The 10 Pillars of a High Achiever
Straight from Erica’s book Meant For This
As you pursue your dreams, there will be many ups and downs: obstacles, good days, opportunities, rejections, and the High Achiever needs a game plan through it all. These ten pillars represent the mindset of a successful person. They will keep you on the path to success, no matter what you encounter on your journey.
Revisit them again and again. Whenever obstacles pop up in your pursuit, go back to the pillars. They are the guiding light that will bring you back to your Star Power.
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Instead of fearing there aren’t enough opportunities for you, believe there is an abundance of opportunities. Believing in scarcity stops you from taking action. It creates pressure on any opportunity you get because it may be your last.
Abraham Hicks says, “People get to the dock and they think they missed their boat, but there is always another one coming.” That’s Pillar #1 in a nutshell.
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Most people make fear-based decisions. Like having contact information for a connection but never emailing them because you’re afraid you’ll bother them. Successful people make decisions that support their dreams, even if it feels scary. Fear-based decisions stop you from taking risks. And when you’re not taking risks, you’re not reaping any reward.
When making a decision, ask yourself, “Does this decision help me move forward?”
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When you hit an obstacle, be like Ross Geller and yell, “PIVOT!!!”
Seriously. Obstacles usually feel awful in the moment, like you’re hitting a wall, but they are really opportunities in disguise. They cause you to pivot in a different direction, but that doesn’t mean it’s taking you off your path. In fact, the opposite is true. As long as you keep going, you’ll be led exactly where you need to be.
It’s not about avoiding obstacles, it’s about what you do with them.
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The story we tell ourselves dictate everything: how we feel, what actions we take, and the results we get. We’re really good at creating stories when something goes wrong like, “I’m not good enough.” But no matter what rejection you experience, the event is neutral and you get to decide what it means. Stop telling yourself fiction and remember how amazing you are.
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Whatever happened in your past does not dictate your future. I had an English teacher who told me that my writing was better for advertising, but I didn’t let that stop me from writing books.
Even if you’ve gotten a similar outcome time and time again (like bad talent agents, never getting a second interview, etc.) it doesn’t determine future outcomes. Your potential is endless. View your past like you believe that!
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This can be a tough one because we’re always so future focused, but this pillar is about being present and focusing on the process.
If you planted a seed, you wouldn’t sit in front of it everyday yelling, “WHERE IS THE FLOWER??!” The seed needs soil and sun and water and time.
So try your best not to say every day, “WHERE IS MY DREAM??!” If you focus on the process (i.e. what you need to do to get there), the dream becomes inevitable.
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Say it with me: “My success is inevitable.” Period.
You have to believe your success is inevitable, especially in times of uncertainty. This mindset will keep you going, and keep you focused on the best actions.
As A Course In Miracles says, “Those who are certain of the outcome can afford to wait, and wait without anxiety.”
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You’ve probably heard this one before, in terms of your everyday life and relationships…you know, don’t lash out or be rash with your words.
Well it’s especially important with your dreams. Because when obstacles arise, and you feel sad and full of doubt, it’s easy to quit in that moment. Instead, feel all your feelings, but don’t make any big decisions until you can think clearly (and hear what your heart is telling you).
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When you have big dreams, it’s easy to think of them as fluffy, out of reach things. That’s detrimental to your success for two reasons:
You don’t take much action because it feels pointless.
You don’t invest time or money into it.
If you want your dream to be tangible, you have to understand that it’s going to take time and money to move forward. People don’t like to spend money on their dream, but you’re not spending money—you’re investing. Like, one day you’ll get a return on that investment. Think of your dream like a business you’re running and you’re the CEO. It’s not a fluffy dream, it’s a real, tangible business and you’re in charge of keeping it alive and making it successful.
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The Ruthless Bouncer is a metaphor for what you allow into your mind. Like a bouncer at a club, you have to be intentional about what you let in.
So when Negative Nancy hears about your dream and she says, “That’s like, so hard. You should probably try something you can actually achieve” you can’t let that nonsense into your head. You’ve been so great training your mindset with these 10 pillars, don’t let someone take it all away with one comment. Be ruthless about what you allow yourself to believe.
Listen to podcast episodes on how to implement the 10 pillars in real life:
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