Do you want to be successful?

Do you?

Really?

See here’s the thing. Everyone says they want to be successful. Everyone says a lot of things. But what most people say doesn’t mean a damn thing. They don’t back it up. They are lying. They don’t want those things. They want those things to be handed to them on a silver platter and then maybe they’ll take it.

Simply put they don’t have the hunger to be successful. They are weak.

They don’t have what it takes to bang the woman they want, make the money they want, and live their life as they damn well please. They don’t have what it takes to be a man and claim their freedom.

 

Everything worthwhile in life takes time and effort to build up and create. And if you truly want these things you will be taking actions to achieve them. Am I right?

I know I’m right.

Most people will never get off their asses to get the things they want. Because of this they will never get the things they want. It’s simple.

Success.

The word means the same thing to everyone but it’s manifestation will be different from person to person. We all have different dreams and desires. Nevertheless the achievement of success can be broken down into three categories.

1. Knowledge

2. Application

3. Hustle

These three things if applied properly will bring you success. Let’s break em down one by one.

Knowledge

Without knowledge you’re not going anywhere. Doesn’t matter if you get the knowledge from books, lectures, or cold hard experience the point is you need knowledge to succeed.

Some people like to pretend that knowledge gained from failing at something is better than knowledge gained from foresight or reading but these people are just justifying not taking the quickest route between where they are and where they want to be.

Experience is overrated, you don’t have your whole live to keep running down wrong hallways until you find the right one. That’s another reason why reading is so paramount to your success. Instead on constantly smashing your head against a wall like an idiot learn from the mistakes of others and find out how things are done.

Take the quickest route to learning what you need to succeed. For example if you were building a website. Sure you could throw stuff out there until you found out what worked or what didn’t or you could read about those who were already successful. Use their principles as base and then go out on your own. Remember you must master the basics before you can go your own way.

Gain knowledge. Everyday fill yourself with new knowledge that is going to bring you closer to your goals of achieving success.

Never stop learning, knowledge is power.

Also look at those around you see where they mess up and adapt. Never run yourself into the same wall time and time again hoping for something different. Learn and adjust. Be smart. Remember “Foresight teaches gently, error teaches brutally”. If you get ten bucks from getting kicked in the face by a mule and you can get ten bucks from clapping your hands, you’re an idiot if you don’t choose the latter option.

Of course those who spent their time and lives getting kicked by the mule will try to convince you otherwise.

Application

Knowledge in and of itself isn’t going to do anything for you. If you read a potentially life changing book but then sit around and do nothing with the information, you’re going to be no different than before you read the book.

Knowledge is the fuel but application is putting the pedal to the metal.

Without knowledge you aren’t going to go far or anywhere however with just knowledge you aren’t going to go anywhere either. You need both,

When you read or absorb new knowledge you should already be looking for ways to apply it to your life to improve your life and bring you higher and closer to your ultimate goals.

Get to work.

You have to put the time and work in.

You could have the perfect blueprint for success and where you want to go but if you never put it into motion it’s not going to do anything.

A rifle by itself isn’t going to do anything. However when put in the hands of a man who uses it, it can do a myriad of things. It can put food on the table as well as kill or ward off invaders. However that is only when it is applied.

Ultimately it would be more accurate to say that knowledge is potential power and that applied knowledge is power. I used to think this was obvious but I see so many acquiring knowledge, enough knowledge to take them where they want to go, but then not using it.

Turn that potential power into active power, and put your knowledge to work.

Hustle

You’ve seen it before. The person who sets up a plan for something then frantically works at it for three weeks then gives in. They don’t keep the pressure going and then end up back where they started…unsuccessful.

These people didn’t continue applying their knowledge they coasted.

You’ve also probably seen people who have the knowledge but then go about their work lackadaisically. Let’s say they started a blog and only put up a post once a week.

Now maybe when you a well known name you can do that but not when you’re starting out.

Then they wonder why their blog isn’t taking off.

Another key ingredient of success is hustle meaning working hard.

You can’t approach things you want to be successful at like a hobby, you must approach them like a business. Meaning rain or shine day in and day out you put in the work.

You have to pick one goal, get rid of all distractions, and then work towards it everyday.

You can’t go after every new thing that crosses your path.

You must focus and then chip, chip, chip away until you have what it is that you want. You have to have hustle.

Summary

These three things knowledge, application, and hustle by themselves will not get you far.

The guy who has all the knowledge in the world but never acts on it is little better than the fool with no knowledge.

The guy who has little knowledge but constantly pursues after things, may get somewhere and if you were going to fail in any way this would be the way to do it. But his success is a fluke and no gurantee.

The third failure is the guy who has little knowledge and application but works hard at whatever is set in front of him. He is a hard worker but then again so are slaves. It doesn’t mean much in and of itself and isn’t going to do anything for you in and of itself.

You must have all three knowledge, application, and hustle. When all are applied and combined with patience success is as guaranteed as anything can be.

If you have any questions you would like to see answered in a future post send them to me at charlessledge001 (at) gmail (dot) com. If you found value in this post then I would encourage you to share this site with someone who may need it as well as check out my books here. I appreciate it. You can follow me on Twitter here.

-Charles Sledge