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April 2001
"The Price Of Success" Success carries a price. You
must define what it means to you, before you can tally the
costs.
A Washington (state) reporter called us and requested a telephone interview. His basic question was "What do you think a business person has to do, to be successful?"
What follows is a re-cap of that interview.
My immediate answer was that the individual first had to specifically define what success meant to them, secondly, had to devise a specific plan of action that would lead to that success and thirdly, had to honestly decide if they would consistently do the actions required.
The reporter asked me to elaborate and I continued with these thoughts.
Defining your own individual success has to be specific. Having only a general idea for success is like wandering in a thick fog. There is no sense of direction, it is very easy to become lost and even easier to waste time.
By focusing on specific facts, ideas and desires, a distant beacon light will develop and shine brightly enough to provide direction and dispel the fog enough to discern the possible paths to it. Your first success goal (there will be many more) has now been established.
A success goal without a specific action plan is only a daydream. The action plan must tell you what, when, where and how you must do the most important daily activities to advance you towards your goals.
Being able to clearly articulate their goals and plans are two very common denominators of highly successful people, regardless of profession.
The third element of success just simply acknowledges our humanness. Will you pay the price, for the success you think you want? It is a brutal truth, but if you will not pay the price to reach your goals, you would be better off, selecting different ones.
One of the most profound statements about success I ever read asked one question. "What are you willing to give up for success?"
Every single action a person takes to reach their goals has a price tag. A person is much better off adding up the costs ahead of time to decide if they will pay the "sticker price."
A little later, I closed the interview with a quote from one of my favorite speakers, Brian Tracy: "The price of success in America requires the bill to be paid in advance." I added to this quote with one of my own. "The price is what it is: not what you want it to be.
I close my offering to readers of this article with a question. How passionate are you about what you want to do? Passionate commitment only stems from crystal clarity of thought. Developing a committed focus will eventually bring you to your goals, while others of equal ability, but less passion, fail.