Success Advice

How to Ace Your Success: 6 Straightforward Ways to Achieve High Results

Published

4 years ago

Mar 5, 2018

In 1922, Albert Einstein was in Tokyo when he learned that he was going to be awarded the Nobel Prize. Out of cash, his “tip” to a bellboy at his hotel was a handwritten note, which he told would be worth more than a tip someday…it was. At a recent auction that note went for $1.3 million. What was in that note? His recipe for success, “A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness.”

Many who are probably wealthier than you (Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, etc.) have defined success differently. True, they have great wealth, but they have also come to understand that a successful life is one of balance – of passion for the work you do, of taking time to self-reflect, of giving back, and of building relationships. Through the years, I have learned a few things about getting to success. Maybe I will never be a billionaire or even a multi-millionaire, but I know now I will always be financially well off and a happier person because of a few behaviors I have learned.

Here are the six behaviors that you will want to think about:

1. Get Off Autopilot

Think about your daily routine. We get up, go through the same morning preparation for work, and then go about that work in almost robotic fashion. We commute to work or we sit down in our home office, as I do, and begin the same daily grind that consumes at least 8 hours of our time.

My epiphany came from a single experience. I had a late afternoon meeting with a client and, as I was walking to my car, I passed a concert hall where a gospel group was performing. I could go home and hammer out the details of the contract or I could take an hour or so and have a new experience.

Something drove me through those doors. What I discovered was not religion, but passion. I didn’t make huge life changes, but what I did do is reflect on what I felt passionate about.

2. Talk Less, Listen More

Sometimes we are not really listening to what other people are saying. I was so bad at this that I could not even remember the names of people being introduced to me in meetings. It took a simple half-day workshop on communication to make me see the error in my ways.

I have changed a bad habit. When I am introduced, I repeat the individual’s name in my response (it helps me remember that name); I ask a question rather than launch into “talk.” What this change has accomplished, I cannot place on a graph or chart. However, I can say that when I listen rather than talk, I build business relationships that result in contracts.

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” – Stephen R. Covey

3. Moderation in All Things

This has come from ancient Greek philosophy and it holds true today. The operative word here is balance, in work, in play, in diet, and in relationships. When you lead a balanced life of all things in moderation, you are actually more interesting to be around. You have more general knowledge; you have more things to talk about.

People come to enjoy you more, and you can relate to their interests too. If you are obsessed with football, for example, and watch every televised game, follow the rankings, etc., you will have little else to talk about. When you meet with a potential customer, client, or even in a job interview, what else can you talk about?

4. Positivity

If you have never read Norman Vincent Peale’s book, The Power of Positive Thinking, read it now or pick up other contemporary books on the matter. Here is the point: Our thoughts control our actions. Your mood controls everything from your physical posture, your projection of confidence and enthusiasm, and your approach to others.

It’s hard sometimes, but one thing I have done is this: I have a sign on my fridge door – “Gratitude.” I see it every morning, and it reminds me to list, in my head, all of the things that I have to be grateful for, including the skills and talents I have. Try it… it works.

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.” – Helen Keller

5. Learn Something New Every Day

We cannot become stagnant, it makes us less interesting to others and narrows our horizons. The most prominent successful people state that you have to set aside time for self-improvement every single day.

What do you do for self-improvement? You learn something new. It may be about another successful person or a great new business idea; it may be a new skill you pick up from a class; it may be time spent reflecting on yourself and gaining more insight into how you can get better at what you do.

Give yourself one hour a day for learning – read, think, journal – or any combination of activities.

6. Read Case Studies

Want to get better in your career field? Dig in and do case study research. Whether these are stories of individual successes in your business niche or company successes through new ideas and unique practices, you can gain powerful ideas that you can either emulate or that will stimulate some creative thought within you about actions you can take.

There is no magic formula for success, but successful people do have some things in common. They exude positivity, they have passion and enthusiasm for their work, they have found a good balance between work and life, they continue to learn new things, and they get off autopilot. Implement some of these behaviors and see how it changes your life.

Which one of these are you going to implement starting today? Comment below!

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Angela Baker

Angela Baker is a team member at TrustMyPaper and is interested in improving herself in the blogging industry. She loves to discover new trends in her field and is a big enthusiast for reading and writing the latest news. She is convinced that it's always important to broaden horizons, that's why she develops and improves her skills throughout the writing process to help and inspire people.

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Success Advice

How Your Friends Determine Whether You Succeed or Not

Published

3 days ago

Oct 18, 2021

TheThrives

Image Credit: Unsplash

Can anyone do without having friends? We all have our friends, we share ideas with them, talk together, have fun, and fight. Yes, that’s the baseline of friendship. But, do you know that aside from you, your friends can determine whether you achieve success or not?

There are two things in friendship which are the ability to ”love” and the ability to “influence”. This means you are loved and you are influenced. How do your friends affect your success in life? How are they one of the biggest deciding factors of your success? Let’s find out.

What type of friends do you keep?

First, what type of friends do you keep? Who do you call your best friend? There are two different kinds of friends, good friends, and bad ones. A lot of people have lost their pathway to success and some have also found their road to success all because of the friends they keep, the people they mingle with.

Who is your best friend? Answer carefully. Having a best friend means you find each other compatible and understanding. Analyze who your best friend is. If your best friend has not motivated you to do something positive, if who you call your bestie has never given you positive advice, lastly if your best friend has never informed and advised you on your shortcomings, then you don’t have a best friend.

