Obstacles and fears: the filters of success
How many times have you heard someone say that they had the original idea for some “hot”, new product, service or web application? The chances are pretty good that they did have the original idea or one very similar to it. So:
- What happened?
- Why did their version of the idea “die on the vine”?
- Why are they not reaping the harvest of their “original” idea?
The quick and dirty answer
The quick and dirty answer is that having ideas is easy, whereas implementing those ideas is not. Please note that I did not say that the activation of their idea is hard. I merely said that it was not easy – not easy in the sense that there is work to be done. But I did not say that the work would be difficult.
Difficulty is a matter of opinion
People tend to associate difficulty with any task that is awkward or time consuming. Almost anything new to you will be awkward at first but this does not mean that it is difficult for you. It only means that there is a learning curve involved, which will consume some of your time.
Learning to walk as a child was both awkward and time consuming, but you did not give up. You tried, you fell, you tried, you stumbled, you fell and this repeated over and over until you became proficient at walking. The same things occurred when you learned to ride a bicycle, swim or drive a car.
Learning anything new takes time. How much time? It depends on a number of variables:
- your desire to learn – do you want to learn or is it being forced on you?
- your motivation to learn – why do you want to learn this new thing?
- your determination to learn – how badly do you want to learn?
It’s up to you
You can and will do what you want to do in most cases. I can hear some people saying that they would rather be doing this job or pursuing that lifestyle. My response is, “then why aren’t you?”
And typically I get a list of obstacles and fears. Obstacles are those things that stand between you and the realization of you dreams. Obstacles can be:
1. A lack of “know how” – you don’t know what to do, what’s involved or where to start on your big idea. This obstacle is easy to overcome in theory. You only have to find the information and then apply it to your situation.
In practice it is time consuming. And because it is time consuming, it is confused with being difficult. Well here’s a clue – the difficulty may lie in you having to tear yourself away from you favorite sitcom, but the learning part is a piece of cake because you are way more intelligent than you give yourself credit for being.
The difficulty is being determined by you attitude to the time you must allocate to acquiring the information and not by your aptitude which for most people is being underutilized.
2. A lack of funding – again it seems difficult, but when you “break it down”, you may change you mind.
If you have equity in you home, then getting a home equity line of credit or a 2nd mortgage is really easy. The difficulty is in putting your home on the line.
If you have a 401k retirement account or a life insurance policy, then you can borrow against them. This is not hard to do.
You may have a “rich” friend or relative who is willing to invest in your idea or lend you the money outright. The hard part is having the humility to ask.
Obstacles stand between you and your goal. There are ways around, over, under or through them. It’s up to you to figure out how to eliminate or minimize them.
Fears are mental roadblocks
1. We are afraid of what others think – if you have a great idea and don’t launch, then people are going to say that you lack courage, that you are not committed. If you do “dive in”, then someone will say that you are reckless, that you lack “good” judgment.
The bottom line is who cares what someone else thinks? You can’t please everyone anyway. Anytime that you try to move away from the “herd”, you are inviting criticism and scrutiny because if you can be successful, then what does that say about the rest of the “herd”?
Do not underestimate the “power of the herd”. The status quo is a powerful motivating force that opposes all change. But in reality, if you want to be successful, can you remain in the herd? It’s a rhetorical question – the answer is no.
To be successful, you must think, speak and act like successful people. That alone will cause you to alienate yourself from the drones of sameness.
2. We are afraid to get out of our comfort zone – whatever it is that we are doing right now is a known situation and that makes it comfortable. Anything new will be uncomfortable.
But you can refuse to think of your discomfort in terms of anxiety or stress. Instead, see it for what it is – the butterflies of excitement. It’s the “pump” before a big gave or a big presentation. It’s the thrill and anticipation of attempting something new and wonderful. It’s all in how you choose to look at the situation.
The filters of success
Obstacles and fears are the outer and inner roadblocks to success. They are the filters that stop so many people. They are the reasons that so few ( 3–5% ) ever reach financial independence. They are the excuses that keep the “herd” of mediocrity full. These are the reasons that you hear people say, “I had that idea first”.
