“Arsenal of Success”

Thanks for taking some time to check out my brand new website and this blog in particular. This is my first ever time writing as a form of expression, and I am thoroughly excited for the prospect of where this short journey may take us, together. I have a great passion for this subject, and thank you for taking some time to join me on this discussion. My hope is that by reading this you will be exposed to a unique perspective of my view of success and you may stow it away towards continually crafting your own story for success. The key is to realize that the definition of success is different for everyone, but I do believe there are some “pillars” or philosophies that we can all focus on to get our lives to where we want to be. Perhaps you will find value in one or two of my ideas and craft them towards your own approach.

First, let me introduce myself. My name is Tyler Chesser, I am a business school college graduate and native of Louisville, KY. I am a son, a brother, and an uncle. I love spending time with friends and family and going to the park with my dog Bruno. I enjoy traveling, hiking, swimming, being outdoors and reading. I am a real estate professional and aspiring investor striving to achieve entrepreneurial success. I am self-proclaimed life-long student of leadership. I also won’t bore you with any further unnecessary personal details. If you'd like to know more, just contact me!

I believe to achieve whatever you want in life, the following philosophies or characteristics must be a part of your arsenal. This may not work for everyone, but maybe one or two of these pieces might add value for your life. By no means do I have all of the answers – these are just some things that I try to incorporate in my own life. Let’s grow together. 

Believe

What is it that you want to achieve? I learned this from Napoleon Hill in his legendary book “Think and Grow Rich”– this is the very first step towards getting what you want. Believe that even your most lofty goals can be achieved. Start with the end in mind.

Persistence

To me, persistence is the most important factor one must embody to achieve success. On your own path towards success, you can expect to encounter road-blocks at every turn. Remind yourself that the most persistent are the ones who achieve their goals. If you give up at the first or even second or third sign of trouble, you will only meet failure.

Taking Action

There are literally millions of routes you can take towards success or achieving what you want to have in your life. Sitting on the sidelines will never get you there. Take a risk and go out on a limb. Who knows, maybe you will actually achieve what you set out for. The worst that can happen is you learn a valuable lesson and you’re one step closer to living a life you can be proud of.

Having Thick Skin

Also read: persistence. I read a simple yet profound book called “Rhinoceros Success” by Scott Alexander and he compares a Rhinoceros to what we need to embody to become successful. Rhinos have two-inch thick skin and never let hyperbolic “torpedoes” penetrate, no matter their force or power. Go out in the world with thick skin and be prepared to overcome major obstacles.

Acquiring Necessary Skills & Knowledge

Experience is many times our greatest teacher. We should also encourage ourselves to seek knowledge through reading books, attending seminars, acquiring and listening to mentors, and higher education. Be intentional in the knowledge you seek to obtain. One goal I set and achieved for myself in 2015 was to read one book per month. Whatever you want to learn is likely written in a book somewhere – go find it. Don’t be afraid to invest in yourself, whether it is on traveling to seminars, buying books, paying for education. This is money well spent. 

Expecting the Unexpected

Be prepared to improvise. To me it seems like plans never completely work out the way we had hoped or drew them up. Starting with this expectation makes it easier to adjust as necessary towards reaching your goals. In real estate, transactions have thousands of ways of falling apart. I have learned to expect bad things to happen and to solve each problem one by one.

Finding Comfort in Being Uncomfortable

Have you ever noticed when you are uncomfortable, you are usually becoming better at something? An easy analogy on this topic is, of course, working out – when you struggle you are likely getting your body into better shape. If your daily life doesn’t involve some degree of discomfort you are not challenging yourself enough to get to where you want to be. When you are feeling uncomfortable you are likely learning something new or sharpening a specific skill. One of my favorite things about writing this blog is the fact that putting myself into this discomfort is allowing me to grow into the person I want to become. Hats off to those who realize the value in this.

Keeping an Optimistic Attitude

Our inner thoughts control the outcome in nearly all situations. Positive thinking and optimism gives us a much better chance at achieving our goals. How many times have you met the conceptual “bump in the road” in any area of life? Looking at each situation with a “glass is half full” mentality gives you the opportunity to overcome obstacles and grow from those challenges.

“Smelling the Roses”

This is one I personally need to improve on. I am always thinking about what’s next or what needs to be done next to achieve a certain end. Focus on living life in the present and be grateful for all that has been given to us. Celebrate the small successes as they come. A great concept written by Jon Kabat-Zinn in “Mindfulness for Beginners” is that our lives are comprised of only present moments. While we are always strategizing for the future or dwelling on the past, it is important to remember to live in the present.

Recognizing your Weaknesses

I am not as organized as I want to be. I am not as detail oriented as I know I need to be. My hope is that being aware of these shortcomings can allow me to focus on these areas and improve. Maybe your weaknesses are in many different areas other than mine – look yourself in the mirror and be honest with yourself.

Capitalizing on your Strengths

I have strong inter-personal communication skills. This comes naturally to me. I try to utilize this to my advantage in my business dealings and personal interactions at every opportunity. Perhaps you are organized and detail-oriented and may focus on emphasizing those traits towards your advantage in whatever profession or personal endeavor you seek.

Taking Time Off

Read: smelling the roses. Another excerpt from “Rhinoceros Success” is that a Rhino needs to lay in a mud hole for some time every year to re-energize itself. Full charge mode cannot continue without some time off every now and then. Take a vacation. Turn the phone off. Put that out-of-office e-mail notification on.

Taking Risks

I learned in finance 101 in college that high-risk usually means a possible high-reward. I would argue that this philosophy translates to most areas in life. If you really think about it, everything we do involves a certain amount of risk. Take risks so you can be where you want to be. Without risk taking, life isn’t very exciting either.

Surrounding Yourself with Complementing Individuals

Read: recognizing your weaknesses. We cannot be perfect people – it is impossible. Select partners who complement you and fill the holes of skills that you lack. Challenge yourself to surround yourself with people who make you better and bite the bullet to remove individuals from your life who don’t make you the person you want to be.

Be Passionate

We only have one life and I am told it is short. Follow your heart and do what it is that you feel passionate about, especially for your profession. Find what makes you jump out of bed in the morning with vigor and excitement. You must have this to really be the best you can be. We spend way too much time in our careers to be doing something that makes us miserable.

Recognizing the Value in Failure 

Failure is the best teacher in life. I read a quote recently that mentioned that in school we are given the lesson and then the test. In life we are given the test, and then the lesson. I have learned more from my failures, which are plenty, than from my successes. This is another piece to have an optimistic mindset – view a failure as an opportunity to grow. 

Knowing Your Why

Strip back all of your layers for motivation towards what you want in life. I participated in a life changing exercise a couple years ago that I invite you to conduct on yourself. Ask yourself “why” 7 times. “Why do I want to be successful?” The answers to “why” on question number 5, 6 and 7 are your underlying motivating factors to becoming successful and really define what success is for you. For example, your first answer to this question may be that you want to make a lot of money. Keep digging and asking why do you want to make a lot of money, so on and so forth. For me, this exercise helped me determine that I strive to obtain Freedom, Happiness and Significance. Freedom to choose what I want to do, where and how I want to live, and where and how I want to go there. Happiness by feeling free that I choose my own destiny. Significance to my current and future family for my contributions, significance to my clients’ lives for helping them reach their important goals, and significance to my community and overall society as an individual who has improved the lives of others.

Let me hear your thoughts. Which of these are you missing in your life? Which characteristics do you believe I am missing? Shoot me an e-mail at trches01@gmail.comand let’s grow together.