Being a ‘success’ in today’s world is not a matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. And if you truly want to be successful then you have to make that choice and commitment today. But how exactly do we define success?
The first rule is simple but crucial and it is this – don’t ever compare yourself to others because that does not define success. We are all on our own path through life with different goals, aspirations and dreams. If we try to emulate others we will probably fail. Success is all about defining your own goals and then being able to measure how you are progressing towards meeting those goals. These must always be YOUR goals and not goals someone else has set for you or goals that others have set for themselves. They have to come from within you – from within your inner ‘higher self’.
Here are eight simple steps to help you enjoy this journey to success and to get amazing results on the way.
Step 1 – Set Your Own Goals
Setting your own goals is fundamental to success so you must know right from the start what it is you are trying to achieve and then you must write these things down. It is very important that the goals that are locked inside your head are set down on paper otherwise how are you going to ‘attract’ them to you and bring them into your life? The universe is listening for what you are seeking and writing your goals down is part of that process.
Sometimes opportunities come knocking at our door but if you don’t recognise them for what they are then they will simply go away. You have to know what it is you are trying to attract and then be ready to accept good fortune when it comes knocking. So a good place to start is to find a notebook right now and then write down exactly what it is you want to achieve. Yes – sometimes putting your goals and dreams down on a piece of paper can be scary and daunting but it is very important to put down in writing what is currently held in your mind. That is because ‘things’ happen twice; first in your head and then they become reality, but only after they are written down. It’s like planning to build a new house. You have to start by designing it first in the form of an architectural drawing. Only then can it become a reality.
You have to start with an image or picture in your mind of what you want to achieve – and what you deserve – in order that your inner emotional and spiritual self can start working on it. So write down all your goals in your notebook and then make sure you read and re-read them every single day so that they can become manifest. Then, as you achieve each goal, tick them off one by one and also add new goals as they come to you. This will give you a much stronger sense of significance in your life as well as bringing personal fulfilment.
Step 2 – Stay Focused
In order to ensure you stay focused on your goals you have to eliminate all unwanted distractions. We are all guilty of trying to do too much and that is a recipe for becoming massively overwhelmed. Instead, you must teach yourself to stay focused and stay on track. You cannot afford to get derailed. Using different terminology the ‘distributor’ has to stay in tune with the ‘receiver’ at all times. For example, the postman can only deliver you something if you are there to receive it! So you need to be in a receptive frame of mind in order for things to come to you. It is also very important to get rid of unwanted and unhelpful procrastinations. A good motto is: ‘Let come to you what is coming and let go of what is going’. This is a simple but effective way of creating more mental clarity. When you are unfocused and therefore not fully concentrating, it opens the door for distractions to get in your way. You must therefore learn to ‘create space’ by letting go of everything that you no longer need. That newly created space enables something new to come in. So try to be present, be aware and be patient. When you are really focused you will be more ready to receive what is coming to you in that new space.
But how do we make this happen and let it become part of our ‘journey’ to success? We need to move to Step 3.
Step 3 – Creating a Positive Mindset
A positive mindset will enable you to better focus on your goals as well as giving you greater clarity and the ability to concentrate. So Step three is all part of enabling you to fulfil the first two steps described above. But first you must learn how to create a positive mindset as this will help you to attract more beneficial and more beautiful things into your life. A positive mindset enables you to focus your mind, your emotions and your energy in a more powerful way so that the final outcome is more constructive and productive. It is important that you don’t waste your energy on anything negative or it will simply drain you. Anything negative that distracts you from achieving your goals must be completely eliminated. Negative things will only waste your precious energy and your precious time. Investing in a positive mindset is therefore a must if you are serious about wanting success. Although this is easier to say then do – and let’s admit it that we are all fallible – to achieve what you desire in life a positive mindset is urgent, essential and fundamental. So this is really a wake-up call. It is time to focus all your attention on learning to change your mindset and creating a new paradigm. A new and better way of thinking to get positive results.
