Why do some people with lots of potential and seemingly all the necessary skills seem to achieve so little in their lives while others accomplish goal after goal?
Why do some people become high-achievers only to quickly burn out, while others are more resilient and able to sustain their high levels of success over a long period of time?
What sets those high achievers apart and enables them thrive while they do things, reach goals and accomplish what others don’t or seemingly can’t?
It isn’t magic or luck that makes a high-achiever soar and maintain high performance without the crash and burn effect. There are a few key principles that high-achievers know and follow.
These principles are simple enough to memorize in less than five minutes. They are also powerful enough to quickly take anyone who applies them to their daily life, from average to high-achiever. The key is consistent application of the following ten principles.
The first principle is: mastery enables achievement.
High achievers know that neither magic nor luck will bring them sustainable levels of high achievement. And while natural talent may open some doors, high-achievement requires them to hone their skills and talents to the highest level possible. High achievers don’t wait for their skills and talents to become perfect before taking action, but they do continue developing them from day to day and achievement to achievement.
The second principle is: passion powers achievement.
You already know how difficult it can be to stick to something you don’t enjoy or have little interest in doing. By default this would make the mastery principle, a daunting challenge at best. Not only do high-achieving people know this, they embody the second principle and focus on doing what they love or are passionate about. High achievers invest their energy and resources into things that they are passionate about, making them more likely to reach their goals and achieve more in their endeavors.
The third principle is: fear is part of life and no excuse.
Fear is one of our most common companions that people share in life. Fear tells us to analyze the risk of a situation to our wellbeing, be it personal or professional. High-achievers learn to acknowledge that fear serves a purpose, but it does not have the power to stop us from our achievements unless we allow it to do so. They learn to analyze risk, take necessary and reasonable precautions against grave danger and keep moving toward their goals.
The fourth principle is: to know oneself is to engage a friend and disarm an opponent.
One of the biggest hurdles most people face in achieving their goals is self-sabotage. It shows up in many ways such as self-doubt, self-criticism and negative self-image. High-achievers know that everyone goes through moments of doubt about themselves and that we each have our own special triggers for these negative thoughts. They take the time to understand what sets them off and triggers their doubts and the negative self-talk in which we all occasionally indulge.
High-achievers learn to disarm their inner critic by questioning how true those negative thoughts are or aren’t. They engage their inner confidant by pointing out their good intentions, other accomplishments and listing some of their positive inner values. High-achievers don’t allow self-sabotaging behaviors to get in their way. They learn to manage and steer them into more positive thoughts and behaviors, and they maintain a positive outlook toward themselves and the world around them.
The fifth principle is: high achievement happens on purpose with purpose.
High-achievers set out and make plans to reach big, meaningful goals. They achieve great things and reach success by aligning their goals to what is most important to them and creating action plans that move them forward.
If you want to leverage your full potential and become a high-achiever, apply the above principles to your personal and professional life daily. If you want to become a resilient high-achiever and be at the top of your game for a long time, add in the next five principles. By increasing your resiliency, you can lessen the impact of the pressures that can be associated with high achievement.
The sixth principle: achievement is applied knowledge.
High-achievers know that the more they learn and know, the more possibilities they create not only for achieving their own goals, but for greater, yet undefined goals. They actively seek and accept help and advice from those who have knowledge and experience in the areas they seek to master.
The seventh principle: the more powerful the engine, the farther you can go.
High-achievers know going it alone puts a lid on the level of success one can reach and creating community takes that lid off or at least raises the limit as the community grows. They work to build supportive relationships as they pursue their goals.
The eighth principle: look on the bright side of things.
Resilient high-achievers focus on the positive and on possibility. They look at the value of a lesson-learned and how and what can work in a given situation rather than focusing on the negative. For resilient high-achievers success is both the goal and the contingency plan, as well as a state of mind.
The ninth principle: learn to bend so you don’t break in the storm.
Resilient high-achievers recognize that life is often a rapidly changing playing-field and flexibility and adaptability are crucial to moving ahead even through turbulence. Refusing to try a different approach or take a different path in achieving your goals can create unnecessary stress and drain you of the energy and momentum you need to succeed.
The tenth principle: you are more than the sum of your achievements.
Resilient high-achievers understand that their goals and achievements do not represent them as a whole person. They realize that they have value inherent in their being and humanity and not just what they have or will accomplish. They value and take care of themselves physically, mentally and emotionally.
Want to be a high-achiever? Go ahead. You already have what it takes. You don’t need magic or luck. Just apply these ten simple principles to your life. Start today and see what happens.
What are the top three things you want to achieve this year? This month? Today?
What is getting in your way?
Get in touch with me if you’d like my support in figuring out the blocks and moving from where you are to where you want to be as a leader in your organization and the leader of your life.
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Photo credit: Alina Wong, Unsplash
