Earlier this year, we caught up for a social with the charming Andy Ellwood, Director of Business Development for Gowalla, a location-based social media group. For more info about Andy, click here. In this clip, we asked Andy what trait he thought linked all successful people. His response covered drive, persistence, and finding ways to inspire other people to come on your journey with you. The first step in achieving success is setting the bar. By deciding upon what your goals are, you have something concrete to aim for, and a direction in which to work. Once your goals are set, the perseverance and persistence to keep working to that goal in spite of any setbacks is enormously important. Andy discusses his tactic of working on people who say no. He suggests that, rather than being discouraged and giving up, you should simply find a way to rephrase the request. Maybe you haven’t hit upon your audience’s specific motivations. Perhaps you weren’t able to adequately describe ‘what’s in it for them’. And always be clear about your own motivations when dealing with others, as it will make you seem more open and trustworthy. As well as persistence, you have to be willing to put in the hard yards. In our instant-celebrity society, we are often sold the myth that we can get what we want without working for it. But there are no such things as “Get rich quick” schemes. Being willing to work hard towards a goal is the difference between someone with a good idea, and someone who is successful. Again, persistence is key here, as the hard yards are called ‘hard’ for a reason. Finally, while professional life coaches can be a useful tool, it is just as important to coach and mentor yourself. When caught up in your goals and dreams, it is easy to overlook the fact that maybe you could be working more efficiently. By being your own biggest critic, and looking upon your work from an outsider’s perspective, you may be able to find ways to improve. Being able to self-assess and correct will see you progress and grow much faster than if you wait for that feedback from others. The pursuit and drive for success is something that is in all of us. Even if your goals are relatively small, by applying the same processes that the big boys use will see you achieve those goals in record time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IAOBosHprc
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