The Chosen Ones?

Let me ask you - are you stuck in a rut? Just barely getting by? Can’t loose that 10 pounds around your gut? Still waiting for the “Perfect Career”? Still waiting on different results when you keep doing the same thing over and over (which, by the way, is the definition of insanity.)? Do you find yourself often wanting but never getting?

Are you ready to be successful? Are you ready to have all the things you have been dreaming of? Are you ready to live the life you’ve always wanted to live? Well, then what are you willing to do about it?

See? There it is; what are you willing to do about it? If you’re like most folks, you probably feel like success is an elusive status that you just can’t get your hands on. I’m gonna tell you right now that your success in life is not as elusive or complicated as you think it is. How can I say that? Well, if you answered yes to any of my previous questions, then it’s safe to say that you want more in your life; more free time, more options, more money, more success, etc. You want to be healthier and better looking. You want better relationships and better family. You want a better job and a better house... I could go on and on. This is the plight for most individuals and I am convinced that there is not one person of sound mind that doesn’t want more than what they have right now.

The funny thing is, for most individuals the very thought of having to do more in order to have more, is not an option. They’re either too afraid to try something new or too lazy to break out of their rut which has become their comfort zone.

But every once in awhile, every now and then, there comes an individual who says “No more. I am done with this and I am willing to do anything to make a change.” And you know what? They do. They find a better way and they stick to it and they make a change in their life. Sometimes they do it all on their own! Imagine that? They take responsibility for their life and they make a change for the better! What a concept. This is the true definition of Self Improvement folks. They didn’t need someone to tell them how to change or what to change. They did it all on their own. All by them self.

Now don’t go falling into that old, defeated mindset that says “Yeah, but they don’t have the problems that I have. They’re stronger than me. They’re richer than me. They’re younger than me. They’re thinner than me.” ...on and on it goes.

Seriously, if you think that I am making this up just go ahead and compare yourself to someone else who “Has More” than you do. Do you hear it? Way back there in the dark recesses of your mind, you’re thinking up your own “Yeah-Buts”. And that’s the problem that so many of us have; we compare ourselves to others and immediately we conjure up excuses by subconsciously belittling ourselves and elevating others. We’ve all done it so don’t take this as a personal attack. Let it make you angry, let it bother you, let it shake you up a little and make you uncomfortable but don’t take it personally. Just hear me out.

When it comes to your success, what is it that you are using as a measuring stick? What do you define as “Successful”? Like most of us you probably look to the rich and famous; movie stars, rock stars, professional athlete’s and yes, even self improvement guru’s. We’ve all done it, we all do it. While there’s nothing really wrong with comparing ourselves to such people there is everything wrong with thinking that these people are the “Chosen Few”, the “Untouchables” or that they have somehow achieved success that only they are capable of.

Success is not complicated and these people didn’t do anything that you or I cannot do. You wanna know what most of these people did? They worked for it. Yep, that’s it. They took action and did something about it. They recognized that there is nothing special about others who have reached that level of success and therefore they took it upon themselves to achieve what others before them have achieved. Is any of this getting through?

OK, so let’s break it down so as to really get this to sink in, cuz I want you to get this;
Success is simple, not complicated.
If you can define success by what it means to you, then it can be achieved.
To achieve your definition of success, you need to take action and get to work.

That’s it. Success, defined. Every one of us is capable of so much more than what we think or have been told to believe. Every one of us is capable of success. But sadly, not every one of us is willing to work for it. If there is one thing, one differentiator that separates the “Chosen Few” from the “Left Over Many”, it’s the willingness to work for what we are capable of obtaining.

It’s not complicated. I didn’t say it was easy; I said it’s not complicated. If I can encourage you in any way at all after reading this, I would simply encourage you to change your perspective. Recognize that successful people put their pants on one leg at a time just like you. They are no different, they are no better and they are not elite. They are simply successful. You can be too. Just define your success and get to work.

‘Nuff said.

The Steps In Between

Don't you just love it when inspiration meets simplification? If you're anything like me, then you practically LIVE for it!

It occurred to me after some good conversation with a friend of mine this afternoon that Success is not just getting from Point A to Point Z. Success is made up of all the steps that lie in between. Without the steps in between, all you have is a starting line and a finish line.

Marathons have a starting line and a finish line. The Indy 500 has a starting line and a finish line. Life has a starting line and a finish line. But it's the steps in between; it's the miles in between the starting and finishing line that make up the race. Just think about how boring it would be to watch the Olympics where the U.S. Team takes to the field and lines up for the 400m. The Runners get in their starting blocks and Blam! The gun goes off and the runners...stand there...? Looking down the track at the finish line...? Not a whole lot being accomplished in my opinion.

The same holds true in life. There's not a whole lot of accomplishment in just focusing on the Starting Point and Finish Point of your goals. You gotta walk the steps in between to actually achieve something. You need to focus on Step B through Step Y one step at a time.

In the world of Goal Setting you cannot reach a Goal if you do not take the steps in between. Success definitely requires a strong Start and an even stronger Finish, but it is absolutely impossible to achieve Success without the steps in between.

Immerse Yourself

"The percentage of people who are motivated to the point that they totally immerse themselves in worthwhile pursuits is shockingly small. Far too many of them now spend nearly half their waking hours propped up in front of the tube.
I don't believe in dumbing myself down by watching long hours of TV pap. Why? To win, I need ammunition - new words, new meanings, new uses!"
- Michihiro Matsumoto (from Samurai Strategies, 42 Martial Secrets from Musashi's Book Of Five Rings by Boye Lafayette De Mente)

It's one thing to make changes in  your life. It's something else entirely to KEEP those changes. Keeping to your goals and not back-sliding will more than likely be your biggest challenge.
Think I'm wrong? Consider the woman who decided to finally shed those extra pounds so she could fit into that itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny-yellow polka dot bikini. She works out faithfully everyday, hits the treadmill, does her yoga, eats her veggies and fruits. The pounds drop off and she's feeling great about herself.

Then, she skips a day. Time off for good behavior she says. She deserves a day off she says. That bowl of ice cream won't be a bad thing because she'll work out twice as hard tomorrow she says. A couple more days go by and she's replaced her workout videos with Sitcom Re-runs and Reality shows. Soon she stops caring about her itsy-bitsy bikini altogether and settles for a moo-moo because somewhere along the way she was told that she should love and accept herself just the way she is.

Ouch! I don't know about you but I firmly believe that the instant we let our guard down, we've either failed or are about to fail in keeping to our goals.

You have to keep yourself surrounded and focused on the end result. Keep your eyes on the prize. Ensconce yourself in your objectives every second of every minute of every hour of every day. Want to get in shape? Surround yourself with imagery and articles pertaining to healthy people and lifestyles. Need to get out of debt? Go to the library (cuz you can't afford to buy books. You're in debt remember?) Check out every book, audio-book, CD and magazine pertaining to finances and money management available. Read books by authors who have successfully overcome financial crisis and become millionaires.

You have to be absorbed in your objectives otherwise when that first idle moment arrives and your guard is down I can promise you that temptation will show up at your door telling you to lighten up for a day, it won't hurt, you deserve a break. If you listen to that and become lazy you will have lost the battle. Can you still win the war? Possibly. But only if you get back on track and immerse yourself totally and completely. Keep your eyes, ears and thoughts on your objectives and temptation to let your guard down will appear less and less enticing as you move closer and closer to your goals.