My son is a total gymnast wherever he goes. He is always looking for something to jump off or crawl onto. Before he goes wild, he will reach out his hand to me and I will walk him through whatever he wants to play on. Once he knows that the ground is safe, the bars are stable and that I will be there if anything happens, he goes to town.
We see a pricetag today and think that it’ll be cheaper on eBay or we can find someone giving it away for next to nothing on craigslist, but success doesn’t work like that. If success came easier and easier, then everyone would be successful. Think about the infamous iPod that came out October 3rd, 2001. You rarely see someone without some kind of iThing if they want one. Since success is something intangible and never loses value, you must be willing to work for it. If you really want to be successful at something there are three things you need to do:
- Find out what you want?
- Find out what it costs?
- Pay it!!!
Seems pretty simple, right? Unfortunately, we’re always looking to negotiate the price of success. In order to make sure that you are getting the results and success you want, it’s better to overpay the cost! That way, you can be assured that you have worked your hardest to get what you want most.
What are your first steps?
Plan
If you don’t plan at all then you’ve instantly succeeded. Why is it so hard for people to plan ahead? Perhaps because it takes work and thinking. Using your head and thinking through situations requires you to gather data about what you want and then understanding what it’s going to take to get there. Going on a roadtrip doesn’t just take money for gas. You have to look at the weather at where you’re going, what activities you are going to do when you get there, and what kind of shape is your car before you leave. One crucial step is to ask someone who is where you want to be. If you neglect to ask a successful person the steps it takes, you will be checking and adjusting more than necessary. Once your plan is laid out, it’s time for the next step.
Do
If you never put your plan into action, you are deluding yourself if you think you’ll get there. It’s time to put your money where your mouth is and actually start following through with your plan. You’ve already laid it out. What’s stopping you? If it’s money, then add something to your plan to get you from where you are to having the money to keep going. If it’s time, do the same thing. Doing your plan should entail you to get from where you are right now, to where you want to go. Not including where you are just means you are dreaming (although important), not planning.
One thing that holds people back from planning is executing is permission. We usually think of gaining permission from someone else. I can remember being in class and asking permission to use the bathroom. Once you get to college, you stop asking and take the responsibility yourself, knowing there will be consequences to your actions (like missing whatever the professor says when you’re gone). Now that you are an adult, it’s time to realize that you can give yourself permission to succeed. If you realize that the price to success is high but the cost of staying where you are is more than you can handle, give yourself permission to plan and execute.
Good Quotes
– The harder I work, the luckier I get!
– It takes about 10,000 hours of doing what you want to be successful
– 1 years experience copied 20 times is not 20 years experience
– If it’s not hurting, you’re not growing.
– Choose excellence over ego.
– Great performers are constantly getting better
– Champions don’t do things that are comfortable