Do you know the "secret" to success?

24 replies
Sorry, I hate to tell you this - but ...

There is NO "secret" to success. -- That's the problem.

Most people who say they want to succeed, go around all their life looking for some "secret" that people like me are sure to know. They just know that if they ever learn that "secret" they will be successful, too. -- Ain't gonna happen because there ain't any secret.

All they need to do is start "doing" something. -- That's all it takes. -- Once they start "really" doing something ... other than searching for the "secret" to success ... whatever they are doing will expand and grow into the success for which they couldn't find the secret.

Over the past 50 years in business, I have heard it thousands upon thousands of times from "success secret seekers" ...

"I ain't gonna get into no nickle and dime business. I want to make millions, not nickles and dimes."

So, they keep buying what they think are "secrets". They never "do" anything, longer than it takes to find out they didn't learn any secrets, they just learned how to "work" at something ... instead of making them rich. Then, they go on to the next "secret," hoping against hope that the new secret will "give" them the riches they seek (without doing anything other than knowing the "secret").

The funny thing is, they all seem to think they are better than me ... and all the other successful people ... because they honestly think that I just woke up one morning, learned the secret, and made a fortune. When, in pure fact, I started selling nickle and dime items, door to door, in my youth ... selling one item to one customer, one sale at a time, making a nickle or a dime on each sale.

As I matured, my endeavors expanded and grew ... changed course ... adapted to the ever changing economy ... moved onward and upward. Each instance of my growth predicated upon providing what my potential customers needed or wanted. Making sure that I gave more value in return for the value I received - and - even today, I still sell one item to one customer, one sale at a time.

The VAST MAJORITY of people who say they want to succeed, only want to succeed if they can make it all at once ... just one sale won't do it. They want big sales, or thousands of sales, immediately. -- So, when a new opportunity only produces a few sales, they move on rather than making those few sales over and over and over and over ... until those few sales have grown into thousands upon thousands of sales.

Most of them are looking for someone to help them do it, rather than looking for the tools they need to do it themselves.

If you want to succeed, "do" something. Let what you are "doing" lead you onward and upward until you have the success you seek. -- There are NO "secrets" to it.

Many people know the facts. -- Many people have the talent. -- Many people have the need. -- Many people have what it takes. -- But ... very, very few succeed because they are seeking the "secret" to success rather than doing something.

Jim
#secret #success
  • Profile picture of the author EconomicalDomains
    I think that the secret to success is hard work and determination. There are no "make x amount of dollars in 30 minutes". Anything worthwhile takes hard work and if you are not willing to work hard for it then it's not worthwhile. Trial and error, trail and error. . .
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    • Profile picture of the author jfstraw
      Originally Posted by EconomicalDomains View Post

      I think that the secret to success is hard work and determination. There are no "make x amount of dollars in 30 minutes". Anything worthwhile takes hard work and if you are not willing to work hard for it then it's not worthwhile. Trial and error, trail and error. . .
      But ... that isn't a secret.

      Jim
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      Having spent over 50 years in business; doing business successfully, J.F. (Jim) Straw now shares "Practical Instruction in the Arts & Sciences of Making Money" at the Business Lyceum. -- http://www.businesslyceum.com

      Who is J.F. (Jim) Straw? -- http://www.businesslyceum.com/JFStraw.html

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      • Profile picture of the author EconomicalDomains
        Originally Posted by jfstraw View Post

        But ... that isn't a secret.

        Jim
        Very true, very true. I'm with you, there is no "secret" to success. Just the old fashioned, proven method of a little elbow grease and hard work and determination. I think every successful person has that going for them.
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  • Profile picture of the author Chri5123
    Really good post!

    I read your other post and the main point you illustrate here interests me.

    Because it is SO true!

    Now don't get me wrong I am nowhere near your standards Jim, (not yet anyway!)

    I know who you are lol!

    All I can do is aspire to do the same.

    Although one thing I CAN say is that doing what you say in this post - actually "doing" rather than thinking, planning etc... has enabled me to break six figures last year, get a house, car and a few other "treats"!

    I look at it this way.

    If you put yourself in the position enough times you will get success.

    Weird analogy:

    If you want to get struck by lightning - run out of your house with a radio mast as soon as you see the first flash - keep doing it and you will get struck eventually.

    Making money is just the same as this.

    Spend time on the plan of course - but once you are ready to go - go ALL guns blazing and don't look back!

    Awesome post!

    Chris
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    • Profile picture of the author Cheree C
      This is something that I have had a problem with for a while--looking for the "secret". Not anymore from now on I have decided to take charge and create my own success by hopefully starting small and growing into an empire.
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  • Profile picture of the author aqif
    People always looking for secret because they want shortcut to win the game. As in the internet marketing world today, product that use 'secrets' as their headline still managed to persuade people to buy.

    I guess the 'secret' will never ends.
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  • Profile picture of the author theory expert
    Banned
    I was watching Oprah yesterday, and, she had Montel Williams, Sally Jessy Rapheal,Phil Donohue, and, Ricki Lake on the show.

    When she ask the guest about burning out. Montel said, he had just gotten out of active duty of the military(22 years), when he was taping the show he was doing 8 shows a day.

    It was easy, it wasn't hard to him.... Compared to the military.

    My interpretation: The harder you work the easier something becomes.
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  • Profile picture of the author talfighel
    I used to say that positive attitude is very important and is probably the most important aspect of success. I was a little wrong.

