You don’t have to be somebody special or learn to do some brilliant, impossible thing to become successful. You don’t need to be extraordinarily talented, have a mind of a genius or come from a rich family to have success in life.
What you need to be successful is much more simple than that.
The key to success is the persistent doing of simple, mundane actions. Stuff that anyone can do, without any special talent or predisposition.
Things like reading 10 pages from an educational book or saving a few euros or dollars from each paycheck or replacing one alcoholic drink at a party with a glass of water…
If you prefer listening in, instead of reading this article further, I have explained the core message, the management summary so to speak, in the video below.
Everyone can do these simple, little things, which seem insignificant in the doing, but compounded over time they will yield huge results.
What is required to achieve success in any area of your life is well known and quite simple. For example, we all know that regular exercise is crucial to our health. Nonetheless, 95% of people are struggling in reaching their health goals.
So what could be in the way of our success?
According to Jeff Olson, the author of the excellent motivational book “The Slight Edge”, paying attention to these three things could make the difference between success and just dreaming of it:
- It is easy not to do
- No instant success
- Waiting for happiness
Let’s explore them together one by one.
It Is Easy Not To Do
One area in my life where I feel I have made it so far is my health. If I look back I can indeed confirm that my vibrant health and plentitude of energy are present thanks to me consistently applying small, insignificant actions and choices for more than 30 years.
For example, I thought myself to take the stairs instead of the lift. This is an easy daily discipline. Everyone can do it, right? The only problem is, that it is just as easy not to do it.
I am still confronted with these tempting thoughts in my head, like when I am carrying heavy groceries, or have had a long day at work … why not take the lift?
Just today, just once … True, nothing will change or go dramatically wrong if I skip the stairs today, or even if I skip the stairs tomorrow again…
With time I have managed to resist this seductive reasoning, because before you know the healthy habit is gone…. before you know the compound effect of not moving sufficiently for 30 years, will have disastrous effects on your health and we all know that for a fact.
The compound power of these easy actions and simple daily choices, such as taking the stairs, is why at the age of 50 I still have the energy to dance salsa all night long and still maintain my high school figure.
Watch your self-talk around the small, little, seemingly insignificant actions. So easy to do, so easy not to do.
No Instant Success
The challenging point about taking consistent, mini actions is that you do not see immediate results. There is no instant gratification like in the movies. The real results take time and repetition and are so far in the future that we do not see them impacting us today.
Back to the example of the stairs. Taking the stairs won’t transform my life in a day. Maybe the results will not be visible even in a month and that can be frustrating and boring. But the compound effect in 20 years has got me being fit, healthy and active!!
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When I was in my 30ties I had the energy to dance salsa for hours. Surely back then, taking the stairs instead of the lift seemed kind of useless and irrelevant. But man, how thankful I am to myself that I did maintain my fitness and health so that I can dance through life in my older days too.
Which area in your life needs attention? Health, relationships, finances, your knowledge, spiritual health? Your online business?
Now you know, that the compound effect of small actions and little choices every day can pave the road to success.
Remember, what you do today matters!!!
When doubt or boredom kicks in, when the results are not yet evident, you still do those little, ridiculously easy, insignificant things. You persevere cause you know that amazing results will come.
The last point that I want to touch upon is happiness. This often-overlooked ingredient helps us keep on making the right choices day in day out, be persistent and maintain an optimistic view of the future.
Happiness Is The Key To Become Successful
Oftentimes we hear people waiting for some kind of success in order to feel happy…
Someday, when I can afford a bigger house,
Someday, when I get a promotion,
Someday, when I find a partner… then I will be happy.
Or like my friend who keeps trying to lose weight for years now and believes that once she manages that she will be finally happy.
In reality, though, it is exactly the other way around.
It turns out that success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.
Albert Schweitzer
Extensive research in the field of positive psychology – check Psychology Today article for references – shows time and time again that people who are happier also:
- have better health, a stronger immune system and live longer
- develop more resilient personalities and handle adversity better
- have more fulfilling and longer-lasting relationships
- are more financially and professionally successful.
And what the psychologists have also found out is that happiness isn’t some big thing you pursue, like moving to the Riviera. Nor it is luck, circumstances, genetics or marrying a movie star.
Instead, just like success, happiness lies in the small, simple things you do or don’t do every day.
Here are some ideas that I do on daily basis to keep myself happy:
- blocking time off to reflect on life by doing nothing, meditating, journaling,
- strolling around, being in nature
- finding the positive aspects of something that happened that day,
- doing at least one thing that adds value to the community or to another person.
Your list of happy habits might be somewhat different. Share it to inspire others.
Those simple daily actions help us develop optimism, self-reliance and confidence, the main leadership skills which enable us to be happy and successful in life.
>> Read more on developing leadership skills
As shown above, whatever area in life you want to improve, it is absolutely possible by taking simple, consistent action.
Watch your thoughts, be patient and develop happy habits.
Before you know it, those small choices and actions will make your dreams come true.
To your success!!!
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>> Click here << for a list of books that recently influenced me profoundly and are today part of my body and mind.
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