The odds are stacked against everyone at some point or another. No matter how hard you work, it’s easy to feel like the deck is always stacked in someone else’s favor. But what if I told you that there was a way to win? What if I said that success isn’t about luck but rather a few simple strategies and habits? In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to succeed when the odds are stacked against you!
As someone who started in entrepreneurship with what could have been perceived as the odds stacked against them (no money, no connection, no education – a high school drop out, and no experience), I never saw it that way. I just saw the opportunities. I saw the possibilities. I knew that if I wanted to succeed, it was up to me and no one else.
The first step in succeeding when the odds are stacked against you is believing you can do it . You have to truly believe that success belongs to everyone who wants it bad enough – regardless of what some might tell you about only certain people being born with the right connections, material goods, education level or whatever. If you don’t believe in yourself and your capabilities – if you let someone else tell you otherwise- then that’s exactly what will happen! You’ll never succeed because deep down inside; success is only for those who truly want it bad enough to do anything possible to make it happen.
The second step is to have a plan and hold yourself accountable. You’ll never find success if you don’t know what you want out of life or where you’re going. So, figure that out! Write it down on paper or type it into your phone so that every single day – no matter how busy things get- you understand exactly what you’re working toward. Then, hold yourself accountable to that plan by writing it down on paper or typing into your phone whatever you did each day to bring the closer to fruition. This way, when things get tough and people are telling you can’t do it – whether they mean well or not- you’ve already figured out how their words won’t affect you.
The third step is to surround yourself with people who believe in you . Don’t let someone else’s negative thoughts or feelings toward your goals bring down the support system that should be around you – encouraging and inspiring you day after day. No matter what, always make a conscious effort to maintain relationships with those who are genuinely excited about what you’re doing and want nothing more than to see your efforts succeed.
The fourth step is learning how to fail . Most people have a hard time accepting failure, which in turn makes it harder for them to recover from their mistakes. But, if you know that anything worth having requires a risk of falling short every now and again -which is a part of the process- then you’ll have an easier time accepting that it’s okay to not be perfect. You can still succeed if things don’t work out exactly as planned! Try to always focus on the positive and be solution oriented.
The last step truly ties everything together and makes all the difference in your success: doing something every day. Yes, even on days when you think about waking up and doing nothing at all – do something! Do anything to put yourself in a position for your dreams to become reality. It might not be the exact thing you wanted, but it will get you just that much closer to success when you’re willing to work toward it every day instead of waiting on someone else’s promise or permission.
To succeed when the odds are stacked against you, don’t let anyone else’s thoughts or feelings about your circumstances determine what you do. The only thing that matters is what YOU think and feel – because if you believe in yourself enough to work toward making success yours every single day, then there won’t be anything stopping it from happening!
Want to learn more about the steps it takes to succeed? Check out The Lyons Den.
