Ever wonder how all those people who move to another country or city end up having incredibly successful careers? Although it may have much to do with their own motivation and hard work, it may be something else entirely.

Brian Buffini, the author of "The Emigrant Edge", suggests that success can follow from the very characteristics that arise from being an emigrant. Dublin born and raised, Buffini moved to San Diego with only $92 in his pocket. Going on to build one of the largest real estate coaching businesses in America, he shares how he utilised his position as an emigrant to reach success.

I dream of exploring the world in many ways. There are so many places that I long to move to so I can further my career opportunities. Cities like London, New York and Madrid to name a few and although sometimes it can feel intimidating to move across the world, there are many more positive outcomes of a decision like this.

In the book. Buffini portrays the many advantages and disadvantages of being an emigrant. He encourages you to leverage the opportunities you already have to enable you to chase your version of the American Dream, i.e. the belief that no matter what socio-economic background you come from, you can achieve your own version of success in society.

So, why should be reading this book?

I watched Susan's book review of "The Emigrant Edge"   and clearly, from cover to cover, it's packed with ways with which you can have all the benefits of being an emigrant while you're right at home. Brian puts twenty one challenges to readers, but here is my take on the three that Susan highlighted.

Challenge #1.

Be consistent. Consistency is key to being successful. We are all well versed in the importance of this in our lives. Although it's not easy, it can be made to seem manageable. By setting smaller goals you can easily work towards a larger success in the long term.

For example, I am taking three mornings out of the week to write creatively before starting my day. For me, this time is vital. Allowing me to improve my writing skills in my own time whilst also starting the day in a postive way. As someone who aims to monetize my writing in the future, I am setting myself up with a routine to write. For a future when I don't have a college timetable to tell me when I have time to write. 

It's easy to choose not to do something when you don't immediately see the benefits of your effort. Buffini encourages us to have the patience to persevere when the going gets tough. During the Leaving Cert, I would spend hours studying throughout the week. Especially nearing the end of the year. Just prior to the exams there is a lack of in-class tests that allow you to really see the outcome of your studies. Sometimes I found it difficult to see the benefits of the effort I was putting in. However, once I had finished the exams, I felt that reassurance that I had waited for. I knew I had done the best I could do and that the many study sessions were well worth the effort once I had been offered a place in college.

Remember the Number 1 Leaving Cert strategy - it's a marathon, not a sprint 

Challenge #2.

Become Exceptional.

In today's world, there is a trend of exceeding expectations. We all want to be the best, and stand out from the crowd. Of course, going above and beyond is important. However, it is even more important that you meet expectations first.

In my experience, if you are going to succeed in meeting expectations, then you must be the one to set them. At the beginning of my Leaving Cert year, I was struggling to meet the expectations I was setting for myself. I would often set too much study to get done in one evening. However, this was exactly what I needed in order to learn how to realistically set goals and be able to achieve them. In this case, I learned that taking my time when studying would benefit me much more than racing through chapters of biology in the one evening.

I began to reduce the amount of study I set out to get done. Eventually getting to a point where I was often exceeding those expectations, always putting me in a positive mindset for the next time I sat down to study.

Meeting expectations, or "going the first mile" as Buffini refers to it, is key to success in your studies and life and career. You will always be remembered by those whose expectations you meet before exceeding.

Challenge #3.

Upgrade your input.

Have you ever stopped to think about the subtle influence others have on your success? They might just change your mentality for future decisions you make that could enhance your success. Buffini challenges us to look at the things we listen to, read and watch.

The most efficient way to upgrade the input into my life is through listening to a podcast. Whether I'm walking to work or cycling to college, I'm guaranteed to be listening to the new episode of my current favourite podcast. That's exactly why I've tried to make the most of my time by listening to podcasts that focus on the art of writing. From listening to a blogger discuss the trials and tribulations of writer's block to listening to an audio story I'm sure to learn something new about how to captivate an audience through words. If not, then I'm sure to get an insight into how other writers use their platform to portray certain ideas .

Challenge yourself to cut out the things in your life that don't hold value to you, and replace them with something that challenges your views perhaps. For me, that meant unfollowing particular Instagram pages and unfriending people on Facebook whose posts seem overpoweringly negative. Although it may not seem like much of a change, greater change comes from little differences that you make in your life right now. (That's a nod to the first point of consistency!)

One way to upgrade your input right now is by checking out some of many posts right here on our blog or subscribing to our Savvy Women podcast  

Like me, maybe you can take as little as 30 minutes out at the start of your day to get yourself going on the road to success. Whether it is your desire to give more time to physical exercise or setting aside some time for studying, make consistency a part of your life today.Consider tying the two together and make upgrading your input consistent. Whether that's sitting down to read a book, having a conversation with someone, listening to a new podcast or watching a YouTube video. Finally, always aim to "go the first mile", so before you get stuck into revising for that biology test on Friday, make sure you do your maths homework for tommmorow first.

Stay Savvy!