Whether you like it or not, you are responsible for your own success. How you see the world, and the confidence you feel will make all the difference when you realize how much power you really do have to create success for yourself. But, you should also remember that no person is an island. Surround yourself with successful people who have what you want and you’ll automatically create a situation where you’re more likely to have what you want.
1. Define What Success Means to You – This is probably one of the most important tips you’ll read. If you don’t know what success means to you, it’s going to be hard to get there. Success doesn’t always mean riches. For some it means a minimalistic lifestyle; for others it means getting to bike every tall mountain in America. What is success to you?
2. Work on Your Mindset – Your mindset can make all the difference. It’s not “woo”; this isn’t about thinking positively and then you’ll get what you want. No, it takes more than that. You’ll have to actually take some action to get what you want, and you have to believe in your heart and mind that you can do it.
3. Learn to Set Proper Goals – When you set a goal, you need to ensure that they’re specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and also time bound. Without these components of your goal setting, you may not ever achieve them and that would be sad.
4. Read the Right Books – One of the best books you can ever read about creating success and reaching your goals is The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. When you realize how every little thing you do each day leads someplace, you’ll be able to make better choices.
5. Learn to Say No – When you’re working on specific goals for yourself, other people can sometimes get in the way. Setting boundaries about your time and how you live your life will do wonders toward setting yourself up for success. For example, if your goal is to lose 100 pounds but your best friend still wants to go out for cheesecake and coffee three times a week and is not open to doing other things, you have to say no.
6. Create an Action Plan – When you know what your goals are, set a plan of action to get there. Start with the end result and work your way backwards until today with actionable steps to take on each day, right in your calendar. That way when you open your calendar to today’s date when you’re ready to work, you know exactly what to do.
7. Create a Vison Board – If it helps you to visualize your goals, and it does most people, create a vision board. You can make one using a cork board and pictures, or you can build one using Pinterest. But, you need to put it someplace where you’ll see it often.
8. Find an Accountability Partner – For some people a coach will work better than a friend. But, if you know someone who will be a good accountability partner and call you on your BS when they need to, then that is going to be very useful to you.
9. Surround Yourself with Like-Minded People – You’re usually the sum of your five closest friends in terms of status, income, and society. If you want to move up in the world, you need to associate with the type of people you want to become.
Creating your own success is as simple as figuring out what you really want, then setting up steps to get there and finally doing it. It won’t come from just thinking about it. But, a combination of deep thought, visualization, mindset training, accountability and doing will get you there.