How To Be More Successful
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Understanding What Success Is
For example, my idea of success could be to own ten houses. Until I own ten houses, I won't feel as though I have been successful in my endeavour. However, for you, success may mean putting your children through private schools and until you do this, you won't feel successful.
When we have both accomplished what we set out to achieve, we both feel successful. However, an outsider looking at the two of us could well perceive that one of us was more successful than the other. But that would only be in his or her eyes and it would be based on his or her own personal measure of success.
Let's go back to our definition of success - "the favourable outcome of something attempted". What is an outcome? An outcome is something that follows from an action. In other words, it is a result or a consequence. An action occurs whenever we do, or don't do, something.
For example, an action would be to mow the lawn. The outcome (or result) is a nice tidy yard we feel good about. We are happy to have our friends over and see that we have a tidy garden. The yard looks appealing to be in. Whereas, not to take action would be not to mow the lawn. The outcome (or consequence) is weeds growing up to our knees. It certainly would not inspire us to go out in the back yard and play cricket with the children.
By a favourable outcome, we mean a result that is encouraging or promising. In other words, the result does not have to be one hundred percent on the first attempt. All it has to be is an indication that we are on the right track. The more times we do it, the more encouraging and promising it should become.
Suppose we decided to spend two hours a day cleaning up our yard. After the first day, we have cleaned up a quarter of the yard. Certainly, this result is encouraging because we can see the benefits that will come when we have completed the job. However, if on the next day we decided to do nothing, then we would have an unfavourable outcome because no progress had been made.
At the end of a week, we have completely cleaned up our yard. We have been successful because we have succeeded in our endeavour. The job is done and we can clearly see the results. Now we are all ready to invite our friends over for a bar-b-que. How good we feel because we made the effort. This is the feeling of success.
Using these examples, I think I have also illustrated the meaning of "something attempted" in our definition of success. However, to make it crystal clear, to attempt something is to make an effort to do something or to achieve something. In other words, we need to try. Usually success cannot be attained without action. There is an old saying that goes - "to do nothing is to be nothing". Another one is "nothing ventured, nothing gained".
Another aspect of our definition of success is that it is not permanent. By this I mean that the good feeling of success does not last unless we continue to do things that give us favourable outcomes. Going back to our yard example, we feel good because we have completed the job.
However, if we don't continue to maintain our yard in a tidy state, it becomes untidy again. Due to inaction, whenever we look at our yard we see the weeds and mess. We do not feel good about it until we clean it up again. It is the same with success. Remember, it is not a destination, it is a continuing journey!
And it is the same with life. If you look around you, you will see people who were at one time successful. Why are they not successful now? Simply because they stopped doing the things that made them successful in the first place. The consequence of inaction is failure.
Therefore, success is how you define it for yourself. What do you want to achieve with your life? Where do you want to go with your career? What sort of a house do you want to live in? The answers to these questions are part of your standard against which you measure your progress towards your personal success. If you are progressing towards achieving all that you want, then you are being a success. Continue to achieve to maintain the momentum and you will be very successful.
The biggest mistake people make when they are looking for success is to compare themselves to others. Do not let this stop you. What is right for one person is not necessarily right for you. You are the one that has to live your life and be happy in it. Therefore make it your own. Success is a personal thing - achieve your own success on your own terms. Measure your success using your own yard sticks, not someone elses'. To your own self be true.
Okay, so you feel that you have not been successful so far. What can you do to obtain success? Firstly, I will show the characteristics of successful people. Then I will set out a blueprint or plan so that you too can be on your way towards being more successful. Remember, the result is up to you. It depends on you making the effort so that you can obtain the favourable outcomes. No one else can do it for you. You make your own luck.
Persist and You Will Succeed!
One of the major factors behind any persons' success is persistence. This is the ability to keep on trying with the knowledge that eventually, you have to succeed. How often have you seen someone give up on something and someone else has come along and shown that success was just around the corner? If they had tried just one or two more times they would have succeeded!Persistent people do not allow set backs to stop them in their tracks. They are confident in the knowledge that if they keep on trying, they have to get to where they want to be. They continued with the expectation of success. Those that quit usually expect to fail - that is why they do not persist. Remember that success may be just up around the next corner. You would kick yourself if you discovered that you quit just short of your goal. Yet this is what many people do.
