Success is personal. When you are successful with something, you are pleased with the outcome. You may even be thrilled with the results. It can be something that doesn't take a lot of your time, such as quickly getting a good meal together or something that takes many years, such as completing a graduate degree program.
Principles are guidelines or tools to help you achieve something that is important. They simplify a lot of incoming data so that you do not get overwhelmed. As you continue reading, remember that all principles can have exceptions.
What is something you want to be successful at in your life? It may be in your personal life as a spouse or parent or in your career or work.
Alexandria Brown has a successful marketing business. She credits her success to the following 3 principles:
1. You are the average of the five people you choose to be with the most.
2. Your habits create your future.
3. Your environment needs to be supportive.
The first principle comes from Jim Rohn, whom some call the father of personal development and America's foremost business philosopher. This principle picks up on the old saying "birds of a feather flock together".
What does this principle mean? You will be similar to the people you tend to hang around in beliefs, values, and bank account balance. If you are trying to be successful in a new endeavor, make an effort to be with others who are also successful in that particular area.
The second principle is mentioned by many personal development or self-improvement experts including Brian Tracy. "Your habits create your future" means that daily habits create long-term results. Another way of saying this is that your habits today will determine your outcomes tomorrow. This picks up on the old saying, "you reap what you sow". If you want to be physically healthy, you have to have healthy physical habits.
The third principle emphasizes the need to have an environment that supports your goals. It has been pointed out by personal development experts that if you have an aquarium with a sick fish, you treat the water not the fish. There are times when it is crucial to be in an environment that supports you at the level you want to be at ' not at the level you are at now. Depending on your situation, you may find support from family, friends, a mentor, a coach, or a mastermind group.
Environment can be thought of as:
- Physical - Are you happy with you office and home? What are some little touches you can add to enhance your physical environment so that it is more supportive?
- Emotional - Are you getting the support you need from significant people in your life? Have you asked for it?
- Intellectual - Do you stimulate yourself with new ideas and opportunities to learn new things?
Following these three principles of success will keep you steadily moving forward:
1. Who are the five people you choose to be with?
2. What new habits can you start today?
3. What new ideas do you want to check out this week?