You CAN Have Instant Success


Remember waiting in line at the bank? Or at the grocery store? How about at the tollbooth?

Technology is certainly making those things distant memories. I can recall standing in line for 20 minutes and more just waiting to get to the bank teller. Then it was another ten minutes or so watching the clerk do a 'paper-and-ink-pad' juggling show just to process a simple transaction. Today I cuss when the ATM doesn't spit out my money in 1 minute or less.

Just yesterday, I scanned my own groceries for the first time. I'll need a little practice to get that one up to speed but hey, it's a start.

Here in southern Ontario, Canada we also have an electronic toll road. Cameras take a picture of the license plate as you enter and exit the highway. No more waiting at tollbooths and fussing with change. The only time I cuss now is when I get the bill at the end of the month!

BUT I DIGRESS... :)

The point is we have come to expect everything to be instant, as in NOW! Anything less than that is impatiently rejected... as in IMMEDIATELY!

The good news is you CAN have instant success in whatever you do. The secret is all in the measuring. If you can answer yes to either of the following two questions, then you can consider yourself an instant success:

Am I CLOSER to my goal today than I was yesterday?

Am I BETTER today than I was yesterday?

Let's add three more tools to help measure your progress.

1) FREQUENCY - If you are trying to break a bad habit, are you bothered by it as frequently today as you were, say a week ago?

Conversely, if you are trying to establish a new and empowering habit, are you finding yourself doing the desired action more frequently and less consciously today than you were a week ago?

2) INTENSITY - How are those cravings? Are they as strong as they were a week ago?

If you are aiming for a positive goal, do an intensity check on your desire. Are you more determined to get what you want today than you were last week?

3) DURATION - In my younger days I could work myself into a foul mood that would last for several days. Today, 'stewing sessions' last no longer than a minute or two... ok, 15 minutes if it's a real stinker.

Back then, when it came to stretching and growing towards something positive, I could change my plans at the speed of thought. Today I am able to control my focus long enough to actually see my most important projects through to completion!

When you measure yourself this way, using CLOSER and/or BETTER than yesterday as a guide along with FREQUENCY, INTENSITY and DURATION, it's possible to always feel successful. And since the main reason people want success is because of the way it makes them feel, you are ALREADY THERE!

Remember, success is not a destination - it's a journey. Enjoy the trip!