I wrote an article titled The Epiphany of Complete Success wherein I outlined my best insights on the elements that must be present in order to experience success in all its forms. The goal of that article was to help you recognize your own gifts and talents and then to find innovative ways to share them with the world. Furthermore it was about helping you to understand that unless you discover your true purpose, complete success will continue to elude you.
There was also a segment in that article where I talked about the fact that we all have the ability to achieve complete success BUT that 99% of us won’t because we refuse to wake up to the possibilities. This is still true; however, I wanted to provide some more practical insights to help you stand apart from the 99% and become a part of the top 1%.
The goal of this article is to provide a simple step-by-step guide on how to achieve Killer Success. This is the type of success that 100% of people dream of but only 1% actually does something about it. I know – you’re used to the 80/20 rule which is still true; however, I want us – YOU – to aim for the pinnacle of success. I want you to reside in the top 1% and I’m sure you do too.
Achieving Killer Success requires a great deal of discipline, commitment and determination. People who achieve at this level don’t know what it feels like to quit; they persevere even when all the odds are against them. They leave it all on the line in pursuit of a dream greater than themselves. They are completely purpose-driven and whatever they do, they put people first. This is how you achieve Killer Success.
Following are 7 steps to help guide you on your journey to
achieving your own killer success. Practicing these steps will undoubtedly
catapult your success to heights you have not yet imagined and then some.
Step #1: Start at the finish line
I know – it might sound a little strange to you. Why would anyone suggest that you start a race at the finish line?
This goes back to the doctrine of being a purpose-driven individual. When you know where you are going and how you intend to get there, most of your battle is already won. All you have to do now is execute the steps accordingly.
All people who achieve killer success understand how crucial it is to envision your goal before you take the first step towards it. Have you ever heard the term “keep your eye on the prize?” If you can already see yourself at the finish line as the first person through the tape – your focus will be more acute. You will be able to execute the necessary steps much more effectively because you know exactly where you are going and how you plan to get there.
This is sometimes referred to as goal-setting; it is the point in the process where you pinpoint exactly what it is you want to achieve and then see it accomplished in your mind’s eye before it actually happens. This is called creating the vision; it centers your actions on the ultimate goal thereby making your every move relevant and purposeful in achieving your end.
Imagine what you want the people you love and know to say at your funeral; imagine the legacy you wish to leave behind for your children. Unless you have a clear picture of that, how will you know how to live your life accordingly? The fact is that all people who achieve killer success begin every journey with the end in mind. This keeps you focused and on target.
Some people say, “I would love to change where I am”;
however, the truth is where you are is the present and that you cannot change
because it has already happened. What you can change is where you want to be BUT if you don’t have an idea where
that is, it will be hard to take the right actions to get there.
Step #2: Draw the correct map
If step #1 is where you create the vision then step #2 is where you map it out. This is called vision-mapping. Once your goal – the finish line – is crystallized in your mind, you have to draw the correct map.
This means that you have to figure out what resources, tools and people you need to help you achieve your goal. Drawing the correct map does not necessarily mean the fastest way to your destination – it means taking the right actions to achieve the results you desire. To achieve killer success the correct map must be grounded in universal and correct principles. When you begin to connect the dots, it must always be for the right reasons.
Since this is your map, there is no reason you can’t change it midstream as long as the change is grounded in correct principles. This means that on the road to your killer success, you must always put people first and things second; things you can replace – people you cannot.
The correct map also requires that you pay close attention to the signs on the road lest you get led astray. So often people start out on a road with one purpose only to find that by the end of the journey they’ve gone completely off course and the purpose they started with has been eroded. Can you imagine trying to get to Denver with a map of Boston? You’ll never make it.
Again, your map may change and the different stops you make
along the way may change; however, you must stay true to your purpose. Each
step you take must reflect your vision – your ultimate goal.
Step #3: Employ the 4 quadrants
Achieving killer success requires – demands that you go all or nothing. You must be in it all the way with every fiber of your being. This is what it means to employ the 4 quadrants of YOU. Your heart, mind, body and spirit must be as one on this course in order to achieve the results you desire.
If your heart is not in it then your reasons for pursuing this course will be muddled and blurred. Your vision will be unclear and you will easily go off track. Your heart is where the correct emotions and deep passion come from in order to fuel your actions. If it is not in the right place you’ve already set yourself up for failure.
Your mind is the source of creation and innovation; this is your source of creating the vision and connecting the dots. With your heart in the right place, your mind will unleash more creative and innovative power than you can imagine. If your mind is not in it, your plan will certainly go awry.
Of course without your body, you cannot take any action on the purpose your heart has given you or on the plan your mind has designed. You must be willing to act because without action, nothing will get done. Without action, your dreams will quickly become fantasies and your killer success will ultimately become killer mediocrity. Unless you get off your ass and in the game, no points will ever get on board for you.
Your spirit is what ties everything together; it is your essence – it is the energy that you release into the world. If your spirit is correctly grounded in your purpose, it will tell you that you receive what you believe. This is a universal truth and your spirit must be in line with universal and unchanging truths – principles. Without belief, there is no way you can achieve killer success. If you believe you can’t do it, you are absolutely and unequivocally right. In the same vein, if you believe that you can do it, you are absolutely and unequivocally right. This is the universal law of belief – you receive what you believe and nothing more or less. If your spirit is not in it, your vision will surely perish.
