7 Real Life Success Strategies
In an Instagram world how can one begin to even explain how success really happens?
And who is to say what “success” is anyway?
The United States is experiencing another “Minimalist Movement.” (Why do I need
xyz when I can live with Mom.)
There is certainly nothing wrong with reducing expenditures but there’s a lot
wrong with the other sides…of the multi-sided coin.
The minimalists often don’t challenge themselves to see just what life they can live.
More challenging of course is that the preparation for the day when they have no
resources is coming. Right now there is a socialist safety net in a lot of countries.
Sadly, at some point, the net will be experienced for what it really is becoming…
a little bit of net and a lot of big holes.
Where will the net break first, second, third? I can’t tell you. I don’t know.
When will the nets begin breaking? I don’t know.
How will the nets break? That’s easy. They are already broken. They can’t be fixed
without a massive and seriously painful restructuring. The restructuring will happen
and that means the currencies will be worth a fraction of what they are today,
meaning the money saved will be “worth” a lot less than it is day.
The prepared people will have the best chance to survive and thrive in difficult
times. You can look on Twitter and see that 11 years ago I said there was going
to be a big stock market crash. This was when everyone was high on life and markets
were at historic highs. And then they weren’t. But that was then and this is now
and things will be roughly the same in 6 – 30 months. Exactly what date do more
bubbles start to pop? I really can’t tell you. I can tell you that by 2020 we
will have more remarkable stories similar to 2008…except more profound.
The psychology of the online connected world is a real mess today. People see “success”
and the accoutrements of success all around. Some of it is real and some a big
illusion/delusion.
The problem is a “feel good problem,” where 1/3 of the people on the planet can
post the very best moment of their day on Facebook. Sounds like a nice thing
but the challenge is that you’re seeing everyone at their photo-shopped “best”
and not seeing what reality is.
People with an accurate view of reality have always been those who are more likely
to succeed in life. Why? As you see people put their best moments on life, it causes
more people to be more and more socially anxious, less likely to reach out and
communicate and unfortunately convinces you that everyone else is better off and
better looking, than you are.
The notion of Facebook News is bothersome but the reality of Facebook Bullsh… is
another thing altogether. You apparently see everyone succeeding at something
remarkable and you feel worse about yourself; which is why people who use Social
Media more than average are more likely to suffer from depression and a host of
other psychological challenges. All that for another day.
Today I want to point out that what you see on Facebook and similar is really an
illusion. You’re observing what appears to be people succeeding, achieving and
living the “good life” when you are not.
Sure you post your best moments to Instagram too, but really you know the truth of
YOUR life. Compared to all those other people, you are a “loser.”
Here’s the truth. You aren’t. And they aren’t winning.
In fact fewer people per capita are living the “good life” now than ever before. To
be sure wealth is still increasing among the top 10% (who now own 90% of the wealth
on the planet) and in particular the top 1% who own half of everything on the planet.
The rest of the 90% aren’t doing so well. Maybe their household does $100,000 per year.
It doesn’t really matter because almost all of that money is absorbed by indebtedness.
There are people who wisely saved and stashed their incomes away for a rainy day.
That has made some people’s lives a lot better and a lot less likely to succumb to
disaster today. And as the world stock markets flatten out and soon begin to return
from outer space to the atmosphere, a lot of wealth will just vanish into thin air,
proving once again that success is not about “easy money” but “careful and consistent
thinking, planning, and completion.”
It’s so important that people understand that much of what they see happening around
them is simply not real.
I just got back from 3 weeks in Europe. I had some fun, some very special moments,
and some of that will end up on Facebook I imagine. We’ll see.
But I also had 4 days of food poisoning there and follow up bonus challenges which
turned a pleasant Kevin into an irritable person. You’ll never see (thank god) this
on Facebook. I tell you this only to remind you that a lot of what glitters is gold
but there is a lot of dirt to dig that surrounds the gold. Today I want to give you
7 short reality checks that will move your toward success while most people will
continue to pretend and move toward the back of the global bus.
If you’re going to have a life that you are in control of then you’ll have to succeed.
You’ll need to be part of the 10% or you’ll be rolling dice against math that can’t
be beaten. You define success how you wish. I’m going to say it is having the
resources to care for yourself and others you love without promised safety nets, be
they health, education, welfare, social security, etc.
Success is absolutely attainable and achievable by most people reading this. It is
largely a choice that is propelled by fuel that really works.
It begins with expectation.
Expectation is not a belief. It is not generated through “affirmations.” Expectation
is the cause of your behavioral change and that of those around you. It is your
absolute certainty that some action will happen. Expectation is generated by always
completing tasks, accomplishing projects, and you doing what you say.
Soon when you say something, people trust you, know you are acting in their best
interest and that you are the person who makes magic in people’s lives.
Expectation comes from certainty of yourself and those around you. Surround yourself
with “magical thinking,” like “I believe in myself” and you’ll end up right next to
the other magical thinkers. Not just broke, but deep in debt.
Expectation comes with the successful completion of tasks and the brain seeing and
living the patterns of finishing what you start.
These behaviors change attitudes and attitudes must change.
Attitude Change occurs when you have completed behaviors and develop a Success
State of Mind. There is no “positive” or “negative” mental attitude that can be
measured. Instead you measure your successes and failures and develop a “Real World
Success Mindset.” It happens because you have THE right attitude that comes from
Expectation. The attitude is not “feel good” it is feel COMPETENT and CONFIDENT.
Confidence is a MUST for success in your business and life. Confidence comes
directly from competence. Competence is the self certainty that is the result of
being good at something. Confidence can also come from your experience of being good
at similar tasks, actions, projects, and knowing you will be effective at a similar
set of tasks or projects.
Delusional Self Confidence is a dream. It’s based on a feeling or a hope. It’s not
real and it is crushed and crashed with ease. You can’t look in the mirror and say
“I can do it.” You are able to do it, when you do it and other things like “it”
every day and achieve certainty which triggers confidence.
Choice Reduction helps you assure success. Trying to be excellent at everything is
very difficult. Grow your key skills for success in your business. (Strategic
thinking, communication & influence, recognizing obstacles to your outcomes before
they happen and overcoming them.) As you master a few things, you can then work on
three more important skills or behaviors, accomplish mastery and then choose three
more until you master all aspects of communication, selling and personal branding
that will cause your success.
No one can master everything. Everyone can master a few things. These few things
must be connected to your desired outcomes of life. If you do this you will likely
be in the successful 10%.
Competition is mostly unimportant in business. People buy excellent products from
PEOPLE who they PREFER to do business with. Your competition is really your Self.
Other people selling similar products do not posses your identity, uniqueness,
personality or what makes you special as a person.
You are unique.
Competition forces people to have competitive advantages or fail. Be sure to look at
competition for what it is. Others are doing what you are doing (or something similar).
You stay ahead by being the best or among the best.
Change the Behavior of Other People – Your actions which are grown in gentleness and
experienced as being strong and wise will cause others to change who they are and what
they do as they invest more time and energy around you.
Change can also happen in a moment, in an instant!
Influence is critical to success. You need help and others need your help. These
crucial connections make or break success and failure.
Self Certainty. Do not allow the influence of negative (unkind, unsupportive) people
interfere with YOUR life and YOUR plans.
Surround yourself with AMAZING people and YOU will BE AMAZING.
Is there more? Reams.
For today? Write these aspects of success on post it notes and put them up around the
house and the office.
DO this and you’ll have accomplished step one and THIS will give you confidence because
you will have completed something important!
