“My 26 Keys To Success”

I was sitting at home after I did my interview with Vince Tan via skype and came to some realizations for someones success and what I think we need. These might come in useful for someone just starting out and in need of some motivation.

 (FYI - I will be releasing that interview podcast with Vince soon, Subscribe to my RSS feed to be updated when that comes out. )

1. Realize Your Potential

You need to see that you have the potential to reach your goals. While this is not always the easiest thing in the world, it is necessary that you know what you are capable of. Keep a positive outlook and remember that each step you take brings you closer to your goals. One of the best ways to stay positive is to visualize your goal continuously. Asking yourself some very simple “Can I…” questions will help you to find you strengths and weaknesses. Then you can work with that information to reach your full potential and your goals in the process.

2. Don’t Look Back

Everyone has failures or mistakes. You need to learn from your past and value those hard lessons, do not dwell, move forward. There are so many people who let their past mistakes and failures rule their lives. Don’t be one of those people; the pain just is not worth it! Instead, look to the future and let those hard won lessons to guide you to future success. Reviewing your past experiences, in a positive light, is the best guide we all have. Learning from those mistakes is the best way to make sure that you do not make them again.

3. Dare to Dream

We ALL need dreams and aspirations. Be honest with yourself as to what you want out of life and what you want to give of your life. A life without dreams and aspirations is pretty boring after all. Do you dream of one day Owning your own home or starting that home-based business? Are you willing to work harder or longer hours, in terms of overtime, to buy that new home? Do you have the time to put into a home-based business to make it successful? Is being a parent what you dream of; be ready to spend a lot of time answering the question “Why?”

4. Business Plan

First step if you are planning to build a business is to put your ideas down in writing. This is the best way for potential investors to know what it consists of. It is also the best way you to have to be Able to keep track of your progress. This is a necessary step to getting the funding that you might need to get started. Banks and investors will not give you start-up money or invest in your business without a written business plan. You also cannot get a business license from your town, county or state without a written business plan. I know that this is a lot to think about, however, it is only the beginning for a business owner.

5. Don’t Give Up

You have to persevere. There will be many times in your life where giving up Is Not an option. You will either sink or swim by your own outlook and attitude. Many times life will hand you some very difficult circumstances to deal with. How you deal with them determines how well you will succeed in life. Keep a positive outlook and you will eventually rise above the difficulty.

6. Have an Unstoppable Attitude

Determination is what makes the most successful people in the world who they were and got them where they are. People around you may want you to take your focus in another direction, but do not let them. Uphold your attitude and determination to succeed. Standing your ground, even if you are going against the tide, is true determination. Do you dream of running your own business? If so, you really need to be ready for a whole lot of negativity. Most people will tell you “You won’t succeed”, “You can’t do it” or “That’ll never work” Do Not listen to them or let them change your mind once you’ve made your choices.

7. Stop the Complaining

There is a direct correlation between complaining and success. Don’t spend time complaining, as it is non-productive. Don’t think of challenges as problems; instead think of them as opportunities to grow. Being negative about a challenge or problem gets you nowhere, except frustrated and depressed. The better way to deal with any challenges or problems is to face them head-on and with a positive attitude. This will give you a much better opportunity to succeed at whatever you have decided to do. Think about this; do you really feel any better about the situation, after you have complained about it? Probably Not.

8. Focus on Something You Like 

Concentrate your efforts on something you enjoy. How you brainstorm and narrow your interests will definitely help you focus on what you really like. Would you rather be doing something you enjoy or something you cannot stand? Most people will tell you that they would rather be doing something they really enjoy. This is a key component when you are putting together any kind of business plan. If you truly enjoy what you plan on or are already doing, then you will succeed. This is what all of the most successful people know when it comes to winning in business.

9. Change Your Circumstances

It is your choice to accept your position as it is or change it. Don’t plug away at life hoping that something will change. No one can change you life except for you, as many people have often said. If you are in a dead-end job with no possibility of advancement, go get a better job. If you have a good job but have not been promoted, talk to your manager about it. Chances are that you have not been paying attention to the possibilities; or that you just have not asked yet. Your life is exactly what you make of it; whether it is great or the pits depend on you.

