Like many self-employed people, my library includes classics like "Think and Grow Rich" and tapes/CD's from Earl Nightingale, Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, etc. Without exception, these gentlemen all preach the importance of goal setting.

I recently listened to a telesminar featuring author and speaker Jack Zufelt, who preaches a completely different message than the above legends.

See DNA of Success - Jack Zufelt

Zufelt, who himself is enormously successful, believes that goal setting is of little value. He believes that when you discover who you really are and what you want--you inner core, you'll have all the drive and PASSION you need to succeed at whatever your passion is. The problem, he says, is that very few people ever learn enough about who they are to become passionate about anything.

His most recent book is called The DNA Of Success. He has a couple of CD programs out (oddly enough, one of them is sold by Nightingale-Conant). One is called Unlocking the Conquering Force Within You. The other is How To Us The Conquering Force Within You.

This guy makes sense, but says things that are totally contradictory to so much of what I've learned through the years. Have any of you ever used his products or attended any of his seminars? What have you heard from people that have followed his programs?

Thanks.
Rob

Rob, I haven't heard of the guy, but I would like to make a comment on goal setting.

Like every other productivity technqiue invented, goal setting works for some but not for others. Goal setting has to do with structure, and some people simply do not function well in a structured environment.

A person doesn't actually need to "discover" his inner core to get drive and passion. He already has it.

Alex

I have his book. It reminds me of the 60s, and books that were published by Parker Publishing (great ads sold those books).

They targeted certain people who "knew" that success in life (however that was presented) was due to some unleashing of your "inner self".

Fortunes were made. And at the same time Think And Grow Rich, perhaps the penultimate goal setting book of all time, also prospered. Here's why:

TAGR was a best-seller. The DNA of creating a product is to find a best-seller and either write a complimentary book...OR, a book of OPPOSITION...OR, a better book on the same subject. A Ted Nicholas taught strategy that says find a best seller of the recent past...and write a better book on that subject because large publishers don't know how to market.

Some truth to that. Parker Publishing employed DIRECT response techniques and used guys like Gene Schwartz to write their ads.

Anyhow, in the last couple of years the SECRET has been spread around the Internet like a venereal disease at a Playboy Mansion party...it is everywhere.

Zufelt has written the ANTI-secret book. Sort of. He has positioned his work in such a way it appeals to certain types of people.

Some say there are 4 types, others say 16. (I'm familiar with them all from my social working days, don't get me started on the Myers-Brigg or Keiersy tests )

That only matters for marketers/copywriters to understand that some appeals work better on certain types of people.

The business person has a different personality than the stained glass artist for example. And you could spend all day arguing about what the personalities are and how they respond...but please, don't offer up any theory without proof, OK?

The POINT is this. This work is carefully targeted toward a certain group of people, whom many of us would consider to be "scattered" or undisciplined.

In high school, these might have been the actors, artists, or other "creative" types as opposed to the organized brainiacs or the disciplined athletes ...

The DNA of selling books is to KNOW YOUR MARKET and offer an appeal that resonates with it.

In this case, there is a ready built audience who abhors the idea of "getting organized" (as goal setting methods require)...get uneasy when they know they have something on their calendar months or even days away (they resent the intrusion on their think or create time) ... and those with magical predispositions.

UNLEASHING yourself is a lot easier sounding than setting goals, backward chaining the steps to take, and then taking the steps...that sounds like WORK (WERK!?) to many people. Much easier to just "find" that core person lurking inside of you and get the heck out of her way.

What methods you choose to implement often times are dependent upon your personality and your "inner child", that 8 year old that continues to make decisions on your life.

Those "disciplined' souls will argue for their way based upon their EXPERIENCE and will be unable to see the other point of view. Likewise, those "free bird" types will never buy the Franklin Covey materials...

and the TRUTH is, there are plenty of examples of success from both camps.

gjabiz

PS. My personal advice to anyone is to FIRST figure out what type of personality you are and what your preferred lifestyle is, THEN, locate the materials most likely to assist you in your chosen path.

Thanks for your input, AlexCo. Qjabiz, I appreciate your in depth discussion of the topic. I was troubled though, by your "anti-secret"/contrarian motives that you brought up. From a marketing standpoint, I understand the point you're making.

I got the impression from listening to him and reading some of his stuff, that he's sincere in his belief. I didn't believe that Zufelt began selling his books, books and tapes because his view contrasted with guys like Ziglar, Tracy, TAGR, etc. He wrote his first book on the importance of finding who you are (ie. your core self) at least 17 years ago, long before "The Secret" was written. Am I too naive to believe that Zufelt actually believes what he writes?

BTW....what'd you think of the book?
Thanks,
Rob

In my haste, I probably didn't state my case very well...OF COURSE Zufelt believes his stuff.

If that resonates with you, that is terrific. You are in his target audience.

You are right about it being from a "marketing standpoint", and a position in the marketplace. He IS in the same market as Zig, Brian et al. His position is that "goal setting doesn't work"...PERIOD. He is adamant about his position, he doesn't BELIEVE that goal setting works...BECAUSE...

of his belief.

Does it matter what I thought about the book? Not really. It is far more important to consider what you thought about it and if it can be of any help for you. There wasn't anything new there for me, but, as mentioned, I was exposed to this kind of thinking in the 60s and 70s. Here's what the "marketing" of the book at Amazon states:
***********************************

Don't waste your valuable time and energy writing goals, visualizing your success, or repeating mantras -- The DNA of Success smashes the myths of achievement and teaches you to find the cause of success within yourself. Through case histories, business examples, real-life stories, testimonials, success tips, and proven advice, Zufelt reveals the new, in-depth psychology and personal habits that have won him the respect of his colleagues and the praise of the many thousands he has inspired.
*********************************************

The first sentence states his belief. IF you too believe that goal setting is a waste of time and that visualizing doesn't work...then you ARE his market.

