I say success is simple because you need just four related ingredients to be successful:
- What – A clear, compelling, complete, and commonly-understood goal,
- We – Win-Win-Or-Let’s-Not-Play with everyone who matters,
- Can– Thoughts, beliefs, mental models that work (vs. those that prevent success), and
- Do – A natural flow of actions where stuff gets done with ease.
All ingredients are important and necessary. The third ingredient, though, is special because it is the one with the most leverage.¹
“Can” asks us to feel good. Then act. It shows us that the ideas, solutions, people, and situations that we need become available to us when we think thoughts that feel good. This ingredient reminds us to trust and to focus on what we want and not on what we do not want.
Though simple, this ingredient can be harder to use than we ever imagined. We are so used to looking at the wrong, risky, cautious, threatening, bad-feeling side of things. It seems so natural, necessary to think about the negative. It looks like a daunting task to replace this habit and focus on the right, happy, sure, good-feeling side of things.
The trick is to build two simpler habits. First we learn to catch when we are feeling bad. Next we learn to flip to a thought that feels even just the tiniest bit better. Then we begin an upward spiral of whoo-hoo, fun, and success.
In your corner,
Mike
PS: ¹ Can has the most leverage because it is low-cost and high-impact: you just think good-feeling thoughts.
Today’s photo credit: Scott* via photopin cc