In order to succeed at
anything, you need to see that you have the potential to reach your
goals. For example, if you want to be a recording artist but have no
singing ability, having success in this field is not likely. However, if
you love working on cars and have a real talent for fixing engines and
transmissions, and to you, success would mean working for NASCAR, you
have potential to learn and achieve that success.
Don't Look Back
Everyone
has failures or mistakes from the past. To have success, you need to
learn from your past and value those difficult lessons but do not every
dwell on the past. Simply move forward and make better, more educated
decisions from the lessons learned.
Dare to Dream
To
succeed, you need to have dreams and aspirations. Be honest with
yourself as to what you want out of life and what you want to give of
your life. Allow your mind to dream and think big.
Don't Give Up
To
reach success, you have to persevere. Even Thomas Edison had to learn
this. When he was creating the incandescent light bulb, it took him more
than 10,000 times to get it right. Keep striving even when it becomes
challenging.
Have an Unstoppable Attitude
You need to
have determination. With good intentions, there may be a close friend
or family member that feels it would be better if you focused your
attention in another direction. Uphold your unstoppable attitude,
determined to succeed.
Stop the Complaining
You might
think there is no correlation between complaining and success when in
fact there is a connection. When you are spending time complaining about
the obstacles you are facing, you are wasting so much time being
negative that you are actually losing chances to move forward. Instead
of thinking of challenges as problems, think of them as opportunities.
Focus on Something you Like
To
increase your chance of succeeding, you should concentrate your efforts
on something you enjoy. When you start out, make a list of everything
you find interesting. Then in a second column, write down the skills you
have in relation to each of those items. This will help you narrow
choices down based on interest and skill, which gets you started in the
right direction for success.
Accept Responsibility
You
need to accept responsibility if you make a bad decision or fall behind
in your plan. Let us say that you have set some firm milestones that
need to be accomplished in order for you to move to the next step.
However, you got tired of working hard and took some time to play, which
is fine as long as it does not affect your goals. Now months have
passed and you are way behind schedule. This delay has closed several
doors of opportunities. Who is to blame?
Be Happy
A
positive mind and happy, upbeat attitude will help you succeed. It has
been proven in many studies that a person living in a happy state
generally gets much further in just about everything they do. This
relates to attitude. Just as bad attitude can pull you down, good
attitude and a happy, healthy mind will help you meet your objectives.
No Shortcuts
An
old cliche states, "Anything worth doing is worth doing well." This
should be your motto. When you want to succeed, you cannot afford to
take shortcuts. Taking shortcuts leads to imperfection and inadequacies.
Always strive for the best, even if it requires a little more time and
effort.
Have Courage
Depending on what your specific
success is, it may take courage to arrive at your desired destination.
For example, if you have a dream of being a writer and to you, that is
success, but according to your long line of family members who have all
gone on to be doctors, the only success in their minds is if you follow
down the medical path. This means you will have to have courage to stand
up for what you believe and desire to do, even if it means
disappointing family.
Be Excited to Learn
Referring
back to the analogy of Edison, when asked about his failures by a young
boy, Edison commented, "Young man, I didn't fail 9,999 times, I
discovered 9,999 ways not to invent the light bulb." As you work toward
your specific success, always enjoy opportunities to learn, even if it
takes longer than you think it should.
Share your Success
Although
this may be more at the end of the process, it is important. When you
finally do reach your success, use your experience to teach, guide, and
mentor others so that they too might succeed.
Seek Input
Whatever
your idea of success, conduct a "sanity check" throughout the process
of reaching your goal. This should be done with someone you trust and
who is themselves successful. Ask them to provide honest feedback about
your success and as you move through different milestones, bounce
concerns or new ideas off them to help keep you on the right track.
Be a Good Listener
To
succeed, you need to learn how to listen first. Pay attention to other
people who have enjoyed successes in their life, attend seminars given
by people that can motivate and encourage, or be open to hearing that a
particular idea is not a good one. Good listening takes time to learn
but in the end, it will be your greatest tool.
