What does it take to achieve the life of your dreams?
Hey Moguls, Preston Ely here, and I’ve noticed that successful people have similar traits: 10 of them, to be exact. So if you’re serious about succeeding, take these 10 traits as law. Live by them.
We’ll cover the first 5 laws today and the next 5 next time.
Law #1: Desire/Passion
You want to be successful right? You want to live large?
How bad do you want it?
It’s not enough to just want success. Lots of people say that they want to be successful.
The people who succeed are the ones who can taste success. When you talk to them, you see the fire in their eyes. They are dead set on being financially free, providing for their families, meeting their goals.
I want you to be honest with yourself right now. Ask yourself—and think hard before you answer—how bad do you want it?
You gotta want it so bad that you won’t take no for an answer. Successful people know that no matter which direction they go, they’re going to succeed, because they want it.
Law #2 Stubborn Pigheaded Determination
“Don’t stop, won’t stop, can’t stop.”
~P Diddy
Chet Holmes says in his book, The Ultimate Sales Machine, that he’s noticed that successful people have 1 thing in common: stubborn pigheaded determination.
It’s not skill, talent, money or opportunity that makes someone successful. It’s stubborn pigheaded determination.
When I first got into real estate, I was broke. I had a horrible life. And eventually I had a breaking point.
I’ve noticed that when people have one of those moments, their lives change. These are often excruciatingly painful moments in life.
And how we handle those moments defines whether we succeed or fail.
The best example of this is “Stick Boy.”
So I ask Stick Boy if he’s going to keep trying to win at real estate. I mean, getting $50,000 stolen from you in your first deal is pretty discouraging.
But not to Stick Boy. It didn’t even faze him. He replied, “What are you talking about? Of course I’m gonna keep going.”
And today he’s a successful investor. All because he didn’t give up.
“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal—a commitment to excellence—that will enable you to attain the success you seek.”
~Napoleon Hill
Law #3 Willpower to Overcoming Resistance
When we haven’t achieved our dreams, we feel a tension inside ourselves. I think Steven Pressfield said it best:
“Most of us have two lives: the life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands resistance.
Have you ever felt that resistance when you started up a new exercise routine?
You know you’re supposed to get to the gym, but you feel this force holding you back. Even if you’re planning an easy workout, you just feel this resistance to doing things that are worth doing.
It’s not enough to think great thoughts and expect money to fly in. Think those thoughts. Then get to work—10 hours, maybe even 12 hours a day, 6 days a week—until you’re rich.
Every time you do that, you earn self-esteem points. Every time you overcome resistance, you earn self-esteem points.
You are always gaining or losing self-esteem points. And your self-esteem generally determines how other people feel about you, too.
But how do you overcome the resistance?
Play the movie forward…
You’re about to go to the gym and you feel resistance. Think through what’s going to happen if you don’t go: You’re going to feel guilty. You’re going to be way less healthy. You’re going to lose self-esteem points. Your wife’s gonna make fun of your gut.
Then think through what’s going to happen if you do go. If you want that positive outcome, you’ll be able to overcome the resistance.
Law #4 Self-Discipline
Discipline is everything. Discipline is what moves you through the pain. And believe me, the path to success is painful.
It’s the warriors, the champions, the athletes, the soldiers, the people who give their lives for what they believe in. Those are the people who succeed.
If I had to choose between myself and someone else dying, I’m ready to die. Seriously. I know where I’m going.
My friends have told me that’s why I’m dangerous. I’m not defined by my mistakes. I’m not defined by my business successes or failures. If I back $25,000 for my friend Hank to buy a gym and then it fails, that’s okay because it doesn’t define me.
I have the boldness and the courage to take risks. I’m a warrior. I’ll do anything. I’ll fight anybody.
“People who do not shrink from self-crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which their hearts are set.”
~James Allen
Law #5 Motivation
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing—that’s why we recommend it daily.”
~Zig Ziglar
You need constant motivation. I’m always in the middle of 10 books and at least 1 of them is always a motivational read that gets me really pumped.
Goals help you in motivation. If you’re not rich yet, you should be reading your goals out loud at the beginning of every single day. If you’re not willing to do that, then you’re not going to get rich.
Fear is one of the biggest motivators that we have. It’s not always bad to be motivated by fear. If you don’t get work you’re not going to have food. There’s a proverb that says the hunger of the worker urges him on.
I’ve noticed that the ultra-successful are motivated mainly by fear. And sometimes it can be unhealthy, but you can embrace some of that motivation that stems from fear because it will help you reach your goals.
Take Five
So there you have 5 laws to succeed by…
If you’re hungry for more, don’t worry, we’ll cover 5 more laws for success next time, including the difference between hard work and effective work. You don’t want to miss it.
Got Any?
What traits have you noticed in the successful people around you? Let me know below!
1. Consider the defining moments in your life. How did your response lead to success or failure?
2. Play the movie forward to overcome resistance.
3. Read your goals out loud every day.
Preston Ely
is a real estate investor, serial entrepreneur, life coach, musician and philanthropist. CEO of Real Freedom, Inc, one of the most influential internet-based information publishers in the world, owns the largest Anytime Fitness Gym in the United States, is recording a music album with Atlantic Records, sits on the board of Advocates Of Love Orphanage, and has a non-profit charity assisting the poor and oppressed in Cuba with both their physical and spiritual needs.
With over 200,000 subscribers to his email newsletter, he is rapidly fulfilling his mission on earth, which is to glorify God by setting people physically, mentally, financially, and spiritually free through his music and his message of FREEDOM. Preston is 37 years old, lives in Tampa, FL with his wife Ashley, where he spends most of his time reading, writing, and practicing mixed martial arts.