Tracy - Focal Point

More advance praise for Focal Point:

Brian Tracy has done it again: Hes written the authoritative guide to personal effectiveness. In the age of distraction, Focal Point will show you how to focus on what really matters to produce the results that really count.

Mark Sanborn, speaker and author of Upgrade!

Proven Strategies for Dramatically Increasing

Personal and Professional Success

I couldnt have written it better myself!

Lee Iacocca, retired Chairman,

Chrysler Corporation

This book is invaluable! Get it. Consume it. Live it! My business and personal results have been dramatically improved. Yours can be too!

Ty Boyd, founder,

The Excellence in Speaking Institute

Focal Point hits the bulls-eye. In typical Brian Tracy style, this isnt some pep-talk motivational you can do it book; this is the real step-by-step stuff. You cant miss when you follow this proven system. Most importantly, Focal Point is an owners manual for fulfilling life, not just a get-rich system... though youll certainly achieve abundant wealth by implementing this practical strategy.

George R. Walther, author,

What You Say Is What You Get With

Power Talking

The more successful you are, the more you need this book. The major choice today is between the good, better, and best activities and decisions about time. This book helps you cut through the clutter to the core opportunities!

Dianna Booher, author, E-Writing,

Communicate With Confidence and

Get a Life Without Sacrificing Your Career

Brian Tracy is the worlds leading authority on getting results in your life. No other individual has studied and taught the techniques to help you achieve your true potential as much as Brian Tracy. The best of his studies are in this book. You owe it to yourself to read it.

Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE; author,

Get What You Want; past President,

National Speakers Association

Focal Point is articulated genius converging the synergy of focus, goal setting, time management, and strategic planning to leverage personal presence, persona, and power for significance in life and living.

Naomi Rhode, CSP, CPAE Speaker Hall of

Fame; past President, National Speakers

Association; cofounder, Smart Practice

Tracy again delivers his amazing sense of relevance in Focal Point. His goal is unabashedly large answers on how to achieve success without sacrificing a balanced and happy life and he meets it admirably. No one else writing today is as skillful in supporting intelligent advice with meaningful examples that strike home and compel the kind of change that leads to happiness self-directed change.

Jim Tunney, Ed.D.; coauthor, Chicken Soup

for the Sports Fans Soul

Personal success and Brian Tracy are synonymous. Nobody I know can teach you more about how to achieve and succeed than Brian. He makes the case clearly and then proves it in his own remarkable life. If he recommends it, do it. He knows what hes talking about.

Jim Cathcart, author, The Acorn Principle

Brian Tracys poignant counsel and lucid insights provide us with the formula for personal and professional success that is both scientifically accurate, and yet practical.

Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.; President,

The Heritage Foundation

Focal Point

A Proven System to Simplify Your Life, Double Your Productivity, and Achieve All Your Goals

Brian Tracy

AMACOM

American Management Association

New York Atlanta Chicago Kansas City San Francisco Washington, D. C. Brussels Toronto Mexico City Tokyo

Special discounts on bulk quantities of AMACOM books are available to corporations, professional associations, and other organizations. For details, contact Special Sales Department, AMACOM, a division of American Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

Tel.: 212-903-8316 Fax: 212-903-8083

Web site: www.amacombooks.org

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Tracy, Brian, 1944

Focal point: a proven system to simplify your life, double your productivity, and achieve all your goals / Brian Tracy.

p. cm.

Includes index.

Print ISBN-13: 978-0-8144-7278-1

Print ISBN-10: 0-8144-7278-8

e-ISBN: 978-0-8144-2625-8

1. Successpsychological aspects. 2. Success in business. I. Title.

2002 Brian Tracy.

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

This publication may not be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted in whole or in part,

in any form or by any means, electronic,

mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,

without the prior written permission of AMACOM,

a division of American Management Association,

1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

Printing number

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

This book is dedicated to my dear friend and
business partner, Vic Conant, a fine man,
a tremendous support in good times and bad,
and a never-ending source of optimism,
intelligence, and common sense.

Focal Point

Once upon a time, there was a major technical problem at a nuclear power plant. This malfunction was slowing energy generation and reducing the efficiency of the entire operation.

As much as they tried, the plants engineers could not identify and solve the problem. So they brought in one of the nations top consultants on nuclear power plant construction and engineering to see whether he could determine what was wrong. The consultant arrived, put on a white coat, took his clipboard, and went to work. For the next two days, he walked around, studying the hundreds of dials and gauges in the control room, taking notes, and making calculations.

At the end of the second day, he took a black felt marker out of his pocket, climbed up on a ladder, and put a large black X on one of the gauges.

This is the problem, he explained. Repair and replace the apparatus connected to this meter, and the problem will be solved.

He then took off his white smock, drove back to the airport, and flew home. The engineers disassembled the apparatus and discovered that, sure enough, this was the cause of the problem. It was soon repaired, and the plant was back up to full capacity.

About a week later the plant manager received a bill from the consultant for $10,000 for services rendered.