Keys to Success: The 3 Things You Need To Achieve Anything

Something I’ve learned over the years through research, observation and experience, is that there are only 3 keys to success…

Originally published 18 February 2013. Updated 28 October 2024.

Want to achieve your dreams? After years of coaching people and studying success, I’ve found that you only need 3 basic things. Everything else falls into these 3 broad keys to success.

To succeed at anything, these 3 things must be present…

1. A goal
2. Persistence
3. Self-belief

Let’s look at each one.

1. Start With a Clear Goal

What do you want to achieve? Your goal doesn’t have to be huge. It could be…

• Paying off your house in 10 years
• Getting a better job
• Meeting someone special

More ambitious goals could be…

• Retiring early
• Starting your own business
• Travelling the world

As Carl Sandberg once said: “Nothing can happen unless first a dream.”

Turn Your Dream into a Real Goal

Dreams are big and fuzzy. Goals are clear, detailed, and have deadlines.

Write down exactly what you want to achieve and when you want to achieve it by. Make sure it’s YOUR goal, not someone else’s.

Here’s an example of a powerful career goal…

---

By 1st March 2025 I will be thriving in my role as National Sales Manager, adding value to the business, helping others succeed, and earning at least $150,000 a year.

---

Remember: It’s okay to fine-tune or change your goals as your life changes. Stay open to new opportunities, but make sure your goals still match what you really want. It should align with your core values and get you excited when you think about achieving it.

Every big success starts with a goal. I remember watching the All Whites soccer team play in the 1981 World Cup qualifying games. Yes, I’m old!

Nobody thought they had any chance of making it to the 1982 World Cup in Spain. But coach John Adshead and his team dared to dream the impossible.

The All Whites had to play more games than any team had ever played to qualify. One by one, they beat stronger teams like Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.

Then came their biggest moment – they needed to beat China to make it to the World Cup. Playing in Singapore, they qualified with a 2-1 win.

I’ll never forget the emotion that night. The team had worked so hard, sacrificed so much, and never gave up.

Their impossible dream came true because they believed in themselves and kept going, even when the going was tough and the odds were against them.

2. Keep Going (Even When It’s Hard)

Persistence is the toughest part of success. But here’s a secret: having a good plan makes it much easier.

The way to achieve any goal is to doggedly do the things that move you towards your goal. Systems beat goals every time.

Motivation isn’t needed and procrastination won’t hold you back when you have good systems in place. The systems built into a good plan help you make a habit out of doing the things that move you towards your goal.

Persistence isn’t just about trying the same thing over and over again. It’s about learning from mistakes and changing what you do. It’s about preparation and following through with actions. And it’s mainly about getting into good habits.

Habits are actions you take without having to think about them. They’re just part of your routine, like brushing your teeth – you do it every day without thinking.

That’s what good habits are like. When you have the right habits, you don’t need to worry about motivation or procrastination.

Here’s a cool story about persistence…

All Black Grant Fox wasn’t naturally the best athlete. He wasn’t the fastest or strongest. But he put more work into his game than anyone else. He studied kicking techniques relentlessly. He worked on improving every single day. Because of these habits, he became the best at what he did.

3. Believe in Yourself

You can’t achieve your goals in life if you’re constantly plagued by self-doubt and insecurity. Your inner voice needs to be assured and confident.

This is not just “positive thinking”, but a mindset that helps you instead of hindering you. It’s also a belief that the plans you put in place will ultimately pay dividends.

Self-belief also involves asking the right questions of yourself. For example, instead of asking, “Why does this always happen to me?” ask “How can I make things better?”.

Thomas Edison once said, “If we did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves“.

This reminds me of a story from the 1968 Olympic Games. American athlete Bob Beamon broke the world record for long jump by TWO FEET! That’s huge in a sport where records are usually broken by millimetres.

Beamon had such strong self-belief he knew he could jump further than anyone else. But his amazing leap was further than anyone thought possible. Beamon was so shocked by what he’d done that he collapsed to the ground, unable to move. He had literally astounded himself.

Keys to Success

I’ve used sporting examples here, but these 3 keys to success work for any goal – changing careers, starting a business, or any life goal.

When you have…

• A clear goal
• Persistence
• Belief in yourself

… you’ve got everything you need to succeed.

Need help? A good coach can help you master these three keys to success and create the life you want.

Copyright © 2006-2024 Eclipse Life Coaching Ltd. All rights reserved.