DETERMINE / PLAN / EMBRACE / SURROUND / ENJOY
On many occasions I have found myself in engaging conversations regarding this topic and I have had the privilege of discussing it with a variety of unique people throughout the years. I decided to write some basic steps with the purpose of provoking thought while you discover or rediscover a life filled with success, contentment, and happiness. The first thing you must understand is that if you want to succeed in life it is crucial to have ongoing performance evaluations with yourself to determine what you are doing with your life, good or bad. By providing yourself with honest feedback it will help you to enhance, change, or eliminate particular behavior. Before you begin to follow these basic steps the most important trait you are going to need is desire, as a strong overpowering desire to achieve greatness is what will get you there.
DETERMINE WHAT SUCCESS MEANS TO YOU In order to determine how to succeed in life it is imperative that you first determine specifically what success means to you. In one sentence you should be able to clearly define this so you have a specific objective that you are continually working toward. Here is an example; “I define success as having the ability to provide financial stability for my family while promoting a healthy and loving environment with a focus on faith, values and personal development.” For you it might be completely different. If I took a survey and asked a hundred people what success means to them everyone would have their own ideas and thoughts. This is why the first step in succeeding at life is determining what it means to you.
HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE We have all heard it said before; fail to plan, plan to fail. It’s not likely you will achieve anything if you don’t know what you are trying to accomplish and you often can’t get reach your destination if you don’t know where you are going. These days most of us have GPS systems that help guide us to our destination when we travel. I remember years ago when I was a young boy, long before GPS technology, I was traveling to Chicago with my grandparents because we wanted to see the Sears Tower , now the Willis Building . I will always remember this because we drove three hours to Chicago and could not find our destination. After about an hour and a half of relentless searching, my grandfather looked over to my grandmother and said he was tried of driving around the city looking for the tallest building, and he decided to head home. We then wasted another three hours driving back. During this drive home my grandfather’s frustration was apparent, however the outcome would have been very different if he would have planned our trip in advance. My point is that you must have a vision of what you want to accomplish and more importantly know how you are going to do it.
EMBRACE CHANGE Your start in life is no indication of how you will finish, and the way you think today may not necessarily be the way you thought yesterday. I remember when I was growing up I was only concerned with making lots of money. Now that I have some life experience behind me I have learned that making lots of money isn’t easy and it requires a great deal of time and effort. My priorities however have since shifted now that I am married and have a family. You must be open to change and remember just because it may and most likely will happen it does not mean you are not successful. I live in busy Chicago and over the years I have had to quickly learn multiple routes to avoid traffic congestion. If you live in a large city then you know what I mean. My point is that just because you take a different route it doesn’t mean you won’t reach your destination. Be prepared for change as it is imminent.
SURROUND YOURSELF AROUND LIKE MINDED PEOPLE We have heard it said before, who you hang around is usually who you will become. I know this isn’t always the case, however the power of influence has a major effect on what most of us strive to work towards or achieve. For an example, you can’t hope for a perfect family life if you are spending more time hanging out with your friends throughout the week. Likewise you can’t expect to have financial stability if your partner is consistently spending more than you make. It is imperative that you surround yourself with people who have not only the same values as yourself to provide a positive influence, but also those who aspire to achieve like minded goals as you.
ENJOY RIGHT NOW As we all know, nothing is guaranteed in life and sometimes while we are chasing dreams or dwelling on the past, we forget about “right now.” I have learned that it is extremely important to plan for your future, but it is equally as important to enjoy the moment along the way. Years ago I heard a story about a farmer who was so consumed with his crops reaching their fullest potential that he forgot the most important step, which was plant the seeds. It wasn’t until months of doing his normal routine of preparing the harvest he realized his injudicious mistake. His crops were a main source for his local community, and sadly because he wasn’t focused on “right now” or his first step, he made a costly mistake. No one knows what the future holds, but if we live avidly as if it may be our last days, there is no doubt that we will enjoy every minute of our life. And if you are a dweller, sadly enough you are probably living a disappointed existence because of the choices you made. My advice to you… would be to get over it and move on. You have to forget about what you should have done and concentrate on what you can do. Your life is not over, so never speak as if it is about to end as otherwise it will consequently lead to more dissatisfaction. Enjoy right now and focus on today!
I am confident that if you begin to implement and follow these steps you will begin to discover a more abundant and fulfilled life. Some people dream of success, while other people live to achieve it! Remember to be positive and think in terms of results not obstacles. Although given different circumstances, through planning, perseverance and passion, anyone can succeed.
