Five steps to success - A “novel” approach to wealth and riches

July 26, 2007 · Posted in Entrepreneurship, Goals, Success 

Somewhere, right now, there is an infomercial being shown, telling the world how to get rich. Some tell you how to get rich quick, others just tell you their “sure-fire” way to get rich — if you will just purchase the requisite “Get-Rich” program materials.

Now one thing is for sure. Someone is getting rich. My opinion is that the only ones guaranteed to get rich are the ones selling the “Get-Rich” program materials. Do these programs work? Probably, by some, to some degree. But we’ll never know for sure because the “Get-Rich” and the “Get-Rich-Quick” companies don’t post or reveal definitive statistics on success and failure rates. Again, do they work? Probably for some small (read that - miniscule) number, but as my good friend J. S. likes to say, “Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every once in a while” (this is also a miniscule number).

So, here’s my novel approach:

Step 1: Find something that you are passionate about.

It makes no difference what your passion is. It could be stock car racing or butterfly collecting. But, it must be your passion and not someone else’s idea of what you should be doing. It can’t be a parent’s dream for your life. It can’t be a friend’s suggestion. It must be yours. This step is critical — What are you passionate about?

Step 2: Research, Research, Research

This is where 98% of people will choose to “opt-out”, drop out and lose interest. They will quit because they did not choose a topic that inspires their passions. If you’ve chosen a passionate topic, then you won’t quit - because you can’t quit. You refuse to quit. If doing a great deal of research bothers you then you have obviously not chosen something that stirs you.

Stop reading now or go back to step one. For those of you that have a passion, then let’s move on.

Why do research? As your knowledge of a subject increases, so to does the awareness of the opportunities for profitability in areas related to your subject.

For example, have you every purchased an item that you felt was relatively unique only to realize that after you purchased it that there are many more of these items “out there” than you thought? Did you start a trend? Maybe, but probably not. Because of your passion to have this item, you bought it. With this passionate item in your possession, you became more aware that others have the same passionate desire for this item. The number out there did not change, only your awareness of them changed – because you acted on your passion.

It is your goal to find as many areas of potential profitability as possible. This is not a problem for you because you are web-savvy. You have the great, vast databases of the internet quivering with anticipation of your keystrokes. So let the games begin. Search, research, down load, read and analyze. Use sites like Del.icio.us (great for book-marking research - tag and store your pertinent web page research). Now, do it again. Use different search engines, search different phrases, but don’t stop until you see or feel the “BIG” idea begin to take shape.

Step 3: Write, Write, Write

Yes, I know that this is the computer age, but there is a method to my madness. By using pen and paper, you activate different parts of your brain, creating or reinforcing neural pathways.

Remember a time when you injured one of your hands and had to learn how to do all the things you did with your injured hand with your uninjured hand. At first this was difficult, but with time and repetition theses tasks became much easier. This demonstrates the creation of new neural pathways and you soon became capable of most tasks with your “good” hand.

Writing down your thoughts and ideas creates new neural pathways and these new neural pathways increase the awareness of your passion while at the same time increasing your memory of other facts and ideas about your passion that you’ve already recorded and cataloged.

Once you begin your quest, it is imperative that you keep a pencil and paper handy at all times. Keep them with you as you do your research, ride in your car (please stop and pull over to write), or even sleep. You may find this hard to believe now, but ideas don’t wait for you to get ready and they seldom hang around in your brain’s RAM for very long. Also, get ready to write a lot. By focusing on your passion, you will begin to be bombarded with thoughts, ideas and plans for your passion.

As ideas flow into your mind, stop and record every one of them with as much detail as you can. At first, there will only be a trickle of innovative thoughts, but this will soon turn into a deluge that you cannot stop. Record every single one of them.

Step 4: Research, Write, Research, Write

You have probably acquired several good but vague ideas of how to translate your passion into profitability. It now becomes your quest to acquire and develop the needed data that moves your passionate ideas from the dim, light bulb of vagueness to the focused, high-powered dot of a laser beam.

The wild, web-slinging data acquisition machine that you are is now primed and ready to proceed. Begin by searching web sites that have products and services related to your passionate idea. Go to www.score.org. This site has a wealth of information that extends from providing information to connecting you with a mentor. In their words, “…dedicated to providing resources and expertise to maximize the success of existing and emerging small business.” And it’s all free. Another site that has a tremendous storehouse of information is www.sba.gov/. This is the U. S. Small Business Administration, another free site.

If you have trusted friends or relatives, then discuss your ideas with them. Network to locate contacts that can provide you with help, information or more contacts. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You’ll be surprised at who you know that has knowledge, access to knowledge or contacts that will be more than willing to help:

  1. if you can clearly communicate your ideas and
  2. you are willing to ask for their help.

Are you beginning to see the necessity of having a passion? Of recording every thought and idea? This information and passion are the tools you need to communicate to others how you plan to accomplish your dream.

Step 5: Persist & Plan

At this point you should have an idea for a product or service that your are “on fire” about. You should have the information and /or the contacts needed to help you develop your passionate idea.

Now, all the leg work, emails, phone calls and meetings can begin. There will be numerous small speed bumps, that if considered collectively, form a mountain of opposition to the realization of your passion and if not dealt with effectively will grind you into submission.

Stop and record each of the speed bumps individually. Study each one individually and then write a short plan for how to deal with it, who will deal with it (if you have help), and when it will be completed. Set a deadline and then reevaluate at that time. Brian Tracy’s book, “Eat that Frog” will help you immeasurably at this stage.

As the speed bumps begin to smooth out, all the hard work (which is really not hard work at all because this is your passion) will begin to pay dividends. To reach this point is a huge accomplishment.

  • You began with a passionate desire and exceeded the good intentions of 98% of those who think they want to succeed.

  • By researching your passion, you have found income producing possibilities and opportunities waiting to be exploited.

  • You have continued to fine tune your research while manually recording your plans for achieving your passionate idea.

  • You’ve discovered contacts, information and skills that have lain dormant within you awaiting your passion.

  • By now, you have all the information or access to the information necessary for your success.

The “novelty” of this approach to riches & wealth is that everything that you need to succeed resides within you.

  • It’s seed is your passion

  • Water it with knowledge

  • Feed it with possibility

  • Reap the harvest of your diligent effort

How much “passion” do you really have?

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Comments

One Response to “Five steps to success - A “novel” approach to wealth and riches”

  1. Leila on July 26th, 2007 1:05 pm

    I skimmed through a couple of these, but I will be back to read through them all later. Thanks for the article.

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