How do you find success? The answer to this question is simple: You dont find success; you create it. I believe we are all created equally with an abundance of opportunity from which anyone can make a successful life. Most men and women want to find success, but you dont find success anymore than you find steel. You refine steel from rough ore, and you create success from opportunities. An artist doesnt find a beautiful statue; he or she sculpts it from shapeless stone. A musician doesnt find a beautiful melody; he or she composes it from the eight note scale. We are all born with an intellect and it is up to each individual to either use it or let it stagnate. We are all given a body and it is up to each individual to either keep it fit or let it deteriorate. We are all given 365 days in a year and it is up to each individual to either use them or waste them. Every person has a choice in life; to either succeed or fail. The choice is up to each individual, but the one thing that no one can do, is succeed without effort. The world is full of people who just go through the motions. People who do little more than meet their basic obligations. They are the people who work from nine to five and never miss a coffee break. They arrive right at 9:00a.m and have their desks clear five minutes before 5:00p.m. Most of these nine to fivers are good and decent people. Theyre pleasant, interesting, and up on the latest movies. Theyre never too busy to talk about last nights ball game or the latest trend in fashions. They do their job and meet their obligations. On the other hand these nine to fivers never study or read outside of their job description. They never come up with a new idea. They never raise questions or try to improve accepted company procedure, nor do they try to initiate change. They are generally satisfied with their jobs and put in just enough effort to earn their paychecks. These are the people who make it easy for anyone who really wants to succeed in business to do so. Success in business is no secret. Unless youre the son or daughter of successful entrepreneur, success is a matter of wanting to succeed, wanting to put in the extra hours, to concentrate fully, to challenge your mind and your imagination. It comes down to commitment, persistence, and gaining the necessary knowledge you need to succeed. You must believe in your abilities, because if you want success badly enough and are prepared to work hard for it, you will achieve it. Unfortunately, many people believe that they cannot succeed because theyre not educated, or smart enough. This is what separates the successful from the unsuccessful people. Successful people refuse to accept these self-limiting beliefs. They dont measure themselves against other people. They evaluate their own potential not the potential of others. Success comes to them because they fix their minds on it and work hard to achieve it. In the business world, the difference between winners and losers is often very small. For as example the salesperson who makes $100,000 a year is not twice as good as the salesperson who makes $50,000. The salesperson who makes $100,000 works a little harder, concentrates a little more, plans a little more carefully, knows the job a little better, refines his or her skills with greater care and is ready to make the extra effort. People who succeed in business are people who love what they do. If theres one dominant characteristic of leaders in any field, its their enthusiasm. Their eyes light up when they talk about their work and their enthusiasm in contagious. To create success in any field you have to believe in what youre doing, because if youre excited about it and see it not as a job but as an opportunity or an adventure, youll almost certainly be successful. On the other hand, if youre bored with your work or indifferent to it youll almost certainly fall short of your goals. Its difficult to be enthusiastic about your work if it doesnt challenge and excite you. So, if your job is a drag and seems like just a burdensome responsibility, you should think long and hard about getting out of it. Start giving some serious thought to what success means to you and where it will take you. Look closely at the men and women who have reached the top of your field, the people who hold the positions you would like to have, and who make the money you would like to make. Then ask yourself: Will those achievements satisfy me? Would I enjoy a life like theirs? While persistence, excitement, and enthusiasm are important elements to creating success, knowledge is the most important element in creating success. You must know your field. The people who move ahead in the world of business, who have the edge over their piers, are the experts in their field. They know what the realities are, what the potential is, and where the problems lie. Your goal must be to learn everything you can about the field that youre in. Seek out men and women who are leaders in your field. Read everything you can that pertains to your field. Listen to audio programs and regularly attend educational seminars that pertain to your field. Set a goal to become not just an expert in your field, but to become the expert in your field. The world is full of self-proclaimed experts, people who dont know what theyre talking about, but nonetheless fill the air with their opinions. The way to rise above them is know your field inside and out. As you create your success youre going to make mistakes, every successful person makes them. Youve been given a world full of wonderful opportunities and it is up to you to take advantage of them. Success can be created only by a total commitment to achieving your goal, but it is the realization and the willingness to make the commitment that creates success. Copyright2006 by Joe Love and JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. |
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