The keys to Success are as different for each person as the keys dangling on your key chain.

I am tired of so-called “experts” touting the perfect 4, 6, 10 (or however many) quick tips for Success. All promising complete fulfillment if you follow the tips detailed within. Promising that you too will realize an abundance of Greatness, Prosperity and Success. More often than not though, Success does not come. And when it doesn’t, what do we tell ourselves? I didn’t work hard enough! I didn’t follow the tips strictly enough! I Failed! All of which, is simply Not True.

When you believe that simple tips will lead you to your desired destination of Success, the outcomes resulting from such guides often do not measure up to expectations. They often leave you feeling unsatisfied. Unfulfilled. Down on yourself. And disappointed.

My experience has taught me that “quick tips” are essentially B.S! I have learned through my experiences that roads (yes roads, plural tense) to success are as unique as one’s knowledge, as one’s talents and as one’s life events. Your Road to Success is as Unique as You Are.

Your path to creating the Success you long for lays within you: NOT outside of you. It is not contained in half-truths of some marketing machine or half-baked tool promising the unreal and unrealistic.

How do I know this? For years I placed my confidence in external “Keys of Success”. I wholeheartedly believed they would propel me to the grand stages of Success I so enthusiastically craved. I confidently believed that if I followed the direction detailed in these 4, 6, 10 steps that I would be rewarded with the ability to live the life I knew I was destined for. But despite my hopes and passions, Success ALWAYS eluded me. Like pushing a boulder up a hill, I never even saw Success on the horizon; I was always too busy pushing the damn rock up the steep incline.

Key to Success: Life Lessons

Life Lesson #1: The Power of Authenticity

What did I learn along the way? I learned to believe in the Power of Authenticity. I learned that if I don’t embrace that which is uniquely me, that Success will always remain elusive. I learned that if I “fake it until I make it” that eventually the facade I employ will falter and fail; leaving me lost or depressed or both. If you take anything away from this blog take away this:

Sustainable Success only appears when you infuse your true self into whatever endeavor you undertake.

Life Lesson #2: Learning Through Experience

There is a contemporary belief that if you look for someone who has achieved the level of Success you want, and copy the steps they took, that you too will achieve the same level(s) of Success. Unfortunately, that is complete CRAP! Evidence doesn’t support this and neither does the experiences of those who have mistakenly followed this advice.

I fully acknowledge the benefits of gravitating towards those who have achieved a level of Success that resonates with you. Such examples are instrumental in generating high levels of motivation, inspiration and in providing Hope.

Examples however are not ideal for marking a path towards a chosen destination. Why? Because following the example of another disregards the power of YOUR strengths, talents and knowledge.

This is where the impact of experiential experience comes into play. Experiential learning is insight derived from your practical experiences. This learning is founded on YOUR abilities, intelligence and life learning. Experiential learning promotes valuable insight and develops your strengths, talents and knowledge in a meaningful and sustainable way. Subsequently, these leanings increase your resilience and adaptability and your ability to navigate any challenges you may encounter.

Believe in Yourself

So where do we go from here? Great question….

Let me start by asking you…yes YOU…

What does Success mean to you?
What will it feel like when you achieve it?
How will you know you have achieved it?
What will you be doing when you achieve it?
Are you prepared to work for it?
Do you Believe in Yourself?

Think about your responses to these thought provoking questions. Search your heart. Delve deep.

Do You Believe in Yourself?

What exactly does that mean?

When I was a child, I was often filled with fear and doubt. I lived in rural Alberta, Canada in communities where I was very obviously different from my friends, classmates and neighbors. In order to manage my reality, I did anything I could not to bring attention to myself. I willed myself into being meek. Invisible. And no more pronounced than I already was. That was how I coped with being different. This practice hindered my self development well into my adult years. The simple tools I used (unbeknownst to me) in childhood became ingrained and integrated into my personality and my sense of self.

Although I had grandiose dreams for myself and my future, my childhood coping mechanism stifled me at every turn. I often became paralyzed with fear when opportunity presented itself and I retreated quietly into the darkness of shadows. As I aged, I developed the awareness that this was not my true self, but I didn’t know how to overcome this self-imposed burden. I didn’t have faith. I didn’t believe in myself.

With maturity, education and experience I was able to shed my skin of insecurity in favor of a persona that was more parallel with who I believed I was. I was able to gain insight into my aptitudes, my innate strengths and my areas of affinity (areas of interest that I felt naturally compelled/attracted to). And subsequently, I was able to develop these areas and focus them towards the goals I had set for myself. I was able to set achievables that reflected my unique vision of personal Success. No longer feeling ashamed of being different, I embraced every aspect of myself and used my strengths to overwhelm any self doubt and negative self talk.

Am I so different from You? Absolutely NOT! In fact, like you, I am just an ordinary individual hoping for and working towards extraordinary outcomes. I’m just a dude working to realize my goals. Is my journey to Success a template for your Success? Nope! My story is nothing but (I hope) an example of what is possible.