In our efforts to become more successful we have all heard we must work smarter not harder. Many believe to get ahead we must find the most efficient way to leverage our time and energy most effectively. A popular direction of late is to follow the path of least resistance to achieve our success.
Where is this path of least resistance that people speak of? Have the signs been knocked down? Has the path grown over with weeds that make it unrecognizable? There can be a lot of adversity and uncertainty in today’s world that creates a great deal of resistance. We may not be able to find the path that existed for another. However, we have it within us all to create a path.
The best path and often the one with the least resistance is the one we create ourselves. Here are five steps to build a path to greater success:
C – Create or Continue a “Can Do” attitude. Those that have more experience with success seem to have a “Can Do” approach to their life. It most likely was not always the case. Often times it came about because of extreme adversity; it became the only option. Typically, what lies underneath this attitude is a relentless willingness to keep going no matter what. Perhaps a better name for this attitude should be – “Can do it eventually if I don’t give up” attitude.
Success comes in CANS not Cannots
Take inventory of where we persevered and overcame adversity to achieve what we wanted. There is evidence if we look for it. Embrace the evidence. It is helpful to recognize we can learn, practice, and even borrow brilliance from others to get things done. Knowing we have overcome and can overcome again will lend itself to a “Can Do” attitude. It’s a conditioning process. Add to it every day.
L – Let go of who we think we’re not and any excuses we think hold us back. Notice I used the word think twice. Both conditions of who we think we’re not and what we think is holding us back are a result of our thinking. Our thinking either contributes or contaminates our ability to succeed. Seek to be mindful of thoughts that empower us and endeavor to be mindless of thoughts that expire us.
Letting go is not giving up
E – Elevate our vision of a compelling future to pull us toward its realization. People either have a terrifying picture in their mind of how their future will not work out or an inspiring picture of how their future will unfold. . The future we imagine will cause how we feel now. How we feel now drives our actions for the day. It’s the accumulation of our daily actions, over time, that delivers us to our intended and imagined future. It is key to choose the future vision that excites us, not the one that extinguishes us.
We must strive to see and hold our full potential
A – Act accordingly. In order to achieve a goal, we must fulfill various projects. In order to complete those projects, we must execute various tasks and actions. The power of our vision will create moment by moment impulses that either empower or disempower our ability, capacity, and willingness to act in alignment with our elevated vision. As we take action, we need to act with a deep knowing that the action is leading to the realization of the goals that will bring us to our vision.
We are the generators of our success and wellbeing
R – Regenerate – Do it again, again, and again; each time bringing an increased capacity of new learnings, distinctions, and skills that will expand the ‘Can Do” attitude to let go of crippling thoughts, and continually elevate our vision to inspire our actions to clear the path to greater success.
Each day commit to developing the habit of practicing these 5 elements which will lead to enjoying a CLEAR path to success.