Success is complicated - but it’s not hard
I consider myself to be successful. I have:
- a very nice, custom home
- a medium sized horse farm
- a loving and supportive wife
- two daughters who adore their daddy
- a couple of rapidly growing businesses
What makes my level of success extraordinary? Nothing. Absolutely nothing! As I look back at the steps I’ve taken to arrive at my current position, I’ve come to realize that everything that I’ve done, could have been done by anyone.
Why then have I been able to reach this current level of success while others who are fully capable of enjoying the same success, have not? This bothers me, so I’ve been analyzing the reasons that produce the difference.
What I’ve come to understand is that the difference in success and mediocrity is due to the complications involved. Enjoying a successful life is complicated – not difficult. This is an important difference.
For example, suppose that you have a “great” idea (regular people like you and I have “great” ideas all the time) – what do you do next? Instead of diving right in and doing some research to gage the viability of their “great” idea, most people will:
- think of all the reasons that it won’t work.
- “I just don’t know where to start” – It doesn’t matter where you start, just start. Get on the internet or go to the local library and find out if there is something similar that is available. If there is, then determine how it is different than your idea. What can you do to make it better? Doing is better than not doing – DO SOMETHING!
- “I just don’t have the time” – Why not? Think of how silly that sounds, “I just don’t have the time to be successful”. What you really mean is that you won’t make the time to DO the things that are necessary for your idea to become a reality.
- “I’m not sure that I can do it” – Here’s a clue, no one is absolutely sure of anything, except death. Do you want to still be wondering “if you could have done it” on your death bed? I can’t think of anything more depressing.
- “I don’t have the skills needed” – If you are “smart” enough to have a great idea, then you are fully qualified to develop your great idea and make it a reality.
- “I’m just not the business type” – So what. You can become whatever it is that you need to be. The problem is that the need has never been so great as to force you to become what you can be. YOU must rise to the occasion. YOU must get out of your comfort zone. YOU must do something differently is you want to achieve different results.
- “What do I do first?” – Anything but not everything. Break your dream down into steps or processes, then break these down even further. You don’t have to do everything today – but you do need to do something each day that contributes to the achievement of your dream. When you sit down to eat, you don’t say, “There’s no way that I can fit all that food in my mouth at one time.” You begin to eat by taking one bite at a time. Over the course of your meal, you will consume what you need to sustain your body. Just concentrate on “one bite at a time”.
- translated, this means that it is easier to do nothing and be average than to do a little more and enjoy an extraordinary life.
- nothing about success is hard when you break it down into logical steps and processes. If you don’t do this, then it looks like an un-doable mountain, that is just too big and difficult for “little ole me” to attempt.
Okay, I think I’ve gotten it figured out:
- It’s complicated to become successful (ie – there are a lot of steps that must be take) but not hard ( doing the individual steps are not difficult).
- Being successful requires “doing”.
- It’s easier to do nothing and be average.
MEDIOCRITY IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!!!
4 simple ways to deliver great customer service
Whatever happened to keeping your commitments? What’s wrong with people? Don’t you realize that if you say that you are going to do something, then all logic says that there will be someone waiting for you and depending on you to perform as you have promised?
I am continually amazed with the lack of respect ( and that is what it is ) people demonstrate by not following-up and delivering as they have indicated they would. Has this practice become so commonplace that others expect this to occur and therefore overlook it?
If you are one of those people who doesn’t keep your commitments, then sooner or later there is going to be some “young gun” who comes along and realizes that what people really want is great customer service – then you are going to have to learn to hustle.
Here are a few hints:
- Don’t promise anything that you know you cannot deliver. Don’t tell me that you will email me some needed info or quotes later today and expect tomorrow to be just as good. It’s not. If I asked for them today, then I need them today – tomorrow is not the same thing. If it happens more than once, then I start looking at your competition and I will definitely shop my needs around. Don’t believe that the lowest price will keep my business – it won’t! Keeping your word will.
- If it’s important, then write it down. I forgot is not a valid excuse for not living up to your commitments. Don’t be naive enough to think that you will remember what was said – you won’t! Write it down, make notes and review them! This alone will make you more productive than the vast majority of back-slapping, “I’ll deliver the world” salesmen.