Step 4 – Find a Mentor
Achieving success can be a lonely journey. That’s why we all need someone to help us, guide us and to support us on our journey. This will also to help us avoid wasting our time on the wrong things. Sometimes we all take the wrong path and make mistakes and that is simply human nature. Although it is sometimes good to learn from our mistakes it can save us a lot of time if we can learn from other people’s mistakes too. A good mentor may well have already found solutions for the challenges you are going through. They can therefore help you to achieve what they have already achieved and help you to avoid the pitfalls they made themselves. But it is important to make sure you select a mentor who has already achieved more than you have achieved! Never seek advice from someone who is more inexperienced than you and never make the mistake of assuming that friends, neighbours or family have the answers you are looking for! The key is very simple – if you want to achieve success then always seek advice from successful people only.
Step 5 – Let The Past Go
As stated above, a good maxim is to always let come what is coming and let go of what needs to be gone. Revisiting the past can sometimes be very painful and yet many people choose to continue living in the past. This approach only serves to hold them back and involves wasting precious energy on reliving old mistakes and failures rather than having the courage to let them go. It is perfectly okay to revisit the past sometimes, but there is no need to stay there for long! It is important to keep your ‘mental house’ clean at all times because old memories can sometimes bring back unwanted anxieties. So you must metaphorically ‘open the door’ of your mental house and let all the unwanted and toxic memories go in order to create more space for newer and better things to come in. In addition, memories of past failures can stop you from trying similar things today. Failing once does NOT mean you will fail again, so don’t let past issues hold you back from trying again. Take a fresh approach and set yourself new goals with new rules that you know you can make happen. If you have the courage and the willpower you can do anything.
Step 6 – Invest in Yourself
Investing in yourself is, without doubt, the best investment you will ever make. It is essentially the ‘how’ to make things happen. Investing in material things like cars, parties and new clothes etc is absolutely fine – as long as it is temporary – but the return on investment is not great. By investing in yourself, in contrast, you are making sure you get a very good return on investment because eventually the returns will be greater. In short, you will get the investment back. The key message here is that you need to focus on investing in things that are an ‘asset’ to you and not a ‘liability’. So what are these assets exactly? An Asset can be new skills, new knowledge, new insights or new openings and opportunities. In other words, things that help you achieve what you desire, like education and formal qualifications etc. These things can without doubt double or treble your personal investment in yourself. So start by making a list of all the investments you need to make in yourself and then start investing without delay.
Step 7 – Extend Your Network
Extending your network of contacts is all about people and becoming part of a wider community. In many ways your ‘network’ is your ‘net worth’. In other words, the more time you invest in expanding your network the more the rewards in the long term. Today there a multitudes of ways to network with like- minded people – even in these times of lockdown. Just for a moment, imagine your life with a really strong and good network of contacts. A network of 100 or more individuals can bring a great return on investment in so many ways. Being realistic, without the help of other people it will be more difficult to reach your destination but always be aware that people can ‘make you or break you’. So be careful who you invite into your inner circle. If you want success in life and in business then invest carefully in your network and always continue to extend your network. Do whatever it takes to build your community of like-minded people who will quickly become your support tribe! This is key to your ultimate success.
Step 8 – Stop Thinking – Start Doing!
This final tip is probably the most important. It is a key principle that separates winners from losers. The time has come to stop ‘trying’, stop ‘thinking’ and instead start focusing all your energy on ‘doing’. It takes a lot of courage to leave our comfort zone and to stop procrastinating and start doing. But if we can learn to master this skill we will have learned a crucial life lesson that all successful people know instinctively. As Richard Branson puts it; ‘First I do it and then I think about it’. In other words there is a clear message. Don’t waste time on ‘trying’ and don’t waste time on too much over-thinking. We learn best by ‘doing’ and when we realise this truth our chances of success are hugely increased.
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About Mirela Sula
Mirela Sula has worked in media and education for the last 20 years and has speaking experience all around the world. Her background takes in psychology and counselling, journalism, teaching, coaching, women’s rights and media training. Mirela is CEO and the founder of Global Woman Magazine and Global Woman Club.
