There must have been times when you have felt less than others. Felt less intelligent, less of an achiever, less witty, less goal-oriented and frankly, dumber! We all have been there, and it’s a really depressing feeling, all in all, not being able to truly be all that we want to be. In case you too are spiraling down into a sad, small place as you read this – wait, for there is always hope when you are on the road to how to succeed.
Only Hard Work and Motivation Can’t Make You Successful. You Need to Know Self-Coaching.
Frankly, a lot of us are hard-working and willing to put in all that is needed for us to achieve our goals and ideals. The problem is that many of us lose the way of how to succeed. Being motivated and willing to work hard wins you the battle half way, but there is still a lot to be done if you really want to be the best that you can be.
The smartest people, who are also the most successful understand that there is a different approach to be used on how to succeed, more than just hard work and being motivated. In case you are wondering what their secret to success is, and if you too can join the bandwagon – there isn’t just one formula to use. The point is, you have to figure out how you can be smarter yourself , no one will tell you how to be that. [1]
As children, we struggle in school, and often our parents and teachers become our guides, helping us see the better way. But as adults, once we enter the office realm, no boss is here to truly guide us onto an enlightened path – very often, we have to become our own coaches.[2] And since we already know the truth of all that we lack in, who better than us, ourselves, to guide us into being someone better? No one knows us better than ourselves, so we can, with enough introspection, find out the best way on how to succeed.
Why Self Improvement Is Difficult for Many of Us
That depends entirely on you. For some, their lot in life in enough – even if their counterparts overtake them and reach a lot further. But if you are pained by the lack of progress in your life, then yes, you do need to fix it… Some common obstacles on how to succeed in life are:
- Not knowing where or what to improve in the first place
- Confused on how to improve yourself
- Having a laid back or carefree attitude where you are easily satisfied by your progress
- Often give up easily when you feel that there hasn’t been any improvement in what you are trying to do – even if a minimal effort was put in
- Comparing yourself with others and wanting things that the others have achieved
- Feeling demotivated and depressed when success proves elusive
6 Steps To Become Smarter and Succeed In Life
Now that we know the whys and the why not’s of trying to be smarter, here are the steps we can take if we want to be smarter and know the secret to how to succeed, every time.
Ask Yourself 5 Whys to Figure Out What to Improve
Think of a child and how he reaches the root of a problem – by asking incessant whys. So do that to yourself. Every time you are faced with a problem, like why you aren’t improving at something or succeeding in life – ask yourself why, 5 times, as a rule of thumb.[3]
This will help you identify the root cause of the problem as well as the relationship between the various causes. A simple example is: I didn’t get a promotion this year, but my junior did. So ask yourself: why did your junior get the promotion? Answer: Because my boss likes him. Again: Why does your boss like him, and not you? Answer: Because he turns in his work much ahead of time… Then: Why don’t you turn in your work in time? Answer: Because I put off things way until the last minute and then need extra time to complete it… So there you have it, in three whys you have your answer.
Never Aim to Kill the Giant Monster in One Attempt, Try Attacking Its Sore Spots One By One
Sometimes the problem or struggle we face in front of us is so big and insurmountable that we often get discouraged and give up at the start. So the best thing to do is to break down the problem into steps: each step needs to have a deadline so that the solution stays on course, with some extra time left over to review the problem and its eventual solution in entirety. [4] Say you are unhappy about your weight. The problem is your weight and the solution is to lose some. Now break it down: add 20 minutes of a brisk walk the first week, drop all desserts the second week, clear out your kitchen of junk in the third week, join a gym or aerobics or yoga the fourth week on. You should be seeing results by the end of the month.
Learning New Skills Is Not Enough — You Need to Learn Them Fast
In nowadays fast moving and competitive world, learning new skills is not enough if takes you a lot of time to learn them. You need to up your ante and learn new thing much faster than the average Joe.[5] Instead of taking a month to learn something, cut it down to a week. Grasp the concept on day 1, master the complicated aspects on day 2 and 3, apply it to real life on day 4, work on it in a slightly different day on day 5, revise everything on day 6 and on day 7 – clear any lingering doubts or confusion.
Keep Challenging Yourself at Every Step
If you were able to do something in say six hours, challenge yourself to do it in five hours or less the next time. Similarly, challenge your old beliefs. Think of new ways to solve the same problems, and you might end up reaching a time-saving solution. [6]
Consider Yourself to be Your Biggest Critic & Competitor
No one else is your enemy or competitor as you are to yourself. In today’s socially showing-off world, there’ll be plenty of success belonging to other people that you wished were yours. Someone is buying a luxury car, someone else is off to the Caribbean or ha your dream job or got that husband and child you so wanted… Thing is, there’ll always be someone else doing better in life than you, or being better at skills than you. So? Run your own race – be your own competitor. You cannot compare yourself to the whole world, so how about you compare yourself to only, yourself. [7]
Turn Negative Emotions into Positive Triggers
However much we try, we are likely to be faced with some or the other disappointments in the journey called life especially when are figuring out how to succeed. The trick is not to let these negative emotions bog you down and instead use these emotions as positive triggers. For instance, if you are angry about a situation, you are likely to be charged up – use this anger creatively into solving a problem that has been irking you for long. And in case you are being enveloped in green, read envy, at someone else’s success – use this to fuel your need and efforts to reach never before heights. [8]
If you are still wondering how to succeed- get up and get direction, and then put in all that hard work and effort into achieving that dream of yours. Wishes don’t move mountains, but hard work and ambition do. [9]
Reference
| [1] | ^ | Psychology Today: Aren’t Some People Just Smarter Than Others? |
| [2] | ^ | Success: Tips From Pros How To Be Your Own Life Coach |
| [3] | ^ | ISixSigma: Determine Root Cause 5 Whys |
| [4] | ^ | UGA: Break Large Tasks Down Into Smaller More Manageable Pieces |
| [5] | ^ | Science Alert: Scientists Have Found A Technique |
| [6] | ^ | Inc: 7 Unconventional Ways to Personally Challenge Yourself |
| [7] | ^ | Bustle: 6 Reasons People who Compete With Themselves Are The Most Successful |
| [8] | ^ | Huffington Post: How To Turn Around Negative Emotions |
| [9] | ^ | Oprah: 10 Ways To Imporve Yourself |
The post How to Be the Top 10% Smartest People in the World appeared first on Lifehack.
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