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- Herausgeber: 7 Checklist Items LLC
- Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
- Sprache: Englisch
KIRKUS REVIEW
A U.S. Navy physician shares his secrets for a more successful life in this self-help work.
Mathurin conceived of his debut book when he realized how critical checklists are in the worlds of naval aviation and medicine. Itemized lists, he says, help avoid flight mishaps and operating room errors, so he wondered, “Why not apply this same concept to people’s lives to help them achieve their highest potential?” That epiphany resulted in this book—a kind of instruction manual for living that breaks achievement into seven “checklist items”: “Goals,” “Take Action,” “Courage to Consistently Commit,” “Value Resources,” “Investing in Yourself and Others,” “Giving Back,” and “Create a Legacy of Service to Others.” An introductory section helpfully explains each of the core concepts, in brief, and these same blocks of text are repeated at the beginning of each of seven chapters. The items themselves are unlikely to be new to most readers, as many of the ideas are common in self-help literature (such as “Have the courage to go the extra mile with everything that you do, each and every time”). But the presentation of the material feels more novel, as the overarching checklist concept isn’t taken literally; the book’s merit derives from the idea that one can systematically address several broad areas in the quest for a fuller life. At the very least, this notion gives the book a highly focused structure that makes it easy for readers to navigate.
Unsurprisingly, given the author’s military and medical background, there’s a sense of logic and precision to this book. Each chapter’s content is uniformly positive and always emphasizes proactivity, but it’s also clear that the book isn’t intended to highlight step-by-step procedure. Instead, it offers a wide-ranging, general discussion of each list item, using examples and personal anecdotes to illustrate specific points. To that end, Mathurin writes from a very personal perspective—sharing, for example, how he grew up in poverty in Haiti—and he explains with some eloquence how he used the principles that he lays out in his book to “transform [his] life from famine to abundance.” He writes with a great deal of insight, as well, offering not only accounts of his own experiences, but also the wisdom of others, such as investor Warren Buffett and the late self-help authors Zig Ziglar and Napoleon Hill. Mathurin’s style often takes an inspirational tone, as he exudes a sense of confidence in his approach to life: “Success,” writes Mathurin, “is only ten percent intention and ninety percent action.” About leading others, he writes, “always strive to be the leader you would want to follow; strive to be the calm voice in the midst of the chaos, and—while you are at it—strive to be the change that you want to see.” Finally, Mathurin stresses that you can “lay the path to your legacy by focusing on giving back the acts of kindness you have received along the way.”
A book of noble, sincere, and expressive advice for living.
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Seitenzahl: 232
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018
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The views presented are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the United States Department of Defense or the United States Navy.
© 2018 Jean G. Mathurin, M.D.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission, except in the case of short quotations used for critical articles or review. Although the authors and publisher have made every effort to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this book, we assume no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or inconsistencies herein. Any brands, products, companies, and trademarks that appear in this book are stated for illustrative purposes only. Their mention in no way expresses explicit or implied endorsement or approval of the content in this book.
ISBN: 978-1-7322884-0-9 (paperback)ISBN: 978-1-7322884-1-6 (epub)
Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication Dataprovided by Five Rainbows Cataloging Services
Names: Mathurin, Jean G., author.
Title: 7 checklist items for success : a guide to a richer and more successful life / Jean G. Mathurin, M.D.
Description: Pensacola, FL : 7 Checklist Items, 2018.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018905089 | ISBN 978-1-7322884-0-9 (pbk.) | ISBN 978-1-7322884-1-6 (ebook) | ISBN 978-1-7322884-2-3 (audiobook)
Subjects: LCSH: Success--Psychological aspects. | Wealth--Psychological aspects. | Motivation (Psychology) | Self-realization. | Inspiration. | Self-help techniques. | BISAC: SELF-HELP / Personal Growth / Success. | BODY, MIND & SPIRIT / Inspiration & Personal Growth.
Classification: LCC BF637.S8 M38 2018 (print) | LCC BF637.S8 (ebook) | DDC 650.1--dc23.
This book is dedicated to my father, Jean Lenord Mathurin. His love for his children was unsurpassable. I loved him, and I miss him every day.
This book is also dedicated to my nephew, Walner Nelson, and all the young people of this world. I hope this book will teach you the life lessons I wish I had learned when I was your age. May you have a life full of success and joy.
