As I move down the path of life… learning and re-learning what it takes to be successful… at any endeavor… I have stumbled into a few Aha! moments along the way that we may not immediately realize have a lot to do with our being successful.
Like the 5 bottom steps to a stair case… you don’t really see them, because you have your eyes, and mind, set on “onward and upward” towards your goals… or your bedroom door cuz’ you’re dead dog tired.
Some people fail to appreciate those first 5 steps… and try to take two at a time, sometimes missing a beat, and a step… and skinning their shin, or chipping a tooth.
If some, or all, seem obvious to you… that’s the point. But when you’re starting a new endeavor we may think we have to re-invent the staircase.
Here for your pondering are The Bottom 5 Steps that Create a Foundation for Success…
- Show Up! Let that sink in for a minute. If you never went to work, you’d never collect your check. I’ve had a new experience recently. Seeing grown men work one shift, or in one case… 1/2 shift… and never showing up again… either the next day, or after 1st break. Weird. You gotta show up!
- Be specific with what you are after. Being vague keeps you looking and looking. Recently I had a breakthrough with my freelance writing. I’ve been searching for a niche by looking into open job boards. There are lots of jobs on there, but nothing tuggin’ at my bobber… then I took a page out of my wife’s shopping playbook… when she looks for something online she just types in a very specific .com address. For example she wanted a fireplace, so she typed in Fireplaces.com… lo and behold we are now the proud new owners of an electric fireplace with false flames. So I started being specific with a freelance search looking for… write for us outdoors… lo and behold I found Outdoorhub.com, and they work with freelance writers. Be specific with what you want to do.
- Now, once you are specific about your “thing” you gotta be where that “thing” is. For example if you want to hunt Grouse in Wisconsin, you would do well to start somewhere near Park Falls, WI… The Grouse Capital of the World! You won’t find grouse out on Lake Michigan. Be where the action is!
- Once you know the what, and the where, you’ll need to figure out the “how.” “How” will you acquire a grouse? A degree? A new car, or a side hustle that will garner you an extra $1000.00 a month? You will need some kind of equipment. The right equipment. I’m fond of saying, “If you want to play baseball, don’t show up in hockey gear.” Do you know what your proper equipment needs to be?
- Then, the most obvious step, but what caused the biggest Aha! moment for me, is having the right mind set. Of course if you’re chasing grouse you need to be thinking about grouse, if writing then writing, if side hustling then about that side hustle… but the key mind set I discovered is that of having a “relaxed focus” on the goal… your focus is still with intent, like a cat watching a bird feeder… but you can’t be “stressed focused.” I’ve found if you are tensed up while chasing your goal, or that grouse, your focus really isn’t focused… the tension allows your mind to wander and worry… about everything other than your goal. Hitting the first four steps allows you to be prepared for that fifth step, allowing you to be prepared, relaxed, and focused on your endeavor.
Of course like a real set of steps leading “onward and upward” our Bottom 5 Steps have underlying details that can only be uncovered with a bit of work and understanding… but for this article… you only need to know what a step is… what it is for… and… how to take one at a time.
Leave a comment about your own successful bottom steps.
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