We’ve all had those moments where we look in the mirror and wonder why we aren’t as successful as we thought we would be, or want to be. It can be extremely discouraging to not yet be self-actualized. Sometimes we get so desperate, we do something insane like buying a Dummies book on How to Be Successful, and think that following the advice within, or just reading the advice, will somehow be helpful. The problem is, we focus too much on “I need to do this” or “I need to do that.” The truth is, the actual nuts and bolts of doing this or doing that is of course essential, but it is far from the most important part of success.
Let’s rethink the path toward success.
How do you even get to the point where you’re doing something. How do you know what to do? Knowing what to do is called ‘tactics.’ What are the things you need to do, what tactics will you use? You need to know where to put your foot before you can take that first step. Determining the steps and rungs of the ladder is of critical importance before you can actually execute your plan. Richard Branson didn’t just become a billionaire because he starting being a billionaire, he needed to know what to do.
So how do you determine your tactics? In order to know what steps you need to follow, you need a strategy, a plan of attack. How can you figure out what are the best approaches toward success without some sort of strategic thinking? Do you think Abraham Lincoln won the Civil War just by sending troops down into the south to raze the plantations? He had strategy, and strategic thinking on his side. He determined the best way to go about winning the war, and only then came up with the tactics that his army could execute. Are you going to reach people via the internet? Via flyers in the community? What’s your strategy for expanding your ideas?
So a strategy is a great tool – but you can’t just have a strategy; your strategy is based on what your ultimate goals are. Do you know what your goals are? We’re not talking a vague goal of ‘being successful.’ You need a goal that is much more direct. My goal is to write and publish a best-selling novel. Or my goal is to have a restaurant conglomerate with thousands of store fronts. Or simply my goal is to have a jewelry business that sells crafts I make at the local farmers market. Goals can be whatever you want them to be. But the important thing is to have a goal, a specific goal that you can articulate, so that you can determine your strategy to achieving it.
A goal in life; you can’t achieve success without a goal. But don’t overlook the most important aspects of success: attitude and approach. Why are you trying to achieve this type of success, what is it that is driving you? Are you simply going after money in order to buy a yacht to impress your best friends? What type of business owner or manager are you going to be? Will you rule with an iron fist, or treat everyone like family? How do you handle adversity, like failure when you were sure you would succeed? Will you give up at the first obstacle? How do you handle things when no one is around? A healthy attitude and approach are the fundamental foundations of a successful execution of the strategy that you’ve adopted to achieve your goals. Don’t overlook these questions, and think about them before you get going.