Two More Secrets to Success

“You are the designer of your destiny; you are the author of your story.”

 Lisa Nichols

“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”

Paulo Coelho – The Alchemist

Today has been a good day; in fact, it’s been a great day.  I went to the Speak and Write to Make Millions conference featuring Lisa Nichols.  Lisa was featured prominently in the book and video, The Secret and has her own book, No Matter What.  She is a dynamic speaker and so were the other speakers who spoke with her.  I felt inspired, but I also felt overwhelmed because I am not in the place where Lisa or the other speakers are.  I could be and I should be, but I’m not.  I knew I needed someone who is “ten steps ahead of me” to show me what I was and wasn’t doing that was preventing me from reaching my goals.

Today, the last day of the conference, I spoke to Allyson, one of the featured speakers.  I told her my story and she listened patiently (though justly admonishing me to stay on point).  When I finished, she told me to go with her.  She signed me up for a program to help me with goals.  I won’t say how kind she was, with regard to the price she gave me, but it was amazing!  Then she handed me to another staff person, Margaret, and she offered me even more.  I more than got what I needed.

Now why did this happen?  The short answer is, “the grace of God.”  The longer answer is a two-part answer.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.     <!--[endif]-->I was doing what I was supposed to be doing; and

<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.     <!--[endif]-->I said what I wanted.

First, I was doing what I was supposed to be doing.  How do I know?  Because when I look at my 3x5 cards I see that one of them says, “I bless as many people as possible with my writing, speaking and teaching.”  Being at a conference that promised to help me develop those skills fit within that agenda.   Now it’s possible, because I have seven 3x5 cards, each with a different goal written on them, that I could have been working on one of the other goals, but this was the one where the opportunity presented itself.

Interestingly, I almost didn’t go today.  I knew I was only going to be there for a couple of hours and I didn’t think I would get much out of it in only two hours.  But then I remembered Brian Tracy’s story about the dentist from San Diego who went to a conference in Hong Kong.  From one class he learned something that gave him national prominence as a dentist and allowed him to retire within a few years.  So with that story in my head, I decided to go hoping I would get at least one good idea. 

I’ve mentioned my 3x5 cards and how I can use any of them at any time to see if I’m on Purpose.  This is why I have more than one.  I can’t pursue the same goal every moment, but I can pursue any one of a number of goals every moment.   This reduces my stress level in two ways.  I can focus on what I’m supposed to be doing and I can turn away from things that I don’t need to be doing.  This saves me a lot of time.   Having written goals is one of the reasons I rarely watch TV; watching TV doesn’t align with my goals.  But being at a conference that would help me prosper while achieving my goals, did align with my Purpose, so the decision wasn’t hard.  I also knew I wanted to talk to Allyson, so I had to go. 

Talking to Allyson was the second part of the equation.  I told her what I needed.  Now I am fortunate that she is a decision maker who could help me in the way she did.  But the principle applies no matter who I am talking to.  I need to tell people what I want or need.

Now this does not give me a license to tell everyone my troubles.   It also doesn’t mean that I am allowed to babble on.  Lisa gave us the concept of the Super Networking Accelerated Pace (S.N.A.P.), a 22-second-long statement that is “clear, concise, powerful, and quick” and tells people what I offer, what I need or want and what the benefits are for the listener.   I did not S.N.A.P. with Allyson.  As I said, she had to keep me on topic.  But I was still able to tell her what I needed.  More accurately, she knew what I needed.  I “didn’t even know what I didn’t know,” as Lisa said this weekend.

Had I not been there and had I not asked for what I needed, I would have missed this opportunity.   Those are two secrets to success.  Another secret, one I will have to implement soon to get the most out of these programs, is to have a bias for action.  Lisa said, “Action is the antidote for despair.”

I would add, disagreeing with Woody Allen, “Ninety per cent of success is not showing up, but buckling down.”

I’ve been given an amazing opportunity.  Now it is time to Get Started and to Keep Going.