Success Advice

The 7 Secrets of High Achievers Revealed

Published

5 years ago

May 14, 2019

Image Credit: Unsplash

We all have goals in life, but very few of us ever learn to consciously set, work on and see our goals through. In our naturalness bias, we marvel at those who have set and reached their goals thinking they have some esoteric abilities that we don’t. We overlook that the final product is the result of a series of mistake-ridden, unrecorded pains. What if we could learn from the process, the habits and rituals of the high achievers?

Below are the seven core habits that high achievers went through to reach mastery:

1. They made a decision

It is arguably one of the most important components of goal-setting: Making a conscious, deliberate decision to set and see your goal through. This is a singular moment, when you say; “That’s it! I have had it! I can’t take it anymore.” You decide that the pain of staying the same outweighs the pain of changing. Those who have successfully reached their goals have all had those awakening moments.

Steve Jobs made the decision that he was going to make a dent in the universe after he knew he was adopted. Muhammad Ali made a decision that he was going to be a great boxer after his bike was stolen. They made a decision! Reading, watching motivational videos or even reading articles like this mean nothing without a deliberate decision to change.

2. They built on past successes

We are naturally inclined to focus on our flaws, we know everything that is bad about ourselves. We are experts at proving the “negatives.” The people who are deemed high achievers are the ones who know that they have flaws and that they also have unique talents. How many times have you found yourself saying things like; “there is nothing good about me, I screw everything up, I always have and I always will.” Those words limit your world. No one can consistently screw up everything, there is undoubtedly a time when you have succeeded at something. Find that moment, and use it as a foundation to build momentum.

“Be better today than you were yesterday. Be better tomorrow than you were yesterday.” – Lorenzo Snow

3. They practiced Kaizen

Those who reached their goals know that constant improvement is the norm not the exception. They have made the Kaizen or “continuous improvement” their life philosophy. There is no room for complacency. They know in our neophiliac nature, one way to remain motivated is to learn new things that relate to our goals. Don’t compare yourself to others. In this instance, I am reminded of Steve Job’s words: “life is too short to spend it living someone else’s life.”

Comparing yourself to others can be as delusional as being complacent. High achievers know the value of mentors and role-models, but they also know that real success is how they bring their uniqueness to what they do. Have the courage to be yourself. Fail, learn and improve. This is the virtuous cycle that will guide your self-improvement journey.

4. They have a great people only group

People who succeed know the importance of social circles. They associate themselves with great people only. These are the people who they could rely on when the going gets tough. They are energy givers, they listen to you and they boost your spirit. As a matter of fact, a myriad of studies has shown that people whom you associate with can have great impacts on your overall wellbeing.

Plato, at the peak of the Greek Empire noted, “what is honored in a country will be cultivated there.” Psychologist Emma Seppälä, PhD noted “we are wired for empathy.” Our behavior, attitudes and actions are a direct reflection of whom we spend time with. Starting today, build a social village with people who share your vision.

5. They had a bias for action

It’s been a month since you said you were going to start working out. To motivate yourself, you even acquired a treadmill. Everything is set, the first day you are excited, but suddenly a friend calls, it’s urgent you have to be there. You say: “well, I will have time tomorrow.” It’s been six months now since you’ve been saying “I am going tomorrow.” Sound familiar? Taking action can be the most daunting aspect of goal-setting.

Fear of failure, procrastination and fear of embarrassment, among many others, stop us from taking action. The people who made it knew the value of taking action, they got their hands dirty. Take action! Think of a goal you have been putting off, write your next action. Don’t continue until you’ve written it down. Don’t just think it, ink it!

6. They were flexible

“Where attention goes, energy flows” is a popular saying to help us focus on our goals. However, well-intentioned it may be, some of us seem to misunderstand it. We single-mindedly focus on a goal as if it’s a must-have, that attitude may create tunnel vision that can be detrimental to our goal in the first place.

The path to effective goal-setting is more ambiguous than we may think. Some of us are fortunate to find a goal early in life, while some of us don’t. For those of us who don’t, we need to navigate different paths before we ultimately settle down on a single goal. It’s best to have both a deliberate and an emergent strategy.

While we deliberately choose a life purpose, we should keep our aperture open to opportunities. Be strategic in your goal-setting endeavor. How do you know when to change strategy? Listen to your heart.

“The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.” – Blaise Pascal

7. They were persistent

Having a clear, compelling goal does not guarantee a smooth ride nor does it exempt you from failing. The high achievers knew that great talents, inordinate amount of time and effort do not bulletproof them from temporary defeats. In order words, they knew that failure is part of the journey.

Failure is definitely an option, giving in is not. There will be times when there seems to be no way out, those moments are meant to strengthen you. Be persistent. Failure is neither pervasive nor permanent as our minds have us believe, but temporary setbacks to make us shine brighter.

High achievers ensure that every action taken is in alignment with their overarching goals. Contradictory actions will distract you from your reaching your goal. Make every day count and every single action meaningful. Keep your eyes on the prize! There is no one-size-fits-all answer. How much I succeed in writing this article depends on your willingness to be creative, flexible and bold.

