I haven’t read anything of yours except 2 blog entries but you are right!! People are idiots. I wish I could leave myself out of this classification BUT I do idiotic things. I look for an easier way. I say I will start my diet tomorrow. Of course tomorrow never comes and I go on being miserable doing the same old stuff.
You are right in that people, myself definitely included, complicate the heck out of things instead of just doing the next right thing. I am not going to promise to buy your book because I would read it and say “Sounds like a great idea” and then put the book down and never look at it again.
I will commit myself to trying to remember not to complicate every part of my life. Then I will see what I do.
“Be mindful of the link between action and outcome. Ask yourself: ‘If I repeat today’s action 365 times, will I be where I want to be in a year?'” – rower Roz Savage, training to be the first solo woman to row across the Pacific Ocean from California to Australia. (Guideposts magazine quote, a positive thinking mag, but not hopelessly stupid about it. Love ya in Christ, Mytyl Wilson)
Thomas Jefferson’s 10 rules for living:
1. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
2. Never trouble another for what you can do for yourself.
3. Never spend your money before you have earned it.
4. Never buy what you don’t want because it is cheap.
5. Pride costs more than hunger, thirst, and cold.
6. We seldom repent of having eaten too little.
7. Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly.
8. How much pain the evils have cost us that have never happened.
9. Take things always by the smooth handle.
10. When angry, count ten before you speak; if very angry, count a hundred.
For people who have spending and debt problems, apply rules 3 and 4. For people who have weight problems, apply rule 6. For people who are lazy, apply rules 1 and 2. For people with bad attitudes, apply rule 7. For people who have a tendency to make things complicated, apply rule 9. For people that have emotional problems, apply rules 5, 8, and 10.
You could become president, too!
Pretty much sums up your philosophy, Larry! Maybe you should run for president???
Are you at the san antonio airport right now? Because if that is you, I would love to meet you!
Hi Larry, this is just great stuff.
I’m from Singapore and listening to your audio books. I train youths in schools and help them overcome challenges in their lives. Boy did your book help!