I first read that quote in a Tony Robbins book. I am not sure which one but when I read it I knew that it was a profound statement that if I were able to implement it would change my life. In many ways, it did. I recently came across another version or variation of that statement reading Brian Tracy’s book No Excuses.
Brian Tracy calls it the Law of Cause and Effect. I call it common sense. Why waste the time, energy and resources trying to figure out what has already been figured out. When I was a little boy, we used to love running through the woods and playing cowboys and Indians, Cops and Robbers or imagining that we were military commandos commissioned with overtaking some enemy stronghold. Regardless of the roles, we assumed on that day, we always followed the path through the woods that was cleared off by someone else. It would have been a waste of our time and energy to try and clear off a trail. The same is true for you. Follow the path that has already been successfully cleared.
Brian Tracy, says “if you do what other successful people do, over and over again, nothing can stop you from eventually enjoying the same rewards that they do. But if you don’t do what successful people do, nothing can help you.” In essence, what he is saying is that successful people are getting certain results because of how they think, organize their days, interact with others or any other number of variables.
Again, I have found this to be true, success always leaves clues. Whether, you are trying to build a successful marriage, business, or team, there is always someone or some group that has done what you are trying to do successfully. If you want a successful marriage, talk to those who you feel have a successful marriage or attend Marriage conferences or read books on how to improve some aspect of your marriage. The point is to find out what couples do on a consistent basis to ensure that their marriage is successful.
If you want to be more productive, find out what and how the Ben Franklin’s and Elon Musk’s and even the Brian Tracy’s of the world maintain their high levels of productivity. I guarantee you it is not by accident or happenstance. I guarantee you that they are very strategic about how they use their time and even how they think about time. The motivated person can learn those principles and put them into practice and as a result become more productive.
Success is available to all of us. The business owner need only study the likes of a Jeff Bezo or Steve Jobs. The musician can study the attitudes and work ethic of their favorite artist. The Politician can look to the success of others in the field of politics. How they networked. How they crafted and communicated a message. Success is available to all of us. The challenge for us then is to find out what they did to be successful and then do what they did.
I am now reading books by Coaches Nick Saban, Head Coach of the University of Alabama football team and Urban Meyers, Head Coach of the Ohio State University football team. Why? Because they know something about building healthy cultures, which support successful teams. They are arguably two of the best at what they do.
When I wanted to learn how to develop myself as a leader and those around me as leaders, I studied and continue to study John Maxwell. John Maxwell has built a successful career and business, helping others become the best version of themselves and in turn, helping those they lead to become the best versions of themselves. His success has ultimately led to the success of countless others in the personal growth and leadership development space.
Understanding this principle is the quickest way of moving toward the level of success, you desire. But there is another principle, which sadly is often under-utilized—the law of intentional implementation.
Another clue that the successful leave is that of the wisdom of implementation. They implement what they learn. And if we want the level of success they have accomplished, we must understand that they have left us valuable information but we must be willing to do something with the information. We must be willing to implement or act upon the information. If the information says to me that in order to be effective and efficient, it is recommended that I plan my day out the night before and I am reluctant or refuse to act on that information then I should not be surprised at the end of the week by my lack of productivity. We must be willing to implement the information received.
There was a time when I worked hard to erase any deficiencies in knowledge that I possessed. I read hundreds of books, magazine articles, and pamphlets on a wide array of subjects, like religion, history, spirituality, success, philosophy and psychology just to name a few. The process left me with tremendous knowledge but where I was lacking was in the implementation.
We are living in an age of information and increasingly more and more, information is currency. The problem is we are so inundated with information that for some it creates a form of mental paralysis. We have to get to a place where we understand that the knowledge is as much for our transformation as it is for just the accumulation of information. We have to use the information for the transformation of our situation and circumstances.
Therefore, my reading up on the importance of culture in developing winning teams is not so I can impress you with the information. I am reading so that I can transform the culture of the context I am currently leading. It does me no good to have that information sequestered in my head, I need it residing and resonating in the hearts of those I am privileged to serve. I will never reach the level of success of those storied programs if I am not willing to go the additional step and deposit those same principles in those I lead.
Every successful person I know understands and utilized the law of cause and effect as well as the law of intentional implementation. They are persons of great influence, passionate leaders, multi-millionaires who continue to make a tremendous impact on the world around them. And the truth is we all have that latent potential, we must be willing to do what the successful do, in whatever field of endeavor. Success really does leave clues. And we are living in a day and time, where those clues are more available to us than ever before, which ultimately means that you are closer than you have ever been to experiencing the level of success you have always dreamed of.
Paul D. Flowers, Sr. 