The First Secret to (Real) Success

You’ve heard it all before (you think) –

Yeah, yeah, yeah we have all heard a hundred times about what it takes to be successful in our business – marketing, knowledge of the industry, a good database, networking, etc. But why is it that some professionals are doing all of these things and are still not successful?

And others are doing outstanding business despite the dismal market. Cases in point (from a recent issue of Mortgage Originator Magazine):

Daniel Lado, New York - 2007 Loan Volume: $326,333,000
Dan Milstein, Michigan - 2007 Loan Volume: $282,014,532
Trent Annicharico, California - 2007 Loan Volume: $265,228,581
Lance Dickson, Arizona - 2007 Loan Volume: $83,804,014
Rodney Anderson, Texas - 2007 Loan Volume: $165,353,280
Shawn Portmann, Washington - 2007 Loan Volume: $242,759,238
Lori Donnelly, Minnesota - 2007 Loan Volume: $71,841,312

So what haven’t you heard?

OK, what gives? Some people would call it luck. Personally I don’t believe in luck. I believe there are reasons for every single thing in the universe, and that we literally create every last little detail of our lives. Consciously, or not (unfortunately, for most of us it is not – hence the appearance of luck or lack thereof).

And why haven’t you heard this before?

We are on an evolving planet. And similar to when people here thought the world was flat, or that blood-letting was a way to cure disease, little by little we are growing and understanding who we are and the amazing power each and every one of us has at our disposal to literally change our realities.

The first question to ask yourself…

Before you take a look at the secrets of success, answer this question: what IS success to you? “Money, lots of money!” some would answer. But upon further reflection, most would say success means more than money. So what is success to you? How will you know when you are successful?

For me…

When I define success, money has little to do with it. Ironically, the way the universe works, is that by focusing on these things the money comes as a natural byproduct. So what is success to me?

Success to me is having fun at work. Success is being uber creative. Success is expanding my visions and dreams and continually reinventing myself and my company. Success is (I have to say this again because it is so important to me) having a great time when I’m working. Success is adding value to the lives of others as a result of what I do and how I do it. Success is being profitable. Success is exciting.

How do I know when I’m successful?

I feel excited. I feel prosperous. I feel creative. I feel joy. I have fun. I change, and my company changes too. Others tell me I am having an impact on them.

And what is the first secret to (real) success?

You can feel successful NOW. And that feeling will literally magnetize success to you!

If you notice how I know when I’m successful, it has little to do with what I receive. They are almost all feelings that are generated in ME. You don’t have to wait. Decide what success means to you (emotionally) and begin generating those feelings. It is the feelings that will bring the natural side benefits to success – the money, the resources, the connections, the opportunities, the inspirations to take action and the synchronicities.

So what do you DO?

Even though creating the success is about being, not doing, techniques help. Here are a few easy steps to begin creating a business you love:

1. Begin with writing down your intentions. What do you want? And how do you want it? Don’t be too specific regarding what, when, how or why. These are not goals, but intentions. A goal is something YOU have to do. An intention is an order for the UNIVERSE to fulfill. You help it manifest, but more by being a certain way than doing. For example:

I intend to triple my current sales easily, elegantly and joyously.

I intend my work days to be filled with ease, laughter, fun, creativity, joy connection and excitement.

I intend to draw people to me who could benefit from my expertise, my services and my products.

I intend to work fewer hours and make more money.

I intend to create ___ new prospects a week with ease and elegance for myself and my staff.

I intend to allow prosperity in its various forms (human resources, money, opportunities, etc) to flow into my life from all arenas, easily, elegantly and with harm to none.

2. EVERY day, spend some time reading over your intentions WITH FEELING. This step is critical. If you are reading through your intentions for your business just trying to get through the list as fast as you can you are actually doing nothing much to manifest your desires. If you read them with as much feeling as you can generate, allowing yourself to feel the “joy” when you say the word “joy”, and so on with every word, you will be literally strengthening that order you placed with the universe to make those intentions a reality.

You are a magnet. The attractor is your emotions (generated by thoughts). The more positive thought and emotion you can connect with your desires, the faster your reality will change. Of course, every negative emotion you feel around your business will slow down that process. So watch what you think about and how you feel about your success, your future, and the ease and fun with which it could play out.

3. Keep track of what happens in your world. You will begin to see your business world changing. A few new prospects, a really fun meeting with that referral source, a friend or college who lands a huge deal. These are all signs that you are getting closer. At the end of each day, write down what has happened that would indicate success – even the tiniest hint of success (finding a penny on the sidewalk tiny). By doing this one little thing, you will take several GIANT steps towards your goal:

a. You are giving your subconscious mind the message that you are serious about receiving your intentions. How many times have you said you wanted something and then dropped it? Your subconscious needs to be re-trained that you DO intend to receive, are WILLING to receive and EXPECT to receive. This exercise will accomplish that with ease.

b. You are strengthening your intentions. With every success you strengthen the belief you can have what you want, that you will get what you want, and that it is actually happening. Your success journal can become a powerful energy to add more power to your intentions, simply be reading it before you read the intentions.

c. You are staying conscious. Paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, and your reality in general takes practice. Being alert as to what is happening around you that may be a very personal sign for you as to whether you are sending out energy in alignment with your desires forces you to pay attention. And if you are paying attention to your reality, you are likely paying attention to your thoughts and feelings around this success too, keeping them more positive, which will in turn create more success.

Meanwhile…

Remember the point of your job and your life – to enjoy it. Choose to enjoy every minute of every day. Narrow your focus down to the immediate task at hand… sitting comfortably in your chair, soft music in the background, warm sunlight on your shoulder, doing the best job you can do on that little bit of paperwork, or filing, or client call. Add love and joy to all you do. Success isn’t the point, it is the byproduct. Joy is the point. Be joy.

PS

I would love to hear from you about your successes and your challenges. If you would like to learn about the other secrets to real success, check the In Touch Today blog regularly. I will be posting more secrets soon.