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QUEST: Choosing several key principles to achieve one’s purpose…
By Billy Selekane
We are all pursuing different objectives in accordance with the diverse journeys we may have chosen for our lives.
I have seen these various traits and results in the senior representatives of a number of Fortune 500 companies and SMEs, heads of State and top athletes whose habits I have studied over the years. And, among these different people, I have seen others becoming super successful, while the others continued to vainly huff and puff, and not being effective at all.
Clearly, there is no silver bullet or simple formula to achieve and sustain success, however in my observations of these different men and women, I have noticed several extraordinary principles which have enabled some of them to succeed. These principles, which I urge you to apply in your life and business and be able to create sustainable success, are Decisiveness and action orientation; Simplicity; Productivity versus being busy, and; Preferring positive and Inspiring association.
Regarding decisiveness and action orientation, There is nothing which is a killer of success than procrastination and inaction. I have heard people argue about small and big decisions. For example, I have overheard a couple in a restaurant and one partner would ask the other, “So, what are you going to drink?’ And there would be a nonchalant answer, “Anything.” Unfortunately, no one sells anything, anymore, because no one wants anything, anymore. So you either have a beer, soft drink, or whisky. You cannot just have anything. It helps to be specific.
Many people would say, “Next year I am starting gym.” Or, soon, I’ll be studying this or that.” So, I am challenging you to look at your life or business and look at where it is. I promise you that, if you were to look hard enough, you would realise that it is not even at 35 percent of the potential that you have. When you make certain choices and decisions and act upon them, even if this is through small yet continuous actions, an amazing force gets into play, becoming a powerful force which produces amazing results, that is called the compound effect.
If you want to start running, do not wake up and run ten kilometres, your body will start to ache the next day and our brain will tell your body that this running thing is a bad idea, and you will decide to dump the idea altogether. However, if you start walking two kilometres, then four kilometres, then five kilometres and eventually run three kilometres and then add two kilometres every second day, the power of the compound effect will begin to kick in; and, before you know it, you will be running ten kilometres a day. So, with small yet continuous actions, growth begins to happen and takes root.
Concerning simplicity, there’s a profound Michael Angelo quote – “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” – which implies that it is the simple approach in life, careers and business that makes things easy, helping you to gain momentum in the long run. I am a stickler to simplicity. I always like finding exceptionally-complex situations and simplifying them. I have learned to say to people, “Show me the proposals, point me to the people to whom we need to pitch, and let us close the deals, make meaningful progress, then I will believe your millions of stories.” Many people always say we should dream big and I totally agree with that, however, we need to always start small. Many great organisations were started in garages, like George Bezos’ Amazon, Steve Jobs’ Apple and Richard Branson’s Virgin. Their dreams were big and remain big, but they started small. So do not have fifty goals, just have five major goals in your finances, relationships, health, education and social life. When you simplify things and remove the clutter, you will also reduce your stress levels and you will easily find your rhythm.
About productivity versus being busy, there is that zero-effect buzzword, “I am busy.” Unlike those people who like to say that they are busy, yet achieving nothing, I have chosen and decided to start being productive with my time and my team’s time. Seemingly, being busy has since become an addiction and a high energy activity which, in most cases, does not produce any results, but many more, mostly futile meetings. You need to ask yourself questions like, “What have my meetings produced this past week?” Illustratively, I am productive now and not busy, I am producing content which is going to outlive me. At the end of writing this content, I can look at it and say, with certainty, that I have produced content which is going to inspire and empower other people and transform their lives. So, are you still going to be busy, or will you start being productive?
Relating to positive and inspiring associations, if you can show me your close circle of five like minded associates, I can predict exactly how far your life would go and what you are likely to achieve. We are the sum total of the people we hang around with. Success is guaranteed when you have a clearly-defined criterion of the people you choose to associate with. You will never achieve anything significant when you spend time with negative people, especially those who consistently dismiss your dreams. Carefully choose your company and they will add fuel to the fire which is going to launch your world and ensure that you create sustainable success and leave a powerful, lasting legacy.
Published on the 53th Edition. Get E-Copy
