Alden - 5% more: making small changes to achieve extraordinary results

Cover image: Yutthana Teerakarunkar/EyeEm/Getty Image, Inc.
Cover design: Wiley

Copyright 2016 by AMGM, LLC. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom.

For general information about our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002.

Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-ondemand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Names: Alden, Michael, 1975- author

Title: 5% more : making small changes to achieve extraordinary results / Mike Alden.
Other titles: Five percent more

Description: Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc., [2016] | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016016538 (print) | LCCN 2016026080 (ebook) |
ISBN 978-1-119-28186-3 (cloth) | ISBN 978-1-119-28187-0 (pdf) |
ISBN 978-1-119-28188-7 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Motivation (Psychology) | Performance. | Success.

Classification: LCC BF503 .A48 2016 (print) | LCC BF503 (ebook) | DDC 650.1dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016016538

This book is dedicated to my beautiful, smart, athletic,
amazing little girl, Morgan. You make Daddy so proud
every day. I love you to the moon and back.

I would first like to acknowledge my beautiful girlfriend, Shauna. They say behind every great man there is a great woman. I don't know if I'm a great man, but I have a great woman beside me, behind me, and all around me. If it weren't for her hard work, dedication, and ability to deal with my craziness, I would not be the person I am today. When describing our relationship, many times I sum it up to she gets me. But in all reality, we get each other, and that's what makes it work. Thank you, Babe! I love you!

Next, I would like to acknowledge my team at Blue Vase Marketing. There are a lot of great companies out there, and what I have found is that they are great because of the people who help build them. The people who took a chance on me earlyChris, Jason, ShaunaI cannot thank you enough. There are so many more people who make up Blue Vase and you know who you are. Your hard work, unwavering dedication, and loyalty have allowed me to write this book. Thank you!

I want to also thank my editor, friend, and confidant Chris Benguhe. I knew nothing about being an author or really how to properly write a book. Chris has guided me, counseled me, and, many times, just listened to me rant about the process. From the beginnings in my first book to this book, Chris has always been there. So, when you get to the meat of the book, if things sound just a little bit better, it is because Chris pushed me 5 Percent More, but, more important, he gave more and made this book what it is today.

I would be remiss if I did not mention Larry Benet. Larry has introduced me to influential people in the business world whom I would not have met if it hadn't been for him. More specifically, Larry's introduction to John Wiley & Sons has allowed this book to be published by one of the biggest publishers in the world. Thank you, Larry!

Last, I want to thank my mom and dad. It is a bit of a clich to thank Mom and Dad, but if it weren't for moms and dads, we wouldn't be here. Both my mom and my dad have given me advice, a shoulder to cry on, and, more important, encouragement along the way. Thank you, Mom and Dad. I love you both very, very much!

After my first national best-selling book Ask More, Get More, I received some fantastic feedback and accolades. But, when I had an opportunity to sit down and talk with people about achieving their goals, I found that most people, from all walks of life, still want more.

They want more money; they want to be able to take their family on vacation; they want more freedom; and they want to be healthier, both physically and mentally.

Ultimately, they want a better quality of life for themselves and their family.

Some of those I met told me that they had read every self-help or personal development book they could get their hands on. They believed in all of the principles in my book and the thousands of other books out there. They listened to motivational speakers on their way to work; they listened to motivational speakers at the gym; they went to seminars. They did everything they were supposed to do. When you talked with most of these people I am referring to, they were also upbeat and positive people. But, despite all of the time and money they put in on personal development, they were not where they wanted to be. Some were not only not where they wanted to be, but they were actually in a worse situation than they had been before any sort of self-help program.

Why is that? Is self-help a farce? Can the power of positive thinking actually work, or is it just something that's powerful sounding but doesn't actually ring true in real life? There are so many people who spend their hard-earned money on trainings, books, audios, and seminars every year. Why aren't all of these people wildly successful? Why haven't they been able to achieve their goals? Where is the disconnect?

And what about the people who don't read self-help books? What about your average, everyday American? Why are so many people stuck? Is there something that the average, everyday person can do to get ahead? And is that something that is truly achievable, something that doesn't cost money, something that yields real tangible results?

In 5% More, I will attempt to answer why so many people fail. I will try to show that there is a connection between one's thoughts, between one's dreams, between one's goals, and their actions. Like in my book