Thomas Edison often tried something a thousand times before he discovered how to make something work. He was not discouraged by failure. He persisted until he achieved what he was aiming for. Each time he looked to see why he had failed and used the knowledge gained to improve his next attempt until he hit the jackpot. However, most of us would have quit after the second or third attempt with no real knowledge of why it did not work.
Remember, persist until you succeed. Winners do not quit and quitters never win!
You Can If You Think You Can!
How often have you held yourself back because you thought you could not do something? What many of us do not realise is that most of the limitations we have are self-imposed. These self-imposed limitations are due to our way of thinking. We say to ourselves that we cannot rather than we can. James Allen said "As a man thinketh, so he is".We are what we think we are. If you see yourself successfully achieving your goal, then you are already half way there. However, if you cannot visualise yourself achieving your goal, then you will not achieve it. Another name for this sort of thinking is self-expectations. What we expect for ourselves, we get.
If you expect a life of poverty, you get a life of poverty. If you expect a life of love and joy, you get a life of love and joy. If you expect a life of riches, you get a life of riches. This is often called a self-fulfilling prophecy. Our brains are goal seeking devices and they have the incredible habit of seeking the goal that we most often think about.
Therefore the message is that our thoughts are our most important brain food on our road to success. Think positive, goal achievement thoughts and it follows that you will achieve what you set out to achieve. Think thoughts of doubt and negativity, and the battle is lost before it is even begun.
Gain Courage Through Facing Your Fears
Many of us hold ourselves back because we are afraid to do something. Fear is a healthy emotion and is very good for us. It stops us from walking across the road in front of a truck. It stops us from doing things that can cause us harm. But when it stops us from doing the things we need to do to achieve our goals, then it is unhealthy.If we do not want to go and meet someone because we are afraid of what they will think of us, then we are suffering from an exaggerated sense of fear. If we are afraid to do something that we have never done before, we are showing signs of being afraid of the unknown. This is a reasonably normal reaction. However, for the fear to stop us from meeting someone is unhealthy.
The only way to confront fear is to face it. We need to do the things we fear. This does not mean walking out on the road in front of a truck as this is sure to lead to death. What it does mean is that we need to do the things we fear to show ourselves that there was really nothing to fear. For example, you have never cooked a cake and you are afraid that it would not turn out to the standard you want. You should bake the cake and see how you go. The results could surprise you.
Now if the cake did not turn out, you could say to yourself, I knew it would not work, and never try again. However, a successful person would wonder what went wrong and have another go while trying to remedy the reason for the failure. Never be afraid to fail. Failure is part of the learning process that leads us to achieving our goals. If you have never failed, there is a high probability that you have never done anything. It is human to fail. However, the failures are those who do not try again.
Gain courage through facing your fears. The more you do this the easier it becomes. Confidence is developed through doing, not wishing. You need to condition your mind for success and take the necessary actions otherwise your efforts are wasted. Action is the magic that can take your dreams and make them reality.
Rise Up and Win By Learning From Defeat
To try again until you succeed. How often have you heard that saying? What does it really mean? Most successful people have suffered numerous setbacks before experiencing the success they were aiming for. There are two reasons why they ended up achieving their goals.Firstly, they kept on going and never gave up. There may have been times when they felt like quitting. However, they remembered that winners do not quit. They just kept on going in the belief that one day they would win. You can never be a winner if you do quit.
Secondly, they tried to learn something from every set back or defeat. They did this so that they would not repeat the same mistake again. How often do you read about millionaires who went bankrupt a couple of times before they eventually reached their goal. Each time they analysed why they failed, resolved not to make the same mistake again, got back up and continued on to their success. Dick Smith is a classic example of this. If you get the opportunity to read his story, do so.
Do not let defeat break your resolve to achieve your goals, whatever they may be. Always ask yourself what you can learn from this temporary set back or defeat. Then proceed to use what you have learnt so that you do not repeat the same mistake again. Failures are those who are unable or unwilling to learn from their mistakes.
Life is a learning experience. When we were babies first learning to walk, we fell over often. Just imagine where we would be if we never tried to get back up again when we fell over. We would still be crawling around on our hands and knees. Were we afraid then to try again? Watch a baby and the determination it shows when it tries to walk. How much can you learn from them? Absolutely heaps. To try again until you succeed!
