How to develop yourself and be successful: 5 key principles from Vasyl Khmelnytsky, founder of UFuture
“30 years ago, when I returned home from the army to a small town in the Cherkasy region, I was well aware that I would not find serious opportunities for myself,” said Vasyl Khmelnytsky, founder of the UFuture holding company, during a speech at the GET Business Festival on July 14. So he went to St. Petersburg, where he got a job in construction.
“Today, 30 years later, I, a locksmith-welder from Vatutino, am speaking to you. What has happened to me during this time that has changed? I will share five tips that I think are key to development and success,” he continued.
Change the environment
“If you want to succeed, you need to change the environment. Communicate with people who are smarter, stronger, more "advanced" than you."
I have a construction department. This is a good business. But this year I plan to sell it. Why? Because when I talk to builders, we talk about bricks, cement, and concrete. And when I travel the world with my team and we talk to guys who work at Google, Apple, and other advanced companies, when they share their knowledge, talk about what the world will look like in 5-10 years or where the economy is moving, it drives me. And construction, although profitable, no longer gives me new opportunities.
Engage in self-education
If you are reading a book on psychology, try to change your behavior; if from business — try to implement what you read in practice. It’s not easy, but it’s effective. I read 5-7 books a year, but I read effectively: I highlight important points, reread, try to retell them and finally put them into practice. Thanks to this approach, reading changes our worldview and approaches to business.
“If you are listening to a speaker or watching an interesting entrepreneur on YouTube, be sure to write down the main ideas, retell and implement what you have heard. Only then will you be able to be effective.”
Listen to an alternative opinion
This is one of the most difficult points. When I like a business idea and I’m set up to make money on it, I’m in trend, and someone tells me, “Vasyl Ivanovich, it won’t work, it’s not that simple,” I don’t like it. I don’t like it when someone destroys my dream. I lost about 50% of my money because I made my own decisions and did not listen to alternative points of view.
Like it or not, but when it comes to a new business or a new idea, always involve people with an alternative point of view. So you will understand more and earn more.
Take action
Some people study a lot, graduate from four universities, but never start working. People are afraid to act because it involves risks. But it is necessary to act: even if you do not get the result, you will gain experience.
“I will share with you my formula: there must be a dream, followed by a goal (because without a goal a dream will not work). Then — action. Then — success. And then what? A new dream! It's just that the new dream must be bigger than the previous one. Then again the goal, action and success. And so for the rest of my life. Life is a movement. So never stop.”
Openness
If I had been told 10 years ago that I would be performing on this stage, sharing my experience with you, I probably wouldn’t have believed it. Be open, speak, share experiences, move forward. If you don’t talk about yourself, others will do it for you. And they will talk about you that, in fact, has no value for you or even harms you.