Success Principle Review Exercises (Part 1)

We’ve made it through 22 of the 64 principles of success. I thought that it would be a good time to map out a plan of action for implementing the principles we’ve covered.

These principles are absolutely gold… if applied. Knowledge is meaningless on its own. Applied knowledge is was creates the masters of the universe.

Instead of moving onto to the next principle, I am going to write out some exercises that we can do to apply some of this knowledge that we have accumulated over the last couple months of reading about the principles. The next couple Success Principle posts will consist of review exercises that should be implemented before moving on to the next in the series.

If you’re new to the series, I suggest starting the series from the beginning and working your way to this review. But if you are impatient and just want to implement some good techniques and ideas that feel free to join in on the exercises.

Success Principle Review Exercises

All of these exercises should be implemented on trial basis. Try some of these out for a few days and see how it makes you feel. The idea of each of these is to create new more effective habits for success in all areas of your life.

Exercise 1: Practice Forgiveness/Give Up Complaining

Forgiveness starts with yourself. If you can’t forgive yourself for your past mistakes you can’t move forward. Period. We all have a history of things we’ve done that we’re not proud of. We’ve all made mistakes that cost us something at the time of making them. But it is important to realize that we acted in the way we knew how AT THAT TIME. That time is over, and its time to forgive ourself and move on.

It is also important to forgive anyone that you are presently holding a grudge against. Let it go and move on. If you want to move toward success you need to eliminate the chains that are holding you back. Anger and resentment are negative energies that will serve no benefit to you moving forward.

Complaining is also a way of blaming things outside of yourself for your present situation. It is a way of hiding in the past, or escaping to the future. Some things are just outside of your control. But complaining about them takes your power away. it is the same as handing your power to the person, object, or situation that you are complaining about.

Next time you have the urge to complain… forgive instead. Forgive yourself for getting caught up in the lower energy act of complaining and giving away power. If you are complaining about someone that wronged you… simply forgive them and move on.

3 Day Exercise: For the next 3 days make a conscious effort to forgive yourself and everyone you’ve held a grudge against at least 3 times a day. Once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once at night… say “I forgive myself for my past mistakes, I didn’t know any better at the time. I’ve seen the error of my ways and have moved on.” And then forgive others by saying “I forgive [insert name] for blah blah blah… it was all they knew at the time. I give myself permission to move on.”

You will be amazed at the weight you feel lifted off your shoulders. It is important that you say this with conviction and emotion. The first time I did this I honestly started to cry, as I realized how much built up aggression I had towards myself for my lack of social skills in high school. I also was able to finally forgive a girlfriend who cheated on me.

Exercise 2: Create a Statement of Purpose

The 2nd Principle states that it is necessary to Be Clear Why You’re Here or else you might find yourself on a journey that is not congruent with your ideal self.

This next exercise is actually one I just got from Steve Pavlina’s Personal Development for Smart People book.

1. Take out a sheet of paper or open up a blank word-processing document where you can type. I recommend the latter because its faster.

2. Write at top: What is my true purpose in life?

3. Write down an answer (any answer) that pops into your head. It doesn’t have to be complete sentence. A short phrase is fine. If you’re feeling nihilistic, begin with the answer: “I don’t have a purpose,” or “Life is meaningless,” and take it from there.

4. Repeat Step 3 until you write down the answer that makes you cry. This is your core message.

It may take over an hour, with over a hundred false answers before you find the right one. But when you find it you will know. You’re not necessarily looking for a exact career vocation, but a purpose to revolve your life around.

Exercise 3: The Vision Exercise

In exercise 2 you created a statement of purpose for your life. The next exercise (from Principle 3) is designed to help you clarify your vision. Successful people have a clear vision of what they intend their lives to be like. If you don’t have a clear vision then you will most likely float through life changing directions whenever the wind blows a different way… ultimately getting nowhere.

Start by putting on some relaxing music and sitting quietly in a comfortable environment where you won't be disturbed. Then, close your eyes and ask your subconscious mind to give you images of what your ideal life would look like if you could have it exactly the way you want it, in each of the following categories:

1. Focus on your financial area of your life. What is your annual income? What does your cash flow look like? How much money do you have in savings and investments? What is your total net worth?

Then start getting excited by creating visions of your future home with all the fine details, your car, the clothes you're wearing, and everything else you will possess in your life.

2. Next, visualize your ideal job or career. What are you doing on a day to day basis? What kind of people are you interacting with? What kind of pay are you receiving? What are your responsibilities?

3. Then, focus on your recreation time. What are you doing for fun? What hobbies are you pursuing? What kind of vacations do you take?

4. Next, what is your ideal vision of your body and physical health? How long do you live up to? Are you full of energy? Do you exercise, eat good food, and drink lots of water?

5. Then move on to your ideal vision of your relationship. See the type of woman or women :), you will spending your life with. Create a clear picture of her attributes, her personality, her physical appearance. Visualize the way you’ll interact with each other. What kind of relationship will you share?

6. Next, think about your relationship with your friends and family. Who are your friends? What type of relationship do you have with your friends and family? What kinds of things do you do together?

7. What about the personal areas of your life? Do you see yourself going back to school? Getting spiritual? Learning an instrument, a new language, writing a book? Do you want to run a marathon or travel to other countries?

8. Finally, focus on the community you live in, the community you've chosen. What kind of community activities take place there? How do you help others make a difference? Who are you helping?

Exercise 4: Review Your Goals

In principle 7 I outlined a complete goal setting workshop which included the creating of a goal’s book. If you have not already completed the goal setting workshop go back and complete that now. If you have already completed the goal setting workshop then you must begin the practice suggested of reviewing your goals twice a day for fifteen minutes.

21 Day Exercise: Create the habit of reviewing your goals daily. If you find that you forget to make time for the habit, set an alarm on your phone for times twice a day that will be convenient for you to spend fifteen minutes reading over your goals and visualizing the successful outcomes of achieving them.

If you find that you are not home often enough to review them there… print out your top 3 goals on an index card, with a brief description of what it will be like once achieved, and carry the card in your wallet with you. When you phone alarm goes off, go to a quiet place that will enable you the time to review these cards with full attention.

Exercise 5: Print, fill out, and make use of the Achiever’s Focusing System

Jack Canfield offers a free tool for those looking to hold themselves more accountable for their goals. This valuable tool called the Achiever’s Focusing System was created by Les Hewitt of the Achievers Coaching Program. It is a form you can use to plan and hold yourself accountable for 13 weeks of goals and action steps.

Download form for free here

These 5 exercises should be implemented immediately. I will be back in a couple days with some more exercises that you should implement immediately if you have not already.

These principles are powerful stuff… but only if you apply them.