A Guide to Success: A French Press Method

Success. Such a common word in today's world. Seemingly everyone has it but those of us who still can't quite grasp it. But what is success?

The standard dictionary definition is: a favorable or desired outcome. Seems easy enough, right? But then why is it always right there on the verge and disappears as soon as we go to grab it?

That's because success isn't just a single thing.

"Success is walking failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

Success is literally failure - and then the overcoming of failure time and time again.

I am studying to get my PhD in I/O Psychology. I study attitudes, emotions, feelings, the things that drive us, and try to discover what makes people different from each other. Personally, I like to associate myself with people who are "successful".

This doesn't mean that I hang out with rich people who drive Bentleys, Ferraris, and so on. No. I surround myself with people who choose a mindset of setting goals and not stopping until they achieve those goals, and then set more. It's a continuous cycle.

So what does this have to do with a French Press?

Well, glad you asked.

For those of you uncultured heathens out there, hopefully this article will change your life in more ways than one! A French Press is a method for brewing coffee. While there are numerous ways to make coffee, some are very clearly better than others.

Success is like coffee in this instance. You wake up each morning, plan what you need to do for the day, brush your teeth, get ready, etc...but for most of us, we don't need to plan to drink coffee. It's just one of those things that are on autopilot. And yet, it's such an integral part to our daily rituals.

We don't just drink coffee once and be done forever. It is never something that 100% satisfies us for more than a few hours. It's something we spend our hard-earned money on to make sure we have it (and keep it) in our lives. We continually look for it day after day. Science has even showed us a mapping on the brain when we even begin to think of coffee - well before we take our first sip (article). Our mindset is that it is a warm, comforting drink that helps us have a better day, boosts our mood, helps us multitask and work better, and helps make our day more bearable. Without, some of us get rather cranky...

But this right here is exactly the same as success!

Success is the mindset we must curate day after day until it becomes an autopilot ritual that affects our moods, how we work, and how we choose to tackle each and every day. If you wake up expecting success, you will work towards it. Sure, sometimes the coffee gets cold and doesn't do much for our mental state, but even cold coffee can taste good with a little doctoring up.

Failures are not permanent. Even if the coffee was supposed to be hot and gets cold, you can add a few ice cubes and some milk and make a latte. Or some ice and water and make an Americano. With the right mindset, even the off days don't have to set us back.

So how do we actually curate this 'success' mindset?

If you take a look at the picture above, you'll see several parts that make up the French Press. You have the glass body, a screen/filter on the end of a plunger, and a lid. Nice and simple.

Now, the hot brewed coffee is what we're after. This is success. The achievement we've been anticipating and working towards.

Using a French Press is simple. Yet, to make delicious coffee, you must get the water temperature correct along with the coffee ground ratios. There's a sweet spot to making one of the best cups of coffee you've ever had.

First, you preferably grind some fresh beans and add the coffee grounds to the pot. Just throw them in there and they'll fall to the bottom.

- Educate yourself on how you can achieve your goals. Picture in your mind what

success looks like to you. Everyone has their own version of success at different times.

And it's okay for it to change.

Then, heat up some water. Get it right before the point of a rolling boil. Some people will tell you it has to be xx temperature, but no. Everybody is different. So is the coffee. Coffee has its own unique characteristics.

- After you picture your success, begin to work out how you want to achieve it. What steps are you going to take to get there? This can be on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis. In fact, each level is good to plan out. It helps keep us accountable to the vision!

Next, you pour the water in the pot and over the grounds and give it a nice stir with something wooden. Hell, I use a bamboo chopstick. You don't need fancy utensils specific for this purpose. Then put the lid on with the plunger up and let it brew.

- This is the action phase. Here you begin to actively work towards those visions and goals you set for yourself. You don't need (and shouldn't) follow the same mould as everyone else. Achieve your vision the way you want and however it works for you. Make your vision of success just that - yours.

The last step - press the plunger down. I always greatly enjoy this part. There's a little resistance, but knowing it's about to produce some delicious nectar just makes the resistance all the more enjoyable.

- There will be resistance and 'failures', but it's up to you to determine how you use them. Failure is never final and only seems that way when you give up. Otherwise, failure is a lie. To those of us always looking to learn and pushing ever forward, failure is but a mere teaching tool. Sure, sometimes it hurts us and forces us down, but in those moments, we see a better way up.

And finally, the sweet, beautiful nectar of nature. Our finalized product. Our reaching of our vision. Our success.

- Taste and enjoy the reward of your work. Cherish the first sips and allow it to warm and comfort you. It releases those endorphins that make our days go from good to great.

Alas, this enjoyment does not stay forever and we must constantly make and remake our vision of success. For fulfilling these achievements in life is what brings us true happiness. We cannot succeed once and be done. We must continually find the challenges that bring us alive and hone our mindset to pursue them with unyielding devotion. For this is truly what success is!

If you're having trouble getting into the right mindset, or finding the proper motivation(s), reach out to us and let us help you. We love helping people succeed and want you to realize your dreams! Contact us HERE.