Is there a shortcut to success?

August 14, 2014 at 12:00 AM
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Here's a pop quiz for you: Can you hasten the arrival of success? What's the secret to seeing huge results right now? I am frequently asked versions of this question by people who are frustrated by their sluggish progress toward success, despite their know-how and arduous application of effort.

Let's get one thing straight: When we admire someone's success—or marvel at our own—we tend to focus on the end result and ignore the time and effort it took to get there. This can cultivate unrealistic expectations and lead us to believe that overnight success can happen through careful strategy and rigorous effort.

Truth be told, success typically follows a series of little events and achievements, which can seem to take an eternity. Along the way, disappointments challenge your stamina, courage, integrity and perseverance.

If you focus on what's not working, you're likely coming from a place of aggravation with your mind wrapping around all that is wrong. You may even have negative thoughts such as "I'm not good enough," "It'll never work," or "Something must be wrong with me."

What this mentality does is engender more counterproductive feelings. Because of the way the Law of Attraction works, you will draw to you more negative experiences, people and results. Now you're caught in a downward spiral.

Instead, start each day with reflections on what you are grateful for in your life, and end each day with notes on what went right, however small. Write these things down to solidify them in your mind.

Remember the rule of 5. If you still aren't seeing the progress you desire, try keeping a log of the specific steps you are taking to reach your goal. Each day, takefive concrete actions to bring you closer to your goal. Change up the five actions regularly and be open to feedback, so you can know when you've veered off course.

Lastly, I want to remind you about patience. It's natural to underestimate how long a certain goal can take, especially a profound one. When I set a goal to become a millionaire, the year was 1983. How long did it take? Eleven years. It took time for my book, Chicken Soup for the Soul, to become a bestseller. That's a lot of patience for someone who started out wanting overnight success.

Patience is a virtue—and an absolute necessity if you're determined to reach your goals. Keep at it, day after day, and eventually you'll find that you're only one week­—or one day—away from your ultimate success.

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Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com.

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