Success’s Worst Enemy

How success eludes many of us

I get an email promoting a new book. It’s by some kid that just turned 22 and has already started several new businesses and is worth several million!

Of course we wonder how can a kid in Grade School start a business and be worth a million before he graduates High School.

The judgment starts in, his parents helped him, he had a leg up some way, he started with a bunch of money and on and on. There just is no way a kid could do this! The reality is none of these are the case!

Cameron simply never let Success’s Worst Enemy get in the way!

Who or what is this worst enemy? Our selves is the answer!

So this article is about a few of the keys that cause us to be our worst enemy. If we can understand these and start changing them, just perhaps our “luck” will change!

LUCK: Now I purposely use the word “luck” because this is one of the keys that can hold us back. We look at others success and say they were “lucky” while others, like our selves were not.

Every successful person I know has had some “luck”. The difference is they had prepared for their “luck”. This is through planning, goal setting and action. Then one day they woke up after all this effort and got “lucky”!

An example is TK who retired very comfortably from the military, yet was not ready to stop. When I first met him he was $1,000,000 in personal debt trying to get his new company off the ground. With lots of work, long days and plenty of problem solving he now has offers for 12-20 million for his 10 year old company. Is he just lucky?

I asked God to let me win the Lottery and be wealth. I promised to do good works with the winnings and help mankind. I promised to leave the world a better place because of the wealth winning would bring. Time and again the Lottery came and went with me not winning. I asked God why? Why not let me win? God replied in a booming and edgy voice …..”Buy a damn ticket”!  Luck does take action!

NOT READY: This is one I hear a great deal. We need more information or I have to figure out just how this is going to work. Feel that one has to have all the information and a detail plan to be successful holds more people back. Yes one must plan and look forward, yet life is very unpredictable.

The key is to focus on the final outcome or goal. If we can focus on this the solutions and directions will come to us. Of course we have to take action to find these solutions, but they are there.

Case in point, One Red Paper Clip is a great example of how one young man questioned how he could turn something into his own home free and clear. He starts with a red paper clip lying on his desk. Now for the kicker, with in a year he has a house free and clear!

Was he lucky? Did he have a clear path of exactly what each step was? Did he have a detailed plan laid out? Not really, he just knew what he wanted and kept the goal in front of him until it was achieved.  You’ll find a link to the video in the lower right column of the newsletter.

EXCUSES: These are the things we hear everyday that keep us back. You might hear I am too old, the market is too small, that  market is already on the down side, I am too young, I do not know enough about this, I don’t know how and on and on….

The truth is every one of these excuses can be overcome with some effort. We can site Coronal Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken who started his success at age 65 after a life of failures. Everyday a new business starts up in a small town or market and makes it in their niche. Get Cameron’s book if you think you’re too young!

We can continue on, but the truth is excuses are simply lies wrapped with a skin of reason to help justify them. The unfortunate thing is the lies are to our selves!

BELIEF: This is the big one! We keep telling ourselves the same thing over and over again until we believe it, even if it is wrong. Others tell us in many different ways; things that restrict us or keep us from being different. These beliefs control our thinking and thus our actions.

For years I thought about writing a book but never did. The excuses were all the above mentioned ones and a few dozen more. Finally I started in and wrote the first manuscript in about 11 months. Then it sat there for several months while some other beliefs kept me from moving forward. Finally the date was set, told to everyone and the book was in print by October of 07. The Selling Gap is not yet a best seller, yet it is a break through accomplishment for me personally. Now the challenge is the marketing, more excuses and beliefs to deal with. By the way I have plans for three more books!

In our Leadership Strategies program we ask participants to examine personal beliefs. By the way, most people can only list 2-3 of their beliefs, the rest take work to define. The importance is these beliefs define us, our actions and outcomes.

Once they understand and verbalize these beliefs they can reinforce them and strengthen them or start actions to change them if they are barriers. What might be the beliefs that are creating excuses and barriers to your success?

Summary:

• If you are looking for “luck” then get to work and make it.
• If you’re waiting for everything to be just right, you have already failed.
• Be aware of the “excuses” you verbalize or think, they are your enemy.
• Know your beliefs; they create the excuses that keep you from acting.

Hopefully this has given you a quick review of what might be in our way and blocking our success. Take actions to remove or change the ones in your way and maybe you can be the next Cameron?

Till next week, keep focused and win!

Harlan Goerger, National Director of Training

© Harlan Goerger 4-2008
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