A VIDEO MESSAGE FROM DARREN HARDY:

Here’s a summary of week two in our journey towards Designing the Best 10 Years of Your Life where I answer your questions and give you a course update.

I’ve also selected some of your questions and observations left in the comments sections along with some of my responses. I hope you find it helpful to peruse through the common questions and insights shared by your peers (the comments are featured below this video). I know it’s deepened my own understanding and strengthened my resolve!

Please click the play button to watch the video:

Questions about when and where to get the worksheets:

From Shane Williams: “A lot of comments on here are always about missing out on past downloads. All you have to do is click on the blue links at the top of this page, ex: part 1, part 2. Once that opens, scroll down and you will see another link. There you go. No need to wait for an e-mail.”

[DARREN HARDY] GREAT point Shane! Hey everyone - read Shane’s comments above.

From Amir Baig: “Hi Darren: Thanks for sharing this great series!! I am learning a lot and each step is making me more eager. FYI… I am not able to get any of the docs/attachments that you referred in your video. Please let me know how can I get those. Thanks again.”

[DARREN HARDY] Amir, it sounds like you might be registered to receive the blog posts at success.com, not directly from my blog. To get the program WITH worksheet links, sign up on this page: http://DarrenHardy.SUCCESS.com. You will then immediately receive an “Activation Email” in your inbox from Feedburner with a link to activate your subscription. Once you click on that link, you should be all set to go.

From Steven Leatherman: “I feel like a goober, i cannot for the life of me get the worksheets. I very much want to get started and think I have signed up for all of this. I got your video update, but see no links “on the bottom” like it says. please advise or send them to me.”

[DARREN HARDY] Steven, there are no links on the bottom of the video update email, only the installments sent out on Tuesdays and Thursdays through the email update. You can also follow Shane’s instruction above.

From Johan: “Hi Darren… we are just coming back from our cruise holiday trip that was planned in summer, I missed the Jan 5th pre-launch material, where can I download the worksheets? thank you very much for this opportunity, I’m sure it will be challenging but also very beneficial, challenging because I drive truck and do not have routine schedule.”

[DARREN HARDY] Don’t worry, Johan, you won’t miss a thing! Last weeks’ worksheets will be available with the next installment…and you can follow Shane’s instruction above.

From Kerry B: “Having a hard time keeping up with the installments because of my regular job schedule & working 2 jobs. I am only up to my mission statement & the 3rd installment is waiting. Takes me alot of thought time to fill in the blanks with only an hour to an hour & 1/2 in the mornings. Alot of years & feelings to go through. Guess i’ll have to burn the midnight oil & get up earlier to keep up. So far i have really “looked inside” myself with this course & I am discovering what i have lost about myself over the years. Thanks so much for this course. I’m looking forward to “change” which i have avoided in the past. What a break through for me. Thanks again. The fun is in the new discovery of the old me & what is waiting ahead for the new me.”

[DARREN HARDY] As I say in the video, carve the time out everywhere you can. If possible find some isolated time on the weekend to get caught up. Ideally, you want to go somewhere quiet, get yourself calm and centered so you can really connect with your inner voice and gut feelings. I know that sounds weird, my point is try not to just do it in 10 minute spurts here and there in the frenetic energy of a distracting and busy day.

Questions on the content:

From Sharon: “Wow! I know we are well on our way in this program, but did anyone else have difficulty filling in the 10 year review? I keep coming back to that first page, but it has been a very slow process for me!!! I hope that I haven’t been the only one!!”

[DARREN HARDY] Sharon, it is supposed to challenge you, so it’s OK that you are. There is no growth without effort. Even if your greatest takeaway is that you didn’t collect enough memorable life experiences over the last 10 years. That wake-up call is enough to do the important work of this process to insure that doesn’t ever happen again, certainly not over the next 10 years.

From Tracy: “My husband & I just completed our tasks - we had a busy week but we did not understand the volume of material or the commitment. So we gave up date night - changed some priorities - (we did not clean the house - oh well it will get done!)

We are committed and already we are working better together - we laughed because Jim was going to date his obituary - no do not do that. Remember our goal for the next ten years was to strengthen and change our marriage.

Question - what is the difference between your vision and your mission?

Question 2 -We both had a hard time putting this on paper - as much as we are planning for other areas in our life - marriage is key. So should we have one vision & mission that includes the goals of just the marriage because we are a couple? OR do we include our goals in our individual mission because we are individuals?”

