Wouldn’t we all like to be successful in life by realizing our dreams and goals? But what does it take to get to where we want to go?
Persistence to persevere after failure and the willingness to sacrifice is probably the ultimate determining factor for success in life relative to achieving your life ambitions. I have just finished reading an excellent book, The Success Principles by Jack Canfield, which I would recommend along with other success books recommended on this website.
From my readings, I have assembled an outline of what I consider to be the most important tips for a successful life relative to accomplishing your objectives in life, I would describe the skills and strategies required to thrive as follows:
First, you have to really want success in whatever it is that you would want to achieve; you must make it a priority in your life. To be successful at whatever you have chosen will mean you must be very passionate about what you do every day to reach your ultimate goals of success; we all excel at what we are wired to do – what we enjoy doing over and over again. People who are successful in life cross their purpose in life with their passions, talents, and values.
Second, you must define your goals in writing. If it is not in writing it is not likely you will move forward. What is your ultimate long term goal? What do you want to achieve? What does success look like to you? Write it down. Visualize what achieving your goal looks like; how does it make you feel? What benefits will it deliver? To achieve your longer term goal will require many shorter term interim goals – write them down. Also write down the roadblocks you envision encountering as well as your questions and what you will need to learn.
Third, you must get started. This can be the most difficult phase for most people. There are just so many mental roadblocks. You do not know where to start; you do not have the knowledge or experience; you do not have the time; you are afraid of the risk; you are afraid you will fail; you think you are not prepared or ready; it is just not the right time. You must understand you will never be ready; you will never know enough; you will never have enough experience; you will never be successful without failing; it will never be the right time. People who are successful in life just do it because they do not fear failing. They learn from their failures as they go – persistently moving forward toward their ultimate goal. Intelligent people make fewer mistakes because they learn from the mistakes of others who have gone before them.
Fourth, when it comes to your day to day actions, successful people have the ability to manage their time for maximum productivity; they understand the importance of staying focused everyday on what actions will assist in achieving their ultimate goal – they do not get lost in the day to day clutter.
Fifth, people who are successful in life possess a winner’s mindset that propels them forward toward success. As you work toward your goals, you will undoubtedly experience several setbacks and roadblocks. The real world is always very different from the goals, working models, and outcomes you developed and visualized in your mind. To succeed you must be able to overcome rejection and failure. Successful people realize rejection is nothing more than feedback – it has nothing to do with you; successful people do not let rejection get inside their head but rather just persistently continue moving forward toward their goal. Successful people also accept their failures as positive feedback and an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve. But in order to accept rejection and failure as positive feedback, you must take responsibility for your actions. It is impossible to learn from your failures and move forward if you cannot look into the mirror and take responsibility for your mistakes. And to ultimately overcome the multitude of failures and rejection you will encounter, you must believe in yourself; you must believe you can do it. All successful people have a strong belief in themselves and their purpose, utilizing daily positive self- talk to propel themselves forward; it is the positive self-talk that allows you to overcome the numerous obstacles that are continually obstructing the path to your dreams and goals.
Sixth, people who achieve success in life are not afraid to sacrifice their time in exchange for accomplishing their goals and dreams. Their goals are tied to their purpose in life; their purpose is tied to their passions and what they love to do. They want it; it is a priority in their life. And for those reasons they are willing to sacrifice their time to reach their goal. Persistence, enthusiasm, and determination drive them forward toward their ultimate goal every single day.
Seventh, successful people are continually self-improving and growing. Successful people invest their time in a life-long pursuit of learning. To augment their learning process they practice excellent listening skills in their quest for knowledge. It is through learning how to ask the right questions and developing the patience to listen for a true understanding that successful people learn more from others; the result is they make fewer mistakes and grow more themselves.
Eighth, people who become successful in life do not follow the path of others. They develop original ideas which bloom from their passions; they chart new paths in a different direction than the crowd; they take action toward their ideas without fear of being criticized or failing. Successful people understand the importance of differentiating themselves from others; they do not fear following their heart and straying from the crowd.
Ninth, successful people know how to let go and surround themselves with quality people. They utilize the productivity power of delegating work to others, reserving for themselves the jobs they do best. They motivate people to work toward their goals and dreams by engaging and listening to their followers, and then empowering and rewarding them.
Tenth, successful people build trust and loyalty from others by consistently delivering what they say they will do. Honesty builds trust between you and others but it also builds personal power; keeping your word builds your self-esteem, confidence, and self-respect.
Fortunately, these tips for a successful life can be learned by anyone. Succeeding in life by achieving ones long term goals will never come easily; but you can be successful if you really want it! You must believe in yourself and your dreams; when you believe in yourself, when you are willing to commit yourself to learning and sacrificing your time to achieve your goals, when you persistently continue to move forward, you will be successful in accomplishing whatever you set out to achieve.