Most of us like to contemplate how life will be “when we hit the big time.” As soon as we begin to visualize “SUCCESS!”, we begin designing our life and life-style as it will be.
“Will I be a Bill Gates?” “Will I be a Kardashian?” “Shall I plan on buying a Bentley?” “How many swimming pools will I want?”
Generally, there is considerable distance on the journey from dreaming of success to actually achieving that dream. Many, as they dream of success, try to make it an abbreviated flight, with few or no concrete actions required to arrive at success. That’s wonderful if one is content with an altered state of reality and a pleasant daydream!
However, true success is not the stuff of fanciful daydreams! A large portion of success and what makes it so sweet is the devising of plans, formulating all of the minute steps to achieve the elusive dream, and perhaps, most importantly, the discipline and the fortitude to accomplish the unglamorous, rigorous, sometimes menial tasks which comprise each of the challenges along the way.
Formulating a vision of success only works if one is willing to constantly revise the mental picture in the face of a slap of reality. Short-circuiting the work of success or the planning or the drudgery of working toward all the goals along the way usually results in a different concept – failure!
It is exceedingly easy to become distracted from the goals involved in becoming successful. It is tempting to abandon the course(s) of action required to arrive at success. What are the challenges to be faced in this goal? What tasks do I need to do today to accomplish the next step toward the goal? Who do I need to become to make this plan succeed? How urgently do I want this goal? What are my alternate plans for achieving this goal when it doesn’t go as planned?
What is your goal? How do you define success? Where are you now? What steps do you see today that are essential to you achieving your goal? What skills do you need to use that you already have? What skills are you going to need to acquire in order to succeed? What are the concrete steps you can take today toward your goal?
You may be aware of the adage “failure is not an option!” Succeeding involves not only dreaming of the goal, but devising concrete plans to get there; figuring out “work-arounds” for when the plans do not work as effectively as you would like; commitment to try again, and again, and again; and the willingness to modify the steps to the goal when it becomes clear that the course needs correction.
Author, trainer, consultant, and speaker Brad Huisken is President of IAS Training. Huisken has authored several books and training manuals on sales and produces a Weekly Sales Training Meeting video series along with Aptitude Tests and Proficiency Exams for new hires, current sales staff and sales managers. In addition, he publishes a free weekly newsletter called “Sales Insight” For a free subscription or more information contact IAS Training at 800-248-7703 or info@iastraining.com. Visit his website at www.iastraining.com.
