Over this past year I was determined to write my book, Every Leader’s Reality Guide , which I published in September. This was the achievement of my primary goal . To write and publish my book I needed to have belief, commitment, passion, determination and resilience. I achieved my goal because I matched my vision with focussed action . This was one item marked off my bucket list!
We often celebrate the achievements and successes of others whether in business, sport, politics, entertainment or in any other area of human endeavour. We admire those big achievers and may compare their life successes with our own.
Very often successful people achieve their goals because they keep trying. Most may have failed to achieve their goals a number of times previously but ultimately they succeeded because they were determined and believed they could.
We should not be afraid of striving for success nor should we fear failure. Rather we need to learn from failure and strive to shape our world rather than let our world shape us. It was Mark Twain who once said ; If you do what you have always done you will get what you have always got. Time to step out of your comfort zone!
There is no secret formula for success in life but there are habits you can nurture that can make success more likely.The first step in realising your dreams is to focus on yourself . You need to be determined and mentally strong and yes, you can learn to have these attributes.
There will be obstacles to overcome and you need to see that failures are part of your learning journey.You need to cope with failure if if you are to earn success. Fall down seven times, stand up eight-Proverb. Ban negativity from your mind and keep your vision of future success alive.
Having clearly defined your life or career goals is a sign that you have thought through what you would like to achieve. You need SMART goals- specific,measurable,attainable,relevant and time-based . You need an action plan to achieve your goals within a specific timeframe. The plan is the easier part of your strategy for success, Delivering the success is where the real challenge begins.
Being action-oriented while maintaining a positive mental attitude is the bedrock of success. Focus on one goal and begin your journey to achieve that goal. For a successful journey you will need to have unwavering resolution , willpower and determination. You will meet obstacles and people who will try to unseat you but only you can determine that you will carry on regardless.
I believe self-belief is a powerful force within us that can drive us to realise our full potential. How we see ourselves determines largely our capacity for achieving success in life. Very often we are our own worst enemy because we undervalue ourselves. If you put a small value on yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price- Unknown.
American President Obama knew the value of self-belief with his 2008 presidential campaign slogan ” Yes We Can “. But belief is not enough; hard work is needed also. It was Thomas Edison who once said; Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Diligence and perseverance with self-belief can translate your vision into reality. The right mindset can deliver your goal.
In my own career I had to learn to be resilient; I needed to be mentally strong to cope with the inevitable obstacles I met over a 35 year leadership journey. Success is not final;failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts-Winston Churchill.
Find meaning in failure and learn from it. You need to be flexible, to try different strategies to overcome whatever obstacle is hampering you. It was the Scottish author, Samuel Smiles who said; We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success. Learn and move on .
Winners succeed because they keep trying. Winners are those who never quit and who persist with determination. Yes, there will be times we will not win because we can’t win everything we want. It is the courage to try which is important. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
The ancient Chinese philosopher , Confucius, ( 551-479 BC) is one of my favourite sources of inspiration. His words best encapsulates what I have written above; The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential….these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.