There are two ideas that have made an enormous difference
in my life. I've talked about them before, and want to
explore them with you again.
The first is that success is almost never a matter of
unusual talent or luck. There are very few geniuses and few
people get rich by stumbling across a pile of gold. Rather,
as Jim Rohn said, success is "the predictable result of
doing the right things, in the right way, at the right
time."
The second concept that changed my life is that success
comes from "ordinary people doing ordinary things,
extraordinarily well."
Those two ideas changed my own life, and they have
transformed life for thousands of other people, as well.
Society encourages us to look for "instant cures" or
special "secrets" for success. The clich�is that we want
to take a pill, meet the right person or attend the right
school and suddenly life gets better.
But it doesn't work that way. Successful people do ordinary
things, but they do them in smart, disciplined and timely
ways. They take thoughtful risks. They take action, create
value and show up on time. They learn skills that open
doors and make them just slightly more productive, more
attractive, more valuable than their competitors.
In almost every case, success is a long-term growth
process. It requires hard work, focus and organization.
That's the bad news.
But there is good news--almost anyone can do these things!
There is no mystery and there are no limits. You can join
the elite at the top, no matter what your goals or dreams.
You can accumulate great wealth. This week, I read that
America's youngest self-made billionaire is a woman, age
24. You can create music, build a business, have a loving,
happy family. It has never been easier to travel or have
your own television show. But, there are specific steps
that will increase your chances for major success.
If you want to increase your chances for remarkable success
in 2015, I have some suggestions. They are not dramatic and
they won't necessarily impress you. They are not unique or
original or risky. They are the ordinary things that
ordinary people do to become extraordinarily successful.
1. Use a Calendar. I strongly prefer the year-at-a-glance
wall calendars, especially the plastic ones that use the
write-on and wipe-off markers. Begin by marking important
birthdays, anniversaries and family celebrations. I
recommend marking them in red. Then, in my case, we mark
conferences and speaking trips in blue, with vacations in
green. The objective is to see your priorities and your
plans at a glance. You want to see your future!
2. Specific, written Goals. I've written much about this.
Now is the time to create your objectives for 2015. Do not
wait until you're distracted in December! Good goals take
time. They require thought, discussion, agreement with
family and business partners. You'll need to sleep on them,
change your mind, find the perfect wording. This takes
time. Do the work!
3. Action-based Plans. This brings us back to that
Calendar! What measurable, specific results do you need in
January to reach your goals for the first quarter? Spend
more time on plans, budgets and action-steps than you do on
setting goals. The "HOW" you'll get there is even more
important than defining the destination. Put your plans on
your Calendar.
4. Team-building. Successful people work with friends,
partners, family and a MasterMind team. No one achieves
great success by themselves. Who will help you? Who has the
skills, networks or resources you need? Be specific. You'll
need to recruit people to help you. And I recommend
starting with your family and friends. Be sure they are
behind you every step of the way.
5. Plan Celebrations in Advance. Americans do not
celebrate enough. We work hard to accomplish goals, but
then we rush straight on to the next one. Don't do that!
Plan to celebrate your victories. Plan parties and dinners
with loved ones. Decide exactly how you will reward
yourself as you achieve your goals through the year. That
new car, vacation or whatever is waiting for you! All you
have to do is complete your tasks and claim your prize.
Plan celebrations in advance! (And include loved ones.)
There's an old allegation, usually born in jealousy or
envy, that claims highly successful people don't play fair.
They must "lie, cheat or steal" to get to the top. Nothing
could be further from the truth! No one who is dishonest in
any way can achieve and sustain long-term success. At least
not in my experience.
But high achievers absolutely do stack the odds in their
favor. They use specific, learn-able skills to increase
their chances of winning, every time. And they do it
honestly! Most of the winners I've talked with are happy to
share their most valuable "secrets." They simply do "the
right things, in the right way, at the right time." And
they use Calendars and Goals, Plans and motivational
Celebrations to keep themselves on track.
