Successes Don't Just Happen

But They Will Happen with Planning, Effort and Persistence

I read an article today that I found to be very profound in its simplicity. In general, I read a lot of books and articles that help me grow stronger as a person, but it doesn't happen often that a single article really turns on a light bulb for me. This one did!

The article addressed the concept of goal-setting. But it wasn't strictly about the power of goal-setting which is written about so often. Rather, the author highlights the difference between idealizing our successes vs. actually doing the work leading to those successes. To be more clear, how many self-help commercials, advertisements, and how-to manuals focus on the abstract virtues of being self-employed, wealthy, and having freedom in your life? Those idealized scenarios sound fabulous, don't they!



But daydreaming about these idealized life scenarios won't actually get you where you want to go. Such dreamy ideas represent fantasies, not goals. A goal is more tangible, measurable and requires effort to accomplish. For example, dreaming about golfing every afternoon or being able to stay home with your kids is an outcome of your success, not a goal that will get you to your success. On the other hand, setting a target of selling three items a day or of creating one new viable sales lead per day is a tangible business goal that will eventually lead you to your desired lifestyle.

In other words, the author puts his concept of goal setting into a workable context by saying that your lifestyle choices (or where you put your day-to-day focus) will lead to your success, and not the other way around! Do not make the common mistake of assuming that your success will lead to your desired lifestyle choices! You need to have a plan and do the necessary work in order to find your success and ultimately change your lifestyle.

Here are a couple of key quotes from the article:

"Get this point clear in your mind right now:
You can have any kind of success you desire if you are willing
to adopt the kind of lifestyle which precedes that success."

or,

"Once again, let me put it this way:
Destiny does not determine your lifestyle.
Your lifestyle determines your destiny."

And finally,

"And that's the only real difference between the people who achieve
their goals and those that don't - the things that they do day after day,
week after week and month after month."

Why did I find this article to be so profound? Because I am once again at a crossroads in my own life. My web-based business is doing somewhat well, but not well enough to assure the kind of financial security I need for myself and my kids. My web-based business, and its attendant ability to work from home, is also central to my continuing ownership of our horses. I really need my business to succeed. However, for several months now, I've had disappointment after disappointment -- the web is competitive place! And because of the disappointments, my usual enthusiasm and focus have evaporated into a morass of "oh, that'll never work."

But this article woke me up again. If I want to be a successful webmaster, I have to live and work (hard) like a successful webmaster. Since I read this article, I have once again cast aside my doubts and fears and have just begun usual my daily work schedule again. I'm confident that even greater success is just on the other side of my efforts!

So read the original article and then... get to work!