Be Proactive
While
it may take time to learn how to identify ways to avoid obstacles or
failures, get into the habit of tackling problems before they arise.
This will help you avoid wasting precious time on your road to success.
Stay Motivated
When
striving for the big goal of success, it is critical to stay motivated.
Find inspiring and motivational tapes, seminars, books, movies;
whatever you are able to get your hands on. When you start to feel a
little down and out and doubt starts to creep in, turn to these
motivational tools to help you keep on track. A few excellent motivators
include Tony Robbins, Norman Vincent Peale, Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, and
Les Brown.
Give Yourself a Break
While being
determined is important, do not be so hard on yourself that you become
critical of every move you make. Give yourself some room to make
mistakes and be flexible with you. That does not mean you can miss goals
but it does mean that if you do, you find out how to avoid that from
happening again and then get back to work.
Be Passionate
Fall
in love with what your success. Okay, although that sounds funny, you
need to have an intimate passion with your interest. You can do this
regardless of what your success is. By having passion for what you are
doing and driving toward, you will automatically put more effort into
it. Passion is a good thing as long as it does not become an obsession.
Don't Settle
If
you have a goal of becoming a world-famous chef and you know you have
both desire and skill, do not just settle to become a short order cook
at your local family ¬style restaurant. While that may be good training
ground, do not allow yourself to lose sight of your ultimate goal.
No Excuses
Many
famous actors, music artists, inventors, etc., had special challenges
ranging from learning disabilities to physical disabilities. Take
Beethoven for example. He was born deaf yet he went on to be one of the
world's greatest composers or Joni Erickson who was paralyzed from the
neck down yet she learned to paint with her mouth. Today, her paintings
are famous around the world and worth millions. If you are faced with a
special challenge of your own, while you may have to adjust things from
time to time, do not use excuses. If you want something bad enough,
there is a way!
Getting Past Fear of Failure
Being
afraid of failure is a normal emotion for every person on the planet.
How you get past that fear is the determining factor between failing and
succeeding. You can do that by setting realistic goals and then
examining those goals on occasion to do any necessary realignment. Above
all, believe in yourself and the desire burning within.
Patience and Dues
Succeeding
takes time. A goal worth setting will take time to achieve. Be patient
with yourself, the people around you, and the process it takes to become
successful, also referred to as "paying your dues." Just like the chef
scenario, it takes time to be a master chef. Pay your dues by learning
and working your way up the ladder to success.
Good Time / Resource Management
Being
successful also means keeping to a schedule. In addition, you need to
learn how much is too much. Good time and resource management will help
you ensure that you use your time wisely and that you are not adding
third portions onto a plate still overflowing with seconds.
Attitude
Putting
yourself in the right attitude for success should be at the top of your
list. Staying positive and surrounding yourself with friends, that
share a positive attitude will help you succeed. Do not allow negative
thoughts to slip into your mind. Attend motivational seminars and find
ways to enjoy life. A good attitude will allow you to turn any bad
situation into a learning experience. You have heard the saying, "The
glass is either half-full or half-empty." You need to adopt the attitude
that life is half¬ full. The result is that you will feel better, have
more energy, and have a much higher opportunity for success.
Be Thankful
You
need to be thankful for not only your accomplishments but also your
failures. Having a grateful attitude is important. It will help you stay
humble, which in turn, will help you continue striving for the ultimate
in success.
Keep a Journal
As you work hard to reach
success, regardless of what you consider that success to be, you need
to be able to see your accomplishments. Start a journal and track every
thing you have conquered. When you feel discouraged or frustrated,
reflect on what you have achieved, and rejuvenate yourself.
Rewards
When
children do something great, parents will reward them with something
nice, whether a kind word of encouragement or a new toy. When people do
well in their job, they get raises. As you surpass your milestones,
reward yourself. Treat yourself to something nice - a new dress, a new
fishing pole, whatever you like, be sure to award yourself for a job
well done.