Individuals who achieve killer success understand that the 4
quadrants are imperative in order to achieve the results you desire. Work on
aligning these with your goals and your success will multiply a thousand fold
and more.
Step #4: Spread the wealth
Spreading the wealth speaks mainly to 2 universal principles – the law of gratitude and the law of giving.
The law of gratitude says, the more grateful you are for what you have, the more you get to be grateful for. With killer success comes a level of humility that makes you feel grateful for all that you have. In showing that appreciation you simply get more and more to appreciate and life becomes rich in every way. This is why you must give thanks every day for the people and the things that you have. If you do this genuinely, you will certainly receive more to give thanks for.
The law of giving says that whatever it is that you want more of in your life, you should give more of it away. Often, people misconstrue what this really means. The first thought many people have is “how can I give away money if I don’t have any to give away?” This is because they do not understand that money is just a byproduct of success – it is not success itself. When you understand this concept, you begin to realize that what you need to give away is not money per se BUT the wealth you have in your life.
For instance, you can give away love, knowledge, help, kindness, and a host of other things that cost you nothing at all. If you are creating and distributing value to others, the byproducts of your success will begin to show up in your life and if you want more of those byproducts then you can give those away too. The law of giving says that the more you give, the more you will receive. The caveat is that you should not give with the expectation of receiving something in return – that is disingenuous. You must always give with the intention to simply give; to create a distribute value to someone else.
When you do this genuinely, the universe will and must
respond to you in kind. You will receive more than you give in return. So don’t
hoard the wealth – spread it as much as you can. Do it willingly, happily and only
with good intentions and your killer success will certainly flourish.
Step #5: Pay it forward
In the same vein as spreading the wealth, killer success demands that you teach and mentor others in some way. Through the steps you take to achieve your killer success, there were resources, tools and most importantly people that helped you along the way. Paying it forward simply means that you endeavor to do the same for others. It means that you help others avoid the pitfalls that you may have suffered on your journey. It means that you share your experience with others so that they might learn from it.
When you give in this manner, it will help you avoid one of the major pitfalls of success – GREED. Paying it forward will serve as a constant reminder that you did not do this on your own and that you have others to thank. You honor that memory by providing the same or better opportunities for others. You help others find their voice and teach them how to draw correct maps.
There is not a single individual that I know of who has
achieved killer success that hasn’t made it a point to consistently pay it
forward. Some do it in BIG ways and others in small ways. Either way, they do
it consistently.
Step #6: Value Principles
Unless you place high value on principles, killer success will continue to escape you. In all that you do, you must adhere to correct principles. The universe acts without emotion; without judgment. It simply responds to natural laws no matter what.
Have you ever noticed that the more down you are the more the universe works to keep you down? Conversely, the more up you are the more the universe works to keep you up – these are natural laws at work. They act in the same fashion no matter what others do or say. They are unchanging and universal truths – principles.
Killer success demands that you value and adhere to correct
principles in order to achieve the results you desire. This is the secret that
all killer successful individuals understand. It is the fuel that drives and
maximizes the first five steps. Unless you value principles, you will
eventually run out of gas and your quest for killer success will fall flat.
Step #7: Do what you love
This step should probably go without saying; however, as I often say – better to be thorough. There is no point in practicing any of these steps if the 7th is not a part of the regimen. Doing what you love will help to further ensure that you say and do things for the right reasons as you pursue your goals; it ensures your commitment.
Of all the examples I can think of there isn’t a single person who has achieved killer success that isn’t doing what he or she loves to do. This being said, it is easy to misunderstand what it really means to do what you love.
For some individuals, they do not or refuse to see how doing what they love will bring them success because they don’t see it relation to money. The truth is that the moment you are doing anything for money, the love is not for what you’re doing – it’s for the money. This is a sure way to derail your killer success.
Remember the heart in the 4 quadrants? You have to love what you’re doing in order to find the true value in it and then endeavor to distribute that value. Believe me, the byproduct money will eventually show up and it will be more than you need. This again goes back to the natural laws – the universe will respond in kind.
Another way to view this is that while what you do for a living is not the thing you love or what you are passionate about – it must be the means to that end. In other words, you may choose to do one thing in order to create the space and the freedom for you to do another – to do the thing you love.
For instance, let’s say you love to travel – you are extremely passionate about it. You love visiting different parts of the world and learning about new cultures. Let’s also say, it’s not necessarily something you want to use as a vehicle for creating monetary success but you would rather keep it as your private dream. What do you do?
Well, it would be naïve to think that in this case simply doing what you love will bring you killer success. It may bring you success in your peace of mind and personal fulfillment; however, it won’t keep a roof over your head or put food in your belly. This is where the other 3 quadrants come in to save the day – this is why you need them all.
Your mind will create an innovative way for you to share your other gifts and talents with the world and your body will execute the plan that will give you the monetary success you need so you can pursue your true love at your leisure. Once your spirit is in line with correct principles as you do what you do – you will reap the right results.
Doing what you love then simply means that your actions are grounded in correct principles and that the map you follow ultimately leads you to what you love to do. It may be that your map is all about doing what you love or you have simply created a map that consistently takes you to what you love. Either way the goal is to do what you love.
When you begin doing what you love – you will never have to
work another day in your life. This is a beautiful thing.
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