One of the questions I am asked most often is how to attain success. That’s a tough question to answer because success is different for each individual.

I still remember one of my college professors who was asked how he judged whether his students were successful. He always said, “If they are happy, they are successful.”

Years ago, I wrote about a formula for success: Determination + goal setting + concentration = success. I received a letter from a Harvard graduate saying that I was missing a fourth quality—courage. His point was that determination could be undermined by the fear that comes with a new venture.

Let me take that one step further. In my opinion, many people fail to achieve their goals not because they are afraid of the job at hand, but because they have grown so familiar in the comfort zone of their job, they are afraid to meet the challenge of a new job. I once heard someone joke that the road to success is marked with many tempting parking places.

Great acts of courage tend to be committed by entrepreneurs. I have seldom met anyone who left his or her job, whether fired or voluntarily, who started their own business and regretted it. What these people always regret is not having done it sooner. Even people who started a business and failed are satisfied because they tried.

I watched a fascinating television program on the education channel about “Why do men die for their country?” They examined the U.S. Marines, the French Foreign Legion and the British Commandos. They discussed the importance of discipline and tradition.

However, the most important reason why men died for their country was their love for their fellow man. They interviewed a soldier who related a most revealing story. He was wounded in combat and was convalescing in a hospital when he discovered that his fellow soldiers were going on a dangerous mission. He escaped from the hospital and went with them. Then, while participating in this mission, he was wounded once again.

When they interviewed him, he said, “You work with people and you live with them, and you soon realize that your survival depends on one another.”

Whether it is a military battle, a basketball game or work, we can only enjoy success when we realize that we must be able to count on one another.

Napoleon Hill, one of my favorite authors, started out in the early 1900s as a young newsman and interviewed steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, then one of the wealthiest men alive. Carnegie convinced Hill to devote 20 years of his life to a study of what made men successful, according to William A. Cohen in “The Art of the Leader.”

Carnegie helped Hill by giving him introductions to the mightiest, wealthiest and best-known men of his day. These included Henry Ford, Theodore Roosevelt, Charles Schwab, George Eastman, John D. Rockefeller, Thomas Edison, Clarence Darrow and many others.

Not a single person interviewed by Hill said they would have become successful without the people around them—bosses, colleagues and subordinates. Carnegie himself must have recognized this, because on his tombstone is engraved a single sentence: “Here lies one who knew how to get around him men who were cleverer than himself.”

Not only do you need to surround yourself with a winning team to be successful, but you need to develop your own network that can help you deal with some of life’s minor annoyances, as well as your most challenging problems. Your network can act as role models, advise you and comfort you. They can also provide you with financial assistance, intellectual and social resources, entertainment and a ride to work in the morning.

Without a network you’ll have a hard time finding a client, making a sale, getting a job or hiring the right employee.

But even with all the help in the world, the quest for success ultimately boils down to your desire. As boxer/entrepreneur George Foreman would tell you, “Don’t have that conversation with yourself where you say, ‘He’s got more talent that I do,’ or ‘She’s faster than I am.’ Success depends on what’s in your mind. Success is about your spirit.”

Mackay’s Moral: Some people succeed because they are destined to, but most people succeed because they are determined to.

…then get out of the kitchen”.

By using “Shaw’s five-step plan” you will soon you will develop the power of confidence and courage that will inspire you to take action. You will feel more excitement and clarity in your life everyday. You will be motivated like never before and easily “beat the heat”.

Destiny. What a powerful word. And the great thing about it? Everyone has one! You have a destiny! Another great thing about destiny? We have a significant role in shaping our own destiny! In essence, you can choose your date with destiny - powerful!

Your destiny is the dream that lies within you of your desired and preferred future. And the things that we choose each day are what lead us to that destiny: Our actions, our words, our attitudes, and our relationships. They all add up to develop and shape that date on which we will reach our destiny.

Here are some thoughts to think about as you work on shaping your Date with Destiny:

The Mental Question: Do you believe that you can achieve a life of abundance? The frank truth is that many people simply do not believe that they can achieve what lies in their heart. Success is for someone else, a better person, or a smarter person. This is not true and is perhaps the greatest obstacle we face on the journey to our destiny. If we are to achieve the abundance in life we must first believe we can, or face our own continual self-sabotage of what a college professor of mine called “stinkin’-thinkin.’”

Here is the truth:
It doesn’t matter what your intelligence is.
It doesn’t matter what your current resources are.
It doesn’t matter what you currently earn.
It doesn’t matter what family you came from.

Nothing in your current circumstances matter in whether or not you can achieve your destiny! Nothing! Now, your current state may make it a longer or harder journey than someone else, but the possibility is always there no matter what your current circumstances are.

And that is the message we need to continually tell ourselves. “I can do it.” Not “I can’t do it.”

Clear vision. Do you have one of your destiny? Here are some questions to determine whether or not your vision is clear.

Can you describe it in intricate detail?
Can you “see” it?
Can you “feel” it?
Can you “hear” it?

