Four simple steps to reach success

When I decided to leave a relatively lucrative sales manager’s position and go full time on the speaking circuit, I went on an 18-city tour sponsored by Radio Ink magazine in the first quarter of 2000. Ads had run in all radio publications announcing the much-anticipated tour. There was good pre-booking in most cities except for the first three, but you never know until they show up.

The first stop was Orlando, FL. One person showed up. I gave that seminar to one person that day. The next stop was Birmingham, AL, where four people showed up. In Charlotte, the third stop, 13 attended - and then Memphis, with 65. The rest, as they say, is history.

I had a decision to make after those first three cities. I was losing a lot of money, but I visualized a room filled to capacity during the tour, and it happened many times. As a manager, you also have decisions to make, and when things look the bleakest, you need to believe in yourself and what you stand for. It’s pretty lonely doing a seminar in front of one person. However, if you don’t appreciate the struggles in life, you will never enjoy the rewards of persistence and the ability to overcome self-doubt. Here are some excerpts from my book, Black Belt Laws for Life.

1. Fear of Success: Fear of failure is a strong motivator, but fear of success is a greater hindrance to accomplishing your goals.We’re all a product of our respective environments.Why do most people never leave a ghetto? It’s a risk to leave your comfort zone. Are you ready to leave yours, and strive to fulfill your dreams?

2. Motivation: What motivates you?
Passion: Are you passionate about your life and career? Every day, 97 percent of Americans go to jobs they don’t like. If you don’t love what you do, take
your resignation to your boss today. If you are passionate about what you do, you will be a success.
Drive: Do you have the drive? Are willing to pay the price for success? There are no shortcuts in life.
Risk-Taking: No risk, no reward. When things get comfortable, challenge yourself. I left a six-figure job to start my own company in 1999, only to lose
over $50,000 in my first year. However, if I had never taken the risk without the security of a full-time job, I wouldn’t be where I am today. The risk was to lose it all going forward. The reward was fulfilling my dreams.
Commitment: Are you really committed to what you’re doing? Will the current career path take you where you want to be in five years? If not, it’s time to move on.

3. Visualization: This might be the most powerful weapon we have, and the one we use the least. It’s also free. You want that GM’s job? Visualize yourself sitting in the GM’s chair. Smell the furniture polish on the new desk. Hear the clapping of your peers after your new job is announced. Taste the champagne during the celebration. Get the picture? The world’s most successful athletes attribute visualization as the key component to their success. They picture themselves in a winning moment.

4. Time: Take the time to plan. Those who fail to plan actually plan to fail - they never accomplish their goals. Most of the 97 percent of people who go to jobs they don’t like spend two hours or more watching television every night.Will watching two hours of Hogan’s Heroes reruns get you anywhere on the road to success? What’s the payoff and reward? Yes, you need balance and downtime, but what do you really take from the sitcoms, other than watching the clock tick by on your life? If you do the same thing today that you did yesterday, what will change in your life?

Most people have a life expectancy of 75 years. If you sleep six to eight hours a night, you use up 20-25 years of your life. That leaves some 55 years of awake time - not enough to let it slip by watching TV.


Are you watching or playing life’s game to the fullest? If you’re reading this article while lying on the couch, get a notebook and write down your goals. Start with the things you want to achieve during the next 30 days. Next, list your 90-day goals. If it’s not on paper, it’s not a goal.


Sean Luce, a black belt in martial arts, is the head national instructor for the Luce Performance Group. He can be reached at Sean@luceperformancegroup.com.