How To Achieve Success

Why are some people more productive, and infinitely more successful at realizing their financial, physical, spiritual, mental, and artistic goals?

Is it due to more desirable circumstances and access to opportunities that others do not have? Are some gifted by their families with a foundation of reserve wealth for which to pursue their talents?

Yes, perhaps, but you should know that these factors become less indicative of individual success over time.

The best predictor of long-term success is, as Allen Watts might put it, ‘the consistent life-long application of one’s self to a goal or practice’.

As members of the human race, it is our duty to continuously improve upon ourselves in every capacity. This healthy striving is what allows us to consciously contribute to human good.

HOWEVER, we need to wholly dedicate ourselves to the long term development of AT LEAST ONE activity in order to fulfill this duty. Just get good at one thing!

If we will commit to a life long practice of perfecting at least one skill or ability, the understanding and insights learned from this endeavour can be transferred into all other categories in life.

This is why success is possible for every human being on the planet.

Seek And Ye Shall Find

Only time will tell which skills you are best designed for. You will need to invest your best efforts into all you do to discover your finest qualities!

You will not be cut out for everything, but one or two “things” will turn to gold when you apply yourself to them. You should develop these traits within yourself and share them with the world!

In my own case, I have two practices which I look upon as sort of my daily ‘zen’ training: fitness and writing. I suggest that fitness should not be an option, but a mandatory part of one’s daily routine.

And while I do understand that not everyone enjoys writing, at the very least, copying down your ideas onto paper or a digital device can render life more colorful and meaningful if you will continue with the practice.

There Can Be No Gain Without A Little Discomfort

With any endeavor, the greatest rewards will come with time if you are tenacious and unafraid to “suffer”.

You see, when you consistently grind for a high quality goal, your mind and body are rewarded with doses of dopamine which keep you interested in the process of achievement. This is a good thing!

It is when we shun the “righteous struggle” for momentary comforts that we become weak, depressed, ineffective, and unproductive as humans.

In this space, many describe the experience of utter despair over life, a loss of direction, and a general sense of failure. The mind becomes inundated with thoughts of inadequacy and physical health soon begins to deteriorate.

This is one reason we stress eat and gobble up foods high in sugar and unhealthy fat — We are literally trying to compensate for the hole left by the guilt of seeking comfort! Most often, we aren’t actually hungry at all!

When confronted with the prospect of our worsening condition, you have a choice to make. You can allow the great tides of depression to consume your sand castles of progress, or you can use your undesired experiences as motivation to propel yourself to even higher heights.

Victory, whatever this may mean for each of us individually, often comes in the final hour of struggle. When we look for the easy route to accomplishment, we miss the fact that most times, the ‘easiest’ route is actually pretty difficult!

This is why I suggest a lifelong routine of healthy eating, writing, and exercise. One can quite easily stave away the fall of the mind, body, and spirit with these positive habits!

The Contagious Process Of Success

First, the desire to learn something new IS the motivation (energy) to begin the journey. That feeling in your gut is a response to the vision in your mind which tells you that you can and will actually achieve what you desire.

As you begin to research and understand what to do, you begin to apply what you learn and you figure out how to do it in real time.

Continue down the path of consistent doing, and what seemed difficult at first becomes easier. As your achievements mount, you are inspired to apply and dedicate yourself even more to the process, and this becomes contagious and infectious to those around you.

Soon, others recognize what you’ve built for yourself. As they inquire, and as you share your process with them, they change and reap the same rewards in their own journey! Voila!

It is important to understand that success is replicable because it is not ‘a definitive end’. It is in fact a process. The practice IS the goal and the goal IS the practice no matter what you wish to accomplish!

Whether you have the desire to achieve weight loss and cut back on your sugar consumption or build and maintain a business, you must first agree that you will be consistent with the practice for the long term.

Your success at whichever endeavor you choose will transfer to all you do. Once the process of success is ingrained, you win and motivation will no longer be a problem!

How To Get Started

As with any endeavor, you need a definitive plan of action (set of activities) to guarantee small victories right out of the gate. Understand that your plan does not have to be grand or elaborate. In fact, it should be very simple, and include a few easily-achievable actions which can be repeated daily.

If you can get into the habit of repeating the same few action items every day, your momentum towards achieving your goal will build quite easily. You will find your confidence grows and propels you like a freight train towards higher levels of achievement!

7 Steps For High Achievement

1. Exercise daily! Some form of moderate to intense exercise performed daily will fortify your mind with will power. Regular exercise charges the human body with increased energy and a positive mood, both of which are required to achieve any goal!

2. Ask yourself what it is you would like achieve or accomplish? Write this down and be very specific! If you want to purchase a home, describe what kind and where it will be located. How many rooms it will have? What color do you envision? Also, you should decide when you would like to have it.

3. Before taking action, sit with yourself for a period of three days. More or less may be needed for each individual. The key here is give yourself time enough to truly understand WHY it is you wish to embark upon this newfound quest. You must understand what it is you will gain from the consistent level of energy you are about to expend!

4. You must assess your current ability to bring forth your desire. If for instance, you wish to do away with your addiction to certain foods, you must know what you are addicted to, acknowledge your addiction, and decide how strong your desire is to be rid of this addiction. When you give yourself an honest appraisal of your abilities, you will learn what is needed to position yourself for success. You may learn that your idea requires a financial investment. You might find that you need to create an environment where you are encouraged to follow through with your idea no matter what. All this is necessary to ensure that you are 100 percent certain in your commitment. Remember, as per Napoleon Hill, uncertainty is the mother of ALL failure!

power of journaling

6. Take the first step! Whatever you need to do, simply do it, no matter how great or small, easy or tedious. Going back to our example on addiction, perhaps you need to remove yourself from situations which discourage you from overcoming your addiction. If you have a home full of foods you wish to refrain from eating, don’t say to yourself, “I’ll finish these last few boxes and then I’ll start!” Rather, find the foods you need which will improve your health and immediately replace your unhealthy stash with these healthier options.

7. Reward yourself for small victories along the way (especially in the beginning) with simple acknowledgement. I’ve found that when we write down our successes, we bolster the momentum needed to continue the march forward in the direction of triumph!

The Benefits of Success Are Addictive

Once you have tasted success, you will come to crave its positive benefits. As your personal power expands, your desire to return to your old path will diminish over time. All that will be left will be to apply this same process to the other areas in your life in need of change!

How To Achieve Success