Zen Garden > Are You Still Tinkering Around With the Notion of Being Successful?

Nobody has ever succeeded at anything much just by being a dabbler or a tinkerer. A full-blooded effort is required and it is often required over a sustained period of time.

After that you probably turned your attention to something else. Maybe you had a little dabble at that too.

Maybe you've dabbled and tinkered with lots of things. But have you ever been obsessed with something so much that you are prepared to do whatever it takes to drive that idea home? Because, my friend, that's what it takes to be successful. Often it is just sheer guts and determination that gets the job done.

You have to be prepared to be ridiculed, scorned, lied to, cheated, told you are a failure, admonished, laughed at - all of those things and more. Then, one day, when you eventually achieve success those very same people will be envious, jealous, angry with you, scornful and a whole host of other negative traits. That's life. You are ALWAYS going to have your detractors. Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King and Princess Diana had millions of detractors.

Nobody has ever succeeded at anything much just by being a dabbler or a tinkerer. A full-blooded effort is required and it is often required over a sustained period of time.

Here is a method for you to use when tackling your next goal:

Take a piece of paper and write the numbers 1 to 31 down the left-hand side of the page. The numbers represent the days of the month. If you start part of the way into the month simply adjust the days to suit.

Next, write the word COMMITMENT in large bold letters across the top of the page. Determine how much time per day you are willing to commit to your project. If you can only commit 15 minutes per day then that's OK but remember it is a commitment to yourself and if you say that you are going to commit those 15 minutes then that is what you are going to do. Now, here's the trick...

You are not allowed to go to sleep at night until you fulfill your commitment to yourself.

If you cannot meet this obligation then one thing is clear - your goal is simply not important enough. Find another goal. Assuming that your goal is big enough here is what you do next...

Against each day you will write in your start time and your finish time. If you go over your allocated time then that is OK too. However, you are not allowed to "bank" time. For example, if your commitment was that 15 minutes that I suggested earlier you cannot put in 45 minutes one day and then miss the next two. No. This is all about creating a habit of success. Against each day you will also record a sentence or two about what you achieved. Just write a few notes to help you remember how you propelled yourself closer on that day.

This approach is very powerful. It is building discipline - something that a vast majority of people lack. You can learn it by doing this exercise.

I have found that I achieve much more using this method than anything else. Let me now ask you a question:

How do you build a house? The answer is simple - you build a house one brick at a time. And that is exactly the way this method works.

At the end of the month you can look back fondly upon those notes and see how far you have come. What do you do then? You do it all over again.

So, stop tinkering with success. Stop dabbling in it. Make a commitment, draw up a plan and stick to it. You will be amazed at what you will achieve. And your newfound discipline will hold you in great stead for future conquests. Try it.

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Gary Simpson is a 7th Dan karate master who teaches self defense, motivation, self help and wealth building to students around the world through home study courses. You may reprint this article as you include this author credit and an active link to his web site. Finance - Self Help - Motivation - Self Defense - Personal Growth MotivationSelfEsteem.com