This quote tells us “birds of the same feather flock together”. Countless people have changed from their good nature into a bad one all because of friends. One thing to note is, “negative people move with negative aura”. If your best friend is filled with negativity inside-out then you will surely be affected by his/her negative aura.

They influence your success with positivity or negativity

The friends you keep can either influence you with positivity or negativity because your friends have the power to change your kind of person completely.

This is how your friends influence you:

They influence you indirectly with what they do
They influence you directly by teaching and giving you advice

Yes, that is how they influence you. For instance, you watch a movie and you like the way the actor walks. The question is if you truly like the way the actor walks, won’t you try to imitate the actor? Of course, you will.

Just the way you imitate the actor is the same way your friends can influence you with their character. However, the funny part is, they don’t have to teach you to do things like them. You just find yourself imitating and copying them gradually.

An important question to ask is, are you imitating a good friend or a bad one? If you imitate a good friend then you will be good, but if you imitate a bad person, you will surely become a bad person.

Everyone wants to succeed, a good friend will always teach, enlighten, and motivate you for success. A bad friend will only motivate you to do evil things (smoking, drinking, fight, envy,).

And you should know that things like that are a great enemy of success and even of God. So, if you have these bad elements in your life, how will you achieve success? There is no way!

And also, they can teach and advise you directly. But, what do your friends teach you? When you ask them for advice do they inspire you positively or teach you the bad stuff.? A lot of people have regretted lifelong decisions just by listening to the advice of friends.

The company you keep has the power to influence and change you. Never forget that a positive influence will teach, motivate, and brush you up for success. While a negative influence will inspire you to become a bad person, change your good nature, and leave you with regrets in the end.

Success Advice

The 3 Step Process to Building a Profitable Pitch

Published

4 days ago

Oct 17, 2021

Monique Maley

Image Credit: Unsplash

As a communication coach, one of the top questions entrepreneurs ask me is how to deliver a winning pitch to potential investors. They want to know if there’s a magic formula to get an investor to say yes and buy into their dream and their business. (more…)

Success Advice

The 4 Pillars of Wealth and Abundance

Published

5 days ago

Oct 16, 2021

Dalia Escobar

Image Credit: Unsplash

Have you ever wondered what the formula for a wealthy and abundant life is? Many people have. Lots has been written about the subject of wealth creation and living an abundant life. It was a breaking point in my journey and pursuit of success when I found out that there is a clear path to achieve success in life. Thanks to those who have shared their journey, we can clearly see and follow the principles of prosperity. (more…)

Success Advice

Here Are 4 Reasons Why You Should Have a Podcast, Youtube Channel or Online Show

Published

1 week ago

Oct 14, 2021

Timothy Craggette

Image Credit: Unsplash

Confidence comes from a place of strong understanding of self. After close to three years on radio, I’ve grown from a shy introvert to a shy introvert with an extrovert persona. When the mic is turned on, I can channel a version of myself that some say is attractive, strong, and of course, confident but it wasn’t always this way.

What I want to share with you is what I discovered on this journey into broadcast that you can apply to your life, your ventures, and your personal development. This doesn’t require any fancy gear. It does require a leap of faith on your part because once you go down the road of media; it can change your life.

1. Perceived Expertise

When you go to a doctor, you expect their knowledge will guide them to a solution to your problems. When you have a show, you become your listeners’ doctor. For all the multiple thousands, maybe millions, of YouTube channels, podcasts, and user-created content in the world, each person that gets behind a mic takes a position on their passion, their opinions, and their themes.

They challenge the status quo for the benefit of their listeners in hopes to entertain and educate. With consistency on your side, those fans place you on a platform and give you permission to influence them.

2. Global Acknowledgement

One of the benefits to increasing confidence is when you receive thank you notes from people you may never meet. The feeling of enriching someone’s life from halfway around the globe, provides validation you’re enhancing someone else’s life with your wisdom and your wit.

The very first time I was told I was making a difference in someone’s life in a country other than my own, I felt like I caused massive impact that transcends my circle of influence. When you experience just how much you can cause impact and it comes back to you, it’ll change your worldview.

“Be grateful for what you have and stop complaining – it bores everybody else, does you no good, and doesn’t solve any problems.” – Zig Ziglar

3. Backed By Numbers

One of the most exciting ways to measure success is to quantify your growth. It’s not enough to just broadcast. Having subscribers and downloads helps to know, numerically, how well you’re doing. Word of caution. This can be a way to set yourself up for distress because of number envy but if you understand what the numbers mean; you can control the narrative of the numbers.

The major number that makes most people smile is 10,000. I’d advise it to be 1. Here’s why. As you grow in your industry, so does your reach. If you learned that the one person that subscribed totally changed for the better because of you, wouldn’t that be worth the effort?

4. Effective Communication

While it’s not talked about much, having a show is documentation. You create a dynamic account of your life, your industry, and the pulse on what’s important simply by having a show. When you find a channel to improve your communication skills, you demand attention and people will listen to you. You become more trusted as a leader and people will follow you once they believe you can lead them to their wants and needs.

“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” – Tony Robbins

These insights have helped many people become leaders and, ultimately, move others to their best selves. It’s worked for me and I hope it works for you. At the end of the day, it’s all about showing up and showing out.