What does it take to be successful?

by Doug Jackson, M.Ed.,CSCS

I deal with and see success and failure on a daily basis.

Because of this, I want to pose a question to you today.

It's this:

"What does it take to be successful in any given endeavor?"

Think about it for a minute.

Here are my answers to that question:

1) an inherent gift or talent that allows you to perform the given endeavor easier than most could.

2) focus and dedication

3) the right strategy (making the right choices)

4) you might be surprised at this one... luck. (and of course as the old saying goes 'the harder I work, the luckier I get'.

Why am I discussing this today?

Because most people aren't where they want to be. And most of those who aren't where they want to be will typically blame it on circumstances that they consider out of their control (this fits back into not having the talent, not having the right family background, not being lucky, etc.).

And you know what? They might have some valid points.

But here's the problem: Everytime we focus on why we can't do something, we're not focusing on solutions. We must ask ourselve the question:

"How can we overcome ________ obstacle?"

Ask the right questions and the answers will come.

When we eliminate extraneous variables and focus on our own actions, we'll find that having the right strategy, making the right choices, and our focus and dedication determine most of what we get in life.

Within my specific are of focus, fitness, many people are not getting the results they want because they are following the wrong strategies.

For example, a client of mine emailed a few days ago stating how a friend of hers is losing weight by drinking shakes for breakfast and dinner and having a light meal for lunch. My client asked if she could follow the same strategy.

As you might guess, I told her that the strategy wouldn't work for the long-term. The strategy was unsustainable, would quickly lead to a decreased metabolism, and more than 95% of the time, people who follow these dietary schemes end up heavier than when they started.

So this person will not succeed with the right strategy. (by the way if you want the right strategies for fat loss, you can sign up for my Advanced Fat Loss Strategies Newsletter

And lastly, people need focus and dedication. When it comes to achieving anything meaningful, results take time. Most of us have a tendency to want results very quickly, and when they don't come immediately, we lose our focus.

If you have the right strategy and maintain laser focus, you can accomplish almost anything.

If you are looking to change your body, my Fitness Now and Forever program takes the guess work out of fitness results. As one of my clients said, all you need to do is show up.

Dedicated to your health, fitness, and human potential,

Doug Jackson