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Ten
Strategies for Success at Anything
Success in life and in any endeavor is not an accident, nor is
it the result of the "best laid plans." I have witnessed and
experienced what looked like the best plans go awry. I have
seen great leaders who had the best teams suffer humiliating
defeats. If the best plans and great teams fail and success is
not an accident, like I suggest in the opening sentence to
this column, what then are the seeds of success? How can we
plan, add the best people we can find and then guarantee
success? How, as individuals can we insure that we succeed in
our business or career endeavors?
The answers to these and many other questions will hopefully
provide insight on "just how do we insure success anyway?"
That is, of course, if I succeed. Let's look at my "Ten
Strategies for Success at Anything."
1. Study nature.
We do not have to go far to see great examples of how to
succeed. Get outdoors and observe Mother Nature at work. Plant
a garden, go to a farm, take a walk in the woods or sit by the
ocean. There is a natural system at work everyday that will
guide us if we pay attention. By studying nature, we have a
system to follow that does not require that we get an MBA or a
PhD. Nature provides us with a common sense approach to
success that always works. An MBA or PhD are certainly good
training and yet, are not guarantees for success. There is
abundance all around us and if we spend some time studying how
nature produces this abundance, we too can "seed for our own
abundant and prosperous future."
2. Plan your harvest.
Like Steve Covey suggests "Start with the end in Mind." Start
by thinking about what you want to harvest. Would a farmer
just randomly plow and prepare the ground without planning
what the crop would be? If fruit was the desired harvest,
would plowing a whole field be required to plant fruit trees?
No, of course not. You would dig a whole for each tree and not
waste time plowing the field. Plan your harvest and then build
the plan. It will save you time. Working backwards, it will be
easier to prepare the ground for what you want.
3. Research your crop.
Would a farmer plant orange trees in Alaska? Research your
idea. There is no shortage of ideas in our world. They are not
all good ideas.
4. Plant your seeds.
After doing the research and deciding to take the risk, plant
the seeds. Your seeds are your thoughts, words and actions.
Picture your results often. Use visualization daily to see
your abundant harvest. Think positive thoughts; push all doubt
out of your mind. Act as if you already have your harvest.
Spend some quiet time feeling what it would feel like, to have
that abundant harvest.
5. Have faith.
After your seeds are planted, relax and have faith that things
are happening. Henry David Thoreau once said "I have great
faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there and I
am prepared to expect wonders." Sprouts will appear. Does a
farmer fret and worry after planting a field? Does nature
worry? Nature provides automatic seeding. Seeds are produced
by the billions and billions each day. They are carried by the
wind, birds, animals, etc. After you plant your seeds, persist
through the doubt. Would a daffodil quit because the ground in
early spring was too hard? Or because it was too cold, would
it decide to stay in the bulb or seed stage? If so there would
not be so many spring flowers. After you have planted your
seeds, your idea, have faith. Push through the hard ground.
6. Stay in the field after the sprouts appear.
Farmers do not relax after the sprouts appear. They weed,
feed, cultivate and prune to ensure a fruitful yield. After
your idea begins to take hold, stay at it. Do not take your
attention away from it. Do not be distracted. Nature does grow
wild and when a fruit tree grows wild, what happens after a
while? It will gradually produce less and less fruit. Branches
called "suckers" grow that do not produce fruit. They choke
out the productive, fruit bearing branches by reducing the
available light and food. What you focus on expands. Pay
attention after the sprouts appear. Weed out the naysayer and
negative nabobs. Remove employees who refuse to "go with the
flow." Feed those who do support you by praising and
acknowledging them often.
Resist the urge to "rush to harvest." Would you plant a tomato
seed and then stand over it shouting "ok, now give me a
tomato!" No, of course you would wait; because you understand
that the tomato has a cycle. Well, our ideas, plans and
careers have a natural cycle also. Be patient and stay on
course, stay committed to do what you said you would do. Do
not give in to the first discouraging event or setback. Keep
your word no matter what and resist the "rush to harvest."
7. Allow yourself to be pollinated.
Nature has a whole system of "support staff" to ensure
success. Bees pollinate plants, birds spread the seeds, manure
fertilizes the ground, dead animals and plants enrich the
soils. There is no General Manager of the Universe. Each
player in nature knows its role and they each do what is
theirs to do. Surround yourself with coaches, advisors and
others who are dedicated to your success. Nothing happens in a
vacuum. Stay in relationships with committed others to your
idea and cause. Get good people on your bus and get them in
the right seat.* Once they are in the right seat, give them
the room to "do what is theirs to do." (*from "Good to Great,"
by Jim Collins)
8. Track and measure the harvest.
Would a farmer continue to plant a field or a seed that
produced less than the desired harvest? You cannot not manage
what you do not measure.
9. Eliminate what did not work.
Nature is constantly eliminating what does not work. Maybe
that is why dinosaurs disappeared. Nature quickly leaves
behind what does not work. Use the tracking and measuring in
step 8 to eliminate and plan for preparing the ground for what
is next.
10.
Take a rest. Like Nature uses winter, take a rest to
reflect and study. Rest refreshes the ground and reenergizes
the earth to continue producing abundantly. Take a hint from
Nature, rest and restore.
In closing, success is not that difficult if we use the gift
that nature provides. Prepare, plant the seed, pay attention
in the fields, hire a coach and allow yourself to be
pollinated, track the harvest, eliminate what did not work,
resist the rush to harvest and take a rest.
Steve Lentini is the founder and President of the Centre for
Human Development. An entrepreneur, author, speaker and coach,
he brings his over 30 years of business experience to
individuals and companies all over the country. He can be
reached by telephone at (802) 433-6090 or (978) 257-0610.
Email at
steve@prosperityinstitute.com or by writing him at the
Centre for Human Development, 3471 Chelsea Road, Williamstown,
VT, 05679 or write to the Massachusetts office at 50 Bassett
Road, Lynn, MA 01902.
Upcoming Classes...
Men's Put up, Shut up and
Wake up Weekend: A Gathering of Men's Wisdom
- March 23rd
If you know anyone who is
interested in working on themselves... please send them my
way... 3/23, 5/25, 7/20, 9/14, 11/9, 1/25/08, 3/28/08.
For CEOs and Sales People...
"Universal Selling" and "Wake Up" events along
with "Integrating the Culture of Change."
May 14th, June 11th, August 13th, September 17th, October
15th, November 12th and December 10th.
Call 978-257-0610
or e-mail me at
steve@prosperityinstitute.com for details...... |
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Upcoming Classes...
Men's Put up, Shut up and
Wake up Weekend: A Gathering of Men's Wisdom
- March 23rd
If you know anyone who is
interested in working on themselves... please send them my
way... 3/23, 5/25, 7/20, 9/14, 11/9, 1/25/08, 3/28/08.
For CEOs and Sales People...
"Universal Selling" and "Wake Up" events along
with "Integrating the Culture of Change."
May 14th, June 11th, August 13th, September 17th, October
15th, November 12th and December 10th.
Call 978-257-0610
or e-mail me at
steve@prosperityinstitute.com for details......
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