What is the truth about what it really takes to succeed? Most people have no idea, as if they
did, they would be successful.
I came across a powerful video that really sums up what it takes to be successful. I can relate to this video, as I’ve made many sacrifices and put in countless hours of hard work to get to where I am in my life today. This is something that all successful people that I know of have in common. If you’re wondering about the truth of what it really takes to achieve success, then this video should inspire and motivate you.
Check out the video below:
What Does It REALLY Take To Be Successful?
When you ask people if they want to be successful, most will respond, “Of course I do!” But the truth is, most people DO NOT WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL. Why? Because most people have many negative inner conflicts that are holding them back and preventing them from success.
If you’re currently struggling and not getting the results you want out of life, it’s because you WANT success. If you truly want to be successful, then WANTING is not enough – you must be COMMITTED to being successful.
People that are successful are COMMITTED to success. People that struggle and get no results only WANT success.
When someone is committed to success, they’ll do whatever it takes. This is the attitude that I had years ago and it transformed my life. When people say, “I want to be successful”, what they’re really saying is, “I’ll take it if it falls in my lap.” Wanting alone is useless. Wanting something rarely ever leads to “having”.
How do I know this? Because millions of people around the world WANT success, yet very few HAVE it.
Committing yourself to success means you hold nothing back and give 100% of what you’ve got. It means you’re willing to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes. No excuses, ifs, ands, or buts – and failure is NOT an option.
Are you willing to make sacrifices in your life? People that are successful are.
Are you willing to give up your weekends and work 16 hours a day? People that are successful are.
Are you willing to invest money into yourself through coaching and seminars? People that are successful are.
Are you willing to eat ketchup and mustard sandwiches to save money? People that are successful have.
Are you willing to take risks? People that are successful are.
That’s it. That’s what it comes down to. It’s the truth about success.
In my book Life Mastery, I talk about how I was willing to live in my friends living room for a year so that I could get ahead. I’ve once worked 48 hours straight once without sleeping (only to take bathroom breaks and to eat pre-made sandwiches). I’ve worked many Friday and Saturday nights to get ahead in my businesses, while my friends were going out and partying. I followed a strict diet for 6 months straight while preparing for a fitness competition, having to miss out on eating out with friends or drinking. I even shared dorm rooms with people in parts of the world, working on a bunk bed until 4AM while everyone else was sleeping or out partying. I’ve made many sacrifices to get to where I am today and it’s all been worth it.
What are you willing to do? Are you going to be the type of person that WANTS success or is COMMITTED to it?
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There’s no doubt that Arnold Schwarzenegger is an incredible success story. The fact that he was an immigrant from Austria and pursued his dream of coming to America to become the worlds greatest bodybuilder, the highest paid actor, and eventually Governor of California is very inspiring.
Arnold has been a role model for my life in many ways and someone that I’ve always looked up to. I recently was given his latest book, Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story for Christmas which motivated me to write this blog post about some of the secrets of success that I’ve learned from him. I will note that I’ve also read other books on Arnold, such as The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding and The Governator which have provided me a lot about his life story. I’m also fans of his films, especially Pumping Iron which has motivated me over the years for physical fitness.
I’m going to attach a video to this blog post of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 6 Rules For Success that he gave as a speech at his USC Commencement Address. I found it very inspiring and motivating to listen to at various stages of my life.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 6 Rules For Success
1) Trust Yourself
Whatever your dream or calling is, you need to trust yourself and pursue it. You can’t listen to the naysayers or follow the path of your parents or family members, but rather discover what your mission is and go after it. Arnold’s family wanted him to be a police officer like his father, or play a “normal” sport like soccer instead of pursuing bodybuilding, but he knew deep down inside that isn’t what he wanted. He had to go against what others wanted for him so that he could forge his own path of success
“What is most important is that you have to dig deep down, dig deep down and ask yourselves, who do you want to be? Not what, but who.
