It is not enough to understand what you need to do, and it is not enough to want to do it. Knowledge and willingness can only make a difference in your success when you put them both to good use and apply everything you need to achieve the goals you desire.
We all have something we desire to achieve. The burning goal we keep trying to accomplish, but somehow never quite get there. In fact, most people will not achieve the life they truly desire. The data published shows that less than 9% of the population will see the success they want. This statistic is sad, and the question is, why is it so low? Could it be that only a few people are born with the ability to achieve success and the rest of us are here to live in poverty or mediocrity? It could appear that way, but that is far from the truth. The truth is everyone can accomplish the goals they desire. The answer then to why most people don’t is simple and complicated at the same time. The common denominator is the word “want”. People want things but wanting is not enough. The fact is success is hard – very hard! It doesn’t matter what you want to accomplish, from the smallest to the largest, it will be a long row to hoe. Success requires many factors being applied on a constant basis and most of us simply don’t have all of them easily accessible to us.
Within our I’ve Decided Community, we refer to these factors as the 10 pieces of the puzzle for success. They are, motivation, inspiration, support, accountability, tools, resources, information, education, the right mindset, and contribution.
So, what happens? Let’s say you want to be healthy, have better time management, open your own business, write a book, do public speaking, or become a life coach, just as examples. You wake up one day, and you’ve decided you are going to achieve your goal! This is great, you’ve shifted from wanting to deciding. You have the right mindset! (One piece of the puzzle.) You then attend an event that is all about the topic of your goal, and you get motivated and gain some insights that will help you. You added another couple pieces of the puzzle for success – motivation and information. You’re all set for success; You’re ready to go! You get going, but life happens. A kid gets sick, you have a flat tire, you forget to set your alarm and oversleep – Motivation is gone. You still have the information and the right mindset, so you try to keep going. You decided and you know you should do it, but before you know it, you start to lose sight of some of the information you gained and you’re starting to doubt your ability. Before long, you’re back to the same old lifestyle and habits and the dreams you have are again tucked away. Sound familiar? Yes, we know it does. This is what happens to most of us every time we set out to accomplish a goal or a dream. So, why even bother? Because there is good news!!
You can achieve the goals and dreams you desire; you just need to make sure you apply all the pieces of the puzzle for success to your life and apply them on an ongoing basis. Does that sound hard? You bet it does because it is! This is why I’ve Decided exists, to help make success a little easier for you. There is no getting around the fact, success is hard. However, when you have access to all the factors and you apply yourself to the best of your ability, you can achieve whatever it is you desire.
Here are 5 things you can do to apply what you know for success.
1.Focus –
Keep your attention on what it is your good at. Conventional wisdom tells us that we have the best opportunity for growth in our weaknesses, but research proves differently. The newest information shows us that people who focus on what they are already good at instead of where they are lacking have a much greater chance of winning at life than those who focus on their deficiencies.
2.Practice –
Whatever you want to get better at, you must practice. You can read great articles, books, and learn from amazing experts, but if you don’t put to practice every single day what you absorb, it won’t impact your success very much.
3.Launch –
In other words, act! Until you decide to launch your idea, or take action towards achieving your goals and dreams, nothing is going to change. Success requires you to take steps every single day towards the things you want to achieve. Every baby step you move in the right direction is one step closer to where you want to be.
4.Review –
Give yourself a performance review. How are you coming along? Be honest with yourself. Nothing makes a goal fail faster than no accountability and not doing an honest self-check.
5.Repeat –
Stay the course. Persevere. Focus, practice, launch, review, repeat, every single day!
Remember, without application your biggest dreams, ideas, and goals will never come to fruition. Apply yourself everyday and you will move a little closer towards the life you desire one day at a time. Success is a journey, and as long as you keep moving in the right direction, you will get where you want to be.
Article Written By:
Kim Martin, Founder of I’ve Decided, INC.