5% More. Alden Michael

and you will also find that taking action is easy and that anyone can do it.

      In fact, I will not even make you wait to read the whole book to find out the ultimate answer. I will give it to you right here in the introduction to this book, in the very first few pages.

      If you just give 5 Percent More effort in any aspect of your life, you will not only achieve your goals, you will surpass them.

      If you are curious and want me to substantiate the last sentence, then read on. I promise this book will give you more than you ever imagined: a look at how we can dramatically change our lives by adding just 5 Percent More effort. Most people are looking for a way to improve their health, maximize their wealth, and obtain more wisdom, but most have trouble achieving their goals. Well, 5 Percent More is a way for any person of any age, any background, anywhere in the world to improve his life and achieve his goals just by adding 5 Percent More effort. How is this possible? How can a book with such a simple premise accomplish so much?

      Well, let me give you a little background on where and how 5 Percent More became a reality for me. I was in a spinning class and totally exhausted, counting the seconds and minutes to the end of the class, and the instructor said that she wanted 5 Percent More out of us. She said that this next 5 percent is what really makes the class, that this next 5 percent burns more fat than the previous 40 minutes in the class, and that this 5 Percent More effort will have an impact on our metabolism hours after we get out of the class. She said 5 Percent More effort will get you an infinite amount more out of your body. When you are that exhausted and being pushed to the limit, you have to trust what they are saying and just push through. I noticed that not one person stopped, not one person even slowed down. We were all different sizes, shapes, ages, and personalities but we all trusted what she said, and we all gave at least 5 Percent More. In fact, most gave a lot more than that. It was interesting to me that all she asked for was 5 Percent More, yet it was obvious most gave more and maintained it throughout the last five minutes. She was onto something.

      As I sat there afterward, half dead on the spin bike, I began to reflect on what would happen if we applied just 5 Percent More to virtually every aspect of our lives. Was there research out there that showed what 5 Percent More can do in virtually every aspect of your life? I didn't have the answer right then and there, but I began to study what our lives would look like if we had or did or wanted just 5 Percent More. The information I found and the science to support what just a little effort can do in virtually every aspect of your life was compelling. But when I dug a little deeper into my own life and the lives of others who have been successful for anecdotal evidence, it was even more astounding and profound.

      In this book, I will discuss some of the science, some of the psychology, and even more of the common sense behind 5 Percent More and how that applies to your life – from just being 5 percent faster as an athlete to 5 percent smarter as a student to being 5 percent healthier than the average person, to improving your business by being 5 Percent More efficient or improving your sales by just 5 percent. It is truly amazing how something as simple as just 5 Percent More can have dramatic life-altering changes in your life.

      Chapters range from discussing what 5 Percent More would do for an Olympic athlete, to what reading more to our children would do, and even how a slight increase in one's belief level in whatever one is doing can have dramatic results.

      What I hope will really make this book stand out to you is that, while so many others try to cast a wide net by claiming that “everyone” should read a particular book, I believe that 5% More truly is a book everyone will want to read. Maybe you have read all the other self-help books and nothing changed in your life, or maybe you're looking for answers to get you to the next level. That is precisely why I wrote 5% More.

      I don't claim to be a self-help expert – but I am an expert student of success, and I have found that almost everybody wants more. More happiness, better health, more financial stability, more discipline, and just a better life. But most if not all of the “self-help” books and programs fail to recognize that, although most people want more, the techniques, strategies, and theories work for only a small percentage of people, thus leaving a majority of people behind. So why would you want to read another “self-help” or “personal transformation” book?

      People from all walks of life are struggling to make ends meet; people are having a tough time providing basic necessities for their families. Children are faced with competitive challenges as early as kindergarten, and even they want more. If you are high school athlete looking to get an athletic scholarship, a concerned parent, a business owner looking for a way to improve your bottom line, then look no further. The simple secrets in 5% More, revealed through its inspiring stories, interviews, and research, proves that all most people need is just 5 Percent More to get what they want.

      SECTION I

      THE PHILOSOPHY OF 5 PERCENT MORE

      CHAPTER 1

      HOW TO GIVE 5 PERCENT MORE – OR LESS

      Asking for 5 Percent More and not following up with action won't work. Dreaming about being 5 percent richer, or your kids being 5 percent higher in their class, or being 5 percent smarter doesn't just happen. I always tell people that dreams are for sleeping. Goals are for achieving. And you achieve your goals only by taking action.

      Since my last book, I have had a lot of my close friends confide in me that they wanted to do something, or that they had a goal or an idea but never did anything about it. One of those friends whom I grew up with is named Lonnie. When I lived in the projects, we lived in a duplex; I lived in 13 and he lived in 11. Over the years, we have stayed in contact. He made a great life for himself and his family: he has a beautiful wife, two beautiful kids, a great house, great job, a boat, and many other material things. One day while talking about what I have accomplished and built through my business, he said that he “wanted to do something, wanted to make something, wanted to do something great.” Well, Lonnie is one of the handiest guys I know. He can fix and pretty much build anything. So one day while he was working in his yard hauling things from his back yard to the front yard, mostly leaves and other debris, he came up with an ingenious way to move that type of stuff quickly, efficiently, and effortlessly. He came to me and showed it to me; then he created some videos showing the utility of it, came up with a name for it, and was just so excited about it. So I asked him, “What are you going to do with it?” He looked at me with his head down and said, “I know I should do something, but I don't know.” I said, “Lonnie, you have been thinking about doing ‘greater things’; you have been thinking about your invention for months; you actually created a prototype. So now, why not take it to the next level?” He was still hesitant, until I reminded him of the story about the older guy who should've, could've, or would've, if only he did. His time had passed and now he was sitting on his porch telling his grandkids about how great he could have been if he had only followed through on the thought he had. He would have built an empire; buildings would have been named after him; he would have every material thing any man could want; but he didn't. We all know this guy, the “if I had only” guy. Those guys are the ones who let societal norms and negative influences destroy their aspirations. It's a sad thing, and I did not want to see this happen to my good friend Lonnie.

      So Lonnie took the next step. He had mechanical drawings done of his invention, he hired a patent attorney, and he is in the process of making his invention a reality. Now, could this flop? Sure, but he will never know if he doesn't give it a shot. This idea and the creation of it have not cost Lonnie a lot of money. But, through his thoughts and his physical manifestations of those thoughts with action, he now has a patent pending. That is an accomplishment in and of itself.

      An Idea without a Plan Is Just an Idea

      We have all heard the above axiom. We have all had a great “idea” but never followed through with it. We have all met the “if I had only” guy who also had a bunch of ideas. Many times, a person's ideas or dreams are not realistic and should just remain what they were. But what I have found in business and in life is that what separates the successful from the unsuccessful people is the determination to implement their ideas. This is a small part of the grand plan of building a brand, or turning an idea into a reality, but it is a key element