Many people dream about being successful. They create dreams and make plans, yet most don’t do anything to make these dreams reality.

WHY IS THAT?

I am sure people realise they must TAKE ACTION to make these dreams come true. Yet, usually they only talk about what they are planning to do. The so-called ‘gonna do’s’ in other words “I am going to do this”.

I can be blamed of this on many occasions, and I bet many of you are just as guilty. It intrigues me nevertheless and I like to dig into it a little deeper to get some clarity.

In general people tend to claim that successful people had a lucky streak, have the right genes or had a push in the right direction. Such things indicate external factors but ignore the hard work some one has put in to get where they are. I like to cast some doubt on the above and here are a few of my thoughts!

What makes a person successful?

Firstly, it has to be obvious that successful people did not achieve success overnight. Such achievement usually takes a long time and a lot of hard work. Outsiders only tend to see the end result and not the enormous effort and persistence it required. It may have taken years of starting and trying over and over over again that have led to this success. Apparently Michael Jordan practiced thousands of shots each week. None of these efforts would have been visible to others. You see only the tip of an iceberg but not what went on underneath.

Many hopeful people love buying motivational books or watch podcast that promise an overnight result and immediate riches. Such resources certainly motivate and create a momentum while you absorb them and even sometime afterwards. However usually people dabble and try a few things, possibly without many results. Unfortunately results may not appear instantly and the energy of the momentum soon fades out.

Maybe many purchase another book that promises the earth or download an additional so-called overnight success blueprint. Usually, the same thing happens and the conclusion is often that it does not work. Do you recognise this pattern?This is likely one of the reasons, that the motivational industry is so huge. It brings a shimmer of hope. It causes people to believe they have a chance and the result is that such products sell like hot buns.

Secondly, hurdle number two is mostly the lack of a clear vision. The lack of a huge WHY you want to achieve something. Longing to earn more money does not make you act. We all want that and the reality is that most people earn very ordinary salaries despite wanting to earn more.

How about a quick reality check!

The fact is that everybody has a chance! Most people forget that it takes execution to be successful. One of the biggest stumbling blocks has to be fear. Feeling the fear of not being able to do it or of being exposed as a fake and an imposter. I believe that the energy of external motivation gives you that moment of trust that you can do it. When that excitement disappears, you revert to your old self. The bottom line is that you may not have the resourcefulness to continue the momentum of progress. The bottom line is that you have to become the type of person that can be successful.

Tony Robbins claims that eighty percent of being successful is psychology and mindset. While twenty percent is attributed to strategy or the mechanics of doing the things you need to do. In other words if you don’t believe you can achieve something, you are very likely right. You won’t achieve what you have in mind or get some results in a minimal way.

What do you need to do to be successful?

People who have a clearly defined MISSION and a HUGE why will step outside their comfort zone. Those who can imagine the results that they want, will take the action needed to achieve results. So it comes down to a few principles that successful people have in abundance in their tool box.

• Find your mission and get an enormous and big enough why!
• Create a momentum by seeing the results you want in advance, over and over again
• Be absolutely clear about what you want to achieve and get precision
• Take the necessary often uncomfortable action and model what works

And that is all there is to it. It takes enormous action and determent execution how uncomfortable it may be. Let me know your thoughts and reach out if you haven’t got a clue what I am talking about!

Love

Marijke