BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

More From Forbes

Edit Story

This Is The One Most Important Thing To Know To Truly Succeed In Life

This article is more than 6 years old.

What gets you out of bed to go to the gym instead of hitting the snooze button? What inspires you to say no to the donuts and sweet treats at the office Christmas party? What is the driving force behind your decision to work weekends to get your company up and running when you could be going out and having some well deserved fun?

Most would say that results, success and achieving goals are the driving force that creates motivation, drive and momentum. I disagree. I believe that progress is power. You must continuously work towards your goals and slowly inch closer to them before you ever taste the reality of actually achieving them. There’s no better feeling than hitting your goals but hitting goals takes time. It can take anywhere from a few months to a few years and sometimes even a few decades to reach your goals. That is a long time and that proposes the question; does accomplishing your goals drive you? Is it single handedly the most influential factor to your success? Or is it something else? I believe that beyond everything else progress is the most influential factor that drives you to meet your wildest dreams. It is the secret ingredient that will fuel the fire for you to accomplish greatness. Don’t believe me? Keep reading!

Haven’t you noticed that most people give up on their New Year's resolutions about two weeks into the new year? Yeah me too. I find that generally people give up when their actions have not been instantly rewarded. In other words, people give up when they have yet to see results or any sign or indication of progress. Think back to your own life to a time where you have given up on something you really wanted. You did not give up because you didn’t hit your goal after two weeks of working at it. You gave up because after two weeks of working really hard at something you didn’t notice any significant progress. This notion is applicable to weight loss, running a business, excelling in a career, changing your eating habits, and anything else that you may be working towards. If we do not see some form of results often times we quit.

“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning” - Ben Franklin

First, let’s start by asking ‘What is progress’? Progress is being better today than you were yesterday. It is the feeling of accomplishment after working really hard at something and finally being rewarded for it. You sat yourself down and came up with a plan on how you want to conquer a goal. Progress reveals that you have been sticking to the actions that produce results that will ultimately get you closer to your desired outcome. It requires putting off immediate pleasure for long term benefit, which is often times very difficult.

So let’s break this down a little further. What does progress look like? It is the feeling of anticipation created when you are getting closer and closer to your goal. An example of this would be feeling a little less snug in your tightest pair of jeans or generating more leads in the last 30 days than in the last two months combined. Progress is baby steps in the right direction. It is the excitement and anticipation that you will eventually reach your desired outcome if you continue on this path. Dedicating a certain amount of time each day to mindfulness, meditation or any other spiritual practice and feeling a change in overall mood and energy is progress. Replacing your usual fast food with a healthier alternative and noticing that you have more energy throughout your day is progress. It is feeling more financially secure today than you did six months ago because you’ve worked at creating multiple streams of income. Progress is gradual but ultimately powerful.

Don’t get me wrong, yes, setting and visualizing you hitting your goals can be a very powerful exercise and will most likely motivate you but seeing progress is what will really kick you into beast mode. Whether it’s in the gym, the office, your own business or your health and physical fitness, seeing yourself progress and feeling accomplished with what you have done will encourage and motivate you to continue to be consistent in your actions. What I have noticed in all of my years is that when someone goes into “beast mode” they often accomplish anything and everything they set their mind to. How does one get into what I like to call “beast mode”?

Step 1: Never quit. This is something you really want after all, isn’t it?

Step 2: When you want to quit and you’re tempted to quit and you almost give up. Don’t. There is a reason you created this goal for yourself. You are passionate about making this change. Stick to your word and do it.

Step 3: Keep being consistent until this new action becomes a habit. Habits are difficult to break. Positive habits are very powerful and can drastically change your life. Push yourself to complete this consistent action until you see some form of noticeable and significant results. Progress is power.

Step 4: See results and repeat the actions and habits you’ve instilled. Aka Beast Mode is officially initiated and now it’s time to really see some results it’s just a matter of time!

Progress is a reward for consistency on the journey to achievement. It requires determination regardless of the setbacks and challenges. It is continuously improving and it is fabricated by the compounding consistency of productive habits. Progress is power.

I believe that progress has a direct correlation to the habits you create. The ability to create consistent positive habits leads to massive action which in turn leads to progress and ultimately results. And if you can create momentum by continuously progressing you can achieve any goal you set for yourself. I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again, progress is power.

If you want to hear a bit more about habits you will have to stay tuned for my next article! It will give you everything you need to know to not only choose your habits but also stick to them for good! We will discuss the ins and outs of the importance of daily rituals, how to pick your habits wisley, and more importantly how to stick to them!!

Jennifer Cohen