On Success - Part 3

Part 3: Working with the wider world.

Until we allow ourselves to be open to success and failure, we can’t achieve the success we are seeking.

1 - Find inspiration:

You can see as much as you want on tv, but it is the experiences you see and feel and are apart of first hand that have the greatest impact. We have to interact with the wider world to identify traits in people and see ways of living, acting and working to figure out what inspires and drives us.

‘Success’ exists in many formats, but they share a commonality in my experience - people became their own bosses by starting their own businesses OR people threw conventionality out of the window and simply went for their dream - their definitional of success.

What this tells us is that success can have a well worn path that we can follow or it can be invented and new. At the end of the day they both involve risk - this, again, is something that pops up time and time again. If you want to be successful, you are going to have to be okay with being uncomfortable.

2 - Learn from others:

In one my favourite videos on the internet, I got some great insight into the world of business. The secrets to success lie in evolution rather than revolution (in most situations). The path to get to the end goal takes time and consistency - someone else has already got the skills, the secrets and the knowledge to get there - it is just part of the process and remaining on track. Find these people, with talent, prove yourself to them and shift heaven and earth to find a way to work with them or obtain a piece of their time.

3 - Money:

Money is part of success - this may seem obvious but for so long I tried to see how far I could go with achieving my goals without involving money. I stayed away from business, scared of how money hungry I could get, worried about making decisions that would negatively impact others or the world because of having to put profits first. At the end of the day, a positive relationship with money needs to exist. You need to not avoid looking at it from the perspective of what it can buy, but what it can do. Most importantly, it is a multiplier of time and, when you look at it this way, money becomes a tool. Use money to interact with others and with the outside world - you can’t just save it like a squirrel and achieve what you need to if you have big dreams.

4 - Business and sales:

It all starts with problem solving. It is as simple as that - if you aren’t solving a problem, you don’t have a business case. Fine, you came up with a product or a process/solution - what’s next? Until you can commodify and sell your product/service, you can’t do anything. If you don’t understand business (I am not saying a degree), and if you can’t sell, then you have to begin studying, gaining experience or build a team. Your relationships and networks through business are what will help you through the good and the bad - you need to have something to offer before you can begin building these networks. Whether it be knowledge, contacts or a genuine relationship built on trust where ideas can be shared, you need to interact with clients and customers and you can only begin to do that and be rewarded for your time and efforts once you have a business.