Written by: Dr. Kapil and Rupali Apshankar, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
People who are considered ambitious attend the best colleges and universities, have prestigious careers and earn high salaries, but they don’t necessarily lead more successful lives, according to research by Timothy Judge, professor of management at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. The bottom line is, go-getters, fall short in happiness and health.
Have you ever stopped to wonder what exactly success means to you? Many of us have never stopped to ask ourselves this very important question. Instead, we may follow the path of everyone else, pleasing those around us. Perhaps we may chase the traditional view of success: money, fame, and power.
Real success is better measured by what engages and energizes us every day. It is unique for all of us because we all have a different mix of talents.
On the other hand, real happiness, both as an emotion and a feeling, is an amalgamation of life satisfaction, coping resources, and positive emotions. It predicts desirable life outcomes in many areas of life. Empirical literature the world over shows that people who are happier achieve better life outcomes, including financial success, supportive relationships, mental health, effective coping, and even physical health and longevity.
There is a general process that can be followed to accomplish nearly anything – successfully and happily. Understanding this process and following it can make all of your dreams come true. However, that doesn’t mean that success is easy. It only means that there is a process that provides predictable results. You still have to do the work! Based on the work that we have done, there are 9 principles for massive success and limitless happiness. There is a method to the madness if you will.
Use these principles to accomplish anything your heart desires:
1. Know what you want to accomplish. If you want to accomplish something, you have to know what that something is. Be clear on the specific outcome you wish to create. Most people fail to even accomplish this step. Choose something and have a clear idea of what you’re trying to do.
2. Create a plan. Now that you have an objective, you need the plan to follow. Your plan is likely to change over time, but you need a roadmap in order to get started. Make a plan and take the first step.
Your plan will become more obvious after you get started. You only need to see the next step in order to make progress. The path will reveal itself as you make progress. Getting started is the challenging part.
3. Determine your internal and external obstacles. Internal obstacles are doubts and other negative emotions and thoughts about your objective or the path to your objective. It’s important to resolve these if you want to be successful.
External obstacles are things like time, money, finding clients, finding a mentor, and so on. Many of these obstacles are predictable. Have a plan for dealing with them.
4. Set short-term goals. If your objective is going to take more than a few months, set short-term goals. This will keep you on track and maintain your focus. It’s too easy to procrastinate on something that will take you a year to complete.
5. Plan your day. Make the most of each day by having a plan for your day. Look at your objective and your plan and schedule your time accordingly. It’s best to do this in the evening, so you’re ready to get to work in the morning. Avoid starting your day without a plan for your day.
6. Lose the timewasters. We all waste time. Think about how you most commonly waste time and find a way to remove those things from your life. If they can’t be removed, minimize their impact.
7. Enhance your mindset. Your mindset affects your motivation, energy levels, perspective, and how you make decisions. Adopt a positive mindset that supports your goals.
8. Decide to never quit. This is a hard one for most people. Most people either fail by never getting started or by quitting before their objective is reached. Perseverance might be the most important quality you can have if you want to be successful.
9. Find a coach. Unless you’re very clear on how to achieve your objective, a coach can save you a lot of wasted time and heartache. Even a book can be considered a coach of sorts. Many experts write books. They put wisdom and ideas into those books. If you can read, you have a coach already.
The process for being successful isn’t a secret. The challenge is getting yourself to take action and to persevere long enough to become successful. If you can do those two things, you can accomplish just about anything.
Pick a goal and go for it. It will be hard work, but it’s not as hard as dealing with the regret of never trying. Give yourself a chance and see what happens.
Using the principles of success and happiness outlined here, Live Your Bliss is a Transformational Lifestyle Design System that we created which empowers you to DISCOVER, CREATE, and LIVE your very best life. On your own terms, and nobody else’s.
Join our global movement at Blissvana, take charge of your life and start living your bliss today. We’d love to help you become the Michelangelo of your own life and create a masterpiece of your life.
Dr. Kapil and Rupali Apshankar, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Kapil and Rupali are Amazon's 1 bestselling authors and globally respected business and life strategists. They are founders of Blissvana, a boutique personal development, self-growth, and success studio. Their coaching methods have been proven at the highest levels of success in every dimension of human life. Kapil and Rupali's lives revolve around love, happiness, abundance, and bliss ‒ at home and work. Kapil and Rupali's purpose is to create the highest possible quality of life they can for themselves, and the people they love while helping others around them do the same.