Remember, we all have had experience in learning from defeat. We have all had experience in getting back up and trying again. Just because we are no longer babies, does not mean we have to give up trying. Now is the time to try even harder still because we all have the ability to do more with our lives than we are currently doing. Do not let anything hold you back!
Find Opportunities As You Develop A Positive Mental Attitude
They carry their goals around with them and read them each day. This reminds them why they are doing what they are doing as they work towards achieving their goals. This is the reason your goals should be specific. In the next section, I will be showing you how to determine what your goals need to be and how to make them specific. If you cannot clearly see what it is you want to achieve, then your destination is just a hazy image. Whereas when you have the picture clearly fixed in your mind, you know precisely where it is you want to go.
Whenever you begin to doubt your abilities to achieve your goals, remember what James Allen said in his book "As A Man Thinketh", "A man is what he thinks about all day". What this means is that if you spend your time thinking that you will fail, then you will surely fail. However, spend your time thinking you will succeed and you will succeed. This is a fact of life. Some people call this the law of self-fulfilling prophecies.
If you look around you, you will find that there are people who say they can never get out of their current poor circumstances. No matter what they try, nothing seems to work. Why is this so? Very simply, because they believe that their circumstances cannot be changed. If they were able to believe (without doubt) that their circumstances could be improved, then their circumstances would improve over time. Remember - as a man thinks, so he is!
You will need to make strong efforts to push self defeating thoughts out of your mind. Replace them with positive statements reinforcing your worth and your ability to achieve. Some people repeat over and over to themselves that they are winners whenever they begin to have negative thoughts. You will need to do something similar whenever you find yourself in this situation.
Success Reviews
- Life Purpose Revealed
- The Life Purpose Revealed is a MP3 instant download based on the Dawson Method. It enables you to bypass your "busy" mind, and tap into your powerful "deeper" mind - the place where you already have all the answers to the questions about your life that you are seeking.
- Sedona Method
- The Sedona Method is a unique, elegant, simple-to-master and very powerful tool that enables you to uncover your natural ability to "let go" of painful, unwanted, counterproductive feelings in the moment %u2026 meaning before the negative feelings can do their damage to your inner peace, happiness, stability, relationships, goals and success.
- Silva Life System
- The Silva Life System combines cutting edge science and ancient profound wisdom to produce a modern mind-control system that delivers results and changes lives. Learning to control your mind is not a sheer question of will. If it were, millions of others would've long be liberated. Instead, you need to be connected to a system which is able to teach you the secrets of controlling your mind, rising above reality and seizing your inner potential.
- Belief Buster Kit
- The Belief Buster Kit explains how to harness your beliefs for positive manifestations. This simple tutorial will change the way you think about the world and restructure your perceptions for progress. It explains the fundamentals of belief and why they can hold people like metal in a vice. The guide shows you how to identify, break free from negative beliefs and profit from your thinking.
- Quantum Mind Power
- Using Quantum Mind Power, you can completely transform your life. This powerful mind programming system provides you with the tools to program your mind for success without any effort on your part. Created with a breakthrough new technology called "The Morry Method", it has received much praise from top experts in the field, and the users of the program.
Your Achievements Grow From Your Investment In Sacrifices
One way to look at sacrifices is that they are investments. All we are really doing is forgoing an enjoyment today for the greater enjoyment we will receive in the future when we achieve our goal. When I was twenty three I decided to make a career change. To do so I had to do six years part-time study to obtain a qualification. The sacrifices I made were giving up many social activities such as parties and going to movies on weekends. Instead, my weekends were filled with writing assignments and studying for examinations. However, after the six years, I was qualified in my chosen field and able to earn a lot more than if I had stayed in the career I was in. Also, I enjoyed the work in my new career far more than my old career.
The sacrifices I made during my six years of study were a great investment that has paid for itself many times over. Modify your thinking to regard sacrifices as investments in your own future. The more we put into something, the greater the rewards will be.
References & Texts
(from amazon.com)
Turn Failure Into Success Through Concentration
Whilst this is a very simple example, the principle illustrated has universal application. Concentrate on one thing at a time and give it your best shot. To let your mind wander and be thinking of many things is a waste of precious energy. So much more can be done in less time with applied concentration.
