Jim Rohn, one of the foremost business philosophers of recent times, developed his “Three Keys to Greatness by Jim Rohn.” Opinions among successful people and professionals vary on paths to greatness given the range of life circumstances each of us represents and the choices successful people make. From personal experience, I would extend Rohn’s list to include: Select Your Friends Carefully and Control the Space in Your Head.
Rohn’s three keys highlight the importance of Setting Goals, Personal Development, and Financial Planning. The two principals I add were vital to my life’s plan. I came to understand that the consequences of failing to control both can forestall the greatness each of us is capable of. It was not always easy to be consistent or to maintain the discipline required to accomplish both, but it was certainly necessary. Of course, the earlier you adopt these principals, the greater the odds you will live an enriching and successful life.
Select Friends Carefully: Your choice of friends can be life altering. Good friends influence how you perceive yourself, they shape your thought process, and, they do provide lift to your dreams because they believe in you – sometimes more than you believe in yourself. Good friends also encourage you to persevere in difficult moments, and the bond you share fulfills the human spirit. Moreover, I would offer that a person’s five closest friends are an accurate barometer of their earning success and the future they ultimately build. Friends, however, do not assume or share the responsibility for your decisions or outcomes.
Control the Space in Your Head: Your thoughts strengthen your beliefs and beliefs reinforce commitment. Commitment transforms dreams into reality. We all know this. I would put this idea in other terms to my nieces and nephews in their formative years; a time when their personalities were forming and self-awareness brought with it responsibilities for their actions. They understood early that what we think can affect behavior and, behavior exhibited frequently, becomes habit. Habits determine results – even if undesirable. This registered immediately with each of them.
Thoughts we allow to populate our minds motivate us, inspire us, and even constrain us from the pursuit of dreams. Be conscious of any thoughts that acquire a pattern that affects your behavior. The successful people I encountered throughout my life adopted these principals, or a variation of them, as young adults because they each had a plan; they wanted to minimize the impact of mistakes. Further, they were determined to live lives of purpose. You may expand this list but the key is to be consistent in applying those principles you adopt.