Make the Best of Each Day
Try to live
every day as though it were your last. Make the most of every day and
accomplish something. Even if it is something small, every baby step
adds up to a huge success in the end.
Make the Process and Adventure
You
should look at every angle of your journey as an exciting adventure.
When you think of your childhood years, you loved investigating the
unknown. Carry this with you as you strive toward success. Anticipate
the excitement of each accomplishment - make it a real adventure.
Don't Neglect Things
Especially
when things are small and do not appear to have a major impact on the
big picture, you need to ensure you follow through and complete your
tasks. Those little things can quickly add up to a big mess if not taken
care of in a timely and efficient manner.
Offer Praise
If
you have people helping you out, whether on a volunteer basis or a
full-time employee, always offer praise. These people are an important
part of your success and by providing praise and support; in return,
they will show dedication and work hard to help you reach your goal.
Accept Responsibility
You
and you alone are responsible for your success. While you will have
help in many instances, the bottom line is that you are responsible. You
need to be surrounded by the right people, working with the right
investors, going about meeting your success in the right way. It is you
that will make the choices and therefore, your responsibility to make
the right choices. In other words, your desire for success must always
be greater that any obstacle that stands in your way.
Be Open to Improvement
Sometimes,
people get into the habit of thinking they have the answers needed. You
need to accept that you do not have all the answers and more
importantly, be open to recommendations from other people. That does not
mean you have to agree or even follow those suggestions, but it does
mean to listen. You never know when someone will have an idea that will
make things easier and more functional, ultimately helping you arrive at
your goal more efficiently.
Participate
If
attending seminars or lectures that will help you get ahead, if there is
the opportunity, participate by asking questions or making valid
points. Participation is a great way to remember what is being taught.
Be Serious
Take
your efforts to success seriously. Success is a serious thing and it
takes serious dedication. You have to have the mindset that this is not
going to be all play, at least not in the beginning.
Don't Make Quick Decisions
When
things in your plan need to change, unless necessary, do not make quick
decisions. Just as it took time to plan in the beginning, it will take
time to change. You want to make sure you are making the right decisions
when changes come up. Do your research just as you did in the beginning
and then make educated choices.
Avoid Stress
When
you strive to be successful, stress is a natural part of the process. Do
everything you can to avoid stress. Adding in unnecessary stress into
the equation will take focus away from accomplishing your goals. You can
listen to relaxing tapes, get a professional massage, take a walk, or
whatever helps you to relax. When you start feeling overwhelmed, stop,
change direction, and avoid stress. The only thing stress accomplishes
is draining your think power and creativity.
Be Logical
Okay,
you may be thinking that logic itself is logical. However, being logic
in many cases means having some level of analytical ability. Regardless
of the way you think, find the logic in it. This will help you think and
plan clearly and honestly.
Give 100% Effort
If you
are going to succeed, you have to be able to get through tough times.
You will have to rise to challenges and not quit. You have to plan to go
the extra mile and make personal sacrifices. Succeeding means giving
100% effort. Stay focused while keeping your performance on a consistent
basis.
Understand your Goal
A great challenge is to
prove to yourself that you can do it. One of the ways to prove this to
you is to take on responsibility. If your goal for success involves
opening a restaurant, work in a restaurant as a server to get a
perspective of all the jobs involved to make the restaurant a success.
Understand the entire business from the ground up.
Appreciate Life
Do
not burn any bridges in life. Appreciate life, people, everything
around you. Learn as much as you can from every person you meet. Do not
turn people away just because you do not agree with them. You never
know, the very people you turn away may be the very people that come to
your rescue during a time of difficulty.
Just Do It
Okay,
so Nike coined that phrase but it is so accurate. Quit putting things
off and just do it. If you want it bad enough, go for it!
Graham Harris
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