I’m writing this on the plane home after a two day mastermind meeting with Brendon Burchard. To say it was amazing is an understatement.
There’s so much we covered in the two day intensive including best practices with others in the group, what’s on the horizon with online marketing, leadership, market trends, and mindset.
One particular process we worked on was our own personal success strategy. We were all asked to list five top traits we feel have contributed to something we succeeded at.
For me it is:
- Vision
- Commitment
- Risk
- Training
- Focus
Whether it is success in my relationship, my business or my health, all five traits apply.
For example, in 2009 I was training for a marathon. After attending a Team in Training meeting I decided to commit to participate in the Portland marathon. I got very excited when I found out I could power walk rather than run. I was in.
Having never done long distance power walking prior to this I had no idea of what was in store. In hindsight the five traits definitely applied.
Vision – To really get my head and heart into this I had to see myself go through the process. The more I could hold the vision of being a marathoner the more of a reality it became. The vision aspect also includes seeing how this experience would benefit me in other areas.
Commitment – Without a solid commitment to the process there was no way I would have achieved what I did. Because of a very strong commitment I went from struggling with the first practice to almost daily power walks of anywhere from 4 – 15 miles or more.
Risk – I risked looking foolish, being ridiculed, having people say, “What’s a 55 year old woman doing getting into marathon training for the first time in her life?” I was willing to risk my reputation and failure to explore this side of my character and physical stamina.
I also wanted to bust the myth that a middle aged woman couldn’t do something this bold. It’s amazing how many people let misguided beliefs hold them back regardless of their age.
Training – We don’t know what we don’t know. This certainly applied to my knowledge about participating in a marathon. Little did I know how much I would learn about proper form, nutrition, rest, recovery, clothing and shoes, hydration and all that goes with marathon training. The training was invaluable and taught me life skills I could apply to other areas.
Focus – Wow! Did I ever learn the importance of focus. Not only focus on the goal but focus each and every time I trained. Lack of focus can result in exhaustion and injury. I found this out all too well when for a brief moment I let my guard down, lost my focus and hit a pot hole. Within seconds of hearing (and feeling) my ankle snap I knew my dream of being in the marathon for that season was out of the question.
Although my dream was put on hold this doesn’t mean it was gone forever. Just because I didn’t achieve my end result the first go round doesn’t mean I won’t again train for a marathon. It simply means there was a delay according to my original plan.
As a matter of fact, nearly three years later I am starting to once again train for a marathon. I am really excited to again have the vision of crossing the finish line with others who have a similar dream.
It’s amazing how much farther ahead I am this time with my knowledge than the first time. Although I don’t have a date or a location in mind I am beginning the process of taking frequent power walks. I am again evaluating my nutrition and all the other areas I need to focus on for a successful outcome.
As you think about something you have been successful at what five traits did you apply to achieve your outcome? Write those down.
Once you identify them you can apply them to virtually anything you are doing. I can look at my five traits and see how they definitely have applied to every single success I have achieved in my business. Whether it was developing a low priced product,, a mentoring course, or a full-fledged product launch, each took the following:
- Vision
- Commitment
- Risk
- Training
- Focus
What it is you want to accomplish in your business? Do you want to develop your first product? Do you want to write a book? Do you want to do a video series?
Whatever it is, apply your five success traits. Really commit to applying them and you will definitely enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Post your traits in the comment box with a specific example of what you have succeeded at by applying them.
