Want to Be Successful? Don’t Ignore the Signs.
4 ways to take control of your circumstances and thrive.
The best defense is offence – whether your arena is the office or the field, the meeting room or the court. Both the business and sporting world share a common goal – the will to win. Learning how to be more productive, progressive and ultimately successful is what we strive for.
They say that opportunity only knocks once. And if opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. I disagree. I believe we as a community already have the tools to build successes from opportunities that are right in front of us.
It’s time to influence opportunity and make it knock again and again.
It’s common to take what we have for granted. Studies have shown 85% of adults in the Western world suffer from low self-esteem or chronic self-doubt. People often think about what they can’t do or what they don’t have instead of what they do possess. It’s time to realign and change that.
1. Don’t wait for chances; take them
There is rarely a perfect time to do anything and procrastination plagues us all, but planning can prevent poor performance and outcomes.
I’ve pushed back on preparing reports at work or doing my morning squats and tried to start them too late in the day. Let’s just say in both cases, I didn’t get the desired effect.
Taking the bull by the horns and getting the hard-to-dos completed earlier, gives me a sense of accomplishment for the rest of the day. If I’m honest with myself, I know I do my best work before 3pm and starting a workout at 11:30 at night… forget it!
2. Change losses into teachable moments
We all make mistakes and experience ups and downs; the important thing is to grow from them whether they are your mistakes or other people’s.
‘Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn,’ is something I’ve heard from my coaches and mentors for years. Having a healthy relationship with winning and failure is key and as a consultant, business owner and father, this is one of my favourite mantras.
Personally, one of my biggest learnings has been the importance of seeking new connections and asking for help.
Developing talent and networking effectively helps personal growth outside of those dangerous comfort zones.
3. Acknowledge the process
Positive results and incremental improvements come from great people driving forward and building relationships.
Recognise good work, the effort you put in and the small wins along the way. When I stopped looking for a sign or a reason to start my business, I realised the clues had been there for a long time.
Realising your purpose and matching your personal values with what you do is part of the journey.
Often when I speak at events, I ask the audience about their dreams and if they have an aspiration or business idea. Almost everyone’s hand goes up. When I ask who has acted on their idea, most of the hands drop down.
Here’s a little test, close one eye right now and you’ll notice your nose. It’s been there all along but you’ve just learned to ignore it. You don’t have to start focusing on your nose but if you don’t notice that, what else are you ignoring that’s hiding in plain sight?
4. Feel more
Attitude is more important than IQ. I’ve had to ignore the impulse to quit many times and keep going to make breakthroughs. Use what you have and who you are as a platform. Perceptions change but you don’t have to.
Since the last industrial revolution, young entrepreneurial minds and creators have been discouraged to build on their ideas. Educational institutions often err on the side of caution and tell us to conform while learning and choosing a career. Today the ambitious are no longer rogues. The barriers to entry are lower than ever before and the successful creator story is being told daily – don’t ignore it.
It's all love
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Definitely motivates one to follow their entrepreneurial dreams
What's next is always a great question. I'm progressive so I want to do more in the community, make an impact and be involved in ground breaking sustainable projects.
Thank for sharing it