Success is not an accident. It happens for a reason, because of the things put into it.
It is the result of a consistent, deliberate process.
And it’s nothing new. I find that literature exemplifies this perfectly.
Whether one reads the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, or a fresh copy of Tony Robbin’s
Awaken the Giant Within, we come across the same ideas about what it takes to succeed.
The major ingredients of success are universal and eternal — and they are available
to everyone. Everything that you do and become starts within.
Your thoughts form your outer reality, for better or for worse. You do what you do first
because you think. Thoughts form beliefs, intentions, and lead to actions, habits, and
ultimately make you what you are. Think thoughts that make you stronger.
Think thoughts that open doors. Think thoughts that foster your highest self.
Think thoughts that inspire you to ever higher levels of being!
All success begins with the correct thoughts. Thoughts alone may lead to nothing.
Countless people go through life not using their thinking to definitive ends. Success
requires that you pool your thoughts into a focused objective — an idea.
When you fall in love with an idea, that is the beginning of something great.
In order to achieve success, your thoughts need to be brought to bear in wonderful ideas.
For every idea that comes to your mind, you will assess it. The question is: in what manner?
Most people, when a big, epic idea rises in their thoughts — a dream, a huge goal,
an opportunity— they automatically beat it down.
“It’s too hard . . . it won’t happen . . . it’s not realistic . . . this can
go wrong . . . I’m too old . . . or too young . . . or too ugly . . . or too introverted
. . .” Ad infinitum!
The ideas that can carry you to a world-class life are meaningless if you kill them in their
infancy. Viewing them from a negative perspective will do just that.
Instead, view ideas from a positive perspective. See an idea for what it can be, how it can
work, how is it possible, and how wonderful it would be to achieve.
This does not mean ignoring the difficulty. It’s naive to embark on something huge without
an idea about its trials. But the difference is in being able to adopt a positive assessment
despite all adversity — to see the light in the darkness.
Thoughts, combined into ideas, need a positive light to make them shine.
Once you have an idea that you have taken a positive, enabling approach to, you can
move on to the next stage: setting goals. Success requires focusing. What do you want?
How will you get there? When? Set goals. Make a plan. Know where you’re
going, because unless you do, you’ll end up somewhere you may not like. Setting goals
is, as Anthony Robbins put it, the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.
Ideas need goals to give them substance. Goals are important. But what’s the span
between you and that goal? The process.
You do not reach the top of a mountain by looking at its summit the whole time. You
focus on the ground in front of you. On each step. One at a time.
This means stepping out of your comfort zone. This means taking daily action. Commit to
that, and you’ll be amazed what small daily steps can do in the long run.
Goals require action. Always. Goals, without process, are merely unsubstantiated dreams.
One can have all the right goals and actions, but without the right attitude the whole equation
is skewed. This modifier is essential, because this isn’t
easy. It’s hard work. Failure will abound. Only the right attitude can take all the hardship
and pain that success requires. Just as Thomas Jefferson said, nothing can
stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal, but likewise nothing
on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
Action, tempered by a winner’s attitude, becomes decisive.
We are what we do. Habits make us who we are. If you want to succeed in an area of your
life, you must make it a habit, a discipline, and nothing less.
You will become what you repeat. Success requires the faithful repetition of
the process. Every. Single. Day. Things change. Modifying your approach as
you learn new information is key. The methods and thinking that get you to one
point in your journey may not be what you need to get you to the next one. A shift of
gears is in order, because one gear can only get you so far.
Sometimes you need a new set of tools. Sometimes your methods won’t work. Reflecting on your
progress and spotting these allows you to change them — and thereby correct your
course. The more you reflect, the more effective you
are at achieving your goals. Everything in this equation is multiplied
by perseverance. Without it, you get zero. Here’s why . . .
You will fail. You will get knocked down. You will make mistakes. Events, circumstances,
mere chance, and others will try to put you down, make you think you’re not good enough,
try to make you step out of the ring. It will sting!
Life will challenge you because your extraordinary dreams are worthy of challenge!
No matter how hard life hits you, never step out of the ring. No matter how hard it gets.
You lose when you give up. That’s where it all ends. So be the kind of person who
refuses to throw in the towel. “I am a slow walker,” said Abraham Lincoln,
“but I never walk back.” No matter how much adversity slows you down,
never walk back. Keep going.
Success belongs to those who don’t quit. Success may seem like an enormous challenge.
It’s not easy. But at its heart are a few eternal principles that have stood the test
of time. Whatever you do, remain true to the principles
of success. Study them. Internalize them. Be disciplined. Be bold. Keep going. As long
as you do, you will achieve far more than you ever thought possible.
That, too, is a rule.