“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”―Albert Einstein

Sometimes life can be overwhelming with all the choices we have to make. A helpful recipe for success is to keep things simple.

I believe that deep down everyone wants to improve and lead his or her best life. Seems easy enough, but often challenging to implement because you need clarity and the courage to take action.

What do you want to focus on and make a priority in your life?

Here’s my recipe for success by keeping it SIMPLE. Feel free to add on to make these rituals work for you.

S: SPECIFY

We all want success. But are you clear on what success means to you? To do so, it’s much more effective to focus on YOUR top 1% rather than on THE top 1%. Living your best life is dependent on doing what brings you energy, makes you feel alive and connected, and leaves you feeling fulfilled. It’s not dependent on your status, role, finances, or education—as society likes to have us believe.

Success is doing what makes you feel alive! Take the time to continually redefine what success means to you.

I: IMAGINE your ideal outcome

I like to encourage people to think in terms of the ideal outcome. This starts with your imagination. If you want to start a business, become a yoga teacher, or buy a house, you must train your mind to see all the possibilities by creating an inspiring vision for what you want. Then you can work backwards to see how your vision translates into reality. However, if you start dreaming and immediately let obstacles throw you off course, you create a less-than-ideal outcome.

The work is to have the courage to think without obstacles, rather than let your mind be clouded by everything that can go wrong or the challenges that could show up. People who create focus on what can be rather than why something can’t be done. You can train yourself to do the same.

M: MASTER your MINDSET

We all have a story. Many of us believe our story defines us, but what really defines us is how we interpret the story or facts and choose to move forward.

According to the National Science Foundation, our brains produce as many as 50,000 thoughts per day. Ninety-five percent of these thoughts are repeated daily.

Your thoughts become your beliefs, which, in turn, become your mindset.  Your mindset governs your actions, which lead to your results. In short, if you have a mindset that limits your potential, then you will likely accept limited results in your life.

Start becoming aware of the words you use on a consistent basis and how often you tell yourself: can vs. can’t or possible vs. impossible.

P: PRIORITIZE

Making something a priority is different than simply saying something is important.

I have lots of clients who think it’s important to make time for the gym, or make themselves a priority, but that doesn’t mean they do it. I start every coaching workshop by having people tell me their wins. Wins are anything that give you the feeling of, “I did it!”—that make you feel proud. The consistent theme supporting why wins are accomplished is simple—people make them a priority. So if you want time to read to your kids, have a better relationship with your parents, go to sleep earlier, take a vacation, or take a photography class, make it a priority and you will see different results.

L: LAUGH

And do it often. I learned this one from my favorite yoga teachers, Jen Pastiloff. One of the things that I love about her class is her ability to make us laugh, so we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We all know that tree pose or crow is serious stuff, but who really cares if you fall out of a pose? I do! But seriously, laughing opens up your heart and brings good energy into your life. Would you prefer to surround yourself with people who are laughing and fun to be around? Or Debbie downers? It’s your choice!

E: EMBRACE EXCITEMENT

Everyone can use a little excitement in his or her life, and the easiest way to do this is to pursue a goal that is truly exciting, rather than something you should do. How do you want to invest your time and energy? All the brilliant innovators get twenty-four hours in a day—the only difference is how you decide to use them.

You will naturally be more motivated and resilient when you fill your day with projects and goals that are exciting to YOU—with a purpose that drives you forward.

TOP 1% BOTTOM LINE: Although life can be complicated, we always have the choice to keep it SIMPLE. To achieve this you need to know what’s most important to you and then focus on your top priorities. The process starts by gaining clarity on how you define success and then practicing your rituals consistently.

Alissa is a Professional Life Coach, motivational speaker, and author of Living in Your Top 1%: Nine Essential Rituals to Achieve Your Ultimate Life Goals. She works with individuals and organizations to help them think bigger, redefine what’s possible, and get results.  Alissa has an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. To learn more and to take the Living in Your Top 1% quiz, please visit Alissa’s website or her Facebook page.