Title: |
The Secret to Success | ||
Author: |
Joe L. Gaskovski | Section: |
Success |
Submitted: |
September 2008 | Expertise base on: |
Experience |
2500 years ago in a short treatise called "The Art of War" Sun Tzu hinted at the secret to achieving success. He wrote:
"If you know yourself [your inner world] and you know your enemy [the world around you], you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the world around you, for every victory gained you will suffer a defeat. If you know neither, you will succumb without a doubt."
Those words continue to influence the strategies of leaders in the corporate boardrooms, the goals of competitive sports teams and athletes, and the quiet contemplations of individual seekers of personal fulfillment. Whether then or now, the secret to being successful is the same. It requires that you know both the world outside and the world within.
The world around and within
Knowing the outer world includes being aware of the people you surround yourself with, the places you go, the information you read, and the things you do. Knowing these conditions or habits is essential as they continually influence you and your actions. Changing any of them will lead to a change in your world. Yet many people find it hard to do, but as hard as it may seem, this is the easy part of what Sun Tzu was referring to.
Knowing the inner world is the path to true personal power. It includes how you think, what you believe and who you are. It is the internal qualities, nascent potentials and personal characteristics that define the real you. The ones that come from somewhere deep inside and whisper a reminder of what is important in life. Exploring this rich and personal inner world is the key to being successful. Clarity, insight and understanding will not and cannot come from someone else; instead it begins with quiet reflection and introspection.
The secret to success
During my research while developing a Self-Management and Performance subject (for a Leadership Certificate Program at one of Canada's largest Colleges), I discovered eighteen competencies that consistently contribute to lasting success in business, relationships, sports and life. Here we'll explore the top five - Intrinsic Desire, Persistent Determination, Belief in Self, Goal Focus, and Ethic of Excellence and how you can develop them further within yourself and in others.
1. Intrinsic Desire
This is a deep-seeded passion and driving enthusiasm that comes from within. It is the inner spark that ignites a desire or attitude for something. It is an internal motivation that fuels your passion and moves you to achieve your most important goals, regardless of your current talent or level of ability. This self-energizing spirit encourages you to continue to work hard regardless of personal problems, fatigue, or any difficult circumstances that may be present at the moment.
Where does Intrinsic Desire come from? From within! How do you develop an Intrinsic Desire for something that you have no interest in? You can't! It's not about developing it; it's about discovering what you have an Intrinsic Desire for. What is your passion, and what is it that sets your heart and spirit aflame? And once you find it, stay true to it, no matter what happens in the world around you. This is the fuel that keeps the engine running.
So how do you find what you have an Intrinsic Desire for? Start by looking at what you love to do, what you find yourself yearning to do, or what you seem to do well without even trying. Look back at those things in life you really enjoyed, what you had a passion and inspiration for. What did you lose yourself in? What did you do when hours flew by as if they were minutes? What are you able to immerse yourself in so deeply that you forget anything else exists? Once you have found this, you have found a clue to your Intrinsic Desire.
2. Persistent Determination
Persistent Determination simply means that you are willing to exert great amounts of energy and effort to achieve what you want. This is like a bulldog; it is the "failure is not an option" position or the tenacious refusal to give up once a decision is made. It is the faithful commitment to the journey until the final objective is achieved. It is to stick with your game plan even when there are relentless obstacles that persist. This also includes the idea of self-reliance and a "sense of knowing" that you have, can or will find the resources you need in the end.
Where does Persistent Determination come from? It too comes from within! The interesting thing is that it seems to follow or flow from Intrinsic Desire. Once you've discovered what you have an Intrinsic Desire for, then it is almost natural to have a Persistent Determination to follow it through. The easiest way to maintain your motivation is to do something you love. It is extremely difficult to stay motivated at things you hate, at least for long periods of time. It is like trying to force a square peg through a round hole; it's no wonder people give up, grow weary and get discouraged.
