How to Model Your Life
After Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great is widely considered to be one history’s most successful military commanders. On top of the fact that he created an enormous empire and was tutored by Aristotle, Alexander was also undefeated in battle.
Photo Credit: archer10
How can you emulate Alexander the Great? What would it take to be more like the great men of history? Most importantly, what can you do now to ultimately leave a lasting legacy of greatness?
Here’s how to model your life after Alexander the Great:
It All Begins with Ambition
A great life is built on a foundation of ambition. Great men and women throughout history were incredibly ambitious. They had the drive, the eagerness, and the hunger for success, achievement, and significance.
They wanted more out of life. They saw opportunities to contribute, give back, and create something meaningful with their time and talents.
The ultimate successes of men like Alexander the Great began with a deep-seeded ambition.
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.“
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Study of High-Achievers
I have made a tremendous effort in the last six years to study phenomenally successful people. I follow their habits, their triumphs, and their best decisions in order to see what works.
The goal for me has always been to find out what I can copy, emulate, and model from the greats in order to experience a fraction of that success myself.
My research has recently pieced itself together into a list of attributes that I am calling The Greatness Formula.
It is a system that begins with rock solid foundation of ambition and culminates in a lasting legacy of greatness.
The true personal benefit for any individual who walks through The Greatness Formula is that he or she will achieve a clear life calling, extraordinary influence over others, and phenomenal personal fulfillment.
It sounds lofty and hyperbolic, but in all seriousness this system has the potential to create a life worth living.
How the Formula Works
Each attribute of the formula builds on the previous attributes. For examples, as you establish your ambition you will then seek new inputs to answer the questions arising in your brain. The questions lead to thoughts, which lead to new actions, and on and on.
No single attribute stands alone and you may already be doing many of these already. The key is the firmly establish the early attributes and move forward to the next in a logical and intentional manner.
I find it helpful to use an example in your mind as you go through the steps. You could picture an already successful person reliving their life as they grew into the big shoes they know fill.
Alternatively, you could picture a big life goal you already have, and ask yourself how what you would be doing in each attribute that would lead to the accomplishment of your goal.
Finally, The Greatness Formula is not meant to be all-inclusive or the sole path to a great legacy. However, I think you will agree with me that this path works.
If you follow it methodically, from beginning to end, you will inevitably achieve great things.
The Greatness Formula
1. Rock Sold Ambition
The foundation is built on your hunger for success. When you want more out of life than you presently have – that’s the first step.
When your curiosity leads to ask, What if? What could be? What more is out there?, then you know you are on the right track.
2. Brain Food
The inputs that enter your mind are a powerful catalyst to life change. If there is one factor that controls your thoughts and actions more than anything else it is your chosen inputs.
What you read, listen to, watch, and personally experience will shape your life. Be intentional on these items. Choose to fill your brain with positive, uplifting, and educational inputs. Positive in, positive out.
3. Thoughts
What you think defines you. Your thoughts can clarify your ambitions, goals, directions, plans, and creative abilities. Whether conscious or unconscious, your thoughts are choices.
That’s a hard pill to swallow, but remember that your inputs define your thoughts. Change your inputs – change your thoughts – change your life.
4. Actions
As Winston Churchill once said, “Courage is the finest of human qualities because it guarantees all the others.” Your willingness to take action is fundamental in physically creating life change.
Without action there is no progress. Without a courageous first step, there is no journey. Be willing to begin AND continue.
5. Habits
Your repeated actions ultimately define your potential for exponential growth. Everyone knows that running one time won’t be enough to train for a marathon.
It’s the habitual choice to run many times over many months that result in a successful race. Start building the habits now that will eventually allow you to cross your own finish line.
6. Energy
If my vegan diet has taught me anything, it is that energy is an underrated power. Higher energy leads to higher productivity, a better attitude, and a willingness to overcome many unseen obstacles.
When you create habits that raise your energy level, you put yourself on a fast track to greatness. Energy IS power.
7. Mood
Mood is both a choice in-the-moment and a by-product of previous choices and circumstances. When you don’t sleep well, your mood suffers.
When you take care of your body, you smile more. It’s not rocket science. It’s cause and effect.
8. Focus
Cutting distractions is a fine art that is more important now than in the history of mankind. Distractions are built into our daily lives to such an extent that you must make a significant conscious effort to avoid them.
The ability to focus on one single task at a time is easily one of the greatest challenges of the 21 century. Make this a high-priority.
9. Productive Prioritization
This is a prevalent area of weakness I see in many people. As Steven Covey famously pointed out, you can be productive but not effective. The goal with taking action is not to do things – it is to do things that matter.
The key to doing what matters is to decide ahead of time. In-the-moment decision-making is overrated. Plan ahead of time and execute your plan.
10. Daily Growth
Your ability to grow is dependent on your intentionally prioritized and productive actions. You may grow on accident every now and then, but to create a legacy people will remember will require you grow every day.
It is quite possible to grow continually so long as you challenge yourself to do things you have never done before in ways you have never done them, AND you learn from the process. That’s growth.
11. Long-Term, Habitual Growth
Long-term growth is simply a by-product of daily growth. Master the ability to make today count. Then, wake up and do it again.
You will have to grow, change, and evolve on a continual basis for your entire life. Count on that.
12. Goal Achievement
The achievement of any particular goal is a by-product of many small decisions made over time. There is rarely a time where one big leap makes something happen.
Baby steps win the game. Turtles beat the hare. Your goals will happen later than you want them to, but they will happen.
Goals are a mile-marker on the path to long-term growth. Set your sites on growing daily and let the goals fall as they may.
13. Career Trinity
Your career will most likely be the sole determining factor in your legacy. What you do for a living is the best vehicle for most people to make their greatest contributions to society.
The ideal career comes from the trinity: skills, passions, and market demand. Find something to do that you’re good at, you enjoy, and that others are willing to pay for.
14. Living with Purpose
Don’t become distracted by people telling you that you have to find your purpose. It’s a silly waste of time. Your goal is to live with purpose every day.
Living as though what you are doing is purposeful provides clarity in your identity, calling, and passions. However, clarity usually occurs in hindsight, not ahead of time.
Get to work now and let your purpose find you later. It always does.
15. The Pinnacle of Greatness
In the end, your level of greatness will be determined by others. However, they will never see you as great unless you first see yourself as worthy of greatness.
You could say this is beginning with the end in mind, but you must see yourself as already achieving greatness in order for it to ever be possible.
You are great. You always have been. Now, prove me right.
What You Can Do Now
To begin your journey to greatness there is one first step that is clear: you must acknowledge your hunger to live a better life.
Would you describe yourself as ambitious? Do you believe there is more for you to achieve? Do you have a deep-seeded desire to make your life more meaningful?
If you do, you are ready to raise the bar. Chances are that you are already far down the path to greatness and all you need is to focus your energy on the few habits that will accelerate your growth.
My guess is that you are already a champion in training. You have enough skills to get started. You have what it takes to take one bold step forward.
That’s all you need right now – nothing more.
Hard Work is Hard Work
For many years I used an affirmation that kept me going when I felt lost and out of control: “Do what’s obvious. Do what’s right.”
When I asked myself, what’s obviously right in front of me that I need to do? The answer always appeared. It wasn’t always what I wanted to do, but I knew it needed to get done.
Life is lived one day at a time. The only important step to take is the one right in front of you.
If you wake up each day and make that day meaningful, it won’t be long before a great life will take shape.
The real progress stems from your daily habits. The work you do on a daily basis is the foundation of future growth.
Ambition is the drive and work is the force that puts that drive in motion.
Get to work.
