If you were asked to summarize your life in six words, what would you say?
When a particular group of people was asked to do that, they came up with the following six-word memoirs.
· Memorized all of my worry lines.
· I was terrified. Did it anyway.
· Sketchy past has people drawing conclusions.
· Saw Jenny Craig. Chose Pizza Hut.
· Online dating. H_ll I pay for.
· Anticipation is not just about ketchup.
· What I didn’t expect changed me.
· Cut enough corners, eventually, you’re shapeless.
Amazing what can be captured in a few words, isn’t it?
So I gave myself the task of summarizing my 30 years of success, research, speaking, training, and coaching in the fewest words possible. I couldn’t do it in six words like the people I just mentioned. But I came up with eight words that outline the path you must take if you’re going to be successful in achieving your goals.
|
|
►Words 1 & 2: I AM
The words “I AM” refer to your confidence level. It is the starting place for all success … and yes, all failures as well.
I’ve come across thousands of people who have great talents, but they’ve failed because they didn’t have enough self-confidence. And I’ve come across thousands of others who didn’t have nearly as much talent but became very successful because of their unshakeable confidence.
You see … life is relatively easy if everything is running smoothly. Your relationships are strong, your health is great, and your finances are plentiful. But no one’s life runs smoothly forever. You’re going to have obstacles to overcome and problems to solve, and it is your confidence … or lack of it … that will determine how well you do in those situations.
The really good news is you can dramatically increase your confidence level. I help people do that all the time.
When Boeing hired me to deliver my Journey-to-the-Extraordinary program on site, for example, that’s where we started the program. Debra Lighthouse later said, “I wish I would have taken this program years ago. It changed how I think and what I do. It supercharged my confidence, got me out of my comfort zone, and into the habit of taking more constructive risks. The result? I just got a new job at twice my old salary.”
If you would be interested in bringing the Journey-to-the-Extraordinary program to your location, just send me an email. You can also read more about the program by clicking here. https://www.drzimmerman.com/programs/seminars/journey-to-the-extraordinary
|
|
► Words 3 & 4: I WANT
The words “I WANT” refer to your desire level. If you REALLY want something, if you hunger for something with sufficient fervor, somehow, some day, chances are you will eventually possess or achieve it. Where there is a will, there is a way.
Recently someone came to me to talk about his idea for a new business. He had some desire. He wanted to turn his hobby into a business, manufacturing a product he was quite skilled at using and thought others would enjoy as well.
The problem is I’ve heard him talk about his idea for three years. He’s never asked me directly to invest in his new business idea, but he keeps hinting at it. Again he has some desire. But not enough to be successful.
How do I know? When I asked him how much money he’s saved to put into his new business, his answer was zero. Nadda. Nothing. If he really, Really, REALLY wanted to have that new business, he would have done something in the last three years to bring his goal a few steps closer to fruition. His desire level is too low to succeed.
If you’re wondering why you’re not more successful at something, take a look at your desire level. Even the Bible says you’re not going to get anywhere if you’re lukewarm; you need to be either hot or cold.
|
|
► Words 5 & 6: I CAN
The words “I CAN” refer to your perception of competence. Over and over again, it’s clear that it isn’t so much your ability that will make the biggest difference in your success but how you perceive your ability.
As French psychologist Emile Coue said, “If you persuade yourself that you can do a certain thing (provided it be possible) you will do it, however difficult it may be. If, on the contrary, you imagine that you cannot do the simplest thing in the world, it is impossible for you to do it, and molehills become, for you, unscalable mountains.”
Let me give you two examples to make my point. The first is a man from my high school graduation class … Robert … with an IQ of 163, which made him one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever come across. Yet Robert never went beyond a low-level, low-skill, low-paying job. When I asked why he didn’t use more of his enormous intellect and potential, he told me “I can’t do any better.” (There’s that “can” word again.) His perception of competence was missing.
By contrast Bruce Walker achieved amazing things because of his “I CAN” self-perception. Bruce wrote books on tropical fish and made hundreds of thousands of dollars selling those books. It sounds like a beautiful success story except for one detail.
At age 19 Bruce was completely paralyzed and spent the rest of his life on a respirator. GE devised a special machine that enabled him to type his own manuscripts with his tongue as he laid flat on his back! He was determined not to allow what he lacked in talent to deprive him of using the talents he did have. He had a perception of competence that made all the difference in his world.
Obviously, it’s not so much your inherent ability but rather how you perceive and use your abilities that will determine your success.
|
|
► Words 7 & 8: I WILL
The words “I WILL” refer to your level of focus. When you focus the sun on a particular patch of grass, you can light it on fire. And when you focus your efforts on a particular task, the results are equally amazing.
More than that, successful people focus on what’s most important and valuable rather than everything else. As Sturgeon’s Law puts it, “Ninety percent of everything is crap.” And the Pareto Principle says that 80% of results come from 20% of action.
In essence they’re both saying focus, focus, focus on what really brings about the results you want. Or as Warren Buffet puts, “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say *no* to almost everything.”
Take control of your mind. Stop reacting to everything that comes your way. Remind yourself “I WILL stay focused on the action items that will produce the biggest and best results.”
Suggestion: To up your game, to increase your success, rank order from 1 to 4 the four sets of words discussed above. Give a “1” to the item you have mastered most effectively and “4” to the item that needs the most improvement. Then decide on two things you will do to improve your number four item.
|
|
