One way to find out the keys to long term success is to study successful people. The easiest way for me to accomplish this is by studying the books that successful people write because it reveals what it is that they do and how they think. This reveals how they accomplish so much more in a shorter period of time than the average person.
There was a study conducted by Dr. Edward Banfield in 1970 and his goal was to find out why some people become financially secure during their lifetime. He discovered that the major reason for success was their particular attitude of mind or as he put it, a “long time perspective.” He discovered that people who were the most successful in their life and the most likely to achieve financial security were those who took their future into perspective with every decision they made today. And it was this attitude of mind that made them more likely to achieve a high level of success in their career and business.
For example, let’s take a look at a doctor’s career. A doctor must invest many years in terms of hard work and study before they are given the right to practice medicine. They have to graduate from college and then earn the right for an internship, residency and then practical training. This could take up to 12 years before they start earning a decent living and become respected in their particular field of medicine. This is what it means to have a long term perspective.
Whenever you set priorities you must consider the potential long term impact on your life. For example, let’s consider the Law of Sacrifice. This law states you must give something up of a lower value to gain something of a higher value. If you come home from a days work and choose to upgrade your skills to advance your career instead of watching the TV, then you are considering the long term impact on your future, which will greatly benefit you. Every sacrifice that is made today will be rewarded with compound interest to expand your future.
A clear quality of any high performing person is their ability to be “action oriented”.
Take Time to Think and Plan
One characteristic that automatically goes along with “action oriented” people is their ability to take the necessary time to think, plan and set priorities. Their approach towards their goals and objectives is quick and strong. The massive amounts of work they go through takes about the same time an average person will take who spends time socializing, wasting time and working on low priority tasks. This allows them to work steadily, smoothly and continuously.
Getting into “Flow”
There is a mental state called “flow”. This is where highly successful people work on high value tasks at a continuous level of activity. To continue to be successful they must get themselves into this state far more often then the average person. This mental state we call “flow” is considered to be the top human state of performance and productivity. Once you are in this state you feel elated, clear, happy and energetic. And everything you do will seem effortless to you.
How You Can Trigger The “Flow” State
You can trigger this “Flow” state by developing a “sense of urgency.” This “sense of urgency” comes from an inner drive and desire to get on with the desired task quickly so you can achieve it faster. This inner drive is caused by an impatience that motivates you to get going and to keep going.
Create a “Preconceived Notion for Action”
Now once you develop this deep-rooted sense of urgency, you actually develop a “preconceived notion for action.” Instead of talking continually about what you are going to do, you actually take consistent action. You begin to focus on specific steps you can take immediately and by employing this technique you concentrate on the things you can do immediately to achieve the goals you desire.
Exercises to Develop this “Sense of Urgency”
Below are a couple of things you can implement immediately to put these ideas into action:
- Select a major task facing you and begin immediately to start tackling it. Do not hesitate. Just move fast.
- Begin immediately by doing this every morning, first thing, until it becomes a habit.
