The one and only success tip that seems to matter

February 18th, 2013 by Agent Kevin Miller

Really? I’m going to be arrogant enough to try and cite ONE THING for success. Yep. And I truly believe you’ll agree, because deep down we all know it. Just like we know the only way we’ll ever lose weight is to burn more calories than we eat. That’s it. End of story. And it somewhat angers me to face it, as paint by numbers is easier than a blank canvas, eh? But only one adds up to much…

We as a culture adore ‘Steps to Success’; “7 Steps to this” and the “3 Keys to that” and the “5 Laws for whatever”. I’m not going to diss these altogether because they have their place, but I absolutely believe the truth is…they are completely UPSIDE DOWN.

How? See if this rings true…

We voraciously devour all these Steps and Keys and Laws with the expectation, belief and hope that:

If we do these things, we will get what we want.

Right? And admittedly, the purveyors of these Steps and Keys and Laws (lets just call them ‘SKiLs’) generally dole them out with this intended methodology. I’m admittedly one of these folks who has not only digested many ‘SKiLs’, but created and sent them out as well.

But folks, it just doesn’t add up. It’s not working. Which is fine for the self-help industry; 1) The masses want the ‘SKiLs’, 2) they never get satiated because the ‘SKiLs’ seldom effect lasting change 3) so we just come up with more and more and more and folks keep buying, and buying and buying them…

It’s similar with the insatiable demand for new weight loss strategies. There’s a new one promoted every day, even though the way we succeed is the EXACT SAME as it was 100 years ago.

SO THEN…if this is upside-down:

If we do these things (the ‘SKiLs’) , we will get what we want.

Then this is right-side up:

When we want something enough, we will do these things (the ‘SKiLs’).

Until your WANT is big enough, no ‘SKiLs’ will matter much.

The fields of the personal development and self-help industries continue to regurgitate the same ‘fertilizer’ in a continually changing array of packages and presentations. But the reality is…success happens when this fertilizer finds a seed which has finally decided to open up and put roots down. Then sure…the fertilizer can help the seed. But the key is getting that sucker of a seed to open up put roots down to grow in the first place! Until then, no amount of fertilizer in any way, shape or form is going to make the seed decide to grow.

So what’s the ONLY SUCCESS TIP THAT MATTERS?

Get your WANT big enough so you’ll put roots into the soil.

When you are fully committed, then you can put all the ‘SKiLs’ into play. Though sadly for those of us purveyors and seekers of:

• Steps
• Keys
• Laws

…success is not the result of more knowledge, it’s simply due to a big enough WANT and ensuing commitment. Then, and only then…will you naturally DO those things necessary to succeed.

Thus, wouldn’t the correct perspective on all the ‘SKiLs’ then be:

Once people WANT something enough and commit to it, these are the traits we find them naturally falling into…as a result of their WANT.

Doesn’t this save a lot of time? Listing the “7 Steps to this” and the “3 Keys to that” and the “5 Laws for whatever” is fine, but it’s merely reporting on the results experienced after a commitment is made and action is taken to achieve that WANT.

Which leaves us with:

How do you get your want big enough?

A broad tactic doesn’t exist. It’s personal and individual and mysterious and…your decision. You’ll want to when or if…you decide to want to. You’ll make the decision proactively or reactively. Or…you’ll simply stay where you are and enjoy reading a thousand more lists of ‘SKiLs’ reporting to the end of your days…

Hard isn’t it? It’s not comfortable to put down the:

• Self-help book
• Magazine
• Blog
• Podcast
• Social media feed
• etc…

…and just sit down to contemplate what we really want. What we really want ENOUGH to commit to, no matter what. Knowing until we radically commit to the want, everything else is fertilizer falling on a closed seed.

---

Matthew 13: ³ Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵ Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. ⁶ But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. ⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. ⁸ But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” – NKJV