I remember at a very young age being intrigued by success. Why were some people successful, yet others were not? Even among those who were successful, why were some moderately successful, while others ultra-successful? I had a lot of curiosity and a lot of questions around this topic. The biggest question I had around success, though, was why were some people so successful in one area, yet such failures in another? The same person could excel in one part of life, yet flounder in another.
For example, I noticed that someone could be very successful in business, yet have a home life that was a disaster. Another could have a great marriage and an incredible family life, but be out of shape, overweight, and struggling with health issues. And another who was strong in their faith, active in their church, and a giving, caring person, yet always struggled financially.
So, why was it that some people could be so strong in one area, yet flounder in another? I remember wondering, is it possible to have it all? Could you be successful in your work, be financially free, have an incredible marriage and tight family, be strong in your faith, and be a caring, friendly, well-respected member of the community? It was so rare that I truly wondered if it was possible.
It turns out that it is possible, but requires a plan, hard work, and daily attention to details. Instead of expanding into all areas of life, delving into dozens of success strategies, and trying to cover it all, I want to share one success tip. It is likely that you are successful in at least one area of life. You might struggle with your finances, but have a wonderful marriage. You may be super good at your job, but your social connections are poor. Or you have a great family dynamic and lots of money, but your health and fitness are a constant struggle.
The simplest way to improve your weakest area of life is to compare it to your strongest. I don’t mean for you to compare the success metrics, but rather to compare the success steps. What are you doing in the area where you are successful that you are not doing in those other areas? It is highly likely that you are doing things on a very regular basis, each day, to achieve the results you are getting in those successful areas of life that you are not doing in those areas that are struggling.
If you own a successful business or are a top performer in your company, you are dedicating a certain number of hours every day to plan, meet, make phone calls, and check on stats. You likely monitor your results, compare monthly statistics, read articles related to your industry, and model more successful people doing the same work you do. If something dips, you catch it, tweak some behaviors, put in more energy, and bump those numbers back up.
But what about your family? Are there things you do daily to keep up the quality of your relationship with your spouse or children? Do you set aside time to be with just them? Do you do the little extra stuff that shows how much they mean to you or how much you care? Are you reading books or articles that might help in this area? Are you modeling the people around you that seem to excel in this area?
The same is true with any area of your life. The same steps, techniques, and strategies that make you successful in one area are the exact steps that will help you improve in any area. You are likely doing poorly in one area because you aren’t doing the things that make you successful in that area. It’s not that you are just naturally gifted at business, but terrible in relationships. Or have the golden touch when it comes to money, but are overweight and out of shape because of bad genes. More time, energy, and attention are going into the areas that you thrive in, and less is going into the areas that you are struggling in.
If you are super successful in one area of life, but doing poorly in another, it is time to stop making excuses, accepting this as normal, or blaming everything around you. Start applying the same intensity, time, and strategies that have made you so successful in that one area to the areas that need to be better. You can be successful with your work, have great relationships, have a strong connection to something bigger, be physically fit, and be financially free. You can have it all. Start by applying the same principles that make you so successful in one area to all the other areas.
