If there were only six secrets and they did ensure success, would you want to know? It brings a responsibility with it. Once you know the secrets, you will never be able to ignore them, or, to complain about the lack of success in your life.
If these six secrets ensure success and you know them, will you do what it takes to be successful?
Years ago, when I owned a health retreat center, I would give seminars to large numbers of people. My assumption was that they wanted to be healthy. Some did. Some didn’t. But, they all wanted to know how. How many success secrets do you already know? You likely do know how to be successful. You could give great advice to a friend, right? Now, are you following your own advice?
I’m going to make an assumption once again. I am going to assume that you to want to know the secrets… because you want to be successful. Am I right? You know, it could be that some folks want to know them so they can talk like a person who is going to really do something, but, of course, that’s not you. You are ready! Good for you.
Napoleon Hill wrote an amazing book called Laws of Success. After researching long and talking to hundreds of very successful people, he narrowed it down to sixteen laws. It’s a very thick book and every page is gold. Think about these things. Spend a half hour after reading this considering the place of these six in your life. If they need to be magnified, now is a good time for that.
ONE: HAVE A BURNING DESIRE
These days we call that ‘passion’. When you look that word up in the dictionary, it says, in part, ‘an intense, driving or overmastering feeling or conviction’ and ‘ a strong liking for, desire for or devotion to some activity, object or concept’.
What is it that you can pursue tirelessly? What is it you do that allows time to pass without notice? What absorbs you? Fires your imagination and enthusiasm? Inspires you?
Lofty words. It is important, though, to wrestle that concept to the ground and come up with one or two things. Until you know your burning desire, you are may feel short of a starting place for your success journey.
TWO: HAVE SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE
Everyone can be an expert at something. All you have to do is decide to become one. My grandson went through an early teenage phase of answering most questions with a shrug accompanied by “I dunno”. He seemed to be afraid to risk committing to an opinion, an idea, or, even a preference. Fortunately, that has passed.
How about you? Do you know what you know and what you want to know? Specialized knowledge is a saleable commodity. In the manufacturing world, I’ve read examples of line workers who took their contributions so seriously that they made them an art form. You can do the same. Acquire the specialized knowledge that will fulfill your burning desire.
THREE: BE GOAL-ORIENTED
You would not likely walk into a travel agency to buy a ticket, and, when the agent asks ‘Where to?” say “Surprise me!” There are many people who seem to live their lives that way. And, most of them complain like crazy!
As it says in Alice in Wonderland, if you don’t know where you want to go, any path with take you there. On the contrary, you can cut down on your travel time enormously by choosing your destination and mapping out the shortest or most scenic route.
Goal-achieving is one straight road to self-esteem. It allows you to give up excuses and save that energy for new goals. Take the time to think through and write out your goals.
FOUR: BE DECISIVE
Oh, this is big! Successful people make up their minds quickly and change them slowly. Others make up their minds slowly and change them quickly.
Napoleon Hill says never trust a man who has enough the facts and will not make a decision. I would add ‘because he/she is likely to be a perfectionist’. Perfectionists are not happy decision- makers because they are so afraid of making a mistake. They truly believe that, if they could just get a little more information, they would make a better decision. Problem is, they seldom think they have enough.
Make up your mind. Take action. Do-o-o-o something!
FIVE: SURROUND YOURSELF WITH A MASTERMIND TEAM
None of us is as smart as all of us! Open yourself to supporting and learning from other like-minded, like-focused folks. Join together with them regularly to move your life or business forward consistently.
That’s why I offer regular group coaching sessions. It gives people an opportunity to meet regularly by phone with five other people over several months. The advice, experience and expertise that is available in those sessions is invaluable. Everyone wants everyone to achieve what they most want… and they help them get there!
SIX: BE PERSISTENT AND CONSISTENT
Ever been around a person who always has a new good idea. That’s wonderful, but, do they follow through on their ideas? One way of avoiding success is to just keep thinking and never acting. Makes great conversation but very little is ever accomplished.
When you get a new good idea, create yourself a safe parking lot for it. Write it down. Capture it for further thought or another time. Incorporate it when you have achieved your current goal. It will be there waiting for you.
There’s a very good reason that someone said ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going.’ That’s a description of consistency and persistence. And, when the tough get going, they keep going. Not blindly thrashing and flailing through the mire, but keeping their eyes on the prize while skirting any obstacles in the way. They get going intelligently.
Many success writers have said that too many folks give up just before they would have accomplished their goals. Don’t let that be you.
There are many more secrets and you likely have heard them all. The secret part, though, is putting them into action. Go for it!
International speaker, coach, author & talk radio host,
Rhoberta Shaler, PhD, is an expert motivator. She gives you
the strategies and motivation to shift your results from
acceptable to EXCEPTIONAL in life and business. Subscribe to
her three free ezines at http://www.optimizelifenow.com/.