10. Have a Plan

Even if it is flimsy to begin with, construct a plan to include a goal. Set those milestones and keep it visual. This is just the beginning of the pathway of success. If your (business) plan is very rough and untamed, talking to successful business people will help. Another good piece of advice is to have more than one plan in place; an emergency plan, if you will. Most successful people have always built a contingency plan into their original plans. This will give you more than one option when the going gets rough.

11. Accept Responsibility

If you messed up, own up to it. When you stand up and take responsibility for your mistakes, you are showing others that you are accountable. This accountability, or lack thereof, can make all the difference in life. Constantly shirking your responsibilities or not accepting the consequences for your mistakes says that you are not dependable. About the only people who are not held accountable for their actions are babies up to one year old. Keeping your promises is another facet of accountability and responsibility; always strive to keep your promises!

12. No Shortcuts

In business, just as in life, you cannot afford to take shortcuts. It only leads to imperfections and inadequacies, and this will not serve your purposes at all. Taking shortcuts, only leads to more problems than you will be able to handle. If a builder uses shortcuts, it will be the people in the building who ultimately pay for it. You cannot take or use any shortcuts in life if you hope to succeed. Even if you do get some success by using a shortcut of two to get ahead, it will eventually catch up with you. And you do not really want to know what kinds of trouble you could get into then!

13. Have Courage

Stand up for what you desire to do and not what others want you to do. It is not always easy to swim against the tide or go against the grain; no one ever said it would be. People who went against the grain invented most of the technology and items we use daily. Look at people like NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.; he left Dale Earnhardt Inc. to drive elsewhere. Staring a brand new business takes a lot of courage as well. This goes double if you will be offering something new to the area. Nevertheless, if you taste the fruits of success, have courage to avoid downtrodden path.

14. Be Excited To Learn

Always have opportunities to learn, even though it may take longer to achieve your goals. Life is a constant learning process; which goes without saying. Look at every lesson as an opportunity to add more knowledge to what you already know. If you see every challenge as a learning opportunity, you will get much farther in life. You may not always enjoy every lesson that comes your way in this lifetime. Embracing those lessons with enthusiasm will make even the most boring lessons or negative experiences seem better. 

15. Share Your Success

When you finally reach it, use your experience to teach, guide and mentor others so they, too, can succeed. This is one of the most important lessons that achieving success teaches us. Most successful authors, doctors and business people will hold seminars or meetings to talk to others in their field. Teaching and mentoring is part of being a true success as is sharing you knowledge with others. This way you can share successes, but can also help others avoid your mistakes too. Teaching others reminds them that there are people who are willing to share their knowledge.

16. Seek Input

Conduct a sanity check throughout your process of reaching your goal. Have them give you honest feedback, bounce ideas off them to keep you on the right track. This is the best possible way to stay on track when it comes to achieving your goals. By getting good and honest feedback from your colleagues and peers, you will know where you need to make changes. There have been too many people who have failed to heed this bit of advice. Are you willing to bet your business or your success on your knowledge alone? Most people are not willing to take a chance like this, not willing to gamble like that.
 
17. Toxic Positioning

Everyone has dealt with Toxic people during their lives. People do not like dealing with that green monster of jealousy or the case of “i knew that” syndrome. You need to rid your life of these people or avoid them. Know-it-alls are among the most annoying people on the planet, who needs them?! Believe it or not, we all need people like that around us, to show us what Not to be! Those who look at you with a jealous eye because of your success are best avoided. You would be best off to avoid those who have the all-or-nothing outlook as well. These toxic people and their skewed outlooks will, but will not, help you get ahead in life.