- Under-promise and over-deliver. If you tell me that you will deliver something next week and then are able to deliver this week, then I notice (and so does everyone else) and I appreciate it. In fact, I am likely to tell my friends and associates about what a great service you provide. But the opposite is also true.
- Keep your commitment to yourself. You didn’t go into business to “just get by”. You didn’t become a salesman to be average. You began with a commitment to yourself to be and do your best. If you want to be the best, then do the best. It’s really very simple. And believe me when I say that if you improve just a little, then you will have the rest of the pack beaten, easily.
I am sick and tired of empty promises. Tell me what you can do, when you can do it and then do it! That’s all that you have to do to deliver exceptional customer service.
5 traits of success
Do you ever wonder why some of the people you know have had a great deal of success in their lives while you languish in mediocrity? Why do some people succeed? What are the qualities that distinguish successful people (around 3-5%) from the rest of the pack?
1. Successful individuals have exceptionally strong faith in themselves, their abilities, their prospects and their ability to learn.
These individuals exude confidence which is sometimes mistaken for cockiness. And it may be cockiness, but the reality is that this trait alone will do more to guarantee success than all the other traits combined. These individuals are not deterred by what they don’t know because they realize that they can learn.
Successful people understand that their minds are better used for thinking than as a warehouse for facts. They are not hindered by complications because they know how and where to find solutions. Henry Ford said that he was not interested in miscellaneous facts because the ability to know how to get information was a more important use for the mind. In effect, they are not stopped by obstacles because they will not allow anything to come between them and their goals.
2. Successful individuals have definite goals.
Ask any successful person what they are working on, and you will likely get more information than you really wanted. These people are not wandering through life. They have goals and they have formulated plans for attaining their goals. Successful individuals have definite goals.
They know where they want to go and what they want to accomplish with their lives. These goals are not mere dreams that occupy their thoughts and hopes. These are tangible, written expressions of their dreams. If a goal is not written down, then it is not a goal, but a dream. In order to translate your dream from the realm of imagination to the world of possibility, you must record it in tangible, written form. Post your goal where you can see it continually. Carry it with you in your wallet or purse and look at it often throughout the day.
3. Successful individuals have the ability to focus.
Successful people are a lot like pit-bulls. They grab on to something and they don’t let go until they are satisfied. They are able to look at a plan or an objective and dissect from it the one thing that is most important to the success of the project at the present moment. Then, they concentrate and focus all of their attention and energy on this one important task until it has been accomplished. Having completed the most important task first, they move on to the next most important task and continue as before until all is completed.
Contrast this with the other 95% of the population that cannot concentrate long enough to finish a thirty minute sitcom without changing the channel to see what else is on. Decide what is important to you and then develop a plan for attaining your goals. Having done this, focus your energy on the one thing that is most important in attaining your goal. Then move to the next most important thing.
4. Successful individuals work hard.
Successful people know that anything worth having is worth working for and they are committed to doing whatever is necessary. Their motto could be: W. I. N. - Whatever Is Necessary; educating themselves, working long hours, coordinating efforts, brokering deals, negotiating terms, developing distribution and inventory systems, selling themselves and their business, they do it all and they do it willingly. Because they know that it all depends on them - the buck stops here. No work = No pay!
5 . Successful individuals have no fear.
Successful people aren’t afraid of what other people think about them. Their self-worth is not determined by others, so whatever Uncle Bob or Aunt Susie think about their current business venture has no merit. They are not afraid that someone might think their questions are stupid, because every successful person knows it is better to operate with all the facts.
Successful people are not afraid of failure because a failure does not define them. To them, failure is an outcome or an event. And they use these failures as educational tools to increase the chances of future success. Successful people are not afraid of success because they know it is their destiny.
Income statement rich vs. balance sheet rich
Success is defined differently by different people. To some it may mean a wonderful family life, to others it may be having lots of friends. For you, success may mean something entirely different and that’s O.K. But any discussion of success ultimately involves some reflection on financial embellishments and financial independence, as well it should.
In his book THE MILLIONAIRE MIND, Dr. Thomas Stanley makes a distinction between those he categorizes as the “income statement” rich and the “balance sheet” rich.
