Jim Rohn is a big proponent of activity and discipline. “Having just one of these is not enough” he says. “You need both.” Combining these skills introduces the compounding factor. That’s when 1 + 1 = 3. Something intangible adds an extra dimension.

“If you just talk to your family you can hold them together. But if you skilfully talk to your children (and broaden their horizons), you can help them build dreams for the future. That is why I spend so much time in my seminars on communication – how to affect others with words.

“You can’t be lazy with your language – it cost too much. What if you meant to say “Son, what’s troubling you?” and instead you said, “Son, what’s wrong with you?” Wow, what a difference! That’s too costly a mistake to make through laziness in not choosing your words carefully.

Untrained people might make that mistake without noticing there is a huge difference in the outcome. But, as someone skilled in language and writing, you should know better by now. You should be using skilful language in your verbal and written communications.

Rohn says “Using skills multiplies your labours by two, by ten, even 100 times. Hey, you can chop down a tree with a hammer but it takes about 30 days. That’s using raw labour. But if you swap the hammer for an axe, you can chop the tree down in 30 minutes. With a chainsaw, you’ll do the job in three minutes.

What’s the difference between 30 days, 30 minutes and 3 minutes? Skills and tools! Adding skills and tools makes all the difference. “Doing what you can is simple labouring. But doing the best you can, using improved skills and the right tools is working smarter. That’s using your brains. “You’ll find that labour combined with skills and tools will start producing miracles in your life. Miracles in every part of your life.”

by Jim Rohn. Reproduced for educational purposes.