Published:

12/10/2010 12:22pm

10 Critical Success Clues

I don't need to be a gypsy fortune teller to tell your fortune. I can tell with a 95% certainty whether or not a person is (or is going to be) successful. All I need is 20 minutes of conversation or a few email interactions and I know. It is easy to do. You can do it too. Yes! You can actually predict whether or not someone will have the success they say they want. Better yet, you can tell if you are going to be a success OR not.

The best part about checking to see if you will be a success is that you don't have to 'beat around the bush' in a conversation to discover the clues, as you would normally have to do with another person. The worst part about checking in with yourself is that you will run up against an outright liar. Yes, you will attempt to deceive yourself. Now that you are forewarned about that, you can watch out for your attempts to obscure (or divert yourself from) the truth about yourself.

So, if you want to predict the future of anyone, including yourself, here are the ten most critical clues that you will need to uncover and clarify: 1) Attitude, 2) Intention, 3) Purpose, 4) Passion, 5) Plan, 6) Resolve, 7) Responsibility, 8) Words, 9) Actions and 10) Peers. Let's take a closer look at each.

Attitude:
There is a winner's attitude and there is a loser's attitude. Most people have a mix of the two. A winner's attitude is characterized by high self-esteem, a positive outlook on life, a general feeling of gratitude, a sense of great personal destiny, a willingness to learn and the will to do what is necessary. Losers have poor self-esteem, a negative (they say realistic) outlook on life, a general feeling of resentment about the trials and tribulations of life, a sense of impending negative fate, a stubbornness about what they 'know', and lousy will-power or self-discipline.


Intention:
As a general rule, things done with intent, produce intended results and things done without specific intent produce unintended results. It is my experience that most people think, say and do most things in life without any conscious and specific intent. I like to ask people (and especially myself) the following clarifying questions: what is your intent in holding that belief?; what is your intent in thinking that way?; what is your intent in doing what you do? Most can't answer. Winners can. More importantly, winners are always asking themselves, "what is my intended result for this chosen action, thought or way of being?"


Purpose:
This is so simple it is almost ludicrous... a life without a defined and stated purpose is a life of no purpose and no meaning. Winners have a purpose. Losers do not. Winners live a life of purpose and 'on purpose'. Losers live accidentally; victims of circumstance instead of creators of circumstance. The sooner you write down the succinct and true purpose of your life, the sooner you will discover success, happiness and personal fulfillment. Important caveat: your purpose does not have to be altruistic or measure up to anyone's standards except your own. It can be entirely selfish.


Passion:
Passion is that fuel that drives you. Passion is also what attracts to you the people and resources that you need to achieve your success. Passion is magnetic. Desire is the metaphysical equivalent of gravity. It draws to you the elements that you need to succeed. Passionate people attract followers and supporters. Winners are passionate! ! ! ! !


Plan:
You've heard before. You've read it many times. Every good personal empowerment teacher says it... You must have specific and written goals and a step-by-step plan to enact those goals. Every business needs a business plan. Your life needs a plan. You must create it. As Ben Franklin pointed out, "Failing to plan is planning to fail." Winners have a game plan. Losers are spectators and armchair quarterbacks. Do you have written goals? Do you have a specific game plan?


Resolve:
It is persistence that creates winners. It takes resolve to reach the top. There will be obstacles in your path and impediments to your success