And I’m talking about not what your parents and teachers want you to be, but you. I’m talking about figuring out for yourselves what makes you happy, no matter how crazy it may sound to other people.”
Arnold knew that he had a burning desire to leave Austria and move to America to become a bodybuilding champion. He showed up in America with no money and was taken under the wing of Joe Weider and took massive action towards his dream of becoming Mr. Olympia. Arnold’s decision was criticized by his family. In fact, his mom thought that Arnold was gay because he would have posters of bodybuilders on his wall in the bedroom. But, despite the criticism, he went after what he wanted.
I can somewhat relate to his story, as for me growing up my family always had a “family business”. I worked in the business growing up and my Dad wanted me to eventually take over the family business for him. While I would have made a good amount of money doing this, I knew deep down inside that this wasn’t my passion or calling and decided to quit and start my own business when I was 21 years old. I created a seminar and coaching business, which was totally foreign to my parents and I underwent some judgement for it, but I was passionate about it and it made me happy. Once I eventually became successful at it, I eventually won their support.
What would my life been like if I continued working in the family business? Who knows. I can say that I’m so grateful and happy that I decided to quit and pursue my own path, otherwise I wouldn’t have the life I have today and definitely wouldn’t be writing this blog post to you.
Trust yourself no matter what anyone else thinks.
2) Break The Rules
You have to be willing to step outside of the box and try something different. For Arnold, he had to go against the norm in the movie industry as he didn’t fit the criteria of a movie star. All of the agents turned him down at first saying that his body was overly sized, he had an accent that nobody could understand, and his last name was nearly impossible to pronounce. But that didn’t stop him, and eventually those liabilities turned out to be assets for him and have made him famous for who he is today. Sure enough, Arnold became the highest paid actor in Hollywood and is world famous because of the fact that was different from others.
“It is impossible to be a maverick or a true original if you’re too well behaved and don’t want to break the rules. You have to think outside the box. That’s what I believe. After all, what is the point of being on this earth if all you want to do is be liked by everyone and avoid trouble?”
I can relate to this rule as in order to be successful as a coach, leader, or blogger – you can’t be doing the same as everyone else. I believe you need to be different in some way, and I attempt to do that with my videos and the way I do things. Some people have criticized me for being a certain way or using certain language in my videos, but for me, I am being myself and happy with who I am. Yes, I am going to offend people in the process, but I know one thing: trying to please everyone is a sure-fire way to failure. As a result, I’ve built an amazing base of loyal followers that constantly e-mail me and enjoy my video and blog.
3) Don’t Be Afraid To Fail
Even though Arnold is a massive success, he’s had many failures along the way. He’s lost bodybuilding championships, has made some horrible movies, made mistakes as Governor of California, and has even gone through an ugly divorce with Maria Shriver. One thing that he mentions is that none of the success would have been possible for him if he was fearful of failure. It’s because of Arnold’s confidence and belief in himself to take risks that has made him successful.
“You can’t be paralyzed by fear of failure or you will never push yourself. You keep pushing because you believe in yourself and in your vision and you know that it is the right thing to do, and success will come. So don’t be afraid to fail.”
This used to be a huge block for me in my life, and I can say it is for many of the people that I meet and coach. I used to be a perfectionist, until I realized that perfection is the lowest stand that you can have because it’s impossible to be perfect. Perfection is just a way to beat yourself up and is generally based on a fear of failure. If you’re afraid to fail, then you’ll never take action towards anything in life.
I’ve had many failures in my life. I remember putting on seminars and events and having nobody show up for them. Or spending months creating a product and then promoting it to my mailing list or website, only to have nobody buy it. Months of time, effort, and money gone down the toilet. But I never viewed it that way. I believed that every experience, good or bad, is an asset because I can learn from it. And throughout all my failures, I did learn and have become better as a result. It’s because of my failures that I am successful today.