    Yes, you got to be positive and have a great positive mental attitude but taking the right action is as important as a positive attitude.
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    • Profile picture of the author Cheree C
      Originally Posted by talfighel View Post

      I used to say that positive attitude is very important and is probably the most important aspect of success. I was a little wrong.

      Yes, you got to be positive and have a great positive mental attitude but taking the right action is as important as a positive attitude.
      I agree both a positive attitude and taking action are both equally important. You have to always stay positive or you will let anything hold you back if you have the wrong attitude.

      Not only will you mess up your own day and waste time, but you may just mess up someone else's frame of mind with your negativity.
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  • Profile picture of the author vliddico
    Good philosophies in here. People refer to success as a secret because it eludes so many people because they do not understand the fundamentals.
    It's quite simple really.
    Form the Habits of doing the things you don't like to do (or outsource them).
    I have seen this in my real estate career, the only difference between success was sheer perseverance and doing the things that the failures didn't want to do. That is it.
    I.E Making phone calls for 1-2 hours every single day, or be in front of a client before 9am every day.
    In IM we can equate this to build a list every day, or e-mailing our list etc.
    I think its very important to buy your education from books,
    programs and the mistakes you make.
    The real problem is we aren't taught from the beginning of life that failing is 100% absolutely a part of winning, it needed and must be had. Embrace it just don't keep making the same mistakes again and again, that's just stupid.
    Anything worthwhile will come at a cost of time and money, but staying power and forming the correct habits will see you win out.
    "The common denominator of success—the secret of success of every person who has
    ever been successful—lies in the fact that "THEY FORMED THE HABIT OF DOING
    THINGS THAT FAILURES DON'T LIKE TO DO." Albert Gray
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    • Profile picture of the author Damian Kitchen
      Determination and motivation to succeed, without those 2, success is hard
      to come by
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      • Profile picture of the author Truxx
        The "secret" is nothing more than hope. People hope there is something out there that will easily give them the knowledge to be successful. They want to believe that there is "one thing" that will magically flip some switch in their brain to make all their dreams come true.

        People don't want to believe that key to success has been staring them right in the face their whole lives: Simple, hard, thoughtful work. Never giving up. Doing what others are unwilling to do.

        Where's the sexy in any of that? When most people start focusing on real action, the dream becomes harder to see. So they turn back to the next system, or WSO to give them that good feeling of what they could do. Pictures of fancy cars, PayPal account screenshots with thousands of dollars... AHHHH the sexy is back.

        If you really want to be a success at this then strip away any ideas of a glamorous, easy solution. Put one foot in front of the other, metaphorically speaking, and start taking simple but consistent steps toward your goals every chance you can get.
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  • Profile picture of the author murtuza
    I personally feel that the secret to success is all in the mind. It is the mindset that you possess. It is what goes between the ears.

    I failed miserably my first 3 years online and the main reason was not that I did not have knowledge or what to do, the main reason was that I did not have the mindset to achieve success.

    The book that really helped me alot was 'Think and Grow Rich'. I realised that to success you need a burning desire backed by strong faith and belief that you will succeed. A systematic way to plan out your end goal and take massive action to reach there. And you have to be persistent enough because if you get frightened with few failures on the way you will be kicked out easily. And finally you should have all this in place in a systematic way to achieve your end goal.

    Murtuza ---
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  • Profile picture of the author espe
    the secret is effort or in other words 'staying away from your couch'
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    • Profile picture of the author dhanediesil
      Thanks for starting this conversation,

      The REAL secret to success is that there isn't one.

      If you asked each person you passed on a daily basis you'd get different answers. Ultimately, the only real secret to success - if we had to say there was one - would be the one we uniquely create for ourselves.

      That's why it's important that we constantly develop our mindset.

      A while back, I published an interview I did with Aaron Darko that walks you through the process of developing and maintaining your entrepreneur mindset. Check it out here:

      A Mentor of Mine - Episode 03: How To Develop An Entrepreneur Mindset | Billionaire Belief | Wealth Creation Network

      Thanks again.

      And as always, make it a great day!

      To Your Abundant Success,
      Dhane Crowley
      Founder, Billionaire Belief
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  • Profile picture of the author RHert
    You all say there is no secret, and while what you say is true I'd still have to disagree.
    There is a secret, a secret that's been shouted from the rooftops and nobody's heard. It's that your success is already part of you. It always has been you just have to find it, and until you're ready for the success to come, until you don't actually fear that success (crazy sounding but most people do) you will find a way to sabotage your success.
    Stop sabotaging yourself, focus on giving others what they actually need and success instantly starts to find you.
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  • You say there is no secret... You are VERY wrong. The secret to sucessful is to be persistant.

    You think brad gross ever gave up when he didn't do good on his first wso?

    No he was persistant and kept trying.

    Now he is one of te most sucessful IM's alive...
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    • Profile picture of the author dhanediesil
      Originally Posted by DanDasilva15YearOldIM View Post

      You say there is no secret... You are VERY wrong. The secret to sucessful is to be persistant.

      You think brad gross ever gave up when he didn't do good on his first wso?

      No he was persistant and kept trying.

      Now he is one of te most sucessful IM's alive...
      If persistence is the secret then maybe that's why this world is in the situation it's in.

      Maybe that's why people are making millions per year selling persistent - effort for the most part? People know what they need to be doing, they just would rather pay to hear it from someone else.
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  • Profile picture of the author ymest
    Reminds me of myself...not long ago...the secret to everything...well I have found it!

    MASSIVE ACTION=MASSIVE RESULTS!
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