By Chris Howard
When I was teaching our Breakthrough to Success at CIDA University in Johannesburg, South Africa, where underprivileged youth get a free education, several students shared stories of incredible hardship and poverty.
I recall one young woman describing what she had to endure to support her whole family at the age of 13 in the remote village where she grew up. Instead of feeling sorry for herself though, she said, "I realised that if I wanted my future to be different, I had to come with the change."
I thought, this girl could be the next entrepreneurial success because she gets it. She understood that—if you don't make changes within yourself and your thinking first, then nothing can change on the outside.
When someone went to her village and told her about CIDA University, she immediately acted on the opportunity. All success begins with the commitment to change. She's now a graduate of the Branson Business School and is working in the financial sector. She also brings her new entrepreneurial skills back to her community so the cycle of wealth continues to expand. Your mind is always your strongest asset in any economy.
Instead of waiting around for the market to improve, commit right now to being the sort of person who chooses fearless pursuit of their dreams.
The word decision means to 'cut off from any other possibility'. You may not know how you're going to accomplish what you set out to do yet. Start by choosing a path, then hunt down the information and people you need to ensure your success.
When Warren Buffett decided he was going to make his millions investing, he said he was 'committed to getting the information direct from the source'. So he sought out his mentor, investor Benjamin Graham, and worked for him until he could start his own investment firm. Leaders are decisive. They have the ability to commit to an end result and follow through on it with singularity of purpose.
Meanwhile, the person with a 'we'll see' attitude goes around saying, maybe this business idea will work out, but we’ll see what happens; or, I hope things will change but…we'll see. As an entrepreneur, a lack of decisiveness can keep you trapped in mediocrity, not taking action on your goals. Within your company, a lack of certainty and conviction can badly affect your team’s drive and focus. Until you are 100% on board with your own intentions and goals, you may be unconvincing in sales or have difficulty developing the type of team you need to grow.
What reasons or excuses have you made in the past that hold you back? And what new decisions do you have to make now to attain the level of success you desire? If you’ve made a reason or excuse like, you don’t have the education or resources to be successful, maybe you can make a decision instead to embrace the new mindset and choose to believe you have access to everything you need to run a profitable company. Maybe make that your new mantra: "I have access to everything I need to run a profitable company." Whatever it is, decide and commit. All your actions will be more effective as a result.
I was deep in debt, feeling stuck and directionless the day I made the commitment to develop and teach these tools for transformation all over the world. That was the same day my financial situation started to turn around. Seven years later, I was standing on stage in Johannesburg before hundreds of students being honoured with a song. They were thanking my crew and me for sharing the knowledge they needed to shape their own futures. The sense of fulfillment I felt was almost overwhelming. In that moment, I knew what it meant to be truly rich. It was the changes I had made within myself first that made it possible.
We are all faced with daunting challenges at some point that can appear impossible to overcome. Whether you want to change the world, or you just want to change your financial situation, you've got to 'come with the change'.
The power to determine your destiny arrives the instant you commit to yourself and your dreams.
International speaker and coach, Chris Howard, is a best-selling author, prominent speaker and the owner of Christopher Howard Training. www.chrishoward.com