CONTENTS
Preface
Chapter 1: Goals
Starting Is Hard, but Essential
Prioritize Your Goals
The 5 Second Rule
Goals Before Gold
The Power of Goals
The Hardship of Having Goals
Remain Enthusiastic
CHAPTER 2: Take Action
The GPS of Success
Do to Yourself As You Would Unto Others
You Are Your Own CEO
Taking Effective Actions
Success Is Like Swimming Against the Current
Adversity Is the Impetus for Action
Learn from Your Critics
Taking Action Leads to a More Perfect Life
Take Action Only After Setting Detailed Goals
Chapter 3: Courage to Consistently Commit
The Courage to Make a Difference
What Is Your Price to Stop?
The Courage to Be Successful in Life
Be Grateful
Give Others the Benefit of the Doubt
Show to Others a Reflection of Their Perfection
Moving Forward: Be Grateful for Your Past
Be Confident about the Future
The Courage to Maintain a Positive Attitude
We Don’t Get to Be Successful, We Become Successful
The Courage to Say NO
The Courage to Say YES
CHAPTER 4: Value Resources
You Cannot Appreciate the Value of What You Don’t Know
Valuing Resources Now
Valuable Resources Should Always Be Viewed as Assets
Be Humble in Victory
Value People and Time, They’re both Fleeting
Be Consistent in How You Value Resources
Have a Budget
Know What You Don’t Know and Listen to Others
The Secret to More Valuable Resources
CHAPTER 5: Investing In Yourself And Others
No Better Return than Investing in Yourself and Managing Your Time
Good Investments for God are Good Investments for You
Example of a Typical Investment with Extraordinary Return
Investing in People Who Have What it Takes
The Power of Investment
Investment Is the Vehicle to a More Successful Life
Lack of Financial Knowledge Leads to Misconceptions about Investment
Investment During Times of Famine and Abundance
Make Sure that Those Who Invest in You Never Lose Their Investment
CHAPTER 6: Giving Back
Give Back More than You Receive
Be Empathetic
Giving Back Your Time Is the Foundation of Trust
The Philosophy of Living a More Successful Life
Give with Open Hands
Words from Your Mouth Are Worth More than Gold
A More Successful Life Is about Giving Back
Why Give Back?
Chapter 7: Legacy: Create a Legacy of Service to Others
Aim to Create a Legacy of Hope
A Legacy and a Way of Life
Human Limitation and a Legacy that Shows Will Is Limitless
A Legacy of Encouragement
Create a Legacy of Opportunities for Others
Legacy, the Arbiter of the Game of Success
Pay it Forward
Summary
Conclusion
A Psalm of Life
PREFACE
Thank you for picking up this book. What you will undoubtedly notice is that the 7 Checklist Items for Success is not a book for everyone. It is not a book for the timid or for those who consider themselves passengers enjoying the ride of life, with no significant purpose and no desire to leave this world a little better than they found it. This book was written for those of you who know and believe at your core that you were created for something bigger than your current situation or circumstance in life. This book is for those who ask why, and want to find a way to make something happen. You crave a way to realize your full potential. The why of your existence is your core belief about why you are here on this earth. If you believe you are such a person, then this book is for you. As you read, you’ll soon find this book will show you the how of these whys.
I wrote this book because I wish I had found such a book when I was fifteen. It took years for me to establish a cogent list that can help anyone, from any walk of life, and achieve greater success in life.
You might be in a rough spot, wondering how you can possibly make it out. You might also be wondering: “How can this book help me succeed?” “Will this be a waste of my time?” “Is this book even worth the money I paid for it?” While my intention is not to answer these questions for you, I do believe you will find this book extremely valuable by the time you finish reading it.
Let me begin by sharing something that got my attention during my first year of residency in aerospace medicine in the United States Navy. I was introduced multiple times to a graph that many in the aviation industry are quite familiar with: The graph shows the decrease of the Naval Aviation Mishap Rate from the 1950s to present. During their first year of training, many aerospace residents would often mutter under their breath that they hoped the professors would stop showing the graph because they believed the point had been made.
They thought they got it. Naval Aviation Mishap Rate has decreased a whole lot. Yet what this graph showed me went beyond how mishaps (aircraft accidents leading to fatalities) have decreased over time in the Navy. I intuitively understood that we were shown this graph again and again so that we understood that the decrease owes to the culture of safety in Naval Aviation.
While I was taking my introductory courses in Aviation, I was also introduced to something that I believed may have made the biggest contribution in reducing aircraft mishaps: a checklist in aviation. Going through the checklist items is a crucial aspect of what the pilot does from preflight to turning off the aircraft engine. This concept has been so successful in Aviation that it has also been used in the operating room.
The big question I asked myself was: If this checklist has proven to be so valuable in Aviation and now the surgical operating room, why not apply this same concept to people’s lives to help them achieve their highest potential?