Here are a couple of illustrations.

Perhaps you came from a dysfunctional family and your dream is to have great moments with your family. Let’s start with a Thanksgiving meal. Can you see each person there? What are they wearing? Are they smiling? What is the conversation? Can you hear the laughter? Can you experience the joy? Can you smell the turkey? Can you see people hugging each other and saying “This was wonderful,” as they leave?

Another scenario: Your company. Can you see the large building you are in? Can you see the workers? Can you feel the positive attitude they have as they carry out their work? Can you experience the excitement as you get the quarterly results? Can you see yourself handing out healthy bonuses that bring pleasant surprises to your employees?

This is where it begins. A clear vision of your destiny.

Consider your resources. Are you aware of the resources you will need in order to set your date with destiny? Do you know how you will go about getting them? What are your natural gifts and talents that you have? How can you best utilize them in achieving your destiny?

What are your current level of resources?
        Money?
        Time?
        Emotional health?
        Help from others such as friends, family, employees or volunteers?

What will be your needed future level of resources? And have you developed a plan to achieve this level?

The last thing I would encourage you to do is fix a date in the future that you believe you could believe you will be living your destiny by. A real date. What this enables you to do is then begin to work backwards in setting goals to move you along the way, proving you with future points to strive for and evaluation point to reflect upon.

Here are the points again:

Answer the mental question: Do I really believe?

Develop a clear vision.

Consider the resources needed.

Set a date with destiny.

Develop a plan to get there.  

Success Quote and Commentary

“Sow a thought and you reap an act; Sow an act and you reap a habit; Sow a habit and you reap a character; Sow a character and you reap a destiny.” — Samuel Smiles

Advertising is becoming ever more difficult and expensive. Air time during the nightly, network news is much more expensive, in inflation adjusted dollars, than a generation ago, yet none of these shows reaches anywhere near the market share that Walter Cronkite did. Getting the attention of Generation Y is the most challenging demographic for advertisers. They watch much less television (and fewer commercials), subscribe to fewer periodicals and listen to less commercial radio than the generations preceding them. This group has less brand loyalty than any other.

The reason for all this can be summarized in one word, according to Rob Dodson, President of Irvine based Vail Dunlap & Associates - technology. The web has replaced the nightly news, the iPod has replaced the radio and favorite shows can be downloaded sans commercials.” “The effect of technology goes deeper,” says Dodson. This generation is not only comfortable with change but expects it and sees it as positive. When they need to buy a new widget they do not just buy the same one they bought last time. They are more likely to research it via the web and text messaging their friends; thus the lack of brand loyalty. Tried and true is passé; new and improved is the norm.”

Given all this, Dodson says that advertising to Generation Y can be a tremendous challenge. Promotional products imprinted with a logo and advertising message CAN be very effective (rad, tight, sweet, whatever). Gen Y wears caps and t-shirts just like the rest of us; they use a wide variety of computer related products and they drive cars. If you use a cap or t-shirt, it needs to be a style they will relate to, low profile, sleeveless, moisturewicking, etc. If you get them to use your mouse pad, they may be seeing your message eight hours a day. The key is to have a quality pad (one that will work well with lightening fast games) and with a graphic that has appeal. On a cost per impression basis, this could be the most cost effective idea in history. Generation Y will continue to be elusive for advertisers. The right promotional product will possess three of the most important advertising attributes - highly targeted, affordable, and keeps the message in front of the target.

Money is great!  It makes the world go around. It motivates some to perform better for a while (in its pursuit), but that “superior” performance is usually short lived.  In the same respect, threats, barking orders and intimidation have never moved any team that I was on to surpassing goals and moving to new levels of productivity or creativity.  In 22 years of leading people, I have found that the essence of motivating team members comes from within.   That, if you really want to “reach in and touch” that inner part of a person (to find the piece that motivates, moves them past goals, and vests their loyalty), each person has to be treated as such - a person!  To motivate your team and catapult them to the next level, try these 4 “No Fail” strategies - all it costs is a little time and reflection.

These 4 “No Fail” strategies will help leaders inspire, motivate and build a covenant of trust with your team.  Trying them doesn’t cost a penny; they don’t need to be decided upon by a committee; and you should not be “faulted” for employing them (if you are, it’s time to find a new vocation).  All it takes is time, reflection and care.  Take the risk, step out, and connect with your people today.  The return on investing yourself in your people will provide a much greater reward than just the bottom line.

Many times an unknown person does something spectacular and suddenly becomes a “hero,” a public figure, an “overnight success,” the object of much envy.  Let’s explore this “overnight success” syndrome.

Most of us are not interested in doing anything of that nature, but it is safe to say that if we’re going to accomplish anything of significance, and particularly if we’re going to maintain that significance, long hours of planning and even more of hard work are required.  But it’s also safe to say it’s worth it because the effort is temporary but the satisfaction and rewards can be long-lasting.  Message: Give it your best shot and I will SEE YOU AT THE TOP!