Let’s do a little exercise together.
Think about the thing in your life that has been frustrating you.
The thing that gives you the most trouble.
The thing that – no matter how many times or how many ways you approach it – just doesn’t get fixed.
Got it?
Now…flash forward one year from today.
It’s now a full year into the future.
Imagine that thing – the thing that has caused you so much stress and frustration – is fixed.
It’s not an issue anymore.
In fact, you’ve forgotten it was ever a thing to begin with.
Does that even seem possible?
Right now it might not seem possible, but today I’m going to share a system that will be a tremendous help.
This five-point system will fast-track your path from where you are today to where you want to be in the future.
If you want to know how to solve stubborn problems, this is a quick reference technique that will come through for you. You can use this formula to create success:
- in your workplace
- in your personal life
- in your relationships
- in the community you serve
These are principles I’ve learned first-hand from my experience:
- running a successful business
- training thousands of leaders
- working with the best mentors like John Maxwell
Here’s how to create lasting success in a short period of time:
Get started
That sounds pretty obvious, but honestly most people aren’t making progress on their goals because they haven’t really started. It’s a heckuva lot more comfortable to make excuses about why we’re not making progress than it is to start taking action.
Create actionable goals
Another reason a lot of people have trouble making progress on goals is because the goals are too broad. They’re too vague.
As a result, it’s hard to really know how to take action.
Here’s an example.
Let’s say your goal is to get in better shape physically. That’s a worthwhile goal, right?
The way people usually set this goal is like this: “I’m going to get in better shape.”
But in reality, it takes an entire series of much smaller actions to get in shape. And if we don’t get the first few actions going…the whole series fails!
So here’s what actionable goals for getting in better shape actually look like:
- put on gym shoes
- drive to gym
- walk into gym
- get on treadmill
- walk for 30 minutes
Progress comes from breaking large goals down into specific, concrete actions.
Enlist a partner
Are you a lone wolf or do you like to do things in groups?
When it comes to our personal goals and our personal success, we often tend to keep our dreams and plans private.
Even if you’re a person who shares the rest of your life with a lot of other people, what we find is that there’s something about sharing personal successes and struggles that changes the dynamic.
But if you want to follow a proven path to success, here’s what you’ve got to do: find someone to help you reach your goals.
Whether it’s a mentor, a coach you hire or a friend who encourages you, you will cover more distance faster with someone cheering you along.
Quit comparing yourself
Do you know how many people are on Earth right now?
Seven BILLION!
Can you believe that? That’s a ton of people!
There’s seven billion people in this world, but here’s the cool thing…there’s only ONE person who has the skills and gifts and personality you do. There’s only one YOU in this world.
Why does that matter?
Well, it matters because it means you’re unique. Your talents are unique. Your struggles are unique. Your story is unique. Your contribution is unique. Everything about you is yours and yours alone.
What I’m saying is: there’s no way to apples-to-apples compare you with anyone else in the world.
But…
A lot of times we try to do that to OURSELVES…and it destroys our progress.
Comparison is a killer. It’s a losing game.
Don’t fall into the trap of comparing yourself to other people.
Don’t measure yourself against the success or struggle of other people.
There’s only one YOU.
Run your own race.
Find ways to give
At Christmas, it’s so common to hear, “It’s better to give than receive.”
That’s a nice saying and it’s definitely true around the holidays, but does that have any place in our working lives?
I mean, who could stay in business if all they worried about was giving and not receiving. Right?
Since we’re on the topic of personal success, I’ve got to address this head-on.
Giving is the heartbeat of personal success.
The moment you quit giving, your success begins to die.
So let’s talk about that for a minute.
Since I live in the foothills of the beautiful Appalachian mountains, I’m going to use farming analogy. Let’s talk about sowing and reaping.
You’re probably familiar with those terms, but if the terms sowing and reaping are new to you, I’ll get you up to speed.
Very simply, sowing is when you spread seeds out into the ground. Reaping is when you bring a harvest in.
Now you’re up to speed on sowing and reaping. Here’s the lesson.
The only thing a farmer can control is where and how much seed he sows. He can’t control the size of the harvest.
The size and quality of the harvest depend on too many variables…things like weather and soil conditions and bugs.
It’s the same way for us.
The only thing we can control is how much we sow.
So what does that mean for you and me?
It means we look for ways to give without focusing on what we’ll get back.
I also like to say it this way: we look for ways to ADD VALUE.
Giving is the heartbeat of personal success. Every path that leads you to personal success includes giving.
What’s next for you?
Let’s go back to the exercise at the beginning of this post.
You’ve pictured yourself overcoming your most stubborn challenge.
Using the system we discussed, what’s it going to take for you to tackle it?
Do you need to:
- get started?
- create actionable goals?
- enlist a partner?
- quit comparing yourself?
- find ways to give?
Which one of these – if you started today – would make the biggest change in your life in the next year?