You can, too! In 2015, stack the odds in your favour.
in my life. I've talked about them before, and want to
explore them with you again.
The first is that success is almost never a matter of
unusual talent or luck. There are very few geniuses and few
people get rich by stumbling across a pile of gold. Rather,
as Jim Rohn said, success is "the predictable result of
doing the right things, in the right way, at the right
time."
The second concept that changed my life is that success
comes from "ordinary people doing ordinary things,
extraordinarily well."
Those two ideas changed my own life, and they have
transformed life for thousands of other people, as well.
Society encourages us to look for "instant cures" or
special "secrets" for success. The clich�is that we want
to take a pill, meet the right person or attend the right
school and suddenly life gets better.
But it doesn't work that way. Successful people do ordinary
things, but they do them in smart, disciplined and timely
ways. They take thoughtful risks. They take action, create
value and show up on time. They learn skills that open
doors and make them just slightly more productive, more
attractive, more valuable than their competitors.
In almost every case, success is a long-term growth
process. It requires hard work, focus and organization.
That's the bad news.
But there is good news--almost anyone can do these things!
There is no mystery and there are no limits. You can join
the elite at the top, no matter what your goals or dreams.
You can accumulate great wealth. This week, I read that
America's youngest self-made billionaire is a woman, age
24. You can create music, build a business, have a loving,
happy family. It has never been easier to travel or have
your own television show. But, there are specific steps
that will increase your chances for major success.
If you want to increase your chances for remarkable success
in 2015, I have some suggestions. They are not dramatic and
they won't necessarily impress you. They are not unique or
original or risky. They are the ordinary things that
ordinary people do to become extraordinarily successful.
1. Use a Calendar. I strongly prefer the year-at-a-glance
wall calendars, especially the plastic ones that use the
write-on and wipe-off markers. Begin by marking important
birthdays, anniversaries and family celebrations. I
recommend marking them in red. Then, in my case, we mark
conferences and speaking trips in blue, with vacations in
green. The objective is to see your priorities and your
plans at a glance. You want to see your future!
2. Specific, written Goals. I've written much about this.
Now is the time to create your objectives for 2015. Do not
wait until you're distracted in December! Good goals take
time. They require thought, discussion, agreement with
family and business partners. You'll need to sleep on them,
change your mind, find the perfect wording. This takes
time. Do the work!
3. Action-based Plans. This brings us back to that
Calendar! What measurable, specific results do you need in
January to reach your goals for the first quarter? Spend
more time on plans, budgets and action-steps than you do on
setting goals. The "HOW" you'll get there is even more
important than defining the destination. Put your plans on
your Calendar.
4. Team-building. Successful people work with friends,
partners, family and a MasterMind team. No one achieves
great success by themselves. Who will help you? Who has the
skills, networks or resources you need? Be specific. You'll
need to recruit people to help you. And I recommend
starting with your family and friends. Be sure they are
behind you every step of the way.
5. Plan Celebrations in Advance. Americans do not
celebrate enough. We work hard to accomplish goals, but
then we rush straight on to the next one. Don't do that!
Plan to celebrate your victories. Plan parties and dinners
with loved ones. Decide exactly how you will reward
yourself as you achieve your goals through the year. That
new car, vacation or whatever is waiting for you! All you
have to do is complete your tasks and claim your prize.
Plan celebrations in advance! (And include loved ones.)
There's an old allegation, usually born in jealousy or
envy, that claims highly successful people don't play fair.
They must "lie, cheat or steal" to get to the top. Nothing
could be further from the truth! No one who is dishonest in
any way can achieve and sustain long-term success. At least
not in my experience.
But high achievers absolutely do stack the odds in their
favor. They use specific, learn-able skills to increase
their chances of winning, every time. And they do it
honestly! Most of the winners I've talked with are happy to
share their most valuable "secrets." They simply do "the
right things, in the right way, at the right time." And
they use Calendars and Goals, Plans and motivational
Celebrations to keep themselves on track.
You can, too! In 2015, stack the odds in your favour.
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