To say that goal setting is a "myth of achievement"...well, I ask you...since you clearly stated it goes against the grain and wisdom of scores of people who have decades, if not centuries of "proof" that the Think And Grow Rich "principles of success" do work.

Case histories are just that...studies of those who achieved SUCCESS in a way other than goal setting...as for the "new, in-depth psychology and personal habits" ... please point it out to me...and I'll show passages from books written in the 1880s on this very topic, of releasing your self...

There is a whole group of people who have been selling and marketing this sort of stuff, and I make no commentary on a subjective level, my opinion doesn't matter...just pointing out this has been around a LONG time, and every single person who wrote on it, probably, had a strong belief in it.

Here, for example, many people BELIEVE that NLP is the "the new, in-depth psychology"...

Bottom line Prouddad, if it works for you...put it to work. I'm not cynical about it or the man's belief...I don't really care...I'm pointing out to would be copywriters a positioning strategy that is used to market your stuff, whatever that might be...and clearly stating that you have something NEW and DIFFERENT, and the OLD WAYS don't work or are a myth...probably is his belief...

but it is also the "marketing strategy" behind his sales. That's all.

gjabiz

PS. Prouddad, I could even be wrong, who knows?

I appreciate your in-depth clarification, Qjabiz. My belief system isn't so black and white as to think one way of thought vs. the other. Even though both beliefs (as presented) contradict each other, I see value in each train of thought.

I believe that goal-setting is very important. Visualization is a powerful tool, too. I also believe though, that it is very difficult to achieve an objective if the objective is something that isn't compatible with your core-self.

For example, my son could go outside and play baseball for hours at a time. He's developing his skills not because he has to do so, but because he loves playing. It would be a lot easier for him to thrive in baseball if he had goals. It would also be a lot easier for him to set goals in baseball than it would in an endeavor that he doesn't have in his core. My son is talented and passionate about playing baseball.

If I arranged for my son to take guitar lessons, it'd be a lot more difficult for him to become a good musician than a great baseball player because he's not passionate about playing an instrument. All the goal setting and discipline in the world won't replace an inner desire to play the guitar.

So at this point, I think the combination of finding out WHO you are and what your core is combined with goal setting is the most potent way of getting what you want. Sound easy? Simple, but not easy. A lot of us, me included, go through life not knowing who we are and what are core talents are and where we're driven.

Now, back to Zufelt's material. I wasn't so much asking how you felt about the philosophy as I was asking if you had ever used his products or attended any of his seminars. I also wanted to know what you heard from people that have taken his programs.

Thanks.
Rob

Hello.
Not to ask a silly question. But how much does this threaten or go against the guru's. When Brian Tracy is the first to give a testimonial. In the letter at least.

Ken

Hello Rob,
I had the privilidge of growing up just down the street from Jack in the 80's and used to hang out with his daughter. I got to interact with Jack pretty much every week for over ten years. I can tell you without question Jack belives in what he teaches and lives it without question. His lastest material seems to be geared to the MLM community which doesn't in anyway interest me, but the whole concept of identifing your core desires is absolutly key to your success because that is what you will be most passionate about, and more natureally successful in. I have never spent a dime on any of Jacks material or even read any of it but feel I have benifitted from his "training" as a teenager. Now understand I am not wealthy but am happy. The funny thing is I found this topic after doing a google search on Jack.

I have for years been focused on just getting by and not persueing my core desires, until last summer that is. I made some changes in my life and siezed upon a opprotunity I cultivated for a new career. I am once again very happy with the direction I am moving in my life even though it has hurt me financially for the short term in doing so. Wealth is one of my core desires but not as important as my personal developement in my new industry.

Anyways the I did the google search because I was thinking about Jack and the wisdom he shared with me in my youth. He has had a profund impact on me as a person. I haven't seen or spoken to him in about 10 years now. Maybe I should go and buy one of his books as a refresher course. If you happen to go to one of his seminars tell him and his wonderful wife Hello for me. -

Scott Barnes

I thought I had patent on that word-- DNA.

Anyway this guy really reasonates with me cause I'm very much flaky and don't believe most self help stuff, most of all, it's not that I am arrogant, it's just that I don't belive the human mind is made of that simple fact that if you think positive you will get positive things.

I meen just look at your friggin dreams at night, they are the weirdest things most of the time. I think that's mostly how the success comes to people too.

It's about finding the right path, finding what will make you wealthy and then create wealth upon that, and it has nothing to do with passion about a subject.

Just look at Kilsteins copy, its something that draws you in to them.
And it's not just the Copy that's good, it's an aura around the copy
that just make you read it.

That's what I call: Spilled DNA

Kilstein were made to be copywriter - it was his core path from the other side.

(sorry but this is what I believe in now days, and also we are controlled by
the other side in one way or another but we don't always fallow the path)

Sorry, I may sound like a sicko but then so be it.

Peace
Peace

There's exceptions to nearly all rules, but if someone is passionate about something, it's more likely that they'll become successful at it than if they're not passionate about it.

Harlan may well have been born to write, but I'll bet he'd tell you that he spent a lot of time honing his craft. And don't you think that a talented writer like him, somewhere along the line, discovered that he was passionate about it--or simply liked doing it a lot?

Passion by itself wouldn't guarantee success, but passion does cause you to practice more, inquire more, have an increased desire to learn about it, etc. In other words, passion makes it more likely that you will take ACTION.

Suppose your kid is taking piano lessons. A child that is passionate about it, doesn't need to be told to practice. He/she will just do it and lose track of time. A child that isn't passionate about playing the piano may have to be told to practice or may have to develop discipline to practice.

Rob