The secret to succeeding in anything is to increase your probabilities.
This may seem obvious, but are you using it to make sure you succeed?
If you’re like most people, you aren’t.
After playing poker professionally for five years, probabilities have become a part of the way I think.
There are no guarantees in life.
Only probabilities.
You cannot start an online business and be guaranteed success. But you can dramatically increase your probabilities, if you know what you’re doing.
This is true in any endeavor in your life. Relationships, wealth, happiness, health, fitness, and so on. It all comes down to how many things you can line up with what you want to do.
Everything little thing matters.
At this point, I’m sure you’re wondering how exactly you can increase your probabilities.
You may not even be entirely clear on what I’m talking about. Don’t worry, it’ll become clear as you keep reading.
Let’s go through a few examples of how you can dramatically increase your probabilities for outrageous success:
1. Action
I may not know what I have to do to make progress, but I know I have to do something.
I have to take action, even if I don’t know what my next step is.
Why?
Because action leads to insight, and insight leads to progress. And progress leads to the promised land.
I may not succeed on the first go, but I know that if I keep going, I’ll eventually figure things out, even if I have to make mistake after mistake.
Taking action is one of the biggest things you can do to get closer to getting paid to do what you love, or whatever it is you are after.
2. Information
Another way you can increase your chances is by having access to the correct information.
You do not have to make all the mistakes on your own. You can learn from others.
The problem is that while many people have access to great information, they don’t apply it, or they try to tweak it.
If you want to make a quantum leap in the amount of progress you make, pick one source of information.
Yes, just one.
Choose one person or company to listen to that you trust and that is doing what you want to do. Let them lead the way.
Once you start seeing results, you can expand, but be wary of diluting your focus.
It wasn’t until I laser-focused on one project that I started seeing more cash flow into my bank account. There are more things you can do here, but more on that in the coming weeks.
3. Mindset
None of this matters if you don’t have the right mindset.
The right mindset is one of determination, where you know that no matter what happens, you’ll keep moving forward.
You know that taking action is the only way to succeed.
I struggle from time to time, like everyone else.
Some days I feel like I’m suffocating. I want to escape, because nothing is going right and I feel like I’m not good enough. Other days I feel on top of the world and everything flows.
Both days come and go. I just keep showing up and doing the work.
You’ll face challenges all of your life. What will determine the quality of your life is how you deal with challenges.
And how you deal with them depends on your mindset.
4. Ask the Right Questions
A part of having the right mindset is asking the right questions.
Don’t ask WHY you aren’t successful, instead focus on how you can move forward. Don’t just say “I can’t afford to buy a training course.”
Ask how you can get the money, because let’s face it. If you really want to, you’ll find the money. Ask smart questions.
How can you solve the challenge you’re facing right now?
What can you do to make even faster progress?
Whatever questions you ask, your brain will answer, so make them good ones.
Asking the right questions will help you take advantage of your mistakes.
5. Fail
The best way to succeed is by learning what doesn’t work.
That means failing a lot. Making a lot of mistakes. Taking the risk of looking like a fool in front of everybody.
The more courage you have to do this, the faster you will succeed.
I hate failing, but I know that each failure is a step toward success. It hurts, but at the same time I’m satisfied.
I’m heading in the right direction.
I wasn’t always like this though. A few years back. I worried, hesitated and over-analyzed everything. I didn’t make any progress, because I was aiming for perfection.
Perfectionism will destroy you, if you let it.
6. Think BIG
Think big, and then ask how you can get there.
Make big goals, but have small milestones so you can take baby steps and rack up small wins.
You have to get ruthless about your progress.
Constantly look at WHAT your results are. If you’re not getting the results you want, you have to change something.
If you constantly do this, it doesn’t matter if you fail, because you’ll learn so fast, and move forward so rapidly that you’ll succeed.
7. Feedback
If you want to bump up your probabilities even more, you need to get feedback on what you’re doing.
This can be done by joining training courses, or by getting a mentor or a coach.
If you can work with someone who is doing what you want to do, they can guide you in the right direction.
They can give you instant advice on what needs to be done and what doesn’t. They can help keep you on track and focused.
They can help you when you’re freaking out and want to hide under the covers with a bowl of ice cream topped with candy.
This is probably one of the biggest things you can do to increase your probabilities of success.
I’ve worked with coaches all my life. When I learned poker, I spent thousands on coaching from successful players.
When I transitioned to online business, I wasted thousands on bad coaching, so you have to be careful.
However, I eventually found my way to some amazing coaches, and they’re what have helped me take massive action.
8. Selling
I covered this in my last article, and I’m going to cover it again, because selling doesn’t just apply to building an online business.
You have to sell your ideas to your friends, your spouse and your boss (if you do the whole 9-to-5 thing).
You have to be able to convey your ideas in a way that is compelling, interesting and moves people to take action.
If you do, you’ll help make the world a better place.
I used to look at selling and marketing as sleazy, and in some cases it is. It depends on how you use it.
However, that doesn’t mean that we can’t tip the scales. If you think selling is sleazy, that’s just more incentive to get good at it.
I know you’re honest, ethical and savvy, which means that you need to let go of these limiting beliefs and join me in changing how we sell.
It can be done ethically and in a way that changes the world.
But change starts with you.
Bottom Line
I keep saying this over and over, and I’ll say it again: there are NO quick fixes.
If you want to succeed, you have to align as many factors in your favor as possible.
You have to increase your probabilities.
Guarantees don’t matter, probabilities do.
The tips above are some of the most powerful ways to increase your chances. I know they’ve worked for me, and they continue to work.
The questions is, are you willing to put in the work?
Most people aren’t.
They’re okay with dreaming.
But if you’re reading this, you’re of a different breed.
You’re ready. Deep down you know that.
Ready to Do What You Love?

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There’s no formula for success. What works for one won’t work for another. We’re all channels – some of us are well tuned and the rest need major repair.
Thanks for stopping by, Lucille!
All we can do is take one step at a time and increase our chances.
You know, every time I read an article you write, I think I’ve read something of such impact that nothing more need be said, and oh how wrong I am.
I’m marking this post for many reasons so I can refer back to it and when I’m off work, I’ll share it.
Progress is made when you’re ready for more than you’re ready for and are finally willing to let yourself have it.
Good stuff, Eric.
And thank you!
This is a wonderful list Henri! If I commented on every cool thing you said, I’d be too long-winded. Regarding Action, it seems I’ve been talking to folks a lot lately about action. I think many get stuck in inaction, passivity and avoidance. We can get everything else right, but without action, nothing else matters!
I also like that you said there are no quick roads to success. Yes, we need patience and perseverance, too. Thanks for your insights Henri.
Hey Sean,
I believe that if people would stop thinking and start doing, they’d see more results.
It sounds obvious when I put it like that, yet most people read, research and do nothing.
Thanks for the comment!
No easy road to success unless you inherit your wealth or you are smart and work harder than others. There are no quick fixes. So is it worth writing an ebook