The “income statement” rich are those people who have the super-nice, big houses in upper-class neighborhoods and drive the latest model, luxury automobiles. These people definitely have a lot of stuff, but they also have the large monthly payments that go along with their stuff. In effect, they earn a high income and pay out an equally high amount of their income in order to finance their lifestyle. There is little or nothing leftover at the end of each month and because of this, their wealth is dependent on maintaining an income stream. If they are out of work for any length of time, the money (illusory wealth) dries up. Therefore, being “income statement” rich is really an illusion.
The “balance sheet” rich, on the other hand, are those people whose balance sheet shows that the value of their assets exceeds the amount of their liabilities by at least one million dollars. According to Dr. Stanley’s research, these people seldom drive the newest cars or live in the largest houses. In fact, most of these people probably don’t look or live too differently than you or I.
The point of all this is that if your definition of success includes the accumulation of riches, then you need to learn what truly rich people do in order to be rich and then emulate them. THE MILLIONAIRE MIND is an excellent, eye-opening resource for learning a little bit about how true millionaires think and how they achieved their wealth. If you don’t have the time to read this book, don’t fret. THE MILLIONAIRE MIND is available as an audio book. Do as I do and make every drive a learning experience. The results will amaze you.
Successful people actively “choose” to be successful
We are where we choose to be. Where we are today,
- in our careers
- in our relationships
- in our journey through life
- in everything
… is the result of the choices that we’ve made in our past. This is not something that most people want to acknowledge, but nonetheless, it is true.
Each day we make life altering choices.
- Will I give 100 % today or will I just coast?
- Am I going to tell everyone about my “big idea” or am I going to let it die in my mind?
- Will I be courteous and helpful to everyone or will I be “Mr. Doom and Gloom”?
- Will I try to increase my knowledge, versatility and expertise, today or do just enough to get by?
Oh, they might not alter our immediate situation, but each choice begins a chain of events that ultimately determines our destiny.
How we interact with a stranger could be huge or not. Suppose that you are introduced to someone and by choosing to find out more about this new person, you discover that he/she knows someone that may be able to produce that new product that you’ve been trying to get to the consumer.
You chose to take the time to find out about this person, and therefore to discover that this new person was in a position to alter your future. But the choice was yours. You choose your destiny. Destiny does not just happen. A million little, seemingly insignificant choices have culminated in placing you right where you are today.
Once you realize the magnitude of each day and of each encounter of each day, you begin to understand that you can control where you will be tomorrow. If what you do today affects where you will be tomorrow, then why not make better choices today? Why not choose your tomorrow? If you knew of one action that you could perform today that would increase the likelihood of your success tomorrow, would you hesitate to perform it today?
Whatever your goals are, resolve right now to do one thing, no matter how small that thing is, that will bring you closer to the realization of your goal. If you can do this, then today will be a success and tomorrow will be a success as well.
The choice is yours.
Success starts with the task you are doing right now.
Success.
- Give it to me.
- Let me have it.
- How can I get it?
- What does it mean?
- Why do I want it?
- Where is it?
- How will I know when I get it?
Success has a different definition for different people. My opinion is that success is the combination of excellent personal relationships, a financial position that allows for the least amount of stress while providing your necessary accouterments and a healthy relationship with God.
Your definition is up to you.
Achieving success is as easy as beginning and completing a series of individual actions each day.
- If you make a conscious effort to be successful in each task that you attempt each day, then at the end of the day you will have had a successful day.
- If each day is successful then you have had a successful week, and so forth.
The point is that each small, insignificant, unimportant, meaningless task becomes important when you consider that completing them cumulatively results in determining your success for each day. If you view success as an accumulation of individual successes and consider everything you do as contributing to your success, then you will take the time to put your very best effort into each “meaningless” task. Call “Achieving Success through Baby Steps”.
Start small and build a string of successes today. Your day will then be successful. String enough days together and the result is that your life will be successful.
What’s luck got to do with your success?
GUEST WRITER: Scot Kay – Inventor of the Rotater
Are you a lucky person? Or, are you the most unlucky person on the planet?
