Playing the Long Game

Have you ever felt frustrated by how long it's taking to make your goals a reality? Have you ever felt like giving up on your dreams when it seemed that they’re never going to come true? Let’s face it – we don’t always get what we want at the time when we want things to happen. So, what’s the answer? Should we give up? Should we renounce our dreams and ambitions and resign ourselves to the possibility that we might never achieve our goals?

Of course not. Let's take quitting off the options list right now.

If you consider the examples of countless successful individuals, giving up would probably be your biggest mistake. Because some things take longer than you might expect.

When we try to understand the components that make the biggest contribution to our quest for success, it’s very rare today to consider the possibility of luck or good fortune. These are obviously intangible concepts that cannot be quantified or factored into our plans. So, we ignore their influence. We focus quite logically on what we can do and on what we can control.

I'm a great believer in luck and I find that the harder I work the more I have of it.

-??????Thomas Jefferson

So, apart from carrying your lucky rabbit’s foot in your pocket, there isn’t much you can do to tilt the odds in your favour, is there? It’s just that so many major success stories were almost accidental in nature. You read accounts of perfectly ordinary people being in the right place at the right time and getting breaks that launch their businesses into the stratosphere. How does this happen?

From a psychological perspective, it isn’t very helpful to place responsibility for our choices anywhere outside of ourselves. We need to firmly believe that we are the driving force that produces the outcomes in our lives. That's a very empowering mindset to adopt.

The more helpful attitude is to make absolutely certain that we are fully prepared in every way possible for the moment when good fortune smiles upon us. It’s just that it might take a while longer than you might expect.

I've found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often.

-??????Brian Tracy

Whilst countless numbers of individuals follow courses on becoming successful, there don’t seem to be too many examples of people who’ve actually made it. Yes, we need to take action, develop our skills, take care of key tasks and work to a plan that will bring us to the completion of our goals. But don’t lose heart if it takes longer than expected.

Because success doesn’t always show up according to the agenda you’ve set for yourself.

Persistence, however, really pays off. And that’s where the concept of good fortune can make more sense. We apply ourselves to our tasks, we develop a dogged determination to succeed, we absolutely refuse to quit and then one day – usually in an unexpected fashion – we get the breakthrough we’ve been looking for and find ourselves in the fast lane to the kind of success we’ve been dreaming of since we first developed our personal goals.

Name the greatest of all inventors: Accident!

-??????Mark Twain

But it’s very helpful to remember that it can take time. So, don’t waste any opportunity to sharpen your skills, develop your knowledge and master your craft. Use your time wisely. Be prepared for the moment when your efforts produce dividends. Yes, it requires a degree of patience. But it also requires persistence. Just because your plans haven’t delivered on your hopes and ambitions up until now, doesn’t mean they won’t deliver in the future. If you’re doing everything you can to create opportunities and make your dreams a reality, you’re increasing the chances that fortune will favour your actions.

In reality, you don’t need to subscribe to the concept of good luck in order to be successful - though there are plenty of highly-successful individuals who attribute their favoured status today to the intervention of some kind of luck. The main consideration here is to break free from any passive notions of luck and take steps every day to maximise your chances of success. Then, if there really is such a thing as good fortune, it will act as a force multiplier to all your efforts and hard work. After all, you’re not likely to become a best-selling author if you haven’t taken the time to write a book. Never discount your efforts in the pursuit of your dreams.

Luck is what you have left over after you’ve given 100 percent.

-??????Langston Coleman

The satisfaction that arises from a long struggle or campaign has to be felt in every part of the body in order to be fully appreciated. It might take longer to get where you want to go. The journey might require a longer investment of time and effort. But never give up. Never quit. Keep going. Good fortune might be just around the next corner, waiting to reward you for all your hard work, patience and perseverance.

Luck, good or bad, is the invisible play of mind upon affairs, the effect of mental aptitudes and habits which are not in sight, but which work and bring forth their due issues.

-??????James Vila Blake

Are you ready right now for a completely fresh approach to life’s great adventure? Get in touch with us today for a free session to discover how the growing global movement for personal growth, success, change and empowerment can enhance your life!

Greg Parry created the Cognitive Empowerment Programs specifically to help people master their stress, overcome their limitations and explore the power of their true potential.

If you enjoy these blogs, you can imagine how much fun it is to have Greg in the room as an inspirational and highly perceptive speaker. If you’d like to invite Greg to talk to your company or organisation or event, feel free to get in touch.

You can contact Greg to discover what's possible at:

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