There was a fascinating study completed many years ago that randomly divided people into two groups. One group was asked how much weight they wished to lose. This was recorded, they were put on a special diet, and provided with scales to track their progress.
The second group was asked what they would like as their ideal weight. They were put on the exact same diet as the first group and also provided with a set of scales. However, the scales the second group received was fixed so that it would only register their desired weight, not their actual weight.
After a predetermined period of time, it was the second group who achieved a much higher rate of success. This happened because the second group was able to visualize their objective and imprinted this information into their subconscious.
Is this the real secret to personal success? To create what you most desire in your mind and stay focused on that? There is evidence that the brain only computes positive messages, so stay focused on what you want, not what you do not want.
It appears that the secret to achieving what you really want in life is to write down specifically what you most desire. Create a picture in your mind that you have achieved those goals. Then, only engage in activities and associate with people who support you reaching those objectives. Eliminate all activities and people in your life who do not support your thinking.
Personally, a turning point in my life came when I truly understood the law of cause and effect. My friend Brian Tracy says this is the great law of the universe and human destiny. Whatever you do, there is a consequence. Understand the consequence before you chose your action and accept that adversity is a gift that helps you learn and grow.
Success is not an accident. People who are successful in any area are those who have learned the cause and effect relationship between what they want and what they must do to get it. They persevere, even when others try to discourage them.
Build on this by determining the three or four goals you need to achieve this year that will propel you towards your vision. Some people I know actually write their goals in the present tense, as if they had already achieved them.
Then comes the hard work. You will need to upgrade your knowledge and skills. A person cannot grow to higher levels of achievement without gaining new knowledge, engaging in new behaviours, and making new friends.
My dear friend, the late Charlie (Tremendous) Jones, often said: “You will be the same person five years from now as you are today… except for the books you read and the people you meet”. So, determine what activities, training, and people that will best support you in accomplishing your goals.
Finally, change your habits. Get out of your comfort zone and engage in the behaviours you need to practice every day to become the person you want to become. These include your leisure activities, what you eat, even with whom you hang out.
The secret to happiness lies in the satisfaction of personal accomplishment. Decide today what you must do to become the person you really want to be tomorrow.
My question for managers: How are you supporting your employees’ activities that will lead them to success and happiness?
Joseph Sherren, international business transformation specialist, can be reached at 902-437-6998, or check his website www.gatewayleadership.com
