Success Advice
8 Universal Truths To Ask Yourself to Get Back On Track
I have been doing a lot of reflection recently and asking myself questions around whether I am currently successful. To answer this question, I figured out that it is very important to assess where your life is at regularly.
No matter what you are doing today, your life is going to go off track at some point. The only way to get back on track is evaluate and realign yourself. Success is not going to happen all by itself. Success requires you to evolve constantly and change course.
When I went through the process of evaluating where I was at, I noticed that I had taken a wrong turn with a few areas of my life. The good news is that when you reflect, you can self-diagnose and get back to where you want to go.
GET OFF THE SOFA, STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND MAKE SOME TIME FOR REFLECTION! (I want to apologise in advance because there is going to be lots of capital letters in this article).
So with that said, below are the eight universal truths that you should ask yourself right now!
1. What would it take for me to shift my life up another level?
In an interview I just completed today for Addicted2Success, the interviewee told me that to achieve the impossible, you need to get out of your comfort zone. You need to constantly challenge your beliefs and not live in a state of comfort all the time.
When was the last time you were really uncomfortable? I found that one universal truth that will help you is to ask yourself how you would take life to the next level. Make sure that this is hypothetical so you don’t limit your brainstorming.
Even if you’re life is perfect, how could it be even better? The answers to these questions will get you some valuable information that you can use. The next step is to want to go to the next level. If you’re not constantly taking things up a notch you will suffer three things:
– you will become lazy
– you will lose your passion
– you will have no drive
2. Do I think I am successful?
The next question to ask yourself is around your current feeling towards whether you are successful or not. If you ask most people whether they are successful, they will probably tell you “not yet, but one day I will be.”
The reality is that “one day” never comes and this false hope fades. NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW, YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL! If there is only one thing you get from this article, then let it be that. You might be homeless, with no food and no clothes, but you are still successful. Why?
The reason is because even in this very dire situation you are successful at something. In this example, you are successful at surviving with absolutely nothing. You know what it’s like to live out in the freezing cold and still stay alive. These traits are things I would die for in the business world personally.
When you reflect on your success and use this advice, you will realise that you already are successful but that there are things you can do to be more successful. One you know what those things are, all you have to do is go out there and take action!
3. Am I giving back enough?
This universal truth is one that should be fairly easy to answer, but it’s misleading. Don’t mistake the phrase “giving back” with the word money. When I say that you need to ask yourself how much you have given, I am not just talking about money.
I am also talking about what you have given back in other forms like posting useful information, doing cool introductions to people within your network, helping people come up with an idea, or even just mentoring someone and providing them advice.
If the answer to this question is no, then the universe is not going to be working in your favour. This is not bad luck; it’s because you haven’t given enough. Start giving and you will start to have more of what most people call good luck without even trying.
“I don’t believe in luck personally; what is deemed to be good luck comes from taking many small steps that help others along the way, and this is never by chance“
If you are lacking in this area of your life then the remedy is simple; wake up tomorrow, and do one thing that helps another person without asking for anything in return – SIMPLE!
4. Am I creating real value daily?
You’ll hear me say this one a lot. Ask yourself what value you create each day. What things do you do that others are happy to pay you for? IF THERE IS ONLY ONE THING AND THAT’S YOUR DAY JOB, THEN IT’S TIME TO SHAKE THINGS UP AND GET BACK ON TRACK!
In this modern world, the more you create value, the more you are worth in monetary terms. It’s very hard to survive on one form of income, and so you need to assess this area of your life carefully.
“Lot’s of people complain that they don’t have what they want, but that’s because they are not creating what other people want”
When I look at this part of my own life, I have seen multiple areas where I am creating value but there is still more to do. The benefit of asking yourself this question is that you can do something about it. It’s okay that this area of my life is still lacking; it means I have something fulfilling to look forward to.
5. Am I in a state of happiness most of the time?
More than anything, if you’re not happy each day, then you are going to go off track very quickly. To be happy, though, you need to be able to find joy in small things like having the time to read a book, eating nice food, watching a good movie etc.
If your standards are too high for happiness, then you are always going to be miserable. By asking yourself this question you should be able to work out a few things:
– Have you yelled at people recently?
– Do you get impatient in traffic?
– Are you dying to get home from your business / work each day?
If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then there is a good chance you are not happy. Now being the health freak that I am, I would probably say that your energy levels are low due to a poor diet, so you are getting frustrated easier, and, therefore, you don’t have the energy you need to function.
This process starts the unhappiness cycle. Now energy is not the only element, the way you think about your happiness also matters. Should the outcome of this question be that you are not happy, then it’s time to take a break, go on a holiday, and reflect with some of these life truths mentioned here. I AM POSITIVE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET BACK ON TRACK, TRUST ME!
6. How can I disrupt my current way of thinking?
In this booming time of startup culture and activity, the word disruption is being thrown around a lot more than it ever used to be. Startups are coming into the market and disrupting everything in existence. So I thought to myself the other day, how could I use this same successful way of thinking in my own life?
The answer is quite simple; apply the same concepts that the startup culture are now so famous for. Look for an area in your life that has got stale or has been the same for a long time. Consider whether this area of your life could be turned on its head in search of something better.
So the result that I got from this question was that there are three things that I haven’t challenged in a long time:
– Why are my energy levels not as high as I want them to be?
– Is the current way that I make income broad enough?
– Are my beliefs in need of an update?
So from these three questions I have decided to go on a 38 day fast / cleanse, start up a new part time business venture and connect with people that have nearly died doing something impossible. Already, I am seeing major disruption and increases in my level of success.
YOU MUST TRY THIS FOR YOURSELF!
7. Am I happy with every person that is currently around me?
There is no secret to this one; you need to watch who you hang around with. It’s very easy for people to creep into your life who can slowly start to sabotage your success. It might be something as harmless as you spending time with someone who has a similar business to you.
What started out as sharing business advice, can quickly result in them passing on their disempowering beliefs about why a particular business sector can’t be successful. Stand guard at the door of your network entrance. When someone gets in who starts having a negative impact on you, don’t be afraid to disconnect with them.
Always ask yourself why someone is in your network. It could be because they make you a better person, you love them, they teach you about business, or you share a favourite hobby, just make sure they’re in your network for a good reason. Only you can decide this, but if you reflect on this universal truth, you will quickly be able to get back on track.
8. Do I have the most amount of energy possible?
I touched on this one before briefly, but the universal truth is that you need the energy to create or do anything that is going to result in success. When you are at home, sick, and have the flu, do you want to change the world? (I shouldn’t answer this one because I will say yes).
Most people will say no; they are not in the right mindset. Your energy levels are fundamental, and so you need to ask yourself, how have my energy levels been? Be honest with yourself and write down the times recently where your energy levels have been low.
Now, if your energy levels have been low recently that’s okay, it just means that it’s time to do a detox and take care of your body. Now you’re thinking, “I know Tim, and I do my best to be healthy.” In the case of your health, your best is not good enough. (Okay I will stop lecturing, it’s only because I care ☺)
“You need to focus on your energy levels and do anything you can to raise them. The moment you raise your energy levels, lots more challenges become possible because you have the brain power to solve them”
***Final Thought***
So I hope you got some ideas here about how you can get back on track and some of the universal truths to follow. These very truths have transformed where I was previously at and with practice, they can do the same for you.
Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t do something (you can). Even if you’re having wild success, always stop and evaluate these universal truths. Never settle for second best and remember that anything is possible.