But most of us wouldn’t describe ourselves as being particularly happy or successful. Most people are all too aware of what we have yet to accomplish and would probably argue that the things we want outweigh the things we already have.
Many of us feel helpless to choose the direction of our lives or to know precisely what it is we need to do in order to get what we want.
We’re safe, we’re healthy, we’re fed. But we’re also tired. Many of us are lonely. A lot of us dread going into work every day. Our homes are too small for us and they’re too messy.
And we’re too busy to do anything about it.
Or at least that’s what we’ve been led to think. In this post, you’re going to learn how to take back control and just how you can get anything that you want in life. And it starts with just 10 simple steps.
1 Appreciate What You Have
The first step is to appreciate what you already have. You may already be doing this in which case… well done!
But a lot of us are so fixated on what we want and what isn’t quite right, that we forget to take stock of what we have already accomplished and what’s right in front of us.
This is a habit you need to kick ASAP because otherwise, you’ll never feel as though you have the life you want!
A good way to start changing this habit is to adopt the ‘gratitude attitude’. And a good way to do that is to take five minutes every day to write down three things that you’re grateful for. I’d also like you to write down three things you’ve done well and three things you’re proud of.
You might just find that you’re doing a lot better than you think!
2 Learn What You Don’t Need
One of the reasons we don’t get what we want is because we’re so distracted by all the things that we don’t need.
Many of us feel tired and overworked because we’ve taken on responsibilities at work to earn money we don’t actually NEED. Many of us feel pressure to work harder because we’ve gotten into debt buying expensive TVs and furniture. Do those things really add to your happiness?
And ultimately, are those school governor meetings adding to your life or just taking time away from your family?
Clear some space by removing the clutter and you can then focus on what does make you happy. Whether that’s travel, whether that’s family, or whether that’s a hobby you’re passionate about.
3 Be Positive
Positivity goes a huge way to helping us to get more. In fact, there are countless studies that show how being positive can make you more successful.
There are many reasons for this. Firstly, positive people are happier because they are naturally inclined to adopt the gratitude attitude. Likewise, positive people tend to take more chances because they believe there is a better chance of a positive outcome! Positive people smile more, which causes other people to gravitate toward them. The list goes on!
4 Adopt a Habit for Self-Development
Self-development is crucial for getting what you want out of life.
The problem is that too many of us think that life will just hand us what we want on a plate. We’re effectively waiting for things to turn around. What we don’t realize is that it’s down to us to get out there and make it happen.
And that requires a whole lot of energy, drive, passion and skill. You need to be confident enough to mingle, network and put yourself out there. You need to be wittier, you need to be a better communicator, you need to have more energy so you can work those longer hours on those side hustles.
Many people read books telling them how to get what they want and when it doesn’t work for them, they blame the book. But did they actually put the problem into action? Or were they frozen because they were too tired, too scared or too stressed?
You need to start by investing more time and effort into yourself so that you can become the best version of you. That might mean that you go to stand up comedy lessons in order to overcome a fear of speaking publicly (this is incredibly beneficial) or it might mean that you exercise so you have more energy and look better in a suit.
Identify your weaknesses and overcome them.
5 Invest in You
This might sound similar to the last point but it’s actually very different. Invest in yourself by investing in your hair cut. By buying a great suit. By using the best hardware.
When you spend more on the little things that impact the way you come across to others, you begin to use the ‘law of attraction’. That law tells us that as you act, so you become. If you keep acting like someone who is successful and if you look successful, then you’re going to find that more opportunities come your way. People will assume you are more successful than you are and as such, they’ll want you to come work for them. People will think you’re attractive (because you act attractive!) so you’ll be able to date better looking people. It really does work – so long as you put in the work to back it up.
6 Take Opportunities
Life hands out opportunities all the time and the only thing that stops us from fulfilling our potential is that we often miss those opportunities and don’t realize they’re there.
You might think that you should only accept ‘relevant’ opportunities, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Instead, you should take any and all opportunities as they arise and you should keep on saying yes. There is no such thing as an experience that isn’t relevant to your success, as you’ll see if you read the full post.
Try your best at everything you do. Always put your best foot forward. If a management course comes up at your work… sign yourself up right away!
7 Know Your Worth
This is so incredibly important and sadly, it’s something that very few of us can claim we do.
Too many of us suffer from what is known as the ‘imposter syndrome’. This is the feeling that we’ve lucked out, that we aren’t really worthy of the opportunities that have come our way and that we are just faking it.
It’s very common to feel that way, and in fact, you might be surprised at who else feels that way. You know what though? If you got there, you deserve to be there. Accept that and demand that others accept it too and treat you as such.
8 Know What You Want
We talked about knowing what you don’t want, now it’s time to consider knowing what you do want.
So many people will find themselves in a situation where they realize they aren’t being paid ‘what they’re worth’. So they go into a meeting to discuss a raise.
But what should you be asking for? Knowing what you want out of life will remind you of how much you need to make your dreams happen.
Moreover, knowing what you want out of life might lead you to realize that more responsibility and more pay won’t make you happier.
MAYBE you ask to work four days a week for the same pay? It’s very different but it could make you HUGELY happier than the alternatives.
9 Springboard
Springboarding is a concept we talk about much more in the full book. The basic idea though, is that you can use success in one area of your life to be successful elsewhere. Alternatively, you can use success in one career to launch a new one.
Very often, this means that you take the less obvious route to the top. Instead of just climbing the ranks in a business you hate, you might instead use the money from your job to publish and market your own novel. Or you might use it in order to start your own business and take those contacts.
10 Persist
There are very few things in life that come easily. There are very few things in life that can happen overnight.
Most things worth having – whether that’s six pack abs or a successful business – take persistent effort.
So patience and persistence are therefore two of the most important things you can possibly cultivate if you want to get the life you feel you deserve.
Often this means outlining what needs to be done and then just doing it. Every single day. Without fail. If you can do that and keep your eye on the prize – then you can accomplish nearly anything!