I have come to realize that there is no such thing as luck, but don’t lose hope because there is something that is even more magical. It’s called work.
My partner Chris Melton, has said to me, “the harder he works, the luckier he gets”. It’s all about the effort. A book that I have been reading says, “success is the crown of effort”.
Most people look at the outer appearance of someone. They look at their life and their toys. Then, they make the assumption that they (successful people) are just lucky. I have been as guilty of this as anybody else until becoming enlightened over the past year.
I looked at Jonah White, one of the guys responsible for those “Bubba” teeth that you see in every Spencer’s, truck stop, convenience store and novelty shop across the country and I thought to myself, “that has got to be one of the luckiest people in the world”. He took something so simple and turned it into millions.
I recently read an interview with him in the success / personal developement magazine “MILLIONAIRE BLUEPRINTS” and realized just what he had to go through to generate those millions. I was awe struck. I am pretty ambitious myself, but I don’t know if I could do all the things he had to do to get “there”. He absolutely worked his butt off. I guess success really is the “crown of effort”.
When you see someone successful, don’t make the false assumption that their success is the result of luck. This is seldom the case and if you are interested in statistics, then here is one that will interest you: The bankruptcy rate of all mega – lottery winners (amounts in excess of one million dollars) is 80%!
These people (lottery winners) are both lucky and unlucky.
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They were lucky to win the money.
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They were unlucky because they had no idea how to handle their new-found wealth.
If you want to be successful, then pick out someone that you “think” acquired their wealth as a result of luck, follow them around and then do exactly what they did. You’ll find out there is a lot more “doing” involved in their success than being lucky. This is the primary reason that more people are not financially successful – because there is hard work and lots of it required.
If you:
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work your butt off day and night
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drive mile after mile to meet people and promote yourself and product
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go without sleep (cause you are trying to work two or three jobs)
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miss all the home-cooked meals
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miss valuable time with your family
…and you finally achieve success, then there will still be people who tell everyone who will listen, that you were just lucky.
Others will never know the struggles that you had to go through, or the battles that you invited and brought on yourself. They will only see the “outer” appearance and assume you are “lucky”.
I must agree with my friend and partner, that “the harder that I work, the luckier I get”.
How “lucky” are you going to be? There is no degree of uncertainty or chance – you get to decide!!
What are you doing to “deserve” success?
It seems that everyone wants to be successful in the slackest sense of the word. Simply meaning, that if there is no effort required, then most would say, “yeah, I’d like to be successful”. However, this is contrary to all common sense. Winston Churchhill said, “…victory comes only to those who work long and hard, who are willing to pay the price in blood, sweat, and tears. These deserve victory.”
- Do you deserve success? Why? What do you do that makes you deserving?
- What have you done that distinguishes you from the crowd? Success latches on to distinction and uniqueness. If you want to be successful, then you must be different from 95% of the population, because that is the percentage that is not financial independent. Be unique.
- What do you do that causes you to stand “head and shoulders” above your coworkers? Do you strive to do your best at every opportunity or do you do the same things that your coworkers do? Why would you be singled-out for advancement if you are just “keeping up with the Jones” in your work habits? Nothing is free. If you want more, then you must do more. It’s as simple as that.
- Why should John Q. Public buy your product? Is it cheaper? Is it better? Does it have more than one use? Do you promote it everywhere you go? Is it your passion? Does the world know about it?
- Why should your boss or supervisor recognize your talent and ability instead of someone else’s? The attitude of “doing more than you are paid to do” was first preached by Napoleon Hill (who has been cited by more millionaires as the author most influential in their success) and is still relevant. If you want to be promoted, give them a reason to promote you.
I once had a supervisor that said all people could be classified in one of four ways:
1. CAN’T DO / WON’T DO — These are people who have neither the ability nor the desire to perform.
2. CAN DO / WON’T DO — These people have the ability to perform but because of a lack of motivation or because of a bad attitude, refuse to perform.
3. CAN’T DO / WILL DO — These people do not have the necessary skills to perform, however this does not deter them from trying to perform in an excellent fashion. They attempt, but fail.
