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Succeeding at life… do you have the keys? Now I’m not an official life coach or anything… I’m no Tony Robbins or who-ever else is the latest guru when it comes to mastering this thing we call life. This wonderful chance we get to really own and champion this mortal coil.
I do know a thing or two about what I’ve come across, read, learned, taught, made, researched, experienced, lived, and wanted. After I get through the day and really begin to think about what is going on… I really have to say to myself… wow… this life is great and I sure would like to get a bit more out of it. So what do I need to do? How can I grab hold of this chance at living and run with the reigns?
I know there are keys to working this thing. I know there is a start button, an accelerator, a steering wheel, brakes, et cetera. I know how to use a bit of it… and I’ve come to learn a thing or two about sharing this information.
Which brings me to this post. I have thrown together some of what I’ve run across, and really do believe, hoping it will help someone else out there get a handle on this machine. This world is waiting for more champions to rise up and start doing some real good.
Enjoy this Codex of sorts… this “Core 19” – Keys to Success, Confidence, and Life Mastery.
1. A healthy mindset and accompanying actions secure a healthy future path!
Get yourself in order, get your mind right, and deal with those things that might be floating around and causing you extra grief. Life is too short to let these things roam around… you have success to champion! Does a bowler just pick up a ball and go or is there a routine before the show?
2. Access a resourceful frame of mind at all times.
Was there a time in your past when you did something exceptionally well and you were just beaming with excitement and self-worth? Think about that and describe all aspects of it out loud for 3 minutes. Do it. When you are done assign a short, punchy, happy phrase to describe this frame of mind. Use this statement and frame of mind to step back into this resourceful state in the future.
3. All things are an experiment or challenge. Learn from the experiment!
Remember the scientific method? Yeah – me neither. There is one thing I remember though… DO NOT EVER assume anything about the potential outcomes. There is no way for you to know what is going to happen and assumptions cause mental blocks. Don’t limit yourself. Treat all ‘issues’, ‘problems’, and ‘new’ or ‘stressful’ situations as experiments. Approach them from a 3rd person perspective and try to see what happens – taking notes on how to do it better for future instances.
4. Always enable your inner child to be free.
Sure there are times when you shouldn’t be whistling and skipping down the hallway, but don’t let that train of thought put your inner child away for too long. Let go, have fun, and it’s quite alright to laugh at and with yourself sometimes. The clouds DO look like dinosaurs, the popcorn ceiling texture IS hiding cartoon characters after long staring sessions, and you really will be okay if you whistle while shopping for groceries. Live. Live. Live.
5. Choose to be happy right this moment.
It’s that state of mind that you can dip in and out of if you’re not too careful. Choose to be happy and handle all situations as if you already know things are within you capabilities… you know they are. Smile, stand up straight, shoulders back, deep breath, and don’t worry… be happy!
6. Communicate from a perspective of genuine care, concern, and feeling.
Whether it’s your latest YouTube video, a blog post, an email, a written letter (you still do that, don’t you?), or a phone call, you just have to do it from a genuine perspective. Money and success cannot be your motivation… these are people you are dealing with. Do what you love and be real – the rest will follow.
7. Focus and roll forward – it’s your choice!
Keep your goals in mind, know the overall direction, and don’t forget to recalibrate on at least a monthly basis to ensure your sub-goals are in line with your path to success. Don’t get distracted too much – a train on the track, no matter the speed, will get to its destination… don’t choose to derail – keep it on the steel! You know you can, you know you can, you know you can.
8. Forgive others for transgressions and right your own wrongs.
Grudges serve absolutely no use to anyone. No one wins and these are simply roadblocks that will only get in the way. Maybe not today, next week, or next year… but they will catch up to you. Let go. Let go and let God. Don’t worry about it folks… there are bigger things to champion and there’s no time to keep walls between you and other people. Don’t forget to forgive yourself – you don’t need that nasty little voice putting you down while you’re steamrolling to success!
9. Gain, use, and retain everything you learn – no one can take it from you!
Read books / magazines / articles / studies, watch instructional videos / documentaries, listen to audiobooks, and take training classes. Don’t let your mind rest! Listen while you drive, read while you use the bathroom, and watch educational videos instead of TV – devour the knowledge! No one can take this learning from you and you will always have it no matter what else happens in the world.
10. Just say YES! There is no try! You can do it!
Start your sentences with ‘yes’… ‘no’ is not something you should be saying to things that will propel you toward your goals. And for goodness sakes stop continually telling yourself that you’ll “try this” or “try to do that”… JUST DO IT. You will get something out of it and you WILL get something done. Wishy-washy “tries” will only defocus your drive. Focus, steer, and keep saying ‘yes’, folks.
