HOW WILL YOU RECOGNIZE SUCCESS?

Two weeks ago I wrote about the New Science of Success. I
said that success and achievement are the result of "doing
the right things, in the right way, at the right time."
There's not a lot of mystery to this.
"If you do what successful people do, you'll get the results
that successful people get."
Yes, circumstances do play a role. We can't ignore that.
Sometimes illness or injury, "bad luck" or misunderstandings
play a role. That's true. But even these things have been
over-come by thousands--millions!--of winners.
At least 90% of the "recipe" for success is skill-based, and
that means you can learn it! You can master the behaviors,
attitudes, schedules, and skills of high achievers. There IS
a science to this and it can be learned and applied by
anyone.
Last week I wrote about the "Who" of success, the attributes
and attitudes of winners. This week I want to focus on the
importance of a clear--crystal clear!--definition of
success.
As a coach, one of the great tragedies I see are the people
who inquire about coaching because they want "more" or
"less" of something. They want "more" money or happiness or
whatever, and I generally decline to work with them. They
remind me of the story Tony Robbins tells about the man who
eagerly rushed up after one of his seminars and exclaimed
that Tony had changed his life, that he now realized that
his primary goal in life was "to have more money." Tony says
he gave the man a dollar and told him to go away.
Winners know exactly what success looks like. Too often, I'm
convinced, success and achievement, opportunity and fortune
walk right up to us. They knock on the door or call on the
phone, but because folks don't recognize success when it
stares them in the face, they fail to invite it in.
Define your goals. Define success. Know your desired
results, your outcomes in specific, measurable terms.
Interestingly, children know this. They know that "success"
is staying up past 10:00 on a school night. They know that
"success" is learning to ride a two-wheel bicycle. They know
that "success" is an A in math or permission to attend a
party. Kids define "success" very specifically. And every
parent who has been nagged and begged, pestered and harassed
until they finally "give in" and say yes, knows what I'm
talking about.
Only adults get "too busy" to define their goals. We get
"confused" with too many options, too much to do, too many
responsibilities. And we get afraid. We are afraid to say,
"I want commissions of $240,000 by December 31st." We prefer
to "hope for a better year" or to earn "maybe $200k or a bit
more." That vagueness holds us back and kills our chances
for success.
Or, we make a second mistake. Those who are a bit more
sophisticated, who have worked with a coach or taken some
courses or attended some seminars, know they have to define
the goal, but still they hang back, afraid to measure the
steps to get there. Statistically, how many calls will it
take for you to earn $240,000? How many calls does that
require each week? How many presentations per month? What
skills will you have to master? What, precisely, do folks
who earn that much DO to make it happen? What will you have
to change? What will you have to start, stop, or modify to
achieve your success?
What does success look like for you? Be clear. Be specific.
Be scientific and rigorous about it. If others have done it,
you can do it, too, but only if you will do what they did.
Often, that requires paying some significant price in
advance. Often, that means swallowing our pride and asking
for help. It may mean changing our schedule, negotiating
with the family, or sacrificing some cherished hobbies. It
may mean learning new skills or working with a team. But, if
others have done it, so can you!
The New Science of Success requires that we define success,
measure it, and take specific steps to achieve it. There is
no other way.

Quotes of the Week
"In each of us are places where we have never gone. Only by
pressing the limits do you ever find them." -- Dr. Joyce Brothers
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice.
It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
-- Jeremy Kitson
"Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a
sundial in the shade?" -- Ben Franklin
"In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the
right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing." -- Theodore Roosevelt