Roy Huff - Think Smart Not Hard: 52 Key Principles To Success and Happiness

I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.

- Leonardo Da Vinci

If you crave happiness and success, this book can guide you there starting now, regardless of how ominous the obstacles, but you must take that first step.

No one knows all the secrets to success or the answers to all your problems, but what is certain is that life is a direct consequence of the choices you make. The only way to change your life is to make different choices and change how you respond to things outside of your control.

This book isnt a shortcut to hard work, but it will show you how you can avoid unnecessary work. It isnt a guide on manipulation, but it will show you how to build real trust in your personal and professional life.

This book wont tell you your passion, but it will teach you how to find it. It wont help you if youre intent on being dishonest, but it will show you how to build integrity, self-worth, and healthy relationships.

This isnt a religious book, but it will teach you how to improve your character. It isnt a get-rich-quick guide, but it can lead you to the path of wealth and financial independence.

In addition to giving advice from innovative thinkers around the globe, it will provide additional wisdom and lay a solid foundation upon which you can begin your journey to pursue your dreams.

The purpose of this book is to impart the wisdom you need to harness the power of your skills and use the tools necessary to optimize your personal success and happiness.

Whether you decide to read all 52 key principles in one sitting or over time, youll gain additional benefits when you focus on one principle each week throughout the year.

As you go through the 52 key principles, you may find a few things you disagree with (hopefully its not the principle of integrity), but dont let that keep you from getting started or using the remaining principles.

Before you begin, know that your ability to achieve success doesnt depend on where you are in your life. It doesnt matter where you live, where you were born, your last name, how much money you have, your level of education, nationality, ethnicity, gender, disability, or family disposition. The only thing that matters is a willingness to accept responsibility and a desire to change.

I myself was born on the mouth of Chesapeake River then moved to Kentucky as a young child, where I lived in a dilapidated trailer park until the age of six. From there, I moved to an urban ghetto in Charlotte, North Carolina and lived with my mother in abject poverty until I graduated high school at seventeen. I had an absentee father who struggled with mental illness and a history of abuse. He eventually died of AIDS when I was 21.

Despite my early challenges, I was fortunate enough to have some success in education. I have earned five degrees and two graduate degrees, published four fiction novels, the Everville series, and ghostwritten over a dozen other fiction and nonfiction books.

Ive also had the privilege of working as a math and science teacher and a research scientist. Ive co-authored peer-reviewed research on the cover of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society ( BAMS ) and Lifehack recently invited me to contribute. I dont say that to boast, but to show that you can achieve success despite severe hardship and previous poor choices.

My successes have been the result of dedication in the face of challenge and optimism in the face of defeat. Those triumphs were a result of perseverance and systems that were in place, often without me realizing it. Had I known earlier what I know now, I couldve harnessed those systems and made better choices, which could have increased those triumphs and leveraged the successes into more permanent features of my life.

Ive made my share of mistakes, and while many people may justify them as artifacts of my dysfunctional childhood, I know differently. It would be easy to blame my faults on the actions of others, but to rise above those setbacks, it was first necessary for me to understand that most of the time, those outcomes were caused by poor choices and reactions that led to self-sabotage and disappointment.

Even though I graduated a year early as valedictorian and every university I applied to accepted me, I didnt finish college right away. I didnt earn my first degree until I was 30, and then I earned all five of my degrees in the following six years.

By that point in my life, I had already failed at a business and the stock market, and had given up on real estate. Until I decided to go back to school, I had convinced myself that despite my intense passion for science and learning, I didnt need it.

While I certainly dont believe college is for everyone, it was something that excited me and was a key aspect of who I was. It took a failed business and bankruptcy to force me to rethink my life and make the changes necessary to start on my ideal path.

Throughout my early adult life, complacency was my enemy, and a desire for instant gratification led to poor choices, cutting corners, unnecessary risks, and missed opportunities. Despite my optimism and drive, I only recently learned the key principles and systems that helped to harness my potential and lay down the bad habits and self-defeating behaviors that were standing in the way of my peak performance and happiness.

Like my first important change, the second was born from overcoming personal and financial hardships, a divorce, and a bankruptcy. It was through that process that I began a journey of self-reflection and took the final steps that led me to the path that Im on today.

More obstacles to overcome and opportunities for improvement will arise, but at least my eyes are open. At least now, Im aware of the behaviors, tools, and systems to use to tackle problems when they reappear.

Ask yourself the following questions. If you were to die today, would your life leave a legacy that you would be proud of? Are you living your own life or someone elses? Are you thrilled in every aspect of your life? Have you achieved true joy, or have disappointment and fear held you back from making better decisions, seeing opportunities, or seeking your passion?

If youre like most people, you answered no to at least one of those questions. If so, decide today to change it. Use the tools in this book to make it happen. If you let me, I can show you how to make that change and begin the journey to your ideal self.

To make it easier for you, Ive designed a free downloadable toolkit at royhuff.net/thinksmart with simple daily exercises so you can act now and see immediate results.