How to Wrench Open the Door to Success
Know what makes a person successful? It’s no real secret: they do.
Let’s take someone who wants to be a model as an example. Sure, sometimes a model is “discovered” while walking down the streets of New York, but that’s the exception and not the rule. And even if they are discovered, they still have to do the work. It’s not like, bam, they’re rich, famous, and successful because they decided to step out for donuts one day.
No, they have to show up for the hours of prep work. They have to smile on cue all day during the work itself. They have to make sure they don’t gain weight (and they probably have to lose some too) in order to keep on getting the work. They have to face rejection from people who decide they “aren’t right for the job”. They have to work to make sure that what money they do earn doesn’t fly out the window into the hands of unscrupulous people.
That word I keep using
Did you notice that word I keep using? It’s work. To wrench open the door to success, you’ve got to do the work.
Decide what you want to have happen, and do what it takes to get there — whether that’s finding a new job in a field that interests you, getting your money in order, or being a good parent.
Do more than just try
And and you can’t just give something a try and then shrug your shoulders if things don’t end up perfectly. “Oh well, I tried” isn’t saying much, unless you really, REALLY tried, for an exceedingly long period of time. And I don’t just mean sitting around talking about how you really want to succeed at something.
I’ve been saying for a long time that I want my Pay Off Debt app to really take off. But what have I done to actually help it succeed? Well, I’ve made an ad for it, which you can see in the right hand column here. I put it out to a few review sites. I asked folks if they would review it. And I started a site about getting out of debt. That sounds like a lot, but realistically it’s not. I haven’t worked at it every. day. I haven’t tried everything I could. I haven’t even tried consistently. I’ve mostly whined. And whining will get you nowhere.
Change your habits
To really wrench open the door to success, you’ve got to change your habits. Think about what you did yesterday, and what you normally do each day. If there isn’t SOMETHING in each day that’s leading you toward where you want to be, you haven’t made success a habit yet.
And it’s got to be one. So figure out where you want to be, and then change things up so that you habitually work at getting there. That’s how you wrench open the door to success and step right on through.
I agree that it’s about changing habits. It’s too easy to fall back into our old ways without a plan for sustained behavioral change. These type of changes usually come with a major change in life mindset.
Yes, something dramatic often has to happen before we do what it takes to create new habits, whether that’s a big life event or a switch that finally goes off inside our head.
Last year I made a few promises to myself to change some of my habits. I started doing it a couple of months ago. Things are slowly changing but it’s not about changing habits as much as it is about building new ones.
Building new ones is often the most effective way to change old habits. After all, you have to be doing something instead of what you used to do. May as well make it something good.
Yep, first get the idea. Then work your booty off. I have never worked harder than I do being self employed. But it’s still better than anything I’ve done before.
Yup, working for yourself is very satisfying.
It is the old saying, if you want a different outcome you have to make a change. Small changes will have impact over time.
And then work at it :)
That’s one of those nasty four letter words…”work”. It’s like blood, sweat and tears, nothing really gets accomplished without it.
Yeah, I know we all wish for magic but work is so much more effective :)
Yes, changing habits is probably necessary if someone wants to go from being average to achieving success. The thing is, it can be difficult for people to truly change habits over the long term. Those that can stay with it and actually do so, have a much better chance at reaching their goals. If the old habits didn’t work, it’s probably time to change them, right?
It IS very hard to change habits, especially if they are long-term habits. But sometimes that’s what it takes.
Great article Jackie. I try to program myself with positive thoughts before getting started, and then – GO. “I am successful” “a people person” “a magnet” “my life is in exactly the right place where I want it to be”and take at least one step in the direction of my goal everyday. Writing down my goals in a dream book is important too – reading it, saying it aloud, and not forgetting what I am doing it for. I also block out sections of my week – what will I do between 10 and 12 today to promote my business, etc.? Congratulations on the Debt application. Best to you, Anastasia