I never dreamed about success. I worked for it. – Estee Lauder
The Mathematics of Success…
Success is somewhat perceived as a psychological science built upon a mathematical formula of sorts. When you mix this and that ingredient together, and you add these two digits you will essentially transform your life and achieve the success you have desired all this time.
If I only knew that when I was a teenager. 😉
- Is it really as simple as this?
- Can we essentially follow a formula that will lead us in the right direction towards the achievement of our goals and objectives?
The answer to these questions is yes and no.
Yes, there is a formula for success that if followed will help guide you towards the achievement of your objectives. And No, the formula is flawed because it cannot take into account every single step you are going to personally take along the journey towards your goals.
As we have matured over the course of our lives, we have been conditioned somewhat differently by our peers and environment. This process of maturity — discussed within the MasterMind Matrix — is built upon a unique individual journey that must be adjusted at each stage just like a sailboat adjusting its sails in response to the direction of the wind. If you make the necessary adjustments and correct unhelpful habits and beliefs, then you will progressively clear a path towards the outcomes you desire to experience. On the other hand, neglect these breakdowns and you will consequently push yourself down the path of self-destruction leading to unfulfilled dreams and desires.
The blueprint to success is designed to guide you along the right path and will help you to develop empowering daily habits that will instill the necessary patterns of behavior to assist you along your journey towards your goals and objectives.
The discussion that follows is presented as a short list of simple steps and guidelines that we must all instill within our psyche if we seek to experience the pinnacles of success. Follow these steps to the letter, incorporate them into your daily habitual ritualistic patterns of behavior, and you will progressively develop the mental strength that is required to achieve your life’s ambitions.
Phase 1: Prepare Your Mind
Cultivate within your mind the seeds of discipline that will help propel you forward towards the attainment of your goals and objectives.
You Plan as Others Play and Daydream
While others are involving themselves in meaningless activities and daydreaming about a better future that someday may come their way, spend time planning your future on purpose.
Take out a sheet of paper or draw up a mind map laying out a short, medium and long-term plan for every aspect of your life.
Plan what you will do tomorrow, this week, this month and over the course of the year to help move you closer towards the achievement of your goals and objectives.
If the activities you are regularly partaking in are not moving you closer towards your goals, then your goals are simply being pulled away from your grasp. Planning sets the wheels in motion and helps direct your mind on the most important tasks that will move you in the direction of your objectives.
You Study as Others Sleep
While others are cuddled within their comfy beds at night, you stay up one, two or three hours longer, or get up one, two or three hours before everyone else and study everything you need to know that will help you to achieve your goals and objectives in quick succession.
Study how to negotiate, how to sell, how to market yourself, how to speak in public, how to network, how to persuade, and more.
If you spend time studying while others are dreaming, then you will have the edge you need to break away from the pack.
Within knowledge lie the foundations for all success.
You Learn as Others Complain
When things go wrong, as they inevitably will, simply take time to learn from your experience.
Take time to contemplate your actions, your understanding of the situation, and take time to reflect on new perspectives that will help you adjust your sails and overcome these obstacles in the future.
While others are complaining about their predicament and blaming the world for their problems, you are calm and relaxed, quietly contemplating and learning from your experiences.
You Believe as Others Doubt
Your beliefs build the foundations of the level of confidence you experience on a daily basis.
While others are doubting their ability, simply take time to believe in yourself, to believe in a solution, and to believe that you can make the seemingly impossible become your reality.
You Question as Others Whine
When s**t hits the fan, people tend to whine and make excuses, all the while trying to persuade others to feel sorry for them and their circumstances.
You, on the other hand, don’t need sympathy. Instead, when things go wrong, you immediately flick-on your thinking cap and begin curiously questioning everything that life throws your way. In fact, you don’t stop questioning up until the moment when the answers you have been searching for are revealed in their full glory.
You Decide as Others Delay
Our entire society and culture is built upon the concept of instant gratification — where life’s small pleasures are simply too tempting to pass up. Yet when it comes to the most important things in life… well… in such instances, we tend to shy away from any decision that will lead us to temporary pain no matter how wonderful the future rewards may be.