4) Don’t Listen To The Naysayers
You will have a lot of people that will tell you that it can’t be done or that you can’t do something. You need to ignore them and decide to go after what you want anyways. If you believe them, then you won’t get anywhere in life. You can’t let their limits or beliefs stop you and hinder your mindset in any way.
“As a matter of fact, I love it when someone says that no one has ever done this before, because then when I do it that means that I’m the first one that has done it. So pay no attention to the people that say it can’t be done.”
As mentioned earlier, Arnold received a lot of criticism when he decided to move to America, pursue bodybuilding, become an actor, and run for governor. But he didn’t listen to the naysayers. He had confidence and belief in himself and went after it anyways, proving others wrong in the process.
If you want any amount of success in your life, you need to have the same level of confidence and belief in yourself. Arnold references to visualizing a lot as a secret of his success, as he is constantly visualizing his goal or dream coming to fruition. When you visualize something, your brain believes it is actually happening as it can’t tell the difference between something that is real or imagined. As a result, your brain believes that it’s true and it gives you confidence as you’ve seen yourself be successful again and again. This is a technique that I use often, and is something I’ve learned from the book Psychocynertics by Maxwell Maltz.
5) Work Your Butt Off
To achieve any amount of success in life, you need to work hard. Arnold Schwarzenegger is notorious for his inhuman work ethic. I remember reading in his other books about how he would workout for hours out of the day, work his physical labour brick-laying job, and attend business courses at university all at the same time. He slept only 6 hours a night and worked extremely hard to achieve his success.
“But when you’re out there partying, horsing around, someone out there at the same time is working hard. Someone is getting smarter and someone is winning. Just remember that. Now, if you want to coast through life, don’t pay attention to any of those rules. But if you want to win, there is absolutely no way around hard, hard work.”
Reading about how hard Arnold Schwarzenegger works was incredibly inspiring to me. It really showed me what was possible and that in order to be successful you may need to make some sacrifices. I’ve had times during my life where I wasn’t going out for months and was locked away in my apartment building my business. I used to pull all-nighters and work 18 hours a day, sleeping only a mere six. While it was challenging, at the same time, I made the most progress and growth during those times of my life and have no regrets. It’s that killer instinct, that hunger, that really gets you beyond everyone else and can make you a success.
I’ve always figured out that there 24 hours a day. You sleep six hours and have 18 hours left. Now, I know there are some of you out there that say well, wait a minute, I sleep eight hours or nine hours. Well, then, just sleep faster, I would recommend.
Because you only need to sleep six hours and then you have 18 hours left, and there are a lot of things you can accomplish. As a matter of fact, Ed Turner used to say always, “Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise.”
6) Give Back
Arnold’s final rule is about giving back. He believes that in any path you take in life, you must always find a way to give back to your community, to your state, or your country. He talks about reaching out to help people bringing immense satisfaction and joy to ones life, more than success itself.
“Let me tell you something, reaching out and helping people will bring you more satisfaction than anything else you have ever done. As a matter of fact today, after having worked for Special Olympics and having started After School Programs, I’ve promoted fitness, and now with my job as governor, I can tell you, playing a game of chess with an eight-year-old kid in an inner city school is far more exciting for me than walking down another red carpet or a movie premiere.”
This is an important rule, as I feel contribution is one of our needs to be truly fulfilled. Most people have a scarcity mindset and are only focused on themselves, not realizing that you’ll never be ultimately happy through focusing on yourself. It’s when you get outside of yourself and make a difference in someone else’s life that your life really has a sense of meaning and fulfillment. The reason why relationships and friendships are so fulfilling is because there is a sense of contribution in them. You need to contribute and give in some way to build a relationship, otherwise you’ll be alone and empty. The more you give, the happier you will feel.
I feel a great sense of fulfillment through my blog, videos and products that I release. I especially feel it when I receive so much positive feedback and love from people on here, in my inbox, on Facebook, and on comments on my videos. It reminds me why I do what I do and motivates me to keep going. It brings a lot of joy and fulfillment in my life that I am able to help others with their lives. It’s my mission and purpose in life.
