Seven Principles For a Lifetime of Achievement (as a Leader)

Let’s synthesize the amazing expertise we’ve come across from Randy Gage, Dave Wheeler, and Nick Thacker. In closing, I’d like to leave you with seven main points as you start with one thing:

1. Get to know yourself better by reflecting and meditating. What are you good at? What’s an area where you have a lot of interest? Don’t be afraid to follow your passion, even if someone told you not to do it. This is YOUR choice, not someone else’s.
2. Embrace self-doubt. Think of doubt as a signpost telling you which direction to choose. We all have multiple things we are good at. Just start with one thing and work your way forward from there. Even see if there is a way to combine multiple passions into one activity (for example, someone who likes traveling and writing could become a travel writer). Worst case scenario, you try something and it turns out to not be a subject you want to be an expert in. No big deal: now you have further insight into your psyche, and you can decide to switch to something else that is more to your liking.
3. Question the negativity. At one point or another, everyone growing a business runs into struggles. Don’t let those negative thoughts take you over. Look at the evidence. Your doubts are traitors, and oftentimes not the truth. Our minds have a way of looking at the worst possible outcomes instead of focusing on the silver lining. Looking at the facts helps you to see that a lot of your negativity does not have basis in reality. This is the truth, even if you can’t see it while the doubts are swirling around in your head.
4. Give yourself a pep talk. Believe it or not, successful people talk to themselves. Remind yourself of your great qualities. Make a list of five things you’ve achieved that you’re really proud of. When you are nervous or anxious about something coming up, remind yourself of your successes and wins from the past. Get your mind off of the possibility of something bad happening. Instead, recall peak performances and moments of happiness from your past.
5. Building off of point number four, take the time to visualize your desired outcome. Visualize yourself as a person who is strong, confident, and decisive. Imagine the feelings of pride, happiness, and personal accomplishment you’ll have once you focus your efforts on a single goal and finish it to completion. Affirm your future reality as if it has already occurred in the present moment. I used to think visualization was not worth my time, but when situations in real life started to unfold as I visualized them I connected the link to the power of this practice. Please know visualization doesn’t guarantee an outcome, but it does increase the likelihood of it happening.
6. Remember that everyone who is now a big-time expert was once a beginner. Have fun with the process. Make time for solitude in your daily schedule. Trust yourself. Yes, the point of this chapter is to get you to become an expert in something you care about, but remember that you are in complete control of your life. And no matter what anyone else thinks, says, or does, you are always free to change direction if that’s what you feel is in your best interest. Just make sure you are changing direction so that you can focus on one thing, and not bouncing around from one thing to the next.
7. Make a decision. I know, as well as anyone on this planet, how hard this one can be. I know what it’s like to be caught in indecision. To this day, I wonder if I would have been better off positioning myself as a budget travel expert instead of a leadership expert, given my massive and extensive travels across the world. But authentic leadership is my ultimate purpose and passion, so that’s my focus. And I still travel all the time on weekends and holidays, so it’s not like I’ve stopped traveling. I share this to help you with your own process.

Onwards and Upwards

If you’ve made it this far in this book, you are in the elite few. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Most people don’t make it this far in the books they buy. Now, more than halfway through the book, you’re going to love who we hear from next.

Questions for Reflection

1. What one thing do you want to do the most? What one thing lights you on fire? What problem in society do you feel you could help with the most?
2. What is a topic or body of knowledge you’ve been wanting to master? What are some of the best books in this field you could buy, or borrow from the local library, in the near future?
3. What are ways you could take action to test your ideas, achieve better clarity, and come to a decision?

This post is the end of chapter 6 of the award-winning book Reach Your Mountaintop.