Ok, it might sound a little “over the top” – but once you understand the basic psychology of success, you will be more likely to achieve it.
Here are the basic elements of the psychology of successful people:
1. The right mindset
The right mindset for achievement is this: “What one (wo-)man can do, another one can, too. And I’ll do whatever it takes to do it”.
On the one hand, it means that you believe you are trying to achieve something that others have already achieved (albeit by different means) and that it CAN be done.
On the other hand, it means that you are willing to not only do the work but also to become the person you need to be in order to achieve your goals. It might mean you have to learn new skills along the way, or it might mean that you shift your approach or focus along your journey. But whatever it takes to accomplish it, you are willing to do it – without any preconceived ideas.
2. The psychology of success runs in a cycle – which can go wrong
When you start out, you have a measure of belief in the outcome of your efforts. You start off by doing something small, which you believe you can do. Let’s say you want to start a blog and build it to 1,000 visitors per month.
By the time you get there, not only have you achieved your first goal, but you have also strengthened your belief in what you are capable of.
Next, you set yourself a new goal: Let’s say you aim for 100 visitors per day, and 5 new subscribers per day. Due to your present success, you firmly believe that you will be able to reach the next goal. Your self-confidence means that you will work to grow into the person who can attract 100 visitors per day. And you will work on your optin offer and conversion rate until you get to those 5 subscribers per day.
Your belief will influence the effort you put into it – and the stronger your belief in your own abilities, the more likely you will be to achieve those goals successfully.
Every time you reach one goal, it strengthens your self-belief.
It can, however, also go the other way. If you fail, you lose some of that self-belief, which means you are less likely to reach a similar goal if you try again. And if you fail at THAT one…
It quickly becomes a downward spiral.
As such, be careful of the goals you set. Take smaller steps at the start, and set intermediate goals that are logically within your reach. After any failure, tale smaller steps until you have recovered your self-belief.
3. Success becomes a habit
As you continue to work on your goals, and you continue to achieve them, two things happen: Firstly, doing the daily tasks becomes less of an effort, simply because you know where those tasks will lead. Secondly, by setting realistic targets, and doing what you have to do in order to achieve them, achieving your goals becomes a habit.
Just like people develop bad habits, they can develop good habits. The ideal is to aim for a space where you set realistic but challenging goals, and then simply do whatever you have to in order to achieve them. Sometimes it might mean working harder, and sometimes it might mean working smarter or learning something new.
But if you do it right, you will learn from your failures and make your smaller successes a habit. Once you do, your ultimate goal is well within reach, and success becomes not only the result of habit, but it does – in essence – become a habit in itself.
4. Sensibility
Ignorance and arrogance have been the downfall of countless entrepreneurs. Yes, you need to have the right mindset. But if you really believe that you will be able to make one million in one year from now without any money to start with, and no special skills…
Who are you kidding?
Yes, if you choose your niche well, and you work hard and smart, you could be at a six-figure income after two years – if you are willing to grow into the person who generates it. But one million…
Theoretically, it might be possible, but it doesn’t happen often.
So – if you aren’t able to be objective, you are likely to have a hard time achieving your goals.
5. Curiosity
Learn everything you can about your business and the tools you need for it. If you do, three things happen: Firstly, you become more confident about what you do. Secondly, you become more capable at what you do. Lastly, you get better at setting targets that you can actually achieve.
On the other hand, a lack of curiosity could be an indication that your passion for the project is fading.
6. Dealing with failure and mistakes
No matter how hard you try to avoid mistakes and failure, odds are that they will cross your path from time to time. What sets successful people apart from unsuccessful ones, however, is how they deal with it.
Does failure make you want to give up? Do you feel it is the end of the road? Or do you feel that it is simply one more hurdle to cross?
Achievers also fail from time to time, and they also make mistakes. The difference is that they learn from their mistakes and their failures, and they are honest enough with themselves to acknowledge mistakes – and rectify them – before they get out of hand.
If you acknowledge every mistake, learn from it, and adapt to it, the probabilities of failure decrease.
In short: If you deal with the little “wrongs” (mistakes), chances are that your failures will be few and far between.
7. Risk taking
“He who dares wins.” Or so they say.
The reality is that every venture you take on is a risk – that’s why most people never do it.
However…
There is a huge difference between risking your time and money and risking losing your shirt (and possibly your family).
Successful people take calculated risks – with the emphasis on “calculated”.
Yes, you will need to take risks to get ahead in life – even if you just risk your time and a few dollars per month for hosting.
But charging in blindly, oblivious to all the problems you are creating for yourself, isn’t a calculated risk…
It’s sheer stupidity.
As they say in gambling: “Don’t risk more than you can afford to lose”.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take any risks. Unless you are totally happy with the life you have.
Judging by your reading this, I would guess not.