On a broader scale, concentrate on your goals. Do not become distracted by anything that will detract you from achieving your goal. A handy little question to ask yourself at various times through the day is: Am I doing what needs to be done now? If you are not, then you need to redirect your energies. Failure to do so will mean that you are not using your time productively towards achieving your goal.
Gain Satisfaction Through Thinking Big
When I set my goals too low, I always over achieve them but gain very little satisfaction from doing so. However, whenever I set my goals high and come close to them, I feel overjoyed. There is always a greater sense of achievement when I have stretched even if I did not fully achieve it.
Also, it gives me the confidence and knowledge that I can do even better next time. Remember, being the best is not important - doing your best is!
We are not condemned to be mediocre people. We have the power within us to live our lives to the fullest. Never to try to excel with the talents and the abilities that each of us has, is to waste the gifts we have been given.
If you set big goals and go out to achieve them, you will automatically set yourself apart from the masses. Remember that all things are possible to he who believes.
Another common problem that many people suffer from is short term thinking. Not enough thought is given to the longer term. We see this in a lot of younger people especially. Something is desired and it must be had today. With finance being so readily available these days, people buy what they want now and worry about how they are going to pay for it later.
I am constantly amazed that so many people have no real idea of how much extra things cost when they are purchased this way. When I was younger, I used to run my credit cards right up to their limits and repay the minimum amount each month. This was purely because I was so impatient I could not wait to buy something after having saved for a while. I had to have it now. I did not always consider whether I needed the product either. However, one day I decided to calculate how much I was paying in interest for this privilege of having things sooner. I got a real shock. Since then I have reduced my credit card debts back to almost nothing and now take a more calculated view. Do I really need the item or not?
Another classic example is buying the cheapest because I had to have one and that was all I could afford. This often turned out to be a complete waste of money because I did not satisfactorily research the product. As it would turn out, the cheap product could not do what I wanted it to do. Therefore I would have been better waiting until I could afford the more expensive version after ensuring that it would do what I wanted.
Whilst I have used a purchasing example above, the principle holds true in many other situations too. How many people spend all their money now with the view that they will worry about their retirement when it comes, or someone will look after them then so why worry? Decide on what you want in the long term and make a step today on your journey to achieve it. Research your goal to ensure it is what you want. Be sure that you are prepared to pay the price it will cost (not just dollars, but time, effort, sacrifices, etc.).
You Cannot Fail When You Give More Than 100 Percent
If you are working in a job and want promotion, the surest way to get it is by giving more. Employers look favourably on employees who are innovative and give more than what is expected of them. An example of this sort of behaviour is when you have mastered a job, look for new tasks to do. Also, look for better and more efficient ways to do things.
Make the effort to develop additional skills in your own time to ready yourself for promotion such as studying about leadership or how to motivate people. However, always be keen to do what needs to be done within the deadlines imposed.
For those working directly with customers, always give them more than they expect and you will generate more sales. Sometimes just giving a big, warm smile and courteous attention to the customers' requirements are all that is required. Spend the time to determine the customers need and then you will be in a position to satisfy it. I stress to you be sure to concentrate on satisfying the customers need. Have you ever been into a store and everyone is glum and does not want to serve you? Do you feel inclined to buy from them? No. But go into a store where they seem glad to see you and willing to help you and you feel far more like buying their products.
In your family life, give more than what is expected. Your relationships will bloom and grow stronger. Remember, the more you give without expecting return, the more you will gain.
Attract Friends, Money and Power By Developing Enthusiasm and Humour
Enthusiastic people seem to accomplish what they set out to achieve. Their energy is so much greater and directed. They get to their destination seemingly without too much effort. It is almost as if they have the ability to leap over tall buildings with a single bound. When someone without enthusiasm tries to do the same thing, they stumble and fall on their face.
Sometimes it can seem that we have no enthusiasm for anything. All we want to do is watch television and be a nobody. Have you ever found yourself thinking that nothing interests you? Have you ever wondered how you can be enthusiastic too?