As a kid who grew up in poverty in Haiti, nothing would have been more beneficial to me than to pick up a textbook with some pointers that—if followed carefully, step-by-step—could bring me any success I could desire. When I started to research and ask around if such a checklist existed, one that when and if applied helped anyone to be successful in life, the answer was no. I set out to create one, so started reading all of the textbooks I could find on the subject of personal achievement. I also started to talk with some of the smartest people I know in different fields of study involving the mind (psychiatry, psychology) and those who have achieved the highest success in their various fields. Most of them told me that it would be hard to write a single book that would appeal to everyone. Many others have simply said that such an endeavor would be impossible because, even though most people do want to be successful, everyone responds to different stimuli at a different time of their life. The likelihood that anyone would follow through with a checklist on a daily basis for many years seemed low. Thus I was told that such a project would not be successful. These statements of impossibility resonated with me because, since I was a child, I had heard these words spoken to me many, many times.
In second grade, for example, my teacher told me that I was from a dumb family and that I would not amount to anything. Later, when I told some friends I wanted to become a physician, they said it was not possible. I was fortunate that my family believed in me, and with their support I have overcome many challenges. Perhaps it is because my desire for a more successful life was rooted so deeply that mere words of discouragement were not enough to derail me. Maybe my childhood challenges have made me more resilient, or maybe my desire for success goes beyond satisfying just my curiosity. Maybe I’m just stubborn. After my second-grade teacher told me that I was from a dumb family and would not amount to anything, I made up my mind right then and there that I would be a physician—just to prove her wrong.
While I was a dishwasher working at a casino, two months after I migrated to the United States from Haiti, one of my co-workers—after I told him that my goal was to become a physician—insisted that it was impossible for someone like me (with limited English and no money) to study medicine. He said it was impossible given my circumstances. During the eighteen months I worked at that casino, my co-worker never failed to make fun of my dream of becoming a physician. His favorite joke was that Jesus would come before I ever became a doctor. His pessimism further invigorated my desire to become a physician, and ten years later, I not only achieved my goal, but I also have the greatest privilege of being a medical officer in the United States Navy.
My blessings have gone beyond even my wildest dreams and all I think of, knowing now that everything is possible, is that I should have dreamed of even more. If someone had told me as a young child that I would be able to reach this level of success in a foreign land called America, I honestly would have thought she was lying.
What you choose to believe in life about yourself can either break you down or build you up. In my case, I chose to believe my family. My challenges in life were also a blessing in disguise. They inspired me to start reading self-help books at the age of 15. During that time, most of my friends were focusing on the latest trends in clothes and how to be popular. My focus was different. I was more focused on how to improve my circumstances and the circumstances of those around me.
Now that my life has improved beyond belief, I hope this book will help improve your life—and those of others around you. I believe all that I have accomplished has only been possible thanks to the physician who saved my mother’s life. I believe to this day that he did not only save my mother’s life, but also saved the lives of my mother’s eight children. Credit for my success in life, and credit for any benefits that you or anyone else might gain from reading and applying the ideas in this book, should go to that unnamed compassionate physician, and this should be proof enough of the circle of goodness and the passion of giving back more than one has received. This is a circle that I choose to believe and participate in, and I hope that you will also join. Please don’t forget to write me if this book has helped you, because your experience may help someone else.
As a kid, I used to think that whenever I treated a future patient, I would want to receive a live turkey as my remuneration (more to come about that story later). Luckily for you, I have lowered my standards to just a few lines on the companion website for 7 Checklist Items for Success. Please take advantage and log on once you finish this book; spare yourself the hassle of mailing a live turkey. On a more serious note, while the meaning of success may be different for different people, it is my hope this book will help everyone looking for a guide to follow in their quest to attain their highest, noblest ideals—and a more successful life.
Presented within this book are ideas that helped me transform my life from famine to abundance—and, more importantly, ideas that have helped me to be more successful in every aspect of life. These ideas will also help you transform your life and the lives and those around you. I have read as many books as I could find about self-help in the last 25 years and, despite all the blessings I have received in life, I believe the ideas from these books have played the biggest role in transforming my life from a shy, poor Haitian kid to a board-certified physician and Naval Medical Officer in the United States.
My achievements can be attributed to grit, resilience, and delayed gratification. A tiny part of the credit goes to the motivation I gained from those who ridiculed my dreams, but the majority of my success is from the encouragement I received from those around me who believed in me and constantly prayed for my success and well-being. In case you have not yet been as lucky as I have been, this book is for you. I can say I have, for many years, recognized this desire to help improve people’s lives by helping them focus on the opportunities around them instead of focusing on their misfortune.