You, on the other hand, reverse this habitual pattern of gratification and decide daily what you must do to help yourself move forward towards your goals and objectives — despite any initial pain you may experience along your journey.
Phase 2: Take Immediate Action
Cultivate within your body the seeds of action that will help propel you forward towards the attainment of your goals and objectives.
You Begin as Others Procrastinate
Once your clear-cut decisions have been made, you take immediate action that will move you a step closer towards your goals and objectives.
These actions don’t have to be large, or of a significant nature, however, they must be actions that will start the ball rolling and moving in the right direction.
So while others hesitate, procrastinate and keep putting off the achievement of their dreams until tomorrow, until the next day, and the week after that… you step-up to the plate with your bat firmly within your grasp, and you begin by taking a swing… learning from any misses you experience… then swinging again… learning from your misses… and swinging another time until your misses become the successes you have always envisioned in your life.
Wayne Gretzky, the great ice hockey player once said:
You miss 100% of the shots you never take.
You Save as Others Waste
We are living in a society of reckless spenders. People spend hard earned money on absolute rubbish that makes them feel all comfy and wonderful for fleeting moments throughout their days. Yet they completely disregard the long-term consequences of this behavior and take completely no responsibility for their future.
You, on the other hand, are different. You spend only on what you need, not on what you want. As a result, you live frugally, stay out of debt, save money and build long-term financial wealth and happiness.
You Create as Others Destroy
The vast majority of the population fall into the trap of self-sabotage while destroying other people’s livelihood and dreams through persistent criticism, doubt, and ridicule. On top of this, they wonder why their lives never get any better.
You, on the other hand, are a creator, not a destroyer. You create by building strong and empowering habitual actions that prepare your mind, body, and heart for the road ahead. You help others cultivate their dreams and bring them to fruition in the real world. And you nurture the environment by living in harmony with the universal forces of life that help guide you along your path towards the achievement of your goals and objectives.
You Work as Others Wish
While others are wishing for better days, hoping that life will give them some lemonade, you, on the other hand, are taking lemons, turning them into lemonade and making a fortune in the process.
You work while others wish, moving each and every day towards the bigger picture that will bring all your dreams to fruition.
You Risk as Others Fear
There are just too many people in this world who are afraid to step outside their comfort zones. They are afraid of the unknown, the unfamiliar and the uncertainty of the decisions they are about to make and the actions they are about to take. What they don’t understand is that life is built upon uncertainty. Without uncertainty, life would be boring and stale. Lucky for you, this is not something you regularly suffer from. In fact, you live on the edge and take calculated risks that inch you ever so closer towards the attainment of your most sought-after goals and objectives.
You Persist as Others Quit
When the journey gets rough, tough and difficult to manage emotionally and physically, you persist while others quit.
You understand that life brings no failure, in fact, you don’t even know the meaning of this word. This word only becomes reality to those who stare at the sight of the obstacles standing in their wake and look at them with a pitiful glance that spells defeat.
It has been said, that persistence above all else is more important than creativity, intelligence or life experience.
You Zig as Others Zag
As a population, we are completely absorbed within a me-too culture. We consciously and unconsciously observe what others are doing and naturally mimic and model their behavior. We do this because we seek to build bonds, connections and to be accepted by others. This is all well and good, however, this me-too attitude is leading the vast majority of the population down the path of psychological self-destruction, leaving their dreams, goals, and ambitions in the realm of fantasy.
You, on the other hand, will have none of this. When others Zag you Zig, and when others Zig you Zag. You thoroughly understand that in order to get ahead in life you must walk a different path to the average masses, otherwise, your destiny will be no different than the destiny of the vast majority of the population.
Phase 3: Charm Your Way towards Success
Cultivate within your personality the seeds of charm and charisma that will help propel you forward towards the attainment of your goals and objectives.
You Lead as Others Follow
It is important to have mentors who can direct us down the right path as we progress through life. However many people mistaken this guidance as a leash. And when things go badly, as they often will (it’s the reality of life), these people take no responsibility and blame their mentors for leading them down the wrong path.
You, on the other hand, are not a follower. Yes, you take guidance from others, however, you are not tied to a leash, and comprehensively understand that you must make your own decisions and create your own destiny based on what is best for you in every situation and circumstance.
