How to Get Ahead in Life

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You want to get ahead in life? Well, these are three ingredients that I have used in achieving my goals. From getting my dream job, to getting promoted multiple times, to planning trips, to buying a house, to renovating that house, to simply raising a family right.

Here are three “easy” tips to get ahead in life. The term “easy” isn’t easy! It’s a qualitative term! What’s easy for some might be seemingly impossible for others. Some people can surf with the greatest of elegance and ‘ease,’ while others would drown within 2 minutes of getting into the water. So, when I say “easy” I really mean things that you can practice in your daily routine to eventually be easy for you to do.

It’s true some of us will be born with a healthy dose of the following three things, others may have to work at it. It’s the difference between skills and talents!

1. DETERMINATION
In order to get ahead in life you need to be ultra determined. You can’t just want it, you have to REALLY want it. You have to be determined to the point that any setbacks you face will not deter you from your course and that you will feel a sense of urgent pride and action in moving toward your goal. For example, when I was buying my first house I really didn’t know too much about mortgages and just the thought of talking with some stranger from a bank about my application seemed daunting. However, I was so determined to own a house that I put all those fears aside (they are irrational anyway!) and focused on the facts and, hey, I bought a house!!!

Sports metaphors are huge for me, so it’s like walking on to the field to play a team that will most likely whoop you. However, you still must strut out there and play your guts out! Other times, you’re going to give a bashing to the other team.

2. IRON FOCUS BORDERING ON OBSESSION
Notice I didn’t just say “Iron Focus.” If you want to get ahead in life, you have to surpass mere iron focus and elevate that to iron focus bordering on obsession. Big goals require big commitment! While it may seem kind of crazy or psychopathic to say “bordering on obsession,” it’s true, achieving your goals can often be all-consuming.

The reason you focus on your goal is to better understand it. The more you understand it, the better you can determine the steps necessary to achieve that goal. It is going to require action, maybe risk, but the old saying holds true “out of sight, out of mind.” You can reverse that statement and it would still be true.

3. BE THE ROLE
Being the role is, believe it or not, taking the obsessive part of number 2 to the next level! It’s a strange thing to try and write down in words but you have to see yourself in the outcome that you would like to be. Whatever that eventuality is, be it, or a bit of it, now. There are so many wonderful examples of this. Before I got promoted, I spoke and acted as if I were promoted which led me to do things that a promoted person would do, which, ironically, helped me to get promoted!

Being the role combines 1 and 2 and really throws you into an experiential reality that, honestly, is a gut check. If it feels comfortable and “right” then you know you are on the right track; if your gut is putting up blocks for you, then you might have to reassess your goals. At least that’s been my experience. Life can throw up blocks in your path and you can work right through them, but your gut feeling wrong is a whole other thing in my book. You should learn to distinguish the difference.

Set your goals, go for it! You know what you want to achieve so get out there and be brave. Be DETERMINED, have an IRON FOCUS BORDERING ON OBSESSION, and best of all BE THE ROLE!

Go ahead, make your next move!!!