The Mindset Of A Champion
Schwarzenegger claims that it’s his mindset that has created all of the success in his life. It’s his mind that would allow him to get up early and stay up late, to push beyond failure and his current limitations, and to visualize what he dreamed of and make it happen. I’ve learned that your mind is your most powerful tool in manifesting the life you want.
“I would always ask people, “Why do you want to be a champion?” and people would say, “I want to get more muscular and maybe enter a bodybuilding contest”, and I would say, “Sit down. If you think this way, you’re going to be a loser. There’s no maybe. You have to get up and say ‘I want to be a champion, and I’ll do whatever it takes’”.
Arnold has a “whatever-it-takes” mentality that has helped him succeed. As mentioned earlier, it’s his supreme confidence and determination that has made him who he is. There’s no doubt, if’s, and’s or but’s in his mind. He is completely certain and congruent with what he wants.
Let me ask you, what if you had that same level of thinking with your goals?
What if by this moment forward, your proclaimed that you would do WHATEVER IT TAKES to become successful and achieve your goals?
Failure is not an option for Arnold, and nor should it be for you.
“You can develop hunger by creating a goal for yourself, a short-term goal and a long-term goal, and you must go after it. If you do not see it and believe it, then who else will?”
Arnold Schwarzenegger Resources
As mentioned, I’m a huge Arnold Schwarzenegger fan and have watched all his movies and read many of his books. If you want to learn more about this incredible inspiration and success story, I recommend that you check out some of his books and even films about his life. Below I’ve linked to some resources that are worth checking out, along with some YouTube videos that I enjoy and inspire me.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Inspirational Books & Movies:
Below I’ve listed a few of my favourite Arnold Schwarzenegger books and movies that inspire me and motivate me. I’ve linked them all to Amazon for you to check out.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Hopefully you learned a few important life lessons on how to be successful. If you’re an Arnold fan, I would love to hear what you think by commenting below!
I am also the Arnold's fan as I never missed his movies or stories and was glad to share this with all of you as we go after our own dreams and hopes. I wanted to share this blog from Stefan and as with my other Disney's Daily quotes I am sure most of the Arnold's fans will appreciate this and this video is just another way for us to motivate in our life's journey to be successful in whatever we chose to do and never give up to embrace failures to push harder to reach our goals!
Success is directly related to the thoughts that you have in your head. But thoughts aren't enough. It also comes down to the action that you take. When you combine positive and constructive thoughts with action and discipline, you're well on your way to achieving your goals. Today, we have a guest post from Zak Khan from Daywriter who shares with us 10 promises you must make to yourself to live a successful and fulfilling life.
Enter Zak
The idea behind making a promise is to be a man or woman of your word and honor such promises. It not only defines you as a person but builds a level of trust and discipline within yourself which in turn contributes to your self-image and confidence. Below, I outline 10 promises you must make to yourself in order to live a successful and fulfilling life.
1. I promise never to give up
It's not an easy promise to keep but giving up is the same as taking the easy way out which isn't the route to be taking. Trying and failing is better than failing to try. There are lessons to be learnt from both failure and success. The only way to experience and learn these lessons is through your will to keep trying and never give up.
2. I promise to stay true to who I am
Chances are you will be faced with decisions that will test you. These tests may require decision making that could define the person that you are. It is at times like these that you remember Who you are, the values you stand for and the teachings of your elders. Don't lower your standards, stoop low or attempt to be someone you shall dislike.
3. I promise to respect and be trustworthy
Respect and trust are 2 features that strengthen the bond of any relationship. It is the bonds we have that keep us grounded, remind us of our humanity and hold us up when we are destined to fall. Respect and Trust is but a 2 Way Street - what you give to others is what others will give to you.
