“However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.” – Stephen Hawking
As a martial artist studying Shotokan karate for 12 years, I discovered that success in anything is dependent on these 6 Elements of Success. They will not only help you reach your goals to achieve the success levels you wish but will increase your satisfaction and fulfillment throughout life.
When you have mastered these elements there is nothing you can’t achieve.
- Commitment
- Focus
- Discipline
- Follow-Through
- Consistency
- Perseverance
“Commitment is an act, not a word.” – John Paul Sartre
Commitment
This is a word that scares a lot of people.
We avoid commitment in relationships. We avoid commitment to our career. We avoid commitment to ourselves. We avoid commitment to change. And if that’s you, you are already in a losing game, because you can’t reach success if you’re not willing to commit yourself.
And I’m not talking about toes in the water either. I’m talking about immersing yourself. You’re either in, or you’re out, and for many people that’s very scary.
I learned about commitment the hard way during my martial arts training when I earned a black belt in Shotokan karate. When you’re in a fight you have to make a commitment to be ‘in the fight’. You have two options. You can run away, or be all in. You can’t engage half-heartedly or literally you could get killed.
To get the best results, you must be committed. But that commitment is not to the fight, but to you. This is your commitment to yourself. Your commitment to the result you want to achieve.
Everything starts and ends with commitment.
In terms of creating business success, have you asked yourself if you are truly committed to making something happen?
- Are you committed to your own success?
- Are you committed to your own growth?
- Or your own financial achievement?
- And are you committed to being the best you can be. The best version of you?
Commitment has been described as a pledge or a promise to one’s self. It’s also the willingness to take responsibility for your actions, and the true test of commitment is your actions.
Without actions you won’t get very far.
John C. Maxwell is a renowned leadership coach and he said of commitment:
“The world has never seen a great leader who lacked commitment.”
If you want to be an effective leader, you have to be committed.
True commitment inspires and attracts people. It shows them you have conviction. They will believe you, because you believe in your cause. Because you walk the talk, and you bring people along with you.
So what are the two leading indicators of commitment?
First: Commitment starts in the heart. You must understand what the commitment means to you, and you must feel there is value in making the commitment in order to
If you want to make a difference look into your heart to see if you’re really committed.
Second: Commitment is tested with action, because nothing is easier than saying words, and nothing is harder than living day by day, doing what you need to do, taking those actions, basically practicing what you preach, and walking the talk.
Commitment opens the door to achievement.
As you journey towards the success you desire, you will face plenty of obstacles and opposition and there will be times when commitment will be the only thing that carries you forward.
When you’re committed, you will get up every time you get knocked down. You will strive to be better, to do better, and to overcome all the obstacles that are currently holding you back from achieving your goals.
Are you committed to being the best version of you?
“At the end of the day, you can’t control the results, you can only control your effort level and your focus.” – Ben Zobrist
Focus
Commitment takes focus.
And Focus takes purpose.
In order to be really good at anything, you have to focus. You have to purposely put everything else out of your mind and be present to that which will take you from one exquisite moment to the next.
Our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, and distractions are abundant. We are becoming a nation of headline readers. Think about the last time you read a lengthy article or a book! Maybe you thought I’ll get to that later, but then never returned. We all do it. Me included.
But without clear focus we can’t achieve what we say we want to achieve.
Without a clear direction of where you want to go you won’t take the desired actions to get the results you want.
Focus is dependent on the following questions:
- What do you want to do with your life?
- Who do you want to serve?
- What give you meaning and pleasure?
- Are you focused on the values you espouse?
- Are you focused on the actions you will take to get you where you want to go?
Defining your focus is a process of elimination.
Sometimes it’s easier to start with what you don’t want. The clearer you can be about what you don’t want will help make it a lot easier to focus on the direction you do want to take.
When you start with Commitment and maintain your Focus the next step is Discipline. We need these three elements to sustain us in whatever direction we wish to take.
Next week, I’ll discuss Discipline and Follow-Through.
Check out Transformational Strategies for Success for more information
When individuals broaden their understanding of who they are, what they are capable of becoming, and move beyond the limitations that are currently holding them back from fulfilling greater potential, they are on their way to achieving greater success across all dimensions of their life. And you can do that in six months or less.