It’s a lot easier to dabble with success than really go for it. This is because if we haven’t yet achieved it, it’s hard for us to get our heads around what success will be like.
The alternative is much easier – getting our heads around failure. Thinking about all the reasons a new venture will fail takes the pressure off having to confront the fact that our current plan – as we’ve developed it – really stinks, and is a far cry from what it needs to be. The result: We produce sub-par work that is predicated on the expectation of rejection.
Success starts with first creating a vision for it. Are you writing a book? Craft a copy of your cover design, then purchase a shadow box or frame and display it in a place that is readily visible to you every day. Developing a new product? Once you’ve got a prototype, bring it to the marketplace where you’d like to sell it and place it on the shelf and stare at it for a minute or two (maybe when the stocking clerk isn’t looking). Repeat this as needed, and to keep it going, create a makeshift shelf of your own where you can look at it constantly.
Preparing for success in advance sets a tone for doing whatever you need to do to propel yourself forward toward whatever it is you want to achieve.
Begin the pursuit of success by cheerleading yourself and you’ll notice, in due time, that you’ve kissed failure goodbye.