One way to increase your level of enthusiasm is to gain knowledge about something. You will find the more you discover, the more you will want to discover. As you begin to gain knowledge, your desire to gain even more knowledge will increase. As you begin to experience small successes, your desire to achieve larger successes will grow too. This is how enthusiasm is developed.
Let's say your goal is to own your home without any debt within the next five years because you are currently renting a home you do not like. The more you learn about how you can achieve this goal, the more you will desire it and become enthusiastic about it. You will start by asking yourself what sort of house it is you want. You will look at similar houses and begin to see yourself living in it. You will know what colour it will be, what suburb it will be in, what the garden will look like, how you will finance it, and so on. Soon, whenever you talk about it, your voice and mannerisms will be lively and enthusiastic. Believe me, it works.
The surest way to kill apathy is enthusiasm. Humour is another great tool for developing enthusiasm. We need to be able to laugh at our mistakes. We cannot take ourselves too seriously. If we do, we will be prone to self-defeating thoughts and you know the power of self-fulfilling prophecies!
Another way to acquire the skills of enthusiasm and humour is to act "as if". What I mean by this is if we act as though we are enthusiastic, then we will become enthusiastic. This is a technique for directing our brain to seek out the goal of being enthusiastic and it works very well. Give it a try. The next time you feel down and out, act "as if" you are enthusiastic. You will be surprised by the change this will bring about in your circumstances.
People Will Co-operate With You When You Appeal To Their Self-Interest
We need to have people on our side. We want them to buy from us - not just once but repeatedly. We want loyal staff who will respond when we need an urgent job done on time. We want to have our family on side and supporting us in our projects and ventures.
How can we influence people so that they will do what we want? What is the secret of winning people over to our way of thinking? It is achieved simply by appealing to their self-interest. When you are selling, you need to stress the benefits that they will receive through buying your product or service. Therefore you need to take the time to find out what your customer wants to receive as benefits from your product. Once you have this information, you can then explain how your product or service will be of benefit to them. When you concentrate on other peoples interests, you are more likely to get the sale.
The same holds true in all other aspects of life. People like talking about themselves and their own interests. Take the time to listen and encourage them to talk about themselves. You will find that they hold you in higher regard for doing this and will be more eager to do what you need them to do.
In the work environment, take an interest in your staff. Take the time to talk to them about their own interests. They will respond so much better when you do.
Increase Your Energy As You Maintain Your Health
A healthy body is important because you will need to be able to do things to achieve your goals. For example, if you are constantly sick then you will most probably be incapable of taking some of the actions necessary to get to where you want to be in your life. Physical fitness is only part of a healthy body but still it should not be overlooked.
You will need to ensure that your diet is balanced and adequate to sustain you through your activities. Missing meals can deprive you of the energy required to accomplish tasks. Eating too much can leave you looking overweight and may well not fit in with the appearance you need to convey to achieve your success.
Therefore, you need to set up your own program to achieve physical health. It should include a fitness program and a balanced diet.
A healthy mind is a positive, enquiring mind. To achieve this state requires a healthy diet also. One way to give your mind this sort of diet is through reading. Ensure that you feed your mind positive books. Keep your mind open to new ideas and realise that other peoples failures could well be your successes.
Always think of yourself in a positive light. Constantly reinforce yourself with positive self-statements. Never, ever say to yourself that you are no good or a failure. Think of yourself as already being a success. The mind is a very powerful goal seeker. If you constantly tell it you are a failure, it will find many novel new ways to make you a failure. However, feed it positive thoughts and it will find ways to achieve the success you desire.
If you do not currently have a good healthy body, do not despair. With a positive mental attitude, you can achieve far more than you may be now. Perhaps some examples can illustrate this.
My parents in law wanted some small trees trimmed. They rang a man who advertised that he provided this service. When he arrived to do the job, my parents in law discovered he was blind. This did not stop him from doing the job. He trimmed the trees by doing the work by feel instead of by sight! He could have stayed home and lamented his lot in life. But he did not. He went out and made a useful life for himself.
History also shows us many examples of people who were handicapped but still went on to make a success of their life. President Roosevelt had polio as a child and was confined to a wheel chair. But this did not stop him and he went on to be President of the United States of America. His legs may have been useless, but his brain was not and he used it to great advantage.
Do not let any sort of handicap be an excuse for you not achieving success.
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