During the past nine years, I have given out more than 250 copies of my favorite book, “The Success Principles” by success coach and author Jack Canfield. Last week, I was blessed to spend a week with Jack, his staff and entrepreneurs from around the world.
It was a great opportunity to learn new strategies for getting clear about what’s really important in our lives and achieving our goals.
However, the most important lesson I took away from this week was very small.
By that, I mean I learned (actually re-learned) that it’s the little things that always lead to the greatest successes.
We are so tempted to chase after the new quick-fix solution that we completely forget that it is always about the fundamentals.
For example, I just visited Amazon.com to see which book would pop up when I searched the word “diet.” Guess what was the No. 1 selection?
“The 17 Day Diet – A Doctor’s Design Planned for Results.” Really? Seventeen days – are you kidding me?
Every single person reading this article knows exactly how to lose weight. You eat less and exercise more. In fact, it’s even easier than that – all you need to do is burn more calories each day than you consume.
That’s it. But, it takes time. A lot more than 17 days. However, if you follow the basics, you will get the results you desire.
For me, the lesson I learned was equally simple.
There are a handful of daily rituals that always lead to a successful and purpose-driven day. They include daily gratitude, affirmations and meditation. I am certain that putting these simple behaviors back into practice will lead to amazing results.
Unfortunately, I had abandoned them over the past few years and guess what happened? It’s the same thing that happens to your midsection when you eat fast food and skip the gym. I drifted back into bad habits and got less than desirable results.
As soon as I got back to the office, I got back into the routine. I know that it will take time before I see results. In addition, I am certain that there will be days when I wonder if it’s worth the effort.
Yet, I know that if I commit to the little things, I will reap the big rewards.
As with most things in life, the solution is simple. All you need to do is execute.