As we wind up another year, it is a time when many of us reflect on the year that has just been, celebrate the wins, analyse the challenges, and begin to create a springboard into the New Year, hoping that the new year will be better than this one. It is also a time of year where momentum can be lost, particularly if the belief is that people and companies ‘slow down’ for the holidays and don’t ramp up again until February. The fact is, this time of year is one of the best times of the year to increase momentum and capitalise on the opportunities that are there. Now is the time.
In studying super successful people and companies, I’ve always been curious as to what separates them from their competition. What enables them to build and maintain massive momentum, often in times where their competition is resting, or slowing down, especially at this time of year. How is it that they are able to begin the New Year with enthusiasm and confidence, further accelerating their momentum? Is there a secret recipe or secret sauce that is only available to a select few, or is the momentum and success available for anyone? The fact is – success is available for anyone, but the harsh reality is that only a small percentage will achieve it, and achieve it sustainably.
So what is it that separates the ‘successful’ ones from the rest? Here is a glimpse into the world of successful people. Ask yourself how you stack up against these.
- Self Awareness – successful people have high levels of self awareness, which results in higher levels of emotional intelligence compared to their competitors. They are feedback seeking machines, constantly looking at what is working and what is not, always from a personal perspective. Whilst they have a powerful belief of ‘no limitations’, their level of self awareness enables them to know when to get out of their own way. They understand that they can sometimes be the bottleneck, so when that happens, they have the ability to remove themselves and either delegate or replace themselves in some areas. How would you describe your level of self awareness right now? Is it helping or hindering you?
- Work Hard – successful people are never afraid of hard work. They are prepared to put in the hard yards, often with the understanding that there will be no, or minimal immediate return. They understand that success is not a transaction, and that it requires an investment, and hard work is a required investment. Too many people seek success and want to achieve it through the easiest and smoothest path possible, and wonder why it doesn’t fall in their lap. The reality is is that there is no substitute for hard work. There is no easy way to achieve success, and there is certainly no secret. If there was a secret, it would be ‘work hard’. How hard are you working right now to achieve your objectives? Could you be doing more?
- Time is Ticking – together with hard work, successful people recognise that their only finite resource available is time and that is stops for no one. With only 96 15 minute increments every day, successful people have an insatiable sense of urgency, wanting to maximise the time available and squeeze as much in as possible. You will never ever hear a successful person say ‘I’m just killing time’ because they understand how precious a commodity it is. How are you spending your time right now? What do you do with your 96 15 minute increments? Time is ticking – make it count.
- Focus – successful people not only have a huge dream, they are laser focused in their pursuit of that dream. They have the ability to hone in on a target and prioritise what needs to be done in order to hit the target. This means they prioritise exceptionally well and can effectively distinguish between the urgent and important activities. Interestingly, the majority of successful people have rituals around focus, such as specific diarised activities that will enable them to focus all of their attention on the outcome. This could be an ‘Hour of Power’ where there are no distractions. Others have ‘Focused Sprints’ where they focus on 1 activity at a time and literally sprint to the line – a sense of urgency. How would you describe your focus right now? Is it laser focused, or are you focusing on a number of things? Become laser focused.
- Push & Be Patient – successful people understand that success does not happen by accident. It is a result of very specific action, repeated consistently with a great mindset and the ability to receive and accept feedback. Gary Vaynerchuk calls it ‘hustle’. At some point, the successful person must hustle, i.e. push forward hard. As well as that though, they must also have the ability to be patient, because success is not instantaneous , contrary to what many will say and attempt to portray. There will be times when you have to push forward and push hard, and one of the keys in doing that is to have no regrets. Success is inevitable when you push forward hard, have no regrets, and exercise patience. Miss one of those ingredients and success will elude you. How hard are you pushing right now? How patient are you? Do you have no regrets?
- Doing The Right Thing Is The Right Thing – sustainable success is founded in doing the right thing, and not necessarily in doing things right. Successful people do not get caught up in trying to get things right – they focus and concentrate on doing the right thing. This stems from their values, what they stand for, and what they want to be known for. They know that imperfect implementation is better than wanting for things to be perfect before implementing. They will move forward, knowing that they are doing the right thing, and this allows them to adjust as required, and refine as they move forward. They are focused on doing what is right, which in just about every case, is based on the benefit for their market, and for their people. It is about others. Are you doing the right thing or waiting for things to be right?
- Stop Complaining & Dwelling – Nobody Cares – it is exceptionally rare to hear a successful person complain. It just doesn’t happen. They understand that complaining does not help anyone, and when it is all said and done, people don’t care. In fact, 90% of people couldn’t care less for your problems, and the remaining 10% are glad you have them! What separates successful people from the rest is that when stuff happens, as it always will, the successful person will not whinge and moan. They will observe and then choose their response, which in 100% of cases is to move on, and to move forward. Complaining and dwelling on stuff saps energy, which eats up precious time. Move on! Do you find yourself complaining and dwelling on stuff? If so, change, and move on.
- Surround Yourself With Outstanding People – successful people understand that they are the average of their 5 closest friends or people in their inner circle. Hence, they ensure that they are surrounded by exceptional people, not just based on income level, but also based on values, beliefs, strategy and relationships. And the really successful people continue to place themselves in positions where they are the ‘least successful’ person in the group. Why? Because it forces them to lift, to get better, to learn more. Incredibly important principle. Who are you surrounding yourself with right now? Do you need to find a new group?
- Invest In Yourself – successful people continue to invest, and the biggest investment is always in themselves. Many of them allocate at least 10% of their yearly revenue to their own development, and they make this non negotiable. They understand that the best investment they can ever make is the investment in the 6 inches between their ears, and this investment could be in seminars, training programs, and especially in a coach or mentor. They know that in order to continue to get better, the investment in themselves must always be a priority. What are you investing on yourself right now? When was the last time you purchased a personal development/professional development book, or attended a seminar or workshop? When was the last time you hired a coach or a mentor? As you know, success leaves clues, and one of the biggest clues from successful people is that they continuously invest in themselves. Pick up the clues, if you haven’t yet.
Most people would love to be successful, and the fact is is that it is possible to achieve success. The challenge is that when people recognise what is required in order to be successful, they begin to look for easier options, or perhaps a shorter route. Unfortunately, there is no hidden secret to being successful, or an easy way to achieve it. There is, however, a predictable way to be successful, which is available to anyone who chooses to follow the clues. How badly do you want to be successful? What are you waiting for? Now is the time. Get going.
To your continued success.
Darren
If you want to know how you can better lead your sales team, send me an email at darren@darrenmitchell.com.au
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Thank you for taking the time to read this post – I greatly appreciate it, and welcome comments and feedback. Please feel free to comment below, to follow me on LinkedIn, or to connect via Twitter, or Facebook.
Darren specialises in working with Sales Leaders to create, implement & embed a sales leadership game plan that will deliver outstanding and sustainable sales & revenue results. He is also the founder of the Australian Sales Leadership Network, a LinkedIn Group for sales leaders to share insights, strategies, resources and best practices, in order to build high quality, engaged and successful sales teams, delivering profitable and sustainable sales results. To apply to join, please click this link.