So how do you develop an attitude of Persistent Determination? Again, start by realizing what you love to do. I have never seen someone lacking in Persistent Determination when they do what they love.
3. Belief in Self
This is the recognition that your underlying value and belief systems support your goal and your expectations of achieving it. When you have a Belief in Self you channel your focus and actions in only those directions that support your values and beliefs. This is a transcendent conscious awareness that you have inner potential. It is the point of view that aligns your individual actions in a fashion that mirrors your beliefs. And it often includes a sense of some higher destiny or purpose that wants or needs to be fulfilled, explored or experienced.
Like Intrinsic Desire and Persistent Determination, Belief in Self comes from within. In fact, five of the top six competencies are intrinsic qualities. When kids are growing up, believing in the self seems to come naturally to most, but somehow as they get older they lose this ability. To build (or rebuild) a Belief in Self means to build self-confidence. And the best way to do this is through small wins. These are little victories that occur when you take manageable steps. It does not mean that you have to accomplish a huge challenge all at once. It means that big tasks need to be broken down into smaller steps. With every step completed, you move closer to the goal and your confidence grows. After a while even the biggest tasks get accomplished and you begin to believe in yourself again.
4. Goal Focus
Goal Focus requires that you know what needs to be accomplished and have a clear plan to achieve it. And this plan is based on your values, beliefs and vision of what your future looks like and what you want to achieve. It includes the relentless drive to accomplish your goals and to continue to work toward them, day in and day out, until they are complete. Individuals who are goal-focused concentrate on their main goals and do not get sidetracked by things that come up. They do not procrastinate on what needs to be done. These focused individuals have goals, they have a plan and they follow that plan.
The goal-setting aspect of Goal Focus is the simplest to learn. There are many strategies, books and programs on how to set effective goals. This is a simple process. To become goal-focused, decide on something that is most important to you, make a plan of action to bring you closer (regardless of how distant the goal may seem today), and then immediately take an action that supports your plan.
If you take a survey of individuals by asking if they had and followed written goals, you would consistently find that successful ones did and do, while the unsuccessful ones did not have them and therefore had no plan to follow. This simple competency is one of the fastest and easiest ways to accelerate toward success.
5. Ethic of Excellence
An Ethic of Excellence seeks to perform, to do or to be your best for its own sake. It does not require that anyone else recognize your success or even your effort. It stands alone as a strong work ethic that involves a passionate commitment to excellence as its own goal. It is the decision to make being your best regardless of the external circumstances a priority in your life, so much so that you make a real, sincere and honest effort each and every day.
Developing an Ethic of Excellence starts by realizing that you are not doing what you do for anyone else, or for any other reason than to express your inner potential. This is the "real you" wanting to find its way out. It is irrelevant if no one else appreciates what is important to you, what you have or tried to accomplish. The reason you do what you do is for you, because it has meaning and value for you and possibly you alone. It is not necessary for anyone else to say "good job", as you already know when you have done the best you can do. Your name and integrity stand beside it. It is to be pleased with your accomplishment but not in a vain or naive way. It is excellence for its own sake.
How do you develop an Ethic of Excellence? Simple: don't settle for anything less than your best. This is the difference between "good" and "great". An Ethic of Excellence is developed when you pursue being your best. It doesn't mean that it will always satisfy others, but it doesn't need to. It only requires that it is "your best".
Time for action
Most everyone wants to be happy, healthy, wealthy, or successful in some way. The challenge is that many don't know how or are not prepared to make the effort necessary to achieve their dreams. There is no "get rich quick" book or CD that reveals the secret to make your dreams come true without any effort. Success begins and ends with you and what you do! Sun Tzu told us that you must know both the external and internal world. And you've just seen that four of the top five competencies come from within, that means that you already have or can develop what you need to create a successful lifetime.
Now it's time for you to explore your internal world. If you take the time to explore the real you, your hopes, and dreams, then you will discover where your real power. The next step is to create a plan, and we'll do that in the next article. So until next time, enjoy every moment of the best journey you'll ever have: your life!
