Secret of Success

“Success doesn’t come to you – you go to it.”
– Marva Collins (Tweet)

The word “secret” is batted around a lot – and that’s why I was a little disturbed to note that I’ve recently received a lot of people asking for the “secret of success.”

Is there a secret to success? Is there a fundamental principle that can explain the success of Michael Jordan, Bill Gates and everyone in between?

That’s a very difficult question. After thinking long and hard about it, I may not have the answer – but I do have some insight that may just open your eyes.

What’s a Secret? Let’s Redefine It

A secret is defined as:

“Not open or public; kept private or not revealed”

After looking over the things I’ve done that have led to success, I have to confess – none of them meet the definition of a “secret.”

I’ve done some things that were uncommon
And I’ve learned some lessons that were perhaps unusual
But none that I would call secret

So, I’ve decided I’m going to change the definition.

For the rest of this discussion, let’s agree to define a secret to be:

“An effective tool that delivers results, but that most people don’t use.”

Now with that definition, I DO have quite a few “secrets” of success, but if I had to pick just one, it would be this:

The Only Consistent Secret Of Success

The secret of success is to stop looking for so-called secrets, silver bullets, panaceas, or magical solutions to your problems. Instead systematically try new things (including things that have worked for others) to figure out what works for you. Once you figure out what works for you, excel in that specific area and repeat systematically trying new things.

After studying what I’ve done (as well as what other people have done) to be successful, it’s clear that there are a few different factors that will influence your level of success. These include:

Timing
Luck
Connections
Opportunity
Education
Natural Skill/Ability

However, the one secret is that those who are successful have this habit of stretching their abilities by trying different things, and when they find something that works for them, they focus their efforts on it so that it provides the highest return.

How To Apply This Secret of Success

So now there are two directions you can go with this knowledge:

If you already have found something that you are successful at and were born to do…

Continue to push forward in that arena.
Stop holding yourself back
Take small, manageable risks
Push the boundaries of what you are capable of
Throw yourself into it as fully as you can

If you currently are not seeing the success you expect…

Try new things to see what works
Try things that you’ve always wanted to do, and see what happens
Try thing that you’re afraid of
Try things that you might even disagree with (e.g., “That’s such a stupid idea.”)
Repeat until you discover what you are good at and were born to do

A Harsh Truth – Most People Won’t Do Anything

Most people will accomplish far less than they are capable of, but it won’t be for lack of education, lack of opportunity, or lack of talent.

It will be for lack of recognizing their education, their talents, their unique gives
And it will be for lack of proactively searching for and taking advantage of opportunities that are out there.

And the reason for this? It’s because they aren’t following this one fundamental “secret” of success.

Allow me to summarize…

The Secret of Success – Simplified

The fundamental secret of success is:

Successful people do, while unsuccessful people don’t. (Tweet)

Successful people…

DO try new things
DO “do” more of the old things that are already working
DO search out opportunities
DO stretch outside your comfort zone

Get out there and do something. Otherwise, you’ll just sit around and don’t. (Tweet)

Spread the word. Would you do me a favor? If this has woken up something inside you, inspired you – or just made you think, why not share it on Facebook, Twitter, or via good old-fashioned email with someone who needs to hear this message?

Enjoy this article? You should Tweet This and share it with your friends, or feel free to share it however you like using this shortened link: http://j.mp/no-secrets

Richard St. John’s 8 Secrets of Success – TED Talk

Announcement – Big Things Coming December 16

How would it feel to finally have time to do the things you love, by being more effective and productively getting your work done fast? If that sounds like something you’d enjoy, then you’re going to be thrilled with the killer guide I’m releasing on Thursday.

I’ve pulled together all my best techniques and strategies into one cohesive, organized workshop that will allow you to quickly, strategically pinpoint exactly where you are currently getting the best results – and where you can make small changes to get massive improvements. These improvement will help you quickly be more effective, and free up more time to do the things you love.

I’ll tell you all about it on Thursday, but the main thing you should know is to celebrate the release, I’m going to massive reduce the price until December 23rd. So if you want to get a copy, you should come back here on December 16th at 9 a.m. EST, because that’s not all …

Christmas Gifts For The First Week

As a thank you to you for all your support over the years, anyone who picks up a copy before December 23rd will not only get a massive discount, but you’ll also receive three copies: a copy for yourself – and two copies of the workshop you can give away as a gift. All I ask is you give it to someone who could really use it.

As a bonus, the first 50 people who take action will get something a little extra: I’ll record two customized video messages (one for each of your gift recipients) and you can tell me what you’d like me to say!

Now I have no clue how quickly the first 50 are going to move – thousands of people visit this website every day, but I doubt we’ll see 50 copies picked up for at least an hour or two.

I may actually end up doing more if I can handle it, but I’ll only commit to the first 50 for now!

So mark it on your calendar – big things coming December 16th at 9 a.m. EST.

Don’t miss out – if you want to start the New Year in control of your life, and in control of your time, you’ll want to take action and pick up a copy right away.