JST 93 – How to get results: 5 keys and one magic bullet
“The greatest fear people have is that of being themselves. They want to be 50 Cent or someone else.
They do what everyone else does even if it doesn’t fit where and who they are.
But you get nowhere that way; your energy is weak and no one pays attention to you.
You’re running away from the one thing that you own – what makes you different.”
– Curtis Jackson (aka 50 Cent), Rapper AND entrepreneur
Photo courtesy of TigerDirect.com
The “how-to” industry is founded on a simple premise; that the best way to be successful is to copy the behaviours of someone who’s getting the results you want to get. While there is a grain of truth in this idea (which we’ll touch on later), the more common effect is that it sells lots of books, feeds into the outside-in illusion, and dilutes the reader’s impact in the world. In this article, we’re going to explore the true source of results.
So let’s start with the flawed but compelling logic of the “step-by-step” success process: “If you want to be successful, find someone who's already done it and copy what they did.” It makes sense, doesn't it? But there's a subtle yet catastrophic flaw in the logic. You see, the “step-by-step copy” approach just might work if you were buying into a burger franchise or opening a chain of laundromats. But the “step-by-step copy” approach just doesn't work when it comes to the core of being who you are, doing what you love and giving your authentic gifts to the world. Here's why; let's assume that every person of high integrity who's selling a “step-by-step success process” is sharing something they've created themselves, and that's worked for them. As they've created it, they've strengthened their “innovation muscles”, honed their intuition, clarified their sense of direction and found their authentic voice.
They've become a leader; they’ve stepped into the spotlight, risked criticism and failure. And that's at the heart of why you can't just “cut and paste” their success strategies and make them work…
1) You have to grow your own. When you try to copy a guru's “step-by-step success process”, you get the fruits of their labours (the techniques and strategies) but you don't get the tree that grew the fruit. The power behind their success doesn't come from the strategies – it comes from their intuition, their creative process, their authenticity and their resilience. But you can’t buy those; you have to grow your own.
2) You need to be a leader. The moment you think that someone else's knowledge is more useful to you than your own intuition, you've given your power away. When you tell yourself “they know but I don't”, you've gone from being a leader (someone who's inspired to share their gifts with the world) to being a follower; in the process, you've surrendered the position of strength you need to create success.
3) Being utterly yourself is your greatest differentiator. In the over-crowded modern marketplace, your most powerful differentiator is your authenticity, your own uniqueness. Being utterly yourself is like a beacon that shines out and resonates with people. But when you stand up to be counted, you're going to be criticised. Most people would rather fail at pretending to be someone they're not than be criticised for being who they really are. When you try to take the “safe” way, and copy an expert, it dulls your authenticity.
4) You have to strengthen your creative process and your intuition. That's the source of the innovation that people are going to pay for. But when you tell yourself “I don't know how” and look to someone else to do it for you, two of your most valuable assets become weak and flabby.
5) You need to find your peace, security and wellbeing within yourself. This is perhaps the most important thing of all. If you're looking to money, clients or business success to make you feel good about yourself, and about life, that's the definition of neediness. It makes you desperate – desperate to close the deal, desperate to make the money – and that drives people away, because desperation stinks.
YOU are the “magic bullet” you've been searching for…
– The thing that people want from you is your leadership, but when you pretend that someone else knows more about how to live your life than you do, you become a follower…
– The thing that differentiates you is your authenticity, but when you try to copy other people, you become just the same as everyone else…
– The thing that allows you to grow an innovative business is your intuition and creativity, but when you buy into the idea that you need to use someone else's process, those muscles get weak and flabby…
– The thing that attracts people is your being and energy, but when you're running away from it, they don't resonate with you…
– Your security, wellbeing, happiness and freedom come from inside you, but when you're looking outside yourself for them, it makes you needy and unattractive…
And the seed of truth in the “copy the behaviours” theory? While there are certainly skills and abilities you can develop by modelling others, you need to be grounded in the “inner” qualities of leadership for them to be effective. And the fastest way to develop those is by increasing your clarity of understanding. This understanding is at the heart of all my work these days, and is having a profound impact on the results my clients and I are creating. If you want to look more deeply into the 5 keys, the one magic bullet and the secrets of becoming an awakened entrepreneur, you can learn more at https://www.jamiesmart.com/awakened-entrepreneur/
To your increasing clarity,
Big love
Jamie
P.S. I’ve now got 7 places left for my final 'Project Glasswing' programme of 2015, launching at the end of October. Here’s what I’m looking for:
– You are a coach, therapist or change-worker (Eg. Sports coach, psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, business coach, bodyworker, homeopath etc)
– You have at least one year’s experience of working with clients (either paid, pro-bono or both)
– You probably charge by the hour, but want to use a “coaching package” model to increase your income and make it more consistent
– You have space in your practice to work with at least one longer term contract client, starting in November
– You’re an enthusiastic, friendly people-person
– You have a coachable spirit, and are willing to step out of your comfort zone if necessary, and
– You can keep a secret
If that’s you, then just email me at info@jamiesmart.com, and let me know where you’re located and a little about yourself (if you don’t know what to tell me about, look at the list above for inspiration). NB: Make the subject line “Project Glasswing JST”. I’ll be choosing people in the next couple of weeks. Talk to you soon! J