SuccessfulMindset

If you’re like most folks, you’re probably in some way, shape, or form trying to get from where you are in life to a point that you feel would be a much better place to be…from Point A to Point B.  And that’s a good thing - striving to improve your position in life is the essence of success.  But there is a key to that process that most people are unaware of, and the key is that you must first improve yourself before you can improve your position. 

Most people mistakenly think that Point B is the final destination - the place they’re striving to reach.  But that’s not entirely correct.  Point B is actually the launchpad to the goal, which is Point C.

Here’s what that looks like:

The Process

So here’s how it works.  Once you’ve determined that you want to improve your position in life, you’ll have to start to change some things about you.  And once you’ve come to the point that you have changed in enough positive ways, you’ll actually be able to make the move from where you are to where you want to be.  Now sometimes those two things can happen simultaneously, but more often than not the change in us comes before the change in our position.

Think of it like a video game: you can’t go to level 3 until you’ve mastered level 2, and in order to master level 2 you’ll probably have to learn some new tricks that you didn’t have to use in level 1.

So what are some of the things most of us have to work on?  A very short list would include:

• People Skills in general
• Listening Skills
• Self-image
• Speaking Skills
• Understanding our own personalities
• Understanding the personalities of others
• Our capcity for leadership
• Learning to be “others-centered” instead of “self-centered”
• Serving before expecting to receive
• What do your finances honestly look like

And the list goes on.

Most of the time though, we have a hard time knowing what, exactly, we personally need to work on - we’re all perfect, right? ;)  That’s why developing a heavy reading habit is essential because the more exposure we have to the way things are supposed to be, the more we realize we’ve got some areas to work on.

You can start by evaulating your current relationships at home and at work.  What are they like?  Do you consistenly think about how to serve other people, or is it more often than not about what you can get?  Do people come to you for help with things?  Are you someone others would consider a leader in more than the positional sense? (ie, would they follow you if you didn’t have your title?)  Are you an effective communicator?  Do you have a healthy self-image in all areas of life, not just your job or your hobby?

Another great thing to do, if you have the guts to do it, is to ask someone you trust to let you know if there’s anything they see that you can change about you in order to become a better, more liked, and more respected person.  This is a tough one, but one that will ultimately be of great help. ** A word of caution: make sure you have determined in your heart and mind to not be offended by the answers you get.  You might be upset and sad, but you’ll eventually get over that.  If you become offended, you’ll only harden your heart and be worse off than before you asked the question.  If you’re not emotionally mature enough to handle the answers, then it’s best that you hold off on asking the questions until you can handle it.

While introspection is a tough thing to do sometimes, it’s absolutely essential to do if we ever expect to reach our final destination.  If we already possessed everything we needed to be at Point C, we would already be there.  There are things we need to learn, know, and apply before we can expect to reach the goal…and once we get to Point B, consistent application of what we have learned is all that stands between us and the final destination!

To your success,
Steve