“Success is your choice.” Easy for John C. Maxwell to say, right?
As a New York Times bestselling author of dozens of leadership books, Maxwell has become a mentor to millions who have one goal: to become successful.
He says what often holds people back from actually realizing that goal is believing talent is behind every successful person’s achievements.
“If talent alone were enough, then why would you and I know highly talented people who are not highly successful?” he asks readers of Success is a Choice.
Instead, Maxwell argues that successful people make 14 choices that add value to their talent.
These are the first 3 choices he recommends people make if they want to become successful:
- Believe in Yourself
“The first and greatest obstacle to success for most people is their belief in themselves. Once people figure out where their sweet spot is (the area where they are most gifted), what often hinders them isn’t lack of talent. It’s lack of trust in themselves, which is a self-imposed limitation.
Lack of belief can act as a ceiling on potential. However, when people believe in themselves, they unleash power in themselves and resources around them that almost immediately take them to a higher level. Your potential is a picture of what you can become. Belief helps you see the picture and reach for it.”
- Fire Up Your Passion
“What carries people to the top? What makes them take risks, go the extra mile, and do whatever it takes to achieve their goals? It isn’t talent. It’s passion. Passion is more important than a plan. Passion creates fire. It provides fuel.
I have yet to meet a passionate person who lacked energy. As long as the passion is there, it doesn’t matter if they fail. It doesn’t matter how many times they fall down. It doesn’t matter if others are against them or if people say they cannot succeed. They keep going and make the most of whatever talent they possess.”
- Initiate Action
“It’s a cliché to say that every journey begins with the first step, yet it is still true. Successful people don’t wait for everything to be perfect to move forward. They don’t wait for all the problems or obstacles to disappear. They don’t wait until their fear subsides. They take initiative. They know a secret that good leaders understand—momentum is their friend.
As soon as they take action and start moving forward, things become a little easier. If the momentum gets strong enough, many of the problems take care of themselves and talent can take over. But it starts only after you’ve taken those first steps.”
