Millions of people across the world buy self help-books, join groups for self development and go on retreats and seminars with a desire to change their lives. But does all this knowledge get them anywhere?
Too many of us put the book aside to read it later. We participate in self-help meetings and listen to others who encounter challenges similar to ours, but without making a change. We even attend seminars that really motivate us, but still, we refrain from changing our lives. Why is it so hard to achieve success? Is it because we are so keen to live the life we have instead of creating the life we want? I will explore some ideas on how to successfully use self-help create the desired life:
1. What is your situation today and who are you?
2. What do you want to achieve and who would you like to become?
3. How will you accomplish this goal and what must you do to become the person you want to be?
Many people have the perception that success requires a big and almost unachievable change. However, success does not come from a simple experience. Success for me is when I do what I've decided to do and when I achieve results. The sum of these results makes me successful.
People produce varying results - some have the best conditions to succeed without doing so. Others have little or no education, a lack of financial stability in their lives, or no family to support them. Despite this, individuals from the latter category can sometimes achieve more than one would expect of them.
What separates these groups is not their knowledge, but their desire to succeed. You take your first step towards success when you decide what you want to achieve. Be clear about what you WANT! The clearer you are the better your result will be.
What is your situation today - Before you decide on a direction, it is important that you have an objective and accurate picture of where you are today and who you are. If you have an inaccurate perception of yourself or your situation, it will be difficult to reach the goals you have set for yourself.
What do you want to achieve - We have all experienced setting ourselves goals and then forgetting about them after a few weeks. If you create good goals and you are consistent, it can change your life.
Most of us are good at setting goals, but the goals we choose are often not the best ones. Some have a desire to lose weight, while others want to become successful or wealthier. The problem with such goals is that they don’t provide an emotional motivation.
Just setting goals is not inspiring enough - Goals create an urge in us to move forward, but we must also define why we wish to achieve those goals. Why do we want success or more money? Is it the money we want or the feeling that money gives us? A desire to be a person who manages to create financial abundance for themselves and others is more motivating than just the concept of making money. When we have a strong enough sense of what we want to achieve, we will always get there, despite the obstacles we might experience on our way.
When we set ourselves goals, something happens to us – The process starts when we define what we want and are acutely aware of why we these are our goals. The main thing I discovered when I started defining my goal was that the meaning behind it was much more important than the final result. Who I was as a person was more essential than the goals I set myself.
I used to be too focused on materials. I wanted more money, a bigger house and a new car. When I began to set my goals, while also asking myself why I wanted these things, something unexpected happened. I changed my focus to who I wanted to be and what I wanted to get out of my life.
Make a plan - Once you know what you want to achieve, you can start working towards obtaining results. Make a plan and commit yourself to do something, and start now.
Sometimes we do not achieve the goal that we have set ourselves. When this happens, it is important to find another way to reach that goal. And if this does not work, find a third option. Most successful people are successful because they persevered until they made it. It is important to remember that if you do not reach your goal, this does not mean that you have failed. You will always achieve something as long as you do something.
Remember that if you gain something from the experience, you have not failed.
The main obstacles in a process of self-help - Friends that do not believe in you and people who have major problems in their lives will usually not be helpful to you. A family that wants to control you, rather than to help you see the opportunities, is not any help neither.
However, fear is what stops most us from achieving our dreams. Fear is a feeling that enables us to avoid potential pain. When the fear stops you from achieving the life you want, you must learn to overcome it (read: Get the courage to live!).
If you want to be successful you must remember this: The past does not have to be the future. What happened 6 months ago, 3 months ago or 3 days ago is not important. What is important is where you are today and what you want to do. There is nothing better than waking up and knowing how your future will be. All it takes is for you to decide what you want and create the life you dream of, right now!
