Creating Success: What’s the “Right” Thing to Do?
When you desire to create a specific outcome – one that you’d consider to be “successful” – how do you know what’s the “right” thing to do at any moment?
In the larger scheme of things, it’s difficult to know the answer to such a question. Philosophically, WHATEVER you do at any given moment will have some result / produce some consequence, and it will either take you closer to your desired outcome and allow you to build upon that, or take you further from it and provide you the opportunity to learn from that experience so you can do something different next. So in some metaphysical sense, do anything.
OK, so enough philosophizing. That’s not really the answer you’re seeking, and it’s not really the most effective answer to the question.
When you’re on a mission to achieve a specific outcome, the “right” thing to do is the “effective” thing. Meaning the thing that you assess will be most likely to help you achieve your outcome. After choosing the most effective thing, you want to choose the most efficient way to do that thing.
Here’s my formula for how to know what to do in any given moment, when you want to achieve “success” in some endeavor. It’s part of my “Success Mastery (TM) System”:
1. BEGIN by creating a CLEAR, POWERFUL “VISION” of what the world will be like, with you in it, when your heart’s desire is achieved. The more depth and breadth to this Vision, and the more vivid in every sensory and emotional and spiritual aspect, the more powerful. Your Vision will include the specific desired outcome, and how you (and others) will benefit by your having attained it. Document your Vision by recording it to audio, video, and/or writing it down, so you can easily refer to and remind yourself about it.
2. Determine the SPECIFIC MILESTONES that you must reach in order to achieve your ultimate Vision. Another term for these milestones is “goals.”
3. Determine the SPECIFIC STEPS that you must take in order to achieve your specific goals. Another term for these steps is “tasks.”
4. Prioritize and schedule these specific TASKS.
From that point forward, do ONLY those things that you deem most effective in getting you from where you are to where you want to be.
Doing those things will reveal to you:
A. If that is truly the most effective thing to be doing. Or if not…
B. A way to determine what would be even more effective.
The world is full of distractions and “opportunities.” If you don’t have a clear, powerful Vision and a plan for evaluating those opportunities, you may find yourself constantly distracted and/or constantly chasing rainbows.
If, however, you know what you are committed to IN ADVANCE of opportunities presenting themselves, then you can evaluate those opportunities in the context of whether they distract you from or enhance your ability to attain your Vision.
A CAVEAT:
Having a clear, powerful Vision, making a plan, committing to it whole-heartedly, and staying the course are essential components of the HUMAN ELEMENT of goal-getting.
But they are not the whole picture, because you are in partnership with something much larger than yourself. And you must remain open to what the Universe presents to you, so that your blinders and limited thinking don’t get in the way of what is TRULY possible for you, beyond even your current Vision.
So even though I stand firmly on the importance of following the above system for success, I also advise:
Once you have done all of that, state with full conviction:
“This or SOMETHING BETTER according to the Greatest Good.”
Then remain committed to your plan while simultaneously remaining open to what is delivered unto you that may request or require a change – including giving YOUR plan up.
Only you can walk this tightrope in your own life. Only you can discern when a “bright shiny object” is a distraction and when it is a golden opportunity.
How do you decide? I’ll save the answer to this question for another time.
So here are some questions for you:
How do you consciously create your success? How do you discern what’s a distraction and what’s an opportunity worthy of pursuing?
I’d love to receive your comments and questions about this topic.
Visit and respond at the Jay Aaron New Thoughts Web site at this URL:
http://JayAaron.com/creating-success-whats-the-right-thing-to-do
I look forward to hearing from you!
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Jay Aaron
Strategic Visionary / Visionary Strategist
JayAaron.com
All Contents International Copyright 2009 Jay Aaron. All International Rights Reserved.
The Author grants reprint permission without further inquiry only to those who provide proper Copyright credit and include a link to http://Jay Aaron.com
Tags: Goal Setiing, Goal-Getting, Goals, Jay Aaron, Personal Success, Professional Success, Purpose, Success Actions, Success Principles, Success Qualities, Tasks, Vision
