The Seven Laws that Govern Success

The following seven laws govern success. When a person aligns with those laws, the person achieves success. Every failure in human existence occurs because people walk contrary to these laws. The laws are:
1. Getting started
2. Developing a powerful "why" statement
3. Becoming and remaining teachable and coach-able
4. Mastering process and systems thinking
5. Learning to work S.M.A.R.T.
6. Learning to work hard
7. Never quitting
Getting started
To achieve business success, you must get started emotionally, mentally and physically! Emotional started-ness requires shifting from your current paradigm of commonly held perspectives to a mindset of seeing differently and deeply. Consider these examples. Read this: Opportunityisnowhere! Do you see: "opportunity is no where," or do you see: opportunity is now here?Please understand that no matter which phrase you "see," you are right, and what you see dictates your beliefts from which develop your expectations, from which develop your attitudes. Perceptions, beliefs, expectations and attitudes determine your behavior and performance. These principles, together, define your outcomes and all this establishes your destiny. When it becomes easy for you to see beyond the obvious, to perceive opportunities where others see barriers, you are learning to get started emotionally. Developing a thirst for new knowledge defines the mental aspect of getting started that triggers our ability to align with becoming teachable and coach-able. Finally, we get started physically when we begin taking definitive action designed to produce different results.
Developing a powerful "why" statement
Your "why" statement buoys you when others sink; it lifts you above the crushing weight of defeat. Alignment with this law requires an affirmation that usually begins with "I believe . . ." As an example, consider my "why" statement: "I believe that God has called me into six of the seven end time ministries of the Church which are: the 1) the awakening ministry (Matt. 25:1-12), 2) the ministry of restoration (Matt. 17:11; Acts 3:21), 3 )the harvest ministry (Matt. 13:24-43), 4 )the fivefold equipping ministry (Eph. 4:11-16), 5) the ministry of reconciliation (2Cor. 5:16-21) and the 6) and the gospel preaching and disciple-making ministry (Matt. 24:14 and Matt. 28:16-18). The seventh of this series of interlocking end time ministries is the Ezekiel ministry of final warning to the House of Israel. As a prophet and teacher in these six ministries, I believe God has provided me the authority, responsibility and the tools (ART) to encourage many of God's people to live the seven freedoms. Finally, I believe and live the Bible as an operational manual that my "manufacturer"--God--sent along with His "products"--human beings to position us, once empowered, to achieve our incredible potential." Your "why" statement forms the foundation of all you become, say and do.
Becoming and remaining teachable and coach-able
Through the prophet Hosea, God levels seven incredible charges against the House of Israel, the descendants of Abraham. The third of those charges-"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me."-identifies why to succeed you must become and remain teachable and coach-able. Notice the soul-chilling outcome of people rejecting knowledge: "Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children." To not become and remain teachable, with God's knowledge being the basis of learning, not only sentences the perpetrator to failure, but that person's children as well.
We can turn to a sports metaphor to explain being coach-able. Team sports coaches reserve the right to call plays in certain situation, though the principle play caller might be the field captain, or the quarterback, as in football. When you play team sports-and success is a team sport-sometimes the coach calls a play that you believe in our heart of hearts simply will not work. Being coach-able means that you carry out your responsibility as best you can, not because you believe the play will work, but because you believe your coach. So why, in this particular situation, is the team running this play? Because the coach called it. Why, then, is designing your home based business, are you writing a business plan when you're not yet certain about what you want to do? Because the coach-that's me-instructed to write a business plan.
Jesus, the Christ serves as our success coach. He calls all the plays! He promises that every play works. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Rom. 8:28). We see the admonition to be coach-able in Col. 3:17 "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
Mastering process and systems thinking
Everything in life exists as a component of a larger system, operating as part of a process in God's plan. God created all processes and systems through, by and for Jesus: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible (systems) and invisible (principles and processes), whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And he is before all things, and in Him all things consist." (Col. 1:15-17). Earlier, in Isaiah, God identifies the crux of the human dilemma: " 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts. Nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.'" (Isa. 55:8-9) That's the problem statement. Here's the solution. "Let this mind be in your which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men, and being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." (Philip. 2:5-8). In Matt. 20:25-28, Jesus explains that service forms the cornerstone of His thinking, which is the basis of process and systems thinking. Think about it! Every system and process exists to serve. Your car is a system. Why does it exist? To serve! Mathematics reveals a process. Why does it exist? To serve! Listen to what Jesus said: " . . .You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. (That's flawed human thinking that attempts to appear to be great by being served) "Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave-just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Service, then, forms the basis, the purpose, and provides the energy of process and systems thinking.
Learning to work S.M.A.R.T.
This acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Relevant and Time-focused. Stephen Covey described the concept of specific work in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Habit number two is: Do first things first. Consider this story as an illustration of that principle: "A professor came into his classroom with a large jar, a bag of golf balls, a bag of sand, a large glass of water and two cups of coffee. He put the golf balls in the jar until no more will fit, and asked: "Is the jar full?" The class said "yes." Then he poured the bag of sand into the jar, and asked again: "Is the jar full? "Yes," the glass responded. Next, the professor poured the large glass of water into the jar. Now, full assured that the jar was full and nothing else could get in, the class declared: "Yes, the jar is completely full." Now, the professor poured in the coffee, and explained.
"The golf balls represent the major issues of life, and if you take care of them first, all other things in your life will fit properly. Yet, no matter how much you manage to fit into your life, working specifically, you should always have room for a cup of coffee with a friend." That's what it means to be specific.
Measurable work begins with how you describe progress. For example, to say: "I will make better grades this semester is not measurable, largely because it's not specific, but also because a person cannot define or demonstrate the steps to "better grades." On the other hand, if you declared: "I will improve my grades by one letter grade in History, English and Math, that's a measurable objective. Furthermore, you can define and demonstrate the steps to that objective.
Specific work-doing first things first-and measurable work require an action orientation. For example, continuing with the academic metaphor, if you are going to move from a "B" to an "A" in math, you must take specific and measurable actions to accomplish that progress.
Work is relevant when it relates to your overarching mission and is clearly defined as a step toward your vision. That's why God says where there's no vision, the people perish, because vision describes outcomes of mission. Mission determines what knowledge you need. To be relevant for you, all work you perform must contribute to your mission.
Time constitutes one of your greatest assets; therefore, all you do must be time-focused.
Learning to work hard
To work hard means to be committed to outcomes that lead to goals in your life and help to achieve objectives. To work hard also means to become and remain fully cooperative with the team(s) you work with. To work hard also means to communicate clearly, concisely and truthfully with all stakeholders. Finally, to work hard means to ensure that all you do contributes to others as well as to yourself.
Refusing to quit
The trek to success is not a cakewalk, or a stroll down a tree shaded, flower bedecked parkway of delight. I define success as an acronym-S.U.C.C.E.S.S.-Striving Until Clear, Comprehensive Empowerment Secures Stability. Do you see it? The action word in this acronym is striving. Striving includes struggle and sacrifice, as well as selfless service. So no matter how low you go, or how difficult the days become, you continue along the success continuum committed to completion!