3 Simple Steps to Achieving Personal Success

It’s no secret that people want to be successful in both life and work. For many, it’s why you became self-employed. However, sometimes we all find ourselves in the situation where we’re getting in our own way. Whether it’s a lack of focus or belief, we can often be our own worst enemy.

When you really look at it though, success is really only a few steps away. It isn’t overly difficult, but it does take daily focus and attention. The problem is in the fear of failure, or for some, the fear of what success looks like.

One way to help get over this fear is to just focus on the small steps you need to take to get where you want to go. While the big picture is exciting, it can also be demotivating when you think about all the things that need to be done.

To help get you moving toward your own success, I’ve put together three simple steps to achieve personal success along with some of my favorite quotes to use as a little bit of inspiration. So, if you’re ready to get going, read on…

#1 – Get Moving

The first thing to do when trying to move in a new direction is to just take those first steps. So many people want to wait until all their ducks are in a row or until just the right moment. The problem is, that moment simply doesn’t exist. You create the perfect time by taking that first step and continuing to walk in the direction you want to go. There aren’t any secrets or shortcuts to success. It simply takes walking the walk every day until you get there.

• “If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” –Bruce Lee
• “Action is the foundational key to all success.” –Pablo Picasso
• “You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action.” –Tony Robbins
• “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu
• “There is no substitute for hard work.” –Thomas Edison

#2 – Create A Plan

Once you’ve taken your first steps, you can start to plan a more direct route to your path to success. Those first steps can give you an idea of possible upcoming roadblocks or different paths you may need to take. Now is the time to put some effort into an overall plan. You may find that you detour from it, and that’s fine. The idea is to have a general roadmap so you can make the most efficient decisions and make the most of your time and energy.

• “Never mistake motion for action.” –Ernest Hemingway
• “Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.” –Peter Drucker
• “Plans are nothing; planning is everything.” –Dwight D. Eisenhower
• “Think ahead. Don’t let day-to-day operations drive out planning.” –Donald Rumsfeld
• “There is no waste in the world that equals the waste from needless, ill-directed, and ineffective motions.” — Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Sr.

#3 – Plan to Succeed

Ever wonder why so many small businesses fail? For many, it’s because they didn’t plan for success. Don’t make the mistake of overestimating your success or underestimating what needs to be done. If you do, you’ll find that you’ve just set yourself up for failure. Make sure you take some time and talk to people who’ve been there who can help keep you from making costly and potentially business-closing mistakes.

In addition, it’s important to realize that your plans won’t always go the way you expected them to. It’s a good idea to have some backup options in those scenarios. Having a plan B and C is much better than having all of your eggs in one basket.

• “Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year – and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!” –Tony Robbins
• “Hofstadter’s Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter’s Law.” –Douglas R. Hofstadter
• “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin
• “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” – Robert Burns
• “Beware the barrenness of a busy life. “ – Socrates

Lastly, have fun. The point of being self-employed is to have more freedom and do what you love. If you aren’t doing what you love, it’s really not much different from having a regular job. In fact, it may even be worse, since you have all the headaches of administrative taxes as well. I think Tony Robbins says it best, “It is not what we get, but who we become, what we contribute… that gives meaning to our lives.”