HOW TO SUCCEED

Who doesn't desire success? It may seem peculiar to ask that question. Yet most the people you know will never achieve success. They'll dream about it. But most of them won't possess it. That's a big shame. Below are some of the steps to achieving success, series of research have been carried out on these steps by experts in the field of success led by John C. Maxwell.
      The seven steps to success include;

1. Make a commitment to grow daily:
        One of the greatest mistakes people make is that they have the wrong focus. Success doesn't come from acquiring, achieving, or advancing. It comes only as the result of growing. If you make it your goal to grow a little everyday, it won't be long before you begin to see results in your life. As the poet Robert Browning said, "Why stay on earth except to grow?"

2. Value the process more than events:
       Specific life events are good for making decisions, but it's the process of change and growth that has lasting value. If you want to go to the next level, strive for continual improvement.

3. Don't wait for inspiration:
       Basketball great Jerry West said,"You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good." The people who go far do so because they motivate themselves and give life their best, regardless of how they feel. To be successful, persevere.

4. Be willing to sacrifice pleasure for opportunity:
        One of the greatest lessons my father taught me was the principle of pay now; pay later. For everything in life, you pay the price. You choose whether you will pay it on the front end or the back end. If you pay first, then you will enjoy greater rewards in the end and those rewards taste sweeter.

5. Dream big:
        It doesn't pay to dream small. Robert J. Kriegel and Louis Patler, authors of if it Ain't Broke, Break it, assert,"We don't have a clue as to what people's limits are. All the tests, stopwatches, and finish lines in the world can't measure human potential. When someone is pursuing their limitations. The potential that exists within us is limitless and largely untapped.When you think of limits, you create them."

6. Plan your priorities:
       One thing that all successful people have in common is that they have mastered the ability to manage their time. First and foremost, they have organized themselves. Henry Kaiser, founder of Kaiser Aluminium and Kaiser Permanent Health Care, says,"Every minute spent in planning will save you two in execution."You never regain lost time, so make the most of every moment.

7. Give up to go up:
             Nothing of value comes without sacrifice. Life is filled with critical moments when you will have the opportunity to trade one thing you value for another. Keep your eyes open for such moments and always be sure to trade up, not down.

            If you dedicate yourself to these seven steps, then you will keep improving and you will be successful. Your growth may not be obvious to others all at once, but you will see your progress almost immediately. And though recognition from others may come slowly, don't lose heart. Keep working at it. You will succeed in the end.
            As you progress on this daily journey, use this book to jump-start your attitude and your insights. Read through the whole thing in a sitting or two. Then put it on your nightstand, in your car, or in your briefcase. When you have a moment, flip through its pages to remind you of what it means to achieve success.
            It's going to be an incredible journey! Sometimes you will experience excitement;other times, only discipline will carry you through. But always remember: Success is waiting for you to make the first move. Let's get started.

                                                                                                              John C. Maxwell