What
do people want when they talk about being successful? Some of us might want
things such as a yacht, private island, or a jet. Others want to feel like they
belong and have great relationships with their family and loved ones.
We
end up wanting things without knowing exactly why. We end up creating images in
our heads of what it would be like to own these things, to have these
relationships, to live these lives, but we casually ignore the negative things
that are bound to challenge us along the way.
Even
if we end up building these lives for ourselves, we forget that all life comes
with suffering, and anyone who experiences great success will also have moments
of frustration and perceived failure.
Here are 5 ways
to find success right here, right now, as you continue on the path towards
building your empire:
1. Excavate
before you begin building
Just
as you wouldn’t build a skyscraper before excavating deeply underground the
construction site and setting the foundation, you wouldn’t start to develop the
foundation for a successful life without first understanding where you come
from and what drives you. Dig deep to understand what core truths truly
motivate you and what you really care about before you start building yourself
up. A career built on a shaky foundation will never stand the test of time.
2. Create a strong
network
The
Pando is a tree colony on the border between Colorado and Utah. What makes the
Pando unique is that it is thought to be one contiguous organism, with a
combined underground root network covering over 100 acres. The Pando is thought
to be the world’s heaviest living organism, and one of the oldest at over
80,000 years old.
Consider
what the journey towards success would be without a strong network. Without
security and a strong foundation, you won’t be able to weather the storm when
inevitable challenges come your way on the path to great success. In order to
be truly successful, you must also be willing to share your victories and your
defeats with others.
This
isn’t about finding fair weather friends who are happy for you when you have a
great accomplishment and disappear in times of trouble. You need to build this
strong network and ecosystem which will support you in times of need and
through times of plenty.
“Effective
networking isn’t a result of luck – it requires hard work and persistence.”
– Lewis Howes
3. Strengthen
your monkey mind
Take
responsibility for the habits you choose to strengthen and cultivate, and be
ruthless with the habits you choose to cut out. The Basal Ganglia is the part
of the brain responsible for the development of habits, while the Prefrontal
Cortex is the part of the brain responsible for complex decision making and
thought processes.
The
Basal Ganglia is effectively the less developed, most basic part of the brain.
This “monkey mind” must be strengthened by building strong habits if you want
to teach your subconscious to focus on the right things at the right times.
4. Shoot for the
moon
As
the saying goes, “shoot for the moon, so you’ll land among the stars.” I
honestly hate this saying, as I think it is incredibly corny, but it
illustrates the point well. If you aim for a big goal, you will be more likely
to reach some level of success and acclaim no matter what happens.
What
the saying misses is the amount of planning and preparation that goes into
“shooting for the moon”. When John F Kennedy announced his plan to land a man
on the Moon by the end of the 1960s, he set the United States on a road to
investing more on a single project than at any other time in human history.
The combined efforts and finances of the most powerful nation on
earth all went into making sure the mission would be a success, and as a result
humanity came together to accomplish something magnificent.
So, when you’re aiming for
something big, don’t half ass it, make a bold announcement, loop in your
supporters, and try to change the world. Sometimes when you aim big, you’ll be
surprised by who jumps in to lend a hand.
“You are never too old to set
another goal or to dream a new dream.” – Les Brown
5. Make your heart sing
One of the most important
factors that defines true success is the ability to do something on a regular
basis that brings you joy. While your job won’t always be interesting, and all
things done with regularity become monotonous, you should strive to find what
makes your heart sing about the work you do and the world in which you live.
Only if you are able to tap
into what makes your heart truly sing will you be able to call yourself a
success in your daily life. Don’t ask yourself what you love about your job, or
even what made you first get interested in your line of work. Instead, ask
yourself, what about your current role makes your heart sing.
If you don’t know how to answer
that question, perhaps you should go back to step one and start excavating your
foundation.
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