My aspirations for writing a book stem from my faith in the limitless potential power we have as humans. I truly believe, if given the opportunity, we will choose good over evil, hope over despair, and joy over sadness. As a teenager in Haiti, I recall reading a French copy of See You at the Top by Zig Ziglar, which I purchased in front of the cathedral in Port-au-Prince. Before I read this book, I never believed that a life of success was really possible for someone like me. As I encountered other people at the top of their respective careers during my journey to a more successful life, I realized that my story is not unique.
That I have succeeded, as have others in similar (or even more dire) circumstances, will, I hope, bring you hope, help propel you to the top, create more value in your life and in the lives of those around you. I understand the critics will likely say that humans are complicated beings and that what works for one person may not work for the next; achieving the end goals promised by the author (in this case, me) is at best utopian. Those critics are making the same mistake that my second-grade teacher made: underestimating the limitless power of the individual.
I know your why (or your purpose in life) is big and your potential is limitless. This book will show you the how to have a more successful life. Such a book would have helped me tremendously in the pursuit and the achievement of my highest goals in life! I hope by providing a concise list to follow that you will garner great success, quicker than I did, and with fewer mishaps.
ABOUT ME
Two of my first memories, for some reason, have helped motivated me in my journey thus far. The first memory was that of me throwing up when my older sister, Yvenithe, was holding me in her arms trying to force me to eat a piece of fried egg and boiled plantain. My sister told me that I was probably three years old when this incident occurred, and we were living in the countryside of Sarazin, Mirebalais.
My second memory was that of feeding banana peels to a turkey with one leg tied to a small, thin rope on the side of our one-bedroom house. I remember getting excited in anticipation of when my mother would cook that turkey. I was very sad when I learned that we would not be cooking the turkey and that my mother was fattening it up to give to the surgeon who had volunteered his time to remove the mass in my mother’s abdomen. My parents could not even afford the medical supplies (including the medications) needed for the surgery. My mother was in the hospital for about a month, and, at the time, her doctors believed she wouldn’t survive. Yet thanks to the generosity of that doctor, she did.
While mother cannot precisely explain what her medical diagnosis was, she bears two surgical scars from the surgical intervention of that one-month hospitalization. One is a vertical abdominal scar for removal of a mass in her abdominal cavity and another scar to her right mid-axillary area, where she had another mass removed from her chest cavity.
During that time, my dad sold nearly all his farmlands and livestock to pay for the discounted medical expenses to save my mother’s life. His philosophy was that he would sell everything if he had to, even down to the last shirt on his back, for her. My dad used to say he would prefer to die first before he would stop taking care of his family.
Sadly, my father died on the February 27, 2011, after he helped all but one of my siblings migrate to the United States. He was a grateful man and easy to please. I wish I could have spent more time with him and miss him dearly.
7 CHECKLIST ITEMS FOR SUCCESS
A GUIDE TO A RICHER AND MORE SUCCESSFUL LIFE
1. Goals
Have goals for your life, short-term (daily to yearly goals) and long-term goals (1-10 year goals). Most importantly, have daily goals. Always remember that even the most skilled pilot flying the most sophisticated aircraft in the world will not be able to fly to his or her final destination without a flight plan and a clear destination. Even the best shot in the world cannot hit a target without aiming. Yet many of us conduct the most expensive vessel ever created—our life—without any goals. To call this insanity may be an understatement.
2.TakeAction
Pledge to take action on every intuition and idea you conceive in your mind about your goals during the day. Apply The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins to take instant action on every goal-related thought. Your subconscious mind is always working to bring ideas, opportunities, and people to your life to help with your goals. Act on these intuitions; they are the voice of your subconscious.
3.Courage
Have the courage to go the extra mile with everything that you do, each and every time. Never let yourself be outworked by anyone. Working hard is the greatest equalizer in life. Have the courage to remain enthusiastic and do everything with a smile on your face and genuine desires to help and serve those around you. Have the courage to be flexible and to adapt when the situation demands it. Have the courage to maintain your integrity at all costs. It takes years to develop a reputation for integrity, but it all can be lost in an instant.
4. Value Resources
Your time is your most valued possession, but it is usually wasted by the poor while cherished like a treasure by the rich. Always remember that human resources, starting with yourself, are the greatest resources in the industry. Be genuinely interested and enthusiastic about everyone you meet. Learn about them and be sure to remember the name of everyone you meet. Always value yourself and adopt the appearance and the gravitas of a Chief Executive Officer. Others will judge you by your actions, your appearance, your character, and your communication. Dress in a way that someone would identify you among your peers as the CEO. Remember to fake it until you make it.
