February 6, 1971
SUCCESS IS A CHOICE
* Build Self-EsteemRemember that self-esteem must be earned. You must deserve it, just as you must deserve victory. If the effort is there, plus the discipline to back it up, you will automatically start to feel better about yourself.
* Set Demanding GoalsGoals are the individual steps we must take in pursuit of our dreams. You might have big dreams, but you must understand that your long-term successes are a direct result of what you achieve every day. So our goals can�t be merely fuzzy wishes or hastily made New Year�s resolutions. They are tangible action items to be written down and followed.
* Always be PositiveYou can be extremely hardworking, but if you�re not positive, you�re inhibiting your chance at success. The key is to stay positive in tough times. The rule is simple: The more trying the times the more positive you have to be.
* Establish Good HabitsThe trick is to develop good habits�ones based on proper techniques � and master the art of repetition so that these habits become second nature. Start off each day knowing there is a purpose in everything we do. The day is not merely something that just happens to us. It�s something we control and shape with our actions.
* Master the Art of CommunicationGood skills are essential, and they start with listening. The ability to interact with people in meaningful ways on a daily basis is essential to the long-term relationships we want to build with them an to the impressions those people will have of us. Most of us can instantly improve our communication skills simply by listening more and speaking less.
* Learn from Role ModelsWe must have role models in life. We must learn from the people who have made the journey before us. Not only can they tell us the pitfalls to avoid, they can show us the way. We are interested only in identifying traits in others that we can use to make ourselves better.
* Thrive on PressurePressure can bring out extraordinary accomplishments. It pushes us harder. It focuses our efforts on the important goals. It concentrates our power where it counts. Apply the pressure, and you can achieve anything.
* Be Ferociously PersistentWho is going to succeed and who is going to fail? What does it finally come down to? Persistence. More than anything else, it�s persistence that keeps us great. It�s persistence that keeps us working at our full potential. Anyone can be great for a day, a week, a month. But the people who ultimately will be successful are the ones who understand that success is a long-term commitment, a marathon instead of a sprint. So you must develop a �PHD� attitude: Poor, Hungry, and Driven. The kind of attitude that will never allow you to be content but will always drive you to learn more and be better. It�s the kind of attitude that starts with the premise that we always can improve.
* Learn from AdversityThe first kind of adversity occurs when you experience a major failure, the kind that can level you and leave you doubting yourself. This is when you have to step back and evaluate your role in the process. Why did you fail? Were your goals wrong, or was it the means you took to those goals? This is an important distinction. You have to examine your role in the failure and accept your share of the blame.
* Survive SuccessBecoming successful is a process that never ends. The methods you used to become successful must always be part of your life, or you will start to drift back to the same bad habits that you put so much time and effort into changing in the first place. Success comes with no guarantees: Today�s success is often tomorrow�s failure. A failure to maintain discipline causes it to evaporate immediately. |
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