What is Success?

A lot of us, including myself, were brought up with the belief that to have success and be successful that you had to hard work. If that is true then why do so many people work hard without succeeding and so many people succeed without working hard. You know the ones I am talking about – everything seems to fall into their laps – or does it? I know from personal experience how it drove me crazy that some people were ‘successful’ based on my definition of their success and in my opinion of what kind of person they were.

So maybe working hard is a requirement but the key ingredient is in not only what people do, but also in what makes them do it. You have probably heard this before….

Successful people form the habits of doing things that failures don’t like to do.

Ouch! Whether we like it or not it sure explains why some people have opened a business or gone into a certain profession, have every qualification and yet experience disappointing results and failure, while others have achieved remarkable achievements in spite of many obvious handicaps.

Let’s talk about what the ‘failures’ don’t like to do. The things that ‘failures’ don’t like to do are the things that you and I and others, including successful people, naturally don’t like to do! Huh?

What are those things we don’t like to do? Have you ever been reluctant to talk to someone about something they might not want to talk about? Or suggest a change in their activity, to motivate them to take a new approach?

Have you wondered what is behind this odd lack of welcome on the part of those we are trying to motivate? Why are they not getting it? Could it be due to the fact that our prospects are human too and decidedly resistant to change even if it is for their own benefit and growth?

Ever felt alone or discouraged that you have certain dislikes or inclinations with which successful people are not troubled with. Have you ever wondered why it is that those who achieve more seem to like to do the things that you don’t like to do? Well here’s the truth….They don’t!

So why do they do them? Because by doing the things they don’t like to do, they can achieve the things they want to accomplish. Successful people are influenced by the craving for satisfying results.

Failures are influenced by the longing for enjoyable methods and are motivated to be contented knowing that the results can be attained by doing things they like to do. When it comes to money – instant gratification to buy that new car – or go on that trip might win out over actually saving it?? That’s not fun!

Why are successful people able to do things they don’t like to do while failures are not? Because successful people have a purpose—strong enough to make them form the habit of doing things they don’t like to do in order to accomplish the purpose they want to accomplish.

Ever been in a slump? What happens, why are you feeling this way? Usually it means that you have reached a point that for the time being, that the things you don’t like to do have become more important than the reasons for doing them. Maybe it is because you have a family to care for, or you have to make a living to support your family. Is that enough of a purpose or ‘why’? No, not in my experience, and not when it comes to money.

Here’s why…if you do not have a strong enough purpose or ‘why’ to make you form the habit of doing the things that you don’t like to do, it has become a well-known fact in our society that it is easier to adjust to the hardships of a poor living than it is to adjust to the hardships of making a better one.

Now if you are thinking – Shari you are off your rocker – and you may be…. But here’s the thing – I know from own personal experience as a single mom 10 years ago, I was willing to go without in order to avoid doing the things I did not like to do. We get real comfortable in ‘our comfort zone’. It proves that the strength that holds you to your purpose is not your own strength but the strength of the purpose itself.

We are creatures of habit. A habit is nothing more or less than momentum transforming the tangible into the intangible. Every requirement for success is achieved through your habits. When you prepare and practice the habits that you need to do to get to your definition of success – you form your future!

I will talk more about habits next time….

For now – start creating your momentum!

Happy summer!

Cheers,

Shari