4. CAN DO / WILL DO — These are the cream of the crop. They have both the mandatory skills and the motivation to perform their responsibilities in an excellent fashion. This is where you must be if you intend to be successful.
As Rick Pitino says in his book SUCCESS IS A CHOICE, “…deserve success. Outwork everybody in sight. Sweat the small stuff. Sweat the big stuff. Go the extra mile. But whatever it takes, put your heart and soul into everything you do. Leave it all out on the court.”
“SUCCESS IS A CHOICE” is a great book, by the way.
Until you are willing to go beyond what is required of you, you have no right to expect to succeed, because you are only doing the minimum required to maintain your current state. You are in the rut of mediocrity because that is the level of your performance. To get more, you must give more:
- give more time
- give more effort
- give better effort
- provide better ideas
- in some way, shape or form you must do something to rise above the “least common denominator”
The “least common denominator” means average. If you are average, then expect to be treated as average.
- Expect to make the same amount of money as the people you associate with.
- Expect to enjoy the same benefits as everyone else.
- Expect to wonder what you are going to do when you retire or
- Expect to work till you die.
Are you a CAN DO / WILL DO type of person? Do you have the necessary skills to perform in an excellent manner? If not, then decide that you will acquire them. Do you have the skills, but allow a bad attitude or something else to hinder you from performing your best?
Remember the cream rises to the top:
- Whatever is on top - is seen!
- Whatever is on top - is valued!!
- Whatever is on top - is highly sought after!!!
- Whatever is on top - is quickly acquired!!!!
Whining and complaining will not solve your problems
GUEST WRITER: Scott Kay – inventor of the Rotater
I stopped at an old farm house to ask directions from an old man who was sitting in his rocking chair. He was out on his porch with his dog. As I approached, the dog, who was just laying there, let out a little yelp and then a whimper. It didn’t sound like it was directed at me, besides it wasn’t a growl or anything.
Anyway, I asked the man how to get back to the interstate and then the dog made the same ill-sounding noise. The old man paid no attention to the dog and politely charted me a course back to the interstate. Just as the old man finished giving me directions, the dog once again let out that awful, whimpering sound. At this point, I asked the man, “What’s wrong with your dog?”
The old man replied, “He’s just laying on a nail.” To which I responded, “Well, why doesn’t he move?” The old man just sat back in his rocker and said, “Well, it hurts bad enough to whimper and whine, but it’s not bad enough to do anything about it.”
This is true of so many people. They whine and complain about where they are, about what they don’t have, and about how bad things are. But very seldom, do any of these people DO a single thing to improve their own situation.
It’s very easy to do something, but it’s just a whole lot easier to do nothing. It doesn’t matter what you think your your problem is:
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If you are fat, then go on a diet
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If you are skinny, then eat a biscuit
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If you are short, then get a ladder
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If you are tall, then kneel down
Whatever it is, do something! Too many people are waiting for someone else to do it for them. People want to just wait for their ship to come it. I say, “swim out to it.” If your ship is big enough, then it won’t be able to get close to shore anyway.
The point is – If you want things to change, then you must change. If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you will get the same result that you’ve always gotten.
The choice is yours. Accept responsibility for your life. You put yourself in the position that you are in and you are the only person who going to get you out of that position. But here is the kicker – YOU are the only person that can keep you in the situation that you are in.
I’m pretty sure that you don’t want to hear this and you probably disagree with me, but that’s okay, you can be wrong. But, be absolutely honest with yourself – what has whining and complaining ever done to better your way of life?
Reevaluate your life.
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What do you think about? – You become what you think about.
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How do you talk and what do you talk about? – Improve your vocabulary and discuss issues that are important to you.
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What do you do? – Your life depends on what YOU do.
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Who do you associate with? Are they successful? – You become like those you hang around, that is a fact!
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How do you use your time? – Hanging out and watching TV won’t get you where YOU want to be.
Now ask yourself, “Is what I’m doing right now, moving me closer to where I want to be?” If the answer is no, then don’t think it, say it, do it or associate with it.
How long are you going to be like the old dog? How long before the situation becomes so uncomfortable that you stop complaining about your problems and get up and do something? Take charge of YOUR life today.
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