When we’re facing what feel like insurmountable challenges in our work or life, it’s vitally important to go back to basics – to purify, shift what isn’t working, re-focus, and commit 3000% to what you care about achieving.
In running my own small business through extreme times of hardship and recession, and helping others get what they want in their careers, I’ve returned to basics myself, and reconnected with the three essential ingredients that lead to success. They’re powerful and they work.
Without these, you might find success but it’ll be a far bumpier ride with some agonizing detours. Here’s what’s needed to reinvent your life and career, and also to launch a new business endeavor successfully:
Intensive Focus
Someone recently asked me, “What are you – a coach, author, writer, blogger, speaker, workshop leader…what?!” The question was meant to remind me of my need to focus intently on the area that I most want to grow – for me, that’s my one-on-one coaching practice. Sure, we can do several important things at once. However, spreading ourselves too thin too often creates a dilution effect in our strength, time, and ability to build what we care about most. Figure out what you want most, and focus intensively with passion and power on that for several months, and watch what happens.
Generating Something from Nothing
In intensely challenging times like these, all around us we see despair, confusion and a lack of hope and energy. It’s contagious. We also see businesses drying up before our eyes. It’s scary indeed. But success comes from being your own source of positive energy, from finding a way to internally generate your own authentic enthusiasm, energy, and excitement about what you do, even when outside forces are pushing against you.
My young son came home last night and told me that his teacher asked the students this year to “be the change you want to see” (Gandhi’s beautiful request to the world). There’s such a keen nugget of truth in that for all of us – if we want success to come to us, we must first be success — embody and live the principles of the success you long for — and that will open the door to success. Energy attracts like energy.
Undying Commitment
To be successful in life and work, it takes commitment that doesn’t wane. It takes believing that you can create movement in your life and business, even when the waters are still and the 3D world is giving you evidence that you’re not going to make it to your destination.
But that doesn’t mean we should continue blindly, crashing into the rocks without modifying our course. It means that you know when you need help, and you ask for it before it’s too late. Commit yourself without doubt, without reservation, but do what’s required and be flexible. Realize that you have vulnerabilities and gaps in knowledge and ability, and work to fill them. Believe in yourself, get the outside help you need as soon as you need it, and keep growing and learning.
The fine line between success and failure is simply this – find a way to be success precisely when outside success is eluding you.
Question of the week: What do you do in times of turmoil to generate internal energy, enthusiasm, and light, just when the lights around you have gone out?
Wishing you many happy breakthroughs,
Kathy
