Ask any person if they want to be successful and they will say “yes”.
The only problem is that most people aren’t sure of what it takes to be successful. We’re bombarded with so many “get rich quick” schemes that promise overnight success that sometimes we wonder if there really is a “quick-fix to success”.
The truth is that there are no quick-fixes to success and that success comes from undertaking the tasks, facing the challenges and building the character that will allow you to reach your vision of success.
I want to share with you 9 (non-quick-fix) Practices that successful people implement into their lives. I call them…
THE 9 PRACTICES OF SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE
I worked really hard on the title, as you can tell.
But seriously now, even if you have achieved momentous success or you are battling to make something of your life, I know that there is something here that you can take away and implement (or re-align) into your life TODAY!
1 – BE SELF-AWARE
Sydney J. Harris said: “Ninety percent of the world’s woe comes from people not knowing themselves , their abilities, their frailties, and even their real virtues. Most of us go almost all the way through life as complete strangers to ourselves“.
Self-awareness allows you to know your strengths, weaknesses, values and passions – just to name a few. Underst anding yourself will allow you to make decisions to focus in areas that you love and where you may need improvement. Being self-aware means you can accept that YOU are in control of your destiny and that YOU have the power to change your character, your circumstances and your life.
2 – CREATE A VISION FOR YOUR LIFE
Life without vision is like a ship upon the seas, tossed to and fro by storms and either left capsized, sunk or by some unwanted destination.
William Ernest Henley wrote: “I am the master of my fate, I am the Captain of my soul“
You are the captain of your life, so where is it that you want to go?
What matters most to you in life? Where do you see yourself being in a year? 3 Years? 20 years? Who do you want to become?
See your life and then make goals that are achievable, will stretch you, and move you closer to that vision.
3 – FOCUS ON 6 THINGS AT A TIME
One of the main reasons why people can’t conceive or believe in their vision is because they start to think of all the many things that they have to do in order to achieve it – they defeat themselves before ever taking the first step.
The truth is that you can’t do everything at once and so only do the 6 MOST important things that are MOST crucial to get you closer to your goals. Stop wasting time on a “to-do list” and start seriously working on 6 goals/tasks at a time. As you focus and achieve those 6 goals, the other necessary goals will fall into place.
4 – AVOID DISTRACTIONS
Determination is key when trying to reach your goals. Distractions are like the l and mines of mediocrity. They cause you to waste your time, drift further from your goals, and often make you less effective and less valuable.
Underst and and realise that there is a time and place for every activity that you need and want to do. Schedule time for browsing the internet, social media, video games, television, etc.
Be determined in reaching your goals and learn to recognise when distractions come up, and have a plan on how to avoid them and get back on track.
5- DO MORE
When I met former President & CEO of American Express Centurion Bank, David E. Poulsen, he said to me: “If you want to be successful, then do more than what is expected of you.“
How true it is that an employer will value the services of an employee who is innovative, resourceful and hard working. How true it is that you will gain greater respect, trust and loyalty from those around you if you give more of yourself.
Too many people just do what they have to and then wonder why they haven’t got a bonus or been promoted, why their employees don’t trust them and why their businesses don’t work.
I’m not suggesting working longer hours, I’m suggesting that you begin to work smarter – find ways of being more effective.
David also told me: “No successful person gets up after 5am.” I guess it’s time to reset the alarm and forget about the snooze button.
6 – GET ACTIVE
The benefits of exercising daily or being physically active are congruent for a successful lifestyle. Exercising helps to:
- Improve your mood
- Improve mental focus and stability
- Make you live longer by up to 30%
- Make you healthier – in fact, it helps reduce heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other illnesses by up to 50%
A happier, healthier you = more success.
(Warning: Consult your Doctor before beginning any exercise plan)
7 – EVALUATE YOUR PERFORMANCE
Each night ask yourself these two questions:
- What did I do well today?
- What can I do better tomorrow?
Evaluating your own performance is crucial to helping you stay on track towards your goals. It is one of the crucial keys to growth and success. No person or company can go through life and expect to not have to make any changes to succeed.
As the saying goes: “Do what you’ve always done, get what you’ve always gotten.” If you want something else then change the way you are doing things today.
8 – EARN IT
Do yourself a favour and reward your hardwork.
As I mentioned in point 4 – schedule time to relax, do a hobby, browse the world-wide-web, get a massage, etc. Relaxing is perfect to help you rejuvenate so that you don’t burn out.
Set yourself goals daily, weekly and monthly – if you achieve those goals then reward yourself. Life isn’t just meant to be about work or achieving goals – sometimes it’s just about having fun, living in the moment, and spending time with loved ones – find the right balance and you’ll be loving life to the fullest.
9 – MASTER YOUR THOUGHTS
“The mind is everything. What you think you become.” -Buddah
Too many of us speak negatively to ourselves – “You can’t do that! Are you stupid!”, “That’s just too impossible for me.”, “I’m not smart enough to think of how to do this.”
And so the list goes on…
The question is – would you let anyone talk to you like that? Of course not! So why should you allow yourself to…
Negative thinking and self-doubt is counter productive to success. Successful people train their minds to push away negative thoughts and focus on positive truths. They are proactive and positive in their minds and thus proactive and successful in the world.
If you want to learn how to control your thoughts so that you can become more successful, then get my guide the “Go Go Bum Bum Go Go“, you can get it by clicking here.
TAKE ACTION
Now that you’ve finished reading the article I’m sure you felt something inside of you letting you know that you can improve.
Write down those thoughts and make a plan to implement them. Choose 1 practice from this article to implement TODAY! As I mentioned before, if you want things to change, then you need to change.
Now go out there and be extraordinary!
Your Friend
Grant