18. Be a Good Listener

Pay attention to others who have already made success, attend seminars given by those who motivate you. This is the key to learning more and getting ahead in both business and life. A Young doctor friend of mine recently met with a very well known specialist in his chosen field, which is Cancer. This veteran Cancer Surgeon is very rough and straight to the point. However, his words really hit home with my friend and has motivated him to become the very best he can possibly be. Such meetings and seminars can also be very depressing; especially if the presenter is too rough in the way, they speak.

19. Birds of a Feather

Whichever niche you decide on, find friends and mentors that achieved the same goal. Surround yourself with people who can associate with your goal. This is something this writer knows a lot about, as I turn to other writer friends for advice. If you are a writer, you are best off to talk with other writers for their advice. Most doctors and business people I know are always turning to their colleagues for guidance. Having people around you who totally understand you and your goals is the best possible way to succeed. They can give you good feedback and constructive criticism about what they think that you need to change to do better.
 
20. Be Proactive

It may take time to learn how to identify ways to avoid obstacles or failures, so get into the habit of tackling problems before they arise. Being proactive is the best possible way to avoid major problems down the line. If you start outlining any and all possible problems that can arise, then you can start avoiding them. We all know people who procrastinate and put off decisions like this until last minute. We also know, or should know, that this is no way to live or conduct business. Looking ahead for potential problems and coming up with solutions ahead of time will save you many headaches later.

21. Stay Motivated

Find inspiring and motivational tapes, seminars, books or movies; when doubt starts to creep in, grab one of these tools to get you back in the game. Talking with close friends or colleagues is another way to stay motivated. You might also find that certain kinds of music are also motivational. Meditation is another tool that you can use to stay motivated. By going into that quiet place within, you can re-connect with your source of peace and motivation. There is another thing you can do to stay motivated; and that is simply Have Some Fun!

22. Give Yourself a Break

Don’t be so critical that you crack down on every move you make. Give yourself room to make some mistakes, after all, mistakes are have we learn and grow. You also cannot be so blasted critical of yourself that you eventually have a nervous breakdown. Whenever you start getting that stressed out, the best advice is to take a few minutes to sit back and just breathe. You need to remember that having fun is a critical component of being successful in anything. Music and meditation are another way to give you a much-needed break. Do you have a favorite song that always calms you down? If so, then it would be wise to have a CD of it with you. 

23. Be Passionate

Fall in love with your success. Ok, that sounds funny, but you need to have an intimate passion with your interest. If so, then you will automatically put more effort into it. As strange as this advice sounds, most experts agree that being passionate about your choices helps you succeed. If you are truly passionate about what you have chosen to do, you tend to really put your whole heart into it. My doctor friend is so committed to his career, that I can see the fire burning in his heart about it. It’s heart-warming to hear him talk about how he really wants to make a difference in patient’s lives. This is true passion for and dedication a chosen calling.

24. No Excuses

If you are faced with a special challenge of your own, while you will have to adjust things from time to time, do not use excuses. If you want something bad enough, there is a way! When you get right down to it, everyone faces challenges on their way to success. The real key to success is how well you deal with those challenges. Do you make a myriad of excuses when you fail or something goes wrong? Alternatively, do you stand on your own two feet and willingly ask for the help and guidance you need to fix the situation? Your answers to these two important questions will help you see what you need to work on.

25. Getting Past Fear of Failure

Being afraid of failure is a normal emotion for every person. You can set realistic goals, and then examine those goals on occasion to do any necessary realignment. The most important point here is Do Not let fear of failure paralyze you or keep you from even trying to succeed! There is not one moment is anyone is live that they have not failed at something. It is how you deal with those failures, which determines what your future will hold. Facing your fear of failure head on is the best way to get past it. Do you have enough confidence in yourself to survive any failure, no matter what it is?

26. Patience and Dues

Success takes time. Be patient with yourself and others around you and the process that it takes to become successful. Pay your dues by learning and working your way up the ladder to success. These are the only true paths to real success, no matter what you are doing. There are no shortcuts when it comes to true success, either in business or in life. If you want to become a doctor, then you need to go to college and then to medical school. If you want a degree, you will be in school for at least two to four years. No matter what you choose to do, you need to remember that there is a price to be paid.