(S)ecrets of Success In Four Strategic Steps
Success is defined differently by every person. For some, it means a promotion, gaining material possessions, creating additional income, realizing internal growth or helping and serving others. However we define success, it’s personal and just right for us. Others cannot define it for us or tell us what our success should be. Each of us comes up to the table to feast on success in terms that we desire and a definition that we super impose on it.
We don’t just wake up one day and proof we’re successful. We can’t rub elbows with the rich and famous and automatically claim to be a self made success story. It’s our journey and effort that puts us dead center into our self made success definition where others see our effort, sacrifice, gains and losses. Others respect and support our “why” for keeping the light burning to reach our dreams.
There are secrets to success and they come in four (4) strategic steps.
Success Strategy #1. Define what success means to you.
What does it mean to you? If you can’t define it, you can’t measure it and you don’t know when you have reached milestones to get there. For example, success means to me “Helping businesses make money and people become successful.” Short, simple and a continual reach. I will never “arrive” at success but get a continual conformation that I have reach this eight (8) word sentence. Define it in simple terms, easy, quick and make it fun!
Success Strategy #2. Develop A Flexible Plan of Action
If we proclaim,”Ok, I’ve defined what success means to me. Now, come and get me.”, we’ll probably be standing the same spot a year from now without making any movement towards our goal. Some people seem to think that sitting, waiting, quietly with hands folded in their lap will bring success to them. In some cases, it might but for most of us it requires action, a little bit of planning, alot of patience and a huge amount of flexibility.
Put a five (5) to ten (10) year plan together on how you THINK you might get there with resources and action steps. THINK is in BIG letters because it most likely WON’T happen according to our plan. Our plan is a guide that will have twist, turns, road blocks, successes, failures and frustration. Knowing that leads us to Success Strategy #3.
Success Strategy #3. Learn To Be Patient. Your Going To Need It
Once you make the proclamation that your on the road to success, the Universe will test you to see if you have what it takes to reach the success you desire. You will plant many seeds where most won’t sprout. When just a few do, you will reap a fresh harvest of internal growth, legacy to others and success they way you defined it. It probably won’t come close to the plan you developed but it will come in the right measures, the right people and the right opportunities.
For example, I started off in Information Technology and ended up writing a book, coaching people to improvement and success, owning my own business(s), becoming an international speaker and corporate trainer. A far cry from what I wrote down on paper many years ago. The journey was interesting and frustrating and it still continues to energize me.
Success Strategy #4. Don’t Leave Dead Body’s In Your Path.
We can become extremely focused on obtaining success that we leave behind our family, friends, co-workers, and even the family dog or cat. They lie there all beat up by our harsh words, negative attitude, actions or inaction with no consideration that they are an important part of the process and most likely come first. If we have patience and enjoy the journey, our relaxed demeanor actually draws success to us rather than push it away. Emulate someone you want your family and friends to be proud of. Someone who gains the respect and trust of others and are happy for your milestones of success. Someone that others will want to help and be drawn to rather than run away from.
Like we’ve heard before … Success is a journey. Enjoy the process, the pain and exhilaration of the action to reach your goals and dreams. It’s in the process that we grow, learn and impact others to learn and serve. Continue to be patient and practice a positive attitude.
Be healthy and fabulous!
Sandra Larkin, CWPM
Certified Wellness Program Manager
www.sandralarkin.com
www.healthyprofitsbook.com
All rights reserved. Contents ©2009 Sandra Larkin Wellness Strategies, LLC
August 24th, 2009 - Posted in ABC's, attitude, intellectual, occupational | | 1 Comments
(R)einvest in YOU!
If you don’t think you have the time to exercise, read, take a walk, attend classes, be social or breath, you probably don’t. Our perception is our reality. In other words, what we perceive is real to us. For example, if you think your right when your in an argument, you are because that’s your perception. It’s pretty hard for someone to change your point of view. And when they try, look out!
This is a frustrating place as we feel like we’re in a rut, running in circles, unproductive and lacking a positive attitude. It feels like we’re defeated before our feet hit the floor each morning. We should strive to change what we can and that starts with our perception.
So how do we change our perception of lack to gain. We need to look at what we do as a reinvestment in ourselves. We can change ….
- I don’t have time to look for another job … to … I have at least 15 minutes per day to check out job sites.