4. I promise that I will love without holding onto baggage
Heartbreak and betrayal is hard to avoid as a whole, we're all bound to experience it a few times in our lives but it is these past memories of heartbreaks and betrayal that should not influence the way we give our love to those in our present and in our future. Leave the past where it belongs - In the Past!
5. I promise to pursue my dreams
Dreams are what gives a person purpose, without them we are just wondering around aimlessly. It's saddening and disheartening to meet so many people that give up on their dreams and never being able to grab the opportunity again. If you have a desire and passion for something, go and get it, live your dream and live happy.
6. I promise not to be a control freak
It's sort of compelling and obsessive to try and control everything in your life, make sure everything goes according to the way you plan it but don't forget that the greatest of planners is God. You can't control every single element in your life because all it does is kill any room for spontaneity.
7. I promise to have fun
We get so caught up in everything else that we forget what it feels like to simply have fun. It's why we remember life as a kid being so wonderful compared to being an adult. Have fun - do the things that make you laugh hysterically or scared out of your wits. Let loose and Live.
8. I promise to celebrate small wins
Yes, we work so hard on the bigger picture that the small things we accomplish are just brushed off. Celebrate every little win and accomplishment and give meaning to them. It's in these little victories that we are able to get up after every fall and continue walking on.
9. I promise to believe in myself
If no one else will, why don't you? The biggest investment you can ever make in life is the investment you make in yourself. Things may not always pan out but the beauty of it is that you will never lose out on the person that you are. Work at believing in your talents, your great qualities, go out there and seize the moment. You have 1 life, spend it believing in your abilities and achieving everything you put your mind to.
10. I promise to always cherish my loved ones
Life alone is lonely....if that makes sense. We as humans together create a complete team. This team creates new members and so forth. We are all dependent on each other to exist, most importantly, the family and ones you love. Treat them with love, respect and honor. Cherish these people you have in your life, there are people out there who don't have anyone.
Share and start to live your life, in taking chances every day and be happy:
A few days ago we discussed the reason why Tony Robbins believes the rich get richer and poor get poorer. What he did was sketch 4 boxes on a notepad and explained the reasons for why the successful keep having success and the unsuccessful do not. This article is to further discuss his 4 box diagram in order to get a better understanding of how to build momentum for your success. If you haven’t seen the video already, I highly recommend you click on the link above before reading any further.
Build Momentum For Continuous Success
Potential
In the video, Tony Robbins states that the potential for any human being is there and that the “market has already proven that”. The problem however resides in the fact that most people already have a predetermined belief about what their true potential is.
They may believe that their true potential is not on the level of greatness or that their ability to succeed is lower than that of someone else, when in fact they are just as capable. The solution is to believe, to truly believe that you’ve got as much potential as someone who’s already been successful.
Action
You must take action! If you have the potential but take no action, you get lousy results. Get your foot out the door and get dirty in the mud, or else all hope is lost. No matter how much potential you have, without action there is no success.
You must believe that you have a lot of potential in order for you to be willing to take a lot of action. A person who already believes they have the skills to be one of the best soccer players in the world will work harder than someone who is already putting limitations on themselves.
Results
If you take little action, you will receive lousy results. Even if you take a lot of action but you don’t believe you have the potential, then your results will simply confirm your beliefs.
In order to get the results you want, you must first believe that you have a lot of potential in order for you to take the massive action required to get the desired results.
Belief
People do not believe in their own potentialor the fact that they’ll one day become a success story. Without the belief, people begin to tap into even less potential which causes little action and therefore awful results.
You must ultimately believe from the bottom of your heart, your guts, and your instincts that you have the potential to be as good as anybody else. You must admit to yourself that it is inevitable you will be successfulone day. That is the only way to have sustained belief.
You can build momentum for success starting today. Start thinking of periods in your life where you had absolute belief in yourself, things you excelled at, times when you took massive action, and moments when you got the results you so desired. Now combined all those memories in your life and tell yourself that no step is ever impossible to achieve. You’ve been successful before; you sure as hell can do it again!
“It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”