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Bachir Bastien

My name is Bachir Bastien. Being the sparkle that will ignite the fire of possibilities in as many people as possible is how I define myself. I was born and raised in Haiti by my mother. My life has been a struggle since conception. I decided that I was going to use my stories to empower others. These experiences may have been lemons, but I can use them to make sweet lemonade. This is what I have decided to do. That became my life purpose. My first name Bachir means messenger of good news in Arabic; I have been doing just that for the past two years here in Taiwan through articles, workshops, seminars and speeches. I have seen students changing behaviors, increase in confidence, watched students conquer stage fright, etc. This in turn gives me the unwavering certitude that I can empower more people.

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How to Break the Cycles of Mediocrity and Manifest Your Greatness

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity

Published

3 weeks ago

Nov 16, 2023

Jamelle Sanders

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In just a few weeks, we will be wrapping up 2023. Can you believe it? This year has been absolutely incredible for me.

I have seen amazing doors opened, new relationships formed and I am seeing dreams realized in my life. While this seems like the hallmarks of a great year, this has also been the most challenging year of my life. With all of the change happening in my life, I have been forced out of my comfort zone and challenged to grow in every area of my life.

I can truly say that I have made the most of my moments this year and I have used everything as a catalyst for maximizing my greatest potential.

As a revolutionary leader, I have the pleasure of consulting and advising leaders around the world to fulfill purpose, realize their greatest potential and make an impact.

I want to share some insights with you that will help you to break cycles of mediocrity and manifest your greatness.

Everything legal must come through the matrix

I am sure that some of you are wondering why I am using the term matrix. However, what you have to understand is that I am trying to make a highly complex spiritual principle practical to understand.

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, every life has an origin and I believe that origin is divine and begins with eternity. You are birthed from eternity and into time to fulfill a unique purpose and assignment in your lifetime and generation.

The matrix is simply the portal or vehicle that brings something out of the invisible realm and into tangible form. The problem with much of the teaching today is that it excludes the matrix. We are told to believe that success is instantaneous and overnight.

Nobody talks about how a dream progresses through stages beginning with visualization and ultimately culminating in manifestation. Without a matrix or portal then everything that you attempt to birth and build will be illegal.

The matrix not only makes you legal but it gives you the authority and power to function as the greatest expression of who you were created to be.

Every matrix has an incubation process

While many people admire and respect me today, I remember a time when nobody knew who I was or the significance of my message. How did I get to where I am today? I got here through an incubation process.

In other words, everything that has been destined for your life is incubating and awaiting a set time of manifestation. The problem is that most people live their entire lives idle and never initiate the incubation process.

What do I meany by that? Most people are living reckless and very few people are living intentionally. I am amazed at the number of people I have conversations with that have no vision, goals or strategies for their lives. They show great promise and they have undeniable potential.

However, without development they will die with their dreams still in them.

Everything that has been destined for your life must be incubated and converted to become realities born to time.

“Visualize this thing that you want, see it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin to build.” – Robert Collier

You must give expression to that which is not yet born to time

When you think about a matrix or a prophetic incubation process, you have to understand that potential is often unrealized and untapped. In other words, your potential is in raw form and your potential cannot serve you as long as it is untapped.

The thing that makes me valuable is that I have the ability to convert potential into power. I have done it in my own life and I have empowered leaders around the world to do the same. How do you convert potential into power?

First, it is important to note that you have to perceive potential. If you cannot perceive your potential then you can never cultivate your potential. In addition, you must take the time to cultivate your potential. We often get excited about our capabilities; however, we never expand our capacity in order to realize our greatest potential.

In other words, the strength of your potential is only discovered through your willingness to stretch. The more we are challenged the more we are empowered to expand our capacity for greatness. Most of all, you must begin to express your potential. The expression of potential is different for every person.

For example, the expression of my potential is best demonstrated through the thoughts, ideas, products, services, books, etc.

For another person the expression of potential may look like a screenplay, artwork, sports, scientific discoveries, medical breakthroughs, etc.

Regardless of the form of expression, I know that you will live empty and unfulfilled until you make the decision to express your potential. The expression of your potential gives voice to your dreams, life to your vision, significance to your moments and activates your true power.

You must manifest your greatness

As a revolutionary thinker and leader, my work has impacted people around the world. I am grateful that my life is a source of empowerment to so many people. However, before anyone could ever benefit from my life, I had to make a non-negotiable decision to become who I was born to be.

I wish I could tell you that this journey is easy and that you will get there overnight. However, in a world that celebrates us for doing we are often criticized for being. As a result, I wasted a lot of time trying to be who other people wanted me to be instead of being who I was born to be.

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity. It is through our bravery to be vulnerable that we ultimately manifest our greatness. We do not bless the world by being a duplicate. We bless the world when we honor our difference. When you honor your difference you honor your potential.

Ultimately, your difference is how you manifest your greatness.

When you present anything but your authentic self to the world, you are playing small and you are robbing the world of your significance. Manifesting your greatness requires you to master your gifts.