Success doesn’t just happen. We often admire achievers who seem to perform in the flow and achieve great things almost efforletlessly. Or so we think.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi says creativity is a central source of meaning in our lives. A leading researcher in positive psychology, he has devoted his life to studying what makes people truly happy: “When we are involved in [creativity], we feel that we are living more fully than during the rest of life.” He developed the concept of “flow” – the creative moment when a person is completely involved in an activity for its own sake.
According to Professor Csikszentmihalyi a person usually spends ten yearss refining his skills, sometimes unknowingly in unrelated fields, yet he still has refined them.
What attitudes keep a person refining, progressing, achieving and moving toward that state of physical, spiritual and emotional unity of action and enhanced achievement called ‘flow.’
1. Consistent Action. The garment of success is held together by the threads of habit. What productive, success focused goals do you follow daily? Do you finish what you start? Are you moving toward your target daily?
2. Beyond the comfort zone. Most people live in a delusion about what feels comfortable. How often have you put off a workout because you didn’t feel like it and felt better for the exercise after you did it? The chances are that you felt uncomfortable to begin with and deceived yourself into thinking relaxing was the best choice. Rather than feeling truly relaxed you buried the nagging voice telling you to get up and train.
Successful people find refreshment in achieving their long term outcome. Rather than back away from challenges seek out solutions. Be solutions oriented, adapt well and build upon your successes and failures. Limitations are not an excuse but a stepping stone from which to grow and develop.
3. Talent and Commitment. There are plenty of unsuccessful talents in the world. Combining your talents and commitment together is what will succeed. With enthusiastic commitment any talent can be learned.
4. Passion and Drive. Successful people ooze infectious motivation passion and enthusiasm. If you are passionate you will draw people to you who will help you succeed.
5. Creativity and vision. Successful people create their vision and then work to make it a reality. Clearly define your goals. Clarity is power. A successful vision is not vague, it is clear and focused.
6. Action. Successful people act while others talk and plan. They align efforts with their goals. They do they high value actions first, and employ others to do what will bring them the least rerun on their effort. They focus on return for investment of energy.
7. Decide! Rather than procrastinate or over analyze life, they decide what they want and act on it. They don’t analyze and wait for the world to change for them, they decide what they want and bend heaven and earth to make their reality.
8. A reason to succeed. They know their reason ‘why?’ They have a reason big enough to change their world and then focus on what they can change in their life. Once they know what they can do, they act quickly and efficiently to achieve it. By focusing on what they can change, they are constantly elevating their reality and building a better platform from which to grow.
Thrive in the energy of daily successes they are constantly being refilled with energy.
9. Practical, logical and emotionally in touch. Successful people don’t bury their feelings in achievement or ignore those things that cause distress. Rather, they are so focused on their goal that they can clearly think of solutions when confronted by challenges. Like a guided missile system they are focused on target and will adjust and recalibrate their actions, responding to the feedback of life.
Plan, research and efficiently use your time and assets for maximum return.
10. Control the inner voice. Keep control of your inner world and the outer reality will follow your lead. Rather than complain and be a victim take positive control of how you feel and grow from a position of power.
