We
all aspire to do, be and have great things. Yet most of us simply aren't
creating the results we want. We complain that we don't have enough money,
romance, success or joy in our lives.
We
point fingers and blame outside problems that "happen" to us and make
life more difficult. But what we need to understand and keep at the forefront
of our minds is that greatness exists in all of us. It is simply up to us to
pull it out of ourselves. Regardless of personal circumstances, economic
climates, and access to resources, it helps to maintain faith in the fact we
each are more powerful than we think.
We
all have the ability to create the life we want. We just need to learn how to
do it. Is there an exact "formula"? No, but there are certain common
features that successful people exhibit and that anyone can practice. They are
what can jumpstart your success and attract what you want in life. You'd be
hard pressed to find any high achiever who doesn't live by the following 7
tips:
1. Take No Less than 100% Responsibility
for Your Life
One
of the greatest myths that is pervasive in our culture today is that you are
entitled to a great life and that somehow, somewhere, someone is responsible
for filling our lives with continual happiness, exciting career options,
nurturing family time and blissful personal relationships simply because we
exist. But the real truth is that there is only one person responsible for the
quality of the life you live. That person is you.
Everything
about you is a result of your doing or not doing. Income. Debt. Relationships.
Health. Fitness level. Attitudes and behaviors. That person who reflects back
at you in the mirror is the chief conductor in your life. Say hello!
I
think everyone knows this in their hearts, but the mind can play games,
tricking plenty of people into thinking external factors are the source of
failure, disappointment, and unhappiness. But the truth of the matter is that
external factors don't determine how you live. You are in complete control of
the quality of your life.
Successful
people take full responsibility for the thoughts they think, the images they
visualize, and the actions they take. They don't waste their time and energy
blaming and complaining. They evaluate their experiences and decide if they
need to change them or not. They face the uncomfortable and take risks in order
to create the life they want to live.
2. Be Clear Why You're Here
I
believe each of us is born with a life purpose. Identifying, acknowledging and
honoring this purpose is perhaps the most important action successful people
take. They take the time to understand what they're here to do, and then they
pursue that with passion and enthusiasm.
If
you don't know what you're supposed to be doing, then just tune in to the
signals around you. Looking toward others for help and guidance is helpful, but
don't forget to stay tuned in to yourself—your behavior, attitude, likes and
dislikes, and life experiences. Identify what's working and what isn't. If you
need to, write it all down. You might be surprised by what you discover.
3. Decide What You Want
It
sounds so simple, but here's the problem: I see plenty of people who are
overly-busy yet who feel unsatisfied and unfulfilled. They are physically
tired, spiritually drained, and far from where they'd like to be—as if they've
been running on a treadmill going nowhere fast. Why? Because they haven't
clearly mapped out what they want and then taken the steps to get there. Rather
than identifying specific goals, milestones, and dreams (and I'm talking BIG
dreams and goals here), they go through the motions day in and day out tackling
unimportant tasks. They end up...you guessed it...going in circles and wasting
lots of energy. In the meanwhile, they grow increasingly uninspired and out of
touch with their authentic selves. This, of course, sets anyone up to living a
life out of balance.
One
of the main reasons why most people don't get what they want is they haven't
decided what they want. They haven't defined their desires in clear and
compelling detail. What does success look like to you? Not everybody's
definition of success is the same, nor should it be.
Don't
let your inner devil's advocate (or that incessant but unimportant To Do list)
inhibit you from dreaming big. As soon as you commit to a big dream and really
go after it, your subconscious creative mind will come up with big ideas to
make it happen. You'll start attracting the people, resources, and
opportunities you need into your life to make your dream come true. Big dreams
not only inspire you, but they also compel others to want to play big, too.
4. Believe It Is Possible
Scientists
used to believe that humans responded to information flowing into the brain
from the outside world. But today, they're learning that instead we respond to
what the brain, based on previous experience, expects to happen next. In fact,
the mind is such a powerful instrument; it can deliver literally everything you
want. But you have to believe that what you want is possible.
As
you commit to believing in yourself, also make a commitment to toning down the
complaint department. Look at what you are complaining about. I'm fat. I'm
tired. I can't get out of debt. I won't ever get a better job. I can't stand
the relationship I have with my father. I'll never find a soulmate in life.
Really examine your complaints. More than likely you can do something about
them. They are not about other people, other things, or other events. They are
about YOU.
5. Believe in Yourself
If
you are going to be successful in creating the life of your dreams, you have to
believe that you are capable of making it happen. Whether you call it
self-esteem, self-confidence or self-assurance, it is a deep-seated belief that
you have what it takes; the abilities, inner resources, talents and skills to
create your desired results.
Have
unwavering faith in yourself, for good and bad. Make the decision to believe
that you create all your experiences. You will experience successes thanks to
you, and you will experience pain, struggle, and strife thanks to you. Sounds a
little strange, but accepting this level of responsibility is uniquely
empowering. It means you can do, change, and be anything. Stumbling blocks
become just that—little hills to hop over.
6. Become an Inverse Paranoid
This
one is straightforward: Imagine how much easier it would be to succeed in life
if you were constantly expecting the world to support you and bring you
opportunity. Successful people do just that.
7. Unleash the Power of Goal Setting
Experts
on the science of success know the brain is a goal-seeking organism. Whatever
goal you give to your subconscious mind, it will work day and night to achieve.
To engage you subconscious mind, a goal has to be measurable. When there aren't
any criteria for measurement, it is simply something you want, a wish, a preference,
or a good idea.
Sometimes
we need to make just one initial goal to get started, and that's okay. At least
it comes with a few actions to achieve. A first step simply can be making an
immediate change in a single area in your life. Are you unhappy about something
that is happening right now? Make requests that will make it more desirable to
you, or take the steps to change it yourself. Making a change might be
uncomfortable and overwhelming for you. It might mean you have to put in more
time, money, and effort. It might mean that someone gets upset about it, or
makes you feel bad about your decision. It might be difficult to change or
leave a situation, but staying put is your choice so why continue to complain?
You can either do something about it or not. It is your choice and you have
responsibility for your choices.
Bear
in mind that you have to be willing to change your behavior if you want a
different outcome. You have to be willing to take the risks necessary to get
what you want. If you've already taken an initial step in the right direction,
now's the time to plan more steps to keep moving you forward faster.
Isn't
it a great relief to know that you can make your life what you want it to be?
Isn't it wonderful that your successes do not depend on someone else?
So
if you need just one thing to do different today than you did yesterday, make
it this: Commit to taking 100% responsibility for every aspect of your life.
Decide to make changes, one step at a time. Once you start the process you'll
discover it is much easier to get what you want by taking control of your thoughts,
your visualizations, and your actions!
By:
Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar
book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and
a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to
jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that
you do, get FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
