We all know the statistics, 95% of the world’s wealth, is owned by 5% of the world’s population.
Hardly, causes a flicker of the eyelids, means nothing to the average Australian. After all, you know how much you earn, and how much money you have in the bank, and you also know that you would like both those numbers to be more… right? And besides, a bread roll in Asia is one tenth the cost, so realistically, you only need one tenth of the money if you live there… makes sense to me!
But – There’s a few other statistics you may be interested in. Did you know, that out of every 100 men, aged 25 (yes, let’s be sexist for just one moment without having a meltdown), all of them start off enthusiastic, all of them think they will have a great life, but by the time they are 65, only 5 will achieve financial success and have the life that even remotely resembles their hopes and dreams. The rest will live with a bitter pill, called regret. Why do so many men (and women) fail to achieve the things they thought they would in life?
Theory suggests that the difference between the 5, and the 95, comes down to a number of factors. The first, and most important of which, is a clear goal. You must KNOW your outcome… Know it, see it, feel it, taste it, smell it. You need to have a clearly defined picture in your mind of exactly what you want, how it will look, feel, and what you will see once you have achieved it. It must be measurable and specific. A ship without a destination has no route.
The second thing that differentiates those who achieve success is a reason. Without a reason, the destination has no purpose. What is the purpose of achieving your goal, if you have no reason? Without a reason, a goal is nothing more than a nice dream, something you desire, but will not achieve. The secret here is that your reason, will be aligned with your highest values, for example, a person who’s highest value is family may have a goal of saving $100k to take a year off work to travel Australia, his reason might be to give his family a wonderful experience they will never forget. Another person may have the same goal, but their highest value might be adventure, so the reason for the goal would be vastly different. It doesn’t matter what your reason – as long as you have one you will have the motivation to persevere and achieve your goal.
The third difference our top 5% have is flexibility. This is not as easy to apply as the first two points. Flexibility is the ability to recognize when a particular behavior is not bringing the desired results, and then change the behavior. This can also mean letting go of ideas, letting go of grievances, making decisions quickly, accepting other people’s ideas, and seeking advice. Flexibility, particularly behavioural flexibility, is a personal characteristic that is exceptional. There’s a quote that says “The one who has the most behavioral flexibility, controls the game of life”. Learn to be flexible.
And finally, the fourth difference which leads to success, is the ability to take risks. Not stupid risks, but to be able to weigh up the pro’s and cons of a situation, and make a decision, then follow through.
So where in all this does intelligence and brute strength come into the success formula? Well the truth is, success has very little to do with being the fastest, best looking or getting the highest marks. The most important keys to success are there for everyone who is willing to change their mind.
Come and speak to us at Encompass about your mental strategy and leave regret for the other 95%.