Unlocking Success...

Earlier this week I needed to go to our bank to swap out back-up disks that we normally store in a safety deposit box.

When I got to the bank I noticed the vault, which would normally be open, was still closed.

When I inquired with the bank
clerk who normally handles the safety deposit boxes, she explained that they screwed up and missed the time-lock this morning on the vault.  Therefore they would not be able to open the safe until the following morning.

I had always thought that the time-locks were only activated after-hours, but the clerk told me that this particular branch only had one hour in order to open the vault in the morning and, for a reason she could not adequately explain, this particular morning the person who was supposed to open the vault forgot.

As I drove back to the office very annoyed, I began thinking about vaults and combination locks. 

A combination lock on a typical bank vault consists of five unique numbers between zero and one hundred.  These five numbers must be dialed into the lock mechanism in the correct sequential order in order to open the lock. 

In mathematics, this is called permutation rather than combination as the order of which the number are entered truly matters.

The lottery, in contrast, is a combination (other than the last "power number").  The order doesn’t matter when lottery numbers are pulled.  

Only after all five correct numbers have been dialed in... in sequence... will the tumblers release and the door open. 

However in this particular lock, an additional safe-guard was installed whereas this particular sequence of numbers will only open the vault within a very tight time frame... one hour to be precise.

This is a very secure safe.

The combination of possible numbers is one hundred to the fifth power, or 10 billion unique outcomes, only of which one is the correct outcome.

Add to this permutation, the element of time, and the locking mechanism to the vault is almost impenetrable and failure without the unique code is almost assured.

The lottery also has a "time lock" associated. That is, you must possess all the winning numbers in any given week.  Having the correct numbers, but in the wrong week, results in failure.

Although this may be a self-evident exercise, I find the concept to be of great significance on two levels.

First... life is indeed sequential... that is... one thing happens after another.

Just because you might have the right answers... if we apply those answers in the wrong order, success will elude us.

I saw a salesperson the other day in my office... they immediately wanted to close the sale without establishing rapport or probing to find out what needs I have...

Needless to say the salesperson’s attempts failed miserably as I soon ushered them out of my office before they could waste any more of my time.

The second point, is that there is a methodology to achieving a successful conclusion.

As mentioned above, success is sequential.  

It has a beginning, middle and an end.

The first step to success starts with imagination.

Imagination is the ability to see things that do not exist... yet.

Artists take a blank canvass and appear to create something from nothing... but in reality that’s only half true... the something really does exist... if only in the mind of the artist.

Creating an idea is always the first step... yet it is the hardest step.

The first step in anything that you do is typically the hardest step...

Each and every one of my weekly blogs begins with just a single idea.  Whenever I discover a good idea... I write it down and catalog it for future use.

Ideas can come from a variety of inspirations and/or experiences.  They can come from observations.  They can come from a conversation with a friend or colleague.  They can come from books, articles, libraries, lecturers, and/or conferences.

Good ideas are all around us every day... we just need to be looking for them.

If an idea is the beginning success... then a plan is the middle part.

Success isn’t haphazard and random.  Success comes from making a detailed plan consisting of what steps and preparations are needed in order to achieve the desired results.

The more detailed the plan, the better chance it has at creating success.  No one can ever over prepare.

Many people come up with great ideas but fail to create the proper plan to execute the idea into success.

Each plan should not only outline what the needs are at each stage, but also it should add a timeline so as to create some sense of urgency. 

It has been said that a goal is nothing more than a dream with a timeline.

A good plan should be written.  This allows it to be distributed to others for additional input or critique.

Even the best plans should be reviewed by others in the same way that new books are read and edited by professionals before publication.  Allowing other to review your plan might lead to new additional ideas that could be incorporated into the plan.

The architect might have a good idea for a new building however that idea is useless until they can create a plan to take the idea and make it tangible.

Only after a well-thought-out plan is formulated can the final phase begin.

The final step to success is action.

An idea leads to a plan... and a plan leads to activity... execution turns an idea into reality.

Immediate action is required in order to find success.  Action can’t wait for the perfect time to occur or it might never get done. 

Procrastination is the enemy of action, however one can’t be so compelled to act as to ignore the first and second steps of imagination and planning.

Activity is the result of imagination and planning... not the other way around.

One can’t reap a harvest if they skip the planting step...

Just like the combination lock on the bank safe, we need to dial in the correct numbers in the proper sequence in order to achieve success in opening the lock... if we have the right numbers but change the sequence, the lock will simply never open.

The secret to unlocking success is to continuously develop new ideas, create purposeful plans, and take deliberate action to work the plan. 

Thank you very much for your support of OptiFuse where we believe in helping our customers to unlock their ideas to create tremendous success.