We are all born with an equal potential for greatness. There are no exceptions, yet most realize far below their potential. It is the small handful who rise to extraordinary heights and become legends in their own rights. To rank amongst the elite you must consciously change your habits. Greatness does not show up with time or because you think about it. Greatness is a virtue you must consciously invest in every minute of every day. Be intentional about greatness and go after it with an unwavering belief in your abilities to achieve success and excellence.

1. Create a vision

The mindset necessary for achieving greatness lies in understanding that the end goal of success is not your ultimate goal. This goal is too small and unilateral. To strive for greatness you must be well-rounded. You must be more interested in building a cause that touches others, not a business. Be willing to step out of the box. Strive to be a pioneer, a trend setter, a game changer, and a radical thinker who is deeply driven to make this world a better place.

The two habits necessary to accomplish your goals and ideals are; an unwavering dedication to your cause and the desire to make a significant difference. To achieve greatness you have to know the deeper reasons for building your business. It is the deeper emotional reasons where you discover a well of passion, dedication, perseverance and the willingness to fight to the bitter end for your victory.

Be willing to suffer along the way.

2. Have clear core values

To unlock your greatness be clear on your values. Your values are the unconscious motivators which shape your future. It is your values which drive your actions and behaviors. Be clear on the mission and values your business stands for and what goals are in line to make you unique to the consumer. Consumers love to invest in and be a part of any mission they believe in and one they see as benefiting others.

Anyone who has reached greatness is fanatical about the values upon which their business stands. Significant earnings are created from principles based in strong values where you do not need to sell your soul to experience greatness.

3. Be unwavering in your belief

Your beliefs create the foundation and rules in how you play the game of success. To be a great achiever create a rule book designed to enhance your success, setting you apart from the average person who lives their lives under limiting beliefs keeping them thinking and living small. It is an unwavering belief in your vision which leads to greatness. Adopt a rebel heart and refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer. Be courageous enough to go against the norm and rise to the occasion when faced with obstacles.

The only person who can stop your greatness is you. Practice the art of failing and getting up again and again. This gives you the resilience necessary for creating a strong mind. Rid yourself of each belief you outgrow along your journey and grow new beliefs to put in place of the old.

4. Enjoy in the “process”

Greatness in its truest form is not about the end goal as much as it is about the process of getting there. Be committed to defying the odds, overcoming huge challenges and journeying the road less traveled. Instant gratification is not what brings happiness, greatness or success. Happiness comes from the pursuit of excellence. Walt Disney is a great example of a visionary who suffered repeated financial setbacks and business disasters and yet persevered with an unfaltering belief in his vision.

To be great accept that to reach your destination you will travel a journey many avoid or are not brave enough to seek. See your challenges as stepping stones to you playing a much bigger business game. Do not give in when you get a rejection, keep striving.

5. Become an efficient decision maker

Greatness is a decision. To make a definitive decision means to cut out all other possibilities. In other words, neither failure nor distraction are options in those who choose to succeed. Every great achiever makes this decision about their future. Look at what decisions you are currently making and analyze if these decisions are getting you where you need to go. Decisions help you learn quickly what will work to promote your business and what decisions need to shift that may be taking you off course.

When making decisions be aware of the other possibilities you are willing to cut off to realize your desired destiny.

6. Create daily goals and work habits

Behind every extraordinary success is the discipline of creating daily goals backed by work habits which show huge payoffs. It is very rare to be an overnight success. Success is about repetition and the culmination of consistent small steps over time. True success in any field boils down to your days being filled with hours of hard work, practice and patience.

To reach your desired levels of greatness, develop the habits which promote your success and do what you can to rid yourself of habits that get in your way, such as procrastination. Imagine if one of your idols was running your business, think about what consistent daily action they would take in your business to achieve success. Do what you think they would do.

7. Cultivate a positive self-identification

Success and your ability to achieve it largely boil down to seeing and identifying yourself as the single most powerful influence on your future. Great achievers, at some point, all awaken to their true nature. Stay committed to learning from your past, rather than letting it hold you back. Nor should you allow current obstacles or circumstances to dictate your future.

Let it be your constant quest to reinvent yourself, your life, your vision of yourself and your business. This will catapult you to be a cut of above the rest. Believe you are destined for greatness. Analyze the ways in which you allow your past to define you and find solutions to change those beliefs. Write a script for what and who you want to become.

Success comes from the inside out. Greatness is not a goal you achieve or a skill you have, but rather greatness is a virtue, a state of mind, or a habit you develop. Greatness is an inner game, defined by your own rules where the only way you can claim your victory is to elevate your mind, positioning all your thoughts towards the idea of excellence. Be committed to constant learning and to recognizing when and where you need to step out of your own way. Change the aspects of yourself which keep you from greatness. Do not allow yourself to become boxed in by your own inner doubts or limiting beliefs. By changing the rules of your inner game, you wake up to your own extraordinary potential and achieve levels of greatness you never thought possible.

“You were put on this earth to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it courageously.” — Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

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