I

t is one of the most mentioned words daily: Success. And I can tell you that inside of every soul of man born of a woman, there is that inherent reach for its attainment. Each day, billions of people are on the lookout for it.

Some seek it legally, others craft shortcuts.

Some use systems, others use band aids.

Some are original, others copy and paste.

Some are in a hurry, others are deliberate and focused.

Some know what they are looking for; others seek what other people are talking about.

All around the world, the hottest pursuit is the pursuit for success…however; it is not just a pursuit for what success is, but for what it brings. This is interesting because what success brings for Jones to satisfy him is not the same as what it does for Joel. The reason is simple: Success is personal! 

In other words, each individual ought to have a definition of what their own success looks like before they can set off to attain it. It is only when this is done that true satisfaction will ensue. Otherwise, even those who have pursued a semblance of success and obtained it will still feel a void, like what the preacher said, “A chasing after the wind”.

That being said, I believe that whatever the definition of success that you will come up with, there are 3 Major “Secrets” to its attainment. However, these secrets are not the silver bullet in themselves. What drives these 3 is a set of two powerful pillars. These pillars are: Consistency and Momentum. In other words, you activate your pursuit for whatever it is you want by being consistent in taking action and building a massive unbreakable momentum.

“Each individual ought to have a definition of what their own success looks like before they can set off to attain it”.

The three secrets:

1. Intentionality:

This means that success starts with a decision. The decision of course has to be backed up by a plan. Nothing will in this world will ever be done or achieved if it has not been scheduled. If you do not have a time and a place for doing something well written down and documented, you can forget about succeeding in it. There are millions of distractions these days on a daily basis that we have to face. We beat them by being intentional. We also have internal opposition in terms of fear, ignorance, procrastination and lack of motivation. Intentionality has a way of nipping these purpose busters in the bud.

2. Urgency:

This means that once you decide to do something, you get absolutely consumed by it. You not only give it the attention it deserves, but you stick with it until it is finished. You also pour your heart, soul, mind and body into it, making sure that when all is said and done, you can be proud that you gave your absolute best. If you cannot give it 100% of your attempt, effort, energy and dedication, you would rather step out of the way so that a man or woman who can would get on the helm of it and deliver. Urgency also means that you cull of ruthlessly anything that is a distraction or unplanned or unscheduled from interfering with the planned and the ‘intentioned’. This, my friend, is the single greatest daily pursuit that will result in your success, whichever way you want to define it.

3. Direction

The reason why many people do not get success is because they meddle in many things. They are here and there and almost everywhere. Bruce Lee said it best when he declared,

“The champion is an average athlete with a laser-like focus”.

Now, speaking of focus, it tells us that you already know the direction in which you are headed. Steve Covey said that the worst you can do in your pursuit is to go all the way climbing ladders only to find out that the ladder you were climbing was leaning on the wrong wall. Having direction means that you identify what wall your ladder would lean on. This takes time. Abraham Lincoln said that

“If I am given 6 hours to chop down a tree, I would probably spend the first 4 hours sharpening my axe”.

I am willing to bet that it took Colonel Sanders 60 years to sharpen his axe…and once his ladder was leaning on the correct wall, the rest is history. I think the most neglected aspect of life these days is the purpose. People are so holed up in the daily grind, not even daring to look up and see where they are headed, and what their purpose in life is. I believe with all of my heart that as we have seen several dispensations in our history come and go, the next biggest dispensation will not be in technology, but it will be in Life Purpose. Find yours today and F.O.C.U.S (Follow one course until successful) on it. Again, it is Bruce Lee who said,

“I fear not the athlete who as practised 10’000 kicks, rather I fear the one who has practiced one kick 10,000 times”

I believe with these three secrets anybody can be successful. Be it a writer, a photographer, a mother, a speaker, an entertainer, a teacher, a businessman, or a social worker. These three secrets do not discriminate. It is time to get intentional. It is time to get urgent. And it is time to have some direction in life. Are you up for it?