I have been very fortunate in life to have had (or shall I say ‘made’) the opportunity to surround myself with successful people.  Its always been a point of mine to associate myself with those that I most respect and admire.  My definition of success not only includes financial outlook, it also weighs heavily on having balance in life.  Seeing others do things that I feel is challenging is always inspirational as it demonstrates that what they are doing can be done by others.  The question to ask is ‘how’ can I personally do what they are doing?

While this may sound like a ‘grass is greener on the other side of the fence’ type of entry - that’s not the purpose at all.  Recognizing success and being able to copy the actions that have built those successes is a process that has been proven over and over to provide results.  After all, there is no strong study which I know of that correlates the richest of the rich with the highest of IQ’s. 

Why would I copy someone?

In interviewing many people that have reached significant financial goals, one thing that I’ve noticed is that very few of them had a brand new idea and simply made a million with it.  Most people knew how to study others - copy their greatest strengths, and make minor adjustments that suited their particular skills and personality.  Why would I copy someone?  Simple, because they have proven that it is possible to be successful with what you are trying to accomplish! 

For example, if you would like to start a dental office, what are the other successful dentists doing?  How did they get started?  Did they work for a successful dentist to learn how to operate before they started their practice?  Did they hire consultants?  By taking on a learning perspective and mirroring what worked for others (while staying current to today’s needs), you are building a plan for success. 

In today’s world, in order to be financially successful (or successful in relationships etc), we do not need to re-invent the wheel.  Consider the whole concept of franchising - isn’t this based on the principle of copying an exact business model from one location to another?  Or consider that we know exactly what CEO’s and Business owners did to get to the position they are at.  If for any reason we do not, so much information is available today that we can very easily find out.  The internet, books, newspapers etc lay out a virtual blueprint of what needs to be done to be successful.  And if this does not provide clarity you can always ask the successful person what they have done (and usually they are flattered that you’d ask). 

Copy someone else because you know it will work and you can understand what the path forward looks like by studying their past.

How do I copy someone?

Fortunately there are a lot of ways to do this.  My most favorite way is to work for them!  If you are truly embracing a learning perspective, you will understand that when you work for someone with the intent of self improvement and advancement, money is not the motivation.  Getting paid is an incredible bonus for the education you are receiving.  You know that what you are doing is teaching you how to become successful to the capacity that you would like.  Your goal is to become an expert so that you can mimic and reframe what they have done in your life. 

As you work for this company or person, do yourself a favor - do not lose sight of your purpose - if you are done learning, it is time to move on for you’ve gotten what you came for.  If what you are currently doing is leading you towards your vision of success, then by all means continue.

If its not possible to work for someone, then the next best way is to enroll a mentor.  Most people are flattered to be asked to provide mentoring.  Its an expression that you find their insight and input valuable.  Don’t fret if they simply don’t have the time to do it, they may really want to however know they can not commit. 

When mentoring is not an option, becoming an intern is an amazing way to learn.  In doing so, become an apprentice.  Surround yourself in the environment you want to copy.  You may not get paid, but consider this as an education on success that does not cost you anything!  When was the last time you paid nothing for school?  If a position is not open, go look anyway, many people would be thrilled to have a well qualified free employee walk into the door!  A nice thing with this is that you can typically spell out your terms and schedule in this situation.

Another option for learning how to copy success is to hire a consultant.  Hire someone that has a track record of building success.  Granted this can be an expensive route, consider what the potential returns are.  What can this consultant bring to the table that you do not already know?  Copy from their vast experience with other clients!

When these ‘in person’ methods are not a possibility, then we tap into the realm of information, and much of it is free.  We can copy what we see on the web, we can read books on how to open that dental practice, we have information at our fingertips like no other time in our lives. 

The compelling need to be different

So that all sounds good enough for someone else, but I am more creative than that - I have great ideas that can make millions.  I don’t need to copy someone else!

Good, I love the enthusiasm!  What are your ideas?  How have other people with new ideas turned them into financial returns?  What are you going to need to do to make this a success?  See that copying someone does not mean that you are lacking originality, it simply means that there are certain ways to approach personal and business goals that work consistently.  How would it be to learn about and embrace such an approach? 

There is no shame in copying what has worked for others - in fact it would be nearly impossible not to copy some models of success with at least some of the activities you are doing! 

Honorable Mention

In designing this website, I’ve drawn ideas from a number of resources.  Now my content is absolutely unique but the business model is one which countless numbers have used.  At this time my business model is essentially supported by the use of Adsense (Google advertisements).  The best example of a blogger that I have found that is making money with Adsense is Steve Pavlina.  In designing this site, I have build in a number of architectural similarities - blog, index page etc, that are consistent with his.  The content I am providing however is absolutely unique and differentiated.  I do recommend his site as well if you are looking for additional personal development articles.

Similarly, I am looking at what has worked for other businesses in the area of personal growth.  SelfGrowth.com has a very interesting business model that has drawn in nearly a million subscribers - these business concepts are very appealing.  As you are reading this article, you are seeing my personal development in action, as learning about and copying similar yet differentiated websites is a process I am continually reviewing and considering!  I ask myself how I can use this relevant to a coaches perspective. 

In summary, once you’ve defined what it means to be successful, you can find people that have already been successful with what you are trying to accomplish.  It may not be exactly what you want to do (and you wouldn’t want to be an exact replica of someone else anyway!) but you will find something similar enough that you can mirror what has worked for them.  Search out those successful people, learn everything you can about them and you are well on your way to reaching your goals.

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Be Well

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Written by Doug Nau, The Wellness Coach, i-grow.net