You use this experience to attract followers who will help you along your journey towards the attainment of your objectives. And as others follow you, you, in turn, help them to achieve their dreams through personal guidance, inspiration, and influence.
You Commend as Others Criticize
People are very quick to lay blame and criticize others for their actions, decisions or behavior. This only deflates people’s morale and certainly isn’t the best way to win friends and influence people.
On the other hand, you thoroughly understand that people are the keys to your long-term ongoing success in life. Without the support of a powerful network of other individuals assisting you with your cause, you will become a miserable failure. Given this, you seek to inspire and commend others for their efforts, lifting their spirits, confidence, and motivation in ways that will lead to a mutually beneficial relationship — assisting everyone involved to get what they want most out of life.
You Give as Others Take
The habitual cultural pattern of instant gratification is built upon the concept of taking what you want when you want it. People take, take and take, hoping that it will get them what they want in life. They are so engrossed in themselves that they fail to realize that to get what they want long-term, they actually must give what they have short-term.
You on the other hand fully understand that you must give to others that which you would like to receive. This concept brings to mind the vacuum principle, which states that a void is created whenever you send your energy out into the universe. This void must be filled with the same kind of energy in order to once again restore the delicate balance of life.
Given this understanding, you give gifts, your energy, positive emotions and your time to others without any expectations. Over time this energy will charm your way into many people’s lives — progressively bringing your dreams into reality in the most unexpected ways.
You Love as Others Hate
Sometimes it just seems that our world is filled with so much hatred, that secretly it feels as though everyone despises everyone else for often very small and insignificant reasons.
You, on the other hand, live through love. You love the world, others, your career, body, and life.
The emotion of love centers you on the positive aspects of life, allowing you to see opportunities where others only see problems; allowing you to cultivate strong bonds and lifelong relationships while others destroy theirs.
You Listen as Others Talk
Everyone has a story to tell, a psychological need to feel wanted, and is searching for someone to listen to their problems. These people are so focused and concerned about themselves that they completely neglect the needs of others.
To get ahead in life we must learn to solve other people’s problems. To do this, we must listen, contemplate and then take action that will bring about the solutions we desire to attract into our own lives. In fact, is it so far-fetched to assume that the most intelligent and strategically-minded people are the ones who listen more than they talk?
You are indeed one of these people. You listen for the clues, the opportunities, and the solutions that reveal themselves — helping you make definite progress towards the attainment of your goals and objectives.
You Smile as Others Frown
No matter what problems or obstacles are currently standing in your way, you smile while others tend to frown. A simple smile instantly transforms your perspective, forces you to look on the brighter side of life, opens the doors to new opportunities, and sends powerful life-transforming energy towards others within your sphere of influence.
A smile is nature’s best antidote for discouragement.
It brings rest to the weary,
Sunshine to those who are frowning,
And hope to those who are hopeless and defeated.
A smile is so valuable that it can’t be bought,
Begged, borrowed, or taken away against your will.
You have to be willing to give a smile away
Before it can do anyone else any good.
So if someone is too tired or grumpy to flash you a smile,
Let him have one of yours anyway.
Nobody needs a smile as much
As the person who has none to give. 🙂
– Dale Carnegie
Concluding Thoughts
I suppose the underlying key to the blueprint to success is to Zig when others Zag. By simply moving in the opposite direction of the masses you are effectively unlocking vast reservoirs of opportunity that others will never have access to. Warren Buffet, says it best:
Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.
The three phases of preparation, action, and charm will help instill the qualities and habitual patterns of behavior that will move you forward towards the success you desire to experience in your life.
However, is this really all that is required? Is this really the solution you have been searching for? The answer to that question is yet again, yes and no.
Time to Assimilate These Concepts
Did you gain value from this article? Is it important that you know and understand this topic? Would you like to optimize how you think about this topic? Would you like a method for applying these ideas to your life?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then I’m confident you will gain tremendous value from using the accompanying IQ Matrix for coaching or self-coaching purposes. This mind map provides you with a quick visual overview of the article you just read. The branches, interlinking ideas, and images model how the brain thinks and processes information. It’s kind of like implanting a thought into your brain – an upgrade of sorts that optimizes how you think about these concepts and ideas. 🙂
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