9 Steps to Blaze Your Own Trail

I recently had a client discuss their goal is to be one of the top sales people at their Fortune 1000 company. That’s not bad idea, but it’s thinking very small. I said, “So would you rather be the best sales person in your company or your industry?” I got back the obvious answer. And it was a big wake up call for my client. She knew she was missing the real opportunity. Ask yourself… Did Michael Jordan want to be the best basketball player on this team? The Eastern Conference? The entire NBA? No! He wanted to be the best ever so he set his goals and plan to dominate and be the best ever. And he made it happen! Did Steve Jobs try to be the best CEO in technology? No! He wanted to build a company that was THE BEST overall, not just in technology. You get the point? Simply competing isn’t enough. Take it up to the next level: dominate, lead and blaze your own trail! Competing is looking at a specific goal to reach it. Blazing your own trail is influencing and redefining an industry, market and/or the world around you. So yes, it is certainly good to be the #1 sales person at your company, but that’s not going to vault your career or get you where you truly want to go. Set your sights to be the best sales person in your industry or market…and even higher…one of the best sales people (period). If you model off success of the best people, then you can create a path to get there. You have almost no chance to get there, if you set your standards and sights lower. If you don’t have big goals, you will never get there because you don’t have the end in mind. Massively successful people see the end goal right from the start…and they pick big ones. It’s the reason they set the bar in their industries and market. They set the standard others follow. People then follow their lead. That’s how leaders are born. They set off from the start to dominate, lead, innovate and be #1. If your goal is to be the #1 sales person in your company, and you get there…it’s easy to slide into your comfort zone and be satisfied. It’s a normal human reaction. You start to ease up. And we all know that progress happens when we step outside our comfort zone because we keep challenging ourselves. So seek out the great success stories and understand their success. Start to lay out a plan for your domination. Start to master certain skill sets, habits and more. You need a long-term plan here. Even if you have limited resources you can find a way. For example, look at the company the Drybar. They found a niche and dominated it. They knew women loved to have their hair washed dried and blown out, and the traditional salons weren’t serving that need very well for a variety of reasons. So they opened up, and it’s caught fire across the US. And now…that concept has grown to mobile hair care now! But you could start even smaller and just look at the needs you in your town/city and see what’s not being done…and own it! Google, Starbucks, Apple, Amazon, Ebay, and others started out small and wanted to “own” their niche market. They became #1 and then expanded their influence. It’s a great model for success. Make sense? So decide right now…read and answer this question before you go any farther… Do you want to struggle and pursue a small goal or do you want to influence and control with a massive goal? What did you choose? If you choose going BIG, then the rest of the article is going to set you up for success! Here is one secret you will find over time: The amazing thing is it takes as much effort for the small goal as the big goal, but the pay off is much bigger. So how do you change from thinking small to thinking big…competing on a small level to dominating on a massive one? Here are 9 steps to blazing your own trail for success:

1. Make a decision and commit to it.

Write it down right now on a piece of paper and then say it out loud. “I am going to be the best XYZ!!!” Say with emotion. Pump your fist. Get excited. Feel the passion. Take that piece of paper and tape it to your mirror, take a photo and make it your screen saver on your phone, etc. Keep it front and center in your life.

2. Model off success.

Find the best people in the industry and learn everything you can. Get a coach. Read books. Listen to TED talks. And more.

3. Find a way to stand out in your industry or market.

How? Make a list of what your competitors aren’t doing and then do it. It’s the path to creativity and domination because you are willing to do what others are not.

4. Create yourself as an expert in your industry or market.

How? Blog, speak, attend conferences, join online communities, write a short book, etc. You need to proactively create your own brand and define how you want others to see you.

5. Lead with generosity and help others along the way.

You stand out by doing this because almost everyone else leads with “taking” and the mindset of “what’s in it for me.”

6. Build key relationships.

Everything in life we accomplish is with or through others. Spend time networking and making building relationships a top priority.

7. Critics will come, it’s a reality.

But critics opinions rarely matter because almost all of them aren’t taking the action that you are. Plus, when you know you have critics…someone is watching…and that means you have arrived.

8. Don’t compare yourself to others along the way.

It’s the quickest way to get off track. Set your goals and success criteria and focus only on that.

9. If you want a different result, you have to do what others have not done. Commit to that!

If you follow these principles, you will be well on your way to blazing your own trail and innovating on the next level. Commit to being extraordinary. Don’t settle for anything less. Believe, commit, act, and blaze your own trail to success. Start right now, tomorrow may not come. What three steps can you take to blaze your own trail? Jason Treu is a life mastery coach (and reformed lawyer) helping men and women create the business and life they love. He works with organizations to turn people into power connectors to build the relationships that create industry leaders. His new bestselling book, Social Wealth, is a how-to-guide on how to build extraordinary personal and professional relationships. Connect with him at BeExtraordinary.tv. Image Credit: www.quoteswave.com