That is what Annabel Candy is saying over at GetInTheHotSpot.com in her article The Real Secret To Success in 4 Words and I couldn’t agree more!!

The law of attraction

From personal experience as long as I put forth specific action in the direction needed to accomplish my goals there have been plenty of opportunities that have come up to help me get their quicker and easier.  However if I had not ‘put it out to the universe’ and continued on my journey towards achieving it I don’t believe these opportunities would have presented themselves.  I wouldn’t go so far as to say material about the law of attraction is a ‘con’, however they are definitely not telling enough of the story for it to be useful.

Choice in wording

Did you know that if you say ‘Don’t forget the milk’, it is much more likely you or the person you say it to will forget.  Instead try saying ‘Remember to buy milk’.  Likewise with how you talk about yourself and your life, you become what you think about most of the time. If you constantly think your life is boring and stale, it’s headed there!

To learn about how words affect people check out ‘PosiWords‘ over at Positive Imperative.  The concept will make you think twice about how certain things are said.

About being lucky

Just like Annabel mentions, luck has nothing to do with it.  Work hard, stay focused and you will get where you want to go.  If you aren’t where you want to be then it’s up to you to take responsibility as it is no one else’s fault but you own.  Remember to enjoy the journey though as well and if there is something you really want to do then …

Get off your arse!!!

It’s not your fault the bank said no to the mortgage for your dream house.
It’s not your fault your potential new boss for your dream job didn’t hire you.
It’s not your fault your first attempt at starting your own business didn’t work out.
It’s not your fault you make minimum wage and can barely pay the bills.
It’s not your fault you work 80 hours a week at a job you hate.

The point here isn’t to say who’s at fault for what. The point is what are you going to do about it?

Ask questions

The only silly question is the one not asked. Ethically and morally, how can you get the bank to say yes? Stand out from the rest of the applicants for your dream job? Do differently to help your new business stay afloat? Cut back on the hours you spend at work?

The more questions you ask, the more likely you are able to find another route to accomplish the same outcome.

CAUTION: this may take extra time, require research or giving an extra 10%. You have been warned!

Be creative

We are only limited by how creative we are to accomplish what we desire. Look for inspiration and ideas from others. Who do you know that has come across the same situation as you in the past and has gotten through it?

Choose your words carefully

Instead of looking at ‘road blocks’ as ‘big brick walls’, look at it as a ‘challenge’ and chance to grow as a person. There is a big sense of accomplishment waiting on the other side once you get there.

“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are usually right.”

Whether it’s a trip, a concert, a toy or even a chocolate bar.  One of the most common excuses I hear from people is they do not have enough money or can’t afford it.  When people tell me they would love to be able to afford something I ask them from what’s stopping them. The two simple ways of being able to afford what you want is to re-allocate where you’re currently spending money or increase your income.

The money is there

Do you:

- wear the latest designer clothes

- continually upgrade to the latest cellphone

- have a coffee or latte on the go each day

- eat out a couple or more times a week

- have a hardly used gym membership

- subscribe to the movie channels

- have cable

It’s not to say having or doing these things is wrong or you should not do them.  They are simply where money has been allocated to.

Reality check

Where is all the money going to? Do you know? Have you taken the time to go through all your bills and statements and record how much is leaving every month? If not, now is the time to do it.

Chances are you will not like what you see, however this is the first step that is a must. Changes can’t be made if you don’t know what needs to be changed. Did you find you were spending money on things you did not even know you were?

Re-allocating

So now that you know where your money is going, how does one go about changing this?  The main difference is short term gratification versus long term.  Instead of getting a tall grande everyday try preparing your favourite brew before heading out the door in the morning.  Bring your lunch instead of buying it.  Cut the extra channels and revisit your DVD collection. Large changes aren’t necessary to make a big impact.  Saving $5 a day adds up to $100 a month.

How bad do you want it?

Do you really want that new outfit, the weekend spa adventure or the trip to the caribbean?  If you really want to do any of these then let people know you’re working toward making it happen because if you can’t afford it then you don’t really want it.

Got a great business idea or an offer for something that seems great however not sure if you should take it on or accept it? What ever the situation I bet there are lots of things going through your mind at the time. Does each thought start with a ‘what if …’?

What if I fail?

What if I can’t find or make the time?

What if I try it and find it’s not for me?

What if I get stuck?

What if I lose everything?

What if I [fill in the blank]

These are all very good questions.  However …

What if you don’t even try?

Ever pass on an opportunity and then later regret not having taken it? Rumour has it that as we age we reflect more on the opportunities we passed up when we really wanted to check them out and give them a chance. Don’t let this evolve into a pattern.  If an opportunity comes up and it interests you give it a go.

Risk Assessment

What’s the worst that could happen should you take action? Take a look at what all the possible consequences could be.  Very rarely does the worst case scenario happen, however should the worst happen, could you live with it?  If you look at the worst case scenario and decide that you will be ok even if it happens, it’s not the end of the world.  Now that you have reviewed the risks involved …

What if I succeed?

Completing your goal will give you a great sense of accomplishment! How will you feel? How does it look on the other side? How will it affect your life? What would you do differently then you do now?

Everyone can live the life of their dreams however it will not come to them, they have to go and create it. Remember you can’t succeed if you don’t even give it a shot.

Not enough time

Are you having trouble finding the time to work on your goals? Not enough hours in the day? The thing is time is a universal constant. You can never have more or less time then is allotted to everyone else on earth. So why then do other people seem more productive in achieving their goals than you? The answer is setting priorities.

Make Your Goals a Priority

If you want to achieve your goals, then you must make the time to work toward them. Remember a goal without action is only a dream. Too many times other things come up to distract us from getting to where we want to go. Try this; when something comes up and you are just starting to work on a step toward achieving your goal ask yourself, “What is more important right now?” and “can the other thing wait till I’m done?”. Unless it is a family emergency, chances are it can wait until you make a bit of progress toward your goal!

Making the Time for Your Goals

I know that comfy couch looks mighty tempting sitting directly in front of that plasma tv. However, what do you get out of it? Do you feel fulfilled after spending three or more hours sitting in front of the boob tube? I am not saying all tv is bad, however like many things, it should be done in moderation. Here are some other ideas on how to ‘create’ more time for your goals:

• Get up an hour earlier in the morning
• Delegate to others
• Only check your email twice a day (you would be surprised at how much time is wasted checking email constantly

And the list goes on.

Chunking Your Tasks

Another reason it may seem there is not enough time to work on your goals is the current item or task seems too large to handle. Try breaking down the task into smaller items. Say for instance your goal is to sell stuff online and one of your tasks is to make a website. There is a lot to making a website, so break it down into smaller tasks such as. Find a designer to make your logo and design site. Then find a programmer to make the site actually work. Contact a person who specializes in search engine optimization (SEO) to help your sites rankings, etc, etc.

If the smaller task still seems to big then chunk it some more. Personally I find that a task should never take longer than one hour. If it will then I chunk some more.

Summary

• Make it a priority. If there are not any lions, tigers or bears nearby and it is not a family emergency chancing are anything interrupting you can wait.
• Find the time. Wake up earlier, watch less tv, etc
• Break your tasks into chunks. Keep the steps small. “Yard by yard is hard, but inch by inch anything is a cinch”
• Don’t forget to have fun in the process!

Good Luck!!