WHATS YOUR IT?
"What is it going to take for me to become successful?"
This is the question that every motivated student has asked me since the beginning.
I’ll be honest; two years ago, when The College Confidence Coach was still an idea, I was searching for the very answer that I was supposed to be giving to everyone else.
I had the fortunate background of knowing what the beginning to success was: Internal-Self Validation. For my mentors from whom I seek advice and I, knowing yourself to the core was the beginning of IT all.
There is always an IT.
What is IT that makes you tick?
What is IT that motivates you?
What is IT that you do better than everyone else?
Don’t know yet?
Perfect.
At seventeen years old, you shouldn’t. You may have an idea, and if so, you’re ahead of the curve. If not, you’re still somewhere in between average and astonishing.
When I think about what it truly means to be successful, my definition may not match yours.
Think about people who you have perceived to have found success.
I’ll give you three that come to my mind:
1. Donald Trump
2. Elon Musk
3. Mahatma Gandhi
When I think about what “IT” defines each of their success, very different answers come to mind.
The thinking behind defining their “IT’s” is what led me to the discovery of my tool, “What’s your it”, and the basis of defining it is so simple, that it almost seems TOO easy.
Finding your “IT” begins with understanding that there are 4 M’s TO SUCCESS.
The 4 M’s are four different words associated with how the majority of people would commonly define success.
By looking at all 4 M’s and understanding their definitions, it is then up to you to decide how much, out of 100%, you would allocate to each of them individually.
Without further ado, here they are.
1. MONETARY: The things that success brings. THE CASH. THE CARS. THE CLOTHES. THE HOUSES. THE LUXURIES. There is absolutely no shame in wanting them. They are idolized and marketed, obviously and subliminally, in almost every aspect of your life. How much do they define success to you?
2. MATING: There is no secret here; success can bring better people into your life. Whether it’s more successful people, more famous people, or more attractive people, you know that having success is one way to bring them into your daily life. How important is your company to you?
3. MASTERY: Mastery is an interesting one. People who define success in mastery of their fields are those who wish to have the power. They want to be the most successful person in the area where they have found their passion and drive. Whether it is becoming a world renowned surgeon, musician, athlete or CEO, you strive to dominate your field. How important is having the prestige behind your name to you?
4. MOMENTUM: Momentum in success is most simply defined as being involved in something BIG. When you place your level of importance in momentum, you should be thinking of being involved in game changers, such as start-ups, movements, bettering the masses, or even inventing. How important is being a part of something bigger than you, to you?
Take some time and really go through these words and their definitions, and then place a value out of 100% in each of the four. You cannot go over 100% total.
Got your answers? Good.
Let’s go back to my three successful people.
Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Mahatma Gandhi. There’s not one person who could argue that all three of these men are not extremely successful.
Where do you think they would each place their values within the M’s? I’d vouch that the results would be so extremely different that if they all showed their responses together, they would each question each other’s sanities.
Success is a mindset.
Where does your mind take you?
There are thousands of ways to become successful; the key is to figure out where your “IT” is most easily found in the 4 M’s.
If IT is the Monetary that really starts your engine then define, how much it will take? Why spend $50,000 a year in education when you can make $120,000 waiting tables at the Four Seasons?
If IT is the Mating, who are the people you are trying to attract and where are they most commonly found? What is it going to take to get them to notice you too?
If IT is Mastery, then find out what it takes to become the next superstar in your field. Find out who’s dominating the field already and study what they’ve done to get there. Learn from their mistakes and successes and apply them to your own strategy.
If IT is Momentum, where do you want to go? Who do you want to help? What is it that you truly believe in that will make you successful?
There are no rights, there are no wrongs.
What there is: CLARITY.
By having clarity on what IT is that you are after, your eyes will open, your mind will start firing, and your plan and path will be much more easily found.
Be true to yourself; Know who you are; Know your IT.
That’s what IT takes to be successful.