Given the choice, most of us prefer to “be successful,” but many people have no interest in doing what it takes to get there. This is not about that person. This advice is for the person who has enough desire to make a “wish” into a reality but might not know how to spend that effort or energy.
Success certainly requires more than a simple 5 minute video (This one is even shorter than that!), but this advice can help many of us from “spinning our wheels.”
Jack Canfield, the author/coordinator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series, offers several ways to improve our success in life.
If you’d rather watch it on YouTube, here is the link:
In this video, he opens with the claim, “The most successful people in the world did not arrive there by accident…(They’re) in that position for a specific reason.”
So what are some of those reasons? Canfield suggests that the difference lies within their habits.
2. Successful People Set Goals
3. Successful People Go the Extra Mile
4. Successful People Take Action
5. Successful People Show Appreciation
Canfield goes into each of these steps in more detail. For the most part, he worded things better than I did. I’ll offer add-on analysis in the end, but for this one, I’m largely just quoting him.
Let’s take a closer look at each of his five (5) success steps:
1. Successful People Believe in Themselves
Jack begins with an incredibly important point. He tells us, “…You have to believe that you are capable of making it happen…and believing in yourself is a choice.”
Canfield said that of nearly all I interviewed, they said some variation of, “I was not the most gifted. I was not the most talented person in my field, but I chose to believe anything was possible.”
“…I studied, and I practiced…I worked harder than the others, and that’s how I got to where I am.”
“Successful people assume in favor of themselves and act as if achieving their goals is completely possible.”
See Also: Key to Success: What award do you win?
2. Successful People Set Goals
“Successful people know that if they give a goal to their subconscious mind, it will work night and day to achieve it. They set high goals that are attainable that are both realistic and measurable…they make an effort to work toward those goals every single day.”
Keys to Setting Goals
--Set ‘em High
--Make ‘em Attainable
--Make sure you can Measure Your Progress
3. Successful People Go the Extra Mile
Many people only do what is required, and if they can get away with it, many of those people will try to do even less than that. They might be wise in the moment, but the most successful people understand that the value in doing more comes later. They tend to do more than the other person expects; therefore, they make a lasting impact.
Canfield shared, “(Successful people) give the people around them…more than is expected, and in return they’re handsomely rewarded with loyalty, referrals, opportunity, and money…They don’t focus on the ‘what’s in it for me’ policy. They don’t put stock in whether something is fair or whether they’ll be compensated or recognized for that more effort. Instead, they focus on exceeding people’s expectations, paying extra attention to the details…providing quality work above everything else.”
See Also: Over-Delivering: Why It’s So Hard
4. Successful People Take Action
This point is one of the most often discussed yet least often applied. It’s also one of the most critical for success.
Canfield explains, “Successful people know that the world does not pay you for what you know. (It pays) you for what you do. They make a point to create a vision, set goals, break them down into small steps, visualize and affirm their success, believe in themselves, and then they go out there and go for it. They take action. They are keenly aware that nothing happens until they take action. When you take action, you inevitably carry you to success. You begin to learn things from your experience that cannot be learned simply by listening to others or by reading books…You begin to attract others who will support you and encourage you.”
Key Steps Successful People Take
--Create a Vision
--Set Goals
--Break Down Tasks to Get Goals into Smaller, Attainable Steps
--Visualize the End Result (Success)
--Believe in Themselves
--Take Action
5. Successful People Show Appreciation
Canfield reminds us that people are not things. They need to know from us that we truly appreciate them. Of course, it helps if we really do appreciate them. The most successful people get this.
Canfield describes this principle, “Successful people know that when they show appreciation to the people in their lives…they not only make those people feel better, they (feel better and feel more successful)…they ARE more successful…People are more likely to help you achieve your goals if they believe that you appreciate their efforts.”
Did you catch that last part? People are “more likely to help you” when they believe you truly appreciate them and what they’re doing for you.
Canfield mentions a couple of other “quotable” points:
“Appreciation costs nothing.”
“No one has ever complained about being over-appreciated.”
Do you disagree?
See Also: Is your brand known for its gratitude?
Who is Jack Canfield?
According to his website, Jack Canfield is the originator of Chicken Soup for the Soul series, of which there are more than 500 million copies worldwide. He is one of America’s best known leading experts in creating peak performance for entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, managers, sales professionals, corporate employees, and educators. He has studied and reported on what makes successful people different. He also has a more recent best-seller, The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. He holds the Guinness Book World Record for having seven books simultaneously on the New York Times Bestseller List. He is also the founder of the Transformational Leadership Council. Adding to his Hall of Fame resume…literally…He has been inducted into the National Speakers Association Speakers Hall of Fame.
My Takeaways
Jack Canfield said a lot in a short video. He offers a good reminder that action trumps many other things. He also does an awesome job of subtly displaying confidence by the way he presents throughout this video. He assumes a position of authority, which admittedly is a whole lot easier when you’re as accomplished as he is, but what are the chances that the bulk of his confidence arrived only AFTER he received his accolades?
He also did an amazing job of outlining the keys to setting goals. Many speakers tell you to make goals. Some of them even say “make it specific,” which is good advice, but for the most part, that piece of advice only seems to help the people who already understand the concept. Canfield offered a great breakdown of steps to take to go from setting a goal to taking action so you can achieve that goal, but he also stresses that while a goal should be set high, it should also be within reach. (See #4 and #2.)
Which of these are you already doing? Can you improve at all?
Are there any of these you’re not doing at all?
Even the most successful people are looking for ways to improve… all of the time. Why not you, too?
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