person and his or her environment.”e successful.
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But why aren’t you there yet? What is stopping
you?
I’m here to tell you. Success is not by accident,
far from it. But there are some proven ways to
achieve it.
In this article, I’ve done the heavy lifting for you
of finding out the 11 actionable steps you can
take to become successful.
Once you follow these, you’ll not only become
any goal you set for yourself.
So here are 11 secrets to becoming successful
at anything you can imagine:
1. The Math Formula That
Explains Success
There’s a really smart psychologist called Kurt
Lewin who summarized why we act the way we
do, through a simple formula.
I’m simplifying his theory, but the basic equation
he came up with was:
P = F(P,E)
Translated, what he surmized was: Behaviour is a function of the person his or her environment.
Now academic theories are great but how does
this equation help you?
Think of it this way. When you have a really
important deadline, where are you more likely to
be productive?
In a quiet room at your local library or sitting on
the couch with the TV on?
Quite clearly, the former.
Where we are, affects the way we behave. Some
places more so than others, but you get the idea.
What you should do now:
If you want to be successful, put yourself in
environments that are likely to create the
behaviours you want. Here’s some ideas:
If you want to get more in touch with
religious or spiritual practices, go to a
temple/place of worship once per week for
30 minutes and meditate there.
If you want to improve your strength and
stamina, go to a gym class everyday instead
of trying to workout at home on your own.
2. Create Your Own Success
Formula
Have you ever started on a big goal or path, been
really motivated but somewhere along the line –
fallen off track?
One big mistake many people make that leads to
falling off track is a lack of measuring their
progress.
I used to do this a lot in the gym.
I’d spend hours and hours each week making the
effort to get there and workout. I’d share the
classic photo of me at the gym doing my workout
– but you know the truth?
I wasn’t really feeling all that good about it!
Every time I stepped on the scales, I’d dread
seeing the result. My progress was up and down
and I didn’t understand why.
The fact was, I was leaving too many variables
on the table. I failed to appreciate the importance
of tracking.
After working with a coach, I realized I needed to
pay closer attention to my diet, workouts and
sleep. I started tracking each one carefully and
quickly noticed when I was eating too much, not
lifting properly or getting enough sleep.
Previously, I would just walk into the gym, pick
whichever weight I thought I’d bench pressed the
week before or felt I could manage. It was
completely random.
By tracking, I learned to ensure I was
progressing 1% on the last time.
Can you guess what happened?
I progressed.
What you measure, you manage.
What you should do now:
Whatever it is you’re working towards, ask
yourself – how can I track and measure my
progress?
For example:
If you want to save money, track how much
you are spending each week and how much
you are saving. Aim to improve it by 5% each
month.
If you want to learn an instrument, record a
video each week of you playing the same
song. Each week watch it back to see how
you have progressed. Track how many hours
you practice in a log.
3. The Key Habit That Multiplies
Success
Measuring and managing your progress is
important, but as one of my coaching clients
once said: “In the absence of reflection, nothing
changes”.
For example, let’s say you want to eat healthily
and you start tracking your diet. You soon notice
that you tend to overeat on weekends.
It’s great to track this but what are you going to
do about it? What is the deeper underlying
reason that you keep behaving this way?
When studying for my diploma in Neuro Linguistic
Programming, one of the first things we learned
was that every behaviour has a positive intention
behind it.
We do things because they give us something in
return. Uncover what those are.
What you should do now:
A powerful way to change unhelpful behaviours
is to explore the intentions behind them. To look
back and understand what is happening and
what to do.
Each week, reflect and write down what you
learned, what you avoided, and what you are
going to change the next week.
Read books on self improvement, particularly
in areas you wish to improve. For example,
Brene Brown has great content on
vulnerability.
4. A Simple Question That
Doubles Your Commitment
This might surprise you. But are you trying to fail
instead of succeed?
Often we fear committing fully to our success
because we fear what it means to commit 100%.
One powerful idea I picked up (from Derek
Sivers) was the concept of being a very clear
absolute yes or an absolute no to things.
It’s a simple concept but one which creates
immense clarity and saves you so much time
and effort.
This creates space for two things to happen in
your life:
The first is to avoid anything which is heavy and
a chore. The second is to leave space and time
for you to give everything to the things you are
an absolute yes to.
Sometimes we do things half heartedly and this
leads to stagnation and mediocrity.
But to succeed, you really do have to remain
100% committed in your intentions and actions .
What you should do now:
Ask yourself honestly:
What are you an absolute yes to right now? And
what things are an absolute no?
If you’re reading a book you don’t like, put it
down and start reading something more
useful or interesting to you. It’s okay to not
finish a mediocre book!
If you’re in a job that you really dislike, stop
trying to force it and accept that it’s an
absolute no. Think through what an absolute
yes might be and start adjusting to make it
happen
5. Drastically Increase Your
Brain Power
The hidden secret behind many successful
people is that they are not successful on their
own. They have advisors, coaches, family
members, mentors all helping them along the
way.
An unfortunate characteristic of our time is that
we try to do things on our own too often. A much
faster way however is to seek the counsel of
wise people.
Who knows more than you? Who knows what
works and doesn’t?
Find those people and ask them to share those
fundamentals with you.
What you should do now:
For each area of your life that you wish to be
successful in, come up with some ideas of who
can help you along the way.
The first thing I would recommend is to hire
an accredited and professional life coach.
They can help you strategise better and
achieve your goals faster than you would on
your own.
If you want to learn a language faster, find a
native speaker to tutor you once per week
for 1 hour. It shouldn’t cost a lot and will
speed up your progress a lot.
Subscribe to YouTube channels that share
useful ideas and information. I’d also
recommend others like TED talks , the
SciShow, and Crash Course.
6. Pick Up the Right Mindset
That Shapes Our Lives
What do the world’s top psychologists
recommend when it comes to being successful?
Is there a way of thinking you could download
that makes you 10x more likely to win?
The short answer, yes!
It’s called a growth mindset.
Carol Dweck, in her seminal work ‘Mindset’,
shares countless examples of the two mindsets
people generally have – a fixed or a growth
mindset.
Individuals with a fixed mindset have a generally
rigid perspective on their talents and abilities.
They believe that their intelligence and talent is
fixed. Genetic. Unchangeable.
Individuals with a growth mindset have an open,
more hope filled perspective on their talents and
capabilities. They believe that they can learn new
things and improve at the areas they are weak
on if they put the time in.
I’m sure you can guess which of the two is a
marker of success.
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