11. No one else can make you do anything – every thought and action is your choice.
Have you ever said to someone, “You make me so mad!”? Think about that for a second. How would you explain the level of control that person has over you to be able to manipulate your emotions so easily? Did he REALLY reach right in there, flush your skin, frustrate your mind, and make your heart beat faster? Nope. Whether or not you realize, you CHOSE to react the way you did. If a little kid came up to you and called you a poopy-head, would you react the same way? Why not? Exactly. Make your choices wisely. Choose the path of success where you are in complete control.
12. Only take advice from people who succeed in the area of the advice.
Would you take advice on how to quit smoking from a proven chain-smoker? How about stock investment strategies from an unemployed couch-surfer? No – didn’t think so. You don’t have to look for the top 5%-ers (though it wouldn’t hurt to study them!), but for goodness sakes don’t rely on the advice of the bottom 5%-ers. This makes sense doesn’t it? A person who knows an area of success / knowledge will know the ins and outs and will be more apt to supply sage advice. Keep your filters in order.
13. Put in 110% and you will surely reach your goal.
Yup – sometimes that means you will need to stay up until 02:00 AM working on your latest blog post, lesson plan, marketing strategy, or product video. And yeah, you might not see results for several years. Prepare yourself for these things and just stick it out. Winning is not lottery-like… you WILL have to work for it if you want to obtain it ethically. This is a good thing – just make sure you know there will be quite a bit of work ahead. This is exciting, NOT discouraging – more chances to learn and grow! If it makes you successful, then great bonus!
14. Recognize that you are alive and have limitless possibilities – rejoice in it!
Remember: you woke up today. 150,000 people die worldwide every day – a very sad bit of information, indeed. Be thankful you have another chance. No matter your situation, roadblocks, limited resources, or past… you woke up. Rejoice, yell it to the world, and know that you can do whatever you want if you keep the ultimate goals in mind.
15. The world demands extraordinary – good thing you are!
The majority of the world’s population is a great bunch of people. How many of the ‘regular Joes & Janes’ can you name? Still need time to think? The people demand leaders, doers, and trailblazers. You are just that and you need to keep that in mind. You wouldn’t be reading this if you were happy being just another “regular Joe” (love ’em as we do), but you feel that urge, that burn, that desire to really make an impact on this world. The people are waiting – let’s step to it.
16. There is no one else in the world like you.
You are unique, special, and unrepeatable. No matter the chance, science, or freaky alien-story… no one in this world ever was like you, is like you, or will be like you. You really are special and worth WAY more than you know. I once read that God would give up the entire Universe to save one poor soul… for every soul. You really are THAT worthwhile. Stay afloat ya’ll, use your gifts, and know you rock like no one else.
17. You are committed to your goals and are approaching them steadily!
You chose your goals: you did the work, the planning, the brainstorming, the thinking, and the effort… clear indications that you really do know what is in store for you. Stay attached, stay committed, and stay on the track. Don’t be afraid to regularly evaluate, improve, and innovate so long as you just keep doing what you need to do to stay on the path. Every journey starts with a single step – speed is not the key factor, drive and gumption is.
18. You choose to feel whatever you want about your work – choose satisfaction!
There may be times when it’s a little hard to dip into your happy-place or resourceful state… I’ll admit I’ve been there before. The real trick here is to determine immediately how long you will be there. I hope you said “not long” in your head. If you didn’t, then you really should start. A job, task, chore, assignment, or project is only as boring, useless, and naggy as you want it to be. I actually quite enjoy mowing the lawn… the smell of fresh cut grass, the lovely colors, the neatness of the finished product… things most people wouldn’t focus on – leading them to focusing on the task just being a chore. It’s an accomplishment and a pleasure.
19. You have done so much already – build on your successes!
Do you have a clear understanding of where you are in life? All of the things you’ve been through to get where you are? “Oh but I only make X dollars a year” or “I can’t hold down a decent job” or “I never seem to get my big break” – do these phrases seem familiar? Do they matter? Forget about what you think you CAN’T do or what you HAVEN’T done… really key in on what you HAVE done and CAN do. How would you ever expect to succeed if all you keep doing is focusing on the negatives? Remember, there are no failures, just experiments with valuable lessons that need to be found. Keep your foundation firm and steady – the rest won’t matter if you’re building on sand.
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I really do hope you’ve enjoyed this post as this line of thinking has been on my mind for quite some time. I finally decided to write it down and share it. Sure, I’m no billionaire Sir Richard Branson… yet… but I absolutely believe every bit of what I’ve written here and can attest to the help this information has provided me. I am confident these core 19 pearls of wisdom will continue to propel me toward owning my goals.
How about you?