Taylor Swift and I have a surprising connection…can you guess?

2. There’s nothing wrong with striving for more

“To desire and strive to be of some service to the world, to aim at doing something which shall really increase the happiness and welfare and virtue of mankind – this is a choice which is possible for all of us; and surely it is a good haven to sail for”. – Henry Van Dyke

Taylor Swift: “It seems to me that there is a false stigma around eagerness in our culture of ‘unbothered ambivalence’. This outlook perpetuates the idea that it’s not cool to ‘want it’.”

Joseph: The act of discussing money or your desire for success seems to have an unfortunate stigma attached to it, which I’ve always found strange considering it plays such an important role in the quality of our lives and the choices it affords us. Whether we talk about it or not, the idea of wealth as a means to helping us live our best life, whether that’s having more material items, or taking more luxury holidays, or working less, spending time with family or giving back to charities, is something we all desire.

And they are all very worthy goals in their own way.

Whenever I meet successful people, it’s not how much money they have that interests me. How much work they did, how many sacrifices they were prepared to make and how many adversities they overcame is what I find most impressive.

3. Ditch the doubters in your life

‘If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore”. – Michele Ruiz

Taylor Swift: “Being the youngest person in every room for over a decade meant that I was constantly being issued warnings from older members of the music industry, the media, interviewers, executives. Everyone…kept telling me that my opinion and my viewpoint was naive and overly optimistic”.

Joseph: When I was surrounded by people earning $5 an hour, you can imagine how sceptical they were about my own belief that I would one day earn over a million dollars a year, let alone own a portfolio of multi-million-dollar properties and head up my own successful property investing company. Because it didn’t seem possible for them, (or perhaps because they didn’t want to learn how to make it possible), they had little belief in me. To this day, I make a conscious effort to surround myself with positive people who seek to lift each other up and inspire others to believe in their dreams.

4. Look at failure as a gift in disguise

“You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.” – Jim Carrey

Taylor Swift: “I became a young adult while being fed the message that if I didn’t make any mistakes, all the children of America would grow up to be perfect angels. It was all centred around the idea that mistakes equal failure and ultimately, the loss of any chance at a happy or rewarding life. 
This has not been my experience. My experience has been that my mistakes led to the best things in my life”.

Joseph:  The mindset of any successful entrepreneur is to view failure as a valuable part of life. It teaches you resilience, allows you to reflect on how you can do things differently, and on a personal level, shows you who you can rely on to help you pick yourself up and start again. Viewing failure through a positive lens, as not a step backward but a stepping stone towards success gives you the motivation and courage to carry on. And let’s face it, once you’ve experienced failure, you’re less inclined to make the same mistake again!

5. Dance to the tune of change

Much to the surprise of many, at the height of her career, Taylor risked upsetting her fanbase by choosing to leave country music and pursue pop. While some predicted disaster, her versatility saw her expand her fanbase (and her album sales) even further.

Taylor Swift: “Even if you’re happy with the life you’ve chosen, you’re still curious about the other options”.

Joseph: I look at change as an opportunity to grow. I’ve moved on from some very successful businesses over the years, the last being in 2005 when I left a very formidable partnership to bet my future on myself and start my own business, which you now know as Ironfish.

If what you are currently doing is not satisfying you personally or financially, don’t be afraid to change it. You’d be surprised how even the smallest changes you make can start to make a big difference.

Get started on your journey today

I make it a habit to study the journeys of highly successful people, and I think we can all take away some valuable lessons from the Taylor Swift song sheet.

• Believe in yourself, invest in yourself and stick to your beliefs
• Take calculated risks
• Don’t be afraid to change course along the way
• Be passionate about what you want to achieve
• Take control of your life and develop a mindset that is disciplined and laser focused on making your dream a reality