5.Investment
The most efficient way to invest in yourself is through hard work. Always invest in yourself in terms of learning about your profession. Seek to create value in yourself and in everyone around you. Always consider hard work to be the deposit into your account of success. While criticisms may act as unauthorized withdrawals from your success account, they can be converted to assets if you learn from them. Don’t be cheated by them; instead, accept them objectively and learn to use them toward your growth.
6.GivingBack
Don’t wait until you make it before giving back. Your cup doesn’t have to be spilling over before you can start sharing the drink of hope for a more successful future to a thirsty soul in the desert of life. Seek to know what people around you want in life and help them get it. While it can be an uphill battle to become successful, always remember that just like a father wants the life of his children to be better than his own, so is the desire of your Creator. While you are on your quest to a more successful life (and even after realizing your goals), seek to invest in people. The truth is most people want to be successful, but the key is also to want to help others to be successful. The problem is most of them don’t know where to start and are sometimes focused too much on what they do not have (i.e., lack of experience, lack of money, physical limitations). Any successful person knows that in the quest for success it is not what you don’t have that will hold you back, but instead what you do have (i.e., your life, your passion, and your desires) will make you successful. It is counter intuitive to focus on what’s lacking when what you want is to become successful. Whatever you focus on will persist, grow, and continue to be the center of your focus and attention.
7.YourLegacy
May your legacy be one of giving back and making a difference in the lives of people around you. Moving forward, you can lay the path to your legacy by applying the acts of kindness you have received along the way to your current situation. Move forward seek to perform more acts of kindness to others and give more in terms of the time you spend with them, the smiles you bestow on them, and the words of encouragement you speak unto them. Each one of us on this Earth is too precious and too rare to leave this world without making a positive impact in the life of those around us and the lives of those who will come after us.
CHAPTER 1
GOALS
Have goals for your life, short-term (daily to yearly goals) and long-term goals (1-10 year goals). Most importantly, have daily goals. Always remember that even the most skilled pilot flying the most sophisticated aircraft in the world will not be able to fly to his or her final destination without a flight plan and a clear destination. Even the best shot in the world cannot hit a target without aiming. Yet many of us conduct the most expensive vessel ever created—our life—without any goals. To call this insanity may be an understatement.
STARTING IS HARD, BUT ESSENTIAL
You deserve to be congratulated for starting this book. At this point, you may not know what your goals are; you may not even be sure of how to develop your goals for a more successful life. This is completely okay. The important thing is that you have started, and you are reading this chapter.
I first started keeping specific goals for my life when I was 15. At that age, it was not easy for me to set long-term goals, so I defaulted to setting short-term goals that I could achieve within one year. Later, as I gained confidence in my ability to realize my goals, I started to set more long-term goals, which I planned to achieve within one to ten years.
When I was younger, my family and I lived in Haiti, where my options were limited. Some of the most intelligent upper classmen I knew were not able to afford to go to college, so setting goals to study in the United States at that time would have seems impossible; instead, I set up goals to excel in each one of my classes. I was the seventh of eight children who had not finished high school. So, my goal became to finish high school. When I was in high school, I had no money to afford college, and I felt that I was on a dead-end road. But by that time I was more confident in my ability to realize my goals, and even though it seemed impossible at that time, I set goals to go to college.
Your long-term goal may seem unrealistic based on your current situation, and that is okay because you want your goals to stretch you. What is not okay is to let yourself be discouraged by the naysayers or the people who don’t even know you.
My neighborhood friends and my classmates considered me lucky because my dad lived in the U.S. They believed that all my needs were met and, unlike them, I never went to bed hungry at night. This was only partly true. Although my mother tried the best she could to give my siblings and I at least one meal per day, the truth was that it was never enough to feed eight hungry mouths.
Even worse, I truly had an insatiable appetite, more so than any of my other siblings. I used to say I needed more food because I burned more energy walking forty-five minutes to school. This justification was immediately refuted by my siblings, because they also had to walk the same distance. Later, I came up with a better excuse: I explained that my brain needed more energy to learn than did theirs. They could not argue with that because I had better grades than them—though the real reason they kept quiet was that they were sick and tired of listening to me whine and cry for food.
Sadly, not having enough to eat was a common theme among my neighborhood friends and classmates. Even today, I still have to face the fact that while I am successful, many people that I grew up with still live in poverty.
