New business owners often wonder what it takes to be successful. My first response is always, "How do you define ’success’?" Have you asked yourself that question? The definition of success is a personal one. For me, success is spelled with four letters: T-I-M-E. For the purposes of this post, let’s assume that we’re talking about getting your business to run virtually on auto-pilot, with stable residual income. Let's start there.
Based upon my own successes and failures I certainly have plenty of silage to wade through and concoct a response about the secret to success. However, my favorite answer comes from one of my favorite Motivation and Success authors, Zig Ziglar. He writes, "Success is dependent upon the glands -- sweat glands."
Zig’s statement is far from original. (I just welcome his ‘eloquence’.) After all, Thomas Edison -- you know, the guy who invented the light bulb -- is quoted as saying, "Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration." Isn’t that a kick to the butt of all the Multi Level Marketing, over-night-success claims? The big shocker is in how applicable these statements are to all aspects of our personal and professional lives. Stay with me. All is not lost.
I Have To Work For It?
Think about it. EVERY successful business owner, CEO, and network marketer will admit that HARD WORK is at the core to their success. Marriage counselors remind you that a successful marriage takes work. If you ask your favorite professional athlete the secret to their success, they’ll tell you it’s a great coach and A LOT of hard work. You’ll also learn that success does not come overnight. This is a universal truth! Through brief gaps in the fog of my college days I remember that ‘Work’ is always associated with Effort and Duration. (OK, before you Physics buffs jump on me -- Force x Time. Give me some literary license, here.)
So, How Can I Accelerate Success?
When it comes to business, most successful individuals are extremely talented at leveraging the efforts of others. They distribute the load and multiply the outcome in a very short time. As you begin to leverage more and more resources (people, tools, technology), you’ll see your personal time soar. Once you’re up and running, only then can you begin to approach the idyllic success of my friend, Tim Ferriss’ "The 4-Hour Work Week." (Truth be known, he ‘works’ more than four hours, but that’s because he’s constantly looking for new solutions.)
Great, I Have Good Income. How Do I Take It To The Next Level?
Let’s say that you’ve achieved some level of success...What then? How do you take it to the next level? "Work harder," you say? Well, yes and no. Work alone will get you only so far. You can 'practice, practice, practice' and never get your violin to sing at Carnegie Hall. At some point you have to take lessons and apply yourself. Invest in YOU, and by doing so, improve your business. You must continue to LEARN and increase your personal value to your market! Fortunately, unlike Thomas Edison, much of what you’re trying to achieve has already been conquered by others. This is the Internet age...Google it! What I’m trying to tell you is, READ!!!
Now That We’ve Warmed Up And Whet Your ‘Glands,’ Let’s Recap.
1.Success starts with hard work.rn2.Growth is multiplied by leveraging the effort and talents of others.rn3.Continued achievement occurs with constant learning.
Remember, success, while it can come fast, usually takes effort and time. If someone (or some company) tells you, "Just do what I do and you’ll be an overnight success," get a tight hold on your wallet and head for the door, fast!
In a subsequent article I’ll reveal the #1 PROVEN strategy for personal and/or business growth. In the mean time (I’m sure there’s some reading that you need to catch up on).
Here’s a preview of my follow up post in this series:
Exercising Your Glands (redux)
"Sure, there are probably thousands of books and gurus claiming to hold the secrets. How do you know which oyster holds the pearl which will catapult you on the next phase in your growth? If you don’t know where to start, here’s the #1 proven method to..."