Success is naturally desirable. You want success, I want success, and we all want success. But how come only a few actually succeed?

This was the theme of a discussion I got into over the weekend. It is a question I suddenly realized was unanswered in so many lives. And as I shared what I’m about to share with you in this unusual article during the discussion, I found out it was NOT so much of a secret, but rather often overlooked.

It turned out; success is not only naturally desirable, but also naturally attainable. Meaning, it is within your power to desire success and also within your natural capacity to achieve it. Those who succeed in business and in life are not superhuman; they just follow 3 simple but often overlooked steps to guaranteed success.

And guess what, these 3 simple but often overlooked steps to guaranteed success is applicable to every area of life; business, relationship, academics, finance, health, etc. But because I write for entrepreneurs, I will focus more on the psychology of business success here. The lesson you should pick out here is applicable to every other sphere of life. I want to believe they get so overlooked because of their simplicity. We humans often believe to succeed; the steps must be very complex that’s why only a few achieve success. If you are one of such people, you are about to be dazed!

The Psychology Of Business Success

Anyone and everyone who succeeded in business or desires to succeed should repeatedly follow these 3 simple steps. Do the following and your success in business is guaranteed!

1. BEGIN With The End In Mind

This is the critical first step to success in business. Success is a destination, a journey, an end you want to get to in business. Without a clear picture or idea of what this end is, nothing else matters.

If you ask anyone who ever achieved success, they would tell you they had an idea of what they wanted to achieve. Successful entrepreneurs know what they want to get out of their businesses. They don’t dabble into business without an end in mind. They begin their entrepreneurial journey with a picture in mind.

This has been the foundation of all my teachings on entrepreneurship. I never fail to re-iterate it again and again; successful businesses are purpose-driven. They have a clue of where they are going. They have a clue of what they want to achieve. They have a clue of what they want to create. They begin with the end in mind.

In the world of business and in life generally, beginning with the end in mind has been given different names such as; purpose, vision, goal, objective, aim, big picture, dream, desire, mission, ambition, etc.  It is not such a big deal other than just knowing where you are headed. It is so simple, yet so overlooked.

I find many entrepreneurs who set out in business with only one end in mind; profitability. And they wonder why they don’t succeed. The problem is so clear; profitability is not a destination. Profitability is an outcome. A derivative of achieving something else. It is a reward gotten for doing something else. And if you don’t begin with that something else in mind, you can’t get the profitability you set out for.

Here’s why.

The first thing every business makes is not profit, but value (a solution in the form of products/services to a problem people have).

The second thing every business makes is not profit, but customers (those who need the value the business creates -products/services).

The third thing every business makes is not profit, but credibility (market trust earned from repeatedly delivering value).

The fourth thing every business makes is not profit, but systems (a structured way of ensuring the continuous creation, communication and delivery of value to the customer).

The fifth thing every business makes is profit, an accumulated monetary reward earned from doing all the above.

There you are, you cannot put profit first because you it’s not the first thing you make in business. It’s the last thing you make.

So, the end in mind every entrepreneur who desires business success ought to begin with is not profitability, but utility.

Utility is the benefit, value, satisfaction, change, impact, contribution, difference you want to make in the life of the customer through the business you’ve set out to build.

In other words, what is our business? What is the work we are here to do? What is the change we want to create?

2. LEARN What It Takes

The second simple but often overlooked step to guaranteed success in business is learning what it takes. The success of every journey lies in the preparation. Knowing where you are going is not sufficient, if you are not armed with enough information on how to get there.

Successful entrepreneurs are able to build successful businesses that matter because they first desired it and then they became students of the process. For every kind of success you desire in life, each requires a set of universal processes you must follow. A firm commitment to study the required process to attain the kind of success you desire is what differentiates those who succeed from those who don’t.

A lot of entrepreneurs have a strong desire for success, they know where they are headed but only a few of them commit to the learning process. You see such entrepreneurs looking for success overnight. They go after the latest business gimmicks in town and hope to hit a jackpot soon. This is a losing strategy.

Enduring Success is built on a long term process. Nothing that lasts was ever created overnight. Learning what it takes is simply paying the price for the success you so desire. This is the often overlooked secret of successful entrepreneurs; they are students of business. They don’t stop learning about business. They are leading the market because they are learners. They know what it takes to get to where they are headed and get what they want. They master the process of business success.

3. ACTION -Do The Work

The third simple but often overlooked step to guaranteed success in business is action. No amount of learning will get the work done if you don’t get off your butt and do the work required. No amount of purpose, vision, mission, goals, and ambition will get you to where you desire if you don’t get off your butt and do the work.

Successful entrepreneurs do the work. They act on their purpose, vision, dreams, mission, goals, etc. They act on what they learn. They don’t just study, they practice, they apply, they implement, they execute.

You are never going to succeed until you begin to work out your own success. Doing the work is how dreams become reality. Doing the work is how purpose is fulfilled. Doing the work is how profit is made. Doing the work is how businesses that matter MATTER.

You cannot run away from the work, and if do, then forget about success.

Conclusion

Business Success is a choice that successful entrepreneurs make by following a three part process;

1. Know where you are going — [begin with the end in mind]

2. Learn how to get there — [learn what it takes]

3. Get on the road — [do the work]

Your turn

 How are you pursuing success in business?

What other simple but often overlooked step is missing here?

What step do you find most challenging of these 3 discussed above?

Drop your comments in the section below. I’m counting on it! 🙂