If you’re reading this right now, you are probably the kind of ambitious badass who sets high standard for yourself, who invests in your personal growth, who takes massive imperfect action to turn dreams into reality. Well done achiever, I commend you for that.

You don’t settle for mediocrity. You don’t settle for comfort. You don’t settle for less than you’re capable of. And this very hunger is one of the key ingredients that separate you from the other 95% Joes and Marys who are lost in the sea of average.

However, what if you want even more? What if you yearn for more freedom, success, productivity, achievement and fulfillment in life? What if you want to rise to the Top 1% and become the Rock Star version of yourself?

Right now you probably have already done more than you can handle. You probably have less sleep than your health suggests. You probably have less time and energy to spend in other areas of your life and you’re wondering when you can truly enjoy the fruits of your labor.

So I’m here to tell you that it’s time to change your philosophy about success. One of the biggest lessons I learnt from Jim Rohn during my final year of law degree is that success is NOT something you pursue. Instead, success is something you attract by the person you become.

Here are 3 stages you have to go through before you are even qualified to have a chance to succeed in this game of life:

Stage 1: The Having Stage

This is where 95% of the world’s population is stuck in. The herds, the sheep, the masses always ask themselves “Have Questions”.

They ask themselves, “What material things (cars, houses, bags, shoes, clothes, gadgets, entertainment etc.) do I need to buy and HAVE more in order to be happy? How much more money do I have to earn to get my “dream girl” to be my wife so I can be happy? Which fitness programs, workout routines, weight loss books should I buy and HAVE so that I can finally get off the couch and do some exercises?”

Average minds are always occupied by mediocre questions to search for more HAVES to temporarily fill the void of their empty hearts and souls. Worse still, that’s exactly what the negativity-biased media, the reality-distorting Hollywood, the fantasy-based Disney, and the gossip-filled entertainment industry have portrayed as the “ideal life” everyone should have.

It’s a tragic that most people built their lives around this false Matrix of transient pleasure and external validation until it’s too late to change. Luckily, you are probably not staying in this category because you’ve pushed yourself to penetrate through the façade and have reached the second stage.

“Materialism is the only form of distraction from true bliss.” – Douglas Horton

Stage 2: The Doing Stage

That’s where the 4% who understand the principle of sowing and reaping are willing to DO the work to get more of what they want.

They are self-motivated to achieve more. They are open-minded to new ideas. And they challenge themselves regularly to DO more. They are dangerous because their hunger for more is the dormant seed that can grow into a viral disruption that impacts the world.

Yet, most of these warriors fail to unleash their potential within because they’ve overestimated the power of doing. They thought doing more are what kings do. They thought hustling more is the only key to having more. They thought working more can give them all the happiness, fortune, power, impact they desire in the world.

Not true though. Doing is like hitting the 10% of a visible gigantic success iceberg. What you need to tackle is actually the 90% invisible layer beneath what you see, what you hear, what you experience. Only those who strive for that level of depth will reach the final stage.

Stage 3: The Being Stage

The reason why most of the personal development courses never create lasting results for…….. you is because they focus on the 10% i.e. the doing part. They teach you lots of tangible, visible, physical how-to mechanics on how to succeed in certain parts of your life and honestly some of them do work.

There are hundreds of weight-loss plans, nutritious food recipes, workout routines that can work, but people never follow through the programs from the proven strategies. There are thousands of creative dating boot camps and tons of attraction techniques which work for a fraction of guys, but most people fail to learn how to truly become better with women.

There are millions of awesome business ideas that are never brought into reality not because they don’t have a billion-dollar profit potential, but it’s because the person in charge has poor execution and implementation skills.

When it comes to success in any areas of your life, it’s not about the things you say/have/do, it’s mostly about where these words/power/actions are coming from. It’s about the BEING. It’s about your spirit, your soul and your uniqueness that’s being expressed through those actions and words.

The secret to success is NOT to be blinded by the haves, it’s NOT to be obsessed with the dos, but to focus your energy on “being” the best version of yourself you possibly can. Whatever goals you have in mind, ask yourself this one question, “What kind of person must I become in order to achieve XYZ?” Then, execute the dos with such insight and you’ll get the haves you want.

Bet on yourself today. Lean towards your edges today. Love yourself like your life depends on it today. And then go dominate your unique path, purpose and mission every single day.

“True health infuses positive energy in the mind, body and spirit; it is a main focus in my life.” – Maximillian Degenerez

Which stage are you focusing on right now? In which areas of your life can you shift from doing more to being more? Leave your thoughts below!