- I’m so busy, I can’t look for healthy receipies … to …. I can plan out my meals on the weekend for the coming week.
- I can’t exercise because I work long hours …. to … I can walk at lunch with a buddy or join a local fitness center for lunch time exercise.
- I can’t read the newspaper each night …. to … I can scan the newspaper for interest stories or positive news <or> listen to 15 minutes of CNN or MSNBC.
- I don’t have time to take self-help classess … to … I can borrow self help books on CD from the library and listen to them on the way to and from work, running errands, etc.
- I can’ seem to keep my house organized …. to … I can spend 15 minutes each day to housework or organizing a drawer, folding laundry or going through a stack of papers.
Reinvesting in ourselves creates confidence, empowerment, focus, productivity and just plain feels good. We don’t have to make a huge public declaration that “OK, I’m going to make time for myself so things have to change!”. We just do it slowly and deliberatly. Others will notice.
This is not a race to see who can be different in the next six months. This is your personal journey to reinvestment. This is a reinvestment in yourself, your time, your lifestyle, your dreams and your impacts on life.
Be healthy and fabulous
Sandra Larkin, CWPM
Certified Wellness Program Manager
www.sandralarkin.com
www.healthyprofitsbook.com
All rights reserved. Contents ©2009 Sandra Larkin Wellness Strategies, LLC
August 21st, 2009 - Posted in ABC's, attitude, habits, intellectual | | 0 Comments
(Q)uit Living With Two Thieves
Have you been living with two thieves? How can that be? I don’t see or hear them but they plague us day after day. The two thieves are Regret and Worry. Regretting decisions from our past that we think may have turned out better. Worrying that an unknown consequence awaits us in the present or future.
We need to lasso these thieves by answering this question “Will we choose to live in yesterday or today?” It’s a deliberate decision not to let past experiences or uncontrollable situations steal our joy or our future. When we begin to emotionally multi task we live in the past and disregard that which is right in front of us (today) and that which we can control (future). When we emotionally multi task we tend to live in the past, present and future all at the same time. We need to live in the moment, right now, while not regretting the past and not worrying about the future.
Think of this …We live in the best time in history with our advanced technology in medicine and personal conveniences. Our society is educationally focused on health and well being. We live in a free nation with liberty and personal rights. Each one of us has health to some degree. Even if we lose everything, someone somewhere loves us and will help us get back on our feet.
A Quick Cheat Sheet
- Don’t worry about yesterday live for today.
- Emotional multi tasking lives for the future.
- Don’t let others steal your joy.
- We always think we have tomorrow. Do we?
- You can always make more money but cannot buy back time.
- Life is not a dress rehearsal. We don’t get another performance.
August 12th, 2009 - Posted in ABC's, emotional, habits, intellectual, occupational | | 0 Comments
(P)erspectives Of Change
Here we go again… CHANGE. Some of us embrace it. Others, loath it. Even the written word can generate these feelings. Such as “Make Different:, “Replace”, “Shift”, “Exchange”, “Transform”, “Modify”, “Alter”, “Vary”, “Switch”, “and Transfer”. Each word generates a unique personal comfort level based on past experience. We must learn to manage through the path of change so most of these words generate a consistent comfort level.
#1 Stay Focused On The Final Outcome
- Acknowledge the situation for the facts. Try hard not to manufacture interpretations of what could or should be. Stay on point and take “getting personal” out of even “personal situations”. This requires you to remove your view to a 30,000 foot level.
- Define how it affects your ultimate goal. Changing times require a look at your target also known as your goal. How does this change effect where I want to go, the resources I need to get there and my ultimate time table.
- Slow down to find a workable solution. Life is not a race. It’s a process. The same goes for your career, relationships and even health. Start brain dumping.
#2 Be Proactive
- Realize you have limited knowledge when it comes to some changes.
- Seek the perspective of others to encourage creative solution. We don’t know it all and are not expected to. People love to create and design solutions especially when it’s not involving them directly in the issue. Who can you bounce off an idea or potential solution to?
- Broaden your “advisory council” by finding people who have been in similar situations. Others have had similar experiences that can be tapped into. In addition, others have resources they can put you in touch with.
#3 Prepare For Confusion
- Realize you cannot plan for every contingency. Be flexible to put aside any feelings of failure to work through the issue.
