Why do some people seem to always succeed in business?

For many years, I searched for the answer to this question.

The business power train

To really do well in business, you need to realise the connection between what you value and building the business. This puts you on the business power train – you have the ultimate competitive advantage when what you’re doing is connected to what you value and strive for.

Now you might think, ‘What do my personal values have to do with business and entrepreneurial success?’ Well, not much – just 100%.

How? Well. I believe every human being on the planet is unique, and everyone has a unique set of values. They’re neither better nor worse than anybody else, but they’re different, just like fingerprints are. And humans act according to their values. I do, and so do you.

What you value most will determine your actions; where you spend your time, energy and money; and what you focus on. This will shape the future of your business, and as a matter of fact, your life.

But when I talk to people and ask them what their values are, I never get a real answer. And I don’t think people are lying to me. I think, honestly, they don’t know.

Usually they give me some social bullshit, or acceptable standards, or something they learned in school to seem clever, and so on. But rarely does their life demonstrate what they say. And when what people say does not match what they’re actually living, you look at what their life demonstrates.

In my search for answers on human behaviour, I learned an easy way to find out what people’s values are. While in London, I met a brilliant man called Dr John Frederich Demartini, who is one of the world’s leading experts on human behaviour. He’s solid in his material. John showed me what he calls the ‘value determinants’, or things that show what someone’s values really are.

To determine your values, you need to give 3 real answers to each of the following questions about what your life demonstrates. Write them down.

Question 1: How do you fill your physical space?

In your home or workplace, what are the top three things you surround yourself with? In my case it’s business books, self-development material and clothes (mostly business – ties, shirts etc.).

We tend to keep close the things that are meaningful to us, where we can see them. Have you ever put a Post-It note on your screen to make sure you don’t forget something? I’ve done it.

For example, once you’re married and put your wedding ring on, you keep it on. But when you don’t value something, you tend to push it away – put it in the attic or in your garage, or send it to storage. Your space, and what’s in your space, are the first clues as to what you value.

Question 2: How do you spend your time?

We always find time for the things we value, and we almost always run out of time for things that are lower on our values list. People strive to make time for things that are truly meaningful to them. And if you’re thinking, ‘Well I’d like to do X, but I just don’t have the time’, the truth is you just don’t value it highly enough; something else is more important to you.

I spend my days communicating with clients, and researching and writing materials that I can share with my clients. It’s what’s most meaningful to me.

Question 3: How do you spend your energy, and what energises you?

Have you ever noticed some tasks just drain you? And there are things you do that seem to give you energy instead of taking it?

When you’re doing something that’s inspiring, you have more energy after doing it than when you started. And we tend to easily spend our energy where it’s replenished.

We always find energy for things that are inspiring for us and that we enjoy. The more of the low-value stuff that we do, the worse our energy gets.

Question 4: How do you spend your money?

As they say, ‘always follow the money’. How you spend your money is a good indicator of what you value most. For example, someone who values business will easily spend money on business books, courses, seminars, etc. Someone who values children will have no problem spending money on children’s education, toys and so on.

There’s no good or bad, right or wrong – just ask yourself, where in your life, right now, are you spending the most money? What do you always find money for? What are the top three ways you spend your money?

Question 5: Where do you have the most order and organisation?

We tend to organise the things that are truly meaningful to us; it comes naturally to us. For example, if we value communication with other people, we’ll always make sure we have a very well organised social diary. If we value beauty and nature, we will always make sure we have fresh flowers.

In my case, I have an organised list of reading, research, notes and mindmaps from work with clients.

Question 6: Where are you most reliable, disciplined and focused?

We don’t need reminders when we’re doing something that’s meaningful to us. We are automatically disciplined and focus when what we’re doing is second nature to us. And we struggle to be reliable with things that are less valuable to us.

Where do you not need reminders to do something? Where are you automatically focused?

Question 7: What do you think about most often?

Thoughts come to us without asking. What are the dominant thoughts you constantly think? What is the context of your thinking? If you value travelling, you’ll constantly be thinking about travel. Identify the top 3 things you think about most, and write them down.

Exclude any ‘shoulds’, doubts, negative self-talk and fantasies.

Question 8: What do you visualise?

We visualise the things that are inspiring and meaningful to us. What do you see in your visions day in, day out, month in and month out? What is slowly becoming true in your life?

Exclude fantasies, and write the top 3 things you visualise.

In my case, I’m visualising making a change and impacting the lives of at least 1,000,000 people, and it’s slowly coming true.

Question 9: What do you talk about to yourself?

Everyone talks to themselves, but different people talk about different things. What do you converse with yourself about? What are the constant top 3 things you tell or ask yourself that are also coming true?

Exclude any negative self-talk.

Question 10: What do you talk about with other people?

You easily hold conversations with other people about the things that interest you. And if you see no connection between the conversation and what you value, you tend to start looking at your watch and look for a fire escape.

What are the 3 things that nobody needs to remind you to talk about? Where are you extraverted with other people? People who value business ask ‘how is business?’, people who value relationships ask ‘are you seeing someone (new)?’ We talk about the things that have meaning to us.

Question 11: What inspires you?

We get inspired, and even get tears in our eyes, by the things that are meaningful to us. For some, it’s achievement; for others, it’s nature. What inspires you? What people inspire you, what stories inspire you? What’s common between them?

Question 12: Where are you constantly setting goals and making progress?

We set and achieve goals in the sphere of our lives that have the highest meaning to us. Look at your life and reflect – what are the areas where you constantly set goals? In what area of your life do you have the most consistent long-term goals set for yourself

Exclude any dreams and fantasies, and write down the top 3 areas where you set and also achieve goals.

Question 13: What do you learn and read about most?

We are attracted to information about the things that are valuable to us. We read about it online and offline in books and magazines. What is the constant themes of your reading? Where are you not distracted in your reading and really focused?

Your Results

Now look at your answers, put them into categories, and count your results. You should have 39 answers spread over a number of categories.

You might have named the same thing in different ways; for example, ‘being in nature’ and ‘reading about global warming’ are pointing to the same value of ‘nature’.

Rank your values from highest to lowest.

You now have a hierarchy of your values that your life is demonstrating. In some cases, you might be surprised – but it is what it is. I recommend to write down the date you’ve done this, as values change over time.

The next step is to find (or create) the links between your top 3-4 highest values and the service (business) that you’re doing.

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Romualdas Maciulis is an international business coach, strategic advisor and public speaker. He raised capital to buy his first company when he was 20, then grew and flipped it in the same year. His experience includes sales and business development, and digital and offline direct-response marketing. He is also a frequent speaker at business, sales, marketing and personal development events.

Romualdas works with business owners and executives to maximise their potential and their business. His clients include small business owners and corporations such as Etihad Airways, KBC Bank, UlsterBank, Royal Jet, Heineken, Bord Gais and many others. Romualdas brings knowledge once only available to the cash-rich companies and executives to the small business world.

‘My goal is to expand the perceptions of 10 billion people over the next 1000 years.’

~ Romualdas Maciulis

Now, you can.