7 Ways to Assure Your Success in Any Endeavor

How bad do you want to escape the life you live to a life you know, deep down, that you truly deserve? What if I showed you a way to have that life if only you followed a few simple rules? If your very first reaction is to be skeptical, then you have some internal programming work to do. If you’ll simply open your mind and follow the rules, then you’ll be well on your way to realizing the kind of life you deserve. How do you define success? Some people equate success to a sum of money, an amount of income, or a standard of living. Others define it as the amount of freedom they desire. The truth is, success can be defined in as many different ways as there are individuals on this planet. Most people claim they desire to be “successful” in some form or fashion. Some want a high-paying position or job, a certain kind of car, and a certain style of home in a desirable region of the world, or a lifestyle that offers them the freedom to do what they want when they want. Sadly, because “success” is so subjective, few people actually feel successful. The primary reason for this is not because success is unachievable, but that most people fail to implement any kind of actionable plan on how they’re going to achieve the success they desire. Most believe if they affirm it, proclaim it, or think about it enough, success will just somehow manifest itself. Except it doesn’t work that way. Here are some things you can start doing, right now, to virtually guarantee your success, no matter how you define it. 1. Take action, now. Life will be as “busy” as you allow it to be. Stop putting your goals and aspirations behind the avoidable delays and distractions of life. Eliminate the excuses you have for delaying your success aspirations for a “better time” or when you’re “ready”. If you take this approach, you may never realize your dreams and achieve the success you desire because there is no better time than right now to take action to begin your journey toward your goals. Start today. Stop making excuses that you believe are actual reasons for putting off your action plan to achieve the success you so badly desire. Make a list of the things you must do in order to achieve your goals. Then, prioritize that list and do one thing every single day, even if you only have just ten or fifteen minutes a day. Taking consistent action is one of the most satisfying things you’ll do to achieve the success you desire. Ignore this fundamental truth at the peril of your hopes and aspirations. 2. Spend time with people who are wiser than you. Who do you listen to? Who do you take advice from? What sources are you seeking insight and wisdom from on a daily basis? You’ll never learn as much spending your time and attention around the people who are exactly where you desire to escape from. You learn and grow by spending your time and attention with people who are where you desire to be in life. This can be one of the toughest things for some people because of the emotional ties that exist among people. Your choices will define every aspect of your life. Your income will be within $2,000 to $5,000 of your closest five friends. Your standard of living, insight, and opportunities will be highly influenced by the friends you keep close. Choose wisely. 3. Save more than you think you can…and invest early and often.  Time is the one aspect of investing that provides the most leverage. If you’re young, get this truth into your head and leverage it. The “time” to learn this fundamental rule of return is not later in life like most people. The truth is, you’ll be fifty years old before you know it. If you’re young and leverage your time wisely, you’ll be a wealthy fifty-year-old instead of a regretful fifty-year-old. If you’re not-so-young, start now anyway. Time is relative to how much you have remaining. You cannot go back and reclaim it, so don’t waste any more of it in regret. Instead, get started now! Get your priorities straight It is never a good idea to buy a bigger flat-screen TV if you already have a functional TV and you can instead choose to invest the $500. Same thing goes for the car you’re driving. Do you really need a new car? Financial freedom begins as soon as you decide to use money as the tool it is to achieve the success you say you desire. The path to financial freedom begins to become clear when you see how money can work for you, not the other way around. 4. Never stop reading. One of the primary differences between successful people (broadly defined) and unsuccessful people is that successful people are avid readers. They have an insatiable appetite for information. Recommended reading for beginners seeking success: Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill The Magic of Thinking Big, by David Schwartz How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie The Secret, by Rhona Byrne The Power of Positive Thinking, by Norman Vincent Peale The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Steven Covey Fear Is a Thief, by Gary Westfal These books form an essential foundation to a level of knowledge and insight leading to a life of success; no matter how you define it. They should be a permanent part of your ever-growing library. 5. Stay fit. Success in any language must include the elements of physical, emotional, and spiritual fitness. These elements form the basis of balance and harmony in life. If any of the three elements is deficient, an imbalance will occur until you take action to correct it. Be sure to incorporate the time to ensure your physical well-being by staying active, eating right, and consistently engaging in some kind of physical activity. Your ability to stay active is essential in helping you to think clearer, function efficiently, and live a vital life. When your mind, body, and spirit are in balance, you are grounded in your potential. With balance as the cornerstone in your life, you will always experience the best of what life has to offer. 6. Connect with a coach or mentor. The benefits of learning from someone else allows you to leverage the knowledge of someone who has traveled the path you desire to travel in a much shorter timeframe and often in a much more efficient manner. If your burning desire is to reach the pinnacle of your version of success as quickly as possible, consider enlisting the assistance of a coach or mentor. A good coach or mentor can literally change the course and construct of your life. These leaders can help you identify your strengths, develop them, and take advantage of opportunities best leverage those attributes. 7. Master the Power of Influence. Influence is part of every interaction. Anyone refusing to admit that it’s not a part of their life is likely the one who is being influenced. Influence is so powerful that it has become a vital part of an increasing movement of personal awareness and self-improvement curriculums designed to accelerate results across the spectrum of business and personal relationships. Your ability to persuade and influence people to help you get the things you want out of life is one of the most important skills you can develop. Learning the fundamentals of influence opens the pathways to greater personal power that leads to your ability to get more of the things you want faster and easier than ever before. Your ability to influence can be a difference-maker between success and failure. It can virtually guarantee your progress and enable you to use all of your other skills and abilities at peak performance levels. Learning how to influence people will earn you the respect of those you interact with and has the potential to make you one of the most sought-after people in your community or business. Until next time…