[DARREN HARDY] Question 1: The document explains difference EXCEPT the document had an error and said Vision twice (our bad!). First one pg 6) should have said Mission.

Mission is who you are and how you will live.

Vision is your Mission and Core Values rolled up into a vivid, idealized description of a desired OUTCOME. Essentially the idealized outcome of your life.

Question 2: You should both first define the exercise individually. In my experience marriage is two whole people coming together to share themselves with someone else - not two halves coming together to make one (not the movie lore of “you complete me”). As Jim Rohn would say, “I’ll take care of me for you, you take care of you for me.” Once you both get clear on who you are individually, what is important to you (your core values) and what you want to achieve in life (mission), then you 1) will know how to support each other better and 2) can figure out how to best come together and formulate core values, mission and vision statements as a marriage and as a family.

From Jenn: “Hi Darren, I am going through this great process with my husband and we both are struggling with the section on 3 risks you wish you would have taken. Neither of us feel we have missed anything along the way and in fact everything we have done has brought us to the place we find ourselves today… we wouldn’t change it for the world! We don’t feel this is a bad thing. We are not trying to be ‘greater than thou’ or anything… we are thoroughly enjoying this process and look forward to each installment.”

[DARREN HARDY] There are no wrong answers Jenn and if you don’t have answers for some questions that is OK too. The major point is to get you to stop, think, assess and consider. I would challenge the thought a little however - are you exactly where you want to be in life right now? If not, there were probably some risks you could have taken along the way that would have elevated your success to date. Even if they were relationship risks - people you could have connected with but didn’t, people you could have been more vulnerable, giving, considerate to (at the risk of your own ego, self-protectionism, etc), pressed your body further, farther, harder to be in better health than you might be now, stepping out and taking a leadership role in your community, church, office, peer group, etc. “Risks” don’t always mean financial risks or job risks, they can be relational, personal, physical, etc.

From Smita: “Darren, I don’t understand by “list 10 milestones,” can you please eloborate so I am specific with what I need to focus on and list about my achievements/failures accordingly. Thank you so much”

[DARREN HARDY] 10 highlights… 10 most memorable accomplishments… the ten things that stick out the most from the period in review.

mile⋅stone [mahyl-stohn] –noun 2. a significant event or stage in the life, progress, development, or the like of a person, nation, etc.: Her getting the job of supervisor was a milestone in her career.

From Tim Neilson: “Question: Worksheet2 My Obituary… Are we writing this from the perspective of dying within 24 hours? Or is this obituary the ‘ideal’ write-up for ‘when’ we die and all we imagined has been accomplished? I’m confused as to whether or not we’ve shifted out of the 24 hours to live mode. Thanks”

[DARREN HARDY] Great question, Tim! The answer is the latter - the 40, 50, 60 years from now perspective.

Questions about working with spouses, friends and family members:

From Debra Davis Suggs: “I subscribed today, 01/11/2010, and hope that I may receive the previous information given on January 5th. I am so excited about this opportunity. My husband and I are big dreamers, planners and are working very hard to transform our dreams into goals and then finally into a success and reality! God bless you for your generosity and time! Have a joyous, blessed and prosperous day!”

[DARREN HARDY] Glad to have you and your husband aboard, Debora! This is a wonderful process to do with your spouse (at the same time) and discuss it. My wife and I do our worksheets at the same time. We find somewhere beautiful/inspirational and somewhere quiet and go through each download worksheet.

From Phil: “I sent invites to 20 of my closest - family and friends. To date only 6 signed up. Not to worry, I keep encouraging and challenging the others.” From teens to 60+–never too young and never too late to take part in this endeavor.”

[DARREN HARDY] Way to go Phil! It is great to get those you have to be around anyway as part of your ongoing support team… and by introducing them to this process you might be making an incredible, life-changing difference in their life forever. Bravo!

Questions about the difference of this course and Design Your Best Year Ever book:

From Yosi: “Hi Darren, I has purchased your “Design Your Best Year Ever” book and had started on that during the Christmas holidays. I’m trying to figure out the best way to follow the two programs at the same time. It seems logical to first follow the design your best 10 years program, and then work on my goals for the next year. However, I don’t want to wait until the end of February to get started on this year. Can you provide me with some guidance on how to go about managing this?”