- Stay positive and put away emotions. It doesn’t help the situation to cry, whine, shout, or get angry. In a nutshell, a positive outlook will enlist a host of creative solutions. A negative outlook locks down your creativity and results.
- Look long term beyond the challenge. A bad day does not mean your having a bad life. So, a bump in road or change in direction doesn’t mean you will not obtain your long term goal or effort.
#4 Be Courageously Creative
- Brainstorm all ideas and pathways. Bits and pieces make up one or more workable solutions. Brain dump.
- You don’t need steps 1-100 to begin. You don’t need all the steps defines and in place to take the first step. A lot of times, the first step leads to the next 10. Humans don’t come with a crystal ball to see the correct path or step. So be courageous.
- Update your strategy as you move along a new direction. Be flexible to change paths always keeping in mind your long term reward. Integrate new ideas or resources for creative solutions.
- Involve others in the process. To go it alone is to own all the responsibility for the success and failure. Involves others to help forge new pathways and share in your success.
- Stay motivated by knowing that tackling change provides you with enormous life values. You benefit by tackling new demons and have the experience to help others through the same or similar process.
Final Steps
Continually share your knowledge and experiences so you and others can grow personally and professionally. Change is a great teacher for the present and future. Use him wisely.
August 11th, 2009 - Posted in ABC's, change, intellectual, occupational | | 0 Comments
(O)pportunities: Destination Unknown
Each of us carries our own personal definition of opportunity based on past experience. To some, the definition may be centered on growth while others may view opportunity as a means of fear and resistance to change.
August 11th, 2009 - Posted in ABC's, Uncategorized, attitude, change, emotional, habits | | 2 Comments
(N)ever Giving Up
Seasons of the year. Some we love, some we wish away and some we embrace with a “get through it” attitude. The seasons of life can be compared to the changing seasons of the year. We enter into birth (spring) with growth and pushing through the challenges. Then onto being a child (summer) with fun and exploration. Next, is adulthood (fall), with the changing colors of careers, perspectives’ and continual daily activity. Finally, winter (retirement), where we settle down but not necessarily settle in and embrace and participate in the new seasons of those around us.
What about the seasons of our daily lives? From job loss to finding another job that’s a better fit for our talent, losing a coveted project to gaining a promotion, losing weight to gaining strength and flexibility and losing a battle in the workplace to gain respect and credibility in how we handled it.
No matter where we are, embracing the season is key to finding opportunity and leaving your mark on the past. Understand that what appears to be negative can really be a defining moment to change into the next season with positive expectation and exploration. Watching nature change through the seasons gives us a plan on how to adjust to our own. Nature gently embraces it’s future letting go of the past. For example, fall leaves turn from green to an extraordinary display of color as it gently moves into colder weather. We too can gently embrace our daily change with a color of positive expectation and exploration. Make this your season of doing the unexpected and embrace the season with a attitude of growth and opportunity.
August 6th, 2009 - Posted in ABC's, attitude, emotional, intellectual, productivity | | 0 Comments
(M)otivation: Cure or Curse
All of us have either set a goal or seen a speaker that has inspired us to change behavior or reach new levels. We begin the new journey with positive thoughts and actions along with a vision of what it will look like on the other end. Some of us get stimulated to work through the challenges. While others defuse or deflate when life places a boulder in our road to success.
Motivation can be a cure if we are willing to layout a plan and commit to win regardless of what it takes to reap the rewards. For example, a marathon runner doesn’t show up on race day and begin the 26.2 mile run. They prepare for at least six months with a consistent plan of action. During that time, there are challenges in the form of weather, potential injury, tiredness, and time constraints. By placing their foot on the track at race day, they’ve already reached the finish line due to their motivation to stick it out and see it through.
On the other hand, motivation can be a curse if we have set high expectations with an inappropriate time frame. For example, we start training for the marathon two months prior to race day. We also risk lowering our self esteem and the “stick to it” glue to reach lofty goals and self transformation.
Use motivation as a tool to help stay the course realizing there is no magic pill for success. Motivation is ultimately INTERNAL, meaning we are the drivers for success. Motivation that’s EXTERNAL, as in other peoples needs and wishes, has a high probability for failure. Choose your correct motivation and reach for the stars.
August 3rd, 2009 - Posted in ABC's, attitude, emotional, habits, intellectual, performance, productivity | | 0 Comments
