Real Success Comes from Results Machines?

I often ask myself, where do success and results really come from? What really creates success?

One of my mentors is Earl Nightingale. I love his definition of success as “the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” It’s the movement, the progression, and progress that is the success.

I talk a lot about how simple success really is, now I didn’t say easy. But it can be as simple as going from Point A to Point B. I often draw this out: 

From Point A to Point B

I lead discussions on what’s the most important part of that simple diagram – is it… 

           A – Your starting point – you have to know where you are, right?

           ---> – The line represents the journey from Point A to Point B – you have to enjoy the journey, right?

           B – Your destination point – your goal – you have to know where you want to go, right?

It turns out that initially, Point B – your goal, your direction, where you want to end up, is most important. There’s not a score without a goal! Without Point B it’s like playing a soccer game with no goals, playing football with no end zones, how can you kick a field goal if there’s not a goal post? You have to know where you’re going and initially, that’s the most important.

BUT Success Is Not About…

Knowing where you are going – success comes from getting there.

How do you get there? By moving across the line – by progress along the journey – that’s the true measurement of success. As Earl says, it’s the progressive realization of it. So real success comes from moving toward your goal, towards Point B.

So, how do we do that? How do we move along the journey line?

It’s Done Through Results Machines?

Results Machines? are daily or weekly machines that run every day or week and produce movements toward your goal, your Point B. These machines are things you turn on and after a while, they run automatically. It’s the most important part of getting where you want to go in life once you know where you want to go.

Top Machine – Life in 3D – Daily Day Design

One of my top Results Machines? is what I call Life in 3D. It’s my Daily Day Design. I never let a day end without planning the next one. That step of NDP – Next Day Planning is what creates focus, control, and progress toward my goals. When I plan my day I end up living my day not someone else’s and I move toward my goals not someone else’s. Turning on the Results Machine? of daily planning is what creates the success day in and day out. 

Morning Routine

Another powerful one is Morning Routine. How you start your day will determine how well it goes. Having a Morning Routine is a Results Machine?. When I get up I have 7 things that start off my day so that within 30 minutes of waking up I’ve already won the day. It also balances my day and prepares me mentally. I get started with my Bible App for a quick jump into the Word. Then, I use another App to take what I call a Mind Shower. That’s where you do a meditation to take out the head trash from the previous day. Most people wash their bodies every day but it’s just as important to wash your mind. Then I do a physical practice called Qigong. That’s some movement to get the energy flowing in the body. After that, I prioritize my day and figure out my top 3 items to get done by 3 pm. I call that my 3 By 3. Then I do some form of exercise. Next, I connect with someone and encourage them – that could be through text, email, phone call, handwritten note or card. Lastly, I do something small and fast to create some momentum in my day. It could be to do a phone call I’ve been putting off, cleaning out my car, my briefcase or a junk drawer. That gives me a quick win leading into the day. 

Weekly Team Meetings

Results Machines? also run weekly. An example of that would be your Weekly Team Meeting. Having that every week at the same time on the same day works like magic. It keeps the progress of the business moving forward week in and week out. Typical Weekly Team Meetings include sharing good news, reviewing the scorecard, highlighting customer stories, reviewing to-do lists from the previous week (what did you get done), solving issues and then ends with a recap and action items with ownership.

What About You?

What about you – what results machines are running successfully in your life and business? How can you make it more automatic?

Part 2 – The TOP 20 Personal and Business Results Machines?

Now that you know what they are and how powerful they can be in Part 2 of this article (look for it next month!) I’ll discuss:

           - How Best to Set Them Up, Turn Them On, Adjust & Tune Them

           - How to Use Your Smartphone to Help You

           - The 20 Top Personal and Business Results Machines!

For now, get your daily day design, morning routine, and weekly team meetings going.

Your results matter – turn on a Results Machine? and make it a great day!

Blaine Oelkers

Blaine Oelkers is a lifetime entrepreneur, graduate of Purdue University and Stanford University’s Entrepreneurship program. He’s achieved over 100 Million dollars in sales and coached thousands of people. He’s America’s Chief Results Officer? and Day Ahead? Specialist helping business owners go from being a day behind to being a day ahead in business and in life. He’s the world’s greatest creator of valuable doneness. He can be reached at [email protected]. Email him if you would like PART 2 of this article!

To learn more visit www.BeingADayAhead.com