[DARREN HARDY] My new, 8 week program will cover the whole process, but you might find having the printed version of “Design Your Best Year Ever” book a helpful tool. The exclusive achievement planner will help guide you through the rest of the next year.

From Donna Wood: “I have one question - does it make sense to also do the “Design Your Best Year Ever” process or will this cover that whole process? Again, thank you and many blessings to you and yours.”

[DARREN HARDY] This will cover the whole process, but you might find having the printed version of DBYE book a helpful tool as it also has an achievement planner to guide you the rest of the next year.

From Yosi Knecht: “Hi Darren, I am really enjoying this program, the amount of introspection required is extremely challenging and a lot of fun. Thanks for doing this.

I quickly browsed today’s worksheet and my first impression was that there are a lot of questions in the Opportunities and Threats sections that apply to running a business. Several of them can only be answered partially, if at all, by someone who is not the owner, which I am not (Ex - the question that begins “If demand for your business instantly grew three times over…”). How do you recommend we approach that?”

[DARREN HARDY] Hmm, great question. I guess I always assume everyone is an entrepreneur or has a side business at least. One suggestion is to get a side business! The other is skip the questions that don’t apply, they are there just to prod your mind to come up with all the SWOTs you can think of.

From Dean Hayes: “Heard you interviewed by Mortgage Coach. Great content on your site. Question - what camera and software do you use for your videos? It’s great quality!”

[DARREN HARDY] Hi Dean, thanks even though I think it can improve. I just got delivery (5min ago) of an amateur lighting package in attempt to make it look better. Camera is the inexpensive Flip and I edit (just clip front and end off - when I get up to turn camera on and off) with the free iMovie software on my Mac. That’s it!

From Edgar: “Dear Darren, Thank you!!!!! I am very excited!!! Are you a member on facebook?”

[DARREN HARDY] Yes I am, Edgar! Feel free to add me as a friend: http://www.facebook.com/darrenjhardy SUCCESS Magazine is at http://www.facebook.com/SUCCESSmagazine

Notable Comments:

“Once I signed the commitment page I found myself diligently recording my answers to the remaining worksheet questions. Talk about serious contemplation! I really had no idea where I had been the last ten years and how much I had truly accomplished. I had to give myself a pat on the back, but now after the review I’m even more excited about the future! I had to submit a business plan for my company today - I felt it was only half done due to the progress I feel I’ll be making from now to the end of February. I can hardly wait to get cracking on this new worksheet set and take a giant leap forward in my personal journey toward success. I believe with this plan I can truly live each day on purpose!” –Mendy from DB10 Part 2

“Since i subsciribed to the Success magazine last year, my life has DRAMATICALLY changed. I started my own business, I got my own apartment, I started dating the most amazing man, I ran a 1/2 marathon and I am constantly improving. I am so excited to do this eight-week course to see how else I can improve myself. Thank you soo much, Darren.” –Kayla C DB10 Part 2

“Darren, I want to take this minute to share my successes in 2009. Last year on new year’s eve of 2009 I started the reading process and completing your book “Design Your Best Year Ever”. After two layoffs and personal financial crash in 2007 & 2008, I decided to make a statement that was loud and clear to me and my family. I listed my goals and followed your book step by step. The results were:

1. I was the # 3 Sales Agent in Texas out of 260 Agents.

2. I qualified to the annual convention in Puerto Rico.

3. I took my wife and 2 daughters to Egypt.

4. I am now debt free, and own both of my cars free & clear.

5. My savings and retirement accounts are growing according to plan.

And now, with your new awesome program I am so excited about what will come my way in the next 10 years. If I was able to achieve all of that in 1 year, I am sure there are huge accomplishments waiting to happen. Thank for your mentorship and support. Continue to surprise us with more great stuff. By the way, Today I purchased 50 success for teens books from the success foundation to hand out to teens in my family and community.” –Eddie F. DB10 Part 2

“When I lost my job last year, I knew there was a reason that it didn’t upset me. What I realize now is that it freed up so much time for me to work on myself instead. This is definitely the best investment I have made in the last ten years.

I know how many opportunities I let go by because of my golden handcuffs. The next ten years belong to me, I’m going to make my own opportunities this time.

I now have the guidance and support group that i’ve been lacking as well as the knowledge and belief in myself. Thank you Darren, you have become one of many mentors i’ve acquired through books, magazines and online resources.” –Chris Eh Young, DB10 Part 3