Progress towards your “success” starts when you ask yourself a simple question: “where are you going?”.
If you study, as I have, people who were successful (really successful, the ones who found true satisfaction), you will find they all have a direction, a vision that goes beyond the things they want. You will find that they not only have a vision, they also have an action plan, a strategy to act, to do, to transform vision into reality. It’s not just a wish. We all have wishes, we want something better, we don’t really know what, but we want it. I am talking about will. That will which will become a great obsession making you do things others are not willing to do: getting up earlier, going to bed later, working better and more, going beyond the ordinary…
“Our life is what our thoughts make it”
Marcus Aurelius
Everything I know I have learnt in years of study and proximity to successful men and women, but this is nothing compared to what you have within yourself. You are extraordinary, your ideas are the most important part of it all.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that one single idea can have an higher impact that all men, animals and machines in 100 years. Use your ideas, align them to your vision, this is strength.
Specialise
When you define your vision, the meaning of your life, all your thoughts and your actions align, then you specialise. Specialising means to become better, i.e. more productive. Keep control of your life instead of counting on others and letting them take decisions for you. If physical health is the most important factor, get informed, read, learn. Become a specialist on your own body, as following other people’s advice passively may be a big mistake. Learn by yourself, experiment, know.
Define your budget
Once you have defined what it is you want, define what resources are available. Time, money, commitment… Decide what you are going to invest and be honest, don’t think you’re going to avail of something you haven’t got or can’t provide. Making promises you are not going to keep is good only to spoil your relationship with others and lose their respect, so do not do onto others or yourself.
Keep an eye out for opportunities
Once you have defined your vision, your ability to see all opportunities around you will improve, too. If you have read my book, or Robbins’ one, or others, you will know that your Reticular Activating System determines what you pay attention to. If you don’ t look, you don’t see and believe me, there are so many things we do not see. They are like our nose, so close they become invisible.
Decision-making abilities
Satisfied people make decisions swiftly and they change them slowly. Unsatisfied people make decisions slowly and they change them quickly. Most people who haven’t got what they want, never made decisions. It is better to make a wrong decision than not to decide at all. If you make a mistake, you learn and adjust, if you don’t do anything, you will stay right where you are.
Cooperation
Having a well-defined vision, knowing what will make you solid, more congruent, will strengthen your character. You will become a magnet, attracting people who want to share your aims or have similar ones.
Faith
The strongest power in the universe. It is the greatest benefit of having well-defined goals and believing in them. The positive energy flowing from all of this will be the best antidote to hardship, critics and attempts to stop you.
There are several examples: Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Shakira, Giovanni Rana, Giorgio Armani, they are the ones I can think of off the top of my head now. People who inspired and gave a lot to others thanks to their dream.
If you know what your north star is, you will know which way to go, and most of all, you will get to where you want to be. I know, you are too busy juggling your day-to-day life to stop. That’s everyone’s problem…
Maybe in these holiday season you can spend some time with your loved ones while stuffing your stomach, and maybe you should just take a break for yourself.
In Extraordinary (my company) do it together during the workshop “Goals!”, but you don’t need to do it with us. Do it by yourself, do it with others, but do it.
The three Kings followed the comet and got to their destination, but which is your star?
Have you got a sky where you can look for it? I hope so…
Take advantage of the holidays and invest in yourself and your life.
Use them to build a life as you want it!
It’s the best present you can give yourself and all of those who love you.
Have a great week!
Claudio
Listen to blogs 