The first key: Knowing what you want
Successful people know what they want. They know who they want to be and where they want to go. In other words, they have a very clear picture of what success means to them.
Do you know what you want? This is the first step to power and to success. If you do not know what you want you have no way of measuring whether you are succeeding or not. There are people who have grown up believing that they do not have the right to ask the ‘What do I want?’ question, They believe that they do not have the right to want anything. These people never escape the feeling that they are just surviving. These people live according to dreams created by other people. They do not create or live their own dreams. If you know what you want obstacles cease to be problems and become challenges that need to be overcome, because if you know what you want you are always looking a few steps beyond the problem. If you don’t know what you want you become a victim of problems that seem bigger than you.
If you do not know what you want you need to experiment with different experiences, different tastes, different careers and different dreams. If you do not know what you want and are not experimenting then you are under the power of someone else’s dream.:
Answer the following questions for yourself:
- What do you want out of life? – write down as many things as possible – use multiple sheets of paper. The more you want and the longer your list, the better! Successful people have a clear idea of what they want to be, have and do. Do you have a clear idea of what you want to be, have and do?
- What do you want to put into life? – What are you committed to? Are you committed to making some kind of change in the world? Are you committed to a certain group of people? You might be committed to generating a stable, regular source of income for yourself and your family. Write down the things you are committed to using separate sheet of paper. As above, use multiple sheets of paper. Do you have a clear idea of what you are committed to?
Once you have completed the list, get different people who know you really well to also make such a list about you. You must be open to hearing things about yourself that you might not find so pleasant to hear.
The second key: Self awareness
Self awareness is a vitally important tool in helping you to be, have and do more in your life. Here are some ideas that will help you use and expand your self-awareness:
- Over the next week, make a conscious effort to listen to what it is you are saying and how you talk when you interact with other people. Are you coming across as successful? Is what you are saying and how you are saying it a true reflection of who you are? How does what it is you say create the image people have of you?
- Are you spending your time and energy in an efficient way? How could you spend your time and energy in more efficient ways? How would you feel if you were able to channel your energies in a positive way?
- Are you thinking about your future in a positive, empowering way? How are you thinking of your future?
- Are the experiences you have had useful to your personal growth?
- How would you like people to see you? You must grok that what you are selling – above all – is yourself. So, how would you like your people to see you? Take a clean sheet of paper and write down as many words as possible that describe this. What do you think you need to change before your customer sees you in this way?
The third key: Think about the big picture and the long term
Successful people work to a plan – a long-term plan. It’s no good having a plan that only helps you make it to the end of today, the month or the end of the year. You need a plan that helps you keep succeeding the rest of your life. This plan may change many times during your life, but unless it is a vision of the future it is only survival now. Planning ensures that you effectively use all of your available energies and resources.
We tend to believe that time controls the way we think, but the way we think controls our experience of time. The sociologist Elliot Jaques showed how people’s time horizons (how far they can project their minds into the future) are directly related to what they are capable of thinking – the power of their thought. Success depends on how far ahead you can plan. For instance, the Catholic Church plans 200 years into the future. Tokyo’s city fathers plan 500 years into the future. What time horizon do you have? Do you have a plan? How far does your plan extend into the future?
The fourth key: The desire to keep learning
Committed To Growth – Successful people got that way by always looking for a better way. They are always improving their approach, their techniques, and their attitude. Develop the desire for life-long learning.
The fifth key: The ability to invent and reinvent yourself
Successful people see themselves as successful and expect success. While some people may view this strategy as arrogant or deluded, but it works.
‘Human beings are by nature actors, who cannot become something until they have pretended to be it. They are therefore to be divided, not into the hypocritical and the sincere, but into the sane, who know they are acting, and the mad who don’t’ (attributed to W.H.Auden).
Successful people speak as if they are successful. They talk about themselves as being successful by using words and language that express success. They are even able to describe the most negative of circumstances in an empowering, positive way.
Successful people also want and expect more from their lives. They are committed to continuous learning and growth, and they see failure as a way of improving themselves. Being able to invent yourself is also being able to reinvent yourself when you need to.
Successful people mix with and learn from other successful people.Enjoy being with and communicating with other people because they can learn from them.
Do you fit the above description of a successful person? Are you doing the things successful people do? Remember, you are selling yourself above anything else. You may know about how you come across but your audience will perceive you based on these factors:
- Your appearance – name some professionals -eg.- doctors, lawyers, dentists. How do they dress? Like professionals. If you look professional, you must be a professional. Looking good is reassuring.
- Your professionalism
- Your confidence
- Your listening skills
- Your knowledge in your field
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